Friday 5 (editing- Friday 3)

1- January 6th is Dia de los Reyes Magos in Mexico, or Three Kings Day. Aka, the Epiphany.

There are a bunch of traditions that go along with this. Sadly, we (or Ivan, since this one is his domain, really) haven’t really practiced these much over the years. In Mexico, the “three wise men” deliver gifts on January 6th, so it’s a big deal. But Santa has always usually, um, stolen their thunder around these parts. So we never got into doing that.

Ivan did pick up a “Rosca de Reyes”, though, from a Mexican grocery store.

It’s a big sweet bread with dried fruit on it in an oval shape.

You are supposed to serve it to a crowd (extended family, usually). You go around in a circle, and each person takes the knife and cuts themselves a piece. (So you make two cuts- you can cut it wherever you want). Baked inside of the bread are a couple miniature plastic baby Jesus “dolls”. If, when you make your cut, you end up with a baby Jesus doll in your slice, you “lose” the little game- and you now must make the tamales for el Dia de la Candelaria (Feast of the Holy Encounter) party on February 2nd.

We didn’t really “play”, though, since it was just us. And I actually don’t like sweet bread! Asher and Ivan ate some, though. We have done this in the past with his family though and it is fun! Everyone hoots and hollers when someone ends up with the doll sticking out of their bread.

2- Swimsuit shopping

I need a new swimsuit. 😩😩😩😩😩

I am mentioning this because I’m hoping someone has a great recommendation on where to find a nice swimsuit (like beach wear style/ bikini, not a Speedo for lap swimming). It seems impossible. I spent an hour browsing online last night and let’s just say…why anyone thinks most 30-40 something women would want bottoms with the word “cheeky” in the title, is beyond me. WHO would that look good on?!?! Come on. I kept finding something that looked kind of cute, and then would flip to the bottom back view photo and be like OH LORD no.

I’m running out of ideas of places to look. Suggestions? Also not a fan of high waisted swim bottoms that to me, look like diapers. No thanks.

3- Gratitude Challenge Day 7

Name a fear you have overcome:

Maybe not a huge fear, exactly, but I think that my volunteer job for the swim team has helped me to overcome a “fear of managing things” or “being in charge of large groups of people”. This is always an area I have felt very weak. As in, even sending an email to a large list of people used to give me some anxiety. It made me feel very on display, and I’ve always tended to feel that “I’m not good at managing things”. (One of those stories we tell ourselves…). This volunteer role is still relatively small scale- I’m not running a big company or anything- but still, it has pushed the envelope for me a little bit (managing groups of 100-200 people, with lots of mass communications, etc.) and I’ve grown more accustomed to it now.

*Cutting it short at 3 because I’m out of time. Haha!

Have a great Friday!!