currently: tricks & treats edition

 

coordinating: Halloween costumes for the boys because after last year's Ash + Pikachu cuteness, how could I resist a new pairing, especially while Hendrik is still into the idea. He's also forever into Calvin and Hobbes... how cute will they be in this striped tee (plus spiky hairdo, he's most excited about that part, haha) and tiger suit? 

celebrating: no more braces! Hendrik's birthday in mid-October was great and all, but almost as exciting for him to celebrate was removal of his braces just in time to be able to eat allllll the Halloween treats, with no more orthodontist restrictions on gummies and nuts. I also need to track down a caramel apple for him - I really don't think they're great (such a mess, so much less satisfying than you'd hope!) but he got in his head that not being allowed to eat one was quite a travesty.

switching: my Ruggable doormat to the fall version. I love seasonal doormats, but I didn't like how worn they would get, and how it felt wasteful to buy new ones each season. So I was excited about getting Ruggable $$ for Christmas last year, and invested in the doormat base with changeable tops. They've held up super well and are washable, so I can return to them each season rather than buying new. I have a cheery hello for summer, and I just peel it off and for the colder months replace it with a more sophisticated design. Great trick, eh?! (*Might* still need a Christmas doormat cover in the collection though.)

swapping: sweaters with a friend after both getting color consults done and identifying things in our closets that didn't suit our colors but did suit the other's. I made out quite well with a gorgeous fair isle in my light spring palette - not only cozy and cute but also gets me more excited about being "stuck" with spring colors in a season when the heart wants to wear the traditional rusty/deep fall things. Also branches me out of my neutrals tendencies in such a fun way. (You should totally get a color consult done, it's so great - and then there are lots of other fab fair isles if you're interested in embracing your colors: bright reds, vibrant greens, brilliant blues, vivid purple.)

adding: to my books read in 2023 by utilizing some good tips & tricks to get more into audiobooks: listening on 1.2-1.3x speed to help me stay more focused (aligns better with my usual reading speed), using fully wireless earbuds so I can easily walk around with just one in while trailing Freddie's meandering lawn mowing around the block, pairing with an activity like jigsaw puzzling to keep my hands occupied and motivate me to listen longer, and picking some books that are totally made better by the narration experience (As You Wish was a 5-star one, and XOXO Cody was fun too while I did this super cute puzzle; more roundup here.)

currently: kill 'em, with cuteness edition

While he's much harder to actually understand than his big brother at this age, Freddie is in that adorable toddler language usage stage that makes me want to write down almost everything he says so I can remember it forever because it is ALL the cutest: from his dubious counting skills of "one, two, three, eight, nine", to his questionable substitution of the word "okay" every time he might say "yes" ("Boom-boom!" Oh, you want to read Chicka Chicka Boom Boom? "Okay!" or "Kee-koo!" You want a cookie? "Okay!"), to his penchant for chanting "beep! beep! beep!" from his car seat for 20 minutes straight when holding a tractor or bulldozer toy (also at the stage of always carrying a vehicle in each hand whenever we're in the car or the stroller which is also the cutest).

If that all wasn't enough to kill me with cuteness, how about this other stuff happening around here lately...

reading: very few books to Freddie because every time he climbs on my lap with one he says "Eddie!" meaning that he's going to do it himself. Slays me every time - almost as sweet as coming upon him in the middle of a pile of books after he's gone worryingly quiet for a bit. Some of his current favorites include First 100 Trucks (lift-the-flap!), Mighty Mighty Construction Site, Blankie (he and Hendrik tag-team read this one together and it's 😍😍😍), and Very Hungry Caterpillar Eats Dinner.

melting: at every single photo of my new baby niece - first girl grandkid on my side of the family and I cannot get over how adorable she is. But I was really slain when I received a photo of her wearing a hat like this - a bow version of the classic hospital hat?! Gah!

gathering: supplies for Freddie's 2nd (!) birthday party, which is going to be Very Hungry Caterpillar themed, and I can't wait to share the whole thing because all of it is so cute from the e-vites to the balloons to the menu I've got planned - and then there's this fun melamine platter I found for serving one of our menu items (if you have the book memorized like I do, you know we've got slices of watermelon on there!). 

comparing: photos of Hendrik and Freddie in this chambray romper. It was one of my favorite outfits on toddler Hendrik, so the nostalgia factor is HIGH here. On H it brought out his red hair, and on F it brings out his big blue eyes, and in me it brings out much joy.

relishing: the delightful dorkiness of my big kid. It can be a bit exhausting to hear nonstop talk about Pokemon cards, but his dedication to recreating all things Pokemon in the form of Perler Beads, not to mention his shared joy at organizing/sorting all of the bead colors into separate slots of a craft box with me, is awfully fun and cute.

currently: those summer nights edition

As per usual in Michigan, June has brought spurts of chilly lake breezes alternated with weeks of HOT. We're in one of the warm ones now, and the warm evenings have me humming "those summer n-iiiii-ghhtttts" with the summer fun - and also sweat - that they bring. Here's what's currently the eveningtime haps around here:

sipping: the best bubbly water, Topo Chico, whenever I can manage to find it in stock for my grocery order. And when I'm really feeling fancy, adding some lime + Ritual gin alternative to make this gin rickey cocktail - super refreshing for a hot summer day but tastes fancy without including alcohol.

