Audrey Holidays & Celebrations!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Does anyone read blogs on the holidays? In my experience, no. LOL

But here I am anyway. I believe this was created by Leslie at Once Upon a Time and Happily Ever After but both Rebecca Jo & Tanya have posted it, too.

Will you watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade? Football? Movies?

We’ll probably watch the parade- or at least have it on. I think M will enjoy the colors and music if she even notices the TV is on. And then the dog show; all three children will like that.

Who does the cooking? Fix anything ahead of time?

In years past we’ve had lunch at my grandparents (it’s ordered in from a family style restaurant) and dinner at K’s grandparents (made by his grandma and his uncle).
This year we’re dining with my mom and dad (food ordered in + a pie from me) and then with K’s mom and dad (food made by his mom + mashed potatoes from me).

What time do you eat the big meal?

We have two. (Yes, it’s as filling as it sounds.) One at noon, another around 4 or 5p. OOF.

Do you set a formal table or keep things casual? Place cards? Kids table?

Very casual. Sometimes my grandma puts the younger folks in the dining room but the youngest kid is 13 so… there’s no true kid’s table.
Place cards were attempted at K’s grandparents house once and it did NOT go over well. Lol

Is the food place on the table or served buffet style?

Buffet style all around.

Ham or turkey? What’s for dessert?

Ham is ew. Turkey (skin) 4ever. Dessert is the norm- pumpkin pie & pecan pie. This year there will be coconut creme pie and a cookie dough tart (made by me).

Does your family have a thanksgiving tradition?

Hmm. Not really. Some years my dad and I go to breakfast. Not this year 😔

Yay or nay to leftovers? Favorite leftover recipe?

No one EVER sends us home with leftovers! I’d take ’em!

What will everyone wear? Dress up or comfy?

I prefer to look nice on the holidays. Most people wear jeans and a nice sweater or something a little more casual.

For what are you most thankful this year?

Moo, K, & the pups. Family. Our health and safety. The ample togetherness we’ve experienced this year. New leadership. Sustaining work. Privilege and luck in navigating the pandemic. God’s love & grace.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving, my friends! I hope you’re safe, healthy, and full of deliciousness.

Audrey Books

What I Read…

Happy Book Day, book friends! (& HAPPY 30TH BIRTHDAY, AUB!! ❤️ )

I really miss being in this space and my heart has been…. changed recently. I feel better and more passionate about investing in what I love and living authentically and setting new goals. I’m not trying to be vague and I’m not alluding to anything- I just want to pour a little more of me into here.

But back to books for now…

The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley | ★★★★/5 | Mystery
Steph inspired me to finally check this one off my tbr list. It’s a 3.5 star book but I round up. As I’ve mentioned, locked room mysteries are my jam. I feel like it should’ve bothered me that 75% into the book I still didn’t know who’d been murdered and who may have done it… but it didn’t. There was one subplot twist that I figured out pretty early on, but everything else was a surprise. There was a lot going on- I read it fast because I didn’t want to get confused or forget. But I also read it fast because I could hardly put it down. I hated characters and loved characters. Perfect for an intriguing who-dun-it.
Read it? Yeah.

The Marriage Bureau by Penrose Halson | ★★★/5 | Nonfiction
I first heard of this book somewhere in blogland, but it was a long time ago. I’ve had it on my Kindle for a while and I finally decided now was the time. It took me a while to get through it, but that’s typical for me & nonfiction. It was really really interesting! It followed the story of a British marriage bureau- the first of its kind- that popped up between the world wars. I loved hearing about the founders and the clients. It operated like a manual Tinder, haha. The little details and tidbits about war-torn London were fascinating, too. Sometimes it moved rather slowly and sometimes it jumped around a bit… thus the lower star rating. But it was SO interesting and I’m really glad I read it!
Read it? Yes.

And now for some…

Moo Reads!

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown (Clement Hurd illustrator)
This is a weird book. It’s been a LONG time since I’ve read it. Someone was trippin’ when they wrote it… BUT M likes the rhyming and likes counting the kittens/mittens/bears. *shrug*
*The GR reviews are equally entertaining/trippy.

Fisher-Price Little People: Halloween is Here! by Matt Mitter
Super cute. Lots of flaps. Little “challenges” on each page for toddlers.

Trick or Treat on Animal Street by Maggie Fischer (Gina Lorena Maldonado illustrator)
Seriously so damn cute and great for a baby/young toddler.

What did you read this month? Have any favorite Christmas kid books?

Linking up with Steph & Jana for Show Us Your Books!

Audrey Baby Talk

Baby Talk: Parental Pressure

Have you noticed there’s a sense of pressure to enjoy certain things? I’ve written about this before in regards to summer. Summer stresses me out because you’re supposed to do all the things, soak in all the sunshine, experience all the activities… No. I’m hot, it’s hot, and I’m sweating. Let me sit inside with the a/c and burn winter candles, please&thanks.

Mom Guilt aside, there’s a similar pressure in parenting to enjoy ALL the things.
“Being a mom is the most amazing thing I’ll ever do.”
“Dad life is the best life.”
“There is nothing as rewarding as changing a poo splattered diaper and rocking a screaming kid to sleep while your coffee gets cold and your dog eats your dinner off the counter.”
You get it.

The reality is many parts of parenting aren’t fun or glamorous or rewarding. But you feel like a complete tool for admitting as much since the whole world has dubbed the experience “mAgIcAl.”

