Out of the Kitchen: A Delightful June 2020 Lifestyle Recap
Welcome back to another edition of our “Out of the Kitchen” series, where we peel back the layers of our daily lives beyond the culinary creations you typically see. June 2020 was a month brimming with personal milestones, exciting projects, heartwarming family moments, and a renewed focus on both wellness and community. Join us as we reflect on a vibrant month filled with celebrations, home improvements, and plenty of unexpected joys.
Embracing Home Life: Pet Antics and Cozy Corners
With more time spent at home, we’ve truly embraced the quirks and comforts of our living space. One of the undisputed stars of our home life is our beloved cat, Salsa, whose playful antics bring endless amusement. This month, Salsa decided that an open desk drawer in my office made for the perfect, cozy hideaway – a clear sign that our furry friend is perfectly content sharing our work-from-home setup! These unexpected moments of pet companionship have become precious highlights of our days, reminding us to find joy in the smallest details of our home environment.
Our days are often punctuated by Salsa’s unique personality. While he may be selective with his affections towards others, his bond with us is unwavering. It’s these sweet, silly moments that truly define the spirit of our home, proving that a comfortable space is not just about decor, but also about the love and laughter shared within its walls. We cherish these glimpses into his quirky world, which often become charming anecdotes we love to share.
Celebrating Eight Years of Love and Partnership
June 2nd marked a truly special occasion for Ryan and me as we celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary! It’s incredible to look back on eight wonderful years together, and we’ve enjoyed making memories and building a life we love. For several years now, Ryan has thoughtfully followed the traditional anniversary gift guide, and this year’s themes were pottery and linen. He truly outdid himself by gifting me a charming llama planter and a luxurious linen throw – both perfectly suited to our home aesthetic and a lovely nod to tradition. These gifts weren’t just objects; they were thoughtful symbols of our journey and shared life.
My gift to Ryan, who practically runs on caffeine, was a carefully curated selection of his favorite coffees and a heartfelt card expressing my gratitude for our life together. Our celebration wasn’t just about gifts; we embraced the beautiful June weather with a refreshing mid-day run through a scenic local forest, followed by a well-deserved treat at Starbucks. It was a perfect blend of outdoor activity, simple pleasures, and quality time, encapsulating the essence of our enduring partnership and how we love to celebrate milestones.
Culinary Discoveries: Our Love Affair with Grilled Pizza
Our anniversary dinner this year led to a fantastic culinary revelation: grilled pizza! We decided to try something new, and the results were absolutely phenomenal. The smoky char from the grill combined with the perfectly crispy crust created a flavor and texture that instantly made it a new favorite in our household. We loved it so much that we’ve already made it three times since our anniversary! It’s become our go-to for a fun and delicious meal.
Adding to the deliciousness is Ryan’s burgeoning herb garden, which currently boasts an abundance of fresh basil. There’s nothing quite like plucking vibrant, aromatic basil leaves directly from the plant and scattering them over a hot, cheesy grilled pizza. The fresh, pungent flavor elevates the entire experience, transforming a simple meal into something truly special. This newfound passion for grilled pizza, coupled with homegrown ingredients, has definitely sparked new inspiration in our kitchen adventures this summer.
Salsa’s Undeniable Affection
As mentioned, our sweet Salsa has a very distinctive personality. While he might not be the most outgoing cat with strangers, his affection for me is absolutely undeniable. He’s my constant shadow, always there for a cuddle or a quiet moment, offering a unique comfort that only a beloved pet can provide. His particular brand of love is one of the many small joys that make our home life so special, reinforcing the deep bond we share.
A Fresh Digital Look: Website Redesign
Beyond our personal celebrations, June was also a significant month for my online presence as my website underwent a complete redesign! This project had been simmering for several months, and seeing it finally come to fruition has been incredibly rewarding. After five years with the previous design, it was definitely time for an update to reflect the blog’s growth and evolving content. The goal was to create a modern, clean, and intuitive feel that enhances the user experience, making it even easier for you to navigate and find the content you love.
I am absolutely thrilled with how the new design turned out. It’s not just about aesthetics; it’s about improving functionality, ensuring faster loading times, and providing a more engaging platform for all our recipes, lifestyle posts, and more. This redesign marks a significant step forward, aiming to provide a refreshed digital space that is both beautiful and highly functional, ensuring that our community continues to have a seamless and enjoyable experience every time they visit.
