Friday Thoughts: Speedy Speed Style
Hey friends! It’s time to pop back in with a speed style Friday Thoughts post because I have so many crazy things to talk to you about. And also, these posts are my favorite. And also, you guys are AWESOME. Your comments on these posts are golden. I come back to them over and over when I need some ideas (and laughs).
Today I’m going through a bullet list of things that have been on my mind. It’s kind of a lot. But don’t be scared. AND DO NOT LEAVE ME HANGING. I need some help and advice and friendship and support and chocolate. So answer all my questions, dang it. 🙂 Especially #7. Thanks.
You can catch all past Friday Thoughts posts here.
1. Glasses Thoughts: I ordered my first-ever pair of glasses online at Zenni Optical (unsponsored, not affiliated with them in the least) after hearing how inexpensive it could be. I was scared (my prescription is pretty gnarly with a really high astigmatism). I had to measure my pupillary distance (gulp). I succeeded (awkward miracle). I have wanted a pair of clear-ish frames for a while and love them so much. I’ve never received so many compliments on glasses before. You can see them in these IGTV videos. Here’s the link to the frames I ordered.
2. How to Teach Kids to Read Thoughts: my days of teaching kids, at least my own kids, to read are past (and it makes me kind of sad). With all five of my kids, I used this old school, simple, no frills book to teach them to read – aff. link. They are all varying levels and strengths of readers, but I can solidly say that this book gave each of them a really strong foundation for basic principles. It’s not exciting and colorful (I often bribed them with M&Ms to get through the first lessons until the pictures start appearing with the stories), but I love this book and am grateful I had it to teach my kids (they each started using it at different ages based on their individual personalities and learning styles, but it was anywhere from 4-6 years old for each of them). Anybody else used this book?
3. Bum Bum Cream Thoughts: Yes, you heard me right. Bum Bum Cream. (Heads up, lots of bikini-clad women on the website – you can also find it here on Amazon– aff. link) This stuff is magical and wow, it has a cult following. I’m sure I’m the last person on earth to know about it. And despite the name, it’s not really for your bum bum. At least I don’t think so. Ha. I use it as my go-to hand cream (along with this Capri blue lotion – aff. link). I’ve never had lotion that smelled so good. Like, people have actually come up to sniff me when I’m wearing it…which has made me think swiftly about discontinuing use, personal space issue alert, but I can’t because I love it. It’s soft and smooth and not greasy and perfect.
4. Signature Recipe Thoughts: I’ve been known to wax poetic about the value of having a signature recipe and how empowering that can be. A recipe that people know you by. A recipe people request and talk about. A recipe that basically makes you feel like a rock star. Not only is it kind of fun, but it also becomes a back-pocket recipe. Something you don’t even have to think twice about when you make it because it turns out perfect every time, and it can become a really easy go-to recipe to take anytime you need a stellar ________ (fill in the blank) recipe for that certain event or potluck or whatever. Plus before you know it, people will be saying things like “I really hope she brings her famous horseradish carrot jello salad tonight!” except of course I really hope no one actually has a horseradish carrot jello salad as their signature recipe.
I LOVE asking people what their signature recipe is. So here goes. What’s your signature recipe?? I think I have different signature recipes depending on the occasion, but one of them is definitely these super soft chocolate chip cookies and I make this fluffier than fluffy bread all the time to take to new neighbors/church members and peeps who just need a little thinking-of-you-here’s-a-loaf-of-bread-don’t-feel-guilty-about-eating-the-whole-loaf kind of pick me up. I also say it’s perfectly ok for your signature recipe to change over time (or every day).
5. Movie Thoughts: recently my two younger kids (ages 7 and 10) and I stumbled on this Miniscule: Valley of the Lost Ants movie, and holy cow, it was entertaining. I didn’t read anything about it before we started watching so I was slightly alarmed/bemused when I realized there was no talking in the movie at all, but my kids did not even notice. It was creative and funny and highly captivating. Also, I just watched the Hundred Foot Journey movie and quite liked it! I mean, yes, because it’s about food, but I enjoyed the personalities and story line (even though there was just one part that I can’t mention because of spoilers that had me side-eyeing the believability). Have you watched either of these?
6. Sunscreen Thoughts: I’m actually gearing up to do an updated suncare/sunscreen post related to my skin cancer and some updated products I’m using and things I’m doing to protect my skin and my family’s skin. But. I had to tell you about this supergoop unseen sunscreen that has completely rocked my world. It.is.amazing. I’ve been using it every day on my face (finding the right facial sunscreen is SO hard especially with an spf 40). It has the most interesting, lovely matte texture that feels like a primer (and I love it). Honestly, it’s one of those products I’m totally scared will ever be discontinued because it’s become such a huge part of my skincare regime.
