Friday Ideas – Mel’s Kitchen Cafe

Mates! Hello.

It’s been a protracted whereas since I’ve checked in with a Friday Ideas submit, and I’ve actually missed you! I’m decided to convey again Friday Ideas with extra regularity since they’re a few of my favourite posts to write down (and to learn your feedback on!).

How are you? Like, actually, HOW ARE YOU?

The previous few months have been a whirlwind round right here. I’m certain a lot of you are feeling the identical manner.

Listed here are 5 issues which were on my thoughts, and as all the time, I’d love to listen to from you within the feedback!

Life Currently

It has lastly warmed up right here, which implies the pastures and grass are rising like loopy and we’re spending plenty of time outdoors (weeding – SO.MANY.WEEDS).

Our fruit bushes are blooming, and we simply planted 5 extra! (And by we, I imply Brian.) We have already got two apple, two plum, three peach and a cherry. Now we even have two pear bushes, one other cherry, two apricot and one nectarine.

I’ve zero phrases of recommendation about rising fruit bushes. Our soil is awful. However we’re studying as we go, and hopefully this yr our established fruit bushes will reward us with some precise fruit (not eaten by wasps and earwigs!).

This spring has been crazier than I anticipated. Life definitely has a manner of throwing curveballs whenever you least anticipate them. A couple of months in the past, Brian’s place at work was unexpectedly eradicated. It undoubtedly wasn’t one thing we had been ready for, however now we have seen so many distinctive blessings come our manner within the midst of it, together with alternatives for Brian to begin working for himself, which is one thing he has all the time wished to do.

Throughout the first few days of Brian being house full-time and experiencing the to-do lists I used to be leaving for him as a method to “assist” him preserve busy in the course of the interim of discovering new employment, he politely however firmly declared he wished a brand new boss. 😂

I’m grateful, greater than ever, for this running a blog house. I genuinely love being right here as a result of I get to work together with you, however this weblog additionally helps present financially for our household (which is a big blessing proper now). I’ve been intensely engaged on a couple of extra weblog initiatives the final couple of months, and due to some deadlines, I don’t assume I’ve ever been this sleep-deprived in my life! I believe I’m seeing gentle on the finish of the tunnel, which is sweet, as a result of my youngsters want their mother again in non-zombie type.

As for the children, they’re busy as ever with spring sports activities, lining up summer time jobs, engaged on the property (now that the weeds are rising sooner than we are able to pull them), shopping for extra cows on the cattle public sale to boost, and all the opposite ups and downs and ins and outs of child/teen life, together with NEW TEENAGE DRIVERS. Pray for me.

We’ve additionally formally entered the part of determining how one can guardian a younger grownup. Since I don’t even have {the teenager} chapters found out but, I really feel like somebody ought to in all probability come take my parenting license away?? 😉 I do NOT really feel certified to do that. My faux it ’til you make it motto is holding sturdy.

Hair Loss

Due to a mixture of growing older, thyroid points, stress and who is aware of what else, my hair is STRUGGLING. I’ve by no means had overly thick, luscious hair, however it’s undoubtedly thinner than ever, particularly alongside my half line.

Identical to something health-related, google searches go away me overwhelmed (and sort of alarmed – wow, among the proposed options are intense 😳).

My thyroid ranges and blood work are all regular proper now. I additionally tried Nutrafol after listening to a lot about it, however I ended taking it after a couple of weeks as a result of it actually upset my abdomen (I believe because of the biotin, which tends to make my abdomen really feel not so nice).

Anyway. Simply one other enjoyable facet impact of my 40’s. Yay!

You probably have any tricks to share on serving to skinny, struggle-bus hair, I’d love to listen to them!

Exercise Love

Final yr, I began following a weight lifting program, Sadie Active App, after seeing a buddy submit about it. I’ve all the time been *pretty* respectable at reasonable train, however I wished to begin implementing extra weight coaching, which I’ve solely carried out sporadically over time. (That is fully unsponsored, I pay for my very own month-to-month membership.)

I’m hooked! That is by the far the very best exercise program I’ve ever carried out (right here is Sadie’s Instagram account if you wish to be taught extra). I’ve been doing the burden coaching exercises on the app since September, and I really feel stronger than ever.

The factor I really like most is that the app tells me precisely what to do, what number of instances to do it, and has movies to indicate the correct type. No guess work, which is strictly what I would like. Additionally, the exercises are completely different each week, which is nice for my character that will get uninterested in repeated exercises actually simply.

You’ll be able to select the “health club” setting or “house” setting. I’m mentally allergic to understanding in public, so I all the time train at house. I don’t have an official house health club, just a few random train gear stuffed up in our bonus room.

I want to set the app to the “health club” setting and do the workouts at house, modifying the workouts to work with my minimal gear.

A couple of key items of kit I take advantage of for house exercises. The hyperlinks under are affiliate hyperlinks from Amazon; store round domestically or elsewhere on-line for the very best costs.

Non-obligatory house gear that may be added later or is a bonus if you have already got it: kettlebells, train ball, pull-up bar, bar with heavier weights.

The exercises are 45-60 minutes, however can simply be shortened by reducing all of the reps in half. I attempt to get in 3-4 weight exercises every week plus a couple of low-intensity cardio exercises if I’ve time (like strolling on the treadmill, driving bikes with the fam, and so on).

I can’t say sufficient about this exercise app. I look ahead to exercising (regardless that I do know I’m going to be sore!), and it has helped me construct muscle and get stronger (sorry, no flexing selfies). I adore it!

