Seven Things You Might Want to Hear About

1. Web reads.

Did you read Anna’s article over at In Honor of Design about Motherhood & the School of Virtue? It’s breathtaking.

Or a different Anna’s take on her first child & the attachment parenting approach? Honest and depthful.

Or what Anne says about cost-per-wear on clothing purchases. I’m in the cost-per-wear camp. Solid. SweetPea agrees.

2. Babies

My sister-in-law and brother welcomed their second boy this week. Our hearts all doubled in size. He is everything perfect about a baby. The kids are obsessed with pictures of him and keep asking all kinds of questions like what size are his diapers and will we be allowed to hold him?? We’re planning an East Coast trip to visit Molly & go to the baptism but I am so lucky I get to go for a week visit before then. BabyLoves & me = travel buddies again and we get to go and play with the boys. Can. Not. Wait.

Have you watched this short documentary about a local midwife group at HCMC? My gal Emily produced it, so of course it’s fabulous. Remember her doula movie we were in? Watch and tear up over how these practitioners celebrate normal physiological birth and honor their patients. I went to the screening with BabyLoves the other day and was blown away. Weepy me et al.

3. Upcoming posts

I had so much fun being interviewed by Kristin over at This Inspired Life. Keep tuned for its air date in the coming weeks! While we were chatting, I was bouncing the baby who in his infinite babyhood, had a massive poop about one quarter of the way in. I’m on a headset, plugged into my computer, cannot interrupt the interview because how would that work for her editing?? So he bounced and swayed and worked out every gas bubble in his tummy whilst I stood at my desk, chatting it up. Stinky, but awesomely worth it. Sorry, baby.

I’m planning on sharing our meal plan, as I sometimes do, tomorrow. Join in or comment in with your meal plan.

Valentine’s Homemade Giveaway will go live soon! Final touches on bringing you all homemade jewels. Not literally jewels. You know.

And I’ve got a newsletter launching soon that gives you the scoop on giveaways & etsy shop happenings. Stay tuned.

4. Leggings leftovers

After filling a fun made-to-order dash sale over on Instagram–being interrupted by sickness notwithstanding–I finally know what I have leftover in the leggings department.

Come and feast your eyes. And grab them because they go super fast. I posted a pair of 0-6 month campers and they were snatched up within MINUTES.

5. A fellow Minnesota Mom who’s a surviver & fighter: Heather Von St. James

I was contacted a few weeks back by a rather extraordinary woman, Heather, who was diagnosed with a rare cancer and given only 15 months to live. Nine years later, she is here and celebrating LungLeavin’ Day because part of her treatment was a life-saving surgery that included the removal of her left long. Celebrating Monday, Feb 2!

Want to hear more about her fight and feel inspired to face your biggest fear? Read it here. WHAT A WOMAN!!!

When AA and I talk about our greatest fears, mine always include losing my mental faculties and not being here for my kids. I think of my dear Godmother who passed away in her early sixties. I think of another close family friend who passed in her very early seventies. I think of the conversations we had about how they had to turn their children back to God for safekeeping, knowing they were both dying of cancer, and not going to be able to stay with them to watch out for them.

I can’t think about that without completely losing it. Talk about leaping in faith and letting go of that which we hold most dear. And I can’t control what happens to me. I can’t safeguard against Death. I can only live mindfully and hopefully gracefully and be present right now.

6. Dealing with Photography Issues

My DSLR battery charger was broken so I was without my camera for a few weeks. Not only did I ache to take good photos and rail against my iPhone camera which is fine for instagram, but not great for blogging, but I kinda lost my photography buzz. I mean, I grew so accustomed to not taking pictures that I felt flat about taking them. If that makes any sense.

The DSLR is up and running again and now I can’t stop snapping. I love the

Indigo Girls song lyrics that say don’t you write it down, remember it in your heart // don’t take a picture, remember it in your heart but I still want it in my hand. Hand AND heart? Asking too much?

7. Ending NoSugar30

Tonight we celebrate my dad and oldest sister’s birthdays. I’ll be ending my NoSugar30. It was a very edifying month. I know now that I eat sugar in lieu of a meal because it’s a faster fix for energy (deeper crash) and grabbing a cookie instead of sitting down to eat a salad is, in some ways, easier. I also know that sugar makes me crabby, grouchy, and more annoyed in general.

So the plan for me is to have a little processed sugar between now and the start of Lent.

Then back on the no no band wagon. Or wagon. Or whatever.

Come and join us if you like?

Joining up with Kelly & the peeps at 7 Quick Takes at This Ain’t the Lyceum.