Henry is 8 months! I have no clue how, because I’m pretty sure that he was born yesterday, but here we are. He devotes lots of energy to protesting against his limbs’ lack of coordination that frequently results in face plants into the floor or belly slides, à la Bambi on ice. But mobility is soon to come, which means the ease of the potted-plant baby days will soon be beyond us. Still, in its place is a fun little boy who is discovering the world more and more every day and everything is SO EXCITING AND EDIBLE AND MUST BE TOUCHED.
And now, some other things.
This looks really tasty, easy, cheap, and can be seamlessly transformed to be Whole30 compliant. Check, check, check, check.
Small space, big life. We considered moving last weekend when an opportunity came to DOUBLE our living space for just a couple hundred dollars more a month. It was tempting, but we crunched the numbers, factoring in uncertainty about my employment, and decided that while it was a steal, it wasn’t wise. I read this article shortly afterwards and loved it.
Also loved Mary’s words about making decisions about your home. While she is on the other side of the grad school experience from me, so much of it rings true. (Of course, given that I share one of Mary’s articles almost every time I do a reading round-up, I obviously love her words on everything.)
It’s been strangely balmy these past days, and I’m kind of hoping winter comes back with a vengeance, at least for a little while. It lets me continue hibernating in this sweater that I snagged on sale recently. Yes, it is totally shapeless and objectively unflattering, and James wisely chose to complement the color when I asked him how it looked – but I do not care. SO COZY.
Speaking of cozy, the world is obsessed with hygge these days. It also makes me want to read this.
I have slowly become a skin-care junkie. I only get a few products at a time, but I love reading reviews and I keep a list in my phone of what I want to try so that when I need a new _______, I can experiment. Thus, I loved Sharleen’s list.
Easier cookies, means more cookies, which means better life.
I am in the process of an office renovation. And since my “office” is a tiny nook that is about 4 feet by 6 feet, that just means I am in the market for a new desk. I have fallen hard for the Mid-Century look. I love this one, but am intrigued by the more price friendly options of this one and this one.
You will notice that there are no political links on this list, and if you are reading this in America, that should strike you as off since our country is a hot bed of opinions lately and I am nothing if not Very Opinionated and Eager To Speak My Mind . This isn’t because I don’t have a heavy heart for all the serious issues that are ripping our country apart at the moment, or that I haven’t read so many articles that express things I wish I could say. I get frustrated when times are stressful and people are venting their feelings on social media, and someone starts posting puppies and being like “Let’s just forget and hold a puppy!” Yes, I love puppies too. But they can’t fix everything, and it is insulting to those who are genuinely concerned, heartbroken, and engaged in civic discourse – as, I might add, we all should be. I have read so much over the past weeks that has been shared on social media, some good, some bad, some ugly, but all beneficial. Even if something is blatantly biased, it succeeds in showing you how someone is seeing the world. We can’t fix it if we can’t understand it. But yesterday I was anxious and frustrated all day and I finally confessed to James that the Internet was stressing me out. Not the trivial stress that can be cured by a puppy, but the deep heavy heartedness that cripples and paralyzes. I just needed a little pause, a deep breath, before returning to reading and reflecting on what I can do to impact the world around me. I’m sure that you have already read any article I could possibly share, and I am equally sure that very few minds are changed by an angrily shared article. So I hope that some of the above links can be a little pause for you too, before heading back out to fight the good fight in the world of ideas.
Also, this is way cuter than a puppy:
The Art in Life 
I have been obsessed with that LLBean sweater for weeks, debating back and forth about wether to get it. Can you drop any more details for someone trying to decide if it’s worth it? (I’m a casual capsule/minimal wardrobe person, so purchases get over analyzed over here 😉 )
I really love it. Like I said, it is objectively not my most flattering item of clothing. But soooooo cozy, really well made, and will be a staple for a long time. I snagged it for about 25% off and am pretty happy with it after years of searching for the right, non high necked slouchy cable knit sweater.
Lovely post and round up, as usual, Hannah. I read this article recently and thought it might present some interesting food for thought: https://www.google.com/amp/amp.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2017/01/10/danish_hygge_is_cozy_and_also_tied_to_right_nationalist_xenophobic_populism.html
That was interesting. Honestly, I feel like people are looking for any and every tie to the political climate, so my first impulse is that it is just trying to be counter cultural and splashy. But when I think more, I think there is some truth to it- but not the one the intended. I think people feel raw from the political season, and from the constant inundation of hostility and “news” via social media. We crave insular warmth and community. This could be bad (as the author posits), but it is also possible that creating “hygge” (which I still know almost nothing about, other than that I like being cozy) and welcoming others into it as a space for understanding could be really healing.
What a great article about living in a small space! The point at the beginning of developing a “have” rather than “have not” attitude- YES! We are in a one-bedroom with our ever-mobile almost nine-month-old and his favorite toys these days are a roll of tape and a vitamin container (and the cat toys?!) Actual baby toys all fit in a small storage box. He’s happy, we’re happy. I love our apartment and it’s helped me ask hard questions about what we actually need, and I feel like we are in a constant state of getting rid of things, Marie Kondo style- and it feels great! Though I may forever be jealous of people with big kitchens, but hey we all have our weaknesses.
So true! We have a 2 bedroom, but it’s not huge. And yes, Henry’s absolute favorite object is the top of a box that my new Bible came in, followed by Tupperware. We just have one small basket of toys that someone gave us used that we pull out in needed. And I’m pretty sure I could live in a closet if it was attached to a big kitchen! Our kitchen is really large in comparison with everything else, and that is what made me decide that this apartment was worth getting and keeping.
i appreciate your lack of politics. i am so full of anxiety about literally everything and i enjoyed your neutral space and adorable Henry!
Ah, thanks! It’s hard because I certainly have many unneutral positions, but if they can’t be shared productively- it’s not worth it!
i always love your comments on politics – or rather, the political atmosphere. nobody talks about it (because they’re all too busy pushing their own political ideas), but i always end up in a place where i realize i still haven’t found the right balance. how do you stay informed without being consumed? (it’s a hypothetical question, though i’m always wondering if other people have the answer.)
My full-time skincare product these days is raw, organic coconut oil for my face, and sometimes I blend it with some cocoa butter (put both in a heat-proof jug and microwave /warm in a pan of water, until both have melted, then stir) and put into old, clean moisturiser tubs – it saves me a fortune, works a treat, and I love that it is natural. While coconut oil works well solo on my face, I find I need to blend it for my hands and legs etc.
Just thought I’d share – once not bought a moisturiser in about a year and a half!
I love your round up posts, and Henry is looking very cute.
*I’ve not bought