Stuff, Things, etc.

Unpopular opinions from around the internet

2026-08-15T09:25:47.318-05:00

Don't tell me they "learn a lot" and "develop bonds". It's a leveling up of hierarchy in the parents' social status. You are paying to be friends with other parents who happen to have kids playing the same sport. Not every person who enrolls their child in travel ball is seeking to be a social climber, but the literal purpose of travel ball has always been to separate the haves from the have-nots. It's not good for kids. It's just offering a different locale for moms to drink their latte and wine away from home each weekend.

First of all, that's a lunchbox full of food-like substances, not food (save for the banana).

Second of all, your job as a parent is to feed your child. If you are complaining about the cost of packing them a lunch for school, that's a you problem. Even if it means applying for free-and-reduced lunch, go for it. I guess that's why it's there (even if I don't agree with that either).

But complaining that you have to "feed your children" is another level of terrible parenting.

^^^ This HAS to be rage bait. It has to be. "Not luxury items"...they're Lunchables! "A basic meal kit" lol. If this person is sincere they deserve to feel how they feel for being so unintelligent. I don't have the patience for that. ....by the by, if you are giving your kids packaged snacks to "get them through the afternoon" instead of actual food, they are lethargic, hard to manage, and not paying attention in class (ask me how I know).

There are two particular conspiracy theories going around out there right now. Both prove exactly how susceptible the wine moms are...You know, the ones who also have their kids in travel sports and then they also don't understand how to pack a school lunch.

I feel like I should draw some Venn diagrams at this point. All I'd really be drawing is one big circle though.

The women who think Patrick Clancy killed his kids are the same ones who think that Tyler Robinson is innocent.

The women who believe Lindsay Clancy is innocent is the same group of Candace Owens fans who believe Charlie Kirk was killed by his friends/Israel.

The women who think Lindsay Clancy was failed by the system and is a victim also think that Candace Owens is actually investigating something and Erika Kirk is the villain.

See, it can be stated so many different ways!

These women also believe youth travel sports "benefit the entire family" and also complain about buying school supplies and paying for the cost of packing school lunches.

Did I forget anything??? What do you think?

(My opinions on our current cultural climate are my own :)

Currently in August.

2026-08-05T07:15:56.453-05:00

PTL. August has arrived.

I dropped the entire jug of dog water in the kitchen last week and everything was soaked. I looked up later and saw this is what it did to my wet-erase calendar. If that doesn't sum up the July Experience, I don't know what does. The can of wasp spray also adds a nice flair and hidden not-so-secret meaning to the photo. (See my recipe for homemade wasp spray here.)

I always feel bad hating July because it's Wells' birthday month but it's my least favorite month; let's go straight from June to August, that's what I say. Wells always says he wants to take Ohio out of the map, because it's the most annoying part of driving from KS/MO to PA. I want to take July out of the calendar.

So between the heat, Scott's traveling, the heat, the lice, the broken appliances, the heat, and the lice....it was a month. I spent the entire month doing laundry over and over again and then doing dishes by hand for awhile. Scott had to make some major repairs to the house we bought 3 months ago from a man we not-so-affectionately call dipsh*t and ...well, I won't repeat the other name I have for him.

Onto August:

Savoring: Any day that is below 85 degrees. I look forward to the very possibility of a 65 degree night and God bless it when it rains during the day.

However, it's really nice and relaxing and regulating to come home from a day of work and swim for an hour. This is one of those "rich people" luxuries; going to the pool was always an event before. We're not rich but it feels like it when you have a pool to swim in whenever you want.

Wrapping Up: My Missouri library card. Since we don't live there anymore, I had to officially let my holds on Libby go. I've literally been waiting months for some of these but my card needed to be renewed and I can't do it. So now I'm down to one card (Northeast Kansas Library System) and I've got holds to pick up today. I also had to switch library branches this summer since our new house is closer to a different one. This has thrown me off, for sure.

Holds:

I did some browsing about best read alouds for 4th grade and I'm going to preview There's a Boy in the Girl's Bathroom. I've never read it!

Remembering: To take back-to-school pics. I'm going to do that this weekend, I promise. I've been told, you get the kids in their outfits and you get the pictures the day before or *when you have time*. 7am on the first day of school is Not The Time to make them pose for a picture and be outside reconfiguring the letter board.

Sutton loves to play with the letterboard and I think I"m going to have to find it because I believe I hid it from her.

Preparing: For school. I obviously swore up and down I wasn't going to "spend a cent!". Well, needs must, as Ma Ingalls would say. I'm not buying random things but I've had to pick up some very intentional pieces. I'll post pictures when it's all done. I love looking back on all of my classrooms.

Organizing: A routine again. Packing lunches hits hard. Always will. Being prepared past the next 1-2 hours in my day is something that always takes practice in August.

Linking up for Currently!

Memes and Homemade Wasp Spray

2026-08-03T06:27:00.286-05:00

Today is the first day back at school.

This is true. It's not even sarcasm or exaggeration.

I started rewatching New Girl. It never disappoints. Season 2 is sitcom gold.

I follow someone online who recently started "getting up at 4:30am again!" and I cannot.

I keep telling myself to do a rewatch...the casting in this show is so beyond anything I'd ever expect from network tv.

I'm jsut ready to see football players walk down tunnels again.

We watched Into The Fire the other night and it was so good. The book I recommended last week, Forget You Saw Her, was based on this true story.

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

Speaking of murder, we've been murdering a lot of wasps and hornets this last week. We had a nest of some sort of wasp near the pool....3 stings later, Scott ripped out an old umbrella stand and sprayed the nest and solved that problem. But we still had a wasp issue. Generally they just fly around and leave us alone but Wells did get stung once and it's unsettling and became really hard to get the kids to be outside when they were afraid. We couldn't find one singular nest, and we also didn't want to use conventional sprays because they can damage windows and whatnot...you're not supposed to spray them at individual wasps, apparently.

I saw a reel about washing the outside of your house in Pinesol to keep bugs away. This is usually what i keep around to clean floors with anyway, so I made up a mixture to spray around the outside doors. Scott picked up the bottle one day to spray on a wasp. We discovered it killed them in seconds.

So now we spend our days/evenings hunting wasps for sport. It keeps the kids from being afraid and it's super satisfying when you hit them. I've gotten a lot better at it. There's strategy involved. Wells treats it like a video game.

Anyway, that's how country-living is going.

1 spray bottle (this is 20 oz to the top line, and I fill it to the very top)

2-3 T. Dawn dish soap (probably doesn't have to be Dawn, just don't use some crunchy tox-free stuff)

1/2 cup Pinesol

After you add the soaps, fill to the top of the bottle with water, slowly so you don't create too much suds.

When spraying, make sure the nozzle is set to "stream" for maximum effect.

Bonus: it makes everything smell good and won't harm children, property, or animals and it's so much cheaper than buying toxic sprays.

Disclaimer: Educational purposes only. I'm not responsible for anyone getting stung by a wasp. Also works on any flying insect. Wells likes to practice on flies.

