Bedroom details here — Only updates this duvet cover, this pillow and this bench
Morning, guys! Everyone have their coffee in hand?
- Grammie got the vaccine on Friday! I write all my weekend content in advance because #familytime, so I should say that Grammie’s appointment was this past Friday. But hopefully all went well; I’ll report back soon on that! As I mentioned before, I’m just so excited. Gram’s been isolated this whole time, and has only seen my parents. I know she’s missed her best friend, and we’ve obviously missed Gram. I’m really hoping that she and Mom (who received her first shot a couple of weeks ago) will be able to fly out in March so we can have a girls’ weekend. It would be the best. I’m tearing up just thinking about it! Of course, we won’t be able to do very much since our family isn’t vaccinated—but I foresee some igloo lunches/dinners. ;) Anyway, I’m thrilled. Love you, Grammie! Congrats! SEE YOU SOON!
- I love how I envision our vaccinated future like I’m going to be hitting up the town every single day. I will still have small children. 😆 I don’t know who I think I am.
- That said, I’m dreaming about working in a coffee shop with a girlfriend once per week. Even just for a couple of hours! It would be so nice. I’m also dreaming about going to the Children’s Museum with Lucy, and taking her to music and Gymboree-like classes. And of course seeing friends and family. And Emma going to school. And visiting restaurants. And traveling. And everything. Moving on…
- How are you? I’m in a weird place right now. As I write this, I’m feeling particularly hopeful—probably because I just received the news about Grammie. I also haven’t minded the winter too much this year, which is absolutely bizarre considering I suffer from Raynaud’s as well as seasonal depression. But I had a lot of days in January during which I felt unbelievably overwhelmed and pretty sad. Not depressed; I know that feeling well, and thank goodness I’ve somehow warded that off this year. It’s just been very day-to-day over here. This feels like a good time to quote Tom Petty: “The waaaa-iiiiiit-ingggg is the hardest part.”
- On a related note, Carly sent me this article last week, and really helped. I recommend reading it! It put so much of what I’ve been feeling into words. No one’s alone in this.
- Last weekend, I last minute got together with some girlfriends outside—during a very chilly and significant blizzard! We almost cancelled—we were supposed to do it in a backyard—but then decided that our souls really needed it, and the cold never bothered us anyway. ;) My friend set it up and hosted it in her garage, complete with space heaters, wine and individual treat boxes. (Thank you, A!) There was obviously tons of ventilation and we all sat far apart, but gosh. I forgot what it was like to get together with friends and just talk, especially about how life’s been lately. I’m guilty of assuming that everyone else is handling the pandemic better than I am… and this was a good reminder that we’re all human. Most people are struggling with the same things that I’m struggling with. It’s been a hard year. But the night really lifted my spirits, and we’re going to do it outside again in a few weeks. Feeling grateful.
- I tried to continue my Happiness Walks with Lucy in the stroller (in the snow) but we failed. It was actually fairly hilarious; at once point, construction workers had to help me get out of a particularly tricky snow drift. Zero chance any of them are reading, haha, but thank you, guys! You can see video of me trying to get the stroller out of our alley here. (Swipe over.) We’ve since given up and we now walk on our feet. Meaning that Lucy walks 10 steps, gives up, and I end up carrying her. It’s fine. At least I’m getting a workout, right?!
- We celebrated Emma’s four-and-a-half birthday last week. It was adorable. I guess we just decided that pandemic + tons of snow + frigid temps + remote learning = we needed something to look forward to. And it was the best day! The above photo was taken during it; we played hooky and went to the park, haha. For dinner, we had half pancakes, half sausage patties, and a half birthday cake. And my mom totally saved the day and sent the girls tons of little Valentine’s Day treats that we pretended were half birthday presents. (Emma didn’t notice.) Thank you, Mom!
- My Block My Hood My City is looking for people to join their shovel crew! If you live in Chicago, it’s a great way to put something positive out into the city right now. If you’re not in Chicago, you can donate so MBMHMC can buy the gear they need!
- Temps were in the negative this past weekend. Again, I write these posts in advance, so all I can say right now that I am filled with a sense of dread yet determined to still get outside, even if it’s only for 15 minutes. GEAR UP, NOODLE. 😜
- These pink snow boots are so cute! My neighbor Nicki and I have been discussing winter boots often as we’re currently buried in snow and we miss real shoes. Seems to help. We love the Sorel Joan of Arctic (also available via Backcountry) and the Tofino II (also available at Backcountry) boots for snow, but we do admit that it would be nice to have a pair of taller slip-on boots when running out quickly with the kiddos. Our other friend Bradley (Walker’s mom!) recommends these. Are they not adorable?! She says that they’re warm, comfy and easy to get on.
