I feel as if the month of March can go either way. It can be an extension of winter with cold grey days and snow, or it can be a taste of spring. Thank goodness we got the good side of March this year. I feel like we were lucky this year and we are actually getting a spring! Although I hope I don’t jinx myself here. We have been trying to spend as much time outside on the especially good days as we can.
Book’s I’ve Read
- I’m in the middle of The Ten Thousand Doors of January and it is so riveting! I wish I had more time to sit down and read it! When I’m done, I’ll share my thoughts on it next month.
Products I’ve Been Using
- Sunday Riley– A few weeks ago I was sent the Clean Rinse Scalp Serum and Good Genes Serum by Sunday Riley to try from Influenster. I wanted to share my thoughts on both here. I’ve been using the Good Genes Serum both morning and night under my moisturizer. It has a nice, citrusy scent and doesn’t irritate my skin at all. After 2 weeks of use, I feel like my skin looks brighter and more clear. The Clean Rinse Scalp Serum does take a bit of extra time to use, but I think it is worth it. My scalp and hair seem cleaner and I also feel like there is less build up over the days before I wash it. One drawback was the scent. It’s not awful, but I’m not a fan.
- Stress Balls– I’ve tried both the De-Stress Snooze and the De-Stress Relax over the past few months. Honestly I prefer the taste of the De-Stess Snooze more, but I find both of these products to be beneficial in reducing my stress-level, especially with my currently very willful 3 year old. If you are feeling overwhelmed I would recommend these. They seem to help me fall asleep faster with no after-effects and I feel a little more patient and calm during the day. I got them free to review on their website, but wanted to share them here as well because I’ve had a really good experience with them. I finished both bottles and already purchased more.
- Transcend by Pluid– I’ve had an ongoing partnership with Scent Beauty for months now and continue to be impressed by the fragrances they create. On the whole, they are pretty affordable. And even for this ultra-picky perfume lover, I truly like and wear the vast majority of fragrances I have received. Their two lines that I love the most are the Scent Organix line and The Phluid Project. The Phluid Project is a really neat line of oil based, unisex fragrances. You shake to combine the layers then spray. They are moisturizing, and I’ve loved all three I’ve gotten so far. The Transcend scent has a beach, floral and citrus vibe that is perfect for warmer weather! Use code IDODECLAIRE for 10% off your purchase.
- Exuviance Pure Retinol Correcting Peel – I received this free through Brandbacker to try out and have been loving it. This is a once weekly facial peel exfoliates and resurfaces skin’s texture, revealing a smoother, brighter complexion. It’s especially good for those with dark spots from age and sun damage looking for firmer skin. With weekly (night time) use of this intensive correcting peel, dark spots from age and sun damage become less visible and overall complexion more even in tone. I’ve used 3 peels so far and think it will be really good to help prevent any dark spots from forming. It’s half price from Ulta through 4/2!
Recipes I’ve Made
- Breakfast Burritos– Oh this was good! I made a half recipe of it and it was definitely enough for our family. We ate it with salsa and avocado. Matt raved about it and I really enjoyed it, too!
- Slow Cooker Posole– This was another delicious dish. When you fight over the leftovers, you know it is good, right? The cilantro, cheese, and avocado made a good dish even better. It was my first time trying hominy so that was fun, too.
- Buffalo Chicken Cauliflower Casserole– I was initially worried Matt wasn’t going to be a fan. He doesn’t care for celery and I was worried the textures were going to end up like mush. It was very tasty, although did end up a bit mushy. I want to try it again with french fried onions on top to add some crunch. I actually was able to make most of it in the slow cooker and then add the sauce and cheese before baking it.
- Triple Berry Pie– I had a bunch of frozen fruit I wanted to use up and this recipe was perfect to make the filling. Instead of the beautiful lattice crust, I was able to finish a box of cake mix and butter to create a cobbler-type crust on top. Highly recommend!
- Popper Soup– I loved this soup so much! And it is really easy to make, too. I added 3 jalapeños, but omitted the seeds and it was mild enough for the girls to eat it.
- Crunchy French Toast Sticks– We had a lot of stale cereal that was cluttering up our cabinets so I decided to use it up making these. The girls love them and they smell so delicious when baking. I made about 70 and froze them. We just heat them up in the microwave for breakfast and serve with maple syrup or whipped cream.
