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it seems as though there is always something to be done in the evenings- a sink full of dirty dishes to wash, a bath tub to scrub, a garden bed to weed & a project to finish. thankfully, we have learned to make these daily tasks part of our evening routine. our evenings look a little like this…

we always take a moment to walk out to the garden & check on our animal first.
simply being outside helps us transition from work life into home life, a transition that is difficult for me to make most days. pulling a few weeds, giving the girls a handful of scratch or munching on a sugar snap always helps me to settle into a calmer rhythm.

a trip to the gym or an evening walk most nights.
we recently joined a gym & it has helped lift our moods tremendously. i like using the elliptical machine & taking the weekly zumba class. luke usually runs around the track & lifts some weights. when we have had an unusually long day, we take an evening walk around the block with our dog, huck.

make dinner together.
our budget doesn’t allow for many dinners out & honestly we prefer dinners at home anyway. our meals are often made with fresh ingredients from our garden & the farmers’ market so with a bit of chopping & a little sauteing, we have a meal in less than an hour. last night we made chinese “take out” fried rice {better than the real thing!} with a side of edamame & watermelon.

clean up.
luke is always responsible for washing dinner dishes & i do other odd jobs. sometimes i vacuum & other times i dust or pick-up. settling in for the evening is always more enjoyable with a clean home & we strive to make that happen every evening.

settle in with a good book or a show.
even if we are exhausted, we try to enjoy some real relaxation before bed. i try to avoid the internet in the evenings because i am online most of the day so a good book is always a great end to my day. right now i am reading the dirty life & luke is enjoying the art of fermentation, a new release from the wonderful katz. we also love watching new girl, the only show we ever really watch.

i miss our evenings spending time with friends at dinner parties & local cafes in our old town, but the rhythm we have found together in our new place is one that i am beginning to embrace.
how do you spend your time in the evenings?

 

this weekend was wonderful, filled with community spirit, kickin’ tunes, beautiful friends & some crafty goodness. him + her designs participated in {block street block party} with great success! we sold an array of vintage beauties, photography, block prints, & hand-crafted jewelry. we have a few pieces left that i plan to add to the {shop} once i am finished with a new wholesale order {yay!}due this week! we also shared a space with stacie of {gingiber} & amber of {amber perrodin}. i just love those talented girls.

this week is much slower & i am thankful. we plan to eat many dinners outside, plant more okra seeds, take some walks, go to the gym a bit more regularly & just take it easy. 

what are your plans for the week?

love,

natalie

this week, we prepared fruit smoothies for breakfast most mornings. a handful of frozen blueberries, strawberries, mango & banana makes for a delicious meal. we also managed to eat 5 lb. of chicken & seasoned it with our frozen pesto & a bit of olive oil from {this} recipe. i must say, this challenge is fairly difficult. we regularly prepare vegetarian meals & rarely eat meat. it’s been difficult to find restaurants & groups of friends who share in the same eating choices of only ethically-raised meats so we’ve slowly adapted to a vegetarian diet. i purchased the meat currently in our freezer in an effort to stretch myself. thankfully, this challenge has definitely helped us save money & be a little more resourceful with what we already have. if you have any favorite meat meals, please share!

natalie’s freezer fruit smoothie

serves 2

1 1/2 cups frozen fruit: strawberries, blueberries, mango, pineapple, banana

1/2 cup vanilla yogurt

1/2 soy or coconut milk

blend in blender on high for 1 to 2 minutes, making sure fruit is fully shredded & mixed well. serve in glass mason jar & enjoy!

love,

natalie