Weekend Wrap Up – Easter Edition
We had the sweetest Easter, the first one where Callahan was walking and understood that he was looking for Easter eggs. Daycare was closed on Good Friday, so Callahan and I went into STL so that my parents could watch him while I worked remotely. They planned a really sweet day of dying eggs (with cool whip, no less), playing outside, and going to a family fish fry. We took advantage of the absolutely beautiful weather with a few walks and lots of bubbles. I had purchased a kindle a few weeks prior and it finally came in the mail on Easter Day (why?!) but I was excited to open it up and start downloading books from the library and Kindle Unlimited. Holidays and weekends in general are just our favorite around here. So thankful for a little extra time with family and spring weather.
Pieces of Life with Ali Edwards
Ali Edwards is the queen of storytelling and prompts and projects. When I saw this shared on her social media a few weeks ago, I knew that I had to play along. In general, wouldn’t consider myself a playful person. I definitely lean toward the “taking life too seriously” side and really want to incorporate play more often in my life. Especially as a mom. Here was my week of thinking about play and how it currently fits in with my life.
Monday: Right Now I Play
It’s really hard to think of play outside of activities and fun with Callahan. I have a lot of hobbies but sometimes I treat them as means to an end as opposed to actually slowing down and enjoying the process. After Callahan goes to bed, I try to take a little time to do something that brings me joy and fills my cup. Lately it’s been doing project life, reading good books, journaling, and moving my body. That’s about as playful as we’re getting around here.
Tuesday: What I Loved to Play as a Kid
I was HUGE into sports as a kid – tried pretty much all of them except for basketball. Here I am at 4ish for my t-ball pictures. I got really into soccer as an elementary-aged kid and then started playing hockey after that until I graduated high school.
Wednesday: Play Sounds Like
Play currently sounds like musical toys (the shape sorter is also a drum LOL) as well as reading books, pull back cars, and the Bluey theme song.
Thursday: A Playful Memory
Callahan, my Mom, and I recently went to Tiny Town Play Cafe (a little place space that resembles a town – a grocery store, office, house, vet clinic, etc – for kids to play in) and it was such a fun experience. Callahan loved it and it was fun to see him interact with new toys, people, and surroundings.
Friday: Something I’ve Learned from Play
Hobbies don’t need to be a side hustle to be worthwhile. Photography is 100% a hobby I tried to make money from and I realized that it took all of the joy out of it for me. I’d rather just play with my camera get a few good shots (of my son, of nature, whatever), edit one or two, and then ditch the rest. I love the idea that it’s all practice.
Saturday: Play Date
Mom and I made shirts for the Super Bowl that say, “I’m just here for the snacks”. It was a fun way to play around with my cricut, spend time with my Momma and get matching shirts out of the deal.
Sunday: Why I Play
I want to be caught playing, having hobbies, and reading. It’s such a wonderful way to care for myself and to fill up my bucket so I can pour into the other people in my life. I want Callahan to see that I do things for me and that I want to grow as a person. I want him to learn to independent play alongside me just as much as I want him to see me loving people and serving our community. He is looking at us as his example and I want to take that seriously.
There you have it – a week of PLAY! Glad for these pictures and words as a reminder of the importance of play in our lives.
Glimpses of Winter
The end of winter is a good time all around. Spring is my favorite season and that is 50% because winter is over and 50% because it means nicer weather and flowers in bloom. We had a very mild winter this year, and I’m thankful for that. Even still, I’m already trying to figure out how we can do future winters in Florida or somewhere a bit warmer. We did get to have some afternoons at the park and we got to experience some beautiful sunsets.
Cheers to SPRING!!
Five on Friday
Happy Day! I took today off because Callahan’s daycare was closed and we had a fun day running a few errands, prepping for the weekend, and playing together. For whatever reason, I had three (!!) emails in my inbox that had round ups in them today – one of my favorite type of email or blog posts to read from the people I follow, so I figured you may like some of the things that have been on my mind lately.
