How was your weekend? Ours was good but non-stop! Right after school, Hadley and I left for Gatlinburg, TN for her last volleyball tournament of club season.
Crazy story! On Saturday, after her first game, I went back to the hotel for a bit. While I was sitting there, I felt the floor move/tremor…but wondered if I was crazy…and then it moved again. Well, once I went back to the convention center, I heard people talking about the earthquake in Knoxville! I guess there’s a first time for everything! Now, I can say that I’ve experienced an earthquake.
Hadley’s team played well, and we got home yesterday, late afternoon. Just in time for a nap! Trav cooked dinner, and the kids gave me a card and flowers for Mother’s Day. We made the most of the evening before preparing for the week ahead.
Anyway, it’s already 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…how do you spend your birthday?
Well, I joke that my birthday is “my favorite holiday,” and my family is quick to humble me that my birthday isn’t a holiday. haha
Well, it should be!
Before I share about how I spend my birthday, I just wanted to start with that I really do love celebrating other people’s birthdays too. What a blessing it is to get older!
I hope my kids look back and appreciate all the effort from the birthday parties, balloons, presents, birthday streamers, cakes and more. I hope they always feel the love on their birthdays.
As I’m assuming it is with most, my birthday is just another day. That being said, I do feel the love.
I always appreciate a card for any special occasion.
Dinner out at some point is always special too. Some years, that doesn’t happen on my actual birthday due to the kids’ activities, but give or take a day is fine.
Jeff Ruby went all out for my birthday this year! haha
It was a delicious dinner…
…followed by cake! There must always be cake –whether it’s a cookie cake or a Bundt cake…I love cake.
One thing that made this past birthday “special” was that we had a snow day on my birthday! You’d think with a January birthday that would have happened at some point but in all my years teaching, I’ve never had a snow day on my actual birthday.
So, I took the time to start my day off with a Pilates workout followed by cashing in my birthday coffee coupon at Starbucks.
I really appreciate Facebook for holding on to many memories, but I especially appreciate it when everyone shares birthday wishes.
I always receive cards from family members, and I look forward to checking the mail that week!
January has always been one of my favorite months, and one of the reasons why is because of my birthday, of course.
Next month we’re talking about unique things about where you live. That will be a fun topic!
I hope you have a great week! The countdown is officially on…This is our last five day week of school!
How was your weekend? Ours was just what we needed. We didn’t really have anything scheduled; the kids had some time with friends, I did some chores around the house, ran some errands, and we just had time to get some things done.
A walk in the sunshine last night to cap off the weekend was just what I needed.
Today, I’m co-hosting with some of my favorite bloggers for our monthly Share Our Lives link up.
This month’s topic is…day in the life, an average day.
So truth be told, I hadn’t looked at what this month’s topic was until Thursday when I was writing my Friday Favorites post….so I was running out of days to document, and went ahead and documented last Friday.
Friday morning, I was up and at ’em at 5:50.
I had about 45 minutes of quiet in the morning…I lit a candle! I just got an Antique Candle Co. order recently, and “almond vanilla” was one of the ones that I ordered. It smells so good.
I had some coffee and watched the news. I don’t usually eat breakfast, but the week before when we had so many bananas on hand, I started most mornings with a banana and a bit of Nutella. I was hungry Friday morning, so I went ahead and had a light breakfast.
I took some time to read some of my favorite blogs…I finished reading some other faves after school.
Of course, I played Bejeweled Blitz. It’s how I always start my day.
Around 6:45, it was time to get moving…including waking the kids up. Hadley wasn’t having it! haha
I packed my lunch and filled up my tumbler. I’m still loving my new lunch tote, and I’ve had this tumbler for over a year and a half. I’m thinking about ordering another one just to throw in the rotation.
I still use Seint make-up. Sometimes, before I blend it in, I’m walking around the house…and my family looks at me like I’m crazy.
…that’s better!
After that, I did my hair and then it was perfume time. Recently, I’ve been wearing this one…
I got dressed and headed to gather all my stuff to go to school.
I was running a bit behind but left around 7:40.
Once I got to school, I got organized because I’d been out the day before for Hadley’s race at the indoor state track meet.
I was so lucky to have a veteran teacher as my sub. He just retired last year, and he’s so great! I appreciated everything being organized for my return…with very few notes! haha
Then, I prepped for the day. I put my agenda on the smart board…
…and on the white board.
