How was your weekend? Ours was busy…with a capital B! Hayden is on the upswing after having the flu, so he’s laid low while Hadley had a track meet on Friday night, followed by a volleyball tournament Saturday and Sunday in Louisville.
I know we all joked that January was the longest month ever, but I think February flew by! Since it’s the last Monday of the month, I’m sharing some memes that made me laugh this month.
Around Groundhog’s Day, my friend shared this meme on Instagram, and I literally laughed out loud. What an odd little holiday. lol
These two words work great as a mom and as a teacher!
All the snow and cold temps also make me just want to put my pajamas on and be cozy!
I get sidetracked easily when I should be going to bed or getting ready for school!
A weekend of sitting on bleachers has this one being very relatable…
Oh my gosh….this one is so true! Why do I have to start an order to look at the dang menu?! I was just struggling with this Saturday night at 8PM as I was trying to place a Fazolis pick up when we got back to Lex.
The snow has been nice, but this time next week, I will be all in on spring! We actually have some warm temps this week. I think we’re supposed to hit 60 degrees on Wednesday.
One final thought for February…haha!
I hope these memes provided a laugh or two.
After a busy weekend, I know Monday is going to feel like a long one. I’m grateful that the weather looks great this week, and hopefully we’ll get back into a full week of school routine.
Well, after a somewhat consistent couple of weeks, this week was an odd one. We had no school Monday for Presidents’ Day, went to school on Tuesday, and then we had NTI days due to snow and cold temps Wednesday and Thursday. As I type this, my district said they’d make the call for today this morning. Besides the wacky school week, Hayden has had the flu! He’s doing better now, but he was pretty sick.
As always, I’m linking up with Erika and Andrea for this week’s Friday Favorites.
Here are some favorites from the week:
Last Friday was Valentine’s Day.
The kids had practice after school, but when they got home, I had a couple of gifts for them. They both got a few odds and ends, but I bought Hayden a quarter zip from Good Good Golf, and Hadley’s main gift was one of these wristlets from Lululemon. They are all the rage with teen girls right now.
I got Trav a card and chocolates, and he gave me a card and some chocolate covered strawberries.
I had to go to Kroger for my prescription, so while I was there I got the kids some candy, their favorite drinks, and a couple of smaller items like Chapstick. I picked up some cupcakes for dessert.
Anyway, it was a low-key evening, but fun to celebrate a bit.
We really didn’t have much going on last weekend which was perfect timing because I was getting over a sinus infection.
A couple of months ago, we were out with friends at a new pizza place in town. We spotted the private room they had and asked about it. We looked ahead at the UK basketball schedule, and booked the room for last Saturday. The fire was going, there were a few TV’s, serve yourself soft drinks, and we had our own waitress. So, we ordered apps, pizza, and drinks throughout the night. For the room, you had to spend $500. We spent a bit more than that, but we divided it among eight families. So, it was just a fun way to get together and watch a basketball game.
On Monday, since we were off of school, and everyone was still healthy, the kids and I ran some errands and then stopped for lunch at Shake Shack. We were only out and about for a couple of hours, but it was nice doing something with them on a day off. As you know, we’ve had a ton of snow days, but we’re usually at home or Hadley will go to a friend’s house to do her school work. Anyway, it was just a nice afternoon.
I know it’s crazy the amount of snow days and NTI days we’ve had, but our winters aren’t usually this active. While I’m ready for spring, the snowfalls have been pretty and you never know what the next year might bring. We’ve had winters with only a couple inches of snow in the past.
Not a favorite but the NTI days saved me from using sick days to take care of Hayden. Also, the pediatrician’s office feels so odd at this age. Seeing the little kids compared to my teenage boy is bittersweet. We’ve gone to the same pediatrician the kids’ whole lives, and when he walked in to see Hayden, he said, “Well, who is this guy?” haha…I don’t think Hayden’s been there since last spring, so I’m sure he’s grown a bit.
