the books I read in May and a few things I've been watching or want to watch

 

Happy Wednesday, friends! Since I only read three books in the month of May (hello May and working full time in a school), I thought I would also share some things I've been watching along with some I want to watch. Let's start with the books I read. (Click on each picture of the book to be redirected to Amazon.)

First up is this adorable book with a terrible cover and name.

This was cute! I have a friend who I worked with that I share an opinion on about books like this one, and that is that I love stories about regular people meeting famous people and falling in love. Maybe because it's so preposterous? I don't know, but this is one such story. Amelia finds herself with a broken  down car on the property of a handsome stranger, and takes him up on his offer to use his guest room until the next morning. It doesn't seem too dangerous, right? Especially since she spoke to his grandmother on the phone and she validated his gentlemanly reputation. One night turns into more nights as she waits on parts to be delivered for her car repair, but before she blink, she is falling in love with the small town and kind people in Rome, Kentucky. Can she really go back to her life as a famous country singer after living in this town for two weeks? 

I'm glad this was good, because I really did not love the next one.

I mean, it wasn't terrible, but I think because of a blogger's review, I had expectations that were too high. Anyway, this is a book about Sophie, a professional, secret bridesmaid. She is hired by families to play the doting (knowledgeable) bridesmaid to brides who need advice and counsel. She loves her job and is always successful, until she meets the newest, most complicated and mean client she's ever worked for. Throw in some royalty and the adorable brother of the bride, and there you have it. 

I was so ready for this book to end! It wasn't even that it was a predictable book, because I don't mind those, I think it was just the way that it was written? Or the length of it? It just seemed to drone on and on. 

Lastly, I read this by a favorite author.

I always love Fiona Ferris books! This is similar to the last one I read by her, which is basically 100 ways to be a more confident version of yourself. I love these little inspiring books and always come away from them with ideas on how I can live a confident and pleasing life. I guess another reason why I love these books is because she is so great at inspiring you to slow down and to breathe in all the small joys that are all around us, every day of our lives. She really encourages you to be mindful in the mundane, which speaks volumes to me. I also think she and I have the same personality type, so I just love these little books. 

And now, onto what I've been watching!

Have you watched this? I started this show when it first came out, and then never watched it once Season 2 hit Netflix. I started watching Season 2 recently, and I finished it on Sunday afternoon. I read the two books that this show was created around back when they first came out, about fifteen years ago. I loved the old Kristin Hannah books! Somewhere along the way, her writing changed, and her books are very different now. I was committed to finishing this show, but know that the language and content are terrible. I can't really recommend it, based on that, but it did have a nice ending. I really wish they could leave out all the language and junk. The books weren't like that, so if you're interested in the show, I'd just read the books if I were you. 

I really want to watch One True Loves on Prime TV! I'll probably rent it next weekend. Once again, here's the book that I loved by Taylor Jenkins Reid.

I want to rewatch Season 1 of Sweet Magnolias and catch up on Season 2. 

Once again, did you know this show and Virgin River are both based on series of books by authors? Sherryl Woods wrote the books this particular show is based on, and she wrote the books that the show Chesapeake Shores (the Hallmark show) was based on. Robyn Carr wrote the books that Virgin River was based on. I would say the books are almost always better than the shows! Have you watched The Summer I Turned Pretty on Prime TV? I watched it last year and loved it, and that show forced me to read the whole series by Jenny Han. 

Tell me what you've been reading and watching, I would love to know! I have more time on my hands now, and I do love to get hooked on a series. Thanks for reading my blog, friends. Love to all! 

weekending

 

Happy Tuesday, friends! I thought I'd share about the weekend, since I used yesterday as a day off from blogging in honor of Memorial day. I hope you had a great weekend! I always love this weekend, the unofficial kickoff of summer. I'll share more about that in the days to come, and all that I love about this time of year, but for now, here's what my weekend looked like.

I enjoyed having Dad over again on Friday. When I started working, we adapted our tradition to fit my new work schedule, which meant that we started doing early dinners together on Friday afternoons and spending a portion of the evening together. It was good that we at least got to do that, but it definitely was not the same. I loved getting everything prepped for him to be here on Friday. I knew we would stay in on this day, since his back was hurting really bad, so I made him a comfy spot on my couch and made a Mexican-inspired lunch for us to enjoy. As always, I took him home around 3:30, then I came home again to take care of the dogs and to meet up with a friend for dinner. My bestie Andrea and I haven't seen each other since before Christmas! Ugh. It was so good to catch up! We went to our favorite local spot and then we shopped a little at HomeGoods. We both love their candles and I got a couple of new ones for the summer that smell like the beach and sunscreen. 

