Things I Like - April 2024

I always enjoy hearing what works for other people and I like sharing things I like, it's part of the reason I have a blog.  I've been doing these monthly posts for 10 years and they also provide a nice little snapshot in my life at a moment in time! See more here!  Some affiliate links may be included! 

1) Mancala
This is a game that I played frequently with my sisters growing up.  My main memories are on a folding card table in front of the fire during Christmas break but I'm sure we played other times too.  I bought this set back on sale at Christmas with those memories in mind but ended up not giving it to the boys until Easter when I was motivated to really clear out our gift stash.  I taught it to Sam (6) a few weeks ago and he caught on pretty fast and LOVES it.  We haven't gotten Matt or Luke to play yet but now that Sam has gotten tired of our previous family favorite, Monopoly Deal (I CAN NOT get him to play it anymore), it's nice to have a game he will nearly always say yes to playing with me.  It will be a good one to take camping too since it's relatively small and can be played quickly.  Maybe that's when we'll finally get Matt and Luke to play. 

2) Foam Planes
Speaking of Easter presents, Matt ordered these to put in the boys' Easter baskets but then they didn't arrive until after Easter so they sat in his office until a nice day when we rode our bikes down the park.  I was reluctant to go because I just prefer being home but it ended up being a lot of fun, shooting these off and trying to get them to do tricks.  4 came in the box so we each had one (even each in our favorite color!) and we did competitions and tried different things.  All the pieces made it back home (a few got stuck in a tree but we were able to get them out) and we can play with them another day.  You will need a fairly decent size space for these because they can be unpredictable in how they fly (at least the way we fly them).  I don't think we'd want to try them in our small backyard because they would almost instantly be over a fence or on a roof.

3) The Eras Tour (Taylor's Version)
Social Media showed me what a phenomenon Taylor's Era's Tour was last summer.  It's not something I ever considered getting tickets to and now they are so expensive and hard to get anyways.  But we have Disney+ and I happily watched that version of the concert, over many lunch breaks.  It's nearly 3 hours long here and it probably took me nearly 10 sessions to get through it all.  It really is astonishing the show she put on and watching it on tv isn't the same thing but...better view that any seats that would be close to my budget.   

4) Spanish Rice Packets
Back in high school one of our favorite lunches was "Nacho Grande" which came with Spanish rice.  Nobody at my table ever ate it.  When Matt and I have compared high school stories, he talks about how much he loved the rice and would eat multiple peoples'. (We overlapped at the same high school for 3 years but didn't know each other).  Now I always enjoy the rice that comes with my meals at Mexican restaurants.  Recently I was buying pasta sauce at Target and this caught my eye so I bought it.  And it was good!  We used it to help stretch a taco meal where we were running low on meat and I don't think the boys ate any, Matt & I liked it.  I think I had the leftovers for lunch the next day too.  Super easy and a nice change from any plain brown rice we eat.

5) Welcome to Wrexham
Matt & I haven't had much to watch recently, sometimes just doing the longer cuts of The Office episodes on Peacock which is fun but we've also seen those episodes (especially season 2 & 3) so many times.  After our son's recent soccer game I suggested this and it was enjoyable!  We liked Ted Lasso a few years ago and we've been watching It's Always Sunny for forever.  We're only a few episodes in but it gives us something new to watch when we don't have a movie or something else to watch. On Hulu.

What have YOU been liking lately??

Hobbies: Reading

The one hobby that I have had the longest and, by far, spend the most time on, is reading.  The story (via my mom) goes that I taught myself to read when I was 4, read my kindergarten class a Berenstain Bear book (my teacher didn't think I could do it) and haven't slowed down much since.  I was very competitive in our library's summer reading program, reading 100 books in a summer and redeeming more prizes (they were free books! Some of which I still have!) that was probably necessary.  I spent many years of my life thinking I would become an author or a librarian.  Although now I just write blog posts and newsletter articles for our school's auction/dinner and my only time "working" at a library was as a volunteer.  (Although our house alone is a not-insignificant portion of our library branch's circulation activity, maybe as high as 11% one year.)

