Friday Ideas – Mel’s Kitchen Cafe

Hello, buddies! We’re greater than halfway by October, and it looks like the appropriate time to examine in with a Friday Ideas publish. It’s a protracted one (no strain to learn till the top 😘).

Only a fast heads up: loads of you have got been asking, so I wished to let you understand that I’ll be posting my annual vacation reward guides on Friday, November 1, so keep tuned for these! This 12 months’s recreation reward information is SO GOOD.

Additionally, cookbooks and hoodies have been restocked for the vacations!

Halloween: Love or Hate?

Let’s simply begin out this Friday Ideas publish with a bang, lets?

How do you are feeling about Halloween?

I need to confess that I’m not a Halloween fan. I hope we will nonetheless be buddies.

I just like the enjoyable, yummy meals traditions surrounding it, however that’s about it. I’m type of a Halloween grinch. We don’t do elaborate household costumes (though I do tremendously admire the hassle lots of you place into these!), however I’ll pull out my Viking beanie that my sister crocheted for me and put on it to church trunk-or-treat events and soccer video games round this time of 12 months (it helps that our highschool mascot is the Vikings). 😂

I’m dying to know your ideas about Halloween. (Sure, my children go trick-or-treating, however as soon as they hit a sure age, they’re on their very own for costumes – I did my due diligence after they have been youthful developing with artistic costumes. I’m off the clock now!)

Inform me you’re 46 with out telling me you’re 46

On the danger of sounding like I’m positively ANCIENT, the previous couple of months have been laborious on my middle-aged physique.

There’s nothing life threatening…moderately, it’s all simply annoying.

Since I’m on the age the place dialog often results in bodily illnesses, the climate, or politics (and I’m positively not going there, haha), let me simply go forward and provide you with a bulleted record.

• threw out my again a number of weeks in the past and actually couldn’t transfer for days. There isn’t any dramatic story, I JUST MOVED WRONG ☠️
• apparently I’m now carrying home sneakers FULL TIME as a result of my ft scream with out arch helps
• growing hand ache and numbness was confirmed by a hand specialist as carpal tunnel syndrome (making an attempt some splint/brace/complement therapy within the hopes of avoiding speedy surgical procedure, however goodness my hand hurts) 👋🏼
• lastly scheduled a colonoscopy since I’m over 45; that enjoyable occasion is going on subsequent week 🥴
• sleeping terribly (thanks, sizzling flashes) and hormones in every single place (not letting my household chime in on the feedback of this one 😜); seeing an integrative girls’s well being physician subsequent month

Behold, the fun of center age! (To be truthful, I really love being in my 40’s – favourite decade thus far for a lot of causes – simply want my physique can be a bit nicer to me!)

Likes and Dislikes

A Few Updates + Favorites

My temperature blanket is coming alongside! It’s been stalled a bit due to the extraordinary hand ache I’ve been having, however I’m plugging alongside and making an attempt to get caught up (presently 60+ rows behind, IT’S FINE EVERYTHING IS FINE).

A couple of weeks in the past, I hosted a Homecoming dinner for my son, his date, and their group. I’ve accomplished loads of “dance dinners” and often they’re fairly formal, however this time, we determined to vary it up a bit.

Because of my connections understanding a man with a printing firm (ahem, Brian 😉), we printed an enormous coloring web page banner (discovered it on Etsy) to go down the size of the tables and put units of crayons at every place setting. This ended up being a HUGE hit with the kids.

For the menu, my son helped brainstorm a enjoyable diner theme. Every of the children acquired a menu to fill out (designed it on Canva utilizing considered one of their templates), and my lovely 10- and 12- 12 months previous servers gathered the menus and gave them to me and some different mothers, and we rapidly stuffed the orders. I had the whole lot cooked, prepped and staying heat within the ovens, so it was very easy to assemble them in these cute baskets.

It was such a enjoyable and straightforward dinner! And completely value giving up a few of my valuable huckleberries stashed within the freezer for his or her gourmand milkshakes. 😇

Final week I placed on actual pants, left my home (SHOCKER), and took a fast journey to Charleston, South Carolina, with my mother and sister to see my brother and his husband who reside out that course. It was an incredible journey! We solely had about 1 1/2 days in Charleston, however we slot in quite a bit. Specifically, we slot in loads of meals. 😜 I ate the perfect shrimp and grits of my life on the Charleston Crab Home. And naturally we needed to get Jeni’s ice cream whereas we have been there. I additionally ate at Boxcar Betty’s TWICE as a result of I cherished their hen sandwiches a lot.

Along with the meals, we took a carriage tour of downtown Charleston and did hours of strolling and exploring the historical past in that space. It was so fascinating! And exquisite. The subsequent day we spent the morning on the Boone Corridor Plantation, and it was such a spotlight for me. Humbling, intensely attention-grabbing, and the avenue of the oaks was beautiful. Charleston, you didn’t disappoint!

Like I all the time say: should you made it to the top, you deserve an award! Thanks for being right here, really. 💗

What’s New with YOU??

We used to do that little factor at supper time the place we’d go across the desk and everybody would say what their ROSE and THORN was for the day. We haven’t accomplished it shortly, however now that I’m typing it out right here, I’m decided to carry it again into play with my household.

I’d like to know the way YOU are doing.

For those who really feel eager on the thought, inform me within the feedback what your ROSE (spotlight/one thing good) and THORN (problem/one thing lower than good) is true now.

I’ll go first.

My ROSE: this area (really, I like connecting with all of you) + watching my children work laborious and compete within the sports activities they love (my sophomore’s soccer season is ending, my senior’s wrestling season is starting, and my seventh grader’s volleyball season ended a number of weeks in the past).

My THORN: some notably tender worries about my children + a brand new pores and skin spot on my face that I’m almost sure is basal cell carcinoma (as you understand, I’ve had two basal cell carcinoma spots on my face and subsequent MOHS surgical procedures already, and I’m actually bummed out about this one; seeing a dermatologist subsequent week).

And don’t neglect to inform me your deep, darkish or pleased, joyful ideas about Halloween. We’re all buddies right here. ALL OPINIONS WELCOME. 👻