Hi Friends! It’s a Fantastic Friday and I am so looking forward to the weekend!Summer is in full swing! Most of our kids in Michigan have finished up with school for the summer this week, and the joy is literally palpable! Everyone is ready for a good time! And how perfect that Father’s Day falls right when summer is kicking off! We have plans to honor the dads in our family this Sunday, and I’m really looking forward to it!

Well, I have been telling you about the Facebook women’s exercise group I started awhile back, our current challenge is called “The Summer Sizzler 100 Day Challenge”, well one of our ladies this week reported she has lost 26 pounds, and she went to her doctor who told her she was cutting her blood pressure medicine in half! And at this rate the doc says in the future she may be able to eliminate the blood pressure meds all together! You can imagine this got all of us fired up!

We have ladies in all stages of the health journey and from all over the world, and its just so encouraging to do this journey together! If you are interested in checking it out, its totally free, all positive, you just share your progress as often or little as you like to share. I am getting out there pretty much every night and walking and curbing my eating, and that spare tire around my waist is finally beginning to deflate! In the beginning it was a short walk, but I am getting some stamina now, so I can go a lot further than before and am now adding in some jogging here and there. We would love to have you join! The women are so nice and so fun, and all of us are amazed that we are experiencing real progress!  If interested, you can find out more here: The Summer Sizzler.

I also wanted to share some ideas for Father’s Day Gifts for anyone that is still puzzled trying to think of what to get for the perfect gift. So here is my curated list just for you!

1. Grill For those that like cooking outdoors, there is something special about a new grill! My husband wants a charcoal grill this year (old school). He has a gas grill and a smoker (both are awesome gifts!) But he wants a charcoal grill to add to the patio collection! Here are a few good deals on grills this weekend. Gas Grill 4 Burner $189, Weber Charcoal 22″ Grill, $99 .
2. Portable Bluetooth Speaker- Take your playlist and share it wherever you want to go! JBL Flip 4 Portable Bluetooth Speaker $79
3. iPad – if your special someone has not gotten a tablet yet, they are more affordable than ever! You can get a great iPad for only $329, and it puts the world at your fingertips!
4. Fitness Tracker – these come in all prices and brands, but the one that gets pretty consistently great reviews is the Fitbit Charge 2 HR which means it can track your Heart Rate as well as steps/distance walked, sleep patterns, staircases climbed, and of course time.
5. French Press Coffee Maker to help you brew the perfect flavorful cup of coffee.
6. A really good coffee travel mug (and our family’s favorite is the Yeti)
7. An Air Fryer – a healthier way to enjoy fried foods!
8. Any of the cordless yard equipment available
9. Get them up to speed on charger cords and a charger with multiple ports
10. A roomy chair with travel case for sporting events and camping (this one is amazing! It holds up to 600 pounds!)

Hope that helps!

And on to the Fashion part of Fashion Friday!

Special thanks to Jacob Kennedy for the photos this week. We had a blast taking photos together, and he is so talented. If you would like to see more of Jake’s work, you can follow him on Instagram  @734rocious .

This week Jake wanted to go explore some of the lovely places to picnic and fish on Hines Drive, a 17 mile beautifully wooded road that travels along the Rouge River from Dearborn to Northville, Mi. It was a hot day, but absolutely beautiful!

First up is a fun light washed denim jacket from Chico’s, the Laced Back Denim Jacket, on sale now online for $50.99 if you use code 69579

For these first photos we stopped at a pretty overlook along the river. It was alive with life!

As we approached the water, about 50 Canada geese came swimming over to us, and came up on shore surrounding us. I think they were hungry!

Here is a closeup of the lace on the back of the jacket. It is a dark blue color.

The dark lace on the light wash just gives it a feminine touch.

Next I have a Free People kimono in a pretty teal color for only $58.

With it I am wearing a necklace with light turquoise and gold colors, the Winona layered necklace $79. I’m also using my tank from Soma which I’ve gotten so much use out of this summer.

I paired it with a sunny gold bag,

You can see how long it falls, I am about 5’5″, and am wearing a wedge sandal.

Here you can see the rich colors from behind.

And finally I have a really fun Reversible Kimono Jacket from Chicos

The jacket is an open front, with bright bold colors and patterns. I call it my “happy jacket”!

It’s on sale right now, originally $139, on sale for $99.99, and if you use code 69579 you get an additional 40% off to bring your total down to $59.99, buh bam! That is a happy jacket!

My bag is the J.Crew Mini Signet in Italian Leather.

My necklace is the Jacqueline Tassel Lariat by Stella & Dot, $69

Sometimes you just want to wear something that tells the world how much love and joy you have inside!

And finally it is Father’s Day Weekend! Oh don’t you love that we take a day to honor those men that have had such a positive loving impact on us? Below is a picture of me and my parents. I love them to pieces! I have a special relationship with each of them!

Last week I went to Toledo and got to visit with them. I sat down on the couch by my dad, and he put his hand on mine, patted it and told me he loved me. We say “I love you” every time I see my parents or talk on the phone with them, but you know what? Those little words “I love you” are like a gift straight from Heaven every time I hear them. They are precious to me. They help me feel rooted.

My dad has always been so loving and kind to me! True story, when he emails me, many times he calls me “Dream Dust”. That just makes my whole heart smile! We talk about all kinds of things, ideas, dreams… my dad has a million dreams of things we would like to do. I’ve never seen him turn his back on someone who is hurting. Both of my parents are the ones running in when trouble hits, and everyone else is running out. They are so true, so good, so loving. I just try and soak in every little drop of it I can. My Dad loves my husband Troy as well. This truly blesses me. He is always trying to do something nice for Troy. He knows my husband likes antique radios, so he is always on the lookout for another radio for Troy. Last weekend he sent me home with 3 vintage radios. To me, each one says, “Troy, I love you like my own son.” That just floods my heart!

I also want to share about what an incredible father my husband Troy is. We are so blessed to have 2 sons. And he loves them with every fiber of his soul. I remember when they were just born him looking at them and tears streaming down his face. Like me, we couldn’t believe the incredible amount of love that flooded our hearts with each precious baby. And as the boys grew, Troy delighted in rough housing with them every single night! He would start pillow fights and chasing games and wrestling. And they all shared his love for hearty food. In the picture below, Troy and the boys went to the U of Michigan vs Nebraska game a few years ago. All three root for Michigan, but Troy was born in Nebraska so it made for quite an afternoon!

Below is a picture of Troy and the boys when we went to Hawaii a few years ago. We saved for years for that trip, and we were so thrilled to be able to go as a family! Troy went to such great lengths to do extra special things on that trip to bless us all. It was important to him and we will never forget it. One thing is certain. Our boys know how deeply they are loved.

To all of the dads, spouses, brothers, sons, uncles, grandpas and any other man that has had a positive impact on our lives, we honor you and thank you. You bring such joy and stability and good to this life. This weekend is for you! So let us spoil you a little bit!

And for those that have someone like that already parted from this world, please know how sorry I am for your loss. This weekend you can cherish the golden memories. And one thing you can count on is that the love you shared is stronger than time or space and nothing can ever separate you from that love.

I hope everyone has a truly Happy Father’s Day!

Have a lovely weekend! I’ll be back Tuesday for another Tasty Tuesday!

Love Always,

Amy

My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could ever give another person. He believed in me.   ~Jim Valvano

Places I link up:

Jo Lynne Shane My Life and Style 

Northwest Mountain Living and Style 

Sharing A Journey

Fashion Should Be Fun  

Not Dressed As A Lamb