I read all through high school, although at not nearly the pace I do now, and college slowed me down a fair amount but since 2010, the first adult year I tracked my reading, I finished 51 books and it's only gone up from there.  (Not yet this year, I'm only at 50 but I am confident I'll keep reading.)  My TBR sits around 70 books I want to read (as well as another dozen-ish picture books that are on there so I remember to purchase request them from our library).  It's a hobby that takes up a chunk of time to do but also to maintain.  It's also what calms my introvert brain and brings me much joy.  As well as knowledge and inspiration.  When in doubt, I look for a book on the subject.

Talking about my reading routine isn't new, I've covered it many times in many ways over the years.  I currently aim to read 10 hour a week which I usually hit unless I'm sick.  From 2018-2023 (the years I have full year data of my time tracking), I averages 530 hours of reading to myself each of those years, for nearly an average 90 minutes a day. Which begs the question, where do I get 90 minutes a day?!? (2023 was a year that brought down that average a bit.)  

Surprising to me, I am not really reading more now that I am home alone during the school days although maybe I get more silent reading in now that before.  On the days I come right home from drop-off, I aim to read for a solid hour after cleaning up the kitchen, maybe switching laundry, and making my tea.  On days I go somewhere else before coming home, I try to read for an hour when I do get home but that doesn't always happen, depending on what time I actually get home and what needs done.  That big morning reading chunk is a big change from my SAHM life.  I rely less on getting in ~3 hours on a Sunday and now do more reading during the week.  I am ALWAYS trying to read 30 minutes before bed (see: mind calming) but that seems to happen rarely.  I am TERRIBLE at actually going to bed, even when I'm all ready for bed.  But sometimes I read a second time during the school day, sometimes in the mornings before working out (I get up extra early to see my husband off to work a few days a week), and always do read at least 10 minutes before bed.  

Picking what to read has gotten easier over the year as I've honed more and more what I actually like.  I think some trial and error reading I did when I was getting back into reading post college really helped me narrow down what I like although I still struggle to really define what exactly that is.  Definitely romance but usually slightly more on the chaste end (Emily Henry or Christina Lauren is about the spiciest I'll read), some historical fiction especially from authors that I have enjoyed in the past, some YA and middle-grade, and then a whole lot of books that I don't know how to categorize because "women's fiction" is a terrible label.  Books by authors like Elin Hilderbrand, Taylor Jenkins Reid, and Liane Moriarty.  I  I do some non-fiction like parenting, adoption, home decor & organization, travel, time management, minimalism, and some memoir.  do not do many mysteries and certainly not anything very grusome but a few get so buzzy that I pick them up (like The Maid or Finlay Donovan).  I don't do much "literary fiction", few short stories, very little poetry (and there, just a handful of books told in verse). 

Audiobooks have gotten a lot more popular lately but I do 99% of my reading on physical books, largely checked out from the library.  Buying books I haven't read yet is a space & financial issue.  I read over 170 books a year; I cannot buy and store all of those.  I will pick-up the occasional digital book from the library if it's something I am very interested and that's the only format they have it in but then I'm stuck reading it on my phone and reading is what I do to put down my phone!  I've done a handful of audio over the year but a literal handful in 10 years.  I got into podcasts before audiobooks and that's where my listening time goes.  

Even with a healthy TBR that I never seem to get below 50, it still takes some time to always have my next book.  I am rather purposeful in planning my reading, picking 10 books to read each month.  I make sure I have a mix of contemporary fiction, historical fiction, and non-fiction.  In the summer and December I read very little non-fiction but the rest of the year I try to read 3ish a month.  I wrote about this planning process back in 2018 and not much has changed although I am usually picking out my books later than I used to.  It's somewhere around the 15th-20th of the month before that I start looking at what's coming out the following month as well as what has been lingering on my TBR the longest.  I make sure there is a good mix, thinking if there are any books that I always reread at this time of year, what our book club has coming up, etc.  I try to read around 14 books a month but that includes ones I read aloud to my boys (which aren't in my planned books) and I often can sneak in at least 1 other unplanned book as well (often a short one). 

