Posted in Friday Favorites, Holidays, Home Decor, Home Updates

Friday Favorites {#306}

Hello and happy Friday!

I know I’m going to sound like a broken record over the next few weeks, but summer needs to slow down! I still have a few weeks before I go back to school, but I do feel like I should probably start checking my school email…haha!

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

Since last week’s Friday Favorites post was a recap of our few days in Siesta Key, my favorites list is a bit longer with some faves over the past couple of weeks.

While we were on vacation, it was our 21st wedding anniversary. Once we got home, my mom had sent us a gift…she’d been at a market and spotted a water color painting of the church where we got married in KC! So cool.

Out of town cousins were in town, and the kids had lots of time hanging with them. It’s wild that they are old enough to hang out and not need us…they all hop in the car together and are out on their own. We did crash their “pool party” last Friday night!

On the 4th, the kids were in and out of the house, but we did grill out and then I caught some of the fireworks show in NYC. I love the 4th of July, and in some ways, I’m sad that it’s not the same as when the kids were little. I almost didn’t even go watch fireworks at our local traditional spot, but Hadley wanted to go as did Trav.

The fireworks show was spectacular, so I’m glad we went!

We’d borrowed a few sparklers from Trav’s brother, and Hadley had fun with those when we got home.

After celebrating America’s 250th birthday, it was time to celebrate Trav’s birthday…on Tuesday!

As a family, we went out to dinner…to a pizza/pasta place we’d never been to. It was delish.

Once my nephew was finished with baseball, my brother’s family came over for ice cream cake. Happy birthday, T-rav!

That evening, the sky was so pretty….the pic doesn’t even do it justice.

Fave beverages:

I went to Trader Joe’s last weekend, and I saw this sparkling watermelon juice, and it’s delish.

Amy shared about this flavor of Chobani creamer, and I found it at my Kroger a couple of weeks ago. I just cracked it open, and I like it! I still think S’mores is my favorite, but this flavor is #2, and I will definitely buy it again. It’s great for summer.

House Updates:

As I shared in Wednesday’s post, this summer we had a few “to do’s” that we really wanted to get crossed off our list: finish the landscaping out front, paint the primary bathroom, get a new driveway, find new rugs for kitchen and living room, and find new bar stools for the island. Well, we’ve been busy the past couple of weeks, and the only thing not accomplished now is finding a neutral rug for the living room.

While we were out of town, we had someone paint the bathroom, and we also got a new driveway. Adulting is so fun.

On to the actual “fun” stuff. I almost purchased a rug from Wayfair because they were having a sale, but then I remembered I’d saved this rug on the Walmart app after someone shared it. Well, there were a few in stock locally, so Trav and I went to pick it up on Sunday.

We got it laid out on Tuesday, and I love it. It’s an indoor/outdoor rug like what we had before, but the raised pattern is so soft, and the quality is amazing. It’s a 10/10.

A couple of months ago, I spotted some Pioneer Woman dishes at Walmart, but I didn’t get them. Then, a few weeks ago, I was back at Walmart, and the dishes were marked down, so I couldn’t resist! I bought eight dinner and salad plates as well as eight bowls. In our twenty years of marriage, this will be our third set of dishes….so I feel like this is justified, and each piece was $3-$5. (My Walmart didn’t have the set, but it’s only 12 pieces anyway)

Also of note, so far not a single person in my family has mentioned the new dishes 😂

Also, we still use some Pier One plates that we had on our gift registry, and I don’t think I will ever get rid of those.

You know I can’t say no to a hydrangea dish towel, and Drew Barrymore’s “Beautiful” brand never disappoints.

When I say we’ve been looking for new bar stools, I’m not exaggerating that we’ve been looking off and on for a couple of years. The other ones we’ve had for years were stools, and the fabric on top had seen better days. Most of our “issue” was we just never wanted to spend the money on new ones. I could always find a few I liked…and this time I did want to get a stool with a back. Patience paid off…I found these at World Market a couple of months ago, but Trav and I finally went last Friday when he was off work.

I still wasn’t 100% sure, but once we got them home, I knew we made the right choice.

I love them!