serving: as many microwave reheated dinners as I can, ha! Lots of cooking in hot weather never sounds great, but luckily I've got some great (family-approved) crock pot taco recipes that make for great reheated leftovers as well. The NYT chipotle honey chicken tacos and the salsa verde ones are both strong recommends.

sporting: a cute little date night dress. I'd call it a cute little summer dress, but I'm in that stage where a short sundress is not good daily wear - too much toddler wrangling! But we have had the chance to get out a bit for date nights, thanks to gifted childcare time from my in-laws for my birthday, and a couple of summer gatherings, and this was just the thing for a warm evening out (looks better in person than the photo, actually).

sweating: despite blasting fans (yes, multiple) in our bedroom at night. We do have air conditioning, but, still, old house problems... it's so hot in our upstairs this week! The motor for the fan on my side of the bed quit working recently, and thank goodness for Amazon Prime in that case so I had to endure only one fanless night before my shiny new one arrived.

strolling: around the block after dinner on nights that we're home. Freddie LOVES being outside, and in the little slot before bedtime it's usually at least a tad cooler out, and it's nice to take advantage of the longer days in this way. Definitely pausing to take note of how lovely I find it to casually stroll with my little fam with no real agenda other than being outside for a bit - because time (and summer!) is fleeting.

currently: April flowers edition

The saying of course is that "April showers bring May flowers" - but we've got lots of both going on here. On the non-blustery and wet days I've been taking full advantage of the thousands (literarily!) of tulips that have started to bloom around town, getting in as many walks as I can to commune with them... And relatedly, here are some other current April flowers happenings around here:

listening: to some great interviews on the Kelly Corrigan Wonders podcast whilst I walk amongst the tulips. I love her books but didn't know about her podcast until my mom sent me a link to one (thanks, mom!), and I think she's a great interviewer. Especially loved the ones with Michael Lewis and Gretchen Rubin, two authors whose ideas I find fascinating and engaging - and their chats were satisfyingly smart and interesting too.

debating: whether there will be any tulips left in bloom by May 6 when Tulip Time starts. It's a time-honored tradition for people who live here, really - always spending a good half of April speculating whether it'll be a "stem fest" year or not. Just as exciting as talking about the weather!

wearing: my favorite Rothy's sneakers again, now that I can put away the winter boots and bare some ankles. I wouldn't do an exercise power walk in them or anything, but for any other type of strolling, I can seriously do miles in these. Cute and comfy for chasing Freddie around the tulip beds in our nearest park. (Try 'em for $20 off with my referral code - well worth the investment in my opinion as I've used these washable white sneaks for years by now.)

eyeing: these cutie Bombas socks - kinda feel like my tulip-loving, Tulip Lane-strolling self needs them! (Bombas are pretty much all the whole family wears around here, by the way... totally worth it in terms of quality and long-lastingness and comfort for exercise, everyday, dress socks, even undies. You can use my referral link for a discount if you haven't tried them yet!)

buying: some Tulip Time-appropriate gear... When I saw there was a Club Jettie pop-up shop happening last week at favorite cute shop Tweed, Freddie and I had to stroll downtown to take a look - because clearly he needed a sweet tulip tee!!

currently: spring forward edition

Alternative title to this one would be "is it spring yet?? edition" (it's yet ANOTHER snow day here today, wahhh!) - but also around these parts we just realized that the ol' "spring forward" thing is happening on the clocks this weekend, and to distract myself from the dread of what it might do to sleep schedules I decided it's permission to do a little dreaming about spring actually coming... someday.

gathering: Easter basket goodies. I loved Kelsey's idea of having personalized totes for the kids that can get re-used every Easter, so I finally got on it for my house. I saw some cute personalized basket ideas out there too, but a tote is so much easier to store - or can actually be utilized other times, for trips to the library and such. Can't wait to see how the ones I ordered come out. And while I was at it I came across these adorable personalized mini pennants and had to order one to put in Freddie's Easter bag. He is obsessed with flags, and how adorable to see a sample one with his name on it! Meant to be.

eyeing: some tulip decor. It's my favorite flower, plus we've got our big Tulip Time festival here, so it's just the appropriate porch decor. Years ago I made a lovely wreath from this tutorial, but it has fallen apart by now, so looking at this replacement or maybe even these planter fillers that have great reviews.

lighting: our "springy" candle from the candle-making session that Hendrik and I did last fall. We decided to save his, which has a combination of citrus scents (named "citrus blast" by him) and was poured in this cheery yellow vessel, for when we needed a little taste of spring in our lives. The evenings are still dark, so the candlelight is nice, but having a more fresh scent does remind me that warmer days and brighter skies are coming!

booking: spring break lodging and tickets. We've heard there are so many great family activities in St. Louis and thought we'd give it a try since it's not too long of a drive - and while not a hot weather destination in April, it should at least be milder than Michigan and pleasant for being out and about. Already got our tickets for the arch (first thing Hendrik said about St. Louis is "can we go to the Gateway Arch National Park?!") and looking at some baseball tickets as well as the awesome looking City Museum. Should be fun!

wishlisting: swingy springy stuff over here, but maybe should focus my efforts on a fun colored sweater to get me through the dregs of winter...

