Coffee and Cocktails at the Casa

Monday, August 4, 2025

I like to make lists each season of things I want to do because I think it makes me more intentional with my time. I’m excited to write up my fall list! I’m actually really getting excited for fall!

Here is my original summer bucket list post for summer 2025! This year I used a cute little worksheet and shared it with my friends Erica and Elizabeth on my patio during a happy hour in May. I filled it out more later, too.

It’s been a weird and quick summer. The weather was super rainy and then super hot. I literally don’t know where the time has gone! I think I did a lot on my list and really just kind of had low expectations knowing that it would be an emotional summer for me with retiring and with my mom’s estate. I have so much to be thankful for; I do know that!

-Find a summer scent – I think I have done this with my Ouai hair and body mist paired with my Trader Joe’s brazilian nut body wash and body butter. It’s a coconuty beachy scent. – I tried to love Philosophy Amazing Grace but it wasn’t me. I am still open to finding my scent!

-Go to Waterfront Wednesday to see my favorite and only cellist – lol – He is the Dad of my student of two years and I followed him and liked him and saw him in concert even before he was a Dad. So, it was a cool connection that I got to teach his kid! His name is Ben Sollee. – I did not go sadly. I didn’t want to mess with the crowds and it was still so hot!

-Go to an outdoor concert at a nearby neighborhood – We have not gone to one yet!

-Visit the botanical gardens for the first time – Not yet. I think it might be really pleasant in early fall.

-Watch White Lotus –Yes and it wasn’t my cup of tea.

-Go to the adult pool – Yes – I went twice!

-Go to the boutique hotel pool – Wednesdays free for teachers – Yes! I went a few times with different friends. I realized that the free for teachers day meant it was too teachery and felt like a professional development.

-Go to Erica’s country club pool – Yes! And, we have plans for me to meet her there another time.

-Go to new steakhouse at a downtown hotel – I had a reservation but we had to go to my hometown and it was going to be a struggle. We will try again.

-Make strawberry freezer jam again –Yes and it was fun!

-Farmer’s Market – Yes – one time and I felt like the shine has worn off. It’s just so busy and crowded and really, really pricey. Maybe I need to find another one.

-Pool party for the class of 90 – Yes and it was so nice. I got to visit with several people and it filled my cup.

-Boat – This has been a weird year for boating! First we had the flood aftermath and the river was in bad shape – high with debris. Then, at the end of June we finally got out but we had so many rainy weekend days. We really can only boat on weekends because of my captain’s work schedule and routine (Tom).

-Buy a grill – I really want a Blackstone! Help! – Nope. We have not bought a grill!

-Go to Penny and Pearl’s cookie shop with Elizabeth (she has never been) – No, but I went with Beth and she loved it.

-Buy elderflower syrup and do my spritzes again – Yes! I still like them but I am not as obsessed with the Hugo or St. Germaine spritz this year. By the way, I have not had much alcohol this summer.

-Go to Regatta in my hometown (hydroplane race) – No. It was hot. The end.

-Go to Ribberfest in my hometown (ribs and blues) – It is in two weeks and we might go.

-Go to Unbroken Circle music festival in my hometown – Hope to!

-Chautauqua in my hometown (arts festival in September)- Hope to!

-35th class reunion – Plan to go! I am also trying to get Tom to go to his 40th. I will go to his if he will go to mine!

Now, I know we still technically have summer weather for a long time, but once school starts in your area, the fall feels come on!

How has your summer gone?

What should I add to my list?

Thoughts?

Amy

Monday, August 4, 2025

It’s Monday link up day with Sarah and Holly!

How was your weekend? One highlight of mine was the weather and all of my reading time outside! You all know that I am a fair weather reader! I did improve my ability to read indoors this year, but I can’t tell you how happy outdoor reading makes me.

Yay for lower humidity! The mosquitoes are still here, unfortunately, but we can’t get everything we want.

Friday morning I finally set a timer for 30 minutes and tackled my basement storage room. I am lucky to have a storage room, but it had gotten out of control with some school boxes I brought home and some of my mom’s things that my sisters and I divided up. And, you can see there is a Christmas tree just hanging out by the door since Christmas.

I donated an entire back of my car’s worth of stuff but I still have lots more to go through. It didn’t spark joy.

I went to lunch with Mason at his favorite Cafe Classico on Friday. I honestly have not gone out to breakfast or lunch much this summer so this was a nice treat.

Ok, guys, I have an announcement. I received a sourdough starter Thursday night from a friend of a friend. I had just listened to Midlife Matters podcast about sourdough and really felt that I could do it.

I don’t think I can do it! Look at baby’s first loaf! She ain’t pretty!

It looked a little better on the inside but it was gummy and not done all the way. Also, I don’t have a Dutch oven. It’s just like me to jump into something without having all the right tools and thinking I can make it work.

