Hey hey and happy Friday!
90,070. No, that number is not related to any sort of election count. It’s the number of photos I have on my iPhone. NINETY THOUSAND. Who even takes that many pictures over their lifetime? Me. But when I look through the photos, I’d have to guess that 70% of them are of food. What I ate in a day (hello salami sandwich always with pickles), restaurant dishes, outtakes of photo shoots, etc..
That’s gotta change. It’s time to document less food, and more life and love.
These days, the majority of mobile phone users have the luxury of having a camera always within reach. We don’t need to buy or develop film, make a huge investment in camera bodies or lenses, or even go to the closet or pull it out of the drawer. Today, we have memory makers right in the palms of our sweaty little hands, documenting life’s big and small moments for ourselves, or if we wish, for the whole world to see. We just have to remember to use it.
In a way I’m kind of jealous of my daughter and her Snapchat. No matter how mundane the task, or how joyful or not the scene, she is taking photos of herself and her friends. Sometimes I see what she’s snapped and as quick as I can I say, “Save that for me!”, to which she replies, “Too late. It’s already gone.”
For us old fogies who only pulled out the camera on special occasions, today’s reality makes it feel like there’s nothing worthwhile to document. With little to no travel, gatherings that are few and far between, no more special events like parties, concerts or sporting events, why take photos? Life where we are living less perfectly, unshowered in our sweats in our messy homes because nobody’s coming over, doing the same things day after day, seems so boring and unremarkable.
But if we look beyond the obvious and take time to see the simple joys and accomplishments we’re all making, every day, even in this totally whacked out time, there’s a whole lot to celebrate. Maybe even more than before.
That’s why I’m re-setting a goal I made at the beginning of the year to take more photos of every day life.
Here’s my challenge to you: No matter if life is happy and joyful or dull and monotonous, pull out your phones and take a photo of what’s going on around you. Take a pic of your cat lounging in that sliver of sun, or your child schooling with Zoom. Grab a pic of your simple salami sandwich, or of the family on a walk or raking leaves. And def get that pic your husband doing the dishes because that’s a sight you don’t always see.
Photos don’t need to be smiley, staged, or of much of anything special. Be spontaneous. Look for the beauty, the simplicity of the day, pull out the phone, and make a memory. We can always delete it later.
But before we do, let’s get to this week’s Friday Faves.
51 ways to destress and calm down now.
12 quotes to fill your heart with inspiration.
Chicken sweaters. Yes, it’s true.
Burnout and stress. This podcast sheds light on how to cope.
Need a giggle? –> 24 photos that pretty much sum up how 2020 is going so far.
18 tasty snacks from POC owned brands.
Keeping with the old or creating new traditions? How to host Thanksgiving safely now.
Such a good idea: These oven liners make drippy lasagna, pies, and any gooey casserole a whole lot less messy.
I love my beef stew, but this one looks really good too.
Here’s a fun twist on sweet potatoes. yum.
and…
Butternut squash somehow just got better with bacon. Duh.
This pie takes the cake.
What a starter! These cheesy stuffed mushrooms have just the right spicy bite.
This is one of my favorite breakfasts, but with verde.
The best part of this bean dip recipe is it’s barely even a recipe.
With its fall flavored creamy sauce, this gnocchi recipe looks thumbs up all the way.
This sheet pan salmon is totally unique and looking good.
In college, I would buy one of these flavored cookies every day and eat it during my graphic design class. I still crave them so I gotta try this recipe.
These would make an awesome neighbor gift. If you had any left after making them :)
and…
Homemade apple butter to eat now or can for later.
Bookmark this slow cooker stuffing recipe for ease on T-day.
I have no idea how she has time to read so much and that makes me trust her book recommendations even more.
I bought this candle from my favorite SLC floral store and now it’s sitting next to my bed. Even not lit, it sends me THE BEST whiffs of calm. Highly recommend.
This flexible to-do list let’s you choose your days but still keep you organized.
7 celebs rate their favorite houseplants.
and…
This gardening grandpa is going viral for good reason. Check out that haul!
Instacrush: So many orchids, so much to love.
Such cute Xmas ornaments for your favorite little nutcracker ballerina.
and…
It’s a rainbow of Christmas trees. v. cute.
A good thing to keep your wrapping paper organized.
This cream never goes on sale and now, it’s almost half off.
I walked past this blanket, and it was SOOOO soft, I walked out with it too.
These gloves would be great for walking the dogs, and with the nubby fingers, stopping to take a pic too.
Looking for some peace among the chaos? Here you go.
And that is it for this week. Have a great weekend everyone, WEAR A MASK, and BE SAFE!
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coco
i love the idea of catching up daily moments. when we look at, they are all special in someways :)
Aila Stone
It is a good idea to take a photo. I thought that I have absolutely no pictures of what is going on in my life. The last photo on my phone is a beautiful sunset in August evening. It has been several months since then.
Thank you for the interesting resources that are definitely useful for reading.
Hilary
Love your point about the photos! I try and think about my childhood pictures, and all of my favorite ones are not super poised or even particularly attractive. Now I try to take lots of daily pictures, and while it’s kind of trite, I do love a good food photo! We have a picture of coffee and sandwiches on our gallery wall!