Spring Bucket List Update #2

A new season has begun! The global pandemic has really put an interesting twist on planning for the spring. We didn’t end up traveling anywhere this month and have loaded up on home activities and schedules. And due to the uncertainty of the near future, I’m shortening the Spring Bucket List to create some manageable goals.

Obviously things have not gone back to anywhere near normal. I imagine that very few of these items will be accomplished, but I’m still going for the ones we can do from home.

1. Read 50 books (34/50)

2. Make fun cupcakes -

3. Create an Easter Egg Hunt ✓

4. Make a planter for the front porch -

5. Find two good parks -

6. Tie Dye Shirts with the boys -

7. Create a spring Spotify playlist -

8. Mini golf family night -

9. Go berry picking -

10. Sign Arthur up for summer camps - Camps have been canceled.

11. Go on a hike -

12. Have a picnic -

13. Put together the littles’s room - In progress

14. Monthly Massage -

15. Go antiquing -

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #9

Reading: Things in Jars by Jess Kidd - One of my Book of the Month selections. It’s a strange story reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes with a dash of actual fantasy thrown in. I’m really digging it so far!

Watching: We’re currently balancing a light show (Making It S2) and a dark show (Broadchurch S2) before we embark on a movie week.

Listening: Randomly picking albums to listen to while making meals. The other day is was Invented from Jimmy Eat World.

Making: Back at the Project Life spreads. I’m so close to finishing Arthur’s 2018 Album. Just about 50 more photos to print. and a few more weeks to journal.

Feeling: Tired. This whole thing has exhausted me daily. Sleeping 8 hours isn’t even touching my exhaustion.

Planning: We’re shooting for the grocery store once every two - two and half weeks. That means I really need to get creative about what to buy and when so things do not go bad before using.

Loving: With all the crazy, I have found time to read daily. Working in at least an hour every day.

Next up on the TBR pile:

2020 Soups and Stews from Around the World - March and April

Week 8: Ajiaco (Chicken and Corn Soup) from Colombia

Pretty darn good. Next time we will up the spice factor, but we really enjoyed the flavors in this soup. The capers and sour cream really bring it together!

Recipe used from Closet Cooking

Week 9: Maafe (Peanut Stew) from Senegal

This was a delightfully spicy stew! I added three whole habanero peppers with seeds and it was the perfect amount of heat for us! I paired the stew with homemade Hungarian Fennel Bread and it was delicious.

Recipe used from Nibble Me This

Week 10: Red Curry Noodle Soup from Thailand

Southeast Asian food is always going to be a hit in our house. I really enjoyed this mild curry noodle soup. We decided that it was Thai comfort food. Perfect for a chilly day!

Recipe used from Damn Delicious

Week 11: Cullen Skink (Fish Stew) from Scotland

Very yummy. Unfortunately we couldn’t get smoked haddock so I had to use regular haddock. We agreed that this would be even better with smoked haddock. Hopefully we can acquire some later this year and remake this dish.

Recipe used from Foodie Quine

Week 12: Gulyas (Goulash) from Hungary

This did not have enough flavor. It was like a bland beef stew. Not really what we want in goulash. We’re hoping to try again with a different goulash recipe soon.

Recipe used from Daring Gourmet

Week 13: Lablabi (Chickpea Soup) from Tunisia

Eh…. it was pretty bland and very starchy. We are constantly having this problem with bean soups. The ratio of starch to liquid never seems to be right even when I’m following the recipe exactly. Maybe something else…

Recipe used from Serious Eats

Week 14: Pasta E Fagioli from Italy

This was pretty good. I really enjoyed the shaved parmesan on top to give it just a little something extra.

Recipe used from kitchn

Week 15: Crab Coconut Curry from Mozambique

This was very yummy. Decent amount of spice. The crab did just completely lost in the mix, so next time I might just sub tofu.

Recipe used from The African Gourmet

Week 16: Kulajda from Czech Republic

Decently good. I did like this but it was a very dilly potato soup.

Recipe used from Culinary Goddess

Week 17: Chicken Coconut Curry from Micronesia

So bland in comparison. The curry from Mozambique was so much more interesting and tasty!

Recipe used from Food.com

May 2020 Life Goals

Let’s check in on April's goals and my progress.

