Tonight, we depart from our regularly scheduled programming. I have no deep thoughts or cleverly-spun phrases; though I can now brag to having survived “Hand Foot Mouth Disease” with two year-old twins. Do they make a medal for that? They should.
But what I can offer you, my friend, is a random assortment of things that are making me smile lately. I am borrowing (“stealing” sounds harsh) this idea from Kendra Adachi, the mastermind behind The Lazy Genius podcast, book, blog… maybe even a movie, I’m not clear, but whatever she puts out, I’m a fan. She does these “What’s Saving My Life” lists on her podcast, and they’re lovely, random, and always a great help to me. So, since I have no other value to add this evening, I thought I’d share a similar list with you!
Without further ado or fanfare, here are 7 things that are bringing joy to my life in the past few months:
- The Lazy Genius Podcast by Kenda Adachi
- If you didn’t see this coming, you weren’t paying attention 😏 No, but seriously. I pick and choose what episodes seem relevant to me, so I haven’t listened to them all. But I love her ideas and she has this nice, calming voice that is such a contrast to my chaotic house. She approaches the jobs of motherhood/house and child management with a gentle, “can-do” attitude and I’ve learned so much from her podcast, as well as her book. So if you’re looking for a new listen while folding laundry or catching up on dishes, check her out.
- The song, What an Awesome God – Organic by Phil Wickham
- I have no idea if this link will work, but if you grew up in the early 2000s era of praise music, dear old Phil gives a reverent and beautiful revamp to the classic and I just…. Sigh. All the feels, guys. All the feels
- https://open.spotify.com/track/1kSqgv1DpAw2CU39bN9LGX?si=DJtn4wt5Tse3N9wasWjEow
- My Owala water bottle
- Is it bougie? Yes. Did I get it on eBay? Also yes! Between Mercari, eBay, and Facebook marketplace… I’m a menace, I admit it. But I have to say, while I never understood the Stanley-hype, me and Mister Owala are getting along very nicely. I bought my husband one for his birthday and he was such a skeptic at first, now he’s hooked and eyeballing a second one 😂 We agree it’s the (albeit lame) ability to sip AND gulp, and I have no idea why that’s revolutionary but hey. I’m drinking half of my daily water allotment these days. Which if you know me, that’s huge. So check it out if you’re in the market for a new H2O container.
- The Finch App
- Okay, if you’re a child of the 90s and ever had a tamagotchi or played on Neopets.com AND you identify as “ADHD”of either the psychologist-verified or Facebook-quiz sort… this might just be a game changer for you. It’s a silly app that you put daily chores, goals, self-care, etc into, and as you check them off, it gives you points. You use these to take care of your baby “Birb”, mostly by buying it outfits, furniture and sending it on adventures. I’m not sure why this works, but for some reason, I’m more motivated to drink water if it helps “Pickles” get a new bed for her room vs the reality of keeping me from becoming a human cactus. There is no logic here, there just is. It also includes some amazing breath-timers that help you learn how to do relaxation breathing, an anxiety “crisis” kit, meditations and mood check-ins: it’s a mini-mental health counselor in a app. I even made an account for my daughter, and she’s been flying through her daily/weekly chores with way less nagging from me. One quick disclaimer- there is a lot of LGBTQ paraphernalia in the clothing part of the app at the bottom & the creatures all have pronouns listed. I felt comfortable discussing what this was and our families’ beliefs with my young daughter, but you may want to be aware before allowing your kids to play. But yeah. I’ve been doing it for over three months now, and my house has never really been cleaner. Not with four kids anyway. So I’m calling it a win.
- YouTube Exercise Videos
- I feel pretty dang silly that I didn’t figure out what a gem these were earlier in my life. But I finally (as a 32 year-old woman) made myself a YouTube account and realized my silly TV has an app, so I can put pretty much any exercise video in the world right up on the big screen and push play. I’ve been going to a gym two days a week to weight lift (don’t worry, I’m terrible and can barely lift an empty bar. It’s still me), but I wanted to try some Pilates and stretching on my off days. Enter YouTube. I can do legit 10 minute videos when I’m crunched for time, or longer if the kids are in bed or I just have extra time in my day. My current favorites are IsaWelly & Move with Nicole for Pilates, Mady Morrison for stretching (no talking on her videos, winning), and Caroline Girvan’s Iron Series for strength training. Be careful with Caroline tho- I legit had to slide on my bootie down the stairs for two days after her first leg workout 😵💫😂
- Getting rid of/severely limiting Social Media
- I’m not going to preach here, everyone has different beliefs on this one. But I’m just going to say- since deleting the actual Instagram & Facebook apps off my phone over six months ago, my mental health has radically improved. Specifically anxiety. I didn’t realize how the random sad, heartbreaking stories that I’d accidentally ingest in a quick lunch break or scroll at the park were legit wrecking my day. When I stopped consuming all the scary news and tear-jerking stories, my anxiety and mental state in general stayed so much more positive. I can still access social media, and occasionally do, but I’m much more intentional about my scrolling and acknowledging the risks of what I may or may not see and how it’s going to affect me. Like I said, not for everyone, but if you’re struggling, it might be worth a shot. Pinterest is my jam these days when I need a mindless scroll, and it’s been working out just fine. 💙
- The SheReadsTruth Ap
- Another app, but worth the mention to close out our list. This app offers beautifully illustrated scripture lessons and bible study plans, but I honestly just stick to the “Bible in a Year”, which will take me much longer since I just read a chapter a day. But since it’s on my phone, I can easily access and track my progress, and it’s allowed me to get a regular habit of scripture reading back in my life again. Their “This Is the Gospel” plan is one of my favorite studies that I’ve done multiple times though, so if you’re new to reading scripture, start there for sure. But I’ve never read any of their studies that I didn’t enjoy.
So that’s it! My seven random gifts that are helping me through this crazy season. I would like to pause here and mention a conversation I had with my husband lately. We were talking about all these life changes I’ve been trying to implement, like my efforts with my health and habits, and I said “I feel like lately I’m really becoming who I want to be… I just want to make sure it’s who God wants me to be”. He laughed and reassured me, but we also had a talk about how amidst all this goal-setting and self-improvement, it’s easy to lose track of the ultimate goal. I can have the perfect workout-routine, the cleanest house, great “mental health hygiene”, and and excellently furnished “Birb” appartment for my dearest Pickles… but if I don’t have Jesus, if I don’t sacrifice my time and efforts to love others, does any of it matter?
So I’m praying over that, trying to find practical ways to live out my life on earth in a way that’s pleasing to Him. But also have clean underwear for my kids and be able to lift the occasional heavy thing without breaking my back. But the great news is those things aren’t mutually exclusive, if even the small things are done for His glory. If I clean my house out of love for my children and guests, not some sense of pride or control, He is glorified. If I strengthen my body so I can better care for my kids & do the work He has for me, not out of a quest for vanity, He is glorified.
And even if I don’t, He is glorified. He kind of always wins that way. I’d just much rather He be glorified in my successes in pursuit of Him, than in my utterly spectacular failures of my own making. Wouldn’t we all? 🤪
Until next time & with much love,
Kelsey
Miracles Enough 