Friday Thoughts
Friends! Hi.
It’s been a long while since I’ve checked in with a Friday Thoughts post, and I’ve really missed you! I’m determined to bring back Friday Thoughts with more regularity since they are some of my favorite posts to write (and to read your comments on!).
How are you? Like, really, HOW ARE YOU?
The last few months have been a whirlwind around here. I’m sure many of you feel the same way.
Here are five things that have been on my mind, and as always, I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
Life Lately
It has finally warmed up here, which means the pastures and grass are growing like crazy and we are spending a lot of time outside (weeding – SO.MANY.WEEDS).
Our fruit trees are blooming, and we just planted five more! (And by we, I mean Brian.) We already have two apple, two plum, three peach and a cherry. Now we also have two pear trees, another cherry, two apricot and one nectarine.
I have zero words of advice about growing fruit trees. Our soil is lousy. But we’re learning as we go, and hopefully this year our established fruit trees will reward us with some actual fruit (not eaten by wasps and earwigs!).
This spring has been crazier than I expected. Life certainly has a way of throwing curveballs when you least expect them. A few months ago, Brian’s position at work was unexpectedly eliminated. It definitely wasn’t something we were prepared for, but we have seen so many unique blessings come our way in the midst of it, including opportunities for Brian to start working for himself, which is something he has always wanted to do.
Within the first few days of Brian being home full-time and experiencing the to-do lists I was leaving for him as a way to “help” him keep busy during the interim of finding new employment, he politely but firmly declared he wanted a new boss. 😂
I’m grateful, more than ever, for this blogging space. I genuinely love being here because I get to interact with you, but this blog also helps provide financially for our family (which is a huge blessing right now). I’ve been intensely working on a few additional blog projects the last couple of months, and thanks to some deadlines, I don’t think I’ve ever been this sleep-deprived in my life! I think I’m seeing light at the end of the tunnel, which is good, because my kids need their mom back in non-zombie form.
As for the kids, they are busy as ever with spring sports, lining up summer jobs, working on the property (now that the weeds are growing faster than we can pull them), buying more cows at the cattle auction to raise, and all the other ups and downs and ins and outs of kid/teen life, including NEW TEENAGE DRIVERS. Pray for me.
We’ve also officially entered the phase of figuring out how to parent a young adult. Since I don’t even have the teenager chapters figured out yet, I feel like someone should probably come take my parenting license away?? 😉 I do NOT feel qualified to do this. My fake it ’til you make it motto is holding strong.
Hair Loss
Thanks to a combination of aging, thyroid issues, stress and who knows what else, my hair is STRUGGLING. I’ve never had overly thick, luscious hair, but it’s definitely thinner than ever, especially along my part line.
Just like anything health-related, google searches leave me overwhelmed (and kind of alarmed – wow, some of the proposed solutions are intense 😳).
My thyroid levels and blood work are all normal right now. I also tried Nutrafol after hearing so much about it, but I stopped taking it after a few weeks because it really upset my stomach (I think due to the biotin, which tends to make my stomach feel not so great).
Anyway. Just another fun side effect of my 40’s. Yay!
If you have any tips to share on helping thin, struggle-bus hair, I’d love to hear them!
Workout Love
Last year, I started following a weight lifting program, Sadie Active App, after seeing a friend post about it. I’ve always been *fairly* decent at moderate exercise, but I wanted to start implementing more weight training, which I’ve only done sporadically over the years. (This is completely unsponsored, I pay for my own monthly membership.)
I am hooked! This is by the far the best workout program I’ve ever done (here is Sadie’s Instagram account if you want to learn more). I’ve been doing the weight training workouts on the app since September, and I feel stronger than ever.
The thing I love most is that the app tells me exactly what to do, how many times to do it, and has videos to show the proper form. No guess work, which is exactly what I need. Also, the workouts are different every week, which is great for my personality that gets bored with repeated workouts really easily.
You can choose the “gym” setting or “home” setting. I’m mentally allergic to working out in public, so I always exercise at home. I don’t have an official home gym, just some random exercise equipment stuffed up in our bonus room.
I prefer to set the app to the “gym” setting and do the exercises at home, modifying the exercises to work with my minimal equipment.
