Simple Joys of the Week, May 8th Edition

I don't want to be that annoying person who hashtags everything with #grateful, but you guys, I've been feeling really #grateful this week.

I'm not sure if it's the warmer weather + flowers everywhere (Cape Cod really comes to life this time of year!), or if it's because of this week's podcast episode, which got me thinking about my technology use and inspired me to disconnect a bit more than usual, or if it's the fact that I've been working outside on the back deck every day, but I am just feeling completely full of love for life. It's a really wonderful feeling and I'm trying not to take it for granted, because as we all know, not every week is like this. 

Anyways, since I'm feeling so full of gratitude, it was hard to narrow down my SJOTW, but here are the first few that came to mind...

HEAR: "Diamonds in the Sun" by Girish
Last night, I went to a bhakti yoga class with a fabulous local teacher and the kirtan artist, Girish. There's just nothing like practicing to live, in-studio music, and Girish's voice was beautiful and transcendent and just added to my pre-existing sense of elation. It was a wonderful class and it felt so good to sweat and sing along. You can listen to Girish's song, "Diamonds in the Sun," below: 

SEE: Sayde sleeping on the deck
You've probably already figured this out, but if you haven't, let me tell you that Sayde is a fairly high-maintenance, high-strung dog. She's quite the nervous protector, so when we're outside, she's often on patrol (we call her the "neighborhood watch"). However, when she's tired and the sun is beaming down just right, she'll sprawl out on the deck in the sunshine and sleep, and it's glorious. It makes me so happy to see her so relaxed and content. 

TASTE: Raspberries
Um, best summer fruit treat ever? I know it's not technically raspberry season yet, but I picked some up last weekend and they were simply amazing. Amazing. I think I'd forgotten how much I adore berries? 

SMELL: Grilling out for the first time this year...
As I mentioned on Monday, we grilled out for the first time on Sunday night and it made me SO excited about summer. We're in love with our deck, we're getting a fence put in so that Sayde can run around free while we hang out in the back yard (holy expensive!), and we're planning lots of BBQs with friends + family, so it should be a good summer for grilling. Plus, Ben LOVES being the grillmaster, so it was very sweet to see him so excited. 

TOUCH: Sunshine on my back at the beach (+ a little sunburn, oops!)
I got my first sunburn of the year yesterday! Not exactly proud of the sunburn, but super excited that the sun was warm enough/bright enough to have that kind of power--and that it was warm enough to wear a tank top on the beach! It felt incredible. 

Also, inspired by this week's podcast, I ditched my phone on two of my walks on the beach this week (I usually listen to podcasts when I walk) and instead, just soaked up the sights and sounds without the distraction of my earbuds. I have to say, I was able to be A LOT more present and felt much more rejuvenated by my walks when I left my phone in the car. Hmmmmm....

Other SJOTW? Call Your Girlfriend (a new podcast that I've been loving), A Day in the Life of Pinterest, and lots of painting :) 

Oh, and I'm leading a restorative workshop at Orleans Yoga + Pilates on Saturday from 2-4 and I'd love to see you there! It's a 2-hour workshop: We'll spend the first 45 mins doing slow flow moon salutations, and the last 75 mins in restorative poses meant to release stress and allow you to relax completely. Sign up online here. 

Have a great weekend, everyone, and Happy Mother's Day to all of the moms out there (shout-out to mine!)!