Friday Thoughts
Tap, tap. Hey. You guys there?
How are you doing?
I debated about doing a Friday Thoughts post today. But as I was sitting here ruminating in my own thoughts, I realized these are EXACTLY the type of moments when I want to check in with these Friday Thoughts posts.
Because life is so much more than making chocolate chip cookies and planning a dinner menu.
Right?
I think we can all agree the last few weeks (and months for some) have been a chaotic whirlwind of events and emotions.
Today I wanted to see how you are doing with all that’s going on in the world.
And then take a little diversion from serious talk and follow up on a few things.
I’m looking forward to hearing from you today. Please comment below with any and all thoughts and experiences you are having right now!

1) How Can We Help? My heart feels heavy for those who have been affected in ways that I can’t possibly begin to comprehend. Even though we are having our own ups and downs with the emergency and all that has come with it, I know many family and friends who are having a far more difficult time than we are.
And all the healthcare professionals working on the front lines! Many of them with families of their own. I am in awe and humbled by their endless service right now. My brother is an ER doctor in Montana helping in the forefront there. In response to how we can help, his matter-of-fact answer is: stay home.
I’ve racked my brains and prayed a lot to know how to help those around us in our community. It feels particularly difficult when we’re also strictly trying to follow the directive to social distance. {Brian has a job in a “critical/essential” industry – food production – so he continues to go to and from work each day.}
We’ve continued to bring meals to neighbors and friends when help is needed. They’ve been on board with us bringing them; we’ve kept everything very sanitary and perfected the zero-contact porch drop-off! We’ve also donated to local food banks and national organizations providing meals to children in need, and it sounds silly, but I’ve also made a more conscious effort to make actual real, live phone calls to connect with family and friends and neighbors.
What are you doing to help during this time? I’m sure there are many, many other ways. I’d love to know your thoughts and ideas on this.
2) Kids at Home: In our area, school has been canceled until April 20 (with online curriculum supposedly coming around April 6). Our governor just issued an additional stay-at-home order until April 15 (which honestly doesn’t seem much different than what we’ve already been doing).
So largely, we’re just trying to all survive each other being homebound during this extended and eternal spring break.
Although I keep reminding my kids this is not summer vacation, and gosh darn it, sometimes I just NEED EVERYONE IN BED.
We have a mini schedule in the mornings: make beds, clean up breakfast, practice instruments, exercise, other jobs/chores as needed that day. But I’m not being too terribly structured at this point.
I wholeheartedly believe in this quote by Brene Brown: “boredom is sacred. We shouldn’t deny our children this holy experience.” {You can read the full quote shared recently on my friend, Andrea’s, Better Screen Time account.}
So I don’t plan our days full minute by minute. My kids are the most creative (and yes, messy and sometimes irritating) when they’re bored.
My kids are spending most of their day:
- helping with meals (making and cleaning up)
- making cookies or muffins (a lot) depending on what ingredients we have on hand
- playing out in our pasture and building forts by the creek
- reading and reading and reading
- writing poems about what’s going on in the world (when I make them…and then we perform them for Brian when he comes home from work; my 15-year old greatly wishes this activity would stop ASAP)
- learning new things like playing the ukulele and photoshop and making stop motion videos and sewing simple blankets
- building old school blanket forts in the bonus room
- keeping elaborate brackets on who is currently winning at Mario Kart (our only playable video game right now)
- and often figuring out ways to stop the bickering and just trying to ignore each other
Honestly, I don’t want to make it sound like every day is dreamy with everyone cooperating and being creative and doing amazing things independently with joy in their hearts and smiles on their faces.
It’s hard. Sometimes we’re just a regular hot mess over here. And the worst thing I can do is make you feel like we have it together 100% of the time. Not possible.
Thankfully I have a lot of bittersweet chocolate chips waiting for me in the pantry. And each day is a new slate to try again.
What’s working for you and your kids? Any thoughts to share?
Here’s a post with some great ideas and resources (especially in the comments).
3) Switching Gears: On a totally different note, on the Friday Thoughts post from a few months ago, you guys came through big time on recommendations for a) natural deodorant, b) family vacation ideas, and c) vegan/plant-based recipe ideas.
I’ll share the family vacation ideas later (when it feels more appropriate to do so). And I’m also still compiling a resource on the vegan/plant-based recipes…I promise to get that to you soon.
But if you’re curious about the natural deodorant, the overall verdict was:
A lot of you are passionate about the natural deodorant you use. And it’s clear that what works for one person may not work for another!
Largely, the Native brand and Just Ingredients were the most popular recommendations (by far). But if you want to see the whole entire list of natural deodorant recommendations, here you go. The deodorants are in no particular order except for the two most popular suggestions at the top of the list.
After I read through all the comments, I bought Native deodorant in the coconut vanilla scent {aff. link} and Just Ingredients sweet citrus scent deodorant to try. {Neither of these suggestions are sponsored in any way}
Prior to using either, I also detoxed my armpits (I’m pretty sure I just lost about 1/5th of my readers with that last statement) with this activated charcoal mask {aff. link}. It’s amazing (I use it on my face about once a week, too).
So far, I am loving the Native deodorant. A lot. I sweat more because it isn’t an anti-perspirant, but I actually don’t mind it (except for a couple times when I’ve had to stand up in front of people at church and then it wasn’t maybe the best moment ever, but every day use is fine).
Compared to Native, I don’t feel like the Just Ingredients deodorant glides on as smoothly…and because of that, I don’t feel like the texture and coverage is as good. BUT, I can definitely see why people like it and I’m keeping it on hand for when I need to change.
Because apparently, sometimes your armpits like when you change things up. At least that’s what a million of you told me in the comment thread last time. 🙂
4) What’s to Come: I know the next little while is uncertain, to say the least.
Even though I don’t know what the next few weeks (or even days) hold, I am still planning on giving you the best recipes I can during this time.
I don’t do blogging or computer tasks with my kids at home and awake, so as long as I can burn the midnight oil without being a total grump, you’ll still get new recipes!
I’ve scrapped my whole editorial calendar (which isn’t that intense anyway since I tend to fly by the seat of my pants in regards to what recipes I want to post and when), but I have some easy, family- and pantry-friendly recipes coming your way over the next couple of weeks. Like those amazing little muffins you see above.
And I have a few Easter recipes to share, too, if the timing feels right (in terms of ingredient availability).
If you’re on Instagram, I’ve also started a daily “series” on Instagram stories where I post a real, live picture of what we’re eating that night for dinner.
It’s supposed to be kind of a helpful peek into reality, but I’m not going to lie, it’s also a little sketchy some nights. Ultimately, I hope it provides you with ideas for how to cook real food in a real world with a real family! And not feel guilt about it.
Ok, that’s probably good for today.
I have much more I could say but I’ve already wasted a lot of your time (assuming you made it this far), AND my inclination to keep blabbing is largely just because I am not interacting with many other adult humans on the daily right now. #sendhelp
Love your guts so very much. I hope you’re hanging in there.
