- The Buckeye Buzz
- Posts
- Review: Mash-Up: Peek at My Week
Review: Mash-Up: Peek at My Week
The ordinary, everyday people, places & things around town that make my heart happy and my world go 'round.

The Gift of An Ordinary Day
Many years ago, when I was in my early 40s, and my boys were very young, I read a great book called The Gift of an Ordinary Day. I read a lot of books, but this is one really stuck with me.
At the time I first read it, the book was a mere glimpse into someone else’s life, the changes the author was navigating when she hit midlife: career changes, the empty nest, a major move from their family home, and dealing with the general sense of chaos and upheaval that - now “this” - time of life seems to bring.
I Thought I Had It All Figured Out…
Back then I never considered her experience would be something that I would personally relate to, but I love her writing style and I enjoyed the story.
Me, I had life figured out! I planned and expected my life was going to keep bopping along at the Type A+ rate of speed at which I tightly held it, and the shape of my body, together. After all, I had lists in my daily planner and vision boards to keep me on track. I was prepared!
Midlife Melt(down)
If you are under 50, you may not believe me about what happens at midlife, but from my personal experience and all the research and reading I’ve done since it hit me square between my sagging jowls: it’s part of the life cycle. There is no escaping it. Consider yourself advised now because no one cautioned me. If you are over 50, you know what I mean.
So This is Why This is Called “The Change”
At this time of life is seems like overnight life starts slipping through your hands. The kids, who just yesterday needed you to tuck them in at night, or who sat glued to their devices in their rooms for hours, are now mostly away from the house, out with friends, driving themselves around, and traveling to far away places without you. And then…poof, they are away at college.
Not only do your offspring start changing rapidly, we have to change and adjust at this time of life too. Which is not something I saw coming - until I found myself relying on the “Find My People” app on my phone even more than I rely on coffee and tacos to keep me sane.
Be Here Now
All this change, is now forcing me to actually “live in the moment" and “practice presence.” Those words of wisdom about that are no longer just fun quotes I repost on my socials - I have to stay grounded, focused and grateful for the NOW.
Why is this important? Because tomorrow (or in 213 days, 4 hours and 39 seconds), your youngest may also be graduating high school or hitting another major milestone and life will change in a big way, all over again. And anticipating that? It’ll drive a person nuts.
When the kids are little, we expect constant change and roll with it. These “later-in-life” changes arrive packing a punch that will ring your bell harder than those solar salesmen that just don’t go away!
Appreciating An Ordinary Day
In navigating all this in my own life now, I have really been making an effort to practice being grateful for the gift of an ordinary day.
I really savor those days when there is nothing going on, no crisis that needs my attention. I relish those normal, regular, few-and-far-between days that I can just be and do the normal, everyday-part-of-life things, and focus on really taking care of myself and my family.
The Simple Things
The point is, it really is the simple little things that are really big things in life.
This is why I wanted to share these (extra)ordinary everyday people, places, and things that make my heart happy and make my world go ‘round (and that I recommend you try too):
I know I am not the only one who has had a great experience here, because I have seen others give them a shout-out online. I wanted to share here, too, because Karina (in the photo) and the entire front desk crew, exhibit some of the most top-notch customer service skills I have ever witnessed or experienced. Who leaves the post office smiling? Well, I do! And you will too if you visit them!
I have a special kind of respect for people who do a good job because of their own work ethic (aka: dying breed)! Those who do their job well because that is part of who they are, not because they are trying to get recognition from their employer (which they probably aren’t getting anyway) or for likes and followers on social media (which seems to be the new metric for success).
This crew here at The Buckeye Post Office deserves to be recognized for the exceptional service they provide our community!
I just love this place! It’s quick, easy and for $8, you can get a pretty darn good car wash. I especially like that they have all the tools you need to finish up after you drive through the wash: vacuum, air to spray the water out of the crevices, and microfiber towels to dry off the outside and wipe down inside.
After I leave there, I come home and use this on my tires and this on the black rubber parts, like my running boards, and my car looks good as new. All for under $10!
It would probably be a good deal to buy their “wash package” which would bring the cost down even more, but I barely drive so I don’t think I’d use it enough to make it pay for itself. If you drive around a lot, and need to wash your car at least once a week, the package deal would definitely be the way to go!
