Friday Round Up 1/11/19 - 1st Ever Book Review, Back at the Zoo, Back at Inspiration Corporation, Pack Your Patience

Happy Friday! This has been an odd weather week - spring in January - then right back to single digit wind chills. Another week of weather whiplash! Fingers crossed for some snow this weekend!! Hope you have a wonderful weekend planned and happy reading.

1. Traveling Mercies by Anne Lamott Review

I figure to keep myself honest about my New Year's resolution to read at least 12 books this year, I should track the books I read this year! Thank goodness my wonderful friend Camilla came over this week to catch up. She is well versed in the world of Goodreads and gave me a helpful tutorial! Turns out I had signed up in 2009.......but never really kept up with it, so I am back! Let me know if you want to be connected. Since I'll be tracking my books read on that site/app, I figure its a good exercise to write reviews when I'm done. I was saddened to realize that I forget books in their entirety...when going through the website with Camilla I found myself saying "that one sounds familiar.....but I'm just not sure if I've read it or not" so this resolution will help me remember what I've read (& ideally what I think about what I've read) over the years.

So without further ado, here is the review I posted to Goodreads for Traveling Mercies! And thanks to my friend Jay for recommending it!

This is my first time reading Anne Lamott and I plan to explore her other writing! She is achingly honest in her discussion of life, motherhood, faith and family. The book made me laugh & cry in almost equal measure. There is almost a short story/vignette quality to the chapters, they don't all follow a single story line (outside of the fact that it is her life/faith we're reading about). I didn't mind this style, I quite liked it actually, worth mentioning in case you aren't in for it. Great for anyone interested in a frank discussion of Christian faith without a single, solitary speck of preachy-ness - I struggle to handle preaching.....but love to read about spirituality and faith. This book hit the mark.

Are you reading anything wonderful lately? Let me know in the comments - I would love to add it to my "to read list"!!

2. Back at the Lincoln Park Zoo

Due to childcare issues (& then our "new" car breaking down in December) I've hardly been volunteering at the Zoo this winter. This week was the start of a new normal where I volunteer on the weekend rather than during the week. It makes so much sense since Chris is home on the weekends and I don't have to hunt for a daytime babysitter! I already miss my Wednesday volunteer friends though. The great news is, this week at least, Lulu & I were guests at the Zoo on Wednesday and ran into several of our favorite volunteer friends! 

I've written about the importance of volunteering here before; but I do think it helps me to be a better person. I really love having some things outside of our home that are just for me. I imagine it is the same type of feeling working moms might have about work. A place to go that is your own, full of adults, and no diapers! Add to that the fact that volunteerism seems to be woven into my DNA. My parents are both regular volunteers and offer all kinds of support to their family and friends to boot (myself happily included!!) I guess it makes sense that I would see the value in giving back.

My volunteer shift fell on an unseasonably warm &  sunny day - so the Zoo was, well, a zoo! Despite not knowing any of the other volunteers, I had a good day & met some interesting guests. I loved talking to 2 young sisters about the family troop of gorillas in particular. The girls seemed to have endless (& interesting) questions and stayed to talk through the answers for upwards of 15 minutes. What fun it is to see the world through the eyes of kiddos.

3. Back at Inspiration Corporation

Hooray to be back in the cafe at Inspiration Corporation serving breakfast after a months long hiatus! Again, due to childcare issues I had taken a break from my regular volunteer shift. Its funny isn't it, how the simplest solution is sometimes the hardest to see?? Without going into boring details - I am able to (quickly & easily) take the train to volunteer and Chris brings Lulu in the car to meet me at the end of my shift. He hops on the train & heads downtown. Why was I so worried about finding an early morning babysitter when the answer was just so simple?!? Feel a little sheepish about not figuring this out more quickly - but such is life, right? 

Either way, all of the same comments about volunteering I made above apply here- except in this case I get to stay with my regular crew of volunteer friends!! What a lovely treat to see such wonderful people at 6:30am! An added bonus is many of the cafe guests are habitual and come on the same days each week, so I had many friendly faces to serve as well. 

I was relieved the cafe wasn't too terribly busy for my first shift back in awhile - didn't want to fall down on the "job"! I embarrassingly screwed up one guests' name - a guest I've been serving for years- and screwed it up badly. I hate that I'm not great with names and taking a months long break from a group of people doesn't do my brain any favors :( That aside - it was great to be back. I'm happy to be there to be sure. 

