Scattered Sundays and Meal Plan
So every night before bed, I put my clean clothes for the next day on our bathroom counter. Our counter is pretty small, but I refuse to put it on the floor, because spiders.
Anyhoo, the other night I was peeing (on the toilet. If you were wondering) and I happened to glance at the tag of my underwear that was sitting right there on the counter. It very clearly said “do not dry clean”.
Um, who is dry cleaning underwear? Is this such a common practice that it needs to specifically be mentioned that it is not ok for a particular pair of underwear? Was I supposed to be dry cleaning my underwear this whole damn time???
I have a firm “no Christmas/Hanukkah discussion until after Thanksgiving” rule. I don’t shop until then because I am lazy I just hate how we rush into each new thing/season without actually enjoying the one we are in.
But, if you are a total “It’s now November. Game on” kind of person, I’m not mad atcha! I get planners. You’re my people. Anyhoo, if you’re now getting a jumpstart on your holiday planning, I wanted to remind you that I have a bunch of different gift guides and homemade holiday gift ideas in the archives of this here blog.
And now that we’re talking about making gifts (and you’re like NO, you’re talking about it. We’re just waiting for you to make a that’s what she said joke) I am happy (excited?) to let you know that I updated my Homemade Peppermint Extract post to include some adorable AF printable labels. They’re totally free and you can download for your own printing pleasure. It’s super easy and not hard at all.
THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID
Jack and my nephew are open enrolled at their school, which means we’re responsible for all transportation to and from school. Our school has a very small parking lot, so the drop off line and pickup situation is always a bit bananas.
People are DUMB so a “how to not be an idiot” note was sent home a few weeks ago with all the kids. One of the biggest rule was to not be on your phone in line. Preach.
But, this week I was waiting for a newbie drop off parent (it’s not stop and chat people. It’s tuck and roll like you’re storming a freaking beach) in front of me to GTF out of the way. My boys had already parachuted out of the car in 2.5 seconds and my windows were still down as I was saying goodbye.
And then it happened.
My car somehow switched on the bluetooth from my phone and randomly started playing a podcast. But not just any podcast…My Dad Wrote a Porno.
I grabbed my phone to press pause and that is when Jack’s principal caught me and very nicely shouted “get off your phone”.
I wanted to die.
At pick up that afternoon I parked and did go to talk to him to explain the situation. We had a good laugh and I think we both agreed it was better for me to pause that ish than to be blaring a hilarious but highly inappropriate podcast.
I have to tell you the new tradition my family has come up with for this year. Like many people with grown children, all the siblings and cousins have multiple events to go to for inlaws, etc. Which inevitably leads to like three Thanksgivings for each of us.
So, this year, we’re able to get together the week before Thanksgiving (the actual big day for some of us is hosted at my house) and are celebrating “Appsgiving”. As the name implies, it is a “dinner” of 100% appetizers. No big turkey, no big dinner, and no big clean up. I cannot wait for this meal!
What in the hell happened to my fall weather? It had snowed by this time last year, and on Friday I was wearing short sleeves with my windows open. I want storms, fires in the woodstove and blankets. Whaaaaaa!
American readers – have you voted yet? Midterms on are Tuesday! I don’t really get the whole “early voting” or standing in lines for hours to vote thing. Why do your states make citizen participation so challenging? Washington State is a 100% mail in ballot state and frankly, it’s pretty amazing and simple. But I do have serious FOMO because I don’t get that sweet “I voted” sticker.
Comment/Review of the Week
This week’s five-star review comes from Lana who was reviewing my Home Fries – Cast Iron Skillet Potatoes.
We made these again this weekend!! So good!!!
On Sustainable Cooks This Week
Chicken Pot Pie Soup – A healthy and comforting Chicken Pot Pie Soup that is easy to make in the crockpot or Instant Pot. This delicious soup is gluten-free, dairy-free, and easily Whole30 or paleo adaptable.