July Books..A long list and two books I just don't like

2026-07-29T08:25:04.469-05:00

We are over halfway through the year and I'm about halfway through my goal of 50 books. Which, given that I was at 12 books a month and some change ago, I consider this real progress.

Okay, so the problem with reading so many books this month is that then I have to tell you about them but then also, I have to admit that there are two books I COULD NOT GET INTO. Two very popular books I'm seeing everywhere and I don't really like them? Thoughts? I really thought these would be 6-star reads based off of what I've seen on social media. Any thoughts on Mad Mabel and This Story Might Save Your Life?

But here's what I did finish in June/July:

TL;DR-- Read Ask for Andrea if you like thrillers. It Could Have Been Her by Lisa Jewell is a solid new release this summer.

The Ex by Shalini Boland 4 stars

A domestic thriller that takes place in the UK. Exactly my cup of tea.

Unreliable narration and the timeline is part of the narrative so I spent a lot of time trying to figure out if I was correct in my assumptions.

It's available on Kindle Unlimited with the audio included so I recommend that.

We Are All Guilty Here by Karin Slaughter 3 stars

I can only do so much with a Karin Slaughter book. She's just not for me. This was on some highly recommended list and it was on sale in June so I got it on audio. It was fine, it was twisty, but it was super depressing. More drama than I cared for and too much going on. If you like her books, you'd like it. I think it'd make a good movie or mini-series.

Anatomy of an Alibi by Ashley Elston 2 stars

I didn't mind First Lie Wins, her book two years ago. This one was absolutely thrilling for the first few chapters. Then I didn't care. It went off on a turkey trail with other characters and a whole second plot and I didn't know how I was supposed to keep track of it all. It was weak, to be honest. There was nothing I cared about. The first chapter in particular was REALLY good. I couldn't wait to see where it went and then.....fizzle. Nothing. I'm apparently in the minority though with the Goodreads reviews.

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle 2.5 stars

We listened to this in the car. Wells liked it well enough.

But. I don't like it. It's famous, sure, but it's actually full of plot holes. And the sci-fi is weak when it comes to visualization. I suppose we could watch the movie (I feel like I told Wells we would do this and then I forgot...). I just don't like it as a book. It's very character-driven, not world-building driven. I didn't know how much more I could take about how hapless and hopeless Meg was and how *clearly* autistic Jamie seemed to be.

The last 1/3 of the book is so rushed after the first 2/3 was so slow, and it's a very unsatisfying ending.

The concept: great. The execution: not. I worry that when we insist books like this are classics that kids must read, we're going to disappoint kids.

The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis 4.5 stars

In case you think I have something against children's classics, I don't. The Magician's Nephew was wonderful. We listened to this on audio. I'd never read it before so I downloaded the entire series of Narnia and this is the only one we got through before I needed a break from kids' books in the car (lol).

This is the prequel everyone needs to read. It's going to be a movie next year and I'm excited for it. I would 100% take Wells to the theater for it. We both really liked it.

C.S. Lewis is such a good writer that there are no plot holes. It's fantasy and it's world-building and it's about characters but it's about the narrative. I could visualize it so I'm excited to see what it looks like on screen (Greta Gerwig is debatable on what she does with films so we'll see).

If you've read or watched The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, The Magician's Nephew will answer every single question you have about how Narnia came to be. I admit I have not read *past* TLTWandTW in the series, but The Magician's Nephew should be required reading for elementary school.

This is a niche topic but I'm counting it. I read Making Words Stick for some summer professional development. It's about best practices on how to teach in alignment with the Science of Reading. I highly recommend if you are a teacher of any grade level or a parent of young kids.

Her Pretty Face by Robyn Harding 4 stars

I like Robyn Harding books. They, I think, usually take place in Washington state. Some say that they are over-the-top but I think I've read them all now and I enjoy them a lot. The story moves along quickly enough, there's more showing than telling, they're twisty without being tropey. I recommend this. It's on Kindle Unlimited. This one is about a mom who doesn't fit in and makes friends with the most popular mom at the school. It goes layers and layers deep though.

Lies, Lies, Lies by Adele Parks 3 stars

This was a crazy story. Also a domestic thriller in the UK, told from multiple POVs and it was layers deep. You don't really understand the meaning of everything until you get to the last quarter of the book. I recommend, but there's a lot being thrown at you in this book.

The Wrong Daughter by Dandy Smith 4 stars

A UK thriller but much more involved and has a bit of true crime culture added to it. This one requires you to just suspend your belief a bit but it's one of those stories where no one is who they seem. I recommend it for a twisty-turny read.

Ask for Andrea by Noelle W. Ihli 5 stars

Ugh, so good. This was such a sad story but such a GOOD book. Everything about it: the multiple POVs that tie together, the title actually has meaning, and the characters. There were moments where it reminded me of Intensity by Dean Koontz. It was a thrill-ride I had to finish in one sitting. Some of the supernatural bits got to be repetitive but I don't usually do supernatural elements in my books so that's a preference thing.

Whoever edited this book did their job very, very well. I read it in one day.

Forget You Saw Her by Noelle W. Ihli 4 stars

The prequel to Ask for Andrea. Also good. Very sad altogether. Again, lots of supernatural elements but the narratives and the multiple POVs all come together and serve a purpose in the end. At the moment, I'm blanking on the title's poingnantness. I don't know if there's a deeper meaning behind it.

My Husband's Wife by Alice Feeney 3 stars

I've had this hardcover from BOTM since spring. Mav chewed it up a bit. I finally sat down to finish it after I've seen it recommended over and over again on social media.

It definitely pulled me in once I got going. It was interesting the way the characters came together in their storylines but.....I think she threw a dart at a trope wall and hit the square that said "everything, all at once". It was too much. I was left confused at the end.

My favorite by Alice Feeney will always be His & Hers...it's on Kindle Unlimited if you haven't read it!

It Could Have Been Her by Lisa Jewell 4 stars

I am a Lisa Jewell stan. This felt like it was a combo of plot points from Then She Was Gone and The Family Upstairs, both 5-star recommendations from me in years past.

I really did enjoy it but there was a lot going on. I can see how some reviewers were left confused or like they just got hit over the head with a bingo board of plot points. It was a very busy book. Non-linear timelines and multiple POVs within the timelines: Good luck.

But, really, I liked it.

Memes and Honey Lavender Salted Iced Latte

2026-07-27T08:35:33.191-05:00

I had to let Instagram go for a couple of weeks for the sake of my own sanity. What that tells me is I need to cull my feed and somehow curate the information I'm getting through that godforsaken app. Easier said than done, right? Maybe that'll be a project for this coming weekend. I miss my friends there but I'm tired of having information fed to me via the algorithm, instead of choosing what I want to see.

