Coffee and Cocktails at the Casa

Friday, July 7, 2023

You guys! The calendar is scaring me! It just keeps moving along and it is now July 7th! I dare not go to Target right now. You know what one will see, right? My love for school supplies runs deep but your girl is not ready to see them. Also, my school district gives each teacher an Amazon business account and a budget of $250 to spend now. How cool is that?

I am linking up with Andrea and Erika for Friday Favorites if it is happening today! It’s so funny that the blogging world slows down so much in the summer, but I feel like I write more in the summer because I have more time. I also have more time to read blogs, so come on bloggers – I need your content! Just beware that you are going to see Prime Days and then the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale pushed here soon!

I thought I would start with a silly photo of me. My sister brought giant “noodles” to the river, and I could fit my cup in the hole of the “noodle” so I was able to “drink from my noodle”. My brother-in-law caught this flattering photo of me doing that.

Sister time is so rare these days with the ages of the kids, so It’s always a favorite.

The amount of stuff to go boating is comical! I snapped this picture before loading up.

We had a simple and cheap meal Monday night and then ordered pizza Tuesday night after being at the river all day. I have maybe 2 hot dogs a year, but boy are they good when I do.

One of my Summer List items was to make pickles. I did it, but they weren’t that good. I think I will continue buying my pickles unless anyone has a good recipe.

I’m still wearing my fun earrings. I wore these Topo Chico ones last week to hang with my friend at the new boutique hotel’s rooftop bar.

This rainwater scent is still making me happy every time I wash my hands.

One of our foods of summer has been naan pizzas in the air fryer. You buy the naan bread in the deli section of your grocery, and they come in various sizes. I put pizza sauce or just marinara and whatever toppings and then add fresh mozzarella. I bake it in the air fryer at a pretty high heat and they come out great. This one maybe was a bit overdone. Seriously, naan makes a great crust.

If you like sweet drinks, these are really good. A friend brought them to the pool party I attended recently and I forgot to share.

I also created a new drink with my hibiscus flowers and syrup, lemonade, vodka, and Fresca. Yum! I am calling it spiked hibiscus lemonade.

My twin niece and nephew turned 16 in March. They tried to get their license Monday in their city, but they were closed for the holiday. So, when they were at my mom’s house, they took the opportunity to get it there in my hometown. I got to go, too! How are they this old? Now we have my kids, my niece Samira, and Mia and Miles all driving.

I can’t even – Mia is so grown up. I have been helping her with summer school Spanish over the phone and it’s been so fun.

Wednesday, I went to hang out with everyone visiting my mom. The nieces drove themselves to Walmart for press on nails and junk food.

My mom took her three girls (my sisters and I) to lunch and she drove. I can’t remember the last time the four of us were all in a car together that my mom drove. I was maybe 15! It’s probably been more recent than that, but I can’t remember.

I got a mushroom panini and it was so good.

And, I got a cold brew after lunch. Yum!

I got to spend time with my newest nephew, Ezra. He is so chill for a puppy. He is obsessed with his mom, my sister Kate, and has to be in sight of her.

Ezra with Aunt Molly:

Ezra wanted my cold brew!

I made an easy chicken parmesan this week for dinner. I used whole wheat linguine and did my own chicken breasts with some jarred marinara, fresh mozz, and roasted broccoli. It’s starting to get hot now and hot dinners like this will not be the norm!

One of you may be wondering about the follow up from my Literal Coffee Talk post. For now, I am going to keep on with my original Keurig. The coffee is so much better than a pot of brewed. I am still loving Kuai brand and I like all the flavors. For now, I am going to use this until it goes kaput.

I use a bit of liquid stevia frothed with fat free half and half.

It was raining again yesterday morning, but it was already so muggy I didn’t go out and enjoy my covered patio.

I had some errands to run so I wore all Aerie. My Sunday shorts are amazing and I wish I could still find them. I got them last year. I got my Shell Yeah shirt this year. Am I too old? I don’t care. I usually get fixed up more to run errands, but I was feeling casual.

I picked up a small stack of book requests at the library!