A few key pieces of equipment I use for home workouts. The links below are affiliate links from Amazon; shop around locally or elsewhere online for the best prices.
- adjustable dumbbells
- thick booty bands (Sadie uses these a lot in the exercises)
- thinner loop exercise bands
- resistance bands
- exercise bench or step (I have an old one called the Fanny Lifter from The Firm days if anyone remembers those epic videos 😂)
Optional home equipment that can be added later or is a bonus if you already have it: kettlebells, exercise ball, pull-up bar, bar with heavier weights.
The workouts are 45-60 minutes, but can easily be shortened by cutting all the reps in half. I try to get in 3-4 weight workouts a week plus a few low-intensity cardio workouts if I have time (like walking on the treadmill, riding bikes with the fam, etc).
I can’t say enough about this workout app. I look forward to exercising (even though I know I’m going to be sore!), and it has helped me build muscle and get stronger (sorry, no flexing selfies). I love it!
K-dramas
Well, I’ve officially jumped on the K-drama train. Even though my entire extended family was waxing poetic about Crash Landing on You (as well as everyone else in the world, it seemed), I resisted. Mostly because I don’t watch TV very often, and when I do, I like to be able to multi-task. However, reading subtitles seriously restricts multi-tasking, so I resisted.
I got really sick in February and while laying in bed for over a week, I decided to finally dive in.
I watched Crash Landing on You and loved it so much, I’ve been rewatching it over the last month or so with Brian and Cam (it is extremely adorable how invested Camryn is in the characters). It also has seriously fueled my desire to travel to Switzerland. The two main characters are actually married in real life, so that’s fun for all of us at-heart romantics! You have to get through the first few quirky episodes and then it really gets good.
After a few minutes, you barely notice you’re reading subtitles. In fact, I swore I was fluent in Korean after I finished the series. 😂
For Cam’s birthday earlier this month, I gifted her this finger heart shirt {aff. link} (an endearing gesture in many K-dramas). She’s worn it almost every day since. 😍
I used to listen to a podcast or book when walking on the treadmill or riding the exercise bike. Now it’s all about K-dramas. I have zero regrets.
I’ve watched Business Proposal, Hometown Cha Cha Cha, and Crash Course in Romance. All of them fantastic for different reasons. I wasn’t a big fan of Forecasting Love and Weather or Her Private Life – didn’t finish either of those.
Cam and I just started watching Start-Up and are loving it. So far K-dramas have been clever, funny and clean, and I’m wondering if I’ll ever watch a non-subtitled show again. Oh, one word of advice: if the K-drama show has the ability to watch it dubbed over in English, don’t. I tried that with Business Proposal and it was ridiculously jarring.
Have you jumped on the K-drama train yet? If so, what are your favorites? Extraordinary Attorney Woo is next on my list to watch!
Things I’m Loving
Ok, I’ll end this with a few things I’ve been loving lately! {Affiliate links included for the things I’ve bought on Amazon – nothing is sponsored; I buy the stuff I love myself.}
- This is my favorite dress summer dress (especially after trying the famed Somerset dress that everyone raves about – it made me feel like a frumpy pioneer). This dress is flowy, light and much less expensive! I have it in green and floral pink.
- I use this foot cream every night before bed. It’s amazing.
- Do you hate melting butter and having it explode everywhere in the microwave? Yeah, me, too. I saw these microwave butter melters on Instagram, and so far, they are definitely saving my sanity.
- A while back I asked on Instagram stories about non-smearing mascara, and received hundreds of responses with recommendations of mascara to try. The top suggestions were tubing mascara, which I had never heard of before (living under a rock over here), so I decided to give it a go. First, I tried the L’Oreal Double Lash mascara that was recommended the most, but didn’t love it. I tried Thrive Causemetics liquid lash next, and I looooove it. I’ve been using it for several months now and am a super fan. It’s definitely more expensive than the every day waterproof mascara I used for years (and it’s not waterproof, but I’ve gotten used to that)…but it lasts a really long time. Yay!
- I bought this ceramic baking dish for a recent photo shoot, and it’s become one of my favorite baking pans! It would make a great Mother’s Day gift (for yourself or someone else!) 😉
- This is my favorite self-tanner. It’s very subtle, works gradually, and gives me just the hint of color I want on my lily white legs. The classic self-tanner smell is present but not overly strong. I use it a couple of times a week in the morning. Once it dries, I add a layer of the body lotion I use every day and don’t notice the smell much at all.
