Blog

My Blog about stuff – family, sports, travel, and cooking.

My blog is almost like my journal. I keep track of my kids’ various activities, from Taekwondo to Soccer to Band. I also spend time writing about our various travels, whether to family or one of the many soccer events we attend. You might also find a good recipe, or two!

Spring Break March 2026

Well, we made it to Spring Break! It’s something we all look forward to every year because there is no school, no getting up early, no soccer, just relaxing, right? Not so fast! This year, Braden went camping with Matthew and his family in Arkansas. Mike, Austin, and I went to Louisiana to…

Food Edition: Marinated Flank Steak & Coconut Curry Rice

This was a super tasty dish that the whole family enjoyed. It was also a simple dish to make and took just a few ingredients. Now, I did not have flank steak. But we did just receive a quarter of a cow, so I chose to use sirloin. It still came out fantastic…

Cleats by the Door

We’re always going.Practices. Games. Quick dinners in the car. Backpacks in the trunk. Shoes we can never find. When I saw that image on Facebook, I didn’t just relate to it. I felt it in my chest. Because this has been our life for almost fourteen years. Devin started soccer when he was four years…

Book Report: Survive the Night

This time, I chose another Riley Sager book, titled Survive the Night. It’s 1991. A college student, Charlie Jordan, accepts a ride home with Josh Baxter, a stranger she met on the campus ride board. She’s grieving the recent murder of her best friend by the so-called Campus Killer and needs to…

Using AI to Create a Weekly Meal Plan That Actually Works

Meal planning sounds simple. Until it is 4:30 pm, and you forgot to thaw the chicken. AI can take something that feels repetitive and make it easier in minutes. Step 1: Be Specific About Your Family Instead of saying “make a meal plan,” try: “Create a 7-day dinner meal plan for a family of five…

Book Report: Never Lie

For my next book, I chose Never Lie by Freida McFadden. Newlyweds Tricia and Ethan are searching for the house of their dreams. But when they visit a remote manor that once belonged to Dr. Adrienne Hale—a renowned psychiatrist who vanished without a trace four years earlier—a violent winter storm…

How I Use AI to Protect My Mental Energy

AI is not about efficiency alone. For me, it is about reducing cognitive load. Fewer Blank Pages Starting from scratch drains energy. Whether it is:A meal plan.A blog outline.A weekly schedule. AI gives me a draft. I refine it. That alone preserves focus. Decision Support When I feel stuck, I use…

Book Report: No Place Left to Hide

Up next is No Place Left to Hide by Megan Lally. Brooke has worked hard to rebuild her perfect life after “the incident” that nearly ruined it. With acceptance into her dream university, she’s ready for a fresh start—and celebrates at a class bonfire with her crush. But the night turns terrifying…

Book Report: The Inmate

For my next read, I chose The Inmate by Freida McFadden. Brooke Sullivan starts a new job as a nurse practitioner in a maximum-security prison, bound by three strict rules—especially never getting too close to the inmates. But Brooke has already broken them all. No one knows she shares a secret past…