Usually we’re on the highway this time of 12 months, however in the event you’ve been following together with these private updates that we’re leaning into dwelling life proper now, and it’s been surprisingly nice. I’m completely happy I spent August specializing in wholesome routines, as a result of this month was a whirlwind of motion.
September was crammed with a number of reside music, my fortieth birthday, a social media break, extra milestones for our little man, and a wholesome quantity of labor on the weblog. We additionally ready for an enormous transfer to a brand new home (which I’ll let you know far more about in my October replace).
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Denver for 4 nights of Phish
Our month began our in Denver. September 2023 was my fifth 12 months catching Phish’s annual descent on Dick’s Sporting Items Enviornment. The 4 evening run was unimaginable as all the time with what was perhaps one of the best gentle present I’ve ever seen.
The weekend all the time tends to be a reunion of types with buddies from all around the nation. In reality, I’d say that all through my life a majority of my shut buddies I’ve met and made because of a shared love of reside music.
This 12 months felt additional particular as a result of it was our first reveals again since having Herbie. My final Phish reveals have been at Madison Sq. Backyard in New York Metropolis for New Years Eve in 2022. I used to be 35 weeks pregnant on the time, which was perhaps a little bit loopy in hindsight. However hey, Herbie stayed put, mama received to rock out, and all is effectively.
The Labor Day reveals have been the primary time we left Herbie with a babysitter. Fortunately one in every of my finest buddies who lives in Denver allow us to borrow her nanny for the weekend, so we have been in a position to go to the reveals with out fear.
We had an absolute blast, even after we received caught in line for 3 hours whereas ready out a rain delay on evening 4.
What else was on our Denver agenda? Looking for one of the best vegan meals after all. The successful meal of the weekend was from Wellness Sushi, an all vegan sushi joint conveniently positioned proper on Colfax. The rolls had superb taste and texture, and our non-vegan buddies even cherished it.
We additionally checked out a spot known as Glady’s that had a extremely distinctive and engaging root vegetable reuben. I’m a sucker for an excellent rueben, and this one made a long-lasting impression.
My fortieth Birthday
I turned 40 on September fifteenth and was fortunate to have a good time twice this 12 months. I usually don’t make an enormous deal of my birthday. However seeing this was a monumental one and I had a fairly loopy 12 months having a child and all, I felt I deserved to be celebrated.
Having a 7 month previous child creates challenges when planning, so on my precise birthday we stored it easy. We met a small group of buddies at Snowbird and took the tram to the highest. New this 12 months, for an additional $10, you’ll be able to journey on the Tram’s rooftop deck. We indulged and actually loved the recent air and views on the way in which up.
On the prime, I strapped Herbie within the child service, and we hiked the 30-minute path to the highest of Mt. Baldy. After the hike, my buddies shocked me with some birthday cake from Candy Hazel, my favourite vegan bakery and restaurant in SLC.
Then Ryan and I capped off the day at a brand new spot known as Seasons Plant-Based mostly Kitchen. Consuming out with Herbie is getting tougher as he’s getting extra cell and grabby, however we handed him forwards and backwards as we did our greatest to take pleasure in our scrumptious meals.
My second birthday celebration was a couple of days later at Purple Butte Gardens, which is one of the best music venue in Salt Lake. It’s a phenomenal out of doors amphitheater with a gently sloping garden on the sting of the Wasatch Foothills. (It’s additionally a phenomenal botanical backyard that I extremely advocate visiting in the event you’re ever in SLC). The very best factor about Purple Butte as a venue is that they let you carry your entire personal meals and drinks in, so you’ll be able to have a picnic earlier than the live performance.
The band – Goose – are making waves within the jam band scene, so naturally a big group of my buddies deliberate to attend the present.
Ryan and one other good friend of ours received an enormous unfold of vegan apps – jackfruit sliders, jalapeño poppers and meatballs – and a pair dozen miniature desserts, and introduced them with us to share with everybody on the present. (We love sharing yummy plant-based meals with our non-vegan buddies so that they expertise how good it may well actually be).
The present was unbelievable (apart from ending early on account of lightening), and the entire night left me feeling very particular. Earlier than my birthday, I wasn’t tremendous stoked about turning 40, however now I’m truly fairly excited for what this subsequent decade will carry.
