The Little List | July 29, 2021
I cannot even believe that we are nearing the end of July. This summer has been flying by and I can’t say that I’m mad about it. Curt is back into the swing of travelling again for work, which has meant more solo parenting stints for me. I love routine and predictability, so I definitely don’t always handle the shift in daily living as a solo parent with as much grace as I could. Carrying the load as a parent and making sure the regular going-ons of the house are managed definitely starts to weigh on me - I have definitely caught myself with a short fuse and impatient attitude over the past week. But the good news is that Curt is home again for a while and having him back with us always reminds me how grateful I am to have such a strong partner to miss when he isn’t home. I have some serious admiration for the single parents out there who are wearing all the hats and carrying a lot of loads. You are superstars!
I have to admit that I’m happy the summer is already half way over. Just the other day I caught a glimpse of one of my favourite light jackets in my closet and felt a deep excitement for the crisp air that dictates when it’s time to wear it. I’ll definitely do my best to appreciate these last weeks of warmth, but that isn’t going to stop me from dreaming about the peach season, spiced warm drinks, and refreshing morning walks to come.
The solo parenting gig has definitely limited the amount of time I’ve had to do the things I love to do, like work on home projects or get creative in the kitchen. But it has also given me lots of time to reflect and seek out the little ways I can bring peace and joy to my days. These are a few of the things that have brought me joy, made me think, or helped me grow over the past couple of weeks:
My new niece finally arrived! This is our first niece and she is an absolute doll. My sister and I had our first babies six weeks apart and it was truly a blessing to become a mom alongside her, but I’m excited that I’ll be able to focus more on being an auntie this time around. I’m already thinking of all the ways I can spoil this new little lady. I ordered one of these and definitely think I need to get her this and this. I also plan to go through some of Mabel’s hand-me-downs and pick out the cutest items to pass along (while also probably sobbing big mom tears over the fact that my baby once wore them). I’m so excited that we finally got to meet her!
I have been eating up Making The Cut on Amazon Prime! Even though I can’t say that I really get fashion, I love creative competition shows like this where you get to see people take a creative brief and run with it. It has been really inspiring and fun to watch the designers really bring their A-game with each passing episode.
I loved this week’s podcast episode of HISTORY This Week that was all about Jesse Owens taking on the 1936 Olympics in Germany. There are so many layers of complexity to this story and it made me want to dive into this book to learn more about it.
I invested in this really beautiful washed linen duvet cover set and I’m so excited about it. I love that it will only get better with washes and that it will completely amp up the cozy factor in our bedroom. Does anybody else daydream about the most luxurious, layered, comfortable bed on the regular, too? It was definitely a bit of a splurge, but I felt confident that because it is a good quality material and a neutral colour, we will be able to use it for years and years to come.
This natural Beauty Balm Sheer Tint SPF product has been my number one skincare product this summer. It is perfect for those hot summer days when you don’t want to wear a full face of makeup, but it still offers just a touch of coverage. I love that it has SPF built right into it, helps to naturally brighten my skin, and actually smells like a fresh orange while you rub it in. It’s so dreamy and one of my favourite pleasures to be able to put it on at the start of my day.
I am so close to finishing up our bedside table makeover. And speaking of, I have been finding so much inspiration from this furniture flipper on YouTube - especially this video. I can sense a new project on the horizon!
Mabel has been really into pancakes for breakfast lately. I never mind an excuse to do it up at breakfast time, but I’m thinking I may have to try crepes one of these days instead. I’m feeling very inspired by this list of crepe filling ideas (like Chocolate Cream Cheese Crepe Filling - are you serious!?) and love Christy’s story about dropping everything to make crepes with her sister. I have many relatable memories growing up and it made my heart feel so happy to read.
Here’s to finding the joy (and eating all the crepes)! Enjoy your weekend.
I wrote a post all about some of my current favourite linens earlier this week, but I also published this image of my top five on our LiketoKnow.it, so I figured I would share it here too.
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