Friday Thoughts
Well, it’s been a hot minute since the last Friday Thoughts post. Sorry for waiting so long to get another one up! They really are some of my favorite posts to do…mostly because I love (love, love!) reading your comments. And I always feel like the reader who makes it to the very end of these posts deserves some massive award. Like, a lifetime supply of mail-order chocolate chip cookies or a magic wand to make all dirty dishes disappear.
2019 has hit our family full force. Not in a bad way, just in an extremely busy way with a few ups and downs and some time-filling projects, traveling, and responsibilities. I’m excited for this Friday Thoughts post to brain dump some of the things that have been on my mind! Let’s gooooo!
1. Game Thoughts: You already know me and my family are game lovers through and through. My holiday game gift guide that I post every year in November is one of my most popular posts (clearly I’m not the only one that loves card and board games!). Already this year, we’ve hit on a few games that have already become fast family favorites. I’m sure you’ll see them on my gift guide later this year, too, but I would be a very bad friend if I made you go eight more months without knowing about them!
First up is this Skull game {aff. link}. The premise behind the game is age old, and it is so super simple to learn and play. Basically, if you uncover anyone’s skull card, you lose. Plus, it’s a fast game so you don’t have to center your whole evening around one round. Love this one! Speaking of skulls, we haven’t had a ton of time for more than a couple new games, because literally all my kids want to do on Sunday nights is play Skull Kings {aff. link}, a game I mentioned in my gift guide last year. It easily ranks as one of our fave games in the history of ever.
The other game we stumbled on and have played for hours over the last week or so is Superfight. It has an Apples to Apples/Snake Oil vibe but we all agree it is 1,000 times more fun. I bought the base game and then a few expansion packs (the green and yellow) {aff. links}. I’ve actually never heard my kids laugh as loud as they have while playing this game. It’s hilarious – you basically create character card combos that go head to head with another opponents’ character cards and you debate about who would win in a fight or challenge and then everyone votes on who would win. I find myself giggling about some of the combos during the day when I’m all by myself. (I need to get out more.) The cards in the black deck are very family friendly (I only had to pull one card out of the base deck that I wasn’t crazy about – but I haven’t been all the way through the zillion cards yet), and the green deck is particularly geared to kids.
Also, I figured since so many of you have asked how we organize our games, I’d show you my super secret method. Here you go. Take lots of notes. It’s a pretty intricate system. 😉#sendhelp
2. Intermittent Fasting Thoughts: Anyone out there do intermittent fasting? I’ve read a lot about it and know the whys and wherefores, and some of the benefits are appealing to me. But when I tried it, I only lasted about four days (that’s kind of my track record with diet-y type things, haha, I lasted 4 1/2 days with the Whole30 years ago and consider that 4 1/2 days I’ll never get back). I was SO tired when I started intermittent fasting. Like bone-weary tired and about the worst grumpety grump mom in the universe and I just couldn’t hack it. Anyway, I’m interested to know if any of you are intermittent fasters out there! Talk to me. 🙂
3. Screen Time Thoughts: Not only is it a challenging journey defining boundaries around screen time for kids, but, HELLO, adults (me!) struggle, too. I’m always looking for different resources to help me personally and my family as a whole navigate the murky waters of screen time/technology, and I LOVE the tips and guides over at Better Screen Time (on Instagram here). I’m using their quick guide to setting up a Family Technology Plan (not a cell phone contract!) for our family, and the self-evaluation guide for teens and phones that they have is really, really awesome.
My goal lately has been to take the “fear” aspect out of technology and screens with my kids – as in, me not parenting with fear surrounding those decisions, and instead create opportunities for us to talk about it openly as a family and create goals/plans together. Currently, my 14-, 13-, and 11-year olds all have school-issued laptops (with a pretty poor internet filter and also the realization that kids these days are much smarter than me and can get around anything), my 13-year old has an iPod touch he bought with his own money late last year with restricted access to the internet and apps, and my 14-year old has a very ancient slide phone. So…yeah, we are definitely not on the “current” end of the technology/screen time spectrum, haha, but what we do is working for us right now (including our nightly docking system and other rules), and if I’ve learned anything in this age of parenting, it is: what I do with my kids and my family is probably going to look different from other families, and any time spent comparing or stressing about that is time wasted.
Don’t worry, I still compare and stress about it (#truth), but I’m getting a lot better. Having said that, I’ve also learned a tremendous amount from other intentional parents out there (and from resources like Better Screen Time). What resources have you found to be helpful? Any tips to share on screen time/technology with kiddos?
4. IGTV Thoughts: Have you guys seen the videos I’ve posted to IGTV? Kind of a “Bake with Mel” series with a little bit of randomness thrown in there. Don’t have Instagram? No worries, I post them all here, too. Anyway, I have some FUN, fun videos coming soon. Later today or tomorrow I’m posting a Bake with Mel: Cream Puff vid in which I’m interrupted by a bunch of high school kids who came home unexpectedly after the high school had an emergency evacuation (everyone was ok). Spoiler alert: they were thrilled to eat cream puffs instead of sitting through history class. And, as you are reading this, I’m pretty sure, Sara from OBB is sitting with me in my kitchen filming another IGTV video that’ll be coming at you soon. This one is…well..special. Haha. We’re exploring all the trendy flavor combinations out there that people claim are lifechanging, and we are making each other try a few (I hope we don’t vomit). If you have a recipe that is tricky, scary, or a little sketchy that you want me to make on a future video to see if it’s worth it, let me know! I’m open to ideas.
5. Teenage Driver Thoughts: We’ve officially entered this world with a permitted teenage driver. It seems a little surreal (so did that rear end accident the 2nd day of driving, yikes). But I keep reminding myself he’s gotta learn how to drive through roundabouts somehow, somewhere so it might as well be with his high strung mom. In all seriousness, I’ve surprised myself (and I think everyone that knows me) with how patient I’ve been (even if I am frantically slamming on a brake that doesn’t exist on my side of the car), and he’s doing a great job, and I’m really excited when he can finally drive himself places, and I’m sorry he has to learn to drive in a behemoth suburban, and I only have four more kids to go through this process, and someone please hold me. The end.
