This and That

What’s this and that? This and that is a fun post comprised of a little of this and a little of that. Moments worth mentioning and things I think you might enjoy.

It’s been a while since I did a this and that post here on the blog. I love this style of posts that are just a mismatch of random thoughts and tidbits of information I think you might enjoy.

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What we’re doing
We’re staying home. I was just thinking that the last time we went on a vacation or a little getaway was almost a whole year ago when Peighton and I took an overnight trip to Laguna Beach with my mom. I really miss staying in hotels and going to restaurants. I haven’t eaten inside a restaurant since about the same time. Since we spend so much time at home we’ve been doing a lot of puzzles. I love a 1000 piece landscape puzzle (these are my favorites). When our friends were moving they spend several days with us as their household goods were packed up and then sent ahead of them. We did three puzzles together and I think we got them hooked. We also have been playing a lot of games. I played three rounds of Sleeping Queens with Mills last night and Matt and I usually play a round or two of Blockus or Sequence before bed.
You can see all our favorite family games in this post.

What we’re eating
I really had to reign in my baking after I made a batch of these cookies and ate them all in two days, by myself. Since the start of quarantine, I’ve really added to my cookbook collection which means I’ve been trying loads of new recipes. I’m still baking a lot of bread and I spent way too much time perfecting my cinnamon roll recipe.

What we’re watching
In addition to all the games we’ve been playing, we’ve also racked up a decent amount of tv time over the last few weeks. I finished Virgin River which was so great. I wasn’t sure I could get into it at first. I had tried to watch the first episode a few months ago and ended up clicking away but I came back to it and I’m so glad I did. The girls couldn’t wait to watch Soul on Disney+ when it came out and we’ve seen it at least a dozen times now. I’ve also just begun watching Bridgerton and find it really entertaining. I love any kind of period show so the costumes and the setting are right up my alley.

What we’re listening to
I’m always looking for a good podcast or audiobook to listen to while we’re in the car or while I’m cleaning around the house. Right now, I’m listening to President Obama’s book A Promised Land. It’s quite remarkable to hear him talk about everything from personal things like the death of his grandmother to serious decisions like dealing with the financial crisis at the beginning of his first term. I remember 08/09 being terrible but getting a peek behind the scenes makes you realize how awful it really was.

Some podcasts we’ve listened to and loved lately:
Unfinished: Deep South – I mentioned this one a while back on Instagram. It’s about a wealthy Black businessman, Isadore Banks, who went missing and was later found murdered in the deep south in 1954. It’s a really moving account of not just Isadore’s life but what life was like for Blacks in the south during Jim Crow. At any moment their wealth, their livelihood, and their lives could be taken with zero consequences to the perpetrators as long as they wer99zXz63et white.
Jacked: Hosted by Taraji P. Henson this podcast is all about the hip-hop group that launched a new sound in the early 1990s that was known as the New Jack Sound. If you loved Boyz II Men, New Edition, and similar R&B groups from the 90s then you’ll love hearing about the drama of the rise and fall of the original New Jack Sound group, Guy.
Chameleon Hollywood Con Queen: We’re in the middle of this podcast now and it’s blowing our minds. Someone or a group of someones have been essentially catfishing Hollywood workers from trainers to make-up artists. I don’t know yet how it ends but I have a theory. Highly recommend!

What I’m buying
This wrapping paper organizer: I bought one for Christmas/holiday supplies and I bought another for everyday wrapping paper.

I was just telling Matt that when all of this goes back to normal or whatever normal will be, you know when we have to wear actual clothes, not just “athleisure” I’m going to have a real hard time. I got this long sleeve with some Christmas money and it’s my favorite long sleeve/light sweater.

I dropped way too much money earlier this week trying to get my homeschool stuff organized. I’ll be sharing one big tip tomorrow and some more ideas are coming soon. I’m most excited about these baskets.

I broke down and bought some hair cutting shears so I can properly trim the girls (and Matt’s) hair with something other than my kitchen shears. Yikes.