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Friday Five – Good Buys

Posted in Books, Bookshops, Cozy, Friday Five, Fun, Getting It Together, Home, Joy, Resolutions, Work on April 24, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Happy Friday, friends! This week’s post is weirdly shopping heavy, but I’m here for it. I mean, some of the implied shopping is books, so at least that tracks. 

  • Yesterday was Diada de Sant Jordi (Saint George’s Day), otherwise known as Day of Books and Roses. One of my coworkers surprised us with a selection of bookish stickers (“team whoever the villain is” is my favorite), bookmarks, roses, and a book of our choosing from her donation pile. 
  • Excited about Independent Bookstore Day tomorrow. I mean, every day is Independent Bookstore Day to me, and event days are crowded, so I’ll probably skip the festivities at my local shops. But I like the opportunity to celebrate them, even if from afar. I also love Modern Mrs. Darcy’s list of great indie bookstores around the world.
  • I took Montana Happy’s cozy living style quiz. Zero surprise that “whimsical retreat” is my brand of cozy (although I do like a garden, and also a house, not an apartment, is my ideal).
  • My current financial goal is to insert a pause on purchases. I am a quick decision-maker, which is beneficial in literally every facet of my life…except shopping. It urges me to buy things that, if I put just a little more time and thought into it, I might not want in the long run and thus regret buying. So this cute top is on pause right now. I want more spring/summer casual business clothes for work…but also need to reassess if this is one I really love or if it just checks that box (meaning there might be something else I want more). If I still love it in a week, I’ll take the leap.
  • Speaking of things I took off pause…these are the best under-skirt shorts I’ve ever worn. I have only worn them once, but it was on a super mobile day (i.e., I walked around a lot rather than just staying in/near my office, like most days), and they did not budge even a little bit. They’re also lightweight and super soft and low maintenance. I’m going to pause a little before purchasing more – give them a couple more wears to see if it was a one-time thing or if the quality persists after multiple washes – but if they continue to perform as well as they did the other day, Thigh Society can just take all my money. A good undershort is hard to find.

Enjoy your weekend! I hope you get to visit at least one indie bookstore (if that’s your thing)!

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Friday Five – Little Pockets

Posted in Books, Cozy, Food, Friday Five, Poetry on April 17, 2026| 2 Comments »

I’m wearing jeans today. It’s been a minute since I’ve worn real pants. But they looked cute and I bought them. So here we are. I forgot how little the pockets are.

This has been a high-anxiety week. No specific reason (other than the usual living-in-this-world). I did have a checkup at the doctor (everything’s good), so maybe that’s it. 

Anyway, today’s list focuses on little pockets of joy I love from the week. Enjoy!

  • I love this poem by Rebecca Dupas – How To Slay a Dragon
  • How did Dorie Greenspan know that what the world needs now is to hear her wax poetical about pastry? [P.S. Dorie Greenspan always gushes about pastry.] [P.P.S. The world always needs it.]
  • Sally Field stars in Remarkably Bright Creatures! This is a great year for the best books being made into films.
  • My tomato plants are thriving with all the moisture we’ve been getting, but they look a little lonely. Time to plant some friends!
  • Next week is National Library Week! The theme this year is Find Your Joy, and I’m pretty sure my joy is at the library. I’ll have to make sure to block out some time to do some meandering and browsing.

How are you doing? Hope you find some joy this weekend.

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Friday Five – Life and a Love Story

Posted in Alive, Beauty, Books, Bookshops, Food, Friday Five, Getting It Together, Mental Health, Poetry, Wonder on April 10, 2026| Leave a Comment »

What a year this week has been. I haven’t been this happy to see Friday in a minute. And I get to leave early to attend a program at the library this afternoon, so that’s exciting.