6. Recap Thoughts: I loved our discussion in January about positive parenting. Man, you guys inspire me so much. I can’t say that I’ve been 100% perfect in not letting anything but positivity cross my lips since then…but I have been so, so much better than in months and years past, and I think it’s making a huge difference in our home and family. I’m still determined to keep it up (even after those days I fail miserably). My friend, Nicole, shared this article in the comment thread of that Friday Thoughts post, and I gleaned so, so many great tips from it (the author has a book on the same lines here– aff. link). Her 10 tips at the end of the article are golden. Also, I just saw that Ralphie over at @simplyonpurpose (who so many of you love for parenting tips) is doing a free email course on “staying safe” or basically my alternate title: “how to stop yelling as a parent because it doesn’t work and never will.” It sounds pretty amazing.
Also, you totally blew me away with your response to the new cinnamon roll recipe I posted. I love your enthusiasm for cinnamon rolls so much, it almost makes me weepy.
Last recap, I’m loving my new pantry about a thousand percent more than I thought I would. Honestly, it’s my favorite place. In the whole world. Not kidding. (Also, clearly not a world traveler.) My sister, Em, and friend, Deb, enlisted the help of our talented friend, Bobbi, and made me the most perfect sign for the pantry. Truer words hath never been written.
Love all of your guts! Thanks for being here. And please leave me all YOUR thoughts below. It’s my favorite part.
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If you do a search for Expedit book shelf from IKEA, that’s what we have for board game storage! My husband has a large collection. It works pretty well and organizes them nicely. It does take up a lot of space though!
Thanks, Katie – clearly I need to look into a solution!
We are totally intermittent fasters too, Kurt and I have both done it for years… Give yourself 6 weeks, you’ll feel better then you have in years… Like seriously… Clearer mind, less dependent on food… It really just helped me to change my relationship with food and fueling my body with good food. Give it a bit and you’ll love it! When is the next family reunion, can’t wait to see you again… I’ll take all the 5 kids advice I can get
How did I not know this, Michelle?? So interesting! Seriously, when can we just sit and chat about all this (and more) at the next reunion?
I’m an intermittent faster! I don’t eat from 6 pm at night until 12 or 1 the next day but since I eat old fashioned oatmeal with fruit for lunch, it feels more like lunch that I’m skipping.
I’ve lost 6 pounds since January 1st. It isn’t a lot but it’s not bad for not really trying too hard or counting calories and just trying to get my fruit and vegetables in. I wanted to lose gradually by fine-tuning some health habits. Drastic changes do not mean long-term success for me.
Back to intermittent fasting, I like it because it forces me to be more cognizant of WHEN I’m eating so in turn I’m more cognizant of WHAT I’m eating. Plus there is no food off limits so it’s psychologically freeing.
this speaks to me, Diana! I’m not good with drastic changes, but I really am interested in the fine tuning, intentional aspect of change. What you said really resonated with me.
I did intermittent fasting while I was on the Keto diet. I think the main reason I was able to be successful was because the diet is so high in fat which is filling. It was actually the easiest diet I’ve ever done because I never really felt hungry. Effective too!
Interesting, Coreen!
I was really hoping for a great solution for games storage until I scrolled down. Almost spit my soup out in the middle of the food court. #sendhelp
Haha. 🙂 🙂 I’m so sorry to be the last resource available for game storage help. It’s the worst!
I really love these posts and the comments from so many.
I’m right there with you on stomping on an imaginary brake as my oldest son is learning to drive. I’m trying to make it a positive experience.
I can’t wait to read through the screen time ideas. Thanks for sharing.
I appreciate all you do. I’d love to see an igtv on your biscuit recipe. It has great reviews but the two times we’ve made them, we’ve had a couple issues, though they still tasted great.
Thanks so much, Stacy. I agree…these comments are invaluable! And I’ll definitely do a video on those biscuits. Great idea!
Fasting: I think personality plays a big role in what type of program will work for each person. I like the idea of IF and it can work for me because I am kind of an all or nothing personality with food. I can say no but when I say I can have a little here or there, I kind of go crazy. I have also been reading a lot about Intuitive Eating and I love all I have read about it. I think we have so much to learn about having a good relationship with food and our bodies in our culture as women.
Technology: ugh. One of the hardest parts of parenting in our time . As with most parenting struggles, its hard because each kid reacts so differently. I have all boys, 16,15,12,10,6. The older two have smart phones but with no social media, no app purchases, and no internet unless I give them access. I like that they can use GPS, texting, and there are many times in school that teachers have them access apps, etc. They turn phones in to our room each night and we have full access to them. They have been fine with these restrictions so far, and I know kids can always can get around stuff and lie, but I do feel they have been responsible and honest with stuff so far. I feel so strongly that in all these things, having a good open relationship with our kids is the best way to manage technology. It takes a lot of effort and putting a good relationship as the priority ( that doesn’t mean being just a friend. We still have to be the authority figure, but with high levels of personal interaction and sensitivity for individual situations). I’m for sure not the best but am trying really hard at this., i.e. taking parenting classes, ha ha. Another resource that I have loved is the website fightthenewdrug.com , It’s maybe not the thing that people want to talk about but with 5 boys, pornograpy is a frequent topic of my worries. This website has so much great information and you can pick what is good for the ages of your kids to share. They also made a three part documentary that I though was really great. It is called Brain, Heart, World. I watched it on my own first, then with my older boys. We have had some really great discussions after each segment and It has helped us to be really open about so many things that I would have never been able to talk about with my parents. Parenting is hard, and I feel like I am doing it wrong so many times. But , we just have to keep trying and support each other!
Anyway, sorry for the novel! I love your site!
Loved the novel, Jessica! Seriously, thanks for sharing your thoughts. I really appreciated all of them. It’s been on my mind how to show my kids that I have a healthy relationship with food and my own body image so they in turn will have a healthy relationship with both. Creating that open relationship does take so much time and effort, but I agree with you…I think it is critical. Thanks for reminding me about that documentary. I’m definitely going to look into it and share with my boys if I feel like it is appropriate for them. Thanks for sharing and for your support! I love hearing from other mommas out there hustling to be the best they can be (even when most days we all probably feel like we are falling short)
I like Jessica’s comment about being open about pornography and other things, not just with boys but girls too. I used to teach high school and some kids had multiple cell phones their parents didn’t know about. The one their parents knew about where super clean but the other ones were bad. Also some kids would use their friend phone to get into bad stuff. Just because you aren’t seeing on their stuff doesn’t mean they aren’t seeing it. I encourage being very open with all dangers and consequences even if it is uncomfortable and you don’t think they are ready.
