KITCHY LIVING

Give yourself some grace, girl.

This month marks one year since the pandemic started and our lives were turned upside down and inside out. But hopefully for the better! I know that the past 12 months of pandemic life have brought with it new challenges and triumphs that are often hard to quantify or put into words. Hopefully though, you’ve grown personally, professionally, relationally, and spiritually. Some days were harder than others. Some days your personal best felt like utter defeat. But I know for me, I’ve felt unburdened in many ways thanks to the slower pace of post-pandemic life. I am learning to listen less to my inner critic and attune my heart to the truth of God more. This is your friendly reminder to give yourself some grace. You flipping made it. You survived a year of unprecedented (yep, I said it) change and learned to adapt to a new way of living. I’m so proud of you, friend! Don’t ever forget how much you’ve had to overcome. God sees you right where you are and is cheering you on every step of this new season of learning and unlearning.

WHAT I BOUGHT

Electric Gooseneck Kettle
Ceramic Pour Over Funnel
Striped Dress
Black Linen Maxi
Tie-Dye Sweatshirt
Silver Sandals
Fish Oil
“The Four Winds” by Kristin Hannah
“The Life You Long For” by Cristy Nockels
“Educated” by Tara Westover
DIME Eyelash Boost Serum

MOVIES/TV SHOWS WATCHED

The Dig
The Prestige
The Wilds
Safe Haven
Moxie
Mank
Hidden Figures
Central Intelligence
Yes Day
Marriage or Mortgage
Moana

PLACES I TRAVELLED

Charleson, SC: Had the most epic family reunion post-pandemic. The only thing missing was a cake and candles! But in all seriousness, my family hadn’t been all together since before the pandemic. It was by far the highlight of my 2021! My heart physically hurt leaving everyone after such a sweet time visiting with my sister, brother-in-law, niece, and parents. Cary and I soaked up every minute of Ellie’s hugs and laughter. We ate local bbq, frogmore stew, and corned beef and cabbage (St. Patrick’s Day). I made homemade chocolate chip cookies…twice. It felt like no time had passed and I loved every glorious minute of it.

ONE FEAR I CONQUERED

I was vulnerable at work. This past week my grandfather passed away. I got word that he had passed right at the beginning of my workday, and in a word, I was devastated. But even after four months of working with my group, I’m not yet comfortable to share my heart with my co-workers. I am good at being vulnerable with the people I love, but it’s a different story when it comes to work. And in the medical field, weakness and vulnerability is never really valued or encouraged. So the entire 12-hour shift, I kept the news to myself. I went about my day and stuffed my feelings of grief and sadness, until I got home and just lost it. It wasn’t pretty, and in retrospect, it wasn’t healthy for my spirit either. Realizing how poorly I handled the situation, the next day, I made a point to share the news with at least a few of my co-workers to lessen the burden I’d imposed on myself. It took courage to share my news, but I’m so glad I did, because I felt seen and understood. And no longer was I hiding my grief, I was embracing it and opening it up to others.

FAVORITE POSTS ON KITCHY LIVING

My favorite: How to Plan a Wedding in 6 Months
Reader’s favorite: Let’s Talk Endometriosis

FAVORITE SONGS

As I Am (ft. Khalid) – Justin Bieber
Leave the Door Open – Bruno Mars
Heat Waves – Glass Animals
Astronaut in the Ocean – Masked Wolf
Want It Again – Thomas Rhett
heavenly light – Wilder Woods
You All Over Me (feat. Maren Morris) – Taylor Swift
Beautiful Mistakes (feat. Megan Three Stallion) – Maroon 5
Only Good Will Come of This – Dave Barnes

FITNESS UPDATE

This month proved to be more challenging that I imagined when it came to exercise. My grandmother was in the hospital secondary to low potassium and my grandfather passed away just a few days ago. Cary and I have been going to Charleston almost every other week this month, so I haven’t had much downtime for exercise outside of work. Which in all honestly, is not the be all end all. I’d rather be present with my family during this time than bemoan the fact that I haven’t been as diligent in exercising. However, when I have the time to exercise, I’ve been doing Muscle Burns Fat by Beachbody or yoga. With pollen at its seasonal high, I haven’t been able to do a lot of outdoor exercise. But MBF is a great high-intensity exercise program, and I’m loving the challenge.