7. Photo/Video Storage Thoughts: Ok, I’m almost done, but I just have a super big question for you. How do you store your personal/family digital photos and videos long term? On a cloud service? External hard drives? CDs? Haha, mostly kidding with that last one (ahem, says the one who has a bunch of cds stuffed with family pictures from the early 2000’s sitting in a closet somewhere). I’ve used external hard drives as a backup for our family photos/videos forever, but based on the fact that they can fail and/or a natural disaster could wipe them out, I think I need to explore a cloud service. However, the daunting task of uploading 17 years worth of digital pictures with subpar internet speeds has me holding back (as in, it would take years to upload them all). Am I missing another obvious solution? Help? Advice? Chocolate? Send it all.
That was a lot! Sorry for the brain dump! So much for “speed style” haha. If you made it to the end, just know I love your guts and am virtually sending you high fives and lots of cookies. Love your guts!
Oh wait, there’s more!
Friday Thoughts Update:
After the last Friday Thoughts post and your significant alarm at my game closet, a much-needed intervention took place. Behold the before and after. I’m actually happy (and completely and utterly shocked) to say that two months later, it still *mostly* looks like the new and improved version. Storing games on their sides is brilliant; thanks to the many readers who suggested that.
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.
Sunscreen: you may like Keys Solar Rx SPF Moisturizer Sunscreen (physical sunblock, not a chemical sunblock) —works well—I’ve been using this for 8 years. Keys Luminos Facial Moisturizer (for night—no sunscreen). The CEO/Founder tells her story of developing these products following her melanoma & subsequent skin issues from chemicals in rxs & skin products.
Keys has a kind of Alternative Naturals — jellied avocado oil (instead of petroleum jelly) skin products; also hair & body products & even a dog product line! They sell trial size packets to see if you like the products.
https://www.keyspure.com/
I looked at this site and products. They look wonderful! Also read the story behind the product development. Thanks for sharing this! I have a wonderful local (and they’ve been written up in Glamour: https://www.thegoodstuffbotanicals.com) source for some things, but they don’t make hair care products. And I might try the tinted moisturizer. The founder’s story about the chemicals in prescription and other skin products causing problems really resonates with me.
Liz—try mixing a tiny bit of your own foundation w/ a small amount of your sunscreen; may be a better match to your skin color than the Keys tinted sunscreen (they offer one tint).
Thanks for the suggestion KT. I actually tossed all cosmetics over the last year, tweaked diet a little (more Omega3 and VitD foods) and my skin responded. At any rate, I ordered samples from KeysPure – what a great option to try things!
Given my struggles finding glasses I like that fit well, that site is amazing…thank you. And, looking through your IGTV link…the clear frames are cool but I think you’re very striking in the dark frames.
That book for teaching reading seems to be popular around here. I need to get on it for the summer. My kindergartner is right on level but I’d like to see him ahead a little more before school starts in the fall.
Signature dish: probably my Spicy Molasses Cookies. They started from Pioneer Woman’s recipe but I’ve modified them enough that maybe they count as my recipe now??
Sunscreen: I always follow your sunscreen posts. It’s a big issue at my house with ingredient allergies and texture/sense/scent issues. But…$32 a tube? I don’t think I can do that. =(
Photo storage: they go from my phone, to backed up on my laptop, then laptop backed up on external hard drive. Maybe not enough protection but all the patience and time I have.
Thank you for the movie recommendation for my 5 yr old.
Hi, Mel! I feel your pain about photo storage! But, I am looking into Ibi – The Smart Photo Manager and plan to use it this summer, organizing photos!
Oh, I can’t wait to try that facial sunscreen. I have been looking for something, too!
It is odd, but, my signature cake is Duncan Hines yellow cake with my mother’s butter cream icing. My sons ask for it for every holiday! (especially birthdays)
Love, love, love your recipes!!!!
Thank you!
I love these questions. Please share results. I have been trying to find the
“how to teach your kids to read book for ages. I could never get the title right!! Thank you. And the games storage..genius. Thank you. I love your site SO MUCH.
When I saw #2’s title, I seriously thought it was going to be about reading minds. “Why on earth would you want to teach your kids how to read thoughts?!?”
That’s what I thought too! Haha! And then next, I would have to know how to read thoughts before I taught them … yikes!
🙂
#7 I store all my pictures on Shutterfly. I also use them for Christmas Cards, photo calendars, and family photo books. The storage is free.
Thanks, Krista!
First off, love your guts. We use Google photos and then to be extra safe, I download (every few months) the google photos onto my laptop. I also make sure my laptop is backed up with Carbonite.
Sounds like a great backup plan, Christine! Thanks for sharing!
I also use Google photos app… it stores videos too. I also use Shutterfly for my pics because you can order on-line from them. You can also set both to automatically upload all your future pictures to them so you never have to do a thing. 🙂
Hi Mel!! I love your Friday Thoughts posts!! To answer #7…we use Amazon cloud storage to store our photos and videos and it is great! We have it set to upload automatically every day. Yes! It did take some time to upload our years of pictures initially but we “set it and forgot it” and just let them load. It’s about $59 a year..totally worth it! Xoxo!
