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I don't comment regularly on this thread but it's been such a time.

Over the weekend, family came to town. Since I'm currently living by myself in a 4 bedroom apartment, I offered them beds at my place, so they didn't have to sleep on their brother's floor or nasty frat house couch. That was a mistake. I was ghosted by the actual adults, got roped into hosting and babysitting a bunch of children since I'd advertised I had beds available, and ended up doing a ton of guest prep before getting ghosted, all to have nothing to show for it. Who knew 11 year olds do not appreciate clean linens, fresh flowers, or spotless bathrooms?

I ended up rearranging my schedule so I could make it to a family dinner and at least spend a couple hours with the relatives I rarely see, only to be literally seated in the corner. The piece de resistance came when we stopped by my cousin's house to pick something up, and the kids I was hosting went in without me. They called me a few minutes later in a panic, saying my cousin had left his dog inside all day, it had had an accident on the floor, and they had tracked it all over the house. My cousin, of course, was not home, nor was he answering his phone. I had held it together pretty well up to that point but I about lost my damn mind. We cleaned up some of the mess, got ahold of my cousin, and went back to my place. At which point the people who had ghosted me wanted to use my apartment like a flophouse. I noped out of there so fast, then snuck out after the kids were in bed and cried to my boyfriend for like 3 hours.

The good news is that I've learned some lessons about people pleasing and the boundaries between self-sacrifice and self-immolation, and that Queer Eye continues to be healing.

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I was SO pleased with The Chosen! The first handful of episodes are available on YouTube and that’s how I watched them. I did cave in and download the app to finish. Episodes 1-8 are free there right now. It’s not my favorite way to watch media, but I HAD to know what happened. Just do it, Erin (and everyone else, for that matter)! I wept in nearly every episode and it made me fall in love with Jesus all over again. They did such a great job of fleshing out so many of the disciples that I’d never given a second thought and it’s helping me read the Bible with fresh eyes

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Hi friends!

It’s my first time jumping into the comment section, but this week felt like a good time to finally start! I enjoy reading all of your treasures (and turds) and cheering you on from SC. I had decided I was going to share some treasures this week, but managed more turds (oh hey, 2020!).

Treasures:

- The Baby Sitter's Club - I read some of the books growing up, but this show is just what I needed right now. I will take all of the sweet, easy to watch shows, please and thank you.

- The Chicks new album 😍

- Johnnyswim hosted a virtual concert last night and it was one of the best parts of this week. The debuted their album, Songs with Strangers. During quarantine, they got on ig live, picked a stranger and wrote a song with them. The album is just the best and makes me tear up every time. These lyrics from, Still Wonderful are enough to do me in: "Hurt and hope / Watch as I carry both / Not exactly as we planned, I know / But it's still good" The concert link is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkzfhxueHr8 if you're interested.

Turds

- Our governor had a press conference on Wednesday that was disrespectful to teachers. Two of our other elected officials joined him and continued to berate teacher’s performance of distance learning and one even went far enough to give it a grade of “D-“. I have never felt so disrespected as a teacher, and I have been actually spit on in a classroom. So that was, um, not great.

- We found out that one of phenomenal administrators at the elementary school I teach is getting moved and we’re getting a new replacement. We’re all a little worried because while we know he's the perfect person for his new position, he is leaving some big shoes to fill. Combine that with all the unknowns of teaching in a pandemic, and ugh.

- I'm two weeks away from finishing my master's degree and it's getting really heavy. But deep breaths, we're almost done.

I hope you all have a wonderful week!

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So one of my treasures this week was that High school musical / Hamilton Mashup Erin posted a few days ago in stories but now I can't find it again. 😢 Does anyone have a link?

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So my husband and I have been rewatching the West Wing, and I am delighted to tell you that there are echos of the West Wing in Hamilton. On the Hamilcast, Lin talked about how the “call me son one more time!” scene was inspired by Josh going off of the president after he was shot. He also said that in the scene where Hamilton asks Burr to defend the constitution he tried to be the most Sorkin he could be. Aaaaannnndddd....in the episode I’m watching right now, Sam just said, “I’m looking for a mind at work!”

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This is my first dive into the comment section of Lil Treasures and I’m in love! Although today I’ve fallen down the trail of the popcasts worst weddings and it did not disappoint. (Go now to IG and read the comments, you will snort with laughter!) Also, feeling a lot of feelings for Jessica and Matthew Turner who made a big announcement today. Do I know them personally. Oh. No. But as an enneagram 9, I like to feel for ALL THE PEOPLE.

Lastly, and why I came to the comments section: Erin, CRYING HACK! Yes and amen. As a 9 and a SLOW PROCESSOR, I need all the crying hacks I can get. I found this on Twitter, and I’m going to warn you, this made me sob. SOB. THAT DAD IS GOLD. Again, This being my first time, I hope this link works. https://twitter.com/cottrelltravis/status/1283850181688152064?s=21

Thank you for allowing me this space:)

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My oldest just turned 5 and could start kindergarten this year, but I'm having a baby in September and this whole thing feels crazy and I'm just like nope. Let's try again in 2021 😅

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Ugh mask acne. An entry from my prayer journal circa 1997 feels relevant in which I plead with Jesus to heal with a divine healing my forehead acne that made not-great bangs a necessity despite my consistently daily quiet times and perfect FCA attendance and I know Jesus looks at the heart but like, why is Trisha so mean to all the girls and always cussing on the bus and talking back to her parents but has skin like a neutrogena model, come on, Jesus.