I forgot to take a picture, but I headed to another teacher’s room for Advisory. We split a sophomore Advisory, and it’s nice to have a co-teacher for that.
1st hour is my co-teach English 1 class. We are almost finished with Romeo and Juliet. On Friday, we read the “bridge text” of Act 4. It’s the shorter text the online textbook provides. I print the text, so we can read it, and they don’t need their computers.
During 2nd hour, I made some copies….
…as well as an answer key…
…before helping a few students from another class who were reading Act 5.
3rd hour, I covered an AP Lang class because the sub didn’t show for the English teacher. They were doing a practice ACT, and they were such a great group of kids.
I had a meeting during 4th and brought my lunch.
5th hour is my Adv. English 1, and we were also reading Act 4, but I read the No Fear text with them.
My last hour is the same as my first hour…co-teach English 1, so we did the same work. I feel like I move faster with students in my 1st than my 6th, so we actually will finish the comprehension questions today.
If you’re a middle or high school teacher, you know it’s rare when you have a good 6th hour. Even the best kids are ready to go home by 6th. This group is such a sweet class, and I’ve enjoyed ending my day with them this year. They are so great that they are the class I scheduled for my observation a few weeks ago. They did a great job, and I appreciated their effort during my observation.
After school, Hadley and her friend came into my room before track practice. They get a snack, and it’s nice to see them before they head off to practice.
I like to stay on Fridays and get caught up on grading and make sure I’m ready for the following week. I know some like to dart out the door on Fridays, but that’s always been my day to stay for 30-45 minutes to get caught up if needed.
It’s a great feeling leaving the week knowing I’m ready for the week ahead.
I had some grading to get caught up on…
Then, I had a Target pick up.
I went home for about 45 minutes before I had to go back and pick up the kids from practice. I used my time wisely and watched two episodes of Younger. haha
Then, I went to pick up the kids…and got some protein in on the drive back to school.
On Fridays after practice, I usually take the kids to a smoothie place…but right when I pulled in to park, I realized that I didn’t have a way to pay for the smoothies. I’ve done this a couple of times recently. Whoops.
We headed home, and Trav wanted something from there, so he and Hadley went back to order.
I did my daily word search…
…and they got home with smoothies, and I had requested a salad for dinner.
Dinner time!
Then, I read for a bit…
After that, I showered, and did my PM skincare routine. My PM Dime serum ran out before my new order arrived, so I subbed in this Vitamin C serum that I use sometimes.
Then, it was around 8:30, and Travis and I watched two episodes of Night Agent. We love this show…and only have two episodes left for this season.
Then, it was bedtime…I was so tired after a long week.
So, there’s a pretty average day…Friday nights usually have a little more freedom than weeknights…which is what we all need after a busy week.
How was your weekend? After a few busy weekends, we were back to a split weekend of a busy Saturday and slower Sunday. That being said, yesterday was all about getting my house back in order, picking up groceries and running errands. Travis was sick all last week, so it was just me getting the kids where they needed to be and dealing with school, so the house wasn’t as tidy as we like and the fridge was pretty bare.
Anyway, hopefully, we’ll have a more “normal” week.
It’s the second Monday of the month, so I’m co-hosting Share Our Lives with some of my favorite bloggers.
Well, I’m certainly in the stage of life where working full time and the kids’ schedules combined makes it pretty easy for me to fall asleep. Your girl stays tired! That being said, of course there are some some standard suggestions, but I have a few “musts” as well.
It’s actually kind of crazy to think back about sleeping. As a parent, I guess I probably haven’t been fully rested in over fifteen years. Will I ever be fully rested again? You tell me!
I don’t think I’ve ever really been one to sleep in, but in high school and college, I’m sure I wasn’t up early unless I had to be.
I’ve always been an excellent napper…Travis and I have that in common. I think my napping started in college. There’s nothing better to me than knowing I get a nap on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon.
When we had that stretch of winter weather recently with some extra days off school, I loved the luxury of a weekday nap. The difference in Travis and myself is that he can nap literally anywhere. The running joke at family functions is “where’s Travis?” especially after a good meal. He’s most definitely somewhere squeezing in a twenty minute nap somewhere.
