First, we choose three color-coordinating bouquets. As you can see, our base color for these arrangements is yellow. We used bright yellow daisies, yellow carnations with pink edges, and pink rose sprays.

When we get them home I spread all the flowers out across the table. I pick out any that are broken, divide them for the two vases I'm using, and trim the stems down to the right height. I put my water and the vitamix stuff in first so it's good and mixed up.

As for arranging the flowers, well, I'm no expert by any means. I usually start with the biggest flowers first and then mix the smaller ones in in a circular pattern, keeping the heavier flowers in the middle. Our arrangements last about two weeks.


 
 

I'm honestly not sure how I was able to read this many books in March, it was such a crazy, mixed-up month schedule-wise. I also decided to change up my genres a little bit. I've been on a detective kick lately, especially for Isaac Bell, but I've read all the ones at my library and had a few new titles waiting to be read on my Kindle. So without further ado, here are my brief reviews of the books I read in March.


A Beautiful Poison
Author: Lydia Kang

Summary: Three friends separated by circumstance find themselves reunited as the people around them start to die of various poisonings. As the trio work to solve the crimes, old secrets are brought to the surface. To make matters even more complicated, a horrible outbreak of influenza sweeps the city.

My Thoughts: This book kept me guessing until the very end, and I was still wrong. It's probably the best book I've read so far this year (that wasn't an Isaac Bell detective adventure). I can't say much more without giving it away, but I highly recommend this book.


Friends Like These
Author: Hannah Ellis

Summary: Marie is newly single when she moves back in with her best friend only to find out her friend has been transferred to another country. In an effort to put herself out there, Marie goes to a speed dating event but ends up in a weight-loss meeting. As the title suggests, she ends up with an odd assortment of friends from this misadventure, but it turns out they're just what she needs.

My Thoughts: I've read a lot of British rom-coms, and this one is not as funny as the others I've read. That's not to say it isn't funny, but the comedic points are more subtle and quirky. It was fun to watch these different relationships unfold and the main character become more herself, although the development of the romantic relationship did get a little frustrating at times.


The Cactus
Author: Sarah Haywood

Summary: Susan's life is perfectly in order until she unexpectedly finds herself pregnant in her mid-40s and her mother dies, leaving her childhood home to the brother she does not get along with at all. Susan is convinced she can win the house away from her brother in court so that she can sell it and use the profit to help raise her child. The majority of the book focuses on that effort, with some side plots about developing friendships thrown in.

My Thoughts: Susan is a very unlikable character who thinks she's better/smarter/etc. than everyone else. Throughout the entire book, I wanted to reach through the pages and shake her. I'm actually not sure why I kept reading. I guess I was waiting on Susan to have some big change in character, but other than finding herself in a relationship, that didn't happen. Someone out there may really like this book, but it just wasn't my cup of tea.


The Hopefuls
Author: Jennifer Close

Summary: Beth follows her aspiring politician husband, Matt, to Washington, D.C., where she absolutely hates living until they meet Jimmy and Ashleigh. Matt bounces from one unsatisfactory job to the next, while Jimmy seems to have all the luck. Eventually, Jimmy is asked to run for a state position in Texas and wants Matt to be his campaign manager. Matt and Beth move to Texas, where they live in the guest quarters of Jimmy and Ashleigh's home. Tensions get higher and higher as the campaign wears on and eventually reach the breaking point.

My Thoughts: I really connected with Beth. She's a journalist who lost her job at Vanity Fair and then doesn't really find the right fit in DC. The book is told from her point of view, and surprisingly I actually liked that it was written in first person (usually I don't). Overall, I enjoyed the more personal aspect of how a life in politics can affect everything. I also liked watching the dynamics of the friendships play out. One note: this book is written with a democratic point of view, so Republicans beware.


The Ballroom
Author: Anna Hope

Summary: John Mulligan and Ella Fay are residents at Sharston Asylum in the early 1900s, although neither is admitted for reasons that would stand up in today's world. The two meet at one of the facility's weekly dances and a relationship develops. Meanwhile, John attracts the anger of one of the doctors, and Ella befriends a suicidal woman who lives in books. The doctor plays a huge role in all three of their lives, making crucial decisions for each of them that ultimately decides their fates.

My Thoughts: This book is beautifully tragic. It's also a stark statement about the mental health industry in the early 1900s. I liked that it was told from the points of view of three main characters - John, Ella, and the doctor, who has some mental health issues of his own. There were also two strong supporting characters that helped shape this story. The ending is so bittersweet. It's a love story unlike any other I've read.


