June 1, 2025

My Everyday Life Week 22

My Everyday Life – Week 22 | A Weekly Photo Journal by Tracy Benjamin

Little joy! A tiny yellow flower in the front yard. I brought it in and had it in my kitchen all week.

After living here for 13 years, we finally get a trumpet flower bloom!! I had no idea this vine was a bloomer.

I wonder if it ever bloomed for my Mom.

We took him outside. He was so excited.

Rosie the sunbather.

I grilled honey mustard chicken & tri-tip. Made oven fries and roasted broccoli.

En route for meetings.

Happy mail from Alicia!! Thank you for the color changing crayolas. I am obsessed!

This was a sign-post along the way.

Prayed extra hard this week.

I worked at the Mill Valley library until the power went out!

Pen testing.

Sit with your feelings of fear & don’t abandon yourself.

Working on my half year reset presentation. Join me at the end of the month!

I put my backpack in the car and this was on the bottom.

Witching hour snack.

Hike up to our favorite tree.

Picking flowers with Lisa.

How cute are these guys??

Met a dog name Loki who was like a polar bear. He leaned right into me.

We play solataire together at dinner. It’s not a communal game but we make it one.

I got us a new deck to play with!

Spa night.

Journaling in bed.

Tuna salad. Pickled onions, walnuts and feta.

Looking through last year’s hobo.

I am not a minimalist.

Did you check out my Picnic Food Ideas post?

I added a HELP section to my hobo.

I’m making myself mantras.

Squirrel watcher.

I need to leaf blow (again).

Not a bird!

I wonder what bird this belonged to.

Art hang at Neiley’s.

I love my sweet & spicy tea.

Hello hello. Having fun with my rubber stamp collection.

Silver and gold ink for the win!

Pen testing.

Currently reading: The Joy Reset, Mother Sauce & Meditations for Women Who Do Too Much (my Mom’s copy).

How I avoid eating my feelings.

I LOVE LISTS

If you need a boost to get re-motivated for 2025, join me next month for a Half-Year Reset Workshop.

Here’s your chance to pause, reflect, and realign your routines so the rest of 2025 feels more intentional and energized.

Picnic Food Ideas

Picnic season is here! Need a little inspiration? I’ve rounded up some of my favorite Picnic Food Ideas to get you started. Everything on this list is easy to pack, holds up well in the heat, and is perfect for your next outdoor adventure.

LISTS

May 26, 2025

Intentions for the Week

Intentions for the Week- Week 22 in 2025

Hi hiiiiii! Welcome to week 22! How was your weekend? Do you have today off?

Did you have any time to yourself? (I spent all weekend with family)

Did you get to rest? (I had 6AM wakeups all weekend)

Did you do meal prep? (I cleaned out the fridge! )

Do you know what’s for dinner tonight?

I think we are grilling. Here are some of my grilling essentials!

Also, if you need to reset and check in with yourself, I’m hosting this workshop next month!

If you need a boost to get re-motivated for 2025, join me next month for a Half-Year Reset Workshop.

Half-Year Reset Workshop!

20% off for paid Substack subscribers 🙂

Here are my Intentions for the Week:

my everyday life, Photography

May 25, 2025

My Everyday Life Week 21

My Everyday Life – Week 21 | A Weekly Photo Journal by Tracy Benjamin

THE JOY RESET!

My friend MC had her launch party for her new book, The Joy Reset.

I am so proud of her!

I am listening to her read it on audible right now as I type this.

LISTS

May 23, 2025

I LOVE LISTS

Things no one tells you about starting a vegetable garden.
I have a soft spot in my heart for Eichlers.
Watch Pablo Picasso draw. Wow!
A sketchbook restaurant! I want to color it all in.
RIP George Wendt.
How Norm became one of the greatest sitcom characters.
How to make boxed cake mixes taste homemade.
Audrey Hepburn was such a stunner.
Researching- long-blooming shrubs.
The healthiest/unhealthiest things to order at a Mexican restaurant,
Soon we’ll have no new pennies.
Daydreaming of a new sundress? I have gathered a few cute ones.
Did you read about my love for crayola markers?
I didn’t know grocery stores cover potatoes at night.
Let’s learn about dining etiquette in Italy.
Hidden interiors of musical instruments.
Again, I’m curious how much all of these Legos cost.
Should you shower at night or in the morning?
Need a weekend breakfast idea? How about ricotta pancakes?
Weekend reading: The Joy Reset

If you need a boost to get re-motivated for 2025, join me next month for a Half-Year Reset Workshop.

Here’s your chance to pause, reflect, and realign your routines so the rest of 2025 feels more intentional and energized.

Half-Year Reset Workshop!

20% off for paid Substack subscribers 🙂

recipes

May 21, 2025

Chickpea Piccata

I unearthed this Chickpea Piccata recipe from Appetite for Reduction while sorting through a giant stack of cookbooks from my kitchen last week. Tracy’s still got the spring cleaning bug! (yay)

You know I love a cookbook when you see tabs busting out the side…

When a recipe I’m reading calls for ingredients I already have and I’ve got the time to make it, you know I’m gonna make it. I tested it out for a lunch date with my husband (we both work from home) because our child would never eat a chickpea.

I am quite happy to report that this Chickpea Piccata recipe impressed my meat-eating husband. Add another banger to my pantry meal list!

I wish I could tell my 20-year-old self that we’re going to love capers one day! This Chicken Piccata recipe changed the game for me.

These chickpeas are saucy, which makes them a PERFECT addition to mashed potatoes. I did alter things by adding chicken stock instead of vegetable stock and finishing with butter for extra oomph!