Hello and happy Friday!

Also, happy St Patrick’s Day! We don’t have school today, and I’m glad to not be there on a day when people like to pinch if you aren’t wearing green. haha

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

Well, we’ve been in a weather slump this week…this meme is appropriate:

Losing an hour of sleep has made me feel extra tired this week.

That being said, here are some favorites from the week:

Favorite Food:

I decided to embrace the colder weather and plan some hearty meals. This week we ate:

• Chili
• Shredded chicken sandwiches
• Chicken spaghetti

Other Faves:

*Hadley brought home some artwork this week. You know…in middle school, they don’t bring things home like they did in elementary school. I thought her sea turtle was so cute.

*On Monday, I had my annual mammogram. While I don’t love that appointment, I felt relieved to receive good results. Friendly reminder to make that appointment.

*Most evenings this week we didn’t have much going on past 6:00. It was a brief reprieve from what sometimes feels like a non-stop schedule.

*Both kids made the track team this week! They were excited and are looking forward to a fun season. Track meets don’t start until after Spring Break, so we’ll have a couple more weeks of mostly free evenings.

*My MIZZOU Tigers won their first game of the tournament. Who knows how far they will go, but they are such a fun team to watch. I’m glad they’ve made it another round!

*Last night, Hayden’s basketball team had their end of season banquet. It was fun to celebrate them after a successful season.

Favorite Kid Quote:

I’ve said before that Hayden and Hadley couldn’t be any different if they tried. Hadley still has lots of energy at the end of the day. Wednesday night, she was showing us a dance routine and telling us what a great day she had.

Hayden walked in the room, and without missing a beat, she said “Hi! best friend.” He definitely gave her the side eye before rolling his eyes 😆 Sometimes, he doesn’t know what to do with her.

Favorite Mom Meme:

This is very relatable:

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday

In honor of March Madness, here’s Hayden with his bracket in 2016. He still love this time of the year.

Weekly Recap:

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

What are your weekend plans? The kids have indoor track and Hadley has volleyball this weekend. On Sunday, I’m going to make corned beef, cabbage, and Irish soda bread. We can’t wait!

See you back here on Monday!

Hello and Happy Friday!

How was your week? Ours was memorable to say the least, but we got through it.

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

Here are some favorites from the week:

My first favorite of the week : was when the electricity (finally!) turned back on after four days due to the storms that blew through last Friday. We’d been using flameless candles for light and the fireplace for warmth for days. Then, the power clicked back on Tuesday night. Right in time for us to go to bed 😆

Friends who bring coffee are definitely a favorite… (as are friends and family who offered their homes for us to hang and charge our electronics)

My Kindle was definitely a favorite this week as it was my main source of entertainment. Even with the power back on, we still don’t have internet, so that means no tv or computer at home. The fireplace was perfect for knocking the chill out in the mornings and evenings.

I did enjoy our night at the hotel. We had dinner out, a hot breakfast, a good night’s sleep, and we were able to charge up what we needed to.

Sorry for another Kindle photo (I told you…it was the real MVP of the week). The warm weather was a favorite for sure. The kids were able to play outside quite a bit, and I spent time on the front porch. It was warmer outside than in the house. That being said, the temps have cooled off significantly, and I’m glad most people have their power restored.

The flameless candles provided light the couple hours we were home before bed.

The utility workers working around the clock were a favorite. I know we had crews working from other states, and it was very much appreciated.

Well, unfortunately, we lost all our fridge and freezer food (which obviously isn’t a favorite) After cleaning it all out on Sunday night, we continued to…

…eat out for five days. I decided to embrace it because we only usually eat out on the weekends. From pizza (and wine!) Friday night with friends to Starbucks runs, Jimmy Johns sandwiches at the track meet, pizza with Hadley and her friend on Monday night and family dinner at one of our favorite Mexican restaurants on Tuesday night, we made do.

Also, Kroger Clicklist continues to be a life saver. On Wednesday morning, I went to Kroger early for coffee creamer, milk, breakfast for the kids, and lunch for me. Then, later in the day, I decided to make the dinner that Andrea shared on her blog. In my order, I added those ingredients for dinner Wednesday and Thursday night along with some other things I knew we needed. Then, this weekend, I will regroup and figure out exactly what we need to replace in the fridge.

