I’ve been pretty quiet around these parts for the . . . → Read More: Holly Jolly]]> The wind is whipping around my tiny house right now. It is a grey and cold day that just gets right down to your bones. A storm is coming, so the weather man says. Not too much snow though. Probably won’t be having a white Christmas.

I’ve been pretty quiet around these parts for the last month or so, haven’t I? I guess I just haven’t felt very much in the Christmas spirit. And while the reason is clear to all who know me IRL, I haven’t talked about it much here. But, now that there is a teeny tiny bit of hope on the horizon, I feel like maybe I can.

A little more than a year ago my husband was laid off. It happened just 2 months after Wendy was born and just 3 months after we bought this, our first house.

It has been a huge blow, as you can imagine. To our empty bank accounts, to our pride, to our relationships with each other and with friends. To our hopes and dreams.

This time last year that blow was still fresh but we had high hopes and tried our best, with a bit of scrimping and saving, to still enjoy the festive season. This year is a bit different. It has been an entire year of scrimping and saving. A year of getting creative in the kitchen because we can’t afford to eat out. A year of a lot of time spent alone at home, no date nights, no outings with friends. A year of hand-me-downs, of soul-crushing car repairs, of things tucked here and there because we never got a chance to buy furniture for the new house.

When you say those vows, “for better or for worse” it never really sinks in what that means until you hit that patch of “for worse.” In this economy it didn’t seem to matter how much education he had, or how much experience, how intelligent or committed. Jobs are few and far between. Only in the last few weeks has he found some temporary freelance work. Night shifts. It helps us pay the mortgage.

Back in November I had so many ideas, so many high hopes. Gifts I wanted to make and buy for friends and family, things I wanted to do. Then I remembered the reality of our situation, which meant saying no to a lot of that. A few small trinkets for the littles in our lives and that is it.

Most of the time I try to stay focused on the day-to-day. Giving Wendy a wholesome and predictable rhythm. It’s just tough. And tougher still around this time of year. But I am trying to look up. 2013 is a new year. Surely this can’t go on forever. Surely we will find work THIS year.

At least I have learned a great deal about myself in the past year. I am very much a different woman now than I was then. I know what is important to me, what I want out of life. What are my wants vs. needs. A small blessing amidst all of this.

Just five more days to go and I’m making my best effort to get into the holiday spirit. I cleared the grocery list off our chalk board and wrote myself a festive message instead. A reminder: Christmas is what you make of it. Soon there will be baking and last-minute knitting, a bit of wrapping and maybe even splurging on a glass of wine or two.

So have a holly, jolly Christmas, everyone! May it be merry and bright.

Enjoy! 1. new pillows for pillow week, 2. Ma Po Tofu, 3. Untitled, 4. Lichen, 5. She needs a name…, 6. red, gray, and selbu modern, 7. Apples – Bedford, PA Fall Foliage Festival, . . . → Read More: Wednesday Faves : 11/21/12]]> A little something to help you indulge in the last bits of Autumn before Winter is well and truly upon us.

Enjoy!

The parade is a pretty big deal. Did you know that it . . . → Read More: ‘Tis (Almost) The Season]]>

We made it back from Ottawa in one piece, despite the torrential downpour that lasted for 3 of the 4 hours we were in the car. Wendy slept the whole way home thanks to some careful timing (read: we left at bedtime).

It was a fun week, a full week. The girls . . . → Read More: Home Again, Home Again]]> Well, hello there.

We made it back from Ottawa in one piece, despite the torrential downpour that lasted for 3 of the 4 hours we were in the car. Wendy slept the whole way home thanks to some careful timing (read: we left at bedtime).

It was a fun week, a full week. The girls spent all day every day together and were very sweet to watch. So sweet, in fact, that despite taking my camera with me I didn’t pick it up once. Too rapt in the moment, I guess.

We are slowly setting back into our groove here at home. Unpacking and doing MOUNTAINS of laundry. Wendy cut another tooth during our trip and it would appear that 3 more are on the way. My poor little love keeps flinching when she eats and grabbing at her tongue. It’s really quite sad to watch. She’s been clinging to me for dear life and nursing up a storm. This week has been a slow one and will probably continue to be. Still, the festive season is right around the corner and my mind is already spinning with preparatory thoughts. (More on that later.) For now, it’s hot chocolate and knitting and sleep. Tomorrow is another day.

