Coffee and Cocktails at the Casa

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.

Thursday, June 15, 2023

Isn’t summer clothing the best? When I leave the house these days, I feel like I am either throwing on a dress or cut off shorts. I am happy to link up with the lovely Kellyann and Jill today.

Let’s go way back to Friday, June 2. I wore this to go shopping in a fun little neighborhood before eating Mexican food to celebrate the end of my school year with my college besties Heather and Heather. Their hubs and Tom met us at the restaurant after we shopped.

I chose to wear my new Target flat sandals for walking with my new Old Navy dress. It also comes in black and blue and there are also the blouse version in all three colors – yes, I bought all the tops and stopped myself from buying all the dresses! My cognac cross body is starting to show some wear. I may replace it with a gold version from a local boutique. I can still use all my straps. I love this colorful strap so much. I can also fit so much in this bag. I hope they are still in style because this size fits my needs the best.

Is there anything better than shopping with a drink in hand? Just don’t drink too much or you will come home with questionable purchases! We stopped and got a pomegranate bourbon slushie at Seven Spirits and the boutiques don’t mind if you bring a drink along. This is a great little liquor store/bar and has gourmet food items for gifts, too.

About a week later (I’m not going to show you my hospital outfits!), I went to the same neighborhood with just my brunette Heather to hear some music and get a bite to eat. I wore my white Target Universal Thread dress from last year with the same sandals and same bag!

Again, let me sing the praises of these dresses. I have black, mauve, and white. You can dress them up with a higher heeled sandal. I think this style of dress is still really in style and now you are seeing more collared versions and button down versions. I would love to get a collared version! I love the slightly gauzy texture and they wash really well. A great purchase if I do say so myself! I wash them on cold and line dry. I use my steamer after it is dry. I love to steam! I’m so weird!

I “try out” several outfits when I run errands in the summer. I don’t love this one. I love the top but I really think I am going to cut off the very, very long tassels. They serve no purpose. I think I would like this better with a bit of a heeled sandal. The Birkenstock just doesn’t look great here. I was also trying out my belts I bought last year.

I loved this outfit below! I have an old Old Navy jean skirt that I cut off last summer to make it look more modern. I wore this to the Greek Festival and I thought my new Old Navy blouse (just like the dress) looked kinda Greek! Again, with the sandals…ok – another pat on my back and I am glad I got these. I also saw a stylish lady wearing them the other day! About the three blouses I got…I think you can always get a better deal shopping online Old Navy. I think this runs about one size big. I ordered two different sizes and kept the one that fit the best. Now, this did mean I had to put in a big order and return what didn’t work in person. I got each one for only $11.97, you guys! The top is super soft and boutique quality and I don’t use that term lightly. I can see this going well into the fall and I was just gaga over the print.

It was very hot Saturday morning for the Buy Local Fair. I knew we might need to park far away so I wore my white New Balances (brand new at a consignment store a couple of years ago – $30! ) I think these shoes are magic because they never get dirty and they are seriously the most comfortable sneakers. I wore my black version of the white dress above – Target Universal Thread. I used my Amazon brown faux leather body bag as I did at the Greek Festival. My sweet college kids agreed to go with me but it turned out that it wasn’t that great of a fair. Jack got to play a dulcimer, though, at one of the pop up shops.

Saturday night I put on my bathing suit just in case and threw the white dress over it and used one of my Amazon silk scarf looking headbands to accessorize. I wore my white rubber Birkenstocks, too, because this was for the boat ride and pizza on the boat with our friends. My white dress is a size larger than my black and mauve because I think white often calls for sizing up. It’s not you; it’s the color white. I also size up in white jeans.

And, finally, Tuesday night for Tom’s birthday dinner at Kingfish on the river, I wore the black dress again with my Marc Fisher gold lace up sandals.

I guess I need to give the mauve dress her turn, right? She feels very left out.

Do you have a favorite outfit?

