What's Up Wednesday: April 2017
My oh my, where did it all go? We're four days away from May and every day that passes makes me wish I hadn't taken down my Christmas tree. Bye-bye 2017!
I'm linking up today with Sheaffer and Shay to share an update on what I've been up to in April. I suspect you know most of it already, so if you can fill me in that would be great... I kid, I kid. But, seriously. I can hardly wrap my head around life anymore. I find it comical when friends say they want to see me so they can know what's going on with me and I honestly respond that I sure would like to know that information as well! ;) Life is great though, so no complaints.
Without further adieu:
What I'm eating:
Anything I can get my hands on that's Whole 30! I have hardly cooked anything for myself this month and if I have, it's been a quick sauteed chicken, only roasted vegetables, or a can of tuna fish. Literally. I haven't had time to cook at home because when I've been home I've been keeping up with to-do's, laundry, etc. Most of my month was spent eating out for various social gatherings or traveling. I plan to (have to) cook soon or I will run out of recipes to share with you but in the mean time you can view my previous recipes here.
I will say that I discovered Good Cravings at the downtown farmer's market. They are a local, Houston company that makes delicious raw energy bars. Most of them are Whole 30 compliant and they offer a flat rate shipping if you order online. I loaded up that day and plan to pop by their tent on Wednesdays to purchase from them. =)
Cherry Almond was my favorite, but I also liked the chocolate, cranberry pecan, and lemon. you can't go wrong. Their mint chocolate (not shown online), and their two protein bars are not Whole 30 compliant. Make sure to read the ingredients.
What I'm reminiscing about:
My trips this past month, but of course. One was spontaneous and one was planned. I had a blast in Mexico and my trip to see my family was everything my heart needed. Factor in the many events and dinners with friends and I can officially say April was a month of laughter for me.
What I'm loving:
Honestly, this hair cleanser called New Wash from Hair Story. I signed up to participate in a 30 day trial to NOT wash my hair with shampoo and conditioner, but instead to use only this product called New Wash. I was reeeeaalllllyyy suspect about the idea of not lathering up with soap, plus they tout that you do not need conditioner. HOLY MOLY. And I mean, HOLY MOLY, they weren't kidding.
Not only do I love the scent (like, seriously love it), my hair feels cleaner and lighter than ever before AND it rinses out so soft I do not need an ounce of conditioner - AT ALL. I've now used it on non-gym and gym days and it's been fabulous. Stay tuned to see if I've officially converted by the end of the bottle/30 days, but as of now I am mega excited about it. (Note, it is weird to not "lather" but to "slather" as they phrase it, but the result is so shockingly pleasing.)
What I've been up to:
I'll spare you details here but it goes something like this: brunches, dinners, events, work, vacation, dinners, family, work, friends, vacation, Easter, church, dinners, events, dinners, and brunches. =)
Please see my Friday Favorites for more details if you've missed out on any!
What I'm dreading:
This question, because I do not believe in the feeling of dread and hate that I can't remove it from the question list.
Ironically I listened to a Joyce Meyer podcast over this past weekend that addressed what a waste of time it is to feel dread! **Additional note about this podcast/video is that she makes the comment that we shouldn't use the term "busy" because it has a negative connotation. We should use the term "fruitful". I like that!
What I'm working on:
Me! Slowly, but surely I am working on improving my blogging and branding myself. I was proud that I did post a few videos while on vacation. That was a major milestone for me to push past my own insecurities and just do it.
I'm also slowly sharing my poetry on my new Instagram page that is dedicated only to that. I am sharing writing that spans over the last 21 years of my life so what you'll find there may be over a decade old or I may have written it recently. ;) So mysterious, right? Ha! It does feel good to have crossed the initial hurdle of embarrassment to put myself out there in a new manner aside from blogging so here I am - as raw as can be, I guess.
What I'm excited about:
May is bringing another fruitful month with a lot of wonderful things. If I sound like an eternal optimist let me assure you that I am both optimistic and realistic. I am optimistic because every day is a gift as well as the people in it so I am grateful that I will get to see the people I will see and get to do the fun things I get to do. I am realistic because I also know that I will be super tired and pushing myself to still accomplish everything the perfectionist in me demands. But, no complaints.
I have dinners with friends, a concert, Mother's Day, and two weekend trips planned for May.
What I'm watching/reading:
Watching: Well, I didn't get around to renting any movies as I mentioned in last month's edition of What's Up Wednesday. Perhaps May will allot me a little more time for that?
Reading: I also had to put aside two of the books I was reading (Life After the Storm and The 21 Day Financial Fast) to focus on keeping up with my daily bible reading from my One Year Bible. I am currently reading Judges, Luke, Psalms, and Proverbs. We finished Deuteronomy and Joshua this month. The other two books have been good and one chapter a day is easy to accomplish, but my short weeks in the office shifted my focus quite a bit. I suspect I will start the financial fasting book over at the end of June. There's no way I can accomplish the budgeting in May. =/
On my iPad I am still reading Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How it Can Help You Find and Keep Love. I'm behind in progress on this because of my hectic month and travel hindering my normal work out schedule. However, I am still very interested in the content and happy to be reading it again. The different types of attachments explain a lot about our relationships including insight into ourselves.
What I'm listening to:
A whole lot of Hillsong United, my running playlist on Spotify, and recently Jack Johnson for my tropical trips. It just suits the mood.
Also, I never want to leave out my morning podcasts from Hope City, Breakaway Ministries, Joyce Meyer, Marriage Today, Bayou City Fellowship, and Ecclesia.
What I'm wearing:
I'm a solid mix of work attire, spring dresses, workout clothes, weekend clothes, swimsuits, and tropical vacation clothes. I don't even know where to begin! But you can find a summary of these outfits on my Friday Favorites posts from the past month as well as my clicking below. You'll need to open this blog post in a web browser to see the embedded links below. They do not show up if only viewing the post from your email.
Spring styles:
Summer styles:
Date night styles:
What I'm doing this weekend:
This about sums it up...
Kidding. =)
I'm so excited! I will be seeing my (local) family for a brunch, relaxing and chillaxing, church, hopefully a long run, and more relaxing. I am officially making a concerted effort to have more down time, especially since every weekend in May already has plans.
What I'm looking forward to next month:
I think the real question should be is what am I not looking forward to in May? I am looking forward to seeing my family and friends, Cinco de Mayo (in case I don't get enough Mexican food on a regular basis), going to a concert, Mother's Day stuff including this fun event (below) at Carrie Ann's Boutique, visiting my God children in Northeast Texas, and a trip to Massachusetts (lobster, please!).
What else is new:
I think I've summed it all up pretty well so will spare additional information.
How was your month of April? Did you do anything fun or have something special happen to share? Comment below! I'm hoping everyone is enjoying springtime before it's a faint memory. Summer is quickly approaching which means we need to escape the oppressive heat, humidity, and mosquitoes.
Wishing everyone a wonderful Wednesday as we count down to Friday!
XOXO
