FFFF #272 - Labor Day Weekend Recap, Dinners, Fails, and Potty Training

Hello friends!

Look at me, two weeks in a row for Friday Favorites! 🎉 I’ve got two new recipes photographed, but I’ve been busy updating some of my older posts and giving them a fresh new life. I’ll be reposting those soon! This week, I also whipped up a meal prep breakfast burrito that I cannot wait to share with you. (PS the meal plan will be live right after the kids go to bed tonight, need to update! Will post on Instagram once it's live!)

And I also failed hard core by attempting Banza pasta in the slow cooker. Do not do it.

I shared on Instagram that we’ve had a lot of changes going on lately, and I’m finally starting to feel like we’re settling into a new routine. With the school situation figured out, my in-laws back in town for grade-A backup, and my back on the mend, things are looking up over here. So naturally, it’s the perfect time to throw life back into chaos… by starting potty training...

Potty Training This Weekend

This will be my third time tackling potty training. With my first, things started out great—he caught on quickly—but two weeks later came the regressions. He had accidents almost daily for a year, which earned him the nickname Mr. Dribbles since he still uses the bathroom more than anyone else, especially when he’s nervous or excited. Luckily, poop was never an issue. In the end, I had to escalate the bribery game—bigger rewards, spaced further apart—just to keep him moving forward.

My second was a different story. He did great with his little stash of mini M&Ms. We had a few hiccups, including a short stint where hard poops made him afraid, but overall, it was pretty smooth sailing.

So now, with one kid at each end of the potty-training spectrum, I’m understandably nervous about round three. That said, she’s showing all the signs of readiness—she communicates well, can (unfortunately) take her clothes on and off, and is genuinely curious about the potty. At 28 months, she’s actually a month older than KK was when he trained with few issues.

I hear girls are supposed to be easier, but knowing she’s as stubborn as her mama, I’m hoping we’re not the exception to that rule. Still, with three potty-training runs under my belt, I think I’m more relaxed this time around—so maybe that will help keep things light. Wish me luck!

I put together a list of all my potty training tride and true stuff here! It's got my favorite tools for all three kids, now with both boys and girls stuff!

Coconino County Fair

One of the reasons I held off on potty training was so we could make it to the fair first! We’re so blessed that my aunt and uncle live up north because every year we get to go to their small-town fair. The big Maricopa County Fair is just too much for me, but this one is the perfect size—and the kids absolutely love it!

My uncle came through with some much-needed grown-up rewards after the kids went to bed that night. 🍷✨

The next day we went to the Flag art fair and farmers market!

I bought sourdough bread and some 25 year aged balsamic vinegar.

Labor Day Birria

Labor Day was busy but so much fun! My in-laws came back from their trip to Poland, and we got to hear all about their adventures. They’re actually coming over again tonight for a photo slideshow, which I’m really looking forward to—Poland is definitely on my top five places I’d love to visit!

The next day I went bra shopping with my bestie, and here’s a little PSA: always check online prices! The bras we picked out were $20 cheaper online than in the store, and thanks to her checking, they actually honored the price match. I had no idea that was even a thing!

We wrapped up the day back at her house with homemade birria tacos. All of her recipes come straight from her grandma, and this one was incredible. She even offered to share it for the blog—would you guys be interested? I know Hungry Hobby isn’t an authentic Mexican food blog, but trust me, it was too good not to share. She also said she’d teach me how to make her grandma’s Mexican rice, so maybe I can convince her to guest blog, too. 😉

Dinners This Week

This week has been a total scramble for dinners. Ask me what we’re eating tonight… I have no idea. 😅 It happens to the best of us—especially after my Banza slow cooker fail. Thankfully, I managed to salvage it by cooking up fresh pasta and broccoli, then adding in the chicken I had set aside from the slow cooker before things went downhill. Crisis (mostly) averted!

Tuesday and Thursday we ate Butcher Box breaded cod over cauliflower rice with green onions and cilantro lime dressing. Honestly, we both agreed we could eat that every single day! I’m even contemplating turning it into a recipe—even though it’s barely one. 😂

Fitness

I’ve been doing a lot of walking lately and just got the green light to start lifting again soon—movement makes me so happy! Hopefully it won’t take me six months to rebuild my strength, but if it does, it does. I’m just grateful to be moving again.

I did have to replace my shoes, though. After dealing with some weird knee and foot pain, I finally flipped them over and realized how worn down they were. 🤦🏻‍♀️ I average over 10K steps a day and pretty much live in my tennis shoes, so they usually last me about six months. These were going on nine!

I’ve worn Brooks Glycerins for the last 10 years (except one random year when they changed the design and I had to pair them with custom orthotics from Trimotus). Speaking of which, if you’ve ever dealt with pain anywhere from your low back down, my number one recommendation is to see Dr. K and get yourself orthotics. These aren’t your average orthotics—they’re a game changer. I shared the whole process of replacing my 8-year-old pair a couple of years ago in my Instagram highlights (@hungryhobbyRD) if you want to check it out!