Happy Friday! Linking up today with Andrea, etc. right here for Friday Favorites!
It is indeed a very happy Friday because I am off! This is always a long weekend for us due to the Kentucky Derby weekend.
I am also happy because my birds are in the nest! Wednesday afternoon was college move out and it poured rain while we were doing it. It was comical! I had hopes to get a photo but it was just not possible.
Here are some favorite snapshots from the week….
I had fun with my taco mask on Taco Tuesday!
I wore some favorite summer pants this week!
Tuesday after school I had a fun happy hour at a brewery with my friend Beth.
It was 82 degrees out and many had the same idea. The upper deck was full so we sat on the lower deck.
This brewery has a permanent Mexican food truck.
We got some chips and guac.
I got out of my reading rut with this book last weekend. I finished it on Sunday, sadly. It was chick lit with substance – well written, funny, with some serious parts. I recommend it! I read it in two days!
I love the shape of the Rae Dunn mugs I have realized.
Yesterday, the teachers wore Derby attire.
All of a sudden our azaleas look gorgeous!
I had a library pick up and browsed a bit. I checked out this beautiful charcuterie book.
And, I am excited to start one of these this weekend…
Is there anything better than roasted fresh vegetables? I used just a bit of EVOO and did broccoli, cauliflower, baby carrots, mushrooms, and onions on a sheet pan. I did a bit of pasta and turkey sausage and had just gotten new pickles. Kinda weird, but such an easy dinner!
What were your favorites this week? Are you ready for May?
This is a play on the Jimmy Fallon Show’s Thank you Letters segment. I don’t watch his show but I have seen this segment on Youtube from time to time. His are funny; mine might be more serious today. I’ve been feeling really grateful lately for the many things in life – big and small. Gratitude is a great emotion and I hope you enjoy today’s post.
Dear College of my Kids,
Thank you so much for this year. You went above and beyond to provide experiences that were as close to “normal” as possible. I cannot believe how you thought of everything. There was literally an activity for students almost every day. You even had a farmer’s market in the quad for the kids and they could use their meal plan money! You did Covid testing and vaccines on campus. Your safety policies kept my two healthy. You were far enough away but close enough for this mom to go from two kids at home to zero in one fell swoop. I followed you on Instagram and joined your parent Facebook group. These were amazing resources so I could see what was going on. I will forever sing your praises. Can I please go back to college and go here?
Love,
Amy
Dear My School District,
Thank you for being a fair employer this year. Thank you for allowing us to work from home on Wednesday Asynchronous days for the rest of the year when I know many districts don’t allow that. I noticed a big change when I moved from a neighboring district to this one 21 years ago. I appreciate how you treat me like a professional and get out of the way to let me do my job. I appreciate that you pay me for doing extra work when that was not the case in my other two districts. Thank you for organizing our vaccines. Well, someone messed up my second one but Walgreen’s saved the day so I’m not holding any grudges.
Love,
Amy
Dear Public Library,
Ever since I was little I have loved being within your four walls. All those books and I don’t have to pay? I don’t feel like I have to finish a bad book because I didn’t buy it! Thank you for finally re-opening. I really missed you during the year that you were locked up tighter than Fort Knox. I didn’t need a year apart to know my love for you! Thank you for curbside pick up. That was so nice but I think I still prefer parking and going inside. I love your fiction, your non-fiction and I love checking out cookbooks. You have enabled me to have more shoe money and for that I will always be your loyal fan.
Love,
Amy
Who would you write a Thank You letter to today? Thanks for reading!
Here is a short and sweet What I Wore! Linking up with Kellyann and more right here!
Here are the Cliff Notes (showing my age; I hope the kids today have an online version of Cliff Notes – maybe I will ask my students but maybe that would be mean I was a bad influence):
-High School Spanish teacher
-Returned to in-person instruction on April 5
-Trying to wear a different outfit each of the 32 days of in-person instruction. I can repeat a basic solid colored bottom like my black pants.
-My spring/summer clothing plan was thwarted by the ice box temperatures in my room; we think it has to do with less kids in the room, better filter and circulation.
