friday thoughts

Hello friends! I haven’t checked out any Friday Thoughts posts in a while, as I’ve been including more personal notes in my weekly emails and some updates on Instagram, but I wanted to stop by today and give you a little update on life… See how you do!

Below I’ve included updates on everything from life updates to a few of my favorites. I have a question for you (last).

If you have a moment, please leave a comment and let me know. What will your life be like!

Happy 50th Anniversary (not mine 😜)

My siblings (+spouse) and my parents all gathered together last week to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. We rented an Airbnb and had lots of fun, activities, games, and chatting.

Since the meeting was near where I live, I prepared and made most of the food. The week couldn’t have been better. We were all grateful for the time we spent together, especially our parents.

Here are some things we did for fun:

• My sister made a ‘Newlywed’ style game to celebrate our 50th anniversary. Parents had to see if they could match answers to questions like “What did your dad wear on your first date” and “How much did your first house cost?” It was fun and I learned a lot of things I didn’t know!
• We rented an electric bike We were sent by a local company to ride the Boise Greenbelt (it was a little cold, but so much fun. Personally, out of all the activities we did, this was my favorite).
• we did an escape roomAnd miraculously, I succeeded (yes, with a few hints) within the time limit. I basically followed all my smart family members as if they knew what was going on.
• My brother planned a very fun bowling activity. He gave each of us a cup with a quarter roll and four one-dollar coins. When everyone goes bowling, the rules are: Put the extra in your bowl and everyone gives you a quarter. When a strike is thrown, everyone gets two quarters. If two or more strikes are thrown in a row, everyone receives a dollar coin for each strike. If you’re short on dollar coins, we provide two quarters at each event. Place the gutter balls in a bowl and place 1/4 into the pot (just add an extra cup in the center). The next strike takes all the quarters in the pot. It was so much fun that I plan to try it with my kids during spring break.
• I also went to TopGolf and played pickleball at The Flying Pickle. (I need lessons!!) And I played it many games At Airbnb. This game {aff. link} has been trending all week!

Anti-inflammatory/Pain Update

If you missed it, I wrote a whole post about anti-inflammatory diets here (I originally posted it to address hand and hip pain). I’ve been asked a lot of questions about whether I still eat this way and how it makes me feel.

Long story short, this diet hasn’t helped my hand and hip pain (but with the help of a physical therapist, I feel hopeful). However, my LDS cholesterol improved significantly (down 60 points!). So I continue to eat a high-fiber diet centered on anti-inflammatory/cholesterol-lowering foods. For the next 6 months until I have my blood drawn again. A 20 point lower LDS cholesterol would be a miracle for me!

But I’m much more moderate now than I was in the first two months. I’m still eating the same anti-inflammatory recipes I’ve come to rely on for breakfast and lunch. But I’m making my dinner times more flexible so I don’t have to cook one meal for my family and another meal for myself. I tend to have a lot more vegetables on my plate than other family members. And of course, I eat whatever I make for the blog.

Let’s see how things go in September! If I eat like this, my body and intestines will improve, so I plan to eat it for a long time.

life updates

My two children at home (8th and 11th grade) have both started playing school tennis. After a leisurely winter, we are busy with sports again. It’s hard to believe there are only a few months left until the end of the school year.

Brian stays busy as he continues to grow his business, take on church responsibilities, and continue to have high hopes. Then I got back into college athletics. 💙 I have the best “job” at church. Teaching songs about Jesus to children ages 3 to 11. I hope they let me do it forever.

My oldest son, Jackson, started classes in Utah with plans for flight school. We love having him visit us at home (he turns 22 in a few weeks and we’ve already requested shrimp tacos for his birthday dinner when he comes).

Walker is in the Philippines and is scheduled to return in June(!!). I recently received a text from a random number saying it was an American family traveling to the Philippines, and they came across some missionaries on their bikes, and when they realized one of them was from Idaho, they took a picture and texted it to me. I’m touched that my son still remembers my phone number! 🤣

Cade is serving in southern New Zealand and is learning Tongan as best he can, surrounded by English speakers. We talk to them both on Sundays, which is the most important thing to me as a mom. (Meanwhile, their siblings at home just want to eat dinner and wonder why we have to talk to them so often, haha).

