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Last week was
pretty low-key which was a nice change of pace considering we’re usually full
throttle this time of year. I had so
much time at home to get ahead on the blog, catch up on some housekeeping, and
start brainstorming some new content, and then we had a relaxing weekend, so it
was pretty darn great! Let’s get to the
recap!
Monday, October 19
Monday morning, I hit snooze one extra time and then I got up to get ready and get the kids to school. It was 48 degrees out, so I was finally able to bundle up and be cozy!! We had the best weather last week!
After I dropped the kids off, I headed to Walmart for groceries, and then Brian helped me unload them. I put all the cold stuff away, and then I let Bellie outside while I made some coffee and warmed a cinnamon sugared apple muffin that I’d gotten from the bakery.
When I got to my office, I caught up on emails, I finished my blog post for Tuesday, I started my blog post for Wednesday, and I canceled an appointment that was no longer needed and that took up the entire morning. Brian and I had lunch together, and then I headed back to my office to work on some blog housekeeping.
Jacob had E-sports after school, so I picked up Olivia in the car line and we headed home. We both played fetch with Bellie outside for about 20 minutes so she could burn some energy, and then I did a Bible study and my devotional for the day while Olivia got ready for dance.
On the way there, we were detoured unexpectedly due to road construction and that nearly made her late. Thankfully, we always leave about 5-10 minutes earlier than when she needs to be there because you just never know what you’re gonna get with the traffic near our house since they’ve been doing road construction for several years.
When I got back home, I cleaned out the fridge and I filmed it for a potential Reel on Instagram, and then Brian and Jacob got home. Brian had picked him up from E-sports and had taken him to practice driving for a bit.
We all sat down to eat together as soon as Brian and Olivia got home from dance, and then we all cleaned the kitchen. I got out for a two-mile walk after that, and the weather was just perfection. It was seriously so beautiful last week.
I did a quick functional strength workout when I got back, and then it was time to shower. The kids were already in the process of getting ready for bed when I got home, and Olivia was also working on learning the parts of her recital routine that she’d missed while we were at the Georgia game the previous Saturday. Thankfully, she has a friend at dance who records all the routines, and she was kind enough to send them to her so she could catch up.
Tuesday, October 20
Tuesday morning, I was up at 6 AM, I got the kids to school, and then I swung by the vet with Belle so they could weigh her and give us her medication. She did, indeed, gain weight since the last time we were there – she’s now 8.7 lbs. – so they did have to change her medication. Good thing they asked me to bring her in!
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Catching up on emails
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Sending a room parent email
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Starting to catch up on blog reading
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Starting my blog post for Friday
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Photographing an outfit for a post
After that, I played fetch with Belle outside and then I edited my Reel out on the back porch while she played. It was such a nice day that it was actually bearable to be outside during the day and it was glorious!
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Correcting some blog typos
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Catching up on a few things in my planner
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Transferring photos from my phone to my computer
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Organizing the photos
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Finishing my blog post for Friday
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Finishing my blog post for Wednesday
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Making an Amazon collection for my Amazon Storefront
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Cleaning off my computer desktop
After that, I got freshened up a bit and then I headed to the school to
pick up the kids. Jacob had E-sports and
Olivia had Velocity, but they both had well visits at their pediatrician’s
office, so I had to pick them up at 3:40 PM, which was a bit earlier than
usual.
We headed straight to the doctor’s office, and we were in and out in just over an hour which is a win for the pediatrician. He’s in high demand and he’s always backed up by the end of the day, so most of the time we’re there for quite a bit longer than that. The kids both got excellent reports, Jacob was able to get his sports physical, and both kids got flu shots.
We also got an official diagnosis for Olivia’s heel that’s been bothering her for several months. I don’t even know if I’ve mentioned that here or not, but she’s been dancing through heel pain since April or so, and after speaking to my friend whose husband is a podiatrist, she told me that Olivia likely has Sever’s Disease. She was, indeed, correct, as that’s exactly what our pediatrician said. The good news is that it’s nothing harmful… it’s just pain from overuse that happens during a growth spurt and that it’ll go away on its own once her growth spurt slows. The bad news is that there’s not really much you can do for it other than calf stretches (which Olivia does religiously already since she’s in dance conditioning) and taking Motrin when it hurts. Hopefully she’ll be on the mend soon and we’re glad it was nothing serious!
We got out of there just in time to get Olivia to dance about five minutes late, and then Jacob and I headed home. Brian was already home from work, so he and I made breakfast for dinner together, and then the three of us ate and cleaned the kitchen.
