December 21, 2023 • 52 mins
Ever found yourself tangled in tinsel and to-do lists during the holiday frenzy? I'm Grace, your navigator through the beautiful mess that is the pre-New Year rush. This episode of Five Years Time is an honest account of my quest for balance in the chaos—whether that's podcasting with a pile of unwrapped gifts lurking in the corner or carving out moments of calm to sip tea and reflect. I confess, my house isn't a winter wonderland from a magazine cover; it's lived in, it's loved, and yes, it's cluttered. But within the whirlwind, I'm finding the small victories and sharing them with you.
Join me as I recount the unexpected thrill of thrifting—a robotic dog unearthed from a secondhand pile that's set to light up my child's eyes on Christmas morning. But it's not all festive cheer; I'm scratching my head at the peculiar pricing at thrift stores and pondering the sustainability of bargain hunts when prices don't always add up. And while we're opening up, let's talk about the delicate dance of updating children's wardrobes, balancing cost, quality, and environmental impact. It's a juggling act, but who says we can't have fun with it?
As the calendar pages flip closer to the New Year, I'm sharing my desire for simplicity and calm in the everyday bustle. Hear about my steps towards a peaceful personal space, my quest for serene mornings before the household wakes, and the little changes that promise a better night's sleep. Plus, I'm stirring in a dash of excitement with the anticipation of baking Genoa-style focaccia with my daughter—because what's life without a sprinkle of flour and a lot of laughter? So grab your favorite cozy blanket and let's chat about the small joys and the big changes as we greet another year together.
Subscribe onYoutube
Thank you for listening 💖
- Grace
Let’s Get Social 👯
TikTok
Instagram
Youtube
Facebook
Podcast Website
Email: fytpod@gmail.com
FYT 2023 Spotify Playlist
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Hey, cuties.
Oh, I forgot to fill up mywater.
Okay, one second, I'm back,cutes.
I know I would be so sad if Istarted without my water.
And also, we need the Christmasvibes.
Okay, cheers, cuties, somewater for me.
Take a sip of water for you.
(00:27):
I'm just going to stretch mymic out.
I'm doing this if you'rewatching me YouTube with my foot
.
Okay, delicious, welcome backto Five Years Time Podcast With
me.
Your host, grace.
I'm so excited that you'vejoined us.
I have no idea what day the weekwe are on.
I already know that I messed upTuesday's episode by saying
(00:51):
that it was Monday and blah,blah, blah, blah, blah, blah,
but it doesn't really matterbecause you might be listening
on a totally different day ofthe week.
I also am realizing that myiPad is on me iPad, me iPad.
Ain't trying to use that.
My iPad is on low battery, butwe're going to make this work.
I think last weeks or last weeksoh my gosh, yesterday's episode
(01:17):
you could tell I was reallytired.
I feel much more refreshed, butI think what I'm realizing is
that I am not taking my ownadvice and focusing on the
present moment.
I've kind of lost myorganization a bit as we lead up
to Christmas, our house isliterally wild.
Oh, it's so wild.
(01:38):
It's just like there's stuffeverywhere.
I think I'm also, as I talkedabout in the gift giving episode
, I'm also feeling like a littlestressed because I know I have
my pile of gifts hidden.
Can't say where they're hidden.
I know that there's stuff inall the nooks and crannies right
now and I'm really trying toget the clean out on.
(01:59):
But I also kind of am busy withthings that I need to do
keeping up with the podcast,making my daily recipes, and
then Rose's done school.
Come on out.
Hi.
Alibi's coming to join us.
I know that I'm also done.
Sorry, my lighting gets sofunny when I open up that door,
(02:20):
but I know that I don't evenremember what I was saying, but
I just oh, yeah, okay, I knowthat I have time, like after the
holidays.
Once Christmas is past,there'll be time.
There's always time, there'salways time.
There's even even I'm even justnow like it's only Wednesday
when I'm recording this.
I think it's Thursday when thisepisode's up, but anyways, I
(02:42):
don't even know.
But anyways, it's like it'sonly Wednesday.
There's still the week's notover yet.
I have this thing where I alwaysfeel like my Mondays and
Tuesdays.
If you've been listening for along time, you know that I
always do this to myself.
I make my Mondays and Tuesdayslike so jam-packed with stuff
and then the rest of my weekusually is pretty open, which is
great because it gives me lotsof flexibility to like do random
(03:05):
things that I need to do orwhatever.
If something comes up, I canhead into the city, blah, blah,
blah, blah, blah, whatever.
But I don't actually need toput that much pressure on myself
for Monday and Tuesday.
Like I can stretch it over thewhole week, right.
But I always do that to myselfand then I'm just like so
stressed out and then sometimesthat like makes me lose
motivation or I'm just like stopdoing things or I like let down
(03:27):
a commitment that I've made,and it's like I need to stop
doing that, because I'm feelingthat today, Like even today, I
feel like I had so much stuff Ineeded to get done and I was
kind of like go, go, go, and Iwas like I need to get in the
studio and record the podcastand then I was feeling like, oh,
maybe I'll just do it tomorrow.
But it's like I had time, Ihave energy.
I feel good to do it, but justbecause in my mind I was feeling
(03:50):
like, oh my gosh, there's thisand this and this and this and
this, it just felt overwhelmingLike I just needed to stop and
not do anything.
But actually that's not what Iwant to do, especially now.
I talked about this inyesterday's episode, or maybe
two days ago, episode that I amreally loving just having slow
mornings and really quietevenings, and so I appreciate
(04:12):
that and I need to remind myselfthat, like once that like four,
four, 30 time hits, we reallystart winding down for the night
, we really start relaxing andunwinding and chilling.
And I've been going to bedreally early, like 839, which
I'm happy with because I'mgetting my good nights rest in,
and then we're having we alwayswake up early in our house, at
(04:34):
least me and Rodeau and so thenwe're having our early mornings,
but we've had a nice long sleepand we're having a relaxing
long morning and now that roseon vacation, we get to really
stretch out those mornings,which is nice.
But anyways, my point being isthat I need to remind myself
that come four, 30, I can turnoff.
That's when I've set myself toturn off, to let go of
(04:55):
commitments to, to switch intomom mode and like shut off the
computer, shut off the to dolist, and I just feel like I'm
I'm also in the midst ofadjusting to that where it's
like at two o'clock it's likeokay, I kind of just need to
like there's so much stuff,there's so much stuff, but it's
like it's going to go ontomorrow.
(05:16):
Anyways, that's just a littlebit.
A little bit for me right nowis that I've just been feeling a
lot of different things and Ireally need to start writing
stuff down, not just evendigitally, I, because digitally
I get things all mixed up andmangled and jangled and it's
like I need a physical calendar.
I keep saying this I've almostbought it like three times.
(05:39):
I used to have one, like acouple years ago, when me,
trevor and Ro, when Ro juststarted school, me and Trevor
were both working jobs that wereoutside of the house.
Well, he works from home, butyou know what I mean like not
working for the home in the home, for ourselves, and I felt like
we had so much, like I was.
I was just it was coming out ofCOVID.
All of a sudden, life hadstarted again.
(06:00):
Everyone had a differentschedule and I had a physical
calendar and that was really,really helpful.
I need to do that again.
So that's one thing.
And another thing is I need tostart writing down physical to
do list every day, because it'sjust, it's going to get out of
my mind, instead of me all daythinking like, oh, I have this
and this and this and this, andthen getting all mixed and
mangled and forgetting what Ihave to do and then just going
to bed at the end of the nightwith my to do list still
(06:22):
circulating and then waking upat three in the morning thinking
like, oh, there's so much stuffto do and not being able to
have a good night's rest.
But this all leads into today'sconversation, because we're
talking about the new yearthat's on the horizon and all of
the goodness that comes withfresh starts, especially for me.
I'm a big lover of fresh starts.
But I'm going to talk aboutthat in just a bit, because
(06:45):
first I just want to catch youup on a few things that we have
talked about in the past coupleof episodes and I now have, kind
of like have updates on it, Iguess.
So one is I did find Rose robotdog at the thrift store.
I did.
I showed it on my Instagramstories the other day, if you
saw it.
Oh my gosh, I found the coolestdog in the world.
(07:05):
I didn't even realize that itwas cool until I got home.
So basically I went to ValleyVillage and I just went to the
toy shelf and I quickly lookedand I was like, oh, I don't know
if I see anything.
And then I slowly walked it andI found like three, four, five,
I think there were like five.
There were a bunch of furryones and I wasn't sure what they
did.
And then there was two likeactual robot looking dogs and
(07:29):
All of them needed batteries.
Like none of them were able toturn on.
All of them needed batteries,except for this one which I
thought was so cool.
It looked the most robot, ithad the most like movable joints
.
So I figured in my mind I waslike, oh, I think it'll do the
most things.
And it was like a USB Plug-incharger and I was like, amazing,
(07:50):
we'll have a cable somewhere athome, you know, in the cable
bin, and that would be awesometo not have to replace the
batteries and just be able tocharge it.
Like, why not buy it?
It was $3.99, four bucks.
Take it home, try it out, we'llsee, because I did do a quick
look online for how much likerobot dogs are and they're like
I don't know about like ahundred dollars, depending on
what you want to do.
(08:10):
Like you get ones that justwalk, like you have a leash and
I guess you can press a forwardsbutton and it'll just walk, but
I don't know if that's what youwant.
I wasn't sure what you wanted.
Anyways, I was like I'm notgonna lose on this $4 toy if it
doesn't work.
It's, I try.
Life was okay.
So I brought it home and it wasa little messy, like a little
dirty, and I was like to Trevor.
I was like I'm not gonna tidyit up, like I'm not gonna get
(08:32):
out the cloth and the soap untilI know what works.
And so Trevor looked for a cord.
And he act.
We actually didn't have one.
We do have.
We have an e-reader that takesthat cord.
It's like a chunky Androidcharger I'm trying to think of
what that's called, not a UBC,something else, anyways, but
it's like a chunkier one.
It's a little bit thicker andwe couldn't find it anywhere.
So Trevor just ran to the storeand grabbed one from computer
(08:55):
Canada computers, which is likeour favorite place to buy bits
and bobs Because it's like socheap for chords and stuff
Anyways, and he plugged it inand it turned red when it
plugged in.
So we had hope and then an hourlater it was able to turn on
and it's literally the coolestthing ever.
Trevor found a manual for it andit comes with this training
manual.
So basically it says dog thatyou train, and it has like it
(09:17):
can hear your voice and then ithas sensors on the front of it
so it can like see not see, butlike it can sense if things are
in front of it.
And it has a button on its backwhere you can press it to do
random tricks or you can tap itshead and it'll have like its
eyes light up and communicate toyou.
So it'll have little questionmarks and so one of the question
(09:38):
mark show you can ask it to dosomething.
So in the training manualthere's all these commands you
can teach it like so many andit's so fun.
It does like play dad.
It'll like fully turn over,play dad.
Put X's in its eyes and thenit'll get back up itself.
It can do fetch.
You can like wave an object ora ball in front of it and then
say fetch or whatever thecommand is, and then you throw
(10:00):
it and it'll run towards it.
There's honestly like sit high,five, everything, like anything
you think a dog would do, andthen even more.
And then it'll sing songs,it'll tell you it loves you,
like all these things.
It's so fun, I was having somuch fun with it and Then you
can either just leave it, youcan turn it off, or you can
leave it on and it'll just roamaround like a dog and work, or
(10:21):
for a profit if it.
If it like bumps into something, or if it sees something or
senses a wall, it'll turn.
We have like On our back.
We have like our rec room kindof has like a few stairs going
into it like almost like asunken, and so it like was in
our main basement and then itfell into the rec room part and
(10:42):
it just got up itself, like itfigured out how to get back up.
It's so cool, so I'm so excitedfor Christmas.
I'm so glad that worked out and, honestly, like I Wouldn't have
even known what to get or whatshe meant, and this is just the
coolest thing ever.
So it's gonna be so fun.
I think I'm gonna put under thetree.
My mom had a good idea.
I was like I'm just I'm notgonna wrap it, I'm gonna put on
(11:02):
their tree and before we rundown in the morning, I'll run
down quickly and just turn it onso that it's like sitting and
barking waiting for her.
And my mom was like, oh, youshould bow or something on.
I was like, oh, that's such agood idea.
So, yeah, I'm so excited, sothat is so exciting and it was
perfect.
On that note, another thing Idid at Valley Village.
I was just quickly looking forsome bottoms, Leggings and
(11:26):
things like row.