There are some books (Elin Hilderbrand, Emily Henry) that I know will have LONG library hold lines and I have been pretty good at just remembering to put those on hold in February or March for their May/June releases.  In the spring I am checking library holds often for upcoming summer releases I know I'll want to read (almost entirely from authors I have read and enjoyed the previous summer) and start my holds for those books early but rarely (besides those two authors) more than 2 months in advance.  My 10 holds are almost entirely filled right now with unreleased books so luckily I picked a few books for May that I can get off the shelf at my library branch until some May release holds start moving.  

Not only do I semi-obsessively plan my reading but I also track it in a variety of ways.  I've used Goodreads since 2011 to track everything I'm reading and keep it very up to date with what I am reading and what I've finished.  I keep my monthly lists in my bullet journal as well as adding unplanned finished books to that page.   I also keep my monthly lists in the library app as well as writing them down in my bullet journal.  This helps me remember what I'm reading next when I'm not at home (sometimes I AM at work and want to know what else I plan to read this month!).  I'm on my second 5 year journal to write down everything I've read and watched in a day as well as miles run, vacations, any life events (even just "1st 2 hour delay of school year" or "1st soccer game", etc.).  I have a recurring tasks for Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays to update my bullet journal and 5 year journal.  I also do monthly reading recaps here on the blog and on Fridays I review everything I've finished in Goodreads.     

By the time I read 10 hours a week, as well as plan my reading, track my reading, manage my own library holds (I'll do a whole other posts about managing my kids' reading lives), and blog about what I've read...this reading hobby takes up more time than I even realized.  I didn't start with this much planning and tracking although I would highly recommend tracking your reading in some form (Goodreads is a good place to start, I have 3/5 of my sisters on there!) just to see how many and what you read.   

Reading is largely self-care for me.  It helps calm my busy brain like very few other things can.  I feel more centered when I can sit and focus on reading for a good chunk of time.  It expands my world view to people who are living lives differently than mine, either at different periods of time, in different locations, or just making different life choices.  Non-fiction has taught me countless things about myself, how to parent better, how to spend my time and is constantly inspiring me.  Of course I've had many influential people in my life (my parents, my husband, etc.) but reading has also helped turn me into the person I am.  It's something I largely do for myself and has been a constant nearly my whole life.  It's not a stretch to say I'd be a different person if I didn't read. 

Hobbies: Puzzles

24 in 2024 - 1st quarter update

We're 25% of the way through 2024 and time for me to check-in on my progress on my 24 in 2024 list!  I have a feeling this isn't going to be a great check-in.  Some things just aren't moving like I had hoped.

Original 24 in 2024 List

Inside Home Things
1) Paint kitchen cabinets (0%)
Have made no movements on this.  Picked out and bought the paint for the lowers last fall but a large part of this is waiting to figure out if we can move the hinges inside and I need Matt's help determining that and he just hasn't had time with school.  On the list for his upcoming semester break but that list is also getting very long.

2) Replace kitchen cabinet hardware (0%)
I bought new pulls last year but we haven't done anything on replacing them yet (painting is holding it up).

3) Make a gallery wall over the couch (100%)
This is one I was excited to get done! I mocked it up early in the year on my computer, bought frames in February, and then spent quite a bit of time in March measuring it all out.  I may do a post about this??  I was motivated to get these up before our boys' joint birthday party in late March and we finished hanging them between our niece's wedding and reception the day before our birthday party...