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Happy Friday!

Last week we were in MN at the lake (a trip finally was not cancelled! Huzzah!) and I missed this delightful space. Can I just say what a treasure Minnesota lakes are??? Gosh, it was good to be back and I already miss them...

Turd of the week: the lake time was good, but during our trip I had to have some hard conversations with my aging parents. Guys. I so very much dislike this phase of life. Trying to talk to aging parents about hard topics without offending or getting the "you're the kids, you don't need to worry about this" excuse makes me want to curl up in my bed and eat Blue Bell ice cream for days.

Treasures:

1. Sir Patrick Stewart reading sonnets on Twitter. https://twitter.com/SirPatStew So soothing.

2. Dan Rather's tweets. Bringing. The. Heat. https://twitter.com/DanRather

3. Berry picking. Fresh picked blackberries the size of my boys' fingers with ricotta and honey = new summer fave.

4. Blue Bell's Cookie Two Step. It's my two favorite ice creams (cookies and cream and chocolate chip cookie dough) rolled into one!

5. Palm Springs on Hulu. So good.

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This week was as good as a week in a pandemic can get, until it all blew up today. We dropped my husband's car off for a state inspected thinking well he hasn't driven it much since March what could be wrong. Turns out, the whole undercarriage can be rusted enough that it is starting to crumble. We need to sell it to a junkyard before the end of the month when our inspection expires and we can't drive it anymore. On the bright side, we don't need to hurry to replace it since my husband is working from home for the foreseeable future.

We got home from the car debacle, to discover one of the kids must have closed the dog in our laundry before we left and he clawed a giant hole in the wall, ripped off the trim around the door and scratched our new vinyl tile floor in what I can only assume as an attempt to escape. He is an 11-year-old Golden Retriever who usually can't even be bothered to go for a walk with us, but sure he has enough energy to try to stage a prison break.

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Oh Erin, I feel ya. I’m going to have to homeschool next year. We already announced a crazy hybrid schedule and I’m already a mama who stopped working a few years ago so.....it looks like I have no excuse. I literally would have already had to leave my job if I would have still been working through this. A small town with SEVERE child care shortages and I worked in Export 😳 it was not working mom friendly and literally no one had young children...no one! Anyway, the hybrid schedule is rotating days like M/THUR at school, T/W/Fr at home online and then 14 day quarantined for every serious exposure, masks, etc. My daughter is sooo social but said, wait you mean I might be on opposite days of all my friends and still never see anyone? Umm yea let’s try try this homeschool. I was like well God ya got me it’s pretty clear now is the time for me to suck it up and try. I won’t fail her anymore than this crapshoot of a year would be “at school/home online”. I call this next year it a Sh$& storm, literally mounds and mounds of manure thrown up in the air and exploding like fireworks. 😉 praying for all the families especially working mamas and single mamas this is hardddddddd but we gotta have faith that god has plans for us and maybe he’s forcing us to yet again change course that we would never have taken and have faith He WILL Provide!

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My week is summed up by the fact that yesterday I truly couldn't remember what day of the week it was, so I guessed Tuesday and was TWO WHOLE DAYS OFF! What the crap. I've never been so shocked to learn it was Thursday.

I just started following along with a weekly quilt block thing Moda fabrics does called Blockheads 3. I'm 25 weeks behind, but I'm still excited about it!!

And along the themes of "I'm possibly biting off more than I can chew" and also "I'm an 80 year old in a 31 year old body" I've been brainstorming the possibility of starting a (hear me out 😂) cemetery road trip substack to virtually visit cemeteries all over the country and talk about the history of the area and the notable residents of that cemetery. We'll see if it makes it past the planning stage. 😅

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Listening now to Jamie and Erin's take on Zac's show

I

AM

DYING

Okay. Zac's beard = YES

The rest of the show? I don't think I will be watching more.

I was also like-- okay he's a majillionaire but acts like -- I don't know you guys, he's just --- again, dumb and pretty --- and his bro way too old friend actually ate a dried out looking OAK leaf on his plate thinking it was actually the entree. And here Zac is acting like he has to choke down reindeer and then the chef is all "Yeah I had to walk like 785972832 kilometers and I had to carry it uphill twice"

Also Zac's way too old Broseph is all "I'm vegan and I'm known for eating vegan" -- and he mows down bread baked in a hole that has milk in it and Zac calls him out on it "Dude, you saw them make it." Zac is the guy that is screaming in a car to wake up his sleeping old friend- of course he's sleeping dude he's like 50 and hanging out with you!

I'm team Jamie on this red light HAHAHA

(LOUD WHISPER) Sorry Erin

Maybe I just need to watch it on mute to admire dumb and pretty Zac. Some are saying he's earnest. No. Garth Brooks is Earnest. Zac is just -- well proving he's a great actor as he fooled me into thinking he was this charming guy LOL ;)

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One more comment and I’m hoping y’all can give me some advice.

