LIVING WELL

The week (or two) in (Insta)review

Gathered, on my dresser. And trying to remember to see my everyday things with new eyes.

Counting my blessings

 

First-ever time stepping into an Anthropologie store. Woah.

Counting my blessings

 

Somewhere the line between outdoor-only barn cat and lounge-on-the-bed cat got very blurry.

photo (12)

 

Choring elf.

Counting my blessings

 

Not where I expected to be Friday morning. (Nor did I expect that elf up there to break my glasses. All in the same delightful morning.)

Counting my blessings

 

Little. Big.

photo (11)

 

Tea. For three.

Counting my blessings

 

The drive home never ceases to amaze.

Counting my blessings

 

Another day, another barn cat.

Counting my blessings

 

Combining is done. Fields are bare.

Counting my blessings

 

(Sunday). Saying goodbye to my grown-up girl for the rest of the week. She's off to my mom's, starting her Thanksgiving break early. (homeschool perk #432). We'll reunite tomorrow. Yay! (And me in the glasses I don't like. See above.)

Counting my blessings

 

Tucked in for the night. 

Counting my blessings

When life gets busy and full and the todo lists long, I often forget to count my blessings. While life continues to throw us curve balls and reasons to worry, really now. Truly, my cup overflows. I am blessed beyond measure and even in the hard times, there are still too many blessings to count, if I'll simply take a moment to record them in my mind and heart. 

Wishing you and your family a warm, blessed and full Thanksgiving. Thank you, my friends, for being one of the things that helps to make my cup overflow. 

Gathered, on my dresser. And trying to remember to see my everyday things with new eyes.

Counting my blessings

 

First-ever time stepping into an Anthropologie store. Woah.

Counting my blessings

 

Somewhere the line between outdoor-only barn cat and lounge-on-the-bed cat got very blurry.

photo (12)

 

Choring elf.

Counting my blessings

 

Not where I expected to be Friday morning. (Nor did I expect that elf up there to break my glasses. All in the same delightful morning.)

Counting my blessings

 

Little. Big.

photo (11)

 

Tea. For three.

Counting my blessings

 

The drive home never ceases to amaze.

Counting my blessings

 

Another day, another barn cat.

Counting my blessings

 

Combining is done. Fields are bare.

Counting my blessings

 

(Sunday). Saying goodbye to my grown-up girl for the rest of the week. She's off to my mom's, starting her Thanksgiving break early. (homeschool perk #432). We'll reunite tomorrow. Yay! (And me in the glasses I don't like. See above.)

Counting my blessings

 

Tucked in for the night. 

Counting my blessings

When life gets busy and full and the todo lists long, I often forget to count my blessings. While life continues to throw us curve balls and reasons to worry, really now. Truly, my cup overflows. I am blessed beyond measure and even in the hard times, there are still too many blessings to count, if I'll simply take a moment to record them in my mind and heart. 

Wishing you and your family a warm, blessed and full Thanksgiving. Thank you, my friends, for being one of the things that helps to make my cup overflow. 

good finds / IN MY KITCHEN

Little things

i am in love with this tree

It's Thursday. I sat down to write this on Monday. Hmmm. (Not that I've been sitting at my desk that whole time, but you know how it goes.) I have many things on my mind that I want to write about, but for now you'll have to put up with a brain dump of little things that I think are important to share. 

First and foremost, my blogging friend from Babycenter, Kami, just gave birth to a beautiful baby girl named Afton. Afton was born 3 1/2 months early and weighs a tiny 12 OUNCES. Kami is recovering after her emergency C-section and Afton is a fighter, but of course, Kami, Afton and her family could use all your prayers and wishes of strength and encouragement. There is a long road ahead. 

There's really no good segue here, but….

✳ I'm sharing what I consider to be one of the blogland's best kept secrets on MommyCoddleLIKES. You must check it out (and be sure to subscribe while you're there!)

✳ Internet sleuth and master-googler that I am, I've collected 12 Strange, Weird and Oddly Fascinating facts about Thanksgiving on 4KidsorMore. If you've ever wondered how to tell if a cranberry is ripe, what Mary Had A Little Lamb has to do with Thanksgiving, or what Indonesia has to do with turkey, you'll want to check it out. Makes for good dinner conversation and a way for your kids to impress the grandparents. 

✳ I know I may be biased but habit is awesome this month. (A lot of work for me and emily, phew! But so amazing.)

✳ I just found out two days ago that I'm representing Babycenter in New York City for a Disney/Dreamworks-hosted red carpet premier of War Horse. I'm beginning to think that my editor-friends thought it would be fun to plop the farmgirl in the middle of the city for an event whose dress code has been described as "glamorous." Excited. Freaked out. Excited. Stressed. Thrilled. All of that. But mostly excited. Check out the War Horse trailer. Animal drama? I know I'm going to cry. 

✳ And finally, Snickerdoodles. What a great way to end a post. I asked my friend if she'd share her recipe-thinking it might be some valuted family secret. But. She shared. And it's good. So so good. (Ask Birdy, she's succesfully inhaled three while I've been sitting here distractedly typing away. ) 

Happy Thursday! More tomorrow, I hope!!!

i am in love with this tree

It's Thursday. I sat down to write this on Monday. Hmmm. (Not that I've been sitting at my desk that whole time, but you know how it goes.) I have many things on my mind that I want to write about, but for now you'll have to put up with a brain dump of little things that I think are important to share. 

