4 Things To Buy This Week

 

The days are crisp, but warm. The nights getting colder. I've had to turn our heat on a few nights and my kids complained, "it smells like something's burning." Tis the season. It was high time I buried myself into all things fall. I bought new fall pieces, decorated, and stocked up on all the fall snacks.  Some were a bigger hit than others. Wondering what you should buy? These are my favorites:

• After purchasing a Sunday sleep set last spring and falling in love with the fit, material, and durability of each piece, I didn't hesitate to jump on the Old Navy tunic shirt. Quite honestly, while I wear the shirt to bed, I wear it hiking, to dinner, etc. It's a thin, comfortable material that goes well with leggings. I also grabbed a one piece sleep jumpsuit. It is also beyond comfortable and cute. So cute that the ten year old requested I find one in her size too.
• My kids are obsessed with good smelling candles. They even requested candles in their bedrooms once the room makeovers are complete. Yankee Candle recently had their fall scents on sale and I stocked up. Even the littles squealed with glee when they saw the Halloween images on the candles in the daycare room. Great buys! I'm gearing up for Black Friday shopping (as requested by the minis, otherwise I wouldn't be participating in those shenanigans) by making a list of the Yankee holiday candles we'll be purchasing.
• Last Friday, on our way up to Duluth, MN for our fall hiking trip, I realized we forgot to pack our allergy meds essentials. We made a quick stop at a Target along our route. These grey sweatpants greeted right inside of the door and I was drawn to them. They're fleeced line, incredibly cozy, and wash well. Did I really need a new pair of comfy pants? Probably not, but these are definitely my new favorite.
• While at that same Target where the grey sweatpants called to me, I came across the Favorite Day Monster Mix on an end cap. It had been months since I had the mix and it called to me. So, in the cart it went. Now I'm obsessed all over again. The best part is, my oldest is allergic to peanuts, which means no one messes with my treat! I'm not a heartless monster, I did nab some goodies for my kids. Halloween pretzels and fruit snacks found their way into the cart too.

13 Of My Current Favorite Things

Life doesn't slow down. In fact, it gets crazier as time goes on. We've had a crazy, rough patch lately that has kept me from doing, well, many things. Including writing, sharing, and creating. It can be a soul killer, so I carved out some time (and by that I mean I did without some sleep for a night) to balance myself a bit. I figured I'd better share some things that we've been loving the last several weeks.

1.) We love Beaverdale Confections, but they outdid themselves with our Easter purchases. I got each mini a chocolate egg filled with candy for a grand total of $31. I can't get over how amazing these were! I didn't even worry about any other candies because these eggs had it covered. It wasn't a ton of candy, but the perfect amount for the minis.

2.) With three kids to feed, clothe, and shelter, I'm constantly on the lookout for deals. I've bought quite a few pieces of their wardrobes from Amazon Essentials clothing line and I am quite impressed! The mini's winter puffer jackets are comparable to Old Navy or Gap's (maybe even a slightly better quality) for a fraction of the cost. We were so impressed with the coats that we bought spring jackets, running shorts, and sweatpants for their Easter baskets. All pieces seem to be holding up well and my thirteen year old tells me the running shorts are the most comfortable shorts he owns. Even if these clothing pieces don't last long, I won't fret about it because the price can't be beat.

3.) I'm obsessed with herbal teas. Teavana is my new favorite with Peach Tranquility, Jade Citrus Mint, and Apple Cider teas being my favorite. I would gladly head to Starbucks each and every day for these teas, but I've also found the containers at Target and have my cupboard stocked with my three favorite flavors. For this week, at least.

4.) Our family are huge Lego fans (my husband and children freak out over the sets and put them together, while I enjoy a quiet household) and the boys are Harry Potter fans. They love the Harry Potter Lego book sets and are out to collect them all. New sets went on sale at the beginning of the month and oddly enough, we don't have them all. Yet.

5.) On my Bucket List this year: go to a Lumineers concert. Getting crossed off this fall: the Lumineers Brightside tour at Wrigley Field. I am so ridiculously excited, as are the minis who requested to go too.

6.) Gosh, we've eaten some FANTASTIC food this month. On the list: Parlor (the buffalo cauliflower and Proud Mary pizza were the stand outs), Michael's Pizza (the margherita pizza is our go-to), Tasty Tacos (for catering we got all original flour tacos, but the bean and cheese flour taco is my go-to along with flour chips, guacamole, and hot sauce), Palmer's boxed lunches (I don't particularly enjoy deli meat, but I get the Market Turkey every time and it's stellar), and Christopher's Take n' Bake (the chicken parmigiana will forever be my favorite).