I’ve always been grateful that the kids have been great sleepers…and I attribute that to having them on a great schedule from day one…and even once they were old enough to sit/stand in their crib, if it was before 7 am, I’d go in their room and lay them back down until at least seven…and then they eventually slept even longer and took great naps. Both babies slept through the night by 10-12 weeks.
The only issues we had with sleep were the first night anywhere…whether we were at Trav’s mom’s house, KC, a hotel or on vacay…it seemed we were up, off and on, all night the first night for probably the first couple years of their lives.
Anyway, now, of course, if she has nothing going on, I have to wake Hadley at noon most weekends. Hayden has never slept in as long as Hadley, but he’ll sleep when given the chance. He often sets an alarm for 9 on the weekends to get up and moving and then get his run in.
Anyway, back to me! Can you tell I’m proud that my kids are good sleepers? haha! Sleep is very important to me.
It’s probably been about seven years ago, I wasn’t having trouble falling asleep, but I would wake up around 3 or 4 and not be able to fall back to sleep. It’s like I couldn’t shut my brain off. So, my doctor prescribed me some medicine for sleep. I was wary about it and would only take half a pill a few nights a week. I don’t like taking medicine unless I have to, and have heard about dependency with sleep medication.
Eventually, I decided I didn’t want to take the medicine anymore. Then, I can’t remember who shared it on Instagram, but they suggested Olly Sleep gummies. (Of course, talk with a medical professional if needed…I’m not a doctor!), but I’ve been taking this Olly gummy before bed a few nights a week for about five years, and I’ve never slept better! Now, the dosage is two gummies. I’ve only ever taken one…and sometimes I take half of one just to ensure I will go to sleep easily. I only take them a few nights a week as of course, I want to know I can still fall asleep on my own. I’m guessing I’d be knocked out if I took two!
I get these at Target, and oddly enough, I’ve purchased a small travel pack a few times at Old Navy…in the area by the cash register.
I was just in Old Navy yesterday and saw them there again.
For probably just as long, I’ve used a weighted blanket. When I got mine five or six years ago (maybe longer?), BlanQuil was a popular brand that was shared often on social media. I believe mine is twelve pounds, and there were a variety of color options. I just chose a tan color, but eventually, I took the weighted blanket out of the cover, and now it just goes under my comforter. It’s twin size, and when I make the bed, you can’t even tell it’s there. The twin size is great because Travis doesn’t want a weighted blanket, so it’s on my side only.
When I searched for this brand, I see their Instagram page, but nothing has been posted in a couple of years. The brand seems to be in store like Walmart, but the lightest blanket is fifteen pounds.
My twelve pound one (out of the cover), seems similar to this one.
Anyway, when I’m not sleeping in my own bed, I truly miss it. I don’t get hot with it on, and it’s just the perfect weight for me to feel secure.
Lastly, I’ve been sleeping with a sound machine since the kids were born. That might sound backwards as of course, I needed to hear the kids at night…but they’ve slept with a sound machine since day one, so I would hear their sound machine through the monitor in our room. Once we didn’t need the monitor anymore, I missed that sound, so we got one for our room.
Once the kids got their own rooms around three years ago, we bought a second sound machine, so they could each have one. Those aren’t anything fancy…just a light weight sound machine with a variety of sounds and a little nob to turn them off and on. Anyway, we still have one of those, and I keep it in my travel bag, so we always have one when away from home.
A couple of years ago, when I decided the kids needed to start setting alarms in the morning to at least begin the wake up process, I got them each one of these clock/sound machine combo, and they’ve been perfect. They are small, come in a variety of colors, and have lots of sound options. They are easy to pack and if we’re going somewhere and sleeping in two rooms, Hadley will pack hers.
Hadley turns hers up so loud that it sounds like she’s sleeping under the sea!
The rest of us prefer white noise.
I remember my dad always had a SleepMate sound machine when I was a kid. I worked nights for years, so the white noise would help him sleep during the day…and drown out any noise my brother and I would make on the weekends. I still sleeps with a sound machine and packs his when he comes to visit us.
Of course, limiting caffeine and screen time before bed are suggestions that I’m pretty good at adhering to…but a girl needs to read her Kindle before bed most nights, ok?
