10 Things I'm Loving Lately
It’s a new year and I’ve only posted one dang blog post, which makes me sad; but it’s because I’m up to lots of good things offline, which makes me glad, so it all balances out I guess. Hoping to get back to a more normal writing schedule soon!
Before I started writing anything, I scrolled back to see what regular posts needed catching up on. Turns out, I was supposed to write a 10TILL in November. Who knew! So I figured that was as good a place as any to pick back up.
Without further ado…
I bought these leggings as a birthday present to myself, and they are perfect. Long enough, thick enough, perfectly compressive, super high waist that doesn’t slip at all, and the stretch-out isn’t all that bad. Plus, pockets. I love them so much that I’m seriously considering buying another pair or two for when I inevitably wear them out.
On a similar note, I was also gifted a pair of Blundstones and have barely taken them off since. You can style them up or down — I literally wear them as approach shoes climbing outdoors and with a dress and cool jewelry and they go just as well either way. And so, so comfortable. (The rubber sole isn’t nearly as prominent as the photos online make it seem, FYI!)
Power Company Climbing Podcast has become a staple for me over the past year, both as a climber and as a youth climbing coach. Got to meet the hosts this past weekend when they hosted a clinic for Momentum’s youth coaching staff, too; and they were just as friendly and crazy-informative in person. If you climb and don’t already listen to them… what are you even doing?
I’ve had the most recent Penny and Sparrow album on repeat for months and I’m just not tired of it. Eloise gets me every time.
Follow Boop My Nose on Instagram. You’re welcome.
I’m not sure if I’ve already mentioned this here at some point or not, but basically, when I moved into my first actual apartment after college (not to be confused with the should-have-been-condemned duplex I was in post-graduation, thank you very much), I felt bad about how expensive everything was and how much my parents had helped with said expenses and the last thing they helped with was a new mattress and basically I walked into the mattress store full of this guilt and asked what mattresses they had for under $300 and the mattress sales guy blinked and I repeated myself and he reluctantly showed me one and I laid on it for two seconds and was like “yep, feels like a mattress” and we bought it and guess what? It has sucked ever since. That mattress was the worst. If you laid on it for more than eight hours it sunk in and sort of stayed that way forever, and after many years I had rotated it so much that basically it was sunk in everywhere, and it made weird creaking noises, and it hurt, and I should have replaced it a long time ago, but I like spending my money on Not Mattresses so finally this past fall my grandma was like “I will literally help pay for a new mattress if you will just buy one already.” So I did. And I bought new pillows and a new comforter while I was at it. And it is glorious. The end.
While I wouldn’t call the weather we’ve had in the Houston area winter, properly; it has been cold enough for me to break out the beanies and cut what little time I spend doing anything to my hair down to essentially zero. It is my favorite.
Lead climbing progress! I’ve been putting in work at the climbing gym recently to try and make 5.11s as comfortable for myself as 5.10s, and starting to see the results of that work has been so incredibly fun. I also got my first 5.11 outdoors this past weekend, which was a huge milestone — a follow of Dave’s Not Here at Reimer’s Ranch North Shore!
Time with friends, which has been extra sweet for its scarcity lately. To make a long story short, I feel like my adulthood is a never-ending process of learning not to bite off more than I can chew, and work has gotten the better part of my time over the past three months. I’m thankful for the grace of my people in letting me come and go as needed, and it’s definitely made me appreciate the days I have time to just go hang out with them. (Like the above photo of iced coffee with Cortney.) Currently figuring out how to get better balanced so that’s not such a rarity!
This podcast episode will just make you happy.
As a bonus thing I love lately, Meegan Dobson texted me the following yesterday:
“I checked your website this morning and I love it and you are talented and I am cheering you on. Keep writing and doing what you love! It is amazing to see.”
After I stopped weeping (kidding, mostly), I texted her back to say thanks, and tell her that frankly, I felt like I’d been sucking at my own work lately and was guilt-tripping myself for not keeping things up around here as well as I’d like. She sent the text version of a hug and basically said, “Keep going.” Find friends like that. And if you need to hear it from someone, let this be me saying it to you.
Alright now, your turn — what are you loving lately?
