I haven’t emailed you in a month, eek! This will be longer than usual, and I probably won’t send another one for a while - busy season! The days are going by quickly, and I just find myself pulled in many directions. As soon as I feel like I’ve got a minute to sit, Bea wakes up. Or I realize it’s time to start making dinner. How have you been? Did you do anything for Thanksgiving? Are you finished Christmas shopping? How’s your family?

A few personal updates first:

Cam ran a marathon. This was late November. He ran one before we had kids (in his late 20s!), and now he’s 40. He did awesome though; I think the pace was basically the same as the last time, and he didn’t have as much time to train this time. Will he run another one? He said, “Maybe again when I turn 50.” 🙂 

Bea is almost 6 months! She is an active little thing. She rolls constantly, can sit on her own for just a few seconds before toppling, puts everything in her mouth, scoots backward, and has just started to move onto her knees sometimes. I saw this TikTok video about what a 6 month old should be able to do. It made me laugh out loud.

Annabelle is in our church’s Christmas play - she has a small speaking role that she’s been practicing diligently. She’s still taking dance and loves make believe and helping! Alexander has been really into creating things. The other day he made a gadget that makes a siren sound if you shine a light on it. I’ve reached out to our local Code Ninjas to see if they have weekly classes he can join. Charlie has been sooo chatty lately. He’s always spittin’ facts (“You are my mom… My name is Charlie… I have one brother and two sisters…”). He loves Beatrix; he loves playing dolls with Annabelle; and when Alexander is playing Zelda, Charlie’ll go in there, snuggle under Alexander’s covers, and watch him play.

We went to my cousin’s wedding last weekend. It was about 6 hours away, and the drive went alright. My parents live 2 hours from us, on the way, so we stayed there for a night on both ends. We ate at Walk-Ons for the first time. The shrimp tacos were amazing. The wedding was lovely! I wish I’d gotten more pictures of our family, but I never remember. I’m great at taking pictures or videos when we’re at home, but when we’re doing something out and about, my phone usually stays in my bag.

Thanks Maeve!

Before I say anything more, let me give a quick shout out to Maeve for buying me a coffee!! It’s like a virtual tip jar, so I truly appreciate the support!

Caramel almond latte

I saw a TikTok recently (I feel like half of my sentences start with “I saw a TikTok…”😬)… this barista was sharing her top coffee flavor combos:

• Caramel + almond

• Salted caramel + toffee

• Brown sugar + cinnamon

• Brown sugar + vanilla

I’m not the biggest fan of salty caramel, so I didn’t want to try the second one. And I’ve tried the brown sugar combos. But caramel + almond combo sounds SO GOOD. I picked up “caramel syrup” at the store just to get home and notice it’s the sugar-free version. No thank you.

I ended up making my own caramel and almond syrups, since I had everything I needed to do them! Here are the two recipes I used:

• Caramel syrup

• Almond syrup - I let this one simmer longer than the recipe says, just to get thicker.

Once I made the two, I poured them both into a jar. I finished that jar and have made a new one (double batch!). It’s DELICIOUS in my morning latte!!

Perimenopause

My shoulders ache - to be fair, I’m holding a baby or toddler regularly. My back aches. I am getting hot all the time, randomly throughout the day. I’m the one going out without a jacket these days. I’m the one cranking up the A/C in the van.

I mentioned a little of this on Instagram a while back, and someone mentioned it could be perimenopause. (NOTE: I’m breastfeeding, so it’s possible this is all just connected to the hormonal changes from pregnancy and nursing, NOT perimenopause!!)

Now, this can start as early as mid-30s but typically starts mid-40s. I’m 40. Also there are some symptoms that I do not have:

• sleep trouble - I fall asleep and stay asleep great, as long as the baby doesn’t wake me

• mood changes - I’m anxious… but I’ve been anxious since I was a teen; otherwise, I’m feeling pretty steadily happy and level

• headaches

• night sweats - I mean, hot, yes. Do folks literally get super sweaty at night??

Anyway I’ll mention it to my doc next month when I go for a checkup!

