Joseph and Dominic - November 2016

1. Things continue to be busy here with a toddler and an infant, but we’re falling into a little bit more of a routine. Although, that quasi-routine is constantly upended by an 8-week old who most days prefers to only nap for 30 minutes in his crib, and would rather be held or snuggled up in a wrap. I remember going through phases like that with Joseph (in his case, he only liked napping in his swing!) and thinking that he would NEVER sleep in his crib and I would NEVER be able to get anything done around the house… this time around, I have the good fortune of the memory that these things are short-lived and to just enjoy each day as much as possible. I really can’t complain, though – Dominic has been sleeping for 6 to 8 hour stretches at night for the last two weeks, which is AMAZING. I’m finally feeling rested again!

Plus, I’m officially cleared from my doctor – I can lift Joseph again, my incision is completely healed… getting back to normal :)

2. I’m currently at the tail end of my maternity leave, which means I’ll be getting back into the kitchen on a more regular basis in a couple of weeks. Tell me about the recipes you’re hoping to see in the new year!

3. You may remember that a couple of weeks ago I shared some crazy stories that made us think that perhaps Einstein was still hanging around with us. Well, since then, Joseph received a puzzle that, when you move pieces, it makes sounds (this one). For nearly two weeks, every single morning, with us being nowhere near the puzzle, one of the sounds go off. The dogs would always get fed at 7:45 in the morning, and Einstein would ALWAYS start begging way earlier than that. This puzzle has gone off between 7:25 and 7:45 every.single.morning. My husband did some reading about how those puzzles can tend to go off on their own because of the magnets, but this is the ONLY time it makes noise on its own. So crazy!

4. This story about Colette’s cookie business is so incredibly heartwarming. It looks like you can order cookies online, too!

5. We haven’t really chatted since the holiday – if you’re in the U.S., how was your Thanksgiving? Tell me about the best thing you ate! We had such a great day at home with lots of family; I shared a ton of photos in my Thanksgiving photo diary if you’d like to take a peek :)

6. Did you do any Black Friday or Cyber Monday shopping? I haven’t done a lick of Christmas shopping yet, which means I really need to get my butt in gear getting organized!

7. Thanks so much to everyone for your feedback on the new site design! It’s been a long time coming, and we’re still doing a little fine-tuning, so please bear with me if things look a little funky for another day or two – I appreciate your patience! :)

8. What’s on your holiday baking list this year? I’m planning to make my peppermint bark today so I can nibble on that for the next few weeks – my one must have each year!

9. We don’t have a lot on our DVR right now, so tell me all about your must-watch holiday movies and shows!

10. TGIF! I hope you have a bright and merry weekend!

Duke - November 2016