Hi friends,

I’m writing to you with my newborn daughter sleeping on my chest, nestled in a baby wrap for the first time. I am just about three weeks postpartum into healing from my third c-section.1

I Didn’t Get A VBAC

This was not my desired outcome. I didn’t get a successful VBAC and honestly I’m not entirely sure how I feel about it yet.

When I was pregnant, I would tell people that I was hoping for a trial of labour and to have a natural delivery2. I knew that despite my best efforts, it could still result in a c-section anyways, and in that case I was aiming for “healthy Mom and healthy baby”.

It’s not that there’s anything inherently wrong with saying or thinking this. Of course, we should want a healthy mom and a healthy baby. There are so many mothers and children who aren’t afforded that gift. Many have lost their lives, are dealing with chronic illnesses, or are navigating difficult diagnoses.

Let me make it very clear, I am incredibly thankful to be on the other side healthy and with a happy and thriving little one.

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However, I have not found full comfort in receiving platitudes like, “I know you didn’t get the birth you want but at least the baby is healthy” even though I know they are coming from a genuine place. I also don’t believe that it’s anybody’s job to help me feel better about my birth experience.

I do suspect that many women also experience mixed feelings surrounding labour and delivery. I think that we can make room for the complexities of these emotions during such a life altering and intimate personal experience.

We are allowed to have space to process, grieve, gain understanding, and come to a place of acceptance. It is an internal wrestle and a profoundly human experience.

I Am Not In Control

The truth is I was never in control. Of course, I knew this and yet I still tried my best to achieve my desired birth outcome.

I changed care providers to an OBGYN who was willing to let me attempt a trial of labour. I hired a doula to help advocate for me in the hospital. I dutifully took my prenatal vitamins and other supplements. I did inversions to try and get baby into the best position. I did the MILES circuit to try and get labour started naturally. I bounced on the birth ball. I ate dates to prep my body for labour. I read and listened to birth stories of people who “made it”. We prayed and asked others to pray for us.

Throughout my pregnancy, I saw evidences of God’s faithfulness. In many ways this pregnancy was redemptive. The experience of this pregnancy helped answer a lot of questions I had about prior births and it was honestly quite peaceful. This too was the grace of God.

Finding True Comfort

I am still processing my birth experience but I find it grounding to my soul to know that I can take comfort in the Lord.

It is comforting for me to know that although my experience of pregnancy and childbirth is touched by the effects of the Fall that one day everything will be made new. This thought has comforted me through other losses in life as well.

I feel like this perspective leaves room for the tension of gratitude mixed with grief.

When I was pregnant I truly believed this child would be a child of peace. I see glimpses of this belief daily in my daughter’s temperament. Others can testify to this as well. God has been so kind.

Learning To Trust

I don’t know what the future holds for myself and my family. Will the Lord entrust us with more children? If so, what will that delivery and postpartum experience be like?

There are so many unknowns. All I can do is trust God with my family and our future. It is not an easy process. It often feels like a daily, hourly, moment by moment surrender. Maybe that’s the whole point? This process of sanctification that won’t be fully realized until the Lord calls us home.

As women, we are privy to this holy and intimate experience that is bringing life into this world. I stare into the eyes of my beautiful daughter and I am amazed. Thank you God for giving me this precious gift. How miraculous it is to be a mother.

Does any of this resonate with you? I’d love to hear about your birth experiences and chat in the comments.

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Welcome to Emily’s Cozy Chapter, the weekly newsletter that helps women like you cultivate joy in the everyday. You’ll find: faith-filled encouragement to fill your cup, my current reads, tiny things that made me smile, and tips for intentional living. I hope this brings a little joy to your heart and home.

Hi friends, we’re at the tail-end of summer. It is my favourite season so I’m hanging on as much as I can. One way that I’ve been doing this is by reading fun summertime picture books to my littles ones.

I will be sharing 10 of our favourites with you in this post. As always, our library haul was massive and there are many more books that are not mentioned in this post. We found most of these books at the library and a few of them are from our family’s collection.

You can check out my full summertime picture book collection here.

Now let’s go over these great books!

Some links in this post may be affiliate links. If you are curious about a book and purchase it through one of these links I may receive a small percentage which comes at no additional cost to you. This is one simple way you can support my writing and if you choose to I would truly appreciate it. Please also consider subscribing to the newsletter so you don’t miss any new articles!

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10 Sweet Summertime Picture Books

1. The Watermelon Seed - Greg Pizzoli

   This book was definitely a favourite for my children. They enjoyed this silly story and had fun telling me what was going to happen next. Pull out your best dramatic book-reading voice for this one and watch your kids giggle with delight.

   ---

   

2. Jabari Jumps - Gaia Cornwall

   A sweet story of about courage and conquering your fears. My children were in swimming lessons this summer and this book was helpful to read in preparation for them. They were familiar with this book from previous summers but were still excited to read it again. If you love this story I would also recommend Jabari Tries.

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3. Sand Cakes - Kallie George

   Sand Cakes was my favourite book from this library haul. I will be adding it to our family collection. It is a delightful story of a little girl who uses her imagination to make delicious creations out of sand. Perfect for creative and entrepreneurial children who love the beach!

   ---

   

4. Over and Under the Coral Reef - Kate Messner

   Another wonderful story in this series by Kate Messner. I loved this one in particular because of my Caribbean heritage. I thoroughly enjoyed the beautifully illustrated tropical fish and coral reef. An engaging book that makes the subject matter come alive.

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5. One Dog Canoe - Mary Casanova

   Another family favourite that we’ve picked up for the second summer in a row. Follow this sweet story of a little girl and her dog who meet animal friends along the way as they ride on their canoe.

   ---

   

6. Roller Coaster - Marla Frazee

   A new to us book from the library that playfully shows how fun it is to ride on a rollercoaster. My children are old enough to start riding rollercoasters and this was fun way to get them excited about it. This would be great to read before a trip to an amusement park or fair.

   ---

   

7. Hike - Pete Oswald

   This wordless picture book beautifully depicts a father and son making meaningful memories on a hike up a mountain. Wonderful for adventure and nature loving little ones. This is a book is part of our family library. My kids love when their Dad reads it to them.

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8. When You Can Swim - Jack Wong

   A great story that shows children about the world of possibilities that opens up when you can swim. I was eager to pick up this book because of my children taking swimming lessons and it did not disappoint.

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9. Julie and the Mango Tree - Sadé Smith

   All Julie wants is a mango from her backyard mango tree for a sweet snack. Read along to see if she ever gets her treat! A favourite in our family library for our mango loving kids (and Mama).

   ---

   

10. When Lola Visits - Michelle Sterling

    A special story in our family library because of my Filipino heritage. A little girl reminisces on summertime visits with her Lola (grandmother) who travels from the Philippines every summer.

What do you think should be on this list? Share your favourite summertime books below in the comment section.

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A few cozy moments from this week… ☕️

📚 Off the Shelf: Another sweet story that my children enjoyed is Simon and the Better Bone by Corey R. Tabor. I’ve also started reading The 4 Hour School Day by Durenda Wilson.

🌷 Tiny Joys: We went on a trip to spend time with family and good friends who live on the other side of the country. It was really special to have everyone meet our newest addition. Our big kids loved playing with their cousins.

🍃 Slowing Down: Summer is always a nice break from our regular routine. We’ve been soaking it in as much as possible. Our days have been filled with the beach, cousin hangouts, and lots of ice cream.