Sandals:

Well, you know since I cleaned out my closet and got rid of things, I couldn’t resist adding some sandals back to my closet. My sister-in-law had these, and my Target had one pair left in my size…I saw that as a sign. They are so comfy, and the “jelly” sandal rage is taking me back to being an 80’s baby growing up in the 90’s.

Book Trackers:

Like I do every month, I shared my book trackers on Instagram. They are are saved in a highlight, so just screen shot, use them, tag me and let me know what you’re reading!

Favorite Mom Meme:

Why do I relate to this so much?!

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

I’ve shared this pool photo in a previous Throwback Thursday post…

…and here the kids are in 2012. This just popped up in my Facebook memories. We got a lot of use out of that plastic pool!

Weekly Recap:

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

Share Our Lives:

Monday is our monthly Share Our Lives link up, and the topic is…favorite room in your house. We’d love to have your link up with us…I love seeing other people’s homes, so I can’t wait to read those posts!

I hope you have a lovely summer weekend!

Posted in Friday Favorites, Travel

Friday Faves {#305}: Florida Part 1

Hello and happy Friday!

How was your week? We spent most of our week getting back on track after being out of town last week. I did lots of laundry, meal planning, grocery shopping, and other odds and ends. The kids had their yearly check up yesterday, and I am almost finished with my closet/dresser clean out. It’s nice to get a couple of things checked off our list.

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

Last week, we spent a couple days at the beach before heading to Orlando for Hadley’s volleyball tournament. Since Siesta Key is one of our favorite places, I’m recapping those days today.

Father’s Day Sunday:

We were up very early (which was honestly, unfortunately, a theme of most days on this trip) on Father’s Day to catch our 9:30 flight from Lexington to Orlando. The flight ended up being delayed a bit, but it was a direct flight, and we landed around 11:30. We had to rent a car and then drive the couple of hours to Siesta Key. Traffic was pretty bad for most of the way, but we arrived at the house we rented by late afternoon.

We typically stay at Trav’s aunt’s house, but her grand-daugther was there with friends during the time we were there.

No problem though because Travis does a good job finding places for us to stay. This house’s name was “White Wake.” It had three bedrooms, and was spacious and really nice!

This was the view in the backyard. The house had a pool and was on the canal which was lovely.

We settled in, unpacked, and even “rested our eyes” for a few minutes before heading to one of our favorite places…The Daiquiri Deck!

We got a drink and a few apps before going to the Siesta Key Market to pick up some grocery essentials.

We went back to the house and hung out for a bit. We decided since we were tired, we’d just eat at the house, so Trav went to Publix to grab some groceries.

I caught the sunset from the backyard, and we had tacos for dinner at home.

It had been a long travel day, so we had a low-key night at the house. College baseball was on as well as soccer, so we all hung out in the living room until going to bed.

Monday:

Three of us slept in on Monday (Trav is always an early riser), but when I got up, I enjoyed my coffee poolside.

Once Travis got back from his walk, he had a morning swim.

Then, we got packed up for the beach. Hayden wanted to go back to the Daiquiri Deck and also look for sandals, so Hadley and I headed to the beach. Trav joined us later.

Of course, it was HOT, but we appreciated the breeze and got in the water when needed.

I love reading with the sound of the ocean nearby.

Mid-afternoon, we headed back to the house, had a late lunch and swam in the pool for a bit. Then, it was time to get ready for dinner.

We went to Owen’s Fish House which is a restaurant in Sarasota that we’ve gone to through the years.

Meet Owen…

Both kids were “adventurous” with their meal selections. Hayden does like seafood, and he wanted to tackle the seafood boil on the menu. It is for two, so I split it with him. He almost mastered cracking the crab legs….almost.

Hadley only likes salmon and cocktail shrimp. She has had lobster bisque before, and liked it, so she said she wanted to try the lobster. She loved it. So, overall, it was a good meal!

We got back to the house, and I took a pic of Trav and the kids as a belated Father’s Day photo.

Hadley will always take a pic! ha!

Trav and I headed to the beach to catch the last few minutes of the sunset. This is always a favorite walk.

We got there just in time.

So so pretty!

We stayed for a few minutes, and as we walked back to the car, the sky was showing off!

Then, kids wanted ice cream, so we picked them up for that. Once back at the house, we settled in for the night.

