2018 Catch-Up

Hi, hey, hi! Happy official SUMMER!

We’ve shared in more delicious food this year, but we haven’t actually sat down and caught up all year long. My bad. 2018 has completely flown by so far. Before I knew it, here we are, halfway through the year and I haven’t even gotten around to a little “coffee” catch-up date with you!

As best of friends are able to catch up right where they left off, regardless of the amount of time passed, so are we. Grab your coffee, or flavored water, or sangria and let’s get to it!

What’s been happening?!

In the frigid cold that is Minneapolis in February, many gathered for the Super Bowl. I hid.

Only kidding. Kind of. I was hibernating, trying to avoid the chaos of the city most of the time. There were so many events happening around the city though, so I did brace the cold (almost as though I was an out-of-towner?) and it was actually quite incredible.

2018 continued with snow, more snow, and more snow. Seriously. A blizzard mid-April. Can you believe it?! I could not. So when summer finally rolled around, I was in heaven. More than usual. I am 100% affected by the weather. Not only by the lack of Vitamin D that’s running through me, but emotionally, energetically, and socially.

That sun comes out though, and I’m a whole new person. In a whole new world. I’m at every festival, on a patio every night, taking daily walks for miles and miles. I absolutely love this about Minneapolis – the complete immersion of summer once it’s here.

Other than the weather (I’m such a typical Minnesotan you guys! We just have to talk about the weather!) and all the recipes you’ve been seeing, I’ve enjoyed catching up with friends, trying out new restaurants (my yearly goal!), and fighting for as many injustices as I can. We can’t give up, not this year, not the next, not any.

I’ve Been Loving…

Raw Honey Face Wash

No joke you guys, it’s been life changing. Lily from Kale and Caramel has praised this method for so long. I’ve always had incredibly sensitive skin. I used organic products, tried to minimize irritants, would drink a lot of water…all the “go-to solutions”. Or so I thought. I finally grabbed some raw honey from Whole Foods and some rose hip oil to moisturize. Away we went. The raw honey is a gentle exfoliant and bonus: it smells good, and if you happen to get a little on your lips, it tastes delicious!

Foodtography School

It’s easy to get into a rut in most things in life. In my experience anyway. I was there. In the rut. I knew enough about photography to know that there was so much more I could know, needed to know, that I knew already, but didn’t know how to put that knowledge into action. So I committed to Foodtography school. Sarah from Broma Bakery runs an incredible virtual photography class – an introductory level and a more advanced class. You guys. She’s amazing. If you’re looking to up your photography game, regardless of how advanced you are, I HIGHLY recommend it. Not sponsored, not affiliate, just a huge fan of learning and improving and this class!

I’m also going to take this opportunity to be completely vulnerable and show you a “before I started” photo compared to a “where I’m at now” photo. The before isn’t right before the class, it’s before the blog. Like, two years before the blog actually came to fruition.

Balance

I’ve been working to find[more] balance this year. YES, you guys, I know I tout balance all the time. Balance in food, balance in work, balance in life. But the truth is, balance can be hard sometimes. I’m human. We’re all just trying to do our best – and sometimes that means taking a step back and evaluating what balance means at this point in life. That’s where I’m at, reevaluating what balance means.

What does balance look like in this new season? How do I not overwhelm myself with the blog work I love so dearly, yet can get lost in? How do I balance eating Strawberry Pie and Farmer’s Market Salads? How do I balance going-going-going with taking some time to focus on self-care? All rhetorical questions, of course, but if you have any answers before I figure it out, send ‘em my way! 😉

What’s to come?!

I can’t wait to see what the rest of 2018 has in store! If you’ve been following along on the dating front – see here and here if you don’t know what I’m taking about – that’s still going strong (or well, as strong as dating can be considered ?). This summer I’m taking as much time as I can to focus on creating as many new recipes as I can – send me your requests! And well, trying to find balance as I said… haha… 

How’s 2018 been for you? What are you looking forward to the rest of the year? I’d love to hear – just leave a comment below! <3