How many parts will there be? I don’t know – maybe 12? Ha! Check out my first post here where I shared my January purchases and probably some early February purchases, too!

Ever since January 1, 2023, I have been looking toward spring with my purchases. I have plenty of winter clothes and I don’t enjoy buying them very much.

At the end of February, I had an appointment at my favorite consignment store and took 6 pairs of shoes, 1 handbag, 1 pair of pants, and 8 tops for re-sale. This forced me to really look at my spring and summer clothing and see what I wasn’t excited to wear. I will be happy if I get a bit of money back to put towards new things – mostly at this shop – Sassy Fox! They don’t take any fast fashion – so no Old Navy or Target for them.

I like to look at spring trends and look at my current clothing and see what I am still excited to wear and what still looks fresh and modern. I try to be very honest with myself. What didn’t fit quite right? What no longer excites me? Just like Marie Kondo says, I think it’s good to thank it for its service and send it along to someone who will be thrilled to have it. I am constantly learning what works for me, what I like to wear, and what I feel good in.

First, let’s recap my Loft purchases of 2023 now that I have photos of me wearing them:

The green and white striped shirt was a hit at school on this day (lots of comments from my students!) and then I wore it unbuttoned with a white tee over the weekend and I loved that look, but didn’t get a photo, unfortunately.

This cream cardigan jacket is super soft and I have been grabbing it for the cool weekend mornings, which has kind of surprised me. It’s a classic and I think it will always be “in style”. I don’t love it with the shirt underneath, but I have lots of options.

And, this green floral blouse is just so pretty and my favorite style of blouse for me:

I really like Loft and they have a nice teacher discount, too. I like to order online and order enough to get the shipping free and then return to my nearby store. I like the size selection online and maybe the deals are better?

I bought this impulse purchase blouse at TJ Maxx. I loved the print!

I am in love! I bought them and I love them! You may remember me telling you about these on my wish list recently?

They are so cushy. Tom has had and loved Olukais for years. Seriously, check them out for your hub. By the way, this is my first shoe purchase of 2023.

This was a bit of an impulse purchase, but I have been wanting a white tank swimsuit. This one appears to be fully and majorly lined, but if it doesn’t work, I will sell it to my consignment store, I guess. I am even willing to pay to get it tailored if needed. I haven’t gotten anything tailored in a long time so I could justify it.

J.Crew white swimsuit $39 final sale:

I have placed a Target.com order for these:

I am in need of a black work pant. So, we will see, but Target just makes returns so easy.

And this sweater – swoon!

And, I placed an Athleta order (my first!) for these:

I think I ordered them in a petite length. Again, this is an easy return to make. So, I will let you know.

It continues to be awkward, but eye opening to take my outfit pics.

What have you been buying lately?

Amy

Tuesday, March 7, 2023

Are you intimidated like I was? I went to a spray tan booth once in my 30s and opened my mouth on accident and couldn’t follow directions about turning at correct times so I had been scared to try it again. Yes, I can totally see how Ross messed it up so badly!

Last spring, my co-worker Erica went to Sun Tan City and kind of explained what to do so I gave it a shot and really liked it. I kept going all spring and summer (monthly rate) and stopped from August until November. Then, I got a deal that couldn’t be beat to tan from November until March for a low rate. So, I went maybe a couple of times a month since November.

Another nice thing is that no appointment is required. I have never even had to wait in the lobby.

I think there is a deal now where you can go as a first timer for $20 if you do want to try it.

Last week was my last chance to go with that package and I thought I would walk you through the process. I am hoping to get a please come back deal sent to my inbox because I would like to go a couple times a month in the spring. I still love Tan Luxe The Butter and I plan to use that as maintenance until I go back to Sun Tan City. But, boy is it nice to have your whole body done for you. When I just used self tanning lotion, I only worried about my arms and legs.

