Hello! Shew…this week has been exhausting. I’m so happy that it’s almost the weekend. I hope you’ve had a great first week of March. I saw this meme and thought it was very timely 😂
This week was nice with family visiting and beautiful weather, but with kids’ activities and return to in person learning, I feel like I usually feel those first few weeks of August! The “Back to School” exhaustion is real!
As always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites post.
Today, I’m sharing a random assortment of favorites!
Travis made a “deal” with Hayden and and his friend that if they scored a combined 40 points in their four games last weekend, he’d buy them dinner. Their teams ended the weekend 3-1, and the boys scored a combined 43 points. Hayden was excited. The meal is still TBD, but it was fun to watch them play their games.
Sunday night, Hadley packed her lunch for the pod on Monday. I didn’t check on it until Monday morning, and saw that she’d packed Easter candy, a crumbled up chocolate Cliff bar, two Hawaiian rolls, pepperoni and…more pepperoni. The random assortment made me laugh.
The kids requested Air Fryer donuts on Tuesday morning. After I made them, I sat them on the counter with my coffee, and caught the sun light shining! So pretty…and the donuts were delish.
Homer had his yearly check up and shots this week. Pooks weighs almost 55 lbs…I honestly thought he’s weigh more than that. He’s certainly our favorite.
My dad usually visits around St. Patrick’s Day, so I typically make corned beef, cabbage, and Irish soda bread. While we still have a couple of weeks until March 17th, I went ahead and made our traditional feast on Tuesday since he was in town. Honestly, the Irish soda bread is my fave.
My dad visiting was a favorite of the week. He always asks for a pic with the kids all lined up on the front porch steps…and then my brother and I hopped in for a quick photo.
Due to Covid, we haven’t seen our Missouri family as often as we usually do. Now, it’s my mom’s turn to visit.
The final pod photo was also a favorite of the week. On Tuesday, the kids all had pizza for lunch, and then were sent home with fresh baked cookie and a sweet note from their pod teacher.
Our “Back to School” breakfast was a fave. Of course, that tradition is usually in August, but I decided to serve up donuts, yogurts, and juice boxes for their return to in person learning on Wednesday.
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Hadley’s “Back to School” light up sign was so fun. She was definitely in the “back to school” spirit.
Hadley’s email to me on their first day back was the highlight of my week.
Then, I received the sweetest email from school with their photos! I missed them more than I thought I would on Wednesday. Of course, I was excited for them to get back to school, but we really have been together most days over the past year, so it felt odd not having them around.
My new New Balance shoes arrived this week, and they are definitely a favorite. I ordered them from Joe’s New Balance Outlet, and I’ve used that site before with great success. These are even cuter in person than I expected them to be…and I got them for a great price…(which is always a favorite!)
Favorite Mom Meme:
These memes cracked me up when I saw them this week…
This is SO true in my house!
Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday
This sweet pic of the kids playing at the park is from March 2013 is a favorite from the past. Hadley’s little pink Chucks are the best!
Weekly Recap:
Here are my posts from this week in case you missed one!
Hey! Hey! We made it to Friday. I can’t get over the difference in weather in a matter of just one week. Last week, the kids were sledding and our streets were covered in ice and snow. This week, Hayden has been excited to wear shorts most days and both kids haven’t needed their winter coat!
I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites post.
As I occasionally do, I’m sharing the “little” moments as favorites this week. Here’s a look at some small, but meaningful, moments from the week:
Sunday:
On Sunday, the sun was (finally) shining, and the snow began to melt! We needed the milder temps after 2+ weeks of frigid temperatures and ongoing winter weather events.
Monday:
On Monday, I started Muscle Burns Fat: Advanced. I did Muscle Burns Fat earlier in the month, and I loved the program. Since the beginning of January, I’ve lost almost 6 total inches and a few pounds, so I’m hoping MBFA will help me keep chipping away at my #quarantine15!
Tuesday:
Hadley started attending the God’s Girls Reading Group at our church. It was fun picking her and two friends up afterwards and hearing about how the session went for them. The “mini chapters” in this book are perfect for Hadley and provide opportunities for some nice conversations.
Wednesday:
With in person learning on the horizon, the kids’ pod teacher gave them this sweet gift on Wednesday. I love a good hashtag: #podsquadforever
Hand sanitizer, Kleenex, pencils, and a candy necklace…perfect for 5th graders in 2021! I know they will always remember their time at pod, and we are thankful to have had that option and experience.
Another favorite from Wednesday, was I was able to catch up with one of my friends! We met at Agave and Rye for their Happy Hour specials. We had a great time catching up, sipping margs, and eating chips and queso!
Thursday:
My candle pedestal from The Nested Fig arrived a couple weeks ago. The small wreath I ordered from Amazon arrived and was the perfect finishing touch for the candle and pedestal.
