kapachino

Author: Kathleen

  • link roundup / 46

    one sheepish girl february desktop_zps3xdadqn7

    Here are some pretty wallpaper downloads perfect for February. (see above photo)

    I love the idea of this alarm clock, but David could probably sleep through it for hours. ;)

    A great guide to adding greenery to your space.

    Some simple but yummy-looking packed lunch ideas.

    I want to redo the kids’ room this year, so I liked this roundup of shared kids’ rooms.

    SUPER excited that Unfancy is back. I have always thought that she is so wise, with a great heart, even though she’s still so young.

    How cute is Miranda’s handmade Valentine’s dress for her adorable toddler Plum?

    I don’t garden (yet) but it’s something I want to do someday! Andrea is offering a free printable garden planner.

    What do you have planned for the weekend? I’m pretty excited that the only thing I have scheduled is teaching Sunday school. I want to do some crafting with the kids and celebrate a low-key Valentine’s Day at home. Have a good one, friends!

  • lent

    ash wednesday

    I don’t come from a liturgical church background, but this year I am observing Lent along with other church holy days. As I get older and discover more about myself and my personality (ISFJ) I have realized that traditions, holidays, liturgy, and observances really inspire me. I’m leaning in to that and hoping to bring it into my home as well.

    I thought and thought about how I should personally observe Lent. Some things I considered giving up were sweets, social media of some form, caffeine (that was just a passing thought), and TV. I also thought about adding in some things: exercise, family time/activities, Bible study.

    This is what I settled on: I am going to do daily Bible readings from the Book of Common Prayer, and I am going on a personal spending freeze.

    The thing I wanted to change most was to have daily Bible study time. I am currently doing one with my church, but it is too in-depth for me to find time for it every single day like I want to. But just because our sleeping situation is less than ideal and I’m not able to wake up before my kids, that doesn’t mean I can’t find time to read a short Scripture passage and say a prayer. Instead of choosing a daily devotional, I’ve chosen to follow the Book of Common Prayer because I want to feel connected to the Church.

    I also wanted to make some sort of sacrifice and give something up. I decided to give up all personal money spending for a few reasons. For one thing, I’ve just spent too much lately. It hasn’t been frivolous; I have been buying some high quality clothing items that will be a great help to me, for example. But as I’ve been spending, it becomes easier and easier to spend, and I noticed my attitude trending toward the needing of certain things to feel adequate. So I’m cutting myself off!

    A few exceptions: I’m allowed to use gift cards, or replace any empty toiletries or essential makeup items. But that’s it. I’m not going to be buying extra things for the kids either, but this is not a family spending freeze.

    I’d love to hear about your relationship with Lent, if you observe it and how, if you’d like to share!

  • link roundup / 45 / birthday edition

    prism quilt

    Hey hey, it’s my birthday! I’m taking the day off work, heading out for a much-needed pedicure soon, and then I plan to do a little shopping and crafting. Tonight my family is meeting at Torchy’s Tacos and then we plan to walk over to the Nestle store for dessert. Pretty good plan I think. :)

    Here are some things that caught my eye recently!

    I love this quilt and it makes me want to get back to sewing the one I’m making for Meredith. (see above photo)

    This was a really helpful article about digital curation – make the content you take in digitally serve you and your goals instead of mindlessly accepting whatever is in front of you.

    I would LOVE to be a part of this first editions club, if only I could justify the cost right now.

    I really related to this post about making your goals about the process, not the result. This is the reason I made myself a self-care checklist, but I’m trying the Commit app now too. The reminders are helpful, but I wish the layout were different.

    One of my favorite bloggers is baaaack!!

    This is my uniform.

    Here’s a DIY floating shelf I think I’m going to try to make for our bedroom.

    I don’t really use potholders much but I still want to make these.

    And finally, since I’m trying to celebrate small holidays this year I’m poring over my Valentine’s Day pinboard.

  • currently

    currently february 2016

    loving the gorgeous 70-degree sunny days we’ve been having this week

    getting my 10,000 steps per day again

    eating a ton of salads but not planning dinners very well

    enjoying my kids so much; they have been surprisingly well-behaved lately

    thinking that I might want another one after all (I may be crazy)

    celebrating small holidays like Candlemas by gathering with friends

    buying a few things at Target I’ve had my eye on: candle holders, basket, sheets

    wearing some black high-waisted trousers and dark wash skinny jeans I got from Stitch Fix – I asked for a box of pants only and they totally delivered

    looking for an everyday pair of jeans, tall cognac boots, and some oversized sweaters

    spending more time + effort on Instagram and having a lot of fun

    planning the finishing touches on our master bedroom

    looking forward to my birthday on Friday, because I’m taking the day off and treating myself to a pedicure

    learning how to age gracefully

  • what i read : january 2016

    what i read january 2016

    Love Walked In by Maris de los Santos – I read this for postal book club, and it was a super sweet story. It totally lifted my spirits. There were some definite eye-rolly descriptions of characters that kept coming up but, I still really liked it. (4 stars)

    Wild in the Hollow by Amber C. Haines – I’ve been following Amber for a long time because I met her way back when I was in high school. I had heard that her first book was excellent and I finally got it from the library. Well, it was. It’s a short memoir of her life and how she was pursued by God despite all her brokenness. It was like poetry and also like going to therapy. Amber and I have very different personalities, but underneath where it matters we are the same. As I read, I cried and I felt loved by God and hope for this life. (5 stars)

    The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick – The best thing about this book was the thought experiment of what the world would be like if WW2 had turned out differently. There were some aspects I really appreciated, like the language and how it kept me thinking. There was also a subtle theme of finding meaning and joy in the small things, of trying to make what difference you can, even if the greater world seems to be falling apart or destined for destruction and I definitely responded to that. Overall, though, I don’t think the author picked a strong story to carry his world. It just wasn’t interesting enough and the characters weren’t great, so I didn’t love it. I do, however, recommend it for book club reading because I think there will be a lot to talk about. And since it’s now a mini-series, if you’re interested in the idea you might just want to watch that instead. (2 stars)

    Right now I’m in the middle of the abridged version of Les Miserables (I had very mixed feelings about going with the abridged, but ultimately decided it’s best for me right now) and also listening to The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown. What good books did you read this month?