Hello!

Shew! I’m not sure which day is more crazy at school: Halloween or November 1st when the kids are all hyped up on candy!

Anyway, I’m excited to link up with Jennifer as she has recently taken over the Currently link up.

This month’s focus is Currently: borrowing, buying, planning, prepping, and reading.

Borrowing:

Library books! I haven’t started one of these Christmas books, but I hope to soon!

Buying:

Well, I did hold off until a couple of days before, but I have been buying Halloween candy!

Now, it’s time to start buying birthday gifts for the kids.

I also jumped on the On Cloud train. I realized I hadn’t purchased new workout shoes since Spring of 2020. Travis actually had a gift card to an local place, so we went there on Sunday. He’s picky about this tennis shoes and mostly wears Hokas, but he’s loved his new On Clouds. The pair I found were on sale which was an added bonus!

Planning:

…the kids birthday party! In only a few weeks these 12 year olds…

…will be teenagers!

I think the plan is to go to Activate Games for fun, pizza for dinner, and cookie cake for dessert one day soon.

Prepping:

I’m trying to prep for a busy November and December.

I’m starting to make “to do” lists for their birthday party as well as making lists for birthday and Christmas gifts. I think I’ve taken care of our Christmas card, want to start changing out the fall decorations for Christmas decorations, and more. I don’t think we’ll have another free weekend (like we had this past weekend) until 2023. Honestly, sometimes that feels very overwhelming to me, but I’m just taking it day by day when needed.

We’re kicking off November with Breeder’s Cup this weekend.

Here are a few pics from the last time Breeder’s Cup was in Lexington in 2015! We can’t wait to see so many of our friends and spend the day at the races.

Reading:

I just started The Things We Cannot Say, and so far, I think it’s really good.

For the first time ever, I didn’t finish a book on my Kindle before the library took it back! Ugh. I’ve placed a hold for The It Girl, and hope to pick up where I left off whenever it’s my turn again. I’m really hoping it’s not 6 weeks from now like the library predicts.

Also, I hope to read one, if not both, of the Christmas books I picked up last week.

What about you? What are you currently borrowing, buying, prepping, planning, or reading?

Hello! Well, it’s been a minute since I’ve shared a Currently post. I just thought this would be a fun way to share are few things I’ve been doing…

I’m currently…

reading…

I’ve mostly been reading on my Kindle lately, and am about 70% finished with The Younger Wife. I really enjoy Sally Hepworth’s books, and wanted to read this one when it came out. It wasn’t on Kindle yet, and just a couple of weeks ago, I decided to look again on the Libby app…and there it was.

Anyway, I’ve really enjoyed it so far!

decorating…

I’m hoping to decorate for fall later this week or over the weekend, but on Monday night, I decided to pull out my favorite light up pumpkin. I have one for the bedroom, and then one for the living room. I love the glow of the pumpkin during the dark hours of the morning while I sip my coffee.

{Peep my Pumpkin Spice candle from Antique Candle Co!)

wearing…

It’s Homecoming week this week which has made getting dressed for school easier than usual! We actually started last Friday with pj day, and I’ve never been to school so early. haha

Yesterday was “Tropical Tuesday.” We still have Wear Pink Wednesday, favorite sports team on Thursday, and then class color/school color day on Friday.

trying…

a new Dime product…I still consistently use Dime products daily.

Since Dime Beauty was having a 25% off sale to celebrate their anniversary, I decided to order this new (to me) product: the cleansing balm.

OMG…it’s like having silk on your face. This product melts away the make up you have on, and hydrates your skin. I’ve been using this most nights right before I get in the shower, and then I gently wash my face with warm water. I haven’t yet tried it as an overnight mask, but I definitely plan on doing so!

watching…

Well, I finally finished all four seasons of Drive to Survive, and I really enjoyed it. I’ve even caught the last two actual F1 races on tv the past two Sundays. #whoamIeven?! It’s all still really interesting to me, and I’m even more invested now that I know all the drivers.

With the new seasons of Goldbergs and NCIS Hawai’i starting later this month, I’m trying to get caught up on last year’s seasons.

anticipating…

I’m anticipating the arrival of our new couch. We’re either really dumb or …well, we’re probably dumb…but we are getting a new couch due to all of Homer’s dog hair on our fabric couch. Thankfully, he’s a white dog, so the hair blended in, but we just can’t keep up with it.

Also, with our previous couch, we definitely “got what we paid for…” and it just didn’t hold up to the wear and tear of our family. After only a few months, one back cushion ripped by the zipper, and then I HATE when cloth furniture gets those little fuzz balls, and our couch had lots of those.

You’d think we’d train Homer to stay off the couch…haha…and honestly, we try. Now he’s “responsible” enough to stay out during the day, so of course, there’s no one home to shoo him off the couch.

We took advantage of a Labor Day sale, and our new couch is getting delivered today. I had fully expected to not have a couch delivered until 2023! (If you are local, Burke Furniture was amazing!)