What have you been wearing?

By the way, I am using my June Sun Tan City package and I will decide about July when the time comes. I go about once a week and I do Versa Malibu medium with double legs. Versa is a brand of spray machine and Malibu is the spray formula. Medium is in between light and dark, obviously, and I think that is as dark as I would go. I have them do an extra pass on my legs and that is what double legs means. This whole process takes literally 5 minutes in the spray booth. I bundle this errand with the library, Trader Joe’s, or something nearby. You do have to wait at least 8 hours before getting wet so it should be on a non-pool day and I like to shower immediately before going since it will be 8 hours before I can do so again. It fades super naturally and even if you do go to the pool it won’t look weird while you are there or anything. Here is my post on how to get a spray tan if you are interested. Warning: It’s addicting.

Wow, this was quite a long Fashion Files post.

Thanks for sticking with me!

Amy

Wednesday, June 14, 2023

We aren’t going to just sit here and chat over coffee today. We are literally going to talk about coffee. Let’s get some dialogue going in the comments, ok?

I love coffee. I guess you know that because of my blog’s name. I didn’t start drinking it regularly until my first teaching job and that was coffee from the teachers’ lounge. It was survival coffee! When I left that job four years later, I remember someone saying they would miss the way I made the coffee. I guess I became the one that refilled the coffeemaker even though I really don’t remember doing that!

I dabbled with coffee in Spain with my roommate Krista. We would get our coffee cut in half with milk because it was so strong in the coffee shops. We would often have a piece of chocolate with it. I can’t remember whose idea that was but it was a great one!

Now, I like to start my day with two cups of coffee. I usually don’t finish the dredges of it, so it is probably more like 1.5 cups. I like fat free half and half and lately I have been using a few drops of Trader Joe’s liquid stevia, as well. I don’t like it super sweet, but I like it with a hint of sweetness. I have also used Jordan’s Skinny Syrups. I froth up the half and half a bit and the stevia or skinny syrup and then add the coffee.

Here is what it looks like:

This little Amazon handheld frother has been a game changer.

I currently have my old original (first version!) Keurig sitting on my counter. We have cleaned it several times and I think that is why it’s still running. This is not pretty, but it’s sentimental to me because my Dad picked it out for me for Christmas many years ago. He had gotten one and loved it and thought I would love it, too. He seriously came up with the best gift ideas for me. He picked out this, my Kindle, my breadmaker, and a few other things that I really, really loved. It meant so much to me because it makes you feel seen and known. My Dad loved his coffee, too, and that was something we enjoyed together.

I also have an old basic Mr. Coffee sitting on my counter. So, it’s really too much. I was trying to quit the K cup because of the waste and because I really liked the coffee that Erica brought to the Bachelorette weekend. She brought Ethiopian beans from Trader Joe’s.

I have this little grinder and I decided I really don’t want to grind on the daily. It’s messy and just too much. So, do I get a machine that grinds for you before brewing your coffee?

I have a couple of bags of Dunkin’ Donut brand already ground coffee that I like and I have just been going back and forth between a K cup and a whole pot depending on my mood. Do I get a machine that does both K cups and normal coffee? Does that exist?

Honestly, I think I like the taste of the K cup coffee better and I like a freshly brewed cup. I have been loving Kauai brand.

I have also used this for the Mr. Coffee. It’s pretty good, too.

Erica likes the Cusinart Grind and Brew. She pours in the beans and it grinds them and she also sets a timer and has the coffee set to brew for the time she gets up each morning.

I am at a loss for what to do for my coffee needs. When I renovate my kitchen, I will definitely want something more aesthetically pleasing.

I am open to your suggestions. Mason is the only other one that drinks coffee in my house and he only has one cup a day.

I sometimes have an afternoon coffee and that is really nice. I also make an iced coffee in the late morning or afternoon with my protein shake.

Let’s talk about this issue in the comments!

Thank you in advance!