Neverland and Pan's Revenge
Author: Anna Katmore

Summary: In this retelling of Peter Pan, Angelina (Angel) finds herself accidentally transported to Neverland, but the fairytale she knows and loves doesn't match up with this magical world. In fact, Captain James (Jamie) Hook isn't quite as bad as the stories make him out to be. In the first book of the series, Angel and Jamie find themselves drawn together, but every day that passes in Neverland means more of Angel's memory erased, so it's a race against time to get her home. In the second book, Jamie realizes he can't live without his love and reverses the spell that's been keeping Neverland from moving forward in time. The consequences on Peter Pan are deadly and he's determined to get revenge.

My Thoughts: I love fairytale retellings, and this one did not disappoint. I loved how it kept comparing Peter and Hook to the Disney versions. I loved the sensual moments (no sex) between Angel and Jamie. I definitely recommend this series to anyone who likes fairytales/fantasy.

I can't believe there's only a week left in March. It'll be summer before I know it, and I'm not quite ready for triple-digit heat or especially the humidity that come with it. Our Spring weather has been all over the place the last few weeks, as you'll see in the arrangement of Instagram photos I'm sharing today. I actually have lots of newer pieces to link to this go 'round.

For sizing reference, I'm usually a 6 in pants/skirts, S/M in tops/dresses, and wear size 7 in shoes.

We love Mexican food. We eat some version of it at least once a week, whether we go out to our favorite restaurant or make tacos at home. Alexis has gotten to where she really likes enchiladas, so one night instead of tacos we decided to try our hand at home-made enchiladas. Our first try they came out way too spicy, and I ended up making Alexis something entirely different to eat, and I only ate one. We decided to try again, and the result was so good. So if your family likes Mexican food but you just can't do another taco night, try our Easy Chicken Enchiladas Recipe.

What You Need
2 Big Cans Chicken
1 Packet Fajita Seasoning (I used Old El Paso)
1 Block Cream Cheese
10 Soft Tortillas
1 Small Can Red Enchilada Sauce (I used mild Old El Paso)
1 Small Bag Shredded Taco Cheese


What You Do
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix chicken (drained), cream cheese, fajita seasoning, and about a cup of shredded cheese together in a big bowl. It works best if you use your hands. (I tried using my handheld mixer. Big mistake.)


Spoon some of the filling into your tortillas and roll tightly. Place them on greased baking pan, seam side down. Cover with enchilada sauce and sprinkle the tops with remaining shredded cheese. For Alexis, we did a smaller pan without the enchilada sauce.


Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the cheese is starting to turn brown.

Once they're done, you can top them with sour cream, guacamole, lettuce and tomatoes, and/or salsa.

Bonus: Because the chicken is cooked, the filling to these enchiladas can be eaten outside the tortilla. In fact, I think it'd be a fantastic chicken cheese ball.

Has your family fallen into the convenient but bad habit of not eating dinner together at the table? There are a lot of reasons why you should insist on family dinners. Statistics show that eating dinner together as a family leads to better academic performance, higher self-esteem, lowered risks of drug abuse, depression, eating disorders, and obesity.

As a working mom with a husband who does shift work, I know that getting everyone together at the same time can be challenging. A lot of nights Alexis and I eat dinner by ourselves. On those nights, we usually eat something simple, and more often than not we don't eat at the table. Instead we get out the TV trays and eat in the living room while we watch a show or movie. Whenever we eat together as a whole family, we eat at the table with the TV off.

Here are the major differences between those two scenarios in our house:
-When we eat at the table, the conversation is more focused. The TV isn't distracting us.
-Alexis eats better, if not slower, at the table. I'm more confident in knowing that she's full.
-The after-dinner clean-up is confined to one small area instead of the entire living room.

Whenever we get ready to sit down to eat, it never fails - Alexis is going to ask to eat in front of the TV. I can't blame her, really. At almost 4 years old, a cartoon or movie is more interesting than the dinner table...or is it? I believe there are simple things we can do to make dinner more fun so our kids will actually enjoy sitting down with mom and dad. Below are five tricks I've used with much success.

1. Put a New Spin on an Old Favorite
With smaller children, it's easy to fall into a dinner rut. Often times they'll only eat two or three types of meals, and if you're like me, you refuse to fix two separate dinners to compensate for it. Thankfully, Alexis is growing out of that stage so our weekly meals are getting more diverse, but for awhile all we ate was tacos, chili and spaghetti. So how do you change things up for such simple dishes? You can swap out tacos for cheesy chicken enchiladas (recipe to come), chili for chili mac, and add meatballs to plain old spaghetti.

2. Set the Table
Generally speaking, I fix our dinner plates in the kitchen and then carry them to the table. But every once in awhile, I set the table properly with all of our food in fun serving dishes. We always have flowers on the table (it's one of mine and Alexis's things), but sometimes if we're feeling fancy we'll light some candles.