Christmas

I’m doooone. Phew! A and AB were the last ones to buy for. We got them some fun outdoor stuff, a personalized book for AB, a logic puzzle book for A, some matching PJs, and a couple more little things.

There’s one more thing I need to finish for my dad - I mentioned it in another email. I’ve started it; I just need to finish making it!

Yesterday I wrapped everything besides Cameron’s few gifts (he was sitting right behind me on the couch. 👀

How about you?

Project Pan

Have you seen this on social media? I’ve seen just a little of it on TikTok and only TikTok. It’s about using what you have, specifically with regard to beauty products: makeup, hair, skincare. I’m pretty minimalist with everything else in my life, so I just need to shape up in this area! ❤️ 

Makeup isn’t an issue for me: I typically just buy a new item when my current one runs out.

For hair products, I got several things when I realized Charlie had curly hair, and I got a few more things when I was trying to work with Annabelle’s tangles. My mama gave me a few of her hair products when she got new ones.

And for skincare? I get them as gifts and also in my Fab Fit Fun box.

All in all, I have just at 100 different beauty products. Here’s the breakdown!

Here’s the other thing: when I get something new, I try it out, and - if I like it - I end up using that instead of my old one. So a lot of my items are half-empty and possibly expired. A few folks on IG mentioned that you can check the expiration dates for beauty products. There’s either a little symbol on the container (see below) OR you can go online and input the product numbers to find out the info.

So what is Project Pan? Use what you have until you “hit the pan”, the bottom of the product’s container. I’ve got myself a handy little spreadsheet where I’ll keep up with what I’m using, when I finish it, and how I liked it!

Anxiety playlist

Lately, I’ve been coming to terms with my need for control. And I have been seeing so many things pop up on my social media feeds that speak to this. Basically, when I feel like things are out of my control, I try to find control in other ways.

For example…

• I could not control how quickly the add-on was moving, so…

• I obsessively cleaned the parts of the house I had access to.

• I can not control how well the baby sleeps, so…

• I stay up late, after she goes to sleep, doing what I want.

• I can not control how quickly my kids do their school work, so…

• I bake. It’s fun and predictable, plus I get a treat out of it.

There are some things, though, that will never be in my control, and I tend to obsess over them. They usually fall into two categories: (1) what people think of me and (2) worst case scenarios.

I’ve been working through this Bible study on my phone, in the YouVersion app, all about letting go of control. Here’s a link to it if you’re interested!

Anyway, I’ve stepped away from social media for now, and I put together a list of scriptures as well as a playlist of songs about trusting God. All of those things - the Bible study, stepping away from FB and IG, praying over scripture, and listening to that playlist - have helped a lot in the last 2 weeks!!

Focus on what you CAN control, and stop worrying so much about the rest. Worrying about it literally does NOTHING. Planning for possible problems is one thing, but constantly worrying and stressing about those possibilities is a waste of time and energy. ❤️ (That is a reminder for me more than anything!)

Recipes

My friend Isabella recommended this recipe for Ginger Pork and Rice Bowls. I got all the things I needed for it, including a cucumber. Then I got a notification from the grocery store that there was a recall on cucumbers they’d recently sold! Sooo now I need to get a new one so I can make that recipe!

Kevin Ashton is one of my favorite TikTok chefs. His food always looks amazing, and he seems like a really cool dude. He is the chef in a sorority house! Just from watching him, I have learned a few things that I use in my own cooking now. 👏

Anyway, the other day he made a cheeseburger mac and cheese. He made actual cheeseburger patties first, then chopped them into small pieces, then mixed them into the macaroni and cheese. Oh my. I want to try that soon!

These soft gingerbread cookies have been a favorite of mine since I first made them a few years ago!! (Random note: Her recipe says she posted this in December 2024, but I made them back when I was working with the youth at church, in 2019-20!! So I guess it is a repost? 🤷‍♀️)

Colorado Springs and Austin

This past year, Cameron traveled to Austin, DC, Savannah GA, and somewhere in South Carolina for work-related conferences. Basically, they were networking events (and they ultimately paid off because he got several gigs through folks he met!).