I’m enjoying slow mornings at home with this ButterscotchToffee scented candle from Bath and Body Works while I can.
I also tried cinnamon rolls in the Air Fryer, and they were a hit! Well…for Hayden and Travis, anyway. Hadley doesn’t like cinnamon rolls. (crazy, but true!) They were ready in five minutes. Five minute cinnamon rolls isn’t necessarily a reason to buy an Air Fryer, but I am appreciating being able to make some breakfast favorites during the week instead of just on the weekends.
Favorite Mom Meme:
That mom life though…
Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday
February 2013 when Hadley came to school with me for a few hours. I loved when she let me put her hair in little pigtails!
Weekly Recap:
Here are my posts from this week in case you are interested…
Also, I feel like I have a bit of the “blogging blahs…” #workingtitle
Let me know if there are any topics or ideas that you have that you are interested in reading about or that you’ve seen other bloggers share. I always plan around certain link ups or some of my regular posts like books, meals, memes and other ideas, but I’d love to hear some new fresh ideas!
This weekend we have four basketball games to keep us busy, Hayden has also started back with baseball, and Hadley’s working hard on her competition dance routines. We’re also gearing up for in person learning next week, so I feel like there won’t be much rest to be had over the next couple of weeks.
I hope you have a great weekend. Thanks so much for reading,
Hello and Happy Friday! This has felt like such a long week. Sometimes I feel like when we have a Monday off, the week seems longer! Also, since we’ve been mostly home all week due to the weather, some days feel like the length of two!
I’m not sure if Andrea and Erika are hosting their weekly Friday Favorites post as I know they’ve been without power and haven’t posted much this week. My thoughts are with those throughout the country dealing with the ongoing winter weather.
I feel blessed that we have had power all week, and that storms two and three in the past week brought more snow than ice here in Kentucky!
Here are some of my favorites from the week.
Favorite Moment:
My favorite moment from the week was that we had an actual SNOW DAY on Tuesday. We received the phone call on Monday afternoon that we’d have a good old fashioned, non-virtual learning, snow day! It was so nice to know we didn’t have to set alarms, we could be lazy most of the day, and we could just take a break from virtual learning.
I try to stay pretty positive on here, but let me just say that I needed a break from being teacher/mom/home school teacher, and Tuesday provided just that.
We still had some snow and ice on the ground from the storm last Thursday, and then Monday-Tuesday, we got quite a few more inches of snow.
Favorite Pic:
My favorite pic is of this Snow Squad with their brightly colored sleds! Travis wins dad of the year for taking these kids sledding on Tuesday. They had so much fun.
Favorite Food:
My two favorite foods from the week both included biscuits, cinnamon, and sugar, so what’s not to love?!
On Monday morning, I made Bev’sCinnamon Biscuit Bake. It was just the right amount for the four of us to have for breakfast, and it was so good.
In my Tuesday Talk post earlier in the week, I asked for Air Fryer ideas, and a couple of friends told me about Air Fryer donuts. I made them yesterday for us to have for breakfast. They were so good, and I made them in less than ten minutes from start to finish!
Favorite Clothing Item:
I was on the hunt for some black joggers. I found these on Amazon a couple of weeks ago, and have been wearing them quite often. They are comfy and stylish. I’ve worn with with tennis shoes, but I even wore them with a sweater and my leopard flats to church last week.
Favorite Kid Quote:
Hadley cracked me up on Sunday night as she headed for bed. She thanked me for a great Valentine’s Day and said, “Happy Valentine’s Day, mom or as us single people say, “Happy Gal-entine’s Day!” I couldn’t stop laughing!
Favorite Mom Meme:
Two favorite mom memes this week:
I feel this one deeply, y’all…
and this…although we don’t have stairs, so I make piles on the kitchen table that everyone ignores!
Other Faves from the Week:
I purchased a cookie decorating kit, and the kids decorated these for dessert one night. Hadley takes her time and tries to make the cookies look cute while Hayden tends to put on as much icing as he can!
One of the kids’ Valentine’s Day presents from us was the Bananagrams game. We’ve been playing it pretty often, and it’s even a game you can play by yourself!
Homer is still skittish coming up the stairs in the snow, but he sure loves to play in it!
Honestly, another favorite for me has been the snow. I love winter, and the snow has been so pretty. Of course, if we were without power or if I had to get out and drive in the weather because of work, I’d feel differently. The snow has been fun for the kids to play in (they’ve been able to sled three times this week!), and it’s certainly better than if we’d gotten tons of ice!
That being said, our extended forecast calls for 50 degree weather next week, and I’m definitely fine with that too after having so much winter weather the past two weeks!
snowflakes were *still* flying yesterday afternoon
Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday
This Kindergarten President’s Day craft popped up in my Facebook memories. Hayden as George Washington 😂…so funny and cute!
