Reflecting on 29! years in the classroom…

Wednesday, June 28, 2023

Wednesday, June 28, 2023

This post is a little late, but hey…maybe you are like me and it takes you a bit to process and reflect.

I gave all of my students this little paper questionnaire. I called it a “grade” and enjoyed reading them when they turned them in. I also commented on paper or out loud and tried to dig a bit deeper with some of my students who were open to it.

I am really proud (even though I know I should not be prideful) that I have lasted this long in education as a classroom teacher. I have taught at only three schools in that time. It’s always been high school and I have taught every level of Spanish. Did you know that only 50% of teachers make it past 5 years in the classroom?

I thought I wanted to pursue a principal position (or an assistant principal position) and got one of my Master’s degrees in admin and supervision. I even took the big long expensive test and passed it. This was all before I was married or had kids. So, my priorities changed when all that transpired. I really don’t regret not pursuing it.

I am happy to be back to sharing more of myself in the classroom. When my kids were at my school for 4 years, I tried to tone down the personal anecdotes and be a little less “weird”. I feel strongly that the more you give of yourself in this job, the more you get in return. Teenagers are smart and they see through you. I truly love teenagers and I love my subject. You can’t fake this!

Here is what I gave them and yes, we did fill it out in English, rather than Spanish.

1. What was your rose?

2. What was your thorn?

3. What are you most proud of?

4. What was most difficult?

5. What could you do to improve that?

General health:

Getting enough sleep?

Eating well?

Enough water?

Moving body/getting exercise?

School/free time balance?

What can you take off plate for next year?

What do you want to work on over summer?

Goals for next year?

I do get into general health because I feel that lack of sleep is one of the worst problems facing our teens. Some of that is due to cell phone addiction and some of that is due to school schedules. Also, why is a teen expected to go to school full time, play sports, do extracurricular activities, hold a part time job, study for the ACT, decide on their future, do college visits all at the same time. It’s just too much.

They are not getting any sort of health education after freshman year. I think it’s important to get healthy messages from their seven classroom teachers after that. It is not lost on me how much influence we have. We are the adults that see them and spend the most time with them at this age. That is an incredible responsibility.

I try to connect with all of my students on some level, but there are some that I just can’t get more than a few words out of. I sometimes connect with a kid about foods that we both like. I connect with some by talking about protein or water intake. You just never know what will help you with that connection.

Here are my answers:

1. My rose was my students. I saw them really come out of their shells with a pretty normal year (back to pre-pandemic almost). Gone were the masks in September, the weekly Covid testing, the social distancing…You guys, we hurt our kids. They had to re-learn how to socialize and be “normal”. It was so wonderful to have to ask kids to stop talking a few times! I had smart and funny students. My favorite thing was at the end of the year when a little Spanish one student gave me a typed-up list of all the funny things I had said this year. He had been taking notes!

2. My thorn was all the meetings that came back! Ugh! Meetings that can be an email are the worst. Meetings for meetings’ sake is what they are.

3. I am most proud of keeping a positive attitude for the most part and trying to see the humor in things. I am also proud of trying TikTok and all of the new technology I learned through that.

4. The cell phones. Our school does not have a solid school wide policy. I have my own policy but it was hard to constantly fight it. I am still coming up with a plan for next year but I have some ideas. They get texts from parents, coaches, employers, and many more during the day and all kinds of notifications are set up on their phones. It seems that no one has boundaries anymore.

5. I am working on an incentive plan to go along with my cellphone policy. I have to do some more thinking and some research.

My sleep was really good this year due to me going to bed when I was tired (not pushing it to stay up to finish that show) and chewing one Ashwaganda by Goli nightly.

I still did my breakfast meal prep and my healthy lunches with Erica, but I didn’t eat as well as the year before and I gained back some weight.

I also could do better with my water.

I also didn’t go to the gym or walk as much after school.

I did have a good school/free time balance and I walked Ernie and read outside as much as possible. I watched less t.v. which was great. I also took more days off which helped me to have more balance.

I guess I could cook smarter and not spend as much time in the kitchen?

I want to work on a better exercise routine.

My goals for next year are to improve my general health habits and get started on that this summer with a good routine.

Whew! Are you a reflective person? Do you live your life on a school calendar or a traditional calendar?

Amy

Tuesday, June 27, 2023

This post may not appeal to all of you and that’s ok! Yesterday, I mentioned a vet visit for Ernie on Friday and I thought I would go into more detail.

