NaNoWriMo 2013: An Intro

I've heard about NaNoWriMo in the past and envied those that took the time to do it, so this year I decided to jump in and be one of those people myself. For those of you that don't know, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month - during the month of November, writers from all over the US join together to try to write 50,000 words in one month, which amounts to about 200 pages. As a very pregnant (is that a thing?) mom of one crazy toddler, I'm a bit nervous about taking this on, but I have a story that's been bouncing around my head and I just can't wait to get it written down.

There is a wonderful group of bloggers that will also be writing their own stories, so I've decided to link up with them every week to keep myself motivated. If you're participating, you should join in the fun!

My novel will be called The Road Less Traveled and will be based upon the life of my Great-Grandmother Hazel. I have bits and pieces of her history, so I'll be building the story around that. I'm so excited to delve deeper into her life and explore what she wants to be told. The short synopsis that I put on the NaNoWriMo site says,

At the age of 50, Hazel finds herself in the Warm Springs Mental Asylum in Montana, scheduled to have a lobotomy. She begins to recount the road that brought her to this end, including her life with an alcoholic father in Vermont, working at a factory in New York, marrying a soldier she barely knew, and moving cross-country to live on a ranch in Montana.

I've been trying to plan things out over the past week and I think that the biggest challenge I'll be dealing with is telling her whole story, without things getting tedious, especially since it will take place over such a large time period. I'm trying out a couple of ways of putting the story together, so hopefully I can get it all figured out!

Mostly, I'm just excited to get started writing and seeing what I come up with. It'll be a challenge, but a welcome one. 

Anyone else planning on participating? If you are, add me on NaNoWriMo!

5 Best YouTube Channels for Toddlers

You know that moment when you just need five minutes to get something done, and your kid just won't entertain themselves? We all have them. It's tough. It's in those moments that I pull out my secret weapon - YouTube.

YouTube videos are great, because most are just 4-5 minutes long and, if you know where to look, can be cute and educational. As always, it's important to make sure you're aware of what your kid is watching and that you limit their time. BUT it can be a miracle worker when you need it.

So, without further ado...here are our five favorite YouTube channels (along with the videos we like best from them):

1. Super Simple Songs - This is definitely our favorite - most of the songs are short, each one is educational, and they're not annoying to the point that you feel like pulling your hair out (because that can be a problem). Josie sings these songs all the time, even when she's not watching the videos! Our favorites: Old McDonald Had a Farm and Walking in the Jungle.

2. Sesame Street - Of course we love Sesame Street! On their YouTube channel, you can watch short clips or full episodes - we have the show on Amazon Prime and Josie watches it some mornings, but it's nice to be able to see the clips she loves over...and over... :-) (Also, check out Sesame Street Classics. It's pretty amazing as well.) Our favorites: Share It, Maybe? and any Journey to Ernie.

Friday Favorites #1

Happy Friday! This weekend, we're taking a family trip to the pumpkin patch and apple orchard and I couldn't be more excited. I'm also participating in my first vendor event for Barefoot Books! Wish me luck...

Meanwhile, here are a few things I found and loved this week...

I can't wait to try my hand at one of these maxi skirts that Lisa made for her girls.

Also, these stuffed pumpkins are adorable and I'm hoping I have enough time to throw some together before Halloween.

Oliver + S is talking about how to choose the right fabric on their blog, which is fantastic, because I'm always at a loss.

I was in love with Vintage Books My Kid Loves and I'm so excited to start following Graphic Novels My Kid Loves.

Love this post about creating a family rhythm.

I'm dying to make these pumpkin cranberry rolls - it'll probably happen way before Thanksgiving, too.

Isn't this watercolor leaf garland adorable (and the perfect toddler craft)?

Gretchen recently participated in the Beauty Revealed Project with her mom and they took some awesome pictures.

And finally, Josie's favorite Halloween-themed YouTube video - and it's cute!

Have a wonderful weekend, friends!

I Love Fall

Source

I already wrote a post about how awesome fall is on our family blog...but I feel the need to sing its praises once again. Because, really, isn't fall the best? 

Specifically, I love...

Pumpkins (and pumpkin bread, and pumpkin pie)

Apple Cider

Stepping on crunchy leaves

Chilly morning walks

Sweater weather

Hot cocoa

And...I'm sure there's more. It's just my favorite. :-)

What are your favorite things about fall?