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Posted in Weekend Top 5

Hello Monday

Hello (Monday!)

How was your weekend? Ours was really good, but different…we were missing Hadley who’s been away at camp this past week.

We had a mix of fun, productivity, and downtime.

Did you see my Sunday post? It was all about summer movies!

I’m linking up with Sarah and Holly for…

…to recap my…

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.

I hope you have a great week!

Posted in Books and Shows, Seasonal

Summer Sundays #3

Hello and happy Sunday!

…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:

  • Under the Tuscan Sun
  • Pirates of the Caribbean
  • Honey, I Shrunk the Kids
  • Jaws
  • ET
  • The Sandlot
  • Stand By Me
  • Grease
  • The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
  • Cheaper by the Dozen 2

What are some of your favorite movies?!

Happy watching,

Posted in Amazon, Friday Favorites, Meals and Recipes, Travel

Friday Favorites {#211}

Hello and happy Friday!

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.

Weekly Recap:

I had a couple of posts this week:

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.

Thanks for reading,

Posted in Day in the Life, Let's look

Let’s Look

Hello!

Well, I had to double check the calendar…it is the second Wednesday of the month, so I’m linking up with Erika and Shay for Let’s Look.

So far this year we’ve looked at…

  • How we clean our closets in January
  • Little things we do every single day in February
  • What’s in our grocery cart in March
  • Our daily quiet time/prayer time in April
  • Our closet summer staples in May

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.

Posted in Meals and Recipes, Not Just a Mom

Share Our Lives: June 2024

Hello and happy Monday!

Did you catch my second Sunday post of summer? It was all about self-care.

Well, I don’t want to dwell on it, but how is it already the second Monday of June?!

As always, I’m co-hosting today’s link up with some of my favorite bloggers.

So far this year, we’ve discussed:

  • Introductions and jobs you’ve had in January
  • How me met our significant others in February
  • 5 items you can’t live without in March
  • Favorite make up and hair products in April
  • 5 favorite and least favorite foods in May

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.

Some favorites are Million Dollar Spaghetti and Chicken Noodle Bake.

3. Soup and Chili

Turkey rice soup 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.

I hope you have a great Monday.

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Posted in Seasonal, Self-care

Summer Sundays #2

Hello and happy Sunday!

Another Sunday, and another summer post.

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?

Posted in Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#210}

Hello and happy Friday!

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.

A few ideas include: smart garage control (Travis received this as a gift for Christmas, and we love it), Adidas sneakers, bird feeder with camera, grilling pans, Kanga cooler (one of Trav’s gifts last year), swim trunks and more.

Now, we need to get shopping for Trav. haha

Favorite Mom Meme:

I wish I didn’t relate to this meme…haha!

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

This 2016 memory stopped me in my track…They’ll be driving real cars so enough!

Share Our Lives:

Well, it’s already time for our Share Our Lives link up. This month’s topic is: foods to make for someone else.

Weekly Recap:

I had a few posts this week:

Well, this post was longer than I thought it would be for a “boring” week!!

I should have a Summer Sundays post this weekend too.

Thanks so much for reading, and I hope you have a great summer weekend!

Posted in This and That

Wednesday Hodgepodge 6.5.24

Hello!

My life kind of feels like a bit of a ‘hodgepode’ lately, so this post is timely. I’m linking up with Joyce for her weekly link up with responses to her “hodgepodge” of topics.

Here are my answers to this week’s questions:

1. It’s National Cheese Day (June 4)…Does anyone not like cheese? What’s your favorite? Last thing you ate or made with cheese?

I always joke that I’ve never met a cheese I don’t like!

For lunch, I often pack Babybel cheese or put pepper jack, turkey, lettuce and mustard on a wrap.

Every time I go to Trader Joe’s, I buy the Havarti Cheese with Dill. It’s one of my favorite things to add to my summer lunch plate.

The last thing I made with cheese was quesadillas for lunch yesterday using rotisserie chicken, shredded mozzarella and “Carb Savvy” tortillas from TJ.

2. Last time you were instructed to ‘say cheese!’? How does you feel about having your picture taken?

Well, for having a blog, it’s pretty ironic that I don’t love having my picture taken. Hadley doesn’t think twice…she will just stop and smile. Not that Travis loves having his picture taken, but he’s more like Hadley. I like to know that my hair and outfit are ok! haha

Hayden despises getting his photo taken. This picture after their 8th grade promotion ceremony was a miracle to get taken:

That being said, I like whatever my phone camera does for a selfie…apparently, “flipping the camera around” for a selfie provides my better angle…in my opinion.

3. What’s your travel packing strategy? Are you typically a light packer or do you throw in everything but the kitchen sink? When flying, do you check a bag or aim for carry on only?

I am definitely not a light packer. I think I mostly just want to feel at home wherever I am which means I pack “all the options.” I’ve gotten better through the years. Instead of a large suitcase, I can get by with my medium sized one. That being said, the other three in my family can pretty easily pack in a carry-on suitcase, so I know they wish I’d do the same. haha

I do swear by packing cubes. I’ve used these (we have lots of different colors) for years.

Three piece set // Five piece set

Not once, but twice last summer, I packed in a carry-on sized suitcase for a few days in Florida with Hadley and then a few days in California with Travis.

This was such a shock that I packed in a small suitcase, that I documented it in blog post.

My mom let me borrow these “compression” packing cubes last summer.

They did “smoosh” everything down a bit more.

4. What is it about people’s cell phone habits that you find most annoying?

I think we’re all “guilty” of being on our phones a bit too much. Of course, it’s annoying when people talk so loud that we all have to hear their conversation.

