How was your week? It sure is feeling like summer around here with lots of sunshine and hot temps.
I’m going to need June to pump the breaks a bit!!
As always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.
Here are a few favorites from the week:
Hadley coming home from camp was definitely a favorite. She had a great time, but I know she was happy to sleep in her own bed (and see us!)
On Monday evening, we celebrated Travis for Father’s Day. Since we were still waiting on our new air conditioner, we all ate dinner in the sun room where it was cooler, and then enjoyed some cake. He opened a couple of presents which included some shorts, a shirt, and this acupressure mat. He hadn’t mentioned wanting the mat, but I figured it would be something even the kids would use. He was actually really excited to receive it which was sweet.
Snickerdoodle Bundt cake for the win!
My niece’s birthday is in late May, and I hadn’t gotten her a present yet. She went with Hadley and me to the nail salon. The girls got manicures while I got a pedicure…
….Then, we got some ice cream on that hot summer day.
While it’s a expensive favorite, seeing my new thermostat finally find the 70’s in the house was really appreciated. We were tired of being hot.
I used to set our old a/c on 71 most days, and now, 73/74 really cools us off.
I’d seen some people share about the “all day rose'” Waterloo, so I thought I’d give it a try. It’s really good! It is kind of weird at first (in a good way) that, to me, the first few sips really do taste like rose’. After that, I feel like it just tastes like (good) flavored sparkling water.
Favorite Mom Meme:
This is so true! I can’t keep up with my kids’ changing tastes. haha
Well, I think this past year I’ve felt a little more sentimental than usual. I guess with the closing of the middle school chapter for my kids and knowing (fearing?) the next four years of high school are going to fly by, I’d like to capture a few more memories on the blog.
Like my “Summer Sunday” posts, I had hoped to start a Throwback Thursday post earlier in the summer, but never got to it. Now is the time 🙂
Hadley just got back from camp this week, so I thought it would be fun to have some of her camp experiences in one spot.
The first year Hadley went to camp was the summer of 2019 after her 3rd grade year. It was for six days and six nights. She went to a camp about an hour and a half from Lexington. Many of her friends had been to the same camp, but the previous years, for their age, it was just three days.
I remember being so nervous for her as she prepared for camp. I did take comfort knowing she was excited, and she would have friends there too….I had just wished that we had “tested the waters” for three days before jumping in to a week! When you registered, girls could write down one roommate, so again, I knew she’d most likely have a good friend in her cabin.
We all went to drop her off, and I left a “care package” for her to receive mid-week.
I did give the camp address to family, so she received lots of mail that week. The camp would post photos on Facebook every night, and those first couple of nights I would stay up late to see her smiling face. I just wanted to know she was having a good time.
I had told her that when I picked her up, I’d probably be there early because Hayden had a baseball tournament that weekend. We could pick up starting at 9:00, and I was there by 9:15. Once the counselor went to get her, she came out smiling, and the first thing I noticed (besides her smiling face) was all the bug bites she had. haha!
She immediately asked that I sign her up for the next year, and also told me she hadn’t brushed her teeth since Tuesday since she’d lost her toothbrush! haha
Once I got her packed up and in the car, she told me all about her week at camp before falling asleep for most of the ride home. I was so happy that she’d had such a great time.
We’d signed her up to go the summer of 2020, but that session ended up getting canceled. She was really bummed.
She proceeded to go to the same camp in 2021 and 2022. Both times, she had a blast, and I was definitely less nervous about sending her. I’m so grateful she’s had those experiences.
Hayden never seemed interested in going to sleep away camp, and since he’s a home body like me, I never pushed it on him. His first camp experience was running camp last year…and he loved it.
I feel like we’ve gotten pretty good at packing Hadley for camp. Last year, I wrote this post sharing what Hadley usually took to camp.
The camp she went to last year and this year provided a packing list, but she put everything in a suitcase since that is easier to load into the belly of the coach bus, and put other odds and ends in her backpack.
Last year, was Hadley’s first year going to Young Life camp in Missouri. There is a YL branch at her school, and she’s been involved in it all three years of middle school. She’s made amazing connections and has been provided great opportunities to grow in her faith with wonderful leaders.
This camp experience is different compared to what she did the previous three years as she packs a little differently, I don’t have to drive her to camp, and I don’t get to see the facilities (in person).
