Saturday, February 24, 2024

Here is a bonus post for your Saturday morning! I am linking up with Jennifer for her Share Four Somethings monthly link up!

Something I’ve Loved

I think we have all said a variation of the same thing in the blog world. The sun! When I get home from work, the sun is gone from my little patio off of my mud room, but then around 4:45-5 these days I get a really bright sun beam and I have tried to bask in it every day that I can.

Know yourself and myself loves getting this bit of sun, being outside, and this is my happy place until the neighbor starts his leaf blowing – wish I was kidding.

Something I’ve Accomplished

I finished my hard half of a week of coming in early and staying late for conferences. Friday morning as I arrived the fog was really thick!

Something I’ve Improved Upon

This is going to sound so silly, but I feel like I’ve gotten my Saturdays back. I have started doing grocery pick up on Wednesday or Thursday and this forces me to meal plan for the next week, too. I know I can save money if I go to Aldi rather than Kroger, but I would still need Kroger items. For now, this is what I am continuing to do. Kroger is close and it makes my life easier right now.

It’s a great feeling to wake up Saturday knowing that I don’t have to meal plan, shop, place an order, whatever. I’m fully stocked and can start meal prep if I want to.

Something that Needs Improvement

My sister in law gave me this nice coffee maker but I miss the ability to make just one cup of coffee for myself in the morning or in the afternoon.

My friend Jessica is not a coffee drinker, but her husband has this machine:

It is by Hamilton Beach and what I like about it is that you don’t use paper filters or pods. You simply put your coffee grounds in the silver basket and you can make a mug size or a travel cup size single serving. Does anyone have this machine. Thoughts? I was seriously considering switching to Nespresso because I really don’t want to continue making a whole pot that I am wasting. I just want two cups a day! Well, sometimes I would like an afternoon cup.

Something I’ve Noticed

I’ve noticed that I am reaching for sneakers most days because it’s just not worth it to have my feet hurt trying to teach on hard cement floors. I feel that there is a need for a platform sneaker in my life which will be nice with longer pants, jeans, and wide legged crops, maybe.

I ordered these and they were so big on me in my normal size. I love the look, though.

When I went back to size down, they had these in the size I think I need. They did not have them in my regular sized.

I know the colors are less practical, but I love the combo so much!

I already have practical white sneakers, so do I go for fun?

Help! Ha! It’s hard to pay these sneaker prices, but I know they are what I am wearing, you know?

Well, it is Saturday morning and I have a full nest. It’s college spring break so Mason is home – so, so early, right? They end the semester quite early due to the Kentucky Derby. I have the dishwasher waiting to be unloaded and the dryer going. I have my candle burning and my coffee mug on my mug warmer.

I have a list of errands that I want to do and a plan to do a coffee shop later with Mason.

I am feeling very content this Saturday morning!

Hope you have a great weekend,

Amy

Friday, February 23, 2024

It’s Friday and I am at the end of my long week (I will tell you why it was long later in the post! ! I am happy to link up with Andrea and Erika for a happy post!

I did not have off on Monday for President’s Day, but I had the whole day to work at school on catching up. I took time out for a cup of tea with colleagues, and I went to breakfast/lunch at Con Huevos like a real girl with an hour lunch break. Tuesday, we had another teacher day with meetings, but I still had a cup of tea, lunch out at McAllister’s and time to get things done and ready for students on Wednesday.

Do I still have my frustrations and personal problems of the last weeks – yes! But I shifted my mindset this week with the help of a great little book, lots of sunshine, and a pep talk I gave myself!

So, let’s do some happy favorites from the week…

Andrea recommended this and it’s so good! I’ve been struggling to get all of my water in so this has been nice.

I really like my new Duck Plump as a topper.

I bought this in November and just now need a replacement. It’s pricey but it lasts a long time (I think – 4 months for a deodorant is pretty good, no?) and it serves as my fragrance,too. I need to test it in the sweaty summer months. Combined with my Diva laundry capful that I add in with my regular Tide myself smells real nice.

I marveled at my coordination in my Monday outfit. Yes, I wore tequila earrings to school with no students present. I’ve really enjoyed this light yellow/green flourescent press on mani this week!

