It appears the world actually IS ending, because yesterday I forwarded to 20 friends a “chain email” for the first time since approximately 1999. Yes.
I was sucked in by the promise of 36 recipes*, but also by the innocently throw-back vibe of a chain email showing up in my inbox in 2020.
*Let’s pause on that math for a sec. If I sent the email on to 20 friends (which I did), and they each sent it on to 20 friends (doubtful), and those friends each sent me a recipe (extremely doubtful), then I would hypothetically receive… 400 recipes?????
Though that math is a little more intimidating than exciting, this whole chain email situation did inspire me. I’m always looking for fresh recipes (plus, one of my yearly goals is to streamline meal planning!). While my in-person meal planning potluck is on hold, I thought we could have a virtual recipe exchange right here, right now!
If I was able to invite you all to this potluck (that would be fun!!), what dish would you bring?
Just like my future potluck, let’s consider this a chance to come together and share our blue-ribbon, sure-fire, 100%-guaranteed, all-star dinner recipes with each other – the ones we make when friends come over, the ones that never let us down on a busy weeknight or slow Sunday.
If you had to pick just one dinner favorite, what would it be? Drop a link in the comments (or type out the whole recipe, if not online!) and tell us why you love it!
I’ll go first: the obvious pick is our sausage, kale, and chickpea pasta. But since y’all already know that one, I’ll add this one. It’s a yummy, easy beef ragu that also includes a boatload of zucchini, so you can feel good about getting your veggies! We like to serve it with garlic bread and a green salad.
Your turn! Can’t wait to see your favorites, and for all of us to snag a few new recipes to try in this season at home!
Well, clearly my March did not go as planned. (You, too?) This is reflected in my goal progress last month, but instead of being frustrated, I’m feeling grateful for all that we did experience in this memorable and unusual month, especially when so many are suffering in so many ways.
In April, I’m choosing hope – simple moments of joy with my family, at our home, out in the sunshine. I’m wishing the same for you.
On my calendar this month: — Holy Week and Easter. This is certainly going to look different than usual, but I’m looking forward to making it special. — While our Florida vacation has been postponed, we’re still taking two of those vacation days as a family. Looking forward to getting outside and enjoying each other and the sunshine! — A virtual baby shower for a friend. My first one! :)
What I’m loving right now: — We planted our backyard vegetable garden and have been checking on growth every day! My favorite thing to plant is Super Sweet 100, a cherry tomato that has always been prolific for us. — We brought this sweet potato burrito recipe out of the vault last week and it’s delicious! A great meal option when meat is hard to find. — The Threshold by Shea McGee collection looks beautiful! It launches tomorrow – I particularly like this, this, and this!
What I read in March: — Southern Lady Code: This was my fiction pick for March, and sadly it did not live up to the hype. Not only did I not howl with laughter, I merely chuckled once or twice. Not my cup of tea. — How to Raise a Wild Child: I am loving how practical this book is! Such great ideas if you’re hoping to get outside more with your family and connect your kids to nature. — The Golden Hour: My Mom left this book at our house after her last visit, and since pickings are slim these days, I picked it up. It’s enjoyable and engrossing, switching between a woman in early-1900s Germany and one in mid-1940s Bahamas.
My reading list for 2020, if you’d like to follow along!Though my plans have been a little derailed with our library closing, I have a copy of The Tattooist of Auschwitz in hand and am excited to dig in this month!
Revisiting my March goals: Send invites for meal planning potluck (The e-invite has been designed, guest list inputted, and we’re sitting tight. The date we’d picked out is at the end of this month, but we’re not sure if that’s going to be possible.) Assemble friend dossiers and brainstorm ideas for get-togethers Book May camping trip (on hold for now) Finish craft table organization in the loft (More progress here, and still more to go!) Finish reading Matthew with John (We’re on chapter 16 of 28. There is so much packed in there!!) Finish planning our trip to Florida (postponed until next year)
April goals: — Finish printing out Pinterest recipes and rearrange boards — Clean out our garage — Make spring recipe cheat sheet — Design and print our first family photo album! — Finish reading Matthew with John and begin Mark — Connect with each of my 8 focal friends in a meaningful way — Roast s’mores in our backyard — Make an Easter egg tree with June for our dining room table
Friends, I’d love to hear what you have planned for this stay-at-home month ahead. Hoping you are all staying safe and well!
