Linking up with Kelly!
1. Earlier this week I looked down to see Bosco just waltzing across the kitchen like he's been walking for months (I've yet to see him attempt a step) so now I'm wondering if he has been walking on the secret sly all this time or if it was just beginner's luck? I don't know but I think there was a definite ploy to get me to tote him around as long as humanly possible. Mama didn't raise no fool. Just a lazy baby.
2. You know how much I love a good birth story and you know it's a gem when you laugh AND cry while reading and Fran's birth story fits that difficult bill. Don't miss it.
3. Anne of Green Gables - No doubt you've seen that there's a new movie coming out on PBS and while I know a lot of people are concerned it won't live up to the book or the first movie I watched a ten minute preview (not sure how I found it and now I can't find it again - boo) and was pleased with what I saw! Martin Sheen will take a little getting used to as Matthew Cuthbert because he seems like such a stark contrast to how I read the character BUT - no complaints. I remember plowing through the books and impatiently waiting for my parents to take me back to Walden Books in the mall (lol) to get the next in the series ASAP. I can't wait until Julia is old enough to dive in.
4. For now I think we are going to start reading Little House in the Big Woods at night - I think. It's getting tough to find a book that ALL five kids love so we might have to divide and conquer on the bedtime story front. I'll take the chapter book crowd, sorry Simon.
5. I'm going to plow ahead and I'll admit I haven't been listening very much but I'm having a tough time getting into Outlander. I'm not giving up because people seem to love it SO much but I'm not quite hooked. Yet.
6. A few times a year, J.Crew Factory runs a 50% off clearance sale and now is one of those times. I found these dresses for the girls (with festive tights for Christmas + Thanksgiving + if I get together enough for Christmas card photos?) and while they are only 40% off I think I'm going to take a chance on a Christmas present suit for Simon since he's still rocking his one and only suit from high school and he's got oral boards and interviews on the horizon. I thought these ties were super cute for the boys but I'm not sure I'd have much luck getting them to wear them ... J.Crew is also having a 40% off sale styles and their dress selection for girls is triple the size so ... I'll have to weed through those too! I recently found a pair of warm weather appropriate slightly dressier ankle boots that were sold out everywhere else and now have two pairs of Jeffrey Campbell shoes and have been really pleasantly surprised by their comfort level.
7. Speaking of Christmas cards - do you have a favorite place to order from? I know there's a bevy of options but I'd love to hear if you've had an exceptionally great (or terrible!) experience with one place in particular. I know I'm already behind the ball - I know.
I hope you have a fun weekend in the works and much more importantly: Happy Veteran's Day to all military men and women - we are eternally grateful for your sacrifice and service to our country.
xo, gp
1. Earlier this week I looked down to see Bosco just waltzing across the kitchen like he's been walking for months (I've yet to see him attempt a step) so now I'm wondering if he has been walking on the secret sly all this time or if it was just beginner's luck? I don't know but I think there was a definite ploy to get me to tote him around as long as humanly possible. Mama didn't raise no fool. Just a lazy baby.
2. You know how much I love a good birth story and you know it's a gem when you laugh AND cry while reading and Fran's birth story fits that difficult bill. Don't miss it.
3. Anne of Green Gables - No doubt you've seen that there's a new movie coming out on PBS and while I know a lot of people are concerned it won't live up to the book or the first movie I watched a ten minute preview (not sure how I found it and now I can't find it again - boo) and was pleased with what I saw! Martin Sheen will take a little getting used to as Matthew Cuthbert because he seems like such a stark contrast to how I read the character BUT - no complaints. I remember plowing through the books and impatiently waiting for my parents to take me back to Walden Books in the mall (lol) to get the next in the series ASAP. I can't wait until Julia is old enough to dive in.
4. For now I think we are going to start reading Little House in the Big Woods at night - I think. It's getting tough to find a book that ALL five kids love so we might have to divide and conquer on the bedtime story front. I'll take the chapter book crowd, sorry Simon.
5. I'm going to plow ahead and I'll admit I haven't been listening very much but I'm having a tough time getting into Outlander. I'm not giving up because people seem to love it SO much but I'm not quite hooked. Yet.
6. A few times a year, J.Crew Factory runs a 50% off clearance sale and now is one of those times. I found these dresses for the girls (with festive tights for Christmas + Thanksgiving + if I get together enough for Christmas card photos?) and while they are only 40% off I think I'm going to take a chance on a Christmas present suit for Simon since he's still rocking his one and only suit from high school and he's got oral boards and interviews on the horizon. I thought these ties were super cute for the boys but I'm not sure I'd have much luck getting them to wear them ... J.Crew is also having a 40% off sale styles and their dress selection for girls is triple the size so ... I'll have to weed through those too! I recently found a pair of warm weather appropriate slightly dressier ankle boots that were sold out everywhere else and now have two pairs of Jeffrey Campbell shoes and have been really pleasantly surprised by their comfort level.
