Friday Thoughts: Speed Style
Hello, friends! Popping in quick today for a Friday Thoughts post (love these so much, especially your comments!).
This last month almost finished me off with a lot of behind the scenes chaotic family circumstances that don’t always shine through on recipe posts (you can thank me later for that). I have so many things running through my overfilled brain, it isn’t even funny – all the nonessentials are ready to spill out to make space for the important, stressful stuff going on.
I love sharing the good, the bad, the ugly, and the awesome with you on these less food/more real life posts. So in honor of that, I’m hitting this Friday Thoughts post speed style. It’s quick, it’s quirky, it’s random!
As always, chime in on the comments. My favorite part is reading what YOU have to say (plus I’m asking for some advice, so help a girl out, ok?)!
Surgery as an Adult Thought: Don’t do it. Ever. Brian had a tonsillectomy + deviated septum/fractured nose surgery two weeks ago and he still feels like death. Honestly, it’s been the worst of the worst, and even if he recovers and loses his ability to snore, I think he and I will still question whether it was worth it (he’s going on 13 days of jello + pudding diet and a subsequent 17+ pound weight loss – ok, so I’m actually just a teensy tiny bit jealous about that last part). I’m calling him Brian 2.0.
Family Reunion Thought: Yeah, yeah, I know it’s holiday season time and not family reunion time, but because my overtaxed brain won’t.shut.off, I’m obsessed with planning our family reunion next summer that we’re in charge of. So tell me this, what is THE BEST thing you’ve done or eaten at a family reunion in the last decade? My brain and family reunion spreadsheet planning thank you in advance.
Portuguese Thought: I decided to buckle down and learn Portuguese (Brian speaks it semi-fluently and I would love a secret language to speak in front of our kids – and people at the grocery store). So I downloaded the Babbel app a few months ago, and armed with a healthy dose of “I’ve got this; how hard can it be?” I began. Long story cut short: I have since been sufficiently humbled. Apparently ye old brain doesn’t work as well as it used to when I took Spanish in college (all of which I have forgotten). I will persevere! Maybe. My brain hurts right now.
Cross Body Bag Thought: I’m not a purse person as much as I am a casual cross body bag kind of girl. I bought this leather Sak Iris Crossbody bag {aff. link} in the mint color months ago and have been wearing it daily as my “purse.” I love it. It’s cute, durable and super functional. Also, I paid over $60 for it way back when, and I just saw it listed on Amazon for $27. Whoa.
Girl Hair Thought: My life (and Cam’s) was forever changed when I found these little hair rubber bands {aff. link}. Also, this dry spray wax {aff. link} has been the best thing we’ve found to smooth her still-growing baby fly aways. I spray it on my fingers and smooth down my own fly aways, too. Ok, maybe the fly away thing is genetic and I should warn her now she’s not growing out of it.
Social Media Thoughts: What’s your favorite social media platform for connecting with family and friends? And if you aren’t on social media at all, can you elaborate why? Por favor and obrigado (wait, maybe I AM almost fluent??).
Canker Sore/Toothpaste Thoughts: I used to get canker sores all the time. Like several times a month (since I was a kid). I would also break out a lot on my chin and around my mouth. I subtly (or probably not so subtly) complained about this on Instagram earlier this year, and several of you mentioned using an SLS free toothpaste (I had never heard of it until then). So, for the last 8 months or so I’ve been using this SLS free Verve Toothpaste {aff. link}, and I am not even exaggerating…zero canker sores and probably only 1-2 blemishes in my chin/lips area since then. I am a believer. FYI: I tried the Tom’s brand of SLS free toothpaste and almost vomited, it was just so gross.
Teeth Thoughts: Speaking of teeth, I finally got my Invisalign braces off, and it feels amazing. I only had to wear them for a short nine months (thanks to already having braces twice as a teen and being a bad retainer wearer), and I’m still wearing a retainer a lot during the day, but I’m just so happy to be able to eat freely during the upcoming holiday season. #priorities Having said that, my two oldest kids go in for orthodontist appointments this week, and I’m on the fence about whether I’ll have the doctor put them in Invisalign or wire braces. Thoughts on teenagers in wire braces vs. Invisalign? Please enlighten me with your experiences.
Libby App Thoughts: A HUGE thank you to everyone who recommended the Libby library app on my last Friday Thoughts post. I just finished listening to When Breath Becomes Air and have listened to a few other audiobooks as well the last few weeks while cleaning/driving/waiting in hospitals and dr offices. Fantastic app!
Fermenting Food Thoughts: This is a longer subject for another time, but I’m hesitantly dipping my toes into the world of culturing vegetables in order to improve overall gut health for me and my family (in addition to the kefir we drink every day). I’m not going to lie, I’m a little scared. I’ve scoured this website, among others, and bought a couple how-to books on Amazon. I had a super bad experience with kimchi when I was 21 and backpacking in Korea, so I think I’m going to forego cabbage for now and just maybe try some carrots or beets? Talk to me. Any advice/experience to share?
Shoe Thoughts: Ok, last thought for the day. How much is too much to spend on shoes? I really want these ones. Someone talk me out of them. ASAP.
{current coping skills}
I’m done now. Thanks for letting me have a total brain spill today (the scary part is this is only about 10% of what I would like to talk about, but I know you guys have a life). Can’t wait to hear what’s on your mind!
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402 Comments on “Friday Thoughts: Speed Style”
Did you get the cute shoes? You totally should. That’s not too much to spend on leather shoes. Personally I’m addicted to these leather ballet flats that are super comfortable and come in more colors than the rainbow. http://www.Tieks.com
Im noticing your wall in the picture of your little lady. What is the name of your paint color? Ive got a whole lot of painting in my new house future.
It’s revere pewter from Sherman Williams (although we used the paint sample and got it mixed up at Ace Hardware).
Just got back from a trip and wanted to add my 2cents.
Best food at a family reunion- food trucks. $10 a person and we could keep the leftovers. A taco truck, a barbecue truck with chicken and ribs and a teriyaki truck. All the sides were included (we furnished the drinks and had ice cream/ snowcones for dessert) and there was limited cleanup- no dishes or remembering who brought what. The reunions were in Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio.
For prizes for the games we had everyone (regardless of age) bring a $2.00 White elephant gift appropriate for all ages and gift wrapped. We had a varity of games but bingo was the big winner. The prizes were the best part. Some were amazing!
GET THE SHOES!!
Definitely a worthy splurge.
Thanks, Britta. I did! And I love them. 🙂
Melanie, Hi! I haven’t been online for awhile and was sorry to hear of Brian’s problems, but more sorry for you (sick husbands). Greg had his tonsils out at 35 and after 3+ weeks and -25 lbs my ‘florence nightingale’ qualities failed and I told him that I was done and he could sit in his recliner and not eat or he could get up to the table and start using those muscles and get better. Harsh, I know, but I tried to say it sweetly. Luckily for us all, in a matter of a few days he was doing much better. Thanks for the cranberry recipe, I had one like this and couldn’t find it, so this will be perfect and make ahead even. Yea. Have a wonderful thanksgiving and we are still hoping you will stop by and stay in our four extra bedrooms.
Miss you SO MUCH! I’m determined to get your way soon. I promise! Would love some parenting wisdom and general therapy for some stuff we’re going through and you are just the one to help me, I know it. 🙂 Also, I’m glad to hear I’m not the only who basically pulled the whole “suffer in silence” thing after a while. Turns out, I wasn’t meant to be a compassionate nurse! Poor Brian (and Greg..haha!)
Use this link. http://simplydivineeating.com/store-it-alive/
I’m a little late to this party but wanted to share a few reunion ideas and tell you about a fermenting website.. http://www.simplydivineeating.com. She has an online class you can buy that has a ton of information and you always have access to it. She does live classes too but I’m not sure if she travels outside of UT.
For reunions, we have a huge fanily and for meals each sibling and their kids were responsible for a meal. We only did breakfast and dinner since there was always leftovers and that way we weren’t always in the kitchen. Plus people could bring stuff for snacks or sandwiches. For fun…always swimming, a candy slingshot which takes three people, talent show, campfire songs and stories, games of volleyball and softball, fishing, hiking, crafts, original sibling spotlight, family history, auction, etc.
Thanks for the website recommendation, Jill! Love, love the reunion ideas. Thank you!
I love your post! It’s nice to hear other people have so many unanswered questions like me.
My husband had terrible canker sores for years. We tried everything. Then we heard his sister gets them when she eats walnuts. So we eliminated all nuts and then gradually added them back one at a time. We found out he gets cankers when he eats walnuts, pecans, and pistachios.
Interesting, Melissa! I can see that being a huge culprit. I might have to do some research myself. I just ate walnuts the other day for the first time in a long time and I didn’t get a canker sore, but my mouth felt…I don’t know…just kind of funny for a couple hours after.
Seriously had a tonsillectomy this summer and it was horrible. Horrible!! Your poor husband having the broken nose, deviated spetum as well! My doctor told me he almost never does the two surgeries together because it’s too painful! I wish I had lost 17lbs also, I lost ten but it quickly came back on.
I hope you are well on the path to tonsillectomy recovery, Kelli!
I had a tonsillectomy a little over a year ago, at the age of 46. I had been getting strep throat and tonsillitis several times a year and so I decided to take my ENT’s advice and have the suckers pulled out. It was THE MOST PAINFUL experience of my life. The first two weeks were horrible, and the second two weeks were only slightly less horrible. But since then, I have only had one single cold. So I’m going to say it was worth it (but just barely).
Ok, well, that’s good to know it was worth it in the end!
Hey Mel! Thanks for all your posts! I love the recipes and I love the Friday thoughts:) I’m in charge of our family reunion this summer and we still need to decide on a location I read through some of the comments and love all the ideas about games. I’d love some suggestions on locations somewhat near the Wasatch front or Northern Utah if anyone wants to share favorite spots:)
Bear Lake. You can’t go wrong with Bear Lake. My family always has a blast there. There is even a place where you can stay in covered wagons. conestogaranch.com/
Hey Janell – I asked this question on Instagram a while ago and so many people suggested Bear Lake. We ended up going with a reunion lodge near St. Anthony, Idaho, but I’ll try to find the list I made with Bear Lake recommendations and post it here.
My quick & fervent thoughts 🙂
1. Shoes – I have a hard time spending $100+, but I go for it if the shoes are very comfy and I see myself getting a lot of wear out of them.
2. Social Media – I just say no, and it;s kind of key to my contentedness in life. I do occasionally check out an instagram post about a topic or individual I’m interested in, but I’m not active part of any community – I don’t “follow” anyone, post anything, or make comments. This is a disappointment to my kids grandparents, as they would love to have me posting family stuff that they can “like” and “share”, but c’est la vie. My reasons: 1) I’m an introvert – interaction in general is draining for me. 2) I do like some interaction, and I generally find it more rewarding when it is face-to-face (your website and a few others are the exceptions). 3) If I let there be too many exceptions, engaging in social media or online communities of any kind can quickly eat up a large chunk of time. I’d rather save my time for reading & playing with my kids (but again, I’m an introvert). Spending time in online communities can also crowd out real live communities. We all have only so much time, right?! 4) Comparison is the thief of joy. A coworker told me that, handed down from her grandma, and I found it so true. Social media seems like a constant competition for who’s doing the coolest things; who has the quickest wit, the best body, the most organized home, the most creative children…. everything becomes open for competition. I think it’s hard not to compare our own selves and our own lives even if we think we’re working hard not to, and there’s always someone doing something more, bigger, or better… After all, so of these people do social media for their living.
3. Thank you for the heads up about your husband’s surgery. My husband was told he should have the same thing, but has been on the fence about it. I’ll pass your comments on. Hope your hubs feels better soon!
Hey Jen! Thanks for your thoughts! I love how you are true to yourself with social media despite the push from family members and others to be otherwise. I think your comparison comment, in particular, is so true and might be one of the dark plagues of social media (even though I think there are some upsides to social media, too!). Good for you for being smart for yourself! Good luck to you and your husband as you decide about that surgery!
Please, Mel’s fine readers, how do I get rid of the zits on my neck?? (Since they figured out the zits on your chin problem)
I got my tonsils out at age 20. They said it’d be a 10 day recovery but I figured it’d be less for me (I don’t know why I thought that) and I was so wrong!! I lost 10 lbs that I didn’t have to lose. My boss got mad that I was taking so much time off so I went back to work and he said “Oh wow, you don’t look so good, you look too skinny.” Ha! I had a spit bucket because it was too hard to swallow. But I’m so happy now to be rid of them!!
Just re-read my comment. Spit bucket was not at work, don’t worry. Haha
Haha, the spit bucket at work correction made me laugh. I’m glad you recovered but man that sounded awful!
My husband had that same surgery almost 7 years ago. It was the worst thing ever!!! He had a scab break open and bleed which required emergency surgery 2 days before I gave birth to our 4th. Not to mention having to be hospitalized for pnuemonia from it also. And he still snores, but it’s even worse now. I wish you all the luck in the world!
Oh gosh, that’s super depressing.
Ok I’ve made so many recipes off your website, but I never knew that you posted blog posts with such fun randomness! I loved reading all your thoughts – and even read through most of the (300+!!) comments! 😮 I got sucked in because you’re talking about some of my favorite things: books, gorgeous shoes, cross-body bags, and fermented foods!! 🙂 My splurges are well-made, quality shoes and (recently) jeans. They’ll last forever. And they just seem to pull together an outfit!
I hope you’ll give kimchi a try again!! It’s like salsa – everyone’s is a little different and taste varies with time. If you have a chance try cucumber (oi) kimchi – it’s milder and my favorite! I grow cucumbers in the summer so I can make it with our korean dishes. Maybe try it wrapped in a lettuce wrap or somewhere where it’s just a condiment (like you would salsa)? We have a little market in Boise where we can find pretty decent kimchi.
Good luck with all your decisions! Thanks for a fun post!
Instagram all the way. Literally don’t have anything else. I got out of Facebook because of all the preaching. Never got into Twitter.
Yeah, I haven’t really gotten into twitter either.
Yes for those shoes – you will love them. I found if I can’s stop thinking out an item then I need to get it. Love your Friday Chat. I has taken me a few days to finish it but I kept going back to reread an item.
Keep them coming.
Melinda
Thanks, Melinda! I ended up getting the shoes…and I love them! Like, really love them.
Metal braces all the way!! We put my oldest in Invisalign and it was the biggest mistake. He is typically the most responsible person, yet couldn’t ever seem to wear them enough. It became a HUGE pain as a parent to be constantly hounding him about it. His treatment took over two years, delayed his Mission until we finally just ended it. He’s been in the MTC three weeks and has to wear a spring retainer because a couple of his top teeth still needed to shift a bit and they hoped that would help. So he has a permanent retainer and Invisalign tray for the bottom and a good old-fashioned hard plastic & wire one up top. I know he’ll be consistent with those at night, but I don’t have a lot of faith that he’ll have straight teeth when he comes back. I don’t know how many times I wished we could’ve started over and put metal on him. Total opposite experience, our second son had metal braces for a mere 16 months. On and done. It was quick and painless. I will never consider Invisalign for another one of my teens.
Thanks for the input on braces, Alisha! We decided on metal braces for my son and I think even he agrees it was the right thing. It probably really depends on the kids, but for him, I knew I didn’t want to spend the next two years nagging him about his trays and such. Already it’s been a lot of nagging just to get him to brush his metal brace laden teeth and it’s only been three days. Ha.
Family reunions – love them, family hikes with a stream to play in are some of my favorite memories – we have done all the games, all the crazy things, and by far my favorite memories are the hikes.
Braces! I am telling you I have 4 boys and braces 100%. The whole clean it every time and brush your teeth when taking it out is enough for me to know that it won’t happen. Teenagers are busy and they like to eat ALOT (at least my boys do), so for us braces was the answer.
Thanks, Laura! We ended up doing metal braces for Jackson and I think it was the right thing!
You are not alone with your SLS problems! I’m a dental hygienist and talk with people regularly about what your experiencing. Another toothpaste you can try is Sensodyne Pronamel. It’s SLS free and very easy to find. Every store sells it. My opinion on kids and Invisalign is, don’t do it. Many kids will walk out their door in the morning and take them out and not wear them because mom isn’t there to tell them to put them back in. They also lose the mouth pieces routinely. My brother spent $3,000+ on Invisalign for my niece and she never wore them. Her teeth look just the same and they couldn’t get their money back. There’s no guarantee that once the metal braces are off your kids teeth won’t shift especially if their not wearing their retainers but they are more likely to be straighter. That’s my two cents and a dental hygienist from the things I’ve seen over the past 16 yrs.
I love my Bagallini bag!
I’ve never experienced good reunion food.
I’m getting that spray wax!
Thanks for the tip on the SLS toothpaste, Emily! I’ll definitely look for it! That makes me sick for your brother spending that money on his daughter’s teeth…with no results. Yikes!! We ended up getting metal braces for my son; even he decided it was the right thing to do, so here we go!
I KID YOU NOT I WANT THOSE EXACT SAME SHOES!!!!!!!!! I’ve been showing them to my husband for weeks, I’m hoping black friday they will have a deal? I’m getting them, do it with me!
Instagram hands down, least amount of ads, quick to read and scroll through, people don’t post junk on there.
Family reunion: always whenever there’s teams against each other: olympics style, minute to win it style, silly treasure hunt-challenge style. Also the human piñata was a big win this year. Family reunions for the win!
What?? I can’t believe you’ve been eyeing the same shoes!! I love that. I ended up getting them…and…I love them! Like, a lot. I emailed the company quite a few times to make sure I was ordering the right size and I’m glad I did (I’m inbetween sizes usually and I went up to a 9 for these per their recommendations). Anyway, they are super comfy and as adorable as I hoped. They are ever just so slightly slippy on the heel for my feet shape, but I’m keeping them. Let me know if you get a pair!
I just scrolled through several comments and didn’t see too many mentioning family reunions-that’s what I wanted to read about. I’m hosting our first one this year. It sounds like you’ve been doing them for years-I’d love to see a post on how you run them and any other tips/tricks
The shoes!! Gasp!! I’m the cheapest person alive. I clicked thinking they might be $50 whole dollars-which is an amount I’ve never spent on shoes. As an avid exerciser I spend good money on workout shoes only, but still can usually find them for around $30.
