I've had an office job for seven years (!!! I keep thinking it's about three) and I've learned that it's key to keep a few essential items stashed at the office. I have a real anxiety of being somewhere without a snack (is there a clinical term for this? the fear is real!) so of course my stash includes snacks but there are also items lend some coziness or serve to perk me up on a stressful day. Here's what I keep at the office as part of my work survival kit: + Huge water glass. The dry heat is... Read more →

It's the first day of fall, hooray! It's still so hot here that we don't go outside much during the middle of the day (unless we can be in the shade) but the mornings and evenings have been pleasant and allllmost coolish. More so that any summer before I felt that I accepted the heat; I endured it, sweated through it and kept reminding myself of all the outdoor time we'd have come Octoberish. Last summer I was pregnant with Cedric and uncomfortable through the extended summer months. It's been lovely not to have swollen ankles and an expanding belly... Read more →

A few weeks ago, Elise announced on Instagram that she and Kal had supplies left over after a script workshop and Kal would be doing custom scripts for $30. I emailed Elise immediately because I knew just the phrase that I wanted for our walls: Everything is awesome Chris and I loved The Lego Movie when we saw it last year and the theme song of Everything is Awesome is perfectly silly, catchy and optimistic. How can you not smile at lyrics like this: Trees, frogs, clogs They're awesome! Rocks, clocks, and socks They're awesome! Figs, and jigs, and twigs... Read more →

During my pregnancy with Dashiell I prepared as much as I could for breastfeeding although in hindsight I realize there's only so much that you can prepare. You can't anticipate how your body will respond, what your milk supply will be like and how your baby will breastfeed. Right now nursing and pumping and frankly just my boobs in general are such a big part of my life, for better or for worse! I feel so fortunate that I have been able to breastfeed both of my boys but sometimes I forget how much time and effort it takes up... Read more →

I'm trying to get into the habit of telling Dashiell about my day when I ask about his. I keep things pretty simple and might explain that I was working on writing many words for an article or that I helped someone figure something out or that I talked with a friend and we decided to work on something together. Or that I was frustrated and had to solve a problem. I've found that I really like telling Dashiell about my day; with young children you spend so much time talking about what they want and what they will do... Read more →

Last Friday I remembered that I have a small stash of seasonal candles in the front hall closet, behind a box of rarely used warm winter things (hats, gloves). I discovered that I had put back a fall candle with about half an inch left to burn. It was enough to light for a few days and gave the house an air of changing seasons and coziness. Over the Labor Day long weekend we had glorious cloud cover every day and highs at 100 or below. Or below! We took morning bike rides and made adventures to the park every... Read more →

The best recipe for grilled broccoli Read more →

Recently I shared that we have a big goal to pay off our mortgage within five years. Here's the budget that is helping us get there. You'll see that we have $1,000 of savings budgeted towards the house each month, which we put into a Vanguard index fund (a fund that is not actively managed and tracks with the stock market). With the help of Mint we try to make our budget reflect real life. That's why we have nearly $100 worth of miscellaneous medical expenses and pharmacy costs even though I consider us a really healthy family. But considering... Read more →

In my mind summer has two parts: regular summer (June, July and August) and extended summer (September and October). Extended summer is the hardest to endure. Maybe calling it "bonus summer" would make it seem more like a positive? It's just not supposed to be over 90 degrees (let alone 108!) after August. I'm so ready for cooler weather and to spend time outdoors during the day. I'm so ready to join the rest of the country in pulling out scarves and long sleeves, snapping photos of colorful foliage and simmering soup. But, alas! We live in the desert. I'm... Read more →