Fun Finds from May

 

I found a handful of winners this month that felt like life winners. I’ll share them with you today and maybe you’ll enjoy them sometime too!

                Strawberry Planter: My parents had a huge garden when I was growing up, and part of the hugeness was a huge strawberry patch. I really love strawberries, and have wanted to try growing them here, but I’ve heard they tend to take over a garden once they start. Given that my garden is small and real estate is precious, I didn’t want to risk losing the whole thing to strawberries. I’ve long been fascinated by these towering planters, so I decided to get one. This year, as a starter, I put established plants in the top and purchased roots for the bottom parts. I don’t think the roots did anything – or at least I haven’t seen evidence of anything yet. The top part took off! I’ll have to keep tweaking this, but I do love the concept.

Porch Rug: You might remember that a few weeks ago, I purchased a porch rug from Walmart – to use in our dining room! I’d read on a blog that outdoor rugs are perfect for dining rooms, because they’re created to withstand spills. That day, when I chose the rug, I tried to pick between the twenty and forty dollar versions. For the dining room, I went with the $40 version, because it looked nicer. It was definitely the right choice for that room. But this month I went back and sprang for the $20 version for our front porch. The porch is very, very brown, and I thought a little color might help it. I love how it turned out!

                Hasfit Workouts: Ryan and I have tried several free, at-home workout channels over the last few years. We really liked Caroline Girvan, but her videos are close to an hour long, and almost all of those hours are filled with versions of squats and lunges. We also tried Nourish Move Love, and while we really enjoy those, Ryan doesn’t always love the catch-phrases the instructor uses quite often. (It’s not what she says. It’s the frequency with which she says it.) I found, on Instagram, a recommendation for Hasfit workouts, and we’ve been using them this month. We enjoy the variety, the non-annoying commentary, and the length!

Sarah Frazer Bible Reading Plan: This spring, I taught a Bible study elective at church, and one of the things we talked about doing was a read-through-the-Bible plan. I’ve done them before, a couple of ways, but I found this plan that takes longer than a year to read. (AKA you don’t rush through it.) I’ve started it, and I love the perspective. I have been reading an Old Testament chapter, a New Testament chapter, and a Psalm, and it amazes me how they seem to dovetail, even though they have nothing to do with each other. Only God’s Word, right?

Little House 50 for 50 Podcast: My friend Pat told me about this podcast, which I like because it’s on YouTube, and I can watch it rather than just listening. It was recorded around a year ago, when the cast was preparing for the 50^th anniversary of the show. There are 60+ episodes, and they feature actors and others associated with the TV show. There is occasional language, FYI, but there is also so much behind the scenes info that is really fun to hear. Now, if hearing these stories ruins the TV magic for you, you might not want to watch, but if not, it’s really interesting to hear how the different characters were cast, what they loved and didn’t love about their character and episodes, and more!

Car Chargers: Ryan and I regularly charge our phones while we are in the car, and our cords are forever getting twisted up in each other. Ryan found these retractable charging cords and got them for us. They definitely make the vehicle tidier, and we don’t have to dig cords out from under bags every time!