Brian and Jacob watched some more of Bumblebee after that since Olivia was gone, and I did a mixed cardio workout, folded the towels, tidied my closet, deep cleaned the toilets, and got ready for bed.
After the kids went to bed, Brian and I finished The Housemaid and then we stared a recent episode of Saturday Night Live.
Wednesday, October 21
Wednesday morning, I was up at 6 AM, I got the kids to school, and then I headed home to work all day. Belle joined me in my office, and she settled down and went to sleep, so I got to work on crossing tasks off the list:
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Making my to do list for the day
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Contacting Mediavine about an issue with my
dashboard
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Correcting some blog typos
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Placing a Walmart order
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Placing a Target order
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Starting my blog post for Monday
Bellie woke up as I was working on my blog post, so I lay on the floor
with her for a bit and then took her outside.
After that, I went back to my office to finish my blog post for Monday,
make a new Amazon list for my Storefront, open some packages and put everything
away, and then it was time for lunch.
I let Belle out while I made my lunch and then I went outside with her while I ate. We both went back inside after that, and I went back to my office to start my blog post for Tuesday and do some more blog reading since I was so behind.
It was time to pick up the kids from school after that, and then we all settled in for a cozy evening at home. Jacob helped Olivia study for her social studies test, and while they did that, I doubled up on my Bible studies for the day since I’d gotten behind.
It was time to get dinner in the oven after that since it had to bake for an hour, so I did that, and then I vacuumed the kitchen and finished a Reel while it baked. We sat down to one pan chicken, potatoes, and broccoli in a buttery Italian seasoning sauce with cheesy ciabatta bread. After dinner, we all cleaned the kitchen, and then we went on a family walk around the neighborhood so Belle could burn some energy. Now that she understands the concept of going on a walk, it is her most favorite thing and she gets SO EXCITED when we pull out her harness and leash. It is the cutest thing.
After the kids went to bed, Brian and I watched some more of SNL and then we went to bed, too.
Thursday, October 22
Thursday morning, I was up at 6 AM and I got the kids to school. Belle and I headed straight to my office, coffee in hand, when I got home, and I parked it there to get some things done while she slept. I was able to tackle my emails, update a few things in my planner, start my blog post for the following Wednesday, and start on a new Amazon list for my Storefront before she woke up at 9:30 AM wanting to go out.
I spent a few minutes outside with her, working on my phone while she played, and then I left her in the kitchen while I worked some more in my office.
I had lunch outside while Belle played, and then she fell promptly to sleep in my office when we went back inside. I was able to finish my blog post for Wednesday, and work on my blog posts for Friday and Tuesday + respond to all my blog comments while she slept. She was still snoozing when it was time for me to vacuum and mop the whole house, so I woke her up and sent her to the kitchen.
I was able to get the whole house done other than the living room and front sitting room, and then it was time to get ready to pick up the kids. I threw all the floor mats in the washer before I left, and then I hit the road.
After school, we headed to the music school for the kids’ lessons, and when we got there, I walked next-door to Publix to grab a copy of the new People magazine because my cousin’s wife has been doing her press tour for the new Netflix documentary for her brother (Matthew Perry), and she was interviewed for People for it. They didn’t have the most recent one yet, though, so I wasn’t able to get a copy of it.
I sat in with Olivia for her guitar lesson, and she worked diligently on Babylon by Taylor Swift, and then we headed home so she could get ready for dance, eat a quick dinner, and then get to her long dance night. I did a Bible study while she got ready, and then we hit the road (again!).
It was time to get dinner ready when I got back home, so I made turkey and cheese biscuit sliders for the boys and myself since we needed something quick. After we ate, we all cleaned the kitchen and then we all went our separate ways to get some things done. Brian started mowing the lawn, Jacob texted with his friends, and I tackled a bunch of random things on my list:
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Finish vacuuming
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Wash a load of blankets
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Put all the clean mats back down
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Clean out the mop bucket and wash the mop
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Replenish a few things in my office
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Clean off the pile of papers on my desk
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File a bunch of the kids’ papers that have been
sitting on my office floor forever
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Fold and put away the clean blankets
When Brian was done mowing, the boys finished Bumblebee, and I got
ready for bed. Brian vacuumed the stairs
for me (since I try not to do weird things like that with my neck issues) and
then he headed out to pick up Olivia from dance.
