Books the Boys Like - 8½ & 3½

We have nearly hit the craziest time of the year (basically October - December) which also coincides with many holidays which means we are trying to fit in a lot of seasonal book favorites along with non-season specific books. A few weeks ago my sister and I were lamenting that we were running out of recommended picture books to get but now my non-seasonal list is over 70 (just to put on hold) and we still have a few Halloween books I know I want to get and haven't even started on Thanksgiving (T's & P's for when we get to Christmas...that list alone is over 150 books, just to get from the library).  Anyways, so this is a mix of picture books, chapter books with Luke, his graphic novels that he's been loving lately, and some that used to be Luke's favorites that now Sam has latched onto! 

 

Luke
Freckle Juice by Judy Blume
I read this to Luke although he probably could have handled reading it on his own.  I read it many times as a kid and really thought it was a much longer book than it turned out to be (still counting it for my total!).  A kid wants to get freckles and buys the recipe for a magic freckle juice that then makes him sick.  His teacher is very kind about it.  A nice quick read between some longer ones with him!

Fox & Rabbit Make Believe by Beth Ferry, illustrated by Gergely Dudas
Luke really likes graphic novels, specifically ones with color pictures.  I accept that Dogman keeps him reading but also try to sneak other graphic novels in as well.  This is one of those that I picked out from the library and he said he really enjoyed.  There are 3 in this series and we had all 3 for a few weeks.

Cranberry Autumn by Wende Devlin, illustrated by Harry Devlin
We started with the Cranberry Christmas book which we've read for a few Decembers.  Then I realized there were more seasons/holidays covered and we've been reading those in the appropriate seasons.  Luke really likes this.  There aren't many of them but enough that he's familiar with the characters and they are one of his first picks from the stack of picture books.

My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
This was one that took us a MONTH to get through (which coincided with the start of school, schedules get all crazy when we throw school runs and homework into the mix!) but Luke LOVED the survival story of a boy who lives off the land in the Catskills for a year (!?!?!?  CPS?!?!?).  I read it at least once as a kid (I think my Mom assigned it for homeschool and we borrowed her copy again) and enjoyed revisiting with Luke even if it took awhile to get through.

Ultimate Reptile Rumble by Jerry Pallotta, illustrated by Rob Bolster
My sister got us into this animal battle books this summer and I checked out around 18 at one time, every one I could find on my library branch shelves, when we were in need of books.  The boys LOVE them.  This is the newest one that Luke bought with his own money from the school book order.  He was very excited when he finally got it. 

Sam
Hooray for Hat by Brian Won
This is one that was a favorite of Luke's, probably approximately 5 years ago. Simple story of animals cheering each other up with hats but Sam pulls it often when I am reading books to him in the morning.

Hungry Bunny by Claudia Rueda
An interactive book about a bunny picking apples.  Sam's favorite part is the ribbon that the bunny asks that you make into a rope for him to climb and then a bridge to walk across.  We've read this one a lot lately.

The Circus Ship by Chris Van Dusen
Another one we've owned for awhile but is now one of Sam's favorites.  He LOVES finding things in books and counting things on pages and this book that has you finding 15 animals (on a single page, that's it!) really interests him.  And he's now added cheetahs to his list of approximately 12 favorite animals.

Time for School, Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle, illustrated by Jill McElmurry
We've been fans of Little Blue Truck since Luke got the very first one for his first birthday.  None measure up to the first two but Sam likes this for the Little Blue Truck AND for the school bus.  It's a cute story that we've read often lately.

Blankie by Ben Clanton
Luke read some of the Narwhal graphic novels and Sam liked this board book about the Narwhal making his blanket into many different things.  I love books that show that kind of imagination!

Those are the books the boys have been loving lately!  I always enjoy seeing how these lists change as they grow!

{15} Favorite Halloween Books

It's almost October which means it's the earliest I will let the rest of my household acknowledge and prepare for Halloween.  Except that somehow, this year, I started checking out the Halloween library books a few weeks ago, a few weeks earlier than I typically would have started putting some of our favorites on hold.  But on Friday, October 1st, we'll decorate for Halloween and get out our stash of Halloween books and I'll try to hide pretzel M&M's in a Frankenstein head candy jar that I bought over a dozen years ago.  I've long though I don't like Halloween much but I do have a sentimental attachment to many parts of it, like the picture books we read and watching "No Noggin" and some of the decor I picked up at Target in our very early months of marriage.  I think I secretly like it more than I think.

Part of my favorably feelings of Halloween comes from having a pretty good list of good Halloween books.  These are some we checkout or pull out every year!

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Herbert's First Halloween by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Steven Henry
Herbert is three and a bit unsure about his first Halloween (that he remembers) that is coming up.  But his Dad helps him get excited about his costume, one Herbert is looking forward to wearing.  His Dad helps him practice and "roar-ing" at people.  My three year old (who doesn't remember trick or treating in pre-COVID life) liked this one.

Ghost in the House by Ammi-Joan Paquette, illustrated by Adam Record
This is a favorite one here that I will read almost daily in October.  It has a fun rhythm to it, about a ghost and then other "spooky" creatures that join him on their quest through a "creepy haunted house".  Right now I haven't read this book in 11 months but I feel like I could still almost recite the whole thing.

The Witch Next Door by Norman Bridwell
This is a book that was written in my childhood but I never read until a few years ago.  Two kids learn they have a witch living next door but then they quickly learn that there are many benefits to having a witch next door. 

The Monsters' Monster by Patrick McDonnell
This isn't strictly a Halloween book but it's about Monsters and I feel strongly about only reading it in the month of October so it's Halloween enough for us!  Some monsters work together to make a MONSTER to end all monsters but then that MONSTER has different ideas on how to live life.  I've read this countless times and it always makes me want pastries and especially pastries on the beach.

Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Axel Scheffler
This witch has room on her broom for a cat, and then some more critters want on...and then some more.  Eventually she will run out of room on her broom, right??

Boo Who? by Ben Clanton
Boo is a Ghost who is new and doesn't quite fit in at his new school.  I mean, how do you play tag with the other kids when you don't feel yourself getting tagged?  But the kids find a way to make it work.  Fitting for Back to School through Halloween!

Stumpkin by Lucy Ruth Cummins
If I could only pick one book from this list to read to my boys around Halloween, it would probably be this one. Luke LOVED this one a few years ago and now it's a family favorite.  A poor pumpkin who never gets picked since he doesn't have a stem.  He's a Stumpkin.  He just wants someone to pick him before Halloween!

