Mom's Planslearning to live a fulfilling life on less2026-07-24T13:56:32Zhttps://www.momsplans.com/feed/atom/Melissa<![CDATA[The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn {A Book Review}]]>https://www.momsplans.com/?p=269722026-07-24T13:56:32Z2026-07-24T13:56:32ZThis post contains affiliate links. I don’t remember when I heard about The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn. It may be because I have enjoyed some of her other books, such as The Alice Network. However, The Diamond Eye was a bit different, and it took me about 100 pages to really get into this […]
]]>This post contains affiliate links. I don’t remember when I heard about The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn. It may be because I have enjoyed some of her other books, such as The Alice Network. However, The Diamond Eye was a bit different, and it took me about 100 pages to really get into this book.
About The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn
Mila is a 24-year-old graduate student with a 9-year-old son when the novel opens. It’s 1941, and she lives in the Soviet Union. She’s estranged from her pompous, arrogant, condescending husband, who won’t grant her a divorce. She takes shooting lessons so she can teach her son the skill later because she knows her husband never will.
However, when Germany invades her country, she immediately signs up to serve. After months of grunt work, the officers discover what an excellent shot she is, and she becomes a sniper for the military. She earns the title “Lady Death” because her official kill count climbs to 309.
Mila is sent on a tour to the United States to try to help convince the U.S. to help Russia with its war efforts against Germany.
My Thoughts on the Book
This story is based on a real woman, Mila Pavlichenko. I was fascinated to read about her. At first, the book was hard to get into because reading how calculated she had to be with her kills, how she had to turn off her emotions, was difficult. But soon I was hooked and couldn’t wait to read more.
I should mention there was also some romance in the book. Initially, I was irritated with the author–clearly this romance had to be fictional because who has time for that when on the front line? But, jokes on me. Mila did have a powerful romantic relationship when on the front in real life. Some truths are stranger than fiction.
In addition, she became friends with Eleanor Roosevelt during her U.S. tour, and the two remained lifelong friends in real life.
I give The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn 4 stars instead of 5 because I felt like less is more. While most of the book is written based on Mila’s life, the author takes some liberties, especially at the end of the novel, which were unnecessary. I would have enjoyed the book more if those parts hadn’t been included.
]]>0Melissa<![CDATA[Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain {A Book Review}]]>https://www.momsplans.com/?p=270042026-07-12T14:14:57Z2026-07-12T14:14:57ZThis post contains affiliate links. A few years ago, I read The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain and loved it. So, I decided to give another one of her books a whirl, Necessary Lies, and I loved that one just as much! Lucky for me, she has written over 25 books, so there are many […]
]]>This post contains affiliate links. A few years ago, I read The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain and loved it. So, I decided to give another one of her books a whirl, Necessary Lies, and I loved that one just as much! Lucky for me, she has written over 25 books, so there are many more for me to read!
About Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain
Ivy Hart is a 15-year-old girl growing up in North Carolina in 1960. Ivy has had a rough life; she lives in poverty, and both of her parents are gone; she’s raised by her grandma, but it’s more like Ivy is the parent to her grandmother, who doesn’t take good care of her health. Add in Ivy’s 19-year-old mentally impaired sister, Mary Ella, and her young son, and Ivy has her hands full. The only bright spot in Ivy’s life is her boyfriend.
Meanwhile, Jane Forrester has taken her first job as a social worker, and Ivy’s family is on her caseload. One of Jane’s main jobs is to evaluate her clients and determine which ones are good candidates for North Carolina’s Eugenics program–women who had physical issues such as epilepsy or mild mental impairments–were considered good candidates. Ivy had epilepsy, and her sister was mentally impaired.
However, Jane continually irritates her co-workers and boss because she gets too emotionally invested in her clients’ lives, including Ivy’s. She wrestles with the decision to choose women and teens to be sterilized. As she looks at the Hart family and struggles with her decision, she is drawn into their lives and discovers secrets that must come to light.
My Thoughts on the Book
This book completely engaged me and kept me reading. I felt great sympathy for Ivy and her boyfriend. I also felt for Jane, struggling against the opinions of her co-workers and boss, though she clearly crossed the line and became much too enmeshed in her clients’ lives.
