Tag: mindfulmama

February Round up

The month might be shorter than most but it always feels jam packed! February meant the start of baseball practices for the boys, a trip to Tahoe (see our trip here), celebrating Valentines Day & my birthday at the end of the month. We had some pretty big rain storms at the beginning of the month which lead to lots of throwing our rainsuits on and jumping in puddles. Here’s a little glimpse into what we got into this month, recipes I loved this month, books I read, where we’re at on our 1K hours outside and my decluttering challenge! I also posted an essay on the phase of motherhood you can read it here: Legos in the Laundry

This month I joined a volunteer organization that bakes birthday kids for Foster kids who otherwise may not get a cake. I baked my first cake for the organization this month. It was a batman themed cake for a 15 year old. I have loved baking my boys cakes and the idea that there are kids out there that won’t be made to feel special or celebrated on their birthday, pulls at my heart. It really felt like the perfect fit as a way to give back to my community, spread joy & use skills I already have. I joined the bay area chapter face book group and I’m so impressed with all the amazing bakers. Also this brought up so many important conversations with my own kids. We talked about how fortunate we are and how we never know other peoples circumstances. Not to mention just broadening their horizons that there are kids who are only getting a cake because someone like myself is making it. Before we can even think about teaching our children gratitude we first have to teach them awareness and noticing. So exposing them to truths in age appropriate ways can foster gratitude! Here’s pic of the cake I did, I love the way it turned out and I loved the recipe the organization had in their resource center for black frosting that won’t stain teeth.

My Dark Knight cake!

Recipes I’ve been loving:

Protein cookie dough: I’m usually underwhelmed by high protein desserts because they never really taste as good as I’d like. but this cookie dough legit tastes like you’re eating cookie dough. I’ve been making it on repeat all month long. Just combine 1/2 cup almond flour, 1/2 vanilla protein powder (I’ve been using this one), 1/4 maple syrup, 3 tbsp melted coconut oil and 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips. I combine in a bowl until all mixed up and then spread out onto parchment paper. I usually place another parchment paper over it and flatten to desired thickness. Then chill in the fridge or freezer and cut into squares. This has been my go to snack when I’m craving something sweet.

kimchi fried rice – I made it with chicken but honestly you could put any protein in it. I’m making it again this week. 10/10 I used this recipe . I think next time I make it I’m gonna use shrimp.

Shrimp spring rolls. I’ve also been making these ahead of time for easy lunches. I bought a pack of rice paper wraps off amazon and have been trying different additions to my spring rolls. Right now I’m loving a mix of shrimp, mint, cilantro and bean sprouts with a spicy peanut sauce. It’s so crunchy and good.

Books I read this month:

The Great Alone – my favorite book this month. I love Kristen Hannah. I love her writing style and her stories are always so emotional.

Small Things Everywhere – This was our bookclub book. It was super short, a little strange. lol. By no means a bad book, but just hard to understand what would actually be important in the book since it was literally only 100 pages.

Jesus and John Wayne – This was a political non-fiction book about how the evangelicals and their impact in american politics. It was as dense as it sounds lol.

After I do – quick romance read. My second Taylor Jenkins Reid book of the year and this one didn’t disappoint!

Slow read of War & Peace – I’m still chugging along. This month I kinda fell behind and was having to read multiple chapters a sitting. In March my goal is to really try to stick to the one chapter a day plan!

podcast that I loved: Dr. Becky – how to not raise an asshole. – I love Dr. Becky her podcast and book is such a powerful resource for parents. And this podcast episode seriously knocked it out of the park with talking to our kids about gratitude and our ideas behind raising entitled children. I listened to this episode twice taking notes to pass on to my husband! 10/10.

As Far as:

Decluttering Challenge: I have a decluttering goal of purging 2025 items from our home this year. So in February I purged a little over 300 items total. This is definitely a hard challenge but it’s been fun to track.

1000 hours outside: in February we logged 51 hours outside, bringing our total to 122 hours for the year. Like I mentioned earlier in the post the weather was pretty dreary at the beginning of the month. And now we’re in full swing when it comes to baseball so I’m sure those hours will tick up as the weather continues to get better.

