Also, I’m here to say a few things on nos episode (mostly one thing hahah!!)
1. I didn’t realize how many texts I would receive saying, “WHY DID JAMIE BUTCHER YOUR NAME SO BADLY?” I laughed. It was great. But I’m also glad to say a have a number of friends who listen to the Bible Binge which is legit ✨
2. I was 13 when I wrote my letter to my future husband but 10 didn’t seem out of the ordinary. So, I relate Erin.
3. Why the memories are connected: all those experiences are at the SAME CAMP. I still stick by thousands of babies coming it because you can’t count spiders while you’re screaming and 13.
4. I should have just answered these when I go to Austin! 🤣
This mid-week holiday thing really did a number on me. The DC area has been humid with lots of afternoon storms this week, which means it's been perfect sit inside and read weather. I finished the ACOTAR series last week and wasn't super into the last 3 books. I'm about a third of the way through Fourth Wing now, though, and I am LOVING it. It took all my self control not to stay up late last night reading.
I'm not a first-born but that planning TikTok was totally me. The satisfied face she makes at the end after causing just enough of a scene to get her way...I relate all too much.
Treasures this week:
Speak Now TV, obviously. The vault tracks are way more fun than I expected. I LOVE When Emma Falls in Love and Electric Touch. I do hope I don't have to hear Timeless at every wedding/in the background of every White girl's wedding photo reels for the next 30 years though.
Also, Wimbledon. I love having matches on in the background while I work. Between this, the Women's World Cup, and the US Open my summer TV schedule is set, and I am delighted.
My sister turned 50 this week and to celebrate she rented an airbnb by the beach and invited the whole family to spend as much, or little, time there as they wanted to. I was there for four days and it was a lot of fun, even though it rained most of the time.
😂 Lots of laughter and fun with family.
🌊 I got to swim in the ocean for the first time in over a decade.
🇩🇰 One of the days my niece, my nephews and I took the ferry to Denmark, had lunch, did a bit of shopping, and went to a museum before heading back.
💩 Having to share a room with my sister's MIL, who is very much not my favorite person (and who snores very loudly). But hey, I survived 😂
I’ve been on the Hot Honey Train for years. It’s a must on all pizzas - to the point where I will bring my own if the pizza place doesn’t carry it. Also, if you grill Brussels sprouts and then drizzle some HH on top...next level
Hot honey quite literally changed my life. I went to Cane Rosso sometime in pandemic times and discovered the Hot Bastard pizza with hot sopprasetta, bacon and hot honey on top. GAME.CHANGER. I bought some mike's Hot honey and put it on all kinds of stuff. Including pizza that doesn't come with it. It's also good on scrambled eggs!
Happy Friday! I've only worked 3 days this week, but I'm ready for the weekend.
Turds:
💩 Like many homes in Metro Detroit, we don't have AC so being home during the day isn't that much fun. By midday Tues we were all so grumpy just from being hot.
💩 My brother, that I now live with, has been having some health issues and we're pretty sure he's got some type of auto immune problems. It's just been a pain finding a new doctor who can actually see him sooner than 6 months. He's doing some blood work today and after many hours on hold, was able to get an in person appointment for next week. Hopefully, we'll have some answers soon!
💩 I've been going to a church here that I've liked ok, but never really loved the senior pastor. I learned last week that he regularly blogs for FoF and I just can't. So, now I'm back church hunting. SIL and I are slowly learning more about the Anglican church, but leaving a denomination I've been in since I was a child feels so intimidating 😔
Treasures:
🎭 Stratford was utterly delightful! It was easily one of the top five best Shakespeare performances I've seen and we're trying to figure out when we can go see it again.
📚 I've read some excellent books lately: Did You Hear About Kitty Karr, Much Ado About Nada (a Persuasion retelling that's not Shakespeare related), Pineapple Street, and The Unsinkable Greta James.
👚This is the second summer that I've had to wear work clothes and I finally feel like I've found my summer work vibe! My body has changed a lot since I've left my stressful teaching job and I've had to buy/make lots of new things, but it's finally coming together. I'm wearing clothes I love and not just weather appropriate. Its just so nice to feel like yourself
Linen and skirts! I bought some flowy linen pants from Old Navy, a linen skirt on clearance at target and made myself a new circle skirt. I probably wear each of them once a week.