Comment below with ANYTHING you feel like sharing right now!
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Just hearing about how other’s lives have been disrupted really helps. We have only had one confirmed case of covid in our NEMO county and that was brought in from KC. Have been cooking much more, though I still get to work, plus preparing to distribute food with our local food pantry next Friday & trying to figure out how it will work. Our small town had a car cruise evening with at least 100 participating. Everyone was asked to bring a nonperishable item for the food pantry. Really raised people’s spirits as the local nursing homes were driven by (they’ve been locked down for 2 weeks). Please continue to share both your families lives and recipes. Also, glad Native works for you – I used for a year plus and had several about of it breaking out my underarms. Finally gave up but now use a bare minimum of deodorant & Norwex.
I love the idea of that “parade” going past the local nursing homes!
I am in the boat of trying to find something to control in an incontrolable situation. My kids (6,4,2) and I have a pretty flexible schedule of playing outside, playing games inside and a little school work when the youngest naps. So I am trying to take control of our food storage. We never had anything really thought out, so my project is to create a 3 month plan and then expand from there. Please share any tips and tricks you have. Also- anything I have made from your blog has always turned out amazing. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with all of us!
I am going to try and get a food storage post up ASAP! Interestingly, I find I have less time for blogging with all this “downtime” but that’s largely because having my kids home changes everything. But I’m going to spend some late nights getting it posted because I love talking about it and there’s been so many requests for it!
Loved your thoughts. It’s hard to find ways to help when it’s best to stay home unless something is very needed. I’m inspired to find a way! And I love native! Glad it’s working for you. 🙂
Thanks, Amanda!
My friend is in the Seattle area and when her groceries were delivered this week she was super excited for English muffins but they weren’t there. She had even skipped breakfast to wait for them and was in tears when they didn’t show. (She typically doesn’t tear up over no English muffins but it’s an emotional time, I’m sure most people understand). Anyway I was super happy to send her your recipe you posted recently for English muffins. I hope she made them and felt better! 🙂 ironically I had recently tried a whole wheat sour dough English muffin (will try yours soon too) and I couldn’t believe how well they turned out!! So fun! As for as being home, my kids are almost 11 and under and we homeschool normally anyway, so we are doing ok. The kids miss their friends and are on the possibly more emotional side of things, but we are enjoying the slow down and extra time together. Prayer, mote music, more outside time and more cooking together is how we are getting through the harder moments.
Oh heavens, I’ve cried over smaller things than English muffins in the last couple weeks so I get it! I hope she ended up with some English muffins, homemade or not! Good luck with everything, Nicole! Always enjoy your comments.
Hi Mel,
Thanks for the Friday thoughts. I am trying to stop my thoughts from eating my brain with worry, so I decided to inventory my pantry. Now, I am freaked out about how to use the cans of green beans, peas, corn, carrots, and potatoes I bought two months ago. Still haven’t used one can. Any ideas? Thanks in advance.
I’m not Mel, but sounds like the perfect ingredients for chicken pot pie!
I agree with Lauren – some type of creamy soup or pot pie would be amazing!
I’m not going to lie. I’m stressed. I have prescriptions to renew, and there’s been a massive change and I might have to make plans to travel home (adhering to all appropriate quarantine measures ofc). I have midterms next week. The whole gamut. I’m trying hard not to drown, and it feels like it’s not working. But maybe this is what “not drowning” feels like? I don’t know if that made much sense.
I’m doing ok on the food front. I’m not any great shakes at cooking, but I did make your spicy asian noodles last week, and I loved them. I felt bad for not having enough vegetables on hand, so I used the packet of shredded carrots and tossed in some sad half-handfuls. I have a lot of trouble some textures, but I was pleasantly surprised at how much I really liked it. After that, I made some of my mom’s vegetable rice, which I forgot to add salt to when I was making it. And now I’m on my last portion of baked spaghetti. The only reason I portion my meals at all is for the convenience–it’s much easier to get my brain to go to the fridge and pull out a container and heat + eat than it is to stare at the giant container of food and figure out how much I want for some reason. Our minds are such strange things, lol!
I hope you and your family are keeping well in these trying times. 🙂 Hang in there!
I hope all goes well for you!! It sounds like you have so much on your plate…good luck if you have to head home with all the chaos right now!
Appreciate the glimpse! We have been doing a form of online/homeschool with our kids teachers for 2 weeks. I’m exhausted. Hoping to get in a better routine. My husband’s job is day by day. They are a gray line on whether they are essential, and do work for states that don’t have the same rules as our state. Makes for a stressful time.
I have been wanting to do more focused family activities but the teachers keep sending full workloads. We are behind now because I refuse to ruin my relationship with my kids over spelling.
Math and English, now that is where I get very involved and am loving it!
Please keep sharing your meals if you feel up to it on Instagram. This momma runs stuck almost every night and every snack and lunch time cause all they want is food! My grocery budget may jump again because not everything is in stock so I have to make adjustments. It’s tiring. But we are doing our part.
Love native deodorant. I never detoxed though, so I might have to do that as a form of self care during this craziness.
Ok, that sounds a little insane about the schooling – my sisters in law that live in Utah have said the same thing. Like, 9-10 hour online school days. WHAT?? That seems hard. Hang in there! I’ll definitely keep sharing nightly meals on Instagram, even when they are a bit sketchy!
Can I just say thank you for the very real shot of your messy kitchen? I loved the whole post but that was my favorite…I think sometimes we think you food bloggers have some kind of system that makes all that kitchen cleanup magically happen (and maybe you do), but I don’t.. And sometimes my kitchen looks like that (far too often, actually), and it was reassuring to know yours looks like that sometimes too. So thanks.
We homeschool most of our kids anyway, but we are still getting a little stir-crazy over here. We took a drink to Daddy today just to get out of the house (and because he was tired and headachey and needed the support). We are wondering what else we can do to get out, not every day but at least once a week, to keep us from feeling like all we do is stay home. Because most days that is all we do. Any ideas for that? I am a homebody and love to be home but even I am ready for a break.
Oh gosh, heavens NO. There’s no special system here. And if this pandemic has taught me anything (which I already felt and knew), I don’t have time in my life for things that aren’t real, you know? Bring back the real. Life’s too crazy and short for pretend lives – so here’s to many more messy kitchen pictures. Haha. As a fellow homebody, I’m also having the same struggle. We’ve been trying to find activities outside that are different than our normal. For instance, a scavenger hunt outside and through our neighborhood and things like that. It’s helping a little.
I have loved your recipes and blog for years. I discovered awhile ago that I’m in the same stake as your aunt Katie. In fact, my daughter was suppose to go to a dance with her son tomorrow until all went nuts. And I made the connection some of your family lives in Billings. That’s where I’m from. Small world. Love your ideas, recipes and thoughts! You’re real! So refreshing!! Thanks!!
Oh what a small world. I love that! And Katie is literally the most amazing human I have ever met in my life. So jealous you live near her!
