Friday Thoughts
It’s been a while, but I’m pretty excited to be popping back in with a Friday Thoughts post (they’re my favorite because of YOUR comments). I have a lot on my mind. Like, a lot, a lot.
And I’m excited to get your feedback and thoughts on all my rambly venting today. 🙂
All the other past Friday Thoughts posts here.
1) Family Vacation: I need your help! This resident homebody needs to know: what is the best family vacation you’ve ever taken? To where? And why? (I’m gathering some highly scientific data to present to Brian next week, so thanks in advance.)
2) Sunday Dinner Assignments: Last fall I realized weeknights were not working when it came to teaching my kids how to cook. Too busy. Too noisy. Too distracting. Too stressful. Too much controlling OCD (ahem, taking full ownership for that one).
So we switched the system up a bit, and I can’t believe how well it is working. I love it! The kids love it! And honestly, they have totally shocked me and Brian with their rock star cooking abilities.
I call it Sunday Dinner Assignments. Super clever and catchy, huh? Gosh, I’m a marketing wizard.
How it’s working so far: I plan out a simple menu for Sunday night and assign one of the kids for each section. This involves a super high tech system of writing the menu on a post it note with one of the kid’s names next to each section.
Usually it’s a main dish, homemade bread or rolls of some sort, a side dish or two, and dessert. And in most cases, I let them choose the specific recipe they want to make (within reason and with approval).
I don’t put myself on the rotation. The kids execute the whole meal AND they are responsible for washing the dishes for their recipe. My role is to not helicopter and just answer questions and step in if they ask for help.
Yes, it’s a bit chaotic and messy; they try and work together to plan out oven usage and stagger the prep/cooking times so there are only a couple of them in the kitchen at a time.
The best part is seeing how excited they are to tell Brian which dish they made when we sit down to dinner. Of course we have had quite a few spills (including a whole bucket of honey) and arguments about who gets to use the favorite whisk first (that one ended in tears + at least one bruise)…and there have even been a few times where something was…um…slightly inedible.
But the learning process has been invaluable. Each one of the boys has made homemade rolls (or this buttery bundt bread is a fave choice) at least twice by themselves, and let me tell you, if they do nothing else in their lives, I’m going to hang on to some mom pride over this accomplishment.
They are all used to the system now and ask me on Saturday night if I know what their assignment will be yet. I’m sure this Sunday Dinner Assignments thing will go through several variations as we stick with it, but it’s working pretty great right now.
In the interest of full disclosure, about every fourth or fifth Sunday, I have a little “moment” and decide I can’t handle anyone else being in the kitchen and declare it “Mom’s Sunday Dinner Assignment All By Herself Please Leave the Kitchen Area Immediately.”
How do you teach the kids in your life to cook? Are you able to let go of the control and give them free reign?
3) Eagle Scouts:Both Walker and Jackson earned their Eagle Scout award a couple Sundays ago (with three other young men from church). Scouting has been a fun journey for them, even if they didn’t love every single minute.
Quite honestly, toward the end, I didn’t know if our relationship would survive the paperwork process, but I’m really, really proud of them for achieving this award. And I’m really, really proud of myself for making it through, too. Haha. No, but seriously.
At the ceremony, my 15-year old chose to give his mentor pin to me, which was so touching and sweet! The scoutmaster handed him the microphone so he could say a few words about why he was doing this, and Jackson cleared his throat and very meaningfully gave this tender tribute: “well, I’m giving this mentor pin to my mom because she basically threatened me that I couldn’t get my driver’s license until my Eagle Scout was done. And also, she drove me around to a lot of places.”
And you know what? I totally gave him a huge hug and kiss on the cheek because I’LL TAKE IT. The tribute and the mentor pin. 🙂 I love these boys and am really, really proud of their hard work, including learning the art of making real, live phone calls, which apparently might be the hardest, hardest, hardest thing to ask a teenager to do.
4) Natural Deoderant:ok, you guys, I’ve tried a lot of natural deoderant out there, and I’m sorry for the inclusion of too much info here, but I’ve done so even at the cost of some serious underarm chafing and rashes (Schmidt’s, I’m looking at you). Lume, Tom’s, Schmidt’s. I still feel like I smell like a pre-pubescent middle school boy.
Help? Am I missing something? Is there a natural deoderant that actually works and doesn’t rip up my skin? Please enlighten me and the rest of humanity.
5) Being a Finisher: I’ve been working on teaching my kids the art of being a finisher. And instead of lecturing, I decided I better just model the desired behavior and actually finish a couple projects I’ve been working on for years.
I started this crochet quilt when Camryn was a toddler. Yes, that’s 5+ years ago. And I just barely finished it over the holiday break. And then I wrapped it up and put it under the Christmas tree as a present to myself. I’m embarrassed to say I actually cried tears when it was done.
It’s been a labor of love. And now I’m afraid to actually ever use it because what if it unravels? (Free pattern from Purl Soho and yarn from Knitpicks, which was enough yarn for my mom to also make one of these blankets, which she finished years before mine – she’s a rock star)
The other blanket I finally finished was this Fancy Forest quilt, pattern by Elizabeth Hartman. A couple years ago when I decided I wanted to learn to quilt (never had before), I chose this as my first quilt. Yes, you just go ahead and laugh at me, because everyone else in my real life did, too!
I admit it was a bit ambitious, but I figured if I was going to learn, I was going to learn. Anyway, you can see how well that worked out. It took me, again, about five years to finish this quilt. And there are so many mistakes I can hardly bear to look at it. (Sidenote: not sure quilting is the right hobby for someone with a brain like mine.) But I finished it! It’s legit the hardest project I’ve ever done.
And I am really, really proud of myself. I even took a long arm quilting class at a local quilt shop and long arm quilted the top of this bad boy all by myself, and I HAVE NEVER BEEN MORE SCARED AND MORE PROUD OF ANYTHING I’VE DONE IN MY WHOLE LIFE EVER. Also, I sweated an obscene amount during the long arm process. Also, this may be why we need to really delve into topic #4 up there. Also, I promise to never talk about sweat again.
Do you have any goals to finally finish something this year that you started long ago?
6) Vegan, Vegan:A good friend of mine is transitioning to a plant-based/vegan/no sugar diet to combat a stage IV cancer diagnosis. We basically talk about the food part of this journey nonstop, and my brain is going a mile a minute to figure out how to help her (and also incorporate more plant-based recipes in my own life)!
She and I have already been experimenting with different cashew-based dressings and sauces among other things. We’ve had some wins. And some losses. Haha. Do you have any great vegan/100% unprocessed recipes to share? Favorite online sources? Cookbooks?
7) Grit and Resilience: this TED talk is really fascinating. I really, really want my kids to be gritty! And let’s be honest, I want it for myself, too. To persevere through hard things and not give up. Since I’m 1,000% certain lecturing does.not.help. I’m trying to find more ways to help foster resilience in my kids. Any experts out there on growth mindset? Have I gone too far? Is this too deep for a Friday? What are your thoughts?
8) Games:You know I can only go so long without talking about what games we are loving at the minute. One of you awesome persons recommended the game Patchwork – aff. link on my holiday game gift guide. We love it! It’s a 2-person game and it is so, so fun. You don’t have to be interested in sewing or quilting or buttons or anything to love this game. It’s super strategic with a little bit of luck, and I can’t recommend it highly enough.
The other game we’ve been pulling out for a quick game sesh is Left, Center, Right (we have the basic version and also the wild version – aff. links). Super, super fast. Super, super fun. Everyone around here loves LCR!
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Ok, you guys, thanks for sticking with me through this rambling post!
Love your guts.
Don’t leave until you add your thoughts below. I need your insights, humor, wisdom and recipes in my life. 🙂
UPDATE!!!! You guys. YOU GUYS! I have spent hours (days!) reading through your comments. I’ve read every single one. I wish I had time to respond to you each personally. Instead, I literally just made a MASSIVE spreadsheet (ahem, nerd alert) with all of your vacation, deodorant, vegan and grit recommendations. And you guys, this spreadsheet is gold. I can’t wait to organize it (ahem, second nerd alert) and read through it and learn from it and PLAN A VACATION and make some plant-based meals and try out the 5,000 deodorant recommendations all while telling my kids to stay gritty. Haha. But seriously, I could kiss all of your faces for all of the comments. The insights. The personal stories and experiences. As always, you’ve made me laugh and think and think some more. And you have given so, so many good recommendations. WHAT WOULD I DO WITHOUT YOU? No really, what would I do? I’d actually have to find friends in real life and that would just be super lame. So glad you guys are my people. I loved reading every single one of these comments. I promise to update a future Friday Thoughts post (or maybe just at the bottom of this one) with my spreadsheet findings! xoxo
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596 Comments on “Friday Thoughts”
I have to compliment you on your really fine, good looking boys. My goodness. Every one is a dead ringer for his Daddy. I’ve been binge reading your posts the last couple of days and it is just amazing how boys seem to reach a point where they begin to seem less like children and begin to be MEN. Maybe we better start planning the weddings? Your little girl is sure growing up too. Not a baby anymore! So sweet. You ALL seem like such a lovely family.
https://www.feastingathome.com
Sylvia has an amazing web-site with seasonal recipes that can be easily switched up from vegan, vegetarian or meat based. You can also sign up for monthly emails based on seasonal recipes of each month.. It all tastes fabulous and it’s easy. Also, she experiments with spices and cuisines from around the world. So there is lots of variety. Worth a try.
Congratulations to your Eagle Scouts! That is a fantastic accomplishment! My husband just celebrated his 31st anniversary of his Eagle Scout and my oldest son is almost there. Have to get that darn paper work done and submitted! Congratulations to you and your husband too. It’s a lot of work being scout parents and keeping the boys going. My husband and youngest just left for a chili cook-off campout. Thank you for always providing such wonderful and tasty recipes! You are a blessing!
Best Family vacation: Costa Rica. It’s not cheep or expensive, but the whole family loved it. Moneys, zip lining, adventure. My youngest was 7 and she could do everything.
Hi Mel,
I’ve been a fan of your blog for years. Thank you for all of your hard work and energy in continually creating great content!
I have two teenagers (Daughter & Son) who are so much fun. Our whole family loves this growth mindset site https://thelearnerlab.com. It’s creator is passionate about this topic and youthful, so it’s really fun and teen focused.
Thank you!
Your quilt turned out beautiful Mel!! You’ve inspired me to pull out some of my started and not finished sewing projects!
Okay I’m late to this post too but I have to put in a few plugs for vacations. We did go to Disney Alauni 2 summers ago with my entire family of 22 for my moms 60th bday. It was a memory of a lifetime and so perfect for the grandkids (my 12 year old was the oldest) with all the Disney characters and all that. But there were couples there with no kids that were also having the times of their lives so maybe age doesn’t matter when Disney is involved. The characters can be seen and met all over the property, they have a character breakfast, and super fun slide and lazy river and pool parties with Goofy. Amazing.
That being said, last summer the weekend before school started we took our family to the Hiawatha Trail. I’m sure you’ve heard of it or maybe done it before, but it’s on the border of Montana and Idaho. We had all 6 of our bikes and camp gear. We camped 2 nights right in the forest near the trailhead and then after we did the trail spent the day exploring Missoula and stayed a night at a hotel there. This was actually my favorite family trip even over Hawaii. I was in the back and we cruised the bike trail at a slow pace just soaking it all in. I was just in awe of the beauty around me, my family in front of me included and I have never felt so blessed. Truly. It was one of those memories I will keep in my mind and my heart forever. Our son Jay who complains to do anything active, and 6 at the time had the time of his life. When we mentioned he hadn’t complained all day (took us 4 hours to do the 15 mile trail) he said “I just couldn’t! It was too much fun! I couldn’t even complain!” Haha. Anyways it’s 15 mile low downgrade going through train tunnels and trusses. One tunnel is even over a mile long. They have a website and I apologize if you’ve already done this since you are so close. But it was my FAVORITE. One tip though is to go early in the morning right when it opens. It’s a shared road so as the day goes on you will have to share the road and it takes away the awe-ness of nature. We never saw any cars but on the shuttle back dusted out quite a few riders that were just starting. Lol. And LASTLY Oregon Coast is probably my third favorite trip we’ve taken
I’ve tried a bunch of different deodorants and my favourite is Undercarriage https://undercarriagedeodorant.com/. A jar will last 4 to 6 months.
Our favourite family vacation was renting a cottage on a lake. So relaxing!
That is a beautiful quilt!!! Just gorgeous!
Congratulations to your Eagle Scouts. Great accomplishment! Your kids are all adorable.
My hubby has reactions to deodorant. He tried about a dozen different ones and they all caused a rash. We finally tried Weleda and it’s been working now for almost a year with NO rash or problems. He uses the roll on.
Thanks for all of your delicious recipes. Your crockpot beef stew is the only beef stew recipe I make. Love it!!
I am so late to this post, but love your site and your Friday thoughts. I am also trying to figure out how to teach grit to my kids and realized it has to be hard work. We love vacations, so we told our kids they have to earn money for a Disney vacation a year from now. I have 5 and the oldest is 11, so we will see how it goes, but we just wanted to make them sweat a little and then (hopefully) appreciate it more!
As far as places – we love Black Hills National park (Mt Rushmore), Victoria, BC and the Oregon Coast (we actually bought a vacation rental there last year, so we visit often). This summer, we are renting an RV for the first time to drive from Seattle to Yosemite and so I love the comments about RVs. Hoping to make some memories!
Thanks for all the recipes and for staying real and humble!
My daughter and husband decided to go vegan in college, so I’ve been on this journey myself. One recipe we all love is a raw fruit dip made with cashews that I served at her bridal shower. It is especially tasty with sliced bananas, strawberries, Nilla Wafers, and pretzel crisps. No soaking required! 1 1/2 cups cashews, 1/2 cup water, 3 tablespoons coconut oil, 2 tablespoons agave nectar or honey, 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract, 1/4 teaspoon sea salt plus more to taste. Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth and very creamy. Taste and adjust sweetness if necessary. Chill in the fridge for a couple hours; it firms up nicely. Enjoy!
You’re probably done reading these, but the very best vacation we’ve ever had was in Outer Banks, NC. Excellent!!! We took our 5 kids, ages 9 to 21, and everyone loved it! We still talk about it all the time. Rented a house right on the beach, 5 stories high with a captain’s turret where the dining room table was, built in swimming pool, basketball and volleyball courts, bikes, arcade in the basement, decks all around the entire house, a bedroom and bath for each kid. It was amazing, and incredibly reasonable (we do NOT have a lot of money) especially because we grabbed it the last week of the ‘off season’, which was the last week of April. There are tons of beach houses for rent, quite reasonable and loaded with fun perks. It’s a beautiful place.
Reading through all of these comments because I have to give my mind a break from reading anymore about Covid-19. I want to get more information about the details of the house your reader rented in the Outer Banks. Is there anyway to do that? It would be great to plan a fun vacation for next year.
You’re probably done reading these comments – I’m a little late to the party. But, let me tell you, that I love to see you “making” your kids learn to cook. I love to cook and I mean I LOVE IT but when it came to teaching my 2 girls to cook, they would have nothing to do with it. ACK! I was so disappointed because I think cooking is a life skill. Both of them are fortunate now to have husbands that cook but it still is a thing they don’t like and won’t do. Boo!
P.S. Sorry for the vent. I know you’re not the resident therapist. 🙂
Deodorant: Same problem here. I actually STOPPED using deodorant altogether…..the first few days were rough but I just made sure to wash morning and evening. Then once my pores cleared, NO body odor. NONE. The only time I might notice it is around my period, in which case I wash more frequently. I still use my rose and vanilla deodorant on occasion when I’m very nervous or when I exercise heavily, but even then it’s not really necessary. Try it, you have nothing to lose!
One of our favorite vacation destinations has always been Vancouver Island B.C. Canada. We drive from Idaho and take a ferry from Vancouver to Nanaimo. We like to stay in Parksville on the coast so that when the tide goes out it is a treasure trove of tide pools and sand dollars. We also spend some time in Victoria, and MacMillan Provincial Park walking through the giant redwood forest. Love, love, love it there.
LOVE your blanket and quilt! Way to go!! I have lots of sewing projects I’d love to tackle, especially a quilt I’ve been wanting to finish, but yeah, probably will wait for my baby to get a bit bigger. I am taking a really cool sewing class with my 8 year old daughter and it has been such a blast.
Deodorant – Native or Herban Cowboy have worked for me.
Family Vacation – Oregon Coast, Couer D’alene Idaho, anywhere in the mountains, have been nice for us.
Vegan – I don’t know much, but I tried to go plant based while nursing and it was super hard. If I try again I will watch that I’m getting more B-12 (nutritional yeast on popcorn I hear is one way…???)
Hurray for the Eagle Scouts and the Sunday cooking assignments. I might try that. My 10 year old “made” dinner tonight, but it was mostly me it turned out.
I’m trying to declutter lots of stuff in my house and recipes was today! So I’m making a binder of stuff we make again and again and it’s mostly recipes from you. So thank you!! 🙂
I make my own deodorant and have for a few years. Coconut oil is the base. Good recipes online, mine is in a ‘good’ spot (drawer with gazillion other recipes or I would share). Essential oils added.
First, congrats on your Eagle Scouts!! This is a HUGE accomplishment and family commitment! My son also wasn’t allowed to become a driver without becoming Eagle and also timed his Eagle ceremony around Nutcracker for relatives to see his sister’s solo! A family accomplishment for sure – and as my brother (who is an Eagle too) points out is the first real thing to put on their resume and at 50, the first thing people comment on his resume!
Anyway, vacation!! We love and look forward to planning vacations!! We have had a goal of going to each state. I know you have moved a lot – so you may be on your way. Some years we have followed the Oregon Trail, some years gone to New England, went to see the Liberty Bell and Statue or Liberty, some gone on a road trip with our kids (we only have 2) picking a national park they wanted to go to. We have loved every trip!! Enjoy your time with your family wherever you decide!!
No Pong deodorant (ships from Australia) is the only one I found to work. You do have tp rub it in yourself as it comes as a paste in a round tin. One tin lasts about a mo.
I see you got a few comments about Native deodorant. It is the only natural kind that has worked for me, IF I make sure I wash my armpits the night before. That has been key information which they state in their little write up about the product.
Fraîche food full hearts by Jillian Harris
Minimalist bakers everyday cooking
I’ve tried all of the same deodorants you listed, as well as Native and a homemade one that worked for a little while as long as I didn’t use too much and get chafed. Tragically, I’ve come to the same conclusion as you! 🙁
Check out LectinFreeMama.com. It is a whole level above just plant based diets, based on Steven Gundry’s Book, Plant Paradox, but the diet has been extremely successful in helping my husband with his issues.
Best wishes for your friend!!
Hey Mel! A couple of things:
I am a clogger (as in dancing–do it competitively as an adult!), so my deodorant has to WORK. I love, love, love Native, the coconut scent. It’s very mild and I’ve never had a rash from it–unlike some others. It’s also soft and smooth and doesn’t have a weird tacky consistency.
Vacations: the road trip my family took when I was 13 will live in infamy! We drove from central Florida, up the east coast, into Canada via Niagara Falls, came back to the US on a car ferry across Lake Michigan (on my mom’s birthday, and she was super seasick), across every historical site in the mountain west to Denver, Salt Lake City, and eventually up to Oregon! OH, and I was the oldest of five, my brothers were two, and we brought our Welsh Corgi along. My parents are insane! BUT, I highly recommend a cross-country road trip with the whole family before anyone leaves the nest for the bonding, the stories, the sights, and the memories.
Chocolate Covered Katie is my go-to for vegan recipes or basically any recipe I need to tweak for friends with allergies/dietary restrictions. It doesn’t 100% taste like the real thing like she sometimes says, but I’ve liked everything I’ve tried from her.
Finally, Grit. Angela Duckworth also wrote a book, and I devoured everything she put out for a while. Final thoughts: it’s a good trait, but I’m not convinced that it’s the highest virtue I want to work towards, or even necessarily want for my kids. But that’s my two cents!
Hi Mel,
Re: deodorant- I use Smarty Pits. Does not have baking soda and is the only one that does not rip my skin up . Works pretty good and I am a “sweat-er”. Does require reapplication some days but I don’t mind that. I read about it another blog – Kate (of Our Best Bites game) and it has been a game changer for me. It is pricey (on Amazon) but lasts me about 4 months and for me worth it.
Vegan food – a lot of Indian food is naturally vegan and I love it. Might want to check out Indian food blogs (a good one is Holy Cow) if u like some spice or those flavors.
https://justingredientswithkaralynne.com/collections/deodorant-face-serum Is my fave deodorant (coconut vanilla) you just gotta try!
High five to you for the quilts…are you kidding me with those??! You are so talented.
Ok, I have some thoughts…
Family Vacation – I grew up camping/hiking in Yosemite several times a year, and now as adults we rent a big house on Bass Lake for a week (20-25 people!) and drive in to Yosemite a couple of days (about 45 minutes to the valley floor). The most beautiful place on earth imo.
Natural Deodorant – please give an update when you find a winner. All I know is Lume did not work for me; I felt like I stunk all the time.
Vegan – blessings to your sweet friend! I’ve spent a crazy amount of time researching a whole foods plant based diet in a quest to find relief for my arthritis. Minimalist Baker is my favorite site (her Quinoa Taco Meat is amazing; ditto to her Noodle Free Pad Thai), but personally, to be successful long term, I had to just accept the fact that I wasn’t going to have cheese sauce anymore. Or cheese in general. Nuts for creamy sauces, avocados in my brownies, tofu for meat…NO. It made me super ticked. I just stick to basics: grain bowls with beans and roasted veggies, salads, potatoes with meatless chili, soups, etc. I’ve quite often adapted your recipes to make them vegan, and they have been amazing (Korean Beef and Rice, I’m looking at you! Just sub the ground beef for black beans).
Grit and Resilience – check out Simply On Purpose on instagram. She recently did an IGTV on growth mindset for kids.
I second the vegan ideas listed above! Grain bowls are my daily go-to. Eating more plant based started a new love affair with veggies! I love using coconut aminos to add a quick flavor.
Not sure if your friend can have dates, but that is a great sugar substitute. Good health and healing prayers sent her way!
Here is my deodorant trick…I’ve used many natural ones and I dip the stick lightly in baking soda before I swipe it on. Lasts all day! No residue.
Our favorite family vacation has been to Upstate New York and Canada. Niagara Falls, swimming at Lake Erie, Church history sites, NY State Parks (LOVED Robert H. Treman State Park for its waterfall swim hole with a diving board, and the “younger kids” zone; Letchworth State Park would’ve been fun if it wasn’t pouring rain that day), taking the kids to a chain store in Canada that we also have in the U.S. just to show how product labels and options differ, Finger Lakes region. We loved this trip.
Our family ages/ number is basically your family about two years ago. 🙂
DC!!! Oh my gosh there is so much to do and see and ALL the Smithsonian Museums are FREE!!!
There is science and history and incredible art.
Memorials and monuments around every corner!
Everything is walkable…or a short metro ride away.
Our family went for 10 days and still did not manage to see everything.
Okay, I have had the same problem with breaking out in a rash thanks to natural deodorant! The only one I’ve found that, so far, hasn’t resulted in a rash and a whole lot of stinkiness is the Native sensitive line, which is made without baking soda. I’ve spotted the brand at Target!
Love your Friday posts!
Best family vacation: last year we rented a cabin through Minnesota Dept. of Natural Resources and spent four days in Itasca State Park. We played in the headwaters of the Mississippi River; swam in the lake; there was a sports rental place that provided bikes (tandem and regular), all kinds of boats, paddleboards, etc., at really reasonable rates. We played games at night and there was no WiFi. Best vacation yet.
Deoderant- I use Primal Pit Paste, lemongrass scent. Spendy and worth it. When you use natural deodorant, press the stick against your armpit for a few seconds before applying. Your body heat softens the stick and helps it spread more easily. You may be able to make your own with baking soda, oil and essential oil?
Games- we are rocking several games you suggested in your posts this year, as well as Sushi Go! and Dragonwood.
Vegan resources- Whole30 has a bunch of yummy recipes (in the book and online) that focus on sugar-free, preservative-free- basically anything that that can cause an inflammatory response in the body. Maybe you’ll find helpful stuff there?
How old were your kids when you began Sunday night dinner assignments? I’m intrigued and want to do this in my family. But can the control freak in me truly let go?? 🙂
Thanks, Mel!
Check out the buddhist chef for plant based recipes – plus he is funny. I switched over about 3 months ago to a whole food plant based diet and feel really good. Some things that work for me are to roast a bunch of veggies at the beginning of the week and eat the all week. I started making my own hazelnut milk and it is sooooo easy and is so yummy. Almond milk also. Just get a nut milk bag! (2 bucks on amazon) Oatmeal is really easy to switch up by switching toppings and when I miss eggs I use a potato masher and mash up tofu and add sautéed onions, garlic powder, salt and pepper, a little turmeric and sometimes nutritional yeast and some kale cut up small and fry it up like scrambled eggs..roll it up in a tortilla and eat it with salsa – so yummy! lots of love to your friend who is fighting cancer.
Hey Mel!
Last summer we took our 5 boys (ages 10-18months at the time) on quite the road trip! We left our small northern AZ town and drove to the National Arches park in Utah (using our 4th grader’s national parks pass to get in). It was hot, but so cool to see. We drove further into Utah and spent the next day seeing BYU and stopping at the creamery, bridal veil falls, and then all of temple square and it’s tours before it closed for the next few years. After that we drove to Pocatello and got to tour a real life news studio (my brother is a reporter there). The next day we drove to Yellowstone and spent a few days exploring it and driving through the grand Tetons park. After that we drove to Mount Rushmore. It was so many days in a car with so many little people, but it was amazing! I’d do it again tomorrow. So much stuff to see! We loved it!
As far as natural deodorant I’ve tried a couple but am now using the Native brand in like a vanilla coconut scent, I think? It works decently. Sometimes I like to reapply during the day just because it seems to not be working as far as antiperspirant wise. Maybe try that one ?
Re: Natural Deodorant…. a must-try is Rinse Soap’s DeOdor stick. Hands down the best one in the market for sensitive skin!
Hey Mel,
I love Ursa Major – hands down my fave clean deodorant!!
I would love to see more plant based meals on your site! So excited for that!!
Hugs,
Jenny 🙂
Arm and hammer essentials is cheap and available at the grocery store. It’s free of parabens and aluminum, but I’m not sure what your criteria for “natural” is.
Mel,
So I read your Friday thoughts and zeroed in on the vacation question. Family vacations are an important thing for us… I love spending time with my family away from the distractions of everyday life. When I couldn’t narrow down my favorite to just one, I decided to ask my family. We had a great discussion about the many trips we’ve been on…. when our kids were little it was a lot of camping in the mountains, visiting state and national parks, and an occasional “big” trip to Disneyland or other destination spot. When our kids became teenagers we started going on big road trips… nauvoo, San Diego, the redwoods, the Canadian Rockies, to name a few. They were all wonderful for different reasons. But the common denominator is we’ve done all these trips in an RV! We love it! We’ve had some of the best conversations with our kids while on the road. It is truly when I am happiest. If I could RV with my family full time I would. So my recommendation… rent or buy an RV and do a massive road trip!
BTW My kids have been to Hawaii twice and they said they preferred going on a road trip.
Congratulations to your sons on getting their eagles. My son just got his as well. It’s a great accomplishment. (So glad it’s done! )
Here is a very good natural deodorant. AND there’s even 20% off in my shop this week!!!
https://villageofartisans.com/product/into-the-woods-natural-deodorant/
One word: Alaska! Rent an RV and just explore the heck out of it. Come in June or July. You can’t get the whole Alaska experience on a cruise.
Please figure out the whole natural deodorant thing for sweaters like me!
Love the Sunday dinner assignment idea and your quilts, like everything else you do, seem amazing. Thanks for all the inspiration!
Hello! I live in middleton and am a vegan with no sugar, no oil in my diet. I am a raw certified chef and have SO many yummy recipes I can share with you!
I don’t usually comment but I had to throw my two bits out there about natural deodorant. I have tried so many and literally the only one that I have been 100% happy with is primally pure in the lemon grass scent. I can’t say enough good about it. Yes you’ll still sweat (which I think is a good thing) but you won’t stink at all and there’s no rash or other issues.
Your quilt is beautiful!
You have a million comments and a bunch of deodorant recommendations, but I’m not sure if anyone mentioned Lone deodorant. I’ve tried so many, even making my own and this is my favorite!! It works so well – NO stink, and no rash like I also got from others! https://lonedeodorant.com/collections/natural-deodorant-1
Um, I’ll just say how flipping amazing you are, are you kidding me with that quilt?! Wow! Darling and that pattern looks pretty intense! I can’t believe you picked that for your first quilt! I have absolutely no knowledge or skill with anything sewing or quilting related but my amazing aunt has made each of my babies a unique, and beautiful quilt, and wow! Just having seen a lot of her work and hearing her talk about it, I know it is a TON of work! You should be dang proud of yourself! And the crochet blanket! Mel, I don’t think there is anything you can’t do.
Also, I just have to say how amazing you are with cooking with your kids and how incredible your kids are! A few years ago when you posted about Cooking with Kids, I was so blown away by what your kids were doing that it motivated me to try and get my kids in the kitchen. I tried having each of them taking a turn to choose dinner and make it with me, it didn’t last, they were such stinkers! The only one that wants to help is my 3 year old!
So way to go momma! And what awesome kids you are raising. You are seriously my hero Mel.
PS, I got my kids Super Fight and Say Anything for Christmas and they love them! Super Fight is the absolute perfect game for teenagers who like to argue, pretty sure it was made for my son!
Hi Mel,
There are several cool YouTube channels that have a lot of easy vegan recipes:
Pick Up Limes
Healthy Crazy Cool
Madeleine Olivia
The Happy Pear
My most favorite family vacation was a trip to San Francisco when I was about 17. We stayed in a Bed & Breakfast run by an elderly Jewish couple. The wife had been in Auschwitz and told us her stories and showed us her number tattoo as we ate the delicious breakfasts she cooked. It was so interesting, inspiring, and impactful. We ended up with a huge 12 passenger van (for our 6 person family) and accidentally ended up in downtown Chinatown at rush hour one night. Also, Lombard Street was interesting in that van. But we took time to do everything in San Francisco and it was very memorable.
I also loved a trip to the Oregon coast. We rode in dune buggies on the sand dunes and that was like a roller coaster. So fun! Plus tide pools and delicious seafood everyday.
Whidbey Island near Seattle is cool. There’s a place called Fort Casey where they have these old bunkers and a lighthouse to explore. Bring a kite to fly. Plus Butchart Gardens is so pretty (I don’t know if your boys would enjoy that though) and relatively close.
Simple On Purpose (she’s on Instagram, just search that name) just LAST WEEK (or the week before?) talked about growth mindset with kids!! Everything she covers is magic. She’s an amazing resource for parenting advice and inspiration. The thing I like about her is she doesn’t think she’s be “be all, end all” on parenting. She likes to remind her followers to take what works for them and try it out! That’s exactly what we’ve done, and it’s amazing how just shifting or adjusting simple things makes a better relationship between me and my daughter.
*It’s “Simply on Purpose” not simple on purpose…. Insert face palm emoji here
Native deodorant is magical! The coconut vanilla one smells amazing. I smell check myself all the time (7 months pregnant and DO NOT want to be the stinky pregnant lady) and I have maybe had one problem in the 1.5 months I’ve been using it. And my skin is SO sensitive. You can buy a subscription or get it at Target!
I have tried a lot of natural deoderants, and didn’t like any of them UNTIL I tried Earthley Wellness’ Mineral Deoderant. It is fantastic! It works, it smells great, and it is natural. You can find it at http://www.Earthley.com And no, I am not affiliated with them.
I’m always slow commenting, but here goes. Congratulations on your boys getting their Eagle Scout award! That is a lot of work for them and for you!
I had the same problem with Schmidt’s! Man that was a rough few months for my armpits. (But I’m cheap enough I finished the Costco pack before moving on.) I will also add my votes to those that have suggested Just Ingredients. I’ve really liked the citrus deodorant plus super small business for the win! https://justingredientswithkaralynne.com/collections/deodorant-face-serum
Your quilt is absolutely amazing! And the blanket is so great also. I have about a million unfinished projects taking up space in my head. sigh
Being that you have so many ages to work with, and I do not know your family’s interests, museums, National Parks, etc, I do think a cruise is pretty amazing; as my boys grew up they loved different ports and we always tried to tack on a land adventure around the cruise. You should try a travel agent, they help a ton. As they got older one of our best vacations ever was Washington DC, but I am glad we waited until they were older teens to appreciate it. If you like hiking there is nothing better than all of the National Parks in Utah, we have been to Arches, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon, Zion, and some amazing state parks. It all depends on your interests.
Honestly our favorite family vacation in your area was Yellowstone in an RV. My kids still talk about it 10 years later! If you want the benefit of going somewhere totally different, when we lived on the east coast we loved Pennsylvania! Hershey, the amish, the quite parts…not Philly. if you are going that far you could see Niagara Falls and lots of awesome church sites!
Family vacations. We’ve been on a lot, and I’ve lived them all, but for different reasons. When we lived in New Zealand, we took a vacation to Thailand. It was beautiful and amazing, and also wonderful to become immersed in a completely different culture. We’ve also done Disney, which I love. It was magical, and fun, and exhausting. Two summers ago we took a one week road trip from Oregon to Yellowstone, Mount Rushmore, SLC to visit family, and then back home to Portland. We camped at a different site every night. We loved it. It was relaxing, slow, but also some hard work was involved every day by having to take our campsite down, drive, put the campsite back up, cool by the fire.
My best friend was diagnosed with breast cancer a few years ago and she also switched to vegan along with the rest of her family. She and I both love all the recipes on https://ohsheglows.com/
I’ve been using a deodorant for a couple of years called Nfuse and it’s infused with magnesium , hence the name . It’s available in a gel or a roll-on. It’s made in the USA and you can buy it at the grommet.com 🙂
Just Ingredients makes an AWESOME natural deodorant. It’s magnesium based rather than starch based. I’m never going back.
Also, check out Dreena Burton’s Plant-Powered Families cookbook for great vegan recipes. She’s a rock star.
I’ve been using Salubritas natural deodorant for several years and still really like it. The company is in Park City, Utah. You can order at https://salubritasbody.com/
Haven’t been around to your site in a long while and it was fun to revisit! Enjoy your ramblings. I too am teaching my older girls how to cook these days and Sundays are the only logical time that it works. An occasional Saturday project as well when I’m feelin like a real rock star. We also own a small Caramel Apple business to help my girls pay for their activities, so I’m pretty sure they will only ever know how to make unhealthy food. lol.
As for advice on natural deodorant.. I have also tried everything and it all sucks if you actually sweat! Which I do! The one I have liked the most is a newer one call Just Ingredients. She lives near me in Utah and just made a natural one and sells it on her website. I like the smell of the citrus one. Good luck!
Native deodorant for the win! I have been using it for a couple years now and it really seems to work! You have to wash/reapply daily… haha… but I think you have to do that with the others.
Thanks for the idea to have the kids to dinners on Sundays. I think I will give it a go.
Try Megababe. They sell it at target now. It works really well for me. I had almost given up on natural deodorant. I tried native, and after apologizing to my workout friends for wearing natural deodorant for the 20th time I threw it out. It was awful! I’ve heard that it’s all trial and error with the natural stuff. They all work differently depending on the person. Good luck!
I like Native for a natural deodorant. I’ve also heard that people like Primally Pure.
I like Native brand natural deodorant a lot! Look for a baking soda free, though, if you’re reacting to some varieties. And, full disclosure, I haven’t found anything that works in times of high stress or at *that* time of the month, so I keep a non-natural deodorant on hand for those days.
Looks like you have plenty of vacation and deodorant ideas! I’ve been thinking a lot about resilience these past few weeks due to a family tragedy. I look at my kids (3 and 1) and they are so resiliently happy and full of love and trust. I’ve always been gritty but I’m learning from them how to laugh more, complain less and be more grateful.
Best vacation: Maui, for nine days. I took my two families and their total of six kids, age 5 to 16. Since this was “the trip of a lifetime,” we did it right. (The older three kids had never flown.)
I used a local travel agent (she only charged $150 for 11 of us) who had taken her children there x3 as graduation presents, so she knew how to both splurge and save. Each family had a suite with full kitchen, laundry facilities, etc. (Grandma me spent one-half time in each suite.) But, it was at the Honua Kai in Lahaina–on the beach, across the street from a grocery store. Many things for kids to do , like free snorkeling, pools, climbing., frolicking under a real waterfall…When we did eat out for dinner, the food was amazing, Especially wonderful was going to a Luau, for the food and the entertainment. This was a happy and heavenly place, and my family and I will never forget it.
After 54 years of not finding an effective deodorant (even used men’s Mitchum), I came across Native. Perfect and natural, and I am three years happy with it. It is now sold at Target.
Let us know where you go, and I hope that wherever it is, you will make many happy memories!
Hugs
I made the switch to Crystal deodorant several years ago. It’s definitely worth it. No smell even in hot humid weather and it lets my body perspire naturally. I did have some irritation early on and it was very uncomfortable. I let it heal and tried again over the course of several weeks. For me, it just took some time for my skin to get used to it. Winter is the perfect time to experiment with a new brand. Shaving might impact your sensitivity. I switched to sugar waxing my underarms and I think that has helped. I hope you find a healthy option!
Disney, obviously! My kids would go every year if we could. It’s a family favourite!
I’m going to start making my kids cook- love seeing your kids in the kitchen.
I use Schmidt’s lavender and sage (I love it!) but I’ve used their chamomile one and I think it doesn’t mask my odour as well. Weird that they don’t work the same for me. I’ve used Native deodorant as well and I like it (but can’t buy in my area.)
Your quilt is beautiful!
I always love your game suggestions.
Thanks for a great blog
Deodorant—I love Primally Pure. It actually helps you not stink! I wanted to love Lume, but it didn’t work for me at all!
Family vacations—I love Washington DC (there’s a lot there that’s free!), Utah national parks, San Diego, and Oregon coast. They’re all beautiful and fun places!
Just Ingredients with Karalynne has the best natural deoderant I’ve ever used. Try her face serum too. Best vacation was taking our kids to upstate New York to see all the Church history sites. We did this when our two boys were in high school so they could visit all the sites of the restoration as they were nearing the time they’d serve missions. Now they have a point of reference about Joseph Smith’s experiences as they teach it. Go in the spring or fall, fall if you can choose. GORGEOUS that time of year.
