Season 20
A young blue jay resting on our fig tree
This week I listened to an episode of The Lazy Genius podcast with Kendra Adachi. In the episode, she interviewed Rachel Rodgers and they talked about *A New Way to Think About Money. Together they dive deeply into the history of women and money, societal messages around women and money (especially those in marginalized communities), and why we have some unlearning to do around finances.
Women Are Working More Than Ever, But They Still Take On Most Household Responsibilities. Among many women I know, this is absolutely still true. This uneven balance of responsibilities rings true for not only physical household chores, but especially the mental load and logistics of the household, caregiving, and parenting. I’ve been thinking about the ways that various women tackle the heavier load. For most of us, it feels like overwhelm unless we ask for help. Sadly, helpful little elves do not come at night to wash the dishes, clean the toilets, schedule dentist appointments, make the hundreds of tiny decisions that need to be made, and fold the laundry (although I enjoy that task…I know that’s weird). We have to find ways to share the load with our partners, friends, family members, hire outside help, or just do less.
I find the household, caregiving, and parenting load is seasonal with ebbs and flows for many of us. I enjoy tasks at home as well as working at home, and I have a good routine of making time for everything I love all in one place. However, in certain seasons, after a few weeks or months of beginning to feel more flow in my days, a shift happens. I’m away from home more often, more is added to the schedule, or sudden life events occur, and I find that delicate balance is suddenly thrown off. I’m not always sure how to ask for help or catch up, and I get caught up in the logistics or weighed down by the never ending task list and BAM! overwhelm blindsides me.
I bookend my day with self-care. Almost every morning I begin with tea, a garden walk (or I might sneak in a bubble bath) followed by a workout and end the day with a good book. Taking time to slow down and appreciate nature is vital to my wellbeing. I refuse to feel guilty for taking that time for myself or even spending money on the things that I enjoy to maintain my self-care routines. I know how important they are to feeling well, being creative, having energy for life’s responsibilities, and being able to care for the people I love.
Taking care of myself gives me the capacity to be creative, share my talents, love my people, and share my gifts of time and money through supporting organizations making a difference or choosing thoughtful gifts from small business owners who make a difference (especially those who are part of marginalized communities). Women generally spend money differently than men and often in generous ways that lift people up. Let’s get more money into the hands of women so that they can make a difference.
Rachel Rodgers suggested that when women use their financial influence in their daily choices to spend and invest in women and women business owners (and especially those who are marginalized), they make more of an impact than in charitable giving alone. If you’re not sure where to begin, research your local Asian Chamber of Commerce, Black Chamber of Commerce, Latin Chamber of Commerce or LGBTQIA Chamber of Commerce or visit Etsy’s Black-owned Etsy Shops ($), Latinx-owned Etsy Shops ($) or AAPI-owned Shops ($). You can learn more about Rachel Rodgers on her website Hello Seven and in her book.
Share with the community all the ways you ask for help or plan to ask for help in the future! Let’s help each other with ideas. Comment at the end of this post.
*If you see an asterisk next to a link, it links to a video with sound. Just a heads-up in case you need to turn the volume down or pop on your headphones.
($) If you see this dollar symbol in a post, the link is an affiliate post. I will receive income or a discount on products if you purchase that item on Bookshop.org or anything on the Etsy or Prana website using my link. Income from the products in these links helps me to keep this blog growing.
HOME
With summer on the horizon, I’m yearning for a slower and more leisurely schedule. One of the ways that I lessen decision fatigue during the busyness of spring is by sticking to a wardrobe that I can put on repeat. By having to spend less time on decision-making, I have more time for other things in my day (a trick I learned from The Lazy Genius book ($) and podcasts).
Set yourself up for success. On Sundays, I make sure my closet is ready for the week. My clothes are clean, folded or hung in a place that’s easy to access, and I keep a small wardrobe on repeat to keep decisions to a minimum.
Call me boring, but I tend to stick to a couple of brands I know and love so that when I order something online, I know it will fit. I don’t love clothes shopping in a store, and I’d rather have a set of clothes that I can mix and match easily. I find that if I buy a couple of items from that season’s line, they generally work together.
I recently stocked up on 5 day’s worth of Prana shorts, tanks, and sports bras so that I have my outfits ready to go for my daily GLO workouts.