Honestly our lives haven’t changed all that much since quarantine. Our district was the first in Ca to shut down so the kids haven’t been to school since March 10. They start distance learning on April 20. As the fifth largest district in Ca they’ve had to do lots of prep to make sure that all students would have to ability to access computers and internet at home. So it’s taking awhile to roll out. But aside from my four school age kids being home from school and no longer having church or the midweek church activity, nothing has changed. I’ve never been a big extra curricular person. I can’t handle the stress. Plus we moved a year ago so I haven’t yet found new music teachers (piano and cello) and I’ve been pregnant so everything was already pared down to the absolute bare minimum. So really, now I just have big kids home all day, riling up the toddler who desperately still needs his regular naps and fighting with each other and getting rude with me about chores. It’s so fun…. gah! I’m seriously ready to turn my almost thirteen year old into a permanent backyard camper so none of us have to interact with him. And my 11 year old is testing the bounds of everyone’s patience with his need to take over my job as the mom. Then my poor 9 year old is so DONE with his big brothers picking at him and my 7 year old has taken to hiding with her iPod and the Frozen 2 soundtrack so she doesn’t have to be harassed. Only the new baby has been very obliging. She kindly came 10 days early on the 16th so that we didn’t have to worry about my hubs not being allowed in the hospital with me during labor and delivery. Some friends in our ward are facing that possibility. She’s due in like 10 days or so and her drs are already talking about inducing her at home and when they transport her to the hospital to deliver her husband will likely not be allowed to come because of covid precautions. Mostly I’m tired and emotionally strung out (post partum hormone shifts and global pandemic are NOT a good mix). And having hubs working from home is worse because on top of everything else, I am worrying about whether or not I’m keeping the kids quiet enough to not disturb his phone calls and other work. Oh and our stake president put a moratorium on delivering meals because of the statewide stay at home order so I don’t even have help with food while I’ve got this new baby. Sigh. I’m just trying not to numb out too much but find healthier coping mechanisms.
Hang in there. May it get better.
I hope it improves. One suggestion is that if your older kids don’t cook yet maybe it’s time for ‘Cooking 101’ where they do most of the work and you have at least got help with the meals. Could the older kids read to the younger ones? Not sure if any of this helps, but wish you the best. Good luck and God Bless You.
Jennifer! I echo Margaret and Alice – I really do hope things get better. I can’t imagine circling through this chaos with kids at home and schedules disrupted AND having a new baby. I wish I was your neighbor and could drop off meals in the dark of night to you.
My 1 year old learned how to get out of her crib yesterday. I feel like we were doing pretty well with this quarantined life until that, but now without predictable naps and bedtime I’m thrown off. I keep telling myself that all 6 of her siblings did this and I can handle it. It’s lame timing, but we’ll adjust!
Could you explain why natural deodorant is the way to go? I’ve never heard anything about regular deodorant and I’m sure if I googled it I’d just be sure we were all doomed.
Um, I seriously cried each time my toddlers learned to climb out of their crib. I’m here for you! The timing of this is truly terrible, hang in there.
Natural deodorant is supposedly better in terms of not putting chemicals (particularly aluminum) on your armpits which are the gateway to important organs via the .lymphnodes. Having said that, I know a lot of people who lived long, successful lives using normal deodorant, so don’t stress too much!
Hmmm… something to think about for sure. Thank you for your response!!
Working at home and homeschool is a new brand form of torture!!!
On a more contemplative note- I’ve felt like, as a family before the self quarantine, we’ve had to work hard to fight for family time. Now that all the soccer/volleyball/school activities are put on hold I’m feeling the need of being intentional with this time we do have together now and its been a sweet blessing! Our new routines of family devotional, homework, made up recess, meals together, nightly games, and our bored list (thanks for inspiration Mel) have been really tender. My stressed out teen/preteens are mostly pleasant! Mostly.
Still figuring out screen time boundaries, (Im looking at you Minecraft) and we’re down to 1-ish 😉 episodes of Puppy Pals, and Elena for the littles.
We’ve been checking on the neighbors with social distant drop off dinners for the folks having a hard time getting out. Its different serving from a distance but it can be done!
Its been a juggling act between working at home and family but I feel it will all workout in the end, with a few new memories. This slow down has given us an opportunity to focus on what really matters.
That and toilet paper- who knew that’d be such a big deal!!
Haha to your opening line. 🙂 I’m finding the same thing – I have loved the downtime of kids not being in so many activities at night and I’m trying to really appreciate and capitalize on that time because I know when this settles down, it’ll be so easy to go back to “normal” and I’m kind of dreading that, too, if that makes sense. It sounds like you are doing a great job!
Yesterday my 15 year old daughter’s friend texted her asking, “Is your mom still doing that whole social distancing thing?” Then: “why?” Not sure what planet this girl is living on, but YES WE ARE STILL STAYING HOME AND NOT HANGING OUT WITH FRIENDS! Luckily my own kids get it and are having fun together. We have our two college kids back home which is a constant party. When everyone is finished with their online schoolwork—even my elementary and middle schoolers have hours of online work from their teachers—we make good food using lots of your recipes (never been so thankful for the habit of a well stocked freezer and basement food storage room/pantry) and play games or watch movies or go hiking. And stay up way too late. My husband and college son are still able to do their jobs from home, so life is good. I am a PE teacher at the elementary school, and today our principal organized a “parade”. All of us teachers and staff decorated our cars and drove through the neighborhoods in our school boundaries, waving and honking at the families who were lining the streets, holding posters and cheering. It was the best! I got emotional seeing the faces of all these kids I love, even the ones who drive me crazy! It feels good to be reminded that we are all in this together. And one more fun thing that makes me smile? I made a playlist of Quarantine songs (and a few earthquake songs because of our shake-up last week) that I play when we are doing dishes or housework. My kids roll their eyes a bit (it’s heavy on 80s music) but it cracks me up to sing along to Shake the Disease and I’m Still Standing, and the like.
I’m so thankful for your site full of recipes that I refer to constantly. I really need to print out my favorites in case the internet goes down! Thanks for always being there for us, Mel!
I’m glad you are thriving in the midst of all this craziness, Mirien! I’m also glad I’m not the only mom shutting down social events for the teenagers and wondering what the heck they are thinking. Yep, still social distancing over here. That teacher parade sounds SO fun! I love that so much! You are such a fun mom. I love it!
I love your blog, Mel! Thanks for giving us a peek at how your family is doing. We are in North Texas and school is closed “indefinitely” for us, but I am still hopeful that we might get to go back for a couple of weeks in May. I have a Senior in High School and this whole thing has been rough on her. I am praying they can still have a graduation ceremony, or at the very least reschedule it for later in the summer. There are all sorts of other memories that are probably going to be lost, though, like Senior Skip Day, Senior Breakfast, and Prom. It’s heartbreaking.
I also have a 5th grader and we came up with a schedule last week that has been helpful for us. It gives us a a time to wake up and general ideas for what we should be doing at certain times of the day. Our school district has given us different educational websites for the kids to go on for now and on-line lessons should be coming in the next couple of weeks.
