Friday Thoughts
It’s been a while, but I’m pretty excited to be popping back in with a Friday Thoughts post (they’re my favorite because of YOUR comments). I have a lot on my mind. Like, a lot, a lot.
And I’m excited to get your feedback and thoughts on all my rambly venting today. 🙂
All the other past Friday Thoughts posts here.
1) Family Vacation: I need your help! This resident homebody needs to know: what is the best family vacation you’ve ever taken? To where? And why? (I’m gathering some highly scientific data to present to Brian next week, so thanks in advance.)
2) Sunday Dinner Assignments: Last fall I realized weeknights were not working when it came to teaching my kids how to cook. Too busy. Too noisy. Too distracting. Too stressful. Too much controlling OCD (ahem, taking full ownership for that one).
So we switched the system up a bit, and I can’t believe how well it is working. I love it! The kids love it! And honestly, they have totally shocked me and Brian with their rock star cooking abilities.
I call it Sunday Dinner Assignments. Super clever and catchy, huh? Gosh, I’m a marketing wizard.
How it’s working so far: I plan out a simple menu for Sunday night and assign one of the kids for each section. This involves a super high tech system of writing the menu on a post it note with one of the kid’s names next to each section.
Usually it’s a main dish, homemade bread or rolls of some sort, a side dish or two, and dessert. And in most cases, I let them choose the specific recipe they want to make (within reason and with approval).
I don’t put myself on the rotation. The kids execute the whole meal AND they are responsible for washing the dishes for their recipe. My role is to not helicopter and just answer questions and step in if they ask for help.
Yes, it’s a bit chaotic and messy; they try and work together to plan out oven usage and stagger the prep/cooking times so there are only a couple of them in the kitchen at a time.
The best part is seeing how excited they are to tell Brian which dish they made when we sit down to dinner. Of course we have had quite a few spills (including a whole bucket of honey) and arguments about who gets to use the favorite whisk first (that one ended in tears + at least one bruise)…and there have even been a few times where something was…um…slightly inedible.
But the learning process has been invaluable. Each one of the boys has made homemade rolls (or this buttery bundt bread is a fave choice) at least twice by themselves, and let me tell you, if they do nothing else in their lives, I’m going to hang on to some mom pride over this accomplishment.
They are all used to the system now and ask me on Saturday night if I know what their assignment will be yet. I’m sure this Sunday Dinner Assignments thing will go through several variations as we stick with it, but it’s working pretty great right now.
In the interest of full disclosure, about every fourth or fifth Sunday, I have a little “moment” and decide I can’t handle anyone else being in the kitchen and declare it “Mom’s Sunday Dinner Assignment All By Herself Please Leave the Kitchen Area Immediately.”
How do you teach the kids in your life to cook? Are you able to let go of the control and give them free reign?
3) Eagle Scouts:Both Walker and Jackson earned their Eagle Scout award a couple Sundays ago (with three other young men from church). Scouting has been a fun journey for them, even if they didn’t love every single minute.
Quite honestly, toward the end, I didn’t know if our relationship would survive the paperwork process, but I’m really, really proud of them for achieving this award. And I’m really, really proud of myself for making it through, too. Haha. No, but seriously.
At the ceremony, my 15-year old chose to give his mentor pin to me, which was so touching and sweet! The scoutmaster handed him the microphone so he could say a few words about why he was doing this, and Jackson cleared his throat and very meaningfully gave this tender tribute: “well, I’m giving this mentor pin to my mom because she basically threatened me that I couldn’t get my driver’s license until my Eagle Scout was done. And also, she drove me around to a lot of places.”
And you know what? I totally gave him a huge hug and kiss on the cheek because I’LL TAKE IT. The tribute and the mentor pin. 🙂 I love these boys and am really, really proud of their hard work, including learning the art of making real, live phone calls, which apparently might be the hardest, hardest, hardest thing to ask a teenager to do.
4) Natural Deoderant:ok, you guys, I’ve tried a lot of natural deoderant out there, and I’m sorry for the inclusion of too much info here, but I’ve done so even at the cost of some serious underarm chafing and rashes (Schmidt’s, I’m looking at you). Lume, Tom’s, Schmidt’s. I still feel like I smell like a pre-pubescent middle school boy.
Help? Am I missing something? Is there a natural deoderant that actually works and doesn’t rip up my skin? Please enlighten me and the rest of humanity.
5) Being a Finisher: I’ve been working on teaching my kids the art of being a finisher. And instead of lecturing, I decided I better just model the desired behavior and actually finish a couple projects I’ve been working on for years.
I started this crochet quilt when Camryn was a toddler. Yes, that’s 5+ years ago. And I just barely finished it over the holiday break. And then I wrapped it up and put it under the Christmas tree as a present to myself. I’m embarrassed to say I actually cried tears when it was done.
It’s been a labor of love. And now I’m afraid to actually ever use it because what if it unravels? (Free pattern from Purl Soho and yarn from Knitpicks, which was enough yarn for my mom to also make one of these blankets, which she finished years before mine – she’s a rock star)
The other blanket I finally finished was this Fancy Forest quilt, pattern by Elizabeth Hartman. A couple years ago when I decided I wanted to learn to quilt (never had before), I chose this as my first quilt. Yes, you just go ahead and laugh at me, because everyone else in my real life did, too!
