And just like that, the month is over half gone. I’m not sad about it; summer (and by summer, I mean school vacation) always feels like a week too long. Even still, I’m astounded by how quickly the days seem to be slipping by.
It was a busy week. On paper, it shouldn’t have felt so hectic. Reality was another thing.
I felt behind on life admin, I felt behind on work admin, and Indy is still at an age where he needs a fair amount of metaphorical hand-holding. He doesn’t have a phone, so communications generally fall to John and me to sort out. He has a lot of friends and a lot of ideas of what he wants to do with those friends.
Someone constantly needs a water bottle or a snack.
That said, I’m cognizant that I’ll miss these days, so I’m trying to enjoy unstructured summer activities while I still can.
Indy and two friends continued on with their car detailing business. They made a surprising amount of money over the weekend, for three tweens with not much more than a few buckets and rags who promised to leave people’s vehicles “squicky clean.”
He played soccer and tennis; lots of both.
We curtailed his screen time and I’m already noticing some behavioural improvements. Screen time is a double-edged sword. It provides entertainment and fun, but can become a real energy sink. I’m feeling a bit better about the balance this week.
John took Indy and a friend to “Cheap Night” at the movies to see the new Minions movie.
I mostly just tried to keep up. I filled out a boring corporate Statistics Canada survey that had been dangling on my to-do list for a few weeks. I paid credit cards (I know you can automate this task but for a variety of reasons we’ve run into issues with this, so I manually pay our credit cards off using online banking). I needed to do some boring back-end blog stuff. I had a routine doctor’s appointment.
There was, as always, plenty of laundry.
And there were lots of Happy Things, too. So let’s start talking about those!
BIRTHDAY LUNCH WITH JOY
For the last decade (maybe more?), for Joy’s birthday gift, I take the two of us out for dinner. This year, we were in Europe on her actual birthday so, alas, dinner on or even near her birthday wasn’t going to happen.
But, delayed gratification for the win.
Evenings were tricky with our schedules, and we knew if it didn’t happen THIS WEEK, it was unlikely to happen until September. So we met up for lunch at a local restaurant and it was delightful. The food was good, the company was even better, and we both left with doggy bags. You know how much I enjoy leftovers.
We even got to walk to the library together…
READING
I have been reading SO much lately (here’s my reading recap from June). But the main impetus for this trip to the library was to try to coax Indy into reading.
He tells me he doesn’t like reading and then he starts reading a graphic novel and starts laughing and wanting to show me every other paragraph. I know there’s a reader hidden deep inside his soul and I’m determined to bring it out. He listens to audiobooks every single night. But I want reading with eyes happening, too. And that is such a slog for him.
I picked up some Tintin—I LOVED Tintin at his age, but Indy tells me that it “doesn’t appeal” to him. I also grabbed some Garfield because, as a friend said, reading is reading. And comics fit that bill.
KITTENS
My word, the kittens have grown and they are SO cute. They all have nicknames assigned by Joy and her family. They’re keeping one (still not sure which), and my family is rooting for the tiny girl, who they’ve nicknamed Cheetah. Here’s Indy holding Marshall.
So precious!!! He so desperately wants a kitten.
LEFTOVERS
I am not overly impressed by people needing to eat these days (Suzanne agrees!) and there is nothing better to me right now than opening up the fridge and realizing there is food ready to consume. A few evenings, because we had cooked the previous night, there were leftovers! Oh joy.
BRIDGE JUMPING
We got bridge jumping for a second time this summer and brought three friends along for the ride… I guess I mean, leap?
AT-HOME MANICURE PRODUCTS I USE
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I will do a full rundown of how I do my at-home manicures… eventually. I admit, I find taking pictures of processes like that incredibly tedious. I guess that’s why people film vlogs? Heaven help us if I become a vlogger.
Here was last week’s manicure. It’s a European brand called Nail Kind in Miss Ballet. It’s a barely-there shade and I love it.
This week I went back to an old faithful: Essie’s Ballet Slippers. This shade is best known for reportedly being Queen Elizabeth II’s go-to nail polish.
