Friday Favorites - September 26th 2025

 

Today I'm linking up with Momfessionals and A Little Bit of Everything to share Friday Favorites! 

Some of my favorites from this week include....

Monopoly Deal with this guy! He loves regular Monopoly, but we don't always have time (and it's my least favorite game! LOL), but Monopoly Deal is great. It moves quickly and is fairly easy to learn. We try to play a game every Sunday after dinner. During the week with school, work, gymnastics, etc it's just too hard to make it work. We really love our weekend game nights! A favorite for sure!

Watching him cook and try new recipes is a favorite of mine! Lately, he's loved making toasted sandwiches in the air fryer. This time he made a nutella sandwich as a treat, and it came out great! The recipe is simple - 2 pieces of bread (or one folded in half), push on the bread a bit to make a spot for the filling, add the filling, brush some egg wash on the edges, add the top piece of bread, brush with more egg wash and air fry at 350 degrees for 5 minutes. Obviously only use cooked ingredients for the filling (or fillings that don't need to be cooked). 

This one isn't a favorite before or during, but is always a favorite when I'm done! I have to be more intentional about exercise. My goal would be to exercise each night or each morning, but I'm lucky if I get twice a week in - with once a week being more likely. I have lupus, which is well controlled right now but even well controlled I still experience a lot of fatigue and it makes it hard to either stay awake late enough or to get up early enough. Today it really hit me though that I need to stop making excuses. A woman I followed on Instagram for a long time, Tiffany Job, passed away after having stage 4 lung cancer. She would walk on her treadmill at home every day, diligently, even in her hardest moments. She did everything she could to be here for her boys, and it just reminds me that each day that we get to move our body and get to have our health is a blessing. 

Watching my son do what he loves is such a favorite! About a year ago I found a pommel horse on Facebook marketplace about 3 hours away from our house. If you're not a mens gymnastics family, then you may not know that these cost 10k plus or more new - the mat alone is about 3k, and this was a STEAL, so we rented a Uhaul and went to pick it up. Having him be able to practice at home when he wants to is such a blessing. He already spends 16 hours a week in the gym, so we don't let him do too much, but he likes to get some practice in and it's so fun to watch him! I'll never be able to park my car in the garage, but who needs that right? LOL

Kind of random, but a favorite is a good fall tote bag. I've been searching around for one that can fit my laptop, a small crossbody bag, a water bottle and a few other things. I keep coming back to these by Latico Leathers. Has anyone purchased from them and what did you think? Any recommendations for totes? 

Have a great weekend!

Book review: The Names by Florence Knapp

 

The Names by Florence Knapp 

This book. Trust me. I don't even have words. I finished this book and then immediately wanted to read it again. I actually went back and started reading it again because it's one of those books where each time you read it, you'll get more from it. It's so interesting, complex and powerful. Here's the description from the Amazon page.....

"In the wake of a catastrophic storm, Cora sets off with her nine-year-old daughter, Maia, to register her son's birth. Her husband, Gordon, a local doctor, respected in the community but a terrifying and controlling presence at home, intends for her to name the infant after him. But when the registrar asks what she'd like to call the child, Cora hesitates...

Spanning thirty-five years, what follows are three alternate and alternating versions of Cora's and her young son's lives, shaped by her choice of name. In richly layered prose, The Names explores the painful ripple effects of domestic abuse, the messy ties of family, and the possibilities of autonomy and healing.

With exceptional sensitivity and depth, Knapp draws us into the story of one family, told through a prism of what-ifs, causing us to consider the "one . . . precious life" we are given. The book’s brilliantly imaginative structure, propulsive storytelling, and emotional, gut-wrenching power are certain to make The Names a modern classic."

Initially, I thought I'd have a hard time following the book because it's broken up into sections and bounces between the three sections, but it's really easy to follow and a quick read, but truly so powerful. If you're a domestic violence victim, this may be triggering, but overall I think the book is worth the hard parts. If you've read it, comment below and let me know what you thought!

My experience with a double mastectomy...

