February 16, 2025

Sunday things. 2/16

1. 


I'm so in fight or flight during our getting-out or getting-back-into-the-house times that I don't get pictures of kids in cute clothes before or immediately after school. 



We went to the indoor play place with our day off on Friday. 

2. I watched all 6 available episodes of Love is Blind this weekend. 

3. I'd love to sell this bag if anyone is interested. Gently used, great condition, $40+ shipping. It's Aimee Kestenberg and is high quality when it comes to the material (leather), lining, and hardware. I bought it mid-2023. 


4. Instead of doing Anything At All Productive yesterday, I wrote this substack post about professional dress in schools and how it all ties together and it might be the first step to solving all the problems in our schools. I couldn't get it out of my head, so I needed to get it out there into the world. Enjoy. 

5. I'm starting to look for formal wear again this month for a ball coming up in April. It was such a complete nightmare two years ago. Last year was a little easier, but I just can't handle it. Anyway, the first dress has been ordered; hopefully I don't have to send it back. I give myself a budget of "about $100". 

6. For Valentine's Day, we didn't do anything here...the kids had their parties at school so they had their fun. Scott booked me a massage and my parents sent flowers. I actually cannot imagine anything more overwhelming than trying to go out for dinner on Valentine's Day. You? 

February 12, 2025

Amazon lately. January 2025.

I think in the second quarter of 2025, I'm going to try to "get off of" Amazon. Because I know if I want something, I can grab it from Amazon and it'll be here in less than a week, it saves time and money and energy. I feel like it adds up in an annoying way even if I'm not buying treats and toys and bits and baubles, if that makes sense. I feel like I spend a lot of money on things in general (kids and dogs will do that to you) but I don't buy a lot of "treats". So I'm really not sure where it all goes and how we have so much stuff. I'm also a huge proponent of using up products before buying new ones so I'm not having a lot of bottles and build-up in the cupboards. You tell me what you think after looking at this list of purchases...

(Remember when we used to buy clothes from Deb's or Charlotte Russe or Rue 21* or whatever? And the incredible low quality was truly something to behold? I feel like we're that generation of millenials who sees something cute in an Amazon ad that's fashion related and we randomly buy it. It's usually complete low-quality Shein-like garments. Like, *I* don't do this. But a lot of people I follow seem to buy so many clothes and accessories on Amazon.)

*or want to buy clothes there. my mom wouldn't let me because they were cheaply made and then by the time I had a job, I was shopping at AE or Macy's. I also interviewed for a job at Wet Seal once and they one million percent turned me down because I wasn't fashionable enough. 

Ascent protein. I put out an SOS for protein powder a week or so ago on Instagram. This is what we bought: 


I like it. Definitely not gritty. I know that I went through my "protein era" from like 2015-2017 and I'm not there anymore with the smoothies but I need the protein so...trying again! I tried Orgain last year when I attempted to get back in the habit and it was so bad that I am just now trying again. 

Mary Ruth Organics Magnesium Chews for kids. I started giving this to Sutton and it's turned her into a different person. Cannot recommend enough. I'm not willing to admit that my struggles of the lasts 18 months have been as simply as "give her a supplement" but it's looking that way...



Lemon Perfect water. This is just something I thought would be good. I got the variety pack, but I recommend the blueberry. I mix probiotic powder with it. 




Purple shampoo. I needed a toning shampoo after my recent highlights (I think I may be done with home highlights and might go professional next time...my blond is turning too yellow). Walmart only carries so much so Amazon it was. 




Berberine. I heard about this on the Dr. Josh Axe show and it looks like something that should be taken by most adults. I grabbed some for Scott and have tried it myself but I don't know how long you need to use it for to see real progress/results. 


Schishandra. I heard another podcast guest (I don't even remember who!) talk about this and he said anyone with PCOS should take it and, honestly, everyone should be taking it, men and women. I ordered a bottle, having never having heard of it, and I've been taking it each morning. Difference? I don't know, but I'm committed. 



Undereye brightener. This is the Catrice brand which I'd never heard of but Amy recommended it and the fact that it says "instant" "awake" hooked me. That 5am alarm physically hurts when I've been up multiple times a night. 



