Author: littleshoeprincess

shopping

These Items Are On the “Do Not Buy (Any More) List”

littleshoeprincess

We all have those items. You know the ones, that when you see a new version, color, pattern, you just can’t help yourself. Until you have somehow amassed a collection at home.

I have a few of those items. Mr. KK jokingly tells me that I am no longer to bring them into the house anymore. (At least I think he’s joking).

Here are my contraband items:

Water bottles. We literally have no more cabinet space. I just can’t stop buying water bottles. (Yes, this includes Stanley.)

Cheese boards. Wood. Marble. Square. Round. You name it, we have it. What is it about cheese boards? We could never eat enough cheese to justify the number of boards in our house. But they are just so darn beautiful. (I mean, look at how gorgeous this is!)

Christmas decor (all categories). This should not be a surprise. Come December, there is not one surface not decorated and one hall not decked. Collections include: little houses, red trucks, bottle brush trees, and different textured trees. Oh, and candles.

Cocktail glasses. Talk about no room in the cabinet. But I can’t help myself when I see an etched coupe. My last find was at The Elephant’s Trunk flea market.

Beach/Pool bags. Specifically: Scout bags. The patterns are awesome, they’re easy to clean, and I like showing up at the pool with a stylish bag (or five).

Readers. I have two eyes and at least 10 pairs of glasses. Peepers are my favorite.

Black leggings. I’ve posted about my favorite leggings on this blog already. I can’t love these more, I want a pair for every day of the week.

Did I mention Christmas decor?

Nail polish. This one I can understand, since I don’t even paint my own nails. But I couldn’t help but grab Home By 8 (a deep brown color) and Good As Gold (shimmery gold color) today. Perfect colors for Thanksgiving.

I should probably add that I shouldn’t look at dogs that need to homes either, but it wouldn’t be the first time Mr. KK goes out and comes home to me showing him the dog we were potentially going adopt.

I suppose Mr. KK should be happy I bring home a water bottle and not another puppy!

Target

Dear Target: You Can Do Better

littleshoeprincess

Target, I love you.

You are my happy place, where I can walk around with a coffee and be inspired by your gifts and affordable sweaters and tempting dollar spot.

But if I’m being honest, I’ve been feeling lately that you just don’t love me back. Your shelves are bare. Your product offerings lack variety. And – frankly – your store is a hot mess.

Now, I follow a lot of Instagram accounts about you, and I am so very jelly about how stocked and beautiful these stores are.

What do we have to do to get you up to par? You make shopping very difficult! I can’t get to your shelves, but when I do, they are empty! And while I’m sure this makes Mr. KK very happy, I long for the days when you didn’t look like you were just robbed.

Just look at this gorgeous store:

Look at those stocked shelves! The trees! The little houses!

On my last visit to you, Target, this is what the shopping experience looked like. (For the record, this was not inventory time and the store was legitimately open to the public).

And my favorite: The Dollar Spot:

Not pictured: abandoned half-drunk Starbucks caramel macchiatos littering the shelves, jeans hanging in the bath mat aisle, a take out McDonald’s bag with the Christmas ornaments.

I beg of you, Target, to please clean up your act and be the store I know you can be. And – if it’s not too much to ask – can you please get shopping carts with drink holders?

Hugs,
kk

Kids will be kids

I’m not fat, I’m poofy.

littleshoeprincess

The other day, Little Mister got off the bus in a talkative mood.

Little Mister: “Jessica on the bus asked me if you were having a baby.”

Me: “Really? What did you tell her?”

Note for the audience, I am not having a baby. And my interaction with Jessica includes her staring at me out the bus window every morning when Little Mister gets on.

Little Mister: “I told her I didn’t know if you were.”

This was an interesting answer, on multiple levels.

Me: “You know I’m not having a baby. Why did she ask you that?”

Little Mister: “She said you looked pregnant.”

Alrightythen.

To quote Manny the woolly mammoth from Ice Age: “I’m not fat, I’m poofy!” Or at least my coat was. Or, maybe I just ate too much cheese.

While Jessica’s comment was innocent, it stuck with me.