Probably the hardest thing right now is just being at home ALL THE TIME. My kids will forget for a minute and ask to go to a friend’s house, and I have to remind them that we are staying home. There are times when I start to feel anxious or overwhelmed, and I try and remind myself that this is temporary. We are trying to do our part by staying home and we are lucky to be able to stay home and still have income coming in.
Thank you for reaching out to all of us on your blog and continuing to post delicious recipes. It’s a welcome bit of “normal”. 🙂
I’m so sad for all these graduating high school seniors! I hope your daughter is still able to experience some of those fun moments. It’s just such a crazy time. Temporary is the key! Thanks for that reminder!
My favorite was dinner made by the 15 year old–here’s some eggs. Get the rest your self if you want. Thank you for the dinner posts. We’re trying to remain “normal” for dinners, but I am on the verge of having popcorn for dinner. Thanks!!
Thanks, Amy! No shame in popcorn for dinner! 🙂
Thanks for keeping it real. All things considered, we are doing well. My oldest got a cold just as school was cancelled, so that was a good and bad thing. Good because he wasn’t itching to go out and bad because he wasn’t feeling well. No one else in the family got sick, so yeah!
Once they cancelled school, we switched immediately to homeschooling so the kids could keep on a schedule (boys are 17 and 15). The school district has said they will be fully online on April 27 though some teachers are posting work. I WFH so it’s been challenging, but not terrible.
My 15 yr. old likes to cook, so that is a huge help and makes things more fun. WIth the kids home all the time, the kitchen is always a wreck! It seems like someone is always eating.
In abstract it seems like this would be an excellent time to do all those things that I’ve put off forever, but I am having troubling finding the motivation. Between cooking, gardening, work and keeping the kids on track, the day does pack quickly.
Good for you for getting a schooling schedule up and running so quickly! I love that! I agree about the kitchen always being a mess, but I’m grateful my kids are cooking more so I’ll try to look for the positives?? And I agree, the days still go by pretty quickly! I wish I could get more done, but my motivation is kind of low, too. Best of luck, Eileen!
I’m in Idaho and we haven’t received any directions for online school yet. But these past two weeks at home I’ve tried to keep a routine (not a schedule) with my kids.
We make sure to get dressed, do some basic cleaning, and read every day before we move onto other things. We’ve found some fun new YouTube channels like Mark Rober who is doing live science lessons a few times a week and my kids love them. I am an introvert, and there is the assumption that introverts are doing just fine with staying at home. But the thing is, I recharge by being alone and I am never alone anymore. My kids are always there and my husband often is. I really related to that image above about Kate loving her children. I love my kids and am trying to cherish the extra time I get with them right now, but I’d also really love to be able to do something without a little person ask me what I’m doing and why.
I relate to this so much! I’m a stay at home mom of two little boys (ages 6 and 3) and other than my oldest not going to kindergarten now, you’d think nothing much had changed for me. We’ve also tried to stay in a loose routine so that the days don’t just completely fall into chaos, but I’m having a really hard time with being constantly around these people!!!! Last night I asked my husband to please handle bedtime on his own, because I needed to be alone. I grabbed a book and some cookies and went and sat in my car, where no one could find me and I couldn’t hear anyone’s noises it was exactly what I needed to recharge.
I’m totally going to steal your idea and hide in the car sometime. Our house is small, so even if I go to my room, I can hear everything going on. And my 5-year-old somehow finds me.
Haha, Clair, totally stealing the cookies in the car idea, too! Hang in there!
I can relate to this 1000%. I am a nurse and my job is stressful right now for obvious reasons. My floor is not the type that will probably end up with Covid-19 patients, but they are being treated in my hospital by colleagues and friends. My new husband and I just recently combined our households in February (my daughter, his daughter and son whom he has full custody of). It was a lot of adjustment before the pandemic, but I have found my time recharge when they were all at work/school. Now, everyone is home. ALL THE TIME. On Wednesday night while the four of them played a raucous game of Cattan, I broke down in tears because I just couldn’t escape the noise. My darling husband recognised instantly what was wrong, banished the kids to the basement to watch a movie and drew me a warm bath, complete with my favourite scented candles. It was bliss. He showed up after with cookies and ice cream and we watched a movie in bed. Sneak those little moments in when you can. Self preservation is just as important as being super mom.
Ok, Annie, if someone else hasn’t said this, I’m going to: your new husband is a keeper! Holy moly. That was amazing what he did for you. I know what you mean about the NOISE. Sometimes I keep it together so well all day and then around bedtime (or past it), I lose it because I need everyone in bed NOW and I can’t take the noise ANYMORE and can’t I just get somewhere that’s QUIET? Anyway, from this little thread, it appears there are several of us that feel the same. I love the extra time with my kids, but that doesn’t take away how the chaos makes me feel, too. Also, kudos to you for going through a huge life change all while being in a health care job right now with the pandemic issues. You’re amazing. Hang in there!
Emilee, I relate SO hard to your comment. I am an introvert through and through but the recharge comes from being alone. And I’m not getting that recharge, and some days I legit feel myself struggling emotionally. I went on a bike ride by myself tonight and felt super guilty for not inviting the children (and actually sneaking out of the house without them knowing – Brian was home and in charge) but it was just what I needed to clear my head.
Mel! I love how real you are in all your posts. Your excitement about simple, delicious food and especially these Friday thoughts.
I’m so glad you found a deodorant that you like. And I agree that it takes a bit of time to get used to sweating after using antiperspirant.
You were on my mind this morning because I had a dream last night that I stopped by to visit you with a few of my kiddos and they totally trashed your house. And then, to top it off, we didn’t have a ride back home and so you made pb&j’s for your family for dinner and drove my kids and me home. It was a lovely dream, aside from my guilt about trashing your house which I tried to fix before I left. You’re just the best, even in my dreams!!
Haha your dream!! Oh my goodness, PLEASE tell me if this every becomes a reality that I do NOT feed you PB&Js and then shuttle you out of my house. Hahaha. I will definitely make you a better dinner than that!
Miss you, Melanie. I’m not surprised that you turned into such a celebrity. You were always such a a good example and friend growing up. It’s so fun to see all your adventure with your cute kiddos and your mad baking skills. Love you lots. Stay safe.
Haha, you are so sweet, Susie!
I have a LOT of thoughts right now, and I totally agree – this is the time to share them and connect through them.
First, I’m a clinical pharmacist at a cancer center, and my husband is a police officer. Both of us must continue to work right now, and we also have two young kids. School has been closed for the rest of the year, but thank goodness we have a daycare for our youngest that has stepped up to take both for as long as we need. They recognize both our jobs are important right now, and while it’s stressful to be going to work right now, my patients are terrified and stressed and they need me the most.
Second, I’m an author and my first book released into the world on Monday. I’d taken the day off months ago, expecting to have needed a little recovery from my book signing that had been planned the day before, and to be able to revel in all the excitement of people reading my book. As one can imagine, not only did the signing not happen, but I went to work instead of staying home. It was more important. So while in the scheme of things a release of a romance novel is so minuscule, it’s something I worked toward for 4 years, and was a big deal to me. I’m trying to focus on the bigger picture, but it’s hard not to be disappointed.
