Wednesday, April 29, 2020

WHAT'S UP WEDNESDAY | APRIL 2020

Hey hey!  Welcome back to the April installment of What's Up Wednesday with Sheaffer and Shay!
It is hard to believe that we are now 6 weeks into this mess.  When our kids got out for Spring Break (March 9th-13th), we had no idea we wouldn't be returning to school.  But when we found out, it was still all so new, the kids were excited and we were embracing it and making the best of it.  (We also didn't start homeschool officially until late March so that was awesome.)  

At first, it was all family game nights, movie nights, puzzles, staying up late, sleeping in...it was nice to be forced to slow down and really bond and make some memories.  Everyone wanted to find the silver lining in the devastating circumstances surrounding the quarantine and we did.  But if you're anything like my family, the newness has worn off a little. And while we still have family movie night, it's more like once or twice a week now as opposed to 5 nights a week, and we still work on puzzles sometimes but this latest one has been sitting on our table for 2 weeks without more than 5 pieces put together.  We are getting BORED.

We're over here giving it our best shot at trying to keep things fun and light while also trying not to pull our hair out with distance learning.  I don't know about your kids but mine need to be reminded on a daily basis that this is not summer break and they need to get.to.work. School is still in session whether it feels like it or not.  We have four more weeks and I need these kids to hold it together just a little while longer.




Anyway, let's get to answering those monthly questions, shall we?!  


One thing I am sooooo ready for is my grocery store to be fully stocked and reliable again.  It's hard to plan meals when you aren't sure if your grocery store will have chicken, ground beef, spaghetti sauce, etc in stock when you venture out to either pick up your groceries or brave it and go into the store.  Let's just say we've been doing our part in helping to keep local restaurants in business thanks to curbside pick up. ;)


I was looking through my Facebook memories to see what we're usually doing the last week in April and it was full of baseball pictures for the past however many years but when I got to 2012 it showed our Hawaii pics!


We've been to Hawaii twice (once to Kona where we got engaged and then this trip when we went to Honolulu) and each experience was the complete opposite from the other.  In Kona, we experienced so much more of the natural beauty, the coastline, the little markets and things like that whereas Honolulu was part concrete jungle, part beautiful beaches.  Honolulu wasn't my favorite and I don't think I'll ever go back again but we were so happy to have some adult fun with some of our friends!



The weather!!  We are feeling all those spring vibes right now and it makes me so happy!  Especially because I just finished up a total sunroom makeover and have been LIVING out here. (I'm typing this from my little "happy place" at this very moment.)


This sunroom has gone through all sorts of transformations but none were really what I wanted for one reason or another.  I knew I wanted a rug and nice comfy outdoor couch (since kids come in here wet all the time) but I kept putting this room off for all different reasons.  Dogs, kids, too hot, too cold, budget, projects elsewhere...you name it.

But like the quarantine has done for many of us, I wanted to get it organized and "done" once and for all.  I found this awesome couch that I've seen all over Pinterest and Instagram and it came with extremely high reviews and praises.  It comes with a really nice table too (that we ended up putting outside by our grill) or you can get the 4 piece set that comes with the couch, the table and two cozy chairs.  I almost went with that set but I was worried it would start to get too crowded in here and in the summer and during parties, we need space for people to walk around.  So I decided to go with the matching bench (with storage!) instead, along with 2 ottomans we had from our sectional in the living room.

If you are looking for a nice quality (and super cute) outdoor couch, I can't recommend this one enough!  The price is outstanding, especially when I compared it to some that looked exactly the same, didn't come with the matching table and were 2 to 3 times as much!

I'll get into the full sunroom reveal soon with more pictures but I've got everything I can from this room linked HERE.

Seriously, friends.  I am out here all the time now. I do any computer work from here, I read out here, listen to audiobooks out here, hide from my family out here...hahaha.  We've had game night and movie night out here and we are all loving it.  But me more than anyone.  I open all the windows and enjoy the breeze and the sounds of the outdoors without the bugs and the direct sunlight.  It's my happy place for sure.


(PS:  Also loving these new pink fuzzy "summer" slippers.  I don't know about y'all but my feet get cold year-round and these are perfect!  I'm a 7.5 and the 7-8 size was perfect.)


Ohhhh a little of this and a little of that.

Swimming...


...bike rides/walks...


...running the stairs by the pond...


...celebrating the birthday boys...



 

...camping out in the backyard...(them, not me...not really my jam)...