Looking forward – we are taking the boys to Monster Jam in March and have some fun things planned around Spring break including a glamping trip with friends and of course loads of baseball as well as some little projects I’m working on at our house.

xoxo

Legos in the Laundry

Legos in the laundry, that’s the new season of parenthood I’m in. We’ve somehow slipped out of monthly milestones, developmental leaps and counting each new word. We’ve entered a world of creativity, imagination and joy. A world that consists of small holes in my yard filled with plastic dinosaurs, lego creations that fall out when I open the dryer door, scribbled notes and detailed treasure maps taped to the walls of my house. Brotherly bike races, obstacle courses and tickle fights, overflowing boxes of “treasures”, nerf darts in every corner, mixed up potions, swords and masks and a dozen costumes in one day. Leaving the baby season and squarely being in the kid season feels like a big deal. I equate it to the feeling of turning 25. Where it suddenly feels old, but in reality you’re still quite young. This phase feels big and so much older, but in the same breath I recognize I still am needed for middle of the night tuck-ins, tying loose shoelaces, or getting something off the top shelf.

The heartbreakingly beautiful part about parenthood is that it really is all a phase. The sleepless nights, the spit up, the separation anxiety, the babbles, the step,step,stumble, the handprints all over your windows, the blowouts. It all fleeting, which inevitably means it’s bittersweet. The idea that tomorrow your kids are a tiny bit older, a tiny bit bigger. The days blend into weeks, weeks into months, and before you know it, it’s been two years since you changed a diaper. Suddenly the bottles are gone and replaced with cups your kids can fill themselves.

There are moments in the motherhood when you desperately want to freeze time. Those newborn cuddles & coo’s. The way that little hand slips into yours. The slobbery kisses. And moments you wish to rush through, phases where you are simply surviving. There’s no capacity for anything extra. Days where your best looks like simply keeping everyone fed and alive (yourself included). Society tells us don’t blink you’ll miss it, soak it up, cherish it all, enjoy every moment. That mentality puts an unattainable pressure on moms to feel like they have to love every stage, or else! The overt dismissal that parenting is the single most difficult balancing act on the planet. It takes from every part of you. You sacrifice your body, your time, your sleep. However the dichotomy of parenthood is: it can also absolutely be the biggest, hardest, most beautiful journey you embark on.

As I exit one phase and enter another I wonder: how do you hold on to something that is slipping through your fingers? At some point along the way I ditched the pressure to “love every moment because one day I’ll miss it”. And instead focus on being present, acknowledging where we are in that moment. The good and the bad. The parts that challenge me, the parts that make me question if I’m doing it right at all, as well as the parts that make my heart explode. Giving my kids my full attention, sitting on the floor with them, indulging and submersing myself in their world, taking my shoes off and playing chase in the grass. Reconnecting with my inner child. These help feel like I’m extending my memories somehow. Maybe one day the memories will be easier to access because I wasn’t distracted and instead I was truly there. When I’m older I hope the cool grass between my toes transports me to games of chase, picnics outside, backyard soccer matches. I hope the lone lego reminds of all the starships, rovers, cars and castles that were built. I hope a cup of chocolate milk reminds me of all loud dinners with messy faces and knock knock jokes. These are same dinners that I currently have a love hate relationship with. There are nights where the protesting of the homemade meal, the inevitable poop joke, the invasion of personal space are too much for 6pm. But I’m acutely aware that one day it’ll be my husband and I at an empty, quiet table again, so I soften. I join in on the jokes, I shoot my husband a knowing smile & we often exchange the phrase “this is what I thought it’d be like”.

Today if you read this and you are caught in a simply surviving phase remember, you are doing your best and that is good enough. Not every stage of motherhood fits nicely into social media squares. It’s okay to dislike the phase you’re in and take solace in knowing it’s literally that. A phase. A new one will greet, often at the crux of when you think you can’t take much more.

January Round up

January felt like the biggest breath of fresh air. At the end of the year I slowly went through and deleted social media off my phone & I started the year with just a facebook account that I purely use for the buy nothing group & book club communication. It felt so good to step back, not post anything and frankly not mindlessly consume so much. This is the first time in a decade that I haven’t posted consistently. As much as I loved the community I had on my insta I really want to focus on investing on the community right at my feet! In the past I’ve used this blog as an extension of my social media and I thought I’d keep it up but in a less frequent manner than my instagram. I thought I’d share what I’ve been up to this month, books I read, recipes I loved, and just other things I found myself getting into after taking a serious step back from social media.

