Hellobee

I had pinned the most darling bear mirror when pregnant with my daughter, having aims of creating a subtle woodland-themed nursery for her. No longer available, I set about trying to easily recreate the bear mirror, finally settling on cork as a substitute for wood (I haven’t ventured much beyond straight cuts with my jigsaw!)

I love how it turned out and hope you do too. I provided a template below for the bear shape, but since cork can be easily cut and manipulated, the options for different animal and shape silhouettes is nearly endless.

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We have an L shaped couch, and Chloe had been cruising along the couch for a few weeks. She let go of the couch on the day she turned 7 months and took exactly two steps from one side of the couch to the other (from the couch side to the chaise). I nearly had a heart attack.

She was hooked. She kept doing this for weeks, and would let go of whatever she was cruising along to see how many steps she could take. She was much closer to 9-10 months before she was walking unassisted and closer to 11 months before she was running.

We had one walker, but she didn’t use it as one. She is a daredevil and was happier cruising and seeing what she could let go of and how far she could walk on her own.

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Roses can be intimidating. Thorns? Delicate petals?

Do not be afraid. Here’s a surefire way to make a chic and modern rose arrangement that perfect for a baby shower or any other special event in your life.

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Mr. Pen and I celebrated our 3rd anniversary at the end of May. A few months prior we begged my mother to consider watching J so we could go out overnight. That weekend definitely ranks up there as one of the most special and romantic of my life. It wasn’t romantic in the sense that either of us went all out for the other, because we kept it simple and considered the weekend away as our gift to each other. It was romantic for me personally because the weekend helped me remember that my husband is more than just my child’s father; he was my husband first. I have realized how easy it is to forget that being a parent and being a wife are two completely separate roles. It’s so easy to focus only on J and his needs and desires and forget those of our spouse. That weekend was exactly what our marriage needed to recharge and rejuvenate. We had such a splendid time together that I am hoping we might be able to do this annually if my mother is up to it. As cheesy as it sounds, I fell in love all over again with Mr. Pen.

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I’m entering the home stretch with Chocolate Baby, and one of the things I haven’t done yet is pack my hospital bag.  With Drake’s birth I went about 6 days early and didn’t even finish packing my bag when I checked into the hospital. I had to send Mr. Chocolate home with instructions of how to finish up before he arrived.  I have a friend who is expecting her first baby right around the same time I am, and she emailed me yesterday to ask what I was taking with me since I had done this once before.  I had to think a little about all the things I did bring vs the things I brought that I ended up not needing, so I thought I would throw up my list of things I’ll be taking with me this time around.

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I’ve been thinking a lot about writing a meal planning post, but it has taken me months to get around to it. Honestly, it just seemed overwhelming and a bit of a categorical nightmare. How could I explain concisely the steps we take to save money? save time? and still feast? Because how that happens is really an ever-changing and precarious balancing act.

I also wanted the information I put out there to be useful, but I realize that the way I plan and execute our weekly meals isn’t going to be replicable for a family with different work schedules, dietary restrictions/preferences, budgets, and comfort level or even desire to be in the kitchen.

In the end, I thought I’d share the overarching tenets of our meal planning philosophy and strategy. Hopefully some of the tips in here are helpful to you. I’ll toss them in the air, and you can catch the pieces that make your life a little easier, a little more enjoyable, and maybe even a little more delicious.

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Mr. Bee is the best at reading stories, giving horsey rides, pushing the swing, making the kids laugh, and their favorite of all — dancing the waltz. It’s obvious why Charlie and Olive completely and utterly adore him — he is the best dad they could imagine, and the best husband that I could ask for! Whether this is your first, fifth or fiftieth, we hope all the fathers in your life have a fantastic Father’s Day!

World’s Greatest Dad Globe Gift by Jenny