She boards a bus at a local church at 5am, and rides a coach bus the nine hours to camp. As they arrive at camp, the leaders take their phones for the five days they are there.
The leaders do send the parents emails with photos, and sometimes there are videos. Of course, I still want to see her smiling face, but I know she’s having a good time and worry less about her now that she’s older.
The camp is on a lake, so they have the best time boating, tubing, swimming, playing games, attending small group, cabin time, and club (for daily lesson/scripture) as well as journaling, playing volleyball and pickle ball, meeting other kids and more.
They don’t leave the camp until 1:00 PM (central time) on Sunday, so they don’t get back to the local church in Lexington until 1 or 2 am. I know she’s tired from camp, but I’m tired from the late pick up! haha
Last year, she was gone over the 4th of July, but they had a blast.
This year, camp was mid-June, and of course Hadley was excited to go. The packing list and logistics were the same. Travis dropped her off early last Wednesday morning, and after about eight hours, she texted us that she was handing over her phone and she’d see us in a few days.
Like in years past, I appreciated getting a few pics from the YL leaders.
For “theme” night for their group…they were Nerds. We didn’t have to provide anything for this costumer so this was a cute surprise picture to see. (Hadley is bottom row, second from left)
They had time on the lake…
…and enjoying the amazing setting.
Once she got her phone back on Sunday afternoon, I was excited to see this text from her:
I picked her up at 2am on Monday, and I was excited to see her of course. She filled me in on all of the activities and fun she had with her friends. I think this year felt a little different for her. This is a big group of girls, and a few of them are going to a different school for high school. They’ll all still see each other, but it will be different.
Hadley said on the final night, there were tears and they stayed up extra late hanging out.
I’m glad she’s had such wonderful camp experiences through the years. Each year has provided lots of memories, but going to camp has allowed her to spread her wings a bit, be independent, and navigate life a little out of her comfort zone.
We miss her when she’s gone, but I know she will look back on these camp experiences with fond memories.
I love Joyce’s Wednesday link up, so I’m joining in again today.
Here are my answers to this week’s questions:
1. It’s National Splurge Day…What’s something you might splurge on today? What have you splurged on recently?
Well, I probably won’t splurge on anything today as yesterday was a pretty expensive day. I did treat myself to a pedicure, and I took Hadley and my niece with me. Hadley wanted a summer manicure, and my niece just had a birthday…so we brought her for a manicure as her birthday gift.
What’s more expensive than paying for a pedicure and two manicures? Getting a new a/c and furnace installed yesterday!
Our a/c and furnace are close to thirty years old, so it’s been on our radar that this might be the summer to get a new system. I wish we’d taken care of this earlier, but of course the week that we’ve finally hit the 90’s, we were on the list to have it installed. Our house has been in the 80’s the past five days, so we sought reprieve in the basement and in the sunroom (where we have an a/c unit) as much as possible. Homer won’t go down the stairs to the basement, but we’d find him on the cool sun room floor by the a/c unit. He’s a smart pup! haha
So, the nail day was a splurge and the a/c was a necessity.
2. Do you have a beach bag? What’s in it? Is a trip to the beach on your summer bucket list? Do you have a summer bucket list?
I do have a few beach bags, and I wrote all about them in my first Summer Sunday post.
We don’t have a typical beach trip planned this summer which is a first for us. We have a fun vacation planned though that we are all excited about.
We haven’t made a bucket list in a couple of years, but we’d make a “summer fun” list when the kids were little.
3. What’s a song that makes you think of summer past? What comes to mind when you hear it? What memories does it stir up for you?
The first song that popped into my head when I think of “summer past,” was Tracy Chapman’s “Give Me One Reason” in the summer of 1996. I swear that “Fast Car” was also being played a lot that summer too. Proof that things that were popular come back around again!
The summer of 1996 was a really carefree one. I had my license, and I remember hanging out with friends, going to the pool, working a little, and just really feeling like a high schooler.
I’m the worst when it comes to remembering song titles, so I checked out a list of “hits” from 1996. Here were a few more of my faves that I remember singing a long to on the radio:
“Ironic”- Alanis Morissette
“Follow You Down” -Gin Blossoms
“Sittin Up in my Room”- Brandy
“Insensitive” -Jann Arden
“Name” -Goo Goo Dolls
“Who Will Save Your Soul” -Jewel
“Wonder”- Natalie Merchant
“Breakfast at Tiffanys” -Deep Blue Something
“1979” -Smashing Pumpkins
“Only Wanna Be With You”- Hootie and the Blowfish
What’s a song that you think of when you think about summer?
