Hello!
I haven’t done a “day in the life” post on Instagram since maybe last summer?!! So, that’s my plan for today. Hopefully, I remember to take pictures along the way! I’ll probably sprinkle in a few Prime Day finds too.
I have a few things planned for today…and then we’ll see what else takes place. I hope it’s a mix of relaxation and productivity.
Have a great day!
Hello and happy Tuesday!
…and happy Amazon Prime day(s). Today and and tomorrow, Amazon will have some great deals going on.
I debated on writing this post because if you are on Instagram or read a lot of blogs, I know it can be overwhelming to see all the sales that are happening in July. Between Nordstrom, Amazon, and even Walmart and Target…and more…there are lots of sales going on. Of course, just because something is on sale doesn’t mean we have to have it…I even have to remind myself that sometimes.
It’s fun to look back on purchases this year and put together posts like these. I always like seeing what others have purchased too. Also, I am an Amazon Associate, so I can earn from qualifying purchases.
Many shop Prime Days for “big ticket” items, but today, I’m mostly just sharing some Amazon faves of mine (or a few things I have on my Amazon list)
Most of these items seem to be on sale and some even have an extra coupon. I’ll share percentage off on the item, if it has a coupon, and even reviews as I can.
Prices and deals seem to fluctuate, so this is the info I have as I finish up this post.
This blog post is pretty extensive with favorites, but I also decided to share my top five faves…So, you’ll see these in the post in the organized sections, but here are my five faves:
We got this electric tea kettle for my mom a couple of years ago, and then got one for our house. (It’s currently at its lowest price in 30 days at 10% off.)
We just got these beer mugs for Travis for his birthday. He loves a frosty cold beer so these are perfect for the freezer. I don’t think these are on sale, but they are a great price and have almost 10,000 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️+ reviews.
This microwave popcorn popper is family fave! Hadley probably uses it the most 🙂 We’ve given it as a gift too. (Almost 60,000 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.4 rating and 20% off)
Drink glasses – Like forks, I’m not sure where some of our glasses have gone. I had favorite set that we got as a wedding gift (18 years ago) from Pier 1. Now, we are down to two.
I have my eye on these (they come in a few colors and have 5% off coupon) or these.
We got my mom this gardening tool set as a gift. (currently 46% off)
For Christmas, we got Travis this Solo Stove Mesa (10% off and lowest price in 30 days)
This Hanes “invisible bra” is one of my all time favorite Amazon purchases. I have at least three of them. They are perfect for comfort at home/sleeping. (less than $7, and 59% off)
I love this black dress that I got last summer; I just wore it last week.(25% off)
My fave swim cover up that I have in two colors has a 15% off coupon.
I shared the long version of this romper that I ordered this summer. I also have the shorts version that has a 5% off coupon. I have been wearing both with a tank all summer.
This set of biker shorts I only purchased a couple of weeks ago, but they rank right up there with the Hanes bra as so comfortable and a great buy. I’ve even been sleeping in them. (19% off)
My fuzzy slippers are still a fave, and I love that they are sandal style, especially in the summer. (35% off)
I’ve had this quilted cross body purse for over a year, and I use it so often. (42% off and almost 10,000 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️+ reviews)
This black belt bag purse has been my #1 purse of the summer. It comes in tan too. (12% off)
Christmas 2021, my mom got both of the kids this Rockland Melbourne 20 inch hardside expandable spinner suitcase . I’m tempted to buy one for myself today because I’m the only family member without a carry on size suitcase. (That’s because I’m the one who over-packs, but I’m working on it!) (61% off)
Hadley still loves her sunglasses, (44% off and 12,000 reviews, 4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 rating)
I can’t travel anywhere without my favorite packing cubes. (Various colors on sale)
I don’t switch out my earrings often, and I almost always wear stud earrings. I’ve had this pair for a couple of years and wear them the most. They are a great price and have a coupon to save $1.
We bought Travis these wireless earbuds with hooks for his birthday last year, and he loves them. He wears them when he runs and when he does yard work. (40% off)
The kids had been using the same sound machines since they were babies. I’d also been wanting to have them start waking up more on their own this past year. When I saw this sound machine/clock combo, I gave it to them as one of their Valentine’s Day gifts. This ranks as one of my all-time favorite purchases.
It has many sound options, various colors for a nightlight (but no light is an option too) and is an alarm clock as well. They’ve been using them since February and even this summer to get themselves up for various activities. We love these things. Right now are they are 53% off and have a coupon.
