Weekly R.E.P.O.R.T: May 6-May 12, 2024

Scrolling through social media Friday night is when they started popping up.

Yep, you guessed it. Pictures of the Northern Lights.

How freakin’ cool is it that we got not one, but two, natural wonders here in Ohio in a little over a month? (If you’re not following, the first one was the solar eclipse). And even more bizarre, that it wasn’t cloudy in the Buckeye state for both of them???

the Northern Lights as seen from my driveway

Naturally, I went outside to join in the fun and quickly realized that my phone was seeing way more of the party than I was. Gotta love those city lights. And if you want a good chuckle of all of it, this TikTok had me cracking up when I saw it Saturday morning.

@lenasyed The one time my camera could capture something better than my eyes😭 #northernlights #ohio IC: @hazell🐉💕 ♬ original sound - Our Awesome World 🌎

Anyways, here is this week’s Weekly R.E.P.O.R.T.

Reading

How to Fail at Flirting (Denise Williams)

I read, and finished, a book! It’s been an exhausting few months and I’m super proud of myself starting, and finishing, a novel this past week. It helps that said novel, How to Fail at Flirting, is super fun. Naya is a math professor stuck in a rut, looking to try new things in the face of uncertainty at work. She meets Jake at a bar (it’s way cuter than you think), and what starts out as one night of fun, quickly becomes something more. The book is super predictable at times, but the characters aren’t annoying and there is some comfort in knowing what is coming next. It’s a super breezy read, and great for getting back in the reading groove.

my read shelf:

Eating

Chili Cheese Nachos (Eating Well)

Eating Well recipes always seem to treat us well. And this chili cheese nachos recipe 100% followed suit. In the mood for Mexican food for Cinco de Mayo, I was searching for something easy, and also homemade, that could satisfy a craving. The homemade chili in this recipe was the perfect nacho topper, not too heavy like a hearty chili meal, and not too runny that it falls off a chip. A sturdy tortilla chip is a must here, as is freshly grated cheese (seriously, skip the pre-shredded stuff). We topped ours with fresh avocado, salsa, cilantro, green onions and tomatoes, and it was delicious. Even the reheated leftovers two days later were standouts.

Playing

beats to relax/study to (Lofi Girl)

When I needed to be able to concentrate last week, I knew I needed something other than dead silence to keep me focused. My mind had been scattered all week, barely able to finish tasks, and to get actual work done, I needed some sort of background music that would block it all out. This “beats to relax/study to” playlist has been a godsend. Listening to this with a pair of noise-cancelling headphones single handedly fueled any productivity I had and I’m so grateful that I found it.

Obsessing

Planting Vegetables

If I’m being honest, I’m still obsessing about the New Balance 1906r’s. I’m really trying hard to hold off on those until a birthday coupon pops up to bring the price down a smidge. In the meantime, I’ve been focusing all of my time on the outdoors, buying and planting herbs and vegetables wherever I can. Did I overdo it? Oh, absolutely. Is five different varieties of tomatoes too much? Probably. Did I go back and buy an eggplant plant yesterday? You betcha. I’m loving getting my hands dirty and growing my own veg, here’s hoping to a plentiful harvest later this summer.

Recommending

Glycolic Acid 7% Exfoliating Toner (The Ordinary)

TikTok recommendations strike again. As the temps warm, and our toes start creeping out, those ugly feet callouses can get in the way of sandals looking their best. Enter glycolic acid. First recommended by Liv Judd to help with armpit smell, this powerful little acid can do more than just kill underarm bacteria, it can help eliminate pesky feet callouses too. I’ve been using The Ordinary’s Glycolic Acid Toner for the last few weeks, swiping it on my heels and toes every couple of days, and I’ve noticed a significant improvement. It’s not pedicure level smooth, but at only $8 a bottle, its much more economical.

Treating

Tina the Musical (Broadway)

Do you really know how many hits Tina Turner’s had in her career? Like really know? The musical about her life, aptly named Tina, the Musical, weaves a bunch of them into the storyline of her career, in the most elegant way. Most musicals that are over two hours long I find myself looking at my watch every now and then, this musical has so many recognizable tunes, you forget how long you’ve been watching. I thought I knew how awful Ike Turner was before watching this, but man, was he worse than I ever thought. It makes you appreciate Tina’s full career even more.