the take home folder volume 81
give yourself time / freedom on bikes / house project regret / lunch idea / + more
welcome to the take home folder
It’s our last week of what has been a really good summer break. Also, we are feeling ready for the fresh start of the school year. This week we’ll find out who the kids’ teachers are, meet them at Open House, and soak up our final week of slow summer days. I hope the last week of August is good to you.
my sunday questions
What is something I can do for our home?
What is something I can do for our family?
What is something I can do for myself?
Today for me it’s cleaning bathrooms, making a nice Sunday dinner (trying our hand at ribs and some yummy sides), and getting out for a long walk.
here’s this week’s Take Home Folder, enjoy!
one // when the only house project regret is not doing it sooner
“Our only regret is not doing it sooner” - everyone who has ever done a small or big improvement to their home. :)
I’ve been working to transform (eh - that feels like too strong of a word) make our home a bit more functional for our current season. It has involved moving the bulk of our toys down to the basement - where the boys primarily play when they have friends over - and setting up an office/den in what used to be the playroom. In the process, I’ve naturally let go of several toys and books and a few pieces of furniture. I cleaned the carpets and touched up the paint. I found a large double desk on FB Marketplace which is serving as my desk and a big workspace for the family - I’m envisioning puzzles, art, homework, maybe eventually another computer station. Last weekend we scored two comfy chairs on FBMP in like-new condition for a fraction of the price of buying new. Still working on finishing touches - a small lamp for the desk, art for the walls, storage baskets for office supplies, etc - but it’s taking shape.
And the old adage is so true - the improvement and functionality is so clear that my only regret is not doing this when I first had the thought 1.5ish years ago.
On social media, we’re used to seeing these truly striking before and afters. Large-scale renovations. New build homes. Seemingly unlimited budgets. (Not knocking those things…I certainly wouldn't turn down a home renovation at any time, ha!) But it’s not our current reality.
I’m here to remind you that sprucing up what we already have, moving furniture around, deep cleaning, decluttering what’s no longer serving us, and mixing in budget-friendly updates can bring both joy and renewed usability. Have fun with it!
two // anker charging station
Well, I’ve purchased four of these charging stations. One for our primary bedroom. Two as gifts last Christmas. And most recently, one for the desk in our office. It is sleek, the plug is flat, and it charges multiple devices quickly. Comes in black, white, and this fun ice blue color. So happy with it! On sale at the time I’m writing this.
three // jalapeño popper chicken salad
I whipped up a big batch of this Jalapeño Popper Chicken Salad and Todd and I gobbled it up for lunches this week. (Using a rotisserie chicken made it easy!) We ate it with raw veggies and crackers (I’m on a heater with the Trader Joes Savory Thin Mini Crackers). I’ll definitely make this again.
Thanks for sharing this recipe,
!four // freedom on bikes
My kiddos and their neighborhood friends have been having a blast biking this summer. Here’s a snippet into how we’ve given them some freedom on bikes:
they have to tell us where they’re going if they’ll be out of a designated area surrounding our home. the grown ups need to know where to find them.
helmets are nonnegotiable (it really helps that all of the neighborhood families share this belief - kids don’t know any different)
so far, none of the neighborhood kids have an e-bike or e-scooter. I’m sure this will come into play with somebody at some point, but for now, old-fashioned pedaling is the norm.
we have gone over rules of the road extensively - staying right on the trails, passing on the left (and alerting people of that), watching/listening for cars, etc
sticking together and looking out for the younger kids
Freedom with biking has certainly come with a few, shall we say, bumps in the road. 🙃 But it has been super cool to see them figure it out, be responsible and safe, and have fun.
five // give yourself time to settle in
After summer break with kids, the routine of the school year feels welcome. But remember that it can take awhile to really settle in to a new season and that’s ok. Give yourself some space for trial and error. Give yourself the capacity to support your kids through big feelings and tiredness as they adjust to school. Give yourself grace in planning your own days.
As much as we’d all like to snap our fingers and have a transition be complete, it isn’t that simple. No one has it all figured out immediately. Honor yourself and your family through the transition and before you know it, everyone will be settled back in.
see you right back here next week,
p.s. Need anything from Amazon or Target this week? Letting my link open in your app before checking out supports me at no cost to you. Thank you for doing this - I notice and am so grateful.
hi nicole! i tried to use your amazon affiliate link and it opened to some random product. then i went back to your last few newsletters and it did the same thing (although they were different products). is that what’s supposed to happen?
I LOVE your new office! So dreamy!!