Category: Family

Before becoming officially Mrs. FM I always enjoyed riding a bike, and Mr. FM is even more enamored with bicycle riding. Back in 2006 or so, I didn’t keep great records of big purchased back then, I went to a fancy bike shop and bought my first adult bike.

My big girl bike was a basic blue Schwinn cruiser, with a big comfortable seat and a basket on the front. I knew nothing about bikes, researching bikes, or gears and the like. I was a biking amateur. All I knew is that I wanted a comfortable seat and $400+ later I shoved a bike into my tiny Accent and drove home with Chris squished in the front. From there my foray into the world of adult biking began.

At that time, we lived in a relatively okay area for biking, though the roads were all rather high-speed town or county roads, with few shoulders, and lots of traffic. The food store was down a huge hill and up another major hill, so the ride home always was a walk because with 1 gear and straight up there was no way I could get myself and gallons of milk up safely. I also worked nearby, about a 10-mile roundtrip commute and my goal was to ride to work on a regular basis, as well as to the food store and oftentimes, even to the gym. Continue reading…

I’ve been busying preparing for our summer vacation by reading Marie Kondo’s book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. I know, it sounds super fun to spend your summer decluttering the house, right?

I’m surprised to find myself relating to her childhood, as I often was told my bedroom looked like a hotel room. I’d ebb and flow from collecting items to place all around my room, to clearing it all out (either donating it or storing it in a bin in the closet) to make it simple, empty, and tidy. I love a tidy space and I despise clutter.

Our current home has become an untidy place, in my mind, as to all of the things we’ve either brought with us from our old home, accumulated while living here, or have been given over the years. I have a hard time saying no to freebies, most often finding a way to utilize something we’ve been offered. Over time, though, we’ve built up quite the collection of items that might better serve someone else; especially when it comes to children’s toys and clothing. Continue reading…