Friday Favorites

Friday, June 5, 2026

How was your week? Let’s link up with Andrea and Erika to share some favorites and some things that made us smile.

I finally went in Kroger. I think it had been a month or so of just doing pickups. I just needed four things so it didn’t feel hard. I had to stop and admire this heirloom tomato.

Even though I live in a big city, my city has a small-town feel. That may seem crazy to read. Of course, I have my little pocket of the city – my house, my job, my kids’ schools, their orthodontist, our gym, my Kroger, and several restaurants were/are all in walking distance.

While in Kroger I ran into two people an old friend and a former student. I see someone everywhere I go.

In my continuing nail saga, I went back to press ons Sunday night and admired them at the gym on Monday morning. Red is speaking to me lately! I heard red is a neutral.

This may not seem like a big deal, but I can take EO to the vet by myself now. I used to need help (usually Mason). EO has calmed down and he made me so proud at the vet. We love our vet and have gone to him for 26 years – our whole marriage! It makes it sound like I married a canine, no? Dr. Hill complimented my calm dog mom demeanor. I have rarely been complimented on being calm, by the way. Our boy is 96.6 pounds. Lordy!

I try to reward him with a new sniff walk after a traumatic vet visit. I actually don’t think he thinks it’s traumatic but it’s different and people are messing with him.

This book is so cute and what I needed after a pretty heavy book. It includes a hunky Brit, food talk, tea and coffee talk, small town charm, and the stuff I like in a light summer read.

Our weather has been the stuff that dreams are made of! I have been outside as much as I can be. There was an unfortunate “wasp rave” going on in a whole in my porch railing, though. I watched as wasp after wasp entered the party. They were about a foot away from me and I remained calm (there goes that word again!). I did tell Tom we needed to break up the party, though, when he got home.

One thing that might surprise you about me is that I don’t freak out about bugs – except for ticks and mosquitoes. I am not scared to touch or move a bug and would always simply put them out my classroom window and not kill them while my students shrieked.

I made myself a fab bagel sandwich for my brunch one day this week. I like to wrap it in foil to melt really well.

I got several IG comments asking where I bought it!

I made a yummy romaine, feta, dill, green onion, lemon juice, EVOO, salt and pepper salad this week a few times.

I made a sheet pan dinner of turkey sausage, onion, pepper, and potato this week.

The photo is blurry but I made funfetti cupcakes, iced them, and rolled them in non-pareil sprinkles this week. I gave some away to friends. This is apparently a viral trend right now? What’s new about sprinkles? I really don’t know!

I played mah jong this week! It had been three weeks and I was rusty. Dang, this game!

I won once so that gave me a confidence boost.

Look at all these people playing mah jong and there was a lower level, too.

I found this really funny…

I thought I had a stain on my shirt or my mirror when I shared this on Fashion Files. When I zoomed in, I realized it was my sunglasses! Duh!

This is my favorite face cleanser I have ever used. Don’t let the name Vanicream brand name fool you – it’s a facial cleanser. I love the consistency and the clean smell. I am very picky. This will be a re-purchase for me. A little goes a long way, too, and makes the best lather.

This winter/early spring I was into my “colors”. My mom had my colors done in the 80s and I was a “summer” and she was a “winter”. I still have my palette. One thing recommended for summers is brown mascara. I’m in love. This looks so natural, but I feel like it enhances my eye color and my skin tone. I have been using this along with brown eye liner.

Another easy meal this week was jacket potatoes. I feel that you have to devote almost two hours to get the right texture. I wash them, poke them with a fork, squirt EVOO, massage sea salt, then wrap in foil. Perfection. I think I checked them at 1.5 hours this time and they were done because they were a little smaller.

I bought this Trader Joe’s meatloaf, did corn and brussels sprouts during the last 30 minutes of potato cook time. Tom gave the TJ meatloaf his approval which is a big deal! He is picky ’bout his loaf.

Jenn and I did some enabling of each other one day this week and it was fun! She went to Old Navy and found some awesome things; I can’t wait for her Fashion Files next week.

She found things I didn’t know about like this linen skort. I couldn’t find white like she did, but I found orange and loved it!

I also got out my old lace up sandals!

I had tried to find this skort before but they didn’t have my size and I didn’t want to order it. I found it in my size this time! It is the cutest print!

Close up of the print:

I said I was set for summer but summer clothes are so fun! I can’t help myself! The shorts, skorts, flip flops, coverups – ahhhhh! They are so much more fun to buy than winter clothes, in my opinion.

I think the weather was the highlight! It’s been so beautiful here!