Favorites & Highlights of August 2023; One Sentence a Day

 I thought August was going to be a rather long and boring month at home with nothing much to do but the month did seem to fly by and we had a lot of fun.  Some family came to visit and we had a few parties

1. I finished cleaning the upstairs and spent a lazy afternoon around the house reading, painting my nails, watching TV, lifting weights, and working on the blog.

Finished up Vera Wong

Tried to finish up Amy & Roger as well...but didn't quite make it

2. Evan and I went out hiking bright and early only to find that the trail we planned to take was flooded (in multiple spots!) so we hit up Target and decided to head home and hike from there to the state park instead.  After hiking we relaxed at home and then I ended my night with a nice hour long walk with my husband. 

We've had lots of cool mornings on the lake; which is making it so hard to eat breakfast outside since everything is wet and dew covered

We had to turn around since we could hardly reach the bridge (and when we did it was completely flooded as far as I could see after it too)

The path close to home was cleared and not at all wet

I showered and changed after hiking

Settled in for a little snack

Shrimp stir-fry for dinner

My husband and I walked in a different direction than Evan and I had.

3. I started my day at the grocery store to pick up some fresh fruits and veggies then worked on making salad, getting the fruit all cut up, and making a casserole for dinner. Once Alec got home from work we went to pick up his gym shorts that we ordered through our local store.  

4. Another day with no plans since it was supposed to rain and be much cooler (in the 70's), but when it still hadn't rained by lunch Evan and I decided to head out hiking... so of course it started raining! We drove around for a bit and finally settled on a hike close to home where it thankfully stopped raining for our entire hike. 

5. I spent my morning working on some birthday cards for upcoming birthdays and enjoyed a rather relaxing day around the house. 

6. Another relaxing Sunday at home; my husband and I talked each other out of grocery shopping and spent our morning watching TV in bed, then we worked on cleaning up around the house and yard and I spent my afternoon reading & making some more homemade strawberry jam while he went out dirt biking with friends from work. 

7. I woke to rain on Monday and decided to run to the library to pick up the 2 books I had on hold (I ended up dropping off 4 and picking up 7!) then spent the majority of my day working on scrapbooking pages and the blog.

8. I woke to more pouring rain and the threat of thunderstorms on Tuesday which really made me dread going out for my haircut (and I totally dropped the errands I had planned!).  It rained so hard I couldn't even see the road on the way there.  Luckily, by the time I was done the sun was out and I went for a walk once I get home.  I worked on some more scrapbooking and cleaned the basement in prep for our cookout. 

9. I had plans to meet my college bestie at the shoreline and we had a wonderful time catching up with one another.  The weather and the park were just beautiful and the company could not have been more perfect. 

10. I spent my morning getting caught up on blogging then hit up the grocery store for food for the family cookouts.  I spent my afternoon cooking up quiche, 7 layer bars, cutting up fruit, and making a salad. 

11. I spent the day with my mom, her sister, and her sister's husband. We went to Providence to do a little shopping, had lunch at Olneyville's New York System, and then spent the rest of the day at the RISD Museum.  Alec baked up some bread (without a recipe!) and put together a dessert for my mother in law's birthday. 

I had never heard of this place but I guess it's famous

Photos around the diner show Guy Fieri, Kevin James, Gronkowski, etc. It was fun and the food was delicious. 

We got to see a bit of the RISD (Rhode Island School of Design) campus

Then spent 4 hours at the museum; it's 6 floors and holds so much. 

My mom, aunt, and I spent a long time reading about the Anishinaabe beadwork 

The museum has lots of cool architectural details too

The impressionists gallery was my favorite (of course!). 

Alec whipped up 2 loaves of bread trying to challenge himself to make bread without a recipe. It was delicious.

12. I worked on making all the food for our family cookout while my husband and Evan pressure washed the deck

Cookie bars

s'mores cookie bars.  I also made a pasta salad

13. We went to the cottage for a quick visit with my husband's step brothers then we hosted a cookout for my family. We smoked some brisket, cooked up hot dogs and hamburgers, and had lots and lots of salads, snacks, and desserts.  A good 20 or so people came and we played cards, played cornhole, and enjoyed the lake.  

My "get everything ready" outfit-- we cleaned the patio and rearranged the basement kitchenette 

Then I showered and changed for the 2 parties

14. The younger boys and I took off to check out a wildlife sanctuary with my mom, my aunt, and my uncle. 

15. I went with my mom to Curves at 7 am and joined the gym; hopefully I'll get there 4 times a week once school starts. Then the boys and I spent a rainy day at home reading, working on a puzzle, and cutting up watermelon chunks to freeze for homemade sherbet. 

