blog — When Home is Now Here

What I read — March 2021

We’ve officially hit a whole year of exploring our at-home hobbies extensively, and for many, like myself, that means a LOT more reading to pass the time…

What I read — February 2021

Even though February is the shortest month, I still managed to tackle quite a few pages, which is great because I love having books on the ready for recommendations.

What I read — January 2021

Last year, I inadvertently completed the 52 books in 52 weeks challenge (thank you, endless quarantine). I’m challenging myself to do the same again this year, mainly because my shelves are out of control…

21 for 2021 List

I know I’m in the minority, but I absolutely love the start of a new year and making resolutions. It’s just this feeling of a fresh, clean slate that feels so freeing and open…

Update: 20 for 2020

Did I just see into the damn future? Just like years past, some of the 20 get a huge ole gold star and others get a demerit…

goalsSarah HarperJanuary 9, 2021alabama, goals, goal, happier, happier podcast, one second every day, 1 second everyday, cotton field, montgomery, gold star, demerit, knit, knitting, sweater, read, reading, book, books, dc, washington dc, mural, murals, jones point, jones point park, virginia, maryland, organization, work, portfolio, radio, aircheck, weight, weight training, weight lifting, plastic, environment, fall decor, yoga, do yoga with me, lipstick, hair, pinterest, medals, creative, creativityComment

Year in Review - 2020

Given the nature of this year, I debated whether or not to do my usual recap since it seems like we have spent the last nine months doing absolutely nothing…

What I read this fall

Since this year has felt never-ending, I decided to give my brain a break for most of fall. Here is everything I read in September, October and November…

booksSarah HarperDecember 5, 202020 for 2020, read, reading, reading list, reading challenge, goodreads, book club, book recommendations, book review, the night circus, erin morgenstern, january, february, quiet, introvert, susan cain, never split the difference, chris voss, nonfiction, science fiction, fantasy, self help, self-care, negotiation, magic, magician, the giver, lois lowry, dystopia, dystopian fiction, eleanor oliphant is completely fine, gail honeyman, fiction, YA fiction, circe, mythology, titan, madeline miller, the warehouse, rob hart, amazon, can't hurt me, david goggins, biography, autobiography, they both die at the end, adam silvera, ian mcewan, machines like me, gravity is the thing, jaclyn moriarty, dnf, libby, library, kindle, stuart turton, mystery, kristin hannah, historical fiction, the ten thousand doors of january, alix harrow, the martian, andy weir, little fires everywhere, celeste ng, hulu, normal people, sally rooney, margaret atwood, the testaments, the handmaid's tale, do nothing, celeste headlee, self helf, oprah book club, magic for liars, sarah gailey, educated, tara westover, memior, sometimes I lie, thriller, alice feeney, when all is said, anne griffin, an american marriage, tayari jones, the starless sea, essentialism, greg mckeown, spring, book, book list, reading review, born a crime, trevor noah, southern book club's guide to slaying vampires, grady hendrix, atomic habits, james clear, oona out of order, margarita montimore, the power of habit, charles duhigg, psychology, non-fiction, me and white supremacy, layla f. saad, a man called ove, fredrik backman, maybe you should talk to someone, lori gottlieb, station eleven, emily st. john mandel, samantha irby, we are never meeting in real life, beach read, emily henry, blake crouch, recursion, the seven husbands of evelyn hugo, taylor jenkins reid, the dutch house, ann patchett, happier, happier podcast, horror, horror fiction, memoir, romance, race, racism, essays, september, autumn, fall, autumn reads, fall reads, invisible women, caroline criado perez, october, november, the silent patient, alex michaelides, ask again yes, mary beth keane, lucy foley, the guest list, the hazel wood, melissa albert, little free library, the life she was given, ellen marie, ellen marie wiseman, jenny lawson, furiously happy, city of girls, elizabeth gilbertComment

What I read this summer

You may scroll through this one and get the impression that I give stars like Oprah gives away cars. This is not the case at all. I just hit a summer of literary awesomeness…

booksSarah HarperSeptember 9, 202020 for 2020, read, reading, reading list, reading challenge, goodreads, book club, book recommendations, book review, the night circus, erin morgenstern, january, february, quiet, introvert, susan cain, never split the difference, chris voss, nonfiction, science fiction, fantasy, self help, self-care, negotiation, magic, magician, the giver, lois lowry, dystopia, dystopian fiction, eleanor oliphant is completely fine, gail honeyman, fiction, YA fiction, circe, mythology, titan, madeline miller, the warehouse, rob hart, amazon, can't hurt me, david goggins, biography, autobiography, they both die at the end, adam silvera, ian mcewan, machines like me, gravity is the thing, jaclyn moriarty, dnf, libby, library, kindle, stuart turton, mystery, kristin hannah, historical fiction, the ten thousand doors of january, alix harrow, the martian, andy weir, little fires everywhere, celeste ng, hulu, normal people, sally rooney, margaret atwood, the testaments, the handmaid's tale, do nothing, celeste headlee, self helf, oprah book club, magic for liars, sarah gailey, educated, tara westover, memior, sometimes I lie, thriller, alice feeney, when all is said, anne griffin, an american marriage, tayari jones, the starless sea, essentialism, greg mckeown, spring, book, book list, reading review, born a crime, trevor noah, southern book club's guide to slaying vampires, grady hendrix, atomic habits, james clear, oona out of order, margarita montimore, the power of habit, charles duhigg, psychology, non-fiction, me and white supremacy, layla f. saad, a man called ove, fredrik backman, maybe you should talk to someone, lori gottlieb, station eleven, emily st. john mandel, samantha irby, we are never meeting in real life, beach read, emily henry, blake crouch, recursion, the seven husbands of evelyn hugo, taylor jenkins reid, the dutch house, ann patchett, happier, happier podcast, horror, horror fiction, memoir, romance, race, racism, essaysComment