• Read 20 books - Fail. I did get pretty close with 18 books finished.

• Paint the craft/library room ✓

• Make Easter baskets for the boys ✓

• Clean up the yard ✓

• Get supplies for a small vegetable garden - Fail. I haven’t gotten around to making a shopping list.

• Every-other-day neighborhood walks ✓

• Go on an Easter Egg hunt ✓

May’s Goals:

• Read 15 books - Scaling it back just a bit to keep moving along.

• Acquire furniture for craft/library room - I think I’ve decided on a library bookcase and hoping to get it soon. And I’m hoping Ikea fixes their stock issues so I can get my crafting system.

• May Movie Month - I’ve compiled a list of movies that I keep forgetting about watching. So next month we’re going to pick a movie to watch every night.

• Hang curtains and art - Putting those things up makes the house feel more finished.

• Make a decision about Reading Retreat and end of Summer - I need to get some tentative plans in place.

• Acquire summer school materials for Arthur - Instruction from his school ends May 14th, but I need to keep him learning especially if we are still going to be quarantined.

Next up on the TBR list:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• My reading is rolling on! I’m so excited to get to a variety of books from my own shelves and from digital loans.

• I think our deck needs to be power washed this summer…

• Here’s hoping I can get at least one bookshelf in my craft/library room soon.

• I rediscovered my Frixion pens and have been using them everywhere!

• Thinking I should make some cookies today.

• Debating on where or not to even buy a new planner next month (mine is ending in June).

• May movie month is looking like we’re going to be watching a ton of good movies.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #8

Reading: The Golden Hour by Beatriz Williams - A WWII novel, but feels refreshing in the setting and the characters.

Watching: We just finished the first season of Making It last night. I loved that show!

Listening: For some reason, I’ve been pulling out the entirety of Mumford & Sons catalog to enjoy.

Making: We’ve been experimenting with different curries this week. Yummy!

Feeling: Over a month practicing social distancing and I’m feeling so weird… Every day is just so strange.

Planning: I’m almost finished painted my craft/library room. Hopefully this weekend I can start moving in furniture this weekend.

Loving: J and I have been turning to feel good television. It has made our nights so much more enjoyable.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• With the weather nicer, I want to go places even more. So sad that I cannot.

• I did order a blow-up pool and some bubbles for the kids once it’s warm again.

• And I impulse ordered an entire box of books from Book Outlet. Terrible, but I couldn’t resist.

• Priming my craft/library room has given me new motivation to get that finished to I can furnish and decorate.

• Speaking of, I really need to order the shelving units already.

• I hate making food multiple times a day…

Next up on the TBR pile:

Spring Bucket List Update #1

A new season has begun! The global pandemic has really put an interesting twist on planning for the spring. We didn’t end up traveling anywhere this month and have loaded up on home activities and schedules. And due to the uncertainty of the near future, I’m shortening the Spring Bucket List to create some manageable goals. - It looks like I was very optimistic a few weeks back and thought we would be able to do more things than we can. Focusing on the home activities.

1. Read 50 books (17/50)

2. Make fun cupcakes -

3. Create an Easter Egg Hunt ✓

4. Make a planter for the front porch -

5. Find two good parks -

6. Tie Dye Shirts with the boys -

7. Create a spring Spotify playlist -

8. Mini golf family night -

9. Go berry picking -

10. Sign Arthur up for summer camps

11. Go on a hike -

12. Have a picnic -

13. Put together the littles’s room -

14. Monthly Massage -

15. Go antiquing -

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #7

Reading: 1776 by David McCullough. Finally! It’s been sitting on my shelves for years at this point…

Watching: J and I are slowly making our way through Broadchurch S2.

Listening: I overdid it on podcasts last week, so I’m trying to listen to more music especially calming music. this week, I’ve been turning to simple piano tracks.

Making: Back to crafting a tiny bit. I’ve been working on my Memory Planner pages for February and March.

Feeling: Arguably I have more time on my hands right now. And yet, I find that I don’t have enough time to do things. I finally pinpointed my problem. My brain is having trouble focusing on tasks. I’m feeling so incredibly scattered.

