Back to School Must Haves

*This post contains affiliate links. When you click a link, it is no cost to you and I make a small commission (pennies) from it. Thank you for supporting Sparkles and Lattes.

I put together some must-haves for the start of the school year. My girls have most of these and we love them.

Cotton Face Masks  After not wearing masks for awhile, mask mandate are in full force at our school. We have these face masks and they are perfect for kids.

Kindle Kids Fire  These are great for some learning games and if you add another memory card (like I did), then you get more use out of them. They can even do reading and math apps on them.

Hand Sanitizer  You can't get enough hand sanitizer.

Kids Thermos with Spoon  The girls lunch boxes came with a cold pack, but nothing for hot. So I grabbed these thermoses to keep soup or anything warm that they want to bring for lunch.

Kids Utensils  This link takes you to a two pack which is great for twins or when you don't want to hand wash the utensils nightly.

Keychain  If your kids are like mine, they love keychains. And these little poppers are really popular right now. These come in a pack of 6.

Kids Water Bottle  It is so hot where we live and the girls teachers asked us to bring them in water bottles. The ones they got for Christmas and have been using up until the start of the school year were too big. These work great and keep their water cool all day.

Pottery Barn Backpack  These are the best backpacks. My girls have the princess themed ones and have used them for over a year now.

Pottery Barn Lunchbox (with cold pack)  We got this exact lunch box for the girls this year and they used it all last week. They love it. It comes with a cold pack to keep their yogurt and applesauce cold. And they have two different handles for easy traveling.

Pottery Barn Bento Box  These bento boxes are amazing. They are stainless steel, have big compartments and clean easily. I priced out many stainless steel bento boxes and they were all similar prices.

Other Essentials

Pencils
Folders
Notebooks
Pencil box
Glue sticks
Highlighters
Pens
Box of tissues
Disinfecting wipes
Dry erase markers
Erasers
Pencil sharpener
Crayons
Markers

Friday Favorites and Happenings

*This post contains affiliate links. When you click a link, it is no cost to you and I make a small commission (pennies) from it. Thank you for supporting Sparkles and Lattes.

Happy Friday all! The girls survived their first week back to school. I still can't believe I have first graders. And I can't believe how short our Summer break was. I always got out the first week of June and went back the last week of August. 

We have had a fun filled last week and since I didn't do a weekend update, I thought I would share some of my favorites here. Plus some extras.

ONE. Last Thursday we celebrated the grand opening for Rory's new office. Yes, he is still with Bay Equity, but they moved offices and had a big grand opening party. The first part was to show off their new offices and then we went across the street for an Aces (our triple A baseball team) game that was catered with food and drinks. We had a blast. It was adults only, and after everything was done, we headed over to the casinos (no I did not gamble, but I watched) to hang out with some of the people from out of town.

TWO. Last Saturday evening we celebrated mine and my dads birthdays with a birthday dinner to a tempanyaki place. It was sooo good. Rory and I haven't been in years, so it was a treat. And the girls really enjoyed it. The girls have been once before, but they were tiny. This time they were fully able to enjoy it. And they told me it was the best dinner they have had ever and want to go back to the casino. Ha.

And I got to have my leftovers on Monday and it was just as amazing!

THREE. Sunday morning was the girls last day of golf lessons. They will start the First Tee program again in the Spring time once they are 7. They are definitely ready to move up to the next level and that one is a two hour class. 

Rory captured a photo of the girls and their instructors after their last lesson!

FOUR. Then later on Sunday, we had a playdate with the girls twin friends. These two sets of twins have been friends since birth. No really. These two sets of twins are born exactly one week apart and we have all become friends. The girls went to daycare together and have remained close. Due to covid, we haven't seen them in over a year and they picked up right where they left off. It was like no time had passed.

One twin isn't pictured.

FIVE. Weekly funnies.

Have a great weekend. I am linking up with A Little Bit of Everything.

