Weekend Links

Lately we've been all about working on our backyard - our patio is completed and next up is grass. Tonight we put up some pretty lights too. I'm so happy that we're finally making some progress (slowly but surely) after owning our home for over 2 years. So exciting. :)

Hiii! I'm so happy it's the weekend. We're doing our Mother's Day celebration this Sunday because we were driving home for 7 hours last Sunday, and I'm really excited. I can't decide what we should do either- relax around the house? Take a day trip? Go downtown and hang out? We shall see!

I hope your week was awesome. I so appreciate all of you who stop by everyday, and I wish all of you the happiest of weekends too!

Here are some favorite things from around the web this week...

Do you use Jux? I've talked about it a ton over the past few months and for good reason- it's the way I document my every day stuff that's important, but doesn't always make it onto the blog! And good news, it's coming to your phone! Their mobile app is set to launch soon, and Jux is giving away a few Beta apps to a few of you. To win one, simply leave a comment below with your email, letting me know you'd like to try it. If you haven't tried Jux yet, but you're someone who loves telling your story, or even someone who just likes to try to new cool thing before anyone else does, you've gotta get this on your phone!

If you have little ones with a ton of cold-weather clothes, but maybe not a ton of warm-weather ones, check out this post on Small Fry for some inspiration.

An awesome playground workout.

Love/want/need this for C's room. And this print too!

Big news that I'm SO excited to be a part of! This summer is going to be amazing.

My friend Megan started a new project and I'm SO excited for her. If you've ever been interested in eating Paleo or even learning more about a healthy way of living, check this out!

100 rules of dinner.

2 amazingly delicious-looking quinoa recipes: one and two.

An interview with 16-year old Angelina Jolie.

So as you guys know I'm not a coffee drinker, but Hank is. And if you are anything like him, you HAVE to sign up for Tonx. He is loving it! Let me (us!) know if you give it a try, or get a subscription as a gift for someone. That's how he got hooked.

The cutest pouches I ever did see.

Feel like shopping? Also check out the vegan handbags at Claret, and use code "sometimessweet15" for 15% off your entire purchase.

If you click on one link, click on this: "Not Just a Girl." LOVE THIS.

Bee Sting Cake. Yum!

Etsy wishlist: this print, these outdoor cushions, this sweater (with an 'L' for Lucy), and this quilt for Charlie.

What's the deal with Apple Cider Vinegar?

You probably already downloaded it...but just in case, be sure to check out the A Beautiful Mess app. I'm loving it!

Go here and type in your Twitter name. Seriously, go.

Margo is giving me baby fever...is that even possible when you're already pregnant? And let's not even talk about Ms. Bee or little Gwen over here. Swoon.

These coconut oatmeal bars look so good. And now I want a cookie...

How great is this toy camera?

If you have a little guy in your life, he NEEDS one of these. Both Henry and Charlie have a matching pair and I can't wait to see them in them.

A list of detestable literary characters who aren't quite villians. Enjoyed this read.

Adored this funny clip over on Elizabeth's blog. 

30 abandoned places that look truly beautiful.

And finally, 24 painful things you must do to grow up.

30, 31.

I want to talk about being 30 for a minute.

Before I turned the big 3-0 I overdid it talking about turning 30, by a lot. I was kind of obsessed with it, so into the idea of leaving behind my twenties, what that meant for me and where I was headed. To me aging has always been this super-neat thing; it's never been something I've been upset over or felt sad about. So that birthday for me was a big-time celebration, a milestone in my life that was worth celebrating and commemorating, and talking about as much as I could.