So, I thought I would do a little Ernie update. Ernie is our 10 year old chocolate lab if you are new around here. At the end of January, we received some devastating news. He was acting lethargic and not eating. The vet reported that he had an internal bleed and he most likely had cancer on the spleen which is common to big dogs? We could opt for surgery, but at his age and due to the pain it would put him through, it wasn’t recommended by our vet and we love our vet. He told us we could try this Chinese herb that helps clot the blood and possibly stave off an internal bleed or help it a bit. You sprinkle a bit on their food (if you can get them to eat). So, I drove to the Chinese herb store (conveniently right by the vet), ordered Ernie a McDonald’s hamburger, cried all the way home, then sprinkled the herb on his burger. I continued to sprinkle the herb on his food for about 5 days and I don’t know if that helped, but he was back to himself really by that evening. He was no longer acting lethargic, and he started eating again. Thank you, McDonald’s! #notsponsored. Just kidding!

So, from January until now Ernie has been trotting along. He gets lots of walks each day, swims in the river on the weekends, eats a nice diet of kibble, boiled chicken, canned green beans and canned carrots – occasionally a scoop of canned pumpkin.

I committed to hurrying home each day from school to walk him and spend time with him after that vet appointment. We never called and said he is doing well and we never heard from the vet – which I thought was weird.

Ernie developed a couple of sores/patches on his face so Tom wanted me to take him to the vet. I did not want to at all but Mason agreed to come for support. I was triggered and didn’t want more bad news and wanted to leave well enough alone.

So, I get to the vet and he says he loves it when he is wrong and he says that there is no way he thought Ernie would be in to see him about a face sore 5 months later. I cried. He couldn’t believe how peppy Ernie acted. By the way, Ernie loves going to the vet and loves our vet. Our vet is also a lab guy – he has yellow labs of his own. Ernie told me that the smells outside the vet’s office and in the waiting room are just to die for. He also gets lots of treats.

The face sores were not a big concern, but maybe just places where his fur got wet and didn’t get dried well – he gave him an antibiotic and a steroid to take for just 5 days to clear them up – hopefully.

While there, he said he wanted to do a quick ultrasound and saw that the spots were still there, but there was no fluid (blood) like before. He thinks the places are just stable for now, but they are still there and we just don’t know how long they will remain stable. Ernie has also lost about 6 pounds since January.

So….I guess it was good news…for now? We are going to continue to give him the best life possible for as long as we have. I do keep it in the back(front?) of my mind that this could be his last summer.

Thanks for listening,

Amy

Monday, June 26, 2023

How was your weekend? Mine was good! I am linking up today with both Sarah and Holly for Hello Monday!

Also, I posted on Saturday for Share 4 Somethings if you missed it, click here.

I started out my weekend with a nice library haul. Here is my approach. I have nothing to lose by requesting and checking books out and grabbing anything else that looks intriguing. I am not hard on myself if I end up not reading something and I do not feel compelled to finish a book.

I am sharing in case you need some ideas. Most of my books are based on bloggers’ recommendations.

Nice haul, right?

Next up was a trip to the vet (we haven’t been since January) for a couple of sores on Ernie’s face. He was given some meds but the vet wasn’t worried. Update on Ernie coming tomorrow for those interested. Mason went with me for emotional support, mainly, and was a huge help and totally handled Ernie alone.

Then, I had a wonderful lunch on a gorgeous patio with my friend Victoria.

I had a wonderful rosé with my lunch.

We had the smoked salmon appetizer:

I had Jamaican grouper:

Victoria had the beet salad:

After lunch I was ready for some relaxation:

I have moved my anti-gravity chair down to my covered patio.

Then, we met Tom for a family movie. This was his Father’s Day gift and he wanted to see Asteroid City. All of us really liked it!

I had prepped burrito bowls so they would be ready when we got home around 7:30.

Saturday morning I saw my cardinal bird who has been here a lot this summer. I have had the most beautiful bird visitors. I have a different kind of bird seed and I am wondering if different nuts and seed blends attract different types of birds. Hmmmm. If only there was a place I could type that in and find out. Nah, I think I will just wonder.

Ernie and I took an early walk.

Then, Mason wanted to go to the farmer’s market with me! Miracle of all miracles! We had a breakfast sandwich and then got some eggs and veg…

and more kettle corn for Tom!

And, basically Mason said he doesn’t get why I am so excited about it and it was way too crowded. I explained that I am middle aged and my excitement threshold is different now and includes farmer’s markets.

But, then I made some food and piddled around before going to a pool party!

My friends from high school, Mike and Beth, were high school sweethearts and live pretty close to us. They built a gorgeous pool and bar last year and invited some of the hometown people who now live in Louisville for a pool party.

Mike had me laughing at how he labeled the coolers!

Man drinks/beer:

Lady drinks/White Claws!:

And, kid drinks:

I was excited to use a Blackstone Grill for the first time. Man, I want one! The vegetables came out so good!