I even took a students secret phone and at parent teacher conference showed it to the parent. The parents didn’t believe me, I had therm look what was on the phone and they still didn’t believe me that their child would have a secret phone and look at bad stuff.
Most kids are generally really good but they can get around filters easier than adults and parents. I think parents need to set limits, have strong filters, and limited screen time (they need down time from stimulation). But I have seen too many parents think just because they aren’t seeing signs from their kids it isn’t happening.
I like reading your blog and think your are a great parent. Keep those open lines with your kids. Also if you are open with your kids about the dangers about some of this stuff then they can help their friends who parents might not be.
One cool thing I had a conversation some of my students about was some app. Their was an app that was popular where you could talk to anyone in the world for 30 seconds at a time or keep it longer if they wanted. Most of the kids thought it was cool when it first came out but some had weird experience and got off. Most of their parents didn’t know about it. About 6 months later one girl was on it and was talking to some creepy older men. She just thought it was funny. I was going around the room helping students when I heard her friends trying to convince her to get off of it. It was getting to a point were the guys new she’s she lived. Her friends stopped me and asked if I would help them. They were trying to convince the girl to tell the parents and asked if I would tell the parents at parent teacher conference if the girl didn’t. The girl did before then and was mad for awhile. But you never know the good talking to your kids about stuff can also hello their friends.
Sorry about the novel. But as a teacher I heard so much stuff that some parents don’t know. Keep having rules but be proactive about dangers. They learn about things years before you think they do and it might be too late.
Wow, Karla, that is definitely eye opening! Thanks for sharing about all of that. I think you are right – as a parent, I definitely know I’m naive to most of what my kids are seeing/hearing/doing at school. Rather than stress about what I can’t control, I’m realizing all I can do is have frequent, open conversations with them where they feel like they can talk to me and their dad. We’re still working on this (and have definitely hit some road bumps in the road where we found out things were happening we had no idea about) but it’s just a good reminder to me that fear and control and stress are not the answers…but there’s definitely hope in creating a feeling of openness at home. Thank you!
Thanks for the game recommendations! Ordering Superfight now. Regarding screen time, just finished the book Digital Minimalism – can’t recommend it enough. Great on getting perspective on digital use personally, but also applies to children.
Thanks for the recommendation, Sarah!
Mel- we are in the exact same phase of life! My oldest just got his permit and we’re logging in driving hours together. I had him drive to his orthodontist appointment last week during rush hour..he has not asked me to drive since! Oops, guess that was a little too intense. 😉 Haha…. And we sound quite similar when it comes to introducing tech to our kids. Definitely trying to figure that out!! Thank you for your work in the kitchen! You’re my favorite food blog, we love so, so many of your recipes. Thanks for sharing your thoughts as well! ♥️
Oh my goodness, Jeannette – are we living identical lives? Jackson was so mad at me when I made him drive home from his orthodontist appointment last week…and same…he hasn’t driven since. Hang in there!
Intermittent Fasting suggestion for you: try the 5:2 method. Get The Fast Diet book by Dr. Mosley. I’m on month two and while the first couple of weeks were a little rough, it’s easy now. There are MANY things I love about this method. #1 – You still eat. Women get 500 calories per day/ men 600. #2 – You don’t have to count hours. I eat about 150 calories for breakfast, a 100 calorie snack-mid afternoon, and 250 calories for dinner. Some people eat two meals. #3 – You choose what works for you as long as you stay within your fasting day calorie count. Healthier foods are suggested, of course. #4 – When you’re losing weight you only fast two days per week and eat normally (no counting, no restrictions – other than don’t go crazy) 5 days of the week. #5 – When you’re in maintenance mode you only fast 1 day per week. I find since it’s less restrictive I’m able to stick with it without feeling like I’m missing out. I know tomorrow I can get up and eat normally. HTH PS/ Looking forward to trying some new games! 🙂
Thanks, Cyndee! Someone else suggested this eating method, too.
Love your Friday thoughts posts! I’ve been doing intermittent fasting since the first of the year. It’s amazing. I have to keep telling myself I can do hard things. I drink water when I’m in the fasting part of it. I don’t feel like I’ve lost weight but it keeps me mindful of how much I would eat after 8pm. So I eat all my meals from noon-8pm. There have been some days that I’m like I can eat 3 pieces of cheesecake as long as it’s during those hours right?
I’ll have to pick your brain about it next time I see you!
Mel you make me laugh. Love these posts 🙂
Thanks, Jessica. 🙂
I love your game ideas so much for the holidays, and I have bought gifts from them the last two years. I have eleven year old boys to buy for so sometimes it is tough to think of gifts. Thank you for thinking of such great ideas. I also really appreciate you publishing in early November so there is lots of time to look and shop!
Thanks, Rebecca!
If your family loves games like you say then you have to play Jungle Speed! We love games too and my oldest daughter bought this for our family last Christmas. Even the younger ones can play (and lose) but it’s so much fun!!! Just make sure everyone clips their nails before you start. You will laugh and maybe cry if you get hit with the totem. But it’s worth it!
Haha, that sounds super fun and a little strange and that’s the best combo! Excited to look into it!
I love your Friday Thoughts posts! I am NOT an intermittent faster and never will be. I’ve been working hard on Intuitive Eating the last couple years and will never go back to any kind of dieting again. It’s just not for me. I also love the Better Screen Time resource on Instagram. Such good advice and helpful tips to consider. I’m just a little behind you with my kids ages and I laughed and felt so grateful that I don’t have a driver yet! I may just have to delegate that to my husband. I did the potty training, he can do the driving training. One last thing – those cinnamon rolls are one of the best things to ever come out of my kitchen!
My sister has told me a lot about intuitive eating, and I really like the idea of it. It just seems to make sense. I’m loving all these moms that are like “I potty trained, you get to teach them how to drive.” I’m a fan of that idea. Haha. And I’m SO happy you loved those cinnamon rolls!
Love these posts. My only comment for now is…why DON’T they put a brake pedal on the passenger side for parents teaching kids to drive?!? Or make an installable kit or something? That would be so nice to have access to when needed. My husband, bless him, will be the one teaching our kids to drive. He is much better at teaching how to do things like that than I am, and I have no problem whatsoever leaving that bonding experience for him to enjoy with our kids. It’s only fair, I’m the one who does the potty-training. 😉
Haha. I laughed out loud at this.