Ok-dramas

Nicely, I’ve formally jumped on the Ok-drama practice. Despite the fact that my total prolonged household was waxing poetic about Crash Touchdown on You (in addition to everybody else on the planet, it appeared), I resisted. Principally as a result of I don’t watch TV fairly often, and after I do, I like to have the ability to multi-task. Nonetheless, studying subtitles significantly restricts multi-tasking, so I resisted.

I obtained actually sick in February and whereas laying in mattress for over every week, I made a decision to lastly dive in.

I watched Crash Touchdown on You and cherished it a lot, I’ve been rewatching it over the past month or so with Brian and Cam (this can be very lovely how invested Camryn is within the characters). It additionally has significantly fueled my need to journey to Switzerland. The 2 most important characters are literally married in actual life, in order that’s enjoyable for all of us at-heart romantics! It’s important to get by way of the primary few quirky episodes after which it actually will get good.

After a couple of minutes, you barely discover you’re studying subtitles. The truth is, I swore I used to be fluent in Korean after I completed the collection. 😂

For Cam’s birthday earlier this month, I gifted her this finger heart shirt aff. hyperlink (an endearing gesture in lots of Ok-dramas). She’s worn it virtually on daily basis since. 😍

I used to hearken to a podcast or e-book when strolling on the treadmill or driving the train bike. Now it’s all about Ok-dramas. I’ve zero regrets.

I’ve watched Enterprise Proposal, Hometown Cha Cha Cha, and Crash Course in Romance. All of them unbelievable for various causes. I wasn’t an enormous fan of Forecasting Love and Climate or Her Non-public Life – didn’t end both of these.

Cam and I simply began watching Begin-Up and are loving it. To this point Ok-dramas have been intelligent, humorous and clear, and I’m questioning if I’ll ever watch a non-subtitled present once more. Oh, one phrase of recommendation: if the Ok-drama present has the power to look at it dubbed over in English, don’t. I attempted that with Enterprise Proposal and it was ridiculously jarring.

Have you ever jumped on the Ok-drama practice but? In that case, what are your favorites? Extraordinary Lawyer Woo is subsequent on my checklist to look at!

Issues I’m Loving

Okay, I’ll finish this with a couple of issues I’ve been loving currently! Affiliate hyperlinks included for the issues I’ve purchased on Amazon – nothing is sponsored; I purchase the stuff I really like myself.

• That is my favorite dress summer dress (particularly after making an attempt the famed Somerset gown that everybody raves about – it made me really feel like a frumpy pioneer). This gown is flowy, gentle and far cheaper! I’ve it in inexperienced and floral pink.
• I take advantage of this foot cream each night time earlier than mattress. It’s wonderful.
• Do you hate melting butter and having it explode in every single place within the microwave? Yeah, me, too. I noticed these microwave butter melters on Instagram, and to this point, they’re undoubtedly saving my sanity.
• Some time again I requested on Instagram tales about non-smearing mascara, and acquired lots of of responses with suggestions of mascara to strive. The highest options had been tubing mascara, which I had by no means heard of earlier than (residing below a rock over right here), so I made a decision to offer it a go. First, I attempted the L’Oreal Double Lash mascara that was advisable essentially the most, however didn’t adore it. I attempted Thrive Causemetics liquid lash subsequent, and I looooove it. I’ve been utilizing it for a number of months now and am an excellent fan. It’s undoubtedly dearer than the on daily basis waterproof mascara I used for years (and it’s not waterproof, however I’ve gotten used to that)…however it lasts a extremely very long time. Yay!
• I purchased this ceramic baking dish for a latest photograph shoot, and it’s turn into one in all my favourite baking pans! It might make an excellent Mom’s Day reward (for your self or another person!) 😉
• That is my favorite self-tanner. It’s very refined, works steadily, and offers me simply the trace of colour I would like on my lily white legs. The traditional self-tanner odor is current however not overly sturdy. I take advantage of it a few instances every week within the morning. As soon as it dries, I add a layer of the body lotion I use every day and don’t discover the odor a lot in any respect.
• My siblings and I purchased this digital picture frame for my mother’s birthday earlier this yr. She had an previous one which she saved continually on her kitchen counter, however we couldn’t add photos to it remotely, so all the photographs had been not less than 10 years previous. This new body permits all of us youngsters to add photos by way of an app on her cellphone, which is superior since three of us stay a number of states away from my mother. She’s loving it!
• I purchased this vacuum mop and after a number of months, I’m nonetheless actually, actually appreciating the worth it provides to my life. Technically the attraction is that it vacuums and mops on the similar time. I nonetheless give my flooring a fast sweep earlier than utilizing it to reduce the quantity of junk I’ve to scrub out of it after. As a result of our downstairs is generally LVP flooring and we stay off a dusty lengthy driveway and on 25 acres, my flooring get n.a.s.t.y. This mop is as simple as vacuuming and I adore it a lot. It’s a little bit of a ache to scrub after however nonetheless very a lot price it to me. I don’t use the cleansing resolution bought with it; I simply use water and it cleans spectacularly properly.

Thanks for being right here, pals.

Life has been a bit messy and heavy currently, notably in respect to motherhood and all of the ups and downs of that, however I even have a lot to be thankful for, which implies within the midst of feeling all the emotions, crying the tears and screaming within the pillows, I’m additionally making an attempt to search for the blessings, too, and there are numerous.

Subsequent week, I’ll be hitting the weblog with a enjoyable, free useful resource for youths graduating and leaving house, and there are additionally a number of phenomenal new recipes coming your manner this month!

That is one in all my joyful locations, and I’m actually grateful for all of you! Love your guts! 💗