July 8

Weekends are for taking a break from cooking...sometimes ;)  I'm trying to be good, so I only ordered appetizers:

July 9

A refreshing drink on a nice summery day. . .

July 10

My favorite time of the day to walk the dogs is around sunset.  This was today's view as we walked around our neighborhood:

July 1

I love it when  DIY projects are super easy and fast.  I was able to re-purpose some jeans that were too baggy by turning them into comfy shorts.  Score!

July 2

I baked some Strawberry Nutella Poptarts this morning so I could share with my sister and some girlfriends from college.  You just can't go wrong with Nutella ;)

July 3

Being on vacation means that I actually have some free time to do something fun with my nails.  I tried out some patriotic colors in honor of the Fourth of July. :)

July 4

Joe and I got to witness the Big Bay Boom tonight, along with tons of disappointed people who were expecting a fireworks show.  It turned out that the fireworks all went off at the same time.  It was pretty cool while it lasted, which unfortunately was not very long.  Oh well!

July 5

I've been toting around the mini-Tajin bottle that my friend Drina gave me.  I love how it just fits in my pool bag easily and really complements watermelon.  It's sooooooo goooooood!!!!

July 6

I was able to spend some time being crafty this week and ended up making some cards.  I finally got to use some of my Close To My Heart stamps and am really happy with the results...

July 7

I got to spend time on the other side of the camera today inside of a photo booth at my best friend's sister's wedding.  I loved having a good laugh at our expense as we enjoyed being silly.  My best friend and boyfriend crack me up!!!

June 27

I-Love-Being-On-Vacation!  I actually have to time to plan a weekly menu, enjoy grocery shopping and cook without being stressed.  This living life in slow mode is where it's at ;)

June 28

My doggies and I had a nice time at the park with my mom, sister, sister-in-law and two of my nephews.  Fresh air and some sunshine are good stress relievers.  If only my dogs wouldn't get so excited about other people and dogs and just be able to relax at the park!

June 29

I spotted these lovely owls and aprons at Anthropologie today.  Such pretty, swoon-worthy knick-knacks to look at there. . . and buy every once in a while. ;)

June 30

Mike and Roxy are still getting used to a double leash.  I love it, but they don't feel the same way.  It slows Roxy down and pushes Mike to keep up.  It cracks me up how Roxy is thinking: "Let's GO, Mike!" while Mike periodically puts on the brakes when he's had enough of her hurrying him up.  I think their sibling rivalry is funny and pretty darn cute.

June 21

Summertime isn't all about relaxing for teachers.  It gives us time to work on home projects we just don't get to during the school year.  Today my mom helped me re-pot plants and tidy up my container garden, which gave the patio a cleaner feel.  The doggies and I will be spending more time there in the coming weeks.  Thanks, Mom!

June 22

I'm ready to relax in my pool get-up:

  

June 23

This auntie got to spend time with her cutie pie of a nephew, sister and brother-in-law today at the fair.  Great day!!!

June 24

Another pool day:

June 25

I decided to push myself to go out for an early morning jog today.  It felt good, but it's been a looong time!

June 26

I took a field trip up to Temecula with my sister and some of my college amigas.  I think field trips without students are a lot less stressful and therefore more fun!

June 17

The doggies and I are back to our regular walks.  I like enjoying the sights of new plants and flowers, while they enjoy the smells and grass :)

June 18

You're looking at one tired, but happy teacher.  Bulletin boards are stripped, desks and chairs are stacked...school's out for the SUMMER!!!

June 19

I started the Soul Detox devotional today.  God knows my soul needs it.  I'm looking forward to the whole process...

June 20

Today was officially the first day of summer.  It was nice to spend time with my sister and nephew in Little Italy, where we chowed down on some pizza & lasagna at Filippi's and then devoured some pistachio gelato at a quaint cafe nearby.  I got to celebrate the start of summer with Mike and Roxy at home by enjoying some down time in the patio with some special treats.  I. Love. Summer.

June 14

Stressful days seem manageable when I slow down and enjoy a nice breakfast.  This is tough to do with the morning rush, but some Nutella on a toasted bagel and a chai tea latte were the perfect way to begin a long and stressful day:

June 15

This is what the last few minutes of the school year looked like in my classroom.  Hooray for the last day of school and summer vacation!!!

June 16

I was able to partake in some stress relief in the form of a paper crafting workshop today.  This was my favorite of the four projects we made:

June 10

I'm liking finding things to celebrate each day (:

 

June 11

. . . this is going on my wishlist!

June 12

Dinner involved slicing and dicing veggies to put in a salad:

June 13

I've been on the lookout for dandelions ever since I decided that they reminded me of golf balls on tees. . .