currently: new-ish year edition

All of a sudden here we are at January 25! It's hardly the point when we can wish any one a "happy New Year" any longer, but still we've got some fun new + old-made-new-again things going on in early 2023 that I wanted to record for posterity in a Currently update - figured it's a good way to return to blogging after the busy holiday season (and busy post-holiday work season)...

wearing: my collection of recently acquired updated winter gear... sometimes all at once. Very pleased with the warmth (and cuteness!) my current walking ensemble: long down coat, comfy/lightweight boots, sheepskin mittens, monogrammed beanie, fleecy pants, and of course Freddie's sleeping bag-like stroller cover. But the pièce de résistance of my winter gear is this quilted down jumpsuit (similar/similar) my mom gave me for Christmas. It is AMAZING.

going: to Music-in-Me with Freddie. He's always loved moving and grooving, so I had hoped to do something like this with him (especially as I never got to do it with little Hendrik) - finally now that he's on the one-nap-a-day plan, and we have a new babysitter schedule, we're signed up for a weekly class, and it's just so cute and fun to do it with him.

rekindling: my love of Broadway. My parents, brother/sister-in-law, Hendrik and I all saw the musical SIX earlier this month, and what a dynamic and fun show! Hendrik and I are loving singing along to the soundtrack in the car - and I'm also loving bringing back my high school theatre nerd self in general: dug up my scrapbook of Playbill covers, did every Broadway-themed Peloton class I could find, and absolutely will be back to buying tickets regularly to the musicals that tour through our area, especially since Hendrik is into them too. Such a fun childhood hobby (seriously, I think at least 1/5 of my brain storage capacity is filled with musical lyrics) to rekindle.

practicing: spelling words with Hendrik for this year's all-school spelling bee, which has been an interesting parenting moment... he won the trophy last year, so I think he's got high expectations, but he hasn't practiced his list as much this year. Working on balancing my own desires for him to not be disappointed with the outcome, with him experiencing the realities of life - that sometimes outcomes are disappointing (we can't always win!), or that sometimes you learn in retrospect that you wish you had studied more, etc. Not to mention that he's a 4th grader, so if he feels like playing instead of working on this extra thing beyond his normal school work, whatever! Either way, excited and also mom-nervous to go watch him do his thing in the spelling bee tomorrow.

repurposing: my office to double as a guest room - and finally getting to do the fun arranging stuff based on this mood board, after the backordered daybed was delivered earlier this month. I ended up also updating my desk to a desk + shelf system (helped that Crate & Barrel gave me a nice gift card as apology for the way longer than advertised wait on getting the daybed) and it's super fun to have a decorating project in my life again - haven't really done any decorating updates since Freddie's nursery! - and also excited to have a new use for this room, when any guests come our way. Excited to finalize and share a tour soon.

I hope to be back to a bit more blogging + comment replying these days... so, what's new with you in 2023?

currently: almost advent edition

Now that we're past Thanksgiving, the Christmas season can officially begin, never mind that it isn't even December 1 yet. I'm writing this by the light of the tree, and I just love it! Here's what else is currently going on heading into the holiday here:

congratulating: my last-December  self for putting all of my family & friend addresses into a spreadsheet, because then this year I could quickly and easily upload it to get (free!) printed envelopes to go with my Christmas cards. Can't wait to get them into everyone's mailboxes even faster and fancier than usual this year. (By the way, not an ad, but I have to say I was thrilled with the service, speed of printing/delivery, and quality of product when I switched to Paper Culture last year, and I am using them again this year.)

modifying: our tree routine, because toddler. It's just not feasible to put a big tree in our front window as usual, unless we put a fence around it to keep Freddie away. Much cuter solution (a la this Pottery Barn inspiration) was to get a mini tree from the grocery store and put it on the table that lives by the front window. Still get to enjoy the twinkle lights in the living room, and we can pile presents up around it, also out of baby reach. And to make up the difference in amount of tree, I got sweet little (pre-lit, so easy!) artificial tree from Target on a Black Friday sale that we put up in the dining room, which is always gated off from Freddie access anyway.

selecting: all holiday-themed Peloton rides, all the time! I love doing rides/yoga flows/etc. from their holiday collection - so much fun holiday spirit in those playlists, and there are enough of them in the archive that I can make my whole December exercise calendar holiday music filled. Christine's Pentatonix ride is one of my favorites from a past year, and Robin has had some great ones too. (And tempted to get this fun ornament to commemorate my month of holiday-themed rides.)

wrapping: the page-a-day advent calendar and all of the gifts under the tree (of which I have quite a few purchased already!) with some Sugar Paper wrap in a lovely red, turquoise & rose color scheme. I love when I find pretty and festive gift wrap that matches my home's color scheme so well. 

lighting: some beauties from the Voluspa mini candle set Peter got me at Christmas last year (this year's advent calendar candle set is so gorgeous looking too!). Now that it's getting dark so early, and we've got all of the holiday season glow going with the trees, it's so nice to have these lovely scented additions to the kitchen in the evenings.

