April Notes & Notables
All the things I loved in April: food, habits, practices, products & more <3
Hi hello! Here we are again closing out another month, so I’m back in your inbox talking all the realistic tools, wellness, habits + practices that felt good this month. Take what inspires you and leave what doesn’t!
Onto April’s Most Notable <3
1. Heavy on the Sunlight + Nature Breaks
Spring is slowly but surely emerging which means I have been taking advantage of more sunshine breaks in my day, partially because a girl found out she was pretty darn low in Vitamin D and partially because a few minutes in the sunshine literally makes me feel like a new human 😌
It’s important to expose large areas of your body to the sun!! The best times to do so is between 10-3 pm.
Why should you take sunlight breaks?
Boosts your mood
Natural light during the day helps you sleep better
Recharges attention span in my opinion
Challenge yourself to take intermittent sunlight breaks and take time find pretty things in nature !!!
2. Walks to the Grocery Store
The simple things were the name of the game in April.
I was debating on even adding this as one of my top 10’s because it wasn’t something super glamorous or groundbreaking!! But then I realized that’s exactly the ✨ whole point. ✨
By walking to the grocery store, I was able to get in movement, obviously shop for my food, and have some connection time with my fiance, so I think that’s pretty sweet.
Try switching up these “normie tasks” every once in a while. Figure out ways you can elevate them.
3. Spindrift (& no more Poppi)
I’ve been experimenting with less stevia in my diet for the purposes of clearer skin, but loveeee a carbonated fun drink. I went cold turkey on the Poppi’s and I’m now heavy on the Spindrift. I love Spindrift because there truly are no sketchy ingredients or added sugar, and the flavoring comes from whole fruit.
A broader point that I want to share here is this: humans really are so adaptable. I was dreading giving up something that tasted good, and what I even thought to be a better fun drink alternative, however now ~2.5 weeks later, I’ve acclimated.
This just goes to show that you can do that hard thing even if has become so regular in your routine. Frame it in your brain as an “experiment.”
4. Homemade Honey Cinnamon Latte's
More beverage notes, I know. Another thing I gave up this month — vanilla latte’s out at coffee shops. This is BIG if you know me. However, my adorable mug I made myself at pottery has truly been my biggest motivator.
I wanted to eliminate any sneaky areas that may be causing inflammation to the skin and obviously a sugary syrup could very much be a culprit.
So I have been learning to love my new little morning ritual with my cutie mug 🤎
5. Pantry Audit + Reset
Cleaning up bits and pieces in my diet have inspired me to tend to my physical space. If you follow me over on Instagram, you know I’m doing a Spring Clean Your Health Series which entails cleaning up our space to inspire aligned action towards our well-being.
Our space dictates so many of our decisions. If our phone’s in the room before bed, we’ll reach for it. If our desks are scattered with papers and miscellaneous items, our brains are less likely to focus on what’s in front of us.
That being said, what’s at the forefront of your pantry is a big indicator of what you’re most likely to reach for. I created a list to make things easier for you. Use this to audit what’s in your pantry and reset that space for Spring!!
6. Sahil Bloom’s Book + Newsletter
Consumption notes of this month! I’ve been reading lots of Sahil Bloom.
If you aren’t familiar with Sahil, he’s an entrepreneur who talks about wealth, business, systems, and tactics of being a high performer in life.
His newsletter is one I find actually so valuable, and one I read all the way through. I think any human could gain something by reading his content if you are interested in digestible ways to improve yourself.
I’m currently reading his new book: The 5 Types of Wealth
Podcast to check out on The Skinny Confidential.
7. Appreciating Other’s Wisdom
Wholesome story time — my fiance and I are honeymooning in Italy this September (eeek!)
Coincidentally, he had been working on a job for a sweet elderly couple, where the wife had grown up in Italy as a little girl, and ventures back every year for a visit. Long story short, they invited us over on a Saturday night for dinner and to talk about all things Italian must-do’s.
They warmly welcomed us with the most pleasant table set up, served us a full-course Italian inspired meal, provided insight into Italian culture, and seriously gave us all the recommendations.
A Saturday night well spent in the most genuine, wholesome way. It made me appreciate the wisdom of our elders, and the importance of hearing and truly listening to other people’s stories. I could tell how much it lit them up getting to share their favorite spots and stories that went along with them.
8. Ground Chicken Tacos
A new simple + favorite meal unlocked. It all started when we saw some high quality ground chicken on sale and thought “why not?”
At first, I was a little weirded out by the concept of ground chicken.
However, I think we found ourselves a meal added into our regular rotation. Here’s the breakdown:
What you need:
1 pound of ground chicken
Tomato paste
1 white onion
1 jalapeno
1 lime
Fresh cilantro
Sour cream
Taco shell or tortilla of choice
Notes on what to do:
You’ll want to saute the ground chicken with tomato paste & add in your spices of choice. The BEST part of this meal in my opinion is the combo of the white onion, fresh lime, and cilantro. We chop the raw onion up finely, drizzle the lime in and add the cilantro. It tastes soooo fresh.
This meal seriously takes 15 minutes.
I forgot to take a pic, but hope you make it!!
9. Schedule Something This Month You Wouldn’t Usually Do
I’m so big on making the damn plans. Instead of the “we’ll see’s” and the “maybe's” — the experiences we want happen when we decide to commit ourselves the thing.
One of those things for me this month was traveling to a new place in Colorado. I never ever want to catch myself taking this place for granted. As a little girl, I dreamed of moving out West, and I don’t want to find myself getting so caught up in the hustle and bustle of life that I’m not prioritizing time to explore.
We ventured off to Steamboat Springs the first weekend in April and had the most relaxing time. It was filled with hot springs, slowing down, mountain views, and wholesome conversation.
10. Backyard Herb Garden
You guys, I feel like herbs at the store are oddly expensive?? And it’s hard to use ALL of it up.
Creating your own lil herb garden calls for less waste and is a fun way to feel like a homesteader. I’m so excited to tend to these guys!!!
THANKS FOR READING! What were your most notables this month?? Share with me below, I’m always looking for inspo.
In health,
Hanna