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Last week was the first week of school, but thankfully, the kids had no extracurricular activities, so we were able to ease into things. It was SUCH a great first week back, and I have a million things to recap, so let’s get right to it!
Monday, August 3
Monday was the first day of school, so we were up at 6 AM (BOOOO) and we all hit the ground running. Everybody had their best foot (feet?) forward, and we all tackled the things we needed done (showering, getting ready, breakfast, unloading the dishwasher, and reading our devotional together) and we were ready to roll right on time! But first, first day of school pictures on the front porch!
The rest of the day was spent tackling my to-do list:
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Mailing a Poshmark shipment
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Washing 4 loads of laundry
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Tackling my email inboxes
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Confirming Olivia’s dance schedule and adding it all
to my calendar
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RSVPing for our homecoming alumni social
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Getting dinner in the slow cooker
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Giving Olivia’s old Lego stuff to someone who
purchased them online
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Working on my blog post for the next day
I was so eager to pick the kids up from school, and I was thrilled that
they were both full of energy, chattering nonstop, and happyyyy! They both talked my ear off all the way home
and then some, and they both told me every single detail about every single
thing they’d done in every single class, and I loved every second of it. I’m not excited that they’re back at school,
but I sure do love those rides home every day.
<3
We stopped by Dairy Queen on the way home to pick up first day of school treats, and we brought a Blizzard home to Brian, too.
When we got home, they continued to talk my ear off for a good 30 minutes more, and then I told them they could have some screen time since neither of them had homework.
While they did that, I put the finishing touches on my blog post for the next day, I watered the indoor and outdoor plants, and I hard boiled a dozen eggs for the kids to have for breakfast all week. They both love hardboiled eggs, and we love for them to start the day out with protein to fill their bellies, so I’m going to start making hardboiled eggs on Sundays when they want them for the week ahead. I'm considering puchasing this egg cooker but I haven't yet... has anyone ever used one and do you recommend it?
While the eggs were cooking, I got dinner on the table. The slow cooker had done the bulk of the work, so there wasn’t much for me to do. On the menu on Monday was barbecue chicken sandwiches, chips, and fruit. The chicken was so delicious and so flavorful, and it made enough for me to have leftovers for lunch for two more days, so I will definitely be making them again! I wish I had the link for the recipe or remembered who it was from so I could give credit, but all I had was this screenshot I took and it didn’t capture the handle.
After that was done, I headed out for my evening walk. It felt glorious outside Monday evening despite the fact that it was sunny. The temperature was only 82 degrees, and the humidity wasn’t terrible, so it actually felt somewhat pleasant outside. I ended up walking 2.48 miles, which is slightly longer than my usual route, and I probably would have walked longer if I didn’t know that the kids were expecting me to get home and be ready to watch Friends. Haha.
As I was walking up our street to come back home, I saw that there was a stunning, very wide rainbow in the sky, and it ended right on top of our house. It brought me to tears because I always associate rainbows with God’s love, and they also remind me of my childhood dog and Maui now, too. I had been thinking about Maui a LOT on Monday, so it was wild that there was a rainbow overhead even though it had never rained anywhere near our house.
Tuesday, I was up at 6 AM and I got the kids to school. I had an appointment with my therapist at 9:15 AM, so I decided to run some errands until then. First up, was The UPS Store to return an Amazon item, and then I went to Target to take back several returns. I still had 30 minutes to kill, so I browsed the store, which is something that I rarely do. Target is too dangerous for browsing… I want to buy all the things. Haha. They are absolutely killing it right now, too – soooo many cute things in women’s and girl’s apparel, home décor, and beauty. But I was strong and I walked out empty-handed. *Pats self on back.*
I hadn’t seen my therapist since before the kids got out for summer break, so it had been a good 11 or 12 weeks, and it was so good to catch up with her. I feel like after seeing her for seven years, she’s become somewhat of a friend, and I always enjoy my visits. She has truly been a blessing to me through all my anxiety issues these last years and I’m so grateful for her. That said, I’ve decreased my visits to just once every couple of months due to our insurance change, but also because I feel like I’m finally in a good place with my anxiety and I just don’t need to go as often… soooo grateful for that.
