1. I need to pay attention to what drains me and what gives me life.
I can’t always avoid the things that drain me, but I can often make adjustments so they aren’t quite as exhausting. For instance, I love my adorable little Craigslist desk, but now that my workload is picking up, I’ve discovered it’s the wrong setup for my neck and back.
On the life-giving side, I love having early mornings to myself. For me, it’s worth missing a little sleep to start each day with peace and quiet.
2. I’m pretty sure I enjoy picture books just as much as my children do.
And I need more soft lines and natural shapes in my living room.
4. When DIYing a kid’s birthday party, spend time on one or two big things (that your kid will actually care about), and don’t stress about the details.
Jackson turned four earlier this month. When people asked what he wanted for his birthday, he repeatedly mentioned a rocket and planets, so we decided to surprise him with an outer space party.
I scavenged cardboard and asked Jonathan to build a rocket with it. Then I cut out and painted 2D cardboard planets to hang from the ceiling. We stayed up late the night before, but party prep was otherwise pretty simple. The cupcake frosting was a total rush job—sprinkles to the rescue!—and Jackson cared exactly 0%. But he was SO excited about the cardboard rocket ship. He and Caleb still play in it all the time.