First Day of 1st Grade

Monday was the girls first day of first grade. I can't believe the Summer flew by that fast. But here we are. Today is the girls third day of school and I feel like they are really enjoying it. If you remember, the girls did a private school option for Kindergarten because of covid. I wanted them to have a year of schooling without the restrictions that were placed here in Nevada.

I wanted them to not wear masks, to be around other kids, to eat together, to play on the playground and learn in person. And that is what we got. Sure, they were super safe and the school took mega precautions, but this was the best option for our family. My girls thrived in their private school.

But this year, they went back to public school. It was a tough decision, but one we made for the time being. Now that may change next year, but for this year, this is what we chose. 

Anyways, here is a glimpse into their first day of first grade!

I didn't include the girls teacher on their apple for security reasons.

Time is sure flying, but I am so thankful for these girls and how much they have grown and thrived!

Show Me Your Books - July

*This post contains affiliate links. When you click a link, it is no cost to you and I make a small commission (pennies) from it. Thank you for supporting Sparkles and Lattes.

June was a great month of reading for me and July wasn't bad either. I read two books in July. First up...

The Last Mrs. Parrish - Liv Constantine
Genre: Thriller, Suspense
Rating: 3 1/2 to 4 stars

The Last Mrs. Parrish - Liv Constantine

This book has been on my to be read list for months. I have received it many times in my library que, but I was always reading one or two other books at the time. But I finally had time to read it. And it was good.

Amber is the classic nobody who moves around a lot. She comes to a Bishops Harbor, a small rich Connecticut town, and befriends Daphne who seemingly lives the perfect life. Amber wants to be a part of this life. She wants Daphne's life. And she has a plan to take it. 

She interjects herself into Amber's life and tries to make Daphne's husband, Jackson fall for her. But will it work out how she wants?

I did guess parts of this book as I feel like I have watched too many shows that have similar plot lines. But I did enjoy reading it and seeing how far Amber would go. There are definitely some trigger moments (abuse, etc) in this book, so proceed with caution.

Here is Amazon's synopsis:

Amber Patterson is fed up. She’s tired of being a nobody: a plain, invisible woman who blends into the background. She deserves more—a life of money and power like the one blond-haired, blue-eyed goddess Daphne Parrish takes for granted.

To everyone in the exclusive town of Bishops Harbor, Connecticut, Daphne—a socialite and philanthropist—and her real-estate mogul husband, Jackson, are a couple straight out of a fairy tale.

Amber’s envy could eat her alive . . . if she didn't have a plan. Amber uses Daphne’s compassion and caring to insinuate herself into the family’s life—the first step in a meticulous scheme to undermine her. Before long, Amber is Daphne’s closest confidante, traveling to Europe with the Parrishes and their lovely young daughters, and growing closer to Jackson. But a skeleton from her past may undermine everything that Amber has worked towards, and if it is discovered, her well-laid plan may fall to pieces. 

The Last Thing He Told Me - Laura Dave
Genre: Mystery, Suspense

Rating: 4 1/2 stars

The Last Thing He Told Me - Laura Dave

This is another book that I have been eagerly awaiting. Everyone has raved about it and within good reason. The book is about Hannah and her life before Owen and her life with Owen. Hannah met Owen while living in New York City. She is a furniture designer, more like she hand carves all her furniture pieces. One day Owen comes in and captures Hannah's heart. But Owen has a life back home with his daughter Bailey. Bailey is everything to Owen.

Until one day Owen goes missing and Hannah and Bailey get small clues as to why. Hannah is questioned by the FBI and other agencies when it is found out that the company that Owen works for has done some shady things. Did someone take Owen out? Did he go missing on his own? What happened to Owen and why is this all going on?

Over time, Hannah and Bailey start to unravel what happens. I did not guess what happened entirely and the book kept me wanting to know more. I would definitely read this book.

Here is Amazon's synopsis:

Before Owen Michaels disappears, he smuggles a note to his beloved wife of one year: Protect her. Despite her confusion and fear, Hannah Hall knows exactly to whom the note refers—Owen’s sixteen-year-old daughter, Bailey. Bailey, who lost her mother tragically as a child. Bailey, who wants absolutely nothing to do with her new stepmother.

