Well here it is Sunday evening and I am just now reading and posting. I really loved your episode about Love Languages. I was nervous at first thinking you might find it all unfavored because I do think it a useful tool still so I was pleased you thought so as well and of course had a great conversation about it all. I haven't retaken the test but my #1 has always been gifts with touch and quality time behind it. I’m kind of weird about gifts because I don’t really want a gift just to get a gift but for there to be thought about something I would really like. I try to do that for gifts I but, almost to obsessing. My husband’s is Words of Affirmation and that can be tough. 😆
My turds and treasures start with the weather of course. We had yet another snow day this week. With holidays and teacher work days, we have barely been in school in February but things are looking up this week ahead with 60s and 70s in the forecast.
We booked a Spring Break trip to Universal Orlando and are super excited about that! We have 4 day passes but will really only have 3 full days in the parks. We did not get express passes but have been told that should be fine with more than 2 day passes. Any tips for us?
Alicia, I am also gift giving as #1 and I feel the same way!! I think the reason we feel loved with gifts is because of the *thought* behind the gift - knowing you are known so deeply that someone bought you the perfect thing. It's not weird! It does create difficult expectations, though. Hahaha
The ONLY time I have been disappointed being a Lil Swipe was right now... when "Barkenstocks" were not Birkenstocks worn by a golden retriever. Otherwise, happy to be here.
Hi, friends. I feel like I say this every week but I am so deeply grateful for this community. I am in a spiral of my mental health tanking which makes my chronic pain/fatigue flare up which makes it hard to take care of myself which makes my mental health worse. Such a fun rollercoaster! Jk, it's awful. I'm working with my doctor to adjust medications yet again but so far I haven't seen much change. I'm struggling to get through work everyday and am crashing as soon as I get home most days. I'm behind in school which stresses me out more. I'm trying to give myself grace and communicate with the right people but it is so very difficult these days. I've tried to spend most of today resting or doing something helpful but I have to write a paper this afternoon and I'm struggling to stay awake and my shoulder muscle pain is making the physical act of typing a paper/studying difficult.
That little napping corgi is me this week, for sure.
I spent some time in Ukraine in college (three trips in three years, 2009-2011), and it is a place and people that absolutely changed the course of my life. I couldn't stop thinking yesterday about all the school-age kids I met in those years who are now old enough to fight and die for their country. I've also spent a lot of time thinking about the young Ukrainian figure skater who was able to take a program that was a beautiful celebration of her home and culture all the way to Olympic ice. (Different competition, only video I could find: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKq98U9tts8) I hope Putin saw her and trembled. All I know about her is a two and half minute skating program, but I cannot possibly imagine she will take any of this laying down. To borrow/paraphrase from Nicole Cliffe, the thing about the Gospel that is simultaneously really good news and really hard to reckon with is that the Vladimir Putins and Greg Abbotts of the world are also beloved children of God. This is a hard teaching, who can accept it? What a week.
I took the Love Language quiz after 20+ years of knowing full well that my language is gifts, and it now says this:
— 29% Quality Time
— 26% Acts of Service
— 26% Gifting
(also 13% Words and 6% Touch… SO TRUE! Both are meaningless to me without actions to back them up.)
So now I see that my singleness and middle aged-ness have changed EVERYTHING. And living with my mom again after losing my dad. I’ve come to appreciate togetherness (at least with people I love) and having others take on my responsibilities (a direct result of being a caregiver and caretaker for the first time in my life… at FIFTY YEARS OLD 😩). Who knew these LL would change as we matured in life? I wonder if those top two are because of my parents: Mom’s was always Acts of Service but she no longer does anything physically, and Dad’s was Quality Time and Words so we lost those with his death (no one else in the family has those languages). I wonder if I’m more appreciative of those languages now that they are mostly gone from our family? 🤔
Still, some things never change. This statement is 100% accurate: “A missed birthday or a hasty, thoughtless gift would be disastrous—so would the absence of everyday gestures.” That right there is unforgivable and for sure the source of my family aggravation much of the time. Selfish and callous? Yes. On my birthday, yes. 😊 and I don’t apologize for wanting to be loved. At least on that day! 😂
Hello Swipes! This whole week has felt like that line from 30 Rock: “What a week, huh?” “Lemon, it’s Wednesday.”
I cried over Ukraine yesterday as I got my littlest girl up from her nap & held her. God, have mercy. Thanks for providing links to help, Erin.
My older kids are home for a weather e-learning day and I would just like winter to end so I don’t have to practically ice skate down my driveway to check the mail.
