Feel Good Friday 67
I feel as though I have lived an entire lifetime in the past week. I am not a napper, but earlier this week, I hit a wall and crashed . . . and had a lovely nap! Friends of mine nap daily, or on the weekends, but that has never been my style. I’ve tried, but I lay there thinking about all of the productive things I could be doing instead. Every once in a great while though, fatigue washes over me like a fog and I have to give in. Let me be clear, I wasn’t exhausted in a negative way. Life is good, but it’s been busy and I just needed to give myself the grace to rest. All of that being said, with this very full week, I have a lot I want to share with you today. So buckle up, buttercup – we’re gonna be here for a bit. (This post includes some affiliate links and I am an Amazon associate. I earn a small commission on purchases made through my links.)
A Sweet New Recipe
Let me start by saying, I am not a food photographer and this was taken at night with my phone. My photo doesn’t convey the buttery deliciousness of the cookie you see. Anyhow . . . as you may know by now, I am obsessed with Ted Lasso and the goodness that show brings to our world. On the show, Lasso bakes “biscuits” for his boss and packages them in a pink bakery box so that it looks like he’s purchasing them for her. I came across this recipe for the biscuits and sent it to Emmy. Our family had plans to watch the last episode of season one and I told her I thought she should make them for our viewing night. She did, and they are delicious!!!! Similar to a Scottish shortbread cookie, they both melt and crumble in your mouth. Do not recommend wearing a wool sweater while eating.
A Savory New Recipe
Chris and I love salmon and we’re always looking for new and simple ways to prepare it. This honey sriracha salmon is SO easy to make, delicious and healthy! It has just the right amount of kick for me, but I am sure Chris could do with a hair more, but he declared it a winner. This will probably become an old stand-by recipe for us.
The Most Special Book
For Christmas, my mother-in-law gave me the book, The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse. I was working my way through a challenging non-fiction book and needed a mental break so I cracked it open. It’s a book you can read in less than a half hour, but it’s filled with beautiful imagery and inspirational words. Pam knows my passion for beautiful words with meaningful messages mixed with my love for animal art. She nailed it with this book. I have a feeling it will become a go-to gift for me to give others.
Creativity in Kids
The temperature has been creeping up and Emmy took advantage of it. She brought her chalk outside and asked Wilder what he wanted her to draw. He is a little Frozen fan and requested Anna and big sis delivered! Sadly, the rain has since washed it away, but I am looking forward to seeing my artist in residence at work again. Also, can I just say that Anna is my favorite so I was thrilled Wilder chose her over Elsa, who seems to be the favorite of children everywhere.
Family Friendly Movie
Last weekend, it was Emmy’s turn to select the family movie for our weekly movie night. She had been wanting to watch Enola Holmes for quite some time and finally chose it. This movie is super cute and a great choice to watch with kids. Millie Bobby Brown, who you may know as Eleven from Stranger Things, is captivating in it! The one drawback is that the ending left us all wanting for a little bit more. It was very abrupt and didn’t really tie everything up neatly. Check out the trailer below:
Mystical Cards
My editor brought these Wild Unknown Animal Spirit Cards to our meeting the other day and we each selected one randomly from the deck without seeing what we were choosing. I grabbed the lizard and at first was sad that it wasn’t a more aesthetically pleasing or esteemed creature, but after reading the meaning of the lizard card in the book, I see that it couldn’t be more perfect for where I am at in life. The last sentence spoke directly to me: “This card is an indication to pull back from the bright lights and big city . . . and return to the inner artist, who’s been whispering your name.”
As I have mentioned over the last couple of months, I have been trying to work more on my own writing. I actually wrote a poem last week that my editor loved and it’s going out in our newsletter later today. It’s personal and written from the heart and I plan to share it here next week. (Stay tuned!) With everything happening in my life, I’ve felt this pull to back away from instagram and any kind of “influencer” work and instead focus on my writing and pursue ventures that feed my soul. I am sure you’ve noticed the lack of projects going on around here. It’s the result of not having much time to do them. But also, that’s just not where my heart is right now. In order to stay true to myself, I need to try new things and move on. Each morning when I pray, I ask God to keep showing me the signs on my path, to keep indicating which way to go, and to use me for the highest good possible. Receiving this card was a little Godwink. Perhaps you don’t believe in the “woo” like I do, but chances are, if you are here, reading my blog, you do and you understand where I am coming from.
PS- I know I am in the right work environment when these are the activities my boss, another team member and I partake in together.
New Issue Out
Speaking of the job at the magazine, the new issue is out now and features a gorgeous spread about our local photography club. Check out that cover!
We’ll All Float On
Last week I mentioned that Chris and I had a date planned for a sauna and float at Sonder Mind & Body, as gifted by my friend, Jess, who is one of the owners. In my 42 years, I had never been in a sauna and I absolutely loved it! Their sauna has different colored lighting for different effects. I chose red to help with the signs of aging but we used some of the others as well during our time inside. Also, it’s amazing how quickly your belly button can turn into a pool of sweat. Ha!
After the sauna, we headed off to our individual floats. Chris had a pod and I selected a room. Inside of that room, I simply floated in the water/liquid with the lights off and a simulation of twinkling stars above me. There was a light I could turn on, but I found I preferred the peaceful darkness. We left Sonder so completely relaxed. When we got home, we made a charcuterie board, drank wine and enjoyed the rest of our evening.
Here we are covered in sweat after the sauna!
Cutest Little Shop
I needed a new planter for a plant I had recently gotten so decided to check out a local shop that many of my friends have raved about, The Tiny Greenhouse. It certainly lived up to all of its praise. How adorable is this place? Outside, murals abound and I thought this one was pretty sweet.
Spring Pillows
I did something I haven’t done in a while and purchased some decorative items for my home. As someone who blogs about my home it might shock you that I actually despise shopping for things like rugs and pillows. I find it so stressful and worry that I’m not going to like them in my home. However, sometimes, you just gotta pull the trigger. Next week, I’ll be sharing the first of my spring tours and I have gone earthier in my style over the last couple of years and needed some new pillows. The crow is sort of my “sign” so when I spotted these black bird pillows, I knew I needed them! I feel like they can really work for any season, but because they’re new to me they feel spring-ish. They actually worked in several rooms as well, but I kinda dig them in my bedroom. Sorry for the crappy photo, but I just wanted to show you and this was what I had on my phone. 😉
Quarantine Moments
Lastly, I just want to share a little glimpse of life. It’s been one year now since shut down, one year of being at home with three kids. Luckily, Wilder is in school these days and the other two just started going a couple of days a week, but it’s still hard to find a moment of peace sometimes. Last weekend, I was doing a little yoga practice and, although Chris was at home, Wilder decided he needed to be by my side doing yoga, too. “Mom, you do yoda?” Chris took this photo while I was trying to breathe in, breathe out, and not lose my mind. 😉 But, that little yoga buddy sure is cute and I know this is teaching him healthy habits, so I will take it. Besides, neither of my older two kids ever want to work out with me – ha!
Like I said, it’s been a full week, but I am truly grateful for everything life has brought me, from a 2 foot tall yoga partner to the opportunity to share a poem I wrote with our newsletter readers. Now, it’s off to clean and photograph so I can bring you our spring home tour next week. Have a fantastic weekend! XOXO, Cassie