What's up Wednesday

It’s the last Wednesday of the month, so it’s time to link up with Sheaffer and Shay for March’s What’s Up Wednesday.

To say the month of March has been crazy would be an understatement, of course! In these times of uncertainty, I continue to look for what I know to be normal with a daily routine…which includes reading blogs and writing my own. I look forward to this light-hearted corner of the internet now more than ever!

I hope this post finds you happy and healthy.

WHAT WE ARE EATING THIS WEEK:

Sunday – I made this Instant Pot Lazy Lasagna recipe. I’ve made it before, and my whole family loves it. I served it with rolls and roasted broccoli (I just drizzle extra virgin olive oil on the broccoli and sprinkle salt, pepper, and Trader Joe’s Everything but the Bagel seasoning on it and roast for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees–since that’s what the rolls were baking on)

**also, I can never find the small lasagna noodles, so I just use rotini.

**and–I’m sure you can make this recipe without an Instant Pot. You’d just have a few more dishes with one pot to cook pasta and another to brown the ground beef, etc.

Monday – leftovers with bagged side salad.

Tuesday – Breakfast for dinner! Eggs, bacon, pancakes, and hash browns.

Wednesday- Baked chicken, Bob Evans mashed potatoes, and fruit.

Thursday – leftover chicken with cheesy broccoli and fruit.

Friday and Saturday- We’ll support local restaurants and order carry out dinner.

WHAT I’M REMINISCING ABOUT:

Easter. I’m afraid Easter will look very different for us this year. Worse case, we can still dye eggs and do an egg hunt…even if it’s not with extended family.

WHAT I’M LOVING:

Trying to look on the bright side…I’m loving not setting an alarm lately! 🙂

Also, Nordstrom was having a huge site wide sale last week with 25% off. I had a gift card to use, and I had a few things on my “wish” list. I was happy to purchase them with the 25% off offer!

I love Nordstrom’s Zella leggings. I purchased the hat and flip flops while dreaming of summer. Landyn shared the hat recently. Also, last year, I ordered same flip flops in tan. I wore them a ton, so I thought I’d get another pair. Also, I rarely buy kids clothes from Nordstrom, but I knew Hayden would love these Nike shorts. I purchased two pairs: one for now and one for his Easter basket.

Last year, I purchased this sunless tanner from one of my friends who sells Rodan + Fields. I love it. It provides a subtle tan and is easy to apply.

I received this steamer for Christmas from my mom (I gave her the idea :), but I haven’t had time to use it until now.

Yesterday, I took the time for some self-care, and use the tanner and gave myself a ten minute facial!

I’m not trying to be on the other side of this pandemic pale with wrinkly skin!! 😉

WHAT WE’VE BEEN UP TO:

Well, we are definitely spending a lot of time together! Also, the downtime means more time for reading, movie watching, and walking around the neighborhood.

And, like most parents, we are working on a home “school” routine!

We even had time to decorate cookies thanks to Maddie at Maddie’s Cookie Co.

WHAT I’M DREADING:

Honestly, just the uncertainty of not knowing how long the social distancing will go on…(and on, and on)

WHAT I’M WORKING ON:

You mean besides keeping my kids busy and keeping my sanity? haha

Well, I’m working on future blog posts. I’m also making an effort to give myself grace during these days at home. While I’m a home body and don’t mind being at home, we all may need a little space from time to time. Or there may be a day where my kids are on electronics more than they should be…and I’m reminding myself that it’s all going to be ok!

WHAT I’M EXCITED ABOUT:

Have you heard of Wall Pops? I follow Michelle (@ellerydesigns) on Instagram. She’s made drastic changes to her laundry room, bathroom, and mantle using Wallpops wallpaper and floor tiles.

I’ve ordered the Shiplap Peel and Stick Wallpaper to do an accent wall in our master bedroom. We haven’t even updated the wall paint in our master, so I hope to do both over our extended time off.

WHAT I’M WATCHING/READING:

I’m currently reading The Secret to Southern Charm which is the second book in the Peachtree Bluff series. I will share about my other three books I’ve recently read in this Friday’s What I’ve been Reading post.

We’ve had more time for movie watching lately. We’ve watched My Girl, Stand by Me, and The Little Giants in the past week.

I’ve also started watching The Crown again on Netflix. I’m a few episodes into Season 2. I also love The Rookie on ABC, and I’ve been getting caught up on that.

I’ve been watching American Idol this season. I’d been wanting to find a show the whole family can watch, and I love the judging trio of Luke, Katy, and Lionel!

Lastly, I tune in every day at 5:00 for Governor Beshear’s daily COVID-19 news conference. Honestly, the updates have become a part of my routine and a candid way to receive information without feeling overwhelmed. It’s a time to be together with #TeamKentucky

If you are in Kentucky, then you’ll understand the meme below. 😉

WHAT I’M LISTENING TO:

At the moment, the sound of our grass being mowed! The first cut of the season was long overdue!

