Taylor Epperson

Good books + Good living (formerly Bookish Tay)

Categories: Lifestyle

A Few Favorite Things: April 2021

It’s nearly the end of April, and it was a pretty fun and busy month for us! Von and I spent the first 2 weeks of April in Utah with my family. Now we’re finally starting to enjoy the warmer weather here in Colorado! As the title of this post indicates, I wanted to share 5 of my favorite things in April.

I love reading these roundups on other blogs (because like I mentioned in my post the other day, I’m just kind of nosy and like to know what products and things people like to use). So I decided to make my own!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links which means that if you click on a link and purchase something I’ve shared, I’ll receive a small percentage of the sale. Please see my full disclaimer for more details.

Tula Face Filter Primer

I’ve been using this face filter for about 18 months now. I actually just got a new one this week, because I was down to the last drop! As someone who doesn’t wear a ton of makeup, I love this face filter. I don’t wear foundation (at this time) but this does a great job of evening out + blurring some of those harsher colors/lines on my face. It’s on the higher end for the price (maybe, maybe not… I don’t buy much makeup/face products so maybe it’s a good price. I have no idea.) but it’s 100% worth it! (You can also grab it from Ulta and save $20!)

A two-piece swimsuit with great coverage!

Haley from Honey Mark designed awesome swimsuits + swim rompers for busy moms or anyone who likes a bit more coverage! I got The Caraway (wine color) for when we go swimming this summer and I’ve also got The Pepper which is a swim dress!! I’m excited to just hang out in it all summer. I love these swimsuits simply because I have never really loved any swimsuit I’ve ever had, but these ones make me feel comfortable and cute!

No Show Socks

These no shows are the most comfortable no show socks I’ve ever worn in my entire life. No joke! And they’re only $13. These are perfect for spring and summer!

Owlcrate Subscription

You may have seen my Instagram post where I talked about how excited I was to be subscribed to Owlcrate again. This is a YA book box that sends out a new YA book (often fantasy) + 4-6 goodies each month! I got this box a few years ago when I first discovered bookstagram, but hadn’t had it in years. It’s a fun box and definitely worth trying at least once! (I don’t have a code or get a commission if you sign up for Owlcrate, I just love it and had to share!)

2021-2022 Simplified Planner

Last year I made the switch to an academic planner (August – July) so when Simplified launched their new collection, I ordered their new happy strip planner! They had so many beautiful covers this year. I’m so excited to start using it in a few months. So whether you need/want a new planner or any of the other beautiful things in their shop, you can get $10 off your first order!

What are you loving right now?!

a heart and the name taylor

Categories: Food, Lifestyle

Why I Love HelloFresh

This post is not sponsored. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and we pay for a HelloFresh subscription.

A few weeks ago on Instagram, I mentioned that I was going to try HelloFresh. I’d been thinking about it for some time, and after a random ad for them came in the mail, I decided to go for it! And I’m so glad I did.

What I Like about HelloFresh

Meal planning is 100 times easier

Meal planning has always been one of my biggest pain points. As much as I love cooking, I don’t really enjoying picking new meals to make every single week.

Enter HelloFresh.

Now, each week we pick 3 meals together and they come straight to our door. I still make dinner 3 other days a week, but having this meal service had made my life so much easier, as I don’t have to come up with new meals every week.

We get more variety

We’ve been married almost 6 years now, and I feel like we eat a lot of the same things for dinner, over and over again. While some of the recipes we love are tried and true (and we’ll never give up), it is nice to have more variety.

With HelloFresh you get 3 new meals (or however many you choose) every single week. We’ve tried things, like chicken Shawarma, that we never would have tried before and loved them!

Is the cost worth it?

HelloFresh isn’t exactly cheap. You can get $70 off your first order when you sign up, but once the discount is used, the boxes are on the pricey side.

Right now, the extra cost is worth it, at least for our family. We have been spending less on groceries and eating out less, so it does almost even out completely.

For me, getting meals that are fresh, healthy, and tasty right to our door is worth the extra cost. On days when my anxiety is bad, it’s so easy to just grab a bag and the recipe card and know that in 30 minutes I’ll have a healthy meal in front of my family.

