{before} The interior of our house was painted last week! It felt a bit crazy last weekend as we were taking down blinds, pushing furniture into the middle of rooms and emptying cabinets while managing a toddler and a baby. And then this weekend as we tried to put the mayhem back together (which is why I don't have "after" photos yet). Basically the house was a toddler danger zone with tools, dishes, artwork and curtain rods everywhere. It wasn't stressful at all! But I'm thrilled we had this done. We had the main living areas (front room and great... Read more →

At times since I started blogging on New Year's Day of 2011 I've wondered why I continue. Maintaining my personal blog (and now a podcast) essentially represents the work of a part time job in the midst of a life already very full with two small children, two full time working parents, and a rich community of friends and family to keep up with. Oh and for which I earn zero dollars. When I'm consistently publishing and have time to dedicate to my blog I love blogging. When I fall behind on regular posts and dwell on all that I... Read more →

Right now I'm... diving back into reading. I recently finished The Boston Girl, Station Eleven and We Were Liars (which is also the pick for our next Girl Next Door Book Club, join us!). I loved the last two so much I dove right into books by the same authors: The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks and The Lola Quartet. Currently reading Lottery. Have I mentioned how in love I am with getting library books on my Kindle? It's like magic. surprising myself by feeling excited about the summer. Hope the excitement can last through October! noticing a slight difference... Read more →

Sunday meal prep is my love language As we were getting our bearings parenting two small boys earlier this year (and let's be honest, we are still getting our bearings) I was so thankful to have stocked our freezer with pre-made meals. My favorite thing to grab was a freezer breakfast burritos made with eggs, spinach, potatoes and cheese. They were proteinful, delicious and just the thing to lend some bravery to mornings that came too early. On such a morning I said to myself that a freezer burrito is like a high five from your past self. In this... Read more →

Hello, friends! Happy summer! When your forecast includes temperatures of ONE HUNDRED FOURTEEN I do believe you can call it summer. The end of the semester and preparing for our big trip to Fort Mountain in Georgia (highly recommend!) for a family reunion and then to Austin left us running ragged. But we had a great first trip as a family of four! I wouldn't call traveling with two young children relaxing, per se, but we had a great time. Dashiell had his own seat on a plane for the first time and ate his first s'more and first M&M's.... Read more →