Wednesday night Travis and Hadley went to the UK basketball game and had some great seats. I was receiving lots of texts and messages with people spotting them behind UK’s bench. haha
Last weekend, Hadley and I watched Sweet Home Alabama. That’s one of my favorite movies that I hadn’t seen in years, and it was on Hulu. Hadley really liked it.
Speaking of Reese Witherspoon, I also watched her new movie with Will Farrell, You’re Cordially Invited. One of my favorite comedians, Leanne Morgan is also in it. It’s a quirky and funny movie…but I’m glad it was included in my Prime membership, and I didn’t have to pay extra to watch it.
Favorite Meals:
I kept our dinners pretty simple including sheet pan nachos…
…and a new recipe I tried: Bubble Up Pizza Bake…I didn’t get a picture of it as I assembled it and Hadley baked it…but we all loved it. Per Hadley’s request, I actually might make it again next week and add sausage to the pepperoni.
Favorite Mom Meme:
Man, this is so true, but I also know that in less than two years, they can take themselves wherever they need to go!
I guess February is the month for love with Valentine’s Day last week.
That being said, the past couple of days, I’ve made note of a few things that come to mind that I love.
Now, of course, I love my family, my friends, and Homer; things like “health,” “travel,” and “traditions” would be on the list of things I love, but today’s list is a look at some of the “littler” things I love
For starters, I love a Thursday. It’s my favorite day of the week. It’s a great day to be productive, and the weekend is right around the corner.
Here are some other things I love…in no particular order…
A cup of warm coffee to start my day.
A good book.
A rainy day.
A good snow fall. (And a snow day!…We have another one today.)
A “crispy” Diet Coke…McDonald’s does it best, followed by Chick-fil-A. There’s nothing better than that fizz.
The glow of a Christmas tree.
All my family being at home at the same time.
*This pic –we aren’t at home, but I like the pic. haha
The school copier not jamming when I have copies to make. Literally…I say a little prayer every time I make copies.
A new set of pens.
When a lesson in class goes well.
Clean sheets!
A beach sunset.
Turning the page on my desk calendar. The fresh start of a new month is always something I look forward to.
(Old calendar, but you get what I mean…)
When someone gives me a compliment about my kids.
*The same goes for a good sub note and compliments on my students.
A word search.
A three day weekend with no “Sunday Scaries.” (Although, I must admit that I’ve had a great year with very few Sundays dreading Monday!)
A bowl of cereal. I’m on a Cap’n Crunch kick right now.
Mint chocolate chip ice cream. It’s the superior flavor.
Being tan.
Funny memes.
Appointments like getting my nails or my hair done. I also love my monthly facials.
A good nap.
A card.
A snack plate.
A cookie cake.
A show to binge watch. Currently, Travis and I are making our way through the second season of The Night Agent. I also love most of Bravo’s “Housewives” franchise.
Emojis. If you get a text from me, you know that it will almost always include an emoji….
Some of my faves: 🎉🙃🤣👀☠️😬😭🙋♀️👸
Unfortunately, I’ve had to use this one the past couple of days 🤒…because Hayden has the flu.
…and we have yet another NTI day thanks for snow and cold temps so…🥶
What about you? What’s something simple that you love?
Well, I didn’t mean to take yesterday off from blogging, but the three day weekend got away from me. Actually, we hardly did anything this past weekend which was just what we needed.
Today’s Tuesday Talk is all about skincare.
I was chatting with another blogger (hi, Mandy!) about skincare, and I always think it’s interesting to see what other people use for skincare and how they use it as well.
…but thought it was time for a little update. While some products change (as I like it try new things), Dime Beauty continues to be my “go to” for serums and moisturizers. I’ve been using Dime for at least four years.
I bought this organizer about a year ago, and it’s still working perfectly to house my skincare. I keep my makeup in this toiletry bag, and I also use it for travel.
I always start my skin care, day and night, by washing my face. I use CeraVe (I always get it at Target), and one of these facial sponges.
