snow, take 2

Just wanted to post a few pictures to show that it turns out Ralph does like snow (unlike the time he did not.) The two of us went out today during a good flurry, and Ralph stomped and shrieked and rolled around in it like a dog. Now we just need to work on keeping mittens on his hands, and a more graceful exit . . . I'm pretty sure the entire neighborhood heard me haul him inside.

over the weekend | the domes (and the list)

Coming up with things to do over the weekend can be both a joy and a curse in our household. We want to relax! We want to get stuff done! We want to finish projects and make delicious meals and get out of the house and do something exciting, and we want Ralph to take good, long naps on top of it all!

Sometimes we get lucky and it all goes exactly how we want. But most of the time we accomplish two or three to-dos, and the rest slip by while we're sitting down to drink our coffee and watch episodes of This Old House on Saturday morning. Then, out of nowhere, it's time for lunch and Ralph is tired, and I still need to put makeup on, and we still haven't decided what we're doing for rest of the day! It's a silly rut that we've gotten into every weekend that frustrates us both.

And then I realized if we made a plan-- an actual, tangible list-- we might be able to squeeze every last bit of fun and productivity out of our weekend. A weekend itinerary, if you will. I know, it sounds crazy and slightly overbearing, but a plan written down on paper (with boxes next to them that I can check when they're done-- thrilling!) totally works for me during the week. I love a good list, and so does Ryan, when he actually takes the time to sit down and make one. I figured, why not make one for the weekend, when the time we have together as a family is even more valuable?

So I did. And it worked.

Thanks to a bit of good planning, we ran all the errands, started and finished a couple projects, ate well, and made a trip to the desert dome for a happy dose of dry warmth and sunshine.

And we still had time for coffee and This Old House on Saturday morning. Boom.

want, need, wear, read | 02

want: a hot bath. it's been so long since i've taken one, but the colder it gets outside, the better a good soak sounds to me every night. with some lavender soap, and this candle burning, please. (i guess i have my friday night planned.)


need: {or, needed} i said i had to have more green in the house, and one trip to home depot got me everything i was looking for. when i returned home i realized that two of the plants didn't have tags inside the pots, so i'm not sure what they're called. but the little guy in front is a peperomia. i hope i don't kill you, peperomia, you're my favorite one!


wear: this turtleneck sweater from gap is keeping warm at least twice a week these days. it has just enough wooly scratch to it that you need to layer a shirt underneath, which keeps me even warmer. and of course, i'm not actually wearing a mug of something hot, but i guess i'd consider that an accessory, since my coffee/tea/cocoa cup doesn't go too far from my side lately.


read: we went to the library last weekend and both ryan and i walked out pretty pleased with what we found. and it's been a nice change to sit down at night with a book in our laps, instead of a phone in our hands.
oh! and a read for all of you: an interview in the Journal Sentinel with my sister and her husband, along with photos of the pretty home they fixed up together. it's exciting to see all their hard work get a bit of praise. i'm so proud of them!

something new

Exciting news! After more than a year of meaning to do it, I finally got around to switching up the way this old blog looks. I was being stubborn and kept thinking I'd be able to redesign it myself (or, tell Ryan what I wanted and make him figure it out) but I'm so indecisive and it would have taken weeks to work together on that. It finally got to the point where I was so bored with the way the blog was before, I didn't even want to look at it myself. I can't imagine how you guys felt. Thanks for coming back again and again, friends.

For those who are curious, the design is a template by Suzana of This Girl Design on Etsy, and I highly recommend! She was sweet, prompt, and great to work with. Go get one! Our blogs can be twins!

There's still a bit of tweaking and rearranging that has to be done before I'll call it good, but I'm carving out some time to do all of that this weekend. Until then, sorry if anything looks crazy.

Now, let's all take a moment to enjoy this photo of my breakfast. Good.

want, need, wear, read | 01

end of the week round-up posts are some of my favorites to read on other blogs. i like the idea of closing up shop by gathering a few things that made the week better, or maybe just a bit more bearable. here are some items that made up my week, in the form of the want, need, wear, read rule.

 
want: chocolate chip cookies. the christmas goodies are all gone, and we can only last so long without a little something sweet to eat after supper in this house. cookies had to be made. everyone has their favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, and mine comes straight off the back of the ghirardelli chocolate chip bag. they're salty-sweet, with a crispy edge and a chewy center. the perfect combination. the best part about them is that they keep their texture for days, instead of drying out within 24 hours. but, they might not last longer than that anyway. 

 
need: more green. january blues and the polar vortex and dead brown grass underneath dirty snow, man. major bummers. we have only one plant in the house right now, and it hangs out in our bedroom. a trip to the nursery is planned for next week, and i am so excited.

 
wear: a new white robe. i already own 2 other robes, but they're short and thin and not nearly as luxurious as this one. (well, as luxurious as the clearance rack at target will give you.) this one is thick and pretty, and keeps me warm during the 1am feedings that we're (still) waking up for.

read: i loved this post on self-care by rachael. a bolstering read for tuckered-out moms.

until next week, friends. happy weekend!

winter days

The quiet winter days are here again. Days that allow more than enough time for neatly folded piles of laundry, soup on the stove, books before nap one and nap two, and again after each, sorting, organizing, and thinking a little bit about spring and warmer walks outside (but not too much, just yet.) I've been making list after list after list, and thinking about all the small ways I hope to make this year better than the last. We're replacing the afternoon snack of Christmas cookies and candy with oranges and strawberries and a second cup of coffee (for me.) I've been watching episodes of Call the Midwife during some of Ralph's naps, and trying not to feel too guilty about it, because once warmer weather comes, I know I'll be outside instead. On the mornings when I don't babysit, Ralph and I are lazy--we play and take our time with breakfast. In the afternoons, we clean up, start supper, play some more, and wait for Ryan to come home from work. When I hear the garage door open I say, "Ralph! Who's that? Can you hear him?" and he runs to the back door and waits for it to open. When it does, everyone claps, because we're all together again.

Most days are the same, and some can be long, but they won't always be so simple or sweet. I'm hoping to enjoy them, instead of rush them by.