I’ve never seen more sunscreen in one place:

Our friend Dan developed a beautiful drink…

Michael just puts a beach scene on the tv and we felt like we were there!

I made the Tik Tok boat dip my sister told me about and it was a hit.

24 oz. sour cream (I used light and I only used 16 and it was fine)

1 can of Rotel drained

I packet taco seasoning

2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

green onions for garnish

And, I made strawberry salad:

And, Mix and Match Mama’s corn salad:

We left a bit after dinner, but it was a lot of fun! Mike and Beth are the hosts with the mosts and when they say pool party, people actually wear suits. It’s not one of those “stand around a pool in white jeans” type things. I think I said the same thing last year after going to their pool but I will say it again.

Sunday morning we woke up to light rain. So.much.rain this week!

I did not let that stop me! I am reading Our Italian Summer as recommended by Jennifer and…

I wore my new leggings as influenced by Jennifer. Jennifer, you are the true definition of an influencer!

These leggings are from Walmart. They are under $17 and the pattern is to die for. Also, they are 7/8! That is my favorite fraction! Also, they have pockets! You know what they say – once you go to pocketed leggings, you never go back to non-pocketed leggings. They run true to size and they fit like a dream. I might have also ordered them in the biker short version at just $7! But, those were really going out of stock.

Ok, that takes us through to Sunday morning and if I do anything else worth noting you will hear about it Friday!

Tell me the highlight of your weekend and if it’s more than one thing, start a blog! Just kidding, but not really. I have some wonderful commenter friends that I just want to know more about.

Amy

Saturday, June 24, 2023

I am here on a Saturday, linking up with Jennifer and others for Share 4 Somethings.

ONE:

I just heard that barely polished nails are a trend! I am loving this look (without knowing it was a trend) and it’s so forgiving for all the water we are in during the summer. Even if you get a little chip, it’s hardly noticeable. I am currently using the Kur Londontown pinkish one. It’s all about “your nails but better”. It isn’t cheap, but I find that quality polish matters. I am set to use up the whole bottle which rarely happens.

TWO:

I had my hair appointment Thursday, and my stylist mentioned a boutique we both like having their tent sale. I came home with some sleep/lounge shorts for $5 and the original price was $62!

I also got the most gorgeous bag and I save both gift bags and tissue paper and recycle them. Do you do that? I bet this bag would cost more than the shorts for $5! I rarely have to buy gift bags and I love having a little stash because I love gift giving.

THREE:

I am really loving salads lately. Tom sent me this one to try:

But, let me tell you about the most amazing dressing. This is Cheese Gal on IG’s house dressing. I am pretty sure I mentioned it before but I need to share again just because I have now had it a few times!

Get a Mason jar – they are so great for this:

1 cup olive oil

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 T. dijon

1 t. pepper

4 garlic cloves minced (I just use the jar)

Shake up the Mason jar and you are done. It makes a lot so I halved the recipe. You may need to add a bit of salt, but the soy sauce is quite salty.

Trust me when I say this. Once you start making your own salad dressings, you can’t go back to the bottled stuff. You have all of these ingredients already, too!

Also, I like my lettuce chopped really small. It makes a big difference in my ability to eat it.

FOUR:

Are you comfortable doing things alone? I am. I really like running errands alone and I even like going to the farmer’s market alone.

I plan to go see this alone next week:

Tuesdays are $5 movie days at my favorite theater so I will try to go then!

What 4 somethings would you share? Share 1 something?

Happy Saturday!

Amy

Friday, June 23, 2023

Happy Friday! It’s time to link up with Andrea and Erika to share our favorites from the week.

The card we got Tom for Father’s Day was too perfect. Sunday he had to spend 3 hours fixing his car. We have also had our garage door opener motor break and that is on his agenda for this weekend. I am ready for our stuff to work! It feels like a long year of things breaking. When it rains, it pours!

My favorite is how handy Tom is. He really can fix so many things. He is very calm about the process, too, and just jumps in and does it. I felt like we put a spell on him by giving him this card and then him having more stuff to fix.

My kitchen is absolutely horrible so this is a hard picture to show. We are replacing all of our flooring on our main floor to the darker hardwood in our bedroom (we already have all the flooring in our garage) and painting the whole house next and then we will finally tackle the horrible kitchen. My kids are finally getting into cooking and it has been fun teaching them. They baked with me all the time when they were young, but cooking has been a different story. This was us making Sunday night’s dinner for Tom.

Monday morning was rainy and one of my favorite types of summer mornings. I took my stuff out to my covered patio and did my quiet time, my blog reading and blog writing there.