7. Speaking of Christmas cards - do you have a favorite place to order from? I know there's a bevy of options but I'd love to hear if you've had an exceptionally great (or terrible!) experience with one place in particular. I know I'm already behind the ball - I know.
I hope you have a fun weekend in the works and much more importantly: Happy Veteran's Day to all military men and women - we are eternally grateful for your sacrifice and service to our country.
xo, gp
Christmas Cards - Costco. Hands down.
ReplyDeleteCostco Christmas cards, of course.
ReplyDeleteStick with OUTLANDER. It is wonderful.
ReplyDeleteTiny Prints has some 40% off coupon codes, but to be honest - we do ours through Costco and are always super happy with them. Definitely worth it.
ReplyDeleteWe got our photo cards from picaboo for the past few years, baby announcements too! They always have coupons out there and I think the quality is great! They seem especially customizable, number of pictures, words etc. which is nice when you have to fit a bunch of kids pictures on one card!
ReplyDeleteAlso, not sure if it would be too old for your kids, but my kids really love the Focus on the Family audiobooks. One of their favorites is Anne of Green Gables! They also have the entire Chronicles of Narnia series, and they are all fully casted and dramatized. We think they're great ☺️
Absolutely adorable photo!
ReplyDeleteAnika | anikamay.co.uk
I started reading the Little House books with my 5 year old daughter and my 3 year old son listens in too. My daughter loves them but my son is a little bored. I actually find them a bit tedious at times... there is SO much description about the food they are eating or the process of making a certain item or whatever and sometimes I skip over parts because it's just like, "Okay, enough about the butter churning already!" I do know someone who listened to them on tape and that probably makes it more interesting hearing all the voices and sound effects. I'll keep going with them though because my daughter is really enjoying them!
ReplyDeleteWe loved reading the Little House books last winter. My only word of caution is to skim before you sit down to read and be ready to do some creative narrating through the Native American descriptions. While I have no doubt that it was nerve wracking for Ma to live among people she perceived as hostile, it just felt wrong to introduce my kids to a whole race with that attitude and kind of out of date language!
ReplyDeleteoh gosh - yes. Such an important reminder -- thank you!!!
DeleteI'm glad I"m not the only one that can't get in to Outlander
ReplyDeleteI've tried to start Little House in the Big Woods with my almost 6 year old daughter. She is having troubles wrapping her head around some of the concepts such as playing with an inflated pig's bladder. Oh kids these days...
ReplyDeleteI do love my sisters etsy shop for cards, though Costco is probably cheaper.
ReplyDeleteTry the miraculous journey of Edward Tulane- one of my fav read Alouds for my second graders and my own kids- bridges the boy/girl gap well.
ReplyDeleteI've always use Minted and love the quality and the designs. The customer service is great, too.
ReplyDeleteI read Little House in the Big Woods to my 4 year old son. He loved it, which was so gratifying bc I remember loving it as a little girl when my mom read it to us. My sister and I would play Laura and Mary for hours. Interestingly, my son calls it the Pa book and pretends to be Pa. I was all about the butter churning as a kid, my son just wants to pretend to make bullets and shoot bears.
ReplyDeleteI use cardstore.com for Christmas cards...and it was/is a gamechanger for me. They mail my cards for me!! It did take a little time to input all the addresses the first year, but it's sooo worth it. I mean, who has time to sit and address all those envelopes with 5 little people running around (I also have 5 littles). They also don't charge any extra to direct mail the cards (just standard postage cost). Love it!
ReplyDeleteI have read 5 of the Laura Ingalls Wilder books to my son. He loves the books, and we spent his 5th birthday weekend at her old farm in Mansfield, MO. Such a great series to read! I'm enjoying the books as much, if not more, than he is.
ReplyDeleteI really love Shutterfly and Tiny Prints, they always have crazy coupons online. Fast shipping too!
ReplyDeleteLast year it took FOREVER for our cards to arrive from shutter fly :(. I'm hoping it was a fluke.
DeleteMy kids really loved the Little House audio books. We spent a year of long daily school commutes and even my then two-year old requested the "baby Carrie" stories. Also, there are a few picture books that nicely illustrates scenes from the "Little House in the Big Woods" and "Farmer Boy"--highly recommend. Christmas cards...Tiny Prints or Costco
ReplyDeleteWe are on book 3 of the Boxcar Children series and the boys (5 & 6y) love them! They've also really enjoyed some of the Roald Dahl books. I am really enjoying reading chapter books to them at night!
ReplyDeleteI love mpix but they can get pricey. They usually have a 50% off sale around thanksgiving. We've also used Costco and have been happy. Shutterfly has lost pictures for us in the past so I don't trust them.
ReplyDeleteI've been reading chapter books out loud to my 4 year old and she loves them all. Books are also her love language. She adored Little House in the Big Woods and Charlotte's Web.
I just do Shutterfly for cards, or just find discounted cards at overstock shops. Last year I just ordered a ton of prints of one pic of the kids and stuck them in cheap cards (that don't all have to match).
ReplyDeleteI'd abandon ship w/ Outlander. I watched two or three of the TV movie/episodes and it is INTENSE w/ triggery stuff. My husband read like 3-1/2 of the books & really liked all the historical detail, but it has A LOT of sex and so many cliff hanger plot twists. Stressful reading, sounds like to me! But...I'm not everyone! ;)
Minted, 100%. I feel like we tried them all over the years but once we found them, we never looked back. Quality is amazing AND you can upload the addresses and they will print them beautifully on the envelopes for free! Saves so much time and frees me up to write a little personal note on some if I want!
ReplyDeleteI've done a Groupon from zazzle the past 3-4 years, and have been very impressed!! And super affordable as well. Thick cardstock, and double sided if you want.
ReplyDeleteOutlander- I wanted to give up. It took me until halfway into the first book before I was hooked. Stay with it. You'll get there!! But when I read the series for the second time I loved that first part of book one. It's just easier to appreciate and take in when you have background of the characters and an understanding of the times. Keep going!!
So, this post has been so helpful. It has brought up a lot of childhood memories like Anne of Greene Gables, and as one reader commented, Adventures in Odyssey.
ReplyDeleteI have used tinyprints and really like thier selection.
Costco Christmas cards, hands down. $27 for 100 of them, including envelopes. ($22 right now because they are on sale.) They are ready the next day. Then if you do something stupid like me and don't proofread well enough and have to reprint them you don't feel TOO bad... :) (I guess I could have let the cards have the wrong year on them, but we save copies in the kid's scrapbooks and I couldn't quite do that to myself for the next 20 years of looking at them!)
ReplyDeleteI've used Costco, Walmart, Tiny Prints and Minted for cards. My favorite among them...Minted. Pricey but worth it in quality. In my opinion.
ReplyDeletea little bit expensive but the charity is so worth while if you want 99% of your donation going to where it supposed to and no one is earning 6 figure salaries. Their book would also make an awesome Christmas gift for your Catholic friends.
ReplyDeletehttps://marys-meals.myshopify.com/collections/christmas-cards
I couldn't get into Outlander either... So many people I know were raving about it and I felt so left out, but it's just not for me I guess... We always order our cards from Costco. The price really can't be beat and they have lots of cute options. I've always been really happy with the quality. I have never ordered from anywhere else though so I don't have anything to compare them to.
ReplyDeleteLove Minted. I'm blown away by their quality. I received them 2 days after ordering, too.
ReplyDeletelooooove a good birth story. weirdly i loved writing my birth stories, too. i only wrote them for my youngest two. i occasionally feel bad that my oldest doesn't have one but then i also can't imagine a boy being like, "MOM! i wanna read more about your 14-hr labor with me!!"
ReplyDeleteThomas's birth story
Mary Virginia's birth story
I've always used Snapfish for our Christmas cards and they do a good job. Another good read-aloud chapter book is James and the Giant Peach.
ReplyDeleteThose dresses for your girls are ADORABLE!!!
ReplyDeleteHi Grace! When I got married 6 years ago, I was so excited to make the Christmas cards with pictures of us. Five years later I finally got around to doing it (your procrastination has nothing on mine and we haven't even been blessed with children yet!) anyways, I love Vistaprint.com and have used it for years for address labels and even everything for my wedding. Every summer they send me an email for their 70% off sale, and THAT is when I make our Christmas cards and save a bundle. Take that, procrastination! Check them out :) There is so much for creative perfectionists to play with design wise. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteI slogged through Outlander thinking at some point I would get into whatever it is people love about it, but once I made it through the first, that was it for that series. If you're not into it, then you're just not into it - no matter how much other people love it. Life is too short (and there are too many books!) to read books you don't enjoy!
ReplyDelete