Also, if it isn’t going to taste super sourdoughy, I would just prefer to do the delicious and easy no knead bread. I have my hands full with Eddie Otis. Do I need to have to feed something else?

It is now Sunday afternoon as I type this and I am feeding this starter like it’s a freaking pet and I am attempting another recipe to see if I can make it work. But, do I want a loaf of bread that requires over 24 hours of time! I was told that at this age I have to pick sourdough, pickleball, mahjong, or I don’t know! Who decided this?

I have so many library books right now! I picked up three more summer requests!

I read and finished this book this weekend and it took me a bit to get into it but once I was in, I was in. It’s so cute!

I got the nicest piece of mail. My aunt was telling us stories in Michigan and then took the time to type up more details and send this to my sisters and I. These were stories we had never heard and we were just enthralled. Turns out the my mom’s brother met his wife/my aunt at teacher orientation and they were married by the end of the school year. We counted that we have 12 current or former teachers on my mom’s side of the family. Did I tell you that?

Friday night Tom and I went to some outdoor music mainly to see our friend who invited us. The evening was so pretty but the food trucks were a fail. They said they would have food trucks plural but only had one with food we didn’t want so we ended up driving through McDonald’s on the way home at 8:30 and my stomach paid for it.

Saturday I delivered a birthday gift to my sister in law and then went to Haymarket.

The tomato display was oh so cute!

I had a lazy Saturday but I was on Eddie Otis duty because Tom went hiking with a friend. I was so ready for Tom to be home and handle him. When I have him outside he barks at every little noise and we have never had a dog that barks like this.

I literally never blow dry my hair, but I needed to wash my hair badly before Saturday night out. I got so hot that I had to call in my fan necklace.

This is middle age in a photo:

Also, that’s fun – my nostrils are now lopsided in middle age.

We hadn’t been out with my Heathers and their hubs in a long time and we had this reservation for a new Japanese place for maybe a month. They have only been open for two months and usually it’s good to wait a bit.

The decor was super cool. Some people were eating in these booths that kind of looked like beds and we realized they had to keep their legs and feet out in front of them while eating. Awkward. Can you imagine that on a first date?

Luckily we had a normal table:

I loved that the restaurant was super air conditioned since I still had my blow dryer sweats.

The details were great but the menu was not. It was so small and they were out of like three of the menu items. They only had 4 types of sushi and my friend is a vegetarian and had to make a special request for a vegetarian sushi roll. So, I just did the same that she did.

It was underwhelming. Fresh Market sushi is better especially on Thursdays when it is $5.

Tom is a notoriously bad orderer. He takes forever and then picks odd things. Like, we went to a fried chicken place and he ordered a Sloppy Joe and then didn’t think the restaurant was very good. Plus, who orders a Sloppy Joe at a restaurant? That’s like ordering spaghetti.

He ordered something that had three pieces of raw tuna and caviar and came in a lit up bowl of ice.

We all left hungry. I said, “You get food at home”. It was kind of like a Saturday Night Live skit.

Sunday morning and the air was cool…

Look at that froth!

I started this!

Isn’t the cover pretty?

Am I becoming negative? I hope not. I am just not fake (or I don’t think I am) so I am going to tell it like it is.

Sunday morning I had the house to myself for a couple of hours! Like, no one and no dog. It’s so rare now. I try to balance that time with relaxation and chores.

Today is the first teacher work day in my old district so I am feeling for my friends. I am feeling pretty giddy. How should I mark the first day of school for students on Thursday? I think I should get a massage or a pedicure and do something I could never do as a teacher. Any ideas? Last year I told the students that I would be sitting in a lawn chair heckling all the teachers and students as they pulled in to the parking lot. I also think I should do a first day of school outfit pic!

Tell me what you did this weekend!

Amy

Friday, August 1, 2025

Happy First Day of August!

It’s so weird that it’s August! It’s always been one of my busiest and hardest months and the heat and humidity are usually through the roof. It’s going to feel differently mentally this year for sure and I am hoping Mother Nature owes us some more mild weather. Please? I think I am going to get my wish for the first few days of this month at least.

Forgive me for sounding like a broken record but I am having a bit of an existential crisis – I am not researching comfortable but stylish shoes, shopping for a first day of school dress, buying school supplies, taking things to my classroom, crying in my bowl of ice cream, meal prepping or shopping for school snacks for myself, or any of the things I have done for the past 31 years! I alternate between being giddy about this and being a bit melancholy about this.

Enough of that and now, I am linking up with Andrea and Erika for the happiest post of the week.

Here are some of my favorites and I would love to hear yours in the comments!

Monday was a pool day! My friend Victoria belongs to a club called Lakeside that is really unique. It is a massive pool built into an old quarry right in the thick of a Louisville urbanish neighborhood.

