I wish I was writing this post from my favorite coffee shop, frequenting the counter for more Matcha.
Ew, I know. But it grows on you and helps with the bloat.
Unfortunately, I haven’t been to my favorite shop for over six months. Worse things have happened, but this is just the one I complain about the loudest.
During the past few months, I’ve learned to be more proactive in my pursuit for joy. To intentionally set out and grab things that bring me even a moment of peace. Try new things. Revisit old ones.
To really get on my level, you probably should just alternate between Swift’s Folklore and the Little Shop of Horrors soundtrack. This is kind of my headspace right now–weird, but working.
Dunk a few oreos, too. Then you’ll be ready to appreciate my current favorites list.
To Pamper :: Pantene ProV Intense Rescue Shots Hair
I feel like this has become my dirty little secret that I smirk about before I blow a friend’s mind with its price point and potential.
So, you can imagine the high I’m getting right now, sharing it with the world.
It’s that good. I use one every few weeks when I want to feel salon fancy from my home. For $5 you get three little bottles of magic. Super user-friendly, too. That’s important–I can’t commit to any hair product that requires a pep-talk. You just hop in the shower, do your usual cleansing thang, unscrew the top, lather it up from about midway down, wait a couple of minutes, rinse, and BAM :: silky, healthy hair. For a little bit. And honestly, that’s all I need to feel good enough for an IG photo. Or like, greeting a neighbor across the road. Impressing my 5 year old…
Jokes aside, it just makes me feel good. Totally worth a Target Shipt.
To Inspire :: Devotions, The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver
Until March 2020, I would have considered myself a voracious reader. Bragged about it, even.
But things have… changed. You might have noticed.
My beloved words aren’t holding my attention. My mind wanders, even on the laziest of Tuesdays. I have books scattered throughout my bedroom, all at various stages of consumption. It’s chaos. Not the good kind. But in the midst of this gloom, I started to read poetry to my children {they are discovering Silverstein delight} for school and I realized how easy and refreshing this was. I thought about my favorite poet, Mary Oliver, and how long it’s been since I fell for her words. And guess what, it renewed something in me. I read a couple of poems a day, first thing in the morning. Good for the soul and my forgotten notebook.
To Save Your Sips :: Wine Condoms
I love this on so many levels.
But I can’t take credit for its discovery. A good friend had this gem on her wishlist {I’m a #2 on the enneagram chart, I request wishlists from my friends on the reg} and I bought it immediately. Then I bought it for someone else. And another. And soon, it became my go-to gift. But it wasn’t until the pandemic, when my bottles of wine were adding up beautifully, that I invested in some myself. Easy to use, makes you chuckle, saves space, and doesn’t leak AT ALL. I might never use a cork or traditional wine-stopper, again!
I’m also a sucker for unique marketing.
To Create :: Story Cubes
I’m a writer and a mother, stories are kind of my thing. They save me, daily; my own bit of grace.
I read aloud to my kids every day. A book was forced upon them at their birth with the expectation that they would be reading in no time. HA. HAHAHAHHAHA. Aren’t well intentions fun?
My oldest, can read a bit, more than he would like you to know. My youngest, just memorizes whatever I say and “reads” it back to me. So, in an effort to have them participate and share the Storyteller hat, I bought Story Cubes a couple of years ago. From day 1, they have been an instant hit. But we forgot about them until last month. My daughter brought them on a trip and we had so much fun making up our own tales after rolling the dice. The stories have gotten more elaborate and creative these past weeks. It’s even helped inspire my own stories {that I jot down for later inspection}. I added a Scooby Doo set recently and now things are really getting crazy.
I should get out more.
To Celebrate :: New Halloween Decorations
I might be the biggest Halloween enthusiast you know. And if you don’t know me, it’s probably best. I’d just creep you out.
I tend to celebrate the macabre, year round. But during Halloween (and the seven months leading up to it), I really invest.
This year, I’m not able to spend as much idle time, cruising down the festive displays in Michael’s and HomeGoods. Well, not nearly as long as I would like to. But I did allow myself to purchase a few, cheap, special new holiday items to bring some extra joy to my face and the season. All from Target, because once again, Shipt rules my life.
Things could be worse. And not half as pretty.
I hope you are all enjoying the spooky month as much as I am.
Spooktacular 2020 Friendly Halloween Ideas for Families:: Halloween is going to look a little different this year, but there are still many ways families can make it fun!
A Global Pandemic and Tiny Humans are Making My Career Decisions:: Read how Contributor Vicki is navigating career changes to better serve herself and her family.
The End of the Magic:: When Kids Stop Believing:: Magical figures like the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus are fun for kids, but what happens when they figure out the truth?
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