I also enjoyed reading people’s thoughts on social media. I quit social media because of Collin Kartchner. He is convinced the suicide epidemic is because of smart phones and especially social media and until someone finds out something that makes more sense, I’m with him. Parents are *often* saying things like “we can’t fight this” “this is the way of the future” “it’s a different time for our kids”. But what if we CAN fight this? What if we can make social media unpopular? Be on our phones less and communicate with each other more? What if we stop getting smart phones for our ten year olds? It’s us (the parents) who got our kids in this mess, let’s help them get out of it. When I hear President Nelson promise us we’ll be more fulfilled and notice all these positive changes without social media I have a hard time seeing any good in it!
I’ve followed Collin Kartchner for a while, too, and I agree, it is eye opening to read what he shares! It’s totally changed the way I think about social media for myself and for my kids.
Re family reunion ideas: I went to a low-key wedding and informal reception not too long ago. The reception featured “make your own” subs (submarine sandwiches – are those a thing in America?) It was a huge hit. The family just set out trays of sub buns (two sizes), sliced meats and cheeses, lettuce, onions, tomatoes, pickles, mayo, mustard, etc. etc. etc. – LOTS of choices. And we all made our own sandwiches. I think this would work well for a family reunion for a number of reasons: 1) if people are coming “from away” (as we say in Canada) bringing a potluck dish is a bit problematic; 2) kids generally like sandwiches – put out some peanut butter and jam! (goes over a lot better than Aunt Suzie’s squash casserole, for sure); 3) great for a hot summer day, as no cooking involved, AND 4) it can pretty much all be prepared well in advance.
I love that idea of making your own subs, Debra! Thanks for sharing! It’s perfect.
Your poor hubby….I had a similar surgery and it was the worse pain I’ve ever felt (even having/recovering from a C-section). My head killed me 24/7 and it was no fun. I’m sorry for you too because I’m sure it wasn’t easy taking care of him and your kiddos and keeping us all happy at the same time! The only other thing I can comment on really (because I don’t splurge on expensive shoes although I really should one of these days), is that social media is fun/aggravating/time consuming/addicting/interesting. The only reason I keep Facebook is mainly because my husband is in the Air Force and moving around every 3 years makes it hard to keep in touch with people. Also, I make new friends everywhere I go and I don’t think I would be able to keep up with everyone otherwise. I do find myself wanting to ‘post’ about silly events and I seem braver about what I put after a few glasses of wine (oops…haha!), so I’ve been trying to cut back (on Facebook not wine) and only post important events and pictures. It is probably embarrassing to admit but Facebook is how I get my weather updates too and it really keeps me in the loop when it comes to scary tornado weather while stationed in Mississippi (I have a HUGE fear of scary weather).
Oh man, Tiff, I’m sorry you had to go through that same painful surgery. I hope it was worth it! Brian has finally turned the corner and is doing pretty well, thankfully! Your Facebook analysis had me giggling…and I hear you about wanting to stay in touch somehow. We’ve moved a lot, too, and I don’t want to lose touch with all the people that have become dear friends over the years.
Hello! I didn’t read through the comments so I apologize if this has been said already.
Family reunion: had one this year at a lake and did a cardboard boat regatta. It was so so much fun. Had around 12 boats/teams. Team captains volunteered and then recruited their own team mates. Only rule was no one on the same team could have the same parents. (My uncle had previously figured out how many people to a team.) Had a winner for the fastest boat, the boat that completed with the most people inside, and the boat last standing. If your reunion is by a lake I suggest this. Very fun!
Portuguese: my kids are in a dual language program at school learning portuguese. My suggestion is have your husband speak to you as much as possible in Portuguese. And then you answer back. The teachers use lots of pictures and signs so have your hubs point to a lot of things when he speaks to you. I’m amazed at what I even pick up just listening to my kids speak to each other. We also use the duolingo app at home which is super to help see how things are spelled. Seeing the word helps me remember better. We also watch a lot of cartoons in Portuguese. On YouTube just search for the show and then type portuguese br (for Brazilian portuguese) and see what comes up. We like barbie life in the dream house. Good luck!
Thanks for choosing to keep up the blog. My family really likes eating all the good food from here! I like making recipes that take out all the guess work. You’re the best!
Thanks for the family reunion ideas, Holly! The cardboard boat regatta sounds awesome – the place we are reunion-ing at has a lake; I wonder if it could work. I’m going to look into it! Thanks for the tips on Portuguese! I’m going to use some (all!) of them. I really do think I need to speak it more and have Brian speak it more to me. Thank you!
Life is short! Burn the good candles and buy the expensive shoes!! You won’t regret it.
And I feel you on your hubby’s surgery. My husband had sinus surgery in 2017 (probably should have had his tonsils out at the same time) and it was THE. WORST. We had three trips to the ER, blood transfusions (yes, plural) and another crazy procedure that I’ll spare you the details on. It was a full 6 weeks of recovery. BUT all that being said, it really has been amazing since and I’d go back and do it again. (Can I say that as just a spectator/caregiver? I think so! )
Haha, thanks, Janette! I bought them! I’ll let everyone know if I end up keeping them. 🙂
Oh my goodness, I cannot believe your husband had to have blood transfusions after his surgery. I’ll count our blessings that it hasn’t been that bad!
I know I missed the Friday boat, but I want to get in on this action, too!
#1: I know I’m not the only reader who would love hearing the other 90%. I love your thoughts.
Cultured vegetables: I received kefir grains from a lady in our stake in order to dip my own toes into kefir water. She is an absolute die-hard for all things culture and kefir and whey and other things, and would love to convert the whole world to the healthy magic of it all. I haven’t done the vegetable culturing myself, but said lady has brought me a bunch of stuff to try out for myself and my kids. Do I like the stuff? No, I don’t. The flavor is INTENSE. BUT, I can vouch for the health benefits. I had a UTI and was bummed that I was going to have to go on an antibiotic and kill all of the gut balancing I’d been doing with the kefir water. The lady brought over some really potent cultured stuff and told me to make myself eat a few tablespoons of it every day–it totally chased away the UTI! I still was drinking water like crazy and taking cranberry supplements, but I thought for sure I’d have to get on an antibiotic. Pretty powerful stuff. It tastes weird, but don’t be afraid. You can do all sorts of things–this lady has brought me cultured blueberries, jicama in some sort of citrusy culture… If you want her contact info I’m sure she would love to impart all her wisdom.
Family Reunions: human rubberband and/or slingshot. Poison Stump is always a favorite game/competition with the teens and tweens. My husband’s family did a round of skits where it was the same story (Little Red Riding Hood) told in different settings: Star Wars, Pride and Prejudice, and [can’t remember the other one]. So. Stinkin. Funny. One of the relays we did once was your team had to herd a chicken down around a cone and back without actually touching the chicken. Super hilarious. Also, cute G shirts!
Final thought: This is unsolicited advice, but I feel like it could be pertinent. Being a fellow stresser-outer, brain-won’t-turn-off, please-can-we-just-go-to-sleep-instead-of-figuring-out-everything-in-life-right-now-oh-hmm-I-guess-not… I would highly recommend Anxiety Free. It’s a stress relief blend from Ridgecrest. It really helps take the edge off for me. One of the active ingredients is ashwaghanda, and I’ve heard people that take that supplement and say that really helps, but I really love whatever blend Ridgecrest has come up with. (I’ve tried several things.) Just in case you’re interested!
Love you, Mel!
Haha, thanks Annie. I bet the other 90% of my thoughts would scare you! They scare me sometimes. 🙂 And whoa (whoa!!) to the cultured food thing. I love hearing that so much! But I also get a little scared. Lots of the people who really embrace it can be super passionate about it! I don’t imagine I’ll be converting anyone else until I can actually just culture something on my own first. Ha. But that’s pretty amazing about your experience with the UTI and eating the cultured veggies. I’d love her contact info if you want to send it to me. Is that weird? Would she be creeped out? And oh my gosh, that herding chicken race had me laughing out loud. Thank you for the stress relief blend! I’ll definitely look into that. Thanks, lady.
Hi Mel, I hope your husband is feeling better by now. Maybe he can try some Ensure for more calories and nutrients. Hopefully he can eat some soft food soon. My son’s high school science teacher had a tonsillectomy last year and was out for weeks. It was a really horrible surgery and recovery. He was out a lot during the year with various sicknesses so it did really help him–he was only about 28 years old–and it still wiped him out. My husband actually has an appointment tomorrow with the orthodontist to talk about braces for his top teeth, which have moved since his original braces were on as a teen. The bottom teeth have a permanent retainer on them, but he stopped wearing his top retainer, and now it’s a bummer. My kids both opted for the clear conventional braces and you really could hardly see them. Such a better option, I thought, but some kids do like those colorful bands, which I will never really understand! I didn’t think you could really choose invisalign vs. traditional braces for your kids. I assumed it was the orthodontists’s choice? I am hoping Mike will be able to get invisalign, but that eating/cleaning thing is a drag. Thanks for the tip on canker sores. My hairdresser’s young daughter gets them and she has tried everything–I will have to mention the SLS thing to her as I don’t think she has tried that. I am not, and never have been, on any social media (I will say, though, that I love to check out Diane Morrisey on instagram–her food photos are gorgeous and she posts recipes–it’s almost like a food blog to me). Social media is not my thing. I hear about people posting the most ridiculous things and I personally find it is just a time suck. I am more into personal connections with people. I guess I am more old-fashioned. Also, I think I like my family life to be a little more private. We use What’s App for our family. My son is currently studying in Madrid for the fall semester and we had to get that to communicate with him as regular texting would not work. Now we love it so much! My kids are both on instagram and facebook just like all of the teens/young adults in the world. It is something I have gradually accepted. It is the way they all communicate, and despite how careful/conservative we were when they were younger and growing into their teen years, they eventually all get sucked in. Thanks for your random thoughts. It’s such a nice break in my day. Love you, Mel!!!
Hey Teresa! Brian is doing better. I mean, every day is better and we’re going with that! Except this morning he woke up with head to toe hives…like the worst hives I’ve ever seen. He is miserable and is calling the doc – maybe a reaction to the antibiotic they put him on? Poor guy. I think with Invisalign vs braces, if the patient doesn’t have a lot of big challenges, either Invisalign or wire braces will work?? I don’t know. At least in our case the orthodontist said either would be fine – same cost and about the same timeframe. We actually went in this morning and Jackson got wire braces. We talked to him a lot about it over the weekend and we were all pretty aligned it was the right choice. He’s not thrilled, but he admitted he wouldn’t be thrilled with any type of braces. Haha. Teenage life. I told him it’s my job to keep him down to earth. So many people in this thread use What’s App! I’m definitely going to check it out.
Hi Mel! Those shoes look like they would go with a variety of different outfits and seasons. Get them. Regarding social media, I read the comments here just to see what people were thinking. I was surprised at how many negative views there were and I agree with all of them! I thought I was more in the minority. I deleted my Facebook account four years ago for so many reasons. My best friend went through three consecutive miscarriages and she said she was signing off because it was too hard to see the pregnancy announcements, so I signed off with her. I don’t miss it for a second. It just seems so narcissistic. I’ve found I have less contact with EVERY mom in my kids school and I’m a little “off the radar” but I like it. I have close friends that I talk to everyday and it’s much more meaningful then having four random people telling me I have the “cutest family ever”. There are definitely some aspects I was missing. I use my “share” feature on my phone to keep an album my mom and one of my aunts can view. Because really they are the only ones that need to see me brag about every little thing my family does. My extended family- siblings, spouses, aunts starting using Marco Polo and I love it. It’s short videos we send about what we have going on. We have a family group going and it has definitely helped us all keep in touch. Since we live in different cities. The cousins LOVE it.
Thanks for the toothpaste info! I’ve never heard of that but I’m going to try the Trader Joe’s toothpaste. Thanks for a fun post!! And your recipes are so delicious!!
Hey Kate – I was surprised at how many people don’t use social media either. It’s so interesting! I don’t do Facebook personally either and agree with you that I’m a little out of touch with some networks (that’s how church often shares announcements, etc) but I just request a text message and it works out ok. I think that’s very sweet that you stopped Facebook to support your dear friend. We love Marco Polo too! I have a very small network of family and close friends on there and I love the personal contact without having to make an actual phone call (which isn’t always convenient).
There is a Vietnamese restaurant in Nampa called Little Saigon. I love getting spicy chicken with a side of pickled vegetables. They are SO good. They pickle zucchini, carrots, and cauliflower. Life changing. You’ve got to try it and then create a recipe for us!
The first time I had Vietnamese food was when I ate Bahn Mi at a restaurant in the Salt Lake valley called Oh Mai. So good! Bahn Mi has pickled julienned vegetables like daikon radishes.
As far as the reunion if you are still looking for a location, I would be willing to share the place I found in Idaho. Affordable, large, and a lot of fun, with dates still available this summer. I’ve been really pleased with all of the cheap activities to do nearby as well!
Someone at church just told me about Little Saigon! Now I need to go there ASAP. For research purposes, right?? We’ve found a reunion spot for next year, but thanks (a lodge outside of St. Anthony)! Now I’m just looking to put together the perfect activity/meal schedule. 🙂
Mel… boa sorte a aprender Portugues!! 🙂 You can do it!! I served a mission in Portugal/Cape Verde and it is a beautiful language! and yes, it’s great to have a secret code between my husband and me (spanish).. haha! I think what you really **need** to solidify your accent is a trip to Brazil, pronto!! 🙂 I’m sure your hubby would agree! All in the name of learning, of course! 🙂 Hope he recovers quickly, that sounds terrible!
Thanks for the vote of confidence, Tanya! I need it! And I think you may be right about that trip to Brazil. Maybe alone. Haha. 🙂
From a Dad/Mans point of view:
Surgery as an Adult Thought- Thanks for the tip, I’ll try not to do anything unless absolutely necessary. Family Reunion Thought – I haven’t done too many but I do see a lot of people at Disneyland wearing Family Reunion shirts which I think is cool. The same thing for our Disney Cruise. I understand that it may not be financially feasible but it would defiantly be memorable. Food wise, my mom makes this chicken casserole dish that I just love, she calls it chicken devon but I haven’t found any recipe like it on the internet. Portuguese Thought: That’s awesome but why not relearn Spanish? It think it’s more useful and will probably get you buy in more countries that don’t speak English. Social Media Thoughts: I’m not big on social media, I’m on Twitter and just recently joined Instagram. It’s more to keep up with whatever else I’m missing from my gym and family. The wife is a very private person so we don’t post much, it’s more a lifestyle choice. Shoe Thoughts: I wish my wife’s shoes were that cute. She’s typically in something that looks like it was medically prescribed. When she does buy the cute ones, they’re WAY more expensive than the ones you want. Go for it…if you think you’ll wear them more than once a year. Thoughts on teenagers in wire braces vs. Invisalign? I don’t have teenagers yet but from a coworker…her daughter wanted braces because her friends had them too. Having braces myself I wouldn’t recommend them to anyone but I did think some girls had a cute smile with braces on lol
Thanks for your thoughts, David! I think the main reason I’m learning Portuguese is so I can speak it with Brian, but that is a good point about Spanish. 🙂
Sorry to hear about Brian’s long road to recovery (yours too as the wife typically suffers along with the husband 🙂 ). Maybe it’s taking so long because of all he had done with the tonsillectomy AND the deviated septum/frac. nose surgery. Hopefully, better days ahead soon.
My favorite thing to do at family parties is water balloon volleyball. This is great if the group is a bit older. Two people grab a beach towel and then toss it over the net to the other side where two people with a beach towel try to catch it. It goes back and forth until the balloon breaks. Then you grab another balloon or two. You can have several teams out there on each side. Sometimes, we launch more than one water balloon at a time. As for food, we keep it simple. Sloppy joes, hot dogs, veggie tray, fruit, chips/dip–stuff like that.
I love that Cam has two different socks on in that picture!. My 17 year old daughter still mixes her socks to this day.
Social media—overrated for sure. There is no privacy left in this world and everyone has to know everyone’s business. And so many of today’s kids are becoming zombies. They are on so many platforms and it seems like everyone tries to outdo each other with experiences. Face to face communication is getting to be a lost art. Now some parts of social media are great, like this blog. of yours. A wealth of helpful information and great recipes are definitely worth it.
Braces–My daughter had wire braces. She did just fine. I have no real complaints about them. If cost is virtually the same, then I would go with less maintenance for the kid as teenagers get so busy.
As for shoes, I have paid a little over $100 for a good pair. But they have to have good arch support! Those shoes are very cute, but for that price, I hope they are very comfortable. If you don’t have feet issues, then feel free to splurge on them. With all you have going on, you have earned those shoes 10 times over 🙂
Hey Lori – we used to play water balloon volleyball at all our family reunions growing up and I totally forgot about it until your comment. Thank you! I agree with you about social media. Our circle of friends/influence was never meant to be as big as it is now with social media. And I hate how teenagers/tweens/some adults zone out because of their phones. It’s something I’m trying so hard to manage/avoid with my kids but I often wonder if they’ll leave home and then turn into a zombie. Thanks for all your thoughts!
Ok, I never comment but just had to… I am not on any social media anymore, and I love it! Facebook was the only social media I ever did, and I will never go back to any. Honestly, I truly believe social media does more harm than good. I have seen it cause so much cruelty, anxiety, depression, feelings of worthlessness, isolation, etc., especially for women. Overall, I am so much happier. I try to keep in touch with others in much more meaningful ways. And those that I don’t keep in touch with anymore because I’m not on Facebook, I’m really not miss in them.
Love these social media thoughts – thank you!
I only have thoughts on family reunions. I was just an attender and thoroughly got to appreciate the work that went into it. It was a 100th annivesary of the reunion, 2 day event.
Bounce house/inflatable slides for the kids. Water play. Craft station. Face painting. They had a big cow bell, and taught the kids when they rang it, good things happened- freeze pops, ice cream, games, etc.
Volleyball tournament, egg toss, Mountain hike. Ice coffee in the afternoon! Fireworks. They rented out a boarding school in the summer, and some of us stayed in the dorms. They also hired the cook to make the dinners. It was a blast!
Thanks for all those ideas, Bethany!
Thank you so much for the information about SLS free toothpaste….Never in a million years would I have guessed that my toothpaste was making my face break out! I found Schmidt’s brand toothpaste at Target and it has 100% cleared my skin blemishes. Thanks Mel, for always sharing openly about your daily life, struggles, wins and of course, amazing recipes!!
Thank you, Brandy! Glad you found a toothpaste that is helping!
