Friday, August 08, 2025

5 on a Friday: TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

 I should note that we did not really exchange gifts for this momentous occasion because we just bought a new A/C and need a new fridge and dishwasher and blender **whomp whomp** and also-- we are going to take a trip! Will I get my shit together and get on a direct flight somewhere? MAYBE. Or maybe we'll just go to MKE-- who even knows? Coming soon-ish.

Here are five things we did do to celebrate!

1. The girls and I all tried on my wedding dress because what the hell.




I bought it at David's Bridal (peak 20025) straight off the rack no alterations. It was too long, but I decided that I wanted the poofiest dress imaginable, so I wore not one but TWO giant crinolines underneath and solved the length problem by increasing the circumference. 


2. Ben brought me a gorgeous bouquet of 20 calla lilies because my wedding bouquet was white calla lilies and pink roses, and we had absolutely giant calla lily arrangements in the ballroom and on all the tables. And my dad! Complained to my mom about how expensive they were, but I did not know until LITERALLY YESTERDAY that calla lilies are not actually in season in August. (yes, my parents paid for our wedding-- an old-fashioned custom that worked out well for us).

3. Ben also knocked the nostalgia out of the park by getting a cake in our wedding colors from our actual wedding bakery. IT WAS SO GOOD YOU GUYS.

4. We went out for a lovely dinner and came home to cake and Veuve. 

5. We sat around with the kids drinking champagne (not them obvi) and eating cake (all) (not Minnie because Cooper put her to bed) and looking through our giant wedding album, all the proof pics (our wedding was shot on actual FILM NO DIGITALS, YOU GUYS), our engagement party album, our wedding shower pictures, our honeymoon album, and my favorite, the album we made from all the disposable cameras at our wedding. Every table had a camera, and the pictures are such a 2005 time capsule. So many pics of prime rib in a world before social media-- how funny!

Here are a few pictures of wedding pictures: 

Classic 2005 album

Me and my bridesmaid and one bridesman
I was a huge dick about my hair until my friend Cathleen was like WE CAN'T FIX YOUR F*CKING UPDO HAVE A DRINK.
Ben and the only chuppah in Peoria.
My brother!
Could Ben look any more like his dad?
The circumference of this dress!





CAKE!!


Someone's bouquet caught on fire during my dad's toast, not pictured, but looking at this pic of the best man speaking and all the roses and candles, I think you can see how it might have happened
For the record, I did not want to go the garter thing


It was SUCH a 2005 wedding. We even had our string quartet play "All You Need Is Love" as we recessed.

The candid album from the disposable cameras was the best-- Ben's sister and her own brand new husband husband (fresh off their Hawaii honeymoon) took a picture on every camera which cracked us up when we developed the film (FILM-- THE WHOLE WEDDING WAS SHOT ON FILM)

These tank tops were very in.







AND THE HONEYMOON ALBUM. We were so young! SO TAN!



Ok ok. Two more. My mom and I inexplicably went to Kansas City to shop at the Plaza for bridesmaids gifts (Tiffany bookmarks is what we ended up with)
And how cute is my mom at our engagement party by her awesome food spread? If we had our wedding to do over again, I think we would have done it at my parents' house. (Or taken my dad up on his cash offer to elope).







 


Monday, August 04, 2025

Healthy* habits I plan to keep in August


1. Exercising 7 days a week. I LOVE IT. Annabel and I are so happy when I make sure we get an hour of walking in, and I adore seeing myself get stronger doing strength workouts. I have muscle definition in my thighs (front and sides!), and I can see muscles in my arms for the first time in a looooong time. I love it.

2. Avoiding added sugar for the most part. I FEEL SO GOOD YOU GUUUUUYS. YES I still put Fairlife chocolate milk in my coffee. YES I eat mini Cliff bars and mini Larabars, which both have a bit of sugar. YES I am eating dark chocolate after dinner, but otherwise? No sweets for me, and the longer I go without them, the less I want to eat them. Minnie and I made banana chocolate chip bread, and I didn't even think about eating stray chocolate chips from the counter or tasting the bread as it cooled. It wasn't that I wanted those things but didn't want to eat them, I just... wasn't interested. 