Amy

Tuesday, June 13, 2023

It’s Tom’s birthday! He finally told us what he wanted to do – go to a restaurant on the river after he gets off work, so I am excited to get all four of us out because that rarely happens these days.

So, let me explain my blog post title… Walmart has no idea who I am. I do not make any money from this post and truth be told, I lose money blogging each month. Just keeping it real. This is a hobby for me and all hobbies cost a few pennies, right?

I decided to try Walmart + for the month of June. They offer a 30 day free trial and I had nothing to lose unless I forgot to cancel before July 1. I wrote the date on my calendar and away I went.

A little history – I have said many times on this blog that I don’t like Walmart. I would down right get angry every time I tried to shop there. It’s not convenient and the one closest to my house is definitely not one of the newer and bougie-er Walmarts. So, I was never gonna do pick up there. My sister does pick up at her local Walmart and feels that she saves a lot of money versus shopping at Kroger.

First, I got the handy dandy app on my phone. It is very user friendly and I find it just as easy to use as Kroger’s.

If I choose to keep doing it, I can choose to pay $98 for the year or $12.95 per month. Now, think about it. How much do I spend by going in the store on things that weren’t on my list? I would say it’s more than that – by far!

I also choose to tip the delivery person about 10% of my order. But, again, how much do I save by not having those new products to tempt me or by something that looks or sounds good. I think I am still saving money by not going in. The Walmart app also tells me that I saved $27 and 3 hours since I started. I am not sure how this is calculated!

I have now ordered 3 times and I have another order ready to place. I can have my groceries on my doorstep in 4 hours from the time of placing the order or I can pay an extra $10 for 2 hours or less with Express. That may come in handy sometime.

So, far I am having way less substitutions than at Kroger. Kroger almost always tells me they are out of stock on something or they have a substitution for me to approve. Also, I can get some products that I can’t get at Kroger. We can’t find Gatorade Zero for Tom, Ale 8 One is not available for pick up at Kroger, Merkt’s Port Wine Cheese is not available at Kroger, Velveeta cheese slices are not available at Kroger either. These are all Tom-specific items. Man, do I cater to him!

I prefer the bags that Walmart brings the groceries in. Kroger’s pick up bags are horrible. They are plastic and thick and we just want the regular ones for Ernie’s waste.

I am also able to order most of our toiletries; they have Dr. Teal’s body wash and pretty much all of the brands we like to use. I think they are less expensive than Target.

I thought we were brand loyal to many of Kroger’s products, but it turns out that isn’t the case at all.

I think it’s pretty cool to have Trulys arrive on your doorstep! I have done that once!

You can also throw in things to your order like beach towels, kitchen items, etc. You can add anything that is sold in the store.

I really think they are competing with Amazon because you also get shipping if the item is not in stock in the store.

I don’t mind going in to the store, but I would prefer it to just be for a few things. I still plan to go in to Kroger, Trader Joe’s, and Fresh Market on occasion.

At the end of the month, I will be able to compare May at Kroger to June at Walmart. I will also let you know what I decide to do after this month.

So, if you haven’t already gathered this…I am a fan! I really like it!

Thank you to those of you who gave me your opinion on it because it helped me to take the leap.

Let me know if you are also trying it! What did I forget?

Amy

Monday, June 12, 2023

I will be honest – that date is scaring me! It is almost mid-June! I am linking up with Holly and Sarah for Hello Monday today.

Mason and I are the only coffee drinkers in the house and we are loving this:

I woke up Friday and enjoyed two cups of it and then went off to Trader Joe’s for the first time in a long time.

I love this candle and really need to go get more. I love the hot pink and the smell does not smell like salted caramel pistachio in my opinion, but it is a pleasing smell to my nose.

I also picked up this cute little guy!

I grabbed this little yellow flower to fill up my head planter.

I did an Old Navy return and then headed home and piddled around at home all day. I decided to do a 3 p.m. coffee while reading on the patio.