- My siblings and I bought this digital picture frame for my mom’s birthday earlier this year. She had an old one that she kept constantly on her kitchen counter, but we couldn’t add pictures to it remotely, so all the pictures were at least 10 years old. This new frame allows all of us kids to upload pictures via an app on her phone, which is awesome since three of us live several states away from my mom. She’s loving it!
- I bought this vacuum mop and after several months, I’m still really, really appreciating the value it adds to my life. Technically the appeal is that it vacuums and mops at the same time. I still give my floors a quick sweep before using it to minimize the amount of junk I have to clean out of it after. Because our downstairs is mostly LVP flooring and we live off a dusty long driveway and on 25 acres, my floors get n.a.s.t.y. This mop is as easy as vacuuming and I love it so much. It’s a bit of a pain to clean after but still very much worth it to me. I don’t use the cleaning solution sold with it; I just use water and it cleans spectacularly well.
Thanks for being here, friends.
Life has been a bit messy and heavy lately, particularly in respect to motherhood and all the ups and downs of that, but I also have so much to be grateful for, which means in the midst of feeling all the feelings, crying the tears and screaming in the pillows, I’m also trying to look for the blessings, too, and there are many.
Next week, I’ll be hitting the blog with a fun, free resource for kids graduating and leaving home, and there are also several phenomenal new recipes coming your way this month!
This is one of my happy places, and I’m really grateful for all of you! Love your guts! 💗
Thyroid issues, iron levels, and hair loss go hand in hand. I have been there! “Normal” vs “Optimal” levels are very different. I hope your doctor is running a full thyroid panel and not just TSH and Free T4. There is also a full iron panel that is very beneficial to get a full picture of what’s going on and includes four tests- TIBC, ferritin, %saturation, and serum iron. Stop the Thyroid Madness is a great website and book to learn lots of info about optimal levels. I also like Isabella Wentz too for info about optimal levels. Most people need more than just a T4 do reining medication like Synthroid. We need T3 too!
Love your recipes and blogs!
Mel, a friend of mine had hair loss and she used Viviscal to help it grow back. I’m not sure if it contains biotin, but she really found some good results with it. Check it out!
I enjoy your posts!
Hi Best Friend Mel ❤️,
I was having a lot of hair loss a couple of years ago (I have super thick hair) and I was freaking out. I blame it on perimenopause. I started taking Silica supplements and it seemed to help me. Also I washed as little as possible and stopped using heat for a while and the loss tapered off. Hope that helps. Thanks for all YOU do. You’re amazing.
Lots of love from Michigan!
Hair retention: I take Viviscal tablets and use the Bondi Boost procapil hair tonic daily.
I’ve come to the conclusion I will never have thick, beachy hair, but I’m going to get what I have as healthy as possible.
Mel- my sister and I were just talking about you last week! We both said that you are the best friend we have never met!! You’re adorable and we wish you and your family well.
Post Covid I had a friend who was loosing her hair by the handful. She did so much research and found Crisan Hair Oil!
https://crisanbeauty.com/products/crisan-extreme-hair-strengthening-hair-care-oil?selling_plan=2888990944
I tried it and loved it too! The link above is to the Crisan website. You can leave the oil on your hair overnight or add other ingredients to make a hair mask and leave it on for just 30-40 minutes and then you wash it out! I really love this- at least check it out! The gal that creates this oil has long thick hair below her waist!! She gives all the credit to the oil-!
Wishing you best of luck- know you are loved!!!
Thank you for sharing your tender feelings and for looking for the best in situations. Thank you for your product recommendations! Very helpful!
I don’t usually respond to blogs, but I have been following you quietly for a long time. (I rarely follow anyone, but you struck a chord with me). I also have thyroid issues. The absolute best thing I ever did was move to an organic, non- synthetic medicine. In Canada that would be Erfa Natural Dessicated Thyroid. In the US it is Armour and I think there is another. Within 2 weeks of trying someone else’s “NDT”, my hands went from looking like an 80 year old (there is Nothing wrong with 80 year old skin except I was 45 at the time.). My hair improved. Brain fog left. 20 years later, I am still on it. You will probably have to fight to be on it.
