Happy Friday. Taking the week off blogging was wonderful, but I really did miss prepping a Happy Things Friday post. It’s become such a gratitude constant in my life and I felt a bit bereft not writing one last week.
I’m back (obviously!) and I have a jam-packed list for you.
SNAIL MAIL
First, a confession. I have been utter rubbish at sending snail mail lately. I finally got around to buying some American stamps, which was what I had been telling myself was the final hurdle.
But then… life.
Anyhoo. I will get back to writing letters and postcards at some point, but clearly that “some point” is not now.
In the meantime, other people are making up for my lack of motivation in this category.
Melissa’s postcard from Noosa has been my go-to bookmark for the last week.
And Engie went above and beyond sending me a lovely handwritten note (and sticker!) and a mini book.
I repeat. She sent me a mini book.
It is teeny tiny and utterly adorable and I wasn’t quite sure where to put it and then I thought it would be fun to play hide-and-seek with the book. I want to see how many visitors to our house spot my pint-sized Anne of Green Gables book in its current hiding spot.
I’ll let you all in on the secret. Shhhhh.
FREE HEART-SHAPED CHOCOLATE
John recently got home from a whirlwind trip to Zurich. His hotel had some Swiss chocolate as a welcome gift, and I was the beneficiary of an adorable Lindt heart-shaped chocolate.
If I had been thinking less about delicious chocolate and more about the photo optics, I would have remembered to take a picture of the tinfoil wrapping. Alas, I didn’t. You’ll have to use your imagination. It was adorable.
And delicious!
BATCH COOKING
I have been on batch-cooking whirlwind lately. So much of the time it only adds marginally more time to cook extra and freeze what’s left.
That included a double batch of these Copycat Starbucks Egg Bites. John and Indy, in particular, love them. The texture is amazing (they’re cooked in a water bath and are soooo smooth) and they pack a good protein punch with cottage cheese, shredded cheese, and eggs being the main ingredients. They also freeze really well!
I had some leftover smoked salmon, so one dozen egg cups got that for an added protein boost, and the next batch got a bit of crumbled bacon.
SPROUTED COVER REVEAL!!
I had the cover reveal date written inside my Sprouted Weekly Planner (obviously) and I LOVE Morning Bloom. I tend to alternate between florals and a more understated cover and 2027 is my year for FLORAL. Be still my paper planning heart.
Then again, I love polka dots—they’re my favourite pattern, hands down. I asked Belle and she was adamant Moonlit Dots was the superior option.
2027 Sprouted planners—which I’ve used for 5 years now—will go on sale September 22nd. I have an affiliate code that will get you 15% off your first order: follow the link and use ELISABETH15.
A DEEP-CLEANED BATHROOM
On Sunday afternoon, John and Belle headed off on a walk, Indy was at a friend’s, and after spending a bit of time in bed luxuriating in a book (The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, if you were curious), I decided to deep-clean our ensuite.
This did not actually take very long. I took everything out of the bathroom/off the counters, dusted every surface (including the wall tiles), scrubbed the sink and toilet, and then sprayed everything down with diluted disinfectant and wiped every surface.
It’s a job that can get done at any time or no time, but I had been wanting to get it done (TMI: there was a slightly funky smell that just would not go away and I knew that spraying EVERYTHING was key to solving the problem.) I was alone in the house, felt total freedom to NOT do it, and felt a tiny sense of adult rebellion that I was doing it.
I turned on Spotify, cranked tunes, and in less than 15 minutes had a bathroom smelling and looking very clean.
It was immensely satisfying.
TANGENTIAL PODCAST MENTION
I was on Laura’s Before Breakfast podcast… in a way.
I left a comment on one of Kristen’s Frugal Girl posts a few months ago, Laura saw it, and crafted a podcast episode around it: Increase your money’s happiness ROI.
So, while you won’t hear my actual voice, you’ll hear a bit of my budgeting philosophy.
A shout-out to Kristen for letting me know; I hadn’t heard this episode yet, so it was fun to hear about a podcast episode where we were both mentioned together.
Here’s the comment I left, in case anyone was curious:
BORROWING SHOES
It’s official: I can wear (some of) INDY’S shoes.
Belle’s feet are adorably small (and positively tiny compared to mine), but Indy is catching up to me. One day this week I needed to run a quick errand. My Birks are sandals with a toe thong so I can’t wear socks, but I didn’t want my feet to get cold.
I COULD WEAR HIS BIRKENSTOCKS. How did this happen??? I will admit, I don’t hate this development.
PICKLEBALL
After 6+ months of being away from the sport, we’re back to church pickleball. It’s so fun. Belle gets time home alone (which she adores), and John, Indy, and I get to spend time playing together.
