Good morning! Writing this on a June morning when the hydrangeas are coming back into bloom outside my office and along our driveway, the air perpetually smells like fresh-cut grass, and even though it’s early, it’s already light out.
Ahhh, I love summer!!
So, pour yourself something to drink – a coffee or maybe something iced (I’ve been back on a Starbucks cold brew kick lately and also enjoying this sparkling water, which just tastes like summer) – and let’s catch up!
Mad Men
Matt and I finished the TV series Mad Men last week, and we both loved it.
Neither of us had watched it before, and it quickly became one of our favorite shows. We’ve already said we want to rewatch it a few years from now.
In fact, our Mad Men routine became so ingrained the past couple months – put Ben down, watch an episode, go to bed – that for most of last week after we finished the series, I didn’t know what to do with myself in the evening!
Watching Mad Men definitely impacted my sleep and reading time (later bedtimes and fewer books), but it was totally worth it.
I’ve been reflecting on why I loved the show so much. Despite some flawed characters and difficult storylines, I loved the glimpse into America in the 1950s and 60s, the character development and of course the advertising agency storylines (especially after working in an agency myself).
The series really felt more like art than television. (Just watch this clip if you want to see what I mean.)
Highly recommend if you haven’t watched it! It’s a bit of a slow start, but by season two, I was hooked.
Ben update
Feels like it would also be a good time for a Ben update!
Ben is 8 months old and officially on the move. Long gone are the days when he was content hanging out on his tummy time mat. If you put him down now, he’s immediately rolling, twisting, scooting and attempting to crawl.
He can get himself onto his hands and knees, into a plank position and even a little downward dog. He’s so close to crawling and very determined to figure it out.
He’s also becoming more interested in solid foods than bottles, loves riding in a forward-facing stroller and recently got to attend a story time where he was fascinated by the other kids.
I often find myself thinking, “Where did my baby go?!” But I’m also cherishing our end-of-day cuddles (when he’s tired enough to cuddle that is, LOL).
A 4 pm Snack
One small thing that’s made a surprisingly big difference lately: a 4 pm snack.
A few weeks ago, I kept noticing that my energy would crash right at the end of the workday – exactly when I still needed enough fuel to finish work and shift into mom mode.
The window between Ben getting home and bedtime isn’t very long, but there’s a lot packed into it: dinner, bath, books, bottles, bedtime routines. Not ideal if I’m dragging energy-wise!!
It sounds like a small thing, but I’ve learned that having some kind of carbohydrate-y snack – usually paired with a protein – around 4 pm helps tremendously.
My favorite version is when I’ve baked something, like banana bread, and can have a slice with a piece of cheese. An apple with peanut butter also does the trick.
Nothing groundbreaking. But now when I glance at the clock and see it’s around 4 pm, I think, “4 pm snack!” and know I’ll have enough energy to finish the workday and enjoy the evening instead of fighting to stay awake.
Starting to think about house projects
Last month marked one year in our house! Last year was all about unpacking boxes, buying furniture, and figuring out where everything belonged. Now that we’ve settled in, Matt and I have started talking about and getting quotes for a few small projects we’d like to tackle. There is some tile in our shower we’d like to fix and our back deck needs some updating (/we kind of want to screen it in??).
It’s exciting! But also a little intimidating.
We don’t have much experience with home projects, but I’m starting to realize that being a homeowner is really just an ongoing practice of maintenance, improvement and decision-making. I like the idea of using this time each year to pause and ask: What would make our home work a little better for us? What projects feel worth tackling next?
We’re learning as we go… wish us luck!
What’s happening for you this month of June? I’d love to hear!
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