Well, I’m trying to stay positive, but this time next week I will officially have to be thinking about school since my meetings/professional development start on Monday, August 5th.
I will be soaking up my summer days until then.
As always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.
Here are some favorites from the past week.
Well, I’m taking it back all the way to last Friday when I spent most of the day at the pool. Unfortunately, this week has been pretty overcast with some rain, so I haven’t had any more pool time. Maybe I can go there for a couple of hours today?
I bought Emily Giffin’s new book, and I’m really enjoying it.
Hadley went to the lake last weekend with her friend which is always a good time.
Instead of buying flowers at Trader Joe’s this week, I cut a few off of our huge hydrangea bush, and they are so pretty.
The only thing that gets me somewhat excited about back to school is when I purchase my planner. This is the third or fourth year that I’m using the Happy Planner. After using the big version a few years ago, I’ve bought the smaller version ever since. That being said, the layout I prefer can apparently only be found in the set that comes with some stickers. I always find these at Michael’s, and they are always at least 30% off + I get a teacher discount!
The next step for me is to actually open the box and start writing in meeting dates and kids’ activities. Maybe I will get to that this weekend.
Last Saturday night I had the house to myself, and I watched I Am Celine Dion. Wow! It broke my heart. While what she’s going through isn’t a favorite, she’s always been a singer that I love.
OK! I have to get back on track next week. This week, I had too many sweets. While I was out running errands last weekend, I picked up this s’mores cupcake as my Saturday night dessert, and it was so good.
Then, on Sunday, we celebrated Trav’s mom’s birthday, and the cake from Costco was so delish!
Have you seen these pizza cookies at Aldi? Run, don’t walk! They are less than $4, and they are baked in less than five minutes. This is my second time picking one up at Aldi.
It’s even better with a scoop of ice cream!
Well, after eating all those sweets, I was happy to see this notification after one of my workouts this week. I’ve completed 300 workouts on Bodi since I started using their programs. I’ve been subscribing to Bodi for a couple of years.
This Walmart robe has been floating around the internet, and I’ve been tempted to order it. I have a heavier robe from Target that I pretty much wear year round, but I thought this one would be great to try in the warmer months.
It comes in so many colors, and is less than $15!
I purchased the robe and thisTime and Tru dress, and I’m keeping both. Clearly, I’m loving teal this summer.
I was at Dick’s Sporting Goods with Hadley this week, and saw these cute lunchboxes! Oh my…I had a purple Jansport backpack that got me through my high school years. These lunchboxes were a blast from the past.
Favorite Mom Meme(s):
Like I’ve previously shared this week, Hayden’s cross country conditioning has started, and he has to be at school at 6am. So…this one doesn’t apply to him, but Hadley’s sleeping in days are numbered.
Twice this week, she had to get up at 9:30, so I could take the kids to their workout, and you would have thought I asked her to get up at 6:30!!
Woof! Hayden’s bedroom is a danger zone!! I had hoped we’d tackle his room this summer, and it seems we’re running out of time. We need to prioritize his room and get something accomplished.
Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:
The summer of 2018 is when we realized Hayden was blind as a bat! Whoops.
I love memories that pop up with him in his glasses. I also love that he wanted the sports goggles. For a couple of years, the goggles were all that he wore.
I miss little Hayden so much.
Weekly Recap:
Here are my posts this week in case you missed one!
What are your weekend plans? It’s Hayden’s turn to head to the lake with some friends…and my girl has her FIRST high school volleyball tournament. I can’t wait to cheer her on!
I’ve missed a couple of months of musings, so I’m happy to be back with Patty and Holly for this month’s link up.
This month’s topic is “late summer fashion and fun.”
1. Summer travel – where have you been and what trips are still coming up?
We kicked off summer by going to KC to see family. We went to the Royals game, and they had a big comeback win which was fun to experience.
Then, had our big vacation to the PNW which was for sure a highlight of the summer.
We don’t have any trips planned as back to school time is approaching.
2. Favorite things you have done so far this summer?
Our vacation was definitely a favorite. It’s been nice to have some pool time too. I’ve been able to read more than ever which has been great.
I don’t feel like we’ve done much with friends (like impromptu get togethers) or done some of our traditions like making s’mores or going to the movies.
The kids have been able to hang with friends quite a bit, but they’ve also been very busy with their extra curricular activities, so it’s been a different kind of summer. Or…maybe this is the “new normal” of summer.
3. Share your go-to summer outfits this summer.
I honestly feel like lazy bum outfit-wise this summer. If I’m not in PJs, I’m at the pool or just dressed in my typical athleisure.
This “tent top” is one of my favorites. It’s lightweight, soft, and easy to throw on and go.
I also have this Amazon shirt in pink and gray, and I love it. (It’s currently on sale and has a 20% off coupon)
I have dressed up a few times….
And…just this week my Time and Tru dress from Walmart arrived. It’s lightweight, comes in a few colors, has pockets, and is less than $15! This dress also comes in plus sizes too.
Please forgive my messy hair, I was in the middle of my closet clean out (finally!), and remembered that I hadn’t tried the dress on yet.
4. Summer accessories you are never without?
I say the same thing every time there’s an accessories question, but I typically wear the same jewelry every day. This summer, I’ve been wearing this initial necklace, and I love it. I haven’t taken it off in over a month when I got it.
