Weekly Roundup...on Saturday!

Last minute Halloween costume-Where's Waldo?

Some lovely things have been happening around the inter-web lately-too much to handle!  I have been busy working and living, trying to enjoy each moment I have with my little family when I get home instead of trying to document everything.  It has been nice and much needed.  I was feeling uninspired and way too much pressure to blog everyday while working & mama-ing.  So, I am just trying to let it happen naturally and write when I feel the groove.  

We were busy this week, with Halloween shenanigans (ours was pretty simple & last minute), a sick baby and a sick mama!  Whoa.  But, I am so happy it is November!  I am anxiously awaiting Christmas because our nephew, Mav's cousin Dylan will be arriving in California for all of us to finally meet!  They are only 2 months apart and we can't wait to see them together.  Oh and Thanksgiving food is where it's at!  Excited to let Maverick try all sorts of yummy eats at Thanksgiving dinner.

I will be relaxing, snuggling in a blankie, drinking hot tea, watching movies and maybe making it to the Farmer's Market for a new Beeswax candle this weekend.  What are you up to?  Here are my links to love this week!

DIY Kid's Tee-love this easy DIY from artist Oana (I simply love all that she does!)

The Perfect Autumn Scarf-I have loved Yokoo's scarves on Etsy for some time now.  They are so breathtaking!  This one is my fav, in Hazelnut.  You can win one on the Design Love Fest blog!

Styled to Last-great post over on Baby Blackbird on hand-me-down styles for the kiddos.  I appreciate any tips on recycled fashion, especially for the babes since they outgrow everything so fast!

Listen to French Music-a casual, Fall inspired Tomboy look over on One of Each's blog.  I love me some classic plaid and I adore her 60s vibed out ponytail!

Trick & Treats-a beautiful post about my most favorite holiday...the light, the mood, the colors of these photos are so inspiring!

Boots & Pine-a breathtakingly glorious photographic poem to a few Toronto neighborhoods...just click, you won't be disappointed!  Too much pretty to handle:) 

Happy Weekend!!

♥

Weekly Roundup: Introspection & Links!

The in's and out's of daily life have have been exhausting and wonderful.  I find myself with not enough hours in the day to soak everything up and check things off my long to-do list.  I know it takes time to get used to working and being a mama, and I am finally figuring out some balance in that department.  Weekends have become a time to truly unwind, slow down and savor family time.  This whole mom thing is a constant juggle and I am reminded daily of the awesomeness, beauty and transformative power becoming a parent has had on every ounce of my life.  It's no joke.

I am also very lucky to have a husband who takes pride and joy in caring for our son.  He showers him with such warm cozy love and always has hugs to give me too when I come home.  Right before I fall asleep at night, I often think about how much I appreciate what he does for our family.  We both have made sacrifices and manage to keep the laughs flowing.

The significance of this time in our lives is not lost on me-I hold the magic and power of this time close.  And, this time of year always seems to bring much needed introspection and reevaluation.  It's a time to take inventory.  This time a year ago I was preparing for the arrival of Maverick, dreaming about his face.  Now, I am dreaming about the future of our small family, aspiring to live a slower paced life filled with good things.  Desiring a simpler life.  Makes me happy to think about Mav growing and being able to teach him new things and simply be present for him-no need for big things.

Personally, I am always working on caring for my whole being and not being so hard on myself.  The Hub and I have had a pretty rough few years with so much anxiety over the sale of my grandmother's house (in which we lived for a while), pregnancy and preparing for a baby while I was not working, sacrificing many things in order to pay for Mav's home birth (will never regret it), the blur of having a newborn, having to move with a 3 month old, and my job searches for the last six months.  Whew!  There were many a moment where we felt pretty helpless and oh so tired.  In times like that it's easy to forget to care for yourself and pat yourself on the back for the wonderful things you are accomplishing, no matter how small they seem.  Now, things feel so much more secure and on track.  And even though  I feel regret for the time I wasted on stressing out during my pregnancy, I have worked on moving on and feeling gratefulness for all the good times.  That is why, when Mav turns a year in January, I will be overcome with emotions-for the loss of his baby-ness, but also for making it through the rough patches and doubts as a new mama.

So I am happy to welcome the changes this season has in store for us.  I am excited about spending time with family during the holidays and taking time to savor these last few months of baby-hood.  I am also hoping to get more comfortable at my new job and find happiness in that part of my life (it is still a bit murky at this point, but trying to be positive).  I also want to enjoy meaningful time with good friends with good food and conversation.  Just breath in all the spiced deliciousness that is Autumn!

Major link to love this week?  The Color Me Whimsical tumblr, where all the above images are!

A few more links from this week...
     ▼I love Roberta's cozy chill out picks for the weekend!  Makes me want to lounge around, sipping on hot beverages in between cat naps all day.
     ▼Still love the Milk-Friendly blog.  As a breastfeeding and now pumping mom, I appreciate all the fun style tips (it really does matter what you wear as a pumping mom, unless you wanna strip down!)
     ▼I love Kelly's blog and I especially enjoyed this post-relates quite well to what I have been feeling lately!  Beautiful words.

    What's been inspiring you lately?

Whimsical Weekly Roundup

Hello lovelies!  I went back to work last Thursday, therefore there was a bit of silence over here on the blog.  It will take me a little while to work out the kinks, get used to working again, being away from Maverick (which I don't think I will ever get used to) and trying to schedule in blogging time.  Whew!  It's a lot to process!

So, here is my weekly roundup...two weeks worth!  Hope your weekend is restful and fun!  All I want to do is sleep in or just sleep in general.  See you back here on Monday with a new Tomboy, Polka-Dots & Stripes post!

❖I always enjoy Erin's weekly roundup of her fav outfits for the week...so good!
❖This post from We Three Pilgrims really hit the spot for me-right in my heart.  Not only are the photos magical, but her words on "soul care," present and simple mothering are sentiments that I have been sharing lately.
❖I have quietly stalked knitter/blogger Tara-Lynn ever since I first started reading blogs...& I adore her beautiful knits!  I am so going to purchase one of her perfect for fall knitted turban headbands!
❖Fell in love with these handmade mustache and bow tie onesies...it's more challenging to find stylish baby boys clothing & I have a baby shower to attend in a few weeks, so I just may be getting a few of these for baby-to-be!
❖A Farewell to Summer music mix...I will miss those long summer days for sure!