Adventures in Scotland - The Journey Begins

    Once upon a time, I fell in love with Scotland. I can't tell you when it happened or why or what triggered it, but for the past several years, I've been irresistibly drawn to a place that, impossibly, felt like home despite my never having been there. One does not simply just hop a plane to another country, however - at least not in my line of work - so I satisfied myself with learning as much about it as I could until I could make the trip myself. I read about the conflicts and circumstances that shaped the Scottish culture into what it is today, the stunning landscapes and ruined castles, and, above all, the story of the people; fiercely proud, resilient people that have always fought for what they believed in regardless of the odds. The more I read, the more I wanted to visit until the stars finally aligned this year. It was my turn to experience Scotland firsthand in all of her glory.

    My sister is normally my travel buddy, but a severely misbehaving appendix put her out of the running this year. Since you never know if tomorrow is the day you get run over by a bus, I decided to forge on alone. However, since you also never know if a kidnapper and/or axe murderer are lying in wait to nab lone female travelers, I spent approximately 89 million hours researching tour groups and finally found a solo tour with EF Go Ahead that seemed absolutely perfect: a small group that leans towards more *ahem* mature travelers, an itinerary that covered many of my top want-to-sees, and built-in free time so you can break away and do your own thing every once in a while. They handle all of the hotels, transportation, attraction tickets, and even a few group meals. What more could you possibly ask for? Not much, as it turns out. 

     Over the next few posts, we'll travel from artsy Glasgow through the unbelievably beautiful Highlands up to lovely Inverness, bop over to Aberdeen, and then meander down to historic Edinburgh - plus make a few pit stops in between! We'll see cows and castles, kilts and Kelpies, and more gorgeous scenery - albeit poorly captured gorgeous scenery thanks to my lack of photography skills - than should be legal to have in such a small country. So sit down, buckle up, and get ready for the trip of a lifetime!

P.S. - this post series is (sadly) not sponsored by EF Go Ahead, which means all comments are based solely on my personal experience with them. Reviews are what helped me to choose them from a multitude of other options, so my goal is to contribute to that knowledge base and help out others who are in the same spot!

Top 10 Reads of 2025

2025 is officially over and that means another year of books in the... well, in the books. There were highs, there were lows, and there were a LOT of books: 80 to be precise, 10 over my original goal! Instead of just picking from my 5-star reads, I wanted to share some that had a big impact on me even if they didn't *quite* hit the 5-star mark; I have a structured rating system, but just because I knock a star off for a specific element doesn't mean I didn't get something out of it. So without further ado, here are some of my favorite reads from the year!