So I started to focus on my poofy self a bit more. Eating more protein. Joining invigorating classes at the local yoga flow studio. Drinking two Stanleys a day.

Kids are awesome, right?

TV

My Favorite Streaming Shows This Year

littleshoeprincess

Today’s blog post is brought to by: “Why does every show I love have to end?”

I feel like there are two types of couples in the world: the ones who watch every show together and the ones who watch TV in separate rooms.

For the most part, we fall into the first bucket, and that is mainly because we only have 1 TV that’s conducive to Netflix and chill (OMG, I don’t know what possessed me to write that phrase!). So we watch most of our TV together, unless it’s some part 4 of an Action Movie series and then you’ll find me on my phone.

I am also the person who will fall asleep 7 minutes into a show. And because of this, we are the couple who will rewatch the same episode of a show 4 straight nights until we can make it to the end, eyes still open. (this is not as easy as it sounds)

This year, I seemed to have racked up more TV shows alone than alongside Mr. KK. This could be due to me having traveled a bit this year and needing shows for the plane, or due to the fact that I watch shows made for 14 year olds.

Here is what I was streaming this year:

Never Have I Ever. I love this show so much. (Goes without saying, I watched this one alone).

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. I can’t say enough great things about this show. It’s smart and funny, and if you didn’t like Tony Shalhoub before this show, you will love him after. (I also watched this one solo)

Firefly Lane. I started this series because I read the books and I felt I owed it to – I don’t know who – to watch the adaptation. I love Sarah Chalke (and am not a Katherine Heigl fan) but I thought they did a good job with the show. It is emotionally draining, but the younger versions of the BFFs will make your heart warm over.

Ted Lasso. Everyone on Planet Earth watched this show, right?

The Last Thing He Told Me. Similar to Firefly Lane, I read the book and wanted to see how the series compared. Am the only person who thinks Jennifer Garner is the nicest human on earth, yet she is hard to watch in a show? Overall, I thought it was pretty good.

The Other Two. OMG this show. It’s weird and laugh-out-loud funny at the same time. Molly Shannon plays a ridiculous mother in the show, and the cast is just so, so good. I think the sister’s boyfriend is my favorite character.

Jack Ryan. Ugh, this show. While I didn’t read the Tom Clancy books, I was intrigued by the premise of the show. Basically Jim Halpert is an analyst for the government who is also really skilled at guns and capturing people on the most wanted list (not bad for a guy with a desk job). Season 1: good. Season 2: The storyline and characters are confusing me, which one is the bad guy? Season 3: I started sleeping after episode 3.

Lincoln Lawyer. Again, I did not read the book*. It was a nice surprise to see Neve Campbell show up on screen, though I have a hard time believing she’s a hard-ass lawyer. Overall, the show is pretty good.

The Longest Third Date. I found this one on my own, and started watching early one morning when I was awake before the sun came up. This documentary basically follows two people who go on a blind date or two, then decide to take a spur of the moment long weekend trip to Costa Rica when COVID hits, and they are trapped there together for months. Remember being cooped up with your family that you love during COVID, now imagine doing it in a faraway place with a practical stranger.

And Just Like That. (aka: Sex and The City Reboot). I don’t know why I watched it, I just did. It could have been my loyalty to the original series, that I enjoyed so much. This time around the characters basically talk about how old they are, and viewers wonder how they afford to still live on their apartments and dress in couture. It was a train wreck; it was not good, but I couldn’t stop watching.

XO, Kitty. Next!

The Summer I Turned Pretty. We’re back again with a show that I watched alone. If you’ve ever spent summers in your teenage years at a beach, this show will strike a cord. It’s sweet and sad and full of first love hopefulness. (And yes, I read the books).

Somebody Somewhere. I found this show by accident, and I’m so happy I did. I loved this show. The writing is so good, the characters are flawed and fantastic. Try this show!

No Hard Feelings. This is a new release on Netflix with Jennifer Lawrence and it was not at all what we imagined it would be, but I will admit we were laughing out loud at some parts. It’s out there – in a good way – and a different look at Katniss for sure.

The Mick. Watched this one alone too. Misfit sister visits rich sister, FBI agents storm the mansion, misfit sister is left in charge of the rich kids. Shenanigans ensue. Mostly funny, a little over the top at times.

