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Nine Things I Learned in July {2019}

Nine Things I Learned in July {2019}

Posted on August 2, 2019 by Kendra Jernejcic • 0 Comments

I recently heard the Socrates quote, “The unexamined life is not worth living,” and I instantly knew that I had a new life mantra (to add to my vast library of life mantras, ha!). I’ve long held to the belief that regular examination and reflection are key components of intentional, purposeful living. When I take time to ponder how life is going, how I’m doing, and what I’m learning, I experience a renewed sense of meaning and feel empowered to face all that is ahead of me in the coming days, weeks, or even years.

This might sound pretentious, and sometimes it can be. But it is also a practice as prosaic as life itself. Not all examination will be earth-shattering, but even the smallest lessons and realizations can build upon each other to make a life that is worth living—and, for that matter, a blog post worth reading!

1. “A bit marmite” means “you either love it or hate it.”

A caller used this expression to describe a book on a podcast I was listening to, and I had to look up the phrase’s meaning. I’ve never had Marmite, so I don’t have an opinion on the condiment itself, but I adore this idiom and might need to add it to my vocabulary. (Though it might not sound as quaint coming from me, with my American accent.)

2. The Federal Aviation Administration recommends that children are secured in a government-approved car seat during a flight.

When preparing for our flight to California last month, we knew that we wanted to bring Charleston’s car seat along with us for convenience sake. And in doing a little research, we learned that car seat usage on planes is not only permissible, but recommended. However, the FAA has chosen not to mandate the use of an airplane car seat because it would force parents to purchase an additional ticket for their child, which may make air travel cost prohibitive for some families. Makes sense, but since Charleston is too old to lap-sit anyways, the decision to have him in his car seat on the plane was an easy one (and thankfully he loves his car seat, so he didn’t put up a fight).

3. Minivans are actually pretty awesome.

I’ve often said that I would never be a “Minivan Mom.” Nothing against other Minivan Moms, I just thought minivans weren’t for me. However, in moving from one kid to three, I’m facing the reality that a minivan is likely in my future. While we were staying with my parents in California, they rented a minivan so that all six of us could ride in one car, and I learned first hand that while a van might not be the sexiest vehicle, it’s really pretty great from a passenger’s perspective. Our Dodge van was extremely comfortable and very roomy, and I loved the convenience of the sliding doors. I’m not a complete convert yet, but I am no longer adamantly opposed to the idea of one day owning a van myself.

4. The U.K. recently appointed a Minister for Loneliness.

A 2017 study found that the United Kingdom is facing a loneliness crises. (I would argue that it isn’t just the U.K., but that this is a global issue.) Among other findings, researchers reported that about 200,000 older people in Britain had not had a conversation with a friend or relative in more than a month. To combat this issue, Britain plans to establish a method of measuring loneliness, then set up a fund to help the government and charities to develop a wider strategy for tackling the problem.

5. Taco Bell hot sauce can be purchased by the bottle.

I’m a gal who loves her hot sauce, especially during pregnancy. So I was thrilled to discover bottled Taco Bell hot sauce (one of my favorites) on the shelves of my HEB! I stock up on both the Hot and Fire varieties every week at the store, and have been pouring it over everything from roasted vegetables to eggs to popcorn. I’ve stopped short of drinking it straight from the bottle, but to be honest, I wouldn’t put it past me. . . .

6. We don’t actually own our eBooks.

I’m sure I’m not the only reader who assumed that dishing out $10 for an eBook meant that it was mine to keep. Sadly, this article disabused me of that notion. The reality that we don’t own these books was highlighted by the forthcoming demise of the Microsoft Store books section, which stopped new sales in early April and will soon start removing the books from devices (Microsoft will be offering a refund for books purchased and an extra $25 if the copies were annotated or marked up). Apparently, under the Digital Rights Management, when you purchase an eBook you are not buying a copy but a license that is subject to whatever restrictions the company empowered to issue that license would like to set. So if Amazon were to follow Microsoft in ceasing the sale of eBooks, my digital library would vanish.

7. Tom Hanks will be starring in a movie about Mister Rogers.

My favorite actor playing one of my childhood heroes? It doesn’t get much better than that. I can’t wait to see this, the trailer alone had me in tears (the good kind). And seriously, is there anything that Tom Hanks can’t pull off?!

8. Dropping nap time isn’t so bad.

Though many kids Charleston’s age are no longer napping, I felt sure that he still needed his daily nap: each day when nap time rolled around, he fell asleep quickly and would sleep for two or even three hours. Unfortunately, that meant it was getting harder and harder for him to fall asleep at night. After a string of nights when he wasn’t falling asleep until nearly midnight (despite having gone to bed hours before that), we decided to start skipping the nap and move up bedtime. I was worried that this would lead to some cranky evenings, so we did this with the stipulation that if Charleston started acting naughty or defiant at any point in the afternoon, he would immediately be sent to his room to rest. Charleston also agreed to take naps on days when we would be out late. We’ve been keeping with this routine for nearly two weeks now, and it’s gone better than I could have imagined! It’s nice to be able to go about our days without having to rush home for a nap, and our bedtime routine is now a breeze, with Charleston falling asleep the minute his head hits the pillow at night. There has also been no change to his morning wakeup time (he’s up at 7, no matter what). Amazingly, he’s been less cranky in the afternoons and evenings than I had anticipated. I do miss getting my own nap in during his nap time, but Charleston is old enough now to entertain himself for a while if I need to lie down to rest, and Luke and I have enjoyed having some time to ourselves in the evening once he goes to bed.