My necklace is rose gold, but it comes in gold and silver as well. Also, it’s actually two necklaces, but I only wear the initial one since I have another necklace I wear.
Sandals are my shoe of choice in the summer, and I have so many favorites.
6. Share anything spontaneous you did this summer. Big or small.
This question made me feel so lame! haha
It’s just been kind of nice to do whatever the kids want in the summer. Now, don’t get it twisted…they don’t necessarily want to hang with me all the time, but it’s nice going to get a Sonic cherry limeade after their workout or making a dessert of their choice after dinner.
I “spontaneously” added a couple of days to my second KC trip of the summer, but that’s because my dad needed a couple of extra days of help after his knee surgery.
7. Have you seen any summer movies this year?
And…I’m continuing to be lame…I haven’t seen any summer movies this summer. That being said, I’ve caught up on some of my favorite shows and watched other shows like America’s Sweethearts and Presumed Innocent.
I do want to see Twisters in the theater, and I’m hoping to get that accomplished before we go back to school.
8. Favorite summer sweet treat?
I’m still loving these frozen Kind bars. I get them at Target, but I also found them at Walmart last time I was there.
9. Summer slow down or ready for fall?
Again, I’m probably a broken record, but summer goes by too quickly. I wish our summer was Memorial Day to Labor Day like the “good old days!” haha
I definitely wish summer would slow down. Once it’s September though, I will be ready for cooler temps and fall!
10. Ready for back to school, if you have kids in school?
I’m not ready to go back to school…but I’m never ready. Then, once the school year starts, I’m fine. If we could just show up on the first day and start teaching, I think I’d dread it less. I just don’t look forward to professional development days and meetings when there’s just always so many other things we need to get done.
I have purchased my desk calendar and planner, and I always enjoy writing down dates and activities to start the school year as organized as possible.
That being said, I think the kids are feeling somewhat ready to start school. I know the transition to high school has them feeling a little nervous, but I’m glad they’re starting the school year already involved in sports, so being up at school has eased some of those nerves.
I’m excited to have them at school with me. It should be interesting!!
I love this link up about seasonal questions; I’m happy I was able to join this month.
Hello! How is your week going? We’ve had a couple of cloudy and rainy days which I guess we need, but I’ve been wanting to make the most of the time I have left for pool days. I have been able to be productive at home when not taking the kids where they need to go.
Anyway…
I’m happy to link up with Joyce for her fun Hodgepodge post.
Here are my answers to this week’s questions:
1. The Olympics kick off this coming weekend. Will you be watching? If you could watch just one event in person, which one would you choose?
We will be watching as much Olympic coverage as we can! Of course, after our trip to Eugene for the Olympic track trials, we will definitely be watching track!
That being said, there probably isn’t an event I won’t watch. I always love watching gymnastics, swimming, and beach volleyball.
It’s not the summer Olympics, but I was on maternity leave with the kids in the winter of 2010, and I remember loving watching all the coverage since I was mostly at home during that time. It was an added bonus to maternity leave for sure.
2. Have you ever been to Paris? Is this a city you’d like to visit? What’s your favorite ‘French thing’?
When I was sixteen, I went on a tour of Europe for high school band. We started in England and ended in Germany and visited a few other countries in between…including France (Paris). I do remember being in awe of the Eiffel Tower and enjoying Paris. Of course, I’d love to go back at some point.
I’d say my favorite “French thing” would be a baguette! I love bread! I also remember eating a lot of ham and cheese on baguettes while there, and this may explain why my love for a Jimmy John’s Slim 1 runs deep!
3. Macaron, creme brulee, chocolate soufle, mille feuille, or an eclair…your favorite French patisserie from the ones listed?
Hadley loves macaroons, and I do too! I even included this macaroon print (top right) when we redid her room this past winter.
If she sees a macaroon, she wants one…including when we went to Pike Place Market in Seattle.
4. July 24th is National Cousins Day…do you have many cousins? Are you close to them? Will you see any of your cousins on July 24th?
I have six cousins…and they are all on my dad’s side. My dad has three brothers, and they all had two kids. We grew up seeing each other quite a bit, but two of my cousins have always lived in Chicago, and they could come in town for some holidays and in the summer.
My dad has quite a few cousins, and I see them at holidays, and often refer to them as my cousins too…since that’s easier and we see them when we can.
My brother and I are the only kids on my mom’s side, so we always got all the attention 🙂
I’m very thankful that my kids have so many cousins who are they are pretty close with even with the age ranges.
My mother-in-law celebrated a big birthday this past weekend, so all the cousins were together which was fun to see.
Also, my kids get to see my brother’s kids all the time since they live nearby. It’s fun going to their games and seeing them when we can.
5. Last time you went somewhere that felt like ‘everyone and his cousin‘ was there?
I feel that way any time I go to the mall. haha
I don’t fly often, but I flew a few times this summer…and the airport definitely always felt congested and hectic!! (and delayed! haha)
6. Insert your own random thought here.
Woof. It’s only been two days of Hayden’s 6am cross country practices, and we are all on the struggle bus. Well, not Hadley; she can sleep through almost anything.
That being said, I’m not even the one waking up early to take him. So far, Travis has gotten Hayden up and taken him, gone to workout himself, and then brings Hayden home before going to work. That being said, neither of them are very quiet in the morning, so of course I hear both alarms and all their walking up and down the hall, filling up the water bottle, and more.