This day I went pretty springy but had a black cardigan that I wore most of the day.
I almost didn’t show this one. This will be my “before” photo if I ever get to the “after”. It was a Friday. I wore my school shirt with a fleece vest. The half zip was not straightened before the photo was taken. I hope I didn’t look this bad all day!
One upside to the cold classroom is that I have two horse scarves for Derby week! This day I wore white J.Jill capri leggings, an Old Navy long sleeve dress, a vest, and the scarf. I was still cold.
And, finally, this day I just went full on winter. I have on warm leggings, a black tank top, and my Target poncho. This outfit coupled with the 80 degree day and a window open and I was finally perfect! Lol! This is my favorite outfit and the clogs were comfortable for all day.
After school this day, I changed into these favorite pants for happy hour. I got these a few years ago at Versona for maybe $8. This print makes me happy. I wore them with a white blouse and my new woven wedges by Coconuts by Matisse.
I can’t remember if I told you I ordered and love these Sunday shorts by Aerie. I wish they came in more colors, but I think this is it. I didn’t get the sweatshirt and I know this photo isn’t great. They have a rounded hem and pockets! They have a real 70s vibe. I continue to be impressed by Aerie’s quality.
I continue to love my faux Birkenstocks from Hobby Lobby. So random!
I think I hit every season’s clothing in this post!
Have you bought any summer shoes yet? Of course I have, but I will also show you what I still love from last year.
I would say 2020 saved me money on shoes!
Top to bottom:
New this year olive faux Birkenstocks from Hobby Lobby! for $5.
Black Soda brand sandals from two years ago
Sam Eddleman criss cross sandals from two years ago
New this year Coconuts woven wedges
Red Dr. Scholl’s from last year
New this year consignment cow print wedges
red Saltwater sandals from last year (last year I had a red obsession)
MIA clog sandals from two years ago
I have more than this but these are my favorites!
Me wearing the Sam Eddlemans:
I noticed Chinese Laundry has a version of my HobbyLobbys so I think I had a good instinct! Look how much money I saved that will go back in the shoe fund.
I didn’t have these in time for the shoe photo above. These are the black Reef flip flop sandals.
I love these but feel like they are so similar to the MIA clog sandals except these are backless and $$$$ coming in at $120 because the brand is Kork-Ease.
Then, I did order these from Amazon – white faux Birkenstocks. I think I am now on a white kick in 2021.
What are your favorite summer shoes? What do you end up wearing the most? What do I need? Yes, I said need!
Hello Monday? Not sure I’m ready for you. Linking up today with Heather, Tanya, and many more here.
Friday after school I relaxed while catching up on some t.v. I missed during the week. Then, I went outside with Ernie but it was overcast and a bit chilly. In fact, I had wanted to go to the first Food Truck Friday with music at a nearby neighborhood but I was tired of being cold after my cold classroom all day.
So, we went to a little taco place that also serves homemade ice cream.
We got homemade chips and guacamole – excellent!
I got a grilled fish taco. Do you know how hard it is to find grilled fish tacos around here? They seem to be fried at many places and I want grilled. It was delicious.
Tom got carne asada and pork, I think.
And, we got ice cream for Mason, too, because he came home Friday night! Mason is ready to be done and home for the summer. Four more days of online finals or papers for them. Jack is staying in his dorm to focus, which is a good choice for him.
Saturday morning has become my time to go to Trader Joe’s. I’ve been sleeping in until 7 on weekends and then I go around 8:30 and there is no line.
Jen inspired me to get tulips. This bouquet is huge for $6!
I got rice, veggie burgers, and zucchini spirals from the frozen section.
I got all the fresh vegetables. I am trying the Tik Tok sensation smashed brussel sprouts this week and I am excited!
Saturday was gross and rainy. It seems like lots of our Saturdays are like this lately. I set myself up on the patio to read and Mason joined me. He was watching Star Trek, though. One of the best things we did last year was to get a WIFI extender that goes to the patio.
My white Birkenstocks arrived!
I don’t mind the rain too much.