Weekly Recap:
Here are my posts from this week in case you missed one!
Well, we still have a couple days of cold temperatures and possibly a little more precipitation today, but then hopefully we will have a chance to recover from all of the winter weather.
Truly, I know that there are so many people dealing with loss of power, bursting pipes, treacherous travel situations (and more!) across the country. Prayers and warm wishes for those dealing with this unrelenting wintry weather.
Hello and happy Friday! Mother Nature stopped by Kentucky, and we woke up yesterday feeling like we were living in Arendelle. *Cue Elsa* “The cold never bothered me anyyyywayyy!” Well, we got more ice than snow and many people even lost power throughout the city. It looks like this may only be the beginning of some active winter weather over the next week.
Even with the cold and ice, I have plenty of favorites to share with you! Today, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites post.
Of course, our Chiefs losing the Super Bowl is definitely not a favorite, but…
our cute Chiefs fans,
delicious cookie cake, and…
festive cups were all favorites on Super Bowl Sunday.
It’s that time of the year where I’m burning the last of my winter Bath and Body Works candles. Peppermint, Gingerbread Cookie, and Winter are almost used up, so it was time for a few new candles to transition out of winter and into spring…
Butterscotch Toffee is perfect for February, and then Lavender Coconut and Eucalyptus Rain will be perfect for spring.
“Old-fashioned” stove top popcorn is a new favorite. Hadley had the idea last weekend to make popcorn in the Dutch oven, and it worked perfectly and popped so quickly! She made enough to feed an army!
Hadley is wrapping up Girl Scout cookie sales, and has sold a little over 500 boxes. About half of those were shipped, but we still had to sort and organize about 250 boxes for delivery! That’s how we spent some time yesterday. We all have a different favorite cookie, so the cookie temptation is real around here!
Watching Hayden play basketball is a favorite for sure! Most Saturdays are filled with two games. The time has flown by, and the season is almost over.
Free throw Boo!
One of my favorite traditions is sending family Valentine’s Day cards. They arrived just in time for me to mail them out to our loved ones.
front and back of card
The kids had a Valentine’s Day party at their school pod. Hayden kept his Valentines simple with Sour Patch Kids, but Hadley chose “You make life S’more fun” from the cute Valentine’s that Andrea created. I printed them at Walgreens, and then we used chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, and GoldenGrahams to make the mix. We had fun putting these together.
A favorite from the kids’ week was the party at the pod! They came home with lots of goodies.
I bought this sweet little pot of roses at Trader Joe’s, and it’s now a favorite Valentine’s Day touch in our house.
Not that .3 inches of ice is necessarily a favorite, but it is pretty to look at, and BONUS!— Travis was home with us yesterday. He doesn’t take many snow days, so it was nice to have him home…and have someone else in charge of lunch duty 😉
backyard with icicles and droopy branches
Yesterday, we used the recipe on the side of the box to make Golden Graham No Bake S’mores. I think we have a new favorite dessert! So easy and so delish. Hadley did most of this on her own!
Travis and I were supposed to go to dinner last night for Valentine’s Day, but like most restaurants, reservations were canceled. Maybe we can find a time to go out to dinner in the next couple of weeks?
Another favorite is that we’re looking forward to a three day weekend with no school on Monday!
Favorite Mom Meme:
I feel this deeply, y’all!
Weekly Recap:
Here are my posts from the week in case you missed one:
One more favorite from the week: This morning I’m going to get my second dose of the vaccine! Vaccine appointments were canceled yesterday, so I’m hoping appointments stay scheduled for today!
Thanks so much for reading. I hope you have a great weekend and a wonderful Valentine’s Day!
Hello and Happy Friday! We had a good week around here, but we are certainly ready for the weekend!
While we had some snow on the ground, the kids still had school, but their teachers gave them some time off of the computer to get outside and enjoy what would have been a couple of snow days. Of course, I’m happy they had that extra time for fun, but Monday and Tuesday just seemed never-ending; I guess because we weren’t following our regular routine.
It’s finally Friday, so I’m linking up with Andrea for this week’s Friday Favorites post.
I’m starting off with a few favorites from each day this week…
Sunday:
Hadley’s fruit plate made me smile. 1. because she did it all herself and…2. because it looked so pretty!
Monday:
3.5 inches of snow!
Homer and the kids had some fun out in the wintry weather and…
Hayden made a snow angel or two.
Tuesday:
Homer posed for a pic while wearing his Valentine’s Day scarf. He’ll do anything for a treat (except come inside after he has escaped from the backyard!)
Also, I saw this cute llama succulent at Kroger, and thought it would be cute in Hadley’s room. She likes to have a little plant in her room, and this is perfect on her bedside table.
