Simple Things #17
Here are 5 magically mundane things I've noticed this week...
Hi, friends! I am freshly back from a trip to Michigan where I got to see (and photograph!) my best friend getting married. My sister and I made a little trip for us out of it too and it was so special to be able to have that quality time with her, just the two of us. We wandered around Ann Arbor, I bought some new pottery, and we had long lunches to catch up. It was such a special time and so needed for me; I came home so refreshed.
I think as moms it’s so easy for us to forget to nurture ourselves, to fill our own cups. I often think, “Ah I don’t need time for me. I’m just enjoying being with my child.” But after this weekend, I realized that I was in desperate need of some me time, and it’s helped me return to a much better version of myself and as a result, be a more present, joyful mama. I’m so grateful for a husband that is a wonderful dad and my parents being close by so that I could make it happen and not worry about Maverick one bit.
Now I’m back in the Florida heat but only for a short time (we are heading to Denver next week to see my sister again!) and I’ve put together this week’s simple things…
My only Amazon Prime Day purchase this year was a water table I’d been eyeing for Maverick that went on super sale. It’s soo hot here in Florida right now and hard to be outside playing when it feels like you’re going to suffocate, so I’ve put this table out on our porch and she’s been loving it. She covers herself in the water and plays with all the toys, and inevitably throws them over the side of the porch for me to go get later, but still, it’s become our special little activity to do each day.
I am in this phase of my life where I’m trying to figure out what’s next (if you saw my seeds post then you probably guessed this, ha). I am getting crystal clear on what it is that I want to do with my time and build in my life. One of those things involves being in community more with women. I have been taking a temple training on how to hold women’s circles and participate in ritual and I can’t wait to see where it leads me.
My husband has been on this mission of getting our daughter to bed earlier (we were on a 9:30/10pm schedule since traveling this summer) and he’s successfully had her asleep by 8:30pm every day this week. It’s been soo nice to have some time for ourselves and just veg out for a bit. We watched the James Webb telescope documentary on Netflix the other night, Cosmic Time Machine, and it was fascinating. The photos the telescope has been able to capture from deep space literally took my breath away. It was interesting to me because my husband felt so insignificant and unimportant seeing all those galaxies in the Universe whereas I felt more significant than ever, and connected to the world in such a profound way. It’s funny how we can be looking at the same thing and yet have two entirely different outlooks on it.
This post from
about responsibility in mothering was so beautiful. She says in the post, “Our nervous system is fundamentally designed to be in connection with others, and yet… so many of us spend a huge part of our days alone - and this I believe is one of the greatest tragedies of modern motherhood.” I completely relate to this and never realized the importance of community than when I became a mom. Her post is vulnerable and insightful, and it’s definitely a must-read if you’re a mom or just want to better support a mom you know.- ’s post on when slow is a requirement and not a choice was really insightful. I have heard from many of you that you entered the world of slow living because of chronic illness or disease, and while it’s certainly not an active choice sometimes it can also be comforting to embrace a slower life in the midst of a health crisis or flare-ups. And sometimes it can be really f*cking annoying to have to slow down when you don’t want to. There is freedom in slow living that isn’t found when it’s forced upon you, so I loved that Jen spoke about this and the frustrating aspects of living with chronic illness.
And there you have it! I’d love to know what magically mundane thing you’ve experienced this week that has brought you joy.
My wife and I have been growing tomatoes in our garden. We thought that we only had two plants, but we have since discovered that those two secretly spawned a third tomato plant that has been happily growing next to them. Not sure how we didn't see it sooner, but the discovery certainly felt like magic to us.
Coloring in my latest mandala has been my magically mundane thing this past week. Seeing the whole come together as I color in each part of the piece, along with being completely present for the process, really fills me up.
Being in Sisterhood, with your actual sister or with other women, is Fully Awesome and definitely something we need more of.