Monday through Friday

This Friday isn't as exciting as most because my husband plans to work this weekend, whompwhommmp... but somehow Fridays always still get cred for being awesome just because of their name.

This week I took a lot of pictures. I always do, but usually my Rebel is away unless it's some special occasion and all my pics are with my iphone. This week, I brought the Rebel everywhere and my poor children were subjected to a camera in their face at all times. It was reeeally fun, and it makes the week look so much prettier in photos, but I can't keep it up for my kids' sake... "okay, look up riiiigght NOW..." and "stop having fun for ONE second and then I'll be done!"

I got these pink shoes from Urban the other day for $10. They are so so cute, but they are score zero on comfort. Sophie informed me when we were leaving for the park the other day that my park shoes are not cute and I should wear the pink ones instead. I'm already embarrassing my children with my style and they aren't even in school. Good news is that I agree that new flats are in order, just not ones that will require an evening foot massage every time I wear them. Maybe I should go big-time and spend $20. ;)

The toy of the week around here was the Honest box/boat. Maggie is so fearless about things, so she'll just dive right in head first to get in the boat. Soph makes little contraptions so that she can pull strings (aka my robe belts) through to make them pull-able. That box has gotten so much play-time this week and I think we might make a low little boat out of it so it's a tiny bit safer. I did cut hearts out of the box and attach them to headbands for Valentines for friends, so it's definitely getting good use.

In other news, the pacifiers- that I have somehow consistently kept track of- have been disappearing like crazy this week. We had a looong search at naps yesterday, and then at night another one. I was about to take a cranky trip to the store muttering about how I'm losing my mind when Sophie said "oh! I know! It's in my purse in my bike!" And indeed it was. She had packed it. See, so there is a reason the pacifiers disappear on the regular.

Now I have for you some favorite things of the week around this great world wide web... why is it so fun to say world wide web? I don't even know.

PS.. that little crafty headband under the "Friday" category is a slice of craftiness for you on the Honest blog today. Go over HERE and see the other little ideas I have for your Valentines. XO

LINK LOVE

We are SO close to the cutest holiday of the year, so let's get ourselves some links to get in the spirit:

1. Pink & Red shoes for a little Valentine.2. Pom Pom Flowers spotted (with a 10% discount) on A Subtle Revelry. 3. Multiple Choice Valentine Card. Perfect. 4. Recipe for heart waffle sandwiches (and a hello apparel sweatshirt that I love)! 5. Pretty two-tone leather clutch on sale... 6. Green tights with hearts for little girls just like mine. :)

Happy Weekend!

Love,

Kate

A Post About Football

The 49ers did not pull off the win on Sunday.

The whole thing was a bit strange. When the 49ers go to the Superbowl, they're supposed to win. When I was a child and knew nothing about football except that I liked the niners, my question every year was "who are the 49ers playing in the Superbowl?" never "are they... or will they win?" After they inevitably won, the city would erupt in chaotic joy and horns beeping and crazies sticking flags out their car windows. My brother would be videotaped with his friends singing the 49er rap with their hats, jeans, and shirts backward because it was the 80's/early 90's and kids did things like that. The girls would make up weird little cheers and force the family to watch during get-togethers through the year as we would wave red pompoms & chant in all truthfulness that we're #1 (or maybe "we are the niners, no one can be finer," which only kinda rhymes) at family functions.

So this is how it feels to be the "other" team. I didn't doubt for a second during the first dreadful half of the game that they would come back... they would come back to win, of course. The food and beverages and hosting we did wouldn't be in vain. We'd then run outside with the rest of the city and watch people be crazier than ourselves and take a lot of pictures and post them on every social media we have later that night, and go through the streams and "like" everything anyone says that agrees... (aka everyone I know & associate myself with). The plan was perfect.

Instead, we had four chances to get into that end zone and we didn't. It was convenient for Baltimore that the refs were rooting for them and allowed some serious holding... (I will be having someone else come and teach my children good sportsmanship, because I'm clearly not a good fit).

A hush came over the crowd at our place, and apart from the guests being required by Sophie to sing Happy Birthday to her imaginary friend Sally, the chatter was kept to a minimum as guests filed out. History was made, but instead of it being a dual championship year with the Giants and Niners, it was our first ever superbowl loss.

I'd like to tell you I was one of the finer higher-road types that took to the computer to say a congratulatory "good game," or something...

...instead I retweeted the brilliant girl who said "they still live in Baltimore. We still live in San Francisco. #winning."

At least we have good leftovers.

XO,

Kate

Ps. More later... something that has to do with "style" and "smallers"... ;)

Hello Weekend

Today Sophie woke up sassy and independent. She put on her favorite turquoise dress and black sparkle leggings rather than a standard ballet uniform, (over)packed a bag full of anything she could possibly need, and we bused it to ballet class. She appreciated one of her classmates noticing the sparkle on her dress and her tights, and sang a song I've never heard with the words "I'm an original" and tested every boundary we've set for her.

Sometimes I'm okay with days like this. It's not awesome throughout, perhaps, but really- as a mother, it's very easy to be sidetracked and distracted... days like this keep us on our toes. They say my child is a real girl with real opinions and she needs me right now. She needs me to be attentive to her opinions and direct her communication and maintain those boundaries. It's exhausting, but now that both girls are sweetly sleeping with angel faces in cozy beds, I'm grateful for the reminder that a testy child can give me to stay focused. I'm also grateful for the persistant little sunshine of our house that is Maggie girl (and yes, I know terrible twos are right around her corner...).

