Stuff I share with my besties
Happy Friday! Many many years ago, I read an article on Glamour magazine about confidence featuring Mindy Kaling. It was a really different take, and I found it super helpful! Spoiler alert – there’s hard work involved.
After implementing what she suggests, I can tell you from personal experience- it works!
Here’s my two cents including how it not care what other people think- in this video.
My period is about to start, and I’m feeling all sorts of low energy and just want to sit in this chair with a heating blanket and veg. Winter months get to me. How about you? One thing that has helped me a bit is reframing winter.
It’s not cold, it’s cozy.
If you can’t change it, embrace it?
It just blows my mind that this picture of Noah was TEN YEARS ago. Everyone always tells you that it goes by so fast, and in the middle of the crazy, sleep deprived years of having a toddler, it’s hard to believe that. Since the first ten years really did fly by, now I realize the next ten years will likely do the same.
Most days, I’m pretty in awe that these two humans are mine and I have the privilege of raising them.
One thing that someone once told me that always blew my mind is that the majority of my life with my kids will be an adult friendship…
But after they move out at 18 or 21, it will be a long distance friendship.
So I’m really getting my fill of hugs and cuddles these days. I know the days of them caring my opinion of them are numbered. My days of influence are numbered.
Did you know that extroversion and introversion have nothing to do with being shy or outgoing? 10 years ago, I discovered that I was 100% extrovert. It didn’t mean that I was 100% outgoing and the opposite of me was 100% shy. All it meant was that I get 100% of my energy by being with others.
Someone who is 100% introverted gets 100% of their energy from being alone. Someone who is a mix of both gets energy both ways, by being alone and by being with others. I find these personality frameworks fascinating! Some might call it too much “navel gazing,” but I truly believe that the happiest people know themselves the best and therefore adjust and cater their lives to suit their individual preferences, needs, and wants. What do you think?
Btw, this is my favorite online personality quiz for these 16 types.
Friends don’t gatekeep! Here’s what I’m so glad I’ve learned from other foodie friends.
This is one of those things that feels illegal to know about, but it works! Every single foodie I’ve told about this website/app has been extremely grateful. Goodbye NYT cooking subscription or Bon appetit paywall! My bestie told me about this and it just feels like the coolest magic trick! Just copy and paste your paywalled link to this website or app and the paywall magically disappears. Try it!
The best investment to my years of cooking has been to take a knife skills class! I had a friend who was a chef and worked at Whole Foods. At the time, Nate and I didn’t have kids yet and we were really into taking cooking classes together as a date. One day, I asked her which class she recommended and she said “If there was only one class I could recommend you take, it would be a knife skills class because it will speed up your time in the kitchen and make cooking more enjoyable.” She was so right! Now, more than 10 years later, I’m so glad I took that class, and I think of her every time I cut a bell pepper or chop up some herbs.
This is a 14 inch pan my brother just gifted me for my bday. Did you know that a 14 pan even existed? I did not! Now I don’t have to cook my Brussels sprouts in batches! My largest pan was a 12 inch before this one and now I’ve got 2 more inches all the way around to stuff more food! And yes, we’ve been lied to again- ceramic nonstick pans are not good.
Thanks for reading! What are you cooking these days? I’d love to know!
This post is for any Christian entrepreneur like myself! Over the 44 years of my life, I’ve learned that God’s principles are opposite of the world’s principles. Here are just two of those.
The first principle is key to not letting money change you. If you always put people over profits, you will stay ethical, and you will love God over money. In any situation, you can ask yourself, how can I handle this so that I’m loving my client as I love myself?
I speak in detail about this principle in this video- meaning over money
Here are two tests to see if you have meaningful work.
Some Bible verses to meditate on related to this principle-
Ecclesiastes 5:10 (ESV)
“He who loves money will not be satisfied with money.”
1 Timothy 6:9–10 (NIV)
“Those who want to get rich fall into temptation… For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.”
Hebrews 13:5 (NIV)
“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have.”
Luke 12:15 (NIV)
“Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed.”
Matthew 6:24 (NIV)
“You cannot serve both God (love) and money.”
Matthew 6:19–21 (NIV)
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth…”
Luke 16:13 (NIV)
“No one can serve two masters…”
If you’re a Christian in business, remember you became a business owner to love God by serving people in a way that honors your time, talent, and resources.
If you focus on this and not on money, God can use you.
The world’s principles again are opposite of the Bible’s. The world will tell you if you withhold, you will keep, if you take, you will receive. The Bible’s principles are if you give, you will receive, and if you withhold, you will lose out. The world has a scarcity mindset because it only sees resources that are visible. Because we know God’s resources are infinite, we can live with an abundance mindset.
Here is a great devotional to read related to this principle.
Some Bible verses to meditate on related to this principle-
Ecclesiastes 11:6 ESV
“In the morning sow your seed, and at evening withhold not your hand, for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good.”
2 Corinthians 9:6 (ESV)
“The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.”
