If you go over there, you’ll find my ratings and reviews and maybe some hot takes about books I’ve read or want to read. I’m not trying to become a Bookstagramer, but have my little place just to talk about books.

(And, I won’t lie, this gives me the ability to feel slightly less weird telling people about this blog as it won’t feature pics of men without their shirts on. Well, rarely that. I won’t make promises.)

I’m finally here to share my favorite non-alcoholic alternatives to standard liquors. You’ll notice a huge hole in my lists: vodka. Thing is, why would we want an alternative given the ideal vodka is tasteless and colorless? You’re not going to be able to easily replicate the “burn” of vodka so no one’s really tried to do so.

Please keep in mind that alcoholic alternatives don’t have alcohol. (Well, duh, Angela!) Alcohol, in addition to the effects we all know of, also has two properties you’ll not have when it’s removed from your drinks: 1) they’ll freeze SOLID, and 2) they won’t last very long. Most N/A liquors only last 3 months after they’ve been opened and are highly recommended to be kept in the fridge, never the freezer.

One-for-One Replacements

When people first switch to non-alcoholic drinks, they often are looking for direct replacements of their favorite liquors. While the big brands are slowly creating N/A replacements, they are pretty few and far between. Thankfully, several companies make them.

Here’s my favorites:

• Tequila: Ritual Agave Spirit Alternative

• White rum: Lyre’s White Can Spirit

• Dark/spiced rum: Caleno Dark and Spicy

• Bourbon/whiskey: Lyre’s American Malt and Spiritless Kentucky 74

• Orange liquor: Dhos Orange

I haven’t listed a few things (apertif for a spritz, gin, coffee liquor) as I just don’t care for any version of those but, don’t worry, mocktails subreddit has some thoughts, I’m sure.

Alternatives and Mixers

There are also a number of liquor-like beverages and mixers that are great for making mocktails. If you’re setting up a mocktail bar, you’ll want to have these on hand.

• Bitters: Most bitters contain a small amount of alcohol but All the Bitter sells a variety of bitters which contain none at all but still have great flavor.

• Seedlip: I don’t even know how to describe these, as they’re not a direct replacement for anything nor are they a mixer, really. I love the Grove and Spice flavors the best.

• Grenadine: Yes, your local grocery store will sell Rose’s for $5 but there are many fancy alternatives. Look for either grenadine or pomegranate syrup (NOT pomegranate molasses which is pomegranate juice boiled and thickened so has no additional sugars).

• Verjus: You may see this listed as non-alcoholic wine but it’s actually the grape juice used to make wine BEFORE it’s been fermented (rather than made into wine then has the alcohol removed).

Acknowledging the Elephant

The “there aren’t any good N/A reds” elephant, that is. Maybe a baby elephant more than an adult one but still need to point out its presence. I won’t lie, there’s only a couple of N/A red wines I’ve actually enjoyed so those will be few and far between in my recommendations. See what Wine Enthusiast recommends its recent red N/A wine roundup; not all of the bottles on their list are available in the US but those that are have prices around $30. Serious Eats likes Proxies Red Ember ($28, link to The Zero Proof) best while NY Times Wirecutter likes Noughty Rouge ($31.99, link to Amazon with no referral code) and Studio Null Prickly Red ($34, link to the wine maker with no referral code).

DC Area Shops

Living in a major metropolitan area certainly has its perks. Each of the following stores have a handful of N/A wine options and will be happy to help you find a new favorite.

Norm’s Beer and Wine (136 Branch Rd., SE Vienna, VA 22180)

Norm’s is a tiny store with lots of inventory. Check out their N/A wines as well as their great selection of N/A beer. Stock rotates frequently but is often updated in the online inventory.

Wine Gallery 108 (108 North Saint Asaph Street, Alexandria, VA 22314)

The N/A wine section at Wine Gallery 108 is slowly growing as demand increases. They actually hosted a No/Low Alcohol event last weekend. I have a special love of this place as they offer up their second floor space for small businesses which are just starting out or waiting for their permanent space to be refurbished (like Friends to Lovers, the romance bookstore, after their major fire just after opening).

Honorable Mention: Le Vin (1218 King St. Alexandria, VA 22314)

The owners have told me they intend to carry N/A wines as soon as they find one available from their distributors that meets the staff’s high standards. Given the quality of their regular wines, I’d expect these to be outstanding but average around the $40 price point.

Favorites from Big Box Stores

While your local grocery store may not have an N/A wine section, you probably have a big box outlet like Total Wine or BevMo that’ll have a number of options. Trying to find where N/A wine is at a grocery store? I’ve seen them next to Kosher and specialty wines, single-serving and boxes leaded wines, with mixers and drink additives like grenadine and tonic water, and by the bottled fruit juice. If your grocery store has an app that’s aisle-specific, that’ll be your best bet for locating them as, very often, store employees even know N/A wines exist.

I’ve listed these from roughly cheapest to most expensive, using my local Total Wine’s (TW) prices as a guide which is listed after each:

• Fre Chardonnay ($8.99)

  • Tasting notes from TW: Rich, creamy apple flavors mingle with crisp citrus notes on the palate, leading to an enjoyably tart finish.

  • Target, CVS, 7-11, and many grocery stores carry this one in the DC area.

• Sea Glass Pinot Grigio Non-Alcoholic ($10.49)

  • Tasting notes from me: Very similar to a leaded Pinot Grigio with crisp, white fruit flavors without being overly sweet.

    • Be sure to purchase the N/A as a leaded version is also available.

• St. Regis Chardonnay ($11.99)

  • Tasting notes from TW: delicate aromas of apples and pears on the nose and palate framed with subtle touches of toasty oak

  • This is another wine I’ve often seen at grocery stores though less commonly than Fre products.

• St. Regis Rose ($11.99)

  • Tasting notes from TW: Aromas of strawberries and raspberries extend to the palate which lead to a soft pleasant finish

  • Like the Chardonnay, I’ve often seen these at grocery stores.

• Giesen Sauvignon Blanc ($11.89)

  • Tasting notes from TW: Delicious citrus flavors followed by distinct blackcurrant & passionfruit notes define this premium Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. Finishes crisp & dry with juicy brightness.

  • Giesen also makes leaded wines so be sure to look for the large 0% or Dealcoholized on the label. It appears as if the leaded versions also list their name in italics, though I wouldn’t rely on that alone.

