Feel Good Friday 75
This week went by in a flash, but can we talk about how fast the last three years have flown? Wilder turned three this week and I’m wondering where all that time went. I mean, I know where it went, but can we just slow it down a little bit, Father Time? I’d like to slow his aging process as well as mine, please and thank you. We’ve been celebrating and just enjoying life in general this past week and I’ve got loads of goodness to share with you today, from books to shows, recipes to life moments. Buckle in, you might be here a while.
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Wilder Turns Three
OK, I had to start with this because it was the big event of our week. If you’re new here, Wilder is an answer to my prayers and I try to remember that every time he has a temper tantrum or tells me to “shut off” which is his version of “shut up.” The photo above was taken when I asked if I could get a picture of my big three year old. At first, he was unwilling, but then he sat down and sweetly sang Happy Birthday to himself. And I can’t tell you how much I love hearing him say his own name.
We ordered cupcakes from a sweet local bakery that he brought to school and this weekend we’re doing cake as a family. I can’t wait to show you what’s being made for us!
A Page Turner
Years ago, I read the book Winter People by Jennifer McMahon, which introduced me to her world of writing. I’ve since read several novels and they all weave together creepy, dark mysteries with family stories so well. In her latest novel, The Drowning Kind, Jax returns home to Vermont to her sister Lex’s home, where Lex has been found dead in the pool. I don’t want to give away anything, but I loved this book so much! If you are into The Haunting of Hill House or Bly Manor, you’ll love her books. The ending had a great twist that I really enjoyed and didn’t see coming.
An Unexpected Sighting
Last Friday morning, I was out taking a walk around 5:30 and noticed something in the sky. I didn’t realize that the rocket launch was happening, but took a photo anyhow because I knew I was experiencing something wonderful. Sure enough, I later found out I’d seen the ISS rocket shortly after it’s launch. For a moment I thought perhaps it was time to head home to ALF.
The Best $3 I’ve Spent Lately
I had to run to Target to grab wrapping paper for Wilder’s gifts and, in their dollar spot, I spotted this inflatable ball that lights up when you throw it and changes colors. For $3, I decided to take it home to Wilder. It was a rainy day and we had so much fun tossing it around our dark and otherwise gloomy house, watching the colors glow. I couldn’t find it online, but hit up your local Target!
A Delicious & Quick Vegan Dinner
Monday night conversations:
What do you want for dinner?
I don’t know, what do you want?
I don’t know.
Hours pass.
At 6:30 p.m. I decided I better take dinner decisions into my own hands. I looked in our refrigerator and pantry to see what we had on hand and decided to use a vegan pesto sausage that had been in our fridge, unopened. After googling vegan sausage and quinoa dishes – because we had that, too – I came across this recipe for vegan tomato, spinach & sausage quinoa bows. I had everything on hand minus the fire roasted tomatoes so instead of those, I oven-roasted a red pepper. I cooked everything else according to the instructions, but when it came time to add the tomatoes, I added my roasted peppers which I’d diced, and half a can of tomato sauce. It was absolutely delicious and so easy to make! Chris and I both enjoyed it. He even went back for seconds which is high praise. Slowly, over the years, I’ve been turning him onto all sorts of veggies and now I even have him eating vegan meats. I kind of feel like shouting, “Ha! I’m winning!” (Note: By the time we ate, we were both hungry and I forgot to take a photo. Oops.)
Best Running Shorts Ever
Lululemon came out with 5″ shorts and I am here for it! I have two pairs of their track short in the 3″ length and wear them often, especially running in North Carolina summers. I hopped online to grab a new pair because I wear them so frequently, and saw that they now had a longer version. I bought three pairs! I know they are a little pricey, but I think it’s worth it when it’s something you know you will get a ton of use out of. FYI, when I bought the first pair, they didn’t have much in my size, but I kept checking and they were soon restocked. They seem to sell out really quickly, so if they don’t have them in your size and color, just keep checking.