This weekend, I spent some time putting together our kiddos’ Easter baskets. Gathering the treasures I’ve collected over the last few months, ordering a last few pieces, arranging everything neatly, fluffing a big bow on the side… it was just the sort of feel-good, expectant project I needed right now.
Though Easter baskets weren’t a thing in my family growing up, I have really embraced them over the last few years. I want my kids to look forward to Easter as much as they do Christmas or any other holiday, and though of course I want them to love Easter for what it means for our lives and our faith, resurrection is a big idea for little ones to grasp. I am not above playing up the celebratory and exciting aspects of the holiday; to me, they make perfect sense when framed in an explanation of why we’re celebrating. That Jesus would come to bring hope to the whole world – everyone, everywhere – that he would choose to die so that we – everyone, everywhere – would have a guarantee that the worst thing is never the last thing… that is worthy of celebrating.
In his book Parenting, Paul David Tripp writes, “Your job [as a parent] is to do everything in your power, as an instrument in the hands of the Redeemer who has employed you, to woo, encourage, call, and train your children to willingly and joyfully live as disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.” I like to think he’d include Easter baskets as something in my power :)
On a totally different note, Easter baskets feel especially important to me this year since they are one of my favorite opportunities to support the small businesses I love. I don’t know about you, but when I find myself in an adorable shop while traveling or in my own city, I always want to make a purchase – but also don’t want to spend money just to spend it. Picking up little things for stockings and holidays is a great way to find unique and memorable items, support the boutiques I love, and spread out the impact on our budget over many months.
Of course, all of that is more challenging this year – but there are still tons of wonderful online shops you can support (or brick and mortar shops with online presences), and I’ve highlighted a few of them below. Especially since Amazon has delays on many non-essential items right now, this might be the perfect opportunity to venture farther afield! :) Speaking from the perspective of someone intimately involved in a small but mighty business, I know whatever purchases you make will be so appreciated.
Alright – on to the fun stuff! Here’s a peek at June and Shep’s baskets this year: not quite done, but on their way!
Before I get into the 2020 specifics, here are a few things I consider including each year:
— A faith-based book to add to our library. I’ve rounded up some of our favorites here. (I try to buy these from a local source when possible, like Quail Ridge Books or McIntyre’s Books!) Of course, Write the Word Kids is also a perfect pick for your older kids! :)
— A new set of pajamas. These usually come from Hanna Andersson or my favorite consignment sale. A few others I’ve spotted and love: this colorful alphabet set, strawberry and mini dots, pretty pastel fruit, light pink dinos (love these colors!), jungle animals, and boats in the harbor.
— A new bathing suit or beach gear. Again, Hanna is our favorite for rash guards! (Also, this sun hat is cute!)
— Something fun to play with, like new chalk, dollhouse furniture (this bed is on my list for the future!), bubbles, a card game, an activity book, or this for our weather lover. Many more ideas here!
— A special snack, like bunny grahams, those frosted animal cookies, or fruit snacks.
And I always tuck in some a few of their favorite stuffed animals, because June thinks it’s hilarious :) We love Jellycats and Cuddle + Kind dolls!
Now, here’s what’s going in our little ones’ baskets this year!
Of course it goes without saying, but under the current circumstances, I want to say it: an Easter basket is not a requirement to have a meaningful or celebratory Easter. Kids are delighted with the smallest gestures, and you could easily put together a fun basket for $10. But, if you’re able to, this is a lovely opportunity to support the businesses you love.
Baskets or no, I’d love to hear how you’re planning to make Easter special this year, friends, if you’re celebrating! I’m still working on our plans… it will certainly look different than most years, but I’m up for the challenge :)
Hello, friends! I missed you last week! Like many of you, I’ve found myself much busier than usual since our kiddos’ school closed. We’ve had our babysitter over several mornings a week, but there’s still a lot of creative scheduling (mornings, evenings, etc.) needed to fit in an almost-full work day on my part. John has also been working far longer hours than normal, as his industry is currently roiling. Unfortunately, that’s meant less time here.