I brought rafts and we stayed in this raft area below the whole time. You can even get sprinkled by the water fountain if you want! See the lime green raft below for context:

It felt so nice to be in the water chatting. I am such a water person! The minute we got out the sweat was pouring down our faces. It was a hot one!

The best meal I made this week was blackened tilapia sandwiches with remoulade sauce and avocado. I have made this a bunch this summer!

I love the skinny frozen haricot verts (that’s green beans for those of you who aren’t cultured – lol – just kidding) cooked in a skillet with some EVOO and soy sauce and various spices. Yum!

And, I have now made these twice… you heat oven to 400 and slice baking potatoes in half and cook them face down atop a pat of butter and a small pile of shredded fresh parm and this is what you get:

I think it took me about 45 minutes to get them to this state.

I also made a new Rosie Reisman dessert:

It’s like a way easier and not as bad for you s’more!

Click on the red font and I will let her tell you about it.

But, can I also say that I have such respect for these ladies older than me who are killing it on Instagram.

This is yummy! I still am obsessed with my Trader Joe’s brown sugar oat milk creamer, but I bought this and it’s a sweet treat.

Ok – stop what you are doing and go buy this mix. It is light – not like a heavy pound cake – and the glaze is perfect. I actually spread my glaze all the way out.

I took this to a old friend hang this week.

One of the ladies made sourdough discard chocolate chip cookies – omg!

So, about this hang. I became friends with two ladies during our kids’ elementary years. We were all “walkers” because our kids walked to and fro and we would wait for our kids to come out the “walker door”. There were maybe 20 parents that waited there. Then, our kids would play on the playground for a bit before we headed home. So, I got to know two ladies really well – Cheri and Jasmine. We had some happy hours and then kept up pretty well until all the kids graduated from high school and Cheri moved out of town. The last time I saw them was four years ago when they thanked me for teaching their last kids in my senior AP Spanish class at a happy hour. So, we had a lot to catch up on! We were at Jasmine’s house from 3:30-9! Cheri came to town for it. Jasmine had all kinds of appetizers set up and of course, I was too busy to take any photos.

And, I had a second pool day this week with a friend for her birthday! It was so uncrowded and lovely. We split a burger for lunch and it was next level. They have a fancy restaurant attached and the pool serves really good food.

So, I had a very social week!

Happy Friday! I hope you had lots of favorites!

Amy

Thursday, July 31, 2025

Hi there! How are you? Let’s talk fashion with Kellyann and Jill today.

First, let me update you from last week’s Fashion Files.

Chico’s tanks – I mentioned last week that I was looking for black and white tanks to wear with an open button up or my one and only kimono I kept. The Chico’s tanks were great quality but they were not the looser, flowy, body skimming type I was looking for. I also thought they would be hot. So, the good news is that I saw some at my consignment store that I can now try on since I know these didn’t work. I also can try Amazon Essentials brand since I have been happy with those in the past I returned them promptly and got my $55 back. Please – if you order things online keep up with your returns because there are so many people who waste money that way.

Old Navy order –

I ordered this blouse in two sizes and the material is tragic. Synthetic, weirdly shaped, and bad, bad, bad and so bad you aren’t going to even see a photo of me trying it on. I promptly returned the three colors with two sizes each to my local store. Again, do the returns!

Girl Math = I made $120 on my returns! He, he.

What I wear to a pool –

I only have one dedicated coverup now and it was recommended to me by Jenn last season and she has it in hot pink (and maybe another color?). I sometimes wear a light dress or a button up as a coverup, but I usually just wear this white dress. My sister gave me this Bogg bag she didn’t want. I have two of the exact same one piece swimsuits from Time and True Walmart with flutter sleeves.

I really like this outfit for those really hot days. I wore this Sunday to go to Costco and a couple places with Tom.

I had a TJ Maxx shopping spree the other day. I got this orange and white blouse for $13:

This fruity blouse for $13 and I wore it to the dentist:

And this denim blouse for $19:

I wore this to a happy hour at a neighbor’s house this week:

My friend’s daughter is getting married in a little over a week. I found this dress a few weeks ago at one of my consignment stores and thought it might work. It is a boutique brand called “She and Sky” and it was marked off additionally so I scored it for $12. I thought it would work for the wedding. You can adjust and make it more or less off the shoulder.

Since the dress is a solid, I wanted a fun shoe. Here is what I am waiting on to see if it works – the bottom floral design:

I hope it works and is comfortable enough. I scored them on major sale for about $44.

Let’s end with a little talk about adding some color to your skin…

I dropped my Sun Tan City membership or put it on freeze for now. I finally bought a tanning mitt and it is a game changer. I don’t think the brand matters.

Loving Tan is so good. I got medium and the bottle lasts a long, long time. I checked Amazon and I got mine exactly a year ago. It is a mousse that is tinted brown so you can see where it’s going. I put a very small amount on the mitt and only do my arms, legs, and décolleté. It dries very quickly, has no smell, and develops in 2 hours. It is great if you have an event or something and want a bit of color.