4) Hang pictures of MIL (95%)
It's all hung but we need one more picture to fill a frame.  We framed the last picture we have of the 4 of us (Matt, myself, our boys) with Matt's parents and I wanted a childhood-ish picture of Matt with his Mom for the other.  But I haven't pulled one from his album yet.

Outside Things
5) Plant Dahlias (0%)
A spring thing. 

6) Run outside every month of the year (25%)
I ran outside in January!  On a day it had snowed earlier!  Then once in February and twice in March.  So on target for now.  January, February, and December were going to be the hardest months for this and I have two of them done!

Nagging Tasks
7) Finish our will (0%)
No new progress since 2022...

8) Buy cemetery plots (0%)
At the end of March we had no progress on this but we do have an appointment for later this month. 

9) Get a dumb phone for home (0%)
Maybe adding this to Matt's very long semester break list (when he'll still be working his regular job and doing clinicials although he did take a couple days completely off both).

10) Sell a Lego Millennium Falcon (0%)
I really would like this out of the house and the money from it...

Food
11) Try a new chicken recipe every month (25%)
Yes!  We've done this and 2 of them (one in April) have been keepers.  SAM even liked one and I had to take a video of him saying that because he has previously declared that he likes nothing I make.

12) Make a standard fall/winter and spring/summer menu plan with grocery list (0%)
Haven't made any new progress on this but more chicken recipes will help!

13) Host 6 Cookouts (0%)
Haven't had the weather for it yet but hope to get some on the calendar soon!

Fun Things
14) Go on 10 dates (20%)
We missed one in March with me being sick in the beginning of the month and then Matt having various dental procedures on his other days off late in the month.  But have two tentatively planned for May.

15) Eat local once a month (25%)
We've done this at least once a month so far! (Just don't always remember the picture.)

16) Finish 4 photobooks (2023, Luke, Sam, summer 2024 vacation) (25%)
2023 is finished and ordered.  Luke's and Sam's would have been close at the end of March and between when I am writing this and it posts, I should have them done (I have one page left in each).  I'll wait for a sale to order though.

17) Go to the Farmers Market 6 times (17%)
Sam & I went once while Luke was serving a funeral and Matt had school!  

18) Get really good at family games we own but rarely play (1/month) (25%)
We have added three to our rotation, not always with the whole family because I can't always get everyone interested in the same games but we added Clue, Snap, and Trionimos!

Helpful items
19) Buy a grey sweater (to keep) (0%)
I have not been successful with this yet.

20) Dye a dress (0%)
This is a warm weather one, maybe in May?  I also need to pick a color for sure.  Really, convince myself that it's worth a little extra money to dye it my favorite blue (which would take 2-3 bottles of different colors mixed) instead of just one bottle of the cheapest blue.

21) Figure out how to use Gmail better (clear-up inboxes) (0%)
I have made no progress on this BUT I did find a setting on my phone that archives all the e-mails I delete on there instead of deleting deleting them.  So that's why I have THOUSANDS of old e-mails in my archives.

22) Fix tags (0%)
Noooo...just a baby step of writing down wrong tags I find would be a start...

23) Art books (0%)
Am I ever going to get going on this one??  That's great question.  I am reassured by how long the sand box and end table sat on this list before they eventually got done!

24) Make a step on green project at school (10%)
I've had some meetings, phone calls, e-mails but haven't actually accomplished any changes yet.

15.3%!!  I was correct in thinking I wasn't getting very far in most of these!  Hopeful for some good 2nd quarter progress, especially on the outside ones.  Yikes!  Good reminder of what I need to keep working on!

{23} Bunny Picture Books

Would this list have made a little more sense before Easter?  Maybe.  However, only a few of these are Easter related AND we're Catholic so we have weeks left in the Easter season (although our at home Easter bunny will not be hiding eggs and providing candy for the next many weeks).  Of course there are many bunny themed books around Easter but also quite a few that I just have tagged as spring books, probably due to the Easter bunny influence.  So, between that and Easter, we've been reading more bunny books lately.  