There are a couple of different types of spray booths, brands, formulas of tanning agents, and levels of tan – light, medium, and dark. I figured out I liked Versa (brand name of the machine) medium after the first few times I went. The employees will help you decide and explain the different formulas to you, so don’t worry.

You want to wear loose dark clothing and you can’t shower for 4-6 hours after getting sprayed if you want your color to devolop and last.

I usually wear a black knit swing dress. I like to shower and wash my hair before going and then I don’t shower again until the next day. It has never stained my clothes or sheets. There is a bit of a smell but it doesn’t bother me too badly. You do want to wear your hair in a ponytail because you put on this cap:

This is what the booth looks like below. If you are claustrophobic, it does not have a door that closes and it is inside your own private room. You can go in your birthday suit with no worries. It has numbers on the floor and it tells you (the booth talks to you) to start with toes on number one and heels on number four, then you do three other positions always using the numbers as a guide. I put a towel down under my feet because I did have the bottoms of my feet get dirty before.

The booth washes itself immediately after and also an employee cleans each booth, but you don’t touch anything except the floor of the booth.

Before starting you put this barrier cream between your fingers and on your wrists and between your toes so that the tanning solution doesn’t make those areas really dark. I have forgotten this step before and I just washed my hands and feet immediately with wet wipes and it was ok.

There are posters with instructions inside your little room that locks, by the way. They tell you about how to put on the barrier cream (it is provided in the room), how to stand in the booth, how to change positions, etc. Also, there is a phone if you need to call the front desk. There are also paper towels, wipes, your hair net, a clean towel, and a mirror.

The whole booth process only takes about 5 minutes and it blows air on you to dry after, as well. I immediately put my clothes on and leave.

My spray tan lasts for 7-10 days if I just shower normally. Swimming or soaking in a bathtub can affect how long it lasts. Also, you are supposed to just wash with your hands and not use a loofah or a washcloth and then pat dry with your bath towel and not rub. You also want to keep moisturizing and that helps it last. It fades very naturally, though.

I think it looks best about two days after tanning so if you have an event to go to, I would plan ahead and go at least one day before the event, but two might be the best.

I have never done the spray tan where a person sprays you, so I can’t speak about that experience.

Here is what I looked like the day after:

My feet look pretty dark in the photo.

Is it vain? Yes. Is it silly that we like to “be tan” or have a little color? Yes. I don’t let myself get much real sun anymore so this has been a good option for me. Am I a bit worried about the chemicals involved? Yes. There are organic spray tans where the person uses the handheld sprayer on you. I might look into that, but I feel like that would be more expensive and cost prohibitive for me.

I hope I explained the process well enough for those of you curious.

Do you ever get sprayed? Have you been sprayed? Have you been sprayed by a skunk? I hope not!

Amy

Monday, March 6, 2023

My weekend started out weird but wonderful. I am linking up with Sarah and Holly to tell you about it! Thursday night I could not keep my eyes open. I literally had to rewind the show I was watching like 3 times because I fell asleep. I finally gave up and went to bed. Friday morning I was wide awake at 4:30 all bright eyed and bushy tailed because I had gone to sleep so early and came out to start my morning routine. It was raining and storming and I just had this weird premonition. I checked my work email and sure enough we had no school because of the severity of the storms expected. I don’t check work email at home as a regular practice anymore and I had taken all notifications off of my phone a few years ago. I am living in the dark ages and I love it.

I also should tell you something weird happened with Friday’s post. I think it was still sent out via email and I was able to link it to the Friday Favorites link up party, but it has disappeared off the face of my WordPress account. So strange!

So, I was kinda mad that I didn’t sleep in, but I was also ok with it. I drank my two cups of coffee, read blogs, and then decided to watch tv in case the power went out later and then I would read. These are very serious decisions I am making, people. I watched Outer Banks – Tom has abandoned it because of the extreme cheesy teen aspect. Tom left for work and seemed a bit salty that I got to stay home.

