Happy Wednesday! It’s the first Wednesday of the month and I am linking up with Jennifer to share five things I am currently doing. Each month we share five different things and I think it’s a fun way to think about what’s going on.

I am loving…

The weather!! We had warm sunshine on Saturday, Sunday, and most of Monday. It was so lovely!!

I am loving the productive feeling of getting some outside work done. In the past week, we’ve cleaned out the shed, trimmed some bushes, raked up the acorns and sticks in the yard, and cleaned out some gardens. I am also loving that I have a list of things to do when its not cold or rainy and we have a little spare time.

I am loving having time to cook dinner every night. I am not loving why I’ve had so much time, but the time is nice. Luke’s knee was bothering him so he was resting it for a bit. In the past week, I’ve made a delicious “caviar” casserole (egg, sausage, peppers, spinach), shrimp pasta, chicken sausage and roasted broccoli, meatball subs, burgers, and tacos. The great news is Luke’s going back to practices but I’ve gotten in the routine of making dinners again.

I am adding to cart…

Groceries! Always groceries!! Two teenagers that are quite active are always hungry!

I am adding some Easter items to cart. I always add a few summer things to the boys’ easter baskets – sunglasses, bathing suits, flip flops, etc.

I am reading…

Husbands & Lovers by Beatriz Williams and Big Game by Stuart Gibbs. I have had the pleasure of meeting both authors in person. Jack and I went to meet Stuart Gibbs when he was on tour for Spy School Goes South in 2018. He was so entertaining and we love his books!

I met Beatriz Williams in the summer of 2018 at the beach. She was at a bookstore in the next town north of us so I went up to meet alone that evening. I was driving through the very tiny and very tight parking area in front of the bookstore and had my head on a swivel for a spot. She came dashing out between two cars and I almost hit her! Yikes!! Luckily I didn’t and we had a laugh about it when she was signing my book.

I am watching…

I am watching Jack’s sparkler candles and hoping they don’t catch anything on fire. I thought they sounded so cool in the store, but didn’t really think it through. He wanted a cookie cake on his actual birthday (pretty thin) and they shoot out sparks the whole time. 😯 We ended up reusing the cake from his celebration on Sunday so they wouldn’t fall over.

I am still watching The Crown on Netflix. I love it but I don’t have a lot of hour blocks to sit down by myself and watch these days.

We have been watching all the sports! We’re watching the NCAA basketball tournament. We’re watching golf. We’re watching hockey. We’re watching baseball, too.

I am listening to…

As I type this on Monday evening, I am listening to big booms of thunder. We are having quite a thunderstorm and I love them. I think here is something calming about hearing the rain hit the roof, windows, and deck.

I am listening to Luke conjugate verbs in Spanish next to me – bailo, bailas, baila… nado, nadas, nada… I love that the boys are both taking Spanish. I am refreshing my high school Spanish and occasionally talk to them in Spanish to keep all of our brains thinking.

As I kept typing on Tuesday evening, I am listening to Jack cheer as Alex Ovechkin scores another goal! He is only four goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record. The game isn’t over yet, so you could be reading this Wednesday morning and he’ll only need 3 goals.

Also on Tuesday, I am listening to our new GE Profile Opal ice maker make ice. I had a long back and forth with Gevi when our old one stopped making ice and the subsequent three ice makers they sent us were broken when I opened them. I finally got my money back and decided to go for this one.

My dear friend Jodi was talking about a recent episode of the Mel Robbins podcast and recommended that I listen to it. I started it on my walk Tuesday and my mind is spinning. It is The Body Reset: How Women Should Eat & Exercise for Health, Fat Loss, & Energy with Dr. Stacy Simms. I am only halfway through it but I have already learned so much. If you are a mid-40s lady, like myself, or really any age woman, this is a great listen. I highly recommend it and I’m not done yet.

1. No foolin’! April is here. What’s one fun thing on your April calendar? 
We have a lot of fun on our April calendar. Luke’s birthday. Easter. Spring Break. Hershey Park. A 5K for Ronald McDonald House.

2. It’s often said, ‘A fool and his money are soon parted’…what’s the last thing you wasted money on? 
Food! I have been working to use all our produce before it goes bad but we didn’t eat the homemade salsa I made for a meeting last Sunday, a few bananas, and 2 hearts of romaine.

3.  April 2nd is National DIY day. Are you a do-it yourself kind of person or maybe you’re married to one? If so, what’s the last thing you DIY-ed. If you’re not a DIY-er what’s the most recent job you had to hire someone to complete? 
I try to do it myself but often have to call in an expert for things around the house. I am not a crafty kind of DIY-er either. The last thing I had to call a handyman was for a DIY oops. I was cleaning out the hair in our drain (yuck) and the plastic thing broke. I called our super handy neighbor for a bit of advice. I do DIY some personal things. I dye my own hair, do my own manicures and pedicures, and spray tan.

4. Do you eat lamb? If so do you have a favorite dish that calls for lamb? 
Nope. I do not eat lamb. Ever.

5. Do you fit a stereotype in some way? Explain. 
Well, I am an enneagram 3 and I fit that one to a T. I am an oldest daughter and fit that stereotype, too. If there is a teacher in the summer stereotype, I probably fit that one. No school work, lots of beach reads, at the pool as much as possible, loose rules/meals at home.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 
I heard or read that we are now a quarter of the way through 2025. I am using this marker as a bit of a reset. The first three months were pretty stressful and I didn’t necessarily take care of the things that made me feel my best. My phrase for this year is “take care” and I am happy to revisit it. I am going to focus on water, movement, less screen time, and sleep/rest.

This was a fun Wednesday post. I love the Currently link up because it is a good memory recorder for me each month. The Hodgepodge questions got me thinking this week. I hope you all have a great day full of sunshine and books!