I like it, but it’s a bit of a faff. It can be streaky, and I’m not patient enough to do three thin coats which is really what it needs. I do one thin coat, and then I float a coat and call it good enough.
Here is all the gear I currently use for my at-home manicures. It’s .. a lot. I guess this makes up for me doing nothing with skincare?
First up, I just use a basic acetone fingernail polish remover. I’ve used different formulas before, and I do find 100% acetone works the best. It can be drying, so using washing your hands after removing polish, and applying cuticle oil/hand cream helps a lot.
My sister, who does her own gel nails at home, recently convinced me to get some of these nail clips and they are a GAMECHANGER!
I hate removing old polish, especially if you have a glossy top coat.
I cut a cotton pad into quarters, put some polish remover on the pad, place that on top of my nail, attach the clip, wait a few minutes and the polish slides RIGHT off in one fell swoop.
They look ridiculous, but they work.
Next is the cuticle remover. I hate this part, but it really does make a big difference. There are all sorts of tutorials for how to use cuticle remover. It’s important to be gentle and to NOT CUT cuticles! I use the BlueCross Cuticle Remover. I’ve been using this bottle for over a year and it still looks full.
I bought an etched glass cuticle pusher and it’s great. I finish things off with the Sally Hansen cuticle oil. It’s fine; I might opt to try something different when it’s all gone.
Here’s the picture from last week of my post-cuticle care bare nail.
Next up, it’s polish time!! I wash my hands with warm soapy water first and then apply the base coat. As you can tell, this is an old picture; I do not currently have my Christmas tree set up in the living room.
Followed by a colour!
Essie Ballet Slippers + Nail Kind Miss Ballet.
I heard about Orly Rubberized Basecoat from Kelsey (The Girl Next Door Podcast); she’s where I direct most of my at-home manicure questions!
It’s great. It dries quickly and has a bit of a tacky surface.
Kelsey also recommended Seche Vite. This is the GOAT of top coats. And it really is amazing. It’s SO thick and glossy. But, it does cause some shrinkage and it gets very thick as it’s exposed to air. You can buy kits of the product with a thinner, but that just feels like too much work for me.
So I recently bought the Essie Gel Top Coat (you don’t need a UV light). It’s not as thick and shiny as Seche Vite, but it also feels a bit less fiddly and it’s cheaper! Seche Vite is designed to be applied when your colour coat isn’t fully dry, but I found the timing on that a bit hard to get right. (I also couldn’t get the Seche Vite Instant Gel Effect Top Coat in Canada, so I’m curious how that compares to the original formulation.)
Another current shot of my nails. Next week it might be time for something more vibrant? I remain unsure.
Let me know if you have questions. All in, I’d say my supplies over the years have probably cost me about $200 and things like the Orly basecoat and BlueCross Cuticle Remover—at the rate I’m using them—will last me years.
BONUS HAPPY THINGS
- More hammock time. It’s not just me! The kids and their friends seem to have this invisible string pulling them toward it whenever someone visits. (This is very similar to the hammock we own and love; here’s the actual link, not affiliate, from Canada.)
- I balked when we bought this Marimekko bag in Helsinki. I’d never heard of the brand before and it all seemed a bit overhyped. It is, without a doubt, the most expensive cotton tote I’ve ever purchased but it’s also… very, very fun.
- Rain. Every little bit helps, and it’s especially nice when it comes overnight so daytime activities aren’t impacted!
- Clean laundry.
- My pothos plant was getting too long, so I snipped off a bit of excess, put it in a clean pasta sauce container and seeing the pop of green while I wash dishes gives me a little jolt of delight every single time. I don’t have a green thumb, but pothos seems to be impervious to neglect and/or overwatering.
- My little space heater. I feel a bit ridiculous using it this time of year, but the basement can get quite cold with the AC on, so I shut the office door and turn on the heater for a few minutes.
- Even more important than my space heater is my heating mat. I use this thing every single time I sit down at my desk. This is the exact version I have. LOVE!
- Fun postcards. How I adore receiving snail mail. This is the point where I admit I have not sent ANY postcards out lately. Apologies, I’m trying to get my life back together in Canada and only marginally managing to do so. Huge thanks to Birchie!!