4. Sushi – yay or nay? Have you actually tried it? What’s your “go to” order?
Definitely “yay.” I like sushi, and it’s one of the meals that Travis and I have in common when we think about a “date” night.
He’s probably a bit more adventurous than I am…I usually stick to shrimp, yellow tail, salmon, and crab.
5. I own a ridiculous amount of…
Pajamas! The ones I turn to the most this summer are the ones I got recently from Walmart as well as the guazy pajamas (I have three pairs!) that I got from Target last summer.
6. Insert your own random thought here:
This past weekend, I was placing an order for a cake for Trav for Father’s Day. When I asked him what flavor he wanted and showed him the options, he mentioned “Snickerdoodle.” Both kids thought it was an odd option, but it was so good. Let’s just say they both had more than one slice!
Don’t sleep on the “Snickerdoodle” cake from Nothing Bundt Cakes. (The key lime flavor is good too…we picked up a small one of those for Trav as well.)
Here’s to staying cool this summer…and letting cake solve all our problems!!
Friday afternoon was a fun one. I went to summer school for a couple of hours, but I left early to tag along with Trav and Hayden for their road trip to Louisville go to the races at Churchill Downs.
It wasn’t a fancy day at the track, but I still wore a pretty pink dress!
We got there around 1:30 and stayed for a few races. One of Trav’s clients had horses running in two different races, and they were fun to watch.
I usually am just at Churchill on Oaks day, so it felt very different being there with far less people. It was a hot day, but we were mostly inside.
I did get to see the new paddock area up close, and it was really neat to see.
We left around 4:30, went to Trav’s mom’s house for a bit before heading home.
I had some pool time on Saturday. I typically want to work out and run all my errands before doing anything fun, but I knew if I went to the pool earlier in the day, it wouldn’t be as hot, and it would be less crowded. I went from 11-1:30 which was the perfect amount of time.
After the pool, I got Hayden some lunch, did my workout, and then took Hayden to his basketball game.
We’ve been watching a lot of baseball, and Saturday’s walk off win for the “Bat Cats” in the College World Series was an exciting one.
Photo c/o UK baseball
Saturday evening, I read my book and watched the Royals game. They won too.
Travis and Hayden chose dinner on Saturday night, so we went to one of our favorite pizza places. It was a really nice evening to sit on the patio (in the shade)
The best part of the weekend will be being reunited with Hadley since she’s been away at camp this week.
As I type this, her ETA home is 1 am, but I can’t wait to pick her up.
Of course, Sunday was Father’s Day, and that’s something to celebrate! I made Travis breakfast (just the Krusteaz coffee cake and microwave sausage…only the best, for T-rav…haha!), and then he and Hayden went and played 9 holes of golf.
We plan on celebrating him a bit more tonight now that Hadley will be home.
…and it’s Father’s Day! I hope all the dads are feeling the love today. I know there are many missing their dads. My thoughts and prayers are with them as I can only imagine how their heart feels today.
As our summer continues on, I’m sharing another Summer Sunday post.
While the summer provides some more time for reading and catching up on shows, my family also seems to watch quite a few movies when we can.
Today, I’m sharing my top 5 faves plus a few more movies that are perfect for summer.
1.
My #1 favorite movie of all time is The Parent Trap…the Hayley Mills version.
I’ve seen this movie a countless number of times, and it’s my favorite movie from my childhood (and it was a classic movie then!)
The Lindsay Lohan version is great too.
2.
A League of their Own is another one of my faves, and my kids love it too. “There’s no crying in baseball!” Classic.
3.
The Goonies is one of my brother’s favorite movies, and I’ve seen it so many times. Just a couple of weeks ago, Hayden was watching it, so I stopped what I was doing to watch it with him.
“Goonies never say die!”
4.
Top Gun (the original) is one of those movies that I remember watching as a teen and feeling like a big kid. It was just more of a grown up movie, but my friends and I loved it.
We enjoyed seeing Maverick a couple of years ago as a family (with some of our friends), and it’s really great too.
5.
I remember watching Overboard at my friend Jeanna’s house when we were kids. We watched it over and over. It still brings me a sense of nostalgia when I watch it.
