Things I’m Loving Now, August 2016 Edition

Dear Friends,

I’ve decided that on the last Friday of every month, I’m going to write up a list of things that have been adding joy or simplicity  to my life, in the hopes that sharing them might help pass on some of that goodness. Books, movies, shows, food, podcasts, technology, objets d’art–whatever. You get the picture. These bits of happy might not always be current–some of them might even be old favorites I’m revisiting or rediscovering. If there’s a link to be had or a related resource to examine, I’ll be sure to include it. And please, leave a comment and share what you’re loving with the rest of us.

1. Afternoon Tea. Inspired by Sally Clarkson’s latest book, The Life Giving Home, I started having afternoon tea every day with L. After her nap, I pull out the teapot, brew myself some Darjeeling or Lady Grey, let L choose a china cup and saucer from my collection (I fill it with lemonade for her), and get us a tasty snack to share. I light a candle and read aloud a chapter of our current book as we sip and munch. It’s a much-needed afternoon break for me, and L loves the quality time together. I’m also loving using this vintage Price & Kensington teapot I picked up during an afternoon of antiquing with my grandma in Michigan last month. Its hand-painted accents and cozy thatch-roofed English village seem to evoke something of the spirit of Beatrix Potter.

2. Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist. I devoured this book in just three days, grabbing a chapter (they’re short) whenever I had the opportunity and binge-reading in the early hours of the morning. Slowing and simplifying have been two of my aims over the past couple of years, so it spoke to the deepest needs of my soul in powerful ways. I predict I’ll be gifting many copies to friends over the next year. You can order your own here.

3. Bullet Journaling. I always seem to have a pile of thin Moleskine notebooks (the kind that come in packs of two, like these) scattered around, each one with a different designated use. The only trouble is, multiple notebooks make it hard to always have the right one on hand, especially when I’m on the go. Ryder Carroll’s Bullet Journal method has enabled me to combine a lot of what I was doing in different notebooks into one. I’m still in the initial stages of using it, so I’m playing around with what I like, but I definitely love the collections system. I still keep a separate planner on the kitchen counter, which I use purely for household and family stuff (see the next item on this list), but the Bullet Journal is perfect for the rest of my life. Watch the short video on the overall concept here. I also like Tsh Oxenreider’s blog post on her Bullet Journal, here. I’ve switched to a traditional Moleskine for mine, like this one.

4. My Amy Knapp Family Organizer. I’ve tried a number of different household organization tools, both digital and analog, over the past several years, and I’ve stuck with this one for three years now. I love that each page spread covers one week, with a good amount of space to write in events and appointments each day, plus a To Do list, a menu sidebar, and a detachable grocery list. I used to use four separate pads of paper to do what this planner does. My only gripe was that pages would detach from the spiral binding, but they’ve fixed that with the 2017 edition. Since it begins with August, I’ve already started using it. There’s just something about having a fresh, new planner in hand when you move into autumn. You can find it here. 

5. The Read-Aloud Revival Podcast. If you know me at all, you know that books play a huge role in my life, and that raising my girls to love books is of great importance to me. I deeply believe in the power of good books to influence character formation, encourage imagination, and instill spiritual truth. Sarah MacKenzie is a mama after my own heart, and her podcast has given me endless inspiration, encouragement, and ideas for “building our family culture around books.” And it makes my daily bike ride go by super quick, too.

6. My Jam Classic Bluetooth Wireless Speaker. E bought me this inexpensive speaker last Christmas after I complained about the [eh] sound quality of my iPhone and how I wished I could play music [that actually sounds good]  in the kitchen while I cook. I use my Jam Classic daily, and it’s almost silly how much joy I get out of an object roughly the size of a small can of mandarin oranges. I carry it up to my office and use it to play music during my workday (Spotify’s Classical Music for Studying playlist is my work mainstay), then carry it back down and put it on the kitchen windowsill so I can play music while I make dinner. In addition to its usefulness, it serves as a reminder of how lucky I am to have a husband who hears me and is great at surprising me with solutions to my wants and needs.

7. Voxer. I’m so tired of texting. Aren’t you? This free app that works like a walkie-talkie allows me to connect with family and friends verbally without the need to make a full-blown phone call–and they can respond whenever they have time. Voxer will also send photos and videos, and for times when you don’t want to be overheard, you can switch back to traditional texting. I used voice-to-text for a while, but I was frustrated by the unavoidable mistakes in interpretation and the fact that I had to say what punctuation I wanted. Voxer is accurate, a huge time saver, and also helps avoid the misunderstandings that can come with texting, which doesn’t allow for tone or inflection.

Happy weekend! I hope you found something in this list that sounds like it could add to your joy or simplify your life, too.

Love,

Harmony