The rain kept up off and on all day and did change my plans for a pool day with Elizabeth who was off for Juneteenth. We pivoted and she came over for bougie grilled cheese and white wine. And, Erica was able to join us because something got cancelled. It was so fun and felt so summer and carefree! One of my goals was to have people over, so this was great!

Elizabeth brought her dog Banana. She didn’t bring her dog a banana; her dog is named Banana. She is so chill and just happy to be a lap dog.

We had French white wine because of the french fries and I guess because the grilled cheese was on brioche bread. I have found the best brioche for a fancy grilled cheese. It is in the Kroger deli and it is the perfect thickness. I made Caprese (tomato, mozz, balsamic, basil), traditional with Swiss and American, and one with green chili jam, turkey, and Swiss. We just mixed and matched.

We really liked this French white:

I bought iced coffee cups from Amazon and they came in this week. I love them!

Tuesday I ran in to our new J.Crew Factory store because it is next to Trader Joe’s.

They had some amazing clearance deals and I came home with a blouse and a pair of sandals.

We have also been on a Naan bread pizza kick. I have been making these for my kids when they are home.

The kids had a friend over Tuesday and I made bowtie alfredo for them and then our dinner that night was…

Pioneer Woman’s beef enchiladas:

Ok, I finally finished this. It was slow and melancholy but it did pick up about 3/4 of the way through and I did like the ending. I guess it was about how Book Lovers was, which I didn’t love. I did love the first Emily Henry book I read – Beach Read. I don’t know – maybe it’s me and not the book. Beach Read was probably my favorite book of the summer a couple of years ago.

Next up is a recommendation from Jennifer:

Most days I go to the gym and then have my coffee on the patio. I noticed that on Tuesday I took all 3 meals on the patio, too. Ah, summer. And, I feel like I have to soak up the wonderful weather we are having. Even though we had a lot of rain, it has been so mild out.

My car turned over to 111,111 miles recently. I love my car so much and hope it keeps on ticking.

Look what popped up on Facebook:

He must have been about 4 months old here. He was never tiny. He was the chubbiest of the litter and his full name is “Ernesto Gordo” which means “Fat Ernest”.

Wednesday I had my friend Beth over for breakfast on the patio.

Luckily, it only lightly rained so it was fine. I turned on the patio lights because it was a grey day.

We had an egg bake with a bunch of vegetables, everything potatoes, Trader Joe’s mini croissants, bacon, and…

a fruit cup.

For dinner Wednesday, I used my farmer’s market grape tomatoes -seriously the most tasty I have ever had! I have got to get more! I made a big salad but had no meat to go in it.

I wanted to try the KFC nuggets so I ran up and got some of those. They are really good, in my opinion. Have you tried them? They taste just like their fried chicken, but in nug form. That might have been a really dumb comment, but it won’t be the first time I have made one and it won’t be the last.

I got myself a free trial of HBO Max and started watching BamaRush and the Sex and the City reboot? Just found out that I am a year behind, but oh well!

On the longest day of the year I made sure to go outside and enjoy and look at the lightning bugs. I am from Indiana and we call them lightning bugs. I never said “firefly”.

I changed out to a blue pedi done by yours truly.

Thursday was hair day. I was kept busy answering Sp;anish questions from niece Mia who is taking an online summer school Spanish class. Love it!

And, my final favorite is going to blow your mind. I found this at Fresh Market. My friend Jasmine served this in champagne years ago and i have been meaning to copy it. It is hibiscus flowers in syrup.

OMG – it looks gorgeous and tastes amazing. The jar is about $8 but so worth it. I am already thinking of other cocktails I can create.

It’s been a quintessential summer week. I didn’t get to go to the pool, but I spent tons of time outside reading and enjoyed showing hospitality and cooking for people!

I also got my 4th Walmart Plus delivery this week – Tuesday was the day. I am loving it. It’s really working for me this month and I’m finding it so nice to already be at home, making space in the fridge and pantry, in anticipation of the new stock of groceries. Anyone else trying it?

This week I wrote about my weekend in Hello Monday here, my clothing purchases of the last three months here, my Summer List here, and my Fashion Files here. Remember that you only have to click on the red font to be taken to those posts. Also, please utilize my search bar if you are looking for something specific. That’s as technical as my blog gets!

Speaking of my Summer List, I was surprised by the comments that my list seemed like a lot or too optimistic. I think it seems simple and maybe that I am not doing enough! Isn’t that funny? I guess that is another reminder that we all have such different perspectives. One comment was just to stay in pjs and have a totally lazy day and I do agree I need to add that!

I hope you had a great week! Tell me a favorite of yours!

Amy

Thursday, June 22, 2023

It’s Thursday and you know what that means. Let’s look at my fashion or lack thereof, ok? I am linking up with Kellyann and Jill as usual.

