Currently | May 2017

I'm baaaaaack! It's been nearly a month since I've posted here, and almost two months since my last Currently post. So much for making it a monthly occurrence! I've been quite busy lately and making some lifestyle changes, which has led to less face time with my ol' computer and even less time for blogging. I've missed this space, though, and I'm hoping to get back here regularly. What better way to get back into the swing of things than a Currently post? Here's what I've been up to lately.

Needing |  To get crack-a-lackin' on the kids' birthday party details. The party is on the 20th. Today's the 9th. I've done next to nothing. I think I'm in denial that I'm going to have a 3-year-old and a 1-year-old next week. NEXT WEEK! 

Loving |  Working out every day. I never thought I'd ever say that before, but it's become a necessary part of my day. Some days it's been tough to fit it in, but I haven't missed a day since I started my first round of 21 Day Fix on April 3. I'm even squeezing in a second workout each day this week! I was successful yesterday and today; let's see if I can stick to it the rest of the week! I think it helps that I don't mind wearing workout clothes all day, and it's also not the end of the world if I can't get a shower immediately after working out (except after cardio...I earn that shower after cardio!)

Giggling |  At my kiddos. Max is so cute with his imaginative play. He takes a bunch of stuffed animals and lines them up on a blanket, then makes them talk to each other, complete with different voices. Or he'll pile a bunch of stuff on the couch (I don't particularly love this activity), cover it with a blanket, and then sit on top of it, saying he's The Grinch (he's currently obsessed with the old cartoon version and wants to watch it every night). Louisa is cruising everywhere and giving big cheesy grins whenever you catch her eye. She's all over the place, and her new favorite thing is the dishwasher.

Photoshoots are rarely successful these days. They're always cute, though.

Listening |  All the John Mayer. He gets me through my chores. He's an old fave of mine; I went to at least two of his concerts in high school and college. He'll always hold a special place in my heart. Plus, his lyrics and guitar skills are amaze.

Reading |  The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Annie Barrows and Mary Ann Shaffer. A friend lent it to me years ago and I'm finally reading it. It's really good! I'm not a big history buff, but I really enjoy reading books about World War II. This one takes place shortly after the war, and it recounts people's experiences during the German Occupation. I'm loving it.

Watching |  Last weekend, Victor and I watched Manchester by the Sea on Amazon Prime. It was really good! Quite sad/melancholy, but such a good film. Highly recommend it. We also watched Gleason (also on Amazon), a documentary about a former NFL player who is living with ALS. Very inspiring. And last night I watched the series finale episode of Parenthood on Netflix (I've been watching the entire series over the course of the past couple of months...this was my third time. I love it so much!). That final episode, guys. I'm pretty sure I cried through the entire thing. I said it after it aired on NBC and I'll say it again: they wrapped up that show so beautifully...although I wouldn't be opposed to it returning sometime. Also, Zeek Braverman is starting to remind me of my dad, and I'm convinced that if my dad were still with us, he'd be the kind of grandfather Zeek was. Pass the tissues, please!

Sipping |  Two coffees each day. And water. I'm trying to drink at least 100 oz per day. Some days I make it, most days I don't. I'd probably have more luck if I dropped one of those coffees...nah. There's water in coffee, anyway. ;o)

Cooking |  Lots of veggies and lean proteins and zero junk. My 21 Day Fix meal plan is a bit of a change from what I'm used to, but I'm enjoying it.

Cringing |  At the enormous gray hair that fell out of my head the other day. I know I have grays. I didn't know they were that long. Holy moly.

Dreaming |  Of having a house that is organized and clutter-free. Is this possible with two small kids? We have way too much stuff! And toys are STILL everywhere, even after I did a toy purge a few weeks ago! We're in trouble after this birthday party...although I think I'm going to implement a "one in, one out" policy: they have to get rid of one toy for every toy they receive.

Celebrating | Mother's Day this weekend. Max's 3rd birthday on the 17th. Louisa's 1st birthday on the 19th. And their combined birthday party on the 20th. Lots of cake to be consumed!

