Welp. This series almost ended…the week it began. Not because I didn’t recommend anything this week, but because dang… Friday comes fast!
Thanks for all the love last week with this new weekly-ish series. The conversations and hearing from so many of you has been a blast. I really want to coordinate a hot-girl-weighted-vest-walk locally — or maybe even virtually too! — so we’ll see if I get my act together and get that pulled together.
Happy Valentine’s Day! We are busy over here prepping for class parties in the midst of a very rainy week. Now, I know. It’s about 9 sweet degrees in the midwest. I should not be complaining about some rain. (Rain that we desperately need, I should add!)
But here is what I didn’t realize about California and weather that isn’t our typical 60-70s with sunny.
Our spaces are built for outdoor living. Let me explain.
I grew up in the midwest. Winter comes and life takes on a different pace or sometimes, even almost stalls completely. (More on this observation and the impact of California lacking this at another time….)
Schools have indoor hallways, gyms, multipurpose rooms…lunch rooms! Churches have indoor space — even houses just tend to be larger in scale with basements, etc.
California is…built different. Backpacks are hung outside. My kids eat lunch outside…every day! Interior hallways don’t exist: classrooms have doors to the outside, not hallways. It’s fascinating (to my midwest self), and it’s not something I’m totally used to.
But all that to say: rain impacts our days pretty significantly. Thanks for coming to my TED Talk. We will dive into my deep thoughts on the Bay’s lack of a slow down season at a later time…I actually would give a TED Talk on that!
On to my 3 recommendations this week! Yes, everything you’ve read thus far has nothing to do with my recommendations this week. That’s just how my brain works: it’s a wild ride!
Today we have books, pants, and yes, pelvic floor.
The Small and the Mighty
I’ve pretty much stopped news sources outside of Sharon Says So and Mo News on Instagram. Usually when I’m brushing my teeth, I pop on and check for update from either them.
Look, I know no one is completely objective, but I appreciate how committed both of them are to trying. Trying to provide the news with facts, history, and truth.
I’ve shared this book to numerous people, but over the past week, it’s come up even more. (Both her book and her being my source of news via Instagram.)
I read the hardcopy of the book, but we also listened as a family to the first half of the audiobook. Sharon reads it herself and does a brilliant job of it.
Guys. I remember arguing with my sister over whether Shopko or Target reigned supreme.
Want to take a guess at my store of choice? Whoops. I definitely chose wrong: does Shopko even exist? My sister saw what Target could be even before Target knew. I should have purchased stock with my allowance — although I may have chosen wrong!
I ordered these pants on a whim when I was purchasing some Valentine’s Day supplies. Honestly, I’m not sure if they are actually trendy or cute, but they are holy grail comfortable!
The wide leg pants have a wide waist band and the material is thin-wind-breaker meets New England seersucker. Oddest, yet best combination that I didn’t know I needed!
The joggers come in long. Honestly, that’s what piqued my interest! I got the navy, but I have a pair of the brown/rose coming too (since I just noticed they are on sale!) There are a lot more color options if you don’t need the longer option!
I truly don’t have a ton to say because I don’t know much about the gal in the videos, her practice or anything…but here is what I do know:
1. I have birthed 3 children, and I need to care more about my pelvic floor
2. She makes me care and actually take time each day to do so.
3. Her accent is just darling and it makes kegels a bit more enjoyable?
If you are someone who should care more about your pelvic floor, go give Female Physio Co a follow — I promise you’ll see her face and/or hear her voice and get your pelvic floor exercises in for the day.
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I hope you have a wonderful Valentine’s Day and President’s Day weekend! I think the rain is holding off for a bit, so hopefully we’ll be outside for some adventuring this weekend.
You know I’ll be starting my Saturday with a long hot-girl-weighted-vest-walk!
In this together,
xo. k
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I’m excited for this first weekly-ish series, where I share 3 things I recommended in the past week. Read on for my rules and why I’m doing this!
*Makes a joke about blowing the dust off / learning how to blog again.* I’m baaaaack! ;) We’ll see what this looks like—thanks for being here! For the past few years, I’ve been unable to shake the idea of sharing something I do in real life (recommending things I love with the people I love) with my online community.
Like my patterns, I’ve been roadblocked by my own fears: you’ve forgotten how to do this, you’re website needs to be redesigned, you don’t know what you’re doing anymore…don’t put yourself out there.
So in 2025, my mantra is JUST START.