If I can’t sleep, I try to control my breathing and take little (or deep) breaths, depending on the the situation. I sleep on my side, but if I need to a minute to relax, I lay on my back and breath. I also think of the abc’s with a word for each letter…and sometimes if I need to think harder to wear my brain out, the abc’s have categories (food, cities, etc)…and then hopefully I eventually fall asleep.
So, my trifecta of melatonin, weighted blanket, and a sound machine help me great a pretty good night’s sleep at this stage of life!
What sleeping tips do you have?
The Super Bowl was quite the bummer for us Chiefs fans. No matter who is playing, I always wish we had Monday off after Super Bowl Sunday.
Well, our three week break (two planned, one thanks to Mother Nature!) apparently continues. Due to many neighborhood roads not being plowed and other conditions, school has been called off again. This time, we are having an NTI day which means students will have assignments online.
It’s already the second Monday of the month, so I’m co-hosting the first Share Our Lives link up of 2025 with some of my favorite bloggers.
We’re starting the year off fresh talking about..saving time on chores.
Well, let me tell you ….it’s not asking your teens to help! haha
Cleaning and picking up are ongoing chores in our house. I have to admit that Trav is the cleaner, and I’m the tidier. Cleaning has never been my skill set, but the one chore, if I had to do it, would be dusting. I don’t mind doing that.
We are blessed to have a wonderful house cleaner who comes twice a month, so honestly, we don’t do a lot of cleaning in between. We do have Homer hair to keep up with, and Trav loves to use the Swiffer for that.
I always go to bed with a tidy house. I’ve always done that, but that especially became a priority when the kids were little. They had lots of toys in our living room and of course would get them out as soon as they got up. I still always put the toys in the corner, in baskets, etc. just to have a fresh start to the morning.
I typically do laundry only on the weekend, and we don’t do many loads. Travis takes care of himself. Hayden usually has the most clothes to wash due to his running. I tend to not have as much, and I usually toss my things in with Hadley’s dirty clothes. When the clothes are finished, I take them out of the basket and lay them flat/in piles on the kids’ beds and they put them away. I’ve been doing the kids’ laundry separately for years…even when they didn’t have as much. I still have to to lay the clothes out for them to put away, but I don’t have to sort them between family members.
I make sure the bathrooms have cleaning supplies to “clean as we go” for daily needs. I’d like the think the kids would wipe our their bathroom sink if there’s too much toothpaste if I leave a tub of Clorox wipes under their sink!
On Sundays, we “reset.” I let the kids have clothes on their floor, for example, but on Sunday, their rooms get picked up. Papers get thrown away, desks get tidied up, Chromebooks get charged for school and so on.
In the summer, a big chore is mowing the lawn. For years, we had a service mow, but for the past couple of summers, Trav and Hayden have split the duties. I’m in charge of watering the flowers in the spring and summer. Hadley helps with that as well.
I usually unload the dishwasher just out of convenience. I’m often in the kitchen getting ready to cook dinner and will unload our dishwasher. Of course, Trav does that too and the kids help occasionally.
Not chores, but we shared cleaning hacks in a Not Just a Mom post in 2023.
I’d love to have any ideas you have for saving time on chores.
Next month, our topic is tips for falling asleep. I have quite the formula for sleep…but I will save those thoughts for next month.
I still loves these scents of perfume. Travis (with Hadley’s help) picked these out for me last Christmas.
I love the smell of coffee in the morning.
I tend to like certain scents during certain times of the year.
I like berry, vanilla, and gingerbread during the winter months. This “Home from the Holidays” candle from Antique Candle Co his some spruce in it, and I like a touch of that scent.
Spring and summer are similar in that I like “lighter” scents. Citrus, berries, and floral scents are my “go to,” during those months.
In the fall, I still love vanilla, but I like apple and cinnamon scents more.
I have a whole shelf in my hall closet (it’s a small shelf) filled with candles that I use throughout the year. It’s fun to pull out the various scents each season.
2025:
We’re continuing the Share Our Lives fun in 2025. Grab our graphic below, and we’d love to see you like up with us in January if you have a blog.
I’m guessing we scheduled this as the topic since many of us are starting to shop for the holiday season. That being said, my brain automatically thought of categories…Why am I like this?
Groceries:
I get 70-80% of my groceries at Kroger. You know I love Trader Joe’s, and I go there once a week or every other week. Aldi’s is another spot I like to check out from time to time.
