You made our day by making time for us today – thank you! We promise to make this visit worth your while. Today’s Scrolls is pretty scrumptious with a vegan candy bar, movie that I still haven’t gotten over, and the longest list of Try It links we’ve compiled all summer. There were too many good finds not to share them with you so let’s get right to it:

Making.

Crunchy Cashew Chocolate Bars

• ? start with lining muffin or donut tin with melted chocolate + coconut oil 
• ? sprinkle GF Rice Krispies over melted chocolate
• ? freeze for 5 minutes
• ? while you’re waiting for the chocolate to harden, blend 1 cup of cashews with 4 dates, a splash of vanilla and swirl of maple syrup
• ? layer the cashew mix on top of hardened chocolate, and spoon out cashew butter on top
• ? add more melted chocolate over your nougaty filling, and sprinkle with sea salt. 
• ❄️ wait for it to completely harden before removing from the mold. Store in freezer for ultimate deliciousness! 

Reading.

This book flew by. I had been reading some hefty novels lately, and when I picked up Mexican Gothic at the library, it felt a little lighter ?, so I popped it in the bag without reading the jacket. Do you do that too? Just go for one without knowing what it’s about? I’ve been burned by that strategy before, but this time, it was a pleasant surprise. Speaking of burn – though I read it in one sitting – the build-up was a slow burn, which made the ending even more satisfying. I loved the main character Noemi – her fierceness, her strength, her sass – and the voice the author used for her was such a juxtaposition to most of the other elements of the story. Since I didn’t know what to expect with this one, a “horror story” was probably what I was least prepared for. Don’t worry, you’ll still be able to fall asleep once you finish! 8.8 ⭐️

Watching.

This movie destroyed me. I kept waiting for the joy, and it didn’t come. Without giving too much away, their son dies right in the opening scenes, and what follows is a fight to see their grandchild. A heads up – there are several triggers for abuse, in case that’s something you want to avoid watching ?. The acting was superb (of course it was, hello Diane Lane and Kevin Costner ?), and if you can swim through the sadness, it leaves you (sobbing) with a deep sense of gratitude for your people. Poor Grey – I cried for an hour after and told him how lucky we were to have him. ((He did not watch with us, and was blissfully unaware of the cause of my ‘happy tears’))

Listening.

How many times have you purchased something on amazon because of how many five-star reviews it had? ?? Same. This podcast shines a light on the dirty secrets of some third party sellers and what lengths they’ll go to in order to rank higher in your search. Something I’ve been doing for a while (and maybe you are too), is after clicking through the glowing recommendations, I also click the one and two star reviews to see what people are saying that might be a deal-breaker for me. PS – if you don’t want to listen to the podcast, you can skim the transcript, here.

Feeling.

Trying.

Actionable tips to better your emotional self-regulation. SO good!

These workout shorts are IT. The length isn’t too short, the built-in underwear covers your full butt, and the material feels like butter. Look at all the colors! I ordered a medium and they are perfect (in the CRZ I wear a small, so maybe size up for a comfy fit).

The best bedtime routine for your zodiac sign. (I’ve actually tried the one they recommend for Scorpios and loved it)

9 Work Hacks to Try. My nutrition courses at Cornell are set up with mini milestones and it has helped me so much to stay on track. Loved that tip, plus the one about email batching.

One of my goals has been to ask better questions. So I clicked on this, not because of a first date ?, but because I am always looking for meaningful conversation starters. I think the Scrolls pack could come up with something better than these ??! Will you leave one of your favorite get-to-know-you questions in the comments?

This short article on grief is insightful and inspiring – it is worth a minute of your day if you or a friend have ever suffered the loss of someone you love.

These boots have what I like to call BTE (Big Texas Energy). But they aren’t just big in Texas – cowboy boots are having a big moment this fall (do you like these better?!). I like supporting small and finding something not everyone else is wearing. You too?

28 Trips That Will Absolutely Change Your Life. I feel so lucky to have crossed off a few of these, but there are SO many more I’d like to see in my lifetime. The Galapagos! Rwanda! Which ones are high on your list?

Did you know that a sense of humor can mean either being funny or enjoying funny things? I think I am the latter, Jon is the first. I loved this look at the link between happiness and a sense of humor.

Great tips for how to be on your phone less. I deleted a bunch of apps recently and haven’t had my phone in the bedroom for over a year. It has made such a difference in my ability to fall (and stay) asleep.

Something I have very much been trying to work on. Especially for modeling purposes – I don’t want Grey to have this trait. Psychologists say “parent pleasers become people pleasers” and so far, he does not care about being a parent pleaser so we’re off to a good start ??.

It has been a *full year* since I visited a hair salon or had someone touch my hair. After 15 years getting it dyed monthly for commercials, I just felt like growing out my natural color. This has been what has saved me from caving all year. It makes all my natural highlights shine, and keeps the brassiness at bay!

Grey made it through his first full week at school, already had the cutest playdate with a friend from his kinder pod, and we got to sneak out for a quick date night to share a slice of pie. I can't wait to see what next week brings! What was the highlight of your weekend? Please share with us in the comments!