I admit it was a bit ambitious, but I figured if I was going to learn, I was going to learn. Anyway, you can see how well that worked out. It took me, again, about five years to finish this quilt. And there are so many mistakes I can hardly bear to look at it. (Sidenote: not sure quilting is the right hobby for someone with a brain like mine.) But I finished it! It’s legit the hardest project I’ve ever done.
And I am really, really proud of myself. I even took a long arm quilting class at a local quilt shop and long arm quilted the top of this bad boy all by myself, and I HAVE NEVER BEEN MORE SCARED AND MORE PROUD OF ANYTHING I’VE DONE IN MY WHOLE LIFE EVER. Also, I sweated an obscene amount during the long arm process. Also, this may be why we need to really delve into topic #4 up there. Also, I promise to never talk about sweat again.
Do you have any goals to finally finish something this year that you started long ago?
6) Vegan, Vegan:A good friend of mine is transitioning to a plant-based/vegan/no sugar diet to combat a stage IV cancer diagnosis. We basically talk about the food part of this journey nonstop, and my brain is going a mile a minute to figure out how to help her (and also incorporate more plant-based recipes in my own life)!
She and I have already been experimenting with different cashew-based dressings and sauces among other things. We’ve had some wins. And some losses. Haha. Do you have any great vegan/100% unprocessed recipes to share? Favorite online sources? Cookbooks?
7) Grit and Resilience: this TED talk is really fascinating. I really, really want my kids to be gritty! And let’s be honest, I want it for myself, too. To persevere through hard things and not give up. Since I’m 1,000% certain lecturing does.not.help. I’m trying to find more ways to help foster resilience in my kids. Any experts out there on growth mindset? Have I gone too far? Is this too deep for a Friday? What are your thoughts?
8) Games:You know I can only go so long without talking about what games we are loving at the minute. One of you awesome persons recommended the game Patchwork – aff. link on my holiday game gift guide. We love it! It’s a 2-person game and it is so, so fun. You don’t have to be interested in sewing or quilting or buttons or anything to love this game. It’s super strategic with a little bit of luck, and I can’t recommend it highly enough.
The other game we’ve been pulling out for a quick game sesh is Left, Center, Right (we have the basic version and also the wild version – aff. links). Super, super fast. Super, super fun. Everyone around here loves LCR!
————————-
Ok, you guys, thanks for sticking with me through this rambling post!
Love your guts.
Don’t leave until you add your thoughts below. I need your insights, humor, wisdom and recipes in my life. 🙂
UPDATE!!!! You guys. YOU GUYS! I have spent hours (days!) reading through your comments. I’ve read every single one. I wish I had time to respond to you each personally. Instead, I literally just made a MASSIVE spreadsheet (ahem, nerd alert) with all of your vacation, deodorant, vegan and grit recommendations. And you guys, this spreadsheet is gold. I can’t wait to organize it (ahem, second nerd alert) and read through it and learn from it and PLAN A VACATION and make some plant-based meals and try out the 5,000 deodorant recommendations all while telling my kids to stay gritty. Haha. But seriously, I could kiss all of your faces for all of the comments. The insights. The personal stories and experiences. As always, you’ve made me laugh and think and think some more. And you have given so, so many good recommendations. WHAT WOULD I DO WITHOUT YOU? No really, what would I do? I’d actually have to find friends in real life and that would just be super lame. So glad you guys are my people. I loved reading every single one of these comments. I promise to update a future Friday Thoughts post (or maybe just at the bottom of this one) with my spreadsheet findings! xoxo
Disclaimer: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Regarding cashews, they should not be eaten raw due to toxins that are present before they are roasted or toasted.
I always love your Friday Thoughts posts 🙂
I am also a bit OCD with having my kids in the kitchen. I like your Sunday suggestion to take the chaos of weeknight helpers away. I know Sara from OBB has mentioned she cooks with her boys on Sunday too. I’ll give it a go in our family and see how it pans out.
For deodorant I see some other have also commented with my same recent find which I consider pure gold – yes, it really is THAT good – Just Ingredients Natural Deodorant. I also absolutely LOVE her face serum.
https://justingredientswithkaralynne.com/
You are crocheted blanket and quilt look stunning! What an awesome thing to set out to do and accomplish! Lots of things worthwhile take years to finish 😉
Happy 2020, Mel!
Oh, and I also just recently discovered Downshiftology on IG and love all the resources on her blog. She’s helping me reshape how I prep for myself during the week – ingredient prep as opposed to meal prep. She has lots of great plant based recipes on her site.
https://downshiftology.com/9-meal-prep-ideas-save-time-kitchen/
I’m a mom of 6 sons who are all grown now. I was introduced to your blog by my daughter in law several years ago and I love all your recipes. everyone thinks I’m a great cook, hehe. I also used Sundays as cooking days for my kids and as they got older I let them plan the menu and once in a while I even took them shopping to learn about that too.
Our favorite vacations have always been by the water with boating, water skiing, surfing,
So Lake Tahoe was a yearly vacation since my in-laws had a cabin there. Now with older kids we’re either at Tahoe, Bear Lake, or Southern California most of the time.
Thanks for all your recipes!
San Juan Islands in Washington. You get to take a ferry. Rent an air b&b and you can kayak, hike, whale watch, play on majestic seashore and do day trips to other islands. There are not a lot of places there to shop or spend money, you just enjoy the pristine Puget Sound.