WHAT I’M WEARING:

Well, you know what they say…”Dress for the job you want, not the job you have…” Well, I’d say I’m currently trying to dress for both. So…I ordered these pjs from Target. They should be here early next week!

WHAT I’M DOING THIS WEEKEND:

I’m sure more quality time with my fam! If the weather cooperates, maybe we can drive somewhere to go on a hike. We definitely need a change of scenery!

WHAT I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT MONTH:

Hopefully some sense of normalcy? Or at least maybe we will feel more at ease with this at home routine by then? Also, maybe we will know what the end of the school future holds? Although, I suspect I already know that answer…#sigh

AND…

I feel like this post is a lot of life should have been ….but instead it’s…So, I hope the post isn’t taken in a negative light. It’s just such an adjustment to this new (hopefully short-lived) normal. Taking the stricter steps to curtail this virus are certainly necessary, and I continue to count my blessings while engaging in social distancing!

I’m also taking this time to try to blog a bit more often. Tomorrow, I have my FIRST EVER “Day in the Life” post and Friday I will have my “What I’ve been Reading” post for March. This means another “first….” for me… F I V E days of blogging in a week. I don’t think this will be the new normal, but while I have the time (and can think of content), I may try to post more than my normal three days a week.

Here are Monday and Tuesday’s posts:

Weekend Top 5

Home “School”

Don’t forget to check out the other ladies’ posts! What’s Up Wednesday posts are always some of my favorites to read.

Thanks for reading!

Hello! It’s the last Wednesday of the month which means I’m linking up with Sheaffer and Shay for this month’s What’s Up Wednesday.

WHAT WE ARE EATING THIS WEEK:

We were spoiled by the sunshine this weekend, and now we are back to overcast and rainy skies…so I thought soup sounded good. Also, I always try to make something on Sunday that we can have leftovers on Monday. Mondays just always seem so difficult getting in the swing of the week, so not having to think about dinner on Monday evening is always a bonus.

Sunday/Monday: Taco Soup

Tuesday: Trader Joe’s Fried Rice with Honey Walnut Shrimp and Mandarin Orange Chicken. I love Trader Joe’s. What I love most about Trader Joe’s is that I usually just wander the aisles to plan a meal or two. Whereas, when I go to Kroger (or place my online Kroger order), I always feel like I need a list! This was a quick and easy meal last night that we enjoyed overall…but I didn’t love the sauce that came with the shrimp. I wish I had left it off. The chicken (& sauce) was delish!

Wednesday: Baked chicken thighs, bagged salad, and Bob Evans mashed potatoes.

Thursday: We now have a basketball game tomorrow night #tourneytime , so we’ll probably have leftover baked chicken with Trader Joe’s Roasted Potatoes. We’ve never tried these before, so hopefully everyone likes them. Every time I go to TJ’s, I pick up one or two new things to try!

Friday/Saturday night: I’m sure we’ll eat out.

Did you see my Monday Meals post with two quick (and easy!) pasta recipes? Both are delish!

WHAT I AM REMINISCING ABOUT:

I can’t believe we’ve had Homer for almost 9 months. He was about 12 weeks old when we adopted him. So….Homer is almost one! Whew! Homer is a handful…and I tell him every day that he’s lucky he is cute! This week alone, I’ve found him licking my facial cleansing brush, he snatched a glazed donut out of the box on the counter, and he ran around the house with the kitchen towel in his mouth. Also, my hairbrush is missing. He swears he’s innocent and Hadley denies borrowing it…so I’m still on the lookout for it! I swear he’s like having ten toddlers!

February 2020. Sweet (and ornery!) Biscuit

WHAT I AM LOVING:

At the end of the summer, I started buying the single wick candles at Bath and Body Works. I love that the three wick ones are more aromatic but sometimes they were almost too strong of a scent…and the three wick ones take up more space. So, for fall, I bought three single wick fall fragrances and did the same for the holidays. This way, I can place the candles around the house easier since the single wick ones take up less space and provide just enough of a refreshing scent. Of course, I always use a coupon (or hit up a sale) when buying the candles whether it’s the single or three wick ones. (I feel like I just used the work wick more than I should have. Sorry!) These three scents are my newest purchase for spring.

WHAT WE’VE BEEN UP TO:

It’s basketball tournament time, so that sports season is wrapping up. Hayden is prepping for baseball season while Hadley continues to dance two days a week. Both kids went to birthday parties last weekend which kept us busy on Saturday. Then, on Sunday, Hadley attended the Mardi Gras party at our church while Hayden had basketball practice. Next month, Hadley has Academic Team competition, so she’s been prepping for that as well.

WHAT I’M DREADING:

Honestly, I wasn’t dreading it but I was overwhelmed getting Hadley’s Girl Scout cookie orders out. She surpassed her goal of selling 350 cookies by selling 441 boxes of cookies! I just never want to mess up an order, and it’s a lot of money to collect and sort! I’m glad the bulk of the ordering is past us!

