Awesome words and phrases lately: Fighter-fighter = firefighter Pinecorn = pinecone Rocketnaut = astronaut Forth and back = back and forth Scorpi-ant = scorpion Got-for = forgot/forget Last week = any time in the past, from 5 minutes ago to several months ago to, actually, last week. Dash, handing me something: Here you go. Me: Thank you. Dash: Thank you for thank you. A typical exchange Me: I love you. Dash: Thank you. After Dash comes inside from bike riding with Chris Me: What have you been doing? Dash: I been working so hard! Dash: One day, when I'm bigger,... Read more →

Like all of us, my life is full. To find time for myself - for exercise, creative work, friendships and relaxing - I have to be flexible with how I fit those things in and then plan ahead. When we recently entered the second week straight of Cedric sleeping through the night I realized that with a full night of sleep I might be able to find a little more time in my week. Enter the 4 AM project. I had the idea that if I can get myself up at 4 AM one or two mornings a week I... Read more →

Part of my Year of Kelsey goal is investing money in creating a capsule wardrobe. My definition of a capsule wardrobe is a collection of essential wardrobe staples that are well-made, fit wonderfully, make me feel great, can be mixed and matched and won't go out of style. Along with excellent fit and quality another consideration for my capsule wardrobe is how the clothing is made. I want to support brands that adhere to responsible labor and environmental practices. A few of the brands I've found that have statements about these things include Everlane and Boden and The Art of... Read more →

In the spirit of a fresh start for the new year I decided to cut back on using social media in January. Scrolling through blogs, Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest has an ebb and flow effect on my perspective and creativity. Sometimes I find inspiration and support. At other times I feel the beast of comparison as soon as I open an app and my creativity feels drained as I see someone else's productivity or smart sense of design. Lately social media has been more draining than inspiring and so I've implemented some guidelines for cutting back. Usually I regularly check... Read more →

A sweet reader asked me how breastfeeding and pumping were going and I've been wanting to share an update. When I received the comment I was surprised that I haven't written about breastfeeding Cedric and actually I'm already nearing the end! Breastfeeding (and until recently, pumping) has been such a routine part of my life for a year now I think I've forgotten to write about the experience, something like missing the forest for the trees perhaps? Overall everything has gone really well and before the Christmas holidays I hit a big milestone: I'm done pumping!!! I have really been... Read more →

On my drive to daycare last Monday morning After two weeks of holidays I started January craving routine and have happily fallen right back to it - getting dressed and ready for work, eating salad for lunch, the dinner and bedtime rhythm, making the boys lunches, driving to daycare listening to audiobooks for the boys and then to work listening to podcasts, marking book club on my calendar, filling my library hold queue and my Kindle. The weather has been cool and unusually and gloriously rainy and I've been cozy in skirts with tights on work days and in jeans... Read more →

Our two-week Christmas vacation was fun and full but the final three days included flying back from Austin with two restless boys and then settling the boys back at home and adjusting to the time change (helllo 4:15 am!). It was draining. On Monday my desk, tidy to-do list and business casual clothes were a serene change of scenery. I was just getting myself organized and ready to make headway on my projects when Chris texted, "Call ASAP." Cedric was running a temperature at daycare and needed to be home and in our arms. Chris was at an overnight work... Read more →

Hello 2016, come on in and make yourself right at home! I love to greet a new year and after the intensity and sleepless nights in 2015 I am even more eager to jump into 2016. The boys are at great ages and I already feel a shift happening in our lives from a "someone always needs something right now!" phase of parenting to "hey I think we can handle this (most of the time)!" phase of parenting. And we are hopeful that soon we'll have two boys sleeping through the night consistently (even if they wake up in the... Read more →