So, I seriously thought you had posted a picture of MY game closet! Not even kidding, I did a double take. . And I’m in the same boat with the teenage driver, tryin to get all those driving hours in.
My hormone doc just prescribed intermittent fasting, so I’ve been trying it for a couple of weeks. I eat from 11:00 to 6:00 (sometimes 7). It’s been going pretty well and does get easier. My doctor suggested a big drink of water any time you feel hungry, and the hunger should pass; electrolyte powder added to the water may help get you through if you feel weak or shaky.
Thanks, Heather! I definitely don’t think I was drinking enough when I tried it. But holy moly, so many of you are intermittent fasters! I had on idea. 🙂 And thanks for maintaining a game closet that looks like mine. Not all of us can have immaculately organized game closets, right? 🙂
I have been doing a version of intermittent fasting for just over 18 months and it has changed my life! I started because my doctor had no answers for some health problems I had and suggested trying intermittent fasting to help. I do not do it to lose weight (and I haven’t), but it has totally cured my severe hypoglycemia (if i didn’t eat every hour or two I would get shaky, throw up, and pass out). I was also getting sick every morning after I ate (stuck in the restroom for hours every day) and now it’s gone. Like magic! Anyway, I do think every body is different and IF isn’t necessarily the answer for everyone. I also think you have to go slowly and experiment to see which method works best for you (for me I just don’t eat breakfast every day and try to not eat after dinner – most days I eat lunch at noon or one, but some days I need food by nine or ten. I just listen to my body and eat when it’s ready for food.) I don’t think I would be successful with it if I were trying to reduce calories – I eat so much more for lunch now. Thanks for your Friday thoughts! I love reading about your life – I’ve been following your blog for probably five years and my children all know you by name. We love your recipes! Thanks!
Thank you so much, Karina! So happy you love the recipes. 🙂 And thanks for your thoughts on IF. The thing I love the most is that different things work for different people, but it really is fascinating to read how people have fared doing fasting (what’s worked and what hasn’t).
Intermittent Fasting:
I started in Feb. 2018 and it has been a game changer. I read Delay, Don’t Deny by Gin Stephens, and joined the free facebook group. It is the most supportive group- with very high standards of kindness 🙂 I would join the group, read the book, and then commit to a period of time. I originally committed to myself that I would give it an honest trial of 3 months. I had a cranky 2-3 weeks of adjustment, but with the support group, I knew it was normal and that I would make it through. I can’t imagine going back to eating 3-6 times a day (which is crazy talk if you knew me before I started- fast Sundays were getting too hard for me!). The benefits I have noticed over the past year are increased energy, less of an emotional connection to food, healthier cravings, 25+ lbs weight loss, better sleep, more emotionally stable, and clearer thinking. I can fast monthly for religious reasons and not be the crank monster I was before. I also can enjoy making any dessert recipe from your site and have no guilt enjoying it with my family. I have had years of struggle and honestly, confusion, with what is healthy and how to live it. This has helped me feel more moderate and healthy with my relationship with food.
Screen time:
I am so with you on ALL of this! My boys are 17, 16, 12, and 6. The older two share a “dumb” phone. It’s honestly worked great and even though we’ve had patches of discontent, they have been grateful to not deal with some of the issues they see friends having with smartphones. BUT it’s been on my mind that my 17-year-old could benefit from the experience of learning to manage a smartphone while he’s still at home. I appreciate the link to Better Screen Time- I am going to do some research.
Game closet:
Love the photo- it’s so real!!! We just went through games and got rid of ones that we’ve outgrown, or weren’t in good enough repair to keep around, or just weren’t fun enough for us. That helped clean things up, but we still have a LOT of games. I don’t have anything revolutionary to share, but we did get some shoebox bins to put the smaller card games in. We made a little area for younger kid games (they come out more often and don’t get put back quite so orderly) so it keeps the other (usually more expensive, complicated) games stacked to last longer.
I second that with the IF part of the comment. Gin’s fb group and podcasts are so helpful! I tried IF a couple of years ago…I was doing BBG and training for a trail Ragnar. It was too much at once! I’m a couple of months in on my second try and I love it! It’s so much easier this time – so don’t kill yourself on working out, especially in the beginning of doing IF. Also make sure you are only having water while you fast. Any flavored water, or gum, or anything with taste will trigger your hunger & make it harder. Also start slow. Get an app to track the hours & start with just a 12 hour fast. Once that’s easy, bump it up to 14 hours, then 16, 18, whatever you want to work up to. But it is SO nice not to have to think about food all. The. Time! Then you can eat what you want in your eating window. I don’t want to could calories or track anything or give up anything. That’s too much thinking and effort. IF is just so much easier!
Thanks Suzanne and Claire! All this information on intermittent fasting is awesome! I had no idea so many of you were doing this?? How come no one told me. Haha.
I love, love, love your game closet! So nice to see that everything in your life isn’t perfectly organized – it looks just like ours. 🙂 Teaching kids to drive is so scary, so I’m sharing my one bit of inspiration. I took a bunch of 5 gallon buckets we weren’t using to our empty church parking lot, placed them around a parking space, and made my daughter park. I didn’t even get in the car with her, I just had her try parking and backing out from different directions and every time she hit a bucket, I’d tell her she just hit a car – we were both laughing, but she was so happy when she could finally nail it that she had me text a picture to her dad. 🙂 It didn’t make the rest of teaching a kid to drive much easier, but I thought it was fun and helpful.
Thanks for appreciating the real life aspect of that crazy game closet, Laura! Haha. Makes me feel great knowing your game closet has a similar vibe. What a fun driving idea! I love it! And I need to do more to make it fun AND helpful!
On IF, not every body loves every style of eating 🙂 and IF can be hard for women. Here’s a nice summation of the possible challenges: https://www.marksdailyapple.com/women-and-intermittent-fasting/ He gives some good guidelines and things to change to make fasting better and successful if you want to give it a go.
Thank you so much for that resource, Marcella!
