What I Wore Sunday, Vol. 6: All Dolled Up - and it wasn't that scary!

Sweater, Ann Taylor LOFT (thrifted); tank, Motherhood Maternity; skirt, Banana Republic (hand-me-down); wedges, Target

As you may have guessed from the title of this post - I dressed up for Mass today! Look ma, no boots! There wasn't really anything different about today, except that we had our company Christmas party last night, so I acquired stockings to wear with my party dress, and we got my box of pre-second trimester shoes down out of the attic so I could wear heels. How does a Saturday night party make dressing up for Mass easier, you ask? Well, with the stockings already broken in and a whole BOX of shoes to choose from plus a new-to-me skirt - dressing up was easy! I just had to find the sweater. Which I'd planned to wear anyway. And you know what? It wasn't as scary as I thought, being all dressed up with baby Erin in my lap. Ok, I'll admit it - I covered my lap with her blanket - all in the name of baby comfort, right? ;) Nothing comfortable about Mommy's nice skirt! 

I'm kind of fascinated by the bygone era in which my outfit would have been considered casual - nice enough for shopping or school, but not nearly dressy enough for Mass. I know it doesn't really make any sense to go back to that, but maybe it's worth trying to make it easy to dress up when the occasion calls for it. Know what I mean? If you've ever read Hallie's post on figuring out your daily uniform, you are familiar with the concept of creating different versions of the same outfit. My new plan is to try this with dressy clothes. I figure you can have a capsule church wardrobe just as much as a capsule daily wardrobe, right?

I'm sure I won't be able to pull this off every week, but hey, I'll try (most) anything once! I already ordered another skirt to expand my Mass repertoire, and I have two pairs of wedge heels I'd forgotten about (swollen pregnant feet, anyone?) that are much easier to wear while rocking a baby. I'd still rather be at Mass in jeans and a shirt than home because I couldn't get dressed up, but since my skirt and heels proved themselves unworthy of my wary glances over the past few weeks, you should be seeing more of the above and less of a few weeks ago.

I'm linking up over at Fine Linen and Purple for What I Wore Sunday! Head on over to check out Kendra's cute top and her adorable little boy, and make sure to see what everyone else wore too!

Advent Acts of Kindness: Day 4

This is the fourth in a series of posts on "Advent Acts of Kindness." Advent, the period of time leading up to Christmas, is a period of reflection and preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Historically, this meant a period of fasting, charity, and penance to ready the soul. Fasting isn't really part of the preparation anymore, but charity and penance still are. So while Advent calendars are a convenient way to count down the remaining days until Christmas, the season is marked by more than decorating and wrapping gifts. Even if all the rest of your tasks are done, you're not ready if your mind and heart aren't ready.

One great way to truly prepare for Christmas is to show kindness towards others, especially those less fortunate. With this in mind, I thought I'd put together a list of ideas for small acts of kindness and post one each day throughout Advent. I did this partly for selfish reasons, because I want to start a tradition of Advent Acts of Kindness for my own family, and partly because I thought you lovely readers would enjoy it. 

Advent Act of Kindness #4: Pick something up that you didn't drop. This one might sound a little weird, but bear with me. It's easy to just let a shirt fall off a hanger or knock something off a shelf and go on your way when you're shopping. After all, you have things to do, and someone gets paid to pick those things up. But think about it. Unless there is one employee doing nothing but following customers around and picking up after them, it's going to take a little while to get that shirt or box picked up and put back. This time of year, it probably will take even longer. In the meantime, the store becomes a mess, and that doesn't really add to the civilized society we'd all prefer to live in.

Obviously, it's impractical to pick up some dropped items, since you may not know where they go. But if you see something on the shelf that's obviously out of place, you can always take it along to the checkstand with you and give it to the cashier - this at least hastens its return. If you see a piece of clothing sliding off the hanger, you can put it back. I've worked in a store since I was a year out of high school, and I can tell you that putting things back in the right place at the end of the day takes time. I'm sure a busy store employee would be very glad to see someone not only picking up after themselves, but picking up after someone else as well. I know I would be!

I hope you all are enjoying your Sunday! Happy second Sunday of Advent!

7 Quick Takes: Volume 24: Pearl Harbor, Mental Hygiene, Babies, and Stay-at-home Moms

Thanks to Jen for hosting! I'm oh so glad it's Friday. Well, in my world, not quite Friday, but there's something about it being the weekend for the man of the house - makes it feel like the weekend for all of us! So even though I work on Saturdays, I'm very thankful for Friday. Plus I get to write my 7 Quick Takes. It doesn't get much better than that!

--- 1 ---

Today is December 7th, "a day that will live in infamy." Seventy-one years ago today, Japanese planes attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. America subsequently declared war on Japan, and later on Germany and Italy. Millions of lives were lost over the following four years. Today is a day to pray for the repose of their souls - may they rest in peace. It's safe to say that the events of December 7th, 1941, changed the lives of millions while altering the course of history. The patriotism and resourcefulness of this era is truly inspiring, however, and is a timely reminder of how our nation has banded together and overcome adversity in the past.

--- 2 ---

I love the song "White Christmas", and the two films in which it plays a starring role: Holiday Inn and White Christmas. Don't get me wrong, though; I'm not necessarily dreaming of a white Christmas for myself! We definitely get snow here, but not usually until later in the winter. I love the nostalgia of a snowy day, but I almost always have to go to work and driving in the snow is kind of scary! Ok - last year, driving to work in 6 inches of snow at 5 am when I was 6 months pregnant and Dan was out of town was REALLY scary. But I did it anyway. And I was proud of myself. Back to a white Christmas, though - after watching news footage of cars chaining up on the passes this morning, I think the snow should stay where they're better prepared!

--- 3 ---

Advent is upon us, and this year I'm doing a series of posts dedicated to "Advent Acts of Kindness." Each post describes a small act of kindness (read the first three posts here, here, and here). Yesterday's post is a giveaway! Yep, that's right. You can enter to win a set of grippy cookie cutters! Head on over for details.

--- 4 ---

I just heard about a new app that was developed in a nearby city, and I have to admit, I'm a bit perplexed. The app claims to solve the problem of buying items you don't need and having the return deadline pass before you can bring the items back. Now, I must confess I've purchased things I don't need, or things I later changed my mind about. In fact, before Emily and Erin were born, I often bought things on sale with the idea I could return them if they didn't turn out to be something we needed. Now that I don't work outside the home full time, I shop only for items we really need or want, and I don't tend to return things unless they turn out to be the wrong size or are defective. I guess I'm perplexed by the need for such an app. The method of operation does sound pretty cool (you snap a picture of your receipt and all the necessary information is stored to give you reminders of the upcoming return deadline) but unless it was also keeping track of spending and helping with budgeting, I don't know that I'd want to need to use it. I may be forgetful, but I don't want to be this careless with my money! What do you all think?

--- 5 ---

I've had a lot of fun this week curling up with the girls and watching those old black and white "mental hygiene" films on YouTube. I love the glimpse into 1940s and 1950s life - families sitting down for meals together; girls and women wearing flattering, modest clothing; a no-nonsense attitude towards good manners and clean living. What I like best of all is that the overall message is to do the right thing, not to be yourself at everyone else's expense. I think that the "be yourself" message can be a good one for kids to hear, but it's also important to know that there are expectations in society that might clash with individuality. It's our job as parents, and the job of our children's teachers, to show them when it's okay to "be yourself" and when they need to conform to social standards. Being different simply for the sake of being different isn't always a good idea.

--- 6 ---

Emily and Erin are starting to interact! It's even cuter than I had imagined. Dan actually got a video over the weekend of Erin rolling over (she doesn't do this very well yet) and Emily watching her. As Erin started to struggle and get frustrated, Emily looked concerned, and then reached over to pull her sister's shirt - "it's okay, I'll help you!" Emily spends a lot of time trying to get Erin's attention, and Erin loves watching Emily. They are starting to sit up and play with toys, instead of just gumming their toys, and they do something new almost every day! Being their mommy is so much fun. I can't begin to describe how blessed I am to be their mommy!

--- 7 ---

I've been contemplating something over the past week, and I'm curious to hear what all you readers have to say. In the past, almost all mothers stayed home when their children were young, choosing to take care of their families and make do on their husband's wages. Now, a fairly high percentage of mothers work outside the home. Obviously, times have changed, but it seems to me it's a "chicken and egg" situation. It's hard to say if more mothers are working because there is truly a need for two incomes, or if our overall standard of living has simply adjusted to reflect the trend of two incomes because more mothers decided to work outside the home. What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

Advent Acts of Kindness: Day 3 - a giveaway!

This is the third in a series of posts on "Advent Acts of Kindness." Advent, the period of time leading up to Christmas, is a period of reflection and preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Historically, this meant a period of fasting, charity, and penance to ready the soul. Fasting isn't really part of the preparation anymore, but charity and penance still are. So while Advent calendars are a convenient way to count down the remaining days until Christmas, the season is marked by more than decorating and wrapping gifts. Even if all the rest of your tasks are done, you're not ready if your mind and heart aren't ready.