We got Travis this mini massage gun for Father’s Day last year…Hayden uses it too! (-46% off and over 8,000 reviews, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.7 rating)
You know I love my Kindle Paperwhite! I’ve had mine for four years, and we got my Gma one for Christmas a couple of years ago.
The Ring video doorbell brings us peace of mind. That being said, we have to remember to change out/charge the batteries. (It’s 50% off right now and has 163,000 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.7 reviews )
The Roomba helps keep up with Homer’s dog hair. (28% off and 19,000 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️+ reviews)
How cute are these portable blue tooth speakers? They are 45% off. I think these would be perfect for the kids – they are always asking for our bigger blue tooth speakers to take outside. I’m going to snag one for both of them and save them for their birthday. (Almost 40,000 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 reviews)
We don’t need this as much now that we have a leather couch, but this pet roller constantly saved the day on our cloth couch. (22% off and 143,000 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️+ reviews )
We try to brush Homer as much as possible. This brush has a 10% coupon and 52,000 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 star reviews.
I’ve shared these toothbrushes time and time again. I have one and so do the kids. I can’t recommend them enough. They are currently 43% off right now. (19,000 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️+ reviews)
I’ve added this Gold Bond neck and chest firming cream to my skin care routine, and I love it. (29% off)
I’ve been using this Jergens tanning foam when needed since November, and it’s amazing. It’s so easy to apply with a mitt, drys quickly, and provides the prettiest tan color. (7% off)
Cerave is Hadley’s fave. She uses it every night. (28% off)
I’ve used these Lumineux whitening strips off and on over the past year or so when I’ve had breaks in my Invisalign treatments. They don’t make my teeth sensitive, and do brighten up my smile pretty easily. ($4 coupon)
I still use my dermaplane razor at least once a month in between my facial appointments. (52% off and 21,000 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and reviews)
This has been my vitamin C serum for the past six months. (27% off and coupon)
We got Hayden this razor kit for his stocking, and it’s perfect for him at this time in his life. (13% off)
Last June was when I did my huge closet purge, and over a year later, my closet is still looking good. These acrylic shelf dividers have been an amazing addition to my closet and have definitely helped keep it organized. They are currently 49% off.
I ordered this fuzzy white blanket last fall (and it comes in other colors too) Hadley immediately claimed it as her own, and it’s now on her bed. (33% off and 147,000 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️+ reviews)
We have these mattress toppers on all three of our beds, and they have given our mattresses new life. I’m forever grateful for this find. It’s currently 32% off and has 27,000 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️+ reviews)
Trav is still loving the athletic shorts we got him for Father’s Day. They have a $4.80 off coupon.
These Adidas socks are Hayden’s fave. (37% off)
Both Travis and Hayden have this beanie with a built in light to use for running in the cooler/colder temps. There’s currently a $2 off coupon.
I hope these ideas provide some help whether it’s for yourself or a gift idea for the future. I prefer sharing with you things that have worked for me or my family, and I’m sure there are tons of other deals out there too. I know you probably feel bombarded on Instagram (and other blogs) with over-sharing. haha…I’m sure most of us don’t need any of these things, but it’s nice to get a deal.
{This post contains Amazon affiliate links…Thank you for supporting my blog!}
Hello and happy Monday!
How was your weekend? We had a really good one…that mostly centered around celebrating Trav’s birthday!
I’m looking forward to this week because I feel like it’s one of the only “normal” weeks of summer with not too much going on (and everyone is home…)
Since it’s the second Monday of the month (how is that possible?!), I’m linking up with the other NJAM co-hosts for our fun monthly link up.
So far this year, we’ve discussed:
This month’s topic is top 5 favorite family activities…
I like when we get the chance to be outside doing things together. We tend to have more outside time in the summer taking Homer for a walk, making s’mores, kayaking, and going on a hike and other fun activities.
My kids have always loved doing puzzles and playing games. Covid/2020 definitely allowed us more time to do those things. Admittedly, we don’t make the time to play games like we did when the kids were little, but we do still enjoy doing those things when we have time.
Like with playing games, we watched more movies when the kids were little, but we still do that now too. I like when we are able to make time for movie night. In 2022, I was intentional about having a movie night at least once a month, and we took turns choosing movies. Also, we saw some movies in the theater, and we even went to the drive in.
