Life & What I’m Loving Lately

Hey there, friends. I haven’t shared a little life update in a while so I thought I would just pop in with an informal post to share what’s been up over here, how we are doing, and some things that I am loving.

First off… Fiona is 6 months. How, right? I can’t even believe it. I feel like I was just announcing her birth on here… but here I am, telling you she is 1/2 year old. Time flies much faster with the second, that’s for sure. She’s such a good baby. Willow is getting better with her as she becomes more “fun” these days and it is incredible to watch. She still has her moments of jealously but overall, the transition from 1 to 2 was much more graceful than I was anticipating. I’m lucky.

Even with everything that has been going on in the world, we have just been business as usual for the most part. Staying home, getting outside as often as we can, taking walks, baking, eating good food, reading, etc. We bought the girls a swing set for Easter and that has been a saving grace, to be honest. Willow asks to go on it first thing every morning.

We have also been doing lots of yard work and even planted 10 trees! Nine of them are green giants for privacy but the 10th is my beloved Japanese cherry blossom tree. It makes me so happy. Our old house had one in the front yard and it is the #1 thing I really missed about that house so we finally planted one. I am so excited for it to grow alongside our girls… I have a feeling that the “pink tree” will be treasured part of their childhood. Or maybe just for my own memories, but we will see. Willow is so into plants/gardening lately. We also planted some lilac shrubs and she likes to sing to them to grow. It’s very sweet and makes me so happy.

I have also been ramping up on what I am reading lately. Now that Fiona is over the 6-month mark and in her own room, I have my nights back. Reading is my #1 priority these days because I have an extensive list of books to read and I feel like I never have enough time. But I am making time because it makes me happy!

Balancing kids, husband, household things, the blog, reading… it is overwhelming to fit it all in but I am really working on being more mindful of how I spend my time (and trying to use it wisely). This means that I have actually started to blog twice a week vs. three times a week. If I can do more, I will, but it’s important for me to divvy up my time as best as I can and that means spending more time with my family and my other hobbies, too. But I am on Instagram nearly every single day and have been trying to do more stories so if you don’t follow me there already, definitely do so. Sometimes it is just easier to post a fast recipe there!

But yeah, nothing crazy to report, just a little check-in. Really taking the days in and soaking up this slow way of life. Very grateful to be safe at home with my family. It is something I do not take for granted. I thank the universe every. single. day.

Anyways! Here are a few things I am loving lately. Maybe you can relate or maybe one of the below will be new to you and inspire. Let me know in the comments what you are loving, too.

TV

I have to be honest, we have been watching Office re-runs for like, the 15th time. It’s my favorite show ever and when things feel stressful, I always turn to it. It’s been nice to just laugh at the end of the day.

But I also just binged the first season of Big Little Lies on HBO. AAAHHHH. SO GOOD. What a brilliant cast. Gorgeous scenery. Intriguing mystery. Strong women. It had it all. Let me know if you watched, too.

Books

Like I mentioned, I have been reading a lot lately. I just finished “Get a Life, Chloe Brown” because it was free with prime. It was a really quick and fun romantic comedy. Just something light-hearted uplifting, to be honest. If you need something like that, I recommend it!

I am currently reading a few different books – all different genres. For a classic, I am reading “Little Women” for the first time. For non-fiction, I am in the middle of “Cozy Minimalist Home” and “How Not to Die“. (affiliate links) I am really enjoying the minimalist home book… it has inspired a few nights of clearing clutter.

BUT the best book I am reading right now is “The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs (affiliate link).” It is blowing my mind and I can’t remember the last time I was so excited to dive into a book every night. If you are a dino fan and finally now have the time to take a deep dive into how they came to be and ruled for millions of years, this is the book. It is informative but still easy to read for something so scientific.

Music/Podcasts

I haven’t been listening to much music lately, mostly podcasts. The Office Ladies is my Wednesday jam. I listen while I cook/clean-up dinner. It’s one of my favorite things about my week. If you are an Office fan, you need to listen! It’s Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey going through every single episode of the office with fun behind the scene tidbits and stories.

Other

And a few other things I’m looooving…

• Coloring – yup. Just using colored pencils to color in an adult coloring book I was gifted a while back. It’s so relaxing and satisfying.
• Gardening – we finally grabbed herbs and flowers for the season! I got some basil, dill, thyme, chives, and rosemary. For my flower boxes, I grabbed marigolds and strawberries. Also azalea and lilac shrubs for our beds. It felt so good to plant! Our vegetable garden is up next.

• Popcorn with nutritional yeast – my favorite snack lately. Just pop yourself with a bit of olive oil and then load on the nooch.
• Chickpea egg sandwiches – okay, more food, but these things are so good. I can’t stop eating to save my life.

• Sunsets – sounds cliche but I am just gonna say it because every single night after the girls go to bed, my husband and I take 10 minutes to sit on our deck and just watch the sun go down. If it’s chilly, we bundle up. It’s just nice to sit, breathe, and just be.

Okay, your turn. Tell me about your life lately and how you have been coping. What’s getting you through these days? Love you guys. Be well. x