Olliegraphic kids cards

Speaking of kids and cards...I am loving these. They are from olliegraphic and there is a range of options available for whatever your card or invitation need may be.  All of the customizable options are adorable.  I love the clean and fresh look of their illustrations with maybe a bit of a stylized fifties feel. 

As soon as we get our referral photo for our new little one (say a prayer it's in December!) I am definitely going to make a card with my three little one on it.  These will make for great thank-you notes coming from any one of them or all of them at once.  I'm wavering between the thank-you notes and individual prints of each kid.  Decisions!

For a little bit more, you can fully customize the look of each child.  Oh, and one of my favorite buying options is that they sell just the graphic so you can print up as many cards as you want from home.   I also think that these would make a great personal gift for friends or family.

These are just the standard customizeing options.  Cute, no?

And the Christmas cards!  If I happened to be organized enough to send out Chrsitmas cards, these would be them!

Spotted here.

moomah

Have you ever come across a concept and felt tinges of pain in you heart that you didn't come up with it?   What I'm feeling is a bit more than a tinge and it's over moomah, in Tribeca.  If I'm not genius enough to create this space, I'd settle for living near it. 

The brain child of Tracey Stewart (Jon Stewart's wife!), this multi-purpose destination is a kid friendly space like no other.  I just wrote to inquire about franchise opportunities and no, I'm not kidding.  Doesn't ever city deserve such a wonderland?

This is "Supertryer", moomah's mascot.  He has an assortment of ways to encourage young and old to try new things.  Here you find him enjoying afternoon tea.

And don't even get me started on their logos, branding and materials.  Really phenomenal.

See more of moomah here. 

{all images via moomah, Design*Sponge and Apartment One}

free downloadable chore chart

We have just started doing the  chore thing with Eva and I have been looking for a way to get the whole system organized, so I was positively thrilled when I just happened upon this free chore chart over at Apartment Therapy that you can download over at ModEco Kids.

My favorite part of the chart is the line "This is how I contribute to my family."  Of course our children contribute to our families in far more (and far more important) ways then merely doing chores!  Still, I think this is a really important aspect of family that often gets overlooked today.  Many kids don't feel necessary to their family.  They feel that their family could get by just fine without them.  I think we do great service to our children's work ethic, character and self esteem when they see they they have a role within the family and that them filling this role allows the family to function at its best.

Well, I didn't mean to go off on all of that but...

Get your handy chore chart right here.

tags

these are adorable.

spotted here.

gingerbread cupcakes with butter pecan topping:

Yesterday, after school, the kids and I whipped up some gingerbread cupcakes.  This was a new recipe for me and because I thought the kids might find them a bit boring, I decided to go with a butter pecan topping.  Today there are three remaining cupcakes only because I told the kids they needed to move on to something a bit more nourishing. 

Oliver requested that we have them every day.  So...they were a hit.  And they smell like fall.  Do you need any more convincing?

You can find a good gingerbread cake recipe here. 

{For the topping I used about a cup of crushed pecans, 1/3 cup of melted butter and a half cup of packed brown sugar.  I took the cupcakes out just before they were finished, spread the topping on and cooked them for a couple more minutes.}

Monday morning

I've already had the most lovely morning and it isn't yet eight.  I was up by 4:30 for some reason and that really must be the trick.  Went for a little run at 5 and woke up all the neighborhood dogs.  That part wasn't so lovely.  Then came home and Sean made a fire and we drank good French pressed coffee and read our Bibles and prayed separately but side by side.  A bit later, Oliver made his way downstairs and we spend about a half hour, the three of us, cuddling in the firelight - outside still as dark as night.  Then Sean left for work and Eva made her way downstairs for more of the same. 

She and Oliver had their haircut this weekend and they both just look so old.  Not at all like babies anymore.  So when she requested to stay home from school today how could I say no?  These days are so fleeting...

I'm thinking we may just spend the day putting up their little Christmas tree, stringing popcorn and such.  I guess I always want to prolong that season as well.  Really aren't Christmastime and childhood nearly the same thing, after all?  Filled with wonder...

I'm gonna savor both for all their worth.

