friday 5 at the farm: 4 current faves & a redirect

It’s Friday again, we made it!! Cue all the cheering and cartwheel-turning and Pee-Wee Hermann dancing because, friends, as been. a. week. Handsome and I now have a great weekend on tap to celebrate some hard work and recharge each other’s batteries.

For this installment of Friday 5, I just want to mention four things that have been indispensable to me lately, things that make life easier or prettier or more meaningful. And then I would love to invite you to click over and see another Oklahoma-based blog where I am absolutely giddy to be guest posting today! Okay let’s get started.

#1. Mascara
As much as I love talking about books, philosophy and the importance of slow food and positive thinking, I am so not above asserting to you that a great mascara can greatly improve the quality of your life. So, here it my personal recommendation: Voluminous by L’Oreal. I recently made the switch from a plain-Jane pink and green tube back to this brand I used once upon a time in my twenties, and I am so glad. I had forgotten how lush and thick and I Can See Your Lashes from Kansas this mascara looks. And it’s only like $7 so give it a try!

#2. Parsley
Lately my mouth and my belly cannot get enough parsley. I’ve been keeping bunches of it in the fridge at all times, rinsed and ready to chop cold and raw onto a salad, a bowl of roasted veggies, an omelette, soup, you name it. I even put fresh parsley in my coffee these days. Not really, that’s a lie. But it might be delicious. Is parsley the new sage, which was once the new basil? I’m not saying it’s not. Since seed-starting is right around the corner, I may have to learn a few things about growing parsley. Yum.

#3. Feedly
Do you use this app? I have Feedly installed on my iPad and am in love. It cues up a ton of blogs I enjoy reading and keeps them categorized (fitness, cooking, lifestyle, decorating, spirituality, gardening, etc., these are categories I specified) so I can always plop down with a few spare minutes and read exactly what I’m in the mood to read. I love it! And you can save links for later, too, plus click through to the actual website to comment if you wish.

#4. Mantra
Okay I couldn’t write a list like this without including a mantra. And I am returning to an oldie but goodie, because my perspective has required some adjusting of late and this did the trick: Use Your Imagination for Good. Seriously. Resist the vicious cycle of “what if?” or those horrible rehearsed arguments in your head and just live in this moment. Fully. Slow down. Appreciate where you are, seek out the good, bright spots and the Love that surrounds you, the opportunities, blessings, and potential that your beautiful life has right now and max that stuff out! Okay, also I found this article last night (on Feedly, BAM) and thought you’d like to read it: 6 Things Bold People do to Live a Courageous Life

#5. Redirect
Last but not least, please allow me to introduce you to Cassie! She is a fellow blogger right here in our Great State of Oklahoma. She curates True Agape, where she and her husband Ryan pursue love and romance, fitness, family building, faith, all kinds of great stuff. They are a breath of fresh air!

Well, Cassie recently invited me to write for her audience about how fitness works into my marriage, or about how my marriage supports fitness, or maybe both. As you all know, Handsome does not share my love for running, but that does not mean he doesn’t love me. So he does all sorts of things to encourage me. Click over to Cassie’s website True Agape for a short piece on this topic: 5 Ways My Non Running Husband Supports Me as a Runner.

Okay, that’s it! Happy Friday to you, friends. I hope you work hard and play hard. I hope you soak up so much Love that you cannot help but exude it. Pray for miracles, dwell on the possibilities in your heart, expect them.

They’re coming.
XOXOXO