Well hello there, happy Saturday!

Besides my new tattoo, the top highlight from the past week was my very first phone-free concert! We saw Phoebe Bridgers as part of the youngest’s (early) 15th birthday celebration, and y’all … say what you (and I) will about phones ruining the world, Phoebe is selling out arenas full of (mostly young) people willingly locking phones & smartwatches in Yondr pouches for HOURS. And paying to do so.

This is one of the shows I attended firmly as a mom, and despite studying with hours and hours and hours of listening time, I will never be able to match the devotion and emotion my daughters showed at this concert. They owned this one.

What I Made

I managed to finish page 8 of my embroidery stitch book just one day after receiving the pattern for page 9, so I think I did okay staying on track! I have to admit that the last stitch I was supposed to use (for that bottom row) was NOT for me and I ripped it out three times before deciding that embroidery is supposed to be a relaxing hobby for me, so I found a stitch I liked in the book instead, and ended very happy with it.

I didn’t love some of the other stitches this month either, but that’s what the process is all about ~ learning what I like and don’t like, and struggling a bit with the process while I gain ease in the overall process.

I also FINALLY got back into my sewing stuff and started scheming scrappy flying geese for the back of the scrappy log cabin quilt top I finished this summer. It felt SO GOOD to be standing at the cutting mat playing with colors and design again! I’m aiming for a ton of these blocks, in completely wild colors and patterns, with random fabric pieces helping them all fit together. Joyfully chaotic. And slow. So slow.

In the kitchen, I have been loving this overnight oats recipe (NYT gift link) because of the addition of flax/chia (I use this blend) which makes it thicker than most recipes. I use Fairlife whole milk to make it extra creamy, and I add blueberries and warm it all up to eat in the morning ~ yum! Note: a half recipe of this is the exact right amount for my first breakfast of the day.

Nonfiction Standouts

I have been reading a LOT of nonfiction lately, and these three titles rose to the VERY top. My descriptions are brief today, but the books are so great that I think you should just trust me and read them if they’re in your lane!

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami ~ a gorgeous meditative memoir from 20 years ago that I savored over the course of the past month. About running, and writing, but also just living your best life. I marked this up extensively.

The Digital Delusion by Jared Cooney Horvath ~ anyone who works in education and all parents of school-age kids should read this one. I’m causing some waves by shouting about it from the rooftops at work, but it’s a topic I’m so passionate about, and I’m so glad that my building is already doing great things in creating friction between tech and kids. As the blurb on the front says, this book not anti-tech, but pro-learning. The audio version is great!

The Land and Its People by David Sedaris ~ Sedaris was one of the very first essayists and humor writers that I ever read in young adulthood, and for that reason I measure all other work in these categories against his. I gasped and laughed while reading and just plain loved it.

Happy Book Birthday + Paperback Release!

So, I’m the godmother to a best friend’s kitten (Jason the cat!) and I consider myself ALSO the godmother to my sister-friend Suzanne’s BOOK!

The Sober Shift released last year this week and the paperback is out THIS TUESDAY, September 29th! You can preorder a signed copy from The Book Stall in Winnetka, IL ~ yay for indie bookstores!

I have been honored to be a part of this book since well before it even hit the page, as Suz and I have shared our sobriety journey almost in lockstep … we grew up together, drank together, and quit together. What a GIFT.

Official Book Description:

Live fully, abundantly, and free every day without alcohol with this inspiring guide from wellness writer Suzanne Warye, the creator behind the Sober Mom Life podcast and My Kind of Sweet.

Waking up with another hangover as the thirty-nine-year-old mother of a newborn, Suzanne Warye decided enough was enough. It was time to quit alcohol for good. In the years since, Suzanne has uncovered the myth of moderation and the limitations of the hitting rock bottom narrative. Today, she is a model for hundreds of thousands of people around the world who are embracing her brand of joyful sobriety.

Too many of us are taught not to question or examine our relationship with drinking until we’re addicted, or until we experience an intervention or another life-shattering consequence. We’re encouraged to enjoy this highly addictive substance “responsibly.” The Sober Shift is about finding true abundance—as a better partner and a more present parent, and as the architect of a life you love—without buying into the lies of “wine o’clock.”

Suzanne knows that many of us fear that, without the crutch of alcohol, we might not know how to relax, decompress, or spend quality time with our loved ones. She’s been there. And she’s here to tell you that a good life awaits when we walk away from the bottle.

Remember the book event we did together last year? ME TOO!

Pre-order from an indie!

That’s all for today, my friends! After a week chock-full of meetings and spending my day off from my main job driving hours and hours to work on-site at my consulting district, I’m hoping to stay super close to home this weekend. Pilates, kid shuttling and the grocery store are IT for me. I hope you all get out or stay in just as much as you desire.

See you next Saturday!