This summer, I’ve often wished my kids could drive. I know when that time really comes, I will be a nervous wreck, but truly, if they could drive within a five mile radius of my house, I think I’m ready for that.
Hello and happy Tuesday! I didn’t mean to skip blogging yesterday, but the weekend got away from me.
**I shared this post last summer, and I wanted to update it after our trip to the PNW , share recent DC info, and in a couple of states thanks to road trips)**
Since we are in the thick of summer, it got me thinking about travel. While we do go to a few places throughout the year, we tend to travel a bit more in the summer.
Growing up, we didn’t go on yearly vacations. We spent lots of time at the Lake of the Ozarks…and when we did go on vacations, they were usually farther away and for at least a week.
These days, it does feel like people travel more. Also, I guess since I live in Lexington, we can get to the beach in about nine hours. Anyway, I thought it would be fun to tally how many states I’ve visited.
I’ve also shared before that while we have some favorite places to visit, we do make an effort to take the kids somewhere new when we can.
When I’m counting states visited, it means I’ve stayed there or spent some time there.
Honestly, I feel like I’m “blanking” and maybe I’ve been to another state or two…but I guess the updated total is 26.
Alabama- We’ve pit stopped in Birmingham, AL the past two fall breaks on our way to Florida.
Arizona – We took the kids to Arizona/Grand Canyon in the summer of 2018. I blogged about that trip. I also went to Arizona on spring break in college one year.
California– I’ve been to California many times. The first time I ever went was in 1992…I think. My aunt and uncle had moved to Santa Ana, and we visited them. While we were there, we went to Disneyland too. We went back to California when I was in high school. By that time, my aunt and uncle (and cousins) had moved back to KC, but they went with us on a trip to northern California.
In 2008, Travis and I spent over a week in San Fransisco and Napa.
Travis and I went to San Diego in December of 2012…(maybe?) to watch our nephew run in a Foot Locker national cross country race. It was really neat to be there in December.
In 2018, after going to Arizona, we headed even further west to San Diego with the kids. That was their first (and only time so far) in California. We were there four days and drove to LA for a couple days before going home.
I’ve also been to Del Mar with Travis a couple of times when he’s gone there for work. It really is one of my favorite places.
Colorado – I’ve only been to Colorado one time, and it was during the summer when I was a kid. My grandparents spent the month of July there, so we went to visit them. While it’s not a short drive, I am still surprised we didn’t go there another time or two since just the state of Kansas separates KC and Colorado.
We would like to take the kids there one day…and I still think we’d go in the summer.
Florida – Florida is one of our favorite vacay destinations. We go to Siesta Key every few years and then we went to the Destin/30A area for fall break last year. (recap part 1 // recap part 2)
Georgia – I’ve been to Georgia only a couple of times…once to Atlanta to watch the Cats play…I think it was the Sweet 16 game in 2012.
Then, more recently, Travis and I went to Julep Farm in Dillard, GA.
Illinois – I have mostly only driven through Illinois, but we visited my Chicago family a couple of times when I was younger. I am surprised we haven’t gone more considering Chicago has lots to do and is only a five hour drive or so from Lex.
Indiana – While Indiana is close by, I think I’ve only been there (for an extended period of time) once. I think it was 2014 and on spring break, we took the kids there because Kentucky was playing in the Elite 8.
I remember Hadley shaking her bell (see photo below) at an opposing fan and yelling, “Go Cats!” 😆
We also went to the children’s museum and the Old Spaghetti Factory for dinner one night.
Kansas – Fun fact: Kansas City is in Missouri …not Kansas…I’m always surprised that people don’t often realize that. That being said, there is a Kansas City, KS, but I don’t think most people know that either. The big Kansas City is KCMO. I have quite a few family members who live in Kansas (and cheer for KU — we love them anyway) 😉
Kentucky – I can’t believe I’ve lived here for 19 years! I’ve grown to love the Bluegrass State.
Maine – One summer when I was in high school, we flew to Boston, and rented a car. We spent time in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. I do remember Maine being so pretty. We actually went on a whale watching tour…and I remember when my mom went to get that roll of film developed, the film place lost the photos. She was so bummed.
Maine is another place I’d like to get back to and take the kids.
Massachusetts – Same trip as with Maine. I’ve only really been to Boston. I do remember walking the Freedom Trail and visiting the Cheers bar.
Minnesota – In high school, my family went to Minnesota for a vacation. I remember my brother and I getting stuck in the middle of a lake on a paddle boat. haha
I also visited my friend, who lived in Minnesota at the time, after she had her first baby.
On both of those trips to Minnesota, I visited the Mall of America 🙂
Missouri – I obviously know my way around Missouri 🙂
Nevada – Travis and I went to Lake Tahoe for our 10th wedding anniversary. We waited to go over my fall break rather than in June. We stayed at the Ritz Carlton, and it was so nice. Truckee, CA was nearby and super cute. I’d really love to go back to Tahoe.
New Hampshire – We went to NH on the same Mass/Maine vacation.
New York– I’ve only been to New York once, and it was when I was twenty. I visited my friend who was staying there for the summer.
