Last year I listened to an episode of the Freakonomics podcast on temptation bundling and ever since I think of temptation bundling at least once a week, maybe more. What is temptation bundling you ask? It's pairing something you don't want to do but should or have to do with something you really enjoy doing. Think: treating yourself to a pedicure after your annual exam with your gynecologist. Or you might take it further and limit yourself to only being able to indulge in something when accompanied by the less desirable task. Think: only listening to new episodes of your... Read more →

My heart goes pitter-patter for updated mid-century modern ranch homes with clean lines and architectural detail. Our home is decidedly not mid-century modern. But as we make simple cosmetic changes we're finding that a modern aesthetic actually works really well on our house and more and more its becoming a house that makes my heart go pitter-patter, too. So far we've tugged our home towards the modern with furniture choices, such as a couch with a low profile and straight lines, a calm light grey interior paint color and by keeping our stuff to a minimum (which is done more... Read more →

Recently, Chris and I sat down to assess our finances and to make financial goals for 2016. Planning across an entire year felt loftier than a budget meeting and so we dubbed it a financial summit. We compared calendars and found a time when we could sit down together for at least an hour without being interrupted by the boys. Scheduling time to talk about finances is such a great way to head off sudden and stressful conversations about money and in fact can make budgeting fun. We usually have dessert (chocolate cupcakes above baked by Chris!) or a drink,... Read more →

Installing a toddler carseat for Cedric (finally). Finding we don't need to turn on the heat at night but Keeping a down quilt on my half of the bed. Spending so much time outside. Dreading the heat but Reminding myself that winter does come back every year. Picking up the boys early on Fridays and heading to the nearby nature preserve to play and picnic for dinner. Browsing the archives of another frugal-minded couple and Determined to stick to our aggressive savings plan in the coming years. Reading TransAtlantic and Playing Big (self-help/professional development book with a very interesting concept)... Read more →

Oh, my two boys. These brothers. Brothers! Having gown up with a sister I'm fascinated and honored to be raising brothers and I want to raise them to be family pals, as the saying goes in Chris's family. Of course I hope that my boys will grow up to be best brother friends and have a secret handshake and go on adventures together and live together in college. But we can't control the personalities our children will have and how they will mesh with a sibling. What I do earnestly hope for and want to guide my boys towards is... Read more →

I thrive in uncluttered environments. They are my jam. A tidy, uncluttered environment lets me breathe and think; I feel more creative and energized. An uncluttered home is even included in our ideal life manifesto. As we've minimized and minimized some more our home has become the bright and uncluttered environment I've always wanted to live in. And I've implemented a simple trick for maintaining a home with an uncluttered feel: maintain clear horizontal surfaces. This brilliant idea isn't my own, I read it years ago in a post at Small Notebook. Like the idea of the Sunday home the... Read more →

An occasional series of small things that bring some awesome to my life. Our dark grey front door. I can't believe it used to be white, which seems so plain now. All credit is due to Erica who painted the inside of her front door dark grey at least a year earlier. When I saw the impact it made in her house I was eager to try it next door at our house. Erica used Peppercorn and ours is Kendall Charcoal. I loved the way our door looked with a Christmas wreath and so we left the Command hook and... Read more →

I'm mostly used to writing "2016" on Cedric and Dashiell's daily sheets at daycare and to typing out the year at work. With February it feels like the year is really getting underway and I welcome it. Hopefully this month we will once and for all kick the one-thing-after-another sicknesses being shared around our family. Even this evening we were remarking how Cedric seems to have definitely turned a corner (RSV last week) just as we heard Dash begin to cough in his sleep. And we started comparing work calendars to see who has flexibility this week. We are enjoying... Read more →