Friday Brain Dump

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This made me LOL because it is so very, very true.

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I *love* this simple idea for holiday shopping for kids.  It’s called WANT, NEED, READ, WEAR and it’s designed to stop the crush of presents under the tree (both from parents and well-meaning relatives like).  It’s a good way to organize your personal wish list, too!

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My friend passed along this link and I thought the recipes sounded really yummy.  I love chia seeds!  I am just now convincing Henry to eat yogurt regularly and hope to get him into chia seed pudding, too – all those awesome Omega fatty acids!  Here you go –> 10 Chia Pudding Recipes.

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Photo: Life by DailyBurn

 

When I was super sick, I “discovered” saline nasal spray.  Basically, it’s a mister of saline that you can squirt into your nose.  It hydrates your nasal cavity, loosens mucus, and makes it easier to blow.  Also, it just feels really, really good when you’re all dried up from the heat being on.  I’m sure this is one of those “duh” products, but I just learned about it and now plan to keep a few in my cabinet at all times – it’s awesome for general winter sniffles (plus medication-free and non-addictive!).

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I think I mentioned this before, but I recently read The Leftovers and thought it was an awesome book.  So now we’re watching the HBO series.  It’s SO different from the book!  I think the TV series is just okay in comparison to the book, but everyone I know who is watching the show and hasn’t read the book thinks the show is AMAZING.  So – read the book, too.  It’s worth it. 

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My BFF Nicole has been raving about these awesome corduroy pants, which are currently 40% off when you sign up for LOFT’s emails.  She says they fit like a dream and stretch out really well (you know how some cords stretch out all baggy in the worst places? These apparently do not).  She’s bought them in multiple colors and convinced her mom and sister to buy them.  She almost had me sold, too, but I don’t want to commit to a post-partum size.  But I thought I’d pass along the link!

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Henry got his first “homework” assignment from school – I had to ask him these questions and fill out the chart. I decided to write down whatever he said regardless of how weird it sounded* – these were his answers.  Hahaha.

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* Actually, he said his favorite thing was “drinking” but I didn’t want to write that down because he sounded like a boozer.

 

What’s on your mind lately?

{ 31 comments }

 

  • Katie sB November 14, 2014, 11:55 am

    I have no idea how I would stop people from buying my kids too many gifts, especially my in laws! I hate clutter and I don’t want to raise my kids to put too much importance on stuff. When I was a kid my parents bought us very few toys and my sisters and I had so much fun inventing games!

  • Lisa November 14, 2014, 12:24 pm

    I love the 4 gift christmas! I’ve read about a similar idea but with more religious undertones- 3 gifts symbolizing the gold, Frankincense, and myrrh Jesus got from the 3 kings. You get something expensive/fun (gold) something for the mind/soul (frankincense) and something for the body (myrrh). For us, this will probably be a big new playmat, a book, and more clothes for our 6 month old. If we stick with it, i hope it keeps our kids focused on the bigger meaning to the season and not just on gifts!!

    • Katie November 14, 2014, 1:24 pm

      I love the christian connection, but the want, need, wear, read flows off the tongue so nicely!

  • Erin @ Her Heartland Soul November 14, 2014, 12:37 pm

    I love that homework assignment! haha And I wish corduroy pants looked good on me!

  • Mary November 14, 2014, 12:45 pm

    My daughter (3) did a similar poster for school. I wrote down whatever she said too. I learned through that project that when she grows up she wants to be a gingerbread man!

  • Chelsea @ TableForOne November 14, 2014, 12:58 pm

    I have heard of doing Christmas that way before and really love the idea. I will definitely be doing this with my kids…when I have them!

  • Andrea B. November 14, 2014, 1:13 pm

    We use the something you want, something you need, something to wear and something to read as gifts from mom and dad, then Santa brings one present (usually pretty big). It’s really helpful. We have 4 kids, and it really makes the Christmas budget stay a little more in tact.
    I’m so excited to try some of the chia pudding recipes!

  • Stephanie @ Whole Health Dork November 14, 2014, 1:17 pm

    The batteries comment on his favorite things is hysterical! Where in the world did that come from? I mean, they are pretty great things, but in the same list with mom, dad, and chocolate? Too funny!

  • Christina @ The Beautiful Balance November 14, 2014, 1:28 pm

    That xmas list is such a great idea! Saline spray is the best but combined with vitamin C and its a dynamite combo!

  • Jen November 14, 2014, 1:36 pm

    If you say it “want, need, wear, read” it rhymes which makes it easier to remember and just sounds better!

    • Michelle November 15, 2014, 11:38 pm

      I was thinking the same thing!

  • Amanda November 14, 2014, 2:49 pm

    Love the holiday list. I learned it as a rhyme a few years ago – something you want, something you need, something to wear and something to read – and have lived by it ever since. Definately helps focus the mind when buying for the kids and you want to buy All The Things. Henry’s ‘real’ answers are amazing btw 🙂

  • Rachel November 14, 2014, 2:58 pm

    I love the little kid “interview”! My daughter did one at school last year in preschool and it was priceless. LOL on the “loves chocolate and batteries” 😉

    We were going to do the one they want, one they need, one to wear and one to read. But that still added up to a lot of presents. Our 2 were completely overwhelmed by all the gifts last year. So now I’ve asked family to limit it to 1 gift for each kid. Sounds extreme but between all that and what Santa brings, there’ll be plenty of presents on Christmas!

