Friday Favorites (July 29, 2022)

 

Happy Friday!  We made it...not sure how but we did...HA!

Linking up to share some faves from our week HERE

Fave MEMEs

Remi!

The cone is off - he is recovering nicely and he has his grooming appointment set for Saturday!  After that we can put his new harness and leash on him which Mama bought him and it has sharks all over it to humor Daddy- just so happy our guy is healthy and home! :)

TTTC 2022!

It was the best one yet!  I will have photos and videos to share next week but here are a few to start with- we are so proud of our girls and so happy that things were back to normal this year and they had a BLAST!

 

Medical Answers

I thank you for all of your prayers and support.  As far as my doctors can tell, there is no cancer in me- Praise God but due to some female issues, I will need to have surgery.  Just relieved to have some answers and now want to get this surgery over with hopefully in August!

 

That's a wrap!  Have a wonderful summer weekend friends XO

Monthly Musings: July 2022- Back To School Prep

 

Hi Friends!  Welcome to Monthly Musings!  Patty and I are so glad you stopped by!

This month we are talking all things "Back To School Prep"...check out our questions below...

If you blogged today and want to chat about Back To School, grab our graphic and link back up with us below...we need all the tips we can get!

Here it goes...

1. How do you get organized for the school year?

I keep lists of the clothing items, shoes and school supplies as I buy them for each girl and then also start more serious meal planning. I like to plan meals for the month of September so it is one less thing to do and much less overwhelming!

 

2. Favorite Places To Shop for Back To School Clothes?

Depends on the girl!  For Diana it is anything from Abercrombie to Sheein and for Eva it is more like Target and Old Navy...I love to shop for Back to School outfits for them!

 

3.  Do you Meal Plan? Favorite Back To School Meals?  Share a Recipe or Two!

YES!  I meal plan all year which helps to keep us more organized and less overwhelmed.

Tacos are always a fave in our house so we usually do "Taco Tuesday" but last year, on the first day of school we had a Taco Party of sorts and I called it "Taco Bout Going Back to School" .  I made tacos with lots of topping choices, homemade gauc and chips with rice and I decorated.  You can check that out HERE

 and a few fave fall recipes include

Frito Pie.  Find the recipe HERE

 and my Chicken Broccoli Ziti HERE

4. What Are Your Kids Favorite Things About Going Back to School?

Seeing their friends more often would probably top their lists...as well as new clothes...new school supplies and fun lunches again..also it is when their activities start up again...especially dance and that always makes them happy :)

5. Best Place for School Supplies?

It is a tie for me- we always snag supplies at both Target and then Amazon for the items Target doesn't have-these two spots have worked best for us!

6. Any First Day of School Traditions?

The obligatory front step photos with the chalk board and a special meal that night...even though most of the time it is rushed because of dance, etc...it is still an exciting day for all of us!

7. Best Lunchbox Tip

We use cooler lunch bags so they are insulated and to keep different lunches warm like pasta or pizza rolls, we heat up the thermos with boiling water for a few minutes then heat up the food and put it in the thermos and the food stays pretty warm until lunchtime!

8. Buy lunch?  Bring lunch?  Both?

Eva likes to buy 1-2 days/week and brings the other days- this typically changes year to year.  Diana used to like to buy lunch but since COVID, she only wants to bring lunch..we shall see if this changes in high school this year!

9. Does school start before or after Labor Day where you live?

Before...ugh...sigh

10. Best money savings tip for back to school?

Buy pieces that you can mix and match when it comes to clothing..that way you putting together more and different outfits and spending less!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

What's Up Wednesday: July 2022

 

 

 

Well I think July was the fastest month yet?  How about you?  It is already time for my fave linkup where we share What's Up With Us! Linking up HERE

What We're Eating This Week

Monday Instant Loss Pineapple Chicken Bowls

Find the Recipe HERE

 

Tuesday- Fiesta Chicken Tacos with Homemade Guac and Chips 

Find the Chicken Recipe HERE and just stuff this deliciousness into your fave tortillas/taco shells/lettuce wraps

Wednesday- Weight Waters Tuscan Chicken Pasta

Find the Recipe HERE

 

 

Thursday- Breakfast for Dinner- Breakfast Sliders, Hashbrowns and Berrys

 

Friday- Friday Night Pizza Night for the Fam BUT Mama cooking for the Fab Four- Pool Time with Mama's Clam Chowder and Peach, Tomato and Burrata Salad :)

 

 

What I'm Reminiscing About

 

As we are approaching the 2022 Triple Threat Show tomorrow night, I can't help to reminisce about the last normal summer show we experienced in 2019 when Diana played Matilda- dream come true!
 

 

 What I'm Loving

 

This summer's weather...hot...sunny....yes I spend most of my time in my air conditioned office but so glad we can get outside and grill and swim and enjoy a beautiful summer!

 

What We've Been Up To

There have been play dates and swim dayz

 

Yoga for Mama

 

The Town Fireworks Night (which ended in a storm- was fun while it lasted!)

