A Day in the Lifestyle - May

Hello! And welcome to another beautiful day in our life. Thank you so much for joining us today.

Morning routine: This morning, we didn't run. I know. I'm sad, too. But it turns out, I'm a little sicker than I thought. Meh. However, my yoga practice was exactly what I needed this morning. It was so relaxing, helped me focus, but also pushed me a little. I strongly encourage you to start your own daily yoga practice. Today, I used this video from Sarah Beth Yoga.

After showering and getting dressed in something cozy (actually, I'm wearing the same shirt as I was wearing in this post - whoopsie!), I decided to straighten my hair today. I rarely use any type of heat styling tool on my hair, but about once every month or two, I'll straighten or curl it. Today, I straightened it using this straightener from Rusk. It's the best straightener ever. We used to use other brands - good brands, the main ones you're probably thinking of right now. And they were okay, but always needed multiple passes and only lasted about a year. This straightener is actually a one-pass straightener, making it much better for your hair. My daughters and I have incredibly thick hair, so if we are claiming it's a one-pass, I can promise you, it is. We've also had this one for at least three years, if not more, so I highly recommend it.

Breakfast: I had another Amish Friendship Bread baking day the other day, so we are stocked up again. This time, I made butterscotch, apple cinnamon, and Mounds bar (chocolate and coconut) variations on the basic recipe, which I found over at Moms Who Think. So good. I think Dan ate a whole loaf of butterscotch on his own in two days.

Tea: In the last few days, we have brewed up Moroccan Mint organic green tea and a Sparkling Strawberry Wine fruit tisane. Moroccan Mint is my favorite iced tea ever. (Lavender is a close second). The cool mint is perfect for any day, but tastes especially good in spring time.

The Sparkling Strawberry Wine is excellent (I think it's the kids' favorite), but the first time I have tried a tisane. It takes a little longer to brew, but it's definitely worth it. Light and refreshing, it's also full of flavor. It brewed up deceptively clear, so I didn't think it was going to have as much flavor as it did, but I was pleasantly surprised.

I can't recommend The Tea Smith highly enough. If you aren't in the Omaha metro area (or even if you are), you can order on their website. You won't be disappointed.

These pictures are from their website. The teas look as good as they taste!

Lunch: We've been trying to keep up with all the leftovers! Due to social distancing, we haven't had the number of guests that we usually do, but I guess I forget that when I cook. Fun lunch ideas are on my list of upcoming posts, though, so I should have something good for you soon!

Projects: We have finally outlined a plan for our front yard overhaul and herb garden, so that should be starting as soon as I'm feeling better. We are in a frost advisory for the weekend, so maybe we're lucky for planting late!

I also made some Peppermint Shower Melts yesterday. They aren't dry yet, but I will do a post as soon as they are done, so you can make some, too. Here's a little sneak peek.

Supper: For supper the last few days, we have enjoyed Taco Salad and Mississippi Pot Roast, as well as some leftover Peanut Stew.

You can check out the recipe for the taco salad here, but I'm not sure where to give credit for the Mississippi Pot Roast. It's all over the internet, so you've probably seen it around somewhere. Please try it out. It's so good. It's one of my family's all-time favorite meals. You just take a chuck roast and place it in the crock pot. Sprinkle a packet of au jus gravy mix and a packet of Ranch mix (the dry stuff, not salad dressing) over the roast. Then, place five pepperoncini peppers on top. Finally, take a 1/4 c. butter (half stick) and cut in four or five pieces. Place the butter on top and cook on low for eight hours. You will love this. So much. I am going to have to start making two because it's always gone right away (and you know much I love leftovers🤣).

Family Time: We enjoyed celebrating Cinco de Mayo together!

Evening Routine: As you know, evening routine always starts with double checking the washer and dryer. We get so busy around here during the day and I strongly dislike forgetting clothes in the washer. Not a good deal. I then do any meal prep necessary for the next day and make sure the dishes are all done. Run the dishwasher and shine my sinks.

I have 15 minutes for picking up around the house as part of my evening routine, and lately, I have taken to using that time to work on our bedroom. We would like it to be a little more relaxing and cozy, so that's a goal I'm working toward right now.

I then choose an outfit for tomorrow, get started tomorrow's to-do list, wash my face, and brush my teeth.

The last thing before bed is reading time. It's how I unwind. I finished Shatter by Aprilynne Pike earlier in the week and have started Silver Bay by Jojo Moyes. I'm on a bit of a Jojo Moyes kick right now. If you take a look at my TBR List for 2020, you'll see that I tend to do that with authors. I feel like reading multiple works by the same author helps me understand their voice better.

Shatter was okay. I gave it three stars on Goodreads. I tried to hold it to standards appropriate for a YA book, but I'm not sure if I succeeded. This was a book recommended by one of my favorite online book clubs, Paper & Glam. The leader tries to provide us with a wide variety of genres and we also read one YA book each year. In 2018, we read To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han. One of the most adorable books I've ever read. I just recommended this entire trilogy to one of my best friends the other day. My point being that I usually don't expect a YA novel to be anything than just that. But for some reason, there was something about these that while I enjoyed them, just fell a little short of the mark. A little. I still recommend reading both Shatter and its predecessor, Glitter, for a quick fun read.

As for Silver Bay, I'm really enjoying it so far. I am really starting to see why Jojo Moyes is so popular. I love the way she writes. Very talented author.

And that's a wrap, folks! I hope you enjoyed your day with us! See you again soon!

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