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5.08.2015

Some Very Good Things

Happy Friday!  Today is a very special day for us because we're wrapping up most of our homeschool year today!  We've finished our Singapore Math, plus Intensives and Mental Math work.  Last night we finished Jude's Latin and grammar curriculum.  Indigo's on the final page of her Language Arts workbook, and we are going to be recording a recitation that we've been working on all year!  (I do plan to write about Jude's school year in more detail later!)

zombie attack 

Next week, we'll end by doing standardized tests.  We've all worked so hard this year and it's really thrilling to have completed another year and to have finished strong!  Now we're all so ready for summer vacation!

cuddlebugs

To celebrate, we are grilling out tonight and having a family movie night/party with popcorn and movie theater candy!  We are also having a competition : who can do the best 'Charlie bit me' impersonation.  Hazel is teething and has recently taken to biting, so we can relate to this video. :)  Iris is particularly adept at sounding exactly like the older brother.

pals 

But first, I wanted to share a few things that I've really liked recently.

:: My friend, Sanae, recently published her first children's book called Little Kunoichi.  When I saw her name on the front cover, I have to admit to getting a little teary - and I am not a crier.  I am just so proud of her!

iris reading little kunoichi

The illustrations are fabulous and my kids loved this book!  Last night, after reading it twice to Iris, she asked me to read it "four more times."  Then Jude got ahold of it and was laughing at all of the clever more subtle jokes that would likely be lost on a younger child.  It kind of reminded me of a Jon Klassen book.  Way to go, Sanae!

iris reading little kunoichi

::  Have you guys heard of Barre3?  It's a combination of ballet, yoga and pilates offered as online workout classes.  (They have live studios, too.)  As the mom of four girls, I want to model having a positive body image.  I have had four babies and I want to love my body for the work that it's done rather than be hypercritical of it, because it's definitely not perfect (hello, push-up bra!).

Indigo's painting

I also want to model healthy eating habits and an active lifestyle.  I've wanted to get more toned and I have been loving these workouts to help me do that.  The best part is you can choose how much time you have.  I always pick 10 minutes, which was a big part of the reason I chose this program.  Who doesn't have 10 minutes?   You can also choose which part of your body you'd like to focus on.  It's only $10-$15 per month and there are many, many workouts to choose from and lots of recipes, too.  Love it.

:: I am a big fan of babywearing and adore my MobyGo.  (I got mine for $40 on Zulilly.)  I prefer it to my Ergo because the shoulder straps are thinner, more comfortable and they stay on my shoulders.  I have a narrow frame and the Ergo straps never stayed on for me.

hazel theodora

I wear Hazel in this every day and love the support it gives, especially for our longer morning walks.

morning walk 

::  We are still using She Plans Dinner and it has completely revolutionized our dinner hour.  We love it!  I had a small moment of panic when I felt for awhile, a longish while, that I no longer enjoyed cooking.  In fact, I even amended my "About" page to say I enjoyed cooking 'sometimes' in order to be truthful.  Prior to my pregnancy with Hazel, I loved cooking.  Well, it turns out that I do love cooking, I just don't enjoy thinking of what to make... or cooking the same dishes over and over.  I have loved trying so many new recipes and preparing a delicious meal for my family each night.  It makes me feel so good!

container gardening

Often the meal plan is not what I would consider to be a complete dinner, but it's easy enough for me to add a couple of sides or other dishes around the main dish.  We use the Fit and Healthy plan which is great because we have a lot of food sensitivities in our family.  Dan is gluten-free, Tia and I are dairy-free and Tia is also allergic to eggs, bananas and peanuts.  The recipes are pretty much Paleo, so it works perfectly for us.  And it's only $5 a month for a subscription!

hazel theodora

::  I maybe shouldn't post this on a sewing blog, but Dan and I both love Everlane tshirts.  Their mission is to make high end tshirts at an affordable price ($15) with complete transparency.  The cotton is so soft and comfortable and they are US made.  The entire process is transparent so you can be assured it's not made in subpar working conditions.  So awesome.

:: We love family read alouds and I was super inspired by this article about how reading aloud just 5 minutes a day adds up to over 30 hours of reading per year!  It encourages me to take those few minutes here and there to read aloud to my younger girls rather than to feel like I need to wait for a longer period of reading time at bedtime.

sweet tarikua 

::  And finally, Instagram.  I am really enjoying Instagram!  Most of the photos from this post are from my Instagram feed.  When I was on IG several year ago, I used it more like Facebook, which I didn't care for at all.  Now, I use it as a way to stay connected with others in the sewing community and as a more personal form of Pinterest.  There is so much inspiration there.  Sewing!  Photography! Homeschooling!  I love to be inspired and so I am loving it for that!  There is just so much beauty there.

baby toes

Have a happy weekend!

9 comments:

  1. I LOVE that you did this post. I think I clicked on every one of your links. So random and yet so informational. Thanks!

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  2. Ah so much good info in this post and such lovely photos. Barre3 sounds genius! And I had no idea Sanae made a book. Wow, go her!!

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  3. Aw the photos!! Such beautiful slices of life. Your house seems so joyful. :) Congrats on the end of your school year, and welcome summer! Um yeah those everlane tees look so cozy too.

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  4. I'm not sure if I've commented before or not, but my apologies for being a silent observer. Your blog is quickly becoming one of my favorites and I love your style. Your writing, the glimpses of home life that you share, your sewing patterns (and fabric! Oh my..the linen...) and generally everything. Thank you for sharing; I love observing. :)

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    1. Hey Janel,
      I know how tough it is to comment. It's hard for me, too, especially from my phone! Thank you so much for these encouraging words. That really means a lot to me. I am always really humbled that anyone would take time out of the day to leave a comment here for me. Thank you! <3

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  5. So many fun links here! And congratulations on finishing up a year of schooling. That's worthy of some fun celebrating!

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  6. Stefan just looked over my shoulder and wondered who Emily was sleeping with in the bed!! Iris looks so much like her!! beautiful photos. I am trying to use recipes more too - I also dislike thinking of what to make and of making the same things!!! Potato pancakes tonight with smoked salmon and cucumber salad! Fancy!!

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  7. super fun post, Rachel. I love reading about the ins and outs of your everyday life, and about the things that are making you happy right now (Barre! Baby wearing! Meal plan! Sanae's awesome new book!:) I love getting a little peek into your day - and yes, IG is wonderful for that!

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  8. How did I miss this? I was just thinking I hadn't read anything from you in a while so I came to look, and it turns out I missed this weeks ago! What a lovely post. The workouts sound really interesting and good! I'm doing a lot of walking and some "Mutu" workouts. Mutu is a program for mothers who have some abdominal separation, to help heal that gap. It's gentle and there is a lot of walking and squats. :-)

    I've been having fun on IG too!!

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