Tried and true, that’s what this week’s newsletter is all about. Here’s a few things that this mama would give “Five Stars” to, hands down.

High-Low-Buffalo

A few months ago my second grader came home from school and announced at dinner that we needed to play “High-Low-Buffalo.” What is this game you ask? Exactly. We asked that too.

Apparently it’s a game her second grade teacher taught them. Here’s how you play at your dinner table (or on the drive home from school). Each person gets to say three things. Their “High” is something pretty good that happened to them that day. Their “Low” is something not-so-good or bad that happened to them that day. Their “Buffalo” is the best thing that happened that day.

It’s a pretty cute game and will definitely get you hearing about your kids’ days (and your spouse’s too)!

Olive & June Mani System

I’ve heard about Olive & June for such a long time. The first fifteen times I saw it cross my Instagram feed I kind of ignored it, but by last fall I was ready to buy their mani system. (It’s the little things in life and now that my kids are slightly older I have twenty minutes a week to putter around painting my nails.)

I ended up holding off and instead asked Santa for the Mani System, and he delivered. Almost two months in I am here to tell you the hype is real. My nails really do look much better using Olive & June’s system (which comes with all the tools you need for a full mani), their paint doesn’t chip off after three days, and as I alluded to before, I really do enjoy this little bit of pampering each week.

If you are stumped on colors I really like Plaza and Dry Clean Only. My girls really like Make a Res.

Journaling

I’ve tried journaling before, but I bailed on it pretty quickly. Last month I took it up again at the prompting of a coaching group I’m part of. It stuck and it’s part of my daily routine now.

You can go down a rabbit hole on Pinterest, or blogs, or wherever you want to spend a solid thirty minutes learning about the “right way” to journal. I think that’s what held me up in the past. I’m not going to tell you how to journal. I would just encourage you to not dismiss it. Figure out what works for you and do it. (For me it’s usually a really quick 5-7 minute jotting down of three things that happened the day before and one thing I’m grateful for.)

I regret that I hadn’t kept a daily record of some sort the first eight years that I homeschooled, never mind the years that my kids were toddlers and preschoolers. I wish I could go back and capture those mundane little tidbits of our day that I thought I would always remember, but don’t until one of the 18.084 pictures on my camera roll pops up on my iPhone memories. It’s true what they say: the days pass slowly, but the years fly by.

If you’re looking for a good journal (with feminine colors and excellent paper) this is my favorite.

Cleaning with Five Stars

I use Thieves Cleaner on literally every surface of my home. The same bottle can be used to clean counters, floors, mirrors, wipe down walls, and works on laundry stains. One bottle lasts me about 6 months and comes in under $23. It’s pretty rare to see me using the same cleaner for eight years, but since Thieves Household Cleaner has simplified my cleaning (I buy one bottle, not five different cleaners) and I feel confident about all of its ingredients, it’s safe to say I’ve found a five-star keeper!

I had tried other green/clean brands like 7th Generation and Mrs. Meyers, but their added fragrance always left me feeling kind of gross. Also, after doing a little digging I was fairly certain they weren’t as safe as they claimed.

Thieves Household Cleaner is one, concentrated cleaner suitable for every surface of your home. To make an all purpose cleaner, you just need one capful of Thieves Cleaner and a spray bottle. Pour your capful of cleaner into the spray bottle, fill with water, shake, and start cleaning!

For a fresh spring scent, I add 12 drops of Lushious Lemon to my diluted bottle of Thieves Cleaner. As my kids say, it's easy peasy lemon squeezy to make!

Here’s a little recipe sheet with some of my most used Thieves Cleaner dilution rates. If you need spray bottles, these are some good ones. If you need labels, these are perfect for spring.

Snippet from my week

I’ve read 8 books so far in 2023, and there are a few of them that I would give “Five Stars” to. This was my favorite read from January.

Thanks for reading! What would you give “Five Stars” to right now? Just hit reply if you'd like to respond. (When you hit reply, your message goes directly to my email. It’s a private conversation between just us.) I read all your messages and try to respond, but not always in a timely manner. Sorry! And if you enjoyed this email, you’d be doing me a favor by forwarding it to someone else who might like it.