Reading The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and trying to implement its teachings into my home and life. It's so crazy to think about how much stuff we accumulate over the years, and how we don't let go of it because we think we need it, but it ends up just creating clutter and making us unhappy. I have a lot more thoughts on all of this, but that's another blog post!

Watching the last season of Parenthood. I have three episodes left and I can't believe how attached I've gotten to so many of the characters. Kristina used to irritate me back in the first few seasons and now I wish she were real so I could have coffee with her.

Thinking about upcoming episodes of Hello, Butter and all the things I want to do "next," like the YouTube channel I've been dreaming about for months and months and months. If I had one, what would you like to see? I'm thinking it would be a bit of an extension of this blog, just through videos; so there'd be some food, some general life stuff, maybe cocktail recipes? I'd love to share some makeup stuff and maybe even do a Q+A column on a semi-regular basis. If you have ideas or requests, let me know! Maybe hearing from you guys is what I need to finally get started.

Missing Minneapolis a lot--it is so amazing to me that I can feel so happy and at home in Charlotte and simultaneously wish we never left Minnesota. I've learned over the past few years of moving that you can (and will) feel all sorts of weird and conflicting things at once, so I just try to embrace it and stop trying to make sense of every little thing. You can love where you are and still think somewhere else is better.

Looking forward to a full weekend at home. I drove to Roanoke last Sunday night and spent a few days in Charlottesville after that, so today feels like Monday and even though I was only gone for three days, it felt more like a week (Charlotte to Roanoke to Charlottesville and back the same way is kind of a hike), so it'll be nice to have nowhere to be except home with Rob and Ender.

What have you been reading, watching, thinking about, missing, and looking forward to?

This morning I'm headed to Charlottesville, Virginia for a couple days to visit my friend Patrick before he moves to Connecticut for a new job and to be reunited with his husband after a year of long-distance.

Charlottesville is such a special place to so many people I love--it was Patrick's home for ten years, where he met Chad and started a life together with him; it was where Shawna took a post-bac program before med school; it was where Rob and I first really lived together, on our own; and it was where I went through what I look back on now as one of the hardest times of my life--getting over the death of a childhood friend, dealing with depression and anxiety, modifying my diet in a life-changing way, finishing graduate school, wondering what could possibly be next.

But it was also one of the best times of my life--morning trail runs with my best friend, followed by farmer's markets or big pitchers of mimosas, afternoons spent paging through the University of Virginia's gorgeous libraries, living across the street from Patrick and Chad, working at a sweet little coffee shop, coming to the beautiful realization that Rob was the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.

And then, suddenly, it was time to go. We packed up our stuff and I dropped Rob off at the airport for a month-long school trip to China before a six-month stint training for his new job in DC. I headed back to my parents' house on the lake with no real plans for anything; missing Rob, missing Charlottesville, with no clear vision of the fun and amazing and love-filled life that was in store for us.

Lately I've been thinking about all the other "ends" in my life--some sad, some happy, some both--that were really just wonderful beginnings: The end of long-distance when I finally joined Rob in Minneapolis. My last day at a job I really thought I needed. The end of our time in Minnesota. And so many others. Almost nothing lasts forever--but your heart can break and mend and grow more than you ever thought possible.

"There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind." --C.S. Lewis

If you know me at all, you know I can't resist a big bowl of noodles. Last month, La Crema asked me to come up with a ramen recipe that would compliment their awesome Pinot Gris and I was absolutely up to the challenge!

I made a big batch of broth and actually found some gluten-free ramen noodles, so we had regular and GF options. Then I set out little bowls of toppings so that everyone could make their own bowl, exactly how they liked it. I was actually surprised at how easy and delicious it turned out!

Ender wanted some, too. Can you blame him?

This post is brought to you in partnership with La Crema. Find my ramen recipe on their blog today! Make some this weekend and let me know how you like it--tag me (@mflynnpete) and La Crema (@lacremawines) on Instagram so we can see!

Photos by Sarah Gatrell for Freckled Italian.

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