Scattered Sundays

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In 2021, I approached the moment of officially being fed up with my acne scars and I started doing microchanneling with an esthetician.

Microchanneling is similar to microneedling, but involves a “stamping” machine packed with needles. That sounds fun, right?

I did multiple sessions and liked the results, but saw a dermatologist who prescribed a topical treatment that was a lot more affordable and didn’t involve freaking needles being drilled into my face. My esthetician said I couldn’t do both, so I did the topical treatment for a year.

The topical cream worked ok, but it made my face so dry that I couldn’t use it as prescribed. I was supposed to use it every three days, but I would use it and then need a week to recover from how dry my face was.

I finally threw in the towel and went back to microchanneling. I had two treatments using 1/2 inch needles and the results were slow but my skin tone was improving. At my appointment a few weeks ago, my esthetician said “let’s go bigger” and we upgraded to the 1-inch needles.

Now, any length of needles being drilled into your face doesn’t sound pleasant. They do apply a numbing cream to your face, which does help. Typically, your face is supposed to be pretty red for a few days after the treatment, but my redness always went away within 1-hour post-treatment.

The 1-inch needles were definitely less-pleasant than the 1/2-inch version, but I just breathed through it and knew it would be worth it for the epic scalp massage she gives me at the end of the appointment. My face was DEFINITELY redder after this appointment, and I looked like a hot mess for the following four days.

Once all the red pinpoints faded, the results were much more apparent than after previous appointments. Bigger needles for the win!

My skin texture is smoother (the pits are almost 100% gone), the scars are less apparent, and I’m more likely to go out in public without some form of makeup on. I have another treatment scheduled in a few weeks, and will likely do another in September before I reassess.

Thank you all for your help in the quest to “find pants to fit my child”! We ordered and tried a few pairs this week, and here is the rundown.

These Levis (check different washes because some of them are affordable) were a HARD no from Jack, even though they fit him so well. He hated the skinny cut.

These Levis were a “maybe” but he still absolutely hated the cut so I just sent them back. I’m not spending money on something he’ll refuse to wear.

We are not brand loyal in any way, but Levis seems to have the market on jeans with a size 26W x 32L. I found these “tech pants” on their actual website and thank you sweet, Baby Jesus, they fit and he LOVES how they look and feel. Praise be! If only they also came in jeans or joggers. But I guess I can’t have all the luck.

I will say that the price on the website is not what I paid. I found a lighting deal for BOGO, so I got two pairs for the price of one. They also were offering 5% cash back with Rakuten so I got some money back for buying them.

I decided to branch out and have him try a size 28W thinking we could just find a belt or have them altered. He tried this pair of Levi 501s on and they were laughably giant.

About 99% of the time he either wears shorts or joggers, but joggers have been impossible to find as well. We tried this pair this week and they DID FIT, but he hated the material. Which is totally fair; I didn’t realize they were made of 1980s windbreaker material.

Photos of all of these pants were absolutely forbidden by the teen, and I agreed because the concept of consent is being drilled into the heads of my male children. And I hold myself to the standards I am teaching.

In the Garden This Week

Blueberries and raspberries abound in the garden, and our one zucchini plant seems to have decided to outdo itself with production. When we were in Canada two weeks ago, I noticed Persephone Brewing had an entire field of zucchini. Are they providing zucchini to the entire continent of North America?

I think almost all the new chickens are laying, and our older girls have kicked up production again. We’re blessed to be overloaded with eggs at the moment! The teen chickens are laying small eggs (for now) and they’re such a beautiful rainbow of colors.

Tomatoes are starting to ripen, and I’m itching to get my hands on some burrata for my first “punchbowl of tomatoes and mozzarella for lunch” of summer.

Green beans will be on the menu this week! Got lots of green beans yourself? Check out the green bean recipes we have on the blog:

ON SUSTAINABLE COOKS THIS WEEK

Preserving season continues on the blog!

How to Dry Peppers – Drying Peppers is a simple way to preserve this delicious ingredient! Learn how to dry peppers in a food dehydrator, via air drying, or in the oven. {Pin this tutorial}

Freezing Tomatoes – Learn all about freezing tomatoes to preserve the amazing star of summer produce. A freezer stash of frozen tomatoes opens the door to amazing and speedy meals. {Pin this tutorial}

THE FIVE MOST POPULAR POSTS THIS WEEK

MEAL PLAN

Monday:: A new one-pan chicken casserole that Jack is obsessed with. It will be on the blog in early September. The recipe is tested and photographed, and I might be able to release it early but it all depends on life. If you would like a sneak peek at it, email me. Disclaimer: making it early means you will be hounded to rate and review it once it is published. You’ve been warned. 🙂

Tuesday:: Troy is making dinner and we’ll be excited to eat it.

Wednesday:: Leftovers, popcorn, and movie night. The end of the week isn’t available due to soccer.

Thursday:: Crispy Sheet Pan Gnocchi with garlic bread on the side. Yes, we serve carbs with a side of carbs. Jack has soccer that night.

Friday:: Soccer tournament

Saturday:: Soccer tournament

Sunday:: Soccer tournament

What are you having this week?