Monthly Musings, May 2018

Welcome to a reboot of the Rest & Relish Musings series! You can catch Rest & Relish Monthly Musings toward the beginning of each month. We have limped into May due to a lot of illness in our household over the past several weeks, but we are now ready to enjoy the longer days, greener landscapes and fresh blooms. 

 Monthly Musings: What to Do

I recently added a few new Spring elements to my home and cannot tell you how happy it has made me. My husband brought home a new painting for the kitchen, whose colors are bright and light for the season. What do you think?

He was pleased to find this painting at his parents’ house since he grew up around dairy farms. We definitely needed a little color and whimsy in our kitchen!

I also added new outdoor pillows and a fountain to our screened porch, which makes it so much more inviting now that the pollen has ended (I think!). The addition of fresh flowers inside always brightens my day and I have brought the outside in this week with our recently bloomed peonies. They don’t last long, which makes me cherish them so much more!

I also like to change our home’s candles and hand soaps seasonally. The heavy, earthy fragrances inside are replaced with light and clean scents. I also recommend switching out the Santa pics for some Spring images (cough, cough). I feel so much lighter when my house decor reflects the season! Give it a try if you are searching for more ways to lean into Spring.

Monthly Musings: What to Eat

I always try to eat seasonal produce and it is officially asparagus season! We love the taste of asparagus, as well as all of the health benefits it offers. It is packed with nutrients and antioxidants. Health.com has a great article listing the many benefits of asparagus.

Asparagus is also a diuretic, which means it helps rid the body of excess fluid, which is great if you have a photo shoot or special event coming up! I especially love roasted or grilled asparagus. Simply toss the vegetable with a little olive oil, salt and pepper before roasting or grilling and it will be ready in less than 20 minutes on high heat!

Follow me on Pinterest if you are looking for more seasonal recipe inspiration. I have found a lot of great recipes there lately!

Monthly Musings: What to Read

I mentioned How Not to a Die in a recent post, but wanted to share again in case anyone missed that post. I look at How Not to Die as a reference book rather than a read from cover to cover. I actually keep it on the table in my bedroom sitting area to thumb through regularly.

There is a lot of useful information on health, wellness and diet. It is a pretty hefty book, but so interesting to see the multitude of research on the benefits of a plant-based diet. I highly recommend this read, especially if you are trying to incorporate more vegetables into your diet.

You will find practical and research-based recommendations on how to use food to prevent and reverse disease. Of course, nutrition is one aspect of many in the treatment approach to disease, so always consult your doctor before making any major changes.

Monthly Musings: What to See

The new Netflix series Ugly Delicious is a great docuseries to watch this season. David Chang of the famed Momofuku restaurant hosts the Netflix series. Each episode focuses on a different type or style of food and features individuals and businesses that are doing different types of cuisine well.

The show explores culture, social issues and family through the lens of food. I highly recommend the series, however I should warn there is some explicit language, so don’t watch with the littles!

Monthly Musings: What to Listen To

I have been listening to Happier with Gretchen Rubin for a few years and I have to say it is a great podcast to start the day. Gretchen Rubin and her sister, Elizabeth Craft have great conversations and regular experiments or “life hacks” that they recommend to improve everyday quality of life. Give it a listen!

Monthly Musings: What to Make

Mother’s Day, Graduation and Memorial Day are around the corner and I have so many recipes brewing for these events! I am hopeful to crank a few of these out in the coming weeks on my site, as well as Instagram, so make sure you follow me there as well!

In the meantime, check out my Mediterranean Orzo Salad. This light vegetarian salad may be prepped earlier in the day and is perfect for a crowd if you adjust the servings.

Monthly Musings: What to Wear

Sunscreen! I am a sunscreen fanatic. Sunscreen application is important year-round, but I am even more stringent now that we are outside more frequently.

My favorite facial sunscreen is Elta MD. I dreamt the other night that I was outside in full sun without any sunscreen and I panicked. Does that dream tell you anything about me? Ha!

I am off to do the laundry that has piled up while we have been recovering over here! Let me know what you think of my “musings” in the comments or if you have any of your own to share with everyone!