Living With Kids: Maria Rivera
You know that thing when you are sitting around with your college friends and you talk about living in a commune together and raising your families together? But then it never happens because how could that possibly work?
Well when Maria Rivera and her husband were looking for house near Stanford, and it all seemed too expensive, they made the bold decision to move in with their two best friends and share a house so their money could go further.
They really seem to have this communal living thing figured out — and it might just make you want to rethink that college best friend commune you’ve always dreamed about. Welcome, Maria!
…America’s Mood: Eat the Rich – Part Two
On February 7th, I wrote a post titled America’s Mood: Eat the Rich. I really appreciated the conversation and comments on that post. It’s only been a four months, but it seems like this “mood” is only intensifying. I realize my social feeds may just be showing me this stuff because the AI can tell I’m interested, but here’s some of what I’ve seen lately:
-On Saturday night, Elizabeth Warren held a Town Hall meeting here in Oakland (pictured above). They first had it scheduled in a small auditorium, but there was so much interest they moved it to a baseball field at Laney College (one of our local community colleges — Ralph takes classes there). It was a free event. We arrived about 30 mins before the event was supposed to start and the line was over a mile long! There were over 6500 people! The Warren team wanted to make sure everyone had a chance to get on the field, so the event started late — but it was worth the wait.
…A Few Things
Hello, Friends. How are you? Did you have a good week? Yesterday was our last day of school, which means today is officially Summer Vacation!
It was a happy week of end-of-year celebrations. Oscar was one of four 8th grade valedictorians (the only boy!), and on Tuesday, he gave an excellent speech at the 8th grade advancement ceremony. It was packed 1000-seat auditorium, but he wasn’t nervous at all, and totally nailed his speech. This morning, it was fun to let the kids sleep in.
This is also the last weekend of the Temple Open House and I spent this morning as a volunteer tour guide. My mom and stepdad are in town to attend the open house, and we have plans to take everyone on the ferry from Oakland to San Francisco this afternoon. The weather is gorgeous, so it’s a perfect day for a ferry ride.
How about you? Any weekend plans you’re looking forward to? I’ve got some really great links for you, if you’re in the mood. Here are a few things I’ve been wanting to share:
…Living With Kids: Kristy Rulnick
I’m happy today to introduce you to Kristy from Pennsylvania and her beautiful home. When Kristy and her husband were looking for a home, they decided that a new build was best for them. The price was right and it allowed them to get the exact home that they wanted.
With the build complete, the budget being tight, and two small children at home, Kristy has focused on DIY projects to get the interior the way she wants it. The results are so welcoming! You’ll love getting this chance to take a look around. Welcome, Kristy.
…What City Wins Best Weather?
I was in Palm Springs last week on a short work trip, and it was hot. About 100 degrees. Then yesterday, I saw a headline that Denver had a huge snow storm this week — it’s late May for goodness’ sake!
Some people are smart and live in San Diego, but the rest of us live someplace where we are likely too cold or too hot for most of the year. I’ve tried both. I grew up in St. George, Utah which is quite hot (though there are much hotter places!). St. George hovers around 100 degrees for at least 4 months of the year. I’ve lived in Normandy, France, which gets deeply cold and our pipes would freeze. I’ve lived in New York which is unbearably cold for a way too long winter, and also has a good month or two of unbearably hot summer.
…Living With Kids: Gina Lee
You know when you watch Gilmore Girls and all you want to do is move to Star’s Hollow? A picturesque New England town with a small town feel and street festivals and quirky neighbors and great scenery everywhere? Well, that is exactly what Gina Piombo’s home town sounds like!
She and her husband both work in advertising in New York City, and they are raising their two daughters in the village of Lynbrook on Long Island. She’s a working mom with two toddlers and she shares some great advice about being great at your job, keeping the house clean and organized, and maximizing time with your kids. Welcome, Gina!