Good luck. Thank you for everything.
I’m leaving this comment to validate you on the Somerset dress. It was way too much volume for me and not at all flattering. Also, I recently started a supplement containing Biotin and have had stomachaches, so maybe you just solved my problem for me?? Thanks for the exceptional recipes and everything else you provide!
Maybe not for everyone, but this practitioner I’ve had many sessions with, has had quite a bit of success helping people with thin hair and/or hair loss: lightsourcehealing.com
Ps I LOVE LOVE LOVE your recipes!!! It’s almost all I ever use
Gosh, Mel, I just love you. And I love these posts. I want to celebrate all the good and hug you for all the tough. Sadly, I am no help in the areas you are needing, but just know that I think you are the absolute best!
Love these posts, Mel! For the thinning hair- my hair loss was intense for a year before my Dr thought to check my iron levels- they were so, so low and low iron causes hair loss! Good one to have checked.
I struggle a bit with hair loss, I’m 41 and have 4 kids. I mostly notice it around my part line as well, it’s not bad, but it bugs me. I blame part of it on hormone fluctuations, as my oldest is 16 and my youngest is 3 so lots of pregnancies and nursing. That being said, I also struggle with iron deficiency. I find when I focus on increasing iron, it really helps. Since I started eating eggs for every breakfast, it has helped significantly. Maybe it’s just a coincidence, hard to say.
We have kids almost the same ages and I feel you SO hard!
Also, please give recs for HS graduation gifts for boys!
I USE COLLAGEN TABLETS FROM NEOCELL YOU CAN GET LOWER BIOTIN LEVELS ON SOME
Hi! I love reading your thoughts. Thanks for always openly sharing! Just thought I would share what is working for my hair loss lately. I was losing a bunch of hair after using some products that claimed to be clean and free of a bunch of toxins. I started using Viori shampoo and conditioner bars and I am losing WAY less hair than ever and I’m seeing a lot of regrowth too. They have worked great for me, so I hope they can help you too!
Just a side note…have you tried seeing a functional medicine doctor for your health issues? Even just a super detailed blood test reading might help??
Hair loss, hair thinning could also be hereditary, peri menopause perhaps? Whatever the reason behind it, I would discuss with your doctor.
I will also take this opportunity to encourage all of you to get your mammograms REGULARLY. Don’t be afraid of the “what if”. Here in Ontario Canada we get checked regularly every 2 yrs starting at age 50 unless you have a family history. I don’t but I had breast cancer at age 50. It was caught early because of the mammo. Surgery, Chemo and radiation followed but it will be 7 years this July that I’m cancer free! Get checked!
I am trying out the Sadie app this year let your recommendation! Liking it so far when I can fit it in between nursing and homeschooling and kids activities. My husband served his mission in Korea and recently he started watching a Korean dating show on Netflix called Singles Inferno. At first I wouldn’t watch and I told him he was weird (I’m not a dating show fan) but then I really got into it, haha. It was so cute and funny and clean. I just might need to watch some of your recs now. 🙂
Hi Mel. Hang in there sister. With all of your challenges you are still providing positive uplifting worthwhile content. You are an incredible force for good in your home, on social media and in the world. You are my go to for recipes and dinner ideas. Thank you for being a bright spot in my life.
Hi Mel
So sad your husband lost his job but it’s great that he can now pursue his dream. Teenagers are tough but as I learned over the years that once they grow up they make really good friends (I am 70 so probably older than most of your readers but dont feel it)( it helps that I work with a lot of young people.
I’m impressed with your work. Life is really hard sometimes. I recently had to place my husband of 49 years in a memory care facility for Alzheimer’s. Talk about a life changing event but it’s what was necessary. I guess what I’m saying is that sometimes life is good and bad. Hang in there .
I enjoy your blog and website and recipes
Life is heavy lately. Sorry yours is likewise. Love these thoughts whenever you find the time for them.
