seasonal eating made simple & my purchase that went horribly wrong😅 (Sunday R.E.S.E.T. #14)
plus, the eavesdropped conversation I can't stop thinking about.
Hey, hey, friend—
Kate here. 👋🏼☺️ It’s Sunday morning, the coffee is hot, & it’s time is your weekend R.E.S.E.T.
(This is my biweekly series where I pop in, say hey, and share 5 lifestyle topics that I— as a health-conscious, somewhat-picky, fun-loving millennial mom— am currently thinking about. It’s quickly become one of my favorite parts of The Reset, and I love connecting with you in this more casual, laidback manner!)
Here’s what’s in store today—
🤎 RECOMMENDING: A new way about thinking about self-care (this was weirdly impactful for me).
🥬 EATING: Let me guess- you’ve been meaning to eat “seasonally”, but ya never know WHAT THE HECK IS “IN SEASON” AND WHEN? Been there. This website is a lifesaver.
😅 SHOPPING FOR: Welp, you guys. I had a FLOP of a big purchase. I finally coordinated its return (27 emails with customer support later……..) and now I’m shopping for the replacement. Help me pick my plan B!
🥰 ENJOYING: Mmmm, a delightful internet smorgasbord. In this section, I share a few random videos, posts, & quotes that have stuck out to me lately amidst the endless abyss of #content.
THINKING ABOUT…: Tell me why I am STILL thinking about a conversation that I had in the gym locker room with 2 strangers the other day…. (Okay, okay, I was 0% involved in the convo and was actually just eavesdropping, BUT IT WAS STILL REALLY IMPACTFUL OK)
I know I’m about to talk about “Love Languages” (yawn, so basic🙄), but trust me— it’s in a different typa way.
(In case you aren’t familiar— Love Languages is a popular personality test that ranks the ways individuals give and interpret affection into 5 categories: words of affirmation, acts of service, receiving gifts, quality time, and physical touch.)
And typically when we talk about the ever-popular test, we only discuss applying those results to others and catering your “love language” to your partner.
…But if you receive love in a certain way, how can you show that type of affection to YOURSELF?
Here are a few examples:
🗣️WORDS OF AFFIRMATION: If you are a words of affirmation person (like me!), perhaps writing or repeating some positive mantras will uplift you. What do you like about yourself? What are you good at? Write it down or say it out loud.
🤎ACTS OF SERVICE: This one is all about logical ways of showing up for someone you love. What is something that future you would be thankful for? Organizing your closet? Meal-prepping a bit? Finally deep-cleaning your junk drawer? Think of different ways you can practically show up for yourself!
🎁GIFTS: Could you intentionally treat yourself to an item you’ve been wanting? Perhaps it isn’t the most practical thing or a complete necessity— but just something that will add joy, beauty, or purpose to your life. Whether it’s a nice sweater, a new coffee mug, or a certain piece of home decor— how can you budget, save up, intentionally shop, and truly ENJOY that item? Think of it as a gift to yourself!
✋🏼TOUCH: If you connect through physical touch, give yourself opportunities to truly be present with your body— stretch your muscles slowly, dry brush in the morning, give yourself a massage with a foam roller, apply your body oil/lotion with extra presence & gratitude for your body. Find ways that can relax into your body & give thanks for all that it does for you.
🕰️QUALITY TIME: Yes, quality time with yourself deserves to be prioritized! Ensure that you are making the time for rest, leisure, and your hobbies. Perhaps it’s an art project, a sport you love, or simply an evening at home reading— but carving out the space for your passions is crucial.
Again, love languages aren’t new by any means— but this way of thinking felt really fresh & exciting to me! We often give love so freely to our partners, friends, & children— but I challenge you to funnel some of that love, affection, & gratitude to yourself this week.
Let’s talk about eating seasonally! (Yes, EVEN in winter).
If you’re like me, it can be easy to live on autopilot & to get in the routine of eating the same ol’ fruits and veggies year-round, but I’m here to remind you (and me!) that there are so many advantages to eating WITH the seasons.
From perfectly ripe berry in summer, a delicious to a cozy squash in fall al the way to the hearty, grounding potato of winter, it truly feels like nature cultivates these foods at a particular time for a REASON. Not only can eating seasonally feel somewhat instinctual, it is often…
😋MORE DELICIOUS: we ALL know the difference between a perfectly in-season piece of fruit and an off-season piece of fruit. Eating seasonally is a great way to have DELICIOUS nature treats!
🌎MORE SUSTAINABLE: doesn’t need to ship as far, easier to grow, doesn’t require as many supplemental waters, pesticides, lights/electric to make it grow in off-season, etc.
💸 MORE AFFORDABLE: when there is an abundance of certain produce in season, the cost of the produce will go down.
🥕MORE NUTRITIOUS. Foods eaten in season are often healthier for us— some anti-oxidants such as Vitamin C, folate and carotenes can decrease rapidly when stored. By eating fresh, you are getting the PEAK of these nutrients and allows you to have a varied intake of vitamins and minerals by switching up your “normal” fruits and veggies
And I recently found this unicorn of a website that will tell you *exactly* which foods are in season based on where you live and the specific time of year it is. How cool! I love the internet at times like this. I found it incredibly helpful so I just wanted to pass it along ⬇️
Ugh, you guys. It finally happened. For the first time, I had a FLOP of an expensive purchase. 😅🤪😳😩🫠
As you know, I pride myself on being an intentional shopper, putting a lot of thought into bigger purchases, and doing my due diligence before I press “add to cart”.
And while I did do allllll of that… it still didn’t end well.