Friday Favorites. 8/2

 1. July is over. That's a favorite. It sounds awful because teachers should not wish the summer away and moms of young kids should not wish time away ever (I'm told) but I could do with a little less heat and a little more routine. In fact, I've found I generally have nothing nice to say in July, staring down another two plus months of summer weather that I just stop blogging. No one wants to hear my complaints, so it's better just to keep on with things. 

I'm not even sure where this week went. On Sunday, I got my hair cut and we went out to eat. On Monday, Mav the pup had a vet appointment for a shot and then I had a sitter come over for the rest of Monday and on Tuesday so I could work in my classroom in relative peace. On Wednesday, we met Scott for lunch and then played with toys at the library with friends. On Thursday, we went to the local indoor play place again. For $7 a kid, they could play to their heart's content all day if I wanted to stay that long. We stayed 3 hours. Today, I'm probably just going to take them into the school for an hour or two to drop more things off, literally just to give us an activity. It's too hot for pools and playgrounds. 

*someone* lost her mind when I tried to leave her with a sitter so she came to the vet with us

2. This was a very easy recipe for homemade marinara. I'm trying to use up the tomatoes in our garden. It's a two day process, really, because you have to scald and peel the tomatoes, then crush them, then make the sauce, then let it cool enough to bag it up...and so on. In my case, you also put the freezer bags of sauce in the fridge and then they leak overnight and then you have to take the entire fridge apart on a Wednesday morning and clean it. 

3. I really don't do well with nail polish because I pick it off. I can't *quite* justify gel nails on my hands, though that's my next step because this is getting ridiculous. I loathe regular nail polish. 

I had asked on Instagram if anyone did gel nails at home and no one had any real advice, so I ordered these wraps I originally found last year but they were sold out at the time. I also got the light because they're gel. However, I need to not bite my nails for like another week in order to put them on. It's a struggle. 

The box also came with this sticker on it, which LOL.

4. As I become more confident in what I want in a haircut (I just go to Great Clips, normally...my hair grows fast, it's fine), I find that the stylists are either amused or annoyed by me. I tell them I want an inch or two off, layers, it's really thick, and can get frizzy. Like, I know what I want and they seem to think I should be more unsure? I don't know. I liked the salon they had at the PX the few times I went there but it requires an appointment and I really don't do appointments these days. I haven't been to a really nice salon since Colorado.

5. Lastly, I finally had to cave and buy new running shoes last week. Apparently, "38" is the age in which you have to spend more than $60 on a pair of sneakers. I don't run, but I walk on pavement and/or in the woods, generally for a few miles at a time. I don't have foot issues thank goodness, but my New Balance (they always have the best colors!) were wearing out after a few months. I've gone through 3 pairs in 3 years. Hopefully these last a little longer.