Kaley Ann Lifestyle Photography

Happy Weekend everyone! I just finished reading Happier at Home, and it has completely inspired me to start a major spring cleaning of our apartment. But before the actual cleaning comes organizing and minimizing and purging – my favorite part. It is really weird how happy much I enjoy spending my time doing this – it is just so therapeutic. So while I finish my spring cleaning, (and take a bit of time to do my baby’s nails) here are a few links you may enjoy:

• If you don’t want to (or don’t have time to) read the whole book, Happier at Home, this list of 10 simple things to make you happier at home has some great ideas.
• We all suffer from the “grass is greener” mentality at one time or another. This is a good reminder that we should enjoy today for what it is, and the grass is greenest where you water it.
• Although our favorite breakfast is always a good dutch baby, these cottage cheese pancakes have been a hit around here lately.
• A few weeks ago I talked about my new favorite children’s book, My Name Is Not Isabella. This photographer did a similar photo project with her 5 year old daughter, honoring five amazing women who have changed all of our lives for the better.
• Could you go a year without the internet? I know I couldn’t.

A few years ago, when my little girl was just shy of one, I read an article in Real Simple magazine (my favorite!) about a journal of sorts that one mother and her children had started decades earlier. Instead of gifts, for every Christmas, Mother’s Day, and birthday, each of her children added a page to her Mom Book. It sounded absolutely perfect.

That day, I went to the art store and found a simple, spiral bound journal with thick, blank pages.  Obviously, at 10 months old she wasn’t able to do her first entry on her own, but my husband sweetly stepped in and helped her out. This year marks her fourth entry, and shows how she has grown in just 3 short years. From a cute card the first year in my husbands handwriting, to simple the scribbles of a toddler, to the creative and determined watercolor masterpiece of a 2 and a half year old, and finally this year, the beginning writings of my sweet 3 and a half year old. (She had some help with the spelling, but she wrote it all herself.)

Although my mommy book has just begun, I love it more than anything, and I am so excited to see how the entries change over the years.

Happy Friday friends! It’s almost Mother’s Day, so I have all things “mom” and “parenting” on the brain. Here are a few things you may enjoy…

• I love hearing what kids think about things, in their own words. This film of kids’ thoughts on their moms is adorable.
• Need an easy last minute gift for Mom? Print up this cute Mother’s Day Newspaper and let the kids color away.
• We have all been there, distracted by our iphones. In case you missed this article that started the debate and countless follow up blog posts… Dear Mom on the iPhone. And the best letter back I have read, Dear Mom on the iPhone, I Get It!
• I love being a mom. I truly think that it has made me a better person. But… It. Is. Hard. Sometimes it is nice to read an article that recognizes that, and reassures you that it’s ok to not carpe every diem!
• I really enjoyed this list of 50 Amazing things about moms. Anyone else with me on #25?

In this photo, my little artist was hard at work on The Mommy Book.

Happy Friday everyone! This week has been so crazy, in a good way, but I am happy to have a few days to relax. Before we head off for the weekend, a few things I have been loving lately…

• A few years ago I read The Happiness Project and loved it! I have been meaning to read the next book, Happier at Home, ever since it came out, so when I saw that it is the newest virtual book club selection book over on MPMK, I went straight to the library to get it.
• I can’t get enough of ampersands, so naturally I am quite smitten with This & That. How amazingly creative is this photographer?!
• So excited for my friend Angie’s new Capturing Your Kids series. If you are looking for some straight forward, easy to understand tips on photography, you will really enjoy it.
• Loving the new SFgirlbybay’s guide to bohemian modern san francisco app. Some of my favorite shops in San Francisco were recommendations from her blog and I am looking forward to discovering a few new faves.
• Speaking of apps, I really need to start writing down all the funny things my daughter says. Maybe this fun app will make me do it.

Happy Friday everyone! Hope you all had a wonderful week. Ours was filled with growing food scraps on our kitchen windowsill, reading her new sweet book I’m Here (which apparently is pretty funny??), farmers markets, and lots of fort building! Here are a few more things I have been loving lately:

• My latest obsession: green garlic! After buying a bunch at the farmer’s market last weekend, we have been using it in everything. My favorite is adding it to my pesto instead of regular garlic.
• Speaking of farmer’s markets and fresh produce, I love this infographic about eating the rainbow. Now that the spring fruits and veggies are ready, it will be so much easier to bring color to our plates.
• Last month I read Cinderella Ate My Daughter.  It was rather frightening, but a must-read for moms of little girls. The Pink and Blue Project shows just how much the gender-specific marketing campaigns are effecting our kids.
• Please and thank you are some of the first words my daughter learned, because I feel it is so important for her to always feel and express gratitude for what others do for her and give her. Going even further, I love the idea of leaving sticky notes everywhere to say thank you to everyone who makes our lives a little brighter. 
• After pinning this lovely print a few days ago, I couldn’t get it out of my head. Once I found out that it is part of an amazing fundraiser, with all proceeds going to a little cancer fighter, it was a done deal. Within an hour it was purchased, printed, and on my wall. I love that kind of instant gratification.