I finished The Party Crasher. It was not my favorite of Sophie Kinsella’s but it was cute. It was a bit far fetched, but I did like it.

At 6:00, I met my friend Victoria at the Greek Festival and spent a couple of hours with her.

Saturday morning was cool, but I started my day on the patio.

I cooked up some mushrooms and onions and some zucchini.

My kids went with me to a Buy Local Fair on the river where local businesses or home based businesses could set up a tent with their wares.

I came home with this cocktail mixer and I love it. It will be available at Paul’s Fruit Market in a week.

Later that afternoon, our friends met us and brought pizza for the boat.

It was a gorgeous night and we needed that.

Sunday morning I used my vegetables to make a vegetable egg scramble.

Tom and I did the Costco run together and we were happy to see their spinach salad back.

I like my lettuce chopped really small so I was taking out the spinach and tomatoes to chop. It comes with a really good poppyseed dressing. All of us had this for lunch!

Then, we went to our friends’ daughter’s graduation party.

The graduate’s dad and I have been friends since 2nd grade.

My mom had a special visitor. My sister Kate just got a new puppy named Ezra a few weeks ago.

After I brought my mom home from the hospital, Molly stayed for a couple of days and then Kate stayed for a couple of days. She seems to be back to normal but has a follow up with her primary care physician today. The doctor told us she needed about 48 hours of overnight supervision. She is actually going on a little trip tomorrow for a couple of days. It’s pretty amazing! I will see her after her little trip.

What did you do this weekend? We had wonderful early summer weather until we had some storms yesterday.

Thanks for reading!

Amy

Friday, June 9, 2023

I am linking up with Andrea and Erika today for Friday Favorites. I missed being here and I am so thankful for so many sweet comments on my Hello Monday, May Spending, and Currently. I always respond to every single comment, but I think for this week I am going to do a blanket thank you if that is ok.

I finished school on Friday at 2:30 and then on Saturday at 10:00 a.m., I got the call that my mom had probably had a stroke. I have spent the majority of my days in hospitals since then and I wouldn’t have it any other way, but it is not a pleasant place to be. So, it has been a week, but…

I do have the MOST IMPORTANT FAVORITE…

my mom was discharged and got to go home on Wednesday evening! I drove her to her house and my sister Molly was waiting there for us. We got her house organized and did some laundry and I made her some spaghetti because that is her favorite. Molly went to get some prescriptions for her – thank goodness the pharmacy stays open until 9 p.m. Molly is staying until Friday and then Kate is coming to take over. The doctor said she needs about 48 hours worth of overnight supervision but she really has no lasting damage and she has no restrictions. We are being a bit extra cautious. The doctor even gave her the go ahead for a little trip on Tuesday with her college friends.

My kids and I had spent the morning with her in the hospital and I had gone home for an afternoon break and then I was quite surprised when she called and said she was free to go. Anyway, things can move either quickly or slowly in hospitals and you just never know.

Thank you for all of your prayers because they worked!

Other favorites from the week…

A summer morning rain…

I turned on the patio lights from the app on my phone (Tom! Why does he want an app for everything?) and it looked so beautiful on Wednesday morning.

I had my coffee out there and it was so soothing and good for my soul.

Tuesday night I had some wine, cheese, and crackers for dinner on my upper patio after coming home from the hospital.

There really is no better stress reliever than the good old outdoors. I am sure a hike in the woods would be even better, but I wasn’t going to go crazy, ya know?

I tried the Tik Tok trend of replacing the amount of water in a brownie mix with hot brewed coffee.

I mean a brownie is a brownie so it was good, but it really didn’t taste any different to me. I will say that my new oven seems so efficient and I tend to have to check it sooner than the directions say. I may have slightly overbaked the brownie. I love my new oven! It makes me think my old oven had some issues before I knew it had issues. My food seems way better now!