In 2025 he plans to go to two more of these events: one in Colorado Springs and another in Austin. Both are in the late Spring.

Our fam likes to travel, so if we have the opportunity to take a trip, we usually do it. In this case, the whole family will tag along with Cam for both of these trips. That means that there will be 2 days in each city where I’ll be solo parenting while he’s at the event. But there will be 5-ish other days that we’ll be all together, just exploring.

If you’ve got any suggestions for food or fun or anything, in either of those two cities, let me know! A handful of people on Instagram sent me ideas already, but I’d rather be over-prepared than under. Thank ya!!

Notice and Do

I came across Sam Kelly a little while back, through a sponsored post. Typically I scroll past, but this one caught my attention.

My kids have chores, and in general, they help out around the house (we all live here; we all chip in to the best of our abilities). But most of the time, I get agitated by the little messes (the random toys on the ground, the stuff on the counters or table, the random bit of laundry that’s on the couch rather than in the laundry basket, etc). And I say, “Ok this is driving me nuts. Let’s clean up.” We all work together, but at the end of the day, it’s usually me who initiates it.

Sam talked about something she calls Notice and Do. She taught her kids how to notice that things need to be done and then to do them. She asks them to do ONE notice-and-do each day, in addition to maintaining a few other things (like making their bed).

I decided to give this a try with my two big kids for now. About a month ago, I took 5 minutes and had them walk around the house with me. I pointed out things that I noticed needed to be done. A little later, when I heard the dishwasher chime, I pointed it out to them.

And I’m not lying when I say that every day since then, they’ve both noticed-and-done something. I was outside one day and when I came back in, Alexander was folding laundry because he heard the dryer chime. Both A and AB have been helping with laundry, dishes, messes, etc, ON THEIR OWN. 🤯 (Note: I do have to check in every day with them to make sure they’ve done something. But I don’t have to assign tasks to them; they notice and do.)

If you want to read more about it, here’s the free guide from Sam Kelly. You have to sign up for her newsletter to get the guide, but it doesn’t cost any money!

Rebus puzzles

Do you remember these? I don’t know where I used to do them, but somewhere back in my youth, I remember doing these puzzles. They’re so tricky! I’ve been doing one per day with the kids, as part of our morning time. So far, they’ve not gotten ANY of them right on their own. I’ll give one little hint, and that usually gets them to the answer. But honestly, Cameron will come out sometimes and try, and he only gets it on occasion.

Here are a few examples! I’ll put the answers all the way at the end of the newsletter!!

And here’s a link to a bunch of them (with answers).

No more P.O. Box!

I mentioned it recently, but in case you missed it, I do not have a PO Box anymore! So I can’t receive any snail mail directly. You CAN get something from my Amazon wish list, but I think that’s about it. If you wanted, you could send something digitally, but I don’t ever expect anything anyway! ❤️ 

Housekeeping

If you’d like to support me and my content, then here are three ways:

• Send along an encouraging note, here or on IG or even snail mail!

• You can “Buy Me a Coffee” - it’s a virtual tip jar!

• And finally, here is a link to my Amazon wish list! 🙂 

  Much love,
  Bethany

PS If you want to see old emails, here’s a link to all of them!

TikTok round-up

I have “liked” hundreds of videos since the last email, so it was tough picking out just a few! Enjoy!

1. This is some type of performance art using something called 8 Rings, and it’s mesmerizing!

2. Defying Gravity but … country. 😄 

3. Micro crochet!! So cute!

4. Homemade Christmas card - so detailed! I could never. It’s fun to watch though!

5. Mixing kinetic sand, ASMR. These are satisfying to me and the kids. Cam does NOT like it! The sounds give him the heebie jeebies!

6. These awkward dog videos always crack me up.

7. Palindromes! He made a device that demonstrates palindromes.

8. Granddad finds out his grandson is named after him. I cry every time I see these!

REBUS ANSWERS!!

1. Foreign language

2. For once in my life

3. Trail mix