Best Vacations: California. . .half the time in Yosemite (before June so, no crowds) half the time on the Monterey coast. It was amazing.
Also, Upstate New York. It requires a little planning, but there are some really amazing things to see and do up there. We did Niagara, Palmyra, the Adirondacks, and some of the small industrial towns around the Finger Lakes region. If you’re a city person, you could even extend it into the city. It was AMAZING.
Check out Just Ingredients deodorant. It has all really clean ingredients and feels very smooth going on also.
I will be concise :
Family Vacation: Hawaii, the Big Island, stay toward Waikoloa Village but not as far north as Waimea rainy side.
Deodorant: Just.ingredients.com
Gritty: YES
Stage IV cancer: prayer, YES to vegan diet!
Game: We are loving Motocross Rally, my 7y.o. bought it at Goodwill and it is so much fun for us all:)
Great job on the quilts and for raising finishers!
We LOVED our trip to Pendleton Oregon (Make sure to book your “Underground Tour” in advance) you can also tour the woolen mills. From there we cut across and over Oregon to Crater Lake and down through the Redwoods.
With the exception of the stretch between Boise and Bend, OR enroute to Crater Lake there are fun interesting stops along the way. It will be fun to see where you end up.
I recently discovered pickuplimes.com–a great sources for plant based/vegan recipes. I love the Pick Up Limes you tube channel as well! I am not vegan, but really enjoy the recipes that I’ve tried–they are simple, don’t use crazy ingredients, and are nourishing.
Your boys and daughter are so cute! I am so impressed with their cooking! Great idea! Good job on the Eagle Scouts, too. It is a lot of work for the boys and their mothers. I have trouble with starting quilts and not finishing them. I’m impressed with the one you finished and it is very cute. The seamstress can always see the mistakes but other cannot so don’t worry about it. We love your recipes and inspiration! We have a very large family and do big family dinners. Often someone comments on a dish and I tell them “it’s Mel’s”, and they usually know who I’m talking about. Our favorite this week was the Honey Lime Fruit Salad. Yum!
My mom gave me Native natural deodorant for Christmas, I haven’t tried it enough to know if it will work as a long term replacement but the coconut one smells nice
Also, A Couple Cooks and Pinch of Yum are some of my favorite blogs for vegan/veggie forward recipes. Oh and Gimme Some Oven, that’s a great blog with a lot of vegan recipes too. I don’t eat vegan but I like trying new recipes and all the ones I’ve tried from those sites have been winners.
I love reading these Friday thoughts posts
I really love these Friday posts. I wish I had time to read all of the comments!
Your quilts are amazing! Way to go! I love your Sunday dinner idea. I love the thought of having some Sundays be “help mom make dinner” day. I also love the thought of Saturday being “help mom (or dad) with chores” day – that way they can learn to do things they haven’t been responsible for yet. And we would get more family time together that way.
A few resilience/grittiness thoughts: I’ve recently been talking with a counselor about some of my children and realized that sometimes biology (genetics, brain development, etc) has much more to do with their temperament and resilience than I realized previously. I use to think that their attitude and resilience was simply a reflection of my own. I took a lot of responsibility upon myself (and sometimes blame). Modeling resilience can help children with such biology, however. My responsibility is to make sure that I am calm and in a good place when I talk with my children, especially when dealing with behavioral challenges. When I choose to remain calm and model, especially on days when I am tired or don’t feel well, or moments when I do feel frustrated – then my child learns those things from my actions without me stating it. My responsibility is also to continue to reiterate the message that my children are intrinsically loved (ie “Good job getting an A, but I’d love you even if you got an F”). So often children assume that their actions = who they are (ie “I behaved poorly, therefore I am a bad kid”, or “People like me because I am smart” but then they really struggle with their self esteem when they hit a hard subject in school). I am trying to be much more cognizant of this natural association, and am trying to break the association, especially as I discipline. I am working hard to reiterate the message that I love them, even if I don’t love the behavior. I am also trying to be more aware of my own thoughts and trying to model healthy self esteem and thinking patterns.
Thanks for being so open and real. I really do feel so comfortable sharing things on your blog. You have a gift for connecting with people – thank you for sharing your many gifts.
https://veeg.co/ is one of my favorite plant-based, whole-foods websites.
I have followed you since the beginning of your blog with your sisters- sisters cafe or something? And reading this I just feel really proud of you like you’re my sister or something! It’s so weird! Your family is growing up into gorgeous people and making huge accomplishments as a mom is a really big deal. Those quilts are amazing!! If you can’t bear to look at that forest quilt send it to me asap. I have used and shared your recipes for years and I always wonder what I would’ve done without you. Weird again! Thank you!!!
My family’s favorite vacation to date was Gettysburg, Philadelphia, Washington DC and Mt Vernon. We watched Nat’l Treasure on the way there. They had learned about these places in history classes and it was really fun for them. The moment my 16yo daughter realized that the DC Mall wasn’t a shopping mall might have been the funniest thing I’ve seen. The least funniest was when my son started touching artifacts in Mt Vernon that actually belong to George Washington! I had to inform him that the super old box he just slammed the lid on was worth more than his life and the old people running this place were going to take him out if he touched anything else…and I would not protect him.
Firstly, body odor is natural so I’m okay with unnatural things to control that. I’m a Dental Hygienist and I CANNOT have smelly pits. Now that I’ve said that there is a company called Goat Milk Stuff that sells all kinds of natural soaps, lip balm, deodorant, etc. I discovered recently that I’m allergic to ALL store bought soaps (yes, I’ve tried them all even the feminine washes) I get their goat milk soap and love it. No more allergic reactions! The company is in Scottsburg, IN and it’s family owned and operated.
engine 2 – plant strong community / book / meal planner is an amazing source of whole foods plant based recipes. the healthiest vegan diet possible. no oil, no sugar, no salt. forks over knives also has great recipes! I am vegan for 1.5 years now and love it! mostly wfpb too and its super easy to cook oil free so dont worry about that! good luck! excited to see more people discussing plant based eating!!
You are so funny, I read your posts and it’s like I’m sitting talking with you, haha. There’s a website called oh she glows.com that has some amazing vegan recipes. I use them all the time and sometimes add meat if I want because they are so good. Even the desserts. And you know how important that is….
I tried the Lume deodorant and man I did not know I could smell that bad!! I’m now using just ingredients deodorant and so far so good.
I also would recommend Little Seed Farm for the natural deodorant. I have used several of their products and they have all been great. For the scents I actually keep 2 on hand, I like the Grapefruit Lemon for a clean fresh scent and I like to have the Unscented if I want to wear another scent and don’t want them to compete with each other. I second the recommendation to try out the samples to find the scents you like before getting a full jar, and while it defiantly not necessary I have enjoyed using their extra applicator as well. They have some helpful tips and a video linked on their blog as well with more information about natural deodorants https://littleseedfarm.com/blogs/news/the-3-best-natural-deodorant-tips-for-everyone
I went on about Grand Lake and Estes Park, CO and should have also mentioned that Vail is a great family place in the summer. They can be in the Village on their own and navigate quite well. On the other hand, visiting CO might be a busman’s holiday for a family from Utah. (=
Natural deodorant: Bali Secrets. Comes in many scents but I use unscented. You can purchase on Amazon. Tried many others that caused a rash….no rash and great success with this brand.
I’ve tried lots of ‘natural’ deodorants and recently found Weleda citrus 24 roll on works well for me, together with the matching body wash. And their Skin Food Body butter which I received as a sample and was what originally got my attention is absolutely fantastic for dry skin. They are a Swiss brand, not sure if you can get them in the States
Best family vacation – Puerto Pensaco Mexico. We go every year. I’ve been going since I was a child and now we take our 4 children and my parents go with us as well. We rent a condo (full kitchen, laundry room) and relax for days. The beach is right outside our door and the weather is beautiful.
First off, the pictures of your family are all beautiful! (You can add ‘photographer’ to your job description.) I thought the ‘tribute’ was hilarious! Sounds like something that would happen to me.
Your blankets are amazing too. I have projects that have sat for many years so no judgment here on the 5 year timeline. I’m at a loss at when you find the time raising 5 kids, running a food blog, and everything else you do. I am wondering if you are human or some superhero with hidden abilities?
My only child just started college in the fall and I sometimes think of all the things I should have taught her, one being how to cook. I offered, but she was not really interested. Now, both her boyfriend and herself are planning to take ‘cooking lessons’ with me this summer! Better late than never I figure.
From all that you share, I think you are doing TREMENDOUS with your kids. For two of your kids to become an Eagle Scout is a HUGE achievement, and cooking/cleaning part of the meal is incredible. And I know your kids have done so many other wonderful things. Give yourself a pat on the back. Your kids know they are loved, and that is the most important thing.
We have tried to take at least one family trip every summer. As to suggestions on where to go, I think Yellowstone National Park was one of our favorite trips. To see all of nature’s beauty and wildlife was so enjoyable for us. I agree with another poster that you need to book lodging at least six months in advance, as staying in the park is definitely the way to go and lodging fills up fast. When we booked our lodging, we booked at a few different areas in the park so that we could continue on through the vast park. Washington DC also offers so much to see, but it just depends if you want a more outdoorsy trip or if you want to be in the city and see all of the monuments and museums.
We are into ‘Five Crowns’ for games right now. There are quite a few rounds, but some go very quickly. Can’t remember if that is one that you suggested?
For Family vacations some our favorites have been these:
Durango Colorado.
Mesa Verde National park is right by, tons of hiking and camping options, or stay in the Durango resort which reminds me a lot of Park City, UT. Drive up the Million Dollar Highway to Ouray where there are some natural hot springs, and a really cool ghost town to explore called Silverton.
New York. You can start in NYC, and then drive to upstate new York to see Church History sites, the Erie Canal. and then Niagra Falls. If you go to Niagara falls, stay on the Canadian side at the Great Wolf Lodge!
Cruise:
We found a super cheap 4 day Bahama cruise. With Five boys, the all inclusive food was amazing, and it was actually cheaper than a regular vacation with all of them. You can find really cheap flights to Florida, and watch the cruise deals for a good one. After the cruise we spent a few days at Universal Studios ( Harry Potter fans around here) This is by far my kids favorite trip we have gone on.
My favorite insta account I follow on learning how to be more non-toxic in my food and life choices is Just Ingredients. I really want to try her deodorant. I’ve heard great things about it. I have tried a lot of different kinds, and honestly, have not yet found one I love. Still on the look out!
Love your posts!
One of our absolute most memorable family vacations was to NorCal to see the redwoods, to hike Fern Canyon, and explore the tide pools at Patrick’s Point. Fun for ALL ages, toddler to adult and truly spectacular.
Natural deodorant? I love love love Native. I hear there’s a period where you have to essentially detox and then natural deodorant will work okay after that. I did find that to be true for me, and I’ve been using Native for several years now and love it. I have a friend who’s sampling Lume and so far so good for her.
Games…we’re Settlers of Catan fanatics and we play all the variations…sometimes to the detriment of relationships and marriages. Several teens have left in tears. Hahaha!
1) Rodanthe, NC. We got a beach house for a week and it was AMAZING (peaceful!). VRBO.com or Midgett Realty. We stayed with my brother’s family in a house called Carolina Girl—that might be too big for a single family—lots of smaller (and even larger) homes available.
2) Thanks for keeping it real!
6) I’ve been trying to incorporate more plant-based foods in my diet, too. Here are a couple of my favorites:
https://www.easycookingwithmolly.com/2019/01/instant-pot-black-eyed-peas-curry-recipe/
https://www.thecuriouschickpea.com/vegan-malai-kofta-indian-dumplings-in-curry-tomato-cream-sauce/ (You must have fenugreek for this one!)
https://myfancypantry.com/2012/04/15/vegetarian-vegan-korma/
8) Avalon is my current favorite game—everyone is engaged during every turn. Might not be great for the little ones, but teen-aged and up it’s great!)
Best vacation would probably be Hawaii…. And as far as natural deodorant I found Schmidt’s to be great at exfoliating the skinny off my body and found Native to not hold up to stank. I use Myro (found at Target). It has worked for me but I do have to apply with my fingers. It dries quickly though.
Our family vacation to the Big Island of Hawaii was my favorite. We love staying in an airbnb so we don’t have to eat out all meals with kids who waste food, and have space to breathe instead of being crammed into a hotel room. We have found the big island to be the most affordable for rental cars, and airbnbs, and it has a lot of family friendly activities- beach, volcano, free zoo, hikes, cliff jumping, so many things. I’d live there if I could!!
I’ve used all of your mentioned natural deoderants and most recently have switched to Native, It’s working well so far.
Congratulations on finishing your quilt! This year I’m hoping to finish painting my kitchen cabinets. I knew it would be a big project when I started, but I didn’t anticipate how much work it would be…here’s to being a finisher.
Lots of us in our family recently watched The Game Changers (netflix) and have all been inspired to go plant-based. America’s Test Kitchen Vegan for Everybody is excellent. And Forks Over Knives online is a great resource. :o)
Have you tried Dr Teal’s deodorant? They have it at Walmart. I like it so far.
Best natural deodorant is by Norwex! My daughter has sweat really bad her whole life and this is the best deodorant that works for her! She also uses the Norwex body cloth which is amazing for many different reasons. Contact me and i can hook you up!
Great ideas on vegan foods or Whole Foods is Annie Miller “The Honest Kitchen Project” look it up on Facebook. She has some videos on cooking and also has a cookbook that i think would intrigue you!
Regarding Natural Deodorant, Arbonne makes a safe and effective deodorant that will keep you feeling fresh all day . Additionally, we have many other products that are free from over 2000 harmful ingredients AND they are effective! A winning combination . Feel free to hit me up for more info at [email protected] or 207-522-1944. Christina Patterson
Hi Mel,
I have the same stinky problem especially on days when I line dance for two hours! Recently I began using products by Arbonne sold by a great friend, Christina Delano. Email her at [email protected]. Their newest deodorant, Shea Butter, created for those of us with sensitive skin. Personally I’m not a fan of scented deodorants. This one fits the bill. I think you will love it. You might want to become a representative once you try their products.
Hey Mel! I have been following your blog for YEARS. Like since before your cooking the hotel days. It’s been a while.
And the whole time I have been dealing with my own dietary restrictions. As far as your question about vegan recipes, my favorite recipes are yours but obviously with some substitutions. Smart balance has been an amazing butter substitute for almost any recipe of yours I have made ( and I’ve made alot, but never as browned butter sadly). My other main substitution has been using coconut milk for milk. It works great. Some people have said they can taste a bit of coconut flavor, but it’s pretty minimal and the resulting texture is great. Your coconut chicken curry, and hawaiian haystacks, to name a few and then I just omit the meat or serve it on the side for my family.
Our favorite family vacation has to be Washington D.C. So much fun and learning at the same time! Lots of walking, bike, and subway riding, but we had a blast!
Mel, I so appreciate and enjoy your Friday thoughts.
I love that they feel like to me that we are all in a giant circle, you facilitate with what’s on your heart and mind, and then we as this huge community have the opportunity to ponder and possibly share, which ends up just lifting and enlightening all of us! Thank you.
I really do hope you share your spreadsheet! I’m battling wanting to read through every single comment to gain ideas for vacations/deodorant/meals.
Vacation: I’ve heard wonderful opinions that all-inclusive resorts or cruises are the way to go. We’ve had a lot of schooling, moving, and having kids so we haven’t spent a lot on a family vacation yet, and haven’t ventured too far. We did live in Maine before we moved here and I can honestly say the nature there gave me so much peace, wonder/awe, and contentment. Acadia National Park is stunning, the coastline and lighthouses, amazing, and Boston is 4hrs away.
I find most vacations I want some aspect of nature, whether it’s the beach or a hike, exploring, or mountain air. My kids love anywhere water meets land so we enjoy that.
I so appreciate your Sunday dinner assignment sharing! What a great system and I am working on letting go of control in the kitchen too . When I see the positive side of doing so it really helps me to want to continue. I have asked my older two what’s something they want to learn how to make and we did that in the summer so they could make something they love all by themselves…mostly. My oldest chose your southwest chicken wraps (one of his absolute favorites) and my 2nd pizza bombs (little bundles of dough wrapped around pizza toppings and baked). I allow them to be sous chefs along with me when they want to be. I agree with you, having them confident in the kitchen and capable of making things is such an important life skill and confidence booster. Thank you for the idea to be a little more intentional with carrying that out.
Way to go to you and your sons on their Eagle Scout achievement! That picture of your son hugging you is priceless.
Natural deodorant, I’ve tried several and haven’t been completely satisfied. I do love JustIngredients for their smell and feel but they don’t seem to last long for me, I’m having to reapply. I am a nervous/stress sweat-er too so maybe it just depends on the “type” of sweating I’m doing, no clue, haha. Trying Lume again right now and I don’t love the smells but it’s lasting longer.
Being a finisher/having grit/growth mindset, I think you definitely have it and are showing it to your kids! You tackle very intimidating projects (at least to me) and push yourself (hard patterned quilts). On top of the responsibilities of working on some land and having animals, I’d say your kids are on their way beautifully.
Ralphie Jacobs from Simply On Purpose just shared a bunch of content on a growth mindset, saved in an instagram video that might be a great resource. A lot of comments on her asking for ideas from followers stated Big Life Journal as an excellent growth mindset resource. I’m looking into that today, since sharing that idea with you reminded me of them.
What a blessing you and your friend are to each other. I don’t have any vegan resources to offer but big hugs nonetheless to both of you and to everyone else that just helped give to help you support her.
May she be blessed with peace and hopefully healing and faith in God’s will for her.
This talk has helped me think a lot on that if it help you or her. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/broadcasts/article/ces-devotionals/2013/01/that-we-might-not-shrink-d-c-19-18?lang=eng
I can’t solve all the problems, but we love family vacations! We’re big into road trips, but not just driving straight. We like to add something to each day for motivation. Like a stop for a hike, a cool museum, or whatever. Sometimes we get in a lot of driving and the pool at the hotel is the motivation. I use roadtrippers.com and trip advisor to plan, and it’s an obsession. I have big trips from utah to Nauvoo and Waco, and which I doubt anyone would replicate without relatives in those places, but it’s the idea of making it more awesome than it sounds that I wanted to share.
We also love national parks, and the two best stay in one place vacations we have had are the Oregon coast and Puerto Penasco, Mexico. Oregon coast is breath taking, and so much to do and see. I know you’re going to shake your head at driving into Mexico, but that crossing and area hasn’t had any problems with tourists. And it’s amazing. Gorgeous beaches with warm water that’s shallow really far out, incredible sunsets, and delicious mangoes. We stayed at tessoro at Las Conchas and had an almost private beach. Kids ages 3-13 all LOVED. Just go. Only problem is you will want to go back excessively.
Love your blankets!!
What a great picture of your guys!!!
Love these Friday Thoughts! I’m feeling inspired to get my kids more involved in the kitchen and finish some lingering projects.
This crystal deodorant took a few weeks to work for me, but it’s working great now. (I would say it only works for about 12 hours though.) And the huge bonus is that it’s way cheaper than all the other natural deodorants and lasts forever. I got mine in September and haven’t even used 1/4 of the stick yet.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000L978FU/ref=cm_sw_r_em_apa_i_uWznEbETJC3QK
Hi Mel! I LOVE your blog and your recipes. You are amazing! A few months ago, my daughter turned me on to Little Seed Farm (littleseedfarm.com) for their organic deodorant. I love them! You can get two free samples from them. (Ok, they’re not really free because you have to pay for shipping.) My favorite fragrances are the Grapefruit Lemon and the Rosemary Patchouli. Oh, and the Lavender is great too! Give them a try!
Oh my, that blanket is lovely!
Seriously, THAT was your FIRST quilting project?! Is that your first and last quilt? Is it hanging or being used by someone? What a great quilt!
About natural deodorant: I made my own and was very happy with it from the first use, for many years. I decided last summer that I just wanted a regular stick of something, as though using a premade deodorant again would make my life easier, it feels like it did. I started with Schmidt’s, which worked well and went on smoothly from the first use, but after a few containers of that, I realized it was making me have a rash. Since I tried the Schmidt’s Sensitive Pineapple Coconut deodorant, I’ve had no rash and smelled good. Have you tried their sensitive skin options, with no baking soda? I’ve tried a bunch of other natural deodorants, which never worked well for me.
Also: good thinking about the Sunday Dinner Assignments. I mean, you’ve already had to clean up a bucket of spilled honey, what could be worse than that?
Mel, I LOVE your blog!!! Thank you for all the work I know you put into it!!! You are amazing!!!
For vegan recipes I like “Oh She Glows” and “Dining at the Ravens”.
For a family vacation how about Mendocino? Beautiful location, hiking, kayaking, beach exploring, lodging from camping to four star spa level, restaurants (including Ravens!!!) cafes, botanical garden, and a great bookstore with a grumpy cat and a fantastic kids section.
Deodorant, well actually I’m still on the hunt there – will totally be checking out your other readers comments!!!
We are a family that LOVES national parks – Grand Tetons & Yellowstone was our favorite family vacation plus as we were driving we did a quick stop by Mount Rushmore. Epic vacation, seeing beautiful country, wildlife plus history. If you enjoy history the Boston Freedom trail or Washington DC are both excellent. Getting ready to do a Florida panhandle beach vacation for a week with daughters and their families. Sitting on the beach isn’t my thing but figure I can do a lot of walking!
Mel, I’ve tried every natural deodorant out there. After reading great reviews, I bought a natural deodorant called “megababe.” It smells awesome (and keeps smelling nice on for a long time), no rashes and lasts for several months. I got it a Whole Foods.
I also love Paleorunningmomma.com. Not all her recipes are vegan, but all of her baked goods are plant-based and can be made with coconut oil. Amazing baked goods!
I never comment but I have something to say on a few topics…
1. Deoderant – Native. Although full disclosure I now use Schmidt’s because – well – it’s $7 cheaper and it woks for me.
2. Last summer we took our kids on a “Wild West” adventure – we flew into Rapid City, SD (we’re from Philly area), spent one week exploring the Black Hills, going to a rodeo, horseback riding, etc. All new things to our kids. We also went swimming in the reservoir lake nearby and visited mini golf and Culvers so it wasn’t all hiking and new stuff. We rented a cute and cheap air bnb bungalow on a stream. Then we drove to Yellowstone/Grand Teton and spent a week there driving around, exploring, hiking, swimming in the shadows of the Tetons. To be honest I was frightened of how this all would go but it was an AMAZING experience for our family. There is no wifi or even service in much of WY so it forced everyone to just interact and make memories! If you ever do go to Yellowstone my recommendation would be to book cabins ASAP because they open up a year in advance and they book up fairly quickly. I also recommend staying in the park. It’s just such a huge place that driving in and our every night would have eaten up SOOO much time. And what is better than staying near Old Faithful and getting to eat ice cream and watch it do its thing after all the crowds have left for the day???
Love your crochet quilt Mel and the other one is amazing!!!
I’m not very crafty, my skills are more towards the kitchen but my daughter ( now 15) decided 5 years ago that she wanted to start knitting, I looked into for her and suggested maybe to start with crocheting as her Grandma had actively done this when she was little. I bought her everything she needed to start and away she went. I helped initially and there were times she felt like giving up but with a bit of encouragement and perseverance she has taught her self an array of skills including with no help from me knitting. Although kids can lose interest with self motivated practices I found that facilitating your kids interest and not letting them give up when it gets hard really builds there self confidence. Now when it comes to handing control of the kitchen over, I think that’s something I’m still working on but getting better at ; )
P.S All the love, time and dedication you put into your family Mel really comes across on the other side of the screen xox
Arches National park is our favorite! The only problem is it can get very busy. We love the red rock areas of Utah. Yellowstone and the Island Park area are amazing but i think you are like us and go there fairly often. We also like the beaches of centeral Cali. San Simeon and Cayucos are pretty and fun. No way warm though. The locals thought we were crazy for going out in the water in January. But we had left several feet of snow and below freezing temps in Utah so it was great!
I love your ideas about cooking with your kids. I need to do it more because they enjoy it.
I’m obsessed with quilts and yours is so incredibly awesome! We have a forest (aka little critter) themed room in my house and my heart melted when I saw your pic. Great job!!! It has such a whimsical look to it which makes it so unique.
Also, love your pics of the kids cooking. Reminds of America’s Test Kitchen and it’s just darling. They truly look like they are having fun and that’s the most important part. And their togetherness. ❤️
I’ve heard many relatives and friends say how great Maine is. It was my dear grandma’s fav state and she had been to all of them.
I don’t know if it’s natural or not but I love Native deodorant. I have extremely sensitive skin and finally found this one that my skin tolerates and it works well as a deodorant. I love the scents, too. Easy to order and now available at Walmart.
Oh…..I forgot. I finally found a natural deodorant. It’s from the People’s Pharmacy. It’s called . M.O.M.
It actually is Milk of Magnesia . I don’t want to spash a little on each morning from a big bottle of Milk of Magnesia, , so I buy the roll on version. It’s been fantastic.
Loved this post…..from the boys in the kitchen..to that beautiful Fancy Forrest Quilt.
It’s fantastic your sons are learning to cook and bake.
Your quilt is a family heirloom…….just beautiful and special.
justingredients.com has the best natural deodorant. I used to eventually get a rash with each one I tried and this has been a game changer. Her face serum is fantastic too! Has been great on my skin graft scar on my face and neck due to melanoma. I know you can relate.
Yes! Best deodorant and love the face serum too.
Love the natural deodorant @justingredients
Question #6 We often make your tomato/kale/brown rice soup in the instant pot plant based/vegan—I just sub in white beans for the chicken. I make different dry beans in the IP and then freeze them. It’s cheaper and doesn’t come from a can—so not as processed. Good luck with you search in helping your friend.
You guys. YOU GUYS! It’s almost midnight and I just spent hours reading through your comments. I wish I had time to respond to every single one. Instead, I literally just made a MASSIVE spreadsheet (ahem, nerd alert) with all of your vacation, deodorant, vegan and grit recommendations. And you guys, this spreadsheet is gold. I can’t wait to organize it (ahem, second nerd alert) and read through it and learn from it and PLAN A VACATION and make some plant-based meals and try out the 5,000 deodorant recommendations all while telling my kids to stay gritty. Haha. But seriously, I could kiss all of your faces for all of the comments. The insights. The personal stories and experiences. As always, you’ve made me laugh and think and think some more. And you have given so, so many good recommendations. WHAT WOULD I DO WITHOUT YOU? No really, what would I do? I’d actually have to find friends in real life and that would just be super lame. So glad you guys are my people. I loved reading every single one of these comments. I promise to update a future Friday Thoughts post (or maybe just at the bottom of this one) with my spreadsheet findings! xoxo
You’re the sweetest, Mel!! I LOVE your heart. Thank you for being you, for the incredible recipes, for all that you share. xoxoxo
Your Elizabeth Hartman quilt is AMAZING. Such a different pattern. My expert quilting sister is struggling with it. Give yourself a big pat on your back. I love your blog, recipes, ideas, and your friendship. Thank you!!!!
Ok I know the natural deo thing is so controversial right now…but I tried! And basically had a similar experience to you. I decided on an aluminum free but not necessarily “natural” one and it’s been awesome. Maybe look into that?
Try the Oh She Glows cookbooks for vegan, plant based recipes. We love the instant pot butternut squash curry recipe.
Native deodorant
I’m sorry to hear about your friend. I hope her treatments go well. That is so hard.
Love your quilt! So beautiful . I have a favourite
vegan soup recipe for your friend. I apologize for the name . Best wishes for a full recovery You will find it on Pinterest. It is called “Creamy cauliflower soup to die for” by Proline organics. Another vegan recipe is
“Rad rainbow pad thai ” from Oh she glows. Also found on Pinterest. Lots of chopping but so worthwhile.
Re vacation; everyone’s ideal vacation is different. I remember my travel agent asking questions like;
Pool or beach, snow or sand, We enjoy snorkeling so any snorkeling destination is great. Costa Rica is a beautiful diverse country. Check out
Entercostarica.com Wonderful company, visited Arenal volcano area, cloud forest, suspension bridges, canopy zip lines, hot springs and beaches.
Family vacation- Come to Arizona! Grand Canyon is amazing. Kartchner caverns super cool. Lots of beautiful desert hikes and gorgeous sunshine in the dead of winter. You can stay at my house . Deodorant- I love the clinical strength secret and only use it about once a week or 10 days probably- it reduces your pore sizes in your underarms and then you just don’t sweat as much. Family cooking- I just cooked alongside my mom and I have surpassed her in talent (her words) and creativity. I think any system is awesome as long as it is intentional and your system is clearly intentional! Eagle Scouts- hard. Good. Done! Yay! Vegans- love it, also do chemo! I worked in oncology and chemo and cancer suck, but dying is way worse. I’ve adapted your sweet potato burritos into bowls with rice and avocado and salsa and sour cream and toasted pine nuts- they are a favorite at my house!
Indian butter chicken is also made meatless/vegan with red lentils (dal), coconut milk, a head of cauliflower, and peas- I call it Indian butter dal (vegan butter is easy to find). As far as grit goes- life is hard and living it develops character. Don’t shy away from hard things and (Ralphie warning:) practice a growth mindset. Life is hard enough to develop grit as long as we engage! You are awesome, Mel. I am grateful for your Friday thoughts and the chance to reflect on my own life and opinions. Keep up the good work (and quilting because, dang!)
Deodorant: I get a lump in my armpit when I use antiperspirants and some deodorants (non cancerous, doctor checked). I’ve used a few “naturals” and even made my own for a while – now I use Lavilin and I’m very happy with it. If I don’t work out, I can go two days without reapplying. For real. (I shower every other day) Not sure how natural it is compared to say, Toms, but the lump is dormant so I think that’s a good sign. Make sure you apply when freshly showered and you should be good to go for quite a while (I find trying to touch up later doesn’t work as well with this one; it’s a preventative type if you will)
Vegan: Oh She Glows! The blog isn’t updated much right now (I think she’s working on another cookbook), but has a TON of content. Plus she has two cookbooks and people I know in real life love the first one plus Amazon reviews are great. She’s from Ontario, Canada. I recommend the sweet potato enchiladas with avocado crema; have made them as a meal for a baby with a newborn to rave reviews.
The Love & Lemons Every Day cookbook is great too (mix of vegan and vegetarian recipes) – I’m hosting a cookbook club next month with L&LE as the cookbook!
(PS – I’m an omnivore who happily makes/eats vegan meals too)
Your baby blanket is so. precious. I love it! I’ve crocheted 15 baby blankets for my grandchildren. The quilt you made ia an heirloom. Wow!
Deodorant is disappointing. Schmidt’s eventually gives me a rash, too, and the price is pretty steep right now. I try using the salt crystal block but I just stink. Big fat bummer.
We love Pamela Salzman’s recipes — so so many are vegan / plant based, always unprocessed (or plant based adaptable). She did a lovely stories post recently on foods she was making for a friend just coming out of surgery – all anti-inflammatory, nutrient dense, and plant based.
For your friend, have either of you heard or followed @kimcankickit on instagram? She is also an amazing lady fighting late stage lung cancer who has turned to vegan diet as a mean of recharging and trying to heal her body. Try checking her out for some ideas!
LOVE the quilt!! Will it become a wall hanging?
Your children are amazing. Don’t know how you find the time and energy for all you do. Keep up the great work.
I just copied down a recipe for Sweet Potato Black Bean Burger, sounds delicious, looks simple enough to make.
Your site is one of my go-to sites on a regular basis.
1. two words: cruise, baby! We have done several with our 3 boys with the most recent being last spring, and we have LOVED all of them. Nothing makes mama happier on vacation than having someone tidy our rooms twice a day. Dad and kids love the limitless food options and 24/7 activities.
2. I divvy up the Sunday meal, as well, but only certain parts. They start with beverage duty (Sunday is “special beverage” day), move on to homemade salad dressing, then graduate to homemade bread/rolls.
3. That’s a “Mom Win” for sure!
4. Interesting…
5. Those are some great accomplishments!
6. I love onelovelylife.com. She’s not all vegan, but a large portion of her recipes fit into that category.
7. I’m soooo interested in this. Being a youngest child, I’m pretty sure that I didn’t develop grit until I had kids of my own. I want my kids to learn before their mid-20’s…
8. Love your game recommendations!
A favourite family vacation growing up was always to go to the Oregon Coast. It’s beautiful there! I have not been recently, but we are planning to go this summer.
My mom in law is vegan, so I sometimes make taco salad for her when she visits. I cook and drain some regular green/brown lentils, then put them in a skillet with some homemade taco seasoning and a little water to simmer for a few minutes. She uses that instead of meat, then add that to the lettuce, salsa and other veggies. Easy to make, easy to customize for various diets (the rest of my family usually uses ground beef etc)
Your quilt and blanket are both beautiful. And unfortunately I can’t help you with the natural deodorant… I sweat way too much to try that route! But good luck!
I have used the Crystal deodorant, and I felt it worked.
Minimalist baker has the best vegan recipes and your animal quilt looks like something you would buy from Pottery Barn for $1000. It’s beautiful! Best family vacation has been to Maui! Lots of beach/pool time and dinners out! Try to go mid February to see whales breaching everywhere!
Hi! Try Native at night (showering at night) and Toms lavender in the morning. After lots of trying different brands this is what works best for me. No skin rashes, good control with odor and wetness which is what we want right?I liked PiperWai for awhile too!
Vacation: Sanibel Island, FL, with a side trip to Clearwater to see Winter and Hope. Best trip ever.
Deodorant: Girl! Try Bali Secrets. I use the Aloe scent.
Hi Mel,
I don’t know if you have the strength to read this many comments, but the central coast of California, Cambria, specifically, was our best family vacation ever. Yellowstone took the second place spot. We live in Nevada and Oregon and Cambria was a great meeting spot. A laid back Cali vibe with jaw dropping Hearst Castle and Orca sightings, looooong, breathtaking ziplines, easy fish tacos at friendly stands and a firepit and grill dinner every night. We enjoyed a California county fair, breezy beach walks and Cayucos’ brown butter cookies. Our dogs loved it; we loved it; we were our best selves on that trip. Eleven family trips later, it was our best.
If you have a PO Box or an address you feel comfortable sharing I would love to send you a bottle of deodorant to try. I am in the process of starting my own line of deodorant after years of trying to find something all natural that actually works. I’ve been selling it locally for about a year now and getting great feedback, and would love to see how it works for you.
My niece makes her own deodorant and really likes it. here’s the link.
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/recipes/green-beauty/homemade-deodorant
Hi Mel!
Random replies:
I tried Arm and hammer natural deodorant and it would sting if I put it on after I shaved. Also, I’m used to anti-perspirants and the natural deodorant did nothing to stop the all the sweating I do here in AZ. So I’m back to Secret. I’m guessing there are more likely things in my life that could kill me than the aluminum in my deodorant, like driving my car.
My sister in law is vegan and I love cooking for her. So many lovely recipes on minimalist baker. Also I drool over the rabbit and wolves site often. I adore Naturally Ella on YouTube. I’m going to try to get my SIL to comment with her favorites.
I have high hopes for a dinner cooking rotation when my oldest turns 12. She is currently 7. My youngest is 6 months and I have high hopes for making quilts when my life isn’t so consumed by tending to small children’s needs. Props to you for completing those projects!
Some of my favorite vacation spots are the Snowbird resort in Utah and renting a beach house in Newport Beach (any old house will do). We just stay in that one spot and do the same things every time. Oh, and we’ve gone beach camping at South Carlsbad State Beach in San Diego and I love it! I’m not a huge camping lover, but I love the beach so much, so it’s worth it. Falling asleep to the sounds of the beach is incredible.
We did the Oregon/Cali coast and it was by far our favorite trip. We roadtripped From Utah to Bandon, Oregon and stayed in a beach house for 3 days (deep sea fishing, played on the beach, played games) and then headed down the 1 highway and hit the redwoods, stopped and hiked Fern Canyon (amazing!) until we reached San Francisco. we stopped somewhere along the way to stay the night. We did the coolest kids museum in San Fran that was seriously amazing and worth every penny. We have so many fun memories from that trip!
Ohhh and favorite game ever…Castles! It takes a min to understand but I could play it over and over again!
You are a darling and deliberate mother, and even tho my children are raised and I mostly cook just for 2 now, I love your web site. As for finishing, I love the quote by Calvin Coolidge’Nothing will take the place of persistence, talent will not, education will not, genius will not. Determination and persistence are omnipotent’ 🙂
The Redwood Forest is magical. Daily adventures without feeling exhausted. We stayed in an house rental with another family.
The quilt is darling. I have so many unfinished projects. Tackle one at a time.
Vegan is hard. I love cheese. Nutritional yeast is a nice sub for a cheesy taste like parm in stuff. My cousin and her family transitioned to plant based diet. You could look at her site for ideas http://www.veggiefunkitchen.com
After years of reading and making your awesomeness, I can’t believe my first comment is about deodorant. But, for the good of humanity- I use – megababe. I prefer the “sunny pits” scent. I’m not a huge sweater, but I do run quite a bit (both on the trail, and after my kiddos) and it does a great job.
Natural deodorant … Piper Wai
I’m giving suggestions for vacations in Arizona. Tonto Natural Bridge (https://azstateparks.com/tonto). It’s a fantastic outdoor park with several mini hikes with one of them leading to the natural bridge. You might spot wildlife such as javelina, deer, turkey, etc. especially if you arrive early. During winter, you will need to verify the roads are open as it does snow there. Then head over to Out of Africa (https://outofafricapark.com/). It is THE BEST natural habitat “zoo”. I was amazed at the love between the animals and their caretakers. The tigers have there own show that kids love. You can feed them at the end of the show, too. And the zoo has a zipline, too. Best of all, you get in for FREE every single day of your birthday MONTH!
One of our favorite vacations was to Yellowstone National Park. We stayed at two different locations in the park but had to make plans early because the hotels in the park fill up super fast once the park service opens them. We went in July and had the best time hiking, kayaking, horseback riding and enjoying nature. We saw a lot of wildlife and had the best time. My girls were 14 and 12 when we went and would love to go back.
I’m very curious about your natural deodorant search. After tons of research I tried Native because it seemed the best but it did not work at all for me so I went back to my old stuff because I was sick of smelling!
