It’s been a while since I did a roundup on what’s going on around here, so I thought I’d do a little update on what’s going on in my life lately and share some other things I’m doing and loving.

Let’s get to it!

First up?…

The Post-Holiday Slump

Does anyone else feel like their schedules and organizations totally go to crap at the start of the new year?

I start with the best of intentions, but aside from my major closet purge and reorganization, I’ve been feeling like I’ve been playing catch-up lately on a lot of things.

The small things: We’ve been late for the kids’ school drop-off more times than I care to admit. I’ve been kind of whiffing on family dinners (frozen chicken nuggets and me are TIGHTLIKEGLUE). And I’m generally exhausted from staying up a little too late watching Hell on Wheels with my husband. (Now that I think of it, #3 could be part of the reason I’m tired and slacking on #’s 1 and 2!)

When I left working full time to stay and work from home, I wanted to make dinners at home a priority. As a practice, I try to make two homemade dinners per week. The rest are either of the quick-cook or takeout variety.

I don’t want to get too self-critical, but this is something I’m trying to work on, because when I do cook I actually love both the process and end result of a home-cooked meal. I made this five-ingredient lemony chicken dish last week, and it was divine.

TL;DR? Please let me know of any great, quick dinner recipes that you love!

Pin With Me!

Hello, my name is Sonni and I am about ten years late to the Pinterest party.

Admittedly, I didn’t do much with Pinterest for the longest time, and I even failed to see its allure (GASP! A blogger not liking Pinterest!), but now that I got some tips from a friend and have been spending more time on the platform, I’m starting to enjoy it so much, you guys.

Why did I wait so long to do this?! (Also, who knew there are legitimately like 5,425 different ideas for even the most specific of things, like “Valentine’s Cheerio Snacks.”)

Anyhow, I hope you’ll pop on over to my page and give it a follow! Currently I’m obsessed with collecting and re-pinning all sorts of quick dinners, snacks and desserts. Will keep sharing all the good things I find.

The Benefits of Having a Little Girl

I joked on Instagram the other day that 90% of wanting to have a daughter came from my desire to have someone brush my hair all the time (HA!). Obviously that’s not true–I mean, not entirely. 😉

But it got me thinking about a post I wrote a while back about parenting kids differently, and that concept is resonating more than ever now that the kids are growing up, and growing into their own personalities.

I found this article about parenting boys vs. girls recently and it sparked a number of reactions in me–the first and not least significant of which was, Do I resort too quickly to gender stereotyping when it comes to perceiving and parenting our kids?

I do think that, at least in my experience, girls and boys are fundamentally different when it comes to the way they perceive and react to the world; but I don’t want to get too caught up in, Oh, that’s such a girl/boy thing! and ignore the individual behind the gender.

Overthinking much?

Maybe. 🙂 But there’s so much to consider when you’re trying to come up with the best way to parent through a tough moment, and I always take into consideration that each of our children is unique, and I have to continually remind myself that what works for one, won’t necessarily work for the other/s.

For what it’s worth, I’ve already given lots of thought to things like self-confidence and “mean girls” situations with my son and daughters, because I’m always thinking of things I can say to soften the inevitable bumps they’ll hit in life. Yet I also know this parenting gig is a take-it-as-it-comes gig, so on the other hand I know I can’t prepare them for everything.

But I have to ask the more seasoned parents out there: Did you parent your kids differently–either intentionally or not? And did you notice a difference between the way your son/s reacted to things versus your daughter/s? I’d love to hear other parents’ experiences.

Speaking of Kids…

There is nothing else to say about this incredibly poignant essay except that it will take you out of all the difficult moments you may be experiencing right now, and re-frame your view of parenting–and life–in the most profound of ways.

That, and have tissues nearby.

Okay Okay, One More Kid Thing

My son did that thing the other day where he doesn’t want me to get all snuggly and up-in-his-business in public (the gall!), and I had to literally beg him to take a picture with me on a recent field trip of his…

And then… he picked a flower and came up to me and put it in my hair. So yeah. All wrongs righted, all hurts gone. Swoon.

You Guys Love Skin Care Products as Much as I Do!

What a pleasant surprise to see that so many of you awesome people tuned into my recent solo podcast about my skincare MVPs. I get a little personal about why I became obsessed with beauty products to begin with, and I also talk about my favorite products and how I use them.

I asked what you guys love, and here are some favorites you guys mentioned. (P.S. Absolutely love that we can swap advice like this! Too cool!)

And hey, while you’re there, I’d be super honored if you’d Subscribe and check out the rest of my episodes!

My New Jean Love

I’ve been a massive fan of Mother Denim since I got my first pair last year (see here), and I’m glad to report our love affair is still going strong! Latest obsession? This skinny high-waisted pair, with a slit at the ankle that dresses them up a touch. (But for the record, I wore mine super casual and they looked just as cute.)

That’s all for now! I have to get some things ready for a shoot tomorrow, so see you all soon!