Friday.
Edition 26.
We’re rolling into another weekend… the second one of August already!
But before we get there, I’m sharing some of my faves this week.
Back to School Shopping.
Miss Sunshine and I did some school shopping. Back to school shopping for a female going into 8th grade is not for the faint of heart! It’s not that she isn’t fun to shop with..she is! It’s that the current fashion trends do not conform to school dress codes.
Ripped jeans… yes you can wear them, but the rips must start below the acceptable shorts line
All the jeans had a rip at the thigh. Scratch that. We found a possible pair online, but they haven’t made it here yet.
The other popular trend. The cold shoulder. But is the part above the shoulder wider than three fingers? Whose fingers? Some chubby fingers? Some petite fingers? And what the heck is wrong with shoulders?
At least we found a backpack!
In the past, Miss Sunshine has picked out her backpack from a surf shop we frequent on our beach vacations. Last year, it was a little too small to carry what she needed, so this year she wanted a bigger one. And all black. Since I don’t replace backpacks every year, we opted for this North Face one. I expect it to last a good while. Can it make it 5 more years of public school? I’m not setting my hopes that high, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed.
Senior Year.
Big Mr. had Senior photos this week. We won’t receive them for 2-3 weeks and which point we will decide which to place in the yearbook. If you remember from this post, the Big Mr. had hair down to his shoulders. Curly and thick hair. He knew that he planned to cut his hair, but wanted his Senior photos with his long hair. When I asked why he told me so when he was 40 he could look back and see that time when he had long hair.
So after Senior photos, off he went and came home with so much gone.
Bold move!
I’m so happy that he loved the new cut because it took 1 1/2 years to get it to the point it had been at before.
I found high amusement in the Big Mr.’s commentary about “when I’m 40” because I’m sure that to him it seems so far away. I know that when I was 17, I probably thought that seemed so old.
And yet, here I am, at around a month away from being 40.
And it was so far away.
I’ve lived so much life thus far. Done so many things. Met so many people. Traveled to faraway places Grew life inside of me. Celebrated life’s highs and mourned life’s lows.
Still, I feel as if I’m just on the edge of having experienced all that I want to in this wide world.
I feel as though I’m just beginning to embrace who I really am. Learning that the world doesn’t get to dictate my choices.
I ask you the same question that I asked on Instagram…
How have you pressed outside of your box this year?
Detox.
I mentioned in last week’s faves that I was making some dietary changes. I am on my third week of a four week no alcohol detox. I read somewhere about it being a good thing to try before heading into Virgo season. I don’t know if there’s anything to that, but I figured letting my liver not have to process out toxins for a bit was probably a win-win for it. I layered in no gluten the second week and this week no dairy.
Elimination.
Dairy has been much harder for me. I had no problem giving up my splash of heavy cream in my coffee. I just switched it to almond milk, something I use in my smoothies already. However, I do love cheese. No cheese has been hard. When I decided on “no dairy” along with “no gluten”, my husband asked what I was going to eat. I admit that I wasn’t on top of things with pre-planning so I wasn’t always happy with my choices. Oh… that meatloaf recipe takes milk… here everybody…eat up…I’ll just be over here with my salad. Maybe I can eat a baked potato… oh wait…no butter…no sour cream either. I’ll just be over here eating the leftover taco meat…with no cheese.
I did make guacamole. That was a tasty point in the week. And I love my breakfast smoothies. It was the other two meals where I should have planned better.
The goal wasn’t really an elimination diet. Although I wish I’d have done that.
Eating Out.
The hubby and I went to dinner last night. My favorite Chinese restaurant. I ordered my regular choice. Hot and Sour Soup and Kung Pao Chicken. It was the first time I noticed the area on the menu that says these items can be made gluten-free. For some reason, I just assumed they were already gluten free because of the stamp beside them. I’m not a stickler in restaurants for how things are cooked because I don’t have Celiac Disease. I just have various digestive issues and have for years, but don’t know my triggers.
The meal was awesome and tasty. The conversation with hubby full of laughter. I felt a little pain in my stomach as we went to leave, but really it wasn’t a big deal. At home, about an hour later, the pain returned but centered on the left scapula and toward the chest and I felt a headache type pressure in my head and down my sinus cavity.
Since I wasn’t on an elimination diet, I still have no idea what the trigger was. It could have been the gluten in the soy sauce, but it could have easily have been the peppers or any other number of things that make up those two recipes.
I’m not sure if I’ll move to an elimination diet. The alcohol detox has become more about finishing out the goal that I had set. I would have to go even longer in the entire process cut out other foods and I just keep seeing my birthday on the horizon with a slice of cheesecake and a cocktail calling my name. Would I have time to add things in and discover my triggers before that day? I don’t know, so I’ll have to ponder it.
Journal.
This week I took back up spending some time in my journal. The black journal started the year out as a place to write a little snippet of fiction. A page to a page and a half. 20 minutes. I really wanted to work on being more descriptive. To see if I could tell a fictional tale that would draw somebody in enough to want to know more.
And then I got sidetracked.
It was something I enjoyed, but I didn’t make it a priority. My goal is to move it back to a priority.
I picked up the mint journal because I’ve wanted to start a gratitude journal. I’ve been working more on staying in the present moment and gratitude seems a great place to start. I just picked it up Wednesday…made a list of 5 things I was grateful for and promptly forgot to do it yesterday. I’ve obviously got a ways to go to make it a habit.
I think I’ll set a reminder on my phone so that I stop and actually do it.
Do you have ways that help you focus on the present?
Music.
The song I chose this week came up on my recommended list. The band found the inspiration for the song when they moved to London and left their loved ones behind. If you’re a Game of Thrones fan then you’ll love that the video features Maisie William (aka Arya Stark).