I walked Ernie during a lull in the rain and then my new oven was delivered and I was home to receive it! Jack was going to do it for us because he was home for spring break. Mason was still away at his conference. I talked on the phone with two friends and one of them started talking to me about the Murdaugh Murders so I jumped into that on Netflix. Wow.

Jack and I went to Goodwill and to Subway. I had not had a Subway (vegetarian, toasted!) in years and it was really good. Jack found three items at Goodwill and I found something I need for a bachelorette weekend activity coming up.

Then the weather got scary. The winds were so high that my patio furniture and a metal table were moving. I think they made the right call because of having kids leaving school at this time, busses on the roads, etc.

I was supposed to go to a couple of boutiques at a nearby neighborhood with my friends in the late afternoon, but the boutiques closed early or for the whole day. Afterward, we were supposed to go eat Mexican in the same neighborhood with our hubs, which we still did. The wind died down around 6 or 7 but it was pretty crazy. There are lots of trees down and blocked roads. One set of friends had to changed routes two times to get to the restaurant.

We took some arroz con pollo home for Jack and he and I watched Daisy Jones and the Six.

Saturday morning I was on a mission to shop TJ Maxx and Homegoods for shower curtains. Oh – and I also went to Target.

I found a black shower rod, black rings, and a shower curtain liner, but not the kind of pattern curtain I want. My sister told me not to settle and to look at the curtain as art for the bathroom. Also, it will be the first thing you see when you look in the bathroom. So, I ordered the one I really wanted and you will see it in a minute!

I succumbed to an impulse purchase at Target. These mixes are really good, but raisins really don’t belong. I love Raisin Bran, but nope, not here.

The one I really wanted was on Etsy, but also on Amazon for much less! If the fabric looks cheap, I will send it back.

Jack and Tom took out our old oven and put in our new one and it was quite a chore. It doesn’t fit exactly right and we are not ready to demo our kitchen yet. Ugh. Homeownership. But, they got it hooked up and it is working.

I swept, mopped, cleaned, straightened and we also had some yard messes from the storm. Finally, I got to go to my happy place in the sun!

I finished it yesterday morning, by the way. I don’t know what I think. I liked it, but I didn’t love it. Maybe I will go with that?

My oven has to be all smart and I had to download an app and all that jazz.

This was the inaugural item baked in the oven:

For dinner, I made Tom, Jack and I our honey mustard salad with chicken.

I watched another Daisy Jones with Jack and some Bravo shows I was behind on by myself.

Sunday morning I read and drank some coffee and prepped some vegetables for the week.

The next couple of weeks are going to be super busy with some things going on at work and no more days off.

What did you do this weekend? I hope you didn’t get bad storms!

Now, let’s talk Amazon…

I have been trying to be less implusive and really think about my purchases. Thank you to Tanya for providing this link up!

First off, I needed more of my favorite can’t live without popcorn butter spray, then Ernie needed more of his Rachael Ray little burger patties. They are so cute and he loves them. The price on this butter spray just keeps going up. I did not pay the current price you see when you click on the red font. I need to look at Walmart next time I’m there.

I want to read before bed instead of watching tv and I ordered this amber light clip on light and so far I love it, but the charger that came with it doesn’t fit in the spot where it’s supposed to go? I guess I really should send it back or call the company?

Then, I received a $30 gift card for participating in an education survey and went down a jewelry rabbit hole. I love the brand Pavoi and if you need a gift, it comes in really cute little gift boxes. I think the quality is pretty darn good, too.

First, I had wanted these starburst earrings for quite awhile.

Then, I wanted some new layering necklaces so I got this one and this one and extenders to help me do that.

I got this 80s looking ring to wear on my middle finger but it seems to run small so fourth finger it is. And, I lost one of my identical hoops that I wear all the time, so this was a re-order.

I didn’t do too badly, in my opinion!

What have you used Amazon for lately?

