Oh man! Did you guys read this article in Wired Magazine about cars that drive themselves? I started the article thinking: No way, the whole idea scares me. But by the end, I was thinking: How have I lived without self-driving cars for all these years? Not even kidding — I’m kind of geeking out about it!
If you read it, I’d love to hear what you think.
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When I was growing up, my father would always give flowers to his four daughters on Valentine’s Day (flowers for Mom too, of course!). Nothing fancy. Often just a single rose or carnation. But I loved it! It made me feel loved and acknowledged — especially during those years when I was longing for, but not receiving, a love note from a particular boy at school.
I really like the idea of small, simple tokens of affection and I thought this series of 24 pretty projects would be perfect for anyone who wants to give a sweet nothing to her daughter this year.
How about you? Did your parents ever give you Valentine gifts?
P.S. — In case you’re curious, the brothers weren’t left out. My Mom would have a little box of chocolates or other tiny treat for each of them. : )
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Crocheted hearts by Sabahnur.
I have read countless birth stories and spoken to plenty of new mothers and each time, I am scanning the page or scanning their eyes in hopes of finding a story like mine. One that isn’t beautiful or precious or ends with a picture of a blissful mother cradling her child. And not one where the child is unhealthy or, God forbid, doesn’t survive. I am looking for the one where the baby is perfect, the delivery was textbook and yet the mother holds her new baby in her arms and feels…nothing.
Let me back up. I struggled for over a year to get pregnant, finally turning to IVF. I was very lucky and got pregnant on my first try. My pregnancy was the absolute best time of my life. I was healthy the whole time, rarely tired and stayed active. Years of struggling with my body image and appearance gave way to a feeling of absolute peace with myself. I felt beautiful for the first time in my life. A life where I often hated even looking at myself in the mirror was replaced with one where strangers were complimenting me on the street!
The world just rose up to greet me, in so many ways. I loved having my belly touched (I know so many don’t!), I loved discussing my due date, baby’s gender, name choices…you name it, there wasn’t any intrusion into my personal life that I resented. I was so proud, so excited to bring a baby into this world that was so full of loving people.
Click here to read the rest of Colette’s story.
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A few weeks ago, we discussed an article that made French mothers sound a bit monstrous. Well apparently, French parenting is a hot topic. On Saturday, The Wall Street Journal printed this article about French parenting and it’s practically glowing, it’s so positive. Here’s an excerpt:
“When I asked French parents how they disciplined their children, it took them a few beats just to understand what I meant. “Ah, you mean how do we educate them?” they asked. “Discipline,” I soon realized, is a narrow, seldom-used notion that deals with punishment. Whereas “educating” (which has nothing to do with school) is something they imagined themselves to be doing all the time.
One of the keys to this education is the simple act of learning how to wait. It is why the French babies I meet mostly sleep through the night from two or three months old. Their parents don’t pick them up the second they start crying, allowing the babies to learn how to fall back asleep. It is also why French toddlers will sit happily at a restaurant. Rather than snacking all day like American children, they mostly have to wait until mealtime to eat.”
What do you think? Do you purposely and pointedly teach the ability-to-wait-nicely to your children? I can’t say I’ve been particularly good at it. But it does seem like such a valuable real-life skill!
The article isn’t too long, but it definitely has me examining my parenting methods. I hope you have a few minutes to give it a read — I’d love to hear what you think of it.
P.S. — Thank you to all the readers who sent me the article. So glad you did! Also. The photo of June doesn’t have much to do with the article, I just found it irresistible. : )
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Nicole seems like she has endless amounts of patience. Rooms full, actually! Nearly every corner of her home is adorned with art she has created with her four young daughters, yet none of it looks messy or hastily made. Rather, it looks intentional, harmonious, and made with care. There is a difference, isn’t there? Anyone who has attempted a handmade décor knows it’s definitely a trick to execute, and Nicole does it very well. You’ll see. I hope you enjoy the interview and the inspiration!
Q: Please tell us about the artists who live in this handmade home.
A: I am Nicole Shiffler, mother of four lovely little ladies: Caroline (6), Johanna (4), Ainsleigh (2), and Annabelle (2). My husband, Bobby, is one outnumbered man in a home where dolls and tutus can be found strewn across every room. I am a stay-at-home, blogging, homeschooling, want-to-be artist who knows very well the privilege of me-time. I absolutely love creating with my children and for my home. It is a stress-relieving, gratifying, incredible process to create. It is even more so when I can share it with my children.
Click here to see more of Nicole’s handmade home.
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DIY project contributed by Danyelle.
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I’m a big fan of fun candy-free Valentines. This project was inspired by the mounds of paper fortune tellers that fall from my daughter’s backpack daily. Apparently, making paper fortune tellers is THE thing to do in her fourth grade class. I have a feeling her classmates are going to love these.
To make some paper fortune teller Valentines with your child you’ll need to print out the PDF and have a paper trimmer or scissors handy.
Cut the excess paper from the fortune teller along the dotted line. Your fortune teller should be 8.5″ x 8.5″ after it’s trimmed.
Click here for the full instructions.
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I love Mem Fox’s books. If you haven’t been lulled to sleep by Time for Bed
Q: If you close your eyes and think back on your earliest memory of your youth, what’s the one image that springs to mind?
