Hey girl heyyyyyyy!
It's FRIDAY!!
Ok. So...second Friday of distance learning. How did things go this week after a full 5 days in a row? Honestly?
Here are a couple of moments for you...
-Mason and his classmates apparently have a giant group text going on so they are constantly texting each other during "class". I walked in to check on him at one point yesterday and saw him texting while the teacher was talking on the screen and snatched his phone up. Then I looked at the computer screen at all the other classmates in their little zoom boxes and saw half of them looking down at something...presumably their own phones. So he's no longer allowed his phone during class time. Lesson learned.
-Yesterday there was a region-wide outage and most of the class couldn't log on to their zoom meetings on and off throughout the day. There were definitely lots of frustrated mom texts being exchanged!! 😂 Thankfully, MISD sent out a robocall, a text and email after a little while explaining the situation and basically tell us not to panic. Or stop panicking. Whatever. So I did and it straightened itself out and the kids all got a pretty light day because of it. It's a learning curve. Things happen. We roll with it. 😎
But other than that, the only complaint is that "it's boring". I get it. We all do. But our fingers are still crossed that they'll be able to go back to school on September 3rd. One can only hope. 🤞
Anyway, since its Friday, it's time for all things "favorite" from the week! So here we go...
If you haven't seen this movie yet, go watch it! It's free with Amazon Prime and it'll make you want to adopt older kids immediately. Oh my heart. It's so funny and so sweet...the best combo. This is definitely on my list of movies that I could watch over and over again. (Others being The Other Woman, The Greatest Showman, Crazy Rich Asians, The Family Stone, You've Got Mail, and the Sex in the City movies--for starters.)
Y'all know I love a light, fluffy and funny chick-lit novel. I also love thrillers. But I love real-life stories too! Biographies and autobiographies are high on my list. So when The Girls popped up on my IG feed this week, I was curious to see what it was all about. I quickly realized it was basically a compilation of interviews and stories from the victims of Larry Nassar--the USA Gymnastics and Olympics doctor who sexually abused HUNDREDS of girls for decades until he was finally brought down by some of the strongest, bravest, fiercest women in the world.
I've always adored women's gymnastics. As a little girl, I longed to be one of those girls flying through the air with the pretty leotard and slicked back bun or fluffy ponytail...the bangs...the scrunchies...the hair clips. The '92 Olympics in Barcelona (I was 11) was my first time to really watch gymnastics. I was mesmerized by these girls. Kim Zmeskal (my favorite) and Shannon Miller were like heroes to me and I also loved the Soviet Union's Tatiana Gutsu (I thought the name Tatiana was the most beautiful name in the world). I cheered when they did great and I cried when they did. I loved everything about them and wanted to be them SO BADLY. I was in gymnastics during this time of my life but only for a few years and I quickly realized that I had started way too late. Everyone was ahead of me and my shining moment was a basic back handspring...and I was also a Tensica Queen for those of you familiar with basic gymnastics skills. 😂 But that's where my dream died. haha Thankfully, I had been a softball player since I was 6 so I was able to fall back on that. ;)
Anyway, I listened to this audiobook all week and while I can't say I loved it (can you say that when it's based on such horrible things?), it was incredibly eye-opening and really showed you so much of the behind the scenes moments that go on in the life of a competitive gymnast. Let's just say that I am extremely thankful my starry-eyed 11-year-old self was never an Olympic hopeful. Larry Nassar was a HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE man. But the most infuriating part of this story is that several girls went to the authorities to report sexual abuse by this man and NOTHING HAPPENED. Everything was brushed aside or covered up until finally they had no choice but to face it. Had the authorities taken these accusations seriously the first time they were brought to their attention, it would have saved hundreds of girls from his abuse. It makes me sick to my stomach to even think about.
If you aren't up for the whole book, you can watch the documentary called Athlete A on Netflix which gives an overview with several of the girls who endured his abuse. The book is definitely more in-depth but the movie is a great watch if you want to know more about this case.
Ok! Switching gears to something much lighter--my Etsy shop!
Both of these cute can coolers are ready to ship and can get to you in time for Labor Day!! I've got all the others too in the shimmery glitter colors that look great personalized!
And new to the shop this week is this adorable Starbucks Venti Cold Cup! I've only got 5 of these in stock at the moment because I literally have to drive all over town trying to round them up but according to store managers, more should be arriving soon. You are free to choose from a TON of different color choices for the animal print and the name.
Also worth noting, the ones I have in stock now will come with the rainbow straws! These will NOT last because normally they come with green straws. But the store manager gave me the cute ones because it was all she had left. Score! So get yours NOW before the rainbow straws sell out!
I will have different design choices for these soon too so stay tuned for that!