Beauty:
I shop for makeup/beauty products mostly on Amazon or Target. Ulta is where I get my shampoo and conditioner, and then I always end up finding another thing or two. I love my Tarte shape tape, and Ulta has it now. I still use Dime for my skincare. I just went to Sephora the other day to pick up a gift for Hadley, and that place overwhelms me!
Clothes:
Y’all know I love SSYS, and I truly have so many things in my wardrobe I love from that shop. I buy a lot from Amazon, as you know. I like Target and Old Navy, but I really don’t buy as many clothes at either of those anymore.
Candles:
Bath and Body Works is where I usually get candles since there’s always a sale, and there are a couple stores in town. I love Antique Candle Co. candles too, and usually buy one each season. Jen Reed has some great scents with her Life in Lilac brand, and the jars are beautiful. I usually buy those candles a couple of times a year.
Home Decor:
For me, Homegoods is my fave place to find home and holiday decor. Target and TJ Maxx are also good as well. I just love strolling through Homegoods and taking my time while looking at all the decor.
Gifts:
Obviously, it depends on who I’m buying for, but I shop Amazon, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and Target quite a bit. I always have luck at Aerie for Hadley. I do love supporting local shops and buying gifts from Etsy too. Truly, I’ve purchased quite a few gifts from Etsy shops, and I’m never disappointed.
While holiday shopping is still sometimes overwhelming to me, I am lucky that online shopping and curbside service are so convenient!
Next month, our topic is “favorite scents,” and we’d love to have you join us in the link up.
I need to get shopping for the kids’ birthday …which is next week! Where’s your favorite place to shop?
How was your weekend? Ours was great as we had a busy Saturday and a low-key Sunday. I think I “over did” it a bit on Saturday, but Sunday I had some time to recharge before thankfully heading back to school today. I’m glad to be feeling much better.
Anyway, it’s the second Monday of the month, so I’m co-hosting Share Our Lives with some of my favorite bloggers.
Well, I certainly have a sweet tooth! It’s hard for me to pass up a good sweet! That being said, I try to show restraint, but if something is seasonal, I probably won’t hold back. For example, I don’t eat breakfast, but in the fall, I love nothing more than an apple cider donut with a cup of coffee on a weekend!
At the start of the year, I shared a “12 months of desserts” post where I shared the desserts we made in 2023.
As soon as I started thinking about favorite sweets, I immediately thought of apple cider donuts…which then made me decide to organize this post by season of desserts.
So, here we go!
Fall:
As I said, above, one of my favorite fall treats are apple cider donuts.
Trader Joe’s has them for a few weeks:
….but my faves are the ones from the pumpkin patch!
This apple cider donut cake is a new fall tradition for me to bake:
Also, I love to make a pumpkin pie in the fall too. I prefer it served cold with a dollop of Cool Whip.
Winter:
I always look forward to Shay’s Peppermint Bundt cake in the winter. It’s a tradition that I make it for our Christmas dinner when we are at home.
I like cookie cake alllll year long, but we usually kick off the year with one for my birthday in January!
Spring:
Once spring arrives, I’m ready for lighter desserts like strawberry short cake.
Summer:
There’s nothing better than a scoop of ice cream on a hot day in the summer. One thing about me is I will always look at all the flavor options, but 9 times out of 10, I will get my fave…mint chocolate chip. (I also love peppermint ice cream in the winter!)
I love cheesecake, especially in the summer. Jason’s Deli has such a good slice of cheesecake, so when I can, I get one. I’ve made cheesecake a couple of times, but I haven’t perfected it. Trader Joe’s has a good one too.
All year:
What’s my favorite dessert that I could eat all year long? Homemade Rice Krispies treats. Usually, when we got to Trav’s mom’s house, she has some for me…and his sister makes them when we come to town too. Obviously, I can make them myself, and sometimes I do…but it can be dangerous to have a whole pan of them! haha
How was your weekend? Ours was a “divide and conquer” kind of weekend. I was was in Tennessee with Hadley for most of the weekend at her volleyball tournament, and Travis was with Hayden for his cross country race on Saturday. This is a busy time of the year for Trav, so he worked a lot while Hayden went to the UK football game on Saturday and then golfed with a friend yesterday.
Overall, it was a good weekend, but I’m already looking forward to next weekend when we don’t have much going on.
