Confessions of a Middle-Aged, Married Couple

I get asked for product recommendations pretty often, so I thought I’d share a few things I’ve genuinely been loving lately. None of these are sponsored. They’re just things I’ve bought, used, and would absolutely buy again. L’Oréal Lumi Glotion - 10/10. Highly recommend. My spellcheck just changed “glotion” to “glow shit,” and honestly...I feel like it really gets me. This stuff is amazing if you don’t wear a lot of makeup.

That’s it. That’s the whole post.

I get asked all the time how I read so many books. The short answer is that I neglect my family. I’m kidding. Mostly. The truth is, I don’t think I have any magical ability to read faster than anyone else. I haven’t figured out how to squeeze more hours into the day. I’ve just built behaviors and patterns in my life around reading that add up over time. Ironically, the biggest thing I learned came from Gracie, who somehow manages to read even more than I do. She reads the same book two different ways.

This week I thought I’d do something a little different. Instead of writing about parenting or Stanley or my life philosophies, I want to share some of the tiny systems that make my everyday life run just a little smoother. None of these are life-changing. But together, they make life feel lighter. Let’s start with my car. I spend a ridiculous amount of time in it. Driving to work. Running errands. Waiting in pickup lines. Driving to see friends. Road trips. Grocery runs.

I‘ve become convinced that most people don’t actually start relaxing when they arrive at their vacation destination. They start relaxing several days before they leave. Or they don’t. I’ve watched people spend the first three days of a seven-day vacation answering emails from the pool, checking Teams notifications before breakfast, and wondering what kind of disaster they’ll walk back into on Monday. By the time they finally disconnect, it’s time to pack their suitcase and head home.

Tonight, I came up to my bedroom to do my hot girl walk on my walking pad. As I changed out of my work outfit and into something more comfortable for walking, I decided to just… not wear pants. I get so hot when I walk and why go through the hassle of getting into a second whole outfit when I’d be taking a shower after anyway. So, I put on a t-shirt and my walking shoes and got to it. Halfway through my walk, I looked down and laughed out loud at myself.

This weekend, we took the kids to spend the next week with my sister’s family. Michael has an interest in building and construction, so he is going to shadow my brother-in-law for a few days in his GC firm. And I’m sure Gracie will be living her best life with Aunt Ginny. On Thursday, Chris and I will drive up to meet everyone at my mom’s boathouse on Lake Lanier in Georgia to spend the 4th on the lake.

‘Tis summer time, friends. Which means so many of you are heading out on vacations. Most of you will spend a few days at at least one theme park, but there’s so much more to see in Central Florida than the parks (although, those are absolutely amazing!). As a 15-year resident of Orlando, here are a few non-park itineraries I always use when family and friends come to town: DAY ONE: Check into your hotel.

It’s so dang hot in Orlando right now. It was 104 degrees today. Real temperature, not even the “feels like.” The humidity makes it feel like you’re walking through soup. Even the pool water is hot. Every woman over the age of 40 here is feral. I can’t even explain the hot flashes when it’s so hot outside. Honestly, sometimes it’s hard to tell you’re having a hot flash or if this is just your summer temperature.

Lately, I’ve been noticing something on my drive home from work. Not every day. Not in some dramatic way. Just a quiet feeling that settles in somewhere between leaving my office and pulling into the driveway. Life is good. Not perfect. Not easy. Not free from stress or responsibility or the occasional frustration. But good. My workdays are full, but they’re not suffocating.