What Did You Do This Weekend?

Went thrift store shopping with a friend who is in the midst of a lousy divorce. We spent hours combing through one, catching up, and scoring some great finds. It was a pure, unhurried delight.

I absolutely love Arundhati Roy, since reading 20 years ago her The God of Small Things. This is one of my ever favourites. it’s a master piece. The auto-biography (Mother Mary comes to me) is crucial to understand all her books and activism. She’s truly a wonderful and compassionate human being.

So late to this, but hoping others might be catching up on posts over this weekend and might have advice, or solidarity. I spent last weekend hanging with my husband and our sweet, hilarious toddlers, and also navigating a brand new celiac diagnosis. It wasn’t a huge surprise, I had a blood test last spring that came back extremely high for celiac and now I officially have my endoscopy results. What’s funny is that I felt completely at peace with it for the first few days. It’s a big shift (I looove gluten) but it also felt totally fine: it’s not terminal, there’s never been a better/easier time to be gluten-free, having an official diagnosis gives me access to services and specialists, there’s a very straightforward solution to healing my body, most, if not all, of my medical mystery symptoms from the last few years might disappear in the next six months, etc. – all good news! And I had a shortlist of my very favourite foods that have gluten, and went on a farewell tour where I ate, and thoroughly enjoyed, them all. But then last weekend I just felt so, so sad. My husband and I both love cooking and love food, and I keep reminding myself that there is lots of naturally gluten free food in the world (a lot that we already love and make!) and there are also lots of good gluten-free versions of things now, but there are also some textures and flavours that brought me so much joy that I will literally never get to experience again. I guess I just don’t quite know where to put my sadness, and I wonder if there are other COJ celiacs out there who felt similarly when they were diagnosed. Transitions are hard!

How has the full week passed already?! Last weekend, I drove to a different city in a snowstorm so that I could watch my daughter in her last artistic swim (synchro) competition of the season. She is 10, and it’s her first year, so even though her club does team travel, she wants us to be there and I don’t think there’s a snowstorm bad enough it could have kept me away. The first day of the competition is when they do their figures; it’s sort of a display of technical skills, and everyone is in a black swimsuit with a white cap. There were more than 100 athletes in her division, and they all looked the same, but amazingly, I could still pick her out by her posture and body language, the shape of her head, and the colour of the strap on her goggles. The second day is when they do their group routines, and I cried for every single group that swam. Like just pure awe and pride, choking me up, and bursting from my heart out my eyes; they were so amazing!!

I saw the closing show of John Proctor is the Villain at the Royal Court Theatre! That final scene — I was actually sobbing. It’s moving to the West End in 2027 and I’m already trying to plot how to make a trip back to London to make it happen. I love art.

I can’t remember the last time I had a bagel. That sounds so good. Gonna search one out asap.

We eloped!!! 4 people including us on our favorite trail. Couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day.

Probably no one will see this comment. LOL. I love reading about what everyone did in the comments but if it’s too long it’s too hard to read. Maybe bullet point the main parts so it’s easier for us to read? Thank you!

This was such a cozy and joyful read! The rainy-day bagel brunch sounds like the perfect way to bring people together—and a surprise princess guest makes it even better 😊 The mug with Anton’s school photo is such a sweet idea too. Loved this weekend recap format!

Spent a long weekend away as the entertainer-in-chief for my friends’ three year olds. I was in heaven! Highlights: * the parents are teaching the children to say please and thank you. I asked one of the children “what do you say?” when he asked me to hand him something and he looked puzzled for a second, then said “I want it?” * “Come back my darling heart!” screamed just shortly after telling the other child to go away * Explaining “you cannot touch that. That is an iron and it is very hot and it will hurt you.” Response: “why will it hurt me?” * One of the children saying “where did the other one go?” ie learning he still didn’t know his friend’s name after three days together! * Declining to be ridden like a horse in the living room and the child thinking I just didn’t understand what that meant, so he delivered me a very earnest demonstration!

