I can’t believe August is here already!
School starts in less than 3 weeks, and our lives and our calendar will be much fuller and busier after that.
Our plan is to lay low these next 3 weeks, soaking in the summer weather, swimming with friends and neighbors, eating too many ice cream cones, sleeping in, and staying up too late (our kids have finally learned the art of sleeping in!)
And then… after a few sleepy mornings, we’ll jump right back into our school routine just as quickly as we fell out of it in June.
Keep reading for my recent Favorites!
FAVORITE MOMENT = Buster Slept Through the Night
Oh my goodness, friends — if you want someone to talk you OUT of getting a pet, I am your gal!
Seriously, I prepared myself for what I thought was the worst, but getting a puppy was still worse than that. (Have I mentioned Dave and I never wanted a pet!?!)
After 8 years of begging on Nora’s part — including doing school reports on the benefits of having a pet, and praying diligently every night for us to please let her have a pet — Nora finally “won” in May.
Within 2 days of bringing the puppy home, I felt like we had a newborn again (and the newborn stage brings me all sorts of anxiety — read here and here for more on that.)
Of course, I was the one doing everything for the puppy because everyone else needed to go to school/work… I was VERY tired the first couple of months, and very annoyed with the puppy.
Thankfully, we turned a corner in July and Buster started sleeping through the night… hallelujah!
As added bonuses, he rarely has accidents inside anymore and the kids are much more hands-on during the summer months!
I’m still the lady to talk to if you feel like you might give into your children’s constant begging for a pet… but I am coming to terms with the fact that we’ll be a “dog family” for the next 12+ years.
At least the kids love him… and I love the kids. 🥰
I also really love sleeping through the night.
FAVORITE ROUTINE = Clean Sheets
Speaking of sleeping through the night — a full night of sleep is even better in freshly washed sheets!
I know this is a strange one for a “favorite routine” but those of you who’ve been reading here for years know that I don’t love the process of washing sheets, nor do I like storing extra linens (mainly because we don’t have anywhere to store them).
We shower before bed, wear clean clothes/PJs to bed, and for years, I only washed sheets once a month (pillowcases every week).
Several of you were blown away by how infrequently I washed our sheets — others agreed that you only washed sheets once a month too.
However, the problem for me was that I still dreaded that once-a-month sheet washing day… and if I’m dreading something, I know it means I should tweak my routine.
I’ve tried various routines, systems, and tactics over the years — and I’m happy to say that for the last 2-3 years, I’ve been using a routine that seems to work quite well for our family (I no longer dread the days I need to wash sheets!)
So What’s My Routine?
I wash Dave and my sheets and various bathroom rugs one week (along with all our “normal” laundry) and then the kids’ sheets the next week (along with the normal laundry). So our sheets and rugs are washed every other week.
And it doesn’t feel like a huge extra chore for me now that we have 2 laundry areas.
We have our main laundry room off the kitchen, and our 2nd laundry area in the basement (we put our old washer/dryer in the basement before we started our laundry renovation so we’d never be without the ability to do the laundry).
While I’m washing all the regular clothing, towels, swimsuits, etc. upstairs, I do a few loads of sheets, rugs, blankets, etc. downstairs (usually on the “quick” cycle) so I’m not using any extra time.
I realize not everyone has 2 laundry areas… but the idea of every other week might still be more doable than weekly sheet washing for many of you.
Extra Sheets or Not?
I’m still not on board with storing an extra set of sheets for each bed (namely because we really don’t have a great place to store extra linens) so I’ve settled on one extra set of twin sheets total (all 4 kids sleep in twin beds) in the event of an emergency in the middle of the night.
The kids also have sleeping bags they could use if we needed to take their sheets off in the middle of the night
We don’t have any extra sheets for our bed — this has never been a problem.
RELATED READING: 10 Tips When You’re Overwhelmed With Laundry
PAST FAVORITE = Mr. Pen Products
As you start stocking up on back-to-school supplies, I just want to give another shoutout to the amazing Mr. Pen products.
We love these pens, markers, highlighters, etc. and have been using them for years and years.
I first got hooked on them when I was searching for a highlighter that wouldn’t bleed through the thin pages of my Bible, and these highlighters were perfect.
