Friday Thoughts
I’m checking in on this fabulously fall Friday (the weather here is AWESOME; 70’s, breezy, perfect) with a Friday Thoughts post.
I hope I adequately express to you guys how much I LOVE, I mean really LOVE, your comments on these posts. They are my favorite.
You don’t know how many times I’ve scoured the comment threads of these Friday Thoughts posts over the months for a story, tip, piece of advice, or feedback someone shared. Your comments have led me to at least one more amazing pair of jeans AND changed they way I teach my kids piano lessons, just to name a few. I love your guts (and your comments’ guts) so, so much.
Today, I have a lot to share since it’s been a few months! Read at your own risk. 🙂 But whatever you do, DON’T ignore my questions below, pretty please. I want to hear all about what YOU think!
School Year Thoughts: August 22 began a new phase for our family. All five of the kids in school…all day long. Over the years, depending on where we’ve lived, we’ve had half day kindergarteners, full day kindergarteners, and a stint where I homeschooled three of the kids. But this is the first year where the send off in the morning means everyone is gone all day.I have mixed feelings. The end of summer about killed me off, I’m not going to lie. The chaos in my house was at an all-time high and well-intentioned schedules were pretty much nonexistent (as were bedtimes and my patience). But then, when everyone left me mid-August, I kind of felt adrift and a little sad, and I wandered around aimless and confused. It reminded me of an older friend’s tongue-in-cheek advice when we lived in Wisconsin: “don’t get attached, they grow up and leave you.” 🙂 My melancholy lasted for about 3 1/2 minutes until I realized that the one thing I always, always crave more of was at my disposal: time.
Of course my well-laid plan to get four bedrooms painted, learn Portuguese, and finish the five quilts hiding under my computer room table all within the first five days of school didn’t happen (or even get started, let’s be honest) like I thought they would (how does time go so dang fast during the day??), but I AM determined to make the most of my time at home during the day.
As you know, blogging takes up a great deal of my life. It is my “job” for lack of a better term, and I’m grateful to be able to work from home with a flexible schedule, but I’m also determined to have a better blog/life balance so that I really can focus on some other industrious projects, as well as spend time volunteering at the school and do more in my service at church/temple. And also, naps. I’m not opposed to them either…or hanging out with my chicks. Ok, talk to me, how is your school year shaping up (public schoolers AND homeschoolers)?
School Lunch Thoughts: Piggybacking on the school year thoughts above, we are still staying strong with the school lunch checklist I shared last year in this post (also included in that post are some free, downloadable menu plans to save your sanity during the busy startup of school). After almost 10 years of using them, we finally broke up with our long-loved Goodbyn lunch boxes in favor of these pack-it freezable lunch boxes {aff. link} to keep everything cold, and so far, the system of kids packing their own lunches each day is going pretty well (my 14-year old who is a freshman in high school graduated to a simple brown paper bag as his packing preference). I have to monitor Ms. First Grader’s lunch box to make sure it isn’t packed chock full of only chips and fruit leathers, but other than that, the other kids are pretty self-sufficient.
Book Thoughts: So many of you recommended A Gentleman in Moscow when I reached out for book recommendations a few months ago. It took me a while to download it to my Audible app and even longer to actually start listening to it. And if I’m being honest, the first few chapters (maybe even more than that) almost put me to sleep (not super awesome since I was utilizing it as a way to keep me entertained and awake on a long drive last month).
But I persevered after consulting some friends who promised it would be worth it, and I am officially a repentant book listener. I have about 1/4 of the book left, and I am enthralled, and dare I say, obsessed (think: listening to it whenever and wherever I can; Brian looked at me very strangely when I had it at max volume this morning while blowdrying my hair with my head bent upside down). It’s an insanely long audiobook (17 hours or something), but I’ve been listening at 1.25X speed and using it as my clean-the-house incentive, among other things. The brilliantly descriptive, almost magical, writing style makes up for the slow start. I highly recommend this book (maybe avoid the Audible version if you want to get through it more quickly?). Have you read it? What did you think?
Alaska Cruise Thoughts: I shared in my newsletter and on Instagram that Brian and I took a first-ever cruise this summer to celebrate our anniversary in August. We went on an Alaska cruise, and I have so many thoughts to share about it. But since I don’t want to bore anyone with too many details, I’ll just share a couple:
-For first-time cruisers without anything to compare it to, our experience was pretty great in terms of service, hospitality, accommodations, etc. We went with Princess Cruise lines and booked everything through them including airfare, excursions, etc. (we took the easy way out on this one and I don’t regret it for an instant). We decided on an inside passage route (Anchorage to Vancouver) with ports at Ketchikan, Skagway and Juneau.
-So many people have asked me what I thought about the food. Um. Hmmm. Let’s see. What to say? It was ok. I mean, it was good! But not lifechanging. Maybe I had my expectations set too high (a very distinct possibility), but I was a little underwhelmed, particularly by the buffet. However, Brian wants me to mention that the 24-hour access to hot chocolate and ice cream was pretty amazing. One of my favorite parts of the cruise was taking a tour of the galley and meeting the head chef. The kitchen (we only saw one of the many on board) was absolutely amazing and kind of overwhelming – it’s hard to wrap my mind around how much food they make every day for so many people. Crazy.
-The weather, always unpredictable in Alaska, was pretty terrible during our 7-day cruise. There were a lot of experienced cruisers on our ship, and they all commented that this was the worst weather they’d had on any Alaska cruise. It was foggy almost the whole time so we didn’t see much scenery while on the ship, and it was pretty cold and rainy at all the ports.