My parents would like to help us purchase a new home.

The quandary that my husband and I are in is that we feel this money would be better suited to put toward higher education for our children.

Broaching this subject with my parents gives me anxiety because I hate talking about money especially with my parents.

They say they want to help us eliminate uncertainty but to us, the biggest uncertainty is higher education.

Look, I want to move. I’m ready to move now as the house we’ve lived in for the total of our 13 yr marriage is small, has never felt like “our house” (he had this house prior to us getting married), but my husband doesn’t feel like we can do it unless higher education is handled.

I agree to a point but we NEED to get out of this house!! The 1600 sf is closing in on me quickly. Add 2 kids and some to be 2 dogs and you get it.

Anyone have any suggestions or advice on how to talk about this with my parents?

Thanks!!

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Right before Covid, I started an outreach group for mom’s and kids in the neighbored surrounding my church. It took forever to get off the ground and wasn’t well attended.

Now that people are willing to come to socially distance events again, we had two in the past month that have been the largest groups I’ve seen. Still small because safety but it warms my heart to see God moving in the midst of *all of this!*

I’ve been trying to find a way to enter into my Sabbath with joy and feasting. Typically in a Jewish household they will light candles, drink the good wine, and eat amazing food. For one night a week it’s a little foretaste of the feast to come (heaven). I think I’ve decided to combine two of my favorite things in order to help me celebrate a day of rest: Carbs and Beer. I’m going to treat myself to a French Fry Day and a nice cold Hefeweizen as soon as I’m done with work!

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Oh, Erin...that sanctified common sense part made me cry. I have been living that way for months (and why oh why is it not all better yet?). But you articulated it so well. And I think it makes me cry because I’m so damn lonely right now and can only hear the screaming from people who are SO UNLOVING. Stop screaming, y’all. We are literally in this together, let’s climb out together, and alive. Please.

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Treasures: Working during all of this crazy to start a nonprofit organization to help fellow heart transplant recipients - Heartfelt Help Foundation, if anyone is interested in looking it up! It's been fun and crazy and hard, but awareness needs to be raised.

2nd treasure - Erin H Moon mentioned me on Facebook! If you don't think I saved that notification, you'd be wrong...

3rd treasure - Can I still say Hamilton? It will forever be a treasure to me

Turds: My internet...it comes and goes seemingly at will and my internet provider has officially thrown up their collective hands and said - beats me - I don't know how to fix this....and it went out yesterday during a very important sponsorship for above referenced nonprofit Zoom meeting - ugh...

I've got another meeting today - laying hands on my laptop as we speak.

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This week has actually been full of mostly treasures!

-The boy I mentioned last week and I have our THIRD date tomorrow. Like, what??! We’re taking our time getting to know each other, but we’ve both deactivated our dating profiles and want to move forward! I’m anticipating a more thorough DTR tomorrow. We had our second date earlier this week after not being able to talk over the weekend while I was out of cell range. We held hands and I felt like a giddy middle school girl walking with her crush. ☺️☺️ If he’d have gone in for the kiss, I would not have thought twice about it, but he didn’t. But also. Not that a bunch of internet kind-of-strangers need to know this much about my personal life, but I’m nearly 28 years old and I have never. kissed. a. guy. You guys. I’m verging on Drew Barrymore in Never Been Kissed. And let me tell you, almost 28 years is a long freaking time to overthink a first kiss. Hoping it goes there tomorrow, but yeah. 😂😂😂

-I applied for a new job yesterday! I wasn’t planning on it, but I was scanning the listings at my alma mater as I do on occasion, and there’s a university staff writer position open. I originally went to school for journalism, then added in psychology at the last minute after getting burnt out on writing and being the editor of the newspaper, and I decided I wanted to go a different route. I’ve loved my job in some ways over the last five years, but I also have felt extremely drained and don’t feel like I’m able to use my gifts well in this job and that I’m doing a lot of things I don’t feel gifted at. I’ve been wanting a change for a long time but have felt like I’m in a rut and wasn’t quite sure what direction I wanted to go, or where God wanted me otherwise. So I applied for this job. I miss the writing world. It’s been a long time since I’ve been in that area professionally (but I’ve contributed for blogs over the last couple years and do communications for my church), so who knows if I’ll even have a shot at the job. But one of my best friends works there too and we’d be in the same department, and I asked my old newspaper advisor (from this school) if she could be a reference. She also happened to have this exact job while she was advising, so she was giving me lots of inside info and thinks I have a chance. I’m not getting my hopes up too much, but we’ll see what happens! Also, it would be a nice pay bump from the non-profit world I’m in now, so that would be a nice bonus.

-My nephew is coming over for a sleepover tonight. Before I moved a month ago, I was living with my sister, brother-in-law, and nephew since he was six months old, so I feel like we have a special relationship and we’ve missed seeing each other every day. I feel like I can officially transition to the really fun aunt rather than a kind-of third parent now that I can send him home after all the fun.😆

That’s it! No turds that I can think of from this week, so I’m calling that a win!