Mel, I don’t even have children but I love reading about your sweet family and the ups and downs of your life. I like your writing style and how absolutely real you are about your life and how you navigate all of your conundrums. After I read your posts, I swear I wished I lived next door to you! Love, Amy in Chester, VA
Thank you so much, Amy – your comment made my day. I think we would make fabulous neighbors. 🙂
I love your game guides so much! I always buy a couple every year and then my parents and siblings also buy them after we play them once. 🙂 The most recent was 6Nimmt! So fun. I love that it’s fun for all ages – my young kids (4 & 6) like it and so do my parents and siblings. My mom actually said that next time I buy a game I should just go ahead and buy her one, too.
We just added a couple games to our closet I thought you’d probably enjoy – but maybe you already have them.
Kingdomino – another good one for a range of ages. We’ve played this A LOT this month as we wait for temperatures to rise above freezing and the snow to melt.
Word Slam – basically Pictionary, but with word cards, not pictures and no talking. My kids are too young for this, but your older kids could play.
Love your Friday Thoughts! And your regular posts, too!
Thanks so much, Lisa! I always love hearing when people enjoy the games that we love so much. Makes me feel like we aren’t so crazy. Haha. I’m excited to check out those games. Thank you! Also, 6 Nimmt might be my favorite card game…it just never gets old.
Intermittent Fasting ROCKS BUT you really need to build up to a daily fasting window. When I started, I pushed my breakfast out 30 minutes later than usual and left it like that for several days, then pushed it out 30 minutes later again for a few days so my body could adjust. Now I don’t even eat breakfast and I effortlessly fast 18 hours a day with a 6 hour eating window and have been here 2 years. This has allowed me to not be a rigid dieter and eat normal foods I enjoy which losing weight and finally keeping it off. Some of the MANY benefits… I sleep better, I enjoy my kids more, better mental clarity, much more energy all day, my skin tone evened out, my digestion is better, my hips no longer have daily pain, little bumps I had on my face for years disappeared and so much more. I found intermittent fasting from a facebook page called Delay Don’t Deny. I’m never looking back!
Wow, Bethie! That’s awesome that you’ve had such great success with this. I never thought about pushing it out gradually (ahem, should have been obvious). Like that idea!
Oh my! As an avid board gamer, your game closet made me cringe a little. Get thee to IKEA and get a Kallax shelf! lol Skull is a favourite of my friends and has been played to death. Ccurrent favourites for my family are – Reef, Sagrada, Wingspan, and my husband and I play a lot of Gloomhaven. :0)
Haha. I know that picture stressed a lot of people out. Thanks for the game recommendations!
I think you, well everyone really, should check out Stephanie Webb with Nutrition Redefined, she’s on Instagram. You’ll look at dieting in a whole new way, in a change your way of thinking about diet culture way. Listen to her podcasts from the beginning. It’s life changing!
I agree, Sunnie! She’s great!
I am literally in your same boat minus 10 years so i love hearing about you family! My boys are 6,4,4,2 with a girl coming next month! Per your games post we got the boys sleeping queens at Christmas and they literally want to play it all day everyday. We got skull king too and although it’s still a bit above most their heads, we love playing it with other adults! You have the best game recs! I’m so glad you posted the games closet my jaw dropped and then i just laughed. Ha. I saw organizewithtracy on IG sometimes organizes games standing vertically next to each other instead horizontally on top of each other. I just did that to ours and i think it may actually work well! I’m on IG a ton but never do the TV, i feel like it’s this black hole that i could get sucked into even more and waste time, know what i mean? I like straight to the point videos not chatty long ones, but then again i have little kids around, so ♀️ Thanks Mel for all your freaking declickous recipes, you make me look like a wizard in the kitchen
Thanks, Kimber! Glad you are enjoying those games. And I’m so excited for your little girl coming soon! So exciting. 🙂 Someone else mentioned storing the games on their sides and I’m totally making that my Saturday project tomorrow. I think my game closet was shocking to almost everyone. Haha. Oh well. Real life, huh??
I have a teenage driver, too! Now, my oldest is 22, so I’ve done this once before. But I think cell phones are the best invention for anxiety ridden parents. I have a tracker on that baby and I know where he is and how fast he’s driving all the time! Used it with the first. And use it now even though he’s usually practice driving with my husband, lol.
On the subject of fasting- funny you should mention it because I just started a month ago! I don’t have alot to lose – maybe 6 or 8 winter pounds. But honestly, my sugar cravings and boredom eating were getting a little ridiculous. So I’m doing 18 fasting hours a day, and trying really hard to stretch it to 20. I eat between 11 and 3 most days. I track my nutrition with myfitnesspal. But I’ll tell you, there is alot of belief and success out there with fasting and not tracking at all. The keys for me was seeing where I was overdoing it on portions or snacks and not just mindlessly picking but actually eating a meal very intentionally and enjoying it! I do work out in the morning and its usually after the workout that I start to count the minutes til feast time! There is some great info out there (Dr Jason Fung!!!!!!) about all the health benefits. Do some research because it really helps to know those things when the hunger strikes. Also know that the first couple weeks are rough. Dont give up! If you push through those first tired and groggy and kinda cranky days you absolutely will feel so much better! I am more focused, I have more energy, I have like a TON less anxiety, and just love it.
Keep up the great work! Love love your recipes and your Friday chats!!!!
Thanks, Rebekah! Someone else mentioned Dr. Jason Fung. I’ll have to check out some of his info! 18 hours of fasting sounds insanely hard, but I’m proud of you and happy you’ve found something that works for you. Intentional is the word I liked – I’m the worst at boredom eating and mindless snacking. I need to get back to being more intentional and enjoying it instead of sometimes just shoving it in my mouth without thinking. Also it’s interesting how lots of you have said anxiety is lessened with the fasting. So, so interesting!
Mel, I pretty much purchase every game you recommend (using the affiliate link, of course!) so thanks for the new ideas! Our game closets look identical. 🙂 Intermittent fasting is not for me. It makes me super hangry!! But there is definitely a lot of research out there on the fact that fasting can be good for your body. I take full advantage of fast Sunday once a month (skipping two consecutive meals) and maybe one or two other days a month if there is a good reason to fast, which there usually is. I like tying fasting into something spiritual as well as physical. That works for me! Otherwise I’m not a fan of skipping meals. I think eating healthy, portion-controlled regular meals is the way to go most of the time. I’m going to check out Better Screen Time, thanks! Always love your videos! And teenage drivers….ugh! It’s a fun time of life for them, and I try to remember that. Our eldest daughter just had her second driving accident. Thankfully it was very small. I have four more teen drivers to get through, also. We shall both eat a lot of chocolate in the coming years. Good luck to you! Your son will do great!! Love your blog!
