Cutest Critters & Wall Decals

About those Skokie critters... : ) The first thing Freida wants to do here each morning is go out into the backyard and chase the critters. Chipmunks, squirrels, robins, and rabbits - her favorite, are all there playing on the green waiting to greet the day. Her sheer excitement over the little wild things roaming free is uncontainable. She runs after them, one at a time, until they disappear into the shrubbery, laughing gleefully through the whole process. I sip my coffee and relish in watching my little girl's unbridled joy. Summer morning bliss.

All this reminds me of a post I did a while back - these sweet forest wall decals. Feel like I'm here in the forest with all these lil' guys....

I've been helping my sister-in-law (can't wait to see them, Esther!) out with a project this week, so I've got wall-decor on the mind. Check out these retro-chic wallpaper animal silhouettes! Each animal is hand-cut from vintage wallpaper in fabulous patters, bringing a totally designer-style twist to any wall - that will delight artful adults, as well as enchant the kiddos.

Vintage Wallpaper Animal Silhouettes, by Romp.

Mamas & Papas USA Debut

This just in; Mamas & Papas of UK is now available for purchase in the USA. For those of you who remember when I posted this über sleek stroller, and actually followed the link to its' producers - I'm sure you can't forget some of the fabulously functional gear featured there. Well, Great Britians #1 baby brand has landed, but unfortunately they only brought with them a selection of items... Available at their US website, currently for pre-order at Babies R' Us, and coming to other select stores shortly. Too bad the Mylo and the Morph didn't make it over...

Also, in case you are one shipment-savvy mama who handles business overseas... check out the M&P summer sale going on now.

My Little Swinging Thing

She's not really that interested in doing much else here... She could swing for hours watching all the skokie critters.

Been thinking about getting an indoor swings at home for a while now... happened upon this one from SoftLine, designed by Busk + Hertzog. Streamlined enough to double up as extra seating in the living room, and available in a fabulous array of felted color options, this sweet swing totally made me look!

ME&U Swing from Soft Line

Skokie, IL

Greetings from Skokie!

Freida and I (we had to leave DaddyFroo at home a'workin) are busy acclimating ourselves here after jetting out from Long Beach to Ohare... Loving the sunshine (though I hear the morning I left town, the rays peeked through those LA clouds and stuck around!), loving the family, and of course loving the Skokie vibe. This is the first time in a long while that all 6 of us (siblings) get to hang out at home together, and it's just lovely! I've been enjoying every minute, and looking forward to all the great times this next week will bring us. Freida is completely entranced by the beautiful Skokie backyard - she sits and swings under the trees all day!! For now we are just taking it easy, lots of water play (you got to stay cool in this humidity!), frolicking on the grass, backyard picnics, and plenty of time chilling getting to know the aunts, uncles, and cousins. I do have a few fabulous Chicagoland places/activities I'd like to check out before heading back out west, but for now I think we'll keep it simple until the sleeping schedule is back to pre-jet-lag. : )

I will be blogging and posting from here, albeit a bit more sparingly.

P.S. Check out these wicked Custom State Pillows from this new website featuring trinkets for us gals, Always Fits. This concept would make an awesome gift!!

Parenthood, exposed.

All Joy and No Fun, Why Parents Hate Parenting.

I wanted to share this article with you. It was written by Jennifer Senior for the New York Times, and though I found it rather depressing, it definitely has some aspects of truth in the parenthood. Take a look through the eyes of the many women who feel they love their kids but hate their lives. I feel truly blessed that Judaism gives us an undeniable sense of purpose when it comes to procreation. This purpose should lend itself to pride, and provide some peace-of-mind when it comes to the many trials and troubles that can manage, no doubt, to taint the years of child-rearing - should we live those years without thinking and remembering our purpose.

A good read, that will feel both familiar and educational.