Hoping |  Louisa's top teeth come in soon. For Pete's sake, it seems like she's been teething for months. If a new tooth doesn't pop out in the next week, she's going to turn one with only two teeth in her bitty mouth! That's crazy to me! Max had 8 teeth by the time he turned one!

Wondering |  If Max will come around to potty training soon. He was doing really well and then regressed big time. Now he's saying he'll use the potty when he's three. One of my friends told me that her greatest life accomplishment was potty training her son (this above earning two Bachelors' degrees, teaching first grade, getting married, and giving birth to three kids). I might feel the same way once Max is finally out of diapers!

I hope you're having a wonderful week!

Currently | March 2017

It's time for another Currently post! I can't think of a better way to get back into the blogging swing of things...it's been a while!

Needing | To clean my floors. Louisa's crawling everywhere and the state of the knees of her pants at the end of the day are indicative of how badly my hardwood needs a bath. Don't judge.

Loving | That Max is so excited about going to school. Last Friday, he had me pack his lunch in his lunch box so he could practice for school. Then yesterday he loaded a bunch of instruments into his backpack and waited by the front door, saying, "Fool bus, where are vou?" Never mind the fact that it was 5 PM...or that it was a snow day...or that he will be walked or driven to school...or that he won't even start school until September. He's ready NOW!

Giggling | Over Max's pose after Louisa got her newest set of passport photos taken on Monday (I had them taken back when she was just a couple of months old, but then we never applied for her passport, so we needed to take new ones). I had to have my foot on the stool and have Louisa sit on my leg to get a good photo, so Max thought that was the way everyone got their photo taken there. Too cute.

Louisa was about 2 months old on the left and nearly 10 months old on the right!

Wanting | New couches! We have leather-ish reclining couches right now, and while I love how easy they are to clean (just a quick wipe down does the trick!), I think they're ugly. One of the recliners on the big couch is broken, so we're looking into getting it fixed, and if that doesn't work, we might replace everything. I'm thinking something like this or this. I just have to convince Victor to get non-reclining couches. And that hasn't been going so well.

Listening | On Sunday while Louisa was napping, Max, Victor, and I hung out in our home office and watched Michael Jackson music videos on YouTube. Max loves "Beat It" and pretty much any other song that has a great dancing beat. He's even starting to sing along to the song!

Reading | I just finished All Fall Down by Jennifer Weiner last night. It was okay; I've enjoyed other books by Jennifer Weiner more. I started reading Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain, and it's already got me intrigued. I always try to update what I'm reading and what I've read on Goodreads, so find me there if you want to follow along!

Watching | I watched the finale of This Is Us last night. There were tears. I'm so glad it's on for at least two more seasons! Victor and I watched Mike Birbiglia's latest comedy special, "Thank God for Jokes" on Netflix last weekend. I thought it was hilarious. I've always loved his stand-up. 

Sipping | All the coffee. Louisa's sleep has been awful lately, so I've been downing the caffeine. I also bought a bottle of watermelon wine for the snowstorm and had instant heartburn after just a few sips. So much for trying to let loose lol

Cooking | I made spaghetti for dinner last night, which Max refused to eat. He's refused it the last several times I've made it, which is discouraging because the kid used to put down two plates full in one sitting before. I also made Astleigh Hill's Shepherd's Pie on Sunday (highly recommend) and for St. Patrick's Day, I'm making baked fish and chips from the Skinnytaste Fast and Slow cookbook. A week of good eats!

Look at that enthusiasm. This was taken exactly a year ago yesterday, March 14, 2016.

Dreaming | Of Louisa only waking once throughout the night. Lately she's been waking up screaming 4-5 times. I'm wondering if she's about to cut another tooth, although I don't see any evidence of one popping through. Hopefully this terrible sleep phase ends soon.

