Invented Charm

Losing My Cool Dot Cool

Published June 27, 2017 by Christina

I developed this really awesome editorial calendar for myself and I managed to stick to it for two whole weeks. Then yesterday I had a post about DIY foaming hand soap almost ready to go and life just sort of got in the way, as it so often does with me. I forgave myself as my head hit the pillow at 11:24 PM and swore I’d get up in the morning and finish it up and hit publish.

But my mornings this week have been unusual, and I can only partially blame my toddler The electrician, county inspector, and HVAC people have been so prompt (I’m talking 7:30 when they say 8), but it’s definitely made the mornings feel less than normal. We’re still pretty much in the thick of the moving in process. Stuff isn’t where it’s supposed to be. It’s hard to develop routines or get back to business as usual when nothing my house doesn’t feel like my home yet.

The chocolate stash hasn’t made its way to the pantry, and that led Rory to discover a See’s Easter chocolate bunny and bring it to bed to share with us at 7 AM. Up until a few days ago I couldn’t find measuring cups or spoons, which is why I’ve avoided cooking and we’ve eaten mostly sandwiches and breakfast. The curtains that did get hung up are two inches too long so I can’t run the Roomba without them getting chewed up, hence my very dusty floor.

Gone are the days where I could plop Rory in the pack n play for a bit with toys. He’s officially learned how to climb out of the damn thing. So I’ve been relying on Sesame Street and the iPad to entertain him and keep him safely distracted. I always feel like I’m on a slippery slope with media though, because when he gets too much of it he’s crabby, distracted, and can’t seem to stay engaged with anything. And when Sesame Street is on a loop I can’t help but hear the words to all those catchy songs and internalize them. I find myself inwardly singing What Makes U Useful or Are you cool dot cool? And that’s when I realize I AM LOSING MY COOL DOT COOL.

Stay at home parenting is a lonely pursuit. You don’t have coworkers you can bitch to about the (little) people you’re serving. The pay is shit. Literally. It’s not always easy to find or build community. Often, you don’t know if you’re talking to someone who can (or wants to) relate about being in the trenches until you’ve already spilled your guts and they look at you like you’re ungrateful for the privilege of being a stay at home parent or they step up with support and match your war story with one of their own.

I don’t regret the choice I made to move 350 miles, or my choice to leave my job, or my choice to have a family in my thirties. But I do regret that I haven’t found my niche yet, my squad (ugh), ~~my tribe~~ (feels like appropriation, sorry), my friend circle that I can call or text whenever I need a moment to blow off steam. Sometimes I just need to vent. The DIY soap piece can wait.

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A Round-Up of Fast Casual At-Home Meals

Published June 22, 2017 by Christina

For the last five months we’ve been living with my parents and my mom and I have been splitting up cooking duties. I haven’t had the time to experiment too much, but here is a round up of my favorite fast causal style meals that I’ve been making lately.

Mac and Cheese with Ham via Mouth Half Full

This is a family favorite dish, and definitely toddler approved. It’s from my friend Cassie and I’ve linked it on my blog before (it’s just that good!). I think my favorite part is the dijon mustard and the fresh thyme. Sometimes I make this as a side to grilled meats, but it’s certainly hardy enough as a main if you eat giant bowlfuls like we do.

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Tudor House Progress and Move-In Tips

Published June 19, 2017 by Christina

I am back with an update about the Tudor House! I am going to come up with a catchy name for our new abode, I promise!

We FINALLY got to move in on Thursday night after the world’s most protracted water heater replacement saga ever. I won’t go into details, but let’s just say that it’s no fun spending 2,100 bucks on something that’s not exactly broken but not functioning either. But I do love having hot water!

Since it’s fresh in my mind, here are five things I learned from unpacking and moving into my new home. Think of this as a continuation of my Ten Tips for Moving.