Since then, we’ve expanded to using many of their writing/highlighting products and we’ve never been disappointed!
FAVORITE CLOTHING = True Classic T’s
A couple of years ago, I purchased a pack of True Classic Crew-Neck T-shirts for Dave… sort of for his “summer wardrobe”.
They are SUPER soft, fit great, and can easily be dressed up or dressed down.
For the last two years, Dave has worn one of these shirts almost every day he’s not at school and they still look like new.
If you’re looking for high-quality durable, comfortable, washable, wearable t-shirts without any logo or screen printing, we’d highly recommend the True Classic brand.
FAVORITE BOOK = The Mandie Series
Nora has loved reading through the very extensive Mandie Collection books this summer (40 individual chapter books or 11 multi-book “volumes”).
I mentioned the series in my email last week and several of you replied, thanking me for the “reminder” as they were also some of your favorite books back when you were a kid.
So… if you’re looking for a nice series of books for kids ages 9-14 (probably more geared toward girls), Nora and I recommend The Mandie Collection.
She just finished the 40th book last week and I can tell she feels sad to be done (yup, I’ve totally been there too). Wishing you could keep reading more about your favorite characters, but there aren’t any more books.
There are 3 Mandie movies as well — we’ve seen one and it was a little cheesy (low-budget movies) but still good.
READ THE BOOKS: The Mandie Collection
FAVORITE MEDIA = Live-Action Disney Remakes
As a child of the ’90s, I have fond memories of watching many “classic” Disney movies.
I watched a few in the theater, but we usually waited for them to come out on VHS so we could watch them over and over again.
The music is SO good — I’ve never been disappointed by the music in any Disney movie. In fact, I know many of the songs word-for-word.
Our kids haven’t experienced many Disney movies yet, but recently, I realized how many live-action remakes of all my favorite classic Disney movies are available on Amazon Prime (with a $3-$4 rental fee).
We’ve been watching them for our Sunday night Movie Nights over the summer. I use promotional credits I get by selecting more consolidated shipping options to rent the films for free — win-win!
The cinematography has been absolutely fantastic… and yes, the music is still top-notch (and stuck in my head for days after watching!)
My favorites so far are The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast.
FAVORITE HOBBY = Reading
This is the time of the summer when I “give up” on all my yard work because it’s just too hot and humid — and all the flowers are blooming so weeds aren’t as noticeable!
Instead, I sit by the pool (or inside in the AC) and read.
I’ve plowed through more than a dozen books this summer (all of them over 400 pages) and I have 4 more on my pile that I’d like to finish before school starts.
This is probably the first summer that all 4 kids are completely “independent” in the pool, and fairly self-sufficient around the house, so there are fewer “mom, can you do this for me” requests these days. And although Buster is still a handful, he sleeps a lot during the day — so I have more free time this summer than I’ve had in a long time.
FAVORITE RECIPE = Homemade Jam!
One of my favorite things about homemade jam is that it tastes SOOOOOO much better than store-bought jam.
In full disclosure, I don’t think homemade jam is any healthier or less expensive than the store-bought stuff — but the taste wins out for our family every time.
And… jam isn’t hard to make (you don’t even need fancy equipment).
If you have a big pot, a lot of sugar, and a bunch of your favorite berries, you can make jam!
Favorite Jam Recipes + Resources:
- The Basics of Canning Jam
- Super Simple Microwave Jam
- No-Sugar Jam (how I sub honey for sugar with good results)
- My Time-Saving Jame-Making tip!
- My Favorite Canning Supplies (you won’t need many of these for jam).
- 7 Reasons I Love Canning Jam
- More Favorite Canning Recipes (when you want to branch out from jam.)
FAVORITE ARCHIVED POST:
Ready to simplify your closet (or your kids’ closets) before another school year begins?
These 6 questions will help you do just that — and speaking from experience, you’ll love how it feels to open your closet doors after a good decluttering session!
Read the full posts here.
That’s all for this month. 😆
If you’re interested, you may scroll through all my Favorite Things posts HERE!
Leslie J Honcoop says
The good news on dogs is that puppies grow up faster than kids. 🙂 However, they don’t wear diapers and won’t watch screens when needed. 😀 In a couple years, most of the foolishness will have gone out of Buster and he’ll be a great family dog for many years. It will be worth it — you are in the hardest part right now.
