Here’s to saying yes

It’s hard to say yes when you already feel overwhelmed by what’s on your plate. And in the pandemic year with so many new obligations, my kids didn’t hear yes as much as I’d have liked. We said yes to a lot of things, sure, but it feels like we had to say no to even more. No vacation, no parties, no playdates, no sleepovers.

I wish I could have had more magical moments where a joyful yes to kindergarteners would result in them jumping up and down with delight with surprise. I wish I could have said yes to more mother/daughter dates with my older daughters. I’d have loved to give them my full attention to make memories for just us.

But I couldn’t. Circumstances beyond my control required the answer no. "No. Nope. We can't. Maybe next year." Over and over.

Now it’s time again. We aren’t completely after but we are here. A year on the flip side and I am staring down the fact that my years with my kids are limited. I feel a second wind coming. I feel like I’m finally able to say yes to some things — and to wholeheartedly mean it.

Last week I got a front row seat to their breathless anticipation after I said yes to something they had long been asking for. I heard the squeals of delight from my kids who had a dream fulfilled. It made me grin to watch their genuine excitement at a new adventure. And my heart was full that I was still a part of their excitement. I got to say, “Yes, I want to do that with you.”

Here's to saying yes. To a puppy.

Laundry Boost DIY

The household chore that I loathe the most is laundry. It probably has something to do with the fact that I have a chronic issue of leaving wet laundry in the washer for too long, which then makes my laundry smell musty—a hard smell to wash out. It should be easy to remember to put the washer load into the dryer. There's even a charming sound my washer makes when it finishes! But it seems that chime only chimes when I'm in the middle of another task. Or when something else has demanded my attention more (like a brand new puppy) and I often find my laundry needs a bit of an extra boost.

If this happens to be you, too, then you may find this recipe helpful. It's my favorite Laundry Boost recipe to help get your laundry smelling fresh again.

Laundry Boost Recipe

• 1/2 cups baking soda⁣
• 2 cups epsom salt ⁣
• 20 drops drops of your favorite essential oil (I like 10 drops of Thieves and 10 drops of Lemon)

Method: Mix all the ingredients together and place in a glass container in your laundry room. I love to use a large mason jar for this recipe. To use, simply add 2 tablespoons of Laundry Boost (along with your normal amount of laundry soap) to a load in your washer that needs refreshing.

Snippets of My Week

Pippa, a German Shorthaired Pointer at 10 weeks.

School is easier this time of year when we can head outside.

We popped over to Joshua Tree National Park and explored a new area.

Thanks for reading! What's something that you've recently gotten to say yes to? I'd love to hear about it! 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.