It’s the second Monday of the month, so I’m c0-hosting our “Share Our Lives” link up with some of my favorite bloggers.
Well, as I’ve shared many times before, if I want peace (and quiet), I have to wake up before the rest of the house. So, I get up before six, enjoy my cup of coffee, read my favorite blogs, and ease into my day for about 45 minutes.
Even now that my kids go to my school, they don’t often ride with me in the morning. I take that time to have a peaceful drive to work while listening to the radio or a podcast.
My planning period is 3rd hour, and I find that time to be peaceful. I always have a lot to do, but it’s my time, in my room, to get things accomplished, but it’s quiet and peaceful. Sometimes, I will turn on music while I grade papers.
If I’m able to go for a walk or get a workout in, that’s usually a peaceful time as well. I appreciate the time to myself to do something for myself.
When the evening is wrapping up, and the kitchen is clean, everyone’s showering and getting ready for bed, it’s a nice quiet time to watch TV or read. That’s peaceful to me as well…knowing we’ve made it thought another hectic day.
So, that’s how I find peace in my day. Most of our days are busy and somewhat crazy, but there are still quiet, peaceful moments as well. I know the day will come when I have more quiet and peace than I will know what to do with, so I’m fine to just take my few minutes of peace where I can find it.
Next month, our topic is…sweet tooth cravings…just in time for Halloween!
I hope you had a great weekend. Ours was good overall. Yesterday, we went to church and out to lunch which was nice. Then we picked up groceries. I took a nice long walk since the weather was beautiful and then I read for a bit. I’m a little worried that I’m only going to read one book in August…but what’s a girl to do? I just haven’t had as much time.
I try to keep it positive, but of course there are some things I don’t love doing. Since I don’t love doing these things, I tend to put them off. I wish I wasn’t this way, but I am!
Here are some of my least favorite activities.
1. Laundry
I’m good about starting laundry and putting it in the dryer, but it’s the putting it away that takes three to five business days.
For the kids, I always lay their dry clothes out on their bed, and then they have to put them up. So, they can’t get into their bed until they put up their clothes. (or, at least they shouldn’t! haha)
2. Packing and Unpacking
I dread packing for a trip, and I always wait until the night before or even the morning of a trip. Everyone else will be packed, but I’m always the last one…and I’m usually the one with the biggest suitcase.
Kind of like laundry, sometimes unpacking a suitcase takes three to five business days too!
That being said, I always unpack everything else, and the kids always put their stuff away pretty much as soon as we get home. For whatever reason, I just don’t mind my suitcase on the floor until I can get to it.
3. Calling to schedule an appointment
I don’t know why, but calling to schedule an appointment is one of my least favorite things to do. Some appointments I schedule for the next year before I even leave the doctor’s office. I appreciate it if I can schedule an appointment online.
4. Changing bed sheets
Changing bed sheets is like an Olympic event, which I mentioned in last week’s Hodgepodge post.
I wash the sheets on all three beds often, and then I also wash the quilts and bedspreads at least once a month. It just takes a lot of cycles of laundry and sometimes multiple spins through the dryer to get the comforters dry.
5. Assemble things
I don’t love putting things together. Thankfully, Travis is handy enough to put together furniture and whatever else we need. Just last night, he put together a cart for my classroom.
I’m not sure why he’s laughing when I asked him to put the cart together…almost two weeks ago and he finally got to it last night. (& I was just kidding when I was being bossy) 😂
Those are just a few things that are my least favorite activities. What’s one of your least favorite activities?
Next month we’re discussing finding peace in your day. We’d love for you to link up with us!
I hope you have a great week. The kids have two more days of summer, and I’m sure they will be soaking up every last minute of it.
I’m not trying to be negative, but I only have four more Mondays (counting today!) until I go back to school. I swear summer feels shorter and shorter every year.
Did you catch my posts on Saturday and Sunday? My Saturday post was all about our time in Eugene, OR at the Olympic track trials. It was such a special part of our trip. Sunday, I shared a few pics from our 4th of July…I was in KC while the kids and Trav were at home in Lex.
Anyway, it’s already the second Monday of the month, so I’m co-hosting this month’s link up with some of my favorite bloggers:
This month’s topic is…day in the life: summer edition.
