Spring Favorites

I underestimate spring every year. Maybe it’s because colorful blooms and verdant greens feel almost offensively cheerful for a melancholic disposition like mine. But if I’m being honest, when spring finally comes, I feel just as much relief as I do in fall.

And then there’s that slight restructuring of daily life that comes with each new season. I’ve been working my way through my Spring Reset list, which has helped me puzzle out not only my own routines, but new ones for the family now that the days are longer.

I’m already looking forward to strawberry-rhubarb pie and fresh asparagus, and to the days when we’re finally done with school. That’s when we’ll shift our attention to the garden.

• Knitting, always. And not summery knits either. I use spring and summer knitting time to make and repair knits so they’re ready for fall.

• Pressed spring flowers, especially hellebores.

• Marker pads and sketchbooks. I started buying spirals and drawing pads to keep my kids’ art more organized. They especially love their marker pads because they don’t bleed-through.

• Fresh berries from the store are finally starting to taste good again.

• Coffee. My 11 year old has been making it every morning.

• Egg recipes. Our chickens are laying like crazy, so right now I’m all about potato salad, Dutch babies, open-faced egg salad sandwiches, mayak eggs… anything that uses large quantities of eggs.

• Jasmine pearl tea. Especially nice enjoyed first thing in the morning when the house is quiet.

• Laneige lip mask. It’s meant to be worn while you sleep, but I just wear it as my daily lip gloss. It’s moisturizing without being too sticky or shiny.

• Jones Road eyeshadow stick. I have extremely sensitive eyes that water and itch from most eye products, but this is something I can actually tolerate.

• The Abbey Yung haircare method. I’ve been on the curly girl train for years, but it wasn’t working as well for my hair as I’d hoped. Recently, I switched to Abbey Yung, and my hair and scalp seem happier.

• Color seasons. Turns out I’m a soft autumn. Convenient, since I’ve always been drawn to greens and browns. This is going to make buying yarn and clothes more fun.

• This Pollard’s Pinewood Cologne & Pomade from Cedar Hill Homestead. It smells like walking through the forest.

• Manicures with my girls. We pop a show on once every two weeks or so and do each other’s nails. It’s one of my new favorite things, and I’m not even a nail girl.

• The Count of Monte Cristo (PBS Masterpiece). The first episode is slow. Make it to episode two, though, and you’re golden.

• Dark Winds. Finally, a show where Zahn McClarnon gets to stick around.

• Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man. I can’t say anything without spoiling it, but if you’re into Peaky Blinders, you’ll need to see this. The reviews are mixed, but I’m glad I watched it. The ending is fitting.

• Of Chocolate and Water. Magical realism. Beautiful food. Heartbreaking story. All things right up my alley.

• The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. It’s a struggle to read about WWII right now, but I’m plugging along slowly, dreading the inevitable moments in the book that are going to rip my heart out.

• The Language of the Wind by Ursula LeGuin. My husband bought this for me for Christmas, and I’m savoring it.

• The FFVII remake on PlayStation. I played the original FFVII back in the day and loved it, and the remake is great so far. I’m only a few chapters in.

• Loop earplugs. These are lifesavers. Especially if I have a headache coming on, or my ears are feeling a little raw from kids yelling all day.

• Chore chart. I finally set up an updated system so my kids can earn cash and video game time on the weekends, and it’s making life so much easier now that we’re all on the same page.

• Metal clip-on bookmarks. They attach unobtrusively to your pages or book covers so you don’t misplace them. The only problem is remembering to remove them after you’re done.

That’s it for now. If you have a spring favorite or two of your own, do share.