PS ~ I found this photo of Wendy taken exactly one year ago and just had to share.
It’s amazing how much and how quickly they change. What a nugget she was in this shot, barely 2 months old.
If only I could slow down the passage of time…

Enjoy! 1. Classic Chocolate Whoopie Pies with Marshmallow Filling, 2. I have a problem, 3. Style…your way!, 4. Heart Collage In Frame, 5. any old dishtowel…….., 6. faded plains, 7. Seven…….7…, 8. Big Gray Ball, 9. a ‘whatnot’ gleeful tree…

It’s a holiday gift . . . → Read More: The Calm Before the Storm]]> Today was a peaceful day, which is always nice. I think that the little lady and I have finally hit the right groove. Our days now have a comforting rhythm, something we had been missing for quite a while. I even had time to work on my new knitting project.

It’s a holiday gift so I won’t go into any details, but it felt so good picking those needles up again. It would appear that, for me, knitting is like riding a bike. Though I haven’t knit a stitch since before Wendy was born it felt so natural, so good, to dive into a project again. I’m challenging myself a bit with this one, learning new techniques and loving it.

I’m immensely grateful for the calm and quiet day we had because this weekend is going to be a hectic one of packing and preparations. We’re off to Ottawa for a week and a half to visit my sister and her family. I’m really looking forward to this. Our time together never feels like enough: a weekend here or there and always mixed with other obligations. I’m excited for us all to have some extended time and for the little girls to really get a chance to be together.

I probably won’t be posting while I’m gone, but I will be back on Wednesday November 14th, at which point November will be half over and Christmas will be just around the corner! It’s crazy how time files, especially around the holidays.

So, until I return…

Today marked Wendy’s second Halloween, and a waterlogged one at that. No trick-or-treating for her, but she did spend the day dressed quite festively as a black cat, playing with her “apples.” (Yes, that is what she calls “pumpkins.”) I had meant to bake a loaf of bread yesterday — so as not to . . . → Read More: Happy Halloween!]]>

Today marked Wendy’s second Halloween, and a waterlogged one at that. No trick-or-treating for her, but she did spend the day dressed quite festively as a black cat, playing with her “apples.” (Yes, that is what she calls “pumpkins.”) I had meant to bake a loaf of bread yesterday — so as not to have to do it today — but got caught up in a new knitting project instead. Oopsie.

Unfortunately, this left me with quite a bit more on my to-do list for today than I had intended: carving pumpkins, toasting pumpkin seeds, Halloween photo shoot, laundry, knitting, carrot soup from scratch and then baking the bread to go along with it. Crazy, I know. What was I thinking? Did I mention that a lot of this was done with the little lady on my back in her carrier? Teething strikes again.

PS – Besides her cat outfit, she also had a chicken costume, gifted to her from my sister. She’s been playing with the chicken hat all week long, bawk-bawking at herself in the mirror.

Ever have one of those days where you just can’t bring yourself to do much of anything? Everything seems like it requires more energy than you have to give. Today was one of those days for me. It seemed like it was over before it even began.

Maybe it was because we spent most . . . → Read More: One of Those Days]]>

Ever have one of those days where you just can’t bring yourself to do much of anything? Everything seems like it requires more energy than you have to give. Today was one of those days for me. It seemed like it was over before it even began.

Maybe it was because we spent most of the day waiting for the hurricane-related weather to hit. Maybe it was because of the pressure headache these types of storms always seem to inflict upon me. Maybe it was because Wendy has decided that “up, up, UP!” in my arms is where she ALWAYS wants to be and let the waterworks begin if I put her down for even a second. (I don’t know about you, but I just can’t carry a 20 pound baby for more than 5-10 minutes at a time.) Whatever it was, today felt like a good old case of the blahs. A bit of laundry done, some cuddles, dinner on the table and then the washing up. Not much else.