- We finished “Ted Lasso.” Thank you to everyone who suggested it! Mitch wanted to watch “The Leftovers” once we finished that, but I cried and got depressed after only watching the preview. 😆 I know nothing about it, but reader Julie recommended “Working Moms” so I’m going to turn that on tonight and see how it goes. :)
- I need to replace some skincare/makeup “empties,” and I’m excited about trying some new products to help with dry/dull skin! My skin has changed a lot over the last couple of years. Whereas it was once oily or “combination,” it’s now dry. And so it’s time to change things up! The new humidifier has definitely been helping (as has this hyaluronic acid line from Cetaphil), but I also decided to try a few hydrating/brightening products that have cult followings: this makeup removing cleanser from fresh, the OLEHENRIKSEN Banana Bright Eye Creme and the C-Rush Brightening Double Creme, this hydrating under-eye primer from Smashbox, and the Radiant Creamy Concealer from NARS. (I luckily had some old Sephora gift cards to burn.) I’ve read such great things about all five, and with any hope, they’ll give me a brighter, more hydrated complexion. Any miracle products you’ve found for dryness, dullness and/or fine lines?! (Wow. Crazy how my concern was blemishes for years and years and years, and now I’m talking about fine lines. How the tides have turned. 😉) If you’re looking for a skincare steal, though, seriously give the hyaluronic acid line from Cetaphil a try. After ONE USE my skin was no longer scratchy or flaky. (Gross, sorry. But Chicago winters are rough!) They offer tons of different products, too. (Eye cream for only $12? Amazing.)
- SHOULD I GET MY LICENSE? To be transparent, I do know how to drive, and in case of an emergency, I could and would drive. (I actually know how to drive a stick shift, haha!) But I haven’t had a license in several years, and that means that I’ll need to take both the written and physical driving tests. And I’m admittedly not the best driver. It’s just that I never really had much practice! I was very young for my grade due to weird cutoffs and cross-country moves, so I didn’t drive until the end of my senior year of high school… and then I went to college… and then I immediately moved to New York City. I drove for a year and a half in college, but that was quite a long time ago. So yeah! But I’d love to be able to drive Lucy to the Children’s Museum once this is all over, as I mentioned before. And to classes! So I’m thinking I need to do it. Perhaps I should start practicing considering we have a massive car and it scares me. ;)
- I found more chapter books for Emma. Girlfriend is tearing through them during this pandemic winter. My new Chicago mom friend Rachel—author of The Kids are in Bed (SO GOOD!)—made some awesome recommendations, so we ordered Yasmin, Ivy & Bean, Dory Fantasmagory, and Heidi Heckelbeck. (Thank you, Rachel! And Barbie. Yasmin was her rec!)
- We’re thinking more and more about driving south. We could use the sunshine and happiness. (We’d do an AirBNB so we wouldn’t have to interact with anyone.) There’s just a lot up in the air with Chicago Public Schools, as you probably have seen in the news. Hard to figure out what our next move is.
- For my “one house project per day” thingy, I’m currently working on clearing out our bedroom closets. I use the KonMari Method, and it’s awesome. I literally take everything out, and then one by one, determine whether I use/need each article of clothing. I did it with the girls’ stuff recently, and life after the process is so much easier. I published a big post on my first experience with using the KonMari Method on clothing here. :) If you even feel slightly inclined to do it, DO IT!
K, bye! 😜
You should definitely get your license! I was in a similar boat – just kept missing the tests etc and eventually found myself at 28 without it. I missed out on a great job so decided to sort it out. Once I did I found myself doing more things that I hadn’t considered before……I imagine you might be the same? Especially with the weather you guys have, the freedom of a car would be great. I also find the “i am off the super market to get milk’ to be a wonderful opportunity for some alone time #sadbutrue ;)
Good luck!
Gilly, YES! That’s totally what I’m thinking. At the moment, I can’t really do much of anything… but pre-covid, it was tough having to rely on Mitch for rides when I wanted to take the girls with me and subways didn’t make sense. (Ubers wouldn’t work considering I’d need carseats and wouldn’t be able to carry them around with me.) Love that you eventually got yours!! Thanks for the insight :)
Yes yes yes get your license! I grew up in Chicago and my mom didn’t have her license (like had never had it) until I was like 10. It made such a huge difference for her and for us in terms of independence and ability to take us places! She always said she wished she had done it earlier!
Oh my gosh I feel like you’re a grown-up Emma telling me this! (Emma all the time is like, “Mommy, you could get your driver’s lessons if you tried!” It’s so cute.) You’re right. Gotta do it. Good on your mom for eventually getting it!
If you’re looking for more book suggestions, call The Book Stall or n Winnetka. They have great people there that can help and they are finally open again to look at actual books!!! Plus Peet’s is next door for a coffee for the ride home!
