Friday, July 26, 2024

Well, this is a Friday I have not been wanting to see. I am almost full time as of Monday. I have a two day workshop and one day to set up my room and the other two days are appointments and I’m sure last minute errands. Teachers start August 5th and have three work days and the kids come August 8th. So.freaking.early.

Teachers can love their jobs, but starting a school year is like getting on a roller coaster that you know nothing about!

I am happy to link up with Andrea and Erika for some favorites of the week!

Here we go…

My first favorite is how well my mom is doing! Hello Monday will tell you a little more if you have been gone from the blog world. I am really behind on responding to comments, but please know how much I appreciate you leaving them!

Also, Eating Lately was my post on Tuesday if you missed it.

This and That was just a fun chatty post on Wednesday.

Fashion Files was Thursday but there ain’t much fashion in my files lately.

I am really enjoying my new Nespresso! But, wow are the capsules expensive. I bought some on Amazon that are about $1 a cup of coffee and some at Kroger (Starbucks brand) that come to about $1.30 a cup. I guess it’s a savings if you are a regular drive thru coffee gal, but otherwise.. heck no. I knew this was a luxury purchase. I am still figuring out if I will make a pot (the most cost effective) and save this for weekends or afternoon? I love the nice frothy foam that you get.

By the way, I got the Vertuo Pop and I clicked on used and the one I got came fully packaged so it was not used.

I came home from my mom’s on Sunday and just felt emotionally, physically and mentally drained after a week of uncertainty and more information than I thought my brain could hold. I really wasted my Sunday afternoon to be honest. Mason was with some friends all day but came home and said he wanted to do a coffee shop with me the next morning – I think he wanted to cheer me up and I also didn’t know what the week held so there was a sense of urgency to do some more summer things.

We tried a coffee shop in the ground floor of a building of 6 apartments. It’s called Hotel Marty and was so cute.

It had a cool interior and a huge exterior space. We both loved our drinks – iced coffee for me and tea for Mason. We split a blueberry scone.

My kids made jambalaya for our dinner one night this week!

I made the Dolly Parton cornbread! Yum!

What can’t Dolly do? Wasn’t she great on the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader doc?

I purchased a new spirit – St. Germain is an elderflower liqueur and it’s really good!

Two cocktail “recipes” are coming next week!

Oh, funny story… I walked in the liquor store and pronounced this in French to ask if they carried it and the guy didn’t understand “my French”. I guess I said it like, “San Ger mahhhn”. Isn’t that correct? Ha!

My student is doing a bagel pop up again but this time she is also selling sourdough! Guess who placed an order?

Jen made me aware of this IG account! This is me:

I felt so seen!

Eddie Otis and I have a walk every morning and we saw the buses practicing! Remember how we started school last year on August 9th and then didn’t go back until August 21st because of our bus fiasco?

EO and I saw football practice at my school, band camp at my school, and three of my students came over and said “hi” to EO!

EO waiting for Mason to wake up:

EO knew it was Taco Tuesday on Tuesday. He seriously had ignored this taco dog toy for quite some time and then brought this to me this Tuesday! It made me laugh so hard! My child is gifted, no?

If I have time, this is a favorite breakfast right now. I have three Amylu chicken breakfast sausages from Costco (still love this after a long, long time!), scrambled egg, and little potatoes.

Another dinner we had this week was turkey burgers in a lettuce ‘bun”, asparagus, and homemade potato wedges.

Are you going to go to the theater to see It Ends with Us? I think I will buy advance tickets. Why not? I need to refresh my memory on what happened in the Colleen Hoover book. I really like Blake Lively.

This week I also tackled some basement storage junk – decorative pillows I don’t like anymore, decor, stuff like that. I donated two giant trash bags. I had some reading time, too. I am actually reading two really good books! One was somewhere else so I grabbed the next one to start. Now I can’t put that one down! We had really nice temps for sitting outside except for the gosh darn mosquitoes! I spray bug spray on myself and still get bites. We have our yard sprayed and have a little contraption to keep them at bay, too. I just think it must be a really bad year for them with all the rain we have had.

Anyway, I have had a good week mainly because my mom is doing so well!

I hope you had lots of favorites, too!

Amy

26 thoughts on “Friday Favorites

  1. I am so glad your mom is doing so well! I too get eaten alive outside and try to only sit out back when it’s a bit breezy since that tends to keep them away better than any spray or anything else. I can’t believe how early you all head back to school (I mean I know you get out earlier than us so it’s sort of the same but that seems so early to me). I hope you have a really wonderful year with some great students.

