April Coffee Chat

This essay appeared in the Monday morning newsletter on 4/27/26. Subscribe here! 

Three Steps to a Happier Monday

Before we dive into a new week, let’s pause and ask ourselves some simple questions to reflect on where we’ve been, get excited about something today and set an intention for the week ahead.

GRATITUDE: What are three things I appreciated from the weekend? 

TODAY: What’s one thing I can be excited about today?

INTENTION: What is my intention for this week? 

For me, I’m thankful for the beautiful weather, time with my parents and quiet moments. Today, I’m most excited to go on a run outside! And my intention for the week is to move slowly (no rushing!).

Okay, your turn! And if you want to share, I am all ears. 🙂

Monday Musings: April Coffee Chat

Good morning! Happy last week of April! 

April felt like one of those months that had a little bit of everything. It wasn’t until I sat down to reflect that I realized just how much actually happened. It was full in the best way, and I’m excited to catch you up over a (virtual) cup of coffee this morning.

Celebrated Ben’s baptism

A highlight of the month was celebrating Ben’s baptism on April 19. It felt so special to have both my brothers and my parents in town, along with Matt’s parents and siblings – such a meaningful gathering.

The baptism took place after the 11:30 AM mass on a Sunday, alongside two other babies. Ben did great during the ceremony and, honestly, seemed to enjoy being the center of attention. There were no tears when his head was dipped in water, which felt like a testament to how much he loves bath time!

We had everyone back to our house afterward for lunch, and it turned into such a lovely, easy afternoon together.

Loving having my parents in town

Speaking of family, I am just loving having my mom and dad here for a month!! They’ve rented a place nearby and are helping with childcare before Ben starts daycare.

Since moving away after college, I’ve never lived in the same city as my parents while also having our own separate homes. There’s something so fun and comforting about the ease of it… seeing them for quick visits, dropping Ben off, or making last-minute plans.

For example, this past weekend, my mom and I went for a walk, ran errands and got pedicures together, and then my parents and I all went to church Saturday night. I love that we don’t really have to say “bye” – it’s just “see you later.”

I’m soaking up the couple of weeks they still have here!

Running outside again

One of my goals for April was to start running outside again, and I have! Yay! It’s only been once or twice a week, and just about 20 minutes at a time – but it still feels like a win after a long running hiatus.

Running is so humbling in that it’s directly tied to how often you do it. Given how hard it feels right now to run two miles, I can’t believe I’m the same person who once ran a half marathon. But there’s also something fun about being back at the starting line and building again from scratch.

I’ve been relying on my trusty favorite: intervals. I use an app to cue a 3-minute jogging warm-up, followed by six rounds of 1 minute running / 1 minute walking, and then a 3-minute cooldown. It gets me to about 20 minutes and close to 2 miles, which feels great!

Plus, I’m also loving discovering some go-to running paths in our neighborhood and noticing how beautiful everything looks in the morning.

Morning smoothies

Another April goal was to increase the variety of fruits and vegetables I’m eating, and one simple way I’ve done that is by bringing protein smoothies back into rotation.

I usually take a break from smoothies in the winter (too cold!), but every time I return to them I remember how much I enjoy them as a breakfast option.

Right now, my go-to includes almond milk, spinach or kale, a few stalks of celery and half a cucumber (why not?), chia seeds, flax seeds, peanut butter, protein powder and either frozen cherries or half a frozen banana (depending on what I have).

I’m especially loving the chocolate protein + frozen cherries combination – it reminds me of one of my favorite ice cream flavors (obviously not quite the same, but inspired by!). It’s so good. And the fact that it packs in so many vegetables surprises me every time.

Revisiting April Goals

• Celebrate my birthday! Yes! Enjoyed a fun dinner with Matt the night before and then spending time with Ben and running a few of my favorite errands on the day of.
• Enjoy this season with my parents. Yes!!
• Try to eat a variety of plants each week. Yep, thank you smoothies!
• Stick with my rhythms, including a Sunday calendaring session with Matt and a simple weeknight reset. Not as intentionally as I would have liked… and I’m feeling it. Going to recommit for this last week.

How’s April been treating you? I’d love to hear.