On Saturday, I met up with my mom and sister, and we went to a favorite consignment shop I recently discovered. Trish always hits the jackpot when she goes, and this time I did too. I ended up leaving with a brand new pair of sandals that are neutral in color and only cost $20. Then we had lunch at Jason's Deli, because we all love their salad bar. They have jalapeno ranch! I added that after I'd used a little of regular ranch, but this plate was completely finished in about twenty minutes. 

Aren't these cute? I love them and they're super comfy. 

Todd ended up working both Friday and Saturday nights, so I watched episodes of a show I finished Sunday afternoon on Netflix. Come back here tomorrow! I'm sharing what I've been reading and watching.

On Sunday, I was up and ready for church by 7 that morning since I was doing lyrics in the audio/visual booth again. 

I'm still wearing my favorite dress from Amazon from last year! It's definitely looser this year than last, so I'm thankful for that. For the rest of the day, I read my book, then I helped my husband clean out his closet. You should see how much he is getting rid of—he barely has anything to wear. He's been buying a few things here and there, and came home with some things from Academy. He needs some nice shirts now, so I'll start looking while I'm out on Saturdays to replace all that he's getting rid of. He doesn't need that many, but he definitely needs a few. Some of those shirts have been around since the year we got married. They were really nice shirts and never went out of style. Some were the Eddie Bauer brand and others were the Lands End brand. 

Cheers to a great weekend! We laid low all day on Monday—Todd watched a couple of movies while I alternated between reading, doing things around the house, ordering and picking up groceries, and getting ready for our family dinner. We ended up having an impromptu cookout and Drew and his roommates showed up for dinner, which is always a fun surprise. We had lots of good things to eat for all of them and Noah was able to eat once he got home from work. I can't ever seem to get all of us together at exactly the same time, but I'm okay with how it all happened last night. 

How was your weekend? Tell me something good about yours, I'd love to hear! Thanks for reading my blog, friends. Love to all. 

Memorial Day, 2023

 

May we always remember those who have died by paying the ultimate sacrifice for our country. May we always honor them, may we always stand at attention with our hands held over our heart every time we pledge allegiance to our country, may we always respect and honor the flag and the anthem that we sing. May we lead in example those who are watching us, may we continue to teach our children, and our grandchildren. May we always be respectful, even when we feel it's undeserved. May we always be proud and humbled to live in a country such as ours, because even in the state it's in, it's a far better place to live than most other places in the world. May we always remember this and pass it down it to those who come behind us. Thank you to the families who gave up their brave sons and daughters on behalf of our freedom. Thank you for your selflessness, for your courage, for your devotion. Thank you.

 

Share 4 Somethings: May 2023

Happy Saturday, friends! Welcome to the May edition of Share 4 Somethings, where we talk about what we loved, learned, read, and ate this month. I'm so glad you're here! Just a reminder—make sure to visit the other participating blogs and leave some comment love for them. Happy reading!

This month, I loved all the end of school year celebrations. It was so nice to have special treats at work so often, and I'm glad to say that I didn't go overboard with splurging on food. I am not following a diet of any sort, but I am doing my best to eat things that are healthy and low in sugar and gluten free. I just feel better when I eat this way, and I'm down about 25 pounds since I started this in late December. I'm not doing anything that costs or using gimmicks, I'm just doing my best and using my own willpower. Slow and steady is the best way to do this for me. 

You can see from these pictures that are a year apart that while my husband has changed a lot since then, mine is not as noticeable, except for in my face. I'll take any change at all, even the small ones! 

I learned that May is brutal in the land of working in a school. All the things happen in this month, and it was insane! I do vaguely remember that from when I was in another elementary school twelve years ago, but I'd forgotten. 

Except mine goes beyond summer, now that I'm a stay at home dog mom again. 🤣

I read some great books this month! You should DEFINITELY come back and visit me on Wednesday, when I share about them all. You'll want to add some to your summer reading list, for sure! 

I'm so excited about all the great books I have lined up to read this summer. I read a lot on Thursday, which felt wonderful and luxurious after working full time. I love having nothing hanging over my head! 

I ate some great barbecue recently, thanks to my husband bringing it home with him after working at the Barbecue Fest that took place for Memphis in May last weekend. It was amazing, and I still have some left. I anticipate good meals this weekend, so I'm pretty excited. 