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Thanks for the 3 emotions hack! Much needed. Haha

Also big hugs to all the parents out there. I am not one and I can't imagine how hard this year is. 💗

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Treasures:

babysitter’s club “Say hello to your friendsssss! Ugh, it’s so good and pure and needed right now. I officially decided to watch it after seeing it pop up in the comments here last week. (Thank you friends!)

Is it for 12-year-olds? Yes. But is it delightful? Yes. I loved Babysitters Club as a late elementary school kid and wanted to be Claudia so bad to the point that I hid candy in my room. I also made a babysitter backpack to take on my “mother’s helpers” gigs, which confirms I am more of a Kristy than a Claudia. Dang it.

I’ve been deep diving on everything BSC and recommend this IG, which describes covers of Babysitters Club and Sweet Valley Hugh. Instagram.com/@covercritiques (back in the day the owner of this IG ran a tumblr called “What Claudia Wore,” in which she shared excerpts of Claudia’s outfits. It ended in like 2015 maybe. RIP.

Also these facts about the series, including this gem that Ann M Martin wrote the books out in long form on a legal pad. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.eonline.com/amp/news/1166557/read-up-on-these-fun-facts-about-the-baby-sitters-club

my retired neighbors live a dream life of driving off somewhere idyllic at the drop of a hat in their fully-loaded Mercedes sprinter van. When they’re gone, our sole responsibility is to water their garden and watch their house and in turn we can use their hot tub. As they do not have children, their backyard is an oasis of peace and a post bedtime godsend. I’m always sad when they come home.

I have no words for all you mamas out there except that it’s so hard. I see all of us and we’re amazing.

My kiddo starts daycare full time in Aug when I go back to working from home and newborn baby has a nanny. The daycare is a small neighborhood one and they stayed open for essential workers and have never had any issues and they’re all wearing masks, constantly cleaning and the kiddos are in small groups... but still it’s so hard.

Also to all you living in hot spots - I’m praying for you. Hang in there and be safe.

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When I was in the 11th grade my Sunday school teacher (Miss Bev) made us say one good thing that happened to us each week. This was the year my grandfather passed away from a slow, relentless disease, and my mother found out she had cancer. Finding the “good things” became a very challenging endeavor, but Bev didn’t back down. One week I purchased a new shampoo and it smelled good, another week I saw a sweet commercial on TV, and those were the only things I had to bring to the conversation. And she rejoiced with me as though I had won the lottery…and I have always, always remembered that exercise. It was also the point in my life when I learned that finding the good things that are happening around you IS, in fact, often an exercise – something to be done on repeat to fine-tune those emotion muscles. This newsletter and comment thread have been such a delight, because it does the same thing for me.

Turd: I started grad school this summer (Note for the audio: “Bullied into getting my masters” would be a more accurate description here) and I just turned in one paper and must turn around and write another. It is for THE BIRDS and homework in your mid-30’s is SO DUMB! How educated do I even need to be?

Treasures: I am going to Home Depot after work today to get supplies for building a “mask holder” that I have imagined in my head. If the idea works, I will be surprising the kids in my Sunday school class by dropping off those same supplies at their door so we can make them together in a couple weeks during our class Zoom. I am also hunting down some plain white kids’ masks so I can personalize one for them with fabric markers, and maybe let them tie dye one with their fave colors. The details of how I can get that to work from a distance are still a little fuzzy. My goal is to make the mask-wearing as fun as it can be. It will be necessary, so I’m hoping to create a silver-lining for them in all of this. (And yes, I make them tell me one good thing from their week every time we meet) I love crafting with/for them – they are the most appreciative kids! I couldn’t ask for a better group during the apocalypse. I affectionately refer to them as my “Zoomies” and we all look forward to our hang-out time on Sunday mornings.

Also, following @aswissshepherdswife on Instagram is so magical. - https://www.instagram.com/aswissshepherdswife/

It is likely that someone has already recommended it here. I don’t remember where I first heard about her (maybe Jon Acuff? Idk – sometimes I don’t internet well) but her posts are soothing, and calm, and beautiful, and often make me deep-think about Jesus as our shepherd.

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This week's treasure for me is reading by the neighborhood pool BY MYSELF. It's a ghost town before lunch so it has been glorious. (Except this morning someone else was sitting under my shade tree when I got here. Grrr.)

I've also discovered that only listening to our local authorities in our little rural county regarding school opening has been good for my mental health. I have to block out all the other noise.

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Hey swipes hey!!

This week was a tough one. Florida keeps getting dragged and while I can't take responsibility for the entirety of the stupid people that choose to live here, my tiny sunshine heart hurts every time we show up in the news. CAN WE NOT? C'mon people, let's allow other states to shine for awhile, am I right?

🎧I found the delightful Jonathan Haidt- social psychologist and he is all that I need right now in a condo of extremists. I listened to Dax Shepard's podcast where is was a guest (back in 2018) and the similarities of what we are going through now was EYE opening.

https://armchairexpertpod.com/pods/jonathan-haidt

🐕‍🦺Gave the furball a bath and the process is a turd, the after is a treasure- I can never stop smelling him.

📺The BSC reboot is a delight and if you haven't watched it yet, what are you waiting for? The clear landine, CHECK! the purple chair? CHECK! Claudia's cool fashion? CHECK! Alicia Silverstone? CHECK!