I give Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain 5 out of 5 stars on the Mom’s Plans’ scale.
]]>0Melissa<![CDATA[Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak {A Book Review}]]>https://www.momsplans.com/?p=269772026-07-03T11:20:53Z2026-07-03T11:20:53ZThis book contains affiliate links. I signed up for a new book club, and they’re going to discuss Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak. I had never heard of the book before, but I got it on audio and was riveted. I loved this book! About Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak The protagonist, Mallory, is 18 […]
]]>This book contains affiliate links. I signed up for a new book club, and they’re going to discuss Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak. I had never heard of the book before, but I got it on audio and was riveted. I loved this book!
About Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak
The protagonist, Mallory, is 18 months sober after a few years as a heavy drug user. She’s putting her life back together, so when her sponsor lets her know about a live-in nanny job, she’s eager to take it so she can move out of the halfway house she’s living in.
Lucky for Mallory, the family is lovely. Ted and Caroline are thoughtful employers, and their adorable son Teddy is five years old. Teddy is precocious, and he is always drawing pictures. While most of the pictures are basic child drawings of trees, etc., a few terrify Mallory. Those pictures are haunting–a woman being dragged through the forest or a woman being buried.
Mallory is concerned for Teddy and his mental welfare, but Caroline, a psychologist, is not worried. She says Teddy has an imaginary friend, Anya, and the drawings are related to her.
When Mallory finds out a woman was murdered on the property, she begins to wonder if something supernatural is happening in the house. Is the murdered woman’s spirit prompting Teddy to make the drawings? With the help of her new friend, Adrian, Mallory sets out to discover the truth. She is determined to help and protect Teddy, especially since his parents seem unable or unwilling to face the truth.
My Thoughts on the Book
I loved this book on audio, and I appreciated the many twists and turns the story had.
I wasn’t sure if the supernatural was real, but the author added enough details to make me feel like it could be. The twist at the end was completely unexpected, and a bit hard to believe, but I suspended my disbelief.
If you’re looking for a story that will keep you guessing, I recommend this one.
I give Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak 4.5 out of 5 stars on the Mom’s Plans’ scale.
]]>0Melissa<![CDATA[My 2026 Spring Cleaning To Do List: Update 3]]>https://www.momsplans.com/?p=269702026-06-22T10:41:14Z2026-06-22T10:41:14ZWow, I didn’t mean to drop off the face of the blog for nearly two weeks, but June has been a crazy month. My daughter is taking a 5 week college class, so two times a week, I’ve been driving two hours round trip to take her to class and sitting at the college doing […]
]]>Wow, I didn’t mean to drop off the face of the blog for nearly two weeks, but June has been a crazy month. My daughter is taking a 5 week college class, so two times a week, I’ve been driving two hours round trip to take her to class and sitting at the college doing work for 4. 5 hours while I wait for her. Add in driving my younger daughter 1 hour round trip to her track practice twice a week, and I’m putting serious miles on my car–over 500 a week for the last two weeks! But class is over this week! Yay!
Still, we’re chugging along on the spring cleaning even though, at the rate I’m going on this spring cleaning to-do list, I’ll be lucky if it’s done by fall. However, I did make good progress in the last few weeks. Here’s the update:
Master Bedroom
Changing out winter bedding for spring bedding;
Wash winter bedding and put it away (It’s so thick, this will require a warm spring day, which may still be a few weeks out)
Clean windows
Dust bookshelves
Vacuum the entire bedroom (move furniture to get in typically unreached areas)
Bring out spring clothes & put away winter ones
Clean the closet
Buy & install room-darkening curtains.BEFORE
AFTER
Master Bathroom
Clean the window–All I have left to do to knock out the list for this room!
Change out the winter shower curtain & bath mat
Clean baseboards and heating vent (Cuddle Bug did this for us, thankfully!)
Sweep & mop bathroom
Deep clean the tub
Change the shower liner
Kitchen
Deep clean oven inside and out
Clean the refrigerator inside and out (I did half of this.)