The wind is howling around outside my little house as I type this. We’ll see what sort of damage we awaken to in the morning. Three more days of this weather to come. I hope I can muster more energy tomorrow. Big plans for a baking spree in the works.

Can you guess what word Wendy learned today? Yup.

We took a morning walk while the sun was still out and the wind hadn’t picked up yet. The streets were quiet after the morning rush. I took a few pictures of the neighbourhood as we went because the scenes were just so idyllic.

I had zero intention of staying inside . . . → Read More: The Last Flush of Fall]]> Like for so many others, autumn has always been my favourite season. And today was an absolutely glorious day. The sun was shining, it was warm, and the trees that have yet to shed their leaves were all but glowing in shades of red and gold. Perfect.

   

I had zero intention of staying inside on a day like today, so I strapped Wendy into her carrier on my back and the two of us went out to rake the leaves. When I was done, I had a big pile of leaves and a squirmy baby so…

This was a bit of an experiment. See, all during the summer as much as she loved being outside she never wanted to touch the grass. I guess I just wanted to see what she would do when I plunked her down in a giant pile of leaves. Well, I’m not sure if you can tell, but see that top picture? Yeah, she’s giving that leaf a “hug.” SO CUTE.

One full leaf bag later we headed inside for some lunch and a nap, and a good morning was had by all.

But I do love a beautiful . . . → Read More: Wednesday Faves : 10/24/2012]]> I’ve decided to start doing this again, but I’m changing the name. Wednesday Faves sounds much better than Hump Day Faves, don’t you think? I’ll be honest: I’ve never liked the phrase “hump day” anyway. *shudder* It’s so awful and conjures up depressing images of cubicles and water coolers.

But I do love a beautiful photo as much as the next person and since Pinterest has become such a monstrous hit, it would appear that the need for eye candy is stronger than ever. So yeah, I’m bringing it back.

A little something to inspire the middle of your week.

It was a gray and gloomy day here today. The rain never stopped, I don’t think. It may still be going, in fact. We all moved a little slower, a little more quietly. It was a preview of the darker days to come.

Wendy is still in teething perdition. A short, late nap, . . . → Read More: Pitter Patter]]>

It was a gray and gloomy day here today. The rain never stopped, I don’t think. It may still be going, in fact. We all moved a little slower, a little more quietly. It was a preview of the darker days to come.

Wendy is still in teething perdition. A short, late nap, up for a while, then down again for another short and even later nap. At least the sleep kept her in good spirits long enough for me to make something warming. Baked apples & butternut squash dolloped with cinnamon sugar & butter. It was a recipe sent to me long ago by my sister. It sounded and tasted delicious but I think there must be a better and/or easier way to enjoy similar results. I may tweak it, play around a bit, and then share the recipe here. For now, it was enough that it gave me a reason to turn on the oven and force the chill from the air.

Of course, for Wendy it was still made of poison. The only acceptable dinner foods these days seem to be peanut-butter toast and raspberries.

The little lady is teething. She’s already cut one molar and another is on the way. This means, of course, that food is now poison and her toothbrush has become the equivalent of a flaming torch covered in ebola virus. It’s been a tad stressful to say the least.

As a result I haven’t . . . → Read More: Hiya]]>

The little lady is teething. She’s already cut one molar and another is on the way. This means, of course, that food is now poison and her toothbrush has become the equivalent of a flaming torch covered in ebola virus. It’s been a tad stressful to say the least.

As a result I haven’t been sleeping much unfortunately, though I desperately want to. Too much swirling around in my head. All sorts of plans and things I want to do, but little energy and daylight left to do them in. Autumn is coming to a close and there are lots of things to do around the house before the cold Canadian winter sets in. “Baby steps,” I keep telling myself, “baby steps.”

First, I should get some sleep.

A lovely lady here in the ‘burbs posted . . . → Read More: Week in Review (and a new project!)]]> Whoa, last week was busy. Lots of day-to-day stuff that needed to get done, a visit from my Mom, a few meetings and phone calls regarding something I have in the works (no hints yet, I’m afraid), and last but not least a TOTAL score on Freecycle.