Hey Jacqui – I’m glad you have a similar game closet, somehow that just makes me feel better. Thanks for your thoughts on intermittent fasting. I agree, I don’t think it is for everyone and that’s the awesome thing is we can all figure out what works for us (with thousands of eating/diet methods claiming to be “the one” it should be easy to figure it out, haha, right?) I also like the idea of combining spiritual with fasting. Having a purpose. I’ll think of you while I eat chocolate to cope through driving (and parenting in general!)
I had a breakthrough moment on game storage when I realized that those boxes don’t always have to be stored flat. They can be put on their sides, like books. I can fit a lot more in, see what we have easily, get them without causing a landslide, and not cringe when I see the shelves. Three caveats: one, I did do a lot of culling of games—my youngest is now eight, so all the really little kids games found new homes. And all the games that we haven’t played in a couple years left, too. Two, some games seem to need to be flat—too many little pieces that could fall out if the lid comes off inadvertently. I do still have a stacked area, it’s just way more manageable. Three, I still have to convince people to put things away properly. Or at all. So sometimes I have to go fix the system…
Big rubber bands to keep the lids on help with stacking them verically too.
Hey Jolie, I definitely need to do a major culling of the game closet! And the storing the games on their side idea is basically brilliant. Why haven’t I thought of that? And Diana’s idea of big rubber bands is awesome, too. You gals…you may have saved my crazy game closet sanity.
I also was going to suggest putting the games in vertically like books. We have some serious board game friends and they fill book shelves with their games like that. Also coolstuffinc.com is one of the cheapest places to buy games.
I just reorganized that crazy game closet today and did the side trick, and wow, revolutionary. Thanks for the tip on where to buy games!
After trying the 16:8 method of IF and not feeling like it was the best fit for me, I began Alternate Day Modified Fasting and have been having great success. It’s a method created/tested/studied by Dr. Krista Varady (her book is called “The Every Other Day Diet”) Essentially you have high & low days, where you eat 500 calories one day and then eat regularly the next. I have found a few 500 cal combinations that are filling and satisfying, and I don’t get sick of them because of the alternating-day cycle. I worried that I’d be tempted to binge on my “high” days, but haven’t had that urge at all. I feel like I’m sleeping better and have increased mental clarity. Anyway, you’ll probably get lots of advice, but that’s my two cents! P.S. Love your site, been a fan for years.
Hey Mindy – I think my aunt talked about that eating method…sounds interesting! (and kind of hard on those 500 calorie days!) Loved your thoughts. Thank you!
I was so excited to see Better Screen Time mentioned here! It was created by our dear friends from grad school and they are SUCH amazing parents–so intentional and thoughtful, and I have learned so much from them in the decades we’ve known them (we met when our oldest kids were a year old, and Tyler and Andrea have informed so much of our parenting choices!). They’ve worked so hard on their site and I really hope everyone checks it out because it is GOLD.
That’s so awesome, Rachael! They seem like incredible people.
I do intermittent fasting because I’ll never give up bread, sugar or chocolate. (Boo keto diet). It’s worked awesome for me. I lost 35 lbs last year with 15 more to go this year—I’m slow but steady. I don’t eat breakfast, which is easy for me because I’ve never liked breakfast anyway and it’s the one meal at our house where kids and husband all eat at different times. Then I eat lunch at noon, which I make in the morning while making the kids lunches and my willpower is high so I have something decent on hand to eat when I’m really hungry, and then I eat a high protein snack around 3-4 (the witching hour)—a lot of the time it’s a premier protein shake because it kind makes me think I’m eating yummy chocolate even though it’s not yummy. And then I eat dinner as normal with my family just trying to eat only one helping and I eat dessert! Because I love baking desserts. And then I don’t eat again till noon the next day. I do drink water during that time though. I’ve tried the two day fasting a week with only 500 cal on those days but I lack the willpower for it mostly. I do find those get me past a weight if I’m kind of stuck on it for a while. Also if I’ve fallen of the bandwagon for a bit I’ll track calories on MyFitnessPal to get me focused again but that’s pretty off and on. I do weigh myself every morning and track it on a calendar because it helps keep me motivated (my sister said that would be awful to her) but to me if I see a two lb jump up after a particularly sugary/lots of food weekend, it doesn’t bother me because I’ve been tracking my weight long enough to know it won’t stick. Or during that lovely time of the month where I’m always 2-3 lbs heavier. If I just tracked once a week and it happened during one of those times, I think that would be super demoralizing. Anyway, I really like it because I feel like it’s something I could stick to forever without changing what I eat all that much—I eat pretty healthy anyway, it’s just kind of the amount that kills me, so this works really well. The preplanning of snacks and lunch is definitely the clincher of the whole thing though.
Thanks for your thoughts on this, Kami! I had no idea that so many of you were intermittent fasters! So interesting to me. I think it is awesome you’ve found something that really works for you and that you are sticking with it. Way to go! I do think that was my one downfall when I did IF for a while…I did not plan..and so I found myself starving, irritated and then overeating. Not a good combo. Haha.
Mel I love these posts because we are in much of the same stages with kids. My son is getting his permit in a few months! I learned to drive out among potato fields in Idaho and it helped that there weren’t many other cars! Thank you for your resources on screen time. It’s something we limit and it is often a struggle. But over the years I’ve definitely seen and continue to see benefits. The last couple months I’ve tried not to eat between meals and after dinner. So usually it’s about 14 hours without eating at night. Definitely easier than skipping meals for me. Our family loves games so thank you for another suggestion! I love the recap at the end on past thoughts. I just looked up yesterday what the jeans were you got after your post on them by searching through the comments! I would love a recap of comments at the end of all your thought posts. Sadly I haven’t watched the IGTV videos. Wait maybe one. (Limiting screen time and all. ) And can I make a request for a future thoughts post? Is that allowed? Since we both have 14 year old boys I’d love thoughts about how to handle this time when they can’t date yet but obviously are interested in girls. And they have this thing called texting. Setting boundaries and all that. Can we just skip over all this and go straight to his mission?! Thanks Mel for sharing all these thoughts with us!
