Friday, August 21, 2020

Happy Friday! I am linking up today with Andrea, etc. right here.

How was your week? My head is spinning! I had my second and final week of training before school starts virtually on Tuesday. We have one more teacher day on Monday. the training was from home, although you could go in to the building if you filled out an online form and followed protocol. I chose to stay at home for the training. It’s hard to believe how tired you can be from working at home. My eyes hurt from all the screen time. I am getting closer to being ready for Tuesday but my head is spinning from all the platforms and apps and Chrome extensions. I plan to choose my favorite and keep it simple. I will be teaching each class twice a week live virtually and then giving 2-3 more assignments to be done independently.

I polish my nails with OPI Cajun Shrimp this week. It’s such a great summer color.

I had one more of these left in my fridge – you guys it’s so good for fall! Cider Boys Grand Mimosa Apple Orange Hard Cider. It tastes so much like an actual mimosa and it’s cool and crisp and refreshing. Remember – September is for all things apple! I found mine at Total Wine.

I finished Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover. I think I had already read this but it’s been 6 years. A couple of things annoyed me, but overall I really enjoyed it and it was a quick read. I would recommend. I am a Colleen Hoover fan.

I started this. It appears to be quirky and interesting. See, I’m still taking time for pleasure reading. I just cannot work all day long. I need time to myself as well.

This smells amazing! I have come to realize that I love all things eucalyptus. I even like saying “eucalyptus”. At the bottom it says “fragrances as beautiful as Bath & Body Works” – ha! No you didn’t, Suave!

Did anyone else see this? September 22 is the official start of fall. I know I’m not the only one excited but it comes with a caveat. What will life look like by then? Will all the college kids be home again? Will all K-12 be virtual? Will there be football and chili and Halloween? It’s too much to think about, right?

Speaking of fall, we had some super nice evenings this week. Tuesday night had a real fall feel to it and I put out some apples and my new Glade apple candle. I read and drank some red wine. I don’t want to wish away the warmth but it was a nice treat.

Both of these packs of Amazon masks appear to be well made. I have washed them all and put a tiny bit of peppermint essential oil on the inside. I was told that would help with breathing and peppermint is a natural antiseptic. I have put each one in a baggie for the boys because my plan is for them to have enough to get them through 2 weeks without doing laundry. Click on the photos and it will take you to Amazon.

These bars are so good! I may have mentioned them in the past but I thought with back to school here you may be interested in these.

Sadly, we have had many restaurants close their doors in my city since March. One of those restaurants has become “Christmas Morning Cafe”. I have heard that they serve everything on Christmas dishes and many of the menu items are red and green. How fun is that?

I am still trying to drink a gallon of water a day and I still haven’t quite gotten there. I do feel great with increased water intake, though.

What were your favorites this week? I would love to hear!

Amy

Thursday, August 20, 2020

This post was originally posted on 8/1/19. I hope you find it timely and helpful! Come back tomorrow for a new Friday Favorites!

This is the month that many of us dread.  It is our hottest month and it’s just plain BUSY.  There’s so much to prepare and it’s time to change routines which is always hard no matter what your age!  

One of the things I’m doing to prepare is making a “back to school meals” list on my computer.  These meals will be super easy for the most part and still pretty much summer meals.  I will add the chili, soups, and more fall type foods later.  Having a list helps me immensely.  When I’m making my grocery list I seem to forget every meal I’ve ever made.  I’m hoping my list will help you, too.   My list is based on what my family will eat and you may have to slightly adjust.  

But, first, how about an easy recipe?  

Turkey Sausage Alfredo

This sausage is precooked so you don’t have to do this step, but I like to brown it in a skillet or you could also do the oven if you want.  Boil your penne while you are doing this.  

Put those two things together and now it’s time for the sauce.  

I used the same pan for my sauce because i thought it would add extra flavor.  You can start with a new skillet if you’d rather.  Just make a simple alfredo sauce.  I melted 3 T. butter and then added about 3/4 cup cream, brought it to a boil, then simmered for maybe 10 minutes.  Add garlic powder, salt, pepper, and I also added a bit of cajun seasoning.  I also threw in a bit of mozzarella cheese, but I don’t think I will do that next time.  It really didn’t need it.  