While I hate that so much food was wasted, since it was the end of the week when the power went out, I didn’t have tons of food in the fridge. There were probably some things, like condiments, I could have kept, but I just figured it’s probably good to start fresh.

Trav’s Lexington group had a great track meet in Louisville on Sunday. Hayden ran the 1500 and 800 and had PR’s for both. We’re proud of him, and I know Travis is proud of his runners!

Favorite Mom Memes:

This made me LOL:

Weekly Recap:

I had a few posts this week including an Amazon round up, dance mom stuff, and “pro tips” for surviving a few days without power.

Not Just a Mom:

On Monday, it’s time for our Not Just a Mom link up.

If you are a blogger, we’d love to have you share your “Day in the life: weekend edition” on Monday.

What are your weekend plans? We actually don’t have much going on…and I need to maximize the time I have this weekend to get back on track with laundry, meal planning, and more.

I hope you have a great weekend. Thanks so much for reading.

Hello and Happy Friday!

How was your week? We had a pretty good one…starting with a three day weekend which is always nice! Of course, our week included basketball, volleyball, dance, and schoolwork! Pretty typical as of late.

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

Here are some favorites from the week:

Starting the week with no school on Monday was definitely a favorite for all of us. After being pretty lazy on Sunday, I was very productive on Monday. Also, the weather was so nice and Hadley was feeling better which meant the kids played outside with friends quite a bit.

On Monday, I finished the Beachbody program LIIFT 4. I really enjoyed it! It’s eight weeks of workouts, four days a week. I always feel accomplished after completing one of these programs.

On Monday, we baked our February cake, we made Shay’s Red Velvet Bundt Cake.

Like last month, Hadley did the baking and decorating. We actually did make homemade cream cheese icing, and Hadley did a fancy drizzle! Nothing Bundt Cakes better watch out!

Kind of random, but when I went to start this post, I realized that yesterday was my 750th blog post. That feels like quite the accomplishment! I still love writing posts when I can and am grateful to still squeeze in the time to write pretty frequently.

The weather this week has been glorious. I have so many windows, that it’s nice to have all the natural light…and have my classroom windows open when I can.

No photo, but Hayden had an important ortho appointment yesterday. Eight weeks from now, he gets to get his braces off. His treatment plan was for 2.5 years, and that will make it a couple of months past that. I can’t wait to see his new smile in just a couple of months. Hopefully, he will let me take a photo! 😂

Third time is the charm…I finally had dinner with my friend Natalie last night at one of my favorite Lexington restaurants. We’ve been trying to get together for over a month, but she was sick, then I was sick…and last night we finally got the chance to catch up.

Gnocchi is my favorite, and if it’s on the menu, then I always order it.

Favorite Mom Meme:

This feels very relatable right now. Nothing super out of the ordinary, but honestly, this past year has probably been one of the hardest phases of parenting. We’re all just trying our best around here.

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

I love this Facebook memory from 2014. Hayden was up past his bedtime, and I found him in his bedroom under his train table. The “funder” had scared him, so he got his construction worker hat with the light.

Just a sweet note: but when Hayden was little, he would call the electrical trucks “streamer trucks.” Finally, one day I asked him why he called them that and he said because the electrical wires look like streamers.

Too sweet.

Weekly Recap:

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

What are your weekend plans? My kids have been counting down to Outer Banks season 3, and I think they plan on watching some (all?) of it tonight. This weekend, Hadley has her first dance competition of the season. I can’t wait to see her dances. She’s in four this year!

See you back here on Monday!

Hello and Happy Friday.

I’m not sure I’ve ever been more ready for a three day weekend than I am now!

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

Here are some favorites from the week:

Favorite Pic:

I love this pic of the kids before the 7th grade dance last Friday. {Real talk: it took some convincing for one of these two to pose for a photo…I will let you guess who!)

Favorite Moment:

We were all so excited with the Chiefs winning the Super Bowl!

