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Posted in Not Just a Mom

Share Our Lives: May 2026

Hello and happy Monday!

The countdown is on…after today, only two more Mondays to go until summer break!

It’s already the second Monday of the month, so I’m co-hosting the Share Our Lives link up with some of my favorite bloggers.

So far this year we’ve discussed…

  • Ways to stay warm in winter in January
  • Binge worthy shows in February
  • Grocery list frequent buys in March
  • Favorite cleaning products in April

This month’s topic is…go to lunches on the go.

Well, my first thought was to share my school lunches. Those lunches aren’t necessarily “on the go,” but my lunch time is brief. ha!

Honestly, this topic isn’t ideal this time of the year because I’m over, with a capital O, packing lunches.

First of all, whenever possible, I try to pack dinner leftovers at least once a week. Soups, casserole, chicken, tacos, etc are all good options.

If I meal prep anything, it’s usually just one meal a week like taco meat for taco salad to take a couple of days.

Also, most months of the school year, we have food trucks that come about once a week, and I definitely treat myself to lunch if I like the menu.

Sometimes, I pack my own little Lunchable in these containers that I’ve had for a couple of years.

The possibilities are endless 😉

I love a bagged salad, and will usually add chicken to it and get two lunches out of that. Whenever I have a salad, sometimes I pack a couple of turkey sandwiches using Hawaiian rolls. I will also have fruit or chips as well.

One of my “go to” lunches this year has been to use a Caesar bagged salad and chicken to make sandwich wraps. I will leave the salad and pack of chicken in my school fridge and bring a few tortillas to use. I can usually get three wraps over three days out of this combo.

By Friday, I’m usually throwing one of these in my lunch bag along with a Cutie, carrots and Ranch, and a little pudding cup.

I’m still loving the insulated lunch tote I bought a couple of years ago. Just last week, I made a mental note to purchase a new one for next year. This one has held up great, but I’ve spilled a few things, so now there are stains on it. I don’t leave home every morning with out my lunch tote or my tumbler!

Now, if we’re talking about lunches on the go when we’re out and about, well, we grab lunch on the go too often. We’ll get Jimmy John’s (I love a slim 1), Chick-fil-a (I usually get grilled nuggets and BBQ sauce), or Chipolte (I often get the kids quesadilla with black beans and rice)

What are your quick “on the go” lunches?

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Posted in Friday Favorites, Kids

Friday Favorites {#299}

Hello and happy Friday!

How was your week? Ours was good, but it sure felt long! Also, where are the springlike temps? We’ve been lucky to hit 60 degrees this week!

As always, I’m linking up with Andrea for this week’s Friday Favorites.

Here are some favorites from the week…

Teacher Appreciation Week is a fave for sure. Every day this week, we’ve received some kind of treat at school…from bagels to coffee to cookies and more.

On Wednesday, I hit the jackpot! So many of my students gave me gifts and notes.

I truly felt the love. And, I don’t need gifts, but of course, that’s so thoughtful of students to think of me and purchase a few things. I really appreciated the notes too. One of the notes was written with the help of Gemini (AI) which actually did make me LOL.

Spring time me thanked fall me because I pulled out this lavender vanilla Antique Candle Co candle to burn. I’d purchased it on sale last fall. I love the spring time scent.

Derby was extra exciting! Golden Tempo, trained by a female trainer, won which was a first for the Derby. It was a thrilling race with Golden Tempo coming from waayyy behind to win!

The Major was in town last weekend. He was able to see Hayden pitch at his game, and he also saw two of my nephew’s games. Of course, we had to take the traditional porch pic…

On Sunday, Hadley baked a cake to celebrate the Major’s birthday a bit early. He doesn’t like the jinx birthdays before they happen (I’m the same way!), so we didn’t sing happy birthday. haha

Her Advanced Foods class is really paying off for all of us.

I went to one of my nephew’s games, and I couldn’t resist a couple of scoops of my favorite ice cream…mint chocolate chip!

Hayden was the starting pitcher in his game the other night! So far this season, he’s been a relief pitcher, so this was a first.