If you enjoyed reading this issue, there are a few easy ways to help our newsletter find more cozy friends.

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Welcome to Emily’s Cozy Chapter, the weekly newsletter that helps women like you cultivate joy in the everyday. You’ll find: faith-filled encouragement to fill your cup, my current reads, tiny things that made me smile, and tips for intentional living. I hope this brings a little joy to your heart and home.

Hi friends,

I hope you’ve been enjoying the summer months. Maybe you’ve been invited to a summer barbeque or two. Or, maybe you’re wishing that someone would make space at the table for you.

In any case, I wish I could get to know you at a park picnic or a backyard barbeque. How special would it be to get to know one another beyond the screen.

As the weeks of summer roll by I find myself in conversation saying “we’ve got to have you over sometime” and spending time thinking of all the people I’d like to share a meal with.

I don’t know about you but hosting in the summertime feels simpler. Throw something on the grill, the kids can play outside, and friends seem to linger later into the evening.

But there always seems to be too many people to realistically squeeze into one summer patio season.

And how do you choose who gets to see the nitty gritty parts of your everyday life anyway?

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Hospitality is a Love Language

One person comes to mind when I think about how I desire to practice hospitality. My dear friend who is married to my husband’s childhood best friend.

Currently, we live across the country from each other. However, when I first got married we lived in the same city. I was 23, adapting to a new city, trying to make friends, and feeling homesick in the process.

Truth be told, I was floundering for the first real time in my life.

Stepping into her home always felt like a moment to exhale. Her warmth, generosity, and ability to make people feel comfortable and welcomed is a true gift.

They were living in the garden suite of his grandmother’s home. She thoughtfully created a haven for their family and always left room to embrace others.

She’d ask you the tough questions about how you’re really doing over a cup of bengal spice tea and something delicious that she baked.

It was more than the extra seats at the dinner table, warm lighting, and the comfy sitting nook in the living room. They hosted our community group. Invited friends over for lunch after church. They even had a goal to have someone over for dinner weekly.

I watched them faithfully live a life where they opened their hearts and homes again and again. Truly loving others through the act of hospitality. They continue to inspire me.

Take The Risk

Sometimes, you have to make the first move. Making new friends often requires some assertiveness on your end.

I was joking with my husband the other day that having new people over feels a little bit like dating. There’s that nervous anticipatory energy because you’re not quite sure how it’s going to go.

What will we talk about? Will they like the food? Are we ever going to do this again?

I’m as introverted as they come and I am most comfortable with some tried and true friendships that feel like putting on your favourite sweater.

But, as life would have it, things are always changing (usually when you’re just getting comfortable). New people come into your life and community. Seasons shift. You find yourself in circles and circumstances that are unfamiliar.

I know reaching out can be tiring, messy, inconvenient. I know you probably already feel maxed out. It’s the nature of our society and pace of life. And yet, I urge you to take the risk and let someone new in.

Vulnerability Creates Connection

Why? Because vulnerability creates connection. We all know by now that we’re in the middle of a loneliness epidemic. I can guarantee that someone in your life is going through something difficult.

We can be a soft place to land. The moment to exhale. A reprieve from the weight of it all. We can be a friend.

Vulnerability goes both ways. We also need to be willing to let people in. Into our homes and imperfect lives.

This isn’t easy to do. Especially if you’re currently in what you consider “less than ideal” living circumstances. A true friend wouldn’t judge you for that anyways. I think we’re often our own worst critic.

Nevertheless, we have to lay aside our pride and our walls for the opportunity to build real connections.

Show Up For People

I have been practicing saying yes to connection more often. Something about this season of life has me reflecting on the importance of showing up for people when they reach out.

“We’re throwing a birthday party we’d love to have you there.”

It’s an hour and half away but… “Thank you! We can make it.”

“I’m headed to the park with the kids this morning - is anyone free to join?”

I have to load all four kids into the van but… “We will be there!”

“There’s this parenting conference I want to go to, do you want to come?”

They have childcare? This one’s a no brainer… “YES! Thanks for telling me I’ve already signed up.” 😅

It’s not always convenient but making the effort to be together has been worth it.

Feeding Our Souls

As a follower of Jesus, I believe we were created for relationship and that practicing hospitality is good for our souls. We have the example of a Saviour who knew the importance of breaking bread. May His grace be with us as we strive to do the same.

A few cozy moments from this week… ☕️

📚 Off the Shelf: We browsed a new library in our city. One of my favourite picture books in our haul is Sand Cakes by Kallie George. An adorable original concept mixed with beautiful illustrations makes it a winner for me. I would love to add this to our family library as a seasonal summertime book.

🌷 Tiny Joys: My kids are in swimming lessons for the first time this week and they are thriving. I love seeing how much fun they’re having and how proud of themselves they are. I’m also thankful for an instructor that connects with each of my children really well.

🍃 Slowing Down: My husband has had some time off and we took advantage of that by heading to the beach with our kiddos and my folks. We stayed overnight somewhere near by which was quiet a treat. Grateful that we were able to make those memories.

If you enjoyed reading this issue, there are a few easy ways to help our newsletter find more cozy friends.

• ❤️ Like this post and leave a comment - I’d love to chat with you!

• 📚 Re-stack this post to help new people discover us

• 🫶🏽 Tag me on Instagram at emilyscozychapter

• ✨ Share Emily’s Cozy Chapter with a friend you think would like it

  Share Emily's Cozy Chapter

👋🏼 Come say hi on YouTube

Welcome to Emily’s Cozy Chapter, the weekly newsletter that helps women like you cultivate joy in the everyday. You’ll find: faith-filled encouragement to fill your cup, my current reads, tiny things that made me smile, and tips for intentional living. I hope this brings a little joy to your heart and home.

Hi friends,

Summer is in full swing, which means we are getting outside as much as possible. We love taking the kids out on family “adventures”.

We’re officially a family of six and are firmly in the little years. Our eldest is 5 (soon to be 6), our twin girls are 4, and we have a newborn1.

This summer we have been hitting up local splash-pads, playgrounds, and the beach whenever we can. We even tackled a small2 amusement park. I can honestly say that these days have been highlights for our entire family.

I think a little preparation, a can-do attitude, mixed with a whole lot of God’s grace has made these outings not just possible but also enjoyable.

This got me thinking through some of the practical things that help keep our family adventures flowing when we hit an inevitable speed bump.

Keep reading for your summer adventure survival kit and get ready for some fun in the sun.

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~*~ the summer adventure survival kit ~*~

on attitude & expectations

I’ve realized that my attitude determines how much I enjoy our summer adventures and I think a lot of it boils down to unmet expectations and control.

For example, last week our kids had multiple unexpected bathroom breaks in a row before we even reached our destination3. In the moment I was frustrated and became impatient with my kids which I later regretted.

Attempting an outing with kids without the creature comforts of home (and your own bathroom 😅) is going to come with some challenges. I need to prepare my mind and heart to know that things won’t always go to plan. This way I can roll with the punches knowing that we can still have a good day despite some setbacks.

moving on to the gear

• Your Preferred Method of Transportation

  What you choose depends on the type of outing, number of children, and ages of the children coming along.

  Option 1: The Wagon

  There are a range of wagons on the market from light-weight to heavy duty. When we go to the beach we love taking our 4-seater wagon along. It has more than enough space to haul all our gear and toys. It can also be used as a place for a child to take a nap by converting it to a flat base. I also love the sun canopies for shade and the mesh bag for wet and dirty items. Using the wagon is ideal for amusement park days with lots of walking.