Well, I’m glad that I looked ahead at this topic because I decided to go ahead a document a day a couple of weeks ago knowing we were about to go out of town for vacation, and then I’d be in KC for a week. I wanted to choose a somewhat “normal” day when we are home.
Honestly, we’ve yet to have two days a like this summer which can be both good and bad.
Anyway, here’s a peek at Tuesday, June 18th.
I got up at 7:30 but forgot to screenshot the time. I did so around 8:30.
After I got up, I settled in my with “dream team” team of eye gels and coffee.
Hayden has been here….
He ate some coffee cake before his run.
Knowing we were about to be gone, I wanted to make sure my Kindle was loaded up with good books:
Of course I made my bed…
…started some laundry…
…and did my morning skincare routine.
Around 9:00 is when the HVAC guys arrived. This was the day we were getting our new a/c and furnace.
Just in time! It had “cooled off” to 82 that morning.
Hayden was prepping for his run while Homer and I snuggled.
Then, I went to unload the dishwasher only to realize that Trav had unloaded it before work… but he did it wrong…(haha!)
There…that’s better 🤣 To me, I don’t care where the forks and spoons go (although, they should go side by side)…the butter knives have to go to the far left…at least that’s what I think!
I looked outside and realized that Hayden was still home. He takes forever to get started…and was out front warming up.
I didn’t have to go to school for summer school this day, but I did have some stipends to approve. I grabbed a second cup of coffee and did that.
While I was at my computer, I decided to go ahead and work on the next day’s blog post.
Around 10:00, I put on a little makeup, finished getting ready for the day, tidied up and changed out the laundry.
Sleeping Beauty, Hadley was still sleeping at 10:30, so I woke her up.
Then, I took Hayden to his doctor’s appointment.
Once we were finished with that, I dropped Hayden at home and filled up my tumbler with water.
I had a 12:00 dentist appointment for my six month cleaning. Fun fact about me is that I never had a cavity until I was thirty years old…and then I had two! I got them right after I had the kids. I’ve never had another cavity since! Another fun fact about me is that I love going to the dentist to have my teeth cleaned.
How cute is their summer tree?
I was home around 1:00 and had lunch. I still love a little plate of snacks for lunch in the summer.
Then, I walked around the house and fussed at my kids to pick up up their ish!
Around 1:45, Hadley and I picked up my niece for our 2:00 nail appointments. I wanted to get a pedicure before vacation, and I usually let Hadley get a manicure before vacay too. Layla had a birthday in late May, and I hadn’t gotten her a present yet, so she tagged along for a mani too!
Then, of course we had to get ice cream…
…and see Layla’s updated room!
As I got home around 3:30, the a/c guys were finishing up.
Hadley said our new thermostat is “bougie” because it has the time on it haha
I found Homer was cooling off in the sun room.
I decided to have a little snack and watch some tv in the basement. During the summer, I find myself watching King of Queens,227,Golden Girls and other shows from my childhood. It’s a great way to pass the time. Sometimes I doze off if needed too!
I lounged for about an hour before finally getting my workout in around 6:00. I almost didn’t “press play,” but I’m glad that I did.
Then, I put dinner in the oven. I decided to do something easy and make a store bought quiche for dinner.
While it baked, I read for a bit.
Then, I picked up Hadley and her friends from pool party at 7.
Since the house was still hot, I enjoyed dinner out in the sun room, and Homer kept me company.
After dinner, I always get the coffee pot ready for the next day…even in the summer.
I still hadn’t gotten in my Bible study for the day, so I did that.
Then, I showered and did my PM skincare routine.
Around 9:00, Travis and I watched the first episode of Presumed Innocent on Apple TV. We were hooked…but tired…
…so we went on to bed. I had the Royals game on in the background as I read my book.
I read and watched TV for a bit before going to bed close to 11:00.
In the summer, 11:00 seems to be my typical bedtime instead of 10:00 during the school year. It’s nice to stay up about an hour later and sleep in about an hour later.
So, that was a summer day for us! Some days, I’ve been at school for a few hours, taken the kids to other appointments or activities, gone to the pool, ran errands and more. I guess I just try to make the most of each day and have a mix of productivity and downtime.
Next month we’re discussing least favorite activities. We hope you’ll join us.
I love reading “day in the life” posts, so I can’t wait to read other bloggers’ posts today.
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