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Once Upon a Time & Happily Ever After

Rediscovering Life after Retirement

Categories: Life Style

Friday Favorites 07.2020

Friday Favorites 07.2020

Lover-ly ladybugs, linking up with Erika and Andrea, today for my Friday Favorites, 07.2020 post.  Even though this is a weekly post for many of my blogger buddies, I’m just hoping to share my faves once a month, on the last Friday.  And so far, so good.  In case you missed it, please check out the goodies in last month’s Friday Faves, here.  It was one of my most popular posts for July!!

Just a reminder:  Once Upon a Time & Happily Ever After occasionally uses affiliate links. This means that if you click on a link provided I may receive a very small commission.  Thank you for your support.

Friday Favorites 06.2020

Let’s see what tickled my fancy in July.

Long Sleeve Zipper Bathing Suit

If you had told me 10 years ago that I would be looking at, much less buying a long sleeve bathing suit…I’d have definitely looked at you sideways.  But fast forward a decade and my body is even more punctuated by freckles that I know are really sun spots and just hope are not liver spots.  About 2 years ago, I purchased a short sleeve swim shirt for our trip to the Dominican.  Liked it so much that I replaced it with a Sociala long sleeve swim shirt at the beginning of the summer.  And liked it so much, that I just purchased a Daci long sleeve swimming suit.

Actually, I have to give credit where credit is due.  I saw the Daci swimming suit on my friend Loretta, the Introspective Adventurer, on one of her social media accounts.  Here, on Facebook, I believe.  She wore the swimming suit so well that Amazon needs to pay her to advertise it for them.  Check her out.

Friday Favorites 07.2020

 

Knotty Tee

I can’t remember where I saw this little gadget but for those of us who are sometimes style impaired, it seems heaven sent.  The Twist-Tee Knot gathers and knots tees, scarves, sweaters and even transforms dresses for a new look.  I have tried knotting tee shirts myself but I tend to gather too much fabric and my tee becomes a midriff top.  This little clip makes it look so easy.

Friday Favorites 07.2020

Skin-Tone Bandages

Friday Favorites 07.2020

[source]

When I come across things I love on the Internet or shopping online, I save them in a folder to share with you in Friday Favorites posts.  These skin-tone bandages are something I had come across, saved and then forgotten about.  Until today.  What took us so long to come up with this idea?

According to this article on Health.com, 100 year-old Band-aid will begin making bandages in a variety of skin tones to “embrace the beauty of diverse skin.”  Now how ’bout Ace bandages.

Band-Aid Hack

Speaking of band-aids, here’s a little trick for ensuring they stay in place better.  I found this graphic on Postfun.com in an article entitled “Things You Have Been Doing Wrong This Whole Time Just Like The Rest Of Us.”  If you are like me, not only have you been applying bandages in correctly, you’ve also been using Chinese take-out boxes all wrong, too.

Friday Favorites 07.2020

Cutest Lil Firecrackers

My daughter Brennyn is a neonatal nurse in Ft. Worth.  She works with a great group of girls who would do about anything for their baby patients.  One of my favorite nurses is Kathryn.  For every major holiday, she creates adorable photo booths where the families are invited to take pictures of their baby.  I was honored to help Kathryn by making a garland for the 4th of July photo booth.  Check out the onesies she made for each of the babies in the unit at the time and the clever way she decorated for the photo op.

Friday Favorites 07.2020
Friday Favorites 07.2020
Friday Favorites 07.2020

Kathryn pays for all of this out of her own pocketbook.  If you have a few extra dollars and would like to help Kathryn with her next photo booth, please let me know.  I can get your donation to her or put you directly in touch with Kathryn. For some of these babies who live in the NICU for the first months of their lives, this is their only photo opportunity.  And it means so much to the families.  Kathryn is an angel.

