13 Things Thursday: 9

Guess who's back...back again

It’s been a minute, for reasons I’ll share below. It feels good to be back with another 13 Things Thursday. :) Let me know in the comments if there’s stuff you want to hear more about! I appreciate you, as always. <3

Life/Personal Things

1. Like so many of you, I’m heartbroken and grieving for the Israeli and Palestinian people suffering through this war. I’m also doing my best to stay informed, check my sources, and wade through the noise while preserving my nervous system. Finding little moments of joy, lightness, and gratitude are helping me stay grounded even in the moments of heaviness. I hope you’re all able to take a moment to care for yourselves in some small way even when everything feels overwhelming. We can’t help anyone if we’re running on fumes, and there can be no peace if hate is the dominant narrative. I also wrote a thread on critical thinking tips as misinformation spreads on social media, shared below:

   

   From my latest thread. What would you add to this list?

2. I’ve taken an unintended extended break from this newsletter because of life events and feeling heavy from world events, but I’m back with lots more to share. I’ve been quietly working on shampoo and conditioner bar reviews in the background, and I’m thinking of giving a steady drip of information and reviews instead of one big post, because it would be a really lengthy post with everything I’ve already written. Stay tuned for more!

3. What my future self is thanking me for: Boiling batches of water for my Neti Pot. I’ve been on the struggle bus with allergies on and off for the last month or so, as it usually happens in the fall for me. We’re talking nasal passage swelling that makes it hard to breathe out of my nose. Fun, fun! I know that using a Neti Pot gives me some relief to help manage my symptoms, but I also don’t plan ahead enough to boil water and let it cool before I need to use it. I also don’t want to resort to using tap water and risking a brain amoeba, even though I’ve walked on the wild side a time or two when I was desperate enough. So, I started boiling larger amounts of water in batches and keeping it in the fridge to warm up when I need to use it. It’s been a game-changer for me.

4. Speaking of game changers, I recently started making room in the budget to hire professionals for regular home cleanings. I’d usually invest in a deep clean 1-2x per year and do my best to maintain in between, but I never developed a consistent schedule. My fantasy self is great at keeping a clean home, but my real self needs help. With all the other things we spend money on to save ourselves time, I’m not sure why it’s taken me so long to pay for this. Either way, I’m glad I’ve seen the light! Because of our struggles with dust allergies, I think of this as an investment in our health to help maintain a clean environment.

5. My parents brought fresh, unpasteurized apple cider from home when we went to North Carolina for my cousin’s baby shower, and it made me so happy! It’s not from our usual place, but it was still very delicious. I enjoyed every last drop.

6. The Gilbert Chronicles: Gilbert’s Return! Just when I thought our little bunny friend had moved on or gone to be with God, he reappeared in our yard! We’re seeing him a lot more often again, and it’s been nice. I know it’s probably not all the same bunny, but I can distinguish at least 2 different bunnies that consistently visit. There’s a bigger bunny (I think of her as the matriarch), and Gilbert, who feels more familiar to me. I saw Gilbert recently when bringing the trash can back in, and I said hello and that I was so glad he came back to visit. He just sat there unfazed while I had a whole conversation with him. Yes, I’m a weirdo. But this confirms my suspicion that he’s familiar and comfortable here. lol

7. Self-care moment: Moisturizing with Kate McLeod body stone. I’d heard a lot about these things, so I finally gave in and tried one when they were on sale. The body stones are solid moisturizers made with cocoa butter and other nourishing oils. Because they’re not made with any wax, they glide on smoothly and absorb more easily than other lotion bars I’ve tried. Now, of course I’m hooked and wanting to try all the different scents. I also tried their pebbles, which you can drop into a bath or use in the shower with an exfoliating mitt, and it’s truly luxurious. The perfect addition to your “everything” shower. :)

8. Because I can’t leave well enough alone, of course I had to try to make my own solid moisturizers. I recently made some body butter bars using a recipe from Humblebee and Me, then tried my hand at replicating the Kate McLeod body stone using similar techniques from the previous recipe to master the smooth, uniform texture. I gave samples of each formula to some of my coworkers to try and tell me which one they liked better. The Kate McLeod dupe won unanimously for skin feel and ease of application. While I’m not sure of her exact recipe, I think I found a ratio of cocoa butter to liquid oils that works well and gets pretty darn close. While I’ll probably continue to buy from Kate McLeod, it’s always fun to see if I can do it myself. :)

9. I recently got back into reading fiction, and it makes me so happy! Honestly it reminds me of when I was a kid and always had my nose in a book. Even if I’m reading about topics that interest me, self-help and non-fiction can only hold my attention for so long. Getting back to reading just for fun feels really good. I’m currently on the 2nd book in the series of A Court of Thorns and Roses. I tore through the first one in a week, which I haven’t done in years. I can’t wait to dive into the rest of the series! Do you have other fiction series or books that you love? Tell me in the comments!

10. Recent breakfast kick: I’m going to officially call this “toast with cheese and stuff,” inspired by Melissa Urban’s “ground meat with stuff over stuff” template for simple meals. For a while, my usual toast with peanut butter and jelly wasn’t quite doing it for me, so I decided to mix it up a little. Thanks to some people I follow on Instagram, I discovered the beauty of feta toast with sheep/goat feta, with some seasoning and olive oil drizzled on top. I also recently ventured into some other variations with ricotta cheese, mixing it with everything but the bagel seasoning, lemon curd, or fig jam depending on my mood. If you try it, let me know what combos you come up with!

11. I mentioned in a previous newsletter that I’ve been learning about copywriting, and recently I got the chance to try it out! Emily was launching Matriarch, her new group coaching program for mama entrepreneurs. I felt pulled to put myself out there, so I offered to help her write some email copy during her launch. She’s already a gifted writer, so it was a great opportunity to support her in getting the creative juices flowing. I had so much fun with this project, and I’m glad I listened to my intuition and acted before I felt totally “ready.” As a recovering perfectionist, this is something I’m consistently learning, so it felt really freeing to break out of that pattern. I’d love to get more experience, so if you or anyone else you know needs help with copywriting, let me know! :)
    

Tarot/Spirituality

12. Tarot/oracle decks I’ve been using: Spiral Tarot, Pixie Pop Tarot, Little Wizards Tarot, Gentle Tarot, Wild Unknown Tarot, Angel Guide Oracle, Boho Spirit Oracle, Animal Kin Oracle

13. One thing I wanted to officially announce in this space is that I’m shifting my tarot readings to be donation-based. I had been wondering what I wanted to do with it for a while. Then I got a reminder that my professional Calendly subscription (the platform I used for scheduling and payment integration) was about to renew. Because I’m focused more on my writing than tarot readings at this time, I decided to downgrade to the basic version without payment integration. So, you’ll still be able to schedule readings with me on my Calendly page, but instead of having a set price, you have the option to Venmo payment to me if you wish. I’m also still open to in-person events and readings if you’re local to the DC/Northern Virginia area, so feel free to message me if that’s something that interests you!