Yours Truly, Eliza B.

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  • Creative,  Family

    15 Awesome Easter Basket Ideas

    Easter is only a few weeks away (how?!) and we are looking forward to starting fresh…

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  • Family

    5 Favorite Valentine’s Books for Tiny Book Lovers

    This week I finally packed up the last of our Christmas stuff. Un-Christmas-ing is one of…

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  • Connection,  Family

    How to Send a Hug

    With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, we’ve been talking a lot about love and all…

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  • Family

    Our Favorite Christmas Books

    At the beginning of this month we started several of our family holiday traditions, including our…

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  • Family

    Friday Family Nights

    We were never a big television family growing up. When I was a little girl I…

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  • Family

    Firecrackers, Fireflies, and Family – 4th of July, 2020

    Oh July, why have you been so fleeting this year! I can’t believe there are only…

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  • Family

    On Writing and Remembering

    I want to remember what it was like back when we were all still there. Momma,…

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  • On Writing: Musings from the Meadow | blog post | photo by Eliza B.
    Connection,  Family

    On Writing: Musings from the Meadow

    "We drank in the smells of the ripe spring air, thick with honeysuckle and freshly cut…

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  • Connection,  Family

    Sanity Savers (Part 1): Little Kid Ideas

    I have been talking over the past few days with different mama-friends of mine about what…

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  • Family

    Sunshine, Rainbows, and Gratitude

    Monday morning our youngest woke up with a fever. I suspected something was up when he…

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Recent Posts

  • On Writing: A Letter to Myself One Year Ago
  • On Writing: A Letter to My Childhood Self
  • March Goals 2021
  • 15 Awesome Easter Basket Ideas