Before:

After two hours:

Oh to have unblemished legs again…

What has your fashion been like this week?

Amy

Wednesday, July 30, 2025

It’s Wednesday and that means Hodgepodge with Joyce!

1. On July 29th 1957 The Tonite Show premiered with Jack Parr as its host. This marked the beginning of the modern day talk show. Do you watch any daytime or late night talk shows today? Do you have any thoughts on the hubbub surrounding the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, or are you more in the camp of ‘who is Stephen Colbert? 

I don’t watch any talk shows. I know who Stephen is but I haven’t followed the news surrounding the cancellation. I actually feel a bit released of knowing pop culture things since I have retired. As a high school teacher I always felt that I had to know what was going on in case it came up in class. It was part of my “professional development”. Most of the late night shows were always too late for me! Honestly, I think many of them are annoying. I don’t want to hear their voice or their fighting – The View. No thank you!

2. What’s the best part of your day? 

I love the mornings. That first cup of coffee, seeing my puppy in the morning is a sweet thing, and if I can start my day outside that is super nice to me.

I also love my evening shower and being all clean and able to sit down at the end of the day.

3. What’s something your generation does that you actually dislike? 

I’m not interested in long text conversations. I still like to talk on the phone. I also don’t like putting every single thing on social media. I only put things that make me smile or that I think will make someone else smile. I sometimes put things on Facebook for the memory pop up, but I am not a person who puts every thing out there. But, I do have a blog! Ha! I am such a hypocrite!

4. When you cook do you clean as you go, or clean it all up once you’re finished cooking? What’s the last thing you cooked/baked in your own kitchen? 

A little of both. I like to start cooking with an empty/dirty dishwasher so I can load as I go but puppy loves the dishwasher so I have to be careful.

I cook something pretty much every day. I made sheet pan bacon for BLTS and sheet pan broccoli and then I also made half baked potatoes face down on butter and grated parmesan. They are so good this way!

5. Sum up your July in ten words or less. 

Relaxed. I had a few pool days, a couple of boat days, a few happy hours, and our little trip to Michigan. I got a new to me car and we celebrated our anniversary.

When I look back on my camera roll, I had a lot of fun days. I also had lots of time at home, too.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I am so excited! Our weather forecast is looking so good!

I am sure there will be changes to this before it’s all said and done but low of 60 and high of 80?

What would you say about any of these topics?

Amy

Tuesday, July 29, 2025

These are opinions based on 31 years of teaching high school and getting my own kids through all the grades and college. I’m not going to be all nicey nice and mince words here.

-Please print out and hang the school calendar. It really hurts your kids when they have to miss school. I know it limits you for vacations and appointments but trust me when I say that kids complained to me about it all the time. It is extremely hard to get caught up.

-Go to the open house or the orientation or the curriculum night or whatever the heck they call it. It’s important. You have so little ability to see what your kids do during the majority of their time away from you and who they spend their time with.

-Watch the negative talk in front of your kids. Remember they want to vent to you sometimes (you are their safe space) and your job is sometimes just to listen. Many kids work out their own problems through speaking them out loud. It’s easy to go all “mama bear” on a situation, but trust when I say there is more than likely another side to the story. Don’t say school policies are stupid. You know who repeats that at school – your kid!

-Assume that your child’s teachers, counselors, administration have the best intentions. Be kind. Don’t be rude. You catch more flies with honey as they say. And, please don’t get mad at them for a deadline that you missed or something you didn’t read. If you have multiple kids at multiple schools this is really hard. Please ask your partner if you have one to take on one kid or two kids or whatever. They would get the emails and are the point person.

-You won’t like every policy or decision, but try to think of positive things to say instead like “that is so cool you get to take pathway classes to see if you want to go into the medical fields. I didn’t have that opportunity”. Remember just how many diverse learners are in a school and some policies were probably made for a good reason. That doesn’t mean it’s not ok to advocate for your kid. Let your kid advocate for themselves when they can. It’s ok to ask if a kid can take a class as a junior instead of as a senior but there might be a reason why it won’t work.

-Just buy the supplies that the school asks for. If you can afford it, then there is no reason to be a rebel or to complain. It just hurts your kid.

-Think about starting a tradition. Maybe Grandma or Aunt or Uncle or… you get my drift – would love to buy the fresh sneakers, the backpack, the first day ‘fit. Do make back to school an important milestone. The kids may act like it’s stupid, but they will probably like it. You can set a budget and you don’t have to spend a ton of money. It even helped me get excited as a teacher to have a new dress or something new to wear.

-Whatever the school policy is on social media/cell phones, yours should be as strict or even more strict. I do not think it’s out of line to ask your kid to show you before they post something and ask “what is your intention?” in posting this. You are the parent. Society is not your child’s parent. I told my kids I better never hear that they were on their phones in class or they would lose it. We were able to hold off on phones until sophomore year so they had a little more maturity by that point.

