Wednesday, April 8, 2020

Are you a coffee drinker? I drink less than 2 cups in the morning – I usually let one or both cups get a little cold and then I dump it out. I also sometimes like to have an afternoon cup of coffee.

When the weather warms up, I love iced coffee.

Have you heard of the whipped coffee trend?

It is made by combining 2 tablespoons each of instant coffee granules, sugar, and hot water. You then use your hand mixer to whip it until it becomes the consistency of whipped cream.

You then pour it in to 1 cup of any kind of milk and you can mix it up at this point if you desire.

Look how pretty the whipped coffee of my sister turned out!

Even tastier in my opinion is my short cut iced coffee. I take one stick of instant coffee granules – by the way, I bought decaf so if you are worried about the caffeine this is an option. Mix the granules with about 2 tablespoons of hot water – less water if you like it stronger. Stir up really good with a spoon, add ice, and pour in a half of a vanilla Premier Protein. I tried this with caramel last summer, but I love the vanilla and think it is the best.

It tastes better than Starbucks but it has been so long I do not remember what Starbucks tastes like!

I know it may be hard to get out to get instant coffee or Premier Protein right now, but maybe you can try this someday soon!

What type of coffee do you drink? Any recipes for me?

Amy

Monday, April 13, 2020

How was your weekend? Ours was pretty good. I was ready for a weekend after learning the ropes of distance learning last week. It wasn’t bad but I was really tired of staring at screens and my brain hurt from learning new things. Much of what I had to do was record keeping for my 146 students. It was tedious and time consuming. This week will be even busier but I think I have figured a few things out.

Friday night I decided to get the local Mexican. I used Door Dash instead of picking it up because I figure the driver is local and needs money.

I made my own margarita while I waited!

Saturday morning I took a nice walk by my school and saw some geese enjoying the grounds.

I need to do a better job of having vegetables cut up and ready to go so that is what I did for lunch Saturday. Everybody could grab what they wanted. Did you see my post Saturday? These are my brownie cookies made from a brownie mix. Check it out if you didn’t see it!

I only boiled 6 eggs and I tried a vinegar and food color dying method. It was cool.

I made another whipped coffee.

I was so happy to take it out to the patio and I had been waiting since Tuesday to be able to make one. Kroger failed and didn’t put it in my order so I ordered it off of Amazon. It came around 11 and I was so happy to receive this pack of 80.

After the eggs dried this is what they looked like. I should’ve rolled them around in the paper towels more.

I will probably always do Easter baskets. They were pretty light this year because one item did not arrive on time. The boys really laughed at the t-shirts – funny references to a show they like and they really liked their blue light blocking glasses for this new online school life.

Then, we had a Zoom with my sisters and mom and all the kids.

It was rainy Sunday. We watched online church, some other t.v., I did school work, boys did school work, and I cooked a lot of stuff.

Here is how our Easter dinner turned out. We have lots of leftovers.

How was your weekend? Are you ready for another week?

Take care!

Amy

Monday, July 13, 2020

Well, that weekend went by quickly just like last week did! It’s surprising to me that this summer is still following the normal pattern of summers past – time speeds up like crazy after the 4th of July. Do you feel that way, too? I am linking up today with Heather and Tanya right here.

I was so happy Thursday night to find the rest of my Belgravia! Did you enjoy Downton Abbey? This is by the same creator and is from the channel Epix. There is only one season with 6 episodes. I watched the first two on demand but couldn’t find the rest. I finally figured out I could do a 7 day free trial of Epix and I quickly finished the last 4. I am seriously considering watching all of them again.

I got a call from my library that this was ready and I was so happy because the book I had been reading was a dud! I flew through this in a couple of days this weekend, so I do recommend it for a fun summer read.

I made a trip Friday to Bath and Body. Um, you can’t sniff things with a mask on so it wasn’t very fun.

Please don’t hate me – I got a one month subscription to Disney Plus and I’ve already cancelled it. I couldn’t watch all of Hamilton. I did put the captions on as my friend recommended. I’m sure I would have felt differently had I been in a theatre watching it live. I do think it is creative but for all of the hype I heard about ahead of time… I don’t know. Unpopular opinion here I am sure! I love live musicals normally – especially if my son is in it or students I know!

Saturday Tom, Ernie and I took our boat out. We anchored in what is known as “Party Cove”.