I don’t know right now if we’ll keep the service forever, my husband is a fan and he’s asked to keep it for a while. All in all, it has made meal planning + cooking so much easier, and that’s what I was searching for. I definitely recommend trying it out if you want to mix up what you’re eating, and make mealtime simpler!

Have you tried HelloFresh? If not, do you have any questions that I could answer for you?

Categories: Goal Setting, Lifestyle

January Progress and February Goals

This post may contain affiliate links, see site disclaimer for more details.

Wow. How is it already February? I feel like January was good but weird and also hard. Can it be all three?

I really struggled with my mental illnesses all through January. Thank goodness for online therapy and good friends and family. I’m just hoping that February is a better month!

February 2021 Goals. Open planner next to pink phone.

In January, we paid off some debt and did a lot better at setting a budget each time we got paid. I also had some great kneeling prayers and I know I focus more when I kneel (instead of just lying in bed).

While I didn’t do all my January goals perfectly, I still made progress, and that’s what matters.

February tending list in Powersheets, showing my February goals

February Goals

I split up my goals into monthly, weekly, and daily habits and action items, which helps me from getting overwhelmed, but also helps me stay on track! I use the tending list in my Powersheets to track my progress.

Monthly Goals:

  • Pay off our Chase credit card! We’re so close!!
  • Order seeds for our garden! And finish plans for our garden!
  • Do my paint by number. One of my aunts was doing these one Sunday during our family zoom call. I promptly ordered one, but I need to actually do it!

Weekly Goals:

  • Family Home Evening. Spend time together (on Monday evenings) intentionally + with a spiritual lesson.
  • Make a budget. This will only be on the days we get paid, so every 2 weeks!
  • Go to the library. It’s a good way to get out of the house and Von loves picking new books!

Daily Goals/Habits:

  • Read scriptures with Von
  • Kneeling prayer
  • 10-minute pick up. I didn’t do super great at this last month, but I always feel better in the mornings if our house is a little tidier.
  • Write something. In my journal, a blog post, a scene. Anything really!
  • Talk about Jesus. With friends, family, online, in person. Anything goes. I just want to be talking about Him more.

What are your goals for February? I’d love to hear about them in the comments!

Categories: Goal Setting, Lifestyle

January 2021 PowerSheets Goals

This post may contain affiliate links. See site disclaimer for details.

A new year, a new month.

And we’re already halfway through the month, but it’s time to finally share my goals for January 2021.

I started slow, easing into my 2021 yearly goals with some starting steps. I didn’t want to do too much, but these are all things that I can focus on and have been focusing on. I use PowerSheets to set + track my goals!

Get 25% off Powersheets right now!! (They’re almost sold out!)

 

January Monthly Goals:

  • Send $2000 to credit card debt!
  • Make a vlog for my new YouTube channel
  • Set online boundaries for my personal social media use + family screen time

January Weekly Goals:

  • Make a budget — a weekly budget is easier for us than a monthly one!
  • Meal plan andeal plan + prep — to make evenings run smoother
  • Social media free day — I need some extra quiet from all the noise of social media

January Daily Goals (habits):

  • Bed by 10:00 pm — I’m finally giving myself a bedtime as an adult
  • Kneeling prayer — to really focus as I talk to God
  • 10-minute pickup in the evening — create a better evening routine so the mornings and days go a little better
  • Write (my book, in my journal, a blog post) — writing is in my soul and I need to make it a priority
  • Screen-free morning — we’ll get outside or play in Von’s room or run some errands
  • Move my body — a walk, an actual work out, or yoga

What are your goals for January!? What are you working on this month?

Categories: Goal Setting, Lifestyle

My 2021 PowerSheets Goals

This post may contain affiliate links, see site disclaimer for more details.

2021 is here! Yesterday I shared my word of the year for 2021 and today I’m digging a little deeper into my 4 big goals for the year.

Every year I try to lean in and set intentional goals that will help me get to where I want to be when I’m 80. I use the Powersheets goal planner from Cultivate What Matters to help me stay on track + dig deeper into the why of each of my goals.

