April was a great month! We seemed to all be going different directions with sports, social engagements, and work. But we all came together for fun, too. The weather warming up tends to put us in a better mood, too! Here is our life lately April 2024 and what we have been up to.
Books I’ve Read
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It’s in His Kiss by Julia Quinn–
- Hyacinth Bridgerton offers to translate Gareth St. Clair’s grandmother’s diary. But as they delve into the mysterious text, they discover that the answers they seek lie not in the diary, but in each other. This is book 6 of the Bridgertons. Hyacinth seems like a lively, energetic character and I enjoyed her. 4/5
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The Girl Who Was Taken by Charlie Donlea–
- Nicole Cutty and Megan McDonald are both high school seniors when they disappear from a party one night. Megan miraculously surfaces after escaping a few weeks lately. Nicole’s older sister, Livia, a fellow in forensic pathology, decides to delve into her disappearance along with other similar disappearances. I enjoyed Livia and her determination. This was an interesting take on a disappearance story, but I think I would have preferred a different ending. 3/5
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The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhorn–
- Martha Ballard is summoned to examine the body of a man found in the frozen river and determine cause of death. But when a local physician undermines her conclusion, declaring the death to be an accident, Martha is forced to investigate the shocking murder on her own. I loved Martha’s strong personality and her supportive husband. This story kept me interested until the end. 4.5/5
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The Second Life of Mirielle West by Amanda Skenandore–
- Mirielle West’s life in the 1920s s too full of parties and gatherings she doesn’t even notice the small patch of pale skin on the back of her hand. She is diagnosed with leprosy and exiled to rural Louisiana. How will this change her and how will she change it? I didn’t know much about leprosy and this prompted me to learn a bit more. At first Mirielle was really annoying, but I slowly grew to like her as her character grew. 4/5
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Of Beast and Beauty by Chanda Hahn–
- Rosalie, one of the adopted daughters of Lady Eville, and enters into a loveless and hate-filled marriage with the narcissistic Crown Prince of Baist. I was so disappointed in the physical and emotional abuse by the prince. If you want to read this series, skip this one! 0/5
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Of Glass and Glamour by Chanda Hahn–
- Eden, one of the adoptive daughters of Lady Eville, attends the royal masquerade ball designed to find the prince a bride. But her purpose is to avenge her parents. This was better than the first book (I read them out of order), although it’s definitely a YA series and the immaturity and dialogue can get on your nerves at times. 3/5
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Of Sea and Song by Chanda Hahn–
- Merisol killed a man to protect her sisters, and becomes a fugitive. She disguises herself as a cabin boy on the Bella Donna and ends up making a bargain with the sea witch. I had to roll my eyes a few spots because of how obvious the ending was going to be, but it is a YA series. 3/5
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Of Thorn and Thread by Chanda Hahn–
- Aura is the 4th daughter of Lady Eville and an empath. She is kidnapped by a knight to help him save his kingdom from a blight. This book was just kind of blah to me. Aura was pretty helpless and portrayed as weak and immature. 2.5/5
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Of Mist and Murder by Chanda Hahn–
- Maeve is forced to become Allemar’s apprentice and learn forbidden magic. Teetering on the edge between good and evil, her training draws her closer to Aspen, the forsaken prince. This story line touched on racism and segregation and self-forgiveness. That said, I didn’t love the bickering element between the two main characters. It was nice to see a different side of Aspen though. 2/5
Recipes I’ve Made
- Garlic Parmesan Chicken & Potatoes– I made this with freezer and pantry things I had on hand after we got back from our spring break trip. It was really easy and very tasty!
- Buffalo Chicken Chalupa– I saw this on tiktok and Claire asked me to make it. I ended up making it on a panini press. It would probably be better in the air fryer. Still, the melty cheese and crispy taco are delicious together.
- Cottage Cheese Alfredo– It’s hard to choose a favorite this month, but this new recipe might be it. It was really fast and delicious! When I made it, I didn’t add the cornstarch, I just used greek yogurt to thicken it and decreased the milk. I love the creamy taste without that overly rich feeling you get in your stomach afterwards.
- Churro Cheesecake Bars– I’ve had these before, but haven’t made them. They are really easy. Your entire house will smell amazing! They taste just as good.
- Cinnamon Roll Bars– This was very rich dessert, but tastes just like cinnamon rolls. I cut a corner by using store bought frosting and it was a great dessert.
Products I’ve Tried
- Splash Protein Drink- This is a pre-mixed protein drink with fruity, candy flavors. It comes in 3 flavors. It has a nectar-thick consistency so it may take a bit of getting used to at first. I only preferred the Sour Cherry and Blue Shark flavors. The Peach flavor I wasn’t a fan of. They are a really nice option when you are on the go!
- Mini Furreal pets– Avie had so much fun playing with these. They are adorable and I love that they move-but no noise. A toy without noise is welcome.
Currently
- Loving– Most of our lower cabinets have pull out shelves, but 2 do not. I saw some pull out cabinet organizers on amazon and got 2. They were easy to install. Now I can access the items in the cabinet much more easily!
- Looking forward to- I made a wood and resin charcuterie board with some friends earlier this month. The turnaround time is about 3-4 weeks and I’m looking forward to seeing it all done.
- Seeing– It was fun seeing Claire and Avie do the Science Fair together. We baked so many cookies to figure out how different fats can change the outcome of cookies.
- Reading- I’m slowing reading through the Daisy and Cadette handbooks to learn more about badges the girls can work on next year.
- Wanting- I’ve been wanting a few new lamps to replace an old set we got about 15 years ago. They were bronze with darker lampshades. I couldn’t find anything I liked so I ended up spray painting the bases black and getting lighter shades. What a difference! The lamps give off more light now and they fit in with our decor better.
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Family Update
- Me- I had so much fun meeting up with friends to make a charcuterie board and then last week with the Blonde Squad for our favorite things party. I also finished a 1/2 marathon. It wasn’t my best time, but it wasn’t my worst so I’ll take it!
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- Matt– Matt was excited to use the White Sox tickets I got for him for an early Father’s Day gift last night. He went with friends. Yay!
- Claire- Claire is wrapping up her 5th grade year. She went on a field trip to the Brookfield Zoo I was able to chaperone. It was fun! She has also been very interested in baking and crafting lately. She made the Whomping Willow tree from a Harry Potter cookbook recently.
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- Avie- Avie got some fun one-on-one time with her Aunt Nancy and Uncle Bob. She loves having that time by herself. She got to do a Girl Scout day challenge and completed a lot of fun activities. She also scored 2 goals in soccer so far.
April Goal Recap
- Weed garden– The guys who spread the mulch took care of it. Thank goodness!
- Make truffles- Completely forgot about this!
- Make dermatologist appointment for Avie–Done! She will be seen next Monday.
- Get the cat and dog seen by vet– Done!
May Goals
- Make a dish with tofu– Matt won’t be happy about this, but I’ve never tried cooking with tofu and I’d like to try.
- Fix blog email notification– I realized emails to subscribers aren’t going out when I have a new post. I hope to fix that asap.
- Work on pace– I really want to improve my 5K pace so I want to do more treadmill workouts so I know exactly my pace when I’m doing speed work.
- Review new nail wraps– Some of my most read posts are my Ultimate Nail Wrap Review, How to Apply Nail Wraps, and The Best Nail Wraps. It’s been a while and some new brands are out. I’d like to try a new one.