Friday Thoughts: Speed Style
Hello, friends! Popping in quick today for a Friday Thoughts post (love these so much, especially your comments!).
This last month almost finished me off with a lot of behind the scenes chaotic family circumstances that don’t always shine through on recipe posts (you can thank me later for that). I have so many things running through my overfilled brain, it isn’t even funny – all the nonessentials are ready to spill out to make space for the important, stressful stuff going on.
I love sharing the good, the bad, the ugly, and the awesome with you on these less food/more real life posts. So in honor of that, I’m hitting this Friday Thoughts post speed style. It’s quick, it’s quirky, it’s random!
As always, chime in on the comments. My favorite part is reading what YOU have to say (plus I’m asking for some advice, so help a girl out, ok?)!
Surgery as an Adult Thought: Don’t do it. Ever. Brian had a tonsillectomy + deviated septum/fractured nose surgery two weeks ago and he still feels like death. Honestly, it’s been the worst of the worst, and even if he recovers and loses his ability to snore, I think he and I will still question whether it was worth it (he’s going on 13 days of jello + pudding diet and a subsequent 17+ pound weight loss – ok, so I’m actually just a teensy tiny bit jealous about that last part). I’m calling him Brian 2.0.
Family Reunion Thought: Yeah, yeah, I know it’s holiday season time and not family reunion time, but because my overtaxed brain won’t.shut.off, I’m obsessed with planning our family reunion next summer that we’re in charge of. So tell me this, what is THE BEST thing you’ve done or eaten at a family reunion in the last decade? My brain and family reunion spreadsheet planning thank you in advance.
Portuguese Thought: I decided to buckle down and learn Portuguese (Brian speaks it semi-fluently and I would love a secret language to speak in front of our kids – and people at the grocery store). So I downloaded the Babbel app a few months ago, and armed with a healthy dose of “I’ve got this; how hard can it be?” I began. Long story cut short: I have since been sufficiently humbled. Apparently ye old brain doesn’t work as well as it used to when I took Spanish in college (all of which I have forgotten). I will persevere! Maybe. My brain hurts right now.
Cross Body Bag Thought: I’m not a purse person as much as I am a casual cross body bag kind of girl. I bought this leather Sak Iris Crossbody bag {aff. link} in the mint color months ago and have been wearing it daily as my “purse.” I love it. It’s cute, durable and super functional. Also, I paid over $60 for it way back when, and I just saw it listed on Amazon for $27. Whoa.
Girl Hair Thought: My life (and Cam’s) was forever changed when I found these little hair rubber bands {aff. link}. Also, this dry spray wax {aff. link} has been the best thing we’ve found to smooth her still-growing baby fly aways. I spray it on my fingers and smooth down my own fly aways, too. Ok, maybe the fly away thing is genetic and I should warn her now she’s not growing out of it.
Social Media Thoughts: What’s your favorite social media platform for connecting with family and friends? And if you aren’t on social media at all, can you elaborate why? Por favor and obrigado (wait, maybe I AM almost fluent??).
Canker Sore/Toothpaste Thoughts: I used to get canker sores all the time. Like several times a month (since I was a kid). I would also break out a lot on my chin and around my mouth. I subtly (or probably not so subtly) complained about this on Instagram earlier this year, and several of you mentioned using an SLS free toothpaste (I had never heard of it until then). So, for the last 8 months or so I’ve been using this SLS free Verve Toothpaste {aff. link}, and I am not even exaggerating…zero canker sores and probably only 1-2 blemishes in my chin/lips area since then. I am a believer. FYI: I tried the Tom’s brand of SLS free toothpaste and almost vomited, it was just so gross.
Teeth Thoughts: Speaking of teeth, I finally got my Invisalign braces off, and it feels amazing. I only had to wear them for a short nine months (thanks to already having braces twice as a teen and being a bad retainer wearer), and I’m still wearing a retainer a lot during the day, but I’m just so happy to be able to eat freely during the upcoming holiday season. #priorities Having said that, my two oldest kids go in for orthodontist appointments this week, and I’m on the fence about whether I’ll have the doctor put them in Invisalign or wire braces. Thoughts on teenagers in wire braces vs. Invisalign? Please enlighten me with your experiences.
Libby App Thoughts: A HUGE thank you to everyone who recommended the Libby library app on my last Friday Thoughts post. I just finished listening to When Breath Becomes Air and have listened to a few other audiobooks as well the last few weeks while cleaning/driving/waiting in hospitals and dr offices. Fantastic app!
Fermenting Food Thoughts: This is a longer subject for another time, but I’m hesitantly dipping my toes into the world of culturing vegetables in order to improve overall gut health for me and my family (in addition to the kefir we drink every day). I’m not going to lie, I’m a little scared. I’ve scoured this website, among others, and bought a couple how-to books on Amazon. I had a super bad experience with kimchi when I was 21 and backpacking in Korea, so I think I’m going to forego cabbage for now and just maybe try some carrots or beets? Talk to me. Any advice/experience to share?
Shoe Thoughts: Ok, last thought for the day. How much is too much to spend on shoes? I really want these ones. Someone talk me out of them. ASAP.
{current coping skills}
I’m done now. Thanks for letting me have a total brain spill today (the scary part is this is only about 10% of what I would like to talk about, but I know you guys have a life). Can’t wait to hear what’s on your mind!
