I’m really appreciating this community lately. I have learned so many valuable things. Most recently, a witch saw me Tweet about how I aspire to wear my bedding as clothing and she told me about this LL Bean Wearable Throw with the following description:
That’s the best kind of recommendation. I decided to splurge on one and when it arrived, I put it on immediately and have been vamping around the house saying things like “I’m cozy like you, now” to the dog. It’s a soft blanket for only me and not one that the kids drag around on the floor or the dog sits on. That was the best DM-inspired thing I’ve bought maybe ever. (This is not an ad/spon. I realize this glorified Snuggie is not cheap.)
Meanwhile, if you’re a paid subscriber, last week we had a thread about what family tasks we wish we could outsource and one witch talked about how she has gotten rid of the task of arranging summer camp which I thought was just plain genius.
What’s something valuable you learned about from a fellow witch, online or IRL, recent or from long ago? It can apply to parenting, home, work, wardrobe—anything that made your life better with a little witchy cleverness and levelheaded perspective. (I still remember the witch who convinced me to stop folding my pajamas and workout clothes, too…)
I spend an hour commuting with my kids in the car each day (30 min each way). This is far from ideal. I started checking out audio books from the library. We went through the entire Harry Potter series and are now moved on to Narnia. There is no realistic option to make our commute shorter now, but at least I can tell myself it’s the same amount of time I would spend reading out loud to my kids except with better voices. Also I stuff the backseats with a rotation of science comics and graphic novels. Art supplies used to be there but they usually break and make a mess. Origami paper and a how to guide have worked for one kid. The half hour from school to home is now their “settle down time” where they listen to the audiobook and have a snack. Frequently they ask me to pause it so they can tell me about their day or similar. Between novels there are some amazing kids podcasts out there like Greeking Out.
The other hack that has worked for us is at the dinner table I would ask the kids to tell me two truths and a lie. This has been more informative about their days than just asking or doing the rose/thorn thing. Really recommend!
I live in Minnesota, and my neighbor who was wearing her snow pants and full long down jacket in 40 degrees who just said "why be cold?" changed my whole perspective on when to break out the winter gear and how heavy to dress. Toughing out the cold in shorts and sandals is for teens, as an adult with disposable income I buy the good stuff and now wear it early and often. Wisdom for the ages.
I’m not sure this would work for everyone but someone recommended our local buy nothing group for getting rid of stuff. I am trying to be more mindful of keeping stuff we don’t use and love the idea of a neighbor getting something they need for free. Anyway it’s been wonderful. Post it in the group, put it on the porch, gone. Goodbye stuff! You live in someone else’s house now. They can dust and/or trip over you.
(1) The recommendation I’m going to take next week is the “weekday me-day.” Take a weekday while the kid is at school off or mostly off from work. Go to the high end spa, book a massage and read a book. That way I’m not taking away from kid time but I’m still getting a break. Brilliant suggestion from a friend
(2) the “awesome” suggestion from me is commissioning art. Turns out you can commission things at normal price tags as well as thousands and thousands of dollars. I have a kick ass vase coming just for me from amyraehill.com.
Period panties. Bambody from amazon is my favorite (get them 2 sizes larger than you think you need). They do not stink. They are no more gross than a pad or a tampon. They are so comfortable. They wash up perfectly. yes, this is better for the planet but more importantly they make being on my period so much less uncomfortable - especially since in my 40's I sometimes get really big bleeds that even a super tampon can't stop.
I've been in a lunch rut lately and finally reached out to a local mom group I'm a part of for suggestions. And boy did they! My favorite suggestion has been making myself really good sandwiches with sourdough, fancy mayonnaise, the good deli cheese and meat, and pickles. It's really nice to tell myself that I can have the "good" stuff and not just settle for leftovers (which are also delicious but frankly not what I need right now)
Look up your dishwasher model and google/amazon "(your dishwasher model) silverware basket" and buy an extra silverware basket for your dishwasher. That way if you, like me, don't always immediately unload your clean dishwasher, you can throw dirty silverware into the extra basket and then put it right into the dishwasher once you do get around to unloading it. I learned this from KC Davis/domesticblisters on tiktok and I'm not exaggerating when I say it has CHANGED MY LIFE. I am a total evangelist for extra dishwasher basket. It will be my default housewarming present from now on.
