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Journal No. 3

September 12, 2020 · In: Chronicles, Journals

The major marker for me this week was the beginning of virtual learning for my children. Last spring the experience of learning online was a nightmare, mostly because teachers were thrown in without a plan, and students were confused too. This time around things are much more organized, but it is still an enormous amount of information to manage.

I set up four work stations at Hurley House for my children, doing my best to make sure everyone had a power cord for their device, plenty of supplies (including Jolly Ranchers and Play-Doh), and space to keep their books and notebooks.

For the most part it worked, although my two high schoolers decided by then end of the week they didn’t want to do school at Hurley House and moved their learning environment home. I can’t say I blame them, but I was a little sad that we didn’t get to pretend to be in a one-room school house like Laura Ingles Wilder.

The funniest part about online learning is that a couple of my children haven’t learned how to control the volume of their voice while wearing headphones. There was a lot of shouting answers (“I LIKE DOGS TOO!” “I HAVE TWO SISTERS AND A BROTHER!”) and sudden outbursts of loud laughing, which made us all giggle.

The most difficult part about this week wasn’t tactical, it was emotional. Everyone is having big feelings, including me, and big feelings take a toll to process. I am emotional about having a senior coupled with our youngest starting her last day of elementary school. My kids are emotional about not being able to connect with their friends. My middle schooler is in tears about not physically being at school. It’s a mess, but we are trudging through, doing our best.

On that note, my husband surprised me with my own “first week of school” gift, and I felt loved and known. He gave me a small bottle of French vodka and a bag of tiny Tate’s cookies. I love all things tiny and/or French, and the bonus of booze and cookies was well-played. Like I said, we are all doing the best we can around here.

This week on the blog I wrote a post about the Breville Smart Oven and how much I love it. Lately I am a complete Breville brand convert. Everything I own by them is killer. I have switched to a Breville food processor after years of using Cuisinart, and I also own the Breville Coffee Grinder and Bambino Espresso Maker. All of the appliances are built well and out perform other brands. Go Breville!

How do you eat ice cream? My favorite way is in a frozen coffee mug (the tinier, the better), with a splash of milk, and a tiny spoon. I also usually wrap the cup in a dish towel to insulate it and protect my hands. It’s fussy, but ice cream is my favorite dessert, and I love the ritual of all the steps and getting it just right. At a minimum, if you haven’t tried freezing your bowl before scooping ice cream into it, give it a shot. It keeps the ice cream colder longer, and that’s a win in my book.

Last, but not least, I purchased some of the fixtures from the Sur La Table closing sale. Look at these beautiful prep tables!! They were in the cooking classroom at Sur La Table, and I love them so much. It’s also a tiny bit comforting to know that I own a small piece of the store I loved so much. I will remember it fondly each time I prep ingredients on my new tables.

Have a lovely weekend!

By: Katherine Sasser · In: Chronicles, Journals

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Find a copy of the water bill. Upload a copy of m Find a copy of the water bill.  Upload a copy of my ID.  Call to schedule grooming for the dog.  Enter all of the middle school volleyball games and the high school football games on the calendar.  Pick up a prescription.  Return a sweater.  Make dinner reservations for next Saturday. 

These are my current life admin tasks, and instead of playing whack-a-mole, attempting to get them done here and there, I tackle them all in one fell swoop.  I call it Life Admin Day, and if you're interested in changing the way you think about managing all those pesky tasks, the details are on the blog!
There are so many systems that need to be in place There are so many systems that need to be in place when school starts.  Making sure these systems run smoothly becomes the engine that keeps our home humming when schedules and commitments swell. ​​​​​​​​​
Developing sustainable habits and establishing some common-sense systems can allow everyone to stay organized while also teaching your child a valuable lesson in life management.

Today on the blog, I am sharing some of the no-fail systems we have in place in our home that make the school year season more manageable.
Happy FDOS! 🏫 ✏️ 📓 ♥️ 💙 Happy FDOS! 🏫 ✏️ 📓 ♥️ 💙
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Find a copy of the water bill. Upload a copy of m Find a copy of the water bill.  Upload a copy of my ID.  Call to schedule grooming for the dog.  Enter all of the middle school volleyball games and the high school football games on the calendar.  Pick up a prescription.  Return a sweater.  Make dinner reservations for next Saturday. 

These are my current life admin tasks, and instead of playing whack-a-mole, attempting to get them done here and there, I tackle them all in one fell swoop.  I call it Life Admin Day, and if you're interested in changing the way you think about managing all those pesky tasks, the details are on the blog!
There are so many systems that need to be in place There are so many systems that need to be in place when school starts.  Making sure these systems run smoothly becomes the engine that keeps our home humming when schedules and commitments swell. ​​​​​​​​​
Developing sustainable habits and establishing some common-sense systems can allow everyone to stay organized while also teaching your child a valuable lesson in life management.

Today on the blog, I am sharing some of the no-fail systems we have in place in our home that make the school year season more manageable.
Happy FDOS! 🏫 ✏️ 📓 ♥️ 💙 Happy FDOS! 🏫 ✏️ 📓 ♥️ 💙
What’s for dinner? Tomato Cheddar Pie is a winn What’s for dinner?

Tomato Cheddar Pie is a winner in my house, and even if you can’t get your hands on good tomatoes, this recipe delivers.
This week I pulled out several old items from the This week I pulled out several old items from the depths of my closet and wore them to try and determine whether or not I wanted to keep them.​​​​​​​​​
Initially, I thought this dress was in the no pile, but after a comment from a reader, I am reconsidering.  Pink + orange + puff sleeves...maybe it's a keeper after all!

Get Dressed First is on the blog!
Pink heels for Barbie weekend? Yes please! Pink heels for Barbie weekend?  Yes please!
Load More Follow on Instagram

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