Our most favorite family vacation was our trip to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. We camped in Yellowstone for a week or so the summer of 2017. The kids all did their junior ranger badges for both Yellowstone and Tetons. We spent a couple days driving down to Tetons to explore there (they are super super close) and spent tons of time checking out all the cool Yellowstone stuff. The kids still ask when we are going back. We are planning a trip to some of the national parks of the Pacific Northwest and we are stoked! We have a national parks passport book and we get stamps everywhere we go. We’ve done visits to individual parks and we’ve done epic two week trips where we hit every park in an area. Our kids love it the most!
One more thing- it’s not all vegan, but Mark Bittman’s How to cook everything Vegetarian is a gem. Worth checking out of the library, at least. Also Sally Butler’s Vegestan, Naturally Nourished by Sarah Britton and my absolute favorite, Six Seasons by Josh McFadden (I think?). The last one is vegetable forward, but not all recipes are veg.
Destin, FL and vicinity if you’re feeling beachy. Beautiful, white sand beaches, emerald green water. There are plenty of awesome local restaurants to satisfy the foodie in you! Merlin’s Pizza and garlic knots are the bomb! If you want to hike and be outdoorsy, (or are like me and want to avoid a swimsuit), go for Acadia National Park (Bar Harbor) in ME. Breathtaking. Sea kayaking (sea lions!), lots of wildlife, biking, hiking, and everything blueberry. Visit in early June to avoid the crowds, the heat, and the bugs. Amazing food as well. The only chain restaurant there is a Subway. Buy a blueberry pie from a lady who sells them roadside and sells out by mid-morning everyday. Get there early! Or go to Momo’s Cheesecakes. It’s a garage converted into a clean spot where you can get cheesecake 24/7 on the honor system. Grab what you want and just drop your money in the box! I can’t wait to go back. Favorite vacation ever. Buy the book, “Acadia: The Complete Guide” by James Kaiser (available on Amazon). His recommendations are spot on.
Go to Hilton Head. You won’t regret it.
I’ve tried all the natural deodorants (hated Schmidt’s!) and found one I love! (I’d be hard pressed to even try another)… the brand is primally pure. My kids use it…even my 16 year teen boy. Disclaimer:you will still sweat (your body’s natural way to detox and cool itself)…but it’s a game changer for the stink. I love all their skin care products along with the brand coco kind. Hope that helps. Thanks for the parenting Sunday dinner idea! I was trying to figure out what would work best for us. You solved my problem in three sentences. Have the best weekend!
https://primallypure.com/products/blue-tansy-deodorant
Just Ingredients Natural Deoderant is THE BEST!!!
https://justingredientswithkaralynne.com/
Plant based, really as well as blogs, I have found you tube to be excellent. In particular Tish Wonders and Rachel Ama. I do hope this helps and best wishes to your friend. Love your work Mel!!!
Mindset by Carol Dweck is a fabulous book! It’s made such a difference for me and in parenting my kids.
This kids cooking on Sunday idea is genius and we are going to try it. We’ve tried the weeknights too and have seen little to no success with that. Even if they don’t have extra activities, they are tired after a long day of school so this may work better for us. Plus, it might get that dang TV off a little more on Sunday. And wherever you go for your vacation, just pick somewhere cooler than where you live. I absolutely hate to be hot and sweaty unless I’m working out and intentionally sweating! So glad you’ve tried the natural deodorants and that they didn’t work for you – not that I’m happy they failed, it just gives me a pass on needing to try them. I smell my boys (14 and 11) everyday and I don’t want to smell like them. Last thing, congratulations to your boys (and YOU) on their scouting accomplishments!
Oh boy! I’m so glad your back. Not only do I love all your recipes but I depend on them every.single.week! I’ve got a great source for natural deodorant, Kanary Naturals. Not only is she a friend of mine but her passion for implementing natural ingredients in all her products and educating her clients on the power of her products is infectious. I love her deodorant and it even survived the blazing Arizona heat!
https://kanarynaturals.com/
#2) Kids in kitchen- I’ve got a 4 yr, 3 yr, and 10 mo. So, they are learning how to make the eggs we eat each morning for breakfast! They get to crack the egg on the bowl, open it into the bowl, whisk the eggs together, stir it up in the pan to keep from burning, and then plate the eggs. If we do add-ins they get to help chop those (butter knives can be the real deal yo) or grate cheese. I did this to give them more buy in to have a desire to eat breakfast and not just complain about it. They also make toast or warm muffins if we have those. And get out all the tools from cooking stuff, plates, and foods we need. It takes forever some mornings, we have spills, and struggles- but I think its good for them to start learning now and they are so excited when they can tell daddy (I stay home with them) what they got to do that morning. By lunch- I’m usually just in speed mode to get food on the table. ha.
