I thoroughly enjoyed the long weekend so I decided it wouldn’t kill me if I posted this a little late.
This past month has been a huge improvement from last month! The situation that occurred has now been fully resolved and I’m feeling much better about things. In addition to that, the weather has been amazing! Gardening is in full swing (my poor front yard needs quite a bit of work done) but I’m so happy to finally be getting outdoors more!
We spent this past Memorial Day weekend shopping, getting our house clean, laundry, spending quality time with friends, and soaking in sunshine. It was a perfect weekend!
Here’s what else we’ve been up to…
Currently Watching
WandaVision on Disney+!
Just finished! Now we’re on the search for the next show.
I can’t remember where I found this book, but it’s been on my to-read list for quite a while! I haven’t gotten very far, but it’s a pretty short book. It’s another one that has given me some food for thought, so I’m looking forward to getting into this one more.
These make for a great snack! It’s yummy and sweet and I appreciate this recipe includes flax seed as well.
Current Favorite
All things summer!
Seriously, nothing can beat the smell of freshly cut grass, the smell of summer rain, and cold treats on a hot day. Even reading during the summer somehow feels extra relaxing. I’m loving it and soaking it all in!
I hope you all are doing well! I realize I’ve been slacking on posts this year, but keeping up with life is still quite a challenge sometimes. Thanks for bearing with me through it all!
Not going to lie, April has been a rough, rough month. There’s just no sugar coating this one. There were some things that metaphorically blindsided me and I’ve been dealing with emotional whiplash from it all month long. I am beyond happy to say goodbye to this month and move on to the next since the issues have (mostly) been dealt with and I am ready to move on.
Aside from that drama, here’s what we’ve been up to…
Currently Watching
WandaVision on Disney+!
We still haven’t finished The Mandalorian – at this point we might just wait until the next season is out haha.
I’ve been dying to read a book that I just can’t put down. I was not really expecting this book to be that kind of book but I. Was. Wrong! I’ve been staying up past my bedtime because I don’t want to stop. I’m almost a week in of reading this and about half way done. That might not seem like much, but considering it usually takes me about a month to finish a novel, it’s pretty impressive. At this rate I’ll be done by the end of the weekend.
Now that the weather is getting warmer, we’re beginning to move away from cozy soups and stews and incorporating more light and fresh meals. This recipe was delicious. We used pita bread and it was perfect! I was out of a few key ingredients when I made this, but still turned out pretty good. I will definitely be making this again. It would be a great picnic option!
Current Favorite
This month’s favorite has been all about the little things in life.
Slowing down, enjoying the smell of coffee in the morning, getting rest, reading, bubble baths, etc. When life is hard you have to look for the beauty and blessings that God has given us. It’s so hard to see when you have dense fog and the dark clouds of life in your way, but it makes such a different when you stop to take a moment to be grateful for the things that bring us joy.
Excuse me, but didn’t we just turn the calendar to February?? Clearly I have some catching up to do. Obviously from what you can see in my past couple blog posts, I spent a lot of time in January working and planning on my goals for the year. I do plan on doing a quarterly update, so that will be coming up later this month.
February was a little challenging for me. I finally finished a huge organization project at home that took absolutely forever, but it felt so good when it was done! Work has also a bit crazy as I’m learning a new position, so that’s been exciting but also a bit mentally exhausting as I’ve been trying to juggle my current responsibilities as well as learn a new role…which has also contributed to my lack of posting since I tend to write the most on my lunch breaks.
In February Mikey and I also celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary. 13…I still can’t get over that much time has passed!
I took a day off from work to celebrate and we grabbed takeout, played a video game (I’m not a gamer, but I’ll try a game here and there), and watched our show. It’s rare these days when it’s just the two of us and it was so nice!
SO, now that it’s March….here’s what else we’ve been up to…
Currently Watching
Mikey and I are almost finished with The Mandalorian. We only have 1 episodes left! We haven’t wanted it to end so we keep dragging it out. We don’t know what we’re going to watch next, so let me know what’s good!
Family movie nights have consisted of…
Despicable Me
Abominable (different abominable snowman movie than we were thought it was, but it was cute!)
Ferdinand
Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs
Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs 2
Soul (I wasn’t expecting it to be as good as it was! )
Currently Reading
Own Your Life by Sally Clarkson (I rented the audiobook through our library)
I actually just finished this! I discovered Sally on Instagram and was really drawn to her. There are quite a few books of hers that I want to read, but this book seemed really appropriate to start with for the beginning of the year since she talks about priorities and living with intention. She has given a lot of food for thought. She really gets into the heart of “issues” and I’m really thankful for it. While I have felt convicted in certain areas, I have felt equally encouraged and inspired. I might just have to buy this book since there were so many times I wish I could highlight sections.