Third, I’m making several batches of your Parker House rolls every weekend and sharing the with families in my neighborhood. People are having trouble finding bread around here, and to be honest I’d rather them have real bread with real ingredients anyway 🙂 It’s been such a lovely way to stress-bake (ha!), enjoy fresh warm bread every weekend, and help the families who are quarantining next to me.
Keep up the recipes and the posts, we need BOTH right now.
Congratulations on publishing a book! I’m sorry you didn’t get to celebrate the moment the way you planned, but wow! That’s amazing! Be proud of yourself!!!
Thank you so much!! I’m hoping maybe people will read more since they are quarantined?? lol.
I looked up your book on Amazon and it sounds wonderful, so I got it! Congrats on your first published book! I love Romance, I especially love Romance when I am stressed and I need happy endings. Good luck to you and your husband!
Thank you SO MUCH! I hope you love it as much as I do 🙂
Allison! First of all, thank you to you and your husband for continuing to go to work each day in challenging careers – both of which are helping people stay safe and healthy right now. The stress of that with two young kiddos and school canceled is huge. AND, I wanted to cry for you reading about your book. Feeling disappointed doesn’t diminish everything else that is happening in the world – it is totally valid and I feel disappointed for you. Seriously! I can’t imagine writing a novel and getting it published and all the blood, sweat and tears that goes into that. CONGRATULATIONS. I really mean that. I have so much respect for you! And there you are making fresh bread for your neighbors on the weekend. You’re amazing.
PS, I just looked up your book on Amazon, too, and bought it! Excited to read it!
Mel! Thank you so much!! I’ve often considered putting recipes in my author newsletter, since I love to write and I love to bake…and I make so many of yours I can’t imagine one of those wouldn’t top the list. So one of these days there might be a rush of middle-aged women who read romance novels sifting through your page, lol!
I hope you love it, and maybe it’s a perfect distraction (see what I did there?) to all the stress in the world right now.
We live in KS and our governor closed schools on March 17 until the end of the school year. I have a senior and that just stinks. Everything is cancelled, prom, graduation, her track season, everything. So, it has been hard here. Learning still continues through online, but man it is tough. What are we doing? My kids are cooking dinner each night. We make a recipe of yours almost every day. Last night was your Indian butter chicken–yum! They made a 2 week menu and we went shopping at what we thought was a not busy time (haha) but we made it. So hopefully we can limit grocery shopping to once every two weeks. My kids are high school age and they decided to do a garden, so we have broccoli and lettuce in. We have had some nice weather, so we got the flower beds cleaned out. We live in the country, so we can walk and ride bikes all we want which is nice. There are some nice nature trails near our house where it is very easy to practice social distancing. We are reading lots of books, and I decided we were going to play at least one board game/card game a day. Of course my family always LOVES all my decrees (yeah, right, but they know better than to contradict me) and we are on week two of that, and it has been fun. A free app game your family might like that we enjoy is Family Style–app is a shrimp. You can play it with a group of up to 8. Everyone downloads it on their own device and you help each other “cook” and get plates of food out. I have made it a point to call each of our neighbors once a week to check on them. They are all older. That has been good. Had a lot of zoom meetings which is a totally new thing. We will get through this. Lots of patience and prayers! Uncharted territory for sure! Lots of tears, but then laughing too! Thanks for keeping the recipes coming. We visit your site multiple times a day. Keep it up! You are a rock star!
I’m so sad for your high school senior, Jen! Seriously, I know there are harder things happening out in the world right now, but honestly, that just stinks. It looks like you guys are staying plenty busy and taking advantage of the outdoors. It makes a huge difference when we just get outside. Thanks for the app suggestion. Sounds fun! You’re awesome.
OOOOH The most exciting thing that happened this week is I finally learned to use the power % button on the microwave. I know..I’m probably slow to the game on that. But I was always a wee bit flummoxed. Something would say cook at X% power and I’m like… it just beeps at me and I’ve punched in my time and now it’s a different %. ARGhhhhh.. Now I get why there’s also a “cook time” button, you know… instead of punching in the time and hitting start. TO BE FAIR… I don’t use the microwave much. Mainly because that means I would have to clean it. But mostly I dislike rubbery food and I will wait longer if it means I can heat it up in the oven, stove top or my pressure cooker. lol But somethings like DIY breakfast sandwiches and burritos need that nuking, even though the smell is ralph-inducing. Oh well. LIFE changing microwave skilz yo! (insert eye roll here) lol My husband has been working from home, I have no idea what day it is because my internal clock is completely outta whack. lol
Stay safe Mel! Love your site.
Oh my gosh, Andrea, you made me laugh with the new microwave skill. Yay! That’s a pretty powerful little button. I’m glad you learned it!
Okay, this may be weird but my dad started getting a bump in his armpit and although it turned to be benign he quit using regular deodorant. Instead he uses rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle and it totally works. It doesn’t keep you from sweating but it kills the bacteria that makes you stink. He really doesn’t stink! I have used hand sanitizer from my purse in a pinch when I forget and honestly it seems to do the trick! I’ve heard vodka works even better.
I also get the lump in my armpit when I use regular deodorant! I checked with my doctor and because it disappears and reappears with the pause and reuse of regular antiperspirant (and some deodorants), there’s no concern aside from me slicing myself while shaving.
So far L’avilin works best for me; I apply after my every-other-day shower and I’m good unless I do a sweaty workout (which is infrequent…I tend to stick with yoga haha).
That is so interesting about alcohol and vodka…I’m not surprised it works since it’s really a bacteria issue that makes us stinky!
We too are surviving on a very loose/flexible schedule and trying not to be too grumpy with each other. . . some days we have success and some days it is very HARD. But I remind myself each morning that it is a new day with no mistakes in it and we do the best we can. We made your pretzel bites the other day – it was the perfect project to do as a team and the reward was delicious. Thank you for sharing your goodness with us. We look forward to the vegan recipes too 🙂
Sounds so familiar, Sharon! Good and hard and everything in between. I’m always grateful there’s a new day ahead tomorrow. Thank you!
Ours is very similar minus the pasture and creek. We’ve also started the garden inside and learned silhouette. Thanks for your honesty! We also made a quarantine quotes and quips bird which has been funny and are literally watching bread mold
You’re awesome, Heather! Always love hearing what you are up to.
I wish you would go on and on, because somehow it feels like it’s charging with a friend. Any kind of normal updates and what people are doing in their lives of Groundhog Day seems exciting. Somehow with all the ingredients at home I still struggle thinking of what to make for dinner, but somehow we do it. The days are very long, with schoolwork, jobs etc., but the evenings are generally really enjoyable. As an extrovert I desperately need people(other than my children) and to get out of the house, but will be sad when we return to our overly busy lives. I do have a senior and would like to see him graduate as he is an honor student and has worked so hard. Could be worse. It’s not a wedding or a funeral.