Recently she's going, she's inthe midst of like growing from
whatever size she's in right now, and I'm really trying to get
like when I do laundry, I'm justgetting rid of whatever we
don't wear, like I'm donating.
Or if it's a holy pairunderwear, socks, I'm just
throwing it out.
Like I'm really trying, insteadof just putting stuff away and
like knowing that the clutter isthere, I'm trying to.
(11:47):
Every time I fold a load oflaundry, I'm trying to be like
really thoughtful with like,okay, is this something we wear?
Is this something that we wear.
Is this something that we'retoo big for, like whatever?
So, anyways, rows, kind of likerunning low on leggings and
stuff, and Recently she's beengoing through them so quickly
whether it be like holes or justgrowing out of them or getting
(12:07):
them really stained and so Ijust like was like oh, I've
never actually thrifted it forrows leggings at Value Village
before.
I have thrifted clothing on likea few Instagram shops that are
like local people who like goout and curate Kids thrift store
, but most of the time I just goto like H&M, or usually H&M,
(12:32):
because they have the packs oflike three and they usually have
a deal like buy to get one orwhatever.
And or Old Navy online.
I don't like going Old Navy instore for kids leggings
specifically because they neverhave any sizes, but online they
always have the sizes, anyways,and it's like usually like
maximum you get three for like$20, like that's the maximum
(12:54):
price, but usually that you canget them less like five dollars
at Old Navy event.
Pretty sure you can get them $5a pair of leggings.
Okay, at Value Village it was$7.99 for like pretty much every
single pair of leggings like Ifound this really awesome pair
that was just like a plain pairof I think they were gray, with
a fleecy lining.
I was like awesome, that'll beamazing for the winter time.
(13:16):
And she actually just Ripped abig hole into the fleecy ones
she has.
So I was like amazing, willreplace them?
I'm thinking it's gonna be$1.99 to $99 max like that's
what I was thinking.
Looks the tag?
I was like $7.99, this has tobe wrong.
I like look at all the othertags.
I'm like they're all $7.99 forthrifted leggings.
Like this is why it's hard tobe sustainable, because you can
(13:38):
just go to H&M and Old Navy andget them for cheaper in the
front.
And I was looking at a pair ofCarter's ones that were $8 and
sure they look like they Hadn'tbeen worn, but $8 at Carter's,
for sure they have sales wherethey're less than that.
Like I could not get over that.
I was just like because atfirst I was like oh, there's so
(13:58):
much cute stuff here.
Like maybe I'll come here first.
No, I'm confused.
Why do I have to pay more forsomething that's already been
worn, which, like what?
It just doesn't make sense.
I was shocked by that.
So, anyways, I'm so interestedIf anyone else out there thrifts
their kids clothes.
Like I know the kids like thebaby baby clothes.
(14:20):
You do like the pick a bag andyou like fill it up with
whatever like they have, likejust loose stuff, and I that's
why I never really thrifted forRose close at Value Village,
because I didn't like doing thepick a bag stuff.
I found it really overwhelmingto go through everything.
But I was like, okay, thebigger kids clothes is hung up.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,no, no, no, no, no, no, no,
eight dollars.
I'm not spending eight dollars.
What it didn't make sense to me.
(14:42):
I was confused, I feel likethat's how much adult pants
should be thrifted.
Anyways, I did get her a pair ofa couple pairs.
I actually went over to the boysection and found that the boy
stuff was cheaper than the girlstuff, which I don't understand
why.
And I did get her a couplepairs of sweatpants that were
like $5 each and I was like,okay, fine, but I was really
(15:02):
hoping for like $1.99, $2.99,especially kids clothes, because
they're just gonna get wornthrough so quickly.
Anyways, I was just likeshocked.
I hadn't experienced that.
But that's my update on thethrift store.
I did get her a pair of sneakers, which was awesome, because she
doesn't currently have anyshoes other than boots and her
pool slides, which she wearswhen we go to, like the public
(15:24):
pool or whatever.
But recently it's like it isactually snowy today, but
recently it's been such lovelyweather or it's just been like
not snowy and not super cold,like you don't need to wear
winter boots and we don't haveany sneaks for her.
And then I feel like, oh, shehas to clunk around in these
boots.
So I did pick her up a pair ofthrifted sneaks, these nice Nike
(15:45):
, so fun, fun color, likethey're like pink, blue, white,
they're so cute.
And there were $2.99.
Like, come on, how come theshoes are $2.99?
And the leggings, like think ofleggings.
They're like nothing, eightdollars.
I couldn't, I was, I'm confusedby their pricing.
But anyways, I did pick her uppair of sneaks, so that's
awesome, and I washed them andI'll put them under the tree.
But yeah, I think I was justlike really confused.
(16:08):
I didn't look at the coats, Iwas.
I'm wondering how much like thecoats and winter stuff are.
We have so much stuff becauseone of the moms from the school
I used to work at who only hadone kid she gave me.
So she like kept all of herstuff.
She's amazing organized womanand she gave me like every size
of coat until I still have a fewmore.
I think we still have a coupleof winters full of coats and
(16:29):
snow pants, so I'm so gratefulfor that.
But yeah, I was just reallyreally shocked.
Anyways, that's the presentupdate.
That being said, also, I thinkI am completely done Christmas
shopping, which is amazing.
I got our gay gift too.
I don't think any of my familyextended family listens to the
podcast Hopefully not, because Iwant to share with you because
(16:49):
I think it's so fun.
So I was walking around, my momneeded to get hers too, and she
actually wanted to go to homesince to look at something.
I was like, oh awesome, I lovehome sense for the gay gifts
because that's where I got themicrophone last year and they
always have such fun randomstuff.
And the hard thing is you alwayshave to think like unisex and
kind of think about your wholefamily as a whole.
Like what would everybody kindof like?
(17:10):
And I didn't want to just getsomething to get something,
because I personally know that Idon't like to like receive,
just like something as something.
You know what I mean.
I think if you listen to mygift giving episode you know.
But I landed on.
First of all I was in the.
I was going back and forthbetween like the game section.
I did do a quick kitchensection, but there wasn't really
(17:30):
anything at the beginning.
Then I went to like the soapand bathy stuff.
I was like, oh, maybe like alittle spa situation if there
was something cool that I feltlike everyone would use.
But then I was like I'm goingto go back to the kitchen stuff.
And then I got hooked on theTupperwares and home sense
always has the best Tupperwares.
Like that's where all my snackcontainers are from when I do my
snack pack videos except forthe pink one that is from
(17:53):
Zellers, but like my classicgray snack packs, that's where I
got those from.
And I always see on TikTokeveryone doing the tackle boxes
where they take like a tacklebox, like an actual tackle box
from the like a Canadian tire orhardware store that people put
tackle in and make snack packsout of them with like little
(18:13):
everything.
Like they put all of the crepes, candies, cheerios, like
whatever goldfish.
They just fill up the wholething.
And I've actually I think I'vehad a few people comment and
being like, oh, you should trydoing a snack box.
But the one thing that alwayslike made me feel off about that
is that I know that thatplastic isn't necessarily food
grade, so I just didn't want tobecause it was like.
(18:34):
But I was in home sense todayand they have snackle boxes.
They like branded them assnackle boxes.
The cubes aren't.
They're not as small as atackle box, but they're still
like small and there's like Ithink there's like three, nine,
12, maybe 12 boxes, 12compartments, and in this one
you can actually slide out thethings and like kind of make it
(18:57):
different compartment sizes ifyou want.
So you could use it for likesandwiches and just like two
side snacks or you can use it asthe full snackle box.
So I got a snackle box.
I'm kind of regretting that Ididn't get two because I think
it'd be fun to make row snackleboxes.
But anyways, I got one.
We'll try it out and we'll seeif I like it.
So I'm gonna make a snackle box.
I thought that was so fun.
(19:17):
I think I'm gonna go to bulkbar and get a bunch of different
stuff and I'm gonna build asnackle box.
How cute is that?
And then they'll have obviouslythe snack and then the
container for moving forward,for just making their own snacks
.
But oh my gosh, that's so fun.
I was like that's true to who Iam.
I'm excited to see if anyoneguesses if I brought it.
(19:37):
I'm excited, that'll be fun ifanyone knows.
Also, if you're my family, youshouldn't be listening.
But yeah, so that's all myupdates.
I think I also just finishedLove Island, australia.
Well, I'm not all the wayfinished yet.
I'm at the parent episode, oops, but I already got spoiled.
Who I know who wins, but Idon't really care about the
winner of it.
It's more about just likefinding out.
(19:58):
The parent episode is one of myfavorites, but it's more just
finding out who the final likefive or four couples are and
then looking them up on socialmedia after to see like what the
situation is and about them.
But I thoroughly enjoyed theseason.
There was definitely a big lullat one point for me only
because I was really watching itback to back like all day.
(20:19):
So there was one day where itwas just like oh my gosh, this
is so lolling.
But other than that, like therewas a lot.
The boys were irritating me.
They always do, and there's somany opinions I have but nobody
I know is watching it right now.
So if you're interested inwatching Love Island, australia,
please watch it, because I wantyou to get in my DMs and I want
(20:41):
you to share your opinions.
I have so many and I've askedeveryone I know who watches.
Love Island is like no one'swatching this season.
I don't know if it's on hey youyet, which is probably why no
one's watching it.
Trevor found some random thingfor me to watch it on, but I'll
have to check if it's on hey you, because that's where obviously
the Canadian cuties can watchit.
But yes, I am enjoying it, or Iam about to finish it.
(21:04):
So I did enjoy it.
And then I need to watch thesecond half of the crown because
that's been uploaded.
But I've just been booked andbusy in my own mind.
In my own mind, stirring,stirring, stirring.
Also, yesterday I took RotaWalmart because we needed to get
our teacher gifts and I wantedto get some gift cards, and then
I also needed to head over tothe LTVO, which is next door.
(21:24):
Anyway, it's a long story shortis.
She loves going to Walmartbecause she can just walk
through the toy aisles.
I vouch they need to put chairsin the toy aisles because we
literally spent forever.
She was just looking at everysingle thing, which is amazing.
I'm so glad she was having fun,but I was like I'm so tired of
standing right now.
And it was so funny because wewent after school and then when
(21:45):
we left it was pitch black, likeliterally pitch black, which
like it's a pretty short window,but it must have been.
I feel like it was only 430,maybe it was closer to five, but
it was pitch black.
And we're always like where didthe day go?
Like once we got outside, shewas like wait, what happened?
Where did the day go?
And I was like we're coming upto the last.
I think today is when you'relistening to this it's the first
(22:08):
day of winter, the longest dayof, or the longest night of, the
year.
So from here on out, the daysare just gonna be getting longer
.
Thank you, thank you, thank youvery much, but I mean it's
gonna feel pretty dark for a bithere.
Anyways, those are all myupdates for you.
Other than that, I apologize forthe Jell-O recipe being late.
All weekend I was like make theJell-O Grace make the Jell-O
(22:32):
and I just like could not bringmyself to do it.
It was one of those thingswhere I was just feeling
overwhelmed so I was just likeavoiding, avoid, avoid doing the
work at all costs.
But we finally made the Jell-O,so I'm happy about that.
I just yeah, I'm sorry aboutthat, I'm sorry I flew off the
(22:54):
wagon, but we have some reallyfun stuff coming up and I think
I'm gonna have a special guestfor our Friday's recipe,
tomorrow's recipe, because mymom I was like, going through
the recipes that I had the restof the week to make, and my mom
was like, oh, I'm making that onFriday.
And I was like, ooh, maybe I'lldo a little run-through with my
mom.
She can show us how to make it.
That would be really funbecause, I mean, she showed me
(23:16):
how to make everything.
So get it from the source, andit's nice to bring families in.
So I think that'll be fun.
But let's get into New Year onthe Horizon.
Can you believe it?
I feel like every year I alwayssay this time is going by so
quickly.
I feel like I didn't even sayit this year and actually my mom
had said it to me recently.
She was like oh my gosh, Ican't believe this and this and
(23:37):
this, and then I'm gonna be thisbecause she's going on a trip
later this winter and so I guessshe's timing everything around
that and she's like I can'tbelieve this is gonna be coming
up so soon.
And I was like, honestly, Ifeel like I don't even focus on
how fast time is going anymore,because it just does.
It just flies by and I alreadytold you I'm already stressing
(23:58):
myself out with my own stuff.
So I'm just trying to be morepresent.
But as the New Year comes, I amfeeling so much weight and I
just know that there's gonna be.
