Mood Boosting Things as of Late

Hi hi! I hope you had a lovely weekend. I wanted to pop in and say hello and make note of a few things that have been really boosting the mood over here. To be honest, the times are crazy and weird, but we’ve been making the very most of our lifestyle changes and last week actually flew by. We really went from 0 to 60 with Matt in busy season for 2 months to having him around all day, every day. I’m loving it. We, of course, have gotten a little stir crazy here and there, but these things have been giving me life so had to share…

My new playlist: Stay Home

As requested, I spent this weekend collecting a bunch of tunes I love that are equal parts cheerful and uplifting. We had this playing in the background all weekend long. I am sure you know this by now, but in case you don’t, I have tons of playlists in case you’d like to follow along!

Blooms and candles

Having flowers throughout and candles lit around our apartment gives me a sense of normalcy and comfort. I have a whole list of favorite candles here (I can’t believe it but the basil and verbena sold out! hoping they restock soon, apologies!). As for flowers you can find local florists who deliver (Matilda’s Bloombox will be next week with their latest arrangement) or trim some greenery from your backyard. Surround yourself with lovely, happy things!

Workout / Stretch

Matt and I did a fun workout circuit in our apartment yesterday and today I woke up early to get in a good Melissa Wood Health workout. Working out always makes a huge positive impact on me and I slacked off a lot last week so I am committed to keeping this up as it’s so necessary during these crazy times and being stuck at home. Also, I am not gonna lie, new workout clothes motivate me so I ordered a few things…

Virtual Catch-ups

This weekend we had a few virtual hangs with family and friends! My sister and I caught up, my girlfriend had a Zoom bridal shower, and we got to see our friend’s new baby over Facetime, which was so fun. I was thinking about this today, how this should be a more normal thing in general! Maybe it is and I am just catching on, haha, but I love it! I have a handful of best friends who used to live in SF that are all spread out now (NYC, DC, LA) and we don’t get to see each other all together as much anymore. My wedding was the last time and the first time in a long time, so I am sending a text tonight to organize that date!

Reading Daily

Reading gives me so much clarity, makes me more productive, and helps me sleep so much better. I have been loving getting lost in my book. Also, diving into coffee table books as of late to gather inspiration for refreshing our space! If you need a book rec, I collected a bevy of reader favorites here.

Rooftop hangs

Getting outside this weekend, under the sun, gave me life. So excited to see the nice weather forecast starting later this week and into the following. Sunny skies and warm temps ahead! Lots of family roof sits and walks to come (and keep us sane).

Boardgames, puzzles, and Wii

We are fully loaded with the essentials. The new champage puzzle I got, Settlers of Catan (albeit not as eventful with 2 people, but we make it work!) and we are getting ready for some Wii this week, too!

Recipe testing

Now is *the perfect time* to get in the kitchen and try new meals. Over the past week or so, I’ve gotten better at figuring out how to best utilize all our produce, too. Today, since I needed to use up a few veggies that were still prime, I threw together a veggie chicken soup! In case you’re interested… I cooked chopped onion, garlic, leek, shredded carrots, and celery in a pan with olive oil, sea salt, pepper, dried oregano, and dried basil for 5 minutes. Then I added bone broth, shredded chicken, and jasmine rice and let boil and then simmer for 20 minutes. It turned out so well!

Dates at home

This weekend we made a fun brunch (fried egg sandwich and grapefruit mimosas!) and set the table as if we were out to brunch, and it was super enjoyable. We also made time for a cook-together date night last week. And lastly, we have orders tons of wine from all of our wine clubs and a few other labels we love for happy hours at home! I added a bunch of bottles to my wine journal today in case you wanna take a peek. We close our laptops at 5 (aka right now, woo!) and open a bottle to ease into our cozy evening.

Stay happy, stay healthy, stay positive! And continue to treat yourself through this time. Cheers xx