I finally took our (mostly) outdoor cat to get neutered yesterday and we let him in the living room for an hour this afternoon. (We’ve been keeping him in our entryway with an electric blanket, litterbox, food, etc during the really cold spells.) He did great and my kids were THRILLED because they’ve wanted him inside since August when he wandered into our yard and claimed us.
Grateful to have this community & hear about everything you guys share ❤️
Ohhh yup I have been holding all my kids extra tight these past couple days, which some like and some try to squirm away from haha. And YES PLEASE we are more than ready for some warmer weather, our family just does better when we can all be outside, maybe we're partially cold-blooded and need to sun for a number of hours every day?
Hi everyone! I know it's late in the day but decided to pop in anyways. Sometimes not being able to comment earlier in the morning makes me not comment and I don't want that to be the case!!
Thoughts from this week:
- husband and I have assigned ourselves the project of rewatching all the Pixar movies in chronological order and it's been delightful. We're in our 20s so we very much grew up on Pixar, and rewatching as adults has been a sweet break from The World.
- college bffs are visiting this weekend!!! my heart feels very ready to spend time with people who know me really deeply.
- I'm feeling a little spiritually numb right now. I'm hopeful that Lent will give me the space I've wanted to *get into it* with God, but I'm also a little nervous to Feel Big Feelings. The tension of wanting to deal with my emotions but not feel them but knowing I need to feel them to deal with them is NOT MY FAVE. (anyone else? lolz) a wise woman told me a few years ago that "the fear of pain is often greater than the pain itself" and I am trying to hold that with me these days.
I'm grateful for this community offering the space to check in and think through How I'm Doing once a week. cheering for you all!
I love that y'all are rewatching Pixar! The movies used to come out around my husband's birthday almost every year, so we'd usually go see them, but I don't think we've rewatched many of the movies in years (our kids like a select few and they just repeat those over and over).
I am 6 years behind, but I just watched Stranger Things Season 1 and OMG. I live alone + I am a huge scaredy-cat, so my precious brother in law lets me come over every couple of nights and watch an episode or two with him (read that again because I won the brother in law lottery).
Planning to knock out a lot of Season 2 this weekend.
HOPPER, you guys. He is up there beside Tim Riggins in my book of life.
Hopper. Grumpy old grizzly bear. He’s the best and the worst and the biggest reason I keep watching the show. I’m very much NOT interested in scary stuff but never found Stranger Things truly scary in a real-life way. I find it easy to separate the sci-fi from horror. (I actually find it easier to binge the show all at once; lessens the fearful stuff.) Keep watching! The best is yet to come!
Swipes!! I made it back to check in- the world is really bringing me down lately, but trying to find the light in on the darkest days.
Treasures:
🎂 my birthday is tomorrow and I'm going to explore Geneva, IL (I think). Trying to find a cute suburb close to Chicago that has some cute local shops and a good lunch spot. Maybe a pedicure and a dessert treat?
📺 Binged S2 of Love is Blind and I cannot wait for the finale tonight. I also started binging Below Deck and I am obsessed with this show.
🎥 Started my annual binge of the Oscar best picture nominees. This week I watched Belfast (that little boy stole my heart) and The Power of the Dog (still find myself thinking about this one). Both 4/5 ⭐
📚 Finished Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell last week and I never (never) would have thought I would be interested in a fictional account of Shakespeare's life, but it was delightful. The writing was brilliant -- slow building and makes me now want to pick up Hamlet.
BONUS: No Exit debuts on Hulu today (this was a thriller book I absolutely loved a few years back- author is Taylor Adams and TW abound).
Looking forward to catching up in the comments. ☀❤
Britany, happy birthday! If you want another fun little suburb to explore sometime, try Frankfort, IL and get coffee at Grounded Coffee Bar. I live near there and it's such a cute little Stars Hollow type town!
Best of birthday wishes! And thanks for the comment on Oscar movies. It’s been so disconcerting to not know any of the nominees now that I’m not seeing movies at cinemas anymore. It helps to know there are still some good films out there!
I live in TX and the past couple of days have been BLEAK, both internationally and here in my home state. Watching Josie Lewis create art and just looking at her beautiful Instagram has brought me some much needed joy 🌈 https://www.instagram.com/josielewisart/
A campaign volunteer came to my door today and said, “She’s the only true conservative.” I quickly said, “Well I’m not!” He was shocked and replied quietly, “You’re not?” As if only conservatives live in this state and only the far-right Republicans are the true conservatives. 🙄
Hello friends! I'm off work today, which is a blessing because I've been shoveling snow for the last three days and I need it to just stop. Ukraine is heavy on my heart; my neighbor is Ukrainian, most of her family is here, but I need to connect with her and see how things are for them.
