Feel Good Friday 31
We have hit the last couple weeks of school here, and we are all so ready for it to be finished! Can I get an “Amen!” After last week’s struggle with Chris going back to work, this week we fell into a much smoother and more productive rhythm, and it definitely helped that I wasn’t wallowing, if I am being totally honest. 😉 A few weeks ago I talked about how we had started a weekly schedule where each evening was designated game night, movie night, show night, date night, or free night. Now that Chris is working again, we’ve kept to that schedule because it gives us all something to look forward to at the end of the day, and has been a huge sanity saver. Even when things go back to “normal” we will be sticking with it because it’s truly been great for our connection to one another, and I am a person who thrives on routine. Anyhow, let’s dive on into Feel Good Friday because I have so many great things to share with you this week!
An Insightful Book
When I took B School this past Spring, one of the suggested resources was this book, Now Discover Your Strengths, which is a companion to the Clifton Strengths Finder Test. The test was also highly recommended, so I did that it back in March. I knew what my supposed strengths were, but honestly not much beyond that. Way back around the time I took the test, I borrowed the book from the library, and then the libraries all closed, so I let the book sit there. I knew that things were starting to open up so figured I should finally read this book in case I need to return it soon. I am so glad I did because it really opened my eyes in how to use my strengths productively, and how we can all work together and encourage the use of the strengths of others as well. There were a couple sections about managing people and building a strengths based organization that I glazed over because I don’t manage people and don’t plan on building a big business, but I figure I can revisit one day if needed. For now, I just found it really useful in helping me focus on the things that I am good at, and then teaching me to put them to use. I also suggested it to Chris because he does manage people.
Clean Skin Care
A few weeks ago, I hopped on a call with a local woman, Angela Jenkins who owns a clean skin care company called Solarté. She had reached out to me to see if I’d be interested in trying some of their products and if I had time to talk. Of course I said yes, and learned all about their company, the fabulous products they create, but also all of their philanthropic efforts. Angela is a survivor of domestic violence and that cause is near and dear to her heart. Through her company, she does all she can to help women and families in all sorts of scenarios- you can read more about that here. I’ve now been using her lemon verbena body lotion and shea butter for the last couple of weeks, and OH MY GOODNESS it’s the best lemon scented lotion I have ever had in my life… it’s seriously a citrus dream! The lotion is the perfect weight for summer, and the shea butter feels amazing when my legs are dry after shaving. I also like to use a tiny bit of the shea butter on my dry hands. I always love a product that is clean, feels wonderful, and supports a great cause. (Look above in the photo for a coupon code!)
Date Night Idea
Even with Chris being back to work, we are dedicated to sticking to our weekly date nights. Last week we planned dream vacations, and this week it was my turn… I decided that we’d each take The 5 Love Languages Quiz, and then discuss our answers. I thought Chris would roll his eyes, but he surprised me by being totally on board. We ordered dinner out from a local restaurant, poured a couple of drinks and chatted over our meal before we dove into the quiz. We often struggle with communication… when I say go left, he goes right and vice versa, so I was hoping this would give us some insight on how to better serve one another. I honestly thought his love language was acts of service, because that is how he has always shown his love (even though that is not my love language, which I could have told him!) However, his were words of affirmation and quality time. Mine were physical touch, which sort of surprised me, and words of affirmation. It makes sense though- I honestly love being hugged for a long time and cuddling and hand holding, but Chris has never been into it… so I think I desire it because it’s not there as much. It came up as my top, but I think words of affirmation is truthfully my top one… I love being seen by people I love. Sometimes, Chris can be a little dismissive, and that is when my feelings are hurt the most by him, so I think that goes hand in hand with my seeking his words of recognition and approval. Anyhow, this exercise was eye-opening and I am so glad we did it! Although I will say that now Chris keeps touching my face and sarcastically saying, “I just want to touch your face, I just love you so much…”
Podcast Episode
I’ve recently started listening to the podcast, Famous Failures, hosted by Ozan Varol. I am hooked! I love this show because he keeps the episodes pretty strictly around 30 minutes, but in that time takes a deep dive into the failures of interesting people he interviews. I listened to several episodes last weekend as I worked on a top secret painting project. There have been a couple of episodes in particular that stuck out at me and had really great messages. One of those featured Tara Schuster, a playwright, and entertainment executive. Her story was absolutely incredible, and one of such resilience. She tells the story of how she hit rock bottom at the age of 25, drank herself into oblivion, and drunk dialed her therapist and didn’t remember doing so… when she woke to several worried messages from her therapist, she knew that something had to give. She had to change her life, and she did so and is now a hugely successful entertainment executive. She also has a book out that I would love to read, filled with ideas to “fix your life.” I appreciated her raw honesty, and her tenacity.
House Stalking
Lastly, I wanted to show you this adorable house in my neighborhood. We dream of painting the brick on our exterior, and at first I thought I might paint it black or a brown black. Now I am considering a limewash or a German smear like this one.
I think it would look good on our house…
What do you think? I mean, it’s not gonna happen anytime soon, so you don’t have to answer right away. 😉
Have a wonderful weekend! I hope you spend time with the ones you love, doing things that feed your soul and fuel your body!