Hello and happy Monday!

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.

Also, did you catch my post yesterday about summer side dishes?

Anyway, today I’m co-hosting our monthly link up with some of my favorite bloggers.

So far this year, we’ve discussed:

• Introductions and jobs you’ve had in January
• How we met our significant others in February
• 5 items you can’t live without in March
• Favorite make up and hair products in April
• 5 favorite and least favorite foods in May
• Foods you make for someone else in June
• Day in the life: summer edition in July

This month’s topic is…least favorite activities.

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.

Thanks for reading,

Hello and happy Monday!

How was your weekend? Ours was so good. We went to Cinicinnati for a concert on Saturday, and made time to go to IKEA as well.

The kids had never been to a concert, and Hadley loves Bailey Zimmerman, so Trav bought tickets last summer for this concert this weekend. BZ was really amazing, and his opening acts were amazing too.

Anyway, I’m sure I will share more at some point, but first…

How’s everyone feeling? haha

Anyway, today’s our monthly Share Our Lives link up…

This year, we’ve discussed:

• Introductions and jobs you’ve had in January
• How we met our significant other in February

This month’s topic is…5 items you can’t live without.

Ok – topics like this one stress me out a bit…how do I narrow down to 5? What if I forget to mention something?? I know I’m going to read others’ posts and think, “Oh yeah! I need that too!

Anyway, here are some of the (more trivial) things that I can’t live without.

1. My Kindle

My Kindle is one of my favorite things ever. It’s so handy to take with me, throw in my purse, download a few books, and read conveniently wherever I am.

I bought my Kindle almost five years ago! Honestly, it’s getting a little slow, and I’ve noticed it’s not staying charged as long. I’m thinking about getting a new one soon.

2. Weighted Blanket

When I’m not home, I miss my weighted blanket more than I can say. Truly. It’s one of my favorite things. I bought the kids each one (a lighter weight one) a few years ago, but they didn’t use theirs like I thought they would. Honestly, I really think Hayden would benefit from one…he’s not a very relaxed sleeper…but what does mom know?

I can’t remember where I got mine years ago…I’ve been thinking and thinking and am drawing a blank. I know I was “influenced” and bought it using a code from a brand, but anyway…I still love it so much.

3. Post-It Notes

Post-It notes and note pads…I truly can’t live without them. I feel like I have little things I want to remember, so I will use a sticky notes…but then I have longer lists that I write on a small notepad or one of these pretty notepads.

4. Tumbler(s)

I shared recently about my new tumbler that’s only for my Diet Coke. I have a small one from Target for my coffee, and I have another one that’s for water only! I have a purple Stanley but this lilac one is the one I use the most often for water.

5. Coffee pot

Coffee on repeat. It’s my lifeline and the best way to start my day. We had the same coffee pot for years, and then I got a pretty white Drew Barrymore brand one that didn’t even last a year. When it just up and stopped working about a year and a half ago, Travis made a trip to Walmart and came home with this bad boy:

It is nice that it’s Keurig for single cups of coffee, but we can also make a pot of coffee. What I truly miss about my old coffee pot is setting the timer and having a fresh pot of coffee when I wake up.

Now, I usually do a single cup for me in the morning and then make the pot of coffee for my second cup and for Trav to drink.

Bonus: A hair tie!

I’m not a person to wear a hair tie (rubber band) on my wrist, but I do have to have a few in my purse, in my makeup bag, in my nightstand and more. I like to pull my hair back, and just have to know that I have one nearby to do that if/when needed.

Also, I cannot workout unless my hair is pulled back.

So those are some of my “can’t live without” items.

To be honest, I could have included things like my phone or phone charger, but I was trying to keep this list as short as possible. haha

Next month, we’re talking about favorite make up and hair products. I’m not great at either of these things, so I’m going to start thinking about that topic now.

If you have a blog, we’d love for you to link up with us and join us.

I can’t wait to see what “must have” items others share.

Have a great week,

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Hello and happy Monday!

It’s time for another Share Our Lives post with some of my favorite bloggers.

In January, we discussed introductions and jobs we’ve had.

This month’s topic is…how we met our significant other or best friend.

…This post is just in time for Valentine’s Day!

Here’s how I met T-rav:

When Travis graduated college, he worked for UK’s Athletic department, and after a few years he moved to Columbia, Missouri to work for Mizzou Athletics. It was a step up from what he was doing but also not too far from home.

Anyway, he moved to Columbia in 2001.

I met Travis that fall. I was in my last year of college and University of Missouri. I was working part time in the ticket office, and that was his full time job.

My friend who also worked in the ticket office also thought he was cute. We liked his accent…haha

Anyway, we crossed paths at work quite a few times and would see each other out at bars. (Oh to be 21 again!) He asked me on a date and said he’d call me the next day. Well, I’d dated a bit in college and knew I’d at least see him again at work or that maybe he’d call the next evening. He called me (on the house phone!) early the next morning. This already made him stand out in my book.

Our first date was going for a jog that afternoon on the MK-T trail which is a popular outdoor spot in Columbia. I actually was a jogger back then.

Since this was 2001, and athleisure wasn’t all the rage, I remember stressing and asking my roommates what to wear. I wanted to look cute but also able to jog…haha

He picked me up in his silver Honda Civic, and we headed to the trail. We jogged briefly, and I then told him I couldn’t run and talk at the same time…and he casually dropped the fact that he ran for UK in college on me. Oh geez!

Anyway, after the jog, we went to eat an early dinner at an Italian place called Bambinos and then hung out for a while afterwards.

I remember being nervous about possibly seeing him at work on Monday, but didn’t see him. Then, he called me that evening, and I told him I wasn’t feeling well. I ended up with a high fever, and was pretty sick. He brought me Gatorade and a People magazine because at some point we’d talked about my love for celebrity gossip.

To this day, he takes care of me. I think I’m a pretty independent person, but at this point in my life when I feel like I’m taking care of everyone, I appreciate it even more when he steps in and takes care of things or me.

Anyway, we hit it off and hung out quite a bit moving forward.

I think this is the first pic we have together…it’s at my parents’ house…and I think it’s around my birthday in January 2002.

Our relationship wasn’t perfect then (we even broke up once or twice…that’s a story for another day…but the breakups were always short-lived), and it’s still not perfect now…but I think we are pretty perfect for each other.

The fact that Valentine’s Day is in a couple of days is timely for a running joke we have. Every year he asks me how many years we’ve been valentines…and I say the number of years but then remind him it would be one more if we hadn’t broken up in February of 2002 (only to get back together in March of that year).

We got engaged in May of 2004 and married in June 2005.

I’m really grateful to have found “my person” while I was pretty young, but I also know we aren’t the people we were back then. Although, I always say that he really is the same guy I met. I’m the one who has probably changed a bit more…but I know that’s a part of life too…and I’m grateful that he loves me through the ups and downs of life.

We’ve definitely come a long way and are very blessed:

So, that’s our story!

Next month’s topic is 5 items you can’t live without…

I hope you have a great week. Mine is a really busy one at school and in the evenings. I hope to have a couple more posts this week.