I just wanted to pop back in and say a heartfelt thank you to all of you who shared words of encouragement and comfort - so grateful for all of you. Have a lovely long weekend, friends.
Hi Swipes! I have goals of engaging more here, making time to read through the comments and commenting on your comments and possibly posting myself. It is of course Saturday morning now and not Friday and maybe that will work better for me, we'll see. Also, being on my computer instead of my phone seems to be helpful as well.
Anyway, I signed up for the Galentine's Day exchange and am excited about that. Now what to add to my wishlist... :)
That Target TikTok is definitely me. I always feel like I deserve an award when I go in and only get the items I meant to get.
Erin's Hope Archaeology email she sent this week was so good. I have recently had the desire to get back to my gratitude journal, starting the day with 10 things I'm thankful for, usually from the day before. Ever since last summer and the loss of my cousins, I have struggled with engaging in this practice as well as really connecting to God through Scripture and most definitely prayer. I seem to slowly be coming back to Him via gratitude and I know it helps my attitude as well as just helps me recognize the good around me, even when things can feel so hard. Anyway, I have a separate "hope list" going as well which could really just be treasures or things I'm grateful for as well.
So, my current hope list for the week:
My oldest having her license for a year and helping pick up siblings when needed
Snuggles with our dog, Cece, who we've had for almost a year
This awesome egg chair that we ended up getting two of because the first had some minor tears in it and they sent a 2nd free of charge.
I read a book and took a nap in the one on our screened in porch the other day when it was in the 50s here. The 2nd is currently in our LR but will be moved outside at some point.
Putting things together myself (like said egg chairs)
Productive days
Afternoon coffee
Twix
Warm winter days
Sunsets over our tiny lake
A student who used to never speak in small or large groups answered a question in front of the large group the other night in such a thoughtful way.
Dinner out for sushi for my daughter's 17th birthday and everyone being in a good mood and loving it.
Same daughter having a friend over for her birthday when she hasn't been the one to ask friends over much lately.
My kids really liking each other and laughing together
Laughter
First real snow at our new house
Good books - currently reading Under the Whispering Door, though it's good, definitely not as good as The House in the Cerulean Sea - I'm wanting to finish to move on to the next books I have.
That's all, Internet friends. Have a great weekend!
I am telling you guys. I have never been as blessed as I was last week when so many strangers on the internet stood behind me and said, "We see you. We believe in you. We're here to help you." I am so thankful for everyone who ministered to me through that classroom wishlist.
My life feels very hard right now, and it was an incredible gift from God to see such a happy thing happen. I'm going to share what's going on in my life partly so we can get to know each other and partly so I can ask for prayer!
Coming back to teaching from being on leave was hard. I went on leave because my son (11, autistic, adorable, hilarious) was having such intense anxiety that he literally wasn't able to go to school. He has incredibly bad separation anxiety, largely in part to the fact that when he moved in with me through foster care at 2 years old... I was already his 8th mom. He spent years being terrified of having to go to a new mommy. But at school, for K-4 he had been in the same building as me. He could handle separating for the day because he knew I was still there and he would see me in the hallways. But now that he's in 5th grade, he is at the school down the street. And he could not handle that. I was dragging him into the building every day, he was trying to run away... it was awful. So we took a break from school for 3 months to readjust some things and he is doing so much better now.
But my mental health tanked while I was on leave. Teaching has already been so hard the past few years. And then this year I have some of the most difficult behaviors I've ever dealt with. The closer we got to going back to school, the more anxious and depressed I got. But I'm seeing a therapist now and I'm doing much better than I was a month ago!
And then we get to today. Today I got an urgent call from the high school that I need to come pick up my oldest daughter. She is cutting herself and saying she wants to kill herself. She was adopted from foster care as well and definitely went through the highest amount of trauma. She also inherited some mental health struggles from her biological parents. She was just hospitalized in November for suicide issues and I thought she was doing a lot better, but she said she's just been pretending to be okay. I'm in the process of getting her admitted to an inpatient facility as I type. This will be her 5th stay in acute care (short term) for suicide attempts or suicide ideation, and they're saying she might do better moving into a residential facility. So that's overwhelming to think about.
And then I have a middle kid that is thankfully pretty chill at the moment. Haha.
So... when I say I was overwhelmingly thankful for all the wishlist items... it seriously blessed beyond belief! We were needing a bright spot.