In 2020, we had our whole trip to New York planned for spring break with the kids, but then the world shut down…
North Carolina – We’ve been to Asheville many times, and recently we went to Highlands, NC when we went to Julep Farms.
Ohio– Living close to Cincinnati, we’ve been there quite a few times. We’ve gone to Reds games, shopped at Ikea, gone to Kings Island, been to a Chris Stapleton concert at Riverbend and more.
Oregon- For the first half of our PNW vacation, we spent two nights in Portland, then we went to Eugene for the Olympic Track Trials, and then finished our time in Oregon with two days on the Oregon coast in a cute cottage steps from the water.
South Carolina – We’ve gone to the Charleston area (Usually Folly Beach or Isle of Palms) quite a few times for vacation through the years.
For spring break this year, we visited Greenville, SC. It was a lovely town.
South Dakota – Thanks to a high school boyfriend, I visited Sioux Falls, SD in high school with his family.
Tennessee – We’ve been to a few cities in Tennessee through the years. Travis and I visited Chattanooga on the way home from the Atlanta/UK basketball trip we took.
We took the kids to Knoxville for spring break their kindergarten year. UK was playing Tennessee, and we spent a couple of days exploring the city.
Then, we’ve been to Nashville quite a few times. We have friends who live there, and we also took that kids for spring break 2021 when we stayed at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel.
Virginia – After my mom retired from teaching, she took my brother and me to the DC area including Virginia…and Thomas Jefferson’s home, Monticello.
(I wanted to go to the beach…my mom and brother out-voted me and we ended up in DC haha)
Washington – We stayed in Olympic National Park at Lake Quinault Lodge for one night. Then, we spent one day and night in Seattle to finish up our PNW trip.
Washington, DC:As I mentioned in the Virginia section, I went to Virginia/DC with my mom and brother in 2004. We took the kids to DC for spring break this year (2024), and saw so much! We really enjoyed our time in Virginia, DC, and Georgetown.
West Virginia: We drove through West Virginia on our way to DC for spring break. The capitol building was so pretty.
Other thoughts…
I can’t believe I’ve never been to Texas, Oklahoma, or Arkansas. Just being from Kansas City, those states aren’t too far away.
Close to Kentucky – West Virginia, Louisiana, Alabama, Michigan and others that I bet I’ll get to some day.
One of my neighbors was talking about their upcoming trip to Maine, and I’d love to go there again and take the kids.
This was a fun post to write. Honestly, it was one that I thought I’d just sit down and write quickly, but took quite a while! I wrote this over a few days, but I loved looking back at all the places I’ve been.
I hope you’ve been having a great weekend. I think I’m getting a little peek at our future because this weekend has mostly just been Travis and me. Hayden will be home from running camp today, and Hadley has had volleyball late every night last week (including Friday), and then yesterday she went to the lake with a friend. So, we’ll all be reunited today, and I can’t wait for that.
My apologies that I feel like a theme of this summer has been me realizing how big my kids are getting. In turn, that has made me a little reminiscent on the summer days gone by which goes with today’s blog topic.
Oh…I remember the days of trying to keep my kids busy during the day. Of course, nap time helped pass some time when they were little, but we’d always have a mix of downtime and activities to pass the time until Travis got home from work!
I’ve had Pinterest for over ten years, and I have a ton of boards, a few of which still apply to the younger years with the kids. Like many of my Pinterest ideas, I’ve only saved the ideas and not done anything with them. Here are a few cute crafts I’ve saved through the years.
1. Egg Carton Flowers
So, this is probably the last craft Hadley has ever made, but she made these flowers during the 2020 Covid months when we were at home.
**ok –so I was just going to share those five ideas, and then Pinterest was spamming me with more ideas including…tacos and ice cream cones…so of course I had to share those ideas too.
Fun fact: I sponge painted the walls of my bedroom in high school. That technique was all the rage.
This ice cream cone craft is too cute.
Idea from Happy Toddler Playtime
**My apologies for how many times I used the word “cute” in this post. I tried to restrain myself!
How crazy would my high school students think I am if I incorporate a craft or two into my lesson plans?!
While I’m thinking my “target audience” for this blog is readers who have kids my kids’ ages or older, who knows…maybe one of these will be a fun summer craft for a mom or grandma who needs an idea.
These Fridays in July really are hitting differently! I’m starting to feel the time crunch of getting some things accomplished at home as well as starting to think about school. I’m always grateful for this time off, but I also always struggle with the reality of our summer coming to a close.
Anyway, as always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.
Here are some favorites from the week:
Well, it’s the part of summer where I follow through with promises I said we could do this summer…and that included Hadley getting her second ear piercing. There’s a new place in Lexingon, Hey Rowan, that I believe is a chain, but registered nurses do their ear piercings. Just like when Hadley was eight years old, she opted to have both ears done at the same time. haha!
The place was super cute, and we were in and out within 30 minutes.
I haven’t purchased as many flowers this summer, but once I got back from KC last week, I made a trip to Trader Joe’s and picked up some tulips. They matched my “vanilla cloud” candle.
Last Saturday, Hadley and friends played in a sand volleyball tournament. This was her first time playing in a sand volleyball tournament. It was a doubles tournament, and Hadley and her friend went 3-2 on the day and had lots of fun.
The tournament had free t-shirts, and these girls chose the brightest colors.
Saturday night, we met friends for dinner at a new Sri Lankan place, and the food was really good.