I’m feeling a bit melancholy today with my kids’ spring break being over, I guess. I also know how much I have to get done between now and the end of May. Also, we don’t have our spring break until March 31st, and that seems like a long time from now. Don’t worry – I usually don’t stay in these funks for long.

Thanks for reading and let me know about your weekend and your Amazon purchases in the comments!

Amy

Thursday, March 2, 2023

It’s time for another Fashion Files with Kellyann and Jill!

Last Wednesday night I wore this to The Melting Pot. They had a step and repeat at the front of the restaurant so we were being silly. I hope these palazzo pants are still in style. I have maybe four or five pairs that I have had for a long time. They are comfortable like pajamas pants, cool (you don’t get too hot), and they still look presentable. I wore a very old TJ Maxx top with buttons along the sleeves.

Note to Self: Do not wear flowy sleeves while cooking your own meat with skewers over a vat of bubbling liquids.

All last week was Sparkle Week! Our librarians came up with this years ago as something fun in mid-February. Really only the teachers did it, but it was fun. One day I wore my silver sequin pants, one day I wore this:

And, the final day I wore sparkle leggings. I slacked on photos last week. We only had 3 days with kids and I had just enough sparkle clothing for 3 days!

On Saturday I wore this for errands. I had just cleaned my closet and it was a bit chilly in the late morning. Do you like cream with white? I’m not sure. I wore my current favorite Target jeans, my tan Danskos, a white soft linen button down, and my new Loft sweater blazer jacket thing.

Saturday night for the comedy show I changed into this:

Meh – at the last minute I changed into black clogs.

Monday for school I tried to turn lemons into lemonade because it was another Monday and we still have 5 – count them – 5 weeks until spring break. It’s so freaking late. We come back and only have 6 more weeks of school remaining. Doesn’t that seem too late?

And, finally I wore my new Loft striped shirt with jeans and the pumps only made it for a few minutes before I changed into flats.

I can’t figure out what to do with my face! Oh well!

What have you been wearing?

If you have been following along, I got all of my money back from Vaugu including the shipping! Still, major lesson learned…until I forget that lesson again. Ha!

What have you been wearing lately?

Amy

Wednesday, March 1, 2023

I am linking up with Jennifer a some other lovely ladies today for Currently!

Loving

The sunshine! I was able to get outside both weekend days this past weekend. I am stuck inside from 6:45 until about 3:00 and never go outside at work, so I crave being outside. Also, after I get home from school, my back deck no longer gets full sun because I have missed the window.

Sunday, Tom got out the big dog saw and sawhorses and did our bathroom trim himself. I was so impressed.

Starting

So, with Tom finishing the trim and getting ready to have it painted, I started questioning if I really did want to go with a white shower curtain.

Etsy:

Pottery Barn:

What do you think? Any retailers I should try for shower curtains or bathroom accessories?

Finishing

Carrie Soto. It’s ok. There’s way too much tennis talk. I want more personal life details and I want her to have a personal life! Dang!

Trying

Baby Zucchini from Trader Joe’s! So cute!

I am also eating a lot of arugula salads lately. I really like arugula.

Where We’re Going

To work, back home, to work again, to Kroger, back home, to work again – rinse and repeat. This is a hard stretch of year where I feel like it’s the same day every day. This routine is really all I have energy for. If you are a teacher, you get it!

What are you loving, starting, finishing, trying, and where are you going lately?

Amy

Tuesday, February 28, 2023

Since it is the last day of February I thought I would go ahead and wrap with my spending diary.

I did an Uber Frugal January challenge and I decided to keep it up for February. I was not as restrictive in February, but I still did pretty well, and maybe I did even better. Go figure! Want to be a voyeur and see what I spent on gas, groceries, items for the household, meals out, takeout, happy hours, and clothing? I did not include any other household bills or what Tom spends.

