Meghan Kowalski
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Just Good Things: July 18, 2025

7/18/2025

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I'm on day three of my tiny staycation. I've done mostly nothing (except for a few must do tasks). It's been nice being lazy.

Here's what else was good this week:
  • The cleaners visited and our home looks spick and span
  • Getting a professional headshot taken
  • Cold showers after super humid days
  • Enjoying a pedicure with the kiddo and friends
  • Finding rainbow/unicorn things for our kiddo's party
  • Being able to walk to a few bakeries
  • Had dinner out with a friend
  • Chatting with new colleagues
  • The Tour de France

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What I've Been Reading: July 17, 2025

7/17/2025

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The Office BFFs: Tales of The Office from Two Best Friends Who Were There
Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey

I needed to make some room on my non-fiction shelf, but I wasn't in the mood to read anything serious. A recap of my favorite TV show fit the bill. This book is written just like the Office Ladies​ podcast. It's a back and forth between the two friends and hosts. As a book, I don't love it. But, the casual nature is fitting my need for an easy read. If you enjoy the podcast, you'll like the book. I like that they included a lot of pictures.

*Books shared here are affiliate links for Bookshop.org

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Now on My TBR: July 14, 2025

7/14/2025

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My mood seems to be romantasy and highly practical material.
Y​ou can see my complete TBR list on Pinterest.
​
*Items featured here are Bookshop.org affiliate links.
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The Weekly Wrap: July 13, 2025

7/13/2025

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On Friday, while waiting for our kiddo's bus to summer camp, I found a maple leaf seed on the ground. I called the kiddo over and showed her how to break it in half, split it open, and wear it on her nose. She thought it was hysterical and walked back to her friends saying, "I'm an elephant."

When I logged on to work afterwards, I told my colleagues about how I had passed on this classic childhood activity. But, what I thought was common knowledge turned out to be regional lore. Not a single one of my colleagues had ever heard of this. To quote one of them, "must be a northern thing ;)"

Of the group of us who were online at the time, I was the only one who had spent time in the Northeast, where maple trees are common. It turns out this little moment was just a small, sweet piece of local culture. The kind of thing passed from kid to kid, or parent to kid. It made me wonder how many of our childhood memories are shaped not just by age, but by geography. Things that are common for some kids are complete unknowns to others, even if they were growing up at the same time.

What did you grow up doing that you thought everyone knew but later realized might be specific to your hometown area?

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  • How to use AI at work to catch up when you come back from vacation. [Lauren McGoodwin]
  • "Male rage is being coddled, voiced, and shown on TV, but what of my rage? My loss of rights? My own stupid chair." [Men Yell at Me]
  • Just a delightfully cute, good news story. [WaPo - gift link]
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  • The Scopes trial was real, but it was also staged. [Short Wave]
  • For love of a stinky cheese. [Atlas Obscura]
  • Your passion made need a new outlet. [Hidden Brain]
  • Food deserts are a policy choice. [99% Invisible]
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  • I was hoping that The Old Guard would get a sequel. Sadly, The Old Guard 2 is not nearly as good as the first. It's more convoluted. It adds characters and world building to an almost  unnecessary level. While it was a fine Friday night watch, I wish they had streamlined the storytelling. [Netflix]
  • I'm so glad it's Tour de France season. Most nights, we turn on the rewatch of that day's route. While we do fast forward through some of the lulls in action (so as not to go to bed at midnight), it's fun to see the team strategy and bursts of action. Also, I love that the announcers do call out local sights and fun things happening along the road.  As for the riders, I've taken to Quinn Simmons. He's just so American it's almost painful. I appreciate that, on the day he decided to go for it, he put is hair back. [Peacock]
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  • Panzanella has been on my list of meals to make for years. I finally made it during this recent heat wave. It was the perfect meal for the weather. I loved the flavor but it did feel like a side dish. It would have been nice paired with some grilled chicken. Next time, I'll also cut the bread cubes a bit smaller. Finally, the recipe I used did not call for vinegar. I tossed in a few tablespoons of red wine vinegar because I thought the recipe needed it. I was right. [Skinny Taste]
  • We found a new recipe the kiddo will eat with no changes! Pasta with peas and bacon - easy, simple, and tasty. I didn't use enough pasta water so things were a bit dry but, otherwise, this was fantastic. [Budget Bytes]
  • For my lunch meal prep, I chopped up bell pepper and feta chickpea salad. It was good but on the light side when spread across three meals. I would have added another pepper and can of chickpeas. Alternatively, this might have been tasty stuffed into a pita. [Eating Well]
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Just Good Things: July 11, 2025

