Joyfully Weary

A few  worthwhile things I've stumbled upon while wandering the internet.... Interesting video experiment . ..would you let a stinger on the subway sleep on your shoulder?  Someday, when we have a bigger back yard we will have a  Hobbit Hole .  Trying to figure out what to read over the holidays? This  info-graphic   could help.  Speaking of book these famous novel prints on posters, bags, and t-shirts would make a great Christmas gift for a book lover.  And here are twenty more practical and amusing gift ideas for book lovers. I've learned a lot in the last couple years but being married to a design professor can still make me feel a bit uneducated at times. These tips on how to recognize the artists of paintings made me chuckle.  Speaking of design/art these shadow sculptures are fascinating.  The flexibility and strength of these gymnasts is amazing.  Curious about what the top 10's of 20...

Lots of pictures from last Sunday's outfits. The kids are really starting to like posing for  the camera.  shirt: thrift ( similar $35 ), waistcoat: zara ( similar $36 ),  pants: gift ( similar $30 ), shoes: thrift ( similar $35 ) sweater vest: thrift ( similar $30 ), shirt: zara ( same ), pants: gap ( same ), shoes: thrift ( similar $40 ) dress worn as a skirt: gift/next: ( similar $12 ), sweater: old navy ( same ), legging: old navy ( same ), shoes: thrift ( similar $12 ) After they took pictures of their cloths they wanted to take a few all together.  Big Buddy also asked to take a few of Jeremy and Little Lady wanted to be in those pictures too. on jeremy - sweater: gap (similar $99), pants: gap ( same ), boots: frye ( same ) I love how they turned out. These two together...may heart my burst.  Looking for more cute kids styles? Check out the link party:  What Kids Wore Wednesday .

One of our favorite Christmas traditions is going and cutting down our own tree. As long as we aren't out of town, we go to a local farm the day after Thanksgiving.  It's so much fun walking down the rows trying to find the perfect one. This year was even more special because all the kids are starting to join in and point out their own favorites.  After finding our tree we headed to the barn to pick out our yearly ornament.  Little Lady was also able to charm Santa out of more than one candy cane.  Once the tree was up, we put on White Christmas and got to work decorating. Little Lady was memorized by the dancing scenes.  Little Lady got to put the star on this year. It was a little crooked but she was still pretty impressed with herself.  Our finished tree! I love our house at Christmas time...I'll post some pictures of the rest of decorations soon. You can see our previous years...

I feel like every time I wear this skirt I mention how much I treasure it - the bright color and subtle texture is so much fun. scarf: thrift: ( similar $33 ), sweater: thrift ( similar $20 ), skirt: thrift ( similar $58 ), coat: thrift ( similar $60 ), shoes:  old navy  ( same ), bracelet: target ( similar $28 ) This was my Thanksgiving outfit. It was very comfortable which perfect for a busy day in kitchen. It wasn't until I was looking through these photos that I realized how similar it was to and outfit I wore a couple weeks back...wine and mustard is one my favorite color combination for fall.  cardigan:  gymboree  boys ( similar $63 ), dress: gap ( same) , necklace: f21 ( similar $33 ) shoes: anthropologie ( similar $34 ) This was my day after Thanksgiving (aka Christmas tree day) outfit. It was a beautiful day for tree hunting: a tiny bit of snow on the ground combined with a fair temperature and lots of sunshine.  ...

I had a lot of fun making this toy list. I strongly believe that play is children's work and that through play they learn a lot. Therefore, I think toys are important. I believe they should be open ended and well made. Our children are ages 2.5 to 6.5 and these are all toys we have bought or would buy for them. Under $25 Steppers  $11 -  I have yet to meet a child who doesn't like these. Very affordable these provide a lot bang for there buck. A great fun way to improve coordination and balance. They are also safe to use on most floors which makes them great for dreary winter months.  Doctor's Kit  $25-  Boy or girl I think every child needs a doctor's kit in their toy box. This one is a great bargain, lots of fun tools and very durable.  Duktig Tea Set  $10  - We've had this tea set for several years now. It's stoneware so it is breakable but we enjoy how "real" it feels. The kids have broken a few pieces (we have...

This was the first year we held Thanksgiving in our home. It was just us and one other guest which was perfect because it meant I didn't stress too much over all the cooking. I actually enjoyed spending the day in the kitchen. Jeremy had a brilliant idea of posting a little sign on the door frame so the kids would know who's turn it was to be helper and who had to stay out. Everyone did a little something but Mini Man enjoyed helping the most and as result spent the most time in the kitchen. We ended up splitting our feasting in to two meals. Around lunch time we had pumpkin soup, cranberry-spinach salad, and bread with maple bacon cookies for dessert. Then several hours later we enjoyed turkey, ribs, and a bunch of sides. We aren't huge pumpkin pie fans so the final course was pumpkin chocolate chip cake and apple pie with fresh whip cream. I have a ton to be thankful for; not the least of which is my three crazy, adorable, funny kiddos. Here...

We haven't been able to focus on Thanksgiving these past couple weeks as much as I would of liked but we have done a few activities and read a couple great books. For the most part I've focused on reading appealing historical literature such as: Squanto's Journey , The Thanksgiving Story , Three Young Pilgrims , and Across the Wide Dark Sea . We have, however, also enjoyed a few humorous favorites like A Plump and Perky Turkey . It's a story about a group of townspeople who try to trick/capture a turkey by holding a turkey themed art and craft fair - in the end it's the turkey who tricks them. After one reading of the book the kids and I decided to craft our own turkeys. Our Supplies : paper lunch bags , old newspaper, pipe cleaners , white glue, feathers , scissors, paint chips, orange and red paper, and  goggly eyes .  Step 1 : stuff paper bag with newspaper  Step 2: twist top of bag to form a neck, fold and glue down tip, & then twist ...