I’m still figuring this out, but here is what captured my attention in the midst of this busy month.
“I love that you wear an apron unironically.” I said while chopping celery.
“What? What does that even mean?” my sister Mandy laughed and looked a bit perplexed.
“It’s just that whenever I do anything in the kitchen, I have to put my apron on so I can actually enjoy cooking and meal prep without feeling like I will make a mess all over myself. And I like that you do that too.”
“Oh, yeah, that makes sense.” She nodded.
While we worked on party food prep, we shared stories of cooking, dishes, and our beloved aprons.
It’s in these moments when I feel seen and grounded. Having a large family of my own, close extended family, and a connected church community are so important to me. It can also mean that some seasons are incredibly busy. My February was one of them.
Some Highlights:
My Bullet Journaling and my many lists helped me stay calm and organized this month. I had several events that I hosted and made food for that needed my full gambit of organizational skills.
In my kitchen — Speaking of food, I made some excellent dinners and meals for crowds that I am proud of. Let’s see… there was a special dinner with turkey and Swiss pinwheels, college hangout night with a taco/burrito bar (with nacho cheese fountain!), game night Italian pasta with sourdough pizza rolls, Birthday goodies for a family party, and a coffee & pastries bridal shower for Mary. Being solidly in the moment, not many pictures were taken but here’s a few:
My Book Basket:
With the calendar being so full this month my audiobook list has been my companion while cleaning, prepping food, and baking.
I also DNFed a few books that were not the right fit.
No More Boring Bible Study by Faith Womack 📖📝(subtitle: Why Taking Scripture Seriously Is Easier and More Exciting Than You Think)I found this excellent book and have really enjoyed underlining it. I am hoping to use it with teens & college students as a book club this summer! This is the way I approach Bible study. Love it!
a YA selection for buddy reading with Kyle (age 11) this month was The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen. We enjoyed making predictions and then having much debate over the twist at the end. I liked book 2: The Runaway Kingmore in some ways because I understood the characters in a deeper way.
I have also been listening to Joyrideby Susan Orlean.🎧 This was another recommendation from the podcast: Books We’ve Loved Lately! from Midlife Lady Leisure Pursuits. It’s a memoir from famous New Yorker writer and author. The book feels like a time machine to the “golden age” of journalism and I’m enjoying the 80’s and 90’s nostalgia. The book is bit long (almost 15 hours) but it has been interesting to hear how her writing process evolved over time. I also got a stack of her books from the library and I will add a few to my March basket. 📚
Confessions:
I did not get to readJoyful by Ingrid Fetell Lee 📖. It is still in my basket and will move over to next month.
I decided to DNF Jane and the Final Mystery by Stephanie Barron 📖 after getting a chapter in and feeling lost. It’s been a while since I’ve read an Austin novel and the language threw me off. It will wait for me on my shelf for now. 😜
I was a bit sad by the lack of response to my Giveaway post. I do have a few readers that are excited to try out the course and give feedback but I was hoping for more. If you missed it, check it out and send me a note if you are interested, I still have 2 spots left. (I also totally get that this is a busy season.)
I’ve been tiered lately. School mornings are hard. Making a special effort to give myself grace.💙
My Crafting & DIY decorprojects have been fun to work on but not exactly Pinterest or photo worthy and I’m fine with that. 😁
In the Arizona desert/Phoenix area, it feels like there is this weird pressure to spend as much time outside as possible while its nice out. (Especially when the rest of North America is covered in sleet and snow.) I have been taking long walks often but I’ve also just enjoyed having my windows open.
photo by Mary Edwards
Reflection Prompts:
What do I want more of next month?
What felt nourishing that I want to repeat?
What am I still thinking about?
If you kept something small and meaningful going this month, that counts.
I’d love to hear what you stayed with. There is beauty in repetition. Share your reading list or what hobby caught your attention.
