Friday Ideas – Mel’s Kitchen Cafe

Buddies! Hello.

It’s been an extended 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 put in writing (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 means.

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

Life Currently

It has lastly warmed up right here, which suggests the pastures and grass are rising like loopy and we’re spending a number of time exterior (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 actually has a means of throwing curveballs while you least anticipate them. Just a few months in the past, Brian’s place at work was unexpectedly eradicated. It undoubtedly wasn’t one thing we had been ready for, however we’ve seen so many distinctive blessings come our means within the midst of it, together with alternatives for Brian to start out working for himself, which is one thing he has at all times wished to do.

Throughout the first few days of Brian being dwelling full-time and experiencing the to-do lists I used to be leaving for him as a technique to “assist” him hold busy through 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 area. 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 large blessing proper now). I’ve been intensely engaged on just a few further weblog tasks 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 mild on the finish of the tunnel, which is nice, as a result of my youngsters want their mother again in non-zombie kind.

As for the children, they’re busy as ever with spring sports activities, lining up summer season 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 learn how to guardian a younger grownup. Since I don’t even have {the teenager} chapters discovered but, I really feel like somebody ought to most likely 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

Because of a mixture of ageing, 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 type of alarmed – wow, a few of 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 finished taking it after just a few 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 good friend submit about it. I’ve at all times been *pretty* respectable at reasonable train, however I wished to start out implementing extra weight coaching, which I’ve solely achieved sporadically through the years. (That is fully unsponsored, I pay for my very own month-to-month membership.)

I’m hooked! That is by the far the perfect exercise program I’ve ever achieved (right here is Sadie’s Instagram account if you wish to study 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 kind. No guess work, which is strictly what I would like. Additionally, the exercises are completely different each week, which is nice for my persona that will get tired of repeated exercises actually simply.

You’ll be able to select the “health club” setting or “dwelling” setting. I’m mentally allergic to understanding in public, so I at all times train at dwelling. I don’t have an official dwelling 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 workout routines at dwelling, modifying the workout routines to work with my minimal gear.

Just a few key items of kit I exploit for dwelling exercises. The hyperlinks beneath are affiliate hyperlinks from Amazon; store round regionally or elsewhere on-line for the perfect costs.

Non-obligatory dwelling 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 per week plus just a few 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 find it irresistible!

Okay-dramas

Effectively, I’ve formally jumped on the Okay-drama prepare. Regardless that my whole 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 once I do, I like to have the ability to multi-task. Nevertheless, studying subtitles significantly restricts multi-tasking, so I resisted.

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

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

After a couple of minutes, you barely discover you’re studying subtitles. In actual fact, 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 Okay-dramas). She’s worn it virtually day by day 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 Okay-dramas. I’ve zero regrets.

I’ve watched Enterprise Proposal, Hometown Cha Cha Cha, and Crash Course in Romance. All of them incredible for various causes. I wasn’t a giant fan of Forecasting Love and Climate or Her Personal Life – didn’t end both of these.

Cam and I simply began watching Begin-Up and are loving it. Up to now Okay-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 Okay-drama present has the power to observe it dubbed over in English, don’t. I attempted that with Enterprise Proposal and it was ridiculously jarring.

Have you ever jumped on the Okay-drama prepare but? If that’s the case, what are your favorites? Extraordinary Lawyer Woo is subsequent on my checklist to observe!

Issues I’m Loving

Okay, I’ll finish this with just a few 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 costume that everybody raves about – it made me really feel like a frumpy pioneer). This costume is flowy, mild and far inexpensive! I’ve it in inexperienced and floral pink.
• I exploit this foot cream each night time earlier than mattress. It’s wonderful.
• Do you hate melting butter and having it explode in all places within the microwave? Yeah, me, too. I noticed these microwave butter melters on Instagram, and up to now, they’re undoubtedly saving my sanity.
• Some time again I requested on Instagram tales about non-smearing mascara, and obtained a whole lot of responses with suggestions of mascara to attempt. The highest solutions 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 probably the most, however didn’t find it irresistible. I attempted Thrive Causemetics liquid lash subsequent, and I looooove it. I’ve been utilizing it for a number of months now and am a brilliant fan. It’s undoubtedly dearer than the day by day 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 could make a terrific Mom’s Day present (for your self or another person!) 😉
• That is my favorite self-tanner. It’s very refined, works progressively, and provides me simply the trace of shade I need on my lily white legs. The traditional self-tanner scent is current however not overly sturdy. I exploit it a few instances per 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 scent 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 stored continually on her kitchen counter, however we couldn’t add photos to it remotely, so all the photographs had been at the least 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 dwell 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 identical time. I nonetheless give my flooring a fast sweep earlier than utilizing it to reduce the quantity of junk I’ve to wash out of it after. As a result of our downstairs is usually LVP flooring and we dwell off a dusty lengthy driveway and on 25 acres, my flooring get n.a.s.t.y. This mop is as straightforward as vacuuming and I find it irresistible a lot. It’s a little bit of a ache to wash after however nonetheless very a lot value it to me. I don’t use the cleansing resolution bought with it; I simply use water and it cleans spectacularly effectively.

Thanks for being right here, mates.

Life has been a bit messy and heavy currently, significantly in respect to motherhood and all of the ups and downs of that, however I even have a lot to be glad about, which suggests 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 various.

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

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