3. Pull Out Your Nice Dinner Plates and/or Fancy Glasses
Most nights we eat on plain white, indestructible Corelle plates. They're easy to wash, and I don't have to worry about them getting dropped and broken. But I try to pull out our nicer stoneware plates at least once a week. They're more colorful and make dinner feel a little fancier. I usually only pull out my goblets when we have guests, and even then Alexis doesn't get one because of her age, but this is definitely something I'll do when she's older.

4. Have Dessert
For most dinners, we don't do dessert, so adding a dessert to our menu makes the meal seem a little more special, even if it's just a bowl of ice cream.

5. Let Your Little Ones Help
This may be the most important tip. Your kids will be more excited about eating a dinner they helped prepare. And you don't have to give them a big job. Alexis is happy if I let her pour in the ingredients of something I'm mixing or stirring a pot of something. But it is important that you let them know how much help they were. That way they'll want to keep helping in the future!

 I hope you like these tips and that they help make your family's dinner time more fun! Share ways you get your kids to the table fuss-free in the comments!

Have you ever wanted to look business casual but completely disregarded what you'd actually be doing that day? Cue this outfit, specifically my wedge sandals that are not made for lots of walking, which is exactly what I did this day. I always like to look put together and semi-professional whenever I deliver magazines to businesses. I mean, my picture is in every issue after all. But as cute as this outfit turned out, I wish I had some forethought to wear flats and save my feet from the giant blisters that showed up not even halfway through the mission.

I've had these pants for a little over a year now, and while I love them - the color and fit are both amazing - I have a hard time styling them. I think it's the material. They're not really dressy but they're not really casual either, and I struggle to hit the right note between casual and dressy. I don't think I did too badly with this outfit. I liked how the green pants pulled out the greens in the shirt's pattern. I have a couple more shirts with the same shade of green in them so I'll be pairing them with these pants in the future, although I'm not sure what shoes I'll wear.

For reference, I'm 5'2" with a short torso. I typically wear size 6/8 or S/M in clothing and size 7 in shoes.

Details
Shirt (old): The Limited (similar, similar)
Pants: Lila Ryan (via StitchFix)
Shoes: Marshall's

With each new season comes expectations of change. Now that we've officially sprang forward and the weather is trending away from freezing temperatures, it's time to start thinking about things to do with the kiddos now that we've got more hours of daylight. I've rounded up some fun activities for kids of all ages.

Visit a local park or playground. You can choose a new park/playground every weekend to keep things fresh.

Go for a walk or bike ride.

Have a bubble party. All you need is bubble mix and an assortment of wands. If you want to go all out, you can buy bubble guns or a bubble machine.

Decorate your driveway or sidewalk with sidewalk chalk. You could even give small awards for the most creative drawings.

Set up a driveway obstacle course using hula hoops, sidewalk chalk, jump ropes...whatever you've got!

Grab a blanket, fill up a basket with yummy sandwiches and snacks, and go on a picnic. It can be as simple as your front yard or going to your favorite park.

Fly a kite.

Plant a garden. Whether it's vegetables or flowers, it's a constructive way to let your kids play in the dirt. Plus they'll love seeing their plants grow.

Mini golf is perfect for the entire family, and it's a great evening activity. Just remember the insect repellent,

Take a day trip. You could go to an amusement park or visit a zoo.

For those inevitable rainy weekends, you can spend a few hours at a trampoline park or arcade.

What are some things you and your family are looking forward to this spring?

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef
• 2.5 cups water
• 1 beef bouillon cube
• 2 cans diced tomatoes
• 1 can kidney beans
• 15 oz. tomato sauce
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 cups macaroni (uncooked)
• Shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

1. Using the saute function, brown your ground beef. I seasoned mine with onion slices from my spice rack and garlic powder. Drain.

2. Add water, bouillon cube, beans, tomato sauce, tomatoes, seasonings, and macaroni. Stir.

3. Close lid, making sure vent is in the sealed position.

4. Use the manual setting. Cook 5 minutes.

5. 10 minute natural pressure release, followed by quick release.

6. Carefully open lid. Add shredded mozzarella and stir.

7. Serve and enjoy!

We ate ours with Ritz crackers but this would also be good served with baked cornbread.


Click here for the original recipe.

I haven't done one of these in awhile. Truth be told, I don't need as much motivating these days. We had a busy weekend, so I didn't get around to pre-scheduling my posts for this week, but I didn't want to not post on Monday. I feel like if I skip Monday, the rest of the week kind of falls apart, at least for the blog. My work pace will be picking up this week in anticipation of a late delivery on this month's magazines. There are lots of people to contact, a calendar to fill up with events, and a guide to put together. I hope you guys have an amazing week!