Old Dads. If you like Bill Burr, you’ll like this movie. And being an old mom, I can relate.

Love At First Sight. This movie was unexpected and sweet, and I highly recommend if you like rom-coms.

That’s my list. There were others, but these are the ones I remember most. Not all of them are ending, but I imagine that’s where they are headed since I enjoy them so much.

*Is it just me, or is every show now based on a book? Are there no original show or movie ideas any more?

Christmas, cocktails, recipe, thanksgiving

Holiday Cocktails Sampling, With Recipes

littleshoeprincess

Now that it’s November, I am in full-on holiday mode. And while Christmas is my most favorite time of the year, I have to give a little holiday love to Thanksgiving, especially since we host everyone on turkey day.

Every holiday needs a festive cocktail. This weekend, we put several recipes to the test to determine which cocktails would be the stars of the gathering for Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. And you get a front row seat.

First up, the Brown Sugar Cranberry Bourbon Cocktail. This festive cocktail showed up in my Instagram feed from @cheesegal. She had me at sugared cranberries.

Brown Sugar Cranberry Bourbon Cocktail

INGREDIENTS:
3 ounces bourbon
2 ounces 100% cranberry juice (not cran cocktail)
1 ounce fresh lemon juice
3/4 ounce rosemary cranberry brown sugar simple syrup

DIRECTIONS:
First, make the simple syrup by bringing equal parts brown sugar and water to a quick boil until sugar dissolves. Turn off the heat, and throw in a few sprigs of fresh rosemary and cranberries. Let steep for at least 20 min.

She didn’t give exact measurements for the simple syrup so here’s what we used:

100g brown sugar
100g water
30g rosemary whole
150g fresh cranberries

Rim your cocktail glass with some of the simple syrup and dip into brown sugar, then add a festive ice cube*. Pour cranberry juice, bourbon, lemon juice and simple syrup into a cocktail shaker full of ice, and shake well. Strain + pour into prepared glass and garnish with rosemary + some frosted cranberries.

*We did not make festive ice cubes for taste testing but likely will do something for the real thing.

Ours was not as brightly colored as hers was, but the flavor was delicious.

Verdict: Definitely in the running.

Next up: the Spiced Cranberry Sparkler from @cocktails.

Spiced Cranberry Sparkler

Ingredients

1.5 oz bourbon
1 oz spiced honey syrup
Juice of 1/2 an orange
2 oz cranberry juice
2-3 dashes of orange bitters
3-4 oz Prosecco (we used club soda)
Ice
Garnish:
Dehydrated orange slice
Star anise
Rosemary
Cinnamon sugar rim (we skipped this for sampling)

Spiced Honey Syrup:

300 g honey
100 g water
Cinnamon stick
Ground nutmeg
Pumpkin pie spice
Ground cloves

Directions

Put all ingredients for spiced honey syrup in a small pan over heat. Still until all ingredients have melded and honey and water are fully combined. Remove from heat.

In a shaker with ice (she stirred in a pitcher but we were in a shaking mood), mix bourbon, syrup, orange juice, cranberry juice, bitters and shake. Strain into a rocks glass over ice and top with club soda (or prosecco, but we thought that would make the drink too sweet) and garnish.

Woah, this ones goes down easy. It’s the perfect mix of warmth and spice with a bubbly kick at the end.

Verdict: Perfect for Thanksgiving

Next up: Fall Old Fashioned. This recipe is from @thirsywhale_

Fall Old Fashioned with Pumpkin Spice Syrup

Ingredients

1.5 oz Rye or Bourbon
½ oz Aged Rum
½ oz Pumpkin Syrup
4 dashes Aromatic Bitters
2 dashes Orange Bitters
Orange Peel 

Pumpkin Syrup
1 can pumpkin pie
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup water
Pumpkin pie spice to taste (you may want more or none at all, up to you). Heat on stove and stir until incorporated, then fine strain.

Directions

Still all ingredients (except orange peel) in a cocktail pitcher with ice until blended and chilled. Strain over a giant ice cube and garnish with an orange peel.