Love your Friday thoughts! I’m commenting on the kids-cooking-dinner topic. I’ve started something very similar to this in our family, but at the moment, it is just a summer break/school vacation thing. One child per week sits down with me when I’m making the meal plan and gets to choose an entire meal: main dish, side dish, vegetable (but it’s nearly always a bag of frozen veggies), dessert. Then that child and I make the dinner one-on-one on their assigned night. Depending on the age of the child, I give them more or less free reign in making it themselves. They all seem to enjoy doing something they can be proud of, no matter how much or little they actually like cooking. (I also really really like the one-on-one time!) During the school year, I tend to look at the week ahead while I’m meal planning and choose a child that has a “light” homework/extracurriculars day and assign them to make an after-school snack (like muffins) or dessert or something extra. 🙂
P.S. That quilt is BEAUTIFUL!!
“Practical, no pretentious, plant-based recipes”
https://shaneandsimple.com/
I have to weigh in on the deodorant debate. I spent several years trying deodorant after deodorant, in search of a natural deodorant that didn’t make me stink. I finally tried Schmidt’s Rose and Vanilla just over a year ago, and it was the first one where I could get to the end of the day and not stink! I was hesitant to try it after reading all the review about people getting rashes, but ultimately I did. I was really careful for the first few months and just dabbed it on, never rubbing it, and never had a problem. Once summer came and things warmed up, I got lazy and started rubbing it on. After maybe a week I had a horrible rash! I stopped using the Schmidt’s, and it went away. I tried another kind and just was stinking again, so I decided to go back to the Schmidt’s and just be careful. It has now been 8 months, and I would recommend Schmidt’s to anyone—as long as they’re careful when putting it on.
I’ve been using this for deodorant – it’s simple, vegan, cruelty-free. Here’s the website: https://scullyswonderfulstuff.com/
Also I would LOVE to see your take on more plant-based recipes as well!
@ #6 Cookie + Kate is a whole food/vegetarian website. Almost all of her recipes can easily be made vegan or plant based. Your website and hers are my go-to’s when I need something new – both of you never disappoint! She could be a great resource as you look into plant-based recipes.
Natural deodorant- my favorite that doesn’t irritate or chafe and actually works is Jade Bloom in Lime Bergamot or Grapefruit Well Being. Go to Jadebloom.com
Hello!
#3- Eagle Scout- I, too, had a 15 year who completed his Eagle by the skin of his teeth! So Congrats mom, I know that to get 2 boys to get it done you did a LOT more than make threats and drive. Although, threats do produce results:) #4- Native, you can find it online and at Target! I love it, it’s the only natural deodorant to not cause a reaction and to keep me smelling nice (even survives 75 minutes of jump class which is more than I can say for my legs!) Hope this helps! I know my family loves your website and your recipes, we talk about you and your recipes like we are the best of friends! Thank you!
I have made a mountain of scones in my life but your basic scone recipe is best. Not too sweet, not too dry, and not too hard to make. The cinnamon scone got an especially loud approval from husband and ladies group. I freeze the butter then grate it so the cold butter melts into the scone when baked. Yum.
My favorite vegan recipe is adapted from Moosewood Cookbook. Their Lentil Stew is rich and filling,. I love it with lots of black pepper!
Moosewood Lentil Stew
3 cups lentils, any type
7 cups water or stock (more as needed)
1 to 2 Tbl. cooking oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup minced celery
1 cup chopped carrots
1 Tbl. minced garlic
1 1/2 to 2 tsp. salt
black pepper to taste
a few pinches of dried herbs (thyme, oregano, or basil)
2 medium-sized ripe tomatoes, chopped
2 Tbl. fresh lemon juice
vinegar (optional)
scallions (optional)
Place the lentils and water in a soup pot or Dutch oven. Bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer, and let cook until the lentils are mushy (about 45 minutes). Add more water as needed, until the soup is your favorite consistency.
Heat the oil in a medium-sized skillet. Add the onion, celery, and carrots, and saute over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, 1 tsp. salt, pepper, and herbs of your choice, and saute about 5 minutes longer. Transfer to the lentils.
Stir in the lemon juice. Taste to correct seasonings, then simmer for at least 15 minutes longer. Serve hot. If desired, drizzle a little vinegar onto each serving and sprinkle minced scallions on top.
I tried to go the natural deodorant route a couple of years ago but it was an exercise in futility. I spent 40 dollars on 3 Native brand deodorants, but noticed over the next few days that my underarms were slowing turning an unsightly black! There was no way I was going to walk around with black pits, so I ditched the Native and, sure enough, my underarms returned to their normal color within a few days. I looked this up online later and there’s a small but mighty community that also suffer dark pit syndrome after using Native. Pity because it smelled great & I was really looking forward to going the natural route. I went back to swiping Secret.
The only natural deodorant I have found that doesn’t give me a rash is from Pure Haven. https://shop.bydesign.com/PureHaven/#/shop/detail/16021/from/1
I’ve made my own deoderant with good results, but I just recently tried Lume, and I really like it!
Thank you so much for your terrific recipes. I am an older “newbie” who has cooked a lot but needs/wants new ideas and takes on recipes/food and you are a great source!
1)When my 3 children were young, we were able to go to London, Disney World, Cancun, LA, and church history sights many times (my husband is from Buffalo, NY, close to Palmyra). When I ask them what their favorite vacation was or their favorite memory, they answer with statements like, “I remember listening to The Chronicles of Narnia on that trip”, “Dad had a bunch of points and we got to be in first-class for that trip”, “I remember how much we laughed at that restaurant”, “I hated that place because the toilet got plugged and we had to call the front desk”, “That tour guide wasn’t even watching the road when he was going 90mph. We are lucky to be alive!” It’s not clear yet to me yet if it mattered where we went.
2)I admire your courage and trust in the Sunday Dinner Assignments. I wish I had done it sooner with my kids!
3)Congrats to your sons and you and your husband on two Eagle Scouts!
4)Herban Cowboy Blossom Vegan Deodorant
5)You are a great example to your children and to us on your “finisher” goal! The outcome for each project is beautiful!
6)Here are a few vegan successes from 2 years vegan cooking for a family:
~ATK Vegan For Everybody: Creamy Breakfast Grits, Blueberry Muffins, Mixed Berry Smoothie, Pinto Bean-Beet Burger, Nacho Dip, Pecan Pie, Coconut Ice Cream
~Chloe’s Kitchen: Chloe’s Award-Winning Ginger Nutmeg Spice Cupcakes
~Chloe’s Vegan Italian Kitchen: Penne with Sun-dried Tomato Cream Sauce
~The Vegan Air Fryer: General Tso’s Soy Curls
~Minimalist Baker’s 5 Minute Liquid Gold Sauce
7)Grit will come, cause, you know, life.
8)Love your game recommends!
My regret when the kids were little was not taking vacations with them enough. I don’t have any insights there as our only trips were to see family in NYC, except a trip to Dinosaurland with a step filled 2nd grader and a trip to Yellowstone with our foreign exchange student. Those were as good as we could make them. As far as natural deodorant and believe you me I have super sensitive skin, Native is the brand I use now. I order it online although Target sells it and some Walmarts, but they were more expensive by far! I put it on before bed, as was their recommendation, and it works beautifully for me. Hoping the same for you.
I could really use some of those vegan recipes!!! My son and daughter in law have been vegan for the last couple of years and the only thing I can make that the entire family agrees on is spaghetti – and that is getting kind of old. A couple of weeks ago I found the BEST vegan chocolate chip cookies recipe on the youtube site for “Cupcake Jemma”. No weird ingredients and even the non vegans loved them (read debated who should get the last one)! She also has a recipe for Vegan Biscoff Cookie Sandwiches that I can’t wait to try. Here’s a link to the chocolate chip cookies: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eCq2xNI95k It’s definitely worth the 5 minute watch. As a side note, she said to chill overnight but patience isn’t my strong suit so I chilled until the dough was stiff and then continued and they turned out great! Thank you for all your recipes over the years, it has improved our dinner quality by leaps and bounds.
We make a ton of your recipes vegan at our house! Particularly thinking of some of the ones with quinoa and/or beans in them. We just take out the cheese (dairy allergy) and the chicken. Viola! Vegan. Healthy. Flavorful and delicious still!
Our favorite family vacation is Maui. It’s relaxing, it’s active, there’s some seriously good eating… we’re planning our 4th trip as a family there. It was everyone’s choice over a big European vacation. I only have two kids though so probably a little harder with your brood. Your Sunday assignments sounds like a great way to get the kids in the kitchen.
Skip Native deodorant. It irritates me so badly. These are things I wish I would have known before I bought four deodorants at once.
Our favorite vacations (we have four kids) have been a Disney Cruise, Hawaii (Oahu), bit my kids love Disneyland the most! We’re heading there again this summer. They also love southern Utah (st.george) they’d be so sad if we ever missed a spring break down there!
Just.ingredients deodorant is really good.
Banff and Lake Louise in Canada are so beautiful. We also love Cabo, Mexico and Hawaii
Native deodorant (coconut and vanilla) – love it!
Best vacation was camping & white-water rafting in Stanley, ID, and that’s close to you!
Your forest quilt is gorgeous … and only you see the flaws. Great job!!
Native deodorant is amazing! I still sweat, but I don’t smell! I’ve also tried a bunch of natural deodorants and I love Native.
Lemongrass spa deodorant
My kids are grown now, but as an avid home cook, I had the kids in the kitchen more and more as they got older. I love your Sunday Assignments, it made me remember a Thanksgiving where I was actually dreading pulling off the whole meal while the family just laid around and did nothing 🙂 My youngest was 5 and the oldest 15. I put a picture of each of the traditional family favorite dishes on an index cards and they had to draw one out of bowl, including my husband. They were in charge of busting out that dish for Thanksgiving. I would help depending on their age. At first, no one was super happy, but it end up being a fun way to work together and be together as a family. My then five year old surprised me the most – he got “mashed potatoes”. I was sure that he might peel one potato and be done, but he went on and did five pounds. He was totally into it all the way to the end. This kid has grown up to be a cooking enthusiast, another son an avid home baker and a daughter that can meal prep like a pro. So know ones thinks it went perfect, I have one son still that could care less about cooking and being in the kitchen, but we still love him anyway 🙂
It is not always easy, but I tell everyone get those kids in the kitchen as much as you can. Not only are they learning life skills, but it is a fun way to be together and build fun memories. Besides everyone loves to eat!
Vacation, these were our best, up the north shore of Minnesota, go after spring floods like mid summer, ther are lots and lots of hiking along all the creeks that run into lake Superior. I. ts an old tourist trip. We went into Canada spent the day at a reenact ment settlement Fort William I think, Yellowstone was always a favourite
My favorite place to vacation is San Diego. I could have spent all week at Balboa park. So many museums and gardens! I also really love San Antonio, it’s a busy kind of fun. But my favorite slow paced vacation is the Oregon coast, Oregon Zoo, and Multnomah Falls, probably because I don’t have to fly and it’s the same time zone. lol Same goes for Victoria Canada.
As for deodorant… I tried Tom’s of Maine when I first tried to transition to aluminum free, the lavender smelled so good. I felt like I was smearing goop on my pits. I then found Schmidt’s, but not without disappointment. I think the first one I had was a dud. It was so HARD and scratchy (and yes I know you’re supposed to hold it and let body heat do it’s thing to apply it) but this particular stick did NOT cooperate! It was like rubbing a brick on me ARgh. I did not give up, bought a new one from a different store and I’ve been happy with the brand ever since. I’ve heard of Native, but can’t seem to find it as easily as Schmidt. Or I don’t need one when I do find them.
Board games- I’m boring. I love any of the Carcassonne games. My husband is a total board game geek. He’s always dragging home a new game to play.
Best vacation. For years we went to PEI in Canada with our daughters. Beautiful beaches, great restaurants with amazing food that wasn’t too fancy, inexpensive shows. (Anne of Green Gables). Yours may be too old, but we all have great memories of a place where a 4 year old can take a two year old to the store while we sat on the porch and watched.
I loooove the quilts! Bravo! Native deodorant I hear is the best, other than @justingredients who has her own line of some good stuff. I use Schmidt’s (I bought the Costco pack ) so I’m
praying every day my pits will survive until I run out and never subject them to torture again. Meanwhile, it also acts as a razor- so two birds, one stone I love the Sunday dinner idea! I’m likely too controlling for it though, maybe eventually I’ll try it! At least give myself a job and all of them one too. The best family vacation I’ve ever been on (and pretty much only) is a beach house on Newport Beach. We love the boardwalk and clean beach and being able to change/nap/eat and head back to the beach as many times as we want. It’s also tradition/nostalgic for our family since we’ve been going since all our kids were babies.
How can I not reply!!!??? Thanks for your brilliant thoughts and here are a few of my own:
#2 – Brilliant!
#4 – Just Ingredients Deodorant is amazing. The other problem you didn’t mention, but that I’ve had with natural deodorants is pit stains. So gross!!! Anyway, Just Ingredients is smooth, so far keeping my clothes clean and smells so good!
#6 – This warms my heart. My mom went vegan with glioblastoma brain tumor. I believe it extended her life and more importantly, made her feel so good. She did have to supplement with bone broth after awhile. Sorry I don’t have any good tips.
#8 – Have you played Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza??? You’d love it!
Love your quilts!! They are both so awesome. I tried a billion natural deodorants too, and the one I finally stuck with is Queen Helene. No rash, and it works pretty well for me. Sometimes I reapply in the evening. I saw that lots are recommending Native – I haven’t tried that one, but I might need to.
Here is a response to number 4:
I’m Canadian, and have the benefit of using this amazing Canadian product: https://greenbeaver.com/en/products/natural-deodorants
I love the Lemon and Unscented variety. Both work, both are all natural.
Mel, you are the best! Here’s my two cents:
Disney Cruise—best vacation ever! Totally expensive, but totally worth it!
Every once in a while we have “Kids in the Kitchen Day” (usually a Saturday) when they are in charge of all the food for the day. They do all the planning, cooking, dishes together. Best day ever!
Favorite deodorant: Native sensitive. The scents are so yummy and constantly changing. Just be sure to get sensitive otherwise you’ll probably get a rash (the worst). The good scents are online only but I think the regular scents are at Target now.
Thanks for helping feed my family! You’re a household name here!
I have to say congratulations on your quilt! I remeber when you showed the pattern I was thinking that it was quite ambitious! So great job, it looks beautiful. As of recently Mt. Rushmore was super memorable. A couple of my siblings and their families rented trailers my family camped in a tent! We all stayed in the same rv park that had a swimming pool and other amenities. Seeing Mt. Rushmore was amazing and there were a few other oudoorsy things to see and do. So, so fun!
I love your forest quilt!!
We really liked our vacation to Glacier National park and Rocky National park. So beautiful.
We try to help our kids learn resilience by not buying them much. They have to pay for everything. We keep Christmas and birthdays very simple. We also keep vacations simple. They have lots of chores, etc. I think we could do even better though.
Well, they don’t literally have to pay for everything, bit a lot of their extras they are expected to pay for.
Our favourite place to go as a family is Maui. My husband and I have been many times including several trips with our young children. Lots of activities, beautiful beaches and great food. We usually rent a condo and if extended family is also coming then we all get units in the same complex.
My kid’s favorite vacation so far has been Oahu—lots to do in addition to beaches (beaches actually stress me out because I have toddlers as well as older kids and I spend the whole time playing lifeguard).
They also really loved our trip to Boston and Vermont, with Vermont being their favorite. Who knew? It really is beautiful there.
A driveable trip that we did that my kids complained about beforehand but ended up loving was Yellowstone/Tetons/Jackson Hole.
My favorite vacation when I was a kid was a church history trip where we drove to Palmyra (from California) and back, hitting all the significant places and a few other non-church sites as well. Three weeks squished in a car with my siblings, but I loved it!
Also, the quilt and crocheted blanket look amazing!
Ok Mel my favorite family vacation ever was Hawaii! I know, it’s kinda cliche but its dreamy and unforgettable. Go to Oahu and stay at the Marriott Vacation Club in Ko Olina. You can buy time share weeks on redweek.com from owners that will save you lots of money. Plus they have kitchens so you can hit Costco and not spend lots of money on food. The resort is gorgeous, but we also explored the whole island including the Polynesian Cultural Center. Highlights include: Lanikai Pillbox Hike and Lanikai Beach, Kailua Beach, snorkeling at Three Tables beach, Diamond Head Hike, PCC, Cliff Jumping in Waimea, Waimea Waterfall, Paddleboarding in Ko Olina, North Shore (Haleiwa), Motsumotos, swap meet, Ted’s Bakery, Leonards Bakery, take a tour at BYU Hawaii (my kids loved this), Laie Temple (watch the movie in the Visitors Center – inspiring!) sunsets!, (skip Waikiki) and so many more amazing things! Often we just hung out at our hotel pool and beach. It’s amazing! Good luck on your vacation planning. We have also done the whole back east thing (DC, NY, Boston, etc.) and my kids said they would pick Hawaii over that, even though they also really liked that. Thanks for your blog! Love the Sunday Dinner plan!
Love all your posts and your blog!
#1 We take one big vacation each year, and many small ones, but our family’s favorite? Lava Hot Springs, ID. We go every year, sometimes with friends, sometimes just us. The kids love it. The town is so small, I can just let the kids run loose, and between the pool/water slides, river, and hot springs they’re perfectly entertained for 3-4 days.
#2 I’m stealing Sunday Dinner Assignments. I’ll run it in tandem with my current program which is: once you’re a freshman, you have to cook one meal a month for the family. Then add a meal each month the older they get, so by the time they’re a senior they’re cooking a dinner once a week.
#6 “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants”. I’m so excited to see you talking about this!! I’ve been a strict vegetarian for over 10 years, and started transitioning to whole food plant based a couple of years ago. I try to avoid the term vegan (except during Veganuary, because that’s what it is). I’ve just found that term can be polarizing. Besides, vegan just means no animal products, it does not mean healthy. There’s plenty of vegan junk food out there. The blogs I follow for plant based food are, pass the plants, detoxinista.com, and budget bytes, and I have to modify recipes all the time, subbing out meat, eggs, butter, etc. Hopefully this is helpful. Also, I recommend watching “game changers” on Netflix. It will blow your mind.
#7 I’m excited to watch this Ted talk. Thank you!
Wow, a follow up post to some of the best suggestions and what you end up doing would be great. Here’s my input:
1. Moab was one of our best family vacation. If you love doing outdoor things it’s the best. We stayed at a campground that had little wood cabins. Our family loves to mountain bike, but even if you don’t there are lots of fun hikes, river rafting, and atv rentals.
Banff/Jasper (Calgary area) – this isn’t really a vacation for us because it’s my backyard, but it is amazingly awesome up here in the summer months. I’m pretty sure if I wasn’t from here I would love to vacation here. We spend a lot of time in the mountains and it never gets old. We also keep on driving through the Rockies into BC (most beautiful drive EVER) and spend time at the Okanagan lakes. Would be happy to show you around if you ever make it up here – for real!
Wilderness Club in Montana (Eureka). This is almost my backyard so we go often. Can’t say enough about this place if you want to “get away”. Check out the website. If makes your short list (or Calgary area) send me an email. https://wildernessclubmontana.com
2. Love the cooking idea, I’m sure I’ll be terrible at implementation 🙁
3. Our ward was not into scouting (maybe a Canadian thing?) so I’m pretty glad I dodged this bullet.
4. Natural deodorant. My daughter has ultra sensitive skin and if she puts anything “unnatural” on she instantly breaks out in a rash. We’ve tried Tom’s and some others, but the one she likes best is from a company called The Green Beaver. They actually make a natural antiperspirant and it works pretty good. We like most of the scents too and they don’t seem to bother her. It’s a Canadian company and I just looked them up, they do ship to the US! It’s pretty expensive ($14) but with the exchange rate that’s more like $10ish for you. I can always find them in the store that is the equivalent to your TJ Maxx so I get them for $8 Cdn. If you end up trying and being a fan I’ll totally pick them up for you too and ship them. They have tons of natural products.
5. Not going to talk about this, way too many things I need to finish :/
6. Sorry also not my thing, but I wish you and your friend the best of luck in finding delicious recipes.
7. Read her book on Grit. It’s amazing.
8. Thank you. We have bought numerous games that you have suggested.
Love you, your blog, and Friday thoughts are pretty darn great!
Native deodorant from target seriously works!
And family vacations….we live on the east coast, but my favorite is Bald Head island in North Carolina. Its a 4 mile Long Island where no cars are allowed, just golf carts. It is completely non commercial. Has 3 restaurants a market, and a turtle conservancy. We ride our bikes around the island every morning as a family and go to the beach in the afternoons. Cook dinner together and play games each evening. Its magical!
Game: Happy Salmon
I used to make my own deodorant and then I purchased native only to find out I stunk all the time
I recently purchased lume and am extremely happy with it!!
So many comments already. I hope I don’t repeat what’s been said before. I only have a few answers to your questions.
1. Honestly my favorite family vacation was Hawaii. We even did it with 6 kids, the youngest was 3 months old at a time. I love that we didn’t over-schedule ourselves. We wanted a relaxing vacation, so we planned for plenty of time at the beach. We stayed at a VRBO near Laie and stayed away from Waikiki. We only went to Honolulu for the swap meet and Pearl Harbor. You can tailor it to your preferences: relaxing beaches, or hikes, kayaking, snorkeling etc. We stayed pretty flexible, with only the PCC as something we reserved for a specific day, and everything worked out great. I would go again in a heartbeat! In fact my husband and I went to Maui by ourselves a few months ago, and that was amazing too.
2. I love the idea of the kids getting involved with the meals. In general I do everything except for the weekends. My little girls love to “help” me make things which usually means standing on a stool in the way. They help me dump ingredients in bowls, or put chopped veggies in the salad bowl. But I have a problem letting go of being in charge. My my 4 year old would choose mac and cheese every meal!
3. Bravo and getting those boys to Eagle rank. It was like pulling teeth to get my 17 year old to finish (he was 16 when he finished), but my 15 year old didn’t want to finish, so I wasn’t going to push it.
Thanks for the game suggestions, we love new games at our house!
Mel, my body did not react well to the natural deodorants I tried. When my last rash failed to go away I went to see my dermatologist. She studied the ingredient list in the natural deodorants and could not find anything that would cause my problems but it was obviously something. She advised me to use Dove Sensitive and I haven’t had any issues since I started using it. I know it’s not natural but it works for me.
I use Schmidt’s, no rash for me but it did take a while to not smell, it’s like my body needed time with it.
Vegan blogs I like: http://www.thevegan8.com she’s simple, 8 ingredients and so good!
I also like Nora cooks vegan.
A delicious sauce you may find in stores where you live is called BItchin sauce- I drizzle that stuff on everything from sweet potatoes to dipping my veggies in it. I would take time to transition and ease into it. My kids haven’t loved many vegan dishes I make because your meals are truly the best
Vacation with family: Oregon Coast. If you don’t mind it being a bit cooler at the beach. We enjoy finding the best clam chowder.
I love the idea of having kids in charge of dinner, Sunday’s seem to be a good day for us too so I’ll have to try that!
Natural deoderant–Pit Putty Organic Deodorant or nella naturals
Deodorant Powder.
Talc-free powder in a clean scent to use anywhere on your body in two scents, a clean scent and a floral scent. These can also be used for a foot powder in socks or shoes, or where ever you want to stay dry. For men or women.
Ingredients: Arrowroot powder, baking soda, cornstarch, zinc oxide. Clean & Fresh scented with lemon , melaleuca, clove and coriander essential oils. Floral scented with lemon, melaleuca and geranium essential oils.
http://nellabodynmind.com/
Our favorite family game right now is Telestrations. I have kids ages 7 to 14 and they love it. We play it with just adults too and it is hilarious. It is a mashup of telephone and pictionary. I would recommend the 12 player version.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0083J768O/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_kKfnEb5C280QF
2 family favorite vacations are the Oregon Coast. We rent a house each time we go and stay at either the Bandon Area or more up North at Seaside. We love the beach and they both have cute little towns with shops, chocolate and cheese factory. It can’t be beat. Our other favorite vacation was Mexico. We stayed at an all inclusive resort. Every other day we would explore. We went zip lining, horseback riding, swimming with Dolphins and also 4 wheeling. The other days we would lounge around the pool and sip on drinks. They had a kids bar and it was amazing. It’s been about 4 years and my kids still talk about it. I think any tropical area could have a similar vibe.
We play that at work for bonding lunches. We have laughed until we cried. Awesome game.
https://bubbleandbee.com
Bubble and Bee is the hands down best deodorant. I’ve converted at least two of my friends. Take the plunge and do it. It won’t hurt your underarms, so many amazing smells and sooooo much better than the ones you buy in the grocery store. I promise you won’t regret it.
Your friend should read the book Chris Beat Cancer. https://www.chrisbeatcancer.com. I took his master class and have pages and pages of notes, recipes and ingredients that are anti cancer. He had a similar diagnose and overcame it. I cannot recommend him enough. I’ve implemented a lot of his suggestions. I don’t have cancer, but my mom and her mom both died very young from cancer and I refuse to do the same. His class is AMAZING and inspiring!
Vacations:
1) Disney Cruise
2) Alaskan cruise
3) Gatlinburg and smoky mt NP
4) Northern Michigan (sleeeping bear dunes national lakeshore, Lake Michigan, etc)
Before I start in……I rely on your recipes every week. Love, love all the options.
I love your Sunday dinner idea also!! My kids are grown though.
My favorite family vacations were Houseboating on Lake Powell (yes, we also towed a ski boat from Northern California) and also Lake Shasta. All of our kids are now married and have kids of their own are opting for this again. So many memories, with the older ones sleeping on the roof of the houseboat and if we had an overflow of people we brought a tent. The other family vacation (which we have done only since we’ve had grandkids) is renting a vrbo (make sure it includes shark passes for the pool) in Sun River, OR. Oh my……what a place for families!! Endless bike paths, and places to explore like the lava caves.
Deodorant? I had the same issues with Schmidt’s. The key is to change brands each time they are gone. My favorites are La Vanilla (you can get a better deal if you go to their website and custom order 3 different ones, then we split the bill between my girls and I) and also Native. (you can get at target) Charcoal and the Coconut/Vanilla are my favs. I hate the Lavender/Rose. I don’t like any kind that I have to apply with my fingers. I would also recommend doing a clay mask detox on your armpits. I do it periodically just before I shower when I know I am home alone and can walk around or sit at the computer. TMI….I know. Here is the website my daughter found and told me about. https://wellnessmama.com/25432/detox-your-armpits/
Girl, I feel you on the deodorant–I stopped wearing it completely. Is that crazy? But I don’t stink, so… Truthfully, I wear it occasionally, and then it’s just Secret brand (not at all natural), and I use it when I’m worried I’m going to be stinky and close to people. I work from home and I don’t sweat a whole lot, and when I do a shower is usually about to happen anyway. So I stopped wearing it. It felt so rebellious and invigorating that I almost stopped wearing a bra too. But I teach seminary and have preteens and other things that seem to require bra-wearing.
Keep the game suggestions coming. Or don’t because I spend too much on games. The one we love recently and I think you would too is Wavelength–great for parties but good for family night too.
I’m soooooo impressed with you and your boys for being finishers, and the Sunday kids cooking sounds amazing. I, too, have control issues in the kitchen (please leave, everyone, except for Netflix on my phone, you can stay). I want to teach my kids to cook but I keep thinking it will get easier when they’re older/taller/more independent. They are 13, 10, & 8 and could probably handle it if I would let go of my concept of the kitchen as my sacred place. I’ll bring up your Sunday idea at dinner tonight and see what they think! LOVE your Friday thoughts. I’ve said this before but you’re the only blog I really read. Thanks for still being here for your legion of fans. 🙂
I don’t wear deodorant either. But my skin is super super dry and I think that may be why I don’t stink….although I do go in waves of semi stinkiness. I think it might be related to the food I eat.
I’ve had the Schmidt rash too!! I’m proud to say I’ve found one that’s all natural and doesn’t irritate my skin. And smells good. The lady is Karalynne and her instagram handle is @justingredients. Her website is also justingredients.us. She has 3 scents and her face serum is fantastic as well.
I love all you do here! Thanks for the hard work you put in.
Cami
I was going to recommend Just Ingredients for different as well!!! I also love her face serum!
Oops, I meant to say, “deodorant” not different.
Congrats on finishing your blanket and your quilt! I just finished my first quilt last fall. I hand quilted it and just loved doing it. To be fair, it was a baby size quilt, so it was a good one to start with. I love your quilt!! It is awesome. On another note, I have one daughter and she learned how to cook just working alongside me and by baking by herself and she is a very good cook now! You have an amazing system with your children cooking an entire meal! Amazing!
I LOVE LOVE this Sunday dinner idea! I am definitely going to implement this! My son just earned his Eagle too… and I am so glad it is done! I use your recipes ALL the time and rarely have a week your not on the menu!! Thank-you, thank-you!!!❤️
Your quilts are amazing! I love the Sunday dinner assignments. I think I’ll try it. We got Codenames for Christmas and can’t stop playing it. Thanks for everything!
Try EO products deodorants.
Love all your posts and your blog!
#1 We take one big vacation each year, and many small ones, but our family’s favorite? Lava Hot Springs, ID. We go every year, sometimes with friends, sometimes just us. The kids love it. The town is so small, I can just let the kids run loose, and between the pool/water slides, river, and hot springs they’re perfectly entertained for 3-4 days.
#2 I’m stealing Sunday Dinner Assignments. I’ll run it in tandem with my current program which is: once you’re a freshman, you have to cook one meal a month for the family. Then add a meal each month the older they get, so by the time they’re a senior they’re cooking a dinner once a week.
#6 “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants”. I’m so excited to see you talking about this!! I’ve been a strict vegetarian for over 10 years, and started transitioning to whole food plant based a couple of years ago. I try to avoid the term vegan (except during Veganuary, because that’s what it is). I’ve just found that term can be polarizing. Besides, vegan just means no animal products, it does not mean healthy. There’s plenty of vegan junk food out there. The blogs I follow for plant based food are, pass the plants, detoxinista.com, and budget bytes, and I have to modify recipes all the time, subbing out meat, eggs, butter, etc. Hopefully this is helpful. Also, I recommend watching “game changers” on Netflix. It will blow your mind.
#7 I’m excited to watch this Ted talk. Thank you!
Hey Mel,
You literally taught me to cook, not that my mom didn’t try but apparently I needed to be 22 and about to get married to learn lol. So thank you!
I wish I could help with the recipes but I just barely tried my first green smoothie, so I myself am working on the healthy eating. So I will love to hear about it!
With deodorant I like lume, but with any deodorant you have to try it for a full two weeks to see how your body truly reacts to it and how well it works. I mean don’t keep with it if it’s doing something terrible to you, but I have been pleasantly surprised after two weeks when I hated some at he beginning.
Yellowstone. Yellowstone and be willing to talk to rangers and run down the wolf packs in your car and hop out every once in awhile. Don’t forget old faithful and the mud pots! But man if you like outside, Yellowstone is just pure bliss, but go at opening season or the end of the season, way less traffic and more animals. So fun!!! Thanks Mel!
Anyone else have issues getting their comments to post? It happens often to me; I post and then it doesn’t show up, and I lose my comment. 🙁 anyway, a shorter recap:
Vacations: ! I have been there tons of times as a kid and at least four times in my seven years of marriage. Mostly Rocky Mountain national Park, staying in Estes Park. I could write a guidebook (do they need another? ) on camping/VRBOs/hotels, restaurants, hikes, you name it! Otherwise Europe, but that’s a big deal…
Deodorant: Crystal salt Deodorant (Amazon). I usually get the rollerball kind. Highly recommend. obviously not an anti-perspirant, but I feel like it helps with that too. And definitely helps mask (prevent!) odors.
Love love love your forest quilt, and love that you incorporate your kids in meal making!! To do that with my family when they are older. Keep up your inspiration to us readers!!!!
Either Estes or Grand Lake. You can stay in one and visit the other. Love the Grand Lake Lodge and the YMCA at Estes. Day trips all over the place, including my Denver…
Have you tried Native deo?
I meant to say “Colorado!” After “Vacations:”
Since the other natural deodorants didn’t work for you, this may not either, but please email me your address and I’ll send you some that my sister makes. She has her own bath and body boutique that she sells her homemade bath and body products out of. Her deodorant is creamy and I imagine it’s similar to Lume so again, may not work, but it does have the most wonderful smell. I believe I heard Lume was unscented. So hers has an advantage in that way at least lol.
Primally Pure is the best natural deodorant I’ve found!
1. West Yellowstone because the geysers are awesome.
1. Sarasota, FL – Siesta Key Beach is the #1 beach in the US for a reason. Powdery sandy beaches and beautiful water. Get there early for parking and grab a margarita at the beach pier.
4. Fatco’s Stink, Stank, Stop in lavender & clary sage. I have tried Underarmed, Schmidt’s, Lume, Native, etc. and this is the only one that works for me. A little goes a long way with it and you want to be careful not to overapply because it is coconut oil based and you don’t want oily pits
5. Pass The Pigs. This is an oollldd school game. My husband’s aunt has us hooked on it though! 2 little pigs with a dot on one side of their belly’s. You roll the pigs and depending on how they land depends on the number of points you get. First to 500 wins. It’s like $8 on Amazon and ENDLESS fun for being so simple lol.
Here are a few of my all time favorite plant based meals:
https://cookieandkate.com/thai-red-curry-recipe/
https://cookieandkate.com/vegan-sweet-potato-green-rice-burrito-bowls/
https://minimalistbaker.com/quinoa-taco-meat/
I love to top of my meals with your cookie dough bites–YUM!
SO much to comment on 🙂 Best vacation – to Washington D.C. with my cousin’s family when my brother got married. 30 years later we all talk and laugh about it. I love your Sunday Dinner Assignment idea. It is REALLY hard for me to not helicopter when my 9 year old is cooking, but I’m trying because I want her to enjoy cooking and not dread going into the kitchen. We gave her a cookbook for Christmas and we’ve slowly been working through the recipes she wants to try, while I try not to micro-manage or cringe, ha-ha. I loved your “Mom’s Sunday Dinner Assignment All By Herself Please Leave the Kitchen Area Immediately” title; I can completely relate. Natural deodorants – I’ve heard a lot of people complain about Schmidt’s, but I actually like it – it totally works for me. My husband loves the unscented one from Little Seed Farm (https://littleseedfarm.com/) and likes that it comes in a recyclable glass container instead of a plastic one. I’ve also heard Just Ingredients is good. I am SO impressed with the pieced quilt that you made. You should enter it in your County Fair! I wish I had Vegan recipes to share, but if/when you find/make some good ones, please share. We’ve been trying to find more recipes like that to have in our rotation.
Mel,
I have been vegetarian for 32 years, Luckily my husband was vegetarian when we met and we have raised our 3 kids as vegetarian. We all went WFPB no Oil about 3 months ago. I am grateful your friend is trying this way of eating as there are so many successes. I think the main thing to remember is there are a lot of vegan junk foods out there… so stick to whole food and keep meals very simple. We have tree nut allergies at our house so we miss out on all the fun chashew sauces.
Here are some good web sites to try:
https://www.brandnewvegan.com/recipe-index
https://shaneandsimple.com/recipes/
And these two FB pages are a good gathering place for questions and sharing, they are private but easy and worth joining for your friend.
https://m.facebook.com/dd.healthcoach/
https://m.facebook.com/discoveringthewordofwisdom/
I am excited to have you posting some of the recipes you discover and perfect. I really enjoy you bc you
make me a more confident person in the kitchen. This is such an awesome gift you have given me! Thank you!!
>As for natural deodorant: we, my two teen daughters and I, have tried many but with not great results and such high price tags on many!!!
We have settled on Dove zero aluminum… goes on smooth, no smells, and affordable.
Let us know what you settle Mel,
1. Our favorites are usually beach vacations… we love St Thomas and St. John because we spend the whole time snorkeling and relaxing on gorgeous beaches. We usually stay on st Thomas (cheaper) abs ferry over to St. John for the day. The beaches are to die for.
4. Native deodorant! I like the coconut vanilla for a yummy smell, but I’ve recently been using their charcoal sent because you can’t really smell it? Make sense? Anyway, never going back!
5. Exploding kittens! Such a fun game. Make sure you get the clean version. There is a raunchy one. but the clean version is a BLAST. Also, monopoly deal. All the fun of monopoly without the time commitment.
You’re awesome! Also, congrats to you and your amazing boys on becoming Eagle Scouts!
Hi Mel! We haven’t been on many family vacations yet, as our kids are 5 and 7. We spent separate long weekends visiting friends and family in Denver and Houston, and both were fantastic – especially the zoos! We did a Disney World trip in September, which was truly magical. I wish you luck on your vacation research!
A game we have been loving is Family Charades. It has three levels of things to act out on each card, the first being the easiest and includes a picture for the youngest kiddos. Lots of family laughs and really remarkable acting by our kids!
As far as the deodorant thing goes… here’s my friend’s blogpost about her fave… https://planforawesome.com/the-best-natural-aluminum-free-deodorant/
I think she sums it up pretty well!
Favorite vacation(s)? Disneyland & Sea World, for sure. Hawaii was another but our kids were too young, wish we’d taken them again! Any National Parks they loved! We lived close to Yosemite and Kings Canyon, went to Yosemite frequently!
Congrats on teaching your kids to cook, your boys earning their Eagle, and your quilts being finished! Yay!!! You’re doing great!!
Well, I love your blog so much, I’ve never commented before, and guess what got me commenting for the first time. Sweaty armpits. I tried switching to natural deodorant a couple years ago and went through the same issues and it also just didn’t do anything for smelling fresh either. So I nearly gave up in frustration, but I didn’t want to go back to antiperspirant. Then I discovered that some companies are finally making plain deodorant for women (can we talk about how many men’s options there are for regular deodorant, but apparently we women are so disgusting that we can’t be trusted with anything but the strongest antiperspirant??). Anyway, I now use Dove deodorant and love it. It isn’t all natural, but it is just deodorant and I decided that was enough for me. I smell good and no more other issues either! One of my friends who is really into all natural things across the board and whose mom is a naturopath had the same issues as me and she and her husband use the blue Dove men’s deodorant. So does my husband, who is super sensitive to antiperspirant and would just as soon go without putting anything on his armpits and often does unless we’re going somewhere or doing something big for the day.