  • I’ve often seen this in the DC area at Whole Foods and Wegmans but rarely at standard grocery stores.

• Giesen Pinot Gris ($11.99)

  • Tasting notes from TW: Aromatically expressive, crisp, and refreshing, with varietal characteristics you know & love

• Giesen Rose ($11.99)

  • Tasting notes from me: This is most similar to a light rose from southern France though a bit more fruit and less dry. Great for a hot day with a mild-flavored meal.

• Giesen Premium Red Blend ($11.99)

  • Tasting notes from Giesen: Crushed red berries and plum offset by toasted oak on the palate combine to give a light and refreshing option with classic structure and fine, powdery tannins on the finish.

  • This wine is made from Merlot grapes that are from a mixture of vineyards and perhaps years, as well.

  • This wine has a great explanation as to how it’s made a bit down the page on the Giesen site about it here.

• Josh Cellars Sparkling ($13.99)

  • Tasting notes from TW: Vibrant and refreshing with aromas of pear, citrus and green apple

  • This is my favorite sparkling non-alcoholic wine I can easily find at local stores. I’m hopeful this may mean Josh decides it’s worth making their other wines in N/A versions.

  • I’ve found this at Target, Whole Foods, and Total Wine.

• St. Regis Secco ($14.99)

  • Tasting notes from TW: Well balanced and structured, it is marked by intense fruit notes, including nutmeg and delicate white flowers

  • I’ve only found this at Total Wine in the DC area

• Giese Sparkling Brut ($16.99)

  • Tasting notes from me: Slightly sweeter sparkling when you want to celebrate with a little extra sweetness.

  • I’ve found this at Whole Foods, Wegmans, and Total Wine in the DC area.

• Luminara Chardonnay ($18.99)

  • Tasting notes from TW: Rich tropical aromas, a palate of Fuji apples and lemon cream

  • When I find this, I buy the store out or get a case, whichever is less. My absolute favorite N/A wine. (The Springfield, VA store is currently sold out because of me - sorry!)

• Noughty Sparkling Rose ($21.99)

  • Tasting notes from TW: Aromas of fresh berries with the perfect balance between sweetness and acidity

  • I’ve only found this at Total Wine in the DC area

Coming Soon - Non-alcoholic versions of liquors (including why you’ll never see an N/A vodka)

Now, lots of people are doing monthly challenges like Dry January or Sober October or deciding they’re done with hangovers and regrets so moving to a sober or “sober curious” (gag!) lifestyle. I’ve meant to share my recommendations in one place for years and am finally taking the time to do so in a way that’s more organized than me “here’s what you can get at <a store I know well> that’s worth drinking and isn’t insanely expensive.”

Over the next few posts, I’m going to share my favorite N/A versions of beer, wine, and liquor alternatives. I’m not going to recommend any pre-made mocktails as I find most are disappointing. Thankfully, others have shared their recommendations over on Reddit and The Kitchn.

Before I Begin

Let’s do a little FAQs before we really jump in, though I will be sharing my favorite N/A beers for I sign off.

Why Bother?

Let’s get it all off our chests before I go into my recommendations: Yes, there is a “point” to drinking non-alcoholic versions of normally alcoholic drinks. If you were drinking just for the alcoholic effects, then you’re not the market for anything I’m going to tell you about and you may want to evaluate your relationship to alcohol.

Why I choose to drink non-alcoholic alternatives:

• I’m not truly sober, avoiding alcohol consumption because I’m an alcoholic or have a problematic relationship to alcohol, so it’s not a trigger for me.

• It helps me feel more a part of a party or event. Yes, it’s not fun to be the only sober person around when people get past buzzed, but I can hang for much longer with a similar drink.

• It’s more exciting than another soda, seltzer, or water. I love me some Diet Coke and water is always a good thing, but I get tired of them.

• It’s the ritual of a cold drink after a hard day, to celebrate an occassion or goal being reached, or because I just feel like having one. I know that there is very little alcohol in any of these N/A drinks but just pouring an ice cold one into a glass and having a sip relaxes me.

• They often taste very close to (what I remember of) the taste of the real thing.

How’s This Stuff Made?

Thankfully, people in the industry are happy to share all about the various processes they use. Boisson explains N/A beer and N/A wine; they’re also a great resource to actually get your hands on N/A products if you’d like to buy online. N/A alternatives to liquors are much more closely held as to the “how it’s made” side of things; most companies will tell you they craft the flavors to mimic the real thing rather than making an alcoholic version then removing the alcohol like most N/A beer and wine.

Why’s It Still Expensive?

See the “How’s This Stuff Made” answer. In short, there’s no less equipment, time, skill, or attention to detail required to make N/A versions. Sometimes, they even cost a smidge more because of the high cost of specialized equipment. The Zero Proof offers a much more elegant explanation here. Poke around their site for lots of recommendations on N/A alternatives though I will note their recommendations don’t trend to the cheaper side of things.

Non-Alcoholic Beer

The Original Craft N/A: Athletic Brewing Company

If your state sells alcohol in grocery stores/Target, you’ve probably seen one of their beer for sale. They’re the largest N/A only brewery in the world and one of the fastest growing, overall. Their two flagship beers are their IPA (Run Wild) and Golden Ale (Upside Dawn), but they’ve always got at least a dozen others for sale on their website. If you join the club for a nominal fee, you get a discount, access to member-only releases, and other fun things.

Note if you’re ordering this one out - I’ve often seen their offerings reduced to just the company name or the style, so be sure to ask to see the can or, if you’re familiar with their offerings, the color of the can before committing.

My favorites: Run Wild, Free Wave (Hazy IPA), Athletic Lite, and Witt’s Peak (Belgian Style White)

Others I Recommend

Well Being Brewery was another of the first craft breweries though this St. Louis-based company is far smaller than Athletic. I love everything they currently sell from their red ale to wheat beer. Use their store finder to see if you can pick some up near you, though they also ship to most states. Most Total Wine stores either regular carry it or can order for you.

Partake is a Canadian brewer who does only N/A beers. I’ve seen these for sale in my area (Mid-Atlantic) but also in Canada and places up near the border. Most of their beers tend to be a lighter flavor so great if you’re not into all sorts of hops or malt flavor. I like their Pale the best, especially on a hot summer day or as beer to drink without a meal.

Brewdog is a UK juggernaut that offers both leaded (alcoholic) and N/A beers world-wide. Most of their N/A beers have names that end with AF that always makes me giggle a little. Their selection changes some over time, so be sure to check in often if you like their stuff. My favorite is their Punk AF. Their Cold AF is entirely new to me, but I hope to check it out locally soon.

