Our week was okay, all things considered. I actually celebrated my 38th birthday yesterday (see more on that below) and felt a lot of love. Ryan was traveling (he returns today) but we chatted multiple times a day and I filled my week with usual kid commitments and also managed to get in some quality time with friends in the form of long walks (my favorite way to catch up!) and my girlfriends also came over and surprised me with gifts and cards and treats after the boys were in bed on Tuesday night.
I’m ready for the weekend ahead (plans include a fishing derby and two soccer games) and hope to find my way back into more regular blogging next week. Thank you for being here.
Things I’m Loving Friday
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Celebrating 38
As I mentioned above, my birthday was Thursday and it’s kind of crazy to think I am 38 years old. In one breath, I definitely don’t feel 22 anymore but in another breath 38 feels like a true adult, a true grown up. When I take a step back and think about how I’m feeling at 38, the past 2 weeks of grief not withstanding, I’d say I’m feeling more complex yet more comfortable with myself. I feel more complex in that there’s so much more I think about that weighs on my heart every day but I’m more comfortable with who I am, what I want out of life, who I surround myself with and the family Ryan and I have created together. This is honestly something I may write a blog post about because I have a lot of thoughts about “growing up” after you’re “grown up” but I’ll save those thoughts for another day.
As for my birthday, I spent it with our boys. (Ryan was actually out of town on a work trip but sent flowers and worked on cards and surprises for me with the boys that he hid before he left which made me smile.) I was supposed to make my way to Patterson Farms with the boys’ preschool for a day of strawberry picking yesterday but the weather derailed our plans so we pivoted and filled the rest of our day with rainy day fun: Board games, homemade ice cream, early pajama time and stories. It was a calm, uneventful day but it was also a good day.
It’s been a hot second since I’ve found myself as obsessed with a series as I have become with the A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) series. It’s a phenomenal blend of fantasy, drama, humor and romance (it’s steamyyy) and despite the fact that the second and third books in the series are dictionary-size novels, I flew through them and didn’t find one single page or chapter tedious or mundane. I loved every page and very chapter and am trying to drag out the fourth book in the series because I don’t want the experience of reading these books to be over. I know I mentioned the first book on this blog a few weeks ago but I can only say the series explodes and gets SO MUCH BETTER as you keep going. If you’re on the fence about this series, give it a shot and by the second book, I have a feeling you’ll be all-in on this one, too. I don’t want to share plot summaries about the second and third books in the series because it would give away too much but know my ratings for both the second and third books would be a solid A. Love, love, love them. These books have truly been a gift for me especially during a time when I’ve needed an escape and a little spark of joy in my life at the end of the day.
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We Have Grass!
It’s been four months since we moved into our new home and I am so, so happy to report we finally have grass. I cannot tell you how thrilled we are to have grass in our yard instead of messy red clay, especially with three very outdoorsy boys who practically live outside. We expected to have grass a long time ago but an unseasonably wet winter kept delaying things. The timing of our grass seemed to coincide with warmer temperatures and sunny spring weather so we are beyond thrilled to have a yard with soft, lush grass where our boys can play for hours and hours.
Our previous home had a small backyard on a significant slope so it wasn’t ideal, though our boys 100 percent thrived in our previous yard and spent hours looking for slugs and worms under all of the rocks. A huge part of the reason we purchased the lot we did was for the flat backyard and lake access. Home is where we’re all happiest and Ryan and I said having grass down and the ability to actually enjoy our yard and land is pushing us into “Phase 2” of our move into our new home: The outside era! We are ready for it!
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Elton John Music
Isn’t it weird how you find yourself gravitating toward certain music depending on your mood or what you’re going through in life? Elton John is my guy right now. I grew up listening to his music thanks to my parents but something about his music is landing perfectly for me right now. It’s not too crazy or intense. It’s not too upbeat or happy. It’s also not too depressing or sad. It’s just a perfect blend of nostalgic, comforting, beautiful and peaceful.
