I write these posts every once in a while, usually late at night when I can’t sleep. So here are the first 10 things that came to mind at midnight!
- I was profoundly affected by last week’s $500 giveaway winner’s story! Mitch exported all the entries to a spreadsheet and used a randomizer to select a winner… and then I went back to read Sara’s comment before I contacted her. Sara is pregnant with her second child, and she’s taking care of her husband who’s battling cancer as well as their 18-month-old daughter, who I’m going to assume has a lot of energy! Sara’s entry was upbeat and kind and hilarious–and I’m left feeling so unbelievably inspired by her disposition and outlook. I really thought that the summer would lift my spirits, and I’d get a break from the sadness. And while it has provided that at times, I still struggle; it’s just such a day-to-day thing. One day I feel hopeful and the next I feel hopeless. I’m a firm believer in the idea that all feelings are valid, but I’m also a firm believer in the power of perspective. If Sara can do 2020, so can I. Congratulations, Friend. My thoughts and prayers are with you this year. Keep smiling! ♥️
- The Democratic National Convention has given me hope. No, I am not an activist, and perhaps under normal circumstances I wouldn’t even mention a presidential election on my site, as I tend to use it as a little escape. But this election is different, and these the stakes are too high to not use my platform to promote morality. I’ve received a good amount of feedback from blog followers re: occasionally voicing my opinions, and most has been supportive–even feedback coming from conservative followers whose political beliefs are not aligned with mine. (I am a whole person, and who I am includes my opinions!) I’ve been really impressed by that. I ask that we simply be decent to each other here. I personally believe that people with differing views can still listen to, talk with, and learn from each other in a civil and kind manner. And that includes you and me! :)
- I reconnected with my best friend from high school last week. I fell out of touch with John last year. We were playing phone tag, and after a while, I got it into my head that he was mad at me and I freaked out and then we just… stopped playing phone tag. It’s no secret that I’ve struggled to keep in touch with friends and family since moving away from home, going the entrepreneur route with Mitch, and having kids. But the John situation was soul-crushing and all my fault… and whenever someone would bring him up, my heart seemed to physically hurt. And just to make things ultra clear–because I know you’re probably wondering 😜–John and I never dated (truly, haha), and Mitch and John instantly became friends, and the same with his amazing wife (Jenn) and me! But we went through everything together; he was by my side through so many great times and he was also by my side though so many hard ones. And after the apologies were issued, it was like we were 15 again, driving to the Shore and going to emo concerts and sitting in basements fighting off teenage angst. Of course, all I want to do is drive out to the East Coast so Mitch and I can really catch up with John and Jenn, and so our kids can play. For now, though, my heart is full. Life is full of twists, turns and redirects, but I truly believe that no matter how long you’ve been away for, you can always go back to your home team.
- I’m loving my steam mop. Like, SO MUCH. I bought it early on in the pandemic because my friend Anna couldn’t stop raving about it. It cleans with water, so there’s no expensive cleaning solution you need to buy, and it’s safe to use on hardwood on the lowest setting. It is the ONLY reason our first floor doesn’t look like the inside of the barn. It’s magic. I probably only use it once per week (after the girls go down, for safety concerns) but it makes such a big difference… and I go to bed feeling like I kind of have it together.
- We invested in a 2020-friendly casual wardrobe for Mitch. Do you remember this post? Haha! I think I finally realized that I need to handle all of Mitch’s shopping. Which is FINE. I really like doing it! It honestly had just never crossed my mind before; I assumed that he’d be picky and it would be a big fiasco with lots of returns and whatnot. But I ordered him approximately 15 t-shirts and short-sleeved button-down shirts (many of which were only $5!) as well as a few pairs of shorts from J.Crew’s big clearance sale, and HE LOVED EVERYTHING. Sorry. I’ve been yelling a lot in this post. But he walks downstairs every day and the whole family is like, “Daaaaaddddyyyy! Lookin’ fine!” It’s pretty adorable. And he really does look fine.
- Mitch also bought a treadmill. He found it on Craigslist and then hired New City Movers to get it into our basement while practicing social distance. (Yes. It was tricky and meant that the movers were in our home by themselves but we used them for our big move last year and really trust them. Everything went great.) And he’s so happy with it! I handle bedtime, and during that, he runs. And then we hang out afterwards. Maybe one day I’ll run, too. ;)
- To make room for the treadmill, we put our old leather couch up on Craigslist, and a reader found it and decided to buy it without knowing that it was ours! It was crazy. Madison messaged me telling me that she’d wanted the couch for years, and that she found one on Craigslist–and would I still recommend it? I kind of couldn’t believe my eyes when I read it! I told her that this was, in fact, the couch, and we both laughed and now it’s now in her living room. (Also moved by New City Movers!) I was originally sad to say goodbye to it because it’s the best couch ever and it reminds me of our first home where we started our family. But now I’m so happy knowing it went to someone who really wanted it and with whom I have a connection!
- The suitcase saga continues. After returning from my in-laws’ home downstate (last month, I believe), Mitch left his unpacked suitcase on our dresser for a couple of weeks. And now it’s turned into a duel of sorts. I troll him on Instagram Stories with photos of the suitcase (Which I refuse to unpack and put away), and he trolls me back with things like “For Rent” signs attached to the bag or framing photos of the bag or dressing the bag up to look like a person. MEN! (But it’s pretty funny. Mitch is very creative.)
- Lucy had an awesome week. Lucy is the light of our lives but she’s a screamer, haha. We didn’t really go through the Terrible Twos with Emma, but Lucy is already there at 15 months. And while I know that this too shall pass, woo-ee! It’s tough right now. A few weeks ago, though, we decided to try the approach of simply ignoring the tantrums, and it’s been working! (They resolve themselves within a minute or two.) And she had a really good week. We don’t want to wish away anything, but we’re just so excited for her to start walking and talking because we think she’ll be even happier when she can express herself, get around more easily, and play with Emma. Her world is about to open up, and I can’t wait to see her explore it!
- I’m LOVING having short hair. In case you missed it, I cut my hair with a pair of craft scissors recently. It’s not the best cut but boy is it lovely to be FREE. It takes me approximately three minutes to do it–I can now let it totally air-dry, thus saving myself a lot of time in the morning–and it’s so much less annoying. If you’ve been thinking about giving yourself a chop, I highly recommend it. And don’t worry if you mess up. That’s why god made ponytail holders.