3. Balancing meals and snacks:  During the banana bread making, I was also full from the rosemary ham (Trader Joe's), brie, mustard, and arugula sandwich (with 2 plums!) I had for lunch and the string cheese, pecans, and apple I ate for an afternoon snack. I am making sure to have protein and fiber at every meal and snack, and I am not walking away from any meals and snacks feeling hungry or unsatisfied. If I feel hungry, I eat more food. It's great.

4. Eating an anti inflammatory diet. I eat most of these things (except avocado because I am allergic) every day, and I feel SO GOOD. I am sleeping well (THANK GOODNESS). (Most days-- I had a crappy night recently and am going to talk about it with my OB next week). My mood is great. I don't experience energy spikes and crashes. My wedding rings fit again, and I can wear them every day. I also think the red skin around my mouth and nose has gone away, but that might be my tan.

5. Wearing my dorky vest and ankle weights. I feel very strong and capable. Also dorky. Did I mention that?

5. Making sure my exercise clothes are at least semi-presentable. I feel better when I look better, so I will make sure to buy a few pairs of not-ugly joggers and sweats as the weather gets cooler. I used to work out in rags and then if I had to go somewhere before I got a chance to exercise, I would skip the work out or I'd get up crazy early to fit it all in, and, it turns out, I just needed better clothes. Now I can run an errand, take a kid somewhere, etc before OR after exercise-- game changer. I felt VERY validated when I heard Kendra Adachi talk about the magic of starting her day in a sports bra on The Lazy Genius podcast because I stumbled upon this hack on my own, and it has really been genius.

6. Thinking about macros: For me, this is a totally emotion-free lens through which to view food. I want to eat around 100 grams of protein a day and around 30 grams of fiber and have about a 40/30/30 split for protein, carbs, and fat. I also want to keep sodium under 2000 mg. It is fun to plan meals (for everyone!) with these guidelines in mind. Last night, for example, the kids and I had steamed broccoli and snap peas, roasted sweet potatoes (with olive oil), and chicken breasts, and they also had french bread and butter. It was easy, quick, and delicious. For dessert they had ice cream and wafer cookies, and I put almond butter on half an HU salty dark chocolate bar (it is common for us to have dessert every night and for people to choose their own from a variety of sweet options). 

7. Prepping meals: A bigger goal of mine is to do a better job of batch prepping meal components a few times a week. I have done this to an extent lately (making enough sweet potatoes for a few days; cooking a bunch of beans and quinoa at once), but I could be more strategic about it, and I would LOVE to remember to make steel cut oats ahead of time. It would also help me to have a bunch of protein options ready to go. I do this with chicken, lentils, and black beans pretty well-- but what else do I want to eat? Chick peas? Cottage cheese? Turkey? What do you eat for protein that's not red meat? (I am eating fish a few times a week, but, for me, that's not a make ahead food). Minnie and I went to TJs the other day, and I remembered all of their pre-cubed starchy veggies and fresh veggie noodle options-- I will be back for these!
(She gave me one of her stickers)

8. Swallowing those supps. I am taking fish oil and fiber and apple cider vinegar gummies and B6 in the morning and magnesium at night, plus melatonin as needed. I also eat my trusty Costco super greens sometimes (caffeine in them, so if I don't remember them before 10, I skip them).

*Healthy: Was my use of this word disingenuous in this post and in previous posts? Should I have said diet or weight loss instead? I don't think so, actually. I want to be healthier AND ALSO I want to lose weight. I have lost 15 pounds and I would really like to lose 15 more. And weight loss CAN be healthy-- and you can lose weight in a way that is good for your body, happens WHILE you are building muscle, and is also good for your mental health. Weight loss and good mental health are not diametrically opposed, and if I am planning the number of times I might indulge on sweets in an especially celebratory month? I actually think that's OK, you guys. If I skip the bread and butter at dinner because I would rather eat other things that deliver carbs and fat in a way that better supports my cholesterol and sugar management, my macros, and my weight loss goal? That's OK, too. Being mindful about what I consume is not automatically disordered. Yes, I like the way I look better when I am thinner (thanks, diet culture-- none of us grew up in a vacuum), but I also really really like the way I feel when I am stronger and on a more even keel thanks to more regular exercise and a really nutritious diet. So. For me right now in the way that I am doing it, weight loss is part of my healthy habits.

