Daily Highlights & Favorites from March

 We had a fun March even if our weather was all over the place--- that's usually just how March goes and with our mild winter we've had this year I can not complain!  With the arrival of spring we've had a few warm and sunny days sprinkled in and we made sure to get out and take in some nice slightly longer hikes.  

1. After yesterday's snowstorm we woke to sunny skies and a beautiful sunrise.  Everyone headed off to work and school (despite Alec fighting off a head cold) and Evan and I settled in to work on school and squeeze in a quick hike before his friend came over for the afternoon. 10,391 steps.






2. After a quick morning of schooling Evan and I headed off to walk the river trail. It took us a little over an hour to walk the whole thing and it was chilly! I spent my afternoon working on some cards. 12,408 steps.








3. We had another quick morning of school then Evan and I headed out to meet up with our hiking group.  We hiked at the Thompson Dam since it was a bit wet and muddy everywhere and then spent my afternoon reading and blogging. 10,664 steps. 





4.  I did a day in the life post about this particular day (here)-- it was a snowy day where I mostly crafted, read, and relaxed. 4,426 steps




5. After a quick morning grocery run and an afternoon spent mostly watching TV, Evan and I did head out for a hike at the Coffee House Loop trail then I tackled some scrapbooking starting on our Universal Studios trip. I must have hit 10,000 steps with our hike but my step counter malfunctioned and said 0! 





6. As soon as Evan finished his schoolwork I headed out to run lots and lots of errands-- I went to Target, TJ Maxx, and CVS before lunch. I bought these M&M's to try; they were delicious!!  I made tortellini soup and challah bread for dinner.  6,302 steps.




7. Evan and I attempted a walk after he was done his schoolwork but it was much too cold out so we turned around and headed home.  I spent my afternoon working on some more scrapbook pages. 7,998 steps. 





8.  After working on schooling with Evan we cleaned the basement and two of the bathrooms then I did my nails and worked on making birthday cards for a few family birthdays we have coming up.  I finished my night at Alec's school for the mandatory spring sports meeting. 6,660 steps. 






9.  I talked Evan into a hike after school today and we enjoyed this beautiful trail near the water at Natchaug. 11,564 steps. 







10. We had a real short morning of schoolwork before meeting up with our hiking group at Bigelow; we could not believe how snowy it was so we stuck to all the flatter trails near the water.  I didn't mind a bit. 9,180 steps. 









11. It was a snowy day with snow showers and rain in the morning. The younger boys and I worked on cleaning the downstairs then I worked on the blog and finished up a few last scrapbooking pages from our universal trip before I got ready for a date night with my husband.  He even made reservations for us! We ate at the Black Dog and then had to swing by Lowe's.  (no step count as I took off my tracker by lunchtime)






12. We slept in a bit and then my husband and I headed out to Bj's to re-stock our freezer; after putting away groceries we ended up back at Stop and Shop to finish up all groceries for the week and pick up some last minute ingredients for dinner.  I got the turkey dinner started and then spent my afternoon scrapbooking. I got started on all our Harry Potter pages. 1,474 steps. 




13. It was another cold and rainy day so once Evan and I finished up school we made a quick run to the bank and then I spent the rest of my morning doing laundry and reading my book.  After lunch I worked on the blog and took a quick run to the mailbox while the rain had let up some. 6,276 steps. 


14. By 5:30 in the morning we had a call from the school telling us of an early dismissal for the inclement weather so Evan and I adjusted our daily plans too. It rained and snowed nearly all day which meant I spent a good portion of my day reading, working on a puzzle, and working on the blog. 2,540 steps. 




15. The HUGE storm they were predicting turned out to have barely left a dusting behind and no real ice to speak of either; Alec's school had a scheduled teacher in-service day so Evan and I had no plans for school either. We were going to go hiking but we had high winds and cold temps all day so I decided to finish up the last of my scrapbooking pages from our vacation instead. 3,183 steps.









16. With nice weather finally back in our area, Evan and I set out hiking the minute he finished his schoolwork.  We headed to totally new (to us) hiking place called Wolf Hill in Rhode Island and had a great time exploring! We hiked for over an hour and I didn't even need a jacket.  13,230 steps. 


I whipped up a cake for St. Patrick's Day tomorrow

We hiked the green and red trails today







17. I frosted the cake I had baked on Thursday and then after a very quick morning of school, Evan and I headed out to run a few errands and meet up with our hiking group at the airline trail. After hiking I worked on preparing the rest of our St. Patrick's Day dinner and my mother in law came over around 5:30 to indulge with us.  We ended the night playing a few rounds of pitch. 12,664 steps. 





18. I don't remember much about this Saturday other than it was pretty nice out but I fell asleep after lunch and didn't get to go on a hike. I did take two walks to the mailbox and took a trip to Lowe's with my husband.  I used the leftover cabbage to make a cabbage soup for dinner. 7,318 steps. 