Good morning friends! (Well, it's still morning here in California 😏)
The tweets have been *pure gold* the last few weeks Erin. The tweet about the exclamation points is me. 😂 I have been off twitter for the last few months, and this makes me feel like I'm not missing out on anything. Also, I am V V excited bout the Galentines gift exchange! Thank you Jillian for doing the Lord's work. 😂🥰
🛫 Tomorrow my husband and I will fly from LA to Chico (NorCal) to see some of his best friend's family and their kids. They are lovely people, but I've probably only spent 10 hours total with them over the last 6ish years we've been together. I am an extrovert (and a people person), but I'm feeling a bit of social anxiety thinking about spending the weekend with people that I don't know super well (and who don't know me). We're also staying with them and won't have a car, so there won't be a lot of alone time for my husband and I. And maybe it's a little bit of Covid anxiety too? Anyway, I would covet your prayers for peace (and fun!) this weekend.
💪 I am trying out Noom for the first half of the year! (Okay, I actually paid for 5 months up front, so I am probavly a little more committed than just "trying it out" 😂). I've never had a regular exercise routine, and I definitely have never paid any attention to calories, so it's a big shift for me. BUT I am reminding myself that my main goal here is wanting my clothes to fit better and to develop a more nourishing relationship with my body. I am (very) cautiously optimistic. 🤞
👣 I have been taking an early morning walk for the last three days in a row! As someone who normally wakes up at 7:30 and rolls out of bed about an hour later, being awake and outside at 6:55(!) has made me SO proud of myself. Just wanted to share a fun win here, because I know it's a great place to celebrate the small stuff. 😊
This feels like a silly question, but I started to make a wishlist for the Galentine's exchange as instructed and immediately got overwhelmed. So, what kinds of things do people usually put on their lists? Actual items or just, like, "I like Star Trek and snacks"? Also, re: the PhD tweet, one of the best things about finishing vet school was being able to say "dammit Jim, I'm a doctor, not a (fill in the blank)", so I get it.
I had a plumbing situation this week that I thought/desperately hoped I could fix myself. It then turned into a Situation and I finally had to admit defeat and call my landlord. I wasn't sure my dignity would recover but then he complimented my resourcefulness so I guess I can still show my face. (My response was that I'm a 31-year-old single lady, I do what I gotta do.) Have I mentioned recently how much I'm over trailer life?
I just got off the phone with my mom, who is trying to figure out if it's possible to get my 83 year old grandmother who refuses to get vaccinated from NM to KY safely for my cousin's college graduation. I told I thought it was basically a crapshoot, but hey, at least she wears a mask. 🙄
I've been watching season 2 of A Discovery of Witches this week. I actually liked it better than the first season - it was longer so they didn't cut as much of the book, and I still think they miscast Diana, but I do think she improved in season 2.
Good morning, lovelies! Just got my booster, and I am ready for the weekend. I didn't sleep enough last night (story of my week), so I am tired, but am trying to take it easy on myself (like going for a walk instead of pushing through a run like I had planned).
Crossing guard duty is fun, but no crazy stories (yet!).
Last week it was -20, this week we actually hit 40 and now its snowing. January, it is a whole situation. Just. Get. Through. January.
My anxiety is not my friend this week. All things Covid. It is raging in schools, at my work, its a lot. Last night we took rapid tests (thankfully available for free from our schools) and all came back negative. We will be doing them again tomorrow. Figure next week it will also be an every other day situation while this latest local surge declines. Also we have our teenager scheduled for his Booster o' Pfizer next week. Let's hope we get there without a positive test result in our house.
But green toned treasures for the week:
1. Cupcakes -- A coworker has brought me 3 this week. I have shared them with others. It has been a delight
2. Laughing with my teenager as we packed some of the items of his room. Some of his antics made me laugh so hard I had to leave the room as I was convinced I was going to pee my pants. When your kid's humor makes you test your pelvic floor strength that is a blessing in disguise.
3. My Libby app is keeping me going. I have big goals of finishing 2-4 books over the long weekend. I'm going to be hitting more goals on my PopSugar 2022 list. WOOT. Sorry, I love a book challenge. Currently loving Moxie and will watch the Netflix movie once done :)
4. Watching Drew Barrymore have a Zoom date with one of my favorite Top Chef alum Sam Talbot. Yes, let me watch two beautiful people flirt. It's a delight.
5. Still continuing my binge of Call the Midwife on Netflix. This show is such a comfort. I'm on S9 now. I wish S10 was available on Netflix as I know in the uk they are showing S11.
