Stok Cold Brew Have you had it? I’ve been getting the Un-sweet Bold and Smooth and omg it is so creamy and delicious…while somehow not having any cream in it? I can’t stop thinking about it when I’m not drinking it. I’ve been treating myself to a cup of it in the afternoon with a splash of half & half and I swear it just makes the day go by so much smoother for me. While it’s cheaper than buying a coffee from Starbucks every day, it’s not exactly cheap. So I googled how they make theirs (it’s not exactly rocket science), and I’m going to buy some nicer beans than normal and give it a shot. It’s not the first time I’ve made cold brew, but their recipe is a little different than how I normally do mine. Will report back if it’s worth making yourself or if we should all just give something else up in the grocery list to buy Stok.
Duolingo It’s an app that you can download for free to learn another language. The school that I teach at has a very high Spanish population, so I made it one of my new years resolutions to brush up on my Spanish skills. I’ve been having so much fun with it. Haven’t missed a day yet in the new year. Fingers crossed I can keep my momentum going. If you want to try it and to have an accountability partner my username is emetroka! They have all kinds of languages – not just Spanish!
Meal Planning Ok, ok this isn’t a new obsession, but it bears repeating that meal planning is the only way I get dinner made every night. I don’t know how people decide what to make for dinner when they don’t have it planned out for the whole week. I seize up in indecision. I have a little formula that I follow for each day of the week to make it even easier. I’m always trying to reduce decision making fatigue. If you’ve seen my Making Every Day Special document, then you already know it. Sunday – Warm and cozy meal (think casserole, soup, pasta, etc), Monday – Crock Pot, Tuesday – Tacos, Wednesday – One Pot/Sheet pan meal, Thursday – Leftovers, Friday – Pizza, Saturday – Grill day.
Ozark It is so intense. Every season has stressed me out so much. Why are shows like this so addictive?? This is the last season, and we’ve been allowing ourselves one episode a night to really appreciate it rather than binging the whole thing at once. So we’ve been watching one episode and then reading or Mike watches sports after. It’s been a nice little evening routine.
Reading You know I’m always obsessed with reading (I am a librarian after all), but I have read SO many good books lately. I’m usually pretty good about sharing my book reviews on Instagram, but I have been putting it off for some reason this month. I’ll share this week sometime, but I’m also going to share a post every month on here to tell you what I read, so that it’s all in one place for you to easily find book reviews.
I heard this tip several years ago on the Happier podcast with Gretchen Rubin and it’s one that has stuck with me over the years. It’s the five minute rule. You ready for this? Ok. So: If something is going to take less than five minutes, do it now. Don’t put it off until later. When you think of it, just do it. Emptying the dishwasher this morning took me 3 minutes and 42 seconds. I timed myself going at a leisurely pace so I could tell you. Starting a load of laundry, switching the laundry, tidying a room, making the bed, prepping vegetables for dinner, putting those shoes away that you thought to yourself “those really need put away”, reading a book to your kids? All less than five minutes. Well…depending on the book they choose. I think we often put things off because we think that we’ll just do it later, but what if you did it now instead and then you don’t even have to think about it later. Or have it hanging over your head all day? Anyway, try it. It might help you get more things done in a day!
Other things I do to get things done:
Set a timer and race against it to get something done quickly.
Give yourself a treat. I only get X if I do Y first. (Examples of treats are: reading a chapter of my book, chocolate, a baked good. If it’s something big maybe you get to buy something for yourself, etc)
Make a list. There are few things I love more than crossing things off of a list.
Do you have any tips for productivity?? I’d love to hear!
In the grand scheme of fast weeks versus slow weeks – it was a fast one, but I can’t say that it’s one I enjoyed all that much. This morning, our whole street was blanketed in a thick sheet of fog. We drive down a mile long stretch of straight road to get out of our neighborhood and on my way to drop the boys at daycare (just Charlie and Ben. I’m still home with Luke.) it felt as if I was driving into oblivion with Charlie and Ben in the back chattering about where the moon might be. I’m not quite sure where the days went. Maybe I lost them somewhere up in there in the fog. And all week, despite being home with Luke and not doing nearly as much as I normally do, when the days were over I tossed myself into the couch and almost immediately fell into a deep dreamless sleep, waking around 11 when I realized I was not tucked in my bed as I should be. I’m glad it was a fast week because honestly I’m ready to move on to the next one.
