I totally stole this concept from my new favorite podcast The Happy Hour because it is something the podcaster Jamie Ivey asks the people she interviews each week, and it is always so fun to hear all their answers. I have been asking people at dinner, "What are you into or loving these days?" Naturally, I then think about what I am "into" right now as well. So I thought I would share with you some things I am loving at the moment in case you would want to partake as well!
Which leads me to #1....
1.) The Happy Hour podcast with Jamie Ivey:
Ladies! Can I have your attention? If you are not already an avid listener of The Happy Hour you. are. missing. out. Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a podcast junkie. I mostly prefer to listen to podcasts that are entrepreneurial in nature or business related, because I feel like Jamey (my husband) and I are in this chapter of our lives where we have started a lot of new things the last few years. And I love learning new things from these podcasts because we did not go to school for those particular things. As a result, we still have a lot to learn. I am a research junkie. While I was pregnant I would go into a blackhole of Amazon reviews before purchasing any baby products. Clearly I have a problem. All of that to say my podcast preferences fall into my 'researcher/learner category' of my brain. Listening to the Happy Hour I initially loved it because it felt less like research and more like coffee with a friend and not so much about things I need to implement to be more successful. So although I listen and feel like I am literally, wine in hand, at a happy hour with a new best friend, I am truly being challenged as well. That's one of the things I love about it. From listening to the podcasts I have learned how to be a more successful entrepreneur and a better mom and wife. Jamie finds these amazing women who are doing amazing things and creating and pioneering in their own right. I find myself relating to the moms who are figuring out what it looks like to parent in a God-honoring way, while not neglecting their other talents and gifts. It has been a huge source of encouragement to me. And the best part is that some of them watch the Bachelorette or listen to Beyonce and Justin Bieber too, so I also feel validated in my pop music and reality TV guilty pleasures. Go subscribe today to this podcast! Listen while you drive or do laundry. You won't regret it. For those who already listen to The Happy Hour, you can imagine why I am totally geeking out about getting the chance to interview with Jamie here soon and also host her here in Fort Worth for Happy Hour on the road! {Insert an excited emoji face here!}
2.) Snapchat:
No, I am not 15 years old, but I do like Snapchat. My friends and I describe it as a way to capture our real everyday lives. I truly love Instagram, but it can have a more polished feel to it. Everyone uses social media platforms for various reasons. To each their own. I personally love following people on Instagram who post artistic creative photos that inspire me in some way whether it is an artist, photographer or just a fashion icon. Don't get me wrong, I also love seeing my friends and their little ones too! Instagram for Jamey and I is part of our family's brand for the different ventures we have going on, so we try to keep it somewhat consistent for those purposes. However, Snapchat has been a fun way to just document the silliness of what's going on in the here and now. Not just that, but you can do so with puppy dog ears or while swapping faces with your BFF! So fun! Also there's no such things as "likes" or even a way to measure results. For that reason, I feel like the pressure's off. The best part is that if you don't like what I posted you can skip (or swipe) me and it "goes away" after 24 hours. No harm no foul. It's also an excuse to take selfies with my baby, which... let's be honest, I do all day everyday anyway, now I just get to add a flower crown to our heads and call it a day! (Snap name: Mellyice for any partakers out there)
3.) Stumptown's Cold Brew coffee:
I would not consider myself a coffee snob by any means. Disclaimer: I do love coffee with my whole heart though. Also since opening BREWED the eyes of my coffee heart were opened. I understand more and have really found roasters I love. Sometimes you feel like certain coffees get all this hype and it can feel overrated. However, I went on a trip to Portland last year and I had my share of Stumptown coffee, since it is based there, and it is even better than I had imagined. Locally I love Texas roasters like Avoca coffee and Tweed. Brewed has some amazing Cuvee Nitro cold brew on tap, which is also one of my favorite summer drinks. However, Stumptown's cold brew in a bottle is the best thing to ever touch my lips. I don't need any milk because it is so rich and perfect with an almost chocolatey after taste. I am obsessed. The best part is there is the cutest little bakery right by my house called Stir Crazy. It is so quaint and yummy, and they even grow fresh herbs on the sidewalk right outside that they use in their baked goods. I love going there, but I am not really eating a lot of sugar these days. But they have Stumptown's cold brew there so now I have the perfect excuse to walk there and hang out in the picturesque environment without partaking in their decadent desserts, although I highly recommend them. (They even have gluten free and vegan options). So I am the sucker that will pay $20 for my cold brew, or however much it is, because it is just that good. (*Side story - the other day I walked into church with my cold brew bottle that happens to look like a beer bottle, unbeknownst to me, because I don't drink beer. One of my pastors joked me with about "getting an early start." I was mortified. I made sure he knew and everyone around me knew I was NOT walking into church with my baby on my hip and a beer in my hand at 9:45am. IT'S COFFEE Y'ALL... I promise!!! Ha! Next time I will finish it in the car.)
4.) You and Me Forever by Francis Chan:
Jamey and I have been reading through this book together and man it is so convicting and so good. I am just prone to make everything about me and my little kingdom. Jamey and I have been committing to working more on our marriage and one thing we are doing is taking turns reading and discussing chapters of this book. It is so amazing because Francis takes marriage and looks at it from a "30,000 feet point of view." He reminds readers that marriage is so much more than two people building a life together, but it is about being on a mission together. It recognizes that two can serve the people and places around you better than just the one. A couple stepping into the broken parts of our world, our city, and our neighborhoods together is maybe what God really designed marriage to be. Marriage is about being an unshakeable team who look past themselves and instead they commit to redeem the brokenness around them. They then allow that to be the glue that holds them together. It is so much more than just tips on 'how to get along,' but allowing your mission to bring about the intimacy we all crave in something as sacred as a marriage relationship. And most importantly letting your kids see that mommy and daddy care about the things God cares about and don't just go to church stuff, but they engage in the messiness of their city and neighborhood and do so with joy and sacrifice that can only be attributed to God himself. Grab a copy of this book if you want to think through your own marriage in light of eternity. The best part is 100% of the net profits from the book will go towards providing food, shelter, and rehabilitation for thousands of orphaned children and exploited women in partnership with global charities.
5.) The NET's new Purchased FW shirts:
Some may think this is a shameless plug. Maybe it is. But I don't care because I am so proud and excited. My nonprofit The NET serves women and girls in our city who have experienced sexual exploitation through a program called Purchased FW. It is something I am so passionate about. We recently had shirts made that say "Girls are NOT for sale." (Designed by my talented sister-in-law who is a graphic designer in Nashville). "Girls are NOT for sale" is a common phrase used among those in the anti-trafficking community, so it's not that we were clever and came up with this cool new tagline. Rather, it is just another way to echo and say this is not ok. MLK Jr. said, "There comes a time when silence becomes betrayal." It's another way to remind our community that this injustice exists all around us and despite being sadly normalized in the media it is still not ok. The reality of what I encounter everyday in my line of work is women who were once girls who wanted something different for their lives. The sex industry lured them in and then spit them out when they felt like moving onto the next victim. I explain more of my thoughts behind this issue in my blog about our survivors, but what I love is that these simple shirts are walking billboards and conversation starters. They essentially are telling our city that these ladies are not invisible to us and they are worth more than being bought and sold. Also, 100% of the proceeds go back into our programs to help them recover and journey into the life they were truly designed to live!
If you decide you want a shirt I wont be mad about it. Just grab one from our NET store!
So these are some of the few things I am into right now!
What about you? What are some things you are loving these days? I would love to hear about them!