Oct 24, 2022·edited Oct 24, 2022Liked by Claire Zulkey
Oooh when the kids were younger a mom friend mentioned that some kid gyms have a parents night out where you can drop your kid off on a Friday or Saturday night and they have your kid climb walls and tucker them out, feed them pizza, etc for a few hours while you can go out for your own grown up dinner. Once you pick your kids up they are exhausted and ready for bed. Everyone wins! We got a package to a gym relatively close by and were able to milk it for several date nights.
My friend just told me that for christmas, get the kids a play kitchen from Craigslist if possible, because that way it comes ALREADY ASSEMBLED. My mind was blown. Of course. Craigslist. I won't have to *set it up*. Last year I was up until four am building a little tikes ice cream truck. This year I know better.
-When you get a kids prescription, tape masking tape to the side and draw circles / days of week so you can keep track of doses.
- send your kids outside and tell them they should come in "when they are ready to clean their rooms" (proceed to not see them for hours)
- inspired by the "Shamu saved my marriage" Modern Love essay, I often think "put the food where I want their bodies to be" (sometimes this is outside, sometimes it's in the basement, rarely it's in the kitchen where I am)
- from my sister "if you say bored, you get a chore"
When u take your kids’ temperature or give meds take a photo on your phone. That way you know the temperature & time of day and when you last gave them their mess. Meds. Typo stays🤣😂
1. At my baby shower (2014), a former colleague/friend with a toddler brought a large bottle of Mustela No Rinse Cleansing Water for Face and Diaper Area for Baby. She was like, someone gave me this and it is the best, so here. It IS the best. It smells delicious but mildly so, and on a wipe, it instantly cleans lingering poo film/spit up residue /all baby crevice cheese and related smells. It can get to you through when a bath is not feasible or possible, like blowouts. It looks like a euro extra fussy baby item, but was CRUCIAL. Now it is what I bring to all parents-to-be. Also, the first bottle, even with almost daily use, lasted me till she was about 9 months old, when I promptly replaced it.
2. Oxy Clean, even for already-washed and dried grease stains (looking at you, milk and formula.) And now just--all child-related stains.
Another wearable blanket option that gets me through the winter: Venustas Wearable Blanket Hoodie on Amazon - currently about $34 and worth every penny.
1) I am absolutely obsessed with this salt: Amabito No Moshio (Seaweed Salt). It adds a subtle umami flavor to whatever you're working with. Totally worth upgrading from your basic table or sea salt.
2) If you like fidget toys or want to keep your hands busy, may I recommend the best fidget toy I've ever interacted with: PILPOC theFube Infinity Cube Fidget Desk Toy. Make sure it looks like you're getting one of colored metal. These ones have a weight to them that is soooo satisfying, and they'll hold up longer.
Claire, I am here in Victoria with my brother Den and new sister-in-law Cala as Den almost died last week. Anyway last night we were cleaning the bathroom together, getting ready to bring Den home from open heart surgery, and she came out of her bedroom wearing this gorgeous faux-fur cape thing. Apparently it is a Christmas tree skirt she bought for $15 last Christmas. She wore it all the time for a couple of months and got compliments constantly. I will send you a pic later.
This isn't a product recommendation but I recently finished The Empress on Netflix and LOVED IT. I watched most of it on a plane traveling to a work conference. If you like Victoria or The Crown, take some time for yourself and check it out. (Keep in mind that it is in German; I couldn't watch while suffering a terrible headache post COVID booster.)
My life was changed when my neighbor recommended just going to Supercuts once a week and having them wash and blow out my hair. My hair is very frizzy/curly and hard to manage--I was spending a ton of money on products/tools/special conditioners anyways, and so honestly I feel like the cost kind of works out! Plus I get to sit in a chair and read for an hour. I did make some cuts in other parts of the budget to make it work--no more fancy coffees in my life lol.