Thanks, Jamie! A lot of people have recommended Amazon for videos!
Hi Mel! My signature cake recipe is this one https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/raspberry-lemon-cake-recipe, and I hope you try it because I know you’ll LOOOVE it! There’s lemon curd! And lemon zest! And fresh raspberries! (Don’t skip those, the pop of juice mixed with the cake and frosting is unreal) I recommend using orange zest in place of the flavoring it calls for in the cake, and buttercream in place of the meringue frosting.
Whoa…that cake sounds amazing!! Can’t wait to check it out. Thanks, Sarah!
What a great conversation! I used How to teach your child to read book with all four children. It is amazing. (a lot of incentives for some of the kids who didn’t LOVE reading).
My hubby is an ophthalmologist so we haven’t used Zenni (but totally would if I didn’t have the sweet hookups) he doesn’t eat curry or anything with a strong smell for lunch to spare his patients (fairly sure he has popped a few comfort level bubbles).
I haven’t seen or read one hundred foot journey but can’t wait to check it out (second recommendation this week).
My signature dish, 10 years ago it would have been sticky chicken. Now, I love variety (thanks to you!) I wouldn’t say it was signature dish but my vegetarian friends were super sad when I didn’t bring lentil chili to a ward cook-off (I brought it the previous year…guess I know what is expected)
You are amazing! Thanks for all the wonderful food that comes into my home! My 13 year old son makes your French bread rolls every Sunday.
Haha, I laughed at the curry comment, Julie. And also, your 13-year old is seriously a rock star for making those rolls. My kids need to step up their bread baking game for sure!
My mother-in-law gave me that book for teaching your child to read, months ago, and I was like “this is great! I’ll look at it someday” and then it went on my bookshelf and I forgot about it. Then I was talking with my friend recently, and I learned that the schools here only teach kids to read by sight (my daughter starts kindergarten this fall) (I’m dying a little inside)(she’s my only kid) and I was like HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECK NO. Over my dead body will my kid not be able to recognize words phonetically.
So that’s the story of how this book has been sitting on my kitchen table, telling me to teach her to read everyday for the past two weeks, and I haven’t started it yet, but then you posted this about that exact book and I’m like “look, okay universe, I hear you, we’ll start tomorrow”.
And THAT’S the story of how m&ms have been added to my “run to the store” list for tomorrow.
Whoa. Yes. Sounds like the universe was doing some serious communicating with you!! Good luck. (And be sure to get some M&Ms for yourself…the first few lessons aren’t super fun for anyone, at least in our experience). Also, momma hugs for sending your kiddo to kindergarten. I know some moms rejoice; I’m the sad mom for a few days.
Google Photos is AMAZING! I had photos on a couple laptops, a desktop, and my phone. I got Google photos on each device, logged in on each device using my Gmail account, and now all photos are in one place. I pay Google $20/year for extra storage. I mostly take photos and videos with my phone, and they immediately backup to the Google photos cloud. The face recognition and search functions are incredible for finding old photos. The Google Photos app even makes videos and photo books for me. Definitely check it out. Also, I have heard from a few places recently that it is crucial to print hard copies of photos because digital ones will be “lost” in 20, 30, 50 years. Our kids and grandkids won’t know where to find them if we don’t print them. I LOVE Chatbooks for this but am looking into other options as well.
So, so many people saying google photos is where it’s at! I need to see if I can transfer over some of the photos I uploaded to google drive to google photos and then it would make sense. Thank you! And that’s interesting about digital photos not being around forever. That’s kind of scary.
Not sure I can take credit for a signature dish because 99% of the things I cook that get rave reviews come from your website ha, ha! I do have an easy chocolate cake recipe with buttercream icing that I found in a Canadian Living magazine years ago. It’s delicious and super easy. It’s the one thing I do get asked to bring whenever we have family birthday suppers at my mom’s.
Have you ever tried sunscreens by COOLA? I use COOLA Face Mineral BB Cream Matte Tint, Unscented, SPF 30 everyday and love it. It’s light and leaves my face face with a smooth matte finish and the tint just blends in and doesn’t leave any kind of strange colour on your skin. I’m very fair skinned and you can’t see it at all. It also comes untinted as well. The active ingredients are titanium dioxide and zinc. I’ve been using it for years on our trips to Mexico and our August trips to Florida and have never burned my face yet (and the August sun in Florida is no joke for this pale Canadian girl!). Granted I do always wear a hat as well which obviously helps. My dad had melanoma on his back which thankfully was caught early and was successfully removed so I do try to be extra careful.
https://coola.com/collections/face/products/mineral-face-spf-30-unscented-matte-finish-tint-sunscreen-lotion
Seriously, you can’t go wrong with a killer chocolate cake. I bet it’s fabulous! I haven’t tried that sunscreen company but I’ll definitely look into it! Thank you so much!
