Living Softer {02}

in Habits, Heart, and Home

Welcome back to Living Softer, my weekly place to keep track of the small things. This series is about habits, heart, and home, what I’m reaching for, what’s grounding me, and what’s quietly shaping these days. A gentle inventory of life as I know it right now.

LOVING

Collagen protein in my coffee.

I always make sure to eat breakfast these days, a habit forced upon me by pregnancy and now breastfeeding, thank goodness, but I still find coffee to make me a little shaky. I’ve started adding a full scoop of this into my mug, and it has made all the difference. Plus, it adds a creaminess and thickness that I just love!

If you use this link, you can get $20 off your first order of $75 or more.

INSPIRED BY

My 23-year-old self.

Before I moved to Canada to be with Jonah, I had four different jobs at once, all catering to a different love of mine. I’d like to get back to that in some way. I’m not sure how, but I loved when my days were filled with that kind of variety. Virtual styling, retail, social media management, and photography. My time definitely don’t allow for that amount of hustle anymore, but I love looking back on that year and a half and how fulfilled I felt. Pondering how to recreate that variation again.

VISITING

Facebook Marketplace more than I’d like to admit.

We are wanting to add a few last touches to our apartment, as well as create a little playroom/nursery in our den for Stella, but I’d like to do it all for a reasonable price. So I’m checking there often to see what’s new, or if any of my saved items have dropped in price since I looked 20 minutes ago.

INTEGRATING

This! Writing again.

And writing consistently. I have lots of drafts I’ve started to brainstorm that I hope to tend to as well.

NOTICING

How hard I am on myself regarding my recovery from birth.

I’d never speak to a friend, or anyone for that matter, the way I speak to myself about where I’m at physically. My body is not nearly where I hoped it would be, and I have not been kind in my thoughts. Jeans aren’t fitting, shirts aren’t hanging, and outfits aren’t looking at all how I had hoped by three months postpartum. Honest and vulnerable to share, but true. It’s all in time, of course, but not seeing who I am used to seeing in the mirror has been a hurdle. I want to be softer going forward.

GRABBING

My Gap PJs.

My mom brought me two matching sets when she visited at the beginning of last month, and I’m bummed every single time they’re in the laundry. I love them. I’d like both sets in every color. I’d like both sets in every color. She got me this pink cashmere pointelle pair (top is here, bottoms are here), and this floral pointelle pair (top is here, bottoms are here).

SAVORING

Stella’s contact naps.

It hit me last week that she won’t want or be able to nap on me forever, and now every time she falls asleep on my chest, I want to bottle up the feeling and savor it as much as possible. There’s no greater joy than holding her as she sinks in for a snooze. That’s how I’m writing this post now, actually.

OFFLINING

With backgammon.

Jonah and I are major board game and card game people. Before Stella, we played a game of some sort every time we sat down to eat together. Since moving the week before I gave birth, we have been eating all of our meals on the couch, but we finally set up a dining room and have returned to playing lots of backgammon during dinner. We place Stella in her lounger on the table and set up the board in between us. It’s sweet to watch her watch us play, and I’m loving that we’re doing something from our former life again.

FREQUENTING

My walking pad/vibration plate.

Now being three months postpartum, I finally feel ready to start moving my body in a real way again, and this has been a gentle way to start.

TREATING

To tea and Walker’s All-Butter Shortbread cookies most nights when we get into bed.

Simple, but oh-so yum. Any sort of shortbread/butter cookie is perfection to me. I love dipping in a sleepy-time tea.

EATING

Lots of oatmeal.

Jonah told me that I have a magic touch when it comes to making it. Major compliment! Here’s my recipe:

RECOMMENDING

Anything from the OSEA Malibu Dream product line.

It’s bio-retinol, which is often regarded as breastfeeding safe (consult your doctor, of course), because it is made from plants. I use these three products every night now and have noticed a major change in my skin. I was feeling so dull and dry and these are bringing a glow back. I love everything OSEA Malibu, so I’d truly recommend any and all of their products. They were my gateway brand into clean beauty in my early 20s.

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Here’s to {Living Softer}. More next week.

Greta