Chaos Served Daily

Hey there, remember me? I know, I know, it’s been like 4 years (yes, I said YEARS) since I’ve written a post…and that time has been pretty packed with daily life! I graduated with a mathematics degree, and started teaching for an online public school. My GI Joe has been retired 6 years now, and he’s in a career field he loves (healthcare admin). My little hooligans are now in 11th, 9th, and 7th grades! One even has a drivers’ license…which is life-changing for me as the taxi driver in a normal sports season.

Now, like everyone else, the pace of our family life has drastically slowed. I took last year off from teaching and only teach parttime now, two of my kids are in virtual classes, and only one (who is at a small private school) leaves for school each day…and he drives himself there. From late February until mid-May, we basically never saw my husband, as he was in the thick of pandemic prep and then surge. Over the summer, he transitioned to a job that isn’t in the hospital itself, so he still gets to do what he enjoys, but he’s often working from home or in their corporate offices. Soccer is scaled way back (fewer players on a smaller field, with only 1 spectator allowed per player), and pretty much all other events are cancelled or virtual for the foreseeable future. I have to say, I don’t hate it.

Anyhoo, my point is…I’m planning to start blogging again. I was prompted by a reader last week, who let me know my blog was broken! I think it had just happened, as I often look up recipes on it instead of turning to my laptop or recipe files. And I’m pretty sure I looked up something about two weeks ago. Thank you, Sarah!

I promise I’ll have new content soon, but since Halloween looks very different this year, too, I thought I’d link a few favorite throwback posts. We had the most fun Halloween party when we lived in Wisconsin…the kids were all elementary age, and tons of our friends came. So if you’re staying in for All Hallows Eve, this pumpkin piñata and the games are all easy to pull off. I hope you’ll add some of these ideas to your celebration to have a safe and happy Halloween!

Take care!

-Megan

I recently found myself with two problems.  I needed file folders for my student teaching stint in the fall, and I have collected so many cool washi tapes that I have nowhere to keep them, such as this amazing set from the craft store that matches my new planner (also justified as a student teaching necessity).

Last summer, I found some file folders that were labeled backpack folders, and they were closed on two sides, like an “L,” with the folded side and the bottom sealed. I really like these, whether in a backpack or a totebag, because they stay closed. Of course, I couldn’t remember where I bought the ones last summer, so I had to improvise with some nifty teacher-ish folders I found in the Target Dollar Spot.  First, I used regular Scotch Quick-Dry Adhesive to glue the bottoms of each folder closed. Then I thought, why not use a little washi to make sure it’s really secure (as well as much cuter).  I ran a strip of washi along the bottom, leaving the majority hanging over, so I could wrap it onto the back of the folders.

After running a bone folder over the washi tape overlap on the back, I flipped the folders to the front and added another, contrasting washi tape. Cuter by the step, right?

These just took a few minutes (maybe fifteen minutes for all six folders) and allowed me to use twelve different washi tapes from my stash. As a bonus, I now have super cute folders that will keep my calculus from my algebra papers when I bring them home to grade!

Don’t you need some folders that put the “fun” in functional for your life, too?