#2 That’s the best book\program for reading! Love it!
#7 We do cloud storage but we also do everything on chromebooks. Good luck.
Thanks, Marie!
I am so excited to read through #7, because I too am at a loss with what to do. This is my current system: Every time I clear my camera of pictures, I organize them by year, then month, into 3 spots: my computer and 2 separate external hard drives. The external hard drives go into my safe, which is fireproof for 2 hours. The reason that I have TWO external hard drives is that I have already had one (quite expensive one) fail. And my computer hard drive has failed before. Twice. So in my paranoia, I have 3 backup spots. None of them are ideal. My computer is so full that it is SLLLOOOOOW. And the external hard drives are cramping the space in my safe. I also don’t trust cloud sites. What if they go bankrupt? What if the site gets hacked and wiped out? Clearly there is no easy answer! And as far as my albums…I stopped printing years ago. Okay, on to something else. My signature recipe is probably a chicken curry recipe I adapted from allrecipes.com years ago to suit our taste. There are many people that don’t like it (like my meat-and-potatoes dad), but in my rural area of MN, many people are pleasantly surprised by how yummy something not made out of wild rice or tator tots can be. When I bring it to potlucks, I generally give out the recipe to quite a few people and return home with an empty pot. Sunscreen: I am frugal and use the generic Oil of Olay face cream with SPF at Walmart. I am going to be checking out that book and those movies. And I realize how blessed I am to have a family of 6, and NONE of us need or wear any kind of eye correction. We have other issues, believe me 🙂 Have a great week Mel!
I don’t think that’s paranoia – sounds like that’s straight up smart! And makes me feel better for having two external backups and a fireproof box, too. I’m also a little nervous about cloud systems, too. What to do?!? Love the curry signature recipe! Way to get people to eat outside of their comfort zones!
Mel, I love your website! I have made SO many of your recipes and passed them on to my family and friends as well. I also love looking at the products that you use and recommend and have bought several of those as well. And your family is SO cute and I do enjoy hearing about the fun things your kids are doing (now that mine are grown).
I feel like one of my best recipes is my macaroni and cheese – at least according to my family. And, dessert wise it would have to be my pecan tarts and butter cookies.
I love your “clear” glasses. They are super cute and very fashionable. My daughter has been encouraging me to try that style – I think I will now. Thank you so much, Mel, for sharing your recipes, your family life, and your faith. It’s so uplifting to read your blog and hear your stories.
Thank you so much for your kindness, Brenda! And you should definitely go for the glasses!! I bet they’ll be adorable on you. And coming from the least fashionable person ever, if I can pull them off, anyone can!
#4. These black bean brownies are delicious with whip cream or ice cream. https://showmetheyummy.com/black-bean-brownies/
#7. We have two external drives. We load all of our photos onto one of them and store at the inlaws. Every six months we load the second drive and replace it with the other one. This way if we have a fire I’m only losing 6 months of photos.
Thanks, Kathy!
oh, i forgot the hard part . . . the signatures! i love a signature or a repertoire.
at this moment in time, my signature is Angel Biscuits (Southern Living) that have been indestructible. the dough can sit up to 5 days in the fridge before baking and thus travels well in an ice chest; we jazz them up with a flavored butter or berry jam; they are perfect at any meal; we always make them for special occasions with company. they are also small and one is rich and nice but of course, you may eat as many as you wish. ho ho.
another signature is the Pioneer Woman’s Chocolate Pudding. i think she puts it in a pie shell. i serve it in cunning beakers with chopped and toasted burnt (toasted) almonds and freshly whipped cream. it is a crowd pleaser and i think i have friends come to stay with us because i make it for them. it is GF and best chilled. it is also the perfect dessert to take in to people when you’re bringing dinner. it is comfort and amazing.
a third signature is Popovers (Sunset). my mother grew up on popovers and we serve them for breakfast on her birthday, mother’s day, etc. so easy and special and yummy.
my husband’s signatures are steak tacos, mexican rice, and grilled honey chipotle shrimp.
Those angel biscuits sound so, so good! Do you use special flour for them? You have such wonderful signature recipes, Karen (your husband, too, yum!)!
i don’t use special flour. just all purpose and they are seriously indestructible. in fact, i make them in place of rolls now because my rolls are never over the top.
100 Foot Journey is one of my favorite movies! I love it! That lotion looks phenomenal!
Thanks, Karen!
You can back up your family pictures on Amazon prime photos, included in your prime membership. They can be set top automatically backup from your folder to Prime. It’s great! Dropbox is also good.
Lots of people recommending Prime in this comment thread! I had no idea!