The good news is that because the experience was so novel to us, we still loved it, and we really, really enjoyed the time we had to spend together – just the two of us. Would we go on an Alaska cruise again? I’m not sure about that. I’m not exactly a world-traveler (the gift of wanderlust is a bit lost on this homebody who gets a some anxiety traveling and leaving home), but the experience and majesty of Alaska was amazing and definitely a once in a lifetime experience even with the foggy conditions. I don’t know if we caught the “cruising bug” exactly, but it was a pretty awesome trip all things considered, especially getting off and exploring the seaside towns. Have you gone on a cruise? If so, WHERE? And what did you think?
-I took this petite gray backpack {aff. link} to Alaska and wore it everywhere. It was awesome. For being on the smaller side, it had so much functional space and so many helpful compartments; I loved it, and it was a lifesaver for a one-bag solution. It even fit my DSLR camera with a fairly big lens and an umbrella. I’m still using it as a purse-slash-backpack now that I’m home. I also wouldn’t have survived without my beanie {aff. link}, this waterproof windbreaker {aff. link} and these Sorel wedge boots that I wore straight out of the box (I know, not smart), but they ended up being surprisingly and incredibly comfortable. I wore them nonstop and consider them well worth the splurge (they were on a 50% off sale on sorel.com in August; they are certainly more spendy now in leadup to winter). I’ll wear them for many winters to come I’m sure.
Also, the picture below has nothing to do with anything except that our high school mascot is the Vikings and my sister made this Viking braid beanie for me and I love it and I will continue to embarrass my children by wearing it every day to pick them up from school as well as at the next high school football game. Go Vikes! 🙂
Ok, I think that’s it for today! A huge reward (cookies?) if you made it through that whole post! Let me know YOUR thoughts below!
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Lots of thoughts but I think I lol leave them each as separate comments since I can’t think of everything right now… except for the fact that I kind of want to cry at the timing of your backpack recommendation! Just last night I said to my sister-in-law, “I need a new bag. I’m thinking a smallish backpack. It needs three compartments. I have no idea where to begin looking. I wish someone would just magically recommend one.” For real. So excuse me while I go buy my next mom bag/backpack. And thank you!!
Serious about the backpack?? Oh my goodness, I think you’ll love this one (ok, I HOPE you love this one).
Did you get the medium or the small? (And I still need to leave my additional comments lol)
I have the medium. 🙂
We did an Alaskan cruise eleven years ago. Our youngest was five and the oldest in our group was my step dad at 80! He is gone and that was his last big trip so the pictures are precious. The Great Alone was an incredible read. Especially after having just been to Alaska! Our last child got her drivers license this summer so no more need of rides to and from school where we talked and talked. . But yes they do grow and fly the coop…..our first son has been living and working in China the past year and it’s hard not having him nearby. We all love your recipes and wish you a blessed school year!
I started reading The Great Alone on the tail end of our Alaska cruise and really, really enjoyed that book! Thanks for all your thoughts, Lori!
Have been on two ocean cruises and one river cruise and I would choose river cruise, hands down! Avalon Danube river cruise! Amazing! Every single expectation we had was exceeded. Beautiful cities and countrysides to explore. Vienna concert, museum, pretzels and beer, wineries. All of this while having a great cabin and staff.
My roommate from college went on that same cruise, I think, and she also said river cruises (in Europe) are the way to go!
Yes we Alaskans know about the hit or miss weather, but overall our worst summer weather is by far in August. Whenever anyone asks me when to come up here, I always tell them June. There’s also great stuff to do out of Anchorage and even here in my town of Eagle River. Hope if you ever come back you can enjoy the grandeur because it really is spectacular!
That’s so helpful to know…thank you, Julie!
A Gentleman in Moscow is one of my favorite books. I read it last year. Loved it. Then my husband read it. Didn’t really think he would like it but he loved it as much as I did. He said it was Cold Mountain good. Which is another of our favorite books. The picture of you and your hubby on the cruise is great. Looks like fun.
Glad you mentioned this, Patti, because I told Brian he should try A Gentleman in Moscow. I hope he likes it like your husband did!
We went on a cruise to Mexico over Christmas one year! My in laws and my parents & siblings all joined us and it was . Also your comments about the end of summer mirror my experience— I felt so dejected that our awesome checklists has gone out the window, glad I’m not alone!
What a fun family trip, Lyndsey! And glad other moms hit end of summer like we did (misery loves company, I guess??). 🙂
Mel, my husband and I took the same cruise, our first, to Alaska the first week in August on the Coral Princess from Vancouver to Whittier with stops at Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway. It was all the same weather you described with maybe a few more sunny days on shore. I, too, agree that the buffet was so so with the exception ice cream was available on demand. We also took the land tour to Denali bis a 20 hr. train ride. The scenery was spectacular.
Several people we talked to took the land tour to Denali and said it was AMAZING! Sounds like we missed out on that!
OK first off, our high school mascot is the Vikings too! Go Vikes!
Second, It was my first year with all the kids in school all day too (junior, freshman, 5th and 1st). I seem to be bored and yet lacking motivation to do anything productive… I hope that passes.
Third, I started having the kids pack their own lunch three years ago. So my oldest was in eighth grade and my third son was in second grade. Sounds like that last one got the wrong end of the deal .
Finally, We have never been on an Alaska cruise but we have been on a couple others with the kids and we really love it. I feel like it’s the cheapest way to get us on vacation. We have only gone Mexico cruises out of LA, saving the airfare. We have done carnival and princess and the buffet for sure was better on carnival. The main dining room was pretty comparable. I hope you give it another try sometime, maybe with the family! Enjoy the school year!