Things I did instead of scroll:

  • I finished my 2023 photo album – which is a big undertaking, I still need to order it to get it printed. But it is completed which feels so good! Next up 2024!
  • I finished phase 2 of my 12 week workout program! This is a heavy lifting program and the workouts are long. But I’m proud I’ve stuck to it and I have loved tracking my weights and seeing my strength build!
  • We spent 71 hours outside in the month of January! I’m trying to do 1000 hours outside this year and for January that felt like I solid dent in the goal! I credit this to our new outdoor furniture / fire pit set up. It made it easy to curl up on our patio, listen to the rain fall and read or watch the boys play!
  • I hosted my BFF’s baby shower and we did such a fun craft of making candle holders with pressed flowers and modge podge! They turned out beautiful, I put a photo of them lit up at the beginning of this post. This would make a fun Valentine’s Day craft or gift. I’ll link the pressed flowers I used here and then we just got jars from the thrift store and modge podge from any craft store.
  • In the same vein as my photo album project, this month I started creating “home movies” with all the little videos I’ve accumulated in my google photos. I started when Will was born and have slowly been going through them and making larger movies. Google limits you to 50 clips but each movie ends up being about 15 minutes. I remember loving watching home videos as a child and it’s funny to think how this day and age we have SO many more photos and videos of everyday life than our parents ever did but we don’t watch or see them as much. So I’ve made it a goal to try to catch up on some home videos.
  • We survived an unspeakable Adenovirus stomach bug and a bad case of strep throat. Is it even winter if your kids aren’t on the carousel of endless viruses??? Solidarity to all the parents surviving sick season.
  • I did my first watercolor workbook exercise. For Christmas Chris got me two watercolor workbooks, not sure why I thought starting with the harder one was the right idea. But I started with the landscape workbook and completed my first one (see photo above). It was so challenging but I’m excited to keep working on it and see how I progress.
  • I kept track of my decluttering challenge (to purge 2025 items from my home this year). And the nerd in me is not only interested in keeping track but breaking down the categories of things I purge. So i keep a color coded chart and every 100 items I update the graph to see how the categories are working out! This month I purged about 200 items! And here’s how it broke down – with cosmetics / medicine cabinet and clothing being the top categories!

Books I read:

  • Parable of the Sower – This was a book club book and it was kinda wild. It was a dystopian book about the future, written in the 80’s about the year 2025. yikes. The setting is southern California, which happens to be on fire and in a severe drought… ummmmm it was a little to on the nose for the start of year. I won’t lie it was a super depressing book. but overall I think I’d give it 3.5 / 5
  • Electric Idol – This is the second book of the Dark Olympus series. I did not enjoy it nearly as much as Neon Gods which I read in December. I’ll probably still read the 3rd book in the series but this one gets a 2.5 / 5 for me.
  • One True Love – I read this book in two days. It was a super easy read. I’m giving this a 4/5. I liked the characters, I liked the story. It’s the idea of love and the different versions we experience in our lives.
  • War & Peace – I posted in my 25 in 2025 list that this year I’m doing a slow read of War & Peace which consists of reading a chapter a day. So I spent this month getting through the first 120 pages of this behemoth of a classic. So far I’m not disliking it! I’m also following along with the substack footnotes and tangents which puts out a short weekly summary podcast that helps you keep characters straight so that has made it a lot more enjoyable!
  • The Familiar – This one I did not finish. I stopped about 40% of the way through. It was a book my bookclub read of the summer and it was available right away on Libby so I just downloaded it. But it really wasn’t for me. I like the setting of old Spain, but I felt like the story just moved too slowly and wasn’t compelling enough to keep me interested. Life is too short to read books you don’t enjoy!
  • I’m also working really hard with Will to boost his reading and we’ve been doing a 100 day reading challenge where he reads to me for 15 minutes at a time (we’ll hopefully work goal up but we gotta meet people where they’re at!) So I’ve been reading lots of stories with him & it is really fun to watch him improve and build his confidence.

25 in 2025 List

Another year came and went! For many years now I’ve created these lists – you can read about them here (20 in 2020, but basically it’s a framework to help design, and add intentionality into the year. I put bigger goals as well as small, sometimes lingering tasks that I haven’t done but want to accomplish (ie: deal with tech donations, renew a passport, etc.). In this post I’m sharing my list for 2025 including a detailed version below. I enjoying doing one of these lists far more than creating a big often vague resolution. We’re only a little ways into 2025 so it’s certainly not too late to create one of your own!

Here’s a more detailed version of my list!