Celebrating | The kids' birthdays in May, which means it's time to start party planning! I want to do a joint birthday party with a puppy theme because #crowdpleaser, but Max keeps saying he wants a dinosaur party with a dinosaur cake. I keep trying to convince him that a puppy party will be more fun, but he isn't buying it yet.

Swooning | Over everything Joanna Gaines touches. The kids and I watched a few episodes of Fixer Upper yesterday, and I've decided that Jojo just needs to come and work her magic on this house of mine. Seriously, Jo, take all my money and make my house beautiful, please and thank you.

Going | Nowhere notable in the foreseeable future, and I'm totally okay with that. I need to get this house in order and get my kid potty-trained, so staying close to home is exactly what we need!

Amazed | At how much Louisa is changing and learning lately. When we went to Arizona on March 1, she was crawling at a snail's pace. While we were on vacation, she learned how to sit herself back on her bottom from crawling, and she started pulling up on low-lying surfaces. Now she's a super-speedy crawler, and if you try to sit her down on the floor, she'll refuse to bend at the hip and instead tries to take steps while you support her. She's also becoming very independent and loves to crawl to find whatever strikes her fancy at the moment. I can't believe she'll be one in just a few short months!

She found Supergirl in a sea of Ninja Turtles and other superhero guys.

Hoping | This snow melts and the trees start blooming again. After having late-spring-like weather at the end of February and spending a week in Arizona at the beginning of this month, I am SO over winter!

Wondering | Which of my neighbors received my latest shipment of Chatbooks, because despite what the tracking info says, it most certainly was not delivered to my mailbox on Saturday. We get other people's mail at our house all the time, more here than anywhere else I've lived (which leads me to believe it's an issue with mail sorting at our post office/our mail carrier), and it's super frustrating. Hopefully I can track them down. I've already been in touch with Chatbooks and they're being super helpful, but I think the USPS needs to take the fall for this one. Or maybe whoever received the package by mistake can get it to me soon. Is that having too much faith in humanity? I mean, what random person wants 5 books full of photos of my family?

Hope you're having a warm, wonderful week!

Currently | February 2017

I'm back with another Currently post! I mentioned last month that I wanted to make this a monthly occurrence, and so far, I'm sticking with that goal!

Needing | A mani/pedi. If you saw my Instagram story last night, you know that I attempted to paint my nails after the kids went to bed, only to ruin them nearly immediately. I took all the polish off this morning. I think I'll treat myself to a professional one in the next week or so.

Wanting | To decorate upstairs in our house. We've done a pretty good job decorating the main level and basement of our house, I think since those are the levels that most people see. But upstairs is bland and boring. The only areas that have decorations are Max's room, Louisa's room, and the guest room that my sister stayed in when she lived with us last summer. We have nothing on the walls in the hallway or in our master bedroom. I've been collecting frames and other items to make a few gallery walls, but nothing has come to fruition yet. Hopefully soon!

Loving | That Louisa seems to have come out of her sleep regression and is back to only waking once to nurse overnight. Of course, now that I'm bragging about it, she'll probably start sleeping crappily again just to spite me lol

Listening | Most recently, we've been listening to a lot of the Toddler station on Pandora. It's full of Disney songs, which is amazing.

Reading | I finished First Comes Love by Emily Giffin last month. It was a pretty good read, so I'd recommend it. I also just finished The Magnolia Story by Chip and Joanna Gaines. I just love those two. Their story and relationship is so inspiring. I'm currently reading The Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlain. I've never read one of her books, but my sister loves the author and just lent me a bunch of her books, so I'm getting started on the pile. So far, so good!

Watching | I went down the rabbit hole of watching Parenthood on Netflix again, and now I can't stop. This is my third time watching the entire series (I think...maybe the 4th). It's just so good. I love the Bravermans. I'm also watching This Is Us on Tuesdays. For some reason, I don't cry often when I watch TIU despite the often heavy plot lines, but I always cry watching Parenthood. 

Sipping | Coffee and water. B O R I N G. Sometimes I'll have Sprite with a splash of grenadine (Shirley Temple, anyone?!) Also, this was my answer last month. I'll say it again: B O R I N G !