6. The joy of seeing fellow swipe Danielle rocking power lips.
Well needing to pour myself a cup of ambition.
Wishing everyone the best weekend available to them!
I subscribed maybe a year ago and then deleted that email address. So here I am again! I have felt a deep sense of lack of community for the last few months and it’s been creeping up for years so I’m looking forward to the Galentine swap and I hope to participate here on the Fridays I remember to!
I’m going to start with turds because I like ending on a happy note.
💩#1 - I got the booster Monday (10th) and went through a ROUGH night that first night. Since then I’ve had visual migraines, headaches and occasional nausea. Today is marginally better. So I’m hoping to finally be past it! Anyone else have this experience with their booster?
💩#2 - My daughters school is WAY down in attendance because of COVID and I’m holding my breath so hard I’m probably going to pass out. My husband can’t have the vaccine for health reasons and she’s under 5. So the dodgeball post is a REALITY. I feel like I’m one of two people in the middle and I’m wearing roller blades on ice trying to dodge the balls. Also, I’ve been smacked in the face playing dodgeball. So I don’t want the COVID version of that please and thank you.
💩#3 - WHY are all of my favorite celebrities dying? 2022 better stay away from Patrick Stewart, and David Suchet. I’m going to WEEP if my fantasy gay dads* get taken away.
My treasures list is gunna be a little wordy. Apologies now.
👨🏻⚕️I have suffered from back pain for years now and haven’t been encourage to go get it addressed, OR I had no money to do so until now. I’ve gone to the chiropractor for about 4 adjustments now and guys…. I’m not a huge convert or anything. I like seeing healthcare as a mix of natural and medical science combined. But already I can bend over and pick things up without much pain. My neck has more range of motion and over all I just feel so much better. If you have tried just about everything or are reluctant to go to a chiropractor, DO IT. Even if it’s just a consultation. I’d highly recommend one that takes X-rays and walks you through what a healthy spine looks like so you can be more informed about your body. I’ll probably post updates. The (💩#2) part is I have all this stuff to do at home. I have ADHD and I’m NOT good at keeping up with any prescribed regimen. I can’t even finish out a round of antibiotics. So it’s going to be rough making myself walk around with weights on my head, checks, and pelvis and do stretches etc.
📺 Tiktok finally figured out my ideal FYP and gave me this beauty yesterday. If you have an anti social, awkward as F*ck dad who hangs around like a ghost at family gatherings or events, enjoy.
📀 I make Spotify playlists for every season now. I think I started doing it last spring and I’ve got one put together for winter. It helps me be a little less grumpy and might be good with a #stupidwalk if you’re going out on those. I haven’t paired the two together yet. I have a little surprise for the Schitts creek fans among us. 😜
* *I probably should explain my Patrick Stewart / David Suchet thing above. A few months ago I rewatched the parent trap with Lindsey Lohan with my four year old. (She thought it was funny but had SO many questions). And it sparked a conversation with my sisters about how we all wished Dennis Quaid was our dad after watching it as kids. (Daddy issues much?) And THEN we proceeded to cast our fictional parents with celebrities. I decided that while I could see Patrick Stewart being my dad, I couldn’t see Maggie Smith as my mom being the best dynamic for parents. So I chose David Suchet and added the additional fiction of Pat and David being gay. DON’T SAY IT WOULDN’T WORK. Can you just IMAGINE being read stories by either one of them at night as a kid!? Or the places you would get to go!? On set for Star Trek, AND the X men series AND Poirot. Damnit. They had better be in the heavenly Starbucks some day. That’s all I can say.
Anyway. Happy Friday peeps. Go watch an episode of Poirot with a mug of earl grey and I’ll see you next week 💛
Hey all! I’m never up here in these comments but this is a treasure I had to share! A whole thread of dogs refusing to either go on walks or continue walks and the DRAMA and hilarity is too good: https://twitter.com/alikodjak/status/1481630936227885062?s=24
Those tweets were 💯 and I felt each one deeply. I especially love John Green. What would the world be like without him or Hank? I don’t even want to fathom.
I am coming to you all from Sandpoint, ID. If you saw my comment last week, you’ll know I was deeply concerned about taking this last minute trip. It has caused a lot more stress than I would have liked - I don’t think I will ever plan a trip in less than a week ever again - but we were able to have a night by ourselves at the lake house before everyone else gets here. Being able to make an easy dinner, sit in the hot tub for a while, and then watch some tv was a very nice way to spend the evening. If you’re able and willing, I would appreciate prayers/ good vibes/ kind thoughts to my BIL this weekend. The last three times I have seen him he has been, basically, insufferable. Short tempered, rude, and angry to the point of constant yelling. If he is that way again this weekend, I have made it clear to my husband that I am not having any of it and I will duke it out with his brother if need be.
