And just like that, another Monday has come and thankfully almost gone. But not without Monday Musings – Vol 34. Don’t you worry! Honestly, today was a nightmare. Because I legit sat in front of my computer screen on video meetings for 6.5 hours of it. Needless to say my back is killing me. So some yoga & stretching is absolutely in order for this evening. Luckily this weekend involved a minimal amount of things and both Kyle and I were able to somewhat recharge. However, we both also agree that 6:30am(ish) on Wednesday can’t get here soon enough! For the first time since we were in Cabo, I am NOT doing ANY sort of work-related things while I’m gone. Praise Be. My poor eyes and neck need a major screen break!

Who we celebrated this weekend…

Miss Janae Elizabeth, aka Lizzie to me, turned 21 yesterday! She’ll always be the baby of the family and we love her dearly. Thankfully she saved me from being the oldest AND the shortest. Lizzie is tender-hearted, sweet yet salty, creative, smart and definitely the most genuinely nice of the 4 of us girls. I’m so excited to squeeze her in a few days and help her figure out what kind of beverages she enjoys most! 🙂 And on Friday we went up to Haley & Adam’s to celebrate Smith’s 1st Birthday. He was the third wheel they didn’t know they needed. But he’s the most chill little dude! After his cake smash, Kyle & I stole him for bath time and it was SO FUN. It’s celebrations like this that make the hard days bearable.

I’m currently struggling with…

Comparison. Theodore Roosevelt said ‘comparison is the thief of joy.’ And today I’d say to him, ‘Teddy, you sir were not far off.’ But that doesn’t make stopping the comparisons any easier, despite knowing it does me no good. I don’t have a new car, our house isn’t huge, there is minimal fun money anymore, the ability to travel is limited given some medical restrictions, my body looks different, other girls are getting pregnant… In my mind, I often see what I don’t have in comparison to friends/family/girls on IG. Because I’m human and unfortunately it’s how my brain works. Especially a Type A perfectionist like myself. Lately I’ve been getting slapped in the face with reality though. And that’s been good for me. God saying HELLLLO Kristin, look what you DO have.

So I guess what I’m trying to say is, things can’t bring you eternal happiness. While there may be fleeting joy in my new leather jacket, it’s not going to fill any void I have inside. Only Jesus can fill that. And I’d like to think maybe a baby or 3 wouldn’t hurt either 😉 Maybe you look at my feed or posts, etc. and sometimes have feelings like I do when I look at others. I think that’s ok — it means you’re human like me. But remember, everyone is fitting their own battles even if you can’t see them on the outside.

What I’m shopping for…

Hey guess what! The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale started today for those with Icon status. And by that I mean those who spend $15,000+/year at Nordstrom. But don’t get me wrong, it’s no shock someone could spend that much there in a calendar year. Bigger ticket items add up quickly. Plus they’re basically a one-stop shop for me for everything minus food & some basic cleaning/home essentials. I mean if they had toilet paper…

Long story short, I don’t have the funds OR the desire to shop the sale like I have the last 7 years. And it took me a bit to accept that. Like in 2019 I did a FULL try-on post that took HOURS. In 2020 I did a preview blog post, a product breakdown and then next day Papa passed so it was app-only try on links. But here I am saying I am ok doing things differently. The list this year is full of things I either need to a) restock or b) made room in my closet for. Like this leather jacket. So good. And I know this since I have it already in pink. Below is what is on my wish list, soon to be in my cart on Wednesday!

Random Ramblings…

• I’m getting close to finishing my Coaching Endorsement and I can’t wait! I’ll officially be ‘Coach Kristin‘ or whatever they end up wanting to call me. Summer runs have been going really well! Every once in a while the kids need a little kick to get moving, but they truly seem do all seem great. Our school colors are royal blue + black, so if you see any bright blue shirts – send them my way!
• Used zucchini + jalapenos from our garden to make dinner Saturday night & it was AMAZING. I made ground turkey zucchini boats and Kyle made poppers. Neither one of us followed any sort of recipe. We fully improvised both. Soooo sorry!

• Speaking of food, no meal plan this week! Because I plan to fully enjoy letting my mom {who is an amazing cook} do all of that. Tonight’s #meatlessMonday was veggie burgers + grilled zucchini and tomorrow will likely be taco bowls on the road.
• LiquidIV has brought back my most favorite flavor of ALL TIME – Pina Colada! Supposedly it’s going to be a permanent flavor. I can only hope. Use AMIDWESTERNMIX25 any time for 25% off + free shipping at checkout.
• We started Ted Lasso a few days ago and are already 7 episodes in. Holy crap is it good. Kyle may even like it more than me! Thankfully a 2nd season starts on July 23 because I know we would’ve had a hard time waiting for a 2nd season. Speaking of 2nd seasons, basically every show I watched the last year was only 1. So dumb!

· xox, Kristin ·