I got the hubby to watch the documentary Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things with me, and while he’s always been an advocate of us reducing our clutter, now he’s finally ready to actually help me with the process. This weekend is supposed to be a huge purge weekend for us!
I hope that as you go into your weekend, you find yourself a little freer from the daily stressors of life.
Take a moment to look around a see what a magnificent world in which we live.
The sun rises and sets.
The flowers bloom.
The breeze blows.
Take it all in.
This gift that nature offers.
And all for free.
Let your light shine!
Amy
I feel your pain…shopping for jeans for my 9th grade daughter…😬
Eek! Good luck!
What about shopping at the second hand store for jeans, or taking an old faded pair of jeans and ripping them yourself? She’s so tiny I’d bet you’d have no problems finding good jeans in the second hand store.
Here’s a DIY video I found with two looks of rips on the same pair of jeans. It looks easy!
Big Mr’s hair looks really good.
I’m still purging stuff. I wish daughter and He-Man would too. I’m going to watch that video you mentioned and perhaps share it with daughter, and He-Man hoping it motivates them. 🙂
That would definitely be a option to look at. The jeans came in and the rip is too high on the thigh. She has a few older pairs that may be perfect to attempt the DIY on. Thanks for the video!
I really like Big Mr.’s hair too. I think he’s so happy that it’s much easier to manage.
We mentioned that we should show the documentary to the kids. It definitely made you think about your priorities. 🙂
I’m not looking forward to being “in” the school systems schedule or have to deal with their dress codes, and rules again. With #1 GS’s late birthday he won’t go this year so we have another year of freedom and bliss! 🙂
I hope Miss Sunshine gets some jeans that meet the code. Making her own might be the only way to go to meet the code.
I haven’t been able to get Baby Girl on a decluttering or minimalist path. It’s been a life long struggle. She tends to horde…everything! It drives He-Man and I nuts!
Ooops! fogot the link! (face-palm!)
🙂
I’ve seen that documentary about minimalism online for a while – haven’t gotten around to watching it. I should. I can never decide if “stuff” or “no stuff” is a better idea 🙂
We enjoyed it. Documentaries are more my thing than my husband’s, so I was happy he joined in to watch. I think there’s a happy balance between “stuff” and “no stuff”. If it makes you happy then it serves a purpose. As the “stay at home” person, over the years I’ve dealt with most of the home cleaning, and my personality is such that I can’t move forward and relax while “stuff” is hanging over my head. By eliminating more of it, I’m hoping the feel more freedom to seek enjoyment over labor.
a senior. I can’t.
Crazy, right!? Mom said she had to stop and think for a minute when the words were starting to spill out of her mouth that he’d be 18 on his next birthday. She was like “no way”! 😉
I’m so sick of dress codes, I can barely even. Ugh. Moo loooooves the cold shoulder look and that’s restricted to weekends. Sassy can finally expose her shoulders, so I hope the dress code holds up long enough for Moo to make it to high school.
I like your senior’s attitude. 🙂
I bought the girls expensive bags last year and told them that they’ll buy the next ones themselves. I did the same with my older two, and It worked out. I’m guessing the North Face bag will last the 5 years 😉
I don’t think you have time to do an elimination diet. If you really want to do it, being a woman of faith, you could try it for Lent?
I have pressed out of my box this year, and continue to do so. Physically and emotionally at present. It’s a growth thing. Two things ended, so it’s time to start two new things. I’m ready for all the possibilities coming 😀
I am absolutely over dress codes! I don’t know the rules for high school since I only have boys over there. I think the bag will last a good while. The boys needed one too, so they will be heading off to college with them or buying it themselves. 🙂
I may try an elimination diet at some point. I did not grow up in a faith that celebrated Lent , but I am intrigued by rituals and ceremonies of many faiths. That might actually be a good time to do it.
I’m glad to hear that you pressed out of your box! I hope you find some intriguing possibilities for the new things!
Me too, thanks.
What a lovely mix of entries. I am glad that I read this. I definitely need a food detox. I just had a birthday and now it’s back to a healthier diet (I hope). I worked as a cheesemonger, so cheese is not that hard to take a break from. Coffee… now that is a challenge!
I don’t have kids of my own, but it seems fun once they get to that age. I am wishing your children a great school year.
Thank you so much!
I tend to graze on unhealthy choices throughout the lazy days of summer so I’m hoping to work on getting back to adding more veggies than sugar!
I love cheese! I only managed a week without dairy. I only have issues with drinking milk, so I didn’t feel the need to deprive myself of cheese any longer! 🙂 I’ve only done a detox from coffee once. It wasn’t so bad after the first couple of days. The hardest part was that my husband wasn’t joining in so I smelled it every morning. 🙂
Thanks for the wishes for the kid’s school year. I’m sure it’ll fly by…it always does.
Hi Amy, this is probably not your last post, but I didn’t see the comment thingie. How are things with you?
I am sad too about the recent developments. It’s so un-American to me!
Also, I just read an article yesterday that within a years time 60 doctors died (no typo) because they had discovered the reason of several diseases, that might have been introduced by immunizations.
Hi Jesh!
Things are well, but busy as we head toward another school season. This is my oldest’s Senior year of High School, so there will be much to do surrounding that.
Yes, the recent events do seem very un-American. It’s such a tragedy that such views even persist.
I believe I may have read something similar to the article you are speaking about.
Sometimes I’m completely baffled by some of the things that transpire in the world.
I hope all is well with you and that the weather is being lovely out in California!
If you like 90 degr. weather, it’s lovely:) For working I like 80-85 degr. better! Does your oldest know what he/she wants to do after graduating?
He’s not sure yet.