Welcome, April.
(psst, you can download this desktop for your computer by clicking the photo and selecting “use photo for desktop ;)
It’s here. The dawning of a new season, both literally and figuratively.
April may be the most hopeful of months, don’t you think? There is so much to look forward to; the promise of many lovely days, beautiful blossoms, sunny mornings, and a renewed sense of enthusiasm to spruce things up a bit.
That’s exactly what I’ve been up to behind the scenes here in the Simple Seasons world.
You’ll notice that things have changed a bit here. Blossoms have popped up over night and the hint of warmth on the breeze is here.
Since it’s the first of the month, I’m here sharing all my dearly loved favorites for April!
Things I’m enjoying, things I’m learning, things I’m looking forward to savoring this month.
Now that meal plans (and recipes) will be arriving weekly rather than monthly, you can look forward to the first weekly installment of meal inspiration on Friday, April 3rd (I can’t WAIT.)
In the meantime, take a little stroll through the Recipe Archive and get a bit of inspiration from my recent favorites below.
My April Favorites
Current Reads
My Fiction:
(a retelling of the Cinderella story from the wicked stepmother’s perspective, I’m reading it for a book club!)
(I got almost halfway through this one before having to return it to the library, it was a slow read, but good!)
(that’s it! I’ve had SO MANY books that I just didn’t finish this month!)
Family Read Alouds:
(a childhood favorite I now get to share with my kids!)
(we read it over the winter and just finished!)
(working our way through all the Roald Dahl books, he never disappoints!)
(a hidden gem from Frances Hodgson Burnett that we picked up at the used book store)
I’ll tell you about my non-fiction below!
What We’re Watching
Our tv never comes on before 5pm (unless someone is sick, then all boundaries are forgotten), but we do love a good family movie night or a mom & dad date night with a good show or movie. Of course, we are usually passing out by 9:30 which means we can get maybe 45 minutes of a movie in at a time, but I don’t mind. It makes it last longer!
Family Movies:
Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory (the original, a family favorite of ours!)
Swiss Family Robinson (a classic for a reason!)
Mom & Dad Watches:
Seven Dials (on Netflix, a bit disappointing, but I love Agatha Christie)
Nuremberg (very interesting, but very heavy topic!)
Ford V Ferrari (to go along with our current F1 obsession!)
Mercy (kind of like a worse version of Minority Report in my opinion…worth a watch, but nothing spectacular!)
What I’m listening to
I’m still going strong with my “Extraordinary Mornings” playlist. I listen while I work out in the early morning and then put it on the bluetooth speaker in our kitchen while I make breakfast. It’s just a lovely, calm way to start our day.
Later in the afternoon, I love putting the April Album on. The folksy vibes just fit this time of year and I love singing along in the sunny evenings while I’m preparing dinner.
My Intentional “Mother Culture”
I’ve borrowed this phrase from Charlotte Mason and first stumbled across the concept 8 years ago when I found Karen Andreola’s book on the topic. I recently read Schole Everyday and was challenged in my pursuit of knowledge and culture. Where did my sense of wonder and curiosity go lately?
How revolutionary, I thought, that mother’s should put as much intention into their self-growth as interesting human beings as their children’s!
I’m not looking for rigor or an Ivy League level education, I just want the edges of my world to keep expanding. To stay curious, interested, and engaged in life and culture! I’ve always loved reading and do my best to vary my reading materials, but I’ve decided to get a bit more intentional about it this year on the cusp of my 40’s. I love establishing new habits right before transitions so they stick even when life gets a bit flipsy flopsy.
My goal is this (with no set timeline although I’d like to make steady progress)
Have five books going at a time, some will take longer than others, but I always want to be making progress on all five categories.
Poetry
I love poetry even though most of the time I have no idea what the poet is trying to say. Even when I’m lost, I read a poem a day and let the words wash over me. It always puts me in a whimsical “noticing” kind of mood. Right now I’m reading Who Tells the Crocuses It’s Spring.
Food
It is my chosen vocation after all! I have a large collection of cookbooks that I gather inspiration from and avoid using food blogs and instagram recipes for inspiration as much as possible, but I’d love to be even more intentional about strolling through great food writing and soak up the beauty of food. My current read is The Secret of Cooking: Recipes for an Easier Life in the Kitchen. I just try to sit and read a few pages leisurely every few days.
Homeschooling & Parenting
Again, this is part of my vocation! Being a homeschooling mother is a huge part of my life so a steady flow of inspiration, fresh ideas, and encouragement is so helpful for me to stay engaged. I’ve just finished the Convivial Homeschool and was encouraged, but challenged!