I love reading your Friday thoughts! One of the MANY reasons I love your blog. You are a real person with life struggles that you share. I hope the healing accelerates for Brian.
I love your shopping suggestions and was reminded while reading the other comments about quality vs. quantity. Totally what I am into, but forget as I like to spend as little money as possible on myself. It is difficult justifying it when there are six other little/big people my husband and I are keeping clothed. Not to say anything about not buying the shoes. I am looking for better balance in that regard as most of my clothing and shoes are over a decade old, but not necessarily high quality and need to be replaced terribly.
As for the fermenting, I am dabbling myself. My family happens to love kraut and that is mainly what I have tried. I want to try some of the same things you do, carrots, beets, etc. I am not sure what made your kimchi experience bad. I hope you will try your own at some point as that has been my favorite so far. I made the straight vegetable version without the fish additions. Good luck and thank you for sharing your thoughts! You and your family will be in my thoughts and prayers.
Thanks, Jennifer! I totally know what you mean about the other people in the house often taking priority with the fashion dollars to spend. I think I will try kimchi. I fully recognize the horrible experience was largely due to where I was eating (the meal was served with raw cow liver, and maybe that’s truly what scarred me).
I just succumbed and bought a different pair of Bali Elf shoes…and they are beautiful and comfortable and fulfilled all my shoe hopes and dreams. For good shoes, do it!
That makes me happy knowing you’ve loved another of their shoes!
Melanie, I don’t know how you do it. You have had so much going on at your house and still you have time to take meals and visit so many others in need. Your children are perfect and busy too. Thank your dear boys for taking our trash bins up to the road every week for your 75/80 year old neighbors. I’m glad to see Brian up and about again, although a thinner man. Yes, I love your recipes too and have tasted many of them. Thanks. We love you guys!
Haha, yes, Carol, my kids are PERFECT! Cute neighbor, you know as well as I do that they aren’t, but they actually really do love taking your trash out each week! Love you right back. 🙂
I love all of this!! My husband had his tonsils removed when he was 30 & it was so bad… best of luck to you and brian!
Currently in invisilign… my kids can get clear braces. I hate wearing my trays and i’m the adult… i don’t think my boys would be great at wearing them, so braces it will be.
The purse, i have had two & i love them. I bought both of them ar Ross. They are a good size, with a lot of pockets.
Keep the friday thoughts coming
I hear you, Alyssa. I hated Invisalign too (only because of the restriction to eat, which I know is such a 1st world problem).
I love your Friday posts! I’ll just chime in on the Invisalign question as my 12 year old just got them. He has some sensory issues so I thought that the Invisalign would be an easier adjustment for him. Plus, I had braces as a teen and hated the wires and brackets cutting up the inside of my mouth. My orthodontist also charges the same for traditional and Invisalign and gives the option to switch to traditional braces in the first six months if it isn’t going well. All that to say that my son is doing great so far. He hasn’t forgotten them or lost them yet so I call that a success! Good luck with your boys!
Great input on the braces, Megan! Our office also charges the same BUT there is a $400 charge to switch from Invisalign to wire braces if it isn’t going well so we really need to make sure. Glad your son is doing so well with Invisalign!
You should make your own kombucha! I would love to see all your expert advice on that! I did it for a while and have wanted to start doing it again.
Not sure I’ll ever be an expert at any of it, but I promise to share as I have results with the things I try!
My thoughts on Invisalign are it depends on the kid. If your kid has ever lost their shoes, forgot their homework or has to be reminded to do a chore – do regular braces. My son had regular braces and needed a retainer before the braces were put on. The orthodontist gave me the choice of having the braces on for longer and skipping the retainer and I jumped on it because I’m often reminding him of stuff – best decision ever. My daughter has a metal allergy so traditional braces weren’t an option – but even if they were, I would have done Invisalign. She’s the kid who never has to be told to do stuff and always has her homework and a pencil for class (and a spare for the kid who forgot theirs – like her brother) – the perfect candidate for Invisalign. One drawback of Invisalign are all the adult teeth have to be in, so have to wait longer before starting than you would for metal braces – at least that was for my daughter, not sure if her case was different.
Such a good point – it really does depend on the kid. Thanks for your thoughts, Tammy!
Hi Mel! I’m sorry life is pure insanity right now. One of my favorite scriptures that got me through one of the hardest years of my life (last year): Ether 6:4-12
Social media is overrated!!
I’ve never tried a cross body bag but man it looks great!! Too bad it got way popular after your post and the price went up! (heehee) I’m thinkin I may have to try it out though!
Well made, cute and comfy shoes that last for years? totally worth it.
You are strong and capable! (And my one-and-only fave food blogger!) There’s my 2 cents.
Thanks for the the thoughts, Carolee! and dang, sorry that bag jumped in price. Irritating! Thanks for the spiritual thought – always needed and appreciated!
I have braces right now and they are the worst! I want them off! I never had them as a child so I am in them for about 12-18 months and I’m only 6 months in. My husband is a dentist who works in an office with an orthodontist (thus the reason I have these wretched things on my teeth) and he said he would not generally recommend Invisalign for teenagers. His reason is just mostly that they have to be worn for most hours of the day and often times teenagers are not the most compliant with such things. He did say that if you have a responsible teenager that you can trust to handle the process properly then it could be a good thing for them, but generally he would just recommend good old fashioned braces.
Thanks for the input, Heather! I hope the next year goes FAST. Ugh. I think we are leaning toward wire braces much to my son’s dismay. It just feels like the better choice. He’s pretty responsible but I think he’ll resent how much he has to care for the Invisalign process every day.
Go for fermenting! I highly recommend the book Fermented Vegetables by Kirsten and Christopher Shockey. It gives you thorough instructions, and has a helpful troubleshooting section with pictures that help me calm my foodborne illness fears. I live in the same valley as you and our library system has several copies of the book. There is a recipe for Beet Kvass that is super simple. The Shockeys have a website, ferment.works and on the website they have a helpful free intro course, Five Ferments in Seven Days.
Thanks, Louise! I’m going to look for that book at the library!
1. Hope Brian feels better soon … YIKES!
2. I can only speak to the Social Media and Fermented topics so:
Social Media. I only use Instagram and although I dislike that it is a Facebook company, I like the user interface (mostly) and find it a fun way to quickly share photos and stories without the time involved in my own blog posts. Some caveats. I only follow 14 people on Instagram. I post things I like in my life and nothing that I am concerned about being public knowledge so: pet stuff, food, bits and pieces. I follow a few people who have similar pets, live in parts of the world I’d like to visit, friends from my blog. Occasionally on a weekend morning I might “explore” but typically do not.
I’ve had my own WordPress blog for almost 12 years. I started to allow family and friends to keep tabs on me on my RV trips: interest and my own safety. I found I loved to write and take/share photos and kept it up between trips. It takes more time than Instagram and I’ve gradually reduced the time spent blogging and increased Instagram posts.
My reason for blog and Instagram is primarily family and close friend sharing but I’ve also found that I like the easy reference to my life as well as the fact that posting somehow makes the memories stick or at least the topic and it is easy to search and find the details if I want to.
I am a computer programmer so at my computer a lot for work – work that I enjoy very much. I love to cook so search and maintain my recipes on the computer. I read about photography equipment and tools on the computer. I don’t have cable/satellite or antenna and I don’t stream a lot, but I do read a lot. I work from a home office and live with a dog and cat in a rural location – by choice! – and like the option of social when and for how long I want it … from the comfort of a little house I love.
This is probably more than anyone will read 🙂 … but I am very happy with what I think is a minimal amount of social connection via social media. All of that said, I think blogs – which are free, are perhaps one of the best ways to share with family and control privacy to an extent (there is NOT total privacy on the internet!!!). Also Instagram but I have not looked at What’s App. Instagram can be private (ish). I know lots love Facebook, but I think it is the world’s worst interface as well as just being an intrusive bit of software.
Moving on to Fermented things
I have always loved sauerkraut and started making my own regularly, 2 years ago. Prior to that Mrs. Bubbies was/is my favorite store brand but there is also a local woman that supplies groceries with “homemade” and she has a cabbage-apple that is very good. I often combine some shredded carrots and/or shredded beets in the ‘kraut, but generally I let shredded lettuce and hand mixed salt sit for an hour until the cabbage releases its water, pack in clean jar with all under water. I usually get enough water from the cabbage that I don’t add water. I take a taste at 14 days and it is usually somewhere between 14 and 21 days that it tastes good to me and goes into the refrigerator. I love the Easy Fermenter lids and also bought glass weights. You don’t need either but as I started fermenting regularly, it made things fast and easy. Now, as said, I LOVE sauerkraut. I don’t think I loved it as a kid and I wonder about most kids liking/eating the fermented things. My take on the whole thing is unless they’ve had some tries at store bought and like them … there are other options: kefir, yogurt and Oh, SOURDOUGH bread (naturally leavened) !!!
I make kefir since your blogging about it and love it. My dog loves it and it really helped my older dog, Bear.
Sourdough – I love everything about it: the process, the taste, the health benefits. I know, one more thing to “feed” (starter). BUT, like most things, when you’ve done it a bit, you get a routine and the whole feed and maintain and plan ahead part of sourdough becomes second nature – well, it did for me. And there are recipes for soft sandwich bread as well as the crusty artisanal breads, plus rolls, sweets, donuts!!! Additionally, uses for discard starter go way beyond pancakes and waffles.
Sheesh – I’ve written a short novel but I’m going to post it anyway. Happy Friday, Mel even though I’m writing this on Sunday.
Love all your thoughts, Liz!! I really need to get back into sourdough. I kept up a starter for so long and then let it go and threw it out a while back (it probably didn’t need to be tossed but it was pretty icky). I think I’ll start small with the fermented vegetables – like carrots or something simple. My kids are pretty adventurous but Brian hates sauerkraut more than anything (it’s like the only thing he truly detests). However, I’m doing this mostly for myself and if convince the family to try some along the way, that’ll be a bonus. I also agree with you about Facebook. I truly dislike it and only keep it up for my business page but don’t use it personally at all.
Two thoughts to share: 1. I had a tonsillectomy last summer and it was THE WORST as an adult!! I cried every day from the pain, I was SO hungry, and just it was just generally so hard. But it was worth it in hindsight. May the force be with you. 2. I got rid of facebook 3 years ago and I have an on again off again relationship with instagram. Currently off. Overall my brain is clearer when I’m off social media. It takes a little detox (sadly) but you get used to it. When I’m off completely, I question how I ever had time for it before… or even why I liked it or wanted it in my life. Quitting Facebook was 100% life changing. I will never go back. I enjoy Instagram hence the relationship – but I’m a happier and clearer person without it. Anyway, just my experiences. 🙂
I totally agree with that comment about your brain is clearer off of social media. I agree with that. Appreciate your thoughts!
BUY THE SHOES! You’re not even close to the questioning price range.
Haha, thanks for the encouragement, Marnie.
My hubby speaks portuguese too! For 2 solid years he made a commitment to only speak Portuguese to our then 1 and 2 year old. Guess what? I learned so much conversational Portuguese just hearing it. Ask Brian to speak everything he says to you in Portuguese. Then immediately say it in English. I promise it’s amazing and works. Good luck!!!
That is great advice, Katie!
Surgery: this is good to know. I get tonsil stones (basically hard lumps of bacteria and debris that form in my tonsils and then eventually get big enough to feel irritating and I have to try to “pop” them out with my fingers. They also STINK and give me bad breath. I’ve debated surgery to stop getting them, but maybe I’ll just try to stay on top of popping them out instead…
Social media: I prefer Instagram these days. I am pretty stingy about who I follow (basically just close friends and family and a 3-4 bloggers whose content I really enjoy and find inspiring; around 30 people total), so when I tap the app I barely spend any time in it because there’s usually only about 10 new posts/day. For Facebook, I try to look at it on my computer because I have the FB Purity extension (looks like a scam but he’s just bad at graphic art; it’s legit) and it really pares down the ads and useless posts. It’s highly customizable so you can choose exactly what types of posts you don’t want to see – you can even add certain words that you don’t want to see, so it eliminates posts about certain topics (I would guess most people use that for political stuff, but if you had a miscarriage etc it could also limit what posts you see that refer to pregnancy, or something). It also reduces how much time I spend on Facebook considerably!
Teeth: I had a series of retainers first (my parents were trying to afford the out-of-pocket cost of braces) but I lost a couple that were expensive to replace and didn’t wear them as consistently as I probably should’ve. I also found them much more painful than the braces I eventually got, because the teeth keep shifting every time you pop them in and out to eat. Braces were faster because they stayed on all the time and I preferred the reduced pain.
Fermenting food: So far I’ve only done yogurt (instant pot, in canning jars). My BIL does kombucha and sauerkraut for his health issues and claims they help a lot. I’m tempted to try too but I think I’ll be the only one eating them so I’m not sure it’s worth the effort.
Shoes: Go ahead! I bought a handmade leather purse recently for what seemed like a ridiculous price, but I feel like it’s the “real” price for a good quality leather purse. So much of what we purchase is excessively cheap and it makes us undervalue our possessions and feel entitled to own a lot of things. I’m trying to buy fewer items of higher quality (in classic styles that I know I’ll like for a long time) to reduce the stress on the environment and to keep me from feeling overwhelmed about the quantity of stuff in my house. Now I’m just overwhelmed by the shopping experience of finding the “right” items that will last a long time in my life – I’m not a shopper by nature haha!
I’m not a shopper by nature either so I totally understand! But I’d say over the last ten years I’ve really adapted more to the quality vs quantity. My wardrobe is a LOT smaller than it used to be but filled with higher quality items (like jeans I’ve been wearing for half a decade or more). Thanks for all your thoughts, Amy!
Boy girl ,,,,you have so much going on,,,and sorry to hear about Brian’s issue,,my partner had that done,,,said what a mistake,, best cure is another bed room…lol
Family reunion’s ,,,,veggie pizzas,,,I know but always go over with a bang, easy and yummy. Best things I like is easy food,,like finger food with a few other fork items. Good Brats with tooth picks,,little pieces like they offer as samples at the food stores sometime.
You have a busy life so let you get back to it,,,,Lucky you.
DCB
Thanks for the suggestions and comment, Douglas!
I’m allergic to SLS too! I’ve been using a Trader Joe’s SLS-free brand of toothpaste for a few years and it’s great. My 8 year old has been getting a ton of canker sores and I suspected a sensitivity too — I took him to Whole Foods (they have a ton of SLS free options) and let him pick a yummy vanilla one. So far so good!
I need to check out that Trader Joe’s toothpaste!
SLS free toothpaste is the way to go to combat camker sores,- just make sure it still has flouride. Trust me. We use Sensodyne.
I loved having a talent show at the family reunion. My husband has over 30 first cousins and they are getting married and having kids- we are trying to figure out how to help the newbies know everyone’s name. To the extent that you make those who have married into the family feel welcome, that is appreciated! (I am a convert and married into a big family).
I have fermented off and on, it’s fun. Cultures for health is a great place to start. I ferment salsa/pico de Gallo. Check frequently! You can get your own water kefir grains and use some juice…I used grape- haven’t done it in years! I haven’t made yogurt lately either, I want to try with my instant pot. Would love a separate post on this- maybe a round up or just asking for others advice. Just chose a recipe and do it- for the record, I have never fermented cabbage… I’ve heard of fermented ginger carrots which sounds interesting…. And of course you can ferment your own pickles, which sounds easy but I have not yet done.
Hope your husband is better. Surgery is the pits. Hope you are holding up, as well!
The verve brand does also have flouride but now I’m curious to check out the Trader Joe’s brand that so many people have recommended. Talent show is a GREAT idea! I’ll definitely post on the lacto-fermentation as I get more experience!
(insert wide eyed emoji) THE CROSSBODY BAG OF MY DREAMS.
Also, what even IS IT about surgeries for adults, done in the throat or head, taking FOR.EV.ER. to recover from?? I had my wisdom teeth taken out when I was 27. Oh my gosh, shoot me in the foot, that would’ve been a better experience. My friend had her tonsils taken out in her late 20’s and she was miserable for weeks.
Haha! I’m sorry it jumped back up in price, darn it! It was such a good deal at $27.
On learning Portuguese I have just started using the free version of Duolingo and like it!! Love the look of the shoes but if you look up close on the pic where they’re being worn it looks like it’s not a tight fit up front – might slip up and down as you walk esp after you wear them in?? But as a shoe lover myself I’m going to have to check the site out in more detail!!!
Good feedback, Angie – I’ll check that out on the shoes.
Surgery – My husband had this surgery about 15 years ago (his tonsils grew back)! He was out of commission for FOREVER!!! Sadly, he still snores and refuses to go back to the doctor or look into getting a CPap machine as he has read somewhere that it can make matters worse (I don’t know my doctors in the clinic I work in say it isn’t true).
Shoes – I always pay $150 or more for my shoes, but I am a shoe snob!!! I have the brands that I love and know they will also last. Those shoes are cute and if you think they will be comfortable, and they are quality, then they should last a good long while and you could also get them re-soled (which is what I do). I have had expensive shoes that I have worn for over 20 years and they are still going strong, I have had them re-soled one time and doing great!
Social Media – I am not a social media girl! I will hop onto facebook once in a while. Mainly to get a card idea or something, but for the most part, I stay away from it. I have accounts and will sometimes keep up with old high school friends, but it is rare for me to be out there.
Braces vs. Invisalign – I had to wear braces twice (once as a teen and again as an adult). I figure, if I have to suffer thru it 2 times, my son will have to as well! He is not responsible enough and needs something permanently attached!!! I fear when the time comes for the retainers, he will be losing those unless we do the permanent retainers! He would lose his left hand if it were not attached (the joys of having a 14 year old male!).
I can’t speak to the other items, but from all of your other comments, you are in great hands!!! Love your blog and your recipes.
What are your favorite brands of shoes? I love chacos and Danskos, but I should update my shoes at some point…
Um, what?? Tonsils can grow back? I’m so sorry for your husband (and for you; a snoring spouse is no joke). I’m also curious about your other shoe recommendations! Haha, I hear you on the 14-year old boy teenager. That’s kind of where we’re at. Thanks, Kim!
I am a recipe person but I happen to read your thoughts today. Go for the shoes. I like them and think they rock if they feel good on. I guess I will read your thoughts more now that I jumped in. I am mostly a kitchen person with grandchildren.
Thanks, Carol!