Other great summer movies:
Here are some other movies that are faves from my childhood (and some of my kids’ faves) that are all around classics to watch in the summer:
Well, I feel like Fridays are arriving quicker than I like. It’s the opposite of during the school year…I’d like for time to slow down a bit.
As always, I’m linking up with Erika and Andrea for this week’s Friday Favorites.
Here are some favorites from the week:
KC:
Usually, I write a whole post recapping our trips and vacations, but I just didn’t have time this week. So here’s a quick run down of what we did when we went to visit family.
We usually go to KC at the end of the summer, but just how our summer is this year along with high school sports starting in July, I wanted to make sure we got our trip in sooner rather than later.
Last Wednesday, the kids had 9:00 dental cleanings, and then we left around 11:00 for KC. It was a nine hour drive, per usual, but thankfully, it was uneventful!
Honestly, we didn’t do a ton which I think we all really appreciated. Coming off the school year and still being a bit tired, it was nice to just hang out and relax.
We’ve played Left, Right, Center, but my mom LCR Wild, and it was a fun twist on the game.
I definitely recommend it.
My mom’s neighborhood was having their annual garage sale, and the kids helped out a bit..or did they?!
Hayden went to the driving range a couple of times.
We went to the Royals game on Friday night. They were playing the Seattle Mariners. Since moving away from KC, I obviously don’t get to see them play a lot(in person), but we’ve attended a few games through the years with the kids.
When the kids were probably six or seven, we went to a game, and they were losing in the first inning 10-0 (or maybe more!). Well, this team is better but the game started off the same way. They were down 7-0 at the end of the first inning, and then 8-0. Eventually, they started to chip away at the score, and we wondered if they’d make a comeback.
Well…they did! A walk off win was very exciting to see in person.
Bobby Witt, Jr. (#7) is definitely one of the favorite players.
Every Friday night of the season, there are fireworks (win or lose)…and they are even better after a big win!
There was a little bit of rain in the middle of the game, but otherwise, it was a really nice evening of baseball.
On Saturday, we took Crumbl cookies to my dad’s house.
While at my dad’s house, we watched the final episode of Wheel of Fortune with Pat Sajak as the host. This has always been a favorite show of mine!
Then, we went to Gma’s house for dinner, and we watched the UK baseball game and then played some more LRC Wild. Just like last year, Hayden is very into watching these games. We got home on Sunday just in time to go to the last super regional game with Travis and cousins.
It was a really great visit seeing family and enjoying some downtime.
Again, thankfully the drive home was pretty easy, but with only me driving, I was ready to get home!
When I got home, I was excited to see that my Trader Joe’s peonies had bloomed even more than before we’d left.
While we were in KC, we missed our “Homerversary”…
…so we got him DQ ice cream on Monday night. He’s five(ish) now, and we love him so.
After his dessert, we took him for a walk.
Fave Follow:
Do you follow Kara on Insta? (@karaskorner123) She’s a hoot!
Fave ‘fit:
I bought this set from Amazon a couple of weeks ago, and it’s great!! I ordered my regular size, and it looks like the price has dropped a bit…to less than $26. I’ve worn it a couple of times, including to summer school on Monday.
Now I kind of want to buy the shorts version I’ve saved as well.
I did get a little pool time this week…even though it was brief. Of course the one afternoon I could go, the pool closed early for a swim meet.
I’ve been on a reading roll lately…including listening to two audio books. I used my nine hours each way to KC wisely. Real talk: those are the first two audio books (The Office BFF’s and Birdie & Harlow) I’ve ever listened to…and they were both memoirs (ish), so that’s why I chose them. I’m still not sure I can focus and follow the plot of a book while listening.
Favorite dinner:
On Tik Tok a few weeks ago, I saw this simple recipe shared. I buy the “cook in the bag” pork loins pretty often, but this person took the pork loin out of the bag, added it to the slow cooker, poured in a can of beef broth, and a can of water and cooked on low for 6 hours.
Then, you do need to drain the meat, but we put it on sliders with some BBQ sauce, and shredded mozzarella.
This was my easy and delicious dinner the other night with a microwave baked potato and watermelon:
Favorite Mom Meme:
hahaha!
Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday
I love this memory from 2013. The kids shared a bedroom for their first 3.5 years of their lives. We had four bedrooms, so we turned their nursery into the guest bedroom, and then they each got the remaining rooms.
