It’s the last day of April so here we are again, my friends! Let’s get right to it—here are some of my favorite simple, sensory joys from the past month…
[New to SJOTM? Read the backstory here.]
I’d forgotten how much I love Italy (and Europe in general). I hadn’t been there since 2015 and going back felt like a breath of fresh air. There was so much beauty and history everywhere we looked and I just felt so lucky to be there as a part of my “job.” I don’t want to be that person but honestly, hashtag grateful hashtag blessed, ya know?
I know not everyone feels this way about T. Swift’s new album, but I LOVE The Tortured Poets Department. My first listen was at 6am Italy time (12am EST)—the exact day/time that the album dropped—while lying on my back in the most beautiful yoga shala I’ve ever seen [with a few other devoted Swiftie retreaters, of course]. It was perfection. I’ve listened to the entire anthology many, many more times since then and as is always the case with Tay-Tay’s music, it speaks to me.
HEAR Honorable Mention (which I also mentioned last month but need to shout-out again now that I’ve finished it): The audiobook version of Anita de Monte Laughs Last by Xochitl Gonzalez. If you listen to audiobooks (and even if you don’t) you NEED To listen to this one. I’ve been recommending it to everyone. I’m sure that reading the actual book is great, too, but the audio version really brings it to life (different people read the different characters and they BRING IT).
I know this is so obvious but I cannot not say this: the food in Italy is otherworldly. The pasta, the tomatoes, the cheese, the bread, the olive oil, the wine, the coffee (and I don’t even drink coffee anymore!), the everything. Take me back.
My retreat co-leader + friend, Mandy (of Mako Retreats—check her out!), always uses this Hydrosol at the ends of her yoga classes and it smells incredible. Because I only experience it when we’re leading retreats (and thus, am always in savasana after taking her class), this scent has come to represent relaxation and community for me. Spritz! Ahhhhhh.
Now that it’s light in the mornings again (thank goodness!), I’ve gotten back to my 6[ish] AM walk routine and I’m loving it. There’s nothing like walking in the fresh air while the sun rises and the world is just waking up. Sure, when I return every morning the kids say, “WHERE WERE YOU!?!?!” as if I’ve just come back from being gone for a month (and as if I haven’t been doing this for a few weeks now) but their complaints are a small price to pay for this quiet morning movement.
And now for a quick list of things that were the opposite of simple joys, because it’s important to me to share more than just the highlight reel:
Coach seats on an airplane (especially when compared to first class/business class on an International flight). So uncomfortable.
Teddy’s early morning wake-ups: now that it’s light in the mornings Teddy is also back to waking up early again. He woke up BEFORE my 5:30am alarm this morning at 5:20am (!!!!) and asked for breakfast. Ugh.
Tantrums. [Still. So. Many. Tantrums.]
Loving my work but having too much of of it to possibly fit into my work day and thus always feeling like I’m behind/failing
When the kids say “But you promised!!!!” about something I most definitely did not promise them
Cleaning for the cleaning people (I know that this is a Champagne Problem but I’m going to say it anyway bc it’s annoying and it always falls on me)
ALL OF THE TOYS ALL OVER THE FLOOR AT ALL TIMES
Lastly, two quick biz notes for you:
I’ve got a sale going on in my shop! Buy 2 greeting cards, get 1 free (discount applied at checkout) and 10% off of all apparel (use code “MOTHERSDAY10”)
RETREAT ALERT! There are a few spaces left in my upcoming “Wellness Weekend” Cape Cod Yoga retreat (again, with Mandy of Mako Retreats)! It’s May 17-19th and you can sign up here:
That’s it from me for now! Hope your April was similarly full of simple joys and that you find a few minutes to reflect on them today.
xoxo,
Mary Catherine
PS. I forgot one more SJOTM! Ben and I went out to dinner to celebrate his bday on Sunday night and it was great! Here’s a pic of us enjoying some kiddie-sized ice creams afterward bc we only had $8 cash with us and the ice cream place is cash-only (haha)