Staying Sane

Hello, all! Welcome back from the holiday weekend. How glorious was it to hang with friends and family over wine and pie? We did Thanksgiving with our family friends and brought the dessert. I worked a Black Friday shift, which is always kind of a blast, and we finished the long weekend with a lazy Saturday brunch and family game night––Scattergories and brandy slush is absurd.

Now that I'm back for the final weeks of semester, I'm definitely feeling the crazy. Here's how I'm staying sane these days:

1). I read this article, and after visiting Germany this summer, I overhauled my correspondence habits. While in Berlin, I didn't have cell service; since then, I don't habitually check my phone. I also only send emails between 8:00am and 8:00pm in an attempt to keep work and life separate.

2). Sleep. It's so contradictory sounding when you have a to-do list that is a mile long, but I got over seven hours of sleep last night (!!), and now I'm refreshed for a productive day. I'm also less cranky, which my roommates appreciate.

3). Watching less television. I usually fall into a dangerous habit of turning on Netflix when I have down time, or when I'm doing homework. Abby did something brilliant over holiday: she started Gone Girl and she just finished it last night. Reading unwinds you like none other. (I'm dying to start and finish 100 Years of Solitude as well as Both Flesh and Not over winter break.)

4). Cheer-boosters: our apartment has strings of lights, a small tree, and a silvery wreath. Even when our unit feels freezing, the twinkling colors make us feel cozy and cheerful.

Top photo via Instagram; Scattergories photo via Abby Carlson Instagram

{Friday Challenge}...Surprise Someone

Tonight Abby and I are packing our little bags and leaving town for the weekend. My grandma is turning 99(!!) years old on Sunday, so we're spending the weekend with her to celebrate. But since she knows I'm at school, she thinks only my mom and dad will be visiting. As you get older, especially nearly a century, gifts are kind of pointless. Our birthday gift to her is a surprise weekend. We'll stay up late, play cards, and graze on popcorn just like old times. I've been looking forward to this all week, because I can't wait to see her face when we walk in the door after Mom and Dad. Those moments are the best.

So this weekend (or upcoming week) do something surprising for someone. Perhaps make a tasty brunch so that when your roommate wakes up, there's delicious food and coffee ready to be eaten. Or send flowers to one of your friends at work just to say they're awesome. (I was really receptive to this post on Wit & Delight about women empowering women.) Even if it means that you pay for the coffee of a stranger behind you on one of these freezing days, it's worth it because that surprised look on someone's face is amazing.

Photo by Jessica Nichols

The Small Family

Small family grows!

As you know, I have an identical twin sister (Abby) who also happens to be my only sister, my only sibling. So it has just been the two of us rattling around the house with our parents. Our little family of four for two decades.

Mom's father and sister are both deceased, but her mom, our Grandma Esther is a resilient woman at 98 and a half years old. She's remarkable. So my mom is also from a small family.

Dad has one brother and a set of parents, naturally. I am embarrassingly out of touch with my cousin, Uncle, and that entire side of the family.

So let's count. My nuclear family: 4, Extended family: 5 (somewhat generous considering closeness.)

And yet I don't woefully mourn the size of our small, small family. Friends are amazed, acquaintances are confused that I don't regularly yearn for more siblings, more cousins, etc., etc. The honest truth of it is, I don't know any different. This is my normal. I can't imagine spending a week at some lake with a million cousins and a handful of chatty aunts!

Because in their place, we've created a huge family. Hugely close, hugely personal, hugely extended and untraditional.

My "Auntie Sandy" and "Uncle Kevin" are close family friends with vibrant children, who also have brilliant little children. They've taken me to dance class, picked me up from work, and have made ice-cream with us at 9:00 while doodling on Lisa Frank notepads.

So the small family grows.

My amazing God-parents have four kids ranging from 27 to 13, all of whom are beautiful, hilarious, are true siblings to Abby and me. And their family? Enormous. We do Thanksgiving together, cramming at least thirty people into a modest Midwest home. We vacation as one big family, we share "family jokes," because we are family.

And by now, this uniquely intimate family of four has grown tenfold. Yes, our everyday home life is shared between four people, incredibly close, very in sync. Arguments do not erupt over television channels; choreographing schedules is a basic line dance, uncomplicated, including everyone at everyone's events. Young ones are not teased about childish crushes, and older kids are not harassed by boogers.