What's currently going on with you as you head in to December? It's always one of my favorite months, with so much to anticipate and enjoy - wishing you a lovely season, no matter what you might celebrate!

currently: autumnal edition

Most important thing I'm currently doing as autumn is in full swing: voting! And fervently hoping that others will do the same to protect women's rights, LGBTQ rights, healthcare rights, democracy rights... But aside from that, here are a few other things currently going on this season::

 

adjusting: to the daylight savings time change - oof. Last year Freddie was still pretty tiny and not on a solid schedule, but not so this year... Also, it's so hard to get used to it being so dark so early (and earlier by the day!). At least I already loaded fresh batteries into my automatic timer flameless candles, so the cozy glow comes on in the living room as soon as dusk hits.  

raking: nothing, any more, as all of the trees in our yard are now pretty empty of leaves. That always makes me feel a bit bleak, because they're going to look barren for MONTHS, so let's just enjoy this photo of my yard looking gorgeous for fall a month ago. At least we've still been getting tons of mild days to enjoy being outdoors, even if it's a bit grayer as we turn toward winter...

stocking: the pantry with stocks! Peter's been making butternut squash soup lately, and I'm pulling out the chili recipes. This sweet potato + turkey chili was a hit here with all of us, and great components for Freddie to feed himself (I added a can of black beans and omitted the chili peppers, since that's how our pantry and tastes go). He loved it - and then the next night he threw all of it on the floor, individual piece by piece. Okay, so we're entering the finicky toddler eating stage, are we?!

researching: a stroller cover so that we can keep walking outdoors (speaking of turning toward winter). On the frosty mornings we've had so far, Freddie has proven he has zero interest in hats or mittens, and he tends to kick off blankets too. So that he can have it all ways (strong desire to go outside with strong desire not to be bundled up), I think a fleecy stroller sleeping bag type thing is going to be the answer. I loved the infant carseat cover we had last year from 7AM Enfant, so I bet their stroller muff would be great, but need to make sure it's as "universal" a fit as advertised - and also research some similar options because  even if we'll get a ton of use out of it, thanks to our downtown's snow-free sidewalks all winter long, that price is feeling steep!

watching: Indian Matchmaking on Netflix. Okay, this doesn't really have anything to do with fall per se, except that it's getting darker and colder out, and that had me primed to start a new show for the first time in FOREVER. I am so hooked on this one - fascinating to see how matching couples works in the modern era, and in the US (with those of Indian heritage) vs. in India, in terms of the individuals' reactions and their families' involvement. Also I think the next Netflix show should be a cross-over between Queer Eye an Indian Matchmaking... I'd definitely watch that.

currently: event planning edition

 

A little life update by way of some happenings that I'm currently planning for around here...

assembling: party favor bags for Hendrik's Pokémon themed birthday party - he turns 9 on Saturday!

coordinating: Halloween costumes for Hendrik and Freddie. No surprise, Hendrik wanted to be something Pokémon related, so he's going to be Ash Ketchum, and Freddie's going to be his Pikachu.  

deciding: on a brunch menu for our little post-church celebration after Freddie's baptism later this month. I'm thinking some kind of quiche/frittata dish since they're easy to make (or order from our local bakery!) in advance and can serve all of the family who will be around, and then some fall flavors, maybe with an apple crisp (made and loved this one recently) or a cinnamon coffee cake.

selecting: outfits for the fam for Freddie's baptism day, so when we're all dressed up and have some other people around to serve as photographer we can hopefully snap a good one for our Christmas card. We had a professional photo shoot in the spring and I adore the results, but Freddie is so much bigger already that I want a more current family photo too! I'm wearing this dress, so everyone will have to coordinate with me, ha... Freddie's got this sweet little oxford shirt for his outfit.

anticipating: making a packing list for... our trip to the Bahamas this winter! Just got everything booked for an ocean view room at a gorgeous Sandals resort - I'm calling it our belated-belated-belated 15-year anniversary trip and cannot wait.

That's what's providing the motivation and happy distraction amidst the day-to-day diaper rash, occasional childcare shortage, gray skies, and cold virus that lasted for 2+ weeks... Some good stuff to look forward to and enjoy! Any big events in your October (or future plans)?

currently: summer's end edition

So I completely failed to mention that while I'm not able to keep up with hosting the Currently linkup (sad as that makes me), one of the regular participants, Jennifer, has offered to put it on her blog . I'm just going to be doing my own posts when the spirit moves and I have time (surprisingly few moments these happen simultaneously), so here's a life update by way of Currently - along with a note that you can do the official linkup tomorrow here, if you like! Otherwise do tell in the comments how you're currently doing.

Meanwhile, here's what's currently going on around here, with a Labor Day weekend, summer's end, back-to-school kind of flavor:  

rooting: for Serena Williams and (fictional!) Carrie Soto. Watching US Open tennis always gives me the end-of-summer feels, and it's one of my favorite sporting events - and as I mentioned in my brief Instagram review of this 5-star book, it was so fun to read a story about a fictional aging champion trying to win one last big title at the same time that Serena was playing in her last tournament. Made me feel so immersed in the world of tennis, continually forgetting that I was reading fiction. Unfortunately it's the end of the road for Serena, but there are some other exciting Americans to cheer for still!

packing: daily lunches again. Hendrik requested pretzel crisps + cheese as his "main" instead of the PB&J that he took nearly every single day last year, and we're rounding it out with apple slices, ants on a log, and fruit snacks. So far he's pretty pleased with his whole new bento box and outer lunch box situation and the lunchy contents (and the fact that his class is assigned an 11:50 lunch time, versus those poor kindergartners who have to eat at like 10:45).

