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If you’re new around here, confessions are a time for us to all unburden ourselves of the silliness we’re feeling at the moment.
I share dumb things, then you share dumb things, and we all have a better day because of it. Let’s get started!
Confession 1
A few years ago we got new neighbors. They told me their names and I tucked them into my mind.
They’re great neighbors and are grandparent aged. I have never seen adult children or grandkids at their house, and they generously seem to take out their grandparent energy on my kids.
At Easter, Halloween, and a few other times of the year they drop off these sweet little gift bags for the boys. It’s beyond kind.
About a year ago, I started freaking out that I had somehow made up their names in my brain and was super stressed that I would call them by the wrong names. They say “hi Sarah” every day while I’m out walking and I started responding with “heeeeeeey” during this time.
Enough was enough! I had to confirm their names and at this point, I could not ask them. I mean, they’ve lived here for like five years!
So…I went to our county assessor’s website, entered in their address, and got the tax parcel number for their house. I then was able to use that number to look up the purchase history for that property. All of this is public information. I’m not being shady in any way.
The good news is, that I had their names correct the whole time. The even better news is I can now confidently say good morning to them.
Confession 2
The boys and I took a road trip to Canada recently to see Katie. It’s a pretty long trip when you take into account crossing the border, waiting for the ferry to her parent’s house and the actual ferry crossing.
I assumed the boys would be on their electronics, so I planned to clean out my podcast queue. I’d say 99% of my podcasts are explicit and/or absolutely not appropriate for them to listen to, so I had to save up three weeks’ worth of “safe” podcasts so as to not scar my children.
I’m not sure what this says about me, but I don’t care to know.
Confession 3
If you sign up for my email list, you get an automated email once a week and then a Sunday newsletter on Sundays. It’s very low-key and meant to be informative.
One of the automated emails shares a recipe for chicken bone broth and I share three different ways to make it – Instant Pot, slow cooker, or on the stovetop. It’s simply a tutorial; it doesn’t make any claims that it will cure baldness or shady crap like that.
A reader once responded to the email and wrote “Give a break!!! Bone broth is demi-glace. It is not new”. Um, read the email and the post again, lady. I never claimed it was new. I was just helping you learn to make it yourself.
Emails like this used to illicit a long response from me and it would genuinely bother me for days or weeks. Now, it annoys me for about .014 seconds and then I relish in 1) making fun of these people in Instagram stories (I always block out their names. I’m not a dbag) 2) unsubscribe them from my email list if I feel it is warranted.
Email lists cost money. A LOT of money. I have a strict “no buttface” policy for my email list. I’m not spending money for you to be a tool to me. Go somewhere else.
Confession 4
A few weeks ago I declared a bonus movie night because I was sick of parenting my children. For most bonus movie nights the adults pick the movies to avoid the constant battle of whose turn it is to choose the movie.
For this night, I chose Ant-Man because it’s Paul Rudd and that’s a no-brainer. At some point in the movie, Evangeline Lilly is in a tank top or sleeveless shirt. Jack (my 13-year-old) said “look mom, she has your arms”.
I’ve been more deliberate about weight training since last summer and I started with only 5 lb weights because that’s what I had. I’m now up to using 15-pound weights and I always feel like you can see a difference in my muscle tone. And even a teenage boy noticed!
There is no real confession here – I just want to brag that my arms are looking pretty good these days. 🙂
Confession 5
I feel like there is this new group of people with motorcycles or mopeds who are trying to save money on gas. I fully support this move but fear that none of them paid attention in the motorcycle safety class that is required to get licensed in Washington State.
A very long time ago I rode a moped and had to take this class, pass a written test, and pass a practical test. They could not be more clear about not tailgating other vehicles and the proper positioning of your bike in the lane.
Around here most roads are only one lane in each direction, and full admission: I always go 4-5 mph over the posted speed limit. Always.
Lately, I have had soooo many of these riders tailgating me on busy roads. Buddy, I cannot go any faster without getting a ticket and I can’t pull over without stopping the flow of traffic. And no matter what happens, if you hit me, you lose. Motorcycles never win in a collision – BACK UP and save your life.
Ok, friends, your turn! What do you need to confess? Want more confessions? Read more here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here. Or read the whole darn archive here.
I struggled to remember the name of your blog. I can always remember that your spaghetti sauce uses a “big ass can of crushed tomatoes, the one you can fit a baby in” and if I google this phrase, there you are!
I love that!!!
