I feel like today is feature day. I swear I’m not just doing blog feature posts because I’m fresh out of my own ideas.  It may or may not have to do with the fact that the pile of laundry lost in a draw between dressing up and shooting photos of myself and it (the laundry) getting folded. I know, what’s my deal with the laundry, right?! I’m told we should seize the day, so I did (which obviously meant I shouldn’t fold laundry). But enough about laundry. Today is “Thrift Day” on Everybody, Everywear. How could I pass that up?

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Since I’m reading My Life In France – Julia Child I had to post this print found on Etsy entitled Paris Is A Feeling.

If you’re like me, actually buying a magazine is rare, but they draw you in at the checkout isles and you think, “One day I’ll have the time to sip my coffee and rifle through the pages”. This online magazine featured on Apartment Therapy contains all the goodies from fashion, home decor, travel, art and culture.

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So the Little Guys are fast asleep and I’m cooking up the rest of the week’s projects in my head. If you haven’t noticed already, I’ve changed the blog around a tiny bit. I love all things creative and I have always wanted to branch out and actually begin the projects I brainstorm over after the babies are out for the evening.

It’s a new year and you know when you just want to add a little bit to your already amazing life? That’s how I’ve been feeling. Obviously my boys are my passion and being their mom is my favorite. Meeting Judah’s unique needs, his silly-adorable-quirky personality, Jacob’s ever increasing need for knowledge, independence and sweet-heart love, fulfill my life (not to mention having the best friend a girl could ever want with a husband like mine).

So, if I add a Virtual Book Club, a few extra recipe ventures, a bit of fashion and do-it-yourself projects to the mix, it can only add to the fun-crazy life I have.

With yesterday’s out of sync binge over, today evened out to be pretty good. It was warm enough for a little outside time with the babies, during which Jacob went on and on about how Daddy is going to by him a truck (like the one someone parked in front of our yard) but it would only be for him (we’re still working on sharing). It’s looking like The Frat boys will be back in the house across the street; hence the truck parked in front of our yard. Last Summer they filled the weekends with partying and provided Josh and I with great entertainment…into the wee hours of the morning. They moved out sometime last year, apparently one was going on a missions trip with his church (WHAT!?) and the other couldn’t handle the rent alone; So our quiet street was returned to us. I’m hoping the truck appearance means this time around, we’re getting nice helpful neighbors who will haul away our backyard trimmings instead of scattering beer bottles in our yards. Who knows, maybe a church missions trip was just what they needed.

All that to say I’m hoping you’ll enjoy the little additions to my blog and share with me your brainstorming sessions and what brings you joy in life.

I saw AND heard three (3!) DIFFERENT mice last night…in my room. I would have flipped out except for the mortifying, paralyzing fear that took hold when I saw those prairie rats run in the direction of my Little Guys’ room. OH. MY. GOSH!! I then realized I would be totally useless in a realy-life-emergency situation. Thankfully I married one of those calm, take charge, everything’s-going-to-be-ok kinda guys. He promises to kill off the mice and save our home.

Yesterday, while on the phone with THIS MOM I heard Judah squealing with joy (when he should be napping). I came downstairs to find he’d escaped from his room and pulled the entire brand new roll of toilet paper completely off the roll and scattered it around the house as well as swiped every visible object he could reach off it’s perch. He was doing his drunken-run around the house and giggling so much that I couldn’t stop laughing.

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I found CHOCOLATE & CARROTS last night and this morning, with the rain-snow mixture coming down, I think I need to bake THIS I will probably adapt the frostings so it’s Judah and Jacob approved, but I am bound to make the entire peanut-buttery, chocolatey dessert another time.

It was one of those rainy, cold days here today. I decided to do a little baking and catch up on my domestic chores. I’m proud to say there is no laundry that needs folding or putting away because yours truly finished it.

If that doesn’t call for a cupcake celebration, I don’t know what does. I used THIS RECIPE and changed just a few things.

I didn’t have a chance to go to the store, so I nixed the chocolate ganache and turned the cake into cupcakes (better for the babies to eat anyway). I iced half of them with the peanut butter icing and the other half with the regular ol’ Betty Crocker icing that the boys love (which was left over from Jacob’s birthday and is GF).

I’m happy to say Judah scarfed his down and Jacob, the ever sophisticated, politely asked for a fork but then proceeded to lean his face into the cupcake and take bites…a true boy.

Next time I make this, I will make sure I have the ingredients for the chocolate ganache, because as good as the peanut butter icing was, it definitely needed a little chocolate drizzle or two.

My little munchkin man.

We’re prone to making up loving yet random and completely mismatched nicknames around here (example: sugar-booty).

I braved the sleet slicked roads to get to Judah’s school early in order to talk with his Speech Therapist regarding his sessions with her. (See: mama rant). I’m glad I waited those two extra days before seeing her because by this afternoon, I was in a calm and stable mood; Contrary to how I was feeling two days ago. I’m usually a pleaser and seem to have trouble with even the tiniest bit of confrontation (or just plain being honest if I know it has even the slightest chance of receiving a negative response).

Today I was at ease, I think because I realized (after talking with another special needs mom) that in all reality, most Speech Therapists aren’t accustomed to working with children like Judah; who don’t use any words or give any feedback in the way most children do. Most don’t really know what to do when their usual bag of tricks fail.

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DESIGN MOM is possibly my favorite blog (I have a lot of favorites as you can tell) but, no really, this one is a favorite! Between reading about her (and her family of 6) moving to France and reading Julia Child’s My Life In France, I’ve totally got the “travel abroad bug”. Like seriously!

Anyway, doesn’t she have a gorgeous family? Her blog is chock full of new finds and great links to her other daily writings (like on Babble)