4. Pack Your Patience

I read a lot of New York Times articles it seems......maybe because they do a lot of advertising on Facebook and I click on their posts which perpetuates itself by showing me more of those ads?? Who knows/who cares, but this article, How to Be a More Patient Person caught my eye and was really interesting. I certainly feel like I could use some support in the patience department - I hate when I lose my cool in airports, traffic, or with Lulu. How reassuring that patience, like so much else is life, can be learned and practiced and improved upon?? I do not love rushing - so what makes me feel that impatient, rushed feeling so often?? I don't know, but this article gave several ideas of how to exercise one's patience muscle- so that it can become your default setting!

First Friday Recap of the New Year! 1/4/18 - Quiet Morning, Skiing, NYE Party, Fondue, Volunteering, Dogsledding

Happy New Year to you & yours!! Did you make any resolutions this year? I know people have strong feelings for & against resolution making......but if you want to read about mine, check out my post about them here.

So here we go, kicking off the new year with some goodness.

1. Quiet Saturday Morning

Chris & Lulu have their one on one hang time each Saturday morning, which gives me some time on my own. I took a snowy walk up to one of my favorite coffee shops to catch up on my blog! Being the Saturday between Christmas & New Years, there were so few people out and about. Very minimal traffic, I don't think I passed anyone walking a dog, no runners. Felt like I had our little city all to myself. The fact that it snowed enough to cover the ground made me abundantly happy. Gray rainy weather makes for mud....and mud doesn't feel holly jolly to me!

I am incredibly grateful that Chris wants his own time with Lulu, that he sees value in fathering her solo. It is such a treat, at this stage of my life, to have a couple of hours on my own. Particularly after the hustle & bustle of Christmas! Double grateful that Lulu woke up seeming much more herself, which was an incredible relief after a week of her being so out of sorts.

2. Skiing with the Bug

We have a bit of a family motto, sort of a joke, sort of not - that goes like this "It dosen't have to be fun to be fun" Its sort of a joke because it sounds pretty harsh and is quite funny. But the more I think about it - the more it actually rings true. So much of what my family does for fun would be categorized as a fuck ton of work to most other people. Such is the case with bringing your 20 month old to WI for an afternoon to continue teaching her to downhill ski!

Despite the fact that it is hard work for Lulu to learn to ski and hard work for Chris & I to gather all of our gear, load the car, unload the car, and then try our best to teach Lulu to ski - it is so worth it. Even on the tiny hills the Midwest offers us. Even though Chris & I each did one chairlift ride solo to ski one non-bunny hill run. Even though Lulu's feet were so cold by the end of our outing that she was near inconsolable. Even though we made 2 unplanned stops at Walgreens and Starbucks to get Lulu a bottle and some warm milk to drink from it. Even though....

Those things fade into the background of my memory so quickly when I think of how much I love skiing and how totally wonderful it was that my parents took the time and the days of sore backs to teach me how to ski when I was 2. I love skiing. It makes me feel so free to stand at the top of a mountain and know I can (mostly) safely speed down it. Skiing down a steep groomed run is the closest thing to flying I've ever felt. Riva's Ridge at Vail is the perfect run for this feeling. 

3. New Years Eve Party

Our wonderful friend Lisa hosted us for a beautiful NYE party in her cozy, perfect home. The Lulu bug was invited as well, which I was grateful for (not just because I like to spend time with Lulu.....but also because none of our babysitters were in town so we couldn't have attended the party if Lulu wasn't invited!)

I guess this season of life is one with fewer grown up parties. More bounce house type parties than cocktail parties....which is fine, but man it was lovely to have an excuse to dress up and go out as a family! The fact that all 3 of us were healthy made a huge difference too. Lulu really enjoyed visiting with Roger, the cat. Chris & I loved sipping delicious drinks, eating a million wonderful appetizers Lisa made and having some adult conversations!

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4. New Year's Night Fondue

Chris & I wanted to do something special for New Year's Day this year and very easily settled on making cheese fondue at home in front of the fire. Something about fondue feels special and festive and anytime I have an excuse to eat 1/2 a pound of cheese.........count me in :)

Bubbly out of glasses that belonged to my Grandpa Dick & Grandma Helen

As with the excuse to dress up mentioned above, we don't necessarily have that many occasions that we prepare a "fancy" meal at home. As much as we both love parenting our toddler - it is deeply tiring! There are many nights that frozen pizza graces our laps as we sit/lay on the couch. So to have an excuse (& the vacation energy) to make a special meal was a real treat. 

