A Few Last Things V.2

A Few Last Things with Kat of Ramble Kat Ramble:

Last movie you really enjoyed: I would probably have to say Captain Phillips. The past few months have been really crazy and I found myself watching more TV than movies. Captain Phillips is the last movie I was able to not only sit down and really enjoy but it is the last movie that really got to me. It was not at all what I expected and the performance Tom Hanks gives is incredible, as always, especially in those last ten minutes. I almost could not handle it!

Last album you bought: I recently bought a box set of the first five Elton John Albums. I had somehow lost these at some point and I realized I missed them (how they were not in my iTunes is beyond me.) They are some of my favorite albums of all time and being able to listen to them again from beginning to end is just what I needed. 

Last "me time" you enjoyed: While I normally consider going to yoga to me my "me" time, I am actually going to have to say that tonight is a real treat for me! I am going to re-watch old episodes of The Office (for the hundredth time) and snuggle with my puppy dog. I usually try and multi-task when I have the TV on but tonight I am just going to relax and unwind.

Last time you felt like a kid: I was hiking with the boy on my birthday and we ended up at this summer camp pretty far back on the trail. There were cabins all over and everything was very quiet and empty. We hadn't seen another person on the trail for at least an hour. We were all by ourselves in the middle of these cabins and I had a small breakdown about not feeling capable enough for the summits we are planning to do this summer. After my boyfriend talked me through it, he pointed to a giant swing tied to two huge pines and said "I bet if you swing on that you'll feel a lot better." He was right. I felt like a kid. It was amazing.

Last place you'd called home before this one: This is a tricky one because I worked in property management before I moved home to finish grad school. As a property manager I had to live on site at the apartment communities I managed in Orange County, CA. I moved around 5 times in a 14 month period and none of those places really felt like home though all of them technically were.

Last time you felt scared: My first job interview for a full time teaching position was a few weeks ago. It was intimidating and had me sweating buckets. I could barely talk through most of it and basically bombed the whole thing but it was an amazing learning experience. Now that I have the first one out of the way the other ones have not been anywhere near as scary!

Last blog you really fell in love with: I enjoy reading blogs that are grounded and authentic. With that in mind, I think I would have to say My Life As A Teacup. She is a great writer, has awesome taste in books, and she does this rad series called "For the Love of a Linguaphile" that I love!

Thanks so much Kat! Readers, be sure to check out Kat's blog- it's wonderful. xoxo

A Few Last Things V.1

So I was at the dentist the other day flipping through a magazine (a dentist appointment without kids tends to feel like a trip to the spa...) when I came across an issue of People that had a fun feature on the back page called "Last Word." It's basically a series featuring celebrities answering questions about the last time they did this or that, and I found it to be really interesting. It reminds me a lot of my Currently posts, and I thought it would be fun to adapt the series here.

For the first installment I wanted to start with a blog friend of mine, Tracy. Tracy is the author of Shutterbean, which is chock full of amazing recipes and fun tidbits from her everyday life. It's a favorite read, and I'm excited to have her here to kick things off.

So here we go - A Few Last Things with Tracy of Shutterbean:

Last thing you cooked: Big Sunday breakfast for my family. We had scrambled eggs, mushrooms with spinach and pesto, bacon, grilled toast and home fries. Weekend breakfasts are my favorite.

Last time you felt nervous: Waiting to hear test results from the doctor. My crazy brain can't help but reference all these Debbie-Downer scenes from movies while I wait to hear what's up. I'm wired to set myself up for disappointment so I've been working on being more positive and staying present.

Last big thing you splurged on: I just went on a Kindle book buying spree while I was out of town. They make it so dang easy! I hope to get through all of them by the end of the summer. We'll see...

Last gift you received: My husband bought me a super cute Kate Spade bag for Valentine's Day. I normally carry a gigantic bag and using this one has been a good practice in simplifying and evaluating the essentials. I love it.

Last song you listened to: Holding On for Life by the Broken Bells It's super catchy and has a Bee Gees vibe. My son Cooper and I play it on repeat while commuting to school.

Last place you vacationed to: Just got back from Ashland Oregon. It was a blog trip but I went by myself and getting out of my everyday routine made it feel vacation-y.

