Happy Friday, friends! Today is my 30TH BIRTHDAY! Despite social distancing, life still shows up in little ways – not only did I manage to get an AMAZING parking spot at work (we all now how good that feeling is!), I also received an appreciation award at work today! Then on the way home we picked up some pork belly and steam buns from my favorite local Chinese restaurant.
I wont say I’m addicted to steam buns, but I won’t say I’m not either…
I also enlisted the expertise of a local cake artist who conveniently lives in my neighborhood. Check out this custom beauty:
Did she deliver or did she deliver?! Rich favor and smooth texture – just what I’m looking for in a cake!
Then we video chatted with my parents and now we’re watching The Princess and The Frog – My son wanted to watch Cars and I told him, “It’s MOMMY’S birthday so I GET to pick the movie!” 🙂
It’s a night for relaxation.
Recently someone recommended breath prayers to me. I looked into it and sure enough, it has been making a difference. Although I don’t do the strict form of it; I kinda just say what feels right and apply the “speak it into in existence” concept.
For example, I inhale and say “The Lord is good” then exhale and say “Today is full of blessings.”
You can do it any time (it particularly comes in handy on my morning commute to work.) And if you’re not a Christian or want to say something else, you can still do the practice and choose your own words; it’s like a spoken meditation to center you and redirect your thoughts to what you want to focus on.
I am proud of my accomplishments this year: paying off my car, refinancing my house, being accepted into graduate school, preparing for a new career path in 2021, and reclaiming my passion for writing and sharing content with others by creating this blog.
Behind the scenes, I have donated to causes that I care about and worked to educate myself on issues I was aware existed but was grossly unfamiliar with.
2020 is the year for all of us to reclaim. And if 2020’s not your year? Guess what – 2021 is right around the corner! Every moment is a new moment. Let us build up each other and ourselves!
The rest of my post today is simple: a list of 30 favorites in honor of my 30th birthday! What are your favorite things? Let’s celebrate those!
What is my favorite…?
- I’ll start with Chinese restaurant, since I just mentioned it above: Sichuan House – the food is good, the customer service is good, the no contact curbside pickup is amazing, it’s like a dream
- To-go coffee order (regardless of where I’m ordering from): Iced Americano with light ice, a splash of cream, and sugar free vanilla
- Cocktail: Mojito or if i’m feeling *wild* an amaretto or whiskey sour
- Beer: I might be biased because I used to live about 15 minutes from their original brewery, but I do really like Leinenkugel’s; they recently came out with spritzers (“spritzen”) and the raspberry lemon flavor is my fave
- TV Show: Friends
- Sweet Treat: Anything with fudge or fudge pieces in it
- Salty Snack: White cheddar popcorn
- Outfit: Sweatpants and a sweatshirt – I’m all about being cozy
- Food: Cheeseburgers
- Color: Green
- Animal: Sloth
- Flower: Daisies and dahlias
- Sport: Soccer
- Movie: Legends of the Fall
- Park in San Antonio: Phil Hardberger
- Place I’ve hiked: Big Sur, California – plus it’s hard to beat that drive along the coast
- Place I’ve visited: Great Britain
- Place I’ve lived: Monterey, California
- Place to vacation: Near the ocean, I love the sound of waves on the shore and a gentle sea breeze on my skin
- Exercise: Jogging! I was a #cardiobunny in my long-distance running years
- Running event: In Texas, it’s the Whooping Crane Strut in Rockport, TX; last year I did the 5k and this year I did the 10k; it’s such a supportive group and takes place right next to the water!
- Modern authors: Yangsze Choo (author of The Ghost Bride and The Night Tiger – I need to watch the TV adaptation of The Ghost Bride !!) and Melissa Albert (author of The Hazel Wood and The Night Country)
- Place to read: My nine-year-old recliner; it’s been all over the place with me and was at my Grandma’s house for a long time towards the end of her life, so it has special place in my heart
- Books I’ve read so far in 2020: The history books by James Bradley, I Miss You When I Blink, and Conjure Women
- Book genre: Historical fiction
- Thing to write: Lyrics and poetry – hopefully I’ll be brave enough to share some here soon!
- Personality trait: I’m a good listener and enjoy connecting with people
- Thing about living in Texas: As an outsider, I initially found Texas to be surprisingly diverse; I love the eclectic backgrounds of its residents and that it’s very recreation-focused
- Thing about being a homeowner: The amazing neighbors I’ve met and that I can pretty much do whatever I want without anyone stopping me 😉
- Thing about being a mom: Watching my son get bigger and learn new things + snuggles 🙂
Thanks for reading! Have a fantastic weekend, friends!