Wednesday:
Amy had shared about how she recently made Two Ingredient Bagels. I turned to Google for a recipe, and these were so easy and delish. I made them Wednesday afternoon, and I will definitely make more this weekend. Everyone in the family loved them.
SO good!
Thursday:
Doesn’t every girl need her dog and disco ball light on while taking a math test?!? 😂
While I’m hopeful we will be back to school soon, I will miss this time home with them for little moments like these:
Favorite Kid Quote:
Earlier this week, I overheard Hayden, as he was hugging on Homer say, “Homer you have two jobs: to guard the house and look cute!” 😂 So sweet!
Favorite Food:
Well, our favorite food could be the bagels mentioned above, but our Girl Scout cookies came in, and we were all excited. We all have different faves: Hayden loves Lemonades, Travis prefers Caramel DeLites, Hadley enjoys Thin Mints (and Peanut Butter Patties), and I love the PB patties! The new cookie, the Toast-yay! is so good! Hadley sells until the end of the month, so I’m sure we’ll place another order since we can only gets these once a year!
Favorite Clothing Item:
This sweatshirt from @sweetmommablair ‘s Etsy shop arrived just in time for the Super Bowl…Go Chiefs!
Favorite Mom Meme:
This meme popped up in my Facebook memories, and I sure remember people asking me this when the kids were babies. I don’t get asked it as much anymore since Hadley’s about a head taller than Hayden! People probably just think they are close in age at this point…one minute apart to be exact.
BonusFave: Flashback Friday
Speaking of Facebook memories, this photo of Travis and Hadley popped up in my memories from 2017. It’s the first dad/daughter dance they went to a few years ago. This is the first year in four years there’s no dance. They always have so much fun with friends…both the daughters and the dads! This memory brought a tear to my eye. It’s such a special occasion for them, and I know they both love that event!
Weekly Recap:
I actually blogged all five days this week! In case you missed a post:
Hello and happy Friday! We’ve had a pretty good week around here! Of course, it helps that we started the week off with no school on Monday 😉 That being said, the week was pretty routine with school, work, and kids’ activities.
As always, I’m linking up with Erika and Andrea for this week’s Friday Favorites.
I decided to format my post a bit differently and share a favorite thing (or two) from each day this week. I thought it would be nice to appreciate the big and little things of our daily life.
Sunday
I started Sunday paying tribute to the Queen’s birthday with my favorite mug. Happy birthday to Betty White #99!
Then, we were all excited to see the Chiefs pull out a division win despite Mahomes getting injured.
Homer had his game face on as well as his Chiefs swag!
Monday
On Monday, we enjoyed the extra day off of the three day weekend. We were LAZY all morning. Finally, around 11:30 we got moving but still didn’t do much!
Hadley decided to start her cross stitch craft which was a blast from the past for me. I used to love cross stitching as a kid.
Tuesday
While I miss being at school, I do love having more time to eat lunch. While home for lunch, I tend to put together a variety of snack plates! Tuesdays are my low carb eating days, and I love loading up on cheese, and …
these Marcona Almonds from Trader Joe’s. Y’all, they are SO good!
Wednesday
On Wednesday, Hadley was excited to wear her new sweatshirt. She had a Valentine’s Day sweatshirt that she wore for almost four years! Finally, last year, I told her it was time to retire it. I found this one on Etsy from MelandMae’s shop! I got her a women’s small, so she will be able to wear it for a couple of years 😉
Thursday
This week was a big week around here! Teachers in our area started getting the first dose of the vaccine. I scheduled my appointment for yesterday morning. The vaccine clinic was being held at Kroger Field.
I was in and out in 25 minutes (and that’s only because they had us wait 15 minutes after the vaccine to make sure we didn’t have a reaction). I was so impressed with the efficiency of the appointment! One of my friends joked that the people at Chick-fil-a must have been in charge of organizing the distributions!
I arrived home after going to school and checked the mail. Hadley received two post cards from her principals praising her for her good work and great grades. She made the Principal’s List. After reading the postcards, she immediately burst into tears, and said, “I just want to go back to school!” My heart broke for her. She loves school and being with her peers and teachers.
I did tell her today was the first day I felt cautiously optimistic about a return to in person school in the somewhat near future.
Favorite Kid Quote(s):
On Monday, Hadley told me she was going out to ride her bike. I said, “Wearing your pajama pants?” Her response was, “Hey! Don’t come at me!” 😂
Then, on Tuesday, Hayden was watching the Missouri basketball game with me. He’s mentioned before that some of the players seem to have “been there forever.” (Since we live in the land of ‘one and done,’ four years must feel like forever.) Anyway, he said the Mizzou team is “loyal to the soil.” I couldn’t help but laugh.
Favorite Mom Meme:
Trrrruuuueeee!