This was our Mexican breakfast/lunch on Monday:

And, my salad and baked potato on Tuesday:

A couple of teachers skipped lunch or brought the same old boring sandwich, but I felt it was important to make the days “feel different” and I was right. This was one way I was kind to myself this week.

After work on Monday, I met my friend Jessica for a pedicure and a catch up:

I chose a dark teal color and I love it! After, we tried to get a drink and snack at Mojito, but it was closed so I asked her back to my patio and we chatted a bit more. It was so nice!

I had some healthy food faves this week…

Wednesday Erica made ground chicken kofta bowls:

Thursday I made farro, chicken, garbanzo beans with a tahini sauce bowls and it’s on a plate because it was also dinner for my family the night before:

I made a couscous, sweet potato, black bean, red onion meal:

I had a bunless Boca burger on the side:

Ernie and I took a slow sunny walk each day after work:

Puxatawney Phil was right! I kept saying we would get one more winter weather event, but now I’m not so sure.

I chose to go in to work an hour early and stay an hour late Wednesday through today to do my parent teacher conferences – we could do 6 hours however we wanted which was nice – and I was kind to myself by ordering Chinese instead of trying to rush to cook something.

And, it was even so mild that I was able to do my coffee outside one day this week. It reminded me of most of September through November when I did this and What’s App’ed with Mason in England to start each day.

And, again with the color coordination with the nails and the mug! It makes this color loving lady happy!

I’m buoyed by the time change coming soon! Are you excited?

People are starting to talk about the solar eclipse April 8th, too. We are out of school that day – it’s the Monday after Spring Break. We were IN school for the last eclipse and it was a waste of a day, so this is much better.

I cannot recommend this book enough! I already do some of the things so maybe I am a little Swedish?

I hope you also had many, many favorites this week! Leave me one in the comments!

This week I posted Hello Monday, My Current Blogroll, Pinterest Fun, and Fashion Files if you missed anything!

Happy Weekend,

Amy

Thursday, February 22, 2024

This week’s Fashion Files with Kellyann and Jill is going to be kind of short for me because I just don’t have much fashion in my files!

The way I have this tucked in in the photo is not good, but I think and hope I fixed it. I wore my new Old Navy striped button up with my yellow MJ pants and a scarf-like headband with blue and yellow and a design. I got so many compliments on this blue and yellow combo.

That night for Tom’s builder event, I wore the same top part with jeans and my Hush Puppies pumps. Also, you can’t see in the first picture, but I wore my two Kendra Scott chains that came with a black pendant and I liked how it looked over the shirt. So, at least the top part will be on repeat!

Friday I broke out a Loft top from last year with a black vest, Matilda Janes, and stark white sneakers from Madewell that I bought pre-pandemic.

Saturday was hair day and the roads were wet. I wore a black Amazon top, my Kut from the Kloth jeans, and my rubber Danskos.

Monday for teacher work day I wore this because I had plans after work:

I even wore my tequila earrings because there were no students. Look at the color coordination I have going on here!

Tuesday I wore my fun leggings, a black v neck short sleeve, and a black knit cardigan. I forgot to get an outfit photo!

I did something crazy-ish. Look what I ordered! I will take them back if they aren’t perfect, but with me wearing sneakers almost everyday to work now, I figured I could justify it. I got a $28 discount and free shipping, so that was nice, too. I can return them in person to my Dick’s. I originally wanted the pink with green stripe platforms, but they have not been in stock for a couple of months and I love yellow and this is more neutral.

I am working on my February Fashion Purchases post. I have not bought much in February! The month just flew for me!

What have you been wearing lately? Any favorites of mine?

Amy

Wednesday, February 21, 2024

Do you still use Pinterest? It’s such a happy form of social media and I do still use it quite a lot for fashion inspo, ideas on what to wear – even that very day, holiday decor, and interior design ideas.

Recently there was a trend floating around on IG to search for “celebrity, outfit, quote, aesthetic”. I never did figure out if I was supposed to search those separately or all together?

Here’s mine:

Celebrity:

I do want to try tying my sweater around my shoulders and I have seen someone tie a striped Breton shirt and I liked that look. I am still considering some Adidas sneakers.

Outfit:

I do want a blue denim front slit skirt but one that is shorter than pictured here.