One idea for social media sharing that we’ve found works really well is simply to create a shared album in Google Photos. You can leave comments that work like chatting, really, and set it up so that you grant permission to access (via Gmail). You can also set it to simply share via link (it won’t be searchable), but that’s less secure, of course.
This also lets you create multiple different groups – one for grandparents, for example, who would like to see EVERY photo of the kids, and one for friends, who are fine with some kid photos, but maybe don’t need them every day.
As for shoes, $165 is perfectly fine in my book, especially for something handmade!
Thanks for that tip about google photos – great idea!
My family has been doing a reunion every year for nearly 40 years. Best one hands down was The Amazing Race. Went all over town, had the different types of tasks. Spread it across Friday night and Saturday morning. Absolutely awesome! Teams were the individual families (so each of my dad’s siblings and their kids).
We’re also big fans of ridiculous obstacle course races and scavenger hunts (like big run around town hunts).
We also did Heber Valley camp one year. Super cool.
Highly recommend Cafe Rio style salads for dinner and breakfast burritos or crepes for breakfast.
My friend also said they did an Amazing Race event at their family reunion and it was amazing! Kind of sounds like a lot of work. I can delegate though!
Mel….Wow. you continue to amaze me with your balancing acts! Thanks for sharing, you have a way of telling it like it is, and being funny at the same time!
Here’s my speed style comments:
1. I’m sorry Brian! Sister had same surgery and it’s downright hideous.
2. The last couple family reunions we rented waterslides/bounce houses for the kids (and some childish adults) You would think we brought Disneyland home.
3. Try a backpack bag. I loooove using mine! https://www.oluca.co (ok, I don’t own one of these exact ones, but hello!? So cute!)
4. No social media. None.
5. Buy the shoes. I have one pair of hand crafted leather shoes and they bring me joy. Evey girl needs a pair.
6. Good luck… Keep your chin up, you got this girl!!
Oh don’t be amazed, Ellen. I’m hanging on by a very thin thread! Love your speed style comments. Love them.
Maybe somebody chimed in already about the fermented foods but I thought I would give my two cents since you have blessed me with so many delicious recipes over the years. I have been doing fermented foods for years for gut health for a few of my children. We started with carrots and they are still my favorites because they don’t get mushy while they ferment.https://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2010/08/lacto-fermented-dilly-carrot-sticks.html This is the recipe I have used for years. Most of the time I don’t add the dill. Put the garlic on the bottom so it doesn’t float. Sometimes the garlic turns blue or green (sounds totally crazy!!) but don’t get worried, it is normal. My kids like pickles and these carrots taste like pickles. They eat them straight out of the jar but you can chop them up and add them to salads too. Homemade sauerkraut is delicious too and you can do fermented salsa and ketchup too. It really is simple. The first time is a little scary but press forward. The best piece of advice I received when starting is this: if it has gone bad, you will be able to tell by the smell! That is very true! Good luck!
P.S. Those shoes are adorable!
I think I’m going to start with carrots, too! Thanks for the recipe! Makes me kind of excited!
I have had Invisalign and two of my boys have had them. Then I have had 3 kids with regular braces. Of course, the Invisalign have a better look (for the most part–those little “speed bumps” that hold the Invisalign in better do tend to look like you have a tooth wart or food on your teeth…Ha!). Anyways, my oldest boy only wore Invisalign and he loves food and, as you know, it’s hard to snack when you have Invisalign. He has a fast metabolism and so this was a huge pain for him. He practically never wore them. Fortunately, he wore them enough that I think it still worked, but I’m not sure he had much to adjust. My other son had worn regular braces first and wore his Invisalign really well. (I think it was because he was used to braces and retainers and didn’t really get a break in between.) So, I guess my thought to share is that your boys may have a hard time keeping the Invisalign in, but they may still prefer them. As painful as they were for me, I’m really glad I could take them off when I ate or when I absolutely couldn’t stand them (for a little bit).
Great feedback, Amanda. Thank you!
I love these posts, and really enjoy the randomness of this one 🙂 my husband had the same surgery a couple years ago and the recovery was so brutal. At this point in recovery I would do things like overcooked pasta and grilled cheese and soups. He could eat them all, albeit slowly. Brian’s recovery sounds very similar to his and it was worth it in regards to his health during cold season. He did not have the constant sinusitis and cold all winter! However, he did still snore and ended up doing a sleep study and was diagnosed with sleep apnea. Getting him a Cpap machine was the best thing we did for his sleep and our marriage!
One year for a family reunion we did a “joke off.” My grandpa was known for his amazing corny jokes and we each did varying rounds of telling our best (the worst!) Jokes. Last man standing won. We were all rolling. And a sweet way to honor/remember him.
I do not spend money like that on shoes unless hiking or athletic, but those are amazing and so cute! After surviving sinus surgery recovery, you SO deserve it!
Thank you for all you do, Mel!
Your feedback is so helpful, Myranda! Thank you! Gives me hope. I’m hoping Brian’s snoring will be miraculously cured but I’m not holding my breath. That’s hilarious about the joke fest at our family reunion.
I do not participate in Social media at all. I have been told that it is a great way to keep in touch with out-of-towners, but I have recognized from friends that use it how much time it takes out of their day! I have to admit that I also DO NOT have a Smart phone….yet. I’m holding off as long as I can and am hoping that my flip-phone will last a while longer. I realize that I am in the minority on this, but I like to keep my life private! Thanks and good luck!
Love that you still have a flip phone, Lisa. Stay strong! 🙂
Aaaah! My husband just got a CT yesterday to confirm a deviated septum AND they said his tonsils were HUGE! Do you think it would have been easier if you had just done one at a time? That’s what we thought would happen! I was already nervous because he is a very clingy human being after any kind of procedure so now I’m wondering if it’s worth it. Haha! But he is constantly sick so maybe?
Ashley! My husband had this last year at 38 years old and it has changed his life. Better sleeping means more energy and happiness, he hasn’t been sick once since and he was constantly battling staying healthy. It was one month of pain but it’s been worth it for us for sure! Good luck!
Lizzy’s comment gives me hope! As bad as it has been, I’m actually glad Brian had it done all at once. Just get it over with!
I’m not a huge shoe person – I have less shoes than my husband – BUT I love those. I am also an enabler, so do it. I might even do it! (I buy shoes that last forever so they usually cost more but I still have quite a few pair from 2008 so I’m thinking it is worth it.)
My friend got her tonsils out this year and said recovery took three months. She was miserable but hasn’t had strep since (she had it seven months in a row, so it was recommended those puppies come out) so just keep telling Brian to hang in there and by the time it’s New Year’s Eve, he will be good to go 🙂
Haha, love that you are an enabler. So am I. If I can every justify something for you, just let me know. 🙂 the three months thing has me worried…yikes.
Love you, Mel. That is all.
Okay, not really! So sorry about Brian’s surgery. It makes me grateful I had my tonsils out at 10, and wonder whether I should have my boys get theirs out. But they don’t get strep. I had it constantly when I was a kid. My husband never had his out and he snores, so maybe I’d be doing their future wives a favor. 😉
I totally would have bought that bag if your recommendation didn’t shoot the price up to $99! Maybe I’ll watch it for a while and see if it drops back down. I need a new cross-body bag. Mine is a Fossil bag. Second hand, super cute, but very worn out!
Okay, I’m done. Really. I love these posts, they make me feel like we ARE friends in real life. Like I always pretend we are anyway. 🙂
Love you back, Catherine! 🙂 I can’t believe that bag went up to $99! Yeah, it’s not worth that much!
Mel,
For Christmas many, many years ago, my husband bought me an expensive pair of boots. I would never have bought them for myself. But, they fit perfectly and I loved them and I still have them and wear them all the time! I have them reheeled every spring and spiffed up by the shoemaker, but you know what, totally worth it! Quality vs. quantity is what I say now…
Braces: my daughter went through years of wire braces as a teen and now as an adult is considering Invisalign. I’m going to share your experience with her.
My son had a tonsillectomy at age 20, so not quite as old as your husband, but the recovery was tough. But, totally worth it. No more snoring, no strep….hang in there! I agree with the Ensure recommendation or Carnation Instant Breakfast in whole milk is a good alternative too – maybe some ice cream with it!
Not sure I get the fermented foods thing..I’ll be interested to read more about it.
Happy Friday! – Woops, Saturday now! Deb
Thanks for the thoughts, Deb! Glad those boots are still going strong! Hopefully Brian will be done snoring and be glad he had this surgery! not even going to ask him his thoughts about that yet.
On the food fermenting – I am strong proponent of eating healthy, eating real/whole food. The #1 BEST thing we can all do is – quit sugar, it is poison for our bodies!
Good advice, Ann!
Buy the shoes. Once you wear them and love them you’ll forget how much you spent.
Family reunion ideas. We too have done the compilation cd. I think we have done it like 10 years straight. So fun to have everyone submit a favorite song and then put them all on one cd. We listen to it all year long and I love how it has made our spread out family feel more connected. All the time my children will say, “ this is aunt Sarah’s song” etc. when we are listening in the car. Another fun thing we did this year was divide into teams and have a scavenger hunt. My husband and I were in charge and we put everyone in teams and gave them a list of stuff to do (go find a sticker from a surf shop, have a scoop of ice cream etc). The teams were not just families, we divided everyone up. Huge hit.
Good luck! So glad our planning and executing of that event is over. Ten siblings is no joke.
I am loving that idea for everyone to submit a song! I think we’ll do that for sure. Thank you!
In the words of Marie Kondo, does it spark joy? I would apply that to the shoes and social media. I gave up social media a few months back and LOVE not having it, it wasn’t very uplifting and took time from my family. To stay in touch with family we use google hangouts, you can message each other, it’s free , and there is no limits on how many people you can add, we have nieces and nephews who have joined too, it’s been really great. I discovered “canker cover” recently and it is amazing. It has initial seconds of pain and feels a little weird in your mouth but you put it over the canker and it no longer hurts. It just slowly wears away and the canker is gone when it’s finished. I need a new purse and also suffer from hair flyaways so thanks for the recommendations!!
That’s a great question to ask! I’m going to use that more and more. Thanks for the canker recovery recommendation!
Reunion ideas: we usually do a big tournament of some sort that ends the last night. Something like ping-pong, pool, pinochle, depending on what’s available at the reunion location. We set up the bracket on the first day and let people play whenever there’s downtime. We always have a trophy for the winner! We also love karaoke and playing real-life family fued.
Social media: I love Marco Polo. It’s the only social media I don’t find to be a total time suck.
I love the tournament idea! I think there is a ping pong table at the house we are renting so that might be a good idea! And I love Marco Polo, too…in fact it’s the main thing I use for connecting with close friends and family as I’m using instagram less and less.
Our family each take turns preparing a meal for our group of 50. Our favorite was tomato basil soup and grilled cheese. We have a good sized grill so we were able to make them assembly line style. The soup was made ahead, it matched the weather perfectly. Othet favorites are Philly cheesesteaks, pasta bar, and taco bar ( salads for grown-ups, tacos for the kids) and sandwich bar. Some guests once made curry for the whole group,, which was well received. We offered to adopt them, but they moved across the country.
I love that idea of soup and grilled cheese! Totally using that.
Social Media: 10 day “fast” made BIG difference – thinking less about, wanting to post more uplifting things – not as “opinionated re:politics, just shut it off
, want to listen more to spiritual audio, etc. —————————————————————————————————–
CANKER SORES – my sister for decades used CARMAX – they may last 11/2 days ——————————————-FERMENTING FOOD THOUGHTS – If you grow your own veggies, eat tons of fruit – went on a diet @1998 called “Hit The Spot”, cut out pasta, beans and corn – lost all my cellulite, went to size 9 (big boned, really) didn’t need diabetic med anymore, red meat was eaten rarely (chicken, turkey, lamb, fish) had SO much energy – food eaten in moderation, didn’t crave sweets – it works for me (and Suzanne Somers)
Yes, I agree! That 10 day fast was impactful.
Thanks for your thoughts. I think I will get on the ball to have my 10 year old’s tonsils out now 🙂
Haha, that way he won’t hate you when he has to have them out as an adult!
I’m sure you’re making lots of yummy food that your husband can still eat, but if you’re worried about his nutrition or losing too much weight, I’d recommend Ensure. My husband went through a crazy illness that lasted months and he lost 25 pounds (he was thin to begin with). He could handle drinking the Ensures and it helped him get his calories/nutrition. Hopefully your husband feels better soon! I totally agree that some surgeries and illnesses are harder to handle as an adult.
Thanks, Lindsay! We finally got him some ensure last week and it’s been a blessing. So sorry to hear about your husband! Hope he is all recovered. Yikes.
I had a tonsillectomy at 24. It was horrible. I mean truly horrid. Compared to every other major health thing I have ever experienced (wisdom tooth extraction, lap cholecystectomy, child birth and pneumonia for the first time ever last year) it was far and away the hardest to recover from. I am nurse and know it is a tough surgery for adults. Back then I was somewhat dismissive of my ENT saying it was a full 14 convalescence, in bed until minimum day 10. He said that on a scale of 1-10, an open heart surgery for an adult would rank a six and tonsillectomy a nine due the risk of post op hemorrhage. I can also saw beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am SO much healthier since I had my tonsils out. Six years of chronic strep and tonsillitis infections had taken its toll, and they were just incubating bacteria all the time instead of doing what they are supposed to. I know the recovery is dreadful but tell him to hang in there.
Ok, that’s insane with the doctor said about a tonsillectomy vs open heart surgery. Yikes.
If you will wear the shoes with any regularity, buy them! It’s not like your feet are still growing. Plus, they’re cute! My daughter has braces with the wires, and we have done alright with them. Bonus: she can’t lose them, like you could Invisalign. For purses, I was always a crossbody bag person, but I bought a Sash bag, and absolutely love it. It’s a very minimalist crossbody that doesn’t aggravate my back :). We don’t do huge family reunions, but when we have a family gathering at Christmas, we love to do an appetizer potluck. Oh, and your one bowl fudge brownies have been a huge hit around here lately. My hubby took them to work, and coworkers kept asking him to bring more! So, make those for the reunion!
Thanks for the recommendation on the bag! I love the idea of an appetizer potluck, too!
Toothpaste: I would suggest to try the Trader Joe’s toothpaste! It’s SLS free too. It’s very economical and I’ve seriously been so happy over the years! My teeth feel so clean and I will never use any regular brand toothpastes again.
Fermenting foods: I’m so interested in this and would love to learn more!
I’m totally looking for it the next time I go. Never thought to look for toothpaste there! I’ll keep you posted what I learn/find out from fermenting foods. Lots of differing opinions in this thread. Some say go for it! Others want to vomit.
$150 on a pair of Hoka One One’s, yes! That I will do! That chocolate bar I will also take, I love that brand! I love these posts do much!
Thanks, Marci!
Your bag, which is adorable, is now listed at $99, so I think you got a deal. Cross-body bags
Darn, I’m bummed it jumped back up in price!
Buy the shoes, Mel. In the blink of an eye, you will be older and able to afford them, but unable to keep your balance in those heels. Do it. Also buy Ensure for Brian, two cans per day, chilled, for protein, calories and nutrients.
Thanks, Nancy – we finally got some chocolate ensure last week and he was in heaven (well, kind of).
I almost had the deviated septum surgery 10 years ago, but I chickened out. AND I’M SO GLAD I DID! I don’t think I would see anywhere near the improved quality of life to justify just how awful that recovery would be. I hope your hubs heals soon!
Those are super cute shoes! I personally have only spent that much money on boots, but if you love them then go for it.
Thanks for all the awesome recipes you post. You are my go-to for so many recipes! Your traditional cinnamon roll recipe was the first recipe for cinnamon rolls I ever tried that wasn’t dry and a waste of time. It’s still my favorite!
Thanks, Amber!
1 – Surgery as an adult = necessary evil. I wound up in ICU for a week after my tonsilectomy when I hat them out at your hubby’s age…BUT I’ve NEVER (repeat…NEVER) had strep again.). Yes, ultimately worth it.
2 – Family reunion: best thing ever was breakfast for lunch or dinner or hey….breakfast. Everyone brought their waffle irons, made breakfast casseroles, pancakes on coleman grills, it was AWESOME…and the kids loved it too. One aunt went nuts and made chocolate waffles with strawberries. YUM! Omlet stations….it was SO fun!
3 – Portugese thought…..just keep swimming……
Give yourself a break….you’ll learn part of it – and that’s okay. If you learn more – -awesome!!!
4 – Cross body bag. – So what? If you love it – keep it and use it all the time. Problem solved. Who cares if it’s cheaper somewhere? If it’s useful and you love it – use it!
5 – Girl hair: What’s easiest? If it’s this stuff…use it – cuz in 5 years neither of you will care if her hair had fly-aways or not and she won’t let you touch it anyway.
6 – Social media: I have a love/hate relationship with Facebook. I’ve been way more off than on lately. I think if it enriches your life…use it – if not…stay off of it. Right now I use it for a specified purpose and then hop right back off of it. You gotta figure out how to use it for your own purposes. Just don’t let it be a time-suck.
7 – Canker: Those things are freakin’ miserable! What works for you – – keep doing it! We’ve tried everything and WOW..I’m totally trying this!! (Thank you!)
8- Teeth – braces (where we live) are a right of passage. We don’ t live in an affluent community – so braces are “where it’s at”. All that said – if invisalign is “the thing” where you live…do that. Otherwise….if your kid’s compliance is as good as yours – then go for it. My kid would not have complied…so having them wired in was a good thing. The OTHER kid would have totally done invisaline. Depends on which personality you’re dealing with.
9- Fermenting foods: No. just no. Unless it’s wine and you’re great with a really good Pinot Noir…..No.
10 – If you get NOTHING ELSE from this reply – BUY THE SHOES!!!! Buy them….never look back!! 1 – they really are not that expensive and if you like them, you’ll wear them. I bought a ridiculouly expensive pair of boots once and everytime I wear them I feel special. I love them,….and save them for special occasions….because honey – YOU ARE SPECIAL. Buy the shoes…strut in them and wear them often!!!
Loved all your thoughts, Mel!
Love your thoughts Mel!
Language- Duolingo has helped me advance further in Portuguese than anything else in the past 12 years (still trying to learn my husband’s mission language!). But we were able to travel to Brazil with our kids and the duolingo helped me so much! I learned how to read and understand 50-80 percent of what I saw/heard (depending on the speed) even if I can’t speak fluently yet! The kids traveled well and they started to pick up Portuguese at an incredible speed. I want to have them do duolingo now since their brains are still sucking up new skills so easily!
