During our Monthly Wrap-Up, we’ll take a look at what has happened around here in the last month. That’ll include what’s happened in my life, what we’ve read, any other posts we may have had, our most popular Instagram posts, and books that I’ve added to my ever-growing TBR.

*We linked this post to the March Monthly Wrap-Up Round-Up Link-Up at Feed Your Fiction Addiction*

Jen’s Life:

✮ Our youngest turned 8 this last month.  We took the day off from school (the advantages of homeschooling yay!), and celebrated the day with family, played games, had In N Out takeout and enjoyed the weather outside. 
✮ I’ve been doing a step challenge on Garmin, with my sister-in-law, since last month.  I decided to cut myself slack on the days I work out on the elliptical or the recumbent bike and watch The Vampire Diaries (soooooo good!!), so if I don’t hit 10k steps on those days then I’m fine with it.  But like last night, I was 2k steps short EEKS!  So there I am walking in place, next to our bed while reading a book, and my husband was staring at me like I’m crazy lol!
✮ Some of my favorite recipes I made this last month were Italian Baked Chicken and Pastina, Hamburger Noodle Casserole, Slower Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken & Triple Chocolate Cake.

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What We Read:

5 Stars:
✮ The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air #1) by Holly Black
✮ Wallflower by Cookie O’Gorman
✮ Heartscape (Vino & Veritas #2) by Garrett Leigh

4.5 Stars:
✮ The Secret Recipe for Moving On by Karen Bischer

4 Stars:
✮ The Marquess and I (Forever Yours #1) by Stacy Reid
✮ Headstrong (Vino & Veritas #3) by Eden Finley

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Our Favorite Books of the Month:

During our Monthly Wrap-Up, we’ll take a look at what has happened around here in the last month. That’ll include what’s happened in my life, what we’ve read, any other posts we may have had, our most popular Instagram posts, and books that I’ve added to my ever-growing TBR.

*We linked this post to the January Monthly Wrap-Up Round-Up Link-Up at Feed Your Fiction Addiction*

Jen’s Life:

✮ In February we played a lot in the snow.  One of my favorite places to go sledding, by our house, can be seen here.  And you can catch a picture of my doggie best friend Bentley here just because ♥.
✮ My sister-in-law challenged me to get 10k steps a day with her and today is day 3 for me.  So pleeeeease think happy thoughts for me that I can keep up with her since she’s already been doing this for 25 days.
✮ Some of my favorite recipes we made this last month were these sugar cookies and this frosting to go on top of them for Valentines Day.  I’ve used both of those recipes for as long as I can remember.  We also loved these brownie cookies, yum!  And when our boys had a slumber party over at my parents, Andy and I made this lemon spaghetti which my boys aren’t a fan of and Andy and I love lol!

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What We Read:

5 Stars:
✮ The Things We Leave Unfinished by Rebecca Yarros

4.5 Stars:
✮ Slapshot (Moo U #2) by Rebecca Jenshak
✮ Rescuing Harmony Ranch by Jennie Marts

4 Stars:
✮ Blue Skies by T.L. Martin
✮ The Spinster and the Rake (Never a Wallflower #1) by Eva Devon
✮ Blindsided (Moo U #1) by Victoria Denault
✮ Holdout (Moo U #3) by Jaqueline Snowe
✮ The Problem With Cupid (Holiday Romance #2) by Robin Daniels

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Our Favorite Books of the Month:

During our Monthly Wrap-Up, we’ll take a look at what has happened around here in the last month. That’ll include what’s happened in my life, what we’ve read, any other posts we may have had, our most popular Instagram posts, and books that I’ve added to my ever-growing TBR.

*We linked this post to the January Monthly Wrap-Up Round-Up Link-Up at Feed Your Fiction Addiction*

Jen’s Life:

✮ We officially hit the halfway point for the school year, a few weeks ago, and homeschooling has been going amazing well.  I’m very thankful that the curriculum I picked out for my boys last summer has been such a great fit.  Math is still my favorite subject to teach, but I’m shocked that I’m loving history so much.  They looooooove history and their love for it is definitely contagious.
✮ We’ve just been playing in our feet and feet and feet of snow lol.  We made a snow jump on our driveway and our kiddos have spent countless hours just going off of that jump again and again. LOL!

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What We Read:

5 Stars:
✮ Her Wicked Marquess (Sinful Wallflowers #2) by Stacy Reid
✮ The Forever Girl (Wildstone #6) by Jill Shalvis
✮ My Clarity (My Clarity #1) by M. Clarke
✮ Dating Makes Perfect by Pintip Dunn
✮ Unchosen by Katharyn Blair

4.5 Stars:
✮ 10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston

4 Stars:
✮ Roommate by Sarina Bowen
✮ Christmas Cliche by Tara Sivec
✮ All the Tides of Fate (All the Stars and Teeth #2) by Adalyn Grace
✮ The Perfect Guests by Emma Rous

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Our Favorite Books of the Month:

During our Monthly Wrap-Up, we’ll take a look at what has happened around here in the last month. That’ll include what’s happened in my life, what we’ve read, any other posts we may have had, our most popular Instagram posts, and books that I’ve added to my ever-growing TBR.