7.) I love a good podcast....when I don't have anything to do. I find myself distracted if I have a podcast going while I'm writing, so I only listen to them while I walk the dog, exercise, or just looking to wind down. My currents listens are Welcome To Our Show, Tape Notes, and The Daily.

8.) We also love a good game. Card games are easy to take with us wherever we go. We currently bring Exploding Kittens, I Should Have Known That, Just One, and Scattergories just about everywhere. No one can say no to a good board or card game.

9.) Fidget toys are the "it" toys. My children will die if they ever read that I used that expression, but I did because it's true. There's all kinds of fidget and sensory toys, but I carefully pick out what I get. My latest sensory toy was Pop Fidget Sensory Blocks. These take some concentration to build and can also be used for the mindless, 'pop, pop, pop' the kids like to do. I can easily put these down in front of kids ages 4+ and have them completely occupied and engrossed for a while. 

10.) During our Civil Rights Trail road trip, the minis and I were looking for something a tad lighter after some heavy days learning. Since we were in Birmingham, we chose the nearby Oak Mountain State Park. We fell in love with the extensive trail system and all that the park had to offer. We would easily go back to Alabama just to visit that park. 

11.) The youngest mini is currently on the fourth book of the Laura Ingalls Wilder book series. She's loved them so much that we began visiting the sites the family once lived. Our first visit was to Burr Oak, Iowa to see the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum and the Masters Hotel. I can't say the boys are thrilled about our visits, but they go along with them. It helps a lot that we've visited Living History Farms since the minis were young, so they can identify what life was like in the time period.

12.) We did this at Howell's in May 2020 and it was a highlight! We were gone traveling much of last year's goat cuddling season, but I highly recommend you give it a try. I called it goat therapy because there's no way to be unhappy when you have little goats climbing all over you!

13.) I completed dry January with no issues and even made it through February. Of course, April brought many family gatherings which found us sitting around with drinks in our hands. Seltzers are a favorite of mine and I love these even more because they're from local Iowa breweries! Big Grove and Toppling and Goliath will get a good chunk of money from me during this summer seltzer season. 

Top 10 Things The Kids Love This Week

 

Usually these are about what has gotten me through a week, but part of getting me through the week is making sure the kids are happy, satisfied, and cared for. These kiddos are amazing. They are kind, care for and about each other, and make me lose my mind just as much as they keep me from losing my mind on my own! 

Here are the top ten things daycare has loved this week:

1.) I'm sure you've seen these wildly popular toys, but the kids have recently become obsessed with them. I've had fidget toys for years, as they're great at getting kids to focus, but the Pop Its are a new buy for me. 

2.) The kids have had a great time playing You've Got Crabs. I have yet to play it, but they make it look fun! 

3.) Their ultimate favorite new card game is Cards Against Humanity Family Edition. There are LOTS of laughs while playing every day.

4.) We use A LOT of water bottles during the summer. I surprised the minis with these National Parks stickers to put on our blank bottles. They had a great time going through the stickers, pulling out all of the Parks we've been to, and reminiscing about our trips.

5.) Usually we like large beach towels, especially for swimming lessons and quick trips to the pool. Of course, when we have to pack a lot of items, smaller beach towels work best. We found these to roll up easily and take less room to pack and are absorbent. We grabbed a dozen of them and we'll probably grab a few more.

6.) We had a lot of the items needed for our daycare Olympics Week, but I had to purchase a new volleyball net because the stakes to our old one went missing (either kids or a dog is responsible). It doesn't go as high as I had hoped, but it's versatile and perfect for kids under 12. 

7.) I made up my own watermelon slushie recipe for the kids and myself last week. It's been one of my favorite treats this summer. Check it out here.

8.) Speaking of treats, Bauder's Pharmacy has peach ice cream that is to die for. I hadn't had any in years, so it was quite special when Hubs came home with some.

9.) These may have made the list back in the spring, but they deserve a shout out. I usually stay away from Lakeshore art projects simply because I can get nearly the same products elsewhere and for a better price. I can't remember why but I ordered these suncatchers and they are the best suncatcher kit I've ever done with daycare! Well worth the price.

10.) I bought new sand toys to take to Texas and we dug them out of our beach stuff for our sand box. These ice cream sand toys have been played with a lot over the last few weeks. The kids requested these make their way into our play dough toys rather than back into our beach bags.

Picks of the Week

The kids have been getting creative with the Legos. Some kids have built multi-story houses, while the oldest made a restaurant.

