Getting Out

When you’re a new mom, everything is, well, new! Your body is new (and not necessarily improved), your sleep schedule is new, your routine is new, your lack of a shower is new…you get the idea. Sure you slightly and secretly mourn the “old” life but you adjust like all moms before you and what seemed new and scary at first slowly becomes the new norm until the old life feels like so long ago (even if it has only been weeks).

One new thing that I really struggled with at first was getting out of the house with my “extra cargo”. I never realized how easy it was to run an errand when all I had to do was decide to run said errand, grab the keys and my purse and go. Now I have to think about when Henry last nursed and whether I want to take the stroller or the baby carrier and are there diapers in the diaper bag and the biggest one…what if he cries inconsolably in public? We had been going through a phase where Henry would break into crying fits and no matter what I did – nursing, bouncing, changing his diaper – nothing seemed to make a difference. Having a crying fit at home, though not enjoyable, is manageable because it’s home. But having a crying fit in public, well that is stressful and quite frankly, terrifying to a new mom. So I played it safe and stayed close to home. We went for walks around the block or to the local library branch where I knew I could quickly walk out and walk home if the crying started. But after several weeks of that, even Henry was going stir crazy! So we decided to take a weekend and drive to my Mom’s where there would be plenty of extra hands to help and plenty of parenting experience to ease the fears. And wouldn’t you know, it was easier than I expected. We ran errands, we went to church and we even got to share one of our favorite fall activities with Henry – apple picking!

I started to feel like myself again after that weekend. I got out of the house and I did things that I would always do, I just did them with a baby. And it wasn’t that scary! Even when he did cry in public, I realized it was silly to be embarrassed because most people just looked at him and said “aww”. People expect newborns to cry. That’s life. We can’t sit at home worried about crying. So get ready Henry because we have a lot to see and a lot to do!

Wildly Simple Fall Style

“Wildy Simple”. That’s Madewell’s tagline for the season. I’ve just started thinking about my fall wardrobe and as I started putting together some inspiration I found myself being drawn to classics – pieces with a simple color palette, flattering shape and just enough texture to provide interest…

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I know it looks like a lot of neutrals, particularly black, but what’s more classic than black? Something about a simple color palette just feels right this year. So I’m adopting the wildly simple tagline for my style this fall with the goal of only adding pieces that I need or that I know will last. What will your fall style be?

Summer Blues

The weather this weekend was amazing. I’m talking about mid-70’s down to about 60 degrees at night – basically end of summer/beginning of fall weather. I took full advantage of it – working in the yard Friday, Saturday and Sunday, sleeping with the windows open and making chili. And this cool-down could not have come at a better time because I was starting to get a case of the summer blues. Some people get the winter blues after months of snow and ice; I think I get the summer blues after months of heat and humidity. I start to feel sluggish and lazy by mid-July and it really starts to take a toll on me. But when the cooler weather rolled in this weekend, I felt like a new person – energized, yet relaxed – which just supports my theory that the summer blues are real and I had a case of them!

I guess it’s a good thing that I live in a place with seasons, because when the real summer returns, and I know it will, it won’t return forever. It will return for another month and then it will move on and my favorite season will be here. That gives me something to look forward to.

Does anyone else get the summer blues or do you love every last minute of summer and are sad to see it go when it does?

Taking Advantage of the Seasons

Fall has always been my favorite season. It probably started when I was young where fall meant my birthday, which is always a good excuse to love a particular season.  Now, I would say it’s evolved to be much more than just my birthday season; now it also means knitting season!!  Ok ok.  Regardless of why… I love fall!  And this fall, more than in the past, I am simply appreciative of the changing seasons.  Seasons are one of those things that you take for granted.  I know there are people who would prefer to have predictable weather and the same wardrobe year-round, but I for one like the change.  I just didn’t realize how much until I lived in a climate with very minimal seasonal change.

I want to take full advantage of the beautiful weather and scenery, so of course I’ve made a list!

Pick apples

Bake ghost cookies & pumpkin bread

Cheer on a local team at a college football game

Drink hot apple cider

Go canoeing

Take a bike ride on a trail

Visit the Cincinnati Nature Center

Go for a hike in Mt. Airy Forest

Anything that’s missing from the list?  How do you plan to enjoy the fall?