• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Joy the Baker
Joy the Baker
  • New Magazine!
  • Bread
  • Cookies
  • Cakes
  • Pies
  • Recipes
    • All Recipes
    • Biscuits
    • Muffins
    • Cupcakes
    • Drinks
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Fruit
    • Nuts
    • Buttermilk
    • Chocolate
    • Vanilla
    • Holiday
    • Healthy
    • Gluten-Free
    • Vegan
  • Blog
    • Baking 101
    • Tips
    • Beyond the Kitchen
    • Let It Be Sunday!
    • New Orleans

Nine Things I’m Doing To Refresh For Spring

March 28, 2019 by Joy the Baker 20 Comments

Hello friends!  

I’m here with some offerings. Some springtime unsolicited offerings that might help us ease into this new season.  I love the transition from winter to spring.  I love the way the light changes around the house and the days lengthen.  I marvel at the bright green of the new leaves on the fig tree (it’s more of a bush – it’s a shock, really).  I deeply appreciate these handful of incredible spring days we’ve had in New Orleans because they are short indeed. It all feels like a too-blessed-to-be-stressed situation aside from the fact that the last full moon did us all dirty and Mercury retrograde might be the end of us.  But we have tools! They’re detailed below because we’re all in this together. 

I’m taking some time these days to switch up some of the routines I may have settled into the past few months.  Here are a few of the slight changes I’m making. Take them as an offering. Maybe there’s something useful here for you.  

Back next week with a few new recipes for you.  The spring offering below:  

•  I have a library of cookbooks. A truly wild amount of books -one might call it an issue.  I keep the books I use most often on my kitchen shelves so I can pull recipes and inspiration from them while I’m hem and haw over what I can rustle from the fridge.  This winter’s books were mostly roasting, meat, and baking but it’s time to switch the books to reflect more fresh vegetables and simple breakfasts.  I’ve got: Tender, Super Natural Everyday, and Sprouted Kitchen Bowl and Spoon so far.   The recommendation: Gather the cookbooks that will inspire you most for the next few months. Place them in an accessible place in your kitchen for easy meal daydreaming. 

•  You know what I want? Crisp , lightly raised cookies, and fluffy cake layers.  You know what I do about it?  Make sure I replace my baking powder and baking soda in my pantry.  It’s important these little baking warriors be fresh and it’s easy to lose track of their freshness, especially if you don’t bake very often.  I hustle my baking soda from the pantry over to the laundry closet and use any that’s left in my washer.  The recommendation:  Replace your baking powder and baking soda next time you hit the grocery.

•  Spring has me wanting to plant ALL THE PLANTS.  The problem is, summer is a beast and I have a lot of travel coming up that will keep me away from a high-maintenance garden.  That’s ok!  I’m going to plant a small kitchen garden.  Something edible I can mostly keep indoors that I can pick from as I need a few cooking herbs.  I’ll show you what I come up with in a future post.  It’s gardening, light.  The recommendation: Plant a small kitchen garden to bring new life to your space. 

•  I recently treated myself to a daylight alarm clock.  It goes along with the fact that I no longer sleep with my phone (you know… our computer phones with alarm clocks in them) next to my bed.  One morning, eyes barely even opened, I mindlessly opened Instagram and the very first picture was one that… well I just didn’t want to see – especially so fresh from my dreams.  Sometimes Instagram is a sneak attack and I feel like I had gotten a little mindless with my phone and the way I interact with it.  The new alarm clock helps me wake up more peacefully and start my day more mindfully.   It’s a small shift that feels appropriate for spring.  The recommendation: Try a few nights sleeping separate from phone technology and see how you feel with a different start to the morning. 

•  As the light changes, I feel energized to change up my exercise routine.  I’ve been a post-work yoga person most of winter (when I can muster the energy to make it to class).  These past few weeks I’ve switched up my routine.  The morning light is so beautiful – I’m trying each day to be up with it.  Trying.  The recommendation: Change up or renew your exercise routine. Moving these bodies is such a privilege.