--Things I don't like: whiny moms trying to juggle working with daycare/camp scheduling, moms who send their kids to 4-6 weeks of camp, overdone trend posting with the trending audio, anyone saying you get only 18 summers with your kids, anyone talking to me while they're driving, content creators in general, asmr anything.--

---Things I do like: book recommendations, pet photos, life updates, truly funny reels, and recipes.---

Anyway, I've gotten into finding recipes on there. I adapted this and made it my own. We do have a nespresso but this is better with instant espresso and, dare I say, it's coffeeshop quality for much, much less. I'm not saying I have ADHD but I also am not very sensitive to caffeine...I am able, on any given day, to drink a cup of coffee and go back to sleep. I did this a lot when the kids were very little babies and were up at 5am for the day...I'd have coffee, put them down for a morning nap at 7am, and then go back to sleep for 2 hours.

All that to say, this espresso powder works for me and has a nice kick to it. Perfect for that 2:00 pm pick-me-up (adrenal cocktail*, if you will).

Honey Lavender Salted Iced Latte
makes 2 servings, cut in half for 1 drink

4 teaspoons espresso powder
1/2 cup warm water
2 teaspoons honey

2 pinches SEA salt (about 1/4 teaspoon total)

Mix the above ingredients in a mug/cup and stir well (or froth) until the espresso powder and honey are dissolved.

Add to a blender bottle or shaker with:

1 cup milk of choice

2 teaspoons lavender syrup --if you have a pump bottle, do 2 pumps of syrup

Ice

Shake and pour over ice.

These are red wine glasses. Judge away.

I don't have fancy glasses for iced coffee and I don't like my regular drinking glasses very much. Don't we all just drink out of water bottles/tumblers anyway? On my list for maybe this Christmas since we're settled for a few years is new glasses for such frivolous uses...gin and tonics and iced lattes.

*A health-wellness influencer trend is to not drink caffeine at all and instead have an adrenal cocktail consisting of orange juice, coconut water, salt in the afternoon for a jumpstart. I cannot stop laughing at that. This is the same crowd who is 25 and childless and/or has babies or toddlers who sleep through the night.

Scott was traveling and went to see The Odyssey. I asked him if he ever read the book. He's like "it's a movie". I said "no, like it was written by Homer" and he's like "oh, no I didn't, did you". I said "yes".

We read excerpts of it in 7th grade and then I read it again in college for a Greek history class. Does anyone else remember actually reading in college? I feel like I was reading constantly with all of my history classes.

I can't believe we've lived in this place for 2 and a half months. I feel like we moved in yesterday and also it looks like we moved in a week ago in a lot of ways. It's always so much easier to settle into a rental because you don't have to fix/change anything.

I saw a reddit post saying that influencers are different than content creators and, sorry, I don't buy that line. They are exactly the same. The CCs just haven't made it big enough to be an influencer but that's always their goal.

A rare Universal Thread Win + Amazon Lately.

2026-07-21T00:30:00.000-05:00

Last week, I talked about how I got these flat mary janes because I need some closed-toe, warm weather, kind of business casual shoes. I got them in the mail last Tuesday after I posted and then....didn't love them. I like them, but I didn't like the way they fit and I didn't like how they felt. Also, the look felt off to me. They could be worn, of course, but I envisioned the blisters that would likely result and that was enough to make me return sixty-some dollar shoes. I don't need to bleed all over them. That's for the under-20 dollar shoe range.

So, I went to Target's app to see what they had. They had a very similar flat mary jane for $35. I was totally annoyed and disillusioned by Target's selection of shoes last fall/summer so it never occurred to me to look there; I ordered these on the app and I think there was a discount so I believe I got them for $30. I threw them into an order with all of the kids' school supplies.

But anyway, they're a winner:

(This is where we'll take a deep breath and appreciate the groutwork the previous owner did on the tile. He owns a general contracting business. When I show the rest of his handiwork, at some point, you'll continue to be impressed.)

Meanwhile, Pinterest showed me this collage the other day and I almost cried:

It was 100 degrees yesterday.

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

Most of our Amazon orders for the past few months have to do with the pool. I can put together a separate pool post if anyone is interested...having a pool is quite a journey and we feel like there's a whole new section of our brains that has grown and filled with knowledge...we literally knew nothing about pools before this summer!

So here's the other Amazon stuff that's worth mentioning:

Vacuum storage bags. This brand is a winner. I needed them for sleeping bags/comforters. I'm more impressed by this no-name brand than I've been by the name brands. I didn't use the pump, but used the vacuum nozzle.

Celtic sea salt. I heard this was a good brand. We ran out of the last kind I bought over the winter so I gave this to Scott for Father's Day. I started making these honey salted lattes and it's excellent for that.

I had to give in and buy new rain boots since my costco-made Hunter boots fell apart last year. I always shop with #fall in mind so the plaid was the obvious choice.

I got this tshirt because it was in a Facebook ad or something and it's fine. It was $7. It's a little thicker than I wanted to get for summer. I'd say it runs true to size. I got a medium. It comes in every color imaginable so it's not a bad deal.

I got these erasable gel pens based on an Instagram recommendation and I love them. They are perfect for my teacher planner. They write smooth, are a fun design, multiple colors, erase well...definitely the best I've found.

One more find among the actual sea of pool stuff and tools that Scott has been ordering...

Sutton has been dealing with "hangnails" which is anything she perceives as not a perfect fingernail. It's become a bit of a fixation, to be honest, and I'm hoping it's just a phase...she's starting to grow out of it a little, but we were at our wit's end.

Scott ordered her cuticle oil and called it "hangnail medicine".

She uses it 5-7 times a day, I'm pretty sure.

But as long as she's not screeching for help over a hangnail and can solve the problem herself now, I'm okay with it.

My nails are a disaster so I should start using it too.

Linking up with Fashion Files!

Good, Bad, Ugly: Renting in Kansas

2026-07-15T00:30:00.000-05:00

For the last year, we had a rental house in Kansas. We knew that we weren't going to get rid of our house in Missouri because we didn't know how long we would be stationed in Kansas. If he was given some random overseas assignment after few years here, the kids and I would've gone back to Missouri, for example. We're too far into this military life to keep selling everything and starting over. The rental in KS was always going to be temporary while we figured out what was next. This past winter, we essentially decided that we'd be staying here pretty much for the rest of his career so we decided to try to buy a house and settle in.

Our lease was June 16, 2025 to June 30, 2026, so we knew if we were going to buy, we needed to get it going in March/April so we could plan a move in time. Timing was weird also because Scott was out of town for multiple weeks in May and June.

Here's my final thoughts on our rental, now that all is said and done:

right before we handed in the keys

The Good:

The company we used was really easy to deal with. I recommend them if you're coming to the Leavenworth area. Send me a message!

Great neighborhood. Good location. Easy access to pretty much whatever within 5-10 minutes.

Lots of kids for Wells to play with. He gained a lot of independence and physical strength this past year. Age 7 was good for him. He learned how to problem-solve, climb a tree, and ride a bike too. He also, ahem, learned to defend himself using both words and actions.

Fenced-in yard, 3 car garage, split level with a sub-basement, and basically as much storage as we could possibly want or hope for, so it was a real find for the price.