We enjoyed 4th of July Weekend at the McLain's Lake House

 

and wrapped up the holiday weekend with a cookout at home with our fam

Mama and Mimi enjoyed a Happy Hour at Eddie V's

 

We wished Harry good luck as he headed to his summer ballet intensives at AAB

 

Someone has been really loving the costume prep for TTTC

We enjoyed the much anticipated "Last Summer On Earth Tour" with Laurel and Tom up at Gilford- my fave venue- We got to see Toad The Wet Sprocket, Gin Blossoms and Barenaked Ladies...sooo good!  This concert was supposed to happen in 2020 and was rescheduled twice!

 

We've been soaking up pool time alone with our fam and with friends

Mama and Daddy enjoyed a date night of dinner and the Elvis movie which was incredible!

The girls have been LOVING TTTC Camp...they come home excited every day!

We have been helping Remi recover from his big surgery- can't wait for the hood to come off this week!

Date Walks have continued!

We celebrated Michelle's Bday with Dinner at La Fina

and the Fab Four enjoyed our annual dinner of Indian Food at BA's

 

The girls have been inspired by YouTube and have been experimenting in the kitchen- they were very proud of their pancakes ;)

I enjoyed getting to see Kayla in her wedding gown and being there for her first fitting- yeah!

Daddy enjoyed a gig at a baseball game with a special band that was put together

We enjoyed hosting friends for an afternoon of swimming and grilling

Eva loved being invited to the 3rd Annual NH Girls Hockey Invitational

 

and Eva has enjoyed some Summer Softball too!

The girls and I enjoyed dinner with the Fournier Girls and then seeing Caden in his summer production of High School Musical

and our little fam enjoyed even more theater went we went to dinner and the WAG Production of The Little Mermaid

and we finally made it to the beach- Praise God!

What I'm Dreading

Some health news right now...just want to know what we are facing

 

 

What I'm Working On

 

Trying to live in the present- find peace in each day and follow the joy 

 

 

What I'm Excited About

 

The girls' show tomorrow night- eeeehhhhh so excited!!!

 

 

What I'm Watching/Reading

TV has been a bust lately...outside of some "Christmas In July" on Hallmark ;)

 

 

and my two books for July were

The Summer Place by Jennifer Weiner

One of my favorite authors for sure but this one was just ok for me- I LOVED her book last summer called "That Summer" but this one was just ok

Synopsis: When Veronica Levy bought her dream house on the Outer Cape, she imagined a place where generations of her family would gather for years to come.

Now, forty years later, with her children barely speaking to each other, or to her, Veronica has decided, reluctantly, to put the place on the market. She'll invite the family to gather one last time (and insist on their good behavior) at her granddaughter Celia's wedding. She'll spend one last summer by the beach, with her daughter Sarah, her son Sam, and whichever grandchildren can be coaxed into making the trip. Then she'll say goodbye to the house she's loved for forty years.

But three months is a long time. Time enough for an old love to reappear, for secrets to come to light, and for three generations of Levy women to decide what kind of lives they want to live, in the summers they have left.

 

 

and I am now finishing up 

Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand

 Another winner by one of my fave authors- perfect beach read with the right amount of suspense!  I am loving it

 

 Synopsis: Fresh off a bad breakup with a longtime boyfriend, Nantucket sweetheart Lizbet Keaton is desperately seeking a second act. When she’s named the new general manager of the Hotel Nantucket, a once Gilded Age gem turned abandoned eyesore, she hopes that her local expertise and charismatic staff can win the favor of their new London billionaire owner, Xavier Darling, as well as that of Shelly Carpenter, the wildly popular Instagram tastemaker who can help put them back on the map. And while the Hotel Nantucket appears to be a blissful paradise, complete with a celebrity chef-run restaurant and an idyllic wellness center, there’s a lot of drama behind closed doors. The staff (and guests) have complicated pasts, and the hotel can’t seem to overcome the bad reputation it earned in 1922 when a tragic fire killed nineteen-year-old chambermaid Grace Hadley. With Grace gleefully haunting the halls, a staff harboring all kinds of secrets, and Lizbet’s own romantic uncertainty, is the Hotel Nantucket destined for success or doom? 

 

 

What I'm Listening To

 

Lots of Playlists when we are around the house- 50's Love Songs by the pool, 90's Alternative Rock, Fall 2020 music, Old Orchard Beach and 45th Birthday Mix...changing it up depending on the day :)

 

 

 

What I'm Wearing

 

 

Lots of short outfits and comfy dresses for this summer heat... (still bad at taking pics but snapped a few before our concert night out)

 

 

 Oh and Blenders are always part of the summer uniform!

What I'm Doing This Weekend

 

No plans yet and not sad about that- hope to snag another relaxing beach day- we shall see

 

What I'm Looking Forward To Next Month

 

Can't really think that far right now but I will say another month of summer :) 

 

 

What Else Is New?

 

Keep those prayers coming-really appreciate them and the support from all of you- hope to have some answers from my doctor this week! 

 

Oh and tomorrow is Monthly Musings with Patty and me...we hope you will join us!  We are talking Back To School Prep...not to rush summer but to share ideas so we all can be successful this year!

 

Check out our questions below...

 

 

 That's a wrap!  What is up with YOU?