Spring is here—hooray! I’ve been soaking up the nicer weather and doing a ton of Spring cleaning. Here’s what I was up to in March.

What I Read 

Saving Ruby King by Catherine Adel West

This was West’s debut novel and it was an emotional and heartbreaking tale of a young woman determined to save her best friend from her violent father. The book weaves in topics of generational trauma, racial tension, friendships and faith through the stories of three generations of families in South Side Chicago. The star character for me was Calvary Hope Christian Church, the hub of the community, who takes on a persona to tell many of the most startling moments. 

Free to Learn by Peter Gray

Admittedly, not my favorite book. I was interested in this book because it advocates for more free play and self-directed learning for kids. However, the author’s tone towards modern schooling was SO negative that it was hard for me to take anything useful out of this book. If you are interested in learning more about children’s need for play, unstructured time, and self-directed learning, I think there are a lot of other great reads out there that are more relatable. 

What I Made 

A new (to me) cookie recipe and some yummy staples in our house!

Nature Cookies by weelicious

I’m always on the hunt for baked goods that are “healthier” and easy! I was able to whip these up with my 3-year-old relatively quickly and already had all the ingredients on hand. There are tons of options for swaps for the mix-ins, so you can cater it to your preferences. The recipe made a ton of cookies that lasted us for days. 

Easy Homemade Beef Chili by Fed + Fit 

While we are on the tail end of chili season, this recipe is too good not to share. This chili has been a staple in our home all winter—it’s easy, delicious (even to the toddler), and makes a ton of food. The addition of bacon gives so much yummy flavor. 

Sourdough Pizza by Radical Roots  

I took my starter out from the depths of the fridge and brought her back to life! We enjoyed this recipe for pizza night and I hope to do more homemade pizza in the weeks to come. 

What I did 

Wardrobe Revamp

I’ll be headed back to work soon and trading my leggings for business casual (whomp whomp). Between pandemic work-from-home, pregnancy and now postpartum, my work wardrobe needed some serious love. I wasn’t interested in heading out to the mall to find new clothes (who is?!), so I enlisted the help of Stitch Fix (an online stylist company). This was my first time using a company like this and I was pleasantly surprised. I was able to create a style profile, which included the price point I wanted to stay in, the service was inexpensive, and it doesn’t require a subscription. Highly recommend if you need a closet revamp and want some pieces that are curated for you.

Movement 

With the (mostly) milder weather, I have been trying to get out for walks as much as I can, either solo or with the family. Walking sometimes gets a bad rap as a form of fitness, but it is really a great way to move that has the added benefit of fresh air and stress relief. 

I hope you had a great March! I’d love to hear what you made, read or did!