Late winter favorites

I have a (large) handful of things I am really enjoying lately. "Bright spots," as I like to call them, and sometimes I'll text a list of these to a few close friends. In that same spirit, I figured I'd share the little bits of life that make me actually want to send a text message (as someone who is regularly overwhelmed by her phone) or things that prompted me to snap a photo recently:

• A finished sweater for Nicholas! (blog post coming soon). I blocked it and it finished drying on a Monday, and guess what he wanted to wear on Tuesday?!
• A winter playlist with some current and nostalgic favorites (on spotify here, if you're curious!)
• Hu Kitchen chocolate, specifically in the cashew or hazelnut butter flavors. Reminiscent of a Reese's, but better.
• The February morning light in our home
• An in-person visit with my friend Maeve who lives in southern Indiana. She stopped by for a few hours and we had lattes and sourdough cinnamon rolls. She brought us sourdough english muffins and local-to-her strawberry jam(!) What a gift to see good friends and to share a coffee together in person. I love you, Maeve!

• Getting together with other close friends (who are also homeschooling their kids) – at a local park on a mild day, or spending a few hours in each other's homes. The kind of friends who make the best food for a nursing snack (sourdough with breakfast hash! sourdough oatmeal raisin cookies!). A friend who mades coffee when we were on our way because she knew I would want some. Another friend who makes homemade cupcakes and pours the coffee in a mug with trees on it because she knew I would find it beautiful.
• Making origami heart bookmarks and heart-shaped cookies for Valentine's Day (I used my own gluten free almond drizzle cookie recipe and just added the dough to a cookie press).

• The contrast of green plants inside and a blanket of fresh snow outside
• Arlo snuggles with one of his grandpas (my father-in-law)
• Sleeping babies
• a favorite mug that is part of a set as a birthday gift from a dear friend, filled with an afternoon cup of an English breakfast latte
• Pink sunsets through bare trees, a bit like stained glass windows.

• A tiny handknit sweater for Arlo, knit by a friend who lives in Australia! She also made booties and a hat that fit him perfectly, and she tucked in the sweetest note and a few treats. What a special gift, thank you, Sarah!
• Wearing handknit sweaters! Reaching for my Traveler (crewneck version), Slightly Sassy V, and Lodge sweater the most. (My Traveler cowl and Sophie scarf are also pictured)
• a bright red cardigan that I did not knit (it's from Target)
• Peanut butter protein balls for the whole family
• a glowing horizon at dusk
• Homemade marshmallows (just beef gelatin, vanilla, water?_____ and maple syrup!)

• a very muddy and very happy Cooper (lol)
• Snapping an unstaged photo of our Paleo chicken enchilada assembly (I use raw cheddar) and it's a favorite lately!
• Unfussy, but nourishing breakfasts
• The most refreshing little spritzer: 1 oz of 100% cranberry juice + 1 can lemon spindrift. It tastes best poured into a glass, served with a straw
• toddler snuggles (he asks for them a lot, but calls them "nuggles")

• Completing a few knitting projects that I've been working on since November! I finished Finn's sweater and Nicholas' sweater, so expect blog posts on those sometimes soon.
• I cast on a few smaller-scale projects (socks and a cowl) and I'm still chipping away at my Musselburgh hat.

• A fresh coating of snow on a Sunday morning
• Two big brothers completely enamored with Arlo
• Basically all of my day spent holding or wearing Arlo. He is a quite content baby, especially when I'm close :)
• another loaf of sourdough cardamom pulla bread baked for a Saturday visit from friends!

So there you go: a list of little highlights – the noteworthy and beautiful, the things that made me pause and think this is wonderful. The foods that made me excited about cooking again, the beauty of winter, the precious children we are raising up, the friendships and moments that make my heart ache for the sweetness of them. The things I want to remember most in late winter.