It's quite nice, you know. Quiet at times, and lonely when both Abby and I left for college in tandem. But it's as though we've had a modified single-child experience. And siblings? I have a wonderfully rich sibling relationship with my "god-brothers/sisters" that allows me to go home once I've had enough sword fighting.

Happy Birthday, Mom!

My wonderful mother is celebrating her birthday today, and I wanted to give her a little special shout out in the blogging world. As you know, I love my mom dearly; she has taught me everything, has been my biggest cheerleader, and is my role model. She is thoughtful, hilarious, smart, sincere, honest, and kind. I could not be more thrilled to spend my day with her! Happiest of birthday to a seriously awesome gal!

P.S. Abby and I followed her instructions, and after surprising her with these JT + Jay Z tickets, didn't get her anything else. Does your mom also say, "And don't get me anything! I have everything I need and more!"?

{Weekend Update}...Big Girls

My beloved Minneapolis (this is from early spring thaw).

After turning a momentous age last Sunday, Abby and I (along with our parents, naturally) went to St. Paul to sign our lease on our new apartment for the school year! It felt very exciting and mature, because we are no longer in an apartment complex, nor are we living with hundreds of students our age. It is in a small, residential neighborhood, complete with a gazebo-topped park. It's pretty much romantically picturesque. With a local market and butcher shop, a cafe that could become my "regular", and scenic shops, I'm feeling at home and I haven't even moved it yet! It feels very adult.

While in the cities, we decided to make a day of it, shopping and eating on Grand Avenue with a pitstop to the Rosedale Mall. (We much prefer this one over MOA.) It has seemed like eternity since the weather felt like summer, today being no different, but Friday and the rest of the weekend was a gorgeous combination of food, sun, travel, and family.

Our new favorite restaurant on Grand Ave. –– Salut.
Pictured here: Ze French Onion Soup

And our best kept secret of the Chippewa Valley––Foster Cheese Haus

{Weekend Update}...Twenty-Something

Abby and I celebrated our twentieth birthday with family and friends this weekend and it was delightful. While I had to work in the afternoon, I came home to food, family, and a bonfire! What a treat! My mom even made Abby a chocolate cake and me a peach pie (I died a little bit!), which made us feel so special to have our own desserts.

Many people ask if we get sick of sharing such a personal day with another person, but in all honesty, I can't even imagine not sharing it! I am so lucky to have a twin sister, I have so many great experiences that very few people enjoy, all thanks to Abby! It's a blast!

We've now entered the age of "twenty-somethings" and people say it's an amazingly momentous time in life. Are they right? I would love some insider info on what I should expect!

P.S. This TED talk says your thirties are not the new twenties!

Photos compliments of Abby @classickitsch Instagram.

America: Holiday Nation

The 4th of July is only a week away, and my family is already preparing for a summery shindig. After weeks of dreary June weather (we've had about three truly nice days, last night being one of them.) we're excited that the forecast is for beautiful skies & warm temperatures.

Like a large population of the U.S., I wouldn't say my family is overly patriotic. We have a flag outside of our house, like everyone in our neighborhood, we say the pledge of allegiance at school, and sing the national anthem at games, but we don't have America tattooed anywhere. And yet, the 4th is always a day that we like to celebrate.

So why is The Fourth such a cultural blowout? Stores have sales, neighborhoods have parties, families gather from near and far, and some use the weekend to travel, sometimes even out of the country. Is it just another reason to drink beer outside and eat cole slaw and brats? Or do we really value it as Independence Day?

Most of us don't refer to it as such, perhaps because it's easier to say the 4th. But it's quite easy to take our freedom for granted, forgetting that the day has some serious implications of war and struggle along with the celebratory fact that we're an independent nation. Like Memorial Day, St. Patty's Day, and the like, we haul out our decorations, put on ugly shirts, and party like it's 1999.

It seems as though America possesses and champions a cultural love of celebration. Any chance to throw a party is for us.

Remember, we're a country in the throw of an intense immigration debate that heavily emphasizes Mexico, yet we happily celebrate Cinco de Mayo.

So are we party obsessed, eager to celebrate at any chance? I'd love your thoughts on this one. It's been on my mind for a while, and would like hear your opinion on Holiday Nation.