Here are some things I enjoyed reading this week:

  • I’m excited to add a life audit from The Good Trade to my goal review process. I’ve decided to incorporate little transition spaces into the year. Advent, for example, begins the church year during the same season the calendar year is finishing. Sounds like a built-in transition space to me. This will also help move my goal-setting into January, which I’ve been considering for the past couple of years. I could really use a soft launch for new/updated goals rather than a sprint in the middle of winter when all I’m supposed to be doing is cuddling up with books and tea. I think I’ll try that out next time and see how it goes.
  • I love this list of recommendations for National Poetry Month from Parnassus Books.
  • I am emerging from my meal planning funk. I’ve cooked a couple of old favorites recently, and I’m trying out some salad recipes that go beyond just greens and dressing. Natalie Gale (via The Good Trade) must have known I was struggling. I am more excited about this list of 99 healthy recipes (divided by dietary lifestyle) than I have been about figuring out what to make for dinner in a long time.
  • This list is very Good Trade heavy this week, and I’m not even sorry. Here’s some good stuff on the importance of cultivating soft skills, especially with AI becoming more prevalent. I especially like the reminder that these are not just things you have or don’t have – they can be learned! As a former communication instructor, I assure you that most people do have to learn these skills. Even those who have natural talent at influence or resilience or conflict management still have to train and practice that talent to get the most out of it. This reminder also helps me be more hopeful about my future, as teaching adjunct may be something I go back to when I retire from full-time work.
  • An otherwise terrifying week has been made a little kinder – a little more “oh yeah, that’s the point of living” – by the Artemis II crew. This is what happens when people who actually know and love the moon go up to see what more we can learn about it. We get a love story. I love that they carried the flag designated for the Apollo 18 mission. I love that they named a crater after a loved one. Before this week, I didn’t know that craters were formed when the moon protected us from space junk. I am happy to know that now. Wishing the crew a safe return home today. Go outside and say hello to Carroll tonight.

I hope you have a good weekend, friends!

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Friday Five – Dreaming of a Reading Retreat

Posted in Books, Friday Five, Uncategorized, tagged , , , on April 3, 2026| Leave a Comment »

I’m yearning for a reading retreat. I typically have at least one good reading night (i.e., no meetings or out-of-the-house plans, time specifically set aside on the calendar to read/journal) a week. But I’m talking an intentional day or two that is meticulously planned with all the laundry/regular weekend chores done, prepared foods and snacks, a list of specific books I want to tackle, and no other plans (unless they’re bookish ones – I will, on occasion, allow a book club meeting or bookish event some space on the retreat schedule). 

I have one scheduled this month with an online book group, and I would like to attend a social one at some point. A social retreat where we have breakfast together, read all day, and then come back together for dinner to discuss how our days went is pretty much my ideal vacation. But my current favorites are the ones I plan for just me.

One of my goals for the year is to have a personal book retreat in a hotel with room service. All the fun and relaxation of a personal retreat with none of the prep work (other than budgeting for it and booking the hotel). I’m looking forward to that.

When I feel this yearning, bookish pieces stick out to me even more than usual. 

  • Modern Mrs. Darcy’s Summer Reading Guide is coming out on May 15! If I were to make a list of my top ten reads each year, at least half of them would be books I learned about from the MMD team. The highlights usually get posted as a blog post later (the Minimalist List), but if you want the full guide experience and you’re not a member of the book club or Patreon, there’s a small charge. WORTH IT. I love that the theme for this summer is “reading retreat” and that the guide is going to offer tips for planning a good one. The unboxing is also a fun evening to gush about new books with bookish internet friends.
  • Are you upset about the state of the world? Feeling overwhelmed? Anxious? Finding it difficult to sleep? “Have you tried reading a book about sexy dragons?” It really takes the edge off.
  • I love Roxane Gay’s Emerging Writers series, and I especially love this one – No More Siestitas.
  • I knew journaling was helpful, and neuroscience agrees!
  • Scandinavia (or the Nordic region in general) is seriously wooing me. Denmark with its hygge, Iceland with its Christmas cat and Jólabókaflód. And now Norway has entered the ring with an Easter tradition called påskekrim where you hole up and read crime fiction. WHAT. I feel like we would really benefit from having reading holidays. *slow blink* Country goals.