I took the LL quiz, because I haven't in awhile, and I'm 30% quality time, 20% words of affirmation. 7% gifts. I suck at buying presents for people. My bestie is great at it, which gets awkward sometimes since our birthdays are only a few days apart. On the other hand, I love going to visit her, and I am awed by her hustle, so hopefully it all evens out?
Here's a funny story. I've started playing Worldle every morning after Wordle. They give you the shape of a country, and you have six guesses. Every time you guess wrong, they tell you how far away you are and in what direction. I like to think of myself as somewhat geographically savvy, but guys, I suck at this game. I've only gotten it right once, and that was with Norway - long and skinny and vertical narrows the options considerably. So this morning I pulled it up with my kids, and I had no idea what country we were looking at. Two of the three kids immediately said, "Oh, that's Venezuela." And of course, they were right. Turns out, if you give your kids the Stack the Countries game on their Kindle Fires when they're eight, they can identify by sight all the countries of South America, North America, Europe, and most of Asia and Africa five years later. My only qualm is the countries aren't to scale, so as far as they know, Ireland is the same size as Brazil. But! Venezuela on the first guess! I'm playing with them every day from now on.
"Worldle" sounds great! I'll have to check it out. Gifts are a real weak spot for me as well, and I also have a best friend who is great at it. I get a little grumpy about it every year and then come around to being thankful for a way to grow in love for her. I feel you, Heidi!
I just retook the love languages quiz (because it's been years), and I'm an almost even split between Physical Touch and Quality Time. Weirdly, my lowest scores (Acts of Service and Gifts) are the ones I most often express.
Everything feels heavy right now. Ukraine is so heavy I can't get my mind to focus on it. My husband was in a pretty bad depression last week, and the helplessness of knowing there's nothing I could do to help was excruciating. Yesterday at the library one of my coworkers had to break up a fight between two of our teens in the parking lot, which is the second time she's had to do that this month.
Trying to hold onto the joy of seeing several of our teen boys at the library passionately playing the most intense game of Uno you ever did see.
Melanie! 40 days friend! It's so hard when someone you love is struggling in any way, I'm sorry. But I'm glad you got to see teens being intense about something good and silly and fun.
The teens love Uno!! I've realized how much I just love seeing people have a good time with their friends. I hope the two fighting teens are able to figure things out without more fights.
My heart is breaking over Ukraine - or as my sweet mother in law calls it in her prayers, Ukrania. 😊 Erin, Madison's essay! "A glass bottle filled with handwritten dreams for our future together, buried in the dirt under a tree whose leaves we will never see again." And the photo. Oh, Lord, have mercy. Thanks for sharing, so we can "look to the helpers."
I don't remember percentages, but Quality Time is my biggest, and Gifts is my least, by like a huge way. Christmas is the worst for me. I have to buy gifts for everyone I know - many of whom are Gift people. It is so stressful. I love them, and want them to know it, but I am so bad at gifts. And it isn't size or a grand gesture. A small thing is fine. They just want a thoughtful gift that says "I see you. I know you. This will delight you." If only I could give everyone a three hour lunch where we talk intensely after a morning of wandering a quaint village. 🤷♀️
Well, I finally have a couple fun links this week. Proof that humans can be delightful and that good things can come after war.
🛌 And then, I'd mentioned this last week in one of the comments, because it made me think of Jules sharing her insomnia struggles. But NYT has posted a few articles about segmented sleep. And I will say my own experience bears this out. I don't generally get up bc that disturbs my husband. But i read and pray. And for me second sleep/dead sleep (see article) is where it is at! If I get a second round of solid sleep after my middle of the night stint, and can wake up naturally at 7 am, I am a whole nother person. Its actually better for me than sleeping all the way through. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/12/style/segmented-sleep.html
Dawn, I literally introduced What Does the Fox Say to my kids yesterday and they were rolling on the floor, giggling, so I'd say it was a hit. I cannot wait for my kids to sleep in a little so I can try this segmented sleep, I always feel like I wake in the middle of the night for one reason or another but the sleep never feels solid afterwards.
It’s been a hot minute since I’ve commented, so I wanted to drop in and say hey instead of lurk in your comments.
🤰🏼 Still pregnant! I’m 33 weeks now, so we’re inching ever closer. (I started washing baby clothes yesterday and cannot believe there will be a human tiny enough to fit in those things 😍) I was supposed to head up to Portland to Seminary for my midterms, but didn’t get cleared to travel. My last ultrasound showed a little too much amniotic fluid, which puts me at a higher risk for preterm labor. So this week has been Zoom classes and forced rest.
