March Favorites

What another whirlwind month March was!

It flew by in record time. I think it always does, though? Maybe it’s because I was so looking forward to February ending and I accidentally kept wishing time away. Or maybe it’s the daylight savings thing. Messes me up every year.

One thing’s for sure: it was a good month for our little family.

We’ve been spending as much time as possible these past couple weeks – urging spring to get here already. I can’t wait to do more local park and playground trips with Finn on the days that he is home with me. Kieran loves to shoot hoops in our driveway, and it’s finally been warm enough for him to do so (when it hasn’t been raining), plus he’s riding his bike and new skateboard like a champ all over our street. He’s like a teenager. Sigh.

Finn turned 3 (how?!) at the beginning of the month, and it’s been so much fun watching him develop these past few months. He’s a full-blown talking little person who understands all of what goes on around him. He asks so many questions and wants to know “why?” when it comes to everything. He worships his big brother and gives THE BEST hugs in the world.

He’s so SWEET – like, he just oozes sugary goodness – and I pray that he never changes. He’s been this way since a newborn. He just has this adorable tenderness to him. His teachers at school tell me almost daily how sweet and kind he is, and I just melt into a puddle every time. I’m so looking forward to this summer – he’s going to be so into the pool and beach days. I can’t wait to watch.

Kieran’s baseball life has resumed in full swing. No pun intended! We have multiple practices each week, and his actual games start this weekend. He is PUMPED for the Phillies opening day tomorrow – Dan is actually taking him out of school early and taking him to the game as a surprise. Kieran is going to freak.

The love this kid has developed for all things sports is kind of amazing. He’s like a stat wizard. He knows all the records and scores of various games in the NBA, and now with baseball starting up, it will be the same with the MLB games. He gets up and checks the scores first thing in the morning and then happily rattles them off to anyone who will listen. He fell hard for baseball last year, and I can’t wait to watch him play again! It truly is America’s pastime, and I LOVE that our son is so into it. I come from a long line of baseball enthusiasts, and I know when my dad watches him talk about or play baseball, he is at his happiest. Proud grandfather moment, for sure.

Am I gushing too much yet?

I just love these little people. They are my heart. Watching them develop and grow is the joy of my life.

Aside from loving on my kids every chance I get, Dan and I actually got to sneak away for a weekend to one of our fave places: Cape May! I love going in the off season. We stayed at Congress Hall, and it’s such a special experience. I feel so regal whenever we’re there. It was a wonderful mini getaway!

Anyway. On top of normal life sort of resuming again, I have so many new discoveries this month. I can’t wait to tell you all about them!

1. I’ve been wearing light, creamy nails for years now. OPI Lisbon Wants Moor is my favorite color of all time. It’s the perfect neutral, slightly pink nail color, and I wear it almost exclusively. Lately, I’ve been loving OPI Let me Bayou a Drink on my hands (it’s a touch pinker than Lisbon), and OPI Amore at the Grand Canal for my toes. The latter is a deep red color that I think would look great on any skin tone. It’s a good neutral but deep red! It’s been fun to switch it up a bit.

2. One of my goals for 2022 was to amp up my reading game, and let me tell you, I’ve read more in the past three months than I have in the past three years. A few highlights to share. The Hating Game – so freaking cute. I watched the movie too, and while I LOVE the casting (they nailed the two main characters), they shorted the story way too much. It was too rushed, and it missed so many nuances from the relationship in the book. The book is definitely worth reading – maybe skip the movie. I also read The Spanish Love Deception, which has similar vibes to The Hating Game with some international flair, and I loved it. So cute, easy, and light. Also very steamy! I also have enjoyed the Tessa Bailey books It Happened One Summer and the follow-up Hook, Line, & Sinker. Incredibly cute and light but with some good character depth and development (kind of my perfect read). I’m a sucker for a good love story, and both sisters’ stories were so good. I also read Circe, which is by the same author who wrote The Song of Achilles (one of the best books I’ve read in a long time), and I loved it. The Achilles book was better, but I really enjoyed Circe as well. The author’s writing is so wonderful. And I’ve always been a Greek mythology geek.

And last but not least: I read the fourth book in the Blood and Ash Series: The War of Two Queens. God. These books. They are the best thing I’ve ever read. Seriously. I emphasize them so much because they are SO NOT my cup of usual tea, and they caught me completely off guard. Vampires, werewolves, ancient gods, supernatural stuff, creepy/scary situations and creatures, steamy/intense love scenes – not usually my go-to reading material. But let me tell you – I am obsessed with this series. Obsessed is an understatement. I read all four books in record time. The story is just so damn good. I think this most recent book has some fan controversy going on, but I LOVED it. Might be my favorite of the series so far. I also secretly love that one of my favorite characters is named Kieran. Makes me smile!