Tuesday:

We had a very low-key Tuesday. The long travel day Sunday and the sun on Monday had us all seeking the shade. Well, not Hadley…she doesn’t shy away from the UV. haha

Anyway, we had a slow morning, and I spent time by the pool off and on throughout the day. I’d finished a book on Monday, so I was excited to start this one while on vacation…

Later, Trav and the kids went out to lunch, but I stayed home and had leftovers.

Hayden and I watched some soccer…

Then, Trav and Hayden went to get oysters at Siesta Key Oyster Bar…another tradition of theirs.

Before we had taco dinner at the house, I snapped a pic of the kids…

Then, Trav and I headed to Turtle Beach for the sunset. It was about a twenty minute drive, but it’s my favorite beach. It’s a short walk to the sand, and it’s not very crowded.

My favorite view:

We brought chairs and were there for about an hour. It was so lovely.

I collected a few seashells like I always do when we go to the beach. I didn’t snap a pic of them until we get home, but then I added them to this vase I have in our sun room.

Look at all the seashells I’ve collected through the years:

Once back at the house, we spent some time out back…

….while waiting on the laundry to be finished. Then, it was a somewhat early bedtime because we had to leave by 6:00 on Wednesday morning to head to Orlando.

It was a quick couple of days, but I’m glad we made it happen. We’d hoped to go a day earlier, but we had to go to Trav’s cousin’s wedding on that Saturday before Father’s Day. So, we made the most of the time we had at the beach.

Trav and Hayden hadn’t been to Siesta Key since 2020, and Hadley and I went a couple of years ago for a few days. Since our fall break beach tradition, we’ve mostly moved away from beach vacations in the summer since it’s so hot, and we’ve been spoiled by the temps in the fall. That being said, it was nice to have a couple of days in Siesta Key.

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

Here’s a look back at the first time the kids went to Siesta Key. We drove that very long drive and arrived late at night. They were up early the next morning, and they couldn’t wait to check out the beach. That’s the pic on the left! Hayden was still in his PJs!

One more flashback Friday in honor of the 4th of July…here are the kids on their first 4th of July in 2010. Pinchy cheek cute!

Weekly Recap:

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

I hope you have a great weekend celebrating America’s 250th birthday!

Posted in Friday Favorites, Kids

Friday Favorites {#304}

Hello and happy Friday!

I can’t believe I’ve already had two full weeks of summer. I felt like the school year would never end, and of course, now I don’t want the summer to go by too quickly. Surprisingly, so far, most days have moved at just the right pace with some downtime, productivity and other odds and ends.

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

I have quite a few favorites this week…

One thing about teenage boys is they both drive you crazy but also make you so proud. Hayden took it upon himself to reach out to a local basketball league (that he played with for years!) to see if he could help coach one of the summer league teams.

I have to be honest and say that at first I felt anxiety when he told us he was doing this…only because he had to communicate with parents, not be too intense as a coach (ha!), and keep up with the commitment.

One stop at Dick’s Sporting Goods for a whistle, a coaching dry erase board and some cones, and he was on his way.

Of course, I shouldn’t have worried. He’s stayed on top of this responsibility.

Coach White is coaching a fifth grade team, and they are 1-1 after their first weekend of playing. I hope to catch one of his games, but a friend sent me this pic as Hayden was coaching against her son’s team.

Speaking of Hayden, the baseball team had their banquet this week, and Hayden won the “Most Improved Player” for the JV team. What makes this honor even better is that it was voted on by his teammates. We all really enjoyed this re-entry into baseball life more than we thought we would.

I shared in Monday’s post that I’m obsessing over these new candles. I shared the lemon ones, but I also got a box of these pretty blue flowers too.

The lemon box with a Sweet Lemon candle is what’s on my coffee table right now.

I gave my mom one of those watercolor books for Christmas (I purchased it at local store, but I believe it’s this one that I also found online) as she’s pretty creative. She’s been painting quite a bit, and she knows my love of hydrangeas, so she sent me one of her creations. Last week, I was at Target, and found the perfect frame for it.

Speaking of flowers, it’s peony season at Trader Joe’s. Yay!

We had beautiful weather this week which meant I had three pool days!

Hadley’s been out and about and even played pickleball with a friend.

On Monday, we went to my brother’s house for cookie cake and to celebrate his birthday.

