mama's got a brand new bag... or two

Happy Friday Friends! I have exercised some serious patience this week in waiting to share some of my favorites with you until today. So, let's not delay.

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Remember on Monday when I begged for some handbag shopping advice? Well, I decided to head to TJ Maxx on my lunch break to see what they might have. I thought I could at least get a better idea of what style I really want. I perused over all their handbags, drooled over some Michael Kors and Kate Spade bags, and was about to throw in the towel when my eyes landed on this beauty.

the hunt for a new handbag - please help

Friends - Remember way back in January when I snagged this tote from Thirty-One? I've been carrying it ever since, and the time has come for us to part ways. I've been searching online, and I seriously cannot decide what I want.

I'm struggling because a part of me wants to downsize from the tote, but then it's so nice to have the space to throw my laptop, my Bible or kids clothes inside when needed. I dress mostly business casual for work. Does that help? Oh, and as another helpful piece of information - I am fashionably challenged.

Here are a few that have caught my eye. Okay, which do you like best and why? Go!

friday favorites: take me out to the ball game

I am SO happy to see Friday! And I'm even more excited that today is a staycation day! Yesterday, I decided the kids and I needed a free day at home - that's what vacation days are for, right? Sleeping in, yummy breakfast, pajamas 'til noon, movie reruns, and absolutely no rush to be anywhere... just exactly what this pregnant working mama needs.

As for my favorites from the week, I only have one that I really want to share. Not that I don't have other favorites, but this one is just that awesome.

Last Friday, my Farmer and I took Little J to his first Reds game and it was Ah-mazing. We had the absolute best time. We arrived in Cincy late afternoon with plenty of time to spare. We parked on the KY side and walked across the bridge to Ohio.

9 things i can't live without during summer

There are just some things I can't live without during the summer months. Most of these items are must haves year-round but become even more crucial in the heat.

[1] Batiste Dry Shampoo - I've been a convert of dry shampoo for several months now, but as summer has arrived, I can't imagine going without the stuff. I have pretty oily hair and can only go every other day without a wash. That is a huge improvement for me since I could never skip even one day before I started using dry shampoo. But in the summer, when it's daylight longer and morning comes too soon - the day for dry shampoo saves me so much time and effort. It's wonderful. I've tried a couple of different kinds, but Batiste has been the best so far. Especially during this heat when the oil is even harder to combat!

having a prepared heart - Ezra 7:10

Hey Friends - I'd like to share my heart with you this evening. I've started following a one year Bible reading plan that I found on the YouVersion App. I'm several days in and am loving it so far. I really enjoy the order of the books of the Bible in this plan, and I don't feel overwhelmed at all to finish each day's reading. It's seriously doing my heart good to be in His Word every day.

I thought I would share one of the verses that stuck with me from Saturday's reading.

Ezra 7:10 says "For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments."

friday favorites: a blogging hiatus recap

Well Friends, are you as happy to see Friday as I am? It's been a busy week for me work wise so I haven't been awesome about capturing my favorites. I have literally zero photos to share. What fun is that? So, I thought we'd catch up on what's been happening this year while on my hiatus from the blogosphere.

black calf shenanigans

See this little rascal.

He was born on Friday. He's a cutie for sure, but he is also a little bit of an ornery thing. How so? He likes to venture outside the fence. He's little enough to escape, but his mama isn't. Plus, there's a creek that runs beside the field and we do not want him finding his way there because he might drown. So, we've been keeping our eyes on the field off and on throughout the day to make sure he's with his mama and she's not going crazy because she can't get to him.

friday favorites: a baby bump debut

Wow, it's hard to believe that this is my first Friday post since January! Time has seriously gotten away from me. I have so much to share with you from the past five months, but I will save that download for another day.

Today, let's chat about my favorites from this week.

[1] In case you missed it, on Saturday I shared the primary reason for my temporary hiatus. Baby #3 is coming this Fall! And believe it or not, this is my first baby bump picture. With the first pregnancy, I remember taking a picture every month like clockwork. Took a few with the second, and the pictures this round are practically non-existent. Is that not how it goes?

 

what i've been reading in 2017

At the beginning of the year, Goodreads asked me if I wanted to set a goal for how many books I'd like to read in 2017. I've never set reading goals for myself before but thought it'd be interesting to keep track for once. I set a goal of twenty-five, and after five months, I am pretty surprised to report I have already read eighteen! I read in spurts so I expect I won't be able to keep up the rate at which I've been reading, but am feeling fairly confident I'll meet the goal before the end of the year.

So, here's what I've been reading and how I rated each on Goodreads.

a little bit of exciting news to share

Well Friends, it's been a little while since my last post. I didn't mean to fall off the face of the blogosphere, but I did. Life happens. I can honestly say that I've missed all of you, thought of you often, and am looking so forward to getting caught up on what's happening in each of your worlds!

As for my world and what's happening with me, well... Baby #3 is on the way!! We are beyond excited. I'm already in my 6th month and I cannot believe how fast time is flying this round. If you're doing the math, my last blog post was in January and I was already feeling so tired. That was the beginning of my hiatus from blogging and lots of other things in life!