  1. 1k hours outside – We attempted this in 2023 and got SO close – like 940ish hours I think. I’m excited to try this again because I feel like we are outside so much with the kids when they’re playing baseball and we upgraded our backyard set up so I really think we can get to 1k!
  2. Slow read War and Peace – I’m doing a chapter a day and following along with a substack that puts out weekly short pods with plot / character and chapter summaries. This book is insanely long and I don’t think I would have read it otherwise.
  3. Delete social media – This one is surprising but kind of happened organically. Late last year I deleted twitter because it was an absolute dumpster fire. After I deleted it, it felt SO good so I actually deleted IG off my phone in the new year. And then tiktok took care of itself lol. I don’t really have a plan as to how long or if I’ll pop back in. Right now I’m really just enjoying the freedom.
  4. Sew banquet bench cushions – I made our dining room banquet seating in 2023 but it needs some comfy cushions so this year I plan to take this on.
  5. Build living room built ins – another DIY. duh.
  6. Get a will / living trust set up – This is a roll over from last year. We. NEED. To. Get. This. Done.
  7. Volunteer – cakes for kids / help packs – I found an amazing organization that I joined to bake cakes for foster kids who otherwise wouldn’t get a cake. This is right up my alley. I found this org on the website Just Serve which shows you so many amazing volunteer opportunities in your area!
  8. Read 40 books –
  9. Renew my passport –
  10. Paint fireplace brick – this badly needs a touch up because Toby lays on it every night and gets it filthy.
  11. Take candid sports photos – I picked up my DSLR last baseball season and was happy I did. I plan to take more candids of the kids this season.
  12. Save $ & monthly budgeting with Chris 
  13. Purge 2025 items – I found a little tracker for this online and so far I’m at 50. This feels ambitious but I desperately want to simplify and continue to minimize our stuff.
  14. Use the food we have – minimizing food waste is a huge goal – I want to use up things before just running to the store.
  15. Cook with boys 1 dinner / month – dinner is statistically the meal my children eat the least of. I’m trying something new where each boy gets to pick a recipe to make for dinner once a month. And then I will cook it with them and let them help as much as possible.
  16. Be easier on myself – this is a rollover from last year and although I think I did a decent job of this, I wanted to include it because it is just a good reminder. I need the reminder to extend the same amount of grace and compassion to myself whether it’s about my mothering, my body, my productivity, as I would to a friend. I want to show my kids it’s okay to make mistakes and not beat ourselves up about it.
  17. Enjoy our outdoor furniture – literally writing this blog post from my outdoor couch, drenched in sunlight. this should not be hard to accomplish.
  18. Paint Chris’ office – I have the tub of paint, just need to get it done. Luckily he has a few work trips in the next few months so I plant to take that opportunity while his office is empty to get this done!
  19. Complete dig deeper 2x – This is a workout program that i’m 3/4 of the way through and I LOVED. I plan to do it again. It’s 12 weeks long. So it takes me a while to get through.
  20. Make a 5 senses portrait – this is a roll over from 2024, I do want to complete this. It’s basically a way to create a portrait of someone or something using your senses. I want to do it for my kids and for my parents. because I feel like it gives such a great snapshot of what they are like in this moment. 
  21. Summer of swimming – last summer we joined a great gym that has a pool that makes you feel like you’re on vacation. We utilized it a bunch but this summer I want to use it even more. And really just work on the boys swimming capabilities as well as swimming for exercise for myself.
  22. Catch up on photo books (2023/2024) – This one I put on my list every year because it’s a huge undertaking but also brings immense joy. I’m 95% done with my 2023 book, and my goal is to get 2024 done realtively quickly!
  23. Superstitious – this goal is something I really want to happen but I’m a little nervous to put it out on the internet. Stay tuned lol
  24. Start Harry Potter with Will – Will and I are doing a 100 day reading challenge together and I’m trying to really help him strengthen his reading skills and fall in love with reading. After our 100 day challenge I want to start Harry Potter.
  25. Start hiking with Toby –

I know a lot of people feel some kind of way about this new year. But for me I’m really trying to cultivate and control what I can in my own home and little community. So that’s what I’m aiming for my list this year. Like I mentioned under the delete social media point. I’m not sure if I’ll return to making IG content. I made it for so long, showing up literally every single day. And it feels so free to take a break. I’ve had this blog before I began creating content and so I think you’ll find me here this year.

Cheers

Natasha

Sunday Somethings No. 9

This week started off pretty low key as I recovered from a 3 day work stretch at the hospital. So the first few days I spent giving myself grace and not doing too much. I’ve been a nurse for 12 years and I feel like I’m just finally starting to get into a routine post work that allows for rest and isn’t focused on getting as much done as possible!

