Hey, beautiful human! Are you feeling the delicate notes of spring in the air? I sure am, and it’s filling me with all kinds of hope and lightness. At the same time, I know I am not alone in feeling the heaviness that still lingers from the long winter and the trials of the past year. We are now right at the one-year mark since the pandemic really kicked off in full gear and transformed our lives as we knew them. Many of us likely feel worn and raw, sporting some new scars and battle wounds that serve as a reminder that we are not who we were one year ago.
I wonder sometimes what it will feel like to recommence the life we used to know. What those first unmasked hangouts will feel like, the first time we touch down in a new exciting destination, the first time we come back to a workplace with coworkers and a little kitchenette and in-person meetings. Will we fall right back into it, without skipping a beat? Or will it feel somehow foreign and scary now, tinged with a kind of looming threat that is a product of living life in fear and worry for over a year. I don’t know, but regardless, something about the changing weather, the longer days, the frivolity of birdsong and blooming tulips, seems to bring the promise of relief.
I’m sure most of us feel quite ready for a fresh start, a new dawn. Something I’ve been thinking about a lot recently has been that balance between starting anew without letting old wounds hold us back AND integrating prior lessons so that we may show up in the next phase wiser and more deeply rooted in who we are than ever. Raw and courageously open. Battleworn and fiercely resilient. Ready to soar and grounded in our truth.
It’s certainly going to be an interesting journey because there is no blueprint for how to do it right. Which, in my humble opinion, makes it all the more fun. 😀
Alright, here’s some things that made me happy recently.
Loving Lately
Spring Weather
It’s funny because as I write this, it is currently 39 degrees with gusting winds, but for a brief period last week, spring had fully sprung. And it was GLORIOUS. I’m finding myself checking the leaves on the trees daily these days just to see if there is any sign of new life there, and I can’t wait for everything to be in full bloom. This spring particularly just feels rife with new hope and exciting changes, and I’m quite ready to embrace them. Also, this warm-weather-loving gal is definitely ready for temperatures that are perpetually 50+.
One of my favorite things is enjoying iced coffee on the go, and that hasn’t really been feasible for all of this long, cold winter. But last week, I finally made it happen. Iced coffee one day and a delicious iced matcha oat latte another day because it seemed to match the weather perfectly. 🙂
Eats
Banana Nut Muffins {NEW FAVE}
Y’all know I don’t bestow these titles lightly. I don’t make banana muffins too often; I usually opt for banana bread if I’ve got overripe bananas that need to be used up. And as lovely as banana bread is (especially with some chocolate chips YAS), I found myself in a bit of a kerfuffle when I had just one overripe banana and a particular hankering for the banana nut muffins of my childhood. So I dug into my humongous archive of banana recipes that I’ve bookmarked over the years and settled on this one, though I was a BIT skeptical about using just oat flour. Usually I mix oat flour with other flours in baking, since it can yield a bit of a dense result on its own. But I am happy to report that Ali did NOT disappoint (she never does!). These were scrumptious! I’m sure they would be delish with any of your fave add-ins, from blueberries to chocolate to coconut, but I opted for classic walnuts. SO GOOD with a cup of coffee and yes, just as delicious as the ones I remember from my childhood. Craving CRUSHED.
Chicken Nuggets + My Favorite Guac
I’ve shared both of these before, but it’s been a bit of a while. I don’t even remember the last time I made these nuggets, but they’re one of my fave easy chicken recipes that just goes PERFECTLY with guac. What can I say, I love me some finger foods. I usually have this with cute little tomatoes and carrots with hummus on the side. Plus an easy homemade honey mustard sauce is a MUST for the nuggs.
Air Fryer French Fries
I’m totally late to the air fryer party, aren’t I? Honestly I’m not even technically a true member because I don’t have a traditional air fryer as such, but my convection oven does have an air-fryer function, so……honorary status, hm? I used this recipe, and it made the most delicious puffy crispy fries. They’re definitely a different texture than deep fried French fries, but I kinda prefer this one to be honest! There’s more puffiness to them! In the future, I think I would try some of the tips to make them a little crispier like soaking the fries in cold water for at least 30 minutes and also maybe coating them in a bit of arrowroot powder. If you have any good air fryer tips, definitely send them my way!
Fluffiest Blueberry Pancakes
I’ve waxed poetic about my love for these pancakes right here, which are my usual go-to these days. But this weekend, I had a hankering for really CLASSIC pancakes, the kind that are made with good old all-purpose flour and buttermilk, and so I came back to this recipe that I made once before. Holy yum. IDK, maybe it was that they really hit the craving spot, or that I somehow made them better this time, but these were BEYOND. Mom and I both agreed that they’ll be a regular in the rotation.