Finally, a big local favorite here in the DC area is Aslin that has made several N/A brews - a sour, an IPA, and a stout - though they tend to sell out fast. If your near one of their locations (DC area , VA Beach, and Pittsburgh), you can check out Pick Up to see what they’ve got. There’s also a general Distribution page for locating their offerings, in general. We go to their Alexandria location probably every two weeks as they have amazing food, are kid-friendly, and are happy to have folks hang out however long they’d like.

And Some More

I’ve had beers from most of these companies but they weren’t to my liking, though highly recommended by others. Worth checking out if they make styles you enjoy and you can get nearby.

• Deschutes is a traditional brewery that also makes a handful of N/A beers

• Best Day Brewing only makes N/A beers

• Untitled Arts sell their N/As under a new FLVR! label

• Clausthaler makes N/A beers from its home in Germany

What about Heineken 0.0? Or Bud Zero? Or ..?

Yes, almost every one of the giant (macro) breweries have their own non-alcoholic version and most are pretty similar in taste to the beers they're made from. Another Substacker (Substack writer? What do we call ourselves?) has his top five recommendations here. I’ll choose a macro when I want a beer and 1) they don’t have a craft beer I like, 2) I’m looking for something cheaper, or 3) I’ve not had it before.

Come back in a few days for my N/A wine recommendations, including sparkling

Let me start by acknowledging that I’m aware things have a bit all over the place - book reviews and recommendations, stories about my past, writing about journaling, travel recaps, and discussion of mental health.

How do I continue here? Do I want to leave this a place to talk about Serious Topics (stories about my past, mental health)? Do I want to shift to sharing about exploration, adventures, travels? Stick to words, books, writing? [This leads to a harder question: Where, if anywhere, do I share about those things I don’t share here? ‘Cause I am, by nature, an over-sharer, so it’s gotta come out somewhere that other people are. Probably Instagram.]

Does it matter that this space has a “theme” of whatever pops into my head and seems to have enough substance to write about? I’m not on here to become famous or make money, so no need to be search-optimized or easily categorized. I’m here to share, to amuse, to talk through, to record so I won’t forget.

And, you know what, I think that’s just it. I may pretend like my life is carefully containerized into little boxes, but it isn’t. Work, yes, stays in its box because I work very hard to keep it in one; one of the benefits of a 95% work from the office job is strict lines between work and home. Rest of my life? It’s barely organized chaos.

So, sorry if you were hoping maybe I’d suddenly focus. That you wouldn’t have to roll your eyes when I post about another round of romance books I read to escape stress or when I include way too many pictures from a trip or offer advice you’d never ask for. New year, new me (trying not to think so hard about non-problem problems.)

The three notebooks for 2026 are:

• Hobonichi A6 English with Monday Start (Notebook only - currently sold out; Notebook with cover, one of the options with a cover that’s currently in stock)

• Leuchtturm 1917 Dotted A5 (Available from my favorite local stationery shop, Penny Post)

• Alchemy Journal (Available from Bookshop.org « Affiliate link!; waxed poetic about it in this post)

Why three notebooks? Well, three different purposes entirely. And I love all three and couldn’t ever limit myself to just one.

Hobonichi aka The Planner

Just as it sounds like, this will serve as my planner and daily log of what’s going on in my life. While I live and die by my shared Google calendars with my family and the Girl Scout troop and equivalent ones for work, I still like to be able to see what’s going on and what’s going to happen on paper. I didn’t use a paper calendar for the majority of 2025 and really missed it. I plan to record events including birthdays, to do lists, when I got to and left work on a given day / which office I was in (helps with my daily timecard), logs for meals and movement before they put into the Nourish app, and a short headline for each day.

Alchemy Journal aka The Journal

Any sort of long-form writing I do on paper will be in this notebook. Think responses to journal prompts (still only like 40% of my way through The Book of Alchemy), morning pages, letters to people I’ll never send. My goal will be to try and fill up an entire one of these notebooks every quarter so three months. I purchased three after getting a 20% off everything coupon from Bookshop.org for…some reason. Black Friday thank you? Not entirely sure, TBH.

Leuchtturm aka The Dumping Ground

This notebook is for anything else I want to write, draw, doodle, scrapbook, etc. Junk journaling. Logging my creative projects (even those that never get done). Collecting stamps and stickers. Recording song lyrics and quotes I like. Brain dumps. Brainstorming / mind mapping. Tracking goals. Reviewing life at the end of the month will probably go in here, too. The goal here is to fill up one of these every two months. I’ve got 3 orange-red and 3 dark teal ones I purchased on sale after Christmas.

What’s your journal ecosystem look like for this year?

[I really have five notebooks going right now but two are for work, one for notes that can’t leave work (sensitive data) and one that I carry back and forth between the various buildings I work in and home. Can’t leave is just a bunch of dot-grid paper pages stapled together at the top and numbered so I know I haven’t lost a page. Boring cover-sheet added. The other one is a Rollbahn Spiral Notebook (like this one at JetPens) in a lovely pale orange.]

Then, though, we had to try to figure out the why of it all when it all came flooding back the next day. There were lots of theories, but eventually realized it’s all about how my life right now is so different than it was last year.

I left a job where I felt like I was working with my extended family. We knew each other well enough to be able to push each other’s buttons and express our opinions at volume while also being able to have great, deep conversations. I got to see many of them at a party a few weeks ago and it was like a family reunion. I truly miss them.

In leaving that job, I also left behind a role where a lot was on my shoulders, the pace was quick, our work very visible, and the expectations impossibly high. My current role is far more relaxed in terms of everything - dress code, no core hours, not sitting on site with the government, deadlines that are reasonable, and even an easier commute. I haven’t felt like I needed to wait until 2 pm to have lunch a single day nor had to take a long walk up and down the side of the building for 30 minutes while venting to a coworker.

Matt also switched jobs to one that’s less stressful and has allowed him to travel both to New York and Paris, the later of which he extended to include mini solo vacations. In the two years prior, he’d only traveled three times without me for more than a weekend so I was very out of practice handling everything around here.

My MIL moved in with us. We went through a good five months of regular hospital visits and changing medications and her health going up and down like a sine wave. We also have had to dose and give medications twice a day, take her to appointments and tests and scans, and what seems like a never-ending list of administrative tasks to have her become a Virginia resident and have us in control of her finances (versus a weird split between her and my FIL). And, of course, get used to having another person in our house.

