We’ve shifted into spring mode, which means busier Saturdays, warmer weather, and swim team just around the corner. It also means getting to experience a new season for the first time from our new perch in the neighborhood; I’ve been giddy to spot the azaleas, daffodils, dogwoods, and more popping up on our walks to school and walks after dinner. Feeling grateful for every sort of season right now! Here’s what else we have planned for April…
On my calendar: — Spring sports! Annie is playing soccer at the fields in our neighborhood, June is playing town soccer, and Shep is trying baseball for the first time. June and I are also enrolled in a four-week JUMP ROPE CLINIC starting later this month. Pray for my knees!! — A one-night campout with our church CG family. Fingers crossed for a warmer night and for the pollen to have washed away! — A bike ride with a dear friend on the American Tobacco Trail. We’re planning to bike the full length and then meet our families for dinner at the American Tobacco Campus before driving home!
What I’m loving right now: — Is it weird to say my own podcast interview? I can’t say I really love listening to my own recorded voice – it will never not be weird – but I am so grateful to have been a guest on my friend Katelyn’s podcast and hope it’s helpful to anyone who chooses to listen! — I am super late to the game but I’ll go ahead and mention it anyway: I am loving Olivia Dean’s album The Art of Loving. Smooth, jazzy, fun – it’s my nightly dinner-making accompaniment. — I’m out of time to write a blog post about this year’s Easter baskets, but I did want to share some of the goodies I’ve collected! As always, it’s a mix of new, consignment, and hand-me-down finds. I’ve linked everything I can here and am especially fond of the floral embroidered cross. Last year’s baskets here!
As a reminder, you can find allll the things I’ve loved over the last few years neatly organized right here!
What you’re loving right now:
This is where I highlight a few items here that have been popular in the last month with fellow readers, based on my analytics. Here’s hoping this will help you find something you’ll love!
What I read in March: — Writing Creativity and Soul | This is Sue Monk Kidd’s book on craft. I think she is a magical writer, and though I don’t currently write fiction, I enjoyed getting a peek behind the curtain at her practices. Likely not that relevant if you’re not a writer or SMK super fan. —Theo of Golden | Let me start by saying — I love this book! I love the characters, I love the quiet pacing, I love the fact that it’s a word-of-mouth smash hit, and most of all I love that a book that so clearly honors the concept of Imago Dei (the idea that all humans are created to reflect God’s nature, possessing inherent dignity, worth, and a divine imprint) has such visibility. That being said, my expectations were through the roof based on the universal effusive reviews, and the reality didn’t quite meet them – I’d have tightened the narrative a bit in a few places. But Theo is still 100% worth your time! — Liturgy of the Ordinary | My main takeaway from this book: Tish Harrison Warren walked so Justin Whitmel Earley could run. Tish’s book is very similar to Justin’s The Common Rule (and equally lovely!), but I have to say I think I preferred Justin’s just a bit – the latter is a little more practical and structured. However, if you’re looking for ideas to infuse faith practices into everyday life, and to notice the extraordinary in the ordinary, I’m confident you’ll enjoy Tish’s book. — The Covenant of Water | The adjective “sweeping” was made for books like this. Here’s the description: “Spanning the years 1900 to 1977, Abraham Verghese’s masterful novel follows three generations of a Christian family in Kerala, South India, that suffers a peculiar affliction: in every generation, at least one person dies by drowning. As the novel opens, a twelve-year-old girl is sent by boat to her wedding, where she meets her husband for the first time. She joins a prosperous household and becomes known as Big Ammachi, the matriarch of an extraordinary family that will endure hardship, celebrate triumph, and witness unthinkable changes over the coming decades. An exquisite modern classic, The Covenant of Water is an unforgettable and stunning epic of love, faith, and medicine.” The characters! The plotting! Truly incredible and I highly recommend it. (If you love the Pillars of the Earth series, you will love this one.) Just know it is about four inches thick, ha.
Revisiting my March goals: Make final decisions and orders for our master bathroom and built-in projects (Work is underway!) Hang string lights in our backyard (Didn’t quite get to the backyard but we did hang them on our porch!) Tag clothes for the consignment sale Complete final prep for and enjoy June’s birthday trip Host an Easter potluck and egg hunt for our neighbors (I couldn’t quite get it together to host this this year – planning on next year!) Nail down camping dates with the Rays and our small group (Small group: ✅) Shop for donation Easter baskets with the kids Prep my own kids’ Easter baskets Tend to this month’s clutter spot: Shep’s bookshelf
April goals: — Write the first draft of my Sunday service. I’ve once again volunteered to lead a service at our Island this summer. (The last time was — *checks notes* — four years ago.) I’m excited to do it, as it’s one of my very favorite traditions and I want to do my part to support it, but in order for it not to become stressful I plan to start and finish it far in advance. I already have a concept! — Film Annie in April — Hang string lights in our backyard — Tend to this month’s clutter spot: the third floor bookshelf
Short and sweet today! I thought it might be fun to share a little bit of the inspiration for our master bath renovation – which, as of last Friday, is officially underway!