Recently, we’ve been watching a few more movies — The Little Mermaid, Flamin’ Hot, and A Man Called Otto.
I often cook at home, and Friday and Saturday nights we usually get carry out. Of course, we eat out too. The past couple of years, we’ve made a point to eat at nicer restaurants as a family for birthdays and other times like “end of summer/back to school” meals.
We went to one of our faves, OBC Kitchen, on Friday night for Trav’s birthday .
Last summer, we went to Jeff Ruby’s before going back to school.
Other faves…This past year, we went to Carson’s for the kids’ 13th birthday and Frank and Dino’s for my birthday in January.
We like to go to games whenever possible. Most Saturdays in the fall, we go to the UK football games. Travis and Hayden make it to a couple of basketball games a year. Sometimes, Travis and I go to a basketball game or two as well.
This past year, we made a pit stop in Columbia on the way home from KC to watch UK play Mizzou basketball. My tigers won which was a fun memory –for me 😉
The kids have been to Keeneland a few times, and that’s always fun. Travis and I go more often, but it’s nice to include the kids when we can.
Last summer, we made it to a Royals game when we were in KC.
We’ve also enjoyed watching the Chiefs when they play nearby.
It’s always fun going to games, and even better when our teams win 😉
A couple more favorite family activities…pool time and travel.
Whether it’s the lake, the beach, or the mountains, we always have fun together. (Well, most of the time…haha!)
We hope you’ll link up with us today if you wrote about favorite family activities…and join us next month for…what’s in my handbag.
So, what about you? What are some of your favorite family activities? Honestly, sometimes I feel like my family is being pulled in every direction, so I really do like it when we can sit and have dinner together, play a game or watch a movie. It’s the little things…
Hello and happy Friday!
I feel like Fridays hit different in the summer…how is it already Friday again?!
We’ve had a good, but different kind of week again. Well, actually, I guess no two weeks have been alike this summer.
I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.
This week, I’ve kind of shared what we’ve been up to and/or some favorites, so I don’t have much new to share today.
I’m going to keep it simple and break down my favorites with each of my people this week…
First up, is Hayden.
After Hayden got back from South Carolina with his friend, Hadley had already left for camp. That meant that Travis and I went from having 1:1 time with Hadley to having 1:1 time with Hayden.
This week, some favorite things we did were: watch sports together (as athletic as Hadley is, she doesn’t watch sports on tv), watch a movie, and run errands (yes, errands –Hayden went with Travis and I to Walmart, and then he went to Dick’s and Target with me on Wednesday.)
Having kids that are old enough to stay home alone means that sometimes we leave them while we run errands. Actually, Travis and I don’t run errands together too often, but we’ve started to do more of that recently. Anyway, it was nice to do some random things like that together.
Also, we loved watching Hayden run his first 10k on the 4th of July, and catch fireworks later that night. We’ve mostly eaten at home, but we did treat ourselves to breakfast after his race and some froyo later in the week.
Travis and I dropped Hadley off at a local church for camp pick up at 5:30 am on Saturday. She rode on a charter bus all the way to camp in Missouri. She had the best five days with her friends and leaders…and arrived home at 2am yesterday morning.
I took a nap from 10pm-1am before picking her up at 2! I was so happy to see her smiling face, and she was ready for her bed!
This is Hadley’s fourth year going to camp, and this one was the farthest away she’s been. When she got her phone back and texted our family group chat, she said the best part was “everything” and she wished that it lasted longer. I’ve always been thankful that Hadley has had the courage and confidence to go away to camp…and I truly think she could go for most of the summer if we’d let her…and could afford it. haha
She made some great memories this week, but we are happy to have her home.
How about this camp for me? 😆
My mom sent me this, and I feel it deeply.
Today is this guy’s birthday!! It’s a big one…
We can’t wait to celebrate him this weekend. He deserves it.
Seriously –where did all my forks go?
Here are my posts from the week:
I can’t believe it’s already time for our monthly Not Just a Mom link up.
This month’s topic is Top 5 Favorite Family Activities.
If you you are a blogger, we’d love to have you join us! I just know that my kids want me to add some more things to our family fun list. haha
What are your weekend plans? We have birthday plans for Travis, and I really need to start chipping away at my summer “to do” list.
I hope you have a great weekend.
Hello! Wow! This week is flying by.
Yesterday good day with a mix of errands, pool time, and picking Hadley up from camp (the bus brought her to Lexington) really late last night.
