I forgot I had this little chitchat series I created a while ago when I feel I have nothing in particular to write about but still want to chat so here I am.

We’re back into the swing of things after a week-long winter break from school. Our family, along with some family friends, headed up to the snow and did some tubing, hiking (see pic above), and lounging at a rented cabin. I oftentimes will dread a big break from school and the structure/routine of school but last week was surprisingly very enjoyable and I soaked up all of our together time. During the trip, my 2 girlfriends and I marveled at how well our children get along- they range in age from 3 to almost 10 and, despite the age gap, they play so beautifully together. We feel lucky to have that.

We’re gearing up for a busy spring over here with activities starting up (soccer & T-ball, in addition to dance), guests coming, and a social calendar that’s starting to fill up and I can feel my introverted-self start to get a bit grumpy. I know I’m doing what’s best for our family/kids but sometimes being an introverted parent is tough. You want to be social, plan activities & get togethers for your kids, and make solid connections in your community but I’d rather be hanging at home. Like everything else though, it’s a season and perhaps when the summertime comes and our schedule is less jam-packed, I may look back on this time and long for the craziness.

Have a great weekend!

It’s been awhile but here I am again, feeling the need to express my creativity in the form of writing. Summer has been great so far with lots of fun outings with the kids and meeting up with friends & neighbors. Here are 5 things I’m into right now:

• No social media until naps: lately I’ve noticed a habitual need to check my phone, scroll social media, refresh emails etc. from the minute I wake up. It’s caused me to become an impatient, not so great parent and I knew I needed a solution that didn’t involve completely deleting my apps (since that hasn’t worked in the past). I came up with the idea of not opening social media until my son’s nap & my daughter’s quiet time, usually around 1pm. This has been a game changer in terms of being less irritated and being more present for my kids. The break from my phone makes me a lighter, happier person and I hope it’s something I can continue.
• Family game night: in perpetuating the decrease in phone/screens usage, my husband & I like to have a weekly family game night. Each person (2 adults, 2 kids) chooses a game to bring to the table and we’ll play each game once while enjoying a yummy snack like popcorn. It’s so fun to see the kids’ personalities come out in games like charades and watching my 2-year-old tightly close his eyes as he reaches into the bag to pull out a Bingo token is priceless.
• “Whatever’s in the fridge” salads: my friend has been posting salad pics to our chat thread and she’s always been good at using whatever’s in the fridge to compile them. Potato chips, a random veggie, some fruit about to go bad- you name it, she’s added it to her concoctions. So with that inspiration, I went to Trader Joe’s to buy some fixings and, along with my fridge findings came up with this week’s salad: grilled chicken, avocado, fried eggs, beets, red onion, crispy jalapeno pieces, edamame beans, mozzarella cheese balls, topped with oil & vinegar.
• Cup of Jo blog: I miss the days where people consistently blogged for the fun of it, to voice their thoughts, to let us in on a sliver of their lives. With Instagram stories came a quick ability for influencers & content creators to share a link to a product they loved, making them quick money and cutting out the middleman (blogs). I love visiting Jo’s blog everyday because the stories and shares (yes, some of them products!), always seem so genuine and the loyal readers she’s amassed over the years leave thoughtful comments I always look forward to reading. Side note: the idea for this post was inspired by her blog…thanks Jo!
• Zara pants: I bought these pants last season and have found myself wearing them all summer long. They’re so versatile- wear them with a swimsuit to the pool or pair with a tube top & heels for a night out with the girls (I’ve done both) and you can thank me later. I’ve also done a “sporty” look with my Adidas sambas and a t-shirt tucked in.

I’d love to hear what you’re into right now!

Last month, my girlfriends and I had our annual favorite things party, one of my most anticipated days of the year. Full of good friends, food, cozy clothes, and presents, what’s not to love? I thought it would be fun for me to do a favorite things post every so often for what I’m currently into. Without further ado…

Mel Robbins podcast: I stumbled upon Mel Robbins most likely from my Instagram explore page and I’m so happy I did. Her podcast is filled with episodes like building better habits, nutrition guidance, improving mental health, relationship advice, and so much more. She brings on the experts pertinent to the topic at hand and you truly believe she wants the best for you, her listeners. Mel is very uplifting & motivating and its a great podcast to check out especially if you’re wanting change & improvement in your life.

Libby app: if only I had listened to friends who told me to download this app years ago, I’d probably have more $$ in the bank. If you have a library card, you can borrow ebooks from the library and have them automatically download through a reading app like Kindle for free. There’s no catch here, aside from the fact that for popular, best-selling books, there’s often a waitlist. However, you can “hold” up to 10 books at a time with varying waitlists and while you’re in the midst of a borrowed book and another one on your list becomes available, you can simply delay borrowing that one until you’re ready. The next person in line is then able to borrow that book and depending on the length of delay (in days), you will be placed in line accordingly. For an avid book reader like me, this is heaven.

Pretty Frank deodorant: recently my husband went on a journey of cleaner living and one of his changes was moving from Old Spice deodorant to Pretty Frank. Pretty Frank is free of aluminum and parabens, scent-free, and best of all, it works! As the head of laundry in our household, my husband’s shirts would always reek of smell and I noticed that this was no longer the case once he made the switch. I myself have never found a deodorant to combat stress stink despite trying tons of different brands so I was intrigued. I started using it and low and behold, it really does work. Not sure if its a universally great deodorant or if it just works well with our body chemistry but if you’re still on the hunt for an effective deodorant, definitely give this a try.

Books: Pachinko was a book gifted to me by my sister-in-law, another fellow book lover. I would say I’m open to any genre but looking at the cover and premise of this book, I don’t know if I would have chosen it for myself. That being said, I gobbled this one up in a week’s time, I loved it so much. Set in the early 1900s, this is a story about a Korean woman who immigrates to Japan to both seek a better life for her family and avoid disgrace. Sunja is an unwed pregnant woman who marries a Japanese minister and starts a new life in Osaka. The historical fiction novel is full of political friction, warfare, and discrimination, while also highlighting the strength & perseverance of women (and mothers in particular). Demon Copperhead was hard for me to get into because of the style of writing but I’m so glad I gave this book another chance. This book follows Damon, a boy born to a single mom who struggles with substance abuse. Set in the 1990s in southern Appalachia, the story details the turbulence and severe neglect of kids in the foster system and Damon’s will to survive despite all odds. The story I described sounds pretty depressing and at times it is because you know this is the reality of many kids in the foster system. But it is peppered with laughs, endearing characters and plenty of adventure. The book was based on the Charles Dicken’s novel, David Copperfield.