1. The Mercy Thompson series - Patricia Briggs
   An urban fantasy series in which a shapeshifting mechanic navigates an uneasy alliance between werewolves, vampires, and witches. Supernatural adventures, a strong female lead, and swoon-worthy romance await!
2. Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone - Benjamin Stevenson
   It's not what you think. Okay, it is, but not the way you think. A darkly funny, twisty whodunnit that will also have you feeling A Certain Kind Of Way™ by the time all is said and done. The second book in the series is also excellent!
3. Beauty and the Beast - K.M. Shea
   Elle is an indentured spy to the crown and gets injured while on patrol at the Beast's chateau, prompting an unexpected stay. Expect hilarity, angst, and some quality character development, as well as a very fat dog. My favorite Beauty and the Beast adaptation EVER!
4. The Good Part - Sophie Cousens
   Haven't we all wished we could skip to "the good part" at some point in our lives? When a magic wishing machine allows Lucy Young to do exactly that, she finds that the future's not all it's cracked up to be and learns to appreciate the value of living in the present. This book wrecked my life for 3 weeks straight (in the best kind of way) and if you struggle with wishing your life away too, I HIGHLY recommend adding it to your list. 
5. The Assistant to the Villain series- Hannah Nicole Maehrer
   Peppy and very unemployed village girl finds herself accepting a job as assistant to the kingdom's most notorious, very brood-y villain. Sunshine x grumpy to the max, banter for years, and a royal frog will accompany you on the quest to really ruin the king's life.
6. The Happiness Project - Gretchen Rubin 
   An author's journey to maximize happiness by focusing on different areas of her life over the course of a year. She shares her own ideas, what worked, and what didn't. I entertained a brief obsession with this book and it became my entire personality for a hot minute, but it was totally worth it.
7.  Remarkably Bright Creatures - Shelby Van Pelt
   Elderly widow Tova works as a cleaner for an aquarium and spends her nights talking to its inhabitants, especially Marcellus the octopus, to keep from getting lonely. You have no doubt heard this referred to as "the octopus book" and for good reason as it's narrated by Marcellus. You think it sounds weird now, but you'll change your mind when you're bawling at the end of the book and recommending it to everyone you know.  
8.  Outdated: Find Love That Lasts When Dating Has Changed - Jonathan Pokluda
   A moment of silence for all of us trying to navigate today's dating scene. This book takes a faith-based approach to finding love and making sure you're prioritizing the right things along the way. In each chapter, Pokluda debunks common societal myths about dating and then reworks them from a biblical standpoint. As a chronically single person who was worried about all the wrong things, this book really helped me take a step back and evaluate what I want in a partner and why.
9. The Delta Anomaly - Rick Barba 
   Starfleet cadet James Kirk and his friends find themselves embroiled in the hunt for an alien serial killer after an attack at a local club. This is the first of the new Starfleet Academy books, all of which are excellent; they're true to the characters, funny, and have exciting plots. The Assassination Game is probably my favorite, but I love them all!
10. Authentically, Izzy - Pepper Basham
    Izzy's well-meaning cousin makes her a dating profile, but she's sure it's a prank when she meets a seemingly perfect match from the other side of the world. With jobs and families at stake, how far will they go for love? 

And that's it! Please note: these are not in any kind of order, unless you count the order of "scrolling through my Goodreads list". I am physically incapable of selecting a single favorite book and I'm not about to start narrowing it down now. I hope you found something on the list you can carry to your 2026 TBR, but either way, happy reading!

Christmas Charms - Terri Wilson

    Ashley is ready for her dream Christmas. She's made it to the big city from her small hometown where nothing ever happened, worked herself to the bone to show her bosses at the jewelry store she's manager material, and rumor has it her boyfriend has made a purchase of his own from the "I Do" section of the shop. Never mind that she hasn't been back to see her family for years, she'd much rather be designing jewelry of her own than selling someone else's, and she hasn't quite gotten over the boy whose heart she broke back in Owl Lake. But happiness in within her grasp, she's sure of it.

    But things aren't always what they seem and a devastated Ashley soon finds herself on a train back home to Owl Lake instead of having a romantic Christmas in Paris with her boyfriend. On the long journey back, her kindly, elderly seat neighbor, Betty, strikes up a conversation and they bond over the beautiful charm bracelet Betty is wearing. The two chat as the miles go by and Ashley shares her recent struggles, but, eventually, she drifts off to sleep.

    As the train pulls into her hometown's station, she awakens and is shocked to discover Betty's charm bracelet around her wrist and a note wishing her the Christmas of her dreams. With no idea of where she got off, she has no choice but to accept the gift even though she feels guilty about it. She makes her way to her parents' house, where another surprise is waiting: an adorable golden retriever sitting on the porch as if he's waiting for her, complete with a big red bow tied around his neck. She assumes he belongs to her parents, her parents assume he belongs to her, and Fruitcake joins the family. Ashley is sure he must be a stray, but she can't ignore that he exactly fits the bill of the dog she always wanted growing up. And, strangely enough, the first charm on her bracelet looks exactly like him, right down to the red bow. She writes it off as a coincidence; what else could it be?

    Soon after her arrival, her roommate frantically calls with news: there's a management position open at the jewelry store and Ashley needs to be there in person if she wants a shot at it. Despite the winter storm blowing in, Ashley decides to try to make it back. One thing leads to another and the next thing she knows, she's being rescued by Aidan, her old flame. He's not just her high school sweetheart anymore, though; a beloved member of the local fire department, he's become the town sweetheart and the catch every girl would like to make... if he weren't so closed off. 