History
Ah, my love of history runs deep. I’ve always loved history class, reading historical fiction, and watching period films. I’ve noticed, however, as I’m moving through Ancient History with my kids for school this past year that there is SO MUCH I DON’T KNOW. I’m not about to read textbooks, so instead I looked up Charlotte Mason curriculum book lists for middle grades and I’m just reading through them. That’s it. I’m trying to stay one step ahead of the time periods we’re covering as a family so I have a better grasp on what was happening around then. Right now I’m reading Augustus Caesar’s World and I actually can’t put it down. I’ve been reading about 10 pages a night after while my husband tucks the kids in (after our family reading time, but before mom and dad hang out ;).
Christian Writings & Biblical Disciplines
In addition to reading through the Bible slowly over the next year or two after flying through my first full reading using the Bible Recap last year, I plan on slowly reading and digesting books about faith. I’d like to read through some C.S. Lewis books again and tackle some tougher tomes, but also plan to sprinkle in some encouraging modern reads as well. I’m reading No More Boring Bible Study: Why Taking Scripture Seriously Is Easier and More Exciting Than You Think right now and while it’s nothing very new, it’s been a good reminder of many theological truths! I usually try to read a chapter most mornings after reading a chapter from the Bible.
Glass Milk Bottles
We get all of our milk from a local dairy which means we have lovely, creamy fresh milk in our fridge at all times. We usually get two or three gallons at a time and put the extras in our garage fridge. When we pull a new jug and put it in the kitchen, we’ve started pouring the milk into these glass bottles before popping them in the fridge. This serves MANY purposes.
One, the milk stays fresher because we’re only taking a quart out and leaving it at room temperature rather than the whole gallon every time. If you have a ten year old boy that loves pouring glasses of milk (and forgetting to put the jug back in the fridge, this is a big plus ;)
Two, I feel like I’m living in a Nancy Meyer’s movie. Have you ever noticed how in those dreamy movies, every functional tool is also incredibly lovely to look at. Before I purchase anything, I always ask myself if it’s both useful AND beautiful. It genuinely makes me SO happy to pour milk from the glass bottle every single time.
Three, it pours like a dream. Again, we have kiddos yearning for independence and an entire gallon of milk can get a little unruly for them. They have no problem with the smaller size and can easily screw the caps back on so we don’t get any “surprises” when we shake the milk bottle before pouring!
They are a bit of an investment upfront, but will last FOREVER. Also, we’ve dropped them without breakage and use the extras (we have a set of 6) for homemade chocolate milk and lemonade!
Pops of color here and there
I haven’t quite gone all in on the whole “color theory” aspect of getting dressed, but I do know that I’ve always gravitated towards warmer colors. I've always kept a very minimal (and mostly neutral) wardrobe, but I’ve noticed that I always seem to reach for coppery and rusty reds when I need a little pep in my step. I always worried that buying a bold colored dress, sweater, or shoe would limit my wears, but it’s had the opposite effect! I’ll link my three go-to wardrobe items at the moment, but know that I saved long and hard for all three of these. It’s more an encouragement to buy what you actually LIKE to wear and then wear it. Don’t save it for a special occasion, life IS the special occasion!
(I’ve linked a similar color, the color I bought 2 years ago isn’t on the website anymore!)
(again they don’t have the color I bought 3 years ago, but I also have it in this cheerful little buttermilk color and love it equally!)
(I bought them last fall, but so many sizes are sold out right now!)
The notebooks that never leave my side
I could write a book about my love of notebooks. I keep two by my side at all time and have a basket on our library shelf to house the ones that only gets used occasionally.
Here’s what they get used for:
(and links to the actual ones I have, yes, it’s an investment, but I keep the same notebooks for at least a year and usually longer!)
My daily to do lists. I dedicate a page to each day and write my top 5 to dos on the page. I also jot down any ideas or to-do’s that pop in my head so they don’t get lost (or I don’t get lost on my phone writing them on my notes app ;) I love that this one has a little band to hold my pencil.
My weekly master plan. I meal plan, school plan, plan for work, write out our calendar, keep lists of big to-do’s here. I consult it every other day and transfer it to my daily notebook when needed.
My “thinking by writing” notebook. Sometimes I just need to flesh something out and write without thinking too much. I usually jot down work ideas, outline big projects or plans, or even just write a grocery list in this one. It’s meant to be a little messy, not as organized or streamlined as my other two.
I have a stack of others that have specific uses, maybe one day I’ll give you a peak into the basket so you can see the level of crazy I’m working with ;)
Well, that’s everything I’m loving right now. Most of all, I’m loving the sunshine, the boost of energy I get from longer sunnier days, and the feeling of renewal that comes with every blossoming tree and blade of grass.
As usual, I’d love to hear what you’re into at the moment!
See you Friday!