He pitched three innings, and the score was 3-3 at the end of the third. His team ended up winning, so that made the outing extra special.

I shared my May book trackers on Instagram last weekend. As always, I save them in a highlight. Feel free to use them to share what you’re reading. Tag me, and I’ll repost. I always love seeing what others are reading. I need to get my reading act together!

Favorite Mom Meme:

Truly, I would be less crazy if my kids would just do what they need to do when they need to do it!

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

How about this gem from 2010! My first Mother’s Day. Woah…what a memory!

Weekly Recap:

This week I had a couple of posts:

Share Our Lives:

It’s hard to believe, but Monday is the second Monday of the month. I’ll be co-hosting the Share Our Lives link up, and this month’s topic is…go to lunches on the go.

Mother’s Day:

I share this every year, but I truly do mean it…

I hope you have a lovely spring weekend! We have baseball and volleyball on tap! I wouldn’t have it any other way. These years are flying by!

Posted in Currently

Currently

Hello and happy Wednesday! How is the month of May treating you? As a teacher and as a mom with two busy kids, I feel like I’m barely hanging on! Summer is in sight though, so I will cling to that good news.

It’s the first Wednesday of the month, so I’m linking up with Amy for Currently.

The Currently topics this month are…digging, weeding, enjoying, eating/drinking and shopping for.

I’m currently digging…up bushes in our front yard. Actually, I did zero digging…but Trav and Hayden did.

Travis used ChatGPT for his vision for this area out front. Step one was getting rid of some of the overgrown and dead bushes.

Amy also suggested that digging can be interpreted as something we’re loving, and I’m loving my new mini travel sound machine. I’ve had this saved on an Amazon list for quite a while, and I finally ordered it recently. We have a sound machine, but I wanted one that could be on my side of the bed and one that’s easier to pack for travel. This little guy is legit, and you can’t beat the price.

I’m currently weeding through/out my filing cabinet. All my English 1 files are in one drawer, and I want to keep it that way. I have so many extra copies that I’m going through the folders to recycle a few of the papers to help make everything fit. To be honest, most of what I save in folders probably doesn’t need to be saved because I keep master copies in binders for each unit. Also, of course, most things I can print again if needed. I guess old habits just die hard, but at least I’m trying to purge a little.

I’m currently enjoying some of the teacher appreciation “perks.” We’ve been served bagels and coffee the past couple of mornings. Also, one of my teacher friends went to Joella’s Hot Chicken to pick up our lunch on Monday; teachers got a chicken tender meal for free! It’s the little things.

That being said…

I’m also enjoying this set from Amazon. I’ve shared it before, but since I’ve been wearing it more and more, and I want to order it in another color, I thought I’d share again. It’s perfect to wear as separates or together, and I get compliments every time I wear it. I wanted to wear something comfy on Monday, and this fit the bill.

I’m also enjoying getting some steps in every day. I’ve been very intentional with going for walks nearly every day this past month. The fresh air has been just what I needed.

I’m currently eating/drinking…

I’m still in my iced coffee era. Right now, hot coffee doesn’t even sound good to me. A fun glass makes iced coffee taste even better 😉

As far as eating…I’m not eating too many sweets, but I couldn’t resist a couple scoops of mint chocolate chip (my fave!) ice cream at my nephew’s game the other night. Ice cream and baseball…what an all-American combo.

I’m currently shopping for… birthday cards…May is a big birthday month, and I also needed to pick up a Mother’s Day card. After school yesterday, I went to Target for a few things besides the cards. I picked up the Chobani S’mores creamer that I love as well as some snacks for school, the Shirley Temple flavored Poppi, some Tru Fruit, bananas, and the Starbucks Acai Refresher for Hadley to try, and a few others odds and ends.

It was a productive Target run.

What are you currently up to?

Posted in Amazon

Prime Purchases

Hello and happy Monday!

How was your weekend? Ours was good overall. Shew…Mother Nature was having mood swings with cold and dreary weather on Saturday and then a lovely sunny, spring day yesterday. On Saturday, we of course watched the Kentucky Derby which was such an exciting race from start to finish.

Well, after the first Saturday in May comes the first Monday in May where I share my Amazon purchases!