buying: lots of apples at the farmer's market - see above. Always love it when they come in season locally as they're a favorite fruit across the board in our household. Hendrik likes the Snowsweet variety (they don't usually brown when sliced), and Peter always requests Macintosh, but for me it's all about the Pink Lady when I can get my hands on them.

hiring: a college student to babysit Freddie, now that the local campus is back in session. It's been amazing to have grandparental help with Freddie for his first year, but hopefully we can all get into a good routine now with regular care/work hours for me while Hendrik is at school rather than those spotty summer camp hours - especially given that the grandparents are all about to head off on their (jealousy-inducing) fall travels!

wearing: my favorite comfy + flattering stovepipe jeans again, as we've actually had a decently cool start to September. I'm sure we'll see some hot days again before fall truly arrives, but we've had a few mornings/evenings that have given a real taste of it. Much as I dread the coming of winter, I do love pulling out my jeans again and putting together fall ensembles - excited to recreate this one especially.

currently

 

enjoying: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow. I was super excited this was one of the July BOTM options - I've been more excited about their add-ons than the actual main selections lately (Lessons in Chemistry, Marrying the Ketchups, Bomb Shelter, to name a few), but this is one was one of my most anticipated new releases for summer (and on my July TBR list).

having: a lot of feelings about Supreme Court decisions, none of them good. I want to write more, but can't quite put it into words right now how difficult these decisions make it feel to be a woman, a parent, an ally - and I'm saying this as someone with SO much privilege. Cannot even imagine for others. 

hoping: to re-launch the actual Currently linkup someday, but for now I think I need to take a break. I'm sad about it because I've loved making new friends this way, and because I miss having the bandwidth to spend more time on my creative loves, but having a deadline for writing the post, and trying to keep up my end of things with visiting other people's posts... I have to admit, nearly one year after Freddie's birth, that it's just not doable now. I do love giving (and reading!) life updates this way, so I will definitely still post them from time to time, just without the linkup code - but I hope all you lovely participants will still write them sometimes too and share links with me.

picking: a date for Freddie's first birthday party! I can't believe we're less than a month away from his day. It'll be a small affair, thanks to the dang BA.5 variant - despite vaccinations it's not a great time to host a big gathering (again - I guess it's just for old time's sake, since right at his birth was when Delta arrived in force in our county... gah). But we can still have some cuteness and fun to celebrate our Freddie Cakes - I'm thinking of course with CAKES, a birthday tee, and a high chair balloon garland.

using: my new bathing suits, finally. Covid at Memorial Day, chilly weekend weather at the lake in June, and work travel have delayed my use of my new suits, but recently I've been able to do a bit more beach (and actually pretty ideally, during Freddie's nap while someone else volunteered to listen for him!) as well as take Hendrik and Freddie to the local aquatic center. Quite pleased with my selections from J.Crew: this pictured tie-shoulder top + tie-waist bottom in navy, and a long-line top with high-waisted bottom in blue mist, which is really lovely in person. Post-partum mom bod has been a bit different in this round (trying to be okay with that - it's not easy for a poor body to recover from kid 2 when you're of advanced maternal age, so be kind to yourself, I have to convince myself), so I like the high-waisted bottoms, and also the full-coverage top of the second one is very nice for when you've got a baby hanging off you at the pool! And it looks like they're all great deals right now in the sale section...

Looking forward to soaking in more summer - and I hope all is well with you currently too!

currently

... traveling to Miami for a work trip, missing my boys a lot while also admittedly really enjoying my sleep in a starfish shape in the middle of a king-sized bed, realizing that I forgot to/didn't have time to do my actual Currently post for July, and hoping that next week I'll be able to share a life update by way of what I'm currently enjoying, having, hoping, picking, and using - but meanwhile will put the linkup widget below so you can share yours!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

currently

 

Edited to add: I wrote this last week when I had time, so it doesn't reflect the biggest part of our currently situation... finally dealing with Covid in the household. We knew it was ineveitable, and it could certainly have been worse - Hendrik's the only one who tested positive (so far) and had just minor symptoms, but much schedule adjusting and such, while I am also feeling pretty under the weather now myself. So I'd say currently surviving not thriving, but nice to reread some of the happier things I put in the post when I wrote it last week to remind myself of summer fun to come :)  Meanwhile, keep your fingers crossed for us that Freddie continues to avoid symptoms....

celebrating: the arrival of my birthday month coupons. Ha! I've been eying some fun beaded necklaces from Anthropologie; this cute and flippy little skirt with my $25 from Madewell; and either Marrying the Ketchups or The Change with my birthday month freebie from BOTM club...

giving: Hendrik some end-of-year/summer break treats - a few little things to congratulate him on a great year (seriously, such a big kid this year with serving on student council, winning the school spelling bee, getting selected for the student art show, and heck even learning long division and being pumped about it), and a few things for some enjoying summer break (including some peace & quiet for me...): a workbook and pack of his fave pencils, the first in a new-to-us book series, a fresh beach towel, some fun snacks, and a game.

taking: it slowly on my re-entry to active life, now that I am out of the @#$%^ boot and am doing physical therapy. Not so easy for me to take it slowly, because I was immobilized for so long and am just itching for some good sweaty Peloton rides, but trying to keep in mind that what I *really* want is to enjoy summer life with my family - taking the stroller to the farmer's market, walking/biking Hendrik over to his summer camps, going on walks with Ginger, etc. - and so I want to be super appreciative of those things after being stuck for so long, and also want to make sure I don't jeopardize any of it by overdoing things and having a setback.