That wearable throw looks awesome! I have a big blanket like that and yes, I try working with it wrapped around me sometimes, but the wearable throw looks like it'd work so much better. WHY DID NO ONE TELL ME ABOUT THIS WHILE I STILL HAD KIDS PLAYING FALL SOCCER ??
I spend an hour commuting with my kids in the car each day (30 min each way). This is far from ideal. I started checking out audio books from the library. We went through the entire Harry Potter series and are now moved on to Narnia. There is no realistic option to make our commute shorter now, but at least I can tell myself it’s the same amount of time I would spend reading out loud to my kids except with better voices. Also I stuff the backseats with a rotation of science comics and graphic novels. Art supplies used to be there but they usually break and make a mess. Origami paper and a how to guide have worked for one kid. The half hour from school to home is now their “settle down time” where they listen to the audiobook and have a snack. Frequently they ask me to pause it so they can tell me about their day or similar. Between novels there are some amazing kids podcasts out there like Greeking Out.
The other hack that has worked for us is at the dinner table I would ask the kids to tell me two truths and a lie. This has been more informative about their days than just asking or doing the rose/thorn thing. Really recommend!
I live in Minnesota, and my neighbor who was wearing her snow pants and full long down jacket in 40 degrees who just said "why be cold?" changed my whole perspective on when to break out the winter gear and how heavy to dress. Toughing out the cold in shorts and sandals is for teens, as an adult with disposable income I buy the good stuff and now wear it early and often. Wisdom for the ages.
I’m not sure this would work for everyone but someone recommended our local buy nothing group for getting rid of stuff. I am trying to be more mindful of keeping stuff we don’t use and love the idea of a neighbor getting something they need for free. Anyway it’s been wonderful. Post it in the group, put it on the porch, gone. Goodbye stuff! You live in someone else’s house now. They can dust and/or trip over you.
Easy way to keep your shower/bathtub clean:
1. Get one of those pot scrubbers with a soap dispenser
2. Fill the dispenser 1:1 with white vinegar and Dawn dish soap.
3. Keep it in the bathroom. Before getting out of the shower/bath scrub down the surfaces and rinse.
It takes 5 minutes at the most.
(1) The recommendation I’m going to take next week is the “weekday me-day.” Take a weekday while the kid is at school off or mostly off from work. Go to the high end spa, book a massage and read a book. That way I’m not taking away from kid time but I’m still getting a break. Brilliant suggestion from a friend
(2) the “awesome” suggestion from me is commissioning art. Turns out you can commission things at normal price tags as well as thousands and thousands of dollars. I have a kick ass vase coming just for me from amyraehill.com.
Period panties. Bambody from amazon is my favorite (get them 2 sizes larger than you think you need). They do not stink. They are no more gross than a pad or a tampon. They are so comfortable. They wash up perfectly. yes, this is better for the planet but more importantly they make being on my period so much less uncomfortable - especially since in my 40's I sometimes get really big bleeds that even a super tampon can't stop.
I've been in a lunch rut lately and finally reached out to a local mom group I'm a part of for suggestions. And boy did they! My favorite suggestion has been making myself really good sandwiches with sourdough, fancy mayonnaise, the good deli cheese and meat, and pickles. It's really nice to tell myself that I can have the "good" stuff and not just settle for leftovers (which are also delicious but frankly not what I need right now)
Look up your dishwasher model and google/amazon "(your dishwasher model) silverware basket" and buy an extra silverware basket for your dishwasher. That way if you, like me, don't always immediately unload your clean dishwasher, you can throw dirty silverware into the extra basket and then put it right into the dishwasher once you do get around to unloading it. I learned this from KC Davis/domesticblisters on tiktok and I'm not exaggerating when I say it has CHANGED MY LIFE. I am a total evangelist for extra dishwasher basket. It will be my default housewarming present from now on.
Oooh when the kids were younger a mom friend mentioned that some kid gyms have a parents night out where you can drop your kid off on a Friday or Saturday night and they have your kid climb walls and tucker them out, feed them pizza, etc for a few hours while you can go out for your own grown up dinner. Once you pick your kids up they are exhausted and ready for bed. Everyone wins! We got a package to a gym relatively close by and were able to milk it for several date nights.