Social media- I opted out of FB and IG a few years ago- I have accounts but not the apps since they were only adding to discontent in my life. My family LOVES Marco Polo and WhatsApp though! also, if your clan all has iPhone access, the shared family photo album makes for a really great way to update and share pictures.
That’s awesome about Duolingo and your trip to Brazil!! I’m going to try it. Babbel has been fine but so many have recommended Duolingo in this thread. I love Marco Polo, too! It’s my favorite for connecting with close friends and family.
Tonsillectomy—my adult son had it a couple of years ago, and it was so rough. He didn’t appear to be making much progress for the first couple of weeks, but then turned a corner and rapidly improved. On the second day post surgery he said, “this was a mistake, you made me do it, I should have never listened to you!”. He really had no choice, his tonsils were making him so sick that he lost jobs because he missed so much work. The week before surgery we were at urgent care, the ent, and the er and he had an abscess! Post surgery; He rarely gets sick, and he can actually fight some things off instead of them going full blown in 24 hours. Worth it!
Buy the shoes. Good shoes are worth it-to your feet and they last longer. I have a 30 year old pair of Italian pumps that I had resoled last year and look amazing!
I am a librarian and I’m so pleased to see all the positive comments about the Libby app,
I’m glad the surgery was worth it for your son! Every day Brian is getting a bit better, so I’m hopeful we’ll feel the same way. That’s amazing about your 30 year old shoes!!
Buy the shoes. They look quality and will last awhile. And I always regret when I don’t buy something I love because all the lost time shopping and searching for something I won’t move as much.
Thanks, Jessica. 🙂
Braces: We’re about three years out from when the youngest finished with them, but the Invisalign were much more expensive at the time. The kids have to be quite diligent about changing–and not losing!–their current liner. Is everyone ready? They’re also at a time in their life when lots of their friends are in the same (braces) boat.
Shoes: Please get the shoes, they’re great. They look well made and you’re worth it! Wearing quality shoes helps minimize foot problems later which might need surgery–which you seem to be trying to avoid, right?
Right now at least with our orthodontist, wire braces and Invisalign are the same cost, but my gut is telling me to go with wire braces for my teen (we’re getting his input too). And yes, maybe I can justify the shoes to avoid surgery. I like that! 🙂
I’ve been making yogurt, milk kefir, water kefir, and kombucha for about six months now (maybe), and am enjoying it. I was inspired by reading your kefir post — thanks:) I’ve also had one successful batch of sauerkraut and one successful batch of apple-cranberry relish. The website I’ve been using as my main resource is https://www.culturedfoodlife.com/ — lots of good stuff. I ordered my kefir starters from her. Begged a kombucha SCOBY from a neighbor. I think that cultured food is helping me lose weight and lower my appetite. Never had a lot of health issues so can’t speak to that. I had to practice with the kombucha — it kept fizzing over like champagne — but now I test the second-ferment bottles every couple of days and when they have a nice pop, I put them in the fridge.
I originally bought some swing-top bottles online but they were poor quality and three were broken, so then I just bought a couple of packs of Grolsch beer and got my husband to help me 🙂 I have been happy with these fermentation lids: https://www.amazon.com/Waterless-Fermentation-Food-Grade-Fermenting-Sauerkraut/dp/B079NSKRHQ?crid=13ROU2KY5SBSJ&keywords=fermented+food+jar&qid=1540599954&sprefix=fermented+food+%2Caps%2C174&sr=8-3&ref=sr_1_3 Overall, I think that fermented foods are probably more an adult taste, but worth cultivating. ……. Social media — email is all I do, and don’t feel any lack. I don’t always answer the phone either 🙂
It’s my time and I get to decide when I’m available. …… Shoes — sorry, I don’t like them. I think the style is over the top and they’ll be dated in a couple of years. I buy really low-key stuff that I like and can wear for years. …. Bags — Goodwill and similar have lots of purses and bags that you can pick up for $5 and nobody can tell the difference. But yours does look nice. ……
Thanks for the post and for your blog — it’s made me a much more adventurous cook, and also a generally successful one 🙂 Just made the white chicken chili and it was a hit.
I got my kefir grains from culturedfoodlife.com and I agree she has tons of great tips! Thanks for the link to the lids! And don’t worry, I don’t always answer the phone either. 🙂
I just totally love the Libby app, too. I listen to whatever book I’m listening to several times ev ry day…it’s so user friendly, too. Oh, & buy the shoes. They’re super cute. I bought some dressy cognac color ankle boots at least five years ago & spent a whopping $375 on them, but they still look great, & I just received a compliment on them this week. Plus, with your tall husband, u’ll be grabbing ev ry chance u can to wear them, if u r anything like me.
That’s amazing about the shoes! Sounds like they were worth it!
Buy the shoes – your feet and back will appreciate the love, but I won’t spend $100 for a purse I’m going to throw around in the car, on the floor, etc. Have you checked Teva? Great looking (not all, mind you) and feeling shoes and I always get compliments.
I used to have a pair of Teva sandals almost two decades ago – I’ll have to look into them again!
Family reunion — T-shirts for the youngest generation, and maybe others, color-coded by family — and then the birth order number in the whole group (not just their nuclear family). If it’s a hot summer, plan daily trips to free or cheap water spray parks for the kids and whoever wants to accompany them — parents or grandparents. Quick board and card games that include lots of people like Uno or Skip-Bo or Sushi-Go. People can move around a lot. Lots of photos and a way to share them. We also had a private FB group to put things in, including everyone’s cell numbers, when we were arriving, where we were staying, what park we were going to, etc.
That’s such a cute idea about birth order on the shirts! Thanks for all the ideas!
Get the shoes Mel! I’ve definitely learned as an adult, that good shoes and good jeans are worth the money. Especially shoes! Well made and built to support your feet shoes aren’t cheap, but so worth it! I have become a big fan of Dansko and Born brands. Sometimes I still buy some inexpensive booties or heels when they are oh so adorable, but I know they will be “church only” shoes because I couldn’t stand to wear them longer!
So interesting about that toothpaste and canker sores! I have also had them seriously bad since I was a kid, like so painfully bad! Once I had one right on my uvula and I for real wanted to die! Just breathing was so painful!! They are the worst! My husband is the same way and it’s been weird because we tried all kinds of things and could never find anything that helped prevent them or really heal them quickly either. Then a couple of years ago I started getting them less and less. I’ve gone from pretty much having one right after another since 8th grade so just every once in awhile, which I am thrilled about but didn’t know why! My husband still gets them so bad and my 15 year old has been getting them too, so I’m totally trying the toothpaste for them! I did start using Melaluca toothpaste years ago because store brands would all leave this funky film in my mouth that I’d have to scrap off my cheeks, blah! So maybe that is what has helped me not have them so bad anymore. I’m currently using Jason Powersmile, I’ll compare and report! Thanks Mel!
I’ve wondered how Dansko and Born shoes are! I’ll have to do some more digging if you love them. That’s crazy that your canker sores just kind of stopped happening. I wonder if it has something to do with hormones?? I blame everything on hormones (good and bad). 🙂
Oh My Goodness…..I never pay much of anything for my shoes. The price of these shoes are a lot of money. But in my honest opinion, I am not about to talk you out of these shoes. These are some of the most darling shoes I’ve seen in a long time. My final prognosis is: G.E.T T.H.E.M
Haha, thanks Marsha!
I had a tonsillectomy at 29 and it was horrible horrible horrible. I’m so sorry Brian is going through it. I literally thought everyone who said the recovery was 2+ weeks was exaggerating but they were not. Ugh. Hopefully he is heading on the upswing now.
I know, I kind of thought people were exaggerating, too. Like, how hard could the recovery be? Um yeah, Brian and I both stand corrected.
Funny you should ask how much is okay to spend on a pair of shoes.
I’ve told my children that is a fundamental question to discuss once when seriously dating or become engaged to be married. The answer can tell you a lot about a persons financial habits and values and whether you agree on those values. We were raised on Payless and Walmart shoes so inexpensive under $30 was the criteria. Now that I’m older, fork over the bucks for comfort and support because a good pair of shoes can make or break your whole day. I think $130 is not unreasonable for something you spend so much time in!
Such an interesting comment, Debbie! Loved it!
I don’t have tons of helpful things to chime in, but I have that exact cross body in yellow and I love it. The size is perfect and it’s so easy to wear.
We have kefir smoothies everyday thanks to your post way back when. Keep us posted if you venture deeper. I need my hand held with things like this!
Shoes- I have a hard time buying shoes online because you don’t know the fit or quality. Sometimes people just charge more ’cause they can, not because they’re better, ya know? But sometimes you do pay for quality. I think they are super cute. Go with what you feel best about! They would probably pay you to wear them for how many people you’ve sent there, just sayin’.
I loved When Breath Becomes Air – I bawled during the epilogue.
The dry spray wax is going to be a lifesaver with my only girl’s hair, I probably need it too.
Good luck with the braces, we will probably be there soon.
I think you could spill a whole lot more and I would love reading it, so apparently I don’t have a life!
Hey, that makes me so happy that you have the same bag! I kind of need hand holding with new things (like fermented foods!!) but I’ll keep you posted (even if it means I lose some skeptical readers in the process – haha). And don’t worry, I clearly don’t have a life either because I am spending an inordinate amount of time reading (and loving) all of your comments.
I had the surgery for deviated septum almost 2 years ago. Worst recovery of my life. I was sick/nauseous for weeks. I spent 2 solid days throwing up every 15 minutes. I’d get super dizzy every time I tried to sit up so I spent weeks laying with my head on the couch. It’s been almost 2 years, and I still can’t bend over without feeling light-headed (like if I bend over to look under the couch, I feel like I’m going to faint and my sinus area begins to really hurt). AND, the worst part is, I feel like it’s worse than it was!! I got the surgery to help me breathe easier, and the side that was bad always feels clogged now. Also, I’ve never had bloody noses. Like ever. I have them a few times a month now; sometimes multiple times a week. Most people are grateful they got the surgery. I’m not. I wish I had never messed around with it. I feel for your husband and am so sorry for what he’s going through.
Ok now I’m kind of worried. That sounds awful and I’m so sorry that you regret having the surgery!!
My best reunion meal was pulled pork, which we cooked that day, in a crock pot,served in fresh tortillas, which grandkids cooked, with black beans, lettuce and tomato something on top, sour cream, and my special secret green salsa, which is a mixture of cilantro, blackened poblano peppers, and other stuff that isn’t coming to mind, cooked in a crock pot because the place we were staying didn’t have an instapot. I made the green sauce in advance and froze it and took it. Brown sugar in the green sauce is the ingredient that made this the most popular dish ever, I came up with this after my kids grew up and left the house, so it was new to everyone. If you can’t come up with your own green sauce, I’ll send you the recipe.
Wow, that family reunion meal sounds AMAZING! I’d love the recipe for the green sauce if you don’t mind sharing!
— Language Learning: I actually prefer the DuoLingo app. I like their mixed flashcard/quiz/verbal approach, and their way of having you practice the ones you miss alot helps me with those too.
—-
Chocolate: Have you tried Theo dark chocolate? It’s dairy-free and soy-free so a bit more expensive, but it’s really really good. They made a really wonderful holiday lineup last year that was Cranberry-Orange, and a Peppermint one. And their standard lineup is good too, I love the sea salt ones. —–
Ok, so based on the recommendations, I should have gone with Duolingo, I think! I may need to look into it right now even though I paid in advance for a Babbel subscription. You are the 2nd person to recommend Theo chocolate, which I have never tried. Excited to check it out!
GET. THE. SHOES.
🙂
These “Friday Thoughts” are such a great read! Always enjoy the little glimpse into your real world. I’m cheap when in comes to shoes and clothes, so I shouldn’t weigh in on the shoes (I’m a Payless gal) and I consider clothes and shoes to be disposable, so I buy cheap… I don’t claim to be right about this philosophy- it’s mostly been a result of having to be a penny pincher pretty much forever ! I’ve had 4 kids and myself in braces over the past 12 years (I got metal braces at 40 when 3 of my teens also had them, I only had to wear them for 18 months and I’ve never regretted it… neither have my kids! I am about to put 2 more kiddos in them (metal braces) My orthos have all recommended sticking with the metal braces and retainers for long term results, and I’ve had some kids who have needed some major fixes, which is probably the reason for the recommending of metal braces. I can’t weigh in on Invisalign because I don’t have experience with it. I’m super sorry to hear about Brian’s surgery, hope he heals quick…) I’ve tried to learn Spanish over the years, as my hubby is fluent and still just know a few words and phrases– he speaks it off and on around home, so I understand it way better than I can speak it!! I’m afraid my old brain may never really get it. The only social media platform I really like is Instagram I like following foodies and other mom’s with positive content..I have a Facebook account that I rarely look at ..Facebook seemed so emotionally draining to me. (I took the app off my phone over a year ago and I’ve been SO glad I did and I’m seriously considered just deleting my account). I have a Twitter that I rarely use also. I’ve encouraged my teen boys not to have social media accounts (they only have flip phones and school issued computers) and they don’t really feel like they are missing out on anything.. I miss the stage when I had “little girl” hair to do (my girls are 23 & 19).. enjoy that! The closest thing for me to an interest in fermented food is: I love good pickles, pickled beets and I really Love a GOOD reuben sandwich with sauerkraut ! (I’m pretty sure you are thinking WAY bigger than that :-)) I’m still trying to find some good kefir grains so I can do the kefir thing! I think that’s all from me! Great Post Mel!
Love your thoughts, Helen! Thanks for the advice on braces. I’m hoping this old brain will catch on to Portuguese, but man, I’m doubtful at this point. Maybe it’s the sleep deprivation kicking in. Haha. And I don’t think I am really thinking bigger than that on fermented foods right now. I need to start small!
My husband would wonder what happened to me if I bought shoes that expensive…unless they were for running. Honestly though they are so beautiful. I wonder how comfy they are. Nothing is worth uncomfortable shoes.
Yeah, I agree with that.
Our family stays connected with the WhatsApp app, well at least those who will cooperate and download the app and participate. This way we can stay connected no matter where we live in the world. I like it way better than posting personal family things on Facebook or Instagram.
Ok, clearly I’ve been missing out on whats app. So many are recommending that! Where have I been?
Surgery: I’m a retired R.N. who worked in surgery and post-ansthesia recovery. My opinion is that surgery is controlled trauma and it takes time to recover. The older you are the more painful it seems to be and the more time it takes to recover. Even relatively minor, minimally invasive procedures can slow you down for weeks.
Shoes: Recently I read that someone received this advice from her grandmother: Spend your money on shoes and beds/bedding because that’s where you spend most of your time. So go for it!
Social Media: I’m not on social media. I’ve never wanted my picture or business all over the internets.
Thanks for the recovery thoughts, Sally! I think you are right. Time, time. I need to be patient and allow Brian that! Thanks for all your thoughts. 🙂
Every year, my husband’s family does a Scottish-themed Highland Games family reunion (to celebrate the *slight* bit of Scottish blood on that side), and it’s always a whole ton of fun. We do stuff like the caber toss, the stone putt (sp?) throw, sword dancing, and other random things. We did try and coordinate the menu one year (with haggis and everything), but…that didn’t go over as well 😀
Hilarious! Although the authentic menu had me side-eyeing the Scottish theme. Haha.
Best family reunion game ever – baby pictures of everyone and the one who gets the most wins. A big prize. Bribery always helps.
Ok, this is awesome.
I’m not on any social media at all. I was on facebook for 1 year, but deleted my account several years ago. No regrets at all. A combination of things went into that–
1) My family needed me more, 2) facebook (and other social media) sucks away so much time if you let it, 3) I loved reading important updates, but my brain was overloaded by the minutia you have to get through to find the things you want to read about, 4) I found that it wasn’t worth the negativity– whether people arguing politics, criticizing personal opinions, or whatever, and 5) privacy concerns– which I’ve felt vindicated about multiple times when things have been hacked, leaked, or whatever.
I did enjoy reconnecting with long lost high school people, etc., but I still have my email. 🙂
Thanks for your thoughts on social media, Karen!
Get some water keifer grains. It is simple, does not take a lot of sugar, perfect for the kiddos with a slight fizz like soda. You can actually use the grains on pure juice and enjoy that as well. I make “vanilla dmsoda” with the first issued water, a tablespoon of maple syrup and vanilla extract, really good. Lemonade and Limeade are so good as well. It is one of the more fun things to make, and a great project for the kids to share in the making and of course the drinking. It was my first step in gut healing for myself.
Thanks, Melynda! I’ve been tempted to try water kefir; I don’t know much about it but it seems like in most cases you have to add a lot of sweetener, but I like the idea of pure maple syrup!
I am a huge fan of yout Friday thoughts. As for braces, ask your dentist. Fermented food is not my favorite and I’ve been eating Korean food off and on for over twenty years. My children are adopted from Korea and my son married a Korean woman. His in laws eat traditional Korean food and swear fermented foods are the reason Asians have a longer life span. Who knows? Have a great weekend.
Thanks, Teresa! I’m curious as to whether I’ll really be able to get behind fermented food. I applaud you for continuing to eat it!
Family Reunion ideas…
My husband’s family does a few fun things almost every year. We hold an auction of only handmade items: chapstick, crafts, blankets, games, keepsakes. Everyone participates. Even the littles (sometimes just a picture they color). We’ve always used pretend money, either earned by doing jobs or things at the reunion, or just a set amount each person can spend. The kids especially love it.
We also do a reunion playlist. Everyone submits one song to a designated person. Then the playlist is unveiled either at the reunion in cd form or can be on something like Apple Music or google for everyone to download for the road trip to meet up. Sometimes everyone’s songs are secret, and we have to try and guess whose song is whose.
This year we tried a lip sync battle and it ended up being really fun.
Sorry about the hubster. That sounds like torture all right. Happy, speedy recovery to you guys. Hang on!
One more…my mother-in-law always hosts “the newlywed game”. Never disappoints 🙂
Thanks for all the family reunion ideas, Stacy!
Oh Mel, I feel for you & your hubby. I have a friend in her fifties who had her tonsils out a couple of years ago and was beyond miserable for several weeks. She’s great now, but I think she about wanted to shoot herself. I’m sorry for the yucky recovery period. Hang in there.