One habit I noticed with students is that if there are even a few seconds of “downtime” between instruction or waiting their turn to talk to me, they think they have to be on their phone. I struggle with this with one of my own kids…who just can’t seem to realize I expect eye contact when talking to me…even briefly. I think kids are learning bad habits…and don’t even get me started with phones in school.

5. What will be your summer mantra/slogan?

Make the most of it? I want to find time to do a little bit of everything. I want to be productive, but relax. I want to read, go to the pool, travel, catch up on sleep, watch TV, eat ice cream, go to the movies, and more.

June is definitely our busier month, and I’m trying not to let it stress me out. Summer, for me, is eight weeks, which I know is a blessing, but it used to be 9-10 weeks of summer…I feel like summer is shrinking and I know with the kids being busy that makes summer fly by as well. While I have had a bit of downtime over the past few days, it still feels like every day has a “to do” list.

Hopefully, I will find my “summer groove” soon.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

The Kansas City Royals have been fun to watch. I grew up watching the Royals as a kid, and there were many bad years of baseball. The 2014 and 2015 teams were so fun to watch, and I’m glad my kids have memories of some good baseball.

Of course, living in Kentucky we don’t get their games very often. The past few years haven’t been great, but my brother and I have split the MLB app subscription, so we can stream on our TVs whenever we want. This year, thanks to my TMobile account, I get the MLB app for free for one year. Anyway, it’s been nice to turn on the games and see them winning.

(Unless you were watching last night…ugh!)

Well, this was a fun mid-week post that included a little bit of everything…cheese, selfies, packing cubes, baseball, and more!

Posted in Health and Fitness

Workout Diaries: May 2024

Hello!

Summer is off to a solid start with a couple of mornings sleeping in, I started a new book, and I had some time at the pool yesterday. My school bag is still a mess, but at least the rest of life feels a little bit more back on track.

Well…another month, and another workout recap.

As expected, May (aka “Maycember”) was jam packed. I still had the goal of getting workouts in 15 days, and I fell a bit short of that.

Between track meets, volleyball tournaments, end of the year things, and more, I just did the best that I could.

Here’s my Bodi tracker for May:

Here are my workouts this month:

  • May 6: Piyo: Define Lower Body (Also – I was surprised that May 6 was my first workout of the month…but I guess there was a track meet on May 1 and then Oaks/ Derby weekend? I started the month slacking!)
  • May 7: Fire and Flow: Functional Flow 2
  • May 8: Job 1: Finish Stronger: Chest, Core, Legs
  • May 11: Sure Thing: Combination Strength (fave workout)
  • May 13: Job 1: 20 Minute Sweat Session
  • May 15: Fire and Flow: Upper Body Fire 2
  • May 17: Job 1: Finish Stronger: Arms, Shoulders, Legs
  • May 18: 21 Day Fix: Lower Fix
  • May 21: Fire and Flow: Cardio Fire 1
  • May 23: Fire and Flow: Upper Body Fire 1
  • May 24: Job 1: Finish Stronger: Arms, Shoulders, Legs
  • May 27: Sure Thing: Strength and Stability
  • May 31: Sure Thing: EMOM Strength (another fave!)

21 Day Fix and Sure Thing continue to be my favorite workouts if I have time for 3o minutes or more. They are both such good programs.

Now that it’s summer, I hope to click around the Bodi library a bit and maybe find a full program to try from start to finish. That being said, June is hectic getting into a routine and having a few days out of town. Maybe I will mix and match “new to me” workouts. July looks to be my most “regular” month, so that might be a better time to focus on a full out new program. That being said, I don’t want to think about July just yet! haha

I did take my measurements for a first time in a few months because I just know I’d been slipping a little. I hope to make some progress over the summer and get back on track.

Posted in Amazon

Prime Purchases

Hello and happy Monday!

Well, just like the first Friday of summer (for me) “hits” different, so does the first Monday of summer break!!

Did you catch my “Summer Sunday” post yesterday? I’m going to try to write a few of those kinds of posts over the next couple of months.

Well, we’re already into June, so with it being the first Monday of the month, Tanya is hosting the Prime Purchases link up.

Like always, I had a little bit of everything this month.

Here are my purchases this month:

While these are my “tried and true” under eye patches, when Jen shared this brand, I thought I’d give them a try.

…and I love them just a much. I put the jar in the fridge, and use two every morning. Like my morning cup of coffee, I look forward to the eye patches every morning too. I’m almost out, and I think I might try the pink “caffeine” ones next.

The kids (and Trav) got me a new Kindle for Mother’s Day. It’s bigger than my previous one, so I needed a new cover for it.

Last month, I needed a new mitt for my sunless tanner…

…this month I needed more sunless tanner! I love this stuff. Hadley has used it too before the cotillion dances. It’s so natural looking and gives you a subtle tan.

I can’t remember who shared it on Insta, but apparently, I’m at the age where if something has “retinol” in it, I will try it! This eye stick has now been added into my skincare routine! Not sure the long term results, but it’s easy to add it into my beauty routine.

Travis ordered these athletic shorts for Hayden, and they fit him perfectly.

Jen and Stephanie (@betterwithchardonnay) both shared this over-sized t-shirt, and I immediately added it to my cart. I sized up one to wear it with leggings, but my true size probably would have worked as well. It comes in so many colors!

Well, I already feel a bit accomplished this summer. I’ve created my “to do” list for the summer which is basically organizing the little spaces in my house that accumulate throughout the school year.

I ordered this organizer for my skincare stuff, and took the time to go through three different bins that I have in my bathroom. I put my most used products in this organizer, and then my secondary items in a bin under my sink. I was able to get rid of a larger organizer and a smaller one too. It felt good to “purge” some things that had been piling up.

So those are my purchases this month. What have you been “Priming” lately?

{This post contains Amazon Affiliate links. Thanks for supporting my blog.}