I am the weak link in the system. I know this, but everyone is very gracious and it’s so much fun. I feel like any improvement on my part has stalled, but watching my two boys get better and better is a lot of fun.
I left the evening tired and woke up sore (it’s not tremendously physically demanding but uses muscles I don’t tend to use in ordinary life), but can’t wait to go again next week!
BONUS HAPPY THINGS
- Seat warmers. There is a tiny bit of melancholy associated with this Happy Thing because it means the weather is officially cold enough that I need help keeping my derriere warm. BUT, there was also a tinge of delight because it’s Fall Cool, not Winter Frigid, and I am delighted I have a vehicle that will warm my butt. I really wish we had heated car mats (do these exist?), but am grateful each and every time I click a button and heat magically zooms to my posterior and, if I’m driving, my hands.
- She has done it again, folks. Michelle has created even more dollhouse magic. SHE’S DESIGNING A BEACH HOUSE and the backstory on this project and her progress to date is every bit as delightful as you might imagine.
- Belle wanted more socks but didn’t want to come run errands. I could call/text her pictures and get her what she wanted. AND, I kept the receipts because she’s paying me back for said purchases (I had recently bought her socks, but she wanted some fresh updates). Yes, please!
- Freshly washed sheets. I HATE changing the bed with the heat of a thousand suns, but I do love climbing into clean sheets.
- Opening up the windows to air out the bedrooms. This is not really an option in the humid summer, but the air is fresh and cool and the whole house has that crisp outdoor smell that I love.
- I have had a backlog of shredding to do for over a year. And I finally finished. Which felt like a huge victory.
- Drinking decaf. Go me. I have been having decaf tea anytime after 10:30 am and… sleep has been great. Shocking, I know.
- We had a coupon for 5 cents off gas, which I can pair with our CAA discount (3 cents off) and can also collect Scene points. I love when you can TRIPLE load up on a deal, especially with the insane price of fuel right now.
- This meal was SO GOOD. John makes the best mashed potatoes. Full stop. We had fresh green beans ($1 for 5 POUNDS!), and I made pork tenderloin in the Instant Pot. I seared it on the Saute function, and then cooked it for 15 minutes on high pressure with zero recipe, but it was this: a healthy splash of apple cider vinegar (1/3 cup, maybe?), a splash of balsamic vinegar (a tablespoon?), a dash of Worcestershire sauce (a teaspoon?), a sprinkle of brown sugar (1/4 cup, maybe?), and a dollop of BBQ sauce (2-3 tablespoons) and salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning to taste. I let it slow release for 15 minutes, then removed the meat, sliced it, and thickened the gravy with a slurry of cornstarch and water. My mouth is watering just typing this out.
And that’s a wrap on Happy Things from my world this week.
Happy weekending, friends.
Your turn:
- I’d love to hear your Happy Things from the week.
- Tell me all about your favourite Instant Pot (or fall-weather) recipe!
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I agree, the right socks are a joy!
My youngest is now allowed to cycle to school by herself 2 days a week, which opens up Friday morning as an option to go for a run.
I managed to spend an hour in my new sewing room doing some actual sewing related things!
My oldest is feeling better, so he can go back to school! This is a joy because it’s bloody difficult to get him to not spend all day on a screen when he’s feeling poorly.
It is so hard to keep kids off screens when they’re home sick! I’m so glad he’s feeling better. And hooray for an open morning on Friday!
Yay for Swiss Lindt chocolate! I admire John’s self-control in delivering it all the back home without eating it! Kai used to bring me home shortbread cookies from Johannesburg (he got one every night on his hotel pillow) and I really looked forward to them.
I’m also very impressed by your 15-minute bathroom deep clean. So efficient and satisfying.
Happy thing: yesterday, we took my parents for coffee to a little island in a lake near Zurich. You need to phone the restaurant so they send a boath to pick you up. The actual boat ride is less than a minute, but it adds a lot of fun. My parents loved it!
Happy weekending, Elisabeth!
That island coffee sounds wonderfully quaint!
Snail mail is just the best and that little book is just adorable! Lindt chocolate is my favourite and good job with the batch cooking!
It is very handy when the kids grow and you can borrow their shoes, I do it all the time but just don’t tell them. hehehe
The mini Anne of Green Gables book is adorable. I MUST take this with me the next time I go to PEI.
I didn’t tell Indy I borrowed his shoes; I have a feeling he would not be impressed!
Yay for Happy Things!!! I like how so many of yours are fall-related. Or maybe I should say, cool weather related. I LOVE the feeling of being able to open the windows after a hot humid summer. Sadly, we are not there yet- maybe next month???