The dog pic is at one of my neighborhood coffee shops, Bittersweet! Fun fact: they have the BEST dog treats and my dog reacts to them like it’s crack. The recipe is by a woman named Michelle who used to be the “treat lady” in Fort Greene Park (across the street from the coffee shop), who sadly passed away a few years back. She was awesome!

umm… are Toby’s shoes on the wrong feet? 😆

Saw the play “Vincent”, about Vincent Van Gogh and his brother Theo, written by Leonard Nimoy (yes, Spock!) It was very well done and we liked it. They also served tiramisu afterwards.

It was Indie Bookshop Day this weekend and continued a project I started last year, sketching my way through as many independent bookshops as possible here in NYC! I’ve done over 60 so far (@ramblingsketcher on IG if you want to check them out)

I’m late to this because I was traveling this weekend–my friend and I met up in Big Sur to run a race! It was gorgeous; I saw dolphins and whales. But also–I recently saw this and thought of the people here: https://www.tiktok.com/@basincreekretirement/video/7620527767234301197

I work as a visit supervisor for foster kids and their parents and often work weekends. This Saturday was a rare sunny day in the PNW and we hiked to a waterfall where they had a picnic on the rocks, then ended at a local ice cream shop. I tried the new TJ’s Parmesan Tapanade (love it) and had it for dinner on a couple slices of an amazing GF sourdough I recently discovered (Franz’s GF Deli Style Sourdough). Toasted on an oiled and salted cast iron pan with a thick layer of the tapenade so it melted a bit, then topped the tapanade with sauteed mushrooms and braised nettles I foraged the previous weekend. WAS DELICIOUS. I also worked on Sunday with a Somali mom who is teaching her 2.5 yr old Arabic (so he can read the Koran), English of course, and their native Somali. She says he already counts to 20 in English! Then I went home and collapsed for the rest of the evening, watching The Amazing Race on tv. Read a couple pages of The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny and was asleep before 10pm.

If you can’t get your fill of dogs waiting for their humans to come back, check out my ongoing collection from Carroll Gardens (and elsewhere) over the past eight or so years – https://supdawgblog.tumblr.com/ (although I have been slacking as all the ones from 2025 and 2026 are still on my phone and I need to update!)

Are we all just watching TV with subtitles and saying screw it? If I miss a single word I feel anxious so I am definitely team subtitle. It’s made me a much faster reader but they drive my husband bonkers.

My best friend (of 21 years) and I represented Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America at an Earth Day festival on Saturday. We enjoyed sunshine, talked with wonderful people and yapped with each other. We live in Missouri, so it’s easy to get frustrated with our legislators’ lack of common sense around guns (the leading cause of death for kids and teens). But putting in the work to get gun sense candidates elected and other folks involved in the movement brings a lot of hope. It was a good day.

The book “Mother Mary Comes to Me” is so good. I attended the school started by the author’s mother in India (where I grew up) and so reading it was a throwback to my amazing childhood year!

Isn’t Roy’s memoir the most sublime read? Listen to her read it on audiobook! It’s so evocative.

When I was a kid, I left our dog Nico outside the corner store and went in to buy something for my mum, and also to check a lottery ticket. We had won! It couldn’t have been more than like 20 dollars, but I was so excited that I hurried home and didn’t realize until a little while later that I had left the dog tied up outside the store. Can you imagine what must have been going through his mind when I came out of the store and just kept walking right past him?

My husband & I booked a babysitter and went on our first date in 14 months! As parents to a 3 year old & 7 month old it felt like it required a lot of mental prep for us all to allow a sitter to come for a few hours. However, both girls did wonderfully and were completely fine; as were Mom & Dad. I’m with my babies 24/7 being a stay at home mom, so this felt like a big milestone and such a relief. We went to our favorite Indian restaurant and it was even better than I remembered. My husband and I fell right back into our groove of conversation without kids around and had the best date together. Then Sunday was family day! The four of us went out to a hidden gem brunch spot and had the best biscuits, gravy, eggs, bacon, spread of jams, and a honey cinnamon oatmilk latte which really made the whole meal. After brunch we took the girls to a playground to enjoy the perfect spring weather and sunshine. Lastly, that evening my husband grilled dinner out back while we all played outside to round out a great day. Gosh, I love weekends =)

My twin boys (age 4) learned to ride their bikes without the little wheels and we took them to the cinema for the first time! I am so torn between pride and a little bit of sadness of seeing them grow up so fast.

