Scattered Sundays
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The boys and I had a great trip to Canada to meet up with Katie and her family! We cooked, we snacked, we hiked, and we laughed.
Our trip up on Monday morning could not have been smoother. Traffic was a dream, there were only a whopping two cars in front of us at the border crossing, we flew through Vancouver (at a legal speed limit) and got on the very next ferry that was setting sail to the Sunshine Coast.
The trip back on Thursday was a different story. We ended up leaving on a slightly earlier ferry than we had anticipated. Jack had soccer practice that night and we had originally RSVPed that he would not be attending. He decided he really wanted to try to make it, so we bounced a little early.
Getting on the earlier ferry was the last of our luck on that trip! We got to the border and were stuck in the line with the power-hungry little border guard. Every other line was flying through, and he was letting one car through every 5-10 minutes. Thankfully, a nice lady one lane over let me pop in front of her, and our wait was reduced by a little bit.
Even though I know I’m an honest and law-abiding citizen, border crossings are so stressful. Did I accidentally pack a bunch of endangered species? I get the guards have a job to do and I don’t fault them for it. But it’s so nerve-wracking every time.
The worst part is when they ask what we were doing in Canada, and I said “visiting friends”. And then when they asked how we met, and I have to say “we met on the internet…” and they ask how that came to be and I mumble “um, we’re both food bloggers. It’s a REAL JOB”! Sure lady, sure.
After we crossed back into the US on Thursday, we hit traffic jam after traffic jam. It was a nightmare and when we rolled into the driveway an hour before soccer started, my brain was mush and my butt was fast asleep.
Troy had dinner waiting for us and he took the kids to soccer practice while I went for a very long walk to shake off the brain fog. I came home and unpacked and went through the mail and tried to remember how to use my brain again.
But the trip itself was fun! Katie’s parent’s place on the Sunshine Coast is so special, and we’re always thankful to be included in a small part of their summer plans. Between Katie’s kids, her brother’s kids, and my boys, there were six boys ages 4-14 running around that place.
Katie and I cooked, we all hiked, Jack organized mini soccer camps and frisbee games, he would drag the little kids around the lawn with a waterski rope, and we ate lots of homemade gelato from Mike’s Place in downtown Gibsons.
On our last full day there, we took the kids, along with Katie’s sister-in-law and her kids on a hike that eventually led to Persephone Brewery. We had lemonade, hummus, and pretzels, and rested a bit in the shade.
Katie’s dad came in a car to pick up the little kids over two trips, but Katie and I decided to walk home instead. Do you know how much faster walking is without six kids, nobody bottle flipping, no one breaking down in tears, and neither of us felt the desire to grab a stick and just hit things with it? The answer is: A LOT faster.
The weather was perfect, the company was delightful, and the location was beautiful. Till next time, Trant family!
I’m in need of assistance and am hoping that someone has discovered the perfect solution that I just cannot find. Jack is currently enjoying wearing shorts all day, every day, but eventually, he’ll need to put some pants back on. And my friends, they do not make pants to fit this human.
He’s quite lean, and while not as tall as he would like (and we hear about that daily…), he is ALL legs. He’s too tall for XL youth sizes, but his waist is too small for men’s pants.
We thought we cracked the code with Old Navy’s XXS waist (26 inches), but sadly, the inseam only goes to 30L. Because, if you’re slim, you must be short…? This kid needs 32L at the minimum, potentially 34L.
He has a soccer tournament next weekend near an outlet mall and I’m going to try there, but 26w is almost only ever available online. It’s been an exercise in futility.
Here’s what we need: joggers and jeans and maybe one pair of nicer pants that are 26W x 32L (or) 34L. Old Navy online is a bust. The Gap online is a bust. H&M online is a bust. Amazon has some Levis (that Levis doesn’t have on their own site…?) that are on order.
I have found a pair of “tech pants” on Levi’s website that are 26W x 32L and those are on order. Pretty please, help with other options! We’re circling the drain over here.
Last month, I shared this lotion thingy that I had bought to try out. I was a fan from the start, but I’m a HUGE fan now. I had a lotion bottle that was “empty” per the reach of the bottle’s pump. Well, the new cap attachment gave me an extra FIVE WEEKS worth of lotion out of that bottle.
It seems silly because lotion isn’t all that expensive. But, using up everything that you paid for adds up over time. Not to mention, the more use you get out of the bottle, the fewer bottles you’re buying over time. This means fewer bottles you’re recycling over a lifetime.
HOUSEKEEPING
The boys and I placed a Thrive Market order prior to our trip to Canada for allllll the road trip snacks.
Thrive Market is an online marketplace on a mission to make healthy living easy and affordable for everyone. You can shop for thousands of the best-selling organic foods and natural products at 25-50% below traditional retail prices, all shipped right to your door.
Thrive is my go-to place for household items like toilet paper, healthy groceries, dried fruit, movie theater popcorn kernels, and so much more! Try Thrive for yourself and get 40% off your first order with a yearly membership.
In the Garden This Week
We weren’t home for most of the week, but it is still cranking out raspberries, blueberries, and lettuce. The sunflowers are getting tall, and we’re finally harvesting baby zucchini which are delightfully tender.
The green beans and cucumbers are climbing our DIY cattle panel trellises and these are truly one of my all-time favorite garden projects that we have done. They never fall apart, they are strong as heck, and they fold up at the end of the season for easy storage.
I have no clue what kind of cucumbers we’re growing this year because they were all volunteers. Volunteer plants = plants that grow from discarded garden debris from a previous year.
I found them as little plants near our hose and blueberries and I have absolutely no idea 1) how they got there 2) what variety they will be. Surprises are fun!
READER SPOTLIGHT OF THE WEEK
Long-time reader, Victoria, left this five-star review on our Strawberry Freezer Jam {Pin this recipe}:
From the moment a kind and thoughtful neighbor brought me 5lbs of strawberries they had picked, this has been my go-to recipe for freezer jams of many fruits, from strawberries to black raspberries, and even to figs. I have to tweak the ingredients a bit for some of the other fruits, but this recipe is printed and saved in a notebook old-school style should a robot uprising end the Internet.
ON SUSTAINABLE COOKS THIS WEEK
We had two recipes that I call “peak summer” on this blog this week.
Cherry Tomato Sauce – This fresh, homemade Cherry Tomato Sauce is a delicious meatless sauce made from scratch. This simple spaghetti sauce creates tasty magic from fresh cherry tomatoes and herbs. {Pin this recipe}
Air Fryer Zucchini Chips – Make amazing Air Fryer Zucchini Chips for your family with this simple recipe! A crunchy coating of panko breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese makes these healthier fried zucchini chips poppable and irresistible. {Pin this recipe}
THE FIVE MOST POPULAR POSTS THIS WEEK
MEAL PLAN
Monday:: It’s our anniversary, so likely takeout at soccer practice. Fancy.
Tuesday:: Troy is making dinner and we’ll be excited to eat it.
Wednesday:: Friends are coming over, so we’ll have Troy’s burgers, probably grilled zucchini, and…?
Thursday:: Air Fryer Steak Bites, Garlic Butter Rice, and veggies.
Friday:: Leftovers, popcorn, movie night.
Saturday:: Jack has a soccer BBQ and I’m not sure how long that will last. If we need more food in the evening, we’ll have leftovers.
Sunday:: TBD
What are you having this week?
Americantall.com
Lucky brand jeans had that size in the past. Don’t know about their current offerings.
Thanks. Looks like their website only starts at a 28w. 🙁
hollisterco.com
This store caused me so much drama and sadness a few years ago when my athletic and curvy teen daughter could barely get her arm into the leg of the womens jeans and this was the perfect store for her rail thin twin brother.
Your poor daughter!
I got excited and just checked, and…their 26w only goes to 30L. Argh! I ran into this problem when I was a teen too; if you’re slender, they think you’re short. If you’re tall, they assume you need a L or XL at the minimum.
I think it depends on the styles you are looking at you definitely need to search but they do have options.. check back often as they just had a huge sale.
https://www.hollisterco.com/shop/OrderItemDisplayView?storeId=10251&catalogId=10201&langId=-1&orderStatus=P
Thanks! The link doesn’t work, but I’ll hunt around some more.
Not exactly Jack’s size but Uniqlo has 27Wx34L. Might fit him, you never know, jeans fit vary from brand to brand. Good luck!
Glad to read your vacation was nice, except the dreaded traffic & border dictator in the way back home.
Have you tried American Eagle? I live in the UK but a friend had good luck with them for her tall, slim son.
I just checked and all their size 26w also stop at a 30L. Darn, darn, darny, darn. Thanks for the suggestion though! They do have a preowned section of their website and that’s great to know.
Follow up: maybe buy one waist size up, and sew in a button & elastic to adjust, like those you find on baby’s clothes? There was also a hack back in the 2010s to sew an elastic in the waistline, to avoid the gap between your back and the jeans (this applied mostly to the now dreaded low waist jeans, which were all the rage back then), might help? At least until Jack continues to grow and fits into more available sizes
I used to use an elastic thing for those pants on Jack’s snow pants. It was an “as seen on TV” product. HA!
Jack asked me why adult pants can’t have adjustable waists, and frankly, he has a point. I don’t know of a single adult who wouldn’t love to have the option to adjust their waistband from time to time.
Wrangler has 26*32/34
thanks!