Thanks for being here and linking up today! I look forward to reading all of your posts. Thanks for reading my blog, once again, friends. Love to all! 

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Friday Favorites- Welcome, Summer edition! (5.26.23.)

 

Happy Friday, friends, and Happy Summer to me! I officially had my last day of work at Crosswind Elementary School, and it was a great day. We had so many celebrations going on that day, and I only cried at the very end as I hugged the best coworkers I ever could have had. I hate goodbyes, but I'm grateful that I got to know them as friends. I'm linking up with Andrea and Erika for today's favorite blog post of the week.

First up is my favorite meme that I saw on the internet. I immediately texted this to my best friend, then proceeded to sing the song for the rest of the day. Let's see if you do the same now! You're welcome.

  

I love my church family! This is my favorite thing that they've posted this week. It's so true! People have such a twisted view of the mercy of God. I saw something that read that religion says, "Oh no! I got in trouble and if I my dad finds out he'll kill me." Relationship says, "Oh no! I got in trouble and I need to call my Dad."

Saying goodbye is never my favorite, but my wonderful coworkers are! Cheryl (at the top) was the one acting as the main teacher in the absence of the actual teacher and whose position I was temporarily filling in for, and Carrie is the other assistant in the room. I loved working with them and am so grateful for their kindness.

The assistant principals are part of why CWES is the best school ever! Jamie is behind me, and Sherrie is behind her. 

And all of you know how I feel about our fearless leader and principal, Kristie. I feel like I've made a lifelong friend in her. 

We had a fifth grade parade on Wednesday and the Crosswind motto is my favorite. The principals all gave me a card and signed it with this motto inside. 

I loved seeing Marley one more time that day. This was when he brought us gifts for helping him this year and he hugged me, so I had him take a picture with me. 

Of course I took a last day picture to compare to my date of hire picture. I plan on having all of these turned into a Chatbook for my memories. 

This verse has been one that I've clung to since December, and I came across it again on Wednesday, which seemed fitting on my last day. 

On a much lighter note, these little margaritas in a bottle are my favorite. Todd and I ate Mexican one night and had these at home. I'm sure they're terrible for us, but if they are, I don't want to know about it. I never drink more than one! 

Crossword puzzles are my favorite! I did these this week while my coworkers did things that I wasn't comfortable doing, regarding paperwork for next year. They were fine with this. 

On a vain note, my outfit Tuesday was my favorite. I ordered this new shirt online last week and it finally came in! It is actually a dress, according to the website, but it most definitely is NOT a dress for me. I wore it with white cropped pants and sandals that matched. I took two pictures so that you could see the top and most of the rest of the outfit.

I found a new favorite playlist on Spotify! Summer Hits of the 80's. I've been listening to it all week long! 

Lastly, Sunday was my favorite. I sat in Todd's tech room at church after the choir finished singing that morning. I love watching him work! 

And I really love this black dress I bought back in the early spring. It's my new favorite! 

Did you catch my other blog posts this week? 

I shared a little catch up post on Tuesday.

On Wednesday I asked readers to answer a question for me, and I shared my own answer.

I'll be hosting this month's Share 4 Somethings post tomorrow, so I hope you join us! I am always excited to read everyone's posts for that. Also, on Wednesday June 7th, I'll be hosting the monthly Currently post, where we'll be sharing what we're currently loving, doing, trying, seeing, and reading. In July for Currently, we'll be talking about what we're currently loving, savoring, celebrating, remembering, and trying. 

Hopefully now that summer has begun for me and because I'm no longer working full time, I will be back to blogging regularly once again. So, tell me something good from your week! I'd love to hear from you. Thanks for reading my blog, friends! Love to all, and I hope to see you tomorrow for the Share 4 Somethings post. 

 

this is me- organized or messy?

 

Happy Wednesday, friends! I'm anticipating being at home early today and going out to celebrate my last school day with my favorite guy tonight. I'm excited! I thought I'd start by asking you a question—are you an organized person, or are you messy? 

You can always tell a lot by people by the condition of the exterior of their homes and by the condition of their vehicles. Do you know what I mean? For instance, we have a neighbor whose front porch always looks adorable and dressed up for the season. I know if I were to walk in their home, it would be equally as adorable on the inside. I've also ridden with people whose cars were a disaster and smelled like fast food. I had this happen to me when our sons were young, and from then on, I never let them eat in my car again. I'm not even kidding! I'm not judging you at all here, I promise, I'm just curious: which are you? And why are you that way and how does it work for you? I know lots of people whose homes might be cluttered, but their system works for them. To them I say, good for you! If it works for you, then you should probably keep doing the same thing. 

