I know, I know. I say this every month. But, seriously, HOW QUICKLY did May fly by?! I can’t believe I’m wrapping up the things I loved from May 2023 already. It feels like I was just writing the Things I Loved for April. If you’re new here – at the end of every month I write a round up of the things that I loved throughout the month. This practice helps me keep a gratuitous mindset – focusing on the beauty and joy that I have in my life. More often than not – the things I loved from each month are the little things. I very firmly believe that if you can’t appreciate the small things – the bigger things will never bring you joy. Here are the Things I loved: May 2023.
Flowers!
I love flowers!🥰🌸 The April showers subsided and left heaps of May flowers this month. One of my favorite things to do as April and May roll around is just walk around the neighborhood and watch it bloom.
I also made some really pretty bouquets for my home with some of the blooms from around the house.
And I used chive blossom flowers to make chive blossom butter! A pretty (and delicious) addition to any spread.
Eats & Treats
I believe pleasure to be one of our birthrights. And I believe the wide array of flavors of food to be proof that we’re meant to enjoy ourselves here. If food was just meant to sustain us – it wouldn’t be so flavorful! I make it a point to go out of my way to cook only with things that come from the earth. All natural, zero additives, zero preservatives, zero chemicals – just the food from the earth the way God intended it. I also lean on eating with the seasons (you can read more about that in my article Things I’m Doing This Spring to Support my Mind, Body and Soul).
May was full of fun treats and eats! Playing with the different fruits and veggies that come into season as Spring develops was a lot of fun. May was also Mother’s Day and every Mother’s Day I like to cook for my mom and put out a nice spread for her. This year she requested a simple spaghetti marinara for dinner so I went all out on the appetizer spread.
In May I made my Tuscan Chicken Liver Pâté recipe (ingredients pictured below left and a little lunch spread with the pâté pictured below right).
Back in November I declared my undying love for a good sammich. In may I leveled up that love with the best sammich I’ve ever made. I caramelized onions, seared skirt steak, used homemade mayo, avocado and fig jam (don’t ask questions – just trust the process) and created this deliciousness.
I also made some “Almond Joy” bites again this month because they were to die for in April. I also wrote up the recipe because they’re just so easy to make!
I also went down to Philly to visit some family. When I’m in new places I really love finding small, independently owned, organic grocery stores. With 21 locations, MOM’s Organic Market isn’t that small however their selection of produce was very limited (which I find to be a GOOD thing!) and most of it came from Lancaster, PA. Which means the carbon footprint wasn’t massive at MOM’s. I especially loved the option to get grape tomatoes on the vine and toss them into a paper bag. Typically, they’re only sold in the plastic containers to the right.
Gifts, Signs & Syncs
In nearly every “Things I Loved” month I mention “signs and synchronicities”. I’m a big believer in God and I consider signs and synchronicities to be a gift, in themselves. However, May had a real life gift! My kundalini teacher left this beautiful red jasper bracelet on my mat during our shavasana one morning.
As I mentioned in February, about three years ago a complete stranger at the grocery store came up to me and told me that she felt compelled to tell me to look for feathers as a sign that I’m on the right path. Since then I’ve found feathers at the most interesting times. (Typically, after I’ve lost a bit of faith or am overthinking.) In May I did a lot of throat chakra work and really made it a point to stand firm in my voice and my truth. After a particularly vocal week – I found a blue jay feather! Blue is the color associated with the throat chakra. I took it as a sign that God was proud of the work that I’ve been doing.💙
The last few months the signs from different cars and license plates have been SO LOUD. At the end of May I was thinking to myself, “wow, I haven’t seen any license plates lately” and less than FIVE MINUTES LATER this car pulled in front of me. Hello, God!
Flirty Manicure
In December my manicures made a lot of cameos in my “Things I Loved” round ups. However, the last few months I’ve felt really called to just wearing my nails natural (very abnormal for me!). But, as the warmer weather rolled in this month – I was so excited to get a fun, flirty, bold and bright manicure. I love how it came out!
Slow Moments
I recently wrote about the life lessons I learned from my time in Italy. One of the things I learned from those cheeky Italians was the art of living slowly. Through April and in the beginning of the month, as the temps started to rise and the sun started to shine longer… I started to go fast, fast, fast. One of the things I loved in May was taking time to slow back down.
I find that when I’m living a more fast paced lifestyle I tend to miss the little things that are most important, the most meaningful. In may I really made it a point to slow down with my daily activities and interactions with others to be more present with my life. Something as simple as hanging my laundry to dry outside, instead of putting it in the dryer, really helped me to do that.
Another one of the things I loved in May was grabbing lunch with a friend on a rainy afternoon. It was so quiet in the restaurant – it felt like we had it all to ourselves. A nice, slow, afternoon – for sure!
May was a really beautiful month for me. From reconnecting with slow moments to spending time with my family for Mother’s Day to lots of flowers, delicious eats and some beautiful signs and syncs. This practice of recollecting the “Things I Loved” from each month helps me maintain my gratitude so deeply. I hope it can inspire you to, also! What are some of the things you were grateful for this month?
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