I have been looking into your question #7 too. I found this Consumer Report article helpful.
https://www.consumerreports.org/digital-cameras-photography/best-cloud-storage-services-for-photos/
Yay! Thank you!
Hi Mel!
I will try to answer in order…
1. I have ordered 1 pair of glasses for my son from Zenni and was very pleased!! We will defiantly be ordering again. I wanted to make sure they were totally correct so I took them to my optometry office and they checked the Rx and all was correct.
2. Reading with my #1 was easy, she just seemed to pick it up but we are struggling with #2 but have started using I Can Fly in addition to what he is learning in school and we are seeing some good progress. The I can Fly books are geared toward kids with dyslexia but I really like to format!
3. I have not heard of Bum Bum Cream but my go to lotion is Vanicream and as a peds NP I am constantly washing my hands and this is the best I have found and I have tried LOTS of lotions/hand creams!
4. I would say my signature recipe is a white cheddar pimento cheese. Every time I make it for home or a party it disappears fast! My family requests it just as much as friends when we are having a party. It is great as a dip, on a sandwich or on top of chili. The second is my chocolate chess pie- it is my go to for gifts, treats, or anything last minute. I always have the supplies on hand! PS- I will be honored to share either or both recipes with you!
5……
6. My daily face cream from Rodan and Fields has an SPF and I as someone that burns very easily I am always thrilled how well it works weather I am just out and about or working in the yard. I also love the Trader Joe’s spray on sunscreen for the body and my kids don’t complain about it burning!
7.- I can’t wait to read the comments too!
Bum Bum is WAAAY too pricey for my budget. ///
My signatures are Southern Pecan Pralines, broccoli salad, and Ciera Pie (named for my granddaughter)-Caramel Pecan French Silk Pie (http://www.midwestliving.com/recipe/pies/caramel-pecan-french-silk-pie). Sounds very intimidating but actually pretty simple. I don’t use a whole jar of caramel, just enough to cover the bottom. ///
The One Hundred Foot Journey gets 5:5 stars from me./// My photos are also scattered; on One Drive (very slow and difficult to sort), PC, thumb drive called PhotoKeeper (I haven’t figured out a way to sort here either), now trying an external drive. Once sorted (probably in another lifetime) I think I will keep on an external drive and the thumb drive, but keep the the thumb drive in another location and try to remember to update it periodically. Would love to hear from someone who has successfully sorted hundreds of photos. I’ve thought of seeing if a student at one of the local colleges has a photography (?) student who needs to do a project…
Student intern sounds like a great idea for help sorting through photos! And that pie sounds AMAZING! Going to check out the link right now!
We did watch the 100 foot movie and enjoyed it. The other one looks fun even if we haven’t had kids in the house for a very long time 🙂
Signature dish….maybe my mac and cheese? I do love to bake though and people love my/your cinnamon rolls too and pretty much any baked good that’s homemade because homemade is always better than bakery.
Can you comment on the scent of the supergoop sunscreen? I cannot abide most fragrances and sunscreen has a smell. Like every product I try has a definite sunscreen smell that even the strongest of coconut cannot cover up and it gags me. As a result I wear sunscreen on tropical vacations and skip it the rest of the time. Terrible but true.
Hey Marcella! I feel like the scent on the supergoop is undetectable, at least to me. It’s unscented, technically, but there is a very slight hint of some scent – it just doesn’t bother me (and it isn’t gaggy like the scent of self-tanners and that kind of thing).
#3 “personal space issue alert” cracked me up. Andrew has the same issue. The first time he went to the eye dr, the dr. came up close to examine him and Andrew said, “Whoa! Too close! I have space issues and I prefer people from at 1000 feet away.”
Signature recipe- unfortunately broccoli salad 🙁 I used to love it but had issues with it during my 2nd pregnancy and now just can’t bring myself to eat it ever again. I get asked to make it for family dinners though.
Hahahahaha. Andrew and I. Soulmates. Eye doctor visits really challenge my personal space issues. And that’s a travesty that your signature recipe is one that you can’t stand anymore! I feel sad for you.
Wow, signature dish? My kids would probably say my chicken enchiladas or chocolate chip cookies or my cheesecake. I just love to cook and bake and I’m always trying your recipes plus ones from other blogs I follow. Your recipes truly are the best and your Quick and Easy Egg Roll Skillet is one of my favs lately. I can’t get enough of it! ( I add sliced water chestnuts to it, BTW).
Pics and storage are my worries too right now. What do I do with all the print pictures? I did buy a scanner, but then I’ m not sure what to do with the picture once I scan it…throw it away? Who’s going to care about my baby pics some day? Right now I use google drive and I have some pics on Shutterfly, but it’s so disorganized! And I want to be able to share pics with my kids who are adults and living on their own. I’m interested to read suggestions from your readers too!
