Out of the Box

You guys!  I am so excited to tell you that my very dear friend Lauren from The Thinking Closet is releasing the paperback version of her book, Thinking Outside the Gift Box, and it's available for pre-order now!

I have mentioned Lauren on the blog several times as she is the queen of creative inspiration and all things DIY.  Her blog is both informative and uplifting, and I enjoy her writing so much that I read every post, even though (as I've said before) I can't DIY my own stick figures.

Lauren and I met in a literature class in college, and we became fast friends getting distracted sharing Marcus Aurelius quotes while studying for a quiz. We had the joy of being in our college's theatre group together, and many of my favorite college memories are with Lauren.  After college, we were bridesmaids in each other's weddings, and we have tried to visit one another as often as the geographical distance between us permits.  Here we are, trying on hats during my visit to Orlando last May.

It is so fitting that Lauren's first book would be about loving other people through creative gift-giving.  Lauren is the most creative person I know, and she has a never-ending supply of gift ideas. She is the kind of person who knows exactly what to do and say to make you feel seen and loved, and it is so generous of her to share many of those ideas with us in her book.  It is a fun and easy read, and it comes just in time to help ease the stress of holiday gift-giving.  The gift ideas are not expensive, and there are lots of options for those who are (like me) less craftily inclined.

Lauren released her book last year as an eBook, and everyone who read it raved about how helpful it was.  I love to have an actual book to hold in my hands, and it seems I am not the only one.  By popular demand, there is now the paperback option.  For those who do prefer to read electronically, there is a PDF package available, and there is also the ultimate package that comes with the paperback book signed by the author and a gift-giving supply kit with four surprise items.  Just click on this link to browse through all three packages and find out which is the best one for you.  And, as an added bonus, once you buy your first copy, Lauren will send you an email with a discount code to purchase additional gift copies at a discounted price. Lauren is an expert storyteller, and she will keep you engaged from the very first page till the end of the book.

When I read her book for the first time, I was surprised and happy to find that I was mentioned in it a couple of times.  :)  I'm proud to have gotten to be even a tiny part of such a wonderful project.

Please let me know if you get her book, and what you think!  I'd love to chat about it.  Happy gifting, everyone!

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Small Moments

Photo by Suzanne Tadros Photography

I'm sitting on the couch reading a book while my crazy kids are playing “monkeys” in the other room.  There's a lot of "Ooh ooh! Ah ah!" going on, and the clanging of toy pots and pans.  I am tired.  I'm twelve weeks pregnant and have been struggling with morning sickness for the last six weeks.  For me, “morning sickness” is a misnomer as I start feeling nauseated in the morning and get increasingly worse all day until I finally just have to go to bed early and try again the next day. 

But I love the sound of my kiddos laughing and playing, and I’m thankful that I can get lost in a good book and forget about the dizzying nausea for a while.  I love being pregnant, sick or not, and I love thinking about and praying for this new little life inside of me. 

My three-year-old son Logan is convinced that the baby is a boy.  I guess he’s decided that two big sisters are all the sisters any guy needs.  Every time he talks about the baby he says, “my little brother” or “him.”  I always remind him that the baby could be a girl, too.  One day, after we had that discussion several times, he sighed and said, “Mommy.  I just want to think about the baby is a boy, and I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”  It was so hard not to laugh.  I nodded and gave him a hug, deciding to give him a break from reality for a while. It was an ordinary afternoon.  We were sitting on the couch together because I was too tired and sick to do anything else, and yet we made one of my favorite memories of him so far.

 

I've been thinking a lot about the small moments of motherhood lately.  A few weeks ago, my friend Suzanne came and took some pictures of my kids and me at home.  We were just doing the things that we do every morning, having breakfast, getting ready for school. I didn’t even change out of my yoga pants.  The pictures are perfect.

I love the reminder to pay attention.  That the days of motherhood, which can seem monotonous at times, are made up of a million little opportunities to stop and notice.  To breathe in my kids and who they are, right now.  To breathe out gratitude.

Sometimes, when I get off my computer or stop worrying about the next thing on my to do list, when I remember to pay attention, I can drink it all in and just be still.

The anticipation of my first sip of coffee in the morning.

Photo by Suzanne Tadros Photography.

A tea party with my daughter.

Photo by Suzanne Tadros Photography.

A photo shoot with my son.

Photo by Suzanne Tadros Photography.

Then life speeds up again.  I get back on my computer, or I have to rush the kids out the door to go to school.  But I notice that the more I stop to pay attention, the less chaotic it all seems.

Here’s to finding joy in the little things.  To remembering to stop and pay attention.  To being in the moment--not all the time, but more.  Happy Sunday, friends.