Starlight galaxy projector. Scott ordered this for the kids because they hate sleeping in the dark but nightlights aren't great for eye development (something about straining to see in the dark) and then they literally wanted to sleep with the lights on, which is ridiculous. We moved them into the same room recently so we can do drywall and electrical work in the other bedroom. It's working out, and this projector helps so much. I have seen the price fluctuate on this from $10 to $34. I think we paid $17? If you want one, I'd Google price track. None of them are lower-priced on Amazon right now. 



Wireless keyboard/mouse. This was something I wanted but wouldn't exactly die without so I called it a birthday present. I really like this keyboard. It has a great feel. I just loathe typing on a macbook. It hurts my hands with the wrist angle, I think. The round keys are kind of fun and have a great ASMR, if you like that kind of thing. 



Dandelion tea. Lastly, something Scott ordered in the supplement realm. He loves it. It tastes like an actual boiled dandelion so I 10/10 do NOT recommend. Don't do it. 

What do we think? Am I too reliant on Amazon? Is it worth trying to wean myself off of it? How about you? 

February 10, 2025

An end to football season.

 











There is something primal inside most people, especially from Pennsylvania, that prevents them from cheering for the Eagles. Even with players like Jalen Hurts or Saquon Barkley and decent guys for coaches like Nick Sirriani. They are all perfectly deserving of a Super Bowl win and that's fine. Good for them! 
But to cheer for the Eagles just always feels wrong; Philadelphia is not "Pennsylvania" in the same way that Chicago is not 'Illinois". No one actually likes the Eagles. It physically hurts a little to see them do well....however, like in 2017, they deserve this, so good for them.

The reason for last night's trouncing was simple: The Chiefs didn't deserve to be in the Super Bowl. They had a weird, easy schedule for the first half of the season which set them off on an undefeated record, giving some false confidence. They had the media and the headlines on their side with a potential 3-peat. They had Taylor Swift, pulling in attention and fangirls and fanboys, making them the "popular" team. They had some over-confidence in their abilities. 

And then they had the refs. I'm not saying cheating was blatant but cheating was subliminal for sure. The NFL changed their rules about calls last week, after the Chiefs win over Buffalo, when it came out that the wrong calls had been made. Sure, the Patriots had deflate-gate, but the Chiefs had little nudges from the refs, pushing them across the finish line most weeks. 

So it kind of was what it was and was incredibly annoying to live through for the last 5 months but it all came to a head last night when you could see the talent just wasn't there. Sunlight is the best disinfectant right? 

I was trying to think of what this reminded me of: it's kind of like when we were told by the media that Kamala Harris was the most popular choice for President and was installed by the Democrats instead of holding a primary and then she lost altogether. 
Yeah, you can install your candidate, you can install your team, but when you put them up against actual talent (or policies), the truth is revealed. Just like Donald Trump winning the popular vote, it was heartwarming to see how everyone across the country came out to create a wide tent and support not-the-Chiefs. 

(That's pretty deep for a Monday...I'm expecting 2-3 snow days this week so fingers crosssed.)

February 7, 2025

Friday things.

Two posts in one day(!). Mostly because I forgot to set my monthly book post to go up yesterday. That's the level of behind I've felt this week. 

Yes, they did shut down our school for two more days this week, due to sickness, giving us a 4-day weekend. I will not ever think a 3-day week is a bad idea but I did legitimately have some things to get done yesterday and I don't know where they're going on the schedule now. We're healthy enough, thank goodness. Sutton being warm last weekend never materialized into anything else. She just has a cough. 


1. The big news is that I took Sutton to a chiropractor this week! This office is more of a holistic approach, not just back-cracking (like the place I used to go to). I've been putting it off for a year, I think. I know/knew there was something she needed addressed...the lack of sleep, the mood swings..how much is general toddler behavior (Wells had crazy mood swings as a toddler and grew out of it) and how much can be fixed with some basic homeopathic techniques. So because nothing in our "free" healthcare is ever actually free, we're paying out of pocket. For everyone who wants universal healthcare, I promise you don't. If you can afford out-of-pocket, you get care. If not, you suffer. (Basic chiropractic care doesn't break the bank, but it's not free) We did a consult appointment on Tuesday and they gave me some good starting points for helping her. 

2. Scout has an infection so we went to the vet on Wednesday. They seem to think 10 days of antibiotics will clear it up, but they're very quiet around us after Jett. Which, it's not their fault he died, you know? A friend of mine never ever went back to the vet after her dog died, only calling one when it was time to put her second elderly dog to sleep. 

I put this comforter in the laundry room to remember to wash it. Scout found it immediately. He's a blanket dog. 



