Hi there, and welcome! This monthly newsletter contains recommendations, interesting articles, recipes, and fun finds. Get comfortable, settle in for a bit, and let’s get caught up. ☺️
FYI, this month’s recap is a little longer than usual. I guess I had so much to share!
March Chit Chat 🍀
I’m on spring break this week and enjoying the lazy mornings. I love stepping outside with coffee and listening to the birdsongs. April is here in all her glory, so it’s time to reflect on last month. March kept us busy sprucing things around here—getting rid of the weeds the winter rains caused, planting hillsides, and spreading fresh gravel. Flowers are beginning to pop up everywhere.
Here are the highlights from last month:
Wine tasting with friends visiting from France
Breakfast with my darling daughter-in-law
Tony’s hand surgery-it’s impressive what he can accomplish with only one hand!
Lunch with a friend I hadn’t seen since last summer
A celebration of life for a man who died way too young.
Enjoying the church’s Easter service and holiday with my family (but missing those who weren’t there)
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Everyday Loves
Day dates with Tony ❤️
We finally got around to watching All the Light You Cannot See-it was so good!
I recently invested in a new yoga mat for my home workouts, and I must say, it’s a game-changer. It's thicker than my previous one, providing extra cushioning and support, making exercise even more enjoyable and effective.
This Mrs. Meyer’s soap smells like springtime!
Emily P. Freeman’s latest book-I am confident I will read this repeatedly. It contains so many good nuggets of wisdom!
Noteworthy Links
From the Kitchen
Weeknight Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches with Pickle Slaw—I confess that we ate these without buns, and I skipped the ranch seasoning, but nevertheless, they were yummy!
I made this fresh and simple dessert for Easter, and it was a hit! I used vegan heavy cream, which whipped up the same as regular heavy cream. Hooray!
One night, I planned turkey burgers for dinner and decided I wanted some aioli for them, so I quickly made some. Here is the recipe:
Lemon Garlic Aioli
1/2 C mayonnaise
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/2 TBSP Dijon mustard
1 TBSP lemon juice
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
-Combine the ingredients in a small bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.
"Spring work is going on with joyful enthusiasm." —John Muir
What were your highlights from last month? I hope April brings you joy 💛
With Love, Natalie xx
One more thing-
If you’re in your 40s or older, you may enjoy my dear friend Jenni’s substack, The Midlife Beauty Edit. She writes about wellness, beauty, and menopause and shares some exciting interviews.
Hi! What an interesting read! How is Tony’s hand healing? He’s such a busy guy, I can’t imagine him ‘one handed’! Gosh that essay on exercising your brain muscles was good - it was challenging to consider what I could be doing to stay more healthy for the future. As always, I am in awe of your kitchen skills… glorious taste!! Not much to report here, just a lot of rain… bring on summer!! Xx
Loved this recap so much, and endlessly grateful for your kind and generous shout-out - thank you, thank you, thank you! I wish we had Mrs Meyer's products available here, I've often looked out for them as they look and smell amazing from all I've seen, and yes!!! 🙌 to a thicker and more supportive workout mat, I've found the same for Pilates (that extra depth of cushioning makes all the difference). I just got Emily P. Freeman's new book on Audible, as have heard such good things about it. Plan to plug in today! That feature on exercising different parts of the brain is FASCINATING, and now I want to make lemon garlic aioli. YUM! Much 💗