I don’t have an Instant pot, but one of my favorite “fall” recipes is chili. Hmmm, maybe i’ll make chili on Sunday!
Enjoy this phase of being able to wear Indy’s shoes- I’m pretty sure it won’t last long : )
I will revel in our delightful weather, and then in a little over a month I will start sobbing and reading every one of your blog posts about being able to go outside without a winter coat and boots with intense jealousy.
I’m making chili next week (in the Instant Pot) and I am so excited! What an easy dump-and-go meal and PERFECT for fall.
I’m curious how big his feet end up being? John and Belle have small feet; I have big feet but not enormous (9-9.5). Will he have giant size-13 feet?? WILL REPORT BACK.
Michelle brings me so much happiness. Every single thing she does brings sunshine to my life. I have her “dollhouse” section bookmarked on my computer and whenever I need a pick-me-up I go and look at it. This beach house development is everything I ever needed in my life AND MORE.
Other happy things this week: it was Jake’s 21st birthday, and we have been having cake every day. He actually had the day off on Tuesday (his day) because it poured rain and they couldn’t harvest. So we had his big dinner that night with cake. Today we are celebrating my friend Sammi’s birthday – it’s her 60th – with a potluck lunch at my friend’s house. It will be lovely. I love birthdays!
Also I forgot to say, Jake wears size 12 shoes so I would never be able to wear them unless I wanted clown shoes.
I am so curious to see where Indy lands in terms of height and shoe size!
It hurts my heart that Michelle doesn’t live across the street so I can pop over anytime I want and get some gnome therapy. AND A BEACH HOUSE?? I couldn’t even imagine what she was going to do with this new dollhouse and this is sheer perfection.
Cake! I love cake! And dinner with family and friends. I hope today’s lunch was lovely both relationally and gastronomically.
A and I are essentially the same shoe size (and likely will be for life)!!! C has already surpassed me . . . I love that sweet period of overlap!!! And the birks are cute too 🙂 🙂 🙂
Birks are cute AND they happen to be approved by both my kids which is no guarantee. They both love footwear (this seems to be a teen phase everywhere), so the safest way to stay within their fashion guidelines is to wear what they own. Alas, I can’t do this with Belle’s footwear, and aside from Birks I’m doubting I’ll overlap much with Indy!
That is how I feel about money as well: there are some things “worth” paying for and some that are not! I’m frugal to a fault sometimes and budgeting serves to help me spend, not save. My husband is the opposite so we budget to see where the money is going and he is less controlled by just the amount in our checking account (which is sometimes bookmarked for other things). Left to my own devices, I could do some ridiculous things in the name of frugality so I like to think we help balance each other out!
My 12 year old surpassed my shoe size a couple years ago. I do have an old pair of his crocs I wear around the house. He tried to offer me last years, but they were too big!
My kids and I play pickleball in our driveway (we have a simple net that we just leave assembled and move in and out of the garage for the summer) and we will be sad when the weather gets too cold! I wish we had an economic indoor option in our area!
I think our badminton net can double for pickleball and I love the idea of setting it up in the driveway. I should do this sometime with Indy.
Pickleball is a lot of fun, and I really love the sense of community at our informal church group. We have some people that come in from the surrounding area, and Indy is the only “kid” there but he’s a minor celebrity at this point and everyone seems to really enjoy playing with him. He’s quite talented AND there are people in their senior years and I think they get a kick out of being around someone so young and agile. Unlike the rest of us, he’s NOT sore when he gets up in the morning.
Oh I need to make that pork tenderloin in the IP. I should dig around for a recipe, though, because I am a lady that NEEDS A RECIPE. Lol. I don’t even like it when it says “salt and pepper to taste”. Lol.
I had to use my seat warmer on my drive up to my parents lake home over labor day weekend. It was kind of rainy and overcast so I needed the a/c to prevent windshield fogging but then I was cold. I love seat warmers! And I am here for the fall weather. It’s rainy today which I am THRILLED ABOUT especially since it’s a week day. I don’t love rainy weekends since that limits what I can do with the boys.
My happy thing this week was coming home from a long, intense, exhausting work trip to Dallas where it was DISGUSTINGLY hot and humid. I wanted to kiss the ground when we landed in Minneapolis. And then I got the biggest hugs from the boys when I got home from OTF class that night. They ran to greet me. I was gone for pretty much 4 days since I flew out early Monday and got back while they were at school on Thursday. It feels good to be missed. 🙂
I think of you every time I “measure with my heart” as Suzanne says.
Pork tenderloin is just so consistently easy. I try to make one recipe with it each month.
Agreed that rainy weekends = horrible, but weekdays when the kids are at school, it can feel cozy in a nice way.