It's FriYay!! I'm very much looking forward to a Mom and Minis Weekend, while the Hubs is out of town. It's been way too long since we've had one (plus it's good practice for this fall's Mom and Minis Epic Homeschool Road Trip). Naturally, there are things we've loved in the last month. Things that have helped us plan adventures, trips, games we've played, restaurants that have taken care of dinner and date nights. 

 1.) Planning our epic road trips took a new turn when we got our dog because he will be coming everywhere with us (or as many places as he can!). Bringfido.com is a HUGE help in finding pet friendly hotels for quick overnights, fun restaurants he can go to, and even places he can go in areas we travel to or drive through.  

2.) Another site I'm getting plenty ideas from is Only In Your State. While it's not as in-depth as I would like, if I see something I like, I do some more digging to find out all of the details. Since we plan to do a multi-state trip to the PNW later this fall, I've been focusing on Oregon and Washington. I have a long list of hikes to do, fun stops, restaurants, and must sees.

3.) Summer is here, therefore it's road trip time for millions of people. This summer, Travel Iowa is doing incentives to get people traveling around Iowa. This is great for people like us, who will be traveling to all of the state parks! Check out the deal here.

4.) We're getting back out into the world and enjoying restaurants occasionally. Barn Town Brewery has an amazing patio (dog friendly), is family friendly, great for a date night, and (if you're not ready for dine in) has great family meals. Black Cat Ice Cream is back open and in a new location! It's been busy the few times we've dropped by, but it's excellent ice cream. There's a great outdoor seating area, but we prefer to walk around the neighborhood while we eat our ice cream.

5.) There hasn't been a ton of television watching, but in the past few weeks I've unwittingly been on an Elisabeth Moss kick. I finished watching Mad Men (highly recommend; I still can't believe it took me this long to enjoy it!) and started Top of the Lake. Think cop show, but set in Australia. The minis watched In The Heights (I had errands to run and had to miss it) and loved it. We're looking forward to watching Black Widow this weekend too!

6.) The minis have been big into board games the last month. The craze this week is The One With The Ball Game. I haven't gotten to play any of their new games, but this one looks fun!

7.) The minis have rocked swimming lessons this summer. This is the first time we've tried lessons through Des Moines Parks and Rec and we've all loved them! I've been able to sign them up for multiple weeks, the lessons are longer (45 minutes instead of the usual 25 or 30 minutes), and the lessons are very affordable. The minis have a list of swimming classes they'd like to take next summer as well.

8.) My in-laws gifted the minis age shirts for their birthdays and they're adorable! 

9.) I purchased this beach umbrella at the end of last summer. We forgot to bring it to Texas with us (it would have come in VERY handy), so we're just now getting some great use out of it. It's perfect for a day at the lake or beach, plus the black dog greatly appreciates the shade.

Now more from the Lego restaurant (because this is my favorite):

The Weekly Musts

Usually it's Friday Faves or something like that, but naturally, it's been a crazy week. So, Friday Favorties has become the weekly musts for today. 

• I only had a handful of daycare kiddos on Friday, so Chick Fil A Family Meals were the perfect meal solution when some of our lunch items were still frozen (read about that drama here).
•  To go along with our fun lunch, the kids asked to watch Luca. They've been waiting for it to come out on Disney+ and it wasn't a premiere access movie, so of course, it was a no brainer.
• Strawberry picking was a must this week, since we hadn't done it in years. Of course, more kids cried than happily picked the berries, but #memories.
• I tried watching Mad Men a few years ago and couldn't get into it. Now I'm in love! 
• The youngest got her ears pierced last week and I can't recommend Prysm Body Piercing enough! They were fantastic!
• When we visit National Parks, we buy water bottles. It can be an odd thing to collect, but we use a lot of water bottles! Of course, we've gotten to a point where we don't need many more water bottles, so these Parks stickers are a great replacement to put on exhisting water bottles.
• Greenwood Park Sprayground. Still our favorite, minus that it can get slippery every now and then in spots. 
• The minis do 15 minutes of math daily, so they signed up for this Khan Academy 15 Minutes A Day challenge to hopefully win prizes.
• It's definitely not one of the expsenive models, but this bouncy seat is used daily and the daycare baby loves it. In my experience, the no frills things are usually the best and this is that.
• Harrison got a candy bouquet for his dance recital performance. It was adorable, but the cutest part about it is that he refuses to eat it! The candy bouquet will likely be around for awhile. I found some cute and easy how to videos to make them too. We'll likely be giving them out as birthday gifts for friends because they're a hit!