Click, Clack, Boo! by Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin
My boys both appreciate this crazy farm animals that like pulling pranks on Farmer Brown.  I, personally, and more like Farmer Brown in that I'd like to hide and stay home usually on Halloween but usually have a good time when forced out of my house.

Happy Halloween by Sesame Workshop
I don't know that either of my boys have watched much, if any, Sesame Street in their days but they both went through stages where they liked Sesame books and I do like this "Sesame Street Scribbles" series.  This one is about Halloween and a cute story about dressing up and going to a party.  The pictures are pretty neat.

Sir Simon: Super Scarer by Cale Atkinson
Sir Simon is a ghost and professional scarer.  He's excited to be assigned to his first house and especially excited that the house just has an old lady resident.  Old Ladies are the EASIEST to scare.  But then there is a kid.  And kids are NOT easy to scare.  So Sir Simon has to take the kid under his wing and teach the kid a few things about being a super scarer.

B is for Boo: A Halloween Alphabet by Greg Paprocki
We love Greg Paprocki's alphabet books and might own all of the holiday/seasonal ones by now.  We are especially working on letters with Sam right now so these are perfect but all of us appreciate the great pictures, so many fantastic details!

We're Off to Find the Witch's House by Richard Krieb
This is one we hadn't read until this year and then Sam really liked it and now we've read it a lot (I don't know who I am becoming that I'm getting Halloween books off the library shelves in mid-September).  Kids are off to find the witch's house and encounter a few "scary" things along the way. 

There was an Old Mummy Who Swallowed a Spider by Jennifer Ward, illustrated by Steve Gray
Following in the format of the "There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly" song but with a Mummy eating way too many things to try to solve a problem with the initial spider.

Little Blue Truck's Halloween by Alice Schertle, illustrated by Jill McElmurry
Even though no Little Blue Truck books live up to the first two, I still appreciate (and we own) all of the seasonal ones.  Little Blue Truck and his good friend Toad find all the other farm animals dressed up for Halloween before donning costumes of their own.

Berenstain Bears Trick or Treat by Stan & Jan Berenstain
A ending with a classic from my childhood, the Berenstain Bears plan and navigate their trick or treat plan, only to find the old neighbor they thought was scary actually has the best treats.  

Travel: Alabama

 

 

This was the year of doing some vacation catch-up. We didn't take a vacation in 2020 and actually spent Matt's week off repainting the back of our house (vacation would have been much more fun if it wasn't a pandemic).  So this summer we took two trips and, since I realized I never blogged about our Michigan trip from 2019, I've got a travel post planned once a month for each of the next three months.  Starting at the most recent and working backwards.  I'd like to say lots of people have asked about my missing blog posts (I have gotten more than zero questions!) but I still like to be a complete-ist AND I find it so interesting to see where people go and get new ideas of where I WANT to go!  So, let's go!

The Plan
We were looking for somewhere within about an 8 hour drive on the water where we could do basically nothing.  Ideally have easy swim facilities, if the boys got to fish that would be a bonus.  At least 5 nights and within a budget.  Somewhere without a lot to do (which ruled out the Smokies) so it would be plenty relaxing but still maybe an activity or two.  

I think I looked at every lake cottage available for Matt's week off in 6 different states, that were roughly in budget.  It was darn near impossible to find one that had easy swimming.  They all seemed set-up to be fishing spots.  Which is not what we were looking for since only one of us is really interested in fishing (Luke).  Then I had a revelation that KOA campground usually had swimming facilities and I regret that we haven't done more camping with the boys AND I have such fond memories of staying at them as a kid.

Where We Stayed
We stayed at a KOA outside Decatur, Alabama.  It was approximately 8 hours away, on a lake so there was swimming and fishing AND it got a new state for Sam (Luke had been to Alabama already).  I was really tempted by the Gulf but that would have added another 6 hours to the drive each way and prices and availability there was TOUGH. So northern Alabama, where it would still be hot but much closer it was.

Now, our favorite way to camp is in a cottage.  Specifically, a deluxe cabin (I'm 95% sure we had the top one pictures even though we supposedly had one that was no pets).  We stayed in one of these in Michigan and really liked it - the benefits of both camping and a hotel.  We had our own private bathroom, real beds, AC, a mini fridge, and (since we were gone during the Olympics) a tv.  But also the benefits of a campground like plenty of space to walk/run, a fire pit, a playground on site, a camp store, and the aforementioned lake.  This one had a different layout than the one in Michigan - here we had a loft where the boys slept (they LOVED this) and our own private bedroom instead of our bed being in the main living area like in Michigan (where our boys would have FOR SURE climbed all over it with dirty feet).  We didn't have an indoor dining table here but made do with the bar stools (perfect tv tables) and the outside patio table.  

It felt like being on a houseboat (especially with water views right outside the door) or in a spacious RV.  It was a little overwhelming unloading all our things the first night and trying to find places for it all (they needed about another 2 dozen hooks in there) but once we did it was so cozy and lovely.  Our boys have tried MULTIPLE times since we've been home to pool their money so we could go back.  The really, really, really loved that cabin.  It was perfect worked perfectly for our family of 4 (we for sure could have fit a pack n play in the loft but I think they cap them at 4 people).

The campground was a bit more unusual.  I've been to a lot of KOAs in my life and this one was different than many of those.  It was very spread out - the camp store was ½ mile from our cabin (which I know since I ran 4 loops of the campground on two different mornings) and the beach was far enough that we drove almost every time we went there.  The tent camping sites were along the water BUT no water or electric and for those you had to park your car quite a ways away.  It was in the 90°s every day we were there, it seemed like miserable tent camping weather.  They didn't sell any perishables in the camp store and the employees always made it feel like a hassle we were in there but the one time we did have a problem it was addressed pretty quickly.  So a bit of a mixed bag but we really did enjoy our little cabin.

What We Did
Most of what we did was relax.  We swam nearly every day, twice a few days.  We slept in and watched the Olympics and read books and took walks and had campfires for s'mores  and Luke fished and Matt & I ran.  Ate a lot of baked goods from Walmart (we went there very hungry after mass on our drive to the campground and maybe spent more in the Walmart bakery than we ever have in the rest of our life combined).  It was incredibly relaxing.  