And my thirtieth year was so good to me. I feel like with all the talking I did about what I learned in my 20s (parts one and two), this past year was a big-time refresher course in all of it. Some huge lessons were learned, and some of the biggest things were revealed to me about myself. And really, this is such a gift. We're with ourselves every moment, so to learn something new, to figure out a little mystery, or to finally make sense of a behavior or pattern that's a part of our everyday, that's awesome. And this past year I did a lot of that. I worked on a laundry list of self-improvements- not getting as angry over silly things, letting go a bit more of the uptightness I often carry around, and not taking things personally. The last being the biggest lesson of all. This has always been my problem in real life, and made a worse problem online. Accepting that you can't make everyone happy, ever, and changing my attitude about it has been the biggest stride I've made in the past year, and I'm proud of myself.

Some other changes I made:

1. I got rid of my laptop in favor of a desktop computer. I always have the idea of being "present" at the front of my mind, and even when I would be totally aware of it, there were so many times when my family would all be hanging out, and there I was, tapping away on the couch on that computer. It was just so mobile that I would often take it from room to room. Horrible! But now with the desktop, I only use it at night or early in the morning and it's made me realize just how un-present I had been from time to time. Having a set place and a set time to do online things like blogging, emails, etc. has been wonderful for me.

2. I stopped feeling guilty. This is a huge one. When you have three sets of grandparents and a huge family it's virtually impossible to please everyone. There is one Christmas, one Saturday afternoon in a week, one this or one that. In the past I would often stress that I wasn't pleasing everyone or making time for each person, and I'd feel beyond guilty. But this past year Hank and I adopted an "just do our best" attitude about all of it and it's freed me from feeling that way. It's hard to explain, but there are so many different dynamics in family like ours and when you add the one lone grandchild into it, it can get tricky. But not feeling guilty about the impossible task of pleasing every single person 100% of the time has allowed us to enjoy everything a lot more.

3. Really and finally grasping the idea that that our attitude and day is totally affected by those who surround, both online and off. We live in a world that is (and has been) making a huge shift as social media and the internet plays a bigger and bigger role every single day. Sometimes I think about 25 years from now and I can't even begin to imagine what this will all be like. It's a weird place to be, figuring it all out with everyone. There are a million posts on the topic of online stuff- what we share, how we share, why we share. On feeling inadequate due to the shiny happy online lives shared every second of every day, on being inspired online but not following through with inspiration...it's all been said. But that first sentence of this little blurb, that's something that is also a part of this new plugged-in world. I would never tolerate mean, negative people in my real-life space, so why would I allow it online?  Due to the nature of what I do, the online world is a huge part of my real-life world (a funny thing to say really, because at this point it's all merged), and I found that seeing negative things in Twitter or Instagram was affecting me. I don't want to read passive-aggressiveness, I don't care to be involved in weird online drama or who doesn't like this person or that person. No time for it. So really "cleaning the mean" out of my feeds has been so wonderful. Still hard to do, and still something I'm working on, but every time I remind myself of how good it feels to only see people encouraging each other, it becomes easier. And this goes for myself too- making a conscious effort to keep it to myself if I don't have something nice to say. Surround yourself with positive people and in turn your life will become more positive too, right?

And that's three of many. The more I think about this past year, the more I start to remember all of these little things I encountered, and the more the list grows. In a way I kind of feel like this is a post best kept for my paper journal, but I also like the idea of sharing things we're working on, and what we do to get where we want to be. So here you go, friends.

The countdown is on. 31, I'm ready for you!

Summer Style for Boys: Shirts, Shorts, Shoes & Swim!

I thought it would be a fun to do a little round-up of some of my favorite summer picks for boys. In warm weather I love dressing Henry simply; loose tees, fun shorts, and comfy shoes. And don't even get me started on bathing suits- there are so many cute options out there for boys this year! For toddlers, I'm a big fan of shorter-length trunks. It really allows kiddos to move around a lot better and not be weighed down by the longer legs of traditional swim suits! Let me know which picks are your favorite, and happy browsing!

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6

1 // 2  // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6

 

Currently.

 

yoga with Mommy

Reading: nothing right now. I am going to pick a new book to start this evening but I am open to suggestions. Anyone?

