The Homesteady

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Reading: Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver [affiliate link]. I quite like it. Not so much the trick she's doing with the last sentence of a chapter also being the title of the next chapter, but rather because I love her writing. It's so rich. I re-read The Poisonwood Bible [affiliate link] every few years. 

Listening to: My regular favorite podcasts have felt, suddenly, far too violent and upsetting to listen to. My therapist said it's because my mind is preoccupied with Miles, who is in such a vulnerable stage of his life, and that my aversion to topics I once couldn't get enough of is probably only temporary. So true crime is off the table, at least for the next little while. Instead I'm listening to This American Life and Radiolab in the car, and '80s pop on Pandora at work.

Making: The entirety of my creative energy is being taken up now by one big, challenging, lovely knitting project. I'm one-third finished, and I'll share it here soon but I can't now because it's a gift for a dear friend and I want it to remain a surprise.

Watching: All the "Schitt's Creek" we can get our hands on. The original "Charmed." Godzilla (1998), which you are probably not surprised to learn really does not hold up well. The new season of "Queer Eye," of course, but only one episode every few days to make it last longer. 

Planning: To sit on some couches at Ikea this weekend. I'm fancying this one and this one (although I'm feeling a bit skeptical about only one armrest!). Other than that, to be outside as much as we can bear! Happily, the picture above is a few weeks old, and the backyard is no longer covered in snow. We've made it a habit to turn Miles out for a quick postprandial frolic in the yard before bedtime each night, giving him space to craft his own uninterrupted outdoors play. I try to stay out of it while he selects a stick to clutch while marching around, to see how far he can get up the steps of his slide without my help (which, obviously, he gets in spades when wanted). "He's figuring it out," Kristie whispers to me and we watch our child negotiate his way through wildhood. We fold our arms and speculate on which new little behaviors are borrowed from his peers at daycare, and he calls to the neighbor's dog, leashed in the next yard. The fresh air is doing us all good. 

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Reading: No Time to Lose: A Life Spent in Pursuit of Deadly Viruses [affiliate link]. Our library will on occasion very endearingly invite patrons to comment on a Facebook post with a book that they liked, and a librarian will, within an hour or two, respond with recommendations based on that title. I left Rabid: A Cultural History of the World's Most Diabolical Virus [affiliate link], and received three new titles that essentially make up my summer reading list. Something about the beach calls for fiction, though, so I borrowed Small Great Things [affiliate link] in e-book form for a trip we're taking this week.

Grateful for: A post-bedtime babysitting swap we've struck up with the neighbors across the street. Sparkling rosé (in a can!). The few minutes longer the baby sleeps each morning after a few weeks of rising with the sun at 5; we're slowly inching toward a wake-up time of 7 a.m., but 6:15 this morning felt so indulgent and delicious. The CVS Minute Clinic (not so grateful for a hint of strep, right before vacation). Friends and bosses and wives willing to go to the mattresses for me. A good weekend.

Eating: Potato leek soup. (Miles likes it, too.)

Watching: Wild, Wild Country, the Netflix docuseries about controversial Indian guru Bhagwan Rajneesh and his community of followers in Oregon in the 1970s-80s. I watch it in pieces (post-bedtime, pre-Kristie ready to settle in and choose something together; while taking a bath; over the baby's shoulder – subtitles on – as he naps in my arms) and have become totally hooked. I almost bailed after part one (mostly scene-setting – so crucial to storytelling, but alas, sometimes boring!), but I'm very glad I didn't.

Following: The rescue attempts of the boys' soccer team trapped in a cave in Thailand. I'm listening to NPR so hopefully. I think my soul is desperate for good news. Are you following too?  

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Currently, I'm...

Getting back to: Work! And I'm having mixed feelings about it, not surprisingly. I'm thrilled to be back with coworkers I adore, doing work I enjoy and am good at. There's no doubt I've done the right thing for myself and for our family by going back. But I miss Miles when I'm at the office. I miss him so much it feels like someone is sitting on my chest. And when I'm home and we adhere to each other like magnets, that weight lifts a little. But even after two days back, there are tiny things I've missed – extra smiles, his cues evolving, new likes and dislikes emerging. So I'm soaking up all the time I can with him on weekends and during bedtime and at 4 o'clock in the morning, and trying my best to be okay with however I feel in the moment. It's all normal. It's growing pains.

And back to blogging, obviously! I'll write a new DIY as soon as I think of something to make :) 

Watching: "Grace & Frankie." We're on season 2. So good! I'm also re-watching "30 Rock" while nursing and during naps.

Listening to: Mostly podcasts – Atlanta Monster and Stuff You Missed in History Class. Sam Cook radio on Pandora every night for our pre-bathtime family dance party.

Grateful for: This hands-free breast pump (and this bag to keep it in). Kristie's patience. The fact that Miles refuses to nap anywhere but our arms. Stumbling across this quote in a months-old issue of Real Simple at the most perfect time: "Love and work are the cornerstones of our humanness." – Sigmund Freud

Trying: Blue light filtering glasses, since I spend so much time staring at a screen. I'm hoping they'll help with occasional headaches, plus blurriness and dryness. 