I just really want this winterto be peace on earth.
I just want to bring peace intomy life.
(24:18):
I want to bring calm.
I want to energize myself bylike removing distractions.
I really, really want to buildgood habits.
I think I just need, I'm tryingto set these.
Really.
I'm trying to set clearboundaries between work and
(24:38):
moming and taking care of thehome and then having time for
myself and for me and Trevor,and it's just like I want more.
I don't even I guess structure.
I want to add more structure,but I want it to be really
peaceful, structure, like bringit all back in, just kind of
(25:00):
like living, living simple,really simple.
And so, for me, new Year's andlike New Year's resolutions I
was trying to think of what theword is, I am not big on like
okay, new Year's Day is thestart of the rest of my life.
Like that is when I need tostart.
I feel like, for me, like if Idon't implement something right
(25:21):
when I think it I think I'vetalked to you about this already
there's a low chance.
I'm going to like talk myselfout of it.
Like for two days I'm going tofeel two, three days I'm going
to feel like, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.
And then I'm just going to liketalk myself out of it and be
like, ah, there's no point.
And then months later I'll belike, why did I never start that
?
I wish I did so I just kind oflike to get it started now.
(25:42):
And so one of those things islike really clearing out our
house.
I feel like I'm talking aboutdecluttering forever.
But like I am so serious, Ijust need to.
I need to get serious and Ineed to work on at least one
thing a day, and I'm trying sohard to not feel discouraged if
I don't complete a whole roombecause I'm not going to.
I'm not going to, and I knowthat's the truth.
And so what I'm trying to do islike every morning, that's when
(26:04):
I have the most energy is likefirst thing in the morning, what
I'm trying to do is we have ourbreakfast in bed.
So chill, so lovely.
I'm enjoying that so much, butthen I really want to when I
make my coffee, just like, havemy coffee.
Well, I work through something,and so I actually cleaned out
the closet cuties which, ifyou've seen my Instagram a
couple weeks ago and I've talkedabout it here at my closet was
(26:25):
so horrible not horrible, butjust like so full, and it was at
the point where I was literallyshoving it shut.
There was always stuff fallingout.
I had our spring, summer,winter, fall.
Everything was in there all ourboots, all our shoes, so much
stuff and so I actually clearedit out the other morning and it
felt so good.
I just like was sitting on thecouch and our living room was so
(26:45):
disastrous at the moment, whichI'm happy.
I'm blessed and gratefulbecause we're living and
enjoying that space, but it'salso just like, and because the
Christmas tree is in there, likethat's taking up space.
And then we also brought down.
We have this huge beanbag chairthat lives in Rose Room
typically, but in the winter itlike lives in our living room
because it's so nice to put infront of the fire and sit toasty
in front of the fire, and sothat's taking up a big space in
(27:08):
the living room and it's justlike there's so much stuff.
You have boxes and stuff andthere's like packages coming
more frequently, and so there'sthings everywhere and I have all
these pictures that I need tohang up, but I know they're not
going to get hung up, probablyanytime soon, so I need to put
them into a box and put them inthe basement away for now,
because they're just like taking, like it's they're not even
(27:28):
taking up that much space on theground, but like it's filling
the space and it's filling mymental capacity and I can't deal
.
So right now our living room isjust like so overwhelming,
which is I, it's, it's a lovehate, right, because like I'm
glad it's being lived in, butalso I need to, I need to
declutter, declutter.
But that being said, I wassitting in the living room the
(27:49):
other morning and I was justlike looking around and I was
like I am feeling so stressedright now.
This is just not working me upfor the day, or this is working
me up.
This is not setting my, my mindfree.
So I was like, okay, I got toget up and do something right
now.
And so the first thing I didwas look at the closet which is
close to our living room, and Iwas like you're mine, and I just
(28:10):
like started chuckingeverything out of it.
I filled up two huge garbagebags full of stuff for Goodwill
or Valley Village.
Well now I'm like value, what'sGoodwill's clothing prices?
I want to.
I want to give to the peoplewho are setting the nice prices,
anyways, but for Valley Village, and I am just like so happy
(28:32):
about that and that's just likemy goal, like truly, I think
that's like my big January goalis just really working through
everything and I I just want tomake sure that every day I am
really decluttering because it'sjust overwhelmed me.
And we also like recently got afew new appliances and I just
need to find them homes, likesmall kitchen appliances, but
(28:53):
it's like I need to find themhomes or sitting on our counter
and it's like I need to actuallyclean out our appliance cover,
like all of those things, allthe covers that I don't even go
into every single day.
I need to like properly cleanthem out and get rid of things
that we haven't used, like inthe past year or two or since we
moved into the house.
If there's things in our housethat we haven't used since we
moved into this house to do it,who taught Lou?
(29:16):
But that's where I'm at rightnow.
I'm just feeling really filledup and I want like of
distraction and I just need toremove distraction.
And so another thing I'vereally wanted to do, so I've
slowly started doing that.
Another thing I'm really wantingto do this upcoming year and,
as I say, as my resolution,remember, I'm starting them now.
(29:37):
But another thing I really wantto do is just have like a
peaceful place for me.
Like this area is like I'm soglad that we made the studio
last year.
We're actually coming up on ayear of the studio.
I feel like I made it at thebeginning of season three.
I can't believe we're goinginto season four, but anyways, I
just feel like I'm so glad thatI have this area because I'm
(29:58):
able to just totally just likeclose the door and not have to
look at my work stuff, and Iactually had made this area so
disastrous but at one point, butI finally cleaned it up, so
we're good.
So I'm happy for that.
But now it's like I need a mespace, a space where I can do
stuff, and I think what I wantto do is actually I just said a
couple episodes and I'm notholding myself accountable to
this, but I am going to try itout and see how I like it.
(30:21):
If not that time, then maybe atanother time in the day, but I
do think that I am going to tryand get up before row at five.
Recently she's been waking upat six, but sometimes she wakes
up at like five, 15, but even 15minutes to myself would be
beautiful and I think I can wakeup at five.
Fine, I can't wake up anyearlier than that.
So that's that's what I'm doing, because anything earlier than
(30:44):
that is literally the middle ofthe night.
That's ridiculous, that's notacceptable.
Like I can't do that.
I don't think that's healthy.
I think how like for mepersonally, in my, in my
schedule, it's like I should sayI'm going to sleep until at
least five, but if I could justwake up at five, sneak
downstairs.
I have this perfect littlecorner in our basement which
used to it was originally mycorner where I had like my yoga
(31:07):
ball or my like what is itcalled Stability ball, the big
one, and I would go down thereand do my stretching and stuff.
And I was so on stretching whenI had row before I had row when
I was pregnant with her andthen after I had row, I was so
good at stretching because Ireally felt the difference in my
body and I just feel that too,I feel the stress in my lower
(31:27):
back, I feel the need to justhave a at least like just a
couple of minutes, just a fewstretches every day.
So I think it would be nice ifI could go down there, remake
this area into mine, becausethen, when it was the pandemic,
trevor had gotten all theseweights and stuff so cause he
couldn't go to the gym as wecould work out down there.
But he actually recently soldthose weights or gave them away.
I don't know where they went,but they're not there anymore
(31:49):
and I'm glad because they tookup so much space and they wait
my, my, my, my, my, my space,which was fine, I was okay to
share, but now it's back to justlike being an empty space, but
it still has like the bones ofwhat my space was.
It's got the mirror, it's gotmy yoga ball.
I'd like to get like some floortile mat thing, something cushy
for the floor, and then I wouldlove it if I could maybe get a
(32:11):
little kettle for down there soI can make a cup of sneak down
in the morning, make a cup oftea.
I kind of want it to be like ano, a no technology zone, in the
sense of I don't want like tolook at my screen first thing in
the morning.
I don't want to have likedirect light from like a lamp
source.
I was thinking maybe I couldget like a cause right now it's
(32:32):
going to be really dark in themorning, um.
So I was thinking maybe I wouldget like a softer type of light
, maybe like one of those sunsetlamps or like, um, the star
projectors you know thosesomething more softer like,
maybe even just like some, um,electric candles what are those
called?
I guess I could do like actualcandlelight, but I always get
(32:53):
iffy with candles.
I always scared I'm not goingto blow them out and I hear
they're like bad to breathe inand stuff.
So, um, you know, like the, thecandles, the electric ones that
have like a little remotecontrol, so maybe something like
that, some sort of moodlighting that isn't like
offensive, or we're going tolike be like, oh, and my eyes
already, because I look at ascreen all the time, like For
(33:14):
work and stuff.
So it's like and I really don'twant to go on my phone first
thing in the morning.
I and I'm really I'll talk aboutthis after anyways so I'm
thinking, just set up thissimple little mat area, get some
mats and my stability ballthere have a little electric
kettle and a mug and some of myteas that are just like nice
(33:37):
Healing teas, like I From EngelHill they have these really
beautiful teas that like allhave a different purpose and
they're just really lovelytasting.
But they also like are, like Idon't know if medicine is the
right word, but like they're.
They're teas that are, that arehelping you in some way or
another, and so make a littlesteep some tea in those teas.
(33:57):
Always it's best to steep themfor a long time, so 10 to 15
minutes.
So then it's like as my teasteeping for 10 to 15 minutes I
can work through my stretches.
I'd like to have a journal downthere.
I'd like to find a journal.
If I can't find it, then Ican't find it, I'll just get a
plain journal.
But I love a journal where,like, one side is like lists,
maybe a prompt.
(34:17):
I would love a prompt that justgets me a little thought, a
little Gratitude thought in themorning, or something like that,
and then a list where I canwrite Like my to-do list, and
then I'd love one the other sideto just be like a plain piece
of paper so I can kind of likedoodle and Because I love like
doodling and coloring and stufflike that, so oh, I would love
(34:39):
it if it had like coloring page.
That would be so nice, becausethat's like almost mindless,
where I can just like workthrough my thoughts after I've
done my little prompt and mylittle to-do list and then I can
just like color.
That would be amazing.
I don't know if that exists, butI want to find some sort of
journal like that and and then Ican just like spend so as my
teeth, teeth steeping, I can domy stretches and then I can do
(34:59):
my, get everything out on mypaper.
So I have start with a clearmind, do some breath work and
then just sit and have my tea,and if I can get that done, like
I might even have 30 minutesone morning, but if I only have
15 minutes or 10 minutes, then Ican at least get a little bit
done and then row can know tocome downstairs and find me
there.
That would be Perfection, likeliterally.
I just feel like I would lovethat.
(35:20):
I just think I would love doingthat, and it's in our rec room.
So then when row comes down, wealso have a mini fridge down
there near Trevor's desk, whichis in the basement, and so even
I could put in the mini fridgeif I want to get really
organized some yogurt cups andmilk and Fruit, like things that
row would eat for breakfast orjust like a quick snack, because
(35:42):
you know we have 12 breakfastsevery morning not not 12, but
like at least three.
Like we were a grazing kind oftime type of family.
I also think it's just a kidthing, but where she could have
her first graze, and there'sobviously the TV there too, so
she could watch a show.
She also has a play space downthere so she could even play.
I really want to do that.
(36:03):
So that's something I reallywant to start working on
implementing, like ASAP, a SAP.
Even the other day I sent Trevorto winners to look for
something for Hopefully shedoesn't listen to this, but
anyways and he called me toFaceTime me and show me the
options of things.
And then I had seen in thecorner that they have the tiles,
(36:24):
like the Little workout tiles,like they're like these foam
tiles that you can put down onthe ground, and I was like, ooh,
but I hadn't measured the spaceand like it's kind of an
awkward space, so I wasn't sureif those were the right ones.
They might have been too big tofit, I mean, it might need
smaller ones.
So I was like, oh, but they dohave them out there and that's
something I would really love.
So that's something I reallywant to implement into the new
(36:45):
year, like just like I used tobe so good at that, especially
when we were in the condo and itwas just me and Trevor, because
it was easy for us to find yourown space.
But now we're in the house, it'slike there we have so much more
space, but we don't have anydoors that close really between
our layers, so it doesn't feellike you ever get on the loan
moment and then like the onlytime I could would be able to
(37:07):
have like the basement to myself, even though it's just that
corner, I want is like firstthing in the morning, or maybe
sometimes at nighttime, becauseTrevor works downstairs, so it's
just like hard To like.
It's like I really want it tojust be my alone, by myself time
.
So that's something I really,really want to implement and I'm
kind of so looking forward toit.
And so that's one thing whereit's like it's on my mind every
(37:28):
morning.
I'm like I just want that.