My four oldest kids all had traditional metal braces, but our youngest is now in Invisalign because our ortho said he was a great candidate. For us, the pros are the zero pain, being able to eat whatever he wants, and being able to easily floss/brush since he doesn’t have to work around brackets & wires. He’s not the most thorough brusher or flosser, so we worried about regular braces making that worse. The only real downside is that he has to carry his case with him everywhere he goes so he can put his trays inside when he wants to eat. He can’t just take a quick bite of something; he has to take a moment to take out his trays first. He’s a really diligent kid, though, and I never have to remind him to keep his case with him. Since he doesn’t seem to mind, I’d say Invisalign has been a great choice for him. My older son, when given the choice, decided not to go the Invisalign route because he said he likes to eat way too often 😉 Good luck deciding!
Thanks, Kim. Every day is a bit better for Brian! Thanks also for the pros and cons of Invisalign vs wire braces. Don’t know what we’ll do yet!
I love these random posts! I’ve also been trying fermented foods this year and I think it’s helping my immune system big time. While the kids and husband came down with the flu this year I miraculously stayed healthy. Mom win! Here is my super crazy easy ferment for cherry tomatoes (I grew everything in my garden this year so they were quick to throw together). They pop like champagne bubbles when you eat them and taste wonderful. I like mine right at 8 days fermenting.
http://www.growforagecookferment.com/fermented-cherry-tomato-bombs/
I also have fire cider fermenting right now in my kitchen.
That’s amazing, Megan! And thanks for the recipe! I’m excited to get started!
This close to Christmas I would ask for the shoes as a gift because my husband never knows what to buy me. If they are a shoe that you will wear for years, then buy them. I truly hardly every shop but we have great outlet centers around for shoes and purses that are usually less than 50% off. A Coach cross body or wristlet for 30$ is my favorite deal. Do you have any outlet centers near you? I had my tonsils removed when I was 17 and it was awful. I don’t think that the strep throat leading to the surgery was as bad. I remember butterscotch candies and soup are what got me through it. Home made soups (especially creamed ones like cauliflower or asparagus) are healing and nutritious. After having surgery, the gut health is important to remove the anesthesia and antibiotics. After having multiple surgeries in a few years (mostly c-sections), I was super tired and had food sensitivities like crazy. I did the Whole 30 and WOW. I am a younger version my 46 year old self. We love sauerkraut, carrots, cucumbers, and onions but don’t care for beets. After my teenager almost lost a retainer, there is no way that I would do Invisalign. He has a water pick for cleaning and gets compliments from his dentist and orthodontist about his teeth being clean. They change his wire every 6 weeks and he gets an extra brushing in at the office. He loves to change the color of his bands according to the seasons or football teams and he is 14. Waterpiks have come a long way because his is handheld with a scrubbing tip. I don’t do any social media and I am at peace. I get picked on for not knowing what is happening but I just can’t be on my phone or computer that much. I don’t have much time to read but The Heart and Boys in the Boat are good. My husband and I listened to those. Thank you for your toothpaste recommendation. I am allergic to so many things that I feel lost sometimes and toothpaste is another thing that I have yet to conquer. I have tried lots of clay based brands and just couldn’t but got tired of spending money on yuck. I want a fresh mint taste not dirt so maybe I will try your link. Thanks for the thoughts, the recipes, and the realness.
Great idea on the shoes, Sheila! My husband would appreciate the gift suggestion. Unfortunately there are no outlet stores near us but I wish there were! Proud of your for going through the Whole 30 and making it! I tried it a couple years ago and failed miserably (seriously, by like, day 5) but maybe I should try again. Thanks for the advice on braces!
Wow! Sorry about your hubbys surgery experience. I have heard that just a tonsillectomy is hard as andadult and he had surgery on his nose to boot! Hope he turns a corner soon! Keep working on the Portuguese ! It’s a good challenge for your brain and soon you will start to gain more speaking & understanding. As far as the shoes- they are so cute.- but I’m practical so I would find something I love just as much that I would wear more frequently.
Thanks, Laurie! Every day is a little better for Bri. I do think you are right, whether or not I can say all that much in Portuguese, I do love that my brain is working hard. It makes me happy in a weird way!
Surgery- I am so sorry!! That sounds awful!
Social Media- I like Facebook best for connecting with people but i have cut WAY back in the past couple of months and it feels great!
Cross-body bag- I just ordered one!!!! Super cute!
Shoes- darling! Buy them!!!!
Girl hair- Great idea with the spray wax! Lily (4 yrs old) just decided to give herself a haircut so we are dealing with some very odd lengths right now.
Fermented foods- my husband went to South Korea on his mission so kimchi is a thing at our house and i actually don’t mind it….as long as we all smell like garlic together!
Love you and your Friday thoughts, Mel!
Thanks, Kelsey! I’m just waiting for the day Cam decides to cut her hair. Yikes. Good luck with Lily’s hair recovery. 🙂 I traveled to S. Korea with my brother 20 years ago (he knows the language) and had a terrible experience with kimchi which is partly what makes me scared to try again, but I’m determined to at least give fermented foods another chance!
Shoes: I am cheap, but I would totally get those shoes if you love them. They are so cute and I can totally see you in them!
Braces: I vote regular braces for teens.
Crossbody bag: That’s the only kind I like, too. Funny, but when I looked on amazon this morning the bag was $27, but now it’s $99 (mint color)! I think with all your readers clicking on it, they decided they would increase the cost!
Social media: The only reason I’m on it is to know what’s going on in my grown kid’s lives (and a handful of other people) – mostly Instagram, a little FB. I don’t post anything – I want to be anonymous!
I saw that price leap as well. Crazy! Amazon should be paying you.
Thanks for your thoughts, Sheree! Love them. I’m sad that bag jumped in price, darn it!
Tonsils…my daughter had this done when she was about 16…the single worst month of my life and obv hers! It’s bad! In saying this…I think you have not killed your poor husband…so I say you deserve the shoes and I also want a pair…they are darling!
Haha, thanks Jill!
I only use Facebook but only for people in my ward/church. I stay in touch with family thru Whatsapp or just regular texting and phone call
How much to spend on shoes? I think in depends on the material, if they are confortable and if they are practical (can they be worn with different outfits) but even then I wouldn’t pay more than a $100.
I love Alter Eco! Specially 85% blackout
I’ve been considering to have feet surgery, now I’m having second thoughts
Go for a walk, enjoy the beautiful fall weather and don’t let your brain explode! We need you!!!
My other favorite chocolate brand is Theo. They have a quinoa one too
So many people are recommending whats app! I’ll have to check it out! Good luck if you have that foot surgery. If it’s worth it, even a long recovery can be endured, I think! Excited to check out the Theo brand of chocolate!
Our extended family did something fun at a reunion….a Root Beer Tasting! Every family brings a bottle or can or two of one type of root beer. Someone supplied a big tub of ice to keep them all cold. We had a big chart with the types of RB listed down one side, and after tasting from little plastic cups, each person gave their vote for the best. I think we had room for comments too. We ended up with quite a few different brands, and this was an ongoing activity throughout the party until everyone had tasted. Finally, someone tallied the results and announced the winner. It was fun for young and old alike.
Oh my gosh, that is the funnest idea!
I had my tonsils out when I was 26, and I literally thought I was going to die. It was the worst pain ever, and I was constantly choking on my own saliva, to the point I was afraid I’d never catch my breath. Plus choking on top of a tonsillectomy is whole extra level of pain! I sympathize.
Thanks, Lillie – Brian appreciates all the sympathizers. 🙂
So sorry about the tonsillectomy/nasal surgery combo. I work at an ENT office and we do this surgery all the time. It is brutal, a very significant (read: horrible) recovery. We have our patients take a full 3 weeks off of work. Hope he gets feeling better very soon.
Thanks for the input, Wendy! I think that’s part of the problem – just trying to get back to real life too quickly. Every day is a little better, though!
Buy the shoes! (But if you’re purchasing from online, make sure they have a good return policy just in case they aren’t comfortable.)
Yes, good point!
I had my tonsils out a few years ago. It was the worst. Worth it though. There is light at the end of the tunnel. Tell him to stop eating jello and start eating solid food. It will help him heal faster. Just avoid sharp/abrasive foods.
I personally wouldn’t spend that much on those kind of shoes. But I would on good running shoes. But if you have the money and really want them, why not? You only live once. I bought a skirt for $140 once and about fainted but I loved it, wore it a ton. You do you. There are no rules, just what you want to do.
Thanks for all the fun ideas! Good luck with your family reunion–I can’t even get my family to do one that works for us all. Oh well!
Thanks, Bonnie!
Almost forgot my language recommendation. Hands down, pig Latin is the best! Lots of fun to watch the faces in a crowd when you exercise this skill! Seriously, good luck with the Portugese.
Only two thoughts. My sympathies for the septum surgery. I had mine done this spring (at 66) and it was a week from hell. Spent the whole week in my robe like a zombie. And Portuguese is a hard language. A Brazilian woman offered her sympathy to a missionary leaving for Angola, she said his learning Portuguese would be a lot harder than her learning English!
Well, that makes me feel a little better about my struggles to learn Portuguese then! I’m determined to stick with it but I just need to buckle down and get serious about it.
I forgot to comment about social media. and me. I don’t get Twitter. i just don’t so I don’t have an account. I look at instagram maybe once a week.
When the election was going on 2 years ago, I got so sickened of seeing political posts that I stopped FB almost entirely except for three private groups I’m a part of. Recently, I found a way to add a shortcut on my phone for just those groups so I don’t have to see my main feed EVER. I am stoked!
Oh that’s cool about only seeing the groups you want to see! I have such a love/hate with facebook. I hardly use it personally and really only keep it up to maintain my cooking blog page.
My sincere sympathies to Brian! I was twenty when I had my tonsilectomy and seriously thought about never breathing or swallowing ever again. Years later I researched the name of the capsule my doc gave me for “pain” . It was a muscle relaxer. Now I ask you!! It wasn’t helpful. My daughter had hers when she was 25. I kept her kids for a few days while she blissed out on liquid lortab and Sprite. Yes, she swore by Sprite of all things. Subject change: buy the shoes. You will wear and love them for years! Thank you for all you share.
Thanks, Rebecca! Each day is a little better for Brian. He appreciates all the words of condolences. 🙂 Thank YOU!
My recommendation for the reunion: Play telephone-dictionary. You basically pass a booklet around a circle writing a phrase and then having the next person illustrate it and so on (without looking back at what was done before). I was introduced to it at a ladies retreat. We stayed up late and laughed so hard people thought we were crazy – until they joined in too! My older two kids also loved it. (Best for 8+. Amazing with teens.) As a hint: start with phrases that are more abstract / hard to draw.)
Here’s more complete instructions: https://www.icebreakers.ws/small-group/telephone-pictionary.html
(I like making our own booklets for the game, especially with a large group, but it is also available to purchase as a more formal game, called telestrations.)
Oh yes! I think I know the game. We have the official telestrations game, but it is SO fun!
1) we did traditional braces because Invisalign is more expensive here. No problem with Kid1 but Kid2 struggled with his gums.
2) in my mind, cross body bag = purse 100% of the time. Keep rockin’ it.
3) I hate booties in general (not a boot? not a shoe? what’s the point?) but those are awesome. I’m sorry, I think you are doomed. (But also think of it this way…if you love them enough to wear them for the next 10-15 years, that’s $16 or less a year…therefore very affordable after the initial pocketbook hit.)
Hmmm, interesting breakdown on cost per year, and yeah, if I spent that much I’d definitely wear them forever (especially because I don’t often care about the “official” style trend).
I don’t do much by way of social media. I found it was not good for my self esteem. My husband’s family has a Facebook group to stay in touch with each other, but my mother-in-law is great about forwarding stuff to me via text message since she knows I won’t see it. My family uses a Skype group chat and I think it is a MUCH better platform. It’s parents, siblings and spouses. We can send pics, videos, messages, etc. Sometimes someone gets crazy and Skype calls everyone. That’s kind of fun (there are 7 kids, 3 married, and 2 parents … that’s a lot of little video screens )
We also have started using Marco Polo as a family group. This is fun too, especially for longer messages or for showing something you’re doing. I like it for friends too that live far away. It’s like talking on the phone, but the convenience of talking when you have time, regardless of the other person’s schedule. It’s fun to see faces and hear voices.
But, if I only had to pick one for family communications it’d be Skype group chat, hands down. Simple, efficient.
Sorry about your husband’s surgery recovery, that’s the pits! I hope he turns a corner soon.
I love your cross body bag and your chocolate ❤️ Every now and then I think about relearning Spanish or picking up Japanese. I wish I had the motivation to start and follow through! But then again, I should probably put that motivation towards exercise first …
Thanks for the social media thoughts, Kat! The Skype group chat sounds fun! I use Marco POlo a lot and love it. My circle of friends and family is small but I love connecting face to face like that. And yeah, I should probably just pick one thing and stick with it. My exercise routine has been suffering big time lately.
Those shoes are soooo cute. But i think I’d die a little spending that much.
Yeah, that’s kind of where I’m at.
I love this speed style! I’m so sorry about that recovery; that sounds awful!! Way cute bag (and shoes! If you can find the money for it, then do it! I’ve always thought way too much about shoes but I’ve also learned if you really can’t stop thinking about it, have the money, then do it. You most likely will not regret it at all). And now I want to try an SLS free toothpaste just to see what happens! I also use instagram mostly. I wish I could leave it on the computer and not my phone, but you can’t post from there! I’ll be interested to see more about fermented foods. How do you know if you need better gut health? Maybe if you do, you know? lol!
Thanks for your thoughts, Amanda!! As for gut health, I think I just have a gut feeling (pun intended, I know, I’m such a dork) that we need to focus more on that right now?? Not a very scientific reason, I know.
Hey Mel! I am a long time reader, but I hardly ever comment. I LOVE your blog and use your recipes almost exclusively! I am also the mother of eight children and I totally get understand the feeling like your brain is on overload and going to explode! I’m learning not to sweat the small stuff—-which is all of it! Take it easy and don’t forget to take time for yourself to keep you sane. I am intrigued by the SLS toothpaste because I have a daughter who has canker sores all the time! I am curious, is it ADA approved? I would love to help her, such an annoying and painful problem! Also, I totally sympathize with your husband. My husband has had a skin infection (cellulitis) on HIS NOSE for the past week and half and has been in a ton of pain. I feel so bad for him! We actually even had family pictures done last weekend (before it got too swollen) and I had to put my makeup on his nose to cover up the redness! No fun having a miserable husband—I hope yours gets feeling better soon! Love you and all you random thoughts Mel! Thanks for being real!❤️
Thanks for commenting, Mistie! You are amazing – mother of 8!! I need to learn better at letting the small stuff go. I hate to sound ignorant, but I don’t know if the toothpaste is ADA approved…I just looked it up on ada.org and it isn’t on there so it probably isn’t. My dentist knows I used it and told me it was just fine, but that’s probably not the best recommendation for everyone! Darn about your husband – I hope he recovers FAST!
Mel, you’re the best. I guess I don’t have a life because I could read your Friday thoughts all day. So glad you’ve discovered audiobooks. When Breath Becomes Air was an interesting read, right? So sorry to hear about Brian! Sounds like it’s been a tough time for him, and therefore you too. I hope it improves soon! Must be torture for him not to be able to eat your amazing food! I use Instagram most, but I am a big lover of Marco Polo with close friends and family. Thanks for all the great recommendations!
Haha, you are cute, Stacie. I don’t have a life because I could read this comment thread all day every day! And I agree with you, I am LOVING Marco Polo. I’m using it more and more (and Instagram less and less).
Let’s see . . .
Social media – I prefer Instagram because it is just pics and videos, without all the other stuff I have to wade through on Facebook.
Braces – I can’t help you, because I am in the same boat, with two teenagers about to get braces. I’d love to know what you find out.
Fermented veggies – they totally scare me.
Cross Body bag – my preference for a purse as well. I love the one I have – the brand is Haiku – super cute and super durable, albeit a little pricey for me in the $75 range. That brings me to shoes . . .
Shoes – I haven’t yet spent more than $100 on a pair of shoes (I guess that is my threshold), although I almost did for a pair of super cute cowboy boots in Nashville ;).
Totally agree that surgery as an adult is the worst! A few years ago my husband had back surgery and two hernia surgeries, and I had knee surgery, all in a 2 month period.
Family Reunion – At our last family reunion, we surprised my husband’s parents with each family giving them a white elephant gift. My husband crocheted a mermaid tail for his mom, and made a fake LEGO set of the destroyed planet Alderan for his dad. It was awesome!
Lastly, audiobooks are my favorite thing! I’ve never tried the Libby app, but I use Hoopla and Overdrive through my library, and they are awesome. And don’t be afraid to increase the speed you listen to them at. I tend to listen to my books at 1.5 speed as a general rule.
Love all your thoughts, Lisa! I’m also a fan of Instagram over Facebook, too. It seems like from this comment thread, at least, that the majority are saying wire braces for sure with teens. ?? Thanks for the recommendation on the Haiku bag! Oh my gosh, I am dying that your husband crocheted a mermaid tail for his mom. Seriously, I am laughing so hard.
I wear Vionic shoes because I’ve got plantar fasciitis. I recently bought a pair of their cute booties because I want to look a little more polished at times (rather than wearing sneaker -type shoes all of the time) I thought they were a lot of $$$ but so worth it. If you love them and are sure you’ll wear them, get ’em!
My current coping skills involve wine slushies!
Thanks, Becky – it’s amazing how well made shoes can *often* be worth it! And we all have to find coping skills that actually help us cope! Haha. 🙂
I got married 4 months ago and only cook recipes from you! Before I was married I never and I mean never cooked. Haha I have no idea what i even ate. Once I got married I knew I needed to figure this cooking skill thing out! My husband is shocked every night and is always impressed with what I make! Honestly if I didn’t have you I have no idea how I would of ever cooked anything editable!
I’m really glad Jacob Smith moved to Eagle so I could learn about Melskitchen Cafe!
Thanks so much, Breck! This made my day!
My husband semi-fluently speaks Pohnpeian and I tried so hard to learn it when we were first married. My brain hated it, though. So many consonants in a row! Now I can only remember, of all things, two words: mosquito and snot. I’m on my way…
Hahahahaha. This made me laugh so hard. Also, I had to look up even what that language is.
Those shoes are AMAZING. Completely worth the $!!! Do it!
Thanks for the push, Sharlin!