Andrea says
thanks Leslie — yes, many have encouraged me with similar comments. It’s good to know that the puppy stage won’t last forever!
Michelle G says
In the fall, when everyone is back to school, try a new routine with Buster. I used to take my dog to the bus stop to drop off my younger child and we would wave “goodbye” to him and head off on a good long walk in the morning. It helped my young dog burn off some “puppy” energy and was really good for both of us. It became a real bonding time, and my girl would have a nice long rest that lasted almost until the kids came home. Then they could play and take over puppy care after school and while I was making dinner. When my kids were older and needed me a bit less, it was nice to have my little companion. Unlike a teenager, she never had a harsh word or judgement for me. A true friend.
We lost her about a week ago….it’s been very hard. Please hug little Buster for me.
Andrea says
Good idea — we don’t do many “walks” right now — just running around out yard. But yes, I need to tire him out so he sleeps a lot the rest of the day so I can get a bunch done 🙂
So sorry to hear about your sweet dog… rest assured that Buster is getting many hugs these days 🙂
Dawn Kaestner says
Great post! While I would never recommend a puppy to a hesitant dog owner, there is light at the end of the tunnel. You often mention how happy you are that your kids are all now (mostly) independent and so it shall be when your dog has a couple of years under its belt. You will be able to enjoy more the of the great dog things about Buster once he is trained and his personality is fully developed. And I wash my sheets at least every week because I am a dog owner who occasionally lets them on the bed 🙂
Andrea says
yes, exactly! The kids became more independent and the dog will too. But I’d still rather have a kid than a dog 🙂
Thanks for offering a little “perspective”!
Heather says
Love the update! Enjoy your last weeks of summer. Would you ever consider doing a book review or letting us know what you are reading and what you have enjoyed?
Andrea says
I’ve talked about some of the books I’ve read and I actually hosted a book club with fellow blog readers last summer… but I don’t think I’d do a book review — maybe in a smaller group setting but not as an internet-wide book review.
Thanks for letting me know that you’re interested in this idea though 🙂
Chris says
I don’t remember this. Do you have a link to the book club?
Andrea says
I shared about the bookclub in my weekly emails (not in a blog post) but we read Jennie Allen’s Find Your People
Colleen Luck says
I just want to say THANK YOU for all your posts, tips,and tricks! I have a big smile on my face when I get an email from you with your latest favorite things picks, or anything you send out! Lovelovelovelove!
Andrea says
Thanks Colleen (and you’re welcome!) I appreciate your encouragement!
Margaret says
The first year with puppies is definitely the most challenging. I’ve raised 26 guide dog puppies, and just when they were easy to live with I’d take them back and start over with another little heathen. And all but one (a Standard Poodle) were heavy shedders, Labs, German Shepherds, and Golden’s.
My own current dog is 16 months. She slept through the night early on (crate in my bedroom), but was rather difficult to day-train. And now she’s convinced there are monsters in the backyard, so I have to go out with her.
There are many health benefits to delaying spaying as long as possible, but after three heat cycles in six months I’ve decided this is as long as possible, and made her appointment in September. I can handle the bleeding, but can’t take her to classes or our club building when she’s in. Her education is being disrupted.
I’m a weekly sheet-changer. It’s worth it to me for the fresh feel and smell. Tilly is still sleeping in her crate, but my cat sleeps on my bed, as have previous dogs. I had to find storage for extra linens when my last dog developed epilepsy. Dogs pee during a seizure just as humans do.
Andrea says
WOW — 26 guide dogs! That’s amazing!!
You must really have a passion for that — and what a useful service you’re providing for so many people.
Susanne says
Can I ask if you have a favorite brand of sheets? I splurged on a luxury brand of “cooling” sheets two years ago for my husband who tends to sleep hot. About 3 months ago the top of the flat sheets ripped right off in my hand as I was making the bed. The company was very responsive and sent me a new sheet immediately. This morning when I got up, the fitted sheet had a huge hole right under where I sleep. This is ridiculus! I emailed the company, but really do not care if the replace the thing or not. I am so done with them! They are not even the only set I use so I alternate them about every two weeks.
