Oh my goodness! Last week was such a blur, I forgot to post here! Between birthdays, senior year first day and junior year college move in the blog got lost. I am taking a bit of break here to refresh for the fall season. Will pop back in a bit!

Y’all, we spent last Thursday in the HEART OF TENNIS! What a special day and experience! We go every year but this year…WOW! The new renovations at the CINCINNATI OPEN are spectacular! So much thought was put into every detail of this tennis center. We were so close to the players and had so much access to them! For ones that love tennis as much as we do this was the very best day. We saw so much tennis, our favorite players as well as a legend. Core memories made.

I AM. Two words that together are crazy powerful. What you put after them is even more powerful. These words become thoughts and these thoughts shape your day, your week, your month ahead. Using positive, strong words after the I AM shapes a space within you that lifts. That levels you up. Even when you aren’t feeling it, it is important to make a conscious effort. Change the negative I AM’s to the positive. I AM is self love. Start your day with a strong I AM and see where it takes you.

ICED LATTE ON A WARM DAY– Ahhhh…there is just something about it. Especially after a morning run, it hits perfectly!

NEW MERCH FROM THE CINCY OPEN– My collection is strong. Each year I love the merch even more than the year before. This year I came home with a super cute pink and green sweatshirt. I also got a baseball hat to add to my stack.

Dublin Farmers Market with Marc. One of our favorite things to do in the summer. The first time we have been this season. The crowd was large, the vibe was fun. I always hunt for a little sweet treat to walk around with…found amazing donut holes that literally melted in my mouth as I ate them! This is a simple and fun way of adding fresh ingredients to our kitchen. The best part-they are all local and home grown. Supporting these creators, farmers and gardeners is important to us. Everything we purchased made our kitchen and cooking better within that week.

This summer has flown by. The gardens have been without rain for a moment until last night’s storm. It has been hot and humid. Which has kept us inside on most days…missing time on our patio. Hoping as summer fades into fall we will be able to spend sometime outside. We have created such a lovely outdoor shaded living room. Spending time in the fresh air is healing to me.

Outdoor living has gained in popularity and rightfully so…there is just something about it. Some of the best memories come from patio living. Maybe we are more relaxed, more joyful, outside. I seriously have had the best naps on our patio couch…am I the only one?

Cheers to summer outdoor living. May we see a lot more of it before the fall season begins.

Super simple and thoughtful. When dining wait to start your meal until everyone at the table has food in front of them. It is always appropriate to ask if you may start to those at the table without their meal. Most of the time the answer will be yes, please start. The question is thoughtful as well as the answer.

Celebrating a new season. BACK TO SCHOOL! Who has Back to School traditions? So many of us do. Some traditions have carried over from our childhood. Others we created especially for our kiddos. Some just seem to be treading. Whatever the case this season is filled with milestones and I am here for it all.

Since the kids were in PRE SCHOOL we have always taken a FIRST DAY/LAST DAY PIC. It is so fun seeing their growth within a year and over time. For Marin’s High School Grad Party I made yard signs of each year…from Kindergarten through her Senior year. What a special touch that was.

Next week Tuck will start his last year in high school. We will move Marin back to college for the start of her junior year. These years simply fly…enjoy doing all the back to school things. It is a lot and a bit overwhelming. Take time to soak it all in. Create a special, simple tradition you as a family can look forward to every year.

May this year be a year of learning, growth and fun-HAPPY BACK TO SCHOOL!

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ON THE BLOG is taking this week off! Will see you here next week!!

Summer is flying by! Do you feel it or is it just me? August is closing in. The hustle and bustle of getting ready for moving back to college/starting a new high school year begins. The “back to school” ads of course are rolling everywhere…ahhh. I just want a pause button. I want to linger in the summer. I love that our house is full, busy and cozy. I love that each day is not a regimented schedule. We all come and go. The days are filled with seeing each other even if for only a minute or two.

Summer has its own buzz and rhythm…a moment in time. We are not ruled by school schedules. We are free from events and never ending lists of all the things. We get to adventure, rest, play, connect and make memories that last lifetimes.