19. I spent most of my day working on cards then helped Ian with both his federal and state income tax forms before playing a few games of rummy with both Ian and my mother in law.  After cards I headed out grocery shopping with my husband. 3,961 steps. 

quiche with a cup of pineapple chunks



I purposely left this card blank for any occasion

20. Evan and I had plans to hike after a quick morning of schoolwork but I also needed to run to the uniform supply store and get Alec some new culinary uniforms.  It ended up being super windy which made it feel so cold out that we talked each other out of hiking and headed to lunch at Panera bread afterwards instead!  It was delicious. 5,658 steps. 


I am loving their chicken BBQ salad!

Pork chop with cauliflower rice, broccoli, and asparagus

21. Evan was finished his schooling in under an hour so we worked on cleaning the house before heading out for a hike around Pulaski. We hiked just under an hour and I ended up taking off my coat it was so nice out. 11, 289 steps. 




22.  Another beautiful day and Evan and I just could not wait to get out and hike; we first did a bit of schoolwork and some baking then hit the trails for an hour.  13,949 steps.


I made a spinach, mushroom, and onion quiche

Incredible hulk muffins with granola (sadly, I could not stand the texture of the muffins though I thought the taste was great)

Hiking at the Thompson Dam

23. Another day of quick schooling and then we took off on a hike around the Coffeehouse Loop Trail.  Then I came home to clean, pay bills, and went for a short walk to the mailbox with my mother in law. 12,316 steps.





24. Evan and I met up with out hiking group on Friday and we hiked the exact same trail as last week; but in the completely opposite direction. We had another large group and saw some fun stuff along the way. 12,074 steps. 





Fresh veggies drizzled with light ranch dressing and a rice cake with tuna fish

25. It was a rather cold and rainy Saturday So I hung around the house and worked on some housework, worked out, read/started a few books, and got  a small bit of blogging done. 4,099 steps. 


Chicken and shrimp stir fry over rice

26. After a quick grocery run with my husband in the morning I convinced the younger two boys to go for a hike; we took Alec to Wolf Hill and checked out the yellow trail this time.  We hiked for over an hour and a half while Ian and my husband stayed home working on putting the solar panel stand back up.  We ended our weekend with takeout from Mr. Z's (I had a large salad from home) and then watched TV. 13,417 steps. 


wild turkeys in the road on the way to the grocery store

lots and lots of them






27. Evan and I tackled some schoolwork and then headed out hiking at Old Furnace, ran a few errands and then met my mom for lunch at the Vanilla Bean (I had a chicken Caesar salad); it was so nice to see her again and hear all about her trip to see my sisters. 10,188 steps.

I wore my dress for just a couple of hours before changing and heading out hiking






28. It was a pretty cold and rainy day so after Evan and I finishes his schoolwork I went to run a few more errands: Alec needed a ruler for his SkillsUSA challenge on Friday so I headed to Target, then deposited his check at the bank, and ran by the library to pick up a few cookbooks.  I spent the rest of the day doing laundry, reading, and blogging but when the sun finally came out after dinner I went for a walk through the campground to the mailbox. 6,408 steps. 




29. After finishing up Evan's schoolwork for the day I talked him into a nice hike at Buffumville; we hadn't hiked there since the pandemic and I really do love the trail! I spent my afternoon cleaning the car, preparing dinner, and watching TV. 12,090 steps. 










The entire trail runs right around the lake so it has incredible views the whole way!


30. After Evan was done with school I went to workout in the basement since it was really cold out.  We did venture out for a quick walk to the state park after lunch (with our winter coats and scarves on!) then I spent my afternoon watching TV, blogging, and reading. 8,167 steps. 


Rice cakes with homemade chicken salad, peaches, and fresh veggies

31. I was up at 3:30 so I could get Alec off to school in time for his SkillsUSA competition, I knew I'd be so tired all day so we didn't plan anything-- no schooling, no hikes, etc.  The weather was beautiful though so Evan did talk me into a quick hike around the Thompson Dam then I spent my afternoon on the couch trying to nap.  We ended our night watching the live stream of the awards portion of his day and then picked him up at 10:30-- I was so grateful to fall into bed at 11 but am so glad I stayed up to hear his chatter all about the day on the ride home!  7,828 steps. 





I am slowly getting addicted to the show Caribbean Life

Alec brought home his cinnamon rolls

And his cake did pretty well despite the 8 hours or so in the box getting schlepped all around and shoved into the back of the school bus! You can't really tell but his roses turned out so well (HE has a photo of them before they got put in the box)

The slice missing is from the judging

They had to frost and decorate the 4 layer chocolate cake and add a raspberry filling with 5 red roses, 3 border designs and the words happy birthday paired with their contestant # and 3 exclamation points


How was your month?