Verdict: this one was a little too potent for me, but the guys really liked it. The pumpkin syrup, however, smelled divine and would be delicious over vanilla ice cream.

Our taste test was a success! The winners are:

Spiced Cranberry Sparkler for Thanksgiving.

Brown Sugar Cranberry Bourbon Cocktail for Christmas Eve.

Cheers!

Life

Math Is Not My Strong Suit

littleshoeprincess

Me + Math = no bueno.

Even with my math deficit, I still somehow took AP Math classes in high school. I’m not quite sure how I passed calculus, and when I got to college and had to take a statistics class I didn’t think I was going to make it. I’ll play poker but I don’t want to figure out the chance of getting an ace of spades.

So in honor of the Girl Math trend, I’ve invented some math of my own.

KK’s Math:

Shopping math: If you return clothing you made $200 and if you buy $100 of stuff you still made $100 profit.

We’ve all been there. You buy a bunch of stuff online in a variety of sizes, get it all home and try everything on, then return everything except for 1 item. (Just me?) Is it not the most amazing feeling when you walk away from the register and they tell you your refund? And then, you can shop around, grab something else for a small cost and you still leave the store ahead. Win win.

Mom math: If your husband goes golfing for 5 hours, you are entitled to an afternoon of “solo mom time” away from the kids.

Employee math: If you work until midnight, you can gift yourself that time back on Friday afternoon.

Hey’s what’s fair is fair. Time is time.

Gas math: If you spend a million dollars on groceries, you can celebrate that you save $1.00/gallon on gas with your rewards.

That $5 head of lettuce was worth it.

Exercise math: If you exercise for 45 minutes you earn 4 hours of cocktails.

That’s just good planning right there.

HomeGoods math: If you don’t buy it today, it will be gone so GET IT.

This theory has proved to be successful thus far. Sidenote: a brand new HomeGoods opened up in our town and it is amazing. It is filled with everything Christmas and I’m having a hard time controlling myself.

cooking, food, summer

We Joined a CSA and This is What Happened

littleshoeprincess

If you’ve been to our house, and you read that headline, you’re likely thinking: “But KK, you have a HUGE garden in your yard, why would you join a farm share?”

Great question! Mr. KK asked me the same thing.

First, while yes, we do have a big garden, the offerings in that garden are a little limited. Though we did branch out a bit this year. This year’s crop list included:

  • Tomatoes (a variety)
  • Cucumbers
  • Zucchini (which did not do as well as they usually do)
  • Yellow Squash (which we had coming out of our ears)
  • Eggplant (one of my least favorite vegetables to cook with or eat)
  • String Beans (which did surprisingly well)
  • Yellow Peppers (which took their sweet time turning ripening – we harvested unripened peppers in November)

While that is a hefty list, it should be noted that the upkeep of the garden become difficult during a busy summer. I would have to be a full-time farmer to keep the weeds at bay. And since I have a day job, weeding was relegated to the weekends (the ones we weren’t away or busy) and it was like hacking through a jungle.

Also? I wanted some variety and the chance to incorporate new vegetables in our daily routine.

We joined a CSA from a farm one town over on the recommendation of a friend. It was only about 10 minutes from our house and I selected a Saturday pick up (Wednesday was also available). I have driven to this CSA every week since early June, and I still need GPS to get there. I have such a mental block on the directions to this farm; that, plus GPS takes me 5 different ways each time I go. This is the last week of the CSA and I still get get myself there without satellite help.

What we got in our CSA

The offerings in the CSA varied a bit week to week, but you could tell the farm had an abundance of certain crops. On pick up day, you are allowed to switch out one item from your box with any goodies on the table.

Early in the season we enjoyed:

  • Strawberries
  • Lettuces (also includes: 5 pounds of sand)
  • Greens (of the leafy variety)

We then transitioned into:

  • String beans (Little Mister’s favorite vegetable)
  • Corn
  • Beets (Mr. KK loves them but boy are they a pain to cook)
  • Zucchini (this took the place of our zucchini which had some weird disease)
  • Eggplant (SO.MUCH.EGGPLANT.)
  • Cabbage
  • Turnips
  • Tomatoes
  • Arugula

As we entered fall:

  • More Mystery Greens
  • Apples (this renewed Little Mister’s love of apples so for that I’m grateful)
  • Broccoli rabe
  • Spaghetti Squash
  • Butternut Squash
  • Honeynut Squash

What did we do with all this produce?

