farewell, april

alexandra:

time no longer makes sense!!! this is the #stayhome life. april was very busy and productive and borderline workaholic. ballet classes started via zoom and that took up a big chunk of my time. mostly because i was in charge of setting everything up, notifying parents, etc etc etc. (for those who don’t know, my parents own a ballet studio!)

tiffany, breana, and i also started a pen pal project! meet written connections. the idea was to match people around the world as a way to connect others during this time of isolation, and also to support the USPS. little did we know it would take a lot of time & energy. cut to: 15+ hours of matching people, 10+ hours of emails, THEN rematching those who bailed out, THEN!!! rematching AGAIN for those who initially confirmed then bailed out. ultimately, it’s been a Process™ but it also makes me really happy so,,, there we have it.

i also baked A LOT. my sister taught me how to make milk bread via facetime and i’ve made many loaves since. i’m honestly proud of myself because i’ve come a LONG WAY. my bread is solid and we’ll be using up the 50 lbs of bread flour we got. :’)

side note: people hoarding baking materials in quarantine is something else!!!!! i could only get restaurant quantity flour (hence 50 lbs) but at the rate we’re eating,,, we’ll use it up. and!! i ran out of yeast and was VERY close to caving and getting it for $20+ for resell on ebay because it’s sold out everywhere when the original price is $3. the black market is cruel. luckily my sister decided to ship some extra yeast to me. #justquarantinethings

priscilla:

ummm what!! i cannot believe that april is ALMOST OVER – this month pretty much flew by for me. school has been keeping me pretty busy (in a good way i guess), but i’m so so ready for the school year to be overrrr. my last day of classes is may 4, and then i have finals the week after that!

this month i’ve been writing quite a few letters (inspired by xan!) and that’s been super fun! the feeling of getting a letter in the mail… one of the best feelings tbh.

i’ve been trying to take a walk every day but honestly i’m just inside most of the time (as i probably should be anyway!). also i’m trying to work out regularly hahaha, my go-tos are chloe ting’s 10 min toned arms workout and her 10 min standing abs workout because these are relatively easy/low-impact and don’t require any equipment. i also just ordered a fitness mat so i can finally try out some of her other workouts as well!

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i HAVE been actually practicing lettering quite a bit! i’ve always liked and wanted to be good at lettering hahaha but i’ve never really had the discipline to practice regularly. recently i’ve just been really enjoying lettering song lyrics and bible verses and playing around with different styles! i also just decided to start an instagram to track my progress, so go follow and show some loveeee

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overall it’s been a very okay month! emotionally i’ve been kinda up and down but i think i’m over the worst of it, so i’m looking forward to may and having some more free time once finals are done!

madeline:

april felt simultaneously very short and very long.

i ran 200 miles this month! it’s the most volume i’ve ever done in the course of one month, and i’m proud of it! basically, running has been my one opportunity to go out of the house for an hour or two, and i’ve been taking advantage of it. i’m very grateful to live in a place where the weather has been beautiful and i am able to go out of the house to run each day.

i didn’t read much this month, mostly due to the fact that i have school again. i’m getting back into it though! i’m on top of my schoolwork and making extra time for myself to read, watch youtube/tv, and hang out.

one of the best things i discovered this month is the app Slowly. the app basically allows you to meet digital pen pals based on your interests, and the letters take a certain amount of time to arrive, depending on how far away from your penpal you are! i’ve met some lovely people, and it’s been wonderful to talk about the books i’m reading, tv shows, etc with people who share the same interests! the app is so cute and it made me feel very connected this month.

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media consumed

alexandra:

i read a total of one (1) book last month a h a. but better than the zero in march! i’m trying to be more forgiving. that said, i finally finished Chain of Gold!! it took a while but we made it. i’m debating if i should write a review since i have Thoughts but i always say i’ll write a review then procrastinate to the point where i forget everything in the book. so, we’ll see.

a little unrelated but!! i discovered this site called bookshop that lets you purchase books online while supporting indie bookstores!!!!! it’s my new go-to for buying books. unfortunately, it’s US only right now.

for movies, i watched little women! finally!! (like priscilla lol) it made me VERY emotional and it’s become one of my favorite movies ever. the hype? i get it. go watch it PLEASE. it also makes me want to watch more films and become a film hoe. and also like, live in a cottage in 1800 america.

