July ending is bittersweet. Summer is almost over. It’s been a full summer so far and we’ve had a lot of fun, so that is hard to see end. On the other hand, I look forward to starting a school year that will be much closer to what we are used to. It will be nice to have both girls in school, too! Here is what our July looked like:
Books I’ve Read
- The Moonlight Child by Karen McQuestion– Niki is a former foster child who comes to live with Sharon, the mother of her court appointed advocate. While there, both women notice suspicious activity occurring in the house across the backyard like a little girl washing dishes late at night. But the family doesn’t have a daughter. What is really going on? I really loved the developing relationship between Sharon and Niki. I think that was my favorite part of the book. Some elements of the plot and character personalities seemed stretched a bit far, but it was still a decent read. 3/5
- The Light Through the Leaves by Glendy Vanderah– Ellis Abbey makes the heartbreaking mistake of leaving her infant daughter unattended, just for a few minutes. And when she comes back, her daughter is gone. Ellis spirals into despair including addition to alcohol and prescription drugs. She leaves her young sons, convinced she can only do them harm by staying. Meanwhile, across the country Raven struggles with her isolated life. She must never speak about her mother or their beliefs and keeps people at arm’s length. But she wants more. I REALLY enjoyed Vanderah’s debut novel Where the Forest Meets the Stars and knew I wanted to read her next book. This wasn’t quite as good, but still really held my attention. 4/5
- The Apology Project by Jeanette Escudero– Amelia Montgomery is a prominent litigator in Chicago and after putting her heard and soul into her job, she is fired for not compromising her principles in a high-profile case. But her work was her life. And now she isn’t working. To top it off, her fortieth birthday party is an epic failure. So Amelia resolves to make amends with on apology at a time. If you are looking for a cute beach read, this is exactly what you need. It was lighthearted and so fun to read! 4/5
- The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis– In 1913, Laura Lyons is living in the New York Public Library with her husband, the superintendent and her 2 children. She begins attending the Columbia Journalism School and her life changes. Eighty years later, Sadie Donovan, Laura’s granddaughter works at the library. But when things begin disappearing from the famous Berg Collection she needs to take a good look into her family history and heritage. I really enjoyed this look at such a pivotal time in history in regards to women’s rights and roles in society. It was fascinating! 4.5/5
Products I’ve Tried
- Blingle Bands– Claire loves her crafting and we received a set of Bling Bands. They are a craft kit to create friendship bracelets with designs. They are easy to do and no mess, although they do take time to make. The bracelets turn out really cute!
- Real Plans Subscription– This is an app and a website that you can access to help you meal plan and develop a shopping list. It’s helps save money, time in dinner prep, and when shopping! Big meal planning can be time consuming, especially when you are just starting out and cooking for yourself. It provides you meal plans each week. And it’s completely customizable based on your likes, diet, and how often you’d like to cook. Then it makes a shopping list for you organized by food type to make shopping a breeze. Even when you cook a lot, there is still a lot of value in this app. We found so many great recipes and the shopping list made meal planning much faster! I was very impressed by the recipes and how quick most of them are to make. Use code IDODECLAIRE20 for 20% off your first month’s subscription.
Recipes I’ve Made
- Pineapple Teriyaki Meatballs– I think we were all surprised by how easy these were and how much we liked them! The pineapple teriyaki sauce was SO good. I served them over rice.
- Slow Cooker Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken– You know I love my slow cooker! This was easy and very tasty. I think it is a recipe best made in fall or winter though. Comfort food perfect for a chilly night.
- Feta and Herb Crusted Salmon– It’s a really quick meal that looks and tastes like it took a lot more effort than it did. Winner!
- Mu Shu Pork Wraps– This was a recipe we tried from the Real Plans app. I was so impressed! It was quick and the taste was amazing. In fact all 3 recipes we’ve tried so far have been very good.
- Frittata sub– Matt is always on the look out for recipes to make on his new griddle. He found this one and made it for dinner last week. I really liked it. It has a nice spice to it and makes a filling sandwich.
