Five on Friday - August 31, 2018

Happy holiday weekend!  Hope you have a memorable and safe few days.  Before we head out, here's my five for this week ~

1.  Labor Day Weekend
How did we get to Labor Day weekend so fast?!?  This summer has absolutely flown by and I'm not quite ready to embrace fall just yet.  And we know autumn is almost here because Starbuck's has starting selling their pumpkin spice lattes, right.

2.  Searching
We've seen the previews for this thriller, and I'm intrigued.  So I'm adding it to the ever growing list of movies I want to see.  Here's the synopsis from Fandango:

David Kim becomes desperate when his 16-year-old daughter Margot disappears and an immediate police investigation leads nowhere. He soon decides to search the one place that no one else has -- Margot's laptop. Hoping to trace her digital footprints, David contacts her friends and looks at photos and videos for any possible clues to her whereabouts.

3.  Real Simple Magazine
It's no secret that I'm a huge magazine-aholic.  For years, one of my favorites has been Real Simple.  Have you ever read it?  I practically embrace it when I pull it out of the mailbox.  Real Simple is for anyone who is looking for ways to simplify both their work and home life.  Who doesn't need a little help with that?!?  Click HERE if you're interested in a subscription.

4.  HP Sprocket 

Have you guys seen these little mini printers?  I just ran across them and I'm so fascinated with it!  This little guy is a portable printer and connects via Bluetooth.  Amazon describes it brilliantly, so I'm sharing how they describe it:

Live it - Love it - Print it: Printing off social media photos has never been easier from your smartphone. Connect your social media accounts to the free-to-download HP Sprocket App and instantly turn those photos into colorful prints

A Social on-the-go portable printer: Sprocket uses seamless Bluetooth connectivity, so you can set it up at parties and events, and everyone can print their favorite moments from their smartphones or tablets

Have fun - be creative: Customize your photos before you print with the HP Sprocket App to add fun text, borders, emojis, and more. Add a pop of personality for snapshots and stickers that are totally and uniquely you

Instant snapshots anywhere: This compact photo printer was made to go wherever you do. It easily fits into any bag, so you can create 2x3-inch stickable snapshots whenever the moment strikes

How to print: Connect the Sprocket Photo Printer to your mobile device via Bluetooth. Download the free and easy-to-use HP Sprocket App and enjoy fun portable printing

For best results, use Original HP ZINK sticky-backed photo Paper: it’s specially designed to ensure you get bright, glossy photos with vibrant colors every time you print. Just peel off the back of your prints and your photos become instant stickers

Main functions of the Sprocket portable photo printer: 2x3 photo printing on sticky-backed paper, mobile printing - take it anywhere, social media printing - print photos from your social media profiles, Bluetooth smartphone connectivity, and more

See why I think it's so cool!  Are you fascinated too?  Click HERE to take a closer look.

5.  Just sayin'......

Okay guys - I'm out.  We are heading to Italy tomorrow morning and I'm not sure how often I'll be posting next week.  You can bet when I get back though I'll be sharing all the details from our trip.  I think we're about ready -- I've got the house sitter lined up, called the credit cards, talking to our cell phone service and have a several tours booked.  This is going to be epic!!  If I get done packing at a decent hour tonight, I might try to watch a couple episodes of the new season of Ozark that dropped today on Netflix.  Check back soon to hear all about our trip!

Linking up with:

The Peaceful Posse

Amanda at Meet At The Barre
Erika at Little Bit of Everything

Simply Sweet Home
High Five for Friday
5 on Friday

The Blended Blog
This post contained affiliate links.  I may receive a small commission if you click on the link and purchase.  Thanks

Friday Favorites - August 31, 2018

Happy Friday -- and a holiday weekend Friday at that!  Enjoy all the links and have a great weekend!

Please support and follow our lovely blog party hostesses:

Jerri at Simply Sweet Home - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst

Lisa at Condo Blues - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst

Amy at A Day of Small Things - Pin

Penny at Penny's Passion - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst

Kelly at Under a Texas Sky - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst | BL

If you are featured this week, be sure and grab a featured button for your blog!

