Lovin' Lately no. 29: April
Creative inspiration, comfort watches, new indoor plants and garden seedlings, a spring cleaning toolkit and lots more!
Lovin’ Lately is a monthly roundup of the good things in life and the sentiments I’m carrying into the upcoming month. Imagine we’re catching up over coffee, and I’m gushing about what I’ve been Lovin’ Lately…
Hello, friends.
April has arrived, bringing with it those glorious rainy days—perfect for curling up with a book indoors or pulling on your wellies and splashing through puddles. Flowers will soon bloom too, petals falling like confetti and adding vibrant color to our world—don’t forget to notice it. It won’t last long. If the buds have already started to appear where you are, consider me envious; I’m checking every day with cheerful anticipation.
This month invites us to restock our sunscreen supply, drizzle lavender into our iced coffees, enjoy meals from a picnic basket or chocolate from an Easter egg, and—let’s be honest—probably show up to an outdoor event a bit too cold and underdressed, thanks to our eager belief that warmer days have fully arrived.
We also celebrate Earth Day this month, but may we remember to honor this generous, gorgeous planet every day. It requires our care, our attention, our protection—and it more than deserves it. How lucky we are to call this planet home.
This month, let’s love on the Earth, love on ourselves, and love on each other. In fact—is it even possible to do one without the others? I don’t believe so.
Grab a snack and settle in. Here’s a look at what I’ve been Lovin’ Lately…
Wrapping Up a Big Project and Prioritizing Rest
It’s hard to believe that the major deadline for a big project I was focused on all winter was in March—because at this point, it feels like a lifetime ago. A round of illnesses hit our home shortly after (mine lingered long enough to require antibiotics which—hallelujah!—finally made me feel like myself again). I spent the majority of March leaning into rest, and truly, I deeply needed it. Here’s to prioritizing rest when we need it.
Limiting News Consumption
In my ongoing effort to turn my iPhone into a “dummy phone,” I’ve restricted the one remaining news app I still have (I removed Apple News a few years ago when I realized how addicted I was to swiping over to it—and how much it was triggering my anxiety). After a month of minimal news consumption, I feel so much better mentally and emotionally. I also rarely get on social media anymore, which has helped in big ways too.
New Plants
On a recent visit to our local garden center to grab supplies for starting our garden seedlings, I picked up a few new houseplants to refresh some of our indoor pots—and they are bringing me so much joy! 10/10 recommend!
Poshmark, Pango, and eBay
Now that I no longer use Amazon, I’ve turned to resale sites when I’m searching for something specific that I can’t find locally—and what a goldmine they are. I found the exact Star Wars items my 7-year-old requested for his birthday on eBay, along with a coffee grinder we needed. After a few unsuccessful trips to my local consignment store in search of a relaxed pair of overalls, I finally turned to Poshmark. I scored a pair of Free People overalls I loved so much, I bought them in the shorts style as well. (Search “We The Free Ziggy Denim Overalls” on Poshmark and you too will find an array of sizes, colors, and price points!) I even replaced my broken gua sha tool with one I found on Poshmark.
And some little things making life sweeter…
glass sand timer: A few years ago, I purchased a beautiful 30-minute sand timer (here’s the exact same one for a steal on eBay!) from one of my favorite local shops, Golden Hour Gift Co., and it’s been so handy. Thirty minutes is the perfect amount of time for so many things—decluttering, cleaning, quiet time, and lately, my older boys have been using it to manage their video game time.
tongue scraper: A little thing I’ve used for years and love it first thing in the morning—my breath is so much fresher. The ladies of The Wellness Scoop were talking about them in a recent episode, and it reminded me to share about it again. Boring, yeah, but amazing.
Books
March was a delightful reading month that featured a wide variety of books both satisfying and comforting. Now that spring is slooowwwly revealing itself I’m leaning into romance, classics, and books that pair well with a pastel gingham blanket under a tree with a spread of picnic snacks.
And, after a deep dive into some inspiring YouTube videos, I’m determined to add some more classic literature into my reading diet. Queue’d up for spring I’ve got Emma by Jane Austen and The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien (and wouldn’t this be a fun companion project to go along with it?!). I’ve noticed my reading tastes have expand over the past few years, and I think it’s pretty cool how that happens.
And this new children’s book1 is a favorite for all of us— adults included! It’s such a clever and entertaining way to introduce children to the history of the Earth, the passing of (a lot of!) time, and how utterly cool rock formations are— trust me, you’ll think so too after you pick this book up, I promise!
Magazines on Libby
I recently discovered digital magazines available on Libby via my local library and how fun is that?! I found all my old favorites on there and this feels like a nice reason to be on my phone or iPad, if I’m going to be. I’ve even been inspired to change up the format of this newsletter soon…
Substacks
Here are some of the posts I enjoyed this past month on my favorite cozy little corner of the internet:
I’d Rather be Soft and Happy— the part where
talks about how her daughter emulates her and how that guides her approach to life is spot on.How I'm 'De-Centering' Consumerism— a great round up of ideas and practices that I have personally adopted over the years and found many benefits from!
Books to read near an open window in spring—
of Cozy Pursuits has a lovely list of spring reads for your TBR.20 life secrets that elevate my every day from
— may we all elevate our every day!I don’t play with my kids— a thoughtful piece from
of The Analog Family.
Current Shows
My husband and I are still making our way through Shrinking (the best show ever) on AppleTV+, but we’ve also been watching a lot of Tiny House Nation reruns which my older boys have also enjoyed joining us for. Watching how people design and live in tiny homes gives me so much creative inspiration for making the most of our space. It also does a wonderful job of fostering contentment and curbing any thoughts of wishing for a different (read: larger) home.