  Option 2: The Stroller

  We’ve had the Uppababy Vista since our eldest was a baby. For city outings, I like that it has a large storage basket for all of our gear. With our newborn having the bassinet attachment has been amazing. Being able to lay our travel change mat in the bassinet has given us a change table on the go! I also like that she can lay flat in the bassinet to sleep instead of being squished in the carseat. There are so many stroller options out there so I recommend doing research on what works best for your family.

• A Fully Stocked Backpack / Diaper bag

  The goal is to use one efficiently packed bag for both the bigger kids and the baby.

  Here’s a quick rundown of what I keep in our bag for the summer:

  • Extra play clothes (t-shirts, shorts, underwear, socks)

  • Bathing suits

  • Sunscreen

  • Sun hats

  • Hand sanitizer

  Baby-specific items:

  • Diapers

  • Baby-wipes4

  • Diaper cream

  • Travel changing pad

  • Nursing cover

  • Wet-bag (for soiled clothing)

• Reusable water bottle

  Please don’t leave home without water bottles. The last thing you want on an outdoor adventure is for someone to end up overheated and dehydrated. We recently needed to replace the kids water bottles and picked up a 2-pack from Costco.

• Picnic Blanket

  If you should know anything about me it’s that I love a picnic. This particular blanket is beloved by our family. It is over-sized, waterproof, and zips up nicely making it easy to bring along. We’ve shared many meals together on this blanket and it’s still in good condition after a few years of use.

• Snacks

  During a day out the kids are bound to get hungry at some point. Good summer snacks won’t melt or get gross in the heat (especially if you don’t have a cooler).

  Here are some ideas:

  • seaweed snacks

  • crackers

  • mini naan / pita bites / or buns

  • carrot sticks

  • cucumber slices / mini cucumbers

  • clementines

  • apples slices

  • nuts (if not allergic)

  • granola bars (no chocolate or yogurt coating)

  • oatmeal cookies

  • pretzels

  • pita chips / potato chips

• Cooler

  This cooler has been a new addition for us this summer and I love it. It’s perfect for drinks and keeping our snacks cool. I especially like that it’s a soft shell that is collapsible when not in use. It fits nicely in our wagon for transport. We were even able to fit in the stroller basket of our UppaBaby Vista. We have the 50 can cooler but they also make smaller versions.

• Travel Potty

  This travel potty has helped me so many times. It lives in the trunk of our mini-van. Sometimes we need to make an emergency pitstop while en-route for a potty break. With no other bathroom in sight, the travel potty saves the day! It is also useful if the public restroom is in dire need of a cleaning.

• Summer Shoes

  My kids usually wear their running shoes. On particularly hot days or when we will be by the beach I prefer hiking sandals with a strap around the ankle. They are easy to run in and dry fast when wet. The ones we have are open-toe Kamik sandals5 that we bought at Marshalls. If you’re looking for sandals that are highly rated for durability and are waterproof check out these ones from KEEN.

• A Few Toys

  I find it handy to keep a few outdoor toys in the trunk of our minivan. Depending on where we’re going we may grab one and stick it in the stroller basket or wagon. Some ideas are: a soccer ball, mini football, frisbee, and sand toys for beach days.

• Travel First Aid Kit

  Admittedly, I need to restock my mini first aid kit. My plan is to keep it simple with some bandaids, gauze, and antibiotic ointment. A few things to treat a skinned knee or scraped elbow on the go.

What else should be on this list? I’d love to know how you’re gearing up for your summer adventures. Please share in the comments and help another Mama out! 🥰☀️

Leave a comment

A few cozy moments from this week… ☕️

📚 Off the Shelf: Being postpartum I clicked on this interesting article about giving birth in New York City by The Nap Trap. I never thought I’d read the words Chanel and the hospital in the same sentence.

🌷 Tiny Joys: Going to the amusement park with our kids was so fun. I loved seeing their little faces on the vintage fair rides. They rode the log ride with their Dad about 15 times in a row (there were no lines) and they were simply delighted. I wish I could bottle that joy.

🍃 Slowing Down: Nursing my baby has been my built in time to slow down. My favourite times are when it’s just the two of us in my bedroom. Everything seems to slow down for a little while.

If you enjoyed reading this issue, there are a few easy ways to help our newsletter find more cozy friends.

• ❤️ Like this post and leave a comment - I’d love to chat with you!

• 📚 Re-stack this post to help new people discover us

• 🫶🏽 Tag me on Instagram at emilyscozychapter

• ✨ Share Emily’s Cozy Chapter with a friend you think would like it

  Share Emily's Cozy Chapter

👋🏼 Come say hi on YouTube

Welcome to Emily’s Cozy Chapter, the weekly newsletter that helps women like you cultivate joy in the everyday. You’ll find: faith-filled encouragement to fill your cup, my current reads, tiny things that made me smile, and tips for intentional living. I hope this brings a little joy to your heart and home.

Hi friends,

We recently welcomed our fourth little one and I’m soaking in all the newborn sweetness. Thank you for being patient with me as I’ve taken quite a break from regular posts in my late pregnancy and early postpartum period. Leaning into rest has helped immensely in this transition.

I haven’t forgotten about you though and I am feeling that familiar creative itch again!

Today, I wanted to share ten of my favourite baby items that have been my go-to’s this postpartum period. Most of them have been main stays for all my babies. There are also a few new things that have been making my life a little bit easier.

If you’re expecting a little one soon I hope this will be helpful for you as you prepare for your sweet baby.

I’m sharing my 10 essential items in this post but if you want to see more of my newborn faves check out my collection on ShopMy. If you happen purchase something through those links I may earn a commission.

Now let’s get into it! 🥰

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1. Two-Way Zip Sleepers

   Baby sleepers with a two-way zipper make it easier to change a diaper quickly, especially in the middle of the night. If my baby isn’t dressed in a onesie they are usually in one of these sleepers.

2. Travel Change Pad

   When we’re out and about as a family having somewhere convenient and clean to change our babies has made all the difference. I can’t even count the number of times we’ve laid down the change pad in the back of our minivan for a quick diaper change. It’s also one of my go-to baby shower gifts.

3. Diaper Bag

   Having a well-stocked diaper bag has been a life saver. I try to keep it simple with what I consider my essentials. Some mainstays are: an extra changes of clothes, diapers, wipes, hand sanitizer, diaper cream, my nursing cover, and a burp cloth.

   I like diaper bags that have easy access to the wipes and a zip in the back to grab diapers quickly. I also look for a side pocket for a water bottle. Our original diaper bag had a lot of wear and tear so I purchased the one linked above at Costco.

4. Diaper Cream / Balm

   Having a good diaper cream is crucial in helping keep my little one comfortable through all the diaper changes. I’ve always used a zinc-based cream. However, a nurse in the maternity ward mentioned using a oil-based cream in the newborn days. I took her word for it and purchased the one above. It has worked surprisingly well and I find that the baby is not left with any sticky residue after.

5. Baby Carrier / Wrap

   I am a fan of carrying my babies for a number of reasons. One, I like to keep them close and I believe it is good for attachment. It also allows me to keep my baby sleeping and get things done at the same time (like writing this post). My husband also uses a structured carrier when we’re out of the house. At times, I prefer the ease of carrying the baby over navigating the bulk of a stroller. Going into some stores can be tight with a stroller and finding somewhere to park it can prove to be a challenge.

