Hello Monday (7.20.2026)

Happy Monday, friends! How was your weekend? Mine was great! I'm linking up with Holly and Sarah for today's blog post. I'll jump right in, starting with Thursday afternoon/evening.

I made dinner and ate early with Chris on Thursday night so that we could go swim! My friend Heather was out of town this weekend, so I watched her dog Annie; the bonus was that I got to swim all weekend long! The pool feels amazing at night, but it's a little warmer than I like in the daytime. I am not complaining though, because being hot in the water is better than being hot outside. 

Friday was a morning I spent at home; I cleaned and organized a little before I got dressed for the day. Chris got off work early that day and we went on a long drive into Mississippi; we had lunch at the best Mexican restaurant and then we made our way back to my house. He grilled burgers for us for dinner (they were delicious), then we went back to the pool. 

(We stopped for iced coffee as well, and they were so good!) 

Annie swam with us! Their pool is beautiful; this is my friend Heather that I went to high school with. I've known her forever it seems, but when Jonah, Noah, and her son Nick met, they became best friends. I love that our sons are best friends now! Nick is the one who moved to Chattanooga after life changed so drastically; Jonah lost his grandfather, his girlfriend, and his best friend moved away withing a three week period of time. It was a lot for his little heart...almost more than he could handle. 

This night was so much fun; we had a speaker with us to play music while we swam, and I had a couple of these drinks that Chris bought for me. (They're okay, but the peach one is the best.)

Saturday arrived early; I let Annie out and fed her, then I went to breakfast with Chris. I did a few things here while Chris took his truck to get it washed; Trish came over so we could go swim. We did that all day; afterward I showered and got dressed, then went to dinner with Chris. Dinner was followed with a drive around the city, then the snow cones you see pictured. 

It was a fun couple of days! Sunday was church with lunch afterward, more taking care of sweet Annie the dog, then we came back to my house for the afternoon since family dinner was happening again that night. Noah requested that I make poppyseed chicken, so that's what I made; I love having my sons here each week, and I love that they're requesting the meals each week. Stay tuned for what's coming next Sunday! 

Another big part of my weekend was that I rearranged my bedroom with Chris while he was here on Friday.

Here's what it used to look like situated with my old bed between the windows...

Here it is rearranged in a way that feels new and fresh. I have something in the works for the walls in the room, so once again I'll tell you to stay tuned. I got rid of one nightstand and brought this newer one upstairs for my side of the bed. I have some pictures that I'm going to hang above the bed (two), and more are on the way that I ordered from Mixtiles. I can't wait to see it all put together! 

How was your weekend? Tell me all about it, please! In case you missed, I published a bonus blog post on Friday morning; here's a link if you'd like to check it out. Thanks for being here to read again today, friends; I'll see you back here tomorrow. Love to all!

Jen

everyday images

 

Happy bonus blog post day! I'm linking up with Kym for another installment of everyday images. I hope you enjoy the pictures!

layers

I love layering bracelets with my Apple watch.

current season

I am currently soaking all of my summer days that I have left.

milestone

I had a milestone moment Friday morning; my sisters planned an NYC trip in December for my 50th birthday! The milestone came when Lisa told me that the hotel and tickets were booked, and again when I booked reservations at Carmine's on the night of December 3rd. 

getting ready

These are the staples I keep for getting ready every morning.

wings

I love butterfly wings, but my favorite kind of wings belong on an airplane!

entrance 

Here are a few of my favorite entrances...into and out of my home, work, and the tiny cabin Chris and I stayed in a few months ago.

young

I love young people! The one with a young girl and me with dark hair was from about ten years ago; I used to teach high school girls at church and this was at a summer camp at Daytona Beach. Also pictured is my young student from SLC, and sweet little Reese. 

Thanks for reading my blog today, friends! Love to all.

Jen 

Friday faves (7.17.2026)

 

Happy Friday, friends! I hope all of you had a great week; I want to hear about it at the end of this post, so stay tuned. Here are some favorite things and moments from this week...

I've been meaning to tell you about this new to me sunscreen I found on Amazon. I love it so far, and have been using it for about three weeks. I use two pumps of it with my Lumi glotion and rub them both all over my face each morning for my "foundation"; while that dries, I slather body butter all over me, then I finish my makeup. Glowy makeup is my very fav!

