HAPPY EASTER WEEKEND

Friday's good 'cause Sunday's coming!! Happy Holy Week and Easter Weekend, friends. What a special, sacred week it truly has been. I often find it hard to wrap my mind around the true magnitude of this week. My level of understanding and gratitude never feels enough for the ultimate sacrifice made by our Lord Jesus Christ. If it did, I would never pay any mind to the ebbs and flows of my own little world. How insignificant and irrelevant they truly are. Flawed and imperfect though we are, His love is boundless and He never leaves us. He also has a way of always reining me back in when I need it. Just last night, I was riding through some waves of anger and resentment from one of those situations where you just find it really difficult to find forgiveness. I'm mulling over my thoughts as you do and typically the longer that goes on, the more worked up and upset I become.

Sometime after, the story of Judas came up on my TikTok feed. If you know the story, you know Judas betrayed Jesus for thirteen pieces of silver after The Last Supper. Despite knowing this betrayal was coming, Jesus still ate with and washed the feet of all of His disciples- even Judas. How many of us can say we would or even could act in alignment with this? Despite still holding my emotions, He immediately helped to shift my perspective and turn my focus on Him. My "troubles" and feelings suddenly seemed so silly.

"A little more like Jesus, a little less like me." It is something I constantly fight and challenge myself on and yet I still often fail. Sometimes making light of trivial moments and reminding myself of Matthew 5:39 helps, other times I'm the one who needs forgiveness. 

Holy Week has given me this wonderful reminder of Jesus' selfless love and how He cares for us. How grateful I am for His help and the sacrifice he made for our salvation. Like in Matthew 18:12-14, He too will leave the ninety-nine to come find the one. There have been times in my own life where I've experienced feeling completely alone except for the presence of Jesus and God. He has yet to fail me in a time of need and will always work things out for you if you let Him. 

I wanted to spend a little time in today's post reflecting on my thoughts about the week and wishing you a Happy Easter weekend. I hope you get to spend some special time with your loved ones! 

"Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen." Luke 24:5-6

WEEKLY PUBLIX HAUL | 4.16.25

Welcome back to another weekly Publix Haul, ya'lllllll. They really did the d*mn thing this week with these Easter BOGOs. I was tempted by at least another 5-10 items from the sale but if you don't buy it, you won't eat it haha. Other than blacking out in the baking aisle for cookie mix, *most* things are on the healthy spectrum and actual food I can eat (aka not just snackies).

It's also always a good time when you can find staples on sale- this week that was all of the produce + greek yogurt. I'm an Oikos girl but since Chobani was on sale, we'll give it a go. I also love a good easy peasy salad mix for dinner. The Pear Gorgonzola one is very good if you like a fruity salad vibe. I haven't tried the Truffle Caesar before but I don't think I've ever regretted trying anything with truffle. 

My impulse buys of the day were the Savannah Bee Honeys- I grabbed the Honey for Cheese and the Whipped Honey with Cinnamon. PS- if you like hot honey, their's is so bomb. 

Alright the cookie biz is what we call MODERATION. Sometimes you just need a lil' sweet treat, you know? Also putting Reese's in peanut butter cookies is ALWAYS the move- trust!

DAIRY
+ Chobani Zero Sugar Vanilla Greek Yogurt

PRODUCE

+ Green Beans

+ Mini Yellow Potatoes 

+ Strawberries

+ Raspberries 

PROTEIN

+ Boar's Head Black Forest Ham 

GRAINS/BREAD

+ Rana Cheese Tortellini

MISC:

+ Bonne Maman Strawberry Preserves 

+ Savannah Bee Honey (for Cheese + Whipped Cinnamon) 

+ Siete Sea Salt Potato Chips 

+ Creamy Truffle Caesar salad Mix

+ Pear Gorgonzola Salad Mix 

+ Betty Crocker Cookie Mix (Peanut Butter, Oatmeal + WC Macadamia) 

+ Reese's Peanut Butter Cups 

+ Mayo 

What are your plans for Easter weekend?

I love sharing my picks + hauls with you all! Should you click on or make a purchase through the links in this post, I'll earn some money to keep on shopping! Pretty cool, huh? :)

TOP 5 MOST POPULAR BLOG POSTS | 4.14.25

Hello, hello! Today's post is all about the current top 5 most popular blog posts here on TheKristenDiary.com! I swear it feels like I was just writing this post for March... the time sure is starting to fly right on by again. Why the winter drags and the rest of the year speeds up is wild. It must be something with the time change, idk! Anywho, here's what's poppin' here on TKD- a few forever faves + a few new additions! 

