Hello friends.
I hope you are enjoying summer as much as I am. I can't believe we are at the end of July!
I'm joining Holly and Patty for their Monthly Musings link-up. This month we are discussing - July 2025 How we Summer!
HERE ARE THE QUESTIONS:
1. My favorite thing about this summer was our recent trip to Italy and England. You can read about some of my European vacation HERE.
2. We recently went to our favorite local pub for a steak dinner for two. It came with bread and a salad, and it was so good! My husband loved that he didn't have to slave over the hot grill outside.
3. We haven't seen any summer movies yet, but we want to see Superman.
What we've been streaming:
- Too Much
- Squid Game
- Dope Thief
- The Studio
4. The book I enjoyed reading this summer so far is The Wedding People by Alison Espach.
5. I think I want to hold onto summer as it's one of my favorite seasons. I love going for long walks with Lucy and going to the beach. I also love eating summer fruits such as watermelon, peaches, and cherries.
6. There really is nothing different about my summer schedule from the rest of the year.
7. One of the ways I like to take a break/relax in the summer is to be outside reading a book with an iced tea. I also enjoy gardening.
Below I have peppers, basil, parsley, and cucumbers growing in a large pot.
8. We like to take day trips to different places, such as visiting a museum in the city. A few years ago we visited The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and you can read that blog post HERE. We may also visit the Jersey Shore.
9. I have no concerts planned this summer.
10. Summer usually ends for me at the end of August. We still have beautiful weather in September, which I love. The weather is a lot cooler and not as hot as the summer months.
HERE ARE THE TOPICS FOR EACH MONTH:
Click HERE to see the blog parties I will be linking up to.
Julie
Julie
If you missed the first part of our vacation, click HERE.
We started the morning off with a light breakfast of coffee and croissants at Meccanismo Roma. It was perfect because this cafe was located right across the street from our apartment.
We walked along the cobblestone streets.
It was Sunday morning, and we came across the church, Piazza di Santa Maria. We attended mass, which was said in Italian.
The inside of the church is so beautiful.
After my husband and I attended mass we all set out to see the sights of Rome.
(The Piazza Navona)
The line to get into the Pantheon was too long and crowded, so we didn't get to see the inside. I wasn't disappointed because I've seen the inside of it many years ago when my husband, mom, and her friend were all on vacation in Italy.
(The Pantheon)
(Trevi Fountain)
(The Spanish Steps)
(Terrazza del Pincio)
The terrace overlooking Rome's historic center.
(Gardens of Villa Borghese)
Walking along the gardens.
The row boats and the water reminded me of Central Park.
You can't visit Italy without having gelato. My coffee flavored gelato was so good and cooled me off from the hot evening. You might recognize this top that I'm wearing. I did a blog post about finding this top in a new thrift shop in our neighborhood. It went great with the long black skirt I was wearing.
We had a great day exploring Rome.
If you missed the first part of our vacation, click HERE.
Back in the spring my daughter wanted to go to England and my husband wanted to go to Italy. We decided to combine the two places into one trip. My daughter made all of the travel arrangements for us - airplane and Airbnb. My daughter's friend was coming on the first part of the trip with us to Rome and couldn't make it to London. She met us at the airport and we all flew together.
We went to Rome, Italy for the first part of the trip for about five days. For the last part of the trip we spent about two and half days in London. We had a very late flight on Friday night, May 30th and arrived in Italy the next day in the afternoon. We flew on Norse Atlantic Airways/Premium for a cheap flight with extra leg room, priority boarding, and meals included. I felt like I was in business class and it was wonderful. We also had a pillow, blanket, and an amenity kit included. I slept for most of the flight except for our meals.
At the airport we had someone waiting for us to drive us to our Airbnb. We were staying in Trastevere neighborhood in Rome, Italy. It's a young and lively neighborhood with many bars, pubs, and trattorias. It's a non-touristy neighborhood located across from the Tiber River.
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| Fontanone di Ponte Sisto This is the area near our Airbnb. Rome is filled with cobblestone streets. I wore white or black sneakers for most of the trip. I did pack low heeled sandals and did not wear them. I wanted to be comfortable and everyone wore sneakers. |
This is the entrance to our apartment that we would be staying at for our trip. I love this big old door.