 

The real activity we did was going to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, about a 45 minute drive away.  I had been there TWENTY-TWO years previously with my family, on our drive back north from the Gulf and remembered bits of it.  We have gotten more interested in space travel in recent years (thank you, picture books) and figured a visit would be fun.  It turned out to be a highlight of our trip.

The first part of the center wasn't all that impressive (although I did enjoy their display on space in pop culture, particularly in the 1950s and 1960s).  Then we were outside in the 106° heat index looking at all their rockets and flight things outside (Matt really liked the Chinook).  We've stopped at the "Rocket Rest Stop" along I-65 South on every trip past (including this one) but seeing a Saturn I and Saturn V up close here was truly astonishing.  

Then we went in the second exhibit hall and I honestly gasped at the Saturn V on display there.  GASPED.  I immediately took a picture and sent it to my family, asking how the HECK I forgot about seeing that 22 years ago (turns out, my sister remembered seeing it outside laying on it's side and looking at our 1999 trip's pictures and a lot of googling confirmed this, it was restored and moved inside a few years after our last visit).  That hall was the best part of the Center and I wish we had known so we could have allocated more time there.  Also, we figured it was reasonable to assume they closed at 5 but it was 4 so our time was cut even shorter (we were far from the only ones being politely asked to leave at 4pm).  

 

There was a kid playset in this building that the boys played at for quite a bit while Matt & I took turns going through other exhibits.  There was an actual Apollo Command Module that really orbited the moon and the parachutes that helped it safely land in the ocean.  A quarantine facility that was found sometime since 1999 (even though I KNOW I've seen one of those somewhere else and really thought it was here). A mock-up of a lunar module and a moon rover.  It was amazing and incredible and so much fun.  I definitely was doing a lot of googling after our visit to learn more since we didn't get to read all the displays.

 

We went to Alabama to relax and weren't even sure when we left if we'd do the Rocket Center but I'm really glad we did.  I'm also glad we got a whole lot of time to sleep in and read.  But I'd highly recommend the Rocket Center, it was a fantastic stop, just make sure you know their hours!

All in all, it was a fantastic trip that largely went exactly as we had hoped.  A lot of family time and sleep and I finished a few books and read more to the boys.  The drive felt like a piece of cake after our 20.5 hour drive home from Florida (this trip had NO driving after dark!).  It was a really lovely trip that I'm glad we could do.  We got home less than 2 weeks before school started so it was a perfect ending to summer!

 

 

More Green Changes, 3 Months Later

There are always many projects I have percolating at any given moment.  Besides my usual reading, reading aloud to the boys, fair weather running, parenting and general household management, I usually have some sort of home decorating project going and lately I'd added become closer to Zero Waste to that ever growing list.

Since I wrote a post in May about {4} Books That Have Changed What I Thought About Being Green and then followed it up with {10} Green Changes We Are Making, I thought it was due time for a follow-up.  Also, I read another Zero Waste book that I really liked and wanted to talk about it more.  I intend to do an update on this topic about every 3 months because they are not quick switches and it's an ongoing process.  I have learned through my years of blogging and in person inspiring (nagging if I'm being a bit more honest) on recycling that one person CAN make a difference.  

The book I read most recently was 101 Ways to Go Zero Waste by Kathryn Kellogg.  Reading a book on this topic every couple months has been a good reminder of more things I could be doing (or not doing) and a refresher on things I am kinda working on.  What I appreciated about this one was about how realistic she made it.  She said a few times that your health comes first and you shouldn't compromise your health to be zero waste but think about it in smart ways.  Also, she mostly said make-up is hard to zero-waste so do your best and Terracycle (I've been collecting that for a few years) which I appreciated because the idea of zero-wasting my make-up was overwhelming.

This book had many doable ideas and things I have probably read before but was just in the right frame of mind to implement more of them.  She also talked about using up what you have because it's not zero-waste if you are throwing something out just to replace it with something more sustainable.  A problem I've had with other books in the past is that they seem to encourage sending items to the thrift stores and then replacing with bamboo kitchen utensils or something because plastic is bad.  Well, if plastic is bad for you, it's bad for whoever is shopping at the thrift stores so it seems anti- zero-waste if you are getting rid of things just to replace them with a more sustainable option.  It's important to use up what you have unless it is detrimental to your health or safety.

Anyways, so much of what was in this little book spoke to me and it really lead to me make some changes to our life and routine.  It's certainly an ongoing project and we are not where I'd like to be yet in terms of zero-waste (we're never going to hit ZERO) but we are making steps and I hope I can encourage and inspire you to make some changes of your own!  Every small changes make a difference (Please stop buying and using bottled water unless it's an emergency...it really is the worst.)

All the things I wrote about in my May post still stand true.  Cloth napkins, very very rare paper towels, reusable water bottles, etc.  I've also been primarily using reusable bags for over a decade, when I go into stores.  

More Recent Changes:

1) Bamboo Toothbrushes
Currently three of us have switched over to these (Matt still has a perfectly usable plastic toothbrush) and they work just fine.  When they are done we'll break off most of the handle to compost and just trash the bristles.  Easy change.  Luke's been using his the longest, maybe 6 weeks, and it's been working just fine!  Sam and I switched more recently.

2) Detergent Sheets
We've been using these for a few months now and they are even easier than the powder I had been using the previous 2 years.  Sam especially takes great delight in getting out 1-2 sheets and throwing them in the washer with a load.  Another very easy change.  I linked the exact ones I have on subscription!

3) Refusing Freebies
We haven't been offered too many lately but when 3 of us went to the dentist last month I did tell them we didn't need any toothbrushes or little toothpastes (we have PLENTY for travel purposes) and we didn't need the little plastic bag.  One kid got away with a prize but it was just a pencil so I suppose that is ok (although caused a little tension with the kid who earned but didn't get a prize).  And when the whole family did races last weekend (the "final mile" for Luke's kid marathon which we all ran together with Sam in the stroller and then Matt & I did a 10k together the next morning), we avoided taking any of the offered plastic water bottles at the end by taking our own (especially easy on the kid marathon because we had water bottles there in the stroller). 

4) Loose Tea Leaves
I was very excited to make this switch but then it took me awhile to figure out where to buy loose tea leaves!  I stumbled upon some at a local soap shop and used a whole bag before going back for 2 more.  I kept track of how many servings I got from that tea and it came to 13 cents a cuppa instead of just under 12 cents SO...essentially the same.  I can pay an extra $3.65 a year for my tea.  I did buy a tea infuser from Target which cost a couple dollars but should be metal recycled when it breaks beyond repair.  I've been composting my tea leaves forever but now I'm not throwing away the little foil wrapper every day!