#3 (I can’t put a space/ line between paragraphs??) #3) phone calls are intimidating for sure. I have been known to wait until I am pretty sure a person won’t answer the phone so I can leave a VM and then wait for a call back. =) #4) natural deo- the struggle is real, sister. I am a sweaty betty. I went natural deo about 10 years ago and haven’t looked back. A few thoughts- detoxing from years of using regular deodorant is part of the process, it can take quite a while for your body to stop being insanely smelly and very yucky smell also as it does detox. I personally have had great time with “Mountain Mint” from YL. yes, it is an MLM- no I am not interested in selling it to you. My self and my husband both use the deo, I buy it several sticks at a time and it is expensive, $11.25/stick for wholesale. But worth. every. penny. It goes on with a cooling feeling, doesn’t burn even when applied right after shaving, and smells nice. Not strongly but nice and then when I sweat (even a stinky nervous sweat) it always smells a bit minty. I’ve found with natural deodorants that during high sweat seasons- summer or working out or a long nervous day of meeting new people- I just need to keep my deo near by and re-apply throughout the day. I don’t consider this defeat because I honestly sweated through regular deodorants too. I’ve also found that I have to, have to, wash my armpits every day to help avoid super stinky situations. So, even if my shower is just a quick in and out- my pits will be hit with my homemade soap (skin is the biggest organ, so why wouldn’t we take really good care since it absorbs all the crap we put on it? just something to consider). Also, shaving my armpits frequently helps with the smell too- maybe the removal of the dead skin, not really sure. But washing daily (or dealing with my smell, like poop you get used to it and I’ve asked loads of people- some I know well and some were strangers with nothing to lose- most people can’t smell you unless you get them into your armpit, even if you can smell yourself)Anyway- I am rambling but I love natural deo and want to encourage you on the journey! Wash daily, wear often, reapply, and realize humans weren’t meant to be completely fruity smelling all the time. =) (Re: YL- i am happy to buy and mail some deo to you, so you can try it out. Just let me know, or ask a friend who has YL to order you some. And I save the little bottom pieces once it is too low to continue to use and then when I’ve got enough (several sticks worth) I gently remelt it in a double boiler set up and pour it back into a stick to reuse and get the most bang for buck). Great job on the blankets! Love them! I am undertaking making my own Beeswax candles- it’s pretty fun to melt down and purify wax and eventually see it poured into a cute little jar and get to use the candle! Looking forward to hearing more about your deodorant story!
Our favorite family vacations have been to San Diego-I’m not a huge amusement park person and neither is the rest of my family (even when they were little!), but Sea World was amazing and I just love that town (we went when kids were 8 & 11). Puerto Villarta is second because going to a resort that has everything for everyone and includes laying pool or beach side is a-mazing (kids were 16 & 19), and it’s a good price.
I tried a bunch of natural ones and they never work until I tried the Native brand. I prefer the Eucalyptus and Mint scent. You can order it online (beware in hot months it could melt ) or they now have it in Walmart as well. Best vacations were Lake Powell with extended family last year on house boat with multiple individual boats as well to take water skiing, fishing etc. Along with paddle boards and tubes. Or much cheaper we went to Moab with oldest three and went on hikes during the day and then stayed at hotel at night (which about killed my husband because he does not understand the mentally of paying hundreds of dollars to sleep ha, ha). However, since then we have bought a truck camper (no hotel fees:)) and it is the best!! I feel kind of redneck in it, but we go on quick weekend over nighters to hot pots, fishing spots, and hiking trails. We have seven people so a couple sleep in the truck, but it is the best memory maker we have invested in yet. It so much easier to take around than a trailer (we had one of those and rarely used it). Different things work better for different people but that’s what works for us! Good luck!! PS I still want to take my family on your Redwood’s trip 🙂
Try Native deodorant, it’s sold at Target, it works!
Last summer we did a bucket list camping trip in the PNW before we moved from Portland to Colorado. If camping isn’t your thing, I’m sure there are vacation rentals in these areas, but we love Mt Rainier, Crater Lake, and one of favorites was biking the Hiawatha Trail up on the Idaho panhandle (Montana/Idaho stare line). It’s a rail to trail and you go through over 10 tunnels, the longest if which is over a mile. You get to start and end doing that tunnel. Plus you cross 7-8 tressels, which are over a hundred feet in the air. Really unforgettable. This was super high on our favorite family vacations!
I love all your recipes, but I love hearing things you are going through with your family. We just became a family of 7, but we are opposite. Four girls and just added our boy. We cook your meals pretty much every night! I am definitely going to try the Sunday meal assignments idea! During the week it’s just too hectic for me to be patient about them helping…
Check out Sunriver Oregon for an awesome vacation spot! And not too far from Boise. It’s amazing!
I’m not vegan but I have an awesome vegan cookbook that I highly recommend. “7 secrets cookbook” by Neva and Jim Brackett. The Golden Vegetable Soup is amazing!
I LOVE your game recommendations. We got Play Nine for Christmas and can’t get enough of it!
ADHD moment – the most important one! Come to Canada, more specifically come to Nova Scotia! We have such a beautiful province and we are so friendly, as you might have heard. Haha
August is the best time to visit, warm days, cool evenings, and plenty to do!! And likely cheap on your US dollar!
Our provincial tourism does a great job of selling ourselves, so check it out! Good luck!
Oh she glows is highly recommended for vegan, something I think everyone should start considering, myself included! Truly sorry that your friend is growing through this right now but she is very lucky to have your support!
Love that you are teaching your kids to not only cook but time management and share within the kitchen. That puts a new spin on cooking meals and teamwork! Great idea!
As for quilting, you did an amazing job and I simply love the forest critters! Such a beautiful pattern and yes, highly ambitious. But somehow I’m not surprised. I started my first quilt with a much simpler pattern but it was queen sized, so I did learn a lot of how to manage so much material on my vintage 30lb all metal Husqvarna sewing machine. That thing will shake and rumble the entire floor of my house when I am running long runs of stitches. Used to scare one of my dogs, too.
And I think my husband and I should try some new board games so I’m going to look into some of your recommendations. We have some willing neighbours that are willing to join in on the fun.
Enjoy your weekend and thanks for the suggestions!
Oh goodness! Deodorant: Crunchy Betty has a coconut lime one that she sells and she has the recipe you can make yourself on her website! It’s amazing once you are used to it! Vacation: Disney cruise is wonderful, but expensive. Vegan food: It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken, Oh She Glows, and Minimalist Baker are all wonderful!
