Share 4 Somethings; March 2023

 It's nearly the end of the month and that means it's time for Share 4 Somethings with Jennifer. As always we're looking at what we loved, read, learned, and ate this month.  


Loved-- We had some really lovely hikes this month; we've been having so many families showing up for our Friday homeschool hikes. 




The views near Mashapaug Lake were amazing




Read-- I read another great dozen or so books this month and am making great headway into my 52 Book challenge!  I'd be hard pressed to pick a favorite for the month but am really excited about reading the next 2 books in the dystopian trilogy The Testing.



Learned-- I learned that scrapbooking is much easier with an additional table on the side; my husband noticed me putting together all my die cuts together on the floor so I could cut and work on multiple pages at once. He suggesting getting a folding table to set up when working and picked one up on our BJ's trip-- it works so great and no more sore back!!




Ate- I ate a varied mix of very healthy and very junky meals and foods this month.  

2 ingredient dough with ham roll ups and apple slices (just 4 WW points)

A veggie platter with a tuna sandwich on 647 Bread (just 3 points)

These amazing caramel cold brew M&M's are my new favorite flavor!  

Light English muffins with PB and peaches (5 points)

Egg salad on a light English muffin with peaches and tomatoes (3 points)

This vegetable tortellini soup-- 6 or so points per serving because of the pasta 

a large salad with Boca Chick'n patty and dressing-- 4 points

BBQ pulled pork tenderloins over cauliflower rice and veggies

A large salad with deli ham and croutons-- 3 points

I made a cinnamon mocha cake for St. Patrick's day and it was ssooo delicious! 

Linking up with: Spread the Kindness,







Comments

  1. Your nature pictures are so pretty. What a beautiful area for hiking! Your craft area is perfect! Is it odd to want to be paper crafty mostly just to have an organized and functional space to do it in, lol?

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    1. Aw, thank you! And.. nope, I really don't find that odd! LOL.

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  2. Those images from your hikes are gorgeous! What a voracious reader you are and I would love a separate table for my art journaling! That cake is amazing.

    https://www.kathrineeldridge.com

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    1. Aw, thank you! I took up cake decorating when my boys were little and I love to break out my tools every now and then and exercise those muscles.

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  3. How fun to hike in a group and that bridge is beautiful!

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    1. It took them a crazy amount of years to build it but I love that we not longer have to try and play frogger crossing the road! It really is a lovely bridge.

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    1. Thanks! We love it. They have been putting in a lot of money fixing up this trail these past few years.

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  5. Cold brew M&M's?? I haven't seen those...
    Your nature photos are so beautiful. That bridge is so cool.

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    1. Cold brew CARAMEL! LOL. I found them at Target. They are addicting.

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  6. Congrats on your new desk addition. That's a big deal. Maybe If I read in bed instead of playing games on my phone, I would get some books read too. ha!

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  7. How smart to get another table! That's great to have all that extra space for your layouts!

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    1. I can't believe I never thought of it; such a simple solution.

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  8. I must find those caramel cold brew M&Ms! I know I would love them as I like the coffee flavor and the caramel ones. What beautiful pictures

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    1. Oh yes! Funny enough I did think of you when I found them!

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  9. Oh, that extra table is brilliant. I have that same sort of setup at my computer area because of all of the crap I have, haha.
    XOXO
    Jodie
    www.jtouchofstyle.com

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    1. With my laptop and Cricut taking up the desk there is no room for everything else; it was such a easy and yet genius solution. I should craft while he watches TV in our room more often and see what other ideas he comes up with!

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  10. Your food looks yummy! It's nice to get organized, isn't it? I work on it constantly! :)

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    1. Me too! I love tackling organizational challenges; though I'm not really sure there is any area left in the house to tackle at this point. That was my last one I think.

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  11. Isn’t it amazing how a simple thing like an extra table can make such a difference? I recently reorganized my sewing room, and it has made my life so much easier.

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    1. I go through every few years and reorganize since I find that my "most used" tools and things can change as my craft evolves and I love when something new just clicks.

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  12. I am going to have to try those m&ms! Your reading challenge looks fun! That folding table was a great idea!

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  13. I almost grabbed a bag of M&Ms today at Walmart. But I have tracked for 6 days in a row...who am I? So, I restrained. Maybe I can indulge if I see some movement on the scales in the right direction. I love them so. Waiting to get all the results back from all of PCs tests has had both of us eating everything in sight until we got ahold of ourselves this week. Have been exercising a little better, too. Oh, that cake looks so good!! I bet it was scrumptious.

    Love the photos from your lake visit. Your own view of the lake at home is spectacular.