Cadence Ellie, Brennyn Alexis and Lauren Allegra

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention some of my all time favorite girls in this Friday Favorites 07.2020 post.  Cady’s birthday is 07.28 and she entered the double digits, turning 10 at 7:48 am.  Brennyn, my oldest daughter and Cady’s mum, celebrated her 36th birthday on 07.30 at 10:14 pm.  And Lauren Allegra, my youngest daughter celebrated her 34th birthday and 4:33 pm on today, 07.31.  We are almost always together for birthdays but this year was different…you can say that again!!

Friday Favorites 07.2020
Friday Favorites 07.2020
Friday Favorites 07.2020
Friday Favorites 07.2020
Friday Favorites 07.2020
Friday Favorites 07.2020

I am so proud of my July birthday girls.   And I love them and my January Cami and March Lucia so much.

Your Turn

Friday Favorites 07.2020

Do remember when in 1992 Crayola expanded their range of skin tone colors from ‘flesh’ to this 8 count box of crayons in brownish shades?  I do because when my daughters, who are both Hispanic, were young, they were sensitive to or mindful of the difference between their skin colors and mine.  And each other, for that matter.  They were delighted to have flesh tones that more closely reflected their complexions.  Now days, kids (and coloring grandmothers) have an even wider variety of skin tones to choose from in this Crayola multicultural box (24 skin tones + ‘8 classic crayons for coloring eyes and hair’).

Those are some of my favorite things this week, what are yours?  Have you tried a short or long sleeve swimming shirt?  How about knotting a tee?  Have you tried that before?  I can’t wait for my twist tee knot to get here.  Tried to tie a knot in my tee today and just managed to wrinkle my shirt without securing a knot in it at all.

Enjoy a peaceful weekend kick-off to this shiny new month.

Hugs and kisses,

leslie

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About Leslie Roberts Clingan

I am an aspiring blogger and children's author, wife, mother, daughter, sister, - in-law, responsible pet owner and recently retired elementary school librarian. I hope to figure out the next chapter of my life as I transition from crazy, busy work world onto totally idle retirement and now to something in-between.

Comments

  1. Nancy

    August 1, 2020 at 1:12 am

    That is a good swimsuit! Love those bandages. Have a good weekend!

    Reply
  2. Deb

    August 1, 2020 at 2:51 am

    That little gadget for twisting a t shirt is so clever – I had to google it as I’d never heard of it before! I tend to use a hair tie to scrunch the hem up, sometimes it works better than others 😉
    I remember reading Noughts and Crosses and it was not until the part where they use a pale plaster on a black person that I realised who was a Nought and who was a Cross! It made me realise then that all plasters came in the one tone of flesh and it is so good that companies have finally addressed that issue.
    Your girls are gorgeous, every single one of them – and July must be a very lucky month in your family!

    Reply
  3. joanne

    August 1, 2020 at 6:02 am

    I should get a long sleeve bathing suit for wearing to the beach as I tend to burn so quickly!

    Reply
    • Leslie Roberts Clingan

      August 6, 2020 at 6:50 pm

      I have to say this bathing suit has received rave reviews from my PC and daughter. I love it!!

      Reply
  4. Juhli

    August 1, 2020 at 7:37 am

    What a lovely collection of favorites! Happy Birthday to your 3 girls,

    Reply
  5. Kimberly F Malkiewicz

    August 1, 2020 at 8:29 am

    I’ve never heard of one of those t-shirt knot makers. I think I need one! You are sooo right on the band aids. And, the ACE bandages. And, the crayons! It is so beyond sweet what Kathryn does for the NICU babies, heartwarming!!! Love seeing your daughters and grands, happy birthday to all!

    Reply
  6. Amy Johnson

    August 1, 2020 at 11:15 am

    I think those long sleeved bathing suits are awesome!

    Reply
  7. Daenel T.

