Simple Joys of the Week, July 19th Edition

Okay, I have to get something off of my chest: Yesterday, Ben chased me around the apartment trying to rub some of his earwax on me (it was on an earplug). That's not normal, right!? I don't think I've ever been so grossed out/freaked out. I was screaming at the top of my lungs and tried to hide in the laundry closet.

 Welcome to my life {I just want you to understand!}.

However, despite the Great Earwax Incident of 2013, I still had a week that was chock full o' simple, sensory joys. I hope that you did, too! Here are a few of my favorite simple joys from the past 7 days...

HEAR: Left As Rain Blog
Um, how did no one ever tell me about this blog before? I love it! Thank you SO much to my student and fellow yogi, Catherine, who sent me the link to this site. It's basically just a blog that posts a different song every day, but it's a great way to learn about new bands/artists, and it has pretty much been my soundtrack since I learned about it yesterday. You can just go to the most recent entry, click play, and then listen to all of the songs in order. Genius.

SEE [And another HEAR, actually]: "A History Of Everything, Including You" by Jenny Hollowell
If you haven't read this short story or heard it on NPR's Radio Lab, you must do so right away. Here's a link to the words, and here's a link to the audio. It's from this book of short stories and it really moved me this week. I think I need to read Hollowell's latest book now!

TASTE: Sonic Blast
On Sunday night, my friends and I were craving ice cream, but all of the ice cream places in sweet Lenoir City were closed. So, we went to Sonic. I know, I know, but we figured it was better than McDonalds, right? Anyways, I got a Butterfinger Blast (which is basically a Blizzard), and it was incredible. I hadn't had something like that in years, and it was crazy delicious. It also reminded me why our country is addicted to sugar, but that's a different post altogether. The image above is of me feeding my friend, Laura, a bite ;) YUM!

[Oh, and this SJOTW is one of the many reasons that I've been trying to eat crazy healthy since I got back from my trip. It's taken the entire week to start feeling "normal" again...]

SMELL: Homemade Pickles
Have I mentioned that my friends and I made homemade pickles last weekend? OMG, they were so good! I'll post the recipe and more pics next week, but let me tell you, they were glorious. It was so fun to smell the vinegary, dill scent while prepping them and putting them into jars, and the whole experience made me feel very domestic. More info coming soon, I promise ;) 

TOUCH: Savasana
I've had a TOTAL social hangover this week. Never heard of this? I think it's a great descriptor. It's basically when you've been much more social than usual, stay up later than you normally do to spend time with lots of people, and then feel extremely run-down and exhausted afterward. This really happened to me after my amazing trip, since my regimented sleep schedule got totally out of whack, and I've been recuperating all week. I always know I'm tired when I fall asleep in savasana, and this week I fell asleep in savasana every single day. I'm not kidding (!!). Like, out cold and dreaming within a few minutes. So, savasana felt amazing this week, even though it didn't serve it's intended purpose (it's not supposed to be naptime). At the top on my list this weekend (after teaching the best Hip Hop Yoga class EVA!)? Getting some serious sleep. 

What were your SJOTW? What's on your agenda for the weekend? Hopefully some time spent relaxing, reflecting, and rejoicing in the simple, sensory joy of life... ;)

I plan to sleep, practice, go to the pool, paint, relax, and catch up on some work. It's always nice to have a weekend to just hang out at home, isn't it? 

I hope to see some of you at Hip Hop Yoga on Saturday night! Details are here--I'm SO excited ;)