Favorite Funny:
I was in the middle of my workout on Tuesday morning, so I asked Travis to wake up the kids. He did so by blaring some kind of Run DMC remix while walking into each kid’s room! When they didn’t get moving after a few minutes, I think he started playing the UK fight song! Needless to say, they kids were annoyed! Tuesday night, they made sure to ask me to wake them up on Wednesday morning! 😆
Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday
I love this snow pic from January 2016! The kids wore those froggy hats for a couple of years, and I love them so much!
While we’ve been fortunate to have some snow on the ground this year (We even had a white Christmas!), I sure hope we get a good snow or two that’s deep enough for some sledding fun and snowman building!
I love January because it’s a fresh start, and I enjoy being cozy in my house. By mid-February, I’m ready for spring!
Weekly Recap:
Here are my posts from this week in case you missed one!
So that’s a little bit about what’s been going on around here. How was your week? Do you have any big weekend plans? Hayden has a couple of basketball games, and then Sunday we’ll go to church and then cheer for the Chiefs!
Hello and Happy Friday! This week seemed to take forever, so I’m definitely ready for the weekend. Overall, we had a great week of school, work, activities, and (my) birthday dinner + cookie cake.
I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites post.
Favorite Moment:
There’s nothing like Facebook on your birthday. I also received so many texts and a few phone calls, so I appreciated the birthday love. I’ve always been a big birthday person, and try to make those days special for others. It’s nice to feel the love in return.
The four of us went to dinner last night, and it was so nice. We went to one of my favorite places. Typically, it’s a place just Travis and I that would probably go, but Travis and I went out last Saturday, so I let the kids tag along last night. Obviously, eating out is a luxury these days, but I’m thankful for that experience.
Also, Hadley took it upon herself to text my friends and family asking for birthday wishes. She put the clips together, and the final product video left me teary eyed. I definitely feel blessed.
Favorite Pic:
Dinner with Trav and the kids last night!
Favorite Kid Quote:
I was just telling a friend this story recently, and then it popped up on Facebook. January 13, 2013, and Hadley was tossing folded clean clothes out of the laundry basket. I asked her what she was doing, and she said, “I’m looking for my damn pants.”
That story has always reminded me of Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird when, at dinner, she says,”Pass the damn ham, please!” 😂
Also, this week, Hadley got braces (for the second, and final time!), and she continuously asks me if she has something in her teeth which cracks me up.
Favorite Food:
The week started off strong with Shay’s Easy Skillet Enchiladas! We all loved them!
Then, of course, I’d say last night’s dinner was amazing followed by cookie cake!
Favoriting Clothing item:
I’ve had these leopard flats from Nordstrom saved in my favorites on the app for over a year. They’ve been on sale before but previously haven’t had my size. I so happened to click around in the app before Christmas, and saw they had my size, and they were on sale! I went ahead and purchased them. I really like them! (I wear a 9, and sized up to a 9.5 since the toe is pointy, and they fit perfectly)
Other faves:
Our church has remained closed for now, but Hadley and I went to a nearby church on Sunday. It felt good to go to an in person service.
*the people in this row are not as close as they appear 😉
I’d mentioned that I’d like a Dutch oven, and my Gma came through with one for me as my birthday present this year! I’ve been using it since Christmas and love it so much.
Another favorite gift was from one of my friends who left a present on my porch! My skin has been so dry, and I love this whipped body butter. I’d never tried Buff City Soap products, and this body butter is heavenly!
I guess I can’t call them a favorite just yet since I haven’t tried them, but my Mani Me custom fit stick on gel nails arrived this week. My gel manicure from a couple weeks ago is still looking pretty good, but I can’t wait to try these.
Mom meme:
I feel this deeply, y’all!
Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday
Thanks to Facebook Memories…January 2010. The kids were about six weeks old. I’m a sucker for a black and white photo of itty bitty babies.
January 2010
Weekly Recap:
Here are this week’s posts in case you missed one!
Hey there and Happy Friday! How was your week? We certainly are trying to get back in the school routine. Setting an alarm has been a struggle! The kids just started back yesterday, so I know they are thankful for the short week!
I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.
Favorite Pic:
These pics from the holidays got lost in my camera roll, so I thought I’d share it today.
We visited the “Magic Tree” over break which is always a fun experience.
Favorite Kid Quote:
Hadley’s new thing is to say, “Yass Queen!” when talking to me…and it makes me laugh every time.
Favorite Moment:
We went roller skating on Monday afternoon with the kids’ pod. It was a fun activity to get everyone back together and excited about the new semester. We are still learning virtually, and while it makes my heart hurt for my kids and my students, I’m thankful my kids get to have this pod experience with their friends.