Friday Faves

 

On this first Friday of official summer vacation (let's be honest, our summer pretty much started at the beginning of May when we left for our Texas road trip), I'm thankful for these things that have helped get me through the week and made things go as smoothly as could be expected. I would love to say that I'm sharing this and then headed into a weekend of relaxation, but the complete opposite is true! We're beginning what is known as "the month from hell," or "birthday month," or "dance recital month," or "busiest freaking month ever." You choose what we go with, but you get the idea. 

Nothing like asking summer to be kind one minute (read that one here) and then just diving in. 

1.) With our house once again filled for the summer, silverware always seems to be in short supply around here. I purchased a cheap silverware set from Walmart with last weekend's grocery order. Now we're no longer running out of clean silverware, but the kids actually prefer the cheap set to our other! Apparently it's lightweight and easier to use than our nicer set. 

2.) Love, love, love the movie Cruella! I didn't have big hopes for it, but I fell in love with it when we viewed the movie via Disney+ last weekend. The soundtrack is also phenomenal!

3.) I know I tell you about this every single mosquito season, but seriously, Bug Soother is amazing for our bugs here in the Midwest. Admittedly, this all natural spray did nothing for us in Texas, but it's like magic here in the Midwest.

4.) Summer is here and that means popsicles, mud kitchens, and water balloon fights! I'm happy I got these simple, reusable water balloons last year. No little bits of balloons all over the yard and the fun doesn't stop once all of the balloons have been thrown because all you have to do is dip them in water and they're good to go!

5.) Today is National Donut Day. That means donuts all day long! 

6.) Donut Day today, free fishing weekend is up next! Check out this out if you're looking for places to go.

7.) A daycare mom and friend gave me a bottle of mango moscato. It is the perfect summer drink and best way to end the week.

MAY I Show You My Favorite Things

 Get it? 'Cuz it's May. Well, the end of May. And we've been places. And done sh*t. I feel like I have actual wisdom to share with others. We've spent the month traveling, finishing homeschool, planning for summer, and not doing any of the projects I had planned for this spring. It is what it is, but those raised garden beds never got built, the yard is a jumble of weeds, and the house currently smells kinda funky since we've been gone so much. So there's all of that.

These nine things make me happy though:

1.) I'm eagerly awaiting the season two premiere of Evil on Paramount+, but I started Big Sky on a whim and it's totally my kind of show. Of course, whenever I see a semi I instantly think, "is it him?!?" Give it a try if you like suspenseful, murder mystery, psycho type shows.

2.) Does a healthy granola bar of sorts even exist? We pack a lot of Cliff bars this time of year when we hike, but I wanted something a little different. I've bought gluten free Nature's Bakery Fig Bars for daycare and we loved them too. They're a great easy breakfast on the go or a quick snack after hiking.

3.) I'm sure I've shared my love of Seventh Generation products before, but recently I ran out of the dishwasher pods and picked up another brand (I won't name names). It just made me realize how much I truly like the Seventh Generation dishwasher pods and numerous other products.

4.) There's only this week left, so I highly recommend getting to the Blank Park Zoo to see the Wild Lights display! We had so much fun with it!

5.) Five humans + one dog in a Toyota Highland for 10+ days. We had camping gear, luggage, boogie boards, beach toys, dog stuff, too much to name really. How did it all fit? With a car topper of course! We purchased the Rightline car topper and it held EVERYTHING and more. It was easy to put on, we secured it extra because the straps it came with didn't seem as strong as we'd like, and we discovered it IS very waterproof (we went through a couple of thunderstorms with no issues). This car topper will likely get a lot of use in the coming years.

6.) Imagine you're driving into downtown Chicago, or any metro city, and you're wondering, "where should I park?" You have options here: you can drive around looking for parking, take a chance with a parking garage being open OR you can hop onto SpotHero and reserve a parking spot in the location of your choosing! This should be a no brainer. I noticed that we only paid $13.75 for two hours of parking in a parking garage that charged $16 per hour. Plus, it's all pre-paid, so it saved us time not needing to stop and pay at the booth.

7.) Summer vacation is upon us and that means a lot of "owies." I stocked up on our favorite bead ice packs for those occasions.

8.) We've spent soooo much time in the car lately. The kids are kept busy with homeschool work, but they were also gifted a bunch of car games that were played constantly this month. Hangman and Tic Tac Toe were played the most. 

9.) The minis are obsessed with boogie boarding. We simply do not have the room to cart around surf boards (nor do I know how to surf), but boogie boards are smaller and easier to use. These are our favorites and now all five of us have our own.

Now for something I don't recommend: Ozark Trail camping mats. It was softer just sleeping on the ground! Next time I won't opt for the cheapest camping mat. Not all is lost though, the kids said they'll use them to do yoga this summer.

2 Acres Of Bliss

 

When choosing our perfect stay(s) on vacations, nine times out of ten I turn to Airbnb. I'm able to choose the kind of house or property we'd prefer, pet friendly, amenities, etc. When we travel as a family, I prefer to have a laundry room on site, obviously plenty of beds, and decent furniture to relax on. With our latest adventure, I had to add pet friendly into the mix. We weren't extremely picky about the areas we stayed in either: Austin, Hill Country, San Marcos, San Antonio, etc. I just happened to nail down a blissful property in Cedar Creek, outside of Austin. 

What drew me to the property is that it was large, two acres to be exact, pet friendly, and big enough for five humans and a large dog. Also, a washer and dryer (that was used A LOT). What we didn't know until we arrived was that this acreage was waaayyyy back in a rural area. A no WiFi rural area. But that was okay with us because there was so much to do!

Our neighbors had farms that had horses, llamas, alpacas, sheep, goats, mules, ducks, swans, geese, and dogs. So many dogs. Our dog, Zeus, was in heaven! As were the minis, who joyfully ran around the yard, exploring, riding on the tire swing, and catching lizards. The only downside were the mosquitos, who didn't seem to care one bit about any of the bug sprays we tried out. 

My favorite thing to see was the neighbor's dogs rushing to the fence line as soon as our front door opened or they saw our car pull into the driveway. Then they called to Zeus to come over.

We all enjoyed relaxing in the tub. I did not enjoy the dog trying to get into it with me!

There was much needed relaxing at this house...and dancing, movie watching (on DVD! This is the first time in a LONG time that we haven't streamed a movie to watch it!), coffee drinking, shoes piled by the door, and homeschool lessons.

Morning coffee and evening runs through the acreage.

This place was even horse friendly! There was a stable and fenced in section just for horses. The neighbor across the street had numerous horses that they rode down the street every night. 

Whataburger on the recliner. Whataburger was loved so much by these two that we had it TWICE during our ten day vacation.

While on our road trip, we began a unit on Greek mythology (an introductory unit, as we'll be starting next homeschool year by learning different mythologies). We decided to watch the movie Troy after reading about the Trojan horse.

On our last night at the ranch, the dog discovered the dog shaped door stop. My 85 lbs. fierce black dog barked at it...and then hid behind me as he barked at it. Guard dog he is not!

We had a porch lizard. He was there every time we stepped outside. He scurried away each and every time, but then came right back to his perch.

We left the ranch just in time, as storms were moving in.

The mosquito bites were worth it! I am now convinced we need a ranch to run around on!

** If you're interested in this property, here is the listing.

9 Thursday Favorites

 

The weather this week has been superb, making for lots of play time outside!

I realized today that there's been a lot of new loves this week. Between adding an infant to the daycare mix, prepping for an epic road trip, and that final stretch of homeschool, it's been a BUSY week. Here are the things that have made my life a little bit easier and better this week: 

1.) I live in flip flops. All year long. I treated myself to new flip flops. Not any flip flops: Crocs flip flops. Hear me out on this. Crocs are easy on the feet, they don't look terrible, they're waterproof, and they hold up really well. I went basic with my new purchases, so they can go with anything and everything. You can never go wrong with white flip flops and black strappy sandals.

2.) I decided I needed multiple wrap carriers for the new daycare baby, since I need to be on the go all day long. Not only do I have my trusty K'Tan, but I also purchased an Acrabros wrap carrier and I'm in love. The Acrabros is stretchier and a thinner fabric, which is perfect for those long four hour naps baby likes to take while I wrangle the others for their naps! Both wraps are easily washable and so far, the fabrics haven't worn down in either.

3.) I've had this Scoop A Bug set for a few years and it never gets old. Especially when I put the bugs in a sensory bin with black beans. The kids keep busy searching for the bugs in the beans, scooping them up, sorting them, hiding them again in the beans, and then starting over. It's been hours of entertainment for them for the last two weeks.

4.) What screams it's spring? Neon paint. Crayola Neon is my favorite. We've painted Mother's Day gifts with it. We've done driveway painting with it. We've window painted with it. It's bright, colorful, and washable.

5.)  Pizza night is a thing at our house. It usually happens every week or two. This week I wanted something a bit different. We took a chance with this Pizza In A Bowl recipe and it was a hit! We subbed the ground beef for spicy Italian sausage, no cream of mushroom soup, and added black olives and green peppers. 

6.) In case you weren't aware of our tick run-in last weekend (read about that mess here), we were in HIGH cleaning mode on Sunday. We took our Highlander to Mister Car Wash for a thorough cleaning inside and out. We were extremely pleased with the results. Plus, it kept our Sunday free because if we would have done it ourselves, we would have spent a few hours on it!

7.) The Handmaid's Tale season 4 has been long awaited. I've happily binge watched the first couple of episodes with hopes that I'll have time this weekend (in between packing) to watch the rest of the available episodes.

8.) When life gets crazy, I look for things that calm me. This week I'm listening to the Acoustic Covers playlist on Amazon Music. I dig it.

9.) What happens when it's discovered that a ?? year old bouncy seat stops working mid-day? Simply order a new one from Target and have a new one at my front door within two hours. I splurged on a one year subscription to Shipt and so far, it's proven very useful. I don't have the option of simply leaving the house when I need something and my evenings are pretty packed these days (thanks to homeschooling). This delivery service is wonderful for this wahm.

What We're Reading This Week

While my minis are consuming book after book, I realized I have not picked up and read a full book in a year. I was feeling bad about it (considering I love reading), but then I realized I spend a good portion of my days reading all sorts of things: lesson plans, news articles, medical journals and data, children's books, etc. I went from feeling like I was reading nothing to feeling as though I had greatly expanded my horizons with the reading I am doing. Regardless, the minis and I spend A LOT of time with our noses buried in books. Not only do they/we read for each class a day, they do 30 - 60 minutes of free reading each day. That's where many of the list below come in.

This is what's on our reading list this week:

1.) The Hunger Game series. The oldest is enthralled with this series (apparently it's on the banned books list). He began the first book a week and a half ago and is nearly done with the third. We've watched the movies as he finished each book, but I'm told the books are better.

2.) Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. The middle mini is on book number 6! He has done an amazing job with this book series. Not only are the books long, but he does A LOT of comparision notes and writings, character studies, and reflections. It took his nearly two months to read the fifth book (also the longest in the series), but he's bound and determined to finish up the series this school year!

3.) The Secret Lake. The youngest loved this book and finished it within a few days of receiving it.

4.) Matilda. A classic. Apparently my youngest says she's never seen the movie, so I'm eagerly awaiting her to finish the book so we can watch it!

5.) What Were The Salem Witch Trials. I got this book for the youngest, who is recently obsessed with the Who/What Was series, but the middle mini sat down and read the book in under an hour. Now I randomly here facts about the witch trials throughout our days. 

6.) How To Teach Leadership To Kids. I literally Googled this and read article after article on this subject. Next week is Leadership Week, where we'll be working on honing their communication skills and working on patience, as they lesson plan and take on an activity a day with daycare. They've pretty much done this their whole lives, they'll simply be graded on it this time! There are numerous wonderful articles and findings out there on the subject, as well as things you (as a parent or caregiver) can do to help those skills.

7.) Lots of Texas info. Since we leave in two weeks for another epic Covid-style road trip, I'm up to my eyeballs in information about Texas. I tend to read a lot of blog posts from locals, so we have insider knowledge on where to go, random things to see, best local restaurants. You get the idea. That's how we've discovered some amazing places in this country!

8.) Newspapers. Old school newspapers. We haven't gotten a newspaper in years; our youngest wasn't completely sure what it was! Like so many others, we read online. We recently collected newspapers for a paper mache project and the minis read every. single. page. before we put it to use. Now, they request newspapers regularly.

Favorite Books and Movies of the Week

[Treats for the viewing of the fourth Harry Potter movie]

I am often asked by friends what we're watching and/or reading. My kids seem to be going devouring books right now and their current love on television are game shows. Any and all game shows. They love them so much that every test they take they request it to be set up game show style so they can compete against each other! 

Here are our weekly picks:

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - both the book and the movie. The middle mini finished the book, which means we get a "Potter Party" today while we watch the movie! I ordered these Bertie Botts beans for a special treat while they watch the movie. 

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - The middle mini finished up book #4 and promptly dove into book #5. He's doing an AMAZING job with these books, writing and doing character studies with every book.

Mad About You - I needed a TV show to put on while I create tests and questions about their daily readings. I completely missed that the "new" season came out two years ago! The minis are in love with the show too, which completely surprised me, but we've been watching it as a family this week.

Nomadland - Great movie on Hulu that (if you're knowledgeable about the issues at hand) can get you thinking or be an eye opening experience.

Ellen's Game of Games - the minis LOVE this game show! 

The Great Gatsby - The oldest mini blew through the middle school reading list, so I figured I'd start him on one of my favorite books. So far, he enjoys it too.

What Is the Women's Rights Movement? - The youngest read Who Was Ruth Bader Ginsburg? and made a list of the books in this series she wants to read. She finished Otherwise Known As Sheila The Great and dived right into this one. 

Who Was Jesus? - Another in the Who Was Series that takes a look at the historical facts that are known. I love the approach the book takes and that it doesn't bring religion into it at all.

The King Cake Baby - Mardi Gras required Mardi Gras books. This is by far daycare's favorite one.

Happiest Season - I haven't watched this yet, but since I have a four day weekend coming up, I plan to enjoy this one.

What am I reading, you ask? Oh, just a lot of textbooks, research papers, and worksheets. Every. Single. Day. I have a list of books I'd like to read, but at the end of the day, I'm too tapped out to actually get into any of them! I have mad respect for all of you who are able to read book after book after book. By the end of the day, my bed and an old episode of The X-Files is what I can manage!

February Favorites

1.) We had hoped to find beignet mix at World Market, but they were sold out, so we settled on Cafe du Monde French Roast coffee. The smooth flavors have instantly become one of my favorite coffees!

2.) This song speaks to me because all I do is make things up as I go!

3.) I purchased pH test strips for a science experiment and now my kids (and daycare and other homeschool kids) are obsessed with them! Any food, liquid, or gel is tested asap in our house.

4.) The minis requested boxes of chocolates for Valentine's Day instead of toys (which they usually get), but I couldn't pass up these Lego cinch buckets. I'm hopeful to get in one or two road trips this year and that got me thinking. Every time we pack for a trip, it's always discussed how we can't bring Legos with us. Well, these cinch buckets might make it easier for Legos to travel and not end up lost or in a dog's mouth. Once we have a chance to use them, I'll report back on our successes. Hopefully.

5.) I purchased our Highlander last summer because of the uncertainities regarding the school year. Since we wound up homeschooling, having that as our second vehicle has come in handy. As I state above, we have hopes of road trips or at the very least, more exploring on homeschool adventures. Just for those reasons, we decided a car topper would be useful. I purchased this as a gift to myself for Christmas. I can't wait to get some use out of it!

6.) We attended our first event in nearly a year last Friday. Dome After Dark at the Des Moines Botanical Garden was perfect for our first hoorah in this new life. As the weather warms, we plan for more excursions like this, but plan on keeping it to limited ticketing events.

7.) Numerous works of art each week means we're constantly changing out art work in the homeschool room. Since the walls are cinderblock, we've been using 3M Command Picture Hanging Strips to put up canvases. It's worked great so far!

8.) Check out Expressing Motherhood's March 7th virtual show. I'll be sharing a story about parenting in the pandemic, as well as other performances. It's the perfect ending to my 36th year and a wonderful beginning to my 37th!

9.) My parents had a puzzle of us made on Shutterfly. It's been one of our favorite puzzles to put together!

Friday Faves

A new wooden figurine made for daycare. We're benefitting from Hub's Christmas present!

So, we haven't been anywhere other than hiking (in the cold) at State Parks in Iowa or at our house, so I don't have any "you should totally try place out!" However, I do have some ideas and things that are keeping us busy as we (slowly) await spring's arrival, so we can spend more time outdoors without freezing our fingers off.

•  The minis favorite Valentine candy is back! We bought several bags of Cherry Sours in anticipation that they'll go quick!
• We've been making two new recipes a week in an attempt to order take out less. This stuffed pepper casserole was a hit with nearly every family member. Damn Delicious has some amazing recipes. We're looking forward to try her nacho beef skillet this weekend!
• The youngest mini so kindly shared her Cra Z Snow from Christmas with daycare and it's been a favorite this week. There was an issue with the kids making the "snow fall" and someone got it in their eyeball, but mostly, it's been a fun sensory activity.
• Hub's Christmas gift was a Wen Band Saw and well, it's benefitting me just as much as he loves it. While I'm busy drawing up plans for building projects, he decided to make daycare wooden animal figurines. Not only will they make fun toys, but the kids will also get a chance to paint/decorate them. Big points for both a project (for numerous humans) and a new toy.
• I'm ready to focus on sunny days and warmer weather. That's why I'm already planning our garden. After last summer's garden getting trampled by a new puppy, I've decided raised garden beds are the way to go. The minis will be able to help build them, plant the veggies, and care for them. There are so many plans for raised beds, but I'm digging (pun intended) these plans because of the simplicity.
• We're super excited for the debut of WandaVision. We're planning Family Friday Nights with a new episode and dinner. 
• An unexpected day off because of a snow storm. The minis still have homeschool (they're not thrilled with me), but I'm doing it in pajamas and with season 1 of The Crown on the TV.

An empty schedule for our Friday

My Favorite Things August Edition

Our pandemic summer has been interesting. Hot, humid, a puppy, so many parks, day trips, days with daycare friends, a new car for said day trips, and getting ready for a school year unlike any other. It's been fun, overwhelming, exhausting, but overall happy. Usually we would be out and about, go, go, go and I would have plenty to share. Of course, we're living a pandemic life, slightly shelter, so my "new things" list is few, but what we have tried out I'm happily sharing.

** for those in Iowa, read to the bottom for a few Iowa specific ideas of treats to get (and where) and parks to visit

1.) I'm completely geeking out now that I know my three will be at home this school year and I get to do the 7th grade reading list with my oldest. There's classics such as The Miracle Worker, The Giver, and The Westing Game on the list. I absolutely cannot wait for the activities and writing assignments to go with these books.

2.) The joke is I got bored and bought a new car, but in reality we had been talking about it for almost a year. I just pulled the trigger one day and went with a Toyota Highlander. We had A LOT of considerations to take when deciding on a vehicle: gas mileage, AWD was a must, three rows, storage space, etc. I love my minivan and I wish it could cross off everything on the list, but alas, it does not. The Highlander doesn't have the space a Suburban or Yukon have, but it's half the price plus we got a great lease deal. We'll be installing a roof rack for our luggage when we get back to traveling.

3.) Disney + has some great documentaries. We've watched a lot of animal documentaries, nearly all of the National Geographic series, and one on the Inca's. Later this month we'll move onto the Smithsonian channel on CBS AllAccess.

4.) Crazy summer days call for ease whenever and wherever I can find it. I got a box of these Smucker's Hazelnut sandwiches and now we always have some in our freezer.

5.) Getting a new puppy means lots of training. He's been a really easy and good dog so far, but we needed a training class. Of course, we're in a pandemic, so puppy classes aren't quite the same. In person puppy classes limit how many can attend and quite honestly, I do enough during my days that I didn't want to go to puppy class, only to come home and have to teach my entire family what I learned. Instead, we opted for a virtual puppy kindergarten through Petco. It's not perfect, but our trainer has given us a lot of tips and tricks for our smart pup.

6.) A month later and we're in the middle of season 3 of Homeland. Still a great show, but a show I have to pay attention to when we watch it. Therefore, I don't get very far.

7.) Chewy.com has been a lifesaver for us. Dog food, toys, gates, treats, and everything else delivered right to our door. Prices are fair with a huge selection of products to choose from. I'm hooked. That said, I also really like our local dog store Bone A Patreat. I've placed a few orders for curbside pick up and have been extremely pleased with their selection for a small store.

8.) Our vegetables have been prosperous this year! We've been enjoying cucumbers and butter lettuce daily from our gardens, plus cucumbers from family and friends. It's perfect since my kids and daycare are currently on a cucumber kick and will eat up to four in one day! 
* we obviously would have had carrots too, if only I wasn't forced to pull them early due to a curious dog who liked to pull them out himself.

9.) As soon as I saw these mini s'mores pies I knew we had to make them at daycare. We took it up one and the kids made a solar oven to bake them in. Such a delicious activity!

10.) Speaking of solar, I stuck this solar balloon in my Amazon cart one day just to give it a try with the kids for their science day. Naturally, it was awesome. We bagged it up and keeping it to try again this fall (hopefully on a windy day).

11.) I've purchased many classic books over the year, but especially this school year. While I'm psyched for Max's 7th grade reading list (see #1), I've also gotten the kids to read the Sarah Plain and Tall book series, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Roald Dahl.

12.) Method cleaner is still my favorite cleaning product to wipe down counters and tables. Sadly, stores have been out and I'm missing it. I never realized how much I love this cleaner until I couldn't find it in stores!

13.) Check out Khan Academy for homeschooling or supplementle needs this school year. Admittedly, we haven't used it much yet, it looks promising and holds appropriate curriculum for all ages.


We've been to numerous parks since the pandemic began and go-to orders through delivery services or restaurants themselves. A few of our new faves to give a try:

• Dolliver Memorial State Park
• Palisades-Kepler State Park
• Crapo Park (Burlington, Iowa; not a state park)
• Tower Park Spraygrounds (Des Moines, Iowa)
• Jitterbug coffee drink (Twisted Bean, Urbandale, Iowa)
• Breakfast Nachos (University Library Cafe, Des Moines)
• Bone A Patreat, curbside pick up

Playing in the creek at Dolliver