Oh, I love this post idea! The have a great weekend posts have been my favourite for years. I’m trying to keep my weekends busy because my best friend is back working in America for the next 5 months, however I of course got sick with stress (this always happens when he leaves) so had to take a chill day Friday. I braved the thronging masses of London on Saturday to visit the national history museum with a friend, and on Sunday I took myself bouldering and to the pub on the quay in Exeter for a quiet pint and to read for a bit, delightful. As a fun update I’m on annual leave this week taking a beginners woodworking course for women. Day one was exhausting, but fun.

My surprise and delight at how much I enjoy reading these!! I often comb through the COJ comments for hot takes, good advice, and occasional drama, but this is just a couple hundred boring recaps of strangers’ comings and goings this weekend. And yet… the gentlest, lovingest, most comforting and life-affirming read I’ve had in months. My heart is full, even reading about folks going through tough times (like I am) — we can still come here, to this internet comment section, to be witnessed. Which is to be loved.

Took my own princess camping (pjs, a flouncy dress, her tiara and wellie boots was her main uniform when not nudie swimming) and managed to get up and down from the rooftop tent while 36 weeks pregnant! Had beautiful autumn swims and chats with friends and ate lots of great food and enjoyed my last getaway before the new baby arrives.

I took a few days off and spent a long weekend with my folks in the Willamette Valley in Oregon. Bay Area natives we moved them up north about 3 years ago to keep better tabs on them, as all my siblings and I are in the PNW, and they are now living, mostly happily in a retirement community. It’s a new phase of life for all of us. Feeling grateful that at 85 they are still relatively healthy, and also feeling equally glad they are closer, and frustrated by certain new behaviors….hearing loss, stubbornness, resistance to accepting aging. But I also enjoyed just ” being” with them..we ran a few errands, I took them out to lunch (one outing a day is the max) , Mom and I shopped a sale at a bead shop that’s closing…and we had a pizza and movie night…and they both stayed awake for it! HIghly recommend Eleanor The Great! Jane Squibb is amazing in it! Experiencing aging parents might be an interesting blog post to look at COJ team!

The new Noah Kahan album was the soundtrack to my entire weekend. I ice skated, went on a run, and then drove down the Seward Highway and went on a walk through the weird icy, slushy Alaskan spring sludge. I still can’t get enough. Sad girl summer here I come!

My husband and I celebrated our last night of vacation at a fabulous restaurant, where I was obsessed with the spoon they included with my seafood curry. It was *the* most perfect spoon I’d ever experienced and I gushed to our server how much I loved it. As we were getting up to leave, she dropped a to-go bag on our table. “Don’t forget this,” their eyes gleaming. Perplexed, I peeped into the bag, and Lo! A single tablespoon lay gracefully inside, smiling up at me. My eyes welled up and I gave our server the most sincere hug (and left them a very generous tip.) I’ll treasure the spoon forever!

On Saturday we went to the beach just for the day. It was overcast and the water was chilly, but I floated in the water and took deep breaths. Later, I stayed up late watching a movie by myself. On Sunday I got to hold my friends’ baby for the first time over a pizza lunch. In the evening, I went to a cafe with my daughter because we both had procrastinated all weekend and had unfinished school work. It felt like an uneventful weekend, but looking back, it was quite lovely!

I started a new job in January, and while I think I made the right move and I just have to give it time to find my groove, it’s been a tough adjustment. So, I’m actively trying to focus on the life part of my work-life balance. There is more to life than work! We did movie and pizza night on Friday, then soccer and errands on Saturday, and went for a hike on Sunday where my 6.5 year old and 3 year old hiked the whole thing and it honestly was just so fun

My mom died this weekend in a totally sudden, unexpected, traumatic way. This is my new reality. A most unwanted one. For now I am clinging on to how to get to the next hour. Seeing photos of a regular, happy weekend is wonderful. Bagel brunch on a rainy day sounds perfect. Hold on to the normal days. They are precious.

