Feel Good Friday 27

Hello, I am glad you are here, especially today.  Every Friday I share things that I’ve found uplifting or beneficial to my life throughout the week, and it’s come to be one of my favorites each week.  We all need positivity and things that might help improve our lives right now more than ever. If you recall, last week was hard, and I struggled to focus and lost my direction, but this week I found it again.  These are just some of the things that truly helped me find my way back to myself. (This blog uses affiliate links- thank you!)

Make Your Own Art

I was in such a creative rut, but this week, the floodgates opened back up and I feel ideas bubbling to the surface.  If you happen to follow me on instagram and saw my stories this week, then you got a sneak peek, but I used only things I had on hand (because zero budget at the time!) and created my own artwork.  I am absolutely in LOVE with the result and will be sharing it here in just a couple of weeks.  As I was scrolling my own instagram feed this past week, I came across two DIY art pieces created by my friends. You can see Laura’s above, and check it out here.  She’s even selling it in her etsy shop! Her work inspired me to see what old frames and paints I might have lurking in the basement so that I could follow their lead.  I used a print we were never going to hang again, flipped it over, and painted the back side using leftover paint from our living room walls and master bedroom color block. Thank you so much for inspiring me,  Laura! I have not been this excited to show you guys a project in a while! 😉 Actually, if you look carefully below you might see it.

Self Improvement Book

You guys know by now that I love my self improvement books! I’ve shared some in the past before here and here if you are looking for more to read. As staying-at-home orders set in, I focused on reading fictional books which offered me a thrilling escape. Last week I finally picked  up another self-improvement book because clearly I was struggling, and the story I was telling myself was not the right one.  I had ordered Dave Hollis’ Get Out of Your Own Way back in March, and it was time to crack it open. I’ve read his wife Rachel’s books, Girl, Wash Your Face, and Girl, Stop Apologizing, but this is his first book. Because I wasn’t quite in the right frame of mind when I started reading it, it began slowly for me, but halfway through the book he had me in tears as I read about their adoption journey from his point of view.  While it was a story I was familiar with, his story of how it challenged them was so familiar to my own story of trying to have Wilder whichwas a time that we struggled, but we struggled together and came through stronger. In this book, just as Rachel did in Girl, Wash Your Face, Dave unpacks the lies that we tell ourselves and discovers the real truth underneath which allows us to grow into better human beings.  There are so many great takeaways, and this book is filled with humor that only he can provide. (I literally laughed out loud when he referred to a meeting he had with Oprah and how she starts every meeting by asking what the desired out come was.  He wrote that, of course it was a selfie with Oprah! That’s not really what he said to her, but that comment made me laugh.)  Since he’s joined the Hollis Company as CEO, I’ve become an even bigger fan because he brings so much humor, and I am here for it.  His book is a true reflection of who he is.  If I could ever get Chris to read self help, I would have him start here.

Podcast About the Power of Resilience

We are currently in the midst of one of the biggest storms our country has ever faced, and we’ve seen some bad ones in our time.  I will never forget evacuating our Slidell, Louisiana home in 2005 with a 2 week old baby, my husband, our two dogs, and my dad who happened to be visiting to meet his first grandson. Katrina was a massive hurricane that struck New Orleans the hardest, and the city is still, 15 years later, not the same.  However, out of that storm came so many stories of help, hope, love, and resilience. On my Sunday morning walk, I listened to this Moth story by Burnell Cotton. His testimony illustrates the power of the human spirit and just what is possible after the storm.  Remember, this too, shall pass, and after it does, the world will be forever changed, but we have the power to make it a better place.  I honestly believe that.

Coconut Cauliflower Adobo

My family loves it when I cook cauliflower of broccoli.  Just kidding.  Every time I cook it, I hear, “It smells like a fart in here!” Needless to say, no one else will eat it, let alone be in the same room with it.  However, I happen to love it so occasionally, I will cook it anyhow.  This week I made this coconut cauliflower adobo recipe from Half Baked Harvest and it was SO good! I served mine over shredded cabbage simply because I am trying to cut down on carbs after a little too much indulgence lately. Also I like cabbage. And yes, both cabbage and cauliflower are cruciferous…. take from that what you will. 😉

Go-To Protein Powder Price

When I had my month of smoothies in February, I tried a few different plant based protein powders and this one became one of my favorites.  I happened to grab it when it was on major sale at Whole Foods. Good news!  It’s super inexpensive right now at Amazon as well.  I happen to like the flavor, the fact that it’s plant-based and filled with protein, and helps with collagen synthesis which my 41 year old skin could use right now.  FYI, I use half a serving in my smoothie because that plus the almond or soy milk I use contains plenty of protein for me. I go through one container each month (it suggests it has 15 servings, but like I mentioned I cut the size in half so I get double the mileage), and I ended up using the subscribe and save method which was a little cheaper.  If you’re looking for a delicious and healthy recipe, my pina colada protein smoothie is one of my favorites!

I hope that your week has gone smoothly and had lots of bright spots, too!  Just like Burnell Cotton, we will get through this storm and come out on the other side with a clear mission, a full heart, and strength like never before.  Until then, we are going to make it through this time together.