{image: majorly cool things}

Corn Maze

Yesterday Eva's school took a field trip to the Corn Maze.  Oliver, Eva's Grandma (Ziggy) and I tagged along.  It was autumnal fun for all: barnyard animals, hay ride to a pumpkin patch, pumpkin picking, getting lost in a ridiculously large corn maze, grilled corn with paprika.

 

Let's just say that this will be an annual event, field trip or none. 

What are your plans for this coming weekend - this could be just the thing.  Family outing, fun date...

Click here to find a corn maze by you.  Or an apple picking orchard?  Or a Pumpkin Patch?

It's fall!  Get outside!

Eva's pale blue room down the hall

Welcome to Eva's room! 

We moved into this house after returning from living overseas with barely a stick of furniture to our name.  We were attempting to furnish an entire home on next to nothing.  I often hear terms thrown around like "budget decor", "design on a dime" and ahem, "design within reach" and I often find the rooms to contain nearly nothing that I would consider budget.  Or perhaps their dime is just worth a little more than mine.  When I say that Eva's room was done on a shoestring, I mean a shoestring!  And odds are we found that shoestring at IKEA. 

The bed & dresser - IKEA.  The curtains were made by Sean with fabric from IKEA.  Clock and lamp - IKEA.  I made the bulletin board by attatching together two large cork boards and then spray adhereing on it fabric that we got from - wait for it - IKEA. 

The bedding and side-table (we went a little crazy here) and got them from Target.  The two pieces of art are from Etsy.

The branch bed print is from Black Apple and the dove release print is from Belle and Boo.  The cherry blossom mural was painted by my best friend, Tawny.  All together it is just perfect for Eva and she loves her own little corner of the world.

5

My sweet Eva turned five yesterday.  And entered the primary school class at our Montessori.  And her brother had his first (half) day of school ever.  The day nearly ended me. There were tears on all accounts.  Oliver declared upon arriving back home that he wanted to be home-schooled. (!).  By this morning he had decided that he was ready for full days.  (!).

But yesterday there was also lots of celebrating over my eldest.  Gifts tied with ribbons and balloons that would later have prayers scrawled across them and released up to heaven.  A personal two-tiered puppy cake, as requested, made by Daddy. 

I sent up some extra prayers for me as well.  God, help me to parent this little girl well.  These are unchartered waters and I will fail apart from Your grace.  Let me give her roots and wings.  A safe place to fall and those little pushes as needed. Let her know my love and delight in her light-years beyond any disappointment or disapproval.  Knit our hearts together for life.  Yes, and amen.

stools

So I began by looking for new step stools as my children incurred three (yes, sigh, three) step stool related injuries, yesterday alone.  I love you Ikea but your stools are about to rob me of my little loved ones. 

 

I remembered seeing these at DWR (which my husband and I like to call "Design Nowhere within Reach") - old school library stools that roll and then lock into place whenever any weight is put on them.  Perfect. 

Then I found something similar here.  These are a little cheaper come in lots more colors.  I think these would be great for little feet in the bathrooms, with none of the dreaded stool scooting that has caused us so many tears. 

I also spotted these at the same shop and I think they pretty well fit the bill for my kitchen step-stooling needs.  They are nearly identical to the vintage one that I'm ever pining for at my sister-in-laws house. 

And for the record, if I were planning to throw away my children's college fund for stools from DWR - it would be for these:

or, be still my heart, these:

(with cushions, please)

Now don't those just look pretty?  How important is a good education anyway?

letterboxing

I first heard about letterboxing a couple of years back and have been patiently waiting for my kids to be old enough to give it a try. I'm not sure if 3 and 4 years of age is old enough but I think my patience has run dry. We're going for it.

If you haven't heard of letterboxing before - it may be worth a look. Here's what I have gleaned so far without having actual partaking of an outing yet. Letterboxing is a combination of navigating and rubber stamp artistry brought together through a sort of treasure-hunt style adventure. The quests vary in difficulty to suit a wide array of ages & ability.

