More Rose, Nannying & My Birthday! - June 7QT

June Seven Quick Takes

1. Rose this month

This is such a fun age! Some of my very favourite things are when I make Rose laugh, when she is super excited about something and goes "Oooooh, ooooh," in this low excited voice with her eyes wide (some things that produce this: bananas, the door opening to go outside, milk in her sippy cup, a crow...), when she says her little words, and when I say "Nigh-nigh time," and she automatically lays her head on my shoulder and cuddles in. She'll put her arms around my neck and it's the best feeling in the world.

She goes down to sleep so well at home, I just turn on her fan, sing her some songs while I cuddle her, then put her in the crib and sometimes sing a little more while I play with her hair (that or she falls asleep on me cuddling, that's the best). Then I just leave and she usually doesn't make a peep. When we are not at home it is a different story. She is so incredibly hard to get to sleep!!! Like impossible! She just screams when I try all the usual things. So that is my challenge right now but I'm sorry Rose, our summer plans don't involve staying home much (if I can help it haha).

Rose is saying lots more "words" and they are so sweet. I can see her little mind learning more and more every day.

She loves being outside sooo much, a girl after my own heart. Inconvenient when I open the door to take out the garbage and she thinks we are going outside. Let's just say she's disappointed when the door shuts again. We go outside lots, and she will just play and play and play in the backyard or front. I take her to the park sometimes and her favourite thing to do is to just stand there holding onto something and watch bigger kids play. We also love going on walks, it's the best way to make her happy if she's having an off day.

Standing on her own and taking some steps!

I could go on about Rose forever so I think I'll stop myself now.

2. What we can learn from nannying.

One of my closest friends Olivia posted a blog post titled Five Things I Learned From Nannying on her blog Fishies in a Row (their last name is Fischer! The cutest blog name) that I thought was so interesting and insightful and I'd highly recommend reading it! She was a nanny for a family of 8 kids (and newborn twins) so I think it was a really cool experience for her. I nannied a little girl for quite a while before getting married and I think back to those memories a lot as I take care of Rose! I think that nannying for parents that you respect and kids that you feel connected to can teach you so many valuable lessons and be such a great growing and learning experience. You see the ins and outs of how other people are raising their kids, and there were so many things I decided I wanted to incorporate into my own parenting once I had kids. Nannying was when I was first introduced to cloth diapers and was how I learned how they work! I remember that while nannying I would always think about the ways that I would want to do things with my own kids one day - I'm just so grateful for that experience and all the things I learned.

3. Blog Posts and YouTube Videos I've enjoyed this month.

Speaking of Olivia's blog, she wrote another post this month that I looooooved. You should definitely go check it out: Picking My Own Battles and Telling Mom-Guilt to Shove It. I think every mom has experienced mom-guilt at one time or another. I know I definitely have - it's something that I struggle with for sure. I loved her take on it and it was so relatable.

My sister-in-law Riane also wrote a post that had my both crying (actual tears in my eyes) and laughing (actually laughing out loud alone with my phone while Rose was napping). It's the story of how she and her husband Sean met and knowing how the whole story ends made it that much more touching for me :) The Way We Met (a short novel, pt 1) (and then there is a part 2 as well!).

Then there was this one, that I related to in so many ways: 5 Ways Becoming a Parent Has Made Me Stop Giving a Crap by Chelsea Damon of Living the Sweet Wife.

Okay just one more! I may or may not spend way too much time reading things on my phone. I have to share this one because it made me laugh so hard! Like I was actually laughing out loud at parts and when Matt asked what I was laughing about I read parts out loud, except he may not have found it as funny as I did. See for yourself, though: 10 Times I Should Have STFU as a FTM.

I find YouTube videos are a good way to make monotonous cleaning go by faster. I don't think to put videos on very often (I'm more of a podcast person) but this month I remembered to a few times and I really enjoyed these ones!

