Happy Friday! We have had such a full month of June around here and we’re all definitely very much ready for a bit of a summer vacation, or at least a little change of pace with the end of school and the beginning of all our fun summer plans. Here’s what been happening around here!
Kennedy has officially graduated high school and I’m so thrilled for her. There are a lot of great experiences that happen as a result of being in high school, but if we’re being honest, a lot of it is not-so-great as well. Especially with her being in high school during the years that she was, there was a lot of stopping and starting, switching modes, and a lot of time wasted on things that weren’t so challenging or interesting for her. I do feel like she learned a lot of valuable real-world skills through dealing with all that though, and I’m so excited to see the next chapter of her life unfold as she heads off to university. These last few weeks have been so full of memorable experiences for her like prom, studying like crazy for final exams, and being celebrated at graduation for her artistic skills and impressive grades. We’re just so proud of her in every way and we can’t wait to see what comes next.
Jack has had such a full month too and I’m dreading summer vacation for him a little bit because that kid just likes to go non-stop. Between constant soccer games and try-outs, field trips, and track meets, his days have just been non-stop for the whole month of June and it’s exactly what he thrives on. We’ve been way over-busy with shoots again lately, but we were able to be there for almost everything for both kids, with the exception of Jack’s year-end field trip. That kind of killed me because I don’t think I’ve ever missed a field trip before this year, but he still had a great time. Anyway, here’s to summer vacation and letting our kids be bored sometimes!
I’ve been challenging myself to learn new skills lately with my blog writing and I basically feel like I’m back in school. Even though I’ve been writing this blog for twelve years, there are certain more technical aspects of the whole thing that I’m still a complete newbie at, especially when it comes to search engine optimization and all that. I’ve always just kind of written whatever I felt like in the moment and hoped for the best, which has somehow worked out just fine for me. There’s nothing wrong with learning a new skill though, so now I’m learning to use some new tools that kind of help me refine the way I say what I’m trying to say so that maybe people who are looking for the topic that I’m writing about can actually fine me and it’s been a pretty eye opening experience, to say the least, about just how little I know about all of this. It was a little disconcerting at first, but I’m getting used to the feeling of just being an absolute beginner again. You know what they say, “Never be afraid to be a beginner.” 🙂
Injuries always seem to happen in the silliest ways, don’t they? Just in case you ever think you’re the only one who injures yourself at the most random, embarrassing times, here’s my story: On a recent kitchen cabinetry shoot, I was wiping down a counter and I just leaned in a little too far while wiping and went face-first right into the corner of the upper cabinet. Within seconds I have a big goose egg popping up right in the middle of my forehead. As it turns out, I was actually fine, but I was so shocked that I almost passed out and I had to sit down on a step for a good 15 minutes before I regained my senses. I had that bump and a big green bruise in the middle of my face for about a week, just because I wiped a little too vigorously. Who does that? Me, that’s who. Ha!
We’re starting our summer with a little camping trip, which will be both a much-needed chance to quiet our minds and disconnect from all the craziness of everyday life, and a little bit of an adventure, as it always is. I was never a camping person growing up, but I find myself looking forward to these trips more and more every year and it feels more and more within my “comfort zone” every time. I don’t know if it will ever not feel like a challenge to be outside, cooking on a camp stove, and sleeping in a tent for me, but I always feel like I’ve accomplished something at the end of every trip. It’s also an amazing feeling to know that our kids are really comfortable outside sleeping in a tent and just with camping in general because they’ve been doing it since they were tiny babies, and that’s just a great gift to give your kids. If you’re not a camper yet, but would maybe like to be, read my post: How to Love Camping, Even if You Think it’s Just Not Your Thing.
NEWS AND FINDS
-I fixed a couple of big website issues recently that I didn’t realize were problems for the longest time. I found years of hidden emails and messages that I’d never seen before from all kinds of people asking about things I’d written about, subscribers wanting to update their email address in my system, journalists from different publications asking for interviews… just a mess, basically. If you’ve ever sent me a question through the form on my sidebar or by replying to my newsletters that I send out when there’s a new post up on the blog, and didn’t hear back from me, that’s why! So sorry about that! I promise I wasn’t trying to ignore you. Anyway, it’s all fixed and functional now, so I guess we just move on and try to do better moving forward! 🙂
-Summer is here! If you’ve got a few adventures planned, these articles might come in handy:
- The Most Clever Dollar Store Hanging Organizer for Camping
- The Coin in the Freezer Trick (how to know if your power went out while you were away)
- Smart and Effective Camping Lighting Ideas
- An Organized Getaway: My Favorite Packing Essentials
-Some favorite little recent purchases, in no particular order that I think are worth sharing: This Amazon pouch/belt bag thing that I ordered for summer travel, but have just been using everyday. It’s just the cutest, most convenient thing. After a rough winter with lots of hair breakage, I’ve been trying to make a concerted effort to take care of my hair (well, and myself in general) a little better. I’ve been trying all the fancy shampoos and conditioners I can get my hands on, just to see what happens, and they really do make an instant difference when you find the right ones. Favorites so far: Living Proof phd shampoo and conditioner, Ouai leave-in conditioner, and I’m excited to report back on this Holi-Roots pre-wash scalp oil once I try it a bit more. These Le Creuset cappuccino cups in “Meringue”. They’re a little extravagant, but they’re absolutely just right. More excited about this new rain gauge than anything! You can take the garden geek out of the garden, but then you’ll just find her on the internet, ordering plants and various gardening tools. 🙂
-I’ve been testing out the most beautiful espresso machine from Casabrews for an upcoming partnership and I’m in love. I’ve always wanted an espresso machine for our home and I can’t wait to share more with you about the fun things I’ve been making with it.
MORE RECENT POSTS
- What to Clean in July
- Double Chocolate Chip Cookies with Roasted Almonds
- Growing Catmint – Delightful and Well-Behaved
- Black Kitchen Cabinets: Ideas for Your Renovation
- Perennial Flowers for Summer: Garden Essentials
- Five Things on a Friday – 6/2/23
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Courtenay Hartford is the author of creeklinehouse.com, a blog based on her adventures renovating a 120-year-old farmhouse in rural Ontario, Canada. On her blog, Courtenay shares interior design tips based on her own farmhouse and her work as founder and stylist of the interior photography firm Art & Spaces. She also writes about her farmhouse garden, plant-based recipes, family travel, and homekeeping best practices. Courtenay is the author of the book The Cleaning Ninja and has been featured in numerous magazines including Country Sampler Farmhouse Style, Better Homes and Gardens, Parents Magazine, Real Simple, and Our Homes.