It feels like it’s been forever since we talked!

I decided to take (yet) another IG break. For me, a social media break is really, specifically Instagram. I don’t post much on Facebook - it’s just to keep up with local friends and events. And TikTok is for fun. I don’t post there often and don’t feel obligated to. But when I’m on IG, I feel more of an obligation to post, reply, and interact, and sometimes I just have to shut that off.

If this is the first newsletter you’ve gotten from me, first of all, thanks for signing up! And second, here’s what you’ll find in these emails. If you ever have a suggestion about something for a future newsletter (what would be MOST useful, because, after all, I do these for you!!), just respond to this email!

• Recipes - at least one recipe will be in each email. It will be something I’ve made, something I want to make, something I tried but didn’t like. Just some sort of recipe!

• Kid stuff - regularly I’ll include something my kids are enjoying, something we did, something I got for them, a game or show we liked, etc

• Life stuff - any big (or small!) life events, places we’ve gone, house updates

• Random! - a book I am reading, an app or game I’m loving, a new show or movie I watched, a memory or life lesson, anything!

Insomnia??

I feel like it can only be called insomnia if it lasts a long time. But lately, I’ve been having a very rough time with sleep. I mean, I usually go to bed around midnight (for years), then I fall asleep in about 30 minutes. For the last week or so, I haven’t gotten to sleep until 3 or 4 in the morning. I looked online for ideas for how to kick it, and I also posted this to Facebook. Here are some of the things I learned (either from looking online or from my FB friends!):

• Get some sunshine first thing in the morning

• No caffeine after noon

• No screen for the hour before bed

• Try waking up early, even if you didn’t sleep much

• Meditate (someone suggested the app Balance, and I love it so far - both Google and Apple have the app)

• Get thyroid checked

• If you get anxiety because you can’t fall asleep, try falling asleep in a new place that may not have that anxiety attached to it (a different bed, the couch)

• Magnesium

Of course there are medications that help! But years ago, I was pretty dependent on sleeping pills for a long time and it was a ROUGH transition to get off of it.

Last night I actually fell asleep before 2am, so YAY, that’s giving me some hope!

Family Improvement Plan

Okay let’s call that title a work in progress. But ultimately, Cam and I realized we needed to make a few changes in our family.

The big things we landed on are that kids need (1) encouragement, (2) a safe haven, and (3) independence. We based some new rules and routines off of those 3 things. The kids were a part of that process!

For one, we are ALL bad at interrupting each other. I catch myself doing it a lot, especially with the kids - if I can tell what they’re trying to say, I’ll just cut them off and finish the sentence for them. Eek! We decided that, as a family, we need to respect each other by listening fully and not interrupting.

Another thing is that we’ve got a pretty small house. Our house is about 1,100 square feet (102 square meters). It’s 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, for the 5 of us. Back in the day, a family with a bunch of kids might just have a 1 bedroom house, I get that. And we have a big ole yard, and we do have that bathroom out in the shop if we reeeeally needed it!

The two bedrooms are very big. They could each be 2 small sized rooms. The main bedroom is about 15’x15’ (4.5m x 4.5m), and the other room is a long rectangle, .

Anyway, the big kids share the long skinny room (it comfortably holds their 2 beds, and more). But that means they don’t really have a space to get away from each other. Luckily they get along 80% of the time. If they aren’t getting along though, or if they just want to be alone, they don’t have a lot of options.

Here is my thinking…

(This is just a stock pic) - Turn their beds into loft beds (or maybe just build loft beds from scratch… we like a good project😅). Then we would put up a curtain around the edges, some little fairy lights, a bean bag or soft chair, and they’d have a temporary “room” under each of their beds. They both LOVED that idea. So hopefully by the next time I send a newsletter, I’ll have some pictures of that project!

In the future though, we were thinking of converting one of the big bedrooms into 2 smaller rooms. A second possibility is adding onto the house, but we have NO idea where we’d add on! And then a third possibility is just building a new house altogether. Ideally the first option will work! Our contractor friend (who redid our bathroom and also helped a lot with building our shop) is coming out soon to give his opinions. 🤞🏻

Instant Pot Butter Chicken

I looove butter chicken. I’ve been making it nearly every week for a while now, but it takes a long time. It’s one of the more involved meals I make. Don’t get me wrong, it’s 100% worth it. It’s fantastic. Here is the recipe I usually use.