Coming Home for Summer

Do ever find the transition into summer can be a little weird sometimes? I often am so used to being busy during the school year, that the first week or so I need something to keep me feeling productive. It can be difficult to go from long, productive days to lounge-y weeks that require little to no action. But, after a few days of unpacking & reorganizing all my belongings, baking up new recipes, and making summer goal lists, I settle down. 

And then I wake up to a bustling house in the late morning! 

While I'm at school, I'm considered the early riser between all my roommates. Weekdays I get up at 6:00 am and usually crawl out of bed for coffee by 9:00 am on weekends. But when I come home for the summer, I am the late sleeper, and feel lazy for not starting my days early like my parents. I occasionally even feel guilty for being so sloth-like, despite my mother's kind insistence that I "just relax after such a busy year!" 

I've been on summer vacation for over a month now, and am really feeling settled now. It seems crazy that the transition would take a while, but it can! 

How do you transition from hectic schedules to lazy weeks? I've heard horror stories of college kids not being able to stand living with their parents after living alone at college––could you do it? Should you ever feel guilty for relaxing if not everyone in the house is? 

Baking with Kids

I always kind of doubted people who said they liked having their kids in the kitchen. To me, it's a pretty adult space, and one that requires safety and some finesse. Hot ovens and stove tops, sharp knives, quickly spinning mixer beaters, so many reasons to be nervous! And then there's the whole mess thing. I like to be pretty tidy when I'm cooking. It keeps me organized as I work methodically through a recipe.

However, I was sitting the three hilarious, upbeat daughters of our family friends, and I thought, "baking with them might be a great project..."

We decided to bake scones, because "Mum can't resist them!" according to the youngest. We whisked the dry ingredients, mixed in the dried fruit, kneaded the dough, and played with the "cloud-like" flour! They even helped zest the lemon, cut the dough into wedges, and brush with melted butter. I could not have asked for better helpers!

My overall take:

While the kitchen was somewhat messier throughout the process, and the scones didn't look "as perfect" as when I meticulously sprinkle the sugar and zest, it was the most fun I've had in a kitchen. And it was hear-warming to see the girls earnestly roll the dough with gentle hands, and delight at the texture of flour in their fists. I can see now why parents like to have kids in the kitchen. They're fascination and love for learning is infectious, and they bake with so much love, everything just tastes better.

Would you bake or cook with kids in the kitchen? Are you someone that would "fix" everything they did once they turned around, or are you content with less attractive, but just as tasty results?

Family Movie Nights: The Adult Years

Now that Abby and I are in college, our family rarely has moments when all of us are together doing the same thing. It doesn't happen suddenly. It's slow and sneaky, and finally one day you realize that everyone is in the house together doing different stuff.

Last night we had a very impromptu family movie night. Other than going to the theater with friends to see movies, we don't really have evenings where we gather around the television for two hours (my mom often says she doesn't have the patience to watch movies). The Switch––conveniently one of Abby's newest favorite movies––was on TV, but we soon got sick of commercials and switched to Netflix.

Then. . . Boom! We were having a family movie night. Sure, the semen part was a little weird, but now that we're all adults, most of those awkward scenes aren't as awkward anymore! We can all enjoy the R-rated movies, not stifle an immature laugh when they say penis, or die a little bit when a sex scene pops up.

It was nice to laugh at the same lines as my parents, felt cozy to have my mom pop some food in the oven for a snack, and was a rare treat that we all stayed up a little later than usual (even though work was the next day) to enjoy a movie together.

And yeah, now we will probably have a family inside joke, all saying, "Oh my God. . . I have that."


Do you still have family movie nights with your parents? We once endured The Full Monty with our parents, and they painfully watched every Harry Potter and Twilight movie. Any good grown up films you would recommend for fun family evenings? I'd love to see something funny and smart!

P.S. We also now love Arrested Development and Jason Bateman. 

Photo via

{Weekend Update}...Settling In

After a whirlwind week of finals, packing, and moving, I took this weekend to enjoy the very beginnings of summer vacation. We started off with a dinner and movie, followed by a bonfire with family and friends. It was incredible weather, and we chatted for hours about our favorite parts of Star Trek (Chris Pine's eyebrows), past vacation stories, and our recent move to a new church. And on the day of rest we stopped for lunch and frozen yogurt (I know it's kind of a fad, but I'm obsessed!) before picking up all our flowers for planting! Glorious sunshine, a heavy rainfall, and friends and family was a pretty great way to start summer.