1. Mexico-Mayan riviera, we went 5 years ago and my kids still talk about it and ask when we’re going back, got a good deal at an all-inclusive resort
2. This made me laugh and feel so much better. I know I should teach my kids to cook, but it takes longer, is messier and often ends with me not being very nice. But I am kind of tired of doing everything and then hearing complaints so I like this solution.
4. I’m currently using primal pit paste, in the tube. I like the jasmine scent. I’ve thought about trying the one by just ingredients, but haven’t yet.
Little seed farm has the best deodorant. Myhusband had serious problems with natural deodorant too. This one works, for him anyway.
Also, sweet fun company.
Best vacation ever, the Canadian Rockies. Banff and Jasper. We took our six kids, 11 to 8 weeks old and had the best time. It is just beautiful. We all dream of going back. Definitely a vacation our kids will NEVER forget.
I use Native Coconut/Vanilla and lovely it. Have not had any issue with it.
As for favorite family vacations, we love Destin, Florida. We rent a condo on the water and cook every night watching the sunset, going back in April!
I use the Native brand deodorant and like it (coconut/vanilla scent.) I don’t wear deodorant every day though, only on days where there may be nervous sweating involved haha 🙂
Our favorite family vacation ever was a trip to the Outer Banks, NC, we stayed in Corolla. We went 2 years ago and are going back again this summer, we can’t wait! Amazing beaches, the perfect mix of relaxing on the beach and also plenty to do (wild horse tour, sand dune tour, jet skiing, kayaking, etc) The houses are huge and reasonable to rent.
We also had a great time last year spending 5 days in Washington, DC. There is so much to do there and with most museums having free admission, you can really save some money and see so much!
For games… Uno Attack is a current family favorite in our house!
I can’t help with any other questions ♀️
Take them on a cruise! Best trip we’ve ever done and we did disney world, NASA, Wild Florida and the Orlando Mall! It made for a long fun trip and was so worth it!
Or rent a house in Hawaii! We’ve loved both!
For the natural deodorant, I have the same problem if I use one that contains baking soda. Several brands make baking soda free formulas. I like Meow Meow Tweet Tweet and one that smells like Nag Champa that I got on Etsy.
There are a ton of really good vegan sites out there. Cookie and Kate, The Hungry Herbivore. My favorite though is Vegan Richa. If you like India food, she is the bomb diggity.
Several years ago I started having problems with my underarm skin becoming excoriated with the use of any deodorant, including natural. So, I stopped using it. Morning and night when I wash my face I also wash underarms. I rarely notice any odor and no one has mentioned an odor.
Years and years ago a boyfriend told me he thought deodorant was marketed to make us believe we need it, but we don’t. He never used it and never smelled bad. Of course now and then he got sweaty, but washing up or showering took care of it.
I love that afghan pattern. I’ve been crocheting for a LONG time and I’ve never had anything unravel unless I wanted it to unravel. I have an afghan over me now that I crocheted when I was pregnant with my first child 40 years ago.
For help with a vegan diet you might check Dr. John McDougall’s web site and books. (www.drmcdougall.com) Also Dr Joel Fuhrman and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn. (sp?)
I didnt like Schmidt’s or Toms at all either. I really like Native though. Hubby wears the citrus musk scent and it’s really nice, I prefer unscented (I guess my pits are sensitive) but also like the eucalyptus mint and the sage one. I also quit using typical soap and usually just wash with water but occasionally wash with a gentle shampoo/shave bar.
I also use laundry detergent that doesn’t have scent but cleans well so that my clothes don’t hold onto smells as much anymore.
I love the quilt you made it looks fantastic. I made my first one this year. It was a request from my 5 year old and he picked an image of Yoshi battling the piranha plant in Yoshi’s Crafted World so I had to figure out how to design it and I just used my little home sewing machine to freeform quilt all over it. It was SO much new stuff to figure out, I had to simplify it as much as I could and I still have to add the binding around the edge before I can call it done but if I get it done before April it’ll be less than I year project so I’m calling it a win already.
Regarding cashews, they should not be eaten raw due to toxins that are present before they are roasted or toasted.
I always love your Friday Thoughts posts 🙂
I am also a bit OCD with having my kids in the kitchen. I like your Sunday suggestion to take the chaos of weeknight helpers away. I know Sara from OBB has mentioned she cooks with her boys on Sunday too. I’ll give it a go in our family and see how it pans out.
For deodorant I see some other have also commented with my same recent find which I consider pure gold – yes, it really is THAT good – Just Ingredients Natural Deodorant. I also absolutely LOVE her face serum.
https://justingredientswithkaralynne.com/
You are crocheted blanket and quilt look stunning! What an awesome thing to set out to do and accomplish! Lots of things worthwhile take years to finish 😉
Happy 2020, Mel!
Oh, and I also just recently discovered Downshiftology on IG and love all the resources on her blog. She’s helping me reshape how I prep for myself during the week – ingredient prep as opposed to meal prep. She has lots of great plant based recipes on her site.
https://downshiftology.com/9-meal-prep-ideas-save-time-kitchen/
I’m a mom of 6 sons who are all grown now. I was introduced to your blog by my daughter in law several years ago and I love all your recipes. everyone thinks I’m a great cook, hehe. I also used Sundays as cooking days for my kids and as they got older I let them plan the menu and once in a while I even took them shopping to learn about that too.
Our favorite vacations have always been by the water with boating, water skiing, surfing,
So Lake Tahoe was a yearly vacation since my in-laws had a cabin there. Now with older kids we’re either at Tahoe, Bear Lake, or Southern California most of the time.
Thanks for all your recipes!
San Juan Islands in Washington. You get to take a ferry. Rent an air b&b and you can kayak, hike, whale watch, play on majestic seashore and do day trips to other islands. There are not a lot of places there to shop or spend money, you just enjoy the pristine Puget Sound.
Our most favorite family vacation was our trip to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. We camped in Yellowstone for a week or so the summer of 2017. The kids all did their junior ranger badges for both Yellowstone and Tetons. We spent a couple days driving down to Tetons to explore there (they are super super close) and spent tons of time checking out all the cool Yellowstone stuff. The kids still ask when we are going back. We are planning a trip to some of the national parks of the Pacific Northwest and we are stoked! We have a national parks passport book and we get stamps everywhere we go. We’ve done visits to individual parks and we’ve done epic two week trips where we hit every park in an area. Our kids love it the most!
One more thing- it’s not all vegan, but Mark Bittman’s How to cook everything Vegetarian is a gem. Worth checking out of the library, at least. Also Sally Butler’s Vegestan, Naturally Nourished by Sarah Britton and my absolute favorite, Six Seasons by Josh McFadden (I think?). The last one is vegetable forward, but not all recipes are veg.
Destin, FL and vicinity if you’re feeling beachy. Beautiful, white sand beaches, emerald green water. There are plenty of awesome local restaurants to satisfy the foodie in you! Merlin’s Pizza and garlic knots are the bomb! If you want to hike and be outdoorsy, (or are like me and want to avoid a swimsuit), go for Acadia National Park (Bar Harbor) in ME. Breathtaking. Sea kayaking (sea lions!), lots of wildlife, biking, hiking, and everything blueberry. Visit in early June to avoid the crowds, the heat, and the bugs. Amazing food as well. The only chain restaurant there is a Subway. Buy a blueberry pie from a lady who sells them roadside and sells out by mid-morning everyday. Get there early! Or go to Momo’s Cheesecakes. It’s a garage converted into a clean spot where you can get cheesecake 24/7 on the honor system. Grab what you want and just drop your money in the box! I can’t wait to go back. Favorite vacation ever. Buy the book, “Acadia: The Complete Guide” by James Kaiser (available on Amazon). His recommendations are spot on.
Go to Hilton Head. You won’t regret it.
I’ve tried all the natural deodorants (hated Schmidt’s!) and found one I love! (I’d be hard pressed to even try another)… the brand is primally pure. My kids use it…even my 16 year teen boy. Disclaimer:you will still sweat (your body’s natural way to detox and cool itself)…but it’s a game changer for the stink. I love all their skin care products along with the brand coco kind. Hope that helps. Thanks for the parenting Sunday dinner idea! I was trying to figure out what would work best for us. You solved my problem in three sentences. Have the best weekend!
https://primallypure.com/products/blue-tansy-deodorant
Just Ingredients Natural Deoderant is THE BEST!!!
https://justingredientswithkaralynne.com/
Plant based, really as well as blogs, I have found you tube to be excellent. In particular Tish Wonders and Rachel Ama. I do hope this helps and best wishes to your friend. Love your work Mel!!!
Mindset by Carol Dweck is a fabulous book! It’s made such a difference for me and in parenting my kids.
This kids cooking on Sunday idea is genius and we are going to try it. We’ve tried the weeknights too and have seen little to no success with that. Even if they don’t have extra activities, they are tired after a long day of school so this may work better for us. Plus, it might get that dang TV off a little more on Sunday. And wherever you go for your vacation, just pick somewhere cooler than where you live. I absolutely hate to be hot and sweaty unless I’m working out and intentionally sweating! So glad you’ve tried the natural deodorants and that they didn’t work for you – not that I’m happy they failed, it just gives me a pass on needing to try them. I smell my boys (14 and 11) everyday and I don’t want to smell like them. Last thing, congratulations to your boys (and YOU) on their scouting accomplishments!
Oh boy! I’m so glad your back. Not only do I love all your recipes but I depend on them every.single.week! I’ve got a great source for natural deodorant, Kanary Naturals. Not only is she a friend of mine but her passion for implementing natural ingredients in all her products and educating her clients on the power of her products is infectious. I love her deodorant and it even survived the blazing Arizona heat!
https://kanarynaturals.com/
#2) Kids in kitchen- I’ve got a 4 yr, 3 yr, and 10 mo. So, they are learning how to make the eggs we eat each morning for breakfast! They get to crack the egg on the bowl, open it into the bowl, whisk the eggs together, stir it up in the pan to keep from burning, and then plate the eggs. If we do add-ins they get to help chop those (butter knives can be the real deal yo) or grate cheese. I did this to give them more buy in to have a desire to eat breakfast and not just complain about it. They also make toast or warm muffins if we have those. And get out all the tools from cooking stuff, plates, and foods we need. It takes forever some mornings, we have spills, and struggles- but I think its good for them to start learning now and they are so excited when they can tell daddy (I stay home with them) what they got to do that morning. By lunch- I’m usually just in speed mode to get food on the table. ha.
#3 (I can’t put a space/ line between paragraphs??) #3) phone calls are intimidating for sure. I have been known to wait until I am pretty sure a person won’t answer the phone so I can leave a VM and then wait for a call back. =) #4) natural deo- the struggle is real, sister. I am a sweaty betty. I went natural deo about 10 years ago and haven’t looked back. A few thoughts- detoxing from years of using regular deodorant is part of the process, it can take quite a while for your body to stop being insanely smelly and very yucky smell also as it does detox. I personally have had great time with “Mountain Mint” from YL. yes, it is an MLM- no I am not interested in selling it to you. My self and my husband both use the deo, I buy it several sticks at a time and it is expensive, $11.25/stick for wholesale. But worth. every. penny. It goes on with a cooling feeling, doesn’t burn even when applied right after shaving, and smells nice. Not strongly but nice and then when I sweat (even a stinky nervous sweat) it always smells a bit minty. I’ve found with natural deodorants that during high sweat seasons- summer or working out or a long nervous day of meeting new people- I just need to keep my deo near by and re-apply throughout the day. I don’t consider this defeat because I honestly sweated through regular deodorants too. I’ve also found that I have to, have to, wash my armpits every day to help avoid super stinky situations. So, even if my shower is just a quick in and out- my pits will be hit with my homemade soap (skin is the biggest organ, so why wouldn’t we take really good care since it absorbs all the crap we put on it? just something to consider). Also, shaving my armpits frequently helps with the smell too- maybe the removal of the dead skin, not really sure. But washing daily (or dealing with my smell, like poop you get used to it and I’ve asked loads of people- some I know well and some were strangers with nothing to lose- most people can’t smell you unless you get them into your armpit, even if you can smell yourself)Anyway- I am rambling but I love natural deo and want to encourage you on the journey! Wash daily, wear often, reapply, and realize humans weren’t meant to be completely fruity smelling all the time. =) (Re: YL- i am happy to buy and mail some deo to you, so you can try it out. Just let me know, or ask a friend who has YL to order you some. And I save the little bottom pieces once it is too low to continue to use and then when I’ve got enough (several sticks worth) I gently remelt it in a double boiler set up and pour it back into a stick to reuse and get the most bang for buck). Great job on the blankets! Love them! I am undertaking making my own Beeswax candles- it’s pretty fun to melt down and purify wax and eventually see it poured into a cute little jar and get to use the candle! Looking forward to hearing more about your deodorant story!
Our favorite family vacations have been to San Diego-I’m not a huge amusement park person and neither is the rest of my family (even when they were little!), but Sea World was amazing and I just love that town (we went when kids were 8 & 11). Puerto Villarta is second because going to a resort that has everything for everyone and includes laying pool or beach side is a-mazing (kids were 16 & 19), and it’s a good price.
I tried a bunch of natural ones and they never work until I tried the Native brand. I prefer the Eucalyptus and Mint scent. You can order it online (beware in hot months it could melt ) or they now have it in Walmart as well. Best vacations were Lake Powell with extended family last year on house boat with multiple individual boats as well to take water skiing, fishing etc. Along with paddle boards and tubes. Or much cheaper we went to Moab with oldest three and went on hikes during the day and then stayed at hotel at night (which about killed my husband because he does not understand the mentally of paying hundreds of dollars to sleep ha, ha). However, since then we have bought a truck camper (no hotel fees:)) and it is the best!! I feel kind of redneck in it, but we go on quick weekend over nighters to hot pots, fishing spots, and hiking trails. We have seven people so a couple sleep in the truck, but it is the best memory maker we have invested in yet. It so much easier to take around than a trailer (we had one of those and rarely used it). Different things work better for different people but that’s what works for us! Good luck!! PS I still want to take my family on your Redwood’s trip 🙂
Try Native deodorant, it’s sold at Target, it works!
Last summer we did a bucket list camping trip in the PNW before we moved from Portland to Colorado. If camping isn’t your thing, I’m sure there are vacation rentals in these areas, but we love Mt Rainier, Crater Lake, and one of favorites was biking the Hiawatha Trail up on the Idaho panhandle (Montana/Idaho stare line). It’s a rail to trail and you go through over 10 tunnels, the longest if which is over a mile. You get to start and end doing that tunnel. Plus you cross 7-8 tressels, which are over a hundred feet in the air. Really unforgettable. This was super high on our favorite family vacations!
I love all your recipes, but I love hearing things you are going through with your family. We just became a family of 7, but we are opposite. Four girls and just added our boy. We cook your meals pretty much every night! I am definitely going to try the Sunday meal assignments idea! During the week it’s just too hectic for me to be patient about them helping…
Check out Sunriver Oregon for an awesome vacation spot! And not too far from Boise. It’s amazing!
I’m not vegan but I have an awesome vegan cookbook that I highly recommend. “7 secrets cookbook” by Neva and Jim Brackett. The Golden Vegetable Soup is amazing!
I LOVE your game recommendations. We got Play Nine for Christmas and can’t get enough of it!
ADHD moment – the most important one! Come to Canada, more specifically come to Nova Scotia! We have such a beautiful province and we are so friendly, as you might have heard. Haha
August is the best time to visit, warm days, cool evenings, and plenty to do!! And likely cheap on your US dollar!
Our provincial tourism does a great job of selling ourselves, so check it out! Good luck!
Oh she glows is highly recommended for vegan, something I think everyone should start considering, myself included! Truly sorry that your friend is growing through this right now but she is very lucky to have your support!
Love that you are teaching your kids to not only cook but time management and share within the kitchen. That puts a new spin on cooking meals and teamwork! Great idea!
As for quilting, you did an amazing job and I simply love the forest critters! Such a beautiful pattern and yes, highly ambitious. But somehow I’m not surprised. I started my first quilt with a much simpler pattern but it was queen sized, so I did learn a lot of how to manage so much material on my vintage 30lb all metal Husqvarna sewing machine. That thing will shake and rumble the entire floor of my house when I am running long runs of stitches. Used to scare one of my dogs, too.
And I think my husband and I should try some new board games so I’m going to look into some of your recommendations. We have some willing neighbours that are willing to join in on the fun.
Enjoy your weekend and thanks for the suggestions!
Oh goodness! Deodorant: Crunchy Betty has a coconut lime one that she sells and she has the recipe you can make yourself on her website! It’s amazing once you are used to it! Vacation: Disney cruise is wonderful, but expensive. Vegan food: It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken, Oh She Glows, and Minimalist Baker are all wonderful!
My family has been going to lake Powell for about 13 years with my parent’s ski boat. We rented a house boat the first year and we have since rented a condo in Paige Arizona. I have also gone to Bullfrog arena in Utah. The house boat was fun, but my parents really love to shower. I love lake Powell bc there is something for everyone between exploring rock/ruins on the water, to skiing/wakeboarding, or even just plain swimming all ages can enjoy. Also, I think it is my favorite vacation bc we are all around each other in a boat for days and their is no TV Ect. Boating in general is one of my favorites for this reason. My family always goes in June so the hear is not so intense that it is unbearable. I have been to many states (including Hawaii) as well as Canada and this is my favorite vacation bc of the family togetherness.
I have a meal prep business and have lots of customers asking for more plant based meals. Last week, I made vegan fajitas with a cashew queso… holy moly! That queso is delicious and soooooo easy! It’s 1 cup cashews, 1/2 cup water, 1 4 oz, can green chilies, 1 1/2 TBSP. Nutritional yeast, 1. Chipotle and 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt. Blend until suuuuper smooth! I put mine in a squeeze bottle….. I’ve been putting it on everything! It gets even better as it sits. So good on toast, sweet potatoes, roasted veggies, fajitas, tacos, etc.
Check Ambre blends for natural deodorant. It’s a bit on the pricey side but they have a sale once a year and I stock up. They are the best I’ve tried – I’m an avid exerciser and their products stand the test. Last year I also dove and started using their face oil and I love it.
Love the blog. Not sure what I would feed my family of 6 if you didn’t do your thing. I have a binder of all my faves and make your recipes several times a week.
Mel, you’re wonderful! Love you, love your recipes, love your community!!
Family Vacation – We took a trip to Hawaii which was expensive and stressful but SO WORTH IT!! But probably my favorite vacation we’ve taken so far was to Branson, MO. (I know so random!) It’s only a few hours away from us which was nice. We stayed at a resort with a water park, went to Silver Dollar City theme park, and toured a bunch of local museums Branson is known for. Sooooo so fun and less stress with less travel!
Deodorant – I am with you!! I used straight coconut oil for a while (from a separate container than the one I cook with. Ha.) And while it did work (wow!!) it did wear off before the end of the day. I use Tom’s and I like it.
Vegan/Food for Health – I was a cancer research scientist before I became a full time mom and let me tell you – you are on the right track!!! People don’t realize how preventable cancer is/how treatable it can be with lifestyle changes (alongside traditional treatments). Tell your friend she’s doing the right thing. Look more into foods that fight cancer cells (garlic, for instance). Tell her to eat lots of healthy fats – avocados, nuts and nut butters, olive oil, etc. And lots and lots of organic fruits and veggies!! Organic is key. Her body is fighting enough toxins without adding more. Focus on omega-3 fatty acids which fight inflammation (wild-caught salmon, flax seeds, walnuts, taking a quality supplement pill.) I don’t think veganism is completely necessary, as long as the animal products she consumes are 100% organic, grass-fed meat and dairy products, wild-caught fish, etc. Good luck. Sending prayers her way!
My Family Vacation choice would be a Disney Cruise! They are wonderful for EVERY age. They have separate “Adult” areas and restaurants and No Casino which cuts down a certain party crowd element found on other cruise lines. [The food is much better on Disney ships than in the parks 🙂 ] The décor is tasteful, not tacky. We are sailing with them to the Bahamas in a few months. Yeah! I would love to take one of their European or Alaska cruises one day. Once you are on the ship you unpack and everything is done for you! Mom and Dad get to RELAX ! They have excellent health inspection ratings. https://www.wdwinfo.com/news-stories/disney-cruise-line-health-inspection-scores-from-the-cdc-remain-high-for-2019/ If my family could, we would take a Disney Cruise every year! https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/
6) I really like the Just Mayo products. They are vegetarian (not sure about vegan) and I used them when I was eating dairy and soy free. Seriously, the Just Mayo tastes exactly like mayonnaise, and the Just Ranch is good too. A good chocolate is Enjoy Life Chips for baking, and Theo dark chocolate bars. Love love Theo. Especially their winter holiday flavors of candycane and Cranberry Orange. I did NOT like the Endangered Species bars at all. For protein bars, I actually didn’t like the RxBar that so many of my friends like, and I didn’t like GoMacro either. My husband likes the ONE bars, they have lots of treat-ish flavors, but I thought they were dry. I love the GFB (Gluten Free Bar) Chocolate Peanut Butter (the only flavor my store carried) because it wasn’t dry, it was tasty, filling, chewy. Love.
Native Deodorant – for sure 🙂 Works well, smells great, and doesn’t irritate!
Ok for the record I read a couple paragraphs of this and laughed and almost shed a tear because I’m pretty sure you get me without hearing my story all because you share your stories in these awesome Friday posts that I love. Make sense? Ha. I’m off to make your French bread rolls for my parents 50th anniversary (so awesome ) And everyone loves these roles. Thank you! I look forward to reading the rest of this post later. Thanks for sharing all your thoughts and Letting us know you put off projects too. I need to work on finishing! See you back here later.
I’ve been using Tom’s deodorant for the last four years and I am very happy with it.
4) I have not yet found a natural deoderant that works. One of my companions in Houston swore by “Crystal” which seriously looked like a big rock salt crystal. I (cough) don’t think it worked on smell, and it definitely doesn’t work to keep away sweat. My own personal opinion is that your soap contributes to your smell (homemade soaps make my sweat smell differently) so change up your soap, and accept that you will sweat. Thus, I use a deoderant but not a anti-perspirant. Eliminating the anti-perspirant part of the equation gets rid of the aluminum that causes stains on my clothes. I use Old Spice bc I like the smell.
1-I’ll add to the crowd and say that Native is the best natural deodrant! I have used it for 4 years now and I would never go back. Try it!!
2-I have been cooking from your blog since 2006, and probably 80% of my recipes came from you until three years ago when I decided to make some changes and try the Whole Foods Plant Based Diet. I watched the Forks Over Knives documentary, read The China Study, and studied the Word of Wisdom. Our family went dairy, egg, meat, and oil free for a whole year (except for desserts…I don’t believe in trying to modify something that you only eat once in awhile). We loved it and after that year, I incorporated a small amount of meat and healthy oils (in very small amounts) back into our diet once or twice a week. I still culture kefir every day (that was my one dairy item I did not give up). For recipe inspiration, I signed up for the free meal planning/recipe service from the Forks Over Knives blog. It was super helpful for me to have meal ideas sent to me every week until I got used to cooking differently. It took a lot of the anxiety and stress out of trying to change so much all at once. I did that service for a year to help me get started. Now, I utilize those recipes and find lot of vegetarian/grain recipes from blogs like Cookie and Kate. I love eating this way and would never go back! My kids all love this way of eating and we are always amazed at how bland oily, cheesy, meat meals taste to us now. They don’t even appeal to us. Try it! I keep hoping you will want to switch over to this way of eating, so you can start posting your amazing ideas and recipes with us! Your talents in the kitchen have been an inspiration for me and I know you would develop great dishes in your kitchen!
3-Thanks for sharing your life on this blog! The quilts are beautiful! I admire your grit and determination to stick with something hard and learn! I send my love and thoughts to your friend at this time!
My dad has used a plant based diet for years to help with his cancer battle. Some of his favorites come from fork over knives cookbooks. He makes his own bread, I will send that recipe to you it’s delicious and high in grains and no sugar. My parents eat a lot of soup and they have a few recipes for treats with nuts and dried fruit that are pretty tasty. The energy bites can be made with fresh nut butter with no added sugar and using dates in place of the honey. My dad also uses cocoa nibs for a bit of chocolate. I feel all the feels for your friend, so glad she has a good support for her food from you. I know without a doubt that The way she eats can help.
Homemade deodorant! Its easy to make, and after your body gets used to it (which shouldn’t take long for you if you’ve already been doing the non-anti-perspirant route for a while), it works well most of the time. I do sometimes have to supplement with a store-bought deo when i know i’m going to be really sweaty or with certain fabrics, and the coconut oil/shea butter can stain clothing. I think I have runied 1 item in several years of usage; everything else I’ve been able to scrub it out. I use the basic recipe here: https://theelliotthomestead.com/2010/12/homemade-deodorant/
I have found that baking soda makes me break out so I use only arrowroot or cornstarch. I also do half coconut oil and half shea butter, which has been just right for me. Stays a little firmer in the hot months, since coc. oil melts so easily.
For #1 – The other day at dinner, my kids spent a long time dreamily reminiscing on our past family trips. They never once mentioned a single actual place we went. They didn’t care about seeing national landmarks. They didn’t even mention Disneyland. They mentioned the pools, rating by size and water temperature, and they mentioned the breakfast that was or was not served. Apparently the TownPlace Suites in Farmington, NM from our last road trip won because they had chocolate waffles as a breakfast option and their pool was like bath water. So for what it’s worth, I just pick where I’d like to go for vacations and make sure we stay someplace with a pool along the way. That’s all the kids seem to remember anyway! 🙂
I love your posts! And you write so well! I feel like I’m having a conversation with a good friend when I read anything you write, I love it.
As for vacations, we went to the Caribbean when I was younger and it is still my favorite vacation in the history of ever. My family tastes vacays on the temperature of the ocean and pools (I dig bathwater temp water or warmer), the beaches and how good the sand is and what yummy food we ate there. If we have those 3 things I think anything is going to be good. Maybe figure out what your kids/family think are important and plan around that?
As for natural deodorants I’ve made my own for years, but I lost my recipe for my favorite one when we moved last year and I haven’t found anything tasty compares. I don’t like baking soda, arrowroot powder ot corn starch because they tear up my skin so mine usually consist of beeswax, cocoa butter and shea butter with little to no coconut oil (it gives horrible pit stains) with some essential oils to help with smell. I either opt for lavender and citrus or mint and citrus for the best flavor combos. I’ve also heard good things about Native but haven’t tried it.
As for vegan stuff try minimalist Baker (she has a blog) and I’ve used The Healthy Gluten Free Life cookbook for lots of ideas. She isn’t vegan but she is dairy, egg, soy and gluten free so it teaches some great substitutions. Good luck!
This is hilarious and reminds me kids never remember what we think they will about childhood.
My thoughts on natural deodorant- I think it’s trial and error for each person for what works for their body. I’m a long time native user. I was excited to switch to just ingredients but hers didn’t work for me. I think everyone’s body chemistry is different and that’s why it takes some experimenting.
I love your Sunday dinner system! I want to try it!
I’m excited for you to hopefully find winning plant based recipes and share. A few years ago I did a loose vegan diet for a while, but I’ve gradually gone back to normal. I would love to implement more of this again. I do have a yummy black bean burrito filling I will send you that I got from a vegan friend.
I’m a grown up now, and I’m only just realizing that I’m not much of a finisher and that I struggle with cultivating grit and resilience in myself to cope with the difficult things in life. Looking back at my own upbringing, I can say that my parents definitely held these values close to their hearts and tried to instill them in us. But telling your kids to be a certain way and then them experiencing situations where they have to be that way are two different things, if that makes any sense at all. It’s one thing to say, “You have to finish this task and see it through to the end.” I understood that conceptually, of course. But it’s like…this stuff doesn’t come naturally either. You have to motivate yourself to finish projects. You have to have a clear idea of what “finished” looks like in your mind. There are a lot of components involved in this that you have to suss out, and it takes practice, and it takes experience, and that is largely what I feel I kind of missed when I was learning these things as I grew up.
So I’m quite glad that you’re easing up on the lecturing!! I’m working on doing the same. I don’t have kids, but I’m a free advice giver to all of my friends, even though I rarely follow my own advice myself. Which goes back to the whole concept of “finishing” things, in a different way. What I’ve realized is that I need to lay down clear cut goals and expectations of myself and not panic when something doesn’t happen like how I think it should, or if I don’t feel the way I think I should about a certain task. And frankly, all of this stuff is quite difficult to do. It’s much easier to just let life pass you by without paying too much attention to your own self. It’s been eye opening to realize that things like, “finishing a task” are not actually intuitive, you have to cultivate that understanding and give yourself opportunities to practice it.
Stinky girls unite!! (well me for sure – maybe not you) This is about to get really TMI so prepare yourself. I have always been a very sweaty person and I was just telling my husband last night that I don’t think I’ve ever had a deodorant and/or antiperspirant that truly kept me stink free. As early as my middle school years playing basketball I have struggled with this. I tried the switch to natural deodorants after my first was born and have been trying one after another looking for something that would work with my body chemistry. I tried Native, Schmidt’s (also awful for my skin), Lafes, Toms, Just Ingredients…nothing kept me stink free. UNTIL I just started using Bali Secrets this week and I am finally feeling like a real girl (who doesn’t stink)! I have a 10 month old and this stuff can handle my normal “aroma” plus those ultra fun breastfeeding hormones that kick everything up another level. I’m so thankful for my friend who offhandedly mentioned it to be because I had never heard of it before. So fingers crossed you give it a try and it works for you too!!
Now for the games – I’m not sure if you’ve played Sequence but it’s awesome. It’s a good strategy game but it’s not difficult and you can play in teams (up to 3) so if some of the younger kids don’t get it, they can be teamed up with an older kid. It’s a big hit. Thanks for all you do and all the love you pour into the delicious food and community you have created here.
Oh, I love these posts! And the treasure trove of comments- so good!
As always, I’m inspired by your intentional parenting- whether it’s shepherding your scouts to Eagle, teaching them to feed themselves (and others), or pondering how to instill grit, you are doing all you can to help your kids put their best foot forward. And hopefully, their second foot forward, even when the going gets tough. Thank you for sharing your solutions and questions- it’s soooo helpful to hear what’s working well, from you AND from the comments.
My sympathy and best wishes to your friend, to you and to her family. Cancer is hard on the patient (obviously) but also on their whole circle. It can be difficult to figure out how to support each other, and the two of you are connecting over food. No surprise, and isn’t she lucky to have you in her life! I love the link someone provided about cooking for cancer patients. There are so many kinds of cancer, with so many different challenges to appetite, taste buds, nausea, aversions…
I need to climb on my soapbox for a quick minute about cancer and plant based diets. There’s nothing wrong with a plant based diet, and I’m not accusing Mel or her friend of this, but magical thinking about vegan-ism is rampant elsewhere on the internet. Because of conversations with my kids, (and honestly, some shocking conversations with acquaintances) I’m hyper-aware of the potential psychological downside of the recent emphasis on “clean” eating. Food is not dirty. All humans should eat lots of vegetables, yes. But. You don’t get cancer because you ate Doritos, or sugar, or hot dogs or fill-in-the-blank processed food. And diet alone won’t cure you. Because you didn’t eat something (or fail to eat something) to give yourself cancer. It’s a disease that can happen to humans, and you are human. No one wants to get cancer. Eating “clean” isn’t magic, and even vegans get cancer. Eating optimally for yourself includes giving yourself the grace to eat what your body needs, with minimal mental gymnastics. Controlling what you eat can be empowering when you have little control, but with gentleness and compassion. Maybe plant based works, or maybe you need to eat fish, or dairy, or eggs, or whatever, too. You aren’t failing if you eat grains, or meat. Or Doritos! Lots of vegetables and minimal sugar is a good prescription for all of us, but so is eating a slice of your kid’s birthday cake. Eat to nourish, sustain, celebrate. And be gentle with yourselves. Ok. I’m done.
In spite of my rant, I have been eating vegetarian for a year now, due to an aversion to meat that hasn’t gone away (yet!). I’ll email some of my favorites. I’m all for diet experiments, so long as they feel sustainable emotionally. And so long as you can consume enough protein, fat and carbohydrates. Good luck!
Your soapbox is a pretty insightful and compassionate place. Love this post.
I appreciate your thoughts, but want to clarify your comment about food causing cancer. The World Health Organization has listed processed meats (salted, cured, smoked, etc. (including hot dogs)) as a class 1 carcinogen. That’s the same category as tobacco. No guarantee that you’ll get cancer if you eat lots of processed meat or smoke lots of cigarettes, but it certainly increases your risk. There is scientific evidence linking their consumption with cancer. Learn more on cancer.org or who.int.
Good morning!
Thank you! Your comment lead me down a really interesting rabbit hole- the WHO monographs containing their work looking at carcinogenic substances are all online (the Internet is amazing!) and super easy to find through the American Cancer Society (cancer.org). Jina is right- processed meats are a known, group 1 carcinogen for colorectal cancer. I learned something new- don’t eat hot dogs!
However. Jina’s kind comment actually underlines what I was trying to say. I keep running into a subtle version of victim blaming around cancer. The message is ‘You must have done something wrong (eaten hotdogs) because you have cancer.’ Maybe this is perpetuated by the strong correlation between cigarettes and lung cancer? I’m not sure. I’m all in favor of taking care of ourselves! By all means, eat vegetables! Exercise! Wear sunscreen! Don’t smoke (or eat hotdogs)! But you might still get cancer. And if you do, you probably won’t be able to pinpoint exactly why. So be gentle with yourself and each other.
We have done some pretty awesome family vacations. Last family vacation was to the big island of Hawaii. We stayed at an incredible place for kids/teens (Waikoloa village – incredible pools and slides here), did a luau, snorkeled in the BEST spot ever and saw soooo many fish it was like a bathtub full of color, drove to Hilo to see the more tropical side of the island as well as waterfalls, older kids did a night Manta Ray snorkel trip, and if you go to this island, don’t miss Holy Donuts (BEST donuts EVER!!) We’ve also taken our kids to Maui. Loved hiking there. If you go, I can give you names of hikes that I wouln’t miss.
My kids also loved Banff national park trip. We did canoeing on Louise. Fun but crowded. Liked the more laid back feel of Lake Minnewanka. Saw bighorn sheep right by the lake, skipped rocks, hiked…. We went on an incredible hike by Lake Minnewanka where we found a letterbox (we try and find one on every trip we take). Have you ever tried letterboxing? It makes hiking with kids so much funner. Like looking for clues along the hike and finding the stamp at the end. We have a notebook full of stamps from all of our different adventures. I would go back just to do this hike it was so beautiful. (Also did letterboxing in Hawaii)
If you ever want to do a vacation in Southern Utah, there are sooo many great hikes, stand up paddleboards and kayaks, jet skis and boats to rent on resevoirs amid the red rocks. Hiking all over red rocks with bright blue skies is incredible. Finish it off with an outdoor show at the Tuachan in St. George, a gorgeous outdoor ampitheatre set amid the red rocks. This is a yearly tradition for us. This year they are doing
Annie, Beauty and the Beast, and The Count of Monte Cristo. If you decide Southern Utah, I have lots more info I can give you!
when you say “snorkeled in the BEST spot ever” on the big island, can i ask where please? 🙂
Kahalu’u beach park. Rent gear nearby and go early so you get parking!
I look forward to hearing the vacation ideas because we really need a vacay too!! As for deodorant, I have LOVED Native deodorant. It actually works, doesn’t just cover up the smell, doesn’t make me itch, has nice fragrances (I like the linen & cotton- super neutral), and they sell it at Walmart! But it’s super expensive… hoping the price comes down soon!
Those quilts are gorgeous! Way to go! I’m a terrible finisher. Why is the last 10% of any project so hard?!?
Our favorite vacation has been the Black Hills in SD. We stayed in a hotel in Rapid City for 4 nights (I love vacations where you arent packing up and driving to new destinations every night) but had friends who found a cabin in Custer Park and they loved it too. So much to do the Black Hills, Custer Park, caves, Mt. Rushmore, etc.
I’ve been doing Trim Healthy Mama for 3 years now and that is a completely sugar free lifestyle. It’s definitely not vegetarian but there are vegetarian options to be found. I’m bringing it up though because if your friend needs a few treats here and there you can find tons of recipes sweetened with stevia, xylitol, etc. Search THM recipes on Pinterest. Prayers for your friend.
Oh the Black Hills are amazing! My family and I stopped there on our road trip to Yellowstone and it was amazing. I wish we had had more time to visit longer. Totally agree!
Look into @justingredients. I hear nothing but amazing things about her deodorant!
I use Tom’s lavender scent and it works great for me. Another brand made us break out and that was no bueno.
Way to go on Fancy Forrest!! A couple of my friends made that and it’s super cute. I made a quilt for my son a few years ago with 25 of those hedgehogs. I thought I was going to die. It was the hardest quilt I’ve ever made and won’t be doing it again. I like more simple quilts and I can crank them out a lot faster.
We didn’t let our 3 older boys get their driver’s license until they had earned their Eagle either and I was pushing them along too. So glad my 11 year old son won’t have to do that. Sometimes I wonder if it’s worth it but my husband got his and they do learn some good skills.
I second you on Schmidt’s deodorant ruining my underarm skin! I still have a rash a week after throwing it out. I really love the Crystal brand after trying many other natural brands. It’s all natural, works well and smells great (I use the lavender white tea scent). It’s the wet roll-on type. I’ve used it for ages and only bought Schmidt’s because they were out of Crystal.
Puerto Rico was one of our family’s favorite vacations. The Bio bay is a once in a lifetime experience. The rainforest has amazing hikes and waterfalls to play in. The beach. Old San Juan is so fascinating and the Castillo San Felipe del Morro is amazing and the views from there. Just go! Also, if you haven’t been to Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine–the Northeast, that’s a remarkable family trip. Mount Washington in the White Mountains of New Hampshire is something every family with teenage boys should experience. It’s a harrowing drive to the top where the weather is so erratic and the wind speed is the highest ever recorded that wasn’t associated with a tornado or hurricane.
Another Lume user here. I got baking soda burns from Native and Tom’s. Its the only one that has worked for me.
I started using Lume a year ago and LOVE it! Seriously, it’s like a miracle. I like how you can use it “down under” as well, so that is a game changer 🙂 I like the unscented one the best – it smells kind of yucky when it first comes out of the tube (I like the tube better than the stick), but that goes away in a minute.
