My Goddaughter sent me a text out of the blue this week and asked what my Top 5 books of all time were. I thought it was such a beautiful gesture. A note that served many purposes: reaching out to say she was thinking of me, finding common ground despite our 20 year age gap, a chance to learn something new about each other. So that is the inspiration I’m taking into the week ahead. Who can I reach out to and connect with in that way? I hope it inspires you to do the same – maybe it will be one of our scrumptious scrolls below ?! We’ve got your lunch planned, an incredibly polarizing movie, thought-provoking book, and tons of new gems to try:

Make It.

When Jon goes grocery shopping, quite often he’ll come home with treats for all of us. Cookies for Grey, buffalo chicken for himself (which he secretly eats in the laundry room so Grey doesn’t lecture him about eating meat ??), and veggie spring rolls for me. They are so beautifully made, but cost a pretty penny ($6.99 for 2!). Mine may not look as thinly sliced or perfectly put together, but they taste the same and didn’t cost anywhere near that price!

Here’s what I used:

• Vietnamese Spring Roll Rice Wrappers (I grabbed these at Whole Foods, but they have them everywhere)
• Avocado
• Carrots
• Celery
• Red Peppers
• Thai sweet red chili sauce for dipping

You could do any vegetables you have on hand – I wanted to add in spinach, but the rolls were already a bit robust as it was. The key is slicing your vegetables roughly the same size, but not small enough where you don’t feel the crunch. When you rinse the wrappers, don’t get discouraged if they don’t seem malleable enough. As soon as you lay them on the counter after wetting them, it’s like magic. I would under-stuff to begin with so you get the roll right. And if you mess up like I did, just add a second wrapper on top – no one will know ?.

Read It.

The Midnight Library is a tremendous read – one that will consume your thoughts day and night for weeks to come as you ponder the possibilities. Imagine if you made one minuscule decision that ended up sending your life down a different path completely. Imagine a library with books of all the different endings you could have had, and one day, you get to visit that library and change your choices ?. It’s thought-provoking, beautifully told, and breeds hope. 9.6/10 ⭐️

Watch It.

Eek. Remember Gone Girl? Rosamund Pike is an exquisitely talented actress. And we know this because we love to hate her. For an actor to get that sentiment out of us, they have to be so very believable. She channeled that and then some in I Care a Lot and yikes was it a tough concept to choke down. Does this happen in real life?! I’m terrified now ?.

Listen to It.

Podcasts can be tough. You have to be in the right mood and the right mindset for them, at least for me anyway. But this new-to-me podcast is *outstanding* and well worth the listen. Now excuse me while I research farms that have summer school camps for Grey! PS – if I’m not in a position to write down a great nugget, I screenshot the timestamp to go back and listen to those spots again. For this one I screenshotted the time below, and also at 15:40.

Feel It.

Small wins of the week: reading more than I anticipated, weaving in (genuine) compliments to almost every conversation, prioritizing health and eating desserts more mindfully, not just because of long-lived habits! What about you?!

Try It.

10 Expert-Backed Tips To Help You Have Better Conversations. This is a superb round-up!

My Jetsetters were a big hit this week and I love how you can dress them up or down, but still remain cozy chic. The fit is phenomenal ?. If you’re browsing on Albion and see something you like, use NIXONPACK15 at checkout for 15% off! And if you’re kind enough to leave a comment on what you like best about Scrolls, I have a few $25 gift cards to give away!

Martha Stewart – the OG Influencer ?! This was an excellent piece – and for Pete’s sake, she plows her own property!

What do you think of this version of “Only Wanna Be With You”? It got Hootie’s seal of approval!

Thinking about adding these two books to my bedside stack.

Looking for inspo for a spring refresh around your home? This Amber Interiors project wows me every time.

A friend of mine, whom you might have met on Part of the Pack, is having a Wellness & Winery retreat next month in Florence, TX. It looks so dreamy ?.

In the fine hair club? ??‍♀️ Here are 7 Hair Mistakes we might be making. I’m guilty of 3 & 7!

There are bugs on your strawberries. There. I said it ?. I didn’t want to believe it, but it’s true! Here’s a video of how we handle produce after the grocery store to get rid of them. And these are the containers we store fruit in so they keep longer in the fridge!

If you could start a new nonprofit, what would it be? I made a new friend this week learning about hers and I am so excited to share more with you next month!

This was a scary read. I have no idea how many portions we eat, but shoot, I may need to start counting.

If you have granite, marble, or stone countertops – this sealer is the one. Even if your tops came sealed by your manufacturer, it’s a great idea to do this every few years to keep them like new.

I hope this weekend served you well and filled you up in all the ways you were hoping - plus a few surprises thrown in. Give yourself a hug for me. You are amazing ??