Pour the sauce over the penne and sausage and sprinkle a bit of parmesan and you are done!  You guys, this tastes like something you would order at a restaurant.  It’s really good.  Feel free to use andouille sausage or another type of sausage.  

When I went to my friend’s house last week she bought a bottle of already made sangria, and simply added her own fruit and gingerale and it was some of the best sangria I’ve ever had.  So easy!  

Yum!  

O.k., moving on to other meal ideas…One thing that worked for me last year was to have themes – Monday pasta, Tuesday Mexican, Wednesday chicken, etc.  Another thing that I did last year was to cook two meals on Monday night and Wednesday night and that way on our late nights – 6:30 arrival at home on Tuesday and Thursday and it was simply just heat and eat.  I will have that same schedule this year so I am going to shoot for that again. I will tend to make spaghetti and taco meat at the same time.  I start cooking around 5:30 and dinner is ready at 6:15 on Mondays and Wednesdays.  

Tip:  I run my dishwasher while I’m cooking dinner and the boys unload right after dinner and then reload.  We have been doing this for a few years and the system works well for us.  

The other thing I do is take out on one weeknight a week most weeks and then cook one of the two weekend nights at home when I have more time to make a nice meal.  I am also creating a computer list of our take out options.  And, of course, I will be doing online grocery shopping and pick up!  Game changer in the busy fall!  

Disclaimer:  I don’t own an Instapot nor do I want another gadget right now and I mostly use the crockpot on weekends.  I feel that I’m gone too long during the weekdays and all the crockpot meat ends up being overcooked or all tasting the same.  Maybe it’s me but that’s how I feel.  

Back to School Meals:  (For me, I will sub out rice for cauliflower rice, turn things into a salad, easy swaps like that)

Frozen orange chicken (we like Costco’s the best), rice, broccoli

Frozen fish (panko tilapia from Costco), okra (roasted on sheet pan), little red potatoes(boiled or roasted on sheet pan)

Ham (slices that are fairly thick), mashed potatoes(can be ready made), green beans (canned)

Prepared BBQ, Texas Toast, baked beans, side salad (prepared mix)

Spaghetti

Tacos, rice 

Taco Salad with Doritos

Southwest Bowl (Andrea from Momfessionals) (search my blog and you will find it!)

Mexican Lasagna (search my blog)

Fettucine Alfredo with chicken (use above recipe but sub chicken and fettucine noodles)

Bacon Alfredo (this is from Grace and Love Blog but I have also posted it here!)  

Hot sub sandwiches, frozen potato wedges or fries, green salad

Baked Ziti

Hawaiian ham and swiss sliders, chips, salad

Faux Thanksgiving – thick cut turkey from deli, Stove Top stuffing, green beans

What are you go to back to school meals?  Let’s help each other out!  I’m so happy that we start on a Wednesday this year so I will get to ease into the routine.  

Thanks for reading!

Amy 

 

 

 

Wednesday, August 19, 2020

I thought we should chat today – let’s pretend we are at a coffee shop holding our lattes and just chatting, mkay? The only difference is that I will be the only one chatting! Just kidding – I would love to hear what you would chat about in the comments!

Do you have a favorite mask? I don’t even want to know how much I have now spent on masks. I am like Goldilocks with my masks! The ear straps have to be comfortable, the material has to be breathable, but not too breathable so that it doesn’t work, the mask can’t go in my mouth while I’m wearing it, the mask can’t come up too high blocking my vision… ugh! Also, I want to make sure my boys have enough masks to go two weeks without washing them – so like 14. Because, boys! I ordered some more plain black ones from Amazon. My mom is also sending them one at their new college addresses. What about you? Please tell me others are just as picky!

As you are reading this we are on day six as empty nesters. Has our routine changed? Not one bit! Ha! We are doing o.k. with it but I have a feeling we will really start missing them soon.

I really like having the house a bit cleaner. Is that wrong?

