enjoying a lazy Labor Day weekend. We purposefully kept our schedule clear and spent the time hanging out as a family. It was wonderful. I have a new appreciation for a loud, messy house.
watching the boys start to find their groove. At dropoff, they confidently leave the car with a “Bye, Mama. Love you!” They look out for each other, cheer each other on and can’t wait to share stories at the end of the day (like the silly girl who loves to hug all the boys and chases them around the playground!). One of my fears with sending them to school was that they would lose their special bond and I’m so encouraged to see that it hasn’t happened. Family comes first.
(slowly) finding a new routine with the little ones. I’ve been so used to a self-imposed strict daily schedule: wake up, coffee on, dishwasher unloaded, check BWF email, laundry started, breakfast…and on and on and on. Every moment of my day was scheduled to “fit it all in” but now with the boys in school, I’m realizing that I don’t need to be nearly so rigid. And it’s so weird! Learning to just “be” with my little ones again – playing on the floor, reading story after story …those are sadly things that got tossed to big brothers or on the back burner. I’m feeling so lucky to be able to give the little ones some of the same focus I was able to give the big ones at this age. I’m really enjoying “just” being a mom.
thinking about hosting another Pajama Drive for Northern Virginia Family Services in October. I totally forgot about it last year (I blame it on the Write 31 Days challenge!), but it’s something I’m really passionate about and would love to have others join in too.
crossing off a few projects from my to-do list and it’s so good for my nesting heart. Still can’t find that elusive solid-wood dresser though!
+ I’ve been slowly adding some of Sophie’s outgrown clothing to sell on Kidizen (on my to-do list for months!). Happy to clear some room in her closet, while making some money to buy more clothing that we need for fall.
+ My shower is my cleaning nemesis and I can never keep it as nice as I’d like. So I stopped being cheap, bit the $9 bullet and bought a shower squeegee (affiliate link!) on Jet. I love it! Why does every seemingly common sense purchase take me so long? Mark also swapped out our old, half-functioning shower head and what a difference! It’s the little things.
feeling nervous about my upcoming glucose test. I had gestational diabetes when pregnant with J and while it’s certainly not the end of the world, it’s a time consuming (and expensive) process I’d rather not repeat. Not to mention the 3-hour fasting glucose test is brutal for me (I had it done as a preventative measure with Sophia too and…bluh.)
reaching a big milestone with Big White Farmhouse, which has me dreaming and scheming for the future. A few other notes:
+ New fall candles are arriving today! I chose four scents perfect for the cooler months ahead and love their names: Cozy Cabin, Mulled Cider, Pumpkin Caramel Latte and Sweater Weather.
+ We had a successful Labor Day sale and sold out of a lot of products. I’ve spent the rest of the week working on reorders, including the To Market totes and Gather Around the Table towels. Hoping to keep the shop fully stocked through the Christmas season!
+ I’m trying Later.com to help me visualize and schedule my Instagram posts better. A beautiful, curated collection is such an underappreciated art and I’m continually learning and tweaking…hopefully I’ll get it down by 2017, hah.
baking blueberry muffins (J’s favorite from last week), Strawberry Crumble Cake (SO good for breakfast the next day too) and cupcakes to celebrate Mary’s birthday.
reflecting on how quickly this time of my life is going. I’ve never been one to wish time away and have always tried to just dig deep into the trenches, but even I can’t believe how fast it’s all happening. My oldest turns 10 this fall and for whatever reason, that feels like a huge milestone for the both of us. This sweet boy, who for so long adored the tackiest, most superheroed clothing available, recently told me that he’d really like just plain colored shirts for school this year, if that’s okay. I grinned and added it to the list, but choked that lump back in my throat. It feels like the end of one era and the beginning of a whole new one. Bittersweet.