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  2. I read that Colleen Hoover book this summer so I need to see the movie before I forget what I read!

    I am glad your mom is doing well. Thank goodness that all happened while you were off because having the school year start is stressful enough. Hoping she continues to do well!

    I say EO is in fact gifted and I feel qualified to say that; I did all the gifted screenings at my school so I have lots of experience. I recommend immediate staffing! Ha!!!!

    Have the very best weekend!

    xo,

    Kellyann

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  3. I cannot wait to see “It Ends With US” so excited! Oh my gosh, the Taco Tuesday pic? He is TOO CUTE- seeing the football practice does get me excited about Friday Night Lights!

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  4. So glad to hear your mom is doing well! I like the St. Germain too…how appropriate for the kick off to the Paris Olympics. The kids here go back August 1st!! The teachers had to return in July. I think this is the earliest ever and it feels like the middle of summer to me. That being said, I do love the lake in August because it’s quieter : ) Have a nice weekend!

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  5. Amy, I’m so happy you had a good week and that your mum is feeling well! School on Monday! Wow, this summer really went fast. I have two more weeks, yay.

    Yes, Nespresso is a luxury, but it’s really good. I think I read somewhere that there are some kind of reusable pods that you fill yourself?

    Yes, It ends with us is a must. The book was great and have probably created many new readers out there!

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  6. Aug 9th! Wow that is early! The school district we are in always starts so late. There has to be a happy medium šŸ˜† Continued prayers for your mom šŸ™ A few favorites from my week include lots of rain and my father-in-law’s improving health. Thanks for the Nespresso review. I have thought about getting one but didn’t factor in the price of the pods. šŸ¤”

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    1. I know! I agree! Thank you so much. Great news for your father in law, too. We have some needed rain coming, too. I hope I can sit on my patio for some of it – one of my fave things to do.
      Yes, it is definitely a luxury purchase.

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  7. I start my 16th year of teaching first grade on August 5th with the students coming the next Monday. I always go in a few times before I have to so I can put my room together and I always try to move things around or plan something a little different, a new way to organize something or a new shelf this year just to make me happy to have change. I bought the 100 Ways to be Calm and I’m hoping to translate that into my teaching this year:). My birthday is the end of July so that is always a good end to my summer. Enjoyed your blog this summer. Always a fun start to my day and I like all your tips.

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    1. I go in today and do the pd but I will go down and look at the state of my room and see what I’m dealing with. I may work on it during the lunch break, too.
      I like to do something different each year, too. It really helps.
      Thank you so much for your kind words. I really enjoy my little hobby.

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  8. Hi Amy! I hate bug spray! It smells so awful. Luckily the bugs don’t really like me. But, I did see a video the other day that said putting a few drops of vanilla extract and ground cinnamon in a spray bottle with water and spraying that on you keeps them away. I haven’t tried it yet (while they don’t love me they do love my husband and daughter) but plan to soon. We’ve been getting a bit of rain lately (so unusual), so I’m sure they are out and about (but I am not). It’s too hot! Wishing you the very best school year!

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    1. Right? I hate the stuff, too. But, I hate being bit more. Interesting idea! My friend uses lemongrass lotion but it didn’t work for me.
      Thank you so much!

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  9. I’m glad to hear your mom is doing better and can’t believe your summer is wrapping up! Here’s hoping there isn’t a bus fiasco this year!

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  10. I’m glad your mom is doing well. I love how your sons want to go out and do things with you. Oh, I love cornbread so now I’m craving that! I read the Colleen Hoover book, but I don’t really remember what happened. I don’t know if I’ll see the movie or not. It’s sad how early school starts these days. Most everyone around here is starting next week or the next. I hope busing works well this year, too.

    Have a wonderful weekend, Amy!

    https://marshainthemiddle.com/

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  11. I am so glad your mom is doing better! My sister went back to work this past Monday and her students come Monday. She teaches at a charter school, so they start the week before the other public schools. All of your food looks good and that was so kind of Mason to take you to the coffee shop to encourage you. I am a 2 wing 3 as well. Enjoy your weekend and live big!

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  12. I am so happy to hear your mum is doing well and that was lovely of Mason to spend time with you and cheer you up. Aargh! I totally get what you mean about the beginning of the school year, it’s tough! I hope all goes well next week and I’ll be thinking of you. Enjoy your weekend šŸ™‚

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  13. The coffee shop looks so cute.
    EO is gifted. I love the pic. I’m so glad your mom is doing better. The enneagrams are fun to look at. I hope you have a great weekend.

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