Coffee Break #36

We are feeling really fortunate to have weathered Hurricane Ian without harm or damage and are now looking forward to some cool, crisp October days ahead! In this month’s Coffee Break, I’m getting real about why I haven’t posted much new-home content yet. I’m also breaking down our Sunday prep routine and sharing a few recent home finds I’m loving in the cooler weather. So cozy up and catch up with me!

I’ve Been a Little…Well…Stuck

Let’s kick off this month’s update with the elephant in the room, shall we?!?

Where is the new home content?!

Yes…I can hear you guys screaming that question at me through the screen! I know you guys are chomping at the bit to see what I’ve done to our new home. And honestly, I am SO excited to get sharing all the fun new projects we’ve tackled.

So then…what’s the hold up?!?

Well…truth be told…I’ve been stuck. In my head mostly…but just feeling really darn stuck about what to post and when to post it. I realize that sounds crazy. Can’t I just take pictures of my house and put them up here for you to see whenever and however I want? Yes. Yes, I can.

But in true Megan fashion, I’ve made things far more complicated than they need to be.

You see…when I got into this blogging game 10+ years ago, you could indeed write a whole post about a new lamp you bought or the wallpaper you hung or the chairs you found. And the crowds would go wild. But times changed (thank you social media and Google) and we content creators had a choice to either sink or swim: adapt to the algorithms and trends or become obsolete.

I (obviously) wanted to see my business grow, so I adopted what I understood as “best practices” for the type of content to create, how to create it, how to write it, and how often to post it. I put myself on a tidy little schedule and stayed laser-focused on the topics that…supposedly…would bring me closer to my goals.

But here’s the thing. Trying to get all my new home updates to fit within that structured framework hasn’t been working. And writing exclusively tutorial-based posts has me feeling like I’m loosing my….bloggyness. So while I developed my posting schedule with all the very best intentions; it has seemingly become the very thing pulling me away from my ultimate goal…which is to teach, inspire, and motivate YOU!

So I’ve been pretty much stuck in this place of “paralysis by over-analysis.” Knowing what I want to write about and what you guys want to see, but feeling beholden to the “rules” that I placed upon myself.

So guys. In the choice between Google and you…I’m choosing you. (Not that they have to be mutually exclusive; but right now, refocusing on my ultimate goal of serving you is helping me move through inaction back into action.) And as uncomfortable as it is for me to do so, I’m tossing my carefully crafted schedule aside and redirecting my efforts on the posts I want to create and (I think) you want to read. Hooray for authenticity and connection and real life.

I’m ready to start showing you all the things in our new home whether they are part of my “schedule” or not. The wallpaper we hung in our dining room (and the surprising lessons I learned). The 5 rugs we purchased for our hardwood floors (and why we picked them). How our backyard has shaped up to be our very favorite spot so far. I certainly want to show and teach you how to do projects; but I always want to get back to the story-telling nature of how and why I create our homes the way I do.

I know you’re ready. I am too!

(For what it’s worth, I AM going to keep Cricut content exclusive to Thursdays because I know a lot of you don’t need that content and already know to tune out that day!) 

Phew! Glad that’s off my chest!

Sunday Prep Sesh

For a while now, I’ve shared that Sundays are our major family prep day. With three kids in school, my husband in a demanding job, and me now working full-time, I’m finding…more than ever…that our Sunday prep day is THE key to a smooth and successful week. Recently, we added a few new things to our “Sunday Prep Sesh” so I thought I’d give a quick update!

Grocery Pickup

After a lot of experimenting, we’ve determined our Sundays flow best when we pick up our weekly groceries very first thing in the morning. So to ensure we get one of the earliest time slots, I now always put in my grocery order while I’m eating Saturday breakfast. Having all the groceries home and put away by 9am on Sundays not only frees up the rest of the day but also ensures we have the necessary ingredients for some of our other Sunday “chores.” See More: Pros & Cons of Online Grocery Shopping.

Laundry

For years, I have done our entire family’s laundry in one day. Well…that’s a bit misleading. We sort and start getting loads put through on Saturday after dinner, and then I fold everything on Sunday. With a good podcast on and no little helpers by my side, I can usually get everthing folded in just over an hour! See More: How I Do Our Entire Family’s Laundry in 1 Day.

Weekly Waffle Prep

My kids had fallen into a habit of eating “snacks” for breakfast (e.g., Z-bars, squeeze applesauce, etc). And while I was glad to have something in their bellies as they headed out the door, I knew we could do so much better.

While living in hotels over the summer, the boys thoroughly enjoyed hot, fresh waffles every morning (thanks to the hotel breakfast bar), so I brainstormed ways to replicate this at home. When I discovered Dash had a 4-count wafflemaker, I knew I had my answer.

Every Sunday, I now mix up a double batch of Bisquick and churn out about two dozen mini waffles. Every morning, my kids pop two waffles into the toaster, resulting in “fresh” homemade waffles in minutes. Not only do these waffles look and taste better than the freezer versions, but we can easily make our own modifications (e.g., chocolate chips, pumpkin, protein powder, etc). My boys are eagerly gobbling them up every morning, and I can rest a little easier knowing they are starting the day with warm, full bellies!

Sandwich Prep

Our previous schools had late start times, so we could enjoy slow, lazy mornings. I now put two kids on the bus by 7:45 and I drop the third off by 8. Which means everyone is up and out the door pretty fast. I can’t linger over making lunches, so I have re-started my forgotten habit of making a week’s worth of sandwiches on Sunday nights. Making 10 sandwiches isn’t much different than making one, and not having to pull out all the ingredients day after day is a serious time saver! My favorite tip though? Wrap each sandwich in parchment squares so they don’t stick to one another in the freezer. See More: Lunch Packing Tips & Tricks

Full-Home Vacuum

I don’t have the time to clean my home every weekend, but it’s AMAZING how different a freshly vacuumed space feels. We now set our robot vacuum to do the whole first floor every Sunday night after we head up to bed, and I swear it’s like waking up to a freshly cleaned home every Monday monring. See More: Is a Robot Vacuum Worth It? Our Real-Life Experience

October Favorites

Here are some finds I’m really using and loving this month!

1. The Dash 4-Count Waffle Maker – This is what I’m using to crank out our waffles every week. It takes a bit of practice to get the timing right, but this iron makes it so easy to whip out a lot of waffles fast.
2. Whiskware Pancake Batter Dispenser – Although it gives me quite the arm workout when I’m mixing up the batter, I love how cleanly I can fill up the waffle maker with this handy bottle.
3. Parchment Paper Squares Sheets – These are key to keeping a stack of PB&J sandwiches from sticking together in the freezer. This box is super economical, but you can also easily re-use sheets from week to week.
4. Flameless USB Rechargeable Lighter – With the weather turning colder, we are huddling up to the fire pit more and more. This small handy lighter is flameless, with a safety lock, and is rechargeable…so we’ll never run out of fire power!
5. MalloMe Marshmallow Roasting Sticks – We LOVE these extendable roasting sticks. They extend out super far (great for little kids who you want to keep away from the flames), and the color coding helps everyone know which stick is who’s.
6. Magical Flames Color Fire Packets – If you’re not using these for your outdoor fire pits, you’re missing out! Not that you need any more excuses to spend hours cozied up to a fire, but the colors are truly mesmerizing!

Ask Megan

You guys always ask the greatest questions, and I love learning what you all want to read more about. If you have any topics or questions you’d love to see me cover, submit them via the (anonymous) form below!

Thanks for being here and catching up with me this month!