Emily Braunig, Author at Cozy Up Blog

Girls’ Trip to Italy

June 17, 2022

My mom, my sister, and I spent several years trying to go to Italy on a girls’ trip. The Covid pandemic certainly did not do us any favors. Growing up, my family traveled quite a bit around the United States and Mexico, but no further. Life and busy schedules can get in the way of traveling overseas. At the start of 2022, Covid restrictions began to lift and calendar openings aligned like stars in the sky. We jumped at the opportunity that we’d discussed for years. A week-long trip exploring the beauty, flavors, and culture of Italy.

Book Thoughts: Reminders of Him, The Heart’s Invisible Furies, & more

March 25, 2022

Spring is finally here (although not in Minnesota) and I’m sharing book thoughts on my top 5 favorites from this winter. I’ve also reviewed the biggest letdown that I read this year. During the snowy season, I chose a mixture of fantasy, historical fiction, contemporary fiction, and romance novels. I’ve been getting my thriller fix through audiobooks, which I find to be my favorite genre to listen to. Plus it’s the only genre I can get my husband to agree on for a car ride. I’m actually working on a future blog post titled, “The Best Thriller Audiobooks for Road Trips”, so stay tuned for that.

A Gunflint Trail Winter Getaway

February 25, 2022

Call me crazy or call me Minnesotan, but I look forward to winter. In fact, when the first snow falls, I find it oddly satisfying. I love living in a state with four seasons, even though sometimes winter overstays its welcome. Which is why it’s important to book fun trips for these particularly cold months. After all, the winters here are long, so you might as well make the most of them. Of all the places to go for a winter getaway in Minnesota, my favorite location will always be the Gunflint Trail.

Save Money on Books: Binge-Reading on a Budget

February 8, 2022

One of my guilty pleasures in life is updating our budget spreadsheet. I’m a numbers gal so tracking costs and plugging formulas into cells is so satisfying to me. But the not-so-satisfying part is seeing when Nick and I have over-indulged in certain categories. Our recurring areas of failure include Dining (thanks DoorDash), Toby (the accident prone dog), and Books (completely my bad). As we created the budget template for 2022, Nick and I vowed to make some money saving changes. Which leads me to the topic of this blog post, how to save money on books.

A Week Long Honeymoon in Alaska

January 10, 2022

Nick and I are always planning for our next big adventure. When the topic of honeymoon destinations came into conversation, it felt like a big decision. Our wedding was originally supposed to happen on March 20th, 2021. Thanks to Covid, we pushed it to July 26th. Which also meant our approach to honeymooning shifted. March is the perfect month for a warm getaway. But in July, any southern destination would’ve been stifling for us northerners. It didn’t take long for us to realize Alaska was the perfect honeymoon destination for late summer.

Honest Thoughts On My 2021 Reads

January 10, 2022

In 2021, another year of hunkering down due to Covid and struggling to maintain 6 feet (or not, for us introverts), I managed to read 50 books. I have always been a reader but I really took this year to slow down and give myself more “me time”. Self care comes to me in the form of a book. It’s escaping reality, if even for an hour, that allows me to reset. Although I have my favorite genres, I dabble in many different types of books. People tend to ask me for recommendations in their preferred sections of the bookstore but I’m here to tell you that branching out can be good. If you’re looking for your next read (favorite genre or not), I’ve listed some great ones below. I’ve also listed some not so great ones and some that are just plain messed up. Overall, my goal is to provide honest opinions of the books I’ve read. In doing so, I hope you find your next binge-worthy read, maybe a new favorite genre, and save you from a couple that were in my opinion, not worth the hype. Enjoy!

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