So that is exactly what I’m doing.
This series will be a bringing together of my goals to live intentionally with the community and people around me — and my love of this online community and sharing things I love.
Each week, I’ll share up to three things I recommended during that week to friends or family. They might be items, they might not. It might be a concept or an article. It might be something shared with me! (This is where my brain spirals with fun guest features in the future!)
But if I don’t have anything to share from my in-person community from the week…then I’m going to talk about that. It’s so easy for me to (especially as a total home-body), to step into my little hermit shell and put walls up.
This is me continuing to take steps of vulnerability, community and intentionality.
I’d love to have you join me! Here are the 3 things I recommended this week — short and sweet!
Weighted Vest
I’ve done it: I’m all in on the weighted vest thing. I don’t know if I’m squishing my insides or actually strengthening my core, but I’m committed for the year. I’ll let you know if my waist is magically snatched in a few months like some claim…. I’m not holding my breath.
I try to do 3-4 weighted vest walks a week, with Saturday being a long, 4-5 mile endeavor. It gets…heavy! I have a 20 lbs one, but I’d actually recommended starting with less weight and working your way up. (Or do shorter walks and work your way up that way!)
You really want to make sure your core is engaged when you wear it, which can be easier said than done! I haven’t started wearing mine around the house for everyday tasks, but I think that’ll probably be next. (You do get interesting looks when you’re out walking…I decided to receive them all as looks of, “I wish I had a weighted vest,” instead of what they are probably thinking. ha!
This is the vestI have and love. I’ve heard great things about this one too: it has variable weights and shoulder pads. When I increase my weight, I will likely try this one.
Puracy Stain Remover
I think I recommend this stain remover...weekly. It’s just that good! It uses enzymes, which I don’t really understand, but it sounds good. I’ve even had success removing stains that have gone through the dryer.
My mom first shared this stain remover with me, and truly, it’s been a game changer. Mud and blood don’t stand a chance with this stuff.
I’ve actually started using Puracy’s shampoo, conditioner, and body wash as well: I love them!
Let me first back up a bit. I love a good salad. I mean serving a giant salad that is essentially an entire meal. If you are inviting us over for dinner, please task me with the salad. I won’t say everything in life is a competition (I jest), but salad making is a competition against myself every time. How can I one-up what I made last time? What can I do to make this salad just a smidge better?
Challenge accepted.
I digress, but what’s the point of a great salad if you don’t have the right vessel for it! A bowl that too deep: all the good stuff falls to the bottom! A bowl that is too small: you can’t mix it to perfection.
These bowls from one of my absolutely favorite online stores, Quince (another thing I recommend weekly!), are hands down something I will bring to a favorite things party. Sorry for the spoiler — or invite me to your next party if you’re hoping to get your hands on these!
I started by ordering the 17″ bowl, but when it came, I promptly returned it and bought the set of three. Don’t worry, I’ll share a photo of my next salad-making-is-a-sport-I-take-seriously with you at some point.
SHOP MY RECOMMENDATIONS
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And those are my three things from this week. Thanks for being here! Don’t forget to JUST START. Whatever it is you’re facing, just start. Try and maybe fail, but don’t fail to try.
In this together,
xo. k
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It’s the most…..wonderful time…..to check the mail.
Anyone else? I stalk the mailman this time of year! Last year Harlow would excitedly open the mail with me, joyfully looking at photos and reading updates and covering our fridge with cards from friends and family far and near. I cannot wait for her to be even more aware and excited this year!
Every year when I’m picking out our Christmas cards from , I gush over the moving/new address cards — with no reason to order them, but wanting to all the same. I love how Minted provides a platform for artists with all types of aesthetic and feel: everyone can find a card that fits them!
I was so pumped to finally pick one of the cards this year — and I made sure I picked and ordered them early, so people would have our new address right away! In the past, even in the years where I’ve been good about ordering our cards early, I procrastinate the addressing and stamping part…..and a few years our Christmas cards have turned into New Year cards…. whoops!
takes all of that out of the equation!
Simply upload a spreadsheet of addresses — or manually enter them — to Minted’s Address Assistant, and Minted will print your envelopes…..wait for it….
I love how you can even pick a design to match your cards! They even offer options for return addresses, like the skinny labels I chose again this year. I just love how they add a little something to the back of the envelope too!