🎀 After an IG recommendation from Kate Kennedy (Be there in Five) I bought Veet. I haven't tried it yet, but my mind is blown. Hair removal that can be done at home that isn't waxing or laser? I'm eager to try it out this weekend. Has anyone else been hoarding this secret?

Hugs to you all this week.

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Anthony Ramos & Jasmine Cephus- Jones love story, they met on the set of Hamilton😍 https://www.elle.com/culture/celebrities/a33266130/anthony-ramos-jasmine-cephas-jones-relationship-timeline/

Also, I keep laughing at myself for being depressed in April *4 weeks into quarantine* and here we are 4 months later still not knowing jack and everything on 🔥🔥.

I firmly make up my mind on the school situation every few days, then re think it all over again🤦🏽‍♀️

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Tried to watch The Chosen but just couldn't get past the first episode. I'm not a fan of Jesus movies though - I love Jesus, just not the movies!!!:-)

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Watched the Walter Mercado documentary that Erin referenced with the photo at the end of the newsletter - did anyone else see it?

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Hello all! First time commenter but this week feels big and thought now was as good a time as any!

This past year I’ve participated in faith-based service program. I had dreamed of it being a beautiful year full of community and serving along side my neighbors and meeting God in the city. Well, it turns out when you put five people who have never met into one house to live and work as a team, things get real really quick.

I absolutely loved my service site where I worked as a social worker at a clinic here in North Philly. I learned to love my church. My neighborhood feels like sacred space to me. And God has met me here is so many ways.

This year has also been absolutely brutal. My housemates are not the kindest of people. Our house hasn’t been a warm and welcoming space. And if we have to have one more conversation about dishes, I might lose my actual mind. Along side coming face to face with my privilege in a new way and continuing the deconstruction/reconstruction of my faith.

My treasure is that we have one week left. At many points this year I thought this day would never come. And the number of times I’ve almost quit is way more than I would like to admit. But I didn’t. I’m still here and I can almost say, “I did it.”

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These Sydmar Lodge Care residents’ and caretakers’ recreated photos are giving me life this week. My newest insta follow: https://instagram.com/insta_rob123?igshid=1lixv66tbzxvn

That, and now window-swap.com. So, thank you much for taking over my weekend with that treasure. 😊

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T&Ps - My husband had dental work this morning. The man who constantly reminds me to floss (I have had 3 cavities my whole life) is having a crown replaced....

I am going to hear "I had dental work" all. weekend.

Everything is going to be "but I had dental work"

Stomach ache from eating pizza? Dental work

Neck ache from sleeping in his recliner? Dental work

The need for all the extra naps and no support as a partner? Dental work.

Why am I going to be drinking later tonight?

Dental work.

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I will be spending the better part of this dumb day clicking through Window Swap. I’m also sending it to my three best girls so they can join me.

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I watched all of The Chosen on YouTube which wasn’t bad. They did a live stream of each episode so you have to fast forward through the creator talking at the beginning of each episode before it starts. Unless you want to listen to him then you do you.

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Well, I guess I know Window Swap is gonna stay open on my second monitor at work this morning!

Erin, since you posted the Tasty realistic cakes compilation last week, I have been on a JOURNEY. This is the meme that started making me feel old. The spin-offs, completely separate from the videos had me and my most interweb savvy IG friend BAFFLED and CONFUSED until I realized that "everything is cake" was *not* referring to Butts (cause Urban Dictionary and the tiktok comment sections tell us that "cake" or rather, the emoji hieroglyph "🍰" means "butt") but rather the communal existential crisis we are all having upon seeing something that looks like AN ACTUAL GOSH DANG HAND being cut into only to find its cake. I have questioned many a thing this week. The Boy has even asked "am I cake?" - which I had to quickly reign in, cause PHILOSOPHERS DUDE. when they start having an existential crisis its a mess. My Grammerly plugin is telling me my tone sounds angry now, so Imma pivot to my treasures. 😂

-THIS BABY. I was cackling in my bed. The hi-hat sneezes are my favorite part. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxWR5VtTMbM

-The "what______ are you" trend on instagram. Remember being on vacation and stopping at a cracker barrel and wanting a key chain with your name on it and having to spin a thingy searching for the correct spelling? well now you can do thing on IG to discover, amoung other things, what Dog, Frog, Cow, Golden Retriever, or Dumpster Fire you are. thats all it is. pictures with names posted on them and you find your name and post it or you find your boyfriend's name and send it to him and laugh when the dog looks reallllly derpy.

-Lonely Goatherd Tiktok. Cause dancing like a Classy Boujie Rachet Savage to Julie Andrews is my sense of humor.

-VALERIAN TEA. (https://www.traditionalmedicinals.com/products/nighty-night-valerian/) yall. I got my sleep back on track finally thanks to some anxiety management tips from you Treasures last week. Thank you.

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My treasure from this week is finding a new way to cook okra that is not fried, but close:

- Pre-heat oven to 375

- Cut whole okra length wise into quarters

- Drizzle with a little olive oil, just enough to coat so seasoning will stick

- Season with salt, Tony Chachere's, and paprika (and whatever else you like) I put enough on there so all sides have a reddish tint

- Spread okra on a baking sheet, not touching or overlapping

- Roast for about 25 min. or until they are brown and crunchy

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I keep trying to convince all of my people to watch The Chosen! They will not. I think it’s the downloading situation that makes them skeptical, I’m not sure. But IT IS WORTH IT!