1. SALT & STONE DEODORANT REVIEW + RESTOCK HAUL - All of my clean ingredient girlies (and guys), the Salt & Stone deodorant is where it's at. I've talked a lot about my natural deodorant journey here on the blog and so far, this is still the best formula I've found. Be sure to read the post here for my full review + all of my fave scents! 

Read here: Salt & Stone Deodorant Review + Restock Haul 

2. REVIEWING YASSO GREEK YOGURT BARS - If you're looking for a healthier dessert/snackie, Yasso is where it's at. I love these- they taste delicious and are a great alternative to regular ice cream. Perfect for these hot summer days coming up!

Read here: Reviewing Yasso Greek Yogurt Bars 

3. OURA RING UNBOXING - Today I saw a TikTok of a girl saying one popular item she refused to buy is an Oura Ring... brokeeeeee my heart, ya'll. Honestly, I get the vibes though. I swear I'm conditioned now to automatically scroll whenever I see a TikTok shop video. I too have constantly raved on and on about mine but after almost three years with it, I definitely feel like I'm qualified?? I know I snatched one up way before they became hyped up on TT. Also if it wasn't clear before, I have zero rag-rets and I wear mine everyday! For me it's just nice to keep up with what's going on internally + a nice way to check in. Like with anything, I'm sure the data isn't always 100% fool proof or an exact science, however it's more insight than I'd have without it, no? I can't speak on the Oura vs. others but I've been happy with the Oura and it's still going strong for me.

Read here: Oura Ring Unboxing 

4. TOP 5 MOST POPULAR BLOG POSTS OF MARCH - Okay it's definitely unusual for one of these "top 5 posts" to make it into another top 5 post, lol. Something must've been happening in March because last month's round-up made the cut! 

Read here: Top 5 Most Popular Blog Posts of March 

5. NEW AT ABERCROMBIE - I love me a good Abercrombie find. I'd actually go so far as to say they might be my favorite place to find clothes right now? Definitely in the top 5! They've made a major comeback over the last several years and I can always count on them for good jeans + basics. Every so often, I like to share a what's new post with all of my favorite Abercrombie finds. I'm obsessed with all of the fun graphics in this post + tank vibes for summer! 

Read here: New at Abercrombie 

How's your April been going?

I love sharing my picks + hauls with you all! Should you click on or make a purchase through the links in this post, I'll earn some money to keep on shopping! Pretty cool, huh? :)

CRUMBL X KARDASHIAN JENNER | WEEKLY CRUMBL

Ya'll know we had to have a weekly crumbl review going up this week- despite whether you like the KARJENS or not, the Crumbl x Kardashian Jenner lineup this week was too good to miss. The lineup includes: Kris' Classic Yellow Layer Cake, Kourtney's Flourless Chocolate Cake, Kim's Snickerdoodle Crumb Cake Cookie, Khloe's Cookies & Cream Skillet Cookie, Kendall's Cookie Dough Cupcake Cookie and Kylie's Pink Confetti Sugar Cookie. 

Because the consensus on TikTok was that Kourtney's Flourless cake was a no-go for all of us refined-sugar-loving-gluten-and-flour-indulging Crumbl peeps, we opted out of hers and doubled up on Kris' cake! 

I was excited initially for all of the flavors- I think the variety + assortment they created is a good mix. Each one is different but still all flavors that I enjoy. I'm also always excited for anything cookie dough and the classic butter cake w/ chocolate is nostalgic. Growing up, my mom would always make us those cakes for our birthday so I was the most excited to try those two! 

Okiee, let's dive in. Coming in at the top for me are definitely Kendall's Cookie Dough Cupcake and Kris' Yellow Cake w/ Chocolate. The Cookie Dough cookie is delicious- it has a great flavor and texture. Mine was well baked and had a great crunchy texture from the chocolate. I'm not a fan of Crumbl's regular chocolate chip cookie so I think the brown sugar in this recipe really elevated the cookie. The frosting was also very good- a great pairing. Kris' cake is also a win in my book! It's pretty darn close to the classic butter cake recipe with chocolate icing. The cake itself was light, fluffy and moist. I wouldn't be mad if it had a bit more of a butter flavor to it but overall, pretty spot on. Same with the icing- it's rich, fudgey and exactly as we always had it growing up! Very very good. 