Here's the description from letterboxing.org:

"Letterboxing is an intriguing mix of treasure hunting, art, navigation, and exploring interesting, scenic, and sometimes remote places. It takes the ancient custom of placing a rock on a cairn upon reaching the summit of a mountain to an artform. It started when a gentleman simply left his calling card in a bottle by a remote pool on the moors of Dartmoor, in England.

Here's the basic idea: Someone hides a waterproof box somewhere (in a beautiful, interesting, or remote location) containing at least a logbook and a carved rubber stamp, and perhaps other goodies. The hider then usually writes directions to the box (called "clues" or "the map"), which can be straightforward, cryptic, or any degree in between. Often the clues involve map coordinates or compass bearings from landmarks, but they don't have to. Selecting a location and writing the clues is one aspect of the art.

Once the clues are written, hunters in possession of the clues attempt to find the box. In addition to the clue and any maps or tools needed to solve it, the hunter should carry at least a pencil, his personal rubber stamp, an inkpad, and his personal logbook. When the hunter successfully deciphers the clue and finds the box, he stamps the logbook in the box with his personal stamp, and stamps his personal logbook with the box's stamp. The box's logbook keeps a record of all its visitors, and the hunters keep a record of all the boxes they have found, in their personal logbooks."

I love the idea of doing this throughout the years with our children.  It seems like such a great excursion to break up the monotony of road-trips or even to further explore our own hometown.  You can look for letterboxes in your area here and here along with information on how to carve a stamp or anything else you might need to begin.

Have any of you ever done this? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

{images: parenting activity plus, Julie's Journal}

hope chest

 

I've never actually known anyone that kept a hope chest, that I can remember, so I'm unsure where or why the desire began.  I do have a deep love for traditions embedded with meaning and purpose (and a deep disdain for traditions lacking in those.)  Perhaps that is why the now nearly extinct tradition of preparing a  hope chest for one's daughter appeals to me so. I have been trying to research the topic some and there is surprisingly little out there.  Here's what I know.  A trunk of some sort is set aside for one's daughter as a place to store up mementos, heirlooms and practical tools for the time when the daughter is off to care for a home & family of her own.  Just typing that line sets my mind going with all the little lovelies I could fill a trunk (or truck) with for Eva.  And then once she is engaged (should she choose to marry) I could set to work on her trousseau (another dying tradition) to add it.  Of course I'll have to throw in a Le Creuet French Oven & skillet...

The fun part is that over the years, Eva can help me choose and prepare items for her hope chest.  It something fun for us to work on together.  We will also surprise her with new additions on her birthday or at Christmas.  And one day, when it's time for her to leave home for good - she'll take with her a chest filled with memories, treasures, love & hope.  Can you tell that I love this tradition? 

And can you guess what Eva is getting for her fifth birthday? 

Yep, me too.

If you are interested in preparing one of your own, this book is perhaps the best resource out there.

{images: illustration - mjkersen, chest - Lane Furniture, dishes- Royal Copenhagen, button jar - the fish knits, linens - Georgie Sharp, knitting basket - Martha Stewart, family Bible - Tad2106, Le Creuset - Dyxie, wedding dress - wiseacre, sewing kit - overmilkwood, wine glasses - Arte Italica, baby booties - woolybaby, cookbook - Kate*, apron - Tanya Whelan, bathroom items - Arte Italica}

Happy Birthday Sweet Oliver!

Today is my little man's birthday.  He's three.  Oh, and he's perfect.  Even his stinky attitude is pretty scrumptious. One of my favorite Oliver memories of this past year was just before this photo was taken. He came downstairs wearing a diaper, a dirty shirt, a Mexican straw hat, and his sister's Hello Kitty striped sunglasses - to which she exclaimed - "Oh Oliver!  You look like eleven bucks!"

She meant it as a compliment as she intended to say that he looked like a million bucks.  But as you can see, he did look an awful lot like 11 bucks. 

We celebrated this third birthday with tacos & a batman cake.  

A scooter, a bike, a backhoe, & a small working wind turbine (!) were all showered upon Mr. Oliver Everett by Grandmas & Grandpas alike.  

And of course lots of balloons with prayers & blessings scrawled across them were released up to heaven.

