It Rolls

Happy Monday! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday--filled with tasty treats and plenty of relaxation. We had Thanksgiving over at Andrew's aunt and uncles here in Philly--a delicious feast and good company. And, big news: William rolled over. Five times! I realize that unless you have little ones or are close to people with little ones this might not seem like a big deal. It is! It's heralding a new stage of life: mobile stage. After five months of being able to set William down where ever, knowing full well that he wasn't going anywhere... well, those days are over. Just imagine your laptop suddenly able to roll over by itself, without provocation--terror of terrors! You'd have to watch it all. the. time. *sighs*

Images from here

Happy Thanksgiving

Wishing you all a joyous holiday ~

Can't you hear him, "Turkey? Where?" He's five months old this week--my mind reals. So much to be thankful for. So much. Thank you for visiting me here. For filling my life and sharing my life, sharing your lives!

All my love,
Jewels

Sea shore and free shipping

I dumped the contents of my grandmother's button tin onto our bed this morning in search of the perfect bauble--had to be properly "vintagey"--and thought, hmm, all together like that, it looks like a beautiful shoreline. Each button a piece of sand. I'm sure there's something creative and brilliant in that thought--but it's beyond me. I thought it looked pretty.

In other news: I'm offering FREE SHIPPING on all Red Otter items from November 24th to the 27th. If you happen to mention that you're a Red Otter Blog follower in the note to seller *cough, cough* I will tuck a special little something in the package for you--with all my love! All international purchases are being offered free shipping with the purchase of 2 or more Red Otter items!

Time to start the holiday shopping!

XOXO,
Jewels

Today

Ever have a lot to say but not the words to say it? Yeah, having one of those days. I'm off to go play Christmas music--without guilt--do laundry, make grilled cheese sandwiches, string up Christmas garlands and do copious amounts of snuggling with a blue-eyed boy who happens to like me. A lot.

Happy Monday~
Jewels

Oatmeal

Andrew came home two nights ago with a delicious bundle of autumnal beauties. Aren't they marvelous? I searched high and low for a vase that would hold them all when I spotted this empy canister of Irish Oatmeal sitting on my desk. I think I was going to use the canister for pens and pencils and the odd pair of scissors I can never find. I think it's found a better use. Right now, at least.

By the way--if you ever stumble upon your own canister of Irish Steel Cut Oats here is a recipe (tweaked from Dad's original) you will love:

1 Cup steel cut oats
2 Cups water
2 Cups apple cider
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 Tsp nutmeg
1 Tsp cloves
1/2 Tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 Cup dried cherries (or any dried fruit)

Bring water and cider to a boil in saucepan. In a separate bowl stir together oats, cherries and spices. Add oat mixture to boiling liquid and stir. Turn to low/simmer once the mixture starts to thicken (approximately 3-4 minutes). Stir occasionally for 30 minutes.

It's the most scrumptious oatmeal. Ever. And it makes your home smell divine. This will keep up to a week in a container in the fridge.

Quiet Post

Quiet Post ~

On Communication

I feel like I'm forever in the process of learning how to communicate. William just yells. He yells when he's happy, when he's hungry and yells particularly loudly when he's tired. I have friends who can communicate on the spot--articulating their desires/fears/grievances with speed and efficiency. Others take days to process and come forward with their thoughts and feelings. Some don't. Period. And it takes great care and delicate diplomacy to draw out what's going on under the surface.

I feel like communicating with a baby added to the mix is tricky--they add a whole different level to the scenario. As a mother your first inclination to minister to the needs and wants of the baby. They agree. Next come the needs of your partner. Friends and family are often next. And last are your needs. Add sleep deprivation, hormonal upsets, limited time and energy and it's amazing what gets put on the back burner. Especially with new mothers, when you're still in the throes of self-discovery and your need for affirmation is immense, it's hard to address your needs because you still don't know what they are or you haven't had the time to figure out how to express them. And, there are those of us who have a difficult time even saying the words "I need" altogether.

We know it's important. We know that we need to keep talking. But it's hard. Hang in there with us. It's a process.

I know that there's a great treasure trove of wisdom out there. Any thoughts?

Image from this delicious Etsy shop

Evening Stroll

On William's Walk this evening. The sun is setting so quickly nowadays. I'm not sure I like that very much. I like the idea of the holidays approaching, of family gathering, of good food smells and twinkle lights. But the waning sun is tough. Time for some serious vitamin D and evening strolls!

Charm

Worked into the budget of this stay-at-home-mother is the "sanity-saver," otherwise known as the coffee shop visit. There's a Starbucks two blocks away and provides ample selection and ease with a stroller, but when I want a little charm with my latte I go to the Chestnut Hill coffee shop--two blocks away in the other direction. They have a huge stained glass window behind the bar, amber lighting and comfy leather couches wide enough for two little babies to nap on--William and his little girlfriend have tested it out twice with great success. I know you want to, but, please, let me extend the invitation again: come visit!

Wander

The image is titled "My Greatest Adventures." I'll just let your mind wander.

Happy Monday morning!

Image found in this wondrous Etsy shop

Personal Emissary

Babies do amazing things to your social life. For one thing the concept of a "night life" is laughable. I turn into a pumpkin at 8:30PM--whether I want to or not. And I walk around with spit up on my shirts and pants, binkies in my pockets, burp cloths swung over my shoulders like pretty muslin scarves. But, what's truly remarkable is the effect a baby has on the public around you. On our walks about town I typically have William strapped to the front of me in his baby bjorn, and, interestingly, that's usually all people see. The postal workers know us (him) and coo when we get in the door with our packages. The guys at the coffee shop always give us (him) a smile and tell us they would love to switch places with William. I was taking pictures of store fronts the other day and this kind woman with fabulous cranberry lipstick stopped me and wanted to know if I wanted a picture of the two of us--me and the beautiful baby. They don't see me--they don't see the spit up, or the disheveled clothes and no makeup. They see him. Kind of lovely, really. My own personal emissary!

Have a wonderful Friday, dear friends!
Jewels

PS. The yellow leaves are actually a shockingly beautiful Japanese Maple I found on St. Martin's Street. I thought they always turned a deep red. But no, golden yellow for this one!

Bumblebee

As promised, our little bumblebee! He barely managed to fit in it--he's getting so big!

XOXO,
Jewels

Quiet Post

Quiet post ~

Image from this delightful Etsy shop

Timeless

The weekend was extraordinary. Not only did we see some of the major sights in Philly (Liberty Bell, Penn's Landing, Valley Forge) we did it with my best friend from junior high and her family. I haven't seen her in 12 years! It was incredible. There are some friendships that allow you the privilege of picking up where you left off. Granted, our conversation had to be pieced together between child and baby maintenance, but it was still timeless.

The first shot is from Washington's headquarters at Valley Forge. The bottom is my new scarf--very yummy!

PS William was the cutest little bumblebee. We made our trek up to the Starbucks and back without too much fuss--I'll post pictures tomorrow.