My sister towed her boat to our hometown upriver and they came by boat for the first time – about an hour and a half ride for them. She left her four kids and two dogs with my mom! Ha! They have quite the crew. This is their arrival to party cove.

Ernie immediately boat hopped which I thought was funny.

Of course, my sister brought her drink of Summer 2020.

The weather could not have been better and we all floated for awhile with drinks in our hands and then we had some snacks we brought.

Boats just kept coming in the cove.

Then, we put our boat up and all hopped on theirs and went to the river gas station and then showed them around. They had been on our section of the river before with us but it had been awhile.

We stopped at Captain’s Quarters and found a nice shady spot.

Molly and I had their signature frozen Miami Vice cocktail. It is pink and a rum based drink.

We ordered some hummus, pimento, and whipped feta

and some pulled pork nachos on homemade potato chips.

I wish every day were as perfect. I hadn’t seen my sister in person since Christmas and the day was sunny, 85 degrees, and not hot like it has been.

They dropped us off around 7 and started on their way back to our hometown. Unfortunately they got caught in some rain and storms but made it back safely. I would have freaked out! I was so tired from all of the sun that I went to bed around 10 after watching a few New Girl episodes with Jack.

Sunday morning I was up by 6 since I had gone to bed early. I am really good with 6-7 hours and find it hard to sleep longer than that. I went out to the patio in the light rain and lit my Glade Cashmere Woods candle because I am fancy. If you have not tried the Glade plug-ins and candles in this scent you must. I. am. in. love. with this smell. It may not be the most summery but I’m still using it. This mug is special because it was my Dad’s and it is from a place called Ernie’s that he went to on a trip. Molly has his other one like this. Our other sister doesn’t do coffee. It was nice to talk about our Dad and share fun memories Saturday, by the way. I wish our other sister had been with us, too.

Jack wanted to do the bookstore so the boys and I went. We also got Blaze pizza right by the book store. It had been since way before March since we had gone there. Mason isn’t mad – he just didn’t know I was taking a photo here.

I moved on to this and am really liking it so far. I think the premise of the book will turn out to be interesting.

And, those were my highlights.

What about you? I hope you had a good one. I did try to social distance from my sister and brother-in-law as much as I could. We stayed 6 feet apart while in the water but we were probably 3 feet apart while eating and on the boat. It’s really hard with family, especially!

Hope you have a great Monday and leave me your weekend highlight in the comments!

Thanks for reading,

Amy

Monday, June 1, 2020

How is it already June? Can you believe it? I am happy today to link up with the lovely ladies Heather, Lindsay, and Tanya so go here to check out their posts and more!

O.k., Thursday was my last teacher day. I woke up Friday and had some loose ends to tie up for school in the morning. I also decided to clean my Keurig. Do you use one? I have a really old one and it is very special because my Dad picked it out for me. It is the original model, I think. I have cleaned it a few times before. It involves white vinegar, water, and 4 hours of wait time.

I also decided to switch sides of my closet for winter and summer clothes. My closet stays pretty organized. I also bagged up some things I don’t have any desire to wear this season or ever. I think it’s a good tip to keep a donation/sell bag in your closet at all times.

Then, I decided to do something crazy. I went to TJ Maxx. I had a chair to return that I had purchased the day before the quarantine began. I called ahead and made sure they were doing returns. I had to wait in line for one person to leave the store when I got there as they are limiting costumers. I wore a mask. The check out line was really long and I probably had to wait 20 minutes. It will be a while before I go back. I just don’t need anything that badly. I picked up a few things that I will show you Wednesday. I hate wearing a mask and I can’t imagine how uncomfortable/hot it will get as the summer goes on. One of the employees was using a fan around her neck to get air under her mask. It probably lessened the effectiveness of the mask but I felt a soul connection to her because I want a fan necklace now.

My friend and I met on a patio with this beautiful parking lot view. It was the first time I had my temperature taken at the door of a business. He said I was good but I wanted to know how good and he told me I was 97 degrees. See, I am an overachiever or I am a cold @#$&! Have you had your temperature taken before you can go in a business? Hub has to every morning at work.

I got this tequila grapefruit drink; save your $10 because mine are better.

My friend was starving but I wasn’t hungry so she got these pretzels and talked me into one. There were like six – don’t worry.

I felt very safe doing this. I was less than 6 feet from my friend but she has had the same level of quarantine as I have as she works from home. We were spread away from other tables and the employees were all in masks. By the way, I feel so bad about them having to wear masks for a whole shift. Food service will get even hotter!