trying: to find a way to action, rather than just anger and anxiety, with the news - things like the Ukraine situation and anti-trans legislation, and most especially the unspeakably horrible mass shootings. This poem is a gut punch - and motivating. What a beautiful expression of what we could do with our arms if we more did something about this "right to bear arms" issue that is actually making all of our lives less free. 

wearing: actual outfits, with cute shoes! Having to wear that boot limited my wardrobe options to one horrid platform sneaker and either my skinniest jeans or leggings - and until I had access to all of my jeans silhouettes and shoes again, I didn't realize just how bummed it was making me in general. Getting dressed is fun again! I am really loving my seasonal footwear selections: this (absolute steal of a deal) patterned sandal from Target, my shiny new Birks, and my fave Rothy's sneakers. Super excited to pair with a fave dress or stovepipe jeans + cute tank combo when the weather's warm enough, or my cute patterned raincoat when it's drippy.

As you can see, I am literally and figuratively looking forward to this new season - nice weather, getting back to my old self in terms of movement and mental state... What are you currently up to and looking forward to for summer? 

Link up a post below to share, and come on back July 6 to talk about what we're currently enjoying, having, hoping, picking, and using.

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Click here to enter

currently

consuming: avocado toast topped with M Salt, which is - dare I say - even better than the cult-favorite everything but the bagel seasoning from Trader Joe's and a daily Americano. Also even better when eaten solo on a screened-in porch while playing New York Times spelling bee on my 24-hour mom break recently...

feeling: mixed. SO happy that spring is finally arriving and my favorite back yard tree is blooming. But I'm still in a boot recovering from a stress fracture, so I'm pretty immobile. This is my favorite time of year for running, going up and down our town's tulip-lined lanes; that's most definitely out for this year, but I really can hardly even walk to the park or the farmers market at the moment, so the warm weather's arrival is making me feel super frustrated too.

finding: a craft project to pick up, being inspired to go back to my old crafting days after listening to Sutton Foster's memoir, Hooked. What a delightful listen, and her dual passions of crafting and Broadway musicals speak to my nerdy theater kid, decoupaging high school self (photo from here with an on-point review/summary). She makes me want to learn crocheting, but I've also been meaning to try some candle making, to re-use some of my favorite candle jars that have been used up.

following: my listen of Sutton Foster's audio book with a watch of her first TV show, Bunheads, on Hulu. It's an Amy Sherman-Palladino creation that I hadn't heard of. Only one season, but fun since I'm a sucker for dance-themed plots and also just very obsessed with Sutton Foster at the moment.

spending: on updated spring/summer wardrobes... growing boys both need new sizes of everything, and the momma in non-maternity wear this summer is treating herself to a few summer wardrobe refreshers :) I'm excited about this lineup for them and this one for me - and especially to re-create this outfit from Jill, with my white jeans, tank, denim jacket, and new birks. Just need to be done with the dang boot so that I can finally wear all of my shoes again!

What are you currently up to as we head in to May? Link up a post below, and come on back Wednesday, June 1, for celebrating, giving, taking, trying, and wearing.

 

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getting: our outdoor spaces prepped for spring and summer enjoyment, even if the actual weather for it is a ways off... very excited about this outdoor rug to go on our patio, with the dual purpose of looking nice and covering up all of the weeds that grow between the brick pavers. Our front porch planters bit the dust in separate big winter wind storms, so I've been on the hunt for replacements; trying out some from Target but really wanting these (super expensive) ones from Anthro. And will be placing our plant order from a local farm this week so that Peter can get our backyard veggie garden going again!

going: nowhere for spring break since Peter is on call this week... and also because I'm in a walking boot for a stress fracture for the foreseeable future. Wahhhh! But we're managing some fun around here for Hendrik thanks to low-key outings like a quick library pickup, hanging with the grandparents, and if it'll stop raining, hopefully some swinging at the park (Freddie's new favorite thing, and Hendrik just adores getting to do it side-by-side). Also a few stay-cation indoor activities at home like decorating a cute Easter bunny cookie house and opening some saved-up Tinker Crates.

planning: some dinners from my latest Kindle deal purchase: the Sheet Pan Cookbook. Love the one-pan cooking approach for ease of both cooking and cleanup, and so far the shawarma and the tikka masala I've tried from it were delicious. In general I'm really liking dinner planning/cooking via Kindle cookbooks on the iPad lately - sorry to say, so much better than trying to access recipes on blogs as they always have soooo many annoying pop-ups and videos. If you're interested, give DailyEbookDeals a follow on Instagram; that's how I've learned about the cookbooks I've purchased for $2-$5!

posting: my April reading list and March reviews, including this 5-star read; a roundup of some recent TV-watching highlights; a spring wishlist; and Freddie photos on Instagram, of course.

thinking: about way too many things at once - I always have an excessive number of browser tabs open, literally and figuratively. Currently going on in my brain: needing to figure out logistics for possible work travel, contemplating these sandals for summer, pondering our outfits for upcoming family photos, remembering that I need to renew our passports, considering ideas for Easter baskets, fretting about how my wrist tendinitis and shin stress fracture are ever going to get better when I need to use these appendages for everyday life, needing to track down some additional info for our tax preparation, deciding what to make for dinner tonight. To name a few.... maybe I need to think about doing a relaxation meditation?

