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September 19, 2025

5 on a Friday: Four Day Work week, New Cookbook, Line a Day Journal, Frugal Kids Clothing Win

This week feels weird because I was off work on Monday but I am working today, rather than having my normal Friday childcare day.  I was supposed to take a ladies mountain biking course but it got canceled and since I'm out of annual leave (I had 42 days of holiday to use up this year, don't feel bad for me) I decided to work instead.  I do not feel like taking a biking course today, and I am a little excited to hopefully have a quiet Friday in work.  

I am somewhat considering whether I take Mondays off in the future to get my quiet Fridays every week, but for now I've finally stopped iterating my childcare and I think I should leave it as it is.  Fridays and Mondays off both have perks.

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We got a new (second hand) cookbook that I am loving right now:


The recipes are for toddlers & families, I would eat anything from this book!

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My clothing organization system came in super handy this week.  Lily needed school dresses (not the blue one above, that's the summer dress.  The winter dresses are grey) so  I ordered some dresses and tights online (£50 for 6 dresses and 10 tights) but then remembered we definitely had some in one of the clothing boxes.  I had packed away the size 5-6 clothes (she just turned 5 but is so TALL) and when I got the box out I found so many dresses and tights! I cancelled the order and got £50 back.

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I haven't mentioned my Line A Day Journal in a while.  I am on year 5 of a 5 year journal I have decided that I don't like it right now.  I'm not filling it out at all.  Things I don't like about it:

  • It makes me realize that we have been in a tough stage of young kids years for a long time, with a lot of kids
  • It makes me realize that certain times I thought were not tough actually were tough
  • I don't like revisiting our chaotic childcare situation from this time last year
  • I don't like revisiting 2021 covid weirdness (we were basically still in lockdown 5 years ago.  Post-vaccine. that seems nuts.)
  • I generally don't feel good or happy when I read any of the previous entries.  Sure, there are tidbits of joy (thought I can't think of any) but it's mostly a slog
  • I'm super disinclined to write anything now because I know that future me won't read it.  Previous years I thought I was writing something that might bring out profound life understanding... but this year it just seems pointless.
However - I think the concept is good! It has helped me learn some things, for instance illnesses last two weeks (not 2 days like I expect).  I'm generally sad in November.  I did not realize either of these things until I did line a day project.

Where does this leave me? I think I will do a new line a day journal starting next year.  The best year in my line a day is the January when Lily was 2 until I got pregnant with twins... so hopefully starting a journal when the twins are 2 and then *not* getting pregnant will make for better life reading.

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Peloton algorithm made me laugh last week with the following suggestion after my 60 minute run:
A quick 75 minute run? No thank you.

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If you could have one day a week off work what day would you choose? Have you ever tried a line a day journal? Would you take a quick 5 minute stretch or a quick 75 minute run?

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5 comments:

  1. ElisabethSeptember 19, 2025 at 5:06 PM

    5 minute stretch ALL THE WAY. I am such a wuss about exercise.

    I absolutely love the feeling of finding something I need in the kids storage bins. Neither of them get many hand-me-downs, but sometimes I'll find a great deal at a thrift store for something and set it aside for later and it's like a fun surprise to discover it down the road when they've grown into it.

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    1. RachelSeptember 20, 2025 at 6:18 AM

      I *should* do more quick 5 minute stetches!

      I also sometimes put stuff in the "future boxes" - I found a super cute thrift store shirt that was too big for Lily and I'm excited for her to wear it next year. And I just pulled out a bunch of 7-8 things for Ezra that I picked up second hand. We don't have many friends giving us stuff for Ezra, but most people we know were done with babies by the time we had the twins so we have been hand-me-down lucky there!

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  2. K @ TSSeptember 19, 2025 at 5:37 PM

    75 minute post run cool down? Haha. I think if you wanted two hours of running you would have done that in the first place!

    I liked having Friday off (or WFH) because I could leave early for weekend activities, but I am guessing you are not doing that!

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    1. RachelSeptember 20, 2025 at 6:15 AM

      I do get almost every day as WFH so I guess that makes the "day off" decision a bit easier actually.

      When I lived in the states I used to take so many 1/2 day fridays so I could fly somewhere for the weekend / do something awesome. Now... not so much.

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  3. SanSeptember 20, 2025 at 7:00 AM

    Hahaha, Peloton suggestions are ridiculous sometimes (although, right now it's not giving me any suggestions anymore... must be a glitch! Or maybe, they've given up because I already have my 5 min stretch scheduled LOL)

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