I love your weekend round up! Looks full of love and cute sweet things. My daughter is still in hospital so soent quiet company with her and always like chatting with nurses, staff and parents in the coffee/toast room. I went to the movies with my 13 year old daughter and we saw the magic faraway tree and ate popcorn and maltesers. I was worried we would be late (I’d spent too long at the dog park catching up) but my daughter said, mum, there are like 30-40 minutes of ads. We won’t be late! She was right. I owe her $2. We also had some good news about something that’s been stressful and was good to accept the joys when they arrive . Always x

This feels nuts but also like no better place to share, but on Friday night I had a positive pregnancy test. I am 41, on contraception and truth be told rarely having sex due to the demands of work, kids, everything . I am devastated and overwhelmed. It was never in our plans to have more children, and I just finally feel like I’m getting my life and body back after having a baby and breastfeeding for the past 18 months. I feel like we are at capacity in all ways – financially, logistically, mentally, emotionally. I did a search here looking for a post about women sharing their abortion stories and at quick glance couldn’t find one. So I guess I’m just looking for solidarity. And feeling less alone. I have an appointment Friday at a clinic for a surgical abortion, and feel about 90% sure that it’s the right decision for me and my family but still having conflicted feelings bubble up here and there. Anyway, just feeling all the things and wondering if anyone who’s been there in the past might be willing to share a bit. Thanks touch in advance.

I hope you reach out to Sabrina Rudin IG – springbysabrina. She owns the Spring Cafe Aspen. Her first healthy eating cookbook came out today. She’s passionate about good healthy food for families and everyone. She’s been on the Today Show and tomorrow she’s on Seth Meyer’s show. I thought you might be ideal to interview her or highlight her and her book in some way or do a NYC evening? I reached out to her team and they know about you so maybe this is in the works. Just think it would be cool.

Walked to a favorite neighborhood coffee shop on a rainy Saturday morning with my husband. Brought our drinks home for a leisurely breakfast, then prepped our strawberry patch for the season. Visited a favorite indie bookstore for Indie Bookstore Day, as well as the famous Tulip House in Minneapolis. Throw in some time for writing and baking and socializing, and it wound up being a really lovely weekend.

So we were supposed to get up to go to the ANZAC day service down at the beach, but we had friends over the night before and slept in. Felt guilty so we went down later to at least get exercise and do a decent walk, but saw all our friends and their dogs so barely walked and had a pie for lunch to soak up the gin and tonics from the night before. Hanging out in your neighborhood is the best.

Banger weekend! The choir I joined two years ago which consists mainly of women in their 70s & 80s had our final performance on Friday. The group bow at the end was pure delight. Even my liver was grinning! On Saturday I visited my first greenhouse of Spring and perused plants while sipping a very nice coffee. I returned home, tagged off my partner and took my kids on an adventure. They are 5 & 7 and cycling enthusiasts so we did just that on the trails around our town. In the evening I cycled to a fundraiser and then proceeded to dance the night away in my blue suede wedding shoes at the gross local bar in our town. I turned 40 this month and it felt so great to cut loose in a great outfit with strong women grooving around me and not give two hoots about anything but the feel of the music. I cycled home grinning wide. Woke up grinning on Sunday morning to the sounds of Tom Petty blasting on the turntable, my kids yelling, my partner making breakfast, coffee perking. Good life!

Love the recaps and weekend bagels are the best! I had a couple friend catch ups, took a massive walk, made hummus, and started watching ‘Big Mistakes’ on Netflix.

Survived four soccer games for my 15 year old daughter, two basketball games for my 12 year old daughter. Savored a lot of dog walks, early morning matcha runs, Orange Theory work outs (I only stay for the floor/weights) , sending voice notes back and forth to my bestie in London, starting Emma Straub’s American Fantasy AND finding two really good books in my local little library-Awake, Jen Hatmaker and Strangers , Belle Burden. Two interestingly and painfully connected themes (Already tore through Strangers. Damn James!) – that however show how resilient and brilliant women are with a little help from our friends x

I spent my weekend at the pool watching my badass 12 year old come into her own as a competitive swimmer. I’m so in awe of her strength and determination!

