Hellooooo March!
It feels like it was just March, and at the same time 102349234 years have passed since then. I mean, my last blog post was posted 14 months ago on how to set goals for 2020. Aw, how cute.
I am not even going to attempt to talk about what has happened since then, because I think we would all prefer to just leave it in the past.
And that’s my personal theme of the month for this March - FRESH START!
And so far, this is a really great week.
The weather forecast is above freezing for the foreseeable future, we just had a big full moon this weekend, and I am full of energy, optimism and hope. Or at least, the optimism is tipping the scales over the depression and sadness. Which feels good! We’re good. I’m gonna roll with it.
Most importantly, Thomas and I are starting 3 full days per week at our co-working/daycare space!
We’ve been doing 3 half days for over a year, but this winter has been a little touch and go with the holidays, isolating at home so we can see family, COVID exposures, etc etc. If you have a kid in daycare you get it. Being home with a toddler is a challenge, especially when it’s been too cold to go outside, and I’ve had to put my own work and projects on the back burner. So I’m excited to get into a more solid routine and am so grateful to have the support.
And I get to be onsite and have lunch with T, and he gets to play with other kids and get attention and activities from trained professionals, not just exhausted mommy and daddy. It is really a gift!
For us right now, having this support is so important for me to feel like I have equilibrium in my life, so I can be the best version of Anna for everyone I love. Best wife, mom, coach, sister, friend.
And I’m excited to pour some creative energy back into my coaching business and this blog!
Just a reminder that you don’t have to wait for the perfect time, until you have a clean house, are feeling less overwhelmed, or even until you’ve overcome your self doubt to decide today is the day you start whatever it is you’ve been wanting to do.
You don’t need a reason, or even motivation. Just start.
So welcome back to the blog! I’m planning to post weekly, sharing life updates, and posts around creativity, motherhood, entrepreneurship, mindset, and cyclical living. You can subscribe to my newsletter and I’ll email you the latest updates!
Here’s what’s been bringing me joy lately:
Reinstating our family Chicago Adventures!
The summer between my miscarriage and Thomas back in 2018, Ben and I started a weekly tradition of exploring a new part of the city every weekend, and it’s something I want to bring back now that Thomas is old enough to engage with the world around him. Obviously our options are limited because of the pandemic and winter but it just means we have an opportunity to be creative. Literally just getting out of the house, in the car and driving around a new area is a mental health boost!
Perfecting my home mani and pedi game
Ben might not understand my obsession for painting my nails 2-3 times a week, but this winter I fell down the @oliveandjune rabbit hole and have become obsessed with perfecting my home mani/pedi game. I don’t think I’ve found this much joy in painting my nails since Jr High but it’s like a creative outlet + self care ritual wrapped into one and everytime I look at my nails I get a mini dose of pleasure and happiness 😍
Plus anything that would make 10 year old Anna proud is a sign I’m doing something right. Like multicolored nails. Yessss.
I am not sponsored but have been getting some Q’s so here’s what I like about Olive & June!
• salon quality mani and pedi tools and tutorials
• pretty colors and fun seasonal launches
• woman owned small biz
• supportive, positive community
• 7 free polish that lasts days without chips if I follow the prep steps
I highly recommend the Pedi System if you want to treat yourself, and here’s a coupon for $10 off your first $50 purchase. Use it! Beware, you might become hooked as well.
Giving my bathroom a mini makeover!
We live and work in a small 2 bedroom apartment in the city and the kitchen + living space is one room. It’s been great to have Ben working from home for the past year but I literally have zero space that is my own, until i remembered THE BEST part of our apartment is that it has two full bathrooms!
So for around $50 I updated my makeup storage situation I’ve had since college and spruced up my little room to make it bright and girly. Love.
Here are the links to the shower curtain and make up organizers I found:
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Baking the best chocolate chip cookies ever
My mother in law introduced this recipe to me back in college when she and I were watching Ben pole vault at our conference meet (which - in a small world moment - was held at a university within walking distance to where we currently live!).
The secret ingredient is vanilla pudding mix! You can also use chocolate, but I think vanilla is actually the best.
The recipe card is a bit hard to interpret, but mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl from the wet ingredients, combine the wet ingredients in a stand mixer, add the pudding to the wet ingredients, add the dry ingredients to the mixer, and finally stir in the chocolate chips.
Obviously… Thomas!
He is 18 months old now and it’s the cutest stage. I’ve really been enjoying the “taby” (baby/toddler) phase. He loves saying Mama and Dada incessantly when one or the other of us is out of sight, can do all the motions to Wheels on the Bus, gets really excited to watch trucks and buses drive by, and is literally learning new skills every single day. He loves giving us hugs and snuggles and is the sweetest little boy!
Knowing that spring is on the way…
I recently read in the weather section that since they began recording the weather in the 1800’s, Chicago has only logged FIVE Marches without snowfall. What ! For some convoluted reason this has put my mind at ease, because I know when we inevitably get that March snowstorm, it is supposed to happen and doesn’t mean winter is forever. It’s just part of the transition to spring.
That being said, February into March is the toughest time of year for me, and I think most people here in Chicago. Especially being one full year into the pandemic, we are all just completely fatigued and burned out from all the isolation and stress. It’s been hard for me to focus lately, and I’ve been giving myself lots of grace and redefining my expectations of productivity.
A couple things that help my mood and mental health when we are at the edge of winter:
-having a creative project to focus on (see: redecorating my bathroom and working on the Etsy shop)
-planning something to look forward to (currently we don’t have anything on the calendar but our older family members are starting to get their vaccines and it makes me hopeful for some long overdue mini road trips this spring!)
Continuing to take life one day at a time and focusing on gratitude for what we have!
xo Anna
