What I'm learning
It feels like a lifetime since I've sat down to write a monthly newsletter, and I guess it kind of has been. I had my 5+ hour endometriosis excision surgery mid-February and a quick follow-up surgery to remove a temporary GoreTex lining (to prevent adhesions) ten days after that. The month of February kind of disappeared in a haze of pain and bedrest. Returning to the real world in March was very tearful, emotional, and exhausting. I honestly felt like I had postpartum depression all over again. I feel like I'm over the worst of it, but I will eventually share this whole experience in a podcast episode for those who are wondering if they have endometriosis or are anticipating going through excision surgery. This whole journey (still ongoing) continues to teach me more and more about self-advocacy, expectations, and taking yourself seriously. I'm also working on being kind and gentle with myself, the way I would talk to a friend if she'd gone through the last 6 months I've gone through. It's a continuous work-in-progress.
What I'm reading
I read so much fiction while I was on bedrest, and Hello Stranger by Katherine Center was a real standout. It's hard to find something engaging, thought-provoking, slightly different, unpredictable (I TRULY did not see the twist in this book) and still easy to read. Highly recommend it! In non-fiction, I randomly grabbed Outdoor Kids in an Inside Worldby Steve Rinella when I was at the library, and I'm so glad I did! I'm really hit or miss with non-fiction in this season of life, and this one was enjoyable and educational at the same time. I'm also working through Simplicity Parenting. It's easy and enjoyable to read, but very through-provoking, so I'm taking it slow. As usual, I'm learning about myself as much as I'm learning about my kids as I read this parenting book!
What I'm listening to
Okay I started listening to the MoNews podcast last fall and I feel so adult about it. For years, I just didn't listen to the news because it was so biased and alarming... but then I was just getting news from Instagram which was even worse! This podcast is truly unbiased, and the elderly millennial jokes are an added bonus. I've also been on an Andrew Peterson kick lately, particularly the Burning Edge of Dawn album. Worth a listen if you're in a hard season but still know you need the Gospel. Finally, these 2 recent episodes of the 1000 Hours Outside podcast have really given me a lot of food for thought about slowing down and about my own use of screens in lieu of actual self-care and simplification: The Internet is Forever, but Your Children are only Children for a Little While The Undeclared War on Childhood
On my podcast
Milk + Motherhood got a makeover last month! Check out the new podcast cover in your favorite listening app. The pod is on hiatus right now, but if you subscribe you'll be the first to know when the next episode comes out! I did record a bonus episode last month, though, with my perinatal counselor friend Stephanie Risinger. We talk about that silly Washington Post article that came out a few weeks ago about women getting off the birth control pill amidst "misinformation explosion." We had some things to say, and you can listen here.
What We're Eating
I'm not generally a huge salad person, but have been craving them lately. This Roasted Peanut Kale Crunch Salad was a hit with the whole family! I also recently found some chili lime salmon skewers at Costco that only had a few simple ingredients. Miraculously, all the kids ate it! Very few semi-homemade foods are safe with our various food allergies, so this was a huge win.
Seasonal Recipe If you have an unsprayed yard, send your kids out to pick yellow dandelion heads. You'll have to twist the petals out for the recipe, but it doesn't take long. Technically, dandelion flowers are high in antioxidants, beta-carotene, and Vitamins C, K, and E. But mostly it's a really fun way to involve your kids in foraging and local food. The cookies taste like lemon shortbread, but with the added visual effect of florals!
Dandelion Shortbread Cookies 1 cup of butter, softened 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 to 1 cup dandelion petals 1 tsp lemon zest 2 1/2 cups Bob's Red Bill 1:1 Gluten-Free flour (or regular AP flour) 1 pinch salt
Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy, stir in the dandelions and lemon zest until smooth. Add flour and salt and mix well. Roll out to desired thickness (mine were about 2-3cm thick) and cut into desired shapes. Bake at 325 for 20-25 minutes.
Supplement Spotlight
Supplements should always be just that... supplemental to your diet and lifestyle. Over the years I've spent a lot of money of supplements that were either sub-par or not right for me. So when I find a good one that actually works, I love to share! Please know that any time I share an affiliate link or code, it's from a product I purchased myself, loved, and then reached out to the company for a discount code. I will never promote something I don't regularly spend my own money on, and the affiliate links allow you to get a discount if it's something you want to try as well! This month, I started regularly taking WishGarden's Rebalance tincture for postpartum hormones. I realized I took it for a few weeks after surgery but then stopped for a while, and I also kind of fell apart for a while. Maybe a coincidence, maybe not. But the St. John's Wort and Motherwort help my mood pretty quickly, and I know the other herbs are helping with healing and stabilization. I recently reached out to them and they generously gave me a 20% off code for you all! Just use the code HAPPYMAMA at checkout.
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