Water chestnuts to that dish would be so good!! I’m going to try it even though Brian dislikes water chestnuts, crazy guy. I hear you on pics I scan in. Should I keep the original??? Lots of good suggestions in this thread about digital storage overall. I’ll compile a list and share in the next Friday Thoughts post.
The link to the book you mentioned for teaching kids to read isn’t working right. At least for me. It sent me to amazons home page. And I’m really interested! Please help!
Try this one: https://www.amazon.com/Teach-Your-Child-Read-Lessons/dp/0671631985/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=read+in+100+easy+lessons&qid=1557028775&s=books&sr=1-1
Thanks!!
Dropbox! We store all our digital photos in an external hard drive and I’m Dropbox. It’s worth the fee for peace of mind.
Also loved Hundred Foot Journey!
I have a dropbox account but never thought of storing my photos there!
I would have to say rolls-i have used several of your recipes (i love the cornmeal ones) and i love King Arthur flour and use their recipes A LOT!! Apple cake with Carmel frosting…to die for. I, too have photos everywhere…uhhh now stored on cd’s but….need to get organized with this…
That cake sounds divine! I love apple cakes in a big way (even though I’m a chocolate girl through and through).
Great post as usual. Even though I’ve been going you for like a decade (whoa) I’m still amazed that you take time to reply to comments. So awesome.
I love the unseen sunscreen too. Have you tried their matte version yet? It’s a physical sunscreen and I really want to try it but it’s tinted so I’ve held off, lots of tinted sunscreens are too orange for me. But I love the unseen one so it gives me hope for their matte version.
Thanks, Sarah! I have tried the tinted Elta MD sunscreen and it’s not my fave…so I”m wary about tinted sunscreens, too, but I’d love to find a really really good physical facial sunscreen.
One of my kids would say my signature dish is your shredded beef enchiladas and your snickerdoodles. Funny note, I’ve been cooking a lot less these last couple months, and I used to hear, “Mom, I’m tired of Mel having us try new stuff.” But recently it was, “Mom, dinners are really boring and don’t taste like much, can you starting using Mel again” . And as for the Back up feedback, this is also one of my heavy guilts. I feel overwhelmed. I have considered hiring it out to get me initially organized and updated. I have seen stuff like Miss Freddy and others on Instagram who charge a package deal to do so. Because I’m partially on old systems, the cloud, etc. It’s a mess. I do plan on adding an app to my phone that makes a deleting habit better. It’s called slidebox. A techy Instagrammer I follow uses it and I bet it’s good. Spoken like a true procrastinator to say I haven’t tried it yet. I promised myself this May I would and do other photo goals!
And have you heard of the stories podcast Six Minutes for kids? I’ve heard it’s really good and a good summer activity.
Haha, I’m sorry your kids were sick of all the recipes a while back! My kids also get tired of trying new stuff and sometimes I have to just put on my big girl pants and make spaghetti and tacos for them to keep them happy. 🙂 Thank you for the podcast recommendation! (Also for the app recommendation, interesting!)
I saw the Hundred Foot Journey movie before I read the book. It’s been a while on both accounts, but in this case, the movie is better than the book. As for Miniscule, I bet my kids would LOVE that! We live in eastern Europe and can’t get the same Amazon Prime movies over here that we had access to in the US. But, I have a 7 year old who would love that one, so I’m definitely going to look into it!
My signature recipe would probably be Tuxedo Cake from Annie’s Eats. I’ve been making it (or using the cake part of it) for YEARS. At a church fundraiser cake auction, it once sold for $80! It’s just a GREAT recipe! My daughter learned to make your breadsticks recently and that’s now her signature recipe–she makes them any time we need something bread-y with dinner!
I think I tried using that book to teach my older kids to read. But I never got past the first lesson or two. My 2 kids who went to public school were both reading before they went, with minimal effort from me. When I started homeschooling, we switched to All About Reading, which has been awesome for my kids.
I think I’ve made that cake but it’s been years! I’ll have to make it again! Thanks for reminding me.
I asked my husband what my signature dish was and he said “anything from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe” He knows you’re my food muse.
Ok, well this was the best and made me feel like a million bucks. seriously.
Hey Mel,
Any idea if the supergoop is a physical or chemical sunscreen?
Here’s the list from the website: -Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 8%, Octinoxate 4.5%, Octisalate 5%
-Red Algae: Protects against visible light, including blue light.
-Meadowfoam Seed Oil: Increases hydration levels, resulting in a more even skin texture.
-Diatomaceous Earth: Absorbs perspiration and excess oils.
-Extract of Frankincense: An anti-inflammatory that helps make the skin less sensitive to UV radiation.
I’m still on the search for a perfect facial sunscreen that is physical vs chemical.