7/11/2025

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The Husband and I both work at home on Fridays. I managed to swipe the last of the coffee from the pot. Win! (Don't worry, we make plenty for both of us.)

Here's what else made me happy this week:
  • Kiddo's joy at riding a special executive bus back from camp
  • Tour de France time
  • Using white noise to block out the background while reading
  • Made it home before the rain hit this week
  • Fixing some coding turned out to be easier than planned
  • Chopped a lot of my hair off
  • Kiddo turned her room into a lemonade stand
  • Colleagues sharing blep pictures of their cats
  • Made panzanella for the first time

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Kid Reads: July 10, 2025

7/10/2025

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I read a lot of books with my kiddo. Kid Reads is a biweekly look at what we've enjoyed recently
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Thea Stilton and the Mystery in Paris

At this rate, kiddo just might read the entirety of this series by the end of the year. This was one of the shorter books, but the mystery was fun (if a bit obvious). Kiddo is getting really emotionally invested in these characters which is charming to see. ​I like that there are insets and pages set aside to tell historical and cultural facts.
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The Weekly Wrap: July 6, 2025

7/6/2025

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Anyone else feel like they can never fully get sunscreen off?

In the summer, I basically drown myself (and the kid) in sunscreen. We put on a layer before we go out. We reapply every two hours, if we're staying out. By the time we end up back inside, my skin feels like it's been spackled. Between the layers of sunscreen, sweat, and whatever else random stuff has adhered to us, I feel gross until I've showered.

Problem is, many days, it feels like a shower is not enough. I do at least two rounds of soap. I gently scrub my face a few times. But it always feels like I've missed something - particularly along my hair line. Even though I know I'm clean, it still seems like there's an invisible thin layer of sunscreen hanging on.

Now, my problem might be that I prefer lotion sunscreen. I think it provides better coverage. Spray is great, but I am that person applying the recommended shot glass of sunscreen to their skin. I like being able to see it rub into my skin.

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  • Companies count on us giving up. In fact, they design their support systems that way. [The Atlantic - gift link]
  • Bruh. [NPR]
  • Make some noise! [The Atlantic - gift link]
  • Recalibrating for rest. [A Cup of Ambition]
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  • The changing EV landscape. [Up First]
  • Tips to make your money work harder. [Life Kit]
  • The problems that arise when the population falls. [The Indicator]
  • Cigars, reading, and revolution. [Atlas Obscura]
  • The longest conclave. [Noble Blood]
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  • I put on To Catch a Killer thinking it would be a pretty straight forward crime action flick. The fact that Shailene Woodley headlines should have made me realize it was more of a drama. It was quite methodical in it's storytelling. Lots of stuff happens wordlessly. My main complaint is that one character has such a gravelly voice he was impossible to understand without captions. I do appreciate that this didn't take a 100% positive view of law enforcement. It showed a lot of behind the scenes turf politics and gamesmanship. [Netflix]
  • We blasted through The Decameron in less than a week. This is a romance-action-comedy set during a medieval plague in Italy. While parts were a bit slow, this one was fun. The characters and acting were a hoot. Lots of great comedic time and facial expressions. Also, gorgeous costuming and design. If you're expecting something close to the book, don't. This is only very loosely inspired. [Netflix]
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  • For my lunch meal prep, I brought back a personal favorite I haven't made in a long time, Spanish chickpeas and rice. The rice always takes longer to cook than the recipe says, but the end result is tasty. Use smoked paprika in this one. It make a difference. Also, I didn't bring a lemon to squeeze on the dish after I reheated it and I missed the zip of acid. [Budget Bytes]
  • I tried 20-minute summer sauté for the first time. This was, indeed, a 20-minute dish - prep work included. I love things that are basically piles of vegetables with some meat thrown in. I wish I had heeded the recipe note to add feta. That salty tang would have sent this one over the top. We did use a balsamic drizzle over our bowls. That was nice, but I still wanted cheese.  [What to Cook When You Don't Feel Like Cooking]
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Just Good Things: July 4, 2025