Cooking | Chrissy Teigen's Pot Pie Soup (I shared an article with the recipe on my blog Facebook page yesterday). OMG it's so good. I made it Wednesday night for dinner and I've had it for lunch the past two days. Make it before the weather warms up! It's savory and scrumptious!

Dreaming | Of spring and summer. The weather here in Maryland has been all kinds of wonky lately. It goes from highs in the 60s to highs of 30s with crazy winds at the drop of a hat. We're getting more spring-like weather this weekend, which we'll enjoy hopefully with a family walk to Starbucks and some backyard adventures. I just want the warm weather to stick around, though. My sinuses don't appreciate the back-and-forth nonsense.

Celebrating | We're getting close to a whirlwind three months of birthdays for our family. My father-in-law at the end of March; my sister-in-law, brother-in-law, and hubby in April; my dad (in heaven), Max, and Louisa in May. We're going to be eating so much cake! Gonna rest up now in preparation lol

Swooning | Over my Chatbooks! I've heard friends gush about this service, so I had to check it out for myself. I've already done all the work chronicling my life on Instagram, so I love that Chatbooks picks up where I left off and puts all my photos in a book! I'm playing catch-up and going back into my Instagram archives, receiving 5 books per month until I'm up-to-date. I just received my second shipment of 5 books, and I'm in love! The app is super user-friendly, too. If you love to share photos on social media but never do anything with them afterward (like me), check out Chatbooks! (I shared my affiliate link, which will get you your first Chatbook FREE!)

Going | To Arizona in less than two weeks! I have so much laundry and packing to do! And I need to mentally prepare to fly by myself with both kids...just to Indianapolis, where my sister will meet up with us and then fly the rest of the way to Phoenix. I'm so excited. Arizona is one of my most favorite places ever.

Amazed | At how quickly laundry piles up. I have so much laundry to do. And ironing. I hate ironing.

Hoping | To take a little nap this afternoon during the kids' naps. A little midday snooze is always a good idea.

Dreading | Potty training. We've dabbled in the act here and there, but after Arizona I'm kicking it into high gear. Any tips? Best practices? Words of encouragement?

Wondering | How long the clothes will sit in the dryer before I fold them.

Have a great weekend!

Currently | January 2017

Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day! I hope you're enjoying a day off of school or work and are honoring the incredible man to whom we dedicate this day through service or a promise to live with love. There are lots of famous MLK quotes floating around social media today, and my favorite is:

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We had a very productive and rejuvenating weekend here at home. Instead of posting a weekend recap, I thought I'd do a little Currently post. I'm hoping to make these a monthly post for 2017; in the past, I've been terrible about doing these consistently. Case in point: my last one was in July of 2016!

Pondering | The design for my DIY winter wreath. I have a fall one, a Christmas one, a spring one, and a summer one (or maybe the spring and summer ones are the same...I can't remember) but I don't have a dedicated winter one. Perhaps in a year or so I'll make a wreath for every holiday (Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, 4th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving), but right now, I'm just working on seasonal ones. I'm thinking some winter white with pops of cranberry and/or navy. 

Needing | To get back to eating healthy again. I would like to lose a few pounds, but I've plateaued. While I'm still able to fit into and wear my jeans, they're getting a bit too snug (I may have overindulged when it came to holiday eating), and I'd like to be comfortable in my clothes again. So I stocked my fridge and pantry with fruits, veggies, and other healthy goodies, and with a little food prep, I think I'll be good to go!

Wanting | A new rug and some art to complete our living room. We bought a few new throw pillows at Home Goods and TJ Maxx, and now we need to decide which to send down to the basement because I think six pillows might be a little excessive...

Red oriental rug has to go

Loving | Victor and I received a "My Quotable Kid" book for Christmas, and it very well might be my most favorite gift I received. We're currently filling it with "Max-speak" quotes (which will soon be coming to an end as he's going to be receiving speech therapy services soon), but I know we'll be able to fill them with some zingers as he gets older, and then once Louisa starts talking, the fun will be tremendous!

