Oh my gosh have you ever played the purse game at a shower?!? I bet you would win!

Oh Nora! Ouch! I hope you get better quickly!

It's so so sweet to re-so their rooms, I love that tradition you've made! I'm glad there are no long sleep away camps here (a five night camp is I think the max I've heard of), because surely my daughter would go! She's six and already talked me into a two night tester type Girl Scout camp! She's so excited though, like you said, hard to say no!

Their patterns are so so good!

Everything they make us so lovely!

Amanda it was so wonderful to meet you! Yes those roads... The first time we took our 30 foot trailer to camp was to the coast, I was a wreck the whole drive!!!

So beautiful!

Hey even I've taken a ride in the old minivan! And you grow up.... Hmm. :) don't do it!

Yes to wonder tape! I too make sweet little vintage dresses for my girls (particularly my girl who wishes she was on the prairie with Laura) and the zippers look so nice using that stuff. I buy bags of random notions at estate sales or goodwill hoping for those old super soft zippers. I just had to say too that I ordered a couple of bunny kits for my girls. I was sewing up a little dolphin softie pattern tonight to practice my stitches when my 2.5 year old came into my room (as she does every night) awake again. I said I was making her a little dolphin. She took the unstuffed thing, said thank you, and went back to bed. BY HERSELF. She put her self to bed!! This never happens, ever. We always bounce or rock or cuddle her to sleep and lay her down asleep. So maybe it's the magic of the softie?!?! I don't know but I'll be making that bunny up as soon as the kit gets here (I'm in Salem so it'll be quick)! Must have more on hand. :)

Hooray! I remember reading your blog from the beginning one night, you had a month or two worth of posts down already. I haven't stopped since! I think I found you through the back tack swap?? To say my life has changed for the better from reading your blog would be a severe understatement! I know I've already emailed you part of this, when I was fresh off the birth of my first six years ago, but I just have to repeat it and add some more thanks. I had never heard of homebirth before your blog. I didn't know homeschooling was a thing non religious people could do. I had always wanted to be a stay at home mom but I had never seen it celebrated so well as in this space. It gave me goals reading your blog. Not to be like you (though I did have wonderful homebirths and I am homeschooling/unschooling), but to embrace what I want out of motherhood. To cherish my time for myself and crafting. To truly enjoy all the little moments with my girls. And for that I just have to say again hooray, I'm so glad you're still blogging!

Oh I love those kind of darling toddler pronunciations!! I've done a project with my girls your little one might love too. I have them pick out fabric we cut it in a long rectangle, then sew up two sides to make a little pillow. The girls take bits of polyfil or wool roving and love squeezing it in the tiny hole before sewing up the opening. Little A could at least do the fabric picking out, determining the size to dolly ratio and stuffing. My girls like to make super tiny ones for the calico critters that multiple around here. Also my oldest got into my double points when she was two. I didn't think much of it, but she left then strewn around and then started running around all crazy like toddlers do and one got jammed into her foot! Between her toes!!! Oh my god it was a slow motion moment where we sat and looked at it before I snatched her up and dealt with it. Surprisingly didn't do much damage and didn't seem to hurt her much (?!!?), but there was a needle shaped hole there for a while that made me feel like mother of the year! Geez.

I just recently made my littlest a leotard for dance because they're required to wear these little red ones in the preschool class and the left over one from her sister was too big and I just couldn't bring my self to buy another. And it turned out awesome. I made little flutter sleeves, ADORABLE. Now of course I want to do the gym stuff, but I need to find gaudier more sparkly fabric (and mill end was out when I went, what???). Also we did the shaving cream marbling and it totally amazing and like magic. A large metal flipper thing we use for the BBQ turned out to be the best scraper. I have yet to find scentless, at least not on the real foam, which is what you use for this. Also if you have liquid watercolors use them for this project instead of food coloring.

So awesome! My ten years is next month and I sort of can't believe it. It's crazy how life changes in ten years! Congrats on all your life goals. I think you are amazing and I still dream of a craft weekend someday with you!

First of all what an amazing gift from your grandma at the end. So happy for you (and wishing you peace at the same time). Last summer I decided to start dressing just for me, damn what other people thought/said. The funny thing is I was so much happier in my body ditching jeans (I've always hated how they felt) and going for stretch that it came across to everyone. I now only have a small bit of clothing compared to a closet full before and I really try to think if I like it before I get something new, and not as much how I look or what is trendy.... But that can be so hard!

Did you ever figure out the square feet? You should totally submit this to the tiny house blog!

Yes I would love these! I've only gotten to flip though one once and it was so inspirational.

Nora have you read he life changing Magic of Tidying Up yet?!?!, it would be right up your alley. I too get a nice high from organizing. Last night it was the kids play kitchen. Now I get all warm and fuzzy when I walk by.

We would love her! Each of my girls have a classic bamboletta but a wee one added to the mix would be perfect.

I keep meaning to ask this, where is the poster from? My daughter is very interested in cursive ("fancy writing") all of the sudden! Love this room.

Type A minus. Ah hahahhaa. Not possible for you! This is adorable!

Ohhh good idea with the small album. I have one of those kicking around. Might have to copy you!

I like seeing your little pictures fly by when I walk by his office :) hope some day we can scrapbook together. I would be up for a retreat in your area, just saying :)

I often feel like you are a more refined slightly older version of myself (I actually don't know how old you at are but I'm 34 with younger kids so maybe I should just say more experienced parent). And now I know this is true!! My on the counter butter is a mess on a chipped up butter dish. I am so doing this!!!! I was looking at other butter dishes just the other day, but they were all so problematic!!! Ah, it's the little things. :)

I just love your writing so much. And photos.... And crafts, of course. I had this very thought about the planning. But I've never been big on cooking so it's even more of a challenge for me. Here is a good simple lot sticker soup my mom came up with. I love it and always keep frozen potstickers in the freezer for it. http://www.lifeincolorphoto.com/2012/03/from-the-soup-genius.html Also Amanda at Soule Mama has a wonderful carrot soup recipe. I pair that with dressed up grilled cheese (fancy cheese plus pesto and tomato slices). Yummy, and you can freeze some if you make a big batch (before you add the cream).

Oh Amanda how I love his space you've created! I do believe I've read your whole blog, and really can hardly believe myself I've had a blog for nearly ten (!) years. Back tack swap, ice cream in the bathroom, unschooling blog ring thing... I remeber all those. I must say I have feelings of jealousy when reading other blogs sometimes, but never yours. I often get similar comments (how do you do it all?) and I remeber an essay of Stephanie's about knitting. She's sitting in a doctors office waiting room knitting and multiple people tell her they wish they had the time while they were, themselves, just sitting there. I'm late to this conversation myself as I've limited my screen time of late. But I can say getting rid of our TV four years ago was HUGE. I never thought we watched that much, but I guess I did and I don't miss it. Also this year my daughter would be in kindergarten. My friends are running themselves ragged making perfect bento boxes for lunch, getting everyone out the door, volunteering in the class, etc. meanwhile my daughter got up at ten and I've already done loads of laundry. It's all about priorities for me. And of course having my partner right there. He works A LOT (and travels which I never blog about) but a random text in the middle of the day from him telling me thank you for everything I'm doing goes a long way! I just love you! We are planning our long talked of trip, a six month road trip around the United states, leaving in January 2020.... Perhaps we'll have to stop and see you. All the best!