A Hilarious Audiobook
Of course, you can opt to read Wow, No Thank You by Samantha Irby, but I chose to listen and I’m so glad I did. This book is a collection of essays that make up a hilarious memoir and her dry delivery is the icing on the cake. I played it as I walked my neighborhood over the last couple of weeks and many times caught myself laughing out loud. Hey neighbor, don’t mind the maniacal laughing coming from the crazy lady traipsing down the street! Anyhow, I’m a fan of her real, relatable, raw yet humorous approach to storytelling.
Two Shows to Watch with the Teens
Last week, a new show came out on Freeform called Cruel Summer, which follows the story of a teen in the mid-nineties as she transforms from nerd to miss popular. However, there’s a dark mystery underneath it all. Emmy and I watched the first episode and enjoyed it and are anxious to see where this story goes. Check out the trailer below:
Another new show that was released is Shadow & Bone on Netflix. It’s based on a book series that both Chris and Emmy read and is your typical teen dystopian fantasy. We only watched the first episode, but it looks like it will be a great one to watch with the older kids. You can check out the trailer:
Manifesting Magic
At the beginning of the year, one of the words I chose to guide me was “manifest.” Lately, I have struggled to find quiet moments here and there to work on it, but I was reminded of its power this week. Of course, every year Wilder celebrates his birthday, I am reminded of the magic that happened when he was born and how I truly believe he was the result of manifestation. Well, this week at work, we had our sales meeting on Monday. We were talking about getting some new clients (our local arts and culture magazine is free to the public thanks to the support of advertisers) and I spoke a little about manifesting and how it would happen if we put it out there and believed in it. I then spoke about the penny manifestation exercise which just helps you get warmed up to the idea and practice. Basically. you visualize finding a penny, what it looks like and feels like. We walked out the door from that meeting and there, on the step leading into our office building, was a shiny penny. The next evening at soccer practice, I went to walk on the hiking trail at the park and on my way across the parking lot, I spied this:
Both times, I left them on the ground, but thanked the universe for sending me that little wink to let me know it’s listening. I know they’re just a couple of pennies, but to me, they are so much more than that, a reminder to keep visualizing, feeling and sensing the life I want for myself. Be, do, have.
Delicious Date Night
Chris and I had our first date night since before Christmas. Last year we did a great job of having weekly date nights, even if most of them were at home. This year, Chris’ job has been non-stop, plus I’m working and it’s just been hard to make the time like we did before. We headed to a restaurant I’ve been wanting to try for quite some time, Machete. It’s a small plates restaurant where the dishes are meant to be shared. We feasted and drank and had a grand time! One of the perks of city living is that we now take Ubers everywhere when we both want to drink. Anyhow, here’s a little food porn for ya. Oh, and I just got the iPhone 12 pro, so my photos came out almost good enough to lick.
My favorite dish was the Brussels sprouts. Holy heck, these things were SO good. Those little almond looking things are actually pieces of toasted garlic.
These are grilled artichokes and taste even better than they look, which seems impossible.
This dish is made with mushrooms and grains and I ordered it. Chris generally dislikes mushrooms, but he LOVED this one! What was I saying about getting him to eat different things? Oh that’s right. I’m winning.
These mussels were served with a coconut lime sauce that was light and delish.
Finally, I have to show you how pretty Chris’ cocktails were! I drank red wine, but his drinks looked so lovely.
Our waiter, I believe his name was Peter, was also incredibly knowledgeable, kind and attentive. Also, I have to say, we had 5 plates, 2 cocktails, 2 glasses of wine, and our bill was only around $150. We were kind of holding our breath expecting worse when it came, but were relieved. And also wishing we’d gotten one more plate. 😉 If you’re in the Greensboro area, you’ve got to try Machete.
Well, my friend, I’m off to shove birthday cake down my face this weekend, followed my a Scent Workshop with a few girlfriends. Sounds like just what I need to feed my body and soul. Have a wonderful weekend!
