Last month was just chalk full of everything. That’s my main take away after flipping through April’s blog entries and my Facebook posts as I compile a list of things I’ve learned last month that I want to share with you in my link up with Emily @ Chatting at the Sky. Every month she shares the big and small things she’s learned over the month and encourages us all to do the same.

So here’s what I learned in April, in no particular order.

1. My husband and I were talking about little things we wanted to do while camping with the kids this summer – ways to make it more memorable and fun and one of the big things we keep talking about is FOOD and how we want to eat more than hot dogs. Two recipe ideas he threw out that I never knew existed / had me salivating at the VERY thought are cooking crescent rolls on a stick over a fire (seriously) and cooking cinnabons in a hollowed out orange peel (I mean…). I’ve been collecting food, camping and activity ideas on Pinterest and in a lengthy google document.
2. After celebrating my son’s eighth birthday, I was struck by how simple birthday parties can and should be. We invited two good friends and their families to join us at a local pizza place for dinner and arcade games then went back to our place for cake, a few presents and a movie. Because there were so few people, the event was just EASY and I was able to have my fill of fun planny type details without worrying about going over board. This might be how birthdays go down around here for awhile.
3. I learned some new natural egg dying methods for Easter this year. My favorite was this red cabbage dye that makes gorgeous blue Easter Eggs. Thanks to Design Mom for sharing the recipe that inspired Easter this year! I also learned the hard way that I need to remember to put my hard boiled and dyed eggs in the refrigerator before leaving the house for three hours or else I’ll have to throw all my pretty eggs away.
4. While looking at pictures of my kids at the zoo over the past five or six years, I noticed that my son had been wearing the same rain jacket for over two years!! And that it was getting a little too small. We finally bought him a new jacket last weekend and gave his beloved blue jacket to a good friend.
5. I have learned a lot of things from potty training two kids over the past four years but I admit I was surprised to learn that the motivation my daughter needed to really commit to potty training was a new handbag. Hey, whatever works right?
6. I learned how to draw R2D2 using instructions by Mark Anderson that All for the Boys shared.
7. I learned how to Zentangle using this great book that my aunt bought me and enjoyed it so much I taught the kids. We’ve been having lots of doodling fun.
8. I found this great chart that shows you everything you need to know about tipping – so handy!
9. I learned that Hemingway is just not for me and that most of my fellow book club pals agree. I’m still glad I gave one of his books a try but I was very happy when book club day arrived because it meant I didn’t have to keep reading anymore!
10. There has been a lot of shuffling of the deck for late night television. This month I learned that Stephen Colbert is taking over for Letterman (yay!) and that Craig Ferguson is stepping down after ten years at the Late Late Show (noooooo!!!!). So good and bad but really that’s just life, you know? I’m hoping Craig does something new and fun that I can enjoy and that they hire someone equally great to replace him.

What did you learn this month?