Happy happy March ya’ll!
We have already had a bit of sunshine in California and next week is supposed to be really gorgeous. I am so ready for the warmer weather and feel for those of you still getting the last bit of snow and ice for winter– I will be sending you warm thoughts!
Here is what my March will look like- lots of yard work and clean up. Our back yard is a hot mess right now- especially the pool. We found some gorgeous fruit trees at Costco last week and have started planting away. Note Milo our dog is always on hand for yardwork. I think he is watching to keep track of any bones we might try and sneak past him and bury in the soil.
And speaking of Costco, I got the most gorgeous pillows- 2 for $15 last week! I posted them on Instagram if you follow me over there.
Oh and I mentioned I was trying to shave off the last few pounds from the holidays. My goal was 7 lbs total weight loss which will put me back to where I was last summer. So far I am down 4 lbs and feel great. I have been trying to increase veggies, decrease sugar (ack- I am such an addict!) and focus on doing everything I need to do to attack each day with enthusiasm. My focus has been quality sleep, quality foods, challenging exercise, lots of water and just focusing on feeling energized and productive. So far so good! What about you? How are those New Years resolutions for weight loss going? I have been super lucky and get to be the parent volunteer for my Kindergartner’s PE class and it has been so fun to know I can keep up with those little stinkers twice a week- running, jumping, playing.
I have a few things that I am loving that you might also like:
Have you listened to the Serial Podcast? I heard from two good friends in two days about how much they loved it and I listened to the entire thing in about 2 days.
It is a podcast where a journalist lays out all the facts about a murder from years ago and the man that went on trial and was imprisoned for committing the crime. You listen to all the facts and decide what you think. If you like mysteries and true crime type stuff you have got to listen to this series. I have the free Podcast app on my iphone to listen but you can also listen from the web site here.
And for those of you that already listened to this series-what do you think? I am on the Not Guilty camp.
Did you happen to catch this post about must read books for 2015?
I have been plugging away at the list and I can tell you I absolutely loved – The Girl on the Train— started slow but then I loved this book! Creepy and compelling and twists! Pick that one up for sure. Not as scary as Gillian Flynn but if you like her, you’ll love this one.
The Boston Girl— I loved this one too! For sure pick this one up if you can great walk back in time.
American Solider– ok so I wanted to like this one. I really did. American hero and all that. While I didn’t hate this book, I didn’t love it either 🙁 I listened to it on Audible and some of the book I found boring- details about guns and such. I don’t care about that. He does have a great story though so I still think this is worth reading. I just didn’t love it as much as I had hoped. Can’t wait to see the movie though 🙂
The Zookeeper’s Wife– so this book I really wanted to like as well. It sounded so interesting and I have always been drawn to Poland’s role in WWII as they seem to have been so incredibly brave and loyal and underrated. (At least from what I have read) I didn’t love this book- especially compared to The Paris Architect and The Nightingale which are also about WWII. I am looking forward to the movie but while I did get a lot from this book it wasn’t my favorite on the list.
The Nightingale– oh goodness I loved this one! No wonder it has been on best seller lists. Totally pick it up for the story of two remarkable French women during WWII.
And now I am halfway finished with First Frost and so far feel like- eh. I hope it gets better and I can give it raves at the end.
What have you read that you have loved lately?
And what is in store for March? Well on a personal note, I am super excited because my husband and I are planning a trip to New Orleans!
I have never been and I am so looking forward to the trip. Does anyone have travel tips for us? We will be there for 3 days and I am hoping to get to see some Plantations, the French Quarter, possibly the cemetery tours and most importantly- stuff myself silly with beignets and coffee! No kids for this trip!
And as for the blog– well here are some things I have planned for this month:
- We are kicking things off with a simple and super delicious classic brownie recipe. This is a perfect fall back recipe when you just need something chocolatey and fast. Yum, yum!
- A few Spring cleaning ideas/recipes
- Two recipes for Easter dinner
- A fun Easter brunch recipe that we had in Maui. I have been trying to perfect the recipe before I post so hopefully I get it together soon.
- Since Spring Break is right around the corner, I have some chapter book ideas for the kiddos. Great way to keep the kids engaged during their time off from school.
- A wrap up of our New Orleans trip with recommendations for those that might have this on a bucket list.
- A yummy scrub recipe that is perfect for Spring- I already gave this one as a gift and my friend raved and raved.
- Teacher Appreciation Gift ideas for those of you that like to plan ahead (I have some teacher appreciation ideas here and here and here and a cute greeting card idea here) but more ideas are always appreciated! This year one of our teachers is male so that has made gift giving a little more challenging.
And that is about it. Once again, thank you so much for taking the time to read, comment and support this blog! You are very much appreciated!
mrs_b says
advice for beignets… avoid the crowds and craziness and go to Cafe Beignet on Bourbon street. Not only is it a more pleasant experience but there is always a live jazz performer in the courtyard. and definitely take a ride on the streetcar down St. Charles avenue. and finally, a good, less expensive place to eat in the french quarter is the Napolean house.
Debbie P says
Great minds think alike I guess because my husband and I are planning a trip to New Orleans. I need warmer weather. The snow & sleet are getting to me.
Charlene says
Yeah! When do you plan to go Debbie?
Charlene says
Thanks Mrs B!
Diane says
Thanks, love the site and love this article! I’m looking forward to the new stuff.
One thing – are you sure you want to plant your fruit trees that close to the pool? (I’m not sure what kind of fruit trees they are, but we were told not to plant fruit trees anywhere near the pool.)
Judy Gergick says
You should go to Preservation Hall to see traditional jazz. It’s a short nightly concert. Sometimes it’s standing room only – you pay cash and stand in line to get in. There are a few shows nightly. Check out the website – http://preservationhall.com/
We like to go to Mother’s Restaurant – http://www.mothersrestaurant.net/ – traditional cajun cuisine.
Have fun!
Katie C says
I’m scared to uncover our pool! We’re up in the Pacific Northwest, so still pretty chilly, but we don’t want to have to relocate any tadpoles like we did last year!! So I’m thinking we’ll officially open it pretty soon.
I love your blog! Have a fun trip!!
Elisa says
Go visit Oak Alley Plantation!!!!! You can even spend a night in one of the other houses there on the property. It is about an hour or two outside of N.O. SO worth the trip!!! There are all sorts of plantations along the road it is on that you can visit, too. SO gotta go!
Charlene says
Ok thanks for the suggestion Elisa- I will check it out 🙂
Charlene says
Ha ha! I lived in Seattle for 8 years Katie- my husband is from there. I can’t believe you actually have a pool! We just get leaves in ours- no tadpoles.
Charlene says
Thanks Judy! Will check those out!
Charlene says
Hi Diane– yes we totally considered that. They are further away then they look in the picture- that space is about 10 feet wide. The darn pool takes up almost the entire backyard so we were fairly limited in options. We do have a large cherry blossom tree that drops cherry blossoms into the pool so I am hoping these ones are far enough away to not have the same issue 🙂
Gina says
Sounds like we are about the same way through First Frost and feel the same. I’m surprised there isn’t more to it. It had good reviews, but I’ll wait and see. Have you read “The Art of Racing in the Rain”? I loved it and if you have that adorable dog you might like it too.
Charlene says
No I will check it out Gina! Yeah I finished Frost yesterday and while I liked the book, it didn’t live up to the hype really. I love that cover design though- so gorgeous.
Lucy says
I loved “The Language of Flowers”. Not pool weather here in Minnesota! So missing the warm weather!