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DIY Adhesive Letter Sticker Projects
A few weeks ago I purchased a makeup bag with adhesive letters on it for my friend Laurel when she came to visit. I actually wanted it to have numbers on it but the little boutique I visited did not have any numbers available. (My idea was for her bag to have the room number of the room we shared in our sorority house — Room 12 foreverrr!) Anyway, all of this lead me to eventually Google to see if I could find adhesive numbers which then led me to discovering a mega-pack of these adhesive letter stickers. I quickly realized I could buy a bunch of them to use for future gifts and projects. I can see these being perfect for birthday gifts (a mini backpack or purse for a little girl), makeup bags, teacher gifts, mini tote bags, pool bags and more. This discovery had me a little too giddy (I’ve already made two makeup bags for girlfriends you may see above) and am excited to continue to put them to use for fun personalized gifting!
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April 2023 Top 10
Below you will find a recap of the top 10 most popular blog posts and your top 10 favorite items from April 2023. Hopefully this will help you discover some blog posts you may have missed or help you easily locate an item I’ve mentioned in the past that got buried in blog/social media mayhem.
Top 10 Blog Posts:
- Thoughts on Four
- An Unexpected Goodbye
- Mid-Week ALDI Haul
- Easy Orange Juice Chicken Marinade
- Egg White and Oatmeal Protein Pancakes
- Our Sunday: One Picture Per Hour
- Walking Through Grief and Other Thoughts
- Everything Bagel Seared Tuna
- Paleo Chicken Thigh Marinade
- Turkey Vegetable Meatloaf
Your Top 10 Favorites:
- TUL Pens (No lie, another pack of these pens was one of only two items I had on my birthday “wish list” when my mom and sister asked me what I wanted for my birthday. These pens have officially claimed the “best pen ever” spot on my semi-ridiculous list of pens I love.)
- Beauty By Earth Sunless Tanning Lotion (Clean ingredients, applies like lotion, looks natural and doesn’t smell. My fav!)
- Diamond Painting Stickers (These were in the big kids’ Easter baskets this year and they’ve been a hit.)
- Amazon Free People Dupe Jumpsuit (The crazy-comfy jumpsuit that looks just like Free People’s Hot Shot Jumpsuit!)
- Biggie Beads (I love how many of our kids are obsessed with these things now! Our boys ask to do them all the time.)
- Elk & Friends Glass Cups with Silicone Sleeves (The cups we got the boys for Easter. Dishwasher safe and the blue/gray/green color set we got was finally restocked again.)
- Amber Glass Soap Dispensers (The dish and hand soap dispensers we have in our kitchen. They’re beautiful and have held up really well — no corrosion! — in the 4+ months we’ve had them.)
- Instant Pot Air Fryer (Our countertop air fryer! We truly use this multiple times a week.)
- Dr. Brand Liquid Sun Shield (The sunscreen I wear on my face every single day. I swear it functions almost like a primer, too, and makes my makeup look better when I apply makeup on top of it. Also worth noting: It also has zero white cast!)
- AGOLDE Parker Jean Shorts (I have no idea why these popped up as a best seller since I blogged about them so long ago but maybe an old blog post gained traction somewhere on the internet and they got some attention? Whatever the reason, I stand by these as the best jean shorts, especially if you have a booty and hips.)
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Friday Flashbacks
Easy BBQ Meatloaf (This recipe will forever remind me of our engagement/early marriage days because it was a recipe I made on repeat 10+ years ago. It continues to be a fav in our house!)
Chocolate Chia Seed Protein Pudding (Aka what I had for breakfast 3x this week!)
Question of the Day
How are you doing? I’d love to know. Anything exciting happening in your life? Any fun summer plans on the horizon?
Katherine says
Wow you’re backyard is stunning!! For exciting things happening, I am 40 weeks today with my 3rd. I am nervous and excited and curious as to when this baby will come.
Julie says
Oh my gosh you’re right there!! so thrilled for you! And prayers for your delivery and your little one. Being a mama to 3 kids is my favorite thing in the world — truly wishing you the very very best!
Laura says
The grass looks great! My FIL passed away Sunday so we were also dealing with grief in our house this week. We are looking forward to soccer games this weekend for both kids and my daughters triathlon on Sunday! It seems like Ryan is traveling a lot for work lately! Is this the new norm or just a busy season for him/his company?
Julie says
Laura, I am so sorry to hear about the passing of your father-in-law. I feel for you and the grief you and your family are going through deeply. Sending so much love your way.
And yessss Ryan has been traveling a LOT lately. It’s definitely more than usual but thankfully should slow down a bit after this trip.