I made a chicken fajita salad with ranch dressing for dinner

16. My mom and I went to Curves again and since it was a pretty rainy morning I worked on making some cards and finishing up the sherbet (which we added white chocolate chips to).  In the afternoon Alec and I got his senior portraits done (which MUST be taken by the photography studio the school has a contract with). 

17. I woke up early and headed right to the grocery store for it's opening; I had a lot of groceries to buy and spent my morning cutting up fruit and making salad. The boys and I went to lunch and out to get ice cream with my mother in law before Alec headed off to work too. 

spinach, tomato, & feta omelet 

not the healthiest lunch but is sure tasted yummy!

sliced (cold) chicken, with garden fresh cucumbers and tomatoes

18. Another day where the rain was just pouring down and despite some slightly flooded roads my mom and I headed to the gym. I spent my afternoon reading and working on the blog; thankfully the sun came out just after lunch. 

19. I spent my morning working reading on the deck, working on my scrapbooking (finishing up our Acadia trip) and my afternoon celebrating my husband's step-mother's 70th birthday.

I read in my pj's and sweatshirt for upwards of an hour!

It was really cloudy and windy so I added a cardigan (thank goodness!) 

Ian with his grandfather and a few of the cousins

I couldn't believe she got him to sit for a picture! Ian is always happy and smiling but hates having his picture taken

Shhh.. don't tell him I snapped another. 

The birthday girl with my two youngest (Alec was able to come for just a tiny bit after getting out of work)

20. Evan and I went to walk the river trail before lunch while my husband and Ian were cleaning out the whole garage; it is sparkling clean and oh so organized and they did it all by themselves! I spent my afternoon reading, tagging along to the ice cream stand (though I didn't get any), and painting my nails.

21. My mom and I hit the gym first thing in the morning and I spent the rest of my day in the kitchen making salad, cutting up fruit, making squash casserole, putting together some quiche and doing all the dishes that go along with food prep; not to mention reworking our meal planner and starting our grocery list. 

22. I spent my morning cleaning house and running errands; stopping long enough to read a book and eat my breakfast out on the deck. I spent my afternoon doing a bit more cleaning and finally breaking out my watercolor paints and playing around with them. 

23. My mom and I went to the gym then I ran home to shower and out for a hike with Evan at Steere Hill. It was lunch by the time we got back home and I spent my afternoon prepping food, reading my book and working on the blog. 

24. My mom and I finished up our week at Curves and then Evan and I went hiking after breakfast; this time at the Thompson Dam. We treated ourselves to lunch at Panera Bread and by then the sky clouded over for some rain so I settled down to read and work on the blog. 

25. Alec was having a group of friends over for a movie marathon; they all showed up around 8:30 and stayed until nearly 9pm!  It was a very rainy day so I spent my morning working in the craftroom, took a break to pick up pizzas for lunch, and then spend my afternoon working on the blog. 

26. Evan and I headed out shopping for fall clothes for him on Saturday morning once everyone else was off to work; we found everything he needs at Old Navy.  My husband and I enjoyed a date night at the Providence Place mall and dinner at the Cheesecake Factory.

27. Evan, my husband, and I headed out hiking at Sprague Hill then my husband and I repainted all the trim on our shed.  After cleaning up, changing, and showering I relaxed on the deck reading my latest book.

28. I started my day out bright and early proofreading Ian's first class assignments (even though school doesn't officially start until the 29th-- I happily proofread work for all my boys before they turn them in if they want me to).  I headed to the gym with my mom and then spend my entire day repainting all our exterior doors.  I LOVE how they turned out! (No outfit post since I wore my gym clothes all day)

29. After an early morning grocery run, I found that Evan was the only one left home and talked him into heading out hiking. We enjoyed a nice hike and then headed home for lunch and a relaxing afternoon. 

30. Another rainy day where my mom and I went to workout and then I spent the rest of my morning running errands. The sun did make an appearance late in the afternoon and I enjoyed a sunny walk to the mailbox.

31. Alec's first day of senior year! Evan and I decided we'd start school after labor day so we enjoyed a beautiful hike around Green Falls Pond instead-- the weather was perfect! 

Linking up with: Traffic Jam Reboot, Spread the Kindness, Fine/whatever,