Also, anyone have any creative ideas for how to mess with an abusive ex-husband? Asking for a friend. Literally. Like I am thinking signing up his email for a bunch of random subscriptions and signing up his address for magazines or maybe putting a flyer around town with his number on it offering ~services~ so that people call him constantly. This is the man who * EMAILED * his wife to divorce her and also signed that email off with, “Kind Regards” and is continuing to gaslight her so I’m about just ready to make him a eunuch if you know what I mean.
Been a tough week. But I’m glad to be here with you all. ♥️
Hi friends! It has been ages and I miss your faces. Echo Jenny’s sentiments of being glad to see snippets of your lives on IG, and still keeping up
💕Excited for 2nd Annual Galentine’s! This brightens my post-holiday blues and I love love love seeing what you all gift each other 🥰🥰
🍲 I have a 2022 intention to enjoy cooking a little more (which, for me, comes from cooking for others), so meal swaps to the rescue! Jackie kindly swapped a delicious Antoni recipe with me, and I made falafel bowls and some frittata. Looking to do this more to beat leftover boredom, and it was also so nice to share a meal when I am usually dining with B 🐾
📱Morgan Harper Nichols had a genius hack for using notes on an iPhone and combatting scrolling. I’ve been enjoying capturing snippets and took some of her art to make it pretty. If you want a digital organizing hack and this is your jam, highly recommend - https://www.instagram.com/morganharpernichols/p/CYUKT-aFtv_/?utm_medium=copy_link
📖 I have been looooving the Bible Project app that got released this year - so much interactivity and links to exploring and reading that has matched my reading plan. If you are a Bible nerd, cannot recommend this enough
🌴 The Christmas season was very stressful, painful, not restful for me, and I am finally getting to take some time off next week! Cannot wait to play and restore a little ☺️☺️
🖼 Encanto wrecked me in the best way, cannot recommend enough. We Don’t Talk About Bruno has been in my head all week, and these Tiktoks made me laugh so hard -
I have an update to my marital issue with my husband last week. All of you had such good advice and I it was so nice to hear from so many different perspectives on the issue. I ended up using a little something from each of you and it turned out so well! We compromised and spent one night at my parents house and one night at our house, and then the dog went home. There was no fighting or anything! And after having the dog in our house for about 24 hours I finally realized that we are not yet equipped to be dog owners. Maybe one day in the far future, but I will definitely stop bugging my husband about it for now. Overall, it was a win!
Okay, that's all for this week! Can't wait to catch up in the comments!
Happy Friday friends! It's been a slow week around here as I prepare to start classes again Tuesday. The goal is to complete 3 classes this semester and only have an 1 class + my capstone portfolio left in the fall!! The library I'm working out of is curbside only, so I'm trying to make the most of the free time I have at work.
✨Treasures:
📚I've been a part of the MMD bookclub for years and it's always a delight. Yesterday we met to hear the staffs best books of 2021- I just love being with book people!!
🌨NC is supposed to get some winter weather this weekend and I'm here for it! I will happily be staying at home and enjoying the excuse to not leave my house.
🎂So far it's been a pretty positive first two weeks of 2022 and I'm so thankful. I came into the year with a lot of fear an anxiety and have felt like these two weeks have been a reminder that God is good and that just because we're in the same season of the year doesn't mean I'm in the same season emotionally.
I just wanted to pop back in and say a heartfelt thank you to all of you who shared words of encouragement and comfort - so grateful for all of you. Have a lovely long weekend, friends.
Hi Swipes! I have goals of engaging more here, making time to read through the comments and commenting on your comments and possibly posting myself. It is of course Saturday morning now and not Friday and maybe that will work better for me, we'll see. Also, being on my computer instead of my phone seems to be helpful as well.
Anyway, I signed up for the Galentine's Day exchange and am excited about that. Now what to add to my wishlist... :)
That Target TikTok is definitely me. I always feel like I deserve an award when I go in and only get the items I meant to get.
