May 2024 Wrap Up

Summer is unofficially here as we wrap up May 2024 and head right into June.  Have you started your summer yet?  Plans?

Not much is going on around here right now.  No big projects, trips or shopping extravaganzas.

Here are a few things that might be of interest to you though.

Shopping

From Temu I ordered (a lot!) of UV resistant faux plants for the patio.  As I mentioned on my updated patio post, I’m not buying or planting flowers this year. 

But the patio needed a bit of color and softening, so I found these for around $10 for 12 small bushes.  I bought two packages and got a ton.  I placed them in with two live palms to fill out the planters and added them alone in a third planter. 

Recommend if you’re looking for an easy and colorful solution.

Okay, I will admit I’m very susceptible to online influencers for shopping recommendations.

There are so few options in brick and mortar stores and yet way too many options online.  Many influencers have been really helpful making recommendations.

Except for clothes since most of the women are younger, thinner and taller.  That hasn’t always worked out for me.

I no longer use Instagram because that site is way too dangerous for me, but before I left I found Kendra and I’m signed up for her emails.  Kendrafoundit.com makes awesome save or splurge recommendations, dupes, and just good heads-ups for deals.

She features clothes, furniture, household goods – anything anyone might need.  And she seems to be a regular person – the best kind!

I recently purchased a Target purse from her link and love that she knows what a designer bag dupe is because I have no idea what designers are popping out these days.

I’ll share the purse when it arrives and let you know what I think.

What I’m Reading

Say Goodbye by Lisa Gardner is a paperback I picked up from the thrift store.  I had no expectations for it but it was a good FBI agent story.  I read it in about a day and a half and if you see it free from the library or can download on your device, it’s a recommend.

I took a really disappointing trip to the library over the weekend.  They didn’t have a thing interesting.  Their new book shelf had only five selections, just a few horrid looking new-release movies and I wandered around wishing something would stand out.

And then.  I saw their puzzle selection.  You don’t check the puzzles out, you take them home, put them together and then bring them back.

Hub is really the puzzle king, but I found a pretty Ravenscroft so I picked it up and started sorting the pieces.

And then.  Roxy wanted to help.  THREE times she knocked a bunch of pieces off and once she gouged up the puzzle table pretty good.  I know.  It’s my fault for letting her up there so I could take a “naughty” picture.

Anyway, all that to tell you your library might have a nice selection of free puzzles.

What I’m Eating

Pesto!  My herb garden produced a ton of basil and I needed to pick it all because the caterpillars were getting to it.  Darn it!

I found a recipe for low-fodmap, SIBO-friendly pesto.  Which basically means no garlic.  I followed Asaucykitchen.com’s recipe except I used fewer chives and more basil.

I’ve been using it as a spread for sandwiches.  First on a grilled cheese and then on leftover roast beef.

Side note, I cooked the roast beef in the Instapot using this recipe from lecremedelacrumb.com.  It’s really good and of course, leftovers are great.  The sandwich in this pic is made from homemade sourdough and garden-grown lettuce.

I know, I need to get a job.

Back to the pesto.  It’s so good.  I am freezing the remainder so I don’t get tired of it.

Wrap Up

Guess what’s blooming now? Our hibiscus. It makes one tiny bit of our patio look Hawaiian. They are such a magnificent flower.

Thank you for spending time with me this week as we usher out May and look forward to June.  Let us know how you are spending your time and your exciting summer plans.