Life is busy and full, so I try to be grateful every day. No one ever told me how hard it is to raise an adult child/teen. 😬 It’s challenging yet rewarding. I want my money back someday. Other days I think it’s the best thing ever. I am often tired. 😜

Some things I’m loving right now

• My sister sent me this wireless charger. link} – Game changer! It’s very convenient and I like the way it attaches to my phone without getting in the way (so I can still use my phone for photos/videos/whatever).
• We played this game. link} I’ve been playing this game forever, but recently I’ve been playing this game on Sunday nights with my family, and I’ve realized how much I love it! Code Names {aff. link}, I think you will like this article.
• I know sweater season is almost over, I was loved I’ve gotten a lot of compliments on this cable knit sweater (I got it in green – it’s a bit boxy cut so I recommend ordering your regular size or sizing down). Also, I still really like these jeans.
• Have you ever tried this kind of licorice?? Oh, I really like it. We brought some to our 50th anniversary gathering and they were really popular. It’s a little more expensive than licorice (especially if you’re familiar with Twizzlers), but it’s perfect if you’re looking for a special gift for someone who loves licorice (or, ahem, for yourself). I love peach, salt, caramel and dark chocolate.
• I bought these long mini loaf style pans {aff. link} Quick breads like banana bread would taste so much better in mini loaf pans, but I wanted a longer version. It saves you the hassle of filling all those small pans. I recently used it in a sour cream banana bread recipe and it was perfect! I doubled the recipe and filled this tall pan + 2 mini loaf pans. I’m thinking a recipe that makes one 8 1/2-X4 1/2 inch pan would work well for this pan (the sides are higher than a classic mini loaf pan). The little pieces are so cute!
• I’m still using this stovetop popcorn maker. {aff. link} Nonstop (I took it to a 50th anniversary party and made at least 6 batches. I had enough. It makes the best popcorn). Here’s the “recipe” I use: 2 tablespoons butter-flavored coconut oil (for no other reason than we like the taste), 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon salt (I always use this salt), and 1/2 cup popcorn kernels (this Amish white or purple popcorn is our favorite). After popping, add more salt (and/or butter) to taste (it’s so delicious I usually don’t add anything else).
• I replaced my old, broken metal citrus juicer with this product. link}, Wow, this is really amazing.

questions for you

If you have made it this far, you are a special, special friend. I guess I’ll have to do my Friday Thoughts posts more often because I definitely have a lot to say!

My questions are: How do you back up and store your personal photos and videos?

I’ve been backing up my photos and videos to a disorganized combination of external hard drives and Google Photos/Drive. But I’m wondering if there is a more seamless option. All ideas are welcome!

Update the email I mentioned.

I know how quickly your inbox can fill up with unnecessary emails. When my email inbox is zeroed out (when all my emails are opened, read, deleted, unsubscribed, or filed away neatly in their respective email folders), I feel an intense sense of peace. 🤓

That means I try really hard to send you nice, non-essential emails. If you’ve subscribed to my email newsletter, you already know that you have a few options. You can subscribe to all emails below, or just the email sections of your choice.

• New Recipe Email (This is whenever I post a new recipe – usually once a week on Mondays – and This is also the email I want to include life/personal/blog updates.. Scroll to the bottom of the email to see the note.)
• Newsletter Email (This is published once a week, usually Wednesday or Thursday, and highlights recipes you may have forgotten. I try to make recipes helpful and seasonal!)
• weekly menu plan (This email is sent out early Saturday morning and includes a free weekly menu plan to use as inspiration for next week’s menu planning. It includes lots of tips and notes to streamline your dinners.)
• Friday Thoughts/Life Update (This email goes out twice a year when I post a more personal update to the blog, usually in the form of a Friday Thoughts post.)

And if you want or need to cancel your subscription at any time for any reason, you will never have any hard feelings.

great! That’s all for today. Thanks for being here! 💗 In fact, everything I do on this blog (including all the cooking 🤪) I do for YOUUUU!

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