Bridging the Distance: Celebrating Dad’s 70th Birthday
One of the more challenging aspects of living in a different state from my family is missing out on big milestone celebrations. This month, my wonderful dad turned 70, a truly monumental birthday! While I couldn’t be there in person to celebrate, I wanted to ensure he felt incredibly loved and celebrated from afar. I put together a special birthday box packed with “cheers to 70 years” themed plates, napkins, cups, and fun photo props to encourage a festive atmosphere.
No celebration is complete without treats, so I also included a delicious assortment of four different types of cookies – a sweet gesture to enjoy. But the most heartfelt gift, compiled by my siblings and me, was a framed list of “70 Things We Love About Him.” Each item was a cherished memory, a unique quality, or a heartfelt sentiment, creating a truly personal and emotional tribute to an amazing dad. It was a beautiful way to bridge the distance and ensure he felt surrounded by our love on his big day, proving that distance can’t diminish family bonds.
Home Projects: Finding the Perfect Sectional
Our living room is currently undergoing a little transformation as we’ve embarked on the exciting journey of finding the perfect sectional! We’re eager to add more comfortable seating space, making our living room an even cozier hub for relaxation and entertaining. As a visual person, I found it incredibly helpful to map out the potential dimensions of the new couch using our outdoor cushions – a practical way to visualize how a large piece of furniture would fit and feel in the space. This hands-on approach really helped us make an informed decision.
Ultimately, we decided to go with a “build your own” sectional, allowing us to customize it perfectly to our needs and the layout of our room. We’re so excited for it to arrive and complete our living room’s refreshed look! A delightful perk of Ryan working from home is his ability to capture some fantastic behind-the-scenes moments of me at work. These candid shots are always fun to share on Instagram, offering our audience a glimpse into the everyday reality of content creation and showing how much effort goes into bringing our blog and projects to life.
Community Spirit and Cultivating Our Garden
Beyond our personal projects, we also dedicated time to giving back to our community this month. Our friend Bethany, Ryan, and I spent a day helping a house affected by recent flooding. It’s been incredibly rewarding to serve alongside them, contributing to our community’s flood recovery efforts. These moments of collective action and support truly highlight the strength and resilience of our neighborhood, and it feels good to make a tangible difference where we can.
On a more personal note, Ryan has been eager to dive into planting flowers and shrubs this year, a project we’ve slowly been working on. While we haven’t completely transformed the entire yard yet, we made a lovely start by planting some beautiful flowers by our mailbox. When we moved in three years ago, the existing shrubbery was significantly overgrown and weedy, requiring us to tear most of it out. We’re now patiently and thoughtfully adding plants back in, one step at a time, gradually cultivating a more inviting and beautiful outdoor space around our home.
Back on Track: Home Fitness and Delicious Indulgences
June saw a renewed focus on our fitness routines with the exciting addition of a used treadmill to our home! Acquiring it was quite the adventure – a bit of a struggle to fit it into our small SUV, and we definitely drove home with the hatchback up, but we made it work! We had genuinely missed our regular gym routine, so having a treadmill at home has been a game-changer. Both Ryan and I have enthusiastically gotten back into running, enjoying the convenience and flexibility of our new setup.
Ryan, in particular, is channeling his energy into a significant goal: he’s currently training for a half marathon, showcasing incredible dedication and discipline! It’s inspiring to see him push towards such an achievement. And because life is all about balance, amidst our fitness endeavors, there’s always room for a delicious treat. We’re still savoring these gorgeous lemon blueberry scones, a behind-the-scenes glimpse of which is captured here. Seriously, I could happily eat these on repeat all summer long – the perfect blend of tart and sweet!
Closing the Month with Milestones and Sweet Treats
We capped off June with a delightful ice cream date, a perfect way to celebrate not one, but two fantastic milestones! Ryan hit a significant personal fitness goal by running a full 10 miles, a testament to his dedication as he progresses in his half-marathon training. On my end, I was absolutely thrilled to announce that my blog reached an incredible milestone of 1 million page views last month! This achievement is a truly humbling reminder of the amazing community we’ve built and the continuous growth of our platform, and I couldn’t be more grateful for your support.
These big achievements, both personal and professional, felt even sweeter celebrated with a simple, classic ice cream treat. And of course, no month would be complete without some mindful relaxation, so we also managed to finish another puzzle, capturing our traditional photo in front of the completed masterpiece. June truly was a month of significant progress, joyful celebrations, and cherishing the small, everyday moments that make life so fulfilling. Thank you for being a part of our journey!
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