The Little List | August 26, 2021
Our family has been reflecting a lot on the idea of time. It feels like a lot of people we know have been dealing with some really difficult health problems lately that have seemed to come out of nowhere and it has been humbling for us to be reminded of how easily our situation can change. Especially with these past couple of years really altering the way we live, we have noticed the monotony of daily life (wake up, work, come home, repeat) wearing on us. Don’t get me wrong, we definitely appreciate that we have been able to maintain some stability in this crazy situation, but Curt and I have also realized that the daily repetition can also result in us not always being our best selves. We want to make the most of every moment we are blessed enough to be here for - individually, as a couple, and as a family. We have found ourselves questioning “why wait?” for someday. Of course we don’t want to be reckless and careless, but we want to - need to - be more present and intentional.
Of course this will look different to different people. Even Curt and I don’t always see eye to eye on what that means. We are starting to think through some of the changes we want to make in our lives over the next little while. It can be scary to pivot and adjust, but change is also inspiring. I have found myself feeling more motivated and excited than I have for the past two years. I’m looking forward to seeing what unfolds for us over this next season and will do my best to be grateful for whatever may come our way.
These are a few of the things that have brought me joy, made me think, or helped me grow over the past couple of weeks:
Speaking of making the most of our time, I have been taking a break from Instagram over the course of the summer. With the end of August soon approaching, I’ve been starting to think through whether or not I want to jump back on. The answer is no, not really. I have really been enjoying reorienting my priorities and living my life outside of those addicting little squares over the past couple of months. I did the same last summer/fall and it was a really freeing experience, which as silly as it sounds, truly helped me detach my value from my digital footprint and helped me think through some personal boundaries around sharing on the internet. This summer break has been the same. I have loved being more present with my family and authentic in the things I want to share and where I want to share them. If you’ve ever been on the fence about taking a little social media break, consider this your official encouragement to give it a try.
Fall is almost here. I repeat, fall is almost here! We are still in the middle of a string of humid as heck days here in Toronto, but that hasn’t stopped me from dreaming about all the fall fashion inspiration for the cooler days ahead. Fall fashion is definitely one of my favourite things about the season - layered jackets, cozy sweaters, boots, and jeans all day, every day. I probably won’t be adding much to my wardrobe this year (how many knit sweaters is too many?), but I did pick up this pair of chelsea boots and am waiting for an Everlane sale to buy myself a new pair of jeans. What are your favourite clothing pieces to wear in the Fall?
I loved watching the new Bake Squad series on Netflix. It was a really fresh take on the baking competition genre by challenging expert bakers (one specializing in cakes, one specializing in chocolate, one specializing in candy and pastry, and one specializing in flavour) to imagine four really unique show stopping desserts for the same client. The client then got to choose which option they wanted for their event. The entire competition atmosphere was really positive and the squad chipped in to help each other accomplish difficult tasks, so it just felt really fun and exciting to see their creativity and expertise combined with the community component that you don’t see in other competition shows.
The History This Week Podcast is doing an arts and culture focus in their weekly episodes throughout August. I loved listening to this episode about the casual 1911 theft of the Mona Lisa, but this week’s episode about the real Winnie-The-Pooh was so interesting and endearing!
We had our first movie night with Mabel! Although it was questionable about whether or not a two year old would sit through a movie (she did!), we decided to go for it anyways and make the most of a simple Friday evening. We hyped it up throughout the week by talking through which snack we each wanted to choose (Curt picked popcorn, I picked M&M’s, and Mabel picked Paw Patrol fruit snacks) and clearly laying out what the movie night would look like (very key for a toddler). When Friday rolled around, we ordered pizza, gave Mabel her bath and got our PJ’s on, made a floor bed in the living room, picked between two movies (Mabes landed on the classic Disney version of Robin Hood), and had a heck of a great time! We’ve been watching this song on YouTube on repeat ever since. It was so simple but so special and hopefully the first of many more family movie nights to come.
I binged this Motel Makeover show in one night. It was so fun to follow one single big project and see the ladies pull it all together just in time. Bonus points that their beautiful motel is only 3 hours away from where we live - I sense a fun girls trip in our future!
I have been finding so much peace in reading through the Psalms this summer. One of my favourite life verses right now is: Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. (Psalms 91:1) It has been interesting to really think through what it means to let myself live in the shelter of God.
I hope you are living your best days. And if you aren’t, remember that it’s never too late to turn that around. Our time is so precious, so let’s love a little harder, hug a little tighter, and live a little more joyfully in the simple things.
This week, I shared a post all about where to find home decor inspiration. I shared a few of my favourite recent home design books in that post, but decided to make a full round up of some other beautiful design books you may consider adding to your collection or exploring at your local library. I posted this on our LiketoKnow.it account, but if this interests you, I’ll share the sources here too.
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