A lovely lady here in the ‘burbs posted about an antique dinette set that she was looking to get rid of. Being up at 3 a.m. with a baby has its perks, I guess. One early-morning e-mail later and I was the proud owner of this solid wood set, which includes 4 chairs and a table with 2 leaves.

I am planning a total revamp of my eat-in kitchen, which is currently acting as an office-in kitchen, and I’ve been on the lookout for something perfect for the new space. We don’t have a lot of room but we do want to be able to entertain when the mood strikes. That’s why it’s so great that the table can shrink down to seat just four or expand to seat eight.

I love everything about this set, especially the colonial spindles, but the dark shiny wood thing is really not me. So, of course, I started planning the makeover of these babies as soon as I got them home. See, I have these curtains already hanging in the space (which I love) and I wanted to do something to compliment them. I won’t say anymore than that until I reveal the finished product, but I will say that when the hubby and I got to the checkout counter with our cans of paint I saw this cover of Country Living magazine and was shocked at how close the image is to what I was already planning to do!

I am a morning person, though I didn’t always know it. I actually remember the early morning bus ride that changed my view of mornings forever. I had always been a night owl all through my teen years (though I guess, scientifically, most teens are) but after that one morning, dragging myself home from . . . → Read More: Mornings]]>

I am a morning person, though I didn’t always know it. I actually remember the early morning bus ride that changed my view of mornings forever. I had always been a night owl all through my teen years (though I guess, scientifically, most teens are) but after that one morning, dragging myself home from a party just after dawn, I had this epiphany moment when I realized how inspiring early mornings can be. They are full of every possibility. Anything can happen. You have the opportunity to do anything you set your mind to.

Things have been a bit different since the sleep deprivation set in, of course. I used to be the first one up, energized by the alone time, savouring my morning cup. These days I may be a little slower to rise and never am I the first. Our morning rhythm is something that I am still tweaking. How to get the grownups showered and dressed and the baby fed and amused all in the 2.5-hour window between her wakeup time and her first nap is often a lot trickier than you would think. So I certainly can’t say that mornings are very leisurely anymore either.

But I am still inspired. I still love the quiet of dawn. I still love the morning song of the birds that live in my backyard. And I still love my morning cup. Being able to see the possibilities of a fresh new day spreading out before you is a joyful experience that I hope I can introduce Wendy to one day very soon.

You are the hero of our days.

You give the best shoulder rides and have the tastiest hair.

You always make sure the diaper bag is fully loaded.

You will willingly nibble on the sweatiest of baby toes just to get a . . . → Read More: Happy Father’s Day!]]>

For a while after introducing solids, Wendy wasn’t quite sure what to make of them. Even purées made her gag. Sometimes it seemed like she didn’t want to eat anything too warm. Other times it was cold foods that made her turn her nose up. And whenever she tried anything new for the first . . . → Read More: Nummies]]>

For a while after introducing solids, Wendy wasn’t quite sure what to make of them. Even purées made her gag. Sometimes it seemed like she didn’t want to eat anything too warm. Other times it was cold foods that made her turn her nose up. And whenever she tried anything new for the first time the usual reaction was a shudder of disgust/confusion.

But over the last month or so I’ve seen such a HUGE change! She almost never gags on anything anymore and most of the time she’d rather feed herself finger food then let me feed her with a spoon. She’ll try anything and everything and loves to eat. In fact, I worry sometimes that she’s jamming too many bites in her mouth without swallowing first.

Still, there are certain foods that will always require a spoon, like yogurt for example. Or so I thought. Apparently Mommy and her silly spoon are too slow when it comes to Wendy’s favourite food of ALL TIME. By the time I’d fed her a mouthful and gone back for more she had her hands in there scooping it up. She would have overturned the bowl all over her face if it wasn’t suctioned to her tray (Thank you, Munchkin!)

I don’t really mind though. It’s good for her to experiment with tastes and textures. Maybe she’ll figure out that the spoon is necessary for yogurt and want to give it a go one day. Until then, yes, it may get messy but I’m just happy that she’s becoming such a good eater. (Knock on wood.)