The city where we ran out of time

I loved every minute of living in the DMV, which honestly is a first out of all of the places we’ve called home…

What I read this spring

Since I’m often asked for book recommendations, I thought I would put together more frequent posts about what I’ve recently read. Here is everything I read in March, April and May…

booksSarah HarperMay 26, 202020 for 2020, read, reading, reading list, reading challenge, goodreads, book club, book recommendations, book review, the night circus, erin morgenstern, january, february, quiet, introvert, susan cain, never split the difference, chris voss, nonfiction, science fiction, fantasy, self help, self-care, negotiation, magic, magician, the giver, lois lowry, dystopia, dystopian fiction, eleanor oliphant is completely fine, gail honeyman, fiction, YA fiction, circe, mythology, titan, zeus, helios, madeline miller, the warehouse, rob hart, amazon, can't hurt me, david goggins, biography, autobiography, they both die at the end, adam silvera, ian mcewan, machines like me, gravity is the thing, jaclyn moriarty, dnf, libby, library, kindle, stuart turton, mystery, kristin hannah, historical fiction, the ten thousand doors of january, alix harrow, the martian, andy weir, little fires everywhere, celeste ng, hulu, normal people, sally rooney, margaret atwood, the testaments, the handmaid's tale, do nothing, celeste headlee, self helf, oprah book club, magic for liars, sarah gailey, educated, tara westover, memior, sometimes I lie, thriller, alice feeney, when all is said, anne griffin, an american marriage, tayari jones, the starless sea, essentialism, greg mckeown, spring, book, book list, reading reviewComment

Limitations vs. Opportunities

Seemingly in the blink of an eye, our whole world changed. We’re facing a situation none of us have ever seen in our lifetime…

reflectionsSarah HarperMarch 19, 2020covid-19, corona, coronavirus, opportunity, motivation, inspiration, introvert, extrovert, facetime, virtual, family, friendsComment

What I read this winter

Since I’m often asked for book recommendations, I thought I would put together more frequent posts about what I’ve recently read. Here is everything I read in January and February…

20 for 2020 List

So here we are… 2020. The first year we’ve been alive that has been in perfect balance. What one word am I carrying throughout this year? What 20 items will keep me on track this year…

goalsSarah HarperJanuary 3, 202020 for 2020, 2020, resolutions, goals, motivation, 1 second everyday, dc, alabama, balance, fitness, run, running, recycle, volunteer, friends, travel, knit, kniting, christmas, fall, autumn, yoga, do yoga with me, blog, write, writing, makeup, lip color, lipstick, hai, hair, bucket list, pinterest, crafts, crafting, creative, creativity, portfolio, professional, beautyComment

Update: 19 for 2019

At the beginning of the year, I shared my 19 for 2019 — 19 things to get done before the ball drop. Here’s the wins, losses and everything in between…

Sarah HarperDecember 30, 20192019, 19 for 2019, happier, gretchen rubin, elizabeth craft, gratitude, podcast, goals, goal, resolutions, books, reading, reading list, zion, zion national park, photos, photography, lightroom, machu picchu, ecuador, run, running, marathon, hike, hiking, walk, walking, miles, routine, habit, habits, self-care, epsom salt, bedtime, keto, fitbit, vegetarian, healthy, knit, knitting, austin, las vegas, chicago, jackson hole, virginia beach, denver, mail, mailbox, hand-lettering, portfolio, shinrin-yoku, gold strike hot springs, colorado bend state park, grand teton, yellowstone, ohiopyle state park, ohiopyle, emerald state park, vermont, pennsylvania, newseum, forks over knives, fyre, netflix, birthday, screen time, facebook, instagram, app limit, family, derp dog, germany, boston, salem, lyrics, quotesComment

