And like that, it’s now September, though the weather isn’t acting like it. We should hit eighty degrees today and the mid-eighties for the next week, which is considerably warmer than typical for our area. We only hit ninety degrees a couple of days this whole summer, so mid-eighties for a full week is really warm. It means that my tomatoes are finally ripening, so I’m embracing this warm weather for as long as it lasts.
Today is also the kiddo’s first “official” day of kindergarten! Whatever that means this year – since we are homeschooling, something that was never in our plans. Very different than what we expected, but we’re doing our best to roll with the changes that 2020 has brought us.
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Friday’s Frugal Five
1. One of my very best friends got married last weekend in their backyard in a very small, distanced ceremony. The day way beautiful, and my heart is so happy for them. Again, not quite the wedding they had originally planned on, but they did a great job pivoting and making a lovely wedding happen.
My friend made us bridesmaids earrings and a necklace to wear during the ceremony, and I absolutely love the ones she made for me. I’ve been wearing them all week, and I’ve gotten a number of comments on them already.
2. My sister has her own foot issues, and I’d been talking to her a bit ago about my struggles with plantar fasciitis this year. She sent me a pair of Adidas sandals that she swears by, and I’ve been wearing them all week. I’m going to hold back final judgement, but they’ve definitely gotten me to go barefoot less, which will absolutely help my heel. More than anything, I feel really loved for the thoughtful gift from her.
Now that we’re in September, I’ve ticked another month off on my clothes buying ban, marking an official three and a half full years. Thanks to COVID, this doesn’t feel like much of a challenge these days, more just a routine at this point.
3. The neighbor who had gifted the kiddo with his last bike came over this past week with a larger one that his grandson had outgrown. The smaller bike is really too small these days, and we kept meaning to get around to finding a new one for him, so the “new” to him bike was so appreciated. We haven’t been out on bike rides enough these past few months, so this new bike will definitely inspire more of that. Really, we just have the very best neighbors.
4. I GREW CORN. And it was delicious, and so, so satisfying. For living in the Pacific Northwest on a north-facing property at 500′ elevation, growing corn worth eating feels like a massive success. I will definitely be planting this variety again next year (Early Sunglow F1). The “F1” means that I can’t save the seed, which isn’t ideal, but it’s worth it to get to eat corn that goes straight from the stalk to the barbecue to our bellies.
I also dug out my strawberry bed, which had gotten well over crowded. I was able to take a bunch of plants to my parents for them to plant, and I’m also attempting to see if the strawberries will grow in my neglected west side yard. Regardless, we have a lot more strawberry plants for no cost, just a lot of labor, which I don’t mind at all.
5. The kiddo and I took my grandmother out for a beach walk and some gelato on Thursday since that’s my day (mostly) off work. She’s been pretty isolated since COVID started (she lives with my parents, but otherwise has been very protected from getting sick), so going out was a big deal for her.
We went out in masks, stayed distanced from others, and kept a good 8+ feet of distance from each other when we took our masks off to eat our gelato, but we had a lovely time. I’ve missed my outings with her, and I’m so glad we were able to make Thursday work. We’re going to be in this weird time for a while yet, so I’m looking for ways to make things just a little bit better in the meantime.
Exercise Update
Sunday the kiddo and I had planned on a run, but waking up that morning he didn’t really feel like going, so we ended up compromising on a four minute run. Not a long one, clearly, but at least it happened. Thursday I got him out for a full ten minute run, which we did with my mom. It was fun to run “together” – on opposite sides of the street.
I also went for a run by myself on Wednesday, and did some weight exercises both Wednesday and Thursday, but I don’t think I did enough because I’m not sore. Otherwise, I’ve gotten back to walking for work meetings whenever I can.
If you have kiddos, what does school look like for them this fall? Was this their first week, or was that weeks ago?
Ugh. I also suffer from Plantar Fasciitis!! I HAVE to wear shoes pretty much all the time now. It is frustrating as I’ve had it since April and it isn’t going away. I may bite the bullet and sign up for physio soon. Glad the shoes are working for you! Fortunately we live in an area where COVID is not prevalent (2 active cases in my province right now) so kids are off to school. They do have to wear masks when not in the classroom, maintain distance where possible, and stay in their class “bubbles”. If there is an outbreak, the plan is learning from home – tricky for parents that work full time, but we’ll just have to try and manage. We are hoping for no outbreaks, but this thing can take over pretty quickly if not properly managed.
Yeah, I’ve been struggling with it since January. It’s the worst. And fingers crossed for your school year – two active cases in your whole province is pretty incredible. Especially looking from an American view…. ugh.
I hope it goes away eventually! I have not signed up for physio yet but I’m going to I think. I need to really just do the exercises consistently but for some reason I cannot motivate myself when my foot feels better…then it gets worse again. Yes we are very fortunate about the low covid count, but it wasn’t without a lot of strict policies and sacrifice. We couldn’t see family for a long time, people could not visit the elderly in homes, no crossing borders to see family members, strict 14 day isolations for visitors, etc. The rules are relaxing now but we are all waiting to see what happens when the schools are all running! Best of luck with everything!!
Yeah, I hear you on having trouble motivating myself on good days. We should learn. Ugh.
We’re a few weeks into remote schooling and I’ve been pretty unimpressed for a while but who knows. Maybe it’ll get better….? We’re grateful it’s kindergarten and that JB is both just fine with the format and enjoying themselves as well. I don’t know how long that will last but I’m going to be grateful for as long as it does. How are y’all managing homeschooling?
Gelato sounds amazing, what a nice way to get your grandma out for a little while.
Definitely following along with your remote schooling saga! To be honest, the stories I’m hearing from you and others make me very happy with our choice to homeschool. Ha.
I know you’re not buying anything, but Olukai makes fantastic sandals for plantar fasciitis if the Adidas ones don’t work out (hopefully they will!). I’ve been a fan for nearly a decade and I have bad feet that require a lot of support. They’re also podiatrist recommended. Anyway, great shot of you and your friend! You both look so pretty!
Good luck to the kiddo!!
Thanks for the tip! I may check them out if these ones don’t do the trick (fingers crossed, they do seem to be helping).
Wow, your neighbors are amazing!! I highly support kids on bikes.
How long has your grandmother been living with your parents? I really love seeing how close and accessible your family is to you and the kiddo. Goals!!
Yeah, we really have the best neighbors.
She’s actually lived with them since I was nine months old, so 32 years now 🙂
So you grew up with her in your life & house – wow!!
Yep! 😍😍