Here are a few adorable Easter basket stuffers I found this year! I am always looking for ideas so I thought I’d share with you all in case you need some sugar-free ideas too.
Easter is a really special time for our family. We observe the 40 days of Lent in honor of Christian tradition of God’s 40 days in the desert, so Easter Sunday is a big celebration of the Resurrection. The little treats and surprises we explain are just a part of that big party and the reason we celebrate. We also have a feast with family (here’s my traditional menu lineup!), egg hunts, and sunrise Mass. Do you have any Easter traditions?
A good white dress is the item I never tire of. I always seem to have a white dress in an online shopping cart or two just waiting for me to press purchase. I don’t wait till Memorial Day to whip them out either. Because as Tina Fey says…
If you retain nothing else, always remember the most important rule of beauty, which is: Who cares?
I’ll be wearing white dresses for multiple occasions this year. Kate Spade so kindly sent this white lace dress to sample and style and the detailing is what dreams are made of. Felt good to step into for a day.
I was having a particularly rough week recently and needed some balanced ground to the emotional roller coaster I felt I couldn’t get off. So of course, I called my mother. We were talking about how hard it is to overcome our perception of what we think we should be versus just living out what we are able. We carry with us perceptions of what a good friend/wife/mother/sister should be, and it can often trap us into a fear of failure. Some examples:
The truth: Since my mother was able to make us dinner each night as children, I want to do that for my own family as a way to show love and bring us together. The reality: Some days I am able to make this happen, and on many days, I burn dinner or need to order pizza to make the day work. It’s a part of life where we are at now having little ones and working part time from home. The lie: I am failing my family because I can’t make them a hot meal.
The truth: I have always been a pretty strong and independent girl from the time I was very young. I was rarely emotional about things before marriage and children. The reality: I feel things very deeply, and am sensitive by nature. I now tear up all the time, and cry often. When I am happy I tear up (I totally feel you Kristen Bell), I cry when I am hurt or upset, and I angry cry when things get really tough. The lie: Showing emotion is a weakness. I am not being strong enough or tough enough if I let the sad or angry emotion show through.
The truth: I love order and organization despite my messy art mind. I thrive in a clean environment, so I resolved to have my home clean when Gabe comes home from work so he can relax and enjoy the kids….and maybe have some food on the table (because you know, my love language.) The reality: I have four little ones. Repeat: I have four little ones. Despite my attempts to pick up after mini tornadoes all day long, it is rare the house is clean when he walks in the door. Sometimes I haven’t opened the fridge to decide what is for dinner either because I just turned in a post deadline while helping my son with his homework also while potty training a two year old. The lie: I am failing as a wife. (Even though Gabe doesn’t care about a clean house!) I don’t have things under control.
I don’t think we know when exactly these lies form and why we cling to them so tightly, but I can tell you facing them and breaking through those lies are worth the fight. Sometimes I feel like my two year old son making the same mistakes over and over and not quite learning the lesson, but I know the practice of saying the real truth out loud and resolving to practice a positive frame of mind will someday break the habit of giving into it. Just talking it through with my own mother who knows me so well, and who has been through the same battles was so healing for me.
Have you had a similar experience breaking a habit or thought process that is so deeply engrained?
I think it’s important to discuss that as women we cannot be superheroes. It’s actually a beautiful truth that we have both strengths and weaknesses that are different from the person next to us. We can ask for help. We can lean on each other. We can overcome negative perceptions of ourself. We can dig deep and find the root of our struggles and fight to overcome them. I think it can drastically change our happiness in our day to day lives and the way we interact with those around us.
This year has a good deal of unknown ahead for us. So many decisions are up in the air, but somehow I feel rooted. In between the distractions there is a steady hum of peace where I place my trust. Here is a quote that has moved mountains, and knocked down walls for me this year..
“There is no pit so deep that God’s love is not deeper still.”
Of course, through it all, I am still trying to get dressed almost every day;) Happy almost weekend!
Since we rent our home, the easiest way to make a nice change to a room is a good rug. Whether it be wood floors or carpeted rooms, adding a rug over the floor space has been such a refreshing change of atmosphere in our home. I admit I have a thing for good textiles so I love the hunt for a rug that fits brings a room together. We have a good deal of foot traffic in this house, so when it comes to selecting a rug, I have seen the difference in quality revealed in the appearance of the rug within months. I’ve realized that it is well worth the effort to find a quality piece then settle for one that will have to be replaced in a few years. Here is a little more about the rug I chose from Loloi Rugs to replace the smaller stained carpets in our bedroom, and a cool background story on how this rug was made!
I wanted our room to stick with the calmer colors that we have going. The way the light pours in the windows was enough to brighten up the room without need for anything to take away from all the glorious morning light. Having used a Loloi rug in our guest room, I was familiar with the quality and trusted the craftsmanship. We ended up going with the Dorado rug which maintained the neutral tones, but added some really cool texture with the cowhide detail and the contrast pattern.
There are several types of hand craftsmanship that Loloi rugs uses. Hand tufted, hand woven, hand tufted, etc. They are assembled in India by the hands of skilled artisans for every step in the process, as opposed to using advanced machinery. I love that purchasing these rugs supports these artists and their craft. Weaving is more than a livelihood for these artisans–it’s the preservation of a proud legacy. They typically learn the trade from their mother or father, and then use their experience and knowledge to teach their sons and daughters one day too. Life in in the weaving villages is far different than anything we’re accustomed to in America. Instead of machines there are looms. Instead of engineers, weavers. Natural light floods the space. Chickens and cows roam the gravel roads just outside. To really get a grasp, you have to see this short video of these artisans at work. Fascinating isn’t it??
You can view and shop the full collection of Loloi Rugs here. So many stunning options of styles and colors. Good luck on choosing the one!
*Thank you Loloi Rugs for sponsoring this post. All opinions are my own.
When you are a hosting a shower you don’t have the extra hand to snap pics, but here are a few! My sister Angela is expecting her first baby in May, my family came in from St. Louis to join us, and many old and new friends came to celebrate. I love how new life brings people together. VIEW FULL POST
I have to make multiple decisions on a daily basis like what to make for breakfast and how to get 5 people dressed in under ten minutes, so when it comes to choosing a pair of glasses or sunnies I tend to get decision paralysis. Forget it. I can never decide on just one pair to have and to hold from this day forth. Probably why I would settle so often on cheap sunnies that would give me headaches or bend up in a month. You should see my glove compartment….. an embarrassing amount of unused shades. Any of this sound familiar to you? Read on.. VIEW FULL POST
