Just Five Things

1. Saturday was an amazing day because it was Independent Bookstore Day and the first day of my city's Spring Festival. We had so fun at the festival. Raphael loved the bouncy houses. We all devoured fried Oreos. I also bought a few things from some new-to-me small businesses. I absolutely love supporting small businesses and have noticed that I'm definitely trying to buy from more local shops as well. One of my new favorite bookstores, Sincerely Yours Bookstore, collaborated with a mobile coffee bar, Frothy Coffee Experience, on Independent Bookstore Day. After we left the festival, I stopped by the bookstore and bought some coffee for John and me. I loved the book-themed coffee menu and tried the Dark Chocolate and Hazelnut Latte inspired by the character Xaden Riorson.

2. I've been reading Mr. Boddington's Dispatches and have been enjoying them. Mr. Boddington is Rebecca Ruebensaal's imaginary friend and the inspiration for her book and stationery shop. 

3. Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week is coming up soon. I loved seeing some of the teacher gift displays (even though most were small) in stores. I've already started getting some goodies together for Raphael's teachers, and I'm glad that I haven't waited until the last minute because there weren't a lot of items available at most of the stores. Maybe I started shopping too early, or perhaps I am a little late? Who knows?

4. I got my first mail club package from Haley Weaver. The mail club is a subscription service for those who subscribe to Haley's Substack newsletter, Haley Wrote This. I received a few goodies, including a couple of postcards, which I'm excited about because I've been really into postcards lately. I may add one to my journal or Project Life (pocket pages) album.

5. Very relatable:

Today won't be like yesterday, you tell yourself. 

You won't reach for your phone first thing,

but maybe a quick peek is okay —

to check notifications,

to make sure the world is still whole.

Of course it's not; every headline fractures

the ground beneath you.

But that reality tv star had her baby

and your mom got Wordle in three tries

and you've received a discount code

to that online shop, a reminder that maybe

 a waist-cinching bathing suit could fix it all:

your body, your summer, your life!!!

—from Haley Weaver's #111: Today will be Different

What have you been up to?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Simple Joys

The simple joy of escaping to the Silver Comet Trail. The simple joy of passing by yellow jonquils—my city's flower. The simple joy of that first sip of coffee. The simple joy of walking into a new local business and realizing that it will be one of your go-to spots. The simple joy of reading a book at your favorite spot in the house. The simple joy of going to the library and really understanding what a gift libraries are. The simple joy of taking a long, hot bath after an exhausting day. The simple joy of hearing my children's laughter. The simple joy of finally having time to watch a guilty pleasure on TV. The simple joy of being held in the arms of the love of my life. The simple joy of hearing your mami's voice. The simple joy of laughing so hard your stomach hurts. The simple joy of wearing your favorite sweater or favorite loungewear. The simple joy of creating art. The simple joy of watching a child learn and experience something new. The simple joy of nostalgia. The simple joy of the first day of farmers market season. The simple joy of the first day of Food Truck Tuesday season. The simple joy of having a picnic. The simple joy of solving a crossword puzzle on a lazy Sunday morning. The simple joy of an empty laundry basket—a rare treat. The simple joy of discovering a new-to-me artist. The simple joy of getting my hair done at the salon by my favorite hair stylist. The simple joy of self-care. The simple joy of browsing my bookshelf. The simple joy of receiving happy mail. The simple joy of taking a nap on a random afternoon. The simple joy of being able to sleep in. The simple joy of eating a favorite treat. The simple joy of learning something new. The simple joy of embracing life's simple pleasures. The simple joy of embracing the stillness. The simple joy of embracing your softness. The simple joy of realizing that you're in your favorite era. The simple joy of being. 

This post is part of a blog hop with Exhale —an online community of women pursuing creativity alongside motherhood, led by the writing team behind Coffee + Crumbs. Click here to view the next post in the series "Simple". 

10 Things That Made Me Happy This Week

Happy Sunday! Today, I'm linking up with Charlotte, Lindsay, and Beth for their weekly happy and grateful list link-up.

1. I just discovered Tala Rae Schlossberg and her work. Her self-portrait series is really cool. 

2. This sweet meet-cute story

3. Only four more Fridays left of the school year. The countdown really has begun. 

4.  Learning about a non-verbal communication called pebbling. I think so many of us do this, and it was interesting to learn that it has a name. 

5. I have fallen in love with tulips. There's just something about them, especially during spring. I love that John keeps buying tulips in various colors. I always smile every time I pass our current bouquet.

6. After giving up Pepsi and Coke for Lent, I had my first Coke on Saturday. It felt and tasted odd to drink one. However, I am proud that I kept that promise to not drink any Pepsi or Coke for 40 days. 

7. A song on repeat: Young Broke by Letdown.

8. I just started reading Letters From Gaza: A Collection By the People, From the Year That Has Been. This is such an important and powerful read. I'll share a full review soon. *Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC.

