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I'm late to the party as usual, but hello to my beloved Lil' Swipes all the same. I'm just popping in to agree with you, Erin about digging in the dirt and tending to the garden. I have been in my garden every chance I can get this spring, and it has been a balm to my weary soul. I used to LOVE to putter in the flower beds and tend to all my plants, but somewhere along the way I lost that part of myself in all the busyness and stress of life. I would do the bare minimum and plant a few tomatoes and mess with my flowers a little but not really get in there and use my creativity like I have in the past. It has been glorious and the icing on the cake is that I do believe 100% that it counts as my exercise. Praise!

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Hello all! Enjoying the current treasure of sitting in our newly cleaned basement (PTL for Ikea shelves as it looked like LEGOland threw up in here) and "watching" my kids build new sets thanks to the grandparents. Who recently returned them after keeping them for the weekend for the first time in nearly a year - watching my dad hug my boys was amazing. SO SO thankful for vaccines and the gift of alone time/space to read and eat all the things. I don't have much of a health update but I'm scheduled with neurology in two weeks so waiting semi-patiently for that appointment and hoping the testing will bring some clarity. Happy Sunday, little swipes!

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Hey everyone! I just read through your comments instead of dealing with student loans. It felt like the right choice. ;) This week was crazy for me! I was diagnosed with ADHD, had to extend my finals week, had a premature commencement which felt completely fake and jinx-able but it was my one shot for the 2020-2021 school year, and took a mini road trip to visit one of my cousins.

It was my first solo road trip and I was proud of myself! It was also surprisingly fun. I lowered my expectations because this cousin is having a really hard time, so I kept telling myself that I was really there to help and it would be ok if it was hard and not very fun. But it was fun! It was so good to get out of town, take a break from school and work, and hang out with people. I've been super careful living in a high-transmission college town and I haven't done that much socializing in over a year. It was exhausting but also amazing. Definitely worth getting vaccinated during finals week.

I'm in a weird spot, schedule-wise. Trying to finish a few last classes so I can graduate in August, but BYU does 2 double-time semesters in the summer so 6 credits feels like a TON of class every day. Plus I'm working more hours and I feel like I'm inside at a desk all day now. It's been interesting, especially in light of the ADHD, but I do feel like I finally have a big girl job. I have no time to leave and get/make lunch during the day, though. I'm trying to make things easier on myself by packing lunch the night before. Does anyone have recommendations for weekday work lunches they like? Or Trader Joe's treats they recommend? I'm always looking for suggestions, lol.

Treasures: I binged (and am almost done with) Ted Lasso with my cousin. I'm listening to The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. My boyfriend and I are binging Arrested Development for the first time. Trader Joe's chocolate coconut almonds are delicious.

I hope you all have a great week!

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Good morning everyone! I read the Swipe Up and am writing a comment as a procrastination technique to avoid writing a 40ish page paper for my class. Two weeks to go and I'll be done with my Masters but this is not how I want to spend my Saturday. :)

A question I would love some help with: How should I reward myself in some way after I'm done with school? I never get my nails done so I'm thinking of doing that and I have some trips planned in June. But, I would love ideas for directly afterwards, especially as I work to make it to the end of the actual school year.

Biggest treasure this week? My district just announced that students only have to go to school until May 28 instead of June 4! Teachers will still have to be there for that last week but that will just be a party for us. :)

Have a good week everyone!

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Hi friends. I am here, but barely. I lost my grandmother over the weekend, only four months after losing my grandfather. They were my bio-dads parents and I donā€™t have a relationship with him so itā€™s a complicated situation. I wasnā€™t told she was in the hospital or that hospice had been called once she was home. I was waiting until the two weeks post vaccine to go visit her. Iā€™d just hit the mark and was planning to call this week. I didnā€™t get to say goodbye and I donā€™t have any shared family to grieve with. Neither of them wanted services bc of Covid. I am so lonely in my grief . Iā€™m trying to take it easy and give myself space to grieve but Iā€™m also finishing my first semester of grad school this next week and so Iā€™m a bit overwhelmed there too.

My treasures this week have been my people, specifically my husband and best friend who have rallied for me. And also a playlist of 90s country songs that remind me of the radio station that played every night that I spent at my grandparents.

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I look forward to these every week! I teach kindergarten, and reading the swipe up is my "me time" when my kids go to Specials on Fridays. This week, I had 5 year olds pulling down pants and showing their ding dings to each other, so I needed my "me time" extra much.

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This week has been the first hot week of the spring (86 degrees in Davenport, IA) and my body is still coming out of winter hibernation mode. Any tips for transitioning with the seasons?