Year in Review - 2019

Going into 2019, I identified my one word theme of the year as POSITIVITY, but at the end of 2019 I think the more appropriate word would have been MOVE…

reflectionsSarah HarperDecember 26, 2019year in review, end of year, move, seoul, south korea, houston, texas, andrew mcmahon, marathon, half marathon, richmond, richmond half marathon, rodeo, houston rodeo, vgk, vegas golden knights, las vegas, nevada, fort worth, dallas, hockey, winter, spring, fall, summer, stanley cup playoffs, bluebonnets, astros, crawford bock, snow patrol, austin, colorado bend state park, on-air, radio, chicago, memorial day weekend, hamilton pool, grand teton, grand teton nps, yellowstone, yellowstone nps, grand teton half marathon, washington dc, pentagon, washington momunment, apollo 50, lake anna, alexandria, old town alexandria, virginia beach, 5k, boston, salem, massachusetts, freedom trail, nebraska, huskers, pennsylvania, ohiopyle, ohiopyle state park, camping, vermont, leaf, leaf peep, capital one arena, germany, berlin, dresden, gluhwein, christmas market, montgomery, alabama, district, colorado, fort collins, 2019Comment

Beyond Angels Landing: 5 Amazing Hikes in Zion National Park

If you’re planning a trip to Zion National Park, you’ve undoubtedly heard of Angels Landing. While Angels Landing is great, I want to highlight some of the other hikes in Zion National Park that are just as amazing, if not more.

travel, fitness, USASarah HarperDecember 7, 2019zion, nps, zion national park, the narrows, subway, hidden canyon, hike, hiking, fitness, utah, springdale, trip, travel, trip itinerary, travel itinerary, list, southwest, nature, national parkComment

Design Your Fall

Inspired by the Design Your Summer movement, I decided that this year I would try to make the most of my favorite season. This year, would be the first Design Your Fall…

goalsSarah HarperSeptember 26, 2019fall, autumn, leaves, happier, gretchen rubin, seasons, activities, pumpkin, happy, robertson davies, podcast, book list, books, read, reading, goodreads, ohiopyle, ohiopyle state park, graves mountain, apple, hayrack, vermont, leaf, leaf peep, roadtrip, road trip, virginia creeper trail, abingdon, bike, hike, hiking, shenandoah, shenandoah national park, pennsylvania, great allegheny passage, richmond, richmond half marathon, spotify, kint, knitting, pumpkin spice latte, mulled wine, roasted vegetables, pumpkin spice pancakes, butternut squash, wild rice soup, bath & body works, clove, cinnamon, sweet orange, pumpkin pecan waffles, sweet cinnamon pumpkin, list, five senses, smell, taste, touch, hearing, listening Comments

Texas Forever

As I’ve spent these last few months preparing for yet another move, this time from Houston to Washington D.C., I’ve found myself reflecting on my time in Texas, struggling to put this particular chapter into words.

reflectionsSarah HarperMay 21, 2019texas, bluebonnets, houston, htown, astros, austin, family, home, reflections, photos, tube, hamilton pool, brewery, beer, drinksComment

What Running a Marathon Taught Me About Life

The marathon was truly a life-changing experience and something that has taken so much to fully process that I’m just now being able to catch all the wild thoughts. So this is what I learned from all those miles…

fitnessSarah HarperFebruary 21, 2019run, marathon, finish, reflections, mind, body, running, finish line, lesson, learn, learning, houston, texas, mindset, positivity, 19 for 2019, goals, goal, step, trainComment

The Reading List - 2019

Enter 2019 and a whole slew of new goals, with reading 19 books in 2019 at the very top of the list! Last year, I learned having an active reading list made me much more likely to start a new book immediately. Here is the stack I’m entering 2019 with…

booksSarah HarperJanuary 16, 2019books, reading, read, reading list, book list, the immortalist, chloe benjamin, the song machine, john seabrook, the beautiful and the damned, f scott fitzgerald, dark matter, blake, blake crouch, the girl on the train, paula hawkins, firefly lane, kristin hannah, the handmaid's tale, margaret atwood, stargirl, jerry spinelli, one more thing, bj novak, wild, cheryl strayed, middlesex, jeffrey eugenides, sharp objects, gillian flynn, the postmortal, drew magary, tips for living, renee shafransky, player piano, kurt vonnegut, thinking fast and slow, david kahneman, amazon, kindle, resolutions, fiction, non-fiction, thriller, sci-fi, biography, suspense, mystery, classic, literature, literary classic, happier, gretchen rubin, harry potter, goodreads, jk rowling, j.k. rowling, the giver, an american marriage, oprah, book club, reading challenge, i get to, alicia dunams, beautiful exiles, meg waite clayton, the last of the savages, jay mcinerney, self help, historical fiction, big magic, elizabeth gilbert, bestseller, a wild sheep chase, haruki murakami, japan, everything is awful, matt bellassai, the whiskey sea, ann howard creel, the devil in the white city, erik larson, rory gilmore challenge, tayari jones, eleanor & park, rainbow rowell, circe, madeline miller, are you sleeping, kathleen barber, factfulness, true crime, fantasy, contemporary fiction, YA fiction, autobiography, magical realism, psychological thriller, science nonfiction, TED talk, horror fiction, the visible filth, nathan ballingrud, armie hammer, the universe has your back, gabrielle bernstein, born to run, christopher mcdugall, running, lois lowryComment

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