Around here, I have been:
finishing Different and starting The Appalling Strangeness of the Mercy of God. This is my tenth finish so far this year and I’m so pleased! I credit it to a lot less television at night and taking advantage of those 10-20 minute pockets throughout the day. It all adds up! I also think reading begets reading. Once the habit is firmly established, I want to read all the books and learn all the things!
making lists and plans to finally get tasks done around the house. We have a broken TV, a dozen paint cans from the previous owners and a handful of “un-giveawayable” Ikea furniture that need to go, so making that phone call to the trash company. I’ve been going through all of the toys we have in the basement that we’ve kept “just in case” but the kids never play with. This weekend, I’ll be rounding up all of the little donation piles around the house and dropping them off. It feels good to complete things that have been on our to-do list forever.
laughing at the little kids and their love for Bob Ross. Sophie has been extra inspired this week and has painted along with him almost every morning.
receiving my essential oil order for February. This month, I ordered Cedarwood and Joy. Cedarwood is a woodsy scent (duh) and is supposed to be very calming. I want to diffuse it with lavender in the boys’ room to see if they’ll sleep more deeply and – hopefully! – longer. Joy is supposed to be really good for lifting emotions and with my up and down postpartum anxiety, I thought it may be a good one to try. (My personal link if you ever want to order something too!)
praying our dryer isn’t broken. We caught TJ standing on the door trying to press the buttons and now the door is wonky and keeps popping open, thus stopping the drying. Currently, we’re package-taping the door shut (#soclassy) until we have the time to see if we can fix it.
thinking about these articles I found around the Internet this week:
+ Harvard Psychologists Reveal: Parents Who Raise ‘Good Kids’ Do These 5 Things
+ The Anxiety Epidemic: Why Kids Need Less School and More Freedom
having issues with the IntenseDebate commenting system I have had on the blog. I finally decided to go back to Blogger’s comments, but that deleted over two year’s worth of kind thoughts and words from readers. So bummed.
starting a new system for the kids: color-coded cups and dishes! I really don’t know why I was so resistant, but after weeks and weeks of passing illness around, I was convinced that everyone needed their own things with NO sharing! I got this Ikea set which was perfect for our big family.
loving our new waffle maker! I’ve wanted one for months and just finally bit the bullet. I’m planning to make a batch to freeze for school mornings, but one search on Pinterest and now I’m in trouble. Cinnamon roll waffles, chocolate dessert waffles…the possibilities are endless!
Big White Farmhouse notes:
+ New in the shop! We just got in these really cool sustainable wraps made from beeswax. They are supposed to mimic plastic wrap, but without the waste. The heat of your hand creates a seal on bowls and cups. You can also use it to wrap up produce, like half a lemon or greens from the garden. I can’t wait to try them too. We carry them in small, medium and large sizes as well as a sandwich wrap.
FAVORITE PICTURE BOOKS OF THE WEEK: an attempt to read more to my little ones
Cloudette: I loved the illustrations in this one. The message that even little ones can do great things is sweet too.
Penguins Love Colors: Sophie loved that there were six penguins like our family.
RELIGIOUS TRUTH TO PONDER: a piece of my faith to think about or put into practice
Whenever you think God has shown you other people’s faults, take care: your own judgment may well be at fault. Say nothing. And if you do attribute any vice to another person, immediately and humbly look for it in yourself also. Should the other person really possess that vice, he will correct himself so much the better when he sees how gently you understand him, and he will say to himself whatever you would have told him.
— Saint Catherine of Siena
THIS WEEK’S MENU:
m: leftovers
t: Chinese takeout
w: takeout
th: paleo meatballs with marinara sauce, pasta for the kids
f: BBQ chicken taquitos
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I tried to comment on your last post multiple times and finally gave up, so I'm glad you switched, although I'm really sorry you lost all your old comments. 🙁
You're making me want to give oils a try… I never have yet and wonder if I'm missing out!
Love that you're getting things done. Doesn't that feel great!
I hope you have a wonderful weekend, friend!
Essential oils are really fascinating to me – it can be a bit overwhelming, but I love researching and learning all of the qualities and uses. If you look into it, let me know if I can be any help!