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It’s maybe the free shipping, or mostly saving me the hassle of trekking through a store with my four small children, but yes, most of my purchases for me, the kids, and the household, have been online in the last #forever Amazon prime day is some kind of celebration/deals day for Amazon? Trying to get people to sign up to be Prime members? I haven’t read the fine print. But I did think it would be interesting to see what I’ve bought on Amazon lately. So all of these are my affiliate links meaning I get a few cents based on what you buy through the link. Doesn’t cost you anything! H O U S E Shelves. These, these, and these. Finally hung more of this in the basement because #clothdiapers #drybetter Huge glass jars for my husband’s kefir obsession. K I D S For my rambunctious four year old boy, this has kept him happy for days! He’s all about tools. For my six year old girl, this is the perfect bribe gift for finishing her reading lessons. We literally set it in front of us, in the packaging, as we work through All About Reading. My eight year old wanted this stack of cards for a friend of his. M E This pink dress that I really love. Most exciting mom purchase of all. B O O K S My dear friend Laura’s forthcoming book on miscarriage. My sweet friend Haley’s forthcoming book on their life path. My amazing friend…
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We arrived home tan, rested, and bellies full of laughter and delicious food. In short, it was a wonderful vacation (an actual VACA not a trip with small children) and re-entry has been easier than I thought because I’m floating on the joy of a week with my sister and her family. Linking with Kelly and the gang. Always head to her site and read everyone’s 7 quick takes. It’s a blast! Travel was easier on the way there than expected! I’ve flown a lot with the toddler (4?5? times) since she was born, but this was our first family flight all six of us. She nursed and then slept the whole time, the oldest read happily in his seat in front of my husband and four year old (they played cards and games) and my sweet oldest girl curled up next to me with her pouch of random scraps and crap (I use the term nearly literally), happy as a clam to dig her nails into my arm any time the plane did anything remotely “scary.” It coulda been so much worse. A no-agenda trip is amazing. We didn’t have to rush anywhere. So even making our way from the airport to the rental car, through traffic to the beach house in New Jersey, and unpacking didn’t feel rushed or anxious. All of our other trips to visit family have centered around a joyous event, but an event. A get-dressed-be-there-at-a-certain-time-no-you-can’t-eat-that even. I love events! And now I know I love…
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Welcome, Hallie! Tell us about you! You own and operate Better Beginnings, offering postpartum doula care service. Many women today are told they birth and then are supposed to pop back to normal. What does Better Beginnings provide during those tender early days, weeks, and months of recovery? We provide physical, emotional, and informational support to mothers and families as they welcome new babies into their lives. For first-time parents, this can include newborn care education catered to their questions, and practicing newborn care techniques like swaddling or soothing with their own equipment and their real baby, instead of a doll during a class. For more experienced parents, we may focus on sibling adjustment and how big brother or sister is doing with the transition of adding baby into the mix. For all parents, we emphasize rest and recovery from childbirth, and offer lactation support if they’re breastfeeding, or bottle-feeding tips if they’re not. We also check in with moms and dads about their emotional wellbeing, and tend to household tasks such as laundry, dishes, and meal prep. Honestly, we’ve been told by many of our clients that because of our support, they felt they were truly able to enjoy their postpartum time and their newborn more than they otherwise would have. We’ve also heard it’s an investment in the marriage. 😉 You’re right, Nell. Those early days and weeks and months are tender, and unique. They deserve nonjudgmental support that’s specialized for that time in a family’s life.…
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Linking with Kelly and the gang for a late seven quick takes! Organic Knit Dresses are for sale tomorrow! I have so many fabrics and sizes range from 12-18 through 6/7! I’ll add them all to the shop at 10am central on Monday so keep your eyes out for them! It’s been a big labor of love to make them all ahead of time instead of custom orders but this way, they’re all ready to ship!! Swimming I’m not a swimmer by any way, shape, form, means, etc unless my life or my child’s life depended on it. I always got a nose full of water when I was on the swim team as a little kid and quickly decided that head above water, doggy-paddling was the life for me. Alas, I seem to have produced at least two children who also feel likewise. In the land of 10,000 lakes and lots of swimming pools, I’d like for them to have the basics down so they don’t drown. My oldest girl is staunchly against it. The oldest boy is like a fish. And the second boy, well, the jury is out. BUT I did take all four kids to our little neighborhood pool, with the youngest two in life vests, because, you know, in case. It went swimmingly. (ha) Reading I’m still reading this book to help me raise my spirited children. I don’t know that it’s helping immensely but I do see patterns in their behavior that mirror descriptions…
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photo credit I’m finding a new rhythm to my house life, mom life, wife life. I’m finally doing things consciously in the right order. It was 8:32pm. The three youngest are all asleep and as I crept past their rooms, checking on their night lights and blanket situations, I felt it. That siren call of my sewing machine. DO NOT GO DOWNSTAIRS. COME UP! My husband slipped out the back door with our oldest for some night baseball hits at the local park. They waved and I doused them in bug spray on their way out. I had not answered my sewing machine’s call. I had trekked down the stairs, pausing to pick up ten thousand items of dirty clothing, two CDs whose scratches had deepened, and shutting off light switches here and everywhere. I was determined to take the ten minutes of wiping counters and arranging dishes in the dishwasher before heading back up up to the machine and my luscious fabrics. It took twelve minutes, but the peace of mind I experienced with each soggy granola bowl rinsed and stacked was worth it. You see, I’ve spent years indulging my blogging, sewing, writing, texting, scrolling, calling, and venting. All before doing what needs to be done. I supposed the Sisyphean task of having small kids #forever meant for me if I stopped to do a dish, I would have to scrub the kitchen floor and I would NEVER GET A MOMENT FOR ME. Instead I carved habit after habit, year after…
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1) It’s mostly messy I walk down the stairs and note that I should vacuum with the little hand vacuum to get the lint off the innards of the step, note that the music parlor carpet is littered in glitter (shocking given my no-glitter stance), and the wince at the state of the kitchen counters. Yeah, our home could be more meticulously cleaned, but marriage is messy. Beyond the house, the kids’ endless laundry, the to-do lists, we as people are conflicted, sleep-deprived, and one of us is hormonal. Everyday is a choice to forbear and be kind anyway. 2) We aren’t how we were and that’s okay I’m still who I was because I think that rarely changes on the profound level of our personhood. But I’m not how I was. I’m lumpier and wrinklier, more patient and more accepting of the daily grind. He’s better practiced at handling my lines of prosecutorial inquiry about any subject we disagree on. Hopefully we’re better, more mellowed, more melded into each other. 3) Learning what makes him happy has served me better than trying to guess I know what he cares about for gifts. I know what he cares about around the house. I know which conversations bore him and which ones he loves to opine on. I know how to arrange our lives and schedule for the optimal outcome. After years of guessing or just simply doing what I liked, I know actually pay attention to him and his happiness. It’s another daily practice.…
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