I ran by my consignment store Sassy Fox and I had earned $40 on my items I sold and I found and bought this J.Crew blouse for $13 so still up $27 – woohoo!

I am trying to get back to healthier eating and made buffalo chicken, cauliflower rice, and Greek yogurt ranch for lunch yesterday.

Sadly, I had no celery.

What a hodgepodge! What were your favorites this week?

Amy

Thursday, July 6, 2023

 

Welcome to my adopted city! This post is inspired by a reader – Hi Becky! She is coming to visit this summer and asked for my favorite places.

A little history…I was born in Evansville, Indiana but moved to Madison, Indiana when I was five years old. Louisville was always our closest big city, so I came here often. We came for the zoo, The Old Spaghetti Factory restaurant, the Fashion Shop (anyone remember this?), the mall, and other things. I always felt that it was familiar. After college, I stayed in the city closest to my college (Lexington, Kentucky) for four years before deciding to move to Louisville.

I love living on the river – or any body of water!

If you are flying here, I think you will need a rental car if you plan to go to more than just the downtown area.

If you are a bourbon person, you will need a car to go to Bardstown, Kentucky, where many of the distilleries are located. It is about an hour drive.

If you are a horse person, you will need a car to go to Keeneland which is about an hour away, also. Keeneland and the surrounding area are beautiful and quintessential Kentucky. You do have Churchill Downs, here, but it has a much different feel. Both are very cool, though. You can only see live horse racing in Louisville in May, June, and November. You can only see live horse racing at Keeneland in April and October. Check their websites, but I think that is still correct.

I live in what is known as the “East End”. I love my area and it has quite the small-town feel. I cannot leave my house without seeing someone I know. Seriously. It’s kind of a joke among my kids and friends. I have lots of old trees and green spaces, but I can walk to many different restaurants, and I have a wonderful market in walking distance for fruits, vegetables, gourmet food items, and more. I have a Kroger within walking distance, too. I have an upscale shopping center nearby and much more.

Paul’s Fruit Market has several locations and would be a great place to get some snacks while you are here. They also make really nice sandwiches made to order. We also have a very popular Trader Joe’s if you don’t have one at home.

The major touristy things to do would be:

The Louisville Slugger Museum and Bat Factory

Belle of Louisville Ride

Churchill Downs Museum and Racetrack

Frazier History Museum

Louisville Science Center

Waterfront Park

The Urban Bourbon Trail

Walking bridge to Indiana

Bats baseball game

LouCity soccer game

Cherokee Park (designed by the same person who designed Central Park in NY)

My favorite areas of Louisville for eating and shopping are:

Frankfort Avenue:

I love this street so much. Some of my favorite restaurants are on this street. I love Parlour, Red Hog, Cafe Classico, Irish Rover, and more. There is also a shop called Bourbon Barrel Foods where we have gotten lots of fun gifts. I love The Champagnery for drinks with girls.

There is a bar/liquor store called Frankfort Avenue Liquors. My favorite upscale restaurant is Varanese and many people love Volare. I have not been yet, but a lot of people rave.

Do not visit chain restaurants in my city because we have a huge food scene here. We also have some amazing taco places – Taco City, Taco Luchador, and Agave and Rye. Agave and Rye is a small chain, so I will allow it.

I also love NULU so much. This is the Market Street district on the outskirts of downtown. It stands for “New Louisville”. There’s almost too much to name. La Bodeguita de Mima is the yellow house that serves Cuban food and immediately behind it is a fast casual Venezuelan food place called Señora Arepa. There is an Emme Squared Pizza (a chain, but I will allow it), Royals Hot Chicken (Nashville style), Grind (hamburgers), Feast (bbq), Bar Vetti, and the new Hotel Genevieve is fabulous!

I didn’t eat in the restaurant called Rosettes, but I went to the rooftop bar recently and it was gorgeous:

The store called Red Tree has a very photographed alley:

I have taken a few photos there myself, and I love that I went there in the snow with my friend Victoria for their holiday open house this year or last?