Yay for having the same mascot. So fun! Haha, same situation here with packing lunches. We just started a year or so ago with them packing their own which means my oldest son got the benefit of me packing his lunch for a lot longer than anyone else! Perks of being oldest (he’d tell you today that’s one of the only perks, poor kid). Thanks for the tips on the cruises you’ve enjoyed!
I borrowed A Gentleman in Moscow from my library on my kindle but they took it back after 3 weeks and I was in the slow to start portion. Now I’ll have to try again! Ha. (On a cold winter stretch when all I want to do is read).
Oh darn it! Try again!
Two things. 1. That beanie is awesome! Your sister is talented. 2. Instead of blindly searching for the answer, what did a reader comment say of teaching piano and how do you now do it?
Hey Ariel! The piano teaching thing isn’t life changing, but so many comments indicated I needed to let my kids move on to other songs even if the songs they’re currently working on aren’t perfect AND stray from the official lesson books at times to let the kids explore music they are interested in (ragtime, jazz, hymns, etc). It’s been working great for us!
We went on an Alaska cruise many years ago and I felt the same way. Now that we’re further away from the trip I think we’d go back. I love whales so the whale watching was a huge highlight for me. We also went on a Princess cruise and I was a little underwhelmed with the food. I did enjoy ice cream around the clock and the pizza/hot dog stands.
Brian wanted to see a whale badly but the fog was too much of an inhibitor. I think he’d go back just for that chance again!
My child is grown and gone so no back to school situation here, but I do remember how often after he left for college I did the “I don’t have to pack school lunch anymore” happy dance.
I have not read that book but recently read The Alice Network and quite enjoyed it. Right now Im in the middle of Dear Mrs. Hamilton and liking it.
We’ve done several cruises and determined they aren’t our idea vacation. Did the Alaska itinerary you just did, a week long one to Mexico and a two week Panama Canal one. What we do love are all inclusive resorts! We prefer to play in the water rather than on the water so being at a beach with one or more pools is heaven for us. Also, while it’s not michelin level food anywhere we’ve gone it has always been better than on a ship and the resorts have never been as crowded as the ships. Also, no noro-virus or listeria outbreaks like on ships. Nothing puts me off like having to hand sanitize at the dining room door – ugh.
Thanks for the book recommendations! I love hearing everyone’s varying thoughts on cruises. I really do think they aren’t for everyone but others wouldn’t vacation any other way! All inclusive resorts sound amazing. 🙂
I love reading your blog and there are SO many recipes that are just amazing!
I’m glad you enjoyed your Alaskan cruise. We did that a couple of summers ago, but the reverse-from Vancouver (where I’m from) to Alaska. The weather sucked for us too. We didn’t get the go on the excursion we splurged for 🙁 because of the weather (and it was August for crying out loud!) I’ve been lucky enough to go on a few cruises – Caribbean, Baltic, Alaska, and a coming up in the spring, a Disney one with the kids and one to Ireland !
I also reward myself with listening to an audiobook while doing chores – making dinner, cleaning, folding laundry, etc. Makes chores much more tolerable. (Also drowns out the kids a bit too if I’m being honest!)
Random question: how on earth do you remove your waterproof mascara? After you shared your fave one, I got it and I love it but don’t love the removal. Any tips?
Thanks, Jen! That’s such a bummer about the weather – many people on our ship had excursions canceled too and it was so disappointing. Ireland would be amazing (and I’ve heard Disney cruises are where it’s at). Ok, so waterproof mascara – I’ve used the makeup wipes (Neutrogena and now just the Costco Kirkland brand) and they work great!
I read A Gentleman in Moscow for a book group earlier this year. It took me awhile to get into it as well. It was good., but felt a little long to me. . I finished it thinking, if properly done, it would make a fascinating movie. That being said, I wasn’t left with the feeling I wanted to read anything else by the same author anytime soon.
I’ve been on two Alaskan cruises, both were the last week of July. Both had incredible sunny weather the entire time. The first was Norweigan which I liked better in terms of food and entertainment. The second was on Carnival. I only chose it because it worked with the dates I needed. It was a letdown compared to Norweigan. My husband went with me on the Carnival cruise. He had never cruised before so he thought it was great. I really enjoyed my Alaskan cruises and would love to go again with my adult children. It would be fun, but I wouldn’t pick Carnival next time.
Interesting thoughts on the Gentleman of Moscow book, Jennifer! Sounds like maybe we went a couple weeks too late to Alaska – good to know end of July might be the ticket!
I left a long comment and it didn’t show up. I’ll condense it this time. If the other one shows up though, sorry!
Books- haven’t read anything lately that I couldn’t put down, but a few that I did enjoy are “before we were yours” by Lisa Wingate and anything by liane Moriarty.
Cruise- took our first one in January. We surprised the boys for Christmas. They LOVED it and want to do that every year. Ha! Not going to happen but it did get me thinking about memories we can give instead of things. We went with royal Caribbean. The food and service were incredible and the ship, liberty of the seas, was super fun! We stopped in Cozumel, grand cayman and Jamaica. Would we do it again? I’m not sure, I’m so glad we did it once but it felt like it was so rushed at each destination. Next time I think I would rather just go to one place and take time to see more of it.
Your beanie- love, love, love it!
I really enjoy your blog posts. Thanks for taking time to share so much with all of us. I haven’t read the book you mentioned, but I am currently in love with Saving CeeCee Honeycutt. It has quickly risen to my all time favorite book. You laugh, you cry, you laugh some more and then when you finally finish it, you feel like you have made a new best friend. It is available on Audible and usually at thriftbooks.com (That’s another of my favorites)
Thanks for the book recommendation, Celeste! Adding it to my to-read list!