Wondering: if it's weird that Henry doesn't know how to use my iPhone or our iPad. The only thing he's ever done on the iPad is watch a movie while in the car, and on our iPhone there's one alphabet game he's looked at a few times, along with Peekaboo Barn when he was a little younger. But he's not into it at all really. I've been paying attention a bit more, and noticing that most kids his age are super knowledgeable about all things technology, but with Henry we just haven't made it available so he doesn't really know it exists, if that makes sense. I wonder when this will shift; when he'll see his friends using their parents' phones and want to do the same, when he'll look around a restaurant and see other little ones tapping away at an iPad and be curious. We are obviously a family that's really into all things tech, but for now I like that it's not part of his life. But then I had this whole conversation with a friend and we discussed how it might be necessary to get him acclimated early because every other kid his age will already be to that level, and as more things in our world merge with technology it will be a necessity. Such an interesting topic, right? I also wanted to add that this whole thing isn't to be like "oh, Henry doesn't use an iPhone or iPad. We are special," because lord knows we sure love to watch our kiddie shows. Sesame Street is an every-morning thing. Just wanted to make that clear! ;)

Feeling thankful: for our trip to Disneyland. This was a really special vacation, maybe the last one for just the three of us before Charlie arrives in a few months, and we had a wonderful time. I'm still kind of in awe over how well it went. I was a little nervous; Henry loooves his crib and hates sleeping in bed with us, and I was worried about him being so big using his old pack 'n play, but besides night #1, it was awesome. I have a ton to share about our trip, our experience bringing a toddler to Disney for three days, and being pregnant while there, and I'm looking forward to getting my posts together either this week or next! So much to say!

Eating: Does anyone else like to eat the same thing over and over until you get sick of it? That's what I always seem to do. Right now here are my current favorites- for breakfast: 2 slices of Ezekial toast, 2 eggs with spinach, and a glass of orange juice (citrus anything is my favorite, both this pregnancy and with Henry). For lunch I've been loving a quinoa bean bowl as I call it, which is just a big bowl with quinoa on the bottom, topped with black beans and cheese, then pico de gallo. Seriously amazing. Then for dinner it's really whatever we cook for the night. But breakfast and lunch have been on regular rotation for the past couple of weeks and I'm still not sick of them. I give myself another week or so...

Watching: I just watched the Revenge season finale. Whoa, whoa, whoa! Is anyone else into that series? It's so good. I've been watching that, and then also getting my fix of horrible television via The Real Housewives of OC. Ooh that show is fun to watch. I think my favorite person on it this season is Heather, she's hilarious to me.

Working on: DOING. Odd thing to be working on, but let me explain. So many times I see something I love, something that inspires me. Maybe it's a garden full of flowers, maybe it's a cooling tray full of freshly baked muffins. And I want to make or create or grow or do. But I don't. I mean sometimes I do, but overall, I kind of just admire and look and wish I was doing something...but then don't. It's like that whole thing we see all over the internet now, those articles about how we all spend our time pinning, but rarely doing. I want to DO! Pick a recipe or a flower to pot or a place to go, and just do it. I want Henry's world to be full of life, and in order to do that, I think it's important he sees me trying new things all the time. So do, I shall.

Loving: the sweet age of 2 and 1/2, strawberry jam on bran muffins, eating meals on the patio, these big springtime clouds, fresh peonies, happy news that Lucy rolled over for the first time, making plans with friends, Seattle next month, learning something new, toast and butter, and seeing friends succeed.

So, how about you? What are you up to today? Feel free to do your own "currently" post on your blog and link back in the comments for everyone to check out. And thanks again to my dear friend Megan for providing the original inspiration for these posts.

Henry, 19/52

"a portrait of my son, once a week, every week, in 2013" 

Henry: just a cool dude riding the monorail in Disneyland.

See previous portraits here.  
This is a part of the 52 Project from the Che and Fidel blog.

Mom.

