Is it just me, or is April always super busy?!

If we're going to be honest, April has always been a busy month for me. Between my birthday and Easter (usually), it was also the prime time to prepare for AP tests in high school and finals while I went to BYU. April of last year (2015) was probably the least busy April I've had in a long time since I was done with school and just had birthdays, Easter, and a baby to worry about.

This year? Busy. Super busy.

Firstly, Douglas graduated from BYU with his Masters degree in Information Systems Management! This meant that we had family in town, which meant that we had plenty of things to keep us busy all week, from lots of eating together to hiking the Y (but only partially because... 2 toddlers and a pre-schooler. Enough said.) to playing at kids gyms and taking walks up in Provo Canyon.

On top of that, we got a house. Thus, April was full of packing, and driving back and forth from apartment to house, and inspections, and appliance/tool shopping, and cleaning... so tiring.

Add Easter to that, as well my first prenatal visit, hosting my brother at our apartment for several days right before our big moving day, and having 5 birthdays (including mine) to celebrate among Doug's immediate family members alone... and it was a crazy month. There were occasional tears and lots of ice cream breaks and here we finally are at the end of the month!

We survived.

I'll have plenty of things to blog about in the next month, some obvious ones being this second pregnancy and about some of the ups and downs of home ownership. I'm also excited to get back to working on my photography (my camera's been put on the back burner for the past month or two) and picking my Trim Healthy Mama recipes back up again (I still need to post about that!)

So... here's to getting through this busy month! I love April, but goodness it's always kind of crazy!

New Nest

As of last weekend, we officially moved into our new apartment! And as of this weekend, we finished deep-cleaning our previous apartment. Another chapter of our life has been closed. Wymount, it was fun while it lasted - but I do not regret leaving. (yet?)

This apartment is much bigger. No cinderblock. Air conditioning and ceiling fans. A dishwasher. And we still have a balcony (it faces the sunset!) and several big windows, which makes this apartment lighter on cloudy days than our Wymount apartment ever was on sunny days. It makes me happier already.

Meanwhile, I'll borrow a picture from Instagram: world, meet Clarissa Rose. Claire for short. She's only a couple weeks old and the cutest little niece a girl could ask for.

In addition to cuddling with that snuggle bug, I've written up a new schedule for myself so that I am sure to make the most of my time each day, and I discovered the wonderful magic of one-ingredient banana ice cream today. Yeah, it's just frozen bananas chopped down until they're smooth and creamy. And it's so good. Next time I make it, I'm adding in some chocolate and peanut butter flavors. All the healthiness of bananas and peanut butter, but it tastes like ice cream. Magic, I tell you. Magic.

Just Look, Don't Touch

I have a feeling that after we're done moving and I've unpacked everything, life will get very boring unless I decide to be proactive. I'm at an interesting point in my life, and I'll cover that in a different post, but the fact remains that I am a graduated college student with nothing to busy herself with at this point in time other than moving apartments, and so what in heavens name should I do until then?!

Well, let's see. I have a "pin-but-never-act" relationship with my Pinterest boards. So many cute projects that I just sit and stare at but never attempt. I look at the pictures but never advance to the "hands-on" stage.

I have an idea.
A mad, crazy idea.
Why don't I actually put my Pinterest boards to use!
*Gasp*
Crazy idea, I know.
But there are some dang cute things on there, and I want to actually put my mind to work on some of these things.

Here are some of my top "must-try" picks for the summer (all pictures and links can be found on my Pinterest boards)


Re-purposed bottles (Doug and I don't drink, but empty Martinelli's bottles work!)

This birthday sign. How cute is it?! I mean...

Simple skirt. I admit, sewing scares me. At least, sewing something without a pattern scares me. This skirt is freehand. Think I can do it? Maybe?

Figure out cute ways to organize everything. Organization is something I need more of.

Cheesy Onion Pull-Apart Bread. Get in my belly.

Actually, everything on my food board can just get in my belly. And I've made a goal to try to start cooking actual meals more, instead of just popping pasta on the stove or slapping a grilled cheese sandwich together. And actually, I just need to cook more in general. Doug has had his turn.

There are many more things - flower vases, up-cycled furniture, wreaths - so I know I can find ways to keep myself entertained.

Meanwhile, we find out if Doug got into grad school sometime this month! That will determine whether we stay in our new apartment for a while or just until August. If he doesn't get in, then we'll be preparing to move north so he's closer to work and doesn't have a 40+ minute commute every time he goes up there. That's one of the many factors preventing me from settling in with a job or anything right now...