Easy like sunday morning.

 ah...more than midway through february. i'm not going to even ask where it went. is there some magical time curse that occurs to you once you give birth? when your pregnant, or at least when i was pregnant, it felt like time would just stop. i know must people count down weeks, but i used to literally count down the days of the weeks, one by one, until i were one week further along. i couldn't wait for my pregnancy to end. it felt like an entire lifetime bottled up into nine months. then in the blink of an eye, in the brief moments between one big breath & one last push, time actually stops. they set that little baby on your chest and all you can think about is how this indubitably is the happiest moment of your life. you wish you could jar up that moment forever and relive it over & over & over again. and as time resumes, it begins traveling faster than ever. that's what these photos remind me of, time-traveling. you were just a baby having a baby, and now you have a toddler on your hands. mines only about to turn two, tack on a five to that two & i can only imagine how my dad must feel. i wish i were a sponge sometimes, wish i could soak it all up and not miss a beat, you know? no sleep for the rad, right? well, i'm quickly losing cool points *yawn*

sundays seem to always come and go too fast. but as of right now, everything feels like it's falling into place just right even if we are in fast-forward mode. i'm on to something, i think. something i cannot share quite yet, but to quote the fabulous lourde, i'm "never not chasing a million things i want," and that's how it should be. 

heres to more many more adventures to come.
ooooh & also to the oscars. i cannot wait to see NPH host. also, i rented "boyhood" and found myself pleasantly surprised. (research it a bit before you watch it--it was a 12 year project, and an interesting story). i'll bet it wins something.
 signing off...

a post-valentines post.

hello again! how was your v-day? ours was perfect. we laid low and escaped the crowds by choosing to cook at home. i love to cook & i've been feeling really guilty lately about not doing so much of it. miles made me feel a little better when he said "even though we don't cook as much anymore, when we do it feels like something we do all the time & i love that." phew, i was thinking all the finger pointers were looking down on me in a way only judgmental eyes can. i'm always my worst critic. i listened to a podcast recently about the glorification of busy & how we need to stop paying homage to the idea that being busy is a good thing! busy isn't good. productive & present & hardworking are great, but to be busy to where you are in tears over the frustration that you cannot no matter how hard you try add more hours into your day, that type of busy isn't healthy. so lately i've been re-prioritizing my life and trying to escape this busy mindset. podcasts are my jam these days. you can learn so much from these free little segments & the good news is, there are podcasts out there on just about everything. everyone can find something of interest. you name it, it's been done & if it hasn't you should totally get on it because i'm sure there is someone out there who would love to listen.

 lately, we've been hitting the gym. i'm not going to lie, i totally hate working out...unless it is a structured hot yoga class, i absolutely dread the gym. i'm totally out of shape these days and i'm ready to get the last of this baby weight and additional holiday weight i packed on top of it off. i'll go to the gym and hop onto the elliptical and feel like i've climbed mount everest to see i've only burned maybe 10 calories and buried 5 minutes. it's awful. so lately i've been doing what i totally hate and listening to a podcast while i do it. now i'm taking the elliptical by storm and i'm totally addicted. i'm even more addicted to listening to all the new podcasts. so my tip to my fellow gym haters is to find yourself a rad podcast and i swear, before you know it you'll have an hour under your belt when you planned to do 30 & you'll have learned something. win, win. 

try it out and let me know what you think! also can you recommend any good podcasts for me? i'm currently listening to "the lively show" by jess lively and love it! 

well, that's all i got for you today! 

until we meet again...

from our bookshelf to yours.

happy day before friday friends! below is a list of our favorite books on love for the month of february. i usually will try and rotate out books on lulu's ledges each month, and these are his current faves on rotate. 

1:: romeo & juliet by jennifer adams. first off, we are huge fans of jen adams' baby lit series over here. she has an entire series of board books dedicated to priming children who are learning colors, numbers, sounds, etc. romeo & juliet is a counting primer and has the most adorable illustrations by alison oliver. i'm not quite sure if we're reading this for the romance (it being february) or because luca just likes to do his favorite things over & over & over. he likes r & j and so we keep reading r & j. the english literature nerd in me isn't complaining. i'm also happy L isn't allll miles after all. he's a little book lover & i'm over the moon about that. the book gives a brief overview of the classic romantic tragedy but leaves the unfortunate ending up to imagination. the book signs off with the classic line, "parting is such sweet sorrow"--and the author leaves it at that, because let's be real, two lovers killing themselves by drinking poison and taking a sword through the chest because they cannot live to be apart is a little much for a small child. overall, great series, and a perfect classic to read during this month of love.

2:: love you forever by robert munsch. if you have not read "love you forever," and you are a parent, drop what you're doing and get yourself a copy now...i should also mention you will need a box of kleenex to with you or your pages will become crinkled from dried up tears (i may or may not have had this issue in our previous copy). i cannot read this book without ugly crying my eyes out & luca just becomes puzzled as to why i am hyperventilating my way over each word towards the end. our copy is "loved" to say the very least. my mom used to read it to me as a child and now i'm reading to my baby & it's bittersweet. i used to crawl into lu's crib with him when he was a baby to help him fall asleep & despite miles telling me i was totally breaking the crib's weight restriction, i used to think of myself as the mother in the book. i'd whisper to my chunkiest little L, "i'll love you forever, i'll like you for always, as long as i'm living, my baby you'll be." i'm about to cry now!!! but i digress, this is a great book about unconditional love and a parent's love for their child, what more could you ask for in children's literature?!?!