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Shoes – go for it. Speaking as one who has dealt with stubborn plantar fasciitis in both feet, good shoes cost a lot more, but your feet will thank you and they last a lot longer.
Invisalign – two of my kids did Invisalign. One was the poster child of responsibleness and wearing them as she should. The other was the poster child of what not to do. However, both of them have lovely straight teeth now. My son played the tuba and did not want to have to deal with braces when playing. He wore them at night, but his daytime routine wasn’t as consistent. My husband is in Invisalign now. He loves it because he can take them out when he is speaking at church or in a meeting at work. He had the most corrections needed, but he is almost done at the year mark. Braces would have taken so much longer.
Best meals for a crowd – I’ve cooked at our girls camp for 150 people for a week quite a few summers. Favorite meals have been:
Cafe Rio taco salad – this one is great because people can customize to their taste.
Pulled pork sandwiches – super easy and can be done ahead of time.
Baked chicken taquitos – I cook the meat ahead of time, which just leaves mixing up the filling and rolling the taquitos.
Social media -. Ongoing group text stream with my siblings. What’s app with my son at college and friends from other countries. Instagram for grandbaby pictures
Thanks, Tanya! Love your thoughts on Invisalign. I don’t know what we’ll do. I think Invisalign will be so much more high maintenance for my son (just knowing his personality) but I also can recognize the pros and cons of each. Thanks for the meal ideas!!
Happy Friday, Mel!
The shoes first: go for them – so darn cute and you’ll totally ROCK them!!! Secondly, sorry your dearly beloved is in the throes of that kind of recovery; I hope he mends well! And lastly, toss the jello (at least once he recovers) as he will likely never want to eat it again! And P.S., no time it too early for family reunion planning! Make a service project part of it somehow. The first and only one my family planned included cleaning up grave markers at the local cemetery – not that we cleaned 100s, but a few dozen – the groundskeeper was delighted! Enjoy!
Love the idea for including service! A constructive, engaging, and bonding activity- thank you.
Thanks, Donna! And yes, I think you are right. He’ll never eat jello again (so over it). LOVE, love, love the idea of a service project. Thanks for that idea!!
Mel! Family reunion – MARS BAR SQUARES! I think I sent you this recipe years and years ago but we made again for our reunion this summer and no word of a lie – 18 people begged for recipe before they went home and 7 more emailed us later! It takes 10 min from beginning to end and adding skor bits to top is needed- let me know if you want recipe again! My teen just did Invisalign and was so much better then what I remember from metal braces! No cuts in mouth, no monthly painful tightening with sore mouth for days, and no distortion of mouth with big metal braces and you can’t see them! Big win for 13 year old at the time. Only sucked st Disney needing to find places to brush and clean them after eating.
Yes!! You did send me that recipe and I’ve actually made them but it’s been a LONG time. I’ll put it on my family reunion list! Thanks for the insight on Invisalign vs. wire braces. I don’t know what to do!
Those shoes are the worst! Don’t buy them!!!
I don’t think you believe me (I don’t), so you should probably take the advice of everyone else. If they’re not as great as you’d hoped, return them! 🙂
Ok, now I’m super curious. Are the shoes the worst because you hate the style or because you’ve bought them and hated them?? 🙂
Keep learning the language. I use Duolingo, and really like it. I heard someone talking about learning a new language recently, she said, “you can get by, but you can’t get in” as far as trying to live in a country for an extended period of time. I’m currently living in Norway and knowing what I know of the language is so helpful. The people here are impressed that I’m even trying.
Man, I should have started with Duolingo! So many are recommending that one. That’s amazing you are living in Norway and learning the language – that can’t be an easy language to learn!
My random thoughts: I’m grateful I had my tonsils out at age 3. Yay for Libby! I’ve read at least ten books this year which is huge for me. If the shoes are comfortable and well made, buy them. It’s better to spend more on quality than constantly replacing cheaply made or uncomfortable shoes. I love the Marco Polo app for communicating these days. It’s great for me because I have about an hour in the car every day and I can just listen or yammer on to my family or friend’s totally hands free. Off topic – made s’mores cookies and they spread. Gonna try again. Flavor was awesome! Dying to make the caramel apple cheesecake bars next!!!
So happy you love Libby, too! It’s making reading much easier for me (or rather, listening to books). And I love Marco Polo, too! I find I use it more than any other stay in touch app and I only have a small circle of family and close friends on there. Try adding a couple tablespoons more flour in those cookies – that should do the trick!
Mel –
I’m old enough to be your mother, so a lot of my comments will sound like it.
About Brian and his nasal/throat surgery…..men make terrible patients, as you’re finding out.
I just had a total replacement of my right knee and it hasn’t exactly been fun.
It does make one feel somewhat “taken” when you find an item at more than 50% less than what you paid for it. Life is very unfair that way.
Our family uses “What’s App” for our own private communications, picture sharing, etc. there are only 10 of us on it, but you can add as many people as want to be in touch with what’s going on, and you know that no one is seeing your pictures who shouldn’t be.
Thanks for all your tips about other things. Good luck with your other concerns.
I looked at the shoes and I would encourage you to see if you couldn’t find them cheaper somewhere else. Otherwise, get them! They’re gorgeous!
