I normally have saved these Life Lately-style posts for Fridays as a way to wrap up the week. But since I’m getting back into the swing of writing, it felt like a good time to just catch up and chat about what I’ve been up to lately. I shared about my work-life equilibrium struggle to my newsletter community and I am so happy to be back in front of my laptop writing. Well, with my day job in communications, I write pretty much every single day but you know what I mean.
I hope your week is going great and I will see you on Friday!
Life Lately 8.16.23
Reading:
One of the best parts of shifting my work-life equilibrium back into a healthy flow is I’m reading again!! And actually finishing books, not just starting a book, getting a few chapters in, then not picking it back up again for weeks, and needing to start the whole process over again because you couldn’t recall the plot details. That rinse-and-repeat routine was getting old and I’m happy to have broken it. I read Anatomy of A Breakthrough for my work team’s book club and it truly resonated with me and helped me return to writing and creating.
The book talks through how to move beyond common points of friction, whether that is in habits, your business, relationships, and other areas of life, and break through to your greater potential. I especially appreciated the dozens of anecdotes in this book about how even people we view as highly successful faced setbacks and stumbling blocks. Honestly, I might write a future post about the book. If you are looking to get unstuck from whatever is holding you back, I highly encourage you check this book out. Currently, I’m working my way through Remarkably Bright Creatures on my Libby app through the DC Public Library. I needed a heartwarming story and so far it’s delivering!
Shopping:
I have been working over the last few years to be more intentional with my shopping and not just buy an item because it’s on sale or I need to spend another $5 to get free shipping. Shifting from working in an office to be more almost a full-time remote employee has definitely made me re-evaluate my closet and what pieces I need. Over the last few weeks, I’ve been keeping a list in my Notes app about what pieces in my wardrobe need a refresh or what gaps need to be filled. I’m going to share my fall items I’m shopping for first to my newsletter community so keep an eye out for that soon!
Weekending:
Last weekend, my friend Charlotte and her husband organized a tube float trip down the Shenandoah. A river float has been on my summer list for ages so I was ecstatic to go. I loved getting out of the city and beyond the suburbs, it was so peaceful to just amble along the river surrounded by lush greenery and a wide-open blue sky.
Eating/Cooking:
Last week was a doozy. Work was quite busy but it was really fulfilling. I typically make my lunch at home during the workweek but on Friday, I needed to take one task off my plate (so to speak) and ordered a chicken shawarma hummus bowl from Little Sesame. I haven’t had one in so long and it just really hit the spot! Little Sesame hummus is perfectly smooth and blows other hummuses (hummusi? Kidding!) out of the water. Even if you aren’t in the DC area, you can now get Little Sesame hummus in Whole Foods stores across the country. This week, I’ve been mixing it up and making my own hummus bowls with Little Sesame hummus and the protein and veggies I have on-hand. It’s such a satisfying and delicious summer meal!
Bringing Me Joy:
My monstera plant from Trader Joe’s is growing like crazy! Since bringing the plant home less than a month ago, two gigantic new leaves have grown and unfurled. It’s almost too big now for its spot in our living room. I love my indoor plants and if I could buy all of them, I would. Seeing my monstera thrive makes me smile each time I look at it.
Looking Forward To:
I purchased a needlepoint kit! The extent of my needlepoint experience was a very basic pink roses bouquet that my grandma purchased for me from Jo-Ann Fabrics when I was little (probably 9-10 years old) and I would play with when I went to my grandparents’ house for dinner. With its popularity during the pandemic, I toyed with the idea of trying it back out again but never made the plunge. Lately, I’ve been drawn back to needlepointing as I try to limit the amount of time in the day I spend looking at screens. The repetitive actions of needlepoint also definitely seem calming and therapeutic, which sounds absolutely my speed for this moment. My beginner needlepoint kit arrives today so we’ll see how this goes together!
