Category: Friday Favorites

Hello and happy Friday!

Why do the short weeks always feel so long? Also this week, I haven’t been feeling well. It started with allergies which moved to a sinus infection. I’m hoping the weekend provides time for recovery!

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

Here are some favorites from the week…

Both of my kids have always been involved in sports and have attended school sporting events, but there’s something about junior year…maybe they feel more comfortable going to games because they are now upperclassmen? I don’t know, but I’m happy they are out there supporting their friends and classmates as often as possible.

Hadley and her crew had fun at the “color war” themed soccer game last week.

Saturday morning started with rain which made it feel a bit like fall around here. My nephew’s football game got pushed back an hour, so Trav and I stopped at Dunkin for coffee.

I got iced coffee with a couple pumps of pumpkin and one pump hazelnut…with pumpkin cold foam on top. It hit the spot!

It was a beautiful morning for football. The last time I went to my nephew’s game, it was so hot outside! Anyway, the team played well, and he scored a touchdown! It’s football time in the Bluegrass state.

Saturday afternoon, Travis planned ahead and picked up some brisket and sides at a local place for dinner. Next door to the BBQ restaurant was a bakery, so he also brought home some sourdough bread. Not having to think about dinner was definitely a favorite as was the meal itself.

Sunday night, Trav and I enjoyed the nice weather outside while we watched the UK volleyball game. They were playing Penn St. at Wrigley Field. The next game was Mizzou vs Nebraska, but they ended up having to call the game due to slippery conditions on the court.

Anyway, it was a lovely evening.

Leanne Morgan is one of my faves. I enjoyed reading her book , and I loved season one of Leanne on Netflix. Needless to say, I was excited for season two to come out. I only have a couple episodes left…it’s such an easy and entertaining show!

Meanwhile, my mom has been in Scotland. She sent us a couple of pics of Highland cows (one of Hadley’s faves)….this is Lady Jane…

…with her three day old TWINS! Buckle up, Lady Jane!

A couple of weeks ago, my sister-in-law got me this cute pumpkin icon glass from Meijer. I’ve been enjoying my iced coffee in this vessel this week!

Monday was one of the best days because we didn’t have school or much going on. I was able to float SOLO in my sister-in-law’s mom’s pool for a couple of hours, and it was just the best! I had started reading The Calamity Club, and having the couple of hours to float gave me time to really get into the book. It’s a long one, but so far, so good.

Hadley wrapped up the weekend saying, “yes!” to her Homecoming date. We’re all a big fan of the Tru Fru strawberries, so we appreciated him giving her the family size bag 😉

Y’all, I forgot to add an item to Tuesday’s Amazon post…I have officially crossed over to the “needing readers” phase of my life.

I had Lasik years ago, so I’ve been pretty lucky to not need much help until now. I do have a pair of glasses to drive at night thanks to my astigmatism.

Just last year, I had an eye exam, and I still didn’t need readers. Well, for a few months now , I’ve had to hold small print things like expiration dates out far away. Then, it was happening more and more. I figured I could try and pair and see if they help. Well, this was a the classic “I didn’t know what I didn’t know.” When I put them on to do my daily word search, I was like, “Oh, this is much better.” I’ve purchased a couple of these pairs, one for home and one for school. They are low strength, but they do help.

Anyway, these are a new fave for me.

Favorite Mom Meme:

No one really prepared me for this. ha!

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

The kids have been CATS fans their whole life. This pic from 2014 is one of my faves. Now, they go to the games on their own and leave their parents in the dust!

Share Our Lives:

Monday is our SOL link up. This month’s topic is…I wish I had known…

We’d love for you to link up with us!

Weekly Recap:

I had a couple of posts this week:

What is on your weekend agenda? I plan on relaxing at home and trying to kick the crud I have. I’ve seen Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock making the rounds on talk shows to promote the new Practical Magic movie. I don’t think I’ve seen the original, so I might see if I can find it on one of the streaming platforms. Also, I definitely plan on continuing to read The Calamity Club too.

Have a great day!

Hello and happy Friday!

How was your week? I definitely feel like we’ve hit our stride now that we’re back to school. Also, most days this week I didn’t feel like I needed a nap when I got home. That’s certainly a win.

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

Here are some faves from the week:

Last Friday, Travis and I went out for sushi. Both kids had plans, so this was a nice way to cap off the week.

After our sushi dinner, we went to Target because I had a pick up. Saturday morning, I was excited to try this new coffee creamer. It’s delish! I will definitely add it into the rotation.

One of our last summer outside projects was getting our brick steps repaired and getting new railings. Everything got wrapped up this week. So, this summer, Travis redid the front landscaping, we got a new driveway, and we finally got the steps and railing fixed.