Hadley hugged Hayden goodnight and said, “See you next time!” before going to her own room the first night.
What are your weekend plans? I’m sure we’ll celebrate Trav on Father’s Day, and I hope to start crossing some things off my summer “to do” list and maybe get in a little pool time.
I hope to have another Summer Sunday post this weekend too.
This month’s topic is let’s look at…our summer schedule.
Well, this is only our second full week of summer, and we aren’t in much of a routine just yet. Hayden and Travis started the summer going to St. Louis for Hayden’s race, then last week I spent Monday and Tuesday doing laundry, getting an oil change for my car, and other odds and ends to get ready to go to KC. Then, we were in KC from Wednesday to Sunday. Monday, I was at school most of the day, and yesterday was also spent getting life back on track after being out of town since I didn’t have time to do that on Monday.
Also, it was midday yesterday before I glanced at today’s Let’s Look topic, so today’s post is a look at how I think most days will look based on the few days we’ve been at home so far. That being said, I hope to find some days with nothing on the calendar some time soon. June is definitely our more hectic month, so it might be July before I have lots of downtime at home.
Anyway, this post is a mix of new and old pics to share a daytime summer schedule (ish).
Early Morning:
Hopefully, I’m not setting an alarm and get up between 7:30 and 8:00.
I always have my quiet time, coffee and blog reading until about 9:00 or 9:30 depending on where the kids need to go. If they don’t have anything and are sleeping in, then I tend to get my workout in.
Besides my coffee, I look forward to a slow start the morning and a little self-care with my eye gels.
Then, I do my skincare routine, and make my bed.
Yesterday, I had my monthly facial, so I did very minimal skincare. Yay!
I do love in the summer when I can take care of my personal business like appointments during the day. When I schedule those appointments in the summer, I try to schedule them between 10:30 and 12:30 as it’s not too early and also doesn’t take up my afternoon.
Last Wednesday, the kids had their six month dental cleaning, and Hadley said, “MOMMMM! Why did you schedule it so early?” haha (It did work out because after their appointments is when we started our drive to KC.)
Mid-Morning:
I typically take the kids where they need to go. Yesterday, Hadley had volleyball, and Hayden wanted to play golf.
Sometimes, I get my front porch plants watered before leaving for errands and activities. This summer, I’ve decided this should be Hadley’s chore!
I try to run errands before noon if possible. Yesterday, I had a Target pickup, needed gas, and also went to Kroger for a few things.
Between 9:45 and 12:15 yesterday, I picked up Hadley’s friend, dropped both girls off at volleyball, answered a school phone call, did my Target pick up, went to my monthly facial (dermaplane and chemical peel), picked up Hayden from home and dropped him off at the golf course, and then picked up the girls from volleyball. After that, Hadley and I went to Kroger for a few things.
Afternoon:
Another thing I love about summer is that I can do a few house chores during the day. Usually we do laundry on the weekends, but I can now do a random load if needed on a weekday during the day.
After volleyball, I did take the girls to get a Sonic drink…
…but we had lunch at home. I love a snack plates for lunch.
If I don’t do my workout in the morning, I try get it completed in the early afternoon.
Yesterday, I did one of my favorites… Sure Thing: Combination Strength.
At some point during the day, I fuss at my kids to pick their ish up or throw away their trash.
Classic Hayden move here:
Again, if my Bible study doesn’t happen in the morning, I do those few minutes in the early afternoon.
Yesterday, I picked Hayden up from his round of golf. He’s been playing a lot with friends, but yesterday he played 18 holes on his own. I will say he’s not big on changing plans, so while it was a bit inconvenient for me to take him to and from golf, he was out in the nice weather and doing something he loved. He even paid for the golf and post golf snack with his own money. (He has a pass for $5 rounds of golf for public courses in town).
While I would love for my summer to always include an hour or two at the pool, that really hasn’t happened yet. I really thought I’d get to the pool for a bit yesterday, but that just didn’t happen. Again, hopefully I will get in a routine soon.
If I don’t go to the pool, I most certainly find some time to lounge and read for a bit in the afternoon. Sometimes I even doze off for a few minutes…
…and sometimes Homer does too!
Evening:
Before dinner, I usually try to finish up the next day’s blog post.
Last night, dinner was leftovers which, to me, are an even a better idea in the summer.