Andrea says
We’ve been using the Saatva brand of sheets and pillows for many years (light grey / white color) becasue they were a gift. They are quite pricy so they have held up well over the years (no pilling, etc.) I’m a fan, but not sure I’d splurge to buy them at full price!
Jan G says
Enjoyed your post, Andrea!
We are also every other week sheet washers, rotating between groups of family members each week. I started doing that when there were 4-5 sets of sheets to wash and it was a big help. We also only have one set for each bed for the same reason, no storage. It’s not been an issue for us and I know I couldn’t store then under the mattress, princess and the pea, you know!
Have you ever tried freezer jam using the low sugar pectin? The strawberry is our favorite; less sweet and like eating fresh strawberries in the winter, very flavorful.
Andrea says
Hi Jan — glad the ever-other-week sheet method works well for you too.
As for the freezer jam, I don’t love the texture of it so I always process my jam. My mom and sisters make freezer jam though and I know they’ve used frozen berries from time to time, so I think it would work. They don’t use low sugar pectin though — so I guess I can’t speak to that.
Allison says
We love making jam too! We tried peach this year and it has been our all time favorite!
Andrea says
I haven’t made peach jam in years but Simon asked me to try it sometime, so I might need to give it a go again.
Have you ever done it with frozen peaches? I hate pealing and pitting all those peaches 🙂
Gabriela says
A great series Nora might like is the Moody Family Series. I got it directly from their website – titus2.com. I really enjoyed reading it aloud to my daughter and then she read it by herself again. I’m waiting maybe another year and then I will read it to my son too. I also learned so much from it and there are many Things we’ve incorporated in our family. For ex – my daughter surprised me for Mother’s day with Bible verses written by her on paper and taped throughout the house – where I would see them a lot (I had 2 in the kitchen area ). It is definitely a series that all the kids would benefit from, as well as the parents.
Andrea says
Thanks for the recommendation Gabriela! I’ll look for it at the library 🙂
Also, what a nice mother’s day gift from your daughter!
CMM says
I too only wash sheets once a month, but I do have a second full set on each of my children’s beds with a waterproof mattress pad in between that and the first set that’s being slept on. This has saved me numerous times when someone is sick in the night. Just wad the whole thing up and the sickly kid can go right back to bed! Laundry can wait till morning!
Andrea says
yes, yes, this is a great method if you have more regular bed mess issues! We did it all the time when we had babies and toddlers in cribs (or when they were potty training)!
Now, the issues are (thankfully) very infrequent, so washing them every other week seems to work well for us right now 🙂
Kim says
We had a dog, she’s now 4. My husband decided she needed a playmate, so he got a Golden Retriever puppy as a surprise! It was not a good one. I agreed to it as I thought it was a good idea and our 4 year old dog was EASY. This puppy was not. AT ALL. She is now a bit over a year old and she’s matured a lot. I will never get another dog. It’s exactly like having a toddler, except they don’t speak. AND we listened to the vet that said it was better she goes through her first heat cycle before we get her fixed. DO NOT listen to that advice. Additional awfulness. I love her and can’t imagine our life without her now, but that first 8-10 months with her was AWFUL for me. My kids were 15 and 18 so they’re super independent. They both drive now, so who deals with the dog most? That’s right, me. My husband has never walked those dogs. To be fair, he works full time and I work part time. I won’t bother to talk about the dog hair, our other dog is a short hair, pitty/lab mix. BEST dog ever.
Andrea says
oh wow — I think/hope Dave is smart enough never to get me a shedding puppy as a surprise! LOL!
Also, we plan to get Buster fixed ASAP — no question about it!
And yes, I pretty much do everything for the dog right now (although the kids have been good about picking up poop!
At least he doesn’t shed!!
Linda Jean says
I’m so glad you’re back from break! I respect that you take one, but I miss your upbeat, informative emails every week. Sheets! I had a bedwetter for years. He was in second grade when we finally got a medical dx and treatment, so I washed sheets almost every day … I never think about it now. It was just part of my morning routine. I never complained because I knew it was worse for my kid to have the problem than for me to have to do laundry. BTW, you gave me the tip to use Endust when dusting some time back – great product. Enjoy the rest of your summer!