Planning: To go to the gym during my lunch break...eventually. What kind of French macarons to make next (it'll be my first batch since the baby was born). To go for a walk tomorrow.

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Making: It's really all baby projects, all the time over here. I have a fun knitting pattern I'm finishing up to share maybe next week. Also fixed a broken snap on a pair of red newborn jammies my brother and sister and I all wore when we were tiny. And happily curating a list of sewing and knitting patterns to tackle before our son's arrival in November. 

Daydreaming: About fall (Phoebe harvested a delicious turtleneck sweater for me from a Madewell sample sale and now I can't wait). Paris. A family vacation to the Cape next week. Meeting my baby. Making Cheez-Its.

Reading: Just finished Happiest Baby on the Block and Rabid: A Cultural History of the World's Most Diabolical Virus (really liked this one). Currently reading Dark Matter.

Eating: Homemade gluten-free bagels. Honeycrisp apples. An ice cream flavor at Herrell's called Happy Couple (it's vanilla ice cream with toffee and Reese's cups, and only available sporadically).

Planning: Christmas gifts (how peaceful and lovely would it be to have them all purchased, made, and wrapped by the time baby boy makes his arrival?). The packing list for next week's trip. Our baby registry. When and how to start saving for college.

Listening to: My Favorite Murder. Regina Spektor. Here to Make Friends (a good Bachelor/ette recap podcast with a feminist twist).

Watching: Old episodes of "Charmed," all on Netflix. "World of Dance," which makes me cry every episode (thank you, hormones). "The Bachelorette," for the very first time. Past seasons of "The Great British Baking Show," the vocabulary of which is slowly creeping into our everyday lives. "I think I may have overproved the bagels," I said to Kristie last night, trying to channel Paul's squint.

Sleeping: With earplugs, three pillows, an air conditioner, and a fan.

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Currently, I'm...

Knitting myself a sweater (but not the one in this picture. I didn't like how it was turning out, so I started over with this pattern.)

Challenging myself to save $3,000 in one year for a really exciting trip we want to pay for in cash. Thinking about maybe getting a holiday season part-time job...but loving the balance I have now.

Working on Christmas presents.

Sleeping poorly which *might* have *something* to do with trying to watch as many scary movies as we can this fall.

Daydreaming about opening a feminist book/gift/crafting store that also sells French macarons. I think I'd call it "Daughters." 

Watching the final season of "Downton Abbey" and therefore drinking lots of tea. I go back and forth between "Downton Abbey" and "Broadchurch," so my inner monologue is in a British accent basically all the time now.  

Appreciating a new physical therapist who's working wonders with my chronic sprained ankle.

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Celebrating: I spent like 8 hours last Sunday sewing blackout curtains for our bedroom – they are such a game changer (tutorial here). Other happy things: Regular acupuncture. New records. Betty Who radio on Pandora. SPRING IS COMING!!!

Working on: Making my hair grow faster.

Reading: Way too many books at once! Pride & Prejudice, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, The Feminist Utopia Project (which I highly recommend), The Revenant (honestly not a huge fan), The Price of Salt, A Room of One's Own, The Lost City of Z (a perennial favorite). Say it with me: HANNAH, NO NEW BOOKS! (At least until I finish one of these.)

Inspired by: Participating in the Vagina Monologues at work last week. Attending Viola Davis' talk at Smith last night. 

Frustrated by: Waiting. 

Reminding myself: Libraries exist. 

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I can't believe it's been seven months since I've written a post like this. But it's kind of telling, don't you think? Summer is usually the busiest time in my life, between regular work commitments, weddings, and travel. All beautiful, wonderful things! Lots of moving parts, but it's fun to ride out even when it gets a little stressful. 

Currently, I'm...

Listening to: Bands like the Heartless Bastards, the Detroit Cobras, and the Duke Spirit. Very fitting for the speed of life lately ;)

Watching: I'm really into binge-watching old seasons of crime shows right now, like "CSI" and "Law & Order: SVU." It's easy to get things done while half-paying-attention. I'm also working my way through "Gilmore Girls" for the first time since I was like 14, and re-watching BBC's "Sherlock."

Reading: The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan, balanced out by a box full of really cheesy and terrible "medical thrillers" from the '90s, a gift from Kristie's grandma. 

Grateful for: My brother and sister. Kristie's willingness to embark on adventures with me. New opportunities. My standing desk.

Looking forward to: Getting my tattoo redone. I've been planning it for ages, and I finally know what I want...now to figure out how to afford it! It's hard to put a hundred dollars or more into something that's not strictly necessary, you know? I'm hoping to get it done before my 10-year high school reunion in August, so...we'll see. 

Reminding myself: To exercise, duh. To focus on controlling what I can control, and being okay with the rest. 

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Kristie did not actually turn 331 over the weekend -- she's 34. My family has an amusing lack of birthday candles, so they rely on implied math instead.

Currently, I'm...