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Five Things to Remember When You Feel Like You’re Failing at Adulting

Published June 15, 2017 by Christina

I’ve listened to many podcasts and read blog posts recently that have really struck a chord with me. Though their messages were a little different, they essentially boil down to the same thing: As busy adults we have the right to claim time for ourselves, to be unproductive and unplugged, to pursue creative talents, to dabble in a hobby, to unburden ourselves from side-hustling, and stop worrying about the state of our homes. But how do we square this with the messages about “adulting”? Whether you use the word ironically or detest it, adulting still aptly describes the way adults spend most of their waking hours—working and performing other essential responsibilities. I say most, because there are those little stolen minutes or hours that we may use doing something shameful according to society/your parents/journalists/the media/politicians/you fill in the blank. The shameful stuff I’m talking about are the unproductive hours consuming media, engaging in hobbies or skills we can’t or don’t want to monetize, performing self-care, or just generally not engaging with culture the same way previous generations did (gambling in Las Vegas, eating at chain restaurants, golf, the list goes on).

I’m not making the argument that using the term adulting means I’m looking for affirmation for being a grown up, and I don’t want to rule out my dream of being a mermaid either, but I do want to address the guilt people feel, particularly women, when they spend any amount of time not attending to their careers, family obligations, and homes—all in the domain of adulting.

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Design Your Summer

Published June 12, 2017 by Christina

Last week we took a family trip to Santa Barbara. Nick had to do some work at his office, and we wanted a getaway and a chance to catch up with family and friends. We ate well, laughed a lot, and spent quality time with loved ones. In short, it was awesome. I want to bottle up the feeling of vacation and bring it home with me, which is why I’ve been mulling over the idea of creating a bucket list of summer activities.

Part of me hates the idea of committing to yet another list. I’ve been listening to the Happier podcast with Gretchen Rubin and Elizabeth Craft for a bit, and Gretchen’s idea of designing your summer really spoke to me. You can listen to her talk about it here and here. Rather than create a list of things I have to do, I’m making a plan to do some things I can’t wait to do.

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The Tudor House Tour

Published May 25, 2017 by Christina

We’ve officially owned this Tudor style home for three weeks now. I thought I’d give you an update.

So far we’ve been doing work around the place, just getting it family-ready. Let’s take a peek inside.

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It’s Going to be Okay

Published May 12, 2017 by Christina

I meant to write in for The Mom Hour’s Mother’s Day Challenge, but like a lot of things in my life right now, I dropped the ball. I thought I’d take the opportunity to post something here.

Dear mom in line at the grocery who left her wallet in the car,

Dear mom who is awaiting a child via adoption,

Dear mom who commutes long distances every day,

Dear single mom juggling it all,

Dear mom with kids who’ve flown the coop,

Dear mom with grown kid(s) that have returned home,

Dear mom who is grieving the loss of a child,

Dear mom in school,

Dear mom with serious health problems,

Dear mom who everyone thinks has it all,

Dear woman, sister, grandma, aunt, cousin, friend, anyone that mothers,

Dear new mom, young mom, older mom, mom to-be, mom in heart and spirit, pet mom,

Dear anyone with or without a mother,

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Our New (Old) Tudor Home

Published May 4, 2017 by Christina

The wait is finally over. I can now share that we are finally in possession of our new house! After moving 375 miles, some heartache, a lot of waiting and patience, and just a bit of compromise, we landed our dream home.

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Mid-Century Modern Bohemian Contemporary House

Published May 2, 2017 by Christina

I already shared the design plans I had for a 1980s ranch style home, but today I’m back to talk about the other home we offered on and didn’t get. It was a 1973 contemporary ranch house with a stone exterior. Visually, the house just needed a lot more curb appeal. I know that a faux stone exterior might scare off a lot of buyers, but when I saw the low rectangular shape of the home, the big windows, and then the inside—I knew the house had so much potential. Here is a mood board I pulled together for a Mid-Mod Bohemian Contemporary House, and below the cut I’ll go into more detail room by room.

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Rustic Modern Ranch House

Published April 28, 2017 by Christina

I am very excited about where we will end up in just about a week’s time, but that doesn’t mean I can’t mourn for the homes I almost got but didn’t. I thought I’d walk you through some of the ideas I had about two different homes we made offers on to buy. Today I’ll be sharing my interior inspiration for a 1986 ranch style home. Here is a mood board I pulled together for a Rustic Modern Ranch House, and below the cut I’ll go into more detail room by room.

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