I LOVE my Zenni glasses! I’ve been wearing them for over 4 yrs and payed less than $50 for them. I’ve gotten others I just don’t love them as much as my main pair. I read the book Hundred Foot Journey which the movie was based off of. I thought the book was good but lacking in my opinion. Yes, the main character got his Michelin stars but I felt he sold himself out. I feel like he lost his Indian food culture. He got those stars by making French food. I would have loved to see the book end with him going back to create high-end Indian food or integrating some of that into his restaurant. Those are just my thoughts.
No signature dish for me. I have some within my family but that about it. That would require time that I just don’t have to practice cooking.
I need photo/video storage!
I read the book Hundred Foot Journey which the movie was based off of. I thought the book was good but lacking in my opinion. Yes, the main character got his Michelin stars but I felt he sold himself out. I feel like he lost his Indian food culture. He got those stars by making French food. I would have loved to see the book end with him going back to create high-end Indian food or integrating some of that into his restaurant. Those are just my thoughts.
No signature dish for me. I have some within my family but that about it. That would require time that I just don’t have to practice cooking.
I need photo/video storage!
I kind of felt the same way about the movie storyline. I was a bit disappointed that he left his Indian roots and converted to French cooking, but I enjoyed the movie overall. I want to read the book, too.
Favorite recipe: homemade ice cream using recipes from the Ben & Jerry’s ice cream recipe book. They know a thing or two about it 🙂 My specialties are mint chocolate chip, coffee black walnut, and plain chocolate (the cooked version — Ben has a recipe and Jerry has a recipe, and I use the one where you have to melt the chocolate. As always, use good chocolate). Lots of chocolate chips in the MCC — of course. A little less coffee than the coffee recipe calls for. I usually make the mint chocolate chip bright emerald green, although once, for the Fourth of July, I made three batches — one each of red, white, and blue. Tip: Use a lot of food coloring; otherwise it’s a pale imitation of your cream, although it tastes the same. …. I use the Whynter ice cream maker. A little expensive, but no pro-freezing, no rock salt, no mess, just batch after batch after batch.
I have that book, Margaret! And now you’ve inspired me to dig it out and start making more recipes from it! I have a Whynter ice cream maker, too, so basically, I have no excuse. You inspired me!
I have friends who rave about it, but I could never get my kids into the 100 Lessons book (try as I might), but so far they’ve all managed to become pretty good readers.
I need photo/video storage advice too! I would really like to know the best way to put all our videos in one place for easy home movie watching.
Yeah, that book probably isn’t for everyone…and it definitely isn’t the only resource for good readers!
My signature dish depends on where I am. My kids teachers and the school staff all know me as the green salsa lady. The neighbors know me as the cinnamon roll girl….as for family and friends they just know I’m gonna make something yummy and always share.
We use One Drive for storage. It works with Microsoft 365 (I think) and has storage online separate from our own storage. I have back up with Apple iCloud too. Good luck!! My computer stores work data and personal stuff so we had to have something good to back up those things. We do have an external hard drive too that’s probably 5 years outdated.
Thanks for the tips on how you store things, Jessica! And I love that your signature dish revolves around your social circles. Main theme? You’re going to seriously deliver some yumminess no matter where you’re at. Love it!
My husband and I both wear Zenni glasses and have really liked them. My husband has had his for 3 years and they’re still in great shape! My prescription changes so I’ve ordered 3 pairs plus sunglasses and they’ve held up well. My face is thin and I do wish they had smaller adult glasses but the price is so amazing it’s fine.
We pay for extra Google Drive storage for our pictures and videos. We’ve had 2 external hard drives fail so I don’t trust them at all. Thanks for the Friday Thoughts! I love them too.
That makes me feel great about my Zenni purchase knowing you guys have been loving their glasses for years! My prescription changes every year, too, so I probably won’t get years and years out of one pair, but the price can’t be beat. I’ve been using Google Drive a bit and it’s working ok…I think mostly it kills me my internet is so slow.
My signature recipe is Caramel Corn. I can’t get by a family event without bringing it. I literally hear about it if I don’t have it. And I’ve received invites to events with written requests for a batch included. TRUTH! 🙂
Haha, this made me laugh! Caramel corn for the win!
I love the Friday thoughts posts! My signature recipe for family bbqs is baked beans from scratch in the slow cooker, and your chocolate quinoa cake. I started making the cake for a few family members with celiac disease and now everyone requests it because it is so good. Just a thought on teaching kids to read… not all 4 and 5 year olds have the eye development needed to read, especially boys who are slower in this area than girls, so if kids are not reading it may be because of normal eye immaturity. Also, some kids have problems with eye development. My niece was 9 and still wasn’t reading well even though she loved audiobooks. Her eye checkups at their regular eye dr were always normal until my sister found a developmental ophthalmologist who discovered that her eyes were not tracking together and she could only see three letters at a time and couldn’t see any punctuation. After 18 months of eye therapy she was reading at grade level, and not feeling stupid anymore!! Love your blog!!
