What's Up Wednesday - August 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What We're Eating This Week

 

Monday- Weekend Leftovers= Chicken and Veggie Kabobs and Pizza

Tuesday- Chicken, Broccoli and Ziti 

Find my Recipe HERE

 

  

Wednesday- Fish Sticks and Fries for Kids, TJ's Mahi Mahi Burgers and Salad for M&D

 

 

Thursday- Takeout 

Friday- Pizza and Salad Night

What I'm Reminiscing About

Diana just turned 12 so we have been reminiscing quite a bit about her younger years and sharing funny stories :)

 

 

 

 

What I'm Loving

 

 

Outdoor Walks in my Neighborhood....early morning is my favorite time of day...I love the quiet to get set up for my days...I do my prayers and devotionals, blogging and then dive into some work but before the day gets crazy, the days I am not at the gym, I get out for a walk in my neighborhood which includes a nearby golf course...it really has helped mentally and physically during these uncertain times and I always have more energy during the day.  I love when it is warm and not yet hot and the sprinklers are going and the day is an empty slate....sorry if I got too deep there...ha! (one morning I had some company and not the kind I welcomed but hey it happens) ;)

 

 

What We've Been Up To

We enjoyed a weekend in Maine with our Dance Pals and another fun weekend at Tom and Laurel's lake house....we have been spending as much time outdoors as possible swimming, playing and getting together with loved ones....

There has been ballet....

The Girls Had their Annual Physicals and are in great shape to go back to school!

Rob and I celebrated 16 years married with a date night at a new restaurant in town

and we had our house painted-yeah!!

We got all of our new dance shoes....

 

and some cute masks of course!

 

 

 

 

We celebrated Papa Pete's 79th Birthday...

Lastly, we celebrated Diana's 12th Birthday with a very special photo shoot on Saturday...

 

 Dinner with family on Sunday

and then a celebration with friends for swimming, pizza and cake on Monday (her actual birthday)

She also got spoiled by Mimi with a special shopping trip and a night out with Ally with shopping and dinner...the kid lives like a rock star ;)

What I'm Dreading

Actually nothing at the moment...just keeping my faith and thinking positively and hoping that our world continues to heal and we get past this challenging year

 

What I'm Working On

Jobs!  I am pumped to be busy again...I hope it is a good sign for our fourth quarter....there is nothing I enjoy more than finding awesome talent and placing great candidates!

What I'm Excited About

Still having trouble with this one...not really excited for anything right now....can only think one day at a time...anyone else feeling that right now?  Too much uncertainty and trying to stay level and calm

What I'm Watching/Reading

I seriously have not been watching anything but the news...anyone have any great suggestions for me?  I love romantic comedies and I am open to other suggestions....I prefer lighthearted and uplifting options right now.

On the flip side, I have enjoyed reading more and more and will most likely get three books in again this month....so far I have read

 

 

The End of Her- Shari Lapena

 

 

Oh my she didn't disappoint...her books are SO SUSPENSEFUL!  I devoured this book

 

Synopsis: 

In upstate New York, Stephanie and Patrick are adjusting to life with their colicky twin babies. The girls are a handful, but Stephanie doesn't mind being a stay-at-home mom, taking care of them while Patrick does the nine to five to pay the bills.

When a woman from Patrick's past drops in on them unexpectedly, raising questions about his late first wife, Stephanie supports her husband wholeheartedly. She knows the car accident all those many years ago was just that--an accident. But Erica is persistent, and now she's threatening to go to the police.

Patrick is afraid his job--and his reputation--will be at risk if he doesn't put an end to Erica's questioning immediately. And when the police start digging, Stephanie's trust in her husband begins to falter and Patrick is primed to lose everything he loves. As their marriage crumbles, Stephanie feels herself coming unglued, and soon she isn't sure what--or who--to believe. Now the most important thing is to protect her girls, but at what cost?

 

 

 

 and next was 

What You Wish For by Katherine Center

 

 

This was so lighthearted and really a quick read for me- something I typically would not have picked up but followed your advice and loved it!

Synopsis: 

 
Samantha Casey is a school librarian who loves her job, the kids, and her school family with passion and joy for living.
But she wasn’t always that way.
Duncan Carpenter is the new school principal who lives by rules and regulations, guided by the knowledge that bad things can happen.
But he wasn’t always that way.

And Sam knows it. Because she knew him before—at another school, in a different life. Back then, she loved him—but she was invisible. To him. To everyone. Even to herself. She escaped to a new school, a new job, a new chance at living. But when Duncan, of all people, gets hired as the new principal there, it feels like the best thing that could possibly happen to the school—and the worst thing that could possibly happen to Sam. Until the opposite turns out to be true. The lovable Duncan she’d known is now a suit-and-tie wearing, rule-enforcing tough guy so hell-bent on protecting the school that he’s willing to destroy it.

As the school community spirals into chaos, and danger from all corners looms large, Sam and Duncan must find their way to who they really are, what it means to be brave, and how to take a chance on love—which is the riskiest move of all.

and I am currently half way through

Luster by Raven Leilani

and this one is R Rated for sure- oh my- not sure what I think of this one yet but following your advice so stay tuned!

Synopsis:

Edie is just trying to survive. She’s messing up in her dead-end admin job in her all white office, is sleeping with all the wrong men, and has failed at the only thing that meant anything to her, painting. No one seems to care that she doesn’t really know what she’s doing with her life beyond looking for her next hook-up. And then she meets Eric, a white, middle-aged archivist with a suburban family, including a wife who has sort-of-agreed to an open marriage and an adopted black daughter who doesn’t have a single person in her life who can show her how to do her hair. As if navigating the constantly shifting landscape of sexual and racial politics as a young, black woman wasn’t already hard enough, with nowhere else left to go, Edie finds herself falling headfirst into Eric’s home and family.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 What I'm Listening To

I haven't enjoyed our pool as much as I would've liked to this summer but this past weekend I was able to get in an hour long float ALONE (pure bliss) and when I am doing that I play 1950's Love Songs- found a great playlist on Apple so that has become my summer tradition :)

 

 and when we are in the car, we have been listening to the Bombshell Soundtrack from the NBC hit Smash (a show we watch on repeat that was cancelled BUT they are creating a Broadway Musical and Diana and I hope to get there when it is possible!)

 

 

What I'm Wearing

Lots of workout clothes because they are most comfortable to work in and allow me to go for my walk/gym and get right back to my computer..on the weekends, I dial it up a notch with short outfits and will be breaking out some Lilly dresses over the next couple of weekends too...

 

What I'm Doing This Weekend 

I am taking Friday afternoon off to have lunch with the Fab Four

Friday Night, Diana is playing in her first Field Hockey Jamboree

Saturday, we are swimming, grilling and chilling with the Batsons

and....

Sunday, Rob and I are in a golf tournament with the McLains, Batsons and other friends

What I'm Looking Forward To Next Month?

SCHOOL!!!  Yeah!!!  My girls really can't wait to get back either....pray that everyone is able to stay healthy with our new precautions

What Else Is New?

Monthly Musings is TOMORROW!  Please join Patty and me!  We are talking about End of Summer and Back to School...we hope you join in on the fun!  See our questions below!

Linking up for What's Up Wednesday with Sheaffer and Shay HERE