After my appointment, I headed home, I grabbed a cup of coffee, and I got to work. And yes, I said coffee and not tea. I decided recently that I wanted to try to start drinking one cup of coffee every morning for the health benefits (it’s surprising how many there are!). However, there’s a kicker – I always drink my coffee with tons of cream and sugar, but I don’t want to get in the habit of starting the day with a ton of dairy and sugar, so I wanted to find a coffee that I can enjoy black.
I thought that would never happen, but y’all, I ended up grabbing these creamy hazelnut K-cups, and it is the best coffee I’ve ever had at home. It’s rich and delicious and the flavor is out of this world! It’s not as bitter as regular black coffee and it actually has a sweet and creamy aftertaste. And the scent that it puts off around the house – heaven. So now, I’m drinking one cup of black coffee every morning and then a cup of my beloved cinnamon tea every afternoon. I’m definitely not giving that up!
Anyhoo, the rest of the day was spent getting a few things done – finishing my blog posts for Wednesday and Friday, catching up on emails, doing some blog housekeeping, and then starting to clean out my closet. I had been texting with my friend, Emily, and she was cleaning hers out, so she totally inspired me!
While he was eating, I worked on cleaning out my closet a little more and then Olivia and I dropped Jacob off at the movie theater. We made sure he had his ticket and got all of his concessions and then Olivia and I took off. It’s still surreal to me that my first baby is old enough to go to the movies with friends now without me. This time next year, he’ll be able to drive himself everywhere and I’m soooo not ready for that.
When we got home, I got dinner ready for Brian, Olivia, and me. On the menu was turkey and cheese biscuit sliders. The first days of school are always a reality check for all of us, so I wanted to keep the recipes quick and easy for the first couple of days just in case things went off the rails. Haha.
After dinner, we cleaned up the kitchen and then Olivia wanted to go through my pile of clothes that I was donating to see if she wanted to keep anything. Again, where oh where has the time gone and how is my littlest baby almost big enough to share clothes with meeee?!
She was very excited about several tops (mostly sweatshirts), so she ended up keeping quite a few things. It’s going to be awesome being able to hand down my clothes to her, though.
After she was done with her try-on session, I went out for a walk and then I did a quick strength workout for my arms. I put some of the laundry away while I cooled off, and then I showered and got in my pjs.
The kids got in bed after that, and then Brian and I watched a few trailers for some new shows to try to decide what to watch next, but it was late, so we didn’t end up starting anything.
Wednesday, August 5
Wednesday morning, my hair guy was coming to do my highlights, so I slept in until 6:30 AM, threw on some clothes, and then got the kids to school… no point in showering since I was going to have to do it again later in the morning.
While I waited for Jamey to come, I caught up on emails, I started my blog post for Monday, and I brainstormed for the new series that I started yesterday. I’m soooo excited about it!
Jamey came at 10:30 AM to do my hair, and then I got showered and ready after he left. I had just enough time to eat lunch and work some more on my blog post for Monday before it was time to be in the car line.
And y’all, I’m hoping I’m not jinxing anything, but the car line this year has been amazingggg. Our kids always have after school activities, so it’s important for me to be towards the front of the line most days. In the past, I’ve always had to get to the school around 2:05 or 2:10 PM to be towards the front, which means that I have to sit there for almost an hour before they get out (which also means that I’m in the car for an hour and a half round trip), but this year hardly any other parents are getting there early.
Wednesday, I rolled up at 2:30 PM and I was still second in line, so I’m hoping that going forward I can just get there around 2:30 or 2:35 PM, which means that I’ll get 30 minutes of my life back every day!
The kids and I went home after school was over and I worked on my blog post for Monday some more before getting dinner ready. I had to use my Ted Lasso mug since the show is BACK!
A quick summer storm blew through while we were doing all that, but it died down enough for me to get out and walk. The clouds were still swirling, and it was pretty dark and breezy and much cooler, so it was a pleasant walk other than the fact that my neck and shoulders had been killing me all day (because I’m pretty sure my atlas is out of alignment again).
I was only able to make it for 1.5 miles, and I just couldn’t do it anymore with the neck and shoulder pain, so I headed back home and showered.