Next up for me would be Kim's Snickerdoodle! I really liked this one, it's definitely an elevated take on a classic snickerdoodle. I think the added glaze and crumb topping made it go from basic to more memorable. I can take or leave regular snickerdoodle but I'd definitely pick this one again. 

I also enjoyed Khloe's Cookies & Cream Skillet. Ya'll know my take on the chocolate Crumbl desserts- usually the chocolate cookies are too bitter for me. When I first tried this, one I had the same thoughts. I did like the cookies & cream topping- very light and fluffy- but the cookie was definitely on the more bitter cocoa side. After trying it again today, it was perfect. Maybe the two needed to marinate overnight?? Lol. All my fellow Oreo lovers will like this one. It's rich but the cream is light and balances it out nicely.

Last up is Ms. Kylie's Pink Confetti Sugar Cookie. At first I thought this was a dressed up Pink Sugar cookie which would be an immediate no for me. I can't do the almond extract- immediately no. Once I found out it's the vanilla sugar flavor, I was on board and I didn't mind this one! I actually love a good frosted sugar cookie. Flavor wise, this one was really sweet but I enjoyed it. I also liked the crunch from the sprinkles. The one drawback was mine was a little too undercooked for my liking. The inside was definitely more doughy and I just didn't vibe with that on this flavor. I should add that we left this one at room temp so I didn't have it chilled which probably was the difference. Normally I like the chilled flavors more and going from chilled to not could change the texture some too. 

All in all, a fun week + great flavors! I actually did enjoy all of them which doesn't always happen. I also think changing the box was a cute touch! 

Which flavor would be your pick?

WHAT I WANT | APRIL

Agent Nateur holi(stick) tarte tropézienne deodorant // Marc Jacobs Mini Bag // Bow Studs // Valentino Extradose Perfume // Diet Coke Sweatshirt // Lash + Brow Serum // Lululemon Tote Bag // Touchland Hand Sani // Toe Loop Sandals 

What's on your wishlist this month? 

*SHOP THIS POST + ALL OF MY WANTS HERE*

-SHOP THE POST-

I love sharing my picks + hauls with you all! Should you click on or make a purchase through the links in this post, I'll earn some money to keep on shopping! Pretty cool, huh? :)

APRIL READING LIST

APRIL READING LIST:

You can read the synopsis + shop each book by clicking on the title below: 

+ Say You Swear by Meagan Brandy 

+ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling 

+ Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli 

+ Flawless by Elsie Silver 

*SHOP THE POST + ALL OF MY READING LIST HERE*

Are there any new book releases you're looking forward to? 

PS-- I'm also on Goodreads if you want to add me here :)

I love sharing my picks + hauls with you all! Should you click on or make a purchase through the links in this post, I'll earn some money to keep on shopping! Pretty cool, huh? :) 

SEPHORA SPRING SALE PICKS

Charlotte Tilbury Foundation Stick // Valentino Born in Roma Extradose Perfume // Crown Affair The Mini Air Dry Set // Gisou Honey Gloss Hair Mask // Summer Fridays Jet Lag Eye Patches // dae Cactus Fruit Styling Cream // OUAI Mini St. Bart's Body Set // Moroccanoil Perfume 

The Sephora spring sale event starts TODAY- Friday, April 4th. A few times a year, Sephora hosts sales with savings up to 30% off. The sale is tiered based on their different loyalty program levels as follows:

• VIB Rouge Members receive 20% off their entire purchase
• VIB Members receive 15% off their entire purchase
• Beauty Insiders receive 10% off their entire purchase
• All customers receive the Sephora Collection 30% off with code SAVEMORE 

Early access to the sale starts today, April 4th, for VIB Rouge Members through Monday. On Tuesday, April 8th, both VIB and BI's can start shopping. The sale ends for everyone on Monday, April 14th. 

Like with all the exciting beauty sales, I love to both shop and share my top picks! I've curated my own little cart of wants so I thought I'd share with you the items on my list :) I've been the most excited to try these new Summer Fridays Eye Patches. I've also heard the new Valentino perfume is so good with a coconut vibe. It sounds delicious for summer- I think I need! 

Are you shopping the sale this year? If so, let me know what's on your list!

-SHOP THE POST-

I love sharing my picks + hauls with you all! Should you click on or make a purchase through the links in this post, I'll earn some money to keep on shopping! Pretty cool, huh? :)