Tied closely to the holidays, Lizzy is now twelve so how she views Christmas has changed. Santa isn’t a thing. She doesn’t have a big list of stuff she wants, relying on us to get things we think she’s like. She had to be made to come downstairs around 8 am versus being up at the crack of dawn. She seems to really enjoy gifting things like charcuterie earrings for my MIL, an “I’m surrounded by idiots” t-shirt with Scar from Lion King on it, and some subtly scented candles and earrings for me.

I am in a weird place spiritually and have moved entirely away from any sort of religious community. I only went to church a handful of times at the start of year and stepped away entire from attending services and participating in church leadership in mid-April. I’ve thought about trying out another church but am not sure if it’s out of a real longing for the spiritual aspects (which doesn’t require church attendance) or being part of a community (which I can get elsewhere) or out of obligation/guilt as I was raised in the church. Probably all of the above.

Similarly, I usually really enjoy the Advent season and everything that comes with it but the closest I got to participating was reading a handful of posts from in her Advent series. I didn’t have that usual hopeful anticipation for Christmas that was tied to something deeper, just excited to have a chance to give gifts and enjoy holiday-themed books, music, movies.

There’s also been changes in family dynamics with putting in place new boundaries with Matt’s dad and my mom.

And did I mention that I’ve stepped back some with Lizzy’s Girl Scout troop? The girls now (mostly) run their meetings and other adults have really stepped up to take on tasks from camping to cookies to special events over the last two years. The last few meetings I did nothing more than provide a place to meet and help out when things turned to chaos.

So, yeah, it’s a lot. And I guess the holiday and all of the end-of-year lists and reflection journaling prompts out there got it all swirling around in my brain. Thankfully, I was able to knock myself out of the funk and am feeling tons better. I’d say 80% of it was identifying why I was feeling so blah with the remaining bits of allowing myself to ugly cry and otherwise wallow, spending more time with Matt, distracting myself, and getting more Lizzy hugs.

Do the holidays ever get you down? What do you do to get yourself back to your normal baseline?

[Yes, I did watch the last episode of Heated Rivalry which was an emotional gut-punch, as were all of the previous episodes. The series includes but really isn’t about attractive young men getting naked with each other. It’s about the yearning and strife and pure joy of love and the complications of being queer when you’re in a profession where that’s not “acceptable.” I cannot recommend it enough, even if you’re not a reader of romance. And you can amuse yourself with the knowledge that the creator also worked on Letterkenny and Shorsey.]

I’m not good at silence, I tend to fill up the empty space with noise by talking or putting on something to listen to or watch. I eventually did start to enjoy my blog silence and let go of feeling compelled to come and share something here. But, alas, that never lasts very long because a long break turns into months to years worth of break. Before I started my first Substack (that went to Ghost then came back here, ahem), I had last blogged in 2023. Not something I’m trying to replicate.

Health Updates

We’ve all been spared any sort of seasonal illness, at least so far. Everyone but my MIL has had their COVID and flu vaccines, and she’ll get hers as soon as her very long round of steroids are complete. Speaking of my MIL, she had some issues with falling and water retention when her cardiologist switched her mediation but she’s back to her original meds which have helped tremendously. Now that she’s mostly back to normal, we’ve scheduled a procedure to start to remedy some long-standing issues with her teeth. Lizzy is doing well with her clear aligners, and I start my own set in January to correct some of my teeth that have started to move such that I can’t clean well around and between them.

Observing Advent

Some time I’ll share the whole story, but I’ll summarize my last 15 months or so as it relates to church and my faith as complicated. I am, though, trying to start towards moving away from some very difficult times back to it by observing advent in my own ways. This has included reading the daily posts from and participating in the not-at-all-religious Avoidance Advent from .

I’m also going to try out a couple churches over the next few months to see if I find somewhere that feels like home. I thought I knew exactly what I wanted from a church, but Matt made me realize after a long conversation that I really don’t, except a more traditional style of service with is fully welcoming to women, the LGBT+ community, and folks from various socio-economic backgrounds. I specifically want to check out Lutheran, Episcopalian, Anglican, and Disciples of Christ congregations as each has some similarities to the United Methodist tradition I’ve been a part of most of my life. (If you’ve got other suggestions for similar denominations in the US, let me know.)

Reading

On a far less serious note, I ended November with a total of 12 books read, though I’ll save that for a future post. My holiday reading is going well. I’ve finished 3 books plus a novella, nearly finished another book, and decided to DNF another not even 30 minutes in, annoyed with the behavior of both the FMC and MMC. I’m strongly considering “banning” myself from audiobooks for the month of January to focus on those I’ve got in print or as eBooks. I don’t have long of a commute and can use that time to catch up on the podcasts I’ve been almost entirely ignoring (with exception of those related to books, ironically enough). I will also mention Libro.fm has their credit bundle sale going on through 11 December; you get 10% off the purchase of credits whether they’re for you or a friend.

Craftiness

I’ve been doing some knitting which has been nice. I made a baby sweater for a coworker and finally finished up some socks I started back in August; I used the Baby Surprise Jacket (link to publisher’s page for book it was published in) from Elizabeth Zimmermann and Monkey (link to Knitty) from Chloe A., respectfully.

I’ve now got two crafty projects in work: a pair of socks for a coworker and a secret embroidery project. The socks are a basic 2x2 rib in the Smells Like Halloween colorway from Sock Obsession from several years ago. And I’m not sharing the embroidery project that I’m making up as a go along as it’s for a friend for Christmas.

What’s new with you and yours? Any fun projects on work?

Do people really want to learn about my habits, process, tools of writing though the answer is “I write on my phone sitting on the couch or in the car when Matt is driving or with my laptop on the couch or at my desk or at work when I need a break”? Would a post comparing two meal kit companies be interesting even though I have very few photos of the food that was sent or that I cooked from them? Do I have the energy right now to come up with a round-up of my favorite non-alcoholic drinks, though I’ve thought about doing so for a good five years? Is a list of what my friends think I should read a cop-out because it’s not even my opinions (as if only I can be trusted though I’m also a stranger to most of you reading this)? Would a post of what turned out to be only three randomly funny things I saw at Target one day be amusing? (If any of that appeals, truly, let me know. I can write those up at some point.)

