Seven Toppings: 7 of 31

It's Taco Tuesday! Who wants toppings and condiments? I know I do! 

I love a good taco. I make a variety of meat fillings for my family each week. But, for myself, I usually stick with a lentil-mushroom mixture seasoned with spices. The real stars of the show on a taco night are the toppings. I never dare disappoint.

We have saucier toppings like salsa and taco sauce. Then the creamy and cheesy toppings (non-dairy
for me). Last, I love a crunchy veggie topping. Diced tomato is a stand-alone. Then I mixed iceberg, cilantro, and white onion. 

Sometimes I'll do shaved cabbage, carrot, and onion for something different. It gives a yummy freshness to the other ingredients. 

Who else is eating tacos tonight?

Six Chickens: 6 of 31

I love my drive to and from work. Most of the time, anyway. When the roads are snow-covered or terribly slick, it's another story. However, the other day I was driving home, and along the side of the road, six different chickens were nibbling away at the grassy edge. Since I was driving, I couldn't snap a picture, but they were so pretty. Some of them were all black, some red with lighter tones, and one or two were a light beige or golden. 

After driving by, I wondered if they were finding little bugs or worms. We had just thawed out from a nasty ice storm, and everything was soft, muddy, and melty. I hope I see them again in the next few weeks. With slightly warmer temps, they might find some tasty treats as long as they stay off the road!

Five Day Forecast: 5 of 31

As I sit down mid-morning, I'm getting ready to plan for the work week. Five days ahead and thinking of my to-do list and all the things that may interrupt the plans. 

I start with the forecast. I'm seeing mild temps for all five days, so we won't encounter any snow days. We might even get some extra sunshine! Yay for Vitamin D! 

Seriously, the break into sunshine after months of gray is uplifting for this Michigan girl. Every Michigander has low Vitamin D by default just because we live here. And even though I know this and am always deficient, it is a supplement I struggle to take consistently. So when I see partly sunny days are ahead, with temps in the 40-degree range, I welcome it!

Here's to planning a whole week of school and getting extra warmth on my skin!

Four Steps: 4 of 31

As I get older, seeing how the body changes is interesting. I find myself adjusting routines, and many of them have been successful. About four years ago, I went back to a nearly all-plant-based diet to help lower my cholesterol and shift the balance I needed in my body. Plant-based eating wasn't entirely new to me, so it was easy to return to it, even if I was the only one in my family doing so. Spending time making delicious food just for me is a treat, although I often find myself needing to share because it is so good. 

Another step I've taken to better care for myself started about a year ago. I decided to invest in some good skin care products and set a routine I could stick with each day. My morning skincare regimen has four steps. Whether running behind with my morning responsibilities or not, I have stuck with this four-step routine for many months, and I love it. 

Step one: Cleanse the face with a gentle wash like Cetaphil or CeraVe. One of their mild ones without any extra exfoliants or acids. 

Step two: Onto my fingertips, I use one dropper full of a vitamin C serum. The one I use is made by La Roche-Possay. It is the most pricey item I use on my face, but it smells fantastic, and my skin loves it!

Step three: After step two is fully dry, I spritz a bit of spring water to dampen my skin again and put on serum number two, Hyaluronic Acid by Good Molecules. This is a very affordable brand and does the job of hydrating. I love it! My skin is so springy afterward.

Step four: My final skincare step is a moisturizer with SPF. My favorite right now is CeraVe Ultra-Lite Moisturizer with SPF 30. It soaks right in, and my face is so happy. 

I smile through all these steps. With each layer, I find myself often saying, "I love this." 

It's a small part of my day, but I look forward to it each morning. It's one of those ways I can care for myself, feel deserving of something just for me, and have a little reset that gets me ready for the day. 

What little routines do you have that make you smile every day? 

Three Days: 3 of 31

Last week we had THREE days off of school. An ice storm wiped out power across many counties, water main breaks, downed trees, and slippery roads created massive closures across the state. Today we have a winter storm watch, and I'd like to know if I'll get the text, call, notification, ping, another call, and so on. 

To be clear, I love snow days. I will never complain about getting extra time to relax my brain. I won't mind the spare time in my pajamas. There will be no concern over leaving my children alone and not forcing them out of their beds to get ready. I would be thrilled with a day at home, safe and sound, warm and cozy. However, did I mention we missed three days of school last week? I'm finally gaining momentum and hoping we can finish the week strong. Again, won't complain if things go in another direction. Also, I will be fine if I need to pull my kids out of bed, make some lunches, and head out by 6:50 a.m. 

*Update: We had school, and less than an hour into class, they announced we would be dismissed early. 

Two Days: 2 of 31

Two days. 

Two days off of school for my son. 

My 17-year-old son has had a rough winter with illness after illness. Today it was low O2 levels, breathing treatments, and figuring out what he can and cannot do. It's his senior year. He is a band kid, and festival is this week. He has a solo, a beautiful solo, in one of the songs. But here we are, trying to decide whether he can participate. Not participating is devastating; so many lasts are here, this final year of high school. And yet, participating might be devastating to him physically if he can't get enough oxygen to play a sound. 

So now, it's more than just considering how we get him caught up when high school is so demanding in these final months. It's also, how do we tell him he might miss out? Again. 

A Numbers Game: 1 of 31

I got this idea today. 

I'm not someone who typically goes with a theme (topic really) for slices across the month, but I had a thought. Just one thought about it. 

What if, this month, each slice is connected to a quantity?

Today's slice is connected to the number ONE. The first of March. One singular day down in the month of daily writing. One thought. An idea. A consideration. 

Whenever I have tried a common thread connecting all my slices, it's made the writing challenging and very focused. 

I like focus.

I like efficiency and cohesion. 

I also love creative mess as much as I love structure.

So, here it goes!

Today, I tore one page off my classroom calendar and wrote one phrase inside one box. On March 17, 2023, it will be "Popcorn and Pickle Day." Our most recent Popcorn and Pickle Day was canceled due to school closures from a recent ice storm. I got an email today informing me that my homeroom class would get a popcorn and pickle celebration on St. Patrick's Day. Sometimes the little things like a salty snack on a Friday in the future can put a smile on your face. Although many twelve-year-old faces fell in disappointment that it was SO MANY DAYS away, they were happy to see we would get to look forward to the treat. 

One down, TWO tomorrow!

We'll see if I can keep it going. I'm going to be on the lookout for doubles.