The Best Bits: My May 2025 Favorites
The Best Bits is a monthly series where I tell you what I’ve been up to! What I’m doing, media I’m loving, and products I recommend! Here’s a fresh batch of favorites for your reading pleasure!
DISCOVERING | Old Fashioned Gelatin Recipes
This month we happened across a cookbook called Jiggle! Basically, it’s a book of jello recipes. I made a dish the author calls Orange Cream Terazzo Dream, and while it was tasty, there does seem to be a threshhold for just how good something that comes out of a jello mold can be.
READING | Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
This book was so good, I had to talk about it in my Spring Knitting & Reading post! This was my first Barbara Kingsolver book, and I definitely understand why she has such a dedicated following! The narration of this book by Charlie Thurston was probably the best audiobook performance I’ve ever listened to!
WATCHING | The Dune Movies
I finally watched these movies after being very curious about them since the first one came out a few years ago. I really enjoyed them, although I found myself pretty lost trying to figure out all the dynamics between the groups. Thankfully I had a seasoned Dune-head at my disposal to help explain things to me. Overall, the Dune movies had about as much sand as I’d pictured, more talking babies (?) and a lot less giant worm than I figured there’d be.
WEARING | Poison Ivy Protection
The weeds are out in full force again, and this year I’m taking extra precaution while pulling them. I fell victim to poison ivy not once but twice last year, and I decided enough was enough. Sure it’s been hot, but if you find me in the weed patch I’ll be bundled up in my long sleeves, with long gloves, and rubber gloves underneath those. I might be sweating buckets but I’m not itchy!
EATING | Swiss Fondue
We’ve had a fondue pot for ages, but I just got around to making “authentic” fondue for the first time this month. We visited Switzerland last Septmber, and ever since then we’ve disussed fondue and raclette fairly regularly. Pairing that with the Swiss cookbook I got for Christmas, a fondue dinner was imminent. We pulled it off using Andie Pilot’s recipe, and it was fantastic!
INDULGING | Yarn from MDSW
My best friend Emily and I visited the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival again this year, and we found so many great things! This year I was excited to find fun sock yarn since I’ve been on a sock knitting kick recently. We rediscovered some of our favorite booths from last year and came across some others we’re going to be excited to visit again next year. My “haul” of yarn included a few skeins in cinnamon and chartreuse from Distelfink Fiber, a purple and green sock yarn called “Hillside Lupine” from Miss Babs, and a skein of A Court of Thorns and Roses inspired yarn from Bumblebee Acres. I’m already looking forward to the next sheep and wool festival!
OBSESSING | Office Organization
This month I’ve been feeling really motivated to make my office feel like a more productive, creative, and functional space. Earlier this month I scored a new piece of furniture, a small love seat that folds out into a twin mattress. That has given us more room to host folks, and has also given me a new opportunity to change things around a bit in that room. I’ll still have to work on optimizing that space for guests, but my focus has been on the office portion most recently. I turned my desk around to face the window, added a cork board for scheduling and collecting inspiration, and I plan to hang some of the art I’ve collected over the years. Now to just keep my desk clean!
CELEBRATING | Healthy Spay Recovery
Cherry had her spay surgery earlier this month and thankfully her recovery has gone really well! We’ve graduated past the need for a cone and for the most part she’s taken it easy without too much trouble. She’s had some boredom and restlessness since we had a solid two weeks without any play at all but she is now back to feeling like herself and the zest is returning in full force!
What are your favorite things this month?
Be sure to leave a comment and check out other monthly favorites posts here!