Hooray for being home and into fall weather and not Texas-in-September weather. And what a sweet greeting from the boys <3
Such a great post! Lovely photos! Wonderful gifts! Thank you so much for sharing. Warm greetings from Montreal, Canada.
Thanks, Linda <3
Your borrowing Indy’s shoes made me laugh. This past fortnight my son wanted some slippers so we got him ones in a size bigger so it would last until next winter as well. He stole my shoes that I was wearing camping, and we had his slippers for in the van so I put them on. They fit. My god. THEY FIT?! He’s EIGHT. I had a bit of a “where did my baby go” moment haha. God he’s going to be a giant when he finishes growing.
My happy things for this week – spring is coming and the middle of the day is absolutely beautiful temperatures right now. I’m doing a new set of nails now, and they will hopefully be beautiful. And my husband brought me some fresh flowers from the garden and left them in a vase on my desk as a little surprise. So sweet!!
“THEY FIT?! He’s EIGHT.” I laughed out loud at this!
They can get big SO fast. (And yet still be little in their own way which is both sweet and a bit jarring at the same time.)
Hooray for a fresh manicure. I know you take it to the next level, so I’m sure it will be beautiful!
Welcome to the Hand Me Up stage of life, when you can now wear your kids’ old clothes. You might be wondering how I benefitted from this in a house of boys, and the answer is the same as yours: shoes! In particular I benefitted from having access to outgrown Boy Scout hiking boots.
LV knows where all of the good stuff in blogging is: the comments!
The comments section can be GOLDEN!
Hand Me Up. I’ve never heard it put that way before, but it perfectly sums this stage of life up! Belle and I can share clothes now and I’m here for it!
Lovely post, Elisabeth. And that reminds me, my bathroom is in need of a deep clean!
There are lots of other areas of my house that need a deep clean (the walls in our basement are COVERED in kid fingerprints)… but at least the bathroom is clean 🙂
What lovely happy things, and awwwww, Elisabeth and Nicole, my heart is bursting from your kind words about my dollhouse! ❤️ My day can’t get any nicer than this! I love where you hid your tiny Anne of Green Gables, and I wonder if anyone will notice. It’s fun that you can borrow Indy’s shoes for the moment. I’m so jealous of Belle’s tiny feet. I have always had big feet. I continue to remind myself that I’m grateful to have these feet to carry me around. But it would’ve been more fun to have little feet!
I’ve always had big feet, too. I have a sister with tiny feet, but the rest of us take after my dad. Mine are the biggest of the girl siblings, though.
Belle’s are SO TINY compared to mine. Bonus: she can sometimes buy junior shoes which are cheaper!
The dollhouse developments could NOT make me happier <3
Haha, I love how Birchie called it the “hand me up” stage of life… because although I don’t have kids, I have taken over multiple pairs of shoes both from my niece AND nephew LOL
I loved to hear about the happy mail that you received (including the tiny book that Engie sent – squeeeeal!). Good reminder that i have to get around sending some snail mail. I haven’t in a while.
The tiny book is so adorable! Belle read this post (she reads the blog now; fair enough), and immediately got up to make sure it was hidden where I said it was.
Confirmed!
Wow, I can’t believe John bought the chocolate all the way home for you. Chocolates on the pillow are downed by G as soon as he enters his hotel room.
I’m glad you got the card—I can now reasonably confidently say to those two scoffers commenting on me buying postcards that they do get to their destination.
I cannot share shoes with anyone in my family, both the girls feet are smaller than mine and G and E’s are bigger.
Happy things for me is finally being in Germany.
John is very gracious about bringing home the little treats he collects along the way. That said, maybe there are a lot more than I know about that don’t make it home??
Your postcard arrived; I didn’t look at the postmark so have no idea how long it took to arrive, but what a happy surprise.
I hope you have an amazing time in Germany.
The little tiny book is so cute, and I love that you are hiding it!
Pickleball! I love that you are enjoying this with the family- what a great way to get some exercise for you and burn off energy for Indy.
I have so many happy things the last few weeks—mostly some time in our sweet Georgia spot, and there it’s always (mostly) happy things.
Pickleball is so fun, though both last week and this I’ve pulled something. I’m old, Suz. That, and I don’t stretch properly before. Sigh. But so fun.
My daughter (12) and I are officially the same shoe size, or at least we can now wear each other’s shoes. I don’t mind one bit! Although the amount of times that we both plan outfits that need THAT particular pair or shoes for church or outings is wild!
Ha! I will never be sharing shoes with Belle, but we can share clothes now and so sometimes I borrow one of her dresses. For the most part she doesn’t approve of my fashion, so it’s mostly one-way borrowing at this point 🙂