Scattered Sundays
I had SO much fun reading your answers to last week’s questions, so we’re doing it again!!
Would you rather:
- Would you rather always be 10 minutes late or always be 20 minutes early?
- Would you rather be feared by all or loved by all? (bonus points if you answer it like Michael Scott)
- Would you rather only have gummy candy or chocolate as a dessert choice for the rest of your life?
Yesterday was supposed to be Jack’s family party, but both Troy and Bennett got sick and we have to reschedule it. At one point in the week, Jack had the school call saying he was sick. The office employee knowing how I am asked if I wanted to talk to him. Love her.
There were two hours left in the day. He didn’t have a fever, stomach didn’t hurt, and he hadn’t thrown up. I very gently told him to get his ass back to class and that I would see him at the end of the day. And no, I didn’t actually tell him to get his ass back to class. Surprisingly, given my love of swears, I never use them in front of the kids.
But then, of course, he woke up on Saturday with a sore throat and runny nose. Here is a story problem for those of you who like math. If three males in one house are all sick, how quickly will the sole healthy female break into the Easter baskets? Show your work.
A few weeks ago, I placed my first order (totally self-funded!) from Thrive Market and I loved it! Now, I’m actually partnering with their team so I’ll be doing a more in-depth discussion about their awesomeness soon.
Until then, you can check out Thrive for yourself with a free 30-day trial and save an extra 25% off of your first order. Did I mention that their prices are already 25-50% below retail? Cause they are. Like a boss.
No nap + candy drunk at my sister-in-law’s
How was your Easter or Passover? Lovely? Chocolately? Ours was nice and the weather was stunning for the egg hunt and dinner.
Each Sunday during church, the kids go up and our pastor does a quick little age-appropriate children’s sermon. He asked the kids if they knew what Easter was about and if they knew what it meant that Jesus rose from the dead on this day. Bennett felt that was the best time to stand up and yell “Jesus is a Zombie????”.
Charmed.
Once our pastor and the congregation stopped laughing, he was able to turn that around into a great message. He has two young boys himself and seems to always be quick on his feet during these children sermons.
I’m headed to Utah this week for a conference and I’m so excited! I can’t wait to meet fellow bloggers, learn soooooo many new things, and um, just not have to take care of anyone else for four days. The most exciting part is I’ll get to meet up with two readers for lunch and dinner. Beyond stoked!!
First asparagus of the season! Yay for stinky pee and hilariously phallic veggies
On Tuesday I’ll be publishing a post that took me a whopping 40 hours and $110 of my own cash money to complete. I can’t wait to hit publish on that beast and I really hope you find it useful and informative.
And if you don’t, there is no need to tell me, because I might lose my ever-loving mind if I have to put one more ounce of energy into this topic.
I came across a new shiny thing this week at the store and I was intrigued. It was this Stasher product which is a reusable silicone pouch. It looks like people use them in place of baggies and for reusable sous vide packaging. Yay for ditching single-use products!
We have lots of containers (our favorite is this Yumbox that has survived two boys over the course of five years and still looks brand new) and a few homemade reusable snack bags, and Beeswrap. But I’m curious about these Stasher bags. Does anyone have one?
With the school year wrapping up soon, I’m finding myself spiraling into prime ant mode. When the kids are home more, my productivity plummets because I just have less time to get blog stuff done.
I feel that I’ve made so much progress over the last year with this site and man I love what I do. I get that summer will just be a season but I really hate to slow my stride. If anything, I want to speed it up. From now until mid-June, I’m going to do my best to be tunnel focused and not in squirrel mode (DO ALL THE THINGS).
I know part of it is I did a crap job of any self-care this week. I wake up between 4:30 and 5 am about 350 days a year. And normally I go to sleep way too late. This week with Bennett spiking 103 fevers in the middle of the night, I had three nights in a row where I had a fitful 2-3 hours of sleep. I was sleeping on Bennett’s floor because Troy was sick in our room.
With everyone sick, I only got one walk in over the last seven days. Walking is the number one way I decompress and to me, it’s vital for my physical and mental health. And when it is missing from my week, it feels like I’m trying to scream into a jar.
Right now I am struggling internally and feeling overwhelmed with how to make it all work. And since I don’t hide the ugly side of life from you all, I wanted to mention it. Yes, balance is bullshit, but it doesn’t mean that I’ll stop working to try to find the sweet spot.
In a mostly related note: this week I officially wore a hole in my nightguard that I wear because I’m an aggressive teeth grinder. The jaw may be the strongest muscle in the body, but mine pretty much does crossfit. Try hard not to be too jealous.
