What a month! 

Once again I'm a little late getting the previous month in review up on the blog, but that's ok. My blog, my rules? Cool! 

Before I recap what I covered on the blog, I thought I'd share an update on a few things happening in my life outside the blogosphere. April turned into a really important month for me for three reasons. 

1. I joined a writing group. One of my 40 before 40 goals is to focus on my fiction writing and go back to some stories I have started, but never finished. Plus, I have so many book ideas (and have always wanted to write a book), so joining this group is a great first step to bringing those ideas to life. I'll admit, I'm a little nervous, seeing the writing from some of the other members makes me doubt my own--darn you impulse to constantly compare!--but overall I'm excited to learn from and grow with these talented women. 

2. I had a "play date" this month--my friend Laura (from One Girl, Two Cities) invited me to join her in seeing the play "Next to Normal" at the Yellow Tree Theatre. And then she asked me to do a guest post on her blog about the play. It was a first for me...I was both honored and amazed that she'd want me to write something for her blog. It also made me want to do more reviews--I've always been hesitant to write reviews of books I've read because I feel like they sound too "book report-ish." But this experience helped me realize I can do it--and I really enjoyed it. Keep reading for a little more information about this experience (and a link), below.

3. And, finally, I got a job. Just a little part-time gig that I can do while I stay home with my kids, but a job, nonetheless. I never set out to be a stay-at-home mom (and feel incredibly grateful that I've been able to do so for so long) and have been looking for a little something extra for awhile now. I love my Stella and Dot business (I mean, hello, jewelry) and I love my blog (and all of my lovely readers) but I wanted something more. And then a friend of mine who has her own consulting business contacted me and asked if I had any interest in doing some social media work for her. I had to think long and hard (like five seconds) and answered with a resounding YES! 

Due to all that fun stuff, my posts weren't quite as regular as I like. But I did manage to publish--and wow did B make a bunch of appearances.

He first showed up (with his sister) as I reflected on trying not to miss the baby days or look forward too much because then I end up missing all the important moments that are happening right now. This really was one of my favorite posts. You can find that here.

Then B appeared again when I talked about his current phase as THE DESTROYER. I couldn't believe how many of my friends with boys commented, texted and messaged me about relating. Boys will be boys I suppose. Check that out here. 

April was a big month because I checked my first item off the 40 Before 40 List--potty training B! My goodness was it easier than with E--it actually helped that we waited so long to really push him. He was so ready, he got it so much quicker than E. Relief! You can see the complete list here and my experience with potty training here.

Another reason April is a big one around these parts is due to celebrating a little birthday--B! I also love the next month; I get to have two kiddos who are the same age and they aren't even twins. Irish twins for the win! Check out B's birthday survey here and find out all sorts of fun things about him--including what he wants to be when he grows up. Kind of.

My last post of the month, Imagination Creation, has turned into a popular post. I wrote about my memories from childhood of all the unstructured playtime we enjoyed and my wish for my kids to have a similar experience. Reading through the comments brought back a couple of other memories that I shared; you can check out the post (and comments) here. 

Finally, like I mentioned above, a good friend asked me to write a post for her blog. I met Laura shortly after the Minnesota Bloggers Conference and we have hung out multiple times over the past six months (my husband even gave her site a face-lift...that's right, along with being a rock star by night, he's a graphic/web design star by day!). Her blog is filled with reviews of shows (both theater and music), events and restaurants from all around the Twin Cities. If you're local, I highly recommend checking it out (even if you're not local--she recently went on a little road trip through parts of Wisconsin and Illinois and wrote all about her adventures and places she visited). The play we saw, "Next to Normal," was a very emotional musical that hit close to home for a couple of reasons. Here's where you can read all about my emotional connection to this thought-provoking play. Also, the play runs through May 17--if you're considering it, don't delay! 

Another month, in the books. I'm hoping to get back on a regular schedule, probably more like two posts a week. And, a little preview: I have a fun series that's starting in June with some unlikely bloggers. I'll give you a hint. You'll be hearing from some men... 

xo Sara

{P.S. If you like months in review, here's March--as told mainly through pictures.}