3. And then, since we didn't have school yesterday, we went back to the chiropractor. This time, Sutton let them adjust her (not on the table, but with a tool) so that was a victory. She just distrusts strangers to an extreme degree. 

4. I'm getting a lot of dopamine hits out of putting things into online shopping carts. 

I sent my birthday present back (an anniversary ring I took a chance on and didn't like) so I "owe" myself something. And I have Christmas money to spend...

5. Thinking about Sutton's birthday next month, I thought we should get her a toy horse because she is obsessed with Peaches the horse on Daniel Tiger. She likes pull on drawstrings (hoodie or sweatpants, she's not picky), click her tongue, and say "come on Peaches". 

So I started googling for Peaches + toy+ Daniel tiger and then this popped up because, ironically, Daniel is allergic to peaches, the fruit. 

My google search revealed this:


Daniel Tiger reddit never disappoints. 

6. I have a January spending accountability list to share but I just literally haven't gotten around to it. 

But concerning spending + Sutton's birthday, here's a hack: I knew I needed to get this thing while I was thinking of it, and I was going to get it anyway. Even though I was tracking my spending to see where I was putting discretionary funds in January, I took one thing off my plate and just ordered this. Whether I got it in January or bought it in March, the money was spent when I decided to buy it. Taking it off my cognitive load was what I did by purchasing it earlier than necessary. 

Anyway, I hated the cover that came with Sutton's Anywhere Chair. It was wrinkly and stained and never looked as nice as Wells' because it's a different material. So, instead of scrapping the idea of Sutton having an Anywhere Chair....I literally just ordered a new cover for it. This kid loves purple so that's what I got. The color is "fig". I can't believe I didn't think of this before. 





January Books.


The Arrangement, The Amendment, The Atonement by Kierstin Modglin 

I was actually searching for The Arrangement by Robyn Harding (still no luck on Kindle Unlimited) and this author's the Arrangement kept popping up. It's been like 6 months so I gave it a try. I was definitely enthralled and pulled in and read it in like a day. A solid 4 1/2  to 5 stars. I won't even tell you the plot because the plot changes completely by the end of the book. 

Then, I kept going just because why not? The second book was passable. 3 stars, I guess. It got a little weird. The third book, I read just because it was there and I suppose I wanted to finish out the series. I was not a fan. It was too much. She should've stopped with two. 

Did anyone else read these? 

I also tried The Liar's Wife by the same author and I only read a few chapters. I struggle with any storyline involving a baby. Especially one where a mom goes back to work two weeks after having a c-section. 


Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt 5 stars

I legitimately thought this would be a grown-up version of The One and Only Ivan (The Worst Book Ever). I assumed the octopus would be telling the tale of his life, from the viewpoint of captivity and he'd have a bunch of friends in the aquarium. And every animal would die from abuse or untreated illness.

It was not that.

First, the octopus was a very well-adjusted creature and he'd been rescued and nursed back to health by the aquarium. While he orchestrates the whole story, he does not tell the whole story. It's really about an older lady named Tova and her story and then a man named Cameron and his story and how they intertwine, which happens to be at the aquarium, and how the other people in the small town interact. It's more of a mystery than literary fiction. 

The only part I didn't care for was the Avery storyline...I thought it was unnecessary. The Brad/Elizabeth storyline gave me "Cameron is like Jesse in Breaking Bad" thoughts. 

Anyway, it's not about animals. It's about people, but there's a delightful animal at the center of it. I really liked the character of Marcellus. 

The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean 2.5 stars

Another very hyped up book. I didn't think it was anything special. I thought the last 1/4 of the book was so non-believable. Authors are going too far with these true-crime-esque mysteries these days. However, I didn't hate it. I just thought it wasn't as good as I expected it to be based on the library wait time. I believe it was up on Kindle Unlimited randomly and I grabbed it there. My wait time is still at "several months" and I put it on hold in the fall. 

It reminded me of how Listen for the Lie was not that great but everyone pretended it was. (If you want a book about a true crime podcast, read Sadie. So much better. Sadie is currently FREE on Kindle Unlimited!)