    Surrounded by the nostalgia of days gone by, Ashley desperately wants to make amends with Aidan, especially since they can't seem to stop running into each other. But Aidan hasn't gotten past being rejected by the girl he loved and Ashley has problems of her own: the closer it gets to Christmas, the more the charms on her bracelet seem to be coming true in what has to be the most spectacular series of coincidences ever. After all, magic isn't real... or is it? And even if it is, will it be enough to give Ashley the Christmas of her dreams and turn her life around? 

    This is a Hallmark book. It has exactly the plot you would expect, what you expect to happen is exactly what happens, and it ends exactly how you'd expect. *But* - and here's where I think I'm probably going to lose some of you - that's exactly what I love about it. I used to absolutely hate cheesy romances, but now that I've been around the block a few times, there's something comforting about a story where you know everything's going to turn out okay in the end. No matter what happens, you just know it's going to make it back around by the last page. It's nice; real life is, of course, not like that at all, so it's a nice break from reality. Is this book going to change your life? Probably not. Is it going to give you a little vacation from some of the less pleasant things in life? Absolutely. 

    Personally, I got exactly what I wanted out of this book - a Christmas romance with a little magic thrown in. Sure it's a little cheesy - okay, okay, a lot cheesy - and you have to suspend belief a little (I'm looking at you "Aidan and Ashley just *happening* to run into each other in Manhattan" scene), but it's full of fun Christmas vibes, an interesting story line, and a happy ending. What better fluff could you possibly ask for around this time of year?   

Pros:

• Fruitcake the dog = the bestest boy EVER
• Happily ever after
• Magical charm bracelet!

Cons:

•  Just a wee bit contrived in some parts 
• Maximum cheese (also a pro and you won't convince me otherwise)
• Simplistic plot (again, I stand by this also being a pro) 

10 Things I'm Thankful For In 2025

Thanksgiving week is officially almost over, but it's never too late to be grateful. It's so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season and lose sight of what really matters, especially when you're going straight from Thanksgiving into the hullabaloo of Black Friday. After all, nothing says "I'm thankful" like turning around 24 hours later and getting in a fight with a stranger over a 75-inch flat screen TV. The older I get, the more I appreciate things I used to take for granted, so here's a list of 10 things I've found myself appreciating this year.

1. A loving, close-knit family
2. A warm, safe place to go home to every night
3. Food in the kitchen and the ability to get it when I need it
4. A good job that challenges my abilities
5. The joy of the Christmas season
6. Books to take you places when you need to get away
7. Our family dog - getting older, but still adorable! 
8. A funny, supportive friend group to do life with
9. Early enough detection of a retinal detachment that it was able to be corrected without significant permanent vision loss
10. The opportunity to take trips and have exciting new experiences 

Photo cred: Freepik 

Sloppy Joes

This ain't your mama's Manwich. I spent my formative years dreading that soupy, flavorless sauce from a can before I stumbled across this Pioneer Woman recipe and never looked back. Tangy, juicy, and full of flavor, you *need* this recipe in your repertoire. You definitely want the fancy kaiser rolls for these to get the full experience, but I rarely take the time to toast them and it still manages to turn out delicious every single time. Perfect for when you need a quick dinner!

Ingredients:

•  2 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1 large green bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 large onion, diced
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 TBSP packed brown sugar
• 2 tsp chili powder (or more to taste)
• 1 tsp dry mustard
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (or more to taste)
• Worcestershire sauce to taste
• Tabasco sauce to taste
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 8 kaiser rolls
• 2 TBSP butter

Directions:

1.  Brown the ground beef in a large pot over medium-high heat, then drain off the fat.
2. Add in green pepper and onions and stir.
3. Add minced garlic, ketchup, and 1 cup water and stir to combine, then add brown sugar, chili powder, mustard, red pepper flakes, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, salt, and pepper. 
4. Stir to combine, then cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes. 
5. To serve, spread kaiser rolls with softened butter and brown them on a griddle or skillet. Spoon a good amount of the meat mixture onto the bottom roll, then top with the other half. 