Regarding the vegan/whole foods – I have been using Megan Gilmore’s blog, Detoxinista for a while. She is the best! And all her recipes are pretty much foolproof. I received her Instant Pot cookbook for Christmas a few years back and I love it! It’s probably the one cookbook I refer back to again and again. Cookie and Kate also has great vegetarian and whole food options too.
Also, I am SO impressed with your Sunday dinner assignments!! HOW? What? HOW?!? teach us your ways!
You are an inspiration to me! Some thoughts:
1. Native Deoderant. I love it and have been using it for years. I’m a sweater, and yet I sweat far less with it (even though it’s not an antiperspirant, weird) and I think it works great. Free shipping and the smells are wonderful.
2. Grit and resilience: Angela Duckworth’s book “Grit” is fabulous and has a chapter or two specifically donated to this. I do all my dishes with an audiobook in ear and that’s how I got around to just listening, because reading a book book just ain’t gonna happen. She has some great points, including something along the lines of how each member of their family picks a “hard thing” they are going to do that year and then they follow up on it together as a family. So for example, dad can say he wants to run a marathon, mom wants to work on not yelling or maybe talking with her estranged brother, and son decides he wants to get better at talking on the phone . You get the picture. Then they do their hard thing that year and they are all in it together. I loved this idea!
She also has good thoughts about extracurricular activities and how to help your kids stick to them instead of quitting right away.
Again, highly recommend the book. In the end, though, I taught 9th grade and learned from my students that most of what they become as they age is modeled for them. So have grit, and they will too.
3. I have the Oh She Glows cookbook and have had decent luck with it. Good luck to your friend. That is so hard.
Love you Mel!!
Do you follow @justingredients? She just made her own deodorant and it’s good! Also Maui!!
So many great topics in this post!
1. Some of our favorite vacations have been local. We try to take a yearly summer trip to explore where we live in the Pacific Northwest. So one year we visited Mt St. Helens, Tillamook cheese factory in Oregon, and the Oregon coast. Another we camped on a nearby island. Another we visited the Olympic peninsula. Last year we did the Oregon coast again then headed west toward Bend. Most of ours involve camping most of the time, utilizing national parks, and a hotel on the last night. No matter where you live, I think there is always so much to see nearby. With one or two notable exceptions, we’ve never taken our kids on a big, faraway vacation because $$$, but my husband and I have recently started going away just the two of us. Highly recommend. As for those exceptions, we took our kids on a road trip in an RV to San Francisco a few years ago because Lucy wanted drive in a “house car” and see the Golden Gate Bridge. It was an impulsive trip but one of the best memories ever for our family.
2. I LOVE your Sunday dinner assignments idea! I’m a control freak in the kitchen so I have not set my kids (or husband) up as well as I should for being able to cook, but it’s something I’m trying to work on. I love the idea of giving everyone a job and letting them choose from there.
3. That’s awesome that your sons earned the Eagle! Good for them and for you!
4. No deodorant recommendations, sorry! I’m happy with the conventional stuff and haven’t felt inclined to explore alternatives yet, partly because I seem to hear such underwhelming reports about natural deodorants.
5. I’m guilty of not being a finisher! I have a BYU t-shirt quilt I started for my husband’s birthday 7 years ago that is still not nearly finished! But I do have a few quilts under my belt that I finished between then and now so maybe my confidence has improved enough to get it done. I work best under a deadline, so my works in progress are usually things I chose to make but didn’t have to make and therefore let myself be lazy about. I think your forest friends quilt looks amazing! One of the best things about quilting is that it doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s your own, and there is beauty in whatever you make with your hands. Your children will cherish it because it came from you. I think there’s vulnerability in an imperfect quilt. Right now I’m working on a butterfly quilt for a friend.
6. I’m sorry about your friend. I don’t have any resources to offer that don’t involve Googling. Good luck.
7. Resilience is a topic that my husband and I have been discussing a lot lately! I have that TED talk queued up to watch now. For us it feels like a constant battle with ourselves over whether we’re being too hard on our kids or not challenging them enough. Hopefully it balances out in the end!
8. Love your game recommendations. We finally bought a wardrobe from IKEA last month to house our games, and using the tip I saw on your blog about storing games on their sides like books, it has been a game changer (no pun intended)! So much better organized, and we can lock it so the toddler can’t unload everything.
Try the card game Skyjo…just took it on a week-long vacation with the family and we all loved it! So fun!
So I typed out a very long comment on my phone and then realized that it did not send. So I am going to use some grit and try again on a computer. 😉
First thing, a while back my family went on a try to be vegan. It lasted for a couple weeks. Now we just try to add more of those meals in. But in those two weeks, I discovered a very lovely recipe Crispy Potatoes with Vegan Nacho Sauce. The sauce is the bomb. It could probably use a little tweaking since I remember it being a little thick, but the flavor was amazing! I also learned to love nutritional yeast. So very good on a lot of things. I have emailed you the recipe for this. Hope you can make it a winner!
Second, I have been using a homemade deodorant for about six+ years. I love it. I have never once used it and smelled badly afterward. I have sweat like crazy, but that is what I feel like our bodies were meant to do. Now, just a side note. There was one time when I think I used a really dull razor and got razor burn where it left me burning and super red. Once I healed up, I was fine. So beware of that. I think this must have happened to my daughter who also used this deodorant up until the time she had this same thing happen. She now uses Just.in Aloe Vera from Walmart. She seems to really like it and the scent is pleasant I think. Also, I always add Wild Orange (DoTerra) to my recipe as I love the smell and I accumulated a bunch of it a while back. I ordered my deodorant containers on Amazon and just reuse them. I have also shared this deodorant with my sister and another friend who totally loved it. I know the recipe makes a lot, but you could always cut it back if you wanted to make it just to try. Oh, yeah. I already emailed you the recipe.
Your handiwork on the crocheted blanket and quilt is beautiful! I know you said it wasn’t perfect, but that is what makes homemade things special, I think. The human quality of imperfections. And I’m sure you learned a lot in the process, especially in the quilting.
Last thing, watched the TED talk and I totally agree with you about helping my kids to have grit and the growth mindset. I have seen in my own life that it comes from trying something hard and not quitting, but completing it, even if it is difficult. I also learned something interesting about grit as I watched my son struggle through a semester of AP Chemistry. Things usually come easily to him, but this class is dubbed the hardest in high school and he was failing most of the way through the semester. He was super stressed, but kept plugging along. It was not easy for any of us. It took a toll on our family. But my husband and I kept giving him our encouragement, love and support. Towards the end of the semester he did extremely well on a couple of tests and his grade came up to C. When we asked him what was different, he said he had been praying all semester that he would have help and that he could do better. But once he REALLY prayed and possibly fasted (I can’t remember for sure) that he could do well enough just to pass the class. And that is when he felt he had help with those tests that pulled his grade up. So I think faith has something to do with grit. Sometimes we get in a position where we start something, or a life situation where something is hard and despite our best efforts, we can’t do it alone. We have to believe. And we have to keep acting. And when we do overcome, or get through the trial, we have learned we can do hard things, with help of course. And in helping with growth mindset, I try to teach my kids that mistakes are how we learn. And that they are a natural part of the learning process. Mistakes can help us as long as we recognize them and use the knowledge we learn to go on and do something differently. Anyway. Happy Friday!
Natural Deodarant. My current routine is Crystal Deodarant stick I found on Amazon. I keep it in the shower, get it wet, apply like 30 circles. It is like a salt stick I believe. I also use Native Deodarant – Coconut and Vanilla. I don’t feel like just Native works as well by itself. Sigh.
Yay, natural deodorant! I love your post. I personally have tried many, many. My tried and true is a bottle of unflavored milk of magnesia from Dollar Tree. Nothing fancy but a thin coat every morning when I dress. Absolutely no irritation or application needed!
Also—didn’t realize I posted my novel to the world. ♀️ I forget..I rarely post things. Sorry Mel, sorry world!
And—I think Kate best bites posted recently about her favorite natural deodorant.
Hi Mel!
I did the Sunday dinner assignments for my kids too. It worked for the most part. Some kids love to cook and others endured it but they were hungry so they had to participate! If you didn’t cook, you didn’t eat (Took that page right out of “The Little Red Hen” book). The kids are grown now and I have received lots of “thanks for making us do that” over the years.
When my son was on a mission in Romania, he would make the best rolls and bread and was usually the cook in his companionships while the other one cleaned – an arrangement that worked quite nicely for him.
And another son joined the army and preferred in his own cooking over the army mess hall so I consider that a success!
My daughters can cook too, one loves it and really enjoys it and the other one is just hungry so she does what she has too.
Side note- my favorite “thanks for teaching me mom” moment came from my army son who thanked me for teaching him how to clean a toilet. It saved him and his squad from extra drill instructor punishments because his squad had the best cleaned bathrooms in the platoon!
Warms a mother’s heart and I’ll take that too!
Love your blog!
So I typed out a very long comment on my phone and then realized that it did not send. So I am going to use some grit and try again on a computer. 😉
First thing, a while back my family went on a try to be vegan. It lasted for a couple weeks. Now we just try to add more of those meals in. But in those two weeks, I discovered a very lovely recipe Crispy Potatoes with Vegan Nacho Sauce. The sauce is the bomb. It could probably use a little tweaking since I remember it being a little thick, but the flavor was amazing! I also learned to love nutritional yeast. So very good on a lot of things. I have emailed you the recipe for this. Hope you can make it a winner!
Second, I have been using a homemade deodorant for about six+ years. I love it. I have never once used it and smelled badly afterward. I have sweat like crazy, but that is what I feel like our bodies were meant to do. Now, just a side note. There was one time when I think I used a really dull razor and got razor burn where it left me burning and super red. Once I healed up, I was fine. So beware of that. I think this must have happened to my daughter who also used this deodorant up until the time she had this same thing happen. She now uses Just.in Aloe Vera from Walmart. She seems to really like it and the scent is pleasant I think. Also, I always add Wild Orange (DoTerra) to my recipe as I love the smell and I accumulated a bunch of it a while back. I ordered my deodorant containers on Amazon and just reuse them. I have also shared this deodorant with my sister and another friend who totally loved it. I know the recipe makes a lot, but you could always cut it back if you wanted to make it just to try. Oh, yeah. I already emailed you the recipe.
Your handiwork on the crocheted blanket and quilt is beautiful! I know you said it wasn’t perfect, but that is what makes homemade things special, I think. The human quality of imperfections. And I’m sure you learned a lot in the process, especially in the quilting.
Last thing, watched the TED talk and I totally agree with you about helping my kids to have grit and the growth mindset. I have seen in my own life that it comes from trying something hard and not quitting, but completing it, even if it is difficult. I also learned something interesting about grit as I watched my son struggle through a semester of AP Chemistry. Things usually come easily to him, but this class is dubbed the hardest in high school and he was failing most of the way through the semester. He was super stressed, but kept plugging along. It was not easy for any of us. It took a toll on our family. But my husband and I kept giving him our encouragement, love and support. Towards the end of the semester he did extremely well on a couple of tests and his grade came up to C. When we asked him what was different, he said he had been praying all semester that he would have help and that he could do better. But once he REALLY prayed and possibly fasted (I can’t remember for sure) that he could do well enough just to pass the class. And that is when he felt he had help with those tests that pulled his grade up. So I think faith has something to do with grit. Sometimes we get in a position where we start something, or a life situation where something is hard and despite our best efforts, we can’t do it alone. We have to believe. And we have to keep acting. And when we do overcome, or get through the trial, we have learned we can do hard things, with help of course. And in helping with growth mindset, I try to teach my kids that mistakes are how we learn. And that they are a natural part of the learning process. Mistakes can help us as long as we recognize them and use the knowledge we learn to go on and do something differently. Anyway. Happy Friday!
I know exactly how you feel about the deodorant. It can be so frustrating. I went that route in 2015 and I haven’t looked back yet. Also I should mention before I switched I kept getting stronger and stronger deodorants. I almost always had sweat stains. It was horrible. I researched it and it mentioned a detox period that could last as long as two months. I sped it up by applying a bentonite clay and a ACV paste. It helped a lot. I got my information from Wellnessmama.com.
The rash could be from the baking soda. They have a lower version for sensitivity. My favorite deodorant has been the Pit Paste. They have a different name now—Pretty Frank. Their website also talks a lot about the detox period. They also have different strengths. They are a super good starting point.
Good luck I hope all that helps and makes some sense. It has been worth it for me to switch.
Hi Mel! Love the sunday dinner idea! My 9 year old made your drip biscuits this week-he’s obsessed with biscuits, and it was awesome! I love the arm and hammer baking soda deodorant, unscented . Not sure if it’s as natural as the other stuff but it has no parabens or aluminum and actually works. I have a friend who just went vegan for cancer too and I sent her a box of stuff from Trader Joe’s. They even have a list in their store of everything that’s vegan in it, it’s sooo much cheaper then any other place. I just went to a cooking class and learned to make some vegan gluten free pizza dough (along with the full gluten kind) The best one was actually a quinoa crust and it was delicious! I can’t take a picture of it here but maybe I can email it? It was so good!
Our most favorite vacation so far has been to the Great Wolf Lodge in Colorado Springs, although I know they have then all over. My kids loved the water park…we didn’t splurge for any of the extras they sell and my kids were totally fine, plenty to do without them. We also went to the Air Force Academy, which is right across the highway from Great Wolf Lodge. When we were staying there, the Air Force was doing parachuting drills, which we could see out our room window, it was so cool!
While there, we also went to the Garden of the Gods on Colorado Springs…totally amazing…and free!
I’ve been a follower since the very beginning, like 2009? Thanks for the awesome recipes!
Best vacation for our family was going to Eleuthera. It’s an outer island in the Bahamas. I actually heard about it from a food and travel blog. We have gone now 6 times. It’s not touristy so not for everyone but we fell in love with the island and the people. I am SO proud of you on your quilt. Especially the long arming. I have a longarm business and it’s definitely a bit tricky at first. Now I mostly let the computer do it. My machine is all robotic now. My offer still stands if you ever want to make another one, I would happily quilt it for you for free. The least I can do since our family has enjoyed your wonderful recipes for over 10 years now.
Native deodorant coconut vanilla is the best – order online. Love your Friday musings – thanks for being REAL!
I just love you!!! So so so proud of your Eagle Scouts (and you!!!) and the Sunday dinner assignments. Uhhhh-maaa-zzinnnnnggggggg!!!!
1) my favorite of all time place on earth is Alaska. Served mission (Munich❤️❤️❤️) and traveled some throughout Europe. We took our kids to Scotland last year…because my husband who has also traveled a lot counted it as his favorite European destination from his own childhood. He went as an 11 year old and still loves all the castles and history. But Alaska is my complete zen place. So beautiful, people are so amazing. I love to stop in little villages while driving around. Found one this summer on the Kenai and had to admire the beautiful Russian orthodox style church, the cemetery and they happened to have signs up which talked about how during the different world wars and other US involved wars they lost up to 1/3 of the population of their tiny village. And then it would grow again and then another war. These Russian American citizens sacrificed so much.and I love to read a few of the grace markers in different places. The faith and strength of the people really shows. So neat and kind of reverent for me. Anyway—that’s my favorite thing to do…my kids put up with our stops to local cemeteries/churches in between the most amazing fishing/wildlife/hikes of all time. And the people up there can’t be beat. I also just LOVE UT so much. Especially Southern UT. The parks are so amazing and the Shakespeare festival in cedar city is a favorite. So fun to do Bryce or Zion during the day and go to an amazing performance of Hamlet at night…and crumbl or an amazing Thai restaurant there and cafe rio. Haha. Of course the DC/church history trips are amazing too. And Israel…I’d love to get our kids there some day. But…looks like we are shooting for Japan as a family next.
Grit—with some pretty stressful things for my husband at work right now I recently remembered a Devotional or some talk from Elder Christofferson about our daily bread. There is also a short video clip. SO good!!! Just neat about how we plan plan plan for the future but sometimes we just need to live for the day and remember our daily bread and get through it…relying on our faith and prayers and the Lord. Also if I could send you the links I would but an amazing uplifting video I often share with friends or family struggling is found if you search…F Enzio Busche video. It’s about 7 minutes long and from a BYU devotional he have as a General Authority some years back. Maybe it’s because I love him and love Germans…but it is such a strength to me when I’m struggling with different things. I love so many of the Mormon Messages for this too.
Ok—sorry! Too much!!
Lastly some of my favorite games right now…lost cities…2 person…quick and fun…like the one you mentioned, strategy and some luck. Also, I enjoy Azul…plus it’s pretty! And a fun puzzle type my kids and I enjoy (but my husband doesn’t) is Set. I like to take it camping…and just leave it a set up on a table and kids can sit and try to find sets. It’s tricky and fun.
Ok—you’re the best!!! Thanks, truly for all of your help and how you inspire me! I look up to you a ton!!!!! ❤️
And SOrry for writing so much. I will not be offended if you never read it.
Love all of your posts and recipes! Love your quilts! That is amazing , especially for a first quilt experience! We are trying to go more vegan in our diet as well and love the comments you’re getting on that. I suggest you look at Just Ingredients on instagram – she has a lot of great information and she has her own deoderant that people seem to be having good luck with. Have a great day!
Family Vacation: We love Carlsbad! We have gone for 3 years in a row now-honestly all of us(My husband, 20 Yr old daughter and 12 yr old son)love it. Super relaxing but enough to do to not be boring. Close enough to San Diego to sight see. So fun.
Primally Pure deodorant! Expensive, but awesome and works really well. I like Blue Tansy and Geranium scent.
Hey! Such a fun post to read! Mel! The quilt!! I’m a quilter but stick to the easy stuff. I am SUPER impressed and you are spot on to be proud of yourself you deserve it! It’s beautiful! (And this is getting log but the Afghan ). So I’ve tried a bunch of Natural deodorants: Lume, Schmidt’s, Native, and for a second Tom’s (oh yuck). They all gave me a rash eventually (with the exception of Tom’s that didn’t get a second chance). About 2 or 3 months ago I tried Just Ingredients deodorant. The texture is awesome and no rash (or itching) so far. Goes on smooth and works! We’ll see how it does this summer but it’s been my favorite so far. Good luck! And I love the Sunday dinner idea!
I love the Fancy Forest quilt! So ambitious! I’m teaching myself to play the ukulele/ so much fun- but I can’t sing and play at the same time so that’s a project for me.
As far as natural deodorants, I am still looking or one that works as well. With regard to family vacations, when my kids were young we rented a cabin on a lake for a week for 4 summers. We took a few day trips from the cabin to sight see, we participated in the resort activities, and we swam and boated. My grown kids remember those years fondly. Best trip tho was to the island of Kauai. We zip lined, hiked, snorkeled, swam and drove around the island. It was our last big family trip after one graduated college and one high school . We stayed at Kauai Beach Resort.
Your quilts are both beautiful! Good job! I have no thoughts on natural deodarent, but our family loves to travel so I have plenty of thoughts on family vacations! We have three kids–15, 13, and 11. One year we went to Disney World, Universal, and Discovery Cove in FL, then we rented a car and drove to St. Pete’s Beach for a few days. It was nice to combine theme parks and the relaxing beach. Another favorite was Oahu a few years ago. There is so much to do there–beach, hiking, snorkeling, Polynesian Cultural Center, Waikiki. We stayed at the Marriott in Ko’olina and rented a minivan and drove all over the island. Two years ago we stayed at an all-inclusive in Mexico on the Riviera Maya (Iberostar Grand Paraiso) and it was great to not have to think about food. We went to Xcaret one day, which is like an adventure/cultural park, where we swam in their underground river, went snorkeling, went to their animal preserves, and went to their amazing show at night where they had singing and dancing from every part of Mexico. I felt like I learned so much about Mexico there. On that trip we also set up a tour where they took us to Chichen Itza, took us to a really cool cenote to swim in, provided a lunch buffet with Mayan food, and went to a really cool town called Valledolid. Some other fun trips that my kids really liked have been San Diego (Mission and Pacific Beaches and Coronado), Lake Powell, San Francisco, Goblin Valley (we rented one of the yurts there from recreation.gov and it was amazing), Cabo San Lucas, and Spain (my husband went on his mission there, which made navigating much easier). I’d say everyone’s favorite was probably Hawaii. We loved it so much that we’re trying out Maui for spring break this year. You’ll have fun wherever you decide to go–the most important thing is that you’re together without all the distractions of every day life. I truly believe that family vacations are where the best (or at least the most memorable) memories are made!
Give Native a try. I have used it for several years, and it seems to be doing a good job. I’m trying out Lume right now (not exactly sure why, since Native works for me) and I’m definitely noticing more smell, but they do recommend you treat all your clothes and give it a couple of weeks. So I’m working on that right now. But I’ll probably end up using Native again.
For family vacations it totally depends on your style of vacations that your family prefers and also time of year, budget etc. We have traveled as a family A LOT (work for the State Department and lived lots of places) and I asked my oldest what his favorite trips were and his top three are 1- England. We went to Harry Potter studios for a day, rode the big red bus, Westminster Abbey, saw Matilda, all of the London things and then you can escape to the countryside. 2- Athens and Crete, Greece. A day in Athens doing the sites then took an overnight ferry to Crete. We did an all inclusive with a water slide park, private beach, the pink beaches, the Temple of King Minos, hiking and biking, loved loved the food. 3- Adventuring in Slovenia. Ljubljana is one of our favorite cities but then you have lakes, gorges, with hiking kayaking paddle boarding, and canyoneering, all mixed in with Amazing food (best of Italian and German with their own flair – truffles are from a region in Slovenia, need I say more?). Hope that helps. I would totally help you plan a trip if you need
Natural deodorant. I have tried lots of brands (4-5) as well and Primally Pure is my favorite. I have super sensitive skin and if they did work for me, after 6-12 months they stopped. Or I would get red and irritated. Primally pure has some amazing resources on their blog that talks about how to combat all of these and also the importance of “detoxing” your pits every few weeks, etc. Some seriously amazing resources that have helped me with all of the irritation woes. Their Blue Tansy and Tea Tree are my top ones hands down. Good luck!!
You said Eagle Scouts and I automatically started thinking Europe because of the History etc. but with a bigger family, flights can get $$$ I also have some great suggestions for places in the States ♀️ Hilton Head Island in South Carolina is an amazing one as well and super family friendly. We just love the people in the South. Glacier National Park, Northern Michigan is great for outdoors and camping….or a church history tour. We lived by Kirkland, Nauvoo and Kansas City growing up and have been to Palmyra most summer for the pageant….this is the last year for it. Anyways, I wish you luck. But like I said, if I knew more what you had in mind/budget, preferences, I would be happy to help! I love helping people plan their family trips.
Hi. I’m with you on trying to find a natural deodorant that works. I currently order native. It hasn’t come yet, but hoping for good things. I tried lune, didn’t love.
Best family vacations. We love to travel and travel quite a bit. We have 3 kids 12,14, and 17. For the last 21 years every summer we spend a week or more in Lake Tahoe. It’s our favorite place. My kids have a wee off so every 6-8 weeks so we try to plan something big or small with those. Loved Glacier National park. Glamped there. Hawaii is always a hit, New England, us history tour(DC, Williamsburg, Philadelphia). We try to break up into cities or regions and plan something.
I’ve been using native for a while now and I really like it. It does the job and I don’t have any reactions.
Have you been to the Red Woods?
My mom took us there when I was 16 and to this day it was and is my favorite thing we ever did! I can still remember it like it was yesterday. We hard core camped there but you don’t have to do that if camping is not your style you can still get the amazing experience of being there. We also added in the coast and wow! Northern California and Organ are so beautiful!
Good luck with everything!
Your afghan is amazing! And the quilt . . . oh my gravy. I have been quilting for years and would not attempt this. I did machine quilt one of mine on a large machine and it was gnarly. I’ll never do it again but at least I appreciate the process of others! I did make a quilt for our wedding that was beyond my scope in a big way. I have no idea how it came together in such a short timeframe. A modern miracle! It was a great way to learn. Sounds like you have grit in spades!
I love the recipe from http://www.pinchofyum.com for a lentil soup with squash and kale. Your friend would love this. It is perfect as is. Didn’t need any doctoring.
https://pinchofyum.com/the-best-detox-crockpot-lentil-soup
I use Primally pure deodorant. I’ve tried the charcoal and the geranium, one. No other natural deodorants have worked except this brand. They are a little pricey but well worth the cost. I work out quite a bit and am get really sweaty. No nasty smell…at all!
Hope this helps.
A few thoughts—first that quilt is amazing! I’m going to second others and suggest you try a much easier quilt (like a log cabin style) to see if quilting is really not for you. cluckclucksew.com has some really great free patterns as well as some you can buy.
Love the Sunday dinner ideas with your kids—it’s inspired me to be better at teaching my young kids about cooking and baking.
Have you read Angela Duckworth’s book? Grit:The Power of Passion and Perseverance. Some great stuff there!
As far as vacations I have two suggestions 1) Oregon Coast, I know you went a while ago, but it’s one of my favorites: ocean, tide pools, redwoods (check out Stout Grove at Jedidiah Smith Stake Park), Fern Canyon (I’m thinking you’ve been here…), etc. There seems to be something for everyone and I love that there is plenty bog downtime, but also plenty of go-and-see/do time. 2)Maybe not a vacation, but backpacking in the Sawtooths or the Teton Crest Trail. Such a fun family experience and one of my fondest memories from growing up with my family.
Thanks for posting and good luck with your quest for vegan recipes, I’m looking forward to trying the ones you share.!
Life is Good 🙂
2 Fave Family Vacations:
1) A Disney Cruise. Yes, it’s expensive. Yes, it’s totally worth it. The service is amazing and they take care of everything. The first family vacation that has truly been relaxing for the parents as well as the children. 2) We took an extended family vacation to the Outer Banks in North Carolina and it was lovely. We rented a big house with 6 bedrooms and a pool and a hot tub a short walk from the beach. We could be as active as we wanted or sit around and relax on the beach all day. There’s interesting history (highly recommend Roanoke Island!) and cool animal life (wild horses, dolphins, etc). And the weather was perfect! Warm but with cool beach breezes. A true home run.
I love your Friday Thoughts posts!
1) We love going to the Oregon Coast, McCall Idaho, Hawaii, and driving down the coast of California stopping along the way.
2) This is the best idea! Can you share some of your simple meal plans that your kids have made?
4) I have been using Primal Pit Paste for years and it works great for me. I don’t love the stick form, I like the little tubs.
6) My favorite vegan blogs are Minimalist Baker, Oh She Glows, and Cookie and Kate (that one is technically vegetarian, but she always shares vegan modifications).
Thanks again for other Friday Thoughts. Try Native deodorant. You can find it at Target now but I usually buy their seasonal 3 pack straight from them.
Our road trip to San Francisco was a highlight. We also love sunriver in Oregon and go every summer.
1. Kauai, hands down the most magical family vacation ever. It maybe meant so much to us because we scrimped and planned and saved for nearly 2 years. It felt incredible to reach that goal as a family. The island is so gorgeous and we seriously loved every minute of it. Well, except for a minor rage moment between my husband and me at Costco. LOL Once you’re there it’s not crazy expensive. Just be sure to budget $30 in shave ice every day at Hee Fat.
Not a quilter, so my opinion may not be worth much, but I love your quilt and I applaud your ambition in choosing that pattern. It looks wonderful.
As a knitter (and sometime crocheter), I can appreciate the struggle to finish projects, and the frustration when it doesn’t turn out perfect. I’ve learned that they aren’t mistakes, they are “design elements.” So just love your quilt and be happy that you actually managed to finish it.
Two ideas for vacations. For family vacation especially since you have scouts how about Washington DC with focus on the Smithsonian. We took the train there which was also fun. The other is the Canadian Rockies. I can’t begin to tell you all the great hikes there are.
For natural deoderant I use a product called No Pong (Australian)
Native deodorant and just ingredients have been great for me and I’ve tried a lot! With that being said sweat will still happen! And I carry around a travel size native in my purse (find at target) at all times because it also doesn’t last as long as the other chemically filled deodorants. Give yourself some time to get use to it and do an armpit detox with A Bentonite clay mixture every few weeks
Hello Mel
Congratulations to you and the Eagle Scout a great accomplishment. Your quilt is beautiful! You should be so very proud. My Mom made me all of my maternity dresses (youngest baby is now 29) and I am planning to make a lap quilt from them. She has passed and I look forward to having her sit on my lap from time to time. Living in MI we vacation in the UP all the time. Our favorite places include Munising. There are so many beautiful waterfalls to hike to it is truly beautiful. In addition we enjoy the Soo Locks. Seeing these ginormous freighters is incredible. Besides all this MI has so many lakes to enjoy. I hope you get a chance to visit us someday.
Hi Mel- have you jumped on the kamut flour bandwagon?? I recently started using it and i am loving it! I obviously haven’t tried it in all my (let’s be honest, your) recipes 🙂 yet but I am loving the kamut bread by food nanny. And I’ve tried it in a bunch of cookies and it’s been amazing.
I love that you had two boys get their Eagles at the same time! I felt so accomplished as a mom when my oldest got his Eagle. At the time I was Scout Advancement Chairman so I was in the thick of it with him. It is a ton of work and they should be proud! How special you got the mentor pin. I love it. At this point I will have to have my 16 year old join a troop to get his Eagle. All he has to do is his project but he’s not sure if he wants to finish it. We will see!
Family Vacations—-I am a firm believer that one does not need to spend lots of money on exotic trips or theme parks to make a memorable trip with your family. I think I am one of the few that has never taken my kids to Disneyland (don’t fall over) but we have done some pretty awesome trips. The Oregon Coast is simply amazing and we have gone several times. Every fall (it was this January for last years trip as it never happened in the fall) we rent a cabin in Donnelly and go up for about two nights and three days. We’ve been doing this every since my youngest was 6 months old and she is turning 11 soon! Almost each year we have been lucky enough to have snow. We take up our four wheelers and pull the kids behind them on sleds, have movie nights, fun treats and food, etc. One year we had Thanksgiving up there and it was magical. And I learned how to ice skate another year as an adult. Those trips my kids LOVE. Four years ago we took the kids to see their grandparents in Nauvoo while they were on a mission….and we made a road trip out of it. We love road trips! We were gone 3 weeks and saw amazing things…Mt. Rushmore, St. Louis arch, etc. besides church history stuff (which was so pivotal for my kids testimonies). We go on road trips to Utah, National Parks, California to San Diego. That was a fun trip. But it was a little more expensive being it was California. My kids had so much fun being at the beach and stuff they we didn’t even go to Sea World. We did do a big trip this last summer before my son left on his mission. We planned and saved for a few years and took them all on their first plane ride back east and did tons of church history sites + DC, NYC, Hershey PA, Niagara Falls and stuff. It was the most amazing thing ever and the BEST thing to do before my missionary left. Let me tell you…if you ever go on a big road trip I am your gal for organization tips and itineraries! But besides these last few big trips we took, most things around here are simple. Every New Years we do a time capsule. and I noticed this year two of my kids wrote down the trip they want to take is either to Burley to see Grandma or to their cousins house in Idaho Falls. Sweet.
Good job on finishing the projects! Honestly, sometimes I get so overwhelmed by stuff like that I don’t even start. So good for you! I would love to quilt also. But seriously…that is like an advanced first one! Amazing.
I love your cooking idea. I have actually been thinking how I could incorporate more of this into our family. Weeknights are so busy. I finally got a good dish schedule down that works really well for our busy schedule and makes sure everyone helps. But the once a week for food is perfect!! I need to get my 14 year old daughter in the kitchen more. Thank you for this idea!
I’ve listened to that TED talk before and I remember that I liked it. I will have to listen again. I am all about wanting to help them become resilient. I have been proud of my missionary and how he has dealt with some things…but each child is so different! I have a few others who wouldn’t have handled things as well. It is such a deep thing to think about and always keep in mind. Lecturing does not help…I still remember tuning my parents out! By the way…have you tried Carleen Tanner’s parenting classes yet?
Oh, and we are really into an oldie but goodie game right now. Catan, formerly known as Settlers of Catan. We are obsessed!
For dinner last week I made your Cashew Chicken Lettuce Wraps. They are now in the monthly rotation! Yay for fast meals that everyone will eat. I couldn’t survive without your website! YOU ARE AWESOME!
I use the Crystal Deodorant Crystal Deodrant Body Stick after I shower. I have had it for almost 4 years and it is still going strong. I think I don’t stink! Norwex sells something similar for a lot more. I have been really happy with it.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000L978FU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
As a quilter myself- mega MEGA props on conquering an Elizabeth Hartman pattern. I’ve been quilting for about 7 years and only managed to finish a crib size fox pattern by her. So. Much. Cutting. And piecing. So your tears are 100% warranted because that’s an incredible accomplishment!! Way to go! I hope you snuggle in it and wash it to death because it definitely deserves to be looked at 10000 times a day;)
I rarely comment but I have loved your blog for over 10 years and feel like I should say… you are the best! These Friday thoughts posts are awesome! Thanks for putting yourself out there for all of us! I wish I knew you in person and could hug your cute face! Too weird??! Sorry! That’s how I feel.
Vegan – cookie and Kate – she is vegetarian but her cook book gives options for all diets. Chocolate covered Katie has the best desserts but also a Sticky Sesame cauliflower that is totally delicious and you don’t even miss the meat.
I love your Indian butter chicken recipe with just potatoes and no chicken. It is awesome! I could put together a whole list but not off the top of my head. You should read Discovering the Word of Wisdom by Jane Birch. It was a very enlightening read. We are not vegetarian all the way but it helped me learn a lot of cool things.
Natural deodorant! Thank you for asking that question! I have been wondering the same thing myself! I am tired of the Schmidt’s itch and oil stains in my clothes…
Anyway, you’re the best. Thanks for making cooking so enjoyable!
So I am going to try to hit all the points I can remember. That being said, I am six months pregnant with my 7th, so if I forget something and comment twice, you’ll know why.
First thing, my mom, who has type 2 diabetes, but not your typical diabetic, has gone on a vegan diet a few times to help manage her diabetes. And I have watched a few documentaries about vegan ism and so for a couple weeks, our family tried it out. My favorite recipe from that time is this. https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/food-recipes/easy/a36256/crispy-potatoes-with-vegan-nacho-sauce/
I have wanted to make it again, but forgot about it until you brought up eating vegan. Hope you try it and love it as much as we did! Also, during that time, I grew to love nutritional yeast. I always put it on my macaroni and cheese now and other foods as well. Delish.
Okay. Second thing. Natural deodorant. I have been making my own for years now. My daughters have used it. One daughter mentioned that she started chafing from it, and now she uses the Jason soothing aloe Vera stick from Walmart and loves it. I am going to email you my deodorant recipe in case you want to try it out.
Last thing, which I feel deeply about as well, is helping my kids get grit, and a growth mindset. It is definitely easier with some personality types. Or maybe those persons have experienced the sweet feeling of accomplishing difficult things and feeling that super rewarding feeling of success at a younger age? Not sure. I have not done any widespread research, only my own small life experience. I know that growing up, we worked a lot and my father especially sometimes expected extremely difficult things of us. Those extremely difficult things, that at the time, I thought were impossible, when completed with urging from my father, are something hat grew my grit, if you will. I have watched my oldest, who is extremely bright and most school subjects come easy to him struggle for a semester in AP Chemistry. He was was failing the whole semester despite his best efforts. Then nearing the end, he turned to his Heavenly Father with his troubles, knowing that just to pass the class would feel like a success at this point. Miraculously he was able to get fairly high scores on his last couple of tests and passed the class with a C. Now I am not putting it lightly. This whole semester was extremely difficult for our family and for my oldest, with the stress, etc. I am not exactly sure what I did right. I know I encouraged him to keep trying and to pray for divine help. I guess what I am getting at is that I feel there is a measure of faith that goes into grit. Sometimes we start something and realize after we have started that it is not what we expected, nor do we want to finish because of the difficulty ahead. THAT is where your modeling of finishing things comes in and encouragement and faith come in. Also, I am trying to teach my kids that mistakes is how we learn things. It is okay to mess up. Acknowledge it. Own it. Apologize if necessary. Try again. Learn something from the mistake. And next time it can be better. Hopefully this adding to their growth mindset.
Anyway, now I am beginning to ramble. Hope I have been able to help in just a small way. You bless our lives pretty much every day in some recipe that I make for my family. You are amazing and I think of you like a friend that I have never met.
Have you done an armpit detox? My husband couldn’t get any natural deodorant to work for him, but then we read that you have to do an armpit detox before they start working. He went without deodorant for two weeks and did bentonite clay in his armpits. Which sounds funny, but now he’s wearing natural deodorant and it’s working OK!
As for favorite family vacations, the beach has been a hit for us. If you can swing Hawaii, I would vote for Hawaii. So many beaches, so much to do, hiking, exploring. And of course so beautiful.We also love the Carlsbad California area for beaches. If you go to California, stop at Handel’s for ice cream!! Or San Diego is great for beaches and lots of other things to do too!
I have been a follower of yours for years, I love your blog And I love how through your writing how you make everyone feel like we are your friend.
For a family vacation come to Santa Clara, Utah. You can eat cookies at Dutchman’s market (the original Swig cookie and far superior in my opinion), get a Veyo pie, and go to lunch with your unofficial fan club in my ward. Plus our church building is right by the vacation rentals so you are all set
But seriously, the best family vacation we ever took was renting a cabin in Tahoma, California on the shores of Lake Tahoe. Absolute heaven. Or an all inclusive resort in Cabo San Lucas. That was pretty great too!
The kids cooking on Sunday is brilliant! I need to try this once my kids are a little older!
For vacations, my favorite as a kid was camping (I have zero memory of the stress and all the stuff that went wrong like me parents so I don’t think they agree!)
As a mom, our vacations have been simple. Disneyland or a road trip to visit family. I don’t think the destination determines your fun! I think merely planning a trip and having activities to do during it make for an A+ trip anywhere! Having said that I’ve heard legendary things about Disney Cruises!
For plant based food sites try “Minimalist Baker” and “Cookie and Kate”! (Cookie and Katie has a pineapple Thai fried rice that is to die for! Simply add some tofu for some extra plant based protein!
“Pinch of Yum” just posted an incredible Sofritas recipe and I’m dying to make it. She’s got some good flavorful plant based meals too!
I am so sorry about your friend. I just lost my father in law to stage IV lung cancer, cancer just sucks. All of it. I think you are being so helpful finding yummy comforting food for her! Praying she gets better soon!