    Cute scrapbook pages. Did you make the dragon? I am on a scrapbook roll right now. Often don't have enough room on my craft table for the Cricut and all the things but I have no room for an extra table either. Great idea for a folding table you can take down when you aren't using it.

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    1. I know just what you mean, my step-father has had a few surgeries and health scares since December and it's hard not to fall back on emotional eating in times of stress. I hope PC has had some good results and news!!

      I did make the dragon using the Cricut and a whole lot of patience. My folding table is perfect since it fits right on the side of my desk when not in use (that was just luck though; I had planned to store it in another area!).

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  14. I always like the photos of your hikes. That's so great that you have a homeschool hike group, the more the merrier! I really want to make that delicious looking tortellini soup. I've never tried tortellini in a soup before. We usually eat it as a pasta with a Napoletana sauce and lots of parmesan cheese. I'm getting hungry talking about food!
    Ruth@playworkeatrepeat

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    1. Aw, thank you! We see a lot of participation in group hikes during spring and summer so it's nice to see everyone coming back after our winter break. We also have a delicious sausage tortellini soup we love: https://www.myslicesoflife.com/2020/03/sausage-tortellini-soup-in-crock-pot.html.

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  15. Fabulous scrapbook pages. Your hikes look beautiful as always.

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  16. It's so beautiful where you live and how nice to go on those group hikes Joanne. The extra table to work on your scrapbooking is great. I love all of the food you made too. Have a nice weekend.

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  17. It's fun to see your book challenge graphic filling up. Remarkably Bright Creatures is one that's caught my eye elsewhere, Freewater also looks interesting. Have a great month!

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    1. Thanks! I really enjoyed Freewater; it's a middle grade fiction novel so it was easy reading but it was so interesting to learn of the slaves that fled slavery and made home in the middle of the swamps.

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  18. I love the pictures from your hike! That is something we want to get more into. Visiting from Share Four Somethings. Have a great weekend!!

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    1. Aw, thank you! We started hiking several years ago when my boys were small and it's something we've really all taken to; it is a lot of fun.

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  19. Beautiful hikes and cake! Thank you for your weekend coffee share.

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  20. Wow, you certainly saw some beautiful scenery on your hikes! The lake is stunning! And that cake you made looks DELISH!

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  21. What a gorgeous place you live - those hikes look lovely. And so many books. Now I feel bad about how slack I've been

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    1. Ha! I think everyone has their own level of reading; I often feel like I should read less and be more productive.

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  22. I think I'd enjoy walking more if I could enjoy the kind of scenery you have nearby for your hikes! (Maybe that's just my excuse though. LOL) Love your scrapbook pages, and that cake looks delicious! Have a blessed weekend! Visiting from SFS#12

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  23. I love to have all of my stuff laid out when I sew so I can totally see where you needed that table. Your tortellini soup looks delicious as does that chocolate cake!

    https://marshainthemiddle.com/

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    1. Yes, I used to lay all my sewing out on the floor or the kitchen table too as I was making things. I find that just about all crafts require a good sized table (for me anyway).

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  24. I enjoy scrapbooking. It is fun and relaxing. Caramel cold brew M&M's sound tasty, I'm going to have to look for those.

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    1. They really are so tasty! I just found an end cap with them (and all sorts of other M&M's at Target).

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  25. The book challenge is fun. I wish I could read 52 books in a year. I'm still working on my A to Z reading challenge. The m&ms and cake look delish. Notice that I skipped over the healthy stuff and jumped straight to the chocolate. haha The healthy meals look delish too.

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    1. LOL! My eyes are often drawn by the sweets that others post too.

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  26. The pictures are lovely.

    I think you are amazing to hike, scrapbook, read 12 books, and make a chocolate cake like that. Extremely well done.

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  27. I've got to try those m & ms when I come across them. The caramel ones are my favorite to date. Your food gives me some ideas, the english muffin, peaches & tomatoes looks good, I'll have to try it. Karen

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  28. Those hikes look great. I've made a goal to read 54 books this year. I like the grid your working off of. What did you think of Remarkably bright creatures? I haven't read any of the others so I'll have to look into them. The BBQ pulled pork looks good.

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    1. I thought Remarkably Bright Creatures was really cute!

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  29. Caramel cold brew M&Ms?!? I don't think I've seen those (yet) at the store - although I have not been the one in the store much lately. I wonder if my shopper husband would notice those. For me:)

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  30. I love that your homeschool group gets together for hiking! What a great way to get some social interaction in and also be healthy. How smart to use that table for scrapbooking! I bet it makes everything go more smoothly. Lauren @ Don’t Mind Our Mess

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    1. It has been wonderful and funny enough we started with a totally different hiking group 8 years ago when we began homeschooling that sparked my love for hiking.

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