Proverbs 11:24–25 (ESV)
“One gives freely, yet grows all the richer…”
Acts 20:35 (NIV)
“It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
If you’re a Christian in business, I highly recommend searching the Bible app for plans under the word “entrepreneurship.” I’m currently going through all of them! It will look like this –
What other Biblical business principles do you live by? I’d love to know!
If you have a best friend who lives nearby like I do, this is an idea for making sure to get away every so often. We get together with our kids and with our families, but there’s nothing like a getaway with just the two of us or us and a couple more girl friends roadtripping to nearby small towns to do our favorite common hobby- puttering. Puttering through quaint towns, we’ve realized, is best done sans hubby and kids who are never quite as enthusiastic with the hobby of puttering. You feel rushed by hubby, you see. You worry your kids will touch delicate ceramics and break them or run through the store, suddenly wanting to play tag indoors. Puttering is best done with other ladies who also enjoy a leisurely putter. 🤣
SOS stands for Help! Get me out of here! I need a break away from all my responsibilities! The rules and details can vary, but for us, it happens 4 times a year, once every season. We have an SOS every winter, spring, summer and fall. We try to roadtrip to nearby towns.We have gone to cute towns like San Antonio, Portland, Gig Harbor, and Poulsbo. It can be one night, two nights, or just a day trip. The point is to have some alone time with lady friends, or your bestie, so you come home feeling refreshed in a way that you can only feel refreshed hanging out with your girl friends.
These are some great activities for an SOS, but of course, tailor it to the needs and wants of your girl friends-
There’s so much more you can do- check out art galleries, thrift stores, plant shops, get gelato, go to every cute gift store in town etc. The point is to get away for at least a day and not cook, not clean, and if you stay overnight, stay up as late as you want talking and catching up, sleep in as late as you want, not make your bed, and truly get a day off from your responsibilities as mother and wife.
It’s the best! Do you do something like this? Would you try something like this? I’d love to know!
P.s we highly recommend spending some time on your road trip on Spotify or Pandora listening to a station that plays songs from your teenage years! We loved 90’s pop on and Pandora.
With lots of friends sick around me, I wanted to share what I’ve been doing for a year and 8 months that has been fail proof every time I feel off, like I’m run down or about to come down with something…
Watch this video for full steps.
Watch this video for the broth I make.
I take this concoction once a day until I feel 100% again. This has been life changing for me! Let me know if you try it and it worked for you! Remember the key is to start as soon as you feel “off.” It is less and less effective the sicker you feel, so start right away! Some signs might be feeling a little bit sneezy, a dry, sore throat or a tickle in the throat, or feeling extremely fatigued and physically exhausted.
P.s. The most powerful combination is this soup plus a midday nap
P.p.s If, like my husband, you can’t stomach raw garlic in this soup (you have to eat the chunks and sediments at the bottom of the cup), then make this delicious aoli and eat with fries or a chicken rice bowl-
Sour Cream Garlic Aioli
Ingredients
½ cup sour cream
2–3 cloves garlic, finely minced or grated
1–2 tbsp olive oil (optional, for richness)
1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar
Salt, to taste
Black pepper (optional)
Instructions
Mince or grate the garlic as finely as possible. In a bowl, combine sour cream, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil. Season with salt (and pepper if using). Mix until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for 20–30 minutes to let flavors develop.
Uses
Fries, wedges, burgers Grilled chicken or fish Wraps and sandwiches Roasted vegetables
The rain is back in Seattle, but I got out during a break and walked Scout today so that was a win! Here are some thing I’m currently digging-
I’m lucky to have a very stylish bestie, and she is a master at pulling this look off- athleisure + office wear. I love the juxtaposition of something fancy + something casual. It screams effortless (which is actually quite funny since it takes a lot more thought!)
This outfit was inspired by her- a crisp collared button down (office) and a red flat cap + Nike sneaks (athleisure). I’m also wearing my new fleeced lined leggings I wax poetic about below.
Not only is this guy absolutely hilarious, he somehow threw in some very thought provoking commentaries on dating, the current immigration crisis, and parenting. It’s a rare and masterful art to be able to teach an audience something so important while simultaneously making them die laughing. I cannot recommend this enough.
Just recently, I inherited a pair of snow pants from Buy Nothing. I have lived in Seattle since 2009, and it was the first time my legs weren’t cold in the winter. This was actually revolutionary to me. I had always just assumed everyone wore big puffer jackets on their upper body and that everyone, just like me, had cold legs. I wore my summer leggings in the winter and fall. I wore my regular jeans all year round. I always had cold legs.
After I felt the coziness of snow pants and realized I had gotten tired of friends constantly saying sarcastically, “Oh, hitting the slopes today?!” I decided to go on a mission to find the warmest alternative to these pants that didn’t look like I was about to do anything athletic.
I got some recommendations for fleece lined yoga pants but again, I didn’t want to look athletic. I also wanted the absolute coziest, most plush, and thickest lining I could find.
