May’s Loving List

31 Loving the Ordinary Ideas for Home, Garden & Everyday Life

May arrives with a quiet fullness. The garden begins to stretch into itself—peonies ready to open, herbs settling in, longer evenings inviting us outside. Windows are opened more often than closed, and the rhythm of the home begins to soften into something lighter.

It’s a month that doesn’t ask for much, only that we notice it.

Loving the Ordinary in May

Each month, I keep a simple practice of Loving the Ordinary—a way of paying attention to the small details of home, garden, and daily life. If you enjoy this kind of seasonal rhythm, you can explore it further through the free Loving the Ordinary list or the monthly eBook that gently guides you through the days.

This list is simply a place to begin. Not a checklist to complete, but a collection of small ideas to help you notice May as it unfolds—through your home, your garden, and the everyday moments that often pass by too quickly. Choose one or two that feel like a natural fit for your days.

May Ideas for Home & Everyday Life

• Open the curtains and windows and let the fresh spring air move through the house.
• Paint your toenails with a soft or playful spring color.
• Learn what the perfect style frame is for your face and purchase fabulous new sunglasses.
• Cut a single peony or garden bloom to place on your bedside table or desk. Find a few ideas here.
• Spring-clean the areas of your home that need annual cleaning before the fullness of summer arrives.
• Hang a gently tuned wind chime near an open window and enjoy the sound of the breeze.
• Gather porch or patio party items and organize them beautifully so they are ready for simple, impromptu evenings outside throughout the summer. Don’t forget a tray or bar cart; have it close at hand for impromptu gatherings

May Garden & Outdoor Living Ideas

• Take a walk by a river, lake, or pond and watch for baby ducks and geese.
• Plant shrubs (lilacs, hydrangeas), flowers (irises, peonies), and seeds (cosmos, zinnias) to cut for summer bouquets
• Create a simple twig trellis from pruned branches. Then, plant it with morning glories, sweet peas, or scarlet runner beans.
• Organize, clean, and sharpen your garden tools before the gardening season is in full swing.
• Plant tender perennial herbs in pots—rosemary, lemon verbena, lemon grass, or scented geraniums—and keep them close to the kitchen door.  Take the time throughout this month and the summer to learn how to use them.
• Find your porch, deck, and patio style. 
• Visit a National Park in person or virtually. Search them out; one may be near your home.

If you find yourself wanting a little more structure to your days, the Loving the Ordinary free list offers a simple way to stay connected to the season. And if you prefer something more in-depth, the May’s Time to Bloom eBook includes additional ideas, gentle guidance, and ways to move through the month at home and in the garden.

Creative Loving the Ordinary Ideas for May

• Make simple May Day bouquets and quietly leave one for a neighbor. Here is an interesting note on May Day bouquets: An old tradition of placing small tokens of flowers on the door. Here is what NPR says about it, “A reporter in the Sterling, Ill., Gazette in 1871 explained the seasonal ritual this way: “A May-basket is — well, I hardly know how to describe it; but ’tis something to be hung on a door. Made of paper generally, it contains almost anything, by way of small presents you have in mind to put in it, together with your respects, best wishes — love, perhaps. It is hung after dark at the door of anybody the hanger fancies. — Which done, the said hanger knocks and scampers.” If you are looking for ideas, I have some on Pinterest here.
• Collect and paint rocks to leave along your walking path for someone else to discover. Some ideas for painting include ladybugs, rainbows, or herb markers.
• Take photos among your blooming spring flowers and trees before they begin to fade. Maybe this could be an annual tradition for you?
• Create or purchase bubble wands and have big buckets of bubble water. Nothing starts a day better than a moment blowing bubbles.
• Watch or read The Secret Garden and let it inspire your own outdoor spaces.
• Try something playful—like learning to hula hoop or revisiting a simple childhood joy.

Simple May Gathering & Food Ideas

• Find a Pitmaster to follow online for inspiration in grilling, smoking, or BBQ. Try a new grilling recipe or technique for an easy outdoor dinner. There are many apps, YouTube videos, and local classes available to find one. 
• Create a small outdoor cooking or grilling area that feels welcoming and easy to use.
• Celebrate Burger Day on the 28th in your own way—beef, turkey, or a garden-inspired version. What’s your preference? 
• Sit on the porch with a special drink, maybe a spring detox tea or rhubarb shrub, and notice the sounds of the season. Or explore the mint herb family and its flavors. Make a Mint julep, Moroccan tea (green tea & mint), or Mock Mojito.

Community & Everyday May Life

• National Nurses Day is May 6th. Bring a small treat to your doctor’s office or to a local nurse as a token of appreciation.
• Reach out to a friend and spend time helping in their garden. 
• Plan a family outing—get ice cream cones, watch a parade, ride bikes in a different park, or check out local free events. 
• Take a moment to thank a veteran in a simple, sincere way. Here is a nice website for 10 Ways to Thank a Vet.
• Have a garden party to celebrate all the incredible women in your life. Tell them what you admire about them.
• National Notebook Day, May 18th, is a sign to start a Curated Life Journal to capture small details of your daily life – wink. I also have a blog on 10 Reasons to Start a Journal here. 
• National Etiquette Week begins May 10th; take a moment to brush up on manners. Is there a new one you’d like to learn?

A Simple Way to Capture This Month

There is no need to overthink this. At the end of a day, simply pause and ask:

“What is one small moment from today that I don’t want to forget?”

Write it down, take a photo, sketch it, or simply make a note. Over time, these small moments become the season itself.

If you’d like to move through May with a bit more intention, the May’s Time to Bloom eBook with this month’s loving the ordinary list offers a gentle rhythm for the month—filled with seasonal ideas, simple practices, and ways to enjoy your home and garden.

Enjoying the Ordinary Moments of May

May has a way of inviting us outward—onto porches, into gardens, and toward one another.

It reminds us that a well-lived life is often made in the smallest moments: a bloom on the table, a conversation at the fence, the quiet of an early morning with the windows open, and with your community*.

I hope you find a few of those moments this month. May blessings be upon you,
Bobbi

** Community ~ I use that word to reference all those people in our lives. That is to say a word for our family, those we consider family, friends, neighbors, and those we nod and say ‘hello’ to as we take our morning walks.