    August 1, 2020 at 4:00 pm

    The Hubs just bought me a bunch of swimsuits as a surprise. Why was one a thong? 😳Who does he think he’s married to? Also, in the 20some years we’ve been married, we’ve been to the beach TWICE!! Anyway, the long sleeve swimsuit is perfect. And the babies.*heart eyes*

    Reply
  8. Carrie @ Curly Crafty Mom

    August 1, 2020 at 5:33 pm

    I so needed that bandaid hack for my kids! Lol! I love that Crayola has had those skin tones, that is so needed. I remember coloring every skin tone yellow when I was kid! Lol!

    Carrie
    curlycraftymom.com

    Reply
  9. Mica

    August 1, 2020 at 9:32 pm

    I’ve always used a hair tie when twisting or knotting a tee to hold it in place so a tool sounds like a great idea! I hope it works for you 🙂

    The little photo setup for the NICU babies is so cute too, what a great idea! 🙂

    Hope that you are having a great weekend 🙂

    Reply
    • Leslie Roberts Clingan

      August 6, 2020 at 6:51 pm

      I can’t get hair ties to stay on my tee shirts when I use them to knot the fabric. Hoping this device will make it easier.
      I just love Kathryn’s sweet heart with all she does for her baby patients.

      Reply
  10. ShootingStarsMag

    August 2, 2020 at 2:03 pm

    Your friend looks awesome in that long sleeve swimming shirt – she really could be the model!!! I love that Band-Aid finally has flesh toned options for every skin color. And I am totally putting band-aids on my fingers wrong. LOL

    -Lauren

    Reply
  11. Laura Bambrick

    August 2, 2020 at 8:17 pm

    I need to check out that t-shirt knotter! How clever! Happy Birthday to all the girls in your family! I need to try that band aid hack! We are forever going through band aids at an alarming rate because they come off fingers so easily! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Leslie Roberts Clingan

      August 6, 2020 at 6:53 pm

      Girl, I think you have tucking down to an art so you can probably knot a tee like a champ, too. My old fingers just can’t make a knot that will stay put. And hair ties or rubber bands slip out on me.
      Hope the band aid tip helps you guys. I tried it and the band aid stayed on my index finger longer than usual.

      Reply
  12. Kellyann Rohr

    August 3, 2020 at 5:22 am

    I’m so sorry you couldn’t be with your sweet girls to celebrate! I love the long sleeve swimsuit to protect our skin from the sun – I hide under the umbrella!
    xo,
    Kellyann

    Reply
  13. Erin @ Cracker Crumb Life

    August 3, 2020 at 6:50 am

    Oh my, that NICU photo booth brought tears to my eyes. What a wonderful thing! My kiddo spent the first 6 weeks of his life in the NICU. He was born 7 weeks early, and had two brain bleeds – it was a very challenging time in all of our lives. And I remember being so upset about missing out on certain photos. His first two holidays happened in those 6 weeks – St. Patrick’s Day and Easter. We took photos the best we could but a photo booth would have made it so much different. 🙂 Kudos to your daughter and to her group. NICU nurses are definitely angels in disguise.

    Reply
  14. Dara

    August 3, 2020 at 9:35 am

    I love the bandaids and hope they are not hard to find! The baby photo booth is adorable!

    Reply
  15. Liz Klebba

    August 3, 2020 at 12:57 pm

    I remember when I was teaching and the variety skin tone crayons came out. I was SOOOO excited; I bought at least 20 boxes!

    Reply
  16. Jill

    August 4, 2020 at 7:26 am

    Happy Birthday to your beautiful daughters and granddaughter! I haven’t seen those bandaids yet! And that bandaid trick is genius – I’ve been doing it wrong for years! I love the photo booth setup for the neonatal babies! So thoughtful and special!

    Jill – Doused in Pink

    Reply
    • Leslie Roberts Clingan

      August 6, 2020 at 6:48 pm

      Isn’t Kathryn a genius when it comes to those photo booths for the babies? She has the best heart!!

      Reply

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In what felt like the blink of an eye, I have gone from full-time wife to my sweet husband, hands-on mom to my two beautiful daughters and elementary school librarian to a retired, empty nester with lots of time on my hands. Join me on my journey to rediscover who I am. Glad you are here...
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