Hi friends! Getting this post up a little later than I would have liked, but I’m happy to be doing it. I’ve loved these weekly check-ins especially because it seems time is flying. While we had some snow this week, spring is in our future! The forecast predicts 70-degree days Easter weekend and I almost can’t believe it. It’s going to be such a nice change! I already told Matthew I plan on spending as much time outside as possible once it warms up. Playtime, reading, homeschooling, meals, all outside!

WHAT WE ATE

my plan is to share the meals I made the previous week, with links if possible, as some inspiration for your own menu planning.

MONDAY- French Lentil Soup– We all loved this recipe! It was so easy to make and very comforting on a snowy day.

TUESDAY- Enchilada Casserole with Quinoa- I was inspired by this recipe but ended up doing my own thing based on what we had in the fridge. I loved the idea though and it came together very quickly.

WEDNESDAY- Hot Honey Chicken with Lemon Oregano Potatoes– Matthew is a big fan of Mike’s Hot Honey so I had to make this recipe for him. I left the hot honey sauce off for the kids and they still loved it!

THURSDAY- Salmon and Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Honey Sesame Glaze and Cauliflower Rice- This is one of our go-to recipes and we’ve made it countless times over the past several years, sometimes with tofu, shrimp, or salmon, broccoli, etc. It’s a keeper of a recipe!

FRIDAY- Eggplant Parmesan– This is one of our go-to recipes and while it takes a bit of work, it’s so worth it! We always LOVE it, even the leftovers!

SATURDAY- pizza & salad night! The kids had pizza and I had leftover eggplant parmesan.

SUNDAY- Shrimp Pad Thai with miracle noodles – have you ever had those miracle noodles? They’re gluten-free, made from a Konjac plant, and take on whatever taste the sauce is. They work especially well in an Asian-inspired dish.

Corinna and I baked banana bread together which was so fun! She loves to put on her personalized apron and help me. We got this apron for the holidays, but it works well year-round!

I also made sourdough pancakes this weekend that were so delicious! I think it needs to be a Sunday morning tradition!

WHAT I WORE

With the cold weather, I’ve still been in my leggings most days, but I did wear my new Gap jeans with my black nursing-friendly bodysuit.

SALES TO NOTE

GAP– 40% off with code TREAT and 50% off Dresses, Tops, and Pants. Plus an extra 10% off with GAPDEAL

EVERLANE– up to 30% off spring essentials. My favorite tee shirt and trench coat are both on sale, along with so many other classics.

ON MY MIND

Baby Beatrice is getting so busy and even rolled from her back to belly for the first time on March 31st! She loves to be held and while we have loved our bouncer, I think I need to look into another activity center that will be more interesting for her. Plus, she’s so close to sitting up on her own so the bouncer won’t work for much longer anyway. It’s so bittersweet because that bouncer has been a favorite with all three kiddos and I can’t believe it’s already time to retire it. I’m looking into getting this Skip Hop activity center but please let me know if any of you have a suggestion for another one.

Easter is next weekend and I saved a bunch of ideas on my Amazon storefront if you’re looking for anything. How cute is this floral bunny or these sunnies? As for food, I only know I’m planning on making a carrot cake. Earlier this year I was thinking about how I really want to have certain traditions for holidays with specific desserts. Carrot cake seems like the perfect one for Easter. Since Matthew and I are still attempting a low-carb and refined sugar-free diet, I’m going to make the carrot cake from the Sweet Laurel cookbook. It’s supposed to be a favorite in their bakery. I’d love to know what any of you are making, or foods you look forward to on Easter Sunday!

I hope you all have a lovely week!

love this photo of Matthew with Augustine and Beatrice. They all had the fluffiest hair the other day so I had to capture it!

xox

We’re officially in spring, can you believe it? In case you missed it, I put together a spring style post earlier in the week. No matter where you are, you’re probably ready for warmer weather. Even my California friends have been having a “hard” winter. We had snow yesterday but the mid-40 days we have coming are keeping me going. Now, if only those digits could double 😉

WHAT WE ATE

my plan is to share the meals I made the previous week, with links if possible, as some inspiration for your own menu planning.