We only signed up for a half share, which was plenty of vegetables. If I did the math it equated to about $19.50 on vegetables each week, which is close to what I would spend at the grocery store. Between our garden and this farm share, I didn’t have to substitute too much from the store.

Some weeks we ate everything. Other weeks, the timing was just off and we were left with vegetables that we weren’t able to cook. I traveled for a bit in October and those weeks we didn’t get through everything.

We ate a lot of salads after salad spinning the sand out of the lettuce five times (no exaggeration). The arugula was so peppery and fresh, I’m ruined for all other arugulas. We ate lots of corn, which was sweet and delicious most weeks.

I used the greens in soups. It was October, light chill in the air, a lazy Sunday spent in front of the stove.

These were the greens in question. I made two different soups with them.

First, I made Italian Wedding Soup.

Classic Italian Wedding

I loosely followed this recipe for the basics, but used my own personal recipe for the meatballs.

This soup was so good, I ate it every day for lunch for a week!

The following week, I made Ina’s Minestrone soup.

Not only did I use the next installment of my mystery greens for this soup, I also diced up the butternut squash from the share as well.

Ina’s Minestrone

We had eggplant coming out of our ears

Between our garden – which had 2 varieties of eggplant – and the eggplant from the share (which I traded out when I could because how much eggplant could two people eat?) we were deep in eggplant. We used some, but it was so much. I brought eggplant as a hostess gift when we visited friends. I gave some to both mothers. And we still had a ton leftover.

I mentioned earlier, eggplant is not one of my favorite foods. But the one way I DO like eggplant, is when it’s fried!

I made a ridiculous amount of fried eggplant this summer. We ate it stacked with tomatoes and fresh mozzarella as a light dinner. I made eggplant parmesan not once, but twice this year (that is 2 more times than I have made eggplant parm in the last 20 years). I still have fried eggplant in our freezer.

If you meet 10 people and ask them about their eggplant parm recipe, you will likely get 10 different recipes (most handed down from Nonna’s and the hills of Italy). I like my eggplant crispy, so I used a mix of panko and Italian breadcrumbs to bread mine. For someone who doesn’t make eggplant, my eggplant was on point.

Our eggplant stacks were delicious! Those are yellow tomatoes from our garden, too!

Will we do a CSA farm share again?

I think the answer is yes. I liked getting some new veggies (and mystery greens), loved having fresh arugula and lettuces, Little Mister is eating apples again (and has declared he will only eat FARM apples which I find hilarious), and I think I ended up saving money (a little bit?) at the grocery store. Little Mister enjoyed coming and picking out the flavored honey sticks that they sold and playing on the playground.

Next year, however, I am going to work on memorizing how to actually get to the farm.

Age, getting old

This is What Middle Age Looks Like

littleshoeprincess

Middle Age. Grown Up. #Adulting. Whatever you call it, I’m in it.

You know that internet meme that goes around every so often that says something like, “I still think 1979 was 30 years ago”? That is me. Because how can 1979 be 40 something years ago when I’m still 29? (right?)

And I’m not only middle aged, I’m an “old mom” with a young kid. I easily have 5-10 years on other parents who have kids Little Mister’s age. We’re so old that we have friends who are sending their kids to college while we’re watching swim lessons. So not only do I feel old, I literally am old.

Middle age is a weird time. Part of me is all like, “Sure, I’ll have another martini!” while at the same time I’m thinking, “Man, I wish I was home in pajamas on the couch.”

I do believe you reach a certain age, and you become comfortable in your skin. You have confidence in who you’ve become and you embrace it. You don’t have time for bullshit, or for people who suck the life out of you.

In fact, your whole outlook on what is important and how you want to spend your time changes. For me, the biggest shift was in how I was spending my time.

On drinking:
Young Me: Pre-gaming started at 7pm, goes out at 9pm, still drinking at midnight.
Old Me: Prime party hours are now from 2pm-6pm, then water until bedtime.