I picked right back up where I left off in 1991…and the kids were impressed that “I’ve still got it!” They had no clue what I was talking about with the Limbo and couples skate. 😂
Favorite Clothing Item:
I’ve been wearing my favorite Amazon sweater on repeat! I have it in two colors (pink and navy blue) and have worn them over workout clothes as well as skinny jeans and leggings.
{affiliate linked photo}
Favorite Food:
No favorite food, but it’s been nice to get back on track eating healthy! I’ve made that a priority ( as well as drinking more water) over the past week, and I hope to keep it up!
Favorite Gifts:
Here area few of our favorite Christmas gifts:
Kids:
My grandma gave Hadley some jacks, and both kids have been loving playing. My mom, brother, and sister-in-law all got in on the fun too. My kids have played for hours and hours…with minimal fighting 😉
Hadley:
I ordered Hadley this bracelet, and I was so excited to give it to her. I’m hoping it’s something that will last for years.
And…I purchased this beanie with head lamp for him to use when jogging.
He was also very appreciative of the Snicker Doodle cookies my mom made for him as well as the beer that my dad gifted him as well.
Me:
Per usual, I felt very spoiled with gifts. I loved the Kendra Scott necklace, earrings, and bracelet that Travis and the kids gave me. The necklace and earrings match and are a mix of pink and blue—a nod to my boy and my girl. Very thoughtful. I also loved the jewelry dish they got me. I needed ones of those!
Hadley gave Travis and I each a rolled up piece of paper tied with pretty ribbon. When we opened them, we found this collage of pictures from the night before that she’d organized and printed. She’s a sweetheart. I’m going to take mine to school to put on the wall near my desk.
Lastly, my mom gave me Air Pods. I wasn’t expecting those, and hadn’t even asked for them, but she said I’d been a good girl! 😆
Homer:
Homer received a new bowl, this new collar, and he also had a bone in his stocking! Santa must have forgotten all of the things that were #homered this year.
I do love the new collar…Travis has a similar belt that’s like a horse halter with name plate. Homer looks super handsome in his upgraded collar.
Favorite Mom Meme:
I saw this meme and laughed. Y’all, it’s so true!
Weekly Recap:
Here are my posts from the past week in case you missed one!
I know I always say, “Hello and Happy Friday,” but today’s “Hello and Happy Friday” comes with the start of Winter Break in only a few hours. I’m so ready to take a break from bugging my kids about school work, checking my email, and staring at my imperfections on a Zoom call. 😆
As always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika to share this week’s Friday Favorites.
Favorite Kid Quote:
On Sunday, when it was Hayden’s turn to clean out his closet, he kept asking me if certain clothing items were “memorabilia” because he hates getting rid of things…and knows I’m a sucker for holding on to certain nostalgic items. 😂
Also, randomly, Hayden started calling his winter hat a “toboggan” or “boggan.” I know that in the south that’s what many people here call their beanie (or stocking cap as I would say), but I just thought it was funny that he was “looking for my boggan” the other day when I certainly don’t say that phrase, and honestly, neither does Travis.
Where I come from, a toboggan is a fancy sled! This has been a winter conversation ever since I met Travis almost 20 years ago and he called his hat a “toboggan.” I said, “What?! You wear a sled on your head?!”
Favorite Pic:
I took advantage of Narci’s sweet Santa photo opportunity earlier this week. These pics are just precious. This morning, my kids found our elf sitting by this one framed with a note: “Seven more sleeps ’til Santa!”
The magic of Christmas.
Favorite Clothing Item:
I rarely go into Old Navy. While I like the clothes and love their deals, the line to wait to check out is always maddening to me. Through the years, it doesn’t matter if I’m there in June or December, 10:00 am or 8:00 pm, two people in line or twelve…the line just always takes forever. Maybe Chick-fil-A could give them some tips! 😂
So, I usually order online and just hope everything fits! That being said, I did go into Old Navy recently and saw these jogger pajama pants on sale. (looks like stock is limited) I snagged two for myself, and have been living in them. Just my style! I also love their thermal pajama leggings and have a few pairs that I’ve collected through the years as well.
Favorite Food:
I made a quick Trader Joe’s run this week and walked out with a few tins of my favorite snack mix and a couple of boxes of the mini gingerbread people. We plowed through our last box in a day and a half.
Favorite Moment:
The kids wrapped up their club cross country season at a national race last weekend. Before the race, we found out that Hayden made the all-area team and Hadley earned all-area honorable mention honors for their elementary running season (with Trav as their coach!)
On Saturday, they ran in the 11-12 year old races with kids from across the country. They ended the season on a high note with individual performances, and the girls team placed 5th in the nation!
Of course, I’m always proud of their effort, but the competition is fierce in these national races. There are kids who run hundreds of miles a week for training and compete year round. While running will most likely be something they continue to do in the future, we still feel that it’s important for them to be well-rounded and choose their activities. So, for Hadley, she dances, runs, plays volleyball. Hayden still loves baseball and basketball on top of running.