Erin's Hope Archaeology email she sent this week was so good. I have recently had the desire to get back to my gratitude journal, starting the day with 10 things I'm thankful for, usually from the day before. Ever since last summer and the loss of my cousins, I have struggled with engaging in this practice as well as really connecting to God through Scripture and most definitely prayer. I seem to slowly be coming back to Him via gratitude and I know it helps my attitude as well as just helps me recognize the good around me, even when things can feel so hard. Anyway, I have a separate "hope list" going as well which could really just be treasures or things I'm grateful for as well.
So, my current hope list for the week:
My oldest having her license for a year and helping pick up siblings when needed
Snuggles with our dog, Cece, who we've had for almost a year
This awesome egg chair that we ended up getting two of because the first had some minor tears in it and they sent a 2nd free of charge.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/allen-roth-Brennfield-Woven-Metal-Stationary-Conversation-Chair-s-with-Cushioned-Seat/1002647618
I read a book and took a nap in the one on our screened in porch the other day when it was in the 50s here. The 2nd is currently in our LR but will be moved outside at some point.
Putting things together myself (like said egg chairs)
Productive days
Afternoon coffee
Twix
Warm winter days
Sunsets over our tiny lake
A student who used to never speak in small or large groups answered a question in front of the large group the other night in such a thoughtful way.
Dinner out for sushi for my daughter's 17th birthday and everyone being in a good mood and loving it.
Same daughter having a friend over for her birthday when she hasn't been the one to ask friends over much lately.
My kids really liking each other and laughing together
Laughter
First real snow at our new house
Good books - currently reading Under the Whispering Door, though it's good, definitely not as good as The House in the Cerulean Sea - I'm wanting to finish to move on to the next books I have.
That's all, Internet friends. Have a great weekend!
As a Chelsea fan I love the last gif.
I am telling you guys. I have never been as blessed as I was last week when so many strangers on the internet stood behind me and said, "We see you. We believe in you. We're here to help you." I am so thankful for everyone who ministered to me through that classroom wishlist.
My life feels very hard right now, and it was an incredible gift from God to see such a happy thing happen. I'm going to share what's going on in my life partly so we can get to know each other and partly so I can ask for prayer!
Coming back to teaching from being on leave was hard. I went on leave because my son (11, autistic, adorable, hilarious) was having such intense anxiety that he literally wasn't able to go to school. He has incredibly bad separation anxiety, largely in part to the fact that when he moved in with me through foster care at 2 years old... I was already his 8th mom. He spent years being terrified of having to go to a new mommy. But at school, for K-4 he had been in the same building as me. He could handle separating for the day because he knew I was still there and he would see me in the hallways. But now that he's in 5th grade, he is at the school down the street. And he could not handle that. I was dragging him into the building every day, he was trying to run away... it was awful. So we took a break from school for 3 months to readjust some things and he is doing so much better now.
But my mental health tanked while I was on leave. Teaching has already been so hard the past few years. And then this year I have some of the most difficult behaviors I've ever dealt with. The closer we got to going back to school, the more anxious and depressed I got. But I'm seeing a therapist now and I'm doing much better than I was a month ago!
And then we get to today. Today I got an urgent call from the high school that I need to come pick up my oldest daughter. She is cutting herself and saying she wants to kill herself. She was adopted from foster care as well and definitely went through the highest amount of trauma. She also inherited some mental health struggles from her biological parents. She was just hospitalized in November for suicide issues and I thought she was doing a lot better, but she said she's just been pretending to be okay. I'm in the process of getting her admitted to an inpatient facility as I type. This will be her 5th stay in acute care (short term) for suicide attempts or suicide ideation, and they're saying she might do better moving into a residential facility. So that's overwhelming to think about.
And then I have a middle kid that is thankfully pretty chill at the moment. Haha.
So... when I say I was overwhelmingly thankful for all the wishlist items... it seriously blessed beyond belief! We were needing a bright spot.
Good morning friends! (Well, it's still morning here in California 😏)
The tweets have been *pure gold* the last few weeks Erin. The tweet about the exclamation points is me. 😂 I have been off twitter for the last few months, and this makes me feel like I'm not missing out on anything. Also, I am V V excited bout the Galentines gift exchange! Thank you Jillian for doing the Lord's work. 😂🥰
🛫 Tomorrow my husband and I will fly from LA to Chico (NorCal) to see some of his best friend's family and their kids. They are lovely people, but I've probably only spent 10 hours total with them over the last 6ish years we've been together. I am an extrovert (and a people person), but I'm feeling a bit of social anxiety thinking about spending the weekend with people that I don't know super well (and who don't know me). We're also staying with them and won't have a car, so there won't be a lot of alone time for my husband and I. And maybe it's a little bit of Covid anxiety too? Anyway, I would covet your prayers for peace (and fun!) this weekend.
