With only a year left in my 30s, I wanted to put in writing some things I want to get done – and some things I’d like to let go of – before I turn 40.
10 Years
Nearly 14 years ago, a rookie reporter met a sports editor at the newspaper where they both worked in Yuma, Ariz. At first, they were friends. A few months later they started dating, and a couple moves/jobs/years later, they were married. The newlyweds lived in a Reno apartment and both worked at the newspaper. He, a sportswriter, worked many nights… View Post
New School, New Gear
Peanut started pre-K last week and, for the first time in three years, she and Pumpkin are now at the same school! When she was at her daycare, the school fed her meals, and she had a cubby for her spare clothes and nap-time blankie, so she didn’t have a need for a backpack or lunch box until now. With… View Post
Graduating preschool
Peanut started Pre-K this week, moving to her sister’s school. Until then, she had been at the same daycare since we bought our house when she was five months old. Earlier this summer, she participated in graduation with many of her friends who were moving out of state, or going on to Kindergarten or Pre-K, like her. It was pretty… View Post
Podcast reviews: true crime from comedies to cover-ups
You guys. I have recently discovered podcasts, and I don’t know why it took me this long to start listening! In the past, I would listen to NPR on the commute to and from work, but often the timing would result in me catching repeat stories after a while, so I would switch to a music station. But then my… View Post
Plastic Free – Week One
I learned a lot during the first week of Plastic Free July and wanted to do an update. Bulk shopping I definitely had a few wins: On Sunday, we went grocery shopping at Sprouts and I brought glass jars for shopping bulk. I had reached out to Sprouts ahead of time, and they suggested I have them weighed at the… View Post
Plastic-Free July
This month, I will be participating in the Plastic-Free July challenge. Just thinking about the challenge in the past couple of weeks has been eye-opening. I discovered Plastic Free July when a friend shared about the challenge on Instagram. Some of you may know that my master’s degree is in environmental journalism, and that program encouraged me to make… View Post
Funemployment
Lessons learned (and funny anecdotes) from losing my job, to finding a new one, and the time in between.
A Week of After-School Snacks
I put together a week’s worth of kid-approved after-school snacks, which also make great snacks for summer afternoons! During the few weeks I was between jobs I kept Peanut home with me for a bit, and we would pick Pumpkin at the end of the school day (rather than send her to after care as we do when I’m working)…. View Post
New job, new clothes
So, I started a new job this week (more to come on that soon). With the new job, I wanted to add a few new items to my work wardrobe to mark the occasion. Check out some of the things I picked up below! And for those of you wondering, “Aren’t these clothes a bit warm for summer in Arizona?”… View Post
5 reasons I want to be my 4-year-old when I grow up
Peanut, our second born, can be a handful. She prods the dogs, annoys her big sister, is resistant to any consequence we try to invoke to get her behavior on track, still frequently wakes up in the middle of the night, and often floods the sink when washing her hands. But despite all that, I kind of want to be… View Post
Easy tricks for low-stress mornings
Everything takes longer when you’re in a hurry. Spend a little bit of time on these tasks before bed to give yourself a stress-free (or at least lower-stress) morning. All photos courtesy Cindy Urtuzuastegui Photography. A few months ago, my friend Orsi of How I Adult invited me to join in a 30-day challenge. I could challenge myself to do anything… View Post
Surviving a Photo Shoot with Kids
My kids probably have their photos taken more than many others. Here are a few things we’ve learned on surviving a photo shoot with kids!
Office Craft Closet Makeover
My husband made over the closet in our shared home office into an amazing space for me to store and work on crafts. Come take a look! When Peanut was born, we were in a temporary three-bedroom rental house and put her crib up in the room we had been using as our office. For two people who frequently work… View Post
Gabel Home: Play Room Tour
Our play room is a fun and functional space – bright and colorful and full of personalized touches.
Moms and daughters
After I attended an event a few weeks ago, I told Mr. G that I had been too shy to ask a question. Pumpkin was incredulous. “But mom,” she said, “You’re not SHY!” Of course, I am shy on many occasions. And consider myself to be pretty socially awkward at times. So it was interesting to realize that, to my… View Post
Making hummus with Peanut
Peanut loves hummus, on everything, so I thought now was the time to teach her how to make my grandma’s recipe.
The Best Vacation Decision We Made
Last month, when we went to my hometown on vacation, between the four of us and my sister’s family, there were seven of us. Even in the house I grew up in, that would have been a tight squeeze, but my mom has downsized since then, so it definitely wasn’t going to work. So, we decided to get a rental… View Post
Summer of Ice Cream
Mr. G and I came up with a family summer project when Pumpkin started summer break: try a new ice cream shop every week. I was trying to limit dessert to once a week (which failed miserably) and thought it would be fun to make the one dessert special, and to try places we hadn’t been yet as a family…. View Post
How to: Photo Flower Bouquet
This photo flower bouquet is a quick and easy to make and makes a cute, personal gift for parents, grandparents or teachers!
Carly, four ways
For those of you who follow me on Instagram, you may have figured out that I have two LuLaRoe Carly dresses and I wear them on repeat. I thought it would be fun to start a new blog series, “Four Ways,” and what better way to start than with something I wear so often! (Also, FYI, I plan to include other… View Post
Grandma’s Recipes: Black Moons
My grandma’s recipe for Black Moons – chocolate sandwich cookies – are a taste of nostalgia, and a hit with my kiddos.
Scrabble Tile Wine Glass Charms
How to make wine glass charms using Scrabble tiles.
How to: Mini cupcakes in mini pots
I was inspired by my craft group’s terra cotta pot painting project to create these mini cupcake pots!
Seven
Seven years ago, Pumpkin made her earthly debut approximately 21 minutes after I was admitted to the hospital, and this Battle Born baby has been doing things on her terms ever since. The girl loves a good argument, and she doesn’t back down. (This will serve her well in the long term, but can sometimes be exhausting for her parents…. View Post
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