Aren’t the 40’s awesome!!! 😉 My hair was falling out SO bad! I also had the same experience with Nutrafol and my thyroid numbers were all normal. I’m sure my husband was sick of me complaining about the clumps of hair falling out each time I washed it so he did some research. He found that dry shampoo can contribute to hair loss. I stopped using dry shampoo and my hair no longer falls out!!! Still a strand here and there, but NOTHING like it used to!! If you use dry shampoo, maybe stop for a couple of months and see if you can tell a difference. I wasn’t even a big user! Just a once or twice a week. Good luck! And parenting young adults is SOOOO hard! Hang in there!
I usually don’t comment but would love to share my experience with hair loss (or should I say my husbands). A friend of mine posted a while back that a couple months after she had Covid she started losing clumps of hair and shared that she bought it from Costco online. (Some warehouses carry it) so I tried it for both my husband and I since Covid did a number on our hair loss. My husband had always lost massive amounts of hair our entire 45 years of marriage. After using Pura dor anti hair thinning shampoo and conditioner (it has tons of herbs in it) after even two weeks we noticed a difference. After a month I’ll never go back. It’s amazing. Make sure to follow the directions and leave on for the two minutes. I also found this at some grocery outlet stores. (Not sure you have those by you)
Life is SO busy and it’s always throwing curve balls right?! So grateful for the experiences we have and for the lessons learned but man, they can take it all out of you!
I am 41 and as of last fall I started using doTERRA’s vitamin pack and their new MetaPWR line. I have NEVER felt better. My hair is thick and long! It’s growing like crazy. That is due in part to me filling in all the gaps in my nutrition with the vitamins but also the collagen product is incredible! I’ve lost weight, my mood has stabilized, my joints feel better, my skin has cleared up (why in the world I was struggling with acne at 40 is beyond me!), my mind is clearer. I could go on and on. I will never go back.
I’d like to say it was just me but my husband has had the same results. He told me the other day that he will never not take the collagen because his injured shoulder and knee that have hurt and limited him for years feel great again. We had been trying the collagen available at Costco and it did nothing for us.
If you want to know more of my story I’d love to tell you about it.
Keep hanging in there! This raising kids/teens business is TOUGH! My oldest is about to graduate but has special needs so it’s a whole different kind of parenting now. Figuring out what and where he fits best is tricky.
Sending so much love to you! Thanks for providing this amazing blog that is my first go to for dinners always!
I just wanted to let you know that I was having dramatic hair loss about 6 months ago. I thought it was due to new medical issues but my doctor ran some tests and all was normal.
While talking to the doctor we figured out that as I was taking a multi vitamin, I was also taking hair, skin and nails vitamins. In my mind the more biotin the more it would help my hair thinning.
We realized I was getting too much biotin. I stopped the hair, skin and nails and within a week I could tell a Complete difference. My significant hair loss is gone and my hair is coming back fuller then ever.
Sorry such a long email but it may be a solution for you.
Oh my goodness! So happy for a Friday Thoughts! I’ve been tempted to email you and tell you “we” need a Friday Thoughts post…because I love them too. Sorry to hear you are having thyroid issues. My levels are not good so I’ve been researching the heck out of it. When my doctor told me, I had 7 out of the 8 symptoms so I feel you on the hair loss. I’ve never had thick hair either so what I have lost is sad. From my research, stress and grief are what brought my thyroid issues on, in my opinion. My brother passed away 2.5 years ago and it was hard…still is. You shared about your friend Holli’s passing and so many times I thought to email you and I never did. But I thought about you and her family a lot and prayed for all of you. I don’t have any solutions yet for thinning hair or anything of the other symptoms. When I do my research, there are so many opinions out there that it makes me just not do anything other than try and reduce my stress and eat healthier.
Our Beloved Summer is so good too. I told me husband I felt like I was also fluent in Korean after watching it.
I was never much of a tv watcher but I did jump on the K-drama train about a year ago. ha ha and I agree completely that you can’t watch the English dubs. I’ve loved the ones you mentioned. I’ve been contemplating a subscription to Viki to watch What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim. I saw the free episodes and enjoyed them. It usually takes 4-5 episodes for me to decide and they can’t bring the drama in too early. They rope me in with quirky characters and comedy and then when the drama hits, I’m too far gone. I think I cried through half of Hometown Cha cha cha but it was too late to stop. 🙂
I so admire your honest sharing and brave perspectives. Thank you. I am a mom of 7, (a single mom for 7 years), most of my long ago parenting years done in Montana. Now I get to enjoy grandchildren and 1 great grand. There will be “sleep-over” nights for you ahead, flashlight night walks looking at the moon and the secret “bush tunnels” in the neighborhood, in-the-dark whispers of “I love you, Grandma”. Stay the course. Keep seeing and collecting the small miracles that affirm faith, hope and love. Thank you for the gifts you share with so many; your recipes fill our tummies and feed our souls.
