intentional living, little by little
Having guests in town was the perfect excuse to finally check out the National Zoo! While I wouldn’t necessarily recommend going in November (brrr!), the kids had fun and I learned a few things too.
Gratitude is something that I think I’m good at, until things get hard. My boys wake up too early, Sophie is my shadow and I can’t get anything accomplished, I burn dinner…I’m tired and grouchy and gratitude gets thrown out the window. Do you feel the same?
November seems like the perfect time to be intentional with gratitude, so I purchased this little journal to start recording a little bit everyday. I found it over at Rori’s shop, MadeByRori.
A little bit of her story: “My love of Etsy and notebooks have been particularly healing for me in the last couple years. Let’s rip off the sadface Bandaid: Zach and I lost our beautiful twins Liam and Sebastian in August 2011. They were born 9 days too early to survive. It’s a sad story, but I’m not a gloomy person. I feel it is important for me to live a life that honors them. Now for the happy part of my story: In early 2012, we found out I was pregnant again. Miles is (as of this writing) nearly 8 months old. And he’s pretty much the best thing ever.”
I am so happy to have found Rori’s shop, not only because of her beautiful notebooks, but also for her example in gratitude.
Now for the fun part! Half of the fun in supporting small business mammas is sharing with you! This week, I am giving away another gratitude journal just like mine. And you know me, I’ll probably tuck in a few little extras along with it 🙂
Enter through the Rafflecopter widget below. The giveaway runs until November 9, 2013 at 12AM. Good luck!
loving : watching Sophie toddle around the house. Just like that, I’ve got a toddler. Bittersweet.
reflecting : on M’s fall soccer season and how nice it was for us as a family. A little sad that it’s coming to an end, but happy to not be on the field freezing.
planning : for guests coming next week. I’ve been busy creating a guest room, starting a menu and making a list of activities. We love visitors!
brainstorming : more ways to give in 2014. The Pajama Drive was a huge success and I hope it becomes an annual event.
running : has been lacking, as I’ve been in a huge rut. October was a wash, but I’m hoping November is better. And surprise! I actually quite like running in cold weather.
considering : growing my hair again to donate to Locks for Love. You can only donate if your hair is less than 10% grey, and let’s be honest, my days are numbered. Gotta fit in a donation while I can!
thankful for : my husband.
drinking : coffee, lots and lots of coffee.
dreaming : about all of the vintage items I’d like to sprinkle throughout our home. Too bad with all these little ones, I rarely get to the antique or thrift stores. Anyone want to be my personal shopper? 🙂
noticing : Friday family movie nights are becoming routine and something anticipated by everyone. A Netflix movie, cozy blankets and popcorn – the perfect way to unwind after a busy week.
baking : pumpkin crumb cake this weekend.
working on : a cross-stitch kit found deep in the craft “stash”. Working a little each day and it’s so calming!
excited : to see our family photos done by my new friend, Lucy O Photography!
Finally! Another installment of the long neglected William Morris Project! It’s been quiet here on the blog, but I have been working diligently every week to do a little something to make our house a home. I’ve been hesitant to share because….well, I’m afraid that the comparison trap got me once again. So many times, I’ve started drafting a post only to delete it. It’s not “Pinterest worthy” or “pretty enough” or it seems silly to write a whole post about something like organizing the pantry. I compare myself to the blog superstars and always come out the loser.
No more. I’m proud of the home I’m creating! It may never make the pages of a magazine, but it’s ours and a constant work in progress. Today, I want to show you my new pillows!
My original plan was to DIY my own, but I seem to have expensive taste in fabric. Hah! So I decided to use a Target coupon, along with my 5% off for using my card, to get a pretty great deal instead. I picked out one pillow for the colors and aesthetic, while the boys in the family chose the other. I’ll let you guess who picked which one.
The living room is slowly coming together. The rest of my to-do list:
+ Paint the bottom half of the room the same Manchester Tan as the top half.
+ Purchase curtain rods and curtains.
+ Decide on artwork or photographs above the TV.
+ Start a vintage globe collection to be held on top of both cabinets (and put away the Hungry Hungry Hippo game!)