Happy Monday! We are definitely still trying to get into the swing of things after the Thanksgiving weekend with family in town! We are all moving a little more slowly…wishing for a little more sleep. Harlow’s curled up by the fireplace coloring with Wyler while Jones takes a morning nap. Well, Wyler isn’t coloring, but he’s always by her side. :)
What Cyber Monday sales are you tackling today? How about Giving Tuesday tomorrow?
Because let’s be honest: most days I don’t. Moving has sort of kicked my butt in a lot of ways, and most days my head hits the pillow with a lot of shoulda, woulda, coulda floating around before I fall into dreamland.
Andy’s been working some longs days, which are always such a good reminder of what a great team we are! The days begin to slow, it seems, and my patience dwindles. Sometimes, I just need a little structure from someone other than myself for the kick in the rear to get stuff accomplished!
If you’re not familiar with Blue Apron, let me begin by explaining quickly how it works:
meal planning, prep and recipe service with farm-fresh ingredients delivered right to your door
choose between the 2-Person Plan with 3 meals/week and the Family Plan with various options
Blue Apron currently ships to 99% of the United States — always free shipping
Blue Apron now offers a recycling program! You can use their locater to find options near you, or you can return your packaging to be recycled for free through USPS! You can learn more about that here.
I’m not the best at adventurous cooking when it comes to purchasing a ton of new ingredients or spices I would never otherwise use. What if I hate it?? Then I’m stuck! Blue Apron allows us to try recipes without the commitment: one of my favorite things about this service! Take the chopped chestnuts pictures above. I sure would have never picked a recipe with roast chestnuts before, but now I need to find where I can get them, because we loved this recipe!!
no waste
I’m admittedly one of the worst meal planners…..ever. I just don’t feel like eating the things I’m planning, so I change my mind and food sometimes goes to waste. Blue Apron somehow turns me into Super Mom for the afternoon, and I always stick to cooking the recipe we have planned for the day.
learning new uses for ingredients
crisping rosemary and garlic to top a burger? Who knew!
right after vacation – it’s so great to have some meals planned and out of the way when returning from being away
during a move or transition
after a baby — we did many weeks of Blue Apron after Jones was born!
Up on the menu Tuesday night was this Seared Chicken & Roasted Sweet Potato Rounds meal! I had two of the cutest helpers in the kitchen! Harlow’s friend Eden was over for the afternoon, so we all wore aprons and got to work!
There is something about Blue Apron that makes me feel invincible prepping for dinner — instead of the stress I often feel. So I often end up tackling way more than I plan on, because well, that’s what you do when you feel like Super Mom! So with the girls’ help, we made Swedish apple pie as well!*
*full disclaimer: I’m not super mom. In fact I completely failed at timing when to cook the apple pie….so we ended up finally having the sweet potato rounds towards the end of our meal. Not that any of us besides Jones got to enjoy them though…..he ate. them. alllllll. Little hog. ;)
This little guy woke up to help me prep as well!
I’m often asked if the 2-Person Blue Apron Plan is enough for our family of four. For us, the answer is “right now, yes.” Jones is a pretty big eater, and Harlow is become more adventurous, so very soon, we will probably need to shift to the family plan.
That being said, I typically look ahead to what the meals are that week and grab additional meat to add in. So I may grab some chicken from the freezer, or additional sweet potatoes, and I’ll stretch the meal a bit in that way. It’s worked out great for us!
Happy Monday! I’m in Vermont with my parents and the kids, soaking up the incredible beauty and colors of Fall. We are headed to the Von Trapp Family lodge and Ben & Jerry’s factory this week, and I’m so excited. The hills are alive….with the taste of ice creammmmmmm.
Okay. I’m dumb. I know.
Back on track, Kacia. I’m really excited to share with you all a new-to-me company: Lakeshore Learning. When Lakeshore Learning contacted me about their new Gifts for Growing Minds collection, I could barely contain my excitement. We decided to homeschool Harlow this year for preschool, and my goal has been to keep things fun, yet challenging for her as go through the year.
I love being able to focus on current events, nature, holidays and learn throughout our day. We try to take a designated 1-2 hours every morning while Jones is napping for “school,” but each day is always a bit different.
Some days we work on crafts and simply talk or practice spelling or simple math. Other days we read and follow up with flashcards and a reading lesson. In our small apartment, the Arts & Crafts Supply Center is full of amazing materials for creating.