Then, I use a cotton round to apply Thayer’s facial toner. Target has the “rose petal,” scent toner, and that’s also where I get my cotton rounds.
I’ve always heard to apply skin care products thinnest to thickest, so here we go…
This “honey milk” by Farmacy is a new part of my skin care routine. Thanks to the cold weather, my skin has felt extra dry, so I’ve started to use a few drops of this product.
Then, I use my Dime serum. In the morning, I use Hyper Glow, and at night, I use Super Firm Serum.
After that, I use this Retinol eye stick. I’ve been using this for about a year, and while I’m not necessarily turning back the hands of time, I do feel like I’m doing something for my under eyes!
One of my friends is a Mary Kay consultant, and she recently sent me this “wrinkle limiter.” It’s pretty thick cream that you use for fine lines and wrinkles. So, this is a new part of my skin care routine, but I actually do feel my skin tightening a bit after using it on my forehead, between my eyes (my 11’s), and upper lip.
I don’t always use this Gold Bond neck cream, but I try to remember to do so. It’s such a great price, and I usually find it at Target. I figure why not use it when I can.
This “facial milk” is another Mary Kay product, and it’s a leftover as a duo with a retinol product that I used previously. It’s a very thin cream, so sometimes I apply it before using my thicker moisturizers.
Then, it’s moisturizer time. I use Dime’s Dewy Day Cream in the morning, and then Restorative Night Cream at night.
I still love my eye patches in the mornings (these or these) and my once a month facial/dermaplane/chemical peel.
So, that’s a(nother) look at my skin care routine. Truly, I don’t think I started washing my face and taking my makeup off before bed until about ten years ago. Now, I can’t imagine not doing my skincare routine. I know it may look like a lot, but it doesn’t take longer than two minutes!
How was your week? Ours was odd with a snow day on Tuesday. That meant that Wednesday felt like a Monday again! And, I’m still battling my cold which I think is now officially a sinus infection. I’m hoping this is the end of the sickness at my house!
As always, I’m linking up with Erika and Andrea for this week’s Friday Favorites.
Here are some favorites from the week.
On Saturday, Hayden had his second indoor mile race of the season, and he ran a PR of 4:47.
While Hayden was running, Hadley was playing in a sand volleyball tournament with her friends.
Last Thursday, I (finally) put out a few Valentine’s Day decorations. My Valentine’s Day decor doesn’t really change from year to year, but this little heart vase and flowers were a cute addition to my kitchen island tray. The Hershey Kisses don’t last very long!
On Sunday, Hadley and about ten friends had a Galentine’s Day party. One of her friends hosted and was sweet to ask her to come.
They had lots of fun hanging out, having a few snacks and making their own floral bouquets.
Sunday evening, we went to my brother’s house for the Super Bowl. Obviously, the outcome wasn’t a favorite, but we’re lucky to say it’s a tradition to watch the Chiefs in the Super Bowl these past few years.
Win or lose, getting a cookie cake is a favorite tradition too.
All smiles…before the game! haha
My mom gave me this belated birthday card. My favorite ladies!
…and a belated birthday gift. She has this butter dish from Crate and Barrel. I thought it was neat and pretty, so she gave me one too!
Valentine’s Day Card:
The Valentine’s Day card for family continues. This is a fun tradition through the years.
Favorite Mom Meme:
This…#accurate
Favorite Teacher Memes:
As a teacher, I thought these next two graphics are very relatable for me.
Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:
I will always share these pics of my little Valentines…
How is your week going? We’ve had one day of school, a snow day, and then I’m not feeling well. I feel like I have a cold, but I’m hoping it’s nothing more.
I’m linking up with Joyce for her weekly Hodgepodge post.
This week’s questions are Super Bowl/Valentine’s Day themed which is fun.
