FTC Disclaimer: **I was compensated for this post. This post also contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

Last year I moved to a new classroom. It’s actually a familiar classroom — it’s the same classroom I started in 24 years ago! Over the years, I’ve moved to new rooms and even a different school, but life cycled me back to where I started. It was nice to have a fresh canvas to decorate; the teacher who was in the room before me had absolutely no decor except for a huge wall-size map in the back of the classroom. We were moving homes at the same time as my classroom move, so I didn’t have a lot of time to decorate last year. I’m hoping that this summer I can take some time to add cute decor to my classroom. A Cricut has been on my wishlist forever, because I know it would make it so much easier (and more fun!) to decorate my classroom. Of course, a Cricut Access subscription would also make life easier. I love to play with fonts, and Access gives you unlimited access to over 500!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book for the blog tour. Post contains affiliate links; if you make a purchase, I may earn commission. Opinions shared are mine.

I grew up watching Kathie Lee Gifford with Regis on TV. My grandmother always really liked Kathie Lee because she shared that she was an unapologetic Christian. Her book instantly caught my eye, then I noticed that the foreword is from Dolly Parton. Two such classy ladies — how much better can it get?

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book for participating in the blog tour. Opinions shared are mine.

Do you feel the impending heat of summer bearing down on you? It’s going to be in the high 80s and even 90s this week here! I expect to spend a lot of time reading by the pool. If you’re looking for a book that will keep your heart racing, check out Aftermath by Terri Blackstock. It’s a non-stop action fest!

Disclosure: Post contains affiliate or referral links; if you make a purchase, I may earn commission. Opinions shared are mine.

It’s garden time here at the Savingsinseconds house! Now that spring is in full force, I am in the garden almost every free moment. I try to plant something daily — whether it’s seeds, bulbs, or starts. It’s fun and rewarding. This morning one of my zucchini seeds was just barely visible in the pot where it was planted….by evening, it was an inch tall. Crazy! I have something growing in every space I can find.

I’ve been home more this year, so it’s been easier to do succession plantings. The green container on the left was harvested just last week and is already grown back enough for a big salad. The blue pot in the corner was planted 3 weeks ago, and the green pot on the bottom right corner was planted with lettuce seeds 2 weeks ago. It’s such a treat to go out and cut a fresh salad for lunch or supper.

Attention fans of Criminal Minds: If you haven’t read Nancy Mehl’s books, you are missing out! Though I read (and loved) the entire Kaely Quinn series, I have to admit that Night Fall is my favorite one yet.

I can’t imagine a ghost town better than Silvertjarn. Deserted since 1959, it was utterly charming in a horrific, apocalyptic kind of way. I could imagine the buildings as if I walked through them at some point.

Is anyone else feeling soul-dry as a result of Covid? While school is pretty close to “normal” these days, it’s the only place our family goes. We stay out of public places as much as possible — including church. My husband and I will receive our second vaccine shots this week, and we’re very hopeful that our kids can be vaccinated soon. After that, we plan to head back to church and get back to our other favorite routines. I have to admit that I feel very disconnected from God right now. I haven’t been spending time in my Bible the way I need to, and we haven’t even been attending virtual church in the past couple of weeks. That’s definitely not the way I want my family to remember 2021. On a personal level, I need to start getting my heart in the right place. That’s why I requested to participate in the book tour for Kristy Cambron’s Verse Mapping Bible.

It’s been a while since I read a book that was completely different than what I expected. The Initial Insult by Mindy McGinnis could not have been more unexpected. It was terrific!

Disclosure: Post contains affiliate or referral links; if you make a purchase, I may earn commission. Opinions shared are mine.

It feels like ages since I’ve participated in an giveaway hop. Hopefully I can get back into the swing of things and offer you more amazing prizes, like this book package from Nat Geo Kids! Our “Wish Big” giveaway hop host is  MamatheFox . Make sure you enter all the giveaways linked below!

Forget Valentine’s Day. Who cares about romance? A creepy, suspenseful book is the kind of book I want to read! Are you in the same boat? The Family by Louise Jensen delivers – and YOU can win a copy!