Party animal:
Young Me: Would stay out late, sleep for 4 hours, be up at 7am. Rallied and went out again that night.
Old Me: Would have one drink past 9am, sleep for 3 hours, then up for an hour, then sleep for an hour, then be up at 5am for the day. Hung over for 2 days.

Working out:
Young Me: High-impact aerobics, pops right off the ground.
Old Me: Low impact yoga, does the “hand on the knee for balance” to stand up.

Saturday afternoon:
Young Me: Excited to do nothing all day.
Old Me: Excited to pick up the CSA and do weekly meal planning.

“How was your weekend?”:
Young Me: “GREAT! I met up with friends, tried a new brunch spot, binged Gilmore Girls.”
Old Me: “Productive. I did four loads of laundry, we cleaned out the basement, and I made a pot of soup for the week.”

When it’s 45 degrees out:
Young Me: “Do you think we need to wear a coat out?”
Old Me: “Are you crazy? It’s too cold to go out.”

Grocery shopping:
Young Me: No list, grabs just what I need for the next 2 days.
Old Me: List organized by the layout of the store, digital coupons clipped, reusable bags in tow.

One perk of Middle Age is that you’ve been there and you’ve likely done it all, and now you can focus on doing what you actually enjoy doing. I like this version of Old Me. I could do with less back pain, but other than that, I’m here for what comes next.

P.S. AARP, please stop sending me emails. I do not yet qualify for your services! Don’t rush me!

Little Mister, summer

The Summer we Joined a Pool Club

littleshoeprincess

I love the everything about the beach.

It’s where we had our family vacations each August. It’s the place I would spend afternoons with my mom. It’s where we’ve brought Little Mister to experience the beauty of living in New England in the summertime. It’s the place I would like to have a little cottage for my retirement years. It’s the place that comes to mind where I could go to relax and forget about life for a few hours: chair in the sand, cooler my my side, book in my hand.

Taking all of that into consideration, this past summer we joined a pool club!

Our motivating factor for joining was for Little Mister. Some of his friends were members, and we knew it would be a great way for him to see his friends regularly, take some additional swim lessons, and have a place to spend weekend afternoons.

And all of that happened. What we weren’t expecting was Mr. KK and I having possibly more fun at the pool club than Little Mister did. Backpack coolers and canned cocktails for the win!

Take me back to summer, STAT

First, the pool club couldn’t be more convenient. It’s situated two miles down the road and we can get there in four minutes (if we catch both lights). It’s a pool and tennis club, no frills, and has been around forever. So much so, that when I was growing up, I spent time at this very same club with my friends who were on the swim team. The place hasn’t changed a bit. The locker room still smells the same.

Second, we knew other families who were members, so at any given time, there was a chance we would see someone we knew, and Little Mister would have a friend to play with.

Last, spending the day at the pool on weekends forced me to slow down, and to stop over-booking our time. We’d get some things done in the morning, and then would spend the afternoon at the pool.

Little Mister joined the club swim team. (I make this sound like he asked to join the swim team, instead of me saying it would be a good idea and just signing him up). He did great for his first year, considering he was still learning some of the strokes while on the team during swim lessons.

We got to see friends! This was the driving factor for joining the pool club: guaranteed hangs all summer long. Some days just one or two families were there, other days, four families would commandeer a group of lounge chairs – one eye on the kids – and spend the afternoon enjoying sunshine and adult beverages. Those were the best days.

Now that the pool is closed, Mr. KK and I are going through a little bit of withdrawal. It was comforting to know we had a place to go at any time – even for an hour or two after work for a change of scenery – where we could relax. We got to see our friends on the daily, and now we’re having a bit of separation anxiety: school is in full swing, sports and commitments have taken over calendars, and it takes quite a bit of work and planning to find time to get together.

I am mourning summer. Even though I was washing towels and bathing suits every day. Even though we spent a small fortune on goggles, the chlorine eating away at the straps until they snapped. And even though packing and unpacking that pool bag was the bain of my existence, I’d take it all back in a heartbeat if it meant a lazy afternoon by the pool, hanging with friends and not thinking about school lunches.