This has also been my worst/best week since March. I don’t have answers to anything and everything is making me crazy, so to cope I’m making strawberry jam and planning to purchase chickens. I will be naming them Angelica, Eliza, and Peggy. Peace be with you all.

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Good morning all from my masked little nook in MN.....

First off, scheduled power cries are my jam and they have been for years. I used to save them for my commute home when I had a nearly 40 mile commute (yes you read that), I used to take ever major freeway system in the Minneapolis metro area. It was awful. BUT I was never NOT caught up on podcasts and I flew through audiobooks. BUT the power cry. VITAL.

Sanctified common sense.

Erin. This is everything. And truly how I am living.

But this week, I feel like such an outlier in my county and in some of my circles. I watch friends who are doing ALL THE THINGS like there is not a growing and scarier pandemic and I'm like "who are you people?" -- meanwhile, I go to work (because I have to), aaaaand walks outside.....aaaand Aldi or Target every other week. Oh, and my library because our county system is open (its one of the few in the metro area, no comment on that, again OUTLIER). We went to the 2nd game of our son's baseball team. GUESS WHAT? STILL NO RESTRICTION FOLLOWING. The coach made them separate their bags to distance but then what? THEY PLAYED LIKE NORMAL. My 13 year old did his own distancing. I basically took our 7 year old and went on the walking paths. The whole time he was all "should we have masks on" as we passed NO ONE anywhere wearing anything.

Inhales

Exhales

That was a sidebar from my list.

So my list for the week.

1. Emails from Kitchn. I love their simple recipes. I love their mentioning new things at Aldi and Trader Joes. Sometimes they have an occasional bougie leaning mention. But most of the elements they talk about when it comes to cooking and homeliving are very much practical and I love them.

2. Already reading over 100 books with Lincoln and realizing he has read more of them to me than I have read to him. This is such a high praise hands moment as when he graduated Kindergarten he was still stumbling on various sight words and now as he is done with 1st grade we are flying through various books and his want to try, I love it. If you want to see the books, follow me on GoodReads. Because yes I am tracking them all.

3. Origins Cheeks and Balances Face Wash. I love this foamy stuff. I love that just a teensy bit foams you up BIG time. I use it in the shower and wash my face, neck, chest, heck tops of my shoulders with the tiniest little bloop of it ;) --> https://www.origins.com/product/15342/11226/skincare/cleanse/face-wash-and-cleansers/checks-and-balances/frothy-face-wash#/sku/22713

4. Sophie Hudson's online book club on Tuesdays. I adore this place that makes Facebook tolerable. Her Tuesday night live discussions of chapters of her book is such a safe space. For those of you reading her book, we talked about Chapter 5. The one about her momma. OOF. It was such a place of kindness and seeing how so many are in the Grief Club. I highly recommend being a part of it.

5. Cinnamon soap and using it to handwash my bras -- is this TMI? Maybe *lol* -- so one thing I inherited from my mom is a love for homemade bar soaps. I love getting them from various soap makers. When my mom passed, she had this massive basket of so many bars of soaps that she'd pick up on her travels or when at a local craft fair or farmers market. I took all of them and loved them. There were so many different scents and my mom sort of lives in each of them and as I use them I smile and think of her. But I saved ones that are cinnamon or this orange clovey scent and use them specifically to handwash my bras and when I catch that lingering smell of cinnamon. I don't know why this brings me joy you guys, but it does.

6. Talks with my dad: So the other day I was on a zoom meeting with my new boss's boss's boss. (Yes you read that). She's an awesome woman (yay lady bosses in manufacturing!) who I have met and she's a fricking FORCE. Now in this meeting she said her age. She's 46. 46 and in a major power role. 46 and has 3 kids. 46 and is three years older than me in this role. I started to sort of droop ala Charlie Brown walking home (you know the look)....... like whoa. But I talked to my dad and sort of explained how this made me feel and he paused me "Melissa, okay so she's 46 and has this BIG job. But you don't know what her husband does, if anything, you don't know how many people she has on her personal payroll at home to manage her life, you don't even know how many MINUTES she sees her kids and if its even in person. For everything she has said YES to in her career, she has said NO to somewhere else." He also went on to remind me that he and my mom (they divorced when I was 2 but had a very very heathy relationship raising me and sadly my dad DID live and still lives 2 hours away) never had the privilege to be at every thing they could be when it came to my schooling and sports and I couldn't even be in all the things because of their availability. But I have been there for my kids and they could be in all the things because I'm there. His talking me off that "Dad, where did I miss up?" ledge. Oh man. So needed.

I love my dad y'all.

So.

a turd

I hate saying thing.

But it's Zac Efron's travel show on Netflix.

And it has impacted my crush on him. He's just so....... bro? And he just comes across....so..... dumb? I mean don't get me wrong, dumb and pretty -- its good in theory. But not in practice LOL And the guy he is traveling with? DEAR LORD STOP TALKING. Anyone else try to watch this show? Does it get any better? I just watched ONE episode and I was all.......oh no.