The Airbnb was large and big enough for the four of us. We had someone greet us to let us in and explain the place. This is the side my husband and I stayed and slept in. Below is our living area and a desk.
We had to walk up this staircase to get to our bed and bathroom.
We were very happy to have air conditioning in the apartment. It was hot and the weather ranged from 80 to 85 degrees each day.
This is the entrance and hallway that had two closets to hang clothes and some shelves.
This is the bathroom on the first floor that my daughter and her friend used. It also had a shower.
We had a cute kitchen area to use.
They even supplied us with an espresso machine with capsules to use and Italian cookies.
This was the stairs to get to the loft where my daughter and friend slept. There were cabinets under the stairs to use for clothes or other items.
The loft where my daughter and friend slept. I love the beautiful art work on the ceiling.
My daughter on the left and her friend. This was the hall window of the apartment building. After looking at these photos, it makes me want to go back again!
Walking the cobblestone streets of Trastevere.
My husband had a restaurant he wanted to try out but the line to get in was too long and we didn't have a reservation. He saw some restaurants to try on Instagram. 😞 We stumbled upon this restaurant and the food was great.
Here I am tired and enjoying an Apreol Spritz!
I had Cacio e Peppe for dinner. I've had it with spaghetti but having it with rigatoni was a nice change and so delicious tasting.
My husband had clams with spaghetti.
This was a wonderful start to our vacation in Europe! 😀
To be continued...
Click HERE to see the blog parties I will be linking up to.
Julie
Julie
Hello friends. I hope you all had a fun 4th of July and weekend. I had a relaxing day spent with my husband's family.
I bought some random items from Amazon that I'd love to share with you.
I'm joining Andrea from Living on Cloud Nine and Doused in Pink for their Amazon Prime link-up.
HERE ARE MY PRIME PURCHASES:
Primula Classic Stovetop Espresso and Coffee Maker, Moka Pot for Italian and Cuban Café Brewing, Greca Coffee Maker, Cafeteras, 1 Espresso Cup, Silver
We enjoy making espresso in the afternoons at home. We have an espresso machine that we love, but my husband wanted a single-serve espresso maker. This pot is so small and looks like it could be in a kid's play kitchen. LOL.
Sellemer Toilet Brush and Holder Set - Flexible Toilet Bowl Brush Head with Silicone Bristles, Compact Size for Storage and Organization, Ventilation Slots Base (1 Pack, Silver)
I needed new toilet bowl brushes and ordered three of these for our bathrooms. They look good and work great. I've ordered these on repeat.
Essie Nail Lacquer #162-Ballet Slippers 13,5 Ml
I usually go to the nail salon to get gel manicures. In between times I like to give my nails a break from the gel. I love wearing this nail polish and I like the natural color. I use this nail polish when I want to give myself a manicure.
essence | Lash Princess Curl & Volume Mascara | Vegan & Cruelty Free
This is one of my favorite mascaras and I use this on repeat. I've also introduced this mascara to my daughter who likes to wear this too.
Kimberly-Clark Kleenex 3-Ply Pocket Packs Facial Tissues, 8 Count
I always need small tissue packs for my handbag and these work great.
Shout Advanced Stain Remover Gel for Clothes Laundry, Ultra Concentrated Gel with Built-in Scrubber Brush for Deep Set-In stains, 8.7oz
I needed a new stain remover and this works great for getting stains out of clothes.
YRRAMATE 16oz/470ml Glass Olive Oil Sprayer for Cooking with Stickers, 2 in 1 Oil Dispenser for Kitchen Gadgets, Food Grade Premium Spray Bottle with Portion Control for Salad, Frying, BBQ (Black)
I used to buy Pam or Avocado spray in a can. Instead, I fill this spray bottle with olive oil to use for cooking. It works great and saves us money.
We had a birthday party to attend, so I ordered these books for the birthday boy.
HERE IS THE SCHEDULE FOR EACH MONTH:
Have you bought anything lately from Amazon?
Click HERE to see the blog parties I will be linking up to.
Julie
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