Feel Good Friday 41
Well, our last official week of summer is ending, and we are ready for “back to school,” however different it may look this year. I dropped my teenagers off in Tennessee this week to spend some time with their grandparents and to get some much needed toddler-free r&r before they hit the books, or zooms, this coming Monday. Also, it was birthday week for me and Sawyer, so it’s been busy and I don’t have as much to share with you this week simply because it’s been busy and a little hectic with all the driving. However, I do have some total gems that are worth your time, so read on! (This post contains affiliate links, and I am an Amazon associate. I appreciate your support.)
Book worth the Listen
Last week on IG live, I interviewed a Melanie from A Small Life about small living and sustainability. She’s a former librarian with a love of reading and books, and she recommended I check out Daisy Jones & The Six in audio format. I am SOOOO glad I heeded her advice! I began listening on my drive to Tennessee, listened on the way back, and then finished the last hour the following morning. This book is one that I think is probably better as an audiobook. The voice actors did an amazing job with the reading of their roles, and portrayed the characters beautifully. This book is the fictional account of a band that formed in the seventies, and their subsequent breakup. It’s a story of many loves, passion for your work, and the battle against drugs and alcohol. It’s honestly about so many things tied into one story, and so well executed. The ending had me in tears and was absolutely perfect. I highly recommend checking it out!
Challenging Hikes
Photo taken post-7 mile strenuous hike
On our birthday, Sawyer and I went hiking with Chris while Emmy stayed home with Wilder. We headed up to Hanging Rock State Park and selected the Indian Creek Trail which was a little over 7 miles total and labeled as “strenuous.” We began at the end that is closer to the two sets of falls on this trail, and headed out on this there and back trail. It definitely had some challenging and steep rocky sections. I slipped on a damp rock and landed in a plank and I attribute all of my yoga lately to the fact that I came away barely bruised. It could have been much worse! Sawyer complained throughout much of it, and knew it was a there and back trail so he kept suggesting we just turn around now, but Chris and I wanted to do the entire trail. We just kept him talking about movies and things that teenage boys like. 😉 Because we started off going down hill past falls, we ended with a steep climb back to our beginning, and at the very end Sawyer was thrilled he had done it all! I asked Sawyer, “Didn’t it feel good to challenge yourself, and don’t you feel proud that you did it all?” He admitted that it did. As for me, I feel, got right back up, and kept going. Life is just one big challenging hike with ups and downs; we fall, dust ourselves off, and keep going, all the while doing our best to take in the beauty that surrounds us. We all realized just how much we missed hiking (we used to go more regularly) and are hoping to make it a much more regular event. I encourage you to find a challenging hike near you, and show that trail what you’re made of.
Podcast about Money Management
I am a fan of the Rise Together Podcast which was formerly a marriage and relationship podcast hosted by Rachel and Dave Hollis. Well, now that they are getting divorced, he got the podcast in the breakup and it’s now about different people’s stories. I love what Dave is doing with it, and this week he had on money expert Anthony O’Neal who talked a lot about setting up accounts for kids, as well as money management skills, avoiding debt and student loans. I found him to be financially savvy, and wish I had listened to this before I had kids. He mentions teaching budgeting to kids, and OH HOW I WISH THAT WAS OFFERED when I was in school. I am the first to admit that I am not very good with finances, and I truly wish this was a skill that had been taught to me. I am hoping to start teaching my own kids about it a little more, not that I have much to offer as far as knowledge, but I hope we can learn together. If you want to listen, check out the episode titled “Let’s talk about your child’s future.”
Adorable Nursery/Sharing Inspiration
Lastly, I wanted to share this adorable nursery a reader sent me. The reason I write this blog is to connect, encourage, and hopefully inspire you along the way. When a reader sends me a photo of their take on a project I shared here, my heart is filled with joy! There’s nothing more rewarding than knowing you guys are out there reading and being inspired to tackle projects in your own home, or try new things in your life because of something I wrote here. I have permission to share, so check out this adorable nursery and the take on my rainbow hills mural. You can find the full tutorial here. (Apologies for the screen shot quality, but you get the idea!)
Well, Chris and Wilder are headed back to Tennessee tomorrow to pick up our teenagers and stay for the night. I’ve got a quiet weekend to myself ahead of me, and am going to work on planning out some upcoming projects such as a mural, fall recipes and crafts, and even holiday recipes and crafts. If there is anything in particular you’d like to see in these upcoming months, drop me a comment and let me know. Happy weekend to you!