I used to not be into perfume; then I found this brand and fell in love with the scent in the yellow bottle. I loved it so much that in the fall, I ordered another scent for fall and winter that's warmer with hints of vanilla. These are my favorite two perfumes that I have now! I also bought myself a more luxurious fragrance by Dolce & Gabbana, one other that I found thanks to social media (Honey Ood that I dislike). I will say that I am not one who can wear anything strong or floral scented, so when I discovered that the STTS brand (the yellow bottle) was something I could easily wear, I fell in love. I can wear anything that smells like coconut or vanilla; those are my go-to scents. I also love that people now compliment me on how good I smell; when I found myself back in the dating world, this is something that became  important to me, and it never stopped. 

I've raved about these pineapple gummies for a long time now; I subscribed to have them delivered to me every six weeks. 

I've started using mouthwash twice a day; I had some gum irritation recently that led me to buy something that was helpful for that specific thing. The next time I order to replace this one from Walgreens, this is the one I'll be ordering. Gum irritation is something we experience more of as we age; it's of utmost importance to care for both our teeth and our gums by flossing, rinsing with mouthwash, brushing, and visiting a dentist at least once a year but preferably every six months...while that might not be a favorite, it's something that needs to be done.

This curl spray is my favorite for the days when I need to revive my curls between washes.

This spray from Bath & Body works is a fav for the days when I don't want to use perfume.

This body butter from Trader Joe's is a favorite and also a summer staple. 

I've been rearranging, organizing, and repurposing again this week! I have a story behind it (s=Stay tuned!), but for now, you all know that's my favorite thing to do while I'm at home. Here are some pictures of what I've been doing...

As much as I loved this piece of furniture in my kitchen, I decided to move it after Sunday night family dinner. The piece was too big for the kitchen when I put the leaf into the table; I decided to move it into the living room and then I took the red piece of furniture from there and put it into that same spot in the kitchen. The red cabinet is an antique and belonged to Dad; Mom painted it red, and I'm kind of in love with it, honestly. I have no plans of changing its color, and I love that it was something Mom did for Dad. 

I love it so much! I also brought in the peace lily from the living room into the kitchen since it's sunnier and because it needs more sunlight.

And here are some favorite things that sit on the piece of furniture that now resides in the living room. My candle warmer was a gift from Drew and Mallory; the prayer box was a gift from my sister Debi, and the candle was a gift from the teachers I worked with this summer at our SLC. 

The room behind the pink bow is the downstairs half bath...have you ever seen the inside? 

She's small, but she's cute. I like to conceal things in baskets, so you'll see extra TP, room sprays, and small garbage bags for the trash can you can't see. I like to use a pretty hand towel, a yummy smelling bottle of soap, and ambiance lighting...yes, even in this tiny room. 

Are you like this? You know that decorating is my favorite thing!

Friends were my fav this week! Marcia was on Monday, Teresa and Missy were on Tuesday, and Kathy was Wednesday night; I was at a going away party for them with Chris at a Mexican restaurant. I had lunch with two work friends yesterday, but I didn't get a picture of them. I did get a picture of this, though!

Pomegranate soft serve margaritas are my new favorite thing!

Being here yesterday with my friend brought back some memories that are not my favorite; I'm glad I went with her, though.

Lastly, have you heard of the divorce glow up? It's something I came across accidentally this week, and that was all it took for me to go down a rabbit hole. It's basically what it sounds like...it's pictures that  women are sharing of themselves on social media of the glow up they experience after they divorce. Now, please hear me say this: I do not recommend a divorce. It's the worst thing I've ever been through! But there is something true about the transformation I've experienced in myself from June of 2024 to July of 2026; I didn't believe it until I saw it for myself. I created this collage yesterday (They're my fav!) to share with you today. 

I said it already, and I'll say it again: I do not recommend divorce. I just thought it was interesting to hear what people were saying about women who went through divorces in their midlife. These kinds of statistics always fascinate me. 

So tell me about your week...do you have a favorite thing or event? I'd love to hear from you! Thanks for reading my blog today, friends; don't forget that Saturday July 25th is the next Share 4 Somethings (something you loved, something that sustained you, something you're carrying forward from this month to the next, and something you're making space for). I hope you make plans now to join us then. Until then, have a great weekend; I'll see you back here on Monday! Love to all!


Jen 🤣