run around and check out all these nice things!!

It’s Friday. That means you get a seven point chop up of my life for the week. And hop to Kelly’s blog to see a ton of other blogger’s 7 Quick Takes too!

Highlight of my week? Seeing Haley and her family and then watching our kids enjoy enjoy enjoy themselves. She’s embarked on a wild adventure #crosscountrycarrots on social media. Look at our kids demolishing their popsicles <– new fav makers of them! The kids have no idea it’s all fruit and vegetables and very little juice.

1) Deodorant.

Let’s talk about a paste you apply swiftly to your stinky underarms when you haven’t showered for a day or three, and need to go another day. I get in the bath regularly with the baby but that really great scrub & shave in the shower? It can be too long. Too long for the likes of those around me, too long for my baby’s head when he snuggles with me and then smells like me. Too long for everyone involved around here.

I have the solution. Really, truly.

Pitty Party.

Molly’s organic skincare line just released deodorant. Of course, she knows me of old. It works. It WORKS. It WORKS!!!!!!!!! For a long time. And it’s so delicious and easy to put on with your fingers because you just rub it on your hands & knuckles afterwards–no post-application wash required.

Not too grainy. Not too thin. All around da best. Buy now.

2) Raising kids with special needs.

Did you read this? I wept. And then thought about dear friends who are relocating whose firstborn has special needs (and they were blessed with SEVEN more since him!)–and how I’ve been able to steal away a few hours here and there to hang at their house and help with some of the cleaning & packing up. And how they’re super saintly in the funniest, realest way.

Today when I was over there, the kids and I chatted fav food, fav music, fav books, and the girls wanted to know where I like to shop (thrift, baby!). Let’s say the only musicians I could think of were Enya and Scythian. And children’s music. And classical. I’m a broken record, I know. I hope I could be as graceful as Carolyn and Kelly are if any of our children are special needs.

3) Blogging tips & insights.

Nancy is really a powerhouse. She’s a remarkable crafter and writer and we met through a mutual friend who set us up. Online. She’s one of my Minnesota blogger ladies (along with Susanna, Laura, Anna, and Jacqui!)

I really liked what she said here and garnered a few blogging tips. Head over, blogger ladies.

4) I am releasing my fall leggings fabrics sometime in the next two weeks!

Subscribers to my Whole Parenting Goods newsletter know the actual date, but the rest of y’all will have to keep an eye out! I’m going to first run them on instagram auction-style as I have limited fabric. Then they’ll be up in the ole shoppe.

Two fabrics are missing from this pic . . . mystery ones!And yes, campers came back because I know how much love all loved them! I always sell out of them so fast. Sizes 0-6 months through 4T!

 

5) I became addicted to this kind of water.

What a dope. Water is freely provided by the City of Saint Paul and guess what? It’s potable! But I am craving something more to really feel like I’ve wet my whistle on these muggy long days of watching the kids move from room to room, destroying things, fighting, biting, and occasionally looking for me to either pull them apart or fix something they’ve just tussled with and broken.

Enter this beverage. Yes.

6) Reversion of my daughter to favoring me??

We have had our ins & outs, she and I. She’s three and a handful of months and for the last two years I’ve not been her favorite parent. Loudly, professedly, NOT her favorite.

This may have changed lately? I tried a new trick. I resuscitated a play (but works with a battery! kinda! as in, makes noises!) sewing machine that was kindly handed down and set it up in my studio. It’s hers. She has dominion over it. She has ownership. She has pride.

Suddenly she will ask to have “just girl time, mama. let’s go sew!” in the evenings when the beloved pater noster is home. Unheard of. I’ll take it. Her piling up of fabric and buttons and dumping out of everything to *organize* it. Delightful. She even helped perform surgery on her (my former) dollie: Big Darlin.

7) The mad happenings of an almost 15 month old.

The baby monster toddler seems so much larger and stronger and bigger to me than the other two did at his age. Of course, my daughter was always tres petite. But this kid! He lunges at things, not fecklessly, but ruthlessly. He’s determined to maul anything that gets between him and his prey.

And that prey includes food. Toys his sister has. Tongs for grilling. Spatulas. Glass measuring cups. Crayons. Prayer books. Cat and//or dog food.

He’s on the go constantly and can barely be contained! Luckily he is also a night & nap snuggle and loves to give forehead bonks aka kisses & lovies. Tell me and him we will survive this stage. Climbing! Biting! Go-go-going!

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Hope your week was splendid. Come tell me allllll about it.