Love your comments, Mary! Good luck with the recovery of your knee replacement! I hope you have people helping you! Several others have recommended what’s app – I’ll have to look into it!
Adults take longer to heal then children, also they are made to follow the Doctors instructions to a T by parents (Lets face it as adults we fudge that a lot. As to Family Reunion I think you are stressing at the wrong time of year wait until after the Holidays then you can focus better. If you can’t completely put it aside get a note book and jot things down in it as they occur to you No need to finalize anything right now. Language is far easier for children to learn then adults I have used ear buds and audio learning when I wanted to learn another language I just walked around all day listening and even fell asleep with it on I did this for two weeks then I found someone who was fluent and sat down and worked with them using the language conversationally I was surprised how much I understood and how many words I could actually pronounce correctly. We would talk everyday making me faster and better learning more complex words and sentences. I am on Facebook for my brothers (all in there 70’s now) I am on Twitter occasionally other then that Nothing else. INVISALIGN child wants a mouth full of rubber band and metal they get teased enough not to mention food tastes horrible with metal and food gets stuck in them and you have to get cleanings constantly and risk decay and discoloration. Pickled Veg is great in a lot of dishes and they keep forever we pickle a lot of veg Carrot Celery Cucumbers peppers okra onions to name a few of our favorites. As to the shoe I would never pay that for a pair of shoes now a days We used to have Cobblers that could repair a expensive pair of shoes meaning we could wear them for years and years now if a strap or heel breaks or a sole wears out we have to toss them just not worth the price now a days Besides if you really love the style look around at FAB or other discount places for ones that are similar (or a Knock off) at less then half the price
Thanks for the sound, practical advice, Sandra! I probably do need to table a few to-dos right now! Interesting about listening to a foreign language all day. Not a bad idea!
Buy the shoes. If you love them and they make you feel spiffy, I feel it’s worth it. Plus, if you are like me, you’ll take care of them and wear them forever, so really even if you only word them a few times a week, if you put an amount of money per wear on them, it’s in cents…if that makes sense. I can justify this in lots of ways, ha ha!
I speak Portuguese, and it’s a beautiful language. Find a friend that speaks it and practice. You’ll get it! Then you can plan a trip to Portugal, and while your there, you might as well go to Spain, then France……
Definitely wire braces for the kids in my opinion. Unless yours are much more hygienically proficient and responsible than mine…which probably isn’t hard.
I don’t know where most of your family lives, but several years ago our family did a family reunion in Durango, Colorado. It was so much fun. We finagled a deal with one of the ski resorts and got condo’s for each family for a very reasonable rate. We were there in the summer, and there is so much do. Mesa Verde national park is close by, tons of hiking options, a drive up the Million Dollar Highway. We had a lot of fun.
Love your posts! Cheers!
Haha, thanks for all the justification! 🙂 Love that you speak Portuguese! Since Brian speaks it, I’m able to practice. I just wish my brain would connect the dots faster.
Hey as a dental hygienist just make sure whatever toothpaste you are using is ADA approved on the bottle–otherwise there is no guarantee that anything it claims it actually true. Invisalign for teenagers—thats a tough call. Unless you have super responsible teenagers it might be better to do braces. ALSO I was in charge of our family reunion (72 people) this summer and I think the favorite meal was bbq pulled pork (made ahead of time) with rice in a tortilla with other toppings like salsa and beans and sour cream. Taco salad is obviously an easy and great choice for a lunch. I also premade sloppy joes and froze them for a super easy dinner. And premade and froze dozens and dozens of cookies.
Classic delicious favorites! And I love “dozens and dozens.” Thanks for the tips!
Classic delicious favorites! And I love “dozens and dozens.” Thanks for the tips!
Thanks, Lindsay! Love the meal ideas for family reunions! The only thing I have officially planned is to make dozens and dozens of cookies, too. 🙂
Boa sorte com a língua. Estou muito impressionado que está tentando aprender um outra língua. Uma coisa que eu gosto é eu tenho a língua portuguesa no meu iPad (tenho Engles também). Ajuda muito em escrever português porque dá sugestões em português. Ainda, não me lembro muito. Aprendi mais do que 25 anos atrás na minha missão, e agora escrevo algumas pessoas em português de vez em quando e é muito difícil. Mas gosto tentar. Tu vais ter sucesso!
Laura! It was so fun “reading” your comment. Surprisingly I was able to read/sort through most of it (thanks to my husband’s help). 🙂
My (now ex-) husband had his tonsils out and deviated septum fixed a few years ago around Thanksgiving time and it was TERRIBLE. It was a good month before he started feeling well enough to eat normal food. I think the rough recovery is compounded by the fact that you can’t really eat much in the way of healthy foods unless they’re blended and that’s just gross. I can’t speak to whether it’s worth it in the long run because we don’t live together anymore, but I hope it pays off for your husband!
As for the shoes, I say buy them! I started buying nicer shoes a couple years ago (mostly just at Nordstrom Rack) and I won’t go back to my Target shoe shopping days. It makes a huge difference–they are more comfortable, last way longer, and like someone else said, you’ll feel like a million bucks!
I think we are on that month-long (if not longer) road to recovery. Hopefully it will pay off! Thanks for the push to get those shoes! Quality over quantity, right?