The strawberry blossoms keep popping out and they are the most precious things in life. The garlic is getting harvested in May or June and then being sourced to a local bakery @bluesprucebakery If you are in the area, check them because they have a bread subscription and this is a definite treasure. The spinach, onions, and potatoes and coming along nicely. We are also having a volunteer effort to build raised beds! Another treasure is people who volunteer their time and skills. If you want to follow our adventures check out @tapestryfarms.

On a personal note, I am rewatching 'Call the Midwife' for probably the fifth time and am rediscovering my love for Sister Evangelina, Sister Monica Joan, Chummy, and Peter. I am also reading 'Anne of Avonlea' and it has taken me until my late 20s to realize what a master or words L.M. Montgomery was. Any biography or autobiography recommendations of her?

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Hey, y'all! A couple of quick treasures: got my second vaccine dose today, the oldest munchkin turns 7 on Monday (I am ready/not ready), and I have been influenced to embark on a Penny and Sparrow journey by some fellow Swipea. I am also a little discombobulated today thinking about some kid dynamics involving my son (5.5 yo), but I know I am mostly overthinking things. I also know he needs to keep learning to manage his aggressive energy better. We are doing our best, and I guess that's all we can do.

Erin, I cackled at the column of chips tweet! Classic.

Have a good weekend, everyone!

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You guys! Why has this week been so freakin' long? Seriously?!? Also why does my family continue to enforce the voice in my head that says I cannot rest or the world will fall apart (I know the voice is lying, but still) This morning after being up with children who were not a fan of the crazy storm that rolled through I let myself sleep in and then took a long hot shower only to finally wander out of my room to one kid having some sort of existential crisis about being kicked out of her zoom call and then down the stairs to find the other child in a tizzy because Jon broke a coffee cup and was bleeding. (The glass has been cleaned up and he has been shuttled off to urgent care for what I'm sure will be stitches in his finger). ..at this point all I can think is, "This is what I get for not getting up" Ugh!

On to happier things.

šŸŽ­šŸ“暟Ž‰We had our 3rd Passport Dinner on Saturday and New Orleans did not disappoint. Crawfish, Mini Muffuletta Sandwiches, Jambalaya, Garlic Bread and Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce. YUM! Next month is Jamaica! https://www.instagram.com/p/COEwFaPr77N/

šŸ‡My paternal grandmother was a jockey and loved to watch horse races. So every year everyone in our family picks our pony for The Kentucky Derby. It's a fun way to remember my grandma and makes watching the race more fun. This year we've included my in-laws and my sisters in-laws in the fun and added a Derby Hat contest. It's been really fun to build hats with the girls this week. I'll share pictures on my Instagram later today.

šŸŒŗWe finished one our backyard project and I'm obsessed. I love the lights and the flowers and I have told everyone that if they cannot find me I'm probably in the back yard. https://www.instagram.com/p/COMIDArLm07/

https://www.instagram.com/p/COMOMH7LfH6/

We also picked our first tomato yesterday. Y'all homegrown summer tomatoes just hit different.

Looking forward to a weekend with only a few things on the to do list and a weather forecast that is ideal for snuggling up with a book or a movie.

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Yā€™all I am LATE today!

Erin - thank you for setting a boundary for yourself and letting us know what to expect in the coming weeks/months. I am proud that you are able to decide what matters when, and where you can lighten your load when you need it. Thatā€™s hard to do!

I donā€™t have much in me today, but I will say a big treasure this week was the first meeting of the Share Your Stuff, Iā€™ll Go First book club. It was nice to make new friends again. ā™„ļø

Friends, I am just running out of steam. We have a fun trip planned to the Portland/Seattle area in 8 days, but I am worried it wonā€™t be as rejuvenating or relaxing as my body is asking for right now. In between now and when we go to the airport, a wedding is happening that is..... stressful, to say the least. I shared a bit about this in the book club, but the bride is someone whom I am trying *very* hard to be learn to be friends with and it is just NOT working.

Hereā€™s to a weekend where hopefully I do something restful, see people I love (hooray for vaccinations!) and prepare for the first trip in 3 years that I will get time in a different city, with the love of my life, without any other family members there to bug us. šŸ˜‚ā™„ļø

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How is it already Friday again? I don't understand šŸ¤·ā€ā™‚ļø

This week has been kind of blah and not much has happened but Sweden is slowly getting warmer and everything is in bloom. I think I love this time of year.

Earlier this week I bought some plants for my patio. My next project is to get it ready for summer. I never thought I'd be someone who'd want a garden but I'm starting to feel like a few potted plants on some stone slabs isn't cutting it anymore. On the other hand, I am VERY grateful that my apartment has a patio so I can sit outside in the summer! I'd hoped to get it ready this week but I ended up with a sore throat and have spent the last couple of days in bed. No fever though, and I'm already feeling better, so that is also something I'm grateful for šŸ¤—

Have a great weekend, friends!