I love these ‘thought’ posts! The only thing I wanted to weigh in on is that our family has started using the Group Me app and it’s been so awesome! We had a mix of Android and Apple users in our family text message thread and it would always mess things up and create another message when someone with Apple did a ‘reaction’ It was getting annoying to get so many messages! Now I can check the app a few times a day and engage when I feel like it and not have a million text message alerts throughout the day. I LOVE it! We’ve also been using it for ladies from my ward and it’s been an awesome way for everyone to get notified of events. It’s also helped when someone needs help, is looking for a missing cooking ingredient or needs a suggest connect with other sisters that they might not have ever connected with.
Thanks, Miranda! I tend to hate group texts but maybe that app is the way to go?? Not having lots of text alerts would be awesome.
I have to say I laughed so hard about the speaking in a different language in front of your kids and at the grocery store, because that has always been my wish too. LOL . Sorry to hear your husband is having a hard time. I’ve always heard anything as an adult is harder.
Yeah, well, I don’t think it will happen because I can almost guarantee I won’t even be able to say more than “can i have a drink of water” until after Cam leaves the house. Haha.
Shoes – go for it. Speaking as one who has dealt with stubborn plantar fasciitis in both feet, good shoes cost a lot more, but your feet will thank you and they last a lot longer.
Invisalign – two of my kids did Invisalign. One was the poster child of responsibleness and wearing them as she should. The other was the poster child of what not to do. However, both of them have lovely straight teeth now. My son played the tuba and did not want to have to deal with braces when playing. He wore them at night, but his daytime routine wasn’t as consistent. My husband is in Invisalign now. He loves it because he can take them out when he is speaking at church or in a meeting at work. He had the most corrections needed, but he is almost done at the year mark. Braces would have taken so much longer.
Best meals for a crowd – I’ve cooked at our girls camp for 150 people for a week quite a few summers. Favorite meals have been:
Cafe Rio taco salad – this one is great because people can customize to their taste.
Pulled pork sandwiches – super easy and can be done ahead of time.
Baked chicken taquitos – I cook the meat ahead of time, which just leaves mixing up the filling and rolling the taquitos.
Social media -. Ongoing group text stream with my siblings. What’s app with my son at college and friends from other countries. Instagram for grandbaby pictures
Thanks, Tanya! Love your thoughts on Invisalign. I don’t know what we’ll do. I think Invisalign will be so much more high maintenance for my son (just knowing his personality) but I also can recognize the pros and cons of each. Thanks for the meal ideas!!
Happy Friday, Mel!
The shoes first: go for them – so darn cute and you’ll totally ROCK them!!! Secondly, sorry your dearly beloved is in the throes of that kind of recovery; I hope he mends well! And lastly, toss the jello (at least once he recovers) as he will likely never want to eat it again! And P.S., no time it too early for family reunion planning! Make a service project part of it somehow. The first and only one my family planned included cleaning up grave markers at the local cemetery – not that we cleaned 100s, but a few dozen – the groundskeeper was delighted! Enjoy!
Love the idea for including service! A constructive, engaging, and bonding activity- thank you.
Thanks, Donna! And yes, I think you are right. He’ll never eat jello again (so over it). LOVE, love, love the idea of a service project. Thanks for that idea!!
Mel! Family reunion – MARS BAR SQUARES! I think I sent you this recipe years and years ago but we made again for our reunion this summer and no word of a lie – 18 people begged for recipe before they went home and 7 more emailed us later! It takes 10 min from beginning to end and adding skor bits to top is needed- let me know if you want recipe again! My teen just did Invisalign and was so much better then what I remember from metal braces! No cuts in mouth, no monthly painful tightening with sore mouth for days, and no distortion of mouth with big metal braces and you can’t see them! Big win for 13 year old at the time. Only sucked st Disney needing to find places to brush and clean them after eating.
Yes!! You did send me that recipe and I’ve actually made them but it’s been a LONG time. I’ll put it on my family reunion list! Thanks for the insight on Invisalign vs. wire braces. I don’t know what to do!
Those shoes are the worst! Don’t buy them!!!
I don’t think you believe me (I don’t), so you should probably take the advice of everyone else. If they’re not as great as you’d hoped, return them! 🙂
Ok, now I’m super curious. Are the shoes the worst because you hate the style or because you’ve bought them and hated them?? 🙂
Keep learning the language. I use Duolingo, and really like it. I heard someone talking about learning a new language recently, she said, “you can get by, but you can’t get in” as far as trying to live in a country for an extended period of time. I’m currently living in Norway and knowing what I know of the language is so helpful. The people here are impressed that I’m even trying.
Man, I should have started with Duolingo! So many are recommending that one. That’s amazing you are living in Norway and learning the language – that can’t be an easy language to learn!
My random thoughts: I’m grateful I had my tonsils out at age 3. Yay for Libby! I’ve read at least ten books this year which is huge for me. If the shoes are comfortable and well made, buy them. It’s better to spend more on quality than constantly replacing cheaply made or uncomfortable shoes. I love the Marco Polo app for communicating these days. It’s great for me because I have about an hour in the car every day and I can just listen or yammer on to my family or friend’s totally hands free. Off topic – made s’mores cookies and they spread. Gonna try again. Flavor was awesome! Dying to make the caramel apple cheesecake bars next!!!
So happy you love Libby, too! It’s making reading much easier for me (or rather, listening to books). And I love Marco Polo, too! I find I use it more than any other stay in touch app and I only have a small circle of family and close friends on there. Try adding a couple tablespoons more flour in those cookies – that should do the trick!
Mel –
I’m old enough to be your mother, so a lot of my comments will sound like it.
About Brian and his nasal/throat surgery…..men make terrible patients, as you’re finding out.
I just had a total replacement of my right knee and it hasn’t exactly been fun.
It does make one feel somewhat “taken” when you find an item at more than 50% less than what you paid for it. Life is very unfair that way.
Our family uses “What’s App” for our own private communications, picture sharing, etc. there are only 10 of us on it, but you can add as many people as want to be in touch with what’s going on, and you know that no one is seeing your pictures who shouldn’t be.
Thanks for all your tips about other things. Good luck with your other concerns.
I looked at the shoes and I would encourage you to see if you couldn’t find them cheaper somewhere else. Otherwise, get them! They’re gorgeous!
Love your comments, Mary! Good luck with the recovery of your knee replacement! I hope you have people helping you! Several others have recommended what’s app – I’ll have to look into it!
Adults take longer to heal then children, also they are made to follow the Doctors instructions to a T by parents (Lets face it as adults we fudge that a lot. As to Family Reunion I think you are stressing at the wrong time of year wait until after the Holidays then you can focus better. If you can’t completely put it aside get a note book and jot things down in it as they occur to you No need to finalize anything right now. Language is far easier for children to learn then adults I have used ear buds and audio learning when I wanted to learn another language I just walked around all day listening and even fell asleep with it on I did this for two weeks then I found someone who was fluent and sat down and worked with them using the language conversationally I was surprised how much I understood and how many words I could actually pronounce correctly. We would talk everyday making me faster and better learning more complex words and sentences. I am on Facebook for my brothers (all in there 70’s now) I am on Twitter occasionally other then that Nothing else. INVISALIGN child wants a mouth full of rubber band and metal they get teased enough not to mention food tastes horrible with metal and food gets stuck in them and you have to get cleanings constantly and risk decay and discoloration. Pickled Veg is great in a lot of dishes and they keep forever we pickle a lot of veg Carrot Celery Cucumbers peppers okra onions to name a few of our favorites. As to the shoe I would never pay that for a pair of shoes now a days We used to have Cobblers that could repair a expensive pair of shoes meaning we could wear them for years and years now if a strap or heel breaks or a sole wears out we have to toss them just not worth the price now a days Besides if you really love the style look around at FAB or other discount places for ones that are similar (or a Knock off) at less then half the price
Thanks for the sound, practical advice, Sandra! I probably do need to table a few to-dos right now! Interesting about listening to a foreign language all day. Not a bad idea!
Buy the shoes. If you love them and they make you feel spiffy, I feel it’s worth it. Plus, if you are like me, you’ll take care of them and wear them forever, so really even if you only word them a few times a week, if you put an amount of money per wear on them, it’s in cents…if that makes sense. I can justify this in lots of ways, ha ha!
I speak Portuguese, and it’s a beautiful language. Find a friend that speaks it and practice. You’ll get it! Then you can plan a trip to Portugal, and while your there, you might as well go to Spain, then France……
Definitely wire braces for the kids in my opinion. Unless yours are much more hygienically proficient and responsible than mine…which probably isn’t hard.
I don’t know where most of your family lives, but several years ago our family did a family reunion in Durango, Colorado. It was so much fun. We finagled a deal with one of the ski resorts and got condo’s for each family for a very reasonable rate. We were there in the summer, and there is so much do. Mesa Verde national park is close by, tons of hiking options, a drive up the Million Dollar Highway. We had a lot of fun.
Love your posts! Cheers!
Haha, thanks for all the justification! 🙂 Love that you speak Portuguese! Since Brian speaks it, I’m able to practice. I just wish my brain would connect the dots faster.
Hey as a dental hygienist just make sure whatever toothpaste you are using is ADA approved on the bottle–otherwise there is no guarantee that anything it claims it actually true. Invisalign for teenagers—thats a tough call. Unless you have super responsible teenagers it might be better to do braces. ALSO I was in charge of our family reunion (72 people) this summer and I think the favorite meal was bbq pulled pork (made ahead of time) with rice in a tortilla with other toppings like salsa and beans and sour cream. Taco salad is obviously an easy and great choice for a lunch. I also premade sloppy joes and froze them for a super easy dinner. And premade and froze dozens and dozens of cookies.
Classic delicious favorites! And I love “dozens and dozens.” Thanks for the tips!
Classic delicious favorites! And I love “dozens and dozens.” Thanks for the tips!
Thanks, Lindsay! Love the meal ideas for family reunions! The only thing I have officially planned is to make dozens and dozens of cookies, too. 🙂
Boa sorte com a língua. Estou muito impressionado que está tentando aprender um outra língua. Uma coisa que eu gosto é eu tenho a língua portuguesa no meu iPad (tenho Engles também). Ajuda muito em escrever português porque dá sugestões em português. Ainda, não me lembro muito. Aprendi mais do que 25 anos atrás na minha missão, e agora escrevo algumas pessoas em português de vez em quando e é muito difícil. Mas gosto tentar. Tu vais ter sucesso!
Laura! It was so fun “reading” your comment. Surprisingly I was able to read/sort through most of it (thanks to my husband’s help). 🙂
My (now ex-) husband had his tonsils out and deviated septum fixed a few years ago around Thanksgiving time and it was TERRIBLE. It was a good month before he started feeling well enough to eat normal food. I think the rough recovery is compounded by the fact that you can’t really eat much in the way of healthy foods unless they’re blended and that’s just gross. I can’t speak to whether it’s worth it in the long run because we don’t live together anymore, but I hope it pays off for your husband!
As for the shoes, I say buy them! I started buying nicer shoes a couple years ago (mostly just at Nordstrom Rack) and I won’t go back to my Target shoe shopping days. It makes a huge difference–they are more comfortable, last way longer, and like someone else said, you’ll feel like a million bucks!
I think we are on that month-long (if not longer) road to recovery. Hopefully it will pay off! Thanks for the push to get those shoes! Quality over quantity, right?
Couple of things, had my tonsils out at 14. hardest thing ever. It’s so much easier on kids when they are littler.(my mother didn’t tell me she has arrange for me to have them out until we were on the way to the hospital the day before Thanksgiving. I got an infection and ended up staying 5 days instead on the 2, so missed All of the good stuff for Thanksgiving plus 2 weeks from school. What a mess)
My daughter is trying to get me to use Marco Polo to keep up with everyone in the family, still working on that one.
Also they have a family reunion every other year and have 4 in the family with gobs of extra family. So they exclude the grandma and the grandpa and each family is assigned a meal or 2 depending on how long they are there. Each family also has a family “Road Show” or play that the kids make up and perform. This sometimes has a theme to it if they have a reunion theme before hand picked out. Each time one person has the main responsibility of putting it together but they make assignments and get commitments from everyone. Most the time the days are pretty loose just getting together and catching up on things.
Shoes, go for it, as long as it’s not an ever day thing. Once in a while you need to spend money on quality and in return you have something that will bring lasting comfort and make you feel like a million bucks. (and if those things don’t happen you’ve learned a valuable lesson!)
Oh jeez, Linda, your tonsillectomy as a teen sounds AWFUL!! I actually love marco polo – it’s the thing I find I use most to keep in touch with family and friends as I use Instagram less and less. Thanks for the family reunion thoughts!
Yay! I am excited you are learning Portuguese! My husband speaks it too and I’ve spent a couple of years working on it on Duolingo (which I like). Bottom line: language learning is hard. I have my kids in a dual immersion school, and it still is hard, even though they say it’s easy when you’re a kid. (Does a baby really have an easy time when they’re fully immersed in their language? No. It takes a couple of years.) So give yourself lots of slack. Also, since you’re a woman, you say obrigada. Obrigado is for boys.
Oh, and one fun family reunion idea I saw is to do a fear factor food edition: They started out with like a lemon slice, and then made their way up to weirder foods like kimchi and edible bugs and things. After every level anyone who passed got a reward. I think it would be hilarious to watch.
Haha, see? I even messed up the little I know. ObrigadA! Got it. 🙂 Also, I love that idea of fear factor. I can see Brian’s family totally getting into that.
We had one child in braces and another in Invisalign, we like Invisalign so much more for kids! They can brush their teeth so much better, the dentist said their gum health looks so much better. Our daughter fell off of a slackline in braces and cut up her mouth so bad, plus broken brackets and everything else. And only a few trips to the orthodontist each year instead of monthly with braces 🙂
Thanks for your thoughts on Invisalign vs. braces, Danelle! And ouch, that sounds so painful about your daughter’s accident.
i am a cheap shoe person but have noticed that when people look really nice, i typically note they have great, luxurious shoes. i am also into buying what i love! 🙂 for family reunions, my s-i-l did a really neat thing at ours. A Guess-Who’s-Coming-to-Dinner presentation at each meal: you assign someone an ancestor to research and tell about. pictures are helpful and make them into real people. those who presented really developed connections with their study. it was emotional and cool. i can’t wait for your ideas on this too. i am so into planning family stuff. the more we involve, the better!
Hey Karen! Thanks for the family reunion idea. I LOVE that!!
Hi Mel,
Best family reunion: Lake in Blanding, UT. We rented big cabins – girl cousins in one, boy cousins in the other, and parents were in the house rental with the littles. We had a boat, one of those banana things to ride on, and some inner tubes to play with. Plus, someone brought sand toys. Parents rotated who was on water watching duty. Life Jackets required. Can’t remember the lake name, but it was a good 7-8 feet out before my 8-9 year old self was waist deep.
Do you use the dry spray wax? My flyaways are always out of control.
Social Media: I don’t really. I have a twitter/instagram for giveaways where you have to post to enter. I have a Facebook for my homeschool group and lesson help group. I have friends and family there, but I only use it for the groups anymore. If there was another way, I wouldn’t have FB.
Look into “What’s App” to replace Facebook for your family communications. It’s great and private.
Sorry, my comment was worded badly. I don’t use FB for family. We group text on regular text. Also, “What’s App” is owned by Facebook. And I don’t trust it.
I’ll bet it was Recapture Reservoir! They have some great cabins rentals down that way (my parents own one, haha)! It’s a fun place cause it’s close enough to Maob to do all of that stuff too.
Hey Courtney – yes, I use the dry spray wax for myself, too! I spray it on my fingers and lightly brush it on my flyaways. I’m kind of with you on FB. If there was another way, I’d ditch it. I only keep it so I can keep my Mel’s Kitchen Cafe facebook page.
Mel! Huge sympathy for the husband/tonsil sitch! Been there done that and I would rather combine the 3 kids that had their tonsils out into one. It’s rough, but he’s glad he did it. Also, my 12-almost-13 year old has invisalign. At first I thought it was a no brainer. She has had contacts since first grade and has been really responsible so I thought it would work out. Well, she hates it! We constantly fight her to wear them and she is really self conscious about it and begs to switch to the metal. We’re too far in so she’s out of luck there! They’ve made a huge difference in her teeth, so that is great, but it’s a fight. I would think she’d be more self conscious with the metal, but who am I? Just the mom! Part of me thinks if she could actually compare the two, she would appreciate the invisalign a lot more. She goes to the ortho for the invisalign, but when I asked my dentist about it he said he prefers to see kids in invisalign because it is easier to keep their teeth clean and healthy. Anyhow, there’s our two bits! Loves to you- I love to peek in to see your beautiful family and all the amazing things you do!
So interesting about the Invisalign for your almost teen, Brittney. Thanks for sharing those thoughts! I think you’re right – I wonder if she could compare if she’d be so happy with Invisalign…but who knows??
We just had a family reunion at Bear Lake this past summer. The great thing about our rental (there are about 40 of us) was the yard. It had a volleyball net and trampoline and we brought corn hole. We spent a lot of time in the yard in the evenings.
I would echo all the other comments about Invisalign vs braces. We did traditional braces for our two older ones. The cost difference was minimal and I liked that they couldn’t lose them. I can tell now that the braces are off that is was the right decision as one of them is terrible about the retainer.
The place we are going to for the family reunion has tons of outdoor space and activities so I definitely think we’ll utilize that! Thanks for the thoughts on braces!
As far as furmented food, talk to Natalie Bevans. She knows tons about, has made her own and has done loads of research.
Awesome!
Hey Mel, love these posts. We were in charge of our family reunion last summer. Because we are too big and spread out to celebrate the holidays together we gave each day a holiday theme. We had Christmas, New Years, Easter, Birthdays, Thanksgiving, and Halloween. It was awesome! I have spreadsheets and lists of activities and we incorporated a lot of family history and traditions and foods that go a long with the holidays. It was a ton of work but so worth it! If you’re interested, I can send you all my info.
We’ve also done where every day was a movie theme and the did activities based on that. That was fun too and giving it a theme just makes it easier to plan food and activities.
This sounds like so much fun! Love the happiness of theming and connecting to family traditions while making new memories. Thank you.
I would love the spreadsheet of ideas too! Any way we can connect?
Sounds amazing, Luci! I love how well planned you are! I’d love to get a copy of the spreadsheets if they’re easy to send. I’ll email you!
