Friday Favorites (July 24, 2026)

 

Happy Friday Friends!  First things First!  We are giddy with excitement!  The Girls' BIG SHOW is tonight!  Can't wait to see them on stage...it will be quite emotional for us and we will enjoy every moment :)

 

 

 I really enjoyed the tales from theater camp that the girls regaled me with...also loved seeing them have so much fun and be so happy- a gift I was grateful to be able to give them :)

 

 

and here are some more faves from our week....

 

 Remi's New Toy

 

 

I got Remi a new toy- it's a hot dog and he went WILD over it...so flippin' cute!

 

 

 

 Diana's Best Life

 

We have loved witnessing this kid living her best life before she heads off to college.  Don't get me wrong!  Yes there are lots of get togethers with friends as seen above but we are really proud of her because she has been working hard all summer too- she is a Junior Counselor at Theater Camp AND she works four nights/week at a restaurant...glad she learned the work ethic from us...it will serve her well in life for sure! :)

 

 

 

 MEMEs

 

 

 and this one my hubby sent me...he's so romantic ;)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Heated Yoga

 

Yessss....feels SO GOOD to be back!!  :)

 

 

 

 The Blue Hydrangeas

 

One of my favorite flowers...just started blooming for the first time in our yard...never say never...symbolizes so so much for me....

 

 

 Lunch With My Bestie

 

 

 

My bestie Beth Ann lost her mom this week.  It is very sad and somewhat of a relief at the same time.  She suffered from Alzheimer's for 10 years.  We had the wake last night and we are headed to the funeral this morning. Before all of the services, however, I was able to enjoy a lunch alone with her and was able to listen to it all.  It was a great time for us to catch up and healing for her to share the sadness and stress from the last few weeks. No greater gift than quality time with your favorite people for sure.  

 

 

 

 

Now friends, I need your help!  I am looking into refreshing my Blog.  I may keep it on Blogger or may migrate over to Wordpress.  Can you please send me your suggestions of Blog Designers you have used?  You can comment here or email me at hbinda@yahoo.com

 

Thanks so much and have a wonderful weekend! 

 

 

 

 

Creamy Lemon Chicken

 

 Ok friends!  Time for my next TikTok Recipe- yeah!  You can check out "our" video below- have to include my editor Eva "The Pidge" Breton so she gets some credit :)

 

 

 This was such a quick and easy weeknight meal AND it went over well which is always half the battle with my kids!

 

You should make it...it is really easy... 

 

 

Ingredients

 

For the chicken cutlets:

• 2 large chicken breasts - or 4 medium chicken cutlets
• 1 teaspoon Italian herb seasoning
• Salt and pepper
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• Olive oil

For the Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ cup chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed - plus more to taste
• 1 cup heavy cream - do not substitute, see notes
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh chopped Italian parsley - for garnish
• Lemon slices - for garnish

 

Instructions

 

• Prep chicken cutlets: Slice each chicken breast in half lengthwise to get thinner cutlets. Over plastic wrap, slightly pound the chicken to even thickness as needed using a meat mallet. This is for even cooking and to tenderize the chicken.
• Season and dredge chicken: Season both sides of the chicken cutlets with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning (per chicken cutlet, use about ¼ teaspoon each: Italian seasoning, Kosher salt, and ground black pepper). Dredge the seasoned chicken in flour and shake off any excess.
• Sear chicken: Heat a few generous drizzles of olive oil in a large 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Sear the chicken on both sides, about 4-5 minutes per side undisturbed, until golden brown and fully cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside.
• Start the sauce: Don’t wipe the skillet clean. Melt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, then sauté garlic until fragrant. Add the chicken broth plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice until warm. Taste it, and add the second tablespoon of lemon juice if desired (I ended up adding 2 tablespoons).
• Add heavy cream: Turn down to low heat. Bring to a very light simmer. Then, stir in heavy cream, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Return chicken to pan and bring back to a low simmer. Simmer for another 3-5 minutes until the sauce has thickened a bit.
• Serve with lemon slices, a few grinds of black pepper, and freshly chopped parsley. Enjoy!  I served mine with Bob Evans Mashed Potatoes and Steamed Broccoli and Cauliflower FTW!  

 

Wednesday Hodgepodge

 

 

 

Hi Friends and Happy Wednesday!  It's time, once again, for Hodgepodge with Joyce!  Let's answer her fun questions...

 

 

 

1. Do your goals and dreams energize or exhaust you? Elaborate. 

 

They energize me...they keep pushing me forward...reminding me to focus and keep my eye on the prize...whether they are personal goals and dreams or professional ones...my faith is the biggest thing that gives me strength and energizes me and then my goals and dreams come next! They are all crucial to my personal growth. 