Haha isn’t that the truth?? It DOES feel like Groundhogs Day around here so any update from someone outside my own family is like going to Disneyland. I get it! 🙂 My heart really goes out to those graduating high school seniors. What a weird, hard end to their high school years!
I feel like we’ve done some good things being home these last 2 weeks, but there are still a lot of moments like this: “Son, have you practiced the piano?” Son goes over and bangs his head down on the piano. Me, “That would be cool if you could play with your head.” Son starts wiggling head back and forth. Daughter comes over and starts playing with her nose. Son and another daughter start trying as well, all different pieces in different octaves. I pull out the phone to video and the girls stop. So yeah, we’re all kind of going crazy here, but it’s OK. Also, lots of baking happening – we all love your recipes, thank you!
Haha, your comment made me laugh out loud, Laura.
Love your blog! But I am really enjoying the daily instagram “what’s for dinner” posts!!
Thanks, Laurel!
That’s a lot of time without online curriculum, is spring break in the mix? Our governor issued the school closure on the 13th (Friday) and the teachers had 5 days until remote learning had to be in place. Spring break is next week, and our term ends today, so the Jr high mostly did make-up work and review. My Elem kids have lots of work so they were frustrated that he didn’t have much, I can’t win ♀️ But I am sure after spring break the situation will be much different. Schools are closed here in UT through May 1st. I learned very quickly if I didn’t set apart certain hours for school work, my children didn’t take it seriously. I keep things flexible though, which helps my sanity. I was never cut out to be a homeschool mom
I think one of my biggest struggles right now is keeping things happy in my home. My kids are depressed at times when they get thinking about all that they are missing: their friends, field trips, concerts, parties, etc. And my 7 yr old son is having some real anxiety after the earthquake last week. He isn’t sleeping, every noise scares him, he won’t play in the basement anymore, etc. So keeping up good morale has been hard! They need a distraction but when we are supposed to stay home it is harder to find. I told my husband that right now would be a great time for a new play set in the backyard
We also had a surprise trip to Harry Potter world in FL planned for next week for our oldest two kids, which we’ve had to cancel. That was a big bummer, but I am SO glad it was a surprise = the didn’t know so they aren’t disappointed. Blessing in disguise.
We are trying to keep up good attitudes, and there have been a lot of tender mercies along the way so far. There has been a lot of good that has come from this as far as things in our home. I pray that the medical workers will get what they need and stay healthy! We personally know a lot of them.
Good info on the deodorant! I have been researching some brands and that was one of them.
Also if anyone has good suggestion on books to read, for the kiddos (ages 4,7,10,13) I would love them!
I wish our schools had introduced curriculum sooner! It’ll be three weeks of no school before we get anything. I’m trying to be patient (and grateful I’m not in charge) but we’re anxious for a little structure. I’m sorry for the anxiety your kids are facing – mine would be the same, I think, especially if we had an earthquake on top of everything else. Good luck to you and those sweet kids! I love that you are already looking for the tender mercies. That’s not easy sometimes.
Hey Mel – Hanging in there in MN. Egg Roll Skillet has happened twice in the last 10 days since I bought 2 coleslaw packages with expiration dates. I also have ingredients for your spaghetti sauce (the best!) We are retired and practicing self isolation. I admit it’s hard not to see the kids and grandkids but Facetime helps. Hubby landed himself in the hospital for something not virus related so that’s been scary. Couldn’t go in with him, can’t go see him. But he should get home today. Thanks for reaching out to your fans. We will never meet in person, but your name is a household word with us. If it’s a Mel recipe it’s pre-approved!
I would NOT complain if that meal happened two times in a week here. We love it! I’m glad you can still see your sweet family over FaceTime. So grateful for modern technology! I hope your husband is home safe and sound – that had to be worrisome and scary, my goodness!
Hi! Thanks for continuing to post on your blog. It’s extra challenging when you are accustomed to having the kids elsewhere for a good chunk of the day! I am a substitute teacher, so I usually work 3-4 days a week, and use the other day or two to get all the things done with no kids around. That’s been different! Schools closed a week before spring break here, so I gave my kids school work to do. “They” say not to do this, but it worked for us. My daughter’s friends even asked for her “assignments!” We’ve been cooking more pantry meals lately. I’ve got retried beans started in the slow cooker right now, and will put some beef in the instant pot later on. I have to make 2 burrito filling recipes because one does not give us leftovers and those are needed for lunch right now! It’s been hard not seeing people. I am an introvert, so I don’t really want to go interact with the people, but seeing them would be nice. In the meantime, I haunt various blogs to keep a sense of community. So thanks for that! Btw, we will be making your pb stuffed chocolate cookies later today, and I am pretty excited!
You’ve got this, Kristi! Look how organized you are already! I’m a true blue through and through introvert, too, but this isolation has still been hard in some ways, so I get it!
Thank you so much for continuing share and write. And I am loving the what’s for dinner at Mel’s on Instagram. We had your White chicken chili for supper last night. 🙂
I’m in Alberta Canada and they are telling us to expect the kids not to go back to school until September! On Monday they are supposed to be giving us stuff to teach at home. I have a 1st grader, 2nd grader and 5th grader. So it should be interesting. We have been reading and listening to Adventures in Odyssey and doing stop motion videos.
Thanks for doing the research on the deodorant, I’ll have to give that one a try!
September!! Oh my. Hang in there, momma.
Your IG and blog posts are always a joy. It’s just my wife and I at home and we’re doing ok. Miss seeing the kids and grandkids but we know they’re safe and doing alright.
My wife works from home anyway (business analyst for insurance company and I’m off work recovering from cancer, so no real change to our routines. The dog probably wishes we’d go out occasionally, give him his house back for a few hours.
I’m grateful to many people and institutions for keeping things going but one many people may not think of is the local library. Branches are closed but e-books are available online, a real gift for us avid readers.
It’s my birthday tomorrow (61! How did that happen?) and it will be just the two of us at home. And I’m more than ok with that. We’re warm, safe, have lots of food, have each other, and it’s by God’s grace I’m here for yet another year.
Take care of yourself Mel, carve out some Me(l) time.
P.S. Tell your 15 year-old they’re lyrics, not poems. Much cooler. 🙂
Thanks for the tips, Michael – especially the lyrics one. Haha. That made me laugh but you better believe I’m going to do just that!
Mel! I love your blog and I can’t believe I missed the post about natural deodorant and plant based meals!! I use a deodermint called scullys and it is simply a mint and alcohol spray. I really like it! I also will often adapt your recipes to be plant based! Yum!!
I echo your words to STAY HOME! But that also means don’t have friends over and don’t go to Grandma’s. As much as we love friends and grandmas it can put them and you at risk.
Thanks for everthing Mel, you truly make life better and easier for so many!
Thanks for the deodorant rec, Malinda! I agree about friends and grandmas. It’s gotta be nothing right now even when it’s hard!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Sometimes it’s nice to know that we’re all experiencing craziness together.