Saturday, August 02, 2025

NME: August, I love you

 New! Month! ENERGYYYYYY!



August goals:

1. Get ready for back-to-school (Mentally. Plus buy shoes for all and first day outfits for anyone who wants one)
2. Help Jack apply to college (GULP)
3. Fix my blender or buy a new one
4. Book spa services at Sundara and finally use my bday gift card
5. Catch up on my Book of the Month books and read all my darn library books

So much to love about August:

  • School prep (the best part of the yeeaar)
  • Minnie's bday
  • Our wedding anniversary (TWENTY YEARS )
  • Annabel's bday
  • Summer's last gasp

We have a really easy August calendar:

  • Dance is over after 8/14.
  • The girls and I are all getting hair cuts. 
  • I have a follow-up OB appointment and acupuncture. 
  • Middle school has announced the dates of open house, and we are waiting on Minnie's kindergarten conference date. (Jack is taking care of HS registration on his own) 

College applications opened 8/1!

  • Jack and I have a date to apply next weekend
  • He has already asked teachers to write letters and has told them he's going to apply crazy early
  • He figured out how to secure his unofficial transcript and knows who to ask about his official ones (his counselor retired at the end of the school year, so there might be a lag here
  • He's working on essay drafts right now
  • Like Harry, he will start his senior year with college apps done and dusted. I LOVE THIS!!! (He is applying to Bradley, UW-Eau Claire, UW- Lacrosse, and UW-Milwaukee). (UW-MKE is a direct admit school, but I have no idea if he checked the box to be directly admitted... I probably should have followed up on this with him, but he is more interested in the selective admission school, so I ... didn't).
I KEEP buying lunch boxes and food from school lunch displays because I AM A LITTLE BIT EXCITED ABOUT SENDING THE KIDS TO SCHOOOOOOOOOOOOL. 

Ben is absolutely making fun of my lunch box purchasing-- it might be getting weird. 

(I have bought two $3 insulated lunch sacks from Target-- probably for me-- a Loveshack Fancy knockoff for Dorothy (she DESTROYED her $40 Hydroflask lunch box last year, so no more expensive ones for her), 4 of the $2.99 insulated bento covers from the Target dollar spot (they fit Bentgo bentos and Planet Box Rovers, and they can be used as lunch boxes w/o bentos), and I bought Minnie a back up Cat and Jack bento so she can have 2 boxes in rotation (love Bentgo bentos, but Cat and Jack's are TEN DOLLARS, so I had to try) I have also stocked up on sandwich cutters in fun shapes and adorable ice packs. Plus a cute pouch for snacks for our after school runs and those viral Target pencil cases which are PERFECT for stashing snacks that should not get crushed in backpacks and activity bags.)

 I AM READY to send the children out the door is what I am saying.

How can this little dolly be off to KINDERGARTEN????






Friday, August 01, 2025

July: What I Read

 Looking back on my July reading, I am not wild about any of. WOW. With that opening line, this blog post is sure to be a smash. **Eye roll**

Reading view most of the month


Meh

The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes: I am kind of into this YA thriller series **Audio

Everything Sweet Is Bitter by Samantha Crewson: This has good reviews and generated a lot of pre-pub buzz, but I did not love any of the characters, and the story was kind of boring/ trope heavy. **Audio **2025

Veronica Ruiz Breaks the Bank by Elle Cosimano: Cute. *Audio

Mark Twain by Ron Chernow: Ugh I WANTED to like this because I think Twain is fascinating, but it was SUCH a slog. And! Chernow was extremely preoccupied with the Clemmons family as enslavers in the south and he wanted to, like, repudiate Twain in a weird way. But then! He would say something that totally erased race and class-- like Tom Sawyer was the picture of American boyhood-- and it was just so WEIRD. Also! Twain had a thing for young girls.