I jumped on the stair stepper while Jacob showered, and then Olivia showered when she got home. The kids got in bed a little after 9 PM, Brian and I finished the SNL episode we’d started, and then we started the new season of Nobody Wants This.
Friday, October 23
Friday morning, I was up at 6 AM and I dropped the kids off at school and headed straight back home. I had a few minutes to check some things for the blog and make a cup of coffee, and then Brian and I hit the road for my appointment with my upper cervical chiropractor.
My atlas and axis (C1 and C2) were, indeed, both misaligned, although, he said that it was very minor this time, so that explains why I had some bad days this month, but also some good ones. He said that I seem to be compensating well some of the time, so that’s probably why I have the good days even during misalignment. I’m hoping that takes care of the vertigo spins, though, since I had two mild vertigo spins this past month. (And when I say mild, it’s still an AWWWWFUL feeling. If you’ve ever had vertigo, then you know.)
I also spoke to my doctor about something I recently came across when researching C1/C2 adjustments and how to get them to hold longer. I saw an article that was all about the deep neck flexors and how they play a huge role in spine stability, and when I did the at-home test to check my deep neck flexors, I failed miserably, and mine are, apparently, incredibly weak. There is a hold that you can do to strengthen the deep neck flexors, so I’ve been doing that (I think I’ve already mentioned this here), and my doctor confirmed that I’ve been doing the right thing. He told me to continue the exercises, but he did tweak my posture just a little while I’m doing them. So, it’s good to know that I’m doing them correctly now.
Brian and I got home a little before 11 AM, and I took Bellie out. I had to get Brian to retrieve her, though, because she was ignoring me and wouldn’t come inside, and I wasn’t allowed to pick her up all day since I had to “be a robot” after my adjustment.
I went to my office with a fresh cup of coffee to work for a bit after that. I got this post all caught up to present, I made a service appointment for my SUV, I made my mammogram and ultrasound appointments for January, and I cleaned off my computer desktop.
Brian and I had lunch together after that and then I tried letting Belle come up in my office, but she was being crazy, so Brian had to get her since I wasn’t supposed to pick her up. After she went back down to the kitchen, I caught up on some blog housekeeping, and I also worked on catching up on blog reading some more. I started feeling very sleepy and woozy after that from my adjustment, so I lay down for 45 minutes so rest, and I think I dozed a bit, but not a lot.
I had set an alarm to wake up to pick up the kids, and when we got home from school, the kids went outside to play with Belle for a long time because it was gorgeous out. I hadn’t been able to play with her at all on Friday since I had to rest, so I’m sure she was thrilled to finally get some attention.
While they did that, I did two Bible studies and read my devotional, then I got completely caught up on blog reading (finally!), and I worked some more on this post. I also updated a few things in my planner, I ordered an ornament for Belle’s first Christmas, I ordered some oils for my diffuser, and I worked some more on cleaning out my Lists app in my phone. I always feel so inspired this time of year, so I’ve been putting random snippets and ideas and thoughts in my app, and I needed to get them organized.
Brian picked up pizza from our favorite local place later in the evening and while he was gone, I tidied the kitchen and made prickly pear mules for us. The four of us ate dinner together and then after the kitchen was clean, the kids got showered and ready for bed. I watered and fertilized the indoor plants after that, and then Olivia and I ordered her tights for her Halloween costume.
Saturday, October 24
Saturday morning, I slept until 9 AM, and the only reason I woke up was because Brian got up before me which is unheard of. I’m always up before him, but apparently this weekend, my body wanted extra sleep.
I headed downstairs to make waffles for breakfast, and then I enjoyed my coffee on the couch while half chasing Bellie around the house to make sure she wasn’t getting into anything. We had College GameDay on in the background for our Saturday morning football season happy background noise, and I scrolled through social media for a bit just being lazyyyy.
Jacob had a birthday party / sleepover to attend later in the day, so he worked on getting his laundry done, and then he and Brian left to drop Olivia off at dance and get haircuts. While they were gone, I followed Bellie around the house letting her explore some of the areas we usually ban her from, and then I sat outside with her for a long time so she could run around. While she played, I updated my Amazon storefront and made a Reel in honor of the 20th anniversary of Taylor Swift’s first album. I shared these on the blog last year, but I never posted about them on social media.
I put on some workout clothes after that, and Brian headed off to pick up Olivia from dance while I hung behind to get lunch ready for the rest of us. Jacob’s friend, WJ, and his mom came to pick Jacob up after that, and they came inside for a bit to chat until Brian and Olivia got home.