After three days of volleyball boot camp and one evening of tryouts, this girl found out she made the high school volleyball team!
She was so nervous, but we’re proud of her and all the hard work she has put in during this past year. She’s pretty much been playing volleyball non-stop for the past year, so while I knew she was prepared for the tryout, I understood the nerves.
We can’t wait to watch her (and so many of her friends!) on the court for their first high school season.
(She was channeling her inner champion for tryouts while wearing her “lucky” Chiefs Super Bowl t-shirt, and we celebrated with the “red plate” and her favorite –salmon for dinner.)
Time at our favorite book store was a favorite this week.
Hayden’s been at running camp most of the week, and I think he’s been having a good time. I’m ready for him to be home, though!
(BTW – as we walked into the sparse college dorm room, he said, “oh…this is so preppy!” haha…oh the difference in boys and girls)
I tried two new recipes this week. A friend mentioned that she’d made ribs in the slow cooker, and my family loves ribs…but I never make them.
I also made this teriyaki chicken, and served it with snap peas and rice. Hadley said it was 10/11…so I will take that compliment!
Favorite Mom Meme:
I feel this deeply…but the other day I had a car full of girls who wanted frozen yogurt…and while I was ready to go home, I couldn’t say no to fro-yo, and enjoyed hearing all the gossip and laughs from the back of the car.
Weekly Recap:
I’ve still been a busy blogger this week. Here are my posts:
Well, I’ve enjoyed my little “Throwback Thursday” series this summer but…these posts have also made me feel a bit nostalgic…and even a little sad thinking about all the sweet memories from when my kids were little!
Earlier this week, we had to be out of the house for a couple of hours. The kids had a workout and afterwards, we went to Taco Bell for lunch, and then Hayden requested that we go to Joseph Beth Bookstore. Now, he’s always been more of a reader than Hadley has, but even this visit, he was on the lookout for the Kentucky Football magazine…not a book.
That’s ok…I was still grateful for time in one of my favorite places, and Hadley even picked up a book too.
When I went to round up the kids to leave, I spotted my boy…and it made me smile.
This is Hayden at the same book store in 2011:
Then, I got to thinking about how summer reading was such a big part of their childhood. We spent so much time at the library, especially when they were little. We’d go to “story time” a couple days as week, and then I’d let them play for a bit and check out books. They always thought it was fun to return the books in the return slot…and as they got older, they thought it was so cool to use the scanner to check the books out.
Every year, we’d go and pick up the “Summer Reading Program” paper to keep track of the books we’d read. Eventually, they’d read on their own….what a rite of passage. Then, at the end of the summer, they’d turn their sheets in and pick out their free books and other prizes.
I remember doing this as a kid with my mom, and even though my kids don’t read as much as they used to, I hope they remember all of our time going to the library.
During the elementary years, the kids had an amazing librarian at their school, and they’d check so many books out at the school library too. Of course, they lived for the book fair every year.
I know it’s natural, as they get older, to maybe not read for fun as much given their schoolwork, their schedule, technology (ugh!), and just having other interests. As much as I’ve always loved reading, there were stretches of time that all I read was for school. It’s been about seven years now that I’ve gotten back into reading really regularly. I hope they continue to find opportunities to read. Both of my parents are big readers, and I try to model that for my kids too.
Anyway, here’s a look at library time/summer reading through the years:
2012:
I’d say the summer of 2012 is when we started going to the library regularly. The kids would have been 2 1/2, so that’s a great age to take them.
We’d visited my mom in KC, and she was doing story time at the public library she worked at after she retired. (She was a 7th grade Language Arts teacher for over 30 years…and then worked (and retired from!) at the public library a couple days a week for maybe ten years?
The kids were on their best behavior. haha
Here the kids are at our library…
I loved that they could go and explore, play games, and check out books once or twice a week.
At the end of the summer, they earned their summer reading t-shirts.
2013:
Lots of time spent at story time, and Hayden finding any books he could about trucks.
Arts and crafts at the library… always is a good time!
2014:
Y’all, I distinctly remember the first time the kids sat down at these computers, and had no clue how to use a mouse! They’d never been on a computer before, obviously. It was so awkward until they figured it out.
Hadley loved the little reading nook, and I’d often find her there.
Hayden started wanting to read The Magic Treehouse series, and most nights we’d read them to him at bedtime. Hadley always loved books about animals, including the Critter Sitter Club books. I don’t think she’s actually reading in this pic. haha
2015:
Kindergarten time, so of course they loved Pete the Cat.
Hadley was starting to outgrow the library reading nook, but I would still often find her there.
2016:
This summer, they were more “independent” in the library whenever we would visit.
…Hadley found a buddy to read books to…
2017:
I took this pic at the end of the summer. We’d gone to pick up school supplies and get back to school hair cuts. We also stopped by the library for them to pick out their books that they earned from their summer reading.
Of course, Hadley loved Pinkalicious, and Hayden was very into the “Where is” and “Who is” books. He was (and still can be) very inquisitive.
2018:
Awe…they were getting so big…but we still went to the library often.
2019:
Throughout the elementary years, they always enjoyed reading at bedtime. Hayden was reading a story from an old textbook the teacher had sent home.
Of course, even in 5th grade, they read a lot as well…but that was the year they were mostly learning from home.