For the best rootop bars/views of the city:

Copper and Kings

Gravely Brewing

Upland Brewing across the river in Indiana has the best view of the city

Walking at Waterfront Park:

The horses:

Another area is the Bardstown Road area. I have two friends who live off of this busy and bustling street and this is the area where my kids frequent most often. There are lots of restaurants and shops, but not that many that appeal to me anymore, to be honest. Still there are lots of amazing places here that I love: Noche, Seviche, and Gralehaus are my favorites.

Here is us doing Bardstown Road Aglow this year:

Bardstown Road is very close to the beautiful Cherokee Park and this area is also called “The Highlands”. Highlands people usually can’t imagine living anywhere else in town, in my opinion. They are very loyal. Once a Highlands person, always a Highlands person.

Another place not to far from NULU is Butchertown Market. It is a great place to shop for gifts and they have $1 mimosas on Saturdays.

Captain’s Quarters is not a place you go for the food, but the food has definitely improved. You go for the views and it’s a hopping place, so be aware that there might be a wait. I try to go at off times or if you roll up in a boat, there is no wait and you eat on your boat! If you go, order the fish and chips, the spinach salad (add salmon), the pork nachos, or the fish tacos. Those are the best things on the menu. Also, the spinach and queso dip is great! Now, that I say this, there are lots of good things they make!

Some other great restaurants are: The Pine Room, Mesh, Havana Rumba, Mojito in Havana, Mojito Tapas, and Shiraz.

We have quite a few Cuban restaurants here. Bodeguita de Mima is the hardest to get into – you need a reservation – and it has an amazing atmosphere. Havana Rumba and Mojito en Havana are better food in my opinion. Mojito Tapas is excellent and has a Cuban/Spanish menu.

I love to shop at The Paddock Shops (an outdoor mall) and if I do go to a mall, it’s Oxmoor Mall. I also love Norton Commons. I would recommend hitting up the window of Commonwealth Tap or Seven Spirits for an alcoholic slushy while you walk around. This is a planned community (same person that designed Seaside, Florida) with lots of restaurants and shops.

We also have amazing breakfast places. Wild Eggs is a local chain and my favorite. Con Huevos is a Cuban/Mexican breakfast place and quite unique – tres leches pancakes! Morning Fork, Gralehaus, and First Watch (a chain) are also local popular spots.

I could probably go on and on. Can you tell I love my adopted city?

People will talk to you wherever you go. Be prepared for this. We make eye contact and small talk here.

Amy

P.S. – Let me know if you have any questions or if I forgot any of your favorites!

Wednesday, July 5, 2023

How was your weekend/holiday? I am so happy Tom took off on Monday. I think he really needed those four consecutive days off. He caught up on sleep, went to the movies, did a lot of boating, watched a lot of Tour de France (ha!), and spent time with his family. He didn’t do a ton of fix it jobs, but he did do some.

So, I left off after Saturday evening on my Hello Monday post...

Sunday we woke up to more rain! But, we were determined. Would there be a clear pocket to go boating?

But first, a gym sesh:

Ok, the sky doesn’t look too great…

Heather looks scared but she is just excited. She doesn’t let a few dark clouds stop her. I am getting a lot of Heather time right now.

We headed towards our downtown and we got to see The Nina, The Pinta, or The Santa Maria!

It was especially fun because Heather and Eric’s sweet college daughter got to come for the first time. Katelyn is a doll and complimented me on my pop culture knowledge.

Tom’s boat radio started blowing up about severe weather so we gave up and drove cars (instead of boat) to eat.

I got the salmon spinach salad!

We still had a nice time.

For dinner we were happy to have all of us home and I made burgers, corn, and potatoes.

Monday, we re-did our boat ride with our friends Scott and Jessica and finally, the weather looked amazing for us.

We ate on the boat and then hung out in the cove.

I finished this and really liked it! It made me laugh out loud or at least chuckle several times.

It’s by the same author as this:

I really liked this, too!

Then, on Tuesday…

My sister Molly and her hub Jason did their annual (3rd year running) trip from our hometown to Louisville by boat.

We had such a nice day!

Bye!

Now for Currently with Jennifer!

Loving –

Really, everything! I am loving having all four of us in the house, cooking for my family, electricity! (After having lost it for about 36 hours from last Sunday until Tuesday morning), time to read, time outdoors, unhurried time, lack of structure – all the things of summer.

