Newsletter & Friday Link List
Hey there. Lots of happy things happening here at the moment, but the biggest happy thing is that all six of our kids are under one roof, for the first time since Christmas 2019. I can hardly believe it. A full year and a half since the younger siblings have been with the oldest two. It feels like our collective joy is going to burst at the seams! A few observations from the few days we’ve had together:
Click here to read the full newsletter (it’s free!) and find my weekend link list.
Living With Kids: Maureen Vazquez
Maureen seems like she would be a great instant friend. You know the one: she invites your kids over for a crafter-noon just when you’re on the verge of a “I can’t glue one more thing to one more thing” moment, delivers a meatloaf just because she made two, and shares all her secrets for making her life easier just in case you need one. She is someone I love sharing with you today, and you’ll soon understand why.
Oh, and her London space isn’t too shabby either! Welcome, Maureen!
…Slow Cooker Recipe: Greek Gyros
I think it’s safe to say that gyros are the most famous of Greek meals — a classic sandwich, with meat cut from a spit, wrapped in a pita, and topped with tzatziki (yogurt sauce). Happily, gyros are easy to make at home. True, they will not be as authentic as the kind you’d get from a sandwich cart in Athens, but they sure hit the spot when I have a craving!
It’s nice to be able to toss everything into a pot, forget it, and let it cook slowly for a few hours until it’s time to eat. While the chicken is delicious on its own inside a soft pita bread, adding tzatziki makes it that much better. We like to serve our gyros with a simple Greek salad on the side. We use mixed baby greens and add some sliced cucumber, tomatoes, kalamata olives, crumbled feta, and a basic balsamic vinaigrette. For an additional side, roasted potato wedges cooked with lemon and oregano, or even potato chips, are great. If you’re serving a large group, you could also add a chickpea salad, fresh veggies and fruit.
And that’s it. A super easy summer meal that you can take with you to a park or eat it out on the patio.
Ready to get cooking?
…Sun-Dye Bandanas — Easy DIY
Let me start by telling you I’m kind of obsessed with sun-dyes. They are super cool and feel a little magical. Essentially, they are dyes that are colorless when you apply them, but turn vibrant colors when exposed to sunlight. My mom introduced sun-dyes to me when I was in college and I’ve been going through sun-dye phases ever since.
For this activity, we decided to dye bandanas. I couldn’t actually find plain white bandanas, so we used square cotton dishcloths instead. They’re a generous size and work as head wraps, capes, or can even be tied around the waists of little ones as a beach/pool coverup.
…American Military Cemetery at Omaha Beach
Yesterday, we spent time at the D-Day beaches and the American Military Cemetery. We’ve been here many times and it’s an emotional journey every visit. This is a sacred place that makes me feel incredibly angry, overwhelmed, heartbroken, and deeply grateful. So much was sacrificed — an incalculable amount — to fight back fascism, nazis, and white supremacists.
…Living With Kids: Ruth de Vos
If you’ve ever participated in a Living With Kids home tour, you know how much thought goes into one. Which photos to take, which photos to send, which words to write, and how in the world to keep the house clean until all of the above is completed! I definitely appreciate all the hard work and extra thought on top of all of the usual work and thoughts that fill up a day, and I hope you do, too.
Lately, I’ve been thinking more and more about thoughtful environments – both living and working – and Ruth‘s Perth home and philosophy epitomize this idea perfectly. From concept to actual daily use, this is one thoughtful home, work space, and family. It will make you rethink your home office and the size of your dining room table! Also, you will probably want floor-to-Everest-high-ceiling bookshelves. And a ladder. You’ll see. Please enjoy the tour, Friends.
…Summer Fun! Make A Tricycle Car Wash For The Kiddos
Holy fun times!! Water play is one of the best ways to beat the summer’s heat and a kid-sized, water-only “car wash” — that kids can ride through on tricycles, big wheels, bikes, skateboards, or rollerblades — is every child’s water heaven dream. I can attest that even as an adult, I am pretty giddy about it myself. So I thought it would be fun to build one for my own kids, and I took notes and drew up plans, so that you can build one too! Everything you need to know is right here in this post.
…Summer Fun! Make A Tricycle Car Wash For The KiddosRead More »
Newsletter: Changing Your Name & A Few Things
Hello, Friends. How are you? Have you missed my “A Few Things” posts on Fridays? You may have noticed I’ve been transitioning the weekly link list to my newsletter. I’m still settling in to the newsletter and figuring out what I want it to be, but I think publishing it on Fridays and including a link list may be the way to go.
You may have also noticed my site has been totally unstable for the past two weeks. It’s actually been unstable since November, but it’s been particularly inaccessible for at least the last 10 days. I’ve had a programmer figuring out the bugs for months, and she was able to get major problems resolved yesterday. I practically cried I was so relieved! I’ve been updating this blog almost daily for the past 15 years, and when it’s unreliable it really throws me off. So I’m feeling huge amounts of gratitude today (I also published several posts that I wanted to publish over the last two weeks but couldn’t, so if you’d like to catch up, feel free.)
And now, here’s the excerpt from today’s newsletter:
…Ping-Pong Cancer
The news coverage and debates about Critical Race Theory are especially frustrating because they’re pretend. CRT isn’t a problem. CRT is being taught in exactly zero K-12 schools. CRT is hurting no one. And CRT doesn’t need to be solved/fixed with new laws. The only reason we’re having to talk about CRT and read about CRT and argue about CRT is because the Republicans know if we’re using up all our energy on CRT then America won’t have time to solve actual problems. They’ve used the same strategies for years (so many years!) bringing up other fake problems like The Caravans, Sharia Law, and The Gay Agenda, instead of coming up with plans, policies, and platforms that Americans want to support.
