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What Brought Me Joy in May

May 31, 2023 admin

Another month down, another post where I exclaim, “where did the time go?!” It’s officially summer break in our neck of the woods and we are all feeling so (so!) excited for a little break. Last summer, I committed to only working four days a week and it was the best possible decision for my family and my mental health. This summer, I plan to do the same! We’ve set aside one day each week dedicated to family adventures, and I cannot wait.

But, we’re here to talk about May. It was a big month for us! We wrapped up the school year for both boys, which meant lots of time volunteering at various end-of-the-year events, we soaked up some after school pool time, and we began planning in earnest for all of the summer fun.

This month, I have to say, I did a great job of sticking to my goal of slowing down and finding joy in the everyday. It doesn’t always come naturally to me, but being intentional about it has genuinely made such a difference in my life!

Let’s chat about what brought joy to our lives this month!

Moments + Memories

My best friend, Parisa, and I were co-chairs of the Teacher Appreciation Week committee at Jackson’s school, and I have to admit: we killed it. It was a great week, our committee really poured our hearts into it, and we had the best time spoiling the teachers all week long. See some highlights here!
I spent a ton of time up at the kids’ schools. Between field day and end of the year parties, and book fairs…it felt like I basically lived there. But being up there all the time reminded me how absolutely special it is that I have the ability to do that! I felt so grateful to be able to adjust my schedule to make it happen.
Grant graduated from preschool! He is so (so!) ready and excited to start kindergarten in the fall, and it’s just so incredible to see how BIG he is!
We had our first (few) pool trips of the summer. There’s something so beyond exciting about those first few trips when we’re all so excited to soak up the sun and splash around a bit.
Celebrating Mother’s Day with my mom last year and this year has just felt more special than I can put into words. We’re so lucky and grateful to have her around.
And, most recently, I ran my second marathon! I signed up for it on a whim just over two months ago and have been training my butt off. We took the entire weekend to have some family time in Dallas before the race and it was the perfect summer kickoff.

Books + Media

Here’s everything I read in May:

We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker – This pacing and tone of this book reminded me of Demon Copperhead, in a really great way. I enjoyed it so much, and I found the story to be so compelling.
One of Us Is Dead by Jeneva Rose – This was my second Jeneva Rose book and it was really fun and easy to read, but definitely not as incredible as The Perfect Marriage. I absolutely enjoyed it and think it would make a really great summer beach read. The best way I can describe it is the perfect mix of Big Little Lies and Mean Girls!
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia – This was my book club book for May and, as much as I hate to admit it, it really wasn’t my jam. I love horror novels, but this one wasn’t scary or haunting to me – just kind of sad. It took more than half the book for me to really hit my stride with the pacing and feel interested in the storyline, and I felt disappointed to have so many questions left unanswered in the end.
Know My Name by Chanel Miller – Oh goodness. I think this book should probably be required reading for everyone. Everyone. It’s the memoir of the woman who was assaulted by Brock Turner. It’s hard to read, but so compelling and thought-provoking and it broke my heart over and over. I couldn’t read it before bed – it gave me nightmares – but I finished it in just a few days.

I finished up Succession this month (!!!) and got really into Love & Death. Corey and I watched The Night Agent and LOVED every second. We started The Diplomat and were really (really really) enjoying it, but something happened that made us stop watching television altogether…

Games

Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was released! Corey and I are huuuuuuge Zelda nerds, and it’s the one game we will drop everything to play together. It came out on Mother’s Day weekend and we’ve spent every single moment of solo time playing it. No television, no movies, no other games…just Zelda.
Of course, we still played Mexican Train on a few different family nights, because we’re still addicted. Five Alive is another one we reach for pretty regularly, since it’s quick and fun!
My mom grabbed a copy of Mouse Trap for the boys at Goodwill this month, and we definitely had a blast playing a few rounds of that together!

Products

Since summer is here and we’ll basically live at the pool for the next few months, I grabbed two new swimsuits. I had only planned on keeping one but I fell in love with both! This two piece is so comfortable and has the perfect amount of coverage, and this one piece feels special and not at all frumpy. Obsessed with both!
I got a new carpet cleaner this month and ooooooh boy, it’s a doozie. I can’t stop talking about how incredible it is and how clean my carpets were after I used it downstairs. Corey even noticed a difference, and that’s saying something! I plan to tackle upstairs soon!
I got a pair of summer house shoes and they might be my favorite purchase of the month. They’re ugly, but if I’m being really honest the look has grown on me, because of how dang comfy they are! They are on my feet almost 100% of the time when I’m home, and they’re so so good for my old-lady-running-joints and my constantly-jacked-up feet.
We have been casually shopping for a new set of everyday plates for years, and I finally found them this month. We love plain white plates but our old ones are a little too plain and we wanted something that felt a little more special. These fit the bill perfectly, and I need to order another set so we have enough for big dinner parties!
And finally, we’ve been in need of a new bath mat for months. Our old one kept getting really gross and mildewy, and I was tired of constantly dealing with it. I did some research and landed on this guy, and so far we’re really pleased. It dries quickly, never gets moldy or gross looking, and stays in place. That’s really all I can ask for!

And with that, we say goodbye to May and get excited for June! I’m looking forward to lots of movie nights, games with the kids, family adventures, and a girl’s trip with my besties mid-month!

Wanna catch up on previous months?