-Let your kids do as many things for themselves as they can. They should be labeling their own notebooks, etc. I had a high school junior in class with mommy’s handwriting all over his folders. They should be packing their own backpack as soon as they can. They can do so much more than we think in this generation of extreme hands on parenting. And, aren’t you busy? They can go to the office, ask questions, keep their own calendar, and so much more.

-Start working on a better bedtime about a week before school starts. If your kid is a new driver, have them practice leaving the house at the time they think they would leave and clock it. Now, you need to add some time for school traffic. Have them think about if they will shower at night or in the morning and how long it will take. Think about timing it. They should do as much at night as possible to make the mornings run smoothly. As my kids got older I started saying things like, “what do you need help with?” or “let me know what you need help with”.

-Sleep is the most important thing to the success of your kid! They must get adequate rest. I also think nutrition plays a huge role in how they feel, too. Most kids are using refillable water bottles and are the most hydrated generation to walk the Earth. I like the leak proof that fit in the side pocket of the backpack. Check school policies regarding this, of course. In addition to breakfast before they leave or in the car (sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do), I like the idea of a high schooler taking a protein or granola bar in their backpack to have mid-morning. Again, check the school rules or ask your kid to check the rules. At my school, kids didn’t use lockers and were allowed to walk around with giant backpacks the whole day long.

-I hate the headphones around the neck trend or when kids have Airpods in at school. I think schools should be strict against this. I would have kids wear their big ol’ headphones and I would greet them at the door and they would remove one ear and say “what?” I pleasantly responded that they only get one “hola” from me. I will not repeat my “hola” because you were listening to something besides me! Come on! Do you really need to listen to four minutes of music in your in-between passing time? This is time to greet your teacher, talk to a classmate, and prepare to learn in your next class.

-I also think having expensive headphones or other audio equipment out at school is a recipe for dropping them, losing them, or sadly sometimes getting them stolen because you have advertised the expensive equipment you own. We seriously have parents drop off the headphones at the front office because their kid forgot them. Uh, no.

-My school didn’t have a policy against pajamas and blankets. You wear pajamas to school and bring a blanket you bring pj/blanket energy to your education. No. Just no. Even if your school does not have a uniform, you as a parent can designate what is a school outfit -what are school clothes. You save your crochet halter top for the weekends, umkay?

-Do not believe the stuff you hear like “her mom is letting her”, “NO ONE is in class today – can I sign out?”, etc. It’s rarely true. And, you can always use that extra time to do homework, go to the library, read a book, get help from the teacher, etc. Attendance is made to feel like a choice these days and it is absolutely not. You should be in school unless you are sick or have an emergency. I will allow a college visit, too, but do look at that calendar.

-Check your kids’ grades on the portal. Figure out how to use it. Also check their attendance on the portal. Just because you saw Johnny leave for school does not mean he went to school. Just because you dropped off Jane doesn’t mean she actually went in the school building. I’ve had some uncomfortable phone calls.

As you can tell, I am quite opinionated when it comes to this topic. Parenting is the hardest job you will ever have. I get it. But, putting in the work at the beginning of the school year really does pay off.

I also don’t believe in being your kids’ friend. You are the parent. They hopefully have enough friends. They only have one or two parents. Kids want to be parented. They want boundaries. You will have to develop a thick skin during the high school years. I remember thinking I needed self-esteem workshops for myself because sometimes I was the worst, so mean, so strict, so this and so that. But, you will come out on the other side.

What have I forgotten? What questions do you have for me? Feel free to email me at amywscott0@gmail.com if it is something personal. I am happy to try to help!

Amy

Monday, July 28, 2025

It’s seriously so hard to believe that the month of July is over! My teacher friends in Kentucky and Indiana are literally done with their summer. I alternate between being giddy that I am not and being nostalgic that I am not. And, I am having major sympathy pains for my them.

I am happy to link up with Holly and Sarah to share my weekend!

I started it off on Friday at 11 am at the Myriad pool with my friend Beth. She had not been in a pool yet this summer. It is a hotel with a swim club (pool), pool bar, and restaurant. It also has a coffee shop next door. You can buy a day pass and it’s a really nice vibe. They have excellent drinks and food. Unfortunately, the aperol spritz slushie machine wasn’t working. We got there right as it opened and had our pick of the seats:

We split a really good grilled chicken caesar wrap:

We stayed from 11 until almost 4! Beth told me it was so relaxing and just what she needed. She has had a lot going on and in addition to that, her daughter is getting married in two weeks.

One thing I will mention is that we ran into a male teacher from my school that used to teach with Beth at her school, so we both knew him. It was nice to talk to him but he stayed with us the entire day and I felt that I lost some time talking to Beth about things that I would only talk to Beth about. It was so hot that we just stood in the pool/sat in the pool and talked all day.