For Kids and Adults
My kids really loved Flow a dialogue-free film that won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature this year. We’ve also been working through the Studio Ghibli movies on Max— I love Kiki’s Delivery Service (pure comfort!!) and they loved My Neighbor Totoro. I’m excited to watch The Secret World Of Arrietty since we read The Borrowers last summer. I also hope to read Howl’s Moving Castle to them so we can enjoy the adaptation of that too. If you’ve not yet watched a Studio Ghibli film yet they are really lovely and enjoyable for adults too.
YouTube
YouTube continues to be a comfort to me. Here are a few favorites from March:
so...why is everything 'cozy fantasy' nowadays? A thoughtful and yet, cozy, exploration on the notion of cozy and the over-commercialized/aestheticized aspects of it.
Starter guide to reading classics— I went on a bit of a deep dive into his videos and felt so inspired afterwards!
Daily Studio Vlog 🌷 Painting Flowers, Making a Sketchbook— more inspiration for my creative endeavors
Will I Regret This? Renovating my Scottish Cottage Vlog— just pure cozy
VEGAN Grocery Haul | My Go-To Pantry Staples & 7-Day Meal Plan— I love Merle’s videos, she’s a hoot and I always learn new things from her.
Cozy Spring Clean with Me 🌸🧺— Morgan Long is definitely my favorite YouTuber
Music
Our record wall is updated with a rotation of albums that feel like spring—especially several that were released around this time last year. This little act of shuffling records is such a simple way to shift with the seasons, and it helps ensure we’re listening to a variety of the albums we own.
Songs in the Shower
Do you have a shower speaker? When we renovated our largest bathroom, we installed a fan/light combo that includes a Bluetooth speaker—and it’s such a small thing, but it adds so much joy to our lives. My kids love picking a song to listen to in the shower, and it makes the whole bedtime routine madness a bit more fun for everyone. For my older boys, who now shower independently, the timing of a song also gives them a helpful marker for how long they’re in there. And no need for a renovation—there are all sorts of nifty versions that suction right to your shower tile (you can find great options on eBay!).
Podcasts
In March, I caught up on all the episodes of The Wellness Scoop, and it’s still one of my favorite things to listen to. I love that they’ve been doing extra episodes that deep-dive into specific topics. The ones about 30 plants a week and how to be happy were two of my favorites.
Updated Formatting
I’m planning to revamp the layout and style of this newsletter over the next month, and I’m really excited about the ideas I have in mind (don’t worry—same kind of lifestyle content!). To help me better understand your experience as a reader and make meaningful improvements, I’d love it if you took a few moments to share your feedback.
As a thank you, I’ll randomly select one survey participant to receive a $50 Bookshop.org gift card! Complete the survey by April 16th to be entered to win.
Thank you so much for your time and insights—I truly appreciate it.
Garden Plans
The majority of our garden efforts are led by my husband, and a few weeks ago he planted some of the seedlings we start in the basement. It’s so exciting to think of all the wonderful produce that (hopefully! 🙏) will be in abundance this summer. I’m especially looking forward to warm, plump cherry and sun gold tomatoes, squash blossoms, eggplant, radishes, kale, and salad greens. So many of our summer meals consist of simply grilling up whatever is ripe in the garden—it’s the best!
Coloring and Drawing
Lately, a lot of my Pinterest activity has leaned into creative endeavors—watercoloring, colored pencils, oil pastels, sewing and coloring. While taking time to rest in March, I found myself coloring a lot—either alongside my 4-year-old or while listening to an audiobook—and it was so relaxing. I picked up a set of oil pastels from Blick (an amazing art supply resource I’ve used for years!), and I’m excited to give them a go. I’m looking forward to pulling them out on warm days while sitting on our back deck as the kids play in the yard.
Spring Cleaning Tools
While I really wanted the energy to dive into spring cleaning (because I genuinely love it!), it just never came to me in March. So instead, I put pencil to paper to flesh out why I wanted to clean and what I hoped to tend to—and that process alone gave me the motivation to start taking small steps toward those goals. Paid subscribers can download and print the templates I created (available under the Printables tab) and use them to do the same! And of course I found a way to incorporate reading as a tool for spring cleaning. :)
🌱 What to Do About Your Climate Anxiety
⛰ I’m genuinely trying to convince my husband to let us do this.
🧶 People With "Grandma Hobbies" Have Better Mental Health, Experts Say
💞 A screenshot of this lives on my desktop.
One thing I always know for sure—when a comment from
pops up, it’s going to add something meaningful to my day. She consistently shares thoughtful book recommendations and offers insight into how a book has expanded her thinking or left a lasting impression, which always adds to the conversation.Thank you,
, for being such a valued part of this reader community and for regularly putting new books on my radar. I love hearing what you're reading and learning alongside you.
Happy April friends, enjoy the fourth month of the year!
Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the gifted copy.
Literally having lavender syrup in my coffee every morning!! Also this might be my favorite post of yours yet. Sooo many incredible linked things (especially the piece from sustainable mindsets), so many great pushes to live more consciously. Loved it all!
What a delightful month, Brittany! Have you used ThredUp yet? I've been loving them. I recently cleaned out my closet and moved some of my warmer weather clothing to the front (lol, wishful thinking) and identified a few gaps. I then headed to ThredUp and ended up scoring a quilted jacket, three blouses, and three dresses for about $60! I also love that you can search an image from Pinterest so when I see an outfit I like I can look at options to recreate it. So fun!!