For me, as you all will easily guess, I am more productive in a clean and uncluttered space. Because of our dogs, I dust all the time and vacuum daily (when I'm at home). I also don't have a ton of counter space, so I like to keep the surface of ours pretty clear of clutter. I do have a few things sitting out, but they're against the back of the countertop, so it doesn't interfere with me working in the kitchen. I love it when the kitchen is organized in the cabinets as well, but they're not that way right this moment, because of the hectic life I've lived since the end of January. I cannot wait to remedy this soon! It's high on my list of things to do. I'll share a few examples of how I love for things to look at home. 

 

I love for all the spaces to be neat and tidy, and I have some catching up to do! I can't wait to get started. I do consider myself an organized person and am that way pretty decently here at home, but the problem is that I live with people who undo what I work hard to keep a certain way. That being said, I am organized, but I could definitely be more so. What about you? How do you function in your home? Why does it work for you that way? I can't wait to hear from you on this. I love reading about what works for people and the reasoning behind it. I also LOVE seeing people's homes and Todd and I used to go driving all the time to look at houses. I loved it when I could see into a room in the house, because I love seeing how people decorate. 

I realize that this makes me sound like a stalker, and I promise I'm not. 🤣 Thanks for reading my blog, friends. Love to all! 

catching up a bit

 

Happy Tuesday, friends! Time keeps getting away from me, but I think that's a good thing. By the time I've remembered to sit and write a blog post for the next day, or a few at a time, it's almost time for me to go to bed. So, while everything is good here, I've just been skipping out again. I may continue to do that from time to time, especially as I settle back into what was my old normal routine when school is out. Just a head's up, about that. Honestly, I also haven't been up to that much. I had such grand plans this weekend, and I think they all fell short. This time it was not my high expectations, it was just that life happened. I was disappointed at first, but I'm over it now. 

Today is my last full of day of school! I thought it was really sweet that those of us who are leaving are being honored with a chips and dips party at lunch. 

It's like they know I love chips and dip. I'm pretty sure they don't, but what a coincidence. I'm surprised I'm not feeling more sad than I am about leaving after tomorrow, but I'm really not. I think that's proof that it's what I'm supposed to do, and the Lord is always sweet to provide peace when walking in the midst of His will. I know that may seem like such a strange statement, especially because I also know that I was walking in His will when I took this job, and because I've loved it so much. Apparently, He had me at this wonderful school for just a time, and I knew that the job was temporary when I was hired. I really thought the teacher would decide not to come back, though, which is why I thought it would turn into more, but trust me when I say that I am so glad she's making plans to come back. She loves teaching and I know her desire is to come back after she recovers from her surgery. I know I was there for a time, and for a reason, even if I never know what it was.

I'm just collecting little bits and pieces from my time there, like these sweet notes two fourth grade girls left for me yesterday. We weren't supposed to have students at all on Monday (and the week), but they came in and wanted to hang out, so we played games. The students played and we were going to continue to work while they did that, but I couldn't turn them down when one asked me to join them. I'm glad I did! Also, how sweet is it that they wanted to hang out with us? We gave them candy and snacks while they were in there, but that's proof of how so many of them love coming to reading intervention. The goal is for them to have reinforced what they've learned in class, but we also wanted to make sure they had fun while with us. I will miss the students that I came to know and love! 

But also, I am so ready for this.

Except, exchange tea for coffee. I'm so excited for Wednesday! Also, I always kind of hate goodbyes, and that day may really feel like just that. I do plan on getting some pictures with friends on that day, because I want to have a Chatbook made of my time there. I'll be in touch with them still, because I will still be helping them with the application to be a National Blue Ribbon school. 

As for Thursday, I have big plans of doing nothing. I was going to see if my mom wanted to have lunch, but she's still getting over being sick, so I think I'll just stay home and start on the list of things I've been talking about. I hope to sleep in a little and to catch up on all the things before the weekend. I hope to catch up with a friend I haven't seen in forever, and I'll be excited to start back up with Fridays with Dad in the daylight hours. Staying home on Thursday will allow me time to make something for our lunch the next day, as well. 

Well, I'm off to get ready for my day, friends. I'm not sure when I'll post this week, so check back to see! I have one that I'm working on right now in time for summer. I'll be sharing all of my favorite things (and products) that I love during this time of year. Thanks for reading my blog! Love to all.