Simple Joys of the Week, March 20th Edition

Did you know that today is the first day of spring? Happy spring! Sure doesn't feel like it outside, but I'll take it.

Here are a few of the simple, sensory joys that brought me pleasure this past week...

HEAR: "3 Miles" This American Life Episode
I know everyone and their mom listens to TAL (literally), but just in case you missed this past week's episode, you MUST listen to it. It's about what happens when high school students from a really low-income school visit a really expensive private high school that's just 3 miles away, and how this visit changes the course of their lives [for better or for worse]. Listening to it, I was overcome by all of the advantages that I've had in life due to the educational opportunities that I've received, and my eyes were opened to the experience of those who don't have the same advantages. It's one thing to think about it in the abstract, and it's another to hear a personal account of the experience. Really, it's a must-listen for anyone and everyone who lives in our country (in my humble opinion). 

*Another HEAR from this week: Bill Murray's 3-minute Dharma Talk. Worth 3 minutes of your life, for sure ;) 

SEE: Sayde in the mornings lately = biggest cuddle bug EVA
Sayde is always the cuddliest, but ever since the time changed and it's been darker in the mornings, we've all been a little more sleepy than usual at our 5:30 wake-up call. However, I'm not complaining, because this sleepiness means extra snuggles and adorableness each morning as Sayde refuses to get out of bed. She sleeps in-between us, usually pressed up against one or both of our bodies, and in the mornings, she nuzzles her way up so that her head is close to our heads, and gives us kisses and buries her head in our necks. It is my favorite time of the day by far, and I savor it.  

TASTE: Town of Barnstable Pizza-Off  [This week = Palio Pizzeria]
As I've mentioned before, every Thursday night we have something we call "Thursday is the New Friday," where we order a pizza + watch a TV show. It's obviously super fun. Since moving, we realized that we needed to pick a new pizza place, so we decided that we would first go through every non-"gourmet" pizza place in the Town of Barnstable (our new town) and decide which one would become "ours." We've now had 4 different pizzas, and so far, last night's pizza, Palio Pizzeria, has ranked the highest. It's a tough job, but somebody's gotta do it, ya know!?

SMELL: Homemade mac n' cheese cooking in the oven for Sunday Night Dinner...
I feel like SJOTW makes it sound like we/I eat super unhealthfully, but I want to be clear that we/I don't, it's just that the unhealthy "treats" are more likely to make the simple pleasures list for the week than the usual healthy meals. Does that make sense? I hope so. But anyways, this homemade mac n' cheese is actually amazing and not orange or fake or that unhealthy at all--it's my mom's recipe and it's more like a casserole than cheesy mac. But whatever, we made it for our Sunday Night dinner and it transported me home and reminded me of my mom/her home cooking and it was delicious. Plus, I think it was a hit at Sunday Night Dinner with the fam! 
 
TOUCH: Recently-shipped cake topper
Having a cake topper in the works has become a regular part of my creative gig, and it's quite enjoyable. As soon as I finish one, I get another order and start a new one, so I've always got some little wedding critters and tiny bunting that I'm working on. It's a fun switch-up and I always get a little thrill when I ship the little bride + groom to their new home. This week, I finished a bright, vibrant dog + cat cake topper for a couple getting married in CA next month. Yay! 

What brought you joy this past week? I hope you can find the time to reflect today...

Also, did you see my follow-up note about our new house before + after pics? If you looked at those pics, please read it, as I feel it's an important thing for you to know. 

Lastly, I'm teaching a workshop for yoga teachers this weekend! If you're a local teacher, this one is for you: The Art of Hands-On Assists and Adjustments, Saturday, 1-4pm. 

Have a beautiful weekend, everyone! Three cheers for "spring"!