As this season winds into a new school year, soak in what you can of this summer. Stay at the pool just a little longer, watch the fireflies together, find a great patio spot for dinner…do something you talked about doing this summer you haven’t done yet. Make the most of the rest of this summer season.

If you wait for the perfect conditions nothing will ever get accomplished. True, so true. Do perfect conditions even exist? For sport, fitness and health, pushing through this thought is essential. Putting off the work, the movement, the doctor’s appointment, etc., only gets you farther away from your end goal.

Growing up I heard “when I”, then I will do” or ” when this happens then I can do”… and of course those perfect conditions never manifested. Just do. The conditions are what they are, they are the uncontrollable. Your controllable is how you react to the conditions.

Go and do, if it’s in your mind and heart act. Act when the thought enters your mind. There will be moments that are uncomfortable and hard-that is where growth/change happens…that is where the magic happens.

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TECNIFIBRE 315 TENNIS RACKET– I have been a PRINCE girl since middle school. Seriously, super loyal to this brand. Last fall Coach Phil had me try this racket for a lesson…ummm holy wow!! The difference in power, in my play with this TECNIFIBRE in my hand was unreal! I bought that racket right from his tennis bag and haven’t looked back. Yes, I still have three PRINCE rackets in my bag-they will stay for the moment. As I purchase identical versions of my TECNIFIBRE I will then let go of my back up PRINCE rackets. It is important to always have back ups-you never know when a string may break!

BASEBALL HATS-Yep, I am obsessed with BASEBALL HATS! My collection is vast in color and subject. My favorite teams, universities, places and events are all represented. I usually buy a hat at new events and places we go to. You probably have noticed my “frat boy fold” on the bill…I am a girl who went to college in the 90’s. That is how we did it then. That is how I do it now.

So of course we had a family movie night last Friday. Happy Gilmore 2!!! I wanted to make it fun since this flick was on Netflix and not on the big screen. We grabbed a few of our favorite movie snacks. One of them was peanut M&Ms. My Mom absolutely loved them, and she seemed to always have a small bag in her handbag. Also had a drink special, Arnold Palmers-love a good theme and popcorn of course.

Snacks were set up on a snack tray I have had for years and years. I bought it at HomeGoods. Some of my best purchases come from there. I bought it before snack boards/trays were even a thing. Over the years, I have used it as a veggie tray, s’mores tray, and for sweet treats. You name it, and it has been used for it.

The snack tray is a staple in our kitchen. It is one item I would buy more of if I found a similar version of it.

Final painting project of the summer-the kids bathroom. A small space so I was able to complete this project in two days. It turned out just the way I was hoping it would. The white again opened up the small space. Adding the blue stripes made a possibly sterile space feel fun and whimsical.

I am still playing with accessories but love the shelves!! I had two sets of these in my office. I realized more storage was needed in the bathroom. These shelves would be the perfect way to do it! Sometimes you don’t have to look far or buy something new for the right look in a space. Just a little re-purposing.

I have always had black and white pics of the kids in the space. I kept two of the same pics in their frames. I placed them in a new spot. I am waiting on a few new black and white prints that I ordered. I will be adding them to new acrylic frames I purchased that are on the shelves. There is something so real and sweet with black and whites-a favorite way to view images for me.

Super OLD SCHOOL etiquette this week. For the GENTLEMAN. When walking with a female always make sure you walk curbside. The female should be on the inside and the male the closest to the street. It is a thoughtful way to care and protect the female. Like I said, super OLD SCHOOL but one piece of etiquette from that time period I appreciate. Marc does this for me and we have taught Tucker this as well. He has been very open to leaning about what being a GENTLEMAN is. My Mom and Aunt Peg would be very proud of him.

Summer in the backyard. Simple and fun. Each creative or sensory experience was a mini event for the kids. These small experiences gave me a creative outlet as well as them an outlet for their energy. Again, sometimes the simple, small events create the biggest and most lasting memories. Keep this in mind as summer winds into the school year.