We have had so many storms and so much rain, but everything is so GREEN!

Our happy place is definitely on the river. I pushed Tom to buy a used boat 8 years ago after talking about it for our entire marriage and we have gotten so much use out of it. Sure, a lake would be nice, but we can be on this river in about 15 minutes from our house.

Savoring –

With life being so busy for my friends at this stage in our lives, I am savoring any time spent with them.

And, add in a nice chilled glass of wine over conversation….ahhhh

Celebrating –

Anything and everything! We are getting ready to celebrate our anniversary soon.

Remembering –

Summers of the past and just trying to remember how quickly summer passes and to live in the moment.

Trying –

A few new things like this:

What about you? Anything you want to share?

Amy

Tuesday, July 4, 2023

Happy 4th of July (if you are reading this today)! Here is my “report card” for June. It ain’t pretty. Pour yourself something strong. I’m really not excited to put this month’s spending diary out here.

Initial Thoughts before the Tallies:

This month should be interesting. I usually spend more in the summer for sure! I am continuing to record because it is making me pause.

June 1 – $156 Walmart Plus grocery order including tip. I was excited to try my new grocery delivery! It was also the last day of school for students. Your girl was wiped out and it felt good to have this service. Groceries dropped off on my doorstep? What can I say?

June 2 – $35 Lunch at Captain’s Quarters, $17 for 2 bourbon slushies at Norton Commons (one for my friend), $54 dinner at Fiesta Time which included take home for a kid, $28 shirt on sale at a boutique. Your girl was feeling giddy that it was finally summer!

June 3 – $0 Spend – Tom drove me to ER in Madison (my mom had had a stroke), back to ER in Louisville, my sisters came and after a long and emotional day, I made dinner for my sisters with stuff I had at home – Greek Bowls – friend Heather dropped off Crumbl.

June 4 – $33 Treated my sisters to Taziki’s take out that we ate on the patio before one sister – Kate – went home – we discovered whipped feta, $ 139 Walmart + grocery delivery

June 5 – $0 Spend Day – Molly went home

June 6 – $0 Spend Day

June 7 – $0 Spend Day – my mom got released and I took her home

June 8 – Erica invited me to her pool because she knew I needed a taste of summer – $23 pool entrance fee and salad for lunch, $22 dinner at Alchemy with my friend, $167 Walmart grocery delivery

June 9 – $55 Trader Joe’s, +50 Old Navy return, $21 Greek Festival

June 10 – Buy Local Fair $28 – pretzel bites from a food truck and a cocktail mixer

June 11 – $50 graduation gift, $188 Costco, $10 Walmart on a graduation card and aluminum disposable pans

June 12- $50 Captain’s Quarters gift card for friend who helped my mom, $33 Trader Joe’s

June 13 – $ 74 Kingfish Restaurant for Tom’s birthday, $50 small gifts for Tom

June 14 – $0 spend day

June 15 – $0 Spend day

June 16 – $74 Lunch with niece Brooke for her birthday at Parlour (included a carry out order for Jack), $19 bottle of wine at next door wine store

June 17 -Farmer’s Market Haul: $8 Benedictine, $5 sandwich, $7 tomatoes, $3 kale, $3 popcorn, $6 kettle corn – I feel really great supporting these local people and oh my were the vegetables so good. I loved the grape tomatoes I got and will definitely look for that farmer again if I can, $81 gas, $35 Target, $22 Canes, $42 Felipe’s

June 18 – Father’s Day – $0 Spend Day – I cannot even believe this. I packed lunch for the boat after making breakfast at home and then managed to use all foods we had at home to make a dinner for Tom.

June 19 – $65 Kroger

June 20 – $170 Walmart Plus Delivery, $30 J crew, $40 Trader Joe’s

June 21 – $28 Fresh Market, $14 KFC

June 22 -$95 Amy hair, $5 sleep/lounge shorts from tent sale at local boutique

June 23 – $30 Mesh lunch with Victoria, $50 movie tickets plus snacks (Tom’s Father’s Day gift with the whole family)

June 24 – Farmers market $30, $130 Walmart Plus delivery

June 25 – $30 Cunningham’s for lunch with friends – power goes out at 8:20 p.m.