It’s been about a month since my last Blog Challenge post. Today, I’m picking up where I left off in post #13…
Today, I’m covering topics #27 and #28
Quiet time. It’s nice to have quiet time to start my day, or a few minutes on the front porch reading a book if I’m feeling tired or overwhelmed.
A cup of coffee. I probably drink too much coffee, but it always makes the morning better.
Having all my people under one roof. This summer is not what I expected it to be. We’re always busy, but usually in the summer we have more downtime than we’ve been having. The kids have been gone a bit, and there’s still more of that to come. It’s nice when we are all home together. I worry less when we’re all home, of course.
A good workout. I’m not “Ms. Physically Fit,” and sometimes I wish I could see the physical achievements of working out pretty consistently at least 4 days a week like I do. That being said, if I’m in a bad mood or feeling extra tired, a workout always makes me feel better. You never regret getting a workout in.
A hug from Travis or the kids. I get grief from some for not being overly affectionate, but I do love a good hug from Trav or the kids especially if I’ve had a bad day or am feeling overwhelmed.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve become a bit more of a crier…especially if I am feeling overwhelmed or tired.
I also have a “soft spot” for some of the kids’ milestones and achievements. Sometimes, those bring a tear to my eye.
I’ve cried at the end of a good book. I also, apparently, sometimes cry when watching a movie…Hayden, Travis, and I watched A Man Called Otto on Sunday night. I knew what it was about…I’d even started the book it’s based on a couple of years ago, but stopped midway. I remember thinking the book moved slowly, and I just couldn’t get into it. Well, I really enjoyed the movie…we all did…but I teared up midway through and really cried at the end. I had to excuse myself to get myself together. Then, I went to bed. 😆
So, the last time I cried was Sunday at the end of a movie!
Honestly, both of these topics can kind of go together…sometimes something that makes me feel better is a good cry.
What something that makes you feel better?
I hope you are having a great week.
Hello!
How was your 4th of July? We had a good one, but it was different…I’ll explain more below…
I haven’t written a Currently post in quite some time, so today I’m linking up with Jennifer to share what I’m currently loving, savoring, celebrating, remembering, and trying.
Loving:
I shared this body wash from Trader Joe’s a few weeks ago, and Hadley and I are loving it. I’m bummed that I missed out on the body butter, and Hadley recently said, “Mom, what are we going to do when we run out this body wash?!” It’s that good.
Ok….I jumped on the Stanley bandwagon. When I saw that Target (online) had a few new colors, including this pretty shade of violet “wisteria“, I decided to reward myself for completing my two weeks of summer school…haha.
Travis and Hayden have been making fun of me, but I know Hadley will love it when she sees it. It arrived Monday, and I’ve already drank at least 80 oz of water the past two days!
The shipping was free, and I had a few Target Circle earnings to use too.
Savoring:
Slow mornings. (when we have them)
I’m telling you, I’m just as tired now as I was at the end of May…which isn’t a good sign. haha
June was extra busy with kids’ activities, camps, two weeks of summer school and more. This week and next should provide less alarm clock setting which is very much needed. I still get up before everyone like I do during the school year if we are having to get up somewhat early. It’s nice when we hit a day with nothing on the agenda, but those have been few and far between.
I’ve also been savoring 1:1 time with each kid. Hayden was in South Carolina with his friend’s family for a week, but Hadley left for camp the morning that he got home.
So, we had a week with just Hadley and then five days with just Hayden. By the time Hadley gets home, they won’t have seen each other for about two weeks!
Hayden ran the Bluegrass 10k yesterday morning (more on that in a second), and then we went out to breakfast. He crushed biscuits, gravy, bacon, donuts, water, and chocolate milk!
Celebrating:
The 4th of July!
Seriously, this summer could be alternately titled: The summer we didn’t sleep in.
We aren’t always in town for the 4th of July, but there were years that Travis ran this race. It’s always fun seeing other runners, and we always bump into people we know.
Last week, Hayden decided he wanted to run. Y’all know he’s a runner, and he’s done 6-7 mile training runs, but never a 10k race. Anyway, we were up at 5:45 to leave around 6:30 because the race started at 7:30. We met up with Trav’s brother who was also running, and then Hayden went with him to warm up and start the race. Travis brought his bike and met up with Hayden at various points to check in on him. I stood at mile 3 which was also mile 5 to cheer for Hayden before heading to the finish line.