As Hannah’s increasingly desperate calls to Owen go unanswered, as the FBI arrests Owen’s boss, as a US marshal and federal agents arrive at her Sausalito home unannounced, Hannah quickly realizes her husband isn’t who he said he was. And that Bailey just may hold the key to figuring out Owen’s true identity—and why he really disappeared.

Hannah and Bailey set out to discover the truth. But as they start putting together the pieces of Owen’s past, they soon realize they’re also building a new future—one neither of them could have anticipated.

What have you read recently?

Friday Favorites and Happenings

*This post contains affiliate links. When you click a link, it is no cost to you and I make a small commission (pennies) from it. Thank you for supporting Sparkles and Lattes.

Happy Friday all! And a very happy birthday to my dad!! We have a busy, but good weekend ahead!

ONE. The girls are in a wedding that we are attending during Labor Day weekend. And I have been on the hunt for a flower girl dress for them. I had to chose between, blush, gold and a cranberry dress for them. And since Labor Day is still (usually) hot here, I wanted something short sleeve.

I think I found the perfect dresses for them.

Popatu Girls Glitter Dress

Now to find shoes to match these that are not crazy expensive.

TWO. A local girl that I follow on Instagram recently posted herself in this dress and I really wanted it. She says it is easy to throw on and make yourself look put together. Sign me up. It comes in 7 colors and it is truly so cute. I am ordering one for myself.

Women's Sleeveless Knit Woven Dress

THREE. I love when others share good wine or beer recommendations and I am here to share one with you all I don't drink a lot of beer, but when I do have one, I prefer sour and gose, but still grab a brown or blonde sometimes. 

Last weekend when we got back from Elko, we went to a new-to-us Chinese place and I ordered this sour. It was soooo good. I wasn't sure if the marshmallow flavor would ruin it, but it does not. I am now on the search for this beer. If you find it, do yourself a favor and grab some.

FOUR. The girls start school on Monday and we needed to get them new lunch boxes and bento boxes. I searched for some online, but after comparing prices, we found that the stainless steel bento boxes were the same price whether we ordered them on Amazon or Pottery Barn Kids. Now the actual lunch boxes were cheaper everywhere else, but the girls just really wanted these ones, so we grabbed them as well. 

And we got them the stainless steel bento boxes versus the plastic ones for longevity and easier cleaning.

We did get them the lunchbox with the built in cold pack. And no we did not get them personalized. Their backpacks are personalized though.

Pottery Barn Stainless Steel Bento Box

Pottery Barn Kids Cold Pack Lunch Box

FIVE. Weekly funnies.

Have a great weekend. I am linking up with A Little Bit of Everything. 

Birthday Weekend Update

Happy Wednesday all! I have a birthday weekend update and I am announcing the winner of the Free Country jacket and joggers.

And the winner is: Caroline from Dramatic in the Best Way.

Congrats!

Friday we took off to Elko to take the girls to their grandparents house for a fun week before school starts. We left after grabbing some breakfast and made the four and a half hour drive easily. When we got into town, the storms were coming in. 

After getting settled in, we hung out and then headed to dinner. We went to a famous basque restaurant and enjoyed so much food. Basque is served family style. Meaning that the fries, pasta dish, veggie dish, salad, soup are all served family style. Then you each get an entree. I chose lobster and it was huge!!! And of course we had to have a picon. It is a basque drink and they are good but potent. 

After dinner, we headed back to my in-laws house. It was raining pretty good at the time and it was so welcomed. We haven't had much rain in the last month.

Saturday morning we got up and had a big breakfast. We did some stuff around the house and then headed out for some coffee, visiting Rory's families graves, a trip to the Elko museum and then a drive around Elko to see where Rory's dad grew up.

By the time we were done, we headed back to the house instead of the park since the storms rolled in again. We had lasagna with all the yummy sides and just hung out at the house. Rory and the girls took Walter on a walk while I read more of my book, The Wife Upstairs.