6. Nursing Cover

   This may be one of the most-used items in my diaper bag. I have nursed all my babies and generally I’m a feed on demand kind of gal. Having a nursing cover is my preference for feeding my baby in public places.1

7. Nursing Pads

   Re-usable nursing pads have been great for helping preventing leaks. I’ve already had an unexpected leak while talking to some new friends because I forgot to wear them. It is what it is… but that’s why I like the pads! I was also gifted some single-use ones.

8. Nursing Bras / Soft Bras

   Having soft comfortable bras that are easy to nurse in just makes life easier. I purchased a few new ones late in pregnancy and the ones linked above have been my favourites.

9. Night Light

   A night light for middle of the night feeds is a new item for me this postpartum. This light has a much gentler and dimmer glow than our regular lamp. It’s much easier for my husband to sleep while I feed and I think it helps keep my baby in a more calm sleepy-time-state. You can also turn it on with just a tap of a finger.

10. Sleep Sacks

    It’s summer and it has been warm and sometimes quite hot where we live. However, I use our lightweight sleep sack almost every night for our little one. Think of it like a thin blanket. The ones we have for the summer months are 0.2 TOG.

What are some of your favourite go-to items for the baby stage? Share one below to help a new Mama out. 🥰

Leave a comment

A few cozy moments from this week… ☕️

📚 Off the Shelf: I’ve been reading Parenting Gifted Kids by James R. Delisle. It’s been sitting on my shelf for years. With the school year ending I’ve had more time to read. I’ve been noticing characteristics in some of my children and I want to be equipped to handle the joys and challenges. This has been a truly practical book and quite a fascinating read.

🌷 Tiny Joys: I am really enjoying the baby stage again. My baby girl is starting to smile at me every so often and it is the sweetest thing. I also am really loving seeing the bond form between my older children and the baby.

🍃 Slowing Down: In the first few weeks postpartum I allowed myself to be in as much of a newborn bubble as possible. I’m thankful for our church who so graciously set up a meal train for us. It has helped us tremendously. I still have some dumpling and lasagnas frozen. A gift!

If you enjoyed reading this issue, there are a few easy ways to help our newsletter find more cozy friends.

• ❤️ Like this post and leave a comment - I’d love to chat with you!

• 📚 Re-stack this post to help new people discover us

• 🫶🏽 Tag me on Instagram at emilyscozychapter

• ✨ Share Emily’s Cozy Chapter with a friend you think would like it

👋🏼 Come say hi on YouTube

Welcome to Emily’s Cozy Chapter, the weekly newsletter that helps women like you cultivate joy in the everyday. You’ll find: faith-filled encouragement to fill your cup, my current reads, tiny things that made me smile, and tips for intentional living. I hope this brings a little joy to your heart and home.

Hi friends,

If you’re anything like me the question of “what’s for dinner?” has caused much undue anxiety and stress over the years.

As our family has grown making frequent trips to the grocery store throughout the week has become impractical. Going out to eat or ordering takeout is quite frankly expensive.

Which leaves me with only one option - cooking at home. I like knowing what’s going into the meals I’m serving my family and I hope that my children grow up with fond memories of family meals shared around the dinner table.

This is where building a well-stocked pantry comes in. With a little thoughtful planning you can build a pantry of staple items to help you cook from scratch and stress less about what you’re going to eat for dinner.

Where I Shop 🛒

I am now officially a Costco member.

Prior to this I would occasionally tag along when my mom was planning on going to Costco. At checkout we would divide our groceries and request a sub-total on the bill. We are a larger family so buying certain items in bulk just makes sense (and saves us cents).

Since I was only going once in a blue moon - my haul would be so excessively large that shopping there became a huge task. Now, I’ll be able to go as needed and shop like a normal person (hopefully 😅).

For most of our produce I shop at our local neighbourhood grocery stores. Where we live, my preferred stores are Farm Boy and Longo’s.

With the arrival of Spring, I would like to check out some local farmer’s markets for our fruits and veggies when they return next month.

Using What We Already Have 🍽️

After Easter, we had a lot of food leftover in our home. The past few weeks I’ve been prioritising building meals around what we already have in our fridge and freezer.

There have been a few cuts of meat that aren’t my usual go-to’s that have been sitting in my deep-freeze. I have been challenging myself to use these up first before buying new cuts of meat.

That being said here are all the items I like to typically have on hand to make getting meals on the table as simple as possible for our family of five.

Table of Contents

Use the jump links below to quickly get to the sections you’re most interested in.

• Weekly/Bi-Weekly Grocery Restock

• Fruits

• Vegetables

• Grains

• Dairy

• Meat

• Fish & Seafood

• Dried Goods

• Canned Goods

• Nuts & Seeds

• Sweeteners

• Oils & Vinegars

• Sauces, Dressings, and Dips

• Spices & Herbs

• Frozen Prepared Foods

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Weekly/Bi-Weekly Grocery Restock 🍎

• Milk

  • 4 Litres

• Eggs

  • Organic free-range Brown eggs (24 ct)

  • Large white eggs (30 ct)1

• Butter

  • Salted (2)

  • Unsalted (2)

• Bread2

  • Stonemill Multigrain Sourdough

  • Ace Bakery Sliced Sourdough

  • Rudolph’s Bavarian Sandwich Bread

• Fresh Fruit

  • Apples

  • Bananas

  • Oranges

  • Clementines

  • Kiwis

• Fresh Veggies

  • Lemons

  • Limes

  • Carrots

  • Celery

  • Other vegetables: as needed based on weekly dinner meal plan

Our Pantry Staples 🥫

FRUITS

Fresh Fruit

• Apples

• Pears

• Bananas

• Oranges

• Clementines

• Lemons

• Limes

• Avocados

• Melons (seasonal)

• Kiwis (seasonal)

• Strawberries (seasonal)

• Blueberries (seasonal)

• Pineapple (seasonal)

Frozen Fruit

• Organic Sliced Strawberries

• Organic Wild Blueberries

• Organic Mangoes

VEGETABLES

Fresh Veggies

• Yellow Onions

• Garlic

• Ginger

• Green Onions

• Potatoes

• Sweet Potatoes

• Cucumbers

• Bell peppers

• Carrots

• Celery

• Cabbage

• Butternut Squash (seasonal)

Frozen Veggies

• Broccoli

• Corn

• Stir-fry Veggie Mix

• Edamame

GRAINS

• Bread

• Bagels3

• Unbleached All Purpose Flour4

• Rice

• Organic Rolled Oats

• Organic Steel Cut Oats

• Dried Pasta (multiple varieties)

• Panko Breadcrumbs

DAIRY

• Milk

• Eggs (brown and white)

• Butter (salted and unsalted)

• Old Cheddar Cheese

• Cream Cheese

• Greek Yogurt

• Sour Cream

• Table Cream5

• Whipping Cream6

• Vanilla Ice-cream

MEAT

• Chicken

  • Organic Chicken Thighs

    • bone-in, skin on

    • boneless skinless

  • Organic Chicken breasts

    • boneless skinless

  • Whole Chicken

  • Ground Chicken

• Beef

  • Organic Lean Ground Beef

  • Grass-fed Beef Burgers

  • Pot roast

• Pork

  • Pork ribs

  • Bacon

  • Breakfast sausage

• Turkey

  • Ground Turkey

FISH & SEAFOOD

• Wild Salmon fillets7

• Shrimp

• Breaded Cod fillets8

DRIED GOODS

• White sugar

• Brown sugar

• Icing Sugar

• Baking Powder

• Baking Soda

• Cocoa Powder

• Chocolate Chips

• Dried Coconut

• Dried Cranberries

• Popcorn Kernels

• Tortilla Chips

• Active Dry Yeast

• Cereal and Granola (occasionally)

