*If you see an asterisk next to a link, that link takes you to a video with sound. Just a heads-up in case you need to turn the volume down or pop on your headphones.

HOME

This past week I noticed it was time to oil our cutting boards, wooden bowl, and wooden spoons. I wondered if there might be a way to make my own board butter, so I did a little research and found this recipe for board butter using beeswax and coconut oil. If you’re not up for making your own, there are plenty of handmade board butters on Etsy ($).

Tip: The best way to melt beeswax is usually a double boiler. Be sure to have a designated metal bowl for melting beeswax. The beeswax is very hard to remove from anything it touches, which works great for sealing your cutting board, but not so great for re-using your bowl.

Chiles en nogada is a fall tradition in Mexico to celebrate Mexican Indepence Day. We picked up a few chiles en nogada tacos at TacoDeli in Austin this past week, and loved the combination of poblano, walnut cream sauce, and pomegranate seeds. Now I want to try making our own, so I found a recipe from Pati Jinich here.

Pati Jinich has a new cookbook coming out soon! I’ve added it to my Bookshop wishlist ($).

GARDEN

Last week we added a birdbath to our backyard, and we’ve had fun watching the birds splashing around in the birdbath ever since. I’m constantly in awe of the way a backyard wildlife habitat benefits these mini ecosystems.

Frostweed is a native plant to Central Texas that shouldn’t be overlooked. This flowering native attracts all sorts of pollinators at a time when many flowering plants are starting to slow down. The frostweed in our yard has been attracting everything from bees to butterflies to lemon-yellow finches. After the first frost, frostweed splits its stems and forms stunning ice sculptures from the oozing sap.

Turk’s cap (or Malvaviscus aroreus) is an edible flower here in Texas. Turk’s cap prefers the shade. I’m interested in using the leaves for teas and a drink that reminds me of jamaica (hibiscus) water.

“The fruit is ripe when it is dark reddish-orange with no white skin present. These fruits taste like apples but with very little tartness, mainly just a light sweetness. They and their seeds can be eaten raw though the seeds are better if lightly toasted. The berries can also be made into jelly, jam, wine, or dehydrated.” - Foraging Texas website

Another great resource for edible plants is the book Foraging Texas ($) by Stacy M. Coplin and Eric M. Knight.

WELLNESS

Most changes happen a little bit over time. You can use this to your advantage by using temptation bundling or habit bundling to make it happen. Pair something you love with a change you are trying to make. I also use the Lazy Genius principle “Start Small” when creating a new habit in my life.

Small, consistent habits paired with something you enjoy will help you stay motivated. You can also pair a new habit or task you’d like to implement with another consistent activity in your schedule to help you remember (go for a hike with a friend on the same day you clean the floors). I’ve found it all starts with a good routine. Fewer decisions and brain space are the rewards of a consistent routine.

I use a weekly routine for my workouts. To make decision-making easier, I know exactly where I’ll be working out (in my bedroom), where my workout gear is located near the workout space so that I have everything I need (in my Narnia wardrobe), and what I’ll be doing for each workout (Glo every weekday except for Wednesdays when I do a little dancing with The Boss Family and yoga on weekends). I workout near a window, so I can look outside and enjoy the view. I wear my favorite workout clothes and have cold water nearby. I set myself up for success.

I often refer to Kendra Adachi’s idea to ask yourself what small task you can do now that will make your future self say “thank you”. Make that future task easier by setting out the supplies you need, clearing a surface to create calm, or even taking a little cat nap beforehand.

Listen to The Science of Change episode on Slight Change of Plans podcast to understand how change works.

6 Ways to Find Joy During Times of Change (I love her metaphors for change)

CREATIVITY

Could puzzles improve your life?

BOOKSHELF

I heard about this book from our local bookstore, Bookpeople, and love the way it reflects back to readers what it means to live at the border of two countries that share so much culture.

I’m cracking open this month’s book selection for the Modern Mrs. Darcy Book Club, Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower ($). I’m not usually a sci-fi fan, but I’m intrigued by all the good reviews for this one.

This science fiction book pick will also soon be a film.

Reading: The Personal Librarian ($) by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray, Parable of the Sower ($) by Octavia E. Butler, and The House on Vesper Sands ($) by Paraic O’Donnell

Listening to: Pride ($) by Ibi Zoboi, Clap When You Land ($) by Elizabeth Acevedo, and The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together ($) by Heather McGhee

Recently Finished: Queen Sugar ($) by Natalie Baszile, The Cemetery Boys ($) by Aiden Thomas, Address Unknown ($) by Katherine Kressman Taylor and Margot Livesey, Finding My Voice ($) by Nadiya Hussain, and The Jane Austen Society ($) by Natalie Jenner, Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything ($) by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland

Up next:  Dear Miss Metropolitan ($) by Carolyn Ferrell, Harlem Shuffle ($) by Colson Whitehead, and Another Brooklyn ($) by Jacqueline Woodson

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

“There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it’s going to be a butterfly.”

-R. Buckminster Fuller

Seeing possibilities in systemic and social change takes courage, hard work, and patience. We also have to engage in the awkward, uncomfortable, challenging, and NECESSARY conversations as a community. Change can be difficult to imagine when ideas and values are so deeply rooted in a society. To remain as a caterpillar seems like a safer choice because caterpillars never leave the ground and spend much of their life in a chrysalis waiting for change to happen. Each stage is important as a way to reflect, plan, and learn about the experiences of others and the way a community interacts. However, we have to move from a stage of waiting in that comfortable place and break the shell to emerge and take flight if this time of reflection is going to create change. We must test our wings even when society is constantly opposing taking flight in the uncertain winds of change. We have the power to make change happen in both small and bold ways.

Most change comes with some form of discomfort even if it is only temporary. Often growing through change is also a way to honor years of discomfort and pain in someone else’s life. Someone you might not even meet.

When we honor individual contributions, perspectives, stories, and experiences, we can take their personal accounts and truths to heart. I think that is why I love good storytelling so much. If we are really listening, we grow by listening to someone else’s story. Every story matters.

Last week on Instagram I noticed this post from The Conscious Kid about how many books were banned in a Pennsylvania school district. I recognized or own many of them. I couldn’t believe they were banned from schools by the school board. I was inspired to see the community push back and get those books back on the shelves!

Move Over Melvil

How to teach your kids to be media savvy

I laughed when I saw a sign hanging up in a bathroom recently with instructions on washing hands set to a New Kids on the Block song. You can print out your own sign with song lyrics, a poem, or a funny story to remind your kids (or anyone else that might need a reminder) to spend a little more time getting those hands clean with a smile on your face. I’m thinking a nice fall poem, advertising jingle you can’t get our of your head, or funny song would be a great way to lighten up this mundane task!

Enjoy your weekend :)

"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.

Check out some of my favorite resources here.

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Disclosure: ($) 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, Campspot, Beauty by Earth, or Prana website using my link. Income from the products in these links helps me to keep this blog growing.