My sister sent photos of her new German Shepherd puppy Felix! I know so many people who have gotten dogs.

Saturday morning I tried my hand at cinnamon sugar scones. They were pretty darn good.

The river has been high because of all the rain, but Saturday afternoon Tom felt it had gone down enough. We did our trial run of 2020 and had to be careful of some debris.

We saw our friend and his daughter on their jetski.

I tried the mango and it was good.

It was a bit chilly. Look at those clouds!

We decided to let our son go to his friend’s house for the first time in almost 3 months. He was so happy.

After we put the boat up, we heard there was going to be live music at the marina so we went.

People were so happy to be out you could tell. Tom wore his Gilligan hat to boat and to go to the music venue.

Our city had a curfew of 9:00 both Saturday and last night. Are there protests in your city? The protests are about George Floyd, but also a local woman who was wrongfully killed. There was some damage done, too. I pray that we can have a peaceful outcome. I know that the stress and strain of the pandemic is part of this, too.

I enjoyed some coffee on the deck Sunday morning.

And, later on I made some whipped iced coffee.

I found some sun in the yard on another gorgeous but coolish day. Tom didn’t want to do the river because of the conditions of it not being great yet.

But, look what he accomplished! He still has to do the stairway railings.

And, we ended our Sunday afternoon with a patio happy hour at our friends’ house. We hadn’t seen them since maybe February? She did appetizers in individual containers for safety.

And, she made bourbon lemonade with a lemon wedge and a cherry.

So, this weekend felt full and more normal. We got the all clear on May 22 to gather with 10 and to eat at restaurants at 33% capacity indoors or on patios. We waited a bit but opened our circle a bit more by me going to TJ Maxx, my son going to friend’s house, going to hear some music, and going to our friends’ patio. Yes, there are risks involved. I think everyone has different comfort levels. And, I think you have to do what is right for your situation while following government/medical recommendations. It scares me a bit to widen our circle. My and our decisions can affect others. It is a scary time with so much uncertainty.

I plan to continue grocery pickup except for quick trips in to grab a few things from time to time. I’m still doing Dinnerly for three meals a week and that is going well. I plan to stay home most days. I think I will still make up a summer bucket list of things I can do. I also plan to set a summer schedule for myself. I will post those things soon.

I hope you had a good weekend!

Tell me a highlight or where you are in the pandemic?

Thanks for reading,

Amy

Monday, December 30, 2019

I have missed you all!  This is the longest break I have taken from blogging since starting my blog in April of 2018.  I posted a family recipe on Monday, my menu on Tuesday , and our Christmas card on Wednesday of last week.  The blog world was pretty quiet and I took the time to unplug, but now I am back!  I have so much to tell you but at the same time I don’t want to bore you – ha!  Let’s see if I can give you the Cliff’s Notes version.  That reference probably really shows my age!  

We ended semester one on Friday, December 20 at 2:20.  This was exciting, but also bittersweet because my twin boys are seniors.  I knew this year would fly by and the first semester certainly did. 

Our staff had a happy hour at Drake’s and I attended that for an hour or so while my boys got their break started at home playing video games/listening to music/playing music!   

That week, our painting had started and it was finished on Friday!  What a Christmas present!  This is the mudroom where we will enter the house from the back and which leads to the kitchen.  I chose Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray.  I love how the floor tile, the dog wash subway tile and dark grout, and the color turned out.  Now we wait on plumbing fixtures, moving the washer and dryer up from the basement, and picking out furniture (free standing wardrobe) and/or shelving units to store backpacks, coats, shoes, dog stuff, etc.  

 

And, our new master bedroom is Sherwin Williams Egret White.  I love the fresh light paint with the dark floors.  Now, we wait for the closet fixtures to be installed. 

So, for Christmas preparations… December 13 I had zero gifts.  By December 23, I had everything in hand from either Amazon, local stores, or local big box stores.  Also, during that time period I came up with our card, printed it, and mailed it out.  I work well under pressure.  

Saturday, December 21 was a day of chores and just starting to get things ready and I have no photos.  

Sunday, December 22, was more of the same and a trip downtown for hub and I.  We purchased our last gift at Duluth Trading.  

The big city – only a 10 minute drive from our house.  

Duluth Trading

I talked my husband into Zombie Taco at the new Moxy Hotel.  You check in at the bar for your room and there is a taco window open almost 24/7. 