…Pothole Vigilantes
Not so fun fact: Oakland roads are some of the worst in the country. I swear every street in the entire city could use a good repaving. It’s estimated that the poor road quality ends up costing citizens an extra $1,049 per year in car maintenance. Yikes! (Don’t get me wrong — I really love living in Oakland — but that doesn’t mean I’m not aware of city’s issues.)
Well, a couple of citizens have lost patience and have decided to take things into their own hands. They started an Instagram feed called Pothole Vigilantes, and if you happen to have a pothole you want fixed, you let them know the location, and they’ll go fill the hole in the middle of the night. You can Venmo them cash as a thank you.
…Living With Kids: Rachel Oakes
Meet Rachel. She’s a mom, a designer, a DIYer, and until very recently, a small business owner. Rachel is warm and funny, and has a home full of interesting and unique antiques and DIY pieces. Shel recently had to close her incredibly successful design and furniture shop, which she had run for three years, and I found it to be such a compelling story.
So often things don’t work out in quite the way we expect, and we have to pivot and make adjustments. Rachel’s enthusiasm and energy are just what you need to help you through those kind of changes. Welcome, Rachel!
…A Dose of Food Nostalgia
For Flora June’s birthday last week, we asked her what she wanted for breakfast in bed. One of her requests was orange juice, and at the grocery store, Ben Blair picked up a can of frozen concentrate. When they saw it, our kids were like ????
I laughed and showed them how to pull the white tab till the lid pops, how to run it under hot water so that the concentrate will slip out in one piece, how to fill the tube with water three times, and that it takes way longer to dissolve then you think, so keep stirring. (You can add frozen OJ to the list of things to entertain your kids this summer. Hah!)
…Living With Kids: Bridget Watson Payne
I think you are going to love getting to know Bridget. She seems like the kind of smart and interesting person that you would want to invite to a dinner party, because you know she’s going to have some great stories to tell about her cool job (she works in publishing), and her interesting family, and her life in a very tiny (650 sq.ft) apartment in San Francisco.
Bridget is an artist, a writer, and a business owner as well, and she shares some helpful advice about raising a third grader while working on a career — and how to find that ever elusive balance. Plus you’ll love her apartment. It’s small but full of interesting details and personality. Welcome, Bridget.
…Switching Political Parties
In the mood for a chat about politics? I’ve been collecting my thoughts (and great links) so I can discuss them with you.
First topic: Have you ever changed political parties? If yes, I’d love to hear about it. How old were you? What made you change? Did it feel like a big deal to switch?
…Living With Kids: Catherine Wood-Connolly
I haven’t been able to stop thinking about Catherine’s home tour since I first read the responses she sent in. Her words have so much grace and compassion and wisdom. Reading her interview is a reminder that life never, and I mean never, turns out the way we imagine it will.
But we know that it’s in the twists and turns and challenges that we find ourselves and grow and change. Catherine has some really wonderful things to share and I can’t wait for you to meet her. Welcome, Catherine!
…Wait. What? Is My Dentist Scamming Me?
Did anyone else read the article in the Atlantic titled The Trouble With Dentistry? I found it super interesting and learned a ton. The article tells the scandalous story of a now-retired dentist named Roger Lund who performed a huge number of totally unnecessary procedures — including unneeded root canals, crowns, and bridges — with costs of $50,000+ for patients. From the article:
Year after year, Lund had performed certain procedures at extraordinarily high rates. Whereas a typical dentist might perform root canals on previously crowned teeth in only 3 to 7 percent of cases, Lund was performing them in 90 percent of cases.
This was discovered when he sold his practice to another dentist, Brendon Zeidler. Zeidler would see patients that had previously gone to Lund and was shocked (understatement) when he examined their records and saw what was going on.
…Earth Day Conundrums
Happy Earth Day!