I can feel a touch of fall in the air! Of course the year we don’t have to physically go to school in my district it is super pleasant in late August! Normally I am the grossest thing after a day at school. It’s hot and sticky in the morning and after school and oftentimes our old AC doesn’t work quite well enough yet.

I never thought I would have the chance to work from home with my job as a teacher. I mentioned this in the spring, but I will mention it again. I am going to enjoy this ability while I have it because there are lots of nice things about working from home.

I want to go to the movie theater so badly! I think there are some old movies playing at our favorite theater but Tom and I want to see a new release and they seem to be waiting on those! We love the movies and really miss going. I think the last time we went was in January? Should I put all that saved money towards a new expensive pair of shoes? If we went to just one movie a month pre-pandemic (including snacks of course) that would’ve been $150!

I could shop the Nordstrom sale yesterday at 9:30 a.m. as a non-card holder. I looked at the site and was just meh. Is it just me or does everything look the same as it did in 2019? So, I saved more money! Girl math!

I’m already thinking of all the dinners I want to make my boys when they come home. I know, I know. But, I’ve been cooking for them for 18 years!

I would like the newest iphone for the better camera. Anyone have the most recent iphone? I keep my phones until they die. I think mine usually last four years.

I love to type. I am a big nerd for saying that. I was so obsessed when I first learned to type in 9th grade that everything I read I would “pretend type”. O.k., that is really weird and I probably wouldn’t say that if we were having coffee.

Did you know that we aren’t supposed to space two times after a period anymore? Um, I can’t help it and I’m going to continue. See? See? Can you tell the difference?

I’ve pretty much stopped watching the news. I just know I can’t handle it now. I really want to break up with Facebook and Instagram but I can’t seem to. There is a lot of good on Facebook and Instagram. I am part of a college parent Facebook group for the boys’ college that is really helping me and some of my students are messaging me on Instagram that they are excited to see me – virtually!

I hope you enjoyed having coffee with me! I appreciate you joining me!

Amy

Tuesday, August 18, 2020

This was originally posted last October!  I am busy with prepping for school and I thought some of you may be struggling with this now – especially with all of the recent “togetherness”?  Maybe some of this will apply to pre-teens, as well.  I will put any new thoughts in italics!  

Are there teens in your life?  I have been thinking about writing this post for awhile because I am with teens close to 24/7!  Why am I qualified to write this?  I am not!  But, I have 17 year old twin boys and I have been a high school teacher for 26 years. 

I personally love teenagers!  I think they are fun, funny, sharp, caring, open-minded, but they are also scared, in a state of limbo, dealing with new responsibilities and emotions.  I would say that being a teen today may just be harder than ever before.  There is so much pressure on them to already know what they want to study, to get the highest test scores possible, to play all the sports and be in all the activities.  And, on top of that, think about the social media aspect of their lives.  So, before you deal with a teen, I think it’s important to think about these things and come to them with a little more understanding.  Now, do I always practice what I preach?  No.  I have my share of head butting with my kids and my students.  Add Covid concerns to the mix and what they are dealing with today is so much, y’all!  Give them more grace today than you might normally.  

First of all, as a parent, set boundaries.  They are not grown up yet and still need you.  I might argue that they need you more now than ever.  Set age requirements and parameters for social media usage.  The kids want boundaries and they like to be able to blame you the parents so they don’t look uncool.  

It’s too hard to do school and work a part time job for many kids. Their primary job is student right now.  Most of them say they have to work to pay for college, but my bet is that the $100 or so a week is not going to savings and the loss of sleep and time to work on school isn’t worth it.  If a teen can put that time towards getting those high grades, the scholarships will pay off far more than the part time job.  I am all for summer employment, though!  

One of the biggest issues I see with teens is lack of sleep.  The teen brain is not ready to go to sleep too early but school start times work against them.  The majority of my teens in class and my own kids can’t get more than 6 hours of sleep a night and we all know that isn’t enough at this age.  Also, I am amazed at how many kids are allowed to go to concerts or other late night events (sometimes even out of town!) on a school night and then they are allowed to sleep in or just miss the entire next day.  That is not an excused absence and the parents lie and say they were sick.  A schedule will still be important if they are doing virtual school.  Sit down with them to create their schedule allowing for lots of input from them.  Talk to them about using a paper planner and the fact that some people still like to see their week laid out on paper.  