The Accidental Favorite  by Fran Littlewood: Ok. The premise is good (read the cover flap), but it didn't bowl me over. **2025

Great but old

Rules of Civility by Amor Towles: LOVED IT SO MUCH. *Audio

Best of the month, which is a lower bar than usual, I think

The Maid's Secret by Nita Prose: This series is growing on me. *2025

The Briar Club by Kate Quinn: Audio book is **chef's kiss** *audio  **2025

Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister: Good, but I was expecting better from this author. **2025

You Don't Belong Here by Megan Miranda: A serviceable thriller **2025

Next to Heaven by James Frey: Trashy and delightful and quirkily written-- big fan. THIS review sums up the Fey controversy nicely. **2025

El Dorado Drive by Megan Abbott: Ditto (also some good characters) **2025

So Far Gone by Jess Walter: I liked this, but I was expecting to be blown away. **2025

STATS

BTM 13

Book books: 7

Kindle books 0

Audio books 6

2025 books: 10

BTY 112

Book books: 63

Kindle books: 3

Audio books: 46

2025 books: 64


Wednesday, July 30, 2025

Diving Updates!

 Cooper! Is at USA Diving junior nationals in Mission Viejo, CA this week. Here I am watching warm ups:



Yesterday, he had 3 meter prelims. To make it to semis, he needed to be 6th place or better. Going into the 9th and final round, he was in FIFTH PLACE! His final dive was a reverse 1.5, and he needed to get ok scores-- like 5's-- to clinch his semifinal spot. He got... 3.5's. He just BIFFED IT you guys. It was a sunny day, and he was diving outside, and he thought the sky was the water so he came out of his tuck when he saw the "water" but then when he figured out it was the sky he had to maneuver like crazy to save the dive-- thank god he didn't get hurt.

The girls and I were watching at home, and Harry was watching at work. He screamed NOOOOOOOO when it happened and freaked some people out. My YouTube was a little slow, so I got Ben's "Ooooooof" text seconds before the dive happened and was at least. a little prepared.

It happens at 1:46-- you can totally see him realize he's in trouble mid air.

Coop's in great spirits, though, because he is only 13 competing his first year in 14/15 boys, and he did not expect to have a competitive list or compete with the best kids, and there he was! Hanging right in there! He does a front, inward, and back 2.5 (instead of 1.5), and now he is really motivated to get a reverse 2.5 as well-- a real big boy list for sure.

He has 1-meter prelims today at 11:55 am CA time, and you can watch on the USA Diving YouTube if you want to. He is group B boys (there are 2 events happening at once with 2 different live streams of the same pool-- it is slightly confusing).

Back at home, Dorothy competed in the All-City dive meet on Monday and was fab. She did not make the final round, but she dove really well and had fun with pool and school friends.

It was 11,000 degrees in the shade, but Minnie was a trooper




Last night was Jack's turn to shine at All-City, and boy did he! He got 9th in 15-19 boys and was awesome. He even banged his Apple watch on the diving board railing during in approach for his double pike and ended up leaving the board on two feet and still made the dive-- that's YEARS of diving experience right there.





He also got a brand new dive for finals-- a back 1.5 straight. It looks so cool the announcer actually SAID that was cool while he was under water:



There's an elementary school across the street from the host pool thank goodness, so Minnie had fun while the top 16 warmed up their finals dives, even though it was still 95 degrees and humid. Slight disaster when the snow cone truck was already gone when we got there-- averted by a trip to DQ on the way home-- phew!







After the meet, the kids all threw ridiculous stuff while the hosts got awards ready. I was too busy screaming belly flop to film Jack-- it was epic. 

Next year is Jack's LAST All-City meet if you can even believe that. And! OUR POOL IS HOSTING!! I can't wait (I even signed up to be on the host committee)-- how cool to have your SENIOR RECOGNITION for your favorite sport AT YOUR OWN POOOOOL!!!