May 26, 2023
Oh Friday, I am so happy to see you! It’s time to link up with Andrea and Erika to share our Friday Favorites!
I write my blog posts in the morning most of the time because my energy fades as the day goes on. I usually do my Hello Monday posts before noon on Sundays so if I do anything after that, I add it to my Friday Favorites – if it was indeed a favorite – ha!
Well, last Sunday afternoon was a favorite! I knew I had a 5 day school week ahead of me, but I spent a couple of hours prepping so I could have some fun.
My friend Heather:

Her husband Eric with Tom:

We took the boat to lunch and it was the prettiest day:

Heather picked a Breeze cocktail so I did the same:

We both had grilled whitefish:

We ate a place called Cunningham’s and got to sit outside on their porch.
Boat hair don’t care:

I wore my Mrs. Roper muu muu which isn’t very practical for boating but there was a bit of chill in the air when we were moving and the long length kept me warm. My first mate duties of throwing ropes and tying ropes do necessitate a more movement friendly ‘fit, so I probably will not be Mrs. Roper on the boat again, sadly.

I marinated some chicken in teriyaki sauce before leaving for the boat (again, I know I have very little energy later in the day and especially after being in the sun) and then when it was dinner time (we boated from 12-4), I cooked the chicken and tossed with some really good Trader Joe’s Thai style noodles (I will buy these again!) and added roasted broccoli, green onion, and sesame seeds. I loved this meal!

One night this week I did the burger bowls:

One night I did Shay’s tomato bacon pasta:

And, the pasta had a honey mustard salad to go with it:

And, I made the Peruvian chicken again at my family’s request:

And, now I am tired and ready for someone else to cook this weekend!
Tip:

I plan to do this! It sounds like a good low level summer goal! It goes quite well with another goal of trying and enjoying more white wines this summer. I am doing well so far!
This is a super thoughtful, easy, and inexpensive way to celebrate a teacher before the end of the year or for next year:

All you need is around $10 and you can also write the message of “enjoy lunch on us”. I really do appreciate using these over the summer!
This may be a separate post, too, but new dresses are a favorite!
I ordered 3 Walmart dresses and I was shocked by the quality and nice fabric. They run really big. I had to re-order smaller sizes and then return the bigger, but it wasn’t that bad. I also have not washed them yet – I wash in cold and hang dry usually.
I got this one:

And, this one – sorry for the bad foto, but I changed into my cognac sandals after I got to work. I took off the sweater for most of the day and got lots of compliments from students and one even said I needed to be “laying in a field”.

It looks much better with sandals with a heel but it still does give off a bit of a “granny’s nightgown vibe” that I am ok with. It is a really light chambray with a wonderful feeling fabric.
This one and I am still debating if I need to go down another size or just wash and dry it? Sometimes drying does the trick for me if I’m in between sizes and I need a bit of shrinkage.
And, I swear I purchased this two weeks before Sheaffer featured it!

The last one is my favorite of my Walmart order so I really want to make sure I get the fit right so that it is the most flattering it can be.
And, then I placed an order for this dress in two sizes from Old Navy because I literally gasped at the print. And, I haven’t decided which size to keep yet, but the material is amazing quality and super soft.

This model must be super tall, because it is knee length on me and I would say it runs true to size, but maybe it’s me that is kind of in between sizes at the moment. The dress very much looks and feels like something from one of my local boutiques. You will be shocked!
And, finally, I ordered these Target sandals because I loved them so much. I do have a rule-ish to not buy Target shoes, but I made an exception. The buckles do make a bit of noise when you walk, just so you know.