It’s no secret that one of my favorite hobbies is reading.
I hope my kids keep books as a part of their lives whenever they get the chance!
This was a fun stroll down memory lane, but I can’t believe how quickly these summers are flying by.
Wow…I really wish this week would slow down a bit. I can’t believe it’s already Wednesday.
It’s been a while since I’ve shared an Enneagram post, but I saw these graphics by @mirabellecreations, earlier in the summer and thought they’d be fun to share since summer seems to be a heavy season of travel for many people.
Also, after sharing the posts about our vacation, it was fun to look at these again as an Enneagram 5w6 and reflect on how I travel.
Type 5 Travel:
Wants to learn as much as possible about their destination: This is definitely true for me. I don’t know if it’s the teacher in me or what, but of course, I want to learn a bit about where we are going. I loved our trip to Washington, DC and it was fun prioritizing what we could see while we were there. Also, if I go somewhere I’ve previously been, I like to try new things as well. I like the familiarity of places, but it’s also neat to try to restaurants or see other attractions.
Curious and perceptive, enjoys exploring new places: I do like to go somewhere new when we can. We’ve been pretty intentional about taking our kids to a variety of places, but it is nice to repeat locations as well. Like I’ve shared in other travel posts, we kind of have a “rhythm” to our travel in that we repeat locations like Siesta Key and the Destin area of Florida, and we usually go to more nearby locations for spring break. That being said, the kids have seen the Grand Canyon, been to Mexico and California, hiked in North Carolina, been on a tour of downtown Charleston, SC, gone to Smithsonian museums in DC and more. Of course, our recent vacation showcased new areas for all of us. And…to add on to “exploring new places,” it was nice that we were in the car so much for our PNW trip as we were able to pull over on our road trips to some of the scenic viewpoints or stop in little towns we might not have seen otherwise.
This pic is a prime example of pulling over on the side of the road to check out the stunning views of the Oregon coast.
Enjoys having their own space and alone time on group or family trips: Well, you know no matter where I am I will carve out some quiet alone time in the morning. On our recent vacation, depending on where we were, that looked different, but I sat in a hotel lobby, in a chair with a lake view, on the sand looking at the ocean and other places too. It’s nice to take in whatever it is we are experiencing but also keep the routine of my quiet time before the day gets away from me.
Type 6 Travel:
The absolute best at planning vacations: Well, I am a “type A” planner, so you would think that I love planning vacations, but I don’t. I’ve always said that I feel like I plan most of our days, meals, activities, schedules, etc. in the “real life” days, so I want a break from that on vacation. I feel the same way about going to the grocery store and cooking on vacay too! Thankfully, Travis has always done a great job making plans. That being said, I’m sure there are times he’d appreciate more input from me, but he also knows I’m better with choices…so he will ask if I’d rather do “x” or “y,” and I can usually give a response. haha On the PNW vacation, was nice to have the “bones” of the trip laid out with what towns we were staying in, but it was fun to kind of plan each day accordingly depending on our energy level, time frame, and weather. I planned our Seattle day, so at least I was a little bit of help 🙂
May sometimes feel anxious about new places and travel unknowns: I don’t know if this one exactly applies to me either…Oh…I definitely feel anxious…but it’s not really about travel unknowns. I will say that sometimes after I make a decision, I second guess myself…which then can bring anxiety about the unknowns. For example, when we went to Mexico two years ago, we narrowed down to two resorts, and I made the final call…and then wondered if it was the correct one. In the end, it was the best choice! Also, I can feel anxious leading up to leaving…there’s just always so much to do from laundry to errands to packing to picking up the house to cleaning out the fridge to making sure Homer is taken care of and more. Once we’re in the car or on the plane, I feel better.
At home in new places where they feel safe and secure: This is definitely true. On our PNW trip, once we were settled in each place, I almost didn’t want to leave. Of course, most vacations we don’t move around as much, but it was nice to feel “at home” in the various places from Air BNB to hotels to a lodge to a beach house.
The “5” criteria seems to hit home a bit more for me than the “6” criteria, but I guess that makes sense.
What are your travel plans this summer? Can you relate to any of these ideas?
Today is the last Amazon Prime Day. Have you made any good purchases? I don’t usually have any major purchases on Prime Days, but I do try to snag a few items that I typically use or smaller items I’ve had my eye on.
Yesterday, I purchased:
This desk calendar for school. I always buy one a few weeks before school starts, so I can go ahead and write down the kids’ activities and school related things like meetings.
Hadley really wanted these PJs, and I almost bought them on Monday night, but Amazon said they’d be on sale, so I waited, and did get a few bucks off (-25%) by waiting for Prime Day.
I desperately need a new makeup bag, and I’ve had this one saved for quite a while. I went ahead and purchased it yesterday. It comes in a lot of colors.
I’ve been loving this retinol eye stick, and while $24 isn’t bad the first time I bought it, I really appreciate the $14 Prime Day deal.
This “snackle box” is all the rage right now, and it’s currently sitting in my cart. I think I might go ahead and buy it today. I’ve had my eye on it all summer.
Anyway, I will probably share a few more things today on Instagram. I know this time of the year, I feel like all I see are “deals” and I do try to find the balance of what I actually need vs. what I think I want. haha
Have a great summer day!