This month had lots of re-orders for me…

I still use this Vitamin C serum most days as part of my skincare routine…

I first purchased these facial sponges for Hadley’s Easter basket last year, but now we both use them. They come in handy for travel as well. (I’m still loving these facial towels, and have more on the way!)

This hydration mist is also a part of my skincare routine, and it’s perfect for when your skin feels dry.

I love this In Common 4-1 Magic Myst. I mostly use it as a leave in conditioner after I wash my hair; Hadley uses it too.

I ordered this shirt in black a few months ago, and now have it in gray. It’s perfect to wear with shorts, leggings, and even with some of my favorite cropped pants that I have in a few colors.

I ordered Hadley one of these sports bras, and she loved it so much I went ahead and ordered a second one. They are great quality, and you can’t beat the price.

And, now a few new items…

My B12 was a bit low, and Trav’s vitamins are all this brand, so he ordered me this B12.

Hadley wanted a pair of flat sandals to wear when she went to Keeneland and since I didn’t have to spend money on the dresses she wore, I told her I’d buy her some sandals. #girlmath

Anyway, she says these are a 10/10 purchase!

Speaking of Hadley, Easter was so chilly, and when she’d purged her closet a couple of months ago, she realized she got rid of her white cardigan. Well, she’s had that one for years, so it was probably time for a new one. She found this cropped one, and it’s perfect. She’s already worn it a few times since Easter.

What’s the last thing you’ve ordered from Amazon?

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

Posted in Inspiration, Seasonal

Hello, May

Hello and happy Friday!

It’s hard to believe, but it’s May 1st!

I’m linking up with Andrea for Friday Favorites

…to share some May reminders.

I also loved this graphic:

Of course, May also means May-cember…

So, I’m sure we’ll all hold on tight to the chaos as we have the downhill slide to summer.

Favorite Mom Meme:

This meme really took me back! My kids could never…

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

I’m sure I share this every year, but only in Kentucky do you make Derby hats in Kindergarten! How was this 10 years ago?!

Weekly Recap:

Here are my posts this week in case you missed one:

I hope you have a lovely spring weekend! The kids have track and baseball, and of course, we’ll be watching the Oaks today and the Derby tomorrow.

Posted in Everyday Life, Monthly Moments

Monthly Moments: April 2026

Hello and happy Thursday!

I’m sure I say this every month, but where did April go?! I will say though, in some respects, April did feel long (hello, end of the school year!), but it certainly went by quickly in some ways too.

Here’s a recap of April:

This month was a doozy…from baseball to track to volleyball to vacation and more, we had a lot going on from start to finish.

One of my favorite parts of April is always Easter…and I literally just put all my bunnies away a couple of days ago.

Easter Sunday was beautiful, and we went to a lovely service at church before heading to Louisville to hang with Trav’s family.

Hadley and I spent a few days in Isle of Palms, SC. While it didn’t go totally according to plan, we still appreciated the sunrises, sunsets, sand and sunshine.

Meanwhile, Trav and Hayden spent some time in Gatlinburg, TN with family.

How cool was Artemis II? From take off to the landing, I loved watching all the coverage.

Sports were in full spring with lots of track meets and baseball games.

I guess this is adulting…when I don’t make it to Keeneland, but Hadley went twice! She had fun with friends both times, and Trav tagged along too.

Last weekend volleyball was back after about six weeks since their last tournament. Trav, Hadley and I headed to Gatlinburg, TN (second time for Trav in a matter of weeks), and they are very serious about the black bears. This was on the counter as we checked into the hotel…

We stayed at Hotel Indigo, and it didn’t disappoint!

Hadley played lots of volleyball games last weekend. We didn’t know what to expect because they hadn’t played a tournament in six weeks, and two of their hitters were out. When Hadley is playing front row, you know they are down a hitter! (ha!) That being said, she played lots of front row in middle school. Anyway, they ended up runners up in the silver bracket which is pretty good considering the circumstances.

In between games on Saturday, Trav wanted to try the Hungry Bear Grill he saw on the side of the road. He got some wings, and I had some BBQ nachos; honestly, it was a great dining experience!

