Reading stacks of seasonal books with my kids, mostly during fall and Christmas, is one of my favorite parenting things. In September, the return of fall books is one of the few signs of a change at our house in the Arizona desert. Even though it's still so hot, at least we can experience fall through the pages of a book. I add a seasonal book or two to our permanent collection each year but get many through the library as well. In my library account I'm able to create lists of books so I have one specifically for "fall"... Read more →

Grilling Impossible burgers in the shade, and finding fall at Trader Joe's As I drove home from Orange Theory two Saturdays ago, Chris and Maeve were sitting in our front yard. When I rolled down the window, Maeve shouted to me, "We saw the first geese!" Later that weekend a V of geese flew over us at the park, all dark wings and determination. And so, the first geese of fall 2023 have been noted. Last year our first sighting didn't happen until September 13, when Dash ran in, breathless, to tell me he had seen the first geese. I... Read more →

I'm sipping iced coffee from a small mason jar and thinking about how tired I am of being hot. Earlier this week, as I wrote in my line-a-day journal, I looked ahead to what was happening this time last year and the year before that, and then looked ahead a few weeks, as I always do. By the end of September I start to remark on the cool-ish mornings so that gives me hope. One more month of terrible heat, plus humidity this time of year, and then we should be past the worst of it. But in better news,... Read more →

In a recent post about our current monthly budget I shared that our "Miscellaneous" spending category is one of the hardest to tame, and many people chimed in that they feel similarly. So, I wanted to do a Miscellaneous budget and spending deep-dive post to share how we manage this category, what's working well for us, and where we're trying to improve. Also, if you missed my current finances overview post from February that would be a great place to start. Miscellaneous overview This category encompasses nearly all of our household spending that isn't groceries or a fixed-cost bill, like... Read more →

A weekend on Mt. Hood, a Boss Lady latte, and staying in this very cozy historic cabin I'm happy to say hello to August, a month of transition into our school-year routine, the month we try to keep our spirits up through the late summer heat, and also when I start to dream about fall (swoon). As a new school year gets underway for my kids, and especially this year now that we've eliminated a morning daycare drive and I have five consistent work days, I'm already feeling creative and productive energy brewing. I hope that August into September will... Read more →

Hi friends! How are you? I'm drinking a lot of ice water these days but am reminded that I said I wanted to make vanilla mint iced coffee this summer. I need to check that off the list! In the past week I noted the closing and opening of momentous chapters. Like the last time we dropped Maeve off and then picked her up from the daycare where we first dropped Dash off exactly 10 years ago. In the weeks and then days leading up to the end, as I counted down the number of times we would make that... Read more →

July 2 was the half-way point of the year which got me thinking about checking in on my 2023 goals. Here's what I said I'd accomplish and how I'm doing if you'd like to see... Personal care & growth + Read 80 books. Rocking this one and loving it. I always feel happier when I'm reading good books. I'm in a great reading groove and have already finished 63 books this year. So I'll definitely surpass my goal and I bet will finish 100 books or more this year. Looking ahead: I like to always have an audiobook and a... Read more →

We're more than half-way through the boys' 8-week summer break and it's going okay! I can't imagine the summer season here will ever be my favorite but I think we're making the best of it with kids at ages 3, 8, and 10. I'm really happy with the camps we signed the boys up for and our overall rhythm of how busy we are. I'm also so thankful that we have Maeve in full-time daycare for the summer. Even as I paint this rosy picture I want to also share that we've and some really challenging days courtesy of kids... Read more →

The boys say that they want to open a restaurant called Breakfast Bros which I think sounds fantastic. Stay tuned for the opening date... It's June and there are summer vibes in the form of cold brew in the fridge, tan boys with swim-wet hair, and weekly cold treats. Last weekend I took the boys camping with three other moms and their kids for an adventurous summer kick-off weekend. It was so fun! We wore long sleeves one last time before we pack them away until November, spent three days outside, and ate our fill of s'mores. On the drive... Read more →

Earlier this week I shared what daily routines, camps, and summer fun we have planned for the kids. I'd love to continue the conversation today and share more about summer camp days for Chris and me, what I'm looking forward to cooking + eating this summer, and the summer capsule wardrobe pieces that I'll be wearing. Let's get into it! Summer camps days for the parents A few times this summer all of the kids will be out of the house at camps or daycare. We'll take advantage of Chris's laid-back summer schedule and are declaring those days our own... Read more →