Iced cafe americano 1/2 decaf with a splash iof skim milk **chef's kiss**
Harry Times...All Jacked Up
A vintage mom blog, written by a vintage mom blogger.
Wednesday, July 09, 2025
Self Care
Iced cafe americano 1/2 decaf with a splash iof skim milk **chef's kiss**
Monday, July 07, 2025
4 Week Health Challenge!!
Mondays are always fresh starts for me-- even more than new months. And so! THIS MONDAY! I am starting a 4-week healthy habits streak. Here's the plan:
- Eat from 10am-6pm every day (going back to black coffee **whom whomp**-- I have been adding my fave chocolate milk again)
- No added sugar (but fruit is great!) (also I eat some dark chocolate every night after dinner because I am who I am)
- No alcohol
- TONS OF FIBER (I am aiming to eat 25 grams a day and also take a supplement, which I do not count toward this total)
- 10-minute strength workout every day
- At least four 15-minute dog walks with my weighted vest and/or ankle weights every day
- 30 minutes of cardio (elliptical machine typically) every day
- Calm app every day
- Progesterone every day (lol but this must continue indefinitely-- not just for 4 weeks)
- Magnesium, fish oil, B6, and fiber every day
I lost 12 pounds doing the Galveston Diet-- but then! Instead of doing the maintenance phase, I started just adding little mouthfuls of garbage here and there and the occasional glasses of wine, etc. Which is fine! And human! But also! I am noticing the effects of inflammation again (joint pain, swollen fingers, red skin around my mouth). SO. Back on the horse. I usually aim for 5 days a week for cardio (and just added strength like 6 weeks ago), but for the next 4 weeks, I am going to do everything every single day.
I am committing to 4 weeks of health (during the busiest 4 weeks of our summer) and plan to reward myself with fabulous new hair and some delightful Lulu pants (Athleta has been my gateway drug).
I am very much a don't break-the-chain kind of gal, so we shall see what happens if I interrupt my streak or get sick or something-- hopefully I will figure out a way to extend the challenge or keep going with less than perfect results because this would help me in pretty much all aspects of my life.
Anyone else up for a 4 week streak of something??
I listened to my Calm app daily meditation while blowing this thing up, and it was PERFECT. The voice was like imagine you are blowing up a balloon and I was like I'll do you one better
Also my tiny bestie and I watched all of the The Comeback in anticipation of season 3. Best show ever. If you've never watched it, treat yourself.
Saturday, July 05, 2025
Ben has the Vid, volume 3
Did I make Ben's illness a lot about me by sulking that my anticipated solo parent rescue did not come? YES I DID. Despite mindful mindfulness practice, I am still an asshole, I guess. It's like in ATGIB when Francie calls Katie on her North Pole rescue bullshit and is like um we are still poor and not explorers after all. I AM STILL UP TO MY NECK IN KIDS AND BEN LEAVES FOR WORK LIKE NORMAL NEXT WEEK no matter how brave and fun I am.
BUT I SOLDIERED BRAVELY ON into a holiday weekend that suddenly had no plans and kids with HOLIDAY EXPECTATIONS.
Bah humbug.
Ben did have the energy to blow shit up in the street, so that's a relief.
Socially distanced smores!A truly batshit puppet show
Truly
Batshit
Soooo 2020 this set up
Annabel is a huge fan of the new grill and its dangling appliances-- she licked the spatula clean.
We made a trip to a Walgreens open on the 4th for more covid tests because Ben wanted to test his way out of covid jail (NOT YET WHOMP WHOMP) but made it fun by stopping at DQ. I AM SO FUN GUYS SEE?
Not messing a round with their puppet constrcution
Seriously, there was much melon working.
Ben tested positive on Wednesday (while I was getting a pedicure with a friend), and we have spent our time at the pool a bunch. A bunch more than normal even.
Kids were a fan of the garbage dinner.
We bought lots of things to blow up when we had to cancel our out of town plans.
Friday, July 04, 2025
5 on a Friday: Hi, JULY!
New Month Energy! (NME made me lol though because I want this new month to be my friend. BESTIES maybe even)
I have some things I want to do in July, even though this is the ultimate summer month-- all of the activities just slammed right on top of each other and days where Dorothy and Cooper put in part time job hours at their club sports. Plus sweltering temps and a major 90s tan despite wearing a UPF shirt and tons of sunscreen. Woof!
1. Ugh you guys. I think I am going to color my hair. Not all over (I think the flat dark color looks worse than gray, even on women who get it done professionally. I think I am going to do high and lowlights all over to blend. Do I want to spend $500 and several hours in my hair every 8 weeks? No. Do I want gray hair? Also no. And I did box and home for awhile, but it's tricky with dark hair and not the solution I personally was looking for. Bah.
But first! I gotta get rid of these bangs. Ugh again.
One more ugh to note before I move on to the next first world problem on my list: I really like to wash my hair every day, and that's not the best idea with color. Also! This is probably NOT a July thing and more like a late August thing (right before Welcome Week would be ideal). I need to book it now, though.