Here is my quote:

This really spoke to me. I have been struggling with Ernie, work (and something else happened on Friday) and how long to stay/when to retire, my stage in life changing with soon to be college graduates, work/life balance and a couple of other things.

I am feeling better now and I have a bit more perspective, I think.

My aesthetic:

I think a lot of people got this one, but heck yes! That is the exact color I like my coffee, too! I left the library Saturday with a stack of fiction and non-fiction books and was positively giddy.

I use Pinterest for inspo on how to style a new piece of clothing or an old piece that I need to wear. Here is what I got from “button up shirt outfit”:

I have a green and white stripe and a pink and white stripe!

Even though it sounds lame, I might not have thought to half tuck it or to put a white t-shirt under it. My green and white is a bit snug in the chest so I think I can do the white tee under.

So, yes I still love Pinterest! I don’t pin a lot but I do look around a lot. I don’t really look at anyone elses’ pins anymore either.

What about you? Are you a Pinterest person?

Amy

Tuesday, February 20, 2024

I still love blogs! I hate when a blogger stops blogging and moves to Instagram only! It’s just not the same to me.

Blogs should be enjoyed with coffee!

This was a request from Irene – hi, Irene! She wanted to hear what my current list of blogs is. I am sure this will not be exhaustive, and I hate to leave anyone out. Some are very sporadic in their posting, but I do enjoy reading them when I come across them. I usually only figure out they have posted through a link up.

Also, leave me any blogs I should be reading in the comments!

My perfect blog:

Not too much kid stuff (sorry, but been there, done that) – like not an overload of photos of your kids playing blocks or something like that – he, he. I love kids! I swear!

My favorite content is:

fashion, recipes, product recommendations, movie Recs, TV show recs, book recs, life talk, spending time with friends and husband talk, tips, life hacks, and bonus if the writer is funny like Preppy Empty Nester!

Blogs Written by People I Feel Like I’ve become friends or friends-ish with: 

I will often talk about them to Tom like we are IRL friends. I feel like Tom thinks I’m off my rocker. If you aren’t a blog reader, commenter, and part of the community, you just don’t get it! My blog people check on me more than some of my IRL people do! My blog friends are so supportive and caring and even send messages to me via IG and not just in the comments. My readers who aren’t bloggers also send me the sweetest words of support and encouragement.

Click on the red font to go directly to any of these blogs. Please do click on a few as it took me a sweet forever to put in all the links! Ha!

Host It Notes – my real-life high school friend Beth!

The Other Side of the Road

Show Me and Sweet Tea

Overflowing with Thankfulness

Memphis Bridges

Stuff, Things, Etc.

This Blonde’s Shopping Bag

Living on Cloud Nine

Lindsey’s Sweet World

Sunshine and Books

Holly Pink Lady

Slices of Life

Marsha in the Middle

Chez Mireille

Blogs I read where the author has no idea who I am and I rarely comment:

Mix and Match Mama

Momfessionals

Jo Lynne Shane

Coast to Coast

Sheaffer Told Me To

Big Mama Blog – Fridays only

Susan After 60

Fancy Ashley

Honey We’re Home

Carolina Charm

Hi Sugarplum

Natalie Mason

Cup of Jo

Again, I hope I didn’t miss anyone! Leave me blog suggestions in the comments if you have any!

Amy

Monday, February 19. 2024

Do you have the day off today? Thank you, Presidents! I do not. But do not feel sorry for me because I shall make my own day very soon – Amy Day! I am working on improving my attitude! I didn’t like the blogger I was becoming with all of my whining, so I am turning it around – I hope! I am linking up with Sarah and Holly today for Hello Monday. If you don’t know what I’m talking about you can read Friday Favorites or The State of Ed., but I don’t recommend it!

Thursday I was marveling at all the signs of spring as I was walking Ernie after school…

Tom had been invited to a new builders showroom event and I sat on the porch waiting for him to pick me up. The sign felt so nice!

The event was super crowded and we didn’t stay long, but it was nice for Tom to show his face. We ended up walking to a nearby Mexican place for our Thursday dinner so that was a nice treat!

Thursday night after my shower, I did a fun neon light green/yellow press on mani.