Thanksgiving Checklist {Free Printable} – A user-friendly printable Thanksgiving checklist for all type-A planners. If you’re hosting, this Thanksgiving checklist helps you make sure food, cleaning, and other details aren’t overlooked.
Jalapeno Poppers Dip – This healthy Jalapeno Poppers Dip is the best dairy-free, Whole30, and Paleo appetizer with no mayo and lots of bacon! When you’re dairy-free, easy appetizers can be challenging, but this creamy dip is so good you’ll never miss the dairy!
The Five Most Popular Posts This Week
- Chicken Pot Pie Soup
- The Ultimate Guide to Roasting Frozen Vegetables
- Whole30 Bruschetta Chicken Recipe
- Instant Pot Sous Vide Egg Bites Recipe
- Healthy Orange Chicken
Meal Plan
Monday:: Souuuuuuuup! I’m making a ton of it tonight (Crockpot Baked Potato Soup and Easy Homemade Tomato Soup) for a church dinner we’re hosting and I’m counting on leftovers. My kids will eat cereal if there are no leftovers. Or they can cook their own damn dinner.
Tuesday:: Perfect Roasted Chicken, salad, and home fries.
Wednesday:: A new Instant Pot recipe I’m working on. Get excited! Get pumped!
Thursday:: A leftovers kind of meal
Friday:: Popcorn, leftovers, and movie night
Saturday:: Extended family event out with Troy’s side of the family.
Sunday:: Family dinner
What We Bought This Week
Smith Brothers Farms: $19.97
Fred Meyer: $51.83 (I know it doesn’t look like a lot but this cart is packed on top and the bottom.)
What are you having this week?
This post contains affiliate links and we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you if you click through and make a purchase. This allows me to continue to provide free content, and I only share products that I use and love myself.
Sherry beat me to it – spiders use their 8 legs to crawl onto the counters too. After 35 years of voting in every single election (primaries and general) I have yet to EVER get an “I voted sticker.” You must need a special password or something to get one.
Appsgiving sounds fun.
Nope, lies. Don’t spread such hateful spider-related fear mongering. LOL.
They don’t give you a sticker? The freaking nerve. You need a sticker!!!
I voted on Friday. No one offered me a sticker and I was too embarrassed to ask for one. My vote still counts, right?! I love your appsgiving idea! When I was single my friends and I used to do something similar for Easter lunch.
Monday: Poblano chicken pasta—a one-pot meal I devised because my husband doesn’t think soup is a meal (eyeroll). Basically it’s white chicken chili but with less broth and spaghetti cooked in.
Tuesday: Mexican chicken (chicken cooked in lime juice, cilantro, tomatoes, garlic, and salsa) and Spanish rice
Wednesday: Husband will grill burgers. I will make fries in the air fryer and probably green beans
Thursday: It’s my youngest daughter’s birthday AND we have to be back at school at 5:45 for the Veterans Day program so we’re going out for dinner.
Friday: Frozen pizzas on the pellet grill (yum, smoky, crispy pizza) with salad
Saturday: Gnocchi is with homemade sauce
Sunday: Probably something on the grill
Never be too embarrassed to ask for stickers! You earned that sticker.
Your husband and I would never get along in the meal department. BUT…the pasta sounds delicious!
*I* dryclean my underwear! …. Just joshin’.
You make me laugh so hard.
Ha, freak!
I start Christmas shopping in November but we don’t have Thanksgiving to stop me. Although I’m travelling to the US just before Thanksgiving this year so my trip is working as a slight delay because I might buy gifts there. We have two days at Christmas that we term “party food day” where we just eat party food for dinner, it’s nearly all beige and it’s all straight out of a box but I have zero regrets.
I love that you have 48 hours of party food! That sounds super fun and incredibly delicious.
I hate to inform you of this, but I believe spiders can climb up onto counters. LOL
You LIE Sherry. LIE! LOL
After all my years working retail, I have a strict “each holiday is decorated for in its appropriate month” meaning Halloween stuff goes up Oct 1, Thanksgiving Nov 1, etc. I will make exceptions on Christmas decor for the day after Thanksgiving…sometimes. Not this year, because Thanksgiving is a smidge too early. But I am trying to get my shopping started…hubby and I both have giant families and buying/making gifts for 20+ people gets awfully time consuming!