Since I had been in the sun all day I was not cooking dinner. This looks bad but we got Mexican takeout – I got a burrito bowl and Tom got birria tacos and elote and Mason was home and got a burrito. We split the queso.

We just had a really chill Friday night which is what Tom likes. He is watching the Tour de France when he can so he enjoyed that. Tom’s office didn’t have AC this week so I could tell he was more worn out than usual. He could’ve worked from home per the company but he has a bunch of monitors and a standing desk at work (and not at home) and he just really can’t work with Eddie Otis anyway!

I slept in until 7 on Saturday! I cleaned while Tom had EO out of the house and I actually didn’t mind it and was happy with my progress.

Then, I had to take myself to the grocery store – no pick up this time because I hadn’t planned ahead- and it was actually fine. I only did the Kroger delivery for one month this summer. I just didn’t want to pay another subscription/membership. I think it’s great for busy families. Work smarter, not harder. I am auditing all of our streaming services and memberships right now. We don’t have many, but I still want to consider what we need.

The pumpkin spice is out! Oh my gosh – I need to tell you that I got a new frother and it is amazing! It even does a cold foam. You can simply put your milk, creamer, half and half – whatever – and it works its magic. Here it is if you are trying to cut the coffee shop habit. I am still keeping my handheld one, but this is really good. And, no, I did not buy the pumpkin spice yet. Yet.

80 lb. lap dog. I can’t help but snap a photo because it’s just so cute.

I forgot to go to the library while I was out for the grocery so I made myself leave the house again in the afternoon. All of my summer requests are coming in! Woohoo! It happens about this time every year and then I have to go back to school and have less reading time. I am hoping to turn off the gosh darn tv and read more. I have really been watching too much tv.

I love to check out cookbooks. I own many but I really don’t need more. This one is great and I like the way she organized it, but I just wouldn’t make more than maybe 10 of the recipes.

It was so, so, so hot on Saturday. We had a heat advisory and it was so humid. I asked Tom if he minded just eating leftovers for dinner because our fridge was so full and we had so many things that needed to be eaten. He was totally fine with that and we watched Happy Gilmore 2. I fell asleep about halfway through but I actually think it was pretty well done. There were so many famous golfers in it. And, this is mind blowing – Happy Gilmore is 30 years old!

Tom bought this fan for his office last week and we will also use it on the boat. He set it up for me on the porch and I was able to read yesterday morning for a bit.

I finished this! It got good in the last 75 pages! Lol.

This will be my second favorite of the Emily Henry books, I think. It moves slowly – too slowly. I did like the premise of the book, though. I just wish it moved a little faster.

My favorite is Beach Read and the others I can’t even remember because they were just ok to me.

I know that might be controversial because she is a widely popular author. I also don’t love her titles. They don’t really fit the books.

And, now I am on to this:

I tried to make Tom cinnamon rolls yesterday but I walked out of the room and Eddie Otis ate the entire icing packet. The plastic and all. Who wants the cinnamon roll without the icing? I could have made homemade but I didn’t care enough to go to the trouble of getting out butter, milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar.

After our walk the other day I took off my sneakers and short socks and set them right next to me and before I knew it, someone was slinking up to me and stole a sock and then ate it in 5 seconds flat. Tom asked me if I wanted it back 24 hours later when he “found” it. This dog. I have no words.

Tom and I had an errand hang and went to Costco and then to look for new tennis shoes for him and to do some returns for me.

I returned the Philosophy Amazing Grace to Ulta. I decided I didn’t like it. It’s not me.

I also returned the Chico’s black and white tanks. They are a hot material and not loose and skimming like I was wanting.

I mentioned I started Hunting Wives on Netflix. It is quite adult. I don’t like the characters and I am not going to finish it. Anyone else try it? I also didn’t like the Sex and the City And Just Like That or White Lotus – any of the seasons. So, tv taste is quite personal.

I do love The Gilded Age, Gilmore Girls (watching again on occasion), Love on the Spectrum (wish there were more I haven’t seen), and many Bravo shows. Also, I am watching Sullivan’s Crossing on Netflix and it’s pretty good.

Cousin Neal sent us videos he made that included his drone footage. Here is the one hour long float that we did from his smaller lake to Lake Michigan:

My sister Molly and I floating:

Sorry for the bad photos I stole from the videos!

How was your weekend? Are you over the heat? Are you still summering it up?

Amy

Friday, July 25, 2025

Happy Friday! It’s time to link up with Andrea and Erika to share some faves.

How was your week? We finally got a break from the rain and it’s been hot and sunny. I didn’t have much on the calendar this week, which can be both a good and a bad thing. You have to plan for fun!