There are times I’m showered by 5:00 if I’ve been to the pool. If not, if I know I’m “in” for the night, I can’t wait to shower and do my skincare right after dinner.
I’m still loving these shower steamers (or these!) They are such a nice treat.
Then, it’s skincare time.
…and then time to chill.
So far this summer, we haven’t really had evening activities on the schedule, so once dinner is over, it’s nice to tidy up the house, shower, sit on the back porch, read or watch TV before bed.
Homer loves being outside:
Sometimes, I will watch the KC Royals game or catch up on a show. Other times, I read for a bit. So far, no two evenings have really looked alike.
Last night, we took Homer for a walk before I showered and put on pjs.
Then, I head to bed between 10-11.
I know it’s good for my “type A” personality to go with the flow a bit in the summer, and I embrace that. That being said, I feel like disheveled right now not really having a true rhythm to summer just yet.
It’s still such a blessing to have this time off, so I’m sure I will settle in soon.
This month’s topic is…foods to make for someone else.
Do you know what the first thought I had when I realized this was the topic for today’s post?…That I don’t think people cook for each other like they used to. Maybe I’m wrong….but even when people create “meal trains” for others, it’s a lot of carry out food or sending food via Uber Eats.
That being said, I’m not judging because I can relate…it feels like at this busy stage in my life, I want to help others, but feel like I don’t have as much time as I’d like to….Venmo and gift cards are a “go to” for me as well.
I also think that I’m a little “burned out” on cooking for others because I do that every single day….which I also truly don’t mind…if they’d just come to the table when I say, “dinner’s ready!”
Anyway, that might not be the point of this post, so I will reel in those random thoughts and share a few ideas.
1. Coffee Cake
Call me Mother of the Year, but my kids feel like I’ve really done them a solid when I make the Krusteaz coffee cake for them for breakfast.
It’s easy and delish.
2. Casseroles
Casseroles of any kind are a good way to make someone a lot of food. Or, I should say anything in a casserole dish.
Turkey ricesoup is a favorite family tradition after Thanksgiving.
While I guess chili is more for fall and winter, we love to make beef chili and chicken chili. Both of those are great to make and share with others.
Next month’s topic is…day in the life, summer edition! I always love seeing “day in the life posts,” so we hope lots of you will share your days as well.
What about you? What’s a food you enjoy making for someone else?
Sorry this post is pretty short and sweet…The kids and I got back from Kansas City last night. We were able to visit family for a few days, and it was nice to be there. That being said, somewhere in the middle of Illinois, I sure would have been thankful for if one of the kids could have driven for a bit. haha
And — this morning, I’m headed to school for a few hours as it’s our first day of our first summer school session. Thankfully, my responsibilities are minimal, but the first day is always pretty hectic.
This week, I’m sharing some things I do for “self-care” in the summer.
Here they are:
1. Quiet Time
My biggest form of self-care all year long is my quiet time in the morning. Unless we have something going on, I probably get more quiet time in the summer because my kids really know how to sleep in.
Now, my coffee time is sometimes on our front porch our back patio; it’s nice to change up the routine.
2. Bedtime/Sleep/Nap
While I don’t tend to stay up super late in the summer, I might stay up until 11:00 instead of 10:00 like during the school year. That being said, I love just going to bed at 10 knowing I don’t have to set an alarm.
That means, that sleeping in (or at least not setting an alarm) is another form of self-care for me.
Also, to me, there’s nothing better than an afternoon nap in the summer!
3. Read
While I make a Summer Reading List, it’s just a guide. It’s ok if I don’t read all of the books, and of course, I will read books not on the list too. It’s just nice to have a bit more time to read, especially when we are on vacation.
4. TV time
That being said, I tend to have more time to watch TV in the summer, so I will get caught up on shows that I’ve fallen behind on or watch series that I haven’t had time to watch during the school year.
This week, I started Under the Bridge on Hulu, and I only have a couple of episodes left.
I also want to finish watching episodes of some of my favorite series like The Rookie and NCIS Hawaii (which got cancelled) 😦
5. Workout
I am pretty consistent with my workouts, and I think it’s important to keep up my workouts in the summer. Honestly, sometimes it’s easier for me to workout during the school year because of having more structure/routine.