Do you have any New Year's Day traditions? Tell me about them in the comments, I'm always on the lookout for new ones to try out. Fireside fondue might become one for Chris & me!

5. Volunteering with Family

Am I the last person on Earth to have heard of Bernie's Book Bank in Lake Bluff?? Tara, my sister in law, invited Lulu & I me to volunteer with her & her 4 kiddos there this week. We had so little planned for the days when Chris went back to work - it was quite easy to say yes! Plus (if you know me at all or have been reading the blog for awhile) I love volunteering! Oh and (same qualifiers as the previous sentence) I love books!

This place is incredible. A giant warehouse filled with giant boxes (think the boxes that Costco sells stuff from) filled with books destined for at risk kids. Did you know that on average, low income/at risk kids have 1 age appropriate book to share with 300 other kids? Which is to say, they have no age appropriate books in their home. Contrast that with middle income kids who have an average of 13 age appropriate books all to themselves in their home. Contrast that to a child like Lulu who has dozens and dozens of books all her own. 

This place is working to change those stats in the Chicagoland (all the way up to Milwaukee, WI) area. We did our part for an hour (was supposed to be an hour & a half. I was late :( ) to further the mission. Our job was to inspect donated books to see if they meet Bernie's criteria for being passed along to kids who need them. Bernie's Book Bank provides kids 12 age appropriate books every year from birth to age 12. They want the books to feel/seem new to the children who receive them. They want the books to feel as special as they are. After all, books are a window to the wider world we didn't know existed, right?? Is there anything more special than that??

It isn't easy to find a place to volunteer that truly welcomes all ages - so if you want to volunteer as a family (and who doesn't - it is such a positive experience for everyone involved) this is a great spot to do so. 

All of the staff were warm, engaging, friendly & willing to answer our millions of questions. The founder of Bernie's was in the warehouse the night we were volunteering and he wanted to chat and was excited to have us there. Of course I know he was the founder because I read through their website before we went & then again when we got home! 

Are there volunteer opportunities for families in your area? Do you volunteer alone or with your family/friends? I'm always curious to know how others incorporate volunteerism into their lives! Let me know in the comments!

6. Dog sledding

A stranger took this video for us - which I was surprised by & thankful for in equal measure! We took advantage of our tiny amount of snow to go sledding with Lulu last weekend. Another family was doing the same thing! Chris had what, at the time, seemed like a totally harebrained idea to have the dog pull us (being one parent + Lulu) down our tiny neighborhood hill. It seemed like a terrible idea to me, rife with the possibility of bodily harm, but also the possibility of fun - so I agreed.

Unfortunately - Chris went first & the other family didn't video it - but man - what fun! It seemed like Owenn enjoyed it too & it must've been a good bit of work for him!!

So thanks for the video family who was visiting local grandparents!! Sorry you don't live here so we can't be neighbor friends, but Team Kramer really appreciates your willingness to record our antics!

Friday Recap May 25, 2018 - Grilling, 1st Birthday Party, New Niece, Edible Garden

Well, summer is here! 

Officially! 

Given what a lame/cold/rainy/windy spring we had, that is hugely exciting!

1. Breaking in our new grill

I may have left the peppers on a touch too long....

We felt so lucky to get our new (to us) grill this winter from my uncle & aunt who were moving. They were planning to junk it, so gave it to us for free. It is giant & wonderful & we feel really lucky (REALLY) lucky we didn't need to invest in a new one this year. Now that the weather seems to be on the upswing, we've been spending time in the backyard & on the patio enjoying delicious grilled food.

2. 1st Birthday Party

It is so fun to see Lulu's baby friends growing up alongside her! We had a blast at her bud Theo's 1st birthday party, the weather cooperated & we got to enjoy our friends' backyard while Theo enjoyed his first taste of cake!

Lulu enjoyed double fisting cheese.....

3. More time with our newest niece

Proud & capable big brother!

You can see more photos of our sweetest little lady Mary here, but we had a great family dinner Sunday night & loved to be with her!