Sweep and mop the floor
Wash all rugs
Wipe down cabinet fronts
Deep clean the dishwasher
Clean the toaster
Living Room
Clean the ceiling fan
Try to get the acrylic paint out of the carpet (Any suggestions for how to do this?)
Clean the windows and put the screens in
Vacuum the stairs
Household Maintenance
Call the counter company about the crack in the corner of our new(ish) counter
Call the window company about replacing our screen/storm door that is broken (This was suprisingly expensive to have done professionally, so we’re going to try to DIY it.)
Get estimates for having the house power-washed and get it done
Have the air conditioner maintained (I made an appointment, but they can’t come out until July.)
Change the heater filter
Repaint the front door
Car
Vacuum Car
Wash car mats
Install hatchback cover
Landscaping
Pull out two small bushes
Plant 2 rose bushes where the other bushes were (We pulled out two of the bushes, but the one bush that is still here was too large; we’ll work on that later. The rose bushes are protected by chicken wire because the bunnies will strip the rose bushes clean; it will take a few years before I see roses, I think.)
Edge the sidewalks and driveway (We decided not to do this.)
Put down new wood chips in the landscaping because ours are mostly gone.
Whew. That’s our list, and it’s a big one with our time constraints, so we plan to chip away at it little by little and hopefully have it done by June.
]]>0Melissa<![CDATA[A Day in My Life: The Kids Are Almost Grown (but Not Quite) Edition]]>https://www.momsplans.com/?p=269502026-06-10T14:38:56Z2026-06-10T14:38:56ZI randomly decided to do a day in my life, and then, while I was looking back at previous ones I had done, my last one was almost on the same day three years ago! Life is a lot different from three years ago, but it’s still busy, especially since the day I chose for […]
]]>I randomly decided to do a day in my life, and then, while I was looking back at previous ones I had done, my last one was almost on the same day three years ago! Life is a lot different from three years ago, but it’s still busy, especially since the day I chose for this day in the life was one of the busiest of the week. If I do another one three years from now, life will be completely different because I’ll probably be an empty nester by then!
6 am–Wake up. No need for an alarm, starting last year, I automatically wake up between 5 and 6 a.m. I don’t mind usually, but now that one of my daughters is regularly working until 10 or 10:30 and we have to go pick her up, I don’t get quite enough sleep. Sometimes I wish I could sleep a bit longer!
6 am–Scroll & read blogs, go downstairs to feed the cats their soft food.
6:15 am take medicine, brush teeth
6:30 am do Tai Chi (I found this channel on YouTube that has Tai Chi for seniors. It’s only 7 minutes long, and it’s gentle enough for a beginner like me. I’m really enjoying it!)
6:45 am–Make and eat breakfast. Today I have a two-egg omelet in a tortilla with cheese as well as an apple topped with plain yogurt, cinnamon, and walnuts.
7:15 am–Drive daughter to school. It’s the last week of school, and she’s so ready to be DONE!
7:30 am–Talk to husband, and fill in my planner and to-do list for the week
8 am–Work. The first thing I do for work is to check our social media accounts and take care of issues. That’s about all I can do this morning before I have to stop because I have an appointment at 9.
8:40 am–Get ready and drive to my appointment
9 am–In my appointment
9:45 am–Drive and get gas (The gas station that has gas 50 cents cheaper than anywhere else was 10 minutes out of my way, but it was worth it to save $5. I paid $3.92 per gallon versus the $4.49 to $4.59 everywhere else.) My daughter has been taking a 5-week speech class at a community college an hour away. We go two days a week, so for this month, I’m having to fill up my tank twice a week.
10:15 am–Get ready for my work meeting
10:30 am–Attend my work meeting
11:15 am–Cook lunch, eat lunch with PB & J Girl, do dishes. I ate a meal that I meal planned this week and love it. PB & J Girl ate a Mediterranean Bowl with chickpeas, veggies, Feta cheese, and a wrap.
11:50 am–Drive to PB & J Girl’s appointment
12:30 pm–Read The Diamond Eye while she’s in her appointment
1:15 pm–Drive to ice cream shop & order ice cream (I was craving a mint shake!) PB & J Girl got a scoop of Panda Paws and Cannoli. It was a hot, humid day, and ice cream hit the spot!
