Loving Lately - Ep. 2
All right, friends! it’s time for another episode of loving lately!
I’ve enjoyed providing quick little joy-lists over the last several years on blogs past, and it’s proven to be a fun, simple way for me to take stock of life. Sometimes I’ll just jot down a quick list in my journal, and it helps create a quick, peaceful pause in my day, and adds to a sense of gratitude over the seemingly mundane parts of my life.
This here is Episode 2 on the SRW blog! You can check out Episode 1 here.
What have you been loving lately? Tell me below what you come up with, I’d love to hear!
Great stories
To me, January always feels like a time to soak in some great stories, whether by reading or watching. I really enjoyed Anne with an E (the newest Anne of Green Gables rendition available on Netflix), and loved the combination of stunning visuals from director Moira Walley-Beckett with the powerful story of imagination, friendship, and standing up for what you believe in. (I wouldn’t recommend watching with kiddos under 13 - there are some themes that would benefit from a bit of discussion afterward! I watched it alone, and though some of season 2 was a little too pointed for my taste, I still found the series as a whole very beautiful and inspirational!)
Have you been reading or watching any great stories lately? Any recommendations?
Prepping for baby
Well, we’re officially in the third trimester, folks! It is a little hard for me to believe, especially since so much of the first part of pregnancy I tried not to think too far ahead. We’ve been taking birth classes, which we have loved so far. They fell at just the right time in our pregnancy to get all the details and feel more informed and prepared for whatever might happen.
I’ve been reading some good books to prepare, and my favorites so far have been The Mindful Mom-to-Be and Supernatural Childbirth. I’ve also been purchasing the cutest little baby goodies from my favorite thrift shops, including the most precious little clothes, a Moses basket, and a vintage wooden child’s chair.
Getting the nursery ready has been one of the sweetest steps for me. We’ve lived in several different places during our marriage, and each one, I wondered if we would get to have a nursery in that home. During renovations of our current home, we took some time to write Scripture on the walls before the drywall went up, including many verses about having children on the doorframe of our tiny guest room. Getting to prepare that room for a baby, complete with a crib and dresser and all the fun things I’ll get to know well over the next few years, has been a complete answer to prayer and a delight to me!
Any tips from veteran mama’s out there on these last weeks preparing for baby to arrive? I’m all ears!
My winter skin routine
I love having a skin routine that helps me take a mindful, just-for-me break after a long day. I’ve been loving the Beautycounter Lotus Cleansing Balm to take off my makeup at the end of the day - you apply it to dry skin, before washing, and as you massage it over your skin, it removes all your makeup without irritating your skin. Then I’ll follow up with SkinOwl’s Turmeric Beauty Bar to actually treat my skin, and it is super gentle but effective, which I love (locals, I snagged this at Trellis Beauty in Lafayette Village!) Check out my funny little video of my winter nighttime skin routine here, featuring my curious cat Boots :)
Do you adjust your skincare routine based on the time of year? I would recommend it! Our skin needs different care depending on the weather. Talk to me below in a comment if you have specific skincare questions you need help with!
Tracking my Work time with Toggl
This has been a game-changer for me! Being a small business owner, and working solo lots of the time, I’ve needed an intuitive, easy way to track my time. There are tons of work automation tools available out there, but I really like Toggl! Since taking on more writing clients, I’ve needed to track exact hours it has taken me to complete projects so I can bill my clients accordingly (and so I can learn how long it takes me to do things, and improve that over time!) In an effort to be as efficient as possible, I rented a work desk out of the house at a beautiful coworking space, and several of the gals here recommended Toggl. I give it two thumbs up!
Entrepreneurs and stay-at-home workers, what are some game-changing tips and tricks for efficiency and productivity during your work week?
Meal prep once a week
Ok guys, I know this sounds nerdy, but as I was getting down to the big-picture goals of my year this year, the theme of an orderly and peaceful home kept coming up. There is something actually spiritual about a home that has been cared for and has everything needed to bless the people inside it. Meals can be a point of tension for me and John - he comes home between 5:30-6:30 beyond ready to eat, and since I work out of the house, many of the home responsibilities, including groceries/meal planning, are up to me. If I don’t plan ahead and don’t know what we’re going to eat, it just feels frantic.
I’m not saying I have to have a home-cooked meal ready to go by the time he’s home, but I like having ingredients ready for certain meals I know we both like. Then, we can cook it together if I haven’t already started, and eat some charcuterie in the meantime. We turn on some music, and suddenly it feels peaceful in our house. So, once a week, I sit down, think of easy meals we really like, buy the groceries needed for them (from Aldi, which helps us save major moolah), and freeze the meat to keep it fresh.
I’ve been reading Be Organized by Marie Ricks about home organization, including systems, schedules, and defining house roles, and I am really enjoying it! I recommend it if you need a bit more peace in the business of home.
Do you meal prep? Any particular system you love for keeping your home in order?
Yoga at home
I’ve been trying to stay active to keep my body loose for birthing, and have been absolutely loving doing yoga at home. Yoga with Adriene is my favorite, and she always has free classes available on YouTube. I just adjust the moves as needed for me and baby. I love that she is my age, creates a very approachable environment, is funny, she doesn’t play music (sometimes yoga music is just hilarious, y’all!) and she has her doggo in every video. My cats love giving me kitty hugs during poses!
What kind of exercise is doing it for you right now? Tell me! I very excited to get back to higher-intensity workouts post-pregnancy!