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Eliza B.
All of my favorite #siblings in honor of #national All of my favorite #siblings in honor of #nationalsiblingday ❤️
Day 10: A letter to yourself this time last year.. Day 10: A letter to yourself this time last year... Gosh I made these prompts challenging didn’t I!! 🤪 This one was strangely cathartic for me to write! What would you say if you could write a letter to yourself a year ago? 💌 #alettertowritingchallenge // Dear me (one year ago), You’re about a month into a global pandemic by now with no immediate end in sight, despite the original predictions of things getting back to normal in about 3 weeks. Your freezer is still plenty well stocked and you’ve got plenty of toilet paper (thanks to your reserves you didn’t even have to go buy any!). You’ve done an awesome job strategizing and preparing for these “unprecedented times” for your family. New York has been hit excruciatingly hard and it feels like we are just sitting ducks, waiting for the worst of it. You are carrying so much anxiety and fear, as is the rest of the country and world right now. I’m not sure there is really much I can say that will help you in the year ahead. But I will try… When Paul tells you the hospital doesn’t have enough protective equipment for the ER staff; you will be so stressed out. Try not to worry, your friends and family (and even some strangers!) will come through to help out. And he will be ok, he is really good at staying safe at work and hyper conscientious about protecting you and the boys. There will be days this is more difficult for him than he lets on. But you will weather the brunt of it together. Love him hard, keep asking about his day (even when the answer is mostly the same), and cook his favorite meals whenever you can muster the enthusiasm. And when you can’t do that, just order his favorite take out food, he’ll appreciate that almost as much. When you realize you’ve been the primary bedtime parent for over 70+ days, for crying out loud- ask for some help. It will benefit everyone in the long run if you prioritize time for your own self care, even when it feels impossible. Give yourself permission to feel all the feels and practice holding space for yourself. You’ve never been good at that but you’re going to have to get better at it this year. >> More on the blog, link in bio.
Day 9: A letter to something you are afraid of... Day 9: A letter to something you are afraid of... This was kind of an embarrassing letter for me to write because while I do consider myself a fairly fearful person in a lot of ways, the thing I have experienced the most palpable fear with is jellyfish. No, not clowns or heights or of being stuck in an elevator… just jellyfish (well... and sharks 🦈). Once on a trip to the Black Sea I got caught out waist deep in the clear blue waters. I had waded out that far because I’d gotten distracted but suddenly I glanced down around me and realized I was surrounded by a huge cluster of jellyfish just bobbing around me! Without warning, I had a full on panic attack - lunged toward the shore, crying hysterically and horror stricken! I felt ridiculous about it but I couldn’t help myself. I knew this fear existed but I hadn't realized how subconsciously it was embedded in me until that moment! What are YOU afraid of? Tell me more… #alettertowritingchallenge // Dear Jellyfish, A few years ago I visited you on exhibit at the Shedd Aquarium in downtown Chicago. Who knew your gelatinous simplicity could be so beautiful. I was entranced by your fluid magic and found you strangely captivating like the colorful blobs in a lava lamp. You probably don’t remember, but our first encounter actually occurred thirty years earlier, just beyond toe-touching depths in the Atlantic Ocean. That hot afternoon, my older cousin Sasha and I floated in the waves, clinging tightly to a foam raft just like we had done every other day that week. Kicking feverishly against the current, we shrieked and giggled as the dark waves brushed invisible bits of who-knows-what against our legs. Slippery tendrils of seaweed, subtle flutters of fish fins, and suddenly… the shocking white-hot sting of something blazing a trail across my thigh. Whether you or the tide wrapped your stinging tentacles around my leg remains a mystery, but whichever the case, you made quite a lasting impression on me that day. A deep fear was born in me, burned deep beneath the welts that scarred my leg for weeks and my soul for life. >> continued in comments...
Day 8: A letter to your first love My letter toda Day 8: A letter to your first love My letter today is a little nontraditional as you will quickly see. While I have been blessed with BIG love in my life, the very FIRST love I understood is what I’ve shared here. These letters have really been incredible to sit down and write each day. I am so thankful to all of you for following along and for joining me. Looking forward to reading what you decide to share in the upcoming days! #alettertowritingchallenge // Dear First Love, I was only a young girl when we met and you were the most radiant and beautiful thing I had ever seen before. I still vividly remember the day you were born. I’m sure I’ve told you this story a hundred times. Off to school I went that morning, impatiently anticipating the news of your arrival. I squirmed in my seat and glanced toward the classroom door every few minutes. At last, a familiar face peered in, searching for me, and I knew the time had come. I lunged out of my chair, grabbed my backpack, and sprinted toward the exit - papers flying off the nearby desks in my wake. That moment they first placed you gently into my arms, the earth seemed to right itself after almost a year of being tipped on its axis. You filled my tender heart in all the places love had been siphoned away by unfortunate circumstances beyond my control. You became the light that guided me through the darkest years of my youth. I know it sounds strange to say my sister was my first true love. But you were the first love that I understood - the first time my brain recognized what that word had always meant. I knew I would walk through fire for you from that very first day, and that the love between us would change my life for the better. And it certainly has. Love always, Yours Truly
