An Ending and a Beginning

It's been three months... I think it's time to end my blogging hiatus, don't you?

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Wow, you guys.

I don't mean to sound cliché, but it's true what they say -- a lot can change in a year. This time last June, I was dealing with a pregnancy-related scare. At 31 weeks, I was grappling with the news that I'd have to spend the rest of my pregnancy in the hospital.

Fast-forward... Jonathan is now crawling, pulling up, and babbling up a storm. And we're three weeks away from celebrating his first birthday! But that's not the only major life event we're celebrating...

Our Monthly Dinner Plan (March)

In an attempt to make my life a little easier, I'm planning all of our dinners for March at once and sharing our monthly dinner plan here.

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Here I am again.

It's the beginning of a new month, and I'm already feeling overwhelmed. Several big things are happening at work over the next several weeks, so my days have been (and will be) going non-stop. To feel somewhat balanced, I've been pouring my off-hours energy into the kids... especially on the weekends. It's no surprise that, in the middle of everything, I caught a stomach bug and was out for the count earlier this week.

This certainly isn't the way I wanted to kick off March. But... I finished our monthly dinner plan, so at least I have that going for me, right?

Everyday Reminders to Say "I Love You"

Here's a fun round-up of heart-related accessories that will help remind you to express your love every single day.

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Valentine's Day is next week.

While Stephen and I have a lunch date scheduled, I don't have the perfect romantic gift for him. To be real, it's unlikely that I'd top last year's perfect birthday gift, so I'm giving myself a pass.

The temptation to go overboard on Valentine's Day is still lingering, though. Rather than give into it, I'm turning to my blog as a distraction. Four years ago, I shared a round-up of kitchen accessories featuring a heart design, and I thought I'd do it again. Especially since there are so many cute things out there now!

Any one of these items would make a fun addition to your home... if not in recognition of the holiday, then as a reminder to express your love every day to those who are special to you.

Our Monthly Dinner Plan (February)

In an attempt to make my life a little easier, I'm planning all of our dinners for February at once and sharing our monthly dinner plan here.

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Am I the only one who thought January lasted forever? It feels like a lifetime ago that we rang in the New Year with a bottle of Prosecco and a buffet of take-out Indian food. We packed our schedules with activities and emerged victorious despite severe sleep deprivation.

(Will Jonathan ever sleep through the night again?!?)

Here's a quick rundown of some of the things that happened last month:

• Jonathan turned six months old
• I picked up a photography gig with a former freelance client
• we took Caroline to see a special Daniel Tiger exhibition in Philadelphia... now she makes daily requests to go back and see his neighborhood again.
• first Date Night of 2018
• Moms' Night Out
• I persevered with my bullet journal

And now, here we are... February. Even though I'm exhausted, I'm ready to jump into the new month with both feet, cannonball style. To kick things off, here's what I have planned for dinner at our house over the next several weeks.