The Bad:

The steps in a split level can be annoying. This was our first experience in a true bi-level house and I'm blown away by the amount of wasted space because of all the steps. We were actually lucky in that we had a 3 1/2-car garage so the house had a much larger footprint and the bedrooms were really big.

The kitchen had very little counter space and the counters and cupboards could've done with updating.

The sliding glass door track was bent so the door was a struggle to open and close, and the ugly vertical blinds were also half-broken.

I wasn't crazy about the washer/dryer....it's always nice when there's a set in a rental but they weren't the best. They left them for us to use but said they wouldn't maintain them and it was all up to us if we wanted them. So we used them and they weren't working great by the end of the 12 months.

There was a tankless hot water heater. This wasn't the worst because apparently there's benefits but it was a hassle. An unpredictable hassle.

The Ugly:

The backyard turned into a flooded, muddy mess when it rained. Dog paws were impossible to keep up with. The kids couldn't use the backyard for anything because we didn't want them tearing up the grass that we when we were able to keep it growing. They honestly needed a structural engineer in there to fix the slopes and grades and reconfigure everything behind the house.

A lot of the drywall work in the bathrooms was new; they had been updated just last summer before we moved in. Unfortunately, it wasn't done well because within a month or so, doors stopped closing because the headers were bad and shifted. Drywall cracked up above the door frames. Scott initially tried to fix the doors but the problem was the framing inside the walls and he said you can't fix that without busting into the walls and starting over. So we lived with three doors that literally didn't seal/close/lock and now I guess that's someone else's problem. It sounds bad but I don't know that they could've/would've fixed it anyway. I don't think it's a priority for most landlords (the owner had done the work himself before the management company let us move in and they're not local). It would've been a very involved and messy process.

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

To be honest, the doors not closing in the bedrooms/bathrooms and the muddy backyard were my only real complaints. I didn't hate the place at all and absolutely would've stayed another year if this stint in Kansas was going to be temporary. As it is, we're settled in for now but never say never.

If I were shopping the #NSale + shoe-buying

2026-07-14T09:45:00.000-05:00

I haven't seen any Nordstrom Sale posts yet on the blogs, so I went over to the site to see if there was anything interesting. I never actually buy anything but it gives me ideas of what's out there...I'm positive this is first where I saw a Longchamp many, many years ago and then got one for my birthday that year.

Unfortunately, this year, there is not one single bag I would even consider buying. Usually they have a few nice ones but everything is "sponsored" by The Sak and my opinion is that The Sak makes the ugliest purses known to humankind and why is Nordstrom letting them take over the sale?

Take yourself to Nordstrom Rack instead and buy one of these cross-body bags ---I have it in camo bought brand-new with tags from Poshmark and I love it. I paid slightly more there because I really wanted the camo. I had a slightly bigger version in black that I bought in 2016 and I used it for years, but the strap is starting to fall apart after 10 years of regular use.

Concerning shoes, I do have my eye on Ugg slippers this year. If they are still available when the peasants are able to shop, I might get these because it's a good deal. I saw them, or a style similar, at DSW for $95 last fall. This would be worth it. I haven't seen this color before and I like it.

I do like these a lot:

I'm sure I could find something more cost-effective when #fall comes around but I really am starting from the ground up with boots. I don't have any that aren't slightly falling apart. I haven't bought boots that aren't strictly snow or rain boots in probably 5 years. (I bought those great waterproof chelsea boots from Target last year and Maverick chewed up the back of one, so their use, now, is limited.)

I love this:

I'm sure I could find a chambray shirt anywhere but I have truly worn out the one I bought at Aerie last summer, so I could use a new one.

I haven't bought new shoes that weren't slide-on sneakers or sandals in awhile. Actually, it seems like I'm always buying new shoes but shoes aren't exciting to me. They serve a purpose. I don't care about them.

I bought these in two colors from Walmart because they are easy for spring/summer/fall. They were $9 each when I got them...the prices fluctuate! I got camo and navy.

I got these Reef sandals in Vintage Oasis, which I do absolutely love.

I got these $12 slides from Target because I'm eeking another season out of my Bombas (I wear them around the house every day) and didn't want to pay $50 for another pair this year. I wanted to have some backups. These are better than the Arizona Birkenstocks (I literally threw mine away they were so awful...I tried to make them work for a few years; they were slippery and squeaky when wet--a texture-sensitive person's nightmare--and then the label wore off pretty quickly), but not nearly as nice as the Bombas.

Then, since I'd bought two pairs of sneakers last fall and they have been worn day in and day out, I need a new pair. I'm that weirdo who won't pay more than $70 for sneakers though and they have to be actually comfortable. I discovered that the perfect walking shoe for my foot is the Nike Revolution.

So I ordered these ones from Famous Footwear (I had a coupon) and then I ordered these Mary Janes to try and then I bought two pairs of wedges...while non-working/summer Kristin can survive with one pair of sneakers, I need a little variety for the school year. The total for all the shoes I've bought in the last two weeks is $170, which doesn't seem that bad?

Again, Scott will say I have a lot of shoes (I don't) but they all have different purposes and shoes do not excite me in any way; they are a means to an end. Come October I will look for two pairs of boots I think...I finally threw away my much-loved booties from 2019 because they were way too worn down and stained and I'm pretty sure I got my $29.99 worth. ----just thinking about this stresses me out...I really do hate buying shoes so that's a conversation for another day.

So many people, men and women, love buying shoes. I cannot be the only one who sees it as an actual task, right?

Linking up with Fashion Files!

Friday Favorites. Photo Catch-Up

2026-07-10T00:30:00.000-05:00

1. Today is Wells' birthday! I'm not sure how he's 8 years old.

2. It took a few days, but I painted the kitchen and the dining room area. It was pink before. Before that, as evidenced behind the refrigerator (which I still need to pull out to paint behind...), it was lime green.

This is Sherwin Williams Eventide and I love it with the wood stain and I like the floor too. It's a distressed looking tile. We are going to replace the cabinets this fall-ish and I'm looking for a color; some sort of creamy gray? I don't know. Not white, not gray, not cream, but something in between.

I was trying to decide between all of these for the wall color.

3. The days were it rains are my favorite days because it's usually not 101 degrees in the shade.

5. The most I'm willing to venture into outdoor play before 5pm is to get the mail.

6. She still wants the race car cart. Wells isn't too heavy but he's officially too tall for it.

7. Right now the kids are sharing a bedroom so we set up bunk beds (I mean, I didn't, Scott did) that were in our house in Missouri. Saves a lot of space.

This *gestures around* is my organization project to tackle next week. Being a military family means repurposing everything all the time--this rug had been in our master bedroom in our Kansas rental.

8. I haven't posted memes in forever. Here's what I found in my screenshots:

(That sums it up)

Linking up with Friday Favorites!