Couple of things, had my tonsils out at 14. hardest thing ever. It’s so much easier on kids when they are littler.(my mother didn’t tell me she has arrange for me to have them out until we were on the way to the hospital the day before Thanksgiving. I got an infection and ended up staying 5 days instead on the 2, so missed All of the good stuff for Thanksgiving plus 2 weeks from school. What a mess)
My daughter is trying to get me to use Marco Polo to keep up with everyone in the family, still working on that one.
Also they have a family reunion every other year and have 4 in the family with gobs of extra family. So they exclude the grandma and the grandpa and each family is assigned a meal or 2 depending on how long they are there. Each family also has a family “Road Show” or play that the kids make up and perform. This sometimes has a theme to it if they have a reunion theme before hand picked out. Each time one person has the main responsibility of putting it together but they make assignments and get commitments from everyone. Most the time the days are pretty loose just getting together and catching up on things.
Shoes, go for it, as long as it’s not an ever day thing. Once in a while you need to spend money on quality and in return you have something that will bring lasting comfort and make you feel like a million bucks. (and if those things don’t happen you’ve learned a valuable lesson!)
Oh jeez, Linda, your tonsillectomy as a teen sounds AWFUL!! I actually love marco polo – it’s the thing I find I use most to keep in touch with family and friends as I use Instagram less and less. Thanks for the family reunion thoughts!
Yay! I am excited you are learning Portuguese! My husband speaks it too and I’ve spent a couple of years working on it on Duolingo (which I like). Bottom line: language learning is hard. I have my kids in a dual immersion school, and it still is hard, even though they say it’s easy when you’re a kid. (Does a baby really have an easy time when they’re fully immersed in their language? No. It takes a couple of years.) So give yourself lots of slack. Also, since you’re a woman, you say obrigada. Obrigado is for boys.
Oh, and one fun family reunion idea I saw is to do a fear factor food edition: They started out with like a lemon slice, and then made their way up to weirder foods like kimchi and edible bugs and things. After every level anyone who passed got a reward. I think it would be hilarious to watch.
Haha, see? I even messed up the little I know. ObrigadA! Got it. 🙂 Also, I love that idea of fear factor. I can see Brian’s family totally getting into that.
We had one child in braces and another in Invisalign, we like Invisalign so much more for kids! They can brush their teeth so much better, the dentist said their gum health looks so much better. Our daughter fell off of a slackline in braces and cut up her mouth so bad, plus broken brackets and everything else. And only a few trips to the orthodontist each year instead of monthly with braces 🙂
Thanks for your thoughts on Invisalign vs. braces, Danelle! And ouch, that sounds so painful about your daughter’s accident.
i am a cheap shoe person but have noticed that when people look really nice, i typically note they have great, luxurious shoes. i am also into buying what i love! 🙂 for family reunions, my s-i-l did a really neat thing at ours. A Guess-Who’s-Coming-to-Dinner presentation at each meal: you assign someone an ancestor to research and tell about. pictures are helpful and make them into real people. those who presented really developed connections with their study. it was emotional and cool. i can’t wait for your ideas on this too. i am so into planning family stuff. the more we involve, the better!
Hey Karen! Thanks for the family reunion idea. I LOVE that!!
Hi Mel,
Best family reunion: Lake in Blanding, UT. We rented big cabins – girl cousins in one, boy cousins in the other, and parents were in the house rental with the littles. We had a boat, one of those banana things to ride on, and some inner tubes to play with. Plus, someone brought sand toys. Parents rotated who was on water watching duty. Life Jackets required. Can’t remember the lake name, but it was a good 7-8 feet out before my 8-9 year old self was waist deep.
Do you use the dry spray wax? My flyaways are always out of control.
Social Media: I don’t really. I have a twitter/instagram for giveaways where you have to post to enter. I have a Facebook for my homeschool group and lesson help group. I have friends and family there, but I only use it for the groups anymore. If there was another way, I wouldn’t have FB.
Look into “What’s App” to replace Facebook for your family communications. It’s great and private.
Sorry, my comment was worded badly. I don’t use FB for family. We group text on regular text. Also, “What’s App” is owned by Facebook. And I don’t trust it.
I’ll bet it was Recapture Reservoir! They have some great cabins rentals down that way (my parents own one, haha)! It’s a fun place cause it’s close enough to Maob to do all of that stuff too.
Hey Courtney – yes, I use the dry spray wax for myself, too! I spray it on my fingers and lightly brush it on my flyaways. I’m kind of with you on FB. If there was another way, I’d ditch it. I only keep it so I can keep my Mel’s Kitchen Cafe facebook page.
Mel! Huge sympathy for the husband/tonsil sitch! Been there done that and I would rather combine the 3 kids that had their tonsils out into one. It’s rough, but he’s glad he did it. Also, my 12-almost-13 year old has invisalign. At first I thought it was a no brainer. She has had contacts since first grade and has been really responsible so I thought it would work out. Well, she hates it! We constantly fight her to wear them and she is really self conscious about it and begs to switch to the metal. We’re too far in so she’s out of luck there! They’ve made a huge difference in her teeth, so that is great, but it’s a fight. I would think she’d be more self conscious with the metal, but who am I? Just the mom! Part of me thinks if she could actually compare the two, she would appreciate the invisalign a lot more. She goes to the ortho for the invisalign, but when I asked my dentist about it he said he prefers to see kids in invisalign because it is easier to keep their teeth clean and healthy. Anyhow, there’s our two bits! Loves to you- I love to peek in to see your beautiful family and all the amazing things you do!
