These are a few of my favorite things!
One thing I love about phases in life is that things are always changing. Nothing ever stays constant. Including things that bring us joy. For something fun, I thought I’d share a few things I’m really loving right now.
North Carolina
This move from CT to NC for our family was one of the best decisions Noah and I have made. We’ve been here 5 months now and we’ve been loving the warmer weather, our new community we’ve found, our church, the opportunities for things to do on the weekends, & our jobs. Noah is really happy with his position at work and I’m loving the opportunity to be a full time stay at home mom for our girls. He and I are both much happier than ever and know we’re raising our girls in a really solid area.
Baking
I already really loved baking but now that I have more time to do it and a daughter who loves it as well, baking has become a weekly occurrence. We’ve stopped buying bread at the store and I’ll usually make two loaves at once, one for then and the other for the freezer. Some days, Margo will pull the chair up to the counter and look at me with her sweet brown eyes and long lashes and ask “Mama, bake?” How can I say no to that? We make lots of banana bread, cookies, apple crisp, & most recently, yellow cake with chocolate frosting, just like my mom used to make when I was a child.
Red Aspen
I hate (most) MLM’s. Not going to lie. Red Aspen is totally an MLM but I wouldn’t invest my time and energy into it if it was a scammy business or if the products they sold were garbage. I love getting my nails done, especially since I’ve been a nail biter my entire life. If I had it my way, I’d get my nails done every 3-4 weeks. But that would be $50 each month just on nails. Red Aspen has a product called Nail Dashes. They’re reusable, affordable, non-damaging, and seriously so fun. I’ve tried so many fake nails in the past and these trump everything. I do have a link if you want to try them out. Again, I only promote things I like and use daily and Red Aspen nail dashes are one of them.
Instant Pot
I love a good quick meal. Having my Instant Pot has been a life saver. I probably cook 2-3 meals a week in my pressure cooker and within an hour, I have a full meal with little prep time. Usually, I throw everything together and turn it on to start cooking around 4pm. That way, we can go outside and play and supper is ready by 5pm when Noah gets home from work. Once it’s cooked, it keeps itself warm until we’re ready to eat by 5:30. Also, the variety of things I can cook is crazy! I’ve done the classic whole chicken and veggies, meatloaf, soup, etc. I’ve also done knock off Starbuck’s egg bites! If I could only own one small kitchen appliance for the rest of my life, it would be this.
Baths
I’ve always loved a good bath but lately, I’ve been taking them every few nights right before bed to warm up before cozying into the sheets. Our master bath in this new house has a much bigger tub that our last house and I’m taking the opportunity while we’re here to fill that thing up as high as I possibly can without it overflowing on the hottest temperature setting filled with lavender bubbles. It’s the best. Nuff said.
Jon & Kate Plus Eight
Okay, this is slightly embarrassing. I used to be OBSESSED with this show in 5th and 6th grade and recently discovered about half of the episodes are on Discovery+. I’ve been rewatching the series from the start during nap time and some evenings, if I get a chance to actually watch tv. However, it is awful watching, as a now married woman, & seeing how Jon & Kate’s marriage was crumbling and falling apart from the start. When I’m not watching the show, I keep myself up to date with all of Jon’s interviews on Dr. Oz on Youtube and read all of the hot gossip about the fam whenever the press releases any. Also, Kate and 6 of her kids live in Statesville, NC, only 30 minutes from me and she works as a L&D nurse in a nearby hospital. Would I want her helping me deliver any future babies? Not a chance, but I’d risk it just to see her in person. #canispeaktothemanager
Whatever you’re loving right now, I hope you’re super excited about it. In today’s world, there’s so much negativity and awful headlines. Hard conversations are always in the spotlight but we don’t sit back and just talk about the good or things that bring us joy. I encourage you to write down a list of things you’re loving right now and don’t be afraid to share those with others. They might bring someone else joy too!
-Mary