Screen Free Week 2026

Last week was Screen Free Week. Let's talk about highlights from the week.

Monday through Friday, I went for daily walks to Bridal Veil Falls, including on a day when it was raining. I just took an umbrella.

 

I listened through several audiobooks.

One day I walked beyond Bridal Veil Falls and walked along the Provo River Parkway for a bit. I kept having to dodge little inchworms hanging from their silken threads. I tried to get some pictures using my hand as a backdrop (without touching them) but I couldn't get it to focus on the creatures.

Finally I gave up and started walking back. After a bit I looked down at my sleeve and saw a little inchworm sitting there. I was able to get pictures and a video of it (because my sleeve was a good backdrop) before I picked up a stick to encourage it off of me.

I found another one that I also got off. When I got back to the van, I took off my vest and brushed myself off but I didn't have any more of those little caterpillars on me. That was fun. 

 

May the Fourth, I took a couple kids to the library with me. We said Hi to Libby the Librantula (twice) and picked up some books.

There was a display in the children's section for Star Wars Day, so I picked up a book to read with Jet later.

We ate "sand"wich people at home. 

I wished my friend a Happy Star Wars Day and she let me know they were watching one of the movies.

We didn't watch a movie because it was Screen Free Week but we played a card game that night for Family Home Evening.

May the Sixth was No Diet Day so I told everyone to "Fend For Yourself" for dinner. 

 

May the Seventh was National Tourism Day so we ate Greek Pitas.

I wore my slug shirt I wore on our Pacific Northwest trip a couple years ago. Jet carried around Timothy, the banana slug we got from Mount Rainier on that trip. Jet and I both wore brown shirts and black pants that day.

May the Eighth was No Sock Day. I wore my socks some of the time but took them off other times.

It was also Fintastic Friday. We had Sharkleberry Fin Koolaid and Jeremy brought us home gummy sharks.

That night, I introduced another person to the movie, Seeking Persephone. It's a monthly tradition. This person, however, has read a lot of books by Sarah M. Eden so she is very familiar with the book this movie is based on as well as the series (and a related series).

I know it was Screen Free Week, but this movie watching was postponed from when we were going to watch it in April (I got to watch it with my in-laws). The kids were okay with it because they got to watch a movie during Screen Free Week and eat cucumber sandwiches and drink herbal tea.  

 

Other things from Screen Free Week:

Snuggles

Jet  showing that he learned "Skidamarink A Dink A Dink" at school

Jr. Jr. letting Jet play with the train he built at school (how cool is that)

 

Jeremy finally getting a haircut

Roses blooming 

I'll blog about Saturday and Sunday later. Those days were big deals. 

Breakfast and a Movie

To celebrate The Sheriffs of Savage Wells movie coming out the beginning of this month (based on the book by Sarah M. Eden), my husband, daughter, and I had an "American West" breakfast with recipes from the book, Whisk Me Away (by Michelle Wright), which also has quotes from The Sheriffs of Savage Wells book.

We ate Crustless Quiche, Biscuits with Raspberry Honey Butter, and to drink we had White Lightning Moonshine (Sweet Tea). Read the "Sheriffs" book or watch the movie (or both) to learn the origin of that drink.

As we ate, we watched The Sheriffs of Savage Wells movie. I laughed so much and got so giddy seeing the quirky characters from the book on screen. 

Bonding Time

Monday, Nichole and I were able to go watch a movie in the theater that we've been waiting a couple years for. 

Sarah M. Eden is one of my favorite authors. A couple of years ago, a kickstarter was announced for funds to make a movie based on her book, "Seeking Persephone." I love that book. My daughter loves that book. We both got excited about the announcement. I was thrilled to find out that Sarah wrote the screenplay for the movie based on her book.

They quickly earned enough money to promise to make the movie and did filming in Utah. They earned more money later so they could film in England because the story takes place in England during the Regency Era.

I've been excited about this whole thing. I've loved seeing behind the scenes content. I've loved hearing updates from people who were part of creating it. 

I didn't know if there would be the opportunity to see it in the theater. I was happy we were going to get a digital copy of the movie but didn't know if we'd get the chance to see it in the theater, especially since over the last few months they've been having special screenings in select theaters and tickets sell out sooooo fast. But one day, I was quick enough I was able to buy tickets for Nichole and me and after almost a week of anticipation, we got to go to a "Seeking Persephone Early Access Fan Screening." 