After lunch, Olivia and I took Belle for a walk, and the weather was just gorgeous. It was in the 70s all last week with lots of sunshine, so we spent quite a bit of time outside. Fall weather is definitely the best weather.
After Mass, we went to our favorite Mexican restaurant with my parents and Mama Cass, and it was extra delicious since we hadn’t had it in a while. It hit the spot, and so did quality time with my family.
After dinner, Brian, Olivia, and I headed to Publix down the street to grab a few things for Halloween week + some cotton candy gum that Olivia has been wanting, and while we were there, we also grabbed items to make s’mores for dessert.
When we got home, we all got into PJs and made s’mores with our cocktail smoker, and they were so, so good. I watched Olivia perform all her routines for the upcoming Christmas recital after that, and then we all lay around on the couch watching football and hanging out for the rest of the evening. Oh, but we did have to give Belle an emergency bath after a bathroom incident outside. Hahahaha.
Sunday, October 25
Sunday morning, I slept in until 9 AM AGAIN, and the only reason I woke up then was because Brian got out of bed before me. Seriously, I don’t know what’s going on with my body clock, but I have been tired!
Since Jacob was there, we didn’t make our usual Sunday morning cinnamon rolls, and instead, Brian and I just grabbed what we wanted and Olivia didn’t eat breakfast per usual.
After that, I headed to my office with Belle and a cup of coffee, and I booted Bellie back to the kitchen in less than five minutes because she was running around like a maniac and wouldn’t settle down. Lol.
I went back to my office after that to transfer my photos from my phone to my computer and get them organized, and then I worked on another Reel. Per the request of many readers and IG followers, I’m really going to try to step it up on Instagram.
Brian, Olivia, and I ate an early lunch together since B had to leave for a tennis match and then I got ready for the day. Olivia joined me in the bathroom to do a face mask and chat, and then when I was ready, I hung out with Bellie outside for a bit.
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Posting my to do list on Instagram since I’d not
gotten around to it earlier in the morning
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Working on this blog post
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Getting my planner ready for the week ahead
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Doing a little Christmas shopping (all the kids’
teachers are DONE and Olivia’s stocking is looking fantastic!)
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Working on an idea for another Reel (who knew I’d
eventually be THIS girl?!)
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Placing an Amazon order for some necessities
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Making another Amazon collage for my storefront
because the ideas are just flowing out of me!
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Adding some dates to my calendar
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Going through emails
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Working on my blog post for Friday
It was nearly time to go at that point, so I shut everything down in my
office – and by shut everything down I mean I turned off all the gazillions of
lamps and twinkle lights that I have on while I work. Haha.
Then, I sorted all of Brian’s and my dirty clothes into four (very
large) piles to get ready for laundry day Monday.
We went to my parents’ house for Sunday dinner, and it was a cozy evening over there. Momma made porkchops, rice, green beans, and black eyed peas, and we had banana pudding for dessert. One of the best desserts of all-time. Yes, ma’am!
When we got home, we all got into pjs, and then we ended the evening with an episode of Friends followed by an episode of Nobody Wants This for B and me after the kids went to bed.
And now for some current things…
Currently Reading
In October, I read one book – And Then There Was You by Sophie Cousens. I’m nearly done with it, but it’s been a long journey because it hasn’t held my attention. I’ll probably end up giving it 3 stars unless something earth shattering happens at the end.
I am still reading my new devotional for the year, too – Called by Name: 365 Daily Devotions for Catholic Women by Kelly M. Wahlquist along with my Bible and The Bible in a Year with Father Mike Schmitz.
Currently
Watching
With B: In October, Brian and I finished Ted Lasso and Outer Banks. We have also been watching the new season of Saturday Night Live, and we finally watched The Housemaid. And of course, we’re watching a ton of college football!
With the Kids: In September we watched a ton of Friends. We’re on season nine now! Brian and Jacob also watched Bumblebee. And we watched some Halloween favorites like Hocus Pocus and Beetlejuice. I’m sure we’ll try to squeeze in It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown before the month is over, too!
Alone: I’ve been watching You’ve Got Mail on repeat in my office on the weekends while I work. Only a few more days until I switch to all my Christmas favorites.
Currently
Listening To
We’re listening to a lot of cocktail jazz and old standards in the evening as well as our Halloween play list. Olivia and I have been wearing out Taylor Swift’s four new singles, and I’m still listening to The Swiftie and the Scholar as new episodes come out.
Happy Tuesday, y’all!
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