June 26 – $16 Starbucks coffee and breakfast, $15 lunch out with Jack, $7 baby pool, $10 chilled white wine at wine store, $25 Kroger s’mores stuff and batteries, $55 Qdoba dinner – power out all day and night

June 27 – power comes on at 5 a.m., $85 in person Kroger grocery trip to replace lost fridge food just to get by until next order

June 28 – $172 Walmart grocery delivery to continue replacing lost food- Why am I spending so much? I don’t know, but even a carryout Qdoba order on Monday night was $55 for 4 people. We are making our own coffee, breakfast, lunch, and dinner at home most days for four people most of those days.

June 29 – $15 bagels after dentist appointment (for 3 of us), $30 Hotel Genivieve and dinner for Amy

June 30 – $0 Spend Day

$0 Spend Days: 6

Groceries:

Walmart Plus:

I did a 30 day free trial from June 1-July 1.

June 1: $140

June 4: $139

June 8: $167

June 13: $219

June 22: $157

June 24: $116

June 28: $172

$1110 (each of the totals includes the tip which was about $20, I think. It was based on a percentage of the grocery total.)

I think I spent almost $200 replacing some things after losing power. Most everything in the fridge had to go and some of the freezer stuff had to go (and needed to be cleaned out anyway).

So, on June 30th, I cancelled Walmart Plus. I know it’s more me than them, but if you include $12 a month plus about a $20 tip for each delivery, I just am not sure this makes sense. I didn’t want another monthly charge and I didn’t want to pay $98 for the year.

One thing I think is happening is that I am not meal planning around sales and I just get what I want when I want. It was so easy to just place an order just like it’s so easy to do a pick up from Kroger and one thing leads to another and I end up with way more than the one thing I needed. There need to be more “this is what we have so we are having it meals”. Do you struggle with this, too?

Other grocery besides Walmart (gulp):

$578

This includes Kroger, Costco, farmer’s markets, and Trader Joe’s. Some of the purchases were not food, but things we need for household.

Meals Out/Take Out/Happy Hours out:

This is going to be super high due to celebrating! We had end of school celebrations, Father’s Day, Tom’s birthday, niece Brooke’s birthday, a couple of fun outings for me because I am off work, and a bit more take out than normal just for fun and for when our power was out.

Are you ready?

$601

OMG….This can really get away from you!

Amy clothing or accessories:

$28 – silky jaguar top

$5 white lounge shorts

$15 Pioneer Woman summer robe

$14 J. Crew Factory green and pink blouse

$13 J. Crew Factory black sandals

$16 Walmart fun printed leggings

$11 Walmart gauzy palm print blouse

$9.98 Walmart soft Pj set

$111.98 – Not bad! I am happy that I felt content with what I had and really only purchased things that I thought would work well and that were good prices.

So, I always want to put people before money. I will never regret treating my people or spending quality time that also involves spending money. When you are a teacher with a 20-minute lunch break, a summer lunch out is a total luxury, too, so this also counts as entertainment.

But, when I look at the food totals of $1110, $578, and $601 this makes me feel sick. I guess I should also say again that this includes Ernie food and toiletries/household supplies. But, still! What am I doing wrong? I really want to work on this. I thought Walmart Plus was going to be a big money saver, but if you go back to May, you will see it really wasn’t. I think this shows me I need work on meal planning, food waste prevention, and more. One idea I have it to buy less at a time so food waste doesn’t get away from me.

I am open to suggestions! Or, can you at least empathize with me? I am feeling pretty down about how I did this month.

How was June for you?

Amy

Monday, July 3, 2023

It’s time for both Hello Monday and Prime Purchases with Tanya.

On Thursday, late afternoon, I talked brunette Heather into checking out the new Hotel Genevieve’s Rooftop bar for $10 espresso martinis (spoiler – they ran out!). This boutique hotel is in one of my favorite areas of my city – NULU. Get ready because a Louisville favorites post is coming your way!

It was just so pretty!

It stormed while we were there! Unfortunately, we didn’t get to enjoy the open terrace.