20 Reasons to Declutter and Live Light - Sarah Nourse

Save Money on Clothes: 5 Hacks - Sarah Nourse

4. I value all my friends so much!

I was recently thinking about how it is sad that I have so many friendships back home with people who I took years to create close bonds with - where we know so much about each other, have had so many shared memories and deep talks, and just have that lifelong-friendship vibe with each other - but it is so hard to keep up some of the friendships since I don't live near them anymore. I talked to God about it a little (even though it wasn't even something I was really sad about, it was just on my mind) and when I went to visit my parents for a few days I got to see a bunch of friends that are hard to keep in touch with, and it made my heart so glad! Normally I end up spending the time I'm there mostly just with my family as I want to get as much quality time in with them as I can, but I feel like God just gave me this little gift of seeing a bunch of old friends and I'm so grateful.

5. My struggle with cooking. Life of a domestic under achiever ;)

Seriously, why is cooking food, thinking of food to make, and thinking of food to feed Rose so difficult for me! It seems like it should be a very simple thing, yet I really find it to be a stress in my life. I'm not even talking baking fancy pies here, I'm talking about preparing the basic meals. I just don't really like it, I procrastinate, and it just isn't something that comes easily to me. I really want to change my attitude towards it because it is a fact of life and that is not going to change, ever. So I would much rather spend my life semi-enjoying cooking - there has to be a way to change my mindset. My mindset towards cleaning has changed drastically, so I know I can change my approach to cooking as well, I just haven't yet found the solution. If anyone has any ideas for me I am all ears! I also know that I go in phases, though, so really this could randomly change tomorrow.

6. How the whole simplifying life/minimalism thing is going

I feel strange writing about minimalism because I don't think I'm very far along the path. However, I am just so intrigued by all things minimalism and the things that seem to result from a more minimalistic life.

These are the some of the reasons I want to buy less stuff, and have less stuff:

• To spend less money
• To be grateful for what I have instead of always wanting more
• To spend less time cleaning, maybe play with my kids more because I'm not constantly picking stuff up and taking care of all my stuff and their stuff (this is more in the future)
• The lightness I feel when I don't have clutter and mess all over
• The lightness and freedom I feel when there is less stuff around me
• To not buy into the whole consumerism thing where you're never content, just always working more to make more money to buy more stuff - that whole cycle
• To spend the money we do have on experiences over things

But, it's actually so hard!

I read this article called 12 Struggles of Minimalist Beginners and How to Overcome Them. The 12 reasons they say it's difficult are so true. It's really hard to be content and grateful and not want new stuff. I feel bad getting rid of gifts, or anything somewhat expensive for fear that I will need that thing someday. I went through my house and got rid of a lot of stuff, but I can see a bunch more coming in and getting rid of more is difficult. Anyway, that is kind of where I'm at.

With that being said, all the stuff I got rid of because the whole minimalism thing inspired me (seriously so many garbage bags, I don't even understand haha) made such a difference in my life. I actually find being in my house and cleaning my house so much less overwhelming. Also, getting rid of a bunch of my clothes has made such a difference too and I love it. So there's a little bit of positivity for ya ;).

7. 24 years old!!!!!!

My birthday was June 25th, I'm 24! It still feels really young but it also feels old. Time passing kind of makes me sad, but I'm living out these years in amazing ways - I love how I'm spending them. I'm so glad I have Matt and Rose to live out the rest of my years with! And hopefully more kids to come as well! I love thinking about my future kids. Will I have a little boy one day? How would another girl look different from Rose? Then there's baby names, my all time favourite topic (it's seriously surprising how much I think about baby names).

I had a wonderful birthday. Matt and I went out for dinner the Friday before while his parents watched Rose, I love when we get one on one time!

Then on my actual birthday, we had a bacon and egg breakfast (made by Matt) and then went to mass where we got to see all of Matt's family and sit and have a coffee afterwards. We had a family nap session when we got home, then headed to the city to get me a birthday present from my favourite place - Ikea, woo! I got a bedside table that I really wanted and didn't actually need, I am so happy hahaha. Birthday presents are for the unjustified wants, I think ;). On the way home we had some car trouble, but that all got figured out thanks to Matt's Dad and brother coming to the rescue. I loved my sunny happy birthday with my two favourite people!

Here they are on Father's Day.

Also this month was my cutie nephew Joe's birthday!

Okay, last picture of Rose. She is so into putting my purse on her shoulder.