Feb 1 – $10 toward a baby gift card at school, $46 Napa dinner with my friend Beth

Feb 2 – $140 Kroger pick up

Feb 3 – $19 happy hour

Feb 4 – hair $85 plus 20 tip, Kroger 56, 1.40 scarf

Feb 5 – Sunday Funday with Tom $38

Feb 6 -$0 No spend day

Feb. 7 – $114 Kroger pick up (had to do it a day or two early because we were out of some things/poor planning on my part – The Lazy Genius does two pick ups per week. There is no fee so I guess I could do that – sometimes it’s hard to plan for a whole week at once )

Feb. 8 – $14 Amazon (two new phone chargers for J and M’s Valentine’s gift bag – already bought fun socks and will add some candy)

Feb. 9- $74 gas, $0 Starbucks, $33 dinner

Feb. 10- $22 happy hour at Brick House with E and E

Feb. 11 – $154 Kroger, $15 wine, $15 donation to flamenco society

Feb 12-$72 including tip Selena’s V day dinner

Feb 13 – $25 Amazon e gift card Nora

Feb 14 – $0 Spend Day

Feb 15- $0 Spend Day

Feb 16-$177 Kroger pick up

Feb 17-$27 Drake’s, $46 Whole Foods

Feb 18 -$0 Library (4 books), $29 Dollar Tree, $17 TJ MAxx, $26 Liquor Barn, $26 Chick Fil A

Feb 19 -$56 Trader Joe’s, $12 Panera, $22 Texas Roadhoaue

Feb 20 $14 Con Huevos for lunch break during conferences, $20 Kroger andouille sausage and shrimp for Tuesday’s Mardi Gras cajun dinner at home

Feb. 21- $48 Driver’s License Renewal

Feb. 22 – $74 fondue restaurant Galentine’s special

Feb 23 – $0 Spend Day

Feb 24 – $114 Kroger pick up (cooked at home and no happy hour)

Feb 25 – $0 Library, $18 Sassy Fox – took my spring and summer and did a little looking around and found a graphic tee

Feb 26 – $38 Target – got some travel toiletries for M for conference, wood glue for Tom, dog treats for Ernie

Feb 27-$0 Spend Day

Feb 28 – $30 Lunch with my kids because I took off for their Spring Break (help M pack and spend a little time). At the time of this posting, I haven’t done this yet, but I am budgeting for it!

Totals:

No Spend Days – Only 5 this time! I think I had 9 in January.

Groceries – $877 – Kroger, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe’s

Gas – $74 – I think this is the second month in a row that I have only filled up once!

Happy Hours – $114 (one of these was a full dinner with Beth)

Meals Out – $239 (higher than last month)

Take Out – $26 One dinner from Chick Fil A where I bought extra food for the next day

Clothing – $1. 40 consignment scarf, $18 graphic tee. I got my full amount back from the Vaugu order, I am waiting on Athleta flare split hem yoga pants, and two pairs of wide leg cropped yoga pants from Old Navy. We will see if these three things work – If they don’t, these are super easy returns to make in person. I have both stores very close by. I also ordered some pants on Amazon that may go back. So, after a big clothing month in January, look at my February!

Monday, February 27, 2023

Well, we are down to just two more days of February. I am linking up with Sarah and Holly to recap my weekend.

My college kids started their Spring Break! Yes, it is super early, but they get done with second semester at the end of April/very beginning of May. Do you want to know why? Because they want them gone before The Kentucky Derby! One will be home the whole Spring Break, but the other will be leaving in a couple of days for a conference out of town with one of his college organizations.

I finished this:

I don’t think I really recommend it. The author’s writing style is not my favorite. Her sentences are short and simplistic. You don’t really get to know or like any of the characters. And, this is super annoying…many times throughout the book she writes, “I already told you that”. Yes, I know you already told me that. I read it.