Listening | I've been loving Shawn Mendes' CD Illuminate lately. I can also be seen dancing to Bruno Mars' 24K Magic and John Legend's Darkness and Light in my car on the reg. These talented gentlemen are giving me LIFE these days!

Reading | I just began reading First Comes Love by Emily Giffin last night. I'm 3 chapters in and am already enjoying it. I finished Lauren Graham's Talking as Fast as I Can last weekend, which I loved. I basically just love her and everything she does (with the exception of Bad Santa, ick). If you're wanting to read it, I recommend watching the Gilmore Girls revival on Netflix before getting started, because she offers lots of spoilers!

Watching | Now that I'm finished watching the entire series of Gilmore Girls, including the revival (mixed emotions about it all), I have a lot of time on my hands, and I am really diggin' it! When I was trying to get through the series, I used naptime and after the kids' bedtime to binge watch. Now I don't really have much interest in watching TV at all. I actually announced to Victor last night that I think I will only watch This Is Us on Tuesdays and then swear off TV any other time. I'm loving how productive I've been lately.

Sipping | Coffee (Starbucks Christmas blend), water, and the occasional Shirley Temple--not all at once, though!

Dreaming | About visiting Phoenix, AZ with my mom, sister, and the kids in March! I can't wait! I'm also kind of dreaming about spring and summer (but a summer where the thermometer reaches a high of 75-80 degrees with minimal humidity). We had a 60-degree day last week and it was glorious.

Celebrating | Louisa's baptism at the beginning of February! The next couple of weeks will be spent preparing our house to host some out-of-town guests (my aunt, uncle, and cousin {Louisa's godmother}, my mom, and my sister) and the big luncheon for after the baptism.

Swooning | Over the fabric and tulle tutu I'm going to make for Louisa to wear during her post-baptism luncheon. I can't wait to get started on it! And my talented aunt is going to make her a matching onesie! I plan to do a tutorial on the blog after the baptism!

Going | To three different preschool tours in the next couple of weeks! I can't believe Max will be in preschool next year. He is so excited and reminds us that we need to buy him a backpack for school on the daily. 

Amazed | At just how smart my big boy Max is. He was evaluated last week to determine if he would qualify for speech services (he did, his vocabulary is extensive but he's having trouble expressing himself properly), and he tested at 40- and 41-months, respectively, for cognition and receptive language--that's nearly 3.5 years old! I always knew he was pretty smart, but I had no frame of reference. All the more reason to get him into preschool next year; the boy needs more stimulation that just his mom and baby sister at home!

Hoping | To get a walk in after naptime with the kiddos. It's only 45 degrees but we'll bundle up!

Dreading | Cleaning my baseboards. It's back-breaking work but must be done before we have company!

Wondering | Who actually makes their babies wear those little caps that come with their outfits? I put this one on Louisa for fun last weekend, but it's way too small for her!

Have a great week, loves!

Currently | July 27, 2016

I hope you're all having a great week! Here's what I'm doing currently...

Thinking | About using Medela bottles for Louisa. I used Playtex Drop-Ins for Max because he was a gassy baby, but Louisa took her first Medela bottle really well last weekend (with no gassy tummy), so I think she'll be ok using those. I have a Medela pump and six 5 oz. bottles, so I'd just need to order a few more nipples (I only have one at the moment); if I used the Playtex bottles, I'd need to continually order the drop-in liners for as long as she took bottles. Either way, I need to purchase something, but I think going with the Medela bottles will be more eco-friendly.

Pondering | How I can get myself and the kids on a satisfying schedule. It's proving to be quite difficult, but perhaps with a little more effort on my part, we can make it happen. Unfortunately, I think this means I'll need to sacrifice even more sleep. Just thinking about it makes me tired.

Needing | To finish Louisa's birth story. I only started writing it a couple of days ago and I'm already forgetting some details! Once it's written, I'll share it with you all. It was quite different from Max's birth story!