Look at this cute interior fireplace

The tacos and chips and dips were excellent but my margarita was so bad they didn’t charge me.  It was very hipster and I would go back but they must train their people to make a margarita if they have a taco window! 

The next day, I finished this book and do recommend it.  It started to drag for me in the middle but then it picked up. 

On Christmas Eve day, my husband was excited to eat lunch at a deli that he can’t go to very often.  He has never had this many days off at Christmas.  He was off for more than a week.  He helped me shop, went hiking with a friend, and worked on our construction project along with making more trips to Home Depot than I can count.  Well, the deli was closed so I suggested Holy Grale which is a restaurant in a former church with German food.  One son was with us and we all really liked it. 

spaetzle

brussel sprouts

beer cheese and pretzel and fries and pork schnitzel sandwiches

I drank lots of coffee and sometimes with bourbon cream in the afternoon.

Christmas Eve candlelight service with just the four of us

Chinese restaurant after at son’s request

We had a very simple but nice Christmas morning.  The boys big thing was their Apple Airpods that they didn’t ask for but were thrilled to receive. 

I added some whipped cream to my Christmas coffee.

Traditional new family game

New tradition of a puzzle – We went here together in 2016

Then, around 3, Tom’s family came over.  His sister, her husband, my two nieces and a niece’s boyfriend, and Tom’s parents were all here.  The weather was so unseasonably warm that we were able to be out on the patio for part of the day.  I had Chex Mix, queso, charcuterie and then after presents we had ham and swiss sliders, green beans with ketchup, onion, bacon, and brown sugar, and potato casserole and sweets for dessert.  It was a really nice day. 

Thursday it was time to go to my side of the family at my mom’s house an hour away. 

Cookies that my mom bought – so cute. 

appetizers

My mom had calendars made for us and bought us windchimes to remember my Dad because he loved them. 

One of the highlights of the day was when my two sisters and I sat on the front porch where my Dad always sat.  We had about an hour with just the three of us.  Ernie was lying at our feet and this is the only picture I have to remember that time together.  We shared stories and it was really therapeutic.  I won’t lie – this Christmas had its hard moments as it’s been just over a year (December 18, 2018 was when my Dad passed away after a quick 7 week illness) but we were still able to laugh and find joy.

My mom had pillows made of my Dad’s shirts for each of the grandchildren. 

It was a fun day. 

It was crazy that we were able to uncover our patio furniture.  I enjoyed some candles, beverages, and some books. 

Friday night hub and I went to hear some live music for a couple of hours. 

Saturday hub worked on our fence while Ernie and I watched.  

Yesterday, the rain came, but I still enjoyed some coffee on the covered patio.  We also went to the movies as a family.  

It’s a nice feeling to still have a week remaining after Christmas.  I didn’t stress myself out too much this year even though I could have.  So far, I am grateful for the simple pleasures I have been enjoying – time with family, time to read, candles burning, sitting outside, enjoying time to go to places we don’t always have time for – that sort of thing.  My boys have enjoyed each others’ company and that warms my heart.  

I hope to take down Christmas decor, spend time with some friends, do some decluttering and organizing, read a couple more books, watch some more t.v. and movies, among other things.  

How was your holiday?  I hope it was everything you wanted and more.  

Thanks for sticking with me for this long post!  

Amy 

Monday, July 1, 2019

Happy Monday!  How was your weekend?  Guys, it is already July!  My friend posted a picture of school supplies out in the stores.  NO!!!!!  It used to be that they waited until well after the 4th of July to put this stuff out.  I’m just not ready to think about that yet…

So, today in addition to a brief weekend recap, I’m linking up with some bloggers to talk about the 4th of July!  Please visit The Queen in Between, This Blonde’s Shopping Bag, Coast to Coast, The Horton Family, Living on Cloud Nine, and Granola and Grace.  Click here to go to the link up!  

So, let’s start with Friday morning!  

Hub has a couple of extra days vacation to use up in addition to our summer vacation week so he took one of them on Friday.  We did some tile shopping and I will tell you why very soon :).  I’m not very good at interior design.  I know what I like but it’s definitely not my forte.  

That evening we went as a family to a community theater musical of The Hunchback of Notre Dame.  I whipped up some quick street tacos and rice for our dinner before leaving.  

We all enjoyed the musical and couldn’t believe how professional the acting and singing were.  

Saturday morning I did one of my favorite things to do on a Saturday morning – hit up Trader Joe’s before the crowd.  I thought these 4th of July flowers were pretty but I resisted.  