Sunday, in between games, Trav and I went to Flapjacks, and again, the food didn’t disappoint.

Even though Saturday and Sunday were two long days, it was nice having some down time to hang with Trav for a bit.

Also, while G-burg isn’t necessarily my fave place, the Smoky Mountain views are a sight to see.

Last week, Hadley crushed her AP Seminar presentation thanks to lots of preparation and a little practice in my room before the big day.

Yesterday, Hayden’s lunch table had quite the treat. The admin let students do a bracket challenge during March Madness. Hayden’s table won, and they chose Chick-fil-A for lunch!

April was more action packed than I realized. This month definitely had its ups and downs, but it was filled with lots of good stuff too.

Posted in Books and Shows

What I’ve Been Reading: April 2026

Hello and happy Wednesday!

It’s hard to believe that there are only two days left in April…which means it’s time for me to share the books I read this month.

After having such a big reading month in March, I should have known that April would be the complete opposite in regards to reading.

Well, this month I read one book and one short story…but they were both good!

Screenshot

{As always, book summaries are from Goodreads…}

The Book Woman’s Daughter:

Summary:

In the ruggedness of the beautiful Kentucky mountains, Honey Lovett has always known that the old ways can make a hard life harder. As the daughter of the famed blue-skinned, Troublesome Creek packhorse librarian, Honey and her family have been hiding from the law all her life. But when her mother and father are imprisoned, Honey realizes she must fight to stay free, or risk being sent away for good.

Picking up her mother’s old packhorse library route, Honey begins to deliver books to the remote hollers of Appalachia. Honey is looking to prove that she doesn’t need anyone telling her how to survive, but the route can be treacherous, and some folks aren’t as keen to let a woman pave her own way. If Honey wants to bring the freedom that books provide to the families who need it most, she’s going to have to fight for her place, and along the way, learn that the extraordinary women who run the hills and hollers can make all the difference in the world.

Quick Thoughts:

Last month, I read Book Woman of Troublesome Creek which had been on my TBR list for quite some time. When Tanya shared that the third book in the series was coming out soon, I wanted to get to reading the first two! This book, just like the first, didn’t disappoint.

Just like with the first book, I appreciated the setting of Eastern Kentucky, and I love reading historical fiction. Honey Lovett, just like her mother Cussy, is a force to be reckoned with. She makes the best of her situation, stays true to her values, and paves a way to figuring out her future.

I can’t wait to read The Mountains We Call Home.

Rating:

Leave it Up To Love:

Summary:

Ready for her big break after publishing her first novel, Lila Everwood has two fresh book ideas and dreams of quitting her barista job. She’s hopeful about her future—until her writing catches her literary idol’s attention in all the wrong ways.

Elizabeth Lancaster, the queen of regency romance, hasn’t written a word in three years. Her publisher’s solution? A ghostwriter. Specifically, her favorite coffee server. It’s either brilliance or madness—and her literary agent son Grady thinks it’s definitely the latter.

As the ideas begin to fly, so do the sparks—between Lila and Grady. And, as Lila’s and Elizabeth’s worlds collide, the two writers must lean on each other, learning something vital in the In life, love, and publishing, sometimes you have to write your own happy ending.

Quick Thoughts:

There’s hardly a KWH book that I haven’t read. As a matter of fact, I counted…and I’ve read ten of her books. It’s not a summer without a KWH book, and I can’t wait to read Summer State of Mind. That being said, I don’t know that I’ve ever “reviewed” a short story, but I appreciate that she put this one out to tide us over until her latest novel is released.

This was a quick and great read. I liked the premise, the characters and the short story line. Even with the abbreviated plot, there’s lots of dialogue, characterization and plot development.

Rating:

I’m hoping for more reading in May…but of course, who knows how much time I will have during May-cember!

That being said, it’s hard to believe that soon I will put together my summer reading list!

Do you have any summer book suggestions for me?

Happy reading,

Posted in Memes

Monthly Memes

Hello and happy Tuesday! I hope your week is off to a great start. I’m a day late sharing my monthly memes, so please forgive me.