1. Did you watch the Super Bowl? Did your team win? What’s your favorite game day snack for whatever sport is happening?
Well, we were cheering for our Chiefs, so of course we watched the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, that means we were disappointed in the outcome. While I wasn’t expecting the Chiefs to win…it was just one of those seasons where they scraped by, I didn’t think it would be such a blow out. It felt like everyone wanted us to lose, so I hate that that was the outcome.
We went to my brother’s house, per tradition. Our Super Bowl menu is always pizza, wings, and cookie cake. The cookie cake was still delish, even with the loss.
We really have been spoiled being able to watch so many Super Bowls with the Chiefs playing, win or lose. Hopefully, they’ll be back some time soon.
2. What’s your “superpower”?
I think multi-tasking is my superpower. Not sure you can be a teacher and a mom without being a good multi-tasker.
3. Will you do anything special on Valentine’s Day? If so, do share. Any thoughts on/about this particular holiday? Share a favorite verse or quote relating to love.
Trav and I will typically go out to dinner at some point. I always try to do some type of Valentine’s Day themed family dinner at home on the 14th if our schedules allow. Through the years, I’ve made heart shaped pizza, let everyone choose their favorite dinner item and had a hodgepodge dinner, and we’ve also had heart shaped nuggets and some sides.
Chicken nuggets are on the menu for Thursday or Friday this week.
I think it’s a fun holiday to celebrate, but also not one that should carry too much weight. Travis and I only exchange cards, and I buy the kids a thing or two for Valentine’s Day. I’ve tried to make it special for them through the years.
I also like putting out a few Valentine’s Day touches. I don’t put out a lot, but I only just decorated last weekend. The decorations mainly stay the same from year to year.
Hadley and friends had a Galentine’s Day party last weekend. They made bouquets….and this heart shaped pic of their creations is cute!
My Bible plan for this month has been this one…all about love.
4. Are you a fan of the rom-com genre? If so, what’s one of your favorites? If you’re not a movie go-er, then what about a book you love that features a great love story? How about a favorite love song?
I love a rom-com movie. You’ve Got Mail, Sleepless in Seattle, and While You Were Sleeping are always my “go to” rom-com movies.
I don’t read as many love/chick lit books as I used to. I read The Match last month and thought it was cute.
5. Let’s get creative…write an acrostic using the word L-O-V-E.
My answer to #5 is both fun and also give me a moment to stand on my soap box. From an education standpoint, AI is a problem. AI can also be used for good. At the start of this school year, it was the first time we, as teachers, had professional development on how to use AI. Honestly, it is pretty amazing. I can make a twenty question multiple choice quiz over Romeo and Juliet in about thirty seconds.
Of course, it’s also a curse while trying to get students to write. Just like with plagiarism, I can typically “catch” students who’ve used AI. I’m not perfect as I’m sure some kids have gotten away with it, but for me, I always ask students to cite our textbook with page numbers, so that helps.
So, in our Google waffle, we have “Gemini.” Starting Tuesday, our students will have “Gemini” in their Google waffle too. So, I guess we’re telling the kids it’s ok to use these resources. Of course, just like for teachers, students could benefit from these AI resources…but call me old school…I think they should have to learn to write a paper, provide text evidence, support a claim, cite the text, and write a concluding paragraph.
Hopping off my soap box to share my AI Gemini generated acrostic LOVE poem.
Luminous and bright, a guiding star,
Outpouring of warmth, near and far,
Valuable and precious, a treasure to hold,
Eternal and boundless, a story untold.
6. Insert your own random thought here.
I hadn’t really thought about it, but the current unit for my students is Crazy, Stupid Love with Romeo and Juliet as the main text. The essential question for this unit is “What is true love?” Perfect for February.
It’s been a minute since I’ve had to struggle through Shakespeare with some freshman, but it’s been fun to do so far. Obviously, Shakespeare isn’t everyone’s “cup of tea,” but we have lots of resources.
For Act 1, I read the “bridge text” with my general English 1 students. This is a shorted version with summaries of each scene before a bit of the Shakespeare text. The textbook provides this resource online, so I just print a class set of the act.