And, Friday winter returned! I had plans after school to get a pedicure with my friend Jessica and then have an early dinner but we were worried about being out with the freezing rain, sleet, and snow coming down.

So I walked Ernie with Tom instead and we made a dinner out of all the random leftovers in the fridge! Mason came home around 9:00 for the weekend and I could hardly keep my eyes open.

And, this is what we woke up to on Saturday. It wasn’t cold enough to stick to the roads and by the end of Saturday it was almost all melted. I’d like to order one more snow during the week, Mother Nature, ok?

I was glad I had a bit later Saturday hair appointment than usual. Usually I take the first appointment, but this time I didn’t have to get out until 10:30.

I went to the library after for some request and I guess I missed the V Day display:

So cute!

Here is my haul:

I really have not finished a book in 2024 yet. I still am reading this:

It’s really cute and I’m enjoying it – I just haven’t sat down to read for any stretch of time. I’m hoping to stay off my phone in favor of reading in the next week.

I also made a Saturday afternoon trip to Trader Joe’s after the library and it was a big mistake! This photo doesn’t look like it was crowded, but it was. Still, I managed to fill a cart with over $100 of stuff, so don’t feel too badly for me!

Jack, Mason, and I really can’t find a facial moisturizer that we like better than this and it’s just under $6. I bought 3 because they both complain about how dry their face is in the winter and use a lot at a time I guess.

I also found what I think is a dupe for Laneige. I keep the pink Laneige by my bed but I have been curious about the vanilla. It’s not exactly the same, but I really like this!

For an afternoon snack, I tried air fryer steak bites with some creme fraiche with parsley that I got at Traders. I think Tom really liked them! I don’t have an air fryer that works anymore so I’m just using the air fryer setting on the oven.

Jack and Mason had been at Romeo and Juliet rehearsal and came home and then Mason was going to a play. Jack had eaten my leftover chicken teriyaki bowl last weekend and I offered to get it for him for Saturday night, so we went to Ulta and to pick up our carryout. I got the same thing and Tom got sushi.

They have really good bread and bring it to you with a knife stuck in it so I tried to re-create it at home.

At Ulta, I bought NYX Duck Plump and my lips burned but I really did feel like a Kardashian.

I watched this movie over the weekend and it was cute with cheesy mixed in!

I also watched this – it popped up on the tv and I don’t think I ever watched it. It’s cute, too!

Since I don’t have students today or tomorrow, I get to leave home 45 minutes later than I normally do! That will be a nice change.

Sunday morning was cold but sunny and I read, watched movies, and enjoyed being home.

I spent some time reading this and I highly recommend it! It is helping me remember how to live a happy and content life! Tin-Tin, my Swedish reader, would approve!

I also went to TJ Maxx and Target and then made this Andrea Momfessionals pasta again for dinner:

And, it was a good weekend!

Ernie is doing ok. He is still eating and wanting to go walk. He’s just moving slower.

How was your weekend? Or how was your weekend so far?

Amy

Friday, February 16, 2024

Whew! This girl is tired! I am so, so happy it’s Friday! It’s time to link up with Andrea and Erika for Friday Favorites. 

Our students get to leave school today at 3:20 for a four-day weekend. They have off President’s Day Monday and Tuesday and the teachers have two, count them – two teacher days on Monday and Tuesday. It would have been nice for us also to get a break. 

And get this…because of the district bus fiasco at the beginning of the year they took away daytime Parent Teacher Conferences on Monday in favor of a teacher workday and teachers have to do them before or after school if they want to be paid. In our district, PT conferences are an extra day’s pay and you don’t have to do them. Well, your girl wants the money, so she is doing them before and after school Wednesday through Friday of next week. 

So, I am going to be wrecked after next week. I am looking forward to two days where I can go out to lunch and have some time in my room to do some planning for the stretch between now and Spring Break. But there will be meetings! Ha! I love a meeting that could have been an email – NOT! Tired of wasting my time to justify someones’ job. 

I think you can tell by my tone that I am struggling. 

Also, remember my education post? I had 37 out of 144 students absent on Monday for a total of 25% of my students. Didn’t the Superbowl end at a fairly decent time? We don’t start school until 8:40. Are we just looking for any excuse to miss now? 