I hope you get to hole up and read (or do whatever you consider fun/relaxing) for a little while this weekend. Have a good one, friends!

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Friday Five – I’m a Fan

Posted in Books, Food, Friday Five, Fun, Run, Work, tagged , , on March 27, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Happy Friday, friends. We did it. Despite being absolutely covered in pollen every time I step outside, I have made it through the week. Claritin is my friend.

I’m a big fan of these five things this week:

  • This is the deep dive into bar soap that I didn’t know I needed, and I am here for it. Bar soap for life. I mean, not Irish Spring, as I’m allergic. But you can pry my locally crafted soaps and my Dr. Bronner’s peppermint away from my cold, dead hands.
  • Jane Fonda is going to play one of my favorite book characters from the books I read last year. I’m so excited!
  • HARRY STYLES TALKING TO HARUKI MURAKAMI ABOUT RUNNING! “One of the most important things for a human being is to embrace the contradiction.” I feel better about life in general just having read Murakami saying, “What is this chaos in me?” Same, Murakami. 
  • Today, we are celebrating International Waffle Day (Observed) in the office because we had another lunch to attend on Wednesday, when it was actually International Waffle Day. Of course, I brought my waffle iron to work. While Mark Bittman’s quick and easy waffles are my favorite go-tos, I make a mess when I mix them up. I needed something more portable, so I adjusted to a mix I could just shake and pour. I tested it last night, and it was fine. Meh. It was waffles from a mix. It will work. I have cranberries and thyme to add to it, so that will spruce it up a bit. At any rate, yay waffles for lunch!
  • I’m going to make this dish this weekend. Baharan brought it to cookbook club, and I can’t stop thinking about it. So simple. So delicious. So easy to make, even on busy days.

I hope you have a good weekend!

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Friday Five – Awe

Posted in Alive, Beauty, Church, Cozy, Friday Five, Mental Health, Music, Poetry, Wonder on March 20, 2026| 2 Comments »

“When was the last time you felt in awe of something?”

I appreciate nature. I do. Especially the sky. There are few things I love more than driving down a country road under a vast canopy of blue.

While nature may be my reactive response to the question, though, there are lots of other experiences that make me pause and take notice.

Today’s Friday Five brings you five things that inspire awe for me:

  • A really good cup of coffee. Not just a decent cuppa that gets the job done, but a truly exquisite coffee. That will stop me mid-sentence. So many factors go into producing the perfect cup of coffee – where and how it’s grown, how it’s harvested, how the beans are cared for before/during/after roasting, how it’s ground, how it’s brewed, the temperature at which it’s served – it’s a remarkable moment when they all come together to make something special.
  • Zoom choirs. As tired of Zoom as I got during the 2020 shutdown, some of the most beautiful things that came out of it were the choirs. I mean, I love choral singing anyway, and it’s a fast way to get to awe for me, but coupling it with the commitment to making sure people could still enjoy it despite the obstacles of social distancing was particularly touching. The amount of collaboration from all the participants and the hard work from the editors that it took to put these presentations together yielded something marvelous.
  • Meditation. My favorite style of meditation usually involves prayer, but even when it doesn’t, it’s still full of wonders. At its base, it is quiet and still and open. I am seldom closer to awe than when I’m meditating. There is so much noise in the world, and it’s so easy to get distracted from my own soul and my own purpose. There are many different ways to meditate, and I highly recommend finding one that works for you. 
  • Reading poetry. I am easily uplifted by the exceptionally worded sentence. Well-crafted poetry takes it one step further. 
  • People who excel. I love watching people who are very good at what they do – who have found their niche and revel in it – perform. Artists, musicians, writers, actors, dancers, athletes. Even if I don’t generally give a flying fig about what they’re doing (looking at you, most sports), if they are exceptional at it, I suddenly can’t get enough of it. This also extends to people I have worked with. In the grand scheme of things, very few things about any job I’ve ever had are earthshaking. But when I see someone really make a difference in a student’s day or their college experience, or enrich their life in some way, the impact of that moment makes it easier to get out of bed for a while.