7/4/2025

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We spent the vast majority of the day at the pool. While we weren't able to nab any lounge chairs, we at least were able to grab a spot to drop our stuff on the deck. Plus, kiddo spends most of her time in the water anyway. 

Here's what else was good over the past week:
  • The heat wave passed
  • Tried Rita's for the first time, and now I get the hype. It's delicious and decadent!
  • Spent a day at Baltimore's Inner Harbor with friends we don't see enough
  • Summer camp leaving our kiddo happy exhausted
  • My mammogram and annual skin check came back clear (Get your preventative care, folks!)
  • Our new AC unit is working great
  • Made a lot of headway in a book I need to read for work
  • Opting out of the fireworks tonight which means I'm already cozy in my PJs... and about to open a bottle of wine

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What I've Been Reading: July 3, 2025

7/3/2025

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The Diamond Eye
Kate Quinn

I restarted this last night as I wait for another library hold to come in. I've, essentially, been reading this novel in fits and spurts in-between my library holds. Even with that stilted process, I've been able to get into the story and remember details. Quinn is quite skilled in immersive storytelling. In the past chapter, the book has pivoted into it's final third. I have absolutely no idea how this story will wrap up and that excites me.

*Books shared here are affiliate links for Bookshop.org

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The Weekly Wrap: June 23, 2025

6/29/2025

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Our kiddo wrapped up her first week of summer camp. To say she’s had fun would be an understatement. Swimming every day is still her favorite thing, but she’s had a blast with all of the other camp activities. She comes home hot, tired, and full of smiles. Getting prepped for camp every day is a little more work on us, but it’s entirely worth it to experience this joy. 

In just one week, I have learned a few things:
  • Sending in a frozen water bottle with her lunch was an excellent choice. It kept her lunch cold during the heat dome AND I didn't have to worry about losing an ice pack.
  • Adding one extra day of laundry to our calendar is annoying but necessary.
  • Pretty much any surface in the house can be used to line dry things.
  • Having a printed packing list by the door is clutch.
  • Putting the kiddo straight in the tub when we get home made bedtime so much easier.
  • Leaving the empty lunchbox and water bottle on the counter overnight reminded us to fill and send them in each day.
  • Buying a towel for every day of the week was a good idea.
  • Using really good, waterproof name labels and keeping them handy has made tagging things far easier.

Do you have any summer camp tips?

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  • Where to get reliable information about vaccines if you now have a (reasonable) distrust of government information. [WaPo - gift link]
  • Bring some boredom into your life. [Embedded]
  • Maybe viral foods aren't always about the taste. [i-D]
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  • The changing history of lifeboats. [99% Invisible]
  • Voices of trans rights. [Code Switch]
  • The secretive history of being gay in DC. [City Cast DC]
  • AI has a biased hiring model? I'm shocked. [The Academic Minute]
  • When economic journalists go head to head. [Planet Money]
  • Where funding for science is being cut. [The Daily]
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  • Well this is mesmerizing. [Boxlapse]
  • We watched the entirety of newest season of Clarkson's Farm. It's still delightful but the last episodes were more pub heavy than farm heavy. I get why that happened but I really wanted to see how farm life wrapped up. Those final shows felt more like Restaurant Impossible than anything else. That said, this show continues to be both entertaining and informative. [Amazon Prime]
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  • This week was mostly familiar favorites and leftovers. One new recipe I made was chicken avocado BLT wraps. This was easy and delicious during the heat wave. We sous vided the chicken which kept cooking to simply baking the bacon. I highly recommend going with a hearty thick cut style. That gives the wraps some heft. We served our wraps with some leftover shoestring fries. [Eating Well]
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