My family has been going to lake Powell for about 13 years with my parent’s ski boat. We rented a house boat the first year and we have since rented a condo in Paige Arizona. I have also gone to Bullfrog arena in Utah. The house boat was fun, but my parents really love to shower. I love lake Powell bc there is something for everyone between exploring rock/ruins on the water, to skiing/wakeboarding, or even just plain swimming all ages can enjoy. Also, I think it is my favorite vacation bc we are all around each other in a boat for days and their is no TV Ect. Boating in general is one of my favorites for this reason. My family always goes in June so the hear is not so intense that it is unbearable. I have been to many states (including Hawaii) as well as Canada and this is my favorite vacation bc of the family togetherness.
I have a meal prep business and have lots of customers asking for more plant based meals. Last week, I made vegan fajitas with a cashew queso… holy moly! That queso is delicious and soooooo easy! It’s 1 cup cashews, 1/2 cup water, 1 4 oz, can green chilies, 1 1/2 TBSP. Nutritional yeast, 1. Chipotle and 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt. Blend until suuuuper smooth! I put mine in a squeeze bottle….. I’ve been putting it on everything! It gets even better as it sits. So good on toast, sweet potatoes, roasted veggies, fajitas, tacos, etc.
Check Ambre blends for natural deodorant. It’s a bit on the pricey side but they have a sale once a year and I stock up. They are the best I’ve tried – I’m an avid exerciser and their products stand the test. Last year I also dove and started using their face oil and I love it.
Love the blog. Not sure what I would feed my family of 6 if you didn’t do your thing. I have a binder of all my faves and make your recipes several times a week.
Mel, you’re wonderful! Love you, love your recipes, love your community!!
Family Vacation – We took a trip to Hawaii which was expensive and stressful but SO WORTH IT!! But probably my favorite vacation we’ve taken so far was to Branson, MO. (I know so random!) It’s only a few hours away from us which was nice. We stayed at a resort with a water park, went to Silver Dollar City theme park, and toured a bunch of local museums Branson is known for. Sooooo so fun and less stress with less travel!
Deodorant – I am with you!! I used straight coconut oil for a while (from a separate container than the one I cook with. Ha.) And while it did work (wow!!) it did wear off before the end of the day. I use Tom’s and I like it.
Vegan/Food for Health – I was a cancer research scientist before I became a full time mom and let me tell you – you are on the right track!!! People don’t realize how preventable cancer is/how treatable it can be with lifestyle changes (alongside traditional treatments). Tell your friend she’s doing the right thing. Look more into foods that fight cancer cells (garlic, for instance). Tell her to eat lots of healthy fats – avocados, nuts and nut butters, olive oil, etc. And lots and lots of organic fruits and veggies!! Organic is key. Her body is fighting enough toxins without adding more. Focus on omega-3 fatty acids which fight inflammation (wild-caught salmon, flax seeds, walnuts, taking a quality supplement pill.) I don’t think veganism is completely necessary, as long as the animal products she consumes are 100% organic, grass-fed meat and dairy products, wild-caught fish, etc. Good luck. Sending prayers her way!
6) I really like the Just Mayo products. They are vegetarian (not sure about vegan) and I used them when I was eating dairy and soy free. Seriously, the Just Mayo tastes exactly like mayonnaise, and the Just Ranch is good too. A good chocolate is Enjoy Life Chips for baking, and Theo dark chocolate bars. Love love Theo. Especially their winter holiday flavors of candycane and Cranberry Orange. I did NOT like the Endangered Species bars at all. For protein bars, I actually didn’t like the RxBar that so many of my friends like, and I didn’t like GoMacro either. My husband likes the ONE bars, they have lots of treat-ish flavors, but I thought they were dry. I love the GFB (Gluten Free Bar) Chocolate Peanut Butter (the only flavor my store carried) because it wasn’t dry, it was tasty, filling, chewy. Love.
Native Deodorant – for sure 🙂 Works well, smells great, and doesn’t irritate!
Ok for the record I read a couple paragraphs of this and laughed and almost shed a tear because I’m pretty sure you get me without hearing my story all because you share your stories in these awesome Friday posts that I love. Make sense? Ha. I’m off to make your French bread rolls for my parents 50th anniversary (so awesome ) And everyone loves these roles. Thank you! I look forward to reading the rest of this post later. Thanks for sharing all your thoughts and Letting us know you put off projects too. I need to work on finishing! See you back here later.
I’ve been using Tom’s deodorant for the last four years and I am very happy with it.
4) I have not yet found a natural deoderant that works. One of my companions in Houston swore by “Crystal” which seriously looked like a big rock salt crystal. I (cough) don’t think it worked on smell, and it definitely doesn’t work to keep away sweat. My own personal opinion is that your soap contributes to your smell (homemade soaps make my sweat smell differently) so change up your soap, and accept that you will sweat. Thus, I use a deoderant but not a anti-perspirant. Eliminating the anti-perspirant part of the equation gets rid of the aluminum that causes stains on my clothes. I use Old Spice bc I like the smell.
1-I’ll add to the crowd and say that Native is the best natural deodrant! I have used it for 4 years now and I would never go back. Try it!!
