Good morning! Wishing you a joyful Easter Sunday if you are celebrating.
This week was a big one for me. I finished my 12-week therapy program focused on heart rate variability training. My daily biofeedback exercises helped me see just how much I had been holding my breath. At the end of the program, my emotions felt much less explosive, and I have a good toolbook of articles and resources to continue incorporating mindfulness into my everyday life. I still have some work to do with my sleep hygiene and figuring out a nighttime routine that works for me (and my family), but I’m confident I’ll find something that sticks.
My kids eased back into school after a 2-week long Spring Break. My preschooler had an Easter egg hunt on Wednesday, and my 1st grader had a field trip to a children’s museum on Thursday. We all had the day off together on Good Friday and resumed Girl Scouts meetings. It’s been a productive week.
R - Reading
🎧Audio: After taking a break from audiobooks last week for a few days while I was assigned to a special project at work, I was thrilled that my hold for Fun for the Whole Family by Jennifer E. Smith came in. It turns out I needed a break from romance, and a family drama was just the thing to keep me from slipping into a reading slump.
📱Kindle: I finally finished The Love Haters by Katherine Center! I didn’t enjoy it as much as her previous novel, The Rom-Commers, but it picked up for me after the halfway mark.
I pre-ordered Lyla Sage’s new novel Wild and Wrangled, and immediately saddled up for Cam and Dusty’s adventures at Rebel Blue Ranch. I can’t get enough of this small-town cowbody romance series. I’ve enjoyed reading several books in a series consecutively this year, and I think I’d like to continue the trend. Maybe with a completed series if you have any recommendations for me!
E - Eating
leftover strawberry shortcake
homemade hibachi
tacos with ranch-style beans
more Hamburger Helper
pan-fried chicken with smashed potatoes and garlicky green beans
carry-out pizza
I’m currently looking forward to tonight’s Easter dinner — ham, mac ‘n cheese, deviled eggs, warm rolls, 7-layer salad, and coconut cake.
P - Playing
My husband picked up Bon Iver’s new album SABLE, fABLE at our local record store last weekend during Record Store Day so we’ve been spinning that some mornings. So far, I love SPEYSIDE and If Only I Can Wait.
O - Obsessing over
These Toy Story Adidas for kids. Do I size up and hope my son will still love them when his foot grows? They need to make them in toddler sizes!
R - Recommending
Yet another newsletter from
that made me feel a little less alone in my thoughts.
T - Treating myself
I spent an hour removing my gel polish last Sunday, and it was worth it for the money I saved by skipping a trip to the nail salon. I was blown away at how much healthier my nails looked and decided that maybe I do need to paint them more often. I felt inspired by the Masters peach ice cream sandwich to paint them this peachy Olive & June color.
Hope you had a great weekend!
Elsewhere on the Internet: Goodreads / Storygraph / Pinterest
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New Bon Iver reminds me of his roots and I love it so much. I didn’t resonate much with i,i.
I really enjoyed Fun for the Whole Family! If you haven’t read her previous adult title (The Unsinkable Greta James), definitely add that to your TBR as well ☺️