After the kids got in bed, I did my vibration plate/mediation/neck pillow combo, and then Brian and I watched the first episode of the new season of Ted Lasso before going to bed. And y’all, it was soooo good. Gah, I have missed him and his eternal optimism!! I’ve been seeing memes all over social media saying that Ted Lasso is Bluey for adults and I couldn’t agree more!
Also, random, but look at this post that showed up in my Timehop. She was soooo sweet.
Thursday was the most productive day for me, y’all. I totally KILLED IT Thursday. I got the kids to school and then I literally did all the things. Haha.
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Washed one load of laundry
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Got a Poshmark shipment ready and in the mailbox
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Finished my blog post for Monday
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Got a couple of new graphics done for the blog
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Got a couple of things organized in my planner
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Did some blog housekeeping
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Tweaked my editorial calendar for the coming months
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Put all the laundry away
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Deep cleaned the countertops
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Downloaded some new music
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Dusted the whole house
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Opened some packages that had come in and put the
stuff away
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Started my blog post for Tuesday
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Finished cleaning out my closet
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Got rid of 46 items + 2 pairs of shoes + my old
GIANT antiquated suitcase that I haven’t used since, probably, 2007
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Organized some blog post ideas
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Typed up a recipe for my recipe book
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Cleaned out part of my List Master app
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Cleaned off my computer desktop
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Tidied my office
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Started restyling the shelves in our guest bathroom
There was a pause to pick up the kids from school and hang out with them
for a bit at home, and then I was right back at it:
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Cut and filed my nails
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Did a Bible study and devotional for the day
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Finished restyling bathroom shelves
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Cleaned out hand towels in the guest bathroom and
got them reorganized
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Finallyyyy found places to display my FIL’s old
childhood novels that he passed on to us years ago and I had never taken the
time to put them anywhere
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Cleaned out Olivia’s sweater basket and relocated it
to the floor of the coat closet instead of right by the back door (I was tired
of tripping over sweaters that were spilling out – haha)
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Relocated our beach bag and a few other items
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Deep cleaned all the toilets
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Restocked toilet paper and tissues in all bathrooms
WHEW. Y’all, all the things!! It felt so good to have so much energy and feel so productive! I even got rid of my GIANT, antiquated suitcase that I used in the early 2000s every time B and I would travel.
Brian got home from an Aldi and Sam’s run after that, and I helped him put all the stuff away. Then, we made breakfast for dinner… our usual Thursday night dinner.
After that, I lay down to rest for 15 minutes because my neck and shoulders were all fired up again after doing all the things. I put some new shower hooks on the kids shower curtain (because they’re designed to glide smoothly over the curtain rod unlike our old ones that the kids struggled with) and then I did a stair stepper workout and my meditation/vibration plate/neck pillow combo while the kids showered and got ready for bed.
Friday, August 7
Friday morning, I snoozed one extra time and then I got ready and got the kids to school. When I got home, I made a cup of coffee and got a load of laundry done + washed all the bathmats in our primary bathroom.
I caught up on emails and then got this post completely caught up, and then I painted my toenails before vacuuming most of the house and mopping all the hard floors, testing out these new floor cleaning pods.
It was time to hit up the car line after that, and when we got home, I finished vacuuming upstairs after the kids got all their stuff off the floor. They both grabbed snacks and settled in for some video game time. I could tell they were both drained from the week even though they were both happy and had great starts to the new school year.
I sat down with a cup of hot tea to finish catching up on blog reading, and then I started my blog post for Wednesday to try and get ahead a bit. Then, I did two Bible studies + my devotional for the day, I wrapped my daddy’s birthday gift, I listed the last couple of clothing items on Poshmark, I watered the outdoor plants, I folded and put away the towels I’d washed earlier in the day, and I created a new graphic for my Instagram stories that I hope to start using soon. This top and these joggers were perfect for cleaning the house all day, but still so cute for running errands!
By the time I was done with that, Brian was home with the pizza, so we all ate dinner together. And just for the fun of it, I put out some fall napkins and pulled out the fall glasses. And if you're starting to get in the mood for fall and you want some fall inspiration, I keep mine stored here! So many cute ideas!