My friend texted me a couple of items in the “Aldi Finds” aisle that she thought I’d love, so I went there on Wednesday. While there, I spotted my favorite flavor of Chobani creamer, and it was even a bit cheaper than at Target. I grabbed a couple of them!

Now, on to the fave finds.

Uh…how cute are these icon glass candles? There were quite a few, but I picked up strawberry and gummy bear ones. I’ve been burning the strawberry one, and it’s heavenly!

Then, I also picked up one of these red/white/blue Popsicle icon glasses. There were quite a few options, but I showed restraint and just got this one.

Somehow, it made my morning coffee even better!

It’s not fall, but look at the lovely heart leaf I found by the pool. What a pleasant surprise.

Yesterday was such a rainy day that I let myself be lazy for most of the morning. I’d added Ticket to Paradise to my Netflix list and figured yesterday morning was the perfect time to watch it. This movie might just be a new favorite of mine. I love Julia Roberts and George Clooney, and this movie didn’t disappoint!

Favorite Mom Meme:

Happy summer! (LOL!)

Weekly Recap:

I had a few posts this week if you’re interested:

I hope you have the best weekend!

Posted in Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#303}

Hello and happy Friday!

Well, with the first full week of summer under my belt, I can say that I’m settling in nicely to some much needed downtime!

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

Here are some favorites from the week…

First of all, last Friday, I packed up my classroom for the summer. This doesn’t take too long, but this year it seemed to take less time thanks to a few extra shelves and the storage room I have in my classroom. If you didn’t know, the custodians pull out most of the furniture to wax the floors during the summer months, but I have a couple of permanent bookshelves, so it was nice to just stack things on them, and then I was able to put other things in the storage room.

Hadley and friends had the best time at the Railbird Festival. Last year, she only went one day, and this year she went on both Saturday and Sunday. While I would have loved the live music, I would not have loved the heat and thousands of people! Trav actually went Saturday night with his brother to hear Mt. Joy and the Lumineers.

Sunday was another fun day for her and the main headliners were Zach Top, Ella Langley, and Tyler Childers. She said Sunday was more crowded, but she had a great time.

Also, Hadley had a vision for her Railbird outfits (lol!) Sunday’s outfit is all Amazon. We bought these boots last year, and she’s worn them many times for hours on end, and says her feet haven’t hurt at all (of course, she has young feet!) (For some reason, I can’t link them, but the brand is Coconuts by Matisse, gaucho style) Her knit ruffle shorts, and peplum waffle knit top were just what she was wanted to be stylish but comfy! (The dress she wore Saturday is from Altar’d State, and it’s one I know she’ll wear time and time again)

I’ve been enjoying slow mornings with breakfasts on my new fave plates.

I’ve had porch reading time every day this week…

…as well as some pool reading time.

Travis has continued the front yard landscaping. He wasn’t going to tackle this part, but decided to go ahead and just do it. He and Hayden ripped out the boxwoods, and then Trav planted a variety of bushes and flowers. Thankfully, we’ve had some rain this week, so it hasn’t been a full time job getting everything watered.

I’m loving my new rechargeable lamp from the At Home store. It’s the perfect addition to the end of our hallway.

Fave Mom Meme:

Hadley always knows when it’s the best UV time. haha!

Weekly Recap:

While I seem to be posting late most days, I had some posts this week:

I hope you have a great summer weekend!

Posted in Friday Favorites, Kids, School

Friday Favorites {#302}: Last Day of School

Hello and happy Friday!

TGIF! Well, this morning my alarm clock is going off one more time as a faculty meeting stands between me and summer break. Yesterday, I cleaned out my room and prepped it for summer, then my school’s graduation was in the afternoon. It was a nice ceremony as always, and it’s hard to believe I will have two graduates in two more years!

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

This post will be short and sweet because your girl is tired, and the only favorite I need at the moment is that…

I wrangled the kids for the last day of school photos in the afternoon…

Truth be told, their summer started a bit earlier than mine thanks to some early finals and exemptions…Hayden did have two finals on Wednesday, but Hadley’s last final was Monday.

Anyway, the last day of school photo tradition had to continue no matter what…

First day of sophomore year…

I joked that we were “marked safe” from sophomore year because truly it felt like a marathon there at the end and we were surviving more than thriving. But, we made it to the finish line.

