Monday, Monday: August 17, 2026

Today, this humble little corner of the Internet turns 18. Thank you to each and every one of you for joining me here. I never imagined sitting on my rust-colored couch in my studio apartment, all of 26 years old, that I would still be creating content for this site at 44. But here we are, and it has been one of the great joys of my life.

Thank you.

Morning Drop Off. School is back in session. Where did the summertime go?

Sloane has been attending preschool all summer, but once school officially starts, the morning routine becomes a bit more rigid (ie. stressful). So I spent part of the weekend prepping her clothes and mine for the morning rush — doing laundry, organizing the drawers, making sure our essentials are ready to go. Here’s hoping it will hasten our morning exit.

So what do I like to wear for drop off? Varley. It’s comfortable, looks good, and is easily washed if an errant bit of maple syrup finds its way onto my clothes. I can’t wait until it’s cool enough to wear this sweater with jeans (even if they’re fake jeans).

Back to school season is such an adjustment for everyone in the house. New classes, new routines, new people. We went through it earlier this summer when Sloane moved up classes — woof. So if your kids are starting a new school, changing teachers or beginning something new, good luck. It may take a few weeks to find equilibrium, but you will. Good luck to us all.

School Supplies. Speaking of falling back into routines, I am spending the week cleaning up my office and restocking my office supplies. I’ve been working from different parts of the house over the summer, and it’s time to get back to business. It’ll be nice to use my extraordinarily large monitor again. I also restocked my To Do List notepads and my favorite pens.

Pick Me Up. I needed an easy watch to help me end the day calmly, so I decided to rewatch Ted Lasso before starting the new season. (No spoilers, please.) Every time I watch it it makes me a little bit happier, but it also makes me want to move to London.

Kitchen Confidential. We are trying really hard to eat out less, especially during the week. It’s incredible how quickly you can lose the ability to meal plan, cook, and feed yourself. We are struggling to come up with recipes that we like that we can cook in less than 45-minutes. In our dreams, Sloane would also be interested in eating what we’re eating, but moving her off a diet of quesadilla and chicken strips is a long term goal.

I made this bulgogi with the meat from Costco — it was surprisingly easy and tasty. We also enjoyed this potsticker and smashed cucumber dish (I just buy peanut sauce from the neighborhood Thai place). I will also probably make this halloumi grain bowl this week.

If you have an easy-ish, tasty meals that your family likes to make on school nights and work nights, please leave them in the comments. Bonus points if a small child will eat it.

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