Friday Wrap Up

One week till Christmas! The weather has been so warm lately that it doesn't really feel like Christmas at all. Dumb, El Nino. I think I have worn a jacket once this month. It has thrown me for a loop.
Well, here are a few things that are going on this week.

1. Star Wars. Duh. I am pretty excited though. I don't know when I will be able to see it. Movie going and babies don't mesh well but I am super excited about all the hype. It looks pretty incredible.

2. I actually made a BIG dent in my housework to do list this week. Like, I folded ALL of the laundry. I couldn't have done without the help of my trusty podcasts.

3. We have had a few setbacks in the napping department but I think we have overcome a hurdle. It seems like the little guy was getting hungry! He has been eating solids for a little over a week and I think it was the ticket to stretching the naps back out. Hopefully, the trend will hold.

Have great weekend!

Twinkle Lights

I really wanted to attempt some manual photography with our Christmas tree this year. I am sure you all have seen the enviable, glowing tree pictures that fill up your feeds this time of year. I wanted to test the waters of completely manual shooting and capture some cozy pictures. I liked how they turned out. I may try again and see if I can brighten them up a little. I used this picture and settings as my guide. My lens' f-stop will not go as low as the directions suggest, so that may have been the problem. I will probably play around with it some more.
Each time I try out something new with my, I realize how much I really do enjoy learning about photography. It is so exciting to create something pretty and know that you did it. I also really like knowing that I am learning. I am was one of those weird people who loved going to class and was actually kind of bummed when I graduated because I knew I was not going to be learning something new everyday. Adding a creative hobby, like photography, where I am a total novice has filled that gaining knowledge void. It just gives me such joy to play around and learn new things.

What gives you joy? What hobbies or activities really spark your interest?

Christmas Checklist

Every year, I have somewhat overly romantic ideas of what I am going to do for Christmas. Usually they involved carefully cards, homemade ornaments, cozy Christmas movie viewing sessions and the list goes on. I just really want to make the most of season and there seems to be a lot of pressure to really get into the Christmas spirit. This year, I am trying to take a more laid back approach and just enjoy the little festivities that come along with the holiday. Here is my mini of things I would like to accomplish and enjoy this Christmas.

1. Pick out and decorate tree. Check!
2. Take a family Christmas photo
3. Watch White Christmas
4. Find a good Advent Bible reading plan for our calendar
5. Send out Christmas cards

Hopefully, I will be able to accomplish the entire list, but if I don't it is ok. Christmas will be just fine either way.

Over The Weekend: Christmas Party Time

Just a few snapshots from our family Christmas party last night. It was a Christmas pajama party, which made for a cozy, cute time. This year, we had 5 new, squishy additions to the family. This has been the year of the baby. The youngest was born just a week ago! It makes for exciting (loud) family get-togethers. Baby was somewhat interested in unwrapping his gifts. I think next year will be more exciting for him. All the excitement and prepping is really just us the parents. A 6 month doesn't know what Christmas is. He could care less if he gets a box covered in pretty paper.

Have a great week!

Friday Wrap Up

So I have been slacking a little on the blog side. I am FINALLY back to feeling 100% after having bronchitis. I feel like I am finally catching up on the house side of things. That area of my life is the first to be neglected when things get busy. When I get busy at work, with baby, or get behind when I am sick, the laundry piles up and the dust bunnies grow. It is a bad cycle because it is when I am stressed and consumed with outside things, that I really need the house to be in tip top shape and not adding to the stress pile. Anyone out there have tips or recommendations on how to manage it all? Has anyone attained that illusive work/life balance? I would love to hear some feedback if you have any.
Things from this week:
1. Our tree is up and decorated! Queue happy heart and Christmas music.

2. Spotify has some great Christmas playlists. I am particularly fond of the Indie Christmas one.

3. Um, Downton character doing American accents? Hilarious.

Have a great weekend!

Friday Wrap Up

Happy Friday, everyone! How was your week? After starting the week off with a horrible cold, I am starting to feel better. I still sound like a frog but at least I can muster up the strength to change out of pjs. It has turned COLD here and I am excited. I love cold weather around Christmas time. It is primarily because I love wearing sweaters so much. Cozy clothes are my favorite.
I really do not have much to wrap up per say. Life is busy but it is going well. I need to start wrapping presents and sending out Christmas cards. I am trying to slow down and just enjoy the season a little bit more. I hope you can do the same.

Surviving Sickness

(a photo from last Thanksgiving, actually)

If you're reading this it is Tuesday, but while I am typing this, it is Monday. Yes, I take full advantage of the schedule feature every once in a while. Currently (Monday afternoon), I am at home cocooned in blankets on the couch, battling a fierce cold. I should have seen it coming. On Sunday, I noticed that I was a little more tired than usual but I brushed it off on account of the extra wake up calls I was having because of Baby's teething. Then, by late afternoon, my throat starting hurting and before I knew it my whole head was congested. It was a really rough night between the crying baby and the stuffy nose. I knew there was no way I was going to make it to work and I didn't want to spread the germs around. I am a firm believer in the quarantine method. If you are sick, for the good of all, stay home and cloister yourself off. Limit your exposure as much as you can. It may be a tad dramatic but it works. 

I have set up my sickness command center on the couch. I have a steady stream of hot tea brewing, sweetened with lots of honey. There is a mountain of blankets ready to help sweat out the fever. To top it if, I am methodically going through all the Harry Potter movies. There is nothing better than a little Hogwarts magic when you're feeling crummy. Lady Pup has been keeping me company and, amazingly, Baby has been in a great mood. It is days like today that I am extremely thankful he take nice long naps. 

I need to go take my vitamins and check on my chicken. Before I laid down, while the caffeine from my morning coffee was holding me up, I started a chicken in the crockpot. Hopefully, Scott will help me put some chicken soup together this evening. There is nothing like a nice broth based soup when you have a sore throat. 

I can feel the chills coming back so I better wrap this up before it stops making sense. 

Hope everyone is doing well and feeling better than me!

What are you're go-to sickness rituals? Do you swear by a certain remedy or routine?