🙋🏻♀️ First-born daughter. Planning is definitely “how I express my love, sorry!” 😂 I didn’t know how much I planned everything to the last detail until I had to take over managing a household when my mom got sick. Now I spend SO much time creating systems so I can “automate” as much as possible. (Read: not have to think about it every single time. Thanks, Kendra Adachi!) My mother is absolutely NOT a planner so you can imagine the stress that creates!
🎶 I went all the way down the rabbit hole of Tiny Desk Concerts a couple of weeks ago when Babyface was featured and ended up converting 40+ videos into audio tracks to create a playlist. It’s been on repeat ever since. Just the best background music ever! I especially recommend the Broadway cast concerts:
🍑 My sister offered to pick some peaches for us last weekend — they’ll never compete with Georgia’s crop but they’re fairly sweet this year — and my mom spent all week peeling and prepping a half bushel to make preserves. She called in my other sister for reinforcements yesterday because her one-handed assistant (me) was truly no help, but now we have a lovely little stash of peach preserves to carry us into the fall. We also have some set aside to make a cobbler, and I stashed some away for homemade ice cream sometime this summer. We have so little energy to accomplish big projects, but this week the timing was perfect for us to make it work. It almost felt normal again!
💩 That leads me to this week’s trash entry, which is that I need to take off from therapy for at least a month and possibly two. I’ve been experiencing extreme levels of exhaustion for several weeks and just haven’t been able to even hold my head up some days for longer than an hour. The rehab center was very gracious and told me I can just restart when I find out what’s going on, but it’s frustrating to make so much progress and then feel like I hit a brick wall. I’ll see some doctors and do some blood tests to make sure there’s not something more serious going on. Until then my plan is to use as little energy as possible while still keeping up with my stretches and fine motor skill exercises. I’ve become pretty good at regulating my energy levels so I have lots of digital projects planned in between the small organization projects that I hope to do this summer. And of course, lots and lots of naps! One thing I know for sure is that staying indoors with the a/c and not having to even drive anywhere will help. I’m hoping it’s just a mental/physical/emotional tiredness that will correct itself on its own, but prayers are always appreciated!
🐝 I did have two good days this week to finish one big task that’s been lingering on my to-do list for over a year. I removed everything from my bathroom cabinets and sorted-trashed-purged until it all fit back in small bins. Everything is now organized and labeled! Last year, I discovered professional organizer Cas Aarssen and her business, ClutterBug. She has this great little quiz to determine just what kind of organizer you are and lots of helpful visuals and instructions for each type of person. I learned that I am a Bee who needs everything micro-organized, but I don’t need to *see* any of it. I’m unsettled by visual clutter. This was all news to me, as I had always tried to keep everything visible to help me remember what I owned and that it needed to be used. I was actually just overwhelming myself by seeing all the small items in the containers! Now I have a calm cabinet with labels to direct me to the items I’m searching for. It’s truly been a revelation!
Okay friends, happy to be here today! Wishing you all a cool weekend in whatever way you need that to manifest.
P.S. Erin, I’ve sent several emails about The Swipe-Up+ subscription, but they don’t seem to go through. I’d love to be part of that again if there’s a scholarship subscription available. 💙
Currently just hanging out in my bedroom while my kids are still asleep playing Speak Now TV on repeat. Feeling jealous because of all the people I know going to KC (my oldest included), even though I got to see her in Nashville. 😆 I actually got in the queue in the TM drop yesterday but was way too far back in line.
Our beach trip was such an amazing time! With kids who are 18, 16 and 11, they all got along and it was mostly a chill and relaxed time and hard to leave. I finished one book, read 2 full books and started another one, so that’s a good vacation for me.
I'm writing to you from humid and hot upstate NY, where our box fans are always running and the other six months of the year it's winter. But come visit us to see the waterfalls!
Treasures:
~ my youngest was entertained by one of our floor fans for multiple minutes yesterday, so Trash Mom Summer is in full swing.
~ THE. BEAR. No words. No notes. Season 2 is 10/10
~ I am doing a reread of Crescent City and I just finished the first book and y'all. I forgot how much a person can cry "My friends are behind me and I will defend them." "Light it up." (but I also have many many questions and might even venture onto Reddit...who am I?!)
Off to enjoy the weekend and continue to wade through the chaos that is Threads. I need someone to be my spiritual guide, how do I navigate? Who do I follow for the best laughs? HELP?!
Hugs friends, I hope you get everything you need from today and this weekend!
THE. BEAR. Whew. It’s such a wild, beautiful ride, isn’t it? I’ve been performing the “I’m sorry” sign all week and no one else around me watches so it makes no sense to them. 😂
Treasure - our actual trip to the PNW. Mountains, beaches, hiking, lakes, rivers, so much to love.