Kids in school- yep, it’s amazing how fast the day goes! I never get done everything I intend but that’s ok, it just back on the list for the next day.
Books- I haven’t read anything lately that I absolutely could not put down, but a few that I did enjoy, “before we were yours” by Lisa wingate and anything by liane moriarty.
Cruise- we went on our first one in January. We took the whole family. That’s what we did for Christmas instead of gifts. The boys LOVED it and want to do it every year (ha! not going to happen but it has really got me thinking about memories we can give them instead of things.) They were pretty confused Christmas morning when they got sunscreen and sunglasses in their stockings. Then under the tree I just wrapped 1 huge box for all of them. Inside was a box inside a box, inside a box, etc. In the smallest box I had typed up a letter saying we were going on a cruise and cut it into puzzle pieces. Once they put the puzzle together and read it they just stared at my husband and I for a minute. Finally Caleb said, “is this a joke?” It was so fun to surprise them like that! We went with royal Caribbean. The food and service were incredible! And the ship (liberty of the seas) was super fun! We stopped in Cozumel, grand cayman and Jamaica. Would we go again? I’m not sure. I’m definitely glad we did it but it was such a short time in each destination that we barely saw anything. Next time I think it would be fun to just stay in one spot longer and see more of it.
And I really, really love your beanie!
I really enjoyed “Before We Were Yours” – such an interesting (and sometimes heartbreaking) read for me. That is such a fun, clever Christmas gift. My kids would die!
Hi dearest Mel,
Hubby and I went on an Alaskan Cruise with Princess cruises to celebrate our 30 th wedding anniversary. We flew from Australia to Vancouver and hopped on the boat the next day. Wow what a cruise we had, the weather was absolutely perfect, the food amazing. We also did a 7 day land cruise with Princess after the cruise. We were treated like kings and queens and loved every minute of it. I have a couple of blog posts about it over on my blog if you want to have a look, it’s under the Alaska tag. Have a lovely day, Fi
What a trip, Fiona! All the way from Australia to Alaska. Amazing! So happy your weather was perfect! I’ll take a look at your posts. Thank you!
I made it to the end, and am totally ready for some cookies!! Are you sending them??? 🙂 I’ve been on one cruise, to Alaska as well. Loved it, but I’m also biased. I spent a couple summers working in Skagway (did you ride the White Pass train? I was a tour guide on that many years ago.) and I love Southeast Alaska. And I always enjoy reading your blog…you write as if you’re old friends with everyone…the way it should be, right? Have a fabulous Friday!
Haha! I should send cookies to one lucky reader for reading that whole post. You’re awesome! Yes, we rode the White Pass train and it was easily one of the highlights. So amazing! I loved Skagway. Quaint and beautiful (until it started pouring with gusting winds!).
Mel, your blog is just so wonderful. I love reading about your family and love your recipes. Here are my thoughts about this post: 1. Did you ever finish your hedgehog (or whatever animal/Elizabeth Hartman pattern) quilt? I am super curious about this and would love an update, even if it’s not complete. 2. I have a first grader. One of the most frequent items in her lunch is a butter sandwich! 😉 3. I’ve never cruised or been to Alaska, but I’m hopeful for both in the future.
Thank you, Kirsten! I was hoping no one would remember my hedgehog quilt. Haha. Ack! No, I haven’t finished it, but I DID finish the Book Nerd one. However, it was painful enough that I’m nervous to dive back into the Fancy Forest quilt. I need someone here to hold my hand. I set a goal to get all the foxes done before Christmas and to have it finished before 2019 is over?? So we’ll see.
We moved across the US this summer from New York to Washington, had several mishaps in between (including our car breaking down during our move and being stranded by myself in the middle of nowhere with three kids in tow, our housing in WA falling through at the last minute, and having to store our stuff in a different state last minute because of the housing issue… and then having to go retrieve our stuff and our car from two different states after we finally found housing), so I feel like we didn’t have a summer. We’ve only been in school for seven days, and my kids are struggling to adjust after the move. Let’s just say I’ve been eating a LOT of ice cream lately.
I just finished A Gentleman In Moscow and loved it. I highly recommend My Lady Jane if you haven’t read that one yet. I’m not a huge fan of audiobooks, but this one is really well done (and reading it is just as fun too).
I’ve never been on a cruise, but my sister in law and one of my cousins both worked in Skagway over the summer as tour guides/bus drivers. Both of them ended up getting engaged to people they worked with there! I feel like I need to go visit now. 🙂 Thanks for your Amazon recommendations – we’ve been trying to get outfitted for the Pacific Northwest, and I’ve been reading waaay too many reviews of waterproof jackets. Excited to take a look at this one.
Um, Nicki – that summer sounds ROUGH! You poor thing! Oh my goodness. I’m so sorry. Moving is so hard and helping kids adjust to new schools can be so emotionally exhausting. We’ve done it so many times and it just never gets easier. I’m sorry and I hope things get better quickly! Funny enough I read My Lady Jane on my kindle on the Alaska cruise and found it highly entertaining (I kept laughing out loud)!
Another Alaska cruise person here … 20 years ago with my mom. She and my step-Dad had tickets, then he died and she was able to transfer the ticket to me. I only went for her but ended up having a great time. Holland America and the crew, service, food was great! Was the food 4 star restaurant great – no, but we both thought it was very good. We did walking tours in all of the ports, never took the elevator in the ship and it all evened out! Neither of us were really into the entertainment. We were up early, watching scenery from wherever and enjoyed a lot of time on the top deck looking and reading. We had weather so warm that neither of us was prepared and we had to buy shorts and tshirts for our 1st week of September cruise.