Something I read: Bye Baby – I read this book in 2 days. It was SO good! 5/5 stars it was so entertaining. Then on the other end of the spectrum I suffered through a book for my book club only to then realize I read the wrong freaking book. ugh! luckily I read Bye Baby right after so I was able to rebound quickly. I also started a Flicker in the Dark which has been on my to read list forever it feels like.

I finished my first week of my No spend September! And it felt really good and has me excited for this challenge. Our relationships with money can be so complicated and carry a lot of ish. I know for me personally one of my fears is suddenly becoming responsible for everything and having no idea where to start. Then I should-ing all over myself that I “should” have been looking at my accounts. I “should” be paying more attention. I “should” be more engaged. And then I feel guilty and terrible and then I avoid it. Such a fun cycle. Iykyk. The truth is fear is just the worst motivator – and when you move from a place of fear you almost never get the results you want. So instead this challenge was a way to move from a place of curiosity and a way to reframe something that is stressful.

I’ve been making these high protein banana / graham cracker / vanilla yogurt cups that are delicious. I’ve been eating them either as an afternoon snack or as a dessert they’re about 38g of protein.

I pulled down all the boxes for Fall and starting taking down my summer things. I’m ready to swap the seasons but it’s so hard when it’s still 100 degrees to get into the fall mood. Next week I think it’s finally gonna get below 90 so my goal is to decorate for fall!

We had a packed weekend – the boys had their first halloween party / movie night at a friends house, we had the start of soccer and we went to a block party. The block party felt like old school summer, everyone in the streets, kids riding bikes bare foot. The weather perfect. I decked the boys bikes out with glow sticks for the ride home and it was such a perfect night. I’m tired just typing it all out. As busy as it was it was also so filling.

Right now we are very much in a season of transition and a world of unknown. There are a lot of unknowns with what my work will look like in the next 4-6 months, same for Chris. At times it feels so unsettling and it can be really easy to spiral into all these unknown possibilities. This feeling of unknown isn’t new to me, it comes with the territory of start-ups. What I’ve learned is that when the future feels the most uncertain and suddenly the road has all these turns you can’t see around, it is in these seasons where grounding yourself in the here and now is the most powerful and most impactful. This week I really prioritized my morning routine of mindfulness (meditating, journaling, eft tapping) and it makes such a big difference. Rather than allowing myself to dabble in the future I focused on what was right in front of me. The little hands that interlock with mine when we walk to school. The cold, wet grass on the soles of my feet. The steam that billows from my morning coffee. The soft steady breaths of the dog that lays beside me. The sound of the squirrels chasing another in the trees. These moments, these glimmers are right here for the taking. So if you’re in a season of unknown, of change, of uncertainty know that it does not last forever. And I try to remind myself of the idea that an essential requirement for growth (be it spiritual or personal) is coming to peace with
pain. No expansion or evolution can take place without change and periods of change are not always comfortable 

❤

Sunday Somethings (returned) No. 8

Ah, kids are back in school, the mornings are crisper, autumn is around the corner & I thought it was time to bring back my Sunday Somethings series. It’s a fun way to stay connected, share recipes, updates, or things I’m loving.