The lessons they learn by playing these sports and engaging in these activities are far more important than their performance. I never want them to get burned out at a young age with one activity, so we’ve continued to let them choose and add or drop sports as the years go on.
Other Favorites:
Jingle Jangle:
This could also have been a “favorite moment” because of the kindness of others. I’d shared on Facebook that I was sad to have missed out on Jingle Jangle at Trader Joe’s this year. Not even a half hour a later, a friend dropped off a tin of it on our front porch with their Christmas card. So sweet. (literally and figuratively!)
Frosty Fern:
I also picked up a couple of these “Frosty Ferns” at Trader Joe’s. They are so festive and fun.
Snacks:
Hadley helped me put out snacks for our mailman and the delivery drivers who frequent our doorstep!
Air Fryer:
No photo, but another favorite of mine is our new air fryer. Travis won one in his work Christmas exchange, and we’ve been using it quite a bit. I’ve only used the “frozen” setting so far, but it’s been the perfect way to make chicken nuggets, pizza rolls, or reheat a day old taco!
Pod Party:
The kids had a sock exchange and cocoa party at their pod this week. They had lots of fun and came home with some festive socks!
Festive Phone Wallpaper:
I’ve shared these phone wallpaper backgrounds before by @ashton.creates. She shares them in her stories to screenshot and use. This one is my current home screen on my phone.
Basketball:
Hayden’s 3 on 3 league wrapped up their short season last night. It was fun to watch them play and have some sense of “normalcy” this winter.
The final game came down to the wire, but they remained undefeated!
Favorite Mom Meme:
While this one made me laugh, I am feeling pretty good about my Christmas present situation. Now, I just need to find the time to wrap!
Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday
Christmas 2009….and barely a month old!
Speaking of flashbacks…Hadley loves finding my old sweatshirts and wearing them. She often wears my 20 year old Mizzou sweatshirt from college, and has now added this cheer coach sweatshirt from my first year teaching in 2002. If you know me, you know I’m the farthest thing you’ll find from a cheer coach!! #nopepinmystep Oh, the things you’ll do to get your first real job!
Weekly Recap:
Here are my posts from this week in case you missed one…
What are your weekend plans? We are going see some more Christmas lights tonight and hopefully bake some cookies tomorrow or Sunday. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Hey, hey! We made it to Friday. We’ve had a pretty good week around here, and we are counting down the days until Winter Break! It’s right around the corner, so we’ll just keep chugging right along until break arrives.
Of course, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites post.
One of my favorite things to do for the holidays is decorate. Even before my blog, I would always take photos of where I put decorations to make the process as easy as possible. The weekend after Thanksgiving is when I do most of my decorating, and it’s typically a one (wo)man job…until I can’t carry something or need Travis to hang the garland. 😉
I saw this meme recently, and, of course, it fits today’s blog topic.
While 90% of my decorations have been used through the years, I do move things around and often can’t help myself from buying a new item or two along the way. #michaelsiswhereitsat
Here’s a little tour around our home:
Kitchen:
My kitchen buffet stayed pretty much the same, but I added fresh garland to the top for about a week.
I figured it wouldn’t last long with Homer. He did pull it down a couple of times, but thankfully, he didn’t destroy it.
I love the Christmas dishes that I display this time of the year.
In the cabinet near the buffet, I added in some trees I’ve collected over the years and a cinnamon scented candle. I actually made the burlap trees a few years ago.
Our fire place and mantle remain the same, but I did buy new garland. What I’ve had for the past few years is extra bulky, and I just wanted a more seamless look. Hadley pointed out that the red and the green of the garland match our stockings perfectly. My previous garland was pre-lit, but I had to add lights to this new garland.
I used some extra greenery on our table centerpiece.
I definitely do the love traditional red and green Christmas decor.
This view is definitely a favorite.
One of my friends painted this pallet a few years ago, and it’s one of my favorite holiday pieces.
Office Area:
In the first few years in this house, we never really knew where to put the tree. Once we made this space the office rather than the dining room, the tree fit perfectly in here. I like that you can see the glow of the tree lights from the kitchen and the living room as well as from the street when the shutters are open.
I always put out the picture of the kids under the tree for their first Christmas. They were a month old (and a few days) old on Christmas 2009.
Front Hall:
I kept the front hall the same as years past with the light up tree, Christmas card holder, snowman tea light, and Merry and Bright sign.
I love Bath and Body Works and always have a few candles to burn like the peppermint one on this entry table.
Living Room:
The tall Santa was a Home Goods find a few years ago. I kept it simple on the coffee table with the flocked tree and candle. The light up present provides the perfect glow in the morning and night. I added a lantern and Merry Christmas canvas to my regular decor on my antique chest.