Listening | My default Pandora station lately has been Justin Timberlake, and I'm enjoying all the dance-friendly tunes. We've also been watching a lot of Bubble Guppies and I frequently have their songs stuck in my head.

Sipping | My daily bevs include home-brewed coffee, lots of water, and the occasional Sprite (a couple times per week, at most).

Dreaming | About having all of my non-maternity clothes organized in my closet again. And if I don't get my booty in gear and take care of it, it'll continue to be a figment of my dreams/imagination.

Swooning | Over baby Louisa smiles. She is so generous with those sweet smirks these days (especially when getting her diaper changed, being disrobed, or when getting ready to nurse), and I just can't get enough!

Giggling | At Snapchat. I'm proud of myself for holding out for so long before joining, but now that I'm on it, it's pretty fun. I totally understand why people are so selfie-crazy lately...the filters are too good! Add me if you're on Snapchat! My username is rachiepalm.

Going | To Ohio in a couple of weeks! While I'm not looking forward to the inevitable sleep issues we'll encounter being out of our own house and routine, I'm very excited to visit with family and friends in my hometown.

Reading | I'm in the middle of Who Do You Love? by Jennifer Weiner. I've read most of her books, and this one is proving to be just as enjoyable as the rest. I'm also planning to revisit The Sleep Lady's Good Night, Sleep Tight for help with determining and establishing a good sleep schedule for Louisa. I'm looking forward to longer stretches of sleep (fingers crossed)!

Celebrating | The fact that I cleaned out and reorganized our kitchen pantry yesterday! It took a couple of hours from start to finish, with some interruptions throughout (that's life with kids), but I'm so glad it's done! I've been wanting to do that for weeks!

Dreading | My sister moving out. Her travel nursing assignment is ending this week, and she's heading back to Indiana for her next assignment. We've loved having her here with us. Max has so much fun with his "Auntie Ha," and she's such a great help to us. Plus, it's been fun living under the same roof for the first time in nearly 10 years. I shared this article on my personal Facebook page this week ("like" the Little Blue Sailboat page here); it describes my sister perfectly. We're so lucky she's in our lives, and even luckier that she was living with us for the past 3 months!

Currently | March 21, 2016

Thinking | That I could very possibly finish baby girl's room this week. I think it'll only take a couple of hours since all the big stuff (crib, curtains, rug, glider, dresser) is already in there and in place. Just need to hang some things and get her clothes organized! I'm also currently shopping for fabric to make her crib rail covers, but those will take another couple of weeks to complete.

Baby girl posing with all of her crib sheets.

Pondering | The design of Max and his baby sister's wall hooks for their rooms. Victor and I each had a decorative hook plaque in our rooms with our names on them when we were little. We still have them, and we decided we should have some for our kiddos, as well. Our parents bought ours for us, but being the crafty gal that I am, I'm going to make these myself. Now to just get started...

Needing | To do some laundry. I've had Max's laundry in the laundry room for a few days, but I haven't washed anything yet. Our darks have piled up over the past week, too, so those should take a spin in the washing machine as well. And I need to change our sheets.

Listening | I just downloaded Dave Barnes' new album Carry On, San Vicente (released on March 18). I'm enjoying it even though it's a very different sound for him. If you like The Eagles, you'll like this album (he said he was inspired by the 1970s Los Angeles music scene for this album). I just bought tickets to see him live in June here in DC. Here is a review of his newest album.

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Dreaming | Of life as a family of four. I think adding a little girl to the mix is going to really shake things up quite a bit! I'm mostly expecting to see my husband and father-in-law soften a little bit. I am so excited to see how our world changes!

Swooning | Over all the baby movement lately! She is wiggling up a storm in there and shaking my belly all over the place. She regularly kicks and pokes Max when he sits on my lap for his pre-bedtime stories, but he hasn't seemed to notice yet. And just like her brother did, she stops moving when she feels Daddy's hand on my belly, but Victor saw my belly rocking and rolling under the blanket as we were watching TV last night.