Another English teacher shared the PDFs of the graphic novel for Act 2, so we’re reading that this week.
My Advanced students are reading the No Fear version which has the original text on the left and then a modern English version on the right. As we read the No Fear text, we listen from the online textbook. I think this is a great way to tackle the text as we can hear the various characters’ voices…and we can listen on 1.25x speed! It’s worked out nicely so far.
Lastly, another colleague shared the link to the Orlando Bloom on Broadway Romeo and Juliet play. Again, if I had the students watch the play from beginning to end, I wouldn’t be able to hold their attention. So, I’ve used it sporadically. On Monday, we read Act 2 scenes 1 and 2, and then watched the play…Act 2, scene 2 which is the famous balcony scene…”O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?” and…”Parting is such sweet sorrow that I shall say goodnight till it be morrow.”
It’s always interesting to see what students think of Romeo and his impulsiveness with love…Juliet too! I always here, “Ms. White! He just thought he loved Rosaline,” and “Ugh! They’re only 14!” haha!
Hayden and Hadley are reading the play in their Adv. English 1 class too. It’s fun to see the play through their eyes too.
We were all the struggle bus yesterday …so tired and disappointed from that Super Bowl loss. While I didn’t have high hopes they’d win, I did hope it was respectable! haha.
Hopefully, we don’t have to wait too long for another Chiefs Super Bowl appearance.
Today, we have an NTI day thanks to snow that should be on the ground as of this morning. While I’d be surprised if this turns into more than one day off, I will take what I can get with sleeping in a bit before online school at home.
I’m linking up with Erika and Shay for Let’s Look.
I believe Shay said they were changing the day to the second Tuesday of the month?? If not, I’m a day early!
This month’s topic is…let’s look at how you work on your marriage.
It’s hard to believe, but Travis and I will celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary in June.
Truly, it is crazy how quickly these past twenty years have flown by. We’re not perfect, but I still feel like we are perfect for each other.
I actually feel like we used to do a better job at making intentional time for each other…then, insert two kids with very busy schedules on top of both of us in the thick of our careers, and we’re busy and tired!
That being said, I still love when we go out to dinner, watch a show together, or sit on the back patio in the summer.
We both go for walks occasionally, and maybe we should do that together…but right now, when I walk, I just want silence after a long, over-stimulating day. haha!
Even better, is when we can find a short weekend to get away, but that doesn’t happen as often as I’d like.
While the kids and their activities shouldn’t completely overtake our lives, we both are in agreement that we aren’t going to miss their games, meets, and activities unless we absolutely need to. We’re going to blink, and the fast-paced high school years will be over.
We’ve had some glimpses of what “the next chapter” will look like when both kids are out of the house. While they might just be at a friend’s house and not at college yet, we end up having a spontaneous chunk of time to go out to eat or watch a movie.
So, while we might be as planned as we once were, now it just sometimes happens that we have some time to hang out together.
Communication is, and always will be, key. Travis hears it all from me…when I’m sad, happy, grumpy, tired or need to vent. There’s not another person in this world that I will turn to for all the things I turn to him for…and he’s always there for me. He’s never once let me down or disappointed me, and I hope he can say the same thing about me!
Our first dance at our wedding he picked out the song…and it was a surprise…just something he said he’d handle. He chose “Someone like You,” and it’s a sweet song, but I laughed because we’d seen the movie “Someone like You” that starred Ashley Judd. All men, of a certain age in Kentucky, have had a crush on Ashley Judd at some point in the 90’s! She’s a huge Kentucky fan. Anyway, it’s a sweet song that makes me smile with that memory as we took the dance floor.
We do have traditions like going out somewhere nice around Valentine’s Day and for our anniversary. I always look forward to the fall and spring when we go to Keeneland, and we usually go to Oaks as well in May.
I’m lucky that finding “my person” didn’t take too long, and I’m grateful for the years we’ve had together and all that we’ve celebrated and all that we’ve been through together.
