a bunch of stuff i’m currently loving.

hi guys!guess what? this week, work didn't take every ounce of self control and energy i posses, so i have the emotional energy to write a post FOR FUN. oh yes. you heard that right. this post is neither a sponsored post nor a post about my children. i mean, it might contain things ABOUT my children, but the sole purpose of this post is not to talk about them. A MIRACLE IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD!i'm reminded as we get further from william's first birthday that the one year mark after having a child is magical for so many reasons. not only is your baby growing up and becoming a toddler, you start to get back a lot of the parts of yourself that got put on the backburner while raising an infant (and a toddler). you sleep better (some nights), you aren't constantly attached to the baby (some days), and your brain starts to go from survival/mama bear mode to 'me' mode again. the same thing happened to me with amelia, only i don't think i noticed it as much because i had so much more alone time when she was a baby. when your alone time becomes even more scarce with baby number two, missing yourself feels harder. i'll probably write a whole post on this someday where i will articulate myself better, but all of this to say, i finally feel like i have enough energy for an outlet again. and that's a happy thing!in honor of frivolous posts about nothing, here are a few things i'm loving right now, separated into categories, but in no particular order:favorites for kiddos

• fleece hats and mittens. and because kids are irresponsible, be sure to buy two pairs each. (we've already lost one of william's mittens...) these fleece hats are awesome because they have comfortable velcro straps to keep the hats on without irritating little chins. (p.s. both of these pairs are on sale right now!)
• color wonder craft supplies. william has been wanting to join in on anything and everything amelia does these days, which is so cute. and so stressful when it involves things that are messy. so i'm loving the color wonder stuff from crayola, because i can give a marker to the boy and he can actually color without constant supervision!
• munchkin straw cups. hmmm. apparently when your child turns one, you buy all the things, because they all of a sudden need a bunch of new stuff... these cups are perfect for new cup users. the straws are flexible, the cup is (mostly) spill-proof, and they come in two packs so you can give one to the older sibling when they inevitably need their own new cup now too.

favorites for myself

• beautycounter lip gloss in 'peony'. my lips have been so dry lately that i can't wear my usual lipstick or lipsense. but i can wear this amazingly moisturizing lip gloss. my first babysitter ever is a beautycounter consultant, and she has helped me find my favorite natural beauty product replacements from beautycounter. i'm not going to lie to you: some of the stuff just doesn't match up to my favorite products (never gonna give you up, l'oreal mascara!), but so much of it, especially the products that matter the most in terms of health impact and safety, is amazing! (like this blush and this charcoal mask) i'm not a consultant, just a true lover of finding mostly natural, safer products that actually work.
• these sculpt jeans from gap. HOLY MOTHER OF AMAZING JEANS. i don't think i can adequately express just how much i love these. they are cut perfectly, they suck in my mom tummy, they make my butt look amazing, and they never ever ever ever lose their stretch! they are on sale right now, so don't walk, RUN and buy these. i just bought my second pair in the faded black color (and need to exchange them for a bigger size, because ahem i haven't worked out in an embarassingly long time) and cannot wait to get them in the rotation.
• this h&m scarf. i can't find the color that i have anymore, but it's the one i'm wearing in the photo in this post. i got it from my brand-new sister-in-law as a bridal party gift, and i've been wearing it nonstop. it's warm, but not heavy, and it's just the right size for everyday wear. highly recommend if you need a break from your blanket scarf (although i'm wearing my blanket scarf a lot too...it's freezing here in the tundra already!).

favorites for eating

• these nacho nests. because if you show me someone who says they wouldn't like a personal pan pizza version of nachos, i'll show you a liar.
• these browned butter chocolate chunk pumpkin cookies. because trish is a baking goddess and i wish we lived next door to each other so i could eat all her delicious desserts all the time.
• these honeycrisp old-fashioned cocktails. only i make mine like a manhattan with some sweet vermouth. the honeycrisp syrup is fully worth the effort if you're into bourbon cocktails, and i am very into bourbon cocktails.

favorites for music

• that new taylor swift ish. yes i am that basic. it's catchy stuff. get over yourself.

• this version of 'winter song' by leslie odom, jr. i am obsessed with both sara bareilles and ingrid michaelson, who sang the original version of this song, and it is amazing. leslie odom, jr., whom i also love, covers it on his christmas album. while i am not in full christmas song listening mode yet, i highly recommend taking a listen to this track.

• my christmas spotify playlist. it's called 'all the good christmas songs', and while i understand that we all have vastly different opinions on what constitutes a good christmas song, i feel that i've done a good job leaving out all the crap. i'm not listening to this yet, because it's too early, but now at least i'm prepared for when it's time (in like two weeks). come give it a follow and share with fellow christmas music lovers.

that's all i got for you! i've been feeling the blogging bug a little bit more every day, so i'll be popping up here more often. i don't think we're at editorial calendar levels yet, but who knows what the new year will bring? smooches and finger pokes to all of you!

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