Hayden was hot and sweaty (as you would expect), but he was happy with his performance of just under 7 minute mile pace and where he placed in his 13-17 age group.
After the race, we chatted with others for a few minutes before heading to eat breakfast. The rest of the day, we hung out a bit. Travis and I ran some errands, including a run to Walmart and Lowes. Hayden took an ice bath! Travis power washed the back patio, and I took a way longer nap than I meant to.
We grilled out for dinner before catching fireworks once the sun went down.
I’m also celebrating Hadley coming home from camp tonight.
She’s been at a camp in Missouri with a group from her school. This isn’t the camp she usually goes to, so it’s been different putting my kid on a bus (with all her friends and camp leaders) to drive 9 hours away! From the photos and videos I’ve seen this week, she’s had a blast.
Hadley could 100% go to camp for two months and be so happy!
She doesn’t get home until really late, but I look forward to having us all home at once for a bit.
Soon, we are also celebrating Trav’s brithday…It’s a “big” one.
Remembering:
Past 4th of Julys…
The 4th has always been one of my favorite holidays. This was the second time that Hadley’s been at camp on the 4th, and that’s not my preference. I like having the day at home to celebrate, go to the pool and watch fireworks. I guess the days are pretty much gone of them dressing in red, white, and blue (at least in an over the top way), but I still wish camp didn’t fall over the holiday.
This time last year, we were in Mexico! That’s hard to believe.
Trying:
A new Bodi (Beachbody) workout.
I’ve done Muscle Burns Fat with Megan Davies, and she’s one of my favorite trainers. Her new program, Sure Thing, was released recently. I’ve finished week 1 of 8, and so far I really love it.
What’s something you are loving, savoring, celebrating, remembering or trying?
I hope you have a great day!
Hello and happy Monday!
I was about to take a long weekend off from blogging —but then I remembered it’s the first Monday of the month, and Tanya is hosting her Prime Purchases link up! I can’t miss that…it’s one of my favorite posts of the month.
I have a few purchases to share today!
Here are my purchases for the month:
Since the kids got new phones recently, they needed new card holders for their phones. Hadley picked the teal color, and I picked out black for Hayden since that’s the color he had for his last phone.
I shared this romper on Friday, and it’s definitely a summer favorite for me. I wore it Friday night out to dinner and to my nephew’s baseball game. It comes in a few colors, and the straps are adjustable.
For Father’s Day, we got Trav these athletic shorts, and he loves them! He’s already worn them quite a few times.
Since he has a *bad* habit of losing his wallet, we also got him this wallet for Father’s Day. So far, he’s been using it…and hasn’t lost it.
Speaking of Father’s Day, I ordered this shoulder wrap for my dad. He has upper back and neck pain, and I remembered how much my Gma loved this gift for Christmas. Amazon delivered it right to his door for Father’s Day.
I don’t switch out my watch band regularly. Some people swap colors to match what they are wearing or wear nicer bands when dressed up. I just tend to wear one for six months to a year and then purchase another one. This pink band is so cute and under $8! The scallop detail is a nice little touch. I do think I will order another one or two. There are quite a few colors to choose from.
So, that’s it! June was another pretty light month on Amazon for me.
I hope you have a wonderful 4th of July. I always serve my traditional red, white and blue waffles.
That being said, Hayden is running a race tomorrow morning…He probably shouldn’t eat those before his race…I don’t want his belly to hurt!
Then, I’m hoping the weather cooperates, so we can watch fireworks once it gets dark. The 4th of July has always been one of my favorite holidays!
Happy 4th!
{This post contains Amazon affiliate links…Thank you for supporting my blog!}
Hello and happy Friday!
I can’t believe tomorrow is July 1st! Where did June go?
I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.
Here are some favorites from the week:
After many days of rain last week, the sun finally came out on Saturday, and I enjoyed some time at the pool. I finished a book and started a new one. I was also able to hang and chat with some mom friends while Hadley ran around with her friends as well.
Not a favorite! I’m glad we got the pool time in because the past few days have provided hazy skies due to the smoke from wildfires in Canada!
I’ve had some one on one time with Hadley this week because Hayden has been in South Carolina all week with his friend’s family. I’ve really missed him, so I’ve loved getting the updates.
When meal planning for the week, I let Hadley choose a couple of dinners. I’m sure Hayden would eat both, but we’ve had salmon and chicken alfredo for dinner. She was a happy camper.
