Sundaze 256: A change of scenery, spring walks and gardening

Happy Sundaze, my loves!

Back at it with another cosy Sunday post. I think I’ll alternate these weekly with my ‘Open-hearted joys’ entries, since the two series feel so personal. I’ve been so excited to pen this week’s post, not least because it’s been a heavy writing week for me. I checked off two huge projects at work and I’ve made some fairly good (albeit slow) progress with chapter planning and note-taking for my book. After all that, it’s nice to dial things back with some easy writing around here.

I’ve had a lovely, far quieter week this week. Focused gym sessions, nice little reading sprints and plenty of time watching Grey’s Anatomy, Queer Eye season seven and XO, Kitty have been a great tonic for the soul, ahead of some busier weeks as spring comes to a close and summer returns. (Anyone else frustrated at how people online are already calling it summer?!)

A fresh desk space (well, almost)

Excitingly, I moved my desk last week! It sat in the corner of my bedroom, previously, wedged between a wall and my bed. While my living situation is still far from ideal, I’m trying my best to lean into living with my family and working hard towards a post-Cost of Living crisis future. That being said, we moved my desk to an otherwise-unused corner of the house, so that I’d no longer work nine hours, then rest five, then sleep six, in the same space, multiple times a week. Super lucky; looking forward to seeing how it eases up my headspace.

A change of scenery has been great. I’m more productive during work hours and more relaxed during downtime – just how it should be. I’m still tinkering with where everything needs to go but, for the most part, I’m loving this new corner.

Spring walks

Our weekend-ly walks continue! Recently we’ve found an app that focuses on country walks in our county, and we’ve been slowly checking them off the list. It’s safe to say my little electric car has seen many a country lane and off-road situ lately…! Last weekend we went to Brocket Hall and Park which was beautiful. Spotted a little running stream, bounding pheasants and an abundance of bunnies. Readers local to Hertfordshire, you should check out the Hertfordshire Walks app!

And, of course, you can’t enjoy a walk without rounding things off with a country pub lunch. My friend and I had a delicious bite to eat at Tewin Bury Farm’s Farm Shop terrace – their spring salad is vegan and I’d totally recommend – and we also recently ate at The Three Horseshoes in Hook’s Cross!

A spot of gardening

I feel like I’ve unlocked a new achievement of my thirties because I’m finally into vegetable gardening. Following my pursuits in actually keeping houseplants alive and thriving, I tried my hand at veggies a few weeks ago and am now the proud Mum of courgette, peardrop tomato, Welsh green onion and aubergine plants. My boyfriend is similarly into it too: he harvested his first strawberry last weekend and we planted our first Roma cherry tomatoes. Watch this space… We might just become a gardening blog 😉

Links I’ve Loved

Came across this Literature Map website and I’m obsessed. You’ll find me hoarding entire back catalogues of new-to-me authors at my local library…
Liz shared her 20 Books of Summer TBR list and it’s inspired me to consider a summer TBR of my own.
Loved Epsita’s round-up of eight independent bookstores around the globe. I’m lucky enough to have visited a few, but have added plenty more to my list.
20 Books by Asian American Authors You Need To Read via The Everygirl
If you’re trying to get back into reading, then Jess’ new YouTube video will sing to you. In it, she discusses ‘Becoming a Reader‘ – the first in a new video series.
Considering picking up my suit trousers in beige for the summer.
Loving my current retinol: I’ve been using this one for around seven weeks now and it’s making the world of difference.