Andrea says
yes, love the Endust spray! glad you do too!
And yes, I know several people with medical reasons for bed wetting — we are fortunate not to have that with any of our kids, so bi-weekly sheet washing is usually sufficient. Good for you for being positive about the situation and working it into your daily routine (I always say that everything is more doable when it’s a “routine”)!
Nancy says
I badly wanted a retractable highlighter and ordered a set of Mr Pen pastel colors from Amazon. They bleed through my Bible and my catechism (which is much heavier paper.) The company was really nice about it but I have this 6 pen set in the drawer, I only wanted one pen anyway. It’s good to know about their other products however.
The only successful dog experience I’ve had is adopting a one year old. Puppies are more work than a human infant.
My kids are also older than you are but I get such a kick reading about all your organized ways., you’re so smart. We have no extra sheets and one extra set of towels. We have a washer and dryer right here in the house! Why have all that!
Andrea says
oh shoot — you need to order the highlighters that specifically say they are “no bleed” and for Bible pages (they are more like a crayon than a marker).
Thanks for your kind words — glad you are enjoying the blog even with older kids 🙂 And yes, puppies are more work than humans because at least with little babies, there are countless friends, neighbors, and grandparents who love to watch them for you if you need a break. Not so much with dogs!
Julie says
Have you tried the “lasagna method” for your sheets? I learned about it when our grandkids started potty training….very helpful for those late night accidents but have recently returned to promoting it for my Uncle (more like grandpa) who is 96 in a nursing home. He is having terrible problems that his permanent catheter aren’t helping with completely. I recently printed out the lasagna method and sent him several waterproof protective fitted sheets. His aid was able to put his mattress protector on, waterproof sheet, sheet, 2nd waterproof sheet, sheet, 3rd waterproof sheet and last fitted sheet to get him through the night without having to completely strip the bed and wait for her to remake it. This has been lifechanging for him (and her). It is a great way to do a baby bed as well. Layering all of your spare fitted sheets would give you some days between remaking all of the beds and solve the storage problem.
CMM says
Oops! I should’ve read comments before posting! I didn’t know the sheet system had a name. Cool! I had a major sicko who threw up a lot, so the lasagna method was wonderful for us. We still do it just because I don’t want to fold sheets. LOL!
Andrea says
Yes, I layered a few layers of sheets and waterproof mattress pads for all our kids when they were in a crib. But now, with 4 twin beds, I don’t want to spend the money for 8 waterproof mattress pads and 8 sets of sheets. That’s a lot!
This method was a life-saver for me too when we had babies who regularly made messes in the middle of the night, but now it’s SO occational and random that it wouldn’t be worth the extra expense for me.
HelpAMom says
What mattress cover did you use? Ours does not work. Thanks!
Meghan says
I’m so sorry about the dog! It’s the worst. When our puppy turned one, she no longer felt like a huge mistake. Now that she is 3 – she is a delight! She is so calm and easy. The kids all adore her.
I really need your August attitude of excitement! I have low simmering dread and anxiety all month because I know what’s coming. When it’s here, I’m fine! The waiting for everything to get super busy is really hard for me! I love my job and watching my boys play middle school and varsity soccer but going from the relatively unscheduled days of summer to every minute being scheduled until late October is hard. The kids and I don’t go back until the last week of August. I wish we could just get it over with – but then my feelings would probably start in July. Lol
Andrea says
yes, a “huge mistake” is basically what I’ve felt like for the last couple of months. I’m not looking forward to being “home alone” with the dog when everyone goest back to school! I hear (from many people) that it gets much better after the first year… we can do this!
As for the excitement for back-to-school… I’ve always been sort of weird like that. I LOVE a new season and getting back into a new routine. However, I don’t worry about it until the day before school starts.
We got the class lists and school supply list yesterday — so we packed up our bags and got all our supplies (we had most of them already) and then shoved our bags back into the closet. Now, we won’t think/worry/stress about school until the day before! That seems to work for us. We’re tired the first couple of days, but then our bodies get used to the earlier mornings and we naturally go to bed earlier.
Calliope says
One of the best tips I’ve copied from you is to make jam during the winter.
