A Few Fun Things
How I'm chasing joy in one of the most chaotic months of the year.
Maycember is in full effect around here. I’ve taken a step back from my normal PTA volunteer duties so my schedule is actually much calmer than it normally is this time of year. But, my brain is still absolute mush. We’re all a little exhausted and cranky and antsy for summer to just get here already. I’ve found myself doing a lot of sitting at my desk and staring into the abyss, trying (and failing) to convince myself to just accomplish something.
It’s during seasons like this that I find myself leaning in really hard to the things I know work to keep me feeling stable. It’s a lot of the boring stuff - you know, staying hydrated, getting good sleep, blah blah blah. But it’s also a little bit about just finding what feels great and doing more of it. I call it “chasing joy” and the busier or more stressful life gets, the more I try to do it.
So today, I’m sharing a few ways I’ve been chasing joy lately.
10,000 Things
I’ve shared the concept of a 10,000 things list before but it’s been a while. It was mentioned in this book (which I loved!) and it’s basically a form of gratitude journaling. I started a list on my phone and every day (or, let’s be honest, every few days) I add 3-5 things to the list that I’m grateful for.
The beauty of a list like this is that since you’re continually adding to it, you have to go deep. You run out of the basics like “my kids” or “my house” pretty quickly, and then you get to the good part.
Here’s an example of a few things I’ve jotted down on my list lately:
Belly laughs with friends around our dining room table.
The sound of the rain when I’m working in my office.
Watching G run to me when I pick him up from school.
Long chats about nothing and everything with J in his bed in the evening.
When I’m having a hard day, I go back and scroll through my list and it reminds me how many wonderful things we’re surrounded by.
Another way I love to do this is by snapping photos of the moments/sights that make me smile. Create an album on your phone and flip through it when you need a pick-me-up!
Yoga + Walks
Over the last few weeks I’ve been challenging myself to do a yoga video every day (or as close to it as I can). Most of the time it’s just a 15-20 minute video, so it’s not a huge time commitment. I typically don’t even change out of whatever I’m wearing that day - I just find a break in my schedule and go for it.
It has honestly been one of the best things I’ve done for myself in a long time. It feels so good to stretch my body a little bit every day, and it’s great practice for me to just slow down and do something for myself in the middle of the day. I’m quickly approaching the end of the 30 day challenge I gave myself, and I’m hopeful I’ll keep it up, because I’ve really been loving it.
Documentaries
Corey and I have been on a documentary kick lately and it’s been so fun. I’ve always been a huge documentary fan (especially a true crime one) but it’s never been his thing. Recently, though, he’s been just as into them as I am and I’ve been taking advantage!
A few great ones we’ve watched lately (all on Netflix):
Trust Me: The False Prophet
Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer
My Octopus Teacher
Secret Mall Apartment
Waco: American Apocalypse
Our Oceans
What are your favorite documentaries?
Post-Dinner Card Games
Our kids are at really great ages for playing games as a family, and it’s one of my very favorite things to do together. Some nights we’re all too wiped and end up piled on the couch watching Doctor Who or Family Matters, but when we’re up for it, we love a good game before bedtime.
The keys to a good weeknight family game are that it needs to be fun for everyone (not just the kids), it needs to be easy to chat while you play, and it needs to be a relatively short game because none of us have time or energy to sit for an hour or two on a Tuesday night for a game.
Our most-frequently-reached-for games are:
If we have a little more time, we also love:
Finding My Style
As I get older I find myself spending more and more time thinking about clothes and how I want to dress. I want to be a mom who looks stylish and put together, but I also don’t have the time, energy, or budget to spend a ton of effort on making that happen. In addition to that, I’ve learned I feel the most me in an oversized tee, athletic shorts, and sneakers. It’s just who I am in my soul.
I’m learning not to fight that and just lean into what feels like ME. It’s taking me a little longer to get dressed some days, but I’m making an effort not to spend the day in an outfit that I don’t feel great in. Sometimes that means I throw in the towel after 4 outfit changes and go back to my old faithful (see above, haha) but I’m learning a little bit every day and it’s been fun to stretch myself in this way!
It might be a little things, but finding joy in my clothes and accessories makes the entire day feel a little bit better.
See what I’m wearing lately right here!
A Good Candle
There aren’t many things that feel better to my nervous system than a really great candle burning while I’m working or cleaning or reading a book. There’s something really calming about it, and I’ve learned to stop trying to save my “good candles” for company or a big day. I burn them daily and I soak up every second!
Current favorites are:
This Blackberry Absinthe candle is my go-to when I’m working and need to focus
I light Sun Kissed Citrus most days when I’m hanging out and prepping dinner.
Pineapple Coconut is my favorite summer scent and I tend to hoard as many of them as I can.
Non-Denim Summer Shorts
In the last few summers I’ve really been leaning into finding non-denim options for shorts. Here are a few of my favorites that I tend to wear on repeat. See them all here!