I was so bitter about being in school in June that I refused to put my June date on the board…Monday-Wednesday this week were known as June 32nd, 33rd, and 34th. haha

Being in school in June should never be an option. I know we had a crazy January/February with two weeks off due to the weather. My frustration is that we left five NTI days on the table that we could have used. I knew once the end of the year got pushed to June, attendance would be spotty…for students and for teachers. We had so many teachers that were out the last three days because they were doing AP grading, there were kids out because families had planned vacations and so on. By Wednesday, I had maybe ten students in every class. We give final exams the last few days, but students can take them early and some teachers give them early. Anyway, I hope we have a better plan for next year.

I know many areas of the country have school into June, but I believe they go back later. I will be back to school on August 5th, and I just know that will be here before I know it.

Favorite Mom Meme:

Ugh!

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

This sweet memory from 2012 popped up on Facebook, and I love it so much. These kids are all still friends, and the other set of boy/girl twins just graduated high school last week! Hadley is still really good friends with the other little girl; I’m friends with both of their moms. We don’t all see each other like we used to when we taught in the same building, but I love that we’ve watched the kids grow up together.

Share Our Lives:

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

This month’s topic is…emojis used most often. This will be a fun post to read…I love to use an emoji!

Weekly Recap:

Here are my posts from the week:

I hope you have the best summer weekend. I’m looking forward to not setting an alarm, enjoying the sunshine, and getting my life together after the end of the school year busyness.

Posted in Amazon, Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#301}

Hello and happy Friday!

After the past few days with our state testing, I’m definitely ready for the weekend. Actually, I’m also ready for a regular day of school which we have today. Then, I’m definitely ready for the three day weekend.

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

Here are a few favorites from the week…

Last weekend, we were in Indianapolis for Hadley’s volleyball tournament. While they played ok on Saturday, the team locked in on Sunday and won the silver bracket. They really have come a long way this season, and Hadley has had a lot of fun playing with these girls.

Tuesday, we didn’t have school thanks to Election Day. Honestly, after being gone most of the weekend, I was “living” for this day off. It was nice to sleep in a bit and have a slow morning. I treated myself to a Dunkin Donut coffee after running a few errands.

I voted…

We watched lots of baseball this week too. While Hayden’s JV season is over, the varsity team had the district tournament. They played Tuesday and Wednesday nights. The weather was so rainy all of Wednesday, but it held off for most of the game. The craziest thing happened …with only one half inning left to go, the power went out! It was out for over an hour, and it got darker and darker outside. We headed home, but the power finally came back on, and they played the final half inning. We won the district championship game!

Favorite Mom Meme:

This one definitely hits home!

With Memorial Day weekend coming up, it’s the unofficial (or is it the official?!) start to summer. Anyway, I figured it was the perfect time to share some of my favorite summer staples. It seems I share a similar post most years, and some of these items have made the list for many years while others are new finds.

I’ve raved about these sandals more than once, and Hadley and I have each own two pairs through the years. I turn to these more than I do my Birks. I do size up one full size.

These Havianas from Nordstrom are my absolute favorite, and I have two pairs of them that I’ve had for years.

This one shoulder swimsuit is another one I’ve had a for a few years; I might just pick it up in another color!

I have a couple colors of this lightweight swim cover up. When I wash it, I do let it hang dry as it’s easy to shrink, but I love the cut and pockets. Unfortunately, it seems there is only one color way available now (in size small), but here’s a similar one, and this longer Cupshe version has caught my eye!

If you prefer a sleeve, this cover up that I have could also double as a summer dress!

This longer sleeve cover up is a new find for me, and but I was pleasantly surprised by the style and fabric; it seems easy to dress up or down if needed.

This maxi dress is one of my favorites. I’m honestly surprised I haven’t ordered it in another color. I wear it often in the summer, and then I also wear it with a cardigan during the school year.

I love a good hat to wear at the pool or at the beach, and I have a couple including this one with a strap. I usually tuck the strap up, but it does come in handy on a windy day or while on a boat. I also wear this visor often too; it rolls up and is so easy to pack.

These sunglasses are some of my favorites…so much so that when I lost the gold rimmed pair, I bought them again!