Speaking on this topic, you are not your kids’ friend. They have plenty of friends(hopefully) but they only have two parents.  It sucks to say “no” and be the bad guy but you have to sometimes.  One of my sons was recently mad at me for not letting him go to a party that started at 9:30 when he had theatre and choral auditions early the next day.  Come on parents, why did the party need to start that late?  Because I said “no” he was upset and it spurred a long conversation.  The next time he asked to do something with that group it was a 9:00 p.m. movie on a Friday that didn’t get out until 11:30.  I was able to say “yes” to that.  

Listen more than you talk – Gosh this is so hard for me.  I have found that if I let my boys come to me and if I don’t throw 20 questions at them they will tell me more.  I think teens are like cats – do not approach; let them come to you.  Ha!  Just kidding, but many of the best conversations occur in the car when you don’t have to make eye contact,too.  Look for ways to be one on one with your teen.  Also, always start with a positive before a negative comment.  I do this in my parent teacher conferences, too.  Example:  “I really love ____’s enthusiasm, however he needs to save it for the pep rally.  In my class, I expect him to act like a civilized human.”  

Pick your battles.  Does that horrible shirt really matter that much?  Does it really matter that he wore that shirt two days ago?  Teens are figuring out their style and they have favorites and it’s probably not that big of a deal.  Say yes when you can say yes.

Let them email the teachers with questions and take care of their own business.  Let them call to make their own hair appointments.  In college, you aren’t allowed to contact professors anymore.  They need to learn how to do this when they are under your roof.  Do not rescue them every time they forget something at home.  They have to figure out how to deal with the consequences.  Boy, am I glad I let them do this most of high school.  They need this ability now!  

Don’t create roadblocks for success.  I have already touched on this but I cannot tell you how hard it is to miss school at the high school level.  We have 7 classes a day and so that could mean 7 assignments.  If they miss 2 days, that becomes 14 assignments.  Help your kids to be at school on time almost every day.  Sometimes the school calendar isn’t convenient but I have had many students tell me that their parents are insisting they miss school and they don’t want to.  I have also had kids have to miss school to babysit for siblings. 

Understand the teen brain and their chemistry to some degree.  Teens are very implusive.  Sometimes they don’t know why they act the way they do.  Remember that they are not fully formed yet. 

Keep saying I love yous even when they don’t say it back.  I have one son who tells me he loves me multiple times a day.  The other finds it much harder.  I will often text the I love yous or the I am so proud of yous.  Remember that teen language is through texting.  I have heard one student talk about the funny gifs their parent sends them and how it makes them feel loved.  

Find things to praise and laugh with your teens.  They are really fun at this age.  They can watch the same movies now and get the more mature humor.  Look for stand up comedians on t.v. or take them to a comedy show.  They really love music at this age.  They are in a constant state of earbuds in ears.  Remember how much music helped you as a teen?  I wrote lyrics out on all of notebooks.  

Try to keep some shred of self esteem for yourself!  I almost think there should be workshops for parents of teens or maybe even support groups.  I really miss my sweet little boys and the simple days we had.  But, I love the men they are becoming.  I love my students, too, and cherish keeping in touch with them after they graduate.  

What have I forgotten? 

Amy 

We’ve come a long way since a year ago!  I hope you have liked re-reading this or reading it for the first time!  Advice for the college years?  

Monday, August 18, 2020

What a weekend! I hope yours was good! I know life is probably starting to get crazy for most right about now. I’m linking up with Heather, Tanya and others here.

I’m going to be honest – I didn’t get many great photos because a lot was going on. I have made the comment to many that the two hardest times to have twins have been ages zero-one and college prep time! My boys (including Tom) aren’t big on photos and I tried to be respectful of this day for my boys. The Covid times made it a bit different than the traditional move in day, too, I can imagine. We don’t know anything different, of course!