When I found Canopy Verde purses on Etsy ($), I knew immediately they would be headed to my closet. I cannot tell you how much I love the colors and how well they are made. I’m picky about fabrics and textures and these are buttery soft (and vegan leather!).
As we move outdoors to celebrate all things spring and summer, don’t miss the Etsy Outdoor Sales Event through Monday, May 24, 2021. Save up to 20%! I’ve put together a list of ideas for making your outdoor space inviting and festive ($).
'Lauren's Grape' Poppy from Lonestar Nursery
GARDEN
There are so many lessons hidden in the garden.
This has been a year of ripping off Band-aids (so to speak) and new beginnings. This year’s garden has been no exception. The winter storm that steamrolled its way through Austin, Texas took our beloved citrus and olive trees. We were hopeful that they would make it through or bounce back, but sadly they did not. They are sprouting at the base, and for now we’re just going to let the little guys grow even though we’ve cut off all the branches and some of the trunk.
Cutting down the limbs of these trees after years of gorgeous lemons and olives hurts my heart. Yes, they may not have been meant to grow here considering we do occasionally get cold snaps, but I live in the world of hope, possibility, and hard work.
One day in the future we’ll get to work re-imagining our backyard orchard, but in the meantime, here is a great video on *Growing Your Own Orchard (and having fruit almost year-round!)
I’m back to writing notes in my garden journal now that so much is thriving in the garden again. Even if I can just write a few notes each day, I’ll have something to look back on for next year when planning our garden. Timing can be important in gardening and there is nothing more reliable than your own notes for what is working in YOUR garden’s soil and your location’s climate.
If you’re beginning a garden journal ($) for the first time, consider whether you’d like to just write one line or a page full of observations notes. You might add sketches or notes on the moon’s phase or the weather that day. You could also add photos or make notes on what is putting on blossoms, what you’re harvesting, or what is NOT doing well. For example, I learned this year that our borage did not like dry soil or the afternoon heat when the temperatures would get into the 90s. I will be putting those important notes in my journal for next year’s planning. Notes about plant spacing or adaptability when it comes to shade or heat are vital to planning next year’s garden.
WELLNESS
Time for introspection means a chance to see the possibilities you might miss if you’re speeding through life. Take time to slow down enough today to notice.
"The goal of life is to make your heartbeat match the beat of the universe, to match your nature with Nature." – Joseph Campbell
CREATIVITY
Pressed flower cards ($) (This artist is in Austin, Texas)
BOOKSHELF
This week I had the opportunity to join in on the Modern Mrs. Darcy’s 10th Annual Summer Reading Guide Unboxing Event just for members (the guide is available to newsletter subscribers on May 24th). You can join the Modern Mrs. Darcy Book Club here. Next week I’ll share some of my favorites from the guide that I plan to add to my TBR, and you’ll also be able to find them on my 52 Seasons Bookshop.org list called Books to Escape the Summer Heat (to be updated with my summer guide picks next week!)
While I know that some of you enjoy the summer heat, here in Texas, we’re questioning our sanity and finding any possible water source by July and August which is a great time for a cold drink and a book.
Below I have photos of my monthly book stacks for summer (June, July, and August). Am I a bit ambitious with my summer reading stacks? Yes, I am, but I also like to have choices of what to read depending on my mood.
Reading: Midnight in the Blackbird Cafe ($) by Heather Webber, Crying in H Mart ($) by Michelle Zauner, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous ($) by Ocean Vuong and Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man ($) by Emmanuel Acho
Listening to: We’re Going to Need More Wine ($) by Gabrielle Union
Recently Finished: The Downstairs Girl ($) by Stacey Lee and Work in Progress ($) by Leanne Ford and Steve Ford
Up next: The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together ($) by Heather McGhee, Refuge by Dina Nayeri, People We Meet on Vacation ($) by Emily Henry, The Stationery Shop ($) by Marjan Kamali, Caste ($) by Isabel Wilkerson
In case you are looking for book recommendations for kids (or yourself!), gift ideas for all ages or want to peek into my TBR List for 2021, head over to the 52 Seasons Book Shop on Bookshop.org.
COMMUNITY
Look at these cute Sesame Street planters I saw on Instagram this week! What a fun way to get your kids gardening.
"Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world." - Desmond Tutu
Thank you for taking time out of your day to read 52 Seasons. I’d love to hear your feedback and ideas so that we can grow together.
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