Currently in May.

a pile of stuff, made aesthetically pleasing in black and white

Digging: through everything in this house. I'm figuring out what needs to go, what needs to move with us, what can be listed on Poshmark, what can be donated, what can be trashed. I'm being particularly strict about my own clothes. If I haven't worn it in 1-2 years, it needs to go. The weight, physically, of carrying around and moving belongings I don't use is super evident this time of year. 

Weeding: same thing. Weeding through everything. I didn't start packing earlier because I didn't want to get ahead of myself. I packed up way too early last spring, thinking we were moving for sure and we just didn't. So now I have nothing packed and we're supposed to move this month.

Also I do like pulling weeds. I find it relaxing and grounding to be in the dirt. I may do that this weekend too. The front yard landscaping (poorly maintained at best when we moved in) needs some upkeep. 

Enjoying: We just finished watching The Beast in Me on Netflix and I'm always supportive of Claire Danes being unhinged. I've been watching old episodes of ER because I find that relaxing and I thought about rewatching all of Once Upon a Time. I dipped back into season 1 (I think I originally watched in near-real time) and it holds up. 

Eating/drinking: I wish I had fun new recipes to share! Mostly I'm relying on my tried and true brainless meals. We had spaghetti last night. Having homemade pizza tonight. 

I did get a restock on this probiotic from Just Ingredients. It does not disappoint! I actually have a ton of frozen fruit to use up before we clear out of this house so I told myself I'd start doing a protein smoothie every day but so far that hasn't really happened. I hate dealing with the blender?

Shopping for: I did a restock on this cleanser from Adel. It lasts a very long time and it turns out that oil cleansing is really good for my skin. Also, something that is very much a want and not a need: I love these totes from Baublebar. 

I was going to put together a haul of what I've gotten from Amazon in recent months but here's some of what I've shopped for lately...       

 Honest cleanser. I ran out of my La Roche Posay oil cleanser (cannot recommend enough) so I decided to try something new. This is great for sensitive skin. 

This is an absolute steal for under-eye patches. 

This is the best mascara I've ever used, ever. I've had a few tubes over the years. I don't always want to spend $20 on mascara but it's worth it. 

I got two of these tanks a month or so ago. I realize I have some major wardrobe holes but, really, I just need summery tops and these are great quality. I got mediums and they're pretty loose. They wash very well. 

Another absolute steal: I have dry hair so I keep I'm always on the lookout for products that will add moisture. This shampoo/conditioner is exactly what I'm looking for and is a bargain at $12 for both. I've been using it for a month now. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Linking up with Currently!

                                      

Weekend catch-up and memes

So it's not that I can't write some sort of catch-up post, it's the every time I open up a window/browser/tab, I get assaulted by the 65 tabs I have open. And then I get distracted and then nothing happens. We are inundated with so much information At All Times that I can't even focus on one task at a time. Crazy, right?

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind of stressful activity and now May-cember is here. I didn't. understand just how crazy May was until I had kids in school in 2023-2024. That was the May our dog was sick, Sutton was at her worst clinginess level, Scott's job was 12+ hours a day, Wells was graduating kindergarten, and then I had to wrap up a school year. In May-cember, there's some fun activity every day, field trips, etc. Finding/buying teacher appreciation gifts/end of year gifts is usually what pushes me over the edge, if I'm being honest. This year(!), we have soccer three days a week plus a dance class and then there's a recital at the end of the month. 

This year(!), we also have to move out of this rental at the end of June and we're in the process of closing on a house not far from here. So yes, friends. We're moving again! This will be 5 houses and 4 states since 2020. Exactly 5 houses in exactly 6 years, June 2020 to June 2026. That math doesn't seem possible but I think it checks out (I don't know..I'm pretty tired.) 

I have more details to share on all of this, but I'm going to wait and see how the next month shakes out.

Passing the time at soccer...

Field day.

She loves Scout and he is so completely indifferent. 

More soccer.

Speaking of teacher appreciation week, I asked Wells to decorate this gift bag for his teacher...He drew a battle between the USA and the "Rushons" :)

I have found some great dresses at Walmart lately. Now, this one is from last year but I've gotten two dresses for $13 a piece in the last two weeks. 

I told myself that, going back to work, I wasn't going to rebuild or even supplement a wardrobe this spring. I can worry about that next fall. 

But I grabbed this on a whim, after seeing (probably) a Facebook ad....

It's a 100% cotton tshirt dress!

It was $13. 

It wore so well that I immediately grabbed another:

And then I just now grabbed a 3rd because they are SEVEN to NINE dollars. Don't sleep on this. 

Again, they're 100% cotton. That matters in this day and age of fast fashion. They're pretty loose. I got smalls.

You know those bloggers or influencers who are like "omg i love it so much i have it in 5 colors!" and it's a $200 sweatshirt or something? Well that's me but now I own $30 worth of 100% cotton tshirt dresses from Walmart. 

The easiest way to make the kids happy is to go through the car wash. 

I'm going to really miss opening windows when the humidity no doubt comes back soon. 

Meme backlog: 

Empties!

In case you missed it: I posted a recap of last week on Saturday.  

I switched up from my regular vitamin C serum and tried this Vanicream Vitamin C serum. I do like it. I feel like the results are equivalent but I do think you don't get as much in the tube for the cost. It has a verrrrry light coconut smell I think, which I like, but could be off-putting if you hate coconut. Would 10/10 recommend but it is a few dollars more than what I normally buy with the same results. I think it'd be the best bet for sensitive skin because it's by Vanicream. --> It's 30% off right now if you subscribe so that's a great deal! 

4-in-1 Glow Perfector. I use this as a concealer because I don't do foundation. I like it a lot. This is my second tube. 

I buy the sensitive skin products for the kids and I usually just look around at whoever/whatever is having a sale. This Honest shampoo and body wash is a good one. No scent but great bubbles in the tub. 

Same with the eye patches: I buy whatever I know is good and is on sale. I *prefer* the non-individually packaged ones so this tub of 30 pairs was great. 

I tend to buy small, travel-sized bottles of hair product because it's easier to take with me if we're going somewhere and/or I really don't go through it fast enough to justify big bottles. However, I have gone through two of these travel hairsprays in the last few months so I bought a bigger one this past week. I do use it on Sutton as well to control the flyaways so this is probably why I ran out so quickly. 

I really like this brand of shampoos and conditioners.  I buy it at Sally's but maybe just once a year or so. I bought this in September, have used it on and off, and I *just* ran out. It's like Biolage but it's the generic brand, basically. I've actually tried to tell stylists that I use this and they don't like it because they are always trying to up-sell the Biolage in the salon to customers so they tell me it's "not a thing" or roll their eyes --not kidding. I do not go back to those salons. Go to Sally's and ask questions if you are interested in trying new products! 

Saturday things, 4/18

 

I started the week at the dentist. This is the thing that had fallen out: a composite filling. I only have a handful of fillings and I have no idea when/where this was put in. Luckily it was not an actual broken tooth and it was a $30 fix as a co-pay. The entire bill was *only* $120, which actually doesn't seem that unreasonable. I like our dentist office here a lot, too, so that's a plus. 

 I had to go back to school like this, which was great. But I had the morning off so I ran some kid-free errands which was refreshing. 

My least favorite thing is painting my toenails. I did it this past weekend though because warm weather is here. The Bombas are still fantastic. 

I am forever baffled by how the name "Darhower" sends grown adults into a spiral of not being able to sound out letters, spell, or speak. I vent only because I've had this problem since 2010. It's not limited to this place and time. 

Dar-how-er

 (It's always teachers who can't grasp the pronunciation...sometimes parents, never students. Tells us a lot, right?)

I decompress by reading about other peoples' problems on Reddit. 

This lady has boys named Connor, Nicholas, and Dominic and needs a 4th name that "goes with them". 

The comments actually pointed out the fact that Connor, Nicholas, and Dominic do not go together at all and I think it just sounds like a group of boys on a soccer team and not a family of siblings. Could not agree more. Good luck finding a 4th. 

She wouldn't let me take her picture because she was sitting with the "older girls" (my own students) and was too cool for a picture. Lord help me. 

Not Type A.

It's so hot here already. Wednesday was military kid day (purple up, they call it) and we're lucky that Wells' soccer team is purple because otherwise...

I've been teaching math in the most old-fashioned way possible and they actually enjoy it. The classical model of education is so underrated and it makes me sad. They're there to learn. You're there to teach. Stop playing games and just teach them something. It's not flashy, but it's valuable and they *like* being taught. Holding kids accountable builds relationships too. This is the great thing about going to a private school (more on this later): I can say things like your parents want you to be here so you're here to learn. You can't say that in public school. 

I found these in a cupboard and they are FAR SUPERIOR to any wipe I've ever used. They smell good and don't leave a weird residue. 

I got gasoline on my arm, shoe, and leg at the gas pump on the way to school yesterday and was in need of something heavy duty.

I will be buying these when I need wipes from now on.  I think the container is prettier than those other brands too. 

If you're asking "Do I need $65 waterproof sandals that could also be worn to work, to school, for play?": Yes. As soon as I put these on my feet, I knew they would be perfect everyday sandals. I wanted something I wasn't afraid to get wet, but also had to look good. I got Vintage Oasis. The Cognac sold out and I already have similar black sandals (though not waterproof). 

I saw a meme once that said "respect the polygon" and I could literally spend hours (I did last night) watching storm coverage. 

"please do not drive through flooded roadways"

-the newscasters after they spent 4-5 minutes commenting on which vehicles were making it through and which weren't

I did not finish the finale yet. I was going to wait for Scott to get back from his recent trip but nope. I will finish it tonight. I am not Team Robby. I think he's actually the worst. 

Alright, off to a soccer game.