Ummmm. Tell me I'm not the only stay-at-home/work-from-home mom who doesn't "get dressed" every day. Or all week... Because this is my outfit of the week. And all the others looked just like this with the color of my shorts or tee being the only change. 😂
I'm actually going to lump this in with "sale of the week" too. Because these shorts--quite possibly the greatest shorts I've ever owned--are back in stock in this grey color! They come in and out of stock in all the colors at random times and sell out quickly so I had to throw this out there while I could. I know people will say "I live in these" about certain things but...do you really? BECAUSE I DO. Granted, I have these in 3 other colors as well so it's easier to literally live in them (and sleep!) but they are amazing and I will cry if I ever have to be without them during a TX summer. Huge points for comfort, fit, cuteness, and the fact that they are not booty shorts. Because this mama is almost 39 and my days of tiny shorts are over. Boo. #ohtobe21again
I'm wearing a small in them (they fit TTS but I feel like they stretched just a tiny bit once I wore them for an hour or so which made them even more perfect). But if you are between sizes I'd definitely go up rather than down.
Now let's talk about this tee. Looks pretty basic, right? But here's the deal.
I'm hoping this tee is still available by the time you read this because it's super-duper soft, is drapey without being baggy and is PERFECTION to sleep in or wear under your Barefoot Dreams cardigan. (Or any cardigan. Or cute jacket even.) The sleeves are a little longer than average which I love because I could stand to work out more... And it would look darling with one of those lacey bralettes that are so popular right now because it can definitely be pushed over to let a pretty bra strap peek out.
Best part is that these tees are just $11.90 in the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale so #nobrainer on that one right?? And shipping is free!! I'm wearing a small but an extra small would be fine too if I wanted to make it a little less of a relaxed fit. I ordered this in 3 colors originally (white, grey, grey-blue that I'm wearing) but once I tried it on I went back and grabbed it in black as well because it is that good. And cheap. So why not. GET ONE!! So comfy!!
I seriously debated on even sharing this with you guys because I hate to be judged on being a blogger who does NOT have it all together all the time. I literally do not. Almost ever. It's not fun and I constantly wish I was better than I am. Sigh.
I really do strive to be one of those perfect moms who has a homecooked meal on the table every night and everyone has to sit down and share about their days.
That is not our life.
We have baseball/football practice Monday-Friday nights with dad and at least one kid leaving around 5-5:30 and returning around 8-8:30. My family doesn't want to scarf down a meal at 4:30 or even 5:00...so for this phase of life, we do implement the sandwich/frozen burger/fish sticks/nuggets/fast food/leftovers strategies a lot.
I am usually the one at home while people are at practice so I'm either cooking for one or two while the other two are gone. I don't mind if the boys stop for Chick-fil-A after a late practice but I can't eat that stuff all the time. I, unfortunately, do not have the metabolism of a 12-year-old boy.
So I've been doing Home Chef meals sometimes but just got in my first order of Eat to Evolve meals and I think I may like these better when it's really just me! These are cooked fresh on the weekends and arrive a couple of days later. I ordered 9 for my first go-round and I was able to choose all Keto-friendly meals! (They have lots of selections based on your plan--keto, paleo, whole 30, vegan, primal, etc).
I got double on a few of these because I knew Craig would probably try to steal my fajitas, fried chicken and spaghetti squash or butter chicken. But these are so good!!! They aren't frozen (although you can freeze them) so they taste like really good leftovers. So far I've shared the grilled chicken and green beans with garlic ranch with Mason and have eaten both of the fried chicken and spaghetti squash meals. haha Yumm!!
Each one comes with the macros clearly shown too so there are no problems working that out if that's your thing. Delicious and easy--they all heat up in the microwave in under 2 minutes. Yes, you'll pay for the convenience of it but to me, it's totally worth it. Just an idea if you live your life in chaos like me. ;)
Hey sweet Charlie Bear!! I posted this picture on Instagram earlier this week with all the nicknames this dog has after being with us for 2 months now.
Those nicknames included:
Charles
Charlie Bear
Cha-lee (you have to say it in a British accent)
Chalsie
Chalsie-Walsie (that one's embarrassing)
And my personal favorite...
Chuck.
😂😂😂
We love this dog.
Other fun pictures from the week include cute baseball boys from Sunday!
I dropped Mason off at his first baseball practice since March and he was positively giddy!! Their team played one game in the spring before Covid hit and everything got cancelled so he was beyond excited to get back to his friends and his team. This is his happy place for sure. Even if it was 102 degrees.
Craig picked Mason up from practice and dropped Matthew off for his at the same time. He had to leave for a private lesson (he's a QB coach on the side) so I was in charge of picking Matthew up.
His practice was supposed to be over at 6 but around 5:30 I noticed the sky darkening. I decided to head to the ball field early to pick him up just in case it started to storm and when I was about 2 minutes away he called to say practice had been called because of lightning. I picked him up and we watched the clouds get darker and darker toward our house as we drove home. When we pulled in the wind was starting to pick up and we took a few pictures before it got bad. And it did get bad! Craig pulled in just as Matthew and I did because his session had to be cancelled because of the storm and we watched as our heavy outdoor rug started to literally blow away!! We ran outside to grab it and all our other light outdoor furniture and pull it into the sunroom just in time.
I had a few videos of the storm on Instagram but those winds and the lightning were something I'd never really seen before! We ended up with just a couple of hurt trees (one almost entirely knocked over) and our neighbor's front gate was completely torn apart. Our back fence was just about to tip over and I have no idea how it made it through.
