I’m thrilled that I am beginning to see signs of spring everywhere. We had a few unseasonably warm days this past month and took full advantage by playing outside and having walks. I look forward to that more and more in April and May before the bugs get too bad. We also fully enjoyed our Irish recipes over the month in celebration of Matt’s heritage and St. Patrick’s Day. Aldi’s may or may not have been cleared out of Irish sausages (bangers) by me (yes I bought 10 packs and no, I’m not embarrassed). March was also the start of our spring break. We were finally able to fly down to Arizona to visit my in-laws again after missing out the past 2 years. Currently we are enjoying a week with them in the sun!
Here is our life lately March and what else we have been up to this past month.
Books I’ve Read
- The Nanny by Gilly Macmillan– Jo grew up idolizing her nanny Hannah as a child so when she suddenly left one night, Jo was crushed. Now as a mother, Jo’s life circumstances have caused her to move back home with her mother whom she does not get along with well. Then a skull is discovered in the lake on her property with causes many things from the past to be uncovered. This is a dark story and really makes you think about who is watching your children! I can’t believe how duplicitous some people can be. It was a very interesting plot! 4/5
- I Came to Say Goodbye by Caroline Overington– This story is told through varying perspectives of a family going through a very traumatic event. It begins with a woman taking a child from a hospital and driving away with her. This story could easily be triggering for some. It does touch on abuse and infant loss so be forewarned. That said, it was an interesting perspective on the justice system. I think the ending was well-written especially. 4/5
Products I’ve Tried
- Living Proof Curl Enhancer & Moisturizing Shine Oil– I’m always worried when I try out new hair products for my curly hair. It either goes really badly or really well. These products were a win! I used the the curl enhancer before using gel to help define curls. Then I use the Moisturizing Shine Oil to help add shine and break the cast for beautifully defined and healthy looking curls. Overall, I’m impressed with both products.
- BrushX Fast Upper- With my thicker hair, many hair tools don’t work very well on me. But the Fast Upper brush-like straightener still managed to impress. The process of straightening my hair and my daughter’s hair was quick and painless. I’ll admit I like a curl to my hair so I don’t see myself using it much, but it is nice to get your hair looking presentable when you are short on time. Claire likes it for days she’d like to wear her hair down. It helps tame the unruly waves she can get. This leaves her hair shiny and straight in no time!
- Solawave wand– I received this free to try from minisocial. I’ve been trying to use it once a day for about 5 minutes. In a nutshell, it uses a variety of methods like red light, vibration, micro currents, warmth, and blue light therapy to improve the appearance of your skin. I’m not sure if I see an improvement yet, but it is most definitely relaxing. I’m really hoping to see some changes especially on my neck area.
Recipes I’ve Made
- Raspberry Cheesecake Dump Cake– Claire made this for dessert one night. It’s a slow cooker dessert and really tasty especially with a bit of ice cream or whipped cream.
- Creamy Garlic Chicken– Matt absolutely loved this recipe and immediately declared it to be a ‘make again’ recipe. He loved the garlic gravy that went with it.
Currently
- Getting- I am excited to be getting laser treatment at Semper Laser on my underarms and bikini area. I’ve already noticed a difference with my underarms. There are quite a few treatments so I have a ways to go, but it’s nice to be shaving those areas so much less frequently.
- Going- We headed south to Arizona this week for spring break to spend time with my in-laws. We haven’t visited them in Arizona for the past 2 years so we were all really looking forward to it. So far we have seen the Dwarf Car Museum, gone to Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch, eaten out one night, and have a few more plans for the rest of the week.
- Planning- We are planning a very belated birthday pool party for Claire. Due to the Covid spike in late December, we put it off. Then there were scheduling issues so now she will have a party at our local Goldfish Swim School in early April. She cannot wait!
- Posting- If you follow me on instagram, you’ll see I’ve been posting a lot more reels. It’s more time consuming, but they are fun to do.
- Thinking- We have been thinking a lot about where to go this summer. Initially we had thought about trying to visit Ireland, but with the current war in Europe we wanted to be ultra cautious. So we are debating Mt. Rushmore or even Yellowstone if there is availability.
- Family Updates
- Matt- Matt was able to enjoy a lot of good Irish food this month for St. Patrick’s Day. He is also having a nice time on vacation away from the busyness of work.
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- Me- I finished a half marathon this month and am set to do one in April as well. The weather was wet and windy so it could have been better, but I’m fairly happy with my time 1:42:49 (not official though since the wind blew off my chip and bib! I’ve never had that happen before!). I hope to shave a bit more time off for April.
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- Claire- Claire is already gearing up for some fun summer activities. She can’t wait to compete with swim team. She has also decided she wants to train for a kids’ triathlon in August so we got her some new running shoes to work on her endurance.
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- Aveline- Aveline constantly amazes me with how much she is able to learn at school. She can spell her first and last name, count by 5s and 10s to 100, count backwards from 10, and count to 30 now. By the time kindergarten rolls around in a year and a half she will be more than ready!
MARCH GOALS
It completely slipped my mind when making my March goals that we would be away for the last week of March! So I definitely slipped in getting many of these done. Better luck next month.
- Organize bedside table- Done. And I love the results.
- Hem jeans– Didn’t get this sewn yet.
- Shampoo carpet in bedroom– Not completed.
- Lift weights twice a week– I was only able to get in weight lifting once a week.
- Go shopping, by myself– Completed! It was easy to motivate myself to get this done. Haha!
April Goals
- Hem jeans- I’m hoping to have some extra time to get this done during April.
- Shampoo bedroom carpets- I’d love to finish all 4 bedrooms this month.
- Try a new sourdough recipe- I’ve been making sourdough at least once a week so it would be fun to try a new recipe with my starter whether that is a bread recipe or something different.
- Get summer vacation set- Matt and I would love to firm up a plan for summer vacation this month and get to planning it.
- Sign Claire up for swim team- Claire wanted to join the swim team last year and I think this year her skill level is there. So I want to get her signed up this month.
LINKING UP WITH ANNE & WHAT’S UP WEDNESDAY