Man, am I grateful for this little boy.  

light-hearted parenting

As soon as Jora mentioned this article, I knew that I had to check it out.  As soon as I had checked it out, I knew that I had to post it here.  It was written by Gretchen Rubin from the Huffington Post and the piece is entitled "10 Ways to be a More Light-Hearted Parent."  I was so thrilled to find this, as the topic is something that I am continually pondering. 

One of my Twelve Commandments is "Lighten up," and I have a lot of resolutions aimed at trying to be a more light-hearted parent: less nagging, more laughing. We all want a peaceful, cheerful, even joyous, atmosphere at home -- but we can't nag and yell our way to get there. Here are some strategies that help me:

1. At least once a day, make each child helpless with laughter.

2. Sing in the morning. It's hard both to sing and to maintain a grouchy mood, and it sets a happy tone for everyone--particularly in my case, because I'm tone deaf and my audience finds my singing a source of great hilarity.

3. Get enough sleep yourself. It's so tempting to stay up late, to enjoy the peace and quiet. But morning comes fast. Along the same lines...

4. Wake up before your kids. We were so rushed in the morning that I started getting up half an hour earlier than my children. That means I can get myself organized, check my email, post to Slate, and get my bag packed before they get up. It's tough to wake up earlier, but it has made a huge difference in the quality of our mornings.

5. I've been researching the hedonic treadmill: people quickly adapt to new pleasures or luxuries, so it takes a new pleasure to give them a jolt of gratification. As a result, I've cut back on treats and impulse buys for my kids. The ice-cream sandwich or the Polly Pockets set won't be an exciting treat if it isn't rare.

6. Most messages to kids are negative: "stop," "don't," "no." So I try to cast my answers as "yes.""Yes, we'll go as soon as you've finished eating," not "We're not leaving until you've finished eating." It's not easy to remember to do this, but I'm trying.

7. Look for little ways to celebrate. I haven't been doing holiday breakfasts long, but they're a huge source of happiness. They're quick, fun, and everyone gets a big kick out of them.

8. Repetition works. A friend told me he was yelling at his kids too much, so he distilled all rules of behavior into four key phrases: "keep your hands to yourself"; "answer the first time you're asked"; "ask first"; and "stay with us" (his kids tended to bolt). You can also use the school mantras: "Sit square in your chair;" "accidents will happen," "you get what you get, and you don't get upset" (i.e., when cupcakes are handed out, you don't keep trying to switch).

9. Say "no" only when it really matters. Wear a bright red shirt with bright orange shorts? Sure. Put water in the toy tea set? Okay. Sleep with your head at the foot of the bed? Fine. Samuel Johnson said, "All severity that does not tend to increase good, or prevent evil, is idle."

10. When I find myself thinking, "Yippee, soon we won't have to deal with a stroller," I remind myself how fleeting this is. All too soon the age of Cheerios and the Tooth Fairy will be over. The days are long, but the years are short.

Have you found any good strategies to cut back on the shouting and to add moments of laughing, singing, and saying "yes"?

{image by mainemomma2007}

motherhood

Nicole over at Deliajude sent me this chain letter.  And since it has been publicly posted over at ther site, who am I to break the chain?  At least I love the topic (and Nicole).  

the question is this: What are 5 things that you love about being a mom?

1. I had two extremely difficult pregnancies & one nightmarish delivery and I still think that God has invited us in on THE COOLEST thing ever.  We get to bring forth life.  That's stinking amazing.  I think men should be really jealous, difficulties and all. 

2. I'm sound asleep.  I'm sure it's the dead of night.  And in a flash I've got one little body nuzzled up beside me and another bouncing on the bed, landing on us every second bounce.  I don't always feel that I love this, but I do.  It sure beats a beeping alarm clock.  

3. The sound of my kids yelling "Mama!"  and the way their faces light up when they see me.  Even if they've only just returned from a quick trip to the hardware store with dad. 

4. Lately Eva has been doing this thing where she asks me my opinion on every little thing.  After I give it, she readily agrees.  I keep telling her that she doesn't have to always agree with me & that her opinions are great. But right now she just wants to like the same stuff as mom.   