🧡 I don’t remember the exact scores, but Gifts and Words of Affirmation are my top love languages. I do remember scoring 0 on Acts of Service though. 😂
🎤 Here’s my history of trying to get to a Popcast Live Show: I bought tickets and had a hotel booked for one in Seattle in 2020. Then we all know what happened there. Got super pumped about another Seattle show this year, but it’s April 9th and I’m due April 14th 😂 So I got a livestream ticket and a couple friends are going to come hang out with me in the dumpster fire that is postpartum and we’ll experience the live show together! Let’s hope 2023 gets me to a live show in person!
🇺🇦 Where to even start. I’m sad, I’m overwhelmed, and wish I could do more. And wish I had something eloquent or helpful to say, but it’s just grief.
Love you Swipes. Can’t wait to see what you’re up to!
A fellow 0 on Acts of Service. I'm like, "What makes you think I can't do it myself?! Here let me show you! Now give me Words of Affirmation for how well I did it! And a present!"
This 1000%. I don't know how to not take it personally when someone does something for me 😂😂 "Are you doing the dishes because you don't like how I do it?" And yes to needing affirmation of what a good job I did 😂😂 You get me
Re: Love Languages - The dating apps have decided to include a love languages prompt. One guy said his love language was "personal touch." Buddy. I can't even. #dead
Yeah. Guys would always pick that one. *eyeroll*. I'd be like great! Then you won't mind sitting on the couch squished between my grandparents as my niece and nephews Carl over you and the cat sits on your head!
Happy Friday!! It's been rainy every morning this week, but then somewhat sunny by the late afternoon. Rain just makes the days feel slower, but it's been a good week. The popcast this week was wild! I particularly loved Knox just roasting Kendra, I was dying. I took the love languages quiz this am and was a little surprised; I would have said my top 2 were acts of service and quality time, but it was acts of service, physical touch, and then quality time.
🎙 The Hasan Minhaj show last week was just a delight. It was so nice to be in a full theater enjoying a live show with people, I can't wait for more!
🎧 I started listening to the living single podcast with Yana Janay which is phenomenal. Her goal with the show is really to talk about living singleness well and not just trying to get out of it which I appreciate so much!
🧠 I've been back in therapy with better help for 2 weeks now and it's already been way more profitable for me than the local woman I was seeing last year. I'm just so encouraged to be working with her.
🤝I had a lovely coaching session/chat with Juliana Ford yesterday. It's just so fun meeting Swipes 'in person'
Hasan! Man, I am so glad BetterHelp exists, and that you are already seeing benefits. One thing about the pandemic, all the creative online solutions means we have access to more (sometimes better for us) stuff. My niece needed help last year, and lives in a tiny, rural town. Better Help was a life saver! So glad you found a great person to work with.
Well here it is Sunday evening and I am just now reading and posting. I really loved your episode about Love Languages. I was nervous at first thinking you might find it all unfavored because I do think it a useful tool still so I was pleased you thought so as well and of course had a great conversation about it all. I haven't retaken the test but my #1 has always been gifts with touch and quality time behind it. I’m kind of weird about gifts because I don’t really want a gift just to get a gift but for there to be thought about something I would really like. I try to do that for gifts I but, almost to obsessing. My husband’s is Words of Affirmation and that can be tough. 😆
My turds and treasures start with the weather of course. We had yet another snow day this week. With holidays and teacher work days, we have barely been in school in February but things are looking up this week ahead with 60s and 70s in the forecast.
We booked a Spring Break trip to Universal Orlando and are super excited about that! We have 4 day passes but will really only have 3 full days in the parks. We did not get express passes but have been told that should be fine with more than 2 day passes. Any tips for us?
Alicia, I am also gift giving as #1 and I feel the same way!! I think the reason we feel loved with gifts is because of the *thought* behind the gift - knowing you are known so deeply that someone bought you the perfect thing. It's not weird! It does create difficult expectations, though. Hahaha
Ah yes, the expectations! Both for myself and those I’m giving gifts to. I want a good reaction knowing I got them something special.
The ONLY time I have been disappointed being a Lil Swipe was right now... when "Barkenstocks" were not Birkenstocks worn by a golden retriever. Otherwise, happy to be here.
Hi, friends. I feel like I say this every week but I am so deeply grateful for this community. I am in a spiral of my mental health tanking which makes my chronic pain/fatigue flare up which makes it hard to take care of myself which makes my mental health worse. Such a fun rollercoaster! Jk, it's awful. I'm working with my doctor to adjust medications yet again but so far I haven't seen much change. I'm struggling to get through work everyday and am crashing as soon as I get home most days. I'm behind in school which stresses me out more. I'm trying to give myself grace and communicate with the right people but it is so very difficult these days. I've tried to spend most of today resting or doing something helpful but I have to write a paper this afternoon and I'm struggling to stay awake and my shoulder muscle pain is making the physical act of typing a paper/studying difficult.