That’s a great idea! I’ll try to do a recap at the end of each Friday Thoughts post because I also find valuable info in the comments and a recap would be easier than searching comment threads! Haha, I hear you on teenage boys and girls and friends and texting and ALL THAT. I’ll put some real thoughts together but what’s worked for us so far is to allow our home to be a place where he can come with his friends (girls and boys) so that it’s not this forbidden thing to be around girls or hang out with them or talk to them. He knows we periodically check his text messages and we haven’t restricted texting girls…we just talk a lot about acting responsibly and that by doing so, he’ll continue to get privileges instead of having consequences. Anyway, that’s just a scattered response, but I like the idea of talking about this.
Check out Anna is the Worst (on Instagram) for her tech and social media guides. So so good! Totally not fear driven. Listen to the Light the Fight podcast by Heidi Swapp and David Koslowski for parenting tips. Start at the beginning total goldmine. You will not regret it!!! Promise.
Thanks for the tips, Laurel!
I love these posts. Here are some of my thoughts. Technology- I struggle with managing screen time for my kids (and myself!). I’m excited to read into the info you shared. We did just recently get our first family desktop computer (my oldest is 8). The day we set it up we talked about technology being a tool and some basic rules of how to stay safe and what do do just in case something happens. No one has phones yet, and I’m grateful we don’t have to navigate those waters yet. I do know that I need to fix my phone habits, because what my kids see me do, they will probably do to a larger degree.
Intermittent fasting- I am trying IF, kind of. I think I could be really successful eating from 10 or 11 to 4, but my husband doesn’t get home until 6:15, so we eat late. So for now, I eat between 11/12 and 7, which I don’t think technically fits the bill, but it’s really helped me to not eat after dinner and holding off on breakfast helps me not just eat all day, so I like that. My goal isn’t necessary weight loss, just feeling good and it is helping. Make sure when you are on the “fasting” part you drink lots of water. That helps. Also, make sure you’re getting all your calories in during your eating window. My brother is WAY into it and now almost worships (lol) Dr. Jason Fung. He has a book and some YouTube videos and online articles if you Google him. Lots of good tips and info.
As for driving, from my experience being taught to drive, give them lots of self confidence! I had zero self confidence and my parents gave me none and I hated driving. I just felt deep down like a bad driver! A couple early accidents didn’t help things and it my driving seemed to be the brunt of family jokes. It wasn’t until I was married with kids and forced to drive all.the.time that I gained the confidence I needed to feel like a good driver! I still panic and stress if I don’t know exactly where I’m going and heavily rely on phone navigation, but I’m so much better than I was, mentally and emotionally. And I keep getting better! Small steps are big successes. So that’s my 2 cents on teen driving
Loved your thoughts so much, Kat! Thank you for the insight into teen driving. My son had a small/minor accident the 2nd day of having his permit and it really scared him. I’ve been trying to inspire him to get back behind the wheel but I realized the other day he needs to decide when he’s ready, but I appreciate what you said and I’m going to do better at inspiring his confidence even more. Thanks for the resources on intermittent fasting, too, and your thoughts on how it is working for you! It’s so interesting to read so many who are trying/have tried it.
I’m reading Intuitive Eating and learning to have a good relationship with food. No intermittent fasting for me. Just trying to eat for the right reasons. 🙂
My oldest got his license a year ago and I love it!!! I feel like I have parts of my life back. My second is about to get his permit and I’m scared to do the teaching part again. Imaginary brakes on the daily!!
Some family favorite games for us are Play Nine, Flux, 5 Crowns, 6 Nimmt! and Qwinto.
Love your site and your recipes!!!
Sounds like a great eating plan, Sandee! Good luck with that teenage driving! We love 6 Nimmt too (one of our favorites!); excited to check out the others!
We have our first teenage driver too. I think by the time I get through teaching all 5 of my kids to drive I will have a full head of gray hair! Almost makes me long for the days of potty training. Almost.
Haha. Almost is right. 🙂
IF thoughts: I started last summer and did 16:8 window 4 days a week. It was hard at first because I LOVE breakfast with all my heart! But I realized I felt better and it helped me with weight management. In September I signed up for a round of Faster Way To Fat Loss which has you fast 16:8 every day. Once the six weeks was up, I stuck with the fasting because I realized it has helped me with anxiety issues. I am so much more emotionally even when I fast. That is HUGE! So, it helps my metabolism and weight management, plus I am sleeping better and not plagued by anxiety.
Wow, Beth, that is so fascinating about the reduced anxiety! Seriously, really, really interesting. Thanks for your thoughts on this!
Yes to IF helping with anxiety. Before IF I would get the afternoon gloomies every single day like clockwork. Just this cloud of sorrow. I realize now that it hasn’t happened in the months since I’ve been doing IF.
We bought that game for a friend because we trust you so implicitly, but we haven’t played it yet. We’ve been playing 6 Nimmt and Qwixx a ton since getting them for Christmas. I love your IGTV yours is the only I’ve actually watched!
Thanks, Ashlee!
Hey Mel, I have been doing intermittent fasting for about a year now and I love it! I know for women there are a lot of different precautions because it can affect our hormones so you have to pay attention to how your body feels.
My strategy is 16 hours off, 8 hours on. I start eating at 11am and stop eating at 7pm. Which basically means I don’t eat breakfast and I don’t have any after dinner snacks. I work nights so I do have 1-2 days a week that I don’t follow this, but I think it works in my favor since (again) women don’t always do well with IF 24/7.
The best thing that helps me feel awake and not hungry in the morning when I work out is getting enough sleep (duh, but I notice it more when I’m fasting) and to stay hydrated. I drink about a liter of water before I eat at 11 and it really keeps my hunger and irritability away. I was quite overweight and since I started it I’ve lost 30 pounds and it has been much easier to keep it off.
I hope this helps! Good luck!
I’m curious about IF and exercise and I haven’t been able to find much info online. Do you workout during your fast? I typically run and do weight training in the morning (which would be during my fast) and wonder if I would be able to keep running and continue to gain strength while in a fasting state?
Thanks so much for the tips/thoughts on the intermittent fasting, Vanessa. I have a lot to learn about it still, I think! And I have the same question as Ashley – if you are a morning exerciser, does that work out ok while fasting? Congrats on your 30 pound weight loss. That’s amazing!
