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This week in April is always busy for me because both of my kids celebrate their birthdays. This year it’s a big one for both — one turns 13 and the other 18. Wow, where did the time go? Looking back, those days of little ones just flew by. I remember being so exhausted at the end of each day, just grateful that we somehow made it through the entire day and everyone was fed, bathed, and usually got where they were supposed to go. Mothering teens is so different!

I recently received the devotional May His Face Shine Upon You by Susie Larson. It reminded me of those long-ago prayers that my children would grow up safe, happy, and blessed. Those prayers haven’t stopped, and I’m tremendously grateful that the good Lord has allowed me to continue to watch the kids grow up. During this Birthday Marathon week, I especially give thanks for my children. This devotional is sweet and visually stunning. From the cover, I expected it to be geared toward moms of small children, but it can really be appreciated by anyone. The devotions are indexed by themes, but can also be enjoyed page-by-page. The prayers and corresponding verses are a soothing balm to my heart. This would make a lovely gift!

A few weeks ago I purchased an Aerogarden via Facebook Marketplace. I’ve wondered about these for years, and was excited to finally get to try it out. The first round, I grew a set of herbs that I planted out into a wooden planter (photo below). Then I purchased a Seed Starting kit specifically made for this model of the Aerogarden. The seeds pictured above include alpine strawberries, peppers, lettuce, broccoli, Wave petunias, impatiens, and vinca. Last year, I spent a small fortune ($$$) on annuals so I decided to try growing from seed this year. Not sure how that experiment will work out; I will keep you updated.

These are the herbs I started in the Aerogarden, then transplanted to this cedar planter. I won this planter and some accessories in a SheSpeaks giveaway last year. Our weather has been crazy, typical of Tennessee, so the plants have been coming indoors most nights. My husband is not thrilled about my dining room becoming the new greenhouse.

I also started seeds in these kits. The one on the left is a Jiffy Greenhouse Kit similar to the one linked here, and the two on the right are the GrowEase kits that I purchased from Gardeners.com. Since this photo, I’ve started two more sets in the same set up. I was surprised to find that in all of my plantings, the seeds started in the Jiffy kit germinated much more successfully than those started in the GrowEase kits. They also grew better after transplant. I emailed Gardeners and they immediately refunded my purchase, which really impressed me. I love great customer service! They’ve got a customer for life from me now. Unfortunately the Jiffy kit uses peat pellets, and I try to avoid using peat, so I have been looking for a coir alternative.

I’ll post an update in a couple of days to show you how these plants are faring now that the weather is warming up!