5) Switching to Bar Soaps
I bought bar shampoo but am still using my usual commercial shampoo from Target until it runs out.  I also bought a shave bar that I will use once my bottle of conditioner is used up AND a face wash bar I will use once my face wash bottle wears out.  These bars are all from the same store and come practically zero waste since the owner just puts them all together in a small paper bag (yes, I should take my own).  I needed to have these all on hand so the switch would be easier once what I have runs out and I'm not fumbling through a last minute Target pick-up to get shampoo.  I also need to figure out how to store all of these bars in the shower far away from a certain 3 year old who might like to try to empty a whole bottle of soap into his bath and would DEFINITELY take the opportunity to use up a whole soap bar in one bath.

6) Using Own Straws and Utensils
We become somewhat regulars at the sno-cone place over the last month and started taking our own extra cup, metal straws, and plastic spoons (that we had probably gotten there in the first place and since washed and reused).  We usually buy 3 sno-cones and all share some with Sam so instead of asking for an empty cup we take our own.  Then tell them we don't need any straws or spoons and I take cloth napkins too.  Maybe next summer I'll ask about using our own cups for all so we don't have that waste but I want to make sure the sizes are the size of the ones we buy.

I tried to convince Matt we should get bamboo travel utensil sets that we could take with us when we go places we'll be eating but then he pointed out we have A LOT of plastic utensil that we've accumulated since I NEVER throw them away when given (until they break) and just keep reusing and washing forever.  So, I need to put together little packs of those to take with us places when we might be given new sets.  Use what we have first!

7) Stopping my RA Med Delivery
I am NOT stopping taking my meds but I have one injection that I do every other week that needs refrigerated.  We had been accumulating the styrofoam coolers that they were being delivered in and then recycling or reusing some but that started to be a lot of coolers.  So I asked when they called to set-up my next delivery, asked if Matt could just pick them up since he not only works at the hospital the pharmacy is at but he works ONE DOOR DOWN.  SO, Matt now picks up my meds and we no longer have all the coolers and freezer packs coming into our home!

8) Handkerchiefs
I made these almost 6 years ago and used them constantly for awhile.  I'm not sure why I stopped (laziness, probably) and then I spent nearly 3 years pretty stuffed up (the amount of phlegm that came out of me every morning was astonishing) but now that's finally mostly cleared up and I've started using these again!  It's amazing how much more empty our trash cans are just without my constant tissues.  These are also very helpful because I always would take a tissue on my runs because my nose tends to run then but they would be pretty disintegrated by the end, my homemade ones don't have that problem!

9) Homemade Facepads
I have been using these for toner application for years but have also started using them instead of cotton balls to apply hydrogen peroxide to cuts.  They are a little strong for my eye make-up clean-up (post homemade remover) but I use those cotton balls many days before throwing them out. 

 A few just general sustainability, not necessarily zero-waste:

10) Using our Rain Barrel!
We finally got this set-up over the summer and have been draining it nearly dry between many rain showers (which have been pretty infrequent lately).  It's back by our garden so perfect for watering all of that without dragging out the main hose extra far or hauling watering cans back.  I feel so self-sufficient using our rain water. 

11) Biking/Walking More
We've put an even bigger emphasis on biking and walking more and driving the car less.  Matt still has to drive to work 4 days a week and I drive to work once a week and the grocery every other week BUT I did manage to go a whole week without driving to school drop-off and we've walked (or run or biked) to pick-up every day this school year.  We still drive but have been really working on driving less.  (I feel rather superior to the people lined up for a different school pick-up who are 75 minutes early AND RUNNING THEIR CARS WITH WINDOWS SHUT THE WHOLE TIME IN 75° BEAUTIFUL WEATHER, as I am walking to get my kid from school.  I don't fault them for driving, I'll be driving once the weather is cold (hard to push a stroller through snow) but maybe if being in AC when it's perfect outside is so important to you, you shouldn't be 75 minutes early for pick-up.)  

12) Balling Up Aluminum Foil One of my books about recycling/zero waste said you should collect all your foil (after cleaning and reusing as much as possible) and ball it all up so the machines at recycling facilities can actually pick it up.  So when we use foil and the foil from all my precious dark chocolate has been accumulating into a ball under our sink for awhile.

Things I need to work on:
1) Online Shopping and Shipping Materials
The same week I proudly showed Matt how I was now using loose leaf tea instead of tea bags, thus saving the little foil wrapper from the trash...I got a Target order in the mail with A LOT of plastic packaging.  It was a little disheartening because that was MANY MANY years of tea wrappers worth right there.  We do often shop local and try to do that before defaulting to the internet but it feels near impossible to completely give up internet shopping.  It's an easy place to find zero-waste products (I have another browser window open for some right now!) at a place that's not Amazon!

There is also my STRONG reliance on Target drive-up.  I love Target drive-up, I've averaged one pick-up a week there for probably 2+ years.  It has saved me a lot of time and money not going IN the store, pandemic or not.  However, I also have accumulated A LOT of Target bags from these, bags I wouldn't get if I was going in store since I always take my own.  It's hard to weigh the time savings vs. the plethora of plastic bags.  Although, they are most of our plastic bags since we use reusable or skip the bags nearly every where else.  I do 99% of the time choose drive-up instead of having things shipped if they are available locally because that seems like the least wasteful option of the two and is at least employing local people.  But it still weighs on me a bit.

2) Taking My Own Containers to Stores
We've been pretty faithful users of reusable bags for a decade but now I've talked to a few local stores about taking my own containers to fill-up.  I haven't actually done this because I had to get some glass containers and haven't needed to go back since BUT...I am excited to do this once I need to.   

3) Silk Floss
I don't floss nearly as often as I should (I *think* the dentist recommends more often than 5 minutes before your check-up every 6 months) but Matt is a very dedicated flosser and Luke is becoming one (I feel like it's a bedtime stalling technique?) and I like the idea of compostable floss.  I don't know how Matt feels about this and we do have quite a bit of free floss to use up first.  

4) Bamboo Scrubbers
I'm looking at bamboo dish scrubbers that can be composted when they are too beat-up to use any more (those are the browser tabs I have open right now).  I really like the idea of having something I can compost instead of just throwing something plastic away.

5) Giving Up Microwave Meals
Lunch has been a struggle with me almost the entire 8 years I've been home with kids.  Some days there is a single leftover serving left, not enough for the family but just enough for me.  That's perfect.  But other days I really struggle to figure out what to eat.  I decided last year or something that I could have a microwave meal once a week, on the day when I work.  After working a whole 3 hours (and all the running around I do to get kids where they need to be while I work) my brain is a bit fried and I give myself a lunch break with a microwave meal (I have a handful of Lean Cuisines I really like).  BUT...there is the plastic tray those come in and the box which might not be recyclable since it's coated with something to keep out freezer burn.  I am thinking about making big batches of soup to freeze individual servings of so I could thaw one for the days I work especially and then not have to think about lunch but also not have the waste.  I hope to try this soon-ish.  

6) Reusing Water
This was a tip from my aunt I need to think about more how to implement.  She said you can reuse water from things like cooking pasta and when you are just waiting for the shower water to get the right temp.  Can't say I had thought about those things!  When we were redoing our bathroom 7 years ago there was a many week period we didn't have the toilet tank hooked up so we could flush, the sewer was connected, but we had to pour water into the toilet so it would flush.  During this time I was pretty religious about saving the water from Luke's little tub (he was 15ish months) and scooping all the dishwater out of the sink, saving all of that to use to flush the toilet.  Our bathroom was under construction so a 5 gal bucket of water in the bathroom wasn't a big deal.

Now, for a variety of reasons, I don't want a 5 gallon bucket of water sitting my bathroom (we'll start with drowning hazard followed by MESS with two kids and then, small bathroom) but I would like to figure out a system for reusing more water before just letting it run down the drain.  Another not zero waste but general sustainability!

Those are some changes we've been making and some things I've been thinking about in regards to zero waste and sustainability.  We have made some steps in the past 3 months and I have ideas of more we can make!  It's exciting to think about having less to throw away and a bit of a game to find new things we can stop adding to the trash.  It's a very exciting project along side a 30+ frame decorating project I am also working on!  We can have many interests!

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Boys' Room v. 4.0

Our boys share a room.  A room they are, legally, allowed to share (it's 125 square feet, in Indiana you need 50 square feet per kid in a room).  It is, however, rather small (see: 125 square feet).  It spent many (7) years being a catch all room for us that was quickly transformed into a nursery when we got the call (and got home from New York) about Luke.  There have been many changes made in the 8½ years since, moving Luke out of his crib, adding Sam to the room, and, now, putting in a bunk bed.

Before the bunk bed went up!

Here's initial nursery "reveal" (I still remember taking this pictures during an evening storm).   Turning our old back door into a headboard for Luke's first big boy bed (this is in the attic now but he used it until the bunk bed went up!)  One of my favorite gallery walls over Luke's old bed that I was very sad to take down this summer. And contemplating adding to that gallery wall when we rearranged to add the crib.

Like all good home projects, we knew this one was coming for awhile, finally bit the bullet and ordered a bunk bed (this one from Wayfair), and then let it sit on the porch for 2ish months.  (Many thanks still to the mailman who saw me struggling to get the 125 lb box up our front stairs onto the porch and carried it for me!)  We waited forever for mattress pads to go on sale for Sam and then my sister so helpfully, maybe, helped us procure one with her "complete the registry" discount (me waiting for Target to put items on sale has slowed down MANY a project for me this year).

So for awhile we had a bunk bed AND a crib in the boys' little room, which always amazed people until I pointed out that the footprint for a bunk bed is essentially the same as a twin bed so really wasn't that much different than the 3 years we had Luke in a twin and Sam in a crib.

Anyways, in July the crib finally came down and the room was rearranged.  For the first time in his life, Luke's bed wasn't in the same nook where we put his crib when he was in the NICU and we were waiting to bring him home.  Yes, that did make me more emotional than it should have.   

Of course, the easiest part of this project was moving the furniture.  Doing that still left a pile of picture frames and art on their dresser, all of which "needed" new homes in their room.  I was very excited by the prospect of this project and also anxious to get the pile of art off their dresser (I didn't realize how much was on their walls until I took it all down). 

The biggest part was the large empty wall where my former favorite gallery wall was.  We had originally thought the bunk bed would go there but the dimensions just didn't work but didn't know that until I had taken all the frames and command strips down.  Which all worked out fine because I like the new one even better!   I knew I could pack A LOT of frames into this spot, give us room to showcase some of the boys' favorite things and some special family memories.

We started with laying out all the art that might go on the wall and then measuring out the not quite rectangle that was available to fill.  

Then I played with laying things out on the floor, taking into account the slope of the ceiling and the nightlight outlet.  I raided my decor cupboard for any unused frames and added those in too. Trying to space out the canvases and colored frames, even though some of those would be changing. 

Then it was making paper templates (with paper that had come as packing material in something) and taping all those up to the wall.  Adjusting a few as I went.  Spray painting a few frames to eliminate the orange (even though I ended up spray painting a different frame orange for Sam).  

Once I was happy with how it all looked I started hanging the ones I could with command strips.  About half of these came from the thrift store and some have a velvet-y back which I have learned doesn't hold command strips well.  Those I marked on the paper where a nail would go and Matt hung those for me later.  

 

I ordered one print on Etsy for this wall, updated a few of the pictures (initially I just filled a few with pictures I already had printed) and it was done!

That process actually took a good week, plus waiting for the printed items to come in the mail.  I was very excited and happy about the finished project.  It came out better than I expected!  It's my current favorite gallery wall of all that I've done.

A few other spots were easier to arrange but it took longer to get them done.  These Star War metal comic covers were the easiest, Command strip them up and DONE.

 

Then it was the spots by their beds.  Partially because Luke's birth stats stitchery had been there and worked when we rearranged but I decided to hang a few things at the foot of each of their beds (at least currently what is the foot end).  They each have their birth stats stitchery that my sister has made for all the grandkids (only 20+ of them) and then a family picture for each boy.  We went with what I had printed initially and Luke had no problem leaving his to just a picture of him, Matt, and myself when I offered to order him a new one that included his brother. (Then he saw that Sam got one from our cabin in Alabama that they loved so much and now he wants his to be from there as well.)  Luke also has various craft projects hanging up by his bed and we just ordered him a clip-on light for reading past bedtime. 

Luke had no preferences for what else I hung on his portion so I hung a canvas that he had painted 4ish years ago.  We had it and it fit the space!  Sam got a BB-8 picture that had been elsewhere but I spray painted a different frame orange for it.  He's more attached to the orange than BB-8.  And then Matt free drew a picture of a hammerhead shark because they are one of Sam's current favorite animals and then it got popped in another frame we had (and I had spray painted).  

Matt made white shelves back for Luke's initial nursery (there is another in the basement) and we have one hung for each boy over the dresser (which Matt also made) to display various sentimental things.  It all has to fit on the shelf! 

The mirror was mine as a kid and has been hanging there for awhile.  The picture of Jesus was also mine that I just pulled out of my special box when getting out my 1st Communion banner to hang for Luke's party in the spring.  I had been waiting the Samuel verse "For this child we have prayed" in their room for awhile, since we got our Samuel we prayed so hard for, and finally bought a print off Etsy to frame a few weeks ago.  The ottoman lives on from the original nursery and the blue bear my godmother made me when I was little!  

Under their bed there are 4 bins, two for each of them.  I ordered these (affiliate link) from Amazon (when they were cheaper than they show now) after Target no longer carries the ones I really wanted.  These are fine but they don't scoot real well on the carpet and they always look sloppy.  There were previously countless random boxes of Luke's & Sam's "treasures" under Luke's twin bed that I was not going to let stay with the higher bunk bed so these were the solution.  They each have stuffed animals in one and then the other is for "treasures".  All their random things they want to keep but I don't want to see laying all over the house.  It can be as messy as they want as long as it all fits.

Here's the nook that was formerly Luke's bed nook of 8 years.  The chair was from my paternal grandparents that Matt's sisters made a new slip cover for.  Matt built the bookshelf and my Grandpa made the nightstand in 1993 (which I know from the year he carved in the bottom, I almost cried when I saw that).  The pillow on the chair is one of these I made 8 years ago, just more stuffing and a new cover! 

Man, I didn't realize how many handmade and hand me down items are in their room until I started writing this post.  I'm rather proud of all that!  The Elmo was mine as a kid (ok, teen).  My sister made the crocheted red panda, lemur, and turtle.  Matt & the boys made the two carved animals (he says the dinosaur isn't any good and keeps wanting to get rid of it...I think he's crazy).

And to balance out all the homemade and hand me downs...book ledges from IKEA although the Mickey Mouse and his bed (and bedding) were mine as a kid too!   Besides the bunk bed and all of Sam's big kid bedding (pillow, mattress pad, etc.) I think I only bought the 4 under bed bins, 2 prints from Etsy, 2 picture frames, 1 can of spray paint, some command strips, and printed a few personal pictures.  Not too shabby!

And that's their newly finished, rearranged, and redecorated room!  Finding space for everything on the walls took quite a bit of time but it was a project that was really fun to take on.  Before I started the largest gallery wall it had been awhile since I did something creative like that and it was so energizing to do one again.  I felt great satisfaction in getting it finished and also motivated to keep working on the two other gallery walls I am working on redoing!  There is no motivation quite like finishing a project!

Quick Lit - September 2021

Happy mid-September!  Honestly, I thought it was September starting about August 20th and now I already keep thinking it's October (maybe because I decorated with pumpkins starting September 4th) so it's really pleasant for once to not be surprised by how fast time is moving.  So, pumpkins out, temps still hovering around 90, school has been going for a month.  It's many seasons right now!  Fully expect to hit that very Indiana time of year soon where we'll have the heat and AC on within a few days of each other (right now it's the AC on). 

It feels like my reading has slowed down a bit since school has started.  One less kid for 7 hours a day but working my schedule (and never ending running) around school runs just makes time a little more complicated.  Also, managing homework.  I told Matt last week, when he was headed to the dentist during prime homework doing time, that I would honestly rather go to the dentist than assist in homework.  I also told our financial advisors a couple weeks ago that I would also rather go to the dentist than meet with the life insurance agents (which we have!  Plenty of life insurance, I am not going to buy more!).  I think MANY years of orthodontia made going to the dentist seem like a piece of cake.  OR helping with homework AND life insurance agents are just THAT ANNOYING. (Probably both).

What were we talking about?

Books!  

I aim for a book post every Tuesday here on the blog (I might be generous in my counting of that).  I post about picture books every Thursday on Instagram and occasionally other books too (I have A LOT to say about picture books if you ever ask).  I am VERY up to date with my Goodreads here (I always welcome new friends/follows, especially if we have similar book tastes!) and am linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy!

Other book posts this month:

Book Love: The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11 by Garrett M. Graff

{14} Picture Books About New York City

{10} Fantastic Book Covers

Here's what I've been reading!

Sea Wife by Amity Gaige
This is not the first "let's quit our lives and sail around the Caribbean" story I read this year.  And this was not my favorite of the two "let's quit our lives and sail around the Caribbean" stories I've read this year.  However, I did like that it didn't represent Republicans and Democrats as so black and white, where one is obvious right and the other is obviously wrong.  There is a lot of nuance in politics and in our own personal feelings.  And really, politics had very little to do with this book but it is what I remember the most from it, other than sailing around the Caribbean seems like fun but also really really hard.  2.75 Stars

Theology of Home: Finding the Eternal in the Everyday by Carrie Gress, Noelle Mering, and Megan Schrieber
I had great hopes for this, a Catholic book about homemaking!  I am Catholic AND I like homemaking.  Alas, I'm not quite sure what the book was trying to say.  Maybe that it's ok to be Catholic and be interested in homemaking things?  That there can be sacred in the every day?  Sure, let's go with that. 3 Stars

Three Words for Goodbye by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb
The first of 2 World War II books I read in this time period, not great to read two so close together!  This one had 2 semi-estranged sisters making a trip through 3 European cities on the eve of World War II, fulfilling a wish from their dying Grandmother.  They travel by boat, train, gondola, and the Hindenburg, have some romance or at least contemplate their romantic options.  Obviously a bit grim with the whole World War thing looming but also, sisters coming together to figure out who they are. 3 Stars

Palm Beach by Mary Adkins
This is the OTHER book I read this month on my unintentional theme of "politics are never completely black and white" which is not what I was expecting from this book and, again, wasn't the point of it, but I still appreciated the message.  A journalist follows her husband to Palm Beach (I kept thinking it was Palm SPRINGS, it wasn't) as he takes on a job to work for the uber wealthy.  Which is a bit odd since she writes about the downfalls of extreme privilege.  I don't see where my life will ever cross paths with people like that so this was interesting but a bit less fun than I was hoping for. 3.5 Stars