Reliable Read Alouds --Chapter Books

2026-07-08T00:30:00.000-05:00

Since I went back to work, I'm looking at what read alouds I can cover this coming school year. In the 4 months I was in my position this past year, I read them First Light and When You Reach Me. Both I HIGHLY recommend for the 4th grade crowd. Since our students "loop" and we do combined grade levels, I won't read the same books again. But I've read these to other classes in the past and they're always a hit.

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane- This is a masterpiece. It's so incredibly sad and and makes you ponder in an uncomfortable way. I"ve read it to multiple classes and don't know if I can do it again. I read it to 3rd grade two years ago.

Penny From Heaven- Also a masterpiece. I've read this to myself more than once and also to one 4th grade class in Alaska. There's a lot of history that goes along with it, so it takes some explanation. I think this might be great toward the end of the school year.

The Bears on Hemlock Mountain- Wells read this with me two years ago and my 3rd graders read it as a little novel study this past year. Very historical in its context so it takes some explantation, but it's absolutely perfect for sequence, problem/solution, drawing conclusions, making predictions. Short and sweet.

The Report Card- Andrew Clements is the master of the school story (and has a book called The School Story) but The Report Card is engaging and brings up all kinds of questions surrounding "does school really matter?". I read it to one 4th grade class in Colorado, I believe.

Turtle in Paradise- By the same author of Penny From Heaven, but is shorter. It's more nuanced and needs more explaining (takes place in Key West in the 1930s) and has slightly more adult themes (poverty, not knowing who your father is, a derelict mother who sends you away so she can enjoy her honeymoon). But it's about kids on an adventure and the students always think it's funny.

Real quick:

Can we talk about how book covers used to mean something? Now everything is identical with a gamified look. Gag.

Bunnicula- I've read this EVERY year I taught 4th grade. It's such a favorite of mine and I'll read it this fall.

Number the Stars- I prefer to do this as a novel study (I own a set of 30....), so maybe in the spring? I did read it aloud to one class in Alaska and they adored it. But I think I've done it most years I've taught 4th grade.

Bob- I read this to one 3rd grade class in Missouri and they really enjoyed it. So did I. It's pretty new. It's got a magical twist and kids like that. I think I will do this in January?

Because of Winn-Dixie- I have read this more times than I can count and I don't actually like it (funny, right?). It's such an important story for the 8-9 age group and we will probably read it this year. I might start the year with it. I just absolutely can't stand it LOL.

The Mayflower Treasure Hunt- I read this during November while I teach them about the first Thanksgiving and I pair it with What Was The First Thanksgiving?

If you have any middle grade read aloud suggestions, I'm all ears! I'm always looking for something to add to my library.

What to Buy/What to Skip

2026-07-06T00:30:00.000-05:00

BUY: I bought Sutton these shoes from Target--The See Kai Run Basics line from Target is superior to the regular SKR website. Half the price, better quality in my opinion.

SKIP: I wanted to get her these Adidas but $45+ seems like a lot for 4 year old shoes? She doesn't need Adidas. She just needs quality shoes.

(These were $60 on Amazon but I really love them.)

SKIP: I splurged on this two years ago, used it less than 5 times, and hated it. It makes your hair greasy. Do not recommend.

(bad pic but I already threw it away)

BUY: I've been using this since 2007 to control flyaways in the front. Cannot recommend enough. 1/3 the price of the B&B invisible oil too.

SKIP: Aldi creamer is terrible. It's why I still have to shop at Walmart even though Aldi is cheaper, overall.

BUY: V8 Energy Drinks are really tasty, if you're into that kind of thing. I don't do energy drinks very often.

SKIP: Bloom tastes like a chemical cocktail by comparison. (We bought these for a trip.)

SKIP: Bubbl'r is the worst of all. I'll never understand how anyone can drink them. They taste terrible. (This was free at Target one day.)

My villain origin story on hating Bubbl'r: They sold them in the school cafeteria during elementary lunch (2 years ago). I tried to explain that they have caffeine --it says equivalent to a cup of coffee on the can-- and no one would listen to me because the upcharge on these made the school money. My 8-9 year old students would be sipping Bubbl'r on their way out ot recess and then they were unmanageable and falling asleep by 2pm. Again, no one cared.

BUY: I have this issue where I buy bulbs of garlic and forget I have it or don't use it all in time and it goes bad and then there's garlic paper all over the cupboard. I saw this for less than $2 in the store last week and thought it was a fantastic compromise. Totally worth it. I just keep it in the fridge.

SKIP: Don't buy these chicken nuggets. The texture is the most unsettling experience. If you want this brand, buy the regular nuggets and if you want dino nuggets, buy any other brand. Gag.

Currently. In July.

2026-07-03T09:24:20.917-05:00

Sparkling- The pool is sparkling. Honestly, this is the summer of swimming and every bit of energy is going into this swimming pool.

That, which you can see in this picture, is a hole in the liner. We are now sure the owner knew about it. The tell-all on this house is coming soon and let's just say it'll have more tea than Collin Gosselin's upcoming book.

Grilling/Cooking- These are my two go-to dinners for summer. Both just require grilled chicken: Lemon Chicken Pasta Salad and Grilled Chicken Orzo Salad.

Heating Up- In lieu of complaining about the heat, I will...complain about the humidity? The sunshine? The UV ratings?

I truly believe summer seasonal depression should be classified in the DSM-V.

One month down.

Using- Or, trying to use my summer break effectively because I have a lot I want to do before August, but mostly I'm just dealing with this kind of stuff every day: repeating myself, preparing snacks, and arguing with small children. It's hilarious because I used to think summer would be easier when my kids were a little older. Nope. The last easy summer I had was the one where Sutton was a baby.

My iPad screen shattered this week so the 4 year old has had no screen time :) I absolutely refuse to buy her a tablet.

Celebrating- The state of Kansas added the certifications I completed in Missouri to my Kansas certificate. They weren't super nice and friendly about it but they couldn't argue so I'm counting this as a victory. The Seal of Literacy was two full years of work. Even though they don't put this on MO certificates (yet) or call it THE SEAL OF LITERACY, it's the same coursework. They are requiring it in KS now, so I'm glad I was able to transfer it.

I have a lot of posts coming up next week: books, product reviews (what not to buy), and a recap of our Wyoming trip. I've been very out of sorts the last couple of weeks with traveling and feeling deluded about the fact that it's 95 degrees every single day.

Happy 4th!

Linking up with Currently!

Summer Reading List (for kids!) and Why I Went Back to Work

2026-06-17T00:30:00.000-05:00

free to download in my TPT store

We've absolutely lost the art of asking kids to read real books.

In May, I found this great Youtube channel with a feature called First Chapter Friday. The host reads the first chapter of a classic-ish fiction book to kids in order to hook them and get them to want to read the whole book. Since I was only with my 3rd and 4th grade students for 3 months this year, I was only able to read them two chapter books as read alouds. I told them if I "had them for more time", these are the books I'd recommend because everyone should read them by the end of 4th grade. So I made a summer reading list!

All of these can be found on the Youtube channel and I hooked those kids with these first chapters, for sure. Some of my students had already read a few so they were able to check those off the list immediately.

