Stuff and Things 9/18 (Wide-leg pants)

+ I am, and have been historically, having trouble finding a church. There's like 94859 reasons for this, but I want to share this from last Sunday. Costi Hinn is probably the most solid pastor I could imagine in the public arena right now and I just think about how my cousin actually lives in his town in AZ and how amazing it would be to live there and just...be able to go to Costi Hinn's church? I wouldn't have to worry about running into all the common church problems I've encountered in the last few years. 

+ Speaking of cultural issues, did you know that the PTA and PTO are vastly different? I keep meaning to share this information with the general public, and there's not a better time than in a post about wide-leg pants for fall, I guess. 

PTO and PTA are completely different species. I didn't know this until a few years ago. The PTO is a Parent Teacher Organization and any school can start one. The PTA is the Parent Teacher Association and is under the umbrella of a national association (NPTA) that sets rules and guidelines, requires dues, and has by-laws and political positions. Check it out! They believe in systemic racism as a reason for low achievement, instead of looking at each student as an individual, and everything (restorative justice discipline, DEI) that goes along with it. They believe in LGBTQ+ themes in curriculum. They believe in trans-ing the kids.  They do not support suspension or expulsions. 

All that to say, if I didn't know they were different from a PTO, after years of working in schools, you might not either. They are political organization, a lot like a teachers' union. If they have one in your school, ask questions. 

Actually, they drug their feet on the re-opening of schools post-covid so they are exactly like an arm of the teachers' unions. 

I say all this because I *came from* a PTO school and this school district here is a PTA and they never stop posting about their PTA in their newsletters, Facebook pages, etc (yes, I subscribe... why not?). I'm like wow, that takes up an awful lot of space on their communications. Well, they have to. If they don't do things a certain way, they can't keep up their PTA membership. 

Moving on...

pin

+ Speaking of things I don't like, I've been trying to spend time looking on Pinterest for general inspiration. It's kind of the opposite of doom scrolling because it gives actual inspiration. See, I used to look at food blogs and fashion blogs for inspiration but most of them have so many ads that they are unreadable. I found this ^^^ on Pinterest the other day and I was like yes, this is perfect.

And then I remembered this:

So I'm mostly just wearing football tees and shorts every single time I leave the house. 

My anniversary present

I don't know that I'm into leggings this year. I'm kind of liking the wide-leg pant trend? Last year was the yoga pants' return (oh sorry, "flared legging") and I just think I'm over leggings, for winter with sneakers, because my ankles get cold. This might be where the crew socks come in? But we have a long way to go before winter. 

I saw these wide-leg pants from Athleta. I generally have always loved Athleta as an alternative to LLL (better quality, less trendy imo)

Aerie has a fleece trouser but those are definitely more for winter, not fall. 

Target has these and that might be the winner based on cost alone here for something potentially trendy. 

Anyway, are you trying wide-leg pants? I had a couple of dressier pairs I wore last year and the year before to work, but now I need something for the everyday. Luckily(?), I'm putting off buying any new clothes until October simply because I'm still wearing summer things. 

Linking up with Fashion Files!

Monday update.

1. At our co-op on Friday, Sutton's teacher told the preschool kids to pray whenever they needed help. One little girl said their baby was crying last night and she prayed to God for her to stop "and she didn't!". That led to a lesson in yes, no, or wait as answers from God. I did not think I'd enjoy being in a preschool classroom and a couple of them are difficult (gentle-parented, perhaps) but overall, it's a nice change from older kids. 

2. Our anniversary was on Friday.  Scott was on a hunting trip. I did get a gift out of it that I'll share this week. 

*Apparently Maverick is the worst hunting dog ever. I think it's too late for a refund. 

3. I had posts for last Thursday and Friday but I didn't feel right putting them up. I'm kind of shocked at how a subset of people are just kind of going on with things as usual. Influencers be influencing, I guess.

Nothing feels quite real right now, looking around at the cultural landscape. I'm so, so sad. I've never cried over something like this but, like many of you, I will just start thinking and start crying. If you watch anyone who cared for Charlie Kirk or followed Charlie Kirk talk in the last week, you just see people who are exhausted, haven't slept, and can't stop tearing up and are constantly consuming information at the same time. Everyone looks the same online right now. I just feel this shift in history is happening and I don't know what's coming next. That's not conspiracy theory, that's fact. I've seen the Christian commentators talk about it, I've seen Tim Pool talk about it, I've seen Theo Von talk about it. I saw a comment that said if this is truly affecting you, you know it's because we've lost a brother in Christ. People are waking up, people are being exposed, the debased are being revealed. Maybe the necessary evil of the internet is helping us in that way, separating not just evil people from the rest of society (losing your job is a good start for public shaming) but the wheat is starting to be separated from the chaff. 

I've shared a lot of instagram in the last few days so you can find me there. Or un-friend me there. Either/or at this point. But, ugh. 

For most of 2024, I listened to Charlie Kirk every day, sometimes twice. That's how much content TPUSA releases. He was where I got my news first thing in the morning. The discussion between him and his panel was fascinating. His assuredness calmed me down and got me through to election day. I was so scared Kamala would win and destroy our country (she absolutely would have, change my mind).  

For years, I listened to Charlie, Matt Walsh, Steven Crowder, all the commentators at The Daily Wire and Live Action and TPUSA debate. It gave me the confidence to actually sound like I know what I'm talking about political and cultural topics AND it gave me the discernment to know when others were misinformed, ignorant, or just lying. In the last year, I started watching Whatever panels and debates with Charlie, Michael Knowles, Andrew Wilson, etc. All of these people I've followed are deeply religious but they never used religion for their arguments; they used biology, science, common sense, and basic history.

The first time I listened to Charlie Kirk's podcast was way back in 2019. I think he'd just been on Allie Stuckey's podcast so I went over to his. I was pushing Wells in a stroller and walking Jett and Scout at a park in Pittsburgh every day that summer. Things were gearing up for the 2020 election. Charlie was giving a history and recap of Bernie Sanders' life. I remember he said "Bernie is a Bolshevik!" and I'm like "yeah, he is!" and he still is today. (I don't know why people don't see it. He doesn't hide it. He honeymooned in the USSR.) 

Anyway, I saw this and it is exactly what has happened in the last few years and I wish certain coalitions and cohorts would just open their eyes. (it's long but we live in a meme culture and should be reading long-form again)

DITL. Homeschool edition.

7:00am Sutton wakes me up. She asks for milk and to watch something. I turn on Little Angel and give her milk, hoping it'll buy me another 30 minutes. No luck. She's back in 10, saying she wants a pancake. Scott is still asleep so I also go down to the basement and feed the dogs. 

While the pancake is warming up, I get out the very sticky bottle of syrup (these people cannot keep a syrup bottle clean and I don't know how to solve this problem). I make coffee and here comes Wells, asking for a pancake. They're leftover from yesterday. It's not even 7:30 and this is, regrettably, "sleeping in" for my kids. We were up til 11pm watching the Bills/Ravens game the night before. I also had not cleaned up the kitchen before bed. Great start to a Monday and my allergies are killing me after a day outside at the zoo on Sunday. 

"Who closed?"

Also they both like their pancake different ways, I can never quite remember, and someone is always unhappy (Sutton: cut up, to dip in syrup. Wells: NOT cut up, syrup on top but "not soggy").

7:45am  Everyone is settled, so I sit down at my computer to do a few things and look over my to-do list for the day. I also drink coffee at this point and start in on folding the laundry I've been ignoring for days. 

I always set the homeschool work out the night before but it gets pushed aside and they watch tv and play until about 9am. (This doesn't and won't bother me but this is not how the internet tells you to homeschool, you know?)

9:00am Wells sits down to do his independent work and so does Sutton. She lasts about 10 minutes. He usually finishes as fast as possible but for the first time ever, he's really into the drawing/sketching part and he goes for like an hour with it. 

At some point in here, I gave up with Sutton and she takes the iPad to go watch something. She  asks me for food multiple times, Unfortunately, grocery pick-up is coming up so we don't have her favorites on hand. Wells and I eat leftover pizza (my breakfast) and then she settles in to draw. We painfully finish Language Arts around 11:45. It was a very hard morning. Mondays aren't great and it makes me rethink taking Fridays off for co-op. We lose too much momentum with a 3-day weekend. 

11:30am I switch out laundry, clean out the fridge, run the dishwasher, and then get ready while Wells does his independent reading time. 

12:00pm I pack up all the dog things and we go for our walk. The park is a 5 minute drive and it's flat and fine for a 3 year old so that's why I do this route. This includes prepping a backpack with water, bags, dish, electronic collars, leashes, remote...it's an undertaking but I've streamlined it. But since Sunday Kristin had not cleaned out the car or the backpack after the zoo trip, Monday Kristin had to spend extra time dealing with that today. 

12:45pm Head home from the park and drop off the dogs. I make Wells gather up the toys he left all over the yard the night before and deliver a stray shoe to his friend's house (yes, a shoe) and then we go to Walmart for our grocery pick-up. Blessedly, this is also a less than 10 minute drive. We go in the store because I forgot to add Flonase to my order and then we also looked at shoes. Then we pick-up and go to the post office to drop off a Poshmark box for an item I sold. 

1:45pm Get home, unpack, make lunch (they eat pb&j and crackers and fruit just about every day because that's what they want)

2:30pm Wells does his math work, independently. I'm pushing him through quickly to get to the more challenging curriculum I bought a couple of weeks ago, so we're doing 2 lessons a day. Sutton falls asleep on the couch. I check the math and then I take a quick nap while Wells plays. I try to get him to watch a Youtube video about Mars (we're supposed to be studying space but I don't like the curriculum) but he doesn't want to. 

3:45pm The neighbor kids get home from school and Wells shoots out the door with his walkie-talkie. This means I have to be awake and I know I will not see him til dinner. They ride scooters, play in backyards, build things, dig holes, whatever. I start prepping dinner and pull out cookie dough I'd planned to bake the other day and never got around to doing. 

4:10pm Scott gets home. He quickly takes Sutton outside and grills the chicken I have ready. He has a meeting online at 5:00 so he hides out in the basement. Sutton watches a read aloud and plays some games on The Good and the Beautiful app while I make dinner and talk on the phone. I also bake those cookies. Eventually she goes out in the backyard with the other kids and they catch a toad and make him a habitat in a bucket (no idea where this toad is currently residing). Sutton also helps me feed the dogs. 

I make this pasta salad a lot. I don't like artichokes so I substituted broccoli this time. Usually I just leave them out. 

6:00pm I eat dinner, I make plates for the kids, Scott eats and then takes Sutton outside to do some things with him. She eats strawberries and a banana. Wells eats what I give him. He goes back outside. I work on cleaning up the kitchen while I listen to Ben Shapiro on The Breakfast Club. 

6:30pm Scott goes out for a motorcycle ride and I get Sutton into the tub by giving her a cookie and she plays in there for at least an hour. I'm cleaning up the kitchen, the floor, etc. Scott comes home and I convince him to hang these shelves in Sutton's room by asking nicely and also saying it's "for Sutton". This works. 

7:21pm The battle of getting Wells into the house begins. His friends are outside. He wants to play. He will not come in without a fight. It's really hard to say no to this rationale. They ride their scooters until dark (8pm) and finally he comes in at 8:22. He can't get the garage door shut. Scott has to go look at it. The trailer is blocking it. 

8:20pm I get Sutton to brush her teeth and into bed. We read one book. She calls me back in multiple times. It's Wells' turn to play in the tub for an hour (apparently). I work on this post.

9:00pm Wells is out of the tub and onto second dinner. This happens every night and drives me insane because it means he never gets to bed. He barely eats earlier because he's busy playing so, post-bath, he always eats again. 

9:20pm Scott and I watch the last episode of School Spirits, season 2 (because the Bears and the Vikings are completely uninteresting on MNF) and I do some stretching on the floor. He falls asleep, I research science curriculum for a bit and then go to bed by 11:00. 

At least I went to bed with a clean kitchen. 

Memes for Monday

Post-babies, I started taking four 200 mg at once for headaches or aches and pains because That's How Many Mgs Are In One of Those Pills They Send You Home With From the Hospital. 

Scott thought I was insane. He takes one (1) 200 mg pill and wonders why he never feels better. 

Friday Recommendations, 9/5

1. School Spirits. This is on Netflix and Paramount+. We've watched both seasons over the last few weeks. While I normally find shows about the afterlife incredibly creepy (I can't even sit through Beetlejuice), this was so much of a mystery that I couldn't stop watching. We've both enjoyed it. There were multiple points where I was sure I knew what happened but then the cliffhanger at the end of season 1 threw me for a loop. Season 2 is only on Paramount+. See? I do like some "teen" shows. The characters are endearing and even the ones you don't like will change a lot from the first episode to the end of season 1. The credits say it's based on a graphic novel (gag), but so was The Walking Dead and that was very good (to a certain point). There were moments when I'm just thinking "this is so creative!", "wow what an interesting twist!", etc. Honestly, It's just really well done if you're looking for something to watch. The way the show evolves and new details are written in...it's seriously addictive. 

2. Unseen Sunscreen. Well, I made it through the summer using this Elf skin tint sunscreen and I do regret to inform you that while it works great as a facial sunscreen *and* skin tint, it does indeed melt into the eyes and that is not great. It burns. Now, this doesn't happen every time I wear it, but it's happened a few times. Therefore, I should've spent the money on the Supergoop back at the beginning of the summer. I grabbed a small tube from Amazon this week.

3. Yogi tea. I bought this as an attempt to relax and go to sleep early at night. I think that's because I'm staying up late watching School Spirits. 

4. I posted some fashion things ("fashion") yesterday and really now I just want to go back to 2011 and wear all of those clothes again. 

5. And then I was inspired and wrote this for my substack yesterday.  It's where I air my thoughts on education, mostly. 

Linking up with Friday Favorites!

Stuff and Things (1st in the #fall)

+ I'm doing no-spend September. Success on this TBD.

We were at a store the other day walking past the shoes. Sutton said I wish I had new shoes. I said You have brand new shoes on your feet. Sutton said But I wish I had shiny, sparkly shoes.

These are her shoes:

+ I've found myself some good walking trails. Over the years, the only way I've stayed sane is to walk outside. Now that it's not the dead heat of summer, I can go into the grass, woods, and fields and not be completely miserable. I spent most of summer walking sidewalks with dogs on leashes. They don't love it but they love it more than not walking at all. 

+ Okay, bags. 

I got this bag and it's trendy and I'm just not sure it's for me. Like, it's fine. I don't swoon over it, though. 

I got this Longchamp back in March and I don't care what anyone says and, honestly, maybe we should all just go back and live in 2010-2014 (it was a good era): It's still the best bag out there. 

I don't know what it is about the color-combo but I love it. Also, it stays pretty clean! I cleaned one maybe ink spot off of it with the Truly Free stain remover. 

Whenever I see anyone with a Longchamp, I immediately think they have their life together.  It's the thing that does it for me. It doesn't matter if they're half asleep in an airport (when you often see a Longchamp) or a mom at the zoo. I see it and I automatically know they have good taste. I mean, Princess Kate is known to carry one, for goodness sake. 

I have realized I like the gold detail better than the silver and the brown flap better than any other (like the solid color Le Pliage). 

Okay, so look:

Old Navy Sweatshirt (my exact is sold out)

Crew socks because I'm pretending to be a zoomer

Muddy shoes

Shorts from Aerie that are too big

Add a Longchamp. Instant upgrade.

(Yes, this is my dog-walking attire)

I also have this Lucky Brand bag I was using last week. I got it the week Wells born so I'll never actually part with it but I don't know that I use it that much. I feel like this is really in style right now. 

I wish I had more clothing ideas or thoughts/pictures to share but I'm still overwhelmed by half my clothes in boxes and I "lost" a box so I'm slowly ripping the house apart looking for shoes and winter coats. Fun. 

I would actually like to just sell 80% of my clothes because I either don't wear them, won't wear them, and they take up space. They were specifically for work. 

I've been looking for inspiration lately and this Pinterest board I put together between Two Thousand and Eleven and Two Thousand and Sixteen, I think, still applies. I'd wear it all. Except the peplum. I think there's some peplum on there. 

+I'd love to write more and do more online during the week but my days are just as jammed now as they were a year ago. I'm just not out of the house all day. I need to do a DITL. In recent years, every time I try a DITL, I get super overwhelmed and it never ends well. But I have found a groove to the homeschool thing so I'll share soon. 

Linking up for Fashion Files!