3:: wherever you are: my love will find you by nancy tillman. you may know tillman for her most known children's work, "on the night you were born," but i personally like this one better. i like her beautiful rhyme schemes and even more so i like the themes she presents. it's a perfect bedtime book & luca loves the romantic illustrations. he growls like a bear every time he sees the cover!

4:: the day it rained hearts by felicia bond. luca loves the little girl in this story. her name is cornelia agustus and L is enamored by cornelia's dotted eyes. one day it rains hearts and cornelia catches them, crafts them, and sends them off to special friends. L seems to only be interested in the part where it rains hearts and after that the book must be closed and put away, so i had to read the ending one day during nap time because the suspense was killing me!

5:: somebody loves you mr. hatch by eileen spinelli. this is a big favorite of ours right now. i'm not sure how, but lu actually sits still through most of it. hands down, best v-day book of all time! i randomly ordered this one off amazon because i thought the title was cute, and low and behold, i hit a pot of gold. i've been recommending it to all of my friends with children & when i tell anyone the gist of the story, they all respond "awwww." mr. hatch is a man with a mediocre life and he's stuck in his humdrum routine until one day he receives a package from mr goober the postman with a note saying "somebody loves you." the note has no signature and so mr. hatch spends the rest of his valentine's day in search of his secret admirer. you'll be surprised at what he finds in his journey and even more pleased with how it ends. L always paints me with kisses at the end and to be honest, i'd read it a million more times just for that. but really, this is a must read!

love is such a wonderful theme & i love celebrating love all year, but especially during the month of february when it seems to be everywhere. what are your favorite children's books on love? do you have any "must read" books on your list? please comment & share! we are so close to friday i can almost taste the weekend! and better yet, no work on monday! thank you president's day, and thanks for reading! 

valentines day gift ideas

1:: chocolate dipped strawberries: if your crazy busy like me these days, maybe making chocolate dipped strawberries just doesn't fit on your agenda, but that doesn't mean you can't still enjoy them! thank your lucky stars for the internet because sur la table makes it easy to purchase a dozen straight from their site. this my go to store for pre made type mixes and such, so if their strawberries are anything like their other gourmet desserts, they will not disssapoint! OR if you want to go totally rogue on the whole chocolate dipped business (like i probably will), the skinny confidential has an effortless recipe  that still looks cute here.

2:: heart shaped measuring spoons: if you are going to blow the rest of us out of the water and go all out baking something decadent, you should do so with these adorable measuring spoons that also have a matching measuring cup set. i may just have to get these to use all year because heart shaped anything is always a good idea. 

3:: heart banner: can't leave out the decorations! this dig-looking banner will look adorable draped across a mantel or pinned to a wall. 

4:: heart shaped rug: to step out onto as you get out of the shower or as a reminder to think about someone you  love. the best part about v-day decor is that it's appropriate for the entire month of february (at least in my book it is--don't let the ba humbugs ruin your fun).

5:: heart decorative pillow: (SOLD OUT similar here.) this will be a great addition to your rug and banner. i think there should be at least one heart decoration in each room.

6:: heart teether: if your little one is teething, this wooden teething ring will be perfect & i love that it is gender neutral. boys tend to get left out during valentines day, or should i say wiped out with all the bushy tutus and pink galore, which is why i always try to make sure i include festive items that work for boys too. 

7:: wall art printable: (little pony shop is offering buy 1 get 1 free with this printable!) I was also loving this card from debbie draws funny on etsy, which was featured on the huffington post, because i've yet to have met someone who actually likes those chalky tasting conversation hearts! maybe you do??i don't know, but what i do know is they just aren't for me. what they do have going for them is that they do make for really inexpensive & adorable decorations, so don't write them off entirely!

8:: red high-tops: these are perfect to wear on valentines day or any other day of the year which is why i asked for them for my "cotton" gift for my anniversary.

9:: heart knit mittens: what is not to love about these? and i'm sure they were knitted with love! get it?! haha. ok maybe not, but i was laughing!

10:: i l.o.v.e love this baseball T. luca will definitely be sporting this and maybe i'll get this tee to match him. but then i'll also have to get him red high-tops to match me too. oh dear lord, making these lists can be dangerous.

11:: stance lip socks: if you haven't heard of stance yet, you're late to the party, but don't worry, i was too. i'm bummed about it too because i love them so & my feet love them so & i could have been enjoying them a whole lot sooner. these are the only socks i'll sleep in. & because you've already gone all out, why not finish things off? am i right? spoil yourself a little, you deserve it.

i hope you find this list inspiring and helpful for planning out your valentine's day. what are you planning to do to get in the spirit? i'd love to hear! can you believe were already talking valentines? before you know it, we'll be talking christmas. 

dear 2015, please slow down. i can't keep up. sincerely, me 

xo