My favorite summer project was *finally* getting these Shuttefly books made with the kids’ artwork. I can be nostalgic about things, but I did a pretty good job of keeping the main art and classwork they brought home…not every worksheet. Anyway, I made a book of each kid’s artwork for kindergarten-2nd and then 3rd-5th. I could have made one bigger book, but I wanted to make one and confirm I liked the product before putting in the effort otherwise. Anyway, I will treasure these books!

The past week has provided glorious weather…I love sunroof open weather; unfortunately, it’s about to be hot, hot, hot again!

Hadley went to Starbucks one afternoon, and she brought me home an iced Pumpkin Chai latte, and it was delish. How nice of her to think of me!

I had to go to Trader Joe’s for a few things, and I was “influenced” by Shay…the mini biscuit cookies are delish.

I tend to get my Barebelll protein bars at Trader Joe’s. I’m loving these two flavors the most right now:

Y’all, last Friday I got the Wordle on the first guess! Do you have the NYT app? Most days, I play Spelling Bee, Wordle, Connections and Strands. They are good for my brain. haha

Dolly:

*Sigh* Obviously, this isn’t a favorite…Dolly Parton seemed like someone who would live forever. We sure did lose a national treasure. All of us should try to live a bit more like Dolly…

Churchill Downs paid tribute as well and many others places like in NYC and KC.

Favorite Mom Meme:

I could have written this meme myself…

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday

Oh how I miss the family pool days. This was in 2018…and such a sweet memory.

Weekly Recap:

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

I hope you have a lovely summer weekend.

Hello and happy Friday!

How was your week? Overall, ours was good…we seem to be finding a back to school groove. That being said, I’ve been dragging the past couple of days. I’m definitely ready for the weekend.

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

My favorites from the past week are pretty short and sweet…

Well, August is almost over, and I realized I’d never shared my book trackers for the month. As always, I save them in an Instagram highlight. Feel free to use them and tag me!

I’ve had some coloring time lately which has been nice. This was something I did quite a bit but then fell out of that routine. I purchased a new Cozy Girl book and dusted off my markers, and I’ve spent some time, usually after dinner, coloring for a bit.

If we can’t find Homer, the first place we look is in Hadley’s bed. She was gone for a bit last weekend, and look where I found him…

Hadley wrapped up summer having lots of fun with friends…from birthday parties to time spent at the lake, she had a great summer.

I have a few new Trader Joe’s finds that are faves…

These S’mores clusters are legit!

I can’t quit on these Cinna-Dragons…they are so good.

Last weekend, when I was at Trader Joe’s, I was shocked that they already had their apple cider donuts out…what a treat!

Travis picked up a couple of Bundt cakes the other night including the new Biscoff cookie flavor…it’s a 10/10 and definitely got us in the mood for fall.

Both of my kids are taking Art 1 this year, and I found this on the counter…

This Daisie foaming body wash from Target is a new fave…It’s such a favorite that Hadley took it from my shower and put it in hers. My niece had it, and I was influenced by her!

Favorite Mom Meme:

Let’s just say it’s been a process getting up and moving these first few days back to school…

Weekly Recap:

I had a few posts this week in case you missed one…

I hope you have a great summer weekend! The temps are going to be in the low 80’s with very little humidity. I’ll take it!

Hello and happy Friday!

How was your week? We made the most of ours…the kids had workouts a couple days this week,we embraced the cooler temps, saw a movie, ran some errands, and squeezed some pool time in.

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

Here are some favorites from the week:

Last weekend, Hadley went to the lake with some friends. Most summers, these girls go together and spend some time on the lake…unfortunately, there was some rain off and on last Saturday, but they made the most of it.

Umm…how cute is Hadley’s set? She showed it to me, and I had a gift card, so I got it for her. Once it arrived, and she tried it on, we both gave it two thumbs up.

She said, “Mom… it comes in lots of colors if you want one!” I love that she knows I loved a good set 😂

It’s no secret that I don’t change up my nail color much…I usually do OPI’s Bubble Bath or Funny Bunny. My sister-in-law mentioned “Bubble Bunny” as a combo of the two, and this is the second time I’ve gotten it. It might just be my new “go to.”

After writing last week’s Hodgepodge post, I realized I hadn’t made this fave dessert in a while. It made it on Tuesday, and it hit the spot!

I only have two episodes left of Little House on the Prairie, and I don’t want it to end. Surely there will be another season?!

One of the movies I’ve been wanting to watch since I saw it was on Netflix is People We Meet on Vacation….but first I wanted to read the book. I read the book the end of June/early July, and I loved it!!

Since Tuesday was an overcast and somewhat rainy day, I decided to watch the movie. I couldn’t have loved it more. It was quite a bit like the book, and I couldn’t have loved the actors who played Poppy and Alex more. It’s definitely a movie I’d watch again.

