The March Edit

Help! I'm covered in pollen.

If you’re a new reader, the Monthly Edit is a brain dump of everything I consumed (or consumed me) during the month. This newsletter is filled with recommendations that I hope will add value to your life.

Is it possible that March felt just as long as January? I accomplished so much, but dang! I feel like I lived 3 lives in just 31 days. My husband and I started the month at the beach for the wedding reception of a college friend. We took the kids to multiple doctor’s appointments (the pollen in the South is AWFUL) and still had time for play dates, tennis clinics, school events, conferences, and more. I would be LOST without my Google calendar, that’s for sure.

I made more time for movies this month than I have so far this year. Somehow, Like I mentioned above, I accomplished so much in March and while I don’t mind being busy, it’s a nice reminder that there was some downtime too.

• The Lord of the Rings (1978)

• 10 Things I Hate About You

• Picture This

• My Fault: London

• Surprised by Oxford

• Challengers

• One True Loves

• Moana 2

• Harold and the Purple Crayon

I posted my March reading recap earlier in the week, which includes my first 4 favorite romances of the year:

• Change of Heart by Falon Ballard

• First-Time Caller by B.K. Borison

• Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto

• Beg, Borrow, or Steal by Sarah Adams

We read A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon and the library and my kids adored it! What’s funny is another parent suggested they read it and they totally took the bait! I ended up picking out a stack of bear-themed books that I plan to share with you soon. Sometimes, themes present themselves to me on the shelf!

I stumbled upon the playlist Franklin’s Record Collection on Apple Music that celebrates Black History Month through the music of African American artists that Franklin Armstrong and his family from Peanuts loves. With artists like Chuck Berry, Stevie Wonder, Ella Fitzgerald, and Otis Redding, it’s sure to get you moving and grooving.

Another playlist my kids love is the Kids’ Playdate playlist on Apple Music. There are some good pop songs from Tones and I, Taylor Swift, and Katy Perry mixed in with songs your kis might recognize from movies and TV. This one is really popular with my six-year-old old who seems to be picking up more music from her gym class at school.

A big win for us this month was frozen lasagna. Keep one in your freezer and it comes in handy on days you don’t feel like cooking. It also happens to be one of the few meals both of my kids will eat. Add a little more nutrition by jazzing it up with a bag of salad or fresh green beans and some garlic knots.

I saw a TikTok that said our generation’s version of a casserole is a bowl and I think that’s a succinct assessment! I’ve been treating myself to CAVA on the way home from my work trips and it always hits the spot. Bowls are such an easy way to get healthy, colorful, and nutritious food on the table for families. When you present something as a bowl that your kids can build themselves, they feel a sense of autonomy by being able to pick what foods taste good to them which cuts down on the whining and complaining (at least in my experience). Burrito bowls work well for us.

Our month started with the wedding of a friend from college at Middleton Place in Charleston, SC. We had so much fun reconnecting, dancing the night away, and saying hello to the sheep (especially Mud and Peggy). My husband and I enjoyed our child-free time at the beach and ate lots of delicious food. We also attended the Clemson Men’s Soccer preseason game against The Charleston Battery! It was not a good game but the experience was a fun one.

My daughter’s elementary school had an art show and literacy night thanks to Title I funding (which is at risk due to proposed cuts to the Department of Education). I was out of town for a work conference but enjoyed seeing pictures from the night. Her portrait of a penguin turned out so well!

Our Girl Scout Troop worked towards their animal observer and pet badges and had the opportunity to visit a local vet. One of our Brownie moms is a veterinarian and invited the girls to her office to look at samples on a microscope, interact with animals, and learn how to approach pets.

One of our annual traditions is to make a Leprechaun trap for St. Paddy’s Day. It’s always a very serious event to plan out a trap that will catch the Leprechaun and guard our fake gold. Unfortunately, this was not our lucky year! We spent our St. Patrick’s Day evening playing Bingo at school. Games have provided hours of entertainment at our house lately, especially since my husband taught our 3-year-old how to play Slap Jack! It has become a nightly request in place of roughhousing so I can’t complain.

There was a moment in the car this month where we were listening to a Disney playlist. When You Wish Upon a Star from the Pinocchio movie came on and my 6-year-old asked if I knew why it was considered an “iconic” Disney song (she uses big words effortlessly, which I love about her). I told her that I think it’s because at its heart, the Disney brand is all about making your dreams come true. Anything you can dream up can become a reality. We’re having more heartfelt conversations like this lately and it’s becoming more and more apparent to me that she’s growing up. It’s bittersweet to say goodbye to my idea of her as a little kid, but I’m excited to witness who she becomes. Will you sing along with me?

When you wish upon a star
Makes no difference who you are
Anything your heart desires
Will come to you

If your heart is in your dream
No request is too extreme
When you wish upon a star
As dreamers do

Fate is kind
She brings to those who love
The sweet fulfillment of
Their secret longing

Like a bolt out of the blue
Fate steps in and sees you through
When you wish upon a star
Your dreams come true

🐍 Alyssa’s Year of Dramione Fanfiction is a great place to start if you’re ready to dip your toes into fanfic. I started reading Dramione stories a few years ago and have read some of the more popular stories but I have tons more to go. In fact, I read Draco Malfoy and The Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love in March.

👚Anna’s Practical Guide to Finding Your Style Postpartum resonated with me. I’m not sure I can still categorize myself as postpartum when my youngest child is already 3.5 years old, but I’m still struggling to redefine my style and find outfits I feel comfortable in.

💪🏽Clarkie’s bold statement that Supporting Children’s Reading Stamina is Everyone’s Job made me unexpectedly reassess my own media habits. I’m one of the parents who said aloud during Kindergarten, “I didn’t think it was my job to teach my child to read. I thought the school would do most of the heavy lifting.”

📖Andrea poses some helpful questions for gauging How to Know Yourself as a Reader.

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Wishing you lots of warm and pleasant weather in the days to come!

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