My friend just told me that for christmas, get the kids a play kitchen from Craigslist if possible, because that way it comes ALREADY ASSEMBLED. My mind was blown. Of course. Craigslist. I won't have to *set it up*. Last year I was up until four am building a little tikes ice cream truck. This year I know better.
So many!
-When you get a kids prescription, tape masking tape to the side and draw circles / days of week so you can keep track of doses.
- send your kids outside and tell them they should come in "when they are ready to clean their rooms" (proceed to not see them for hours)
- inspired by the "Shamu saved my marriage" Modern Love essay, I often think "put the food where I want their bodies to be" (sometimes this is outside, sometimes it's in the basement, rarely it's in the kitchen where I am)
- from my sister "if you say bored, you get a chore"
also PS DOWN WITH FOLDING CLOTHES, it's a scam!
When u take your kids’ temperature or give meds take a photo on your phone. That way you know the temperature & time of day and when you last gave them their mess. Meds. Typo stays🤣😂
1. At my baby shower (2014), a former colleague/friend with a toddler brought a large bottle of Mustela No Rinse Cleansing Water for Face and Diaper Area for Baby. She was like, someone gave me this and it is the best, so here. It IS the best. It smells delicious but mildly so, and on a wipe, it instantly cleans lingering poo film/spit up residue /all baby crevice cheese and related smells. It can get to you through when a bath is not feasible or possible, like blowouts. It looks like a euro extra fussy baby item, but was CRUCIAL. Now it is what I bring to all parents-to-be. Also, the first bottle, even with almost daily use, lasted me till she was about 9 months old, when I promptly replaced it.
2. Oxy Clean, even for already-washed and dried grease stains (looking at you, milk and formula.) And now just--all child-related stains.
Another wearable blanket option that gets me through the winter: Venustas Wearable Blanket Hoodie on Amazon - currently about $34 and worth every penny.
1) I am absolutely obsessed with this salt: Amabito No Moshio (Seaweed Salt). It adds a subtle umami flavor to whatever you're working with. Totally worth upgrading from your basic table or sea salt.
2) If you like fidget toys or want to keep your hands busy, may I recommend the best fidget toy I've ever interacted with: PILPOC theFube Infinity Cube Fidget Desk Toy. Make sure it looks like you're getting one of colored metal. These ones have a weight to them that is soooo satisfying, and they'll hold up longer.
Oh - The PROPER way to open a can (this was LIFE CHANGING )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVYrWJqxejU&ab_channel=40%2F29News
Claire, I am here in Victoria with my brother Den and new sister-in-law Cala as Den almost died last week. Anyway last night we were cleaning the bathroom together, getting ready to bring Den home from open heart surgery, and she came out of her bedroom wearing this gorgeous faux-fur cape thing. Apparently it is a Christmas tree skirt she bought for $15 last Christmas. She wore it all the time for a couple of months and got compliments constantly. I will send you a pic later.
This isn't a product recommendation but I recently finished The Empress on Netflix and LOVED IT. I watched most of it on a plane traveling to a work conference. If you like Victoria or The Crown, take some time for yourself and check it out. (Keep in mind that it is in German; I couldn't watch while suffering a terrible headache post COVID booster.)
My life was changed when my neighbor recommended just going to Supercuts once a week and having them wash and blow out my hair. My hair is very frizzy/curly and hard to manage--I was spending a ton of money on products/tools/special conditioners anyways, and so honestly I feel like the cost kind of works out! Plus I get to sit in a chair and read for an hour. I did make some cuts in other parts of the budget to make it work--no more fancy coffees in my life lol.
That wearable throw looks awesome! I have a big blanket like that and yes, I try working with it wrapped around me sometimes, but the wearable throw looks like it'd work so much better. WHY DID NO ONE TELL ME ABOUT THIS WHILE I STILL HAD KIDS PLAYING FALL SOCCER ??
I have an electric heated throw from Target that I use all day while working. But I want the wearable throw anyway!