For my fortieth birthday, I made a decision to offer myself a 40 day break from social media. Since February when Herbie was born, my display screen time has gotten out of hand. I spend a whole lot of time breastfeeding and with him napping in my lap, and social media has been a option to move time.
I’ve been beginning to really feel the detrimental psychological impacts construct up over the previous couple of months. First, I’ve skilled emotions of unhealthy comparability (like are most mothers actually crushing 10 mile hikes with infants or is that simply what the algorithm needs me to assume?). I’ve additionally been feeling fairly overwhelmed with life and work, and I do know I can put my time to higher use than scrolling on IG.
Lastly, as Herbie has turn out to be extra alert, he’s beginning to clue into my telephone. The very last thing I need is for him to really feel ignored as a result of I’m scrolling social media. The months are really flying by, and I don’t wish to get up in a 12 months and understand I missed out on these valuable moments as a result of I used to be distracted by my telephone. I wish to be current and soak all of it up, as a result of that is time I’ll by no means be capable to get again.
The tip of September marked two weeks off of Instagram and Fb, and I already really feel lighter. I’ve extra space to take care myself, my household, my enterprise, and different priorities, and I’ve been in a position to get a lot extra performed within the restricted time I do have.
The 40 days are flying by, and I ponder what the top of this break will imply. Perhaps I’ll prolong it. Or perhaps I’ll rent somebody to assist with me with social media for my enterprise so I don’t get sucked in as simply.
40 Days of Meditation
You seeing a theme right here? One in every of my finest buddies additionally turned 40 in September and for her birthday, she requested me to hitch her in a problem to meditate 40 days in a row.
I used to be so recreation. Again in 2020, I meditated for 100 days straight, and I’d been toying with selecting the behavior again up. Life has been very busy these days, so taking 15-20 minutes a day to simply be with none agenda sounded oh so beautiful.
I’m the form of person who has my fingers in a whole lot of completely different tasks all the time. I are likely to overcommit myself, and I’ve a tough time slowing down. Whereas I’d say I work effectively underneath stress, I additionally know that this go-go-go mentality has penalties.
On September 26, I accomplished the 40-day problem. It wasn’t all the time straightforward to squeeze it in, however I made the purpose to meditate for at the very least 10 minutes each evening earlier than I went to mattress. The outcomes? I’ve been sleeping higher, my creativity is flowing extra freely, and I’ve been in a position to deal with the stress of day by day life as a mother and a enterprise proprietor (in the course of a transfer) with extra ease.
Enterprise Updates
This month has been loopy busy with work, and I’m doing my finest to maintain up. One in every of my three staff members is shifting on, so I’ve been taking over extra duties to maintain the practice shifting.
I additionally posted a job announcement for a author and obtained over 140 candidates! I’m honored that so many individuals are occupied with working with me at Bearfoot Idea. I haven’t employed in almost three years, and I’m actually wanting ahead to bringing on somebody new to hitch my small staff.
In different information, the vacations are notoriously busy since that is when lots of the manufacturers I work with have budgets to assist my work. We additionally publish a collection of vacation reward guides, which my staff and I’ve been cranking away on. Our large out of doors reward information simply went reside this previous weekend, and we’ve 5 extra on the way in which for out of doors girls, out of doors males, van lifers, and extra. Should you benefit from the weblog, making your vacation purchases from our reward guides is a means you’ll be able to assist our work.
Our Transfer
Should you subscribe to my weekly publication, that Ryan and I moved from our home in Salt Lake Metropolis as much as the mountains exterior Park Metropolis. We love SLC (and we additionally cherished our home), however for years I’ve been involved concerning the air high quality, notably within the winter after we spend probably the most time stationary at dwelling. Now that we’ve a child, it put our plans to relocate on the quick observe.
I’ll share extra in my October replace about why, the place and the way our transfer went, however within the meantime, I’ll simply say that shifting with a child is HARD! We spent an excellent chunk of September packing up, however as a result of one in every of us needed to be watching Herbie always, the method took twice as lengthy. Ultimately, we have been prepared on shifting day, and we’re settling in properly at our new place.
I’ll be excited to share extra as soon as we’ve had an opportunity to unpack, discover the native trails, and get into a brand new groove right here.
Nicely that’s it for September. It was an enormous month, and I’m completely happy to be on the opposite facet of it. That is the beginning of a brand new thrilling chapter, and I can’t wait to see what it brings.
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