the take home folder vol 116
an ultimate simple joy // a way to feel connected to your community // laundry detergent deep dive // + more
welcome to the take home folder
Greetings and happy Mother’s Day to all of the moms - you make the world go ‘round.
This week was a good one - I tried (and only partially succeeded, ha) to keep the house clean, Todd and I enjoyed Jalapeño Popper Chicken Salad for lunches, there were a gaggle of 5th grade boys here on a sunny Saturday afternoon, I took glorious outdoor walks daily, and we spent several hours at the baseball fields watching our kiddos play and catching up with friends on the sidelines. Tomorrow kicks off a new week and yet another fresh start. I know May is a lot, but try to stop and notice the magic it brings too.
my sunday questions
What is something I can do for our home?
What is something I can do for/with our family?
What is something I can do for myself?
Today for me it’s lighting a lovely candle in the evening, getting out for a family hike, and giving myself a much needed manicure before bed.
here’s this week’s take home folder, enjoy!
one // bookworm
Looking for me? Catch me with my nose in a book (best feeling!). A few recent reads:
Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser - This is a retelling of the Cinderella story told from the perspective of the “evil” stepmother. It is so unlike the books I usually read but weeks later and I’m still thinking about it! Fantastic on audio.
The Night We Met by Abby Jimenez - I had so much fun reading this. It has mixed reviews so take my thoughts with a grain of salt, but I adored the characters and the slow burn.
Junie by Erin Crosby Eckstine - was on my TBR forever and didn’t disappoint. The author said in the Author’s Note that she wanted to write a story from the POV of an enslaved woman and I think she did it beautifully. This novel brought heartbreak and triumph and dynamic relationships, along with a few gasps of surprise. I’m typically not a big fan of magical realism but it wasn’t a deal breaker in this story.
Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune - friends to lovers and a romance with substance (+ a little spice). This one wasn’t a 5 star read for me but I still breezed through and enjoyed it! I think Every Summer After and One Golden Summer by the same author are the gold standard of romance reading.
Currently reading: Upward Bound by Woody Brown, Mattering by Jennifer Breheny Wallace, and hoping to start June Baby by Shannon Garvey ASAP.
What’s the best book you’ve read lately?
two // laundry detergent deep dive
When my ride or die laundry detergent (Dropps Active Wash in the Fresh Start scent RIP) was discontinued a couple of years ago, I went on a laundry detergent deep dive. Here is what I have liked and will continue to use:
Tide - the OG and what I have used the most consistently to wash our clothes. It gets our clothes clean and leaves them smelling fresh. I have been using the powder but recently discovered these tiles and they’re slick.
Tide Free & Gentle - perfect for our kitchen towels and cloth napkins
Seventh Generation Lavender - the most beautiful light lavender scent. Love using this for sheets and towels. (Have tried other Seventh Gen and found them to be nothing to write home about. The lavender is the only one I’ve continued to buy.)
Laundry Sauce - high end scents that linger. If you don’t like scent, this is not for you. I wouldn't use on my clothes but such a treat for sheets, towels, and blankets. Target now carries a few scents but there are more on the brand’s website (code NICOLE_15 should still work).
three // high school musical
Last year a girlfriend invited me to go to our local high school’s spring theater performance and…it was incredible. The talent and experience was so impactful that I set a reminder to get tickets for our family to go this year.
We went last night and it was so fun. Seeing the hard work these teens put in and knowing that they are all someone’s baby and many are wrapping up their high school career made me cry. Our kids thought it was cool, we felt connected to our community, and it was an ideal little family date night.
Highly recommend checking out your local high school’s theater performances/music concerts/sporting events.
four // CSA
We skipped doing a CSA box (Community Supported Agriculture - more info here) last year and I missed it big time. I knew I wanted to bring it back into our lives this summer so I asked for recommendations and sifted through them, ultimately landing on trying Featherstone Farm. I’m so excited about it!
Here’s why I love getting a box of veggies from a local farm each week in the summer:
we get to truly eat seasonally - the produce in the box varies greatly from June to October.
supporting local farms and their employees!
the thrill of figuring out what to cook each week based on what comes in our box. Trying new things! It’s just fun!
Locals - the CSA programs that were most frequently recommended when I crowd sourced were: Pahls, The Good Acre, Harmony Valley Farms, Brown Family Produce, Trumpeter Swan Farm, Beck’s, Common Harvest Farm, Featherstone Farm. Check out their websites for details and pickup locations.
five // ultimate simple joy = a clean car
Last weekend I deep cleaned my car and, after a long winter, let’s just say it was very overdue and very satisfying. My method for cleaning the car is:
removing all trash
using a microfiber cloth to dust all surfaces
wiping down dirty surfaces with cleaning wipes or all purpose cleaner
removing all floor mats (mine are the weathertech type) and scrubbing with a brush and Dawn dish soap in hot water
using glass cleaner to clean the inside windows
vacuuming every possible inch
using leather cleaner and conditioner on the seats - Carly got me hooked on this. It’s an elite experience to have clean and smooth-as-butter leather seats and steering wheel.
Sending Todd to fill the gas tank and take it through the car wash ;)
Could you spend some time showing your car some love this week?
see you right back here next week,
recent favorites
lip oil - hydrating and leaves a hint of color, so nice! Bonus: budget friendly.
Experiment Super Saturated serum - went to reorder this (I use at night under my moisturizer) and saw that they had an option to buy a refill. I love when brands offer refills of products to reduce waste!
receiving the most beautiful bouquet of flowers - talk about a week brightener!
fun Bauble Bar bracelets - last day for the $10 sale and 20% off of everything else. My custom number bracelets for my kids’ baseball teams should arrive soon and I can’t wait to wear them.
Just finished Project Hail Mary on audio and 10/10 recommend!
I’ve been looking for reading inspiration so thanks for the book recommendations! I just requested some of the titles from my library so I can hopefully start reading again. Thank you!