I love the picture of the bagels and spreads on your countertop + all of the others you posted. I love the weekend recap pics and stories!

Lows: basically no sleep Friday night because I’m in my third trimester and have horrendous carpal tunnel; a tearful Saturday morning. Highs: A sweet and understanding husband, walks with many stops to smell the roses, fresh chocolate banana bread (from the recipe shared on COJ a while back) a Saturday afternoon nap AND better sleep on Saturday night, Sunday morning donuts, my daughter coming back from her dad’s house, lots of hugs!

I am always amazed by the dogs who wait so calmly and patiently for their people to come back. My own delightful yet neurotic dog, who cares almost not at all for anyone outside of our family, would absolutely lose his mind if we dared to abandon him for one single second, and would figure out a way to entire whatever establishment we had gone into, rules and doors and leashes be damned.

Friday: Picnic on the beach, show at a local dive bar Satuday: women’s hockey game (go Torrents!) Sunday: martinis, fries, and caesar salad + yapping with the gals Spring in Seattle is giving me LIFE!!!

Took the BEST long walk followed by cappuccinos and banana bread with my wise, hilarious sisters. Later, one of my nieces, who is also my goddaughter, made her Confirmation. My niece is such an amazing girl – a bright light in all of our lives.

My husband and I hosted coffee hour at church and everyone enjoyed our homemade goodies. Parishioners sign up to host each week unless it’s our Second Sunday Lunch. It’s a fun time for everyone to catch up.

Made birthday brownies for a friend by riffing on a box of Ghirardelli Ultimate Chocolate Brownie mix. Was hoping for a mocha brown butter bam but just got the verrrry chocolate flavor bomb. Hive: does anyone have a recipe for a non-glazed brownie trick that delivers that mocha flavor? I added 2 tsp of King Arthur Powdered Espresso and it wasn’t detectable at all. Thank you!

Friday we went line dancing with a friend that was in town. She moved to SLC 2 winters ago, and between her schedule and my own, this was the first time we have seen each other. It was so fun catching up and just laying eyes on her, to be honest. I have absolutely no recollection of what I did on Saturday, there’s been a lot of logistical nonsense in my family’s life lately that haw just been so so so much. So Sunday I gave myself the day off. I slept late, never changed out of my pjs, read some books. Just truly gave myself the time to reset and let the stress go for a day. It was desperately needed, and now I feel better able to tackle this busy week ahead.

I was approved for a teeny apartment in DC that will allow me to walk to my new job. I had an amazing ceviche dinner. Feeling grateful!

This weekend was the final stretch of our twice-annual cross-country drive from Montreal to Bellingham, WA. Since I don’t drive, my husband is an absolute hero. We stay in gorgeous places (here’s to you, Sorrento AirBnB overlooking Shuswap lake!) and pragmatic places (here’s to you, Ramada Inn in Carlyle, Saskatchewan!). Since we do the same drive every spring, we revisit dear-to-us roadside attractions (the giant Canada goose in Wawa, Ontario, a particular favourite). This year we listened to the audiobook of Bruce Holsinger’s new novel Culpability. Has anyone else read it? I think it was a good choice to listen to together, because there is A LOT to talk about. The book is really about important issues regarding AI. There are enough twists and turns to make you want to keep listening, which is important when the province of Ontario just goes on, and on, and on… One important plot point is that the main character is on his laptop in the car in an opening scene. He’s sending emails and oblivious to his surroundings. Unfortunately, this was also me for some of the way (I have posted about this before but directing the https://www.montrealpoetryprize.com/ is an all-consuming task) and I was glad to be reminded to sit up, pay attention, admire the mountains, and breathe the air of the PNW! We made it!

I inhaled Mother Mary Comes to Me a few weeks ago. At first, I was nervous about reading the book since I have a complicated relationship with my own mother and I was afraid of what the book would bring up personally, but I am so glad I got over myself and plunged in nevertheless. Arundhati Roy’s writing is so profound — and she manages to be irreverently, laugh out loud funny at the same time. I also grew up in India during the time period she is describing. She’s about ten years older than me, and the events she is writing about were on my periphery, and it felt like being home to read her wonderful and vivid descriptions. Such a great book. 10/10 recommend!