priscilla:

lol OKAY so i binged love is blind as well as tiger king with my friend because i’m a sucker for the hype – i did enjoy love is blind tbh but tiger king was kinda just a hot mess and i feel like i didn’t need that in my life hahaha. as mentioned earlier, i’m now watching parks and rec and really enjoying it! everyone is so quirky and silly and i love the interactions between the characters!

also i FINALLY watched little women and i loved it!!! the characters were all so adorable and ahhh these were my three favorite scenes (spoiler alert!!):

1. when jo and laurie are on the hill, i mean this scene is just iconic
2. when jo and marmee are talking and jo’s like “i think i’d say yes” and marmee is like “BUT DO YOU LOVE HIM” and she replies “I’M SO LONELY…. :(( I JUST WANT TO BE LOVED” – that hit hard
3. when laurie comes back and tells jo he’s engaged, it’s just like OOF

also all the costumes and the sets were so pretty, this movie just made me very happy 🙂

as for books, i started re-reading harry potter but then got up in all the busyness – will definitely pick it back up and finish re-reading the series over the next few weeks/months!

madeline:

i mostly listened to a LOT of podcasts during april. i listened up to episode 92 of Potterless which means i am officially almost caught up (only about 20-30 episodes left to go lol…so maybe i’m not that caught up). i also got into My Brother, My Brother, and Me. it’s so funny, and great for listening to while i run. goodness knows i need a good laugh these days!

as always, i love watching bon appetit’s youtube channel, and it brought me so much joy to see the chef’s doing their best working from home. i discovered a new favorite in sohla this month, and brad’s children are the most adorable thing.

finally, i started watching Outer Banks on netflix just a few days ago, and i’m enjoying the drama more than i would like to admit.

here’s my spotify playlist for my favorite songs of the month:

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foresights of may

alexandra:

may! there’s really not much happening lol. we’ll likely stay in quarantine and continue zoom classes etc etc. but either way, here are some things i’m hoping to do/accomplish:

• grind all the written connections things !!
• bake more – milk bread, BAGELS, sesame balls???
• continue uploading weekly youtube videos and blog posts
• try something new? i want to do a sort of challenge, but not sure what yet
• take more walks
• try to find balance between work, relax, self care, and all of the above

priscilla:

MAY PLEASE COME FASTER!! i am 110% ready to be d o n e with school. i still need to get through finals and all the end-of-semester projects, but i’m excited to have a lot more time for myself.

some goals for may:

• ACTUALLY BLOG MORE. i promise i will!! my goal is 2 posts during may, not including wrap-ups :’)
• work on my photography portfolio, as i mentioned in my birthday post! also finish organizing my camera roll
• continue journaling/meditating every day! this has been such an amazing practice and i’d definitely encourage you all to give it a try if you haven’t already!
• keep working out! my goal is to do AT LEAST one 10 min workout every day because that’s so doable!! but i also might try one of chloe ting’s 2 week challenges hmmm
• keep studying korean – i really want to stay sharp with my korean esp since i won’t really be speaking it over the summer. for me, this means going through ttmik‘s lessons, reading webtoons in korean (!!) and looking up the words i don’t know, and also watching k-dramas! i’m thinking of watching crash landing on you or reply 1988, but drop suggestions/recommendations below!

i’m honestly so looking forward to may – let’s make it a good month!!

madeline:

i have a few goals for the month of may:

• stay focused on schoolwork and have a strong end to my high school career! i don’t want to stress myself out though; there’s literally no point, given that this is my senior spring.
• maybe start working on a new writing WIP hmmm. i’ve been cogitating on a new idea for the past week or so, and i’d like to start plotting and brainstorming a bit more. i’d really like to write a draft of a novel-length project in the coming months to challenge myself and stay sharp with those #writingskillz.
• read 8-10 books! i know i can do it; i just have to use the time i’d otherwise spend on my phone/watching tv. hopefully, my local library will open up soon and i will be able to check out some physical books!
• run at least 150 miles. i’m hoping my motivation to run will stay for the month of may and i can stay in shape until i take a break for a little while at the end of may/beginning of june.
• plan a graduation celebration with my family — i want to decorate our backyard and have a lil party with my family to celebrate graduating high school!! hopefully i will have pictures to share in the june wrap-up post (my graduation is in early june)!

how was your month? let us know in the comments!