MONDAY- Ginger Scallion Meatballs and Bok Choy Soup- This was another keeper from the Defined Dish cookbook, which is quickly becoming my favorite cookbook. Everything we’ve made has been so good and I love that they’re healthy too. This soup had a flavor reminiscent of wontons…yum!

TUESDAY- Taco Bowls with Homemade Sourdough Tortillas – This was my first time making sourdough tortillas and they turned out so good! I can’t wait to make them again, and also include them as a regular part of my meal prep. I loved that I could use sourdough discard and they came together quite easily!

WEDNESDAY- Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala – this recipe looks similar because ours was another Defined Dish.

THURSDAY- Red Curry Shrimp with Cauliflower Rice

FRIDAY- Grilled Tri-Tip, Sauteed Mushrooms with Herbs, and Caesar Salad – that mushroom recipe has been a favorite of ours for the past year. You have to try them!

SATURDAY- Black Pepper Chicken with Kung Pao Brussels Sprouts and Cauliflower Rice- Wow what a good Saturday night dinner that felt like we ordered take out, but healthy take out! If I haven’t convinced you to buy this cookbook yet, you really should!

SUNDAY- Veggie Enchiladas- I made the tortillas for this because it was so easy! Really hoping to add tortilla-making to our regular meal prep.

Something else I made was sourdough banana bread! My only regret was that I didn’t make two loaves – we ate through it too quickly!

WHAT I WORE

My GigiPip hat is going to be a favorite for spring I already know! You can use code MARA15 for a discount on their whole site!

I have the coziest thermal from Michael Stars that I’ve been wearing to bed. I think this is the updated version. I have several of their basics and they all have been my favorite to reach for on days at home.

SALES TO NOTE

LOFT is having their biggest sale of the season. They call it their Cyber Spring Sale because it’s 50% off everything plus free shipping!

Anthropologie– Up to 30% off Furniture, Bedding, Decor, Candles, and more!

Mango– Use code EXTRA30 for 30% off when you spend $210 or more. Love this jute basket bag, this knitted dress, this scalloped cardigan, knit top, and embroidered dress.

GAP– 40% off with code YOURS plus an extra 10% off with code PERK

ON MY MIND

We had a spring break from our school co-op, music class, and ballet this week. I have to admit, it was really nice to have such a clear calendar. While I know the activities can be fun for children, it also is just another thing to do and plan for. I loved that we were able to fill our days up with time at home and a few slightly chilly nature walks. This week we’re back to our busy schedule but I’m going to try to find ways to incorporate rest where we can. I feel like we need it!

Augustine is almost done with his Math 1 Curriculum which is so exciting! We have just 8 more lessons. This is our second year using The Good and the Beautiful’s math curriculum and we have loved it. It’s so fun and engaging and the lessons aren’t too long. I especially love that it’s allowed Augustine to really enjoy math concepts and look forward to sitting down to it! We’ll take a little break but then we’ll be moving on to Math 2. Corinna is doing the Preschool curriculum which she enjoys so much that she gets upset if we miss a day. There’s an illustration of a dog on the cover of her book so she’ll say, “Let’s do our doggy book now!” I love that she’s so eager to learn as well!

Baby Beatrice is 5 months old which I can’t believe. How has it almost been half of a year since she was born? This time with her has been the sweetest! She’s currently teething though which is so hard. I actually almost got this post up last night (Saturday night) but she was up nonstop which is so unlike her. She would cry every time I put her down to sleep so I spent a good chunk of the night holding her. Thankfully tonight has been going a lot better so far. We love that little baby!

Have a great week everyone! I’m hoping we might be able to do some seed starting this week. Have any of you started spring planting yet where you live?

xox