We picked up all of Jack’s musical stuff to make move out easier. He had two guitars, an amp, a keyboard and stand in his room.
This is the fountain in front of the boys’ dorm.
Then, the four of us went to a pizza place for dinner. I can’t remember the last time the four of us went out to eat.
I tried this and it was really good!
They didn’t know I took this. They were lost in conversation. Their bond is something I am so thankful for and I hope it doesn’t change.
I got a slice with banana peppers, mushrooms, and onions.
Tom got an individual pizza that is big for one person.
The boys got a medium and did two different things. There was a lot left over to take home!
We said bye to Jack and Mason watched this with me at home. It is really heart warming. Has anyone watched Worn Stories on Netflix? It is about clothes that mean something to people but it goes deeper into relationships. One episode involves the lack of clothing and centers around some people who live in a nudist colony in Florida.
I woke up Sunday morning and read a bit. I am already half way through this and I really like it! Finally!
Then, I did Kroger because I can’t get everything at Trader Joe’s. I know it seems kinda weird to start both of my weekend days off with grocery shopping but it’s kinda nice to be there so early and then be done with it.
Then, it was meal prep time – homemade light egg mcmuffins for me, turkey chili, turkey taco meat, and egg roll in a bowl with ground turkey. I have fallen in love with ground turkey. Also, I am bringing meals to a colleague who was just diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes and I wanted to give him these low carb meals.
The Real Housewives have rubbed off on me and I decided to make my iced coffee (instant coffee granules with half of a Premier Protein caramel – I love vanilla, too) in a wine glass. I’m so fancy. I swear it tasted even better! Starbucks who?
Then, it was time to work on school stuff. I like to feel ready for the week early in the day so it isn’t hanging over me. Are you like that?
This will be a busy week because we don’t have Wednesday Asynchronous Day. We go four consecutive days! Gasp! We have off Friday for the Kentucky Derby Oaks race. This is why colleges in Louisville have to be out by Thursday; it is a big deal around these parts. So, I have to work four days in a row and help move out two college kids after work. I haven’t been this busy since March of 2020 maybe!
How was your weekend? I hope it was wonderful!
As always, thanks for reading and for your comments!
Happy Friday! It’s everyones’ favorite day in blogland – link up day with Andrea, etc. right here!
This was a good week and I think my word of the week would be grateful. I have felt grateful this week! It’s a good emotion.
Here are a few favorites and I would love to hear yours in the comments!
Favorite dish this week…
Egg Roll in a Bowl with ground turkey. I didn’t think I liked ground turkey but I do! I am trying to find more recipes with it. This was my lunch most days this week. Yes, I can eat the same thing for a week and then change it up the next!
Favorite snack this week…
I have mentioned these before, but do you like Sugar Smacks cereal? That is what these taste like!
Favorite splurge this week…
The lather on this shampoo is the thing of legends. I think I am using too much product and I probably only need a dime sized amount. I have never had a shampoo suds up like this does. I love it! I don’t notice much about the conditioner and I need a detangler I think. I also like its minimalist design.
Favorite surprise this week….
It snowed between Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning! It melted very quickly!
Favorite meme of the week in regards to above weather…
Favorite Strange Moment I found myself having this week…
I hope you don’t think this is insensitive. I truly respect all religions and cultures. I just have a weird sense of humor and try to always look for the funny in life.
I went in to the library this week to pick up a request and browsed the new release section.
Did you know there is a category of books – Amish Romance?
.
I found myself skimming almost every page for a love scene because I had told Tom and Molly (my youngest sister) about this category of books a couple of years ago. Tom and Molly are two of the funniest people in my life and they carried on quoting what they thought would be an Amish love scene… “He slowly unbuttoned her 76 buttons…” Anyway… I guess you had to be there, but I was trying to find a love scene to take a photo of and send to them. Spoiler: I couldn’t find a love scene like that.
This is the book I had requested and I am anxious to learn about the Enneagram.
I love checking out cookbooks to see if I like them!
And this is the fun chick lit book I picked.
