Monday, July 27, 2026

What a weekend! I’m tired in the best way! I’m linking up with Sarah and Holly to share. I’d love to hear what you did, too!

I started noticing how gorgeous these plants on the edge of our property look in the full summer heat and sun.

I sat in the shade and read for a bit on Friday and little Eddie Otis was chill next to me.

I spent all of last week cleaning, decluttering, washing, and shopping for Friday. My niece and her boyfriend were coming to stay with us for the weekend.

I made my first salad in weeks and yes, I looked up the brand to make sure it was safe.

I cut up strawberries and made a dip.

I bought these rolls.

I made chicken cutlets/chicken schnitzel.

roasted potatoes and broccoli:

I messed up the frosting on this chocolate bundt cake and tried to hide the spots of powdered sugar with marshmallows and chocolate chips – lol. You win some, you lose some. She ain’t pretty.

Dinner on the patio:

Eddie Otis loved having a full house in the family room as Mason came over, too, for dinner. We watched some standup comedy on the tv and Eddie Otis was a lapdog.

Mason went home and we all went to bed around 9:00. My niece and her boyfriend are lifeguards and had been up since 5 am for the old folks swim – lol.

They slept in Saturday morning which was what I had hoped for them! They have been working so hard this summer to save their pennies for the school year. I made pancakes and bacon and Jack came to eat breakfast with us. I had asked each of my kids to come when their work allowed so that they could visit their cousin.

Backstory – I had twins and then 5 years later my sister Molly had twins. One year after that, my sister Kate had just one baby at a time. My parents were already used to getting grandkids two at a time!

The only evidence that pancakes were eaten:

Tom and Eddie Otis went to get the boat ready and we arrived and went in the boat shop and then it started raining.

We went across the street to Haymarket to get some snacks and waited out the rain inside the boat barn. Finally, we thought it was ok to proceed. We got on the boat and it was cold! We had a touch of fall in the air on Saturday.

See, they wore “boat socks”!

Our plan was to participate in a “poker run” and to eat lunch at Captain’s Quarters on the boat.

Finding a “dealer boat”:

We found two boats on the way to lunch using a map of the dealer boats. They held up a giant playing card for you to assemble your poker hand.

Our card at the end of the event:

Captain’s Quarters:

EO was a good boat boy! I think we left at 1:30 and stayed out until almost 5.

We found the other boats after lunch and it was a wild ride with choppy water. We had to show them downtown, though, before going in.

We came home and took showers and then went down the street for sushi.

Jenn has been talking about gyoza so much that I suggested we try it!

We came home and everyone was ready for bed.

They slept in until 10 again and then we made breakfast burritos.

We went to Goodwill and Mia found a couple of things.

Remember my Michigan melted Crocs? I thought I threw them away but I guess I put them in a Goodwill bag. They were on the shelf. See how the left is much smaller?

Then, we went to the Sunday farmer’s market and the kids got a blueberry lemonade shake up.

We ate lunch at Waldo’s Chicken and Beer:

And, last we went to Clothes Mentor and I’m the only one who scored – Nike Air Max that had only been worn a couple of times from the looks of them! $18!

I hope you will join us for Fashion Files tomorrow. What have you been wearing? What are you tired of? Buying for fall? There are lots of ways you can join us for Fashion Files and we would love to see your post!

Currently for August will be here soon. It will be Wednesday, August 5th. Here are the themes – trying to make it kind of end of summer/starting school adjacent.

savoring, wrapping up, preparing, remembering, and organizing.

Whew! I’m tired! I am not used to that much weekend activity!

Amy