Five Things on a Friday – 6/13/25

Happy Friday the 13th! I hope you have an extra lucky day today, just to spite all those superstitious old wives’ tales. 🙂 Grab a nice, refreshing beverage and let’s get caught up.

It’s the end of an era and the start of a new one for Jack and his soccer team. It’s a bit of a “hold on to your hats” situation for us, if I’m being honest. Jack recently aged out of the soccer club he’s played with for the last few years, and he tried out for a team that plays in a different, top tier league on this side of the border, rather than over on the American side where he’s played for the last few years. It should be a step up in terms of competition, but it’s also a step up in intensity and commitment, and we’ll be driving to training in a city an hour away at least four times per week on top of regular travel for games. So far, it seems like it’s going to be really good, but it’s still… a lot. He only gets one childhood, though, and this is what he loves, so what can you do? You just have to go for it. Hoping for the best as we settle into this new routine!

After a bit of a delay, our warm weather has finally arrived, and it arrived in a big way. The wind and rain calmed right down for us a little over a week ago, and I feel like I’m starting to catch up on all the gardening I fell behind on earlier this spring. Of course, the back deck project took up a lot of our spring (worth it), but now that we have that project complete-ish, I can focus on getting everything else tidied up and filling in my new obelisk garden that I’ve been scheming about since last summer. This is a small section at the back of the big garden, and I’ve been dreaming of filling it with tall, cottage garden style perennials since Chris built me my obelisk last August. I added a few ornamental grasses and some allium bulbs last fall, which have been delightful, but I’m hoping to fill things in further throughout the summer. I have plans for a border of catmint and salvia along the path, native asters to match the height of the grasses, and lots of mulch to keep the weeds down while I decide what else I want to add to fill the space. Looking forward to sharing as this new garden evolves!

I was asked to be part of a campaign promoting a local chain of thrift stores recently on Instagram, and of course, I jumped at the chance. I love treasure hunting, and I know my readers and followers feel the same way, so it was fun to be able to share my adventure visiting a new-to-me shop in a nearby town and all the fun things I found. I enlisted Kennedy to come along with me because she’s always my built-in thrifting partner whenever she’s home from university, and we had the most fun searching for hidden gems and capturing it all in little video clips as we went along. I feel so lucky to be able to do my “work” and make memories with my kids at the same time when I document our little family travel adventures and make reels for campaigns here and there. They’re always such good sports, and it’s a great reminder for me that work of any kind can be fun if you go into it with an open mind and a good attitude. By the way, if you go over to my Instagram page and save my thrifting reel, there’s a bar code for 20% off at MCC Thrift Stores in Ontario that you can use for your next thrifting trip! The code is good until July 31!

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I love school sports. Last week was Jack’s county track meet, and he had the best time. Actually, there were smiling faces everywhere, and it was just so amazing to see kids discovering abilities they didn’t realize they had, putting everything they’ve got into their race, and cheering on their friends and even random people that they only kind of know. There’s something about these days that just seems to bring out the best in kids, and you just know that the best school memories are being made right before your eyes. Jack won his 800-meter race by sprinting his little heart out right at the end, and it was just such an exciting moment to be a part of. School sports help kids try something new, push themselves outside of their comfort zones, and learn about who they are and who they might become. And that’s so important. So I love school sports.

As usual, our plans for the kitchen refresh have taken a more complicated turn. Chris came up with an idea that will really make this update quite a bit more involved, but that we just couldn’t say no to once we had thought of it. It involves moving cabinets, and lots of electrical work, but I think it will really make our kitchen feel fresh and new in a big way. Samples and supplies for this project are starting to pile up in our house, including the beautiful new cafe curtains pictured above that I’m so excited to hang when the project is finished. Hoping to get started at some point in the next week or so!

NEWS AND FINDS

-I was recently sent a really interesting book called Design for Your Mind by Annie Guest. The book follows how Annie, a psychotherapist, renovated her own home to support mental health and wellness without spending a fortune. It’s filled with lots of before and afters and realistic project ideas. Definitely an intriguing perspective to take when you’re considering any upcoming home projects. We all know that our environment affects how we feel, and this book provides guidance on getting it right.

-I got my new bike up and running! It’s such a thing of beauty. The color is the perfect mid-tone blue, and the chrome just sparkles in the sun. Basically, it’s happy summer vibes in bike form. I love the retro look, extra comfy seat, and the charming basket on the front. It has me dreaming of trips to the farm stand, long bike rides by the water, and stopping for ice cream along the way. Such a fun, comfortable bike to zip around on all summer long.

-Speaking of retro styling, have you seen these vintage-inspired, brass-trimmed countertop appliances? I’ve never been one to see the necessity of a beautiful toaster, but these just might change my mind. They come in the most liveable shades of white, olive green, and navy blue, and they’re trimmed in real brass, which is basically the appliance detail that I never knew I needed until now. I especially love the kettle, the juicer, and the espresso machine. If you’re in the middle of a big, fancy kitchen renovation and decide you absolutely need these, please send me a picture! I just need to see these in a real home. 🙂

-I always get questions about my wood-handled garden tools. I love wood-handled tools, and I recently bought this affordable set. I’ve been using them all season, and they’re so beautiful, durable, and sharp. Highly recommend this little set!

-I’ve been keeping an eye out for a little potting bench, and I love this one. It’s sturdy and has a good amount of storage, and it’s beautiful enough to double as a serving counter on my back deck when I need one.

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