As some of you might remember, we were on the cusp of doing a master bath renovation in our old house until a stalled contractor and then our move changed our plans. I’m so grateful that the timing worked out as it did, both because we saved money we didn’t need to spend at our old house and because we’ve already done a bunch of thinking about bathrooms that’s served us well in our new house. And in a full-circle moment, we’re using the same contractor.
The plan, in short: we are taking out the tub, enclosing the toilet, moving and enlarging the shower, and moving the vanity — plus switching out the tile, adding millwork and wallpaper, and replacing the fixtures. I am excited and grateful. A peek at the before:
Here are a few inspiration photos. None are exactly what we have planned, of course, but they should give you an idea of the direction we’re headed:
While the crew is in our house, we’re also having them add built-ins to our main room. Since this space is so central to the downstairs, I hope this change will really set the tone for the whole floor and make our next steps clearer. It also will give us a mantel (yay stockings!) and of course much more closed and open storage for books (so many books!), games, and toys. Again, I am excited and grateful.
Here’s a rough mock-up of the plan I made with ChatGPT. It’s not quite right, but gives you an idea of what we’re going for!
Will try to share more as we go! Let me know if this was enjoyable — trying to push myself to share shorter posts so I can publish a bit more frequently :)
I don’t consider myself an expert on skincare, but as with most areas of my life, I like to do my research and indulge in some slow tinkering. Over the years I’ve landed on products that really work for me, and even though skincare is SO personal, I wanted to share in case some of them might work for you! And it’s just fun to document my routine at different points in my life (here’s a post from eight years ago – only one product is still in rotation!).
So – here we go! My morning and evening skincare routine in my late-30’s.
Rise and shine! Here’s my morning routine:
1. Splash my face with water and pat dry. I’ve found there’s no need to cleanse in the morning. I’m hoping this retains more moisture in my skin!
2. Apply vitamin C serum. Vitamin C serum supposedly has antioxidant and ant-aging properties, and is supposed to give your skin a brighter, more radiant, and more even appearance. It’s one of the two products (along with retinol) it seems everyone recommends in your 30’s, and so I figured it would behoove me to try it. Even though I’ve used it for several years I’ve never really seen any positive effects from it I can isolate, but maybe it’s meant to be more of a protectant than something you see noticeable results from? I do think it gives me an extra layer of moisture, which I appreciate.
I have used many different vitamin Cs over the years — Mad Hippie, Timeless, Biossance, Barefaced — and have never really been able to tell a difference between them. I tend to try something new each time I have to restock. Whatever I’m using, I apply a few drops with my fingers and blend it in all over my face and neck, then wait for it to dry before putting on the next layer…
3. Apply sunscreen. I converted to Elta MD almost a decade ago and I predict it will be a lifelong love affair. It is not inexpensive, but to hear any skin expert talk, the absolute best thing you can do for your skin is wear sunscreen daily. I use one pump all over my face and any extra on my neck (amount shown below!). The Elta glides on smoothly, leaves no white cast, has a nice (very light) smell, and layers well under makeup. It’s also nice that it’s moisturizing enough that I don’t need to use a separate moisturizer, which helps justify the price!
I happily attribute the health of my skin at almost-40 to consistent daily sunscreen on my face since I was 20.
4. Apply deodorant. Like serums, I’ve cycled through natural deodorants over the years. I’ve used Wild for the last year or so and really like it!
5. Brush my teeth. I think doing this step at this point in the routine gives everything a chance to sink in before applying makeup. I use this toothpaste which I’ve raved about before – it actually does seem to whiten without causing pain!
1. Wash with charcoal soap. Almost a decade in, this product continues to be a slam-dunk winner for me! You cannot beat the price, and I feel like it continues to do so much to balance out my oily/dry skin. I’ve even turned John onto it! After I rinse, I’ll wipe my face all over with a clean, wet wash cloth, which serves as a gentle exfoliator. I am really weird about using an actual clean wash cloth every day, so I bought a cheap pack of 12 for $4 and just toss them in the wash with our whites!
I’ll also gently swipe my eyes with the Makeup Eraser to remove eye makeup at this point.
2. Swipe on toner with a cotton round. I was so sad to see that one of my ride-or-die products, a REN toner I’ve repurchased more than ten times, was discontinued earlier this year. It was the only thing that made a difference for the dry, flaky skin on my forehead, and I didn’t want to go back. After consulting the internet, I gave this Pixi toner a try. A month in, it seems to be working really well. I squirt a quarter-size amount onto a reusable cotton round and swipe it all over my face and neck.