3: HEARTS IN THE WILD
The thing I’m most known for in my small circle of friends in person and on social media is the fact that hearts seem to find me wherever I go. The other day I ran in Costco and when I returned this tinfoil heart was at the back of my car. It seemed to be strategically placed right by my trunk so I’d be sure to see it. It still gives me a good feeling when I look at the picture and try to figure out who sent it. Whenever I see a heart in the wild, I consider it a sign from above. (I think I see them so often because I look for them. 😇 )
Do you see signs like this? If so, please share in the comments or send me an email!
Like many of you probably, I have to go to several different stores around town to get my goods. I never cared for Aldi when I lived in Orange County, but this one on Watson Road in Buckeye has my heart.
I only get a few things here, but these are my favorites that I buy weekly:
If you go, take a quarter for a shopping cart. It’s returned when you return the cart.
We have 3 cars (one older than my grown boys) so if we go a month without needing to visit the mechanic for oil changes or “issues,” it’s rare. So rare, that I don’t think that’s happened so far yet in 2024. 🫠
Luckily, my husband started going to this Brakes Plus the day they opened. Rose, in the front office, and David, Dustin and the crew in the shop, have been taking great care of us and our cars since.
**Honorable Mention: 2 Amigos Auto Repair (Downtown Buckeye): Two short days after we moved here in June of 2021, I noticed oil dripping from my car and took my car to them. I’d still be going to them if Brakes Plus hadn’t opened closer to home. I had such a wonderful experience, I wrote about it. Read my Yelp Review here.
Do you ever get on a weird eating kick? Like you want the same thing over and over again? That happens to me pretty often. Usually it’s tacos. Lately it’s been breakfast. Specifically breakfast sausage and hash browns. Weird. I know.
Anyway, this craving struck me with a vengeance the other day at 4 pm, and what’s a girl to do when she wants breakfast for dinner? I did a quick Google search to see if there was somewhere new I could try but the only place I could find that serves breakfast all day near me is Rosie Taco Shop in Verrado. [Check out the review I did a few weeks ago about Rosie’s here.]
Until that day, I had only had tacos from Rosie’s which is why there is no mention in my prior review of the incredible breakfast burrito (sausage, egg, cheese + hash browns) that I ordered for pickup.
I could barely wait to get to my favorite park and sink my teeth in! I love that park, the fountain, and the Adirondack chairs! It’s a nice little place to visit for a getaway in the middle of the day. And that big, fat burrito powered me through all the errands I had to run that day. It was so big that I had the half left over for breakfast the next day.
7: WHAT EVEN IS THIS? I DON’T KNOW BUT I LOVE IT!
I try to go for a walk every night and this time of year is really fun with all the Halloween decorations up. Sometimes they scare me - the zombies and witches and monsters, but I really got a kick out of this giant hand with a moving eyeball. I will look forward to seeing it now every night on my walk.
I don’t want to share address of this one publicly here, but if you want one of your own, you can get it at Lowe’s.
8: VISTA DEL SOL LANDSCAPE
Like everyone else at the end of that scorching summer, our yard is wrecked with dead plants and overgrown trees & shrubbery. I have been looking at those two fried bushes in my front yard for months, in annoyance. Since it’s finally cooling off a bit, we can address our yard issues.
As I write this, Uriel, and his crew from Vista Del Sol Landscape are here cleaning things up. They come highly recommended by my neighbor, Tony, and others on local community boards.
I knew they were different when I told the tree trimmer about the bird nest in the tree he was here to trim. He said in the gentlest voice, “I’ll be careful, I am always careful around the nests.” How sweet is that?!
From now on, we will have them come every 6 months to stay on top of things. My husband enjoys doing the routine maintenance in between so we don’t need a regular, monthly yard service.
In Closing
I hope you enjoyed this peak into my week! Those were just a few of my favorite things that bring a sense of normalcy to my life, and are things that are easy to overlook and take for granted in the daily rush to get from Point A to Z.
I think it’s good to stop every now and then - preferably each day - and be grateful for all the little things along the way that make life, life.
Practicing The Power of Now
My favorite spiritual teacher who has helped me most with learning how to live in the present is Eckhart Tolle.
I refer to his book Practicing The Power of Now (another book that has made an immense impact on my life) often. I also fall asleep most nights listening to his talks on YouTube.
Check him out if you’d like assistance in learning this necessary life skill. 💗

Do you have a favorite person, place or thing you’d like to see featured here? Email me the details @ vanessa@thebuckeyebuzz.com

Reply