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Monday, March 11, 2024

It’s the typical Hello Monday with Sarah and Holly, but also Share Our Lives with several bloggers and theme of “5 items I can’t live without”.

So, let’s get started by going back to Thursday, which is “Pre-Friday”, right?

Thursday was great because Erica brought lasagna cups for the first time in a long, long time! These are mini lasagnas made with won ton wrappers.

I met my friend Victoria for happy hour after school and she had been shopping at a boutique that was giving out free earrings with a purchase and look what she gave me! They aren’t her style, but she knows my love of fun earrings!

We had a lovely time chatting and she ordered…

eggplant rollups!

I went home and made egg roll in a bowl and fried rice for dinner, which would also be my lunch and Erica’s lunch at work on Friday.

Friday was a rainy day, but I love having my windows open and feeling the fresh air. I was feeling happy during my planning period.

I let the students play Spanish Bananagrams at the end of class.

After school I went shopping with Erica at the same boutique that was giving out the earrings because she wanted to look at some Derby attire and fascinators. We went in about four little shops and then ended at a restaurant bar for an old fashioned and my former student was our bartender!

And, wait for it. We didn’t order food, but they brought us bread and butter and it was a butter candle. You guys – a butter candle! My life is changed. You can blow it out, but why would you? The butter candle melts into the bread and it’s what dreams are made of.

Dinner was easy. My school had bought Chick Fil A box lunches for some student lunch group and there were leftovers, so this is what we had! Score! I love the bag of chips they give you.

Friday before I went to bed, I mixed up some four ingredient bread dough…

I baked it up Saturday morning:

I may have also made Jell-O shots after Tom and I did a small Kroger run.

I also went ahead and made spaghetti sauce for our dinner.

And some veg..

I met Erica and Elizabeth at a private club and we had lunch snacks before walking to the St. Paddy’s Day parade. I brought the bread, green butter I made, and the Jell-O shots.

I ran into two former students and it made my day. One is 33 now!

Erica, Elizabeth, and I together are a lot. It had been a long time and we had so much fun together.

I went home and ate spaghetti with the fam! I went to bed pretty early because I knew I had to spring forward.

Spring forward I did and Sunday was a day of lots of productivity. I also wanted to finish my Grocery Diaries for The Kitchn.

Here are my 5 things:

I did have to think about this a bit.

I love my frother and it has literally made me stop throwing away my money at Starbuck’s. I really can’t remember the last time I went there.

My Goli Ashwagandha is something I have used for almost 2 years. I chew one before bed and I even took it to the UK on my trip.

I love to pop my own popcorn in the microwave with my microwave popper and this is the spray I use along with a bit of salt. I seriously like mine better than movie theater popcorn.

I love Simply Saline and keep it in my shower. I use it every day twice a day. It is part of my routine to stay allergy symptom free. I have been using it for years.

And, finally my press ons are a newer must-have. I have now figured out to buy the petite size online. I don’t have to cut or file them (or I only have to do it a bit) and they fit my nail beds the best. Isn’t this a pretty lavender color for spring?

I can’t wait to read what everyone else says and it might be bad for my pocketbook! I am trying to not spend any money on clothing, accessories, Amazon, or anything frivolous for the next 3 weeks until spring break! I’m not sure I can do it!

Amy

33 thoughts on “Hello Monday and 5 Items I Can’t Live Without”

  2. Spanish Bananagrams….so fun!
    The bread at the restaurant…like what? That is what dreams are made of…but also – the bread you made…I need to know more about that. It looks so pretty and delish!
    What did you bake it in?
    St Patty’s day parade…so fun. You are so funny- when you say you all are a lot together. Haha So cool you run into so many of your former students. Your five things are perfect.

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  3. What a fun weekend! You deserve all of the JOY and once again, your students are so lucky to have a passionate and fun teacher- the parade looks like a blast too 🙂

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  4. What a fun weekend, I love all the St Patrick’s Day festivities! That butter candle is such a cool idea, looks like it’s a match stuck in the side of a stick of butter? Could it be that easy???

    All of your happy hour outings make me wish I would make those plans. Such a fun way to get through the week.