That little napping corgi is me this week, for sure.
Highly sensitive newbie here...in a similar place, hoping we both find the right medications to give us some relief.
I spent some time in Ukraine in college (three trips in three years, 2009-2011), and it is a place and people that absolutely changed the course of my life. I couldn't stop thinking yesterday about all the school-age kids I met in those years who are now old enough to fight and die for their country. I've also spent a lot of time thinking about the young Ukrainian figure skater who was able to take a program that was a beautiful celebration of her home and culture all the way to Olympic ice. (Different competition, only video I could find: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKq98U9tts8) I hope Putin saw her and trembled. All I know about her is a two and half minute skating program, but I cannot possibly imagine she will take any of this laying down. To borrow/paraphrase from Nicole Cliffe, the thing about the Gospel that is simultaneously really good news and really hard to reckon with is that the Vladimir Putins and Greg Abbotts of the world are also beloved children of God. This is a hard teaching, who can accept it? What a week.
What a week indeed.
I took the Love Language quiz after 20+ years of knowing full well that my language is gifts, and it now says this:
— 29% Quality Time
— 26% Acts of Service
— 26% Gifting
(also 13% Words and 6% Touch… SO TRUE! Both are meaningless to me without actions to back them up.)
So now I see that my singleness and middle aged-ness have changed EVERYTHING. And living with my mom again after losing my dad. I’ve come to appreciate togetherness (at least with people I love) and having others take on my responsibilities (a direct result of being a caregiver and caretaker for the first time in my life… at FIFTY YEARS OLD 😩). Who knew these LL would change as we matured in life? I wonder if those top two are because of my parents: Mom’s was always Acts of Service but she no longer does anything physically, and Dad’s was Quality Time and Words so we lost those with his death (no one else in the family has those languages). I wonder if I’m more appreciative of those languages now that they are mostly gone from our family? 🤔
Still, some things never change. This statement is 100% accurate: “A missed birthday or a hasty, thoughtless gift would be disastrous—so would the absence of everyday gestures.” That right there is unforgivable and for sure the source of my family aggravation much of the time. Selfish and callous? Yes. On my birthday, yes. 😊 and I don’t apologize for wanting to be loved. At least on that day! 😂
On more than just your birthday, I hope!! Hugs friend!
Hello Swipes! This whole week has felt like that line from 30 Rock: “What a week, huh?” “Lemon, it’s Wednesday.”
I cried over Ukraine yesterday as I got my littlest girl up from her nap & held her. God, have mercy. Thanks for providing links to help, Erin.
My older kids are home for a weather e-learning day and I would just like winter to end so I don’t have to practically ice skate down my driveway to check the mail.
I finally took our (mostly) outdoor cat to get neutered yesterday and we let him in the living room for an hour this afternoon. (We’ve been keeping him in our entryway with an electric blanket, litterbox, food, etc during the really cold spells.) He did great and my kids were THRILLED because they’ve wanted him inside since August when he wandered into our yard and claimed us.
Grateful to have this community & hear about everything you guys share ❤️
Ohhh yup I have been holding all my kids extra tight these past couple days, which some like and some try to squirm away from haha. And YES PLEASE we are more than ready for some warmer weather, our family just does better when we can all be outside, maybe we're partially cold-blooded and need to sun for a number of hours every day?
I’ve accepted that I am basically a lizard person and must have a heat & light source directly on me 95% of the time 😄
Hi everyone! I know it's late in the day but decided to pop in anyways. Sometimes not being able to comment earlier in the morning makes me not comment and I don't want that to be the case!!
Thoughts from this week:
- husband and I have assigned ourselves the project of rewatching all the Pixar movies in chronological order and it's been delightful. We're in our 20s so we very much grew up on Pixar, and rewatching as adults has been a sweet break from The World.
- college bffs are visiting this weekend!!! my heart feels very ready to spend time with people who know me really deeply.
- I'm feeling a little spiritually numb right now. I'm hopeful that Lent will give me the space I've wanted to *get into it* with God, but I'm also a little nervous to Feel Big Feelings. The tension of wanting to deal with my emotions but not feel them but knowing I need to feel them to deal with them is NOT MY FAVE. (anyone else? lolz) a wise woman told me a few years ago that "the fear of pain is often greater than the pain itself" and I am trying to hold that with me these days.
I'm grateful for this community offering the space to check in and think through How I'm Doing once a week. cheering for you all!
I love that y'all are rewatching Pixar! The movies used to come out around my husband's birthday almost every year, so we'd usually go see them, but I don't think we've rewatched many of the movies in years (our kids like a select few and they just repeat those over and over).
“Get into it with God” is now my mantra. I got a lot I wanna say! 😬
Right there with you about Lent. Sometimes I just don't have the time to Feel Everything!
College friends are the best! Have a great time!
Have the best time with your friends. I’m in the same place re: Lent. I will be FEELING those feelings right alongside you 😊
I am 6 years behind, but I just watched Stranger Things Season 1 and OMG. I live alone + I am a huge scaredy-cat, so my precious brother in law lets me come over every couple of nights and watch an episode or two with him (read that again because I won the brother in law lottery).
Planning to knock out a lot of Season 2 this weekend.
HOPPER, you guys. He is up there beside Tim Riggins in my book of life.
Hopper is the best!
Hopper. Grumpy old grizzly bear. He’s the best and the worst and the biggest reason I keep watching the show. I’m very much NOT interested in scary stuff but never found Stranger Things truly scary in a real-life way. I find it easy to separate the sci-fi from horror. (I actually find it easier to binge the show all at once; lessens the fearful stuff.) Keep watching! The best is yet to come!
Swipes!! I made it back to check in- the world is really bringing me down lately, but trying to find the light in on the darkest days.
Treasures:
🎂 my birthday is tomorrow and I'm going to explore Geneva, IL (I think). Trying to find a cute suburb close to Chicago that has some cute local shops and a good lunch spot. Maybe a pedicure and a dessert treat?
📺 Binged S2 of Love is Blind and I cannot wait for the finale tonight. I also started binging Below Deck and I am obsessed with this show.
🎥 Started my annual binge of the Oscar best picture nominees. This week I watched Belfast (that little boy stole my heart) and The Power of the Dog (still find myself thinking about this one). Both 4/5 ⭐
📚 Finished Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell last week and I never (never) would have thought I would be interested in a fictional account of Shakespeare's life, but it was delightful. The writing was brilliant -- slow building and makes me now want to pick up Hamlet.
BONUS: No Exit debuts on Hulu today (this was a thriller book I absolutely loved a few years back- author is Taylor Adams and TW abound).
Looking forward to catching up in the comments. ☀❤
Happy birthday, Britany!
Thanks Lauren!
Britany, happy birthday! If you want another fun little suburb to explore sometime, try Frankfort, IL and get coffee at Grounded Coffee Bar. I live near there and it's such a cute little Stars Hollow type town!
Thanks Amanda- adding it to my list now! ❤
Best of birthday wishes! And thanks for the comment on Oscar movies. It’s been so disconcerting to not know any of the nominees now that I’m not seeing movies at cinemas anymore. It helps to know there are still some good films out there!
Thanks Jules! Yes, it's SUCH a different experience with movie watching these days.
Hope your birthday is delightful, Brittany!!
Thanks Ellen!
I can't remember if we were in Elgin or Geneva this fall but it was magic for a little trip... so helpful I know.
Hah Jen! I will be sure to report back. 😉
Happy birthday, Britany! I hope you find just the right spot to treat yourself tomorrow. 🥰
Thanks Hannah! I intend to eat my feelings in a nice dessert treat!
Happy birthday! A pedicure sounds lovely. Treat yo’self!
Thanks Katie! My toes feel the same way. 🤣
I live in TX and the past couple of days have been BLEAK, both internationally and here in my home state. Watching Josie Lewis create art and just looking at her beautiful Instagram has brought me some much needed joy 🌈 https://www.instagram.com/josielewisart/
Well I just spent a LONG time watching Josie make art, so beautiful!
Texas is killing me. It’s really REALLY hard to be living here these years.
It truly is. And I've always loved this state. Our state leaders are making it very difficult lately.
A campaign volunteer came to my door today and said, “She’s the only true conservative.” I quickly said, “Well I’m not!” He was shocked and replied quietly, “You’re not?” As if only conservatives live in this state and only the far-right Republicans are the true conservatives. 🙄
Ok following her now. So pretty!
Hello friends! I'm off work today, which is a blessing because I've been shoveling snow for the last three days and I need it to just stop. Ukraine is heavy on my heart; my neighbor is Ukrainian, most of her family is here, but I need to connect with her and see how things are for them.
I took the LL quiz, because I haven't in awhile, and I'm 30% quality time, 20% words of affirmation. 7% gifts. I suck at buying presents for people. My bestie is great at it, which gets awkward sometimes since our birthdays are only a few days apart. On the other hand, I love going to visit her, and I am awed by her hustle, so hopefully it all evens out?
Here's a funny story. I've started playing Worldle every morning after Wordle. They give you the shape of a country, and you have six guesses. Every time you guess wrong, they tell you how far away you are and in what direction. I like to think of myself as somewhat geographically savvy, but guys, I suck at this game. I've only gotten it right once, and that was with Norway - long and skinny and vertical narrows the options considerably. So this morning I pulled it up with my kids, and I had no idea what country we were looking at. Two of the three kids immediately said, "Oh, that's Venezuela." And of course, they were right. Turns out, if you give your kids the Stack the Countries game on their Kindle Fires when they're eight, they can identify by sight all the countries of South America, North America, Europe, and most of Asia and Africa five years later. My only qualm is the countries aren't to scale, so as far as they know, Ireland is the same size as Brazil. But! Venezuela on the first guess! I'm playing with them every day from now on.
Definitely going to fail at Worldle, but going to give it a try anyway!
Worldle! Love it! I would never have gotten Venezuela so I’m thankful to use it as a starting point to understanding the game.
My LL is gifts, so I’m very good at that but terrible with quality time. Opposites! 😂
"Worldle" sounds great! I'll have to check it out. Gifts are a real weak spot for me as well, and I also have a best friend who is great at it. I get a little grumpy about it every year and then come around to being thankful for a way to grow in love for her. I feel you, Heidi!
I just tried that one today and I am so far terrible at it. I look forward to failing at it everyday😂
I just retook the love languages quiz (because it's been years), and I'm an almost even split between Physical Touch and Quality Time. Weirdly, my lowest scores (Acts of Service and Gifts) are the ones I most often express.
Everything feels heavy right now. Ukraine is so heavy I can't get my mind to focus on it. My husband was in a pretty bad depression last week, and the helplessness of knowing there's nothing I could do to help was excruciating. Yesterday at the library one of my coworkers had to break up a fight between two of our teens in the parking lot, which is the second time she's had to do that this month.
Trying to hold onto the joy of seeing several of our teen boys at the library passionately playing the most intense game of Uno you ever did see.
Love to you all!
Melanie! 40 days friend! It's so hard when someone you love is struggling in any way, I'm sorry. But I'm glad you got to see teens being intense about something good and silly and fun.
YES we are so close!!!
The teens love Uno!! I've realized how much I just love seeing people have a good time with their friends. I hope the two fighting teens are able to figure things out without more fights.
Yes, I had no idea! I really hope they will.
My heart is breaking over Ukraine - or as my sweet mother in law calls it in her prayers, Ukrania. 😊 Erin, Madison's essay! "A glass bottle filled with handwritten dreams for our future together, buried in the dirt under a tree whose leaves we will never see again." And the photo. Oh, Lord, have mercy. Thanks for sharing, so we can "look to the helpers."
I don't remember percentages, but Quality Time is my biggest, and Gifts is my least, by like a huge way. Christmas is the worst for me. I have to buy gifts for everyone I know - many of whom are Gift people. It is so stressful. I love them, and want them to know it, but I am so bad at gifts. And it isn't size or a grand gesture. A small thing is fine. They just want a thoughtful gift that says "I see you. I know you. This will delight you." If only I could give everyone a three hour lunch where we talk intensely after a morning of wandering a quaint village. 🤷♀️
Well, I finally have a couple fun links this week. Proof that humans can be delightful and that good things can come after war.
🏆First - Extreme Ironing. How does it work under water? https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/extreme-ironing
🍌Second - Eurovision. Why is Norway so awesome at writing weird songs about canids? Give that Wolf a Banana.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJjoCanada?
🦊 It is like a hip, new version of What Does the Fox Say.
https://youtu.be/jofNR_WkoCE
🛌 And then, I'd mentioned this last week in one of the comments, because it made me think of Jules sharing her insomnia struggles. But NYT has posted a few articles about segmented sleep. And I will say my own experience bears this out. I don't generally get up bc that disturbs my husband. But i read and pray. And for me second sleep/dead sleep (see article) is where it is at! If I get a second round of solid sleep after my middle of the night stint, and can wake up naturally at 7 am, I am a whole nother person. Its actually better for me than sleeping all the way through. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/12/style/segmented-sleep.html
Looking forward to your comments, Swipes!
Dawn, I literally introduced What Does the Fox Say to my kids yesterday and they were rolling on the floor, giggling, so I'd say it was a hit. I cannot wait for my kids to sleep in a little so I can try this segmented sleep, I always feel like I wake in the middle of the night for one reason or another but the sleep never feels solid afterwards.
Your mom ears are always listening. 😊
I just read the extreme ironing article to my coworkers, we were rolling. This is my new favorite thing!