  • Almond Fruit Crunch

  • Cinnamon Crisps

  • Keto Granola

• Whole Coffee Beans

• Tea bags

CANNED GOODS

• Diced tomatoes

• Tomato paste

• Pasta Sauce and Marinara

• Black Beans

• Chickpeas

• Kidney Beans

• Stocks

  • Chicken

  • Beef

  • Vegetable

• Coconut Milk

• Dill Pickles

• Sauerkraut

• Tuna

• Salmon

• Corn

• Chipotles in Adobo Sauce

• Jalapenos

• Roasted Red Peppers

• Butter chicken sauce

NUTS AND SEEDS

• Peanut Butter

• Pumpkin Seeds

• Walnuts

• Almonds

• Pecans

• Mixed Nuts

• Chia Seeds

• Hemp Hearts

• Flax Seeds

SWEETENERS

• Honey

• Maple Syrup9

• Strawberry Jam

• Peach / Mango Jam

• Vanilla Extract

• Marmalade

OILS AND VINEGARS

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• Avocado Oil

• Sesame Oil

• White Vinegar

• Apple Cider Vinegar

• Rice Wine Vinegar

• Red Wine Vinegar

• Balsamic Vinegar

SAUCES, DRESSINGS, AND DIPS

• Ketchup

• Mustard

  • Dijon

  • Honey Dijon

• Mayonnaise

• BBQ Sauce

• Soy Sauce

• Worcestershire Sauce

• Caesar Salad Dressing

• Hot Sauce

• Thai Red Curry Paste

• Salsa

SPICES AND HERBS

• Black pepper

• Salt

  • Sea salt

  • Table salt

• Cinnamon

• Chilli Powder

• Paprika

• Cumin

• Garlic Powder

• Onion Powder

• Thyme

• Rosemary

• Oregano

• Bayleaves

• Italian Seasoning

• Dill

• Turmeric

• Curry Powder

• Red Chilli Flakes

• All spice

• Cloves

FROZEN PREPARED FOODS

• Dumplings

• Perogies

• Sweet Potato Fries

• Frozen Homemade Waffles10

What are your top 3 pantry essentials? Leave a comment so we can get some collective cooking inspiration flowing. 🥰

Leave a comment

The Cooking Friends In My Head

I’ll often turn on a video from one of these ladies while I’m cooking to get inspired to make wholesome meals for my family.

You can check them out on Youtube: Christine’s Notebook and Farmhouse on Boone.

A few cozy moments from this week… ☕️

📚 Off the Shelf: I’ve been reading through some seasonal books from our home library with my kids. A favourite from this week has been, Gwendolyn’s Pet Garden by Anne Renaud.

🌷 Tiny Joys: The sun has been peeking out and it’s finally no coat weather. My little ones played in the backyard for about two hours. This was after the past few days of them being sick and having low energy.

🍃 Slowing Down: We’ve been forced to slow down this week. Our vehicle has been at the mechanic and our family has been getting over being sick. We’ve spent a lot of time at home resting and recuperating as much as possible.

If you enjoyed reading this issue, there are a few easy ways to help our newsletter find more cozy friends.

• ❤️ Like this post and leave a comment - I’d love to chat with you!

• 📚 Re-stack this post to help new people discover us

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Enjoyed this? Subscribe for more

👋🏼 Come say hi on YouTube

Welcome to Emily’s Cozy Chapter, the weekly newsletter that helps women like you cultivate joy in the everyday. You’ll find: faith-filled encouragement to fill your cup, my current reads, tiny things that made me smile, and tips for intentional living. I hope this brings a little joy to your heart and home.

Hi friends,

Quiet time has not always been easy and effortless in our home. In fact, there are days where it just doesn’t work out.

But, on days were our family rhythm is more predictable it has been a helpful mid-day reset for us. Last week, I shared about how audiobooks were the one thing that truly makes quiet time work for our family.

Today, I thought I would share ten of our family’s favourite audiobooks with you. The audiobooks shared below are listened to through our Yoto Player. I’m sure you can find audiobook versions of these books elsewhere (through your library, Audible, etc.)

I hope some of these books become favourites in your family as well. 🥰📚

ICYMI

Our Family’s Favourite Audiobooks

1. Cornbread and Poppy

   This series has become a brand-new favourite for my children. They adore the short and sweet adventures of these two little mice friends.

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2. Brambly Hedge

   Another new family favourite featuring the lives of mice in Brambly Hedge (there’s just something about children and mice). This collection come with two cards worth of stories. They are delightful and calming and read in a British accent to boot.

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3. BrainBots: The Human Body

   My children really enjoyed learning about the different systems of the human body through listening to this audiobook pack of stories. Their favourites by far were the digestive system and the immune system.

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4. Mercy Watson Series

   The Mercy Watson series has been a long standing favourite in our family. We also own the boxset of physical books that goes along with these audiobooks. They enjoy all the shenanigans and adventures that Mercy gets into at 54 Deckawoo Drive.

   ---

   If you enjoy cozy book lists like this, I write new articles every week. I’d love to share them with you!

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5. The Boxcar Children

   My son in particular fell in love with The Boxcar Children series. This pack of four stories was his introduction to the series. Since then I’ve borrowed collection after collection of Boxcar children audiobooks from the library for him to listen to new mysteries.

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6. Charlotte’s Web

   Charlotte’s Web is a classic for a reason. Beautiful and charming my children loved the story of Wilbur and Charlotte. I’ve read this book aloud to them as well. It’s nice to have another version of the story that they can listen to.

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7. My First Words in German

   My husband is of German descent and we’ve been looking for ways to expose our children more to the language. This was a fun way to help them learn different common phrases. There are also Spanish and French versions of these audiobooks.

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8. Corduroy

   I’ve always had a soft spot for Corduroy. This audiobook card include four stories. It was one of the first audiobooks we ever introduced when my kids were around 2 and 3 years old. They truly enjoyed these gentle and fun stories.

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9. Daniel Tiger

   Daniel Tiger was beloved in our home when my children were younger. They were familiar with the television show and naturally they were interested in the audiobook version as well.

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10. Where’s Spot and Other Stories

    Where’s Spot is a perfect collection of stories for younger children. This card includes many stories and can hold the attention of small children for quite some time.

There you have it! I hope you enjoyed this quick look at our family’s favourite audiobooks of the past and present.

Does your family have a favourite audiobook? I’d love to hear about it. Please share in the comments below.

Leave a comment

If you’re interested in getting a Yoto player for your family consider using my link for $5 off your purchase of a new Yoto player.

A few cozy moments from this week… ☕️

📚 Off the Shelf: I bought “Your Worth Never Wavers” by as one of the books that I’ll be adding to my little girl’s Easter basket. I gave it a read and it is wonderful! I’m sure it will be well loved in our home. 🥰

🌷 Tiny Joys: My in-laws are in town to visit and it’s been a gift. Our children are especially ecstatic to play with and be loved on by their grandparents. We’re soaking up the last few days we have together. It’s also really wonderful that we get to spend Easter together.