OKay all, I think I have written a novella of a comment here. Off to read the others!

Love ya

Mel

ps- wearing one of my new Zenni glasses today and I'm so so so happy!

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I think you hit the nail on the head about school Erin. E’rybody gotta do their own thang and know it’s gonna be different for everyone in your life. Literally no one is happy about their decision; we’re all just doing the best we can.

On that note, the twins start daycare with big brother next week and I’m honestly 80% elated about it because I do not like the newborn stage of care — specially getting the babies down for naps and keeping them down for naps. Honestly I’m happy to feed and change diapers and play but that nap thing grinds my gears. Brother has been going to daycare for 2 months and we’ve had no brushes with covid except early on someone a teacher was in contact with someone who had it, but no one related to the school ended up getting it. It helps that our daycare is admittedly a much smaller pool of people than a public school, but I feel relatively safe about sending them, because I cannot possibly imagine a scenario where my husband and I work from home (in the guest room and kitchen) with a toddler who is halfway potty trained and 2 babies. Plus theoretically husband and I are both going back to our offices in August and staying home with babies is not an option. So we make the best decision we can based on our circumstances.

So in light of me going back to work on Monday, I’ve been watching Workin’ Moms on Netflix and really enjoying it. It’s a little NSFLM, but I relate to the titular working moms so much. Except I am sad as of the start of season 3, 3 of the moms’ marriages have fallen apart 😬 but I guess that is statistically accurate?

Lastly, I have a mystery on my hands, people. The across-the-street teenage neighbor who we pay to mow our lawn has worn an olive green kerchief boyscout-style (triangle in back) around his neck EVERY DAY since I’ve met him a year ago. So many questions: Why? Does he have multiple? Does he wash them? And again, why?? Feel free to speculate in the comments.

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My treasure for the week is being able to read this email and actually have time to comment. B/c last week was a turd and stole my Friday. And Thursday. And...

My other treasures for this week are:

The Lager Queen of Minnesota. An excellent summer read (that I'm pretty sure someone else listed as a treasure). I'm planning on mailing it to my Quarantine Pen Pal from Minnesota, Mel. See what I'm doing, there? MINNESOTA!

This IG account: https://www.instagram.com/p/CCoQ_Kkh1VX/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

I probably got this from one of you guys as well, but about once a week or so, she does a combined thread of hilarious memes. I look forward to them.

Missed you guys last week! Looking forward to reading #allthethings and thankful we finally made it to the weekend.

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Good morning! My treasure this week is that our insanely hot weather broke in Colorado on Tuesday. I despise being cooped up with the kids and the husband and the dog, whether it's too hot or too cold, and it was wearing on all of us.

My turd is literal - the vet put our dog on some kind of medication after her checkup last week that gave her diarrhea and incontinence. When we weren't scrubbing stains out of the carpet, we were getting up five times a night to let her out. She's generally so low-maintenance, we knew she wasn't feeling well. So we bailed on the medication (per the vet) and voila! She's sleeping through the night again, and so are we.

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I come to you today with my Tiktok Treasures of the week:

Bumble stories - https://vm.tiktok.com/JLs684S/

Girl BFF greetings - https://vm.tiktok.com/JLsJmTQ/

Guns and Ships en Français (truly a niche interest for me, Ham and France) https://vm.tiktok.com/JLsd3AH/

If LMM wrote HSM (Erin posted yesterday) - https://vm.tiktok.com/JNrr2Fq/

(Bonus full length HSM2 song that LMM did write) https://youtu.be/ep0tpRqaZ4Y

Duet reactions - the original videos are way funnier with the accompanying reactions - https://vm.tiktok.com/JNrJ82f/

https://vm.tiktok.com/JLsronC/

https://vm.tiktok.com/JNS16Ub/

xo, my friends!

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Thanks Erin! You encapsulate this crazy time so well. My new mantra is “sanctified common sense”. Please let's all be kind to each other and give each other grace and space to do what is right for OUR families.

Here’s my little treasure : I too was skeptical about the Chosen and have now been wholeheartedly recruited! I ended up purchasing the entire season on blue ray for $30 at DeseretBook.com! So much easier than all the app mess! & now I can watch when ever I want with one easy push of a button. Makes me 😊! Have a better day! ❤️

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Little Turds: Took the whole fam to the beach at the glorious time between 3-7. Started of magical. Then my extra feelings 14 year old boy decided he no longer wanted to sit near us. So I kid you not he drug his chair at least .5 miles away. Turn his dang chair away from the ocean and sobbed. I tried all that I had to figure out what his feelings were, help him process them and remind him in my most Mister Rogers way that I like him just the way he is and I wouldn’t change anything. He response “ It’s you and dads fault but I’m not telling you why.” I quickly looked up the nearest fire station to abandon him at! Y’all he’s a lot. But he’s also such a delight. We finally make it home and I open the front door to discover the most dog poop I’ve ever seen, EVER in my house. Cue all the crying. I’m not a cryer but this was some shiz- literally every where. First feeling like a big ole parent failure. Now this?!? Why God why?!?