Last Thursday I wore my newly chopped off tassel blouse with my ecru Aerie cut offs. I am glad I chopped those puppies off. Why? They were so long they came down to my waist. I got this top for under $20 on the clearance rack last summer at a local boutique called Tunie’s. I have been reaching for these Target slides like almost every time I leave the house to do something more than errands.

Friday, I wore my new jaguar blouse that I also got on clearance but this year at a local boutique called Nicole B’s at Norton Commons. Roar! I paired it with my old Old Navy light denim skirt and my MIA clog sandals to go meet my niece Brooke for lunch.

Ok, look at this. Yes, I am worried that I will show up in this Old Navy top and see a million other middle aged ladies wearing it, too. When I showed my brunette Heather this top I said, direct quote, “It looks just like that boutique brand THML that they sell at Tunie’s and other local boutiques”.

Old Navy version:

THML version:

This photo is stolen from Lucky Peacock Designs on Instagram. Isn’t that crazy? I actually like the ON version better because your girl likes a bit more sleeve to cover up the ol’ upper arm situation

By the way, you should follow Lucky Peacock. Even if you don’t buy her items in her weekly sales, she puts together great inspo. Here are some other THML things if you are interested.

Here is my farmer’s market ‘fit:

It’s nothing exciting and a longer top would be better, but I wanted to show you I am wearing my hot pink Aerie shorts, my knit Old Navy top that was online clearance back in February, I think, and my rubber faux Birkenstocks.

For the boat Sunday, I wore my hot pink Aerie tank suit under my Target white coverup. I think this is one of my favorite coverups of my collection. I usually get one new coverup each season and now I have quite the collection. Coverups are the goat for me.

I actually wore this outfit both Monday and Tuesday (for part of the day). I wore the biker shorts to the gym with the black tank and then threw the chambray button up (now I know the difference between button up and button down!) over it. Button up is without buttons holding the collar down and button down is with the buttons holding the collar down.

Here is a look I want to try:

I have both a cotton button up in black and a black silk button up. I need to try this before it turns hot around these parts.

Tuesday I went in J.Crew Factory because it is next to Trader Joe’s. I hadn’t been in since winter. Look what I found:

These slides were $13 and I needed black!

This blouse was only $12! I have been having green and pink moments this year and combining the two? Swoon!

Do you have a favorite outfit from the week?

What have you been wearing lately?

Amy

Wednesday, June 21, 2023

Thanks for listening to me whine on Monday in my Hello Monday post! I love summer and really have nothing to complain about. I love the slow mornings, sitting outside, and just everything that comes with this season of rest for me.

Monday was just glorious. It was lightly raining when I woke up. I went to the gym and then spent a couple of hours on my covered patio with a candle burning.

So, here is my list of goals for the summer or my summer bucket list. Some involve just me, some are for Tom and I, and some are involving the whole family.

Read!

Catch up on movies and tv

Go to the movies with the whole family – Seeing Asteroid City this weekend for a gift for Tom that he requested

3 pm coffee or iced coffee

Start a stretching routine

Move body each day/start a good exercise routine again

Try some new recipes

Celebrate Tom’s birthday

Celebrate Father’s Day

Take a wine walk with wine in my Stanley Cup. This will also serve as a weighted walk since the Stanley is so heavy – Ha!

Buy a bag of Chick Fil A ice to keep in freezer

Shop at Asian Market and see if I can try something new to me

Shop at Mexican market and see if I can try something new to me

Eat more fish/cook more fish/visit a local specialty fish market called Lori’s Fish Market

Go to farmers market

Go to adult pool – One of our pools has an 18 and over pool. It’s nothing inappropriate!

Go to Omni rooftop pool

Enjoy the boat with just Tom

Sunset on boat – we don’t often go out in the evening but everytime we do I wish we did it more

Invite different friends on the boat

Walk to breakfast with Tom – we have at least 3 breakfast places in walking distance.

Make strawberry freezer jam

Make pickles

Use up gift cards from students

Declutter and prepare a nice area for houseguests at the end of August

Go through my list of spaces and totally clean things out. I have already done my silverware holders. I need to do spices and things like that.

Try to play pickleball

Go to festivals and music events

Go hear live music

Have a picnic – maybe at the Sunday afternoon farmer’s market in the park nearby

Spend time in my hometown and hopefully match schedules up with all the busy teen nieces and nephews

Go to my hometown by boat

Celebrate our 23rd anniversary

Take a short overnight trip with Tom

Try new restaurants with Tom, friends, and our kids

Spend as much quality time as possible with my kids as this could be the last summer they live here – cue the tears

Go hiking

What have I forgotten? What is on your list?