After dinner, we cleaned the kitchen and then I went out for a walk just for pleasure, not for a workout. I usually walk vigorously and jog for parts of it when I’m working out (and I’m always sweating buckets when I get home), but this time, I just went for a leisurely stroll simply because a storm was coming and it was dark and cool and breezy. I hadn’t intended to go for a walk at all, but I couldn’t resist getting out there while the temperature was pleasant.
I stayed really close to home because I knew the storm would be rolling in soon, and I listened to The Swiftie and the Scholar podcast while I watched the storm roll in. After about ten minutes, it started to rain, so I popped inside the house to stay dry. The rain was brief since only the edge of the front had barely scraped by our area, so I was able to go back out and walk a few more minutes after that, and I was rewarded with another beautiful rainbow… the second one this week! Pre-storm walks are the best walks, and post-storm rainbows are the icing on the cake!
We’re on season 4, episode 19, The One with All the Haste, and in that episode, Joey’s next-door neighbor wakes up every morning singing, “Morning’s heeeere!!” and I thought Jacob was going to laugh himself right off the couch. He could not stop laughing and he later told me right before bed that Friends is the best show ever and that it’s so funny all the time, but that was the funniest thing he’s ever seen on the show. He couldn’t stop laughing when he was talking about it and he had me laughing the whole time we were talking about it, too. I just love sharing my favorite show with them.
Right before the kids got into bed, I did my vibration plate/mediation/neck pillow, and then Brian and I made toasted marshmallow old fashioneds and watched the newest episode of Silo before bed.
Saturday, August 8
I think I speak for everyone when I say that we were all grateful to be able to sleep in on Saturday. The first week of school always saps everyone of energy, but we woke up feeling refreshed and recharged. I was up at 8:30 AM and Olivia was already up. Then, I went in Jacob’s room to wake him per his request, and I woke him up by singing, “Morning’s heeeere!” Hahahaha. We both cracked up.
I went downstairs to make waffles for breakfast, and Olivia ended up making them for me instead. While she made the batter, I unloaded the dishwasher, and then I put the batter on the waffle iron since she still doesn’t want to use it since it’s so hot.
We all ate breakfast, and then I got a Poshmark shipment ready for something that had sold overnight. Then, I made my coffee and headed to my office to work on this blog post and finish Wednesday’s blog post while the kids did their laundry and played video games for a bit.
Then, I opened a couple of packages that had arrived and it was time to get ready for the day.
On the way out the door, I threw a load of towels in the wash, and then we headed to have lunch with Brian’s whole family for my father-in-law’s birthday (a few days early). On the way to the restaurant, we Facetimed with my dad since it was his actual birthday.
We went to Mass at 5:30 PM and then we went out to our favorite barbecue place with my dad for his birthday.
When we got home, we watched four episodes of Friends and I did a strength workout while I watched. We’re nearing the end of season four and it’s getting soooo good and I’m SO excited for the kids to see what happens next! Seasons 4-6 are my favorite seasons!
Sunday, August 9
Sunday morning, I slept in until 8:30 AM, I made cinnamon rolls, and we had breakfast, and then afterward, I did my usual Sunday admin things – getting my planner ready for the week ahead, catching up on both email inboxes, transferring and organizing photos from my phone to my computer, etc.
Then, late in the morning, I went out for a walk. It was cloudy and not too hot, but the humidity was through the roof, so even though I wasn’t uncomfortably hot on my walk, I was drenched with sweat when I got back home. Thankfully, it was time to get straight in the shower and get ready for the day.
We celebrated my Daddy’s birthday at their house Sunday evening, and my Momma made her fettucine alfredo bake that is to die for… she threw that one in her rotation sometime in the last few years and it’s one of my all-time favorite meals she makes. SO delicious. We had a couple of sides with it, and then we had chocolate cake for dessert per my Dad’s request. We gave him his gifts and sang to him, and then I cleaned up the kitchen so he wouldn’t have to.
After the kids went to bed, Brian and I watched a little more of Scarpetta and then we went to bed.
Happy Tuesday, y’all!
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