Leftovers: May 2014 Edition

Friends, I want to thank you so much for all your kind words after I shared my post about my miscarriage. I am so grateful for this supportive community. Your love, prayers, and kindness have encouraged us more than you know.

Now, it’s time to recap May! I know, I know, it’s already June 2nd, but hey, better late than never right? Honestly, May left me a little breathless. Between weddings, graduations, and training my replacement at work (yes! It’s really happening!), I barely noticed when the calendar flipped over to May (and the heat index flipped over to summer. Whew!).

Here’s the collection of random greatness that caught my eye this month:

One of my biggest pet peeves is the way women are portrayed in the media. I hate that women are often seen only as bodies. We’re just a size. A piece of clothing. A hairstyle. The sad thing is, our culture is so saturated with sexism, we often overlook it.  That’s why I LOVED this article from Upworthy: When You Take the Sexism Out Of Headlines, the Results are Hilarious.

A Chicago Skyscraper has installed tilting windows on the 94th floor of their buiding. I’m not even afraid of heights and this is still just…no.

I also love camping but this? Also, no.

This infographic shows what world demographics would look like if there were only 100 people on earth. Fascinating.

I love cereal, and I love eating on the couch. So these cereal pants just might be in my future. At the very least they’re in an epic white elephant gifting future.

Apparently, I am still five years old because I got a huge kick out of these Love Scenes Spiced Up with a Burrito.

Little known fact: My degree is in Urban Ministry. This article on Good in the Hood from Prism Magazine reflects my thoughts on the subject as well. Essentially it goes like this. You don’t “save” urban communities. You join them, you love them, you build leadership from within. And you also don’t “bring Jesus to the hood.” He’s already there. Annnnd that pretty much sums up my four years of education.

When Romance Looks Like a Subway Sandwich by Tina Francis. This girl knows how to write a story. She’s funny and poetic all at once, and somehow I always manage to find myself in her stories. Seriously, do yourself a favor and check this girl out.

Jim Gaffigan’s new stand up special, Obsessed. This guy is by far my favorite comedian, and it’s not just because over half of his jokes are about food. This clip on kale is hysterical, and I even kind of like kale…if it’s hidden in smoothies or smothered in Parmesan cheese and garlic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcI7jgkwdCM

As always, the internet was filled with delicious food this month. But I have to say, the sight of ice cream, giant salads, and burgers was especially welcome after such a long winter. Here were a few favorites:

Pretzel Ice Cream Sandwiches from Half Baked Harvest

Brownie Bite Pudding Pops from Real Food By Dad

Sweet and Smoky Bacon Brat Burger from Melanie Makes

Brown Sugar Turtle Cookies from Wallflour Girl (Guest Post by Gotta Get Baked)

Betty’s Salad from Jelly Toast

Strawberry Upside Down Cake from Baker’s Royale

This month I got to meet some fabulous Columbus bloggers at a gathering organized by Lauren of A Few of My Favorite Things. This city boasts some incredibly talented bloggers posting about everything from food to fashion to budgeting to home decor. If you’d like to check them out, my friend Amanda of Girl About Cbus has a great list of all of them!

We’re headed to Cape Cod on Friday, so I am now accepting any and all recommendations for good vacation reads or road trip music. So far on my list is Notes from a Blue Bike, Bittersweet by Shauna Niequist, and The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton. I also borrowed Jim Gaffigan’s Dad is Fat on audiobook for the car ride, but I’m always up for more recommendations. Tell me what you’ve got!

One last thing. There’s a great way you can support local non-profits just by shopping for fresh fruits and veggies this month. Each year Produce for Kids partners with local retailers to raise money for children’s hospital’s and charities nationwide. Now through June 21st, when you shop for fresh produce at Meijer, you’ll be supporting the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. To find out more, check out the campaign website, and remember to load up your carts with the fresh stuff this summer!

That about covers it on my end. What caught your eye this month? What are you reading/watching/eating/loving lately? I’d love to hear!

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