In addition, we watched the Disney version of The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler because I was using a novel study for it with a student. They absolutely loved it. And we also watched Rikki Tikki Tavi....We saw a fictional story about a character called Mongoose Man taking down a snake (long story) and I was like yeah, mongooses are the natural enemies of snakes and so we had to watch Rikki Tikki Tavi. They loved that too! (We did not read it...it's usually a middle school short story.)

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

I thought I wrote a little bit about stopping homeschooling and going back to work but maybe I never did? And to say I feel like a hypocrite and a fraud would be accurate. Or rather, maybe I only talked about it on Instagram? But, regardless, here's the explanation:

In January, we realized that we're likely going to retire here in Kansas. This is where he's stationed, this is where he'll finish his career (99% certainty) and we might as well settle in, right? We decided we'd buy a house and plan for next steps, such as what am *I* going to do? What are the kids going to do? All those big life decisions civilians usually have years to ponder must be made within weeks in the military life.

I started looking around and thinking that I'd go back to work in the fall but there is no full-day pre-k in the state of Kansas' public schools. I'm not completely sold on the public schools at this point as a teacher and as a parent anyway so, okay, that's fine. But I couldn't take Wells to school if I got a job because there was nowhere for Sutton to go. Then, I couldn't work if I sent him to school anyway because Sutton would still be at home. It was a lot of inner turmoil. I could write some Big Thing about why I lost steam with homeschooling but, honestly, my kids just love going to school. I don't know what else to say about it. The co-op was a struggle because it gave them a taste of that organized learning and they wanted to go every day. Our co-op was only 3 times a month! It was a problem, you know?

I had toured a private school last fall because I wanted Sutton to go to preschool when she was 4 (this coming fall). A fun fact is that private education is USUALLY the only place you can find full-day prek. Then Wells was like "why can't I go too?" --that's when I knew homeschooling had a shelf life for us.

There were signs.

I found out through a mom friend that this local private school would be hiring soon so I decided You know what, I'm gonna send them a resume and maybe get hired for next year. And, because it's a private school, I needed to see what the salary/tuition balance would look like. It's not like just enrolling your kid and pulling a paycheck. They have classroom size caps and all as well. It would have to be mutually beneficial to everyone for this to work out.

Long story short, the principal called me the next day and asked if I was interested in next year or if I could start right away. They had an immediate opening. A teacher had left in October unexpectedly and the principal had been teaching the class. After a series of interviews and discussions and so much paperwork, I was hired.

Wells was in the 1st/2nd grade class, Sutton was enrolled in all-day prek-3, and I had a class of ten (10) 3rd and 4th graders who hadn't had an assigned teacher for 4 months. The learning curve was STEEP. I mean, mountainous. It was the Swiss Alps. The first day I drove home thinking what did I do? and I legitimately regretted it for like 7 hours. But Wells and Sutton were SO HAPPY and JOYFUL and loved their first day and I knew I just had to keep going. (e.g. imagine 10 year olds who hadn't had structure or management or someone reliable day in and day out to teach them ->> that's a hard crowd to win over).

In addition, Scott was gone a lot this spring so it was a lot of pressure on me but it gave us a purpose each day. He also left this entirely up to me and I knew I could never ever (ever) complain about getting up early and going to work because he always offers me the out of you don't have to work if you don't want to. Alas, I like money, so I would rather contribute financially to the family if I can (sorry, it's the truth).

Funny story: I did spend a lot of our homeschool mornings getting up between 8-9am while he took care of the kids' breakfast, etc and when I told him I was going to start getting up at 5am again, he didn't believe me and thought the very idea was hilarious. So it became a personal challenge of yes, I can do this.

I started right after Valentine's Day and February/March/April was a blur. In May, I started plotting out/planning for next year. I won't go into deep details about everything I've been doing there --only other teachers would find it interesting-- but I am blown away the way the school has taken us in and made us part of their community. My kids are so loved and cared for there. It's not that different from our last school actually; Wells and Sutton have this ability to become the friendliest strangers anywhere they go. It truly feels like we've always been there.

So, the short answer as to why I went back to work is that we decided to just settle in here. It's part of military life: if you never unpack, you never unpack. You have to unpack and build something for yourself wherever you go. I think a lot of spouses make the mistake of never doing that and are permanently miserable because of it. A spouse/friend gave me that advice years and years ago: you have to unpack, even if you're only there for a year and your husband rolls his eyes and complains about putting nail holes in walls. There's no alternative if you want to actually experience life along the way.

Monday things.

2026-06-15T12:34:23.084-05:00

Marines using crayons because that's where they rank in the academic level of things is one of my favorite military jokes

I can't even begin to dive into the details of everything lately, but this carousel on Instagram spoke to me:

2. We went to a birthday party at a bowling alley yesterday. Wells got a strike the first time he ever threw a bowling ball.

3. Our friends PCSed to a new state yesterday so we had one last weekend of swimming and playing.

4. I placed an Aerie order last week and got 3 t-shirts and a pair of shorts for $60 total. Use the app! Shipping is free and you automatically get 10% off, in addition to any other discounts.

The Easy Shorts were/are $15 and are perfection. I got a medium and they're very comfy. The Everyday Tee is about $10 right now and I got this one in a small.

My new room already had a mirror on the back of this door.

5. I love these hydration packets. They're affordable and they are actually what my acupuncturist used to recommend back in Colorado. In the summer, I tend to undereat and under-hydrate because I have no routine. I started feeling it last week; I get very dizzy and almost develop a vertigo after spending days in the sun. Especially if I'm stressed and overwhelmed. This has happened to me for years, unfortunately, so I'm trying to just stockpile electrolytes this summer.

I found my Simple Modern tumbler and was using it last week for the first time in a year+. It does NOT keep drinks as cold as a Stanley. I hate to say it, but Stanley wins. I don't have a Hydrojug, but I have a HydroFLASK and that thing is still the GOAT. Owala is somewhere in the middle.

Books lately.

2026-06-09T08:21:30.206-05:00

To say I've fallen behind on my yearly reading goal is an understatement. I usually pick things up in the summer though!

I've looked back through my posts and I cannot find any book updates since the beginning of February. So here we go....

***The theme is "lying", apparently.***

I gave Everyone is Lying to You 3 stars. I really enjoyed the beginning. I thought it was poignant and timely for this culture we live in. The end got a little out of control. It would've been 4-5 stars for me but it got a bit unnecessary (audio).

Count My Lies was really good. I can't remember why it didn't get 5 full stars but I read it compulsively over a couple of nights. It's free on Kindle Unlimited so you should grab it to read this week if you haven't yet! (BOTM hardcover)

I gave Read Between the Lies 5 stars without question. It was an insane psychological ride and I can't believe more people didn't rate it higher. If you like a slighty unstable narrator, this is for you. I couldn't put it down. (Kindle Unlimited)

It's Not Her was awful. I must've been feeling really generous on the day I gave it 2 stars. The system is rigged because this is not a good book. (BOTM hardcover...not linking it because I don't think you should read it.)

