Share 4 Somethings – May 2025
Each month I share 4 somethings that I have:
- Loved
- Learned
- Went well
- Let go of
And then I link up with Jenn.
I’m also sharing my previous month’s One Second Everyday video . . .
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Something I loved
- A SIMPLE TOY, A BIG WIN
We bought some kinetic sand for our grandson this month, and it’s been a huge hit! It’s softer and easier to mold than regular sand—and the cleanup is so much better.
Lots of fun plus no gritty mess is a win for me, too.
We’ve added our own accessories, like a plastic Easter egg and a fork (every construction site needs those, right?)
I’ve got a replacement bag on standby when needed!
Our grandson loves it
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Something I learned
- WHO’S SINGING? NOW I KNOW!
I hear birds every day in our neighborhood, but I can never identify which ones are which. Jenna suggested I try the Merlin Bird ID app, and it’s been such a fun tool.
You just tap the microphone, and it identifies bird calls in real time. I even tried to fool it by having Jeff whistle some bird sounds (he’s very talented!), but the app wasn’t convinced—no bird showed up for those human imitations.
App is available for both iPhone and Android
Home screen – bird of the day, microphone, and camera
The recording of birds I heard on my morning walk
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Something that went well
- THE UNBROKEN PHONE
After procrastinating for—honestly—about a year, I finally decided to peel off my cracked phone screen protector. I’d been carefully swiping around a broken spot at the bottom of the screen to keep from my cutting my finger to avoid the broken section—yes, for a year!
But when I finally took the old protector off? Surprise! The phone itself was perfectly fine. It had been only the protector that was broken. I popped on the new screen protector, and it feels like I’ve got a brand-new phone again.
(Why did I wait so long for something so easy to fix?)
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Something I let go of
- LETTING GO, ROOTING IN
As part of a spiritual practice with a group I’m part of, we each reflected on what old habits or beliefs we wanted to let go of. I wrote mine down, then burned the paper, and scattered the ashes in the ocean during our beach trip last week.
We also named the values we want to keep and grow—writing one on each finger of a hand we traced on paper. A few days later, I folded up that hand and buried it in the soil of a philodendron I was repotting.
Now, every time I water that plant, I’m reminded to continually nurture my values and honor their growth, too.
My root values: Curiosity, Respect, Kindness, Connection, Love
Paper folded and placed among the roots
Replanted and ready!
New things are always growing
What is something you are loving, learning, has gone well, or had to let go of this month?
Share your thoughts in the comments.
I’m linking at these blog parties
We had that same type of sand for Virginia when she was young and they lived close to us. Oh, what great memories that brought back for me seeing your grandson so intrigued by it! As always, I loved your video, too. Have a blessed month of June!
Yes, I’m glad our grandson is enjoying the sand as much as he has! My oldest granddaughter loved play-doh in that same way when she was younger. 🙂
Definitely taking notes on the Kinetic sand ideas!
I’ve enjoyed playing with it myself too, so you might also, Michele. 🙂
So funny! I shared that same bird app on my Share 4 Somethings post. My boys used to love that kinetic sand. I think I even learned how to make it myself at one point and let’s just say it’s much easier to buy it.
I love that we’re both sharing the bird app on our Share 4 posts! And that you heard about it from your mom, and I heard about it from my daughter. We’re getting it from all sides. 🙂 My only wish is that the birds would sing one at a time instead of several at once so I can better identify their individual voices. lol.
Noted: buy the sand instead of making it. 🙂
Hi Lisa, thanks so much for sharing your May with us at #WBOYC. I love the idea of the 1 second a day video and must learn how to do that. Spending time with grandchildren is special and they really don’t need expensive toys – just your time. The kinetic sand looks interesting. A full month for you and I wish you a Joyful June. Sue L xx
The 1 second video is super easy to do, Sue. I make them with an app called (no surprise) “1 Second Everyday” (1SE). The hardest part is remembering to take a video every day on my phone. 🙂 The app then lets me cut one second from each one.
I agree–it’s our time and attention that children (well, adults too?) want the most. Happy June to you too!
Hi, Lisa – That bird app is so cool. I’m off to look it up right now!