My younger son would count bunnies among his favorite animals, probably top 10.  He has a large stuffed one on his bed (that I had hoped we could slowly fade out of our house 4 years ago when he got it...but then he became too attached and now it's here to stay) and loves spotting them around the neighborhood.  There was one property in particular that we call "the bunny house" because of how many we would consistently spot there on the walk to and from school.  But no bunnies have been spotted there yet this spring so maybe they have all moved on!  (I have quite a few pictures of him with a rabbit in the background.  He wanted a picture every time we saw one which was sometimes twice daily last spring.)  He would definitely approve of this list.  

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, links for which are included within this post, at no additional cost to you.  Thanks for helping support this blog!   Of course, utilize the library or shop used or from an independent bookstore if you prefer! 

The Easter Egg Artists by Adrienne Adams
This is obviously an Easter rabbit book but it's a classic from my childhood, was possibly in one of my mom's school classrooms at one point.  The Abbotts are Easter egg artists and spend the early part of every year decorating hundreds of dozens of Easter eggs for sale.  This year their son gets in on the decorating, after he shows a flare for painting on the family's annual vacation before their decorating work season starts. 

Curious George and the Bunny by H.A. Rey
We were given this book when my oldest was a baby so it's been in our house for 11 years now and is one of the board books I haven't packed away in the attic yet just because of the nostolgia of how often I read it to the boys when they were little, particularly the oldest.  I'm pretty sure I had it memorized at one point.  Curious George is curious about the bunnies he spots in a pen and wants to see them more but when he opens it, one gets out!  Then he needs to find the missing bunny. 

The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams Bianco, illustrated by William Nicholson
A classic and one I didn't realize how long it was until I read it to Luke when he was ~4.  It's a really long book!  The story of a beloved stuffed bunny that has to be thrown out after it's infected by a sick kid.  The kid is sure that he later spots his beloved bunny as a real bunny in the yard.  Makes me think of my boys' most beloved stuffed animals, especially from when they were little (I'm going to get emotional just writing about it!). 

A Bunny's Tale: All Creatures of Our God and King words by St. Francis of Assisi, illustrated by Adrienne Keogler
The words of "All Creatures of Our God and King" but with charming illustrations of a bunny traveling from winter to spring, helping out various animals along the way.  I can't help sing/saying it when we read it every spring.  

The Little Rabbit by Nicola Killen
The spring themed book in this little series that has a little girl dressing up as a different animal and having a little magical adventure with real animals (the Christmas one she's a reindeer).  These pages also have fun little cutouts.  All the books in this series are very sweet (I just realized writing this that there are two we haven't read yet!). 

Mama Bunny's Good Pie by Lisa Moser, illustrated by Sally Garland
Spring is making all of Mama's little bunnies feel like making trouble but just when each of them are about to do something they shouldn't...along comes Mama's wagon with her pie inside and each of them decide to eat a piece of pie instead of whatever naughty thing they were going to do.  Colorful and fun.  Mama even gets a piece at the end!

Little White Rabbit by Kevin Henkes
A simple board book where a little bunny is hopping around, wondering what it would be like to be as tall as a tree or as still as a rock.  The bunny is exploring his little world and all the excitements in it but also loves coming home to his mama at the end. 

Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! by Candace Fleming, illustrated by G. Brian Karas
Three hungry bunnies are Muncha Muncha Muncha-ing in Mr. McGreely's garden every night.  No matter what Mr. McGreely does, those bunnies just keep getting to his garden!  Which brings to mind...

Creepy Carrots! by Aaron Reynolds, illustrated by Peter Brown
This is on our fall book list but my youngest picked it out at the school library recently so it was a spring read too!  Jasper Rabbit is convinced that creepy carrots are following him every where but nobody believes him.  So this school age rabbit takes matters into his own hands and makes a giant wall (with crocodiles in the moat) to keep the creepy carrots contained in their field.  A bit ridiculous and silly.  Apparently good for spring and fall!