Trying to get a picture of both boys with Ernie! Jack’s stuff in my car behind them. Mason’s stuff in Tom’s car.

First we drove to Mason’s dorm and the helpers swarmed (but asked first if we wanted help) and we didn’t have to lift a finger. Everyone was masked. Jack and I were behind Tom and Mason.

I took a photo later – they had written dorm info. on the car.

We parked cars and all went to Mason’s dorm first. His roommate had moved in earlier that morning and his parents were gone. Mason didn’t want much help (and he needed to get to know his roommate because they were randomly placed) so I headed to help Tom and Jack.

Jack’s roommate that he had randomly assigned to him ended up not coming so Jack gets a private room.

Mason came to see Jack’s space. Apparently they are not allowed in other dorms during this phase. He was allowed in on moving day, of course.

The chapel is between their dorms.

There is a beautiful water feature next to the chapel. You can’t tell from the photo but there is water running down.

View of the back of Mason’s dorm.

It’s kind of a park like setting between their dorms.

Walkway between Mason’s dorm/chapel and Jack’s dorm.

A picnic shelter at the end of the path.

I don’t know if the grills are functional but it reminded me of something you would see in a state park.

Tom setting up Jack’s technology.

Neither boy wanted any help unpacking. They both immediately set to work and we just kind of observed. They did want us to take empty bags and bins home that they didn’t want or need.

Jack’s wardrobe, fridge, and microwave. This is all provided in both dorms.

This is the main dining hall. They have the tables distanced and signs that say “sanitized”. The food will be already boxed up and grab and go.

The mascot is the knight and this is a prominent statue on campus.

Everyone got a bag with three masks, a thermometer (they have to do an online health screening each day),

and because it is a Catholic university a small bottle of holy water with this sweet blessing on the back. Even though it is Catholic, they are very inclusive of all religions, and all people in general.

Mason sent me this photo later – he and his roommate put this shelf together.

Parents were invited to grab a meal and then there was a movie that we could stay for at 8:30 but we were done with move in by 4:00 and there weren’t many people hanging around. They divided the move in day into two days because of Covid. We could tell the boys wanted us to make ourselves scarce, too. So, we headed home around 5:00. I didn’t cry at all with them. We hugged and said good-bye. I did cry a bit on the way home, though. They are only 30 minutes away, but it’s still very weird for them not to be living with us. Tom and I came home, ate leftovers, and were just tired and drained. I did have trouble sleeping and I still can’t figure out if I should keep their bedroom doors open or closed. It’s sad both ways!

Saturday around noon Jack wanted us to bring a couple of things so we did (this was always a tentative plan on the table) and we took him to get a couple more things at a nearby Walmart and then got him some Cane’s chicken to take back to his room. He didn’t want us to come in even though we could have because it was moving day two. So, we said good-bye again and dropped off a bag to Mason, too – he came down and got it and we said good-bye to him, too, and left.

We were invited out on our friends’ boat that evening and it was lovely. We cruised and ate pizza on the boat and it was so nice to kind of celebrate being empty nesters.

Sunday we went out on our boat with our canine boy.

And, that’s about it.

Today as you are reading this I am working to try to figure out my plan for online teaching for the first 6 weeks of school. I have a lot to do and hopefully it will distract me from missing my boys.

What was the highlight of your weekend?

Amy

Friday, August 14, 2020

Today’s Friday Favorites is going to be short and sweet! I couldn’t even bother to type out “Friday Favorites” for my title, right? Check out other posts here!

How was your week? Mine was good but I got a case of “tech neck” from working behind my laptop. I need to stretch more, take more breaks, and figure out a schedule! But, the problem is that my schedule will change again in another week. Ha!

I don’t know why I found this so funny. This is an ear mask to keep you from hearing all the media crazy.

This week I got 1,000 likes on my blog! I really like WordPress. If you have ever wanted to start a blog, I say go for it and use WordPress!

I started working Monday from the dining room table. I decided to not use my basement desk right now. I like being upstairs and seeing the sun. I am drinking out of a Mason jar this week and burning a candle. These little things make me happy.

