Monday, January 29, 2024

Can you believe January is finally coming to an end? I hate to be that way, but… I think many of us feel the same! 

I am happy to link up with Sarah and Holly for Hello Monday. 

By the way, I had a Saturday post here if you missed it!

I left for school a bit early Friday morning so I could get an Egg McMuffin – no butter, extra egg for my breakfast. It was so good! You all know that I make and pack my own breakfast, snack, lunch (except when it’s Erica’s turn), and then make dinner at home most nights, so this felt like a treat! 

Friday was a good day at school, and it felt good to accomplish a 5-day week after the chaotic school start to January due to the weather. Seriously. I was back in the routine and the kids and I benefitted from it. 

But, after school, it was time to celebrate. I rush home every day to take Ernie on a walk except Fridays and the ocassional rare day that Jack is home. On Friday, he has no classes and can do it for me. He then leaves for work around 4:00 on Fridays. He had picked up Mason earlier in the day from campus, so Mason was home and ready to be my Friday Happy Hour companion! Yes, I will capitalize Happy Hour!

He worked at a fancy Italian restaurant this summer and enjoyed schooling me in the proper way to hold ones’ wine glass: 

We ordered arancini and a baguette with fancy butter and talked for almost two hours. 

I’m sure you can tell how this quality time filled my cup! We went home to Tom and rustled up leftovers and odds and ends for dinner for the 3 of us. Jack was off to dinner and a college activity after work so we didn’t see him. 

One of the things Mason told me over happy hour…

I had left the Kroger credit card out for Jack and told him to get food he wanted and some snacks. He also is taking a chemistry of cooking class for a graduation requirement and had to bake a cake this weekend, so he needed those supplies. After he went and picked Mason up they did Kroger together. I chuckled at some of Mason’s recounting of it, “I’m glad I was there because Jack was pretty clueless” and “Jack didn’t believe we had baking powder at home”, “It was a good thing I made cookies with you last weekend because I knew what we had”. 

Saturday morning, I slept in until about 7 after getting up only one time to use the restroom. Ernie wants to be let out every time Tom or I get up in the night now. I am thankful for the French doors in our bedroom that lead to our patio and stairs to get down to the yard. Tom was smart to design it that way when we started the project in 2018 and Ernie was only 5 years old. 

I made coffee, read my devotional, and started responding to blog comments. Oh man, I get so behind these days on responding. I do apologize! 

I found out one of my nieces was Homecoming princess Friday night! 

Saturday morning, I had to go to Kroger. I debated Aldi, but I knew I would also have to go to Kroger, and I just didn’t have more than one grocery store in me. It took forever and I really didn’t enjoy it. That’s what I get for not planning ahead I guess. I did my meal planning and shopping all Saturday morning. 

I got home, unloaded, made breakfast for myself, and did laundry, dishes, all the things. We also discovered that our garbage disposal was broken so Tom went to Home Depot to get a new switch and changed it out. We are lucky that is all it was. He said the switch cost 85 cents! I can handle that kind of repair! 

Then, I started cooking a meal for this week…

I tried a new soup and it’s a keeper! Go to her blog here for the recipe! I will double it next time. It was interesting using a box mix of scalloped potatoes. I calculated this as 8 WW points per serving if you get 8 servings from one recipe. I decreased the Velveeta by a bit, too. And, I did not use the crockpot. I just made it on the stove and put all the things in at once. 

Nacho Potato Soup: 

It was grey and rainy as it was every.single.day. this week, but it was milder and I read outside for a bit with a candle and a tea. I heard Big Boo Cast talk about this book and I loved The Bear. A character in The Bear is reading this in one of the episodes. 

It is about the restaurant industry, but the author says and I agree, that it can extend to many different industries. 

I have always remembered and loved the quote below: 

I broke out my new Valentine sweater to wear to dinner. Jack and Mason went to a play on campus and Tom and I tried a new restaurant. This sweater is part of my Walmart order that I made recently. Don’t worry, I have a January purchases post coming soon. I know you were so worried! 

Anyway, I think it runs true to size and I think it’s pretty decent quality for less than $17! I wish they had done pink heart shaped buttons, but I love the pink trim! 

It was kind of bittersweet because the new restaurant is in our old favorite German restaurant’s location – it went out of business last year. So sad. It is now “All Thai’d Up” and that also makes me sad because our favorite Thai restaurant – Thai Cafe, which was in our Kroger shopping center – also closed. This restaurant didn’t come close. Tom liked it, but I was not too excited. 

Tom wanted the sampler platter and I just had a nibble of a spring roll and a wonton. 

We split chicken pad thai: 

Tom has discovered a new clothing brand that I will share just in case you need something for your man or you. He is wearing a new sweater from them in the photo above. Paka is the brand and he says it is the softest thing ever and loves it already. 

Ernie turned 11 this weekend and I did a rare Facebook post because it was worthy of one!

And, when Jack came home from singing in his church choir, the whole fam including Ernie loaded up to go visit my mom. 

We visited and had some really good pizza at a cute little mom and pop place with only 7 tables!

We had a nice day!

What was the highlight of your weekend?