Beyond the Burrow by Jessica Meserve
Rabbit loves staying close to home where it's cozy and safe.  BUT THEN she spots a juice carrot just outside of her comfort zone and she just can't resist.  That leads to a whole new world. (I maybe related too much to this Rabbit.)

Everybunny Count!, Everybunny Dance! by Ellie Sandall
Two books that work on counting (the first) and celebrating movement (the second).  We read these shortly after my youngest got his now beloved stuffed bunny and that made him like these books a lot. 

Bunny's Book Club by Annie Silvestro, illustrated by Tatjana Mai-Wyss
Bunny loves to sneak up on the library's outdoor story time in the summer, getting to listen along to the books with the kids.  But when they move inside for the winter Bunny loses her connection to the books she loves!  So with help from her woodland pals, they make a plan to sneak into the library after hours through the return drop box. 

Black Belt Bunny by Jacky Davis, illustrated by Jay Fleck
Black Belt Bunny is strong and fast and has great moves.  But then he has to learn something new, something every bunny must learn.  He has to make a salad.  Bunny tries to escape this inevitability but there is no use.  Eventually, he has to make that salad. 

Bunny Built by Michael Slack
LaRue (a bunny) is very handy.  He has a toolbox with any tool he could need.  He can fix things!  The only thing he doesn't have is carrots but then he stumbles onto a special seed that grows the largest carrot he's ever seen.  What is he going to do with that???

The Backup Bunny by Abigail Rayner, illustrated by Greg Stones
What happens when a child loses their most beloved toy?  Well, sometimes Mom has a backup (we definitely had backup lemurs for our oldest, when he was little).  The thing is though...when a stuffed animal is that beloved...a kid can quickly tell the difference.  In this case, the backup bunny, "Fluffy", is SO EXCITED to have a chance to play...but the kid only wants his original bunny. 

Bunny in the Middle by Anika A. Denise, illustrated by Christopher Denise
This is one I very much remember reading and then recommending to my sister who has 3 kids!  What do you do when you aren't the youngest and aren't the oldest but you are the one in the middle??   There's someone bigger who helps you and someone smaller who needs help.  How do you feel special and forge your own path??  Very sweet for families with a middle child. 

Bunny Overboard, Hungry Bunny, Bunny Slopes by Claudia Rueda
These are adorable interactive books where the bunny is trying to do some activity (ski, pick an apple, go on a boat ride) and needs a kids help to tilt or move the book to help him along.  My youngest was a BIG fan of these for a few years!

Little Blue Bunny by Erin Guendelsberger
A story about a blue bunny that was given to a little boy and they bonded right away.  The bunny was just itching for big adventures and figured he would have to wait until the boy was grown and didn't need him anymore.  But is that day coming sooner than the bunny expected??

Rabbit Finds a Way by Judy Delton, illustrated by Joe Lasker
This is a very niche pick that came from free books my Mom got as a teacher in the late 70s.  It's one that moved to our home library when she finished teaching and was a classic of my childhood.  Rabbit is really counting on Bear to be making his normal Saturday morning carrot cake.  Rabbit really wants some of that carrot cake.  He turns down many treats and time with other friends on his way to Bear's house.  When he finally arrives to visit Bear though...there is no carrot cake!

Hope is a Hop by Katrina Moore, illustrated by Melissa Iwai
Very charming illustrations in this book about Eva trying to grow a cheerful flower garden.  She keeps getting thwarted by a hungry rabbit!  As Eva gets down about her lack of success, she learns something new about her little bunny friend. 