Amy

Tuesday, June 20, 2023

I promised you an updated post about my purchases, so here we go. These are the summer clothing purchases I made for the last three months, believe it or not. My habit is to usually get exited about spring and summer clothes in February and stop buying winter clothes. I am just done with them at that point. I also enjoy spring and summer clothes so much more. I do love fall clothes, but my winter clothes are just about warmth and comfort, I guess.

I recorded my January purchases here. my February purchases here, and March here. I have shopped more than I originally planned this year, but I also think I have become a better shopper and I think I have done really well this year. There are several things that I returned and a couple of things I had to sell at my consignment shop, but that’s ok. I still did really well. In my purchases from January – March, I returned the black and white sweater and black pants from Target – they just weren’t perfect. I sold the Clarks sandals because they killed the sides of my feet, and I sold the white J.Crew bathing suit.

I wasn’t planning to shop at Old Navy, but here we are…

I bought this top in all three colors…

black:

blue:

and pink and orange:

I would say they run true to size or a little big depending on your chest/girls situation.

I have worn the pink and orange and the blue the most so far. I think I will wear the black and white in late summer and early fall. You can’t go wrong with black and white for work.

I also showed some restraint by only buying the pink and orange colorway of the dress version. I linked all of these items in Fashion Files last week. If you are interested, remember that you get a better deal online and I recommend ordering at least two different sizes and returning in person at your local store.

I would also say the dress runs a bit big or true to size.

I purchased three Walmart dresses. They run one to two sizes big.

This one:

This one:

And, my favorite is this one:

Again, I recommend ordering online in a couple of different sizes and returning in person at your local Walmart. Returns have gotten easier at Walmart I have noticed. You open your Walmart app or Walmart in your browser and they use your barcode to return. It has been easy peasy for me.

I think back in early April I placed my Aerie order for these cut offs,

these hot pink shorts,

and I couldn’t resist this tee:

I went in to World Market and brought this muu muu home:

and in to Hobby Lobby and brought these home:

And, I ordered these off of Target.com.

All of my Amazon Essentials simple flip flops:

And, finally a Pioneer Woman summer weight robe. It runs really small and I wish I had gone up another size, but it is really nice for the price.

I love that when I am ready to buy more summer clothes they will be on sale – if I buy anything. I don’t feel that I really need anything and truly there aren’t the days in the week to wear everything I have and love. I am working on this contentment thing!

Do you have any favorite purchases of mine? What have you been buying?

Amy

Monday, June 19, 2023

I am linking up today with Sarah and Holly for Hello Monday. Do you have your cup of coffee ready? Or, maybe your cup of tea? And, who am I to judge if it’s a cup of bourbon, right? Settle in for my tale of this weekend and what I am calling a comedy of errors. It’s not that dramatic, but it felt that way at times. You are going to see lots of food pictures, by the way!

Let’s go back to last Thursday. I picked my mom up from her girls’ trip (her two college friends get together with her every few months) and took her home. She had a really good time but was also happy to be home. My aunt had sent quilts for us and we each got to pick the colors that we wanted. I chose this brightly colored one. I’m seeing picnics with mason jars. What do we think?

I made it home for dinner and the fam had tacos and I had a taco salad.

For Tom’s birthday, I had planned to make this Heath ice cream cake, but I didn’t manage it on time, so it was a bit late. We enjoyed some of this after our tacos. Now, Tom does not like Cool Whip, so this time I subbed vanilla bean ice cream and let me say it was a stellar choice. This cake is just as good as a DQ cake in my opinion. You only need ice cream sandwiches, ice cream, and Heath topping (sold next to the chocolate chips). Click on the red font for the full “recipe”.

Friday, I met my niece Brooke at Parlour and forgot to get a photo of her. She just graduated from nursing school and had a birthday so we were celebrating two things. Also, she starts her job in the pediatric ICU this week!

We shared their amazing breadsticks and each got a salad.

I got a tropical salad. Yum!

Their cute patio:

The area where we sat:

I went home and was so tired I took a bit of a nap. Then, later in the afternoon, Jack and I were going to go to Target and the library, but we were stuck. Our garage door opener (the machine in the ceiling) was broken. My car was stuck in the garage. It’s very hard to manually open it because it’s a double door and Tom has to unhook it or something. So, our plans were thwarted, and Jack wanted to learn to make chicken alfredo, so all turned out good.

I had this:

Everyone in the family had kind of a hodgepodge of leftovers and random things. I like doing that on a Friday night sometimes.

I was reading this but it was moving slowly…

Saturday morning, I went to the farmer’s market for the first time this season.

I got a breakfast sandwich for the first time ever and it was really good.

