It’s been swimming and swimming, and more swimming! The girls went to a swimming birthday party, Claire has had swim meets, and Avie has been making big strokes during swim lessons! Here is our life lately January 2024 and what we have been up to.
BOOKS I’VE READ
- The Running Grave by Robert Galbraith– Private Detective Cormoran Strike is contacted by a worried father whose son, Will, has gone to join a religious cult in the depths of the Norfolk countryside. In order to try to rescue Will, Strike’s business partner, Robin Ellacott, decides to infiltrate the cult but, she is unprepared for the dangers that await her there or for the toll it will take on her. As usual I absolutely loved reading this book in the Cormoran Strike series. It was full of detail, well-rounded characters, suspense, and mystery. 5/5
- The Two Lives of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver– Lydia and Freddie have been together for more than a decade when Freddie died in a car accident. But then taking a sleeping pill takes her into a world where none of the tragic events have happened. Lydia is living two lives at once. This book was interesting in how people grieve and how it changes them. Although sad, it was uplifting as well. 4.5/5
PRODUCTS I’VE TRIED
- Skinny Mix– I genuinely love these sugar-free mixes. They taste so good in multiple foods and drinks. During their Black Friday sale I orders 12 bottles! Did you see my 2 pink cocktail recipes I created earlier this month with 2 of the syrups? Yummy!
- New Chapter supplements- I’m starting out strong by incorporating some New Chapter expertly formulated supplements into my routine. They are made to absorb better and be easier on your stomach. I’m only a few weeks into taking these so we will see if there is a difference. I typically take various supplements anyway so it isn’t a bit switch for me. The one downside is they leave a bit of an unpleasant aftertaste. Hopefully it is worth it for a better quality supplement though.
RECIPES I’VE MADE
- Street Corn Tacos– The corn relish and jalapeño lime ranch are SO good! If nothing else, I’d recommend you make those next time you make tacos.
- Cheesy White Bean-Tomato Bake– Super easy and quick pantry meal. I would recommend adding Italian sausage for extra flavor, a full can of tomato paste, chopped onion, and spinach. I chopped about a cup of carrots up finely and added them in, too.
- Pulled Pork Shepard’s Pie– This is another good way to use up pulled pork. I chopped up green onions, bell peppers and added in frozen corn instead of mixed vegetables. It was really good!
- Creamy Tortellini Soup– Easy and delicious. Great for a chilly night.
- Mac and Cheese Cornbread Skillet– We all loved this! The cornbread topping is a nice contrast to the mac and cheese.
- Pulled Pork Calzone– I have made sausage and spinach calzones before but never a pork one. The entire family gobbled these up. Another great way to use up pulled pork (I swear when Matt smokes pork it feeds the 5000!).
- Sweet Potato Pancakes– We had some sweet potatoes leftover and I made some bread and pancakes with the leftovers. Honestly, the taste was ok, but I think the texture was off on them. I wouldn’t make again.
- Cheesy Enchilada Soup– Definitely tasty-somewhat similar to a creamy chicken tortilla soup.
- Hot Milk Cake– This cake is so fluffy and rich. I added an icing on top. Delicious!
- Chocolate Chip Cannoli Cups– Matt made these with the girls and they were so good! I love the filling.
- Parmesan Roasted Zucchini– I switched it up with some roasted zucchini. This was easy to put together and throw in the oven while the main dish was baking.
CURRENTLY
- Loving- My brother and sister-in-law gave our family a gift card to the Paramount theater in Aurora. We saw Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with the kids after Christmas and it was phenomenal! They just announced their 24-25 season and I’m loving the line-up! I think we may get season tickets that include 3 of the shows.
- Looking forward to- Matt and I just booked flights for our spring break trip to visit his parents in Arizona. We are all looking forward to seeing them and seeing the sun!
- Doing to be romantic- Before Christmas, I was sent a truffle making kit through a PR company. I’d love to do this with Matt during February. It looks so fun (and delicious).
- Changing- I need to change out our pots and pans. They are almost 18 years old and the nonstick surface is wearing off. I’d like to invest in some that will last for decades. Any recommendations? I keep seeing advertisements for Hexclad and I’m intrigued.
- Celebrating- I grew up celebrating report cards with ice cream. So we celebrated last week both Avie’s and Claire’s hard work and fabulous report cards going to DQ for some blizzards! Way to go girls!! We are proud of you!
- Family update–
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- Avie– Avie was absolutely ecstatic this month when she managed a flip turn during swim lessons. She also visited her great uncle and aunt for 2 days and was soaking up all the attention. Then her month took a bit of a turn when the dentist had to pull one of her teeth. She hit it when she was 2 and the trauma caused an infection which could damage the adult tooth. Avie took it like a champ and has been showing everyone her jack-o-lantern smile. She sold over 100 boxes of Girl Scout cookies!
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- Claire- Claire had her second quarter of straight As with a really nice comment from her teacher. Claire moved up age brackets in swimming so she is swimming 11-12 now. She tried her first 500 and did so well along with other amazing time drops in swimming. Claire even got 15th place and got a ribbon! Somehow she fit in the time to sell over 200 boxes of Girl Scout cookies!
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- Me- With all the ice, I’ve been running on the treadmill more than I like. I did enjoy watching Only Murders in the Building though. The dynamic between the characters is so good! Matt and I also loved having a night out with the swim parents doing axe and knife throwing. It was really fun!
- Matt- Matt had quite the month when he tripped and fell breaking his leg. Thankfully, it was a hairline fracture, but he had to be in a walking cast for 4 weeks. He is almost healed now. For once, traveling was timed somewhat well and he avoided the crazy ice and snow we had. A blessing when you have a walking cast!
JANUARY GOALS Recap
- Finish thank you notes- Done!
- Re-do resin cutting board- I still wasn’t able to get to this. Darn it!
- Have a game night with the kids– Done! We’ve been loving Mustache Smash and What Do you Meme? Disney edition.
- Clear out some clutter- I cleared out some books, lots of clothing, and a few other areas.
February Goals
- Apply for Illinois license– Currently, I have my Wisconsin speech therapy license. Since I work virtually with Wisconsin students, I haven’t needed an IL one yet. I would like to start the process though.
- Be more consistent with weight lifting- Typically I try to lift weights twice a week. It isn’t much, but it helps keep me somewhat toned. Unfortunately when life gets busy it is the first thing that goes. I’d love to get back into a better routine.
- Wash the couch and stool cushions– I recently noticed our couch cushions are a bit dingy. The covers need to be removed and washed. I also want to shampoo our upholstered kitchen stools.
- Register for camps?– Camp registration begins very soon for some locations. I’m hoping to get the girls registered for Girl Scout camp if they are interested or figure out what they’d like to do if they want something different.