Mother’s Day is just around the corner so I took the liberty of buying myself a little something. Some women receive flowers or jewelry on Mother’s Day (especially their FIRST) Mother’s Day, but my husband isn’t really interested in gift giving. Since I come from a family in which gift giving is a primary love language this has caused some turmoil over the course of our relationship, but I’m trying hard to let it go. It’s not really the gift I want, after all, it’s his love and appreciation. Instead of getting angry at his stinginess I try to remember that I have that – then I go out and buy myself a present.
To commemorate my first Mother’s Day I bought myself this beautiful print from Spirit & Soul. I plan on matting and framing it once it arrives, then hanging it in my bedroom. If my cash flow were a little more generous at the moment I would also have bought myself a copy of Jade Beall’s The Bodies of Mothers: A Beautiful Body Project
You might wonder whether this lack of hooplah on my spouse’s part leaves me feeling unappreciated. The fact is that yes, it often does – despite my efforts to get over it. If you have a special mama in your life I suggest taking the time to make her feel loved and appreciated for all that she does. It usually doesn’t take much. A small token, a few carefully chosen words, and some quality time is all most mamas need. Just quit being a lame-o and do it!
Speaking of love, the bakers of Austin are getting ready to unite once again to help those in need. I’m proud to have been a part of several Austin Bakes events over the past few years. Later this month Austin Bakes will be throwing a citywide bake sale to benefit Nepal in the wake of a devestating earthquake. Visit AustinBakes.com to find out how you can help too. Austin Bakes will need home bakers to donate goodies, volunteers to help run the sale tables, businesses to partner as sponsors (providing supplies, cash donations, and sale locations), and help spreading the word to make this sale the best one yet. The sale is scheduled for Saturday, May 23. Follow Austin Bakes on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to keep up with the latest news.
Tickets are on sale now for this year’s Byte of Texas food blog conference. This event is put on by the Austin Food Blogger Alliance, an organization near and dear to my heart. This two-day conference will feature panels, workshops, and of course, great food and drink. Earlybird ticket prices will be available for a limited time so make sure and grab yours right away.
I will be appearing at two different events in Austin this month giving demonstrations on DIY natural beauty. Join me for a free evening of all things honey at Vuka on May 21 from 6:30 – 9:30. I’ll be making honey grapefruit honey scrubs, and other honey experts, including cookbook author Marie Simmons, will be giving talks on cooking, wellness, and beekeeping.
I will also be giving a natural beauty talk at The Texas Olive Festival on May 30. Texas Hill Country Olive Company will be hosting the four-day event at their headquarters in Dripping Springs. This celebration of all things olive will include chefs demos, orchard tours, food & wine tastings, live music, and so much more. I’ll be sharing some tips on how to use natural virgin olive oil in your everyday beauty routine, demonstrating some olive-based beauty recipes, and selling natural beauty kits and specially priced pre-orders of my book (coming out June 15.) Tickets for The Texas Olive Festival are on sale now.
In other news, my baby is becoming a toddler before my eyes and I can’t even handle it. Before I had CC I talked a big game about how I would never feel sad to see my baby grow up. I mean, that’s the whole point, right? Turns out I was completely wrong, because every step (yeah, literal STEPS) he takes toward toddlerhood is simultaneously wonderful and heartbreaking. I miss his quadruple-chinned baby face already!