Belle gets home from camp later today. I have done zero packing for Indy’s stint at camp next week. How my expectations change. Years ago I would have had things packed and organized a week in advance and now we’re less than 48 hours out and I have exactly nothing ready.
It will get done.
I’m not quite sure how much I’ll post next week. Maybe daily, maybe not at all. We shall see. It’s an exciting week because John and I will be kidless for a few days. Glory be. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and I am very much looking forward to a quiet house and zero kid activities to arrange!
Happy weekending, friends.
Your turn.
- Tell me some Happy Things from your world this week.
- What’s your favourite nail polish shade?
- Go-to plant that survives “brown” thumbs?
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Oh, gracious, I would not have the patience for doing nail polish these days. Never used it much- I figit and start scraping it off. I do like the barely there colors. When I did use it ( grad school maybe?), I really liked a very pale pearl color. Once when I was teaching, a student said how she liked my French manicure- it was just my naked nails.
You seem busy but productive- sprinkling fun in and amongst the paperwork and laundry. I’m at the point where summer has gone on too long. I need some structure.
Happy things- fuzzy cats, warm and cool showers, and a granddaughter who gets the cutest hiccups.
Ha! Naked nails that look like a French manicure. I wish mine did that!
Summer is hard in terms of lack of structure. I feel you there. But I don’t have a sweet granddaughter to help distract me from the chaos that is my schedule 🙂
Look at Indy with his car detailing business! I would definitely be a client if we lived closer. Woo hoo to the return of bridge season!
I didn’t send you any postcards while you were away, so I was happy that I got to send you one with this batch.
It is fun to do nails, but my issue is that the polish never lasts very long before it starts to chip, so that’s why I don’t bother. Don’t tell anyone but I haven’t even bothered to paint my toes this summer! How long does yours last?
Next time you come, you and I are jumping off the bridge together 🙂
I paint my nails every 5-7 days. It just depends on my schedule. So more frequently than is needed for a salon manicure for sure, but also a teeny tiny fraction of the cost.
The top coat really matters. A good quality one extends the life of a manicure by a long time.
My fave polish for my hands is Sally Hansen Gel in Sheer Happiness or All Chiffon The World. I like a very light sheer colour on my fingers because I cannot STAND chips, and I find that I don’t notice so much when it’s a barely-there colour. My toes are a different story, it’s always red, and I have been going to the salon since we moved here. I used to do my own pedis at home, but you know what, I have the time now to just go and get it done. Also the place I go, they are FAST. In and out!
I need to get some of the Sally Hansen Gel. I know you love it and it is on my to-try list! Chips are definitely far less noticeable with a light pink/barely-there sheer.
Yay for Happy Things! It sounds like you’ve settled back into real life very well after your epic trip. As far as Indy and reading goes- yes, let him get all the graphic novels! Reading is reading, and he should pick out what he likes. I know it’s hard. My son read when he was younger, then went through a phase where he didn’t read at all, and now he’s come back to it. My daughter never picks up a book these days, SIGH. I’m hoping she’ll come back to it as well.
Your nails look great but, OOF! It sounds like a lot of work. I was thinking of maybe doing my own toes before the wedding (I can hear people screaming at me right now) but now I’m thinking maybe I’ll just get that pedicure.
Marshall looks like Sylvie!!! (Are you SURE you don’t want one??????)
I’m excited for your kid-less week! I can’t wait to hear all about it.
Oooh. Get a pedicure, Jenny. It’s relaxing and you don’t have to get any products. I like doing my nails, so it makes sense to “invest.” I’m the opposite with home repair things. Beyond the basics, we have no tools… but since I don’t WANT to paint my walls, it doesn’t make sense to invest in those things. I think you should treat yourself.
I almost want a kitten… but then I shake myself and say NO!
I am so excited for a kid-less week. And you can be sure I will be back here to tell you all about it 🙂
Have a wonderful child free week!!