I decided to start sharing some the children’s b I decided to start sharing some the children’s books that we love! I’m not sure about the best way to do it yet but I think once a week I’ll post something we’ve been reading lately and tell a little bit about it. 🌷 Bentley & Egg by William Joyce is a book from my childhood! This copy was gifted to me in 1992 from a dear family friend. It’s the perfect spring-themed book and we pull it out every year around Easter. I’ve always loved William Joyce’s books because his stories are so sweet and the illustrations are absolutely whimsical and beautiful. @heybilljoyce In this story, Bentley the frog is put in charge of keeping watch over his best friend’s egg 🥚. He thinks the egg is quite boring so he decides to paint it - a boy crashing through the woods causing destruction discovers the egg and believes it has been left by the Easter bunny so he takes it with him! This leads to quite an adventure as Bentley must rescue the egg and overcome a series challenges along the way. The plot is entertaining and endearing(our favorite part is when Bentley ends up on the brim of a woman’s Easter hat!!). It’s probably best for children with a little longer attention span as there are more words per page than illustrations. Our boys tend to do well with this level but sometimes I skip parts or summarize to keep them interested. I’ll be sharing more of the book in my stories (and saving to highlights). What’s your favorite Spring-themed children’s book? 🐣💕🐸
Day 7: A letter to your nemesis (past or present) Day 7: A letter to your nemesis (past or present) - #alettertowritingchallenge Today’s prompt was born out of a conversation with some other women about the mean girls we have suffered in our lives. Each of us had a name and a specific incident that we’ve carried with us through the years. It got me thinking about what I’d say if I had an opportunity to confront my own childhood nemesis. So this is the head space from which I wrote to this prompt. What would you say to your own nemesis? I bet you can still remember his or her name… am I right? // Dear Jenny, About a month ago I was on a virtual call with a group of grown women and somehow we started talking about people who bullied or antagonized us in childhood or adolescence. Every single one of us was able to call to mind a specific person’s name and when it was they were most traumatized by that person. Your name came off my tongue before I batted an eye. I’ve thought of you so many times over the past couple of decades. I have wondered if you ever think of me. If you even remember me. You were my nemesis from third grade all the way into High School when I finally decided that I didn’t care about you or what you thought of me any more. Thank goodness for that. For a span of almost 10 years you were the Regina George of my real world. Our last names were unfortunately close to one another for seating assignments and other alphabetically organized primary school events so perhaps you were destined to haunt me. You, with the absolutely perfect hair who even pulled off bangs when none of the rest of us could. You, with a totally cool older sister that kept you in the know of all the trendiest styles and sayings. I’m positive all the cutest boys in school crushed on you. Who could blame them? >> continued in comments...
Day 6: A letter to Mother Nature - this one took m Day 6: A letter to Mother Nature - this one took me until now to post because I took the inspiration quite literally and spent the entire afternoon playing with my family outside on this beautiful spring day. #alettertowritingchallenge has been such a wonderful experience for me so far and I’m loving all of the incredible things you have been sharing! Can’t wait to read what you decide to write about today. 🌷 // Dear Mother Nature, Thank you for this glorious day where we stayed outside for hours and well past dinner time. We simply couldn’t bear to leave you. I know the rain is coming and while I understand the necessity of it, it sure puts a damper on our days. And today we wanted to bask in your bounty. All of my to dos have been waiting patiently for this quiet that only falls upon this house long after bedtime. Each time I sat down to write this letter, or fold the load of clothes I’ve spun through the “touch up” cycle several times now, or unpack another box, the gleeful sounds of laughter from my boys outside the window beckoned me. “You HAVE to come out here and have some fun with us Mama” my oldest son beamed at me, his face as golden as the sunshine. A cascade of clothing discarded throughout the day - shirts and shorts, and even underpants, casually tossed across the porch steps and the late afternoon shadows danced across our warm shoulders. All four of us ran wildly through the sprinkler, on the count of three over and over, shrieking and laughing together. A handful of moments I would gladly freeze in time to remember forever. Thank you for your sweet temptation Mother Nature. Spring is your specialty. I see you pulling out all your magic - the azaleas bursting forth along the driveway, a tiny birds nest we discovered bearing delicate blue eggs, the pair of cardinals at our feeder. And always the promise of a new day, of hours swelling with sunshine and pine dust. And daylight stretching well past dinner time. Thank you for this day. For reminding me that it’s worth it to put aside the lists and laundry in exchange for laughter and the loveliest of memories. Yours truly, A grateful mama
A handful of gratitude late on a Monday night ❤️ • the kindness of strangers • feeling productive on a Monday • vulnerability that leads to a genuine sense of connection • a beautiful night for a tennis match (and winning in a tie-breaker) • heading to bed at the same time as Paul after a long string of night shifts
Day 5: A letter to someone struggling. Wow, this Day 5: A letter to someone struggling. Wow, this one was really tough for me. I feel like I’ve been trying to write this letter for so many years and it’s still not even close to being “right” but I’m sharing it anyway. Here’s to being vulnerable in the spirit of connecting with others. Looking forward to reading what you choose to share (if you choose to share of course). #alettertowritingchallenge // Dear friend struggling with infertility, I see you. I’ve spent the better part of this day trying to write you this letter. It’s not the first time I’ve attempted it either. And honestly I’ve spent the better part of the past several years trying to process my own experience with infertility in a way that might help me express my feelings about it to anyone else. This is just such a terribly shitty thing you’re going through and there simply aren’t enough words to fully express the ache I feel for you. I know each story is its own unique version of heartbreak and every person experiences it differently. But I also know how alone it can feel when you’re struggling. How some days are harder than others. How unkind mother nature can be with her bag of tricks (Why do early pregnancy symptoms all seem to be the EXACT same as premenstrual symptoms? And why was my period NEVER late before I was trying so hard to get pregnant?). Why the hell do so many people think it’s appropriate to offer the most maddening input? “You just need to relax! It’ll happen when you stop trying so hard.” “Maybe you should try having sex more often?” “You can always just try IVF or adopt.” "It'll happen when it's meant to." “You should enjoy your freedom while you still have it.” “Have you tried eating more pineapple?” Everywhere you look, babies seem to be on broadcast. >> continued in comments...
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