Books I’ve Read
In an Instant by Suzanne Redfearn– 16 year old Finn is killed instantly in a car crash when the car she and her family are in goes over the side of the mountain. Finn is between worlds as she follows her friend and family in the aftermath of the crash as the weather worsens and difficult decisions are made. This was a free book through kindle although I got it a couple of months ago, I haven’t read it. I’m glad I did though! It was so interesting seeing how people’s true personalities are revealed when they are in life-threatening circumstances. I think this was such a great storyline and I think the ending fit well with it. The characters were not always likable, but had redeeming qualities and were realistic. I’d rate it a 4/5.
Products I’ve Been Using
- Lil’Gourmets- I had the opportunity to try out Lil’Gourmets ready-to-eat meals and snacks over the past month with my daughters. Of course we all want to feel good about what we are feeding our children and that is where lil’gourmets comes in. Their meals are organic, chef-crafted, globally-inspired veggie meals to help your children fall in love with vegetables and cultivate their curiosity for flavors and cultures from around the world. These recipes contain between 2-5 grams of sugar, which is less than HALF of the national baby/kid food and snacking brands! They are minimally processed and sold refrigerated to be as nutritious and close to homemade as possible. These meals can serve as a meal for babies ages 6-12 months, as a snack or side dish for toddlers and a healthy dip or snack for older kiddos! I tried these too and thought the flavors were great! They don’t have the typical baby food smell or taste at all. I would recommend these to any of my mommy friends with babies or very young toddlers! You can use code LAURA10 for $10 off any 2+ box order. I also have a giveaway that ends today on my instagram account you can enter.
- Glow Recipe Watermelon Toner– I received this to try out from Influenster for free. If you ever want to try Influenster you can try my referral link! Honestly I wanted to like it so much. It’s such a beautiful bottle with wavy sides and it’s a gorgeous rosy pink color. But my skin was not happy. It seemed to make me breakout which isn’t a typical reaction of mine. So I think I will be sticking with my Misshi Time Revolution Essence or Open Formula Cq10toners for now!
- Goopglow Overnight Glow Peel- This was another product from the Influenster box I received to try. I use similar peels, but you only leave them on for a few minutes. This was overnight. My skin did not have any adverse reactions to it. On the contrary, I woke up and my skin looked the best it has in weeks! I was very impressed! It did tingle at first, but the instructions state it may do that. I really liked this peel and would use it again.
- Bite Beauty Agave+ Intensive Vegan Lip mask– This was the final item I received in my Influenster box (I love receiving these boxes! They are so fun and you can get some incredible products!) Even though the humidity is going up, my lips have been a little dry. I tried this lip mask over night and woke up with super soft lips. It’s very hydrating and feels so night when applying it. I could see this being a nice stocking stuffer or item in a pampering basket.
Recipes I’ve Tried
- Rueben Sandwiches*- Matt picked up an extra corned beef in March and pulled it out of the freezer to smoke it in his smoker. He make Rueben sandwiches for dinner and they were very good!
- Corned Beef Noodle Casserole*- With the extra corned beef we made this casserole. It came together fairly quickly and was pretty easily to make. We enjoyed this one, too.
- Fresh Lemon Ice Cream*-With our ice cream maker, we are always on the hunt for new recipes. We tried this one out 2 weeks ago. It was creamy with a tartness that was so refreshing. I added about 1 tablespoon of lemon zest to the recipe, too.
- Oatmeal Cream Pie Cookie Bars*- Oh my sweet goodness. If you loved oatmeal cream pies as a kid, these are even better. These bars have all the extra frosting you wish the sandwich cookies had! You may even be able to double the bar recipe and bake it in a 9×13 pan without doubling the frosting recipe.
- Sweet Potato Burgers*- I wanted to switch it up with a vegetarian recipe one nice and tried these. They were easy, but I wish I had pan fried them longer. The sauce could have used a little extra flavor, too.
- Irish Cream Brownies*- Matt actually made these for Mother’s Day and I’m so impressed! I love irish cream and you can taste it in these yummy brownies!
- Peanut Dragon noodles*– I saw these recommended onShea Lennon and they are in a deadlock for May’s favorite recipe with the Oatmeal Cream Pie bars. I used some leftover smoked pork I chopped in small pieces to make them. We need to make them again soon because Matt and I fought over the leftovers! I tossed in steamed broccoli to add a vegetable. Serious deliciousness.