I’m sure you’ve thought of this but am mentioning it just in case – any chance Indy needs glasses or needs to work on eye coordination? A lot of reluctant readers have undiagnosed eye issues, especially convergence insufficiency and poor eye tracking. It makes your eyes and brain work harder/tire faster. I was one of those kids!
Happy things: A smooth first day of the road trip yesterday. We covered 10 hours of driving time (took more like 13 with stops) and overall went very well.
A great idea; his vision has been tested and it’s good. He just… doesn’t love reading.
That’s a LONG day with little kids, so I’m so glad to hear it went smoothly. 13 smooth hours is better than 5 horrible hours!!!
If you’re looking for other graphic novels might I suggest Wallace the Brave? A fairly new comic strip, a less-malevolent Calvin and Hobbies variant (I always thought Calvin was too mean spirited to be anything but a cautionary tale), and the main character, Wallace, has a wonderful imagination and fierce loyalty and love for his friends and family. There are several collections and my youngest likes them a lot.
Thanks for the recommendation! I did LOVE Calvin and Hobbes but my mother hated that comic strip. Calvin was very snarky, but it’s hilarious.
Oooooh! The Marimekko bag is fabulous! I’d say that was a wonderful souvenier of Finland, and something you’ll enjoy every time you use it. I hope you use it a lot!
It DOES make me smile and it’s so distinctive and different. I dithered for a long while before buying it, but I’m really glad I did.
The fussiness, amount of time, and amount of products for manicures is completely unappealing to me. I don’t remember the last time I painted my nails (50 years ago??), and I never liked the feeling of weight on my nails. I didn’t know this feeling was weird until my sisters told me that they feel the same way and that it IS weird.
Oh, be still my heart: Indy and those kittens!! Been thinking about kittens since we lost a cat last week, but I know that kittens would really upset the remaining 2 cats, who are now much more settled since Mr. Big disappeared.
The only edible I can grow these days is basil. I snip it, root it in water, and plant it in pots outdoors. For some reason, all the usual pests haven’t bothered it. Indoor plants are a pain, and I ignore ours. Since my husband likes them, I let him deal with them, although sometimes I pick off or sweep up dead leaves because I’m the main house cleaner.
Happy things: two nights at home alone; good progress on maintenance and landscaping projects at church; listening to audio books while finishing a drawing; feeling all proud about adding 3 lbs. of weights to my backpack for morning walks (13 lbs. definitely feels heavier than 10). AND THE STAINED GLASS WINDOW THAT I SALVAGED IS NOW HANGING IN MY HERB GARDEN!! Very expensive project, very worth it. (This is a big payoff to being frugal.)
I think part of why I love it is because growing up (conservative home), I wasn’t ALLOWED to paint my nails. So it feels like a thrill, STILL, to look at my nails and have them painted!
The kittens are cute, but not cute enough for me to open my home to one 🙂
13 lbs! I’m so impressed! I know that rucking is becoming increasingly popular and what a great (free) way to improve fitness. And your garden is so lovely and what a great addition to have beautiful stained glass.
I do not paint my nails. Ever. It is just not something I care enough about to spend time painting them or getting a manicure. I am happy to hear that bare nails are coming back. Wahoo!
Comics definitely count as reading! We ran into friends at the library last night and they were reading Garfield and Peanuts comics. So fun. Paul is so into sports right now so all he wants to read is his Sports Illustrated Kids magazine or some other book about sports. I did get him to read a Magic Tree House book that Taco got for his birthday last year. He read one in probably less than 30 minutes. I’m trying to get him to read Charlotte’s Web with me. I started out reading it to Taco and he sort of lost interest but Paul was listening in and I got him to listen to another chapter but he’s been resistant lately the last 2 nights. Sigh. I will keep trying. I don’t know how they couldn’t be pulled into the book!
The high of my week was taking the boys to the pool on Tuesday night. It was so very hot so we needed to be around water to make it tolerable. I packed a sandwich for myself and let the boys eat at the pool which they thought was so so cool and exciting.
