Friday Randomness! ♥

Hello Friends! Happy Friday!  ♥

I hope this day finds you well.  It's a cool and damp day here in my corner of the world.  Our temps are supposed to shoot up to the 90's this weekend, so there's that.  Rob put my A/C in last week and I'm ready to flip the switch as soon as the humidity hits the air.  

Spring is weird.  And I feel like it's just about over.  All the flowers are blooming and outside is endless green. I'm hoping to go strawberry & blueberry picking next Sunday if it's not too hot. I have dreams of strawberry pie and blueberry buckle in my future : ) 

And here I am this morning.  Using the only mug appropriate for Downton Abbey weekend!  The new movie comes out today and I'm so excited to see it!  It's getting great reviews.  Some say it's better than the first movie.  Whatever the case I'll be there. If not only for the clothes, tea, accents, and castles.  I love it all so much! 

This week felt very random.  I accomplished a lot, yet very little.  Do you ever feel that way?  

Here are some highlights...  ♥

I went plant shopping and came home with these beauties.  

My goal is to keep them all alive!  

I got a pedicure and it felt amazing!  As I was sitting in a massage chair soaking my aching feet I wondered why I don't do this more often.  It was the best hour of self care I'd had in a long time. 

 I picked this pretty pink for my toes.  I snapped a picture of it so I would remember the color for next time! 

And cake! There's always cake.  Cinnamon coffee cake for afternoon coffee of course.  

Care to join me? 

We watched some classic movies this week also.  This one has my heart!!! 

Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert fill me with joy.  Corny - yes. But something about it is so utterly charming.  They call them classics for a reason  ♥

The family agreed our meal of the week was slow cooker BBQ pulled pork sandwiches.  It was also the easiest meal of the week!  I LOVE my crock pot.  

I'm currently pinning more crockpot recipes for summer : ) 

Totally relatable!!! 

And this.  The struggle is REAL.  

I'm feeling it more and more each day! LOL 

And there I be...

Today is another Friday of work, checking things off the to-do list, paying bills, and pulling out some summer clothes for the weekend.  The best part is that it's PIZZA night! 

Just another day in paradise!  ♥

Thanks for stopping by today friends! Have a wonderful day.  

I wish you all pretty flowers and rays of sunshine! 

Happy Weekend! xoxoxo  ♥

Hi there! How was your week? ♥

 Hello Friends! ♥

 I took this picture at 6:50am this morning. That's the time I drive John to school.  I know!!! 

 It's still dark most days and currently freezing cold.  We still have Christmas lights outside that I need to take in.  It's just been too cold I have to admit, I like the glow in the morning. It cheers me up at that ungodly hour. But alas, this weekend they are going bye-bye. Packed away until next year.  

As you can see, thanks to some rain and then sunshine (yay!) most of last week's snow has melted.  What remains are blocks of ice.  I just heard the weather lady say tomorrow's wind chill is going to feel like 20 below zero.  Oh dear.  How many days until Spring? 

We are in the thick of the dog days of winter now.  It's cold, dark, and a blizzard could hit at any minute.  I feel the word "hygge" in my bones these days.  My whole day revolves around finding it.  How do I make it happen. I bake a lot. Sunday I made blueberry muffins from the Magnolia Table cookbook Santa brought me.   I am loving this book.  It's the third recipe I've made from it and they all have been heavenly. 

*always in slippers*

The streusel topping is worth the extra step.  It's so yummy! 

I'm also working on something very exciting.....and here it is.... ♥

This jar contains day 1 of my very first sourdough starter!  Did I not say it was exciting? Well, that's as exciting as it gets around here...lol! Anyway I'm experimenting with this little baby.  I've been "feeding" it all week and on Sunday I should be able to bake a loaf of sourdough bread.  Something I've always wanted to do. 2022 is all about little victories and if I get an actual loaf of bread out of this, that will be a victory.  Remember me in your prayers! : ) 

I only went on one walk this week because it was just too cold and if you happened to see me you would have thought by the way I was bundled up that I was hitting the slopes for a day of skiing, rather than a 30 minute walk! haha.  The air was amazing though and so good for my mental health. More walks to come next week I hope. I'm know I'm asking for a cold blast by walking along the ocean but I just can't stay away. It's too beautiful. 

♥

  Otherwise I worked (still from home of course), ate oatmeal, drank coffee & tea, made more soup, and cashed in some gift cards online, which is always exciting because now I have little deliveries to look forward to.  It beats going to actual stores which I avoid like the plague.  Maybe I've just forgotten how to be around crowds of people.  I find myself getting annoyed so easily and quickly! 

Terrible I know.  

