Five Things: Issue 252
Scraps, graphs, and maybe some laughs
How many more fake Springs until the real one?
I am both absolutely ready for warmer weather - I am tired of jeans. And not at all - I don’t know if any of my shorts fit me.
I am so grateful for the evening sunlight. Just thinking about an after-dinner walk makes me smile. There is hope, once again.
We are in the thick of a busy but fun season. So many things to look forward to and celebrate! I am in nesting mode: cleaning things out, noticing little projects I want done, being ruthless about throwing away leftovers.
Last weekend we met our new little niece who everyone is obsessed with because she is such a good and objectively cute baby. It’s funny to be around a newborn in the midst of being in birthing/newborn/breastfeeding classes. She’s smacking her lips! A hunger cue! Or maybe she’s just a lip smacker! That tender moment when theory meets reality. Anyway, I am more confident in how great of a dad Chris will be.
Here we are getting the March Blizzard of the Month in February, because Dairy Queen doesn’t have very good brand reliability.
The vibes are good. And I hope they are good for you too!
I am in the mood for a good fiction read, send any recommendations you may have.
Number One: ScrapsKC
A few weeks ago I was helping set up for my friend Julia’s baby shower, and one of the gals had all this ribbon she had purchased at ScrapsKC. And I was thinking about how I have a shoe box in the basement full of ribbon that I haven’t reached for in YEARS. Honestly, I can’t remember why I bought it in the first place. And so when I got home I looked up ScrapsKC, and telling people about it is my new passion.
If, like me, you’ve had no fewer than nine crafting phases that you’ve picked up and put down in the last decade, set yourself free and donate your leftovers to Scraps. I dropped off used canvases, markers (why did I have so many markers?), ribbon, beads, embroidery string, just a ton of envelopes. They have a pretty comprehensive list of what they’re able to take that will inspire you to acknowledge that you just don’t need that many hot glue sticks stored in your home.
Their store seems like a great place to go to feel inspired. So many things to touch! Half a sketch book? Imagine the possibilities! Could be a fun way to entertain the kids on a rainy day.
The same day I dropped off my Scraps donation, I also dropped off a trunk full of old paint at the JoCo Household Waste Facility (probably not a fun way to entertain your kids, but idk). You have to make an appointment, but that appointment will hold you accountable to actually hauling paint out of your house.
One of my goals for this Spring is that if you picked up my house and shook it upside down, there would be less falling out of it in May than in February. But I am fighting an uphill battle a la bringing a child into this world and all the accessories that come with. I digress…
Number Two: Interesting graphs about how COVID changed us
I have been waiting five years for this series of graphs. I remember saying out loud more than once, “it will be interesting to see, five years from now, what the fallout from all of this is.” The fallout is fascinating. Some things are back to normal. Some things appear to be changed forever. Interesting to see how restaurant spending is up, time spent at home is way up, federal spending in children is up. Peloton stock prices have normalized. Worth looking at!
Number Three: Yasso Cookie Dough Bars
After dinner, I look at Chris with a certain twinkle in my eye. “Ice cream bar?” He asks me, “yes,” I say. He goes to the freezer, and I delight in the next few minutes of nibbling away at frozen yogurt with pockets of cookie dough.
It’s a classic case of I’ve tricked myself into thinking I’ve found a health food just because there are four grams of protein, never mind a list of ingredients I can’t pronounce. Delightful nonetheless.
Number Four: Let someone else Spring Clean your House
Cleaning is not one of my strengths. I am a picker-upper. I make my bed every day (actually Chris makes it most days because he is last to get out of bed, and he has a really unique technique you should ask him about). I set timers on Fridays to spend 20 minutes in the kitchen cleaning, 20 minutes in the living room cleaning, etc. But we just have a dusty house and I am willing to walk past dust and do nothing about it most of the time. But then about once a month I freak out about how grimey the baseboards are or whatever. It’s an ok system, but not fabulous.
So this year I used some money I got from my birthday to book a cleaning with Taylor’d Cleaning and I am so so so so so grateful. The house just looks nice. The hard reset makes me feel like I can tackle other areas of the house that need my attention (the basement). The baseboards are free and clear. The throw blankets are folded beautifully. The tub, for once, does not have a ring of conditioner build up. I am at peace. And just would recommend the outsource.
Number Five: This hair dryer
I have had the same normal bormal hair dryer since college. It has served me well. I bought the DryBar Round Brush a few years ago, have replaced it once. And I’ve liked the look it gave me, but the breakage, oh the breakage. Plus the whole process just took a long time.
Back at the beginning of February when I was at a condo in Florida with some friends I used this Hot Tools hair dryer, and ooooo boy, I loved it! I added the dryer to the ole Amazon cart, and purchased a few weeks ago. It dries my hair quick, it dries my hair straight with minimal brushing. A blow dry lasts two days, add in a semi-greasy ponytail day, and I’m cruising.
Bonus: It’s “Skedaddle” not “Skidaddle”
I just learned this today, and thought I would share on my platform.