I want to do that, I want toget started, but I have to like
what do you call it?
I have to Make a prioritizelist because there's things that
I need to get done before that,but I am going to start doing
that super soon, hopefully.
I'm so excited.
As I was talking about that,there was one more thing that I
wanted to also start, but Ican't remember.
(37:50):
So I want to get my calendargoing.
I'm in my declutter era and Iwant to create that me moment
every morning when I just spendtime with myself.
Oh, I remember what it is,where I just spend time with
myself and without technology.
Oh, another thing I wanted toget for that area.
I was thinking when I was atValley Village I was like, oh, I
(38:10):
should check if they have them.
But I was thinking I might geta CD player, because I really
would.
I think it would be nice maybeto have some like Viby music
Playing in the background softly.
Well, I go through like astretch circuit, but I don't
want to go on my phone and Idon't want to like hook up to a
bluetooth speaker because Idon't want to look at my phone.
So it's like, maybe if I canjust get a little CD player and
(38:33):
then Either burn myself a CD orlike find a CD with the vibe I
want on it and then I just haveto press like play, that would
be awesome.
So, yeah, that's some ideas I'mhaving, because I really wanted
to just be like a Technologyfree zone in the sense of like
screens and stuff like that andlike being access to social
media, emails, text messages,people.
I don't want access to anybody,so that, on that note too, I
(38:58):
want to start not having myphone On my bedside table
anymore, and this one's going tobe tricky because a lot of the
time I'll fall asleep with rowand I listen to a podcast when
I'm putting her to sleep.
I usually listen to a podcastwhen I'm going to sleep all the
time.
So I need to, I need to onelose that habit.
Not for row I have to listen to, I don't have to, but if I'm
laying with row, if I'm notlistening to a podcast, I will
(39:21):
100% fall asleep.
So I just need to be better atmaybe not falling asleep with
row.
But I want my phone, maybe evennot even upstairs, like I think
I want to set up a chargingstation, because right now I
really don't have a chargingstation on my side table.
Ever since we came home fromItaly Our charging cables, we
were moved everywhere and now wejust really haven't set up a
good situation.
And I used to have a wirelesscharger I still do, but now I
have an octobuddy on the back ofmy phone so I can't really
(39:45):
wirelessly charge.
Long story short is that I wantto put my phone somewhere that's
not by my bed and it's like Iwant to maybe even just leave it
on the main floor.
I think that's what I'm goingto do.
I think I'm going to set up acharging area on the main floor
when I'll plug in that and thenI'll have my e-reader next to my
bed and I'll read to go to bed.
That's what I really want to doand I love reading to go to bed
(40:06):
.
It's like perfect, it reallyputs you to sleep.
And then if I ever wake up inthe middle of the night I don't,
I'm not, I don't feel the urgeto go to my phone I'll read a
chapter of my book and I'll fallasleep so quickly.
So it's like I need to do that.
I just really need to do that.
So that's something I'm goingto implement.
And I used to always be worriedlike oh, but what if somebody
(40:28):
needs something in an emergencyor whatever.
And I always just think like,like, I do think worst case
scenario, like okay, what ifsomeone dies in the middle of
the night?
Like that's bad, but I do thinklike that because I've
experienced something similar tothat.
But like it's like if thathappens, like there's nothing I
can do about it in the middle ofthe night, and Trevor will
(40:48):
always have his phone, and likeI guess I could put it on volume
.
Honestly, I'm not even stressed.
It's like if something happens,something happens like what can
it?
What is me having my phonegoing to help doing I don't know
?
So, yeah, I just like don'twant, I'm going to put my phone.
I'm going to set up a chargingarea somewhere.
That's on our main floor,either in our kitchen, our
kitchen.
Actually, that's a great idea.
(41:08):
I should set up one in ourkitchen because I always need to
charge my phone in the kitchen,because I'm always recording in
the kitchen.
So, yeah, that's actually agreat idea.
And we have a perfect littlenook.
We have a nook where are, likewhat is it called?
Our microwave and our blendersit and our KitchenAid mixer.
They all sit there and it'sjust like this little like.
(41:29):
That's the only reallycluttered area.
It's not even that clutteredbut like I really don't like
stuff on the counter.
As you can tell, I get stressedout with things being around me
.
So that's really the only areathat like has a lot of stuff,
but it's like kind of out of theway.
It's not, it's not really ausable space because it's kind
of like in the corner.
(41:50):
So, anyways, that would be agood place to set up a little
phone station where I keep myAirPods and my phone to charge
and I just keep it away from thebedroom.
Okay, I'm so excited about that.
Okay, so these are the thingsthat I'm implementing for the
new year and I really, really,really am excited.
(42:10):
Like I'm just excited to touchgrass, like that's what I feel
like I need to do.
I just need to like turn off mymind and really get things out
on paper.
Okay, there's one other thingthat I want to start in the new
year that I'm kind of superduper nervous about, and every
time I like almost want to makethe jump.
(42:31):
It's like I can't.
It's like okay, yeah, let's doit, and then I get nervous and
that's therapy.
I think that I really want tostart therapy, but then I also
always get caught being like mmm, mmm, and I don't know what I'm
scared about.
Like, I think what I'm scaredabout is the unknown, probably,
and that's what it always hasdriven me, my me fear.
(42:51):
That's what's always driven myfear is not knowing, and for me
I don't even know if it's likein my mind I think like okay,
this is what they're going totalk about, like this is what,
but like I don't know what we'regoing to unlock, but mainly
it's like I just don't know whatthe what it's like.
Like I've never done it before.
I don't know what it's going tobe.
Like I don't know what kind ofquestions and conversation
(43:12):
they're going to have.
I'm also like an open book.
I'm super easy to talk about,but I kind of I think also I
kind of just don't know what Iwant to talk about.
You know what I mean.
Like I I think that I want tojust work on being like a.
Really I want to work on a lotof things, but I want to work on
balance and just like settingmyself up with tools and
(43:34):
processing and just like there'sa lot of stuff, and like I want
to work on how I receivefeedback and how I work through
things and conversations andlots of different things.
But I don't know exactly likewhat?
The driving force of likewhat's like stopping me or all
of that stuff.
But it's like I don't know,like it's I think it's just I
(43:58):
don't know.
And then every time I getnervous, there's this I might
try hypnotherapy.
I don't know.
There's a few things I'm justlike I just need to start and
like I know that it's one ofthose things that you have to
work through, like Trevor's MrTherapy.
He is like the king of mentalhealth and taking care of his
mental health, like I'm alwaysso like amazed and proud of the
(44:19):
work that he puts into himselfand like he is like a huge
influence in my life in thatsense.
And it's just one of thosethings where it's like okay, I
should do it too, I should try,yeah.
So I know that it takes timeand that you, that you like it
might take a few therapists toget through, and like I do think
(44:40):
I want to go in person.
I'm always up for an in-personthing, especially since I'm at
home all the time.
It's nice to have an in-personthing.
Oh, sorry, I forgot you werehere.
I stepped on Alibi she's beenso quiet, laying by my feet, um
and I stepped on her.
I mean, I just booped her a bit, but yeah.
So I just feel like that's onething I really want to do and
I'm just nervous.
I'm just nervous, but I want todo it.
(45:03):
So that's something I shouldstart setting up appointments
for now, because even if I can'tget an appointment till the new
year, at least I've made anappointment.
And Trevor did this thingrecently when he was switching
over to new therapists, where heactually set up like little
intro appointments where he justdid like 15 minute phone calls
with a bunch of different onesand then made his decision.
So that's something I could dotoo.
(45:23):
But it's also one of thosethings where it's like I haven't
been yet, so I don't know whatI'm looking for.
So I know it might be a trialand error, but I'm open to it.
I'm just nervous.
So that's what my new year islooking like for me is just
really finding peace andsimplifying and just like I can
(45:44):
feel myself wanting and feelingthe need for things that
actually don't matter.
And then I feel myself gettingoverwhelmed when it's like I'm
on my phone for too long or likeI feel social media is really
like weighing on me and likemaking me feel things that are
(46:09):
like negative or like currently,so much stuff is just it's just
so loud right now.
I just feel so much noise in mylife.
So I'm just really trying tolike simplify, quiet, center.
I want our family to be thegoal, like my heart, my whole
right now, and I want to likekind of shut out anything that's
(46:30):
making me feel like there's notenough, for I'm not enough or I
don't have enough or anythinglike that.
Because, like I am so rich inlove and just like the beauty
around me, like I am, so I haveso much goodness and I'm so
grateful and I literally have mydreams in my hands right now
(46:51):
and I just don't want to takethat for granted.
So I'm just trying to centermyself in this year is really
about that, like just findingthat center.
And then my final last one alsonow that I just talked about
that is that for so long I feltlike, oh, I don't, I'm lonely,
I'm missing friendships.
I wish I had close people in mylife, and I agree with that.
(47:11):
But also I all of a sudden,just like this thing clicked
where, like I have the mostamazing friends.
I'm so grateful for all of themand we have this beautiful
relationship where we don't haveto see each other all the time.
We all we don't get to see eachother.
I would love to see each othermore often, but like when we do
see each other, it is so rich,it is so warm, I am so grateful
(47:32):
for the friendships I have in mylife.
Like truly makes me emotionalthinking about it because, like
I felt like for so long, I thinkalso because, like, becoming a
mom can feel isolating and then,obviously, moving away from,
like, where your central groupof friends are, but like I have
friends all over and I am justso grateful for all of them and
(47:52):
I'm so grateful because I knowthat I can always just pick up
the phone and call them and setup a get together, a coffee date
, a hang out, a sleepover, likeI am rich with love in my life
and I am so grateful for that.
So it's just one of thosethings where it's like I just
feel like I want to focus on thebeauty that's in my life which
(48:18):
I am so beyond grateful for.
And so this year, movingforward, it's just like I just
want to center myself in thelove that exists around me
because it is so beautiful, andI want to shut out the noise and
the clutter and the distractionbecause I am just like tired of
the circle of feeling notenough or I don't have enough
(48:41):
for the wants, and it's like Idon't care, like I am so, so, so
, so happy for what I have, likeI truly am, and I just want to
sit and bask in that beauty andfeed into those lives around me,
and I think that I just need toshut out, shut out the noise.
So, yeah, that's what I'm soexcited for for 2024.
(49:05):
I can't wait, and I just can'twait to make my cup of tea and
have my quiet mornings andgetting my phone out and just
creating good habits.
Oh, I can't wait.
So, yeah, that's what I'mreally looking forward to.
Thank you so much for beinghere.
We got to talk about the recipeof the day cuties.
I'm so broken excited for thisrecipe Cute we are.
(49:26):
This isn't my recipe.
I had to look it up.
I told you when we came homefrom Italy I was going to find
the perfect Genoa focaccia,because I had made focaccia in
the past before and it wasdelicious.
But then we went to Italy andthe focaccia there which is
where it comes from, is Genoawas like heaven on earth.
(49:48):
I have never had focaccia sodelicious and people told me
like when you go there, it'sgoing to taste different, not in
a bad way.
They just said you're going to,it's not going to be like what
you've had before.
It is so good.
I found an amazing recipe that,like matches it beautifully and
I am going to share it.
I'm kind of friggin obsessedwith it.
I am trying to.
I'm trying to start a traditionwhere I make it every, because
(50:11):
you can make it on like a night,like you can make it and let it
rest overnight in the fridge torise, or you can make it and
have it rest on the counter andhave it in like an hour or
whatever, but like you can havea slow 12 hour rise and do it
overnight and then make it freshin the morning, which is just
like the Italian dream, likeliterally make cappuccino so
delicious.
(50:31):
So I'm trying to make atradition of doing that every
Saturday, or at least like onthe weekends, just because
that's when we can have like ourslow mornings with Trevor and
everybody, everybody I gave meand Rosie.
But like I'm trying, I onlyhave done it once and then I
just am feeling so overwhelmedright now but I'm hoping in the
(50:52):
new year that that is somethingthat I carry out.
Another resolution, but I'mgoing to share that with you
because I made for Becca's lastWednesday night dinner before
her Christmas break.
I made this appetizer becauseshe wanted to do an Italian
night where I make everything welearned in Italy, I made an
appetizer, which is focaccia aball of barata and some meats.
(51:13):
It was unbelievable, like Ilook.
The second I sat down and tooka bite, I was like I want this
every single second of my life.
It was so freaking good.
The focaccia is super easy tomake.
It's a really forgiving bread,I find, and I am just so excited
for you to learn how to do this, because I think you're going
to work in love it.