1:30 pm–Drive to pick up my other daughter from school
2 pm–Wait in the pick-up line! If I come after 2, there’s no where to park, so I have to wait in the road, which I don’t like.
2:20 pm–Talk to her about school and her day
2:40 pm–Wash all of our bedroom windows inside and out, vacuum all of our blinds (so dusty!), take down the falling-down curtain rod and curtains, put in the new supports and put up the new curtain and room darkening curtains, vacuum where our desks were, put our desks back
The bedroom curtain before I started
5:30 pm–Cook dinner and clean the kitchen. Tonight, we had stuffed shells already prepared that I bought from Aldi. They were good, and everyone liked them.
6:15 pm–Eat dinner and talk to family. My husband barely ever has a bad day at work, but he had a bad day and talked about it for awhile.
6:40 pm–Drive daughter to work and drop her off. Her work shifts have been from about 6 to 7 until 10 at night. Not going to lie, I wish they were earlier. She used to have a 4 to 7 p.m. shift that I loved, but alas, now she’s always scheduled later in the day.
7 pm–Stop by Aldi to pick up a few fill-in groceries. Aldi has become my new favorite store! Tonight I picked up bananas, Greek yogurt, avocados for dinner tomorrow night, hummus, and grapes.
7:20 pm–Take a much-needed shower. It was super humid today, and I had to keep letting the warm air in while cleaning the windows, so I was really hot the whole time I was cleaning.
7:40 pm–Read my book, play Wordle, and scroll. One of my daughters introduced me to Wordle, and now I need to play it every day!
8:30 pm–Relax with my husband watching a show until our daughter comes in, and we talk to her about school/life.
9:40 pm–Talk more to my daughter while my husband goes to pick up our other daughter from work
10:15 pm–Talk to our other daughter who just got home from work and then go to bed at 10:30 pm!
That’s it. A very full day in the life with two kids that are mostly, but not quite, grown!
]]>0Melissa<![CDATA[My 2026 Spring Cleaning To Do List: Update 2]]>https://www.momsplans.com/?p=269332026-06-04T10:52:59Z2026-06-03T11:29:24ZWell, here we are on June 4th, and I’m still chugging along on my spring cleaning list. But, one of my goals for this week is to do two items off the list, so I thought I should show you where I’m at before next week. Here’s the update: Master Bedroom Changing out winter bedding […]
]]>Well, here we are on June 4th, and I’m still chugging along on my spring cleaning list. But, one of my goals for this week is to do two items off the list, so I thought I should show you where I’m at before next week. Here’s the update:
Master Bedroom
Changing out winter bedding for spring bedding;
Wash winter bedding and put it away (It’s so thick, this will require a warm spring day, which may still be a few weeks out)
Clean windows
Dust bookshelves
Vacuum the entire bedroom (move furniture to get in typically unreached areas)
Bring out spring clothes & put away winter ones
Clean the closet
Buy & install room-darkening curtains (This is partially done. I bought and installed the room-darkening curtains, but they were too heavy for the curtain rod I had, so now I need to take them down, install a new curtain rod, and put them back up.)
Master Bathroom
Clean the window–All I have left to do to knock out the list for this room!
Change out the winter shower curtain & bath mat
Clean baseboards and heating vent (Cuddle Bug did this for us, thankfully!)
Sweep & mop bathroom
Deep clean the tub
Change the shower liner
Kitchen
Deep clean oven inside and out
Clean the refrigerator inside and out (I did half of this.)
Sweep and mop the floor
Wash all rugs
Wipe down cabinet fronts
Deep clean the dishwasher
Clean the toaster
Living Room
Clean the ceiling fan
Try to get the acrylic paint out of the carpet (Any suggestions for how to do this?)
Clean the windows and put the screens in
Vacuum the stairs
Household Maintenance
Call the counter company about the crack in the corner of our new(ish) counter
Call the window company about replacing our screen/storm door that is broken
Get estimates for having the house power-washed and get it done
Have the air conditioner maintained
Change the heater filter
Repaint the front door
Car
Vacuum Car
Wash car mats
Install hatchback cover
Landscaping
Pull out two small bushes
Plant 2 rose bushes where the other bushes were (We pulled out two of the bushes, but the one bush that is still here was too large; we’ll work on that later. The rose bushes are protected by chicken wire because the bunnies will strip the rose bushes clean; it will take a few years before I see roses, I think.)