•  As day fades and night starts to creep into my day I can find myself getting a little anxious.  I try to take a walk or get outside at dusk – to do a little something to mark the end of a day and the transition into rest.  If I’m home at dusk I pass through the house, drawing curtains and turning on lamps. I light a candle, turn the bedside lights on in my bedroom and turn down the bed.  It’s a little ritual that calms my nerves and helps me ease into a chill evening.  The recommendation:  Find a small end of day ritual that feels good to you.  

•  I love a fresh set of sheets on my bed every week but since I’m in fresh spring mode I’ve cleaned my mattress cover, flipped the big ol’ mattress (something that’s got to be funny to watch because I did it all by myself), washed and ironed the bed skirt (yea… the bed has a skirt THIS IS ADULT LIFE), and vacuumed under the bed too.  I’m tryna hit up these peaceful ZZZZZZs! The recommendation: Deep clean the bed, all of it. 

•  It feels like a few months into the year is a good time to remember some of the intentions we may have set for the new year. One of mine was to slow and steady save more money. (As a grown ass adult) I have one of those high-interest savings accounts that automatically deducts money from my checking and holds it nice and safe in a savings account that I basically forget about.  This spring I’m going to take a look at those savings accounts, pat my self on the back for their growth and see if I can increase my automatic savings without feeling too much of a pinch.  The recommendation: Increase your monthly savings, even if it’s only an incremental amount. Slow and steady wins the emergency fund. For more money words, see ProTips: Financial Planning. 

•  While I’m changing up some of the ways I interact with my phone, I’m also deleting apps and photos I no longer use or need or things that just don’t feel good or necessary.  A cleanse, ya know? The recommendation: Take 15 minutes to delete any apps and photos you no longer need. 

Last year’s springtime list was pretty good too!  Hop on over for more refresh ideas! Springtime Adulting. 

My love to you.

Take good care.

xo Joy

Previous PostNext Post

Filed Under: Beyond the Kitchen

Previous Post: « Let It Be Sunday, 215!
Next Post: Gluten Free Tahini Dark Chocolate Skillet Cookie »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ulla

    April 24, 2019 at 12:57 pm

    Funny how some things go, I just read your post with my freshly laundered pillow on a drying rack behind me. The duvet was done yesterday and I slept like a new person and definitely recommend that whoever else reads this follows suit.
    Also, I banned my phone from entering the bedroom some two years ago. For me, it was not so much about mornings but about avoiding that last look before switching off the lights. That, too, did wonders.
    I’ll try out a few more of your ideas.
    As always, they are much appreciated!
    <3
    (Also, I thought that the <3 thing was an ice cream cone for what was probably years before someone clued me in. Another dream shattered. Oh well …)

    Reply
« Older Comments
Comments Page 2 of 2
« Previous 1 2

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

RELATED POSTS IN Beyond the Kitchen

stack of beach reads 2022
The Best Books for Summer 2022

Summer books are meant to be defiled. Pages should be smeared with suntan lotion and potato chip grease; covers should be sun faded and waterlogged, used as coasters for your margaritas, a landing pad for unwieldy ice cream cones. (Unless, of course, you’re checking your summer book out from the library. In which case, you…

Read More

Summer Bucket List, 2022!

BUCKET LIST buck•et list (noun): a number of experiences or achievements that a person hopes to have accomplished during their lifetime.  Also, a 2007 comedic film featuring Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson. SUMMER BUCKET LIST sum•mer buck•et list (noun):  a list of things that a person would like to accomplish and experience during the summer months.  If done correctly,…

Read More

A Peek Behind the Scenes of the new Joy the Baker Magazine

A few years ago when I embarked on the (incredibly exciting) journey of magazine making, I had no idea just how much it would flip my seasons and try to scramble my festive circadian rhythm.  Last summer, I had a Christmas tree up in the living room for most of July and August. Yes, fully…

Read More

Primary Sidebar

Fresh baked emails, delivered to your inbox

Receive recipes from Joy the Baker and updates on events at The Bakehouse.

HI! I’M JOY!

Welcome! This has been my little corner of the internet since 2008!

I’m a baker, photographer, cookbook author and teacher.  I live laugh love in New Orleans. 