Turd - Air Canada only flew us home as far as Toronto, a day later than our original flight; we had to pay $600 to rent a car and drive back to Philly, AND they also lost our luggage. It's been over a week and all they've done is given us $100 in meal vouchers to somehow feed 5 people for 3 meals in an airport (newsflash - impossible). Canada, I love you so much - can you please at least return our stuff OR refund us for the flight from Toronto to Philly we paid for but didn't get?
Love,
Someone now too scarred to fly anywhere for vacation ever again
Good morning, Swipes! This comment is coming to you from our new house! We spent our first night here last night and it is really strange to be in a new place, but we really love it. I finally convinced my husband to list our old house with a realtor and it’s under contract now, PTL!!!
I think I downloaded the Threads app last night??? Is that something we’re doing? I got rid of Twitter sometime last year and it has been so great, but is this just going to be Twitter the sequel??
My long distance BFF and I are planning a trip to Hilton Head, SC for August and neither of us have ever been. Does anyone have any recs??
Juvenile’s concert!! 🫶🏽 And hot honey 🍯😍
Also, I’m here to say a few things on nos episode (mostly one thing hahah!!)
1. I didn’t realize how many texts I would receive saying, “WHY DID JAMIE BUTCHER YOUR NAME SO BADLY?” I laughed. It was great. But I’m also glad to say a have a number of friends who listen to the Bible Binge which is legit ✨
2. I was 13 when I wrote my letter to my future husband but 10 didn’t seem out of the ordinary. So, I relate Erin.
3. Why the memories are connected: all those experiences are at the SAME CAMP. I still stick by thousands of babies coming it because you can’t count spiders while you’re screaming and 13.
4. I should have just answered these when I go to Austin! 🤣
The video about oldest daughters was dead on. I need a plan and an exact time people!
I am loving threads and Erin I want to talk more about these gummies you threaded about!
Happy Friday swipes!
This mid-week holiday thing really did a number on me. The DC area has been humid with lots of afternoon storms this week, which means it's been perfect sit inside and read weather. I finished the ACOTAR series last week and wasn't super into the last 3 books. I'm about a third of the way through Fourth Wing now, though, and I am LOVING it. It took all my self control not to stay up late last night reading.
I'm not a first-born but that planning TikTok was totally me. The satisfied face she makes at the end after causing just enough of a scene to get her way...I relate all too much.
Treasures this week:
Speak Now TV, obviously. The vault tracks are way more fun than I expected. I LOVE When Emma Falls in Love and Electric Touch. I do hope I don't have to hear Timeless at every wedding/in the background of every White girl's wedding photo reels for the next 30 years though.
Also, Wimbledon. I love having matches on in the background while I work. Between this, the Women's World Cup, and the US Open my summer TV schedule is set, and I am delighted.
Hey Swipes, happy Friday!
My sister turned 50 this week and to celebrate she rented an airbnb by the beach and invited the whole family to spend as much, or little, time there as they wanted to. I was there for four days and it was a lot of fun, even though it rained most of the time.
😂 Lots of laughter and fun with family.
🌊 I got to swim in the ocean for the first time in over a decade.
🇩🇰 One of the days my niece, my nephews and I took the ferry to Denmark, had lunch, did a bit of shopping, and went to a museum before heading back.
💩 Having to share a room with my sister's MIL, who is very much not my favorite person (and who snores very loudly). But hey, I survived 😂
Have a lovely weekend!
I’ve been on the Hot Honey Train for years. It’s a must on all pizzas - to the point where I will bring my own if the pizza place doesn’t carry it. Also, if you grill Brussels sprouts and then drizzle some HH on top...next level
Ooh! I have a bottle in my pantry but don’t what to drizzle it on except salad. Going to try it on pizza, brussel sprouts and eggs!
Ooh, that sounds delightful!
Hot honey quite literally changed my life. I went to Cane Rosso sometime in pandemic times and discovered the Hot Bastard pizza with hot sopprasetta, bacon and hot honey on top. GAME.CHANGER. I bought some mike's Hot honey and put it on all kinds of stuff. Including pizza that doesn't come with it. It's also good on scrambled eggs!
Oooooh, hot honey on Brussels sprouts! I have to try that.
Happy Friday! I've only worked 3 days this week, but I'm ready for the weekend.
Turds:
💩 Like many homes in Metro Detroit, we don't have AC so being home during the day isn't that much fun. By midday Tues we were all so grumpy just from being hot.