Edge the sidewalks and driveway (We decided not to do this.)
Put down new wood chips in the landscaping because ours are mostly gone.
Whew. That’s our list, and it’s a big one with our time constraints, so we plan to chip away at it little by little and hopefully have it done by June.
]]>0Melissa<![CDATA[My Goals for Week 35 and a Recap of the Last 8 Months]]>https://www.momsplans.com/?p=269312026-06-01T19:16:04Z2026-06-02T10:15:47ZOnly four more months left to accomplish my yearly goals! I’ll let you know how that’s going, but first, here are the goals I want to accomplish this week: My Goals for This Week (Week 35) Walk for 10 minutes 8 times this week Go to the gym 4x this week. Write up two book […]
]]>Only four more months left to accomplish my yearly goals! I’ll let you know how that’s going, but first, here are the goals I want to accomplish this week:
My Goals for This Week (Week 35)
Walk for 10 minutes 8 times this week
Go to the gym 4x this week.
Write up two book reviews for the many books I’ve completed this year but haven’t written about.
Study Japanese for 60 minutes this week.
Climb 38 flights on the stair climber.
Complete two items on my spring cleaning list.
A Recap of The First Seven Months’ Accomplishments
We’re almost at the 2/3rds mark for my goals! Here’s where things stand:
1.) Go to the gym regularly (4 to 5x a week) and increase all the weights I’m currently lifting over the next 12 months (Goal=200 times this year). I went to the gym 8 times in May, 10 times in April, 13 times in March, 12 times in February, only 2 times in January (it was a crazy month!), 8 times in December, 11 times in November, and 16 times in October, so 80 times so far. (40% complete)
2.) Master the stair master and climb 100 flights of stairs. This was on pause for about five months when I injured my knee; I started the year at 6 flights of stairs, and I’ve worked my way up to 33 flights. (33% complete)
3.) Eat 6 to 10 fruits and vegetables a day. This is hit or miss. I definitely have to focus on this more.
4.) Honor my body and all it does for me by learning and practicing intuitive eating. I found a nutritionist who specializes in intuitive eating and have seen her 7x. I am getting the hang of it, slowly but surely.
5.)Do yoga or Tai Chi regularly(Goal=150 times this year). I was failing, but lately I’ve been starting my morning with Tai Chi. Now, if I could get in the habit of doing yoga before bed, I might still complete this goal! I did Tai Chi 10 times in May, 1 time in February, 2 times in January, 5 times in December, and yoga 3 times in November for a total of 21 times (14% complete).
7.) Read 5 books about health/wellness. Oof, failing at this goal. I almost finished Glucose Revolution ,before I had to return it to the library. That’s it!
8.) Study Japanese, or read a book, or do some combination of both for 45 to 60 minutes a day. I’m slowly (very slowly) getting back into my Japanese study, but I’ve been reading up a storm. I finished these books in the last eight months:
]]>0Melissa<![CDATA[Meal Prep & Menu Plan for May 31 2026]]>https://www.momsplans.com/?p=268972026-06-01T00:44:32Z2026-06-01T00:44:32ZThis post contains affiliate links. I keep making my meal plan and forgetting to take pictures, so then I don’t post it. Hopefully, I’ll start improving with this! I’ve been trying to integrate some more Japanese foods into our diet. My husband makes lots of Japanese foods on the weekend, but I’m trying to cook […]
]]>This post contains affiliate links. I keep making my meal plan and forgetting to take pictures, so then I don’t post it. Hopefully, I’ll start improving with this!
I’ve been trying to integrate some more Japanese foods into our diet. My husband makes lots of Japanese foods on the weekend, but I’m trying to cook more during the weekdays.