Inland passage: Juneau and Ketchikan plus a day in Glacier Bay watching the Glaciers calve and seeing Puffins. Saw whales and dolphin.
Even though our cabin was on the lowest level and quite small, it served its purpose and one of the things I enjoyed was that my hotel moved vs me moving hotel to hotel. Now, I travel by RV and I think one of the reasons I enjoy that is similar: pack/unpack once and my accommodation goes with me.
Even though I enjoyed myself, I’ve not had any desire to do another cruise. The one thing that I did not like and am probably worse 20 years later, is the sense of being “stuck” and the amount of people and activity even though we chose a lot of things that were quiet.
I haven’t read that book, but looked it up and it sounds like something I’d like. I rarely watch tv or movies but read voraciously!
No kids, but my puppy is now 7 months old and much as I enjoyed little puppy, I’m really enjoying the more relaxed stage of “teenage” puppy even with its challenges. I know nothing like having kids but its what I have 🙂 And now we have an easier schedule and I CAN actually sit down and read … with him and usually the cat next to me.
Happy Fall, Happy Friday and this was a fun post as well as comments.
Wow, that’s amazing to have that warm of weather in September! Kind of jealous! Haha. Brian and I were like you – we were up and about early and on deck as much as the weather allowed (not so interested in the entertainment but we did love the naturalist’s presentations). I also felt that feeling of being stuck and I didn’t love it. Maybe I’m more of a land traveler? I don’t know. If you read A Gentleman in Moscow, email me and let me know what you think. It is lyrical and beautiful. And don’t sell yourself short! Having a puppy (and Auggie!) is no small task! You are a good momma to them!
It’s amazing how fast the “school day” goes for us Mom’s at home. After my third and last went to kindergarten I was very lost but after I realized I could do whatever I wanted it started to get better. The only piece of advice I would give other moms in the same boat is to not sit alone at the table to eat your lunch. I just turn on a fun show and eat away. I still want to use my amazing sewing machine more but I never seem to have enough time after doing other things I need to get done. How do you make time for fun projects?
I really need to look into audible. I hate reading and like you I’d love to listen to something while doing laundry and cleaning the house!!
Hey Sarah! I’m not great about making time for fun projects (honestly because I usually feel guilty; I need to get over that) but someone below in the thread said she schedules in blocks of time for those types of projects and I’m going to try that!
Love Friday Thoughts!
I love the pack it freezable lunchboxes, especially the classic model. We used the ones with velcro but it gets worn out too quickly.
I went on a cruise many years ago with Princess to Mexico Riviera. It was wonderful! Love cruises, everything included lots of things to do, and relax.
I’m alone during the day for three hours, and I agree with you: time goes by way too fast! Some days I’m very productive, others I just read. I feel good both times. It’s funny though how we want the kids out in shool and then we missed them . Thanks for sharing! Love your blog
Enjoy your time, Jocy! 🙂 (Also I had the same experience with the velcro pack-its – the ones we have now are working out much better with the zipper!)
Book: A Gentleman in Moscow – I do Audible, but this one I read and it was a page turner for me. Audible was a new experience for me this summer. I like that it allows me to enjoy more books as I listen when traveling, in the car, the ironing board, walking, etc. Some books just tend to lend themselves to audio better than others. So far my top Audible recommends are: Before We Were Yours, Educated: A Memoir, and The Great Alone. As for a delightful, light and just plain fun read: my favorite this summer was Matchmaking for Beginners by Dawson. Charming book with laugh out-loud delights.
Alaska: I just returned Sept 3 from sea and land Alaskan adventure thru Holland America. Enjoyed the whole trip, but I am more of a land person than a sea adventurer especially when faced with so many foggy days, but those quaint coastal towns ARE in the rain forest. Beautiful state! Pristine environment and air! Truly, a frontier! My favs would be the canoe trip to the Davidson Glacier, Alyeska Resort, the best salmon burger ever at Chair 5 in Girdwood, seeing the top of Denali from the McKinley Princess lodge deck at sunset, views of Humpback and Beluga whales, Grizzly bears, Longhorn Sheep, Caribou, a moose, eagles, huge and bountiful flowers with all of their rain and long days, sled dogs, and that marvelous double decker four-hour train ride scenery. We should all go at least once, but I marveled at the number of passengers I encountered there for their third for fourth trip. Should I ever be blessed to go again, I will simply fly in and rent a car to adventure more into the countryside. Safety comment: I did notice one of our back-country guides had a serious canister of bear repellent clipped to his belt. Like you, I also mostly wore my Columbia rainproof jacket, layering under according to the temperatures of the day. Only wore my gloves once and that was canoeing near the glacier.
Enjoying your blog!
Thanks for the book recommendations! I read The Great Alone on my kindle (while in Alaska on the cruise, ironically – it was a fascinating read for me). True about the rainforest; I had to keep reminding myself of that. The weather we experienced, while not great, wasn’t that unusual for the rainy area. It truly is a magical place.
My husband and I are talking about going on an Alaskan cruise. I have been on 5 cruises. I’ve been on Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, and carnival. I would say Norwegian had the best food and Norwegian and Royal Caribbean both had pretty good entertainment. Carnival wasn’t my favorite but we still had an amazing time! Thanks for the tips about the Alaskan Cruise! 🙂
Thanks for the cruising tips! Sounds like you’ve had a lot of fun experience! 🙂
Love your hat, very cute! We did an Alaskan cruise with our kids-oldest was 20 at the time. To this day, whenever the vacation is brought up, he complains that I did not tell him to bring WINTER items, only to dress warm. It was very cold and sometimes rainy for us too….but still good memories. The only thing I am looking forward to about our upcoming winter is trying more of your great recipes. Thanks to you, I am considered a good cook.