A: Playing a game with stones, a game that included a chanting rhyme, with other little girls on the mission I grew up on in Africa. The others were all African. None of us noticed.
Click here to read the rest of the interview.
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Image from my instagram stream. I’m gabrielle_designmom if you want to join me.
Wow. We had a real snow storm! We hear it’s very uncommon for this part of the country, but we think it’s a treat. You may remember, we live in a very rural area, so you can imagine the country roads piled with snow. We didn’t even attempt to drive the kids to school today — I’m 100% sure we would have slid into a ditch!
Instead, we have a roaring fire going, and the kids are building snowforts in the garden, while I type away at my laptop. Not bad for a Monday.
I hope your week is off to a great start as well!
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Hello, Friends! Are you well? I’ve had a fun few days. One of my very best friends from high school has been visiting (her wonderful mom, too!), and we’ve been running around all the touristy places in Normandy. But. It’s the coldest weather I’ve seen since we moved here! So the monuments and hot spots have been completely deserted. It’s interesting to see a place like Mont St. Michel with hardly a soul around. Have you ever toured in the off-season? Did you like it?
Our guests took the train to Paris today, so it looks like we’ll have a cozy family weekend at home. We’ll be keeping the firewood burning, and I’m predicting some baking too. I adore baking when it’s freezing outside! While I think of yummy baked goods, here are a few things I’ve wanted to share with you:
- Today I’m inspired by furniture painted by children. Thank you, Karey!
- Did you hear? Alt Summit is offering ONLINE classes. Smart, inexpensive and starting on Monday with a class from famous Erin Loechner. Grab your spot!
- 5 Valentine projects to sweeten up your home.
- I’m a believer, but I like what he has to say.
- Let’s make ribbon wands.
- Have you ever considered life without a TV?
- What a fun party! I want to copy the juice box covers.
- Remember the Swedish workmen? Here are some French ones. Thanks, Claire!
I also write for Babble. Here are this week’s posts:
- 10 candy-free classmate valentines.
- Custom Viewmaster reels with YOUR photos. Genius for a reunion or party!
- The prettiest dishes for kids.
- Makes me think of warmer weather.
- The coolest new ABC book.
I hope you have a wonderful weekend. And I hope you stay warm! I’ll be sending thoughts of knitted hats and woolen scarves your way. : ) I’ll meet you back here on Monday. I miss you already!
kisses,
Gabrielle
P.S. — Thank you, thank you for the amazing discussions this week. Your stories about taking a leap, and becoming (or wishing to become) a mother have stuck with me.
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Image by Moss & Isaac for Alt Summit.
Hey guys! If you’re around today at 2:00pm EST, come join me for an online chat all about Alt Summit! The chat is hosted on The Motherhood and all the Kirtsy Girls — Laurie Smithwick, Laura Mayes & Sarah Bryden Brown — will be chatting too.
We’ll be talking about the highlights of the conference and remembering some of the little details. If you’re homesick for all things Alt, come share your favorite parts. And if you’re never been to Alt Summit, join us to find out what it was like.
Looking forward to the chat — talk to you at 2:00!
P.S. — Speaking of the little details, one of my favorites was snowcones during the white party. My brother Salem made shave ice for all the guests. There were several different flavors, but all the snowcones were white! And they were served in sweet little silver cups. My sister-in-law, Megan, even sewed a white cover for the shave ice machine. Love those details!
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New to Design Mom? Here are 10 posts to get you started:
What to Wear To Middle School
Napoleon Dynamite
Our Birth Announcements
Potato Print Clothing
Having Another Child
Young Einstein Birthday Party
Little Red LightHouse Outing
Porch Makeover
Waving Goodbye To The Atlantic Ocean
Build Two Toddler Beds for $75
Pimp My Ride: Family Edition
We love coming up with fun valentines to make and give. Here are some of our favorites (many are candy free!):
3-D Lollipop Valentines - Easy! And a big hit.
Wild Animal Valentines - Family Fun Magazine requested my idea for their latest issue.
Mad Lib Valentines - Family Fun requested this idea too!
Friendship Bracelet Valentines
And here are a few more ideas I've featured over the years that I bet you'll love:
- Fresh Fruit Valentines
- Color Theory Valentines
- DIY Scratch Off Valentines
- Shaving Cream Valentines
- Mini Valentine Boxes
Here's something fun. Our family was featured in an episode of House Hunters International! Spoiler: we choose the gorgeous French Farmhouse. It's called La Cressonnière and we take pictures of it all the time. If you're curious, try these links:
The Kitchen
Summer at La Cressonnière
The Halfbath
The Stairwell
The Neighbors
Ralph's Bedroom
The Studio
Springtime at La Cressonnière
The Living Room
Maude's Bedroom
The Artists
Oscar & Betty's Bedroom
The Exterior
The Floors
Olive's Bedroom
The Treehouse
The House: La Cressonnière
I hope you enjoy the house tour! Oh. And if you'd like to see the episode, you can find it on Youtube here (it's in four parts).
I write a weekly column called Inspiration Scout on Cafémom. Find new posts on Thursdays.
I write a daily post (Monday through Friday) for Babble's Family Style blog.
