THURSDAY'S THOUGHTS

VIA RACHEL CASTLE

FEELING: One thing I worry about the most in terms of Max starting preschool is what he'll share with his teachers and classmates, particularly his love for shows like Naked and Afraid and Chasing Monsters. I don't know, you tell me. Do normal four-year-olds beg to watch these shows? I blame my dad and Flyboy for our kid's love of the ubiquitous survival show on the Discovery Channel in which the contestants strip down to the bare essentials. As for Cyril Chauquet's series, I'm at a loss. Can somebody tell me why this show about colossal underwater creatures is featured on NETFLIX KIDS? Ha Ha! His peers will be off in a corner discussing Paw Patrol or PJ Masks and Max will be asking his schoolmates about their PSR (primitive survival rating) and what they know about Vampire Fish in the Amazon jungle.

THANKFUL FOR: Starting tomorrow, we *should* get a week long break from the heat and I'm not mad about it. I've been itching to visit the local orchard to pick peaches, but there's nothing fun about doing that in 98% humidity. Perhaps this will be the weekend we finally make it happen?! Getting to wear a sweatshirt would sweeten the deal.

THINKING ABOUT: When I chose the hardware to update our kitchen cupboards, I had NO clue how difficult it would be to install the brass pulls we bought from CB2. Gulp! I can see now why so many people opt for knobs after watching Flyboy struggle with getting the measurements accurate. We've taken multiple shots to get this right over the past few months, and despite purchasing several jigs, getting out the level countless times, and turning to our family for help, we've decided it's time to call in a professional. This is one of those instances in which the installation is just not worth the hassle for us. We're less likely to notice if the handles are a hair off when we're not to blame.

READING: Every two weeks, Max and I make it a point to visit the Dover library to check out a dozen books. We scored several winners this past visit and enjoyed a handful of the books so much, I ended up buying a copy for us to keep at home. Here are the children's books we added to our personal collection. Prepare yourself for cuteness overload!

High Five by Adam Rubin

The Day the Crayons Came Home by Drew Daywalt

Robo-Sauce by Adam Rubin

A History of Pictures by David Hockney and Martin Gayford

My Teacher is a Monster! by Peter Brown

WATCHING: We started watching HBO's Succession a few weeks ago and now we're absolutely hooked. The melodrama about the dysfunctional Roy family (read more about it here) took an episode or two for me to get into, as it's not my usual choice of entertainment, but now I've found myself opting to watch it instead of Below Deck or RHOC. Gasp!  

EATING: Starting the day off with protein doesn't come easy to yours truly. Give me all the carbs! While I understand the benefits of increasing my protein intake, eating sausage or eggs first thing each morning got old really quick (not to mention the migraines eggs can trigger—yowzah!). Bored and unsatisfied with my options, I looked all over Pinterest for recipe ideas and started whipping up my own version of an Iced Coffee Protein Shake instead. 

Iced Coffee Protein Shake

(2 Servings)

1.5 Cups of Ice

1 Cup of Califia Farms Unsweetened Almond Milk

1 Cup of Trader Joe's Cold Brew Coffee

1 Banana

2 Scoops of Orgain Organic Vanilla Protein Powder

2 Scoops of PBfit Peanut Butter Powder

LISTENING: Four-year-olds say the darnedest things. For instance, this past week on our way home from signing up for preschool, Max caught me off guard when he told me: "My heart is sure going to miss you when I'm at preschool, mommy." Be still my flipping heart. But don't worry, in true Maxwell fashion, the kid kept me humble when a few hours later he asked: "Why do they call it running errands? I've never seen mommy run anywhere!" Guys, he's not wrong.

LOVING: After texting back and forth with my sister regarding Kristin Ess products, I realized I never shared my adoration for The One Signature Hair Water from her line, which can be found at Target. It's my favorite way to hit refresh when I want to stick to washing my hair twice a week, but I still need to work out and style my mop on the days in between. It revives and hydrates my hair in ways different than your trusty dry shampoo. Oh, and for the fellow moms out there with kids that wake up with insane bed head, this fine mist works wonders on Max as well. One bottle lasts approximately 4.5 months, so if you're skeptical about buying a can of water, I promise it's worth the $10.

How are you feeling today? What are you up to? Thanks for stopping by!!