7QT: new year, pretty much same me

Ah, a brand new year and pretty much the same old me. I'm going to just hop back in with some quick takes!

1.

Christmas and New Years were exhausting. We went through a stomach flu, lots of traveling, celebrations galore -- and don't get me wrong, it was mostly very fun! -- but I am just really glad to be home and back to a normal schedule. Even if that does include a lot of toddler fighting over new toys and a really busy work week and doctors appointments and all that stuff that comes with normal, everyday life.

I've been trying to get the girls outside when I can, even when it's cold, because the house just feels too small after awhile when it's so constantly cold. They both got new bikes for Christmas and are having fun experimenting with them...ahem, rolling recklessly towards the street while I chase after them repeatedly yelling at them to stop. (And how cute is Cora's little bonnet from MiddleWest Knitting Co? Anna has such seriously cute stuff!) 

2.

Well, this update was just saddening and discouraging on all counts. As a friend put it, thank God for diligent Catholic reporting because it's better to know than not to know, but it still hurts. 

3.

I'm trying to convince David to start our basement redo. Of course, that means we first have to finish up the odds and ends from the kitchen which are no small task -- David's about halfway through building some drawers that are the last major thing to get done up there. They still have to be sanded, painted, etc. but we are getting close! After it's all done I will FINALLY FINALLY get some before-and-after posts up from the kitchen...I promise. It's been like 8 months since we started the kitchen and it's been, oh, 92% of the way done for like 4 of those months. #renovationwithkidsandreallife

I just couldn't bring myself to take after photos with those few things left to really finish, you know? But I promise I'll break out the camera and actually do it sometime in 2019. (No other time commitments besides this year, I'm no fool to commit to something more stringent than that.)

4.
Anyway, I've got a few things lined up I want to get for down here in the basement, since it's still mainly a mishmash of hand-me-downs, disjointed purchases, and oh -- the cheapest carpet known to man. You can literally feel the tack strips through your feet near the edges and seams! It's terrible. We need to replace the carpet at some point and I'm hoping we can save enough to get it done this year. I really like the pattern of this Home Depot TrafficMaster kind, sort of a la Chris Loves Julia's carpet in their basement.

I have this dining table coming from World Market to try out for a new desk -- with my new two-screen setup, my desk just isn't deep enough for my eye comfort. I'm thinking this IKEA sectional in the Gunnared green color (I am totally into dark green right now!), maybe a coffee table like this if I can find a long enough one? And I have some plans to rearrange what we've got in a more pleasing way.

I mean, if I was a millionaire I'd snatch this perfect $999 leather pouf from Rejuvenation but a millionaire I am not. 

Anyway, I figured since my office is down here, and I spend 80% of my days down here with the girls and working, I'm going to be most excited about renovating down here more than most other places in our house.

5.

Everyone's talking about it, but have you seen the new Netflix show, Tidying Up by Marie Kondo? I only watched one episode so far but 1) she is an adorable human, 2) I am v motivated to throw away all our crap, and 3) what a great concept for a show! Perfectly timed for release around New Years, of course, Netflix is no fool. 

Anyway, this meme made me laugh really hard:

Me waiting for the thrift stores to fill up with all the good stuff now bc of this Marie Kondo Netflix special pic.twitter.com/YtJvf7Gm2M

— Kat (@rasberet) January 7, 2019

6.
Affiliate links below lead to Amazon. I get a tiny percent if you click through and purchase something! 

My goal for 2019 is to read 75 books. I got to 65 by the end of 2018! And maybe I'll have time to write a full-year recap of my best and worst picks, but I've started in on 2019 with gusto. My first was finishing Persepolis Rises by James S.A. Corey (honestly, not the best one in the series...but set up a LOT for Tiamat's Wrath so I'm excited for those aspects!). 

I finished Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik yesterday and WOW. It was so good. If you're a fantasy or fairy tale enthusiast who likes retellings, you'll absolutely love this one. I don't even particularly like those types of books normally, but this twist on a Rumplestiltskin theme was absolutely enchanting. I instantly put Uprooted, her other one, on my hold list at the library! Currently reading To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis. 

What are you reading in 2019?

7.
To beat some of the winter blues that always get me down during January, I stopped by our local nursery yesterday during my nanny-hours and got a new plant baby to brighten up our house.

First off, if you're ever in Omaha, stop by Mulhall's. You won't be disappointed. I like to go in during the winter and just breathe reallyyyyy deeply and remember what summer is like. 

And I picked up a new pilea for my living room!

Isn't she just the cutest? (The toddler in the background AND the plant, of course.)

Head over to Kelly's for more quick takes if you're so inclined! and happy belated new year!
HG