💪 I am trying out Noom for the first half of the year! (Okay, I actually paid for 5 months up front, so I am probavly a little more committed than just "trying it out" 😂). I've never had a regular exercise routine, and I definitely have never paid any attention to calories, so it's a big shift for me. BUT I am reminding myself that my main goal here is wanting my clothes to fit better and to develop a more nourishing relationship with my body. I am (very) cautiously optimistic. 🤞
👣 I have been taking an early morning walk for the last three days in a row! As someone who normally wakes up at 7:30 and rolls out of bed about an hour later, being awake and outside at 6:55(!) has made me SO proud of myself. Just wanted to share a fun win here, because I know it's a great place to celebrate the small stuff. 😊
⭐️ This TikTok made me laugh so hard in bed, I almost woke up my sleeping husband: https://www.tiktok.com/@potatosauraus/video/7049878539717512495?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id6948535749693408773
And Harry Potter one is *chefs kiss* https://www.tiktok.com/@promawhatup/video/7048640862011559215?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id6948535749693408773
Lastly, my local target finally carries O&J press-ons! 🙌 I have some on now, and I am liking them a lot.
Okay, I hope you all have some peace and rest in your weekend. Can't wait to chat more in the comments! 💕
This feels like a silly question, but I started to make a wishlist for the Galentine's exchange as instructed and immediately got overwhelmed. So, what kinds of things do people usually put on their lists? Actual items or just, like, "I like Star Trek and snacks"? Also, re: the PhD tweet, one of the best things about finishing vet school was being able to say "dammit Jim, I'm a doctor, not a (fill in the blank)", so I get it.
I had a plumbing situation this week that I thought/desperately hoped I could fix myself. It then turned into a Situation and I finally had to admit defeat and call my landlord. I wasn't sure my dignity would recover but then he complimented my resourcefulness so I guess I can still show my face. (My response was that I'm a 31-year-old single lady, I do what I gotta do.) Have I mentioned recently how much I'm over trailer life?
I just got off the phone with my mom, who is trying to figure out if it's possible to get my 83 year old grandmother who refuses to get vaccinated from NM to KY safely for my cousin's college graduation. I told I thought it was basically a crapshoot, but hey, at least she wears a mask. 🙄
I've been watching season 2 of A Discovery of Witches this week. I actually liked it better than the first season - it was longer so they didn't cut as much of the book, and I still think they miscast Diana, but I do think she improved in season 2.
Good morning, lovelies! Just got my booster, and I am ready for the weekend. I didn't sleep enough last night (story of my week), so I am tired, but am trying to take it easy on myself (like going for a walk instead of pushing through a run like I had planned).
Crossing guard duty is fun, but no crazy stories (yet!).
Good read lately: The Flat Share
Favorite stranger Insta this week: https://instagram.com/thepasinis?utm_medium=copy_link
Off to find a post-jab-pastry and go mop my floors. Be jealous! 🤪
Gooooooood Morning from Minnesota.
It's snowing.
Last week it was -20, this week we actually hit 40 and now its snowing. January, it is a whole situation. Just. Get. Through. January.
My anxiety is not my friend this week. All things Covid. It is raging in schools, at my work, its a lot. Last night we took rapid tests (thankfully available for free from our schools) and all came back negative. We will be doing them again tomorrow. Figure next week it will also be an every other day situation while this latest local surge declines. Also we have our teenager scheduled for his Booster o' Pfizer next week. Let's hope we get there without a positive test result in our house.
But green toned treasures for the week:
1. Cupcakes -- A coworker has brought me 3 this week. I have shared them with others. It has been a delight
2. Laughing with my teenager as we packed some of the items of his room. Some of his antics made me laugh so hard I had to leave the room as I was convinced I was going to pee my pants. When your kid's humor makes you test your pelvic floor strength that is a blessing in disguise.
3. My Libby app is keeping me going. I have big goals of finishing 2-4 books over the long weekend. I'm going to be hitting more goals on my PopSugar 2022 list. WOOT. Sorry, I love a book challenge. Currently loving Moxie and will watch the Netflix movie once done :)
4. Watching Drew Barrymore have a Zoom date with one of my favorite Top Chef alum Sam Talbot. Yes, let me watch two beautiful people flirt. It's a delight.
5. Still continuing my binge of Call the Midwife on Netflix. This show is such a comfort. I'm on S9 now. I wish S10 was available on Netflix as I know in the uk they are showing S11.
