fill up our cup: entry one

as we grow into adulthood, we struggle with possessions; whether we want more, we want less, whether what we have is worth having. our style is often minimal, but functional first. starting from a place of privilege, and knowing that we have opportunities that many don't has guided much of what we keep in our home. while simultaneously, trinkets and rocks overflow our window sills, and books both read & unread (mostly unread) crowd our bookshelves and the corners of our home. but these things feel different, something we call lifeblood in our home, a physical feeling of equal parts exhilaration & calm, a feeling that gets you going. 

so, in an effort to be more active in recognizing what things (physical or not) inspire us, energize us, or help us to feel better in some way, and on a regular schedule, we'd like to begin collecting things that give us lifeblood here, in this weekly ongoing series called fill up our cup.

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alex: a big one for me is making coffee. on sunday, we had a "fall super-date" and while in milwaukee i bought a chemex. it's something i've been wanting for a long time, but it just never felt like a worthy investment. finally, on sunday, i just pulled the trigger. it was perfect timing, because this week i've actually had a few days where i had more of the morning free due to a schedule for a project at work. i was able to make coffee for hannah and myself three weekdays in a row, which is pretty special. to offer some context, i leave the house every day at 6:30am. most days i don't even have time for a bowl of cereal. hannah and i were discussing this over breakfast one of these special weekday mornings - i think that because this has been my schedule for a year and a half now, my mindset has shifted to see mornings at home in a much more sacred light. especially because i'm usually out of the house before the first hints of morning sun even hit our windows. these three mornings have been simultaneously grounding and rejuvenating for me.

hannah: apple cider donuts... a fall comfort food at its finest for me. my family has been going to apple orchards and eating apple cider donuts for as long as i can remember. it is a fall tradition, and eating these donuts brings back so many wonderful feelings of nostalgia, innocence, and sheer joy. they are a reminder that happiness can be found in any season. as i have been enjoying our apple cider donuts this week, I’ve not only been savoring the happy feelings they give but I’ve also been considering how grateful i am to be cultivating seasonal rhythms and traditions with alex, as we get older and have less time to experience these rhythms within our own separate families. there is definitely some mourning, at least for me, as these familial experiences decrease in frequency, but it helps to find familiar things to hold on to - like apple cider donuts.

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it feels appropriate to start out this series with just one thing each, and we might (or might not) grow it and change it from here. but this week, these were our picks.