2-I have been cooking from your blog since 2006, and probably 80% of my recipes came from you until three years ago when I decided to make some changes and try the Whole Foods Plant Based Diet. I watched the Forks Over Knives documentary, read The China Study, and studied the Word of Wisdom. Our family went dairy, egg, meat, and oil free for a whole year (except for desserts…I don’t believe in trying to modify something that you only eat once in awhile). We loved it and after that year, I incorporated a small amount of meat and healthy oils (in very small amounts) back into our diet once or twice a week. I still culture kefir every day (that was my one dairy item I did not give up). For recipe inspiration, I signed up for the free meal planning/recipe service from the Forks Over Knives blog. It was super helpful for me to have meal ideas sent to me every week until I got used to cooking differently. It took a lot of the anxiety and stress out of trying to change so much all at once. I did that service for a year to help me get started. Now, I utilize those recipes and find lot of vegetarian/grain recipes from blogs like Cookie and Kate. I love eating this way and would never go back! My kids all love this way of eating and we are always amazed at how bland oily, cheesy, meat meals taste to us now. They don’t even appeal to us. Try it! I keep hoping you will want to switch over to this way of eating, so you can start posting your amazing ideas and recipes with us! Your talents in the kitchen have been an inspiration for me and I know you would develop great dishes in your kitchen!
3-Thanks for sharing your life on this blog! The quilts are beautiful! I admire your grit and determination to stick with something hard and learn! I send my love and thoughts to your friend at this time!
My dad has used a plant based diet for years to help with his cancer battle. Some of his favorites come from fork over knives cookbooks. He makes his own bread, I will send that recipe to you it’s delicious and high in grains and no sugar. My parents eat a lot of soup and they have a few recipes for treats with nuts and dried fruit that are pretty tasty. The energy bites can be made with fresh nut butter with no added sugar and using dates in place of the honey. My dad also uses cocoa nibs for a bit of chocolate. I feel all the feels for your friend, so glad she has a good support for her food from you. I know without a doubt that The way she eats can help.
Homemade deodorant! Its easy to make, and after your body gets used to it (which shouldn’t take long for you if you’ve already been doing the non-anti-perspirant route for a while), it works well most of the time. I do sometimes have to supplement with a store-bought deo when i know i’m going to be really sweaty or with certain fabrics, and the coconut oil/shea butter can stain clothing. I think I have runied 1 item in several years of usage; everything else I’ve been able to scrub it out. I use the basic recipe here: https://theelliotthomestead.com/2010/12/homemade-deodorant/
I have found that baking soda makes me break out so I use only arrowroot or cornstarch. I also do half coconut oil and half shea butter, which has been just right for me. Stays a little firmer in the hot months, since coc. oil melts so easily.
For #1 – The other day at dinner, my kids spent a long time dreamily reminiscing on our past family trips. They never once mentioned a single actual place we went. They didn’t care about seeing national landmarks. They didn’t even mention Disneyland. They mentioned the pools, rating by size and water temperature, and they mentioned the breakfast that was or was not served. Apparently the TownPlace Suites in Farmington, NM from our last road trip won because they had chocolate waffles as a breakfast option and their pool was like bath water. So for what it’s worth, I just pick where I’d like to go for vacations and make sure we stay someplace with a pool along the way. That’s all the kids seem to remember anyway! 🙂
I love your posts! And you write so well! I feel like I’m having a conversation with a good friend when I read anything you write, I love it.
As for vacations, we went to the Caribbean when I was younger and it is still my favorite vacation in the history of ever. My family tastes vacays on the temperature of the ocean and pools (I dig bathwater temp water or warmer), the beaches and how good the sand is and what yummy food we ate there. If we have those 3 things I think anything is going to be good. Maybe figure out what your kids/family think are important and plan around that?
As for natural deodorants I’ve made my own for years, but I lost my recipe for my favorite one when we moved last year and I haven’t found anything tasty compares. I don’t like baking soda, arrowroot powder ot corn starch because they tear up my skin so mine usually consist of beeswax, cocoa butter and shea butter with little to no coconut oil (it gives horrible pit stains) with some essential oils to help with smell. I either opt for lavender and citrus or mint and citrus for the best flavor combos. I’ve also heard good things about Native but haven’t tried it.
As for vegan stuff try minimalist Baker (she has a blog) and I’ve used The Healthy Gluten Free Life cookbook for lots of ideas. She isn’t vegan but she is dairy, egg, soy and gluten free so it teaches some great substitutions. Good luck!
This is hilarious and reminds me kids never remember what we think they will about childhood.
My thoughts on natural deodorant- I think it’s trial and error for each person for what works for their body. I’m a long time native user. I was excited to switch to just ingredients but hers didn’t work for me. I think everyone’s body chemistry is different and that’s why it takes some experimenting.
I love your Sunday dinner system! I want to try it!
I’m excited for you to hopefully find winning plant based recipes and share. A few years ago I did a loose vegan diet for a while, but I’ve gradually gone back to normal. I would love to implement more of this again. I do have a yummy black bean burrito filling I will send you that I got from a vegan friend.
I’m a grown up now, and I’m only just realizing that I’m not much of a finisher and that I struggle with cultivating grit and resilience in myself to cope with the difficult things in life. Looking back at my own upbringing, I can say that my parents definitely held these values close to their hearts and tried to instill them in us. But telling your kids to be a certain way and then them experiencing situations where they have to be that way are two different things, if that makes any sense at all. It’s one thing to say, “You have to finish this task and see it through to the end.” I understood that conceptually, of course. But it’s like…this stuff doesn’t come naturally either. You have to motivate yourself to finish projects. You have to have a clear idea of what “finished” looks like in your mind. There are a lot of components involved in this that you have to suss out, and it takes practice, and it takes experience, and that is largely what I feel I kind of missed when I was learning these things as I grew up.