I wrote a thread about this, and made a comparison to what this kind of distraction/time-wasting strategy would look like in an operating room. I’m going to share it here in case you’d like to read it.
…Tall House Updates
The work progresses! In this update, we’ve got lots of progress on the powder room near the entry, we oiled and filled an armoire in the living room, and we also learned about shibboleths.
…Living With Kids: Chelsey Woolley
There’s something special about the Woolley home. It’s definitely in a state of repair and redesign, I’m sure the exposed brick lends an added chill, and the constant sprinkling of dust from the perpetual updating must get old. But on the flip side, it’s a home where anything seems possible when the sunlight streams in. It’s a home where cuddling up together in one room creates all the warmth needed. And as for the dust, who notices such things against such a colorful backdrop? From the way Chelsey describes her six children to the way she chooses wall color and their two non-negotiable house rules, this is a tour to enjoy. I really hope you do!
…Newsletter: Birthday Quirks & Birthday Bummers
Several years ago, in May 2016, I was at a conference, and I joined an art session taught by the fabulous A’Driane Nieves. I settled myself at one of the tables and as I got to know my table mates, it turned out that most of us had June birthdays (which means we are Geminis, if you follow that sort of thing). In fact, one of the women even had my exact same birthday! It’s always fun to find a birthday mate, right?
Except when it isn’t.
After realizing we had the same birthday, June 14th, she said, “You know, it’s also Donald Trump’s birthday. June 14th. Flag Day.”
My mouth fell open. I have rarely been caught that off guard. I said, “Are you joking? Is that for real?” I could not believe it. But apparently it’s true. I share a birthday with Donald Trump… Click here to continue to read this newsletter, share your own birthday quirks and bummers, and to find my weekly link list.
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Ultimate Guide for Cooking on a Grill
In this post I’m going to cover some grilling basics as well as a fun menu that can entirely be cooked on the grill — from the appetizers to the dessert!
…Living With Kids: Lesli Gresholdt
I think it would be so therapeutic to live near a lake, don’t you? There’s something calming about that indescribable shade of blues and greys and the dance of the tiny ripples. Having a rotten day? Just grab a fishing rod and cast away mindlessly. Need a break from homeschooling or that looming deadline? Row, row, row your boat gently down the stream. Plus, a lake makes for a killer kitchen sink view.
Yes, Lesli and her family are lucky ones, living the good life on a lake just outside of Chicago and enjoying it to the fullest. Yes, she is ever on the lookout for lake dangers — especially since her kids are five and two — but I’d say she’s ready for pretty much anything. You’ll see. Friends, please welcome the Gresholdt family!
…Newsletter: Teens & Summer Jobs
Summer jobs are on my mind today.
…Tall House Updates
Hey there! I’ve got so many fun updates for you today. We’re been working outside, three rooms on the ground floor are officially painted, and plumbing in the entry is well on its way. I can’t wait to show you.
…Dang I Am Not Doing Well At The Moment
Here’s an excerpt from my latest newsletter:
Hello there! Happy June! Also: Dang I am not doing well at the moment.
I think the simplest description is just that my depression is acting up again. I take my medicine (wellbutrin) every day. I haven’t changed my schedule or taken on unusual projects. There isn’t really a good explanation for why it’s hitting me now. Sometimes it just takes over despite my best efforts. It feels like I’m in deep water, and I’m kicking hard to get above the surface of the water, but I never quite reach it.
Something different I’ve noticed this round is that I kind of feel blasé about it? As if maybe I am more accepting of this brain of mine? I’m not particularly worried about the darkness this time. I’m not obsessed with wanting to die. I’m just enduring, getting through it, trusting it will stop at some point. Is it possible that I’ve become practiced at depressive episodes? Or maybe my medicine is just keeping me from the worst of it?
Click here to read the rest, to find my weekly link list, or to comment.
Living With Kids: Kimberly Taylor
For the life of me, I can’t figure out Kimberly Taylor’s math. Four boys plus one full chicken coop plus kittens and dogs plus a horse and sheep plus did I mention four boys just does not equal this elegantly ordered, white slip-covered home with glossy-worthy vignettes spilling from every cupboard and gasp-inducing views from every window! But if you ask Kimberly, it’s exactly the addition of her young men and their menagerie that makes the Taylor home add up to just perfect. Get ready to be inspired by her answers; I know I was!
…Easy Paper Plate Baskets for Pretty Summer Meals
Food-safe food coloring turns plain paper plates into something stylish and fun. Easy patterns, simple lines, it doesn’t take much to make them spectacular. Use these little baskets for picnics or cook outs, parties or weddings, gifts, or every day. And happily, the baskets can be used and reused.
…Tall House Updates: Take A Full Tour
Would you like to see a full tour of the Tall House? I shot this tour to give an overall sense of where we are with the renovations. We’ve made so much progress!
The upper 3 floors are basically done — there are a few little details to attend to, but it feels like the big work is finished. On the ground floor, some of the rooms are close to done, but others still need a lot of work. Once the essential plumbing is complete, our plan is to move in and finish the rest while we live there.
After sharing the tour, I also invited Q&A and answered a ton of questions. I’m going to share the Q&A in this post too. Come take a peek.
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