The Weekly Edit: Taking Time for Myself

This week started off bad and got worse.  I won’t bore you with the details, but, as my Mother would say, I am weary.  Too much has piled up on my shoulders, and I need to shake some of it off.  So I’m taking a break.

There won’t be any more posts this week.  I’m going to use this time to download a new blog theme and re-design some things around here.  I love the work that my designers did on this one, but it just feels like it’s time for a change.

I’m also going to pick up a few projects that I’ve been putting off.  I have an office closet that still has two boxes of unpacked stuff from my Helena office, a bunch of clothes that need to go up on Poshmark, and bags and bags of beauty samples that need to be given away.

And I’m going to sleep late, take walks (if the rain ends), ride my Peloton and not spend my days on Daybook and LinkedIn searching for a new job.  I just need a rest, and if I’ve learned one thing in my thirties, it’s that if you don’t take a rest when you need it, you’re just putting your mental and physical health at risk.

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday weekend with your family.  Remember to stay safe out there (wear a mask! wash your hands!), and just take a moment for yourself when you can get it.

You can’t show up for others until you take care of yourself.  The Art of Showing Up talks about the importance of real self-care, not trendy face mask self-care.  It also discusses how to ask for help when you need it.  The book also offers advice on how to make friends as an adult, how to build relationships, and how to leave toxic friendships.  It’s definitely worth a read.

My daily walks are about the only thing to look forward to on most days.  I basically sprint from the house with my library of true crime podcasts and my Ray-Bans on (#basic).  But it’s getting way too hot to wear leggings, and I hate wearing shorts.  They’re comfortable, breathable, look nice, and don’t hold onto smells if things get a little sweaty around mile five.

The North Face Aphrodite Shorts are my favorite.  They have a 4″ inseam on the regular length, and 6″ on the longer length styles.  They have a cinch-able waist band and pockets that actually hold things.  Check the size guide to find your best fit.  I have 38″ hips, and my sixes fit close to the body, while my eights are a bit breezier.

When I couldn’t find the Aphrodites in black in my size, I bought these Columbia Anytime Shorts.  Very similar look and fit as the North Face short above.  They just don’t have the pocket room the North Face do.  It’s basically regular-size iPhone in one pocket, face mask and debit card in second pocket.

Plus-size?  Columbia stocks a similar short in your size range.  Sadly, I couldn’t find an exact copy with the drawstring.

When my friend Marissa and I were in our 20s, she managed a boutique in Bethesda and I would sometimes fill in there when she was in-between salespeople.  And when I would work Friday nights, we would head down to Mon Ami Gabi and eat the baked goat cheese appetizer and sip champagne.

So I recently got a craving for warm bowls of tomato sauce filled with melty mounds of goat cheese, spread over toasted bread.  This recipe from A Couple of Cooks is close.  I pureed the sauce into a fine soup and added a bit more heat, but it’s close to the MAG original.

If it’s hot where you are, and you cannot imagine eating a warm vat of tomato sauce, I got you.  This baked cheese from The Cookie Rookie uses whole cherry tomatoes instead.  Use a few more tomatoes, cook as instructed, and then let cool before spooning over a spinach salad with a simple olive oil dressing.

Zoom calls need eyeshadow.  Even when I’m just wearing a bit of tinted moisturizer and bronzer, my eyes need a little more pop than mascara can provide.  This Morphe Palette had some rich, dark colors that define eyes beautifully.  And it’s $12.

Need a tutorial?  This simple eye look can be done with any color palette and is easy to replicate at home.

{this post contains affiliate links that may generate commission for the author}