Monthly Roundup: Six May Favorites

Whaaaat just happened. I feel like I blinked and May is over, and yet, it felt like it dragged on at the same time.

Anybody else? What is life?

I was thinking back to May of last year and how much has changed. I’m so thankful to be where I am now when it comes to a lot of things, but specifically my mental health. Thinking back to last May, that was when I had the first of many panic attacks that would come in the months following. It took me a while to get back to where I am now mentally and I am ecstatic for that!

So this month, even though we’re still social distancing, I am thankful for so many things. Also it’s hard to believe it’s almost June! Time is a’flying. Here are a few of my May favorites.

{ONE} We bought our house!

I mentioned this is my recent post, 7 Random Things I’ve Purchased During Quarantine, but we officially bought our house this month! It’s been on our Goals List for some time and it feels good to check it off. Also, we started knocking out some more minor house projects and I love that we’re taking our time making this home truly ours from top to bottom.

{TWO} Insanity Max 30

A few years ago I did the Insanity challenge. I don’t know if you’ve ever done it, but man is it difficult! It’s basically a nine-week, 6-days-a-week, HIIT-esque sister to P90X. This month I discovered there’s a 30-minute version called Insanity Max 30 so I thought, “Why not?” and started it. It’s definitely just as difficult but more realistic in terms of time duration. It’s an eight-week, 5-days-a-week version but trust me. You still have a love/hate relationship with Shaun T.

{THREE} Hula hoop

I also mentioned this in a recent blog post, but I have to mention it again. I bought a weighted hula hoop this month. Hula hooping has honestly been great! I love to pop on a podcast or audiobook and hula hoop for 15-30 minutes at random points throughout the day. It’s a low-intensity workout but I definitely feel it the next day.

{FOUR} Zoom Bible Study

Something that I don’t think I’ve mentioned on here yet is the Zoom Bible Study my church has been doing these past few months. I’m in the Women’s Bible Study and we’ve been going through the book of Esther. To be honest, I never really focused on the book of Esther before this study so I’m learning a lot. It’s been a fun thing to look forward to each week and it’s always nice to see friends even if it is through a screen.

{FIVE} Family walks

Sounds a bit cheesy, I know, but now that the weather is consistently nicer we’ve been going on family walks around the neighborhood. Lucy is getting the hang of her leash and that puppy has TONS of energy, so she LOVES to walk/run for miles, smell all the smells, and live life to the fullest. After I walked her a few Saturdays ago, I just had to snap a pic because she looked so happy! (It’s the picture for this blog post if you wanna check it out.)

{SIX} DuoLingo

Guys, I am obsessed with this app. But before I explain what it is or why, let me back up. In college, I took three years of French and by the end of the requirement, I was thinking and dreaming (literally) in French. I was in NO way fluent, but I was pretty proud of how much I understood by year 3. Then I stopped. It was no longer a requirement to fill and life went on. During this time of social distancing, though, I started to think more of that skill and wished there was a way to start practicing French again.

*Enter How I Built This*

I listen to the How I Built This podcast and a recent episode interviewed the creator of DuoLingo, an app that teaches you foreign languages. I downloaded it immediately (there’s a free version!) and was HOOKED. Since I just discovered it, I haven’t gotten too far, but basically it’s an app that tests reading, writing, and comprehension skills using gamification. You can choose how long you want to practice each day (from 5 minutes to 30 minutes) so it easily incorporates a new habit into your daily routine. I’m so excited to keep going!