Mel, thank you for your recipes and thoughts that help us all! I have been a runner since my youth and have always preferred to do early morning workouts before I eat. So I guess it would be 11-12 hrs since dinner the night before. Whether it is lifting or running or both, I prefer to do it on an empty stomach. I do hydrate though. If it is a run longer than 7 miles I will eat 100 cal or so before I start, just depends on how long the workout is. I never skip breakfast, eat at 7:30 am and eat plenty of protein at each meal with fats. I don’t “diet” but I believe in eating 90% good wholesome things and 10% whatever I want. Or 85/15. I love homemade baked goods and I eat them when I feel like it. You also have to consider what your goal is and why you do what you do. Why are you intermittently fasting? Like Karina said, she did it to improve her insulin sensitivity. A lot of people do it to restrict calories. One fact remains unchanged though, if calories in exceeds calories out, you won’t lose weight. Or, if a person never picks up a heavy weight, they will never gain more muscle mass. I think all people have to do what works for them with exercise and food and do realistic routines they can maintain for life.
Yes, I agree with that, Liza! Realistic goals and routines that are maintainable are really important. Thank you for your thoughts! So helpful!
Mel,
Have you guys played the game Double ditto? I purchased it randomly after seeing it on lightening deal on Amazon. My kids (6 &9) only understand about 1/3 of the cards but it has been absolutely hilarious to play!
I have also tried intermittent fasting and did not last long ( I really like to eat and I got headaches)! I can’t wait to check out the videos! Thanks for all your posting!
Yes! That one was on my gift guide last year and it is a huge favorite! Thanks, Jessica!
Fasting: Try starting with 12 hours and them work your way up from there. I try to have dinner done before 7 pm and then try not to eat breakfast till after 9 pm. I have noticed that warm water does help get through the “hunger” stage in the beginning.
Teen driving: I have 16 year old son. So happy that he can drive himself around & his sister. Give it time and you will see the rewards!
Thanks, Melissa! I do think the independence of a teenage driver in the house will be awesome. Hoping we can get there! 🙂 Thanks for the tips on intermittent fasting. So interesting!
I learned to drive in a behemoth suburban. I may not have like it at the time, but I think it definitely helped me feel more confident in the long run; if I could park that thing I could park anything!
Dude, seriously! I had to take my driver’s test in my mom’s suburban (truth: I failed the first time), but I do think it helped me be a confident driver, too. My son is having a hard time with that theory. Haha.
Fasting: I do Faster Way to Fat Loss for Intermittent fasting. I’m 47, I do bootcamp and yoga and consider myself “in shape”, and FWTFL is the first program I’ve found that makes me FEEL like I’m in shape. Does that make sense? And yes, starting it is hard, but honestly, you’ll be amazed st how great it makes you feel.
Drivers: if you have access to a program called Accudent Avoidance Workshop, I’d HIGHKY recommend it for your new drivers. It’s AMAZING and goes into what. New drivers don’t learn in drivers ed—what to do when your weeks go off the road, r
Turning and breaking, what ABS breaking feels like, etc. Our family and friends all swear by this program. I’m not sure they do it in your state (I’m in GA) but I’d try to find a course like it and do that before turning new drivers loose on the roads.
Love your site and your IGTV!!
Thanks for the tips, Stacy! I’ll look into both of those things!
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We talk to our kids a lot about how “technology is a tool”- trying to focus on that principle rather than set specific time limits etc. We use technology for entertainment on weekend nights only. We come from a camp of pretty conservative- our teenagers have slide phones, although they can use our smart phones when needed. Have you ever heard Colin Kartchner speak? We agree with his points of view.
I have done intermittent fasting for atleast a year now- Funny thing is, as I read about it, there are lots of different versions- so who knows what it REALLY is? I try to take off 15-16 hours off of eating everyday, which for me means not eating after dinner and not eating breakfast. However, I am also from the intuitive eating camp which means I eat what I want when I feel the need- so I reserve that right- if I’m dragging or need to eat I do! I have liked it.
Yes, love Colin Kartchner’s message – he’s the source of a lot of how we’ve done things around here in regards to social media/tech, as well. Thanks for your thoughts on intermittent fasting! I can’t believe how many people do it! But I also really love the idea of intuitive eating…that kind of jives with me.
I just love your Friday thoughts posts! Your game closet made me laugh out loud and I needed that. Our games look similar and I was really hoping for a solution! 😉 Thanks for sharing your technology plan. My oldest is 10 and I feel like I want to say nothing is allowed but clearly that won’t work. I probably should face it and get a plan. I love the idea of being open and talking through the rules and the journey.
Yeah, I’m sorry I’m not your girl for a game closet solution! I feel like a game closet failure, but good thing I have chocolate to get me over that feeling. Haha.
I don’t have Instagram, but loved watching your videos, I feel like that’s what all cooking shows should look like. Full of real life everyday interruptions. Like your cooking because people need to eat. I think you need a game pantry. Is that a thing? It should be. I don’t think I could do the fasting thing either. I can’t imagine it is easy parenting in this day and age and as my step daughters are now teenagers one with her license it is harder to get them to listen to you, as they seem to “know” everything. HA! I do love these post so much. Thank you for sharing your life with us. It truly makes me feel like we would be hiding in the pantry together eating dark chocolate. If I had a pantry like yours that is where I would want to camp out too. 🙂
Haha, I could totally get behind a “game pantry!” I definitely think I need one. 🙂 I love the thought of all you faithful readers cramming into my pantry with me enjoying my (large) stash of dark chocolate.
Intermittent Fasting Thoughts: In September I started timed-window eating – I eat between 10am and 6pm. (We eat dinner at 5 – 3 little kiddos who need to get to bed, so we’re early eaters.) It was initially challenging, but I’ve come to love timed eating. Whether it’s doing me any good, I don’t know. I’ve heard a lot of good things, but we’ll see what my doctor says when I go in for my yearly check-up next week.
So is there a difference between “timed window eating” and “intermittent fasting” or is it the same thing just different names. Just curious so I can learn more about it!
Your son looks so cute with his permit. I remember those imaginary brake days so well. I was so nerfed up we decided to hire AAA for some preliminary rotary,highway experience. Good luck. As always thanks for all of your hard work!!
Thanks, Cyndi! I know these days will pass quickly – trying to enjoy every minute (even the teenage driving!)