Instead, I just sort of did this. In the beginning, I was zooming along. I had so many things to share! I was going to do a big roundup of books and share my current WIPs and there was a camping trip I could photos of. I was going to try to be all poignant with a letter to the person who made Lizzy’s Miss Frizzle dress. Talk about Lizzy getting really into fantasy novels. Blather about Finch, like it’s not an app that’s been available for years.

Then I got stuck. I looked up ideas for what to write about and asked friends and coworkers. That netted a couple of posts. I knew a big part of NaBloPoMo is connecting with others who are participating so, hey, why not introduce some of them (and do it again a few days later when I didn’t feel like I had anything of my own to write about). Read others’ writing here which inspired other posts. Turned conversations with friends into posts. A friend stepped in one day, a migraine ruined another. Finally decided to admit how bad I am at meeting yearly goals. Let topics just sort of appear before me.

I won’t lie, it’s been a struggle to find something worth writing about or photos worth sharing. It’s often felt like a sort of torture, the need to constantly share. The need to achieve a goal I literally chose out of boredom and no one is going to mark me down or fire me if it’s not completed. But, look at me - I did it! I actually put something up here for 30 straight days. Woo!

So, what’s next? I want to write about once a week, to share what’s going on in my life or share a story about what it was like being me as I grew up. I thought about a theme or something for December but, eh, enough is going on this time of year.

As always, I promise to be myself. Too many commas and incorrectly used em dashes and parenthesis that drive my editor friend batty but reflect how I’d talk if you were on the other side of a table from me at a restaurant.

See you later, alligator. In a while, crocodile.

(Not my actual work location in-office back then, but you get the idea. Big, open workspaces with almost no one in a permanent spot, just there for the day or hour.)

Back when Lizzy was littler, I’d get together about once a month with other moms with kids in the same preschool she was at, but they fell to the side once they started at different elementary schools right before COVID hit. So, I came up with an idea to start a happy hour with other women in the area. As an engineer, plenty of my life was in mostly male settings and figured other women would want a chance to discuss careers and parenting. I’d reach out to anyone I knew in the area from the neighborhood or work or whatever to join. Nothing formal, just hanging out.

I wanted it to be monthly at a roughly regular day and time, the place changing to wherever I felt like going that month. There’s a tradition in the military of an informal hang on the first Friday of the month, a time for service members and their families to get together to eat, catch up, and try not to do anything that winds up as a story for future First Fridays. But I’m not military and didn’t want to overlap with First Friday so chose, instead, to meet up on the last Friday of the month, Final Friday.

I set up a Facebook group and posted an invitation in some groups like my neighborhood Buy Nothing and one for Girl Scout leaders. Lots of folks joined the group; I think at the height of things we had 40 members in there, many of whom I’d never met. (We’ve since moved to email as some folks wanted to join but don’t use Facebook.)

We’ve met almost every month since. There have been cancellations for bad weather, illness, forgetting about it entirely, or no one really feeling like gathering for whatever reason. The group that comes is usually small, a handful of us grabbing a table at a brewery or restaurant to eat, drink, chat for a couple hours about whatever’s going on in our lives. There are some regulars, some who have never come but insist on staying on the list, some who come once a year. Parents of other Girl Scouts in the troop. Coworkers. Friends of friends. Neighbors I’d never have met, otherwise.

Even when I’m exhausted or don’t feel like being social, I’m so thankful I started this. I hope we keep going for years to come.

Live in/around Fairfax, Virginia and want to join? Send an email to finalfridaysignup at gmail to be added to the list

For living in a place with some amazing restaurants

For friends and coworkers who feel like family

For being able to travel

For this goober who loves school, especially math and made this super cool project about Pompei last year

And for a million other things and small I don’t have good pictures for.

What even is junk journaling? The idea is that you collect whatever stuff as you go about life then take that junk plus stickers and fun papers and whatever embellishments and turn it into pretty collages, right in your journal.

I already tend to collect random pieces of my life and add them to my journal when I travel and occasionally in my normal life. This takes it to a whole new level.

I went on Instagram last night and grabbed images or video stills of some amazing creators. Double-click on an image to see whose account each is from. They are, in order, catsplanner (well, she’s there twice - also the sixth pic), elenorandleaf, scrap_akr, katkenyon_, tamarasjournaling, lilbugaj, jasmini_the_genie, juliasjunkjournal, janes.arch1ve, and bella_grace016.

Last night I grabbed out my stickers and paper punches and even dug out a big glue stick and a double-sided tape dispenser to try my hand at this. Like I said the other day, part of me really wants to have a junk journaling that goes back and forth with a friend though that’ll wait a bit. Starting small with the unlined pages in my Alchemy journal as my practice pages..and starting to paste every other page of this chicken notebook together.

(Aside: and my need to capture inspiration for future junk journaling of my own lead to my reopened my Pinterest account. Go see her note about the “fashion” found in her abandoned account and some of my own in the note’s comments.)

Has junk journaling popped up in your feed lately? Does it appeal to your inner chaos gremlin?

I could write about these teeny hedgehogs I plan to leave around my work for people to find and adopt. I brought them in today but was too scared to leave them anywhere but a friend’s desk.

I could write about how I have so many different ideas for projects that I want to do but am only working for on one knitting WIP. It’s a Baby Surprise Jacket which I don’t remember when I last made one of. How I am thinking of starting a sort of junk journal that would back and forth amongst some friends in this crazy chicken notebook. (But that seems like something for middle schoolers so it may stay fully in my possession.) That I have traced out these song lyrics for a friend of a friend who just got his first office job. I would have started on the stitching part but forgot to grab the needles before it was time for bed last night.

That grilled cheese tomato soup sounds like it could be good, that they should make a highly entertaining Brie, that Wicked branding has gone too far with cleaning projects, that this candle would look very odd only part of it is burned, and that the Target dog is not something I expected to find on a color work sweater

But I’m making dinner tonight and my current book reminds me of when I first met all of my Mother-in-Law’s siblings and their kids and I’d like to take a nap but it’s too late.

Bounce. Bounce. Bounce.

This time, though, I really do plan to leave. For lots of little reasons. The political rhetoric has gotten too much (though I have unfriended many folks who rant about it constantly, no matter what side they’re on) and there’s so. many. ads. and I felt like it’s just serving me anymore.