Checking out the first floor of the hotel and being silly…

After, we walked down to Royals Chicken and split some chicken and potato wedges.

Friday morning was a nice and relaxed morning…

I made jam! It’s on my Summer List! Check!

I also threw chicken (not literally) in the crockpot with a can of diced tomatoes and a packet of taco seasoning for dinner.

Tom came home around 3:00 because Holiday Weekend! We took our boy down to the river and bought new boat batteries.

We had black beans, rice, Mexican chicken and tortillas for dinner with toppings.

Saturday morning I made homemade biscuits:

We enjoyed them with jamy (Amy’s jam).

Then, Tom and I went to see this and I didn’t have high expectations, but it was really cute and not too dirty or anything. Tom liked it, too.

After the movie, we did a quick Costco run.

I’m enjoying my glass iced coffee cups!

Saturday night we just had Costco Bare chicken patty sandwiches for dinner.

And, I will continue on Wednesday….

Now, for what I have purchased from Amazon lately…

I bought this two pack of 90s sunglasses on a whim. I bought these fly fans and I do think they work. These were a gift for Tom. I bought Turkish towels. We struggle to keep our glass shower door clean and I purchased this product.

Ernie loves these Rachael Ray treats. I am in a fight with the mosquitos already so I bought OFF and my friend swears this lotion helps keep them away. It is not totally working for me, but I do love the smell and the consistency.

I love my new iced coffee cups!

I bought these “sponges”. They are supposed to help your skin. I bought those for my kids. And, I bought myself a new watch.

What have you purchased this month? What have you done this weekend?

Amy

Friday, June 30, 2023

It’s time to link up with Andrea and Erika for Friday Favorites!

First up is cooking! I am having fun cooking for a family of four (Mason just got a job that usually goes from 3 to 9 or 10 so I am leaving a plate in the fridge), but I have enjoyed cooking dinner for over a month.

Here is what we have had this week:

Sunday night – entree salad with grilled chicken and Cheese Gal dressing

Monday night – no power – Qdoba

Tuesday night – Mix and Match Mama’s bacon tomato pasta, roasted green beans (frozen thin – Jack’s fave), Texas Toast

Wednesday night- new Japanese barbecue marinated chicken, roasted broccoli, cauliflower rice and taught Jack how to make Hawaiian ham and swiss sliders

Thursday night – everyone on their own (Jack with friend, Mason at King’s Island Amusement park, Tom leftovers and ham and cheese sandwich, Amy out)

Sunday we tried to take our friends Scott and Jessica (there are two Scotts and two Jessicas in my life so you hear those names a lot!) to lunch by boat.

The boat wouldn’t start and after an hour we determined we needed a new battery but it wasn’t going to happen that day.

So, we drove like peasants (just kidding – we have a peasant boat, too) to Cunningham’s on the River.

A favorite is time with friends even when it doesn’t go according to plan!

In the parking lot on the way in, we saw a woman crumple and fall to the ground and she took forever to get up. I was seriously worried about her. She had someone with her and tons of people rushed to help.

On the way out, I dropped my phone – hard.

I thought surely my phone was damaged, but this baby really works. I am glad I had two more in the package. If you don’t have this on your phone, you need it!

This is a lifesaver favorite!

Sunday night entree salad:

My kids went with a group of friends to see Spider Man in the late afternoon. When the movie was close to ending, we received word of a tornado watch and then the tornado sirens started going off. I texted to tell them to stay at the theater but the one not driving called and told me they were almost home. Thankfully they made it home and ate dinner. Then, Mason had plans to go stay with a friend and left after the storm had stopped – ish.

Jack and I watched a show and the power flickered a few times. Then, it completely went out. I didn’t realize another storm was coming, but this one did some serious damage to our area. A house was completely destroyed by a giant old tree. Two other giant trees took down power lines. We lost power around 8:20 Sunday evening.

Jack played guitar while we watched the rain continue to come down.

Then, it hailed!

It’s good to be a candle hoarder when this happens. When we went to sleep, we didn’t want to leave candles burning, so I was glad to have these cool lantern things.