Movement
Yoga
I’ve been dealing with some back and shoulder pain in the past week, and I’m not quite sure of the cause. What I am sure of is that had this happened a few years back, I would have definitely pushed through the pain and continued with my planned workouts, which would have most likely lead to an aggravated injury that took much longer to heal. Now, I took it as a sign to dramatically dial down the intensity of my movement and focus more on gentle stretching and walks in my neighborhood. I thought I would be itching to jump back into my more power-focused intense workouts, but I actually think my body was craving this longer break. It’s been a lovely chance to practice even more intentionality and consciousness in my movement and really practice deeply connecting with my body. It’s in these setbacks where I really see how far I’ve come in terms of the love I give myself and the relationship I have with my body. I am so grateful to be in a place in my life where I can truly honor and respect my body’s needs and cycles because that has certainly not always been the case. Also grateful for the people in my life that remind me of how important this is to do when my mind occasionally still rebels. <3
Here are a few yoga videos I did recently that felt really great as I’ve been working on healing my back.
Yoga for Neck Shoulders Upper Back
Yoga for Neck and Shoulder Relief
Self-Guided Yoga – This was one of my most magical yoga sessions to date. I didn’t use a video, just turned on some gentle feelsy music, and just flowed in the way my body was craving. I didn’t worry about time or reps or anything, just fully let my body guide me. It ended up being around 40 minutes of pure bliss. Highly recommend.
Books
The Midnight Library
I’m sure you’ve heard of this book that is breaking all kinds of records and is top-ranked on most every book list at the moment. I’ve been following the author, Matt Haig, on Instagram for a few months and I really love all the mental health content he shares. I was super intrigued by this book because I heard all his books reflect his personal life philosophy and lessons he’s learned through his mental health struggles, but they are all fictional and have an element of fantasy and magic. So…QUITE up my alley. I basically devoured the book a couple days after getting it, and it definitely was everything I thought it would be and more. I HIGHLY recommend if you’re looking for a book that will remind you of the simple magic of life and offer a brighter perspective if you’ve been having a hard time finding one lately.
In fact, it has joined the esteemed ranks of my all-time favorite books, along with the Harry Potter series, Untamed, Eat Pray Love, and Eleanor and Park. What makes a book a favorite? I’d say it’s when it touches something deep within me, leaving me somehow different than before I had picked it up. All of these books did that for me.
P.S. I have a Books Highlight on my Instagram for all the books that I really highly recommend. Check it out!
Discover Your Dharma
If you’re unfamiliar with Sahara Rose, she is an amazing spiritual teacher, podcaster, and author who focuses specifically on ancient Indian healing modalities and how they relate to life purpose, or dharma. According to Sahara, we are all born with a unique dharma that has numerous different application in the real world. For instance, if yours is to heal people of ailments and allow them to live their most well lives, you could embody this by being a doctor, a healer, an alternative medicine practitioner, a hypnotherapist, and so on. The book is filled with incredibly potent nuggets of wisdom that really made me stop and think, and there are numerous journaling prompts to encourage deep introspection and honesty with yourself. I definitely feel that I know myself on a deeper level after reading it.
Watching
Moana
Gotta love a female empowerment Disney movie with a kick-ass soundtrack. I watched this one on a recent virtual date night with my boyfriend, and we both cried (sorry, Alex :p ). I’ve seen it a couple times before, and I’d forgotten how powerful and inspirational it actually is. Also can’t stop singing How Far I’ll Go and I Am Moana.
Greatest Showman
The last time I watched this movie will forever be a really precious memory. I had just turned 21, and I was doing my semester of study abroad in Edinburgh, and I took myself on a weekend trip to one of my favorite places in the world – Bath, England. I stayed in the most darling bed and breakfast with the best collection of movies, and I chose this one to watch one night while cozied up in bed. Pure bliss. 🙂 This time, it was part of my biweekly virtual movie night with my old friend Midwestern Boy or MB (where are my OG readers at? 😉 ) Such a great soundtrack and generally just a really uplifting movie. Just don’t watch it for the historical accuracy hehe.
63rd Grammy Awards
Believe it or not, this was my first time watching the Grammys in full. The only awards ceremony I religiously keep up with every year is the Oscars; the others, I usually just watch highlights post factum. But I felt called to watch the Grammy’s this year because like for many people, music was deeply important and healing for me during pandemic times. It helped me connect with and process my emotions, feel so much less alone, and feel close with loved ones far away (thanks Spotify Duo). Not to mention, Taylor Swift was set to perform, and I was not about to miss that (she was amazing, in case you were wondering). Also, LOVE Trevor Noah, and all the performances were stunning.
That’s all for me this week, loves. Stay open, be kind, and keep moving forward. We are so close to a bright new chapter; I can feel it. <3
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