But, like a cultural anthropologist (? – Lol!), I was fascinated by the recounting of leaving New York City to flee to Maine at the beginning of the pandemic. I also read Jodi Piccoult’s pandemic centered book called “Wish you Were Here”. The only thing these two books have in common is the pandemic, though.

I guess I am intrigued by the fact that enough time has passed to both write and publish books about this topic. As strange as this sounds, I still have so many emotions surrounding my experience being both a parent with kids affected and a teacher and this book maybe helped me process more emotions and reach more closure. I feel strongly that we did so many things incorrectly but at the same time I have empathy because we didn’t know what we didn’t know.

I started this immediately after and I love a book set in Paris that has food descriptions!

Friday after school I had done a grocery pick up because I was lazy and didn’t do one Wednesday or Thursday. I also didn’t go to a happy hour because I went out to lunch on Monday and out for fondue dinner on Wednesday. I made us Asian bowls and all four of us ate together. We had sadly finished the show Shrinking on Apple TV. All four of us really liked it. Also, I pickled my own red onions and was quite pleased with myself.

All of this was cooked on the stove top or in the air fryer. My oven comes in next week!

Saturday morning I was up bright and early because I had gone to bed at 9:30. I finished catching up on blog reading and blog comments and cleaned up many areas of the house including my closet. I got a library notification that two much anticipated books were in!

Look at the cute green St. Patrick’s Day bookshelf!

Then, I had an appointment at my favorite consignment store, Sassy Fox.

They took most of my items. I didn’t really have that much because I like most of my spring and summer things. But, it forced me to go ahead and take inventory and that is always a great thing. I brought home one new thing – a graphic tee by Prince Peter. It retails for $54 and was brand new. I got it for $18. I had been wanting a graphic tee with pink in it.

For lunch, I used the Asian bowl leftovers and added arugula. I whipped up a bit more of the Asian sauce I had made and this turned out delish!

I made Tom avocado toast and we watched Outer Banks Season 3 Episode 1. I can’t believe Tom got into it last season, but he did.

It warmed up and it was really sunny. I made an old fashioned and lit my candle and did one of my favorite things – I read outside! I started Carrie Soto.

I’m not interested in tennis at all. I couldn’t get into Daisy Jones. I liked Malibu Rising ok. I liked Evelyn Hugo ok. I really liked her earlier books, though. I don’t think I’m going to have such a rave review about this book as others have had, but I am moving quickly through it.

For dinner I made spicy chicken alfredo with bowtie and rotini pasta. I had two boxes to use up and I did. My alfredo sauce is homemade and I indulged, too.

Then, Tom and I went to a comedy show at my school that was a fundraiser put on by the alumni association. I got free tickets, so why not?

I watched some tv with my kids when we got home and Tom watched the rest of his basketball game. We finished Cunk on Earth on Netflix and it was really funny.

I made these bowls for my breakfast both weekend days. I cook mushrooms, onions, and zucchini and top with scrambled eggs and cheese.

I also made some turkey meatballs and cooked some ground beef for dinners this week. My breakfast prep is still going strong for this week in my freezer. I think it’s smarter to do two week’s worth of breakfast burritos at a time!

Anyway, it was a very low key and also a very low spend weekend for me.

What did you do?

Amy

Friday, March 3, 2023

Happy Friday! I am linking up with Andrea and Erika to share some favorites!

It’s been a good week! I have enjoyed having my college kids on Spring Break! I have cooked dinner 7 consecutive nights and I am ready for a break tonight! This is all of my choosing, of course! You heard some of these in my Hello Monday post if you read it. Here is what I made: Asian bowls, chicken alfredo, burrito bowls, chicken cordon bleu, with sweet potatoes and broccoli, Korean beef bowls, and hummus bowls, and Costco bought tortilla soup and homemade quesadillas.

The Korean beef bowl:

The hummus bowl – I added chicken:

I had a planned day off on Tuesday where I made an appointment and then spent the rest of the day with my kids! We went to Barnes and Noble (new space) and browsed around.