I bought mine from a local boutique, but I have also ordered some for gifts. I couldn’t believe how long the little water activated lights kept working. They are still going strong. You fill the plastic luminary with water up to the half way point and drop the little floating “candle” in the water.

I slept ok and it was still pretty cool in the house. Monday morning I headed straight to Starbucks for two venti brewed coffees and I used my own stuff at home to doctor it up. Thank goodness that Starbucks had power! Most of the local businesses were fine except one gas station.

Monday was gorgeous. Mason came home and the kids played games (board games) in the house and Ernie and I stayed outside all day. I did run some errands, too.

I bought Ernie a baby pool in case the power was out for a long time.

Jack went to work and Mason, Tom, Ernie and I walked around the elementary school behind our house and it was damaged, too.

Tom and Mason mowed.

Mason and I went and picked up Qdoba.

Then we lit the mini Solo Stove for s’mores.

Monday night it was very hard to sleep. I moved to the basement couch because it was so hot on the main floor. Around 3 am, I went back to my bed and was in and out of sleep. At 5:00 a.m. something in the air changed and I realized the power was back! I slept so well from 5-6! Ha!

Now came the work to get my life back together. I tossed the contents of the fridge. Ouch! I checked the freezer stuff – most was still frozen solid. I did laundry, ran the dishwasher, placed a replacement grocery order and went to Kroger for some more urgent needs. Tuesday was just a day of re-setting. I was grateful and thankful, though!

It did motivate me to clean the fridge and a couple of other areas on my list, which is also a favorite.

I was so happy to be able to cook again!

Some more favorites…

I would not totally replace my beach towels with Turkish towels. I like the fluffy nature of a traditional towel for laying out in the sun. The Turkish towel was great for wrapping myself in at the pool party last weekend, though. I love that it folds up small for travel or for space saving. I love that it takes up less space in the washer. But your girl wants a fluffy towel. My favorites are Tommy Bahama from Costco.

I am a fan of Lume, but I ordered the wrong scents. I really like the cream and rubbing cream on my pits is better than I thought. The smell goes away after a bit, but this really does work for me. I put on regular deoderant the other day and smelled myself stinking. Anyone like Lume? What scent should I get next?

I picked up this cute summery necklace in Target a few weeks ago.

This is really good! Do you also love the chopped salad kits?

I love the rain water scent. You would think I had had enough of the rain from last week and weekend!

This is really good! It’s a big trend right now and with good reason. I marinated my chicken in it and then also served it with more sauce.

Here’s what it looked like:

I check out cookbooks from the library and this one is great! I read cookbooks like novels.

Ok, Jennifer, I couldn’t finish, but I got close. I skimmed the last 8 chapters or so and read the ending. It was a cute story, great location, good food descriptions, but the dialogue really bugged me. I didn’t like the dialogue between the teenager and the mom especially. It moved slowly, too, and I guess I wanted more to happen. This will make 4ish books in June for me, I think. Happy Place by Emily Henry, Our Italian Summer by Jennifer Probst, The Party Crasher by Sophie Kinsella, and The Temporary Roomie by Sarah Adams, The Party Crasher has been my favorite.

Up next is one of these. I am thinking Flying Solo. It is by the author of Evvie Drake Starts Over.

Reading is really so personal. We might be in different states of mind and have very different opinions from others. I wasn’t wowed by Happy Place but I have heard others say they couldn’t put it down.

What were your favorites this week? I hope you had many!

Amy

Thursday, June 29, 2023

June….why do you have to go so fast? I love everything about you!

Today is Fashion Files day and I am linking up with Kellyann and Jill. Thanks, ladies!

Last Friday I wore this dress to go to the vet and to lunch. For the vet, I wore my flat sandals and then for lunch, I changed into my wedges. I would not normally dress up for the vet (do not get any ideas!), but I had a tight window of time between the appointment and my lunch date. You see the wedges below:

Boy, have these both been my go to shoe this summer for leaving the house. They are both very summery.

Wedges:

The wedges are Coconuts by Matisse from two to three season ago. There is an updated model this season that I like better but they aren’t different enough for me to justify the purchase.

Flats:

The flat sandals are from Target this year.