My mother is many things, but when I became a Mom myself she became so much more. Like so much of life, you never realize what something is like until you truly experience it. Motherhood was this for me; I never truly understood what an amazing mother my own was until I actually became one. Looking back to our days in that yellow house, all I have are happy memories, pleasant images of moments that now feel like a dream. All I have are good things swirling around in my head, bobbing up to the front of my mind when I reach back to retrieve them. Grass and water and the sound of the wind through those huge oak trees. Happiness. And I know how rare this is. I know how rare it is to look back and only have seen good, experienced good, and I never take a second of this for granted. My mother managed to protect me, but at the same time she let me grow. She's always let me be me, the often opinionated and outspoken daughter who is prone to emotional moments and perpetual perfectionism. The daughter who, unlike her parents, chose to express herself through tattoos, but never found any judgment in her mother's eyes. Only acceptance.

Days like Mother's Day are emotional for me because I am well aware there is an hourglass perched high on the shelf, every day running through it. And there are only so many grains of sand, moments, hours, days. And when I'm feeling especially nostalgic, it breaks my heart to feel this, to know that my Mom won't always be here for me. She is my real-life Google, the person I call to ask the questions I should know the answers to. "How long do I keep this quiche in the oven for?" "How do I remove this grass stain?" She is my sounding board, my advice-giver, my calmer-down. And she is always there, putting me first, making sure everything is okay.

From her I've learned not only what it is to be a good mother, but what it is to be a good person. It's in the way she treated Mr. Jones at her former job at Roosevelt, the kind way she approaches others when they may be less than kind, the way she speaks to Henry and the patience she has always shown with the thousands of kids she's taught over the years.

From my Mom I've learned that a horrible diagnosis doesn't mean the end of happiness and that your environment doesn't have to dictate your perspective. I've learned that we are not our skin, that we are not our worst mistake. I've learned that joy is found is the simplest of things; a piece of dark chocolate, a rerun of your favorite show, a long walk along the boardwalk. But most of all, I've learned how to see myself through her loving eyes, which has been the greatest gift of all.

So Happy (early) Mother's Day to my wonderful Mom. You are truly my inspiration. I love you...this one's for you -

Weekend Links

How amazing is this shirt? Hatch for Kids sent us the neatest package, and this shirt was in it, along with one more Henry has been wearing on Disneyland this week (follow along with my over-gramming here). I was really impressed with the quality of their shirts- they're SO soft, and I love how many awesome designs they have. Seriously, check them out. We are lifetime Hatch fans now, and I can't wait to get Henry in some more of their creations.

Classic and cool for sure!

Enjoyed reading this story of Red Velvet's local boutique.

For Hank: 66 behind the scenes photos from The Empire Strikes Back.

DYING over this couch, and everything else.

Enjoying Tiny Buttons, a children's style blog.

"10 Unconventional Ways to Be True to Yourself."

Deal alert: get 15% off your purchase at Claret Handbags with code "sometimessweet15."

An interesting read: Female Purity is Bullshit.

A great video (well, two of them), over on Katie's blog. Such a neat concept.

I guest posted on my friend Lauren's blog this week as she spent more time with her newest addition.

One year away from the internet. It sounds scary, which probably means I SHOULD take some time off too! haha.

So sweet to be included in this post featuring Moms on Instagram.

Live in NYC? 23 signs you've lived there for too long. Ha!

My pal Carrie has taken on a new endeavor all about healthy living. Check it out here.

Wishlist: the cutest (and most fun!) summer dress, this necklace, and this dress too (only if it was a LOT cheaper...).

Did anyone actually read The Great Gatsby?

Love this Workout Wednesday series.

And speaking of working out, have you popped by The Fitnessista recently? One of my favorites.

10 ways to share the blog love. Great, positive post!

What are you most afraid of?

Such pretty photographs over on Little Maple Leaf.

Do you ever love a blog so much and wish they would post on the regular? Hint, hint Angela! ;)

And finally, the new Spilled Milk photos are up! This time the theme is "sleep." I'm really loving this blog.