Kids say THE BEST stuff! And now that Cedric and Dashiell are playing together more I'm excited for more of the crazy and adorable conversations that I'll overhear between them. Here's what my boys have said lately at 4 years old and 2.5 years old ... Dashiell: An evil bad guy is badder than just bad guys. Excuse me, what planet are we on? I forgot. Excuse me, can you fall off a tightrope if there's a storm? Did you know me when I was a baby? We don't put a baby in a saber tooth tiger's mouth. Dashiell: I... Read more →

One of my favorite ways to avoid small talk - which I kind of hate - is to ask someone if they've read any good books lately or are listening to any good podcasts. And although I'm usually behind on movies and definitely on television shows I'll happily talk about those at length instead of about the weather.  So to avoid telling you about the hot, hot, humid weather, here are a few recommended reading + listening + watching from my list... Read more →

Each month, Chris and I budget $100 each to spend as "personal allowance." This includes eating out/coffee/activities we do separately (we have a joint family allowance budget of $100 as well) and purchases are that wants and not needs. To keep ourselves accountable, we use Mint to monitor our spending. As an extra layer of accountability I am sharing what I spent my personal allowance on each month and whether I stayed within budget. Buying my next Get To Work Book planner this month took up the bulk of my spending this month. But it was an expense I was... Read more →

I had this post nearly ready to go when we left for Austin but never made time to post it. I'm taking that as a sign of a great and full trip. Friends! Despite temperatures near or above ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY degrees I have not melted! Surely if I have not packed my family and moved by this point I have made significant progress on embracing summers in the desert and finding the hygge in summer. July is the halfway point through the year which brings to mind my 2017 intention of choose. I said I wanted to choose... Read more →