- Bacon Avocado Broccoli Melts– This was another Real Plans recipe. I was a bit unsure about raw broccoli in a sandwich, but I am a convert now. It has a wonderful crunch!
- Pork Chops and Apples– This was so good! Claire was a fan, too. I enjoyed how well the sweetness of the apples worked with the savory flavors of the sauce and pork.
- Strawberry Buttermilk Cake– I made two of these with the fresh strawberries we picked last month and then froze them. This recipe freezes really well! We topped with homemade strawberry jam and whipped cream. Yum!
- Cake with Lemon Whipped Cream Frosting– I actually just made a box cake and made this frosting to use on top. It has a nice texture and isn’t too sweet. I loved the lemony flavor and it makes me want to experiment with other pudding flavors in frosting now.
I couldn’t find exact copies for a few of these recipes because I used the Real Plans meal app, but I linked to very similar ones.
Currently
- Admiring- Our neighbors have quite the veggie garden. But all around the border they planted perennial flowers and they are in full bloom right now. It’s always something I enjoy looking at while washing dishes around this time of year.
- Anticipating- I’m anticipating several things. In 2 weeks we leave for our family vacation. I’m so excited about going to Universal Studios and seeing the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I made fun tees for all us, too. I’m also anticipating the start to school for both girls. Avie is going 5 mornings a week and Claire will be full time.
- Enjoying- Well I was enjoying Virgin River until it ended in another total cliffhanger! There are never enough episodes for that show. It’s so good!
- Spending- We have been spending a lot of time at the pool lately. It’s been so hot and the pool is the perfect place to cool off. The kids get all of their energy out and sleep soooo well, too!
- Saving- After a car purchase earlier this summer and our Disney trip in a couple weeks, we are just trying to replenish our savings again. Within a year I’d love to replace the tile in our entryway and kitchen so we need to save up for that now. Hopefully by then construction and material upcharges are a thing of the past.
- Family Updates–
- Aveline- Avie was able to attend a Music and Motion class this week and has been having so much fun. She talks about school all the time and will tell complete strangers that she is going to school in the fall. I’m really happy for her. Claire and Avie loved an art exhibit we were able to experience in Elmhurst that is mini golf themed and interactive! So cute!
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- Claire- Claire has been busy this summer playing with friends, having lemonade stands, and attending a few camps. She went to a cooking camp with 2 friends and LOVED it. Next week she heads to Girl Scout camp. We try to get to the pool on sunny days, too. Claire has moved up 2 levels in swimming lessons and has 1 more level before the swim team!
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- Matt- I said this last month, but it was all work for Matt. Extra, unexpected travel except with the added stress of 2 cancelled flights and 1 seriously delayed one. It’s been bad as travel is ramping up, but staffing isn’t there to support it yet.
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- Me- I did my first 10K! There are many different distances to race, so I have never done a 10K before. It’s a really nice length and I want to do another one soon. I actually placed 1st in my age group and 5th female overall. There is an 8 mile race at the end of October I signed up for, but might try to get another race done in September. I also scored this awesome antique tea cart from a Buy Nothing group that I polished up and have in our entryway now. It was a fun project!
JULY GOALS Recap
- Visit a farmer’s market- Done! I had to bring the girls due to the day/time this market was held. But they really enjoyed it and behaved well!
- Post clothes on poshmark- I didn’t have a chance to get this done.
- Have a family movie night- Done! We watched Luca in the basement. Such a cute movie!
- Make Disney tees- Done! I made a Disney tee and a Harry Potter tee for each of us.
August Goals
- Get running medals hung- I’d love to have a space to hang my running medals. I have wooden hooks, but I’d like to paint it and maybe put a quote on it before getting it up on the wall.
- Bra shopping- It’s been a while and the girls need some more support. I just haven’t had an afternoon to go by myself recently.
- Get Avie signed up for lunch bunch- I currently have Avie signed up for preschool 5 days a week until 11:30. I’d like to add on a few lunches in there if I can.
- Enjoy the rest of summer! School starts soon and with vacation planned I don’t want to pressure myself into making goals.
LINKING UP WITH ANNE & WHAT’S UP WEDNESDAY
