Our train was supposed to leave at 6:45. When we got to the Amtrak station this is what we were met with.

We didn’t want to leave because the time kept changing so Donny ran out to get McDonald’s and we just hung out in the lounge, walked around and people watched. There was a little library where you could borrow and leave books and there were also vending machines. It wasn’t too bad, just added hours to what was going to be a long night and afternoon ahead.

We finally boarded about 8:30. I thought we had assigned seats, but we didn’t. There were only two seats together. So until, I think it was Little Rock, we weren’t able to all sit together.

Trains are MUCH different than planes. There’s no security to go through. Once the doors close it starts moving so you need to hurry up and get situated. The leg room is fantastic and not only does the seat recline but there are also leg rests that fold out.

Quiet time is from 10:00 until 7:00. You can talk, just not loudly, watch movies or be on your phone. You must use headphones so you don’t disturb anyone trying to sleep.

There were stops along the way where you could get out and stretch your legs.

Once it got light outside the cafe car is open. You can get food and drinks. We brought stuff from home so on the way there we didn’t buy anything off of the train.

If you look real hard you can see the Chicago skyline in the far back.

After 20 hours on the train we finally made it to Union station.

Union station is huge. We found a taxi to take us to Logan Square where our Airbnb was. Because we got in right at rush hour it took about 35 minutes to get there. The traffic is crazy!

Once we arrived and got all of our baggage up the stairs we needed food. I had read about the Punch bowl Social. So we arranged an Uber and off we went.

It’s what they call a scratch kitchen which means everything is fresh and made to order. It takes about 45 minutes to get your food, but they have games you can check out to play at your table.

The food was delicious. Jackson has chicken and waffles with Sriracha maple syrup. Hannah has garlic shrimp tacos, Donny and a bison patty melt and I had a burger.

Afterward we went to the arcade and played some games. It wasn’t a huge arcade, but all the other ones you had to be 21+ and since this one was in the restaurant it was all ages.

We played Jenga by the fire. The kids also played darts. They had a giant Scrabble board, an oversized dice game, corn hole, shuffle board and a whole lot of other games. It was a really fun place to go on our first night there.

We definitely could have spent hours there, but we were really tired and needed sleep to get ready for day 2.

This time tomorrow we will be on the train headed north. It was 80 degrees here today, so it’s a little hard to wrap my head around 22 degrees tomorrow night.

The trip will take almost 20 hours. We did not get a sleeper because we would have needed 2 and that was out of our budget. At least coach seats are big and luckily I can literally sleep anywhere, anytime no matter what’s going on around me.

I’ve gotten my things together. Donny got his stuffed packed tonight and hopefully the kids are working on theirs.

We went shopping for food to take to eat along the way and when you have two teenagers with you, things can get a little out of hand. I think we have more food than clothes except I haven’t seen what Hannah has packed.

Now I’m going to go to bed because the time change happens tonight and I need to get up early.

We got this!

i eat oatmeal every morning. If you happen to like oatmeal, here’s a super easy way to fix it.

1/2 cup of oats with 1 cup of water in a large bowl. Microwave on high for 2 minutes. Give it a stir and microwave for an additional minute.

On another note, Donny and I share a very small closet. I realized that I was very much encroaching on his space. Oops. He is much better at having a minimalist wardrobe than I am. So today I took everything out of my closet and tried everything on.

It feels so freeing knowing that everything in my closet fits just right. I’ll have to do it again when I switch out for winter. Not gonna lie, I’m kinda dreading that.

I also want to add (for my memories sake) that I went to the ENT doctor today and my ear that was dreadfully stopped up has healed and is perfectly fine now.

For the last year, we have been eliminating toxic chemicals from our home. I thought I was doing great. Plant based cleaners and body products that weren’t tested on animals had replaced the more toxic products we had always used. Then I read up on plastic recycling. I recycle everything that can be recycled. The only problem with that is only about 9% of the plastic ever actually gets recycled.

This made me rethink everything I had purchased that was in a big ole plastic bottle. Since 3 of us have long thick hair, we went through a LOT of shampoo and conditioner. I had seen shampoo and conditioner bars all over social media, so I decided to give them a try.

Hibar had really good reviews and Natural Grocers happened to carry it, so that’s what I decided to try.

I will admit it took a few shampoos to get used to using bars. I love the shape because it’s easy to hold onto and the flat top makes it a breeze to rub onto your scalp. To use the shampoo, you get your hair super wet and just rub it into the roots. I then just rub the bar into my hands to gets the rest washed. With the conditioner, you really only need it on the ends. It has a fresh sent that isn’t too strong.

This is what it looked like one month into using it.

With “normal” shampoo my hair would be frizzy after I blow dried it. (I don’t use any styling products on my hair) Here’s what my hair looks like right after blow drying it.

Another plus is that I can go 4-5 days without needing to shampoo. It stays soft and shiny.