We got Blaze pizza and Crumbl cookies, too.

We tried the pink frosting and the donut cookie and OMG! Jack got a chocolate chip, but I didn’t try it. I do prefer our locally owned Penny and Pearl’s Bakeshop cookies, but Crumbl is also very dangerous and that is why I can’t go to any of them very often!

I also went to Fresh Market for their Tuesday meat sale. They have ground beef and chicken for 2.99 a pound if you join their loyalty program. I feel like the quality is really good.

The weather was amazing and I finished Carrie Soto this week. It did get better towards the end, but still I would just say it was ok. I learned more about tennis than I ever thought possible and I took tennis in college. It was one of my two P.E. requirements. I also took bowling. I am better at bowling than I am at tennis!

I started One Italian Summer and I remembered why I didn’t pick it up earlier. This is not a spoiler because it says it in the summary. A girl goes to Italy after her mom’s death and she meets her mom as a young woman. I wasn’t interested because I am not a fan of magical realism or whatever you call this. But, I am giving it a try.

On one of our Ernie evening walks, I saw a poor Ken? head that someone had stuck on a fence. It made me laugh!

There was a fly in my house this week! I absolutely hate when a fly gets in and I try to do everything in my power to keep it from happening, but you know what that means…warm weather can’t be far away! We spring forward on March 12th for Daylight Savings Time. One of my students said this is the last time we do that, but I wasn’t sure that was a done deal.

Jen has been talking about gnocchi and I saw this at Fresh Market and I’m gonna try it. I’m sure restaurant gnocchi is better, but what the heck. Anyone have a gnoochi recipe?

Our tree has bloomed so early!

Mother Nature is very confused.

I am excited to take a break from cooking after that long stretch! What are you excited about this weekend? What were your favorites?

Amy

Friday, February 24, 2023

Friday, I love you! I am linking up with Andrea and Erika for Friday Favorites!

I really like Cup of Jo blog. If you are in the throes of parenting pre-teens or teens, you should read this:

https://cupofjo.com/2023/02/20/preteens-teenagers-moody-moods/

There should be support groups for moms of teens. It’s a hard stage but it’s also so much fun.

I have been enjoying my mug warmer and my Cigar Lounge candle so much this week! I want to go back to TJ Maxx and get a few more candles of this brand now that I know they are good. They have a wide wood wick that I really like. They don’t crackle and are totally silent. I have some Woodwicks but sometimes I’m like, “Shut up, candle.” I am very sensitive to any type of noise sometimes. Representing with my Starbuck’s Kentucky mug!

Monday was parent teacher conference day and it went well. Tuesday we had a soup and chili cook-off in the cafeteria on our teacher work day. It was really fun and we had some nice fellowship with the whole faculty which is really hard to have in a big school on a typical busy school day. The chili that won had a name and it was “Vegetarians’ Worst Nightmare”. It had smoked beef, ground beef, bacon, and maybe one other type of meat.

Then, I went home Tuesday and made Emeril Lagasse’s Couscous Jambalaya. I have been making this since Tom and I were dating. We loved Emeril and he bought me a few cookbooks.

We continue our before dinner walks and I also walk Ernie after school. Spring has sprung. I don’t know why we trusted that rodent that said we had 6 more weeks of winter.

Tom got ashed on Ash Wednesday at the gym. There is a preacher that works out with Tom and I guess he carried portable ashes.

I had a Wednesday night outing. It’s hard for me to do things on a school night, but I did and it was a really cool experience. I had never been to The Melting Pot fondue restaurant.

They had a special Galentine’s BFFF deal and you could get a 4 course meal for $41 a person. That is still pricey, but wait until you see what we got. The tables have a little burner on them that keeps the pot hot.

This was Erica’s idea and Elizabeth had never been, either! You start by picking a type of cheese. We went with the classic but you could have gotten a Mexican type, spinach and artichoke, four cheeses, and a few others.