MORE ABOUT JOY AND THE TEAM

BOOKS + Magazines

JOY THE BAKER 2022 SUMMER MAGAZINE

JOY THE BAKER 2021 HOLIDAY MAGAZINE

JOY THE BAKER 2020 HOLIDAY MAGAZINE

HOMEMADE DECADENCE

OVER EASY: SWEET AND SAVORY RECIPES FOR LEISURELY DAYS COOKBOOK

JOY THE BAKER COOKBOOK

Joy the baker with dyed bandana around neck

HOW TO MAKE DYED BANDANAS

as seen in JtB Magazine!

joy the baker on facebook joy the baker on twitter pinterest-social instagram-socialbloglovin-social

JOY @ WILLIAMS SONOMA

SHOP THE CAKE LINE OF CAKE MIXES!

DRAKE ON CAKE

Passionate from miles away since 2015.

Check it out on Instagram

Drake on cake instagram.

 

FAVORITE FRUIT RECIPES

Gluten-Free Brown Butter Blueberry Muffins

strawberry sheet cake on a plate with strawberries on top.

My Favorite Super Easy Strawberry Sheet Cake

Berry crostata topped with whipped cream with coffee.

A Single Serve Berry Crostata Recipe

POPULAR CAKES

strawberry sheet cake on a plate with strawberries on top.

My Favorite Super Easy Strawberry Sheet Cake

Slice of coconut cake on small white plate with coffee.

My favorite Coconut Cake is actually made with cake mix

A slice of lemon blueberry gooey butter cake held on a cake slicer.

Lemon Blueberry Gooey Butter Cake

Footer

Instagram

joythebaker

📚Baker and author of books and magazines
🎂Creator @drakeoncake
💁🏻‍♀️Classes with me @thebakehousenola
🍰 Products with @williamssonoma

joythebaker
I grew these 🌱sprouts🌱 from seeds in just a I grew these 🌱sprouts🌱 from seeds  in just a few days and now I eat them on everything. It’s my little bit of kitchen zen - listen, we’ll take it where we can get it. xo
I must write hundreds of To Do lists over the cour I must write hundreds of To Do lists over the course of the year but the Summer Bucket List is my favorite. Seven years running - this year I’m getting my butt in the seat of my motorcycle and somehow, on a boat at sunset. ⁣Also, blueberries. Chasing these big and little loves all summer long. 
⁣
What’s on your Summer Bucket List? Inspiration linked in the bio. xo 🌻💋
My EASIEST Strawberry Sheet Cake is also my absolu My EASIEST Strawberry Sheet Cake is also my absolute favorite. Get into a box of white cake mix and fresh 🍓🍓 purée! Topped with a thick layer of strawberry cream cheese frosting - this cake is a little pink dream! ⁣
⁣
The Easiest Strawberry Sheet Cake recipe linked in the bio for you! 💋
Our resident reader, @tobyfels shares my favorite Our resident reader, @tobyfels shares my favorite list of the summer on Joy the Baker this year: The Best Books for Summer 2022!  As a person who reads Beach Reads all year long, this is IT! With titles by @ashleymcoleman_ @anarasong @annleary @bonnie_garmus_author @heyashposton @annabelmonaghan @greerhendricks @sarahpekkanen @shelbyvanpeltwrites @marilynsimonrothstein @@misterosman and @kirstin.chen. The guide to your bookworm summer linked in the bio!
Over here testing the limits of “you are what yo Over here testing the limits of “you are what you eat” and will soon be taking my final form as a summer tomato. ⁣🫠🍅
⁣
This Mediterranean Feta and Fresh Tomato Tart is an absolute show stopper with a buttery crisp, press-in crust, whipped feta, and layers of fresh tomato, cucumber, onions, and olives. I’ll leave the recipe linked in the bio - it’s really very special. Join me. We are 🍅🍅.
Adding fight for our liberty and find tampons to t Adding fight for our liberty and find tampons to the Summer Bucket this year. #summerbucketlist
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2022 · Joy the Baker
All rights reserved. Violators will be whupped and sent to bed with no dessert · Privacy Policy

Scroll Up