The next day I get a call from one of the churches who’s social media I run and they tell me they no longer want any humor posted to any of their accounts. What now?!? First of all you are basically not using my best asset. Second, Christians and church life can be freaking hilarious and don’t we think now more than ever we need a good laugh! Ugh!

The treasures: I finally got a hair cut. Praise God from whom all blessing flow!

One of my daughters turns 12 today. She requested Mac and cheese and a nuggets tray from her birthday dinner as well as boiled peanuts all to be eaten poolside.❤️

Another church I work for called and gave me a fairly substantial raise. Which I didn’t ask for but puts a bit closer to not being a starving artist.

I can’t wait to hear how everyone else’s week went! xoxo

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Good morning, girlfriends!!! Hope everyone is enjoying this Friday so far.

Biggest treasure for me is we go pick up our new dog next Tuesday!!!! She’s a basset hound and we are beyond excited! My kids still don’t know 😉

I also got to watch the Downton Abbey movie and it was delightful!

I binged the entire season of The Babysitters Club and was bathed in nostalgia.

Also finished Watchmen and dang, that show was GOOOD! Also listened to the accompanying podcast and now o want to watch it again. Have a great weekend!

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Hey guys. I’m not new to Lil Treasures but this is my first time commenting. Erin, thanks for verbalizing the feels of this season. This school business is intense. I’m in Michigan so won’t find out our schools plan for another few weeks. My local friends and I have been discussing the options ad nauseum and there are just no good answers. My job is a sub teacher too so that adds a fun level of stress. 😣

My little treasure this week: the four week old piglets on our farm who skip under fences and free range here there and everywhere. They’re fricking adorable.

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I was also not convinced about watching The Chosen, but I tried it, and I really liked it. I appreciated the casting, and how they didn't choose a bunch of white actors to play people who were not white. Also, I had an emotional week, and there were a few moments in the first and second episodes that just made me sob about how much Jesus loves us all.

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Happy Friday, everyone!

Treasures this week include:

- Fun new fabric for mask making from https://cutelittlefabricshop.com/ After multiple disappointing order attempts from a certain chain fabric stores, this shop has been a delight every time I order

- Discovering the show Grantchester on Prime. It’s a PBS Masterpiece Mystery show set in the 50s with an attractive vicar helping solve murders. Highly recommend

- I have successfully propagated my ZZ plant, and it is ready to repot. I’m so pleased

- Did anyone else know that Jerry Orbach voiced Lumiere in the animated Beauty and the Beast??? I’ve just learned this and can’t get over it

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Happy Friday! 😊

I'd tell you how I'm doing, but I honestly don't know. Earlier this week all I could think about was that GIF of Leslie nope saying "Everything hurts and I'm dying", but today I woke up feeling... OK-ish?🤷‍♀️ I'm counting that as a win!

Anyhoo, my treasures this week have been summer salads (my favorite is watermelon and feta cheese), iced lattes (do I mention them every week? Don't care, I love them and I cannot get enough), and this tweet/video; https://twitter.com/bewarechameleon/status/1282677002554802179

Take care, friends! ❤

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Good morning, happy Friday/day 82947832 of whatever this is!

Not much to report this week, as my 3-year-old took us on a week-long rollercoaster of emotions, and it was definitely an old rickety wooden one, not a cool smooth new one. 👍 I scheduled my next therapy appointment accordingly.

The Crying Hack is genius & 100% necessary for me. The last episode of Never Have I Ever sent me down that path & I was not mad about it.

A small treasure for you all - My sister showed it to my husband and me, & we just cracked up & watched it over & over again. Literally so many times. https://twitter.com/killola/status/1282554937746980865?s=12

Peace ✌️

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Today, I am choosing treasures over turds. My three quick treasures of the day:

*During quarantine, I became a full-fledged plant lady. I can't grow anything outside (including grass), but my house plants are thriving and bringing me joy on the daily. Here's a cute picture of them all lined up for the weekly watering session (I call it "Thirsty Thursday): https://www.instagram.com/p/CCtCuOPpRIU/

*Biltmore Estate reopened and brought back the Downton Abbey exhibit, and on a whim my sister in law and I snagged tickets. We are going today, and I look forward to this escapist fiction of a trip. We will wear masks. Entrances are already timed and limited. I promise I will wash my hands a lot. But goodness, can I dream of the roaring twenties this weekend? I think I can.

*A friend of mine recently began an outdoor, mid-evening yoga class once a week. I live in upstate SC, where it is pretty hot during the day but the breezes keep it from feeling like a full sauna at night. She leads us in restorative yoga (all on the mat) and prays and reads scripture over us while we move through our flow. Seriously, it is one the best worship experiences I have had. Every one needs to jump on this Fresh Air yoga thing.

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My biggest treasure of the week- following Sheena Melwani on Instagram. Watch her tiktok highlight. I was cry-laughing so hard. (Which I guess was the Crying Hack in action without realizing it!)

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Speaking of that last gif, has anyone watched it on Netflix?? I’m intrigued but not yet convinced. Ps. If you’re in the Atlanta area (north Atlanta - Roswell, Alpharetta, Milton, Johns Creek) Phase Family Learning Center is offering options for virtual learning for school aged kiddos so parents can still work!

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