I am in a reading rut! I returned like four books I started and didn’t feel like finishing. Life is too short to stick with books you aren’t into – at least in my opinion.
Favorite self-care of the week…
I changed my periwinkle blue mani for this light highlighter coral color. This is a dip manicure and my last one lasted exactly 3 weeks.
Favorite canine of the week….
Ernie! We walked to the baseball field one day.
Favorite sandals I might buy….
I am still trying to be intentional. I love my Reef flip flop sandals that I bought – they look like a sandal but feel like a flip flop. These are Billabong and they are the same. I love this woven trend and think this would be a good way to incorporate it into my wardrobe.
Favorite much needed purchase…
I cannot find any of my lunch bags or soft sided coolers. I think I may have donated all of them because they were old and bad. I found this for $10 at Target and it is a little large for a lunch bag but will also serve as a cooler and will match my orange Bogg bag.
My kids are still at college, but Mason spent a few of the study days at home with me (they had four study days) and it was so nice. I went to school, of course, but hung out with him after school and in the evenings. Jack stayed at school to study. Their finals start today and they need to move out by next Thursday night. Mason already brought some things home to help the move out process. I am grateful they are close because it makes so many things easier, like moving out!
Their college gave them the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine Wednesday. They were having some side effects yesterday and I asked if they needed to come home and they both said they thought they would be fine to stay. I hate the timing of their second dose with finals starting, but it was also important to get it taken care of at college and on time.
So, that’s it for me!
I hope you have a fabulous Friday and a wonderful weekend!
Today’s Thursday Thoughts are about the Target app! Do you have it? I keep it really simple when it comes to apps and I don’t have that many, nor do I use that many. Mo’ apps, mo’ problems, you know?
Are you an app person? Many times I prefer to just use a web browser instead of a company’s app.
But…
I love Target and I love their app. It is very user friendly.
I mainly use it for clothing. I rarely buy Target shoes anymore. I think you can have some wins, but the comfort isn’t what I need in a shoe ,usually.
I have really been trying to be careful with clothing purchases lately. I must love it and it must fit perfectly, fit my lifestyle, and I must be able to think of several ways to wear it.
I love Universal Thread (Madewell vibe), Knox Rose (Anthropologie vibe), and A New Day. Target has been so on point lately. The quality is high and I really like the styles.
I use the app to order things to be picked up at the customer service desk (it usually is ready in 2 hours) or to ship to my home. It often takes longer to ship to store?
I never need a receipt for returns. I simply pull up the purchases section on the app and there is a bar code for returns. I never mail anything back and simply return to the store.
I think Target is great for summer shorts – athletic and casual. I love my new athletic shorts here (I have black and olive green and I want more colors because they are what I put on every day after school) and I love the Universal Thread cut offs in white and blue denim (working on getting back into those for this summer! Quarantine15, you know?) I think Target is also great for swimsuits and cover ups and they are really doing blouses well this season. Don’t forget those basic tees that you always need, too.
I love to order two sizes in the same item and return the one that doesn’t fit. It’s often really good to see the comparison at home in your own mirror and to try it with your other clothing pieces.
I ordered this cover up. I am hoping to pair it with my bright hot pink one piece from Aerie. I thought the pink would look cute under the white. I also have white rubber Birkenstocks coming!
The app tells you delivery estimates, gives you tracking information, and then tells you when it has been delivered.
This is what the returns look like on the app. I return more than I keep because it’s not a big hassle to return things for me.
Do you use the Target app? You all may be maximizing it way more than me. I have never done Curbside pickup but I hear it is great!
I am linking up today with The Style Six right here!
What have you been wearing lately? In my neck of the woods it has been 50-60s most days.
Confession:
I considered not showing any of these outfits. I have a goal to wear a different outfit each of the days of in person teaching until the end of the year. I am doing this to weed things out and to get use out of garments neglected during the Pandemic of 2020.
Our building is freezing. I usually am always hot. I thought I would be hot with the mask. My hands are so cold all day long. We do not know if it is the better air filters or the lack of warm bodies and hot air coming out of maskless mouths. Lol!