9. Shin guards are supposed to go UNDER the soccer socks.

Charleston attended soccer camp a few weeks ago, and since we aren’t a sports family, I had zero clue what I was doing regarding gear. The website said he needed shin guards, so I simply strapped them on over his socks, which seemed like the most comfortable way to wear them. I was so embarrassed when we showed up at camp and I saw that every other kid had their socks hiked up over their shin guards. That still doesn’t make sense to me, but the next day at camp and every day after that, we were sure to follow their example to avoid any further embarrassment.


What’s the most life-changing thing YOU have learned recently? I’d love to hear about it!

Filed Under: Reflections, Uncategorized
A Dozen Things I Learned In June {2019}

A Dozen Things I Learned In June {2019}

Posted on June 27, 2019 by Kendra Jernejcic • 0 Comments

June has been a full month, dominated by all things pregnancy and home as I trudge through my second trimester and we settle into our new house. With my time and brain space largely spoken for, it’s required concerted effort to step back and reflect on how I’m feeling, where I’m floundering, and what I… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Reflections
Eight Things I Learned in March

Eight Things I Learned in March

Posted on April 1, 2019 by Kendra Jernejcic • 0 Comments

As I mentioned in Friday’s monthly recap, March was a rather tumultuous month for our family. We have had a lot going on, with several big changes on the horizon and a number of important decisions that need to be made. To top it off, I haven’t been at my physical best lately. This month… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Reflections
Eleven Things I Learned in February {2019}

Eleven Things I Learned in February {2019}

Posted on February 27, 2019 by Kendra Jernejcic • 0 Comments

Why is it that January always feels like it’s approximately eleventy weeks long, and then February flies by in the blink of an eye? I was slightly worried at the start of this week when I realized February was drawing to a close and I needed (wanted) to write up this post. With February having… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Reflections
Twelve Things I Learned in October {2018}

Twelve Things I Learned in October {2018}

Posted on October 31, 2018 by Kendra Jernejcic • 0 Comments

Eek! It’s Halloween! Which means that October is over! This month’s end seems to have shown up out of nowhere, well ahead of my anticipated schedule. I’m not quite ready to dive into these last couple months of the year, but there’s no stopping time, so I guess we’re about ready to do this. First,… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Reflections
13 Things I Learned in September {2018}

13 Things I Learned in September {2018}

Posted on October 1, 2018 by Kendra Jernejcic • 0 Comments

I recently heard that the cells in your body replace themselves every seven years; in other words, we are literally different people today than we were seven years ago. It is impossible for us to remain stagnant. I am not someone who is comfortable with change. Even when those changes are positive ones, I recognize the loss… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Reflections
A Dozen(ish) Things I Learned in August {2018}

A Dozen(ish) Things I Learned in August {2018}

Posted on August 29, 2018 by Kendra Jernejcic • 2 Comments

We were out of town for the first week of this month, our biannual trip home to California. It’s interesting how traveling—getting out of our usual routines and spaces—can give us fresh eyes. It’s an unsung benefit of vacation, this accompanying shift of perspective. Even a trip to a place I’ve been numerous times before… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Reflections
Fifteen Things I Learned in July {2018}

Fifteen Things I Learned in July {2018}

Posted on August 1, 2018 by Kendra Jernejcic • 0 Comments

My mind has been all over the place this month—mostly good places, some not so good. With my mental energies concentrated on ideas that I need to keep to myself (at least for now), I was worried my safe-for-public-consumption What I Learned list would be somewhat anemic this month. Not so! When I opened up… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Reflections
Fourteen Things I Learned in May {2018}

Fourteen Things I Learned in May {2018}

Posted on May 29, 2018 by Kendra Jernejcic • 0 Comments

This past month, I read Sarah Mackenzie’s fantastic book The Read-Aloud Family. In one section, Sarah writes about how, when we read aloud to our kids, we plant seeds. Our job is simply to plant and nurture; “what the seeds grow into—what they become and how they nourish the life of your child—that’s a mystery both… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Reflections
A Dozen and One Things I Learned in April {2018}

A Dozen and One Things I Learned in April {2018}

Posted on April 27, 2018 by Kendra Jernejcic • 0 Comments

April has not been an easy month for our family. Nothing catastrophic has occurred, but the compounding effect of several smallish issues has left both Luke and me feeling overwhelmed and desperately in need of a break (with none in sight): Parenting has been hard, the hardest we’ve experienced in our 3+ years as Mom… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Reflections
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  • Hi, I’m Kendra! I am a follower of Jesus, an avid reader and podcast-listener, an Enneagram enthusiast, and a big fan of lists. Born and raised in Southern California, I am now living life in Austin, Texas, with my husband Luke, our son Charleston (2015), twins Sullivan and Kalinda (2019), and Arlo the Labradoodle. Thanks for visiting my blog!
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