So interesting about the Invisalign for your almost teen, Brittney. Thanks for sharing those thoughts! I think you’re right – I wonder if she could compare if she’d be so happy with Invisalign…but who knows??
We just had a family reunion at Bear Lake this past summer. The great thing about our rental (there are about 40 of us) was the yard. It had a volleyball net and trampoline and we brought corn hole. We spent a lot of time in the yard in the evenings.
I would echo all the other comments about Invisalign vs braces. We did traditional braces for our two older ones. The cost difference was minimal and I liked that they couldn’t lose them. I can tell now that the braces are off that is was the right decision as one of them is terrible about the retainer.
The place we are going to for the family reunion has tons of outdoor space and activities so I definitely think we’ll utilize that! Thanks for the thoughts on braces!
As far as furmented food, talk to Natalie Bevans. She knows tons about, has made her own and has done loads of research.
Awesome!
Hey Mel, love these posts. We were in charge of our family reunion last summer. Because we are too big and spread out to celebrate the holidays together we gave each day a holiday theme. We had Christmas, New Years, Easter, Birthdays, Thanksgiving, and Halloween. It was awesome! I have spreadsheets and lists of activities and we incorporated a lot of family history and traditions and foods that go a long with the holidays. It was a ton of work but so worth it! If you’re interested, I can send you all my info.
We’ve also done where every day was a movie theme and the did activities based on that. That was fun too and giving it a theme just makes it easier to plan food and activities.
This sounds like so much fun! Love the happiness of theming and connecting to family traditions while making new memories. Thank you.
I would love the spreadsheet of ideas too! Any way we can connect?
Sounds amazing, Luci! I love how well planned you are! I’d love to get a copy of the spreadsheets if they’re easy to send. I’ll email you!
Hey Luci – thanks for you comment! Your family reunion sounds amazing! If the spreadsheets are easy to share, I’d love to see them, but no worries if it’s hard to send. Thank you!!
Excited about your crossbody bag recommendation. I’m definitely a crossbody bag person and have been looking for one. I have an Amazon gift card that I’ve been wanting to use…
Need to check into the Libby Library App. Sounds like something I’d like. Audiobooks are the only way I have time to read.
I have a hard time spending a lot on shoes. $80-$90 is about my limit and they have to be really good shoes.
I have the permanent fly away hair issue, so this product interests me.
I enjoy these kinds of posts – always fine some helpful tips.
Good luck with the Portuguese!
The Libby app is totally worth checking out! I’m with you, I usually don’t spend that much on shoes so that’s why I’m conflicted.
Hands down wire braces for teens (sorry kids) I did Invisalign and didn’t quite get a stubborn tooth in place so I did wire braces for 6 months to finish it up. I am a responsible adult and I misplaced those dang Invisalign’s often. I feel the wire ones gets better results and allow the Ortho to have more control over the teeth movement. Just my opinion:)
Food for big family parties….when we go to lake powell with big groups everyone loves Pasta Night. I do spaghetti and farfalle noodles, red sauce and meatballs (or you best homemade spaghetti sauce) and a homemade Alfredo with grilled chicken. I do a lot of the cooking before. Red sauce and meatballs are made before we leave so they just get tossed in a slow cooker to heat. Chicken has already been grilled and frozen so I usually reheat in the oven or on stove top. I make the pasta and Alfredo right before we eat. Alfredo could probably be made ahead of time also but I’ve never tried. Serve with garlic bread and a salad, and fruit and everyone is happy!
Another crowd fav is sweet pork salad/burritos
Thanks for the comment, Jamie! Pasta night is a GREAT idea for family reunion food!
I vote regular braces for the teens. I’m wearing Invisalign right now for some minor teeth movement but I can’t imagine boys keeping up with them. Braces come in clear now so barely visible. I’m 2 months in – 5 to go.
That’s kind of my thought, too – I’m having a hard time picturing my actually quite responsible teen keeping up on the Invisalign (I wouldn’t have really understood except for having had Invisalign this last year myself).
Ugh my husband had his ACL replaced Tuesday and I am already over the running around! He is in a ton of pain!
Family Reunion – The biggest mistake is over planning. The best ones we have been to are where there is one activity that you would expect the whole group to participate in per day and then lots of suggestions of activities for people to split up and do. That way anyone who just wants to relax and hang out doesn’t have to feel guilty, the people who want to pack stuff in can, and everyone can move amongst the larger group freely to visit with who they want to. (The actual purpose, right?) Food – breakfast sandwiches are surprisingly easy – you can beat up some eggs, pour them in a sheet pan to bake and cut with a pizza cutter for the sandwich. You can do a bunch of trays so fast – one for eng. muffins, one for sausage, one for eggs.
Social Media – I don’t do it. It sucks my time/mind/energy and does not repay it. Too much time for people I don’t care enough to call.
Braces – WIRE BRACES!!!! I paid for my 2 to have the ceramic on their top teeth and the metal on the bottom where you can’t see them, and you barely notice them. Plus they can’t get lost.