Favorite Food:

It may sound silly but these heart shaped nuggets hit the spot for our family Valentine’s Day dinner. Honestly, we only had a few minutes together, but we all loved nuggets and mac and cheese for our festive dinner.

Also, when the kids were decorating football cookies with my mom, she had a few heart cookies too. I decorated one and promptly ate it. It was cute and tasty!

Favorite Kid Quote:

During the 4th quarter of the very intense Super Bowl, Hayden kept checking his watch. Eventually, he told me that his heart rate was 110. He was stressed. haha

Other Faves:

How cute is the cross stitch that my mom made me? She knows I love the Golden Girls, and this was my Valentine’s Day gift.

Hadley had a big day of volleyball last Saturday. She’s playing a short season of volleyball on a club team. She had three games on Saturday. They came up short in the championship game, but they’ve only had a couple of practices. It will be fun to see them progress over the next few weeks.

Basketball has continued for Hayden. Actually, his middle school season is almost over which is hard to believe. He had two games this week, and I was able to go to his game Wednesday night which was a really good one.

My Valentine’s Day card for T-rav was a favorite. He has always written my name in bubble letters. haha

How cute is this filly that was born at Trav’s work this week…born right before Valentine’s Day with a white heart on her head.

Not a fave was being sick this week, but I did get to watch two cute movies. One Fine Day is one of my all time faves…and then I also watched Your Place or Mine. I have about thirty minutes left of it, but it was cute.

Favorite Mom Meme:

This one made me chuckle. I do love a family game night when we can…but I usually have to put a time limit on it from the beginning.

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

I remember taking this pic in 2017 before Hadley went to the her first dad/daughter dance with Travis. I joked that I’d hoped it wasn’t what foreshadowing prom 2027 with Hadley out and about and Hayden at home. haha

Well, I blinked and they went to the 7th grade dance. This was definitely a timely memory.

Weekly Recap:

I was back on track with posting this week.

What are your weekend plans? Honestly, we don’t have a ton going on. Well, this evening and tomorrow we have plans…but then not much on Sunday or Monday!

I hope you have a great weekend.

Hello and Happy Friday! I don’t think I’ve been so ready for a weekend in a long time.

You know I try to be positive, but shew…my first favorite is that this week is almost over. I’ve been at school most days until past 5:30, we’ve had busy evenings, and we’ve all taken turns not feeling 100%.

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

Here are a few favorites from the week:

Hadley helped me with a big Save-a-lot shopping trip to get snacks for the after school credit recovery session I was in charge of this week at school. We had two carts full of snacks.

We had lots of basketball over the past week. Besides Hayden’s regular season games, his team also played in a tournament this past weekend. Their team is fun to watch.

Favorite photo:

…and the team and individual pics came in this week too. I love this one of Hayden.

Favorite kid quote:

The kids’ school is doing a fund raiser for school improvements, and it’s the one where it sends out email blasts asking for donations. My brother’s text to Hadley was so funny…as was her response!

Kids these days will never know about selling coupon books. haha

Favorite recipe:

I tried a new recipe this week. This Cheeseburger Pasta recipe was a quick, easy, and delicious weeknight meal. We even had some for leftovers last night.

Favorite Mom Meme:

My kids are eating me out of house and home. I just go to the grocery once a week, and by the time I go, we really need more food.

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday

This isn’t that far back of a “throwback,” but I was changing out my sports pics at school…Hayden in 6th grade vs. 7th grade just blows my mind. I know he’s growing up, but the side by side comparison shocked me!

Also, in honor of the Chiefs going back to the Super Bowl, here’s a throwback to 2020 with our little Chiefs fans before the 2019 season win.

Weekly Recap:

It was a short blogging week for me, but I joined a couple of link ups:

Not Just a Mom:

On Monday, we have our second Not Just a Mom link up of the year, and the topic is: house rules.

If you have a blog, we’d love to have you join us!

What are your weekend plans? The kids have the 7th grade dance and Hadley has volleyball.

Then, of course, we’ll be cheering on the Chiefs this Sunday! Fingers crossed for a Super Bowl win…or no one will want to be around Hayden on Monday. haha