It’s kind of weird how being sick for two days can make you feel crazy-alive when you do feel better.
Today it may only be 25 degrees (Fahrenheit) outside, but I feel like Spring is in the air. My cold is subsiding, the annoying dry cough is letting up, my hoarse voice is slowly coming back, and I decided to wear flip-flops around the house today.
Maybe it’s the fact that I’m in the midst of planning and finalizing an Alaska vacation for July (our first big vacation in six years) or because I’m planning a short Spring-break getaway to Asheville, North Carolina and Biltmore Estates (sorry MTNA Chicago, I’ll miss you this year!), or maybe I just got enough sleep last night (ha!), I don’t know!
Today I feel alive and awake and I hope that I can transfer some of that to you. It’s the end of the week and sometimes that brings fatigue and sometimes it brings energy. May this week’s list and these words spark a spring in your step, if even for a moment.
1
Learning how to preserve joy in the same way we preserve food. The Art of Preserving (Gina Sutphin | The Rabbit Room)
2
The first day of spring may be exactly a month away, but the stores are already full of bright spring things.
Rev yourself up…spring cleaning is just around the corner! The Hidden Benefits of Spring Cleaning [Video] (Laura Calder | The Inviting Life)
3
A new video resource for quality recordings of duet piano repertoire! (Spring Seals | 4D Piano Teaching)
4
These storage bags are wonderful (Amazon). I bought them with the intent to store square outdoor furniture cushions and they fit perfectly. They would be great storage for lots of other things as well!
5
7 Pieces of Financial Advice That Changed My Life Forever [Video] (Joshua Becker | Becoming Minimalist)
6
We’re about 3/4 of the way through the school year. In the next month or so we may start experiencing some sluggishness not only in our students but in ourselves as well. As the end of the school year becomes busy, we can become tired and perhaps more easily frustrated.
Remembering how difficult it really is to play one’s instrument might be a pretty great empathy hack when we’re struggling with patience.
A Simple Technique That Could Help Boost Your Effectiveness With a Struggling Student (Noa Kageyama | The Bulletproof Musician)
7
What’s been in my Amazon cart?
First, a little something to brighten up my studio.
Second, a little something to spice up the classics. They sound really fun!
8
Why Smartphones are Terrible for a Little Bit of Zoning Out (Ed Cyzewski)
9
Yes, yes, and yes!!! 10 Reasons Why Teens Have So Much Anxiety Today (Amy Morin | Psychology Today)
10
There are just a few more weeks to live the winter-soup life. Add this to your meal plan for this week:
Favorite chili: The Best, Easy Slow Cooker Chili (The Kitchn)
Favorite soups with kale:
Turkey, Kale and Brown Rice Soup (Giada at Home)
5-Ingredient Sausage, Kale, and Sweet Potato Soup (The Kitchn)
Whole 30 Zuppa Toscana – Dairy-Free Potato Soup (Farmstead Chic)
Favorite chicken soup: The Best Soup You’ll Ever Eat (Ambitious Kitchen)
Another good soup: Pork and Napa Cabbage Soup (Nom Nom Paleo)
P.S. By the end of writing this post, my toes have been in flip-flops for 4 hours this morning and they now remember that it is still winter. Grr. Four more weeks.
See you next week! With warm feet this time…
~Amy