I’m sorry if you don’t have a Trader Joe’s near you, but can we talk about how cute their greeting cards are? They are $1 and here is an example of a blank card:

I am trying to send more mail! The other night I had a stack of cards and my address book and I told Tom I was working on “my correspondence” like a Victorian lady. Aunt Agnes had an employee to help her with her correspondence in Gilded Age. Lol. It was great until Eddie Otis licked my correspondence and smudged it. He just wants to help me with everything! He wants to help with the laundry, dishes, putting on my socks, getting the mail, moving the rugs (yes, I’m serious), bringing in groceries – you name it.

Anywho, I was writing cards to family members from the Michigan weekend.

If you get a chance, stock up on cute cards for just $1 each at TJ’s. Have you seen how much greeting cards cost at the grocery or the drug store? I still like Dollar Tree for cards, too.

I went to Ulta and needed new hairspray and yes, the art on the bottle swayed me. But, I do love it!

I also found a new body wash at Kroger. It is sea spray/salt air scent and I like to be seasonal with my products. It’s fun to change them for each season. It’s also small enough to fit on my shelf in the shower.

I still can’t believe I did this. I wanted to try the Dubai chocolate in its pure form. I have had a Dubai chocolate croissant before, but not the real deal. This bar was $15 and I bought it! I saved enough money on greeting cards that I can buy $15 chocolate! I do realize I can be such a walking contradiction!

It’s Dubai chocolate but it’s made in Germany. That moment when your nails match your chocolate…

I think it’s delicious! I heard that Trader Joe’s has one for $3.80 but I haven’t seen it there myself.

I had a library haul on Monday…

I’m trying to cook more beans. I am spending more time alone, you know.

And, my library has a recycled magazine box and I scored a couple! Have you seen the price of magazines?

The best meal I cooked this week was a salmon bowl:

I saw this on Instagram and thought it was good for keeping a vacation mindset:

I bought 3 birthday gifts (I was proud of myself for getting all of these gifts early) at my new favorite boutique called Scout:

I’m reading this:

I started The Hunting Wives Club but I’m just barely in so I don’t know what I think yet.

And, I finally got a really mild morning to read outside:

I’ve been making my iced protein coffee. This week it has been instant coffee mixed with half a carton of Premier cookie dough.

I’m still loving my bright yellow nails and this is a better photo of the actual color:

I’m not a big drinker of soda, but I wanted to try this and it’s really good in my opinion. It would make a nice cocktail, too!

I made strawberry freezer jam this week. I wasn’t sure if it was going to be on my summer list or not, but then I got the urge to make it.

I had a happy hour with Mason! He declared it the best conversation we have ever had. Ok! I couldn’t believe he said that!

He got to try the goat cheese with strawberry jam on baguette and guess who might try to recreate that at home with her jam?

I have been so appreciative of having a new to me car! It has been so nice to have working AC and a working back hatch. I know it’s just a car but it has been a joy to drive. I really like the color, too. I have most recently had a black car for 10 years and before that I had a white car for 10 years so this is different for me.

Cam from Southern Charm said these were really good and when I saw them at the check out at TJ Maxx I had to try them. Tom and I both loved them!

These stainless steel wipes are great! I added them to my Kroger order. They are also on Amazon.

You all know I hate mosquitoes, but I forgot about flies and other flying things coming in the house in the summer! Not even the insects want to be out in the heat!

But, we are having an issue with gnats, fruit flies, or drain flies. This is not working on them. I have made sure there is no fresh food out, made sure my garbage disposal is run and there is no organic matter in my drain, and they are better, but still here. I also set out apple cider vinegar to try to catch them. Help! Anyone have a good solution other than winter?

I also am becoming a grumpy Karen about yard work. There is no time that a mower, weed eater, or other loud tool is not being used right now in my hood. It’s 2025 and we have accomplished great things. Why have we not created silent yard tools?

Sorry to end on a negative note!

Happy Friday!

Amy

Thursday, July 24, 2025

What have you been wearing lately? Are you over your summer clothes?

I am linking up with Kellyann and Jill to share my ‘fits, some shopping I’ve done, and what I’m wanting to wear these days.

I resisted the Nordstrom Anniversary sale! Go me!

Normally, I would be thinking about footwear for going back to school. Footwear was always a big concern. The cement floors and being on your feet all day as a teacher are no joke. It feels weird to not really need as much now!

I did something I feel is very smart. I ordered black and white tanks from Chico’s to wear under things. I never have the right tank to wear under an open button up shirt or a kimono. I want something that skims the old tum and that is not too low cut in the chestal region. So, these tanks were on sale and I am hoping for the best. I will let you know if they are the tanks that will change my life. Do you have any pieces you can’t wear because you don’t have the right stuff to wear them with? I say let them go or do the work to try to be able to wear them!

I have a goal to buy and wear more navy! Weird, right?

Step one of said goal:

The material could be tragic but I am trying this in two sizes. Since Old Navy makes returns very easy, this was an easy decision.