I went out to a throwback dance night Saturday. We got there rather late, and when my friends wanted to leave at midnight, I decided to stay. I danced by myself until 1:30 AM. Cathartic! Sweaty! Joyous! I would NEVER have done it in my 20s or even 30s. I would have left earlier than I wanted to and felt annoyed. Instead I was happy for them and me. The gifts of age! I see a lot more dancing in my future.

I took a girls’ trip to Broken Bow, OK, with 3 of my closest girl friends. We had the best weekend, and I haven’t laughed that hard in ages. We stayed up too late, we hiked, went to a brewery, played mahjong, drank wine, ate lots of cheese, and made the very best memories. Highly recommend getting away with your girlfriends!

Saturday mornings, I volunteer (also part of my social weekend life to be honest), in the evening the husband and I went out with other parents while our kids were at prom (don’t need to do that again), annihilated husband at Scrabble (insert devilish laugh … he had done the same thing to me the week before). Went for a wonderful hike with a friend on Sunday morning where we had real weather, a rarity in Northern California, and we almost managed to out-hike the incoming downpour, and then the usual: household, grocery shopping, meal prep, dinner and then suddenly it was Monday morning.

Highs all around. Saturday, we celebrated both ny nephews birthday in a joint party at the Hall of Science. Legos, science experiments, pizza, cake, dinosaurs- what’s not to love. Sunday, we stayed home and just lounge around. I made chocolate chip cookies and pollo al horno. We settled in for a movie with snacks and watched Teenage Kraken. Hilarious story: My 5 year oldest daughter messaged me and said your daughter is telling me all about her movie night and the fun snacks she ate. But let me ask you a question, why is telling me she watched a movie about crackheads? I almost died laughing! I’ve been reading The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah and just find myself immersed in the Great Depression/Dust Bowl era when I’m reading. Hope everyone enjoyed their weekend!

Survived Home Depot AND Costco with all 4 kids ages 1-8! My parenting anxiety was at an all-time low to even have braved this adventure. You guys, I’m doing it!

Yay for the impromptu bagel brunch! This made me smile. Growing up in my big Irish Catholic family, we were always gathering at my grandparents’ house..cousins running around, adults chatting for hours, everyone packed in together. Over time, as we got older, moved away for college, and slowly drifted beyond our little small-town New Jersey bubble (where we all used to live within blocks of each other!), those big gatherings became harder to pull off. That’s when “Bagel Bashes” became our thing. Weekend mornings, simple spreads, nothing fancy…just bagels and coffee. They were easy for my grandparents to host (or for aunts, uncles, and cousins to help with), and somehow everyone still found their way there. Even the “too-cool” high schoolers and busy college kids would pop in after a late night or between plans. I even brought grad school friends along to a few of those legendary mornings. Now, years later, living across the country, I find myself hosting my own versions with my growing family and community. And every time, I think of my grandparents. It’s such an easy, low-stakes way to bring people together! And somehow, it always feels a little like home.

I went to a funeral for a cousin and while that was very sad it was wonderful to see so many members of my extended family! There was a dinner and lots of reminiscing about our grandparents and parents who have now all passed. There are so many great memories and funny stories! I live far away and it was so good to feel connected instead of always being a one woman band! Sunday morning was spent at the park with a toddler . He was so full of joy and giggles! Feeling hopeful for the future of the world!

Weekends lately have been so busy! Our elementary school had their big spring festival Friday night, so we let our three kids run wild and have fun there (they are at the blessed age where they no longer need constant supervision, and we know they will find us when they run out of money). Saturday we had a swim meet and hockey clinic, followed by an adventurous girl scout fitness experience involving bungees. Our son got a playdate invite (!!!!) which is huge because he has autism and has struggled socially, so we helped him bake brownies to bring along. My oldest had a friend over for dinner and a fireside chat and her younger sister enjoyed feeling like an only child while watching a movie along with the parents (we watched Night at the Museum and she thought it was hilarious). On Sunday I braved Costco while listening to a. audiobook, which is honestly my preferred self care activity. I did some chicken tending yard work with our small backyard flock, then chaperone a Brownie meeting at an animal rescue. Then my son had one more friend hang, going for an evening walk with popsicles and a friend who lives down the street. It was a busy weekend but fun, and we avoided a lot of the moody outbursts that have been hard on our family over the past couple years.