Stacey says
I know it can be painful to share, but you do a wonderful job of it, and I thank you for being so open. We are all always going through some part of the pain you are experiencing, so I hope it helps you to know you are never alone (and neither are we)! My husband travels extensively for his job — he was gone most of the month of March in Australia which was very hard. Then home a week, then gone to Denver, now home a week, then leaves this weekend for Brazil. Never ends!
We just booked our trip to Disney this fall – We told our oldest she had to wait until our youngest was 5, and now that she is it’s time to get it over with 🙂 We’re also looking forward to all the activities being over at night and just enjoying our relaxed summer days, going camping, visiting fairs, etc. We also moved in to our new to us home 1 year ago and this is our first summer with grass in our back yard that we can play on, so I totally get it!
Julie says
Thank you, Stacey. I appreciate your words so much. And Disney!!! YAY! Hope you guys have the best time!! We’ve never done Disney with our boys and it’s been on our radar, too.
Amy says
You have such a beautiful backyard! I’m glad you were able to have a nice birthday given everything your family has been through lately.
You convinced me to buy those pens. I have the ballpoint version and they are the best I’ve ever used. Looking forward to trying the gel ones when I get them tomorrow!
Julie says
I hope you love them!!! I feel a little crazy for loving a pen so much but they really are so fantastic — smooth, bold black ink… just so good!!
Kim says
Good morning Julie, Happy belated Birthday 🎂 🥳 to you!
It was good to see your “things I’m loving lately” post as you, Ryan & your family continue to navigate through grief.
When my Mom Carol (she gifted Chase the little instant red camera) passed away in 2018, a good friend gave me a card that I refer to often;
“I know it hurts and you miss her(him). But every day that you go out into the world and live as well as you can is a tribute to your mom (Father in law) and the happiness she/he wanted for you”♡
I hope that thought brings some comfort and peace to your heart in the days & weeks to come.
Have a beautiful weekend!
Julie says
Oh Kim, I love that. Thank you for sharing. I’ll keep those words close to my heart — thank you for the encouragement.
Morgan says
Thinking of you and your family – I hope everyone is working through this challenging time. This book series has me dying to find extra minutes in the day to read – it is SO good and I am only the first third of the way through the 2nd book. Hoping it lasts another month for my beach vacation to SC!
Julie says
YES! SAME! I just want it to be bed time so I can dive into my latest ACOTAR book lately! The second and third books have been my fav so far!
Jill says
Happy belated birthday! You share a birthday with my Mom, so it’s definitely a special day. As everyone has said, your backyard is lovely. We are taking our 4 y.o. to Disney on Ice this weekend – it’s Frozen & Encanto and I’m just as excited as he is. We’re also prepping for a family trip to Watercolor, FL at the end of May! I’m excited for summer, but also fully aware and emotional that this is the summer before my baby starts kindergarten. It’s bittersweet, b/c he loves learning and socializing and structure, so I know he will love school; I just don’t know where the time has gone. Hope you can enjoy a nice weekend with your family, and know that you’re surrounded by love during this difficult time.
Julie says
Hope your mom had a very happy bday! And our boys LOVED Disney On Ice!! I’m sure you will all have a blast!! Enjoy! And phewyyy kindergarten hit me hard. It’s amazing but I definitely felt my heart squeeze a little more when Chase walked into school on his first day of kindergarten. Wishing your son a wonderful transition into big-kid school!
Ashley says
Hi Julie,
Happy Belated Birthday!!
I started reading ACOTAR after you recommended it, and I am on book 5. I don’t want it to end! I am obsessed! And let me tell you…buckle up girl, cause book 5 is the steamiest of them all! 🥵
We are taking our kiddos to Disneyland next Tuesday! My son who is almost 2.5 is obsessed with the Cars movies, so we are heading to Disney CA adventure. We only live an hour away from Disneyland so we are just going for the day. Can’t wait to see how excited my kiddos are on Tuesday!
Julie says
Ah love that you are all-in on ACOTAR, too!!!! It’s so, so good! And danggg I can’t imagine it getting steamier — lol!! Hope you have the best time at Disney!
Nyla says
I finally convinced my hubby to get professional couple photos taken this summer! We don’t have many nice photos together other than from our wedding 7 years ago. It’s been fun shopping for some coordinating cute and causal clothes for the photoshoot! Found a super pretty woodsy place and I’m so excited! My hubby … not so much! Doesn’t like having his photo taken 🙂
Julie says
Aw I bet he will love them once you guys get them back!! Professional photos are always worth it!
Macey Wolfe says
Ok, at first glance I thought the initials on the make-up bags stood for Azriel and Cassian lol. I just had my third baby and I’m flying through ACOTR while I nurse!
Julie says
Hahahah oh now that would be amazing! And no lie, I oddly love the name Rhys for a baby boy (we are not trying and we are very likely done with kids) but it IS something weird I’ve thought about 🤣🤣 this series does weird things to you, I swear 😆 also congrats on your new baby!!!
Rachel Simmons says
Life is flying by and busy for both of us, it seems! I got a promotion at work recently (I’m a community service office for a law enforcement agency) I am now a trainer! I’m excited to see what lies ahead and the experience I get. I’ve also lost 74 lbs on my OWN!! So there is a lot to he excited about here. I’m a gym NUT. lifting hard and heavy and seeing a lot of results after that kind of weight loss! (You’re always encouraging in this area!)
I wish I had the mental energy to READ. But I don’t. ft working momma over here and I get up exceptionally early 4 days a week for the gym (340am) so I am entirely wiped by the time I lay my head down. Someday I’ll read again…
Julie says
Rachel is this incredible!!!! Huge congrats to you both for your promotion (Woop!) and your new adventure as a trainer and your personal success — i hope you are very proud of yourself because that’s so amazing!
Larissa says
Happy Birthday!! 🥳🎂.
Not usually into Steamy books lol but might give that series a try! Music I’m loving this week…Yacht Rock, it’s good background music to have playing in the house.
Cari says
My daughter shares a birthday with you (Happy Birthday!) and turned 4 yesterday! We celebrated by going to the air and space museum and had a blast! Highly recommend taking your boys. I’ve loved every age, but I feel like 4 will be so fun.
Tiffany says
Your sentiments about feeling complex and comfortable and “growing up” as a grown up ring so true! Wishing you a wonderful year ahead Julie and sending warm thoughts to your family during this challenging time.
Pamela says
Happy Birthday!
Have you read the “Hitched” series by GK DeRosa? Its a bachelor show type book with supernatural elements. It was a quick and entertaining read!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PR7CQ2K?notRedirectToSDP=1&ref_=dbs_mng_calw_0&storeType=ebooks
I hope you and your family are doing well and can enjoy a little bit of normalcy this weekend!
Correen says
Happy 38th birthday, Julie! It’s always strange to have a holiday fall during a time of grief. I hope you are able to keep enjoying moments of beauty and happiness during this season. Your blog is always such a joy to read, both in the regular upbeat posts and the moments of reality. Sending love and prayers your way❤️
Ashley says
The grass and backyard look absolutely beautiful! What a dream!!! Also, Happy belated Birthday! This week has been a very full one as it seems all of April and May are with kids!! We had soccer, baseball and gymnastics, a zoo field trip, Hamilton!!, and a preschool family fun night tonight. Two wins for the week was miraculously bypassing a root canal today and just changing the bite, as well as getting called off of work on Tuesday (NICU nurse) so I could spend more time at home and getting things accomplished before four crazy days in a row. Thanks so much for sharing your life each week. I know it probably has ups and downs, but just know, this long-time reader looks forward to your posts each week. 🙂
Megan C. says
Happiest of Birthday’s Julie! Hope you have a wonderful weekend ahead!
I’m currently 38 weeks with my first, a boy, and I’m SO excited! I’ve been a follower of yours since before any of your sweet boys arrived, and you give me so much hope of what life can look like entering the ‘mama’ phase—fearing the unknown and change to our ‘just us’ lifestyle.
Thank you for all the work you put into your blog and sharing the good, the hard, and the challenging!
You’ve also inspired us to make a few ice cream batches this weekend for summer eating—our ‘meal prep’ if you will 😅 we love the ice cream recipes and inspiration!!
Jennifer Olszowy says
Happy birthday! We share the same day. I just turned 50 and I am busy hiring lifeguards because I will manage an outdoor community pool. Keeping busy prepping for trading guards and all the fun they you get with being the boss. Hope you had a great birthday!
Sydney Fry says
I am a musician, and I always listen to Elton John on rainy days, and when I need encouragement as a piano player. The loss of my beloved father in law was the most painful thing I’d ever been through when it happened in 2017; watching a spouse go through the loss of a parent is horrific. Please know I am praying and thinking of you and your family, every day.