Memes on a Tuesday instead of Monday…

Here are some memes that made me chuckle this month…

Of course my homebody self likes this one:

And…my introvert self can relate to this one too:

This one is very relateable to me:

My students could never understand!

I sent this to my brother…LOL. Man, I remember this episode like yesterday!

This applies to adults and students at school. haha

I’m always struggling with what to make for dinner. How many nights a week are too many for chicken?

The way this one made me laugh! This dog…and lots of responsibility for being the family password. LOL

I hope these memes provided you with a laugh or two!

Posted in Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#298}

Hello and happy Friday!

Wow! April sure flew by. It’s hard to believe that this time next week will be May!

As always, I’m linking up with Andrea for this week’s Friday Favorites.

Here are a few favorites from the week…

When we were in South Carolina, I went to the grocery store for a few things. While there, I spotted this S’mores coffee creamer. I hadn’t seen it in my Kroger, but Target had some. I’ve been enjoying this in my coffee ever since.

Hadley had a track meet last Saturday, and it rained buckets most of the day! Obviously, the rain isn’t a favorite, but she ran well in her individual events!

Hayden’s continued to love baseball, and I’m continuing to love/appreciate seeing the photos one of the team grandmas takes.

My mom was visiting, and she made cookies that the kids decorated the other night. She helped too, and they are delicious and cute!

Speaking of cute, my mom knows I love hydrangeas, and she brought me two of these glasses. They are perfect for any and all occasions, but I’ve been using them for my iced coffee.

After church on Sunday, Hadley convinced Trav that we should go out to lunch which we rarely do on the weekend. We ended up at Local Taco near campus, and it hit the spot. The weather was lovely, so it felt very much like springtime eating near the open windows.

When I was in Target last week, I saw these individual packs of Flav City. I just added this to milk, and it hit the spot as an afternoon snack.

Another yummy snack I had this week was this homemade PopTart Hadley made in foods class. She had a few of them, and she brought me one. It was delish!

Hadley had a huge presentation for her AP Seminar class this week. She used some free time to come practice in my room a few times during my planning period. When the time came, she knocked it out of the park! I was so proud of her, and she was happy to have that task complete.

Favorite Mom Meme:

Ain’t that the truth?!

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

Look this blast from the past…2011…and Trav was pushing that double jogger! Those were the days!

Weekly Recap:

Here are my posts from the week in case you missed one:

What was a highlight of your week? I hope you have a lovely spring weekend!

Posted in Kids, Throwback Thursday

Throwback Thursday: April 2010

Hello and happy Thursday!

I’ve had a lot of fun taking a look back at 2010. The kids were itty bitty, but it’s been amazing to see their month to month milestones.

I’ve shared January, February, and March of 2010, and today we’re taking a look at April of that year.

Well, April means Easter, and the kids were all decked out for their first one. Look how excited they are about their Easter baskets! (haha!)

That Easter morning, we snapped a few pics…big smiles!

…and we even got a family of four pic!

I went back to work when the kids were 16 weeks old (or maybe 18 weeks?) which was right after Easter.

I remember loving dressing them in the spring months once it got warmer. Also, Walmart was a “go to” for clothes, and there were so many cute and affordable options.

They spent lots of time with their friend. My friend had her daughter a few days after I had the kids, and they’ve been friends ever since! Hayden was dressed to impress with his tie onsie!

He found Hadley’s hand…too cute!

Bath time was definitely a daily evening activity. We had one little tub, so one at a time, they had fun in the bubbles.

Big kids in the ExerSaucer! It was so nice when they could stand up and entertain themselves for a while.

And…the Bumbo was another milestone. Sitting up and staring at me…Hadley was a very serious baby.

Hayden looking over his first racing form. haha!

I know we spent lots of time outside as the kids were getting older and the weather was warmer. Looking back, having them in late fall into winter was hard. I mean, it was easy to stay home and away from the germs with the cold weather, but kind of like how I still feel when the warmer spring temps arrive…it’s literally a breath of fresh air!

I hope you’re able to spend some time outside today. I’ve really embraced the sunshine and going on walks lately.