Also, I put our other couch on Facebook Marketplace for free, and it “sold” in a matter of minutes with multiple messages!

I can’t wait to get home this afternoon, and see how it looks!

What are you currently up to? Besides the above, I feel like I’m currently just trying to survive this week!

Have a great day!

Hello! Well, we survived the first day back to school in 2022. Once I got over the shock of my alarm going off in the 6’s, it was good to get up and back into a routine.

I feel like I haven’t written a Currently post in forever, so today I’m linking up with Anne for her monthly post.

I’m currently…

anticipating…

The first thing that came to mind was just anticipating a fresh start to the new year. January always provides a much needed reset for all the things: mind, body, spirit, schedule, diet, bank account and more.

organizing…

My life. The house. and More 😂 Just getting back into a routine, getting appointments and activities written on the calendar, planning meals and just organizing life is something that takes some time once we start the new year.

I’ve mentioned before that I decorated for Christmas kind of late…which apparently means that I take down the decorations later! haha My house was kind of a mess leading up to the end of break, but I think most everything is now put away. That being said, I haven’t put all my regular decor back out because I feel like the house needs a minute to breathe.

reading…

I finished Katie Couric’s book on Monday. It’s pretty long but with tons of short chapters which made it a quick read. I found it to be really interesting.

I started The Royals Next Door on my Kindle over the weekend, and I think I’m going to like it. It has a very Meghan/Harry come to America vibe.

resolving…

to clean(er) eating, drinking more water, and working out at least four days a week. While I don’t feel like the wheels totally fell off the bus between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, it’s time to get focused again.

Here are my January goals:

**January 14th is my birthday, so I assume I may consume a piece of cake that day! Just trying to be realistic 😉

scheduling…

all the things. Appointments, practices, grocery pick up, workouts, to do lists and more.

• I need to schedule an eye exam for myself and Hadley, and the kids have ortho and dental cleaning appointments on the books already.
• Hayden has a new basketball schedule and Hadley’s school dance practices have shifted, so I just need to get used to those times.
• I want to start picking up groceries on Saturday instead of Sunday to make weekly meal prep easier.
• When I’m in a good groove, I don’t need to do it, but I’m even scheduling my day to include workouts on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday.
• Lastly, some weeks are so hectic, I need to schedule in errands and other things I need to do.

What about you? What are you anticipating, organizing, reading, resolving, and scheduling?

See you back here later this week for the first Friday Favorites of 2022.

Hello! Today, I’m linking up with Anne to share this month’s Currently post. I love Currently posts because they are a fun way to share a little bit of what I’m doing (or thinking) at the moment.

Celebrating:

May was definitely the month of celebration with baptism, 5th grade graduation, and some family birthdays, but now we are celebrating summer. We are in summer mode right now and savoring an empty daytime agenda before we get busier next week with some sports camps, and I’m teaching summer school a couple days a week.

Collecting:

I’m collecting {organizing} Hadley’s dance stuff. She has recital practice the next few nights and three recitals this weekend. So, I need to get her five costumes organized along with dance shoes, bobby pins, and more!

Gifting:

We just gifted a few teacher gifts at the end of the school year. Our sitter just accepted her first teaching job, so I purchased this door hanger off Etsy.

We also gave Hadley’s teacher this cute bag from an Etsy shop.

Thinking:

I’m just thinking about my to do lists before next week’s busy schedule begins. Prepping for a new sitter, evening activities for this week, and daytime activities next week just have my mind in overdrive.

Trying:

I’m trying a new workout with the Beach Body program. I’m still loving that app, and have done a pretty good job working out at home! I started Off the Wall last week, and there are three phases with workouts five days a week. I’m on week two, and always enjoy Autumn’s workouts…and I love her modifier, Kat! They all have such great attitudes.

So, that’s just a little bit of what I’m currently thinking and doing. What have you been celebrating, collecting, gifting, thinking, and trying?

See you back here tomorrow for Sentence a Day: May.

Have a great day!

Hello! Well, I feel like we’ve either had nothing going on or too much! Of course, we are back to school, we’ve had family visiting, and winter activities are overlapping with spring activities.

I thought I’d just share a bit about what we’re currently up to!

I’m currently…

Adjusting:

I’m continuing to adjust to the early alarm clock since we are all back to school.

In previous years, I could wake up around 6:00 to get 45 minutes of “me time” before the hustle and bustle of the day began. This year, the kids’ school starts 10 minutes earlier, and we are out of practice with the early morning routine. I can’t bring myself to get up in the 5’s just yet, so I’m only getting about 25 minutes of quiet time in the morning.

When I’m in a really great routine, I try to get up early (5:15-5:30) to get a workout in a couple days a week. At the moment, that sounds like an unreasonable ask of myself 😂 Maybe next week, I will phase in that plan!

Appreciating:

I’m so appreciative of the fact that Hayden and Hadley have embraced going back to school. They are so excited to be the “big kids” of the school, see their teachers and play with their friends. So far, it’s been a pretty smooth transition (once we are up and out the door!)

I will say that I hate that they have to sit behind plastic dividers and wear masks, but Hadley is thriving being able to socialize more with her teacher and her classmates. Hayden is more focused now and is doing a great job as well adjusting to in person learning.

I also appreciate my teacher friend sending me this photo of Hayden. It’s always so fun to get a glimpse of them during the day. This is another thing I will miss about our elementary years being about over.

Wanting:

I’m wanting (needing!) Homer to realize that we don’t have time for his nonsense in the morning. I joked that I didn’t know how he’d react to us going back to school, but for the past week, he often refuses to come inside the house and hesitates to go in his kennel!

I took this photo yesterday morning of him. It got to the point where when we tried to coax him in, he’d run off. Eventually, he let Travis put the leash on him. The photo I should have gotten was the tug-of-war that ensued between Homer and Travis…to the point where Travis had to pick Homer up to get him inside! haha

Watching:

I watched the Meghan and Harry interview with Oprah. Did you see it? What did you think? I was pretty shocked at all that was shared. The Royals have always intrigued me.

I wonder if they regret anything they shared?!

Reading:

I just started reading Layla and I’m also reading The Giver of the Stars. I usually don’t read two hardback books at once, but I’d started Giver when Layla became available at the library from my requested books list.

Planning:

I’m starting to plan Easter basket ideas. For Easter, I usually get the kids each a swimsuit, pajamas, flip flops, and a book. Sometimes, I find a game and a few other odds and ends to include in their baskets. The Easter Bunny brings candy and hides the eggs.

Cooking:

Back to school = quick dinners! As much as I enjoy my Instant Pot and Air Fryer, my slow cooker is my fave for guaranteed delicious meals!

This week we’re having:

• Shay’s Meatballs and rice
• Shay’s Chicken and rice soup
• (One pot!) Beef Stroganoff

Reflecting:

I’m reflecting on that fact that it’s been a year since the pandemic shut everything down, and our lives came to a screeching halt! With the vaccine and now (finally) having my kids and students back in the school buildings, this week has just definitely been one of reflection.

Assuming I have time to finish it, I will have a more reflective pandemic post tomorrow 🙂

What have you been up to lately?! I hope you are having a great week!

Hey! Hey! We are so close to the weekend which is giving me life at the moment! Today, I’m sharing a Currently post just sharing a little bit of this and a little bit of that about what’s been going on. So..

I’m Currently…

Reading:

Winter in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand. I’d heard everyone talking about Trouble in Paradise, the third book in series, and realized I needed to start at the beginning with this book. I’m flying through it and certainly enjoy it. I think I will add the other two to my list to read in January (as I’m going to read Christmas books in December like I did last year!)

Prepping:

for the kids’ birthday! The weather is going to be pretty mild tomorrow, so we decided to let them each invite a couple friends over to play outside for a couple of hours. I ordered these cups from a local small business (@cupsoncochran) as a party favor. We are going to fill them with candy and add in a small hand sanitizer in the cup as well. #2020bday

Reminiscing:

about how we went from this…

to this…

in the blink of an eye. I can’t even believe how quickly these years have flown by!

Planning:

for a very different and simple Thanksgiving. The holidays are such a special, but sometimes stressful, time. This year is just so complicated. Ugh.

This year, we’ll make the most of it. There will still be turkey, carbs, and pumpkin pie, so I will be ok 😉

Last week, I did share some of my favorite things about Thanksgiving, so I will cling to those and pray that next year we are back to some sense of normalcy.

Opening:

The kids have been opening cute (and funny!) birthday cards over the past week or so.

My dad is taking Covid seriously by not taking unnecessary trips to Hallmark and using the resources he already has on hand 😂

While my mom and Gma always deliver with the beautiful handcrafted cards!

Watching:

Thanksgiving and Christmas baking shows! This time of the year, I love to watch these shows on the Food Network. The shows put me in the holiday spirit!

Laughing:

(so I don’t cry) at this meme. I’ve loved watching the Queen’s Gambit, and 2020 has been rough, so this meme really hits home!

That being said, I’m certainly also…

Reflecting:

On this year and counting my blessings even if the holidays and our daily life look differently right now. 2020 has forced my family of four to slow down, I found time to take care of a health issue, the kids have a wonderful school schedule with awesome teachers, and we’ve been able to navigate these uncharted waters somewhat successfully. Of course, there have been times of stress; it’s sad not being able to see family easily, that mask wearing is now the norm, and my kids are missing out on a regular school year.

We just keep taking things one day at a time, and hope that there is light at the end of this dark tunnel.

See you back here tomorrow for a VERY special Friday Favorites…the twins turn 11!