I still love my Bodi workouts in my basement, but in the summer, I might go to the gym to use the elliptical, take a class, or go for a walk. Since I usually have more than 30 minutes to spare, I have time to change up my routine.
My goal in the summer is to workout five days a week.
6. Pool time
I still enjoy going to the pool even though my kids don’t need me like they used to. When they were younger, we used to go for three to four hours, and now they stay at the pool if I want to go after a couple of hours.
I enjoy reading, working on my tan, and chatting with my mom friends.
We also like to go to the pool in the evenings when we can. Again, we’ll see friends, have a drink, and enjoy dinner at the pool.
7. Be productive
Now, I don’t get too carried away with productivity…haha…but…I do use the summer to do things that I slack on during the school year. I typically make a list of things I want to accomplish in the summer and chip away at them week by week. The list is usually organizing and cleaning out areas like my closet, the basement, our office cabinet and more. Also, I don’t want to work on school during the summer, but I do find that it’s easier and less overwhelming for me to start the school year when I’ve chipped away at some school tasks in the summer.
8. Not cooking
It’s nice to mentally and physically take a break from the grind of the school year which does include meal planning, meal prepping, grocery shopping and more.
I love when a few hours at the pool turns to dinner at the pool and just hanging out with no definite plans. I love impromptu plans when neighbors get together for a casual patio dinner or dinner out.
Our pool has a great covered patio, and it’s nice to hang out there while the kids play volleyball, swim, and socialize.
9. Get a pedicure
I still don’t get pedis as often as I’d like to, but it’s such a treat when I do!
10. Go with the flow
I feel like during the school year every hour is accounted for, so in the summer, it’s nice to relax our schedule a bit more.
Honestly, we’re still busy, but it’s obviously less than during the school year.
Even our dinners are more relaxed. I do like when we all eat together, but if they kids are out with friends, they can have leftovers when they get home. If I planned on coming home from the pool at 4, but stay until 7:00, that’s ok.
Sometimes, we stretch leftovers to a third day, and I don’t have to cook.
Shew – I might even go wild and not pick up my Kroger order on the weekend. Isn’t that what Mondays are for?
My “type A” personality almost needs permission to chill, and summer is the time to do that.
What does self-care look like for you in the summer?
This was a good, solid first full week of summer for us!
As always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.
Here are some favorites from the week:
Honestly, this post might be a bit boring…but that means I’ve been able to get some things done to kickoff summer.
I organized my bathroom, got an oil change, finished some school stuff, the kids had dental cleaning appointments, I got some workouts in as well as a few other things.
A couple of days this week I’ve spent a couple of hours at the pool. It’s been nice to read, chat with mom friends, and relax a bit.
I started a new show on Hulu…Under the Bridge. While watching the first episode, I wasn’t sure if I’d like it, but then I was hooked. I only have two more episodes to go.
I started the week downloading the Habit app just to have some simple goals for the summer.
My daily goals/habits are: workout (4-5 days a week), drink 80 oz of water every day, aim for 100g of protein daily, and read for 30 minutes.
Most of my “to do” list for the summer includes tidying up some spaces. I had three tubs in my bathroom: one for my skincare stuff, one for lotion, air freshener, etc. and then one more for extras like when I buy new shampoo and conditioner but don’t need it for a while.
I decided to put all of my skincare and lotion in this organizer, and then I just have one bin under my sink for extras and things I don’t need very often.
I made it all work, and it’s made my morning and nighttime routines a bit easier.
Hadley came to school with me, and helped me finish up my classroom on Monday. Afterwards, we went to Sonic, and I got a Diet Cherry Limeade with Nerds.
(old pic, but we’ve been on a Sonic kick lately….nothing says “summer” more than a Cherry Limeade)
I love “snack plates” for lunch in the summer.
This orzo pasta salad from Trader Joe’s is so good. One of my favorite lunches from last summer was a thin bagel, just a little veggie cream cheese, thinly sliced cucumbers and a sprinkle of salt. So good!
Finally! My Trader Joe’s finally had peonies. I hope to get another bouquet or two before they are gone for the summer.
I made my book trackers for June, and they are saved in a highlight on Instagram. Feel free to use them to tell me what you are reading; don’t forget to tag me 🙂
Father’s Day:
We still have a little over a week until Father’s Day, but if you need a few ideas, I have been sharing some this week on Instagram. I have them saved in my “Amazon” highlight on Insta.
showmeandsweettea.com 