Haha, so funny that your son still brings that up. Kids! I’m so happy you love the recipes – thank you!
I’m almost sorry to say I’ve never been on a cruise, and there probably isn’t enough money to pay me to go one on. I don’t have travel anxiety but i DO have anxiety about that many people in one place that i can’t get away from. I’m definitely not a herd type. I would also worry about norovirus and too much stuff like that to relax and enjoy it. I look at it this way, I’m leaving more room for people who enjoy it!
Don’t be sorry about that, Sandy! I totally hear you on the anxiety. I kind of felt that a bit there (and I was SUPER worried about norovirus but the obsessive hand washing seemed to calm my mind).
Loved your blog today! So much fun! I read A Gentleman in Moscow and I loved it so get much! My sister recommended it and honestly it is sucha dear book! Thanks so much for all your blogs…I’m an awesome cook thanks to you…this will make you laugh…my sister’s…daughter and daughters in law…speak of you as if we are all such good friends. Where did you find this game? Oh Mel told me about it…where did you get this recipe? Oh Mel gave it to me! We love you! You’ve made pour lives so much better! Thanks a bunch!
Thank you so much, Jill! Talk about making my day. You are so sweet.
Well yes, cookies. I just ate your pumpkin choc chips cookies that I made last night. I like not love them, but I don’t love a cakey cookie (I know you do). Your description made me try them–this one and another you posted a while back are the only pumpkin cookies I’ll even eat.
I have been on one cruise–I wish I could afford more. I LOVE the all-inclusive nature: feels like a vacation while trips with kids where you’re planning every meal and activity feels like work. Some of the food was really good, most was forgettable but fine.
I have not read that book, but I’ve read over 50 this year, woot! After a heavy book like that one, you should read My Lady Jane and/or My Plain Jane. Hilarious, delightful escapism.
School–so glad my kids are in it. I feel like I should be saving the world or writing a novel or building an empire now that they’re all in full day, but there’s actually still a lot of mom work required daily, so after last year turning into a productivity-obsessed anxiety-ridden mess, this year’s goal is to take life at a slower pace, focus on my kids and my health and letting myself be lazy if I feel like it (very hard for me to do!). So don’t overwhelm yourself. The blog and the kids are full-time–do more only if you really actually want to, not because you feel compelled to be more. Love your Friday thoughts and of course your recipes. You’re my only blog. 🙂
50 books! That’s amazing! And so funny you recommended those books because I read My Lady Jane on the Alaska cruise and could not love it more. It was such a delightful easy read that literally had me laughing out loud! And so true about that mom work. You really ARE saving the world (one kid at a time). 🙂 I agree about letting go of the guilt and not feeling bad for the down time; I’m trying to be better about that.
We went on a Caribbean cruise last year that stopped at Roatan (my FAVORITE!!!), Belize, and Honduras. Oh my gosh SO FUN!!! We went with Royal Caribbean and loved every minute. Roatan is an island I never would’ve thought of as a vacation site, but it was gorgeous and perfect and they had a zoo where monkeys climb on you and we got to hold sloths!! It was pretty much the best day of my life. Well, you know, aside of getting married and the births of our three boys 😉
So happy that was such a fun cruise experience for you, Jessica! Brian would have probably died of happiness to encounter a sloth in real life (let alone hold one)
We did an Alaskan cruisetour with Princess a few years ago and loved it. We went in August and had hot weather, totally unexpected. It was over 30 degrees Celsius. We spent a week on land going to different lodges that Princes has. Then after that we caught the ship in Anchorage and sailed to Vancouver. One of the better cruises we’ve been on.
That’s great weather for Alaska! There were a lot of fellow passengers who did the land tour with Princess and had nothing but good to say about it!
Hi Mel!
Great that you got away!
Princess still offers cruises going south. Try their 10-day cruise down the Pacific Baja to Mexico that goes down to Acapulco. Embarked from LA. Take it in February/after the Christmas rush. Had a wonderful time with five ports with lots to do…horseback riding through the the rainforest and up into the mountains; glass bottom boat rides; shopping for deals on silver, rum, etc.; site seeing; cultural enrichment; etc. Lots of options for excursions. Food was tasty, plentiful and exotic. Champaign midnight buffet too. Dancing, plays, crafts, cards, swimming, shopping, bars, movies, church/religious services, just lounging, whale watching, meeting people, etc! Clear every day. Only occasionally did the waves rock our world. Services and staff were attentive, efficient and very friendly. (Staff was international!) If I had any criticism, we had an inside cabin for two (twin beds) and a very small shower. I would have chosen a window cabin for natural light. However, we only slept there, did not spend really any time in the cabin, so going that direction was good to save a little money. For couples, it would be another story!
A favorite experience on the ship was being alone, on a chaise lounge on a deck at 10:00 PM listening to the waves and feeling the cool breezes!
A warmer experience in every way and something I highly recommend to defuse.
Thanks for the detailed tips on that cruise, Liz! So helpful!
Currently listening to No-drama Discipline on Audible. It’s wonderful! I only wish I had listened to it 7 years ago!
Also listened to The Trim Healthy Mana Plan. It’s changed my health and the way I fuel my body for the better. For you as a blogger and a cook/baker – you could take this knowledge and lead many more women to discover food freedom. It’s also biblically based and has so much wisdom in it. It truly follows the word of wisdom. The Trim Healthy mama plan is too fold it trims you down if you need to and it focuses on getting and staying healthy.
You can also listen to the Trim Healthy Mama podcasts too:
https://cms.megaphone.fm/channel/trimhealthypodcast?selected=ADL3255762910
Here’s to more time !!!