I put on some jeans this week! I think my medium wash Halaras are a bit more lightweight than my lighter wash ones – go figure! I am thinking about ordering a different style of Halaras because they were such a good purchase for me. I have the same style in medium wash, light wash, and light black. They are wide leg short.

Saturday night we went to hear a jazz group at a distillery and I wore this old Old Navy blouse (it’s pretty thick unfortunately for the humid weather). A girl on the sidewalk complimented it! I live in the part of the country where we smile, say hi, and even start conversations with total strangers and I wouldn’t have it any other way!

Earlier in the day I had worn my consignment Target short sleeved button up with the same jeans and I am wearing my Kork-Ease sandals with both outfits, too. I am reaching for these sandals all the time so that turned out to be a good purchase (gift from my mom from a return she had – aww) and this short sleeve consignment button up is another thing I have reached for so much; it’s super lightweight. I think it might look good with my long white skirt.

One day for errands I put on my Old Navy tennis skirt with my gauzy white top.

And, for an errand and a happy hour, I put this on:

If I am at home, I am wearing my Wild Fable sweatshirt shorts and a graphic tee, but if I go out I am wearing my Halaras. I’m not feeling the dresses too much right now. It looks like some colors of the shorts are now on sale for $8.40. They aren’t too thick or too hot if you are looking for something like this.

I will let you know how the Chico’s tanks work out and how the Old Navy navy blouse works out. When my twins were little they thought the name of the color was “old navy blue”.

Let me know your thoughts!

Amy

Wednesday, July 23, 2025

It’s Wednesday and that means Joyce link up day!

1. When does time pass slowly for you? When does time past quickly for you? 

Time passes slowly for me in the middle of the day usually. It passes quickly in the morning when I am trying to do all the piddling and little house tasks. I’m still trying to come up with a good schedule. I like to do a few chores each morning and if I have errands I usually don’t go out until after 10. The traffic has died down by then and the stores are open.

Time passes slowly in January and quickly in June! I am trying to enjoy January more. Let’s see if being retired will help or not. I think I am going to have to make an effort to get out and be social.

I love this photo of my twins! I loved dressing them. They both had white polos but two different plaids. I did outfits like that quite a bit while they still didn’t care.

2. Do you have a favorite beach? What’s your favorite ‘beach’ activity? Tell us what we’d find in your beach bag.

I love being near any body of water. I am going to walk in sand anytime I get the chance and in any season or type of weather. We went to the beach in Scotland in December of 2023 and walked along the water and we went to the beach in Barcelona and took off our shoes and socks to walk in the water last fall. I like walking in the packed sand by the water. I am not big on laying out anymore but I would love a lounge chair in the shade to read my book or I love getting in the water and playing in the waves if there aren’t jellyfish or sharks.

Scotland:

Spain:

Spain:

3. Your favorite book or movie with a beach setting? 

Gosh, any movie with a house with a pool that is also on the beach.

I believe this was Assateague Island National Seashore:

Lake Michigan – deep in conversation:

4. What’s a food you love, but find it’s a pain to eat? Is it worth it? 

Corn on the cob! Why does it taste better on the cob? Since we are talking about beaches, I hate getting sand in my food.

5.  Do you like roller coasters? What’s the best (or worst) roller coaster you’ve been on? 

I love a mild roller coaster. I don’t want to go upside down. Most kiddie roller coasters are just my speed. I love a water ride. I can spin with no problem or I could. Who knows now. I love the water ride that is a circular raft and you go through rapids.

My worst ride I went on was at King’s Island. It was a standing up roller coaster and I was terrified. My Jordache purse strap broke right as I was getting locked in. I think I was also worried about my purse. My friends peer pressured me to ride it. That was in 7th grade.

But, then I went back to King’s Island after college with two guy friends and a few girls. We had so much fun. Blonde Heather always made me feel better about scary rides and I enjoyed them with her. She was a dare devil. I say “blonde Heather” and “brunette Heather” here on the blog but IRL I call them “Heath” and “Hig”. Blonde Heather was my roommate all through college and four years after and Brunette Heather was a girl we met like day one of college and it turned out she was from a place very close to where I was from – right across the river.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

It was a long time ago, but the Harry Potter World at Universal was so clever. We surprised our kids when they were really into Harry Potter and it ended up being one of our best trips ever. We drove to Orlando, stayed in a nice hotel with pool, and the next morning we woke up and they had tickets to Universal HP in their Easter baskets. It was Easter and spring break, by the way. We did the park and the next day we drove through the Everglades and did a swamp boat ride, then we went to the Florida Keys and stopped at each and every one of the keys practically, then we took a boat from Key West to the Dry Tortugas, then we drove home along the west coast of Florida and stopped at Siesta Key. It was an epic trip. We all loved it.

That was a fun one, Joyce!

Amy