My haul:

I got popcorn, kettle corn, Benedictine cucumber spread, one tomato, curly kale, and grape tomatoes.

I went to Target and got these:

and a couple of other things. Then, I went to the library and found this on the new release shelf. I have it on my request list, but there were many, many people in front of me.

Now that I am 3/4 of the way through, I would say it doesn’t match its cover. It’s slow and melancholy and I don’t really like the main character. I loved Beach Read, didn’t like Book Lovers, and now this… disappointing. Anyone else?

I roasted some sweet potato (you saw this meal on Friday night and it was so good I wanted to make more, but include kale).

I roasted the kale, too.

I had a weird lunch of salad, kale, sweet potatoes, and Benedictine, cucumbers, and bacon on an open-faced sandwich.

It’s the summer of hot pink, I guess! Hot pink Aerie shorts with hot pink Happy (Sad) Place.

We didn’t do a whole lot because we were going to a baseball game Saturday night with Tom’s work. Tom received a message in the afternoon saying, “We have been made aware of many activities going on downtown, so the baseball game will no longer be a corporate event. You are welcome to use your tickets on your own”. So, at first, we were still going to go because we had the tickets that were paid for, but as the afternoon went on, we decided that the main reason we were going was to be with his colleagues and Tom heard they were not going. So, we got Mexican takeout and watched the Netflix Tour de France documentary. Even I enjoyed it!

Sunday morning, I made this spread for Tom and we were going to go on the boat around 11.

Tom started heading to the boat ramp (he always goes first to get everything ready) and the next thing I know he has returned with a pretty serious car issue. His car was just in the shop for a week and then last week he had to take it in again for something minor. Now, this? He made three trips to the car parts store, watched a couple of YouTube videos, and 3 hours later he had fixed it himself. I felt so bad for him, though. I know that is not what he wanted to be doing. Oh, and I should mention he fixed someone else’s car Saturday morning as a favor.

We rallied and still went out.

I made him a sandwich and I had a wrap:

Yes, he deserved this boat nap:

And, we ended the day with the kids and I making a salad for dinner and…

This looks very bad, but it was good – chicken with honey mustard and bacon and cheese with corn and roasted potatoes.

So, the weekend was just a comedy of errors, I decided. I was trapped in the garage Friday, my plans were cancelled (and I could have planned something else on Saturday and there were other things I wanted to do), and yesterday was not quite the plan we had either. Now, this is all very first world problem stuff. I am grateful and blessed and realize that these are not real problems.

I was venting to my sister Kate and we both decided we had too high of expectations for summer. I need to keep my expectations lower, I guess (and I am working on my summer list blog post). Is that the right way to live? Kate thinks that teachers have such an unbalanced lifestyle and try to squeeze in all the projects, appointments, and fun that we don’t have time for during the school year. Now, Tom would say that he and everyone else who isn’t a teacher doesn’t get summers off, but Tom also doesn’t understand what we are talking about because he has never been a teacher. He can take an hour or more for lunch and go to a doctor or dentist appointment during the workday. I don’t know. I also have never had a corporate job.

Do you have unrealistic expectations for summer? I sure am glad I have other teachers in my life so we can talk about this!

Amy

Friday, June 16, 2023

Now, in the summer I do not want Fridays to come quickly! Eeek! I’m ok. I’m ok. Really, I’m ok. I am linking up today with both Andrea and Erika to share some favorites that I encountered.

First up, is that my mom is doing really well and just took a little trip with her college friends. They only went to Lexington, Kentucky for two nights, but she had a big time! Isn’t that amazing?

My next favorite…

Thank you for your responses to my Walmart + post and my Literal Coffee talk post. If you missed them, click on the red font. I learn so much from you all! I did not know there was a Kroger Boost option. I did my fourth Walmart + delivery after that posted, by the way. And, I am super happy with the produce they pick. I only had one substitution and it was just a slightly different flavor of my multivitamin gummies. As for coffee, you all are my people! We love our coffee! I now have lots of coffee makers to research and keep on my list. I am really bad about spending money when something still works, you know? So, I don’t think it will be an immediate purchase. You all have also made me think it’s ok to have multiple coffee makers and just keep one or two in storage for when company comes or for when you want something different.

Continuing on with favorites from the week…

Summer reading is just the best. So far I have read The Party Crasher by Sophie Kinsella and this:

Sarah Adams is a relatively new author to me, but I really like everything I have read. This was cute – a little cheesy – but cute and a quick read for me.

I got my bootie back to the gym on Monday and it felt good.

These are really good! One is 3 WW points or 100 calories and just the right amount of sweet after a meal. A couple of bloggers recommended them and they are correct. The homemade ones are definitely better, but these are really good.