 

 

2. July 23rd is national lemon day. Are you a fan of this flavor? What's a favorite dish or beverage you enjoy that calls for lemons? 

 

 I LOVE lemon!  I love the taste and the flavor and the scent- one of the cleanest scents around.  I love lemon in pasta dishes and with seafood dishes and I love a Limoncello Spritz- reminds me of Italy!

 

3. "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade"...is this something you're pretty good at managing? Have you had to do this recently? If so tell us about it. 

 

It happens to me constantly at work.  When a placement doesn't come together or when I get overlooked/passed over for great opportunities- it can be very difficult to not get stuck.  When these things happen, I feel sorry for myself and get crushed but try not to stay there.  I focus on my next goal and a productive task I can focus on that will hopefully bring good results in the future.  It is a work in progress. 

 

 

4. Something you love that is lemon yellow in color?  

 

 Flowers- Nail Polish- Accessories- Candy and anything LEMON :)

 

 

5. How would you describe your attention to detail? 

 

 Average- Yes I am detail oriented but I am also not super picky and low maintenance when it comes to many things. I am a sales person through and through so I focus more on revenue-generating activity, pushing and making connections.  I worry about the details later sometimes.

 

 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

 

To go along with the lemon theme, I wanted to share a recipe with you that was a recent win.  It is actually part of a video going on TikTok this week too!  Check out this Creamy Lemon Chicken Recipe HERE 

 

 

 

Fashion Files - July 2026

 

Hi Friends! I decided to join in on the fun and linkup with Amy for Fashion Files.

 

Here are some recent fits...

 

 

Comfy

 

 

Professional

 

 

 

Shower Prep

 

 

 

TikTok Content

 

 

 

Grad Party "Fit"

 

 

 and a Little Lilly for Good Measure ;)

 

 

 

Hello Monday (July 20, 2026)

 

Hi Friends and Happy Monday!  As always, I am with Sara and all of YOU!  We are chatting about our weekends and hope you will join us....

 

Here is what our little summer weekend looked like...I must say it was one of my favorite recent weekends!

 

Friday Night

 

It was time for a dinner date with my hubby at one of our fave places...

 

 

 

and then I ran an open house for my real estate boss

 

Rob had a gig at BWG and was surprised when a bunch of different friends showed up!  I got several texts with pics of him :)

 

 

Diana was at another Grad Party 

 

 

Saturday

 

We were up bright and early and headed out to finally use the AllTrails app I read up on.  We headed to Foster's Pond in town

It started out ok when we went in one direction.  Once we completed the first loop, we ended up back at the entrance and decided to try the second loop and that's when things went south and we got lost in the woods- ha!!

 

It's ok...we are alive and we finally figured things out.  Our hike just ended up being much longer than planned but I am not complaining for the extra exercise and extra steps- it felt great!

I did decide, though, when I try new trails in the woods, I will save those hikes for when I am with my hubby

 

After that, Eva headed to a rehearsal and Diana and I headed to a fun coffee shop we saw on TikTok.  It was about a half hour away in North Reading, MA and it was fantastic.  The iced lattes were to die for and we even tried their Brazilian pastries- they were not sweet at all like you would think- they were almost like a smaller and lighter popover- delish!  

 

When we got home, Diana headed to a rehearsal and then another Grad Party and I headed to a nail appointment.  Robby B got some yard work done.

 

 

We spent the afternoon/few hours chilling and then headed to the next Grad Party of the season- Remi did not want us to leave- sorry Bud- but we quickly captured our party "fits" and headed out. (working on TikTok content so more pics and videos are needed I guess- per my editor)

 

 

We had an absolute blast and I got to catch up with my fave senior Mamas who helped get me through this year!  Our laughing is so good for the soul. We also got to hang with Diana and her friends for a bit which is always so much fun :)

 

 

Eva and a bestie headed to a show in town and Rob picked them up after and picked Diana up late night- he is a gem!

 

 

Sunday

 

We were up bright and early again and headed to mass.  Then it was time for meal planning, grocery ordering and blogging.

 

Then we got one more day of softball in for the season!  Eva got to play in a tournament with her town team!

 

 

and for her second game, a few of her friends from her club team came to support her!  We were so touched- these girls are fantastic :)

 

 

After that, Rob and Eva headed to a softball meeting and I whipped up dinner for us.  Diana was working.

 

Lovin' the Blackstone!

 

 

We crashed pretty early after a great summer weekend.  What were you all up to?

 

 

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