I am kind of struggling through this. I don’t want to abandon it, but…

on the way home from the hospital I picked up this and started it, too. I am really enjoying it and it is more lighthearted which I need right now.

On Saturday night after we knew my mom was going to be ok after the procedure, one of my sisters stayed a bit later at the hospital and the other sister and I came home and I was happy to cook for them. We had some nice time on my patio with some wine.

I know. I know. You never want to hear the words “Greek” or “bowl” again. But, alas, that is what I made them, along with some Greek seasoned potatoes.

They loved my food and felt good eating something healthy. Then, Heather dropped off Crumbl cookies and we visited with her for about an hour and stayed up way too late, but it was really good since my sisters have known Heather since I was 18 and they were 15 and 12!

Heather is very thoughtful and has lots of great ideas. She wrote on the Crumbl box. I need to remember this!

On Sunday, while both of my sisters were still here, we got Tazikis takeout and split a Greek salad, hummus, whipped feta, vegetables, and a cucumber tomato salad on my patio and they loved that, too.

Our local Greek Festival is this weekend. Opa!

The view of downtown Louisville from the 9th floor waiting room was pretty cool…

I don’t especially love navigating downtown or parking garages, but I have been able to do both many times successfully this week. Raise your hand if you duck your head while driving in a parking garage. It’s so weird, but I can’t help myself!

I was reminded this week that we all have our strengths. I was best at checking in with the night nurse before they left at 7:00 a.m.-ish. I was the one who was ready to get to the hospital super early for rounds. I was also the one who took the notes and asked most of the questions. Molly is the nurturing one who is most nurse like for my mom. Kate is the one who is best at doing research and she is the one who figured out that my mom was having a stroke. The doctors praised her repeatedly for the quick action.

I started my 30 day Walmart Plus free trial on June 1 and I have ordered twice now. I ordered one delivery from the hospital and it was so helpful. So far, color me impressed! You know, it seemed very easy to swing by Kroger for an immediately after school grocery pick up. Now that I am not working and don’t have that built in routine, the home delivery seems super nice. You might think one does not need either in the summer and that one should just go in the store and do the whole thing themselves, but your ti

I really like their bagels, too. We have had these around this week for breakfasts:

I plan to do a whole post, but so far I am finding it really nice. I even had a pack of Trulys delivered to my front porch. Tell me that isn’t nice!

And, finally yesterday I got to go to a pool! Erica invited me to her country club…

I hope you had lots of favorites!

Amy

Wednesday, June 7, 2023

Hi all! I have lots of updates and this is my outlet, so I thought I would link up with Jennifer’s Currently.

Loving

my mom’s progress and how tough and strong she is. So, here’s what happened in a nutshell… My mom had a stroke this past Saturday morning sometime between 8-10 a.m. She went to the hospital in Madison, Indiana by ambulance and then was flown to the University of Louisville Medical Center by helicopter. I might mention that they have a stroke center at this hospital. They performed a mechanical thrombectomy to essentially remove the blockage caused by the stroke/pull out the clot. How everything played out and how quickly she has progressed has been nothing short of amazing. Right after the procedure, she was already talking much better. Sunday morning she passed the swallow test with the speech therapist and was able to begin eating. Sunday night she worked with the occupational therapist and did really well, Monday morning we arrived and she was sitting up in the chair to our surprise:

and then was walking in the unit…

She continued to pass other physical therapy tests and neurological tests, and go to the restroom on her own, eat all of her meals on her own, write, read, and text on her phone all day Monday. She was also downgraded from ICU, but stayed in the Stroke Unit ICU because of lack of available beds. They also told us they had 16 patients waiting for beds in the ER.

Kate came down from Columbus, OH on Saturday and left late Sunday afternoon when we knew how well my mom was doing. Molly came from near Bloomington, Indiana on Saturday and left Monday around lunch. It was so nice to have their support here with me. Since I live in Louisville, it made more sense for me to do this shift.