Planning: We have dinners planned and supplies gathered for the next week or so. But then, I don’t know. And I don’t necessarily plan breakfasts and lunches, but thinking I should. Which leads to me to the next point…

Loving: Millard Public Schools is giving away free breakfast and lunches to students at select schools across the district. This is amazing! We don’t go every day, but have been hitting up the service a few times a week. Today we got Uncrustables, oranges, milk (chocolate and regular), muffins, string cheese, raisins, chips, and a snack (graham crackers or rice crispie treats). Such a great service to make sure the kids in our district are still being fed. This is helping my family add some variety to breakfast and lunches.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• Quarantining is hard, but the weather has at least been cooperating this week.

• I need to go grocery shopping tomorrow or Saturday. Dreading it greatly…

• I loved our outing to the Wildlife Safari yesterday even if the boys were grumpy. (Don’t worry, no one can get out of their cards. Just fun to see the animals.)

• #teamcake anyone?

• I keep waiting for more restrictions to come from our governor, but so far, they have been “suggestions.”

Next up on the TBR pile:

April 2020 Life Goals

Let’s check in on March''s goals and my progress.

• Read 20 books ✓

• Put in my Ikea house order - Fail. With all the changes this past month, I never got around to this.

• Get the Reading Retreat attendance set - Put on hold indefinitely…

• Secure Reading Retreat lodging - Ditto

• MPS move - Things got a little lost in the shuffle.

• Get the craft/library prepped for furniture and decor - Fail. I did make progress, just not ready to move things in yet.

April’s Goals:

• Read 20 books - Going for another big month.

• Paint the craft/library room - Getting so close!

• Make Easter baskets for the boys - I had bought things before we went into lockdown. Just need to get a bit creative for the last pieces.

• Clean up the yard - There are some dead plants and lots of leaves laying around. Hoping to get things cleaned up before everything really gets growing.

• Get supplies for a small vegetable garden - Arthur is really excited to grow some things especially tomatoes and zucchini.

• Every-other-day neighborhood walks - I would say every day but I know the weather will not cooperate some days. We are hoping to explore more of our neighborhood.

• Go on an Easter Egg hunt - The entire city of Omaha has gotten into doing a city-wide easter egg hunt. People have printed and colored easter eggs to hang in windows and doors. There’s a giant Google map filled with pins for houses with eggs. We are going to try and go out Friday and then again next week.

Next up on the TBR list:

Currently #6

Reading: Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay - Some of these essays are amazing.

Watching: J and I are in the middle of a rewatch of the Cornetto Trilogy. Last night we rewatched Hot Fuzz (J’s favorite; mine is Shaun of the Dead).

Listening: Arthur and Quentin have really amped up their fighting in the past week. It’s a bit much…

Making: Trader Joe’s lava cakes are oh so good and so easy to make!

Feeling: The twins have arrived at our house. I am relieved.

Planning: . This week I need to go to the grocery. I need to think on my strategy.

Loving: I’m managing to find quiet moments to read in between the school lessons and kids fighting.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• Happy Birthday to my two first babies! They definitely aren’t babies anymore and are taller than I am.

• Meal planning and grocery shopping are terrible right now. I have so much anxiety over food…

• This social distancing is really doing wonders for my reading. So many pages read this past week.

• We finally have finished moving everything to the new house and got the old house cleaned on Tuesday. Hoping to sign off on everything by tomorrow. One less worry.

• If my sandpaper would ever get delivered, I could start prepping the craft/library room for painting.

• Related, I need to finish removing the caulk from the blue bathroom so we can recaulk it and prep for painting.

• Home school with Arthur is going fairly well. We’re relaxed but still trying to structure our days a bit so they don’t devolve into fights and too much television.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Spring Bucket List

A new season has begun! The global pandemic has really put an interesting twist on planning for the spring. We didn’t end up traveling anywhere this month and have loaded up on home activities and schedules. And due to the uncertainty of the near future, I’m shortening the Spring Bucket List to create some manageable goals.

1. Read 50 books - I came so close to my winter goal of 45 books. Here’s hoping settling into the new house and health concerns lead to more reading.