😁 I mean. It's got danger *and* crisp creases.
I am obsessed with extreme ironing now. What in the world 🤣
It's a whole new Olympics! 😄
Hi friends! 🙋🏼♀️
It’s been a hot minute since I’ve commented, so I wanted to drop in and say hey instead of lurk in your comments.
🤰🏼 Still pregnant! I’m 33 weeks now, so we’re inching ever closer. (I started washing baby clothes yesterday and cannot believe there will be a human tiny enough to fit in those things 😍) I was supposed to head up to Portland to Seminary for my midterms, but didn’t get cleared to travel. My last ultrasound showed a little too much amniotic fluid, which puts me at a higher risk for preterm labor. So this week has been Zoom classes and forced rest.
🧡 I don’t remember the exact scores, but Gifts and Words of Affirmation are my top love languages. I do remember scoring 0 on Acts of Service though. 😂
🎤 Here’s my history of trying to get to a Popcast Live Show: I bought tickets and had a hotel booked for one in Seattle in 2020. Then we all know what happened there. Got super pumped about another Seattle show this year, but it’s April 9th and I’m due April 14th 😂 So I got a livestream ticket and a couple friends are going to come hang out with me in the dumpster fire that is postpartum and we’ll experience the live show together! Let’s hope 2023 gets me to a live show in person!
🇺🇦 Where to even start. I’m sad, I’m overwhelmed, and wish I could do more. And wish I had something eloquent or helpful to say, but it’s just grief.
Love you Swipes. Can’t wait to see what you’re up to!
Mandi, you don't want to see the PMG try to deal with a pregnant lady possibly in active labor? I feel like it would make some GREAT content lol
The emotional damage I would do having my water break in the middle of it… it would just give Jamie more baby-hating fuel! 😂
A fellow 0 on Acts of Service. I'm like, "What makes you think I can't do it myself?! Here let me show you! Now give me Words of Affirmation for how well I did it! And a present!"
This 1000%. I don't know how to not take it personally when someone does something for me 😂😂 "Are you doing the dishes because you don't like how I do it?" And yes to needing affirmation of what a good job I did 😂😂 You get me
Acts of service is my second lowest. 😁 Hooray for baby! And for a creative post-labor Pocast Live solution. Rooting for you!
Congrats on your pregnancy! You're in the home stretch! Also LOLING at a zero in acts of service. 😆
Re: Love Languages - The dating apps have decided to include a love languages prompt. One guy said his love language was "personal touch." Buddy. I can't even. #dead
Noooooooo
Yeah. Guys would always pick that one. *eyeroll*. I'd be like great! Then you won't mind sitting on the couch squished between my grandparents as my niece and nephews Carl over you and the cat sits on your head!
This reminds me of my old boss introducing some graphic designers: "Anything you see here, they've touched graphically." I never recovered.
🤣
😂😂😂😂😂
Happy Friday!! It's been rainy every morning this week, but then somewhat sunny by the late afternoon. Rain just makes the days feel slower, but it's been a good week. The popcast this week was wild! I particularly loved Knox just roasting Kendra, I was dying. I took the love languages quiz this am and was a little surprised; I would have said my top 2 were acts of service and quality time, but it was acts of service, physical touch, and then quality time.
🎙 The Hasan Minhaj show last week was just a delight. It was so nice to be in a full theater enjoying a live show with people, I can't wait for more!
🎧 I started listening to the living single podcast with Yana Janay which is phenomenal. Her goal with the show is really to talk about living singleness well and not just trying to get out of it which I appreciate so much!
🍴 I made this super easy and delicious Joy the Baker recipe https://joythebaker.com/2021/04/no-chop-one-pot-chicken-meatball-dinner/
🧠 I've been back in therapy with better help for 2 weeks now and it's already been way more profitable for me than the local woman I was seeing last year. I'm just so encouraged to be working with her.
🤝I had a lovely coaching session/chat with Juliana Ford yesterday. It's just so fun meeting Swipes 'in person'
Have a great weekend friends!!
I so enjoyed our chat this week too, Eliza! 🥰
Hooray for therapy and easy recipes and fun live shows!
Hasan! Man, I am so glad BetterHelp exists, and that you are already seeing benefits. One thing about the pandemic, all the creative online solutions means we have access to more (sometimes better for us) stuff. My niece needed help last year, and lives in a tiny, rural town. Better Help was a life saver! So glad you found a great person to work with.
You got to see Hasan?! I bet that was great!
Yes! It was so so good!
I just start with BetterHelp a few weeks ago too! 🧡 What a game changer. Proud of you for doing the hard work! 💪🏻