The Collapse of Parenting by Leonard Sax 5 stars

I heard him do a two hour interview with Megyn Kelly on my drive from Pennsylvania to Missouri (earbud in, kids asleep in the car) and I couldn't download his book fast enough. He's right. He's right about everything. I see the mistakes parents have made in real time. I'm cognizant of trying not to do the same with my own kids but I know I do things like let them watch too much TV. The thing that struck me is that we spend all this time putting our kids into activities (well, not me, I'm too lazy to force my small children onto team sports they don't care about to begin with) and they are overwhelmed and over-scheduled and the family unit disappears. As a kid, we didn't start going to our separate activities each evening until high school. But we often had practices in the evening in elementary school. It wasn't so much that a family couldn't handle it; there was little to no financial commitment involved. It was rec league soccer or baseball, usually, and definitely not year-round. Something happened after I was a kid that made parents lose their absolute minds, assuming their children would be professional athletes or something. I regularly am met with: I can't have homework. I have soccer. Or We're driving 90 minutess for a game this weekend. Or We have to be at the field all day on Saturday for the tournament. I get it. You want your kids involved. But it's the parents doing the involving 90% of the time in the 2020s.

If you don't want to invest hours into the book, at least listen to or watch the Megyn Kelly clips. Every single adult needs to read something he's written; it's the explanation for why America's kids have fallen so far behind academically.

The Devil Wears Scrubs and The Devil You Know by Freida McFadden

These are somewhat older books she wrote (2013, 2017) but I grabbed them on Kindle Unlimited. I would say the first is very much like Grey's Anatomy and it's really fast-paced and pulls you in (I'm not a Grey's fan at all, aside from that first season, and I still enjoy a good medical drama though). *I* enjoyed it. The reviews on Goodreads weren't awesome. The second book was so-so. I still read fast to see what would happen but I didn't like the ending. No spoilers! I think I wanted more drama and upheaval. Also the depiction of the VA hospital is exactly what civilian-driven government work is: no one does anything. ever. (Although I hear that is now changing and the American people are seeing just how little work gets accomplished in the federal government now!) 

Freida McFadden likes the medical topics in books because she's an actual practicing physician who writes thrillers for fun. But this makes me wonder if she's also worked in a VA. 

My Sister's Daughter by Liv Constantine 3.5 stars

This was a long novella and it was fine. Held my attention for sure. But I don't like books where the kids are evil? Liv Constantine is usually a solid bet. 

Did not finish:

All the Colors of the Dark was vague and an example of trying to show, not tell. I don't want to have to visualize THAT much. Quit at 9%.

If Something Happens to Me is an example of something written to be turned into a tv show. It read like a script and I didn't like that. Alex Finlay books are almost always a miss for me for this reason.

Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney

I preordered this last summer when I went on a rampage of pre-ordering whatever my favorite authors were writing next. I have to say: Alice Feeney is hit or miss for me (Same for Peter Swanson..it can be the best book you've ever read or something you DNF). 

This was a miss. I'm annoyed I paid for it. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm already 9 books into my 40 book goal for the year but I think I've hit a bit of a rut. I'll be looking for inspriation in the link-up! I can tell I went with two series and then genres I'm comfortable with. 

Linking up with Tanya!



February 1, 2025

Things I'm loving Saturday.


1. Our school shut down on Friday because so many students and teachers have been out sick that they needed to disinfect it. There is some law in place that if a certain number is out due to illness, you have to close for a day. I don't know if they used that law or just made a judgment call. I feel like the average parent would be upset if school just shut down for a day. (Then again, we learned during c*vid that school apparently isn't essential unless parents need to work.) 

Anyway, loving the extra day off, did not love that Sutton was feverish last night. 

2. We finished Yellowstone. I thought the last episode was a little drawn out toward the end but I get it. Now I'm thinking I need to do a rewatch. (Scott doesn't rewatch so now we need a new show...)

3. I'm loving that I am, I guarantee, the only teacher in a 30 mile radius teaching kids how to diagram sentences. 


These are the Syntax Slides from Education to the Core. I use one every single day. Best money/decision I made concerning teaching this year. 

Since I have two classes, I do everything twice:



4. I got the idea that I could mix diet coke with lime (from another blog) and it's delightful. I don't know what it is about diet coke, but I don't like the taste of regular coke and maybe it's the effect of the Trump administration: We're all prone to like diet coke now. 

5.



This week I shared my January recommendations and some random things on Monday

January 29, 2025

January recommendations. 2025

Random Thing: Pet ornament. I ordered one of these for Scout in 2013, Jett in 2014, and then Maverick this year. My friend had gotten one for her dog in 2013 and I thought they were so unique. I cannot recommend enough. The quality also has not decreased in 10+ years and you can't say that about much. 