And…he writes my name in bubble letters…what more can a girl ask for?
Marriage is hard work…but it’s worth it. My daily prayers include growing “old, old” with him.
How was your weekend? After a few busy weekends, we were back to a split weekend of a busy Saturday and slower Sunday. That being said, yesterday was all about getting my house back in order, picking up groceries and running errands. Travis was sick all last week, so it was just me getting the kids where they needed to be and dealing with school, so the house wasn’t as tidy as we like and the fridge was pretty bare.
Anyway, hopefully, we’ll have a more “normal” week.
It’s the second Monday of the month, so I’m co-hosting Share Our Lives with some of my favorite bloggers.
Well, I’m certainly in the stage of life where working full time and the kids’ schedules combined makes it pretty easy for me to fall asleep. Your girl stays tired! That being said, of course there are some some standard suggestions, but I have a few “musts” as well.
It’s actually kind of crazy to think back about sleeping. As a parent, I guess I probably haven’t been fully rested in over fifteen years. Will I ever be fully rested again? You tell me!
I don’t think I’ve ever really been one to sleep in, but in high school and college, I’m sure I wasn’t up early unless I had to be.
I’ve always been an excellent napper…Travis and I have that in common. I think my napping started in college. There’s nothing better to me than knowing I get a nap on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon.
When we had that stretch of winter weather recently with some extra days off school, I loved the luxury of a weekday nap. The difference in Travis and myself is that he can nap literally anywhere. The running joke at family functions is “where’s Travis?” especially after a good meal. He’s most definitely somewhere squeezing in a twenty minute nap somewhere.
I’ve always been grateful that the kids have been great sleepers…and I attribute that to having them on a great schedule from day one…and even once they were old enough to sit/stand in their crib, if it was before 7 am, I’d go in their room and lay them back down until at least seven…and then they eventually slept even longer and took great naps. Both babies slept through the night by 10-12 weeks.
The only issues we had with sleep were the first night anywhere…whether we were at Trav’s mom’s house, KC, a hotel or on vacay…it seemed we were up, off and on, all night the first night for probably the first couple years of their lives.
Anyway, now, of course, if she has nothing going on, I have to wake Hadley at noon most weekends. Hayden has never slept in as long as Hadley, but he’ll sleep when given the chance. He often sets an alarm for 9 on the weekends to get up and moving and then get his run in.
Anyway, back to me! Can you tell I’m proud that my kids are good sleepers? haha! Sleep is very important to me.
It’s probably been about seven years ago, I wasn’t having trouble falling asleep, but I would wake up around 3 or 4 and not be able to fall back to sleep. It’s like I couldn’t shut my brain off. So, my doctor prescribed me some medicine for sleep. I was wary about it and would only take half a pill a few nights a week. I don’t like taking medicine unless I have to, and have heard about dependency with sleep medication.
Eventually, I decided I didn’t want to take the medicine anymore. Then, I can’t remember who shared it on Instagram, but they suggested Olly Sleep gummies. (Of course, talk with a medical professional if needed…I’m not a doctor!), but I’ve been taking this Olly gummy before bed a few nights a week for about five years, and I’ve never slept better! Now, the dosage is two gummies. I’ve only ever taken one…and sometimes I take half of one just to ensure I will go to sleep easily. I only take them a few nights a week as of course, I want to know I can still fall asleep on my own. I’m guessing I’d be knocked out if I took two!
I get these at Target, and oddly enough, I’ve purchased a small travel pack a few times at Old Navy…in the area by the cash register.
I was just in Old Navy yesterday and saw them there again.
For probably just as long, I’ve used a weighted blanket. When I got mine five or six years ago (maybe longer?), BlanQuil was a popular brand that was shared often on social media. I believe mine is twelve pounds, and there were a variety of color options. I just chose a tan color, but eventually, I took the weighted blanket out of the cover, and now it just goes under my comforter. It’s twin size, and when I make the bed, you can’t even tell it’s there. The twin size is great because Travis doesn’t want a weighted blanket, so it’s on my side only.