Have you played Azul? We love that one. Our family loves National parks for vacations. We recommend any of those. Smokey Mountain was our last year’s and we loved it. Hiking along the Appalachian Trail (for about 8 miles in one day) was really cool. Love your Sunday dinner plan. I do the same thing. With teenagers it doesn’t work to have them cook during the week days. It is too busy. Way to go on finishing your quilts! They are beautiful!
Here are a couple of thoughts for you. I only have used two types of deodorant for the past 20 years. Both are great but not perfect. The first is Real Purity, made here in California it works well but you need to let it dry, (It’s a roll on) before you put on your clothes. You also need to switch it up sometimes, it seems your underarms get kind of used to it, so then I use LaVanilla, the sport type. This is a sort of gel waxy press and drag on. It is also very good for a natural deodorant. They are both sold on Amazon.
My favorite vacations are: Hawaii, (almost anywhere there), Nantucket, Vale Colorado, or Islamorada in the Florida Keys. I live in California so I have pretty good weather all year.
Thanks for all your great recipes and advice, I love reading about your life and times.
I second La Vanilla. It’s my favorite. Makes me smell better and I didn’t seem to need any adjustment period or detox to start using it.
For your friend with cancer (love and prayers for her) – follow Medical Medium/Anthony William and start juicing celery every morning, among many other things he teaches. He’s got great recipes too.
I have used primal pit paste for 5+ years- they just changed their name to “pretty frank”. I think it works really well (i have tried many brands)- i have found that i can’t personally use the citrus scented ones or it irritates my armpits. (My kids can just fine)
I also LOVE their “chapstick” vanilla peppermint.
Oh is on deoderant! I tried them all too with no luck!
Screw natural deoderant. I switched back to my regular, “it’s Possible but we don’t know for sure if it’s horrible for you but it could also be fine” deoderant, and haven’t looked back! This girl was not liking the smelling and stress from smelling either! Haha at least we tried
great Friday thoughts! Wow – 2 scouts completing their Eagle rank at the same time. You’re a rockstar for getting through that. My son just finished his this past fall so I hear you on that paperwork challenge and the SUPER HARD part of actually talking on the phone.
I LOVE your quilt – that’s super ambitious if you were a beginner quilter. And great job taking a long arm class. I have plans to finish a pieced patriotic table runner I started years ago and also have some old fashioned scrapbooks I want to finish. They’ve been laid out on my office table for over a year and I just can’t make myself start. So this post is good motivation – be a finisher. I like that lesson.
family trip – we like all inclusive resorts – so great for the kids to go and get whatever they want and we don’t constantly have to be paying. We also love cruises. The Disney cruise is the bomb but also so expensive. We did a Norwegian cruise on the Mexican Riviera and it was great and not nearly as much money.
Thanks for all the good you’re doing!
You have to go to Kiawah Island South Carolina! Best family vacation ever!!’ The beaches are beautiful, water is warm, so many fun shells to collect, crabs to catch, ride bikes over the whole island, ride bikes to the little town to the grocery store and for dinner, fun pools., it’s AMAZING!!
Best natural Deodorant I’ve found is Lume https://lumedeodorant.com/. I don’t love the scents, but I have found that I don’t like the smells of any natural deodorant. I like Lume best because it works to get rid of the bacteria that cause the stink and that I can put it anywhere and everywhere.
Oh and I just read the you have tried Lume- well good luck. I truly don’t think that any Natural Deodorant completely does the job because they are not going to keep us from sweating.
Native deodorant works very well. They use ingredients like coconut oil, baking soda, probiotics, tapioca starch, and Shea butter. And to top it off they smell good!
I’m checking out your newest game recommendations. We’ve recently been playing a lot of Skyjo. Super fun and easy.
My favorite websites for vegan/vegetarian recipes are:
https://pinchofyum.com/
https://minimalistbaker.com/
Both sites have non vegan recipes too, but their search functions allow you to select for vegan only recipes.
I also love Cooks Illustrated Vegan for Everybody cookbook and their The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook.
Thanks for all your recipes and thoughts! You inspire me!
Your quilt is stunning. Seriously stunning.
Vegan recommendations: A Pinch of Yum (not necessarily vegan but lots of vegan/vegetarian recipes) and A Couple Cooks (plant-based focus). Family vacay: tie between Disney (cliche, but SO much fun) and Hawaii.
Hi Mel! I love your recipes! Thank you for taking the time to share them. They are dependably GREAT!
As for deodorants, I have two to recommend. Lately, I have been loving Magsol Magnesium Deodorant from Amazon and another one that I have heard great things about is JustIngredients Magnesium Deodorant Karalynne Call has an Instagram account Just.Ingredients where you can buy this deodorant.
I’m so sorry that your friend is dealing with cancer! I love most of the recipes on https://minimalistbaker.com/ Many are vegan or can be made vegan. They are simple and delicious!
You have many followers here in Clovis–probably thanks to your Aunt Marilyn!
Your quilt looks awesome! But, yeah, you’re crazy for starting with that one. I am NOT a beginning quilter and that would scare me.
We have been on many amazing vacations as a family (like amazing! Hawaii, Ireland, London/Rome/Edinburgh, Maine, DC/Philly/NY, Florida) and I think one of my all time favorite vacations is staying at the Newport Coast Marriott villas in California. We just play at the resort and the beach and buy our food at costco. Sometimes we’ll throw a little Disneyland in too. We’ve done this one probably six times and it always feels right.
I’m not gonna lie though, the DC/Philly/NY trip was perfection too. (Bring on the US history!)
I second Newport Coast Villas!! We love it and
Have been many times. Close enough to Disney without having to stay in Aneheim.
After years of itchy, sweaty, smelly pits, I finally landed on “Arm and Hammer Essentials with Natural Deodorizers.” I’m not sure if it’s considered natural, but I love it and am constantly amazed that I still smell good at the end of the day.
Family vacations can be the best or the worst—we recently enjoyed exploring the Upper Peninsula in Michigan which was perfect for our hiking and water loving crew.
For your dear friend—sending prayers first and then I’ve enjoyed many a vegan recipe from Cookie and Kate. Her lentil soup is a family favorite—for all 7 of my kiddos!
Hands down the BEST natural deodorant is from https://justingredients.us/ (made by @just.ingredients on Instagram). I have tried everything and hated them all. This deodorant works well and you won’t smell. I love it and highly recommend.
Beautiful quilt!! That’s one of the skills I tell myself I’m going to learn…..one of these days 😉
OH! SO many good things here!!!!
OK well the majority of our family trips are family reunions. I honestly don’t think we’ve taken a full fledged family trip on our own. My husband and I both have families that love to get together. And we live the furthest from both so that means our vacation time goes to seeing them. Which I don’t regret and look forward to each year.
Absolutely on board with teaching your kids to cook and you ABSOLUTELY should be mom proud of those boys baking rolls!! I have slacked off and you have motivated me to get back to teaching my kids to cook. I ask them what they want to learn to make. (my 5 kids range in age 17-6) I worry about them leaving home and not being able to feed themselves. Serious mom guilt if that happens. I also print out the recipe for them and put it in their own little cookbook for them to take when they leave. And man a live does it take patience and self restraint to stay out of the way and let them do it. That’s the hardest part for sure!!
Sorry not a natural deodorant gal so no help there. I just don’t want to stink so I go with that as my base line and use what works.
OOOOHHHH being a finisher, resilience, and grit. (sigh) why are we not all born with these qualities!!! teaching them to you kids is a heavy weight of responsibility. We have a saying on our wall “Stick to your task till it sticks to you, Beginners are many but enders are few” I also agree that being that example speaks louder than words, so great job on completing your quilts! They are gorgeous and will be treasures to many generations.
Thank you for sharing your talents with the rest of us!
If you have two Eagle Scouts, then they have grit. I think you do too just because you finished those sewing projects and let us not forget the marathon. Two of my boys have grit but I am still working on the other to always push through. He will cry but he seems to feel better when he finishes.
If you are looking for history then Jamestown and Williamsburg is a great trip or Boston. If you want beaches, Seaside, Florida is beautiful. The water and sand is unbeatable. My boys love to go to Copper Mountain to ski.
I use Almonds and Aloe roll-on natural deodorant. I have used a lot of brands and this one works without irritating my skin (plus it isn’t crazy expensive).
Love the Sunday dinner idea to get my kids cooking. Your chore wheel was life changing years ago, and I think this idea will be on that level. Love your food, games, and insight.
So many thoughts!
Love your Sunday dinner idea. My husband and I were most impressed of the picture of one son weighing out dough balls. My rolls are all different sizes because I’m the queen of eyeballing it 🙂 My husband is a weigh-er too.
Congratulations to your Eagles! That is huge and hurrah for them for finishing in their LDS troop. There is a reason there is a mom pin 🙂 My sister says it should have a real diamond on it.
Natural deodorant – huge fan of Just Ingredients! Looks like others are too. Really good stuff, no irritation, no white beads of sweat rolling down my arm during workouts.
Both your projects are so beautiful! I’m a quilter, I’ve been published, on tv etc and taught for years and while I love that Elizabeth Hartman quilt I was not brave enough to try. You are darn impressive! Also, five years is nothing. Truly. UFO’s in quilting (un-finished objects) are a thing and I have many dating to last century. You’re totally good!
We only have one child so this might be too extravagant for a big family, but a vacation at an all inclusive is so awesome! Tons of activities for everyone, no worries about finding restaurants in unfamiliar places, safe environment so kids can run off with friends made there, as restful or active as you like. Just tons of positives. We do not feel the same about a cruise though. We’ve done club-med (mexico), sandals (jamaica), dreams (mexico) and loved them all.
On Instagram, go find @just.ingredients. She has developed a natural deodorant that a lot of people LOVE. I haven’t bought it yet because I’m waiting until my chemical-laden one is almost gone. She is all about removing toxins from our diets, skincare products, and cleaning supplies, and I believe she said she knew someone who had stage 4 cancer who removed all the toxins at once and improved her food by buying organic, and removing sugar, etc., and over time the cancer went away. Don’t quote me on that and I can’t remember where I saw it, but I am pretty sure it was one of her stories. (I’m super helpful there.)
I love your Sunday dinner idea! My mom inadvertently did that with her 7 girls-inadvertent because we all loved to cook and would clamor for who got to do what. So far, my oldest boy loves to cook also. I can trust him with Jiffy muffins but you’ve given me courage to trust him further! My other two boys are 2 and 1 so they’re a little young-though I do have a picture of a 1 year old standing on a still at the kitchen counter, stirring his pacifier into a bowl of flour. It was his secret recipe for pancakes!!
As for vacations, my family grew up going to Balboa Island in Newport Beach, CA. We’ll be there this August. It’s getting very pricey though so I don’t know how long it will last. When we lived in the east, we loved Outer Banks. A couple of years ago we went to Mammoth Lake in California. It’s easy to take a day trip from there to Yosemite, but has its own attractions. (Obsidian Dome=Mordor!) Texas is probably very low on your list of places to visit in summer (most of us make a mass exodus for somewhere cooler!) but Schlitterbahn resort on South Padre Island is a lot of fun! Schlitterbahn is a chain of water parks in Texas and the resort sits right on the beach so you can go to the water park for the day or the beach-or both! Pack your weight in sunscreen
Vacations: COLORADO, Colorado, Colorado. I’ve been there numerous times as a kid growing up with my parents and 4 siblings, then my husband and I have been there at least four times in the last 7 years. Thinking of Rocky Mountain National Park, staying in Estes Park. I think I could write a guide book (not that there needs to be another ). Camping, hotels, VRBOs, restaurants, hiking, things to do… oh it’s the best.
Deodorant: Switched to Crystal deodorant last spring. Love it! I swear a lot and it definitely masks (prevents!) BO. Doesn’t necessarily reduce sweat amount (it’s not antiperspirant of course) but sometimes I think it helps with that too. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0028FLM16?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title
Quilt: LOVE that forest quilt. So cute!!! Bravo! I’ve made one patchwork quilt and it’s a process.
Sunday suppers: I live how you incorporate your kids. Definitely gives a sense of adulthood when they get to do things on their own. My son is 1.5 but hopefully someday our kids will like to do make/bake like their momma does!! Your efforts with your kids are paying off!
I would recommend trying Norwex Natural Deodorant. It smells very nice, it has essential oils in it. It is not an antiperspirant so if you have issues with wetness than don’t bother trying it. I am an average person when it comes to sweating and it works pretty well for me. I admit that if I have an important appointment or event I will use my regular deodorant like Degree, but on a daily basis it works well. They also make a Norwex Crystal Deodorant but I have never tried it. It is not an antiperspirant either. If you haven’t already, check out Norwex products because they have an all natural approach to daily living.
The plan to have the kids make Sunday dinner looks like a great idea. Maybe I’ll give something like that a try.
And the Fancy Forest quilt looked incredible. Only you can see the flaws because you put your heart into every stitch. Yes it was ambitious of you but you nailed it!
Try Veggies Don’t Bite and The Vegan 8
Wow. Just…wow. I’m in awe of all you do and how well you do it. Can’t think of a single thing to add or opine on in regards to all your parenting and household organization. You’ve clearly got this.
I’m so sorry to read about your friend with cancer. That’s a tough road to travel. I’m recovering from lung cancer myself and I found the hospital nutritionist/dietitian an invaluable- and sadly under utilized – resource. As you’re no doubt aware, cancer and its attendant treatments can establish very specific requirements when it comes to diet. I would strongly recommend speaking to the staff before your friend makes any significant changes to her diet.
Congrats on the Eagle! Having had three sons get their Eagle, I know the work, the nagging, etc. Your friend is blessed to have someone like you to love and support her through this trial.
Our most memorable vacation was on a house boat on Lake Powell. A friend invited us for a week!
You’re doing a wonderful job of raising independent, productive children. Your example says it all!
Favorite family vacations are Aspen Grove Family Camp and Historic Nauvoo.
During the summer when our schedules are a lot lighter I have each child cook dinner one night a week. I choose the dinners (otherwise it would be mac and cheese every time).
I have used this homemade deodorant for 9 years. Like other natural deodorants it doesn’t stop you sweating but there is never any odour. My husband and 4 kids/teens use it as well. So easy with just 3 simple ingredients, it costs pennies to make and it 100% works, it’s cool proof! http://homesteadrevival.blogspot.com/2011/01/homemade-deodorant.html
Jack is hilarious! I’m using Lume and have been pretty pleased with it. Also Native from Walmart I pretty good too. Love your guts.
You are so inspiring Mel! I’ve been wanting to start something for myself and give myself a hobby and I think you’ve convinced me! I love sewing but also have wanted to learn to crochet for a long time, but the fear of failing holds me back, hard time! Thanks for that! As far as a family vacation, my parents took me and 2 of my sisters to a resort in Mexico when we were in high school and it was AH-MAZING! We ziplined through water falls into caves, snorkeled and enjoyed complimentary real mexican coke on the beach all day long! I cannot wait to go back with my own family one day! I highly recommend it!
First I just have to say you are so amazing! I am so glad your my friend! Congrats on the Eagle Scouts.
My favorite vacation so far has been just last year. We went and rode the Hiawatha bike trail in ID, then drove into Portland OR for the day.
Did some aight seeing. Then we went to Glacier National Park and spent a couple of days hiking and of course going to see a Glacier. We then drove up through Canada to Banff National Park. I highly recommend going because it was beautiful and so peaceful. We did some hiking and saw some wildlife ( animals not the kids). After all of that we drove to Edmonton so we could go and see the largest mall in North America. We went to the water park on day and we would totally go there again. We spent on day at the amusement park. I think we would only spend a half day and then go back to the water park it was that fun. We then drove to have a little visit with you, wish we could have stayed longer. On the way home so stopped at Lava Hot springs and spent the day letting the boys swim. Sorry this is so long but we had a blast!
You’re the best Melanie thanks for your example and all of your hard work! I hope to get the boys in the kitchen more with me. Love you ❤️
I have been planning the Hiawatha bike trail for this summer! Any tips? Where did you stay? Rent bikes? Best thing to see in Portland? Where was the water park in Edmonton? Any information appreciated!
Hi Andrea, we stayed in a little town called Wallace,ID. We just went on the Hiawatha trails site and reserved bikes and helmets, which I recommend you do just so you are guaranteed bikes. The prices are pretty reasonable, they also give you a bike rack if you need one. Also, you should purchase shuttle passes, they take you back to the top when you are finished with the trail. The bikes come with a flashlight. Make sure you have jackets it was cool when we went and you bike through some tunnels. We had a lot of fun, trail is easy and our five year old was able to ride the trail with no problem. If you have more questions just contact the Hiawatha trail and they can answer any additional questions, very helpful.
I apologize but it was Spokane, WA not Portland. For some reason it was Portland that popped in my head.
The water park and the amusement park are both inside the Edmonton Mall ( largest mall in North America). Most hotels in Edmonton usually offer discounted tickets to both of the parks.
We highly recommend going we had so much fun. Our boys all enjoyed it, 15,10 and 5 yrs at the time. They were not bored.
Hope this helps! And if you go enjoy and take your time to enjoy!
Our favorite overall favorite vacation was a houseboat on Lake Powell Highly recommend
Also at the top was Canadian Rockies, Houseboat vacation on Cumberland Lake in Kentucky, PNW-Oregon coast.
The natural deodorant I LOVE is No Pong! It really works! And it comes lightly scented with baking soda or no scent/no baking soda. I just ordered 3 tins 😉
Oh and the America’s Test Kitchen Vegan for everybody and Oh she Glows cookbooks are nice!
Natural deodorant: Just Ingredients brand. I absolutely love her deodorant and so do all of my kids. (Her face serum is also amazing and gets more so the more you use it.)
Vegan/Vegan: I love Carrie Vitt and Danielle Walker as resources for foods like this. And Just Ingredients has some good stuff there as well (not vegan-wise, but eating-mindfully-wise).
Sunday Dinner Assignments: Awesome idea. I’m totally going to copy you. Post-it notes included.
Thank you for sharing all the things.
Thanks for the wonderful ramble. As a crochetter, knitter, and quilter, you ROCK! Beautiful job on both projects.
Favorite vacation: two rank up there. We (unintentionally) took a “Circle the Lake” trip around Lake Michigan several years ago, camping at Silver Lake, then up across the Mackinac Bridge, around to Door County, then back down the coast to home in Chicago. Kids and parents all loved it. And the other trip was a train trip from Chicago to Seattle for a friend’s wedding. Riding along and looking out the windows at this amazing country was special, and we were all able to relax. And you don’t necessarily need a sleeper car – we did coach, as our children were too tall for the “family berth,” and we all slept fine. I brought a small pillow and fleece/wool lap blanket for everyone, rolled up like a sleeping bag, and that was all we needed. And the trip back covered territory in the daylight that had been nighttime on the way out, so we really got a tour. I recommend traveling by rail, if you have the time,
My husband has Stage IV cancer in his lung – main suggestion is to DAILY take the burden to the Father. And we are blessed to have a great medical group that provides the “extras” like a nurse navigator who sometimes picks up her sword and shield and goes into battle for us – not with the group, but with Pharma, and other services. And the doctors we have are amazing – all connected to each other. That is important! It means you don’t have to keep repeating information over and over. And have an advocate – a family member or friend, who goes with you to appointments and listens. Also – get those healthcare power of attorneys done. Having that permission opens many doors. And don’t be afraid to tell people what you are dealing with. So often, we keep illnesses close to our vest, and thus miss out on the blessings others can be to us in prayer and practical help. It’s important for us as patients and caregivers, and important for those who want to help but don’t know about the illness, or don’t know what is needed. Don’t be afraid to ask!! People are anxious to help.
Our favorite family trip is Hawaii. So many fun things to do and explore there with the family.
For a natural deodorant I use Primally Pure. I have found the unscented works the best for me. I would highly recommend it, and I don’t use many natural other products because they usually don’t work as well.
The only natural deodorant that works for me is primally pure. I tried just ingredients and it still doesn’t work. Primally pure is the only one I smell nothing. Like nothing!
My kids are a little younger then yours, but on random Sundays and Saturdays when I feel like making something WITH my kids in the kitchen (haha) I do Moms Cooking School. We just do simple things because they still need quite a bit of help, but it has been fun. And I had the proud Mom moment when my oldest who is 11 asked to make chocolate chip cookies this week and he MADE THEM ALL BY HIMSELF. I almost cried. I did have to pull a few batches out of the oven because he got distracted while they were actually baking ha!
I am in your same boat about the lecturing and raising resiliant kids. I haven’t found a good solution to that yet, but I can help with the deodarant thing! After my 5th baby, i had a horrible case of some kind of strange raging hormone related BO. (this is getting embarassing) I tried so many things. I was even wearing mens deodarant hoping it was stronger then my extra strength clinical deodarant. It wasn’t, and I smelled particularly manly when I didn’t just smell bad. I was throwing away shirts because I couldn’t get the smell out. So I was “influenced” to try kopari coconut oil deodarant. And I have been happily using it for almost 2 years now. You will still sweat because it doesn’t clog pores, but I don’t smell so I will take that as a win. It is the only kind of natural deodarant that has worked for me.
Also, your quilts and afghans are beautiful! Way to go!
Just Ingredients for Natural Deodorant…it is awesome and no rash!! I love the Sweet Citrus scent.
Can I convince you to publish a top 10 vacation list after the comments roll in?
Loved your post!!! Favorite place to vacation. Lake Powell AZ. Its in the center of so much to do, The lake is huge you can take a tour on a big boat up in the canyon, rainbow bridge etc.. or you can rent anything you can think of to enjoy the water, Kayaks canoe boats etc there is a actual beach there where if you wanted you could camp out right next to the water. The Glen Canyon Dam is there for tours, you can take white water rafting just down from there on the Colorado river, Horseshoe Bend is there,(you see that in 1000’s of pictures on the internet) You can take a hike down Antelope Canyon, another famous hike Stay in a VRBO in Page, not a hotel is WAY cheaper, you are under 3 hours from the Grand Canyon, Zion, Arches National park.. the list is almost endless. You will never forget the sights you will see. Plenty of things for a family of yours to do . I have been using Tom’s of Maine deodorant, I find no issues with it. Let me know if you choose Lake Powell I’ll give you tips for places to eat, etc. I have a friend using the Gelson Therapy to help fight her cancer and she remains cancer free since starting the process.
Just.Ingredients has the BEST natural deodorant. She has an amazing Instagram account with so much information on what we put in/on our bodies and how it affects us. She developed her own deodorant this last year and it’s had such rave reviews.
Also, I LOVE growth mindset, but you really have to adopt the word “yet” into your language. My youngest is the best at giving up on himself. At school they push the growth mindset skills and even with food he hates he now says “i don’t love it YET, but I’m willing to taste it because maybe someday I’ll like it.” The scripture “what lack I yet” took on a whole new meaning for me when I began to understand growth mindset better. I think I always thought of that scripture as a downer because it’s like remembering all my faults, but now I see it as “yeah so I’m not there YET, but there’s hope and a real possibility to get there someday.” Hope that helps!
Oh, forgot…favorite family vacation (with my sister’s family)
Finger Lakes, New York…rented a house on Canandaigua Lake 2 years; Keuka Lake 2 years
Picked blueberries, my sister and I took a cooking class at the New York Wine and Culinary Center in Canandaigua, the lakes are crystal clear…spent a day in Ithaca looking at colleges with my daughter…visited lots of farmstands, wine trail….total relaxation!
Ok, love your site- my family would starve without it!!! Primally Pure (order online) is the natural deodorant that I use and I too went through many last year but I really like this one and have been using it for 6 months +. With natural deodorant you just have to get use to sweating but I do think it has reduced. Favorite family vacation was our trip to Maine! We went to Acadia National Park and a few other places on they way there including Boston which was great. Of course the kids loved our trip to Jamaica too ☺️ Have a great weekend and thanks for sharing with us!!
I follow your blog religiously and almost exclusively cook from it. You’re pretty much part of the family around here. And I just had to say that because I’ve NEVER commented.
I use Milk of Magnesia in a roller ball bottle like this
Timoo 5 PCS 50ml Deodorant Bottles, Empty Refillable Roll On Bottles, Deodorant Container https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HD2W6J7/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_k.enEbR68DTHF
Our favorite game right now is Skull King by Grandpa Beck. It’s seriously so fun and we have a blast talking in pirate voices while we play it.
I used native deodorant for a few years and it worked great for me, but I’ve recently found one I like even better. Go to the Just Ingredients instagram account and check out her deodorant. It’s even better for you and it doesn’t ruin my black clothes!
Mel,
As a 6th grade teacher, probably one of the #1 things that I’d like my students to develop is grit. My teaching partner and I work on it so hard every year. Kids can’t persevere through math problems that are challenging. They don’t want to read the whole article, “Can I just read the summary?” You are setting a great example with your quilting and crochet projects. They took a LONG time, but you persevered through them, fought back setbacks, and look how you feel about both of them now? As parents, I know we try to protect our kids, we don’t want them hurt, we want to make life easier for them rather than see them go through the challenges we faced, but honestly, our children will be better for it if we allow them to work hard, make them face those challenges, cheer them on from the sidelines, allow them to stop, take a break, and then continue on…so, so important. Instant gratification, telling your child the answers, and pushing back at teachers who try to challenge seem to be the new norm now for some parents. So disheartening…
Another comment on teaching kids to cook. It is SO important! Your kids are going to end up in college, they will want to live off-campus by sophomore or junior year, they’ll complain about the foodservice; however, have you taught them to cook? to meal plan? to grocery shop? to select produce? to understand unit prices and cost of food? I taught my kids by just recruiting them at meal times to come in and pitch in a hand. Then, they all ended up working at a pizza parlor where they really learned a lot about cooking (pizza, pasta, sandwiches, making salads, etc.). Such important and valuable lessons. My 3 are adults now living on their own, but they always credit me with teaching them to cook and always talk about the value of their high school jobs in helping them too. So few kids have room in their schedules now to take any high school classes dealing with cooking basics. It is so, so important. Otherwise, they’ll end up like my son’s college roommates eating fast food daily, gaining excess weight, and always running out of money because of their poor eating habits.
Obviously I had a lot to say on the subject. Happy Friday Mel, love your blog XOXO
deb
Smokey mountain National park was a very memorable family vacation with enroute trips to mammoth cave and Springfield Illinois historic Lincoln district.
The Lincoln Memorial Museum is amazing. We happened to stay overnight in Springfield Illinois on our way to Kirkland and so we drove around to see what we could do their. We voted between the Museum or Niagara Falls. Seriously a highlight.
We loved Hilton Head, SC. You can ride rental bikes on the hard beach and there are bike trains everywhere. Also good golfing. We lived in Savannah, GA but loved Charleston, SC. An amazing Plantation home.
Best wishes to your friend. Check out the vegan blog and/or cookbooks by Angela Liddon of Oh She Glows. I am not vegan but many of her recipes are family favourites and part of my regular rotation. She must test her recipes 50 times because they ALWAYS
work 🙂 https://ohsheglows.com/
Favorite vacation spot by far is Monterey, CA. We actually stay in Pacific Grove, which is the next town over (still within easy driving or biking distance to everything, but not quite as expensive). The Asilomar conference grounds there offer a great place to stay, and I believe meals are included?? Not 100% sure about that. We play at the beach, go to the aquarium, go to the butterfly groves in season (millions of monarchs!), go on hikes in the state parks near there, walk down Cannery Row, head down to Carmel and go to the mission, rent bikes or kayaks…. there’s tons of stuff to do whether you like history, science, shopping, playing, or just relaxing.
Alright, I’m only gonna comment about deodorants because I’m pretty passionate about my deo made by Soapwalla Kitchen in Brooklyn, New York. It’s vegan, happy, smells heavenly, and is just an all-around great product. Turns out, I can’t use their “regular” deodorant, although I loved it, loved it, loved it. So, I switched to their sensitive skin deo and really, really like it – but with not as much love as the original ONLY because I live in the South and am convinced no natural deo (besides the original Soapwalla deo) can stand up to the August heat + humidity + general sweaty anxiousness about WHEN WILL FALL BE HERE?!?! So, that’s my 2 cents on deodorant. I subscribe for the deodorant and save 10%, and one tub lasts me approximately 3 months. 🙂
So many thoughts!! But seriously all good. Congrats on the eagle. You take what you can get as a mom and a hug and kiss from a teen is top of the list. Well done on the quilts and ironic since I busted out some unfinished sewing projects and found approximately three semi done quilts. It’s on my to do list once I get more sewing needles bc my last one broke the other day. Vacations!!!! We have been to 30 states with our family. I think our favorite was Florida or going to Boston and Niagara Falls. We lived in Iowa so they were closer. The best part is finding unique/weird places along the way. (A chocolate shop in the basement of a house.) Tennessee is the most beautiful place we’ve driven through. That game sounds fun and I also want our kids to be finishers/tough/etc so we’re doing one of my husbands dreams this summer. Amount up our hiking and hiking all through glacier national park. My sister in law lives there so at least we get to sleep at her house and not on the ground. And finally about your friend with cancer. We love her and don’t even know her really but we love them all. We talk about them a lot and pray for them. When we say her name the kids know who were talking about. Just wish there was more we could do. You’re a wonderful friend. I admire you! Ok moving on. Ps mini eggs are already at Walmart just FYI lol have a good weekend
My favorite family vacation destination is Maui, but for a more budget friendly option, I love the Oregon Coast, specifically Newport. We go every summer with some friends and rent a house right on the beach. Living in Eastern Washington, the drive is long, but not impossible to do in one day.
La Vanilla Sport Luxe is my favorite natural deodorant and I usually buy mine at Ulta.
Please share all things about Newport! This is one of my bucket list vacations! I would love the info on the vrbo house you stayed in and all that you did!
I too, would LOVE to hear about where you stayed and the house you rented. Any details!
Check out the Fork Over Knives website and App. There is also a documentary on the benefits of a plant based diet. The app has great recipes and they also publish a magazine a few times a year.
I absolutely love your recipes. My family loves them even more!
Thank you!
Your quilt is stunning. Beautiful and stunning! I can’t imagine the hours it took. Congrats! As for natural deodorants, my favourite so far (I agree with you on the three you mentioned) is the one from Arbonne Cosmetics. It has worked the best for me. I have also tried Native and it didn’t work for me. The other one I like but re apply in the afternoon is Vermont Soap Company’s Sage Lime (I Amazon this one). I had all boys and had mine help cook too and now they’re all great cooks and bakers and their wives thank me. Kudos! I like the idea of doing it Sunday after church too. Great idea!
By far our favorite family vacations are the Disney Cruises and also we were blessed to go to Disney’s Aulani Resort in Oahu last year! There is so much to do in Oahu and Aulani is 30 min from airport so in a quiet area with only four hotels all with their separate bays to swim in. Across the street from hotel there is an amazing restaurant Monkey Pod, markets to get food, breakfast places. We loved hiking Diamond Head, Polynesian Culture Center, hiked to light house, North Shore, and of course Pearl Harbor.
We have also loved Rapid City South Dakota with Bear Country, Mt. Rushmore, Reptile Gardens, Crazyhorse, Hill City and the train, wineries, breweries. We have also had a blast in Wisconsin Dells where they have the largest water parks, duck boats, jet boats, Tommy Bartlett water ski show, and great food. Also we have loved recently last summer Branson and all there is to do there. My family thought I was crazy when I said we were taking a road trip but after a week there they didn’t want to leave, there is Silver Dollar City with crazy roller coasters, shows, great food, they also have their own water park but it rainted that day so couldn’t go, there is Big Cedar lodge, Top of the Rock, largest Bass Pro Shops, outlet shopping, famous store Dicks 5 and 10, Branson Landing! Hope this helps!
Dear Mel, I love your blog ! it’s been my go to for years, apologies for not commenting until now. One of my favorite vacations was when my husband, daughter and I went to d Dude Ranch !! it included lodging in our own cabin, amazing meals and horseback rides with real cowboys! It was so fun. Thanks for sharing your family with us. All the love in the world. Kim
My favorite vacation was when we rented a beach house on Cape Cod for a week. My brother and his family came and we literally did nothing the entire time. Our kids played together in the sand and we made really simple meals. We had planned to go see some sights in the area but we didn’t end up doing any of that because we had the beach literally right outside our door. I was heavenly and something we will always remember.
Also, I let my 4 year old cook with me pretty much every night. He’s been in the kitchen with me since he was a baby. He is now learning to use a knife and some more complicated techniques and recipes. I only have two kids (4 and 8 months) so it’s not quite the same level of craziness if I have him help as it would be with more kids. That said, the baby does scream at us from his walker if he’s being left out of the process. He wants to be strapped to me in the Ergo, facing out, right in the middle of all the action.
Almost 3 years ago, we took our 5 kids to Nanaimo, British Columbia to follow the Nanaimo Bar trail–and it was so much fun! We found fun parks by the waterfront, a great beach with awesome tide pools and terrain for climbing, a gorgeous campground with an amazing view, and of course–trying all the variations of Nanaimo bars and choosing a favorite. We also took a day to drive down to Victoria and visit the Butchart Gardens. It’s such a beautiful area!
Another favorite family vacation was Copenhagen, Denmark. We were living in eastern Europe at the time, so it was a little easier to get to. But, I would TOTALLY go again from the US. We stayed in a little apartment in the suburbs and took the train into the city every day. Our highlights were: a day at Tivoli (this is the theme park upon which Disneyland is based. It’s like a simplified Disneyland and also felt magical–though much less crowded.), seeing the original Christus and 12 apostles statues (this was my absolute FAVORITE–it was AMAZING), a drive to Kronborg castle, (the castle where Hamlet was set), where we stumbled upon a live reenactment of Hamlet happening throughout the castle. We also went to the Copenhagen temple for a couple of days and stayed in the temple housing there. (The temples ask that you perform at least 1 temple service per day that you’re staying in the housing.)
I’m also working on helping my kids be more resilient. 2 years ago, we moved to another country and there’s nothing like getting SHOVED out of your comfort zone to create some resilience. We moved back to the states a few months ago and I enjoy seeing my kids thrive in this LONG transition because of things we learned while living abroad. We also talk about “bubblegum brain”–which is a brain that can grow to try new things. I’ve recently started requiring my 10 year old, (who tends to discouragement, like I do), to strike a superhero pose and yell, “I can do it!” when he gets bogged down. I have visions of him doing this–at least inside his head–during college and for the rest of his life. He doesn’t love doing it, so we’ll see if that sticks. LOL
As for the plant-based recipes, here are two of my favorites:
https://gooddinnermom.com/bbq-cauliflower-tacos-with-chickpeas-and-quinoa/#comment-54189 (You could sub out the mayo here and just make a vinaigrette-style dressing for the slaw. And forego the corn tortillas and serve it over rice.)
https://www.kitchentreaty.com/slow-cooker-bbq-chickpea-vegan-sloppy-joes/
Definitely wouldn’t object to seeing some more great plant-based recipes on your site! I haven’t tried many that are completely vegan, but really liked these: https://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/roasted-cauliflower-and-chickpea-tacos/
Also have had luck with Native deodorant. ☺️
Natural deodorant—I hear you on the trial and errors!
The brand I’ve discovered after 20+ years searching is NATIVE. They have a vanilla and coconut scent that is beautiful and fresh. I really, really love it. There has been no chaffing or skin irritation ever with this one.
Your quilt is adorable – Excellent work! I always love your recipes (we talk about you at the dinner table like you are a local friend “This is from Mel” ) so thanks for many amazing recipes!
I’m super glad you tried Patchwork – I love that game and I meant to leave a comment about it after your Christmas post but never did. We’ve got similar taste in games for sure! Having said that – Inca Gold is so so fun!! We also love Kingdomino tons and tons – it’s pretty fast, super different from many games and easy to learn. Hive is another great two person game that we have a great time with – it’s super fun to play before bedtime with a kiddo or my husband. Monopoly Deal is fabulous! (I can’t stand playing the full length version myself but this is really fun). Did I get the Chameleon game recommendation from you? If I did – thank you! If not, it’s a great one for the family or especially for a group of teenagers (we’ve got kids similar ages – 15, 13, 10 and 8 over here). We also got the spin off from Cover your Assets called Cover your Kingdom and it’s pretty funny. Okay – I could talk about games and books all day – I’ll stop.
As for vacation – I think there’s a place for any type of vacation – it’s just so awesome to get away and be together. If I had unlimited money, I’d go on a Disney cruise in a heartbeat. We took some of the kids year and years ago and it was amazing – perfect, magical and so fun for all ages! I also love a road trip to a national park, then again you can’t beat paradise and swimming at the beach… good luck with your presentation – be sure to let us know what you decide!
Thanks a million for all the fabulous recipes, the great family and parenting ideas and the fun game recommendations. I love your blog! Oh and congrats to the new Eagle Scouts – we were doing the same thing here and it’s lots of work. That’s super sweet you got the pin – I’m sure it’s from making them make phone calls 🙂 (we can totally relate! ha ha!)
Best vacations – Big Cedar Lodge in Missouri and Bald Head Island in North Carolina, close third, St. Simons Island in Georgia.
Native is good, but my shirts get ruined from it! Schmidt’s and other natural deodorants all do it. I’ve never had rashes or anything else, but I’m looking into other suggestions too! Lume did not work for my pits, but is absolutely life changing for “other” areas!
Thanks for your ideas, super helpful and inspirational!!!
Disneyland can’t be beat imo! So magical with kids it’s fun just being there. And let’s not start on the food!!
1) Disney, Disney, Disney. Cliche perhaps. There is a reason it is called the Happiest Place on Earth. It brings families together in a way very, very few other places can. Parents get out of their own way and they find enjoyment in what their kids enjoy. And the service is perfect. Its just my absolute favorite. But sometimes, I do get outvoted.
2) Sunday Dinner. Genius. I may attempt. Your daughters-in-law will either worship you or hate you. Which I guess is the risk for all of us anyway so carry on.
5) and 7) I actually believe that being a finisher and grit are cousins. At least for me, a compulsive planner and starter, finishing takes a lot of grit. I agree wholeheartedly with the sentiment that kids learn from our examples more than our lectures. 18+ years of parenting and I am just barely admitting that the things I am still fighting my kids to do well/regularly are the SAME THINGS I am still trying to get myself to do well/regularly!
I read Angela Duckworth’s book, Grit, and spent the first half of it thinking I was the most non-gritty person on the planet. About halfway through, though, I realized that I am very, very gritty about some things, they just happen to be VERY different things from the examples she gives. Once I allowed myself to look for grit in a wider arena, I found it. Next comes the ability to harness that power that I know I already have and aim it in other directions. Or not. As is the case with EVERYONE, in order to be gritty about some things, a person has to let. other. things. go. I believe deeply, like at the magma center of my being, that the worst lie ever perpetrated was that we can do it all. No one does it all. Every single one of us makes choices about how and where we will spend our 24 hours per day. Grit simply means that the ways your spend your time are laser-focused, values aligned, and consistently applied.
When it comes to teaching grit, that is tough. As I’ve thought about this over the last couple of years, I have found that pointing out examples of grit in action is incredibly effective. Call it out when you see it, in news articles, in history, in scripture. Name it. Then call it out when you see it in yourself and in your family. It is human nature to do more of what we are already doing. Pointing out a single glimpse of grit in a person you hope will be more gritty will encourage them more than pointing out 100 times when they gave up. Because your can’t give grit to other people. All you can do is create a space and nurture the growth.
8) We got Splendor for Christmas and I have developed a love/hate relationship with it. I love the idea of it and the game play. I hate that Chad. always. wins.
For the vegan blogs… I love minimalist baker and pinch of yum. Pinch of Yum isn’t 100% plant based or vegan but a significant portion of theirs are vegetarian and easily adoptable to plant based. We did the plant based diet for 18 months (granted, I’d still use like a canned jar of pasta sauce or something), and then decided to just cut back on the meat that we ate.
Family vacations.. We lived in Reno, NV for a couple years when we were kids. One spring break, we hopped in the car and drove the west coast. We had no schedule (not sure how my dad handled this with his type A personality) and we stopped where we wanted to . We hit up San Francisco, the redwoods, San Diego, and a bit of Oregon. Our hands down favorite stop though was the Jelly Belly factory in Fairfield, CA. I don’t even like jelly beans but the factory was sooo neat!
I had the same struggle with natural deodorant, but I’ve found two that I actually love. Native is great and it’s available at Target. I also like Just Ingredients, which is made by a mom and has totally clean ingredients and it also works great. (Her face serum is great too!) https://justingredientswithkaralynne.com/collections/deodorant-face-serum
Congrats to your boys and to you on their Eagles and those AMAZING quilts!! That is awesome! As for vacations, I know you went with Mentors once to Africa. Our family hasn’t been there, but likely our favorite family trip was to Guatemala where we served in a dental clinic and volunteered in orphanages, and then tacked some fun sightseeing onto the end of the trip. We waited for our youngest to be old enough to not be scared by the experience, and we did a ton of research. It still didn’t go smoothly — one of our girls ended up in the hospital — and it’s saying A LOT that even that daughter, after a little time and recovery, said that her favorite vacation was Guatemala. My oldest at the time said “I never want to do a family trip again without service.” We did one Disney cruise, which was fun and we enjoyed it, but after we went to Guatemala we decided it didn’t even compare. And it was more expensive. We’ve also enjoyed just road-tripping to different regions in the U.S. and Canada. We did Massachusetts/Maine/Quebec/Vermont a few years ago and loved that.
As for vegan recipes, I transitioned to a whole foods plant based diet 2 1/2 years ago and have loved it. I have adapted many of your recipes, and you’re still my favorite source for all things food. 🙂 I’ll email you a list, but here are some top faves: https://minimalistbaker.com/1-pot-red-lentil-chili/. I add in the corn, and it’s delicious. I actually took it to a chili cookoff and won. Also https://www.veganricha.com/2015/09/sri-lankan-red-lentil-curry.html. Richa has a lot of great Indian recipes; this one just happens to be Sri Lankan. Also, the filling for your http://melkitchencafe.com/black-bean-and-sweet-potato-burritos/, minus the cheese, makes awesome tacos!! We top them with a plant-based cheese sauce, and it’s one of our favorite meals.
Natural Deodorant- I feel your pain: I’ve tried SO many ones, but I’ve found thatEarth Science is the only one that has worked for me. It doesn’t chafe, doesn’t build up and does keep me stinky free!
http://earthsciencenaturals.com/category/31/Body.html
Favorite family vacation: Banff. We let our 17 year old pick where we go for our family vacation this year (as he’ll be moving out this summer and may not come with us on future vacations ) and he chose to go BACK to Banff. It’s so beautiful and there’s lots to do.
Vegan: I went through some serious food intolerances and survived on a lot of vegan food for awhile. Thevegan8.com and thecolorfulkitchen.com are both very good. Best of luck to your friend. ❤️
Ok I have quilted for a number of years now and it would take me at least 5 years to finish that quilt! If not more! I’d encourage you to maybe try another (far simpler) quilt just to be sure it’s not for you. I’ve made one quilt with animals and had I started with it as my first quilt I’m not sure I’d have stuck with it either.
As for vacations my favorite is Ireland. It would be pricey for a large family but it is so pretty and so relaxing.
My favorite family vacation was a California road trip- Tahoe, San Francisco, Santa Cruz (surfing lessons), then Yosemite. We stayed in KOA’s and loved having our own space with pools and fun activities- including nightly camp fires. We got a bit of everything- beauty, fun city, surfing, hiking, it was fantastic!
You’re incredible! Love the Sunday dinners and your quilt!
As for deodorant I’m liking Primal Organics right now. I’ve tried: lume, Schmitz, native, the natural crystal, toms….all work for a bit then horribly cease. Primal I’ve used the longest and it’s still working…
I’m sorry for your friend my favorite vegan cookbook is vegetarian cooking for everyone by Deborah Madison (it’s about 90%vegan- some recipes add cheese or something on top and can easily be omitted) my favorites have been roasted red pepper soup with polenta croutons, chayote and corn enchiladas, fresh mushroom risotto, and her stir fry and Dal recipes have been excellent.
1. I have no idea for vacations. We never go anywhere.
2. Letting my kids cook stresses me out! I need them to learn though, so maybe I’ll give up a tiny bit of control.
3. I should have “encouraged” my boys a bit more to get their Eagle award. They didn’t show the interest though, so I didn’t force it. I kind of wish I had.
4. Just Ingredients has an awesome natural deodorant. https://justingredientswithkaralynne.com/collections/deodorant-face-serum
5. I’m a new quilter. Your project looks amazing! I hope to make something like that in the future. I’ve got to work up to your level of awesomeness.
6. I have no recipe suggestions. Sorry. Cancer sucks.
7. I need to listen to that TED talk. My kids get all worked up over the lamest things.
8. We’ve been loving “Bears and the Bees” game. It’s a Grandpa Beck game that even my 6 year old can play with minimal assistance.
9. That is all.
Natural deodorant – we have tried so many (Pit Paste, Native, Tom’s, etc), and the best has been the salt crystal deodorant. It actually works!
https://www.amazon.com/Deodorant-Stones-America-Thai-Crystal/dp/B001E0YN1W/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?keywords=salt+crystal+deodorant&qid=1580485152&sprefix=salt+crystal&sr=8-5
Family vacations — one of our best was Disneyworld. It sounds cliche, but I had researched it and we all had a wonderful time. I have loved some of our other vacations, like Mexico (Playa del Carmen), but planning and navigating were much more stressful both before and during the vacation (great memories now). I think the best place for a family reunion is a beach location — appeals to all ages. I love your Sunday dinner idea – mostly my kids are assigned as sous chefs, meaning they’ve done a lot of grating and chopping and so forth, but they don’t make a whole recipe from start to finish (except desserts — they are great at those and love finding recipes on your site!). Thanks for your thoughts!
https://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/17/fashion/the-family-stories-that-bind-us-this-life.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
This is a great article on resilience and strong family narratives.
First comment on here ever but I always meant I comment so here I go 🙂 Your quilt is adorable! Excellent work! I always love your recipes (we talk about you at the dinner table like you are a local friend “This is from Mel” ) so thanks for many amazing recipes!
I’m super glad you tried patchwork – I love that game and meant to leave a comment about it after your Christmas post but never did. We’ve got similar taste in games for sure. Having said that – Inca Gold is so so fun!! We love King domino tons and tons as well. Monopoly deal truly is a blast (and I can’t really stand full length monopoly). And we got the spin off of Cover your assets for Christmas – Cover Your Kingdom – and it’s been fun too. I can never win Azul, but it’s still really fun as well. Have you tried Hive? Another two person quick game that’s really great too! I might have gotten the Chameleon game recommendation from you but in case I didn’t, my 15, 13, 10 and 8 year old all love that one also. Super great for teen parties. I could talk games and books forever so I better stop.
Thanks for an awesome blog with delicious recipes, excellent game ideas and all sorts of random fun. Congrats too on the new Eagle Scouts – that is no small feat!!
Oh and as for vacation – just going is the best! But if I had unlimited funds I’d go on a Disney cruise over and over. So perfect and magical for all ages. National parks make for super road trips and I think Hawaii is truly paradise. So many outstanding options! Good luck with the presentation
Check out the deodorant from Just Ingredients. It’s working great for me. Vegan 8 is a great resource for #6, also the Minimalist Baker. Best wishes of health to your friend. Love the quilt. I’ve done a little quilting, many moons ago, and that is very impressive.
I second just ingredients! I just started using her deodorant and I love it so much!!!
Oh natural deodorant. I wish I had any good recommendations, but I don’t. My mom and sister swear by Little Seed Company, and I got a few of their samples to try. I felt kinda meh about it. The thing I hated most was that it’s a paste, not a stick, and I really hated how my hands felt after I applied it even after I had washed it off. (I have texture issues and will avoid certain lotions even if my hands feel even a little bit weird.) The other one I’ve tried is Native. I liked it and it worked great for quite a while, but after my gallbladder surgery, I developed a weird rash in one armpit and I had to stop using it. Also, I really didn’t love the residue it seemed to leave on my g’s, because that stuff stinks like nobody’s business. I really, really need to scrub out the gunk because just washing them is not working. Like at all. I feel like at the end of the day I smell like a prepubescent boy too. *sigh* Good luck with your search. I’ve given up for a little while and have gone back to my normal deodorant. Someday I’ll try again.
Mel, I love you and your adorable family. Please, please find the best plant-based meals and share with us.
I second this! Plant based food that has been tested and approved by you is what we all need in our lives 🙂
Your quilt is amazing! Great job on persevering. Our favourite family vacations have been Myrtle Beach and a Royal Caribbean Cruise. Myrtle Beach is a more budget conscious choice. Every hotel has a kitchen in it – it has the ocean and amazing pools and there is lots of things to do there. We rented mopeds one time which was fun! Our favourite splurge vacation was the cruise we took – so much fun, so much amazing food and things for the kids to do non-stop. If you don’t need to do flights the price isn’t that bad for all it includes. Good luck!
Native deodorant!!
My daughter- who plays basketball and does ballet-and I LOVE Native deodorant. I was so scared to try it! But I’m on my second one and don’t seem to stink! 🙂
You’ve got to try Just Ingredients’ deodorant, life changing!!
Same!!!
First off I think your quilt and blanket look absolutely amazing! Congratulations for finishing strong! I also think that showing our kids that we can finish something and be proud of ourselves is a powerful thing. Here’s something I most proud of … I I’ve dreamed of writing a book for decades. Many close friends and not so close friends from church have encouraged me to write about my life experiences and how God has used them to transform me. I started writing about 6 years ago when my fourth son was an infant. I finished the first draft of my book in December!!! The next steps are overwhelming and I know nothing about them. It still feels like a dream that my book would ever be published but I feel so proud that I am working toward that dream. I threw a surprise party for my friends that have encouraged me along the way. They came to the party not knowing what we were celebrating … I was celebrating them believing in me and I was inviting them to celebrate that I actually did it! This year I’m trying to be more intentional about celebration.
1) Best family vacations—we’ve done a lot of fun vacations over the years and they e all been awesome for different reasons. We loved Hilton Head, South Carolina, Disney World, Oregon Coast, Banff, and a Ross trio through New Mexico. I probably couldn’t pick a favorite. It depends on what your family loves to do. Scenic beauty with lots of awesome trails and mild weather? —Oregon coast and Banff. Quirky, interesting stops with lots of variety? Road trips. Or Disney World really is magical for everyone. Relaxing bike rides and warm waves and playing in the sand?—Hilton Head. They’ve all been awesome but what made them special was having some cousins to play with and just finding fun things to do everyday.
3) Eagle Scouts? I’m so jealous. My son has to get his before he’s allowed to drive and he didn’t get his butt in gear in time and now he doesn’t have the troop support from our ward. He’s doing it in his own and we’re not relaxing the requirements. It’s just going to be that much harder for him to finish now. And I reeeeally want a driver.
4) Natural deodorant— in the interest of full disclosure, I am super sweaty all the time and have yet to find something that I love. I’ve tried Primal pit paste, Tom’s, Native, Schmidt’s, something from shark tank, charcoal, etc. Schmidt’s doesn’t make me less sweaty but it does keep me from being smelly. But it’s so rough! I’m still searching.
I’ve been working on my “first” quilt for 10 years now and I’m super jealous that you finished yours. Being a finisher is not my strong suit.
Vegan— we grew up eating “Fit for Life” and it was practically vegan. There was some weird stuff my mom fed us but man were we healthy. I’ve also been impressed with Just Monday meals. It’s not all vegan but it’s dairy free and gluten free and could easily be adapted, I think.
Finally, Patchwork is my favorite! My boys will always play that one with me.
Mel, I love, love, love your messages today. Especially the one about finishing things. I have been in the process of getting unfinished projects out of drawers, closets, cabinets and steadily one or two at a time , finishing them. It may be a middle sized mending, or returning something for repair, or ordering that missing or broken part… I have been some successful and it is freeing up drawer, cabinet. And closet space, and most importantly freeing my mind! Like running a mini marathon. My best vacations have been to the Abacos, in the Bahamas. Unfortunately Hurricane Dorian demolished that area so badly last Sept. I pray that they are recovering but I know it will be years. The attraction was a laid back lifestyle where you walked or took a small boat (we rented two Boston Whaler boats) every where you went. So casual, all one needed was swimsuits and shorts. Just get up every morning and decide whether to go fishing or snorkeling or just boat riding and exploring! Your family would love it, I went with my husband and four teenage or almost teenage children.
I do not have nifty plant based recipes but it is wonderful you are helping your friend, and there are lots of resources out there.
1) Best vacation ever was to Universal Orlando. We stayed at a hotel on property and took a gondola over to the theme parks every day. It was easy to come and go between the parks and our hotel. We got front of the line passes and so we were able to spend less time waiting and more time doing. We even got up at 5 am one morning to get into the park before it opened and do the Harry Potter ride. It was magical.
2) I use both Toms and Native natural deoderant and haven’t had a chafing problem and I think I smell ok 🙂
Hi Mel, what a great post! I swear you amaze me even without your recipes! Great job on your projects. The project I need to finish this year is creating our Game Room. We are like you and your family. We haven’t met a game we don’t like. I have put it off and put it off but I truly believe this is THE year. I have already made huge strides but have more to go.
The real reason I wanted to comment was to answer your vacation question. Traveling is just one of my many passions. I am wondering if your question meant where is our favorite travel place within the United States or abroad. Since you didn’t specify I am going to give both answers. Our favorite place within the United States is traveling in Maine. It is not called Vacationland for nothing! If it’s your first time, then I would go to Acadia National Park first and then work your way back down the coast with stops along the way and then stay the night Boothbay Harbor is about three hours south and a Great town to stay the night in before moving on further south. There are so many things to do and see in Maine it would take me a week to type this note so just start googling. Be sure and stop in to L.L. Bean which is open 24/7 year round.
A few places we love outside the United States are New Zealand, Italy, Namibia, South Africa, Croatia and Slovenia.
Good luck with everything!
Amy in Chester
I started teaching my kids (now ages 16, 14, 12 & 10) when my oldest was 10. For me it was easiest in the summer. I assigned each a day of the week. We planned our weekly menu on Sunday, each child choosing what make on their day. We made a grocery list for any items we needed to purchase. Then on Monday they all came with me to grocery shop. (This part wasn’t always fun, but I wanted them to learn how.) They also realized how much time and prep went into making some of their favorite meals. Now fast forward 5 years later and I have 4 trained kitchen helpers. They are all busy during the week, but not on the same days. They all have the skills to pitch in and help on any given night. With a driver in the house I can give a grocery list and she knows her way around a store and feels comfortable paying at the register. During the summer they held me accountable for teaching on their assigned night and I found we ate out less and didn’t opt for cold cereal even we had a long day at the pool.
I have used all the deodorants you mentioned above +more. haha. I have already accepted that I am a sweater and was tired of chemically trying to stop my sweating. So after that was accepted, I decided I just needed to stop smelling. yep. I blame it on hormones, but I felt like I always smelled! I have recently been using “just ingredients” deodorant and it is definitely the smoothest I have tried. https://justingredients.us/products/sweet-citrus-magnesium-deodorant/
Native would probably be #2 for me. I like that I can quickly pick it up from Target. It is definitely smoother then Schmidt’s (sand paper anyone?), and they have a wide variety of scents. Good Luck!!
Best all natural (with excellent science behind it) is Shaklee antiperspirant cream. I’ve used Shaklee products since 1994 from vitamins to all natural household cleaning products with amazing results. Yes it’s a MLM company but I am not trying to sell you anything… it’s just a wonderful product line that has stood the test of time for me and my family.
We’re middle income folks here so when our three sons were growing up camping was core to our existence and in Wisconsin there’s many phenomenal options and locations to choose from. Twice though we took the kids on more lengthy vacations. Best trip was destination to the Smokey Mountains; in the way we spent two days in Springfield Illinois exploring all the historic Lincoln stuff; from there we visited Mammoth Cave in Kentucky and then onto Smoky Mountain National park. I think we were gone a total of 15 days. We pulled our pop up camper and had a wonderful time! I think that was truly our very best family trip. Boys are grown men now and they seem to bring this trip up more often than our other big trip which encompassed Niagara Falls…everybody should see Niagara Falls! Anyway I encourage you to make those beautiful family memories!
I have a few vacation suggestions for you. We have 4 kids — 14,11,10, 5. It depends really on cost. Our absolute favorite vacation was a Disney Cruise. We loved it so much we did it twice! The first time we did a few Disney parks and Universal. The second time we flew to San Juan Puerto Rico with friends for our cruise. Loved, loved Puerto Rico! As for Cruises- the best because No cooking, no cleaning, activities planned for all ages, warm climate, and explore new places together. If not Disney, any cruise is worth doing. We live in the northwest and the summers here are perfect! Head to the OR or WA coast, Orcas Island in the San Juans, Victoria, BC and Vancouver BC … So many things to explore. Happy to give you more recommendations for these locations. And last recommendation is Lake Tahoe. We stayed in a rustic cabin at Camp Richardson. Played on the lake, hiking, biking, and there is a cool hike to Angora lake where you rent a row boat to go cliff jumping. Take the Heavenly Gondola too. Our next destination is NY city! Our plan is to try all kinds of pizza and good food while exploring the city life. Can’t wait!
Our best family vacation was to Disney World/Universal in Orlando. The kids loved Epcot and the different countries. My sons just had the best time, and so did mom and dad. We would stay on property so we could go back to the room at some point during the day and get off our feet for at least an hour, as dad always needed a nap.
Hi Mel,
I loved this post. I am sadly not a mom, but I loved hearing about your boys’ scouting journey. I am a Guider with Girl Guides of Canada and work with 5-6 year old girls in Sparks (what would be Daisies in GSA) and I love being able to participate in the growth of their minds, imagination and confidence. I love that it focuses on character and skill building. Congratulations to your boys (and you) for achieving Eagle Scout!
I am sorry to hear about your friend’s cancer. I have a recommendation on a cookbook and I will insist you MUST get this cookbook. It’s called ReFresh by Ruth Tal, and is the cookbook from the amazing Fresh Restaurants in Toronto, where they were doing vegan before vegan became mainstream.
The dishes, the sauces…. everything in here is a winner. Yes to the marinated tofu. Yes to the chickpea curry. Yes to the green goddess bowl. I am not a vegan, but I think I could be if I used this cookbook more often. I leant my copy and haven’t gotten it back which makes me sad!
PS – love both your quilts!!
Favorite trip ever…any of the Hawaiian islands but particularly the Big Island. My kids love the beach and it’s easy entertainment. So much to see and do.
Last summer we toured Niagara Falls, Palmyra, priesthood restoration site, and kirtland. It was also a great road trip type of trip. We flew into Toronto and out of Cleveland. Make sure to book a car early. We waited to long and couldn’t find a car big enough to hold our crew. Driving two cars all those miles was kind of a bummer. Though it may have cut back on fighting in the back seats 🙂
Love the Sunday dinner idea. I am a bit afraid of the fighting about dishes and cleanup.
Thanks for the game ideas. Always so great. Have guy played The Quacks of Quedlinburg. We got that as a gift for Christmas and I’d say it’s a hit…only 4 players though.
Your quilt is AMAZING. Way to finish! I’ve started to crochet a scarf 3 times now and maybe I should work on finishing that sometime this year. Thanks for the inspiration and example of perseverance. Very impressed.
Good natural deodorant: my husband has the same sensitivity to deodorants and uses a “crystal” stick deodorant. He just uses it right out of the shower, or adds a couple drops of water before using it. It doesn’t stop sweating, but eliminates odor.
For vegan recipes,
Vegan Parmesan cheese from the Minimalist Baker is crazy good: 3/4 cup raw cashews, 3 Tbsp nutritional yeast, 1/4 tsp garlic powder and 3/4 tsp sea salt, all buzzed in a food processor just until crumbly. It’s delicious on everything, or honestly, even by the spoonful! One other thought, if your friend is going through treatment, and has dry skin, try “Gentle Touch Baby Cream.” It’s natural and organic, super rich and doesn’t sting or burn. At https://www.gildentree.com/p-456-baby-kids-gentle-touch-moisturizing-cream-for-sensitive-skin.aspx, and also available on Amazon.
Hey Mel! I am not big on posting, but you convinced me!
When it comes to vacations, I have the problem of always thinking of fun vacations to go on while on vacation! I might be a little too adventurous for my husband. That or it might be that he is in his last semester of school and we are suppose to be saving not spending
My sister in law has been traveling all over the place with her family and has a lot of good tips and sweet places to check out. @csginger
Also I am excited to listen to the TEDx talk! I definitely want to be a finisher but my problem is figuring out what to start doing! Now that I have a 6 month old and am home all the time I am trying to think of what to do at home. Most of my previous hobbies were outside. We do take her cross country skiing but…. still, I am in the adjustment phase.
131method.com has a lot of vegan/plant based/non processed recipes. But you can’t get them unless you sign up for a membership. The recipes are good and have strange ingredients. Might be worth the investment. There are hundreds.
Adding to what’s already been posted with suggestions for plant based blogs – the first 2 are from people living with cancer
https://kriscarr.com/recipes/
https://www.acouplecooks.com/recipes/
https://www.loveandlemons.com/recipes/
I really like the Native deodorant, it’s all natural and you can get it at Walmart. I really like the Lavender and Rose scented one. Never had a problem with irritation with this one.
Uggg…I’ve been on the natural deodorant struggle bus too. I usually give up and switch back to Dove. Here is my issue: I do NOT want to shower every day, only the days I exercise. HA! I don’t mind if I stink a bit after running or working out, but I do not want to stink from nervous sweat, or ooops wore one too many layers, etc. I too have heard that it takes awhile and that everyone’s body chemistry is different. Thanks for this post…I needed some new deodorant ideas. I’ve tried many but not obviously not all! 🙂
We too definitely recommend staying in and Airbnb or VRBO. We’ve loved many of our family vacations, and quite honestly, I think the most important part is to just go. It’s not always going to be a rockstar destination that makes or breaks the trip. Really, it’s about spending time together away from everyday demands and exploring new places. That said, we’ve enjoyed WY (check out Yellowstone/Tetons of course, but stay somewhere less touristy…the Beartooth Hwy (212) is amazing), North Shore in MN (think Lake Superior, north of Duluth), the UP (Michigan), Branson (more activities/less nature…great memories at Silver Dollar City), and coastal Oregon . ENJOY wherever you end up going!
I recommend SmartyPits. It works for me and I love the scents. They have a sensitive skin version too. It’s a woman owned company and a percentage of sales goes to breast cancer awareness and survivor support.
Our favorite family vacations are a week at a cabin at a northern Minnesota lake near Park Rapids MN. It’s a small town with an old fashioned soda fountain/restaurant and shops. Fishing, great bike trails, nightly bonfires, no TV, reading and board games. Great family bonding. We also love the Oregon coast – Seaside and Cannon Beach. The kids loved kite flying and a side trip to Fort Clatsop, Lewis and Clark National Historical Park near Astoria.
Best family vacation in the history of ever was loading up in a motorhome for a 2 week trip down the Oregon Coast and to San Diego, California. But it was the motorhome that made the trip. You could go anywhere that is actually warm enough for camping. Driving was great, sleeping worked anywhere (Hello, Walmart parking lot!) and we had SO MUCH FUN!
I’d love to learn more about the natural deodorant- the antiperspirants seem to make me smell worse. I’m half happy with Tom’s, but if there is something better out there I want to know about it!
We are kinda failing in the area of teaching the kids to cook. My 14 year-old cooked twice last week out of necessity and he made grilled cheese both times!
Your quilt is truly impressive, I can see why it made you sweat!!
I also want kids who will be finishers, be resilient, and give everything their best effort. I’ll take tips on that too!
Thanks for all the Friday thoughts!
Pick Up Limes has really yummy vegan recipes. I am not vegan but we love plant based foods and every recipe I have tried has been great.
(Just like your recipes!)
Also, Angela Duckworth on the TED talk has a great book about Grit. I have read the book but I am excited to listen to the talk to. There is also a website called “The Art of Manliness” that discusses grit and perseverance a lot and it has a interveiw with Angela (https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/podcast-210-got-grit/). It is a great website that my boys have loved.
The family vacations that I have loved the most have been the ones where we’ve rented a house right on the beach and then just hung out together. During the day we played in the surf or sand, read, napped, walked – whatever people felt like doing. After a simple dinner, the evenings were filled with games, movies, puzzles, miniature golf, beach walks, etc. It is just so relaxing and such a joy to hang out with the family when there isn’t a schedule or someplace we needed to be. We’ve taken several destination vacations that included lots of sight seeing and exploring and those have been amazing, but in terms of actually relaxing and destressing and having lots of down time with individual family members, nothing beats the beach for me. The only negative is the annoying application of sunscreen.
Have you tried Schmidt’s sensitive skin formula? It’s the only one I’ve had remote success with but I’m still on the lookout for a better deodorant! Oh some people have also suggested stink bug, I personally didn’t like Native, it didn’t cover stink for me.
Native deodorant!!!!!!!!
Rockport Massachusetts or Disney World
Great questions today. I have an awesome, inexpensive, strange natural deodorant suggestion. Buy a bottle of milk of magnesia. (Usually flavor/chemical free. The non name brands are usually the ones). You just want the single ingredient kind. Nothing else.
Let it sit for a day so that the water separates to
the top. Pour off the watery liquid into the sink until you start to get to the thick, chalky stuff. Pour the remaining contents into a jar/container. That’s it. That’s your deodorant. I just apply with fingertips. It’s truly amazing. You can Google it for more information.
As a teacher and now homeschooling mom, grit is something that matters to me, too. I don’t have all of the answers, but one thing I’ve always done with my students and kids is idle between giving them the help and leaving them completely alone. I will ask questions to help them see the next step they should take or what their options are.
I ask things like, “What are your options?” “What resources do you have?” (“Use your resources!” Was my favorite line in the classroom.:))
If it’s a school problem I’ll ask content specific problems to guide them along. If it’s something like getting a shirt right side out (I have young kids). I will try to talk her through the process without doing it for her and trying not to lecture. “What do you know you need to do?” “Why do you think it’s not working?”
And the thing I find most successful in growth mindset is changing the discussion around mistakes, struggles, and blocks. We embrace them as part of learning. I will point out when I’m struggling with something myself and I’ll walk myself through the process outloud. (Honestly an example is making your Bundt bread that didn’t turn out and I was upset and I cried. I got the ingredients out and tried again. It didn’t turn out. Until I turned my oven on, my house warmed up, and the dough started to rise. I felt my frustration and my family saw, but I also walked through the process of troubleshooting and trying again outloud.)
Anyway, I’m sure your Sunday dinner assignments are a way this is happening very naturally in your home.
1) Yellowstone!! I went against my will in college with my parents, and it was my favorite trip ever. Like another world. And every American should see a field of buffalo!
2) In summer (because that is when we have more free weeknights), I let each of my kids pick a meal to make for the next week. They help me decide what to add to the grocery list to make it, and that night, I show them how to make it, stepping in for anything like chopping or opening a can that I need to do. 3) Congrats, Mama! 4) Try Lavanilla. I still need to use regular deo in the summers because natural just doesn’t cut it, but this is the best smelling one and mostly effective. 5) GORGEOUS! 6) I’m no help in vegan things. &) thank you for the rec. I love podcasts and am always looking for added grit for my kids! 7) Keep the family game recs coming!!!
I’ve tried a ridiculous amount of natural deodorants too. Most of them irritate my skin and weirdly I’m currenlty using and the Schmidt’s charcoal + magnesium ♀️. Sandpaper for sure! I recommend getting a stainless steel bar “soap”. It seems so silly to wash with metal but it definitely helps with odor.
Love your Sunday assignments! My boys LOVE cooking but I get high anxiety too watching. I love the idea of assigning it and walking away. THANKS!
I am SOOO impressed with your Sunday night kids cooking routine. Again, you have shown what an amazing mom you are. But seriously, how do you not go crazy? I know that my 11 year old can cook more in the kitchen it is just hard to let him sometimes. I love your idea of giving them one part/task instead of helping with the whole meal.
I think a cruise is the best vacation! You should go on a cruise through Royal Caribbean, NCL, or Carnival(with carnival being last choice).
That is awesome that you let your kids cook on sundays. That is a great idea. I haven’t learned to let go of control yet.
I use Native Deodorant. You can get it on their website or at target. I don’t think I smell (unless no one is telling me).
Umm that quilt is amazing! I’ve made a few quilts in the last 7 years but that animal one is amazing!!
I think we have a few mutual friends, since we are from the same town. I’m pretty sure I know who you are talking about with the cancer. It’s so heartbreaking!
Also, you should try the game uno flip. It’s really fun. It has a fun twist on the original game.
If you’ve never done an LDS church history tour with your kids–Missouri and Nauvoo at least–I recommend it. We looked up a bunch of family stories and read them along the way, and I think everyone enjoyed it. Maybe not our Most Fun Ever, but definitely something worth doing.
Mel, do you have any recipe ideas for missionaries? More specifically, my son is in the Philippines and he has limited access to American ingredients+a hotplate that’s so hot on the lowest setting that he can’t even fry an egg without having it burn. Plus limited time to cook. It’s like being perpetually on an episode of Cutthroat Kitchen.
Sanibel Island is our favorite family vacation and we’ve been there many years in a row now. The shelling you can do there is amazing.
Excited about eating more plant-based meals myself but I’m still looking for a Mel’s Kitchen-type source for recipes. 🙂
Ok, for deodorant look up Just Ingredients on Instagram. She came out with one a little while ago and it’s amazing. Goes on like butter, and smells amazing. Just read the reviews and you’ll see how awesome it is. She also has a face serum that is AMAZING. My skin has totally changed.
Also for your friend with cancer, I highly recommend she also follow Just Ingredients on Instagram. She is a great resource for getting chemicals out of your body and using food to help heal.
Favorite trip was in 2017. We live in Texas and my sister lives in Alberta. We drove from Texas to Alberta and made a ton of stops along the way. Texas->slc where my parents were serving a mission on temple square was the first leg. Did all the temple square stuff over a few days and visited family. Then we went up to Yellowstone for a couple days. Then up to Alberta for a week. While there we visited Waterton and glacier national parks (glacier had my favorite hike EVER.) Then on the way back down, we stopped in Provo a couple of days to show the kids BYU and see some friends. Did some hiking there too. Next was arches national park. This was the kids fav because of all the climbing around. Stayed in a fun hotel there. Then Mesa verde national park. Also really cool. Met up with some family in Albuquerque then home to Texas.
Jason’s deodorant works for me. As far as your friends cancer I don’t know if vegan would be her best choice of diet. Cancer cells thrive on sugar ( all veggie’s and fruit have carbs which our bodies turn into sugar to use as fuel) and most cancer cells cannot use ketones (fat) for fuel. With that being said I believe the best diet for her would be a ketogenic diet. I recommend Dr. Annette Bosworth’s book Anyway You Can. She helped her mom beat cancer with the ketogenic diet. She also has a blog bozmd.com /blog/. I hope this helps.
Try just ingredients brand of natural deodorant. Buy online
I would love to see more plant-based recipes as I have recently had to change my diet up for health reasons. I’ve had to stop cooking many of my favorite Mel recipes (sad, sad day) and I miss them! Detoxinista has good ones – I prefer her desserts. I just bought myself “Vegan for Everybody” and am working my way through the recipes. The vegan lasagna was easy and yummy. I collect recipes on Pinterest and asian style foods are the easiest to adjust – thai sweet potato carrot soup was amazing…most Indian foods work well. Lentils are my new best friend and I use them in my spaghetti sauce now instead of meat…surprisingly the entire family prefers it! It’s on the great website Cookie + Kate.
Family vacations are the BEST! Agree with someone who said renting a VRBO or AirBnB and just being together as a family are what really make the vacation the best…but some of our recent trips (with a range of 5year old to 19 year old kids) include Pinecrest/Strawberry, CA; Sunriver, Oregon (a regular place for us); Tillamook, OR; Grand Canyon/Bryce Canyon road trip; MAUI – which was a pre-mission send-off with our second child and it was the BEST vacation we could have asked for.
I am making my first quilt and it’s NOT working out as well as I’d hoped. I may have to find a different new hobby. 😉 . Love your animal quilt and SO impressed.
I love these Friday thoughts!
Vacations: I always thought the best vacation would be Disneyland, and while my kids love it, we’ve done two others they liked even more. My kids are 10 and 6–both boys. For the first, we went to the San Juan Islands off of Seattle. We stayed in a cabin in the woods (I DON’T CAMP!), and we loved every second of it. We played baseball, played games, and best of all, we did the whale watching–totally worth it.
Last summer, we took our kids up through Yellowstone and over to Mt. Rushmore. They loved that too!
Also, try the natural deodorant by Just Ingredients. She’s on Instagram, and completely worth it to follow.
Hi Mel! Love reading your Friday thoughts! Have you tried Schmidt’s charcoal + magnesium? I also had mad irritation with some of their other scents but love this one! Our family has also been transitioning to a mostly plant based diet for health reasons and I’ve been loving The China Study Cookbook. Lots 0f great recipes and no weird, hard to find ingredients- I’d definitely recommend it. Well done on your quilt- that’s no small feat! And have you ever played the game Dutch Blitz? It’s a fast paced favorite of ours and you can get the expansion pack to play with up to 8 people.
I love Native deodorant. Have been using it for a couple of years. It’s awesome!
Yep, Native is the best and smells great. They also now sell it at Walmart and Target I think.
It is almost impossible to pick just one favorite family vacation. We loved the Disney cruise we took a few years ago. We also really enjoyed a trip we took to Florida. We spent time at the beach and amusement parks.
I have had great success with this Thai deodorant stone
I use it with this deodorant that is not natural but also does not cause any irritation.
The stone provides a barrier that helped me no longer have any irritation. I know some people just use the stone and you could try that while you heal up any irritation you are having and then add the Dove if you felt it was needed.
Deodorant- try just ingredients natural deodorant. It’s amazing!
Quilting- That forest quilt is incredible!
Food- No advice in the food column, but I’m sorry for what your friend is going through. ♥️
We are also a big family and trying a Royal Caribbean cruise for this first time this March. I’m excited for this because there will be no cooking, laundry, chores etc for me and everything will be prepaid. The excursions are all booked ahead of time so no figuring out what to do on a daily basis. The ship has something for everyone to enjoy at every age level along with a fun kids camp for kids up to age 12 if my husband and I wanted a night for just us to go to one of the adult shows. It’s the best bang for our buck according to our travel agent – who gets a kick back through Royal Caribbean and is free for us to use! She was a huge resource!
We were gifted a trip to Disney Aulani in Hawaii last Christmas and it is by far the best vacation we’ve ever been on! Now, we didn’t have to pay for anything (it was a gift), but I would totally save up and go again in a heartbeat! Disney just knows vacation and luxury and customer service.
We’ll probably do a Disney cruise next time because I imagine it’s cheaper and still amazing. Also, staying at the Atlantis resort is on my bucket list.
I’m all about the all-inclusive experience because the kids don’t feel limited and mom and dad know the costs up front and can also relax 🙂
If you’re looking to stay on this continent, then I recommend Coronado, CA. The Hotel Del is dreamy and the whole island is so cute and charming. And it’s close to Legoland and Sea World if you get an overcast day or don’t want to be at the beach everyday.
We’re also dying to stay at a great wolf lodge and enjoy a water park without the sun.
I heard the natural deodorant by “just ingredients “ (Instagram page is the same name) is good? And I’d love plant based recipes. I’m hitting that forty-something age bracket where all of a sudden your body doesn’t work right and your mortality dangles before your eyes! Thanks for all the hard work and deliciousness
My family absolutely adores visiting the South Carolina low country – Hilton Head Island, Charleston, and are looking forward to venturing to Savannah, GA this summer when there. Beautiful land and beaches, the BEST food. You can be as active or as lazy as you choose. We love to stay in Sea Pines on Hilton head island and rent bicycles to get around.
Mel, I am Lindsay Malones mother. We love talking about our favorite recipes on your blog. I want to address a few of your questions. Deodorant: I have made my own deodorant for years. 1/4 c arrowroot, 1/4 c baking soda, 5-6 T coconut oil, a few drops of your favorite essential oil (optional). Your body is allowed to sweat, but no odor. I love it.
Next, our company is getting ready to market an ancient Native American Tea that cant make “claims” about cancer, but it really works. I can give you more history and info if you’re interested. Also vitamin B17 is so beneficial. Best source is in apricot SEEDS. You can find them on amazon. 3 a day.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPADSv3XAv0&feature=share
I also have been happy with Native! I get it online – great packaging and fast shipping.
I LOOOOVE the Kopari Coconut Oil natural deodorant. See what you think! 🙂
Love these thoughts thanks for sharing!
