​

Hello, Reader.

This newsletter is a day late, because I couldn't bear the thought of having to carry over my goal of finishing the senior videos for my son and grandson yet again, and it took all my spare moments yesterday (plus a few more this morning) to wrap up that project completely.

The goal I didn't get to mark off last week's list? Tidying my closet. And that's a shame, since the third week of March is both "Clutter Awareness Week" and "National Clean Out Your Closet Week," which would've made last week the perfect time for tackling such a chore.

Not to worry, though. The final week of March in "National Cleaning Week" (which also happens to be my chosen topic for this week's link list). That means I've still got some time to declutter before the end of the month. Want to join me?

Free resources for you this week:

• ​Spring Cleaning Check List - a thorough, room-by-room listing of seasonal chores
• ​Housekeeping Matters - once you get things tidy, these 5 habits will help keep them that way
• ​Stain Removal Chart - a great little guide to post in your laundry room for quick reference
• ​5-Minute-Task List - you can still make steady progress, even in small increments of time
• ​A Clean Heart Coloring Page - because my house isn't the only thing that needs attention

What I'm reading this week:

​

My daughter and I have been listening to Cherry Jones read Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little Town on the Prairie this month. It details the Ingalls' lives after moving to DeSmet -- one of the homesteads our family visited last year on our 3-week roadtrip. My favorite part of the story, besides Almonzo Wilder's new and growing interest in Laura, is hearing how the entire town worked together to provide fun and creative entertainment for their families with the establishment of a literary society. I love the idea of having spelling bees and recitations and music and "wax work" plays. The people took such joy in simple pleasures, with parents participating right alongside their children -- an example modern families would do well to emulate.

What we're eating this week:

We've been dining on Mediterranean bowls (featuring couscous topped with spiced and roasted chickpeas, grilled veggies, fresh tomatoes, sliced cucumbers, and creamy tzatziki sauce) and southwest soup (with lots of black beans, sweet potatoes, onions, jalapeños, and garlic served over rice and topped with pico de gayo).

The best part? All the fresh ingredients were pre-measured and delivered straight to my doorstep by EveryPlate. Interested in trying this meal service yourself? New customers can follow this link to get your first box free.

This week's reader request:

One of my subscribers wrote last week to let me know the download link was broken for my piano practice sheets. I've fixed it, so if you encountered the same problem when trying to download the free resource I shared in my most recent newsletter, you should now be able to so without trouble.

On the podcast this week:

My #1 fan (my mother) told me she was sad I haven't dropped any new episodes lately and asked if I'd decided to give up podcasting entirely. The answer is no. I do intend to keep recording -- and I'll do my best to get EP #78 ready for next week. In the meantime, here's another from the archives, in case you missed it earlier:

Loving Life at Home: Episode 7 ​5 HIDDEN POWERS OF WOMANHOOD​ For all the hype we hear these days about female empowerment, some of women’s most important strengths are going unrecognized, undervalued, and largely underused. It’s time for that to change. It’s time to take these 5 hidden powers of womanhood and make them popular–and prevalent–again. Listen Now

Progress on last week's goals:

As I already mentioned, I ✅ finished slide shows for our two seniors this week (view them here, but don't tell the boys I posted the videos early. I want them to be surprised). I'm SO relieved to have that chore off my plate!

I also ✅ went to a swing dance with our younger kids, ✅ toured the crime lab at our local police department, ✅ attended an honor society induction at DBU where my husband spoke, ✅ visited my daughter who was in town for the weekend, ✅ embroidered the last of my quilt squares, and ✅ sent all my cancer research to our kids in anticipation of tomorrow's oncology appointment.

But I haven't even started ❌ organizing my closet or ❌ boxing up stuff to donate, so those chores are getting carried over to this week. 🙄

Personal goals for this week:

• host Grace Girls tomorrow
• organize my closet
• fill a donation box for Goodwill
• post new podcast episode
• meet with my oncologist
• design/order graduation invitations
• write bios for graduation programs
• complete pages for senior yearbook
• volunteer/shop early at the spring CCC Sale​
• piece together my quilt