Do you watch The Good Place? It’s hilarious and entertaining but also takes deep dives into philosophical topics. In the most recent season, the characters discover that no one has qualified for the Good Place (a version of Heaven) in 521 years. Why? Because life on Earth has become so complicated, that even when humans intentionally make “good” decisions, those decisions often come with unintentional “bad” consequences.
I think about that a lot. Most recently this morning when I read an article about how sunscreen is causing damage to sea life — specifically coral. Sunscreen wasn’t really a thing when I was a kid. And then it was. Seemingly overnight there was a huge push to make sure everyone was using sunscreen. It became part of every conversation at pediatric well-visits. Using sunscreen — especially when talking about anyone supervising children — was what responsible adults who made “good” decisions did. It still is.
How long did it take us to figure out the unintentional negative consequences of our actions? And are there other negative consequences we haven’t discovered yet?
The same thought process goes though my head almost every time I read about Earth-day related topics. I want to make the “right” decisions, but it’s not always clear what’s actually helpful, versus what ends up just being performative. Some of my thoughts:
…Communal Cars
Remember the broken-finger-tire-changing story I shared a few weeks ago? Well as I mentioned, the body of the car, a little Fiat 500e, was pried open in an attempt to free Olive’s finger. After I returned from Alt Summit, we filed a claim with our car insurance to have the bodywork repaired.
Though the car runs fine, the damage to the exterior was extensive enough that our insurance carrier determined it was a total loss. Which means we’ve had some car decisions to make. And oh my goodness I can not believe how much I dislike making car decisions. Choosing a car is a pain. Purchasing a car is a pain. Dealing with maintenance is a pain. Renting a car if yours is in the shop is a pain. Anything to do with the DMV is a pain. Getting rid of a car is a pain.
…Living With Kids: Laura Marshall
Meet Laura. She’s a mom of three who has been raising her kids in Abu Dhabi, where they moved for a work opportunity for her husband. What they thought was a short one or two year opportunity, has turned into a much longer stay. No surprise — parenting while living overseas has brought unique and interesting lessons. I know you’re really going to enjoy getting to know Laura. Welcome!
…Random Thoughts
Gosh I have a lot on my mind right now. Some of the things I’ve been thinking about:
-It’s such a shock to see Notre Dame burning. So many people around the world feel a connection to that space — they’ve been there as worshippers, or snapped photos as tourists, or they recognize it as a famous landmark, or maybe they’re literally (or musical) fans of the Hunchback of Notre Dame. It’s strange to see something that feels so permanent burning. Seeing the spire falling was a punch to the gut. I feel so emotional about it. I’m sure I’m not the only one. (We captured footage of Notre Dame for the most watched Olive Us video, Betty in Paris.)
…Are You A Generous Tipper?
Yesterday, a CNBC article went around social media with advice on how to save money when eating out. The advice came down to: tip less at restaurants. As you can probably imagine, the reason the article was going around social media wasn’t because it was a good article. It was being passed around because people were making fun of the article, and condemning anyone who doesn’t tip at restaurants.
My take: This may be an unpopular opinion, but I wishing tipping would go away. I wish it weren’t a thing at all.
…Living With Kids: Lilly Bekele-Piper
Lilly Bekele-Piper and her husband, who both grew up in the U.S., are raising their family in Kenya after moving there from Ethiopia. Lilly is a podcaster, her husband works in education, and their kids sound like an amazing group of activists, artists and dreamers. Even though Lilly lives in a different part of the world, her days sound so much like most parents: juggling time between work and home, feeding teenagers, homework, and extra-curricular activities.
I think you are going to really connect to her attitude and ideas about what is important in life. Welcome, Lilly!
…LDS Church Policy Reversal
In November of 2015, in a move that shocked both Church Members and the rest of the world, it was announced that my church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (more commonly called, the Mormon Church), would no longer baptize the children of gay couples.
Today, April 4, 2019, as I sent the kids off to school, I received text messages and Instagram DMs letting me know the policy has been reversed.
This is wonderful, wonderful, anxiously awaited news.
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