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You can show your love for this week's favorites by going over and commenting on the posts and by pinning or sharing!

And if you love all of this week's favorites, please pin, share, and invite your friends to this week's linky party!

Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop - August 29, 2018

Welcome to our party!

We are so glad you are here. Do you believe that this is the final Wednesday of August? Summer is zooming right by, isn't it! We have been just loving all the creative ideas you have been sharing with us. Here are the posts you all visited the most last week ...  

Most Viewed

Beer Batter Pizza - A Proverbs 31 Wife

 

Very Popular

Design Hacks For Families On A Budget - The Dedicated House

Rustic Farmhouse Home Tour - My Life On Kaydeross Creek

 

Make Ahead Cold Lunch Ideas - Must Have Mom

 

Editor's Pick

Back To School Printable - Simply Designing

  So, now, let's get this party started!

This week please follow our co-hosts on Twitter …

Ducks ‘n a Row – Twitter

Mom Resource – Twitter

My Life Abundant – Twitter

Marilyn’s Treats – Twitter

Engineer Mommy – Twitter

Eclectic Red Barn – Twitter

Penny's Passion - Twitter

Simple Steps For Living Life – Twitter

Simple party guidelines >>

• Please TWEET our party ♥ Use the hashtag #WWBlogHop
• Add as many of your family-friendly posts as you would like to. No Etsy shops, adult sites or blog parties, please.
• Visit others. Let them know you stopped!
• If you are NEW to Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop, let us know in the comments so that we can follow you back. ♥ Help us find your posts – tell us what number they are!
• NOTE: party entries appear in REVERSE. i.e. the most recent entry goes to the top! That way all of our guests will have a chance to be seen no matter when they arrive.
• Thanks! ♥

An InLinkz Link-up

Weekending - August 24, 2018

Time to start a new week!  The weekend went by so fast, as they seem to do often.  Guess that means it was a good one!

Last week was a busy work week for me and I was ready to have some fun on Friday night.  Eric met me at the hotel where the conference I had been working on took place and we walked over to Busch Stadium for a night under the stars with Cheap Trick, Def Leppard and Journey.  It had rained on and off all day, but luckily weather looked fairly good for the evening.

It was the first time we had ever sat in the floor seats for a concert at the stadium and they were awesome.  Watching concerts in outdoor venues is one of my favorite things, especially when you can sing along with every song.  And we were close enough  to actually feel the vibration from the music!  I know my ears are hating me for it, but it sure made my heart happy.

Saturday morning I woke up and prepared for a wedding consultation call I had at noon and answered a few work emails.  The wedding I'm working on is coming up in a few weeks and things are really starting to come together.

After the call, I braved the heat and mowed the yard.  Geez, it was hot!  When I was finished I cooled down in front of the TV emptying the DVR.  Please don't judge - but I'm a Bachelor in Paradise watcher.  Why?  I honestly don't know.  Are you a fan?

My parents came over on Sunday and we went to Kayla and Ian's new house. Eric's mom met us there.  I know Kayla and Ian were excited to share their new home with them and it was a great day.  Lots of great memories are going to be made there and it started with Sunday.

Their cat, Albus, is finding his new favorite places in the house too!

Sunday night was girls night and my friend Tracy was hosting.  She made pizza on the grill and it was the perfect Sunday night dinner.  It always fills my soul to sit and talk to these friends.

Tracy sent us home with a bunch of flowers and pieces of fruit to start the week.  She is the best!

Now it's time to get through this week.  We're leaving on Saturday for Italy and I've got a boat load of things to get accomplished before we step on that plane.  Better get to it!

