6/28/21

Personal Pizzas + Stocking Up

With George being an only child last week (others at camp), my plan was to minimize time in the kitchen. But a boy's still gotta eat. 

Hello, personal naan bread pizza. 

naan bread
mozzarella cheese
pepperoni 

In the oven 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Stephen's method is to layer a little cheese, then the pep, then a little more cheese. This makes it extra good. Trust us.



Of course you could serve naan bread pizzas to a crowd (and I have), but it is especially handy for a meal of one. Keep it in your back pocket if you're hosting a grandchild or dining solo...or cooking for an 8 year old boy after a long swim.

It's no more trouble than making a sandwich.


....

In other practical matters,

I'm working on getting a comfortable stockpile of consumable items and toiletries. This is not about earthquakes or end times. It's about convenience. 

How to: go to Walmart and get three of everything you need. 

Why three? Because that's what Jordan Page said to do. One for now, two for later. It's extra, but not excessive. 



Of course some things come with multiples in a package...like soap.

Do you keep a stockpile of household goods? 

Traditionally, I've bought things as needed, but after being inconvenienced a couple of times lately, I'm changing my system.

Happy Monday!

6/24/21

Regular Haircuts + Rug Recommendation

I have tried a lot of different haircuts over the years. I really wanted to make bangs work, but I always come back to this chin length bob. 

I have a lot of opinions about hair. Do you? IMO a lot of women keep their hair too long and it looks unhealthy! Hair health should be the #1 priority. 

It's not the most important thing in life, but it's pretty darn important. HA! 


Another thing, I always schedule my next hair appointment when I'm leaving the salon. Set it and forget it. Why not? You're there. I go about every 8 weeks. 

Also, PSA. We bought a new rug for our big hangout room. I love it and it is on major sale at Pottery Barn! 


It is shedding a bit but that is to be expected. This rug is sturdy.

I learned from James Farmer and since have heard it from other designers -- blue and green are nature's neutrals -- think the sky, trees, grass, water. Blue or green almost always work in decor. 

Also, blue and white is always right!

6/22/21

Back to blogging?

Hello friends! Today, I find myself with 3/4 of my children at camp. There's a lot less laundry and a ton less cooking and feeding people. So here I am. 

Life update. We are well. The children are 12, 10, 8, and almost 6 years old. We are definitely entering a new phase of parenting. And it is so fun! 

We can go to a restaurant and actually relax and eat. They can all swim, ride a bike, and make their own peanut butter and jelly sandwich. We have arrived...sorta.


We have spent the past two years homeschooling the oldest 3 (Stephen, Laurie, and George). Caroline has been going to preschool. 

This was a pre-Covid decision, but ended up being the absolute best coincidence.  

Homeschooling is hard. More on that in a future post?


In big life events news.....

*My brother got married in April 2020, at the height of the pandemic and lock downs. It was dramatic and romantic. And thankfully we were there for it. Our new sister-in-law/aunt is the loveliest person and we are so grateful that she's officially part of the fam.

*We gained 2 beautiful nieces! Stephen's sister had her 1st baby in Nov. 2020 and my sister - her 4th in Feb. 2021.

*My mom was diagnosed and treated for stage 1 breast cancer. This was heavy, and I don't like to dwell on the weeks of uncertainty we went through last October. But God, in his kindness, has restored her health, and she is on the other side of chemo and thriving!

*Stephen's grandmother died in December. She was quite a legend. We celebrated her life and the end of an era at a family graveside service in Atlanta. 

*We started a long planned for home renovation in November. We are adding 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a porch, laundry room, and a pantry. I'm going to love the end result, but I'm not loving the process. Stephen is doing most of it himself. He is truly amazing. 


Yesterday,  I came across an old photo book I had made from my Instagram photos...many moons ago before chat books. 

On the front I printed this quote. 

"The ordinary acts we practice everyday at home are of more importance to the soul than their simplicity might suggest." -- Thomas Moore

Funny how those words resonated with me then (2012) and resonate with me now. I love ordinary days and all that they entail.


George (my only kid home right now) and I went to the farmer's market this morning. We bought peaches, cucumbers, and tomatoes. We stopped by the library. Then we drove through CookOut and got him a hamburger and chocolate milkshake. It's not a bad life being an only child. 

The ordinary. How grand!


With my extra time I've been enjoying cleaning and sorting areas of our home that need attention. Monday I took everything off our living room bookshelves, dusted and wiped them down, and put everything back with special care. This is like therapy for me.


I'm old enough to remember a time before the internet, a time when we didn't take our mini computers with us everywhere.  I've been channeling those pre-internet and pre-smart phone days. Writing letters, calling friends, walking out to my little herb garden sans phone in the morning. 

Even writing this blog post on the internet seems remarkably slower and old fashioned in contrast to social media and phone scrolling. I think it's the whole producing vs. consuming thing that makes it feel more worthwhile. 


This was nice, dabbling back on the blog.
How are y'all doing out there? 

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