what I’m learning and loving: february 2019
Since I was so late with my January post, it feels like I just did this! But here are a few things I’ve been learning and loving during this longest shortest month of the year…
What I’m loving
Cedar or fir essential oil in the evenings. I’ve been reading The Nature Fix (go read it pronto), and the entire book is about the incredible benefits of getting outside in nature. In one study shared in the book, the immunologist who designed the study wanted to see if essential oils derived from trees could duplicate some of the benefits. It turns out that diffusing the natural essential oil improved cellular function and reduced fatigue. I’ve been diffusing this or this in our house after dinner. I don’t know that I’ve noticed any physical benefits yet, but I love the scent and it seems to set the stage to help us calm down before bed.
The Bridgertons. So I got totally sucked into this series over the last few weeks. The characters are fun, spunky, and like-able, as is the writing. Don’t say that I didn’t warn you, but dive in if you’re in the mood for some guaranteed happily ever afters.
Sprouting. I’ve had these lids for years and am an on-again-off-again sprouter. We always eat up the sprouts when they’re around, but I tend to fall off the wagon after a few weeks. But, during the winter, we don’t eat nearly as many fresh vegetables as we do the rest of the year (#eatingseasonally), and I realized that sprouting could help us fill in the gaps nutritionally. Plus, they’re insanely good for us. Somehow, I’ve gotten in an easy routine where I always have two quart jars going at once – one I start on the weekend, and one I start around Wednesday. That way, we always have fresh sprouts in the fridge. It only requires two rinses per day, and I’ve been able to talk the kid who is already feeding the dog into doing it so I barely even have to remember anything.
The kids love them because they only need a small handful (basically one big bite) to get a ton of nutrition in and make mom and dad happy. Grant and I love them for the same reason – and because they’re yummy.
If you don’t have lids yet, I’d honestly buy these because that design is genius. Just keep 2-3 for yourself, and give the rest to a friend. I buy our seeds from Mountain Rose Herbs when I make a larger order from them anyway or this brand via Amazon. I like to do one round of broccoli a week and one round of a salad mix like this.
Related: check out this video on how to get even more nutritional bang for your buck out of the broccoli sprouts.
What I’m learning
How I have participated in – and benefited from – cultural appropriation. I’ve been listening to the Honor (Don’t Appropriate) Yoga Summit over the last week, and I have become aware of the ways in which I have participated in the appropriation of various traditions, rituals, customs, etc. It seems to be the water we swim in, and it is one of those things that once you see, you can’t un-see. I have many more conflicting and confusing thoughts on this whole topic, but I’m still right smack in the beginning of processing it all. I don’t expect that there will be an end point in this process, but I need to do plenty more self-discovery before I share more. Feel free to email me if you’re interested in digging in further together.
I have a very incomplete understanding of history. As a kid, history was one of my favorite subjects. I loved learning about it in and out of school. I finished Lies My Teacher Told Me and participated in some social media challenges during Black History Month (one led by Rachel Cargle and another by Mr. Kinetic). In so doing, I learned SO MANY new things (far too many to list here) about American history that I had never heard before. The history that I have been given is missing so much, and the last month has shown me how much work I have to do to fill in as many of the missing pieces as I can for myself – and for our children.
Learning isn’t always rainbows and butterflies. I have come to understand that learning, curiosity, and growth are some of my values as a person. It is important to me that I’m always learning new things and growing in new ways. But, when I started tracking this loving and learning monthly list several years ago, I mostly shared the new and exciting things that I was learning, things that “blew my mind.” The last several months have demonstrated over and over again that the learning (and unlearning) necessary for us to move forward together isn’t always fun and immediately rewarding. Much of the learning required leaves me feeling defensive and guilty. But if I sit with those feelings just a bit, I can allow this kind of learning to work on me too, to open my eyes to new and more complete ways of seeing the world and my place in it. It makes me excited for what is to come.
Your turn in the comments!