5. Those times when the kids are driving me crazy or I just need a little time alone or with Sean and I'm granted it.  I catch my breath.  I have an adult conversation.  And then I'm ready to be back in the trenches. It doesn't take too much alone time before I am ready to be with them again.  They are the only people in my life that I miss mere moments after leaving them. 

I'm sending this on to:

two ellie

sarah's fab day

simple lovely

and domestic reflections

(with full permission to break the chain)

{image by Per Ola Wiberg}

my family, my journey: an adoption baby book

As I mentioned yesterday, we are knee-deep in our first adoption.  I actually began this blog as a "distraction" from the looong adoption process.  And I had though that the nine months of pregnancy were never-ending. Adoption had miraculously transformed my perspective on that!  We are about a year in to what may be nearly a three year process.

Well, truth be told - I got a call yesterday from our agency and they said we were on schedule to receive our child sometime between a year from this September to December.  We keep telling everyone that it will be two years yet, but months keep passing by and we really can no longer say  "two years out".  Still - it's difficult for me to utter the reality.  I can't admit getting nearer.  I refuse to let my heart engage in that way.  I have heard too many awful stories...

And yet, I find my self inching closer to that place.  I'm considering going ahead and buying our baby's keepsake book.  I've chosen this one shown here by artist Susie Ghahremani.  I so love the illustrations & the feel of it and of course, that the contents are specifically geared to adoption stories.  

If you know someone in the adoption process, this could make the perfect gift.  A place to allow them to inch closer to their baby in their hearts before its home in their arms.

You can find them here. 

If you would like to read about our adoption journey, you can find it here. 

Sabbath

Our family has slowly but surely been starting to take a Sabbath day.  So far we have failed in this endeavor as often as succeeded.  But at long last, we are at least now on the journey.  We are attempting to unplug from the world for 24 hours each week.  No phones or computer.  No work.  Just time & conversation and a few small family rituals.  One of which is our newfound Sabbath supper.  This typically takes place on Saturday night.  Not much separates it from a typical evening meal except intentionality, two candles and spoken blessings.  Here's how it's been going down.  

The kids get all excited .  They are at an age when they think this is cool & special and not weird or annoying. I'd like to think it will stay this way.  Eva likes to be in charge of turning off the lights.  I then say a prayer while lighting the candles.  We then attempt to have a solely pleasant meal: enjoyable conversations only and sometimes perhaps a word game.  

At some point during the meal Sean goes around the table and affirms something in each one of us.   Maybe something we did or said during the week that he was especially proud of or a positive trait he wants to call out in us.  And that's it.  Oh, and usually we have dessert.  A rarity at our house.  I try to make the meal simple & planned in advance so there is no stress & little actual work. Sean came up with a Sabbath soup that we have made several times now.  Everyone likes it (with copious amounts of crusty bread & soft butter) and it's easy to make in advance.  

I love Sabbath now.  I like the chance to take stock of the past week and ready for the next.  A pause in our lives.  An intentional setting to speak out the things we often feel but rarely say.  And just plain old rest.  I didn't realize how much I needed it.  But God sure did. 

{image by Oh!Rachew!}

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

Cloudy with a chance of meatballs was one of my absolute all-time favorite books as a child.  I just received word that they have made the book into an animated film.  This is one of those ideas that could go either way. The preview looks very cute but quite different from the book many of us know & love.  I've decided to reserve judgement 'til after I see the film.  

You can watch the trailer here. 

Pamela Dalton

I have gone through several a Gump's catalog, only to end up earmarking pieces from Pamela Dalton.  That's no small feat as Gump's has some pretty exquisite things.  I have only now made it over to Pamela's site and found plenty more to drool over.  Her pieces are "in the tradition of early American paper cutting popular in the Pennsylvania Dutch regions of this country in the early nineteenth century."  It is her parade series that really has me swooning. 

Joelle Jolivet

Joelle Jolivet's style & wit is evidenced in every illustration she does.   I have been meaning to buy the book Almost Everything for some time and I am just now getting to it.  Can't decide if this little purchase will be for the children or adults in the house.  I suppose we could share.