I always keep my cream pillows out and add seasonal pillows for fall and Christmas.
Outside:
This is the first year we’ve put garland out front. I’ve mentioned previously that I was on the hunt for some artificial garland, but never really found any I liked. Then, I saw the real garland at Trader Joe’s and thought I’d give it a try. Travis was kind enough to hang it for me. Now, I have no clue how long it will last, but after a week, it still is looking good. I’ve sprayed it with water a few times. I have no clue if that’s what I’m supposed to do, but that’s what I’ve been doing!
I’ve had the lanterns and poinsettias for years. My cute stocking door hanger was painted by a local Lexington small business. It’s perfectly festive and, again, I love the traditional red and green.
The Rudolph pillow covers are from Etsy, and I’ve had them for years. The trees in the planters light up, and the Merry Christmas garden flag is the final touch outside.
When the garland on the kitchen buffet was starting to look tired, I sprayed it with water and then put little pieces of it in the outside planters.
Sun room:
I’ve shared this room already as it was the first room I decorated for the season. Until this past spring (#thanksquarantine), we didn’t really use the sun room that often. This year, I thought I’d go ahead and decorate it since we are out here so much now. The pillow covers are new (from Amazon) and the basket wreath is a new find from TJ Maxx this year. We’ve had the tree for years as it’s the one we used for a few years before starting to get a real tree for the living room/office area.
I added a few little trees to the tray that’s always on this table, and I burn the Bath and Body Works Winter scented candle when hanging out in the sun room.
A few other faves:
Dinners this week:
It’s no secret that I use Shay’s cookbooks (especially Simmers) quite frequently for meal ideas. Well, last week, she posted about 24 Crazy Easy December Dinners, and I used it as my guide for meals this week. This week, we’ve eaten: Chicken Tortilla Soup, Beefy Mushroom Pasta, Cheesy Ranch Tacos, and King Ranch Joes. (I don’t think KRJ were listed in that post, but here’s the recipe.) This one post was a life saver for me. We eat the soup and KRJs pretty often, but the pasta and tacos were new recipes for me to make. We all loved them.
The Outsiders
A neighbor had a few books in her garage to give away. One of the books I brought home was The Outsiders which piqued Hayden’s interest. He started reading it Monday night at bedtime and then was telling me all about it Tuesday evening. I stopped him, mid-summary, because I was shocked he’d already read the entire book. Hadley then said that he was reading some during the day while listening to his teacher on Zoom. Anyway, he loved the book so much. With his summary of the stabbing and teenagers smoking and drinking, I was reminded why this is a classic middle school book! haha
He deemed this the second best book he’s ever read. Hatchet was recommended by my mom and still his fave.
I hope he always loves reading as much as he does now.
Then, Wednesday night, he begged us to watch the movie. Travis and I watched it with him. He really liked it, but said the book was better. A friend of mine shared a @historic_imagery post with me on Instagram. I never knew that Francis Ford Coppola hadn’t planned on making the movie but then did so after receiving a letter from a librarian as well as over 100 of her seventh and eighth graders in Fresno, CA. They also share that fact in the credits of the movie.
Southern Lights:
Our Southern Lights Horse Park tradition continued this week. We drove through the park on Tuesday night, and loved seeing the upgraded and updated displays. They had the usual displays, but had also added other lights and features. Also, Santa was sitting outside the North Pole waving at the cars. Usually, Santa is inside the pavilion.
Classic Kentucky lights with the horses, Wildcat basketball player, and Keeneland.
Winter Drive-Thru:
The kids’ school had a Winter Drive Thru this week where they handed out fun packs and free books (as well as supplies for the beginning of second semester).
There was a line around the school, and it was so wonderful to see the teachers outside, waving, and so excited to see their students. Teachers and staff were dressed as Elsa, Rudolph, elves, and Santa! To see the hustle and bustle at school as well as the staff and teachers literally brought tears to my eyes. I hope my kids are able to go back to school sooner rather than later.
Books, games and hot chocolate!
Trader Joe’s Snack Mix
It’s the time of the year for Trader Joe’s to have my favorite snack mix. I found out the hard way a couple years ago when I was looking for it in January that it’s seasonal.
Some people are hoarding toilet paper again, and I left TJ with six cans of this mix! Delish!
Favorite Mom Meme:
Y’all, I feel this deeply.
Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday
Facebook memories from 2017 provided this gem. I love this picture from Trav’s work holiday party. It didn’t really dawn on me until seeing this that we are missing out on some fun during this season. There’s always the work party, a neighborhood party as well as a party with some of our friends. Hopefully, those traditions will be back in 2021. Sometimes I do miss the normal chaos that the holidays bring.
And for fun….here’s a 1980’s flashback for you…it’s a classic!
Weekly Recap:
Here are my posts for this week! We sure have been busy!