...and doing my first Zoom call with my friends! (After I finally figured it out!  haha Thanks, girls. 😂)



Ummm...more of the same?  ;)  Mostly I'm just dreading one more month of whining about homeschool.  I had to google the answer to a 4th-grade math problem the other day.  It wasn't my brightest moment. 🤷‍♀️


Etsy Etsy Etsy!  My shop is back to where it should be for the most part and orders are steady again!  THANK YOU to all who have shopped with me!  These skinny can coolers continue to be my best-seller at the moment but I just tried to reorder more and most of the glittery colors are on backorder now until June!  I was able to restock a few but I've also got some of the matte colors coming in as well for y'all to check out.  So hurry if you have been wanting one!


Last week I worked on a new skincare review with Colleen Rothschild to show you new products I've added to my little arsenal lately and right now they are having their Mother's Day Sale with some of my favorite items on sale for special prices, great bundle packs and then 15% off everything else with the code MOM15!



Their Jumbo Cleansing Balm is $23 off right now!!  It's just a little bit more than the regular size so this is a FANTASTIC DEAL!  If you love the balm already, then I don't have to tell you this.  It would be a great Mother's Day gift for you or your mom!

I've said it before but this stuff is my #1 favorite skincare product EVER.  Smooth it on to dry skin and it melts into your face to remove all that dirt, oil and makeup.  Wet one of these super soft microfiber cloths with warm water and wipe it all away.  This was the product that made me a CR believer, friends.  My skin cleared up, my skintone became more even and it really did look more radiant.


Check out the two posts I've done on their products HERE and HERE.


My two best girlfriends are coming over tonight to hang out with me in our culdesac (at least 6 feet apart of course) so we can see each other for the first time in so long!  We need some girl talk!


My April Book Review will be posted soon but I had to tell you to go get The Happy Ever After Playlist!!  It is now one of my top chick-lit picks for 2020.  It was so good!!  I'll get into more details with the review but run don't walk if you love chick lit!!


I shouldn't have been surprised to like this as much as I did because I ADORED The Friend Zone last year!  It was one of my top 3 from last year and The Happy Ever After Playlist is kind of a spinoff to that.  It deals with the best friend of the girl in the first book and pulls in the characters from The Friend Zone too.  These can both absolutely be stand-alone books but it might be more fun to read The Friend Zone first and then follow it up with this one.

As for what I'm watching...
Y'all.  Are you watching this season the Real Housewives of New York?  I was so sad when Bethenny said she wasn't coming back after last season because she was the snarky voice of reason but now we've got Leah and I am loving her!  She definitely gives off a Bethenny vibe with her "I don't care how much money you have/what you wear/who you know" attitude and she always seems slightly amused at the idiotic things the older women do and say.

Dorinda seems a little emotional already and from what I know, she and Jon have broken up since then so maybe she was starting to realize she needed a change.  

Sonja is TV gold and an absolute hot mess in every sense of the word.  I wish she'd leave her face alone.



Ramona is still hell-bent on proving to us all how popular she is with both her friends and her male suitors...  I feel like she's still trying to make Mario jealous by always (pretending to?) run off in the middle of filming a scene because she supposedly has a date or walking into a scene after she's just come back from one.  I'm not convinced she's got as many dates as she'd like us all to believe but then again she's pretty hot for her age and obviously a huge flirt so who knows.  She's still trying way too hard to show us she's a hot ticket. ;)

Dorinda needs to leave Tinsley alone.  I'm not sure what Dorinda finds so offensive about T not sharing her innermost thoughts with the group but it's bizarre.  I like Tinsley and yes, she's a bit of a pampered princess but she owns that.  Who cares where all of her money comes from?  She's clearly got family money and money from her divorce so why does it bother everyone so much when she shows up with a new expensive handbag or fancy dress?  I don't understand.

And Luann.  The room debacle at Ramona's.  AGAIN.  I love how she's always saying how people aren't being "considerate" when they don't give her the best room.  Like when they went skiing one year and she came late and was all "I just thought you would have been more considerate and given me a good room since I just got married." #huh? #Iwasdying And then the fish room fiasco last season...can you imagine if Dorinda has said rude comments about the way SHE decorated one the rooms in HER house?  Luann would have lost her mind.

Also, if you're looking for something to binge on Netflix, I'm almost finished with Waco and it is so good!

Is 'Waco' available to watch on Canadian Netflix? - New On Netflix ...


I told y'all about my new Amazon tee the other day and I love it!  When I do get dressed it looks pretty much like this.

(All outfit details HERE.)