Interesting about the eyesight, Stephanie! Thanks for sharing that! So helpful.
Sorry about the soapbox !!
We use Amazon Prime photos, although it doesn have a data limit for videos. Unlimited for photos though, and the ones we take on our phones are instantly uploaded.
That’s good to know, Lauren! Thank you!
Mel,
My children are 21, 18, & 14. I used the book Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons to teach each of them to read before they went into kindergarten. Getting through the lessons wasn’t always easy. And we had our share of “incentives” as well. : ) but it was totally worth it. I also used some of the concepts in my curriculum for my preschool that I taught for 14 years. However, it is definitely geared for one on one application. I think it is a fabulous book and I am happy to see it is still in print. I hope your readers will check it out!
Thanks, Jennifer! It may not be for everyone but it’s been a great resource for our family. Glad to know you enjoyed that book as well. 🙂
#7 My hubby is a computer guy, so he takes care of all the back-ups. We have a NAS (network attached storage) that does automatic backups and we also have a second back-up on an eternal hard drive that he keeps at work in case our house blows up! He brings it home from time to time to back stuff up. We are worried about privacy issues with using the cloud (especially Google).
#6 Face sunscreen: I’ve been using Elta MD Physical SPF 41 for years and LOVE it! One thing I love about it is that it uses physical blocks (zinc oxide and titanium dioxide) instead of chemical ones. What are your thoughts about that? I worry about the long-term effects of the chemical blocks.
I love these Friday thoughts!
Oh yes, I hear you on the sunscreen. I love Elta MD products (I use them a lot and almost exclusively until supergoop came into my life). I definitely try to use the zinc oxide and titanium dioxide sunscreens almost all of the time. I have struggled to find a great facial sunscreen that isn’t greasy (Elta MD has a pretty good one). Also, I wish me or Brian were super technical and could be considered “computer people” – NAS sounds amazing and way above my know-how. Haha.
Hi, I have never commented but have been using a ton of your recipes since my friend introduced me to your blog! I use google photos and with the amount I have stored it is $.99/month. It automatically backs up photos from my phone and that is cheap! My signature recipes are pecan stuffed, bacon wrapped dates and carrot cake, mmmmmmm. Thanks for all you do to make our eating delicious!!
Thanks for the comment, Katie! And for sharing your thoughts on google photos! And wow, your signature recipes sound AMAZING.
Love Zenni! And those clear frames are super cute.
I used that book when teaching my first to read– loved it. Got lazy with our 2nd and he picked reading up really well just by perusing the Bob books.
I feel like I need that bum bum cream in my life– worried that buying it on Amazon will get me a fake product though! Have you purchased there or direct from the company site?
Signature recipe…. hm, I have become known for my dinner rolls, for sure. People in the ward always ask me to bring those to events and potlucks. My homemade sourdough is another, and I’d say your spinach salad with the nuts and feta. So good.
I tried that super goop sunscreen when I got a sample of it and it is so good! Loved the feel of it. I also got a sample of Elta MD “UV clear” broad-spectrum spf 46 and was super impressed.
I use Amazon Prime photos for the unlimited photo storage and I pay for the upgrade that provides unlimited video storage as well. I love that the photos and videos are uploaded and saved automatically, and I can access them from anywhere. Very satisfied so far. Amazon isn’t going anywhere and all their cloud services are solid.
Hey Megan! I’ve bought the bum bum cream from both the sol de janeiro website and Amazon and never had a problem?? Homemade sourdough! AWESOME! That’s like super cool. Yes, the Elta MD sunscreens are awesome. I’ve been using them for years and love, love them. Thanks for the tip on Amazon Prime storage!
We use Amazon Photos for pictures! It’s free with prime membership and has unlimited storage! With the app on our phone, our phone pictures are automatically uploaded to the cloud. So nice that it’s completely hands-off to upload all the pictures. (And I take about a billion pictures of our cute kids every day, so even better that I don’t even have to think about uploading them!)
As for a signature dish, I have more of a signature category: dessert! The best part of the meal!
Haha, signature category! Yes! I love that!
Totally used 100 easy lessons. Cheesecake or cinnamon rolls or lasagna I think would be my signature. I use amazon drive for photo storage. It’s free unlimited photo storage with prime membership. I upload all my family movies to YouTube and make them unlisted so creepers can’t watch them. It takes awhile to back up at the beginning but isn’t too bad if you keep up on it now.
So many people using Amazon for photo storage! Where have I been!
Your Friday posts are always so fun and interesting! As for teaching children to read, I think reading to them daily and having an abundance of books available for them to read and browse through will spark their interest. Glad to read all the pointers on #7. That’s something I need to do. The movie Hundred Foot Journey is great! Signature dish:
probably rolls, cinnamon rolls and potato salad and most all of your cookie recipes!!!
I love your thoughts on reading! So true!