6. The joy of seeing fellow swipe Danielle rocking power lips.
Well needing to pour myself a cup of ambition.
Wishing everyone the best weekend available to them!
Mel
I subscribed maybe a year ago and then deleted that email address. So here I am again! I have felt a deep sense of lack of community for the last few months and it’s been creeping up for years so I’m looking forward to the Galentine swap and I hope to participate here on the Fridays I remember to!
I’m going to start with turds because I like ending on a happy note.
💩#1 - I got the booster Monday (10th) and went through a ROUGH night that first night. Since then I’ve had visual migraines, headaches and occasional nausea. Today is marginally better. So I’m hoping to finally be past it! Anyone else have this experience with their booster?
💩#2 - My daughters school is WAY down in attendance because of COVID and I’m holding my breath so hard I’m probably going to pass out. My husband can’t have the vaccine for health reasons and she’s under 5. So the dodgeball post is a REALITY. I feel like I’m one of two people in the middle and I’m wearing roller blades on ice trying to dodge the balls. Also, I’ve been smacked in the face playing dodgeball. So I don’t want the COVID version of that please and thank you.
💩#3 - WHY are all of my favorite celebrities dying? 2022 better stay away from Patrick Stewart, and David Suchet. I’m going to WEEP if my fantasy gay dads* get taken away.
My treasures list is gunna be a little wordy. Apologies now.
👨🏻⚕️I have suffered from back pain for years now and haven’t been encourage to go get it addressed, OR I had no money to do so until now. I’ve gone to the chiropractor for about 4 adjustments now and guys…. I’m not a huge convert or anything. I like seeing healthcare as a mix of natural and medical science combined. But already I can bend over and pick things up without much pain. My neck has more range of motion and over all I just feel so much better. If you have tried just about everything or are reluctant to go to a chiropractor, DO IT. Even if it’s just a consultation. I’d highly recommend one that takes X-rays and walks you through what a healthy spine looks like so you can be more informed about your body. I’ll probably post updates. The (💩#2) part is I have all this stuff to do at home. I have ADHD and I’m NOT good at keeping up with any prescribed regimen. I can’t even finish out a round of antibiotics. So it’s going to be rough making myself walk around with weights on my head, checks, and pelvis and do stretches etc.
📺 Tiktok finally figured out my ideal FYP and gave me this beauty yesterday. If you have an anti social, awkward as F*ck dad who hangs around like a ghost at family gatherings or events, enjoy.
https://vm.tiktok.com/TTPdMKRhbY/
📀 I make Spotify playlists for every season now. I think I started doing it last spring and I’ve got one put together for winter. It helps me be a little less grumpy and might be good with a #stupidwalk if you’re going out on those. I haven’t paired the two together yet. I have a little surprise for the Schitts creek fans among us. 😜
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5hMpfOLOaKX4LbzJMkRAvL?si=20cb046576e44eb1
* *I probably should explain my Patrick Stewart / David Suchet thing above. A few months ago I rewatched the parent trap with Lindsey Lohan with my four year old. (She thought it was funny but had SO many questions). And it sparked a conversation with my sisters about how we all wished Dennis Quaid was our dad after watching it as kids. (Daddy issues much?) And THEN we proceeded to cast our fictional parents with celebrities. I decided that while I could see Patrick Stewart being my dad, I couldn’t see Maggie Smith as my mom being the best dynamic for parents. So I chose David Suchet and added the additional fiction of Pat and David being gay. DON’T SAY IT WOULDN’T WORK. Can you just IMAGINE being read stories by either one of them at night as a kid!? Or the places you would get to go!? On set for Star Trek, AND the X men series AND Poirot. Damnit. They had better be in the heavenly Starbucks some day. That’s all I can say.
Anyway. Happy Friday peeps. Go watch an episode of Poirot with a mug of earl grey and I’ll see you next week 💛
Hey all! I’m never up here in these comments but this is a treasure I had to share! A whole thread of dogs refusing to either go on walks or continue walks and the DRAMA and hilarity is too good: https://twitter.com/alikodjak/status/1481630936227885062?s=24
Y’all, this is… a treasure? A train wreck? A train full of treasure that wrecked? I don’t know, but I can’t stop looking at it. 😆
https://www.instagram.com/tv/CYsZfVIouOL/?utm_medium=copy_link
Happy Friday, Swipes!