Source: "Sloppy Joes", The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food From My Frontier 

Pango: A Thrifty Booklover's Paradise

    I have a problem. Actually, I have two problems. Actually, I have a lot of problems, but for the sake of this conversation, we'll limit it to two. Problem 1) I buy a LOT of books because I read a LOT of books, which gets very expensive and leads to Problem 2) I have a LOT of books I have read, didn't care for, and are now laying around taking up valuable real estate in my humble, not-overly-large-abode. As you can imagine, books in + no books out = *cue Marie Kondo weeping*. But friends, there is a solution, and that solution is Pango.

    Now, a couple of rapid-fire disclaimers here. Yes, I could just borrow books from the library and occasionally do, but my tolerance for sticky library covers and weird stains has gone down the older I've gotten. Yes, I could also just donate the unwanted books to Goodwill, but that would require collecting them until I have a decent load and then carting them over for drop-off, which would result in an anxiety-filled exchange in which I'll question if they're questioning if I was the same chick who dropped off a box of cheesy Hallmark-esque books last month. Yes, these are all first world problems and yes, I still support our local indie bookstore if I'm in the mood to just browse and I'm not looking for a specific title. And, last but not least, no, this post is not sponsored by Pango. Sadly. Okay, now back to our regularly scheduled programming.

    I have absolutely no recollection of how I first heard about Pango as it's been a couple of years now, but, much like the invention of weighted blankets and waffle makers, it's hard to imagine what I did before it came into my life. Pango is essentially Poshmark for books; you can list and sell books for "Pango Bucks", which can be cashed out for real money or left in the app as store credit, or you can buy books from other sellers on the site. If you choose to sell, Pango takes 20% of each sale as a platform fee and provides a prepaid shipping label; all you have to do is package it up, slap the label on, and drop it in the mail. However, if you then turn around and use Pango bucks to buy something, you get 2% of the purchase price back in Pango bucks. It's not much, but it's a nice little incentive to keep your earnings as credit until you need them. Much like buying books from the Amazon marketplace, books are graded from fair to new condition and listed at (usually) shockingly good prices. Unlike the Amazon marketplace, sellers usually have multiple pictures so you can see exactly what you're getting. Additionally, sellers often have multi-buy discounts where you can get a percentage or flat amount off if you spend a certain amount.

    One of the nice things about Pango is that you can buy or sell or both. Obviously, if you're like me, it makes sense to sell and then apply those earnings to future purchases, but you could also just convert your sales to real money if you need a little extra cash. Or, if you don't want to sell, you can just pay with a card like any other online purchase. You can often find exclusive, special editions from places like Owlcrate and Fairyloot that you wouldn't be able to get anywhere else, so it's a great place to look for some of those harder-to-find items. There's a search function if you're wanting a specific title, but there's also a feed where you can see the most recently posted books, or you can browse by category. I've found a lot of great, random books I never would've found on my own if I hadn't stumbled on them in the main feed. Additionally, I really like the idea of buying secondhand books where the money is going to actual people and not just some soulless corporation. A lot of sellers include fun stickers or cute little notes when you order from them, so getting Pango mail is a lot more fun than your average retailer. 

    Like any third-party arrangement, there's some risk in buying from random people. Buyers can rate sellers they purchase from on Pango so you can usually tell if someone is a bad egg, but bad eggs also tend to not stick around for very long once they're on the Pango team's radar. In all the years I've been using Pango, I haven't had a single situation that hasn't been resolved quickly and efficiently, usually before it even has to be escalated. Even an order I made for several books that was lost by the post office was immediately refunded by the seller when I reached out to her. Sure, it might take a couple of extra days without that 2-day Prime shipping, but how many times has Amazon put frog stickers in with your order just for funsies? I would be willing to bet the answer is 0. 