Where do you experience awe?

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Friday Five – Representation Love

Posted in Alive, Beauty, Books, Fandom, Friday Five, Fun, Hope, Mental Health, Revolution, TV, What I'm Into on March 13, 2026| Leave a Comment »

When the alarm went off this morning, my first thought was “last time I have to hear that this week.” It’s the small things. I have a pretty easy weekend ahead, so I’m looking forward to that.

Here are many things from the internet (mostly from Instagram) that I loved this week.

  • This made me laugh and laugh. Substitute “report card” for “cleaning my room” and this is spot on. My favorite is “You know everybody’s business on the street but you can’t remember what the doctor said?” Actual words that have come out of my mouth – “DO I NEED TO COME TO YOUR APPOINTMENTS AND SIT NEXT TO YOU?” My parents don’t think it’s so humorous when their own words come back at them, but here we are. 
  • Do you have someone in your life who is obsessed with Heated Rivalry? Yes, you do. It’s me. I recently preordered the 7th book that’s coming out in June and also all the special editions of the first six coming out in October, and I’m not even sorry, bank account. This is my joy. Thanks to HR, my Instagram algorithm no longer sends me immediately into a downward spiral (courtesy of the ongoing wtf-ness of the news cycle), and I’m so grateful. HR has gentled the spiral. My May/June TBR (or as soon as I can get my hands on all of them in some form – I’m next on the library waitlist for the first two eeeee!) will basically be this. I have watched the first three episodes with friends, but I am 96% sure I’m going to cave and subscribe to HBO Max for my birthday next week so that I can just watch them all on repeat on a daily basis. My favorite reel right now is of an episode I haven’t even watched yet that shows a whole sports bar’s reaction to a pivotal scene. Spoiler alert – episode 5 (but really, if you have any interest in HR and you are on the internet at all in any way, you have seen this scene). The sheer, unbridled, effervescent joy. Also – Representation matters.
  • Because the representation in HR deserves another bullet point. “It’s about a kid seeing someone loving the same thing he does, trying to stand fully in himself, realizing that the different parts of him don’t have to cancel each other out for him to belong.” The writers and cast are hearing from professional athletes in the closet who are so thankful for the show. “Queer people need to see gay people win. Gay love doesn’t have to end in tragedy. The other shoe doesn’t have to drop.” “Obviously, it’s important to have people who have the experience of autism playing roles who are autistic, but there’s also so much value in having somebody who loves someone who’s autistic playing this role” Finally, this is one of my favorite scenes so far (because there’s gonna be a Season 2 yay) – the apology, the acknowledgement, the space to just let the hurt and the apology exist in the same conversation without trying to smooth either one over. Just…*happy sigh*
  • Excellent breakdown of what good research actually is. Also, Ground News, y’all. Such a good resource. “Let your truths guide your politics; don’t let your politics tell you what’s true.”
  • And finally – I love this energy. “I’m not doing favors today.” “Your request is denied.” And my favorite – “Learn your rights – I can’t learn them for you.” That’s fed-up mom/teacher energy, and I second that emotion.

I hope both your day and your weekend are wonderful!

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Friday Five – Wanderings and Wonderings

Posted in Alive, Beauty, Church, Cozy, Friday Five on February 20, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Happy Friday, friends. We made it.