101 Ways to go Zero Waste by Kathryn Kellogg
This is not the first book I've read about going Zero Waste but it is maybe the one to spurred me to the most action.  She made small changes seem attainable and gave grace for sometimes you just can't be perfect with it.  I hope to have a post coming next week with more of what I've learned and changed since reading this. 4.75 Stars

Best Babysitters Ever by Caroline Cela
This is a middle grade book about 3 pre-teens who are inspired by the original BSC to form a babysitters' club, not because they like kids but because they are desperate for some cash.  The parts I liked best were the obvious references to the BSC.  I would have been better off just rereading one of those. 2.75 Stars

The Women in Black by Madeleine St. John
Historical fiction about a group of ladies who work at a department store in Australia in the 1950s (I think?).  It follows them over roughly the month of December, through their working days and their home lives.  It's pretty short, I read it on my phone (the only way my library had it) but it was under 200 print pages I think.  It was charming and not a time period I read much about. 3 Stars

Meet Me in Paradise by Libby Hubscher
I thought this would be a fun rom-com, especially since the cover strongly reminded me of The Layover.  Uptight woman who can't live outside her plans (can't relate to that at all) gets sent on a vacation to a tropical island by her adventure loving sister.  Uptight sister befriends the rich owner of the resort (and airline).  Things get more serious and not necessarily in a romantic way.  I'm not saying this wasn't good but it's wasn't the carefree time I was expecting.  3 Stars

Yours Cheerfully by A.J. Pearce
I really enjoyed the first book in this series, Dear Mrs. Bird, about an aspiring newspaper columnist in London during the Blitz of World War II.  This is picking up with the same characters, maybe a few months after that book (it would probably help to read them in order but I also barely remembered the first besides liking it and got along fine).  I'm sure living through the Blitz was not a fun time but this was less doom and gloom of the war and more "Keep Calm and Carry On", there still needed to be some joy in their lives.  Plus the magazine setting 70 years ago was fun. 3.5 Stars

Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe by Heather Webber
This book made me desperately want pie.  Like super want pie.  We impulsed bought individual pies at a Walmart in Decatur Alabama in my final 6 hours of being 37 and my blueberry pie was still really delicious.  Also, this book was good and I should have read it on that trip since it takes place in Northern Alabama (Huntsville is mentioned, so really not too far off from where we were).  A bit Hart of Dixie with a big city college girl who is on her way to med school goes back to rural Alabama for 2 months to run the "magic" cafe owned by her recently departed Grandmother.  Then, shockingly, she falls in love with the town and it's people.  It's not as frothy as I am making it sound.  And also PG, maybe some language but nothing stood out to me.  3.25 Stars

28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand
This was her summer 2020 novel that I enjoyed, bought myself, and decided it would be my annual Labor Day novel (that takes place over Labor Day weekend) just like her The Island is my annual Memorial Day novel.  Premise of Same Time, Next Year (which I've never seen) where a couple agrees to have a once a year affair with each other, every Labor Day weekend for, you guessed it, 28 summers.  It follows a bit of their lives between those weekend as life gets more complicated as they age.  It's a bit complicated but I enjoyed picking it up a second time! 4.5 Stars

The Sixth Wedding by Elin Hilderbrand
This is a short story that I bought through Kindle (on my phone) that is a 2 year later follow-up to 28 Summers.  I really enjoyed reading more about these characters so soon after finishing the main novel, maybe slightly ignored a kid so I could finish reading it while eating a very late breakfast after running one morning.  4 Stars

The Family Firm: A Data-Driven Guide to Better Decision Making in the Early School Years by Emily Oster
The "data driven" in the title is very correct.  She has A LOT to data to back up a lot of things she says.  My kids are right in the age range she is talking about so some of this felt really relevant to me (dealing with after school activities, thinking about how you want your evenings to go before committing to anything, homework) and some didn't (summer camp, choosing a school).  I appreciated having read it even if it wasn't the most compelling book to pick up. 3 Stars

Yoga Pant Nation by Laurie Gelman
This is the third in a series about a slightly older Mom who is first roped into being a class mom, then volunteering and in this one it's leading a committee at school.  Honestly, she seems like a pretty good time and is pretty successful at all her volunteering.  The first book in the series got a whole post and I have enjoyed the following two too, they are fun and amusing to pick-up.  3.5 Stars

Read with Luke
My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
This book took Luke & I over a month to get through, many of those days we didn't pick it up but it's also a really dense book for under 200 pages.  He really liked the survivalist nature of it.  I kept wondering where CPS was.  I read it as a kid, I think my Mom had me read it for homeschool, but I didn't remember hardly anything about it so it was fun to revisit.  We'll continue with the series after a bit, we need a break from the longer read alouds. 4 Stars

The One in the Middle is the Green Kangaroo by Judy Blume
This is one I read as a kid and DEFINITELY remember being much longer (I've read many a picture book with more pages than this and probably some that took longer to read).  Middle child who gets to be a in school play as the green kangaroo, that's really the only story.  Luke liked it though and maybe now he can read it to himself.  (It's nice to have some quick chapter books after My Side of the Mountain took a month!) 3.75 Stars

 That's what I've been reading; I'd love to know what YOU'VE been reading lately!

What I'll Remember Most about Summer 2021

We have come to the end of another summer.  When does summer end? When school starts? Post-Labor Day?  September 22nd or whatever when fall starts according to the moon?  I took down my summer decor and put up the fall stuff (NOT Halloween, that is strictly October 1st) on September 3rd and Luke has a couple weeks of school in, we are post-Labor Day.  It's also supposed to be 84° today though.  But I am calling it on our summer.  

It felt a bit opposite of last summer in that the beginning of the summer (when we were in Savannah and Florida) were much safer, COVID wise, than the end of the summer (when we were in Alabama).  Last year it seemed things kept improving (or at least getting less bad) over the course of the summer.  We were home a lot but also took two vacations (making up for none in 2020!).  It was a good summer.  

I enjoy doing these little recaps because it's always fun to make a list AND to look back later on and be reminded of the summer things that stood out to me!  This blog has been a great memory keeper for me.

 

1) Camping
I grew up camping with my family, most often in a pop-up camper (they DO make ones that hold 8 people, at least when some of those people are kids) but we hadn't done much ourselves since we've been married.  Well, that changed this summer.  We did our very first, just the 4 of us, tent camping trip this summer.  Where we cut off the first of three nights because of bad storms coming through and then got DRENCHED with a storm on our second night (we ate supper in the car at 9:30 and finally got back to the tent, where a window had been left open by one of the boys), at 10:30pm.  You know what though, it was still a lot of fun and I almost immediately wanted to go again (Matt is still recovering, he might never tent camp again).

On our Alabama trip we also stayed at a campground but in a cottage with it's own bathroom, AC, cable TV (important with it being Olympic week), and a mini fridge. Still had the benefits of being on a campground (playground, camp store, beach, obvious running path through the campground).  You all, that's how to camp.  I was reminded this summer of how soothing campgrounds are to me since I spent countless nights at them as a kid.  I definitely want to do more camping as a family.

2) Road Trips
According to my rough math we spent somewhere around 52 hours on the road this summer between our 2 big trips.  20.5 of those hours were just our long road home from Florida (Sam was just reminding me last weekend of how he was awake the last 45 minutes of that drive, at 4am, to chat with me the rest of the way home.)  Now, 20.5 hours, especially Atlanta traffic in the rain at 3:45 on a Friday, was a bit long BUT I have a great fondness for road trips.  Playing the license plate game (I've done this myself on every road trip Matt & I have been on and then it takes me WEEKS afterwards to stop looking and exclaiming over out of state plates), the snacks (I felt like we perfected the snacks by trip #2), the rest stop picnics, gas station fountain drinks, sneaking in some reading if everyone in the backseat was happy, taking pictures of state signs, I enjoy so much of it!  It was a lot of time in the car this summer but also a lot of fun.

3) Running with the boys
I've run a 10k in September every year of Sam's life but this is the best summer I've had for running since we've had 2 kids.  The boys and I ran a couple mornings a week, Sam in the jogger and Luke on his bike.  We'd run (the long way) to a playground where they'd get to play about half way through while I ran laps around the playground and then yell at them when it was time to get going.  It's not as relaxing as solo running but it really helped our evenings if I wasn't planning to run AND the mornings were cooler. I'm glad that all worked with our schedule this year.

4) The Garden
We had our first garden in 4 years, thanks to the raised beds Matt built last fall.  The boys were way more into than we expected and it was so fun to watch their (and our) enthusiasm for growing progress.  I also felt VERY accomplished in that we used some of the compost we had been collecting for nearly 10 years which, turns out, made things grow like crazy.  (My BIL offered us some manure, because he said that's how you get REALLY good compost but I'd really like the garden to be like 75% of the overgrown mess it was this year, I don't need bigger.).  We have things we'll change for next year and we hope to get another raised bed back there (after some more, never ending, dirt moving) but it was so fun to have a garden again this year.

5) All the zoo rides in a week
Our zoo has a ride pass where you pay something like $25 and get a pass for 12 rides.  We were 8 days from our pass expiring and Matt was with us in the evening (the best time to go to the zoo) and suggested getting a ride pass.  He was with us because it was supposed to be the ONE ride we did this summer and then it turned into we did 3 rides each on our last 4 trips (and also fed the giraffes).  It made for a very exciting final week at the zoo!  

6) In the Heights
I watched this on HBO Max shortly after we got back from Florida and LOVED it.  I immediately bought the soundtrack and listened to it on many of my solo runs in July and August.  It was joyful and fun and just a lovely movie experience.  I'm sure it'll always remind me of this summer.

7) Being downtown
We did a couple downtown bike rides with the boys this summer, stopping at parks and playgrounds and getting ice cream for an adoption day.  Matt and I did our first downtown overnight which was SO. MUCH. FUN. to be walking around and seeing so many people out on a Sunday evening in July.  We did another date downtown in August where we biked down and hit FOUR local places and walked and it was just lovely and so much fun.  There's a lot happening downtown and it's been such a joy to get to experience it and see others enjoying it too.

8) Pineapple Naturdays
I went to a local liquor store on Holy Saturday to buy some drinks for myself since I could have one the next day.  I saw the case of these, immediately knew I wanted to try one, and then bought some closer to summer.  I like that they have a flamingo AND pineapple on them and they taste good (especially cold).  I did fewer mixed drinks this year than in the past and these were so handy to have in the fridge, especially at the end of the week.

9) Reading with the boys
Our reading has been up a notch this year, we read a lot more around Christmas and then never really slowed down.  A lot of mornings (before or after running) we'd sit on the couch, all 3 of us to read through a stack of picture books.  We had a lot of summer picture books we'd pull from when we ran out of library books or to supplement what we had checked out.  It was a very good summer for reading.

10) Floral JCrew Factory Dress
A blogger (Putting Me Together) posted about this and it was the fastest I have ever been influenced to buy something.  I wore it to church many times, out to supper on our overnight downtown, and am considering it for a fall wedding (depending on the temp that day...it has a darker base so I think it works).  It was so fun to have a fun dress to look forward (and for excuses to) to wearing.

11) Flamingo Purse
I got this for my birthday from Matt (HEAVILY suggested by me) a few years ago but I never used it until this summer when my old summer purse was wearing out and then I remembered I had this in my closet.  I mostly only used it for church and on a few dates (I had a cross body bag I'd use for errand running) but it was fun and summery when I did need it.

12) Bracelets
I got really into bracelets this summer, wearing them almost every time I left the house for something besides running, running errands or doing kid pick-up/drop-off runs (that means, I wore some to work every week and church and on dates and on many other occasions).  I have two sets I switch between, depending on the function and it made me feel slightly more fancy.

13) Tea
The ritual of tea brewing and drinking, I've been a tea drinker for years but this summer is when I realized that I really enjoy the ritual of it, probably like many people enjoy their coffee ritual.  I had a hot cup of tea nearly every morning, even when it was so hot outside that we needed the AC on (even though we keep our AC at a reasonable 76° or something during the day - cool enough to feel better than outside and remove the humidity but not so cold that you need to add layers just to be inside). 

 

And that's a wrap on Summer 2021!  I have to admit, I'm more excited about fall than I usually am in early September.  Bring on the (slightly) cooler weather!

What I'll Remember Most about Summer 2020
What I'll Remember Most about Summer 2018