We’ve been working through this in our home.
I love sleep and there are occasionally nights when Moo decides she NEEDS held from 1:45am to 3:27am. I am VERY aware that it won’t be like this forever, that the extra snuggling is something I will miss, and that her need for me is natural. But I still effing hate being awake and sitting awkwardly hunched over in that damn glider. I love Moo. These moments are not magical.

I LOVE being M’s mom. I would not trade it in for anything- including my former freer life pre-kids- but I am so much more than a mom. I enjoy things OUTSIDE of being a mom. I require and demand time alone. I love my daughter so damn much. I love spending time with her, teaching her, taking care of her. But I don’t love every moment of motherhood. No one does. And so often I think there’s an unrealistic pressure that parents should.

I don’t have an ah-ha moment, but I wanted to share these thoughts because if you’re currently in the parenting trench of very tough stuff (teething, sleeplessness, infancy, day 5 of no shower), you’re not alone and you are 100% allowed to say to yourself (& other), “This sucks.” You can dislike it.

And that’s my up lifting Mom Minute for you today 😆 Sometimes it sucks and that’s normal.

(Thanks, Michelle)

Tune in next week when I talk about random exorcism-level vomiting and how to remain cool, calm, and collected when you’re covered in spoiled milk.

Audrey Holidays & Celebrations!

Thirty Years Old

Hello, again. Saturday is my 30th birthday. Tomorrow is my last day “in my twenties.” I don’t think I’ll wake up feeling any differently on Saturday, but it’s a strange transition nonetheless.

I loved my twenties. I went to India, graduated college, moved out of my parents’ house, adopted several puppers, married K, had my little Moo, bought and sold a few houses, traveled, found my (fingers crossed) forever job… It was a decade of discovery and growth and freedom. I squeezed a lot into those ten years. K was with me for all of it, too ❤️

I momentarily freaked out when I hit 25 but I have no qualms about 30. I truly have everything I want and I’m excited to live my life in that mindset. We’re comfortable, we’re in love, we’re happy. Is 2020 a weird sh*t show? For sure. But personally I’m entering my 30s with confidence.

As such, I thought I’d share 30 thoughts/tips/pieces of advice that I live by…

  1. Look up.
  2. People, animals, and experiences will make you rich. Things will not.
  3. Speak clearly and learn to communicate well. It will alleviate so much heartache.
  4. Spending money to get your dog(s) groomed is worth it.
  5. When you can help someone, help them. When you need help, ask for it.
  6. Pay attention to what and who bring you joy- then invest your time & energy there.
  7. Find your people and show up for them. Quality over quantity.
  8. Know how to calm your mind: pray, read, meditate, write. I prefer sitting in the dark.
  9. Clean your dishwasher & washing machines. I guarantee they’re gross.
  10. Same with fan blades.
  11. The miracle of aging is a gift. Accept your mortality & appreciate your longevity.
  12. “No” is a complete sentence.
  13. Eating chocolate before bed makes for some really weird dreams.
  14. You’re not for everyone. Everyone’s not for you. See #23.
  15. The most rewarding things are often the hardest things.
  16. You can do hard things.
  17. Less really is more.
  18. Order a side of gravy for dipping when you get fries at Dairy Queen. Trust me.
  19. Eat your veggies. And if you don’t like veggies, change how you cook them. They’re delish.
  20. Honesty is the best policy but sometimes silence is the best option.
  21. Respect your sig. other & give him or her the benefit of the doubt. They are on your side.
  22. Drink more water.
  23. It takes all kinds of kinds.
  24. Wild animals are meant to be wild.
  25. The grass is greener where you water it. (K says this a lot actually.)
  26. Adopt don’t shop.
  27. Always try to be kind. You don’t always need to be nice, though.
  28. Absolutely positively NOTHING is guaranteed. And no one owes you a damn thing.
  29. It’s not a good deal if you can’t afford it.
  30. Blowing out someone else’s candle doesn’t make yours brighter.

Just call me the Audi Lama. I kid, I kid. Sometimes (often) I fail to take my own advice, but over the past three decades these are the things I’ve learned bring me the most joy and serenity.

What am I doing for my birthday, you ask? Getting a professional manicure (FINALLY! I’ll be masked up, obvi), going on a family hike, and playing a board game at home. Coming into my 30s like a mad woman! 😉

Audrey Books

What I Read…

Happy Book Day 📚 And happy sixth anniversary to Jana and Steph! Thank you both for hosting this awesome link-up month after month. Our community of readers wouldn’t exist without you two and I definitely wouldn’t have read some of the amazing books I have without you guys!

WordPress changed their layout and, as it turns out, I am not good at learning new things. Especially when I’m only blogging once or twice a month… Grrrr.

Enough whining. On to the books I’ve read.

The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams
★★★★★/5; Contemporary Romance
There was something cute and relatable about this story. I haven’t read many romances about married couples- especially married couples with children. While it was sweet and playful, there were also some deep moments when characters reflected on childhood trauma, loss of one’s identity, and unresolved anger or fear. Nothing was super depressing or uncomfortably deep, but I found the characters more relatable and likable because of their flaws, imperfections, and histories. The twins were adorable, the sister was frustrating but sisterly, and the groups of friends were such a solid support systems for both Gavin & Thea. I love that the book club addressed chivalry vs. chauvinism… your wife/girlfriend/partner isn’t helpless but she wants to feel wanted. It’s a fun concept- men reading romance novels. Lol. I’m sure some do, but I think most would be as uncomfortable as Gavin- at least at first.
Read It? Yep.

That’s it. That’s all she wrote. I’m in the middle of four books right now and I have some Moo reads to share, but I’m already running late with this post soooooo… I’m wrapping it up.

Go read some other reader blogs that have their act more together than me 😉