Tuesday, June 11, 2019

Monthly Medley: May 2019

Writing 
Nothing new or exciting to report here. May is always light for me writing-wise, since the month is so crazy on nearly every other front.

Reading
Nothing new or exciting to report here either - May's craziness cuts into my reading time as well as my writing time. I promise to share at least one - if not two or three - book recommendations at the end of June, however!

Watching
On perhaps our one free evening in May, the kids and I watched Christopher Robin. Many of you know of my love for Winnie the Pooh, and this live-action adaptation of his story provided the touch of nostalgia I had hoped for in a remake. As is often the case in A. A. Milne's writing, at times the movie looks and feels melancholy, but it resolves in a way that highlights the beauty of friendship, the power of imagination, and the magic of childhood.

Listening To
Other than Matilda: The Musical? I adore this show, but I've had about all I can take of Mrs. Trunchbull's Phys Ed. The time has come for a new "car musical" - any suggestions?

On the podcast front, this month I caught up on my "regular" programs - Young House Love has a Podcast and Criminal - since I'd fallen behind on both while binge-listening to Cold. I plan to try Unexplained - a bi-weekly program about "strange and mysterious real life events that continue to evade explanation" - this month!

Wearing
I have always had trouble finding shorts that fit and in which I feel only somewhat self-concious about my body. I have wide hips, substantial upper thighs, and a narrow waist, so shorts (as well as pants) either 1) fit my hips and thighs and gap at the waist or 2) fit at the waist but are so tight in the hips and thighs that I can't move. I finally found a winner, though, thanks to Kate at the small things blog: Universal Thread's women's high-rise button fly midi jean shorts in medium wash from Target. They come up high enough at the waist to keep everything tucked in but not so high that they feel like mom jeans. The are long enough to completely cover my butt (what is with shorts that don't cover butt cheeks these days?!) and upper thighs, but not so long that I might as well be wearing pants. The wash is the perfect shade - not too dark or too light - and this, along with the slight distressing, makes the shorts feel up-to-date and fashionable. I also bought Universal Thread's women's high-rise double cuff mini jean shorts in black, and I'm thinking about grabbing these in olive as well.

I had a second shorts victory from Athleta: the printed mesh racer run short 4.5". I bought the white botanics pair because they were on clearance and I had a coupon and a reward to use, but I will likely purchase both the coastal teal and black olive camo pairs as well because I love them so much. All this shorts love 😍 from a person who strongly dislikes shorts 😩 but understands the necessity when living in Texas. 😂

Trying/Using
My mom bought me this set of Sonia Kashuk make up brushes from Target (another recommendation from Kate at the small things blog) and they are fabulous. The handles and bristles are pretty to look at, and the bristles are soft enough to feel comfortable on my face but firm enough to get the job of applying make up done well.

I have also had great success with Dove's new 0% Aluminum deodorant. The detox phase was tough (I quit my other deodorant/anti-perspirant cold turkey to allow my body to rid itself of the aluminum that had undoubtedly built up in my pores), but after almost a month of using this deodorant exclusively I'm really happy with the results.

I realize this deodorant isn't completely natural, but the last three natural deodorants I've tried have been complete busts. I'm just happy to have found something aluminum-free that I - and eventually Hallie - can use!

Eating/Drinking
  • I made - by combining a few different recipes and making things up as I went along - s'mores cupcakes for an event this month and they went over incredibly well. I don't like marshmallows so I didn't eat one, but everyone who did assured me they were amazing. First, I used this recipe - minus the sugar and salt - for the cupcake crusts. I made a little extra because I needed 28 cupcakes. Next, I made a basic chocolate cake recipe and divided it evenly on top of the 28 cupcake crusts. My and most cake recipes would normally make 24 cupcakes, but because the cupcakes had a crust, each tin needed a little less batter than usual. For the frosting, I made this marshmallow buttercream. I used about 3 ounces more marshmallow fluff and a 1/2 cup more powdered sugar than the recipe called for, and I did add the optional vanilla. Last but not least, Hallie topped the cupcakes with a sprinkling of graham cracker crumbs and a little chunk of Hershey's chocolate. Gorgeous, if I do say so myself!

Feeling Good About

What's new and interesting in your life this month?

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