Five Things I’ve Got My Eye On
- My cousin has this Beis bag (made out of recycled water bottles !!) and I was in love as soon as I saw it. I’m not necessarily in the market for a new bag, but when I am this will be a top contender.
- “Good at Naps” blanket, no one could argue with this!
- I’ve been keeping my eyes peeled for a gold necklace that I can wear on a regular bases. My friend had on this Made by Mary necklace with a poppy stamped into it. I snagged one with mine and Callahan’s birth month flower.
- You Are Only Just Beginning by Morgan Harper Nichols – the color of her latest release is my favorite yet.
- Sorel Vibe Clogs. Straight up obsessed.
Five Favorite Books of 2023
- The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson – The first book in The Storm Light Archive that I finally got around to reading in January. Kevin read these a few years back and several friends have been asking me to get on it. At over a thousand pages, it’s a bit daunting but worth every page.
- The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid – My favorite TJR read – BY FAR. Huge fan of this one – a few twists and turns to keep you on your toes.
- The Intentional Year by Glenn Packiam and Holly Packiam – Such a great beginning of the year read. I loved pairing this with my goal setting practice for the 2023 and will probably go back to it for 2024, as well.
- The Stories We Tell by Joanna Gaines – Loved this memoir that took us through Joanna’s vulnerable journey of struggles and hope. Adored the stream of consciousness feel of this book, read it at the perfect time.
- Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson – Maybe this is cheating – I’m not even halfway but I already can’t put it down.
Five Things That are Inspiring Me
- Sweet little stack of books in the kitchen. I go back and forth between wanting my kitchen counters complete clear and wanting little vignettes here and there.
- This bag. I have it and it’s the best.
- Little wainscoting/photo ledge situation has my brain spinning. We have a little built in shelf at the bottom of our stairs that would look fantastic with this instead.
- Bright white living room – probably not ideal with toddlers but definitely my vibe.
- This kitchen is the same shape as ours and is similar colors to what I’d like to paint ours. Always love seeing it in someone else’s house first to make sure I’ll like it.
Five Links to Click
- Substack – My new favorite way to follow friends online. Like the old school feed readers (ok, I still use them) but so much more fun and interactive. Favorite follows are: Rachel Dawson, Claire from Online, Hannah, and Overbooked Mama. (Ope, that was four links in one.)
- The Deathbed Regret List – Really good article that got me thinking.
- All of this from Emily P Freeman. Expect one of these here in the near future.
- A reading challenge I’m following this year from Rachel A Dawson.
- This post and its comments. Glad someone finally said it.
Five Posts I’ve Saved
There you have it! Hope you have a great weekend, friend!
Valentine’s Day
Happy Valentine’s Day! Celebrating special days just feels so much more fun with our boy. He delights in alllll the little things, which is such a good reminder that all the hoopla and big things aren’t necessary.
His Mr Steal Your Heart sweatshirt, his pose, his smile – ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! I justified it (like two months in advance) by telling myself it was true all year round, so he’d get plenty of wear out of it. It’s also the comfiest material of all time. (Do they sell adult sizes?)
Kevin and I aren’t gift exchangers or really big V-Day celebrators (other than the excuse to go out to eat) so we still kept it really simple, despite my wanting to buy all the things in an attempt to make it feel that much more special. We got Callahan some balloons – he points them out anytime we’re at a store – which he was obsessed with and perfect for our minimalist home since they won’t last forever. I always love the excited stomping and surprised open mouth face he makes when the balloons react in a way he doesn’t expect.
For his classmates at daycare, we did bubble wands with an Etsy note that I fell in love with. They were super easy to customize and I just used my photo printer to print four to a page. Callahan has loved bubbles since he was real little, so it just felt right.
He brought home lots of cutie Valentines from his friends, but the Bluey one takes the cake. Big fan (me and him).
We decided to eat at home and do a meal I recently stumbled across on Pinterest – Turkey Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes – which was a hit! Such a sweet Valentine’s Day for the three of us. ❤️