I started my next library book and I had to hurry because it was due back today!  I abandoned my last book because I had already read it and didn’t realize it at first!  I really enjoyed the first third of the book, but then it fell off the rails and started developing a character that didn’t need to be developed in my opinion and there are just some off the wall things happening to some of the characters.  I would love to know if anyone agrees with me.  I’ve got about 50 more pages to go and let’s see if I can make it.  

After my Saturday morning TJ’s run (post coming this week on what I bought), my friend whose son is dog sitting/house sitting asked me to come over and sit by the pool for a couple of hours. What a nice spontaneous way to spend part of my day!  

Saturday evening, my boys really wanted our favorite Mediterranean take out, so one of my sons went with me to pick it up and then we ate together at home. After dinner, hub and I met some friends for some live music at a pizza place at a marina by the river.  It was about 90 something but it was fine.  They played 80s music and were pretty good, but loud!  

I thought our view was quite picturesque.  

I do want to mention that I considered just staying home, but I’m so glad we went.  We stayed from 7-9:30 and it was good to get out.  We haven’t gone out much so far this summer and this was a good reminder to just go when you have an opportunity.  My boys were happy to stay home as they have been super social lately and were out Wednesday night, Thursday night, and Friday night for the musical.  

Sunday we got a late start but wanted to go boating.  Hub determined the river was still running too fast and had too much debris from all of our June rains and storms so we headed down to Captain’s Quarters to get a drink and sit by the river.  

People we knew started showing up and we chatted for a couple of hours.  We were still glad we made the decision not to go out in those conditions but also because my sister’s family was stopping by on their way back up north from their vacation to Memphis, New Orleans, and Mississippi.  

So, after coming home we enjoyed a short and sweet visit from the five of them.  Then, it was time for dinner and a few little tasks but no “Sunday Scaries” for me because it’s summer!

Now, let’s talk about the 4th of July.  Last year we had our 17 year old German cousin here so we really wanted to show her a good time and how we celebrate the 4th despite the 100 degree heat that day!  We went out on a boat with AC and I brought some festive snacks.  This year, we don’t know exactly what the weather holds or what our plans are!  

Home decor:  I do some minimal decor on the mantel, the hall table, and I have a flag tablecloth for the dining room table.  I have also done a minimal tiered tray decorating job!

Outfits:  I prefer just choosing two of the three patriotic colors.  I would love a cute graphic tee and have seen some really cute ones, so I might still have time to do that.  Other than that, it depends on where you’re going and what you’re doing for the celebration. 

Food:  I love to get a bit festive with the food!  

-I have seen red, white, and blue Rice Krispies to make treats with

-red, white, and blue potato chips

-red, white, and blue tortilla chips

-you could serve red salsa with blue corn chips

-there are red, blue, and normal potato medleys in the produce section to grill or roast

-make the waffle pretzel, rolo, and M and M with only the red, white, and blue M and M’s

-set out a bowl of red, white, and blue M and M’s

-just pick 3 types of candies in red, white, and blue

Here is my post from last year for more ideas!  

Have a fabulous Monday!

Thanks for reading, 

Amy 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tuesday, Februrary 26, 2019

Today I’m going to talk about something pretty personal that doesn’t get talked about often on the blogs I read.  

Today I’m going to talk about that nasty five letter word in all of our lives – MONEY.  But, I hope to relate it to the thing that we are all really after and that is TIME.  Have you ever thought about how the two go hand in hand and can really affect your quality of life?  

Have you ever done a spending diary?  You most likely have.  It’s eye opening.  

Have you ever taken a time inventory?  Maybe not.  How much time do you spend during the day on things that really don’t match your values?  How much time gets wasted?  I’m almost scared to do this exercise!  

Sometimes I think that my blog may give a false impression.  I’m actually a pretty frugal person.  Now, I don’t think I’m cheap.  And, there is a distinction.  Frugal to me means that I save money where I can to put my money where my values lie.  Cheap to me means that I skimp on things that I shouldn’t.  That’s how I interpret it.  

I value gifts to the ones I love.  I value experiences.  I value travel.  I value education and educational activities for my kids.  I value quality products. I value well made home furnishings that will last.  I value quality healthy foods.  I could go on and on.  