Listening to: "Serial," of course! If you haven't gotten into this podcast yet, put aside some time for it this winter. You can listen to it from the very beginning here. Make sure you start with episode one! (Oh yes, and plenty of Christmas carols :)

Watching: Last week we finished watching season two of "Orphan Black" -- wowowow. This show is amazing. My brother watched it with Kristie and I. He broke his foot two weeks ago and stayed with us for awhile after having surgery while he recovered. His ER nurse couldn't recommend it highly enough, and the three of us gobbled it up while he was stuck on the couch. It's on Amazon Prime. 

Grateful for: The heat in our house. It went out for a few hours last week (on what was pretty much the coldest day we've had so far) and while our landlord was busy fixing the breaker, we were reminded how lucky we are to have a warm home. Also feeling thankful for: stress-relieving shower bombs that smell like grapefruit, the awesome success one of my favorite organizations had on Valley Gives Day (they beat their goal of raising $5,000!), slow mornings, the fact that my wife was born.

Frustrated by: How early it's been getting dark lately. I've always struggled a bit with Seasonal Affective Disorder, and it isn't that bad yet this year, thankfully. But trying to take good pictures for this blog after I get home from work is a pain in the butt! 

Reminding myself: To exercise regularly. 

Looking forward to: Christmas at my parents' house. Baking a double batch of French macarons for my work party next week. When all the students leave for winter break so I can come to work in a sweatshirt ;) The lull between Christmas and New Year's Eve. (Looking way forward to) reading Ernest Hemingway at a café in Paris.

Planning: What I'm going to work on instead of Christmas presents once the holiday is over. I think I'm going to try a lot more sewing! Basically everything on this list. (I know, ambitious much?)

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On my nightstand: Inspiration, and my new favorite bowl from my online friend Amy

Currently, I'm...

Watching: Scream. Ha! Seriously, my brother and Kristie and I watched it last night. I think we're starting to get in the Halloween mood over here. We also canceled cable recently and bought a Roku to stream Netflix and Hulu, and I have to say, I really like how much more intentional it's made us about what we watch. We tend not to turn on the TV for background noise anymore. Plus "Criminal Minds" is on Netflix sooo...

Reading: I've been bingeing on books lately -- canceling cable means I now read for 45 minutes or so every night before bed. I sped through three Dan Brown novels, #GIRLBOSS, Into the Wild, The Psychopath Test, and maybe one or two more that I can't remember. I'm also in the middle of The Book Thief, The Anti 9-to-5 Guide: Practical Career Advice for Women Who Think Outside the Cube, and Gone Girl. I wanted to read Gone Girl in book form, but for some reason could never get into it. I tried twice, and then downloaded it as an audiobook (I have a 40-minute commute). I'm totally into it, and just over halfway through! Holy plot twists...

Thinking about: Dividing my attention. I've started working part-time on the weekends as an event coordinator at a local wedding venue. I love it so completely, but it's draining and super time consuming. It cuts into...well, everything. Writing this blog, doing laundry, relaxing. I like the busy-ness because it reminds me of being in college, when I really thrived with very little downtime, but I want to make sure I'm tending all parts of my life. The weekend gigs will, of course, wind down in winter when fewer weddings take place, but until then, my weekends all the way up until November are pretty booked. I'm half excited, half wondering what I was thinking when I said yes!

Making me happy: It's felt cold(er) here the past few days, which has translated into: yummy layers, hot chocolate, fleece-lined tights, outdoor runs with Samson, autumn-y decorations all over the house, blankets on blankets on blankets, and working on my Christmas gift spreadsheet (not even kidding). I'm doing all homemade gifts this year, so wanted to get a nice, early start. Other things making me happy: Parking my car differently, this Twitter account, my birthday coming up on the 30th, chamomile tea, people asking me to video their weddings (!).

Looking forward to: My birthday of course, but also the day after, which I'm taking off from my day job to sit in a coffee shop all day and work on my own projects. 

This series inspired by Danni.

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Currently

Katy and I gave stenciling a try a few weeks ago

This is what my craft room looks like, except usually even worse.

Currently, I'm...

Watching: "Call the Midwife" on Netflix. I love the aesthetic of the show -- hair, clothes, etc. -- almost as much as the moving storylines. 

Reading: I just finished Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. It was...okay. (I liked the movie better.) Next I want to read The Book Thief or Into the Wild. 

Thinking about: Everything. Can that be an answer? All the things I want to make. How busy work has gotten. Growing out my hair. How to make more money, how to do what I love, and whether or not those two can ever intersect. The importance of taking my time rather than quickly saying "yes" to something. How warmer weather gives me more energy. Being mindful about what I ask of myself. Balance. Sewing. Mosquitos.

Making me happy: Going to the gym more often. A trusty planner and a new wedding ring. The heat of the day and the cool of the night (thanks to the air conditioners we installed yesterday). Afternoon walks with Samson. Cooking with the kitchen windows open. Editing videos. 

Looking forward to: Using our fire pit in the backyard. Our favorite farm stand opening in July. More opportunities to build event-planning and cinematography experience. Weekend trips all over the place. Trying my hand at a few sewing projects this weekend (while watching "Call the Midwife" of course). 

This series inspired by Danni.

*Affiliate links are used in this post, meaning if you use the link and make a purchase, I may make a small commission.