(51:33):
If you've never had Genoa stylefocaccia, you have to try this
one.
It's so good.
Get out your olive oil, becausewe need a lot of it.
Cute.
So I'm so excited to share thisrecipe because I'm also just so
excited to eat it myself andsince Rose off school, I wonder
if she'll want to make it withme.
She'll love doing that, puttingthe dimples in the bread.
But that is our recipe of theday.
(51:54):
Cuties, I'll be back tomorrow.
Oh my gosh.
Tomorrow's Friday, friday,saturday, sunday Three more
episodes.
I can't believe that this wholedays is going by so quickly.
I love you all so much, sendingyou hugs and kisses.
Also, the recipes are postedover on Instagram and TikTok.
Five each time focaccia.
Hey, cuties.
Oh, I forgot to fill up mywater.
Okay, one second, I'm back,cutes.
I know I would be so sad if Istarted without my water.
And also, we need the Christmasvibes.
Okay, cheers, cuties, somewater for me.
Take a sip of water for you.
(00:27):
I'm just going to stretch mymic out.
I'm doing this if you'rewatching me YouTube with my foot
.
Okay, delicious, welcome backto Five Years Time Podcast With
me.
Your host, grace.
I'm so excited that you'vejoined us.
I have no idea what day the weekwe are on.
I already know that I messed upTuesday's episode by saying
(00:51):
that it was Monday and blah,blah, blah, blah, blah, blah,
but it doesn't really matterbecause you might be listening
on a totally different day ofthe week.
I also am realizing that myiPad is on me iPad, me iPad.
Ain't trying to use that.
My iPad is on low battery, butwe're going to make this work.
I think last weeks or last weeksoh my gosh, yesterday's episode
(01:17):
you could tell I was reallytired.
I feel much more refreshed, butI think what I'm realizing is
that I am not taking my ownadvice and focusing on the
present moment.
I've kind of lost myorganization a bit as we lead up
to Christmas, our house isliterally wild.
Oh, it's so wild.
(01:38):
It's just like there's stuffeverywhere.
I think I'm also, as I talkedabout in the gift giving episode
, I'm also feeling like a littlestressed because I know I have
my pile of gifts hidden.
Can't say where they're hidden.
I know that there's stuff inall the nooks and crannies right
now and I'm really trying toget the clean out on.
(01:59):
But I also kind of am busy withthings that I need to do
keeping up with the podcast,making my daily recipes, and
then Rose's done school.
Come on out.
Hi.
Alibi's coming to join us.
I know that I'm also done.
Sorry, my lighting gets sofunny when I open up that door,
(02:20):
but I know that I don't evenremember what I was saying, but
I just oh, yeah, okay, I knowthat I have time, like after the
holidays.
Once Christmas is past,there'll be time.
There's always time, there'salways time.
There's even even I'm even justnow like it's only Wednesday
when I'm recording this.
I think it's Thursday when thisepisode's up, but anyways, I
(02:42):
don't even know.
But anyways, it's like it'sonly Wednesday.
There's still the week's notover yet.
I have this thing where I alwaysfeel like my Mondays and
Tuesdays.
If you've been listening for along time, you know that I
always do this to myself.
I make my Mondays and Tuesdayslike so jam-packed with stuff
and then the rest of my weekusually is pretty open, which is
great because it gives me lotsof flexibility to like do random
(03:05):
things that I need to do orwhatever.
If something comes up, I canhead into the city, blah, blah,
blah, blah, blah, whatever.
But I don't actually need toput that much pressure on myself
for Monday and Tuesday.
Like I can stretch it over thewhole week, right.
But I always do that to myselfand then I'm just like so
stressed out and then sometimesthat like makes me lose
motivation or I'm just like stopdoing things or I like let down
(03:27):
a commitment that I've made,and it's like I need to stop
doing that, because I'm feelingthat today, Like even today, I
feel like I had so much stuff Ineeded to get done and I was
kind of like go, go, go, and Iwas like I need to get in the
studio and record the podcastand then I was feeling like, oh,
maybe I'll just do it tomorrow.
But it's like I had time, Ihave energy.
I feel good to do it, but justbecause in my mind I was feeling
(03:50):
like, oh my gosh, there's thisand this and this and this and
this, it just felt overwhelmingLike I just needed to stop and
not do anything.
But actually that's not what Iwant to do, especially now.
I talked about this inyesterday's episode, or maybe
two days ago, episode that I amreally loving just having slow
mornings and really quietevenings, and so I appreciate
(04:12):
that and I need to remind myselfthat, like once that like four,
four, 30 time hits, we reallystart winding down for the night
, we really start relaxing andunwinding and chilling.
And I've been going to bedreally early, like 839, which
I'm happy with because I'mgetting my good nights rest in,
and then we're having we alwayswake up early in our house, at
(04:34):
least me and Rodeau and so thenwe're having our early mornings,
but we've had a nice long sleepand we're having a relaxing
long morning and now that roseon vacation, we get to really
stretch out those mornings,which is nice.
But anyways, my point being isthat I need to remind myself
that come four, 30, I can turnoff.
That's when I've set myself toturn off, to let go of
(04:55):
commitments to, to switch intomom mode and like shut off the
computer, shut off the to dolist, and I just feel like I'm
I'm also in the midst ofadjusting to that where it's
like at two o'clock it's likeokay, I kind of just need to
like there's so much stuff,there's so much stuff, but it's
like it's going to go ontomorrow.
(05:16):
Anyways, that's just a littlebit.
A little bit for me right nowis that I've just been feeling a
lot of different things and Ireally need to start writing
stuff down, not just evendigitally, I, because digitally
I get things all mixed up andmangled and jangled and it's
like I need a physical calendar.
I keep saying this I've almostbought it like three times.
(05:39):
I used to have one, like acouple years ago, when me,
trevor and Ro, when Ro juststarted school, me and Trevor
were both working jobs that wereoutside of the house.
Well, he works from home, butyou know what I mean like not
working for the home in the home, for ourselves, and I felt like
we had so much, like I was.
I was just it was coming out ofCOVID.
All of a sudden, life hadstarted again.
(06:00):
Everyone had a differentschedule and I had a physical
calendar and that was really,really helpful.
I need to do that again.
So that's one thing.
And another thing is I need tostart writing down physical to
do list every day, because it'sjust, it's going to get out of
my mind, instead of me all daythinking like, oh, I have this
and this and this and this, andthen getting all mixed and
mangled and forgetting what Ihave to do and then just going
to bed at the end of the nightwith my to do list still
(06:22):
circulating and then waking upat three in the morning thinking
like, oh, there's so much stuffto do and not being able to
have a good night's rest.
But this all leads into today'sconversation, because we're
talking about the new yearthat's on the horizon and all of
the goodness that comes withfresh starts, especially for me.
I'm a big lover of fresh starts.
But I'm going to talk aboutthat in just a bit, because
(06:45):
first I just want to catch youup on a few things that we have
talked about in the past coupleof episodes and I now have, kind
of like have updates on it, Iguess.
So one is I did find Rose robotdog at the thrift store.
I did.
I showed it on my Instagramstories the other day, if you
saw it.
Oh my gosh, I found the coolestdog in the world.
(07:05):
I didn't even realize that itwas cool until I got home.
So basically I went to ValleyVillage and I just went to the
toy shelf and I quickly lookedand I was like, oh, I don't know
if I see anything.
And then I slowly walked it andI found like three, four, five,
I think there were like five.
There were a bunch of furryones and I wasn't sure what they
did.
And then there was two likeactual robot looking dogs and
(07:29):
All of them needed batteries.
Like none of them were able toturn on.
All of them needed batteries,except for this one which I
thought was so cool.
It looked the most robot, ithad the most like movable joints
.
So I figured in my mind I waslike, oh, I think it'll do the
most things.
And it was like a USB Plug-incharger and I was like, amazing,
(07:50):
we'll have a cable somewhere athome, you know, in the cable
bin, and that would be awesometo not have to replace the
batteries and just be able tocharge it.
Like, why not buy it?
It was $3.99, four bucks.
Take it home, try it out, we'llsee, because I did do a quick
look online for how much likerobot dogs are and they're like
I don't know about like ahundred dollars, depending on
what you want to do.
(08:10):
Like you get ones that justwalk, like you have a leash and
I guess you can press a forwardsbutton and it'll just walk, but
I don't know if that's what youwant.
I wasn't sure what you wanted.
Anyways, I was like I'm notgonna lose on this $4 toy if it
doesn't work.
It's, I try.
Life was okay.
So I brought it home and it wasa little messy, like a little
dirty, and I was like to Trevor.
I was like I'm not gonna tidyit up, like I'm not gonna get
(08:32):
out the cloth and the soap untilI know what works.
And so Trevor looked for a cord.
And he act.
We actually didn't have one.
We do have.
We have an e-reader that takesthat cord.
It's like a chunky Androidcharger I'm trying to think of
what that's called, not a UBC,something else, anyways, but
it's like a chunkier one.
It's a little bit thicker andwe couldn't find it anywhere.
So Trevor just ran to the storeand grabbed one from computer
(08:55):
Canada computers, which is likeour favorite place to buy bits
and bobs Because it's like socheap for chords and stuff
Anyways, and he plugged it inand it turned red when it
plugged in.
So we had hope and then an hourlater it was able to turn on
and it's literally the coolestthing ever.
Trevor found a manual for it andit comes with this training
manual.
So basically it says dog thatyou train, and it has like it
(09:17):
can hear your voice and then ithas sensors on the front of it
so it can like see not see, butlike it can sense if things are
in front of it.
And it has a button on its backwhere you can press it to do
random tricks or you can tap itshead and it'll have like its
eyes light up and communicate toyou.
So it'll have little questionmarks and so one of the question
(09:38):
mark show you can ask it to dosomething.
So in the training manualthere's all these commands you
can teach it like so many andit's so fun.
It does like play dad.
It'll like fully turn over,play dad.
Put X's in its eyes and thenit'll get back up itself.
It can do fetch.
You can like wave an object ora ball in front of it and then
say fetch or whatever thecommand is, and then you throw
(10:00):
it and it'll run towards it.
There's honestly like sit high,five, everything, like anything
you think a dog would do, andthen even more.
And then it'll sing songs,it'll tell you it loves you,
like all these things.
It's so fun, I was having somuch fun with it and Then you
can either just leave it, youcan turn it off, or you can
leave it on and it'll just roamaround like a dog and work, or
(10:21):
for a profit if it.
If it like bumps into something, or if it sees something or
senses a wall, it'll turn.
We have like On our back.
We have like our rec room kindof has like a few stairs going
into it like almost like asunken, and so it like was in
our main basement and then itfell into the rec room part and
(10:42):
it just got up itself, like itfigured out how to get back up.
It's so cool, so I'm so excitedfor Christmas.
I'm so glad that worked out and, honestly, like I Wouldn't have
even known what to get or whatshe meant, and this is just the
coolest thing ever.
So it's gonna be so fun.
I think I'm gonna put under thetree.
My mom had a good idea.
I was like I'm just I'm notgonna wrap it, I'm gonna put on
(11:02):
their tree and before we rundown in the morning, I'll run
down quickly and just turn it onso that it's like sitting and
barking waiting for her.
And my mom was like, oh, youshould bow or something on.
I was like, oh, that's such agood idea.
So, yeah, I'm so excited, sothat is so exciting and it was
perfect.
On that note, another thing Idid at Valley Village.
I was just quickly looking forsome bottoms, Leggings and
(11:26):
things like row.
Recently she's going, she's inthe midst of like growing from
whatever size she's in right now, and I'm really trying to get
like when I do laundry, I'm justgetting rid of whatever we
don't wear, like I'm donating.
Or if it's a holy pairunderwear, socks, I'm just
throwing it out.
Like I'm really trying, insteadof just putting stuff away and
like knowing that the clutter isthere, I'm trying to.
(11:47):
Every time I fold a load oflaundry, I'm trying to be like
really thoughtful with like,okay, is this something we wear?
Is this something that we wear.
Is this something that we'retoo big for, like whatever?
So, anyways, rows, kind of likerunning low on leggings and
stuff, and Recently she's beengoing through them so quickly
whether it be like holes or justgrowing out of them or getting
(12:07):
them really stained and so Ijust like was like oh, I've
never actually thrifted it forrows leggings at Value Village
before.
I have thrifted clothing on likea few Instagram shops that are
like local people who like goout and curate Kids thrift store
, but most of the time I just goto like H&M, or usually H&M,
(12:32):
because they have the packs oflike three and they usually have
a deal like buy to get one orwhatever.