 

 

Friends, I’ve used Powersheets for 2 full years now, and this year I feel even more excited. I’ve slowed way down from the past two years (see my goals from 2020 and 2019.) After the year we all had in 2020, I knew that I wanted to slow down.

I’m stepping out of the race. You know the one, to get more and more followers, to make it to the top, to hustle until I’m so burned out I can’t even see. I’ve played that game and in 2021 I’m saying no to all of that. Call it a heart change or whatever you’d like, but 2020 made me hit pause on some of the things that I thought were important and it opened my eyes to the things that actually mattered.

Vision board showing a sticker with a woman hugging Christ, the word hope, books, a sticker that says 'garden girl' and a wedding photo of a couple kissing.

Going into 2021 makes me feel giddy, apprehensive, and calm (even after the events that took place last week). I’m still hopeful that this year will hold everything that it needs to hold, even if it doesn’t hold everything that I want.

I kept that in mind as I worked through my Powersheets and came up with these four goals for the year. 2021 is a new start. And even if this year is just as hard as 2020, I know when I look back on 2021 that I’ll be proud of the things I did if I keep my heart-centered and my focus on cultivating these things.

Open PowerSheets with Goal 1 Action plan.

Goal #1: Walk with Jesus

Why? Because I want Christ and God to be at the center of my life. I have more peace and direction in my life when I am grounded in Them. Because the world is in chaos and in Him, I find calm and I need that calm.

Mini goals: This goal is really all about doing things that bring me closer to God. That means a bigger focus on prayer — talking and listening to Him. Reading from His word daily. Talking about Him as a family and making our home a space where His spirit can reside. Making the Sabbath day a day that’s different than every other day, even though we’re home all the time.

What might happen if I don’t work on this goal? I’ll feel untethered and get swept up in the chaos of the world.

Starting steps: Getting started can often be hard, but I’m starting small with daily kneeling prayer, watching the Don’t Miss This videos for my Sunday School learning, and having a weekly Family Home Evening (time each week when we gather and talk about God in a mini-lesson).

Close up of Goal 2 action plan "focus on family and home" show's the why, which is mentioned later in the text.

Goal #2: Focus on Home and Family

Why? Because in past years I’ve let everything overshadow my home and family and I want to do more for them and with them.

Mini Goals: We moved into our first home last year and I really hope to make it into a space that we love, which means getting organized, hanging more pictures, and starting a garden. I also have been craving better routines and rhythms for our days and more time spent together instead of looking at a screen. This goal will also cover some of our financial goals.

What will happen if I don’t start this goal? We’ll stay where we are, and while it’s not bad, it’s not all that we could be as a family.

Starting Steps: Make a budget, gather tools needed for a small backyard garden, and have a phone-free day each week.

Full spread action plan of PowerSheets goal 3, nourish body and mind.

Goal #3: Nourish Body and Mind

Why? My body is a gift from God and I want to take care of it. I also want to cope with my mental illnesses in healthier ways.

Mini Goals: Create a bedtime routine, exercise daily, try all the recipes in a cookbook, get outside for 1000 hours this year, journal more, scroll less. There are a lot of little habits and routines that I can and hope to change this year to help me take better care of my mind and body.

What will happen if I don’t start this goal? It will feel like my anxiety will always rule my life.

Starting Steps: Pick a bedtime. Start a gratitude journal. Set out workout each night to be ready for the next day.

Open PowerSheets, showing Goal 4 action plan about cultivating creativity.

Goal #4: Cultivate Creativity

Why? Because I thrive when I am creating

Mini Goals: This year I’m leaning into more creative things. I’m planning to write my second book, have fun on Booktube, and do more crafts with Von.

What will happen if I don’t start this goal? I’ll feel like I don’t have a purpose. Like life doesn’t have a purpose. Which is something I feel far too often.

Starting Steps: Try a reading vlog!, make time for creativity every day (often during Von’s nap), fuel my creativity by filling my tank with books, photos, and using my hands to make something.

Do you set goals each year? I’d love to hear about your goals for 2021. Tell me about them in the comments so we can cheer each other on!

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