- Mexican Chicken & Black Bean Skillet*– This is a recipe by Andrea and I’ve been wanting to make for a while. It’s incredibly easy, especially if you get the frozen back of sweet potatoes. We loved it the next day in a burrito and I also had it on top of fresh spinach as a Mexican salad with chipotle dressing! It’s a very versatile recipe!
Currently
Matt has taken to making me martinis every once in a while. This was an amaretto, Bailey’s, Rumchata combo. Pure yumminess!
- Feeling- Aren’t we feeling all the feelings right now? I’m a bit overwhelmed about summer. No school routines and nowhere to go to entertain my kids like camp or the pool. I’m so over all of this quarantine, but at the same time still very cautious about my actions especially after the news about the inflammatory response found in some children. It’s pretty scary!
- Wearing- We are wearing masks everywhere! It’s still such a strange sensation.
- Buying- Since we need to have 3 trees cut down in our yard, we bought 4 to plant! I can’t wait to get them in the ground and have the dead ones out. I will really miss the privacy the old ones provided, but I’m hoping our new trees will grow quickly. We chose ones that are known to be hardy and grow quickly, too! I also got one for our front yard, by the sidewalk. It’s called a Thundercloud Plum with blossoms in the spring and purple leaves in the summer. It’s going to be beautiful!
- Craving- I know I’m not the only one craving adult conversation and time away from the kids! Even if it is just at the gym for a few hours.
- Discussing- We’ve been discussing what to do about a summer vacation. We had hoped to go to Disney World this summer, but that isn’t going to happen. So I think we will have to end up playing it by ear and possibly taking a last minute vacation if any. We’ve told the girls that we may just have to do it in the fall or winter instead.
- Family update
- Claire- Claire is now done with school as of Wednesday. I have a second grader in the house. What?! Now my panic is setting in about how to keep these kids occupied all summer.
- Aveline- Avie has been our little gymnast this month! She finally learned how to climb out of her crib. And this girl doesn’t do things small. She delicately gets out of the crib and doesn’t jump down at all! She learned how to climb in and do a somersault into it landing on her mattress, too. (face palm) So we switched her to a toddler bed and are dealing with all the fun that entails of opening doors, playing tag, and getting books out. Let me just say, it’s a good thing she is cute!
- Matt- He is still working from home, but I think those days are numbered. I’m so thankful his job wasn’t too impacted by the quarantine and he was able to work from home. That was such a blessing!
- Me- Nothing really new for me! Just hoping for the pool or gym to open up so I can have a break from the house! I did finally finish ourliving room makeoverand love the results! The dining room got a new paint color and curtains, too! It give the entire main floor a lighter, brighter, fresher feel.
May Goals Recap
- Plant a tree- This is in process. We thought we had one tree dead in our backyard, but it turns out we have 3. I really hate cutting down trees!! So we had to schedule them to be cut down before I can order replacement trees for those and the 1 we want to plant in the front. It is scheduled though and we have the trees ordered.
- Touch up paint in house-Yes and no. We tried to touch up the ceiling paint, but we did a test spot and it doesn’t look like a match so we are holding off on that for now. All other touch ups needed around the house are done though.
- Pick out pillows for the couch-Done! And you can see the entire living room makeover in my post here!
- Plant containers- Done! Although I might want to get more basil. Mine just isn’t looking good after I planted it. I’m so disappointed!
- Do a craft project- Yes! I finished a spring wreath made completely from materials I already had and made a monogram for a sweatshirt.
June Goals
- Get another 5 CEUs done- It’s a process. I keep putting these in my goals to get them all done before the end of the year!
- Try 2 new side dish or salad recipes– I’ll admit, I’m not an elaborate cook. I mean that I will make a main dish, but often fill the plate out with a simple plain spinach salad and steamed veggies. Healthy? Yes. But it can become redundant and boring. So I’d like to step up my dinner side dish game. I’ve been making a berry spinach salad and did an Asian one with mandarin oranges and peanuts. They were well received, but I still would like to expand my repertoire this month!
- Choose a paint color for the office- The next room we would like to paint is Matt’s office. I’d like to at least choose a paint color for it this month.
- Try a spray tan- Isn’t it ridiculous that I have had a bottle of spray tan for a year and haven’t even used it? I think I need to figure out the application and timing of it. I’d love to give my pale skin a bit of summer glow!
- Read 3 books- It’s been hard for me to find time lately to read so I’d love to get some time to myself to read next month.
linking up with Anne & Gretchen + Kristen, What’s Up Wednesday