*We linked this post to the December Monthly Wrap-Up Round-Up Link-Up at Feed Your Fiction Addiction*

Jen’s Life:

So this is kinda scary to share…..but the reason I disappeared at times and stopped doing these posts for the latter half of the year was because emotionally I was very broken.  I started and ended the year losing those I love, my Grandma who I was extremely close with my whole life.  And my little dog, who was more like a child to us for the last 14 years.  When you throw in a serious health issue that I still haven’t mentally dealt with yet.  To some of our family and friends getting scary sick from COVID.  And to me switching to being a teacher to our 2nd and 4th grader since there was no way I could subject them to distance learning again…..well I was an emotional mess to say the very least.  So this year I’m trying my best to heal or I guess start the path to healing.  This week I’m starting back up my 3+ mile walks and exercise to give myself sanity, spending all the quality time with those I love and just trying to find the joy in simple every day things like I use to.  I’m normally a person who is overly bubbly, talkative and smiles wayyyyy too much and I’d love, love, love to find that person again *fingers crossed*.  So if you’re working on yourself in 2021 too, hugs and here’s hoping we can get to where we want to go ♥.  Now onto all the bookish stuff…….

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What We Read:

5 Stars:
✮ In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren
✮ The Boss Who Stole Christmas (Reindeer Falls #1) by Jana Aston
✮ The One Night Stand Before Christmas (Reindeer Falls #3) by Jana Aston
✮ A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) by Saaba Tahir
✮ Second First Impressions by Sally Thorne
✮ You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle
✮ A Crown For Christmas by Rachel Van Dyken

4.5 Stars:
✮ The Darkest Temptation (Made #3) by Danielle Lori

4 Stars:
✮ Holiday With You by Claudia Y. Burgoa & Grahame Claire
✮ If You Give A Jerk A Gingerbread (Reindeer Falls #2) by Jana Aston

3.5 Stars:
✮ Let It Snow by Cassie Cross

2.5 Stars:
✮ Kissmass Eve by M.E. Carter & Sara Ney

DNF:
✮ The Clause in Christmas byRachael Bloome

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Our Favorite Books of the Month:

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Books Added To Jen’s TBR This Month:

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So this was our December….did you read any of the same books that we did? Or share the same favorite book as us? If not, then what was your favorite book? Or have you read any of the books I just added to my TBR?

Here’s hoping you all had a wonderful December. And cheers to January being fabulous for all of us!

During our Monthly Wrap-Up, we’ll take a look at what has happened around here in the last month. That’ll include what’s happened in my life, what the four of us have read, any other posts we may have had, giveaways still going on, our most popular Instagram posts, and books that I’ve added to my ever-growing TBR.

*We linked this post to the June Monthly Wrap-Up Round-Up Link-Up at Feed Your Fiction Addiction*

♥ Enjoy!

Jen’s Life:

Some of my highlights from May & June were:

✮ We’ve been busy taking care of our garden.  My 9 year old built us three more planter boxes.  So we planted two kinds of tomatoes, cucumbers, yellow squash, zucchini, baby watermelons, radishes, carrots, cantaloupe, strawberries, lettuce and flowers.  It’s been so much fun going out there everyday and seeing all of the changes.  We have our first cherry tomato growing on one of the tomato plants, yay!
✮ We’ve gone to the beach twice and found a spot where we’re away from everyone.  I’m so happy my boys get to have something they’re use to,  since everything else in life has changed so much.  Like my youngest lost two teeth and was scared that the tooth fairy wouldn’t be able to come because of COVID-19, ugh.  It hurt my heart to even hear him say that, but my older son said that fairies can’t get our diseases and saved the day!
✮ Some of my favorite recipes I’ve made in the last two months were Yellow Sheet Cake with Chocolate Fudge Frosting, Seriously Fudgy Homemade Brownies, My Favorite Slow Cooker Chili, Baked Creamy Cheesy Chicken Flautas, Hamburger Noodle Casserole,

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What Arielle, Cassie, Chelsea & Jen Read:

5 Stars:
✮ Chase the Dark (Steel & Stone #1) by Annette Marie
✮ Rage and Ruin (The Harbinger #2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
✮ GENES (International Sensory Assassin Network #3) by Mary Ting

4.5 Stars:
✮ Yours in Scandal (Man of the Year #1) by Lauren Layne
✮ Fable (Fable #1) by Adrienne Young

4 Stars:
✮ Rebel Spy by Veronica Rossi

3 Stars:
✮ The Best Lies by Sarah Lyu

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Our Favorite Books of the Month: