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Layering pieces for Fall

similar rug, kids table + chairs, sideboard, faux fiddle leaf fig, planter

Here is a little peek at the new space! We are still sorting out furniture and desperately need art but I LOVE THE SPACE. It’s better than I imagined.

And just like that, October has come to nearly an end. I can’t help but think of last year, on Halloween, when Luke was sleeping in my Lille Baby carrier on my back, and David was dressed up like a tiny construction worker while we trick or treated around our neighborhood with friends. And this year Luke will certainly stay awake for the event because #candy and they will likely both be in costume!

I say likely because Luke is a little resistant to trying his on, but I think he’ll go for it on that evening after seeing everyone else. David is going as a firefighter, and Luke will be either a fighter pilot or an astronaut. I bought the costumes back in August when they were first available at Costco and David’s already played firefighter in his numerous times! It has held up wonderfully and I’m really pleased with the quality!

We have a bit of travel scheduled for November and December, and come January, Justin and I will get away on our now annual “end of year” trip. We decided to go to New York City! Remember we went to Lake Tahoe last year? Not only was that a fun trip for us to take, it was also intentionally planned at the beginning of the year so we could do some planning.

My friend Ashlee told me once that she and her husband get away after Christmas every year to evaluate the prior year and make plans for the next one. They discuss a whole range of things from personal achievements and lessons, to relational ones, to goals they want to set for their family. I loved the idea of that, setting aside some intentional time to reset and refocus with your husband before the new year.

I highly recommend doing this so I’ll share the few topics we covered last year. I’d love to hear any other suggestions you may have as well, so leave those in the comments!

Marriage: what worked and what didn’t (example: it was great to have a standing babysitter once a month so I could look forward to a date)

Family/children (if applicable): what has been working? what are some goals we have for a family and for each individual child?

Spiritual life: What is working? what would you like to do differently?

Personal: what are your goals for the year? What is something you’d like to do differently?

The point is really to encourage you to reflect on the last year and really look at what worked and what didn’t work. You can also discuss financials during this time, talking about where you would like to save more or what you would like to give/donate to. We ended up doing that later closer to tax season but I believe Ashlee, the originator of this idea for me, also talks finances during her time with her husband.

Ultimately, it’s totally up to you, but it’s nice for both of you to know what topics you are going to be covering so you can be thinking before the trip. Justin and I had great conversations about goals and plans for our family and spiritually life, and I think we both enjoyed the focused discussion topics.

In other news, I started a little “things I’m loving Thursday” over on Instagram stories. Make sure to check my stories on Thursdays to see what I’ve been loving! If I keep this up, I may to a larger youtube video, but for now it’s easy to keep it over on Instagram!

If you need a new podcast for the weekend, listen to This American Life “Expect Delays”. It’s a very interesting one!

Hope you have a nice weekend!

For more recent links + loves, check out here and here!

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Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog says · 10.27.17

Your new space is looking great so far. Very well-designed! 🙂
Have a nice weekend!

Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com

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Sarah B says · 10.27.17

Oh I love the mini marriage retreat idea! That’s super smart, and sounds fun and relaxing too! Also This American Life is great! Will have to check out that episode.

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Catherine says · 10.27.17

I love that couples’ retreat idea. We are going to Mexico for our 5-year anniversary in a few weeks! It will be a perfect time to incorporate some goal-oriented discussions. 🙂

Have you ever been to Quebec City? I think you would like it for a future marriage retreat. It’s a very romantic place!

Have a great weekend, Kate!

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Kerri says · 10.27.17

I LOVE the bird cage detail!!
Happy Halloween!!

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Sara says · 10.27.17

Hi Kate,

Looks like the room is coming together nicely.

Thanks for all of your little bits of advice and links, I find things super helpful.

In the above post you mentioned you’ve used the ‘Lille Baby carrier’ in the past.

I’m a new Mom and currently in the market looking for a baby carrier, I’ve checked your archived posts to see some of your reviews and see you’ve mentioned three of them, the Solly wrap, Ergo and Lille Baby carrier.

Just curious which you found most comfortable for yourself and baby, which you enjoyed using.

Thanks again,
Have a great weekend!

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Jessica says · 10.27.17

The Solly wrap is fantastic for newborns and easy to get the hang of tying, but I probably only used it for the first 6 months. Then the soft structured carrier is better (I have a beco). I bought my Solly on the Kidizen app secondhand so it was more economical than buying new.

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Erin says · 10.27.17

I love, love, love the idea of a marriage retreat! Won’t be able to squeeze it in this year, but maybe next!??
This room looks so bright and airy? What paint color did you go with? I’m looking for a similar light color and I have been struggling!!

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Erica says · 10.28.17

Love the way the room is coming together. What paint color is on the walls?

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Melinda says · 11.02.17

My husband and I do a “state of the union” every year on our anniversary (in November). One thing we always do is look back on the last year and reminisce about our marriage “high and low”- basically about our favorite moment/experience where we felt the most connected, and also about the most difficult moment/experience with each other in the last year. We then discuss how to love one another better/more intentionally through the next year!

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