This was after the storm. Charlie was not afraid of the storm even a little bit. He wanted to be out in it! Strange pup. haha But our lounge chair cushions took a beating but were thankfully tied on and the rest had been taken inside. (The random flower pots you see in the grass weren't moved by the wind...just me. ;) I wanted to get them closer to where the sprinklers would hit them which in retrospect, clearly didn't matter because of all the rain!)
My Nordstrom sale purchases started arriving this week which you already know because I talked about this tee in my outfit of the week section. But did I tell you how much I love my new Uggs!?!
I said this over in the Daily Deals FB Group this week but I'll say it again. I don't splurge on much when it comes to clothes or accessories or handbags. But I make exceptions for a few things that I'll get a lot of use out of and will keep me comfy. That includes Uggs and Barefoot Dreams. Ahhh heaven.
I have more than a handful of Barefoot Dreams cardigans in pretty much every color they've ever come out with and wear them nonstop from October to April. Give or take. I even wore one all week this week because the A/C gets cold and all the boys in my house are always "soooooooo hot".
And then there are Uggs. They are comfy, they are easy to slip on and they keep my feet toasty when it's cold out and I have to be at a baseball game or parade or just walking the square in downtown Mckinney on a blustery January Saturday.
I haven't found a pair that I just LOVE in the past couple of years though...until I saw these. I scooped up the tan pair immediately and as soon as they came in this week, I went back for the black ones.
Sizing wise: I chose my regular size and it's fine but I could have sized up a half size and been fine too.
Charlie's second BarkBox came in this week and he's been all over it!!
He especially loves this "chips and queso" toy. I mean...he's my kind of dog. 😉
This month it was a Carnival theme! So cute!! If you want to spoil your pup a little, I definitely recommend a BarkBox!!
Another product I'm loving this week are my new thin scrunchies! They are the perfect combo of a scrunchie and a regular hairband. Love these!!
I got them when I ordered...
These cute masks!! I have been surviving with one or two masks but since they don't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon, I decided to find some that I really like and get a little stash. These are soft and comfortable and the designs and colors are perfect!
I think I laughed way too hard at this. 😂😂😂
Happy Friday, y'all!!
Linking up with Erika and Andrea for Friday Favorites, High 5 for Friday, Nancy, Simply Sweet Home, Friday at the Firehouse, and Create with Joy.
Instant Family is so sweet!!!!! I love that one too!!
ReplyDeleteI figured you’d like that one!
DeleteThose masks look great. I wanted to check them out, but the link isn't working for me. Your dog Charlie is adorable! I hope that your boys get to go back to school in person in September. It's hard staring at a computer screen all day for me as an adult, so I know it's got to be hard for the kids.
ReplyDeleteThank you! And so sorry about the link! It seems to be working for me so I’m not sure what’s wrong but here it is again if you want to try it this way. 😊 https://bit.ly/2FKBRw3
DeleteAlso, if that doesn’t work just search for masks on Ulta. ❤️
DeleteWe are 4:30 dinner eaters because of all the practices. It is weird getting back into that early dinner routine for sure. We are virtual through most of October so I’ll be home to make that early dinner which is nice! Have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteOur biggest problem with early dinners is that I’m still working during that time, my husband isn’t home from work usually and Mason’s lunch isn’t until 1:30. So he’s not even hungry. We are a hot mess. 😂
DeleteInstant family was a good movie! My kids just started this week with a hybrid schedule and even my teen is loving the in school days: the 2 days at home drag a lot longer but they will be thankful for Mondays being catch up days.
ReplyDeletewww.chezmireillefashiotravelmom.com
I like the idea of a hybrid schedule! I wish we would have had that option.
DeleteYay, I'm so excited about the Starbucks cup, I hopped right over to order one for my daughter! Great round-up of favorites this week! :)
ReplyDeleteYay!! Thanks so much!
DeleteOMG I love those Starbucks cups you made! I think I will have to grab one! The color of the leopard print is so pretty. But I just keep looking at it and hope you didn't have to attach each piece of the leopard vinyl (if that's what it is) one by one!
ReplyDeleteHa! No, thank goodness!! I apply them like a wrap all at once. That cup would be a LOT more expensive if I had to apply them one by one!! 😂
DeleteI love your blog and how real you are! You should be kinder to yourself. :-) I'd much rather read your honesty than someone who thinks she has all the things figured out. You are very cute and relatable. And Charlie is just too adorable!!
ReplyDeleteSusan
Oh Susan, you are too kind! Thank you for that. ❤️❤️
DeleteWooHoo! Just grabbed the last cup! Can't wait to get it!
ReplyDeleteYes you did!! Someone messaged me about 60 seconds after you got it asking when I’d be getting in more! Lucky you!! 😉
DeleteI cried way too much with Instant Family!! Have you seen the dog toys from Costco that reflect their food court? Hilarious!
ReplyDeleteI did too!! And no, I haven’t seen those toys! How funny!! 😂
DeleteI loved Instant Family!
ReplyDeleteIt’s so good! Makes me want to adopt a sassy teenager. 😂
Delete