Thanks for the recommendations, Julianne!
For our 10 year anniversary ( we just celebrated our 22) we went on a Caribbean cruise. We loved it. We want to go on an Alaskan one for our 25 anniversary. Glad you enjoyed yours!
Happy anniversary, Jen!
I love that you’re asking for comments right now! I don’t normally comment (like ever), but as a US homeschooling mom of 5 currently living in eastern Europe, I’ll take any kind of social interaction I can get.
(Home)school is going GREAT–thanks to The Good and The Beautiful curriculum and Read Aloud Revival. I really do enjoy homeschooling, and I usually feel a little jealous at the beginning of the school year when all the moms have time to DO things. ALONE. It always sounds like such a miraculous thing.
I’ve always wanted to go on an Alaskan cruise. We lived in Seattle for 8 1/2 years and i always thought we would go. Of course, now that we’ve moved, my extended family reunion this summer was an Alaskan cruise. They were on the same route you took, a week after you. It’s still on my bucket list, though. We did take an overnight ferry to Sweden a couple of months ago, and that was like a mini cruise ship–just a lot less fancy.
A Gentleman in Moscow is on my TBR pile, but i haven’t gotten to it yet. I did just finish The Secret Wife (partially set during the Russian revolution) and Between Shades of Gray, which tells the story of what happened to the Baltic countries around WWII. I was surprised to find that not many people know the story of what happened in those countries. But I highly recommend the latter book if you’re interested in the story, though I will warn you it’s a bit heartbreaking..
Wow, Amanda! Way to go on homeschooling in Europe no less! I’ve heard great things about the Good and Beautiful curriculum. And talk about a pretty amazing family reunion on a cruise! Both of your book recommendations sound so fascinating! Thanks for sharing them!
Alaska:
We went to the “mainland” of Alaska, flying in and out of Anchorage, in July about 15 years ago. Alaska was magnificent and definitely should be seen at least once in a lifetime. However, we encountered the same lousy weather that you did in the Inside Passage. Many days of rain, and most days were overcast but in the 50’s. We took a ship across Prince William Sound and it rained and snowed(!!) all the way across. We did get lucky, however, and actually caught a brief glimpse of Denali, though we were in the area for 3 days and saw it for about 10 minutes. Overall it was a truly memorable trip.
Sounds very memorable! I guess with all the majesty and grandeur of Alaska comes that uncertainty with the weather. Have to take your chances! All said and done, it was worth it, but I bet it would be amazing to actually get a glimpse of the gorgeous scenery!
My husband and I did a 5 day cruise from LA that stopped at Catalina island and ensenada Mexico and it was fun for being our first cruise but I don’t think we’d do that same one again, but I would do a longer one in the Caribbean or something. My parents did almost the same cruise you did the week before and they loved it. Cruise was kind of a middle ground since my husband is apprehensive about traveling and so many things were taken care of. I’d rather go straight to Hawaii or Europe
Just read that first runon sentence again. Oops!
I like runon sentences! 🙂
We did our first cruise back in August 2015. Our whole family was in Portugal for an international dance festival (oldest son was dancing and I was playing in the orchestra while my husband and youngest son just came to watch). Conveniently it ended with enough time for us to fly to Barcelona for a few days and then hop on a Disney Mediterranean cruise! It was awesome! Airfare from Canada is pretty darn expensive so we were lucky we were able to do the cruise while we we were already overseas. We did a lot of excursions but in retrospect it would have been nice to have had more down time on the boat while it was in dock but we hated to miss seeing anything ! We stopped in Naples/Pompeii, Rome, Florence, and Monaco (my favourite)!
As for back to school, my oldest is in his second year of university so he is pretty self sufficient and my youngest just started grade 9. They have a full service cafeteria at the high school because a lot of exchange students live in residence so we decided to buy a meal plan for him for lunch which he is really enjoying (plus it’s one less thing to worry about in the mornings!).
Love your blog Mel! It’s fairly rare when I make a recipe that doesn’t come from your site and I love reading about you and your beautiful family. You are truly an inspiration!
Oh my goodness, what an amazing trip to Portugal and then to Barcelona for a Disney cruise! Sounds like a once in a life time experience. I’m guessing the school lunch your son gets is better than the ones here…so nice to have that option!! Thank you so much for your sweet words!
I love your Friday thoughts! Thanks for sharing and keeping things real. Quick thought on audiobooks—have you looked into Libby/Overdrive??
Likely your local library subscribes to it and you can access (checkout) ebooks and audiobooks for free by using your library card. (Libby is Overdrive’s new much more user-friendly app). Each library is different and subscribes to different books, but it’s been a life changer for me. If your library doesn’t subscribe (my local one doesn’t), consider using a friend’s or family member’s card. Happy listening! Life is Good 🙂
Ok, so I officially have been out of the loop on Libby. Lots of you guys suggesting it so I’m looking into it ASAP! I’ve used overdrive – but not in a while so I didn’t realize it had upgraded. Thank you!
I have cruised twice! We did one for our honeymoon and another 2 years after that. Both to the western Caribbean through Carnival. And we LOVED them. Hope to do another for a big anniversary some day! My parents just did their first cruise this summer, also Alaska and maybe also Princess? I don’t remember. I would really like to do that one some day too!
Thanks, Diana!
We’ve always wanted to go on an Alaskan Cruise! We’ve cruised 4 times but always in the Caribbean. We like the “all inclusiveness” of the experience as well as the excursions and the activities on board ship. I agree, the food is often “meh” but our last cruise had some restaurant upgrade options (at additional cost) where the food was fabulous! Now that our son and daughter in law live in Seattle (we’re in Florida) I am seeing a great combination of a visit to them and an Alaskan Cruise!