  1. This summer felt like the perfect length – we did a ton, we travelled to Mexico, we had beach days, the boys swam day in and day out, we watched movies, we celebrated birthdays. And now summer is coming to a close. I’m trying to be really intentional about not wishing seasons away and instead savoring it. As much as the cooler mornings feel nice, I’m trying to enjoy the days that still feel long with light, the evenings where we can comfortably play outside, the trees that are still holding on to their leaves. It’s so easy once school starts to skip ahead to fall and halloween and pumpkin spice. And don’t get me wrong I love all those things – but I really struggle with the short days, gloomy cold weather, so this year I’m really trying to just absorb the season we are in rather than wishing it away.
  2. The kids are finally on overlapping school schedules (HALLELUJAH!) Last year their schedule overlapped for 40 mins 3 days a week…. barely enough time to take a deep breath and start a load of laundry. This year – they are both in school by 8:30 and I get multiple hours of time four days a week! I can’t tell you how happy and excited I am about this.
  3. We took the kids to a monster truck show last weekend. They loved it. And it’s been all monster trucks all day long since. They’ve also gotten back into watching Blaze & Monster Machines on paramount / nickelodeon – and this is one show that I feel like they actually learn a lot from. They’ll be talking about force and friction and acceleration.
  4. I made a batch of dry mix of “cream of ___” soup mix. Basically you add a cup of broth or milk to this dry mix and it turns into a can of “cream of”. My mom used to make casseroles with cream of but the OG cans have so many perservatives and contain soy & gluten which are no’s for us so I was thrilled to find this recipe for this dry mix. I already used it. Scroll to the bottom and I’ll add the recipe for the dry mix (I had found it on instagram but now of course can’t find it to link it)
  5. Earlier this week I posted all my puppy essentials – Toby is officially in his adolescent era & so I rounded up all our favorite puppy items and shared them! You can read it here.
  6. It’s officially September! This month I decided to do a No Spend September I love a good challenge & I decided this would be a perfect month for it. I wanted to do it in August but I knew with back to school there would be things that popped up that I needed to get. So this month I’m really trying to hunker down & save!
  7. This week I finished Book Lovers which was such a cute easy read. It was book 22 this year. I had originally made a goal to read 50 books this year but I recently decided that goal was just not attainable. When I made it, it didn’t really sink in that it meant I would have to read a book a week, which is honestly just not possible in the season I’m in. So I pivoted and changed the goal to 40. We’ll see if I can make it. I read 36 books last year so I think it’s possible. We’re also entering fall / winter which are seasons that I tend to read more (aka football season). Take this as your sign if you made an over ambitious goal for the year, it’s okay to change it.
  8. I made this raspberry crisp this week & it was SO good. The recipe calls for fresh raspberries but I had two bags of frozen raspberries in my freezer & I’m trying to use things up. It turned out great even with frozen raspberries.
  9. This weekend I’m doing my longest work stretch in a while – and I’m dreading switching from going to bed at 3am to having to wake up at 5:30-6am to get the kids ready for school. I’m already planning for this week to be a strugggggle!
  10. The boys soccer season finally kicks off next weekend and I’m so excited. Baseball season brought so much joy. I loved watching them play so I’m excited to be back on the sidelines cheering every Saturday!

Hope everyone has a great long holiday weekend ❤

Dry mix soup of ingredients:

  • 2 cups powdered milk
  • 3/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1/4 cup bouillon powder
  • 2 tsp onion flakes
  • 1 tsp parsley
  • 1 tsp basil
  • 1 tsp black

To use:

Combine 1/3 cup dry mix, 1 cup broth or milk & 1 tbsp butter in saucepan and stir until thickened!

Sunday Somethings No.3

Sunday Somethings

  • Something I made this week that was 10/10 was this Short rib recipe. It turned out delicious and I will absolutely be making it again. It was a little labor intensive but the longest portion of the recipe the short ribs cook in the oven for about 3 hours, so although it takes quite a bit of time, you aren’t cooking for 4+ hours! If you love short ribs and are intimidated about making them – try this recipe!
  • Some things I finished reading this week were: Wintering and True Love Expirement. These were both pretty quick reads. It wasn’t until the end of True Love that I realized there was definitely a prequel to that book, oops! Now I started a thriller that I got from the library. I haven’t read a thriller in awhile. I feel like I have to space them out otherwise I start getting nightmares!
  • This week Johnathan got a nasty cold & his asthma flared up. This was the first real cold that took him down this season. Last winter we were perpetually sick and constantly setting up his nebulizer or visiting the ER. It was rough. So I’m beyond grateful for his health and for being able to get an urgent care appt. so he could get steroids asap to help him get over it. I also had such a proud mom moment while we were there. He was such a champ despite at first being scared and crying about not wanting to go to the dr. But then he was so chatty with the staff, let them do all their things and literally laughed with the nurse swabbed his nose for allll the germs.
  • Between J being sick and my back still not 100% we leaned into rest. It’s not easy for me to prioritize rest or to kick myself out of my productivity spirals but there are times when it’s necessary. I’m hoping to get back to working out this week (fingers crossed).
  • Something I’m excited about is both the boys are starting baseball, I went to one of the team meetings this week and it got me so excited for spring and to watch the boys both try something new!
  • I’ve really been cherishing watching Will build lego creations and getting on the floor and building with him. He always amazes with me with what he’s building and just how creative he is. And it’s just the best and it’s one of those, knowing you’re living in a future memory moments. I know one day I’ll look back at how much he loved legos and all the “masterpieces” he would proudly show off (that’s what he calls his builds). So I’m trying to being super present and just enjoy those moments.
  • Finally Chris and I have been working on trying to maximize how functional our house is. And this weekend we built this shoe storage cabinet thing for our entry way and I’m SO happy with it! I was originally planning to DIY something, but I didn’t have a very clear vision and every time I tried I was getting frustrated so we opted for something simpler and I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out!

Sunday Somethings no. 2

Sunday Somethings

  • I made this Parmesan and Italian Sausage soup this week & it was SO good. I ended up using half sausage half ground turkey to curb some of the fat content but it was delicious and I’m definitely making it again this week!
  • I’m almost done reading Wintering which has been on my list to read for so long. January just feels like the best time to read it. This is one of my favorite quotes, May writes “Plants and animals don’t fight the winter; they don’t pretend it’s not happening and attempt to carry on living the same lives that they lived in the summer. They prepare. They adapt. They perform extraordinary acts of metamorphosis to get them through... that’s where the transformation occurs. Winter is not the death of the life cycle, but its crucible” I love how the book is all about celebrating and leaning into times of rest and how when we allow ourselves to recognizes hard, dark, withdrawn times that’s when growth and transformation and wisdom occurs.
  • I’ve also been working on my January declutter challenge of filling boxes – I have 4 to drop off at the Goodwill this week, which feels so good. I love the feeling of clearing space and letting things go!
  • Something I’m grateful for this week is generous friends that totally saved us on our annual snow trip. After we had not one, but two Airbnb FAILS!! I booked a place back in December that had good reviews. When we got there we quickly realized the heater was not working at all and it was a chilly 42 degrees in the house. Then I went to check the hot tub only to look and see it was empty except for broken glass. I bundled the kids up and let them play in the backyard in the snow while we game planned. We realize that after I had booked this house someone had left a review with the exact same complaints from 2 weeks ago! So nothing ever got fixed. We ended up booking another house that said we could check in at 6pm. So we pile the kids in the car, reload our car and then aren’t able to get into our new airbnb because the owners live in France and it was 2 or 3 am their time. It was a nightmare!! Thankfully we had some friends who let us use their cabin that was only another 15 minutes away and it was a LIFESAVER!
  • I’m also grateful for Chris and my ability to not let a frustrating situation ruin our trip and still be able to work together as a team to figure it all out! We always tell the boys not to panic almost everything is “figure-out-able”
  • Something I loved this weekend was where we took the boys sledding. We went to Granlibakken and watching the boys fly down that hill and not be scared was so much fun!! And I was so impressed with their ability to keep trekking back up the big hill. If you’re local and looking for a place to take your kids sledding I 10/10 recommend. They sell 90 min tickets and that is MORE than enough.

Hope everyone had a great week!

Sunday Somethings. No. 1

This is a new series I’m starting where each Sunday I’ll be posting some things. Things I’ve been enjoying, things I’m reading or watching, things I’m cooking, things I’m contemplating, things I’ve thrifted, things I’m trying to accomplish etc… It’ll be a fun way to catch up & share a little bit of what’s happening on a more consistent basis. So to kick it off here are some things from this week.

Some things.

  • Something I’ve been cooking on repeat is high protein salsa verde enchiladas! It’s so simple and it’s the easiest way to sneak extra protein in! I just take a jar of salsa verde, blend it with about a cup to a cup and a half of cottage cheese (I like the brand Good culture), and then a little chicken stock or veggie stock to get it to the consistency / thickness you like. It’s seriously SO good. It cuts down on the spice level and makes it so creamy but with extra protein!
  • Something I’m excited about coming up is our annual snow trip! We booked a cabin and the boys don’t know yet, but Will is gonna lose his mind. He freaking loves the snow!
  • Some things I’ve read this year so far: I finished the book Self Compassion – The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself by Kristin Neff- which was a therapist recommendation – it was super impactful especially for anyone who is like myself and has a harsh inner critic. It had some great exercises to try in the book, which I loved. I also read Happy Place by Emily Henry which was a super quick read! I love alternating between fiction and non fiction books.
  • I’ve been doing my January declutter challenge – which is: for every box that gets delivered and comes IN to the house I fill it with things to go OUT of the house. I love this challenge because it really makes me think twice before I just click order now. I’m trying to be really intentional about my purchases and I’m also trying to continue to simplify and de-clutter my life. Did you know that the average american home contains 300K items (yikes)! and over 40% of Americans rent storage units!? I’m trying to realize minimize and simplify. So this is a really productive challenge!
  • I’m starting to plan my very first DIY for the year – I’m redoing our very small entry way to make it more functional. I’m hoping to add some built in storage. I feel like the pile of after school stuff that just gets dropped as soon as we get home has finally gotten to me and I want to have a better solution because the boys are starting baseball this spring and I feel like that problem is about to get so much worse!
  • Something I’m grateful for this week is my body. I threw my back out on Thursday and was so miserable and basically not able to do anything. I actually thought my back pain was a kidney stone because of how much pain I was in. Thankfully I got it checked out and it’s *just muscular, but ouch!! Whenever I’m hurt or sick it’s such a reminder to be grateful for our health and grateful to be able to run alongside my boys, to lift things, to just do all the daily tasks!

