by Liz | All Things Kids
It’s amazing how kids follow patterns even when you don’t realize it. I just read back through a few old posts and came to realize that we had much the same experience with Lena as we’re having with Maggie.
We are battling teething, a growth spurt AND a cold which are all contributing to night time wakings. I’m not talking a little blip and back to bed. This child is roaring for food and nothing will calm her except an 8 ounce ( yes, you read that correctly) bottle. That’s after being sent to bed with 10 oz to start with! I’ve finally whittled down the process to roughly 40 minutes but it’s still a huge disruption when I’m sleep deprived myself.
The good news is, after many days of swollen gums, we are finally seeing evidence of three teeth breaking through and most likely one more soon to follow. They can’t appear fast enough for me. Maybe once they arrive we’ll have a chance at a relatively quiet night?
We are currently employing the “grin and bear it” brand of coping. Ibuprofen before bed doesn’t seem to make a bit of difference. The only soother is more food, only then do we have a chance at a slightly less cranky baby.
by Liz | Health & Home, Life Snapshot
Studies show that it takes 21 days to create a habit. I know, I didn’t believe it either. But I have seen the evidence…it works!
I’ve shared my story about needing a healthy change in life. In just 21 days I saw not only a change in my body but more importantly a change in my mindset. I had been in a place where I felt like losing weight, feeling energetic (with two kids in tow) or having time to work on some goals were all impossibilities. Now, I’m finding ways to do all of those things.
The beauty of it is, there was no life altering change or big hurdle I had to manage. Over a few months I made small, almost imperceptible changes and stuck with then. No excuses. After 21 days (give or take) it no longer required much effort and I just continued to build on that premise.
Want to write more? Spend 5 or 10 minutes every day writing. I bet you’ll find you start building on those few minutes as time goes on. Want to get fit? Set aside a 30 minute window every day and exercise. Want to eat better? Choose one unhealthy item/food type a week and eliminate it. The trick is to start, and start small.
So pick that goal you’ve had lingering in the back of your head for the past few weeks or months and start working toward it, create a habit. You’re going to be amazed at what you can accomplish!
PDF can be found here!
by Liz | Chaos Hacks
I’ve been focused a lot lately on finding some ways better organize my life. Two kids, work, pets, feeding all those things, house, cleaning, projects, activities, and so on! I’m usually a fairly organized person but I kept feeling like certain things were slipping through the cracks. We’d let things slide for a week or so and suddenly find us scrambling with huge projects trying to get back on track.
I’m calling a halt to that slipshod behavior (as far as I am able)! Room by room I’m putting everything to rights and creating a system of organization that requires a minimal effort. That’s the key here, very little effort. We lead busy lives and I don’t want to detract from our free time when I don’t have to.
So here are some apps for organization that have become an integral part of my process:
Peapod – we get most of our groceries at Stop & Shop, this is their app. Whenever I (or my hubbie) think of something we need, we add it to our grocery list. Then, whoever stops at the store has a fairly up to date list of the essentials. So simple. (This could also be done with a shared grocery list app like AnyList.)
AwesomeNote – I went through a LOT of todo list apps. I wanted one that was super fast and easy to use but organized! This app allows for recurring tasks so I can set up chores or repeated household things ahead of time and trust in my Todo list! There’s nothing more satisfying than ticking off the last item for the day and just focusing on family or me time.
FitBit – I got one a few months ago and love how it helps push me to be more active on my sedentary work days. Also, it tracks my sleep so if I had a rough night, I know to push for an earlier bedtime so I can recharge.
GrooveBook – I snap TONS of pictures all day but I can’t remember the last time I printed any! A friend turned me on to this app which prints 100 pictures of your choosing for a minimal monthly fee! How great is that??
by Liz | Health & Home
To update you on our toy chaos, we got these awesome baskets for our coffee table!!
Grey felt woven baskets? Yes please!
At least the puzzles and diaper station are looking a bit neater, right?
(Found at a West Elm outlet, sadly the real store no longer stocks them! Terrible news as I need one more. I’ll just stalk my nearest outlet store in the meantime.)
by Liz | Health & Home, The Backyard
I freely admit that I have the farthest thing from a green thumb. While I adore growing things, if one happens to stay alive in my presence it’s through sheer luck.
I’m fairly adept at planting and the initial setup, it’s the tending and nurturing part that’s got me beat. I mean, it’s not like I have anything else to worry about. Fortunately, my husband enjoys the entire process and keeps me from neglecting anything too badly. There’s nothing quite so satisfying as watching your plants bear fruit!
We barely threw together our kitchen garden this year as we had a ton of outdoor projects that took precedence. Since this is our first year in the house, we weren’t sure on placement or light so just picked a spot based on proximity to the door. That said, we’ve got some decent herbs, a few zucchini and a load of Roma tomatoes just waiting to ripen. Our Meyer lemon tree has been happily ensconced on the porch for the last two months and is also showing positive signs of a good harvest.
There is great joy in seeing Lena’s face light up when she sees the little plant she put in the ground growing tall and providing something we can eat. It’s priceless to me that she knows where some of her food comes from and the work that goes into cultivating it, even if it is on the tiny scale of our backyard garden. There’s a certain satisfaction in knowing we have fresh, healthy food outside our door when we need it.
I have big plans for next year, hopefully Joe will be on board!!