I honestly would have never picked this book up except my sister had made a comment about this book and I thought she said she read it. Long story short, she hadn’t, but I’m so glad I picked this book up. I thought it might be full of language, but it’s actually not and I can’t believe how helpful it’s been. My mind has been stuck in a rut for a while now and this book has been super helpful in getting myself un-stuck.
This was a new meal idea I tried and have put into the meal rotation. We often have tacos and I like the spin. Mine did not turn out quite as pretty, but when you top it with mounds of cheese and sour cream, you can’t really tell. It tasted good and that’s all we really care about. :)
Current Favorite
This is a really odd favorite, but I discovered the “Downtime” feature on my iPhone.
This feature allows you to choose days and/or time to close down apps to limit your screen time. It’s nice because you can pick and choose which apps can stay open and which will be off limits – you can also ignore the limit if you choose.
I get a notification each weekend on how much screen time I’ve had over the last week. It’s honestly shocking to me how much time I waste on my phone. I noticed a lot of my usage is right before bed. I can easily spend an hour mindlessly scrolling through my social media accounts. I really wanted to break this habit because that hour can easily be spent doing something better with my time, like reading.
This feature can be found on your iPhone by going to your settings –> Screen Time –> Downtime. I’m a fan.
Anyway, I hope you all are doing well! I don’t know about you, but I am REALLY looking forward to spring! I would love to know what you all have been up to! Feel free to leave a comment below!
Here we are on the last day of November. Between this month and last we have checked quite a few things off our Fall Bucket List. Last week we celebrated a very COVID style Thanksgiving. I was sick with a cold so it was just me, my husband Mikey, and our Gryffin. It wasn’t the first time it was just the 3 of us for Thanksgiving so it wasn’t that bad (aside from being sicky). Actually it was really nice because Mikey didn’t have to work for the first time in years!
We usually wait to put our tree up until the Saturday after Thanksgiving but we decided put our tree up Thanksgiving night. Gryffin was pretty excited about it! I’ve had a hard time getting into the holiday spirit, but since we’re the keeper of our own happiness I refuse to let my dismal feelings take control.
Anyway…here’s what else we’ve been up to.
Currently Watching
Mikey and I haven’t really watched anything this past month aside from the family movie night movies so I’m just going to jump in here.
Friday family night movies have included:
Big Hero 6 (I really like this one – it’s sad but good!)
Scoob (This is a repeat. Gryffin really likes this movie. I honestly thought for sure it would be too scary for him and was ready to stop it at any moment, but he loves it!)
This has been taking me a long time to get through since it’s not holding my interest quite as much as the first book. I still plan to read the next one but I’m hoping there’s a little more story line to keep things going a littler faster.
To go with the Little House books, I discovered there was a Little House cookbook! I was thinking of buying this but discovered the library had a copy so I checked it out! I’m glad it’s not something I bought because most of the recipes I don’t think I would actually make, but it’s been fun to flip through.
I’m not quite sure what brought me to this book, but I’m all about making my house a home and this book had a lot of good information in it. I really enjoyed her monthly calendars and gleaned some good ideas and inspiration. Definitely contemplating buying this book.
I found this copy cat recipe on Pinterest and loved it! It was a big hit with Mikey and Gryffin too. I always order soup, salad, and breadsticks from Olive Garden and this is one of my favorites. Bonus, this recipe makes a lot so it’s great for a crowd!
I have tried a few different types of nails (salon, Jamberry, glue on, press on), but these are my new favorite! I love that you don’t need heat to apply and you can easily take them off with nail polish without completely ruining your nails. I’m a fan! I just ordered a couple more sets for my stocking for Christmas this year (from Mikey of course ;). These nails are sold by consultants, but I hear Dashing Diva‘s nails are similar if you don’t want to go through a consultant.
I was glad to welcome the fall season this year. I enjoy the fall days at home, especially when it’s extra warm and cozy inside. This year I’m looking forward to a slower pace. We don’t have a lot of plans this year and I’m perfectly okay with that. With that being said, I still made a fall bucket list – this one is just a little more focused on things we can do at home.
I also have a blank list at the end that you can print to make your own!
Food & Drink
Chili bread bowl night
Bake a pumpkin pie
Bake pumpkin bread
Make apple cider
Make cranberry chicken
There is something so cozy about baking in the fall! I’m looking forward to all these yummy eats!
Out & About
Go on a fall scavenger hunt
Have a fall photo shoot
Check out books at the library
Play in the leaves
Buy a new fall candle
Creative
Decorate for fall
Carve pumpkins
Make a fall decoration (I’m thinking a wreath or table centerpiece)
Make a thankful tree
Organize a room or closet
Rain or Shine
Go puddle jumping
Costume dress up night
Have a game night
Donate to a food bank
Mail a handwritten card
For those who want to create your own, you can print a blank list by clicking on the download button below.
Simply Blissful 