Five on Friday - August 24, 2018

It's Friday - the day I get to go home from a long work week.  I've been staying at a hotel downtown all week helping with a work program and I'm looking forward to sleeping in my own bed for the first time since Sunday night.  Before I wrap up this day though, I want to share my five for this week with you ~

1.  The Bookshop
The Bookshop opens today and it's on the top of my list of movies to see - first because I love all the actors in it and second because the story seems so intriguing.  Based on the book by Penelope Fitzgerald, this tale portrays adversity and betrayal.  Here's the synopsis from Fandango ~

England, 1959. Free-spirited widow Florence Green (Emily Mortimer) risks everything to open a bookshop in a conservative East Anglian coastal town. While bringing about a surprising cultural awakening through works by Ray Bradbury and Vladimir Nabokov, she earns the polite but ruthless opposition of a local grand dame (Patricia Clarkson) and the support and affection of a reclusive book loving widower (Bill Nighy). As Florence’s obstacles amass and bear suspicious signs of a local power struggle, she is forced to ask: is there a place for a bookshop in a town that may not want one? Based on Penelope Fitzgerald’s acclaimed novel and directed by Isabel Coixet (Learning to Drive), The Bookshop is an elegant yet incisive rendering of personal resolve, tested in the battle for the soul of a community.

By the way, the book is only $2.99 right now on Amazon if you are one of us who like to read the book before you see the movie.  Click HERE to purchase.

2.  JOYA Boho Tassel Hoop Earrings
I have had these beauties on my Amazon wish list for months.  I think I'm finally going to pull the trigger and move them into my cart.  For $8.95, I might even purchase a couple of the nine color options available.  Don't they just look so festive and fun!?!  Click HERE to check out all the colors and put a pair in your Amazon cart.

3.  Avery No-Iron Fabric Labels
Most of the kiddos are back in school. How many of them have already lost something? I read about these Avery no-iron fabric labels and they seem pretty awesome. Where were these when my son was in school?!? They'll stick on jackets, school uniforms, baby clothes, blankets, backpacks and more. Just for fun, the package has an assortment of sizes and shapes.  Need some?  Click HERE to purchase.

4.  O, That's Good! Pizza
Oprah has done it again -- this time with pizza.  She's teamed up with Kraft Heinz Company to make a healthier version of frozen pizza by making the crust with one-third cauliflower.  The new flavors include supreme, pepperoni, five cheese, and fire roasted veggie.  They all sound pretty tasty to me!  Be watching for them in your grocery stores and for around $7, you can take one home.

5.  Wondering....

Now let's get this weekend started!!  Eric and I are going to see Def Leppard and Journey tonight at Busch Stadium.  Can't wait!  Then on Sunday we're going to Kayla and Ian's with my parents and Eric's mom.  It will be the first time they have seen their new house and I know they are excited to have everyone over.  Monday will be here before we know it, so let's make the most of the weekend!

Linking up with:

The Peaceful Posse

Amanda at Meet At The Barre
Erika at Little Bit of Everything

Simply Sweet Home
High Five for Friday
5 on Friday

The Blended Blog
This post contained affiliate links.  I may receive a small commission if you click on the link and purchase.  Thanks

Friday Favorites Linky Party - August 24, 2018

It's Friday!  Let's hear it for the weekend!  Enjoy the posts today ~

Please support and follow our lovely blog party hostesses:

Jerri at Simply Sweet Home - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst

Lisa at Condo Blues - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst

Amy at A Day of Small Things - Pin

Penny at Penny's Passion - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst

Kelly at Under a Texas Sky - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst | BL

If you are featured this week, be sure and grab a featured button for your blog!

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You can show your love for this week's favorites by going over and commenting on the posts and by pinning or sharing!

And if you love all of this week's favorites, please pin, share, and invite your friends to this week's linky party!

Thinking Out Loud Thursday - August 23, 2018

Hello friends!  Welcome to Thinking Out Loud Thursday!  So glad you popped in.

I'm helping at a work conference all week.  As much as I hate being away from home for five days, I love spending time with people who motivate and inspire me.  We all need a little motivation every now and then.  Today I'm sharing with you some quotes that hopefully will add a little inspiration to your day ~

Go out there and make somebody feel good today!  In turn, you'll probably feel pretty darn good yourself.