Last time you were moved to tears: Watching an episode of Oprah's Super Soul Sunday. Whenever I see Oprah get emotional, I tear up. That lady does things to me.

Last blog you really fell in love with: Dine X Design My friend Kristin re-branded and started a new website. I love everything she & her contributors post. The photography/design is impeccable. She has the most incredible taste.

Thanks so much Tracy!

xoxo

Journal Day (again)

Two years ago I started a project here on Sometimes Sweet called Journal Day and it was probably my most favorite reoccurring feature, ever. Then the other week when I shared part one of "Post Ideas for the Stumped Blogger" I realized how much I miss that whole exchanging of ideas, sharing inspiration, and finding ways to freshen up content. I got to thinking, and I realized that right now was the perfect time to bring back Journal Day.

Here's the gist of it with a couple of updates, from my original post in June of 2011:

I love being a stay-at-home Mom, but there are some days when I really miss being a high school English teacher. And most of all, I miss the creative writing. For six years of my life, every Tuesday and Thursday, we had Journal Day. At the start of the year, each child would get a journal of their choice (typically a black composition notebook), and we'd add at least two pages per week. Upon the students' arrival in class on they would see a prompt on the board. They could always choose to free-write, but typically the kids would choose to at least start with the prompt and then let their writing go wherever they wished.  I had no rules for their journals- they could write about whatever they wanted, and although they did get a grade for completing each day's writing, I never gave them a grade on content. At the end of each journaling session, we'd go around the room and everyone could share anything they wanted- at the least just one word, and at the most, their entire entry. Some kids started by just offering up a word or a phrase- "good day" "sad" "really weird mood" - but as the year went on everyone got more and more comfortable. There were so many days I heard something that then prompted me to talk a child after class. Perhaps the one word they shared sounded a bit off, or maybe they shared a lot, and I knew they needed to talk to someone. I found that it was pretty therapeutic for a lot of the kids. I mean, I know some couldn't care less, but I do know there were more than a few that loved it. And I miss those days, I miss the writing, and the mix CDs the kids would bring it to play during those ten or fifteen minutes. The sound of the pencils on paper, the look of concentration. The feeling when one of my "non-writers" would say, "this isn't so hard after all."

So I got to thinking. And I decided that I'm going to bring back those journal days right here.

And if you'd like to join in, I'd absolutely love it.

Here's how it will work- I'll post a prompt on Sunday evenings (or other days if specified). Then some time in the next week, write about the prompt in your blog, then come back here on Thursday to my prompt response (I will post mine each Thursday morning) and leave a comment with a sentence or two from your entry, along with the link so we can all blog hop and check each others' writing out.  I know I'd be so honored to be able to read what you write, and I know a lot of others would love to, too. I think this will be a fun way to get a writing community going, and I'm so looking forward to getting to know more of you through your words. I'm so excited to continue focusing on what I believe is the most important aspect of blogging- writing.  I think this will be a neat way to infuse some creativity into our daily lives too, and inspire each other to write a lot more! So, here we go.

Stay tuned for next week's prompt, then come back on Thursday to my prompt response post to share your link blurb and link in the comments. And in the meantime, check out previous Journal Days here.

Girl Crushin': Sarah Joy from Love Sarah Joy

This week I am so excited to introduce my friend Sarah Joy to all of you. I just adore this lady- she is so, so positive and every single day I find myself looking at her photos on Instagram and feeling inspired. She is truly a ray of sunshine, as I'm sure you can tell from her words and photos below. So excited to have this sweet mama on my blog today!

Name: Sarah Joy from Love Sarah Joy & love_sarahjoy on IG

How I fill my days: The majority of my days are spent learning the balance of life with a toddler and a newborn. Wow! Did I really think that I was busy with one?!  Along with that, my husband and I have been revamping our home little by little (we live in my childhood home) and there is hardly a day that goes by where I don't change, add, delete or edit something. We are turning the house I grew up in to the house our children will grow up in.  I cannot put into words how special that is for me.

What I'm currently working on: I am working on our oldest daughter's second birthday party! It's days away, and four weeks after her actual birthday (yikes!). I am going to play my I-have-a-newborn-and-haven't-had-a-full-night's-sleep card and pretend there was no laziness involved. In the end of the day, I am just excited that we will be able to celebrate another year with our darling Audrey. We are having a Disney's UP-inspired party, with grape soda pins for our fellow club members & a few DIY's if I can manage it.

