July is a big month for birthdays in our family. Two weeks ago, Levi celebrated his 4th birthday with a backyard adventure party, and today’s my husband’s special day! In honor of his birthday, I thought I’d share an easy way to decorate a store-bought cake because — let’s be real — some of us don’t have the time, interest, or culinary skills to bake a homemade cake… READ MORE!
When I was growing up, my mom kept track of meetings, appointments, and birthdays in a slender datebook (always secured with rubber band), plus a monthly calendar mounted inside a kitchen cabinet.
My mom now relies on her iPhone calendar when she’s out and about, but she still transcribes everything onto a master monthly calendar hanging in the kitchen. Quickly, she can see when my grandmother’s next doctor appointment is scheduled, when my dad is headed out of town on business, or when she needs to babysit my nephew in New York City.
I log my own appointments, as well important dates and times for Levi and Asa, in my iPhone calendar, but our lives are starting to get hectic enough that I think we’d benefit a monthly calendar hanging in our kitchen, too.
I’d like a wall calendar large enough to record everything — birthday parties, doctor appointments, play dates, school functions, vacations, etc. Since I don’t always remember to look ahead in my iPhone calendar to see what’s coming up, a paper calendar would easily allow me take in the whole month at a glance.
Last week, I popped into PaperSource to check out their selection of “academic calendars” — calendars that begin in August and end in December the following year. Below are a few of my favorites from their selection of 2015-2016 monthly calendars. Which one do you like the best?
1. Brush Script Calendar 2. Chalkboard Calendar 3. Great Big Calendar 4. Paint Chip Calendar 5. Gold Foil Watercolor Calendar 6. Gold Foil Blotter Calendar
How do you keep track of your family’s daily schedules? Are you a digital- or paper-calendar person?
PS – That time I tried keeping a Bullet Journal.
This weekend’s link roundup includes a pair of reviews for a New York Times best-selling book, a ukulele lesson, a cute summer dress (on sale!), and more.… READ MORE!
Shortly after we moved into our Omaha house — so back in 2008 — Jordan and I drove up to Minneapolis for the day. We didn’t head into the city or even the Mall of America. The sole purpose of our trip was to stock up on furniture and decor at IKEA.
Among the bookcases and the dressers and the bar stools we brought home that day was a large white coffee table with metal legs. The rectangular piece was the perfect height for us to rest our feet while relaxing on the sofa, and its shelf offered storage for random magazines and (let’s be honest) clutter.
The IKEA coffee table anchored our living room for almost four years, until its sharp corners seemed a safety hazard when Levi was first learning how to walk. So we replaced it with an oversize leather ottoman that, truthfully, I hated. Although it was described as “ivory” online, it was definitely a yellowy beige in person and didn’t offer enough of contrast with our wheat-colored couches. There was nothing modern-looking about the combination at all.
For whatever reason, however, we couldn’t return the leather ottoman (and didn’t want to buy a new coffee table), so I lived with it. Besides, it was the safer choice for Levi. But when we sold our Omaha house and the new owners expressed interest in the ottoman, I jumped at the chance to sell it!
That old rectangular coffee table, which had been previously relegated to the basement playroom, has reclaimed its rightful spot in the center of our Washington, DC living room. Unfortunately, the table is simply too large for our now-smaller sitting area.
To replace it, I’m considering a clear acrylic coffee table. I love that this type of table, known as a waterfall table, has kid-friendly rounded edges and a see-through design that’ll take up much less visual real estate — perfect for a small space like ours.
Oh, and the old IKEA table? It’ll head back to the basement, which — at some point — will become a guest room/office/play room.
Where do you fall on the coffee table continuum: Standard table, pouf/ottoman, or nothing at all?
PS: A tour of Levi’s nursery and his big boy bedroom.
For better or worse, jealousy is a topic I keep coming back to on this blog. I’ve revealed my jealousy triggers and shared advice from some of my favorite bloggers on how they deal with jealousy.
Today, I’d like to chat a little bit about how I tame the green-eyed monster when he dares to show his ugly face — which, if we’re being completely honest, happens more frequently than I would like… READ MORE!
