whole parenting goods
Oh these quick takes are some of my favorite ways to follow what my blogging friends have been up to. Thanks for hosting, as always, Kelly! This lil gallery above is basically my life right now. In a very small nutshell. The past month has been a lot of airports, speaking, wearing the big babe all day, and connecting. I do love to connect with people and this month was no exception! 1// Blessed is She retreats. I got to go to both Phoenix’s and Austin’s! I got to stay with my friends and co-ministry-sisters. The baby was spoiled by lots of other adults holding and loving on her. Erica, you in particular! Emily, you too! Many women shared their hearts and I feel warm and special to have heard what was stirring in them. Thank you for your trust and openness, sisters! Thank you, Jenna, for starting and enabling this ministry. It’s such a blessing for so many of us. Follow the hashtag #bisretreat on insta if you want to see what it was like! 2// Catholic women blogging conference in the Twin Cities. Already blerged it, so hop here if you missed it. 3// My house is a shipwreck. You may experience this too. You are torn. Do I spend time with my kids, laughing, reading, actually playing? Or do I tidy up? And while it’s not one or the other all the time, I am gravitating toward living with more clutter and mess than usual because I have…
Read More
Sometimes all I can see when I look around me are the piles of books, broken coloring crayons, outgrown clothing, everything that needs to be put away. The story of our lives, the real story, the messy parts, weigh on me extra when I’m pregnant. I struggle so hard to get the energy to JUST PUT IT AWAY instead of bemoan the existence of the pile. As I’m recovering from a nasty infection, I found if I didn’t look for the snug spots I love in our house, the ones that maybe aren’t dusted or super tidy, but are so joy filled, I would go insane. I’m finding that arranging little corners makes me happy. Shopping from my friend’s instagram vintage curated account makes me happy, too. Little things, people. Let’s start little. And Mercy, the 20 year old Siamese mix, loves this chair. I stole it from my mom because it’s kinda a glider and will make for easy night rocking with our soon-to-be cosleeper. The ottoman was my grandfather’s and rolls (aka becomes a train for my hooligan children). The lamp was my deceased aunt’s whom I never met (she died when my mom was only 18). The books in the corner are almost ones by my friends! Laura, Ginny, Hallie, Kelly, Colleen, and a few others. It’s a special corner for lots of reasons. I stalked our house to find the little nooks and crannies I love. In the spirit of being more positive and less negative,…
Read More
Hi friends! Linking up with Kelly & crew. I feel like I’ve been so absent from my lil blog lately and it’s mostly been because of the wonderful weekend retreat we hosted for the Blessed is She team, but also a little because getting into the groove of having a first grader and part-time preschooler means I’m living in my car. People always talked about being a mom meant living in your car. I had no idea what they meant. 1// My car has bug spray, raisins, wipes, water bottles, a variety of Jim Weiss cds, and a handful of changes of clothing. And these are the items I actually have planned to have in there. Remnants of all of them are scattered and dug into the upholstery. First grade is awesome! SuperBoy loves it so much. I’m getting accustomed to not worrying about what he’s doing and just cherish that he is enjoying himself, learning, and making new friends. A handful of hours a week of nature prek has been a dream for our lil SweetPea! I was (of course, really? yes, of course) more nervous than she was as she watched her big bro go through it all last year. She never says goodbye, she tells me to leave her at the classroom door, and she can’t contain her joy when we pick her up because she got really, really muddy. She’s doing Catechesis too and her favorite part? Playing with lentils because “they’re like dog food.” There you…
Read MoreKelly and co have the best wrap-up of their weeks so I’m hopping over to add my very small $.02. //1// Our oldest started school! I survived! He loved it! I stopped crying! I almost remembered everything (signed slips, lunches, water bottle) every day. And we all hoofed it over there each morning, full dressed. The dressed part felt like a real accomplishment. He said he had a “great” time at pickup each day so I think it’s a good start to the year. //2// The younger two are trying to figure out the meaning of life without their captain around telling them what to do. It’s been tricky. So far they’ve emptied the garbage, filled the garbage, cut up lots of little pieces of paper, made weapons out of thin air, and waxed poetic about their tyrannical missing sibling. Suddenly no one remembers the summer of bickering and instead hold only sweet sweet memories. Oh, to be a kid. //3// I’m bursting with home improvement ideas I want to do before it’s winter and the baby comes. I’m not so sure AA wants to do any of them. I keep adding to the list. We’ll see what actually gets accomplished. Making my closet into a nursery (hey, it has a window and door, so . . . ), painting the bathroom that I painted lavender the last pregnancy and suddenly have a severe aversion to, all the closets! The attic! everything! //4// Which do you like better? These? Or…
Read More
A little ambitious, are we? Really Minnesotans shouldn’t start gardening til after Mother’s Day because you never, ever know when the frost will hit. It’s a sneakily long winter. The kids are thrilled to be outdoors without coats on. Earlier last week I had them in their snow pants. YES. to play outside. As an aside, my Whole Parenting Goods shop is going on vacation Sunday til later next month and all leggings will be out of the shop til winter. So use the code “freeshipping” and grab something if it suits your fancy! Our sweet youngest. Who thinks he is a grown man and can wield the same gardening tools as his dada. He’s snuggly but also so filled with vim & vigor! Sassy Knit pants, local mama artisan, for the win, folks! And she’s so delighted in her fort. It’s where she stashes anything and everything and she defends it with impunity. When it is invaded, this is her expression. Right before she screeches. And the more time outside with Dada, the better, right? My sister has a new little love in her life and this pup is staying with us until my sister’s new house is all done with construction. To say the kids are in love is an understatement. How’s your garden coming together this year?
Read MoreIt’s been a spring break from nature school so we’ve been out at the Lodge (#wholeparentinglodge on instagram), living it up with lots of daily dairy (the property is situated in a dairy valley, so, appropriate), me sewing during naps, and hiking while carrying the toddler who is certain he can walk safely in the forrest (false) more than any sane mid thirties mom wants to. My sewing for sanity project (my sanity, yes, that’s what we’re talking about) over at Whole Parenting Goods launched our summer leggings! With a new surprise accompanying them. :: headbands to match! My new summer offering! $5 and ship free with other purchases. My very reluctant model. When I’m out here with the kids, we eat lightly. Mostly things like this. pancake recipe here. bacon + avocado + colby cheese on whole wheat toast. I ATE TWO. And the few thoughts I’ve been able to string together revolve around being conscious of when I stretch to do and be for my kids and when I pause and recharge myself. Out here, it’s kinda non-stop supervising, especially when we’re outdoors, so I’m very deliberate about post-bedtime being recharge! If I don’t do the dishes, I don’t care. If I don’t pick up the toys, likewise, don’t care. My me-time is all mine! And then when I’m with them, I don’t resent the perpetual needs and interruptions. Being an at-home mom for me has been this journey of figuring out how much I can give without going…
Read More