This is what has wondered across my desk and through my brain this week:

  • Creativity doesn’t have to be a project – note to self (and perhaps also to you?) to explore the benefits of creative play.
  • Nadia Bolz-Weber’s Lenten discipline for cranky people that I can really get on board with – 40 Days of Good Shit.
  • Dr. Chanequa Walker-Barnes’s piece on the intricacies of the body. “There is freedom in seeing my body not as a mystery to be solved, but rather as a delicacy to be treasured and cared for.”
  • When I tell you that I loved Eileen Gu’s response to this crusty reporter’s question, I fear that that statement won’t quite express the utter glee with which I CACKLED, especially with the “I KNOW who I am…and who are you?” laugh that started it all. Good for her. Edited to add – I, along with the rest of the world, loved, loved, loved Alysa Liu’s performance that won her the gold.
  • These slides pretty much sum up my views on the senseless death of Dr. Linda Davis (and all who have died as the result of ICE’s lawless and reckless behavior). There are also resources listed in the caption of the post if you are wondering what you can do. In this season of lament, we cry, “How long will this injustice continue?” and call for the U.S. to repent and abolish ICE.

Have a good day/weekend!

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Friday Five – Crafted Cozy

Posted in Beauty, Books, Church, Cozy, Food, Friday Five, Joy, Mental Health on February 13, 2026| Leave a Comment »

I want one of these days. Oh, to be a crocheted frog! That looks so cozy and nice. Maybe soon. 

In the meantime, here are some good reads that also feel cozy. Enjoy!

  • I love Jenny Lawson, and I cannot wait to read How to Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay. That is all.
  • On embracing the inner crone, from Stefanie Vallejo Monahan. Yes, please.
  • I have many favorite authors. My authors page on my working TBR rivals my series page as the longest. However, I don’t know that there’s even a single author about whom I can say I’ve read all their works. I mean, I wanna. I have the drive to do so. I will read something I love and immediately devour three or four other books that person has written. I will drop everything I’m doing to read the newest Fredrik Backman (or at least make sure it gets on one of my book clubs’ lists). And I am (slowly) working through Isabel Allende’s work in order of publication. But I do not yet have a completist author of my own, and I WANT ONE. I am looking forward to this series.
  • Ash Wednesday is NEXT WEEK. What in the world. Anyway, I have practiced Lent for many years and in several ways. I like the way this post breaks it down into four intentions to pursue.
  • And finally, I’m gonna make Joy the Baker’s one-pot French onion pasta tomorrow. I’ve got a fairly busy weekend, and this little dish is going to help me slow down a little and remind me that it is, in fact, my day off, regardless of what my activities may suggest.

Have a good weekend, friends!

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Friday Five – Joy and Help

Posted in Beauty, Church, Food, Friday Five, Fun, Joy, Revolution, Work, Writing, tagged , , on February 6, 2026| Leave a Comment »

My first full week in office in my advisor position! The first week had Monday as a holiday, and the second week was mostly working from home due to the winter storm that swept through this area. It’s been a long week, but it’s been good. I haven’t quite outfitted my office yet, so I’m going to do some more decorating next week.

I’m looking forward to going out with some friends tonight and I have a few events this weekend. Hopefully, I’ll also have some time to read, clean, and generally decompress as well.

Some links for the week:

  • This opinion from US District Judge Fred Biery on the release of Liam Arias and his father Adrian is a good read. “‘We the People’ are hearing echoes of that history,” is the type of statement that once inspired me to consider the law and eventually judgeship as a career path. As much as I would probably loathe being a judge most of the time, I would enjoy writing things like this.
  • Charcuterie. Pretzels. Y’all, this is adorable.
  • How to make soup and also write a novel. I’m going to add this wisdom to my Fall Curriculum (spoiler – my goal will be to revamp my writing practice and finish a manuscript).
  • I love her joy and her new ‘do!
  • Troubles in Minneapolis persist, and friends of a friend have a good resource on the ground if you are looking for a place to donate. The Helping Hand Fund through Our Savior’s Lutheran Church supports their neighbors in need, and you can donate generally or designate your donation as “immigrant support” if you want to specify where you’d like it to go.

I hope you get time and space to decompress this weekend!

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