Sunday we slept in, had another big breakfast and then did some stuff around the house to help out before we left. Then around noon, Rory and I headed home with Walter. We got home around 5 pm and after unpacking, we headed out to Chinese food. Then we caught up on shows that we can't watch with the girls.

Monday was my actual birthday and I had to work. Boo. But fortunately, I only worked in the office for a few hours and then worked from home for the rest of the day. But my sweet co-workers brought me in this huge donut to share.

I spent the day working and getting lots of sweet calls from friends and family. After work, Rory took me to dinner at La Familia for the best Italian food. I got this truffle mushroom pasta dish that was heavenly. And we shared a burrata appetizer and a grilled artichoke appetizer. And then they brought me out some tiramisu for dessert with a sparkler in it!

Received this picture of my nephew wishing me a happy birthday!

Doesn't this look heavenly? It was so good.

Yes this is from my husband's instagram. I didn't get copies of the photo.

And there you have it. My birthday weekend. Hopefully 38 will be a good year!

Birthday and Amazon Prime - July

*This post contains affiliate links. When you click a link, it is no cost to you and I make a small commission (pennies) from it. Thank you for supporting Sparkles and Lattes. 

They say it's your birthday. We are gonna have a good time....

Yep, I have that song stuck in my head. And yes, it is my birthday. And yes I am working. How rude is that? And I had to get up at 5:30 am today. Again, how rude.

But anyways, today I turn 38. 

I have written facts about myself in the past, but that gets harder to add more and new ones each year.

So today I am doing my usual Amazon post. And maybe Wednesday I will have a recap of any festivities that I did?!

linking up with Tanya

So what did we buy in July?

SanDisk Memory Card

I mentioned this in a Friday Favorites post, but I bought these memory cards for the girls Kindle Kid Fire's since we had problems with storage and capacity. They have definitely helped and were so easy to add to the fires.

NeilMed Sinus Rinse

It was time for my Sinus Rinse refill and I got the 100 pack this time.

Speedo Swim Googles

I also talked about these in a Friday Favorites. The girls love them so far and they are so much easier to tighten than their old ones. The girls say they are comfy as well. And they are only $15ish each.

Silicone Loofa Body Scrubber

I talked about these scrubbers in a Friday favorites post a week and a half ago. I love these. This three pack is a great deal and we use them at home and for travel. And you can put them in your dishwasher when they need to be cleaned and they are as good as new. Way more sanitary than the traditional loofas we all used to use.

Essential Pet Probiotics

This is another repurchase. It was time to refill Walter's probiotics so I did the order again feature.

Mulberry Silk Pillowcase

I have been wanting a silk pillowcase for awhile. It is great for your skin and your hair (especially with extensions), but I didn't want to pay $100 for the one I saw on Nordstrom (the hyped up one). So I searched Amazon and this one had amazing reviews. So far I like it and my hair isn't as crazy when I wake up in the morning. As I use it more, I will give a more detailed review.

Bob's Red Mill Buttermilk Pancakes

This is my favorite pancake mix and I haven't been able to find it in stores where I live. So I ordered a four pack on Amazon. I did make homemade ones last weekend since I didn't have any of this left and they were really good. So I think I will be alternating between homemade and this one.

2 Pack Youth Jump Rope

This was a gift for my nephew. He loves working out with his dad and he is in a kids fitness competition at the SF Giants stadium and we thought he would love these.

Alba Conditioner

Rory bought two shampoos for himself instead of a shampoo and conditioner, so I bought him the conditioner.

Shark Steam Mop Replacement Pads

I have had my Shark Steam Mop for about a year now and it was time to replace the pads. These pads work on more than the Shark Steam Mop as well. They got great reviews and fit the steam mop perfectly.

LED Bike Wheel Lights

This was another gift for my nephew for his birthday. We saw some kids who had these when we were in Graeagle for the 4th of July and all the kids thought these were cool. So we got a set for my nephew.

Princess In Black Book #4

We already have books one through three. The girls love these book so much that it was time to get another. I am sure I will be getting books 5, 6 and 7 soon as well.

And that is it for our July purchases. What did you buy this month on Amazon Prime?