Love you Mel! I can relate to adjusting to being the parent of a young adult. It doesn’t seem to get easier. Just a different kind of challenge/experience. Thanks for sharing some of your favorite things! I think I may have to give Sadie a try! I’m glad to hear your thyroid levels are normal. I have Hashimotos so I’m always trying to avoid stressing my thyroid function. I always say the thyroid effects everything a girl wants to be working well…hair growth, metabolism, energy levels, and mood!
Mel, I love your Friday Thoughts posts. Thanks for being real (and being a trusted source for my purchases-on-a-whim that I know I will love; my feet and lashes thank you!).
Being a parent to young adults is sometimes wonderful and sometimes heartbreaking. Truly. So many of us are right there with you praying for wisdom.
Wishing Brian success with his new career path, and you success with juggling all the things!❤️
I started watching Crash Landing on You after you recommended it on Instagram. My husband came in and said, “are you purposely watching a show with subtitles?” Yep! I’m loving it. Thanks for the recommendation!
If you are on thyroid medication that is what is making your hair fall out.
Just finished season 1 of Extraordinary Attorney Woo and loved it! It’s pretty hilarious! First intro into k-drama and excited to try more!
Thanks Mel and hang in there with the rest of us moms trying to figure things out! Your Friday thoughts always give me a good laugh and a much needed boost. ❤️❤️
I’ve recently started using Viori bar shampoo and conditioner, the Citrus Yao scent (https://viori.com/). I’ve always had thin hair and it always got greasy the day after washing it. Since I’ve been using Viori, my hair is surprisingly fuller and I only have to wash it one or two times a week (which is a huge level up for me).
I love your Friday Thoughts posts! I have yet to figure out parenting teenagers too. It is challenging! And also fun because they are great. I started using the Sadie Active app in December because you mentioned it and I LOVE it!! I’m feeling stronger all the time and it’s the best!
God bless you for being real!! Motherhood is an amazing, crazy, humbling adventure!! 5 kids at different levels of appreciating (or not there, yet) of what we did/sacrificed/ tried to achieve as a family. Pray as you go! Your relationship with each kids is different!
Your hubby/family get to practice trust. Wow. That’s a great muscle to exercise!
You have blessed us with so many wonderful recipes. Honest blogs. Sweet slices of life:) Breathe deeply! Hold yourself lightly! Keep laughing!!
Mel Thank you for always saving dinner at my home for over 15 years! I have told everyone I know where to go to find your incredible recipes and savvy outlook on all things home, family, gifts, tips & tricks, humorous farm animals and kindhearted, honest opinions on life in these United States. You are the absolute best!! Please, please write your cookbook ❤️ Hair that is thinning may have to do with your iron intake. Sometimes it does not show up on the iron levels. I love Honest mascara with the primer. Having tried everything else it just actually does a great job and does not irritate my eyes. Kids are a blessing and can be so frustrating at the same time. Many people are having to reinvent themselves in this economy. So many possibilities!! Wishing you and your family all the best!!
We watched our first K-drama two years ago, and it has literally changed our lives! We have a hard time watching American TV now. Crash Landing is my all-time fav. Here are a few more on Netflix that you would probably like: Romance is a Bonus Book, Touch Your Heart (cheesier than most, but my and my girls really liked it), Hospital Playlist (2 seasons…it takes a few episodes to get into because there are so many characters), and Extraordinary Attorney Woo (already on your list) is one of our favorites too. Vincenzo is also really good (and my boys and hubby especially liked it—there is not much romance in it, lots of action). We also subscribe to Viki, kind of like an Asian Netflix, and our favorites on there are Pinocchio, I Am Not a Robot, Oh My Venus, 1% of Something, and True Beauty.