Apparently, Hayden got one of his favorite meals on vacation…oysters!
On Sunday night, Hadley watched a movie with Travis and me. We watched Flamin’ Hot on Disney +. It was about the guy who was a janitor at Frito Lay and later came up with the idea for Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. It was a cute and funny movie with a great message.
On Wednesday, after Hadley’s eye doctor appointment, she and I went to see The Little Mermaid at the theater. It was sooo good.
I have this Shop Style Your Senses dress in two colors. I was excited to wear it for date night last Friday.
I bought this romper earlier this summer, and I’ve been wearing it quite a bit. It’s cute and comfy! I wore it to school one day this week.
After the eye doctor, Hadley and I ran to Walmart. Since I don’t go there often, I looked or a few things that I’d saved on the app…including these athletic shorts…that are only $7! They are buttery soft, and I got them in pink and gray.
Funny story about my black t-shirt. Travis picked it up at Kohls recently…he put it on, and asked if I liked it. I said, “Uhh…I think it’s a women’s shirt!” hahaha…He gave it to me!
For our anniversary, we went to Jeff Ruby’s…while Travis ordered steak, I ordered some sushi. It was so good.
Hadley and I have continued baking once a month, and on Sunday, she made these Oven Baked S’mores. Let me just say it won’t be the last time we make them. Delish!
I went to Trader Joe’s to pick up a few things. I saw these Key Lime Tea Cookies, and oh my word…if you like key lime, you’ll love these.
I have bad news for those of you with little ones…lol
…and this one made me chuckle.
Something about the 4th of July that always has me in my feelings a bit. I love this sweet memory…
I found my blogging groove a bit this week.
What are your weekend plans? We don’t have a ton on tap, and I’m happy about that. I’m officially finished with summer school, and Hayden comes home tomorrow…so my weekend is already off to a great start.
I’ll be back on Monday to share my Amazon purchases from the month.
Thanks for reading!
Hello and happy Thursday!
How’s your week going? We’ve had a good one with a mix of productivity and fun.
Today, I’m linking up with Patty and Holly for Monthly Musings.
This month’s topic is Summer Fun: Vacay, Trips, and Adventures
I’ve loved quite a few places that we’ve traveled for vacation: Charleston, Mexico, and San Diego to name a few, but my favorite is Siesta Key, Florida. We’ve been there the most, so my kids are probably the most familiar with SK. We always look forward to a trip there.
For this month’s Let’s Look post, I shared some travel tips, and some of those tips included packing tips. I’d say my top tips are to make needed purchases a couple of weeks out, make a packing list (and now the kids get a list too), replenish travel items as they run out, and use packing cubes.
We tend to do a bit of both. I guess we road trip more than we fly, but we do occasionally fly. Most of the time, it just makes the most sense to drive wherever we go. Even when we go to KC, which is a nine hour drive, if we were to fly, we’d have to be at the airport an hour beforehand, have a layover, and then KC’s airport is about 45 minutes from where my parents live.
That being said, it is always fun to see the clouds and down below during a flight.
We didn’t go on tons of vacations when I was a kid. That being said, when we did go on vacation, it was usually a bigger one. Growing up, my parents took us to California twice, Minnesota, and a trip to the northeast where we went to Massachusetts, Delaware, and Maine.
I’d say my favorite memory was going to Disneyland the first time we went to California which was the summer before 6th grade. My aunt and uncle lived in Orange County, and we visited them after they moved there from KC. My cousins who lived in Chicago also visited at the same time, and it was so fun going to Disneyland with everyone. My souvenir was a Mickey pin with my name on it.
For vacation, I’m a beach girl. I don’t necessarily love the ocean, but I love going to the beach. The lake is fun too!
I don’t grill…and I hate smelling like smoke after a campfire…I’m so much fun. haha
When we went “glamping” for fall break one year, it was fun to make our dinner on the fire…but my thing with camping (and even glamping) is that so much preparation goes in to everything.
I love a skinny margarita in the summer…
This summer, a cocktail I’ve had a couple of times (after a friend suggested it) is just vodka soda with a splash of grapefruit and lime. That’s an easy one to make a “mocktail” too.
I can’t say that I have one…
In 2018, we traveled to California for Trav’s work and the Del Mar racecourse was paying for his hotel. They made our reservation at the L’Auberge Del Mar, and it was sooo nice. We’ve been back to California since and stayed at other perfectly nice hotels, but that one was such a treat.
Ice cream is definitely a summertime fave.
No.
I’m not saying I absolutely wouldn’t again, but I’ve always said I don’t mind being outside from sunrise to sundown, hiking, and making s’mores…but then I prefer to go back to the Marriott for a nice shower and a comfy bed.
We went glamping for fall break a few years ago, and it was fun.
In a recent post, I shared a story about the one and only time Travis and I went camping…I was younger and in the “honeymoon phase” of a new relationship…lol
This is always such a fun link up. I’m glad that summer is in full swing!
Hello!
Before the month wraps up, I want to share the books I read in June.
I only read three books which is hard for me to believe. I thought for sure I’d read more once school was out, but June ended up being an extra busy month. I also found that when I had some downtime, I ended up watching TV a bit more than I usually do. Apparently when I have less structure, I read less…same goes with working out too. haha
One day I was scrolling Instagram, and saw these cute templates by @dariasbookstagram
It’s kind of killing me that I didn’t get four books read for the four spots! Oh well…maybe next month!
This month I read:
{As always, book summaries are from Goodreads…}
Even though I only read three books, I enjoyed them all…
There’s a cottage on a cliff. Gabe and Pippa’s dream home in a sleepy coastal town. But their perfect house hides something sinister. The tall cliffs have become a popular spot for people to end their lives. Night after night Gabe comes to their rescue, literally talking them off the ledge. Until he doesn’t.
When Pippa discovers Gabe knew the victim, the questions spiral…Did the victim jump? Was she pushed?
And would Gabe, the love of Pippa’s life, her soulmate…lie? As the perfect facade of their marriage begins to crack, the deepest and darkest secrets begin to unravel.
I’ve read many of Hepworth’s books, and I always enjoy them. I liked this one too. This was my mystery/thriller book for the month, and Hepworth did a good job making me question if Gabe was lying or not. Of course, there were some twists and turns, and I thought it all wrapped up nicely.
Heather Willette has a good life in Concord, Massachusetts–complete with a husband who runs his own business and a son to take up his mantle one day. But now that her marriage has fizzled out and Ross, her only child, is graduating from college and getting serious with his girlfriend, Heather wonders if that life is the one she really wants. Ready to seek out her own happiness and discover herself again, Heather decides to leave her husband and rent a cottage on Nantucket. And her plan is going perfectly–until Ross announces he’s moving to Nantucket to work at his girlfriend’s family’s construction business instead of going back home to work with his own father, like he’d promised. Worst of all for Heather, this means having to get along with her.
Kailee Essex is thrilled that Ross is willing to move to her hometown. She has big hopes for their happily ever after, especially now that her parents are finally showing interest in her career. She’s less thrilled, however, about his mother living nearby. Kailee has clashed with Heather since the day they met. But anything is possible in the summer sun and sea breezes of Nantucket–even reconciliation. And when change comes sooner than either Heather or Kailee expect, they must learn to overcome their differences to fight for the future they want.
This is the first book I’ve read on my “summer reading list,” and it was a good one to start with. I always enjoy Thayer’s books, and I love the Nantucket setting. Some parts were a little cheesy, and Kailee was a pretty unlikeable character. That being said, it’s an easy breezy summer reader.
American consultant Kat is staffed on a six-month project in London and has two very small, very reasonable ambitions before returning home: get promoted to partner and fall in love with a handsome English aristocrat. No problem, right?
But work is a grind, and the British men she meets are a far cry from her royal ideal. Then one morning, she sees a man on a double-decker bus and just knows that he’s her person. But when Kat finally musters the courage to board the bus and introduce herself, he turns out to be very different from the Prince Charming she expected.
Can Kat open herself up to a love that’s not like the movies, or is she too imprisoned by her rom-com expectations? And just as importantly, will she be able to see that success isn’t about landing a C-suite job, but rather living a life that’s aligned with her soul?
This book wasn’t on my radar, but someone shared it, and I thought it seemed right up my alley. I guess it was my “chick lit” book of the month, and I loved this cute love story. I also always love a book set in London, and this one had lots of cute England details and sayings. It was fun reading as Kat and “Prince Charming’s” relationship developed.
I looked back to last year, and I only read three books in June and then more in July…so we’ll see!
Have you read any great books so far this summer?
showmeandsweettea.com 