{This post contains Amazon Affiliate links. Thanks for supporting my blog.}
…for the fifth and final post about our vacation to the Pacific Northwest.
Let’s wrap up this trip, shall we?
After driving from Lake Quinault Lodge, we arrived in Seattle around 12:30. We booked our hotel on the drive to Seattle. Can you tell we were over planning trip details at this point? haha
Really, we knew it would be easy to get a hotel, so we just pushed that final decision to the end. The bad news is that $400/night is about the cheapest you can find in downtown Seattle. We did end up at Hyatt Place for a bit less than that, and we were very pleased with the hotel and the location.
We figured we were too early to check in, but Travis went to the front desk, and they gave us access to park in their garage. Then, we got our bearings, but literally, when we looked up from the hotel, we could see the Space Needle, so that was an easy attraction to locate.
Travis had told me I was in charge of this part of the trip, and that was easy enough…I wanted to go to Pike Place Market and figured the Space Needle was a tourist spot we should see (and we’d get a great view of Seattle).
Also, I read Andrea’s blog daily, and she’s been recapping their time in Washington. They started their trip in Seattle and highlighted a few things like Pike Place Market.
We were about a mile from Pike Place, so we started our walk there.
It was a beautiful day in the low 80’s, and the walk was about 20 minutes.
We’d arrived…and I was so excited!
We were hungry!…but we spent about 20 minutes getting the lay of the land.
Trader Joe’s needs to take note on the beautiful peonies.
It was so fun to see the market with fresh flowers and fresh produce. If we were staying longer, we would have purchased flowers and fruit.
We did end up at the fish market where they famously throw the fish to each other. That was a popular spot, but we enjoyed standing there for a few minutes.
After that, we split up, and Travis and Hayden went to find something to eat as did Hadley and I. It was around 1:30, and before we parted ways, I booked the Space Needle tickets for 3:30. We’d said we’d meet back up around 2:30 after we got our food.
I’d missed it on the first pass by, but I spotted the original Starbucks. The line was out the door. It sounds silly, but if we were there one more day, I would have come back and stood in the line for coffee and maybe a coffee cup souvenir.
Hadley spotted a French bistro…and she loves a macaroon, so we stopped in there to pick up a few for dessert.
I’d spotted Beecher‘s Handmade Cheese, and I’d remembered that Andrea shared about it too. Mac and cheese is one of my favorite foods ever, and I was hungry. Hadley wanted the tomato soup, and then we also split a grilled cheese sandwich. They had a counter where you could stand to eat, but we also were able to watch the workers making the cheese. It was really cool to see.
We walked around a bit more, and I’d texted Travis to see where they were. He said they were at a pizza place by the gum wall…and I’d remembered Andrea sharing about that too. Anyway, we made our way to the restaurant and sat with them while they finished their pizza.
The gum wall is equal parts mesmerizing and gross…
…but of course we had to get a pic!
Then, we made our way out of the market, but the kids obliged me in taking one more pic for the memories. I truly could have hung out there quite a bit longer, but we needed to make our way to the Space Needle.
We arrived at the Space Needle, and I pulled up the tickets on my phone. Well, I apparently purchased tickets for an observation deck somewhere else? I’m guessing it was an observation deck with view of the Space Needle?? I’m not sure, and do you see why I shouldn’t be in charge of the itinerary?! haha
The look on my face must have shown my panic because the very nice lady gave me four tickets, but we’d have to come back at 5:30. I was so appreciative, and actually, it was probably a good call because we walked five minutes back to the hotel, and had about an hour to cool off, relax, and regroup.
As we entered the hotel, they were handing out champagne…see, it did work in our favor to come back to the hotel for a bit…haha
At the hotel, we checked in and got our bags from the car. Then, after about an hour, we went back to the Space Needle around 5:15 and got in line.
The line is outside and reminds me of getting on a ride….and then once you get inside, you still weave around until it’s time to get on the elevator to the top. While in line, there is a spot where they take your pic and give you a QR code to access the photos at the top.
We were probably in line about twenty minutes before getting in the elevator to go on up. I don’t love heights, so I was a little nervous that I’d be anxious, but once we stepped out of the elevator (which only took about 40 seconds, I think?), this was the view. It was so pretty…and I had no worries at all.
Mt. Rainier was easy to spot!
We walked around the top in order to see 360 degrees of views.
The Puget Sound was so pretty as well.
We even spotted our hotel.
We snapped a few pics…
…and then we went down one level to the revolving glass floor. I don’t think we took pics correctly…haha
How many times can you say you hit 10,000 steps at over 600 feet in the air?
We were probably at the top for about 45 minutes, and then rode the elevator down. As you exit the elevator, there’s a Space Needle made out of Legos!
While we were at the top of the Space Needle, we visited the kiosk to choose our picture backgrounds. Hadley had quite a few she liked, so I received four emails with four different background pics.
These two were my fave:
Then, we walked back to the hotel to take settle in for the evening. The track trials were on TV, so that was a great way to spend our evening. We were tired. The kids relaxed, and Travis and I said we’d go find dinner. He’d already spotted a few places near the hotel.
A funny thing happened though when we walked around the block…We’d paused at a restaurant to read the menu that was on the window, and the door burst open, and someone shouted “Jennifer!” Hardly anyone calls me Jennifer, and I was startled at first…but it was one of my co-workers! What are the odds that we were both in Seattle at the same time?! He’d just arrived in Seattle with his family that day and were headed to the Space Needle after dinner. Small world!