Amy

35 thoughts on “Hello Monday”

  1. That sounds like such a wonderful weekend! Your sweater is adorable and I agree that pink buttons would have been better– it would really tie all that pink trim in (they slightly missed the boat on that one!).

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    1. It was nice. As long as I can get out a bit in the winter, I’m happy. Even 40s seems so mild!
      They really did – come on – pink buttons would have been easy!

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  2. I must say I’ve had a really good winter! I think the snow has been part of it (bright, beautiful and fun) and secondly we’ve stayed in the city during the weekends which brings more energy and action than living cabin life in the forest…

    I love EggMcMuffin! But I’m always too late when I want it…

    Your afternoon with Mason looked so nice! I have to do that with the girls soon!

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    1. That’s great! So much of it is your attitude, too.
      Oh no! Yes, you have to be an early bird.
      It was really nice. Would you do both or one on one?
      Are you coming to FL this summer with girls or without?

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      1. Yes, the girls are coming with us this year too! Tickets are booked and I can’t wait…!

        Well, for spending time with the girls it’s always nice to be one on one… The oldest one loves to spend time with me, she follows me to the grocery store just to get a chance to chat! So sweet! Youngest is more secretive…

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      2. Yay!
        I agree – I like that time together. That’s so sweet – I think when they get a bit older they appreciate us more.
        Lol – she will come around.

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  3. What a great weekend! Love the precious time with your son and he is so on point with how he is holding the wine glass :) Love reading about Ernie too- such a sweet boy!

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  4. I am so very happy your sweet Ernie has had another birthday! What a blessing!

    We had a goodbye celebration for our son, his year at home has come to a close and he is leaving for Philly. I am already sad and trying not to be but ugh!!!

    Hope you have a great week!

    xo,

    Kellyann

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    1. Thank you! I don’t want to not enjoy this time while I think of what’s coming. I know you know what I mean by that. How are you doing?
      Ah, yes, I saw that you had a party and wondered if that was the reason. Thinking of you!

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  6. Yay Ernie! What an Amazing Happy Hour with your boy! Congrats to your niece! So pretty. Love your green heart sweater. Hope it’s a great week ahead!

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  7. What a fun weekend! Quality time is my top love language; it seems like it’s Mason’s as well. What a sweet gesture that he does things like that with you! I loved hearing about their Kroger shopping. Mason sounds like my Jonah, and Jack sounds like my Noah. That cracked me up, because that is exactly how mine would reacted in the store! Noah never knows where anything is, but Jonah has it down pat and is super aware of all that we have/don’t have. Happy birthday to sweet Ernie! Did he get any birthday treats?

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  8. Looks like you had a great weekend with your boys and Happy Birthday to Ernie! It’s so wonderful that he’s doing so well after last year’s scare. I love the heart sweater, maybe you can find a pink t-shirt to wear with it, a pink and white striped shirt would look good but could be too warm at work. I read about half of the Will Guirada book and it has great ideas, but that sort of book starts to become kind of a humble-brag to me after a while, so I put it down. Maybe I will finish it after a break from it. Now I’m reading The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose, much more enjoyable to me. Saturday I went for coffee with a friend and then we took our dogs for a long walk since it was a gorgeous day and Sunday we went to brunch with friends and later we had our New Year’s pork and sauerkraut which was delayed because we were both sick the first week of January. I’ll have to tell my husband about Paka, he loves Marine Layer because their shirts and sweaters are so soft too. Have a great week Amy!

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    1. I did! Thank you! He still has it, but he is living a life well lived with it, I think and hope! Oh, that would be cute! Yeah, I am already getting that vibe about the book. I don’t usually fully read non-fiction, to be honest. I more skim them! What a nice friend meet up. I was just thinking I really need to do brunch!
      My hub is so picky about clothes – fave brands are Free Fly, Barbour, but I don’t think he has Marine Layer. I will ask.
      You too!

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  9. Forgot to say we watched a great Netflix movie called The Bank of Dave this weekend. It takes place in the UK, I think you all would enjoy it.

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  10. Happy birthday to Ernie!

    You should go to Joanne’s or Hobby Lobby and buy some hot pink buttons to sew on your sweater. 🙂

    Have a good week!

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  12. What a fantastic weekend! Such a highlight to spend time chatting with Mason. Happy birthday to Ernie, he sounds like such a good loyal friend xxx

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  13. Happy Birthday to Ernie! I love the new green sweater…green and pink is such a “preppy” combination. That is so sad when restaurants close. :(

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  14. Happy, happy birthday to Ernie! He looks so happy in these photos! What fun to go for happy hour with your son. I did chuckle about shopping for his cake baking! My youngest likes to cook, but I doubt he’d have a clue about baking of any kind. 

    I wonder, if you were really careful, if you couldn’t paint the buttons with nail polish. Pink buttons really would pop against that green. 

    Have a wonderful week!

    https://marshainthemiddle.com/

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  16. What a great weekend! Your Valentine’s sweater is cute. You are right – pink heart buttons would have been fantastic! You are getting some good time with Mason and I love that he helped Jack with the ingredients! How great that you all went to visit your mom and get some yummy pizza!

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