I am also feeling guilty with Tom, Jack, and I gone from the house for so long each day. Tom has come home for lunch a few days even though it’s a long drive. I am trying to get home as quickly as I can each day. 

Since the news Friday, he kind of rallied but is moving slower and more finicky about food. We are feeding him whatever he will eat – canned dog food, canned chicken, tuna packets.

So, despite the hard things, I have been working harder to look for my favorites and my blessings this week…

We have had lots of sunshine for our after-school walks!

He was pretty excited one evening on another walk on the playground behind our house – loves to find water to drink. He acts like we don’t provide water! 

I had fun on Tuesday night for Mardi Gras making our favorite Cajun dish – Couscous jambalaya by Emeril Lagasse. 

This was also a lunch for Erica and I! Also, she made a healthy shrimp gumbo for dinner and that was our lunch one day, too. 

Erica made buffalo bowls one day – yum! 

Mexican bowls one day: 

And, I made the low carb pizza bowl one day!

I feel like we are both finding some new recipes that are making lunch really enjoyable!

This is a really bad plating job, but for V Day, Tom and I picked out ready-made foods from Paul’s Fruit Market for our dinner. I had salmon and he had meatloaf and a stuffed pepper. I made potato cakes and brussel sprouts to go along with it. We were both happy. We chose to do this, so we didn’t leave Ernie. We will go out to eat when the college kids can stay with him. 

I was pretty touched that Tom stopped at the Mexican supermarket and got me these heart shaped chocolate marshmallows: 

Looking forward to eating this lunch this weekend: 

I made sure to order all the ingredients. For the last couple of weeks I have done a Wednesday grocery pick up. I kinda like it! I do find myself back in a grocery store over the weekend, but the list is pretty short. 

My dance team girls sent me this when they were missing school for Nationals. I hate that they had to miss 3 days, but happy for them to have that experience: 

They had demonstration speeches to record in Spanish! 

Ha! 

Louisville is a huge Catholic city and it’s Fish Fry time. Also, so many restaurants run fish specials during Lent. Many of my friends are either Catholic or were raised Catholic, I think! If we go out with them on a Friday, there is a good chance we will go somewhere with fish!

Here is what I wore on V Day: 

It’s time to let the Shu Shop sneakers go. They are cute but offer zero support.

The French teacher gave me a plate of Mardi Gras goodies and Jack loves a croissant, so I brought it home to him and left it for his breakfast one day:

I love the sweet texts. 

Jack has been really helpful letting Ernie out one last time before he goes to bed, but Tom and I are getting up a few times a night (mostly Tom) to let him out. It’s like having a newborn again. Well, we don’t know what having a newborn is like because we only had newbornS! Ha! 

Despite my tone about school, I had some fun teaching days this week. I had a student tell me I’m “their only happy teacher”. Please pray that I don’t become bitter because of the adults NOT in the classroom making policies or NOT making policies. Please pray for the hearts of the other teachers who are “not happy”. That made me sad to hear. 

I hope you had many favorites this week! 

Your comments are also my favorites and I can’t believe you take the time to leave me such sweet and supportive comments. You are the best!

Amy

Thursday, February 15, 2024

Well, it’s Thursday again and that means it’s time for Fashion Files with Kellyann and Jill. 

Wearing pink, red, and hearts has made getting dressed easy this week! 

Last Thursday I wore these Matilda Jane olive pants and an old favorite floral blouse from a local boutique. Favorite type of teacher outfit – super comfy but feel put together. 

On Friday I tried out my new Amazon blouse that looks much higher end. Thanks to Tanya for the rec. I also bought the pattern that she recommended that looks like Lily Pulitzer, but it is taking a long time to get here. I wore it to school with my Wit and Wisdoms and I did wear shoes! I am a sucker for a pretty blouse. They are so easy to throw on with jeans, cut off shorts, pants, anything!

Over the weekend I didn’t do much, but I wore this combo again: 

On Monday I wore an old heart sweater, Matilda Jane pants, and sneakers.

On Tuesday I wore an old black heart sweater, Matilda Janes, and sneakers. 

And, yesterday for V Day, I wore this outfit again:

So, I think I got my money’s worth out of the green heart cardigan!

I am being influenced by Natalie Mason and this Target bag – isn’t it so cute? I have to be very careful in the spring because I want all the things. 

