Hi everyone! Happy April!
No April Fools around here because it’s just too much on the heels of Easter…plus I woke up feeling sick and beat down from all of the weekend festivities (and from life/motherhood/all of the germs that are swirling around Cape Cod right now?) so I’m sticking with the bare minimum today.
That being said, here are some of the [many] simple, sensory joys that I’m grateful to have experienced in March—a month in which I spent A LOT of time hunched over my computer working on my book (more on that below)...
[New to SJOTM? Read the backstory here.]
I spent the majority of March sitting at my computer drawing and because of this, I am ALMOST finished with the final illustrations for my book (woohooo!).
I sent in the “finished” comics for the final chapter late last week and although I’m sure there will be further edits to some of these comics, it feels like a big step towards being done (FYI, the book comes out March, 2025). Now I have to tackle a few remaining extras + the cover (eeek!), but I’m inching closer to being done and that feels so, SO good.
Btw: Writing a book is no joke. (BUT I AM SO GRATEFUL THAT I’VE GOTTEN TO DO IT AND IT HAS BEEN SO FUN AND PLEASE CAN I WRITE ANOTHER ONE AFTER THIS ONE!?).
I’ve been listening to Beyonce’s new album on repeat since it came out on Friday and as predicted, it has not disappointed. WHAT A JOURNEY! “Jolene” is it for me—I will never not love any/all versions of this song and Beyonce’s take is epic. Same with her cover of “Blackbird.”
HEAR Honorable Mentions: Because I’ve been spending so much time drawing, I’ve gone through quite a few audiobooks lately. My favorite audiobook that I listened to in March was The Dutch House by Ann Patchett (narrated by Tom Hanks!), but I’m also halfway through Anita de Monte Laughs Last by Xochitl Gonzalez and am LOVING it. Highly recommend both!
[Obviously I enjoyed lots of tasty treats on Easter yesterday, but for March I decided to go with something more recommendable/that I use daily…]
I drink A LOT of water. Like, so much that I’ve often worried that I’m washing away all of my electrolytes. Enter LMNT, which was recommended by my dad and his girlfriend, Emily, who are two of the healthiest people I know. LMNT is an electrolyte drink mix with no sugar and I think that drinking one daily has done a lot to ease my frequent headaches (although maybe my allergy shots have also helped with that?).
Ben and I both drink one of these packets every morning (the second we get up–before coffee/tea or food!) and we’re both big fans now. Love em.
I love dying eggs. I love the process, the colors, the smell, the unpredictable outcomes. Whenever I dye eggs with the kids, it takes me back to my childhood and how much fun we had making eggs with my mom.
I didn’t love the fighting between my children when we finally had the chance to dye eggs on Friday afternoon, but it was worth it for the experience. We’re making memories over here! (And hopefully these memories will balance out their memories of me spending SO much time working on my book lately…)
I know my paid subscribers might be sick of hearing about our couch escapades but I have to tell you: we got our new couch a few weeks ago and it’s the best. Every time I’ve sat on it (or laid on it) since it arrived I’ve said, “Gosh I love this couch!”
And have I told you the best part? It goes from a normal couch to what they call a “playscape”—or basically one big couch/chaise—by just pulling at a strap on the bottom. I’ve been out of the couch game for a while but I’d never seen this before and we’re all obsessed. See pics below*:
(The room will NEVER look this clean again)
(See what I mean about the bottom pulling out? Ben’s nighttime naps have gotten a SERIOUS upgrade.)
*Sleeping husband sold separately
PS. A bunch of you recommended we get a cheaper/more affordable couch that our kids could ruin over the next few years so that’s what we did. Here’s the couch we got.
And now for a quick list of things that were the opposite of simple joys, because it’s very important to me to keep it real here:
Lower back pain: all of the hunching over my computer /sitting has had my lower back ACHING this month. Aging bodies are fun!
Nighttime wake-ups: the kids have randomly been up a lot in the night lately and it has left me SO TIRED (and annoyed)
The IG Algorithm (BARF)
Making food for the kids that they don’t eat
Having to think of something to feed the kids every night for dinner when they only eat like 3-4 dinner foods
Feeling guilty about working so much even though I love what I’m working on
And that’s it for this month! As always, thanks so much for being here.
Hope your March was full of simple joys and that you find a moment to reflect on them today <3
Happy April!
xo,
Mary Catherine
Couch looks awesome! I totally feel you on the coming up with meals for the kids. I’ve done so many searches for “easy meals for kids” etc etc and every post titled “things every kid will love” is full of items my kids won’t try. Ugh. I feel guilty not providing enough variety in their diet but it’s just too demoralizing to put effort into cooking things, for them to just push it off their plate without a second glance.
I swear no one tells you that the middle-of-the-night wake-ups NEVER END! My 7-year-old has been on a streak of 4 a.m. issues that result with me sleeping for an hour or more in his twin bed.
And solidarity on trying to feed picky eaters. It's so hard and unless you have a truly picky eater no one understands!