When I searched for this brand, I see their Instagram page, but nothing has been posted in a couple of years. The brand seems to be in store like Walmart, but the lightest blanket is fifteen pounds.
My twelve pound one (out of the cover), seems similar to this one.
Anyway, when I’m not sleeping in my own bed, I truly miss it. I don’t get hot with it on, and it’s just the perfect weight for me to feel secure.
Lastly, I’ve been sleeping with a sound machine since the kids were born. That might sound backwards as of course, I needed to hear the kids at night…but they’ve slept with a sound machine since day one, so I would hear their sound machine through the monitor in our room. Once we didn’t need the monitor anymore, I missed that sound, so we got one for our room.
Once the kids got their own rooms around three years ago, we bought a second sound machine, so they could each have one. Those aren’t anything fancy…just a light weight sound machine with a variety of sounds and a little nob to turn them off and on. Anyway, we still have one of those, and I keep it in my travel bag, so we always have one when away from home.
A couple of years ago, when I decided the kids needed to start setting alarms in the morning to at least begin the wake up process, I got them each one of these clock/sound machine combo, and they’ve been perfect. They are small, come in a variety of colors, and have lots of sound options. They are easy to pack and if we’re going somewhere and sleeping in two rooms, Hadley will pack hers.
Hadley turns hers up so loud that it sounds like she’s sleeping under the sea!
The rest of us prefer white noise.
I remember my dad always had a SleepMate sound machine when I was a kid. I worked nights for years, so the white noise would help him sleep during the day…and drown out any noise my brother and I would make on the weekends. I still sleeps with a sound machine and packs his when he comes to visit us.
Of course, limiting caffeine and screen time before bed are suggestions that I’m pretty good at adhering to…but a girl needs to read her Kindle before bed most nights, ok?
If I can’t sleep, I try to control my breathing and take little (or deep) breaths, depending on the the situation. I sleep on my side, but if I need to a minute to relax, I lay on my back and breath. I also think of the abc’s with a word for each letter…and sometimes if I need to think harder to wear my brain out, the abc’s have categories (food, cities, etc)…and then hopefully I eventually fall asleep.
So, my trifecta of melatonin, weighted blanket, and a sound machine help me great a pretty good night’s sleep at this stage of life!
What sleeping tips do you have?
The Super Bowl was quite the bummer for us Chiefs fans. No matter who is playing, I always wish we had Monday off after Super Bowl Sunday.
How was your week? Ours was another full week, and we’ve definitely gotten back into a school/sports groove, finally. Unfortunately, Trav had the flu and was sick all week. It hit him hard, but I think he’s finally turned a corner.
As always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.
Here are some favorites from the week:
In honor of Ground Hog’s Day, this meme made me laugh…I wish I could relate to it a bit less. haha
Last weekend, we went to Gatlinburg, TN for Hadley’s volleyball tournament. Trav and Hayden tagged along as well. After school, we headed to G-burg, and then Hadley’s team had three games Saturday afternoon and evening.
It was nice having some down time on Saturday morning…we had breakfast at the hotel, Hadley slept in, Trav and Hayden went for a run, and I went for a walk. Then, we headed to Rocky Top Sports World for the games.
The girls went 2-1 in pool play…
…making it to the gold bracket games on Sunday.
…they came in third in the gold bracket, and won a bronze medal. As always, it was fun watching them play.
Saturday night, one mom ordered a bunch of pizzas and the girls and parents hung out in the lobby while watching the UK vs Arkansas game. This was a big game because UK’s former coach, Coach Cal, is at Arkansas now. Hayden watched the game in the room but came down for pizza at halftime. He started to watch the second half with us, but got frustrated and went back to the room.
Unfortunately, UK lost, but we did have a great evening hanging out.
