Bonjour! I read recently about the concept of doing something for “future me.” I love the idea of doing things to help out your future self. Today's post shares some ideas about how to take care of Future You. As a planner and a worrier, I already spend a lot of time thinking and working… Continue reading Taking Care of Future You
Just a sampling of the baby toys and gear for our two-day road trip to Wisconsin! Bonjour! As I wrote recently, L'Husband and I finally took our first family trip with Le Bébé. We rented a house and spent two whole nights in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Find my tips and gentle suggestions for traveling with… Continue reading Road Trip with Baby – Packing List
Bonjour! Well, dear reader, it finally happened! After three years of pandemic-era lockdown, L'Husband and I took our first trip. We rented a house and spent two whole nights in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, just a pleasant three-and-a-half hour trip north by car from our home in central Illinois. This post shares some tips for traveling… Continue reading Road Trip with Baby – Tips for Sanity
Bonjour! I recently had the pleasure and good fortune of seeing a small group of friends and family at my bébé shower. After two-plus years of COVID and feeling like I’ve been pregnant forever (okay, eight months), it was my first real party, and I was so excited and thankful to bring people together and… Continue reading A Gender-Neutral Baby Shower
Bonjour! As Due Day for le bébé approaches - just four short weeks from today - I've been thinking about packing my hospital bag for labor and delivery (and how L'Husband can support me). Today's post shares some resources and tips as well as my own hospital packing list. (Since I've seen every episode of… Continue reading Hospital Packing List for Due Day
Bonjour! It's dachshund takeover week at Joyful Living! This week's blog post is brought to you by Le Chien, miniature dachshund extraordinaire, who has noticed some, erm, "changes" around la maison during my pregnancy. Check out these tips for introducing your dachshund (or any other suspicious pet) to a new bébé! ~~~ Something is going… Continue reading The Dog Is Suspicious of My Baby Bump
Bonjour! One of the pleasures of pregnancy has been le nesting (cleaning! organizing! shopping!) and preparing the nursery for le bébé. And wearing stretchy maternity pants. And napping. And eating snacks. But I digress. Once L'Husband and I knew we were good and pregnant after fertility treatment and the first trimester, we were comfortable investing… Continue reading A Dachshund-Approved Car Seat (and More Baby Gear)
Bonjour! Let me start by saying that I love Peanuts and Snoopy. Always have, always will. Snoopy is essential to adding joy to my life. Thus, it should not shock those of you who know this about me that the nursery for le bébé will have a Snoopy theme. And L’Husband gets it. He knows… Continue reading Yes, Our Nursery Has a Snoopy Theme
Bonjour! I'm sharing this a week later than intended, but I was making rather merry at home last week while on staycation with L'Husband and Le Chien. Better late than never, right? Le wink. Something about the end of the year makes me nostalgic, from that back-to-school feeling that starts in September (even though I’m… Continue reading 2021 Blog Year in Review
Bonjour! We're officially in the throes of the holiday season, which has me hankering to decorate, bake, make chili, and wrap gifts. The holidays are a festive time but also a portent of the gray, cold winter to come (at least in the Midwest of the United States), which has me planning ahead to make… Continue reading A Cozy Hygge Night
Joyful Living with Katie Kritikos 