*this is me*

My one venture out this week was to the grocery store. I go early in the morning and it's not too crowded which is nice.  In and out.  Boom.  What's disheartening are the shortages and price increases.  What the heck?  I find myself daydreaming of living on a picturesque farm somewhere with animals.  Growing my own veggies and having fresh eggs and milk right in my backyard.  Country farmhouses are very hygge, don't you agree?  

Do you follow The Food Nanny on Instagram? If not you should.  Her farmhouse is dreamy and I'm slightly obsessed with it.  She also has a baby cow name Cherry.  Also, obsessed. 

DREAMY♥

Last night I made the Italian Peasant Soup (found on the website I linked).  It has sausage, beans, garlic, spinach....all the good things.  And it's delicious. I'll be eating it for lunch for the next few days which makes my heart sing with JOY!   I want to make all her recipes!

And that was pretty much my week.  I hope you all have a cozy weekend.  My weekend plans include bread, laundry, Netflix, and hot beverages! xoxo 

♥

Random Photo Monday : )

 Good Morning Friends & happy Monday! I hope you all had a nice weekend!

 I had a rather hectic week last week on account of I dropped my phone and shattered the screen!! I watched it happen in slow motion and there was nothing I could do to stop it (you know the feeling!).  I wasn't as upset about the phone breaking as I was about the dread of  having to spend an afternoon at the phone store replacing it! UGH.

Isn't it amazing how attached we are to our phones?  I'm aware that's not always a good thing, but I admit to it.  It wasn't two days before I was in the store purchasing a new one.  I took John with me for moral support : ) With a few deep breaths and some patience it was done and I was back in business with a new phone.  Yay!  After, we walked next store to the frozen yogurt bar and treated ourselves.

This was the first photo I took with my new phone : )  

I spent the rest of the week figuring out how to use it! I was smart this time and had recorded all my passwords and logins beforehand.  A mistake I will NEVER make again.  

As crazy as it sounds after I got my new phone up and running I felt I could get on with my life : ) 

On Friday night we were invited back to John's school for an outdoor banquet/celebration.  The school hosted a dinner and awards ceremony for the 8th grade graduates.  There was a "through the years" slide show presentation that I will admit got me teary. After that, the parents left and kids were treated to movie under the stars. 

 

It was fun night and we were able to say one last goodbye to the school, teachers, and friends. 

And just like that it was done.  Saturday morning and back to our normal routine.  Luckily the heat wave broke the weather had turned beautiful.  I caught up on errands and cleaned my little house on Sunday.  I watered my plants, changed my bedding, lit new candles, and baked cookies. I feel caught up and ready to start a new week.  We even made time for a short walk, which I was able to capture with my new, un-shattered phone!  

Have a happy day friends!  

It's time for me to pour another coffee and get some work done.  The windows are open and I'm feeling pretty good for a Monday morning.  Let's hope the feeling lasts! 

Byeeeee xoxo 

A little of this and a little of that... ♥

Happy Friday! 

I put a little whip cream in my coffee this morning, because why not? It's Friday and it's been a weeeeek.... It's late morning already and yes, I'm still in my PJ's.  You would think with the warm temps and the sun shining through the windows every morning I would be more motivated to get up and go....but nope.  The opposite is happening.  I'm getting slower.... 

Must change that! Or not.  Haha : ) 

The weather here has quickly changed from Spring to Summer!  Its been hazy hot and humid.  Three of  my least favorite things. Boo. But I'm not going to complain.  I like to think of Summer as the gateway to Fall, in my opinion the best season! Who's with me??  The warmer it gets outside the more I wish for those cool crisp October days. 

I know, I know...don't rush it.  I won't.  We will hopefully have a lovely Summer and much happier than last years, no doubt about that! 

But first I must tend to Spring.  John is graduating 8th grade in two weeks! Here's his 8th grade photo.  He looks so grown up I want to cry! 

Who is this child? 

 

And just when I think my baby is all grown up I peek inside his room and see this...

And my heart sings! JOY!

This is just a tiny section.  The room is wall to wall Disney/Pixar/Marvel/etc.  I love it!  Although don't call them toys! Oh no...at 13 they are now "collectables".  Ok.  Good enough for me : ) 

I just watered all my plants and things in that department are going well.  With me you never know, but I haven't killed a plant in months so I'm calling it a win.  

Did I show you this lovely orchid my mother gave me for Mother's day? 

She has much more faith in my gardening skills than I have in myself!  I took the advice of friends and am putting 1 ice cube a week in the pot.  So far so good.  Fingers crossed! 

This morning I'm burning a new candle I gifted myself for Mother's Day.  Its watermelon lemonade and if this isn't the smell of summer I don't know what is?  It's beautiful and just what I needed.  I made fish for dinner last night and I could not get the smell out of the kitchen.  That's real life folks!  But yes, this candle is doing the trick! 