Currently | November 4, 2015...and Happy Birthday LBS!

Little Blue Sailboat is a year old today!  I can't believe it was a year ago that I hit "Publish" on my very first blog post.  Blogging was something I had considered doing for a long time, and I'm so glad I started.  It's been a great, exciting journey, and I look forward to blogging more.  It has been a bit challenging to keep up with posting (hence the handful of weeks-long hiatuses I have taken here and there), but I still enjoy sharing with you all, so I always try to make an effort.  Thank you for taking this journey with me.  Remember, you can enter your email address below the "About Me" section on the right hand side of this page, and you will receive an email whenever I publish a new post.  You can also follow me on Bloglovin'.

And now for a November *Currently* post...

Listening:  Max is watching Paw Patrol while I write this blog post.  He's never really watched Paw Patrol before, but it's either that or Daniel Tiger...and I always get Daniel Tiger songs stuck in my head, so this was the lesser of two evils.  When the TV isn't on, we like to dance to the Ariana Grande Pandora station.  Lots of Ariana, One Direction, Justin Bieber, and the like.  Great booty-shakin' music, and Max is all about the booty shakin' lately!

Eating:  Not eating anything at this moment, but for breakfast about an hour ago, I had a whole wheat bagel with whipped cream cheese, a kiwi, and a way overripe banana (ew).  A new obsession of mine at dinner time is zoodles!  I got a vegetable spiralizer last week and I LOVE it!  Tonight I'm attempting to make homemade curly fries!

Drinking:  A glass of very pulpy orange juice.  Yum!  And when I'm not drinking my morning glass of OJ, I'm drinking ice water.  All the live-long day.  And occasionally Max requests to suck on some ice cubes.

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Wearing:  Skinny jeans and a blue and orange floral blouse.  It was an impulse buy at JCPenney last fall (I never shop there) and I just love it.  This is a nice change from my typical SAHM uniform of yoga pants and a t-shirt.

Feeling:  Pretty great!  No complaints here!  

Weather:  The weather is g.o.r.g.e.o.u.s here in Maryland this week.  Sunny and highs in the low to mid-70s.  Max and I have plans to go to a nearby shopping center in the next hour or so.  There is a great pond with a wonderful walking path around it.  Looking to get in some light cardio while pushing Max in his stroller!

Wanting:  A new camera.  A nice one.  All of my blog photos have been from my iPhone lately because my semi-nice camera is on the fritz.  I think it's time to get a legit camera...good thing my birthday and Christmas are just around the corner!

Needing:  A haircut.  Just a trim.  I can't remember the last time I had a trim.  This is the time of year where I also consider coloring my hair.  I don't normally color my hair, but I usually like to go darker in the fall.  I have some gray hairs beginning to pop up here and there, but they're all on the back of my head so they don't bother me too much.  AND, despite this post a few months ago, I have considered getting bangs again.  Thoughts???  If I do, I won't get such heavy bangs like I did last year.

Thinking:  about Christmas traditions that I want to begin with our family.  Max is getting old enough to understand what's going on, so I want to begin some traditions that I can carry on throughout his childhood.  I am researching Advent calendar ideas and some Christmas Eve ideas. We used to take a vacation over the Christmas holiday, but I always said that once we had kids, I wanted to be home in our house for Christmas.  Perhaps once the magic of Santa wears off, we'll resume holiday vacations, but we've got YEARS to go (and hopefully a few more little ones) before that time comes.

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Enjoying:  Reading.  I can't believe how many books I have read this year...I think my count is at 16! I've discovered several new authors that I enjoy, and I just can't get enough of a good book.  I prefer fiction novels.  My favorite author is Jodi Picoult, but I'm running out of her books to read!  Other authors I have come to enjoy are Kristin Hannah, Liane Moriarty, and Jonathan Tropper.  I'm currently reading Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult.  I actually read this book shortly after I moved to Maryland in 2007.  I'm enjoying it once again!  Who are some of your favorite authors?