And or Old Navy online.
I don't like going Old Navy instore for kids leggings
specifically because they neverhave any sizes, but online they
always have the sizes, anyways,and it's like usually like
maximum you get three for like$20, like that's the maximum
(12:54):
price, but usually that you canget them less like five dollars
at Old Navy event.
Pretty sure you can get them $5a pair of leggings.
Okay, at Value Village it was$7.99 for like pretty much every
single pair of leggings like Ifound this really awesome pair
that was just like a plain pairof I think they were gray, with
a fleecy lining.
I was like awesome, that'll beamazing for the winter time.
(13:16):
And she actually just Ripped abig hole into the fleecy ones
she has.
So I was like amazing, willreplace them?
I'm thinking it's gonna be$1.99 to $99 max like that's
what I was thinking.
Looks the tag?
I was like $7.99, this has tobe wrong.
I like look at all the othertags.
I'm like they're all $7.99 forthrifted leggings.
Like this is why it's hard tobe sustainable, because you can
(13:38):
just go to H&M and Old Navy andget them for cheaper in the
front.
And I was looking at a pair ofCarter's ones that were $8 and
sure they look like they Hadn'tbeen worn, but $8 at Carter's,
for sure they have sales wherethey're less than that.
Like I could not get over that.
I was just like because atfirst I was like oh, there's so
(13:58):
much cute stuff here.
Like maybe I'll come here first.
No, I'm confused.
Why do I have to pay more forsomething that's already been
worn, which, like what?
It just doesn't make sense.
I was shocked by that.
So, anyways, I'm so interestedIf anyone else out there thrifts
their kids clothes.
Like I know the kids like thebaby baby clothes.
(14:20):
You do like the pick a bag andyou like fill it up with
whatever like they have, likejust loose stuff, and I that's
why I never really thrifted forRose close at Value Village,
because I didn't like doing thepick a bag stuff.
I found it really overwhelmingto go through everything.
But I was like, okay, thebigger kids clothes is hung up.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,no, no, no, no, no, no, no,
eight dollars.
I'm not spending eight dollars.
What it didn't make sense to me.
(14:42):
I was confused, I feel likethat's how much adult pants
should be thrifted.
Anyways, I did get her a pair ofa couple pairs.
I actually went over to the boysection and found that the boy
stuff was cheaper than the girlstuff, which I don't understand
why.
And I did get her a couplepairs of sweatpants that were
like $5 each and I was like,okay, fine, but I was really
(15:02):
hoping for like $1.99, $2.99,especially kids clothes, because
they're just gonna get wornthrough so quickly.
Anyways, I was just likeshocked.
I hadn't experienced that.
But that's my update on thethrift store.
I did get her a pair of sneakers, which was awesome, because she
doesn't currently have anyshoes other than boots and her
pool slides, which she wearswhen we go to, like the public
(15:24):
pool or whatever.
But recently it's like it isactually snowy today, but
recently it's been such lovelyweather or it's just been like
not snowy and not super cold,like you don't need to wear
winter boots and we don't haveany sneaks for her.
And then I feel like, oh, shehas to clunk around in these
boots.
So I did pick her up a pair ofthrifted sneaks, these nice Nike
(15:45):
, so fun, fun color, likethey're like pink, blue, white,
they're so cute.
And there were $2.99.
Like, come on, how come theshoes are $2.99?
And the leggings, like think ofleggings.
They're like nothing, eightdollars.
I couldn't, I was, I'm confusedby their pricing.
But anyways, I did pick her uppair of sneaks, so that's
awesome, and I washed them andI'll put them under the tree.
But yeah, I think I was justlike really confused.
(16:08):
I didn't look at the coats, Iwas.
I'm wondering how much like thecoats and winter stuff are.
We have so much stuff becauseone of the moms from the school
I used to work at who only hadone kid she gave me.
So she like kept all of herstuff.
She's amazing organized womanand she gave me like every size
of coat until I still have a fewmore.
I think we still have a coupleof winters full of coats and
(16:29):
snow pants, so I'm so gratefulfor that.
But yeah, I was just reallyreally shocked.
Anyways, that's the presentupdate.
That being said, also, I thinkI am completely done Christmas
shopping, which is amazing.
I got our gay gift too.
I don't think any of my familyextended family listens to the
podcast Hopefully not, because Iwant to share with you because
(16:49):
I think it's so fun.
So I was walking around, my momneeded to get hers too, and she
actually wanted to go to homesince to look at something.
I was like, oh awesome, I lovehome sense for the gay gifts
because that's where I got themicrophone last year and they
always have such fun randomstuff.
And the hard thing is you alwayshave to think like unisex and
kind of think about your wholefamily as a whole.
Like what would everybody kindof like?
(17:10):
And I didn't want to just getsomething to get something,
because I personally know that Idon't like to like receive,
just like something as something.
You know what I mean.
I think if you listen to mygift giving episode you know.
But I landed on.
First of all I was in the.
I was going back and forthbetween like the game section.
I did do a quick kitchensection, but there wasn't really
(17:30):
anything at the beginning.
Then I went to like the soapand bathy stuff.
I was like, oh, maybe like alittle spa situation if there
was something cool that I feltlike everyone would use.
But then I was like I'm goingto go back to the kitchen stuff.
And then I got hooked on theTupperwares and home sense
always has the best Tupperwares.
Like that's where all my snackcontainers are from when I do my
snack pack videos except forthe pink one that is from
(17:53):
Zellers, but like my classicgray snack packs, that's where I
got those from.
And I always see on TikTokeveryone doing the tackle boxes
where they take like a tacklebox, like an actual tackle box
from the like a Canadian tire orhardware store that people put
tackle in and make snack packsout of them with like little
(18:13):
everything.
Like they put all of the crepes, candies, cheerios, like
whatever goldfish.
They just fill up the wholething.
And I've actually I think I'vehad a few people comment and
being like, oh, you should trydoing a snack box.
But the one thing that alwayslike made me feel off about that
is that I know that thatplastic isn't necessarily food
grade, so I just didn't want tobecause it was like.
(18:34):
But I was in home sense todayand they have snackle boxes.
They like branded them assnackle boxes.
The cubes aren't.
They're not as small as atackle box, but they're still
like small and there's like Ithink there's like three, nine,
12, maybe 12 boxes, 12compartments, and in this one
you can actually slide out thethings and like kind of make it
(18:57):
different compartment sizes ifyou want.
So you could use it for likesandwiches and just like two
side snacks or you can use it asthe full snackle box.
So I got a snackle box.
I'm kind of regretting that Ididn't get two because I think
it'd be fun to make row snackleboxes.
But anyways, I got one.
We'll try it out and we'll seeif I like it.
So I'm gonna make a snackle box.
I thought that was so fun.
(19:17):
I think I'm gonna go to bulkbar and get a bunch of different
stuff and I'm gonna build asnackle box.
How cute is that?
And then they'll have obviouslythe snack and then the
container for moving forward,for just making their own snacks
.
But oh my gosh, that's so fun.
I was like that's true to who Iam.
I'm excited to see if anyoneguesses if I brought it.
(19:37):
I'm excited, that'll be fun ifanyone knows.
Also, if you're my family, youshouldn't be listening.
But yeah, so that's all myupdates.
I think I also just finishedLove Island, australia.
Well, I'm not all the wayfinished yet.
I'm at the parent episode, oops, but I already got spoiled.
Who I know who wins, but Idon't really care about the
winner of it.
It's more about just likefinding out.
(19:58):
The parent episode is one of myfavorites, but it's more just
finding out who the final likefive or four couples are and
then looking them up on socialmedia after to see like what the
situation is and about them.
But I thoroughly enjoyed theseason.
There was definitely a big lullat one point for me only
because I was really watching itback to back like all day.
(20:19):
So there was one day where itwas just like oh my gosh, this
is so lolling.
But other than that, like therewas a lot.
The boys were irritating me.
They always do, and there's somany opinions I have but nobody
I know is watching it right now.
So if you're interested inwatching Love Island, australia,
please watch it, because I wantyou to get in my DMs and I want
(20:41):
you to share your opinions.
I have so many and I've askedeveryone I know who watches.
Love Island is like no one'swatching this season.
I don't know if it's on hey youyet, which is probably why no
one's watching it.
Trevor found some random thingfor me to watch it on, but I'll
have to check if it's on hey you, because that's where obviously
the Canadian cuties can watchit.
But yes, I am enjoying it, or Iam about to finish it.
(21:04):
So I did enjoy it.
And then I need to watch thesecond half of the crown because
that's been uploaded.
But I've just been booked andbusy in my own mind.
In my own mind, stirring,stirring, stirring.
Also, yesterday I took RotaWalmart because we needed to get
our teacher gifts and I wantedto get some gift cards, and then
I also needed to head over tothe LTVO, which is next door.
(21:24):
Anyway, it's a long story shortis.
She loves going to Walmartbecause she can just walk
through the toy aisles.
I vouch they need to put chairsin the toy aisles because we
literally spent forever.
She was just looking at everysingle thing, which is amazing.
I'm so glad she was having fun,but I was like I'm so tired of
standing right now.
And it was so funny because wewent after school and then when
(21:45):
we left it was pitch black, likeliterally pitch black, which
like it's a pretty short window,but it must have been.
I feel like it was only 430,maybe it was closer to five, but
it was pitch black.
And we're always like where didthe day go?
Like once we got outside, shewas like wait, what happened?
Where did the day go?
And I was like we're coming upto the last.
I think today is when you'relistening to this it's the first
(22:08):
day of winter, the longest dayof, or the longest night of, the
year.
So from here on out, the daysare just gonna be getting longer
.
Thank you, thank you, thank youvery much, but I mean it's
gonna feel pretty dark for a bithere.
Anyways, those are all myupdates for you.
Other than that, I apologize forthe Jell-O recipe being late.
All weekend I was like make theJell-O Grace make the Jell-O
(22:32):
and I just like could not bringmyself to do it.
It was one of those thingswhere I was just feeling
overwhelmed so I was just likeavoiding, avoid, avoid doing the
work at all costs.
But we finally made the Jell-O,so I'm happy about that.
I just yeah, I'm sorry aboutthat, I'm sorry I flew off the
(22:54):
wagon, but we have some reallyfun stuff coming up and I think
I'm gonna have a special guestfor our Friday's recipe,
tomorrow's recipe, because mymom I was like, going through
the recipes that I had the restof the week to make, and my mom
was like, oh, I'm making that onFriday.
And I was like, ooh, maybe I'lldo a little run-through with my
mom.
She can show us how to make it.
That would be really funbecause, I mean, she showed me
(23:16):
how to make everything.
So get it from the source, andit's nice to bring families in.
So I think that'll be fun.
But let's get into New Year onthe Horizon.
Can you believe it?
I feel like every year I alwayssay this time is going by so
quickly.
I feel like I didn't even sayit this year and actually my mom
had said it to me recently.
She was like oh my gosh, Ican't believe this and this and
(23:37):
this, and then I'm gonna be thisbecause she's going on a trip
later this winter and so I guessshe's timing everything around
that and she's like I can'tbelieve this is gonna be coming
up so soon.
And I was like, honestly, Ifeel like I don't even focus on
how fast time is going anymore,because it just does.
It just flies by and I alreadytold you I'm already stressing
(23:58):
myself out with my own stuff.
So I'm just trying to be morepresent.
But as the New Year comes, I amfeeling so much weight and I
just know that there's gonna be.
I just really want this winterto be peace on earth.
I just want to bring peace intomy life.
(24:18):
I want to bring calm.
I want to energize myself bylike removing distractions.
I really, really want to buildgood habits.
I think I just need, I'm tryingto set these.
Really.
I'm trying to set clearboundaries between work and
(24:38):
moming and taking care of thehome and then having time for
myself and for me and Trevor,and it's just like I want more.
I don't even I guess structure.
I want to add more structure,but I want it to be really
peaceful, structure, like bringit all back in, just kind of
(25:00):
like living, living simple,really simple.
And so, for me, new Year's andlike New Year's resolutions I
was trying to think of what theword is, I am not big on like
okay, new Year's Day is thestart of the rest of my life.
Like that is when I need tostart.
I feel like, for me, like if Idon't implement something right
(25:21):
when I think it I think I'vetalked to you about this already
there's a low chance.
I'm going to like talk myselfout of it.
Like for two days I'm going tofeel two, three days I'm going
to feel like, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.
And then I'm just going to liketalk myself out of it and be
like, ah, there's no point.