I found these on Amazon and have worn them three days straight. They look just like a casual legging but hidden in the lining is the thickest, coziest, warmest, most plush – soft, fleece Sherpa to be exact! I am obsessed!!!
Anyways, it’s 11pm and it’s time to go to bed! See you tomorrow!
Happy hump day! Here are a couple things I’m currently into-
I wonder if you’ve ever had this dilemma- you’re not an actual cowboy/cowgirl so you don’t want to spend an arm and a leg on a cowboy hat but you do have that cowboy themed company party to go to or that line dancing girl’s night out, and you want to be decked out wearing the right accessories. That was our dilemma! So Nate and I did a bunch of research and came up with these hats that fit perfectly (for men and women). I’ve found that a 11cm tall and no taller hat is just perfect as far as hat heights go, so it doesn’t look silly.
Also line dancing with the ladies is my favorite girl’s night out if you need a good reason to party! We have a place near our house that does lessons, and it is a blast.
I am such an underbuyer that I will not buy more beauty products until I have completely run out of a product. I was due for a new blush, and being super frugal and also super lazy, I wanted something that would double for lip and cheek and had some staying power so I didn’t have to reapply several times a day. The problem I’ve had with many lip and cheek stains is that they give too much color. This color works really great if you know your season in color analysis, and you’re a summer or a winter. I would not go with this particular shade if you’re a spring or autumn. Choose a color that is warmer.
I like almost everything I try from Costco. I reason that I will probably like anything from a bulk store because enough people have loved it enough for it to make it to a bulk store in the first place.
But there are only a few things I love. When I say love, I mean I will get actual cravings for a specific item. I have tried many yakisoba noodles in my 44 years on this planet, from restaurant to store bought, and these noodles are my absolute fav. It doesn’t come with a protein, so I usually just add chicken, beef, or friend tofu. If I’m feeling extra one day, I’ll drizzle some fish sauce on it. Omg my mouth is watering, and it’s close to lunch time.
Anyways that’s it for today! Thanks for reading! Do you have any favorite cowboy gear, beauty products, or Costco finds? I’d love to know!
Ok this post is ultra specific I know 🤣, but if that happens to be you and your partner, check out these three movies my hubby and I have all loved!
This movie’s premise is so inventive! It is exactly all the things we love- romance, thriller, and sci-fi! Not a dull moment here. You’re sitting on the edge of your seat waiting for the next moment. Also isn’t Anya Taylor-Joy just so captivating to watch? Been obsessed with her since The Queen’s Gambit.
Another romance sci-fi combo with an inventive premise! Notice a theme here? 😛 I love Jennifer Lawrence in anything as well. Loved this movie so much!
This is the only one I would not categorize as romance but is definitely sci-fi. It also has no dull moments. Every second moves the story along. The ending gahhh! Ok, not going to spoil this one, but I’ll just say I still think about this ending to this day.
I’m sharing a typical day of homeschooling on the four weekdays we do not go to a parent partnership program (like a co-op but it’s a publicly funded school for homeschool families, and parents are (typically) not the teachers).
I’m sharing because I would have loved to get a peek into this world before I got into it, and I’m also sharing because even now, 5 years into it, I’m still curious what other people do. If you’re in the mood to share, I’d love to know what you do in the comments!
The day starts with the boys waking up without an alarm. One of the joys of this lifestyle is that I always am happy knowing they get their full sleep! They get dressed and they are off and running. They can choose between school work or chores all day, and they mark it on the responsibility board (above) when they have finished.
We don’t have set meal times. I wait for them to tell me they are hungry. I want them to honor their hunger and fullness signals. We only eat snacky food when friends come over.
We only have one 20 minute break at 10am.
Somewhere in the day, we see friends for a play date for about 2 hours. If it’s a nice day, we meet at a park. If it’s rainy, we meet at our house or theirs. On a rare occasion we may go to a museum, roller skate, ice skate, or go to a fun indoor play area. We adjust our chores and school work around our daily play date.
Noah was born on an odd date, and Luke was born on an even date. If it’s an odd date, Noah has chores, if it’s an even date, Luke has chores.
Some things are for both boys every day-
Some things are for both boys some of the days-
The rest of the chores are only for the person whose “day” it is (odd or even)
Noah– Grade 4
Luke – Grade 2
The one day we are at the Parent Partnership Program my boys take these classes this year –
The boys get two hours a day of screen time, which can only be used after all their chores and school work are done. I gave them each these awesome timers, so they can keep track of their time. We used to use Alexa, but she was not always reliable, and everyone got tired of hearing people yell at her constantly.
Bedtime is very strictly 8 or 9pmish because we are all morning birds! Hubby and I take turns putting them down. That involves them brushing their teeth and flossing, me brushing their teeth again, reading a Bible story and praying (they repeat my prayer) and cuddles and massages.
Well that’s it! This doesn’t include anything I’m doing all day. 🤣 If you homeschool, I’d love to get a glimpse into your day! Thanks for reading!