Everyone has different colored fondue skewers.

Then, we got to pick a salad.

Then, we chose coq au vin for our entree flavor.

Each person gets their own raw meat tray of chicken, shrimp, filet mignon and teriyaki beef.

There are 6 different dipping sauces and a platter of potatoes, broccoli, and mushrooms to cook, as well. They have an app that has a timer with cooking times set for each type of meat.

For dessert, they have several types of chocolate flavors, too! We chose the classic.

It was a really cool experience and I would say this would be a great special occasion place. We asked the waiter when we would get our W2 for all the work we had to do. I bet he has heard that line before. I will say the conversation was stunted during the meat cooking portion because all we kept saying was…”I think my shrimp is done!” and “Oh no, I lost my mushroom!” There is a “search and rescue” giant spoon when something falls off of your skewer.

I had a really nice conversation with Jennifer this week, too. She and her husband are traveling to my city this spring and I gave some recommendations. She was exactly the same on the phone as she is on her blog.

This week has been a weird 3 day week for our students. In my Spanish 3, we are learning Spanish proverbs/ sayings like “Dime con quien andas y te diré quien eres” (Tell me with whom you walk and I will tell you who you are) and then discussing if we think these are good rules for life. I am also letting them ask me real life/adulting questions about college, finances, taxes, etc. I have mostly juniors and they are scheduling for senior year this week so it seemed a good time. I had them take a career aptitude test online last week with our careers unit. Teenagers aren’t really getting this kind of stuff in any of their classes. Gosh, I love them so much! They are really good questions and are just really great except for their tech addiction! I did have a few crazy questions like, “Will you give me money?” and “What is your opinion on chihuahuas?” but those also make it fun for me!

Wishing you a wonderful weekend,

Amy

Thursday, February 23, 2023

It’s time for another edition of Fashion Files where I link up with Kellyann and Jill. Time is absolutely flying! Do you feel like that, too? February was quick! At the beginning of the month I wore all the pink and red. It was fun and gave me a goal to try to wear the clothes I own. After the 14th, I was quite tired of pink and red and our weather has been divine which made me want to wear green and color for the most part.

This is what I wore to school Friday – we were supposed to wear black for a spirit week thing. It was nothing special.

I do try to always participate in the spirit week/dress in a certain color events at school. I think the kids like it and it shows unity and community. Sometimes the days are too hard for me and I just don’t want to go buy a bunch of stuff like “Dress like your favorite Marvel character”, but when I can dress in the theme, I do.

This is what I wore to Texas Roadhouse for dinner on Sunday. This is a Loft flannel blouse I got for $3 back in the late summer. I think it was last season’s and they had tons of tops for $3! I wore my Hush Puppies suede pumps and put a Target Univeral Thread sweater over my shoulders because it was getting colder. I really liked this outfit and I love these pumps. I think they are so comfortable compared to other ones I have had.

Monday for conferences I wore black pants, a black blouse, my hot pink blazer, and my Hush Puppies black and white flats. I wore pearl earrings and my pearl headband. I did try on my pearl necklace but it was too much pearl and this blouse has a very high neckline, so the outfit looked better without the pearl necklace.

Tuesday was Mardi Gras and a teacher workday. I wanted to wear purple, yellow, and green but didn’t have anything, so I settled for green with a white top and a tiny strand of seed beads in multiple colors that I have had for a long time and came from a consignment shop. I guess the gold clogs kinda served as my yellow!

So, what have you been wearing?

Did you see my 2023 Fashion Purchases so far post? My return is on its way to Vaugu and I have given them my tracking number. I will let you know if they fully refund my money. I didn’t think of going through my credit card company, but I guess that is an option depending on the outcome. I think that has kept me from shopping! It was a good lesson learned! I believe this company uses boutique photos of clothing and then copies them with tragic fabrics.

Amy