So I’m quite glad that you’re easing up on the lecturing!! I’m working on doing the same. I don’t have kids, but I’m a free advice giver to all of my friends, even though I rarely follow my own advice myself. Which goes back to the whole concept of “finishing” things, in a different way. What I’ve realized is that I need to lay down clear cut goals and expectations of myself and not panic when something doesn’t happen like how I think it should, or if I don’t feel the way I think I should about a certain task. And frankly, all of this stuff is quite difficult to do. It’s much easier to just let life pass you by without paying too much attention to your own self. It’s been eye opening to realize that things like, “finishing a task” are not actually intuitive, you have to cultivate that understanding and give yourself opportunities to practice it.
Stinky girls unite!! (well me for sure – maybe not you) This is about to get really TMI so prepare yourself. I have always been a very sweaty person and I was just telling my husband last night that I don’t think I’ve ever had a deodorant and/or antiperspirant that truly kept me stink free. As early as my middle school years playing basketball I have struggled with this. I tried the switch to natural deodorants after my first was born and have been trying one after another looking for something that would work with my body chemistry. I tried Native, Schmidt’s (also awful for my skin), Lafes, Toms, Just Ingredients…nothing kept me stink free. UNTIL I just started using Bali Secrets this week and I am finally feeling like a real girl (who doesn’t stink)! I have a 10 month old and this stuff can handle my normal “aroma” plus those ultra fun breastfeeding hormones that kick everything up another level. I’m so thankful for my friend who offhandedly mentioned it to be because I had never heard of it before. So fingers crossed you give it a try and it works for you too!!
Now for the games – I’m not sure if you’ve played Sequence but it’s awesome. It’s a good strategy game but it’s not difficult and you can play in teams (up to 3) so if some of the younger kids don’t get it, they can be teamed up with an older kid. It’s a big hit. Thanks for all you do and all the love you pour into the delicious food and community you have created here.
Oh, I love these posts! And the treasure trove of comments- so good!
As always, I’m inspired by your intentional parenting- whether it’s shepherding your scouts to Eagle, teaching them to feed themselves (and others), or pondering how to instill grit, you are doing all you can to help your kids put their best foot forward. And hopefully, their second foot forward, even when the going gets tough. Thank you for sharing your solutions and questions- it’s soooo helpful to hear what’s working well, from you AND from the comments.
My sympathy and best wishes to your friend, to you and to her family. Cancer is hard on the patient (obviously) but also on their whole circle. It can be difficult to figure out how to support each other, and the two of you are connecting over food. No surprise, and isn’t she lucky to have you in her life! I love the link someone provided about cooking for cancer patients. There are so many kinds of cancer, with so many different challenges to appetite, taste buds, nausea, aversions…
I need to climb on my soapbox for a quick minute about cancer and plant based diets. There’s nothing wrong with a plant based diet, and I’m not accusing Mel or her friend of this, but magical thinking about vegan-ism is rampant elsewhere on the internet. Because of conversations with my kids, (and honestly, some shocking conversations with acquaintances) I’m hyper-aware of the potential psychological downside of the recent emphasis on “clean” eating. Food is not dirty. All humans should eat lots of vegetables, yes. But. You don’t get cancer because you ate Doritos, or sugar, or hot dogs or fill-in-the-blank processed food. And diet alone won’t cure you. Because you didn’t eat something (or fail to eat something) to give yourself cancer. It’s a disease that can happen to humans, and you are human. No one wants to get cancer. Eating “clean” isn’t magic, and even vegans get cancer. Eating optimally for yourself includes giving yourself the grace to eat what your body needs, with minimal mental gymnastics. Controlling what you eat can be empowering when you have little control, but with gentleness and compassion. Maybe plant based works, or maybe you need to eat fish, or dairy, or eggs, or whatever, too. You aren’t failing if you eat grains, or meat. Or Doritos! Lots of vegetables and minimal sugar is a good prescription for all of us, but so is eating a slice of your kid’s birthday cake. Eat to nourish, sustain, celebrate. And be gentle with yourselves. Ok. I’m done.
In spite of my rant, I have been eating vegetarian for a year now, due to an aversion to meat that hasn’t gone away (yet!). I’ll email some of my favorites. I’m all for diet experiments, so long as they feel sustainable emotionally. And so long as you can consume enough protein, fat and carbohydrates. Good luck!
Your soapbox is a pretty insightful and compassionate place. Love this post.
I appreciate your thoughts, but want to clarify your comment about food causing cancer. The World Health Organization has listed processed meats (salted, cured, smoked, etc. (including hot dogs)) as a class 1 carcinogen. That’s the same category as tobacco. No guarantee that you’ll get cancer if you eat lots of processed meat or smoke lots of cigarettes, but it certainly increases your risk. There is scientific evidence linking their consumption with cancer. Learn more on cancer.org or who.int.
Good morning!
Thank you! Your comment lead me down a really interesting rabbit hole- the WHO monographs containing their work looking at carcinogenic substances are all online (the Internet is amazing!) and super easy to find through the American Cancer Society (cancer.org). Jina is right- processed meats are a known, group 1 carcinogen for colorectal cancer. I learned something new- don’t eat hot dogs!