I decided to show you these outfits to, as they say, keep it real. But, I don’t really love any of them!
Here I tried to find long sleeves in spring colors. Frump alert! I was warmer than the day before…
I was cold. Enough said. This is an outfit I wore in Spring of 2019.
This was a Friday outfit. I have on my new Reef sandals. I love them!
This is meh. The skirt has little feathers on it that have white and I wore my white booties.
Oh well! At least I did get dressed, right?
Have a wonderful Wednesday and thanks for reading!
O.k. friends, you don’t know this about me but I have planned many a family road trip on the cheap. I really enjoy doing this planning, too!
I thought this might be a good time to write about this since many of you are getting vaccinated and may be ready to go somewhere safely. It isn’t too late to rent a property for this summer. Or, you can choose to do a hotel. Heck, places are probably begging for people to visit.
Since I have had this blog, we have not traveled much so you haven’t gotten to hear about our family trips. Get those trips in before high school, because when high school starts, activities abound and schedules become harder and harder to work around. Yes, even in the summer there are so many things in the lives of high schoolers.
We took trips most Spring Breaks and one week every summer from the time our twins were about 2 until they were 14. Sometimes on Spring Break we wouldn’t do a big trip, but we would go to Great Wolf Lodge for a night or do something small. We also did lots of summer and fall camping – tent camping. I joked that Tom picked either the hottest night of the summer or the coldest night of fall to go camping. It is tons of work and you never sleep well, but we have good memories!
We traveled exclusively by car with our kids until our two week Germany trip in the summer of 2016. Air travel seemed too complicated and pricey and we don’t mind driving. Also, our kids were great car riders.
The ol’ family truckster:
Another advantage to driving is you can take more stuff!
So, my number one tip to save money is to drive.
We have traveled by car with our kids to:
Myrtle Beach
Okaloosa Island
Panama City
Disney World
Destin
Seaside
Washington, D.C. which included Frank Lloyd Wright’s Falling Water, Pennsylvania, and Maryland
Virginia
Colonial Williamsburg
Chincoteague Island and Assateague Island National Seashore
Jamestown, Monticello, Mount Vernon
Harry Potter World, Everglades, The Florida Keys and a boat trip to Fort Jefferson two hours south of The Keys
Siesta Key
Dauphin Island, Alabama
Hilton Head Island
Lake Michigan – at least five times maybe more?
Chicago
With me being a teacher and the boys in school, we were limited to Spring Break and summer. We don’t have a Fall Break in our district.
Lake Michigan Beach:
We love Lake Michigan. We can be there in under 5 hours and it is so pleasant in the summer. There is no salt water, no sharks, and the temperature is perfection. One time we booked a sailboat on Lake Michigan with a captain and one time the boys took surfing lessons on Lake Michigan!
We have taken our dog on many vacations. We didn’t take our first dog Archie much, but we have taken Ernie on at least 5 trips in his 8 years! Ernie has been to Lake Michigan 3 times and to Dauphin Island, Alabama.
-Decide where you want to go. Don’t rule out places closer to home. You will save on gas and you can maximize your time at your destination when you don’t waste a whole day or more driving! If your destination is far, you can divide it up in two days and find something interesting to do along the way. We usually only did about 7-8 hours a day in the car which made us all much happier. My kids even enjoyed a hotel for a night and we found reasonable rates. Give a kid a hotel room and a pool and they think they are at a water park!
-Don’t just think beach. City trips can be really fun! What are your kids studying in school? Is there a place they have expressed interest in seeing? On two of our Lake Michigan trips, we took the train (an adventure in itself) into Chicago for the museums. I like city combined with beach!
Amtrak train from New Buffalo, Michigan to Chicago:
The kids were impressed with the outlets to charge their phones and their mom was impressed with the bar car on the train!
Chicago!
-Save money by only staying for 4-5 nights. You don’t have to stay a whole week and sometimes a shorter trip can be just as refreshing. Some rentals make you do a full week if it’s in high season.