I didn’t think I would be able to convert my husband to using it, but a few days ago he asked me if I’d ordered another bar. Why yes I had.

So if you’re on the fence about shampoo bars, I highly recommend hibar. I’m sure there are other really good brands out there also. Just find one that works for you.

Also, my husband who has never played fantasy football before, won the championship.

And I know I’m late to the party on these, but aren’t the wire wrap headbands the best thing ever for windy days when side layers are trying to blow around your head and put your eyes out and it’s been so windy lately.

Love Tea got its name from the sweet tea at kumori, our favorite sushi restaurant. It was the best sweet tea Donny and I had ever had. Our server was the actual tea maker and when we asked her how she made it so good, she said it was “made with love”. Hence the name Love Tea.

After much experimenting, I have finally perfected my own Love Tea. It’s sweet, smooth and super easy to make. If you want to try it, this is what you do.

Bring 4 cups water to a boil. Add 1/2 tsp baking soda. After it stops bubbling put in 10 tea bags and let steep for 15 minutes. Remove the tea bags and add 2 cups sugar. Whisk until dissolved. Pour into a gallon container and fill the rest of the way up with water. It’s so good!

I make grab ‘n Go meals about 3 times a week. They really help out when we are all eating on different schedules. Also when the kids have friends over it’s a good casual meal. Last night I did instant pot chicken with a garlic herb rub, bacon, homemade ranch and homemade tortillas. Quick, easy, relatively healthy and everyone likes it. Just add some fruit or a salad and is the perfect busy night meal.

Last night was gorgeous, so the chickens had fun outside their coop. They are getting braver and are starting to explore farther away from the safety of their home. If they get scared, they are VERY quick to run back inside.

I added are solar lights near their door for a little mood lighting. LOL

I cleaned our carpets today and got a jump on some early spring cleaning so I’m headed to bed to start the new season of cobra kai. Anyone else ready for ozark??? I can’t wait for that one.

Today I had a pretty hefty to do list. My first day in a long while that I wasn’t shuffling kids back and forth. I just knew I could get everything checked off, but then life happened.

So now I’m not going to dwell on what didn’t get done, but celebrate what did.

I got the kids to school on time and everyone was in a good mood.

I bathed my poor itchy dog. (He has skin allergies and needs weekly baths)

Washed the shower curtain and liner.

Cleaned my son’s room from top to bottom and got his linens changed.

Deep cleaned the kitchen.

Picked the kids up and found out they had a really good day.

Was there more? Yes. Will I dwell on it? No. Because the kids best friend from their previous school forgot his house keys so we got to spend time with him until his mom got off work. That’s much more important than a to do list.

So now I’m going to snack on some popcorn have a glass of love tea and watch The Sinner that’s on Netflix. If you need a series to watch, this one is really good.

The kids go back to school tomorrow. If they chose to, they could email the school today to find out which classes they were in or they could just wait and pick up their schedules in the morning.

Hannah is very excited about returning to a new semester with new electives. She emailed the school last night and found out this morning that she got into the ones that she had chosen: speech, yoga and drivers ed. I’m excited about the drivers ed because I was the one that was going to be doing the parent based course and now that’s out of my hands, except for practicing. Huge relief.

Jack, my more laid back go with the flow kid, said “eh, I want to be surprised”.

All I know is that I have been waiting for this semester to start since they began at East Texas Charter because now they both will get out at 2 pm instead of Hannah at 12:10 and Jack at 1:05. We live on the very northwest side of Longview and their school is at the very northeast side. There were days when I was driving to the school 5 times on the days that Hannah had after school activities. I was an unpaid uber driver. My day was so chopped up and I felt line all I did was drive. I ever looked into getting advertisements put on my car. Hey, at least that I’d get paid something for all the driving

When the weather was nice Hannah and I would walk the school’s trails instead of driving all the way back home.

Since they’ve had a nice long Christmas break I needed to start getting everything prepped for the week ahead. They do not have an actual lunch at school. There is a big room with tables, chairs and couches. They can order food at the snack spot, but it’s microwavable junk food. There are vending machines with snacks, coffee, juice and sodas, but since they got out early they just hung out and talked to their friends.Now they HAVE to eat breakfast and take a snack. This meant a trip to aldi to stock up. I do not like grocery shopping that’s why I do 90% of it at Aldi. It’s small and I can be in and out in a flash.

I also has to finish all the laundry. I’ll admit, I was a total laundry slacker during break. That bit me in the butt, but it’s finally all finished.

There wasn’t a lot to do, but what there was, was time consuming.

Hannah and her friends had a end of holiday dinner tonight before school and studying takes over. This meant a quick dinner for Jack, Donny and myself so we could go retrieve Hannah from her friend’s house and she’d still have time to get her things ready for in the morning.

We rarely eat out. I can count on one hand the times we’ve gone to a restaurant or gotten fast food in the last year. That has been a huge money saver and we feel better not eating fast food. I have several meals that are quick and healthy that are my go tos when time is precious.

The one I made tonight was instant pot shredded chicken, sauteed onions and peppers, homemade tortillas and grapes. I always make extra chicken that Donny can take for lunch or we can throw it in a salad or wrap.

Now it’s 10:20. 5 am is going to come really early. Let’s hope we don’t get a tardy the first day back.

Today was cold! As in capital letters COLD! When I woke up the temp was 24 with a feels like of 16. I had to go outside and check on our chickens. They were completely fine, but once I get bone cold, that’s how I stay all day. I’ve lived in my down jacket, but my feet continued to feel like ice blocks. So this saved the day.

When it was time to feed and water the chickens I was dreading it. Not only has it been unbelievably cold, but the wind has been whipping all day.

The chickens were happy to see me. So happy they knocked over their cup of food while I was filling their water.

They stay warm in their house. There’s another “house” within this one that’s insulated, plus they have a heat lamp.

I wish I could say the same about our neighbor’s dog. He is horribly neglected. Last year we put hay and a heat lamp out for him. I would take him for walks. (Don’t worry, it was only a partial dog napping. I would leave a sign on the fence) It all went south last year when the blizzard hit. They were going to leave him outside. I confronted them and ever offered to bring him into our home. They were very rude and put a lock on their gate. I told them I talked to animal control and what they provided wasn’t up to code. They begrudgingly brought him in and crated him, but at least that was better than him freezing to death.

Now, this probably sounds stalker-ish, but they completely ignore him. He gets so excited when they come home and they walk right by him. It’s heartbreaking. I check on him and love on him every morning and whenever I’m out in the backyard. So does the neighbor behind them.

I’ve called animal control because tonight is suppose to be just as cold. I haven’t heard back, but don’t worry, I will NOT let him freeze.

I hope the weather warms up soon.

What a year this has been. The first 8 months were hard. Really, really hard. I learned that I will fight for my kids no matter what and never give up. I would fill you in more, but the Texas Education Agency office of civil rights has opened an investigation into the matter and until that is closed I really don’t want to put any details out there. But, it’s true, when a door closes a window opens. My kids are now both in the best school around this area. It’s small and the teachers truly care about the students. A huge shout out to my sister, who helped me find the right resources after hitting every brick wall you could imagine.

I don’t make new year resolutions. Too much pressure. Last year I decided to focus on a few things I wanted to accomplish. I really wanted to learn how to make bread/dough. By hand with no bread machine.

I did it and can now say that I bake all our buns, rolls, anything that requires dough. My favorites are focaccia and Japanese milk bread. The kids really like the pretzel bites, Texas sausage kolaches and traditional sweet kolaches. Not something you can just whip up, unfortunately. Focaccia takes about 8 hours start to finish and milk bread and kolaches take about 3. So worth it though.

2021 also brought changes to the way we live. We have switched to all non toxic cleaners and are limiting our use of plastic within our home. It’s taken some time and a bit of getting used to, but so far so good.

So now I needed too come up with my plan for 2022. I’ve decided to keep up with my blog on a regular basis. I have always kept a journal. I’ve always liked looking back on it and reading things I’d forgotten about. My blog is not fancy. I’m not terribly computer savvy, but it’s a tiny corner of the internet where I’m not bombarded by political stuff, nasty opinions and people hating and arguing with each other.

So here’s to my year of journaling the good, the bad and the ugly. Mostly good, hopefully.

I’ll leave you with our New year’s good luck lemon pig and hope his good luck rubs off on you too.

I like to cook. Some days I even love to cook. Then we all have those days where everything is taking more time than it should so you just need a go to recipe that everyone likes. For us that’s pizza.

This isn’t a formal recipe..It’s mainly to just give you an idea of how easy and delicious making your own pizzas can be. Tonight I used a new dough recipe from this book.

I normally use one I have saved on pinterest, but my phone was charging and this was just easier. You can use any dough you like. I personally don’t like the sheets of pre made pizza dough, but that’s just me.

After your dough has risen, preheat your oven to 475 degrees. Oil a large cast iron skillet. Make your dough slightly bigger than the skillet and just put it in. Push up the edges a little bit to make the crust part.

Now here’s where you can get creative with toppings. Tonight I just used grated mozzarella, Bertolli sauce and pepperoni. Just use what you have on hand. It doesn’t need to be fancy. One thing I won’t use is pre grated cheese. It doesn’t melt right. It only takes a few minutes to grate cheese and it’s SO much better.

After you’ve put everything on, just slide it in the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes. I like to brush the crust with melted garlic butter before and after it goes in the oven.

I did more of a deep dish tonight, but you can do whatever your family likes. Because of limited kitchen space, I don’t own a pizza stone, but the cast iron skillet worked like a dream.

Hope you like making pizzas too 🍕 ❤