When you come home, what is the first thing you want to do? I crave s'mores and bonfires, and afternoon patio reading. 

Photo via @classickitsch Instagram

Mom: My Biggest Cheerleader

My high school graduation with a proud and awesome mom. 

Who's your biggest cheerleader? My mom has always been the one encouraging me to do my best, but never be too hard on myself. She sat through all my dance recitals, show choir competitions, and cheered when I got my college acceptance letters. And when I have chaotic days, the ones when I'm pretty sure I just can't do it all, she's the one to tell me that I can do it. She brags for me, and reminds me that success is not necessarily the same as being the best. Thank you, Mom! You're the one that makes me feel invincible in the face of challenges!

Bonus: she was a cheerleader in high school! How perfect.

Who's your biggest cheerleader? What does your mom do that no one else can top?

What Does Your Mom Do For You?

My mom does a lot of little things to make me feel really special. She has a trick for knowing when my life is stressful, when I've had a bad day, or when I just need a little extra attention. She knows what to say and when, and has a million surprises up her sleeve for me. Here are some totally endearing, motherly things she does for me that I love.


Even if I've only been home for a weekend, she strips my bed when I leave, so the next time I come home I have crisp, clean sheets. "It's just like a hotel," she says.

We talk almost every night on the phone, but sometimes she sends me cards, because she knows I like getting mail that isn't junk or school-related.

Buys my favorite cereal for when I'm home.

Does my laundry, even when I insist that I do it!

Like so many moms, she loves to spoil me on surprise shopping trips. On a weekend visit, what I had hinted at for my birthday (still a while away!) turned out to be a surprise gift just for fun.

Reads every article I write, no matter how busy she is.

Got an Instagram account so we could "follow" each other's lives in pictures.

Scratches my back at night, just like when I was a little girl.

Is brave enough to say, "Yes, that haircut is really ugly." And then in a wonderfully motherly fashion adds, "But you could never be ugly. You're beautiful."

Records TV programs that I miss, so when I come home I can have TV marathons with her. She will re-watch episodes of the Sunday Morning Show or Fashion Police just so she can watch it with me.

Reminds me that a little gloating is good for you. And if I don't, she'll do it for me.

What does your mom do for you that you love? How does she make you feel special?

What Have You Learned From Your Mom?

Move-in day my Freshman year of college.

Inspired by a wonderful post by Joanna Goddard, I thought I'd share what I've learned from my Mom. She is a really spectacular person, someone I admire most in life. I owe so much to her, and this is what I know. Here are ten things I've learned from my fabulous mother!

1. No matter how tired you are, wash your face every night before you go to bed.

2. Nobody cares if your house is perfect. It shouldn't look like a museum, anyway. It should look like people live there.

3. Chewing your nails is gross, but a near impossible habit to break. (I recently stopped! For good, I think!)

4. There's nothing wrong with being a successful, intelligent woman who still goes gaga over celebrities, reads gossip magazines, and loves a good shopping spree.

5. Clean sheets always make you feel special.

6. Love and hate are very similar, so be careful. Don't waste your passionate energies hating someone, when it's much less tiring (and less dramatic) to simply be indifferent.

7. Family is not determined by blood lines.

8. Wear makeup to enhance your natural beauty; don't use it as a mask, because you are so beautiful already.

9. Men will be stupid sometimes, but that doesn't mean you should give up on all of them.

10. Talk about everything. Especially over coffee.

{Weekend Update}...An Early Mother's Day

An oldie, but a goodie from our high school senior pictures. One of my favorites. 

This weekend my parents came over to visit (and start to haul a bunch of our belongings back to our hometown) since school will be out in less than two weeks! Although Mother's Day is technically next week, we decided to celebrate a week early since we'd be with our Mom. Next week, I'll give her a call so we can chat for hours about how excited we are over our impending return home! My mom is one crazy awesome, inspiring woman, so I'll still be talking about her this week, too!

We got our mom a little gift bag of goodies for Mother's Day this year. Abby made it beautifully color schemed and everything. 

1. A BKR, because they're gorgeous and awesome.

2. Pencils that say "You are so beautiful." because she is. 

3. A Baggu bag for all her errands, escapades, and more.

4. Cheeky sticky note pad.

5. A coffee pin for the one who taught us how to drink. Coffee, that is. 

Top photo c/o Genesis Photography

How Do Tell Your Mom, "I love you."?