WHAT I’M WORKING ON:

I’m working on getting back on track with my eating and exercising. I was off to a good start in 2020 and then I got the flu. After that, my eating was ok but I wasn’t really working out. So, I’m back on my Lean intermittent fasting program combined with carb cycling, tracking my macros, and working out. This program works for me…when I do it! So, getting a handle on my eating window and exercise before spring break is a good goal for me right now.

WHAT I’M EXCITED ABOUT:

I’m excited about spring break! It will be here before we know it. We decided to go to NYC…but all we’ve done so far is purchase plane tickets. We are waiting to tell the kids once we firm up our plans/itinerary. What are some “musts” for us while there?? Give me all the ideas, please! I’ve always wanted to visit NYC in the fall, but we didn’t have our act together at that point to plan a trip. I’m excited to take the kids as I think they will enjoy it and appreciate it…and are able to walk/keep up with whatever we do.

WHAT I’M WATCHING/READING:

Y’all, I’m in a slump. Or a February Funk…I started two books this month and haven’t finished either. I like them…I just have been so tired at night, I go straight to bed. Plus, our weekends have been a bit busy, so I don’t know…I’m not off to a solid start with reading in 2020. The two books I’m reading are The Broken Girls (on my Kindle) and American Royals (hardback). Again, I’m really liking them and hope to finish them this week…and start fresh in March. Do you have any good book recommendations?

I’m excited for Good Girls Season 3. The show just started back, and I hope to get caught up on it this weekend. There aren’t many shows Travis and I watch together, but that’s one of them!

Also, I found a show Up and Vanished on the Oxygen Channel on Hulu and have watched a few episodes.

And…we watched about half of Jurassic Park earlier this week…It’s one of those I remember watching as a kid and thought Hayden and Hadley would like it…but when I looked over to see Hadley crying as the dinosaur tried to eat the kids, I started to think I must have been over ten-years-old when I saw it. 😂 Hayden wants to finish it, but Hadley will probably pass. We may not have time to finish it until the weekend anyway…maybe Hadley’s trauma will subside by then!

WHAT I’M LISTENING TO:

I still listen to a few podcasts when I can. I regularly listen to include Willie Geist’s Sunday Sitdown and then usually add other podcasts of interest based on who is being interviewed. I’m excited because Landyn has a podcast in the works. I’m excited to listen to it when it become available.

WHAT I’M WEARING:

I bought these slippers at Target right after Christmas, and I love them. I had thought about buying the Ugg version as I’ve heard great reviews, but didn’t feel like spending that kind of money on slippers. These have been the perfect thing to put on my feet when I get home! Nice and cozy. (One of my slippers has even survived almost being #homered!…so I guess you could say that they are good quality!) 😉

Also, I recently had to wear this pink gown…twice. Since I turned 40, it was time for me to have my first ever mammogram. While it wasn’t the best thing I’ve every experienced, it certainly wasn’t as painful as I expected it to be. As I left my appointment, the mammographer mentioned that it’s very common to get called back for an ultrasound especially to establish a baseline since it was my first mammogram.

A week later, I did receive a call to come in that week for an ultrasound. Thankfully, I was somewhat prepared for the call, so I didn’t panic. (Although, I am a worrier by nature!) As soon as the sonographer called me back to the room, she immediately told me she thought everything was fine, but they just wanted to confirm all was good. Her reassurance combined with the dimly lit room and the warm blanket she gave me, put me at ease. I had a couple of cysts as well as a fibroadenoma, which I learned is very common in women and benign.

I was actually relieved to have the mammogram scheduled. I’ve known women who have had breast cancer even in their early thirties. That being said, it was almost scary for me to be in the 35-39 years of age…where doctors say, “You are too young to worry about _____” when I know people who have had their lives changed in an instant at a younger age.

I’m thankful for a healthy report, and I’ll also be very grateful for that yearly appointment and peace of mind.

WHAT I’M DOING THIS WEEKEND:

Hadley has a tournament game on Saturday (and both could still be playing if they win), but other than that we don’t have too much planned. It may actually be a lowkey weekend which we haven’t had in awhile.

I think Travis is going to take Hayden to the UK basketball game on Saturday. I hope to read, get caught up on house stuff, groceries, etc.

WHAT I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT MONTH:

March means that the Homster is turning 1! We’ve always gotten our dogs a vanilla ice cream cup from Dairy Queen, so he has that to look forward to. Since we don’t know his actual birthday, in the future, we’ll probably celebrate him (w/ the ice cream) on June 8. His gotcha day!

Also, March means St. Patrick’s Day. I’ve got a little bit of Irish in me, and grew up having corned beef and cabbage and Irish soda bread to celebrate March 17th. I make those recipes now for my family, and we always look forward to the tradition.

That’s it for this month’s What’s Up Wednesday. Make sure to check out Sheaffer and Shay’s posts too!

Take care,

Jen