What I’m Listening To This Week
Remember a few weeks ago when I recommended the podcast Over My Dead Body? In that post, I mentioned my friend Rachel and I were hoping for a separate podcast on one of the people mentioned in the story. It’s a rabbi who roughs up estranged husbands who won’t grant their wives a divorce. They call him “The Prodfather”.
Well, prayers were answered and we were excited to see that there was a special two-part series released this week all about the Prodfather. It wasn’t nearly enough and we were left wanting more. But it was something!
Comment/Review of the Week
KC kindly left a five-star review for Instant Pot Lentil Soup:
Love this soup, especially with the update that there’s no need to sauté everything. Thank you, Even better! I make this often but last night’s version was the best. Used Bobs Red Mill Pacific northwest lentils (not sure if they are green or brown and it doesn’t say), better than bouillon roasted garlic stock, subbed a sweet potato since we didn’t have any potatoes and didn’t have celery either. And used Bitchin’ Pesto which is a non-dairy pesto made with almonds (super creamy). So delicious and love that this recipe lends itself to the versatility of what I happen to have. And last year when I first posted on this recipe I was debating If I needed an Instant Pot. Started with the mini and now have the 6-qt. Worth it for this soup alone!!
On Sustainable Cooks This Week
Blended Iced Coffee – A creamy cafe frappe, this Blended Ice Coffee is a quick and easy coffeeshop-quality drink that you can make at home. This healthy iced coffee is dairy-free, sugar-free, paleo, Whole30 compliant, and keto-friendly. An icy collagen coffee (vegan options included!) that is perfect for any time of the year, but especially refreshing as a summer drink.
15 Delicious Whole30 + Paleo Side Dishes – You’ll love the variety and inspiration that will come from these 15 Delicious Whole30 + Paleo Side Dishes! You’ll find delectable make-ahead side dishes, instant pot side dishes, air fryer side dishes, keto side dishes, as well as many vegetarian paleo recipes. Enjoy these Whole30 vegetables for meal prep, cookouts or potlucks.
The Five Most Popular Posts This Week
- Virgin Mojito/Mojito Mocktail {Pin this recipe}
- Trader Joe’s Whole30 Shopping List {Pin this recipe}
- Homemade Vicks Soother Tablets {Pin this recipe}
- Make Ahead Scrambled Eggs {Pin this recipe}
- Healthy Sweet Tea {Pin this recipe}
Meal Plan
Looking for someone to do the meal planning for you? I’m partnering with Real Plans to bring you personalized meal plans that fit all dietary needs. Try it yourself for free for 30 days.!
Monday:: Troy’s yummy burgers, spicy sweet potato fries (some without spice for the boys), and grilled veggies. We’ve also discovered that this sweet potato fries dipping sauce makes an amazing burger spread.
Tuesday: Chef salads
And then the rest of the week I’ll be in Utah and the boys will be on their own! There are multiple homemade frozen pizzas that were supposed to be for Jack’s party. And then Troy can figure out other ideas from there. He’s a grown ass man.
What We Bought This Week
Smith Brother’s Farms: $14.48
If you’re in the Puget Sound area, get a $20 credit for signing up with Smith Brothers for their awesome home delivery.
Fred Meyer: I lost the receipt!
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Ok, I’ll play! 1. Early 2. Loved 3. All the chocolate. I am suuuuper excited for Tuesday!!!!
Hopefully, you’re not let down today. LOL
A few years ago, the kids were at Sunday School at our synagogue and my daughter came out livid because her brother embarrassed her. The Rabbi had asked a question about a story and my son (the younger brother) raised his hand and offered “Jesus!” as the answer. My daughter was horrified. I told him “Just so you know, Jesus is never the answer when you’re at the synagogue. Never.” Jewish parent of the year right here!
Oh, Ryan! That is too funny. The funny thing is our pastor always jokes “Jesus is always an appropriate answer to any children’s church question”.
I love your Sunday posts, it doesn’t feel like the end of the weekend without reading one!
Thank you for your honesty about feeling overwhelmed. I’m going through something similar at the moment (balancing exams/ university with running a household/being a mum) and being reminded that I’m not alone is always really comforting.
Awww, thanks Tanya! There are some weeks when I’m tired and not motivated to write, but I’ll never miss a Sunday post if I absolutely can help it.
Good luck with your exam and classes this term. It is always such a relief when those classes are done for the year.