I generally like Robyn Harding's books and most are on Kindle Unlimited. I gave The Party 4 stars because it held my attention and kept me motivated to read after a very long dry spell (6 weeks maybe?) where I just couldn't find a book. (Kindle Unlimited)

John Marrs books are crazy and the beginning of this one started out really promising-like. I was seriously enjoying the audio of You Killed Me First and then it kind of went off the deep end for me. I don't think I finished it, but I invested a lot of time in the first half (his books are also pretty long) so I'm counting it. (Audible)

Freida McFadden's latest. I liked The Divorce and I read it in a day or two. I will say that the beginning is better than the end. It doesn't matter; I'll always pick up her books. (Kindle Unlimited)

Dan Gutman is a very reliable middle-grade author and I saw this recommended as a read aloud on a teacher's Instagram page. It came out a few years ago. I got it from the library and we listened to it in the car and Wells really enjoyed it. I would say it's great for audio or a read aloud. There were some weird things about it I DIDN'T like but you can read that in the reviews. Overall, I'd say Houdini and Me is good for middle-graders because it blends just the right amount of historical background with fictional/fantasy. (Libby audio)

So that takes me up to ...12 books for the year so far. Not great, Bob.

But I'm currently working my way through these:

I read A Wrinkle in Time back in 2011, so I'm counting it. We are listening to it in the car.

Currently. In June.

2026-06-07T09:16:35.904-05:00

Alright, let's get this out of the way. I hate summer. I just do. Stop. Don't tell me I'm "doing it wrong". I've experienced summer in 6+ different states at this point and there's no good "summer". I am an absolute downer when it comes to summer and I don't care who knows it.

I count down to the days getting shorter (12 more days!) because then at least I know time is moving in the right direction and also Labor Day Weekend comes as sweet relief. Memorial Day Weekend seems like an opening ceremony of sorts to a game I don't want to attend. I do often think that September probably has the best weather but it gets such a bad rap because we're all sick of summer weather by then that we don't appreciate it.

Anyway.

Enjoying:

I reread the Shopaholic series every summer.

It's been my consistency for probably 15 years.

Wearing: Bouts of negativity and anxiety. Months ago, I mentioned that I woke up with this verse in my head and it just stuck with me. This happens a lot; I'll wake up with a phrase or Bible verse in my head and it'll just be there as a mantra for days. Unfortunately, the week we closed on this house, I knew it was a "get through it situation" and we're still in the throes of getting through it with a LOT (LOT) going on and that particular week I woke up with "embrace the suck" in my head. Because this is the military life and if you don't embrace the annoying, soul-sucking details of it that every civilian takes for granted --constantly keeping track of utility turn-on/off schedules, "where is ______?", trying to pack and move for the 2nd time in 11 months -- you will never get anything done. That stuck in my head for 2 weeks, at least.

Now, we moved a lot before we had kids. Moving with kids is a WHOLE OTHER LEVEL. Because they're always hungry and always looking to be entertained while you are fighting for your life trying to shove furniture through doorways.

Watching: Sutton's dance recital. It blows me away how well she did and how much she enjoyed it. There were tears for the first few lessons but there's a strict structure to the studio she attended and it worked out for the benefit of the kids. I fear we will be signing up again in the fall.

Listening to: Like everyone, I'm on board with that Puerto Rico song. But I've been on an audiobook kick lately. At this moment, I'm listening to Sutton watch some cartoon on my iPad and Wells watches Minecraft-gameplay on the TV.

Again, this is a fighting for your life situation, being in military transitions with kids along.

Buying: I got Scott this for Father's Day. Because I'm doing a lot of stuff around here but I refuse to cut grass and he spends most of his summers hopping from property to property maintaining the grass.

And now Hodge Podge, just for fun:

What is something you find extremely difficult?

Putting away clean laundry. Keeping plants alive.

{some quote from Fitzgerald}...how does summer make you feel?

See the introduction to this post. (Fitzgerald was a real piece of work by the way)

Pickles?

I like dill pickles on hamburgers. I like sweet pickles on barbecue sandwiches.

June weddings?

Nope. We got married in September. Teachers do usually clamor to get married in June, but it wasn't an option for us. Military couples get married within the one or two week time frame that suits their schedules. I actually feel like I've blacked out about a lot of things in recent years but the last wedding we went to was at the end of July.

Say something nice.

....I appreciate those, like Amy, who blog regularly and inspire me to keep going in this season of life. I think my problem is that I try to act and think like someone who hasn't lived in 10 houses and 6+ states in 16 years.

Summer Reading: Thrillers only

2026-05-28T07:59:36.501-05:00

A few weeks ago, I had a slight breakdown, deleted social media apps from my phone and was like I need a book. A good book. (Note the timestamps: this is at midnight.)

I started looking over the Kindle app. It's really hit or miss with Kindle Unlimited these days, so I started in on new releases and, to my absolute delight, my favorites were all coming out with new books....later this summer.

So while I couldn't download and read any of them immediately, I did take screenshots as a mental note to request from the library and get on those waitlists in advance.

May 26. Came out this week and I'm halfway through it.

July 28. Always reliable for a thriller.

June 23. Some of my best reading experiences have been Lisa Jewell books. (except for that weird Marvel crossover she did a few years back that I refuse to try)

August 4. Riley Sager isn't *not* reliable, but is hit or miss for me. I'll always try one of his books.

Was released May 12th.

I like the concepts of his books and they always appear to be screenplays to me. But I'll try it!

August 25. Reliable for plot twists for sure.

August 25. Big Little Lies was one of my single best audiobook experiences. If Caroline Lee does this one, I'm getting it on Audible.

August 4. Another reliable favorite. You can tell I go by author and not by genre/subject of the book.

This is out now and I just grabbed it because it's $7 on Audible. if a book is less than $10 on Audible, it's usually worth a try.

September 22. Pushing the boundaries on a "summer" release here, but I really like her books.

July 14. I admit I didn't finish her last book because I was busy/distracted/it was really long for some reason(?) I'll try again.

What's on your summer reading list?

2 and 13, 13 and 2

2026-05-25T00:30:00.000-05:00

I did not expect to have this kind of age gap between our dogs. These two were born the same week though! Scout on May 24, 2013 and Maverick on May 18, 2024. They came from the same breeder right outside of Louisville.

Akin to how most people plan out an age gap between kids, we planned out dog age gaps...initially.

We got Scout in the summer of 2013 and within 6 months Scott was hankering for another dog because he wanted Scout to have a friend. I couldn't really argue it but also did not want a second dog. When it comes to what's best for a dog though, it's generally not good for a dog to be alone (did Austen write that? I think so. Or it's in Genesis).

So we got Jett when Scout was about 11 months old and then we had two dogs, about a year apart and it went on like that. There was a lot of moving and upheaval for several years but I always knew Scott wanted a THIRD dog at some point.

