Report Card No. 001
Keep reading to find out what made the honor roll this month.
At the end of each month, I share a Report Card, basically it’s a favorites list, but we’re staying on theme, OK. I might not be the teacher, but I do like the idea of pausing to reflect…grading the month not by productivity, but by what brought me joy, kept me curious, or simply got me through. Everything gets an A++, because why not?
May’s R.E.P.O.R.T. Card:
Reading:
How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by Jenny Odell. A thoughtful book that feels like a much-needed permission slip to step away from social media and just live IRL or at least figure out how we can live in this social media landscape without it taking over our lives. It really challenges the way we give so much attention to our online lives and encourages us to slow down and pay more attention to the world around us. This one’s a re-read... I picked it up last year but never finished it. I’ve got a few chapters left and I’m really enjoying picking up where I left off. Bonus points for the cover art (you know the one... with the flowers).
Eating:
Salads. At the start of the year, I added a photo of a salad to my yearly goals mood board...just a simple image to represent eating more veggies and greens. That somehow turned into a daily habit, crafting a salad for lunch full of good-for-you ingredients. Colorful, crunchy, and honestly...so yummy.
Playing:
Tennis! It’s been so much fun getting back into it. I haven’t played since I was about 15, and let me tell you...it’s not like riding a bike. I’ve been chasing the ball all over the court thanks to my lack of control, but hey, it’s great cardio.
Obsessing:
My peonies. I’ve been growing them for years, and toward the end of May they finally started showing off. A little history of my flower babies: I started growing peonies in 2017, right after we bought our very first home. I wanted a cut flower garden full of blooms, so I planted a few tubers in the fall, knowing I wouldn’t see flowers for the first couple springs.
I got my first blooms in 2019 (so exciting), and then in 2021 we had to move for my husband’s job. You better believe I dug them all up and brought them with me. Now here we are in 2025...they’ve tripled in size and blooms. This is their best year yet. I’ll be sharing more photos once they fully open any day now.
Recommending:
A a couple Substacks I’ve been reading: Someday Someday by Estée Lalonde. If you’ve been on Youtube and you love beauty and style content, or vlogs and lifestyle videos then you probably know of Estée Lalonde, she’s an OG YouTuber. When she shared she was starting a substack I had to follow along. Another newsletter I’ve been reading is Nine to Vogue. If you love fashion and amazing visuals all in one spot you should check it out…I also really enjoyed a recent post, “The Instagram Paradox” which is definitely on brand with my recent hyper fixation on bringing back the 90’s computer room and getting off of social media for a bit. Might I also suggest reading these substacks on an actual computer instead of your phone because Substack allows users to customize their newsletter homepage and it’s so nostalgic of the early internet blogs I greaw up reading online (in the computer room).
Trying out:
Le Labo’s Lavande 31...a modern lavender with bergamot, neroli, and tonka. Soft but complex, and so fresh.
I got it in one of those Nordstrom Anniversary Sale sample sets last year. It came with Santal 33 and Another 13. (BTW...Another 13? I hated it. It smelled like straight-up rubbing alcohol. I honestly thought I got a bad batch, but apparently a lot of people have the same reaction.) Anyway...Lavande 31 is so fresh and has quickly become a go-to scent for me.
That’s a wrap on May’s faves. Some categories were clear standouts, others got graded on a curve (looking at you, tennis). I’ll be back next month with another Report Card, until then, here’s a little homework for you:
Homework: Share some of your faves with the class, book recs, a product, current favorite meal to cook, please do tell!
Looking ahead:
Next week we enter June, which can only mean one thing...school’s out for summer vacation! First up, I’ll be sharing my monthly mood board series “Show and Tell”, then I’ve got a few fun posts planned—think summer camp crafts, park picnics, and a little sunshine in every corner. Stay tuned because I’ve got some fun things coming up!