Shoes. My 15 year old calls those kind of shoes ‘generic white girl’ shoes. Just sayin’.
I had all kinds of thoughts about your thoughts! thanks for sharing.
Oh man, Lauren, I hope your husband recovers QUICKLY!! Thanks for the advice on the reunion. I think that’s a good point! I’m going to make an effort to make sure there is a lot of unstructured/chill/chatting time. Love the breakfast sandwich idea. Thank you!
I too have problems with SL, been using the Sensodyne line for years now. Love it, and no breakouts on lips anymore. Plus it is reasonably priced as well.
Thanks for the recommendation, Theresa!
There is no way I would talk you out of those shoes! They are beautiful and think of how confident and master-of-the-universe you will feel when wearing them!
Now really, no woman should buy shoes for herself if her children are not housed, fed, clothed, and well-cared for. Your kids ARE housed, fed, clothed, educated, loved, have plenty of pets, and are thriving.
BUY THE SHOES!!
Haha, you had me at “master of the universe” – how can I resist that?? 🙂
Love your blog. And honestly, I search your site first when looking for a recipe. Mostly because I love your family- I grew up with Brad and Katie and have memories of hours spent in your Aunt Marilyn’s basement making troll clothes out of felt and being taught the appropriate way to eat Asbelskeivers (spelling?) during the holidays in their kitchen. Brad was one of my best friends all growing up. Anyway, I never comment on things but when you said your husband got his septum/fracture repair AND a tonsillectomy st the same time I wanted to cry for him! I thought I would die when my tonsils came out as an older teen and had my nose fixed after my daughter broke it about three years ago. I’d say the tonsillectomy was the worst pain I’ve had ever to date. And I have 5 kids. The nose was up there as well. I’m so sorry for him!!
Well not mostly because I love your family. Your food is delicious. We just made the carrot cake into cupcakes for my son’s birthday and it was amazing!
Thanks for the surgery sympathy, Victoria! Brian is feeling the love with everyone’s comments of mutual pain and sympathy. That’s so fun that you grew up with my cousins and amazing Aunt Marilyn. How come it doesn’t surprise me you were making clothes out of felt at her house. That’s awesome!
BUY THE SHOES! You’ll never regret it, but if you do… return them! No biggie! Put your kid in wired braces. They can’t be trusted with invisible trays. My niece is 6 months in to Invisalign and I can’t stand running her forgotten trays to her every time she comes to my house! And she is the “responsible” one… had she done wired braces she would be done. I love you Mel! I talk about you all the time and my mom thought you must be my neighbor! I have all my friends onto you too. We talk as if you are one of the group, because you are! Thank you for being real, being positive, and being relatable!
Thanks for the advice, Elaine! You are the sweetest. Thanks for the kind words.
I can’t seem to get on the bootie train, but those are the cutest I’ve ever seen! Get them!
Thanks, Katie!
So, technically chocolate is fermented as part of its production…just sayin’. Kefir is the BEST, I spiked a fever when I’m labor with my second and had to take antibiotics, and probiotics and kefir saved my sanity, I was probably taking them for six months before it was okay if I accidentally forgot (I’ll stop before it becomes TMI haha). Buy the shoes, if they have good reviews and people say they hold up well! There is just something special about really good shoes that last, haha. LOVE the bag. Languages are hard, stick with it! Also, in terms of prioritizing—I am nearing the end (hallelujah) of my third pregnancy, and let’s just say it has humbled me. I have so many things that I feel like I should be doing, but between being sick all the time, and my husband’s job requiring ridiculous hours and quite a bit of travel this year (oh how I wish CPAs were only busy during tax season), I have been forced to focus on the things that really matter to me to finish. I only have so much capacity to go around, and have pretty much figured out my balance, through a lot of trial and error. My girls have been champs through it all—we have certainly had our struggles, and emotional moments, and nights of cereal for dinner and early bedtimes. But, even though I still feel like I am totally whinging this parenting thing (does that ever go away?), I also feel like my girls and I have just grown closer through it all. I’ve learned so much more about them, and how to help them with their individual needs, and what things they truly enjoy. Now we’ll just have a new baby in a few weeks and we’ll have to figure out our balance all over again, but at least now I know that we can, because we’ve done it before 🙂
Thanks for the comment. LOVED it! Good luck with that pregnancy. It’s amazing how life circumstances can quickly put into perspective what should be high priority or not. And I think I’ll be winging motherhood til the end of time. 🙂
Definitely buy those shoes! They are gorgeous! And it sounds like you deserve a splurge. My husband and I both speak Spanish and it’s amazing to be able to communicate without the kids knowing what we’re saying. And I asked my husband what his favorite family reunions were, and he only mentioned meals. So I would say you’re covered in that department! For me, I would say the less structured time, the better. Just have chill activities and games so the kids can play and the adults can chat and you only have to plan one big activity or so a day. Good luck with everything! My life has been pretty exhausting lately since adding baby number 3 (our most difficult baby, yet!)
Thanks for the vote of confidence on the shoes, Carmen. 🙂 I kind of hear you on the structured vs unstructured time. I want to have plenty of laid back chatting time during the family reunion. Good luck with baby #3! Man, it’s so wonderful and hard all at the same time to welcome those new babies into the family.
