Life Lately January - I do deClaire

Holy snow! This month has been all about the white stuff. Actually it really isn’t too bad, but the girls have been wanting snow forever and they are so excited about playing outside. I am loving that they are old enough to play in the backyard without me needing to suit up and join them. It does not have the same appeal to me as it does to them. Here is our life lately this January:

Books I’ve Read

Can’t Take it Back by Kelly Duran– Holly, Avery, Zoe, and Sasha might look like they’ve got it all figured out – but there’s more to their stories than meets the eye. Over the course of a school year all of their lives change. With so many women, there is definitely something for everyone. It was interesting to hear so many perspectives on marriage, kids, and life. 3/5
The Awakening by Nora Roberts– Breen Kelly is in a dead end job when she finds out she has a an account worth almost 4 million dollars. She goes to Ireland to learn more about her father’s past and discovers so much more. I’m kind of embarrassed to admit I read this one, but since it was set in Ireland it sucked me in. But really it’s just like every other Nora Roberts book out there. And I don’t plan on continuing the trilogy. 1.5/5

Products I’ve Tried

Organic to Green Liquid Coconut Oil in Jasmine Ylang Ylang– I actually mixed this with some lotion for extra moisturizing and incredible scent! I love it this way!

Coco & Eve Miracle Hair Elixir– I got this from Influenster and I’ve been using it every time I wash my hair now. It makes my hair shinier and much softer than the heat protectant I was using before.

Pineberries- I randomly saw these grocery shopping the other week and the girls insisted I get them. They were really fun to try! They have a different texture than regular strawberries and a different taste.

Recipes I’ve Made

Cheesy Hamburger Soup- I’ve had this recipe on my pinterest for a while and Claire pointed it out when I was making my grocery list. I’m so glad she did! We all really enjoyed it!
Sausage and Pierogi Campfire Packets– Oh my goodness these were so good. We made a double batch and the leftovers were delicious, too. I loved how the flavors really melded together. I have never cooked with pierogi before and I’m a big fan. We actually cooked a few extras we had in a pan with a bit of butter and loved how they tasted when they were a bit crispy on the sides.
Butterbeer fudge– The girls have been missing their visit to Hogwarts this past summer so we tried this fudge. It was a bit of a pain to make since I couldn’t find marshmallow ice cream topping and had to make it from scratch first. The fudge is really good, but I think if I make it again I will use butterscotch chips instead of white in the bottom layer for a bit more butterscotch flavor.
Turkey Ciabatta Sandwiches– I can’t wait until we make these again. They are super easy, but so tasty. If you have ever had the sandwiches from Costco, these are similar, but BETTER.
Carmelitas– This recipe is from Lisa at Coast to Coast and this was another one I can’t wait to make again. Claire gobbled these up so fast!

Currently

Loving- I am seriously loving the Hoover carpet cleaner I purchased in November. It was a great investment and I wish I had gotten one sooner! The carpet cleaner does a really good job and is pretty easy to use. It was less expensive than paying someone do shampoo our carpets for us and it’s really handy to have for pet issues or kid issues. I find it cleans the carpet so much faster and better than getting down and scrubbing by hand.
Making- My sister-in-law sent the girls some wooden hearts to paint and we have been having fun decorating and painting them!
Taking- After 2 years of skipping a spring break trip due to Covid, we are taking a vacation to Arizona to visit my in-laws! The girls are so excited. Avie doesn’t remember ever being there and has been asking about it almost everyday. And we don’t leave until late March… Haha!
Wanting- I’ve been wanting a date night, or maybe a few since I’m feeling a bit greedy. Hopefully we can get one planned this month. I’m hoping to hear back from the babysitter soon.
Wondering- Early this month I had surgery on my left wrist to remove a bump. It was right at the joint so while the skin is healing really nicely and it feels stronger now, I’m wondering when I’ll get full movement back. For now, I keep trying to stretch and massage it.
Family Update
- Avie- Ever since she began preschool in the fall she has wanted to stay longer and longer. So now she is attending until 1:30 5 days a week and after a week of it, she is as happy as a clam.

- Claire- This kid had an amazing month! She nailed her Girl Scout cookie selling goal by selling over 300 boxes. Then her report card was absolutely stellar. We are really proud!

- Me– I’m happy that I’m slowly back to lifting weights and the bruising is finally starting to fade. There was little to no pain, I’m just working on getting the flexibility back and prevent scar tissue from forming.

- Matt- Matt enjoyed getting to take the girls to see Frozen the musical and then the display of Lights at Morton Arboretum. He’s been able to do some spinning a few nights a week so I’m really happy his leg is doing much better.

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January Goals Recap

Splurge on myself- Done! I bought myself a carry-on and new suitcase I’ve been wanting for a while. It worked out because the price had gone down a lot and I was able to get an extra $30 off from amazon by purchasing one with a damaged box (the suitcase was pristine-just the outer box was damaged). Woohoo! Side note: Did you know you can get suitcase protective covers to keep your suitcase nice? They are under $20 from amazon. I am going to be using one from now on. It would have saved many a suitcase from baggage handlers!
Try an 11-12 mile run–Done. Weather was barely permitting, but I finished it.
Clean carpet in the basement– Done! Honestly it is so satisfying to know it’s all clean even though it pretty much looks the same.
Sand & paint hooks for running medals- My wrist surgery got in the way of me finishing this one.

February Goals

Make and decorate Valentine’s Day cookies with my daughters
Shampoo carpet on stairwells
Schedule belated birthday party for Claire– Because of the Covid surge, we delayed planning a party for Claire. Now that it is coming down (*fingers crossed*), we thought we could maybe plan on in March.
Sand & paint hooks for running medals- Maybe if I keep this on here, I will actually get it done!