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Comments

  1. Your cake frosting is amazing! I wish I could decorate my cakes like that. You've certainly had your share of cold weather, haven't you?! It's starting to get lovely and warm here in Portugal now but evenings are still quite chilly!
    Hugs
    Suzy x

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    Replies
    1. Aw, thank you! My mother in law got me a set of hand me down piping tips many years ago when my boys were small and I have had so much fun learning how to frost with them.

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  2. What a change in your hikes from the beginning to the end! Love how you decorate your nails and I adore all these looks. That cake is so pretty!

    https://www.kathrineeldridge.com

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    1. Yes! You can really see the progression of our weather this month.

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  3. That cake is absolutely gorgeous and looks delicious! I’ve never thought to put chicken salad on rice cakes, what a great idea! Happy Easter, have a wonderful weekend!

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    1. Aw, thank you! I was pretty proud of that cake. I had never thought to put chicken salad on them either but figured it was worth trying since I really like tuna on them.

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  4. Your hike views are amazing! Love, love, love your scrapbook pages too!

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  5. I always enjoy scrolling through the photographs that accompany your weekend coffee share. Happy Easter weekend.

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  6. What a wonderful month and that cake? Looks just amazing!

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  7. A great, delicious, fashionable month!

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  8. Looks like a busy month!

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    1. It was; though it didn't really feel like it.

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  9. It's so impressive how you go out walking even in the snow and cold. I just love all the cards you make, Do you ever sell them??
    OXOX
    Jodie

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    1. No, I used to go to craft fairs and things but never really sold any cards (or scrapbook pages for that matter). I did look into opening up an Etsy business at one point but just never did.

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  10. Both of those cakes look yummy! You have so many wonderful places to hike. It's amazing how many different places you go!

    https://marshainthemiddle.com/

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    1. Thank you!! We're always on the search for new hiking places to check out.

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  11. The cakes look amazing!
    I always enjoy seeing the gorgeous photos from your hikes.

    Happy Easter, Joanne.

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  12. Sounds like you had a great week. I love your photos, especially those with snow. My sweet tooth would love to much into that frosted cake.

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    1. Thank you! My sweet tooth seems to be working overtime lately!

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  13. Such a beautiful and blessed life you have.

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  14. I want a slice of that cake now please, lol. Love your hair to one side, and the one without curls too. Isn't it fabulous that the weather is changing finally. I want to eat outside! Happy Easter weekend!

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    1. I can't wait to start eating outside again!!

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  15. Your March looks great! So much creativity, being in nature, spending time with family, etc. Love the cakes you guys made. They look so good! I hope your April is as good as your March ;).

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  16. Our weather has been all over the place too but it seems to be warming up now.
    Fantastic photos! I love all of your outfits. x

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    1. Ours is warming up slowly-- but is supposed to get into the mid 80's by Friday!!

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  17. You take so many photos! I'm lucky if I take half a dozen all month! Loved the chocolate cake and your card making was beautiful. It was great seeing all your outfits (something else you have a lot more of than me....) and that March was so enjoyable for you.

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    1. Thank you! It's a habit I've been working on forming over the past couple of years. I still take the majority of them with my cell phone though and am hoping to get into using my "real" camera more.

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  18. Thank you for your weekend coffee share. Sounds like you had a lovely March. Very nice hiking trails and the cakes look yummy. Happy April!

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  19. The scenery where you live is just gorgeous! And that cake looks so soo good!

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  20. I love all of the cards that you make! I used to be into cardmaking and scrapbooking, but I just don't have the time to do them anymore. You went on some great hikes this month and I'm sure you'll be on more now that the weather is warming up!

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  21. It's been many years since I've gone to Universal Studios. We had a pass one year and decided not to renew it and then they opened Harry Potter world. Recently open Nintendo World. We tried going a month ago with our out-of-towner friends and they ran out of tickets. I was surprised...I never thought an amusement park would run out of tickets.

    I love the butterfly cards. Is the ink iridescent?

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    1. Oh wow; my boys would have loved Nintendo World but Universal in Florida does not have that! I know that we were warned by both Disney and Universal that they limit park goers during peak times but don't know if that's something new since covid or if it's always been that way.

      I used embossing powders on the butterfly cards so they have a raised & iridescent quality to them.

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  22. Sounds like a great month...I'm a week late commenting but am trying to get to a few of my fave posters...lol. Loved all your photos. I'm ready for summer, we've had some weird weather here in the PNW. the cold brew m and m's sound interesting...hmmm...that bread looks really good. The puzzle is pretty. I just started a new one. I always love your outfits...I feel like we might have somewhat similar tastes.

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    1. It was a wonderful month!! April is shaping up to be pretty nice too.

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