Who or what inspires me: My children inspire me. Every day I desire to be the best version of myself. Realistically speaking, I am the same person as I was before I had kids, with the same faults and the same downfalls. But what's changed is the fact that there are these two precious little souls that live under our roof, who rely on me as a mom and  are affected by my actions. That makes everything different now. I know that I will never come close to being a perfect mom and I fail on the daily, but I am their one and only mama. It is the greatest privilege I have come across and I never want to stop trying to be better for them.

3 current favorite blogs to read: Smile and Wave, Cakies, and Cup of Jo.

Girl-Crushin': Marlyn of Little Red Bowtalk

Another week, another fun lady to share with all of you. Marlyn is a new friend of my and I adore her cheerful photos on Instagram daily. Her blog is also a new favorite of mine too! I love her adorable style and enjoy following along with her everyday- her site is a sweet place full of positivity, and the world definitely needs more of that. Thanks for taking part, Marlyn!

Name: Marlyn Pena of Little Red Bowtalk and littleredbowtique on Instagram

How I fill my days: I try to stay as busy as possible everyday. I usually have a to-do list of the places I need to go and the things I need to do. Most of the time, I stop by the post office first thing in the morning to drop off my orders for my shop. Throughout the day you can find me at home working, cooking, cleaning, planning, and blogging. I love to turn my records on and just get stuff done! At the end of the day, you can find me relaxing with my hubby watching a movie. That's definitely my favorite part of the day. Staying busy is important to me. I believe that the busier I stay, the happier I will be. That way I will have no time to sweat the small stuff.

What I'm currently working on: I am a tax preparer, and as all of you know tax season is coming up. So I'm getting ready for that. I am also looking to make a big update to my online shop. I have so many ideas on things I want to make and things I would love to sell. I also have been coming up with many new ideas for my blog. Last year, I left my blog idle for the longest time and that was no fun. Now that I have been blogging regularly, I feel like I'm working towards something that I love. Something for me.

Who or what inspires me: I have been inspired by so many things lately! I love seeing the creative ideas that people come up with! It makes me want to create different things myself. However, much of my inspiration comes from blogs that I read. The blogging community has some of the most talented and creative people. I love the outfits, recipes, DIY projects, and lifestyles I see!

3 current favorite blogs to read: M Loves M, Selective Potential, and Skunkboy Blog.

Girl-Crushin': James of Bleubird Blog

In the New Year I wanted to do a new short and simple feature where I could share some of the women in my life that completely inspire me. I thought it was totally fitting to start with one of my favorite people, a woman who is part of my life both online and off, and whose spirit and love for life inspires me all of the time. James is a hard-working and dedicated mother who, besides homeschooling her two oldest children, makes time to raise her large family, always has her hand in creative endeavors, and still manages to have time for a good old fashioned phone chat now and again. James is the perfect first "girl-crush," and I'm pleased as punch to have her on Sometimes Sweet today.

As this feature grows and evolves I'm looking forward to sharing these little looks into different ladies' lives (from both online and off), and learning a bit about what their days and own inspirations look like. Enjoy!

Name: James Kicinski-Mccoy of Bleubird Blog

How I fill my days: my days are pretty full. I spend them with my four children Julian, 12, Milla Plum, 9, Birdie, 2 and Sailor Rhodes, ten weeks. I homeschool, so we spend a big chunk of our days at home reading and learning. We also like to keep it fun with games like chess, building forts with Birdie, baking, listening to records, art projects and little trips to the parks and museums in our city. We obviously can't fit all of those things into every day but we try to switch things up and do what we can, when we can. I love the freedom that homeschooling gives us.

What I'm currently working on: during down time, of which there is very little, or late at night I work on personal projects and things for my blog. Right now I am developing two products for brands that are pretty exciting. I'm also working on finding a house for our upcoming move to Nashville.

Who or what inspires me: other mothers! I am so inspired to see how other moms do it, especially moms who have big families like myself. It's so nice to see how their families work, the traditions and day to day happenings that take place and the relationships that they have with their children. We all learn from each other. It's really inspiring.

3 current favorite blogs to read: Soulemama, Oh Happy Day! and Shutterbean.