Natalie's Notebook- April Recap
A great hair mask, how to clean out a burned pot, & an April photo dump
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Welcome! This monthly newsletter is not just about recommendations, interesting articles, recipes, and fun finds; it’s about sharing a part of my life with you. When I write these, I like to imagine we are meeting in person for coffee, lunch, or a glass of wine to chat. So, pour yourself a drink, find somewhere comfortable to sit, and let’s get caught up. ☺️
April Chit Chat 💐
April was a busy, busy month! I was away half the time for various reasons (more below), so April sped by. At home, Tony was hard at work landscaping. So many plants were planted, spaces were cut and cleared from all the winter’s growth, a gate for our courtyard was ordered, and some plans were made for our property.
Here are my April highlights:
A getaway with Tony (you can read about it here)
A lovely, intimate dinner at our local winery
A vacation to Hawaii with my daughter (see what’s always inside my carry-on)
Celebrating Easter and the resurrection of Jesus!
A trip to WA that included a birthday celebration, sightseeing, a tulip festival, shopping, and an Irish pub
Book Club- we discussed this book and all loved it.
Everyday Loves
I wanted a simple belt bag for work, walks, hikes, etc., but I didn’t want to use the sports sling I mentioned here. After buying and trying several, I landed on this Lululemon dupe.
I purchased this deep hydrating hair mask during the recent Sephora sale and love how shiny and healthy my hair is after using it.
These delicious apple chips!
I received an advanced reader copy of David Gate’s new book of poetry, A Rebellion of Care, and found a few poems that struck me. Here is one of his well-known poems.
Noteworthy Links
New Dietary Guidelines Aim to Optimize Public Health, Not Personal Health- “Recommendations to limit meat and eggs are overly simplistic and misleading.”
7 Ways to Be a More Thoughtful Friend- “It just might take a little organization and paying attention to show your people you care.”
A Trick to Clean Out A Badly Burned Pot- such a great tip!
From the Kitchen
Because I wasn’t home for much of April, I didn’t try any new recipes. Here are a few I bookmarked to try:
Chopped Salad with Jalapeño-Ranch Dressing (NYT gift link)
Tell me, what were your April highlights?
I hope your May is marvelous!
With love, Natalie xx
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"May, the month of sunshine, blooming flowers, and endless possibilities." - Unknown
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Awww so sweet to see your photos and read your links; thanks so much for sharing! I love How to be a Better Friend. It’s such a gift to me when people are kind, I want to be that kind of person, too. My favorite part of life recently was a visit from special friends, who went out of their way to stop in Ireland. It was so wonderful to spend quality time with them xx
Love that poem, Natalie, thank you for sharing! Now I really want to try the hair mask. Your photos looks amazing, as always! I hope your May is going well! xx