Weekend Things | Christmas Cards, the New 'It' Earring + A Quote to Consider

Friday! You're back! And with it comes a way overdue Weekend Things post that honestly I kind of forgot I hadn't done in awhile. My mom brain overfloweth....Harlow's going through some serious separation anxiety. The blog is choo-choo-chooing along but that engine needs fuel to keep running. We're moving in 22 days and we've only packed one bookcase and a couple cabinets. I caught a stomach bug in Chicago which knocked me out for almost a week, only to resurface and immediately drop my phone in the toilet. So it's like that, huh, universe?

You know what really turned my frown upside down? Getting our Christmas cards in the mail! It cracks me up how excited I get even though I designed every detail myself LOL. This is a special year and a special card. Our first with Harlow as a family of three. And I'm still dreaming about that snow shoot...

The Petite Alma designs for Tiny Prints were my favorites this year. Everything from the font to the foil was so on point, and for a much more reasonable price (post-promotional discount) than some other popular purveyors of paper goods. We chose the Glorious Rejoice layout but I also loved the Delicate Holly and Bold Strokes designs.

We've got some fun weekend plans in the works! A Christmas wreath workshop on Saturday, and maybe a night out/off for Mike and I. I'm already gleefully planning where to go and what to do. Any new can't-misses out there we should try? We may actually bar-restaurant hop like some trendy (tony) townies!

So let's sync our watches...exactly ten hours 'til quittin' time...and check out some shopping picks, recipe ideas, and worthwhile reads I pulled together while we wait on the weekend. XO!

| SHOPPING + GIFT IDEAS |

Obsessed with agate everything, all the way down to this personalized stationery.

That new new trendy earring you're gonna want in three different colors.

For the sassy chef in your life.

Dressing a client for a New Year's Eve wedding and nothing makes me love my job more than shopping for sequins.

Thought I was off plaid until I spied this top and this coat. Now it's a mad, plaid world and I'm just living in it.

Nordstrom, a pet rock, really? Let's stick to the cute sweaters, shall we? Like this one and that one.

Zara done well. Zara gone wrong.

| RECIPES + READS |

A sweet-n-salty snack for your annual holiday movie-a-thon.

One recipe for every day of December. I'll direct your attention to Day 5: Chicken and Waffle Sandwiches :o

I would Mele Kalikimaka the mess out of this jalapeno margarita.

After my first flight with Harlow, I fully endorse all 15 of these tips on flying with a baby!

******

I wanted to leave you with this quote I found this week in my email from Rebecca. It struck me for several reasons. For starters, I've been a bit pouty over how hard it is to accomplish one simple task for me in the span of an entire day. I just want my turn to be at bat, you know. But this quote reminded me that I've had 'my turn' for 33 years, and now I must turn my attention to someone who just wants to be snuggled and read The Three Little Pigs.

I'm also a big believer that parents are the alpha and omega of our children's world. We shape them, filling in the nooks and crannies of their minds, even when we're not aware of it. Our words, our actions, our interactions...they pick up on all of it. The world didn't become a scary place in early November; it's always been so. We can't insulate our children from its harsh realities forever, but we can do our best to delay them setting in. Moms, dads, caretakers, we are the difference makers, the ones who'll ultimately instill values and opinions in our kids. Politicians aren't parents. Be the love, the tolerance, the grace, the change you want to see in the world, even and especially when you're confronted with challenging people or situations. Our beliefs don't make us better people, our behaviors do. The daily, small acts of love, kindness, and comfort are really what linger in our children's minds long after the training wheels come off. They're the gifts that last a lifetime.

xxBrooke