I'm back (with snacks)

If writing a newsletter was akin to cooking a meal, I’ve been waiting for enough time to prepare a four-course meal. A gorgeous appetizer, an outrageous salad piled high with every vegetable my husband is emotionally allergic to, roast chicken with crispy skin, and, of course, some kind of impractical bake for dessert.

No one is shocked to discover: that time has never come.

For starters, the silence was a pretty clear sign. But you also know I now have a living baby, who obviously eats into said “cheffing up a Substack” time.

I, on the other hand, was surprised. I love to write! I’m getting a lot done! I haven’t missed a day of getting dressed! I’m a productive mom!

I’m also prideful and think I can do it all when we all know the truth: I can’t, and that’s okay.

This isn’t the season of life for laborious meals, or lengthy newsletters. I’m settling for snacks and cracker crumbs while wiping dirty handprints off everything. That, too, is okay. It’s a season of sweeping 100 times per day, grabbing a quick bite to make sure I’m a regulated mom, and knowing my routines have to shift in light of my reality.

Forgive me if I’m a bit rusty as I return to the proverbial kitchen of cooking up words, mixing them with photos, and baking them with love. Hopefully it’s as familiar as my favorite midnight snack (a peanut butter cup) and as exciting as discovering cottage cheese is finally back in stock (!!!!).

Either way, I now have a little sous chef, and that changes everything, including how I approach a newsletter. It’s no longer a meal. I’m not waiting for enough time to make Julia Child proud.

I’m satisfied with a Substack snack, the equivalent of emergency Cheerios and the hanging-on-by-a-thread beef stick. My main goal: keep promises to myself. Remember that a snack is better than nothing, done is better than perfect, and I’m capable of more than I know.

So anyway, hello!

xoxo,

Karissa

PS: Taking any and all suggestions of what you want to see here. It’s been a minute! Thanks for sticking around. Sending love & virtual beef jerky your way.