One great way to truly prepare for Christmas is to show kindness towards others, especially those less fortunate. With this in mind, I thought I'd put together a list of ideas for small acts of kindness and post one each day throughout Advent. I did this partly for selfish reasons, because I want to start a tradition of Advent Acts of Kindness for my own family, and partly because I thought you lovely readers would enjoy it!

Note: while this is actually the fifth day in this series, this is only the third post. Life intervened this week, and I didn't get a chance to post Tuesday or Wednesday. I've loved reading all your comments, though! I decided to jazz this one up a bit, so it's a giveaway! See below for the details.

Advent Act of Kindness #3: Take some cookies (or brownies, or even lasagna!) to a neighbor. Since entering into "grownup" life, my observation has been that people don't interact with their neighbors very much on a day to day basis. What better time to change this than Advent? We are called to love our neighbors, and it's awfully hard to truly love someone if you don't share more than a quick "Hi" more than once or twice a year. 

Drop off your goodies on a paper plate or in a foil pan - that way you don't need to worry about getting it back. You can add a nice note or a little card with Christmas wishes on top. Make sure everything is waterproof, and try to time it so they will find the gift fairly soon after you leave it. If they have cats (or there are lots of neighborhood kitties) simply bring your gift when they are home and give it in person, or attempt to make your wrappings cat-proof - maybe a cardboard box? I've never had cats, so if you have any tips here, please feel free to comment below with your suggestions!

I'd love to hear your favorite recipe for holiday goodies to give away! Comment below with your favorite, and I'll pick one of you to win some cookie cutters! Giveaway closes at midnight Pacific Time on Saturday. 

Advent Acts of Kindness: Day 2

This is the second in a series of posts on "Advent Acts of Kindness." Advent, the period of time leading up to Christmas, is a period of reflection and preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Historically, this meant a period of fasting, charity, and penance to ready the soul. Fasting isn't really part of the preparation anymore, but charity and penance still are. So while Advent calendars are a convenient way to count down the remaining days until Christmas, the season is marked by more than decorating and wrapping gifts. Even if all the rest of your tasks are done, you're not ready if your mind and heart aren't ready.

One great way to truly prepare for Christmas is to show kindness towards others, especially those less fortunate. With this in mind, I thought I'd put together a list of ideas for small acts of kindness and post one each day throughout Advent. I did this partly for selfish reasons, because I want to start a tradition of Advent Acts of Kindness for my own family, and partly because I thought you lovely readers would enjoy it. 

Advent Act of Kindness #2: Smile at a stranger, and then pray for them later in the day. You never know what kind of struggle someone is having. Your smile could be the boost they need to get through the day, and your prayers could help them immensely later on. 

Advent Acts of Kindness: Day 1

This is the first in a series of posts on "Advent Acts of Kindness." Advent, the period of time leading up to Christmas, is a period of reflection and preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Historically, this meant a period of fasting, charity, and penance to ready the soul. Fasting isn't really part of the preparation anymore, but charity and penance still are. So while Advent calendars are a convenient way to count down the remaining days until Christmas, the season is marked by more than decorating and wrapping gifts. Even if all the rest of your tasks are done, you're not ready if your mind and heart aren't ready.

One great way to truly prepare for Christmas is to show kindness towards others, especially those less fortunate. With this in mind, I thought I'd put together a list of ideas for small acts of kindness and post one each day throughout Advent. I did this partly for selfish reasons, because I want to start a tradition of Advent Acts of Kindness for my own family, and partly because I thought you lovely readers would enjoy the ideas - and I do hope you enjoy them!

Advent Act of Kindness #1: Take advantage of a canned food sale and buy extra to donate to your local food bank. Most grocery stores run weekly ads in the newspaper, or you can pick up a copy near the door when you go shopping. Food banks always need a variety of foods, and demand is especially high this time of year. If you're unsure what is needed, you can call and ask. This week in my town (you can check to see if something similar is planned in yours) it's especially easy to donate because the mailmen are picking up food donations on Saturday - all you have to do is leave the donations for them to pick up!

I hope you all had a blessed first Sunday of Advent!

What I Wore Sunday, Vol. 5

Happy first Sunday of Advent! Mass went really well today. We went early and Emily and Erin behaved very well. Today's outfit was fun to put together because I had a new scarf!

Without further ado, here's the deets for the outfit:
Jeans: Citizens of Humanity (thrifted)
Top: Old Navy
Tank: Bella Maternity
Scarf: Old Navy
Earrings: Old Navy (they were $1!)
Boots: Target

I hope you all are enjoying your Sunday! I'm linking up at Fine Linen and Purple for What I Wore Sunday!