I guess I really like this vibe for summer, she says as she pats herself on the back for both of these shoe purchases. I think when you really like your options, you need less and you feel more content? I guess that is just common sense.

Later that afternoon for the movie, I changed into my black cut offs and my white polo sweatshirt with my new J. Crew Factory sandals. Dang, the sandals must run narrow. I think they would not work for anyone with a bit wider foot. I really like the look, though!

Comparing the Target flat sandals and the J.Crew Factory flat sandals:

See the tan on the left and how much more footbed there is?

Saturday and Sunday I wore bathing suits and cover ups. Monday, I wore my strawberry t-shirt to run errands and I want to tell you about a trend I just learned about!

My strawberry t-shirt is a v-neck and Old Navy from last year. You may remember that I also bought strawberry earrings and orange slice earrings last year. They are made from real fruit and lacquered over.

The trend is called “Tomato Girl” and it is not just about actual tomatoes. You can wear tomato red clothing, or you can wear any fruits, I think. Lol! I read that it comes on the heels of “Barbiecore”. But the Barbie movie is coming out soon so maybe Barbie and Tomato Girl will get in a girl fight. I am having a hot pink summer and it makes me happy. I really do need to add some tomato red to my closet.

The earrings:

I also have pineapples. Does that count?

I have fun with my clothing and I wear what I love. You may not agree with that and that’s ok. I understand I am coming very close to the teacher who wears apples on her clothing territory, but again, if you are a teacher who wants to wear apples – go for it.

Yesterday I put this ‘fit on for morning errands and an afternoon dentist appointment. This blouse is last year Kohl’s Lauren Conrad and I just gasped when I saw it. I really don’t shop at Kohl’s but I saw it online or in the store when I was looking for something I guess.

You know how I bought these leggings from Walmart? I also ordered a biker short version and they were too big so I took them back and found…

The softest pj set. I am mad because I paid $9.98 and you can have it for $7.98! It is a tank and shorts – my fave. I got the little bicycle print. So cute!

And, this top was gauzy and linen-ish and on clearance for $11! You know how I love a palm print! I hope it doesn’t look like marijuana leaves because I couldn’t wear that to school. It says it is a sleep top, but why would I dress up to sleep? I would not be able to sleep in a blouse? Sleep blouse? Do not let labels hold you back, ladies?

The Pj set and the blouse are hanging out in the mudroom because I cut the tags and washed them right away. That is a sure sign for me that I love a piece. If I don’t do that it means I didn’t really need it or want it that badly.

Well, I don’t know how much actual fashion is in this post, but thanks for reading!

What have you been wearing lately? Any clothing item you are just loving right now? How do people wear full on jeans in the summer? I’m going to try it next year and see if I can do it.

Amy

Reflecting on 29! years in the classroom…

Wednesday, June 28, 2023

Wednesday, June 28, 2023

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

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

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

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

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

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

1. What was your rose?

2. What was your thorn?

3. What are you most proud of?

4. What was most difficult?

5. What could you do to improve that?

General health:

Getting enough sleep?

Eating well?

Enough water?

Moving body/getting exercise?

School/free time balance?

What can you take off plate for next year?

What do you want to work on over summer?

Goals for next year?

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

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

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

Here are my answers:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I also could do better with my water.

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

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

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

I want to work on a better exercise routine.

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

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

Amy

Tuesday, June 27, 2023

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thanks for listening,

Amy

Monday, June 26, 2023

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

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

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

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

Nice haul, right?

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

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

I had a wonderful rosé with my lunch.

We had the smoked salmon appetizer:

I had Jamaican grouper:

Victoria had the beet salad:

After lunch I was ready for some relaxation:

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

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

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

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

Ernie and I took an early walk.

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

and more kettle corn for Tom!

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

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

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

Mike had me laughing at how he labeled the coolers!

Man drinks/beer:

Lady drinks/White Claws!:

And, kid drinks:

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

I’ve never seen more sunscreen in one place:

Our friend Dan developed a beautiful drink…

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

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

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

1 can of Rotel drained

I packet taco seasoning

2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

green onions for garnish

And, I made strawberry salad:

And, Mix and Match Mama’s corn salad:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Amy