Here are things I don’t spend money on:  (Please know that I don’t judge you if you do.  We all have different lifestyles and all must make our own choices on how we spend our time and money.  The interesting thing here is that sometimes when you save money, you also save time! I also understand I’m very lucky to have the choice to be frugal when many do not.  There are so many people barely scraping by.)

-I do not go to the dry cleaners.  My husband and boys might go once a year for their dress clothes. I don’t have anything that requires dry cleaning.  This saves me money and an errand.  

-I don’t buy books for myself.  I only use the public library.  I don’t make a special trip, but rather just do a pick up or drop off when I am driving by anyway.  I don’t have to find space on my shelves for books that I won’t read again.  I do have cookbooks and a few special books.  

-I do not go to a nail salon for manicures anymore.  I sometimes buy a new polish, but I do my nails myself.  I don’t have time for an hour plus appointment at this stage in my life during the school year and it gives me something to do while I watch t.v.

-I wash all of our clothes on cold and I line dry most of my nicer clothes.  I rarely iron, but rather just use Downy Wrinkle release and hang them.  I also take things out of the dryer immediately if I can and hang it.  Who wants to spend time ironing?  

-Recently I gave up my Bath and Body habit.  I was spending way too much for candles I didn’t need when I already had several and the soaps are really expensive even when you do their deals.  These are my Kroger’s spring scents.  I bought 4 for the price of one B and B soap.  

-I meal plan and use up the food we have.  I use coupons and the rewards checks that come in the mail.  I use online shopping to stick to my list and avoid temptations.  

-I sell my clothes to consignment shops and shop consignment shops.  There is so much good stuff to be found.

-I visit garage sales when I can.  Again, there is some good stuff to be found.  

-I bring my lunch to school every day. I don’t have time to go out and get anything anyway.  That’s why I can treat myself to a happy hour a couple of times a month.  And, I can go out to eat with friends a couple of times a month.  

-I make my own coffee at school and rarely buy coffee at a coffee shop.  It feels more like a treat when I do buy it.  You can make your coffee more fancy at home by adding flavored creamers, whipped cream, or a bit of hot cocoa mix.  

-I keep each cell phone until it dies.  I really don’t care about the latest and greatest.  

Are you a frugal person?  Is frugality important to you?  

Thanks for reading! 

Amy 

 

Tuesday, January 29, 2019

Are you a winter person or a summer person?  I am definitely NOT a winter person but I’m not an extreme heat person either!  I like May and June weather the best.  Can I be that specific?  I like sitting outside.  I like wearing shoes without socks.  I like not needing a jacket.  But, when I start hating winter I try to think of all the good things about the season.  There are no mosquitos right now.  Chapstick won’t melt in your car.  You can leave groceries in your car for longer because it feels like a freezer outside. I can wear my rule of three layers of clothing easily.  

And, in the end, I really value living somewhere with four distinct seasons.  And, let’s face it, I’m only in Kentucky so it could be a whole lot worse!

So, let’s embrace the rest of this season, my friends who live in cold climates.  Let’s enjoy some hygge and some fika, o.k.?  

HYGGE=a Danish and Norwegian word for a mood of coziness and comfortable conviviality with feelings of wellness and contentment.  

FIKA=a part of the Swedish culture that pertains to making time for sharing a cup of coffee or tea and a little something to eat with friends and colleagues.  

So, I think Denmark, Norway, and Sweden know a little about cold weather!

-Make it a point to invite friends to share a coffee at your home or at a coffee shop.  Maybe do this on a weekday to make the week feel more fun!

-Buy a new to you tea and try to enjoy an extra cup of something warm when you get home in the afternoon.

-In Germany they tend to do a 3 p.m. ish coffee and piece of cake.  That sounds like a nice thing to do with family or friends.

-Enjoy your cozy slippers or socks and your cozy blankets.  

-Light your candles.  Everyone looks better by candlelight!

-Make your beverages at home a little more special with some whipped cream.  I like a decaf coffee in the evenings and these are two of my favorite teas.  The Chai is caffeinated, so be careful if you are drinking tea close to bedtime. 

-This is a great time of year for hot chocolate!  I found dark hot chocolate!  I sometimes make a “mocha joe” and put half of a packet of this in my coffee. 

-Bake something new to you.  These are my hawaiian sliders but on hawaiian crescent roll dough.  This is also a great time of year to bake bread, make soups, and any kind of comfort food.  

-Play a game with your family or invite friends over to play.

-Take lots of naps and snuggle with your pets.

