Goodnight My Love

When I was a little girl my father used to sing me a lullaby before bed. He wasn't much of a singer, but there was no doubt his tunes were filled with love. I can still hear him singing.....

"Goodnight my love, pleasant dreams

Sleep tight, my love

May your tomorrow be sunny and bright

And bring you closer to me"

Just think I have a little girl to sing this song to now. I can hardly believe it.....life is good! :-) 

What tunes do you remember from your childhood? Do you sing to your kids?

"How long do you wanna be loved? Is forever enough? Is forever enough? How long do you wanna be loved? Cause I'm never, never givin' you up." ~Dixie Chicks

Project 333: Fall/Winter 2014 Wardrobe

As promised many weeks ago, here are my selections for PROJECT 333. I was able to narrow my fall/winter wardrobe down to 30 items. If you'll recall the rules of the challenge require you to have no more than 33 items for 3 months, so I've done a pretty good job of narrowing things down. I like that I have  room to purchase a few new (to me) items should the occasion arise. At first, I felt daunted by the task, but in the end it turned out to be not too hard. Plus, I can't tell you how absolutely great it feels to have a manageable wardrobe. I can easily fit all my clothes into two drawers and a small amount of closet space.....yay! From time to time I may update you on how I'm mixing and matching things to keep myself on track. What about you? Have you ever taken on simplifying your wardrobe?

This camel Ralph Lauren shirt is great. I thrifted it for only $6 (original price $295!). They are well made from very high-end cotton, and come in a variety of colors. If you want one you can find them heavily discounted on Ebay HERE.

This Talbots blazer is another $6 thrift find. I like it because it's a very versatile piece.

Anthropologie skirt $12 Ebay.

The two black purses were also great thrift finds at just a few bucks each.

I normally am not a hat person, but I'm trying to dress a little outside my comfort zone. For $3 a hat I figure I can afford to experiment.

I think this cashmere scarf is very pretty, plus it's super warm ($5).

New (to me) leather gloves $2.

"Over the years I have learned that what is important in a dress is the woman who is wearing it.” ~Yves Saint Laurent

Around Town: The Book Thing (FREE!)

One of my favorite Baltimore institutions hands down is THE BOOK THING. It's a wonderful concept that grew out of the hearts and minds of residents seeking to encourage more reading. The Book Thing is a non-profit that offers free books to all. You read that right, free books to all! It's sort of like a library with no due date. The store runs on the kindness of volunteers and donations made by the public.

Over the past year I've been a frequent patron and donator. I've used it to build an awesome free home library for the baby. Every time I visit I find at least one book or magazine that peeks my interest.

It would be an absolute shame to not check this place out. Be sure to bring your kiddos, they'll love it.

“Books are what you step on to take you to a higher shelf. The higher your stack of books, the higher the shelf you can reach. Want to reach higher? Stack some more books under your feet! Reading is what brings us to new knowledge. It opens new doors. It helps us understand mysteries. It lets us hear from successful people. Reading is what takes us down the road in our journey. Everything you need for a better future and success has already been written.”  ― Jim Rohn

What I Learned in October

1. Almond milk is a great sleep aide

Thanks to one of my favorite bloggers GAM, I decided to try some almond milk recently. I drank it warm and it was very tasty. Not only that, but I learned it's a great natural sleep aide. I slept like a baby after one cup.

2. New babies are a LOT of work

It really helps to have an active and supportive partner. I don't know what I would do without the hubs, or as I now call him these days  "Mr. Changes Poopy Diapers". Teamwork is a must!

3. Rasberry Leaf Tea and Prenatal Yoga work wonders

Both worked in tandem to prepare me for a quick and successful labor. I had my daughter in 2 hours and 14 mins. Rasberry leaf tea also helps to supply mothers with milk post-partum.

4. Sometimes it's OK to take it easy

Things have been so very hectic in my life this month. I have been attempting to do it all....keep a clean home, run errands, be there for the baby, cook, play hostess, and snap back to my old self among other things. All of this has back fired, and really shown me that sometimes you have to take it easy, and right after birth is one of those times. It's OK to delay doing dishes, sweeping, combing your hair, etc. I've learned the importance of just resting right now, when possible. And after much trepidation, I decided to hire a cleaning service the other day. I must say, it feels sooooo good to have things tidy now and have more time for the baby. I might keep them around for a few months :-)

5. Kindness abounds

Over the past month our new little family has been shown so much kindness, from family and friends who've cooked and brought us meals, to loved ones who've generously showered us with unexpected baby gifts. We were even given the gift of a handmade baby hat from a stranger. I've been truly floored by the extent to which kindness exists in our lives, we are very lucky.

What did you learn last month?