July 4th

We had such a great time on a July 4th.  Went to a bbq at a local park ate some hotdogs, watched some fireworks.  Good Times!

This boy continues to grow so quickly.  Ya’ll is it too soon to be talking about being an empty nester?  Just like that, he’ll be graduating high School and starting his own life.  Hopefully not too far from his mother though.  I love him!

Oh and before I go, here’s a few pictures of my new kitten, Piper.  I love her!

Summer Vacation

yes!  A whole week to do absolutely nothing!  No really we don’t have anything penciled in that we have to go and do this week so I am thrilled!  I think we might go see Incredibles 2 today and head to the pool.  The management company of our apartment complex is having a cookout today with hotdogs so we’ll hang around for that too.  Looking forward to a slow pace week.
Recently my doctor prescribed Vitamin D pills so I’m hoping being out in the sun will bring my levels back to where they need to be.  :)

Here’s a pic of my son this morning.  Vacay Day 1

Making himself a bowl of cereal.  He did not want his mommas scrambled eggs.  I put a little chia seeds in it to give it an extra boost.

Some things that have been keeping me busy.  I recently picked up an old hobby that I used to enjoy..reading a good book.  I just finished this book, Fine Things by Danielle Steele.  It’s amazing how books can transport you to different places and stir up some emotions.  Great book!

This was my Diy project.

I painted the faux fireplace with chalk paint.  I love it!  It looks somewhat vintage and now I might keep it a little longer.  It was a dark wood color but felt like I am moving toward shabby chic vibes so tried this out (chalk paint) and love it!


And that’s about it for now!  I’ll post more later but need to get up off the couch and start my day.

Window Shopping

So I recently had some free time and I wanted to check out the bargains at the stores.  I was able to find a couple of really cute dresses.  There just hasn’t been any dresses that I can truly say I’ve been happy with until I saw these.

How cute is this floral dress?  So comfortable.  I think it is called a swing dress.

This gingham dress was just fun!  Plenty of room.

I settled on this dress.  Comfortable and appropriate for work.  I love it!

I’ll share more if I find more bargains!!

Down by the bank...

Me and my boy fishing is the best time spent together.  Great way to soak in some Vitamin D while having fun.

And of course schoolpi

And of course the beloved School pictures.  These are his Spring portraits.  I’m not overly fond of them because it looks like they retouched his chin and he has a double chin.  So we went and had them retaken today.  Hoping to see a dramatic change next time.  He’s still a cutie tho.  

Tipping the scales

Well, so I joined a local gym.  Pretty happy about that!  I’ve been going every morning except Friday (that’s my rest day and chick fil- a day with my boy).  It’s amazing what having a sedentary lifestyle will do to you.  I was having trouble doing little everyday chores.  It was rough so immediate action had to be taken.

Here are some pics taken just about 5 months apart.  It’s amazing the difference to me, in the way my clothes feel, how I feel overall.

I take pics in my sons room because he has the large sliding mirror doors in his room.  Ha!

April

December

It’s subtle but my clothes feel totally different.  Tight and uncomfortable.  I refuse to buy more clothes when I know I can lose weight.  Now if I find a cute shirt, that’s a whole different story!

So it’s only been the first week but I feel great. Can’t wait to keep going so I can see the results and feel better!

Happy Valentines Day! ❤️❤️❤️

A day all about love!  It was a good day at the office.  Busy day with families coming in and out for parties with their little ones.

I also did a little decorating at home for Valentines.  I was going to bypass this holiday entirely but thought well why not celebrate?  So this is what I pulled out of storage.

Yard flag with 🌹.  Who doesn’t love roses?

And that’s about it!  Happy Valentines Day!  Hope everyone enjoyed it with the ones they love.  :)

Game on

So my little guy has decided to play soccer.  He is doing such a great job!  I love his athletic ability, his boldness and his willingness to do what it takes in sports.  He never gives up even when he is disappointed.  I am so proud of him!  And he is a great team player.  I love my boy!

Potato Sausage Chowder

Perfect for chilly nights!  This chowder really hit the spot.

Ingredients:
4 cups diced potatoes
1 cup heavy cream
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 yellow onion
5 sausage links


In a skillet, brown up the sausage links with the yellow onion.  Once brown, remove from heat.
In a deeper pot, pour in the chicken broth, and diced potatoes.  Bring to a rolling boil.  Once boiled, reduce heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in cream and sausage links with onion.

Next time I will do a few things differently.  I will add a little more cheddar cheese to top it off and also cut some scallions for the soup.

Overall, it was delish!

Shrimp Tacos on a budget

This meal is so quick to make and easily one of my favs!  Another perk is it is so inexpensive to make!  Shrimp tacos on a budget!

Ingredients:

3 flour tortillas
1 avocado
3 tablespoons Marie’s chipotle ranch
1 frozen bag of shrimp (15-30 count)
Spinach leaves

First, put the bag of shrimp along with olive oil, butter & garlic salt in a skillet.  Put temp on med-High. Let cook for 10 minutes

While shrimp are cooking, spread a layer of chipotle ranch on each of the tortillas.  Also, spread a layer of avocado.

Delicious!  Completed taco should have chipotle ranch, avocado, shrimp & spinach leaves.  So tasty and so inexpensive to make.  And you will have leftovers!

PS. I did end up throwing my shrimp back in the skillet for a few minutes so they were a little more pink.