Those Skechers on my feet are the best ones I've owned by the way.  I think they're still on sale right with Easy Pay options and come in a bunch of pretty colors.


For the most part though, I've been living in leggings and the quarantine had convinced me to try out some popular Amazon picks to see if it measures up to the hype.

I have THIS PAIR in both the green camo and the black and white brush strokes and they are PERFECTION.  They are thick enough without being bulky, they aren't see through, they have a high, wide waistband that holds you in comfortably and they have those awesome pockets on each side told hold your phone or whatever when you're out for a walk/run/ride.  I thought I had pics but apparently, I don't.  Trust me, they are amazing.

They are actually identical from what I can tell to this brand on Amazon as well.  I got these in the solid black because the other brand didn't have them in stock and I'm convinced they are the same.  So be sure to check both listings if your size is sold out in one.  They are silky soft like butter too.  I love love love them.  Highly recommend if you need some leggings to get you through this quarantine!


I'm looking forward to so much! When this world calms down and it's safe to be out again I can't wait to...

-browse the aisles at Hobby Lobby, Target and Home Goods for stuff I don't need
-take my family to the movies
-spend 4 hours chatting with my girlfriends over Mexican food and margaritas until we start getting stares from the waiters who would like to clean up and go home (Our M.O.)
-go on vacation (we have already had to cancel one...our second one is up in the air)
-let my kids run the neighborhood with the friends
-go to church
-get everything I ordered from my grocery pick up order
-school being officially out (May 28th!!)

I'm hoping our May What's Up Wednesday shows steps toward all of these things but honestly, who knows, right?  Until then, I just hope and pray that we all stay safe and healthy and make good choices! (Said in my best Mama voice.)

Happy Wednesday, friends!



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19 comments

  1. UGH I feel you on the schoolwork. I am constantly telling my son the same thing: this is not summer vacation!! And we have "school" until mid-June in VA.

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  2. Fun post! Feeling the same in New Jersey. Our school hasn’t decided if we will be going back to end the year yet!

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    Replies
    1. Wow! I figured Jersey would have already decided that since y'all have been hit so hard!

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  3. Your porch looks great! I want a place like that to hide from my family -- sounds perfect!

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  4. Anonymous11:13 PM

    And what about Ramona leaving in the middle of her party and the way they trashed her house...craaaaazy!

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    Replies
    1. Yess!!! She is so ridiculous but man, I'd be so mad if my friends did that to my house!!

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  5. OMG I love you for telling me about the jumbo size CR Radiant Cleansing Balm. I just ordered the smaller one last week but will put that at the lake and keep jumbo for home. They had sent me a coupon code too so I got the jumbo size for a steal. LOVE this stuff!!

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  6. Ordered the jumbo face cleansing balm today! It was perfect timing for a good sale as my other jumbo container is almost gone.

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  7. Anonymous9:47 AM

    My cleansing balm does not look the same as yours at all. Yours looks very creamy/buttery and mine is super gritty. I didn’t think anything of it until I saw your picture and thought wow THATS how it’s supposed to look.

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    Replies
    1. Hey! I think maybe you might be talking about the Dual Enzyme Polish. It is the same color as the Cleansing Balm and comes in a jar like that but it is gritty and is an exfoliator. Double check the name of the product on the jar and if you ordered the Cleansing Balm and they sent you the wrong product, be sure to let them know! The balm is not gritty at all. Here's a link to the Dual Enzyme Polish. https://bit.ly/3aGvSTN

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  8. Your sun room is PERFECTION!! I want to sit there, drink coffee and read a book!!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you!! That's how I feel about your patio!!

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  9. I feel like we are the same. My 5th grade complains about school work (he’d much rather be outside playing or hanging with his friends),thankfully we have a week and a half left 🙌🏼 . I feel the same about RHONY. Lu drives me crazy, and so far Sonja is comedic gold this season!

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    Replies
    1. A week and a half?! I'm dying of jealousy right now!! Sonja was born to grace our screens. 😂😂😂

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  10. Ok your comment about eating Mexican on a patio somewhere until they stare at us makes me want to 😭. It has been TOO long!!!! I need to do this pronto when things really open back up.

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  11. The Real Housewives is my guilty pleasure! Dorinda is on my last nerve - I think she is totally jealous of Tinsley! I love Leah too and I am way over Luann acting like she is so entitled. These ladies are very entertaining and remind me how thankful I am that they aren't my friends - ha!!!
    xo,
    Kellyann
    www.thisblondesshoppingbag.com

    ReplyDelete

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