    Have a super week!

    xo,

    Kellyann

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    1. I needed it after all the tears. It’s some sort of wick that is food safe/food grade? They put the butter in a mold and then put the wick in? So cool! I want to take more friends there for this! You should plan one this week. My friend who works from home needs to get out after work! She wants to be around people!

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  5. I want some bread with a butter candle! I have heard about these and have been dying to go somewhere to try it; I know it’s something I’d love. What a fun weekend you had! I love all the festivities you had going on. Your five items are very interesting! I forgot about that link up and am going to write a post in a little while, because it’s a fun one. Have a great Monday, my friend!

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    1. I’m dreaming about it! Maybe there is a place near you? How does one google: “Places to go that serve their bread with a flaming butter candle” – lol
      Thank you! It’s a fun topic!

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  6. Oh what Shamrock FUN! I haven’t made hello shots in forever. The 5 things was fun too. I certainly cannot live without my press on nails. Been doing my own now for 13 years, lol. Happy Monday Sweetheart!

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    1. They are so stinking easy and they were a crowd pleaser. Should have made more as I found myself handing them out on the street. Lol. You are the queen on the press ons. Should I up my game to glue?

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  7. Glad you found lots of things to make you happy this week! I have never been to a St. Patrick’s Day parade, but maybe I should this year. It looks festive for sure! I still haven’t mastered the Impress nails. The 2nd time was a little better, but it still didn’t last past 2 days. That butter candle with the bread is amazing! I love that. 

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  8. I’ve never seen a butter candle! So neat!! Glad to see you mentioned Ashwaganda. I need s new sleep aid. Melatonin wasn’t working so well for me and I was horrible nightmares after taking it! A few things I can’t live without include my Keurig, my cordless leaf blower and my nonstick pan I bought on Amazon. All of those make my life so much easier!

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  9. Great post, it really made me hungry, so much yummy food! Love your parade attire. I’ll have to try Simply Saline. I stopped taking my allergy medication, thinking I could just battle through it, but I am miserable.

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  10. I definitely need to try the Saline since the allergies are crazy here right now. The butter candle is so fun and I’ve never seen that. Hope you have a great week. 🙂 Tanya

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    1. I love it so much! I think it keeps you cleaned out. Also, the trick of never going to bed with pollen in your hair and taking off the outdoor clothes when you come in were game changers for me.

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      1. yes. I use it to add collagen to my coffee. mix my preworkout. We also use it for hot chocolate. I drink a bunch of powdered supplements that you add to water and I mix them.

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  12. What a fun read! We don’t really do anything for St. Patrick’s Day…we are such duds! But, that butter candle…I mean…what a genius idea!! I think I could live on really, really good bread, butter, and Diet Coke! Love those Derby earrings! I really need to up my earring game and just go looking for some! I also need to make eggroll in a bowl. I haven’t made it in forever, and it’s so good! I’m trying to think of five things I can’t live without…my lip balm, my glasses (I’m blind without them), something to do with my hands, books, and my husband!

    Have a wonderful week!

    https://marshainthemiddle.com/

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    2. Thank you! I have only done this for the last 3 years. Look on Facebook for events and invite a friend if Nigel not into it! I could live on really good bread (I don’t waste my time on hard or bad bread!), good butter, and water, wine, and coffee. I don’t drink soft drinks except for a splash in a cocktail once in a while.
      The earrings are so fun for me. I love them. They are also super light weight.
      I love egg roll in a bowl. Good list! I only did superficial items that can be store bought!

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  13. Those lasagna cups look so good and the butter candle is just genius! What a fun weekend.
    I love your 5 things. I love the sound of that spray for your popcorn. Yum, yum.

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  14. My parents gave us a frother for Christmas but we haven’t used it yet. Maybe I should pull it out, especially since I’m headed to Starbucks when I’m done reading this post! Hahaha!!! (I’ve been promising my daughter Starbucks all week so I really am doing it for her.)

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    1. Oh, girl! Use it! I love mine so much! I put the creamer in the mug first, froth it up, and then pour the coffee in. That’s ironic! Enjoy it! It should feel like a treat for me and now it does. It was getting to be such a habit.

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