Smitten Bump with his newest grandchild

Mama, big sister & big brother with Mary

4. The funniest bug

She was cracking me up this week!

Just plain happy

Relaxing in the laundry basket

Dare devil Lulu

Who needs a water table when there is a dog water bowl??

5. The Edible Garden

This doesn't do justice to the size of the main garden! Its giant & full of organic produce!

I took all of the 2017 season off from the Edible Garden at the Farm in the Zoo at Lincoln Park Zoo because it was right on the heels of Lulu's arrival. I guess it was my volunteering maternity leave :)

The strawberries are coming! The strawberries are coming!

It was so nice to be back there visiting with curious guests, digging in the dirt, sweating in the sunshine & generally loving every minute of it. 

I don't give much thought to volunteering being my "me" time away from Lulu, it just happens to be a hobby I value quite highly, so I spend money on a babysitter to do it. It was interesting to chat with another mom while I was in the garden this week. Her toddler daughters were helping us move compost around & exploring the earthworms that had made their way into the compost piles. The mom seemed shocked that what I was doing was my "me" time. Its not really so shocking, is it? A few hours in the sun helping other people learn about where their food comes from, organic gardening, &composting? I guess its because I pay someone to watch Lulu while I don't get paid? Maybe. The thing is, as I mention above, volunteering & gardening are both hobbies.....so you commit to finding time to pursue your hobbies, right? I have & I am convinced I am a better person because of it.

This view on my walk to & from Hondapants isn't too shabby

There are SO SO SO many veggies, fruits, herbs & flowers planted! As things mature & ripen, they are available to sample which is always a bonus. You can expect to help spread compost, water plants, dig in the dirt, harvest & hopefully learn something new!  It is worth a visit if you are ever in Lincoln Park on a Wednesday, Thursday or Saturday morning.

6. Swinging with friends

Kalil is enjoying this swing session more than the Bug!

I love that the warm weather encourages evening park dates with our friends who live on our block. When the weather is nice I want to squeeze every single solitary last drop of fun out of our days! Lulu is starting to want to get out of the swings and be on the move; but I can usually get her to stay put for a few minutes.

TGIFriday Review 4.6.18

Hip hip hooray! We fly to see my best friend today! Lizzard Loves the prospect of a long weekend away with her fam + best friend. There is also a puppy. Oh dear its going to be awesome.

Here we go for a week in review:

1. Lulu's First Easter

Lulu's 1st egg hunt!

 Oh man what a fun first Easter weekend we had with the bug!! The Easter Egg-Stravaganza at the Lincoln Park Zoo was simply wonderful!

Cheers to my bestie on an event well done!

 Pride was oozing out of me for my best friend who planned the whole event! Easter for 2,000 guests is no small feat. My hat is off to you Ace on a job SO well done! 

Hoppy Easter ;)

I swear Lulu had fun.....

Such a great time including Lulu's first egg hunt, brunch, a ride on the carousel, Lulu's first time meeting the Easter bunny and visiting some of our favorite zoo animals. #wonderfulday

Epic Easter Lunch buffet

On actual Easter we had a delicious lunch at my parents house with family & our closest friends. Always a lot of laughs, way too much food, and a great time. Lulu got her first Easter basket from her BoBo & Bump.

Lulu's 1st Easter basket

Annual jelly bean counting contest

2. Bagged Lunches for Inspiration Corporation

I hosted a bag lunch making party on Tuesday night for some of my moms group friends. There were 10 of us total and we assembled 60 lunches for the guests of Inspiration Cafe, the place I volunteer to serve breakfast a couple times per month. It was so fun to get together with awesome moms to do something good for other people. 

Ready to rock & roll on the lunches!

60 lunches made! Hooray!

Contents of the lunches, sandwiches are in the fridge.

I was full of gratitude for the 12 moms who donated money to purchase the supplies for the lunches. The Reeses Peanut Butter Eggs that I got on sale were probably the most popular item with the lunch recipients :) Pizza+salad+beer+wine+rice krispies treats = recipe for a fun evening with mom friends! I forgot to take any photos of the process, but I have a before & after! 

3. These 2

4. Volunteer Appreciation

Because sometimes a tiny gesture goes a long way! This basket was in the office where volunteers hang their coats at Inspiration Corporation. Candy, hot tea, little treats to say thanks. Its the little things.

5. Beautiful tiny flowers in our weed patch front yard

See above re: the little things!