I hope you're all having a wonderful week so far!

Currently | August 31, 2015

I hope you all had a fabulous weekend!  We were very productive here at our house: Victor painted our garage floor; we went to Costco, I did lots of floor cleaning (sweeping/Swiffering, vacuuming, and mopping); we hosted friends and family for the Redskins vs. Ravens preseason game (and naturally ate lots of junk food); we visited friends and their sweet little baby; and we had a lovely lazy Sunday afternoon/evening watching random movies on HBO and napping.

I figured I'd start the week out with a new Currently post.  My last one was in April!

I can't wait for fall!

1. Listening: Max is watching Sesame Street, so that's what I'm listening to.  We watch Sesame Street every day; it's Max's favorite.  And therefore, I always have songs from the show stuck in my head. #mommyproblems
2. Eating: nothing.  But pondering what we'll have for lunch.  
3. Drinking: coffee.  Which is cold.
4. Wearing: a fun yellow, blue, and white diagonal-striped dress from LOFT Outlet.  It's one of my faves.
5. Feeling: tired.  I stayed up too late reading last night.  Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty is a page-turner!
6. Weather: It's overcast today, but it's supposed to be hot...creeping into the upper 80s today and it's supposed to be in the low 90s all week.  Ew.  Bring on fall!
7. Wanting: Pretty much everything from Ballard Designs.  Totally my style, decor-wise.  It's silly, but I really want this canvas tote, but I don't need it.  It would've been a great school bag when I was teaching!
8. Needing: to get the guest rooms ready for my mom and sister's visit this weekend.  They have the essentials (bed, bedding, towels), but we've had wall decorations just sitting around on the floors for months, and we need to hang the curtains in those rooms, as well.
9. Thinking: about potential craft projects.  I've got a creative urge but I just need to get everything set up so I can produce something fun!
10. Enjoying: spending my days with my Max.  He's at such a fun age and I'm in awe of all that he's learning and doing.  He's such a blessing.

Currently | April 21, 2015

Welcome to my first "Currently" post!

1. Listening: the dryer, Max's white noise through his monitor, and the passing traffic outside.  No music, no TV.  It's quite peaceful.
2. Eating: nothing.  Although I'm thinking about indulging in a nice mix of strawberries, blueberries, and banana once I'm finished with this here post.
3. Drinking: ice water through a purple straw.  Straws are essential.  I need to get Max to drink from a straw.  How do I do that?
4. Wearing: jeans and a purple-and-white striped lightweight sweater from LOFT.
5. Feeling: overwhelmed and under-motivated.  I'm in a funk.  I have lots to do: unpacking/organizing/purging, decorating, cleaning, dishes, laundry, Max's first birthday planning...and all I can seem to do is continually worry about all the things I need to do and then avoid doing them.  Snap out of it, Rach!  Time is of the essence!
6. Weather: After some wicked thunderstorms last night, it is sunshiney and a bit cooler.  Today's high will be 65.  After Max wakes from his nap and we have lunch (leftover spaghetti), we're heading to Michaels and maybe Costco if I'm feeling adventurous and Max is feeling cooperative.  Timing is key for between-nap adventures.
7. Wanting: these French bistro counter stools for our kitchen island.  Also, ice cream, but since I've stopped breastfeeding the number on the scale is increasing slightly and my pants feel a bit tighter. Bleh.  So no ice cream for me.
8. Needing: to get on a good schedule.  I think that might be the remedy for my overwhelmed/under-motivated problem.  I need to go to bed by 11 at the latest, wake up at 6, workout, shower, get ready for the day, then get Max up.  Of course, I know what I need to do but I don't do it.  Get with the program, Rach!
9. Thinking: about opening the box of wooden hangers that was delivered today and organizing the closets on our main level.
10. Enjoying: our new house.  Even though we still have lots to do to get the house ready for Max's birthday party here next month, I feel very settled and happy here.

Whew!  That was fun!  Now I need to go get something done before Max wakes up!

Happy Tuesday, everyone!