Currently
- Arranging- It was fun to set out all of the Easter decor and arrange it around our home. I love to visit stores right after a holiday to check out the marked down decor. Last year I was able to get a few fun pieces like a 3 foot tall wooden bunny for outside our door and a few hanging signs. I also made a few new items like a wreath since ours was looking faded and a bunny plate.
- Craving- A protein shake! Carrie has been posting these AMAZING looking protein shakes from a place near her. After some investigating, I found a similar place in downtown Naperville called Nutrition Hub and have been stalking them on instagram. I want to go so much!
mini update: tried Cherry Pie flavor this weekend-SO GOOD!
- Discussing- This year we will be celebrating our 15 year wedding anniversary in June. Typically we don’t make a big deal about it, but it’s been a long year being careful and not traveling and thinking about ourselves last. Besides, Matt has sooo many airline miles, hotel points, and car rental days. So we have been discussing a small vacation for just the two of us in June or July somewhere warm.
- Enjoying- I finally got a fresh haircut and highlight. It was time! I think the last time that happened was back in August. The fresh layers and brighter color is perfect for spring!
- Preparing- I am preparing my next version of seasonal trends and how to wear them for Spring 2021. There is a lot that goes into research and styling the outfits, but it’s fun!
- Family Updates:
- Matt- Matt got his 2nd dose of the vaccine this month and I’m so happy! He has to travel about once a month for work, which is less than prior to the pandemic, but now I feel much better about it knowing he has far less risk of getting sick from Covid. Now he is all into research for a new vehicle for us. I, of course, am dragging my feet because I abhor purchasing vehicles even on a good day. Thank goodness he is much better at it than I am!
- Me- Hurray! I just got my first dose of vaccine on Monday! It’ll be even more excited once I get my second dose. Since my SIL is due early May, I want to be able to hold that sweet baby without any worries! And the big news this past month was that she and my BIL asked us to be godparents. We are absolutely thrilled and so honored!
- Claire- The news came that Claire will be almost back to school full time (minus 30 minutes from her typical school day) the week after our spring break. What shall I do with all my free time? Haha! Oh wait. Avie is still at home. Claire has been LOVING the spring weather and riding her new bike to school almost everyday.
- Avie– Avie and Claire had a complete blast visiting their aunt and uncle this past weekend, too. She even coined her own name for her uncle; Joshy! Apparently she would only let him change her diapers while she was there so he got some wonderful practice for when his daughter arrives soon!
April Goals
- Listen to an audiobook- Shea has me convinced I need to try an audiobook, but I’m a traditionalist and love to actually read so I haven’t yet. It’s a good goal for this month!
- Try focaccia bread art– Have you seen these gorgeous pieces of food art? I think it would be so fun to try with the kids!
- Learn something new for my blog- There are several things I’d like to learn to up my blogging skills. I need to export and transfer my feedly email subscriptions to something I have more control over, and I’d like to investigate some plug-ins that would help with SEO and blog management.
- Take an afternoon for myself– One thing I really need to improve on is self-care. Having an afternoon to shop and enjoy a Starbucks, or even read outside would be so rejuvenating!
- Do a foot peel- I love foot peels and they work wonders! It’s almost sandal season so it would be nice to have baby soft feet to show off!
March Goals Recap
- Organize junk drawers- Done! They look great with only a few bins from the Dollar Tree. I even organized the pantry and another cabinet where we store our canned goods. Everything is so much easier to see and looks better. It’s not The Home Edit, but there is an improvement.
- Organize freezer-Done! First I catalogued all the items we had in our 3 freezers and organized them based on vegetables/sides, dinners, fruit, breads, meat, and miscellaneous items. Then I moved everything around so it’s all more accessible and added in a few acrylic bins for organizing the meats we have.
- Refinish or paint plant stand- Done! Check out my photo below. I’m not sure what I was waiting for because it only took a few hours and it is BEAUTIFUL! There was a little repair to do with wood glue after I cleaned it all. Then I used this beeswax after cleaning it. I did 2 coats and now it just glows.
- Get Aveline registered for preK next year- Work in progress! I have the forms and am in the process of filling them out.
- Longer runs- Well the half marathon I was registered for has now been postponed until June. So I haven’t gone on longer runs yet, but I have been increasing my speed back to my pre-winter pace.
LINKING UP WITH ANNE & GRETCHEN + KRISTEN, WHAT’S UP WEDNESDAY