2. Make fun cupcakes - I want to try some new-to-me recipe for these.

3. Create an Easter Egg Hunt - I need to put this on my calendar to collect small items and brainstorm some ideas.

4. Make a planter for the front porch - I want to do something to spruce up our front porch. It’s so boring right now…

5. Find two good parks - One of these days, the kids will be able to play outside. We need to scout out some fun parks!

6. Tie Dye Shirts with the boys - We have shirts and some dye, just need to get it all out and play!

7. Create a spring Spotify playlist - I need something fun to listen to in the house or when doing chores.

8. Mini golf family night - Hoping we can go in a few weeks.

9. Go berry picking - I hope we can go again this late spring…

10. Sign Arthur up for summer camps - I’m waiting for this due to health concerns.

11. Go on a hike - Maybe a state park? Or along the river?

12. Have a picnic - Even if we just have lunch or dinner on the back deck…

13. Put together the littles’s room - Right now everything is very much in pieces.

14. Monthly Massage - Yes please!

15. Go antiquing - I’m loving finding mid-century pieces for our new house. Hoping to go out soon.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Winter Bucket List Finish Line

And on to 2020! Let’s start the year off right with some fun and some organization! 8/20 completed

1. Read 45 books - So close! I’ve read 41 books so far this year.

2. Plan and execute a fun Valentine’s Day Party ✓

3. Buy and Complete a jigsaw puzzle - Bought one, haven’t actually put it together yet due to moving.

4. New house vision board ✓

5. Eat at 5 new-to-me restaurants 1/5

   • Plank Seafood - For my birthday day out!

6. Attend a theater performances

7. Movie Month February

8. Weekly Game Day/Night ✓

9. Make a seasonal door hanger/wreath ✓

10. Swim at the gym 5 times 1/5

11. Have an indoor picnic

12. Host a craft day ✓

13. Plan a weekend getaway ✓ - Working on planning a reading retreat for June.

14. Visit a new-to-the-boys museum

15. Spend an afternoon at a local bookstore ✓

16. Make ice cream sundaes

17. DIY Spa Night

18. Buy fresh flowers biweekly ✓

19. Go mini-golfing

20. Make a new dessert

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #5

Reading: Vox by Christina Dalcher. It’s the Girly Book Club selection for March. About 1/2 through and I’m not loving it at all…

Watching: Just about to pull up last night’s episode of The Bachelor. Now that spoilers have been posted, I’m having a hard time staying away.

Listening: Lots of NPR Politics podcasts to catch up on this week.

Making: Pulled pork for dinner tonight. I went easy for today…

Feeling: So so tired. Quentin has been sick this week (a cold) and he’s been waking up in the middle of the night a lot. I’m just so tired today.

Planning: Trying to get the next house projects in line. I want to prep and paint the craft and library room so I can actually use that space. Beyond that, I need to think what to do next.

Loving: I spent yesterday afternoon organizing the hall linen close and the master bathroom closet. They are so organized and pretty right now! We have way more closest space than stuff, but it wasn’t organized yet. Now those spaces really make me happy.

Next up on the TBR pile:

2020 Soups and Stews from Around the World - January and February

Week 1: Poronkaristys from Finland

Basically this recipe was reindeer stew over homemade mashed potatoes with a side of lingonberry jam (we subbed with cranberry jam as the store was out of lingonberry jam). The combination of salty and sweet was perfect! We really enjoyed this dish! The original used a reindeer roast, but those are incredibly hard to find. We went with reindeer sausage and I think it tasted really good.

Recipe used from The Food Dictator

Week 2: Chorizo and Black Bean Soup from Venezuela

This one was a dud for us. Somehow it managed to be both too dry and wet at the same time. I could probably switch out the chorizo and beans to help it along, but we decided the flavors in the broth weren’t amazing anyway.

Recipe used from Closet Cooking

Week 3: Sega Wat from Ethiopia

This was so incredibly delicious! It’s definitely going into our Top 10 of the year and the regular rotation in Paprika. It might even take the top stop. I added more spice than listed in the recipe and so glad I did! This was so incredibly flavorful and full of spice. Those hard boiled eggs and the injera on the side elevated the dish so much. (Full disclosure: We bought the injera from an Ethiopian restaurant in town.)

Recipe used from The Daring Gourmet

Week 4: Jani Me Fasule from Albania

Another dud. This turned into a pastey mess with little flavor. Definitely didn’t want a second helping.