10 mins early. Loved by all. CHOCOLATE. That is definitely a struggle with three sick dudes. I explained what a man cold is to my husband and he finally shut up about how ill he is when I’m feeling the same way but yet still running shit. I’ve been very short with my hubby because he hasn’t had a clue as to what’s going on and doesn’t usually help out if I don’t say something (he sometimes surprises me by getting something accomplished without my asking). I really realized it on our Argentina trip. So now, when he asks me things, he gets responses like, “You got the same text message/ email/information.”, “It’s located _____.” instead of me looking it up or going to get it for him. We had a crawfish boil at my in-laws for Easter. Guess who took his own clothes out of the overnight bag and not the kids? We were at a restaurant and he wasn’t eating, but when Viv dropped ketchup, guess who’s half eaten dinner was abandoned to clean it up? I’m going to Disneyworld on a school trip with our 8 year old because even though he picked his dad to go, I said I was NOT planning their trip for them. Just getting pretty fed up. *Whoo. Rant over*
Mixed them up, 20 mins early.
Girl, I feel you. Saying “you were on the same text thread” is a common thing that flies out of my mouth. I seriously don’t get the lack of awareness.
When is the Disney trip?
1. 20 minutes early, I have hereditary earliness syndrome. My mom used to get us up early so we could make it to Mass half an hour before the priest had even gotten there. And she liked 7:30 A.M. mass. Oof. I have gotten better, but for doctor’s appointments and such I definitely want to be early, and I hate being late to other appointments.
2. I can’t choose. I mean, I’d like to say I’d rather be loved by all, but there some people who are scary out there I’d want them to fear me.
3. Can’t eat chocolate, so…gummies it is.
Sarah, sorry to hear your kiddos are sick! Our Easter here was really nice until we ended up in the hospital with a kiddo with a perforated appendix. Happily he is back home and mending nicely, and leftover Easter candy makes a GREAT bribe for taking nasty antibiotics.
Getting out and walking is essential for mental health. When we were in the throes of hospital time last week, my husband and I took turns being at the hospital–with him taking the night shifts, because he is scarier and can deal with nurses and doctors better than me–and I was having a huge stress-induced migraine. I medicated with a short shot of coffee and a walk outside—I told the other kids I’d be right in our block, and I walked for fifteen minutes in the sun–and I swear it did the trick.
Oh, and before Easter my seven year old was asking about Easter and I reminded him we’d just had a lesson about Easter in his Religion class, and I asked him what do we celebrate on Easter?
He paused a minute and then yelled, “DYEING EGGS!”
Oh well, I tried.
Ha!!!!!
I hope your kiddo is feeling better and you all are able to have an actual holiday do-over very soon. Until then, leftover candy!
You’re 100% right – 15 minutes in fresh air and sun is a miracle worker.
Walking…. love it. I use the app Zombies, Run. Don’t run but walk to it. I love having a mission and hearing a story in between my music. Gets me off my butt and out the door.
Early (I’ll read in the car thank you very much), love and chocolate. All. The. Day. Long.
Happy for you to get away!
Still not getting ur posts sent to my email. So I just stalk the site til I see new content 😉
Jan I have heard of that app before and have always thought about checking it out. It sounded so hilarious!
The only thing I can think of is to unsubscribe to my emails (just find the last one that came through and click unsubscribe) and then resubscribe. I have no idea what’s going on. I’m sorry!
I just got these silicone containers ( https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07P5VXPP7 ) and am excited to try them. I got one like you showed but was worried it would squish my sandwiches so I am looking into one with a flat bottom. These I loved because they are the perfect size to fit in the cup holder and stay open, so when you are stuck in the car you can snack without fighting to get into the package of nuts, crackers,….or candy…
I’ll be so interested to hear how they work out for you Jennifer!
Nobody wants to struggle with their nuts in the car…
First, the questions:
1. I suppose early. I used to always be late for things and I never want to be like that again. But 20 minutes early seems like such a waste of time……
2. Loved. I want EVERYONE to love me. I would shrivel up if everyone feared me. Plus, I am not terribly fearsome. Not often anyway.
3. That is easy, I am not a fan of gummies. I can take them or leave them. (they are my husbands crack, though! We are trying to learn how to make our own but everything we have tried is flavourless). All those people who love me, can give me ALL the chocolate!
There would be no Easter basket contents LEFT a week later, in my house. So I wouldn’t be abel to steal from them.
I love that the pastor laughed at the zombie comment. We are not a religious family, but my in-laws are. When my girls came to the same realization as Bennett, their grandmother saw absolutely NO humour in it and got a little angry with the girls (something that rarely happened/happens)!
I do not have a Stasher brand pouch but I got some knock-offs for my birthday that I do not use nearly often enough. I do love them though! They don’t seem to retain smells or stains. And I did sous vide a dinner using them and it worked great.
Side note: I want to make my own bees wrap thingys. I have Googled like mad and it seems that the secret ingredient is pine resin. So, I did what any sane woman would do. I scavenged. Everything I read said that harvesting pine resin is difficult because it is so hard, but all the stuff I found was kind of a play doh like consistency! Apparently late April in Toronto is THE time of year to harvest pine resin! Tomorrow’s project will be to refine it. THEN I get to try using it!
I hope everyone in the house makes a full and quick recovery. Being sick sucks, and mot being able to make sick and hurt stop sucks for the one who is trying to care for the sickos.
(totally unrelated: my computer is being a jerk lately, and I am planning to do a ‘clean install’ of the OS soon. Maybe my jerky computer is the reason that I am not getting notifications of comments. Hopefully they start coming in once I set my computer back up – I am still saving photos and backing up bookmarks and stuff like that)
The boys get 1 piece of holiday candy a day, so we will have Easter candy until summer. Unless I’m stressed and plow through those baskets.
The best way I can explain it is that our church takes our work out in the community very seriously, but we don’t take ourselves too seriously. We love to laugh and realize everyone approaches faith in their own way. That being said, someone in Instagram DID have an issue with what Bennett said. I responded to her from a place of grace and I *think* it opened up a great conversation.
I can’t wait to hear how your beeswrap experiment went! Yes, it does seem that pine resin is an important ingredient. We don’t have a lot of pines in this area so good for you for locally sourcing and harvesting it!
So far, with the beeswrap experiment I have learned that refining pine resin is a messy, sticky PITA. I didn’t weigh it before I started, but I ended up with a measly 39 grams of clear, sticky pine resin. I had appointments today, so nothing got done. We’ll see how far I get tomorrow. I’ll make as many as I can, but I don’t think I’ll be doing it again! Unless they are absolutely spectacular.
I’m so intrigued by how the final experiment turns out!
You make me feel good!
I melted/mixed all the ingredients together yesterday. I was planning on making them today, but I had MORE appointments (booo!) and so I had no time. *Hopefully* tomorrow morning, because TOMORROW’S appointment isn’t until mid-afternoon.
I didn’t think to take any progress pics, but I can FB you a pic of the final product. My hope is to make a couple larger ones, but mostly to make a bunch of little ones that I can use to wrap my energy bars. And one wee one to cover my banana stems with, because that seems to keep them from ripening as fast.
Gosh, I’ve never heard of that for banana stems. I’ll have to give it a try.
I’d LOVE a photo of them on FB! Please and thank you.
Sarah, I love your writing. You cheer me with your reality humor. I could go on and on but then I would be some stranger acting like I want to be your next-door neighbor and you might think it is weird and stalky. Walking is my thing too. I’ve been taking long walks pretty much daily, most of my life. As a wife and mom I called it my anti-bitch medicine . My only symptom when I went through menopause was being unable to sleep beyond three thirty in the morning. Eventually, I gave in and just got up. By five thirty I was walking around the block for five miles before work. I thought it was safer to stay close to home at that hour. I called it walking in circles in the dark. I carried a walking stick and pepper spray. I told people I carried the stuff for “animals” but it was really for people (I never had to use it). Anyway, walking has helped me through some very difficult times (divorce and other stuff) when others I knew turned to medication to help them get through tough times..Fine for them it just wasn’t for me. I’ve never written a comment this long. Am I supposed to be breaking it into paragraphs? So…Twenty minutes early (but hiding until five minutes late). Loved. Chocolate. You had a hard week. That crap happens. Have a better week.
You’re so sweet Denise, thank you!
Can I steal the term “anti-bitch medicine”? That may be the best thing I have heard in months.
You can break it into paragraphs but there is no standard format. Stream of consciousness is the best way to get a good brain dump out!
You don’t have to steal it, it’s a gift, lol.
So generous!!!
I’m at a conference this week and I just took a 40-minute walk before everything gets started with a fellow blogger from Australia. It was an amazing way to start the day and experience a new place.
20 minutes early, loved and gummy candy! I loved the zombie comment. It reminded me of a very earnest young priest talking to the children at our church about ‘Fireman Sam’ (do you have him in the US?) and he a little girl got up and explained very carefully that Fireman Sam was just a story and not a real fireman! Have a good trip next week!
We do have Fireman Sam here but he isn’t huge. We have a book but I’m sure there is probably a cartoon around?
I love that the little girl didn’t want to hurt the priest’s feelings!