My confession: I have been reading your blog for YEARS through the BlogLovin interface. Recently, BlogLovin isn’t working correctly and I wasn’t able to see my “Favorites List” at all for the last 3 weeks. I keep logging in but have no luck. I have PANICKED for the last few weeks because I could not remember the actual name of your blog. You have been on my mind daily for the last few weeks, and I spent a lot of time googling things I remember about you/your blog. I remembered “Sarah, frugal, confessions, weekly meal plan, popcorn fridays”, and the first names of your 2 sons. I learned that googling any or all of those things does not find your blog 🙁 I have been so worried I would never find you again, but I tried Bloglovin again tonight and HERE YOU ARE!!! I have written down the name of your blog, entered you into my Google favorites, and I am now going to sign up for your emails! (I shoulda done all this long ago!) I AM SO GLAD I FOUND YOU!!!
I’m so glad you found me again and will be here going forward!! 🙂
Ohh, I agree with Jan, what is deep cleaning?!? I ignored cleaning my bathroom/house/folding laudry and even work for 3 days to read two amazing books–“Upgrade” by Blake Crouch and “The Lioness” by Chris Bohjalian and get some mental health breaks. Today I got the work for school done (and humble brag, got the thing due to be ready by August 1st done with three hours to spare!). Tomorrow, I clean. There are still things on my desk from my son’s Graduation party in June. But the books were totally worth it, I’ve not gotten to esape into some gripping, can’t-put-down books in awhile.
We have a retreat for teachers this next weekend so they can work on classes. I don’t need to and while I do have Admin things to work on, I’m taking books and am going to sneak away for peace and quiet when I can. This has been a crazy summer with our school moving buildings and I’ve been spending so much time moving things from spot to spot (so they can paint, so they can put in new carpet, so they can now clean the carpet they’re not replacing) and trying to help keep costs down, I need a break. So, so so looking forward to this time!
Read all you want, as long as you don’t get caught!
Sounds like it has been a very busy summer. I hope the new building is fantastic for everyone.
After reading the other comments it made me think of a confession I have. What does deep cleaning even mean. Like literally pull out every piece of furniture and clean behind and under them? Use q-tips and get every nook and cranny of each room? Does the fact that I don’t know mean my house is terrible? Genuine question and one I’m slightly terrified to google.
When a sign clearly states a business is closing at a certain time why do 27 cars feel they can get into the drive thru line and expect to be waited on? Just because you are inline before the time DOES NOT MEAN YOU WILL GET SERVICE. The sign says the time and that IS the closing time. If you are in line before the opening time do you also expect service before opening?
Why do humans feel the urge to question everything. When told my order isn’t ready why do I feel the need to say it was to be ready by xyz and question it. Why can’t I graciously say ok and step aside and wait patiently.
Remember to check on your friends who work retail and in the medical field. We are probably not doing ok 😉
For me, deep cleaning is doing the things I don’t normally do every week. So things like baseboards, pulling the couch out from the wall to clean all the toys out from under it, dusting windowsills, ceiling fan blades, etc. It’s not harder work, but the things that don’t need to be cleaned as often.
People are truly terrible when it comes to customer service. I’m not sure when people became so entitled. I also think that working in customer service or a service industry needs to be mandatory for everyone. I think there would be a lot more grace shown if we’ve all been in those shoes.
I totally feel the motorcycle thing. My dad rode motorcycles when he was young, so for as long as I can remember I was informed of how to be a driver around motorcycles and when they were being dumb.
My confession is – I despise casual bicycle riders on the roads. The people who do it all the time are great, because they act like a car. But the folks (looking at you Bellingham college students) who act like a car when it benefits them, then want to be a pedestrian 10 seconds later… oh man. If I’m a pedestrian and a bike hits me, that sucks, but we probably wont die. If a bike hits my car? Not so lucky.
Yes, there is definitely some smart etiquette when riding around motorcycles. Both vehicle drivers need to follow it though. So frustrating!
A- you told me to do the same thing as confession 1 when I couldn’t remember my neighbors name more than 10 years ago!
1- I think one of my dogs (Toby) is a complete asshole. He’s an old man and doesn’t take shit from any other dog. He used to be the sweetest guy. He’s officially turned into that Grumpy Old Man neighbor.
2- my friends think its weird That I change my sheets daily. I think they are weird (just in general).
3- I start my job on 8/15. I wish I had another week before starting.
4- I despise putting away laundry. Like I’d pay someone to do just that part of the laundry.
5- I am 100% for hiring a house cleaner for every two weeks when I go back to work. I can keep up with the light housework…. It is the deep cleaning that I would love to unload.
It is weird that you change your sheets daily, but I still love you.