We meet for a family reunion every summer with my husband’s siblings and their families, usually totaling around 40 people! We always hold a family olympics with 2 teams full of the old, young and in between. It is always so much fun and great to see the older cousins helping out the younger when it’s their turn to participate.
Also, have to note… loved the pic of your daughter and her mis-matched socks! Two of my 3 daughters always did that and as they got older did it on purpose just for fun! They are 23 and 25 and still do it occasionally. 🙂
Love family olympics! My family does that too, and it’s a great thing to put on our list for next year! Haha, glad Cam’s not the only one who walks around in mismatched socks almost every day of her life. 🙂
We are babies at making fermented foods and honestly so far I just love the sauerkraut but some of the rest of the things I don’t love. We are trying kimchi for the first time and it’s only been going a week so the verdict is still out. We do however LOVE our jar lid by krautsource.com So easy to use and fits a canning jar and they have one jar recipes so you don’t have to make a huge vat of things.
I am a huge believer that rule one of shoes is that they fit well and are comfortable. Not like, could I bear to wear them as long as I didn’t have to do sharing time and stand all through church, but actually comfortable. Also, I’m not hard on things. I can wear a quality pair of shoes for a long time so the investment is worth it. Finally, to me, that’s not an expensive pair of shoes so maybe factor that in to my advice 🙂
I’m an instagram girl. I think the bigger question is what do the people you want to keep connected to use?
Thanks for comment and the tip on the lid, Marcella! I’ll look into that for sure. Great thing to think about on the social media question, too!
Since you said that you have experienced multiple instances where you had to wear dental appliances because your teeth seem to move, let me tell you about my experience. I read a book written by a Nobel Prize winner (can’t remember his name) who recommended Vitamin C, one or two grams per day (that’s 1000 to 2000 mg). My teeth became tighter in my mouth after about two weeks. I stopped taking Vitamin C after about a year and haven’t had a problem since (this was 30 years ago).
Good luck
Thanks, Sheldon!
Hi Mel,
At our house we aren’t big social media fans and guess what I still have friends, connections and happiness. It’s okay to not to be on the socual media bandwagon. My husband has lots of siblings and they use ‘group me text’. They can’t send pictures or emojis but….it allows for conversation, making plans, decisions, etc., and it isn’t a huge time waster. So I like it!
I’ve had different friends use both invisalign and regular braces. Regular braces seem to be a better option for the teens.
Yes! I want to ferment foods but am afraid that I will poison us all in one fell swoop…
Yes to the shoes! For me, never my children, once or twice a year I allow myself such extravagance. It’s amazing!! So go for it!
There’s my 2 cents. Thanks for asking!
Hi Ashley,
Why can’t they send pictures or emojis? Is it your phone? I have ongoing text messages too with family and we add photos and gifs and whatever else entertains us at the moment.
Courtney,
I’m not actually sure why that is. Any emoji that comes through as a question mark. What I do know is that some of us get messages thru the app itself and others, like myself, have them come through as a group text. But it works well for all of us, so I don’t ask any questions!
Thanks for the comment, Ashley! I’ve finally gotten more comfortable with the whole poisoning with the cultured foods thing…but I’m still kind of nervous about it all. I’ll report back!
I’m not on social media because I am so introverted to the point where reading and seeing on a feed what other people are doing makes me feel burdened. (Blogs are my favorite but its different.) Plus it’s just unnatural to know so much trivial things about each other–we were meant to see distant relatives at reunions, run into former roommates at the grocery store, catch up with neighbors at the mailbox.
Those shoes are beautiful! If you’ll wear them lots and they’ll last for years then I think the price can be justified. I’ve been a quantity over quality clothes buyer until the last year or so until I realized I dont need a lot of clothes (homebody) so why not just buy less but love and will last.
We did a gameshow theme for a reunion — oldies v. younguns. That was hilarious and we learned a lot about each other.
Thanks for your thoughts on social media, Diana! I can totally see what you mean. I read somewhere that we just were not meant to have this many people in our “circle” and social media distorts reality. I’ve started doing the quality over quantity in my wardrobe lately and it’s been awesome. I don’t leave my house often so I can get by with a small wardrobe of things I totally love. Love the gameshow idea. Thank you!
Fermented foods… just don’t. Ick.
🙂
I should have told you about SLS free toothpaste long ago. Rembrandt has an awesome one, but it’s too pricey!! If you go to Trader Joe’s, they have a peppermint one that is pretty good (not fantastic, but you get used to it) and it’s $2/TUBE!! Which is astounding after you’ve paid for everything other brand of SLS free. When you go, buy 20 in case they ever go out of stock. If you ever get more cankers, note if you’ve had fresh garlic or too much broccoli, try are high in sulfates and will trigger cankers from time to time. Wish you the best! – from a fellow canker sufferer.
Thanks for the tip about the toothpaste from Trader Joe’s! I had no idea!
I feel you re: Portuguese! I was a French major in college, subsequently learned rudimentary Spanish. Recently spent 2 weeks in Portugal and prepped by doing Babbel and Duolingo for 3 months. My very old (66) brain learned ver little, but more significantly, my mouth could barely spit (literally) out the many slushy sounds in that lovely language. Sad – now feeding my ego by refreshing my French via Babbel.