Sarah M. Eden was there at our theater (with a few others who were very important to making this movie) and she was so nice to let so many people take selfies with her. I mentioned she's one of my favorite authors, right?

I had heard good things about this movie so my hopes were up pretty high. I was happy that we were able to see it in the theater before watching it at home with all the boys. This type of movie may not be their preferred genre but we do have fun watching lots of different things together as a family.

After having high hopes, the movie exceeded my expectations. This was watching the book come to life on the screen. It was the book. I was watching it thinking I know what's going to happen in this scene and loving every moment of it because it was absolutely true to the book, which I already love. There were a few changes (necessary in filmmaking) which didn't hinder the story at all. After all, it's almost three hours long. It didn't feel too long or two short, though. Goldilocks would be glad to know that in my opinion, it was just right. 

After the movie, Nichole told me she was already looking forward to watching it again. No kidding. It is going to be one I will enjoy watching over and over.

The music was gorgeous. We know that music can make a big difference in a movie and this added to the it beautifully. We already have the soundtrack but I wanted to watch the movie before listening to the soundtrack so now I can. Woohoo.

I have so many good things to say about this movie. Several family members have already heard me talk their ears off but I can't get over how much I loved it.

I really can't write it all. I will say this. I hope they are able to continue making these movies. There are so many wonderful stories in the series and I'd love to see the actors who played certain characters in this movie have their opportunity to show us the story of those characters (because the casting was also great).

Sarah M. Eden is still one of my favorite authors and now she is one of my favorite screenplay writers. Everyone was appropriately laughing and Awwwing throughout the movie. Good writing.

That reminds me, she also wrote the screenplay to a movie based on another one of her books, "The Sheriffs of Savage Wells." They filmed that this year and because it's an 1800s Western, they were able to film it all in Utah. That one I didn't know about until I heard they started filming it and I got very excited about it because I also like that book. Nichole hasn't read it yet. 

I am thrilled there are going to be at least two movies based on her books and I hope there will be many more.  

Catching Up March 2025 part 3

March 16 was Artichoke Hearts Day. We used it as an excuse to make a yummy alfredo pizza.

March 17 was St. Patrick's Day. I made two recipes from Sarah M. Eden from The Fiction Kitchen Trio Cookbook. Dublin Coddle and Katie's Irish Soda Bread. 

For dessert we had Oreo Mint Truffles.

 

March 18 was Sloppy Joe Day. We had open faced sloppy joes. It was also Forgive Mom and Dad Day. I kept asking the kids to forgive me for silly reasons. 

Lucky, Jeremy, and I went to see one of Jr.'s orchestra concerts that day. I love that he enjoys orchestra so much because music is very important to me.

See Lucky hiding behind that book? The elementary school read-a-thon was going on during that time so Lucky wanted to get as many minutes in as possible. He ended up being one of the top readers in the school and got a prize for it. The read-a-thon was Roald Dahl themed this year. One morning, Jeremy, Jet, and I were able to go to Parents and Pastries with Lucky.

March 19 was Poultry Day. We ate chicken that day. 

It was also Chocolate Caramel Day. I may have celebrated that observed the next day by making Olloch the Glutton's Caramel Biscuit Bars to go with our Vernal Equinox (March 20) food, Easy Fairy Folk Tortilla Pizzas, both from The Fablehaven Cookbook.

 

March 21 was Fragrance Day and French Bread Day. We took some of those artichoke hearts and made Cheesy Artichoke Bread from the Six Sisters' Stuff cookbook, A Year With Six Sisters' Stuff.

March 22 was World Water Day. It rained. 

I got a little break from the rain when I went out to the water of the lake. I was just going to take a quick jaunt out to look at the pelicans on the lake then I kept going and going and going. There were plenty of birds to see. What else was I supposed to do? I ended up making a complete loop around the Geneva Ponds between Vineyard Beach and Lindon Boat Harbor.

I finally got some sun... but it was in my eyes. Did I mention that March 22 was also National Goof Off Day?

After my morning off, my ministering sister invited me to her house for lunch with my other ministering sister to celebrate Nauryz, a celebration of the new year and Spring and a renewal of nature. We enjoyed some traditional foods from Kazakhstan. 

What a wonderful day for that.

Later I went for a nice little drive up the canyon. Beautiful on that rainy day.