Friday, February 11, 2022

I'm Back- Maybe

Well, hey blog. It's so nice to see you. It's been awhile. As the new year came and went, I've been doing a little reflecting on my little space in the world wide web. I used to blog consistently and it was not only a creative outlet but it became in a way, my kid's baby book, and our family's diary of our daily lives.  But as I became more active on Instagram- it sort of replaced my blog. I could do a quick post with my thoughts or expand on stories- I could do minute by minute updates if I wanted of our weekend. So this little space right here- became a fading light in the distance. 

Back to my reflecting. As many of us might do- I started reflecting how much I was using social media and how, as my kids are getting older, issues of privacy and consent come into play even more now than ever. Mid January- I started to try not to post head on photos of the kids and will try to continue that. Sometimes, I completely forget and do it on autopilot. But, anyway I started thinking that I needed a pivot. A change. But didn't know exactly how to do that. 

And then I remembered, Oh right, I have this little blog here. I used to do weekend recaps, Friday favorites, etc... and I figured I could possibly create a weekly blog post with a lot of what I post on social media- what we've been up to, any big updates happening in our family that I might want to share, to fun things- like things I've recently bought, what I'm loving lately, what I'm reading, etc. 

I'm hoping this will result in me being on social media less and I can still share with anyone who cares- HI MOM- and get my creative side engaged. 

So, here's a quick look back into this week

1) Sophia took a tour of her 7th-8th grade building on Thursday. She gets to register for classes next week and has to decide on electives. She is feeling pretty good about her choices and I think the tour went well. She at least didn't hate it so that's a plus.

2) Sully has started to join the no nap club. He's gone into phases before where maybe he won't nap here and there but I think this time he's sticking to it. He also has been sleeping ALL night but does wake up between 6-7AM. WOO HOO!

3) Saidey is working so hard to pass her math facts tests- she finally passed her subtraction (she missed the last test by 2 points) and now she is onto multiplication. It's 6 minutes timed test and you have to have a score of at least 80 out of 100. When she was practicing her subtraction she told me, "Mom, my head turns off when it's being timed." Amen, sister- those dang timed tests were probably where my anxiety started! 

4) I am finally through my rough patch at work- I faced a multitude of billing issues during the month of December and January. I basically didn't get fully paid for those two months and am finally catching back up. Being in private practice has its ups and downs and it was really rough going but things are finally looking back up again! 

5) This is a really random and you'll probably hear more about it as the months go by- I'm sort of reevaluating a lot of faith based questions and concerns I have about church and our religion. I have a lot of thoughts but basically am double guessing everything and wondering how to move forward. Again, I will probably expand and explore this more here! 

For the home 

1) This ziploc baggie organizer- I have had my eye on these for several months but they kept going out of stock and I could never get my hands on them. And then they jumped in price by about double. So I held out and finally found some on stock for less than $30. 

2) This mirror from Target that has also been on my wish list for several months. We are replacing the mirror in the kid's bathroom with it! I'll share on here when it gets here next week! 

For Fun

3) This slime for the girls for Valentine's Day. Shipping is expensive by the way for slime. Geesh. But these slimes are my girls favorites and they last a long time! 

For me

These pants in stone. I'm looking for jean alternatives for work but not fancy pants. I can be pretty flexible in what I wear to work but I also want to be professional. I think these will transition well into spring/summer too but I also would feel comfortable wearing them in the fall/winter! 

For the kids

I love Childhood's Clothing for Sullivan. Perfect basics, mix and match, and wonderful quality. This brand also resales REALLY well! I got a few things for summer, some basic tees, retro shorts, and the rib knit sets for pajamas- these are made of the softest material and are perfect for summer nights! We use them as pajamas but could use them for regular clothes too!

What I'm reading/listening/watching 

It's Black History Month and I've been trying to do some extra reading and learning. I subscribed to this newsletter which sends information daily. They're pretty quick reads and I'm finding that I'm learning so much! 

Sharon McMahon's Podcast- I also follow her on Instagram and it is one account I try to check in with daily. I find it so informative and not overwhelming. 

I've been watching Euphoria- I really like it a lot, it can be very graphic so just putting that out there if you want to check it out. We also are watching This Is Us, the Olympics, and I want to watch Gilded Age on HBO too! 

I just finished the Good Neighborhood and it was a good but hard read. It really aligns well with current racial events in our country and it makes you really think and reflect. I started Maid and watched the Netflix series and so far the book seems pretty different although I can pick up specific things from the movie that I'm reading about in the book too. I think both the book and the series is a must watch and also gives us an important perspective into our country's flawed systems and processes. It also challenges stigmas and stereotypes around individuals who receive assistance which is incredibly important as well. 

That rounds up this week, I think! Hope everyone has a good weekend and hopefully I'll be back next week haha!