And then months later I'll belike, why did I never start that
?
I wish I did so I just kind oflike to get it started now.
(25:42):
And so one of those things islike really clearing out our
house.
I feel like I'm talking aboutdecluttering forever.
But like I am so serious, Ijust need to.
I need to get serious and Ineed to work on at least one
thing a day, and I'm trying sohard to not feel discouraged if
I don't complete a whole roombecause I'm not going to.
I'm not going to, and I knowthat's the truth.
And so what I'm trying to do islike every morning, that's when
(26:04):
I have the most energy is likefirst thing in the morning, what
I'm trying to do is we have ourbreakfast in bed.
So chill, so lovely.
I'm enjoying that so much, butthen I really want to when I
make my coffee, just like, havemy coffee.
Well, I work through something,and so I actually cleaned out
the closet cuties which, ifyou've seen my Instagram a
couple weeks ago and I've talkedabout it here at my closet was
(26:25):
so horrible not horrible, butjust like so full, and it was at
the point where I was literallyshoving it shut.
There was always stuff fallingout.
I had our spring, summer,winter, fall.
Everything was in there all ourboots, all our shoes, so much
stuff and so I actually clearedit out the other morning and it
felt so good.
I just like was sitting on thecouch and our living room was so
(26:45):
disastrous at the moment, whichI'm happy.
I'm blessed and gratefulbecause we're living and
enjoying that space, but it'salso just like, and because the
Christmas tree is in there, likethat's taking up space.
And then we also brought down.
We have this huge beanbag chairthat lives in Rose Room
typically, but in the winter itlike lives in our living room
because it's so nice to put infront of the fire and sit toasty
in front of the fire, and sothat's taking up a big space in
(27:08):
the living room and it's justlike there's so much stuff.
You have boxes and stuff andthere's like packages coming
more frequently, and so there'sthings everywhere and I have all
these pictures that I need tohang up, but I know they're not
going to get hung up, probablyanytime soon, so I need to put
them into a box and put them inthe basement away for now,
because they're just like taking, like it's they're not even
(27:28):
taking up that much space on theground, but like it's filling
the space and it's filling mymental capacity and I can't deal
.
So right now our living room isjust like so overwhelming,
which is I, it's, it's a lovehate, right, because like I'm
glad it's being lived in, butalso I need to, I need to
declutter, declutter.
But that being said, I wassitting in the living room the
(27:49):
other morning and I was justlike looking around and I was
like I am feeling so stressedright now.
This is just not working me upfor the day, or this is working
me up.
This is not setting my, my mindfree.
So I was like, okay, I got toget up and do something right
now.
And so the first thing I didwas look at the closet which is
close to our living room, and Iwas like you're mine, and I just
(28:10):
like started chuckingeverything out of it.
I filled up two huge garbagebags full of stuff for Goodwill
or Valley Village.
Well now I'm like value, what'sGoodwill's clothing prices?
I want to.
I want to give to the peoplewho are setting the nice prices,
anyways, but for Valley Village, and I am just like so happy
(28:32):
about that and that's just likemy goal, like truly, I think
that's like my big January goalis just really working through
everything and I I just want tomake sure that every day I am
really decluttering because it'sjust overwhelmed me.
And we also like recently got afew new appliances and I just
need to find them homes, likesmall kitchen appliances, but
(28:53):
it's like I need to find themhomes or sitting on our counter
and it's like I need to actuallyclean out our appliance cover,
like all of those things, allthe covers that I don't even go
into every single day.
I need to like properly cleanthem out and get rid of things
that we haven't used, like inthe past year or two or since we
moved into the house.
If there's things in our housethat we haven't used since we
moved into this house to do it,who taught Lou?
(29:16):
But that's where I'm at rightnow.
I'm just feeling really filledup and I want like of
distraction and I just need toremove distraction.
And so another thing I'vereally wanted to do, so I've
slowly started doing that.
Another thing I'm really wantingto do this upcoming year and,
as I say, as my resolution,remember, I'm starting them now.
(29:37):
But another thing I really wantto do is just have like a
peaceful place for me.
Like this area is like I'm soglad that we made the studio
last year.
We're actually coming up on ayear of the studio.
I feel like I made it at thebeginning of season three.
I can't believe we're goinginto season four, but anyways, I
just feel like I'm so glad thatI have this area because I'm
(29:58):
able to just totally just likeclose the door and not have to
look at my work stuff, and Iactually had made this area so
disastrous but at one point, butI finally cleaned it up, so
we're good.
So I'm happy for that.
But now it's like I need a mespace, a space where I can do
stuff, and I think what I wantto do is actually I just said a
couple episodes and I'm notholding myself accountable to
this, but I am going to try itout and see how I like it.
(30:21):
If not that time, then maybe atanother time in the day, but I
do think that I am going to tryand get up before row at five.
Recently she's been waking upat six, but sometimes she wakes
up at like five, 15, but even 15minutes to myself would be
beautiful and I think I can wakeup at five.
Fine, I can't wake up anyearlier than that.
So that's that's what I'm doing, because anything earlier than
(30:44):
that is literally the middle ofthe night.
That's ridiculous, that's notacceptable.
Like I can't do that.
I don't think that's healthy.
I think how like for mepersonally, in my, in my
schedule, it's like I should sayI'm going to sleep until at
least five, but if I could justwake up at five, sneak
downstairs.
I have this perfect littlecorner in our basement which
used to it was originally mycorner where I had like my yoga
(31:07):
ball or my like what is itcalled Stability ball, the big
one, and I would go down thereand do my stretching and stuff.
And I was so on stretching whenI had row before I had row when
I was pregnant with her andthen after I had row, I was so
good at stretching because Ireally felt the difference in my
body and I just feel that too,I feel the stress in my lower
(31:27):
back, I feel the need to justhave a at least like just a
couple of minutes, just a fewstretches every day.
So I think it would be nice ifI could go down there, remake
this area into mine, becausethen, when it was the pandemic,
trevor had gotten all theseweights and stuff so cause he
couldn't go to the gym as wecould work out down there.
But he actually recently soldthose weights or gave them away.
I don't know where they went,but they're not there anymore
(31:49):
and I'm glad because they tookup so much space and they wait
my, my, my, my, my, my space,which was fine, I was okay to
share, but now it's back to justlike being an empty space, but
it still has like the bones ofwhat my space was.
It's got the mirror, it's gotmy yoga ball.
I'd like to get like some floortile mat thing, something cushy
for the floor, and then I wouldlove it if I could maybe get a
(32:11):
little kettle for down there soI can make a cup of sneak down
in the morning, make a cup oftea.
I kind of want it to be like ano, a no technology zone, in the
sense of I don't want like tolook at my screen first thing in
the morning.
I don't want to have likedirect light from like a lamp
source.
I was thinking maybe I couldget like a cause right now it's
(32:32):
going to be really dark in themorning, um.
So I was thinking maybe I wouldget like a softer type of light
, maybe like one of those sunsetlamps or like, um, the star
projectors you know thosesomething more softer like,
maybe even just like some, um,electric candles what are those
called?
I guess I could do like actualcandlelight, but I always get
(32:53):
iffy with candles.
I always scared I'm not goingto blow them out and I hear
they're like bad to breathe inand stuff.
So, um, you know, like the, thecandles, the electric ones that
have like a little remotecontrol, so maybe something like
that, some sort of moodlighting that isn't like
offensive, or we're going tolike be like, oh, and my eyes
already, because I look at ascreen all the time, like For
(33:14):
work and stuff.
So it's like and I really don'twant to go on my phone first
thing in the morning.
I and I'm really I'll talk aboutthis after anyways so I'm
thinking, just set up thissimple little mat area, get some
mats and my stability ballthere have a little electric
kettle and a mug and some of myteas that are just like nice
(33:37):
Healing teas, like I From EngelHill they have these really
beautiful teas that like allhave a different purpose and
they're just really lovelytasting.
But they also like are, like Idon't know if medicine is the
right word, but like they're.
They're teas that are, that arehelping you in some way or
another, and so make a littlesteep some tea in those teas.
(33:57):
Always it's best to steep themfor a long time, so 10 to 15
minutes.
So then it's like as my teasteeping for 10 to 15 minutes I
can work through my stretches.
I'd like to have a journal downthere.
I'd like to find a journal.
If I can't find it, then Ican't find it, I'll just get a
plain journal.
But I love a journal where,like, one side is like lists,
maybe a prompt.
(34:17):
I would love a prompt that justgets me a little thought, a
little Gratitude thought in themorning, or something like that,
and then a list where I canwrite Like my to-do list, and
then I'd love one the other sideto just be like a plain piece
of paper so I can kind of likedoodle and Because I love like
doodling and coloring and stufflike that, so oh, I would love
(34:39):
it if it had like coloring page.
That would be so nice, becausethat's like almost mindless,
where I can just like workthrough my thoughts after I've
done my little prompt and mylittle to-do list and then I can
just like color.
That would be amazing.
I don't know if that exists, butI want to find some sort of
journal like that and and then Ican just like spend so as my
teeth, teeth steeping, I can domy stretches and then I can do
(34:59):
my, get everything out on mypaper.
So I have start with a clearmind, do some breath work and
then just sit and have my tea,and if I can get that done, like
I might even have 30 minutesone morning, but if I only have
15 minutes or 10 minutes, then Ican at least get a little bit
done and then row can know tocome downstairs and find me
there.
That would be Perfection, likeliterally.
I just feel like I would lovethat.
(35:20):
I just think I would love doingthat, and it's in our rec room.
So then when row comes down, wealso have a mini fridge down
there near Trevor's desk, whichis in the basement, and so even
I could put in the mini fridgeif I want to get really
organized some yogurt cups andmilk and Fruit, like things that
row would eat for breakfast orjust like a quick snack, because
(35:42):
you know we have 12 breakfastsevery morning not not 12, but
like at least three.
Like we were a grazing kind oftime type of family.
I also think it's just a kidthing, but where she could have
her first graze, and there'sobviously the TV there too, so
she could watch a show.
She also has a play space downthere so she could even play.
I really want to do that.
(36:03):
So that's something I reallywant to start working on
implementing, like ASAP, a SAP.
Even the other day I sent Trevorto winners to look for
something for Hopefully shedoesn't listen to this, but
anyways and he called me toFaceTime me and show me the
options of things.
And then I had seen in thecorner that they have the tiles,
(36:24):
like the Little workout tiles,like they're like these foam
tiles that you can put down onthe ground, and I was like, ooh,
but I hadn't measured the spaceand like it's kind of an
awkward space, so I wasn't sureif those were the right ones.
They might have been too big tofit, I mean, it might need
smaller ones.
So I was like, oh, but they dohave them out there and that's
something I would really love.
So that's something I reallywant to implement into the new
(36:45):
year, like just like I used tobe so good at that, especially
when we were in the condo and itwas just me and Trevor, because
it was easy for us to find yourown space.
But now we're in the house, it'slike there we have so much more
space, but we don't have anydoors that close really between
our layers, so it doesn't feellike you ever get on the loan
moment and then like the onlytime I could would be able to
(37:07):
have like the basement to myself, even though it's just that
corner, I want is like firstthing in the morning, or maybe
sometimes at nighttime, becauseTrevor works downstairs, so it's
just like hard To like.
It's like I really want it tojust be my alone, by myself time
.
So that's something I really,really want to implement and I'm
kind of so looking forward toit.
And so that's one thing whereit's like it's on my mind every
(37:28):
morning.
I'm like I just want that.
I want to do that, I want toget started, but I have to like
what do you call it?
I have to Make a prioritizelist because there's things that
I need to get done before that,but I am going to start doing
that super soon, hopefully.
I'm so excited.
As I was talking about that,there was one more thing that I
wanted to also start, but Ican't remember.
(37:50):
So I want to get my calendargoing.
I'm in my declutter era and Iwant to create that me moment
every morning when I just spendtime with myself.
Oh, I remember what it is,where I just spend time with
myself and without technology.
Oh, another thing I wanted toget for that area.
I was thinking when I was atValley Village I was like, oh, I
(38:10):
should check if they have them.
But I was thinking I might geta CD player, because I really
would.
I think it would be nice maybeto have some like Viby music
Playing in the background softly.
Well, I go through like astretch circuit, but I don't
want to go on my phone and Idon't want to like hook up to a
bluetooth speaker because Idon't want to look at my phone.
So it's like, maybe if I canjust get a little CD player and
(38:33):
then Either burn myself a CD orlike find a CD with the vibe I
want on it and then I just haveto press like play, that would
be awesome.