Things are going full speed ahead in our primary bathroom remodel. Everything has been torn apart, and the task of putting it all back together again has started. Drywall is going up today, electrical work is done, and next week tile will start to go up. That’s when it starts looking like a bathroom again instead of an empty shell. We’ve made our picks for tile, but still have to pick up everything else. Honestly, I think it’s going to wind up looking an awful lot like the boys’ bathroom except with a shower instead of a tub and that will make for a very happy bathroom indeed. Should be done in another week and a half, just before my parents arrive for their annual February stay.
This weekend will consist of trying to get my bearings, trying to decide if Luke is well enough to go to school on Monday, and I hope lots of fresh, clean, healing air. What have you been up to? I hope you had a lovely week. How about some links from around the web?
Made it. It’s Friday. Oh glory glory. I don’t know about you, but I think of Friday as a weekly holiday. I’m not one who needs much encouragement to celebrate something, but I think we can all get behind this one. How was your week? I feel like mine passed in such a blur. Highlights were a cake for no reason, farmers market produce, and feeling like I’ve been really on top of things. I have a few things that I’m hoping to get to this weekend, and I’m so happy it’s a long one.
Ben is supposed to start intensive potty training on Monday at school (they send us an embarrassingly forceful letter about how “according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, potty training should be started at the age of two”. and I was like OK I know we’re supposed to do it, but you guys have him all day and I work and when am I going to do it, I kind of have my hands full. Sheesh. Yes, I’m clearly self conscious about it, let’s move on.), so I’m going to take him to the store so he can pick out his undies. So far he’s told me “No I do not wanna sit on the potty.” lol. May need to make a potty training cake to get through it. In fun news, Charlie got a gift card to the movies from his aunt and uncle for his birthday (way back in October), and either my husband or I are going to take him to see Clifford. He’s never been to a movie theater before! And Luke will be wandering around all weekend being his usual slobbery self.
I’ve been wanting to have a little dinner party with my friends from school, so we’ll have them over on Sunday as there’s no school on Monday for MLK Day. I’m thinking that creamy parmesan polenta will be on the menu topped with braised beef in a homemade tomato sauce, sides of glazed carrots, collard greens, and we’ll finish it off with iced brownies for dessert. Imagining lots of red wine, craft beers, spiked grapefruit sodas and maybe a game after the boys go to bed. Our principal is leaving our school for a promotion and the panel is in the process of choosing a new principal so I’m expecting some tea on the side.
Anyway – I’ve been loving this little space as an outlet. I’m wrapping up my first week as a blogger and it feels like a natural extension of my life. Who knew I had so much to say?! I have so many ideas that I’ve jotted down to write about too. Inspiration is at an all time high!
I think I’ll use this Friday Post to share a little personal update, and a few interesting links that I’ve found this week that you might find interesting too. Lots of blogs do this and I always love reading them. My favorite is Cup of Jo, but I also love Grit and Polish‘s too. So with that – here are a few links from around the web this week…
Welcome to a tiny corner of the internet! Things are just getting up and running around here, but you can expect to see posts on food, books, motherhood, marriage, home, librarian-life and the like. Most of you have probably found yourselves here from my Instagram account (which if not, here’s the link!) and if you’re familiar with what I post there – you know what to expect here. And if not – go see! But the problem I’ve been finding is that it can be really hard to sum up an idea in a single instagram post or story.
I’ve also been pondering the idea of routine lately, especially as it’s the beginning of a new year. What do I choose to include in my everyday routine? And what is just purposeless filler for the empty spaces that pop up? I want this spot to become an intentional part of my routine. This check in to share how we’ve been seeking joy lately, if we’ve been slowing down, or if we need to. To share what we’ve been cooking, making, baking, celebrating, doing, and perhaps most importantly, a bit of memory-keeping for years down the line when I know I’ll be happy to have everything here in a neat little package. And just maybe a few of those things might inspire you too. Let’s sift through all the noise of the world, and keep the good stuff we’ve found.
All those things currently live in a vault in my mind, and a little (seriously, such a tiny) glimpse into our days can be seen on Instagram, but with a website, everything can all be laid out here in a scroll-able, readable, categorized date-stamped format which is such a joy to a librarian such as myself. To sum it up: expect to see this space as a reference, an idea space, a daydream, a mindful reflection, a supportive community, and a guide for each season of life. I think it could become so good, you guys. And I’m so dang glad you’re here to see it. I hope you stay a while to see what it becomes.
The Metroka Family 