On IG, at least 3 different people suggested I try this specific Instant Pot Butter Chicken recipe. Well, we tried it this week (along with roti instead of naan!).

Verdict? The Instant Pot version is like, 8/10 for me. VERY easy and pretty dang good. And I’ll add, it was 8.5/10 as leftovers!! But the stove top one is a solid 10/10. So if we’re in a pinch, or if I don’t feel like cooking but want butter chicken, then we’ll do the Instant Pot one! I’ll stick to the other one though most of the time. 🥰

Three things for kids this summer

Disclaimer is that I’m pretty sure these are specific to the USA, but I could be wrong!

1. The BookIt program - It’s a reading incentive program. When your kids read a set monthly amount, they earn a free personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut.

2. Summer Movie Clubhouse - It’s kid movies each week throughout the summer, for $1.50 per ticket. The only potential downside is that it is weekday mornings, so not everyone will be available to participate.

3. Kids Bowl Free - When you register, your kids each get 2 free games of bowling every day, all summer! You still pay for shoe rental though, but it’s a pretty sweet deal!

A few more recipes!

The kids LOVED this Hamburger Helper recipe.

If I make this oven baked chicken and rice dish again, I’ll use boneless and skinless thighs (it suggests buying bone-in thighs then removing the skin). It was really tasty, especially the rice! It’s ONE DISH! You cook everything in the oven.🙌🏻

I’ve made these lactation cookies so many times over the years, and I’ve made them for nursing mom friends. Besides that, they are just friggin delicious.

No need for lactation cookies? Try these peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chunk cookies from Half Baked Harvest!! I don’t know why the rating is only 4.2. The dough is pretty crumbly, but they come together so nicely and are yummy!!

PO Box

I got an email the other day that my PO Box was renewed, so that reminded me that I should mention my actual mailing address in one of these newsletters! The address that’s automatically at the bottom is not mine - it’s for the email host.

My mailing address (as of May 2023) is

Bethany King
PO Box 8152
Shreveport LA 71148

I meant to cancel it after the Christmas season, but I forgot to, soo I’ve got it for 3 more months 😆

Love and Death on HBO Max

This is based on a true story. I’ve listened to two podcasts about this case over the years and now there are two TV series about it. I’ve started the HBO one, and it’s really good. Elizabeth Olsen is FANTASTIC and stunning. And I’ve come to realize that Jesse Plemons is one of my favorite actors. I just need to remember his name from now on 😄 Every time I see him in something new, I’m like “Oh that guy! I love that guy!”

Anyway crazy story (true crime), great acting. And if you don’t have HBO, there’s a second show on Hulu. And if you don’t have that either, there’s a recent podcast episode from a show called Serialously?! It’s episode 8.

Cruise?

I’ve never been on a cruise; neither has Cameron! And until this week, we had no desire to. But a friend of mine just got back from one and posted a whole bunch of pictures, and something changed in my heart, and now I’d like to go on a cruise. 🤪

I started Googling. And omg it is so confusing to book a cruise! I’m a pro at planning vacations. I know how to find lodging deals and flights and all of it. But I can not figure out how to book a cruise.

• Is there a website (like Expedia or Kayak) that’s specifically for cruises?

• Is there one cruise line that’s better than others?

• I’ve heard that issues can arise when you travel to a different country like, legally, if something bad happens on a cruise boat then there’s no legal obligation for any particular country to help you because you’re in open water - I may be phrasing that way wrong. Is there any legal stuff I should do beforehand?

• Does the base price include all the food and entertainment, or you have to buy a food and/or entertainment package?

• What are the money traps to avoid?

• What happens if there’s high wind? A plane could land early if there’s a bad weather issue, but it seems like a boat doesn’t really have that option!

• Just give me all your tips for cruises! Best time of year to go? Excursions or not? Cheapest lodging or shell out extra for a window room?

Thank youuuu 😬

That's it for this week. Have a good one!❤️ Bethany