    And so, to summarize, that is the story of why you should consider Pango for all your bookish needs. (Or at least most of them; brand new releases usually take a hot second to circulate their way into the Pango world.) Buy. Sell. Get cowboy possum stickers. The end.  

     

White Chocolate Mocha Cake

My work friend's birthday was this week, so I decided to make her a cake and throw her a little surprise party. The surprise part didn't last thanks to my poor planning, but neither did the cake. It was a big hit! White chocolate-y and mocha-y and not overly sweet, it was a nice change from the sickeningly sweet, mostly flavorless cakes you usually get at the store.  

Now, the original recipe suggests piping decorations on top, but I didn't realize until it was too late that the only piping tips I have are for cookie decorating. It was almost midnight at that point and I had already spent a couple of hours just making the cake and getting the frosting on, so I did the only thing I could think of, melted some of the white chocolate mixture that was left over, let it cool a little, and then poured it on top to do a drip decoration down the side. I couldn't even find my drip bottle, so I really had to wing it. I also ended up having to redo it after a dismal attempt at writing "Happy Birthday" on top; the drip didn't turn out nearly as well the second time, but at that point, I knew it was as good as it was going to get. 

Ingredients:

For white chocolate cake layers 

• 4 oz white baking chocolate, chopped into small pieces
• 2 1/2 cups cake flour
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/3 cup milk

For espresso mixture 

• 1 TBSP instant espresso
• 1 TBSP granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup boiling water

For whipped white chocolate ganache 

• 12 oz white chocolate
• 6 oz heavy cream

For espresso cream cheese frosting 

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 16 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 TBSP espresso granules dissolved in 2 tsp vanilla
• 6 to 6 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions:

Make the cake layers:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F.
2. Grease and flour 3 8" round cake pans, then cut out a circle of parchment paper to fit in the bottom of each. 
3. Heat the milk in the microwave or on the stove, but don't let it boil. Add the white chocolate. Let it sit for a couple of minutes to soften, then stir until melted and smooth. Let cool before using. 
4. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt, then whisk for 30 seconds to blend and set aside. 
5. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter until smooth. Slowly add the sugar and beat on medium for 4-5 minutes. 
6. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each until fully incorporated, then add vanilla. 
7. With mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and milk/chocolate mixture, beginning and ending with the flour (3 additions of flour and 2 of milk mixture).
8. Mix until just combined, being careful not to overmix. 
9. Pour batter into prepared pans and bake for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out.

Make the espresso mixture  

1. Mix boiling water, espresso powder, and sugar until dissolved. Set to the side and allow to cool.

Make whipped white chocolate filling

1. In a microwave safe bowl, combine white chocolate with the heavy cream and microwave in small increments until chocolate is almost melted. Once chocolate has almost completely melted, stir until smooth. 
2. Allow to cool and thicken, but not get firm. 
3. Whipped the chilled ganache until it fluffs up and stiff peaks form.

Make espresso cream cheese frosting 

1. Cut the butter into slices and add to the bowl of your mixer. Beat on low to medium speed until butter is softened. 
2. Cut the cream cheese into pieces and add to the butter, beating at low to medium speed until blended. 
3. Add the espresso that's been mixed with the vanilla. 
4. Gradually add powdered sugar and beat on low to medium speed until blended. Don't overmix or it will become too soft. If it does, refrigerate for a few minutes, then continue. The frosting will also pipe best when chilled. 

Assemble the cake 

1. Place the first cake layer on cake base or pedestal. Brush the top with espresso mixture. 
2. Spread the top with a layer of white chocolate filling and place the second cake layer on top, then repeat steps 1 and 2. 
3. Fill in any gaps between the cake layers with frosting, then apply a crumb coat of frosting to the cake and chill in the freezer for 15 minutes. This firms everything up for the final coat.
4. Smooth a second layer of frosting around the sides of the cake, then decorate as desired. 

Source: My Cake School