🍃 Slowing Down: Since my in-laws are visiting my husband has taken a few days off on the tail-ends of the Easter long weekend. It has been nice to have more quality time together during the days. We do need to take a look at the upcoming year to plan for intentional rest.

If you enjoyed reading this issue, there are a few easy ways to help our newsletter find more cozy friends.

• ❤️ Like this post and leave a comment - I’d love to chat with you!

• 📚 Re-stack this post to help new people discover us

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• ✨ Share Emily’s Cozy Chapter with a friend you think would like it

👋🏼 Come say hi on YouTube

Welcome to Emily’s Cozy Chapter, the weekly newsletter that helps women like you cultivate joy in the everyday. You’ll find: faith-filled encouragement to fill your cup, my current reads, tiny things that made me smile, and tips for intentional living. I hope this brings a little joy to your heart and home.

I can’t believe Easter is just around the corner. Seriously, where did March go?

I thought this would be the perfect time to share a booklist of Easter picture books that we’ve been enjoying as a family.

I’ve included a mix of biblical Easter stories for children and other fun Easter themed reads that your little ones may like. Some of these books are from our family collection and the rest are library finds.

I hope you find a few books here that you love. There may even be a book that you would like to add to your child’s Easter basket. 🐣🌷

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If you’re looking for other Spring picture books - here’s a booklist of stories my little ones have been loving this month.

10 Easter Picture Books for Your Family

1. The Kingdom of God (New Testament) - Tyler Van Halteren

   A great place to start is reading this beautifully illustrated children’s Bible storybook (written for children 4-12 in mind). Chapters 7 through 9 will walk your children through the following:

   • Palm Sunday

   • The Last Supper

   • The Garden of Gethsemane

   • The Crucifixion

   • The Resurrection

   • and The Great Commission

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2. The Easter Story For Children - Max Lucado, Randy Frazee, and Karen Davis Hill

   This is another great option for sharing the biblical Easter story with your children. It is biblically accurate and the illustrations are captivating. The crucifixion is depicted so depending on the sensitivity of your child you may want to pre-read the book to determine if you would like to read it to younger children. My children are 4 and 6 and while they had some questions they were not afraid.

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3. God Gave Us Easter - Lisa Tawn Bergen

   I enjoyed this short and delightful story of Little Cub asking her Father questions about the biblical meaning of Easter. Perfect for younger children (2-5) to begin grasping these concepts in a tangible way that is accessible to them.

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4. The Garden, The Curtain, and the Cross - Carl Laferton

   I have sadly misplaced my copy of this book! But, I would be remiss not include it in my recommendations. This story walks children through the biblical journey from the Garden of Eden to the reason why Jesus died and rose again. Thoughtfully written and illustrated this book breaks down complex theological concepts in a way that young children can understand.

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5. A Very Happy Easter - Tim Thornborough

   This book is short and sweet walking children through the biblical Easter story through the lens of emotional language. My young children have fun making the corresponding faces depicted on each page of this story.

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6. The Easter Egg - Jan Brett

   A wonderful story about a bunny thinking about the perfect Easter Egg idea to enter into a contest. The winner gets to help Easter Bunny with his deliveries. He finds a robin’s egg that falls on the ground and takes care of the egg to help it hatch.

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7. Peter’s First Easter - The World of Peter Rabbit (Beatrix Potter)

   Geared toward younger children, this board book follows Mopsy on her way to Peter Rabbit’s Easter picnic. Little children will enjoy the pop-ups and counting what they can see.

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8. Paddington’s Easter Egg Hunt - Michael Bond & Karen Jankel

   We love Paddington in our home so naturally we all enjoyed this fun story. Paddington is responsible for the neighbourhood Easter egg hunt and gets into a series of shenanigans along the way.

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9. Easter on the Farm - Phyllis Alsdurf

   My children loved this story of a little girl visiting her aunt and uncle’s farm for Easter. Featuring life on the farm and a sweet gift at the end. Fun Easter activities are included in the back of the book for you to try out with your little ones.

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10. Easter Babies: A Springtime Counting Book - Joy N. Hulme

    A quick and gentle read. This is a great book for young children who are learning how to count. Filled with beautiful illustrations of baby farm animals.

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Do you have a favorite Easter picture book that wasn’t mentioned in this list?

Please share your favourites in the comments below so that we can gather some inspiration for our family Easter book collections. 🥰

Leave a comment

A few cozy moments from this week… ☕️

📚 Off the Shelf: I started “You’re In Good Company: The Gift of Friendship, Motherhood, and Showing Up” by Ashlee Gadd of Coffee + Crumbs. It’s been a heart-warming read and I love the recipes at the end of each chapter.

🌷 Tiny Joys: We’re heading to the local maple syrup farm as family for a little field trip. This will be the third year in a row that we are going - it’s become a little bit of a tradition. The kids are really looking forward to it and so am I. I also intend to stock up on some delicious Amber maple syrup - IYKYK.

🍃 Slowing Down: The end of this month actually feels like it will be quite full. As I look ahead to April and May, I realize that I will need to intentionally slow down. We’re expecting our fourth child at the end of May. I don’t want to over schedule ourselves in the coming months. So, I will be a little more selective about the number of things we add to our calendar.

If you enjoyed reading this issue, there are a few easy ways to help our newsletter find more cozy friends.

• ❤️ Like this post and leave a comment - I’d love to chat with you!

• 📚 Re-stack this post to help new people discover us

• 🫶🏽 Tag me on Instagram at emilyscozychapter

• ✨ Share Emily’s Cozy Chapter with a friend you think would like it

  Don’t miss next week’s letter. I share cozy reads and thoughtful reflections on the small things that shape a joyful everyday life. I’d love to send it to you. 🥰 💌

👋🏼 Come say hi on YouTube

Welcome to Emily’s Cozy Chapter, the weekly newsletter that helps women like you cultivate joy in the everyday. You’ll find: faith-filled encouragement to fill your cup, my current reads, tiny things that made me smile, and tips for intentional living. I hope this brings a little joy to your heart and home.

We started implementing a quiet time in our home after my eldest son dropped his nap.

I was so used to having that time in the afternoon to get a few things done or take a moment for myself. I really didn’t want to give that up if I didn’t have to.

It was around this time when I heard about families who had a daily quiet time for their children. It felt elusive but I was intrigued by these moms who were a few seasons ahead of me in their mothering. I listened to their wisdom and endeavoured to find out how to make it work for our family.

The question then became how do I successfully keep an active toddler boy in quiet time everyday?

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Embrace the process

Through a lot of trial and error and embracing the process we were able to settle into a quiet time rhythm that worked for us.

👩🏾‍🏫 Setting Expectations

I remember having conversations with my son that nap time was going to become quiet time. I explained that he didn’t need to go to sleep anymore (while he was younger he often would fall asleep during quiet time) but that instead he could have time to play quietly and listen to stories until I told him that quiet time was over.

I would tell my son that while his sisters were having their afternoon nap that he would be in his quiet time. It took persistence and multiple reminders about the change in our routine before quiet time became what I hoped it would be.

I was committed to seeing the process through, however, because I knew that quiet time would be beneficial for our whole family.

Over time, he became used to the new routine and it became a normal part of our days at home.