Kids will be kids, Little Mister

Hey, Kids: Newsflash, Life Isn’t Fair

littleshoeprincess

Little Mister’s phrase du jour is: “That’s not fair.”

If I were to recite all of the reasons I am not being fair, or that he is being treated unfairly (in our home, by his loving parents), it would take this post into January. However, I feel I should highlight a few of the reasons for the unfair treatment so I’m properly giving you the full picture.

I am not being fair when I:

  • Ask him to brush his teeth
  • Give him 15 extra minutes on his tablet instead of 30
  • Tell him he has to go to school
  • Make him take a shower
  • Say no to dessert at night
  • Don’t let him get something from every store we go into
  • Ask him to fold his laundry
  • Give him two Oreos as a snack (and not four)
  • Only allow 1 show before bed

As you can see, it’s pretty rough over here in our house. I honestly don’t know how he’s lasted this long living with us, we are so completely, horribly unfair.

Sometimes I play a fun game where I compare Little Mister’s life to what life was like when I was growing up. How I had watch whatever show was on TV at the time (no Netflix or Disney+!), how my after school activities were not a screen they were in the yard and how we didn’t have enough money to buy Oreos (that’s not necessarily true, but I don’t remember having them as daily snacks).

What I would like to point out, is that kids don’t realize how fair and wonderful they have it. And I don’t mean that they have things that we didn’t have growing up, I mean the natural things that come along with being a kid, and not appreciating how good you actually have it until you’re old and tired.

Here’s my curated list of things that are wasted on the young:

Naps. I’m not a natural napper. I have to be dead tired to actually lie down to sleep in the middle of the day and not feel guilty that I should be doing something else. Kids, however, can nap whenever they want to. In fact, after they grow out of taking naps, parents are still urging them to take a nap. On days I know that Little Mister is exhausted from a late night and early morning, I will suggest that he lie down and put the TV on and fall asleep. This request is vehemently rejected immediately. If I had no responsibilities, and someone told me to lie on the couch and go to sleep, I would be horizontal before they finished their sentence.

Early bedtime. There are some nights that the three of us all go to bed at the same time. Sometimes that is at 11pm on a Saturday, and other times, it’s at 8:30pm on a Tuesday (no shame). Why is it that kids never want to go to sleep? I WISH someone would say to me, “It’s 8pm, why don’t you get your pajamas on and get in bed and read for a bit until you go to sleep.” That right there is a DREAM scenario. We spend a quarter of our lives fighting bedtime and half of our lives wishing we could go to bed (the remaining quarter is when we are old and while we can go to bed any time we like, we apparently no longer sleep).

Having all of your meals cooked for you. I love to cook; when I can spend a weekend day creating a delicious meal or making a pot of soup the week, I’m a happy girl. But talk to me on a random Tuesday and I’m likely grumpy about making dinner. It’s not only the cooking, it’s coming up with the meals each night. If you told me that someone was going to come to my house and cook me all of the foods I liked every single night, it would be amazing. (AND, I wouldn’t complain about it when it was put in front of me)

Metabolism. Remember existing purely on Doritos, donuts and ice cream and staying stick thin? Yeah, me neither.

Getting to see your friends every single day. I’m lucky if I get to see just ONE of my friends for 5 minutes during the week. These kids go off on their merry way to school, where they get to hang out with all of their closest buds all day long, having lunch together, run around at recess together and even sometimes ride the bus home together. And yet, they complain about going to school. I have some very dear friends I haven’t seen in a year. What I wouldn’t give to be able to see them every day!

Having nothing to do. I think the last time I didn’t have anything to do, I was 23. That feeling where there is nothing waiting for you, hanging over your head or that you’re responsible for. That is what being a kid feels like 24/7. Even if there’s a time I start to feel like I don’t have anything to do, I remember the laundry. Or the playroom that needs organizing. Or the garden that needs weeding. Kids, however, live every day with “nothing to do” and are often claiming “I’m bored!” for hours on end.

So for all the kids out there that feel like life is so unfair, just WAIT. Can you believe that they make us go to work every single day, all day long? Even when we don’t want to? The NERVE.