Happy March, Friends!
There’s just something about this month that feels like a fresh start. After the holidays and long winter days, I am so ready for a little sunshine, longer days and all the hints of spring.
One – Latest Happenings
First, I have some exciting news to share… we’re heading to London and Paris as a family this summer! This has been such a bucket list trip for me. I’ve always said I wanted to get the kids to Europe before they finished high school, and somehow that time is already here. Nathan will be 20 and Autumn 17 when we go, so it feels like the perfect moment to make it happen.
We’re using Shay’s Mix & Match Travel Agency for the first time (and I already highly recommend them!), and we’ll be splitting our trip between London and Paris. And can we talk about the fact that there are finally DIRECT flights to London from St. Louis? YAY!
I’ve never been to London, but I visited Paris over a decade ago, so it will feel like a mix of something new and something familiar. It’ll also be the teens’ very first European trip, which makes it even more special. Brian has been to both cities before, so he’ll get to be our little tour guide too. I seriously cannot wait!
I hope you all had a fun St. Patrick’s Day! We kept things simple, but Autumn was on Spring Break and sent me on a post-run mission to 360 Nutrition for protein shakes and muffins. Honestly… no complaints from me! I grabbed the Lucky shake and it definitely lived up to its name.
Our church does dinners before the Ash Wednesday and Lenten services, and we love going when we can. They rotate between pizza night, breakfast for dinner, and a full fried chicken spread with sides, drinks, and desserts. It’s always delicious… and best of all, no cooking for me!
We had our last bruncheon for Bible study, which always feels a little bittersweet. This group meets during the school year, so we’ll wrap things up in May. We do have one more get-together planned—a luncheon at one of the ladies’ homes in April—which I’m really looking forward to. They also announced next year’s study, and we’ll be diving into Genesis and Colossians.
We’ve been turning part of our basement into a little teen hangout for Autumn, and we recently added a Barista Station! It still needs a few decor pieces and finishing touches, but it’s already coming together so cute. She is one lucky girl!
Here are the links: Wayfair Snack Bar Cabinet | Ice Maker | Starbucks Cups & Lids (let me know if you want the link, on EBay)
And while she was on Spring Break, we squeezed in Autumn’s first college tour at the school her brother attends. Such a special milestone!
Two – Hot Yoga
I reconnected with one of my mom friends on Facebook and Strava, and she invited me to join her weekly moms’ run club. It’s been so fun, and we’ve even met another runner who has completed over 100 marathons—so inspiring! She convinced us to try hot yoga (new territory for me and Michelle, haha), and we turned it into a whole morning with breakfast at Kaldi’s after our run.
I ended up loving hot yoga! The room was set to 105 degrees, and they were so sweet to let Michelle and me set up by the door. They cracked it open a few times during class, and that little bit of cool air felt SO good.
I’ve been doing yoga twice a week for about 30 minutes with the Downward Dog app, and it was actually very similar to the flow at Sumits Hot Yoga—just double the time and way hotter! When I first walked in, I honestly wasn’t sure I’d make it. I had a hard time breathing (hello asthma), but my lungs eventually adjusted and I ended up having such a great class.
It was definitely challenging though! It reminded me of the difference between running on a cool day versus a hot, humid summer run. I’d love to go back again… maybe after I get through my half marathon training! Have any of you tried hot yoga?
Three – My New Medal Rack
Shop Medal Rack:
I had to upgrade my medal display situation after my old one couldn’t handle the weight and came crashing down—clearly a good problem to have! I ordered two new holders from Amazon and hung them next to my treadmill so I can see them every time I run.
This was my original (and much smaller) medal display from Etsy. I moved it to my office near my desk and now use it to showcase my very favorite medals.
My favorite medal will always be my Chicago Marathon medal from 2016. It just holds so many memories. A close runner-up is from Go Girl Run last spring, when I ran my first sub-2:00 half marathon and placed 3rd in my age group—my very first age group medal!
I came across this gem—my medal from my very first half marathon in 2012. It’s hard to believe I’m now training for my 24th! Going through all my medals and organizing them was such a fun trip down memory lane. I’ve definitely run my fair share of races!
Four – Books
Shop This Book:
I don’t read a lot of thrillers, but the Reese Witherspoon connection made this one impossible for me to resist. I couldn’t put the book down once I got into it.
At its heart, it’s about a woman whose carefully built life starts to unravel, with a very modern twist that weaves in AI and the pressure of living in the public eye.
I loved the fast pace and how quickly I moved through it, but the ending felt a bit rushed to me and left me with a few questions. It almost made me wonder if there’s more to the story coming.
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5 STARS! I’d give it 10!
I just finished Theo of Golden by Allen Levi, and I have to say, this is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. It really stuck with me. I even told my husband he has to read it, which I honestly don’t do very often, and he’s already enjoying it too.
The story follows a sweet and somewhat mysterious older man named Theo who comes to live in the small town of Golden, Georgia for a year. No one even knows his last name. One day he notices a collection of portraits of people from the town hanging in a local coffee shop. He starts buying them one by one, and with each portrait, he seeks out the person in it. They meet by a fountain in town, and he shares what he sees in them through the portrait. Those moments are really special.
As the story unfolds, you see how Theo slowly becomes part of the community. He forms friendships and brings something meaningful into each person’s life. It’s one of those books where every character matters, and you can feel how connected everything becomes over time.
This isn’t labeled as a faith-based book, but it definitely carries those themes in a really natural way. It highlights forgiveness, hope, restoration, peace, and generosity. It just feels like the kind of story the world needs more of right now.
I will say the beginning felt a little long to me, but I’m really glad I stuck with it because it was worth it.
Also, I thought it was interesting that Allen Levi is not only an author, but also a musician and an attorney. That made me appreciate the book even more.
There’s no language or heavy content. It’s just a hopeful, meaningful story that I think a lot of people would really enjoy.
Two big thumbs up from me. I could easily see this becoming a modern classic someday.
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I picked up The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry after a recommendation from friends on a run, and it ended up being such a thought-provoking read. I didn’t realize at first it was a Christian book, but it makes sense. It really focuses on slowing down, practicing Sabbath, and creating a more intentional pace of life.
I’m basically the opposite of this message. I’m always on the go and checking things off a list, so it definitely challenged me. I found myself underlining a lot and reflecting on how much hurry has become the norm. I especially loved the reminder that Jesus was never in a rush, even when life felt urgent.
Some ideas, like unplugging for a full day, feel hard in this stage of life, but it still gave me a lot to think about and some small changes I’d like to try.
Five – Latest Finds
I got my bimonthly running subscription box from Fuel Goods and it was another GREAT box! It is so fun to try new products and this is a great way to do it. Get $10 off your first box HERE.
Shop Built Puff:
After our hot yoga class, Hazel gave Michelle and me one of these Built Puff Cookie Dough Chunk bars and told us it was her favorite protein bar. Oh my… it is DELICIOUS! The texture is kind of like a soft marshmallow inside, and it totally hit the spot after class. I loved it so much I ended up ordering my own box on Amazon. Now I need to try all the other flavors!
I partnered with Better Greens awhile back, and it’s one of those products I’ve kept buying on my own—always a good sign! I love the on-the-go packets, but they also have larger bags once you find your favorite flavor.
Right now I’m loving Gummy Bear, Arctic Pop, Watermelon Lime, and Coco Berry. They even have caffeinated and non-caffeinated options, which is perfect. I mix mine with collagen and creatine in the morning and it’s so refreshing.
Hope you all have a great weekend!
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