Has the family ever considered drawing names so that not everyone has to buy for everyone? Or has that already been vetoed?
Ugh, we’ve tried. Somehow, that actually created MORE drama on my side of the family, and on hubby’s side it just sort of fizzled out-he’s the oldest sibling and the only one with a spouse/significant other at all. I mean, it’s not that we can’t manage buying for everyone (and as we’ve been totally unable to do that in the past money-wise, I know we are super blessed now to do so), and really we love gifting others (I think we both actually like watching others open what we got them more than we like opening anything from them), it just makes for a BUSY holiday season, esp since I actually really like selecting actual gifts as opposed to gift cards whenever I can. Sooooo that means my parents, my 3 siblings/their spouses/children, hubby’s mom/stepdad plus 2 brothers, and dad/stepmom plus 2 more brothers. Thank goodness we don’t have any kids of our own yet! 🙂
Thanksgiving is actually more my favorite holiday than Christmas – all the family time, no gift fuss!
I like the appsgiving meal you will be having, all appetizers and easy to do. Funny (in retrospect) incident with you and Bluetooth at the school, I would have explained to the principal like you did.
We’re very much looking forward to appsgiving!
Because I am Canadian, I don’t have a “no Christmas before Thanksgiving” rule (because our Thanksgiving is early October!), but MY personal date is the date of the Toronto Santa Claus Parade (November 18th this year). My oldest daughter IS a November 1st person. Her tree is already up and she is texting me as I type this, trying to convince me to watch a Christmas show tonight when she and her husband come over. I am adamantly refusing. But she can still come for dinner if she wants.
I DO, however, start my shopping early, and *try* to have it completely finished by December 1st, so I can enjoy the season without any shopping stress. I also try my best to get all my Costco exclusive purchases stocked up on by mid November so I can avoid Costco in December. Our location, at least, is NUTS close to Christmas.
Why didn’t you just quickly roll up your windows when the podcast started?
Dumb question…is the Santa Claus parade a BUNCH of Santa Clauses on parade, or a normal Christmas parade that also has Santa?
Your daughter is hardcore with holidays!
In hindsight, I should have just turned off my radio’s power when the podcast came on, but it’s just instinct to grab the phone. I was stopped at least.
Hindsight is 20/20….
My oldest is a little nuts, and yes, I say that directly to her. But she is lovable, so I’ll keep her.
The Santa Claus Parade is a normal parade with floats and clowns etc. The ‘headliner’, and finale of the parade is Santa’s float (with Santa, of course). We used to go to it (my 20-year-old has rallied a bunch of her university friends and is going this year, too), but now my husband and I just pop some popcorn and watch it on TV. (It comes on at 5pm, I think. The parade itself usually starts at around 12:30) This year, we have to watch for a little friend who is going to be on one of the floats!
I think a parade full of Santas would be so fun!
We are having leftover Chicken Pot Pie Soup!!!
And I plan to make meatloaf and mashed potatoes tomorrow (gonna try your recipe)… if I remember to get potatoes today.
And some sort of taco something. Tacos have been a constant request lately.
I love the idea of Appsgiving! We are headed to Iowa this year.
And DOH! On the phone thing. As a fellow rule follower I hate when I accidentally break a rule and get busted for it.
About podcasts, when do you listen to them? I never feel like there’s a good time. If I listen with ear buds while my family is around I feel like I’m neglecting them (even though 99% of the time they have their own in). And I can’t listen if what I’m doing requires any amount of concentration (except driving). But the only time Emma is chatty is in the car.
Woot, leftover soup is the best meal ever!
I listen to them all day long, but I make sure I’m only listening to the appropriate ones around the kids. Considering you live with two giant introverts, I think they’d be thrilled if you popped in some ear buds. lol
In CA they now mail the “I voted” stickers home with the ballots. It’s pretty sweet!
I love that!