What are you currently up to? Link up a post below, and then come back on Wednesday, May 4, to chat about what you're consuming, feeling, finding, following, and spending.

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collecting: ideas for another bathroom renovation... having sufficiently recovered from the drawn-out hassle of a process of our upstairs bathrooms (that was 2020 for ya), now all I can see is how much I love the master bath and the kid bath and how much I want to love the tiny powder room on our main floor. It's way too small for this exact look, but I love the colors and vibe as a jumping-off point.

craving: a vacation. Of course, who isn't these days - but being house-bound in covid + winter times with a baby on top of not having traveled anywhere for 2+ years, and oh does it sound good. Dying to take Hendrik somewhere fun like a theme park, but even more so for a adults-only beach vacation. I guess the upside of not having any occasion to spend our vacation funds is re-allocating them to revamp another bathroom?

picturing: spring. Literally: picturing the daffodils coming up in my mind's eye helps me remember that the snow covering their spot won't last forever. And that playground outings can be in our future again, by which time Freddie will be able to swing! Metaphorically: hoping and praying and working for a world that is renewed and at peace. War, discrimination, pandemic death toll... it's heavy lately.

playing: allll the Lovevery things with this sweet guy (the playmat sensory strands and the rainbow spinner from the 5-6mo box are a big hit right now; and in big-kid times, playing Super Mega Lucky Box with Hendrik - highly recommend this as a board game that I actually enjoy, not to mention that it has a solo play option that comes in very handy too...

wishing: I could wear all the cute spring things, but real life = winter, so it's still coats + boots as in yesterday's post. Doesn't mean I don't have a spring wishlist though - with this dress on it!

 

What are you currently up to as we head into March? Fingers crossed those of us enduring winter will be seeing some hints of spring come the next time for one of these: Wednesday, April 6. Let's chat about what we're currently getting, going, planning, posting, and thinking.

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loving: Hendrik's enthusiasm for learning. It has always been so fun to watch, but lately even more so when he won his classroom spelling bee and tackled head-on the list of words to practice for the school bee - and won that too! He's also decided to start learning Japanese on Peter's Duolingo app at it's too cute.

making: baby food. We started with some jarred purees and some baby oatmeal a month or so ago, and now I'm digging out the baby food maker from Hendrik's younger days and mixing up some of his old favorites: peas, sweet potatoes, and apples for starters, and excited to move on to incorporating some more flavors in the next few months, like adding tikka masala sauce to his cauliflower, always a big hit with Hendrik. (Freddie's also a fan of carrots and pears so far, and even more exciting for me, has enjoyed his first avocado!)

taking: some time off work this week/last week while my childcare (aka the grandmas) is all on vacation, which means more Freddie for me! Rather frustrating that really cold weather + covid means we are quite house-bound, but we're making the most of our bonus time together with some new toys I saved up from Christmas, his favorite books, and trying out our new carseat cocoon cover on the few days it's not too windy and frigid to get out.

wanting: an air fryer. With how infrequently I use my instant pot, I probably really don't need another small appliance in my kitchen, but I keep seeing these great looking recipes (like these salmon bowls, cauliflower tacos, and falafel), and it sounds so quick and easy for making meals (exactly what I said about the instant pot - ha!). Kind of tempted to try out this little version though - doesn't take up too much space or cost too much, and so cute.

wondering: how I managed to blog so regularly when Hendrik was a baby - and whether I'll manage more posts in February than January's two?! I miss the creativity and community, and I've got ideas brewing, but time will tell whether I can make time to get them out... admittedly I do have some free time, but currently that is going toward reading, Pelotoning, and going to bed as early as possible. All of which build up my energies in ways I need too, so it might take a little more time for the creative pursuits to come back more fully into my life.

Hope you will join in and share what you're currently up to - and come back March 2 as well for: collecting, craving, picturing, playing, and wishing.

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anticipating: some fun milestones to come with Freddie. He'll be 5 months next week, and we're moving up to some big boy things like sitting in the Bumbo chair and trying some solid foods. So fun. (Photo is Hendrik in the same chair we still have - so fun to make these direct comparisons of what they look like!) Also *eagerly* anticipating our sleep training paying off someday...eesh.

organizing: the playroom, as is always the case right after Christmas. So much fun stuff added - but also so much stuff! I got some inexpensive but cute new fabric bins a couple of months ago, and we might need more to corral Lego manuals and games and such.

reading: my Christmas stack, starting with Boop & Eve's Road Trip by Mary Helen Sheriff, gifted by my mom - she found one I hadn't even heard of! Which is so fun - plus it sounds like it will be the perfect fun read to start off the dark post-holiday winter days of January, with descriptors like "intergenerational romp." Plus "secrets held for generations" is a catnip phrase for my reading tastes.

resolving: to figure out how to have less hurry in my life in 2022. My type-A personality tends that way, toward getting stuff done, which is great for productivity but not great for living in the moment and for enjoying my kiddos' stages for what they are. Hoping to improve on having some times to focus on just being instead of my brain wanting to multitask all the time, and also building in a bit more time between activities in my life rather than always trying to get the maximum amount of minutes out of each activity and then having to rush on to the next... 

scheduling: some more postpartum physical therapy appointments so that I can (hopefully) get back to regular running without any nagging aches or injury, unlike post-Hendrik pregnancy. I learned my lesson about ligaments and such still being lax from hormones, and things having shifted or lost strength during pregnancy, so I'm trying to do the work of getting it in order before I go full-on with the running, but it's hard - I miss the full runner's high, plus it's stuff that's so not fun to do (hip bridges and clam shells and kegels and whatnot) and feels unproductive because it's a slow progress. Should be worth it in the end! But maybe as an added motivator I will reward myself with a fun new color of my running shoes when I "graduate."

