June Top 5

It seems like each month I am focused on different things, whether they are completely new or rediscovered, and I wanted to share some of those things with you. Seeing as my interests stretch across a wide gamut, I will focus these favorite things in 5 categories- Food, Beauty, Place, Entertainment, Lifestyle. These are obviously very broad categories (intentionally).

So, without further ado...my June Top 5!

Food...

This month was the first month that the local Farmers Market was really in full-swing, so without a doubt my favorite food related topic of June has been fresh produce! Not only is the produce that is available at this market locally grown, most of it is organically farmed, you really can't get much better than that! Below are some of the fresh goodies that I have been lucky enough to enjoy this summer thus far.

Everything on the cutting board was from the market- 

fresh thyme, dill, asparagus, and arugula! 

On the left are red potatoes that I roasted with some thyme (in the above picture :) )

and on the right are some snap peas that I roasted with dill (also above!)

Beauty...

Without a doubt, my favorite beauty product this month as been Tarte's Amazonian Clay blush in Blissful. This blush is so great for a multitude of reasons. It is the first "high end" makeup product I have ever purchased (besides a small Urban Decay eyeshadow palate in High School) and it was so worth it! Tarte carries products that are more safe for skin (no parabens or mineral oil, etc.) than other high end products and specifically the Amazonian Clay blush contains beeswax instead of synthetic wax and no phthalates or sodium lauryl sulfate. As often as I can I try to buy beauty products that are free of nasties like parabens, phthalates, mineral oil, and sulfates.

Tarte Blissful in pan. They use this pretty Amazon River stamp for the pressed powder.

It is such a pretty coral-pink color and very buildable for color depending on if you want a sheer layer or a darker wash of color. Perfect for summer.

In natural sunlight with no flash

Place...

This may be ridiculous but my favorite place right now is at my work. I work part time at a nearby preserve. We have a huge educational garden so how can you not love that? It is hands-down my favorite place to be and on top of that I love the people I work with.

How can you not love this? Tomatoes, Beans, Zinnias, 

Bachelor's Buttons, Eggplant...the list goes on!

Entertainment...

This month my favorite "entertainment" related activity has been reading other blogs. When I first started wanting to write a blog I didn't look too much into other blogs, but now that I have become a little more intent on posting I find myself looking towards other blogs for both inspiration and project ideas. Some of my favorites to read have been Fig + Sage, The Small Things Blog, BloomBake&Create, and my sister's blog The Modern Parsonage. 

Lifestyle...

It seems like each summer I get into a kick of wanting to exercise and be more fit but it usually wanes fairly quickly. This month I have been sticking fairly well to doing some type of exercise each day. The key for me is staying entertained by whatever I am doing that day. Since I am not trying to lose weight, I'm simply trying to get back into shape, I try to make sure that I keep my heart rate elevated in aerobic activity for 25 minutes a day. In addition to that I walk and/or bike about 2-4 miles a day. While I have always been an "active" person, I am trying to bridge the gap to be a "fit" person and I can already notice positive changes in that direction. 

What are your favorite things this month? Was there anything this month that you discovered that you "can't live without"?

Craft Time

So it has been much too long since I posted, but I am back with a crafty project that is super easy and increasing in popularity all over tumblr and pinterest. Its....Glitter jars!

So much glitter!

These are a popular project especially for mothers or those that take care of small children, as they are meant to relax and give children time to think when they may be nervous, anxious, or frustrated. That being said, they work for anyone who enjoys staring at slow moving particles in water-especially sparkly ones (think: snowglobes) :) 

The first place I saw them was on one of Kristina Horner's youtube videos and then followed to get the directions from Chasingthefirefly over on wordpress. Madge, over at Chasingthefirefly calls them "Mind Jars" which I absolutely love.

It's clear that between the simplicity and seemingly effective design, it is something that has been around for a while that can work on almost all age groups. They are so individualized that you could make one out of any colors that you find soothing or just plain fun. 

The project is very, very simple and (take it from me) the materials don't necessarily have to be measured to a T.

Materials
Glass jar (I used 1 pint Ball mason jars)
Glitter (as much as you want, I don't think there could be too much with this)
Glitter glue (about 1 tablespoon to 1 cup)
Hot water (I just turned it as hot as I could from the faucet)

So simple!

I made one purple and one blue since those are my two favorite colors. Now, I don't have any children, and while I will eventually use these with my children, right now I will more than likely use these for times when I feel anxious about work, relationships, or graduate school. Other than that, they are simply very fun to give a good shake and watch the glitter float! The glue gives a little more substance to the glitter so everything floats more smoothly instead of falling quickly to the bottom of the jar.

I have a feeling that these will come in handy when it comes time to defend my Masters thesis ;)

What tips and tricks to you have to calm anxious nerves or frustrated feelings?