journal

What’s making me happy lately

Hello and happy Tuesday! I just wanted to pop in and share some things that have been making me happy lately. I’m just going to jump right in!

Lola with yarn

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Lola isn’t a typical dog in that she doesn’t like to play–not with toys, people, or dogs. Her favorite things are food, laying on the couch, and taking long walks. I was super surprised when my mother-in-law and sister-in-law came over last week to teach me how to crochet and Lola was transfixed by the yarn. She didn’t do anything, but I could tell she was enthralled. The next day, she came inside after her morning bathroom break and ran over to my ball of yarn and started ripping it apart and playing with it! It was the cutest thing.

Date nights

Before Jimmy and I were married, we went on dates a few times a month because we only saw each other on the weekends. Now that we’re married and living together, we’re with each other all the time (yay!), but we tend to focus on house work or other activities in our free time. We went on a date night over the weekend for the first time in months, and it was spectacular. We used a gift card we were given for Red Lobster and then browsed around some local stores. Catching up over a meal we didn’t have to cook or clean up after was lovely, and we had a blast window shopping! Must do that more often 🙂

Doodling

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I’ve been doodling each morning when I write in my journal and read my Bible. It’s a fun way to relax and express creativity. Also, I want a cat.

Enjoying the great outdoors

It’s so easy to stay cooped up in the winter when it’s cold outside. Thankfully I have Lola to give me the please walk me now look, which gets us outside each day. Even if we’re only out for ten minutes, I always feel great afterwards. Fresh air works wonders!

Work

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I got to work from home (kind of!) for the first time last week. The family I work for is having their house renovated, so their kitchen is currently out of commission. I typically bake and cook for them each week, so I made some food in my kitchen and then dropped it off at their house. I made granola, bread, chili, meatballs, homemade pasta sauce, and spaghetti. The only downfall? I was totally unmotivated to cook dinner for Jimmy and I that night, haha.

Indoor gardening

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Last month, I mentioned that Jimmy and I bought new windows for our house. Jimmy, stud that he is, made a special windowsill in our kitchen for me to start an herb (and palm tree, ha) garden! I planted basil, oregano, cilantro, rosemary, parsley, and chives. Everything is starting to grow, and it makes me incredibly happy. I’m already dreaming of gardening outside in a few months. Can’t wait!

What’s making you happy lately?

Happy Friday

Heeey there and happy Friday! Sorry it’s been a few days since I last posted. I began my internship on May 1st, and it’s been keeping me busy. I’ll probably blog more about that later.

Recent eats:

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BBQ pulled chicken. It doesn’t look amazing, but the flavor is right on. I love all things BBQ.

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Salmon + sweet potato fries with cinnamon.

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Honey pretzel chicken skewers with honey mustard. This recipe only requires four ingredients! I’ll have to share it soon.

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15 bean soup, salad, bread, and hot pepper chips. An odd but tasty combo.

Other pictures:

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I posted this on Instagram about a week ago, but I thought I’d share this with the blog world. I was looking through my old journals and found an entry from the first time I hung out with Jimmy. I love him so much!

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Speaking of Jimmy, I love spending time with him and his brother. They constantly make me laugh.

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I’ve been cuddling with Felix a lot lately. He’s so sweet. My family never had a male cat until we adopted Felix. We have been so surprised at how friendly he is. People keep telling me that male cats are more affectionate than female cats. Interesting!

lola

I’ve mentioned this before, but Lola loves riding in the car. I take her with me to run little errands like getting gas and going to the bank. She makes me so happy and I like to think that I make her happy as well.

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Mother’s Day is Sunday!

Here’s a recipe to cook for your momma:
Eggplant Chana Masala

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I hope everyone has an awesome weekend!