Re: shoes – no price is too high to make your foundation happy, comfy and functioning properly.
That’s how I feel! My mouth just can’t spit it out. I’ve been blaming it on sleep deprivation, but I don’t know!
Oh my heck do I relate! I had a deviated septum repaired in 2005, and it wasn’t horrible. But then I had to get my tonsils out in 2006 1 month after getting married. I really thought I was going to die. I had to be on home IV before even getting them out, then had to go back in the hospital the day after because I couldn’t keep anything down. My poor new husband didn’t know what to do. I lost about 15 pounds, into dangerous territory, and was out of everything for a month. It was awful. So give Brian my huge condolences, and I’ll pray for him to recover fast!
Oh wow, Ashlee – that sounds terrible! And to go through that as a newlywed! Yikes!
Mel, you must get those shoes. They are the cutest shoes EVER and besides you deserve them. I love your Friday thoughts and your honesty in sharing.
Thanks so much, Linda! 🙂
Buy the shoes. I bought a $180 pair of Michael Kors shoes this summer, and I feel like a million bucks every time I wear them. #worthit
That’s awesome!
Buy the shoes!! I typically pay $100+ for shoes that I wear to work because without good shoes my back kills me. Regardless, everyone needs to splurge from time to time!
As far as family reunion meals~ I love a low country boil! It is soo simple to throw together and easy to cook. You may have to do a little planning- my sister lives in NE and I send her the crab boil seasoning bags. They make all the difference instead of just using Old Bay alone. Add some French bread sliced up and put out some ramekins of cocktail sauce ( I make my own) and melted butter and you are good to go!
Thanks for the family reunion meal idea (yum!)…and the push to get those shoes. 🙂
I’m sorry your husband is having a rough go of recovery. I can also recommend NOT getting chicken pox as an adult. When my hubby was 35, he came down with them, never having had them as a kid. I’ll just say that was hands-down awful. Like the pictures could give you nightmares. So I’m feeling for you and your hubby. And sending wishes for a full recovery soon.
As far as braces, my husband is a dentist and he did not recommend Invisalign for our 3 girls. They all did traditional braces followed by retainers. Invisalign is great if you need fairly minor adjustments (as you probably did having had traditional braces before) but if someone needs more extensive alignments, people sometimes choose Invisalign and then have to follow it up at the very end of treatment with traditional braces for final adjustments. Which is why my husband is not as much of a fan for those who’ve never worn braces. It’s probably a good question for your orthodontist, though.
Oh my goodness, chicken pox as an adult sounds horrific. Thanks for the input on braces! I think we’ve decided on wire braces, much to my 14-year old’s dismay. I think it will be the best thing for him and he’ll appreciate it (hopefully??).
Hi Mel,
I love your random Friday thoughts. I splurged on a pair of $185 shoes and I decided that once a year I would let myself buy a pair of shoes that were expensive. I’m not sure I would spend over $200 ever but I will tell you that I have had these shoes for 3 years and they are one of my favorites. I feel like a million dollars when I wear them and have completely gotten my money’s worth out of them!
Good rule to follow: Eat the cake and BUY the shoes.
Works every time!
Haha, LOVE the rule. 🙂
Love your Friday thoughts!! Gotta run, so don’t have much time…but wanted to share what has helped canker sores for me. A q-tip dipped in apple cider vinegar and hold it on the sore. It will sting, but they will go away much faster. And be careful with that foreign language thing…I have a friend, his wife and him are both fluent in Japanese. Once when they were on vacation they were on a ferry boat or something like that and he commented to his wife “about another women’s very large derrière”. Unfortunately….that women was also fluent in Japanese!!!!
Great tip on the apple cider vinegar! And thanks for the word of warning…I promise to never talk about anyone’s backside in Portuguese. Right now that’s easy because I can barely say “I am your mother.”
Hi Mel,
I had my tonsils out at 22 and it will go down as the worst 8 weeks of my life. I couldn’t eat, the pain meds tore up my stomach, and just walking felt like the hardest activity. It was so intense, and all I can say is rest and lots of water. Prayers for Brian’s speeding healing.
8 weeks?? I want to cry. I’ve heard it is awful, but man, I didn’t realize it would be this long. Thanks for the prayers! We’ll take ’em.
Life is short, Mel – get the shoes!! 🙂 As for the surgery comment, I am super scared because I am facing the prospect of sinus surgery for “chronic sinus inflammation/polyp” which has led to frequent headaches. I’d like to think I’ll be less cranky with my family after clearing up this problem (which also seems to lead to insomnia – uhg!), but I’m SERIOUSLY dreading being under general anesthesia and hurting afterwards. I had my tonsils out at 16 – torture. As for social media, I don’t do much because it is a time suck, and my life already feels crazy with my work-from-home job, two rowdy boys in school, volunteering all the time, trying to learn Spanish as a 40-year-old, going to CrossFit – oh, and paying attention to my husband, friends, and family, too! Calgon, take me away…..anyway, have a wonderful weekend! Thanks for being you!! xo
Good luck with that surgery, Cami! Hopefully a short amount of hurting and recovery will be worth the end result! Haha, I hear you on the craziness of life. It’s why I want to cut down on all the “unnecessaries” (including social media!).