Those tweets were 💯 and I felt each one deeply. I especially love John Green. What would the world be like without him or Hank? I don’t even want to fathom.
I am coming to you all from Sandpoint, ID. If you saw my comment last week, you’ll know I was deeply concerned about taking this last minute trip. It has caused a lot more stress than I would have liked - I don’t think I will ever plan a trip in less than a week ever again - but we were able to have a night by ourselves at the lake house before everyone else gets here. Being able to make an easy dinner, sit in the hot tub for a while, and then watch some tv was a very nice way to spend the evening. If you’re able and willing, I would appreciate prayers/ good vibes/ kind thoughts to my BIL this weekend. The last three times I have seen him he has been, basically, insufferable. Short tempered, rude, and angry to the point of constant yelling. If he is that way again this weekend, I have made it clear to my husband that I am not having any of it and I will duke it out with his brother if need be.
Also, anyone have any creative ideas for how to mess with an abusive ex-husband? Asking for a friend. Literally. Like I am thinking signing up his email for a bunch of random subscriptions and signing up his address for magazines or maybe putting a flyer around town with his number on it offering ~services~ so that people call him constantly. This is the man who * EMAILED * his wife to divorce her and also signed that email off with, “Kind Regards” and is continuing to gaslight her so I’m about just ready to make him a eunuch if you know what I mean.
Been a tough week. But I’m glad to be here with you all. ♥️
Hi friends! It has been ages and I miss your faces. Echo Jenny’s sentiments of being glad to see snippets of your lives on IG, and still keeping up
💕Excited for 2nd Annual Galentine’s! This brightens my post-holiday blues and I love love love seeing what you all gift each other 🥰🥰
🍲 I have a 2022 intention to enjoy cooking a little more (which, for me, comes from cooking for others), so meal swaps to the rescue! Jackie kindly swapped a delicious Antoni recipe with me, and I made falafel bowls and some frittata. Looking to do this more to beat leftover boredom, and it was also so nice to share a meal when I am usually dining with B 🐾
📱Morgan Harper Nichols had a genius hack for using notes on an iPhone and combatting scrolling. I’ve been enjoying capturing snippets and took some of her art to make it pretty. If you want a digital organizing hack and this is your jam, highly recommend - https://www.instagram.com/morganharpernichols/p/CYUKT-aFtv_/?utm_medium=copy_link
📖 I have been looooving the Bible Project app that got released this year - so much interactivity and links to exploring and reading that has matched my reading plan. If you are a Bible nerd, cannot recommend this enough
🌴 The Christmas season was very stressful, painful, not restful for me, and I am finally getting to take some time off next week! Cannot wait to play and restore a little ☺️☺️
🖼 Encanto wrecked me in the best way, cannot recommend enough. We Don’t Talk About Bruno has been in my head all week, and these Tiktoks made me laugh so hard -
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMLJPMDM4/
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMLJPPDE9/
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMLJPFK89/
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMLJPPfUt/
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMLJPUVbu/
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMLJPkCDF/ (language advisory)
Can’t wait to tag all your recipes for future meal swaps - love y’all 😘😘
Good morning, friends!
I have an update to my marital issue with my husband last week. All of you had such good advice and I it was so nice to hear from so many different perspectives on the issue. I ended up using a little something from each of you and it turned out so well! We compromised and spent one night at my parents house and one night at our house, and then the dog went home. There was no fighting or anything! And after having the dog in our house for about 24 hours I finally realized that we are not yet equipped to be dog owners. Maybe one day in the far future, but I will definitely stop bugging my husband about it for now. Overall, it was a win!
Okay, that's all for this week! Can't wait to catch up in the comments!
Happy Friday friends! It's been a slow week around here as I prepare to start classes again Tuesday. The goal is to complete 3 classes this semester and only have an 1 class + my capstone portfolio left in the fall!! The library I'm working out of is curbside only, so I'm trying to make the most of the free time I have at work.
✨Treasures:
📚I've been a part of the MMD bookclub for years and it's always a delight. Yesterday we met to hear the staffs best books of 2021- I just love being with book people!!
🌨NC is supposed to get some winter weather this weekend and I'm here for it! I will happily be staying at home and enjoying the excuse to not leave my house.
🎂So far it's been a pretty positive first two weeks of 2022 and I'm so thankful. I came into the year with a lot of fear an anxiety and have felt like these two weeks have been a reminder that God is good and that just because we're in the same season of the year doesn't mean I'm in the same season emotionally.
Can we participate in the gift exchange if we are overseas?