Kate's Monthly Take - September 2019

School started less than two weeks ago and I’m already barely holding on by a thread! Mornings are rough around here…the kids have so much energy and it’s hard to harness it and get them out the door. It might help if I got up a little earlier but when I don’t go to bed until midnight it’s hard for me to get up before 6:30am and getting ready for work plus managing the kids and making lunches and getting the older ones to school by 8:25am is rough! Ah….summer I miss you already!

As fall is only a couple weeks away and the colder temps are soon to to follow I’m adding a new section to Kate’s Monthly Take…What I’m Watching. My entertainment consumption increases in the colder months and I’m gonna tell y’all about it!

Enjoy my Monthly Take!

Kate's Monthly Take - September 2019

Mood

  • “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” I believe this quote is from Benjamin Franklin and it holds true for me at work and also for the kids at home. I’m trying to teach and involve them a bit more in their morning school routine…in hopes (fingers crossed) of them becoming a bit more self sufficient and me becoming less of a broken record!

Currently Coveting

  • I love the embroidered cashmere sweaters from Lingua Franca. They even have embroidery classes where they teach you how to sew your custom sweater. I would love to go one…now to coordinate travel to NYC and decide what to put on my sweater; maybe something like “Not Just A Mother.” As for the sweater color…that’s easy - Navy!

Favorite Product

  • This month it’s these Morning and Evening checklists from Honey Bee Tees. We don’t use the Evening one all the time but the Morning version is used every morning before school to help keep us on track and hopefully, teach my oldest to operate a little more independently! Fingers crossed I get to sound a little bit less like a broken record this school year!

Design Pick

  • Target just launched 20 Years of Design for All Anniversary Collection with some top sellers from many of their previous designer collaborations. Many things are gone but this Hunter backpack cooler is still available. It’s perfect for a picnic or an outdoor concert, fits a good amount and isn’t too heavy. I got one in Hunter’s original Target partnership and love it!

What I'm Reading

What I’m Listening To

  • Former President Obama tweeted his Summer 2019 playlist at the end of August and it’s been on repeat at work ever since. It literally has something for everyone!

What We're Reading the Kids

  • I couldn’t be more excited about this as I loved (still love) Anne of Green Gables so much…I recently discovered this chapter book series inspired by Anne of Green Gables. The first two books are available; Anne Arrives and Anne’s Kindred Spirits. We’ve plowed through them together and now Lucy reads them to herself. The series is an abbreviated version of the book for young readers but for the most part follow the original story line and have the most beautiful illustrations. Book number three, can’t come fast enough!

  • George isn’t so into Anne of Green Gables but he does love this new book he received for his birthday, What Kind of Car Does a T.Rex Drive?. It’s perfect for the Dinosaur and Car obsessed boy in my life.

What I’m Watching

  • I just watched Late Night with Emma Thompson and Mindy Kaling on Amazon and was thoroughly engaged so much so…that I didn’t attempt to multitask at all. And that is saying something!

Instagram Handle

  • I’ve been following Shop Love Lucy for a while now, originally due to her cute custom tag and card designs available on Etsy but now that she is taking a break from that I can go down a rabbit hole watching all over organization tips. My favorite tip…is that she stores her daughters American Girl loot in these scalloped trimmed nesting baskets from Ballard Designs.

Guilty Pleasure

  • I really can’t quit the mini ice cream cones (Hold the Cone) from Trader Joe’s. I just discovered them in May and they have been a staple in our freezer ever since. Chocolate and Vanilla is my favorite - the only problem is they don’t last long! It may be best if I start to avoid the freezer section at the store.

I Need A Vacation

  • We had planned to take a quick trip to Washington D.C. in October over one of our three day weekends but our schedule has filled up so much that we are most likely going to wait to the spring or next fall. Aside from visiting some close friends in the area, I’m most looking forward to taking the kids to Mount Vernon and I imagine it really shows off with the fall foliage.

Shit My Kids Will Eat

  • Kid Tested & Approved - No big shocker here but we recently tried another What’s Gaby Cooking recipe…Chicken Caesar Salad Pizza. It’s made on the grill (or grill pan) is full of all sorts of great textures and if you love a Caesar Salad you’ll be into this too. We didn’t make our own dressing and I wish we had but our store bought worked just fine and even my pickiest eaters were digging the cheese and chicken on the pizza even if they did avoid the lettuce!