Jacqui says
Happy birthday!! My dad is 74 and I ask him how old he feels and he says 19! I am 36 but I feel 25 🙂
The next month is busy! My youngest is turning 3 and we have an epic Mermaid Barbie party planned. Afterwards I will be planning a joint party for my soon to be 5 and 7 year olds. My husband and I will celebrate our 8th wedding anniversary and 14 years together. This weekend we are keeping it low key while the kids recover from colds (never ending!!) and working on the yard. We are looking forward to a summer at home. Last year we did extensive renovations and were displaced for the summer. We sure missed our backyard!
Your yard looks beautiful. I know your family will enjoy it. You are in my thoughts while you grieve. I am still grieving my mother, who passed suddenly in May 2019. I am comforted when I feel her with me & my children and I hope you all feel Greg with you as well as you move forward.
Molly says
Happy Birthday!
I had my first baby this past week, a beautiful boy 💙. I have utilized so many of your posts during this journey from miscarriage support to hospital bag packing tips. I love the space and content you have created! Sending you love and light during this challenging time in your life 💕
Becca says
Congratulations on the birth of your son. Hope you are feeling well post delivery and enjoying every moment of having a newborn baby. The one piece of advice I so wish I would have followed that so many told me was to rest when the baby rests. There is so much value to that. Motherhood is so wonderfully exhausting, especially the first few months, and self care is so incredibly important.
Sydney Fry says
I always listen to Elton John when it rains. Musician quirk, I guess? Comes with the job description.
Dee says
Happy belated birthday!
I just might have to give those novels a try. I just found a new favorite author: Amy Hermon. Her novel Where the Lost Wander was excellent — and as a former English teacher, I must say I’m pretty particular. I don’t easily give a book 5 stars, but this historical fiction fits the bill!
My family of 7 is laying low this weekend. I homeschool, and we chose to soak up the last of the sun yesterday (about to hit a week of clouds and rain here in New England) and switch a school day for a weekend day, so we will be hitting the books, doing allllll the laundry, and grocery shopping.
My oldest turns 15 soon (I’m pretty sure he was 3 when I started reading your blog in college!), so we need to start planning his special day soon. What is your favorite type of cake?
Thinking of you during these hard times and sending you strength. Thank you for sharing your world with us, no matter how challenging the times. may be.
Skylar says
Happy Birthday Julie!! I’ve been thinking of you and praying for your family this week!
I would love to read a future blog post about continuing to grow up in adult years. I felt weird getting older during my 20s because I really didn’t feel any older. But now in my early 30s, I’m “growing up” more compared to who I was in my late 20s and can feel I’m entering a different phase of who I am. It’s definitely weird to think about.
I started reading the ACOTAR series around the same time as you and am OBSESSED! I just finished book 2. . . wow I loved book 1, but Court of Mist & Fury has been a whole other level. Starting book 3 ASAP! I don’t want this series to end, but will definitely be reading her other books. I was hoping these books would live up to all the hype and they far surpassed my book reading hopes!
Becca says
Your backyard looks stunning Julie. So excited that you, Ryan and the boys can now all enjoy it all summer long.
I have 2 exciting things to share:
1. Our daughter just finished her junior year of college and started her Disney College Program Internship this week. She flew to Orlando on Saturday and yesterday was the traditions ceremony where she received her cast member badge and when she sent us photos I was so excited that a dream she has had since she was 7 years old is coming true. She will spend the summer working at Typhoon Lagoon, meeting other college students from all over the world and living out her dream.
2. We moved into our new house in November and yet to have grass (Wisconsin weather has made the delayed the process).. However, the landscaper came out this week and we finalized the details. We are getting sod and a sprinkler system and I can’t wait to look out my windows and see green rather than dirt. It is so exciting!
Happy Birthday to you. Hope you can celebrate with Ryan this weekend!
Jessie says
Happy belated birthday!
We kicked off spring sports, and I got to coach my daughter for the first time in her first ever softball game! These little kindergarteners were the sweetest and worked so hard! My dad always coached me in sports and he was so good at it- I’m hoping to do this for a long time!
Amanda says
I bought that Dr. Brandt sunscreen a few weeks ago after seeing you mention it in one of your posts (and when it was on sake). You’re right, it is amazing! Feels great and no white cast!