I have a hair appointment this weekend for cut and color. It’s needed! 

What have you been wearing lately?

Amy

Wednesday, February 14, 2024

Happy Valentine’s Day! You better believe I am wearing something with hearts today!

Today is Let’s Look with Shay and Erika and when I saw the topic I thought my post would be too boring for words, but then I thought, what the heck. I enjoy reading other peoples’ routines.  

So, today’s topic is “Little Things we do Everyday”…

I am going to focus on a weekday where I go to school around 7:45. 

I almost always wake up without an alarm. I go to bed around 9:30 these days and my body wakes me up to go to the bathroom. What motivates me is coffee, though. I both hate and love this. I’m using a good old fashioned coffee pot now. 

It’s been life-changing to have this mug warmer. I sit at my dining room table and…

always start my morning with my devotional…

I also light a candle every morning. 

I then read my blog list (the blogs I read of other people) and prepare my blog for the next day. I also make sure my breakfast, lunches for Erica and I (if it’s my turn), and Tom’s yogurt are ready to go. I put frozen fruit and granola in a container for Tom every day and he mixes in his yogurt at work. During this time I do a few household tasks that will make my life easier when I get home after school. I also give Ernie lots of pets and help with his high maintenance food, but Tom is the main one who feeds him in the morning and evening. 

When it’s time to start getting ready, I apply some coconut oil to my face and jump in the shower and do a body shower only in the morning. 

I do minimal makeup, hair, and then get dressed and snap a picture each day for blog purposes. This is what I wore Monday:

I get to school and eat my breakfast, check emails, get things ready for my two different morning classes. After I teach those, I have my planning period to get ready for my third class that I haven’t taught yet. 

I get about 10 reels from Tom a day and watch about half of them. He just recently discovered these! 

So, I teach Spanish 1, then AP, then have planning, then teach Spanish 3, AP again, Spanish 3 again, and Spanish 3 again. Then, it’s time to go home! 

I walk Ernie every day right when I get home. 

I start dinner – Monday it was pizza bowls! 

Tom calls every day on his way home somewhere between 5:08 and 5:15! I’m pretty sure he is just calling to make sure he will have dinner! Ha! 

We eat together after Ernie gets another walk and his dinner. I go take my shower and then I go watch a show for just me in the basement usually. Tom goes to bed at 8:30 and that is just too early for me. I stay up another hour. 

I also usually text or talk to one friend a day to check in.

I usually text or talk to a family member.

I laugh every day. 

I like my little weekday routine. I wish I had more time at home, though.

My routine changes with the seasons a bit, but this is my current winter routine. 

Maybe you can use this post for insomnia? Pretty boring, right? 

Amy

Tuesday, February 13, 2024

Happy Tuesday! Happy birthday to my niece Nora who is Sweet Sixteen today! 

Who doesn’t love pizza? The flavor combo is just so good and it’s so customizable, right? Can I make a statement, though? Pizza is one of the harder things when you are trying to clean up your diet! 

I kept seeing pizza bowls that only had sauce, toppings, and cheese. I was like – it needs more substance. I cooked up some cauliflower rice and it really worked! Erica gave it the seal of approval at lunch. Normally I do it for dinner first, but this time I tried it out at lunch and liked it so much I came home and made it for dinner for Tom and I. 

You will need: 

I did half a bag of cauliflower rice (frozen is best in my opinion), mushrooms and onions that I pre-cooked, and 15 turkey pepperonis per bowl. I did 1/2 cup of pizza sauce, a sprinkle of the powdered type of parmesan and 1/4 cup of cheese each. I layered it all in a Pyrex dish and then broiled it in the oven for a bit to get that pizza cheese thing going on. 

Of course, you can add whatever toppings you fancy!

At school, it all had to be microwaved at once. 

I love banana peppers so I added those to mine. 

If you make it like I do, this is 6 WW points. 

If you do make it, let me know what you think! 

I also want to show you a 1 point per slice bread that I think is really good: 

It ain’t cheap, though, honey. This loaf is $7.50! 

I am finding all these holidays hard – Superbowl, Mardi Gras, Valentine’s Day, Friday, Saturday, Sunday – they just keep coming! 

Amy