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Author Archives: Jen

Woodland Book with an Educator

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Tonight was a fundraiser for the food bank—Woodland teachers and administrators read their favorite books on Google meets! Every 15 minutes you’d switch to someone new! We listened to Katie’s current teacher and her second grade teacher, Owen’s third grade teacher, the Elementary Principal, and a friend who is a teacher! We loved it, and the past teachers remembered them and loved seeing them, too!

You guys. Today was a day.

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I had grand plans then life happened.

  • I spent too much time refereeing kid drama (today proved they get into trouble when I’m not sitting at the table with them). Plus learned they’ve both snuck their devices which should be an instant loss for a week but…I was so overwhelmed with everything else I forgot.
  • I spent 4.5 hours with Apple tech support (chat and phone!) trying to figure out a bizarre password issue.
  • I had multiple random technology and business spreadsheet issues (that necessitated asking a math teacher friend for help).
  • Discovering WHEN I WENT TO PLACE MY MONTHLY ORDER at 10pm that my business credit card was expired and the new card supposedly arrived a month ago but I’ve not seen it (so I got to hunt for that—unsuccessfully I might add—tonight).
  • And then I discovered that one of the kids iPads is literally covered in something sticky.

The best part about today? It’s over in 21 minutes.

Stuff The Turkey | Black Friday | Small Business Saturday | Cyber Monday

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I just want to thank everyone who shopped with me this month. I am so very thankful for each and every one of you! When you make a purchase with my SMALL business, it means a lot for my family! And I love spoiling all of my customers, too…giving gifts is my love language.

Kim Kruse, Michelle Galvez, Cheryl Malato, Brianna Powvens, Jannie Louise Sandifer, Kristin Huff, Heidi Leafblad-Habel, Lindsey Mares, Britt Nickelsen, Rebecca Whitley, Ashley Bouchard, Pam Kozu, Stacy Bishop Stark, Anna Bennett Chang-Yen, Ann Balat Gasperini, Rachel Young Wehrle, Jackie Moens, Amber Bookhout Dennis, Leah Waters Cossarek, Suzie Girard Teal, Jami Wallis, Clarencene VanVuuren, and Monique Morrison-Meyer!

This is great advice for anyone struggling.

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THERE ARE NO RULES. Run the dishwasher twice.

RUN THE DISHWASHER TWICE.

“When I was at one of my lowest (mental) points in life, I couldn’t get out of bed some days. I had no energy or motivation and was barely getting by.

I had therapy once per week, and on this particular week I didn’t have much to ‘bring’ to the session. He asked how my week was and I really had nothing to say.

“What are you struggling with?” he asked.

I gestured around me and said “I dunno man. Life.”

Not satisfied with my answer, he said “No, what exactly are you worried about right now? What feels overwhelming? When you go home after this session, what issue will be staring at you?”

I knew the answer, but it was so ridiculous that I didn’t want to say it.

I wanted to have something more substantial. Something more profound. But I didn’t.

So I told him, “Honestly? The dishes. It’s stupid, I know, but the more I look at them the more I CAN’T do them because I’ll have to scrub them before I put them in the dishwasher, because the dishwasher sucks, and I just can’t stand and scrub the dishes.”

I felt like an idiot even saying it.

What kind of grown-ass woman is undone by a stack of dishes? There are people out there with actual problems, and I’m whining to my therapist about dishes?

But, my therapist nodded in understanding and then said:

“RUN THE DISHWASHER TWICE.”

I began to tell him that you’re not supposed to, but he stopped me.

“Why the hell aren’t you supposed to? If you don’t want to scrub the dishes and your dishwasher sucks, run it twice. Run it three times, who cares?! Rules do not exist, so stop giving yourself rules.”

It blew my mind in a way that I don’t think I can properly express.

That day, I went home and tossed my smelly dishes haphazardly into the dishwasher and ran it three times.

I felt like I had conquered a dragon.

The next day, I took a shower lying down.

A few days later, I folded my laundry and put it wherever the fuck they fit.

There were no longer arbitrary rules I had to follow, and it gave me the freedom to make accomplishments again.

Now that I’m in a healthier place, I rinse off my dishes and put them in the dishwasher properly. I shower standing up. I sort my laundry.

But, at a time when living was a struggle instead of a blessing, I learned an incredibly important lesson:

THERE ARE NO RULES.

RUN THE DISHWASHER TWICE!!!”

Author unknown

I love Christmas but it’s overwhelming this year.

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Where Tom deposited everything.

I love decorating for Christmas but the first year in a new place is always hardest because you don’t already know where everything goes and it takes longer to figure everything out.

Which wall do these kid Christmas paintings go on? Or do they lean on a shelf? Or do we not put them up this year?

What wreath fits on the door? Oh, this hanger won’t work but we can’t find the magnet. And that wreath is too thick for the storm door so where could it go instead?

And oh wait. We don’t really have a mantle like we’ve always had so my favorite mantle clips (that I bought new last year) TOTALLY won’t work.

And we don’t have spindles on our stairwell so no garland like I love. So how and where do we divvy up the four strands? Well we can put these here but we need to add another so now we have one left. If we put it there we need another (which means a trip to Costco and $30). Keep thinking.

And on and on. So after I unpacked some things…I had a glass of wine.

Just look at my face! WHAAAAAT?!

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Check. This. Out. Look at my skin over two years.

This is using the skincare every. single. day. I didn’t use everything every single day but I did use the cleanser, daytime moisturizer, and evening moisturizer for sure. (I know the lighting is a little different but even so you can see how much it’s changed.)

I am just gobsmacked.

I know two years is a long time but you have to start with Day 1 at some time, so why not now?

Before and after, two trees.

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We have plenty of room for TWO trees this year…so you can bet your butt I’m doing it!! A friend knew we didn’t have an artificial tree anymore so found one for me and then I snagged one from Amazon Vine!

This tree definitely needs zhuzhing.

I had my doubts but love how this tree turned out! My friend Britt helped me design it using a bunch of random fake berries, branches, pinecones, etc. that I had originally intended for topiary-type decorations—along with a specific selection of color-matching ornaments from our collection.

Buuuuuuut it’s just a bit small for the room (YOU THINK?!) so we are hoping to find at least a 9′ tree, if not maybe a 12′ tree on clearance after Christmas. I finally have the space for a huge tree (my bucket list!) so I’m gonna do it.

Tree number two was planned to be the more kid-friendly tree with all of our fun ornaments and crazy lights. It’s definitely not the best fake tree but once you get it zhuzhed with lights and ornaments it’s fine.

It’s hard to get a decent daylight pic since it’s in front of the bright window.

The lights are actually insane LED lights with like 12 colors that chase and flash and race and it can be quite anxiety-inducing. The kids love it (and it is cool) but when I get to pick it’s a calm purple.

I thought these would be cool. I was wrong.

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This seems like it would be super cool, right? Your face on a mask? I mean, look at how awesome the sample looks?!

And then look at what we got—still good right?

AND THEN THERE’S WHAT THEY ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE WHEN YOU PUT THEM ON AND THEY GET STRETCHED OUT!!!

Totally ridiculous funhouse mirror faces. I mean seriously? Tom and I could barely stop laughing long enough to take the photo.

We showed Katie and she even laughed like WHAT THE HELL?!

Needless to say I contacted them and complained and they said sorry, the prints are fine. So I’m done shopping with that company.