I won’t lie. This home schooling thing is about to put me over the edge… and I only have one left at home. That being said, he has special needs. So imagine all the attitude of a 17 yr old (“I’m not doing this! You’re not my teacher!” and “Go to He…ck, Mom!” all said with facial expressions because he’s non- verbal) mixed with the tantrums of a 3 yr old. Yeah, it’s like that. So I’ve been feeling more than a bit frustrated and frazzled and all of that. Then, last night I had a sobering thought that gave me a little reality check. What if he got sick? And what if the unthinkable happened? Then I’d give everything just to have one more of those piercing glares. Well then. How’s that for a little perspective? Ok, so I need to chill a little. Ok, a lot. How important is it that we sit down at the table and practice writing the letter “A”? Exactly!
So I had a little heart to heart with myself and decided to try to keep the bigger picture in mind. So we will give school our best effort each day even if that only lasts 15 minutes. But then I will guiltlessly enjoy some one on one with my awesome son… playing air hockey (though it would be nice if he’d let me win occasionally) or watching Sesame Street or reading him a book or having him help me in the kitchen to make our favorite Mel’s chocolate chip cookies… You get the idea. I won’t be perfect. That’s impossible. And some days he won’t want to do anything with me… well, because he’s a teenager remember. But I will try to chill and just enjoy whatever our day ends up being and remind myself how blessed we are just to have another day.
Sorry, that was a long ramble. But those are my thoughts this Friday morning.
Thanks, Mel for reaching out. And for providing such awesome cookie recipes and every other kind of recipes and always helping with the”what’s for dinner?” question. You save my sanity on a regular basis.
Love and prayers for you and your family!
Oh Jamie, your comment made me laugh and cry, too. As moms, I think it’s so easy to feel that way – wanting to pull your hair out. But then those moments of perspective hit and it’s like a total about face. You have all my respect and love as you parent a special needs child. You.Are.Amazing! And it’s ok that it feels hard and impossible and scream-in-your-pillow sometimes. I loved your comment so much. Thanks for being REAL. It’s all I can handle right now.
Thank you for your post. I think sharing stories with others will help all of us in these difficult times. I’m staying in as we are both 70 +, but my hubby works at a grocery and is still working 3 days a week.
My volunteer work is closed down instead of 4 days a week, so I’m trying to do extra cleaning, baking and reading. I do try to touch base by phone with other volunteers, especially to older ones for whom it provided a major social outlet.
I enjoy your posts, even the ones I can’t make due to the need to keep fat content very low in my diet. I don’t follow on Instagram since I’ve never figured it out. I’m going to rate this non-recipe because I really do appreciate you doing it.
One note about shopping, our local stores have a scan code for donations to Harvesters, a food pantry, during this difficult time and I try to always give extra so they can help others.
Bless you and let’s all stay home and safe as much as possible. Oh, K-12 schools are closed for the year here in Kansas and Universities are generally online classes only.
Thank you for checking in, Alice! And best of luck to you and your husband. Life has changed so much in just a few short weeks. Thank you for the tip on the scan code for donations!
1) I am cooking more, and I am using this site at almost every meal. You are a life saver!
2) I hate how quickly this pandemic is deepening fractures. It’s starting to feel like the 2016 election on my newsfeed.
3) In times like this, we feel we need to watch every press conference and tune in to every breaking news alert. We don’t. Important information will get to you. I am a happier person when I limit my news consumption.
4) I’m increasingly grateful for my faith, and it’s teaching on humility, repentance, and listening to impressions and prompings in wisdom and order.
Amen to the newsfeed. I have to just step away sometimes! Loved your comment. Thank you!
I want to thank you for your great recipes. We use and love them regularly! I also want to thank you for your post several months ago about having canker sores, and trying an SLS-free toothpaste. I was having similar problems. It was so painful to eat fresh fruit, or vinaigrette dressings, or many other things. For awhile , my mouth got so sore it was painful to eat, period. I figured it was worth a try, so I switched to an SLS-free toothpaste. (I’ve tried a few, and finally settled on Biotene, which is available in my grocery store.) Total game changer! All soreness is gone, and I can even eat fresh pineapple and kiwi fruit again! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!
I’m SO happy to hear that, Sheila! I totally agree, SLS free toothpaste completely changed my life which sounds dramatic, but my canker sores were so bad, I couldn’t stand it!
Because we are probably not going to be able to attend worship services in person on Easter and that season is so important for Christians, it would be AWESOME to have you post some content about making Easter special this year. From easy-ish recipes with common ingredients to activities to ways to connect as a family (esp with older kids home), you are so creative and great in those areas. I want it to be a really special and mindful day and not have it get lost in this season. p.s. we are making spaetzle for the first time ever tonight!
Every year we make “tomb rolls” – dip a marshmallow (Jesus, pure from sin), in melted butter and cinnamon (the oils and spices they used before putting him in the tomb), and then wrap in crescent roll dough; tube or homemade (up to you whether you refer to these as the burial cloths or the tomb). Bake, then when you open the rolls the marshmallow has dissolved (disappeared) and He is risen! My kids are young so mostly they just think they’re delicious but we’ll get there 😉
I hope to get some Easter ideas (food and tradition) up soon, Gwen! I hope the spaetzle worked out!
And Amy, thanks for sharing the roll idea!
Here in Utah, we’ve been doing online school (with four school children trying to take turns on the computers) since the middle of March with the latest being schools will be closed at least until May 1st. Some days are better than others. We’ve had some school days that end at 10:30 at night. Two of my kids like to have “recess” after lunch to play in the backyard every day. I’m glad they’ve adopted that routine.
When we have an early enough day finishing up school, my husband will take whoever wants fresh air out for walks and bird watching. You can keep far enough away from others and still get the benefits of exercise and sunlight.
We’ve also been trying some new recipes, including several from your site. Thanks for that. I love to see my kids learning these new skills and them being excited about it. It creates good bonding time as well.
There has also been a lot of prayer for ourselves as well as for others. Faith has been a life-saver and still being able to have church, even at home, is a blessing.
Hang in there, everyone. I have to keep reminding myself this is temporary, even if temporary is months. But it is temporary.
Sounds like you’ve been in the thick of home school curriculum via public schools for a while, Kristin! I wish our schools would get the curriculum out sooner. It’ll be three weeks at home with no school before they start and we’re ready for some structure, but I’ve heard long, horrid stories about kids spending 9-10 hours a day doing public school work at home and that terrifies me. You seem to have a good handle on things! You’re amazing. Thank you!
I’m newer to your blog and enjoy these posts as much as your recipe posts. It’s just my hubby and me at home these days.
I have 5 beautiful grandkids who live 1 mile away but they and we are keeping socially distant as 2 of them have health conditions which would be very compromised if they caught this virus. Hoping to Skype with them soon to see their sweet adorable faces.
My mother-in-law is 95 and in an assisted living facility. It is hard for her and us, not to see her, but the facility is going above and beyond to keep their residents safe. Thankful prayers that it’s working so far. My husband hopes to have a window visit with her soon.