Kid thing: Toyology blocks. These are stupidly expensive but holy cow: my kids haven't missed a day with these in a month. 


Drinking apparatus: My sister-in-law gave me this Hydroflask mug and I really like it. I like the texture; it's not cold stainless but has a bit of a cushion to it? And I like that the top presses on to seal instead of screws on. Weird preference but it makes a difference to me. 

Health thing: Pregnancy and Postpartum TV on Youtube. This is how I'm working out this year. I admittedly have not been feeling the best in the last week so I've skipped a few days.

TV: Landman. Such a good show. Very addictive like all of Taylor Sheridan's shows. The Night Agent season 2 has also not disappointed.

Book: I am approximately one year late on this but Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. 

Clothing: I went to TJ Maxx a month or so ago and I was shocked at the selection. Everything in there has Free People-ish vibes and I like it. 

Drinking: Lemon Perfect water. Scott had grabbed some of these at a gas station and they are so good. I was in a rotten mood and I drank one and I felt better. Maybe it was all in my head, but it sure was what I needed at that moment. I tried the blueberry first (it does NOT taste like blueberry because I generally don't love that flavor) but I ordered a variety pack to try. 

Paper product: My Erin Condren planner. It's exactly what I need for this crazy year of moving and organizing our family's life. The paper quality is amazing on this year's planner, better than I remember. It's worth it for that alone, to be honest. 

January 28, 2025

Monday. (oh right, it's Tuesday)

 I wrote a substack post about education this weekend, after being inspired by some X posts, instead of doing anything else. Productive, right? 

I'm in a place where I've actually started to count down the school year. Nothing crazy here, just trying to get through the 22 days to March. 




It's so sad because it's not the teaching or the kids or the anything. It's the getting up early and functioning at 110% all day long. I'm too tired to do anything on the weekends. Last night, Scott went to sleep at 7:30 with the kids while I watched the Bachelor until 9:00. 


I'm looking online for pants and I can't find anything. 
Any luck with major retailers lately? I was considering Gap. I am enjoying the wide leg trend but wanted something not that. Some of these khaki styles are screaming 2009 and I don't like it. 

Scott went to the KC game on Sunday and my brother, the Chiefs fan, sent me a gif of Taylor Swift. 


and then this email went out Sunday night. 


Right now, we are all Eagles fans.


Even though there is no greater explanation for the city that is Philadelphia...than an *elected* mayor who can't spell eagles.
It explains everything. 

January 24, 2025

Friday things. 1/24

 

This podcast episode is insane. It made me rethink everything I thought I knew. Give it a listen. 


I was cleaning Wells' room the other night and finally threw away the Hatch. It stopped working the way I wanted it to months ago but still had a little bit of functionality. (It doesn't help that Wells took a pen to it, and everything else in his room, and wrote his name). But it served us very well for 6 1/2 years so it was a great investment.

LETRS unit 7 out of 8. Almost done. I don't mind going to the trainings. The teachers are good. I've learned a lot that I apply every day. I just cannot stand the busywork aspect. It's 24 college credits of work over 2 school years and that's completely unfair. 

I need all of this Chiefs stuff to disappear. 

We ordered this, to kind of replace the Hatch. It was very worth it. 


I went to an actual mall the other day for the first time in 5 years. I had to go to Kay's and so I just walked the whole place, to see what stores were there. I hadn't been to *this* mall since 2013 and hadn't been to an indoor mall since Pittsburgh in 2020. So...
It was jam-packed.
I used to be in the mall once a week as a teen or college student.
It's amazing what online shopping has done to our culture.
But this mall is also 90 minutes away so it's not like it does me much good on the regular...
Deep thoughts.


She convinced me to move her kitchen to *the* kitchen so we're doing this now. 


All the spring clothes and shoes are out.  I went to Walmart to get Sutton some pants because she's outgrown everything pant-like in the last 2 weeks. They have no pants because "retail seasons" or whatever. (I ordered a bunch from Carter's on clearance.)

But I took this at the mall because I really like these sandals for her. Spring shoes stress me out. Anyone else? I'm so much more comfortable pulling out the same winter shoes each year. Buying sandals is always hit or miss. (These are too big but I'm thinking I could find something similar for her...you know, *online*.)




Finally, again: