Amazon in January/February

IXL 3rd Grade math workbook I'm a broken record at this point, but I love these workbooks. Cannot say enough good about them. If you are one who likes to pick up workbooks for your child, homeschooled or not, this is the one you want. They have them for every grade level. 

Redmond Sea Salt This is the only salt we buy. If you go down the rabbit hole on salt, you might get lost, but this what I use for cooking, seasoning, bread making, and baking sweet treats. You can use it with everything. 

Dough scrapers After 2 years of making sourdough, I finally splurged on $5 worth of dough scrapers. 

My First School Book  Handwriting Without Tears is the gold standard for teaching writing and letter formation. I got this one for Sutton now that we've made it through the alphabet with these printouts from Teachers Pay Teachers. My goal this year was just to introduce number and letter writing to her as a 3 year old. This book is perfect if you have a preschooler. 

Amazon Essentials Underwear The best underwear I've found in the last 10 years has been from Amazon. I used to like Gap but they changed their designs. I've also ordered a lot from Amazon that I *haven't* liked too. I've found it has to be microfiber and it has to be the actual Amazon Essentials brand, not some off-brand lookalike. 

Vanicream I bought this giant container of lotion and it's great for my legs and arms but I actually prefer Eucerin for my hands. 

Dryel kit Scott needed to dry-clean his dress uniform. Actually, he was told to dry-clean his uniform for a random assignment he was given at the last minute, and it was to be dry-cleaned over a weekend where the entire world shut down because of snow and cold a few weeks ago and he was like WTH am I supposed to do? He also had to buy an iron (ours is packed away). They say millennials killed the top sheet and the iron but I think everyone still at least needs to have an iron around. 

Vanicream Vitamin C Serum I am a fan of the drugstore skincare these days and I grabbed this when I ran out of my other serum. A dermatologist I follow on Instagram recommended it. No complaints so far! I'm convinced the only way to start the day is with a vitamin C serum after you wash your face and before you moisturize. Remember when I tried a super expensive vitamin C serum from Arbonne, maybe a year ago, and it made me break out? Lesson learned. As long as it's not Cover Girl, I can use pretty much anything from the drugstore. 

Soccer cleats Wells is going to play soccer this spring so I grabbed these when the price alert told me they were $22. They're normally $30 and that isn't bad for cleats and they're really nice. I remember paying $47 for baseball cleats a few years ago (for a 5 year old) in a physical shoe store. As usual, Amazon wins. 

Content I'm Consuming (vol.2)

I've discovered this might be the easiest way to share what I'm doing in real time, instead of saving for quarterly or monthly round-ups because then I forget things. Here's volume 1!  
**I do wait until I FINISH something before I recommend it, so this all passed the test...the test in which I DNF 90% of what I start, it seems.**

Watching: 

1. Fallout (Amazon Prime)

 Last year we tried Fallout and I immediately disliked it because I hate thinking about nuclear war (a fun fact about me), so we stopped watching. However, when season 2 came out recently, we attempted season 1 again and I was immediately sucked in by episode 3. My initial criticism of the show was omg this is so dumb but it's supposed to be dumb.  It's a cross between The Walking Dead and Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Make of that what you will. 

But, if you have not tried the show, it's worth a watch. It's not serious and scary; it's actually really dumb and silly and totally non-believable. Like, less realistic than Stranger Things, so make what you will of that analysis. 

I've liked Walton Goggins since Justified so he was, to be honest, the selling point because he's just a really good actor. 

2. If you're in the mood for some non-fiction, we watched Hiroshima Minute-by-Minute on Youtube the other day. It's 46 minutes and Wells actually hung around for most of it. 

Listening: 

1. The Nerve

If you like pop culture, history, and a little politics, you might like The Nerve. I've listened to many of Maureen Callahan's episodes over the last year and she was my favorite guest on Megyn Kelly's show before that (currently I'm 50/50 on MK...iykyk). 

But this episode about Michelle Obama was a serious delight. I love Maureen's subject matter knowledge and realistic takes. 

2. The Karen Read podcast series 

The Prosecutors covered the Karen Read trial in real time a couple of years ago and I don't like following trials in real time. I like to read or listen or watch once everything is done and wrapped up. So I could not get into it...I tried a couple of times. Recently, I decided I'd try again with Crime Weekly, since they did their series once the trial was over. I listened to all 6 episodes and THEN I went back to The Prosecutors' coverage. It made a lot more sense to me even though they were jumping around because I had a really solid background on the case. FUN FACT: Crime Weekly and The Prosecutors came to opposite conclusions and believe totally different things about what happened. 

And, finally...

Reading: My January books are here but I've read a couple more in the last week: Everyone is Lying to You and Read Between the Lies (which are crazy similar in a lot of ways). Both were good!

And, I ordered 3(!) Book of the Months for delivery because I thought I had put my subscription on hold and turns out I didn't so now I have 6 credits to use (it's paused now, don't worry). But I was able to grab new releases I have had on my TBR and were luckily offered through BOTM. 

Friday Things, 2/6

This week, I shared very easy tomato soup, my January books, and a Currently post. 

Scott was away most of the week so we were in survival mode. 

They were super into puzzles yesterday? 

I collected all of these classics earlier in the fall and put them out on Sutton's shelves this week. With a haphazard valentine garland I had made for my classroom in ...2012?

I meal-planned and went to Aldi. 

Wells put a very small sign on his door, in the off chance Sutton has suddenly learned how to read with a magnifying glass. 

We bought this spice grinder probably 10 years ago for $15. We had a fancier coffee grinder at one point and it kept malfunctioning so I threw it away. I've used this cheaper grinder for a few years now and I want to say it works really well...like better than the burr grinder we had. Just my two cents if, you're in the market. I know we got it at Walmart but they are cheaper on Amazon for $25, right now. 

We do a lot (a lot) more screen time if dad isn't around because holy cow. 

Wells finished his cursive book this week so now we're learning how to type. I'm just using Typing Club's free version online. We got this laptop for a project of Scott's and now Wells can have it and we're adding "tEcHnOlOgY" to our homeschool curriculum. I was initially going to move him straight to the 3rd grade cursive book, but I think learning how to type will be more valuable right now. 

I found Wells' old preschool books when I was cleaning out some boxes so Sutton has been doing those. His teacher in Missouri had given them to me at the end of his prek-3 year. 

Oddly, there are not a lot of memes on my phone this week.

I cannot stop laughing at this one:

The local government is back at the overreach and this time they're randomly posting dog tag regulations on Facebook. The only place we ever registered a dog was in Pittsburgh because we truly were in city limits. The fact that they try to regulate this in rural Kansas blows my mind:

The local citizens aren't having it. 

Most comments were like "huh?" or "hey what about the stray cats?"

My Facebook feed is exclusively KC news (haaaate) and the citizens here are also not having it when it comes to the new Chiefs stadium. 

I could explain all of this in detail at this point but the readers of this blog probably don't care. I just think it's funny, overall. I hate that I know so much about it. 

Linking up with Friday Favorites!

Currently {in February}

Linking up with Amy!

Loving: We have had a terrible time with our internet in the last two months. But... the company has sent someone out same-day within the hour to replace/fix/adjust both times I've requested a technician. So that's how I started my day today. At 7:30am, I was trying to get the internet to work, and just through the chat feature, they scheduled someone to be at the house by 9:00am. While inconveniences so small are plagues of modern life, I cannot complain about the customer service. The guy today even talked to the the technician who came last time, to get an understanding of what had already been done. Today, he had the issue repaired (gave us a new modem) in 30 minutes. Last time, they re-did all of the outside wiring and climbed up the poles to check the boxes, so that job took about an hour. 

Baking/cooking: I've been really into making cookies lately so I made up this browned butter chocolate chip cookie dough last night and stuck it in the fridge. I made homemade tomato soup over the weekend. I've made 4-5 loaves of sourdough in the last two weeks and I would like to document the recipe/process I use so I'm working on it. Right now, it's all in my head. 

Watching/Reading: I posted my January books yesterday and then I finished Everyone is Lying to You last night. 

I have been trying to finish Severance season 2. I had to go back and watch season 1 again in order to be invested in it. Other than that, we did watch the first episode of Bridgerton season 4 and Scott was like "what is going on?" because it's such a mix of the 1700s and modern life (with Usher playing in the background) and no one who hasn't seen all the seasons could even possibly understand it. I'm not super invested, but I like the Cinderella storyline. 

We are also ALL IN on Fallout. Ugh. Such a good show. Go watch it if you haven't on Amazon Prime. 

And I watched Interstellar for the first time last week. Scott loves it. It was...so-so. I wasn't wowed. Anyone who has read a lot of time-travel fiction (I recommend When You Reach Me) might not have their mind blown by it. It was fine, but I also really dislike Anne Hathaway so that might have muddled my judgement. 

Planning: To walk back at our regular spot today. I posted that they closed the local park due to snow and ice and then they did randomly have it open over the weekend which was a huge blessing because these dogs needed to run. We did notice some people walking on the ice at the pond and then, surprise, the park was closed again on Monday. I am assuming that the city saw that temperatures were warming up and people would be on the ice and natural selection would take hold and they didn't feel like a lawsuit. So it was closed the last two days. Now it's open:

And I just have to say: when the local government is talking to its citizens like they are preschoolers going out for recess, we are cooked as a society. Again, Ron Swanson was right. 

Savoring: Having a 3 year old. Sutton is almost 4 and she knows it but she also knows that she's "still 3!" so we absolutely give her the youngest child treatment.

And I really enjoy the age Wells is right now. I could never teach a class full of 7 year olds but he's so smart and has made so much progress this year. 

January Books. 2026

I'm not starting off the strongest, but I'm doing better than I anticipated given how lackluster I was about reading a few months ago.

I already lost track of my DNFs for 2026, but maybe I'll look into my kindle because I feel like that's important info to pass along to others. 

Reminder that my goal for this year is 50 books....I'm also keeping track on an Instagram highlight if you want to keep up in real time and not just once a month --when I hopefully remember to post here about books because sometimes I forget. 

Before Dorothy by Hazel Gaynor

I tried this because many recommended it as a different look at The Wizard of Oz. I'm not an Oz fan at all, but this was to be historical fiction about Emily, who would become Dorothy's aunt. I was, to be honest, hoping for something with a similarity to Z, the book about Zelda Fitzgerald I read many years ago. 

It started off with a lot of promise but then was lacking and then got really repetitive and just retold the story of The Wizard of Oz from a slightly different viewpoint. I would give it 3 stars for the first 1/3 of the book but it got really into lore by the middle and I didn't care. 

College Girl Missing

This is one I already mentioned in January, but the story of Lauren Spierer fascinates me and I think she has a lot more in common with, say, Maura Murray than a Natalee Holloway type of victim. 

Anyway, true crime is how I disassociate for sure, so going back and listening to some coverage on the case and then listening to this book was really informative. 

The Wedding Vow

This was an interesting one but there was a LOT going on. It's a thriller of sorts, taking place in the UK, which I like, but I needed a chart to keep track of who everyone was. I knew there'd be a couple of big twists and my predictions were mostly right and I do think the author was just throwing at a plot point dartboard and if it stuck, she put it in the book. 

It came recommended and was like a 4 month wait at the library. 

Dear Debbie

I don't know why I get so excited when I see she has a new book out. 

The first 1/4 was awful. Just so overwritten. The middle was kind of good? Good enough to keep me reading. I kept seeing glimpses of real suspense. 

The end was awkward. That's all. It was just awkward.

If you have kindle unlimited and get it for free, give it a try I guess. I wouldn't buy it. 

(Easy) Homemade Tomato Soup (from your pantry)

Here's a story for you:

I'm trying to gather the proof that I completed graduate credits 15 years ago from random universities in Alaska. I mean, they're not random because they're reputable schools but my method of taking courses was random and, back then, most documentation was paper and there's no way I have paperwork from 15 years ago at the ready. I can't even remember what schools I used for the courses. University of Alaska- Fairbanks, yes. Alaska Pacific University, yes. University of Alaska Southeast, yes (completely different school than UAA-Fairbanks). I legitimately think there was one more. And I don't know what school I took a course about teaching writing through... 

That has nothing to do with tomato soup, but would I be posting a recipe unless I told you a random story that made no sense and had no connection before showing you an ingredient list? No, I wouldn't. 

Homemade Tomato Soup

2 T. olive oil

1/2 shallot (or 1/4 cup diced onion)

2 cloves of garlic (thinly sliced, not minced)

3 T. chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil

3 oz (half a small can) tomato paste

2 cans of crushed tomatoes (28 oz. each)

1 t. dried oregano (or 1 T. fresh)

1 t. dried basil (or chopped fresh basil to add at the end)

1 cup chicken stock/broth

1/2 cup heavy cream

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

Add the oil, shallot, and garlic to a large pot. Cook on low until lightly browned.

Add the sun-dried tomatoes, tomato paste, and dried herbs (or fresh oregano). 

Add the cans of crushed tomatoes and chicken stock or broth. 

Let simmer for 30 minutes or so. 

*If you want to blend it here to make it extra smooth, you can. I don't mind a textured soup. And since the garlic is thinly sliced, not chopped, it doesn't have a strong flavor.*

Stir in the heavy cream. You can add salt to taste but I found it didn't really need any. I did top with parmesan cheese.

I made this over the weekend because I, surprise surprise, couldn't find the recipe I've used in the past. So, this is a hybrid of all the different types of tomato soup I've made and it comes together quickly with what you probably already have in the pantry. It also freezes well to save leftovers for a busy night. 

The secret is the sun-dried tomatoes. Don't skip them!

Friday Things, 1/30

Linking up with Friday Favorites!

This week I wrote about dogs and kids and why it's good and then a recipe for buffalo chicken dip and why we have 6 crockpots. 

1. With giving up Twitter, I've needed something to mindlessly scroll lately so I've turned to Reddit. Not much better, right? Usually I can learn something interesting, though. What's funny is that there's always posts about "who to follow for _______" and who to not follow based on whatever the arbitrary measure happens to be. And since it's anonymous posters are always like "_________ is a good one!" and you know it's probably them posting themselves. I can't stop chuckling over the idea of this. I also get a kick out of reading AITA posts, mostly because I am an avid reader of Dear Abby and Dear Prudence and their advice is so bad a lot of the time. I like to see what the masses have to offer in the form of advice instead. 

2. I saw a reel awhile back about how if you want to wake up energized you set your alarm extra early, have coffee brewed by your bedside, chug it, go back to sleep. 

I concur on this. I have always been able to sleep after drinking coffee and I did this on Monday. Drank two cups of coffee at 6am, went back to sleep at 7, woke up at 8 feeling on top of it all. 

I've been trying to stop shopping at Walmart again. It's been 2 weeks! I've been buying coffee at Aldi, Target, and online for a few months though. I don't like the coffee selection at Walmart anyway. These organic beans at Aldi are so much cheaper than anything at the other stores. My grocery spending for January was $785, which is the lowest since I started tracking in September. I didn't even get super specific so that includes cleaning products, dog treats, and personal hygiene like soap and toothpaste.

3. Let's talk about government overreach and why I hate everything: 

There's a local park with a playground, some soccer fields, some baseball fields, some trails, some fishing...every time it snows, the whole place is closed. They literally close a gate for a week. This is what happens when you live in an overly-governed area. One would call where we live "rural", even. It doesn't matter. The local government here is absolutely awful. 

Ron Swanson was right concerning the government. 

4. We've been trucking along with the homeschooling through these snow days. Most schools here were closed Monday and Tuesday, due to the cold temps, not necessarily ice or the few inches of snow. 

Next week, Wells will finish the cursive book and the math workbook. <<< those two books are what I would recommend to ANY parent who wants to do ANYTHING at home with their child. The cursive can be introduced at any time and the IXL brand has a workbook for every grade level. I am a huge fan of the Learning Without Tears series so I got the My First Schoolbook for Sutton to start next week, since we've introduced (at the most basic surface letter formation level) each letter. 

5. 

But remember: if you're over 30, you have to say hunker down instead of lock in. 

^^^ If you understand this, we can be best friends. 

I am still really trying to make it to this exhibit in Kansas City. 

Wells asked what snakes were supposed to look like, before God curse them to crawl in the dirt. I didn't really know what to say to that one. 

So this isn't quite accurate, but it's funny. 

Again, we can be friends ^^^