The H Report: Vol. 8
All of the things filling my heart, head, hands, and home lately.
This week is all about rediscovering what makes me happy in all areas of my life.
- ❤︎ + 𓁹 -
Have you ever looked around and realized that you truly don’t know what it is you want or even like any more? I’ve felt that way for a while; basically since my entire identity shifted with motherhood. I’ve prioritized everyone else’s wants, needs, and dreams to the point where I’ve completely forgotten mine.
I’ve spent some time unpacking this through journaling and in therapy, and I have to say that it’s been hitting me hard. Here I am at the ripe old age of 47 and I don’t even know what I like anymore. And when I do find something that I like, I hyper-focus on it for a while (hours, days, weeks, months…) and then it fades into oblivion, never to be enjoyed again.
When I look at the bigger picture, though, there are some things that all of those starts and stops have in common. And those are the places where I find the most joy and excitement.
Here’s a non-exhaustive (and completely random) list of the things that I enjoy:
Creating things with my hands. Doesn’t matter what it is — crafting, cooking, baking, drawing, coloring, sewing — the act of making things is like magic to me. The sense of accomplishment and pride I feel after taking supplies or ingredients and turning them into something completely new is unmatched.
Learning new things and/or mastering a new skill. As someone who didn’t always love learning in school or structured environments, I truly love learning and mastering new skills. When I first learned to code a website, HOT DAMN. Doing graphic design for the first time and creating something I really liked? Amazing. Every time I sew something, I feel like a total badass. And don’t even get me started on the sense of amazement I felt when making flowers out of crepe paper.
Planning, organizing, and getting started on a new project. I feel like this is the natural evolutions of the first two items. I love the concept, branding, and endless potential phase of starting a new project. To go from idea to tangible concept is really cool to me. Hence why I get so excited about new projects but then fizzle out when it comes time to implement and do the rote day-to-day tasks associated with the project.
Feeling strong and solid in my body, especially after a long walk or workout. Starting or planning a workout? Not so much. But that feeling of occupying space in my body and being completely grounded post-workout is a really wonderful one. And not one I feel often.
Finding creative ways to use what I already have. It feels like a special kind of alchemy to be able to take scraps or items that would be otherwise tossed and turn them into something useful and/or pretty. To see potential in everything and then turn those ideas into reality ticks all sorts of boxes for me. More of that, please.
Thrifting. There is something truly special for me in sorting through other people’s discards and finding treasure. It’s a low stakes treasure hunt.
- ✌︎︎ -
Still on a scrappy art kick, though more into the collecting of the scraps than the pulling them together into art at the moment. Which is fine. I love seeing the potential in the pieces. My kids have been getting into it as well, saving their very best art, schoolwork, and any packaging we get to turn into stamps. It’s truly become a family affair.
My brain is also on overdrive with the above list of likes and trying to find ways to work those things into my day-to-day life. I think I’ve come up with something (it’s probably eerily similar to what Project:52 and 12x24 were supposed to be), but hopefully this will be a bit less structured and, therefore, more likely for me to see it through.
The working title is The Craft Chronicles, and I plan to choose a focus for the month to explore projects and make things that have been on my to-make list for ages. (AKA everything I’ve pinned in my DIY+ Sewing Pinterest board that I have yet to make. 😂)
Areas I want to focus on:
Sewing
Collage
Drawing
Painting
Paper Making / Paper Mâché
Crepe Paper Flowers
Felt Appliqué / Embroidery
Bath + Beauty DIY’s
Bookbinding
Knitting / Crochet
Jewelry Making / Beadwork
Textiles (i.e.—dying fabric with things like onion skins, avocado pits, and dandelions, as well as block printing designs)
- 𖠿 -
In keeping with the theme of figuring out what I like, and also cutting out the things that I truly hate, I’ve made some big changes in the way I cook and prepare meals. I’m so completely over spending an hour plus making dinner every night and then having to make two more meals since the kids don’t like or want what I make. Or scrambling to get dinner going because the kids have things going on at night or someone is getting hangry.
This Saturday, I decided I was done and spent the day prepping food for the entire week. I made shredded chicken in the instant pot, shredded beef in the crockpot, oven baked chicken, turkey chili to eat for the week and/or freeze, homemade applesauce, a gluten-free sandwich bread. I also batch prepped some black bean burgers and 3lbs each of chicken and beef meatballs to keep in the freezer for easy meals.
Yesterday, I topped up our sides with some potatoes that were on their last leg and made some mashed potatoes to freeze and a skillet potato kugel that’s basically a giant potato latke.
It was definitely a bigger commitment the day of, but I was in the zone and didn’t mind one bit. And the reality is, I’ve spent LESS time cooking and thinking about food this week and that has been glorious. It’s also been so incredibly freeing, because everyone just picks what they want when they are hungry and that’s that.
These 1 cup silicone freezer trays* have been an absolute workhorse in my kitchen — it makes it super easy to portion out the food and freeze it. And then, once frozen, it takes up way less space in the freezer to store. I also ordered these glass meal prep containers* to get food ready for the week. I’m still figuring out how to use them, but I think they will prove to be quite useful.
And, of course, because I can never leave well enough along, I also had to make a planner of sorts for the fridge:
Feel free to use it for your own planning needs. I laminate mine and use a dry erase marker on it. Works a charm.
And there you have it. All of the things that have been filling my heart (❤︎), head (𓁹), hands (✌︎︎), and home (𖠿) lately.
Hope your week is filled with magic and tasty treats galore.
X+O,
Emily
*These are Amazon affiliate links.