I tend to have a brown thumb, too, but I have kept my jade and spider plants at work alive. I got the jade plant from a coworker whose husband propagated a ton during Covid and needed to hand some off; my therapist gave me an offshoot of her spider plant and it’s thriving as well. I think having them at work is ideal because I water them exactly once a week, usually on Tuesday which is my first day in the office most weeks. If I’m not there, my coworker waters it for me. I am not great about watering house plants. I could set a reminder but I don’t and the plant I have suffers as a result…
Bare nails are very popular right now! Ironically, I love when my nails, when painted, look ALMOST bare.
I didn’t read Charlotte’s Web as a kid. I’ve read it to both of mine now, it’s SO sad.
I’ve killed two jade plants, but I’m 99% sure I overwatered them.
For comics, my siblings and I (and our parents) all loved The Far Side. As for this century, my nephew loved the Percy Jackson books. Wondering if Indie might enjoy reading books aloud to you at night, or even taking turns with you? My favorite way to read print is on exercise equipment! In college, I specifically remember studying microeconomics on a stationary bike, and reading “Because of Wynn Dixie” while running on a treadmill (for an elementary education class). As an adult, I still read ebooks while sprinting on the treadmill!
I just ordered the first Percy Jackson book from the library! We’re going to the lake in a few weeks and I think I’ll take my hammock and try to talk him into reading together for at least 30 minutes a day?!
T and I are at my parents and everything is very chill. I’m enforcing more reading because T is similar – good capable ready but won’t pick up a book if there’s something more exciting to do. Meanwhile I’ve finished 3 books since Sunday, including Les Miserables. Positives – I’ve been going to gym class with my dad (body pump, can barely walk),’T and my parents have such a bond and the weather has been glorious. Warm but breezy with cool nights.
I’m far too lazy to do my nails but appreciate others’ endeavours.
Awww. Love that you’re having such a great time in Portugal. It’s such a beautiful part of the world, and so delightful that T enjoys the time with your parents so much. ENJOY!!!
I was inspired by your nails last week, and painted mine too. Time to take it off today, it’s become too chipped. Not sure yet if I’ll do it again but it was kinda fun to have pink nails! I also did my toenails, which are a happy purple.
Other happy things:
My mom is here with my oldest nephew, and I love how he and my oldest get on, play football, go skateboarding etc.
Also, I had tricky logistics for Thursday and I was able to delegate them to her and I could just go into the office!
We’ve been playing Flip7, which is always fun
Strawberries and cream. Poke bowls. My mom folding laundry so I don’t have to.
Plant recommendation: Sanseveria! They don’t do well with overwatering, but they thrive on benign neglect and are also happy in shady spots.
Strawberries and cream. YUM. I didn’t have enough strawberries this season.
Thanks for the plant rec! I had to look it up because I didn’t recognize the name… but immediately recognized the plant!
Thanks for sharing your Happy Things. Enjoy the special time with family (and delegate as much as you’re able).
we bought many nail polishes this time from the US, orly is our top coat too. I find it easy to do nails with good quality polishes. in Brasilia it’s more affordable so I plan to go to salon once a month for the shape and cuticles, and do once at home to play with the colors.
enjoy your kids free week! so precious!
Ohhh. I haven’t looked into Orly top coats!
Salon manicures/pedicures are so expensive here that it’s just not something I can stomach paying for… but I think the idea of getting the shape and cuticles done professionally once a month is a great idea.
I completely agree – the hammock has an invisible pull and I don’t remember how I lived without it 😉 I am glad you’re enjoying yours so much.
Also thank you for your manicure routine. I should definitely take notes. My favorite nail polish colors are these light, natural, white-ish colors that don’t really look like nail polish (but I have noticed that they usually require multiple coats and I am not that patient). I also like a nice light-teal colors for my toes. I am not the biggest fan of red nails, I must admit.
I have seen the Marimekko bags. They are pricey, but yeah, really pretty too 🙂 Mmh, that leftover salad looks so good. Perfect for summer. And cucumber and feta is such a great combination.
I love barely-there nail looks but YES, they do tend to take a bit more work because those colours are prone to be streaky 🙁
I’d never heard of Marimekko before we went to Finland, and it was John who convinced me I should splurge. No regrets, now! It’s so pretty.