⏱️ Slowly Increasing the Length

After the quiet time routine was established I worked on slowly increasing the duration of quiet time. My goal was to work up to quiet time being as long as his younger sisters afternoon nap time. I would see if we could have quiet time increase a little bit over time and eventually we were able to coincide nap time and quiet time. Hallelujah!

I believe, that the length of his quiet time naturally increased with age as his attention span expanded.

💜 Finding Stories They Love

From the get-go I used audiobooks as a part of our quiet time rhythm. My children love listening to stories read aloud. They were also already used to listening to audiobooks on longer drives so adding stories to quiet time felt like a natural fit.

In the past year and half my son started listening to novels, primarily the Boxcar Children, which upped the duration of quiet time. Thankfully, I’ve been able to borrow volumes of the Boxcar Children from the library so he always has new stories to look forward to.

🧩 Other Quiet Time activities to keep little hands busy

It can be helpful to have other activities available during quiet time to keep your little ones engaged. Here are a few activity ideas to try out:

• Puzzles

• Lego

• Trains or Cars

• Blocks

• Drawing & Coloring

• Spot It / Matching Games

• Reusable stickers

• Books (e.g. I Spy or Where’s Waldo)

Why audiobooks?

There are so many benefits of audiobooks but I want to start out simply with the fact that audiobooks are fun!

Here’s a quick look at some other benefits:

• Helps children develop a love of reading

• Stimulates a child’s imagination

• Increases comprehension and helps children understand words in context

• Helps develop a child’s attention span and ability to focus

• Expands a child’s vocabulary

• Models correct sentence structure

• Allows children access to more complex ideas/themes than they would be able to read in print at their age

• A screen-free alternative for entertainment

🔎 Where to look for audiobooks

Here are some places you can look for audiobooks for your own children.

Your Local Library

Check out your local library to see what their audiobook options are. My library has access to the two apps below. I’m frequently using Hoopla to check out books. With Hoopla I’m able to check out five titles each month.

• Hoopla

• Libby

Yoto Player

We use our Yoto Player almost every single day. It has been a wonderful way for our children to have autonomy over what stories they would like to listen to. I also love that I can control the player with the app on my phone if needed.

We also use the app on drives in the car. I couldn’t recommend Yoto enough. If you would like to try one out for your family consider using my link for $5 off your purchase of a new Yoto player.

Tonies

I have not used Tonies personally but I know that many families love them. I think it is similar to the Yoto Player but with some other unique features.

Libro.fm

When you purchase audiobooks through Libro.fm you’re helping support your local bookstore which is wonderful in my opinion. You can listen to your audiobooks with their app, the web player, or through downloading the audiobook file.

Audible

Of course, there is also Audible owned by Amazon as another option to source audiobooks.

Where is your favorite place to source audiobooks from? Let me know in the comments. 🥰

Leave a comment

Quiet time is good for children

This may be because I am a product of essentially being raised as an only child (it’s kind of a long story), but I am a firm believer that everyone needs some alone time.

Quiet time is good for children because it allows for their brains and body to rest and it effectively regulates their nervous system.

It also gives children space to be “bored”, use their imaginations, and engage in independent play.

Why I need this rhythm as a mom

As a homeschooling mom I’m with my little ones all day. I wouldn’t have it any other way to be honest; especially in these young years. That being said, I am a better mother when I have a mid-day reset.

We also live multi-generationally (which is something I intend to write about in the future) and my husband works from home. Our home is full of people most of the time. We all need a little break from each other in the day. Anybody else in a similar situation? If you can relate, can I get an amen?

I need time for my nervous system to regulate. I need time to catch up on a few chores. I need time to sit, think, read, write. It doesn’t always work out, but I prioritise this time and quite frankly I think that it’s a good thing.

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A few cozy moments from this week… ☕️

📚 Off the Shelf: I pre-ordered “You’re In Good Company: The Gift of Friendship, Motherhood, and Showing Up” by Ashlee Gadd of Coffee + Crumbs. I’m looking forward to digging into it once it arrives in the mail. 💌

🌷 Tiny Joys: Celebrating my twin girls’ birthday over the weekend was particularly sweet. This was the first year that they were eagerly anticipating their birthday. It was a gift to experience their joy and excitement over a simple special day at home. We plan to throw them a backyard BBQ birthday party when the weather warms up. ☀️

🍃 Slowing Down: Myself and a few members of my family were a little under the weather this past week. Thankfully, we were still in good spirits. It turned out to be a forced period of rest. A few events and outings were wiped off the schedule but it made room for unhurried days and more time together as a family.

If you enjoyed reading this issue, there are a few easy ways to help our newsletter find more cozy friends.

• ❤️ Like this post and leave a comment - I’d love to chat with you!

• 📚 Re-stack this post to help new people discover us

• 🫶🏽 Tag me on Instagram at emilyscozychapter

• ✨ Share Emily’s Cozy Chapter with a friend you think would like it

👋🏼 Come say hi on YouTube

Welcome to Emily’s Cozy Chapter, the weekly newsletter that helps women like you cultivate joy in the everyday. You’ll find: faith-filled encouragement to fill your cup, my current reads, tiny things that made me smile, and tips for intentional living. I hope this brings a little joy to your heart and home.

Hi friends! I hope you’ve been having a great week. I have been feeling a little under the weather (which explains the late post).

Where we live a significant thunderstorm melted most of the snow earlier this week. Yesterday, we got hit with a blast of snow, so it looks like we’re back at square one.

Thankfully, spring is just around the corner! I borrowed a bunch of springtime books to read to my little ones as we get ready to welcome spring. I thought I would share our favourites with you.

Without further ado, here are 10 cozy springtime reads to embrace the changing seasons.

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10 Children’s Books to Welcome Spring

1. Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring - Kenard Pak

   A perfect picture book for the transition to spring. Watch your little ones follow along as they observe the shift in the seasons from winter to spring.

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2. Goodnight Veggies - Dianna Murray

   This delightful book is perfect for bedtime. Follow along as all the sleepy veggies in the garden get ready to say goodnight.

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3. Logan’s Greenhouse - JaNay Brown-Wood

   Can you help Logan find the carrots for his pet play date? Rich with descriptive language that simply explains the differences between various vegetables and fruits to younger children. My little ones love reading this story again and again. I also find the illustrations particularly adorable.

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4. Lola Plants a Garden - Anna McQuinn

   Lola loves the nursery rhyme “Mary, Mary, quite contrary” and wants to plant her own garden. Lola and her mother buy seeds, tend to the garden, and wait for it to bloom. A wonderful short read for pre-schoolers.

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5. Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt - Kate Messner

   A wonderful book to introduce the concepts of life in a garden to young children. Simple enough to keep young readers engaged while rich in information. Truly a living book.

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6. We are the Gardeners - Joanna Gaines and kids

   This story follows the Gaines’ children as they learn how to care for their family garden. Featuring the disciplines of persistence and hard-work this book is full of character building traits and fun facts about the life of a garden. This picture book is wonderful for a slightly older age range or for when your little ones have a higher capacity to focus.

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7. Welcome, Rain! - Sheryl McFarlane

   What is spring without the rain? This fun book follows a pair of siblings as they have different experiences with the rain throughout the seasons.

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8. Welcome, Spring! - Apryl Stott

   The beautifully illustrated picture book follows Bunny as she visits all her friends to discover the many different ways they welcome spring. My 3 year old daughters particularly loved this book. I’ve often found them flipping through it without me.