People I see often, I don’t need Facebook to tell me what’s going in their lives. Maybe I won’t learn about a dinner they did with friends or a random purchase they only shared there, but, eh, was that necessary information to begin with? Probably not. People I see rarely, I’d miss things, too, but that’s what we-haven’t-hung-out-in-forever sessions are for, to reconnect about the big and small things happening in our lives. If it’s mentioned over a two hour dinner, then I’ll find out; if it’s not, again, it’s not important, just extra information. If you’re a random person I went to high school with or that I know because you’re friends with my friend, I really don’t need to be following you. Keeping up with you on Facebook was probably just some weird sort of gossip and tea spilling that you permitted because, well, we all probably share a little too much on there because it’s “private.”

When I’ve tried to leave in the past, my justification often went back to the groups I’m in. There’s the group for the Girl Scouts Service Unit where people ask for help or ideas. Groups of folks into my same hobbies. My very, very beloved Buy Nothing group which I’ve used to declutter and reclutter my house and met some lifelong friends (hi Carol Anne, Chris, Loan!). Thing is, though, I don’t truly need all that. I’m not obligated to help someone who asks for it related to Girl Scouts - we’ve got monthly leaders meetings for that and there’s 40-something other troops worth of adults who can help. Hobby groups are great but it’s not like Discord or other ad-free platforms don’t host such gatherings. For Buy Nothing, I can do what I did before - sell, donate, or toss things I don’t need. If I really wanted to, I could save it all up and kindly ask a friend still in the group if I can share a parking spot with them at Junk in the Trunk, the big everything is free yard sale the group has once or twice a year.

I want to take this as an opportunity to change how I connect with people, more than anything. It’s not as if I post there very much and don’t even comment that often, just leaving a like or that weird comfort emoji after reading. I want more text chains with friends. I want more letters sent back and forth. I want more taking the time to hang out. More connection, less broadcasting.

I posted the following yesterday morning: “I’m going to be moving off Facebook entirely by the end of the year. If you want to keep touch, email me or text. Message if you need either.” Eight likes, two “understood” type comments.

I feel a bit of peace has been gained already by this. We’ll see how long it lasts.

Handkerchief

My friend gave me a pack of cheap white handkerchiefs last Thanksgiving to stitch on fun patterns and/or snark phrases. This was my first attempt, using a stick and stitch design from Stitched Stories. It turned out…okay. Ha. I’ve since purchased some much higher quality handkerchief to try out other designs, probably sticking with the stick and stitch as it makes it so easy when you can just wash out the pattern paper.

Shawl

I’ve always been a huge fan of Kacey Herlihy’s design and knew I had to make a shawl using her Lost Horse (Ravelry link) pattern immediately. I made the shawl as described until it was wide enough then started doing decreases every other row until it was back to three stitches, making a symmetrical triangle perfect for wrapping around my shoulders. The yarn is the amazing Rosarios 4, a great 100% cotton yarn that’s super soft. This project used a little under three balls and I’ve got 5 or 6 balls of it left to make other things. Lizzy wants something from it and I’d like to make a Spring Blossom romper for a coworker who is expecting.

Unfinishing

While I’ve been sitting here, listening to a book and the sound of laundry being washed and dryer, I’ve also pulled out two projects I wasn’t going to finish. First was the shawl thing I didn’t have enough white yarn to finish, soon to be made into a Baby Surprise Jacket and then the two-color cowl I’ll re-start later with a simpler pattern.

Did you finish anything lately? Tell me about it.

(I went to the stock photos link and typed in “blogger” and had to choose this photo which was sandwiched between all of the ones of people smiling or looking sad in the direction of their laptops. I’ve got questions about this lady. Is she a blogger? Is she trying not to laugh at her friend who is talking about her blog? Why loop your sunglasses into the top of your jeans like that?)

Jaime of Light & Momentary

She’s been blogging for 21 years which is, wow, so impressive to have kept it up that long. While I’ve had a blog since middle school, I’ve probably only written in 10 years worth of months (smile and nod that my “math” here makes sense).

She writes about being a professor dealing with students using AI, joining a club all about beans (maybe my being in an embroidery guild isn’t so odd, after all?), reading all of Anthony Trollope’s novels, and knitting colorful socks for one of her kids.

Jenny at Runners Fly

As you’d expect, she writes mostly about running but it’s not all event summaries. She’s also shared her ideas for family holiday gifts, holiday reads, and her official start to the holiday season.

Julie at Thinking About

J is another long time blogger. (So many of these in the NaBloPoMo crew!) I love her Friday Randomness posts though you’ll also find book reviews and recipes she’s tried.

Kae at Grateful Kae

Kae lives over the mid-west and a work-from-home data analyst in healthcare. I love her honesty about struggles with pressure to volunteer with her son’s soccer team, being confused about how to “hack” credit cards that give you travel benefits, and figuring out how others have time to read so many books (my tip: audiobooks whenever you are doing chores or exercise. Also, I tend to choose a book over listening to podcasts or watching TV).

Lisa at This and That: A Blog

Lisa mostly keeps to a couple of day-focused themes like Thursday Postcard Hunt, Tuesday Treasures, and Skywatch Friday. I’ve tried recurring posts like that but can’t stick with it for long, hence my occasional dips into WIP or Wordless Wednesday, FO Friday, and similar.

Maria at postcards, etc

Her blog is what you’d expect: all about postcards. The ones with a cat that looks like my Molly, a colorful sea-unicorn, and pinup girl are my favorites from the last few weeks. You can also browse by postcard topic.

Noemi at Not a Wasted Word

She’s been blogging for almost two decades and lives in San Francisco. I liked that she’s clear what she doesn’t blog about, that she’s willing to share her process through grief of a friend, and that she talks about her hard work when it comes to disordered eating.

Raiden at Raidendedo

One of the few men doing NaBloPoMo, Riaden’s writing is honest and raw. He talks about depression, complex feelings towards LinkedIn (ugh. with you there, man), and trying to decide whether to be anonymous or not in his writing.

Want to know my rationale for including a given item? Check out my earlier post that has that. While it’ll show up as new here in October, it was actually written back in the summer.

Make a colorwork scarf or larger

Progress: Well, I did manage to take a colorwork class and, as I showed the other week, made some decent progress towards making a two-color cowl. I do want to re-start with an easier pattern but that’ll be in the new year as I have two larger knitting projects plus some stitching ones I need to focus on.

2026 plan: Keep this goal

Work through four online art/craft classes

Progress: None and unlikely to go through more than one more end of the year. I have picked out a bunch of new classes using my Domestika Plus subscription (that ends in a few weeks) to work on.