So, yeah, that's some ideas I'mhaving, because I really wanted
to just be like a Technologyfree zone in the sense of like
screens and stuff like that andlike being access to social
media, emails, text messages,people.
I don't want access to anybody,so that, on that note too, I
(38:58):
want to start not having myphone On my bedside table
anymore, and this one's going tobe tricky because a lot of the
time I'll fall asleep with rowand I listen to a podcast when
I'm putting her to sleep.
I usually listen to a podcastwhen I'm going to sleep all the
time.
So I need to, I need to onelose that habit.
Not for row I have to listen to, I don't have to, but if I'm
laying with row, if I'm notlistening to a podcast, I will
(39:21):
100% fall asleep.
So I just need to be better atmaybe not falling asleep with
row.
But I want my phone, maybe evennot even upstairs, like I think
I want to set up a chargingstation, because right now I
really don't have a chargingstation on my side table.
Ever since we came home fromItaly Our charging cables, we
were moved everywhere and now wejust really haven't set up a
good situation.
And I used to have a wirelesscharger I still do, but now I
have an octobuddy on the back ofmy phone so I can't really
(39:45):
wirelessly charge.
Long story short is that I wantto put my phone somewhere that's
not by my bed and it's like Iwant to maybe even just leave it
on the main floor.
I think that's what I'm goingto do.
I think I'm going to set up acharging area on the main floor
when I'll plug in that and thenI'll have my e-reader next to my
bed and I'll read to go to bed.
That's what I really want to doand I love reading to go to bed
(40:06):
.
It's like perfect, it reallyputs you to sleep.
And then if I ever wake up inthe middle of the night I don't,
I'm not, I don't feel the urgeto go to my phone I'll read a
chapter of my book and I'll fallasleep so quickly.
So it's like I need to do that.
I just really need to do that.
So that's something I'm goingto implement.
And I used to always be worriedlike oh, but what if somebody
(40:28):
needs something in an emergencyor whatever.
And I always just think like,like, I do think worst case
scenario, like okay, what ifsomeone dies in the middle of
the night?
Like that's bad, but I do thinklike that because I've
experienced something similar tothat.
But like it's like if thathappens, like there's nothing I
can do about it in the middle ofthe night, and Trevor will
(40:48):
always have his phone, and likeI guess I could put it on volume
.
Honestly, I'm not even stressed.
It's like if something happens,something happens like what can
it?
What is me having my phonegoing to help doing I don't know
?
So, yeah, I just like don'twant, I'm going to put my phone.
I'm going to set up a chargingarea somewhere.
That's on our main floor,either in our kitchen, our
kitchen.
Actually, that's a great idea.
(41:08):
I should set up one in ourkitchen because I always need to
charge my phone in the kitchen,because I'm always recording in
the kitchen.
So, yeah, that's actually agreat idea.
And we have a perfect littlenook.
We have a nook where are, likewhat is it called?
Our microwave and our blendersit and our KitchenAid mixer.
They all sit there and it'sjust like this little like.
(41:29):
That's the only reallycluttered area.
It's not even that clutteredbut like I really don't like
stuff on the counter.
As you can tell, I get stressedout with things being around me
.
So that's really the only areathat like has a lot of stuff,
but it's like kind of out of theway.
It's not, it's not really ausable space because it's kind
of like in the corner.
(41:50):
So, anyways, that would be agood place to set up a little
phone station where I keep myAirPods and my phone to charge
and I just keep it away from thebedroom.
Okay, I'm so excited about that.
Okay, so these are the thingsthat I'm implementing for the
new year and I really, really,really am excited.
(42:10):
Like I'm just excited to touchgrass, like that's what I feel
like I need to do.
I just need to like turn off mymind and really get things out
on paper.
Okay, there's one other thingthat I want to start in the new
year that I'm kind of superduper nervous about, and every
time I like almost want to makethe jump.
(42:31):
It's like I can't.
It's like okay, yeah, let's doit, and then I get nervous and
that's therapy.
I think that I really want tostart therapy, but then I also
always get caught being like mmm, mmm, and I don't know what I'm
scared about.
Like, I think what I'm scaredabout is the unknown, probably,
and that's what it always hasdriven me, my me fear.
(42:51):
That's what's always driven myfear is not knowing, and for me
I don't even know if it's likein my mind I think like okay,
this is what they're going totalk about, like this is what,
but like I don't know what we'regoing to unlock, but mainly
it's like I just don't know whatthe what it's like.
Like I've never done it before.
I don't know what it's going tobe.
Like I don't know what kind ofquestions and conversation
(43:12):
they're going to have.
I'm also like an open book.
I'm super easy to talk about,but I kind of I think also I
kind of just don't know what Iwant to talk about.
You know what I mean.
Like I I think that I want tojust work on being like a.
Really I want to work on a lotof things, but I want to work on
balance and just like settingmyself up with tools and
(43:34):
processing and just like there'sa lot of stuff, and like I want
to work on how I receivefeedback and how I work through
things and conversations andlots of different things.
But I don't know exactly likewhat?
The driving force of likewhat's like stopping me or all
of that stuff.
But it's like I don't know,like it's I think it's just I
(43:58):
don't know.
And then every time I getnervous, there's this I might
try hypnotherapy.
I don't know.
There's a few things I'm justlike I just need to start and
like I know that it's one ofthose things that you have to
work through, like Trevor's MrTherapy.
He is like the king of mentalhealth and taking care of his
mental health, like I'm alwaysso like amazed and proud of the
(44:19):
work that he puts into himselfand like he is like a huge
influence in my life in thatsense.
And it's just one of thosethings where it's like okay, I
should do it too, I should try,yeah.
So I know that it takes timeand that you, that you like it
might take a few therapists toget through, and like I do think
(44:40):
I want to go in person.
I'm always up for an in-personthing, especially since I'm at
home all the time.
It's nice to have an in-personthing.
Oh, sorry, I forgot you werehere.
I stepped on Alibi she's beenso quiet, laying by my feet, um
and I stepped on her.
I mean, I just booped her a bit, but yeah.
So I just feel like that's onething I really want to do and
I'm just nervous.
I'm just nervous, but I want todo it.
(45:03):
So that's something I shouldstart setting up appointments
for now, because even if I can'tget an appointment till the new
year, at least I've made anappointment.
And Trevor did this thingrecently when he was switching
over to new therapists, where heactually set up like little
intro appointments where he justdid like 15 minute phone calls
with a bunch of different onesand then made his decision.
So that's something I could dotoo.
(45:23):
But it's also one of thosethings where it's like I haven't
been yet, so I don't know whatI'm looking for.
So I know it might be a trialand error, but I'm open to it.
I'm just nervous.
So that's what my new year islooking like for me is just
really finding peace andsimplifying and just like I can
(45:44):
feel myself wanting and feelingthe need for things that
actually don't matter.
And then I feel myself gettingoverwhelmed when it's like I'm
on my phone for too long or likeI feel social media is really
like weighing on me and likemaking me feel things that are
(46:09):
like negative or like currently,so much stuff is just it's just
so loud right now.
I just feel so much noise in mylife.
So I'm just really trying tolike simplify, quiet, center.
I want our family to be thegoal, like my heart, my whole
right now, and I want to likekind of shut out anything that's
(46:30):
making me feel like there's notenough, for I'm not enough or I
don't have enough or anythinglike that.
Because, like I am so rich inlove and just like the beauty
around me, like I am, so I haveso much goodness and I'm so
grateful and I literally have mydreams in my hands right now
(46:51):
and I just don't want to takethat for granted.
So I'm just trying to centermyself in this year is really
about that, like just findingthat center.
And then my final last one alsonow that I just talked about
that is that for so long I feltlike, oh, I don't, I'm lonely,
I'm missing friendships.
I wish I had close people in mylife, and I agree with that.
(47:11):
But also I all of a sudden,just like this thing clicked
where, like I have the mostamazing friends.
I'm so grateful for all of themand we have this beautiful
relationship where we don't haveto see each other all the time.
We all we don't get to see eachother.
I would love to see each othermore often, but like when we do
see each other, it is so rich,it is so warm, I am so grateful
(47:32):
for the friendships I have in mylife.
Like truly makes me emotionalthinking about it because, like
I felt like for so long, I thinkalso because, like, becoming a
mom can feel isolating and then,obviously, moving away from,
like, where your central groupof friends are, but like I have
friends all over and I am justso grateful for all of them and
(47:52):
I'm so grateful because I knowthat I can always just pick up
the phone and call them and setup a get together, a coffee date
, a hang out, a sleepover, likeI am rich with love in my life
and I am so grateful for that.
So it's just one of thosethings where it's like I just
feel like I want to focus on thebeauty that's in my life which
(48:18):
I am so beyond grateful for.
And so this year, movingforward, it's just like I just
want to center myself in thelove that exists around me
because it is so beautiful, andI want to shut out the noise and
the clutter and the distractionbecause I am just like tired of
the circle of feeling notenough or I don't have enough
(48:41):
for the wants, and it's like Idon't care, like I am so, so, so
, so happy for what I have, likeI truly am, and I just want to
sit and bask in that beauty andfeed into those lives around me,
and I think that I just need toshut out, shut out the noise.
So, yeah, that's what I'm soexcited for for 2024.
(49:05):
I can't wait, and I just can'twait to make my cup of tea and
have my quiet mornings andgetting my phone out and just
creating good habits.
Oh, I can't wait.
So, yeah, that's what I'mreally looking forward to.
Thank you so much for beinghere.
We got to talk about the recipeof the day cuties.
I'm so broken excited for thisrecipe Cute we are.
(49:26):
This isn't my recipe.
I had to look it up.
I told you when we came homefrom Italy I was going to find
the perfect Genoa focaccia,because I had made focaccia in
the past before and it wasdelicious.
But then we went to Italy andthe focaccia there which is
where it comes from, is Genoawas like heaven on earth.
(49:48):
I have never had focaccia sodelicious and people told me
like when you go there, it'sgoing to taste different, not in
a bad way.
They just said you're going to,it's not going to be like what
you've had before.
It is so good.
I found an amazing recipe that,like matches it beautifully and
I am going to share it.
I'm kind of friggin obsessedwith it.
I am trying to.
I'm trying to start a traditionwhere I make it every, because
(50:11):
you can make it on like a night,like you can make it and let it
rest overnight in the fridge torise, or you can make it and
have it rest on the counter andhave it in like an hour or
whatever, but like you can havea slow 12 hour rise and do it
overnight and then make it freshin the morning, which is just
like the Italian dream, likeliterally make cappuccino so
delicious.
(50:31):
So I'm trying to make atradition of doing that every
Saturday, or at least like onthe weekends, just because
that's when we can have like ourslow mornings with Trevor and
everybody, everybody I gave meand Rosie.
But like I'm trying, I onlyhave done it once and then I
just am feeling so overwhelmedright now but I'm hoping in the
(50:52):
new year that that is somethingthat I carry out.
Another resolution, but I'mgoing to share that with you
because I made for Becca's lastWednesday night dinner before
her Christmas break.
I made this appetizer becauseshe wanted to do an Italian
night where I make everything welearned in Italy, I made an
appetizer, which is focaccia aball of barata and some meats.
(51:13):
It was unbelievable, like Ilook.
The second I sat down and tooka bite, I was like I want this
every single second of my life.
It was so freaking good.
The focaccia is super easy tomake.
It's a really forgiving bread,I find, and I am just so excited
for you to learn how to do this, because I think you're going
to work in love it.
(51:33):
If you've never had Genoa stylefocaccia, you have to try this
one.
It's so good.
Get out your olive oil, becausewe need a lot of it.
Cute.
So I'm so excited to share thisrecipe because I'm also just so
excited to eat it myself andsince Rose off school, I wonder
if she'll want to make it withme.
She'll love doing that, puttingthe dimples in the bread.
But that is our recipe of theday.
(51:54):
Cuties, I'll be back tomorrow.
Oh my gosh.
Tomorrow's Friday, friday,saturday, sunday Three more
episodes.
I can't believe that this wholedays is going by so quickly.
I love you all so much, sendingyou hugs and kisses.
Also, the recipes are postedover on Instagram and TikTok.
Five each time focaccia.
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Therapy Gecko
An unlicensed lizard psychologist travels the universe talking to strangers about absolutely nothing. TO CALL THE GECKO: follow me on https://www.twitch.tv/lyleforever to get a notification for when I am taking calls. I am usually live Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays but lately a lot of other times too. I am a gecko.