Hey Luci – thanks for you comment! Your family reunion sounds amazing! If the spreadsheets are easy to share, I’d love to see them, but no worries if it’s hard to send. Thank you!!
Excited about your crossbody bag recommendation. I’m definitely a crossbody bag person and have been looking for one. I have an Amazon gift card that I’ve been wanting to use…
Need to check into the Libby Library App. Sounds like something I’d like. Audiobooks are the only way I have time to read.
I have a hard time spending a lot on shoes. $80-$90 is about my limit and they have to be really good shoes.
I have the permanent fly away hair issue, so this product interests me.
I enjoy these kinds of posts – always fine some helpful tips.
Good luck with the Portuguese!
The Libby app is totally worth checking out! I’m with you, I usually don’t spend that much on shoes so that’s why I’m conflicted.
Hands down wire braces for teens (sorry kids) I did Invisalign and didn’t quite get a stubborn tooth in place so I did wire braces for 6 months to finish it up. I am a responsible adult and I misplaced those dang Invisalign’s often. I feel the wire ones gets better results and allow the Ortho to have more control over the teeth movement. Just my opinion:)
Food for big family parties….when we go to lake powell with big groups everyone loves Pasta Night. I do spaghetti and farfalle noodles, red sauce and meatballs (or you best homemade spaghetti sauce) and a homemade Alfredo with grilled chicken. I do a lot of the cooking before. Red sauce and meatballs are made before we leave so they just get tossed in a slow cooker to heat. Chicken has already been grilled and frozen so I usually reheat in the oven or on stove top. I make the pasta and Alfredo right before we eat. Alfredo could probably be made ahead of time also but I’ve never tried. Serve with garlic bread and a salad, and fruit and everyone is happy!
Another crowd fav is sweet pork salad/burritos
Thanks for the comment, Jamie! Pasta night is a GREAT idea for family reunion food!
I vote regular braces for the teens. I’m wearing Invisalign right now for some minor teeth movement but I can’t imagine boys keeping up with them. Braces come in clear now so barely visible. I’m 2 months in – 5 to go.
That’s kind of my thought, too – I’m having a hard time picturing my actually quite responsible teen keeping up on the Invisalign (I wouldn’t have really understood except for having had Invisalign this last year myself).
Ugh my husband had his ACL replaced Tuesday and I am already over the running around! He is in a ton of pain!
Family Reunion – The biggest mistake is over planning. The best ones we have been to are where there is one activity that you would expect the whole group to participate in per day and then lots of suggestions of activities for people to split up and do. That way anyone who just wants to relax and hang out doesn’t have to feel guilty, the people who want to pack stuff in can, and everyone can move amongst the larger group freely to visit with who they want to. (The actual purpose, right?) Food – breakfast sandwiches are surprisingly easy – you can beat up some eggs, pour them in a sheet pan to bake and cut with a pizza cutter for the sandwich. You can do a bunch of trays so fast – one for eng. muffins, one for sausage, one for eggs.
Social Media – I don’t do it. It sucks my time/mind/energy and does not repay it. Too much time for people I don’t care enough to call.
Braces – WIRE BRACES!!!! I paid for my 2 to have the ceramic on their top teeth and the metal on the bottom where you can’t see them, and you barely notice them. Plus they can’t get lost.
Shoes. My 15 year old calls those kind of shoes ‘generic white girl’ shoes. Just sayin’.
I had all kinds of thoughts about your thoughts! thanks for sharing.
Oh man, Lauren, I hope your husband recovers QUICKLY!! Thanks for the advice on the reunion. I think that’s a good point! I’m going to make an effort to make sure there is a lot of unstructured/chill/chatting time. Love the breakfast sandwich idea. Thank you!
I too have problems with SL, been using the Sensodyne line for years now. Love it, and no breakouts on lips anymore. Plus it is reasonably priced as well.
Thanks for the recommendation, Theresa!
There is no way I would talk you out of those shoes! They are beautiful and think of how confident and master-of-the-universe you will feel when wearing them!
Now really, no woman should buy shoes for herself if her children are not housed, fed, clothed, and well-cared for. Your kids ARE housed, fed, clothed, educated, loved, have plenty of pets, and are thriving.
BUY THE SHOES!!
Haha, you had me at “master of the universe” – how can I resist that?? 🙂
Love your blog. And honestly, I search your site first when looking for a recipe. Mostly because I love your family- I grew up with Brad and Katie and have memories of hours spent in your Aunt Marilyn’s basement making troll clothes out of felt and being taught the appropriate way to eat Asbelskeivers (spelling?) during the holidays in their kitchen. Brad was one of my best friends all growing up. Anyway, I never comment on things but when you said your husband got his septum/fracture repair AND a tonsillectomy st the same time I wanted to cry for him! I thought I would die when my tonsils came out as an older teen and had my nose fixed after my daughter broke it about three years ago. I’d say the tonsillectomy was the worst pain I’ve had ever to date. And I have 5 kids. The nose was up there as well. I’m so sorry for him!!
Well not mostly because I love your family. Your food is delicious. We just made the carrot cake into cupcakes for my son’s birthday and it was amazing!
Thanks for the surgery sympathy, Victoria! Brian is feeling the love with everyone’s comments of mutual pain and sympathy. That’s so fun that you grew up with my cousins and amazing Aunt Marilyn. How come it doesn’t surprise me you were making clothes out of felt at her house. That’s awesome!
BUY THE SHOES! You’ll never regret it, but if you do… return them! No biggie! Put your kid in wired braces. They can’t be trusted with invisible trays. My niece is 6 months in to Invisalign and I can’t stand running her forgotten trays to her every time she comes to my house! And she is the “responsible” one… had she done wired braces she would be done. I love you Mel! I talk about you all the time and my mom thought you must be my neighbor! I have all my friends onto you too. We talk as if you are one of the group, because you are! Thank you for being real, being positive, and being relatable!
Thanks for the advice, Elaine! You are the sweetest. Thanks for the kind words.
I can’t seem to get on the bootie train, but those are the cutest I’ve ever seen! Get them!
Thanks, Katie!
So, technically chocolate is fermented as part of its production…just sayin’. Kefir is the BEST, I spiked a fever when I’m labor with my second and had to take antibiotics, and probiotics and kefir saved my sanity, I was probably taking them for six months before it was okay if I accidentally forgot (I’ll stop before it becomes TMI haha). Buy the shoes, if they have good reviews and people say they hold up well! There is just something special about really good shoes that last, haha. LOVE the bag. Languages are hard, stick with it! Also, in terms of prioritizing—I am nearing the end (hallelujah) of my third pregnancy, and let’s just say it has humbled me. I have so many things that I feel like I should be doing, but between being sick all the time, and my husband’s job requiring ridiculous hours and quite a bit of travel this year (oh how I wish CPAs were only busy during tax season), I have been forced to focus on the things that really matter to me to finish. I only have so much capacity to go around, and have pretty much figured out my balance, through a lot of trial and error. My girls have been champs through it all—we have certainly had our struggles, and emotional moments, and nights of cereal for dinner and early bedtimes. But, even though I still feel like I am totally whinging this parenting thing (does that ever go away?), I also feel like my girls and I have just grown closer through it all. I’ve learned so much more about them, and how to help them with their individual needs, and what things they truly enjoy. Now we’ll just have a new baby in a few weeks and we’ll have to figure out our balance all over again, but at least now I know that we can, because we’ve done it before 🙂
Thanks for the comment. LOVED it! Good luck with that pregnancy. It’s amazing how life circumstances can quickly put into perspective what should be high priority or not. And I think I’ll be winging motherhood til the end of time. 🙂
Definitely buy those shoes! They are gorgeous! And it sounds like you deserve a splurge. My husband and I both speak Spanish and it’s amazing to be able to communicate without the kids knowing what we’re saying. And I asked my husband what his favorite family reunions were, and he only mentioned meals. So I would say you’re covered in that department! For me, I would say the less structured time, the better. Just have chill activities and games so the kids can play and the adults can chat and you only have to plan one big activity or so a day. Good luck with everything! My life has been pretty exhausting lately since adding baby number 3 (our most difficult baby, yet!)
Thanks for the vote of confidence on the shoes, Carmen. 🙂 I kind of hear you on the structured vs unstructured time. I want to have plenty of laid back chatting time during the family reunion. Good luck with baby #3! Man, it’s so wonderful and hard all at the same time to welcome those new babies into the family.
We meet for a family reunion every summer with my husband’s siblings and their families, usually totaling around 40 people! We always hold a family olympics with 2 teams full of the old, young and in between. It is always so much fun and great to see the older cousins helping out the younger when it’s their turn to participate.
Also, have to note… loved the pic of your daughter and her mis-matched socks! Two of my 3 daughters always did that and as they got older did it on purpose just for fun! They are 23 and 25 and still do it occasionally. 🙂
Love family olympics! My family does that too, and it’s a great thing to put on our list for next year! Haha, glad Cam’s not the only one who walks around in mismatched socks almost every day of her life. 🙂
We are babies at making fermented foods and honestly so far I just love the sauerkraut but some of the rest of the things I don’t love. We are trying kimchi for the first time and it’s only been going a week so the verdict is still out. We do however LOVE our jar lid by krautsource.com So easy to use and fits a canning jar and they have one jar recipes so you don’t have to make a huge vat of things.
I am a huge believer that rule one of shoes is that they fit well and are comfortable. Not like, could I bear to wear them as long as I didn’t have to do sharing time and stand all through church, but actually comfortable. Also, I’m not hard on things. I can wear a quality pair of shoes for a long time so the investment is worth it. Finally, to me, that’s not an expensive pair of shoes so maybe factor that in to my advice 🙂
I’m an instagram girl. I think the bigger question is what do the people you want to keep connected to use?
Thanks for comment and the tip on the lid, Marcella! I’ll look into that for sure. Great thing to think about on the social media question, too!
Since you said that you have experienced multiple instances where you had to wear dental appliances because your teeth seem to move, let me tell you about my experience. I read a book written by a Nobel Prize winner (can’t remember his name) who recommended Vitamin C, one or two grams per day (that’s 1000 to 2000 mg). My teeth became tighter in my mouth after about two weeks. I stopped taking Vitamin C after about a year and haven’t had a problem since (this was 30 years ago).
Good luck
Thanks, Sheldon!
Hi Mel,
At our house we aren’t big social media fans and guess what I still have friends, connections and happiness. It’s okay to not to be on the socual media bandwagon. My husband has lots of siblings and they use ‘group me text’. They can’t send pictures or emojis but….it allows for conversation, making plans, decisions, etc., and it isn’t a huge time waster. So I like it!
I’ve had different friends use both invisalign and regular braces. Regular braces seem to be a better option for the teens.
Yes! I want to ferment foods but am afraid that I will poison us all in one fell swoop…
Yes to the shoes! For me, never my children, once or twice a year I allow myself such extravagance. It’s amazing!! So go for it!
There’s my 2 cents. Thanks for asking!
Hi Ashley,
Why can’t they send pictures or emojis? Is it your phone? I have ongoing text messages too with family and we add photos and gifs and whatever else entertains us at the moment.
Courtney,
I’m not actually sure why that is. Any emoji that comes through as a question mark. What I do know is that some of us get messages thru the app itself and others, like myself, have them come through as a group text. But it works well for all of us, so I don’t ask any questions!
Thanks for the comment, Ashley! I’ve finally gotten more comfortable with the whole poisoning with the cultured foods thing…but I’m still kind of nervous about it all. I’ll report back!
I’m not on social media because I am so introverted to the point where reading and seeing on a feed what other people are doing makes me feel burdened. (Blogs are my favorite but its different.) Plus it’s just unnatural to know so much trivial things about each other–we were meant to see distant relatives at reunions, run into former roommates at the grocery store, catch up with neighbors at the mailbox.
Those shoes are beautiful! If you’ll wear them lots and they’ll last for years then I think the price can be justified. I’ve been a quantity over quality clothes buyer until the last year or so until I realized I dont need a lot of clothes (homebody) so why not just buy less but love and will last.
We did a gameshow theme for a reunion — oldies v. younguns. That was hilarious and we learned a lot about each other.
Thanks for your thoughts on social media, Diana! I can totally see what you mean. I read somewhere that we just were not meant to have this many people in our “circle” and social media distorts reality. I’ve started doing the quality over quantity in my wardrobe lately and it’s been awesome. I don’t leave my house often so I can get by with a small wardrobe of things I totally love. Love the gameshow idea. Thank you!
Fermented foods… just don’t. Ick.
🙂
I should have told you about SLS free toothpaste long ago. Rembrandt has an awesome one, but it’s too pricey!! If you go to Trader Joe’s, they have a peppermint one that is pretty good (not fantastic, but you get used to it) and it’s $2/TUBE!! Which is astounding after you’ve paid for everything other brand of SLS free. When you go, buy 20 in case they ever go out of stock. If you ever get more cankers, note if you’ve had fresh garlic or too much broccoli, try are high in sulfates and will trigger cankers from time to time. Wish you the best! – from a fellow canker sufferer.
Thanks for the tip about the toothpaste from Trader Joe’s! I had no idea!
I feel you re: Portuguese! I was a French major in college, subsequently learned rudimentary Spanish. Recently spent 2 weeks in Portugal and prepped by doing Babbel and Duolingo for 3 months. My very old (66) brain learned ver little, but more significantly, my mouth could barely spit (literally) out the many slushy sounds in that lovely language. Sad – now feeding my ego by refreshing my French via Babbel.
Re: shoes – no price is too high to make your foundation happy, comfy and functioning properly.
That’s how I feel! My mouth just can’t spit it out. I’ve been blaming it on sleep deprivation, but I don’t know!
Oh my heck do I relate! I had a deviated septum repaired in 2005, and it wasn’t horrible. But then I had to get my tonsils out in 2006 1 month after getting married. I really thought I was going to die. I had to be on home IV before even getting them out, then had to go back in the hospital the day after because I couldn’t keep anything down. My poor new husband didn’t know what to do. I lost about 15 pounds, into dangerous territory, and was out of everything for a month. It was awful. So give Brian my huge condolences, and I’ll pray for him to recover fast!
Oh wow, Ashlee – that sounds terrible! And to go through that as a newlywed! Yikes!
Mel, you must get those shoes. They are the cutest shoes EVER and besides you deserve them. I love your Friday thoughts and your honesty in sharing.
Thanks so much, Linda! 🙂
Buy the shoes. I bought a $180 pair of Michael Kors shoes this summer, and I feel like a million bucks every time I wear them. #worthit
That’s awesome!
Buy the shoes!! I typically pay $100+ for shoes that I wear to work because without good shoes my back kills me. Regardless, everyone needs to splurge from time to time!
As far as family reunion meals~ I love a low country boil! It is soo simple to throw together and easy to cook. You may have to do a little planning- my sister lives in NE and I send her the crab boil seasoning bags. They make all the difference instead of just using Old Bay alone. Add some French bread sliced up and put out some ramekins of cocktail sauce ( I make my own) and melted butter and you are good to go!
Thanks for the family reunion meal idea (yum!)…and the push to get those shoes. 🙂
I’m sorry your husband is having a rough go of recovery. I can also recommend NOT getting chicken pox as an adult. When my hubby was 35, he came down with them, never having had them as a kid. I’ll just say that was hands-down awful. Like the pictures could give you nightmares. So I’m feeling for you and your hubby. And sending wishes for a full recovery soon.
As far as braces, my husband is a dentist and he did not recommend Invisalign for our 3 girls. They all did traditional braces followed by retainers. Invisalign is great if you need fairly minor adjustments (as you probably did having had traditional braces before) but if someone needs more extensive alignments, people sometimes choose Invisalign and then have to follow it up at the very end of treatment with traditional braces for final adjustments. Which is why my husband is not as much of a fan for those who’ve never worn braces. It’s probably a good question for your orthodontist, though.
Oh my goodness, chicken pox as an adult sounds horrific. Thanks for the input on braces! I think we’ve decided on wire braces, much to my 14-year old’s dismay. I think it will be the best thing for him and he’ll appreciate it (hopefully??).
Hi Mel,
I love your random Friday thoughts. I splurged on a pair of $185 shoes and I decided that once a year I would let myself buy a pair of shoes that were expensive. I’m not sure I would spend over $200 ever but I will tell you that I have had these shoes for 3 years and they are one of my favorites. I feel like a million dollars when I wear them and have completely gotten my money’s worth out of them!
Good rule to follow: Eat the cake and BUY the shoes.
Works every time!
Haha, LOVE the rule. 🙂
Love your Friday thoughts!! Gotta run, so don’t have much time…but wanted to share what has helped canker sores for me. A q-tip dipped in apple cider vinegar and hold it on the sore. It will sting, but they will go away much faster. And be careful with that foreign language thing…I have a friend, his wife and him are both fluent in Japanese. Once when they were on vacation they were on a ferry boat or something like that and he commented to his wife “about another women’s very large derrière”. Unfortunately….that women was also fluent in Japanese!!!!
Great tip on the apple cider vinegar! And thanks for the word of warning…I promise to never talk about anyone’s backside in Portuguese. Right now that’s easy because I can barely say “I am your mother.”
Hi Mel,
I had my tonsils out at 22 and it will go down as the worst 8 weeks of my life. I couldn’t eat, the pain meds tore up my stomach, and just walking felt like the hardest activity. It was so intense, and all I can say is rest and lots of water. Prayers for Brian’s speeding healing.
8 weeks?? I want to cry. I’ve heard it is awful, but man, I didn’t realize it would be this long. Thanks for the prayers! We’ll take ’em.
Life is short, Mel – get the shoes!! 🙂 As for the surgery comment, I am super scared because I am facing the prospect of sinus surgery for “chronic sinus inflammation/polyp” which has led to frequent headaches. I’d like to think I’ll be less cranky with my family after clearing up this problem (which also seems to lead to insomnia – uhg!), but I’m SERIOUSLY dreading being under general anesthesia and hurting afterwards. I had my tonsils out at 16 – torture. As for social media, I don’t do much because it is a time suck, and my life already feels crazy with my work-from-home job, two rowdy boys in school, volunteering all the time, trying to learn Spanish as a 40-year-old, going to CrossFit – oh, and paying attention to my husband, friends, and family, too! Calgon, take me away…..anyway, have a wonderful weekend! Thanks for being you!! xo
Good luck with that surgery, Cami! Hopefully a short amount of hurting and recovery will be worth the end result! Haha, I hear you on the craziness of life. It’s why I want to cut down on all the “unnecessaries” (including social media!).