This is my newest pair and the ones that I’ve been wearing the most recently. I love the tortoise pattern and rectangle shape, but there are other options.

I tend to have sunglasses in my car, in my purse, in my house, in my pool bag, etc., so it’s nice to have options.

A few summers ago, I became a Turkish towel girl; we only have two, so I ordered a couple more recently. The original ones I ordered a couple years ago weren’t in stock, but I bought two of these, and they seem to be great quality. I love how quickly Turkish towels dry and they seem easier to pack!

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

As we kick off summer, I love this look back at the kids’ first pool days. This plastic pool was the best $30 we ever spent. Our previous house had a screened in porch, so we spent so much time out there. We’d fill that pool up and they’d splash around. Such sweet memories!

Weekly Recap:

Here are my posts from the week…

I hope you have a great weekend.

It looks like we’re going to have a soggy one! Summer will be here before we know it.

Posted in Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#300}

Hello and happy Friday!

How was your week?! Mine was good, but obviously a little much considering I’m just now posting today’s Friday Favorites.

As always, I’m linking up with Andrea to share some favorites from the week. #betterlatethannever

Here are some favorites from the week…

I had a few more Teacher Appreciation Week gifts! My students are so thoughtful…

On Sunday, I watched Remarkably Bright Creatures, and I loved it as much as I loved the book (one of my fave reads in 2023!) I plan on watching it again soon!

For Mother’s Day, I got some flowers. So funny story – Hadley gave them to me Sunday night, and when I went to put them in a vase, I asked Trav where she got them because they were droopy. He said, “She bought them yesterday (over 24 hours before) and I wondered where she put them.” lol –uhh…apparently, she didn’t put them in water! I didn’t say anything to her, and they perked up a bit once they got in water. They’ve hung on for the week.

Also for Mother’s Day, I got my front porch ferns!

Trav did some planting this week, including the front porch pots. The flowers look so pretty. I asked him to make sure and buy flowers using the “filler, thriller, spiller” rule, and he understood the assignment.

He’s also made some progress with the front yard area…

The JV baseball team wrapped up their season this week. Hayden was the starting pitcher for the last game on Monday night. Hayden pitched almost four full innings (they only played five since it was a late start due to senior night), and pitched the best he has all season. In a great team effort, they won 12-2 to cap off the season.

Isn’t this 2019 memory timely?! Same but different for sure!

I didn’t know what to expect when Hayden made the decision to take up baseball again, and baseball season is no joke! He typically had games, practices, hitting or lessons six out of seven days a week. He kept up with it all, drove himself where he needed to be, and really seemed to enjoy being a part of the team. (He only wore the wrong pants once! haha!)

Hadley’s Adv. Foods class was featured on the school’s social media page…bread week! Why couldn’t bread week be during Teacher Appreciation Week?!

Favorite Mom Meme:

If I really need them to answer me, I will send them a Snapchat…they don’t want to lose that streak!

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

Since I was on the topic of baseball, this sweet 2018 Facebook memory also stopped my scroll! Trav’s brother took this pic, and I love it so much.

Weekly Recap:

I had a couple of posts this week:

I hope you have a lovely weekend!

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 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 Friday Favorites, Kids, Travel

Friday Favorites {#297}

Hello and happy Friday!

Long time, no talk! Life has been “life-ing” around here, but I’m happy to link up with Andrea for this week’s Friday Favorites.

Here are a few recent favorites

Last week, Hadley and I spent a few days in Isle of Palms/Charleston, SC. I plan to do a proper recap, but here are a few favorite pics…

Beautiful sunrise…

Pretty walks on the beach…

Dinners as the sun sets…

Happy Hadley!

Shopping on King Street with friends…

Hayden’s baseball photos came in, and I had quite a few favorites including this one…

Last Friday, the weather was beautiful, and I went to my brother’s house to watch the Artemis landing…we sat on the back patio which was nice.

Hadley and friends headed to Keeneland on Sunday. They looked so lovely, and their sunglasses game is strong!

…and Trav was in charge! Hadley had fun with her dad!

Favorite Mom Meme:

Honestly, this now applies to their car too. lol

Short and sweet, but I wanted to write a Friday post since it had been a minute.

I hope you have a great weekend!