I recently bought cedar garden boxes for raised beds from a local fella. this weekend I treated them for durability. I used the Jqpanese shou sugi ban method: scorched them with a propane torch, scrubbed off the char with a wire brush, oiled. They are gorgeous! While I had the propane torch out I blasted all the weeds coming up through our huge rural gravel driveway. Very satisfying.

Went to the garden center on Saturday and planted flowers in my tiny front yard on Sunday, made kale salad and drank wine listening to John Denver. Very relaxing but would have loved some company. So quiet now that the kids are grown and hubs is always working.

Celebrated: Local Yarn Store Day – did I need more yarn? Nope. Did I buy more yarn? Of course! Local Bookstore Day – did I need more books? Nope. Did I buy more books? Of course! My youngest kiddo’s 23rd birthday with pizza and ice cream. The best way to spend a weekend.

Had a friend come to town! Some of my all time favorite COJ posts are how to be a good dinner host & how to be a good dinner guest. The comments are gold. I know there have been a few posts on hosting out of town friends, but would love a new one with new comments! Joanna, you seem to be able to host multiple people for several days and have fun! I think me and my family are good hosts, but we get worn out and I could use some tips and tricks!

I have 4 kids under 4, including unexpected twins who are 5mo old (one of whom is terrible at being a baby and constantly screaming). After half a year of hybernating, I am challenging myself to start getting out in the world again. It’s really hard and I have to pack so much stuff, but I work from home during the week, and I need to get out or I go stir-crazy. Friday, my husband and I took all the kids to our local carnival and the Bigs got to go on rides. Saturday, I took the 3 youngest on a walk, and then out to lunch. Then I got everyone down for naps and met a friend for an hour (SOLO)! Sunday, I took my midde daughter out for coffee and grocery shopping – it was really fun. 1 kid basically = zero kids. Today, I am back to work, and I am very tired, but also proud of myself.

I had a lovely weekend gathering with some women I know for an evening of meditation and socializing. I haven’t ever really had a crew of women I relate to and feel held by (realized maybe because I wasn’t close with my mom?) and it’s been such a joy to experience this with them, even if I do occasionally feel like an impostor. I came home to two happy kids – one son recently got into running, and did his first fun run while I was gone, and the other was thrilled to have his first drop off play date. I have a new job starting in September, one I really wanted, and I’m cherishing the slower days before my attention turns to that. AND it’s finally feeling springy here after a long, long winter… so my heart is full of happiness!

I’ve been watching Jaime, and I love that eye-blinking move, and I hope he knocks out Ken’s top spot. I’ve been waiting years for this, Joanna! YEARS! :) p.s. Whenever some guy not wearing orange yells “LET’S GO!” after getting a question right and potentially beating him to no avail, I love that Jaime looks a little startled. To me, his look is saying, “Um, that’s not the vibe of this very nerdy show, kthanksbye.”

Love love love the weekend wrap-up on Monday!! And a princess sighting at your bagel brunch, extra exciting! I did the indie book crawl on Saturday – found some goodies, including Ada Limon’s new book (thank you for the heads up in Big Salad and her fascinating/inspiring interview)

After blending my (9yo) and my husband’s (6yo) families almost a year ago, we’ve had some ups and downs with the kids coming together, and we had the BEST weekend together the four of us! They had fun together, they had fun apart (huge breakthrough- them understanding that it isn’t a playdate!!), we went to the pool, we went to a movie, they navigated some kerfuffles without us needing to intervene, it was awesome! They’re together every other weekend and it’s usually 70% great and 30% stressful (which tbh is not that bad!) and this weekend was like 99% great! Most Monday mornings I’m feeling so drained, and this morning I’m feeling so optimistic! Hooray!!