With Mother's Day almost here, I'd love to know how you let your mom know she's one special lady. It seems like such a basic thing, we say it every time we end a phone conversation, or leave the house, or go to bed. But then we have a special day, some call it a Hallmark Holiday, just for moms. How do you tell her that she's the greatest?

Here are some of mine:

Sometimes I'll send my mom one of those cute/silly emojis in a text message. Just that. A flower, or sunshine, or a heart, just so she knows I'm thinking about her.

When I'm home on university vacation, and she's still in school (elementary public school and college schedules never align!) I'll surprise her by bringing coffee and breakfast from our favorite cafe.

Making her bed and laying a new magazine on her nightstand.

Lighting a candle and preparing a snack, so the minute she comes home from school she can just relax.

Even if we see her when we leave for school, Abby and I like to leave a Post It somewhere in the house with a little note (and usually a heart).

I let her use, barrow, or keep my favorite lipstick.

Make coffee the same way she does, just so it tastes perfect to her.

Text, email, or even Instagram pictures of everyday life for her, so she can see how exciting or boring my college life is.

Photo via

How Are You Like Your Mom?

Abby and I are constantly told we are just like our Mom, which I take to be a compliment, because my mother is a beautiful, intelligent, hilarious, and an all around wonderful lady. Here are some of the things people usually say about how we are similar:

You all have the same eyes! Like sisters! (We all have bad eyesight, as well.)

You are stubborn just like your mother, and her mother. (possibly a good thing?)

These cookies are delicious; your mom taught you well! (Yes, she did! Thanks, Mom!)

Are you going to be a teacher like your mom? You would be just a great as her. (Mom is and has been a first grade teacher for almost thirty years. She teaches kids to read, and I am so proud.)

Same laugh, same jokes, same sense of humor. 

We have a love of crosswords, books, and magazine reading on the patio.

Toe nails painted. Always.

A love for learning, and a passion for helping people.

Night owls, but still early risers for Saturday brunch.

A Change of Heart

I went home last week for my girlfriend Becca's wedding. We're practically sisters, and she's one of the most important, inspiring, beautiful, and intelligent young women I know. Her new husband(!) Vince is equally incredible. But after months of planning a several frantic mornings leading up to the big day, I felt disillusioned with weddings. I even told my mom, "Don't expect a white dress, a church, or an aisle. I'll be at city hall." I was definitely feeling tired and stressed...

And then we got to the rehearsal dinner. It was incredible with so much love and happiness. I was really feeling good. Saturday morning rolled around, and despite a few bumps along the way, I had the best weekend in a long time. Suddenly, I was overwhelmed by the support and gratitude, joy and excitement. I still haven't stopped talking about the wedding. 

I'm stubborn, but I've had a change of heart. People are actually right when they say there is something ineffably special about a wedding. So I guess you can maybe expect at least an aisle and church out of me...

What do you think? Did you used to think weddings were too grand? Would you have a small or large wedding? Are they obsolete in this day and age?

Photo via Max Wanger 

I'm Busy July 22...

Pretty much everyone I see now knows that I'm busy July 22. I just can't stop saying it!

I've already made summer plans and I still have several weeks left of semester. But this new is simply too exciting not to share! I ordered my tickets for the July 22 Justin Timberlake concert at Soldier Field in Chicago! I'm so pumped to go and even more exciting, I'm going with my family. Abby and I surprised our mom early with the tickets for her birthday (which is in July) and we'll be making a small vacation out of it and will probably listen to The 20/20 Experience the whole way there. 

Needless to say, I have a countdown started for July 22. And by the way, have I said I'm busy July 22?

Photo via

{Weekend Update}...Happy Easter!

Was your Easter delightful? Did you spend time with family, eating too much, getting dressed up, cracking eggs at breakfast, and searching for baskets of sweet surprises? Even though I'm in college and technically an adult, I still found a basket overflowing with jellybeans, chocolate bunnies, and as always, a stuffed Hello Kitty. It was so great to spend a day with family, eating great food and catching up over coffee.

And possibly the best part? Reverting back to old habits. Lounging around in the morning with coffee, fresh fruit, and rolls; watching old TV shows with mom; talking about books and movies with Dad. All the while in pajamas. Perfection.

I hope you had a great Easter with your loved ones and April Fools' Day didn't hit you too hard!

Photos via @sarahcarlsonetc Instagram.