Hello and happy FRIDAY! I had a moment yesterday where I full on believed it was Friday. Perhaps it was the rain, the full week, and the homemade pizza with a glass of wine (Rodney Strong which I really enjoyed). So the fact that it wasn’t and today is actually Friday feels like a sweet little surprise.
Plans for today include Hailey’s Synthesis class (every Friday morning), going live on Amazon (if you follow me on there, it will alert you when the livestream starts) to talk about my germ season favorites, and trying to get Finley outside in any rain break we get. Oh and this evening? We’re putting up the Christmas tree!
But before we all dive head first into the weekend, I wanted to share a few of the things I’ve been loving lately. Feel free to share your recent wins or things making your life a little more joyful or easier with me, too!
Smoothies
How unseasonal, right? I was inspired to get more nutrients into our mornings, so I tried the smoothie combo from Max Lugavere’s cookbook that I borrowed from the library. I highly recommend getting cookbooks from the library; it’s a great way to try before you buy.
The smoothie combo includes frozen blueberries, a mandarin orange, avocado, Greek yogurt, ground flax seed, vanilla protein powder, and cashew milk. I’d add a handful of spinach if I’d have had some, but I appreciated the rich purple color of making it without. Delicious! We’ve had one every morning this week with some eggs on the side.
Christmas Shower Curtain
Looking for big bang for my decorative buck, I grabbed a festive shower curtain and bath mat from Homegoods and set it up in the kids’ bathroom while they were at practice. When they went up to shower later I heard the shriek of delight I was hoping for! I’m really feeling the Christmas spirit this year. Again maybe it’s my recent feeling like years are flying by, but it makes me want to do all the little things to make this one feel extra special.
Definitely check out Homegoods if you’re near one; they ran $15-20 for the curtain. And if you’re not, Amazon has a ton to choose from in the same price range. I particularly liked this one, this one, and this one for kids.
Lunch Bowls with Grains and Greens
I think I found my lunch for the fall/winter season. I love soups, too, but this combo is quick to throw together, hearty, and has endless possibilities. I made a batch of farro on Monday and bought a big jar of collard greens. Each day I toss some of each into a bowl and top it with rotisserie chicken and a drizzle of a spicy vinegar sauce. It’s excellent! I’ll just switch up the combo each week. I already have some freekeh in the pantry, and might just grab a big tub of spinach for next week’s combo.
Air Popper
It’s movie season! We watched Miracle last night because David figured it would get us all pumped up about cheering on the US in the upcoming World Cup (hockey/soccer, yes, but the national pride aspect). Now though, we are shifting full into Christmas movie mode and will be enjoying a lot of fresh popcorn. This air popper is the bomb! It uses NO oil, just hot air. It pops big, fluffy kernels in less than two minutes. It melts butter while it pops if you want it to. It’s easy enough for the kids to use on their own. It would make a great gift at a great price point, too. I can’t believe I waited so long to listen to my friend who told me I needed one.
Homeschool Slow Down
We just finished our Gather Round Farming and Food unit, which was a really fun unit for us. Next week we’ll switch back to what I’m calling our other core curriculum (IEW, All About Spelling, etc) for two weeks. Then? Then it’s Christmas season!
I have the 12 lesson long Gather Round Christmas unit for us to complete in December, which I think the kids will enjoy. And we do stick with math every day, but this slow down leaves us with the time to read, bake, deliver goodies, make and wrap presents, and watch movies. It’s one of my favorite times of our homeschool year and I’m really looking forward to it.
Our New Website is Live
I believe I told you about our venture into co-hosting and property management for short term rentals. It’s been such an exciting extension for us to be able to use what we’ve learned to assist others in their short term rental journeys. It’s only been word of mouth so far, but our website is now up and running! If you know of anyone that would benefit from a partner in the wild world of short term rentals, please pass our names along.
Selling on Facebook Marketplace
You know those piles of items I told you I wanted to attack? Well I finally started to do it. In only a week I’ve sold candle holders, old dog crates, kid clothes and more by listing and having people come pick it up off my front porch. I forgot how easy it is. It’s also a great reminder that if there’s something you’re after for Christmas, to always check there first. It’s constantly changing and there can be great deals to be found.
That’s all I have for today; time to get up and moving. There are smoothies to make, kids to wake, and a day to attack… I think I accidentally brewed full strength coffee this morning because my energy is buzzzzing. I hope you have a wonderful Friday and a fantastic weekend. Thanks for stopping by the blog <3