I love my blue light blocking glasses. I washed my hair on Sunday night and curled my hair Monday morning. I put on earrings and a blouse.

I started trying to drink a gallon of water a day last week. This is so hard! I actually bought a gallon jug to keep refilling just to help me measure. I drink less than 2 cups of coffee in the morning and then drink water the rest of the day. I have not gotten through the full gallon in a day yet!

I don’t know why I’m late to the Glade candle/plug in game. I guess I just assumed it would be too artificial which I hate. I love my Cashmere Woods and my Hawaiian and now for my September month of apple I want to try

Apple of My Eye

Apple Cinnamon

And, this is unrelated to apples, but I have a feeling I might love this – Fall Night Long!

Anyone tried any of these?

After I get school under way, I want to do my September apple theme. Here is some inspiration.

I’m so excited for apple decor and apple recipes!

I ordered a college t-shirt to wear to move in day! I wanted to wear a kimono over it, but that may be too much for moving!

I hope you had a wonderful week and I wish you a happy Friday and happy weekend!

Amy

Thursday, August 13, 2020

I have been doing some reflecting on my freshman year of college because tomorrow is the big day for my boys! I have also been showing my photos to my boys and taking a walk down memory lane. I kept photo albums with captions, people! This is gold! Ha! Oh, 18 year old Amy, you had so much to learn!

I am from Southern Indiana but I really wanted to go out of state. I did apply to schools in Indiana while at the same time applying to three colleges in Kentucky. Georgetown College in Georgetown, Kentucky (about 30 minutes from Lexington) ended up the winner for me. It was less than two hours from my house so it wasn’t that far away. I am not sure why I ultimately chose a small school. I did apply to some big schools, too. Small schools can often be more generous with scholarship money and I know that had a lot to do with it. I wanted to see where I got the most money in scholarships. Do not overlook small private colleges for your kids. We found out it’s a lot like buying a car and the sticker price does not end up being the final price. Alumni give generously and there is a lot of money to be given to desirable students.

Fun fact: My boys have also chosen a small private college in Kentucky like I did. They will be paying less in 2020 than I had to in 1990 with their scholarships!

This was my first dorm. I loved living in the dorm and I stayed on the weekends! That was when I made my best friends! Our dorm rooms had sinks and mirrors but you had to use the communal showers and toilets. I can’t believe the Ritz-Carlton style dorm suites these days! My boys are going to have a traditional dorm room like I did.

My first dorm room with my roommate Heather. We met in July at orientation because we were next to each other in a line! We roomed together at orientation and decided to room together in the fall after that orientation experience. We ended up rooming together most of college and then for four years after college – I have lots more stories about Heather but that’s for another day! Did we not have AC? I don’t remember being hot at all!

I believe this photo is from my family’s first visit later on in the fall.

A typical posed picture before going out! Notice all these styles are back! Heather, my roommate is next to me on the right. I am on the very end on the right.

We were doing the “college girl pose” before smart phones!

Freshman year spring break – we drove to Florida in a rental car. There were four girls and we met some guys from our college down there along with other new “friends”!

My other bestie also named Heather! It’s so funny to me that I found my people basically the minute I stepped foot on the campus.

I went in thinking I would double major in Spanish and Political Science and then go to law school. I ended up majoring in Spanish, minoring in Political Science, and getting a secondary education endorsement at the same time. I fell in love with my first education class that I took “just in case” sophomore year and the rest is history! I wrote for the college newspaper, took photos for the college newspaper, had a radio show with one of the Heathers and another guy, taught Spanish lab classes, and rushed Kappa Delta sorority. I did junior year abroad in Valencia, Spain and I did my student teaching my senior year. I graduated in four years, unfortunately! I had a wonderful experience! If I could do it again, I would.

I am so so so nervous and excited for my boys! I am so grateful they get to go with the pandemic, but I am so sad that they will be doing so in a mask. The bright side is that they don’t know any different because they have never done this before! I got teary eyed on each and every visit to their college because I just loved it so much and felt such comfort there. I kept this to myself, though, I swear!