💩 My brother, that I now live with, has been having some health issues and we're pretty sure he's got some type of auto immune problems. It's just been a pain finding a new doctor who can actually see him sooner than 6 months. He's doing some blood work today and after many hours on hold, was able to get an in person appointment for next week. Hopefully, we'll have some answers soon!
💩 I've been going to a church here that I've liked ok, but never really loved the senior pastor. I learned last week that he regularly blogs for FoF and I just can't. So, now I'm back church hunting. SIL and I are slowly learning more about the Anglican church, but leaving a denomination I've been in since I was a child feels so intimidating 😔
Treasures:
🎭 Stratford was utterly delightful! It was easily one of the top five best Shakespeare performances I've seen and we're trying to figure out when we can go see it again.
📚 I've read some excellent books lately: Did You Hear About Kitty Karr, Much Ado About Nada (a Persuasion retelling that's not Shakespeare related), Pineapple Street, and The Unsinkable Greta James.
👚This is the second summer that I've had to wear work clothes and I finally feel like I've found my summer work vibe! My body has changed a lot since I've left my stressful teaching job and I've had to buy/make lots of new things, but it's finally coming together. I'm wearing clothes I love and not just weather appropriate. Its just so nice to feel like yourself
Happy Weekend!
I love that you've found your summer work vibe!
"It's just so nice to feel like yourself" Love this!!!
I’d love to hear more about the clothes you’ve found. Getting dressed in the summer is v v hard.
Linen and skirts! I bought some flowy linen pants from Old Navy, a linen skirt on clearance at target and made myself a new circle skirt. I probably wear each of them once a week.
Thank you!
🙋🏻♀️ First-born daughter. Planning is definitely “how I express my love, sorry!” 😂 I didn’t know how much I planned everything to the last detail until I had to take over managing a household when my mom got sick. Now I spend SO much time creating systems so I can “automate” as much as possible. (Read: not have to think about it every single time. Thanks, Kendra Adachi!) My mother is absolutely NOT a planner so you can imagine the stress that creates!
🎶 I went all the way down the rabbit hole of Tiny Desk Concerts a couple of weeks ago when Babyface was featured and ended up converting 40+ videos into audio tracks to create a playlist. It’s been on repeat ever since. Just the best background music ever! I especially recommend the Broadway cast concerts:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLY2Jodee9i0aV4TEf2lipqud0RRc-0pL6
🍑 My sister offered to pick some peaches for us last weekend — they’ll never compete with Georgia’s crop but they’re fairly sweet this year — and my mom spent all week peeling and prepping a half bushel to make preserves. She called in my other sister for reinforcements yesterday because her one-handed assistant (me) was truly no help, but now we have a lovely little stash of peach preserves to carry us into the fall. We also have some set aside to make a cobbler, and I stashed some away for homemade ice cream sometime this summer. We have so little energy to accomplish big projects, but this week the timing was perfect for us to make it work. It almost felt normal again!
💩 That leads me to this week’s trash entry, which is that I need to take off from therapy for at least a month and possibly two. I’ve been experiencing extreme levels of exhaustion for several weeks and just haven’t been able to even hold my head up some days for longer than an hour. The rehab center was very gracious and told me I can just restart when I find out what’s going on, but it’s frustrating to make so much progress and then feel like I hit a brick wall. I’ll see some doctors and do some blood tests to make sure there’s not something more serious going on. Until then my plan is to use as little energy as possible while still keeping up with my stretches and fine motor skill exercises. I’ve become pretty good at regulating my energy levels so I have lots of digital projects planned in between the small organization projects that I hope to do this summer. And of course, lots and lots of naps! One thing I know for sure is that staying indoors with the a/c and not having to even drive anywhere will help. I’m hoping it’s just a mental/physical/emotional tiredness that will correct itself on its own, but prayers are always appreciated!
🐝 I did have two good days this week to finish one big task that’s been lingering on my to-do list for over a year. I removed everything from my bathroom cabinets and sorted-trashed-purged until it all fit back in small bins. Everything is now organized and labeled! Last year, I discovered professional organizer Cas Aarssen and her business, ClutterBug. She has this great little quiz to determine just what kind of organizer you are and lots of helpful visuals and instructions for each type of person. I learned that I am a Bee who needs everything micro-organized, but I don’t need to *see* any of it. I’m unsettled by visual clutter. This was all news to me, as I had always tried to keep everything visible to help me remember what I owned and that it needed to be used. I was actually just overwhelming myself by seeing all the small items in the containers! Now I have a calm cabinet with labels to direct me to the items I’m searching for. It’s truly been a revelation!