A new favorite around here is “store,” using the Real-Working Cash Register. Harlow goes around the living room and finds items to stock her store shelves: a pet raccoon, some books, a puzzle. She labels them with various prices, and then I shop. It’s mostly just fun, but we practice the names of our coins, adding totals and figuring out what I (as her costumer) can afford with the money in hand. And no, I’m not just allowed to charge it — early lessons on saving show up during this game, too. :)
Lakeshore Learning’s Gifts for Growing Minds collection is an exclusive assortment of educational toys and games designed to aid and encourage the excitement of learning for children of all ages. This collection features over 200 items for children from birth to age 11, giving parents a fun way to make education a part of children’s daily lives.
Often times Jones boycotts his nap or doesn’t rest very long, so I always make sure to have a few of his puzzles (Big Knob First Puzzle Set) and toys (Classic Hardwood Learning Toys) in a small area for him. In our tiny apartment, creating learning stations and rotating items has been a lifesaver for us. I definitely want to continue rotating toys even when we have more space as I have found the kids play so much better when they aren’t overloaded with massive amounts of toys staring back at them. It’s just what seems to work for us!
Have an awesome week! I’ll be pretending I’m Julie Andrews tomorrow as we frolic in the mountains tomorrow before the rain hits on Tuesday. Vermont: I’m loving you!
I have so many amazing memories from my childhood, but our camping trips are definitely some that make the short list. When I was really little, we camped a few times (that I can remember) in a tent, but after a torrential downpour one night, we upgraded to a pop-up camper and never looked back. Our pop-up was retro as some might call it, but my mom and dad fixed it up with new curtains and things. The fanciest thing about it was the swing out kitchen — if I close my eyes, I can visualize the three of us girls poking sticks in the ashes from the campfire the night before, my mom prepping eggs to scramble for breakfast, and my dad cooking bacon on the picnic table with a little propane stove.
Most of our camping trips were in Minnesota somewhere on the bike trail. We’d wake up, eat some breakfast, and then we would hop on our bikes for the rest of the day. I would throw out some estimate of mileage here, but I was a kid and memories have a weird way of growing astronomically (we biked 150 miles each day! I was only 10.) or completely wrong in the other extreme (we biked about 5 miles a day. We left after breakfast and didn’t get home until dinner.)
So I have no idea, but I remember usually finding somewhere to get ice cream along the way. Bike rides are always better with ice cream.
Or if you’re Jones: corn on the cob. (You guys, I have NEVER seen him cry as hard as he did when we took the corn away from him for about 30 seconds to pop a bib on him. Guess he likes corn!)
Our lunches would be packed and eaten along the way, “Little Bunny Foo Foo” would be sung on repeat and we would return to our campsite ready for dinner, campfire, s’mores and usually a game of cards. I learned how to play Hearts on our camping trips, and I remember a few games of Rummikub and Rack-O too. For dinner one night, we’d make pudding for dessert. Looking back, I cannot imagine how funny we looked: instead of using a beater to mix up the pudding, my mom would put it in a container for us to shake. We’d take turns shaking it until the pudding was good to go — and even writing that makes me laugh.
I love how some of my most favorite memories are the ones that are so simple.
We haven’t attempted camping with the kids yet, but Harlow and Andy have started the tradition of camping outside in the backyard. We don’t really have any outdoor space at our apartment, but I can’t wait for them to continue the tradition when we move to our new house in the fall. Having lived in the city before, stars were a little more difficult to see: I can’t wait for our kids to experience campfires and campouts right in our own yard with the stars shining brightly above.
In the meantime, we are enjoying picnics on the beach and at the park. We are grilling at friends’ houses and making memories as we go. I’ve begun taking our Stanley cooler with us everywhere — it keeps food cold for 36 hours and is super sturdy and easy to carry. It also doubles as a seat, which is always coming in handy. I love that the top will hold a vacuum mug or thermos in the elastic, because my BFF, coffee typically travels with me wherever I do.
Today we used our Stanley Adventure Cookset to cook broccoli on the grill — I definitely want to try this over a campfire sometime! Just add water, broccoli and pop the top on to keep the steam in.
Another new campfire favorite is chutney and brie cheese.
Place the brie round on a skillet and cover with chutney. Let it melt and sizzle and smell amazing – remove from heat and eat with tortilla chips, pita or small slices of bread.
You. Are. Welcome. ;)
Happy Camping! What are some of your favorite memories of camping — or not so favorite memories? Anyone else wake up in standing water in their tent? — and what are some traditions you have with your kids now? I’d love to hear!
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