My Week In Review (otherwise known as WIR) posts are just that: a review of my past week.  I post an update here every Tuesday sharing some tidbits of my previous week as well as an accompanying photo recap with selections from my Instagram.  Here’s the buzz from my week:

This weather is So. Stunningly. Beautiful.  This is definitely some good karma from that very long and cold winter we endured out here in the midwest.  I’ve heard some people complaining it hasn’t been hot enough.  I myself very much enjoy this more mild summer.  My dog, Winnie, loves it, too!   While we’re both winter girls at heart, there’s nothing quite like a stroll on a gorgeous, breezy summer evening hand in hand with my love and my little pup on the end of the leash.  It sure beats the heat and humidity we usually have to bear this time of year.  This is the kind of weather you can lie out under a tree on a blanket and read for hours without being bothered by sweat or swarms of bugs.  It’s wonderful!

A few ends and odds that have been happening here at the Ross residence last week:

After thinking about it for a couple of years, I finally installed a floating shelf above our kitchen window.  This blends in so seamlessly with our built-in cabinets, my husband couldn’t pick it out when I told him something was new in the kitchen (although this might say more about his observation skills when it comes to home decor 😉 ).  I’ve had these three beautiful Mary Engelbreit ceramic canisters since we moved into our first place together, a condo, ten years ago and had them stashed away in storage when we moved into our house until the perfect place appeared to display them.  I know I will certainly take advantage of this new ledge come Christmastime to showcase more of my treasured seasonal decor.

Something else that’s been brewing in the kitchen recently is my new fondness for baked fruit.  I’ve been working on further reducing my sugar intake and was on the hunt for easy to make sugar-free desserts.  I finally decided just to experiment by slicing a couple of plums, drizzling them with a bit of honey and a sprinkle of cinnamon, then popping them in the oven at 400 degrees for thirty minutes.  I added some granola (sugar-free, as well – you’d be surprised how many granola blends are packed with refined sugars!) for a bit of texture and,voila!  Perfectly scrumptious, not-so-bad-for-you dessert.  I’ve since tried this with berries and experimented by adding the granola in for the last five minutes of baking with great results.

Lastly, I finally wrapped up my clothing and accessories organization series on OLJ with my vanity.  I finalized updated organization by clearing out outdated makeup and rearranging my jewelry collection.  I’ve had so many requests to show my makeup, I figured I’d mention the tour here in case you’re interested in having a look and don’t follow me on OLJ.  You can see more here!

Don and I shared our weekend with both sides of the family.  On Saturday, we took my parents out to dinner downtown at Trattoria 10 and then to the Goodman Theatre to see Brigadoon.  This was actually a gift we gave to my Dad for his birthday a couple of weeks ago.  We enjoy exchanging the gift of dinner and theater with my parents, because it is something all of us can enjoy while spending time together.  On Sunday, we headed over to Don’s parent’s house for lunch with his side of the family.  It had been a few weeks since we were all last together due to family travel and it was so nice to be reunited.  I feel so blessed to be able to spend time with my beautiful family!

If you’d like to see more from my weekend, check out my vlog:

While I did talk about this in the Couple’s Q&A Don and I posted last week, I wanted to again address the question of Vlogust.  if you’re unfamiliar, “Vlogust” is where you film and post a vlog every day for the month of August.  I have done this for the past couple of years.  I have decided not to do Vlogust this year, but will be keeping up with my WIR posts and weekend vlogs.  I appreciate that so many of you miss my more daily style of vlogging, but this is working best for me right now.  As for the holidays, I am not certain at this point about Vlogidays (vlog everyday between Thanksgiving and New Years), but I am considering it carefully.  I very much appreciate your enthusiasm for my vlogs and enjoy sharing these looks into my life with you.  Thank you for your continued support and encouragement!

* This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are genuinely my own. *