ClutterBug Quiz: https://clutterbug.me/what-clutterbug-are-you-test
Okay friends, happy to be here today! Wishing you all a cool weekend in whatever way you need that to manifest.
P.S. Erin, I’ve sent several emails about The Swipe-Up+ subscription, but they don’t seem to go through. I’d love to be part of that again if there’s a scholarship subscription available. 💙
Homemade ice cream is the best! Hoping you will find answers to this fatigue as I know it is frustrating.
This ClutterBug quiz sounds amazing, I'm so excited!
Did you say homemade peach ice cream? That sounds delicious!
I really hope you'll get your energy back soon. Fatigue is the worst! Praying there's nothing serious going on and that you'll feel better soon.
Can't wait to take the ClutterBug quiz!
Currently just hanging out in my bedroom while my kids are still asleep playing Speak Now TV on repeat. Feeling jealous because of all the people I know going to KC (my oldest included), even though I got to see her in Nashville. 😆 I actually got in the queue in the TM drop yesterday but was way too far back in line.
Our beach trip was such an amazing time! With kids who are 18, 16 and 11, they all got along and it was mostly a chill and relaxed time and hard to leave. I finished one book, read 2 full books and started another one, so that’s a good vacation for me.
Have a great weekend!
There's nothing like getting to read books at the beach, so glad you were able to enjoy it!
Happy Friday Friends!
I'm writing to you from humid and hot upstate NY, where our box fans are always running and the other six months of the year it's winter. But come visit us to see the waterfalls!
Treasures:
~ my youngest was entertained by one of our floor fans for multiple minutes yesterday, so Trash Mom Summer is in full swing.
~ We made this last week and I immediately asked to make it again. It's summer, all in one delicious dish https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/marinated-cherry-tomatoes-with-burrata/
~ THAT BEING SAID, this might be the most perfect way to use peaches (Erin, it's not hot honey, but it's hot bacon, which might be better?!) https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/tomato-peach-crostini/
~ THE. BEAR. No words. No notes. Season 2 is 10/10
~ I am doing a reread of Crescent City and I just finished the first book and y'all. I forgot how much a person can cry "My friends are behind me and I will defend them." "Light it up." (but I also have many many questions and might even venture onto Reddit...who am I?!)
Off to enjoy the weekend and continue to wade through the chaos that is Threads. I need someone to be my spiritual guide, how do I navigate? Who do I follow for the best laughs? HELP?!
Hugs friends, I hope you get everything you need from today and this weekend!
Wait, that crostini looks amazing!
THE. BEAR. Whew. It’s such a wild, beautiful ride, isn’t it? I’ve been performing the “I’m sorry” sign all week and no one else around me watches so it makes no sense to them. 😂
Hey all -
Treasure - our actual trip to the PNW. Mountains, beaches, hiking, lakes, rivers, so much to love.
Turd - Air Canada only flew us home as far as Toronto, a day later than our original flight; we had to pay $600 to rent a car and drive back to Philly, AND they also lost our luggage. It's been over a week and all they've done is given us $100 in meal vouchers to somehow feed 5 people for 3 meals in an airport (newsflash - impossible). Canada, I love you so much - can you please at least return our stuff OR refund us for the flight from Toronto to Philly we paid for but didn't get?
Love,
Someone now too scarred to fly anywhere for vacation ever again
Oh no, that's awful!
Oh noooooooo, hoping they get this resolved quickly!
Nooooooooo we rebuke it!
Good morning, Swipes! This comment is coming to you from our new house! We spent our first night here last night and it is really strange to be in a new place, but we really love it. I finally convinced my husband to list our old house with a realtor and it’s under contract now, PTL!!!
I think I downloaded the Threads app last night??? Is that something we’re doing? I got rid of Twitter sometime last year and it has been so great, but is this just going to be Twitter the sequel??
My long distance BFF and I are planning a trip to Hilton Head, SC for August and neither of us have ever been. Does anyone have any recs??
Can’t wait to catch up in the comments 💗
New house!!! So exciting!
HOORAY LAUREN! Love the new house news 😍😍
First night in the new house, how exciting! Congrats on convincing your husband to hire a realtor.
Hooray for a new house! And threads is wild chaos - I love it!
There's kind of a fun unhinged energy happening on Threads right now that Im into! Congrats on the new digs, Lauren!