5 Things I’m Enjoying Now

Every once in a while I have something I’d love to share with you, but it doesn’t warrant a full blog post or even fit in with my usual blog post topics. So, I’m rounding them up today and sharing 5 Things I’m Enjoying Now!

Let’s do this!

Things I’m Enjoying Now: Second Chances at Childhood Rituals

Tip of the hat to Harry Potter! Thanks to those books, I’ve been given a second chance at reading to one of my kids at night.

My kids both grew out of bedtime stories when they reached middle school age. It’s natural and to be expected, but it still made me a little sad. After all, my youngest child’s firsts are my lasts.

Imagine my delight when a couple of months ago my youngest kiddo agreed to sit with me while I read Harry Potter out loud. Soon this kid was waking up first thing in the morning and asking to read another chapter with me.

Read a book instead of playing Minecraft? What kind of wizardry is this? The Harry Potter kind, apparently.

We’re currently on book 5 of 7. I don’t know what will happen when this series ends, but I’m grateful for this second chance to savor a childhood ritual with one of my kids.

P.S. The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia is hosting a new Harry Potter exhibition!

Things I’m Enjoying Now: Conversations With the Produce Guy

My grocery shopping schedule seems to align with the stocking schedule of the produce guy at my local grocery store. He has the classic grumpy old man act down pat. However, it’s clear he has a heart of gold underneath that gruff exterior.

I always make a point to say hi to him and he, in turn, asks me about my kids and husband. Sometimes he’ll ask me to wait a minute so that he can run to the back and get the fresh strawberries or grapes that just came in.

For me, this type of human connection is another thread woven through life’s tapestry that makes me feel connected to the folks around me. It turns a place into a community and reminds me of our shared humanity.

Things I’m Enjoying Now: Nail Art

My oldest kiddo has been asking me to paint their fingernails. And not just paint them…do nail art too.

I’ll let you in on a little secret. I can’t actually do nail art, but I’m willing to try.

I should be encouraging this kid to learn how to paint their own nails, but I’m too darn happy to have found a way to connect with this kiddo in a meaningful way. It’s amazing what kids will tell you when you’re sitting there quietly, working away, and not making eye contact. (Not making eye contact is key!)

I will fake my way into being a nail artist if it means I get to soak up these moments.

P.S. I’m using an old picture of my fingernails for this story because my teenager didn’t give me permission to use one of their pictures.

P.P.S. Mainly I make simple designs using lines and dots, but I did get some nail stickers that have been fun to use too.

Things I’m Enjoying Now: Stink-Free Armpits

Yes, I’m going there and I’m not even sorry to be stepping over the “too much information” line.

Deodorant has always worked fine for me until the last couple of years. Maybe I changed? Maybe the deodorant changed?

So I changed my deodorant brand. More than once.

I even tried using Handy Husband’s deodorant. While it was interesting to smell like a manly man, it didn’t really work either.

Then I coughed up twelve dollars (TWELVE!) on a whim for Native deodorant and decided to give it a whirl. I must have been desperate to spend $12 on a pit stick.

Imagine my surprise when I gave myself the sniff test after I knew I’d worked up a sweat during a workout and discovered that my armpits didn’t stink!

I even asked Handy Husband to smell my armpits. It must not have been the weirdest thing I’ve ever asked him to do because he didn’t even pause before sniffing. Then he said, “What? What am I smelling for?” Because there was nothing there to offend his nose.

I’m now cautiously hopeful that this deodorant will get me through the heat and humidity of a New Jersey summer. That will be the true test!

Sure, this Native deodorant is something I’m enjoying, but I think everyone else will enjoy me not smelling too.

P.S. It comes in a plastic container too, but this cardboard container made me feel good about my contribution to saving the planet since I contribute to destroying it in so many other ways.

Things I’m Enjoying Now: Veggie Prep

It took me my whole life to realize that perhaps the people who do weekly meal preparation are onto something. If you’re one of those geniuses, you can definitely tell me, “I told you so!”

In a tizzy a couple of months ago because my family was not eating their daily recommended dose of vegetables, I decided to wash and pre-slice all the carrots, celery, peppers, radishes, etc. that I had on hand to make it easier for them.

My family’s response was “Woah! Why does the vegetable drawer look so organized?”

Thank you for noticing that we have a vegetable drawer, people. Now eat up!

Veggie consumption did go up, but the unexpected benefit was those pre-washed and sliced vegetables made cooking dinner so much easier for ME.

Admittedly, this probably eased my psychological burden more than my physical burden.

I don’t particularly enjoy cooking. It’s just something I do so that these people I love stay healthy.

Spending 20 minutes on grocery shopping day prepping veggies in order to eliminate one step of the nightly dinner-making process for the next week makes me dread cooking dinner a smidgeon less. At this point in my life, I will take a smidgeon!

Well, those are the 5 things I’m enjoying now.

Did my list surprise you?

It seems to me that most of the things I’m enjoying right now have to do with my interactions with other people, whether it be my family or people in the community. That’s probably a good thing!

What things are you enjoying right now? I’d love to know what’s making you happy. Drop me an email or feel free to reach out on Instagram or Facebook..

Until next time, take care!

Thanks for being here today. Here are some other posts you might enjoy.

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Simple St. Patrick’s Day Centerpiece

Travel: Opus 40

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