I am a librarian (Administrator at this point in my career) so am doing some work at home. I’m also working on getting my staples and freezer lists in order so I am far better prepared should we go down this shelter-in-place road again. I plan to get started organizing my craft room today so hopefully I can do some quilting and cardmaking before I am actually back to work.
Sending stay healthy thoughts to your family.
Oh wow, Mary – you have the whole range – young grandkids up to a sweet mom in her 90’s! Way to go on being diligent at trying to keep everyone safe and healthy. I’ve thought so many times of those elderly men and women in facilities that can’t have visitors anymore. Sounds like the window visits are really popular! Thank you so much for the comment!
Hi Mel!
I love everything about this post, especially your emphasis on what we can do for each other right now. I know our local food pantry is still open with curbside pickup, but the thrift store that supports the pantry is closed to protect its elderly volunteers. Other organizations around the country are facing similar dilemmas. I’m going to make our annual donation to them now, instead of waiting until the end of the year. And I’ve been reaching out by phone to check on folks I know who live alone- a friendly call can help us feel less isolated.
I love that you included a picture of your kitchen in the thick of it! It looks like someone’s device is in the middle of the fray. My husband got me one of these iPad/cookbook holders after watching me cook too many times with my iPad perched on top of the flour… I’m sure there are lots of other similar options, but I’ve found it so helpful!
Bamboo Book Stand https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07459P7BF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_RGGFEbGTZPDKX
Thank you for all that you do!
Hey Rebecca – thanks for the suggestions on how to help! And for the link to the bamboo stand. I actually have that same one (ha!) but need to put it in a place where I actually use it. My iPad has a lot of dribbles of food all over it but thankfully hasn’t been cracked by a spoon or anything yet.
What a refreshing post!
We are home…our school (and univ) are digital for the remainder of the year. So my college senior is home ALL THE TIME and that’s a struggle for her. And for all the college kids…
We are on a schedule, but that’s because our school is on week 2 of digital. On the upside, my house is SO ORGANIZED. lol.
Thanks for your recipes and post. My family and I love them!
Haha, my house is getting some major organizing too. Sounds like you have things together, Stacy! Good luck to your college senior – that would be a tough transition!
Thanks for the armpit detox suggestion. I’m trying another natural deodorant that has me breaking out in a rash, but only in one armpit (TMI?). It occurred to me yesterday that my issue is probably a need to detox, not a deodorant that doesn’t really work. And if the detox really does work, fingers crossed I can go back to using Native. I loved that stuff! Just be ready to have to scrub extra gunk out of your t-shirts and garments ‘cuz Native leaves a “lovely” residue on every shirt.
Love your Friday Thoughts posts! Also, I’m super excited to try your spaetzle recipe. I was going to make some last night but ran out of time, so I’m hoping to try this weekend instead. Thanks for sharing your cooking talents (and the craziness and reality that is your life)! Stay safe!
Never TMI! We’re talking deodorant and armpits here. Haha. I’m worried there’s not a natural deodorant out there that doesn’t leave residue unfortunately, since so many of them are oil based. I hope the detox works!
I loved your insta story description of very, very , very buttery popcorn! And I have already made your french bread twice and I am making it again today. It is just the best easy bread recipe! Thank you for your Friday thoughts! Stay home everyone!!!
Thank you, Kim! That French bread is saving my life one batch at a time.
Hey Mel. About the detox mask-
Did you do it just once on your armpits? Or weekly? When it was on them- did you just keep your arms raised for the 10 minutes?
On the face- have any men with beards tried it? My husband has a beard so not much skin showing but he gets frustrated about oily skin issues. And- I’ve got sensitive skin- very easily dries out too much, anyone have any over drying issues with the mask?
Thanks guys!
My husband does charcoal and mud masks and just puts it on the skin showing around his beard.
Hey Sara – I have done it twice on my armpits. Before I started natural deodorant and then a week after. And yep, I just awkwardly raised my hands while it dried for 10-15 minutes (alone in my bathroom). Haha. I don’t have super sensitive skin, but I haven’t noticed any over-drying issues on my face. I love the way it feels.
Thanks, Mel, for your amazing recipes and Friday thoughts. We appreciate you. I am graduating from college in May and although I am super sad about everything graduation-related being canceled, I know that others are faring far worse than I am. I am able to work at my part-time job from my studio apartment on campus and do online zoom lectures (ugh, boring). I am also staying sane by cooking (many of your
recipes!!!) and trying to exercise.
I know that one way my community is asking for help is for healthy individuals to give blood! Additionally, the UNV https://www.onlinevolunteering.org/en/opportunities has many GREAT online volunteer opportunities. It is a stressful time for sure, but giving back makes it easier.
Thanks for the comment, Georgia! I think it’s ok for each of us to be sad about losses right now – comparing them to others just makes it harder. I love how you are recognizing the silver linings. I’m sad for you that your graduation has been overshadowed by the pandemic and everything along with it. Thank you for the reminder to donate blood. So, so important!
I was hoping you would do a Friday post update! We have popcorn and smoothies many Sunday nights! #familytraditions. We are out until the end of April right now and have been blessed that our district has chrome books for all the kids so they are already doing online schooling. I won’t lie, I love having my kids home and seeing the bonds they are making together during this time (Even though some days are hard.). I believe in the power of prayer and know our loving Heavenly Father can help us and bring us peace during this trying time. I also believe good can come despite of this trial and we should look for His hand through all this. Thanks Mel for keeping it real and proving yummy recipes during this time-we cook one from your site at least daily. #yourmyfavoritefoodblogger
That’s amazing your school district already has you guys set up with chrome books – that makes the transition to home-based curriculums much easier. I love your positive attitude, Lachelle! Thanks for the reminder to look for God in all of this.
I wish I could take food to neighbors, but I barely have enough for us. My only complaint is I can’t create a menu because I never know what I will find at the grocery store. It has been stressful but at least we are eating. And my kids are not picky so that is a blessing. Our daily routine hasn’t changed because we homeschool. Luckily, our taekwondo school is offering virtual training to keep the boys active and on schedule. Just using our extra time to plant flowers and seed the garden. At least we have technology to check in with friends and family…I can’t imagine the stress of being quarantined like this in the 1980s.
Actually, we used to have very meaningful conversation simply over the phone (landlines), believe it or not, in the 80’s.
I hear you on the menu thing. I’m not planning a menu right now for the same reasons. I’m sorry that it’s stressful for you, you aren’t alone, Sheila! You are an amazing mom. Hang in there.
I love these daily posts. I’m working from home with my dog snoring in the background. I’m in higher ed and we are all focused on how we keep our students on track to complete degrees on time. That includes the under the radar work of budgets – we have to house and feed our homeless students and those who can’t go home. We can’t ask companies to give us food for free, so finding the funds when we gave students back their housing fees is a big issue. How do we provide the mental and physical health support to the students who depend on the university to provide it. I take time each day to pray, including praying while I take the occasional 10 min walk break.
Oh wow, Mary. These are big issues. The fact that you are taking time to pray about this is amazing. Hang in there with all you have facing you (and those students) right now.