Even with the walk around the block, we settled on the pizza place right across the street from our hotel. Even though Travis and Hayden had pizza for lunch, they were fine with having it again for dinner. I got a salad as well. While the pizza baked, Travis and I got a beer and chatted.
We ate our pizza in our room, took turns showering, and then watched the track and gymnastic trials on TV.
We were all truly exhausted, and had no trouble falling asleep by 10:00. This hotel room also had a pull out couch, so it was nice to let the kids each have a bed to sleep in.
The next morning, we were up early and at the hotel breakfast by 7:00 when it opened. Our flight was at 10:30, and thankfully everything was on time. I was really impressed with Alaskan Airlines. We had a direct flight to Cincinnati and no delays! We got home to Homer around 7:00, and it was so nice to shower and sleep in our own beds.
The following night, we were all still awake at midnight, and it dawned on me that we were gone just long enough to adjust to Pacific time zone.
If you don’t read Andrea’s blog, you should check out her trip recap. She has lots of posts about Seattle and Olympia and all that they did.
Trip Recap:
Here are the posts about the other parts of our trip in case you missed one:
Thanks for following along on our journey. We saw so much and covered a lot of ground; some of the best memories were logged in the car and at various pit stops along the way.
I’d like to think we’ll be out that way again some day, but no matter what, I’m really thankful for Travis for planning it all, and I’m grateful for this time with my fam visiting new places.
Shew! I feel like the weekend flew by. Did you catch my Sunday post all about s’mores? S’mores in the summer are a favorite, for sure.
Today, I’m picking up where I left off on our vacation to the Pacific Northwest, and sharing about our time at Lake Quinault Lodge in Olympic National Park.
After driving a couple of hours from Rockaway Beach, Oregon, we arrived at Lake Quinault Lodge.
We did arrive about an hour before we could check in…
…so we explored the property a bit.
Big Foot!
The weather was partly cloudy and windy, but the views were still very pretty.
We sat in the lawn chairs for a bit, and then Hayden and Travis left for Hayden to get his run in. At least he was able to run in a national park…that’s pretty cool.
Hadley and I sat inside for a bit, and I enjoyed a drink.
Then, our room was ready. I spotted some pretty hydrangeas on our walk to our room.
Our room was in the Boathouse near the lake.
After we got settled in our room, we got back in the car and drove around a bit. One of the stops was at the “World’s Largest Spruce.” It was probably a half mile hike to see it…
…and it was quite the sight…
We got back in the car and drove to a hiking spot in the rain forest which was really neat.
We hiked for about an hour…
There were pretty views everywhere.
Then, we headed back to the lodge. Right across from the lodge was a general store, so Hadley and I walked over there for some snacks.
I got ready for dinner, and went and sat outside to read for a bit.
Then, we headed to dinner at the restaurant at the lodge.
The kids let me snap a pic…
Dinner was delish. We had pretty views of the lake. Hayden got a burger, Travis and I ordered salmon, and Hadley had clam chowder.
The sun was setting as we left the restaurant.
Family selfie!
The kids went over to the general store to get some ice cream for dessert. Then, they found the only TV on the property to try to watch some of the Olympic trials, and I enjoyed a glass of wine.
So–one thing about this lodge (that we didn’t know until we arrived…) was that WiFi is VERY limited. Each device can log on for 30 minutes of free WiFi per day. You could buy a data package for less than $20, but if you are by the lake, even it wouldn’t work. So, when we used our 30 minutes, we had to be in the lodge and not in our room. Point being, we survived! Obviously, it was a nice break from technology, but Travis and I both agreed it would have been nice to be able to send a text message!
After dinner, we sat out on the patio and played cards.
In the lobby, there were puzzles and games, but I’d brought a couple of games with us like Uno and Monopoly Deal. We sat outside and played for a couple of hours before bedtime.
We did pause our game at one point because Hadley and I wanted to go down to the lake to check out the sunset views.
She loves a sunset as much as I do!
We played a few more hands of Uno, and then walked to our room around 10:00. It was crazy to me that it still wasn’t fully dark outside yet.
This was the nighttime view from our room:
Honestly, I didn’t have a great night’s sleep, so I was up pretty early.
Friday morning, after I got up, I walked up to the lodge with my cup of coffee.
I sat outside and used my 30 minutes of WiFi, drank my coffee, and read for a bit while the Hadley slept. Travis and Hayden left for Hayden to get his daily run in before we left.
We woke Hadley up around 9:00 when Hayden got back from his run, and they walked over to the general store to pick up a few things for breakfast like donuts and juice. We packed up and left the lodge around 10:00 to head to Seattle.
For the second time on our trip, I gave up my front seat for the “Passenger Princess.” haha
It took a little over two hours to get to Seattle. We stopped for a snack and a drink on the way. We arrived at our hotel, Hyatt Place, around 1:00. As soon as we stepped out of the car, we could see the Space Needle. Our room wasn’t ready yet, but we could park in the hotel garage. Once we did that, we walked to Pike Place Market.
*view of Space Needle when we went at our scheduled time…not the view of the SN from our hotel 🙂
I will share part 5 (the last part! about our time in Seattle) later this week.
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