Happy May Day

Happy First Day of May! Happy May Day! Happy Beltane to those of you who celebrate it.

QUICK THINGS TO DO TODAY:

It’s the first of the month – time to pay rent, bills, or mortgage?
Look over your calendar for May. What upcoming events are you looking forward to? Any birthdays or anniversaries you need to send cards, gifts or flowers for? Any birthday parties to plan?
Need to schedule any vet, doctor, dentist, or salon appointments for yourself or family members?
When’s the last time you got your carpets cleaned? Time to schedule an appointment?
Shake out any throw rugs or doormats; sweep your entryway and front porch. Get rid of last month’s dirt. Let’s begin the month fresh and new.
Celebrate Spring. Go for a walk, eat a meal outdoors, go on a picnic, work in your garden, or do other similar things to celebrate the return of Spring.

TODAY’S PROJECT: Setting Up for Summer

Tomorrow I’ll begin my Spring Cleaning. I usually like to begin it (and have it finished) in March or early April, but this year I got busy with work and traveling. Today though, I want to take advantage of a non-rainy day to get my outdoor office and entertaining area set up.

I work at home, and as soon as the weather is warm enough, I set up my outdoor office and work outside. (Sometimes I do have to wear a coat or sit next to my propane heater). My dogs are so much happier, keeping me company nearby and wrestling each other in the yard. As a bonus, I can’t hear my home phone, which rings unnecessarily often during my work hours.

I try to keep my office set up with a minimal amount of items. A candle holder or two, a pitcher of iced tea and a glass to drink it out of, my laptop (hooked up to a plug in the house via a very long extension cord), my cell phone, and the magazines I’m reading currently.

Today I’ll work on getting my back yard ready for outdoor living and entertaining. We still have many rainy days ahead of us, so I’m only setting out items that can safely get rained on or windblown. (Obviously my phone, laptop and magazines come back in the house with me every time I leave or close down for the evening). I can’t put out my outdoor cushions yet, or else I’ll have to dash out to rescue them in a sudden downpour.

My tasks include:

Sweeping, then hosing down patio and deck
Throw out dead outdoor potted plants
Arrange, prune, water and care for all the herbs we bought at Home Depot last weekend
Wash and Windex outdoor tables and fire pit table
Sweep off and wipe down outdoor chairs and dining table
Pick up dog poop (yuck, but necessary)
Wash outdoor vases and candleholders; fill with candles and flowers; store inside for a sunny day
Get out and set up outdoor umbrella
Inflate and fill small backyard wading pool for dogs
Prepare fire pit and light bonfire to enjoy tonight

Later tonight, it will be wonderful to sit down dressed warmly, wrapped in a blanket, with a glass of wine (I’m excited to try the new canned wine from Cascadian Outfitters), pour beer for my boyfriend, burn a bonfire, flip through Pier 1 and Pottery Barn catalogs, and watch my dogs romp in the yard. All this relaxing will help me get mentally prepared for the many Spring Cleaning tasks I’ve set myself to in the two weeks ahead!

LOVELY BATH & BODY: Exfoliating Sugar Cubes

I’m really curious about these exfoliating sugar cubes. I definitely need to get rid of my dry winter skin and work on getting my skin soft for Spring and summer. They come scented with apricot, peach, coconut, blue raspberry, lemon, and tangerine. You can use them up to twice per week.

These might be a nice addition to a Mother’s Day gift bag, too!

Harper + Ari Sugar Cubes, at Anthropologie

LOVELY BLOGS: Call Me Cupcake

Linda lives in Sweden, and blogs about desserts. She’s recently posted a perfect dessert for Spring – a Rhubarb almond galette! I don’t care for rhubarb so I might move on to her other recent recipe, Lemon creme fraiche ice cream.

I really enjoy her food and prop styling and food photography, and I’m pretty sure you’ll enjoy browsing this blog too!

http://www.callmecupcake.se/

LOVELY BOOKS: Floral Illustrations of the Seasons

I thought you might enjoy leafing through this quaint antique book, published in 1829. You can read it for free at the Internet Archive.

I’m pretty sure it was very unusual to have a female author and illustrator publish a book back in the early 1800s. The author was Margaret Lace Roscoe.

https://archive.org/details/floralillustrati00rosc

LOVELY BOOKS: The Inviting Life

Laura Calder wrote this book about “how to live each day with a desire and determination to turn the ordinary into something lovely.” She encourages us to create a welcoming home, cook in a living kitchen, and host events in our homes for friends and family.

I’m totally intrigued, and have selected this as the May 2018 book we’ll read together in the Lovely Living University Book Club. Join us if that sounds fun!

The Inviting Life, on Amazon

LOVELY GIFTS: Kusmi Tea Collection

If your mother likes tea, you might consider this gorgeous gift set of Kusmi teas for her Mother’s Day present. Besides the fifteen different flavors of tea, the beautifully decorated gift chest also includes paper tea filters.

Kusmi Tea Gift Chest, on Amazon

Kusmi Tea Gift Chest, At Kusmi.com

LOVELY LINKS FOR TODAY:

A Brief History of First Ladies and Their Hats (Glamour)

Design an Avocado Bar for Your Next Party (Orlando Sentinel)

A Forgotten Tradition: May Day Baskets (NPR)

Glorious Spring Greens (Daily Mail)

Italian Lemon Drop Cookies (Wishes and Dishes)

Lemon Spaghetti with Artichokes (Julie Blanner)

One Pot Spring Pasta with Salmon (Epicurious)

Ricotta and Swiss Chard Tortellone (The Chew)

10 Spring Classics You Can Make in the Slow Cooker (The Kitchn)