May favorites

“A little bit of summer is what the whole year is all about.” – John Mayer

I hope everyone had a fantastic May! Welcome to my monthly favorites. <3

Places we’ve been

Casa de Nelson (Grand Junction, CO). We spent a few days this month with my parents at their house, enjoying their new pool and same-as-always amazing hospitality! We also spent Memorial Day weekend together with them and my brother, Tyler’s family. It was so fun!
My hometown (Gunnison, CO). We visited Chad’s family and got to see my childhood best friend Laura (who happens to be Chad’s cousin) and met her daughter Jessa, visiting from Idaho.

What I’m excited about

Here are just a few things that I’ve been excited about this month.

My DIY headboard project
My DIY mud planter project
Planting in our DIY planter beds
Planning our upcoming vacation
Staying busy with all of my clients and projects
Lots of daily exercise, vitamins, and coffee
A surprise trip happening later this summer – I’m going to Orlando with my parents!
We’re hosting a housewarming party (finally) at the end of July

Things we’ve watched

As usual, we’ve consumed a lot of television and movies. (A little less this month—we’ve been kinda busy!)

Friday Night Lights
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
The Circle
NBA Finals
NFL Draft

Activities we enjoyed

Hiking at Rifle Arch. Our first hike of the season, and Wally got to come too!
Playing cornhole. We have been loving playing our neighbors at cornhole.
Catching up with old friends. During our trip to Gunnison, we got to spend time with my childhood bestie Laura, my old softball coach D, and our good friend Dustin.
Pooooool time! It has been SO fun to hang out with my parents and enjoy their new pool. I definitely feel like a little kid again.
Seeing family. We’ve had lots of family time this month!
Whiffle Ball. The neighborhood got together for a rousing game of street whiffle ball.
Celebrating my dad. It was my dad’s birthday over Memorial Day weekend, so we were able to get together and have a blast. I hope he had a great day! He deserves it.
Coaching. I was able to step in a few times and coach some little league softball! It was very fun and rewarding, and I’m exciting for a more full time position in the fall.
Reading. I picked up a book this month, borrowed from my mom – Stern Men by Elizabeth Gilbert. Excellent!
Watching the draft. We gathered at our friend Scot’s house to watch the NFL draft. Pretty fun!

Foods I ate

Pizza from Rocky Mountain Pizza (Glenwood Springs, CO). We decided to mix things up a little and try a different pizza joint. Their Hawaiian pizza (#TeamPineappleOnPizza) hit the spot.
Half-and-half salad from Mario’s. Yup, we went back to this classic Gunnison eatery during our most recent trip.
Beer at High Alpine Brewery. We met up with our good friend Dustin and tried some new beers on tap at High Alpine. We loved the new fruity Paradise brews!
Wine and charcuterie boards at Maison La Belle. We had a special meal in Palisade on Mother’s Day to celebrate my wonderful Mom. Cheers to her!!!
Snacks at Taco John’s. Have I ever mentioned that I have a thing for potato oles? They’re a delicious ode to my childhood.
Breakfast at High Country Café. We caught up with my old coach over green chile scrambles and lots of coffee.
Hot dogs and burgers at the neighbor’s. Summer is here! We had a neighborhood cookout one Friday night, complete with cornhole and deep-friend potato chips.
Takeout from 88 Grill. There’s nothing like a thick burger from the one restaurant in New Castle that offers delivery. Delicious!
Dinner at Hugo’s. I was asked to write a restaurant review for the Glenwood Springs’ annual chamber magazine. So I did! It was delightful.
Burritos from Jilbertos. You can’t beat carne asada burritos from this Glenwood Springs restaurant.
Pablo’s Pizza. My dad chose Pablo’s Pizza in Fruita, CO for his birthday dinner. I love their “unicorn force” pesto pizza.
Crumbl Cookies. I had a couple Crumbl Cookies (for the first time) and they were scrumptious.
Memorial Day grilling. My dad is famously good at grilling! He made steak, baked potatoes, asparagus, burgers, brats, and more. The true taste of summer!

Music I listened to

Sour – Olivia Rodrigo. Oooooooh, this album is GOOD. I’m blown away by her and her work. She’s like an edgier version of Taylor Swift, with storytelling that really captures the teen experience.

Stuff I posted

Stuff I bought

Rugs!! I finally cashed in some gift cards and got our home a few beautiful area rugs. I have been waiting forever for a sale and they were totally worth it.
Swimsuits. I purchased a few different swimmies from Shein, in hopes of finding a cheap but cute suit for the summer.
Flights! We’re *officially* going on vacation to San Diego in June! We are so dang excited. Flights and accommodations are booked.
Ski passes. Yup! We already locked down season ski passes for the 2021-2022 season (on SUPER sale!). I’m excited for a full season pass after last year’s 10-day experiment. 🙂
A brad nailer. I bought my first power tool! I’m excited for home DIY projects to come.
Townie bike. Bought it off my neighbors for $10! It’s beautiful and can’t wait to ride it more.
Self-tanner. Stay tuned to see if my pale skin is slightly transformed in time for San Diego. (Lol!)