When we bought our house in Missouri in 2021, it was on the table. Summer is the prime time to get a hunting dog, but I was pregnant with Sutton that first summer, then we had a newborn/infant, then I was going back to work and we were dog-sitting all summer, and then we finally had a window to get a puppy. Jett was diagnosed with a few terminal issues in 2024 but we'd already made plans to bring this puppy home.

We picked up Maverick in July 2024 on the day of the attempted Trump assassination in Butler, PA. (Interesting fact.)

Jett passed away in December 2024 and then we were left with an 11 year old dog and a 7 month old puppy.

The idea was that Scout could help show Maverick how life worked and that Maverick would keep Scout young.

Maverick is a HARD dog to like, unfortunately, so Scout has not been a willing participant. Turns out Scout never wanted a friend, even in Jett. He has the personality an true only child. In Scout's defense, Mav is a bit of a bully...very much like Jett, actually. Jett was a rough puppy. Mav was the only male in a litter of 3 pups and he insists on being the center of attention at all times. It's exhausting. The kids like him. Scott likes him. He overstimulates me, tbh. He has no social or spatial awareness. However, he loves us and our daily runs through the local fields are the only thing that keeps his behavior in check. His intentions are pure, though. He doesn't have a mean bone in his body. He doesn't bark or growl. He's a gentle giant (for a Brittany) at 40 pounds. My biggest complaint is that there's still a potential for him chewing everything he can find and is very unpredictable about it.

As for the last year, Maverick went from being in a crate in Missouri during the day to having free reign of the house in Kansas. He has a doggy door and is able to come and go as he pleases. I think this makes an enormous difference in a dog's quality of life. He did catch a case of strangles last fall, which cost us about $1,000 in vet appointments and medicine in November/December. He actually has some permanent scarring on his nose, which is crazy. He took his second trip to Pennsylvania to see his "grandparents"this past winter. And now, given our recent move to a new house, he's on his 3rd house in less than 2 years. A true military fur-child.

Scout is still trucking along. He goes on daily runs through the fields. He eats voraciously, he wakes us up in the middle of the night when he's hungry (not kidding), and then he has crazy anxiety when the barometric pressure hits a certain level and storms are coming. Trazodone doesn't even work so I've started just giving Benedryl. Scout takes two heart medications (4 pills a day) and we started him on Prozac last summer and it's improved EVERYONE'S quality of life. He started having anxiety back in 2020ish and finally I was able to do something about it for him. He took his, approximately, 456th trip to Pennsylvania this past winter. Scout has now lived in 8 houses.

Scout is, we're pretty sure, completely deaf but his mind is sharp and he's still all there. He seems to have a soul behind those eyes and is always "speaking" to us about what he wants. Maverick, like Jett, is very dog-like. I can't explain this but I know it to be true.

Saturday things.

2026-05-23T07:59:53.742-05:00

1. We moved last weekend and I do not recommend moving while finishing up the last week of school, especially while your kids need lunch packed and uniforms ready each day and they also have things like dance class and soccer that require certain clothes and you need to know where they are. Just my advice. That was the single hardest part of this. Usually, when we move, we just live out of a suitcase and make do with whatever but not possible when you need to know where the shinguards are, as well as have something presentable to wear to work.

Also, moving without kids is a lot easier than moving with kids. I do feel like that would go without saying, and since we did a lot of moving pre-kids and I can make that comparison. And waiting until school is out is probably the key to success.

We gave ourselves a 6 week buffer on purpose, so we're not out of our rental yet. Nothing worse than being rushed through a move (ask me how I know).

2. Jack Ryan: Ghost War was really good and they're setting up for a second movie, you can tell. First movie we watched in the new house.

I got these sneakers from Walmart on sale the other day for $9. I needed something to wear out and about that's comfortable and not a big investment. They're great with dresses, shorts, and I'm sure with pants too (I don't wear pants after May begins, generally).

4. Did you know The Good and the Beautiful will send your kids free books for summer reading?

You just pay for shipping! I got one for each grade/age range for $5.95 shipping. Cannot recommend this enough.

5 Wednesday Things.

2026-05-13T06:24:08.310-05:00

1. If you need a show to watch this week, I was a little late to the game on Should I Marry a Murderer? It was so good. It's almost spoofy.

2. We went to a one-room schoolhouse the other day. Super in-depth tour and I think we learned a lot! Highly recommend the Oxford Schoolhouse if you're in the KC area.

3. I'm always on the lookout for new tortilla chips. Scott came home with these after he ate all my tortilla chips (he thought I had more in the closet). I'd never seen them before and they're very good. He found them at Kroger.

4. I never made it through more than half the first season of The Bear.

But life has been starting to get to me, so I found myself relistening to the Casey Anthony episodes of The Prosecutors. Their old (not their new) multi-part episodes are comfort binges for me.

5. Hantavirus internet does not disappoint.

Currently in May.

2026-05-06T05:45:00.001-05:00

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

2026-05-02T22:23:00.005-05:00

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!

2026-04-20T00:30:00.014-05:00

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

2026-04-18T10:06:00.000-05:00

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.

Monday things, 4/13

2026-04-13T00:30:00.001-05:00

1. For years, I've had lightweight shorts I've worn under dresses. Not all dresses, just the swing-style dresses that are above the knee. They're usually pj shorts and usually from The Gap. However, I threw one pair away years ago and then I LOST my pair that I had from last summer. I have no idea what happened to them and honest to goodness this is what happens when you're constantly packing and unpacking and sorting clothes. So anyway, I grabbed this set from Walmart for $12 and the shorts are perfect for wearing under loose shorter dresses.

This set also doesn't look particularly pajama-y so I would 100% wear this tank over a swimsuit in the summer.

Follow me for more hacks.

pajama set --I got a medium

2. If you know me, I try to keep most of my complaining to Instagram stories and not on this permanent space because the internet doesn't forget. However, in the last several weeks: Sutton was sick, I was sick, Sutton fell and had to get a staple in her head, Scott was out of the country, Scott was sick, Scott was in the hospital for what we think is/was West Nile virus and still doesn't feel great and then he's traveling a lot lately, and then this past week I broke a tooth.

We also have to move out of this house by the end of June. Where are we going? We have some plans but we're still not sure how it's all going to shake out. We are staying in Kansas for the foreseeable future so it's not like we're moving to a new location but we do have to move houses.

So if you're wondering why "Friday things" randomly turns into "Monday things", this is why.

Ignore the fact that the paper is upside down (sigh). This is what Wells is doing for 2nd grade math right now. Writing out the problems, using real paper, lining things up, etc. Warms my heart.

4. I've tried to stay out of a lot of these Landfill Core stores but I really needed a new rug because our front door rug is falling apart. I also wanted to see those (hideous) viral beaded bags in person. There were multiple people there taking pictures of them!

But the kids had some Easter money to spend so they got to look around TJ Maxx...

They got eggs filled with slime. Also...heart-warming, I guess.

5. Mix sweetened lime syrup into your diet coke.

Sutton has been saying 'oh biscuits' for over a year now.