No. 66. Editor's Letter (April 2023)
10 random things on my mind right now
Carly, a blogger I’ve been following since high school does this list of ten random things that come to mind and I thought it would be a fun monthly series to add to this newsletter.
So, for the last issue of each month, I want to share the things currently on my mind:
1 // Operation inbox
I really want to be one of those people who aims for zero emails in her inbox. Even zero unread emails would be an achievement. But that rarely happens, and lately, my inbox at work has been a mess. So, this month, I finally decided to get my inbox cleaned out. I deleted a lot of old emails. Moved to-do’s to my master to-do list or flagged them. I moved emails to certain folders if I still needed them.
And most importantly, I created rules so certain emails go to their designated folders instead of sitting in my inbox. For example, news goes into a “news” folder, admin emails go into the “Office Stuff” folder, other newsletters I enjoy reading go into “Interesting reads,” etc. This way, what’s in my inbox is very specific to my team and to-do’s, and then all other news, newsletters and other emails will get read when I have time instead of taking up space in my main inbox (and my mind!). It’s also easier to find emails later if they’re in their designated “place.”
Here is a tutorial on how to set up inbox rules in Outlook.
2 // Gardening
I’ve decided this is the year I learn to garden. I’ve been wanting to try gardening for awhile now, but last spring I was deep in the newborn season, so it wasn’t the best time to take up a new hobby! I’m starting small with just a few tomato plants, lettuce, cilantro and maybe a few other herbs in a single raised garden bed. I am trying to grow tomatoes from seeds, so Levi helped me plant those on Easter Sunday. It’s a bit late for seeds, but I’m hopeful!
I’m loving this book and this book for an intro to gardening! This blog is also a great gardening resource.
3 // A week at the farm
We spent a week visiting my in-laws who live in the country (here’s an IG reel with the highlights). My husband had meetings for work nearby, so we chose to all drive down from Indiana to Missouri. I worked remotely and Levi loved running around the farm with his aunts, uncle and grandparents. Every time we visit my in-laws, it is a reminder of the dream we’re working towards and saving for: a ranch to raise our family on, run a family business and open our home up for retreats and ministry.
I recently bought this Miracle Balm and am loving it - you can use it as a blush, eyeshadow and lip gloss. I got the Dusty Rose color!
5 // Elevate
I’m getting so close to launching my course for working women who want to get ahead in their careers without sacrificing their femininity or personal life. All the videos are recorded and now it’s just a matter of uploading them and sharing them with y’all. If you’re at all interested, you can sign up here to get first dibs on early bird pricing and a chance to hop on a call with me! I’m equally nervous and excited to put this out into the world!
6 // Women on LinkedIn
I have been studying LinkedIn content creators for a few months and find it so fascinating how much potential it has for impacting careers and job opportunities, especially for women! I recently did a poll asking what’s stopping people from creating content and posting on LinkedIn and almost all of the responses were from women: 36% said they’re not sure what to write about, 21% said they don’t have time, 36% said it feels weird or too vulnerable and 7% voted “other.”
After weeks of reading up on this topic, I’m itching to start implementing what I learned and posting more on LinkedIn, but I think accountability is going to be important for me to stay consistent, so if you’ve also been considering creating content for LinkedIn, would you be interested in joining me?
7 // Healthy habits
My husband and I started out the new year strong in building up healthy habits by working out regularly and trying to eat less / better, but in March, we tapered off as travel, sickness and lack of child care derailed our best-laid plans. But, we’re vowing to get back into it. I was blown away back in January / February at how much working out regularly and eating better impacted me - I did lose a little weight, but most of the positive change came from feeling lighter & stronger and it helped my anxiety and mental health so much!
Note, my version of working out is very simple: lots of walks / steps (I try to walk on a desk treadmill while I work) and 30-minute workout videos with strength training on the Wilma app 3-4x week (highly recommend the app - it is specifically for moms!).
8 // Slow Growth Equals Strong Roots
I am almost done reading this book and I am loving it. It is a must read for any high-achieving, type A, productivity driven gal. As a bonus, it is beautifully designed with gorgeous photos and the chapters are super short, so you can easily get a chapter or two in before bed.
9 // Learning as we go
I’ve been thinking a lot about the thoughts Liz Adams shared in this blog post about having multiple pillars that make up who we are and how each one needs nurturing.
10 // This quote from Chris Pratt
Okay, I didn’t think I’d be quoting Chris Pratt, but I read this quote in a blog post and I can’t get it out of my mind: "Where your mind wanders is where your heart is at.” It’s similar to Matthew 6:21: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” So, it’s got me thinking: Where does my mind wander? Where is my heart in the current season?
Until next time,
YPS
Got 30 seconds? I’d love to get your thoughts on what should I write about next & what you wish more women would talk about today!
What I’m loving lately
Marriages are becoming more "egalitarian." Just not with housework (Axios)
You may have seen this floating around in the news, but a recent study found that husbands and wives are increasingly making the same amount of money, but women still spend more time on housework and caregiving. I plan to talk about sharing household duties if both parents work in a future newsletter, but in the meantime, this is some interesting data to read up on!
The Gospel of Candace Owens (The New Yorker)
I am fascinated by the loyal following Candace Owens has built up and this article provides background on how she came to fame. An interesting read, regardless of whether you’re a fan of hers or not.
Kiehl’s Avacodo Eye Cream
My favorite eye cream is 25% off for Mother’s Day. I’m on my third bottle of this stuff because y’all it works for under eye dark circles, wrinkles & brightening. You only need to use a tiny dab, so it lasts a long time!