April 2026 Goals

Happy Monday! We're a few days into April, and we're on Spring Break, so I'm really excited. March was an emotional, strange, and draining month. So I'm hoping April is a much smoother, calmer month.

In March, we were dealing with a lot of allergies due to the nonstop high pollen count. This year, it's hitting Raphael the hardest. We've gotten prescriptions and have been staying indoors a lot. Thankfully, the medicine seems to finally be working. I tried a bunch of stuff I received from Influenster, and a few of the items are things I will actually purchase. March was a slow reading month...I was surprised at the number of books I read. However, a lot of the books I read were really good. I went through waves of grief in March and thought about Mike a lot. I watched a new-to-me movie and listened to a lot of music. I visited my favorite boutiques and was inspired by all the spring products I saw. 

This month, I'm hoping for a calmer month. I'm also hoping to create and play more in April. As we're currently on Spring Break, I'm looking forward to not having to stick to a routine.

I'm looking forward to random naps, catching up on shows and movies, and going on adventures with John and the boys. I'm looking forward to celebrating Raphael's birthday. I can't wait to see what this month brings.

Well, since it's a new month, it's time for a quick recap of last month's goals and a look at my goals for April.

Recap of March 2026 Goals

• Read 1 book I borrowed from the library. Raphael and I read a couple of books he borrowed together, but I didn't finish any of the books I personally borrowed. I'm still reading Brawler by Lauren Groff, which I'm enjoying.

• Read 3 books I received from NetGalley: I read Captured Prey by Reno R. Mist, How Lucky I Am by Christian Watson, Make Believe: On Telling Stories to Children by Mac Barnett, and We Burned So Bright by T. J. Klune. My favorite read of the month was We Burned So Bright by T.J. Klune. In fact, this book will probably be included in my favorite books of 2026 list.

• Make 2 scrapbook/Project Life layouts: I didn't work on any crafty layouts. I just didn't have the energy to work on anything crafty. 

• Work in my sketchbook/journal: I didn't work in my journal; however, I've been keeping notes on my phone. The notes will eventually go into my sketchbook/journal (I never really know what to call it).

• Try 2 new recipes: I made ground beef sliders using Jacqui Saldana's recipe, and it was delicious! I also helped Gabriel make Latkes for a food project he had to do for a class. 

April Goals

• Read 2 books I borrowed from the library

• Read 2 books I received from NetGalley

• Make 1 scrapbook/Project Life layout

• Work in my sketchbook/journal

• Try 1 Introverted Drawing Club prompt

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

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Photo by Content Pixie on Unsplash

10 Things That Made Me Happy This Week

Happy Saturday! It's officially Spring Break, and Raphael's birthday falls during the break, which is nice. We're all so excited. We plan to have a staycation, but haven't set any plans for what we'll do during the break. It'll be nice to just go with the flow instead of having a schedule.

1. It's finally April, and I'm so excited for this month. Spring is in full bloom, and I can't wait to go to the farmers' market, buy fresh tulips every week, and go on more walks.

2. On the wishlist: Rain. The pollen has been out of control, and we've been having to stay indoors a lot. Thankfully, we're supposed to get some rain this weekend, and I'm hoping it'll wash away all this pollen.

3. I signed up for Beth Spencer's Introvert Drawing Club, and I'm so excited to work on a few drawing prompts. I'm really hoping for some more play and creative time in April. 

4. "I miss the pandemic." Same, Danny, same. Seriously, I thrived during the pandemic.

5. A song on repeat: In the Kitchen by Mree

6. Inspired by: Nathalie's mixed media paintings. I'm hoping to work on some mixed media and pair it with some of Beth Spencer's art prompts. 

7. Raphael and I woke up a little early this Saturday morning and got some errands out of the way. There were barely any people in the stores we went to, and we got done fairly quickly. This Saturday morning was quiet and blissful...and for that, I am grateful.

8. I finally caught up on reading a bunch of newsletters on Substack. I think I may make reading Substack newsletters on Saturdays part of my weekend routine. It really was nice to sit for a while and catch up on my favorite newsletters.

9. I've been keeping up with the Artemis II space mission and think the photos are so cool. I also ended up going on a Wikipedia wormhole about space, and it was so interesting.

10. I love, love, love the idea of curating a birthday stocking. With Raphael's birthday coming up, I think this would be a really nice gift idea. 

What made you happy this week?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time... 

Photo by Anita Austvika on Unsplash