Friday, July 17, 2026

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 🤣 


Thursday, July 16, 2026

weekly happies

 


Happy Thursday, friends! Here is this week's installment of my weekly happies that I'm always on the watch for. Grab a cup of coffee and settle in!


  • worship music to start my mornings off the right way
  • Chris—dreaming of our future together and where we want to live...talking about our wants in the house we'll live in together someday
  • funny little sayings about pineapples and being like one (standing tall, wearing a crown, and being sweet on the inside)
  • cute little places on the town square (even if we didn't get to eat there Sunday after church because it was closed)
  • organizing the spaces in my home that get cluttered quickly
  • being able to be at home for the days leading up to going back to work for the new school year
  • school supplies...I cannot wait to buy some!
  • reading books
  • visiting my happy places in a week...Novel bookstore and the town library
  • laughter over me getting dates wrong and sitting outside waiting on the library board meeting to start two weeks before it is actually scheduled for
  • an impromptu dinner out at Fuji for gyoza, sushi, and fried rice
  • seeing this picture of Drew and Mallory on Monday (her mom texted it to me) and seeing the smile on his handsome face over being smitten
  • visiting friends at my old church home
  • having fresh flowers at home that I bought
  • planning trips for the fall and winter
  • repurposing things in my home and moving things around to freshen up the decor
  • keeping things clean here
  • good smelling spray for my kitchen counters
  • having my new Bible set up with tabs and reading in it each day
  • rain to water the flowers and grass...thank You, Lord!
  • being excited about church on Sunday
  • meeting with a friend for coffee from the new church (Living Hope)
  • having plans on my calendar for lunches next week
  • being able to help a friend in need who is beginning a journey of divorce
  • sunshine after the rain
  • my candle warmer that I love
  • drinking iced coffee out of the new cup Mallory bought for me 
  • a delicious (healthy) breakfast, iced coffee, and the word of God










What are your weekly happies? I'd love to hear them! Thanks for reading my blog today, friends; I'll see you back here tomorrow. Love to all!

Jen 





Wednesday, July 15, 2026

the Wednesday hodgepodge

 



Happy Wednesday, friends! I'm linking up with Joyce for today's hodgepodge post. I'll jump right in! 


1. "Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability."—Sam Keen


Do you feel less guilty relaxing in July than you do in January? Elaborate. Yes! When January rolls around each year, I am always highly motivated to get things done. I'm ready to use my new calendar that I have hanging in my kitchen, I'm ready to be healthier, I'm ready for all of the things and goals to be accomplished. When July rolls around, I'm in survival mode because of the time of year. I barely cook, I do as little as possible physically outside because of oppressive heat, and I don't really care about things/goals being accomplished.











I'm not complaining, I promise! As much as I may dislike being hot, I love the summer. I don't ever want to be too old to enjoy a summer, you know? 



2. What's a telltale sign you're upset? Without a doubt, I thought of being upset and going silent. I might also start stress cleaning something. The reason I go silent is because my mom always taught me if I couldn't say anything nice, to not say anything at all. 




When I clean, I love a good smelling cleaning product!


3. July 16th is National AI Day. What are your general thoughts/experiences regarding AI? Have you purposely used it? Does it excite you, scare you, or worry you? What do you see as a benefit? How about something relating to AI you see as a negative? I've had a great experience with AI and use it pretty often. I ask Chat GPT for help with things like why my plant keeps wilting, what to do with an area of my yard that won't grow grass, decorating help, and prettying up something I've written for an email. 


If I'm being honest, it excites me, scares me a little, and worries me that as a society, we rely too much on it already. I think it's great for people who use it for work related purposes. I was talking about this with my friend Marcia on Monday; she's a Realtor and uses it all the time to help her stage homes. I think that's great! I use it for good, but it's used for bad way too often. It scares me that it can create images of me being some place I'm not. 


As with the use of a lot of technology, it bothers me that it's making all of society a bit dumber, so to speak. What I mean by that is that we no longer rely on the rules of grammar we all learned; we don't have to know how to spell anymore, either, which is also because of technology. Spelling tests are no longer given in school! I didn't know that until I started working in a school again. For me, I enjoy using the technology we have today; I'm going to use it for good and not think about the flip side of things.




4. You're invited to a summer potluck and asked to bring an appetizer, salad/side, or a dessert. Which category do you go for and what are you bringing? I'm bringing pasta salad or another summer staple salad, like the corn salad I made for Bunco a few weeks ago. I will always choose something savory over something sweet. 





5. It wouldn't be summer without that afore mentioned oppressive heat




It's really hot when I wear shorts. Ha! 


6. Insert your own random thought here. As I write this, I'm listening to Meghan Trainor radio on Spotify. Are you a fan of her music? When I need to be motivated to get up and be productive, I love to turn this on.





I'm loving the clear acrylic drawer organizers from the Dollar Tree! I have six of them this week, along with four more for my bathroom drawers. I'm on a mission to organize and purge! You wouldn't believe the junk and old stuff I've thrown away since Sunday. Do you enjoy organizing your spaces like I do?


Thanks for reading my blog today, friends. I'm excited to read your answers to the prompts. I'll see you back here tomorrow; 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 f...