Zenagen Shampoo from Amazon stopped my hair loss post covid and regrowth is good. Expensive but it really does work. Use as directed. Blessings
As always – but especially this time – thanks for your honesty about aging and parenting. You are a welcome breath of fresh air. Sending best regards and love as you journey forward. Ps -this may or may not be helpful, but my daughter is taking Suku vitamins “Luscious Hair” as her hair regrows after alopecia areata, and it seems to be really helping. It is reasonably priced.
Hi Mel,
Happy Friday
Sorry to hear about Brian and his career ending without notice.
I help people everyday throughout the U.S. & Canada who have either lost their job or just looking to take control of their destiny.
If I can be of help to Brian, share my contact info with him, I’m always happy to help
Similar to you helping others, my help & advice is cost free & risk free to you
Wishing you guys success
Kind regards
Charles Cook
1-902-527-7608 Canadian Mobile
1-520-878-6774 US Mobile
charlesrcook@icloud.com
I love this Friday post! You are so normal, not like some of the size 4 influencers are that talk about their lives! Mothering is hard, even when they are adults. I wish my kids were little again. But then you get the HUGE blessing of grandkids and it couldn’t be better. Good luck with your husband’s job.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. It helps us all feel less alone in our own struggles. You can get through this ❤️
Love your thoughts, recipes and farm life. Thank you for sharing a glimpse of your life and for providing such amazing recipes the last 15 years that our family always loves! I also appreciate hearing about your parenting struggles so that I know I am not alone, I have a 20 yo and 17yo about to graduate, and 9yo twins. I feel like I am constantly apologizing and telling them that I don’t know what I’m doing but am trying my best. I appreciate all you do! ❤️
Which mop/vacuum model did you get? Amazon has a couple… I need something to simplify my floor cleaning. It’s the worst job.
I’d love a guide/compilation of meals that can sit to be eaten at different times. I’m starting the phase of 4 kids going 4 place all within a 2 hour stagger. It’s wearing on me.
Love your recs. It feels like a real life friend sharing about things that work for her life, and that’s what I need. ❤️
I want to know what Mop/vacuum this is also. I need one right now. Have money in hand and car running to get to a store to buy one.
I have the Tineco iFLOOR 3 Breeze Complete Wet Dry Vacuum Cordless Floor Cleaner and Mop One-Step Cleaning for Hard Floors (hope that helps!)
Long-time reader and recipe trier, first time message poster.
Sending my love to you even though I don’t know you personally. In the last five years my husband has been out of work twice, each period lasting about a year. It was such a stressful and discouraging time but also a time where we saw many blessings. I learned to be patient, to trust God more, and came to appreciate how gratitude can help lighten burdens and lift discouragement. For us, lots of ups and downs but we managed our way through and I’m confident you will too!
Wishing you and your family all good things!
Thanks for your Friday thoughts, Mel. I’ve follow’d u for forever but haven’t posted much this past year or so due to treatments & recovering from throat cancer. I still utilize your blog on the regular as I adjust to my new normal (of not enjoying food as much as before cancer.) You have been such an inspiration to me during this time, as I have remembered u sharing your own health journey. Thank you for the fun recommendations included in your post today! I concur- Amidst the disappointments & unbelievableness of life, there are the sweetest blessings. Love you~
Saw your post. Just wanted to tell you that my SIL had throat cancer well over ten years ago. She is now 80 and going strong. Tons of energy, never stops talking, and always in her garden. Food is difficult for her, she drinks tons of water due to dryness, and she frequently eats standing up. She is alive and that counts for a lot. Hang in there.
Thank you, Laurie! Yes, Blessings abound – esp looking forward to being alive. Thank YOU~
I love your recipes; I am not vegan or gluten free, but the recipes are so good that I love them anyway. Just made a double batch of your soft and chewy sugar cookies, which are by far my favorite. Looking forward to your next one; anything in chocolate would be appreciated. Read your blog for the first time; I’m sure you don’t look like a colonial starting his apprenticeship! Your property is amazing also.
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Mel! Thank you for your words! It’s like reading a message from a dear friend even though we don’t know each other. Haha! Over the years we have eliminated our fruit trees and replaced them with cement (much easier to take care of) so I am so amazed and proud of you for planting more trees. You are a rock star and never forget that!! Your kids are lucky to have you as a mom and we are lucky to have your as our bestie food blogger. Thanks for all you do. You make the world a better place!