Good morning and happy Friday!
This is our last weekend at home until New Years (yikes!), so we’re planning to soak up lots of relaxing family time and do a few of our favorite holiday things around town.
It’s been a little bit of a rough week as I got my wisdom teeth out on Tuesday, which went fine, but is obviously not fun. We also had a week of cold and rainy weather, but it was all worth it when we got SNOW last night!
You guys, it was 85 degrees here on Monday and snow is quite unusual here in Austin, especially in early December, so this was a pretty magical surprise. I noticed it was snowing right as we were putting James to bed, so of course we brought him out in his jammies to see it. He wasn’t too impressed. We tried again this morning, but he really doesn’t have the proper shoes / mittens to enjoy it without getting too cold. Still, I am loving sitting here drinking coffee and watching the snow fall off the trees this morning.
Here are a few other snapshots of our life lately!
Eating / Drinking
Unsweetened Cranberry Juice – my brother-in-law was drinking this when I was in Wisconsin and I gave it a try. It is super tart (duh) and I love it. I’m sure it’s not for everyone, but I really like tart things, and I think this is delicious over ice. I haven’t tried this yet, but I think it would be great mixed with club soda too.
Lemon Poppyseed Scones – These tiny scones are so cute and they freeze so well! I tried freezing them both before and after baking and both worked well, but I think they’re a little better frozen before baking. It’s fun to have them in the freezer and be able to just pop a couple in the oven for a morning treat.
Trader Joe’s Freeze Dried Fruit – You guys, this is my new obsession. First because it is delicious, but also because it makes the best toddler snack! I don’t mind buying puffs for trips and things like that, but they’re not my first choice for an every day snack. These are crunchy and delicious and the only ingredient is fruit. I’ve only tried the raspberries, but am going to get a bunch more kinds when I go back to Trader Joe’s.
Reading
A ‘3 Gift Christmas’ can be Magical – We are not doing this this year, and I’m not sure we ever would, but I do sort of love the idea of a more minimalist Christmas.
Car Seat Guide – We had to switch James to a convertible car seat pretty early because he is super tall, but I wish I had had these guides when we were choosing! A reader sent them to me recently and I think they would be super helpful for anyone looking for a new car seat – I find this type of safety-related decision so overwhelming.
If you’re looking for more weekend reading, check out my latest two articles on Motherly 
Thinking
About reframing. I’ve mentioned my favorite podcast many times, but one thing Gretchen and Elizabeth talk about a lot is “reframing” – changing the way you think about something, even when you can’t change the situation. I’ve been trying to do this with my wisdom teeth this week. While getting them removed was painful and no fun, I feel so grateful that we have good dental insurance and I could do it without it being a big deal.
I’ve also been reframing how I feel about this very busy month. While yes, it’s been a little bit stressful at times, it’s all because of a family wedding I’m super excited about, a family vacation, and Christmas, my absolute favorite holiday.
I find this reframing strategy so helpful!
Loving
This baby / toddler stage. James is so, so much fun lately. He has been super happy and independent and my new favorite thing he does is dance. It is the absolute cutest thing
Looking forward to
My sister’s wedding! And Disney World! And Christmas! Basically, all the things
What have you been up to lately? Please share!