Parenting
I took a little field trip with my two great girlfriends (and one babe) over to Rewind, a vintage boutique with two locations in Minneapolis. (They were kind enough to let us snap pics inside!) Mary has a flair for hunting out the best styles and deals. She’s a believer that you don’t have to shop the mall to find high quality deals, in fact you probably won’t find them there. Treasures abound in vintage shops! Cynthia & her babe, Mary & her baby belly, and I set off to find some of those treasures together. We entered the shop and I was pretty overwhelmed. So much everywhere!! Good thing Mary reviewed her quick list for vintage shopping rules with me that are so helpful for the mom on a budget who wants to still look fashionable. 1) Look beyond the size of the article of clothing. Buy “off sizes” for deals. Use a belt to turn an extra large tunic into a flowing shirt dress with leggings. Don’t rule out petites or longs. Tailoring is always an option. Tunics and sleeves that flow: always a chic look (regardless of how bloated you feel that day;). If you are pregnant or nursing, you can avoid many of the costly maternity items by simply finding a larger size that’s flowing. Buy fewer items, but buy smarter. A quality wardrobe is best built one item at a time. Go for that “gem.” 2) Rock the pattern. Look for patterns that draw the eye in different directions. Confidently wear zigzag…
Read MoreThe past six months has been one of the harder seasons on our marriage, that season being the Marathon. To be clear, I wanted him to run it, I wanted him to train for it, and I wanted so much for him to not get injured and be able to complete it. That being said, despite his most valiant efforts, it was rough on me, on us. The silver lining is that post-marathon has been a deluge of quality time, very deliberate time spent together that’s neither cooking nor cleaning up in the post-bedtime evenings, and our very own weekend away. Slow down, Nell. TWO NIGHTS AND TWO DAYS AWAY FROM OUR KIDS!? We haven’t been collectively away from them (and I’ve only had two instances away from the baby, ever, at 17 months) ever. We hadn’t been to our family’s country home (the Lodge) without a child or three in over two years. My generous parents and sister covered the babysitting, the middle of the night awakenings, the church festival, the swim lesson, the mass attendance, the crying fits, the tantrums, and the food thrown on the floor. All while we basked in the complete stillness of the country. And slept almost the whole entire time. But when we weren’t sleeping, we got to talk. Deep talk. The kinds of conversations you simply can’t have over a fatigued evening, a hurried bedtime, a messy house. And I realized these past two post-marathon weeks I’ve felt like a queen in my…
Read MoreMy newest discovery: I finally feel like where I am, as imperfect as it is, can be awesome without that meaning I’ve given up on ever getting properly dressed. Maybe it’s the night weaning a few months back. Maybe it’s the return of my cycle. Maybe it’s the awesomeness of a five year old as leader of the pack. Something clicked over for me in the past month or two: I really like where I am, even though it’s not perfect nor is it where I plan//hope to be as a person forever. Maybe we start with mere acceptance and fortitude of our circumstances, but where grit has gotten us through turns into a place of love. We can love where we are, WITHOUT IT BEING OUR IDEAL PLACE OR EVEN OUR END GOAL. Now I’ve resorted to shouting on the internet. Sorry. I’ve been in a place where I’ve cheered myself on the frump mom and told me to indulge myself til the cows come home with more ice cream and Netflix. That’s not healthy. I’ve also been in a place where I’m paralyzed by indecision as to which chaotic pile in my life to tackle first, feel guilty and overwhelmed that I’m not on top of everything, and despaired in not being mom-who-does-it-all. That’s also not healthy. So beyond both of those places is this place, right now. It means: The things I don’t like about me and my life aren’t going to stop me from still loving my life. I don’t want…
Read More(More gems from our photo session with the talented Emily Rumsey) I hurried downstairs after my bath tonight (sore bum from tripping on our freshly and now padded! carpet! padded! basements steps needed a little soak) upon hearing my oldest (5.5) shouting I WON’T and the tell-tale escapee foot-falls. And I had a good idea to whom that punctuated tone was directed. My saintly father who agreed to watch the kids while I bathed. Their “Baba.” The most hands-on Grandfather I could ever dream of. The child whisperer who can whisk three kids out to a riveting and rivalrous game of bocce ball with the neighbor afternoon after afternoon, week after week, and still win while holding the baby in the carrier. The man who reads Tintin in funny voices. The man who rinses cloth diaper poopies out for me with the same frequency with which those diapers are pooped. Maybe your kids don’t see their grandparents enough to be, well, kids, in front of them, or at them. Or maybe they’re not close enough to the grandparent to get to that level of rudeness. We’re lucky enough to have my parents living with us half-time, so those occasions for kids to, well, be kids, arise on a naturally frequent basis. Staring my son down from his hideout on the library couch and firmly guiding him back to the kitchen where the injured party remained with the tot, he knew I meant business. Shouting at his grandfather: never okay. This approach has worked with my kids and…
Read MoreCatholics are notorious for not knowing the Bible like their Protestant counter parts. And it’s true! We didn’t memorize Scripture passages growing up–we memorized the Catechism and prayers. Those still come easily to me, many many decades out from my little Catholic grade school, but the Bible? I really do want it to be front & center in our kids’ lives. I also want it to be more present in my own life, especially in the next few months when the liturgical season of Advent begins and my busy mom life ramps up for Christmas (aka guests in town and presents galore–oh, and also, Jesus?). My friends Laura & Nancy and I put together something for you. It’s for the youngish Catholic mom who wants to spend time with her Bible amidst the chaos of her daily life, working, at home, driving to school, schooling at home, dinner, errands, all that. Welcome to WAITING IN HIS WORD! This 25+page Scripture devotional tailored with thoughtful essays and selected Scripture passages will walk you (and us) through Advent in a fresh, grounded way. It’s Lectio Divina style which means you take one passage per day, a short one, and just let it roll around all over your heart and mind and sink in. Sign up today to be notified when this guide will be ready for purchase. And when you sign up, you receive Nancy’s little mini-version she wrote about Distraction. Just to get you acquainted with the Lectio Divina style and methodology. And…
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