On Monday, Travis was available for lunch, so the kids and I met him at one of our favorite local spots. It’s not fancy, but it was nice to meet and have lunch together. Those types of things definitely don’t happen during the school year.

The Odyssey movie was high on my list to see, and imagine my surprise when my family wanted to see it too. Shockingly, the kids only kind of remember reading it as freshmen…but it’s one of my favorite things to teach in English 1. It’s crazy to think how many times I’ve taught it through the years.

I was a little worried about the movie being three hours long…and our 7:00 time to see it on Wednesday, but it exceeded ALL of my expectations.

I think Matt Damon deserves on Oscar! I loved how the plot was woven together between the Trojan War, the suitors/Penelope/Telemachus at home in Ithaca as well as Odysseus trying to get his men home. It was absolutely amazing, and it didn’t feel like a three hour movie. Everyone in my crew enjoyed it too.

To offset some of the TV and movie viewing I did this week, I did spend time outside in the beautiful weather…and I also read this book in 24 hours. I’ll recap it in my July book post, but it was so good!

Favorite Mom Meme:

LOL…why?! (Also, if I don’t respond to their texts quickly, I hear all about it. haha)

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

This pic from 2018 was in my Instagram memories…Hayden used to fall asleep reading all the time.

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 summer weekend.

Hello and happy Friday!

How was your week? We’re clinging to summer break around here!

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

Here are a few favorites from the week:

It’s not until early to mid-July before our limelight hydrangeas start blooming…but when they do, I snip a few each week for a fresh bouquet for the coffee table.

I finally made it to two of Hayden’s basketball games. It was fun to watch him coach a couple of games; he does a good job with his team. He did tell me he wishes they listened to him better. See, he’s learning a lot from this experience. haha!

I went to Trader Joe’s for a few things, and here are a couple of new favorites I picked up…

I’ve never seen the “Beach Day” scented candle before, and it’s lovely. These lobster candies caught my eye, and I picked up a couple of bags. They are a fun treat.

If I’m listening to something, it’s usually a book, but I got on a podcast kick on the plane ride home from Florida a couple of weeks ago. Open Book with Jenna is a new fave. She interviews so many amazing authors. I enjoyed this podcast with Shelby Van Pelt as she talked about the writing process for Remarkably Bright Creatures as well as the Netflix adaptation.

Speaking of “adaptations,” I’m loving The Five Star Weekend as much as I loved the book. I’ve watched a couple episodes a day this week, and I don’t want it to end.

This was my “view” one morning this week, and it was a favorite because I realized it was a little “snap shot” of what I love about summer mornings. I put flowers in a vase and I was making muffins. I’ve always kept my baking cups in a mason jar.

I’m not trying to get a big head about it, but I’m an Antique Candle Co fall candle tester! Well, I had to pay for these samples…but I’m still excited to scan the QR code and share my thoughts on the four scents they sent.

I’ve shared that this summer I’ve tried to make a commitment to start my days reading for a few minutes before getting out of bed. I want to do this before scrolling my phone, and I’m loving this morning habit. Homer stays in bed as long as I do most mornings (He’s hard to see in the pic, but he’s there!)

I bumped into a friend at Target the other day, and she said she had peaches in her car for me. She’d just purchased them from the peach truck, and this is the haul she gave us:

How thoughtful!

While at Target, I was tempted by another icon glass…the watermelon. How could I say no?

On my “to do” list for this summer is to take photos of the kids’ elementary artwork and create a keepsake book, so I can toss most of the artwork. I have a storage bin for each kid for kindergarten-2nd grade and then another for each one for 3rd-5th grade. Of course, this is taking longer than I thought, but I almost have Hadley’s K-2nd book finished.

Looking through the artwork was a trip down memory lane…

And I found this photo of Hayden. I think this photo was from 3rd grade, and I can’t remember all the details, but there were animals coming to school for a presentation, and I refused to send Hayden to school with $20 to pet a turtle. There was a presentation, but then they could take photos with certain animals…or something like that.

Anyway, this photo was in his backpack when he got home from school…he’d taken his own money. LOL!

Hadley had a hair appointment yesterday, and her hair turned out so pretty! She was way overdue for a trim…I think the last time she got one was December, and she wanted a few highlights in her hair. I’ve held off, but figured going into junior year, she could add a bit of dimension to her hair. I had a hair appointment Wednesday, and she had one with my hair girl yesterday. We’ve been high maintenance this week!

Favorite Mom Meme:

The way this made me LOL…

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday.

Hayden has this picture framed in his room. Travis helped coach Hayden’s basketball teams during the elementary years, and I remember snapping this photo. The way Hayden is listening to Trav with his little hands together and his little sweet face…a fave memory for sure.

Hayden pointing in his coaching photo reminded me of this one…

Weekly Recap:

I had a few posts this week in case you missed one:

I hope you have a lovely summer weekend!