I am really loving throwing on a dress and I only had a handful in my closet, so that is why I did a bit of a dress shopping spree.
What have been your favorites this week? I hope that you had many!
Amy
That sounds like a fabulous afternoon on the boat! It looks like you had a really yummy week.
LikeLike
It was so relaxing! I am cooking up a storm for my family and I have been very loose with WW points. I am giving myself grace for a few more days. I am cooking my normal healthy-ish meals but letting myself have regular rice instead of cauliflower and things like that.
LikeLike
Darling dresses! How I loved me some Mrs. Roper and her mumus. Your day at the lake looked great and I just make your Peruvian chicken! Happy Long weekend lovely!
LikeLike
Thank you! Me too! Mrs. Roper looked elegant and comfy! Let me know what you think – I undersalted the first time and slightly oversalted the second time. I hope yours is perfect!
LikeLike
Walmart really does have some fabulous dresses – Free Assembly is my favorite line. I hear you with the Target shoes – but every now and then they have a good pair. I have a pair of wedges that are now two years old and I love them still! And I am pretty much a Vionics girl through and through – ha! Have a great weekend Mrs. Roper, I mean Amy!
xo,
Kellyann
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha! Thanks! Thanks for introducing me to Walmart stuff!
LikeLike
Your dresses look so pretty Amy! Love them on you. Wishing you strength during the last few days of school! Your boat time looks like perfection too 🙂
LikeLike
Aww, thank you! Oh, I need it! But, it is also bittersweet – I really do love these kids!
LikeLike
I love that first dress from Walmart you shared. I saw it and almost ordered it, but I don’t like cap sleeves like that on me. I could use some new dresses, since mine are getting older now, but I don’t know where to buy from. I have exhausted Walmart, I think, so I may just have to wait and see what I can find in person when I come across something, like when I found my new favorite black dress. My favorite this week was Thursday, because I was at home all day. It was glorious! I cleaned some, I read, I caught up on laundry, I made my bed- something that rarely got done while I worked. It was such a great day at home, then last night Todd and I cleaned our deck off and got it summer ready. We’ll continue that this weekend, when we pressure wash it and the chairs and cushions. I’ve made plans for the weekend, and I am going swimming for the first time on Tuesday next week. I can’t wait!
LikeLike
I get that! The sleeves are a bit snug. I would recommend you look at Umgee and Savanna Jane – boutique brands but not that expensive. Umgee is on Amazon!
LikeLike
Cute dresses and I love looking at stores online inventory which is usually better than what I find in stores. Enjoy your long weekend!
LikeLike
Thank you! I do, too. I always think the sizing availability is better, too. You too! I hope things have gotten better for you. You deserve so much happiness!
LikeLike
Oh wow! What a wonderful Sunday you had, the boat, the food, the sunshine!
I do like the sound of a wine walk. hehehe I should make that one of my summer goals, to try more wines.
LikeLike
Thank you! It was so nice and a taste of summer. I do, too. I wish I had a neighborhood friend to do it with. I do have a few, but we haven’t seen each other in so long. They live at the back of my neighborhood and we used to see each other when our kids were in elementary school. I am literally writing a list of low level goals!
LikeLike
Amy! I just worked out how to comment on your fantastic blog!! Yay. All I had to do was create a WordPress.com account. Anyway I love your day out boating it looks like it was so much fun. The Peruvian chicken sounds great and I’m popping over now to look at the recipe. Have a wonderful long weekend!
LikeLike
Yay! Thanks for taking time to do that – I had no idea you needed an account! Thank you – it was so beautiful and relaxing and I hope I never take it for granted. I hope you make it and love it! You too!
LikeLike
Bookmarking the peruvian chicken!
I really like that old navy dress. It DOES look super short? Maybe worth trying since there’s a sale this weekend!
LikeLike
I undersalted the first time and oversalted the second. So, my plan for next time is to lightly salt the chicken before putting it in the marinade. I hope you like it! I think my favorite is the avocado crema from Costco, though. There is a recipe for making it yourself.
I really think the model must be 6 foot. The dress comes in blue and black, too and there are tops in all three colors that I got for $11 each! Those are set to arrive soon and I will take back the size that doesn’t fit. The material of the dress is super soft. I think many fast fashion places must have stepped up their quality. I don’t want to be an Old Navy shopper, but I just can’t quit them when I see a piece like this.
LikeLike