As we get closer to the end of the school year (!), my brain is beginning to get more and more full of chaos. I can’t forget to sign the field trip permission form and make sure J studies for his final exams and get the phone number of G’s besties so we can schedule play dates and volunteer at all the events and - oh yeah - try to work, take care of myself, and sleep somewhere in there too.
I’m tired, and it’s not even May yet, y’all!
But, more than perhaps ever before I am really looking forward to summer with my kids. The older they get, the more fun we have in the summers (and the less work it feels like for me). I’m looking forward to lazy mornings and ice cream dates and movies in the backyard and long afternoons playing our favorite game on repeat.
We might still have a month left of school, but if April is any indication, it’s going to absolutely fly by so I guess we’d all better prep ourselves.
In addition to all the life chaos, I’ve been in full-blown project mode lately. I finished up the dresser nook in our bedroom, added some outdoor furniture to the backyard, and started prepping garden beds, planning a big trellis for the side of the house, prepping to paint my office, and made some plans for a back patio makeover.
It’s a lot. But I’m loving it! It feels so good to be experiencing the first spring in our new home, and it feels like things are just brimming with possibilities and potential and excitement.
Oh, and we’ve got 33 days until our next family Disney World trip - but who’s counting?!
I finally spruced up our front porch for spring with some faux flowers, and these pink ones are so bright and so pretty!
This little outdoor storage cabinet is perfect for our patio. It holds some of our stuff for outdoor dining and keeps it clean, it’s a great place to drop food we’re serving, and it makes the patio feel a lot cozier.
I wanted a fresh end-of-the-bed blanket for our room now that it’s painted, and I grabbed this one. It’s PERFECT, and really brings things together.
We snagged this set of two outdoor fans to put on either side of the patio and they’re so great. They’re nice and powerful so they help keep bugs away and they’ll keep us cool outside all summer long!
I was organizing my makeup drawer and wanted a pretty drawer liner, and this one fit the bill perfectly. I used it in the kitchen, too, and I love it so much.
Everyone’s been wearing statement necklaces again and I’m not quite ready to fully commit but I did grab this cute one and I’ve been wearing it several times a week!
This set of 3 cordless lamps is perfect for our yard. I’ve been moving them all over the place for when we want a cozy vibe, and they work great. The charge holds for a nice, long time, too!
I paired these with the pink flowers for the porch and they’re my absolute favorite. I also have them in yellow (I use those in the fall) and they’re probably my favorite faux outdoor flowers I have.
G has been begging for a hammock so I grabbed this super affordable one and the kids have been using it like crazy! I haven’t managed to nap in it yet but I promise it’s coming.
And finally, I became obsessed with boxer-style shorts last summer and these are my newest addition. They’re so comfortable and look so cute with just about anything.
I did a lot more audiobooks than “eyeball” books this month, largely because it’s just what I had time for! I didn’t get in as much physical reading this month as I wanted to, but I’m confident that as we head towards the summer I’ll be able to prioritize it a little better - especially because I have a few books I’m dying to get started on.
This month I read…
The Academy (Elin Hilderbrand) - I put myself on the wait list for this book at my library back in October and I finally got it. I’m a huge fan of pretty much all of Elin Hilderbrand’s books, so I knew I’d love it, and it didn’t disappoint!
The Butcher’s Masquerade, The Eye of the Bedlam Bride, and This Inevitable Ruin (Matt Dinniman) - I’m all caught up on the Dungeon Crawler Carl book series and eagerly waiting for the next book to come out! I have loved this series so much more than I thought I would, and Corey has been listening to it as well which has been a really fun thing for us to bond over!
Lady Tremaine (Rachel Hochhauser) - I love, love, loved this retelling of Cinderella from the point of view of her stepmother. It’s a tad slow at first but once it gets going, it’s impossible to put down. The ending had my jaw on the floor and I still can’t stop thinking about it.
We Live Here Now (Sarah Pinborough) - I didn’t realize until after I finished it that this book is by the same woman who wrote Behind Her Eyes, which I also loved. I devoured this book over the course of one lazy Sunday and it was SO GOOD.
Project Hail Mary (Andy Weir) - I went into this book blind (as I do most books these days) and I was just so incredibly delighted by it. I’m dying to go see the movie now, but Corey wants to read it first so I have to wait for him to catch up. The audiobook of this was so great, and I just loved every minute of it. I laughed, I cried…can’t recommend it enough.
I also read…
That’s a Great Question, I’d Love to Tell You (Elyse Myers) - Delightful, as expected. Do the audiobook if you want to hear her read it!
The Book Eaters (Sunyi Dean) - Didn’t love it quite as much as I hoped I would, but it’s such an interesting concept and it certainly kept me on my toes. It was good!
The War of Two Queens (Jennifer L. Armentrout) - I just cannot get into this series. I’ve tried twice now and it’s time for me to call it quits. I know a lot of romantasy fans swear it’s one of the best, but it is just not for me.
The 100 (Kass Morgan) - Can’t believe I’ve never read this one! I flew through it and I think it’s one that J would really enjoy as well.
The Fifth Season (N.K. Jemisin) - I had a hard time following this one at times (it’s dense!), but I really enjoyed the storyline! I think I’ll have to keep going in the series, because now I need to know what’s going to happen!
Shield of Sparrows (Devney Perry) - I read this one last year but I’ve read a lot of books since then and the new one just came out. So, I’m wrapping up a re-read while I wait for the second book to be available from my library. If you’re a romantasy fan, it’s a must-read!
Corey has been dreaming of a big ol’ garden in our backyard, so this past weekend I set up some raised beds so we can get started! I still need to fill them up (why do I always underestimate how big of a job that is?!) but I’m really excited - we’ve got the perfect corner for it in the back of the yard, and I’m passing most of the responsibility over to Corey so I don’t have to stress about accidentally killing everything.
G made a Disney countdown for his door, and it just brings me so much joy to see his excitement for our upcoming trip!
Going on a crime documentary deep dive with Corey. We watched a bunch this month!
Getting in the habit of doing yoga every day (or close to it) has felt so good.
Girls’ nights full of laughing until we cry, vulnerable chats, and good food.
Going to the movies (went to see The Drama and LOVED ITTTTT)
Hours (upon hours) of pressure washing.
We’ve been playing Skyjo multiple times a week after dinner, and I honestly don’t think it gets old! It’s so easy to learn, really addictive, and doesn’t take a ton of time. My favorite combo!
The boys have been playing this a bunch in the evenings. I’ll never like this game, but hearing them shout and laugh while they play makes me so happy.
It’s been a while since we picked up this family favorite but we played a few rounds over the weekend and I’m hooked again.
G wanted to learn this game and so we played it with my parents one day. It’s a classic that I love, even if it takes forever and a day to actually finish.
Every night when we’re gathered around the dinner table, we ask each other about our “high, low, and buffalo”. I’m honestly not even sure what “buffalo” means, but one of the teenagers in J’s church group taught it to him and it stuck.
The idea is, everyone shares a great thing that happened that day, something not-so-great that happened, and ends with something interesting or unusual for their day. Sometimes we share a fact or joke we heard that day, sometimes it’s something random we saw or did, and sometimes it’s just a random funny story from our day. I always love hearing what the kids choose for their “buffalo”!
Do you have any family dinner traditions?
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