What are you thinking out loud about today?  Link up and share!  I'd love to hear from you.

An InLinkz Link-up

Enjoy more Thoughts for Thursday at:

Home of Malones

East Coast Chic

This is How We Roll 

Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop - August 22, 2018

Welcome to our party! Every week most of our features were viewed most by you, our guests. This week's features are all "most viewed" - we had a four way tie for most clicked! That doesn't happen very often but I think you will agree that they are all very good and a cross section of interests, too.

Most Viewed

5 Things To Do To Prepare For Christmas In August - Duct Tape And Denim

Brown Cow - Hyacinth For The Soul

 

Beat The Heat DIY Summer Grommet Porch Shade - Farmhouse 40

 

DIY Asymmetrical Autumn Leaf Wreath - LeCultivateur

 

Editor's Pick

Casual Cotton Crochet Headband - Winding Road Crochet

  So now, let's get this party started!

This week, please follow our hosts on Facebook!

Ducks ‘n a Row – Facebook

Mom Resource – Facebook

My Life Abundant – Facebook

Marilyn’s Treats – Facebook

Engineer Mommy – Facebook

Eclectic Red Barn– Facebook

LeCultivateur – Facebook

Penny's Passion - Facebook

Simple Steps For Living Life– Facebook

• Please TWEET our party ♥ Use the hashtag #WWBlogHop
• Add as many of your family-friendly posts as you would like to. No Etsy shops, adult sites or blog parties, please.
• Visit others. Let them know you stopped!
• If you are NEW to Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop, let us know in the comments so that we can follow you back. ♥ Help us find your posts – tell us what number they are!
• NOTE: party entries appear in REVERSE. i.e. the most recent entry goes to the top! That way all of our guests will have a chance to be seen no matter when they arrive.
• Thank you!♥

<

An InLinkz Link-up

Let's Make Veggies & Shrimp

If you're like me, sometimes when I get home from work the last thing I want to do is spend half the evening getting a meal on the table.  Last week I tried a dish that was perfect for those kind of days!

A Facebook friend of mine (thanks Jill!) posted a picture of her dinner one night and I knew I had to try it.  Being full of vegetables, it fit right in with our goal of eating more healthy.

Here's What You Need

2/3 cup avocado oil

Cauliflower

Broccoli

Baby Carrots

Zucchini

Mushrooms

1 pound of shrimp

2 envelopes of onion soup mix

Let me stop right here and talk about avocado oil.  Jill mentioned she had used it and I thought it would add an avocado flavor.  Turns out I didn't notice a flavor at all, but apparently avocado oil offers some great health benefits.  After doing a bit of research, I found it improves skin and enhances wound healing, is rich in Oleic Acid (a very healthy fat), and also enhances the absorption of important nutrients.   If you don't feel like getting a bottle of avocado oil, I'm sure this recipe would still be wonderful using regular EVOO.  

Here's What You Do

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and get busy washing and cutting up your fresh vegetables.  I literally cut enough vegetables to fill the largest bowl I own.   I poured 2/3 cup avocado oil in and gave it a good toss.  If you're using less vegetables, cut down the amount of oil.

Speaking of the largest bowl I own - every kitchen should have one of these.  This one is going on 34 years old and is still going strong.  Now that Ian and Kayla have a home of their own with more cabinet space, I think they will be getting one of these for Christmas.  (Act surprised when you open it guys.)

After mixing in the oil, I added one package of onion soup mix and tossed thoroughly.  Spread out on a large sheet pan covered with foil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

Pop the mound of veggies in your preheated oven and let it go for 17 minutes.  Meanwhile, mix your shrimp with the other package of onion soup mix.  When the 17 minutes have passed, give your veggies a little stir and add the shrimp right on top.  Let that cook for 8 more minutes.

To finish it off, place your oven on the broiler setting and let it stay in for 5 minutes.  Plate and enjoy!  Don't you feel healthier just reading the recipe?!?  Wait until you eat it - YUM!!