First and foremost, my blogging friend from Babycenter, Kami, just gave birth to a beautiful baby girl named Afton. Afton was born 3 1/2 months early and weighs a tiny 12 OUNCES. Kami is recovering after her emergency C-section and Afton is a fighter, but of course, Kami, Afton and her family could use all your prayers and wishes of strength and encouragement. There is a long road ahead. 

There's really no good segue here, but….

✳ I'm sharing what I consider to be one of the blogland's best kept secrets on MommyCoddleLIKES. You must check it out (and be sure to subscribe while you're there!)

✳ Internet sleuth and master-googler that I am, I've collected 12 Strange, Weird and Oddly Fascinating facts about Thanksgiving on 4KidsorMore. If you've ever wondered how to tell if a cranberry is ripe, what Mary Had A Little Lamb has to do with Thanksgiving, or what Indonesia has to do with turkey, you'll want to check it out. Makes for good dinner conversation and a way for your kids to impress the grandparents. 

✳ I know I may be biased but habit is awesome this month. (A lot of work for me and emily, phew! But so amazing.)

✳ I just found out two days ago that I'm representing Babycenter in New York City for a Disney/Dreamworks-hosted red carpet premier of War Horse. I'm beginning to think that my editor-friends thought it would be fun to plop the farmgirl in the middle of the city for an event whose dress code has been described as "glamorous." Excited. Freaked out. Excited. Stressed. Thrilled. All of that. But mostly excited. Check out the War Horse trailer. Animal drama? I know I'm going to cry. 

✳ And finally, Snickerdoodles. What a great way to end a post. I asked my friend if she'd share her recipe-thinking it might be some valuted family secret. But. She shared. And it's good. So so good. (Ask Birdy, she's succesfully inhaled three while I've been sitting here distractedly typing away. ) 

Happy Thursday! More tomorrow, I hope!!!

art with children / good finds / knitting / life (in general) / making

At a whisper

whispering

Hello from foggy Thomas Run. Everything is at a whisper around here, inside and out. The fog makes everything quiet outside. Inside, this round of colds has me almost completely without a voice this morning. Only slightly panic-inducing (understatement), since I have to sing at a funeral tomorrow morning. And whispering with four children isn't very effective. As I croaked to my mother on the phone this morning, she recommended whiskey, hot water, honey and citrus–a hot toddy

But, thankfully it doesn't take a literal voice to write a blog post, just a figurative one. And since it's been awhile since I've rounded up some good things from around the web….Here's what I'm pinning these days:

❉ Maybe this will clear my sinuses

❉ I will be the cool aunt who shows up with this for post-turkey play. (Usually, we have family wrestling matches. Oh yes, we do. But my mother may appreciate this slightly less violent activity. I'm seeing some family v. family matches ahead.)

❉ I am all OVER this. Where's my cheese grater?

❉ I used to make salt dough ornaments with my 3rd grade students. But I'm digging this upscale version. 

❉ I want these badly. But alas, I am a poor girl. (I welcome any comfortable every day shoe suggestions in the comments. My Danskos are dying.)

❉ This is an important skill every girl should have.

❉ I have some small fabric scraps that I cherish for various reasons. Maybe this is an idea. 

❉ Some people want a maid. Me? I want a personal knitter.  This is the first thing I'd send her.

❉ With four girls, I must master this simple skill.

❉ I'm over at 4KidsorMore talking about library fines (again). And if you're still changing crib sheets, you'll want to know about this

Alright. We have a lot on the to-do list today despite the fact that we're all dragging…There's guinea pig food to purchase. Tights to find for my dress tomorrow. (How do we feel about tights and open toe shoes? Is this cool now? Or totally ugly?), A photo walk to take for Emma's e-course. And ironically, library books to return. 

Happy, foggy Thursday! ( I whispered that.)

 

whispering

Hello from foggy Thomas Run. Everything is at a whisper around here, inside and out. The fog makes everything quiet outside. Inside, this round of colds has me almost completely without a voice this morning. Only slightly panic-inducing (understatement), since I have to sing at a funeral tomorrow morning. And whispering with four children isn't very effective. As I croaked to my mother on the phone this morning, she recommended whiskey, hot water, honey and citrus–a hot toddy

But, thankfully it doesn't take a literal voice to write a blog post, just a figurative one. And since it's been awhile since I've rounded up some good things from around the web….Here's what I'm pinning these days:

❉ Maybe this will clear my sinuses

❉ I will be the cool aunt who shows up with this for post-turkey play. (Usually, we have family wrestling matches. Oh yes, we do. But my mother may appreciate this slightly less violent activity. I'm seeing some family v. family matches ahead.)

❉ I am all OVER this. Where's my cheese grater?

❉ I used to make salt dough ornaments with my 3rd grade students. But I'm digging this upscale version. 

❉ I want these badly. But alas, I am a poor girl. (I welcome any comfortable every day shoe suggestions in the comments. My Danskos are dying.)

❉ This is an important skill every girl should have.

❉ I have some small fabric scraps that I cherish for various reasons. Maybe this is an idea. 

❉ Some people want a maid. Me? I want a personal knitter.  This is the first thing I'd send her.

❉ With four girls, I must master this simple skill.

❉ I'm over at 4KidsorMore talking about library fines (again). And if you're still changing crib sheets, you'll want to know about this

Alright. We have a lot on the to-do list today despite the fact that we're all dragging…There's guinea pig food to purchase. Tights to find for my dress tomorrow. (How do we feel about tights and open toe shoes? Is this cool now? Or totally ugly?), A photo walk to take for Emma's e-course. And ironically, library books to return. 

Happy, foggy Thursday! ( I whispered that.)