I find it so interesting that this virus has impacted people in such opposite ways, particularly in terms of time — some people are attempting to work full-time, parent full-time, and homeschool full-time, while others are out of work, have seen all their commitments snatched from them, and have suddenly found themselves with hours to fill. Both are challenging in their own way.
Similarly, John and I were talking yesterday about how different this experience would be if our kids were any other age – particularly high school age. In high school, families are usually scattered by sports, friends, and activities – plus, you can’t pay some teens to spend free time with their parents :) While I’m sure there are many difficulties to having older kids in this crisis, I hope so much that those parents are also able to soak up the fleeting sweetness of having their big kids suddenly and unexpectedly held so close (especially knowing that they’ll soon go off to college or perhaps move states away…) From my seat as a mama who currently always has my kiddos close by and tears up thinking about when it will be different, that sounds breathlessly dear. (On that note, I’ve recently read two interesting pieces on the silver linings of this pandemic for families: here and here.)
Aside from the work and childcare chaos, our life remains much the same. We’re used to spending much of our time together, and our kids are too young to have many cancelled activities. As introverts, we’re used to staying in most nights; living far from our families, we’re used to connecting virtually.
While of course I’m incredibly grateful that we haven’t experienced more upheaval, in a strange way this has niggled me a bit. This pandemic is a landmark event, one that we’ll be telling stories about and feeling the effects of for years. At the end of it, I don’t want to remember it as just a few months when I was grumpier and more anxious than usual. I’d like to be able to say that despite the difficulties, the extra stressors, and the uncertainties, we were intentional about squeezing love, sweetness, and joy from a truly awful time. I’d like to be able to say that we did everything we could to help the world heal and to be more generous than felt comfortable. I’d like to be able to say that we used the new pockets of time – like John’s former commute – to enjoy each other’s company. I want there to be plenty of good to remember.
So that’s where I am right now. I hope you’ve had a little time to sit with your thoughts and feelings in the last few days, too, whatever they might be. I hope you’ve been able to squeeze whatever good is possible from the last few days, whatever that might be. And if Em for Marvelous is part of what you look forward to, I have some happy news for you. I spent a little time this weekend brainstorming what I’d like to share with you in the months to come – how I might be able to help you in this strange season in a unique way – and I’m looking forward to chatting more as time allows. A few of the things in store: a series of micro posts about meal planning improvements we’ve recently made, our Easter plans (basket talk coming tomorrow!), a massive photo organization how-to (!!), and a COVID-19-themed Marvelous Money entry – and that’s just what I hope to cover in April :)
For today, I’ll leave you with a few things that have been brightening our days these last few weeks. In the comments, I’d really love to hear a few of yours! Here are mine:
— listening to worship music almost constantly at home (mostly this playlist) — a Marco Polo group with John’s extended family — virtual game nights with my family (Scattergories Categories is a winner) — daily walks in our neighborhood — all of the gorgeous flowering trees – dogwood, cherry, Kwanzan cherry (my favorite!), redbud, tulip magnolia, and more — warm chocolate chip cookies most nights — watching happy movies like The Parent Trap (both versions), The Sound of Music, and The Holiday while working on puzzles — fun free drawing printables from Camp Castle (sign up at the top here) — family hikes and bike rides (though I love our stationary bike, it feels so good to be back outside!) — the Georgia Aquarium live feeds (in honor of our canceled vacation) — planting our vegetable garden and adding a few more bushes to our back bed
Finally, for my working friends grateful to still be in a stable job, a small suggestion: take a vacation day now, if you can. I know it might seem strange to take vacation when you already feel like you’re not getting enough work done, or when your employer needs your best more than ever, or when you can’t do anything particularly exciting with your time. On Friday, however, did just that. I had scheduled this day of vacation weeks before our current crisis hit, and last week I considered canceling it – but I’m so glad I didn’t. I hadn’t quite realized the weight of wearing the “employee” and “mama” hat simultaneously in a way that I almost never do, for myself and for my children, and it was glorious to just wear one for the day. We splashed in a creek, we had a picnic in the back of my car, I read many more chapters of my current book, we took a walk… I felt buoyant all day. So if you can, don’t wait to use all of your vacation days “when this gets better.” Take some now. You will be so glad you did.
And now friends, please add what’s making you smile to the comments. I can’t wait to hear, and am sending you love!
