I Am Thankful For:
A craft project completed
A Spring breeze
Treating myself to a coffee
New lipstick
A lunch date with my husband
New sunglasses
My peonies are blooming
Transplanting my herbs
The sound of falling rain
A beautiful sunny morning
Huevos Rancheros
The smell of peonies
A brand new week
Laughter
A margarita
The next phase is scheduled
Baby bears caught on our security camera
Anyone remember the song "Oh la la" by Rod Stewart that goes "I wish that I knew what I know now when I was younger"? For some reason it was stuck in my head the other day, which got me thinking... what would I tell my younger self if I could get a message back to her?
Here are five things I came up with.
1) Some of the things you'll go through are definitely going to suck. You'll make mistakes. Some big ones. You'll face some challenges. You're going to be hurt. But in the end it will all be ok. You're going to learn from all of it and grow as a result. It's going to make you the woman I am now.
2) Stop trying so hard to fit in. You don't have to like what everyone else likes or do what everyone else does. Not everyone is going to like you, no matter how hard you try. You might as well like yourself. (And, by the way, you're pretty damn spectacular.)
3) You're spending so much time worrying about things that don't matter. 99% of the things you're worrying about right now will either never happen, will turn out fine, or won't even matter one way or the other in a couple of years.
4) Travel. Whenever and wherever you can. It doesn't matter if it's an hour or two down the road or across an ocean. Go! Spend the weekends away with your husband. Take the road trips with your sister. When the opportunity comes up for that trip to Japan - take it! Make some memories!
5) Getting older isn't as scary as it seems. In fact, it can actually be pretty great. Being in your teens and 20s is fun. But being in your 50s is so much more fulfilling. Life doesn't end at a certain age. It only ends when you stop getting older. So quit dreading every year that passes and start embracing them. We're having so much fun now!
What would you tell your younger self?
I finished up several skin care and beauty items in April. Some were old true-blue favorites. Some were hit or misses. Let's take a look:
Neutrogena Ultra Light Cleansing Oil: This is my go-to for the first part of my skin care routine. It easily removes all my makeup and doesn't leave my skin feeling oily. This wasn't my first bottle and won't be my last
Good Molecules Hyaluronic Acid Serum: Good Molecules Serums are my ride-or-die. I have tried many other hyaluronic acid serums, but I always come back to this.
Loreal Midnight Cream: The jury is still out on this one. It does feel thick and luxurious when you apply it. But performance-wise, I'm not sure if it lives up to the hype. I did purchase one more container. After that's gone, I'm not sure if I'll continue using it or not. Also, the fragrance is quite strong, so if you're sensitive to that, you may want to give it a pass.
Laura Geller Original Spackle Primer: I absolutely adore Laura Geller makeup, and this primer is no exception! I have a couple of other great primers in my makeup arsenal, but this is the one I reach for over and over. 100% a repurchase!
Have you tried any of these products? What were your thoughts?
I Am Thankful For:
A good check-up for doggy #2
Listening to the birds welcome the morning
Homemade pizza
A new washing machine
The weekend
Rootbeer
The new moon
Lunches prepped for the week
Misty mornings
When my husband grills dinner
Wildflowers
Selecting the next book to read
Working on a craft project
Volunteer appreciation at the library
Meeting new people who are passionate about books
Sitting outside at sundown
April was a much needed month. It was quiet for the most part. It gave me a chance to catch my breath. And it breathed a little sunshine into my soul.
April brought my little sister's birthday. I would have liked nothing more to celebrate with her. But since that wasn't an option this year, I sent her a gift that I hope was meaningful. She's such a great gift-giver and it was hard to come up with something even close to the amazing gifts she has given to me recently.
We celebrated Easter with our kids and grandkids. I made up a little basket for the dogs, because I'm silly like that. It was a beautiful day. And spending time with the grandkids is always a joy.
It was a quiet month in the blog. Other than Sunday and Thankful Thursday posts there wasn't much for midlifers. But I have a couple of good things lined up for May, which I hope you'll enjoy.
In April, I read "Two Twisted Crowns" by Rachel Gillig, "The Last Train to Key West" by Chanel Cleeton, "Everything is Tuberculosis" by John Green, and "The Hobbit" by J.R.R. Tolkien. I finished listening to "Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old". And in the last couple of days, I started reading "Weyward" by Emilia Hart.
We put up our greenhouse in April and have started growing some vegetables. We're keeping it small since this is our first year. Tomatoes, cucumbers, spinach, cabbage, peppers, and a couple of strawberry plants. I am looking forward to later this summer when we can start harvesting some of our own produce!
How was your April? Let me know in the comments!
I Am Thankful For:
Planting vegetables
Running errands with my husband
New planting boxes
Spending time with my son
Making a good attempt at something
Prepping dishes for Easter dinner
Easter
The grandkids
Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting
Getting the dogs outside to play
Planning a new project
A good start to the week
Clouds resting on the mountain tops
Library day
Making earrings
Growing herbs
Watering my plants
My daughter dropping by
I Am Thankful For:
Houseplants
Ok books that turn into good books
The azalea in bloom
Speaking my mind
A new haircut
Ginger ale
Spending time with my husband and son
A warm robe for chilly mornings
Lilacs blooming
Puzzles
Being able to meal prep for the week
Fresh baked scones
Book club
Dogs at the library
I Am Thankful For:
Wild violets blooming in the yard
When the dogs come and cuddle with me while I'm reading
Farm fresh eggs
Thunderstorms
My son bringing me ice cream
Leaves coming out on the trees
Setting up the greenhouse
Deciding what to plant
Dogwood starting to bloom
French toast for brunch
A trip for brunch
Rainy days
Lunches made ahead
The smell of lavender filling raw kitchen
Libraries
My marriage
The smell of rosemary