I'll be working all day today.  He's a little peek at my kitchen table, where you'll find me most days tapping away on the keyboard.  I'll log off late this afternoon and take a 30 minute rest with a cup of tea on the sofa before I make dinner.  It's something I started doing a few months ago and now my body reminds me when it's time.  Tonight's dinner is baked pork chops and we'll probably watch a movie later.  I've been craving kettle corn so I'm going to attempt to make some to go with the movie.  We'll see how that goes.  I'll let you know! 

Have a nice weekend Friends! 

I'm getting my second shot on Sunday. 

Praying for no side effects.  Wish me luck! ♥

Byeeeee! xo 

Happy Monday! ♥

Hello Friends!  ♥

I hope this Monday morning finds you well and you all had a restful weekend.   We are experiencing some beautiful weather here in Massachusetts.  Today is 70 degrees and sunny! 

 That with my morning coffee is making me smile today. 

There is never enough coffee.....am I right? 

Over the weekend we treated ourselves to jelly donuts and ice coffees.  A habit we need to break but it's sooooo hard! 

#treatyourself has become my daily motto! (or excuse:)

Last week seemed to fly by in a blink.  For me the highlight was getting my new slippers in the mail that I ordered from Kohls.com.  They are Isotoners and so comfortable.  They are on my feet all day!

It's the little things that make me happy : )  

On Tuesday we went to John's school to return books and clean out his locker.  As of Friday he's officially on summer break!  Yahoooo!  The year certainly didn't go as planned but I'm proud of him for doing so well under the circumstances.  It will be interesting to see what next year brings.  He'll be in 8th grade and it will be his last year at this school before moving on to high school.  Just thinking about that makes me want to cry.  

It's going to be an emotional year (for me! : ) 

On Saturday we enjoyed a socially distanced lunch with my in laws in their gorgeous back yard! 

It was lovely to catch up with good food in a beautiful setting.  

Things are getting a little better here these days, so I'm thankful we can start visiting family again! 

Meanwhile back at home.... cookies, cookies, cookies  ♥

And this candle, which I'm obsessed with! 

Finding little moments of peace within my day is essential.  This was one of them. 

And here's something I've been dying to share with you.  A quick dessert with only 2 ingredients.  

Frozen puff pastry and canned pie filling.

Roll out the pastry and add the filling (I used cherry) to the middle.  Then wrap up the sides like you are making a gallet.  Brush with a little water and bake at 350 for 40 minutes! 

 It's like pie when you don't have time to make a pie!  SOOOOO GOOD! 

Have a wonderful Monday Everyone!  ♥

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you have sunshine today! 

XO 

My week in pictures ♥

Welcome to lazy Sunday morning!

Later today we have been invited to Rob's Aunt's pool for a day of  R&R, which is just about the best thing I've heard this week.  We'll be heading out in a bit, but before that I thought I would share with you a few random pictures from the week while I sip my coffee....

or as I like to call it...

Yesterday I made a big pan of cranberry granola.  I've been eating so badly lately I'm hoping that if I have semi-healthy food in the house then I'll eat it....um....that's the idea anyway.

So far so good because yesterday I added some milk and blueberries and zapped it in the microwave for 1 minute and viola...warm cereal.  It was delicious! 

On Monday we visited Canobie Lake Park in New Hampshire.  It's only about an hour from our house. 

We met one of John school friends and his family there. 

I have visited this place almost every summer that I can remember, either with family or on school field trips. 

Lots of memories here....

And we are making new ones on every visit ♥

 Beep beep!

He loves the antique cars! 

It makes me a bit sad that he's tall enough to reach the petal and drive by himself :(

It's been so unbelievably hot this week and finally on Wednesday we got some much needed rain. 

It was glorious! I wish it would have lasted longer.

The flowers were grateful ♥

I brought some of these pretties inside to brighten up the kitchen.

♥

I'm still fighting the urge to decorate for Fall..

My friend told me the Pumpkin Spice Lattes and McD's come out on August 31st!

I can't wait!

The moment I realized the shirt I wore to work matches my mom's blue onion dish pattern. 

I have a love for blue & white! : )

Just finished.  Fantastic!!

I love all Danielle Steel books! Hoping they make a Lifetime movie out of this one.

My deck looks pretty, but it's much too hot to sit here. 

Just. Too. Hot.

Lovely reminder of "How to be Happy" by my favorite Susan Branch ♥

The strawberries at the market are looking delicious this week (and on sale).  These are in my fridge right now.  I'm trying to decide what to do with them.  Pie? Shortcake? Muffins?

Nope. Never.

The struggle is real.

And this little guy (seen here at 5) turns 9 on Tuesday!!! 

I can hardly believe it.  

♥

Wishing you the best day ever! I'm off to the pool. 

Happy Sunday, my friends! xo