In September of 2020, I had a preventative double mastectomy without reconstruction (flat closure). My mom passed away from breast cancer in her early 50's, and starting around age 33 I had precancerous lumps. After genetic testing (which was inconclusive), the precancerous lumps, and a strong family history (my maternal grandmother had ovarian cancer and I have other relatives with breast cancer as well), I decided to do a preventative mastectomy. My plan was to reconstruct (I figured I'd get a bit of a 'mommy makeover!'), but after consulting with doctors it was determined that because I have Lupus (SLE), the risk my body might reject the implants or make any type of reconstruction more dangerous was just too high. I was faced with a hard decision - either do nothing and wait, or have the surgery without any reconstruction. Not an ideal choice to make at age 39, which is how old I was at the time. Due to the pandemic, I wasn't able to approach this in a normal way. Initially my surgery was scheduled in March of 2020, but it was delayed due to the pandemic. When I was finally able to be scheduled, I wasn't able to have a scan prior to the surgery, so the surgeon had to go in "blind" so to speak. They anticipated it being preventative, so when cancer came back in the pathology it was a big shock. Thankfully, after a few reviews of the pathology, they confirmed it was stage 0 ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and that a double mastectomy is the most aggressive treatment they would have recommended. I have a scar from each armpit to the center of my chest. It's not ideal by any means, but in clothing (unless the clothing is tight) I don't think it's a huge deal or super obvious. I could wear prosthetics, but I don't unless the outfit really needs something. 

This was the day after surgery. 

It was day surgery due to the pandemic. Which is wild, right? They literally cut my breasts off and sent me home the same day. My aunt made me a cake (you'd have to know her to appreciate that), watched my son, and made me dinner. We "celebrated" with cake while I was pretty loopy from the anesthesia and had some ice packs in my shirt. LOL I mean, if you don't laugh you'll cry. The pink top under my shirt is the post surgery bra they put on, which again is kind of odd because there's not really any breast tissue left over, but there are a lot of bandages and scars. I had 2 drains, which were uncomfortable but not painful. I had them for 11 days before they were removed. Removal wasn't fun - highly recommend something for pain relief prior. I didn't and wish I did....ouch, holy painful. The rest of the surgery/recovery was actually fine. My son was 5 years old, so that was a little tricky. You can't lift your arms up very high and everything is sore. I didn't take any pain pills though, which isn't me being tough, it's just that addiction runs in my family and I didn't want to risk it. I alternated tylenol and motrin and that was enough for me. 

I'm now 5 years past the surgery. I'm very open about it because it was so hard to go through essentially alone without anyone really understanding. My other friends who had mastectomies all were candidates for reconstruction. I feel like I had a pretty decent body for most of my adult life, and then having a part of your femininity just cut off and removed like that was rough, not going to lie. However, I wouldn't change it one bit. I'd rather be cancer free without breasts than have breasts and cancer.  For me, I didn't have an in-between option that didn't come with too many risks to make it worth it. Lupus is an autoimmune disease, so adding a foreign object to my body didn't seem like a wise idea. 

If you're in the same boat, I'm sorry. But know it'll be okay. As women we've been defined for too long by our bodies and not by who we are as people. You'll still be just as beautiful after the surgery as you are today. You can do this. I know it. 

This is me today. Living life with a different body than I had prior to September of 2020, but also living life with a whole new perspective. Very thankful & grateful. 

If you're in the New England area, or willing to travel, I highly recommend my surgeon, Dr. Michele Gadd. She's amazing. She's also at Mass General Hospital, which is highly regarded for their women's breast health center. Dr. Gadd made me feel safe, comfortable and confident during a really scary time. I will always be grateful to her and her team. 

If you found this blog post because you have a reason that you can't reconstruct safely, I recommend checking out resources about flat reconstruction prior to your surgery. You want to be sure you have an idea of what your body will look like, because it's hard. You want to advocate for yourself to be sure the surgeon doesn't leave extra skin or it'll be uncomfortable. Dr. Gadd did a great job and didn't leave me with any extra skin. There are also facebook groups for women going through this, some are very pro-flat reconstruction and they are much more confident and body positive than I am, admittedly. I didn't choose this intentionally - I just didn't have a better option. I didn't want to be flat, but I did want to live a long and healthy life, and flat was the healthiest choice I had and I'm glad I made that choice. 

If you are facing breast cancer surgery, or have lupus and want to connect, please comment below or email me at nikkijunepeters at gmail dot com . We're all in it together.  

Block Island Rhode Island with our dog!

 A few years back we took our dog, Mac to Block Island on the ferry for the day! We had a blast and the whole process was really easy! We took the high speed ferry from Port Judith, Newport to Block Island Rhode Island. If you bring a dog, and they're too big for a carrier (Mac is 95 pounds), they have to stay outside on the deck with a leash. We put a red 'do not pet' vest on Mac because he doesn't love strangers. It worked out just fine and he tucked under my seat for most of the ride. 

The ferry ride was quick and really beautiful! It was a calm sea and we had a nice trip. 

When we arrived on Block Island, we walked to towards the Block Island Beach House hotel because if you take the stairs down to Crescent Beach, you can rent chairs and umbrellas so you don't have to carry them on the ferry. 

Right at the bottom of these stairs are the hotel chairs & umbrellas, which are only for hotel guests, but if you walk just a bit further, you'll find a few guys renting out chairs and umbrellas to the public. They were very affordable too! 

We got ourselves set up on the beach, and we were surrounded by families with young children and dogs. It was truly EXACTLY what we hoped for when we planned this day trip. The weather was fantastic, the beach was clean, the surf was low and great for kids. The only thing we didn't expect was how hot the sand was. Mac at the time was only a year old, so not quite his full 95 pounds that he is now, and so Brent was able to carry him across the hot sand. I would plan ahead for some paw protection if you have a large dog because the sand in the summer can get hot. 

Mac normally doesn't love other dogs, but at the beach he was much calmer than when he's home in his own territory. We didn't get too close to any other dogs, but he behaved beautifully and even did some swimming! (on his leash). Dogs do have to be leashed the whole time, but Block Island is one of the only locations in New England that welcomes dogs year round, including during the summer. Most beaches in MA, NH, RI, etc only allow dogs in the off season - which makes Block Island even more of a destination for dog families! 

The Block Island Beach House has a fantastic outdoor restaurant called The Surf . The food was delicious and they are very dog friendly! They brought Mac a water bowl, some sliced watermelon and his own cheeseburger. For human food and drinks, we had no complaints. Everything was wonderful! 

After lunch, we walked around the downtown a bit, however the sidewalks and cement were hot and we didn't want Mac to burn his paws, so avoided the peak sun. We headed back after shopping to the beach for a little longer, then packed up and caught the ferry to get home for dinner. It was a perfect quick day trip! 

If you've been, please feel free to share your Block Island tips in the comments! :)

Welcome (and a Top Golf review!)

Welcome! My name is Nikki. I'm a 44 year old mom of an 11 year old boy and I live in Massachusetts. I am not an influencer, or trying to be one. I'm not the best at grammer either, so bear with me. I am writing here because I imagine there are other moms like me out there who may benefit from a corner of the internet that's real and authentic. I'm a working mom (with a regular day job), and my son is a competitive gymnast. Men's gymnastics isn't the most common sport, but it's really wonderful, so I hope this blog reaches other moms of male gymnasts! I also have lupus (SLE) but have been very lucky in recent years that it's not been too aggressive, though it's something I'll always have and always have to live with. In 2020, I had a preventative double mastectomy for breast cancer and in the pathology they found stage 0 early breast cancer (DCIS & LCIS). Due to having lupus, I wasn't able to have reconstruction, so some of what I share here might be related to living my life with a much different body than I had prior to surgery.  I hope to mostly share fun things to do with kids (and will go back through old photos to share experiences from when my son was younger, too!) in New England, whether you live here or are visiting. Please comment if you'd like, I'd love to connect with other moms, lupus or breast cancer survivors. 

This is me and my son Alec. We went to Top Golf on this day and had an absolute blast. For locals, Top Golf if located in Canton and is a really fun time! We rented a bay and played a bunch of different golf games. We reserved a bay online (we went during the week (on a vacation day) and the price was very reasonable). There were three of us, myself, Alec and his dad Brent. We also ordered food, which was delicious. The flatbread was a favorite. The bays are spacious, and the group behind us was hosting a birthday party for a bunch of teen boys, which looked like a great idea! There are a bunch of different games available, and they provide the golf clubs. 

 

This is the view from the bay we were in. We were in the lower level, but there's an upper level too. The various colors give you a spot to aim to, and align with the games on the screen in front of you. 

An idea of some of the games available. We like the Sonic game the most! If you're in MA and looking for something fun to do (would be a great rainy day activity in Massachusetts because the bays are covered), definitely check out Top Golf. We'll be back for sure!