-Get outside even if it’s only for a 10 minute walk. 

-When it has been days since you have seen the sun and it’s finally sunny, drop everything and get outside.  You need that vitamin D even if it’s cold vitamin D!

-Use the extra indoor time to declutter, catch up on reading, movie and t.v. watching.  

-When you go outside, cover all of your skin and you won’t feel as cold.  A hat really does help – your parents were right!  So, find a cute hat!  

-Remember that the shortest day of the year December 20 is way past us!  It is now staying light out as much as 30 minutes later!

-Wear cozy fabrics.  

-Decorate for Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day.  It adds some winter fun and whimsy.

-Groundhog Day is coming up!  Maybe have a Groundhog Day dinner and reveal whether he sees his shadow or not.  

What do you think?  How do you survive winter?  Or, do you love it?  

Thanks for reading!

Amy 

Wednesday, August 8, 2018

So, last Thursday I wore this to my professional development workshop.  This is my black Old Navy swing dress and a LulaRoe kimono.  Some people wore jeans or shorts and some people dressed up a little bit more.  This outfit is as comfortable as if you are wearing pajamas, but I think it looks pulled together.  

This is what I wore to the second day on Friday.  I forgot to take a picture in the mirror.   I was equally as comfortable.  I love these pants!  The top is the Target Universal Thread flutter sleeve.  The pants are from Steinmart.  I wore my black Tory Burch wedge flip flops that you can kind of see.  I bought them 5 years ago on sale on Nordstrom.com.  They still look brand new.  

This is what I wore Saturday to run some errands and go to the movies. These are black linen Old Navy shorts, white detailed Old Navy top, and black Birks.   

Monday I set up my classroom so I wore athletic shorts, a t-shirt, and tennis shoes. There is no photographic evidence!  My boys helped their history teacher set up and were rewarded with pizza and then I took them to get their back to school haircut.

Tuesday I put this on to run some errands.  It is just a simple tee from Nordstrom.com and the skirt is a LulaRoe Cassie.  I really love this print – birds and flowers.  I really like some of the LulaRoe line but I don’t plan to add anything to my closet unless it’s from the consignment store.  I love the kimonos, the long vest, the long sweater, the Carly dress (a simple knit that is a little higher in the front than the back – I could do without the tiny chest pocket – why?), the Cassie skirt, and the perfect tee.  I did a post in the spring on my feelings toward LulaRoe and Lipsense that you can find here if you are interested.  

I am also wearing the fake Jack Rogers/Pierre Dumas shoes.  Can I call them “John Rogers”?  I really like them, by the way!

I went to the library, the mailbox store, and to get my back to school pedicure.  

I also wore my new $12 leather earrings from the pop up boutiques on Friday.  

Caution:  I will now be talking about The Bachelorette finale from Monday if you haven’t seen it yet.

I couldn’t watch all of The Bachelorette finale Monday night because it ran too late, but I did finish it Tuesday.  I just wasn’t that invested.  I was fine with either guy.  I thought they were both kind of boring and I thought Becca was, too.  I’m sorry if that sounds harsh.

Maybe the real issue is that I’ve outgrown the show.  No, that can’t be it…

Bring on Bachelor in Paradise, baby!

Here is a bad and awkward photo of my back to school blue/grey pedicure using the new Orly De-Stressed Denim I bought last week.  

I had books that I had requested ready at the library!  

Do you read her blog?  I am definitely not this hardcore frugal, but she has a beautiful writing style and I’ve loved seeing her journey to her farm in Vermont through her blog.  

When you can’t watch Season 4 Poldark yet, you consider reading the series, right?  I was surprised that it was written in 1945.  

I have seen many people post about this book below so I’m excited to read it during this last week of my summer.  Elin Hilderbrand’s books don’t disappoint for fun summer reads.  

What can Rachel Hollis not do?  I currently have her book “Girl, wash your Face”, too.  This is a great cookbook.  I have also checked out her blog – www.thechicsite.com.  She also has two works of fiction – Party Girl and Sweet Girl but my library didn’t have them.  I enjoyed my 3:00 p.m. coffee Tuesday with a squirt of whipped cream for a little bit of fancy.  It is a Dunkin Donut hazelnut k cup.

My top from Amazon came in.  You can find it here.  I think I like it but will probably learn to tie it better as in the product photo from Amazon.  

So, that’s where I’ve been since the week started and those are a few outfits from the last week.  

Thanks for stopping by!  

Amy