Oh my gosh Evelina, I LOVE THAT PLACE! Pre-covid, we went every fall! It was a tradition. Great suggestion :)
i’m the one who commented last week about your previous post/next post buttons and the little box that pops up on the bottom. thank you for fixing and it looks great!!! one other tiny suggestion (and i don’t know if it is an option), but for a post that is not the most recent one, so it has a post that comes before it and one that comes after – could you have two little boxes at the bottom? one for the previous post and one for the next one? just an idea that you can feel free to totally ignore.
YAY! Thank you, Laura!
Wait, I’m not following about the other suggestion. Are you viewing on mobile or desktop? I think I do have what you’re talking about?
Thank you!
Here’s what I’m talking about… do you see this? (Thanks!)
Totally agree about sad/depressing TV right now – if you haven’t watched Schitt’s Creek that’s an A+ watch and I’m Sorry on Netflix is so so funny (but totally not family friendly )
Hang in there, better days are coming :)
YES! Schitt’s Creek saved me this past year. We stretched it out because we were loving it so much, and it really helped with my outlook on life. :) Are you in Chicago? Did you hear about the Schitt’s Creek motel that just went up?! Thank you Honour!!
not to be a debbie downer, but i was reading on instagram yesterday about a lady who’s humidifier caught on fire!!! it was full of water and everything, but i guess she said she put a thin washcloth over/under (not sure which) so the furniture wouldn’t get destroyed? anyway, it freaked me out so i just want to put it out there to be careful!!
also, i love these posts. such a joy to follow along with you guys.
Oh yikes! The one that I’m talking about is attached to your furnace, and it’s usually professionally installed/maintained. I *DID* hear about the portable ones catching on fire though and that’s terrifying!!
Thank you so much for your kind words. I so appreciate! They really made my day!
What a great post! As someone who didn’t learn to drive until I was 30 (and then I learned on Chicago’s busy streets, and with a stick-shift, and I still drive a stick because they’re way more fun), I say, do it: get your license. Just having it will empower you in ways you never dreamed of! :)
Okay, I’m GOING TO GET IT!! (But after covid is over haha. That’ll give me some time to build up my confidence!)
I’ve always maintained my license, despite time in NYC, car accidents and being a pretty fearful driver (I’ve even done some therapy for it). I would suggest waiting til weather is better in Chicago before testing. Not sure if this is an option for you, but in AZ, you can take a driver’s ed course through certain groups. If you do the classroom and driving portions, you can do your tests there with your instructor. When you’re ready to go to the DMV, you bring your certification from the course and don’t need to do any testing on-site, This helps with anxiety for sure. Happy to connect you with the AZ company if that’s helpful for you at all. All instructors are retired police and they hugely helped me, even after I crashed my driver’s ed car (a story for another day)!
Yes!! I think doing it when it’s a lot warmer—and once covid is over—will be a big help. I might also steal Jess’ car because our tank is kind of scary, haha!
You crashed the driver’s ed car?! Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry! I failed the first time I took the test, and the instructor was like, “There is NO way I’m giving you a license today.” Haha. Oof!
Yes. Definitely learn to drive your new car. It’s the perfect goal for 2021.
Arrange to have a few private driving lessons this spring. They are still happening even during Covid times. I think that you would really enjoy being able to take the girls to outings and museums. Best of luck if you decide that you want to go forward and get your Illinois driver’s license. Can’t wait to hear all about your new adventures.
I do think I want to do it once covid is over! We belong to the Children’s Museum and I’d love to go on a regular basis on my own since the subway drops me off pretty far away. Thanks, Leslie!
You need to get your license for your girls and show them you drive, too. I can also suggest looking into driving schools in your area. You can take the written test with them and they can submit. Then you just do driving portion at Secretary of State. Some driving schools do brush up on the driving skill part for adults, too. I recently have helped my two teenagers get their license in Illinois and their grandparents updated.
Oh, this is so interesting! Thank you, Vicky—definitely didn’t know that!
If you guys decided to travel St.Louis is not that far of a drive. There are many little wine towns, with kid friendly activities, the weather isn’t horrible and in St.Charles (sub of stl) we are open mainly.
I actually have a friend who owns a home in the city, and I can’t get over how gorgeous it is! Definitely on my list. :)
Hey! Congratulations on the vaccine! Just recently, they themselves made the child a vaccine and it became easier at heart)) You have very cool news! I believe that a driver’s license for a car is a very necessary thing! They will really come in handy, my sister passed her driver’s license at 36 and said that it was her biggest mistake not to do it as a teenager, when it was easier to study, and there would have been a lot of experience by that time. I wish you the best of luck with that! Thanks for the awesome post!