Sunday Tom and I did a Costco re-stock without going crazy. We got out of there for under $200 and got Tom’s protein shakes and just food items. These are the best chicken strips I have found. There is no degree of slimy-ness and you can put them in so many things. I have used them for my Greek bowls, my burrito bowls, on top of a salad, in a hot sub for my kids, and more!

I absolutely love these Amylu breakfast chicken sausages but I wouldn’t limit them to just breakfast.

I decided to buy the giant pre-cooked bacon package and it is really good. You still have to heat it in the air fryer or microwave but it saves most of the bacon mess.

So, those are some of our Costco buys that will help me with my meals. I have already spent a lot on groceries this month, but I am cooking a lot so far.

It was so cool at the start of the week. Look at that temp!

I will take it with a sweatshirt and enjoy it! I know that the hot, you feel like you are in an armpit, days of summer are coming.

Love seeing the green around me. I have been eating as many meals as possible outside, too. What a pleasure!

This is our first baby Archie. He lived until he was 12 and our kids were 9. Look how gray he became in the face. I thought this was funny because the kids were building Legos and gave him the directions to “read”. Archie was the best big brother and let the babies crawl all over him. He was also super cuddly and protective when I was pregnant.

Our boy Ernie is 10 and still doing well. We think he has a growth on his toe that makes him limp a bit on pavement. He seems much more agile on grass. Ernie has never been a cuddler, but he stays by your side. We can leave our gate and fence open and he won’t run away. He wants to always see his people. Another very good boy. Tom is partial to chocolate labs as I guess you can see. He is the dog whisperer in our family and I let him make that decision. His family had a chocolate lab, too.

I’ve been trying some of my flavored seltzer concoctions. Cherry limeade with lemon lime seltzer is really good.

We have been eating the Costco spinach salad and I topped it with salmon for lunch one day. I believe in making myself a real lunch, but I have learned I need to start making it before I get too hungry or I will turn to snacks.

Summer is the time for white wine, but I enjoyed a Spanish Syrah on the patio before dinner one evening. I am trying to use up the wine I already have before buying new stuff. My friend brunette Heather says to look for the wines at Costco rated 90 or above. They are really good prices, too. I need to do more of that.

Tom had a birthday on Tuesday and got a few sprinkles in his yogurt and a banana with a birthday message.

Ernie and I have been taking some leisurely walks this week.

Photo shoot:

Tom’s birthday set up:

We got him a new plant for the bathrooom because he mentioned it, fly fans from Amazon because he thought those were cool at a restaurant, and some of his favorite treats.

Our family has definitely gone to smaller gifts and it’s made us happier, I think. We let Tom pick his restaurant of choice or a home cooked dinner. He chose Kingfish.

It was really windy so we didn’t sit outside with a view of the river, but we had a nice view from our table.

Complimentary hush puppies:

I had a very sad piece of cold baked cod:

It was not supposed to be cold.

Tom just got fish and chips:

Mason got popcorn shrimp:

And, Jack got a chicken po’ boy:

Ha! Jack loves fish so much (the live version) that he cannot really eat them. We once were on vacation and ate at a seafood restaurant and they sat us next to an aquarium. Mason said, “this is just wrong – sitting next to them and eating their brethren”.

I have been doing my Kur Londontown illuminating nail concealer:

Sorry, for the blurry photo. Yes, it is very pricey, but it looks so good and lasts a long time. I will use the entire bottle. I think I would rather have one nice polish than 5 cheap ones. I just don’t like cheap polish and always regret buying it. Plus, it ain’t that cheap anymore.

A new place opened up and I went on opening day! It’s called Haymarket and it is like a permanent farm to table, farmer’s market store. They have fresh bread, baked goods, jams, specialty sauces, fresh produce, prepared foods, and a counter where you can order food along with a coffee bar.

It’s super cute and it’s on River Road right by where we keep our boat. Bougie boat food?

I mistakenly got this from Walmart (my fault – not theirs) and it is delicious. It has aspartame, though. I was going to add the cherry limeade powder to a cherry limeade seltzer, but this needs nothing. It’s really delicious!

I bought myself a new watch because my old one broke and I really still love an old fashioned watch. My old one was also Anne Klein and I really liked it.

And, I bought myself a couple of pairs of retro sunglasses that I have been seeing on some people.

They are decent quality and I have been wearing them mostly at home to read outside.

So many random favorites this week, no? What have been yours? I hope you had many!

Amy

P.S. – Happy Father’s Day Sunday and I am thinking about anyone else who is sad and struggles with this holiday. I think not going in stores has helped me. I really don’t like seeing the Father’s Day card displays. I know some of you are in the same boat.