9. Making art when the conditions are impossible by Kelcey Erick

10. We're having a low-key Easter. The boys have been content with their Easter baskets while I have been devouring Cadbury caramel eggs all day long.

What made you happy this week?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

If You And I Had Coffee

If you and I had coffee...

We'd meet at a new-to-us coffee shop. We'd order some seasonal lattes and a couple of pastries (and by a couple...I mean a lot). Thankfully, we'll order enough pastries that we can take some to-go.

If you and I had coffee...

I'd tell you that I'm so saddened by what happened in the Dominican Republic. I am praying for my motherland. Watching the videos of the families trying to find answers about their loved ones was gut-wrenching. I also feel like it made so many of us think about how life is short and how things can change instantly. 

If you and I had coffee...

I'd tell you that we had a blast celebrating Raphael's birthday. Since his birthday happened to fall during spring break, John and I thought it would be fun to go on a staycation. We decided to go to The Great Wolf Lodge. The boys absolutely loved the indoor water park. We also loved bowling and playing mini-golf. We plan on finding local bowling allies for family fun/game nights. When we returned home, we gave Raphael a few gifts and got him a birthday cake.

If you and I had coffee...

I'd tell you that although spring break is over, I'm excited that school will be over in just a few weeks. I'm looking forward to summer break, and I know the kids are too. I'm counting down the days already. However, there are so many things that I'm looking forward to in the next few weeks.

If you and I had coffee...

I'd tell you that although I'm looking forward to the summer break, there are so many things I'm looking forward to in the next few weeks. I'm looking forward to celebrating Easter. I'm also looking forward to celebrating Michael's birthday. I'm still figuring out what we'll do to celebrate his day. Seriously, why did no one tell me how difficult it would be to celebrate a teenager's birthday? I'm also looking forward to celebrating Mother's Day. 

If you and I had coffee...

I'd tell you that I've been reading many of the books on my DNFY ("did not finish yet") list. I've done this occasionally, but I noticed that I've been reading a lot more of those books recently. Also, I recently read this post by Brittany, in which she perfectly described my feelings on DNF and DNFY.

If you and I had coffee...

I'd tell you that I'm glad we were able to meet. I hope you enjoy the rest of the month. Also, how are we already almost at the halfway point of April? Here's to more sunshine and flowers but less pollen. Here's to better days...always.

What would you tell me?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Photo by Christelle Sison on Unsplash

10 Things That Made Me Happy This Week

Happy Friday! Today, I'm linking up with Charlotte, Lindsay, and Beth for their weekly happy and grateful list link-up.

1. Celebrating Raphael's birthday! We went to the Great Wolf Lodge to celebrate Raphael's early. Once we returned home (on his actual birthday), we gave him some gifts, sang Happy Birthday, and had a delicious ice cream cake. 

2. I was excited that Raphael's birthday fell during Spring Break. We decided to celebrate early by going to the Great Wolf Lodge. We all had a blast playing at the indoor waterpark. We also enjoyed bowling and plan to visit a local bowling alley soon. 

3. When we returned from our staycation, it was nice not to worry about cleaning anything. I love cleaning, tidying up, and doing laundry right before leaving. All we have to do when we get back is unpack and put our dirty clothes to wash.

4. I have been taking advantage of sleeping in. Getting some much-needed rest has been amazing. Since I'm so used to waking up early, I still wake up at my usual time. However, smiling and then remembering that the kids and I didn't have to get ready for school or work was nice.

5. Make Time for Reading: 15 Tips for Reading More by Brittany Viklund. I could relate to her feelings on DNFing books. Side note: DNF means "did not finish." I love that she uses the acronym DNFY (did not finish yet). I have so many books that I have not finished yet. Lately, I've been reviewing my DNFY list and finished a few books.

6. This video made me laugh way too hard and now I want to visit Columbus just to visit their library.

7. It's been raining off and on since last night, and I love it. There's something just so soothing about the rain, especially during springtime. Also, I'm hoping that the rain washes away more pollen. 

8. Crumbl Cookies and the Kardashians collaborated for this week's line of flavors. I don't follow the Kardashians, but I was intrigued by the flavors. I really wanted to try the flourless chocolate cake. However, I was slightly disappointed because it was not what I expected. It had an odd texture and a bland taste. However, the classic yellow layer cake and the snickerdoodle crumb cake were delicious. 

9. I have been really into spicy Southwest chicken salads. I like how simple they are to make and love how filling they are. I plan on making this for lunch a couple of days a week.

10. Lately, I've been loving postcards. I have some that came in a Flow paper book, and I also bought a couple of postcards while we were on vacation. I plan to use the vacation ones in my Project Life and One Little Word albums.

What made you happy this week?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

10 Things That Made Me Happy This Week

Happy Sunday! Today, I'm linking up with Charlotte, Lindsay, and Beth for their weekly happy and grateful list link-up.

