i’m feeling very quiet this morning. i’ve very much enjoyed waking up to the light, but it is difficult for me to stay up once the sun goes down. i’ve also been cooking a lot. on monday night, we had the most delicious autumn soup with maple oat bread. i have a new obsession with kale, too.
i hope your wednesday treats you well. my mom is coming into town tomorrow night so i have a lot to do until she gets here. it’s going to be a great visit!
natalie
good morning! this weekend has already been so great. last night, luke & i snuggled under the blankets while watching about a boy. this morning, i woke up very early to be with him before he left for work. we enjoyed pumpkin granola & quiet time together. i planned our meals for this upcoming week & there are many delcious meals to be had!
& for the rest of the weekend, there are many more things to look forward to…
-farmer’s market adventure for apples, cabbage, kale, & new potatoes
-taking photos for our dear {friends} in the park
-an afternoon of writing letters & knitting, all the while soaking in every minute of my day off
-baking pumpkin walnut bread & preparing pumpkin dip with ginger snaps for our little halloween party
-taking a nice, long walk around the neighborhood to see all of the halloween decorations
-drinking a nice, cold pumpkin beer while anxiously waiting for guests to arrive
-watching out the window for trick-or-treaters
-dancing to the beats & enjoying delicious pumpkin desserts with friends & loves
-an afternoon brunch to celebrate three months!
happy halloween, dear friends! thank you for everything. you are all truly great!
natalie
for one, i’ve stopped wearing make-up… & it feels so good! my friend, {jessica}, really influenced my decision to do this. her natural beauty is something i have admired since meeting her. in addition, i have more time in the morning to knit, do a little journaling, write letters, and pray. i am no longer spending time in the mirror- it’s great! also, my skin is thanking me for this change. i’ve always had “problem areas,” but those areas are slowly clearing-up.
secondly, luke & i plan our meals ahead of time. we have a little chalkboard where we write what we will eat for lunch and dinner monday-sunday. while making our meal plan, we keep in mind what we already have, what’s in season, and how we could use leftovers for the next meal. we also set aside one dinner to eat leftovers as a way to “clean out the fridge.” it cuts down costs & we make a trip to the grocery store only once a week. {shari} made a little entry about her meal plan so check it out if you’re interested…
thirdly, i’ve changed my diet. during the fall & winter months, i slowly fall into the habit of eating sweets- breads, cookies, pies, & cakes. i am not eliminating sweets; i am only changing the recipes of the sweets & the amount i eat. instead of sugar, i am adding natural sweetners such as honey & banana. instead of white flour, i am using peanut butter & whole wheat flour. also, my experience in becoming dairy-free has been a difficult one, but it is so nice to feel healthy and not search out the nearest bathroom before eating certain foods.
finally, i am taking walks. i usually carry along my camera to capture the changing seasons & it has been such a therepeutic experience. it is so important to get out and have a change of atmosphere. when i catch myself getting tired, i go for a walk & i feel refreshed. also, it has been a great way to manage my depression during the dark seasons of my life. while on my walks, i try to find atleast one thing that i appreciate & love about nature, and it usually makes me feel better.
i hope to continue to make these little changes. maybe i could start making a little change every week? we’ll see…
but before i go, i’d like to know- have you made any changes lately?
natalie