AND I stopped seeing my colorist after I got too blong in 2023, and I switched to a cheaper person at the salon just for cuts. BUT. She is ging on maternity leave, so I would only be able to see her once before she goes, and she has
2. I have SO MANY things I want to buy this month, despite having just bought a new air conditioner.
A. New dog walking shoes at the $100-ish price point that look sort of cute if I need to also run errands. I am thinking about these or these or even these. But! Maybe I should take advantage of having children's sized feet and get these.
B. A new mattress (and possibly box spring) for Cooper's bed. Jack decided to go tall on his bed, and now Coop's looks weird. I think I will get this while he is gone at nationals and surprise him with a comfy bed when he gets home.
C. A new Chromebook. I teach adjunct online classes and do not use my work computer for them and my Chromebook is old and slow and makes me stabby. I think Prime Days might be my friend on this one even though Amazon sucks.
D. Wrist and ankle weights. The time to transition to FULL OLD LADY is here, my friends.
E. A cute pool hat. I wear an Eau Claire baseball cap that's cute enough, but I need more shade.
3. Despite this wish list, I have bought a lot of creature comforts lately from new pool towels (they all match now!) to a cute snack bag for Dorothy's dance bag to a bunch of fun stuff for me, Dorothy, and Minnie at the Altheta semi annual sale. SO. In July, I want to ENJOY WHAT I HAVE in all of the ways. Material things, sure, but also the intangibles and the people I love, etc etc.
Summer is FLYING BY. The first session of swim lessons is over, even. (Minnie passed to the big kid stroke development levels, but she would prefer to stay in the shallow end, so we shall see how the next sesh goes--- she might do level 2 again.)
4. I am LOVING my healthy new me habits and rituals, and I am adding a daily check-in with my Calm app to my July to-dos. I accidentally bought a year of Calm when I was using guided meditations and sleep stories to help with insomnia, so I might as well make the most of the app. I really like the Daily Calm and also the Daily Move. Despite chronic anxiety, I am rarely having a bad time in the actual moment-- most of my angst comes from worry-- and mostly worry about things out of my control. So this app is a good place to start since I already paid for it? ENJOY WHAT I HAVE in at least 2 senses.
Snacks ready to go
Fave smoothie
Healthy snacks and smoothie ingredients in a dollar store basket-- dollar store baskets made several areas of my life better last month.
5. My long dormant gratitude journal is getting a workout this month, too. I think it's the Calm app Kool Aid I am drinking, but I am finding it very centering. A few things I am grateful for right now:
Starbs at the grocery store6 am swim team practices (I am grateful, not them)
Tuesday, July 01, 2025
June: What I Read
What was this doing on my holds list?
Good-- not great-- reads
Parents Weekend by Alex Finlay: Some flaws, but largely super entertaining. **2025 **Audio
The Love Haters by Katherine Center: Very contrived. **2025
The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins: Not rocket science but some solid advice here.
All That Life Can Afford by Emily Everett: I felt like I already knew this plot. **2025
Retreat by Krysten Ritter: A good poolside thriller. **2025
All the Other Mothers Hate Me by Sarah Harman: The terrible main character eventually gets un-terrible. I liked this one a lot, it turns out. **2025 **Audio
BOTY contenders:
The River Is Waiting by Wally Lamb: We listened to this on our way home from South Carolina, and it is SO SAD. We googled reviews, largely agreed with them, and liked the book anyway. **2025 **Audio
King of Ashes by S.A. Crosby: Loved this one. Thrilling! Well written! Great characters! Some Harry Crews vibes. LOVED. **2025
The Strange Case of Jane O. by Karen Thompson Walker: Oh this is so good. It made me think a ton about memory and the fever dream that Covid seems to be in the rearview mirror. **2025
Never Flinch by Stephen King: I love Holly Gibney. **2025 **Audio
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid: Ahhhhhhh, yesssssss. **2025
STATS
BTM 12
Book books: 7
Kindle books 0
Audio books 5
2025 books: 10
BTY 99
Book books: 56
Kindle books: 3
Audio books: 40
2025 books: 54
Monday, June 30, 2025
National Qualifier!
Cooper!! Qualified all 3 of his events to USA Diving junior nationals! He qualified all 3 from regionals (there are 12 regionals across the country) to zones last month, but last weekend was the big test-- could he make it from zones to nationals as a 13 year-old competing in the 14/15 age group (he has a poorly timed dive birthday). HE COULD!!
He got third place in platform, which was AMAZING because the top 3 finishers from each zone make it to the national semifinal round and don't have to compete in prelims. He finished 4th place in both 3-meter and 1-meter, which is still so awesome because the top 10 in each zone (there are 6 zones) qualify to nationals. 4th place means he will have to compete in prelims for those events, but last year, he made to semifinals out of a prelim, so he knows he can do it (to make semis at nationals, he needs to be in the top 6 from the prelim).
Competition was stiff, and look how close he was to 3rd place in 3-meter:
It was a fabulous weekend!