I’m going to try to keep this short and to the point since I know you’ve all heard, read, and seen a lot about Instagram these days. This isn’t a post about the pitfalls of the perfectionism on Instagram, but more the boundaries I need (and maybe you need too) to live peacefully with the app. Here we go.
All the Valentine’s Day Dresses!
Valentine’s Day is around the corner and, as I’ve said before, it’s the only redeeming thing about the whole month of February in its drab, winter-drags-on, germs flying, gray all day way. So until warmer, happier, brighter times are upon us, I think it’s appropriate to celebrate the day to the fullest. The haters who call it a Hallmark holiday, step aside. You don’t know what February (and March and sometimes even April) are like for us New Englanders. WE NEED THIS. So let’s talk dresses.
weekend links.
It’s the weekend! Kids are still on the mend, so we’re going to be chilling out around here mostly. Steve is going to see The Greatest Showman–again (he literally saw it for the first time yesterday)–because he loved it so much. And then… SUPERBOWL!
Also, Parker did this on the chalkboard wall mostly by himself–asking me a few spelling questions along the way–and I thought it was so sweet.
Some notes for the road…
easy science for kids.
Winter breeds indoor creativity. Or at least it can. Sometimes crafting or science experiments can be a huge mess and take longer to clean up than the actual amount of play they provided. But these two are inexpensive, cheap, and quick (both to set up and to put away). Also, they provided at least 15 minutes of fun, with about 2 minute set ups and perhaps 1 minute clean ups. This is a good ratio, people! Do it!
hi! hello!
Well, getting back into the swing of things in blog + social-media land has been a challenge for me this year. Feeling less creative, less enthusiastic, seeking more quiet, slower pace, more privacy has all lent itself to me being here (and there–Instagram) less. I love blogging, don’t get me wrong, but I’m just not feeling as natural here at the moment. I don’t want to sit and spit something out just for the sake of a post. So bear with me!
I’m saying all this, but here I am because there are a few noteworthy things lately that I’ve really enjoyed and want to share about. Hopefully you’ll enjoy them too.
A million dreams.
My MO any time I’m moved… by music, by a kind deed, even by a commercial… is to cry. It’s just what I do. It happens often. So, here I am (a few weeks ago), 7 minutes or so into A Greatest Showman, and I can already feel the tears building. The little boy singing! I was done.
a housecoat and other things.
I bought this early December or November on sale, intending to wear it often but, much to my surprise, I reach for it any time my robe isn’t already on my body (sometimes, I just want to feel like a little more put together than the robe allows). In other words, I alternate between the two. Thus, it is my housecoat. It is awesome. Boxy and sort of structured and thick and nice. Our furnace (and, as a result, our wallet) gets a little break from constant use when I have this on. So really, this sweater pays for itself, Steve. (I had an urge to write Stove right there instead of Steve. #HelpMeImPoor)
A friend reminded me it’s time to register Anders for preschool (she has a son who’s similar in age). I couldn’t believe it. While I didn’t start crying right then and there–composure, Bridget!–I have felt the urge to a few times since. And while I’ll have him there probably one or two mornings a week at most, I just can’t believe it’s that time. Time moves on and I’m breathlessly trying to stand in its way. Will this ever go away? And while sometimes it feels like another baby would be a quick fix to ease it, it’s really a pause and rewind button I’m after. Sometimes it’s just too much for my heart to handle.
On a lighter note, I’m determined to actually do something in our “institutional” bedroom! So I started where any home project starts… Pinterest of course. I haven’t been there in close to a year, so I had to dust the “shelves” (boards!) a bit first, but now I’m remembering why it’s such a useful tool. My bedroom board has a bunch of new images that I’m thinking we could use in some way. It’s such a small bedroom (remember we switched with the boys and gave them the bigger one?) so the sky is not the limit, but I think the things I pinned are achievable!
outfit: sweater | shirt | chambray | pants | lipstick
and linking to my necklaces too (I get a lot of questions about these!): the longer one | the choker
weekend links.
Steve’s just back to school this week, and this weekend we’re taking it easy (with a healthy dose of Patriots, he’d add). He’s been trying to get to the bottom of Tom Brady’s hand injury and I joked, “Rude. He hasn’t texted you to tell you what happened yet?” He’d like to think they’re besties. Anyway, also maybe on the agenda? Trying this new restaurant in our area too. Oh, and keep reading my latest book! (I love it!)
Some notes for the road…
Husband and wife pet peeves.
The other day I read this post, and then a fair amount of the comments, and there I was giggling to myself in the living room as I scrolled. They were just so funny. I need more of that hilarity on the internet. So I opened my browser and started one for Steve. (Too eager?) I got a few down, and then when he was home, I opened my post for him to add some about me. Only fair. At first he said, “I can’t think of any.” “So I’m perfect?” Then he started type-type-typing away, and twenty minutes later, he was still typing. “Woah!” I called out from the kitchen. “I’m on a roll now!” he called back.
Steve’s always quoting Mr. Bennett in Pride and Prejudice, “For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbors, and laugh at them in our turn.”
So here we are.
our favorite indoor activities for the winter!
Sometimes it’s just too damn cold to go outside. The four walls of our home is what it’s gonna be, but you want to prolong the onset of cabin fever. I’m not someone who’s always orchestrating activities for my kids at all.