Looking Back at March 2024

There was a time that I really didn't like March.  It felt like a transitional month that it was sometimes spring, sometimes winter, when I worked full-time it was FULL tax season grind, it's usually all or nearly all Lent...just not a lot to like about the month.  THEN...we got two boys with March birthdays and that significantly gives the month some more cheer.  As well as throwing their annual joint birthday party every year.  The weather is still very hit or miss and there is still (usually) the Lent of it all...but I can certainly tolerate it better than I used to be able to!

Looking back:
1 year ago: Non-Parenting Books that Made Me Rethink Parenting
2 years ago: The Hardest Working Rooms in our House
3 years ago: My FabFitFun Experience
4 years ago: {10} Series I'm Currently Reading
5 years ago: Dingle
6 years ago: Things That Make Me Feel Like Me
7 years ago: Chairs with History
8 years ago: A Major Improvement to our Pantry (Cupboard)
9 years ago: Covering Books with Fabric
11 years ago: Applesauce Granola
12 years ago: Paperwork is In

 

1) A bike ride downtown to celebrate our first March birthday of the month!  It was a gorgeous day! (We got ice cream.)
2) A backyard sunset!
3) Finishing up wrestling season!!!!  That was less than a month ago but already feels like forever ago. 
4) Taking fruit salad to our family monthly Sunday brunch and it was colorful and delicious.
5) Hyacinths at the grocery store, my favorite early spring smell.
6) Visiting my sister's farm to help out after she had a baby.  I took this picture of the baby bunnies to show my youngest but then never did show him because he would have been mad he missed them.
7) Sunset from leaving the wrestling banquet.  A beautiful end to a long season!
8) Reading on the couch with my tea.  My mental reset most days.
9) Hyacinth in our backyard!!!  This one is such a pretty color.  I am always so glad I planted these a few years ago.  They've been in bloom for a month!
10) Went to do my taxes at my parents' house and my mom played Monopoly (the regular LOONG one) with my boys and then served us homemade strawberry shortcake.  (Matt had a full weekend of school - some 28 hours over Saturday and Sunday.)  My tax seasons look very different now!
11) Doing a lot of math and measuring to mark for our new gallery wall that went up!  My goal was before the boys' birthday party and we finished hanging them between a wedding and reception the day before the party...  Also, repping UD here while their played their first March Madness game!
12) Daffodils in the yard!  We've always had a lot of these and they are so cheery!
13) Making Milk Bar Compost Cookies, got to the point where I had to mix them by hand so I didn't break my mixer but then broke a spatula (certainly cheaper to replace than a whole Kitchenaid Mixer!).  It's always fun throwing all the add-ins into these!
14) We've been skipping the birthday cake for a few years now and this year did mostly cookies, largely to save on dishes but also because I prefer cookies to cake and I'm the one prepping them.  I thought this was a pretty good selection and they were very well received (there are compost cookies, kool-aid cookies in lemon and strawberry, my favorite chocolate chip cookies, Oreos, and Aldi knock-off Girl Scout samoa cookies)
15) I LOVE all the blooming bushes and trees right now!  It's so exciting to be outside!
16) I helped decorate church for Easter and purposely put tulips and calla lilies together in a pot since that's what I carried together in my wedding bouquet!

Books finished: 13
Miles ran: 2 and it was TOUGH.  I was still getting over a bug when we had nice weather early in the month so I wasn't running and it's just HARD to get back in running shape!
Currently watching: I've been slowly making my way through The Eras Tour (Taylor's Version) on Disney+, while eating lunch or folding laundry.   But there are NO SHOWS we are regularly watching!
Most read post this month: NYC #4, Days 1 & 2, Fizzy Flamingo, and I am tickled that Kool-Aid Cookies are up there again!
Luke's current favorite song: "Jesus Can" by Austin French
Sam's current favorite song: "Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynyrd Skynyrd

April!!!  Realizing how quick the end of the school year will be coming and all the things I'd like to get done before that happens!  But the 10 day forecast looks great and I'm excited to, hopefully, be through the bulk of the winter.  Time to make serious plans for summer! (Let's be honest...I really started that last August.)