Thanks for indulging me in this little walk down memory lane! What was your college experience like? Would you do anything differently?

Amy

Wednesday, August 12, 2020

I miss the nail salon! I haven’t been since the beginning of March. I think I could safely go now while wearing a mask, but I guess I have gotten into the habit of NOT going and I’m choosing to do mine at home right now. Have you been to the nail salon?

Boy, do I miss a pedicure! I got spoiled and didn’t do my own for YEARS. It was probably my primary method of self-care, you know? But, I mentioned before that doing my own pedicure is helping with another of my pandemic goals – increased flexibility. I do not need witnesses to me doing my own pedicure, o.k.?

I think I’m pretty good at doing my own nails because I have had over 40 years of practice off and on and have always loved polish! I’m always trying to find the bright side and one of them is getting to change my colors more frequently. After 2-3 weeks of dip I would get very tired of the color.

My method gives me about 4-5 days of a manicure and that is with living life – getting in the river, doing all.the.dishes that more cooking at home creates, and just everything else one does with their hands on the daily.

I really gravitate towards blues right now. I am totally a seasonal person when it comes to polish. I do whites, blues, pinks, greens in the summer and save the darker colors for the fall and winter.

I am a bit of a nail polish snob. I just think I get a much better result if I use a higher end polish. My two favorites are OPI and Essie both for the quality and the color selection.

Tip: Spend a LONG time shaking up your bottle. Have you watched a professional nail tech? They do this. If your polish is a bit older, add a small drop of acetone or polish remover and then proceed to shake. This will really help.

Step One: Make sure your nail beds are clean and dry. If you have just cut and filed, wash your hands and spend a long time drying. Then, you may also want to do a quick swipe of acetone or remover over your nails.

Step Two: Buy this Gelous Base Coat or another base coat. I don’t know exactly why but it really helps the color to adhere. Do a very thin coat of this and let it dry.

Step Three: Have you noticed how little polish the professional nail tech uses? That is the key. Do a very thin first coat of your color and let dry. They start in the middle of the nail and then do the outer edges. Don’t freak if you get outside the lines because you can always fix when dry with a q-tip or a corner of paper towel. If you try to fix when wet you will make a bigger disaster.

Step Four: Do another thin and final coat of your color. This coat matters more so take a bit more time.

Final Step: After letting the second coat dry, now apply a very thin layer of top coat. I like the OPI brand for this and it is what I already had, but there are other good ones, too.

Note: I really think the more expensive brands of polish dry quicker, too. And, remember your coat is so thin that it will dry quicker naturally because of that alone!

OPI: Thicker brush that is good for pedicures and maybe those with bigger or wider nails.

Essie: Tiny brush great for fingers or those with small nails. Great for children.

Another note: I think darker colors look better on shorter nails. Maybe this is just a personal preference?

Do you do your own nails?

Any tips for me or others?

Happy polishing!

Amy

Tuesday, August 11, 2020

Do these posts ever get old? They don’t for me because TJ’s always have something new to discover!

Look at this beautiful empty aisle! Sorry for the glare from the sun! On this last trip I went at 12:30 and there was no line at all. I kind of thought it could be busy with lunch break people, but it wasn’t.

Do not skip over their “toiletry section”. I love this daily moisturizer with SPF and it is quite similar to Oil of Olay I think. I tried the eye cream and the gel moisturizer for the first time and I am a fan! I did not like the shampoo bar. It doesn’t give me enough suds but I did like the peppermint smell.

The green chiles, the corn, and the black beans are staples. I love to cut and freeze the ciabatta bread. The muffin in a cup didn’t work for us. Mason followed directions and came up with a soupy mess. We tried to microwave for longer and it just didn’t work. Maybe we got a dud. Maybe I will ask an employee on my next visit.

I love their frozen vegetables. On this trip I got the broccoli. I love the light frozen mac and cheese and I think their salmon quality is really good.

These are also staples. I really love all of these products.

Look at the bag of the classic potato chips:

Potatoes, oil, salt. That is it. You can feel better eating their products!