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I'm excited to see what you're working on, E!

Y'all, I have been too overwhelmed to be here lately, but it's ok. I'm reading old posts and commenting weeks later and I hope you have your email notifications on so you'll reply to me later, lol.

I've been taking a bit of a social media (mainly IG and TT) break to get my anxiety under control, and it's actually worked! It's really making me rethink IG and how I want to return there better. I also have been thinking of starting my own Substack because I miss creating and am tired of consuming. I was big into blogging in college/grad school/early adulthood and I think I would enjoy that outlet again. So stay tuned if you're interested in my Treats of the Week (workshopping potential names...)

This weekend I am going to drive 2 hours to Austin to get 24 hours with 2 of my good gal pals whose group text has saved my life this year. I AM SO EXCITED TO HUG THEM. Haven't seen them in 1.5 years probably. Thanks, vaccines! We are going to eat Thai food and play Wingspan because it's supposed to rain all day, and it's going to be great.

Other treasures: catching up on months' worth of Annie B Jones' newsletter, Spotify playlists by Kendra Adachi and Kate Kennedy, and People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry.

Love you all, sorry I haven't been around much!

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For my wife, I built four 4'x4' square foot garden frames from cedar last weekend and filled them with 32 cubic feet of Mell's Mix (compost, coarse vermiculite, and sphagnum peat moss). Still have to install the rainbarrel to the downspout and trelliises for the taller vegetables (tomatoes, peppers...). Plus mulch the beds with a little straw. She's already looking ahead to fall when I can build and fill at least four more frames. Over half of the squares are planned for flowers.

I understand the flowers, but it seems like a lot of money to raise vegetables that we can buy along the roadside or at our farmer's market for much less. Still, it makes her happy and I love her. So, it seems like a good thing.

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Roller skating party was a flop and a success. I invited 11 friends and only 3 could make it. Covid related mostly so I know itā€™s not because they donā€™t love me. Thatā€™s my second covid birthday and Iā€™m not okay. It was a success in that I had fun, laughed a lot and only fell once. Plus my sweet friends pitched in enough to deck out my own pair of skates. Waiting on my order of wheels and toe stoppers to come it. Our van also broke down and made the weekends plans all have to shift and I got less time with my kids, so that sucked.

This non dog person is madly in love with our dog. We got him for our daughter but he has become super attached to me and I donā€™t know what we would do without him.

My husband and I got our first dose and it could be up to four months before we get the second, but we are feeling good about being half way there.

Finally, Iā€™ve been painting a lot lately. I havenā€™t had a lot of motivation to create since moving and juggling my family stuff, so it has felt great to create again.

Be well, dears!

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Friends! Hi! Oh you know. Just writing from the Pet Emergency waiting room. šŸ˜© Our cat, Watson, is not doing well and weā€™re not sure whatā€™s going to happen next. Gah. This week has just been a doozy.

A few treasures though while Iā€™m waitingā€¦

-My husband & I watched the first episodes of the Headspace meditation & sleep series last night on Netflix. Super excited to check the rest of the episodes out.

-Friends who let friends vent and cry and curse and then validate those feelings and continue fighting the good fight against the patriarchy. šŸ¤˜

-Officially getting enough points to pass my first semester of internship. Itā€™s a pass/fail so thatā€™s a relief! Only ONE semester to go, you guys. Then I graduate. Just praying and hoping I can see enough clients between now and August to get my hours.

OH YEAH. And I turn 30 on Sunday. šŸ˜‚šŸ˜‚ Almost forgot. Hereā€™s to a new decade! šŸŽ‰

Love you all. šŸ’œ

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Yay for a new project, Erin!

Weā€™ve had a pretty good week over here. I took the kids to a new dentist (which has been sorely needed for a while) and it was like that fixed my daughterā€™s terrible dentist panic! Granted, she still has to get a filling in a few weeks and we will see then, but she didnā€™t have a panic attack which is a first in a year and a half, since she had to get stitches in her lip.

My husband interviewed for a new position within his current company. Heā€™s been feeling unchallenged and struggling with working from home. This position would still be from home, but much more of a good fit and challenge, and would pay enough to probably enable us to move back home to VA. We are trying not to get our hopes up, but it is not working. We have lived in SC almost seven years, and while itā€™s nice enough here, weā€™ve never stopped being homesick. I am not telling the people in our lives because I donā€™t want them to get their hopes up. (Or down, in the case of in-laws who live nearby.)

Iā€™m excited to see how everyone is doing!

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