3. I finally had the chance to try Jeni’s newer ice cream flavor Lemon & Blueberries Parfait, and gosh, it might just be the best ice cream I’ve ever had. It tastes like the most perfect lemon sherbet – tangy and bright with buttermilk undertones – with swirls of sweet blueberry throughout. It’s downright swoon worthy if you’re a lemon dessert person. Of all the Jeni’s flavors I’ve tried, this one and the brambleberry crisp are the best. The strawberry pretzel pie is next on my list to try.

4. In other food news, I finally tried the Healthy Eating On the Go bars after many months (maybe years?) of deliberation. I am a FAN. They are like Perfect bars but more calorically reasonable and more macro-friendly. I do count macros, and I find it to be a very liberating way to eat. While I adore Perfect bars, they tend to overdo the fat/carbs when it comes to macros. These new bars are a nice alternative with slightly more reasonable numbers. It’s like a nut butter bar with flavorings (like a Perfect bar). My favorite flavors are the Dark Chocolate & Blueberry Peanut Butter bar and the Chia Peanut Butter bar. They’re delish! Bonus: no refrigeration is needed. And the absolute best part: I’m supporting a woman-run small business. Check them out! The bars are really delicious. I just signed up for recurring delivery.

5. I also have been making Alex’s salmon sushi bowls for dinner regularly since she shared the recipe. We try to eat seafood at least once a week, and this is a great way to do salmon. So much flavor and it really does remind me of eating sushi. Also, they’re an EASY meal to prep on a busy weeknight. And we all know how important that is. I’m going to experiment with some tuna next time.

6. I’ve been loving these Calm gummies lately. I’ve talked a lot about my generalized anxiety, and I hate taking prescribed medication for it. I rely on CBD and now these magnesium gummies. I take three of them before bed and they make me feel so zen and relaxed. They just make me feel….calm. Haha. Go figure. I used the powder in the past, and while it had the same effect, I hated having to drink something. The gummies are so convenient and have the same effect. I like these so much better than taking melatonin – I always feel so exhausted the next day after taking anything with melatonin. Like, a melatonin hangover. Not good. Also, did you know most adults are deficient in magnesium anyway? This is a great product! It just zens me right out before bed. I get them through Thrive Market or on Amazon.

7. My random Amazon purchase of the month: this scalp massager. My embarrassing confession is that I bought it on a whim after watching TikTok videos. Haha. But OMG – it is incredible. It feels so darn good. The whole family loves it, and we actually fight over it.

8. Kieran needed a new spring jacket and I bought this one after struggling to justify the price of others (I mean, he grows out of things in like 2 months these days). It’s FANTASTIC. High quality with a zipper that seems like it will hold up to busy boy things. It has a big hood on it too, which I love. It’s best described as a raincoat with a light liner, and it’s perfect for the wet, chilly spring days we get here. I bought it a little big so he can get more wear out of it in the fall.

9. Dan and I have a big trip coming up at the end of May. We’re going to Greece!!!! I sort of can’t believe it. This was a trip we had booked for spring 2020, and obviously, that didn’t pan out. We almost booked it again for last year, but we decided to hold off for one more year. It just didn’t feel right yet. Well, now it’s officially happening and I’m still in disbelief. To prepare, I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect summer sundresses, and I’ve found a few worth mentioning. First, this maxi dress from Abercrombie was SUCH a pleasant surprise. First, the pattern is PERFECT for Greece, but the dress itself is super high quality. It’s flowy and perfect without making me feel like I’m wearing a tent. Plus, I love how thick and supportive the straps are. Another rarity.

10. I also bought this adorable number from Altar’D State. It’s ADORABLE. I bought it up a size because I didn’t want it to be too short, and it’s really just perfect. So flattering and cute! I love it. It’s one of those dresses that will get a lot of use, too. I could wear it on vacation, out to dinner, to baby or bridal showers, etc. It’s so versatile.

And that about sums it up! Lots of good reading, food finds, and cute summer dresses.

I hope you guys have a wonderful April! Xoxo.

[This post is not sponsored but contains affiliate links. If you click on an affiliate link and purchase the product, I receive a small kickback from the seller – at no extra cost to you! It is a small way I can earn a living doing what I love. Thank you for supporting this blog! I will always disclose this to you.]