Hope everyone had a great week!

xo

2023 wrapped + reflections!

Somehow the calendar has flipped again & we’re once again at a new year! I love a good reflection moment and the start of a new year is the perfect time to look back. This year we celebrated big birthdays for our boys, we spent a lot of time outside, I read more than I have in years past. We took trips to the snow and the beach. I leaned into creating. I built dining benches, mud kitchens and redid closets. I tapped back into my arty side and started playing with watercolors. Chris and I took our first solo international trip and visited Singapore this fall. Of course there were less desirable parts of the year. The boys started the year with virus after virus and there was relentless rain. I got a strange post viral arrhythmia that I’m still sorting out (waiting for a cardiac MRI bleh). I wrote about this last year, but it’s impossible to categorize years as “good” or “bad”. This year was made of thousands of beautiful moments. There were moments where I struggled, moments I felt burnt out at work, or in my motherhood. There’s a chasm of uncertainty when it comes to Chris’ start-up life. But all of those moments are just that, moments. They are fleeting, some are beautiful, like walking my son to kindergarten each morning and others are painful. This year I was better about allowing myself to experience these moments for what they were. And I think the more you’re able to do that in your daily life the less significance a “new year” has, instead I feel gratitude for all this year has given to me. One of my favorite new year traditions is making a list for the year, you can see previous lists here: 20 in 2020 , 21 in 2021, Monday Mindset: 2022 Wrapped. I talk about the origin of this tradition, but I like to fill it with goals, simple things, things to try etc. So it’s time to review what was on my 2023 list.

  1. Attempt gluten free puff pastry – I didn’t do this, but I did make GF sourdough so I’m counting this as an adventure in GF baking!
  2. Go to the beach – yes, and it was one of my favorite memories of the year!
  3. Read 23 books – and then SOME, 34 in total!
  4. Spend 1000 hours outside - we got damn close so i’m counting this as yes. We spent 977 hours outside this year. I am SO proud of this – it was an exceptionally wet first 3 months of year but we purchased rain suits and splashed and made it outside.
  5. Re-open my Etsy shop – nope. but I did sew burp cloths for several friends.
  6. Get a will / living trust set up – yikes. nope. 2024 will be our year for this.
  7. Plan a Stedman family trip – nope
  8. Get another dog – no but this is a rollover for 2024 and I am SET on this.
  9. Hike in the redwoods – yes
  10. J’s closet renovation – yes, one of the hardest DIY’s I’ve done. It took obscenely long since I couldn’t work on this at night or at naptime, but I finished it and learned so much and that closet is 100x more functional now.
  11. Start hot yoga again – I did return to bikram this year. But then was quickly sidelined with my cardiac issues and haven’t returned.
  12. Redo garden beds - yes shout out to my amazing husband who took over this project while I was on limited activity for my heart.
  13. Review spending every week – no.
  14. Go to the dermatologist – also no.
  15. Use my DSLR camera more – I did use it some but not as much as I would have liked. This is an example of a goal that is too vague what is “more”?
  16. Store my phone away during the day – I was fairly good at this and even took a month. of social media which felt amazing.
  17. Take the boys on monthly individual day dates – not nearly as much as I would have liked.
  18. Make a personal timeline – started this
  19. DIY avocado dye – yes, this was fun and the color is a beautiful muted pink.
  20. Do a 75 soft challenge – yes!
  21. Learn to use the cameo machine – nooope! Better luck this year?
  22. Finish my 2021 & 2022 photo albums – YES!
  23. Rescreen our sliding door – we switched to a magnetic screen door which is way more convenient for kids and pets. although idk what I was thinking getting a white one.