2026 plan: Keep this goal

Write 20 blog posts

Progress: DONE - totally surpassed this one, especially with adding NaBloPoMo to the list

2026 plan: 40 blog posts

Average 3x monthly Diva Dance classes

Progress: I’ve taken 16 classes this calendar year and may take one or two more in December. While I love, love, love the classes, I’ve found it’s hard to get to them given most start at 7 or 8 pm, leaving me with an awkward amount of time between class and work. Saturday classes were great but made it hard to have family time on those days. I may continue to drop into a class here and there in 2026 but don’t plan to continue my unlimited class membership.

2026 plan: Identify a different goal related to movement

Take Lizzy on a girls’ trip

Progress: Never could get this scheduled between everything else.

2026 plan: Keep this goal

Read books by Black authors in February

Progress: February is over and I think I did OK with this, having read books from 4 different Black authors. I will admit two things: 1) I avoided books that focused on difficult topics as I needed my books to serve as an escape from the insanity of the United States Inauguration and 2) I chose to read a very long book from a white author rather than choosing to read books from Black authors. I must do better.

2026 plan: Read at 3 books related to White Supremacy, 3 fiction books by Black authors

Read books by Indigenous authors in October

Progress: None. I completely forgot about this and I can’t honestly say I happened to choose books that fit in the category by accident.

2026 plan: Read 12 books by Indigenous authors

Take a road trip with LP

Progress: None *sigh*

2026 plan: Keep this goal

Wear or give away all pairs of earrings (and don’t buy more!)

Progress: I purchased 3 or so pairs this year and wore maybe 10 pairs. I’ll make a point to give away 15 pairs AND fix my favorite peanut butter and jelly ones before the end of 2025.

2026 plan: Cull jewelry at least once

Put up storage hooks for CPAP masks

Progress: Done!

2026 plan: This was a one-and-done goal but will add a goal related to keeping my CPAP equipment clean and replaced often.

Clean out bedroom closet twice

Progress: Did once

2026 plan: Keep this goal

Clean out coat closet twice

Progress: None - really need to do soon as it’s a major disaster

2026 plan: Keep this goal

Read books on theology during Lent

Progress: It’s complicated but this didn’t happen. Maybe a topic for a future post.

2026 plan: Something related to religion/spirituality

Make decision about [redacted]

Progress: Made my decision in April. Again, difficult to talk about but may at some point.

2026 plan: Not sure

Start monthly crafty circle online

Progress: Didn’t happen

2026 plan: Use every other Final Friday gathering as a chance to craft together, maybe?

Make 15 small cross stitch/embroidery projects

Progress: Think I’ve done this or at least close enough I’m going to give myself credit

2026 plan: Make 12 small cross stitch/embroidery projects

Continue to meet with RD and continue to work on food/exercise goals

Progress: I wrote about this in detail earlier this week.

2026 plan: Keep goal

Cook dinner 50 times

Progress: If I’m generous, I made dinner maybe 8 times this year.

2026 plan: Cook dinner 20 times

Organize 25: use the 25th of each month to organize something

Progress: Total failure

2026 plan: Have more specific goals for organizing/decluttering/cleaning

Send notes/letters to 25 different people

Progress: I’ve been sending more letters but it’s probably only been to 10 or so different people.

2026 plan: Continue writing to CK and SF and SL (pen pals), responding within a month each time. Maybe a goal for sending notes quarterly to 5 family/friends?

Re-read old journals/blog posts as inspiration for future writing

Progress: Done!

2026 plan: No need to repeat this

Take a photo walk of the neighborhood each season

Progress: Never really did this

2026 plan: Keep this goal for the combo of movement + creativity

Take a day off for no reason but it’s possible

Progress: I didn’t take a day off for no reason, but I did choose to take off a whole day after pulling an all-nighter to take my MIL to the hospital. Normally, I would have slept a few hours then pulled myself into work.

2026 plan: Keep this goal

Go in the pool half of the days we go to it

Progress: Because Lizzy can take herself, we probably only went a handful of times over the summer and I didn’t get in once.

2026 plan: Re-write goal to something temperature-dependent like “go in pool if outside temps >90”

Fill up all of the pages of a journal

Progress: I got about 75% of one journal used which is pretty good for me

2026 plan: I’m never gonna do 100% so I need to think about how I want to couch a goal around not switching journals constantly that I can actually meet

Did you make a 25 in 2025 or similar list? Have a goal I should consider? Should I nix the whole idea?

Data diva? Check.

Eldercare extraordinaire? Check.

Managed to keep a small human alive for 12 years? I’m a couple of weeks early in bestowing this honor, but it’s definitely well deserved. So Check.

I mean, she’s even a freaking Girl Scout troop leader. Are you kidding me?

That is all to say that maybe she needs a pinch hitter every now and again. And I’m happy to step up to the plate, because in the time I’ve known her she’s become one of my favorite people. Our adventures have been many—from the grandness of an impromptu long weekend in Philadelphia replete with opera and pasta, to the demureness of a Costco walk-and-talk or a furlough declutter.

I only met Angela a few years ago, and my first impression was “Finally, someone who speaks at the speed I listen!” So I like to think that all of our hyperspeed and overlapping talking is just making up for lost time.

Time! Yes, time. Back to the whole reason I’m writing this. I emailed this, unsolicited, to Angela (with a link to some proposed illustration) in the hopes that I could earn her back some time in her busy schedule while still meeting her goal of a blog post every day for a month. This counts, right? I think this counts.

One of my favorite pictures of Angela, from the time I dragged her to a Christmas drag show!

This morning, I came across a set of thoughts/affirmations from and the one for Tuesday is a perfect reminder for me today.

See, I’ve been working with a dietician for just over a year now via the Nourish app (here’s a referral link for $15 off). KS and I meet virtually at different intervals to set food, hydration, and movement goals and talk about how I did on goals the previous week and how she can get me un-stuck.

When I first started, here’s what I shared about my “why” for doing it:

I want to lose weight as a means to lower my blood pressure and have greater ability to be more active. I’m very tired of getting winded going up two flights or doing an easy hike.

Yes, I did the very Diet Culture thing of equating weight to health, but we’re all a work in progress on riding ourselves of that thinking. Forgetting that part, I wanted to 1) lower BP - I’d been put on meds earlier in the year for this and 2) be more easily active. I also wanted to feel better, digestively - to 3) overeat less and 4) to not have my Crohn’s side-effects show up as often because of what or how much I ate. KS also wanted me to focus on improving several of my lab values that I had done in January - 5) lower LDL, 6) higher HDL, and 7) lower A1C. In October, I added 8) weight loss as a goal for lots of reasons like getting back into regular vs plus size clothes as they’re more available in stores, wanting to live longer, and wanting to prove to myself I could do it via diet/exercise without the risks of taking a GLP-1 medication.

I’ve got no magic formula, but moving more, eating more veggies, fiber, and protein, having less sweets, and drinking my water have all contributed. My body is not your body, so I’d highly recommend seeking out a Registered Dietician like KS to work with you. Many health insurance companies cover a number of sessions for free or low cost; mine covers an unlimited number in a year as they know the improvements an RD can make in health outcomes.

Well, there’s certainly been some progress, even if it seems like I’m standing still.

1. BP: My blood pressure is lower than it was before the last year, though perhaps not as much of a difference as my doctor may want. I plan to talk with him about this at my next physical. I also want to see what happens given I’ve changed the dose of one of my medications recently which may increase this again.

2. Activity: Before meeting with KS regularly, I was barely moving beyond what was required to function in my life. Now, I’ve been doing dance classes (usually via Diva Dance NoVA), taking walks during the workday, and trying to do more functional exercise like moving around heavy things around the house that, well, need to be moved. I’m not great at it. Many weeks, I just exist, but it’s at least on my mind. I’m consciously decided not to do more, to rest, instead.

3. Overeating: While I’ve had trouble with this generally for years, including a few where I had to work through a clinically significant level of binge eating, it’s more of an issue since I had major GI surgery in late 2018. I go from “I’m a little full” to “I may explode” in a couple bites. KS reminds me to take time when I eat, to pause for a bit when I’ve got a third of my meal left, to consider if I can physically fit the rest in my body. She’s also worked with me on smaller meals, eaten more often. Advice my GI doc also gives me.

4. Crohn’s-related GI side-effects: I won’t go into detail, but this has improved by limiting dairy-based fats (like usually choosing almond milk for coffee, not eating a ton of macaroni and cheese) and adding in more of the right fiber sources and drinking more water. And, when my GI system is happier, I am, too.

5. Lower LDL: From Jan to this week, I’m down 23 points. I’ve never been in the high range here but, hey, lower is better.

6. Higher HDL: From Jan to this week, I’m up 8 points. While still in a not-great region, it’s improving.

7. Lower A1C: From Jan to this week, I’m down 0.6 which means I’m not nearly as close to pre-diabetes as I was before.

8. Weight Loss: From Nov 19th of last year this morning, I’m down a total of 17 pounds which, sure, isn’t setting any records but it’s something. Many of my 1X shirts are too large and I’m down a pant size. And, again, this was only a true focus since October.

So, like Hannah said, I’ll keep on stacking those good habits, one over another, and I’ll see the progress over time.

Why now? Well, plenty of folks are looking for their holiday gifts or food staples or that one random building supply now, not weeks from now when you’re home during that weird week between Christmas and New Years.

Some general recommendations before we get into specific things you may be trying to get rid of.

• Is something like new? You can re-gift it, sell it online and donate the proceeds to your favorite charity, or see if a friend could use it.

• Not new but has life left? Put it up on your local Buy Nothing Facebook group (search for your town or neighborhood and Buy Nothing to find one), or sell it online. My local group helped me get rid of a bunch of non-alcoholic drinks I wasn’t a fan of in less than 24 hours which is not something I wouldn’t have thought of if I hadn’t seen similar posts

• Have extra food to donate?

  • Look for a food bank near you or even a little free pantry. Easy as as Google for your town and donate food or food bank.

  • Keep in mind they usually have a list of things they really need that folks don’t think of - jams and jellies, shelf-stable milk, baking supplies, and coffee are usually needed at ECHO, a charity really close to me.

  • If you’ve got single-servings snacks or drinks, you can always set them out for your postal workers and delivery drivers; just make sure you put a sign on them so they know they can partake.

  • Teachers often feed kids who don’t get enough food at home and may be looking for shelf-stable snacks and meal replacement foods like protein bars.

• Donate to a non-profit thrift store: Many hospice, human society, religious charities run their own thrift shops here in the US.

• Hold a Everything is Free yard sale: Make sure you check with your apartment complex or HOA first, but you can always set up a free yard sale. You can just put out a tarp with the items you have and a “FREE!” sign and watch much of it disappear. One tip: If you put out a table and don’t want it to go missing, too, you’ll want to hang outside with it.

• Green Drop: While not a non-profit, they take a giant list of things so you can make a single trip. They donate a portion of what they make selling your things to great organizations like the Red Cross. Find locations here.

• Donate to an organization that picks up from you: Purple Heart will come to you for clothing or even a vehicle.

Now, let’s get to some of those harder to get rid of things!

• Books: Look online for a Little Free Library near you or check with your local library to see if they take donations. You can always email a school librarian, too. Do make sure the books you donate are in good condition and aren’t horribly outdated - like that Windows 98 guide you still have for some reason.

• Building supplies and decor items: Some thrift stores will take these, but your best bet is to see if there’s a Habitat Re:Store near you. All proceeds go to support Habitat for Humanity. Our local shop has tools, tiles, boxes of nails, vases, and a hundred other things for sale. For a list of what they do and don’t take, go to their site. They also do pickup!

• Clothing/Textile that are worn out: Your area may have a textile recycling center or drop boxes. My county is part of a pilot right now. You can also order a bag from an organization like Retold.

• Craft supplies and board/card games: Reach out to a teach or scout leader you know, as they may want those four bags of cotton balls or game of Candy Land you really wish you got rid of years ago. Senior centers sometimes also use craft supplies, look on their websites for information for someone with a title like Activities Director. Your local library or even bar may accept donations. I know the brewery we like could really use some new games.

• Hard-to-recycle plastics: This is more of a “do good for the planet” than individuals deal. We use Ridwell for plastic films, multi-layer plastics, pill bottles, and caps. You pay a fee but it’s worth it, to me. Terracycle is a good source for where you can recycle those things you never knew where to recycle.

Anything I missed or have another idea of where to donate something I listed here?

(H/T to my little chat group at work who helped me with this idea. Especially to Elizabeth and Taylor!)