]]>0Melissa<![CDATA[The Flower Sisters by Michelle Collins Anderson {A Book Review}]]>https://www.momsplans.com/?p=269122026-05-28T12:14:42Z2026-05-28T12:14:42ZThis post contains affiliate links. I’m a huge fan of historical fiction, especially fiction set during World War II. However, I always like it when I find historical fiction set during a different time like The Flower Sisters by Michelle Collins Anderson. About the Flower Sisters by Michelle Collins Anderson I listened to this on […]
]]>This post contains affiliate links. I’m a huge fan of historical fiction, especially fiction set during World War II. However, I always like it when I find historical fiction set during a different time like The Flower Sisters by Michelle Collins Anderson.
About the Flower Sisters by Michelle Collins Anderson
I listened to this on audio, which I enjoyed. The book takes place in two different times–1928 and 1978. The 1928 section focuses on Rose and Violet, twins who have very different personalities. One sweltering summer night, one of them heads to the dance hall with the other teens in her town, but she never returns home thanks to an explosion that kills several people and traumatizes the town for decades to come.
In 1978, a 15-year-old Daisy comes to town. Daisy’s mother, Lettie, is running away with a man who doesn’t like kids. Daisy is to live with her grandmother, the surviving twin of the 1928 explosion. Daisy finds the small Missouri town of Possum Flats boring until she gets herself a job at the local newspaper. The editor puts her to work writing blurbs about this date in history, but when Daisy stumbles upon the story of the dance hall explosion, nothing can stop her. However, she runs up against strong resistance from most of the survivors, who all have secrets to hide and are anxious to keep that dark time in the past.
My Thoughts on the Book
This book is based on a true event, the Bond Dance Hall explosion, that happened in West Plains, Missouri on April 13, 1928. Ironically, the author lived in this town and never heard of the tragedy until 2010! In 2011, a non-fiction book was published about the event: The West Plains Dance Hall Explosion by Lin Waterhouse. (I haven’t read that book yet, but it’s on my list.)
The tragedy is terrible, and knowing it’s a true story is even worse. The author does an excellent job showing how such a tragic event changed the town and all the people who experienced it forever.
While the book focuses on the events from that terrible night, it’s also a story about women–grandmothers, mothers, daughters, sisters. I enjoyed the story she weaved around the event and appreciated the larger-than-life small town characters she created.
I give The Flower Sisters by Michelle Collins Anderson 5 out of 5 stars on the Mom’s Plans’ scale.
]]>2Melissa<![CDATA[My Goals for Week 33 and a Recap of the Last Two Weeks]]>https://www.momsplans.com/?p=269012026-05-18T13:53:26Z2026-05-18T13:53:26ZI made small goals two weeks ago, but I had trouble accomplishing them. Life is very busy this time of year–the girls had prom, one had a friend visit from out of town. . .and this week is equally busy–one all-day homeschool tech competition, three track meets, shuttling the kids to and from their jobs. […]
]]>I made small goals two weeks ago, but I had trouble accomplishing them. Life is very busy this time of year–the girls had prom, one had a friend visit from out of town. . .and this week is equally busy–one all-day homeschool tech competition, three track meets, shuttling the kids to and from their jobs. I don’t know if I lack motivation or if I just need to accept that during this last sprint to the finish line of having high school children, I won’t be able to accomplish everything I want. I don’t know. I’m on the wait list for an audio copy of Atomic Habits, hoping that can help. Here are the goals I want to accomplish this week and what I accomplished (or didn’t) the last two weeks:
My Goals for This Week (Week 33)
Since this is going to be a very busy week, I’m setting super simple goals:
Go to the gym 2x this week.
Write up two book reviews for the many books I’ve completed this year but haven’t written about.
Study Japanese for 60 minutes this week.
Continue to track my food intake and use the hunger and fullness scale.
A Recap of The Last Two Weeks’ Accomplishments
Walk for 10 minutes after breakfast and lunch. I took 12 walks. (If I did this daily, it should have been 14.)
Go to the gym 4x this week. I went 3 times.
Write up three book reviews for the many books I’ve completed this year but haven’t written about. I wrote one.
Study Japanese for 60 minutes this week. I studied for 52 minutes.
Continue to track my food intake and use the hunger and fullness scale. This was hit or miss.
You know what I did a great job of? Reading books and listening to audios. I can’t wait to finish the reviews of the books I’ve read so far this year and share them with you:
