Friday Things #489

1. Last week I mentioned that Dominic had a series of scans (and a bone marrow biopsy) and we were waiting to hear the results and next steps from his oncologist. A few days ago, we got that call… his bone marrow was clear and his PET scan was negative, so they have deemed him clear of any active disease and he is now done with active treatment. His next step is enrollment in the neuroblastoma vaccine clinical trial, which is a series of ten shots over the course of three years (though the first seven are all in the first year), that train the body to identify and destroy any neuroblastoma cells. This is to help get rid of any that remain but do not show on a scan, as well as to help prevent relapse.

This is a HUGE milestone and honestly, one that looked light-years away when he was diagnosed 17 months ago. He has gone through so much and we are so thrilled that this is a step closer to him just being able to enjoy being a kid. On one hand, it is a sigh of relief, but on the other, not without some anxiety. No more active treatment means not being in attack mode and praying that nothing comes back… 50% of kids that are diagnosed with stage 4 high-risk neuroblastoma relapse. It’s the flip of a coin, and we hope that the vaccine will up his odds. He will continue to get scans every 2 to 3 months for the foreseeable future, and we pray that they continue to be disease-free. Thank you all for your continued prayers and good thoughts for Dominic and our family ❤️

2. A great little refresher >> 5 Cooking Techniques to Become a Better Home Cook

3. There are currently tons of Labor Day deals on kitchen things on Amazon; if you’ve had your eye on any of these, now would be a great time to shop! >> All-in-One Veggie Chopper (20% off) / Ninja XL Air Fryer (29% off) and the Ninja DualZone Air Fryer (28% off) / Clear Plastic Bins (20% off) – I love these for organizing the pantry and bathrooms!

4. I’m knocking on every wood surface available to me, but today closes out two full weeks of school and none of the kids have gotten sick so far… they usually don’t last the first week!

5. I’ve never been to any of these places and now I’m dying to go! >> The Best Spots for Stargazing in the U.S.

6. A seasonal reminder that now is a perfect time to start a batch of homemade vanilla extract if you’d like to gift it for the holidays… it will be full of flavor and ready to use!

7. Is it just me or were the strawberries really not good this year? I don’t think we got one good batch all summer long.

8. I’ve seen so many people talk about the Bonne Maman advent calendar over the last couple of years… do any of you get it? Is it worth it?

9. Right now we’re watching the new Justified series and Special Ops: Lioness, but they both only release new episodes once a week and we haven’t found anything to binge in between. Give me all your suggestions!

10. TGIF! Judith is the queen of cozy…