Homemaker Happenings #1 (7.18.25 – 7.24.25)
Welcome to Homemaker Happenings! I am so happy you’re here.
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It was one of those weeks. You know what type of week I’m talking about, the days leading up to “strawberry season,” as I’m fondly calling it. Husband has been deployed for a month. My anxiety was sky high. Nothing was getting done around the house. My health issues seemed to be way worse than usual. I ran seven miles and it absolutely sucked. I was missing home and feeling sorry for myself. It felt like nothing was going right. And then the Holy Spirit spoke to me so gently, as he often does. You are so richly blessed. And the Holy Spirit is right. I am beyond blessed.
I am healthy. I have friends. We have a beautiful home. I am able-bodied. These are always good reminders for me. And I hope they will be good reminders for you as well as we end this week and head into another. It’s easy to let things fall apart, especially when we forget the importance of gratitude. So, remember this week to be thankful for the many, many blessings you have in your life, even if it’s just remembering you have breath in your lungs!
Weekly Menu
Ok, I have to say it: Whisps are fall are on the horizon. BUT, I’m still loving everything about summer. This includes plenty of fresh and light foods. Here’s what’s on my menu for this upcoming week.
Breakfast:
I’ve been keeping breakfast simple with chicken sausage of some sort, usually Applegate Maple Chicken Sausage. Peach season has just started in Colorado, so naturally I’ve been obsessed with my peach pie smoothie recipe and have been adding the French vanilla Just Ingredients protein powder to it for added protein.
Some other breakfast recipes I’ve been loving:
Lunch and dinner:
Usually, I am mixing and matching lunches and dinners, so they tend to blend together. Here are some recipes I’m excited to try next week.
Mississippi Pot Roast with crispy smashed potatoes
Roasted red pepper chicken with roasted asparagus
Sausage and summer veggie skillet
Firecracker chicken meatballs with coconut pineapple rice or jewel-tone basmati rice pilaf with pomegranate
Sweet treat
I’ve have been slightly obsessed with making cookies. Currently, I can’t get enough of these copycat Levain Bakery chocolate chip cookies from Modern Honey. They are insanely good and I have to freeze them so I don’t eat them all in one sitting!!
My Weekly Agenda
The weekend:
This upcoming week is birthday week! My sister-in-law is coming into town. She arrives late tonight (Friday), but we have fun plans for Saturday. After waking up and having breakfast, we’ll head out to Victor, CO and walk the Vindicator trail, which is a two-mile loop through the ruins of the Victor mines. Below are pictures from the loop during winter. It’s beautiful! For dinner, we’ll be dining at Four by Brother Luck, which is about as close to a Michelin start restaurant as you’ll get in Colorado Springs. We’ll go to my church’s 9:30 service before she heads back home. After she leaves, I’ll be creating my own birthday cake and setting up for Monday.
Monday
Yay! It’s my birthday. The big 3-4. I’ll be spending it (hopefully) at a pool during mid-morning and then either before or after treating myself to some delicious treats from the French Kitchen. Later that evening, my book club group is coming over. We’ll be having a taco bar, a refreshing pineapple coconut spritzer, and chocolate truffle cream cake (my own creation and recipe to come at some point). Book club usually lasts about four hours, so we’ll starting early this time!
Tuesday – Thursday
The rest of the week is business as usual. Exercise, cleaning, and work. I’m currently training for my second half marathon which is taking a lot of time and mental effort out of me. If you are on the fence about running, but would love to start, read my post on tips for new runners. I’m not sure how many half marathons I’ll be running after this, but it’s such an amazing feat to say you’ve accomplished. And, I have to say, I think this tan officially makes me a runner.
With my husband being gone, keeping a routine has been so important, whether it’s with cleaning, exercise, or general habits. One way I stay on top of my life is with my Blue Sky Day Designer. They are well worth the money.
Books of the Week
Fiction recommendation: Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak
This book is a creepy mix of supernatural and summer heat, perfect for this time of year! The drawings send the eeriness to a whole new level. Highly recommend.
Synopsis: Mallory Quinn is fresh out of rehab when she takes a job as a babysitter for Ted and Caroline Maxwell. She is to look after their five-year-old son, Teddy.
Mallory immediately loves it. She has her own living space, goes out for nightly runs, and has the stability she craves. And she sincerely bonds with Teddy, a sweet, shy boy who is never without his sketchbook and pencil. His drawings are the usual fare: trees, rabbits, balloons. But one day, he draws something different: a man in a forest, dragging a woman’s lifeless body.
Then, Teddy’s artwork becomes increasingly sinister, and his stick figures quickly evolve into lifelike sketches well beyond the ability of any five-year-old. Mallory begins to wonder if these are glimpses of a long-unsolved murder, perhaps relayed by a supernatural force.
Knowing just how crazy it all sounds, Mallory nevertheless sets out to decipher the images and save Teddy before it’s too late.
Nonfiction recommendation: The Opt-Out Family by Erin Loechner
I don’t have kids, but I found this book so compelling. It’s a great time to read this because summer offers so many screen-free alternatives. This book also does just that. It provides reasons why we should stay away from screens and actionable steps for how to do it. Kids or no kids, I know you’ll love it.
Synopsis: We’ve all heard the mind-boggling statistics about technology and social media use. The numbers don’t lie; our obsession with smartphones and social media is slowly eroding the very essence of our homes and families. We see it. We feel it. We know it.
So what do we do about it?
Spoiler alert: Forget parental control apps, time limits, or reward charts. This revolutionary path takes us into the heart of the beast itself: the social media algorithm. Former social media influencer and trailblazer Erin Loechner has seen the perks and pitfalls of social media usage, and she knows how to hack the strategies of tech wizards and platform experts so you can borrow their billion-dollar playbook to engage your family in meaningful ways away from screens.
The Opt-Out Family is packed with eye-opening research and startling insights, as well as practical encouragement and creative ideas to transform your family’s relationship with today’s ever-evolving technology. As a result, you will:
- Experience more quality time with your children that doesn’t revolve around screens
- Create healthy habits as a family that will set your children up for success in the future
- Discover what your kids actually need from you, and learn how to delight and engage them better than a device can
- And, ultimately, establish true and lasting influence within your own four walls–and far beyond
The Opt-Out Family unlocks a world where genuine connections flourish and technology takes a backseat. It’s time to reclaim your home and build a tech-free family culture that’s stronger than your Wi-Fi signal.
On the Hunt
Since my birthday is soon, I may be raking in the cash (but probably not). If I do get some money, here’s what I’d love to buy with it.
Gilmore Girls’ town festival hoodie
DefenderShield blue light blocking glasses
(Crunchy) Tip of the Week
Each week I’ll be providing you with a different tip to take with you. It might be related to homemaking, hospitality, or health. This week is health! Specifically crunchy health.
Tip of the week: Get yourself a cast iron skillet. Not only are they better for you and nontoxic, but they will also make your food task amazing. You’ve never had a steak taste so good. They also last forever and are reasonably priced.
That’s all for this week, friends. Have a great week!
~Kayla