However. Jina’s kind comment actually underlines what I was trying to say. I keep running into a subtle version of victim blaming around cancer. The message is ‘You must have done something wrong (eaten hotdogs) because you have cancer.’ Maybe this is perpetuated by the strong correlation between cigarettes and lung cancer? I’m not sure. I’m all in favor of taking care of ourselves! By all means, eat vegetables! Exercise! Wear sunscreen! Don’t smoke (or eat hotdogs)! But you might still get cancer. And if you do, you probably won’t be able to pinpoint exactly why. So be gentle with yourself and each other.
We have done some pretty awesome family vacations. Last family vacation was to the big island of Hawaii. We stayed at an incredible place for kids/teens (Waikoloa village – incredible pools and slides here), did a luau, snorkeled in the BEST spot ever and saw soooo many fish it was like a bathtub full of color, drove to Hilo to see the more tropical side of the island as well as waterfalls, older kids did a night Manta Ray snorkel trip, and if you go to this island, don’t miss Holy Donuts (BEST donuts EVER!!) We’ve also taken our kids to Maui. Loved hiking there. If you go, I can give you names of hikes that I wouln’t miss.
My kids also loved Banff national park trip. We did canoeing on Louise. Fun but crowded. Liked the more laid back feel of Lake Minnewanka. Saw bighorn sheep right by the lake, skipped rocks, hiked…. We went on an incredible hike by Lake Minnewanka where we found a letterbox (we try and find one on every trip we take). Have you ever tried letterboxing? It makes hiking with kids so much funner. Like looking for clues along the hike and finding the stamp at the end. We have a notebook full of stamps from all of our different adventures. I would go back just to do this hike it was so beautiful. (Also did letterboxing in Hawaii)
If you ever want to do a vacation in Southern Utah, there are sooo many great hikes, stand up paddleboards and kayaks, jet skis and boats to rent on resevoirs amid the red rocks. Hiking all over red rocks with bright blue skies is incredible. Finish it off with an outdoor show at the Tuachan in St. George, a gorgeous outdoor ampitheatre set amid the red rocks. This is a yearly tradition for us. This year they are doing
Annie, Beauty and the Beast, and The Count of Monte Cristo. If you decide Southern Utah, I have lots more info I can give you!
when you say “snorkeled in the BEST spot ever” on the big island, can i ask where please? 🙂
Kahalu’u beach park. Rent gear nearby and go early so you get parking!
I look forward to hearing the vacation ideas because we really need a vacay too!! As for deodorant, I have LOVED Native deodorant. It actually works, doesn’t just cover up the smell, doesn’t make me itch, has nice fragrances (I like the linen & cotton- super neutral), and they sell it at Walmart! But it’s super expensive… hoping the price comes down soon!
Those quilts are gorgeous! Way to go! I’m a terrible finisher. Why is the last 10% of any project so hard?!?
Our favorite vacation has been the Black Hills in SD. We stayed in a hotel in Rapid City for 4 nights (I love vacations where you arent packing up and driving to new destinations every night) but had friends who found a cabin in Custer Park and they loved it too. So much to do the Black Hills, Custer Park, caves, Mt. Rushmore, etc.
I’ve been doing Trim Healthy Mama for 3 years now and that is a completely sugar free lifestyle. It’s definitely not vegetarian but there are vegetarian options to be found. I’m bringing it up though because if your friend needs a few treats here and there you can find tons of recipes sweetened with stevia, xylitol, etc. Search THM recipes on Pinterest. Prayers for your friend.
Oh the Black Hills are amazing! My family and I stopped there on our road trip to Yellowstone and it was amazing. I wish we had had more time to visit longer. Totally agree!
Look into @justingredients. I hear nothing but amazing things about her deodorant!
I use Tom’s lavender scent and it works great for me. Another brand made us break out and that was no bueno.
Way to go on Fancy Forrest!! A couple of my friends made that and it’s super cute. I made a quilt for my son a few years ago with 25 of those hedgehogs. I thought I was going to die. It was the hardest quilt I’ve ever made and won’t be doing it again. I like more simple quilts and I can crank them out a lot faster.
We didn’t let our 3 older boys get their driver’s license until they had earned their Eagle either and I was pushing them along too. So glad my 11 year old son won’t have to do that. Sometimes I wonder if it’s worth it but my husband got his and they do learn some good skills.
I second you on Schmidt’s deodorant ruining my underarm skin! I still have a rash a week after throwing it out. I really love the Crystal brand after trying many other natural brands. It’s all natural, works well and smells great (I use the lavender white tea scent). It’s the wet roll-on type. I’ve used it for ages and only bought Schmidt’s because they were out of Crystal.
Puerto Rico was one of our family’s favorite vacations. The Bio bay is a once in a lifetime experience. The rainforest has amazing hikes and waterfalls to play in. The beach. Old San Juan is so fascinating and the Castillo San Felipe del Morro is amazing and the views from there. Just go! Also, if you haven’t been to Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine–the Northeast, that’s a remarkable family trip. Mount Washington in the White Mountains of New Hampshire is something every family with teenage boys should experience. It’s a harrowing drive to the top where the weather is so erratic and the wind speed is the highest ever recorded that wasn’t associated with a tornado or hurricane.
Another Lume user here. I got baking soda burns from Native and Tom’s. Its the only one that has worked for me.
I started using Lume a year ago and LOVE it! Seriously, it’s like a miracle. I like how you can use it “down under” as well, so that is a game changer 🙂 I like the unscented one the best – it smells kind of yucky when it first comes out of the tube (I like the tube better than the stick), but that goes away in a minute.