Recipe used from Cookipedia

Week 5: Meatball and Couscous Soup from Morocco

Decent recipe but not amazing. I might try and make this again, but add more spice mix to the meatballs and kick up the broth a bit.

Recipe used from Little Spice Jar

Week 6: Mince Stew from New Zealand

Ehhh…. not amazing. This was like a lesser version of my sloppy joes.

Recipe used from All Recipes

Week 7: Asam Pedas (Spicy Tamarind Fish Stew) from Malaysia

This was very interesting… I loved the flavors but not the complete execution. I definitely want to try making this one again with some minor tweaks. All the ingredients besides the fish needed to be in smaller chunks and maybe simmered longer on the stove before spooning over rice. But it was good and we enjoyed eating it as is.

Recipe used from Roti and Rice

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• It’s my birthday! That’s all.

Next up on the TBR pile:

March 2020 Life Goals

Let’s check in on February''s goals and my progress.

• Read 15 books - Success!

• Week out UnRead Shelf - Success! I weeded out 6 books.

• Complete 3 house projects - Fail… I made progress on both wallpapered rooms, but that’s about it. So much time and effort went into other things.

• Put in my Ikea house order - Fail. Not Yet.

• Secure Reading Retreat lodging - Fail. Not yet.

• Plan Birthday day - Success! I have a plan and it’s going to happen this Sunday.

• Start the moving process - Success! We accelerated our timeline and moved into the new house yesterday.

• MPS move - Fail. Need to do this!

• Get rid of stuff before move - Success!

• February movie month - Fail… we got very wrapped up in moving.

March’s Goals:

• Read 20 books - Want to keep this going and anticipate a higher reading month! I have stack of comics to help push my totals higher.

• Put in my Ikea house order - Still playing around the what to order.

• Get the Reading Retreat attendance set - Deadline is March 31st….

• Secure Reading Retreat lodging - Want to get this done soon.

• MPS move - Carryover task

• Get the craft/library prepped for furniture and decor - I need to finish stripping the wallpaper and then paint the walls.

Next up on the TBR list:

Winter Bucket List Update #3

And on to 2020! Let’s start the year off right with some fun and some organization!

1. Read 45 books — I want to start off the year strong with my reading!

2. Plan and execute a fun Valentine’s Day Party -

3. Buy and Complete a jigsaw puzzle — I love doing puzzles to relax. I need to find a new good one.

5. Eat at 5 new-to-me restaurants — Omaha has so many great restaurants and I want to explore a bit!

8. Attend two theater performances — Our membership to the Rose Theater gets us free tickets to two shows and discounted tickets to one show this season. Now to pick what to see!

9. Bake some bread — I love fresh homemade bread with some jam or honey and a cup of tea. Winter means baking to me, but I want to branch out from cookies…

10. Make winter crafts — We can’t really spend a lot of time outside, so it’s prime time for crafting. I need to peruse Pinterest for some ideas.

11. Create a table centerpiece — I want to decorate the house a bit more now that we’re out of the baby stage. I think I’ll start with the dining room table.

13. Movie Month January — I’m going to start the season off right with an entire month of (mostly) new-to-me movies!

14. Weekly Game Day/Night with Arthur — We have a ton of card and board games at the house. I want to start playing more regularly with Arthur.

16. Try 3 new hot chocolate recipes/mixes — Arthur discovered his love of hot chocolate over Christmas. Let’s explore a bit!

17. Visit two new-to-the-boys museums — I’m thinking probably SAC and The Durham.

18. Have an indoor picnic — Weather doesn’t allow for outside ones of course.

19. Swim at the gym 5 times — The indoor pool is great, let’s attempt to utilize it this season!

20. Host a tea party! — Part of my attempt to make some new friends.

22. Make a seasonal door hanger/wreath — We have a hook on our door. I want to decorate it!

23. Find a great coffee shop for me! — Not Starbucks, not Scooter’s. Something local and interesting.

24. Spend an afternoon at a local bookstore — I need to find a go-to place for browsing.

25. Explore an area of Omaha — Really anywhere that’s outside of our little area of town.

Next up on the TBR pile: