Nine New Things is a series of short and sweet posts sharing current inspiration, future plans, what I’m up to at home, and more. You can see other editions here.
Let’s dive in!
1 | Margot turned one earlier this month and we held her party at our local library. It was so special – singing to Margot with everyone was as sweet as I thought it would be. In my last Nine New Things post I mentioned the idea of an outer space theme, but we went with rainbows which was inspired by these adorable plates and napkins. My mom and sister-in-law helped me decorate the night before and we actually pulled off creating a balloon arch, which left us all feeling very proud of ourselves. It made me so happy that the craft table, originally meant for the kids, was a hit with the adults too.
2 | We are homeowners! Just when we were about to take a break from looking, we made a split decision to visit one more house and ended up loving it. We closed earlier this month and have kept our apartment for a few extra weeks to give us time to paint, clean, and move. It’s a little overwhelming bouncing between two places on top of parenting/working/trying to feed ourselves every once in a while, but I know we will be more settled soon so I am reminding myself to enjoy this exciting time.
3 | Fall is such a magical season here in upstate New York but it’s always way too short for my taste, so I try to soak up every moment. Last year we took Margot apple picking when she was just a few weeks old, and I’m excited to take her again this year and see what she thinks.
4 | I visited the Berkshires for the first time last weekend and it was so beautiful. I stayed in Great Barrington and loved walking around town, popping into shops and going to the farmers market. On the way there I stopped at Golden Harvest Farms (10 out of 10 would recommend for the festive fall vibes and apple cider donuts, which were still good two days later) and picture-perfect Bash Bish Falls, the highest waterfall in Massachusetts. You can access the falls from the MA or NY side. From the NY side, you’ll cross state lines on your walk!
5 | It’s been an especially busy season for Scrap Paper Social, the marketing company I run with my childhood best friend, Aurora. Learning how to work from home while caring for Margot has been a huge adjustment, but we have so many exciting projects in the works and I feel very grateful that this is my job.
6 | I think it would be funny to start a baby book club and talk about the best kids books – does this exist yet? There are so many great ones! Reading with Margot brings me so much joy and I now have more reason than ever to visit the library (which I already loved doing). Comparrotives and the other play-on-words vocab books by Janik Coat, the Nerdy Babies series by Emily Kastner, Richard Scarry’s I Am A Bunny (with the dreamiest mid-century illustrations), Mr. Tiger Goes Wild by Peter Brown, and Gustavo the Shy Ghost by Flavia Z. Drago are some of our recent faves.
7 | A few recipes that we are making over and over lately: feta pasta, cheesy white bean tomato bake, and coconut chickpea curry.
8 | One of my most cherished keepsakes from childhood is my collection of Christmas tree ornaments, built up slowly over many years. My mom gave my siblings and I an ornament every year and I want to continue that with Margot. What do you think of this one?
9 | From the archives: A Hot Dog For Every City: Exploring Scandinavia (Part Three)
What’s new for you this season? Let me know in the Comments!
No Comments