Every.single.person we have dealt with has been wonderful. The doctors, nurses, therapists, aides, dietary, cleaning, and anyone else I have forgotten have been so helpful, caring, and friendly.

Doing

I am doing the best I can to take copious notes on doctor names, medications, timeline of events, and more on my phone. I plan to type everything up for my mom to be able to give her primary care doctor back in Madison, Indiana.

Trying

This is so good! Elizabeth likes sour beers and I bought this for her wedding day and we never had any. I rarely drink regular beer, but every now and then a Michelob Ultra Light sounds really good. Have you tried a sour beer? I also really love a grapefruit shandy.

Seeing

Ernie laying in all sorts of configurations:

He gets hot really quickly and likes the cool tile of the mudroom.

I also finished Maisel with my kids. It was a really good ending, in my opinion. My kids love Amy Sherman Palladino who did Gilmore Girls, as well.

And, as a family we were seeing Ted Lasso and also completed the last season. So good and also a good wrap up to a great show.

Another thing I enjoyed seeing before the end of the school year…we have a video production teacher who calls himself “Dat Boi Eats” on Instagram. He does food review from his home cooked foods, restaurant foods, and more recently our cafeteria food! He was a first year teacher coming from another career. He was rating our school food really high! I told him I wanted to bring him a lunch for him to review, so I brought in my Greek bowl. He gave me a 20/10 and raved about it! I felt my 15 seconds of fame! He had been giving school lunches 8/10 and 9/10 so my food better have exceeded that!

Reading

Well, I have not been reading much in the last week, but I am trying to read this:

I also have some library requests that are ready to pick up.

I might be back tomorrow or Friday but I know for sure I won’t have any fashion for Fashion Files tomorrow!

What are you up to Currently?

Again, thank you for all of your sweet comments.

Amy

Tuesday, June 6, 2023

Thank you! Thank you! You all are so kind! I already had this post done and scheduled, so I am posting as planned. If you don’t know what I am talking about, pleae click here.

It’s time to see what I spent in May. It was a long month and it was a busy month. Why am I doing this? I want to be more intentional about where my discretionary spending dollars go. I have now done this in January, February, March, April, and now May!

May 1 – $0 Spend Day

May 2 -$60 brunch for Brooke and I, $60 at Churchill Downs, $56 Shiraz take out for dinner

May 3 -$188 Kroger

May 4 – +$15 Amazon card for doing another education survey, $0 Spend Day

May 5 – $80 Trader Joe’s, $44 World Market, $45 Condado Tacos

May 6 – $33 Aldi, $20 LIquor Barn, +$80 Homegoods return

May 7 – $40 Waldo’s, $10 farmer’s market, $30 Mojito

May 8 – $0 Spemd day

May 9 – $0 Spend day

May 10 – $122 Kroger pick up

May 11- $0 Spend day

May 12- +$37 Target return, $0 Sun Tan City (because of my May package), $19 Happy Hour at Joe’s Older than Dirt

May 13 – $60 Trader Joe’s wine store (oops!) and $80 food from Trader Joe’s including some Mother’s Day gifts, $42 Dinner out with besties at Emme Squared Pizza

May 14 – brunch $40, $34 Target order (cute slides), $80 Walmart order (3 dresses to try)

May 15 -$137 Kroger pick up

May 16 – $65 Fresh Market, $46 Walmart dress re-order for different sizes

May 17 – $0 Spend Day

May 18 – $28 Chuy’s dinner, $30 Target sandals came in mail – paid shipping unfortunatley

May 19 – $90 oil change!!! I even had a coupon! oil change, gas, $ 186 Kroger pick up, +$80 Walmart return, $205 Costco, +$46 Sassy Fox consignment money made from my sales – What can I say other than that I had put off some expenses for a while and the college kids are home. We are going through chips like you wouldn’t believe!