November and February are usually my months for strawberry jam, peach/apricot marmelade and fruit crumbles!
Andrea says
yes — I love this too!
I do the majority of my canning in January (applesauce) and February (jams) and it’s so nice to have the kitchen pumping out the heat from the stove on those cold days — and the house smells fantastic.
Suzanne says
Missed you while you were in your break! Glad to hear from you today and happy that you’re having a good summer. We’ve been without a dog for 2-1/2 years after having two Australian Shepherds for 15 years. We *almost* got an Aussie puppy from a rescue last week, but someone adopted her before we could get in to meet her. So perhaps I feel a bit better about that because of your post! LOL. Thank you for that! Maybe a puppy is not a good idea for a 70 year old couple?? We’re not decrepit or anything, but we do love a restful nights sleep.
Andrea says
oh wow — I’m glad you didn’t get the puppy (and I’m glad it was still adopted!) I’m sure it was cute, but yes, you need your sleep 🙂
Jen says
Okay, you should have asked ME–you know, of course, I would have talked you OUT of getting a dog! 🙂 Our kids wore us down and we got a puppy. I lasted 7 days, and we took her back to the breeder. (She then found a lovely home with some friends of ours who took great care of her!) I felt terrible (and my kids still haven’t forgiven me!), but I just couldn’t do it. I told Jeff “I have potty trained four humans. I am NOT potty training an animal.” Anyway, a few years later, we adopted a dog who was 1 year old and it was AMAZING. She was still work, but she was through the hard stage (no chewing or potty training or night potty breaks!), and we loved her for 12 years. Our kids are grown now. Jeff and I will never have another pet of ANY kind, but I am glad we did it for the kids. They now have puppies themselves, and they realize that it’s NO JOKE!
Also, I do have two extra sets of queen sheets (no more twin beds in our house), and I store them folded flat between the mattress and boxspring of the beds. No closet storage needed, but they’re still available!
Your hair looks great! Hope you’re enjoying it longer! Enjoy the rest of your summer! Jeff starts back (teachers) tomorrow here in SC!
Andrea says
oh good grief– I forgot we are basically the same person and I should have come to you!!! LOL
Funny story… we tried getting a puppy 2 years ago and gave it back after a week (same as you, of course!)
We tried really hard to find a 1 or 2 year old dog this time, but we couldn’t find anything that was small and non-shedding. We wanted to either get a dog now or never becasue we didn’t want the dog to outlive our children living at home, so when a friend approached us about a very frugal, very small, non-shedding puppy that was bread just down the road from us and would be able to come to our home right at the end of the school year, we decided it was probably the best offer we’d find.
I immediately regretted it and very seriously considered giving the dog back (or selling it) again after the first week, but I knew we couldn’t do that to our kids twice… so we’re in it for the long haul this time (and things are getting better). I don’t think I would have made it if it wasn’t summer time and everyone is home to help. Hopefully he’ll sleep a lot once the kids go back to school! 🙂
JoDi says
The first year can be tough. I’m not a huge fan of raising puppies, but the last 2 dogs we adopted were each about 4 months old, and the puppy stage wasn’t too bad with either of them. They are the 8th and 9th dogs we’ve owned over the years though, so we do have a lot more experience now.
I chuckled a little when you said you’d be dog owners for the next 12 years. Little dogs live much longer than bigger ones, so you’re more likely in for 14 – 16, so it’s good that you got it now! Our elderly Chihuahua just died in the spring at 19+ years, but I won’t wish that on you! LOL Maybe one of the kids will take it when they move out on their own!
Andrea says
wow, I certainly hope Buster doesn’t live for 19 years. Most of the small dogs I’ve known (including the one I grew up with) lived about 12/13 years… so that’s what I’m telling myself! LOL!
Jen says
Yep! That’s exactly what we got. Non-shedding miniature poodle/schnauzer mix. She weighed between 18-22 pounds. She was 12 when she “crossed the rainbow bridge” as I affectionately like to put it. She was sweet and was really a great dog. I’m glad we did it for the kids. Will NEVER have another animal. Hang in there!
Donna Marie says
My daughter will be 45 in October, but I still read your posts and love them!!!
Andrea says
awww… thanks so much Donna Marie! 🙂