Hello, Friday! The blog's been a little quieter this week, but I'm back to share some of my favorites from the past few days. This weekend promises to be a good one, and I'm really looking forward to spending time with our extended family!
This week, Steve has worked really hard on our first floor bathroom. It is a TINY closet-sized bathroom, and it was a mess, so it is a difficult project. On Monday and Tuesday, he sanded, stained, and sealed the wood floor in the hallway in front of the bathroom. Then he laid some cement board down in the bathroom, set the new white tiles, and then he grouted them yesterday! It is definitely a favorite of mine that someday in the near future we will have two functional bathrooms in our house :)
"Fall Lakeside Breeze" is my new favorite scent of Bath & Body Works hand soap. My mom bought it for me, and I thought the packaging was perfect! The smell is a combination of blue sage, basil, and sandalwood, and it is lovely for this time of year. Next up to try--"Pumpkin Pecan Waffles". . . :)
Most of the time, I like to bake from scratch, but sometimes I love the ease of cake and muffin mixes. I really try to be conscious about the ingredients in the packaged foods that I buy. As I was standing in the baking aisle trying to choose a box the other day, I realized almost ALL of these mixes (blueberry muffins, lemon bars, brownies) say that they're artificially flavored. (What does that even mean?) If you search closely though, you can find a few gems that claim to have completely natural flavors. These lemon poppyseed muffins are DELICIOUS! I think that adding vanilla Greek yogurt made them extra soft. I picked up a few Pillsbury "Purely Simple" mixes, too, and I'll have to let you know if those are any good. :)
Photo Credit: Joe St. Pierre, Creative Commons
As I was browsing Facebook yesterday, someone linked to this article by Shauna Niequist. It's called "Stop Hustling and Get Your Life Back", and is about letting go of the busy-mom mentality. I love everything that Shauna writes, and this one is no exception. I don't consider my life to be "go-go-go" right now, though I'm sure this will change as my kids get older. But I could use a lesson or two about being "anti-frantic." I also see the need to constantly examine my priorities and rearrange my life accordingly.
I love when she says, "Publishing is all about striking when the iron is hot. But sometimes you have to trust that the iron will still be hot later, and that there's more to life than that iron. Sometimes you have to trust that life is long for most of us, and that there will be other irons."
Some of my favorite photos are the ones that I catch of my babies while they're sleeping. Above, Ephraim curled up under Nolan's covers in hopes that I would let him sleep there and not in his crib :) He looked so little in that big bed!
Yesterday, Nolan took an afternoon nap, and Steve and I were shocked. (He hasn't napped regularly in two years.) The house was so wonderfully quiet, and I had time on my hands that I didn't know what to do with :) Unfortunately, it turns out that Nolan wasn't feeling well, and I'm praying he feels much better today!
I snapped a photo of Little Brother during his nap as well. He was laying on his arms with his little bum up in the air. I love that he still has some baby left in him :) He is 20 months now! That sounds way too close to 2. . .
Thanks for stopping by today! Have a great weekend--I hope it's filled with sweater-weather and all things pumpkin :)
And remember, if you have Halloween decorations up in your house, we want to see them! Take some photos and link up with Astleigh and me on Thursday!
Awe, hope Nolan feels better soon!
ReplyDeleteI am new to blogging and wanted to say that I always appreciate and enjoy reading yours. Your emphasis on faith and family makes me smile.
ReplyDeleteLove sleeping baby pics… and two working bathrooms-- yes please!!!
ReplyDeleteLove the pumpkin pecan waffles candle! It's my FAVORITE! :)
ReplyDeleteSuch sweet boys taking their naps :) Hope Nolan is feeling better!! Have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteAll your photos looks so cozy!I hope you four have a fabulous weekend!
ReplyDeleteyour boys are so beyond sweet! love all the updates about them.
ReplyDeleteLove the pictures of the boys! I used to sleep with my bum in the air like that too, there are pictures to prove it! Haha. Have a great weekend!
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