May 20 – $4 specialty mustard, $3 bougie coffee, $38 Captain’s Quarters – not bad for a Saturday but I had spent all the money the day before!

May 21 -$41 Lunch on the river at Cunningham’s

May 22 -$0 Spend Day

May 23 -$0 Spend Day but two Old Navy dresses (same dress in two sizes) came in mail

May 24 – $158 Kroger pick up

May 25 – ordered 3 Old Navy tops because they screamed my name – all the same in 3 colors and a couple different sizes. One or two will go back. They were like $11 each!

May 26 -$0 Spemd Day and it was a Friday!?!?!!!! I cooked at home – faux Chick Fil A sandwiches and homemade fries!

May 27 -$50 Kroger snacks for wedding, $43 June Sun Tan City had a $20 credit that I had to use in store so went ahead and commited for one more month

May 28 – $0 Spend Day Elizabeth Wedding

May 29 – $134 Kroger pick up, $68 Captain’s Quarters

May 30 – $0 Spend Day, + Old Navy Return (had to order two different sizes in my new dress and tops to see which fit)

May 31 – $0 Spend Day

Kroger Groceries: $800 (approx.)

Other Groceries from Trader Joe’s, Fresh Market, Aldi: $266

Meals Out: $332 – So part of this increase is due to getting the boat out and eating at least 3 meals at our riverside restaurants. These meals account for just me, just Tom and I, and a couple with at least one college kid with us.

Happy Hours: $19 – Surprising!

Take Out: $56 – I think we only had take out once from Shiraz Mediterranean.

Day at the Track with my niece and Erica: $120 (wanted to put this in a separate category because it is a rare one off. I wore a dress I already had, shoes I already had, and only spend $11 on my fascinator (headband with flower)

Clothing: 4 Walmart dresses, 1 Old Navy dress, 1 Target sandals, 3 Old Navy tops – I haven’t tallied yet because I am still waiting on some different sizes and then I will return what doesn’t fit. I am guessing I spent about $200, but I made back $46 from my consignment store.

Zero Spend Days: 11! Wow! That may be my record. I think I did less online shopping and I was just so tired that all I could do most days was go to work and come home and walk Ernie, read, make dinner, and clean.

Thoughts:

My grocery bill went up because my college kids moved home at the beginning of May. Holy chips, Batman! Do your kids eat so many snacks? I also have been buying more lunch meat for sandwiches because we don’t eat lunch meat that much when the kids aren’t home.

How was your May? It’s a busy and expensive month for many!

Amy

Monday, June 5, 2023

Just popping in to say that after I packed up my room Friday and did a little celebrating…

on Friday I went to bed exhausted and on Saturday morning after I had done the morning things…

I woke up to a frantic call from my sister Kate that she had just been on the phone with my mom and could hardly understand her. She was so smart to switch to Facetime and she saw a droopy left side of her face and some drooling, and immediately thought stroke.

I called the ambulance, a family friend to go over, and then Tom and I set off for my hometown. Kate called back and stayed on the phone until the friend and ambulance arrived at the exact same time.

My hometown is an hour away and by the time we arrived she was at the ER. The decision was made within the hour to fly her to Louisville so Tom and I followed (kind of – they were in the air and we were on the road) back to Louisville and met her in the ER there.

They were able to perform a mechanical thrombectomy where they go in and break up the blockage and the surgeon came out after only about an hour to tell me it went very well and he was able to break up the entire blockage.

Both sisters arrived a bit after that and my mom was settled in to her bed in the stroke unit.

One sister had too much fun with gloves…

and the other was taking selfies…

because my mom was already talking more like herself and doing really well by this time! Then, by Sunday morning she was already eating real food and a few hours later was walking!

My sweet friend Heather brought over Crumbl cookies, because really what makes you feel better than that?

I may be spotty this week but I would appreciate your prayers for a full recovery.

I am sharing this with my mom’s permission so that everyone is aware of what a stroke can look like.

Amy