I hope you all had a great holiday season and are heading into 2022 with some good excitement and plans and intentions and such. Thanks for joining in today - and thanks for all of your nice comments on my last Currently post about being in a season that I'm just not able to visit/comment on very many posts. Soon enough, but meanwhile I still love that you are here!

And do come on back on February 2 to share what you're currently loving, making, taking, wanting, and wondering.

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decorating: the mantel with an additional stocking this year! (Hanging with these lovely wood + metal stocking holders.) Hendrik and I are both excited about Freddie's first Christmas, but Hendrik did say that he thought Freddie had better have the mini stocking - which Hendrik had for years and just last year got the full-sized one like us. Baby brother's got to put in his dues on that, ha!

feeling: Christmas cheer thanks to Hendrik's excitement, the lovely glow of the tree, our fun book-a-day advent calendar, and the start of holiday baking. But also disappointment and sadness that we have to think so hard about what will be safe for gathering again this year, probably again doing more staying home than we would otherwise. Grateful that Hendrik will be fully vaccinated by Christmas, but of course Freddie can't be. And with the grim reality that hospitals in our area are completely full... we really all need to think carefully about how to keep everyone healthy, even if vaccinated.

sending: Christmas cards already in the 1st week of December because I was very on top of ordering them thanks to a great photo from a family shoot my mom organized for my grandma's birthday in the fall, and also finding Paper Culture's gorgeous selections + a 50% off sale in early November. 

smelling: some holiday baking. We'll make our traditional Christmas cookies of course, and Hendrik and I have plans to use this mold my grandma gave us last year to bake a little spice cake gingerbread village again, but new to the lineup for 2021 is this excellent chocolate chip cake from Inspired by Charm. I actually made it for Thanksgiving, but it would be delish for a little something different for any holiday season gathering or even brunch - a bit of a coffee cake texture, and the cinnamon + chocolate combo feels right for the holidays to me. It's so good.

wrapping: lots of books! My gift-giving formula for most people this year is a book + something cozy (socks or a candle), and I bought early, so I'm wrapping early too. Just love how the tree looks even more when there are piles of presents underneath... And of course, as usual, I love to have a new theme for my gift wrap for the year, and I just love the colors of this collection from Target.

What are you up to in this festive + end of year season? I hope you are enjoying time to celebrate and be with family.

I mentioned last month that I wasn't sure about continuing the linkup in the new year, but let's try for a January gathering here... I have time to write my own posts but not really time to stop by others and comment, which is a bit sad to me, taking away from the spirit of the whole thing - hoping it's just a short season of that, while Freddie is tiny, and that you all are enjoying the community and getting to know one another. I'll jump back into full participation when I can, but for now, I'll provide some prompts and a link-up widget for whoever wants to take part!

So. Wednesday, January 5, we'll do: anticipating, organizing, reading, resolving, and scheduling.

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appreciating: my teammate. Sometimes we still look at each other in surprise - can you believe we made this perfect little baby?! But being a nursing mom necessitates some lopsidedness in the baby care, which can feel hard, especially at 3am. Having a spouse who takes time to tell me I'm doing a great job makes the hard parts more doable though (not to mention all the other stuff he takes care of around here).

getting: started on my Christmas shopping and even my Christmas cards, since I know I'm going to have less bandwidth for it this year. Hoping to simplify things by coming up with one general idea I can use and tailor it to each person - such as all of the kids are getting one of these adorable Rey to Z initial hats, including Freddie and Hendrik. (Another great blanket idea for nieces/nephews: a Kiwi Crate or Tinker Crate. Great for a wide range of ages - but I already did this last year...) Perhaps for all of the adults I'm gifting to I'll do a book. Or something from Shutterfly with Freddie's face plastered on it, ha! Any other ideas??

making: return-to-work plans. I'm thankful that I was able to arrange a gradual ramp up for this month with my organization, because I'm not exactly feeling ready... but this is the week that I have to start back in. Will be strange to be back with my computer on a regular basis, after so sporadically pulling it out over the last 3 months (as evidenced by minimal blog posts!) Also thankful that our moms are willing to do some childcare, because we're also not exactly feeling ready for outside exposures given that the delta surge is still rising here.

sharing: a list of my most anticipated library holds - and hoping that I get to read a couple of them in November!

wearing: full-on coats. As happens in Michigan, it kinda feels like we skipped over jacket weather, and the down coats are now a real necessity. Luckily I have this quilted beauty that I was actually looking forward to wearing.

With the return to work, I think blogging will take even more of a hit than it has in the last few months, so much as I love doing it and appreciate all of you who join in, this linkup is probably going to go on hiatus for a bit. But December is my very favorite month for it, so we've got to at least do one more, on December 1! Hope you'll join with a post on your holiday season currentlies: decorating, feeling, sending, smelling, and wrapping.

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