I made a few more February book trackers. They’re saved in a highlight on my Instagram. If you use them, feel free to tag me, and I’ll share! (To use them, you just hold the story down and screen shot the book tracker. Then, you upload it and add a pic of your book to the book tracker and publish it in your story!)
I should have shared this Target sweatshirt sooner! The gingham heart is so cute. I’ve worn it quite a few times in the past month, and I will of course wear it next week on Valentine’s Day. There are a few sizes left.
How cute is this cherry heart sweatshirt? There are a lot of size options left. This “love” one is precious too!
This never happens, but we were down to one hand soap (and I always have one in both of the upstairs bathrooms and one in the kitchen), so I popped into Bath and Body Works yesterday. I took advantage of the 5 for $27 hand soap deal. The “foaming” soap is my preference, so I stocked up.
While I was there, this “book loft” candle caught my eye. Three wick candles were $14.95, so I went ahead and got it. I prefer single wick candles as they aren’t overpowering, but I loved the title and scent of this one. It really does smell so good. It’s a very clean and subtle scent.
Favorite Mom Meme:
*not me fussing at Hayden yesterday when we needed to leave for school*
Well, we’re on week two of two actual full weeks of school which means I’m back to packing my lunch. I’m sharing what I’ve been packing in my new Bento boxes.
While packing my lunch is still a dreaded task, I’ve been enjoying it a bit more lately and trying to find new lunch ideas. I’ve shared time and time again that I love a “snack plate” for lunch when I’m at home. The Bento Boxes are a way to take my snack plate to school!
I always save gift ideas on a few Amazon lists because I know when the holidays roll around, I need to share ideas with family members. I’d requested some Bento Boxes, but this set didn’t work out because the lids wouldn’t stay snapped on.
My first lunch was Dill, Sea Salt, and Olive Oil Triscuits (my fave!), cheese, grapes, prosciutto, rosemary almonds (my fave!) from Trader Joe’s, and some cottage cheese.
Once I realized those containers weren’t going to work, I ordered myself this set, and they’ve been perfect. The layout is a bit different, but they’ve been working out just fine.
Another lunch: Triscuits, cheese, a hard boiled egg, carrots and Ranch (the Ranch didn’t fit in the box), and my favorite sweet treat…a “Snack Select” from Aldi that has little bites of chocolate, dried cranberries, and graham cracker bites. Little squares of cheese also come in the pack, but I had those later.
On this day, I had a peanut butter roll up (tortilla), Babybel cheese, and cucumbers and Fritos (Trader Joe’s edition) to dip in Trader Joe’s Buffalo dip. I also packed a pudding for dessert in my lunch bag.
One day, I had salami, cheese and crackers from an Olli pack…adult lunchable. I put those things in the Bento box and then added in carrots, Chex Mix, and trail mix.
One day this week, I packed two turkey sandwiches on Hawaiian rolls, cottage cheese and carrots. Then, I packed some Girl Scout cookies…two Thin Mints and two Peanut Butter Patties. Did I need four Girl Scout cookies? No. Was it necessary? Yes…because otherwise, my family hogs the cookies, and they hardly last a couple of days in our cabinet! That being said, Hayden stopped by my room and ate one of the Thin Mints. See what I’m talking about?! haha
I’m loving my new lunch bag. I’d had the same lunch bag for eight years, and the time was past due for me to get a new one. Again, I had this one saved on a list as a gift idea, and it’s perfect. It holds so much, and I love that there’s a small zip pocket on one side and then a larger pocket on the other side.
Just this past weekend, I packed this full of snacks for our weekend in Gatlinburg for Hadley’s volleyball tournament, and it held so many snacks!
It comes in quite a few colors and patterns…and it has a 15% off coupon right now. (Just FYI!)
So, those are a few of my lunches lately. This week has been a bit different because we had a little chili pot luck yesterday with the teachers in my hall, and then we’re having a SOUPer Bowl soup/chili pot luck on Friday. So, I only have to pack a few lunches this week!
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