family highlights

This month has been a doozy! I had a presentation for my consultant side-gig on 3/27 and it sucked up a lot of my time and energy. Not to mention I was a bundle of nervous anxiety for the four days preceding it. I’m still trying to understand that – I wasn’t nervous about presenting, I’ve done that before and LOVE it, which is the whole reason I’m pursuing this, but it was my first time presenting on this scale. And being me, I added all of these little extras that I was probably nervous about pulling off. Regardless, it went great (although I do need to adjust the timing and format of it), and as of last night, my belly is back to feeling normal and not feeling like I’m going to puke, so that’s great.

Ever since the time change, the boys have been able to play outside a little longer in the evenings. And although it’s a constant “stay out of the street! put a sweater on!,” it’s so great to live in a neighborhood where they can play with other kids outside. I feel like it’s a quintessential part of childhood that many kids miss out on these days. It makes up for the fact that hosting Easter in our tiny home is a logistical nightmare when it’s raining and we can’t use our backyard.

items i loved this month

Paint by numbers: I’m getting ready for the April craft workshop that I organize at work, and decided on these. I found some other ones at Michael’s, but they were larger and seemed way more complicated. We only have an hour, so I’m trying to get better at finding crafts that can be easily completed within that time frame (instead of everyone taking home a partial project – I have so many unfinished ones from the last year!).

Skateboard book: I usually buy a book for each child’s birthday party, so that those attending can sign it. I try to stay on theme, obvies. Josh’s 8th birthday is coming up, and he chose a skateboard theme. If you’re friends with either of us on the socials, you’ve seen the amazing invitation that Jeff made – he’s SO talented! But I digress. I bought this skate book for Josh’s birthday and it’s so cool! It’s more expensive and grown-up than what I would usually buy, but alas, our boys are growing up.

Motivational cards: because I’m a sucker for these things, I post little motivational cards in the bathroom stalls at my work. And people are allowed to take one if they see one that speaks to them. I recently purchased these, although I really liked these ones that I bought last time.

projects, crafts & more

SUPPLY LIST

• Magnet set that includes glass piece and adhesive magnet
• Gloss Modge Podge to apply magazine cutout to glass
• Foam paint brush to easily apply Modge podge
• A stack of old magazines
• Scissors for each person
• I cut plastic cups so I could give everyone a small “bowl” with modge podge
• Newspaper or craft paper for each workstation for easy clean up

recipe

LEMONADE

Our neighbors gave us lemons from their backyard recently, and honestly they’re the only lemons I like to use for lemonade, because they’re DELICIOUS. Anyhow, we’ve been making this lemonade for a few years now, and making the sugar syrup is a game changer!

Ingredients and Instructions

• 1 and 3/4 cup of sugar
• 1 and 1/2 cups of lemon juice (about seven juicy lemons)
• 8 cups of water

1. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and one (1) cup of the water. Bring to a boil and stir to dissolve the sugar. Allow it to cool, cover, and refrigerate until chilled.
2. When juicing the lemons, remove the seeds but leave the pulp (optional, but I do really like the pulp in the lemonade). Stir into a pitcher with the sugar water. Add the remaining seven (7) cups of water, stopping to taste occasionally (sometimes I need more or less water, depending on the sweetness of the lemons).
3. Pour in a glass with ice, and enjoy!

reading recap & MORE

• Just Some Stupid Love Story, by Katelyn Doyle (publication date: June 4, 2024): three mugs and a jalapeno.
• Wreck the Halls, by Tessa Bailey: two mugs and several jalapenos!
• Mercury, by Amy Jo Burns: three mugs.
• The Berry Pickers, by Amanda Peters: three mugs.
• Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club, by J. Ryan Stradal: two mugs.

Currently reading:

• I’ve started two different books, plus just got a long awaited book from Libby, but really feeling the need to finish the first two (which haven’t hooked me). My Amazon First Reads are really stacking up, and hoping for a month where I can make some serious progress and share some great reads!

• My TBR Amazon lists:
• Novels
• Fiction
• Romance
• Historical Fiction
• Non-Fiction
• Non-classified
• Memoirs

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Let me know in the comments what your current read is, or a book you’re looking forward to reading!

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