Friday Recap 3/16/18

Lizzard Loves book club.

And books, and reading books. Grown up books, YA books, kids books. I like most books! Stands to reason that I would like book club, huh? On that note, to the list!

1. Mom's Group Book Club

See above regarding my love of books. Its amazing to me how a great writer can make you feel like you are there- experiencing someone else's reality, feeling their feelings, celebrating their successes and mourning their losses. Its honestly magic. In some ways, great friends are similar - once you are connected and invested in the other person, you start to feel with them and for them in a way you wouldn't feel for or about a stranger. I started a mom's group a couple months after Lulu was born to answer the question "how do you make friends after college?" We had been living in our house/in our new town less than a year when she arrived and I didn't feel like we had met too many new friends outside of our amazing neighbors who we are pretty much eternally grateful for. So, I took to the internet (I figure, I met my husband on the internet, maybe I can find new friends there too?). As much as I struggle to keep my mindless usage of Facebook intact, it is great for connecting virtual strangers! The group was born & unbelievably has 140 members. There are always suggestions for new ways to get the moms together, including a book club! I hosted our last meeting and we had a great time discussing a particularly dark book "The Secret History" by Donna Tart. I love that book clubs help open my eyes to books I might otherwise never have picked up. I tend to like happy books with happy endings (for whatever reason this is even more true after becoming a mom..........who knows why?!?) So it was a great evening this week, plus an excuse to make a giant pot of soup, bake some bread & set a pretty table. Oh, and clean up the house...which doesn't get done nearly enough!

2. One Inspired Evening

You might know that I volunteer to serve breakfast to homeless & formerly homeless guests at Inspiration Corporation's cafe. I love doing it and have been doing it for years. It harkens back to my time as a waitress at a bakery in Oxford, OH while I was in college. It is cozy and casual and our guests tend to be kind (but just like the wider world, there are jerks to be found in any group of people & this group is no exception. I don't want to paint an unrealistic picture of this experience - which is why I mention it.) 

There is an annual art auction fundraiser we attend called One Inspired Evening. It hops & bops around the city, setting up shop in different warehouse style, industrial, raw spaces. They are always interesting & its a great excuse for us to check out a place we've never been before. The art is sold via silent auction on an app on your phone - it gets just as competitive as the old school paper sheet silent auctions did! The major difference is, you don't know who exactly you are competing against. We got to spend our evening catching up with friends that Chris went to law school with, staff of Inspiration Corporation as well as my friends who I volunteer with. 

A wonderful excuse to get dressed up in grown up clothes & eat delicious food & have extended adult conversation. Plus we came home with 4 pieces of art & a gift certificate for a professional photography session - so I'd say we did our part in supporting a cause we care about! It was also fun to remember 2017's event because I was 9 months pregnant, life was very different then :) 

What a difference a year makes....this is from 2017!!

3. Saturday beach walks

I love how close we live to the beach. I love that we walked there on Saturday, enjoyed the playground & walked on the sand. I love how much Owenn loves the beach. I'm excited for Lulu to start loving it too. A sunny (if cold) March day meant there were few other people out, but I was struck yet again by how completely beautiful it is. It is always a treat to go on long walks with Chris on the weekends, I like to walk by myself, but I really enjoy his company.

4. Visit from a dear friend

Oh man how I wish we still lived near each other! My wonderful friend Sarah & her husband relocated to Traverse City, MI 3 years ago. Rather than living 5 miles away from us, they now live 335 miles away. I don't have to tell you; but I will: that is far. It made my heart so happy when I got her text last week that she'd be driving down with her kiddos for the weekend. Yippee!! I was so excited to introduce our daughters who shared a due date! Her little love arrived a week early & the bug arrived a week late - so they are not birthday twins; but being pregnant together was something I was so so thankful for. 

It is simply glorious to spend time with old friends. There is no pretense, it is not work. There are shared memories to laugh about but no worry of saying the wrong thing. It was a tremendous several hours and it pretty much made my month. I think I don't allow myself to realize how much I miss my distant friends (probably to protect my heart from hurting) in my day to day life. Then we get together and it is as though a hole is filled that I didn't realize was there. After our visit we agreed that we must get serious about visiting each other more regularly, which seems like a pretty great thing to get serious about.

I hope you've had a great week with at least a few things to feel grateful for.