Sweet treats – these are really good little cupcakes, sugar cones, caramel popcorn, and chocolate bars.

I hope maybe you learned about a new product today! What new (or old) products have you recently found?

Amy

Monday, August 10, 2020

As you are reading this I am getting ready to “go back to work”! I have a bit of a nervous stomach because I have really enjoyed no work/school responsibilities for the last two months. Last year was stressful when you combine my boys being seniors and my school year and then of course what happened in March… My nerves also have to do with this being the last week of my boys at home. Move in day is Friday. I would appreciate your good vibes that I can keep it together and help them to not feel anxious. Thank you in advance – you all are the best!

I am linking up today with Heather, Tanya (Good luck to you, Tanya! I feel a kinship because she is also sending her girl to college!), and many more.

The wonderful weather continued into the weekend and Friday morning Ernie and I had a nice walk and I just spent my “last week day” (I am really milking this, aren’t I?) at home all day long.

I sadly finished this book. I didn’t like the sequel as much but I did like it. The relationship between Jonah and Calla started bugging me in the sequel. Anyone else? I won’t get into details but there were some thing that started making me mad!

I did a new nail color. I have a post coming this week on how to do a good at home manicure. I’m not an expert, but I’ve learned some tricks.

Tom came home from work a bit early and the boys wanted to stay home and eat Cane’s for dinner. We got on the boat around 5:30 to head to Captain’s Quarters because we knew it would get busy. They were bringing back live music outside and we like the group. They tried live music in June but someone messed it up for all by not following the rules! We always say that we don’t go out at night nearly enough.

We got a prime parking spot and ordered some spinach queso. This is one of my favorite things on their menu.

And, then our friends met us there. We stayed about 6 feet apart – don’t worry!

And, this gives you an idea of how many boats started arriving!

They are allowed 100% capacity outside but only 25% inside. By staying on the boat we get faster service and have our own table and are able to socially distance better.

We took our friends on a cruise after eating dinner – forgot to take photos of the other food.

And, we were rewarded with a beautiful sunset.

I am kind of mad at myself for not going to the farmer’s market more this summer. They have moved it back to their normal space but masks are still required. Some places won’t take cash for safety reasons. They are also counting the number of people that come in and out so that it doesn’t get too crowded. I avoided any tents that had long lines or too many people around. Some people were not giving me my space so I walked away!

I ended up with jam, a candle, bread, corn, potatoes, tomatoes, an onion, a green pepper, and fresh mozzarella.

I worked a bit on our college piles. We had more Amazon supplies come in.

Then, Tom, Ernie and I went swimming for a bit.

We passed the riverboat The Belle of Louisville. I think they have resumed some of their lunch and sightseeing cruises. It is a tradition for seniors at our high school to get to take a senior cruise one evening in May and that got cancelled. We have been on the boat a few times for various things, though.

I picked up Jimmy John’s for our lunch.

We left around 3 and it was getting so crowded in the cove area!

We got Mexican with our boys for dinner but I forgot photos. And, we watched two episodes of Scrubs together.

I had taped this show from Friday night. Anyone watch it? Martha Stewart shares her farm and teaches us about tree care, pet care, etc. It looked interesting. She is really knowledgeable but her tone comes off as very condescending.

Then, finally, Mason and I watched the first episode of Big Brother which I had taped from Wednesday! We started this tradition a few years ago. I am not sure how we will watch it after this week, but I will probably save it to watch with him sometime.

I started this. It seems very much like Eleanor Oliphant so far.

And, Sunday afternoon we took the boat out again. I don’t know if we’ve ever done three days in a row before. The weather was just too good and I think we know these days are fleeting!

I wanted to show you our river gas station. Boats can pull up on either side. The attendant throws you a rope and helps tie you up.

They will pump for you usually but it was busy.

They also sell ice, drinks, and snacks.

Ernie was happy to be with us.

And, we were happy to have our friends tie up with us. We chatted for a few hours and it was so nice!

So, we had a very full weekend and I’m grateful for some fun!

How was your weekend?

Thanks for reading,

Amy