So many people here who enjoy cruises love it for those same reasons (a one stop shop vacation – only unpack once, meals included, etc). I have to agree with that! It definitely takes much of that stress totally out of the picture! I hope you enjoy Alaska if you end up cruising there!
Great post, Mel! Regarding your cruise question, we have cruised many times: Alaska, Caribbean, Panama Canal, and Mexico, both with a kid and by ourselves. You’re right: no matter the cruise line, the buffets are good but not life-changing. It’s great when you just want to unpack once and visit several places. We always felt safe with the kid doing his own thing and we could do something or just kick back. No phones, no internet (our choice), a really nice getaway. Definitely would do it again, perhaps the South Pacific or Europe, even though we’re both retired now.
Do enjoy the quiet time you now have. Children may become more independent but they always are your children and they most always will be with you in one way shape or form. New chapters!
Thanks for all your cruise thoughts, Jane! I absolutely loved the no internet aspect. It was amazing to totally disconnect. Love your thoughts on new chapters, too. So true. Thank you!
Roy retired, thus our first year in forty years that there has not been a first day of school. Roy was in education, I was for awhile, and two children went through school, it was a little odd. No school shopping for school supplies or clothes. Yes, the superintendent of your school does this too. Enjoy your school time projects. Karen
Wow, what a change of pace for you two! Good luck! Enjoy your time together!
Mel, we surprised our kids with a Disney Cruise to the Bahamas and it was the best vacation ever! We still talk about it almost every day, two years later! The food, the entertainment, the staff were all top notch. There was something for everyone, all the time. Worth every penny!
That’s so good to know, Carrie! We’ve been tossing that around but haven’t gotten to the point of justifying the cost but you aren’t the first to mention in this thread that Disney cruises are amazing!
I am expecting my first child so I don’t have kids going back to school, but my husband is a teacher so I know the feeling of your routine shifting with the start of school! I love having him home a lot in the summer, but there is also something nice about the predictability of our schedule when he’s back at work. So I’m enjoying this time so far! And since it’s just me at home growing our little baby I’ve been taking lots of time to relax and catch up on the shows I like on Netflix that I don’t force him to watch with me over the summer 😉 I also use a Pack It freezable bag for his lunch! It’s a different model than your link though. It doesn’t quite stay frozen through the day as long as we would like, but I found that slipping in an extra ice pack helps it last better. Sometimes the food is still slightly warm when I put it in the bag because I make it that morning, so that’s probably the main reason. If I sent him all cold food that would probably make a difference.
We went on a Caribbean cruise a few years ago with my father in law. I absolutely loved it!! I was not impressed by the food in the buffet room, but my father in law treated us to a few dinners in the restaurants on board the ship which I did think were very good! However, you have to pay extra for those, so it’s not really the experience I expected with amazing food at your fingertips all day long. We were on a Carnival ship.
Thanks for all your thoughts, Sarah! Good luck with that first baby. I think you are smart to take advantage of the time you have to do things you may not be able to do once the baby comes!
My parents went on an Alaskan cruise on Princess this summer (they did Vancouver to Anchorage). They had the same thought about the food–not awful but not excellent either. Though they did say the lobster on lobster night was completely inedible.
I’ve been on a number of cruises, including the Hawaiian islands and the Mexican Riviera. My favorite all-time cruise though was one we took of the Rhine river in Europe. My only regret is that it didn’t last longer!
Oh my goodness, that was the exact same experience we had! I was so excited for lobster and it was honestly so chewy and tough that we couldn’t eat it. Interesting. It sounds like from this comment thread that European cruises are where it’s at!
We did an Alaskan cruise this summer too (inside passage on Royal Caribbean)! I think we were probably there a week or 2 after you since we heard alllll about the nasty weather of the previous week from the crew. It was our first time to Alaska, though our 3rd cruise, and we totally lucked out with the weather. Every day was sparkling – clear blue skies with highs in the 60s/70s. We weren’t overly impressed with the food on the ship either, especially the buffet, but the “specialty” steakhouse restaurant we ended up having dinner at for 2 nights was seriously outstanding. Alaska though was just as you describe – majestic. Just so so beautiful.
We’re not wunderlusts either which is why cruising is kind of just our style. Always plenty to do and see on and off the ships and since the some of the ships are now within driving distance from us in CT out of NY and Boston, we can avoid flying (both the hassle and expense). We booked our 4th cruise for this coming January to the Bahamas but this one will be very different – the first time traveling with our toddler! Should be interesting! 🙂
That’s funny (kind of!) about you guys hearing about our nasty weather. Haha. It really was terrible! The captain of our ship told us several times we may not be able to get into port (thankfully we were able to each time). I’m so glad your weather was amazing!! Good luck on that cruise with your toddler! There were several families with young kids on our cruise and they all said it was pretty fun!
I just do happen to be waking up from a fabulous nap . This is my first year with the kids all in school too and I felt panicked and lost the first week, and now I feel so much freedom to get work done without the guilt of neglecting my kids. Oh and the naps are fab. I no longer feel wasted at 6 pm.
I love this!
I’ve been on a few cruises. All to the Caribbean. I was underwhelmed with the food too. It was fine but not the best food I’ve ever had. I think people who rave about the food don’t cook much at home and it’s novel for them. But I did absolutely love exploring the Caribbean. It’s undeniably gorgeous and I want to a greece/Italy cruise next. Someday!
I can see that being the case about the food! I’ve heard from some friends that have also loved the Caribbean. Italy/Greece would be amazing!