the take home folder vol 114

Yesterday was Independent Bookstore Day and I didn’t make it to a bookstore like I had hoped. But I’m going to prioritize a visit to a dreamy bookstore in May. Indie bookstores are such treasures - let’s continue to show up for them.

What is something I can do for our home?

What is something I can do for/with our family?

What is something I can do for myself?

Today for me it’s getting organized for the week ahead, celebrating birthdays with family at our house, and taking some time this afternoon to truly rest after a bananas week.

here’s this week’s take home folder, enjoy!

Last week brought Earth Day and it’s a perfect time to reflect on the beautiful planet we get to call home and little shifts we can make to go gentler on Mother Earth.

A few thoughts swirling around in my brain:

One More Use - Can that empty cracker bag be used to clean up dog waste before it ends up in the trash? Can the hooded baby towels your child has outgrown be cut into cleaning rags? Nice boxes can make great drawer organizers. You get the drift, repurpose>direct to landfill.

Use Things Until They Wear Out - I seriously think most of our grandparents and great grandparents would not compute the way we’ve normalized perfectly good things being shoved aside for something newer and “better”. The most sustainable thing you can do is use what you already have.

Shop Secondhand - shopping secondhand couldn’t be more accessible than it is now. Pop into a thrift store, check FB Marketplace, utilize sites like ThredUp and PoshMark. Currently writing this newsletter from an office that is 80% furnished with FBMP finds that were a fraction of the cost of buying new.

Model a Love and Appreciation for Earth - take a beat to notice the beauty and natural resources that surround us. Get outside and breathe fresh air into your lungs. Take your kids to places that showcase our magnificent planet. Work to keep outdoor spaces clean and accessible. Grow something! Related viewing.

My kids are 8 and 11 and play outside a LOT. People have asked what they do outside and how we got them to enjoy playing outside. I don’t have all of the answers but this is how it has unfolded for us. Of course this will be nuanced based on your kids’ interests, where you live, and your network.

First, our neighbors. There are a couple layers to this. Our kids play with neighbor friends most days of the week. Our neighbors also value their kids being outside - “go play outside” is regularly uttered. They play in everyone’s yard, use everyone’s outdoor toys, they all have bikes and scooters. That said, all of the neighbors - including those without young kids - have embraced the neighborhood gaggle of kids. People watch out for our kids when they’re driving. The dog next door comes over to say hi when the kids are out. The family whose youngest daughter is off to college invited our kids to use their basketball hoop anytime. Basically, we hit the neighborhood lottery.

The other element is giving them a bit of a 1990s childhood. We let the 5th graders ride their bikes to a nearby lake to hang out. (Of course, this has been scaffolded. Learning and navigating the trails. Proper bike etiquette such as saying “on your left” when passing. Insisting that they stay together. Etc.) They get lost in various games for hours and we let them be. There are regularly 6-10 kids in our yard with ages ranging from preschool to middle school and we don’t hover. I may intermittently offer a round of snacks/drinks but mostly they’re just playing. They have a lot of freedom in the neighborhood.

Lastly, I learned when my boys were little that literally everything goes more smoothly when we all get enough movement and fresh air. Especially sleep, appetites, and attitudes. So we try to prioritize it by not over scheduling our free pockets of time.

This sounds so simple but I have made an effort to do it consistently the last couple of years and it’s surely effective.

When leaving a place, turn back to where you were sitting to be sure you don’t forget anything.

Gretchen Rubin has shared about this a few times - most recently in episode 583 of her podcast around the 19 minute mark - and it is a little habit that works.

Teacher appreciation week is the first week of May and it’s a great time to do something little to recognize your child’s teacher1.

Ideas:

• consumables - favorite snacks/drinks/treats, flowers, body/self care products could work but I always tread lightly as many people are sensitive to scents/ingredients.

• offer to drop off a coffee, breakfast, or lunch on a school day.

• Baggu bag - a very practical gift I’ve given many teachers. I use my Baggu bags multiple times a week.

• gift cards - to a place they like to shop, a bookstore, the car wash, a local restaurant? Again, know your audience here. If you’re unsure, Target and Amazon are pretty safe bets.

• cash - I do cash for end of the year teacher gifts so won’t do for TAW but cash is such a good option for a teacher gift. Teachers and especially daycare teachers are horrifically underpaid.

• a note of gratitude - the most important! If you do this via email, consider copying the principal or daycare director. You know what’s nice? Hearing positive things!

Has anyone tried 75 Hard (or 75 Soft)? After a really good stretch, I have been in such a funk with my physical health the last 6ish months and can’t pinpoint why. I have considered doing 75 Hard or my own version various times but always talk myself out of it. However, it may just be the little (big) accountability nudge and challenge I need to get myself on track and feeling better.

If you’ve never heard of it, 75 Hard includes:

• 2 45-minute workouts, one must be outside

• read 10 pages of a nonfiction book

• drink a gallon of water

• stick to a diet of your choosing

• daily progress picture

• no alcohol

This YouTube video is what put it on my radar in the first place.

Also I want to be abundantly clear in sharing that 75 Hard is not a fit for everyone (heck, I don’t even know if it’s a fit for me, ha). I am not suggesting anyone else should try. Just sharing and seeking feedback/thoughts from anyone who has done it and/or a possible buddy or two to try it out with.

see you right back here next week,

recent favorites

doing my own nails - I do 2-3 thin coats of this nail concealer (code SPRING25 for 25% off) and follow up with this topcoat. chef’s kiss.

a neighbor friend who randomly brought me a McD’s Diet Coke on Friday afternoon

this powder is perfect/budget friendly to tone down shine

Tillamook Smoked Black Pepper singles - so good

our mattress (code BEGINATHOME) and happy, soft, spring-y bedding (tulip sheets, quilt + shams are from Quince but I’m not seeing them on the website, bummer)

light green season! I cannot get enough. My favorite weather weeks of the year.

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