Author: Allie Zottola

Current Reads

Hi! It’s 5:30 pm on Thursday and I’m at Jimmy’s place of work (aka his family’s welding shop) with him for the evening. He has to work late this evening, so I loaded Lola and dinner into my truck and hitailed it to the shop to be with my man.

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Jimmy in action! He’s presently welding a beam.

I figured now would be a good opportunity to talk books, one of my favorite subjects! I’m currently reading four books right now. One is fiction and the other three are nonfiction. I’m enjoying all of them, so I decided I would share and hopefully hear what you’re reading. Sharing is caring, after all!

current reads

1. Little Earthquakes by Jennifer Weiner
This book isn’t new, but I have been into all of Weiner’s books lately, so I picked it up from the library a week or two ago. The story follows three new moms and (one mom who has experienced a tragedy) through pregnancy and early parenthood as they try to navigate uncharted territory in their lives with juggling work, marriage, and babies. Each of the women have very different lives and personalities, yet are all friends. I am interested in all things pregnancy and motherhood, so this book is a win for me. I can’t wait to see how it ends.

2. You’re Going to Be Okay: Encouraging Truth your Heart Needs to Hear, Especially on the Hard Days by Holley Gerth
I read a few pages of this book every morning while I sip my coffee, journal, and read my Bible. I’m a big fan of Holley Gerth’s writing, as I think she has a wonderful talent for connecting God’s promises with women living the real world. The book is about how no matter what happens or what is going on in your life, God loves you and is for you. It’s a simple concept, but so hard to remember when you’re feeling stressed out or overwhelmed. The more I read of this book, the more I enjoy its truths.

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3. The Art of Raising a Puppy by The Monks of New Skete
As you probably know if you’ve ever read my blog, I’m into dogs. Probably too much ;). I always enjoy a good dog book–whether it’s on training, feeding, aggression, or puppyhood, I love it all. I’ve read quite a few books by Cesar Milan, but also heard this book by the Monks of New Skete is a great read. What I have enjoyed the most in this book (so far) is the inside look at the first eight weeks of a puppy’s life and how vital socialization is at that age. I would recommend this book not only for people who are looking to get a puppy, but also for anyone who wants to learn about how a dog’s personality begins to form at an early age.

4. Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook by Anthony Bourdain
I’m listening to this book as an audiobook, which is wonderful because it’s like Anthony Bourdain is talking to me. He’s quite the jokester–or maybe he’s just really blunt. Either way, any book written by Anthony Bourdain–especially Kitchen Confidential— is sure to make an impression on its reader. Medium Raw is no different. It reads a bit like a collection of essays about Bourdain’s take on the foodie world and all its parts. I like it (aside from all the swearing), but I don’t like it as much as I liked Kitchen Confidential.

So there you have it, my current reads. A random mix, as per usual!

What are you currently reading?

A day in the life

I just looked back through old posts and saw that the last time I did a day in the life post was November 2013. Two years later, and my life is pretty different! I thought it would be fun to share a typical day for me. The day I’m sharing is from this past Wednesday!

5:05 a.m. – I groggily roll over in bed because the coffee grinder woke me up. Once I realize the coffee is brewing, I am instantly happy. I’m like a Pavlov dog. I shuffle into the kitchen, grab a cup of coffee, and plop on the couch with a book or watch the news with Jimmy. After I finish my coffee, I have breakfast, feed Lola, let her out, and see Jimmy off to work.

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Lola was barking at me to let her in when I took this picture, haha.

6:00 a.m. – I crack open my Bible, journal, and devotional book. I spend some time reading and writing, and I always feel peaceful and ready to take on the day after this time.

7:00 a.m. – Lola and I hop into my truck and head to the next neighborhood over from ours to visit Chloe and Ava, the dogs I’ve been pet sitting this week. I walk in the door and see that they chewed the remote and were playing with the area rug during the night. I let them outside, feed them, and we play tug-of-war for a bit. I move the rug, vacuum the floor, and text the client to let her know the remote was chewed and offer to pay for it. She texts back and tells me not to worry about it–the remote is Ava’s favorite chew toy.

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Ava and Chloe

8:15 a.m. – Lola and I arrive home. I take her on a quick walk and clean up the kitchen and living room when we get back. I check to see if there are any leftovers in the fridge, and am excited when I see there are. Leftovers always make packing my lunch easy! As I’m packing up and getting ready for work, I have a snack and another cup of coffee. I then shut mine and Jimmy’s bedroom door and lock our garbage can because Lola likes to pee on our bed and get into the garbage.

9:30 a.m. – I drive to work and arrive about 20 minutes later. I work as a household manager/personal assistant for a family of four. Today I have to do Quickbooks for the dad’s business, bake granola, and let in the pest control company to spray the house for any bugs. After those tasks, I eat a quick lunch, take care of the dog and cat (aka pet them and play with them for a little), do the laundry, make the beds, vacuum, dust, mop, and wipe down the counter tops in the bathroom and kitchen.

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I usually use this recipe or this one for granola!

3:00 p.m. – After I finish up at work I drive about 20 minutes to see Chloe and Ava again. This is my last visit for the week with the girls because their owner is coming home this evening. I feed them again and we play with their toys for a while. I always love hanging out with Chloe and Ava because they’re so happy and playful. I literally cannot have a bad day when I spend time with them. That’s one of the reasons I’m so passionate about dogs.

4:10 p.m. – I arrive home and jump in the shower. After I shower, I welcome Jimmy home from work, unpack our lunches, and feed Lola. I start making dinner and we watch the news while I cook and we catch up on each other’s day. I have the volume on my phone turned up super loud while Jimmy and I have dinner because I’m expecting a call from another pet sitting client. He’s supposed to let me know what time he’s heading out of town this evening so I can stop by and see his dog, Haley, at 6:00 p.m. or 9:00 p.m., depending on when he leaves.

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Haley girl!

6:45 p.m. – Jimmy and I head out the door to Bible study at our church. Haley’s owner calls me while we’re driving and tells me he’s going to leave tomorrow instead of tonight because it’s raining really hard, so I don’t need to watch Haley until tomorrow. Jimmy laughs at me when I hang up and pout because I adore watching Haley. She’s very sweet and well behaved. I’m kind of relieved, though, because now I won’t be up too late tonight after church.

7:20 p.m. – We arrive at church and I catch up quickly with my mom, neighbor, and sister before the study starts. Tonight we’re studying 1 John, which is awesome. Having Bible study in the middle of the week is so refreshing to me. I get to spend time in God’s Word and fellowship with my Christian family during the week. It is always encouraging and I walk out of church with a smile each Wednesday night.

8:45 p.m. – After chatting with friends at church, Jimmy and I drive home. We have a 45 minute drive (depending on Pittsburgh traffic), so we stream the Republican GOP debate through Jimmy’s phone. My jaw hangs open the whole time. It was a very interesting debate with the bickering between the moderators and the candidates.

9:30 p.m. – Jimmy and I arrive home, let Lola out, and settle on the couch with a snack. We watch more of the debate and eventually can’t keep our eyes open. Our bed is calling my name.

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10:15 p.m. – I’m whooped. Jimmy gets the coffee maker ready for tomorrow morning, we brush our teeth, tuck Lola in her bed, and go to sleep!