1. Each day this week, I treated myself to something. On Monday, I had a slice of strawberry shortcake. On Tuesday, I had an Evolution Fresh soda. On Wednesday, I had some YumEarth jelly beans. On Thursday, I had Chik-fil-A for lunch. On Friday, I went to Barnes and Noble and picked up a new book, The Orange and Other Poems by Wendy Cope, and one of Flow's Paper Paper Paper: Cottage Collection paper book. I love the idea of treating myself to something small every day. It doesn't even have to be expensive...in fact, it doesn't even have to cost a thing. 

2. I thought my 30s would feel like settling down.

3. I finished reading The Deal of a Lifetime by Fredrik Backman. It was such a great book, and the ending made me cry. 10/10 highly recommend.

4. The @meetscutesnyc Instagram page. I love listening to the stories of how couples first met.

5. Laura Dame's art - I, too, am struggling to get into an art groove. I love her idea of jumping back in with the help of collaging.

6. A song on repeat: HOT TO GO! by Chappell Roan (I heard this song while shopping at Old Navy, and now it's stuck in my head.)

7. I bought a Tony's Chocolonely Easter Eggs Carton. I love that it comes in an egg carton, and I can't get over how cute the packaging is.

8. Cory Booker's 25-hour Senate speech. Watch his closing remarks here.

9. As I write this post, it is heavily raining, and I'm here for it! I hope it washes away as much pollen as possible. 

10. Spring Break has begun! I'm so excited to have the week off, enjoy our staycation, and relax.

What made you happy this week?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

April 2025 Goals

Happy Wednesday and Happy April! I'm so excited that it's finally April. March was an emotional month for me because it was the death anniversary of my baby brother. However, I made sure to try to comfort myself. I listened to music, read good books, and sat at my favorite window while trying to work on some crafty projects.

Although March is (and it certainly was) a heavy month, there were good days. We visited the Marietta Square Artisan Market and our city's St. Patrick's Day event. I shopped at several small businesses and was very intentional with my shopping. I went to the grand opening of a new bookstore, Sincerely Your Bookstore, and John and I went to a new-to-us coffee shop, Smyrna Coffee. We also tried a new pizzeria, DaVinci's Pizzeria. I also bought a few things from one of my favorite small businesses, The Gifting Tree. I gave up Pepsi and Coke for Lent, but I am drinking Poppi and Olipop. However, I'm limiting how much of those I drink as well. I bought a few dresses for spring and summer. We spent time with family. My little sister moved out of state, but we all went to Mami's house to spend time together before she did. It was so much fun seeing all of my nieces and nephews. They have grown so much over the years. 

In April, I hope for more creativity, exploration, and feeling more at ease. Since it's a new month, I have some new goals, and some of those goals include creating more. I think the theme for this month may just be creativity. Since I mentioned goals, let's recap my goals for March and check out my new goals for April.

Recap of March Goals

• Read 5 books: I read 33 books. Many of these books were short stories. Once again, I read various genres such as fiction, romance, children's books, and nonfiction. My favorite reads of the month were Banned Together: Our Fight for Reader's Rights, Victory for Vampires by Hazel Mack, The Fall Risk by Abby Jimenez, The Bookstore Keepers by Alice Hoffman, Ushers by Joe Hill, and 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff.

• Read 1 book I borrowed from the library: I read a lot of books that we borrowed from the library.  Most of the library books I read were children's books that Raphael and I read together. However, a book that I read by myself (and absolutely loved) was 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff.

• Read 1 book I received from NetGalley: I read a few books I received from NetGalley and am happy that I'm working my way through the massive list of books I received from them. I focused on reading books that I stopped reading months ago. I read Murder Ballads by Katy Horan, an anthology called Banned Together: Our Fight for Readers' Rights, and Dear Medusa by Olivia A. Cole.

• Participate in Exhale's March blog hop: I did participate in the blog hop. I shared the things that have been comforting me over the past few weeks as I dealt with the waves of grief of my baby brother's death. You can check out my piece here. 

• Try 1 new recipe: I'm pretty certain I did not try a new recipe in March. I stuck with mainly comfort food and my go-to meals.

• Make time to play with my scrapbook/memory-keeping supplies: I'm really disappointed that I didn't scrapbook or journal much in March. I didn't make time and felt stuck when I considered playing with my supplies.

• Complete this month's One Little Word prompt: Unfortunately, I didn't complete the prompt for March. I'm a little disappointed about this, too. I have the supplies, but I just didn't feel like working on the prompt. I didn't feel creative and felt a little overwhelmed once I tried to start, especially once the first few days of the month had passed.

April Goals

• Read 2 books I borrowed from the library
• Read 2 books I received from NetGalley
• Participate in Exhale's blog hop
• Try 1 new recipe
• Make time to play with my scrapbook/memory-keeping supplies
• Work in my sketchbook/journal at least once a week
• Make my own flower arrangement using grocery store flowers
• Work on writing a piece for an online publication 

What are your goals for April? How did you do in March?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Photo by Sixteen Miles Out on Unsplash