3.Moisturize. This Neutrogena moisturizer was a lucky drugstore find — it’s light and sinks so effortlessly into my skin, yet is SO moisturizing and balancing. Every other day I add a drop (literally one drop!) of this tanning liquid to my moisturizer and mix them in my palm before smoothing it over my face. I find that a little more color on my face helps balance out any redness and makes it easier to wear lighter makeup.
On my body, I use the very unfancy Jergens Ultra Healing lotion, which is very moisturizing but sinks in well and doesn’t leave me greasy. In the spring, I’ll sometimes use the Saltyface tanning foam on my legs to give me a little more color.
4. Brush my teeth and swipe on more Aquaphor. Obviously :)
And that’s it! I’d love to hear the MVPs from your morning or evening skincare routine! I’m also interested in trying retinol – maybe once I turn 40 :) – so leave a note if you love yours. And I also have a beauty routine in the works if that’s of interest!
The other day, my friend Ginna texted me and another friend who’s recently moved “Happy What’s In My Yard? season!!” She was nodding to the unique delight of experiencing your first spring in a new house, with mystery around every corner (and popping up through every pile of mulch). So far, I’ve counted two unexpected daffodils. Here’s to other welcome surprises this month!
On my calendar: — Spring break! We are road tripping to St. Simon’s Island, adjacent to one of our perennial favorites: Jekyll Island. — The fourth annual Articles Club retreat! We have plans to play Mahjong, exchange AC-themed favorite things, eat good food, make goal punch cards, chat, walk, read, craft, maybe cold plunge, and so much more. — June’s tenth birthday weekend getaway in Charlotte! The itinerary is finalized and we’re all so excited. I’ll be sharing more about it on TCF in the weeks to come!
What I’m loving right now: — I’ve long been a fan of the Birds & Bees ladies — John and I took their course a few years ago and I highly recommend it — and I really enjoyed this recent episode with them on the Raising Boys & Girls podcast. — My Summersalt Ruffle Oasis one piece has finally bit the dust after 5+ years and I love the style so much I’m going to rebuy it (likely in this berry + melon combo). I also have the Sidestroke and though it seems like it’s ubiquitous on the internet I get compliments every time I wear it to the pool. I recommend ordering 1-2 sizes up! — Speaking of summer: I bought this oversize sun hat last year when I was ready for something new in the sun protection game. It’s giant and I love it.
As a reminder, you can find allll the things I’ve loved over the last few years neatly organized right here!
What you’re loving right now:
This is where I highlight a few items here that have been popular in the last month with fellow readers, based on my analytics. Here’s hoping this will help you find something you’ll love!
What I read in February: — Little Women | Epic. I’ve wanted to do read this book for quite some time (at least since the 2019 movie adaption came out!) and I’m very glad I finally made time for it. It is so good and pure and delightful and wise and just makes you want to be a better mom and sister and friend, in the most gentle and loving way. This might have been my first time reading this classic but it will not be my last. — Come On Home | Eh. I agreed with most everything in this book, but what I loved was mostly the quotes from other books which she used liberally throughout. I’d skip it and read the books she quoted instead: The Lifegiving Home; Hold Onto Your Kids; Habits of the Household; and Hunter, Gather, Parent, to start. Or just read Little Women and get your parenting advice from there, ha! — Small Things Like These | Claire Keegan’s slim novel (novella?) is set in 1985 in a small Irish town. Bill, a coal merchant and family man, makes a discovery one morning which forces him to confront both his past and the complicit silences of a town controlled by the church. A “deeply affecting story of hope, quiet heroism, and empathy,” this one feels like falling into a well, and then surfacing a short time later, blinking in the sun. I read it in one sitting.
Revisiting my February goals: Finalize the itinerary for June’s tenth birthday trip (Done! We can’t wait!) Finish learning the jump rope routine (No progress on the routine with my knee issues but I have been ending every strength session with some jumping.) Diligently complete daily exercises to help with my knee pain Record June’s birthday interview Finish going through my phone screenshots (So happy to have completed this!!!) Attend to February’s clutter spot: our “library” on the first floor Enjoy celebrating my birthday Prepare well for my very first TCF podcast interview (I gave practicing my all and I’m pleased with how it went! Will let you know when it’s live.)
March goals: — Make final decisions and orders for our master bathroom and built-in projects – scheduled to start in April! — Hang string lights in our backyard — Tag clothes for the consignment sale — Complete final prep for and enjoy June’s birthday trip — Host an Easter potluck and egg hunt for our neighbors — Nail down camping dates with the Rays and our small group — Shop for donation Easter baskets with the kids — Prep my own kids’ Easter baskets — Tend to this month’s clutter post: Shep’s bookshelf