    Glad you’ve found some sinus relief during pregnancy. I’ve never used that saline solution, but my neti pot was used every night during my 2 pregnancies. It was pretty much the only way I got relief when I was sick and pregnant! Boy, I do not miss that combo…

  • Kathleen Ojo @ My Ojos November 14, 2014, 3:11 pm

    I’ve straight up laid down the law to my family when it comes to buying stuff for my daughter. We live in a small-ish apartment, for one, and she just doesn’t like toys! She’s into her books, puzzles, 1 doll, and her collection of little instruments, and even those she only spends MAX 2 hours a day with. The rest of the time she is following me around imitating me, helping me clean, or sitting on the counter helping me make dinner. She couldn’t care less about any of the elaborate plastic things that have crossed her path. I’m grateful that she’s such a “natural minimalist” (ha!) but it does make the gift situation awkward! For her 2nd birthday I had a No Gift policy that most people followed, and for her 1st birthday we had a book party where guests were asked to only bring new or used books as gifts to build up her library. Both plans worked out great! Christmas is more complicated though. I may have to put together a version of this 4-category list to distribute to family 🙂

  • Lee November 14, 2014, 3:55 pm

    It’s cracking me up that he said batteries.

  • Aja November 14, 2014, 5:46 pm

    That is so cute that Henry filled out. And I like that wish list idea. I’m glad I have some time before having kids so I can figure out how to prevent the avalanche of christmas presents.

  • jen November 14, 2014, 6:35 pm

    Batteries just made me laugh out loud. I teach kindergarten and for mothers and father’s day I interview the kids about their parents and get the most hilarious answers. What does your mom do while you’re at school? Lay on the couch and watch bravo. That’s was my favorite last year haha

  • Breanne November 14, 2014, 7:30 pm

    LOL! I love his homework and that he specified he wanted a pretend crocodile but not a pretend monkey.

  • Emily November 14, 2014, 8:28 pm

    Lol, “batteries”. Cracks me up!

  • Nancy November 14, 2014, 8:29 pm

    Haha I love that he loves batteries, and wants a pretend crocodile, so sweet.

  • Ali November 14, 2014, 8:34 pm

    Hi Caitlin, SUPER random question. I was just wondering if you ever announced the winners of the Celestial Tea giveaway? I was really crossing my fingers on that on because I love tea and think I must have missed it! 🙂

    • Caitlin November 15, 2014, 10:18 pm

      Yes I did – I just emailed her directly. So sorry you didn’t win 🙁

  • Kristin November 14, 2014, 9:17 pm

    My husband and I are following that gift rule this year for our kids, what we give them! We have found that in the past years they get things they play with for only a hot minute so we hope this will curb all the unnecessary things.

  • Jolene (www.everydayfoodie.ca) November 14, 2014, 9:29 pm

    Bahahahaha, he sounded like a boozer!!! Haha, I wonder who he gets that from 😉

  • Nicole @ Broken Road Creative November 14, 2014, 9:35 pm

    I actually laughed out loud at the last part about Henry saying “drinking” and not wanting to make him sound like a boozer! Gotta love the things kids say 😀

  • Lindsay Ingalls November 15, 2014, 12:36 am

    We did a want, need, wear list (with a few additions) the last year and will again this year. We did 6 categories last year and this year we are doing 5 (want, wear, read, create, Gift to us from the kids/Gift to each child from one another). We used o do need as well but in the end if there is a need item we are going to buy it anyways so we removed it from the list. http://www.naturallyfamily.com/2014/11/11/christmas-list-planning-2014/

  • Orla November 15, 2014, 4:39 pm

    An addition to the nasal saline spray is Neilmed Sinus Rinse. sort of like the spray but it goes through one nostril, cleans out your sinus’ and then out the other one. Sounds disgusting but it is amazing. I used it before I had sinus surgery a couple of years back as I had recurring infection but use it all the time now for sniffles, allergies etc.

  • Mallory November 16, 2014, 6:22 pm

    Those cords from Loft are my favorite pants. I never could wear cords, but these are perfect!

  • Laura@SneakersandSpatulas November 17, 2014, 9:48 am

    Not sure if this is just happening to me or not but when I click on the title of the blog post to take me to the comments, it takes me to a completely different site. Today it took me to “rogue Fitness”. This happened to me the other week when I clicked on the title of your blog post.

    • Caitlin November 17, 2014, 11:53 am

      UGHHHH thank you for letting me know.

  • Kristin November 22, 2014, 9:12 pm

    There is also saline spray for babies! It’s called Little Noses. My pediatrician is pretty anti sucking snot out unless absolutely necessary and recommended this. It’s basically just the same saline spray but with a tiny squirter thing to fit in babies tiny nostrils. I’ve been using iton my baby when he gets stuffy noses and it’s really helpful.

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