I’m writing this on a Sunday. I had a big workout this morning (a bike + run), then we went to church, then I had some sourdough toast (with cream cheese, cucumber, lemon juice, and EBTB seasoning!), then I took a nap with Charlie. And now here we are.

Dinner should get going here in about an hour, and the meal plan says chicken pot pie soup. I usually make it like chicken pot pie filling then add biscuits on the side rather than putting it in a pie crust. Last week I linked to a Paleo version of chicken pot pie soup, which uses super runny mashed potatoes as the thickener (rather than doing a roux). It’s excellent, but I really want to make biscuits. 🤩

Tomorrow is a rest day, according to the triathlon plan I’m following. Phew!

And also this week the kids are going to a sort of half-day church camp called Vacation Bible School. You might not be familiar with it, but it’s a big thing at least here in the south. It’ll be their first time. They’re excited. I’m a little nervous - I’m not used to dropping my kids off somewhere and picking them up hours later! I don’t know what the heck I’ll do with Charlie when it’ll just be the two of us.😅

(UPDATE: They had a blast!)

TikTok favs

I don’t remember if I’ve done this before, but let me share some of my current favorite TikTok pages. No specific videos, just their accounts!

• Robert Irwin - This is Steve Irwin’s son, and he makes interesting animal videos!

• Michael DiCostanza - He’s really into Wordle. And all the other variations out there. And any other daily game he can find. He’s smart, and we all find his videos entertaining.

• Leo González - Clean comedy!

• Andrea Nelson Art - Her craft ideas (mostly for kids) are so simple and lovely!

• Would You Rather - My kids LOVE would you rather. This page shares them regularly, so we always stop to do them!

• Finish the Lyrics - This page posts “finish the lyrics” videos a lot (along with other quizzes). They’ll play a part of a song, then the song stops and you have to try to finish that part of the song! I think it’s fun.

10 random things I love lately

1. Charlie has been really into learning activities. He likes shapes and animals the most right now. He has started to enjoy jigsaw puzzles as well. It’s been neat to see how his little brain is working!

2. LOST! And my mama has started watching too - she texts me every now and then with a little update about what just happened. It’s almost like we’re watching it together. 🙂 

3. Amy! She’s my brand new triathlon coach, and she’s great. Very helpful, encouraging, smart. She’s done over 100 triathlons, and she LOVES them.

4. Cold brew 😋 I usually have 1-2 lattes each day. I make a hot one first then an iced one later. Every now and then, we pick up cold brew at the store, and I am obsessed with it for a few weeks. Then we don’t buy it, and I get over it. But right now? We have it - it’s just not the same as an iced coffee or iced latte! It’s its own thing.

5. Homemade biscuits! I want to make biscuits every few days. When I do, I make a lot of them so we can have some for an extra day or two. They’re just flaky and buttery. Not sure why I find them so satisfying lately!

   

6. These black stretchy pants I got a month ago, from a store called Cato. They have pockets (although they’re a little too shallow for my taste) and these straps you tie into a bow. No zippers or buttons. You just pull ‘em on. I wear them a few times a week, with comfy heels usually, and they just look really pulled together (I think😅). (NOTE: I looked on their website and didn’t see them🥲 If you’ve got a Cato near you, you might can find them!)

7. Card stock. I love making lists, and I just really like writing on card stock instead of plain paper. Honestly I should get a notebook… But anyway, I got a pack of card stock that is perforated in the middle, so now I can just tear off a half-sheet of it, which is perfect for my little lists!

8. Freshly washed sheets. 🥰 That’s nothing new, but I just washed ours yesterday, and it feels so nice getting into bed when the sheets feel crisp!

9. The way Charlie looks at Alexander and Annabelle. When they go to do something with him (usually by my request, but they are sweet with him), he just looks up at them with so much love. It’s just the most precious little face.

10. Storyworth. I got it for my dad for Father’s Day (which was just about 4 weeks ago). He answers 1 question each week, and as soon as he submits it, I get the reply in an email (along with anyone else he wants to include). My dad is a TALKER. So of course his replies are long and detailed. Each email, I’ve learned something I didn’t know! I have really loved reading them! Just in case you’re curious, the questions he’s answered so far are

    1. How did you get your first job?

    2. What were your grandparents like?

    3. What were your favorite toys as a child?

    4. What was your Dad like when you were a child?

Open water swimming

I’ve got 3 weeks until my sprint tri! Eek! Am I ready? No. Am I more ready now than I was 6 weeks ago? Most definitely. Will I be able to finish it? We’ll see😅

My swimming technique has improved a lot. My distance is still a big issue. Amy (the lady I’m working with) said that, just like with any other endurance sport, once you learn proper form, you just have to slowly increase your distance. It’s strength, technique, endurance, and also lung capacity. That stuff doesn’t happen overnight. In fact, she said if you push yourself and increase your distances too much too quickly, it can be really damaging for your body. So slow and steady growth is best.

The next time I see her will be at the lake where we will practice the open water swim. My plan (her plan for me) is to swim roughly 25m, flip to my back and just glide 25m, flip back over and swim 25, and continue doing that the whole way.

For the bike, I can’t do 18 miles. But I believe I can do at least 10 without stopping. I think on race day, I’ll go more like 12, then I’ll walk / ride the rest of the way. I will see what she thinks!

As for the run? If I can stay properly hydrated (so I don’t cramp up), and just keep moving slowly, I can make it. It’s just a 5k! If I need to walk the whole thing, so be it!

Shaved frozen fruit

The trend of the summer, it seems!!

I’ve seen this OVER and OVER, on TikTok and Instagram. Freeze fruit then use a cheese grater to grate it. I’ve seen pineapple, mango, tangerine, and strawberry so far.

Once it’s shaved, they all seem to drizzle sweetened condensed milk on top. After that it’s been a huge variety. I saw one guy do peanuts on the strawberries. Someone else did pistachios. I’ve seen toasted coconut. Something green (mint maybe!).

Anyway give it a go. Freeze some fruit then “shave” it then top it with… stuff🤩 I imagine if you search “shaved fruit” on any social app, you’ll find lots of ideas!

This was a lighter email🙈 + a shoutout!

I think I mentioned this last time, but my brain has been very much focused on training and this race. I feel like it has taken up 50% of my brain capacity. Then there’s family and food and faith. And there’s just a teensy bit left for fun. Like, TikTok, watching TV, posting to IG (I guess fun = screen time, haha). So I can feel the difference in where my energy is going, but I don’t think there’s anything I can do about it until after this race!

And thank you to Alison who bought me a coffee last week!🥰

On that note, that's it for this week. If I can pray for you in some way, reply to this!!

Have a good one!❤️ Bethany

Oh, and if you like my content and want to support me, click the coffee cup below to go to my virtual tip jar!