-I used VRBO for all of our rentals when we didn’t do hotels. The filters are great – check the boxes for the things you must have in a rental. Read the reviews. If there is even one negative review, do not do it! There are so many dog friendly rentals, too. Decide what are your non-negotiables and put those in the filter. One year we did a one bedroom and gave the boys the bedroom and we did the pull out couch in the living room where the t.v. was. The boys were 3 and it made sense and saved lots of money.
-Rent a place with another family. This makes it much more affordable. Bonus if you really like the people, have kids the same age, etc.
-Rent a place with washer and dryer. It’s so nice to pack lightly and have that available but don’t get into a trap like my sister does with doing laundry just as much on vacation as you do at home!
-I prefer houses that are run by people rather than rental companies. I have found the ones run by owner have spices, baggies, aluminum foil, and more for you to use. They often have strollers, wagons, beach toys, beach chairs, etc. One rental we used even had a lock box on the beach which was amazing! We didn’t have to haul stuff each day.
-If you have space, bring stuff for a couple of meals and possibly your breakfast and sandwich stuff from home. If you have a long drive, you will not want to worry about finding dinner. Or, order pizza the first night.
-Pack a cooler for the car so you don’t have to stop unless you want to.
-I always made activity bags for the boys to do in the car. Sometimes I put the state names on each bag so they could only open it when we crossed that state line. Example: bag with Tennessee on it contained a coloring book and crayons and they got to open it when we saw the state sign.
-When you do go out to eat, try to go at off times. We would have an early light lunch and then go out for dinner at 4:00 or 5:00. Ain’t nobody got time for a 2 hour wait on vacation.
-Do your research before you go. Make a list of restaurants with their addresses, possibly look for Groupons for that area, check attractions’ hours, etc. Also, if you do bring your pet, check the beach hours for dogs. Ernie was not allowed on the beach after 11 and then couldn’t be on the beach until 7. This worked out well as we took him on long walks on the beach (so romantic!) in the morning and he was worn out and ready to nap when we went for the day. After dinner, it got us back on the beach at sunset and he got another walk. We always meet other dogs for him to play with, too. Ernie really has it good, no?
Tom and Ernie enjoying a long walk on the beach:
What tips have I forgotten?
Can you recommend some great places to visit? My boys aren’t really beach people these days. Tom is also not really a beach person. He has to be pretty active and can do water sports but doesn’t really want to lay on the beach. I can definitely lay on a beach, but I like some sight seeing, shopping, history, you know?
I am linking up with Heather, Tanya and many more here today!
How was your weekend? Mine was really good, but as usual, it went by too quickly.
Friday after school I asked these two co-workers if they wanted to have a quick drink on my deck and they did. Sometimes spontaneity is the best policy! It was warm and sunny and it felt great to be done with the week.
Then, I talked Tom into going out to dinner. Captain’s Quarter’s (the place where we boat to) had been closed all winter and had recently re-opened. This is Tom in his coach’s mask that I think looks like Hannibal Lecter. They have adirondack chairs for while you wait that overlook the river.
Our friends met us and we had to eat inside because they don’t have much outdoor seating right now. We stayed out until 9. Who are we?
Saturday morning was hair day!
Why can’t I make a decent face in photos?
While my hair was processing, I got to watch some of Prince Philip’s funeral – which I had forgotten about. I went home and watched the rest. Did you watch it? Are you a royal watcher? I was happy to see Harry and William chatting afterwards.
Oh, I splurged at the salon and bought Olaplex! Again, who am I? I will report back on my thoughts. Anyone use it?
I wore my new sandals on Saturday.
Mason came home on Saturday! We had a vanilla latte on the patio with my new candle.
Then, Mason and Tom picked up Jack for sushi. Mason and Tom went to see The Courier at the movie theater and really liked it but Jack had work to do at school.
I had a girls’ night with my besties at a Cuban restaurant. I had sangria!
We shared some plantain chips and queso and I forgot to take photos of the rest of our food.
Sunday was Kroger day! I went in the store instead of doing pick up.
And, we got the boat out! I don’t think we have ever done it before May. It was cold, but the river was calm and it was nice to be out.
Coffee and Cocktails at the Casa 