Vacation: no matter what vacation you do, I’ve found the best memories are made when you do more than just entertain yourself (looking at you Disneyland lol). I’m not saying entertainment is bad, but try to include an activity that would challenge your family (maybe something that helps overcome a fear, pushes you physically, etc) one that would be meaningful (like history, service, national monument etc) and something that is relaxing. I think if you can check 3-4 different types of boxes, any vacation you do is going to be fantastic!
We just went to Branson Missouri, we had a blast! Silver dollar city was a big hit with the kids. We also did Sampson a show that the kids also really enjoyed.
Native deodorant is what I have been using for about a year now and was even able to convince my husband to switch over to. You can buy in stores now but it’s cheaper on their website.
Our family has 2 vacations that they still talk about – and our kids are 9, 7 and 7!
First trip was to the Black Hills. We went swimming in a lake out there, went camping, there happened to be a small forest fire while we were they and the kids were able to watch a helicopter load up water from a pond that we were staying next to and see them dump it off on the fire! We also went hiking and did some fun tourist stuff!
Our next favorite trip was out to Kentucky. We road tripped out there and did all sorts of fun things! We saw Noah’s Ark, went to Lexington, saw the Kentucky Horse Park. On the way home we stopped in Cincinatti and slept in the Newport Aquarium! It was so amazing! The kids were asking if we could stay on vacation forever
Native deodorant has been Great!!!!
Coconut vanilla is what I’ve loved!
Hey Mel! I am not big on posting, but you convinced me!
When it comes to vacations, I have the problem of always thinking of fun vacations to go on while on vacation! I might be a little too adventurous for my husband. That or it might be that he is in his last semester of school and we are suppose to be saving not spending
My sister in law has been traveling all over the place with her family and has a lot of good tips and sweet places to check out. @csginger
Also I am excited to listen to the TEDx talk! I definitely want to be a finisher but my problem is figuring out what to start doing! Now that I have a 6 month old and am home all the time I am trying to think of what to do at home. Most of my previous hobbies were outside. We do take her cross country skiing but…. still, I am in the adjustment phase.
Ugh, I’m with you on the deodorant thing. It doesn’t help that my armpits itch. All.the.time. I spent the fortune to get the Lume convinced it was gonna be magic. And for two days… it was okay. Apparently you have to get rid of any clothing that made have your old deodorant on it. Not happening.
You need Just Ingredients magnesium deodorant!! It is my favorite and has so many benefits! She is based in UT. That quilt is fantastic! Thanks for your amazing posts and recipes.
Best natural deodorant out there, in my opinion, is doTERRA’s sensitive skin deodorant. It doesn’t have any baking soda in it, which most people are sensitive or allergic to. I didn’t know this until I did some research and testing on myself. Everyone should detox their pits before using any natural deodorant to get the built up toxins out of your armpit areas. You can use a charcoal face mask to do that. Some people think if they sweat the deodorant isn’t working but that is a myth. We need to sweat to release the toxins from our bodies. Let me know if you want to try it out, I would be more than happy to send you a sample.
I will definitely watch that Ted talk because my word for the year is Grit! Do you do a word for the year? It seems to becoming more and more popular with people or at least I’m hearing more of it.
Costa Rica is the vacation my kids always talk about! We rented a house not too far from the beach in a smaller town. The house had a pool, we played in the ocean, rode four wheelers in the jungle, zip lining, fishing, sailing, etc. it was a fantastic trip and we can’t wait to go back!
Where in Costa Rica did you stay? We’re considering going there on vacation, but not sure what city/part to stay in.
You need this deodorant: https://justingredientswithkaralynne.com/collections/deodorant-face-serum It is the best I’ve tried.
I’m so impressed with the projects you’ve finished! I have a few lying around that I should finish.
Hey there Mel,
Last year our family spent a week on Moorea (the island next to Tahiti) and I can say for the first time in decades that I sat there and felt zero stress. We got a private house with a private beach and because the island is surrounded by a reef, the water is shallow and still, so the kids could go snorkel on their own for hours. I loved putting my chair in the water and reading. Perfect warm sunny weather, perfectly unstressed, and just the right balance of fun and doing nothing at all.
I transitioned to a mostly Whole Foods Plant Based diet a year or so ago, and then brought my family along. I only cook WFPB but don’t force anything on the boys when they’re away from home. I say ‘mostly’ WFPB because I still bake with eggs but I only bake occasionally now because I limit the sugar intake somewhat. I have kept our meals simple (chili, stirfries, etc) because even the recipes that have reviews saying ‘the carnivores in their lives couldn’t tell the difference between this ranch dressing and regular ranch dressing’ were ick. So baby steps. But it’s been awesome.
And I also recently switched to natural deodorant and have been pleased with Dr. Teal’s so far. Not as fool proof as what I was using, but less worries about aluminum and for the most part I don’t sweat or stink. I used to be able to skip a shower day or two but now I just don’t and I don’t have a problem.
I love your Sunday dinner idea. I want to start it. Since we went vegan, Shaun has been taking it upon himself to cook on Sundays in his quest for the perfect curry. And naan is sometimes involved. I’m a happy girl. One recipe I do love is a cashew based Alfredo sauce. Oh and also this cheese: https://itdoesnttastelikechicken.com/melty-stretchy-gooey-vegan-mozarella/
It actually melts and my family likes it on pizza. But it’s an occasional treat. Good luck!
Deodorant-> No Pong.
My favorite family trip was taken about 3 years ago when my boys were 13,13,15. We started in San Diego and drove through Arizona to New Mexico then back through Arizona and ended in Vegas. We hit Saguaro National Park, the Gila Cliff Dwellings, the Painted Dessert, the Petrified Forest, the Grand Canyon, the Hoover Dam and the Valley of Fire (state park by Vegas that is really neat). My guys still talk about that one.
Deorderant: I was talking to a group of women at Target in the deorderant aisle. (They are starting to get a large selection of natural varieties.) The conclusion was that natural is good for non stinking but not necessarily for non sweating purposes.
Vegan: I love Pinch of Yum for plant based awesomeness.
Try Just.ingredients deoderant. The best I’ve tried
She has such a great Instagram account too! I’ve followed her for awhile now and I have learned so much. She gives information in a way that is helpful and not overwhelming. I love it
I second the just.ingredients deodorant! I’ve tried many natural deodorants and this one has a great smell, no rashes, and goes on smooth.
Whole Sisters Boss Sauce is my favorite vegan plant based dressing/dip. I use it for everything!
Mel
My husband and I went vegan cold turkey in January. Tons of recipes on the internet. Go to “the game changers” and “veganuary”. Killer brownies , I had to hide them from my husband so I could eat them all.
https://gamechangersmovie.com/recipes/easy-freezer-fudge-brownies/
Delicious soup
https://cadryskitchen.com/african-peanut-stew-vegan/
Amazing grain salad
https://us.veganuary.com/recipes/braised-cauliflower-and-puy-lentil-tabouleh
You’d love All these recipes, too. Good luck!
I found this resource for a friend a few years ago when she was diagnosed with cancer. I think it has some good tips, as well as recipes.
https://jeanetteshealthyliving.com/cooking-for-cancer-patients-tips/?utm_source=Jeanette%27s+Healthy+Living&utm_campaign=7531284396-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_cd6a28bef2-7531284396-73800625
Violets are Blue Skincare just came out with a magnesium all natural deodorant. I found it at Credo, It is the first one I have found that works and is free of oils and smells. (She is is also a breast cancer survivor so the deodorant was the most important product she has created.) She also gives product to women on their first day of cancer treatment at Mt Sinai in NYC.
Justingredients for deodorant. The creator is Karalynne and she recently introduced us to Juanique of gutsy_mom on Instagram. Her husband had stage 4 cancer and they cured it holistically. Now they run a clinic in Provo. Amazing story, learning so much. Also kimcankickit on insta talks about juicing celery every morning. Drs gave her a few months to live several years ago.
Best wishes to your friend, life is such a tender beautiful mess!
I have to listen to that TED talk. I totally agree with you! I also have 4 sons and a daughter and my oldest is just 13. I have thought a lot in the past few years about raising children who persevere, dont give up and aren’t afraid of failure…I know…big goals! These things will all help them naturally and, more importantly, spiritually. One of the keys I have found is trying to find the balance in helping them succeed, while also making room for failure. Failure is actually a gift we can give our children. We learn a lot from failure- its not the end of the world, perseverance, grit, tenacity, and eventually to keep at it until we succeed. For some reason parenting as a whole has seemed to move away from letting our children fail. As mothers there is also within us that innate drive to shelter and protect our kids which we can all argue are very good qualities to have as a mom. But…are we sheltering our kids so much from the storms and failures of life that we are raising children who are unprepared for the difficulties of life(which shape us all) and are so unfamiliar with failure that they are afraid to even try?? Questions my husband and I have pondered. Why are we so obsessed with giving our children accolades and making success even across the board for all? That is not real life…there are winners and losers at games, promotions, contests and to shelter our children from failure is to raise young men and young women who may be so immobilized by failure as an adult that they hesitate to even try. Why not allow room for failure in a place where we can help them navigate the rush of feelings and urge to give up that follow. This is a big issue to ponder and then to figure out how this translates to real life. When my boys were younger one of the practical ways I put this into practice was with something as simple as when they would forget their homework or instrument at home. We lived one minute away and I could easily have brought it to them to save them from the consequences…but it was a very simple way I could let them experience failure and help them figure out modifications in their planning to avoid this same failure in the future. Our end goal has to be what kind of men and women are we sending off into the world someday…what kind of husbands and wives will they be? What kind of employees and fathers and mothers are we raising? Day after day stretches on when they are young and then suddenly you blink and they are teenagers!
Just some musings on my Friday;)
I love your Sunday idea! Question: what kinds of dishes is your youngest comfortable/able to make on her own? I get so nervous handing stuff over to my 7 and 9 year old and they are both afraid of lighting the gas stove or taking stuff out of the oven. Would love your suggestions!
Our favorite vacation so far has been Capitol Reef National Park in Utah. It was one of the best weekends my husband and I have had. Granted, we left the little ones with grandparents, but the whole time we kept thinking about going back and bringing our 2 and 5 year old boys. There are hikes/sights for literally all levels and it’s just beautiful! We went labor day weekend and it wasn’t even bad as far as crowds go. It’s pretty off the beaten path so camping, trailers, or subpar overpriced hotels are the lodging options.
That quilt is amazing! I long arm quilted a super simple patchwork quilt in high school and I’m still just so proud everytime I see it on the guest bed. I think I’d grab that over my wedding dress in case of a fire!
Also, I’m starting to feel like a freak of nature because Schmidt deodorant is actually great for me! Everyone else I know who tried it got crazy rashes too. So sorry, no help there!
I’ve been using Crystal deodorant: https://www.amazon.com/Crystal-essence-Deodorant-Roll-Lavender/dp/B0028FLM16/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=crystal+deodorant&qid=1580482250&sr=8-4 for a few months now. After years of using Secret, it started making my pits itch, so I decided I’d pushed my luck with that. The Crystal works pretty well, although I haven’t tested it out in the Texas summer heat yet. It doesn’t irritate and it smells nice. That’s my story and I’m “sticking” to it!
Last fall my family took a vacation to Death Valley National Park and then Sequoia National Forest. It was incredible! One of my top three vacations I’ve been on. The contrast between those two was immense. Both were mind-blowing and beautiful in completely different ways. Also, if you’ve never done the Junior Ranger Program for kids at the National Parks, it’s really fun and easy. Just ask about it at the park’s visitor center.
I tried a vegan diet a few years ago when my arthritis pain was debilitating. I knew something had to change, and so I stuck with a plant based diet for 8 months. It cleared up my joint pain within days. Now I eat meat, fish, etc. but go easy on the dairy and rarely have unmanageable joint pain. I can’t recommend the blog https://minimalistbaker.com enough. Great recipes. Short, few ingredients and always yummy.
My favorite natural deodorant is Native. So much better than all the others! Good luck!
I second the Native recommendation – love the Coconut Vanilla 😉
Me too!
I agree with Native!
I always love your Friday thoughts. The Sunday dinner rotation is brilliant. Do you decide what the main dish is (i.e. chicken, beef, pork) and then the kids decide how to cook it, or do you give them free reign to choose whatever?
Lume deodorant is working for me right now, but I feel like it’s a constant battle. And always after I have a baby I feel like nothing works, and I usually end up wearing 2-3 kinds at once (my baby is 3 now, so I guess I can’t use that as an excuse anymore. Ha!). I’ve basically cut out sugar, most dairy (still have plain Greek yogurt and parm) and reduced the amount of bread/pasta I eat, and I’ve noticed a big difference in the amount I sweat and in my body odor. Might be worth a try – or not! 🙂
As for favorite vacation spots – we LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Hilton Head Island, SC. We visited several years ago after some friends recommended it, and loved it so much that we’ve since bought two rental properties. If you’re interested, I’d be happy to share the links. They’re next door to each other and each sleep 14, and they’re right across the street from the beach. There’s a pool and BBQ in the complex, and tennis, golf, biking and a million other activities a stone’s throw away. Hilton Head is like the best of SoCal without the traffic (or undertow!). Great beaches (WIDE beach areas – perfect for sandcastles, bike riding, beach games – and warm, shallow-for-a-long-way water), restaurants, shops, galleries, and TONS of family friendly activities. Plus, Savannah is a short drive away and the South is so charming!!
And, your quilts are AMAZING!!! Nice work.
Our favorite family game right now is Telestrations. I have kids ages 7 to 14 and they love it. We play it with just adults too and it is hilarious. It is a mashup of telephone and pictionary. I would recommend the 12 player version.
2 family favorite vacations are the Oregon Coast. We rent a house each time we go and stay at either the Bandon Area or more up North at Seaside. We love the beach and they both have cute little towns with shops, chocolate and cheese factory. It can’t be beat. Our other favorite vacation was Mexico. We stayed at an all inclusive resort. Every other day we would explore. We went zip lining, horseback riding, swimming with Dolphins and also 4 wheeling. The other days we would lounge around the pool and sip on drinks. They had a kids bar and it was amazing. It’s been about 4 years and my kids still talk about it. I think any tropical area could have a similar vibe.
As I child the best trips we took were to dude ranches. You stay in a cabin, ride horses everyday, go on hikes and just enjoy nature. There isn’t any televisions or electronics so it’s a nice detox.
When my father and mother-in-law were diagnosed with cancer, we made a mineral broth from Rebecca Katz. We loved her recipes, more my mother-in-law than my father, but different types of cancers cause different side effects. https://www.rebeccakatz.com/magic-mineral-broth
Wow! Love the animal quilt! That is something I have thought about trying, but honestly it will have to wait till the kids are older (mine are 3,6,9,11).
Those quilts are insanely stunning! You are a great example of going after your passions in life and staying real, too. And I’m with you on the natural deodorant– I tried SO many and was SO stinky despite showering daily, scrubbing, skin masks with Redmond Clay, etc. They only one that has actually worked for me is Native. 2-3 swipes on each armpit and I’m good to go. It does have baking soda, which is irritating to some people’s skin. I also know a lot of people love Just Ingredients deodorant, which is totally clean and has magnesium rather than the baking soda. Everyone is so different in what works well for them. I’m so happy to have found Native and I hope you find what works for you!
I agree with Native Deodorant. I reluctantly switched a year ago. It took a few months before I felt it was working 100% but now it’s all I use. It doesn’t keep me as dry as Secret but I don’t feel I have an odor. (That’s important!). And now that Target carries it, I don’t run out.
Native Deodorant!
Hello Mel – for me the best ever vacation was when we went to Glacier National Forest in Montana. The scenery is incredible and the water is the bluest – I could just ramble about it anyway the time to go would be summer – yes more families and busier – but we went in October and some of the mountain passes were closed. If you go, there is oodles to see and do for the kids. Go up into the Canadian part too if you have time/resources.
On another note, may I saw kudos to you on walking with your friend through the difficulty if Stage 4 cancer. It is not easy but press in because it will be an incredible encouragement to her. I’ve learned that words aren’t always necessary – just a hug or holding of hand – they all are wonderfully comforting. May the Lord bless you as you walk along side of her and strengthen you for each encounter.
Our best family vacation was our amazing 2-week trip to France. Yes, it’s a splurge (although we managed to find $500 tickets on American to Paris so that helped!), but there’s something about being overseas and experiencing a new culture together that is magical. We spent a week in the countryside (Dordogne region, about 5 hours southwest of Paris) and then a week in Paris. It was great to be in the countryside and visit the caves, castles and quaint French towns. Paris was great because there’s so much to see an do. We really tried to embrace the culture and soak it all in with our 2 – 3 hour dinners, going to the bakery every morning to get fresh croissants and just enjoying each other. We rented a car for the countryside and got apartments in both places so we had plenty of room for sleeping and a kitchen.
What a wonderful idea !!!!! Thanks so much for sharing, I’m putting this on my buckelist to do with hubby !!
I have strong opinions about deoderant. I’ve tried everything as well. So far my favorite is Native for sensitive skin. It’s the first time I’ve been able to use scented deoderant without extreme rashes and I love the coconut vanilla scent. The one thing I have learned is that with my extremely sensitive soap for my body, I must scrub my armpits with a stronger soap to get the smell out every day. (My sensitive soap somehow cannot get that smell out every day). Native is now sold at target, but not the sensitive version. Just buy it on their website.
What soap do you use for your under arms?
I love your Sunday meal idea. My kids aren’t quite that old yet but I may have to try a variation of it.
We did a road trip up through Oregon and Northern California that we loved. We hit Crater Lake, the Redwoods, Silver Falls State Park (so many waterfalls!) and Columbia River Gorge area. It was a beautiful trip! And my kids even enjoyed the hikes there.
My favorite natural deodorant is Native. Not all their scents work for me but my favorites have been the coconut & vanilla and charcoal. You can get it at Target but it is a little less in price if you subscribe and have it delivered straight from Native. I was not impressed with the texture of Schmidt’s either. Native doesn’t stop me from sweating (but neither did any of the prescription grade deodorants) but at least I don’t stink anymore! Yay!
I’ve really liked recipes from minimalist baker, detoxinista and simply quinoa. I’m not sure if any of them or only vegan but I have a lot of vegan recipes from them.
We also love playing games. Our favorite games right now are Low Down, Uno Flip and Five Crowns.
Re: Natural deodorant…
Milk of magnesia. It is NOT an antiperspirant but it does keep BO at bay!
The People’s Pharmacy even has MoM roll ons in unscented, lavender & some men’s scent (haven’t tried that because, well, I’m not a man). My preference is the lavender.
Plain unflavored milk of magnesia applied with a cotton ball is more economical than the roll-ons.
I’ve used it for years (both The PP roll-ons & the regular MoM) and it works.
Vacations we have enjoyed are Pensacola beach,
St. Louis -has really great free zoo, free science center, the Arch and we found some great restaurants. Branson is fun. I recommend highly renting an Airbnb house or condo over a hotel room. Though for the traveling part hotels with free breakfast and maybe a swimming pool are great. We do a decent amount of bring/cook your own food on vacations but try to eat at some nicer restaurants at each destination-unique to the area to make the eating out a cultural experience vs fast food or a chain restaurant although we do include a little of that too.
Instead of using a natural deodorant I started using Burt’s Bees diaper cream which I know sounds totally crazy… but it works, I very rarely stink, my armpit skin is very happy, and I get compliments on it.
I’ve made my own for years and my husband even uses it! It’s equal parts cornstarch and baking soda and I add a few drops of scented oil. I keep it a jar and apply it with a powder puff. It really works! I’ve given it to lots of friends and family and they’re now making their own.
Vacations: we LOVE cruises! You get to see lots of different places, the food is all taken care of, destinations are already planned, lodging is easy and consistent, etc. We have only done Carnival Cruises so far – they’re definitely the least expensive, but still a great value for what you get!
Mel, your quilt is absolutely stunning! I’ve only ever done square piece quilts and I thought those were stressful! You are amazing.
For games we also love Left Center Right – fun twist: use candy instead of the tokens (make sure everyone washes their hands before ) – it makes it a little more exciting!
Just Ingredients has a natural deodorant that is amazing. You will love it!
Favorite trip was a big one—Australia and New Zealand. Best memories ever! This is the trip we all say we want to go back to.
I tried Primally Pure’s deodorant. Liked it so well I stocked up, then came the rash from the “low amount” of baking soda. I’ve been using deodorant from justingredients. So far so good. I also just ordered some smarty pits that I’ve heard good things about.
I think Native deodorant is one of the softest I’ve tried, but I do sensitive because the baking soda gives me rashes. I’m currently trying Each and Every which is also baking soda free. So far so good.
Pinch of yum is my favorite vegan recipe website. She does a lot of vegan recipes, but usually has tips to make any of her recipes vegan. Great videos on Instagram of you just want to see a quick view of what she’s making.
There is a girl on Instagram justingredients that makes her own deodorant and it’s amazing. Also on Instagram is platefulhealth. She is an md but is plant based and has an e-cookbook that is so good!! Good luck
Favorite vacation ever is so hard to answer!! I have four young children (8 and under) and we went to Disney world last year with extended family and it was a lot of work but amazing.
We also really enjoy road trips. For spring break one time we went to the east coast and did DC, NYC, palmyra and Niagara Falls and it was awesome.
We also drove around Michigan and Lake Mackinac island with extended family and it was so fun.
Growing up we went to lake Powell and that was a lot of fun as well.
Good luck!
Native deodorant is awesome! I’ve been using it since last summer and it works great!
Have you been to the Oregon coast? That is a great family vacation. Cannon Beach is our favorite place to land on the coast.
As for natural deodorant, I am in the process of making the switch myself. I tried the Crunchy Betty Kokomo Cream from Amazon because it came highly recommended from a friend who’s tried them all. It has a lot of baking soda and if I have shaved my armpits recently they get irritated, otherwise it was ok. I don’t like that you have to rub it on with your fingers, that feels gross to me. So now I’m trying the Crystal Body Deodorant Stick, also Amazon. So far no stinkage. Probably when it’s hot will be the true test though. I have heard there is a transition period when switching to natural deodorant so hang in there and let us know if you find anything amazing.
Our favorite vacation was to Maui in October 2018, for 10 days. Our kids were 8 and 10 at the time and it was the most fun we’ve had on vacation. Beautiful beaches, delicious food, endless shopping and lots of little day trip opportunities; The Road to Hana, driving up to Haleakala, upcountry exploring, etc. Stay at a VRBO, its WAY WAY cheaper than a hotel, especially with 5 kids! We also really loved Rosemary Beach in Florida, again, beautiful beaches, fantastic food and endless shopping! If you’d like more info on either place please email and ask away!
As for natural deodorant, I LOVE Primally Pure ( http://www.primallypure.com ) It’s a little pricier than the brands you find at the grocery store or Target but it works! I used to get brownish discoloration in my armpits from other ‘natural’ deodorants, it was there for YEARS and when I started using Primally Pure it cleared up within 2 weeks! My favorite scents are Geranium and Blue Tansy. They smell great and last all day, no stinky pits! They also make natural skin care products as well that are great!
Good Luck!!
Favorite family vacations so far:
Bar Harbor, Maine, Acadia National Park
Garden City, Utah Conestoga Ranch
I used Tom’s deodorant for a long time, but eventually felt like I wanted to go even cleaner. I tried Lume and have never been so stinky in my life. It was awful, embarrassing, and threatened the stability of my marriage! I switched to Just Ingredients deodorant and I LOVE it. The citrus smell is fantastic and the ingredient list is so short. And while you’re at it, try her face serum. It’s amazing!
Favorite vacation: every single time we have rented an airbnb somewhere and spent 67% of the vacation just hanging out with each other without the interruptions of normal life. And if the airbnb has a pool table or a hot tub, bonus. Probably our favorite airbnb was in the Smoky Mountains and it was glorious.
Natural deoderant that actually works – for me I found that Native actually does the trick. But I read that part of the reason it is so hard to find the right one is that everyone’s chemistry reacts differently to each of them. So what someone tells you is amazing might be a no-go for you. But for me, several tries later, Native is the one that actually smells nice from morning to night for me!
Love Jason’s Lavender. Also best vacations were the cruises anywhere my boys still talk about them and there married with there own kids and have taken there family on a cruise.
We take 3 generation vacations, so finding a place big enough is a challenge! We’ve gone to the Oregon coast several times and Island Park, Idaho, but our hands down favorite is Coeur d’Alene!! Private dock, kayaking, fishing, biking. So much fun! And the Hiawatha trail is not too far away for the adventurous among us.
Lume Deodorant!!!! Run don’t walk! It is fantastic for ALL things that it advertises!!! I am a HUGE sweater and it really does work! I still sweat… I don’t think that is ever going away, but I don’t stink and it’s all natural! Love that!!
Favorite Family Vacation: Nosara, Costa Rica in January! We loved it in March too, it’s just dry season so it’s not green and plush, but it’s the cutest, off the beaten path town, with yummy food, a short walk to the beach and the most fantastic sun rises you have EVERY seen!!
I’m sorry to hear about your friend. I don’t have first hand experience with Stage 1V cancer. Best of luck and I hope that you find some good answers.
Favorite Family Trips – RV trips to National Parks with hiking and biking
Why? Just simple, good family time, explorer our beautiful USA and time around the campfire, without the distractions of electronics
How? Rent an RV at a local RV rental place or online
What? Best family RVs for beginners are Class Cs with two slide outs and bunkbeds
We do this every summer and it is our kids favorite vacations, the memories are priceless! Best family memories ever!
I love Bubble and Bee 100 % natural products (bubble and bee.com) and their deodorants are incredible. When we were dirt poor students and I ran out of deodorant, I mixed baking soda and corn starch and used a cotton ball to powder in on under my arms and it worked very well. Sometimes I mix the two with some coconut oil to make a paste. You can use arrowroot in lieu of cornstarch to absorb moisture. Thankfully, I’m not a heavy sweater even when I’m physically active.
That’s what I use too. Here is my recipe: 3 Tbp coconut oil, 2 Tbp baking soda, 2 Tbp cornstarch, and some drops of essential oil ( i have tried lavender and peppermint, I prefer peppermint) but yeah don’t use it after shaving,
I love your Sunday dinner idea. My 16 y/o stepdaughter cooks for herself most nights, She likes to eat healthy and while I don’t know how well she does on clean up, I’m sure she does it. Anytime I need her to help me she is there and I hardly have to give instructions. Her sister on the other hand am happy she can make no bake trail mix balls herself 🙂 Congratulations to and your boys for achieving Eagle Scout status. I have seen a lot of great vegan recipes on Ambitious Kitchen blog and I think Heather Christo is starting to do more plant based recipes. Will definitely watch that TED talk. That is one thing I would love for my girls to learn is resilience and having the confidence to stand up for what you believe in. My husband has a “be honest, I’m not going to judge you” policy with them. He always try to instill in them to try their best and if you don’t do well, be OK with it because you’ve put your all into it. These are some of my favorite posts that you & other bloggers do. You are truly a rock star in my eyes Mel!
Native deodorant for natural deodorant. Can’t help you on the vacation front because we always just go to Boise (lol) and if you can avoid the 18 hour drive like we do that would be smart. So my advice an Airbnb on the Oregon coast. We went there once and I found it pretty laid back and not super crowded.
Forgot to add games – Sangrada, Azul and jokers and marbles are current family favs.
Native deodorant all the way!
Love Just Ingredients natural deodorant. Doesn’t break you out and she has an awesome face serum as well. justingredientswithkaralynne.com
Lavanilla Deodorant…yum! A bit pricey, but works…I have been through a bunch. This is my favorite. Vegan recipes…yes, anything specific, I have a bunch…and a few cookbook recommendations if you want.
Toms deodorant
I’m glad the Friday thoughts posts are back! For vegan and plant based recipes try http://www.pinchofyum.com she doesn’t post strictly vegan or vegetarian but has a ton of recipes that are! On the game front, have you tried Dixit? It’s fun for the whole family, easy to catch on to, and the current favorite of my almost 7 year old.
Hilton Head
Love your recipes, but these posts are my favorite. I always think to myself, “she is so similar to me, we could be BFF’s”. Anyway, try native deodorant or I think even better is one by @justingredients I too had rashes galore and irritation, and no longer. Also, just ingredients face oil is “money”. I was laughing about the drivers license and Eagle Scout thing because that was so my family growing up. So much so ingrained in me, that when my son was just a project away from his eagle and he and my husband and decided he had learned what he needed to learn, and peace out, I was kind of shocked and dare say embarrassed we were “following through”, but had to let it go. Love, love the Sunday dinner teaching approach and think I may try that. Keep up all the good work!
Native deodorant for the win!
One of our favorite family trips was biking the Hiawatha Trail. It’s an old railway line that has been converted into a bike path. It was amazing! And totally doable for families of all ages (the path is all downhill ). We combined the trail with a day at C’oeur D’Alene Lake (amazing temperatures and so much fun in the water and I am NOT a water person) and topped the trip off by picking blueberries at a you-pick farm near Sandpoint, Idaho.
And, I’ve recently made the switch to natural deodorant myself-I’ve been using Arm and Hammer, but will reach for the Native brand next-I’ve heard great things about it.
I have tried alllllllll the natural deodorants too (Lume, Native, Schmidt’s, etc.) and had the same issues as you – terrible rashes and not very effective. I was about to give up until I tried Just Ingredients. Game Changer. Trust me, it works. And I haven’t had a single rash. And I love supporting her independent business. https://justingredientswithkaralynne.com/collections/deodorant-face-serum
Also, your woodland quilt is amazing. I don’t see a single mistake so don’t be too hard on yourself.
Our best family vacation was to spend 2 weeks in Nauvoo being in the family cast for the Nauvoo and British pageants. Life changing for me and actually for my kids as well. The first week is exhausting in the best way but you are surrounded by amazing people. The second week is lots of fun. We had extended family come for the pageants so we did lots of history sites together. We will definitely do it again!
Oops. Posted in the wrong spot.
So many good topics this go round!
1- Family trips – Washington DC/Williamsburg VA,,,Hilton Head/Charleston SC/Atlanta,,,
Southern Utah hiking – Escalante, Bryce, Zions,
2-Natural deodorant – follow just ingredients. Her deodorant is the best (I’ve tried many as well). I LOVE her face serum as well (and very reasonable priced).
3- We have been doing about 75% meatless meals around our house and it’s much easier than I thought it would be. We just feel lighter with less meat. We even like tofu which is shocking. The key to tofu is the air fryer. Marinate the tofu for a bit, then air fry for 8 or so minutes. I can’t honestly claim it’s delicious, but it’s good. We do a lot of soups, stir frys, and use lots of beans. Another go to are grain bowls. Using a base of rice, quinoa, or mashed potatoes, we can make endless delicious combinations with roasted veggies, beans, sauces and sometimes tofu. My best resource for finding good meatless meals is pinterest. I’ve also successfully converted many of your recipes to meatless – subbing in white beans for chicken in your Chicken Quinoa Butternut Squash stew is one example.
4- Your quilts are AWESOME! I started quilting a few years ago as well. Sometime they are fast projects (months) and sometime they are slow (years). I have started a fun (and labor intensive) project of making 2 matching quilts for my graduating seniors. In theory they help me sew their quilt. When they take off for college, they have a quilt from mom and I have stack and smiles of quilts that represent each of my graduates.
We LOVED our family trip to Seattle, Orcas Island, and Olympic National Park. It was beautiful and a good mix of natural beauty and city fun.
I’ve been using natural deodorant for a little over a year. Only one made me peel like a sunburn (Myro at Target). I’ve settled on Kopari. Using one with charcoal at first helps the transition. I know Kopari works because I forgot a few weeks ago and I could tell! I ordered directly from the company so I could get the scent I wanted. I don’t love smelling like coconut, especially in the dead of winter. Someone suggested even doing a charcoal mask to your pits to detox them at the beginning of the process. The theory being that years of antiperspirant use has clogged up the nasty, and it needs to come out.
I use Native deodorant. Nice smell and it’s sold at Target. When I first started using it, I had to order it online. As for vacations, we love Bald Head Island in NC. You get there by Ferry and no cars are allowed on the island, only bikes and golf carts. Not a lot to do there except rest, read, bike, and enjoy the beach. Drawback – it gets crowded in the summer. The quilt looks amazing! Congrats to the Eagle Scouters!
One more detail, I cook the soup in the IP. After I saute the vegetables in the IP, I add everything through the Italian herbs. Then I cook on manual for 5 minutes. I let it naturally release, but not sure if that is necessary.
This goes for the recipe in my comment below (my reply didn’t attach to my previous comment for some reason).
My sister-in-law switched to a mostly plant-based diet with her family a few years ago. She also helped her mom with plant-based for a cancer diagnosis this past year. I’m not quite up to that kind of commitment, but I’ve tried a few things that she has recommended. We absolutely love this soup recipe (love might be a little strong for most of my kids, but they ate it without complaining so I’m calling it a win). There are other recipes on this site that I’m hoping to try. I’m excited for you to do the experimenting for me though since I trust your judgement with food and my kids know that if it comes from “Mel’s”, it’s going to be good.
https://www.simplyquinoa.com/creamy-italian-quinoa-soup/
I am in love with your crocheted blanket and quilt!! I’m struggling with finishing things as well – this year I’m hoping to declutter our house. I’ve been taking about it for ages, and making bits of headway here and there, but it’s time! Your Sunday dinner system sounds fantastic!! My kids are homeschooled, so weeknights are generally less hectic around here. Our new system is that each child gets a day of the week that’s their special day – they get to say all the prayers, get the mail, sit next to Mom at mealtimes, and help me out with anything I need. That will include being the dinner helper. My kids are a bit younger – ages 10, 9, 6, 5 – so they will need help from me a bit more before they’re doing it on their own. We’ll see how this works, but I’m hoping to stick with some version of this for the long haul. I just love these Friday Thoughts posts, although I rarely comment! Thank you for sharing all your thoughts with us!
Totally with you on #4. I’m a super sweater and nothing has worked for me. I’ve been wanting to try Lume, but if you say it doesn’t work for you, it probably won’t for me….
I have a friend here who beat stage 4 cancer naturally. You can read her story and some awesome recipes at realfoodcentral.com.
Your quilts looks amazing! I have neither the space nor the patience to sew, so good for you for finishing it!
I think you need to buy each of your kids their favorite whisk for Valentine’s Day! Ends the fighting, and you can add to their set of tools at other holidays. By the time they move out they will a good amount of tried and true cooking utensils.
This is a GREAT idea! I’m all for those useful kind of gifts and you can add to each year and/or holiday!
I saw that you were having your kids help with Sunday dinners on one of your roll posts and it was like a light turned on. I had been having the same problem with weeknight kids cooking. (Getting a system down only to have the next week’s activities disrupt it.) I have pretty much been copying your idea, and having similar results. Lots of mess and lots of sense of accomplishment! I’m thrilled.
Also, thank you for your game recommendations! Quixx, Sushi Go, and Chameleon, have saved us many a cold night this winter.
I have no idea about natural deodorant. But best of luck. Thanks for saving my dinner. Every. Single. Night.
I too, have had trouble with natural deodorant! One gave me a rash (I think it was Schmidt’s). Native works pretty well, but right now I’m using Dove 100% aluminum free. The other thing I’ve found to help is to use antibacterial soap on my armpits when I shower. I use shower gel for the rest of my body, but make sure to use the antibacterial soap on my armpits and that seems to help with stinkiness. Congratulations to your boys on their Eagle Scouts! That’s going to help them so much in their life. My husband got his and not only did it help him with college, but he still includes it on his resume for work. College admissions and employers know how difficult it is to achieve the Eagle scout and that it shows leadership, determination, hard work, etc. Have your boys include it on college applications and job resumes when the time comes! Love your Friday thoughts posts!
The forest animals quilt is one of the cutest things I have ever seen-truly. Simply adorable. Great job!
I’m trying to remember if you’ve posted about Monopoly Deal before? I am obsessed with it! We got it for our girls for Christmas and then my husband and I stayed up until midnight playing it even though we had to leave super early in the morning for my parents’ house! It’s more fun, faster, and easier than the board game!
We’ve also been enjoying Play 9 (my daughter beat me -30 to 80 last week) and Cover Your Assets per your recommendation! My husband and daughters were playing CYA while enjoying chips and queso at a restaurant and texted a picture to Grandpa Beck! He replied and they were SO happy!
Your quilt and crocheted blanket look amazing! I made suuuuuper basic quilts for my girls for Christmas several years ago and about lost my dang mind! After that, I decided to stop because I zero percent enjoyed it and sewing machines make me crazy! My sister is a great sew-er and the process is life giving for her, so I delegate sewing projects to her! My basic hand sewing skills get me by with putting on buttons and fixing holes and little tears!
Every now and then we do a meal like you’ve been doing Sunday dinners! The girls LOVE it, but it’s SO much work for me because they choose what they make. I like your way of assigning things, because then you can see that they are actually learning a useful skill and you can grocery shop more intentionally for it! I’ll have to add that to our menu!
Have an awesome weekend! <3
Totally embarrassed that after years of reading and making your awesomeness, my debut comment is about deodorant. But, For the good of humanity, here we go. I’m not a super sweaty person, but I do exercise and chase my kiddos around ALOT and this seems to do the job really well. use and love this deodorant-https://megababebeauty.com/collections/all-products/products/sunny-pits.
Yes, to megababe!
I have had the same problem with natural deodorant! I had a rash that lasted for MONTHS and I couldn’t use anything but soap and water . Anyway, the crystal works (literally a clear rock in a DO container). I did find that I needed to wash my pits before applying but, it worked great as far as keeping me stink-free. Currently, I have opted for Aluminum free/fragrance and dye free Secret. I’m sure it’s not 100% awesome but, it’s what I can do RN!
Congratulations on your boys making Eagle Scout! And for finishing your projects- they look amazing!!
And thank you for sharing your new method of getting the kids into the kitchen. This is something I’ve been thinking about and haven’t implemented and I just need to start- one little job at a time!
And I love this natural deodorant- works great and makes the skin feel so soft! https://www.amazon.com/Little-Seed-Farm-Deodorant-Aluminum-Free/dp/B0791XWCCK/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title
Thanks for everything, Mel!
Native deodorant is the best! It works and I’ve been using it for over a year. My hubby uses it too. No stink and no rashes. Plus, it’s easy to find, even Walmart has it. Love your Sunday night assignments idea, and the forest quilt is AMAZING!
Native smelled okay but i perspired like crazy. did not like.