This would be fabulous served over rice, but we saved those calories and went with straight veggies and shrimp.

If you do the math of all the minutes, you have a total of 30 minutes.  Add in another 10-15 for cutting up your vegetables and you have a grand total of 40-45 minutes from start to table.  Darn good investment of time to produce this tasty dish!

What's your favorite sheet pan recipe?  I haven't done a lot of sheet pan recipes, but I'm pretty sure I'll be doing more in my future.  In the end, we had a great meal with not a lot of dirty dishes. Definitely a win win!

Linking up with:
JENerally Informed

Simply Sweet Home Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop

Weekending - August 17, 2018

This was a quick weekend!  Here's the rewind.

Friday night we had dinner with Ian and Kayla at one of our favorite pizza places - Dewey's.  It's been great having them live closer to us!  Definitely a win in our books!  After dinner, we went back to their house for a glass of wine.  Great evening!

Saturday morning I finished off the second season of The Handmaid's Tale.  Oh June -- you are so brave!!  While I was still trying to absorb the last episode, Eric and I got up and took a long walk at the park.  When our walk was complete, we immediately replaced the calories we burned from the walk with breakfast sandwiches from Panera.  I love those things and we don't get them that often.

Then it was off to work for Eric and myself.  I don't have to work very often on Saturday and when I do, it sure makes for a short weekend!

It was Sunday Funday though!  We got up early and went for another long walk.  I love walking in the morning!  It just makes me feel like I'm starting the day on the right foot.  As soon as we were done with our jaunt, we got ready and headed to the St. Louis Art Museum.  The exhibit Sunken Cities:  Egypt's Lost Worlds has been on display since March and it's packing up and headed out on September 9.

Here's the exhibit summary from the St. Louis Art Museum's website:

In 2018, the Saint Louis Art Museum will be the first North American art museum to tell the epic story of one of the greatest finds in the history of underwater archaeology, a story that revealed two lost cities of ancient Egypt submerged under the Mediterranean Sea for over a thousand years. World-renowned underwater archaeologist Franck Goddio and his team discovered these submerged worlds and uncovered stunning ancient religious, ceremonial, and commercial artifacts, which has led to a greater understanding of life during the age of pharaohs.

More than 200 of these authentic artifacts, including three colossal 16-foot sculptures of a pharaoh, a queen, and a god will be on view. Objects range from the colossal sculptures to precious gold coins and jewelry, bronze vessels, objects inscribed in the ancient Egyptian or Greek languages, and statues from the sunken and forgotten ancient cities of Thonis-Heracleion and Canopus. They will be seen alongside ancient Egyptian artifacts from museums in Cairo and Alexandria, many of which have never been on view in the United States. 

The exhibition is curated by Franck Goddio. The presentation in St. Louis is co-curated by Lisa Çakmak, the associate curator of ancient art.

The pieces on display are a great mix of artifacts borrowed from the Cairo Museum and the ones recovered from the bottom of the sea.  If you're in the area, this exhibit is so interesting - you should try to see it.  Glad we got it in before it was gone!

Check this piece out -- it's the Stele of Thonis-Heracleion.  It was found during the underwater excavations and is thought to have created around 378-362 BC.  It's hard for me to perceive how old this thing is!

Here are some other pieces that you can see in person at the exhibit ~

This fellow is under water for 2000 years!

Looking at all those artifacts made us famished so we walked to the Boathouse for brunch.  While we waited for a table, we enjoyed a cocktail by the lake.  Truly a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon!

We finished off the day by popping in the outlet malls to check out the sales.  I was hoping to find some cute dresses to pack for our trip to Italy in a few weeks.  I found nothing.  Guess I'll be scouring Amazon this week!

What exciting things did you do this weekend?  Even though it was a short one for us, we fit in some fun stuff.  But that's not to say I'm already looking forward to next weekend!!

Check out what others were up to this weekend.

B Loved Boston

Over the Moon

Hello Monday