now picturing hockey players in a penguin habitat: skating around on ice, eating seafood and excited by protein sources, getting in fights, labeled with their names and numbers, stats and facts about them displayed on a board on the wall, trainers advocating for their health... Look, I'm no Canadian, but it checks out lol
What a dumpster fire of a week. 😔🤬 Also, many of us educators are back with our students this week and our brains are barely able to keep up with the onslaught of decisions and “circle back in January” emails we’re trying to answer. I’m exhausted.
Today I left the book I wanted to read during my lunch break at home, so I opened Substack and thankfully I clicked on Lil Treasures first. Erin, I spent my entire break watching dear Christian’s “Aldi miniatures” series and I’m completely invested! WILL HE EVER GET THE SAUCE?!?!
RIGHT?! I can feel myself moving toward another journey of collectibles, right in the middle of trying to figure out what to do with the collectibles I do have because I am 73 and trying to show mercy to the executor of my will.
If anyone needs some mini items to bring them joy, I treated myself to the Mini Brands Books Series 2 for my stocking this year and they did not disappoint. Yes, of course I want teeny tiny versions of Emma and Little Women and a little bookshelf to put them on.
Currently reading the Throne of Glass series because reality is too much to bear. Give me all the fantasy/romantasy/romance, just put it in my veins because I cannot handle anything that is too reminiscent of the actual hellscape we’re living in.
🌞On a positive note, a friends husband had a pretty intense surgery yesterday and it went super well!
🌞I offered to buy my bosses home snow plow and she ended up just giving it to me. I got to really use it for the first time over new years and it was fabulous! I live on the corner so shoveling took ages and this was so so easy.
Wait, what? No little Aldi thingies in the U.S.? I'm going to see if my church will add that to the list of people we write postcards to, encouraging social justice.
So much joy from the ALDI minis unwrap. I hope he finds his tomato sauce. ;)
2025 was super hard in a lot of ways. Frankly, I think it will get better on a personal front (you live, you learn - thank you, Alanis), but on a national front, it's going to get a hell of a lot worse before it gets better.
Okay so on reading, what books are you getting grief over? (This is just me being nosy lol) I am selective in my reading but I don’t try to gatekeep anyone else’s library. I’m not really a high fantasy girlie but they do often sound amazing tbh.
Hello from ICE-occupied Minnesota -- we are shaken, angry, scared, and who knows what else. ICE arrested someone a block from my 20-something daughter's workplace, and they have daily protocol reviews on how to respond if they show up there. She already lives with anxiety that makes daily life a challenge, so this week was ROUGH. My older daughter was weighing whether or not to attend a protest last night, but decided that she didn't want to risk being killed. Praying that ICE Barbie and her goons leave town soon.
Dear Erin -- thank you so much for this collection of delights! And now if you'll excuse me, I'll be watching the ALDI miniatures video on a loop. Stay safe and rest this weekend, friends!
now picturing hockey players in a penguin habitat: skating around on ice, eating seafood and excited by protein sources, getting in fights, labeled with their names and numbers, stats and facts about them displayed on a board on the wall, trainers advocating for their health... Look, I'm no Canadian, but it checks out lol
What a dumpster fire of a week. 😔🤬 Also, many of us educators are back with our students this week and our brains are barely able to keep up with the onslaught of decisions and “circle back in January” emails we’re trying to answer. I’m exhausted.
Today I left the book I wanted to read during my lunch break at home, so I opened Substack and thankfully I clicked on Lil Treasures first. Erin, I spent my entire break watching dear Christian’s “Aldi miniatures” series and I’m completely invested! WILL HE EVER GET THE SAUCE?!?!
RIGHT?! I can feel myself moving toward another journey of collectibles, right in the middle of trying to figure out what to do with the collectibles I do have because I am 73 and trying to show mercy to the executor of my will.
If anyone needs some mini items to bring them joy, I treated myself to the Mini Brands Books Series 2 for my stocking this year and they did not disappoint. Yes, of course I want teeny tiny versions of Emma and Little Women and a little bookshelf to put them on.
Currently reading the Throne of Glass series because reality is too much to bear. Give me all the fantasy/romantasy/romance, just put it in my veins because I cannot handle anything that is too reminiscent of the actual hellscape we’re living in.
A friend in an online book club made us ornaments with tiny little copies of the books we read this year inside. I honor your obsession.
Kinda sad American Aldi doesn't have minis 😒
🌞On a positive note, a friends husband had a pretty intense surgery yesterday and it went super well!
🌞I offered to buy my bosses home snow plow and she ended up just giving it to me. I got to really use it for the first time over new years and it was fabulous! I live on the corner so shoveling took ages and this was so so easy.
Wait, what? No little Aldi thingies in the U.S.? I'm going to see if my church will add that to the list of people we write postcards to, encouraging social justice.
🤣
I was just thinking this! Aldi Minis would be a lifeline right now (and I'm only a teeny bit exaggerating).
2026 did not get the memo. Grateful for laughter even in the midst of the horrors. Holding onto hope that joy will see us through.
So much joy from the ALDI minis unwrap. I hope he finds his tomato sauce. ;)
2025 was super hard in a lot of ways. Frankly, I think it will get better on a personal front (you live, you learn - thank you, Alanis), but on a national front, it's going to get a hell of a lot worse before it gets better.
Okay so on reading, what books are you getting grief over? (This is just me being nosy lol) I am selective in my reading but I don’t try to gatekeep anyone else’s library. I’m not really a high fantasy girlie but they do often sound amazing tbh.
Hello from ICE-occupied Minnesota -- we are shaken, angry, scared, and who knows what else. ICE arrested someone a block from my 20-something daughter's workplace, and they have daily protocol reviews on how to respond if they show up there. She already lives with anxiety that makes daily life a challenge, so this week was ROUGH. My older daughter was weighing whether or not to attend a protest last night, but decided that she didn't want to risk being killed. Praying that ICE Barbie and her goons leave town soon.
Dear Erin -- thank you so much for this collection of delights! And now if you'll excuse me, I'll be watching the ALDI miniatures video on a loop. Stay safe and rest this weekend, friends!
I am so sorry. Sending love from Arkansas
Please let us know how we can love Minneapolis. Or Portland if anyone there sees this.
Seconding this!
Boy aquarium got me.
I got to share the "boy aquarium" concept with a friend recently and she was delighted. 😂
Happy Friday , happy crazy insane first full week of 2026…😫😫😫
holding onto hope in 2026 and it’ll be a struggle but I’m gonna hold on.
I’m looking forward to listening to the faith adjacent pod.
I pray we have a weekend that is not filled with breaking news!