But really... we went on a date- first to Delfina, then to see Ben Folds last night at the Warfield, so what do I have to complain about? We also had sunshine and upper 60's all week, and did some exploring, and ate strawberry lemonade gelato. I mean... I've always thought myself to be a fall person, but I'm rethinking it.

Anyway, happy weekend to us all. And root hard for the good guys on Sunday!!! 49er LOVE. And here is an excess of pictures... xoxox, Kate

Life & Links

Sometimes you just need a little adventure in your life. I definitely do. Last Saturday, we woke up and went on a city adventure... the kind without bugs or camping or anything. Just a hike up and down hills to beautiful spot in the city so your kids can burn crazy amounts of energy and have the sweetest, longest naps ever. Makes me want to adventure more often!

I didn't take as many pics as usual this week. I think I may have overdone the whole camera thing last weekend, so during the week it stayed home resting. Sophie created art, Maggie created messes and laughter, and I managed to keep the fam clothed and fed. It's a really good stage that we're in when we play hard all day and crash in the evenings. Doing things with our whole hearts. I love how kids teach me every single day.

Hope you get a chance to rest and enjoy this weekend! Ahhhh that weekend! I have so much love for the weekend.


Links for you:

* I love huevos rancheros, and now I'm wanting to try this unconventional recipe! Looks gorgeous and tasty... and even- dare I say- healthy?
* Sometimes stores just don't have the legging variety I want for my kids... these girls brilliantly crafted five-minute $5 legging varieties that I can't wait to make (with my mother's help, of course. I don't sew).
* Four little hairstyles I love for little girls... (I wrote the post, so maybe I'm biased) on the Honest blog today.
* God is good. I am in love with this beautifully written post (that kind of makes me want to cry too).
* I also kind of love this post because I've had so many similar days and I like the celebrated sweetness of simple days with kiddos.

Enjoy!

XO,
Kate

Life

Today I'll get personal for ya... fevers are a total draaag. I thought croup was bad, but a baby that feels like a furnace and is shivering like a leaf 4-5 times throughout the day, and sniffling her little nose and tearing at her red-rimmed eyes is just breaking my heart. This all started Tuesday, and now we're at Friday folks.

Here's the good part about it all... the cold weather has finally escaped us. I have no idea how you dear people who have cold winters handle yourselves! I mean, we've hit low 40's & upper 30's this week, and I've been so stir crazy!! We definitely don't have the clothing for true winters, so perhaps if we did we wouldn't be whining about the cold. But hey, it's back in the 60's today and I'm beside myself with gratitude for the change.

The cold and sickness didn't keep us from getting out and about a little. We had our fair share of walks and drives- yes, I said drives! My parents were on a mini vacation and they let me borrow their car while they're out. It's opens up doors I forgot existed! We drove to the top of hills in the city just to take pictures on this beautiful day "because we can." The girls were giggling in the backseat when I'd pull over, snap a shot, and get back in. We sang "here we go go go go- on an adventure..." (the cat in the hat reference) the whole time. None of us are used to getting from here to there in a matter of minutes, so we kept going to there to there to there. Driving can be very therapeutic when you have no direction and no agenda and you basically have to stay away from people so as not to spread additional germs.

We visited cute little shops and found macaron shaped erasers that made me wish I used pencils on the regular. I couldn't justify that purchase, but I was very (as in waaayyyy too) excited to finally pick up a 2013 calendar that I absolutely LOVE. There's just something about pens to paper that I can't quit, no matter how technology progresses.

To be honest though, all in all, we spent the week in survival mode. At this point we feel basically like we're warriors who fought a hard battle and are coming up on top with (relatively) high morale, and (relatively) good attitudes. To say I'm glad for the weekend is a very big understatement. I love love love having my husband home and there for me.

Lastly, I put up a fancy little post about bibs on The Honest Company blog that I'd love you to head over and see (and give a little love if you'd like)!

Happy Weekend!
Kate

Life, just Life

Another Friday is here and I'm pleased to say: we're back in sweet routine. No more mad dashes all over the bay area to pick up this or that or attend this or that. Perhaps around March, I'll be ready for more chaos, but for now I'm enjoying the normalcy of day-to-day.

For Maggie, normal is: biting her crib, playing with {the most amazing hand-crafted!!} dollhouse {made by my dad- YES, I'm proud, and YES, I'll post about it}, emptying cabinets, and doing/breaking a few dishes. Today, she did her first solo performance atop a laundry basket with dance moves and songs (she can't talk, but she can sing!), and I realize that she's truly a toddler. It's okay, I still call her affectionately "Baby Maggie." I may do so forever.

Meanwhile, Sophie's motto these days is "go bold or go home," or maybe "be passionate every single moment of the day" or "keep your mama guessing whether she should laugh or cry at any given moment."

All good things, of course...

We are not in want of additional entertainment. These girls will liven up any conversation and make anyone laugh. We have an abundance of laughter.

I am, however, in need of a long hot shower and a nap! :)

Happy Weekend,

Kate