I’ve really been enjoying the bird app. I’ll sit on my porch and turn it on and listen. Although I still haven’t gotten good at proactively identifying the birds myself yet…. ha
Very fun! Loved your video, and the kinetic sand idea. I’ll share that w/ a friend w/ grandchildren, too. Mike and Sheridan love their Merlin, but also add the Audubon free app. It will play bird calls. When Michael and Sheridan were hiking in the woods near our cabin, they played it, and WHO KNEW that gorgeous red tanagers and bluebirds were tucked in and hiding. We boast red cardinals in Missouri (and in St. Louis, the baseball variety!! 🙂 ), but their feathers, IMHO, are not as beautiful and deeply scarlet as the tanagers, a bird of which I’d never heard. So, Lisa, the deal is, that as Sheridan played the app, the birds appeared, and *then* they decided to follow! Sheridan and her app were the Pied Bird Pipers of Innsbrook, but somehow I don’t think it was fair. Poor birds had gone technological, and no doubt somewhere in the woods were in for a disappointment! 🙂 But do try the app. Really fun.
xo
Lynn
Oh wow, I haven’t thought of using the calls to speak to the birds. I’ll have to try that! Thanks, Lynn. You’re always spurring me on to more and better. 🙂
I think I need to buy some of that sand for myself!! I do have that bird app. LOL>. what fun. It is fun to use the bird app while we traveled too.
I wish I had already known about the app before our California trip in April. I imagine there would have been a few different bird sounds that I could have identified! Next time. 🙂
I love your monthly summaries Lisa! Hubby & I live in a rural area here on the eastcoast of Australia & we have so much bird life surrounding us including migrating birds, we often try & guess what the bird songs are that we can hear. I think the prettiest & most melodious is the song of the Butcher Bird although a predatory bird it’s song is beautiful.
Blessings, Jennifer
I had to look up the Butcher Bird since I was unfamiliar with it, and you’re right–it has such a unique and beautiful song! I’ve never heard anything like it where I live. Thanks for sharing about it.
The bird app sounds really neat! I’m a little frustrated with the avians as they are using my vegetable garden as both a bathroom and a source of food (ok, the latter may be more the doings of rabbits…) but I’ll get over it. The sand is so fun- I remember buying it for my kids and then seeing recipes for how to make it. Have great weekend!
Birds bring both prons and cons – we have a lot of Canada geese that use our backyard as their personal bathrooms. This spring I can hardly walk outside without stepping on goose poop. I guess I have to take the good with the bad (but I wouldn’t be so happy if they were eating my growing things!). 🙂
Looks like you had some lovely travels! Timothy loved that sand, too. I have the Merlin app but hadn’t tried it for birdsong yet. I used the photo part of it, and it incorrectly identified my bird photo as an owl–I didn’t know what it was, but I knew it wasn’t an owl. 🙂 But then, the photo wasn’t terribly clear. I had taken it of a baby bird perched on the windowsill, but didn’t want to get too close and scare it away. Eventually its mom came with a snack and coaxed it off the ledge.
I forget the Merlin app has the photo part. I’ve yet to try that. I’ll have to do that soon. I use my regular photo app to identify plants sometimes via a picture but it’s often wrong too, so yeah, not sure how reliable these things are yet. ha. I saw the baby bird photo on your blog post – that was amazing to catch a shot mid-feed!
I have recently heard of that bird app from several people! So funny. It sounds like a lovely month, and I love the idea of “watering” your values so they grow.
Thanks, Cindy. I hope I’ll remember at least a few more months that my “values” are in that plant as I water it. 🙂
Your plant is doing so well..
Can never go wrong with cars.
That bird app is brilliant.
So far my plant has handled the repotting well. Hoping it stays that way. I’ve heard that this variety usually thrives when separated but this has been my first year to get brave enough to try it with this particular plant.
Hi Lisa, we also love playing with our grandchildren’s kinetic sand, it has a relaxing feel to it and the no mess is always a bonus! Love the idea of a bird app and that you tried to trick it!
A lovely post for #WBOYC thanks for joining us. Wishing you a joyful June.
Thanks, Debbie. The kinetic sand does have a unique and enjoyable feel. I still like to play with play-doh now and again too. 🙂
Our grandchildren have all enjoyed kinetic sand. It is a gift for us grandparents 🙂
For sure. Anything that the grandkids enjoy is good, but not being messy is icing on the cake. 🙂
Lisa, I love that bird app! I ended up downloading it and had fun finding out which birds visit the birdbath in the yard. I also used the bird call button, and it was fun watching the birds pay close attention to the call. Thank you for sharing about it. I enjoyed reading about your four somethings for May.
I’m glad you are enjoying the bird app, too! I’ve used it to help me identify birds that come to our bird feeder, but I haven’t tried calling them yet. I will go do that today! 🙂