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9. Zap! Clap! Boom! - Laura Purdie Salas

   A poetic storybook explaining why thunderstorms happen. The repetition of “Zap! Clap! Boom!” is especially fun for little ones. Additional resources on the topic are provided at the end.

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10. Bee - Patricia Hegarty & Britta Teckentrup

    Follow the journey of a honeybee with this peek-a-boo storybook. A lovely way to learn about one of creation’s busiest and hardest working little creatures.

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Honourable Mentions: Uncle John’s City Garden - Bernette Ford, Harlem Grown - Tony Hillery, and Mud! - Annie Bailey

The first two books explore urban gardening. Harlem Grown is based on a true story. “Mud!” is a fun and silly read about a brother-sister duo playing in mud puddles.

Do you have a favorite spring picture book that wasn’t mentioned in this list?

Please share it in the comments below so that we can gather some inspiration for our library hauls. 🥰

Leave a comment

Save this list for your next library trip. 🌷📚

A few cozy moments from this week… ☕️

📚 Off the Shelf: I’ve been listening to the audiobook version of “Hannah’s Children: The Women Quietly Defying the Birth Dearth”. I resonate with a lot of the stories being told and I’m sure I'll have a reflection on this book once I’m finished.

🍪 Tiny Joys: Watching my son’s last soccer and basketball games of the winter season. My husband coached his soccer team for the first time which was special. It was a gift to see the joy and pride on his little face as he celebrated with his respective teams.

🍃 Slowing Down: It’s officially the beginning of March Break. Although, we homeschool I am looking forward to enjoying a slower pace this upcoming week. I could really use the mental reset. We’ll have more time to play and enjoy time together which sounds lovely.

If you enjoyed reading this issue, there are a few easy ways to help our newsletter find more cozy friends.

• ❤️ Like this post and leave a comment - I’d love to chat with you!

• 📚 Re-stack this post to help new people discover us

• 🫶🏽 Tag me on Instagram at emilyscozychapter

• ✨ Share Emily’s Cozy Chapter with a friend you think would like it

  Don’t miss next week’s letter. I share cozy reads and thoughtful reflections on the small things that shape a joyful everyday life. I’d love to send it to you. 🥰

  ---

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Welcome to Emily’s Cozy Chapter, the weekly newsletter that helps women like you cultivate joy in the everyday. You’ll find: faith-filled encouragement to fill your cup, my current reads, tiny things that made me smile, and tips for intentional living. I hope this brings a little joy to your heart and home.

I was in a rut meal planning week after week

There’s no way around it. Meal planning dinner, at the very least, is necessary to my week running smoothly.

It shapes what groceries we buy so that we aren’t left with excessive food waste. Meal planning also eliminates the frustrating question of “what’s for dinner?”.

This doesn’t mean that meal planning is always enjoyable. In fact, I have found myself in a bit of a slump. I’ve been feeling uninspired and honestly a little bored relying on the same recipes over and over.

Maybe you’ve felt the same way too.

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So, I borrowed 14 cookbooks from the library…

AmandaLeigh from Mama Eats inspired me to create a seasonal menu to help plan my family’s meals for March. It seemed like a perfect way to inject more joy into the meal planning process.

My dear husband picked up my library holds. An alarming number of cookbooks were waiting for him on a designated rolling trolley.

I went a little overboard I admit. But, I wanted to give myself the best chance at finding inspiration to curate this menu.

I settled in on the couch, after the kids had gone to bed, and flipped through cookbooks - sticky tabbing recipes that caught my eye.

In recent years, I’ve turned to food blogs (which are also great) for recipe ideas. I will say that it was a welcome change to have a limited number of recipes to work with and a physical book in hand to draw inspiration from.

I can see my collection of tried and true cookbooks growing over the years.

The cookbooks that drew me in…

Throughout this process it dawned on me that cookbooks have a distinct personality of their own.

The page layout and design, repeated flavour profiles, and accessibility or aspirational quality of the recipes create a unique experience for the reader.

You can tell within a few minutes if a cookbook is going to realistically work for you and your family.

This is what I ended up liking in a cookbook

1. Clean and minimal page design with simple cooking instructions

2. Accessible recipes for everyday family-style cooking

3. Helpful kitchen tips to improve my skills

4. Flavour profiles that my family enjoys and ingredients that I already buy (or aren’t too far-fetched/fussy)

Even though I borrowed 14 cookbooks only a few stood out as ones I would add to my personal collection. To be fair, there were still four cookbooks I had yet to look through when I had finished compiling my monthly menu.

(Editor’s Note: I picked up a few more cookbooks I had on hold at the library. I really enjoy Dinner Tonight by Alex Snodgrass. I would purchase this book!).

My favorite cookbooks from this haul

• What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking - Caroline Chambers ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

  • This cookbook, written by Substack’s very own Caroline Chambers, stood out among the rest. It checked all the boxes off on my personal cookbook wish list. It ended up making up the bulk of this month’s dinner options. I would definitely purchase this book.

• Sally’s Baking 101 - Sally McKenney ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

  • I have thoroughly enjoyed trying recipes from Sally’s blog Sally’s Baking Addiction over the years. Naturally, when I saw her cookbook available at the library I had to check it out. It met all my expectations and more. I also love that the recipes are categorised by difficulty so that at a glance you know how much effort will be required for each recipe. I also would happily add this book to my cookbook collection.

Since I like these cookbooks so much - what other cookbooks do you think I would enjoy? Tell me in the comments. ☺️

Leave a comment

Wait, meal planning can be fun?

Yes it can! Switching things up in this way was a great exercise in turning something that can become hum-drum to an outlet of creative expression.

Drumroll please… presenting our March seasonal menu. 🎉 🥳

You best believe I’ll be printing these out and hanging them on the fridge (I feel like one of my kids).

For this menu I used recipes from:

• What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking

• Magnolia Table Volume 1 (book I owned)

• Magnolia Table Volume 2 (book I owned)

• Milk Street 365

• Sally’s Baking 101

• Recipetineats food blog

• and some beloved family recipes

Keep reading for a closer look at the recipes I’ll be experimenting with this month! I will link any recipes I can find online. Some Magnolia recipe links may only be available in the U.S.

BREADS

• Jojo’s Biscuits - Magnolia Table Volume 1

• The Focaccia of Your Dreams - Sally’s Baking 101

• Hot n’ Fresh Bagels - Sally’s Baking 101

BREAKFAST

• Overnight French Toast - Magnolia Table Volume 2

• Pecan Pancakes - Magnolia Table Volume 2

• Really Great Waffles - Recipebytineats

• Kale + Bacon Hashbrown Casserole - Magnolia Table Volume 2

• Skillet Potato Hash - Magnolia Table Volume 2

LUNCH

• Three-Cheese Quiche - Magnolia Table Volume 1

• BLT Sandwiches - Magnolia Table Volume 1

• Spinach Tortellini Soup - Magnolia Table Volume 2

• Chicken Salad with Romaine and Tahini Herb Dressing - Milk Street 365

• Miso Ramen - Milk Street 365

DINNER

• Panko Honey Mustard Chicken - What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking

• Salmon Crunch Bowls - What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking

• Skillet Cheddar Turkey Burgers - What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like

• Whole Roasted Chicken with potatoes, carrots, and broccolini - - Magnolia Table Volume 2

• Pulled Pork Street Tacos - Magnolia Table Volume 2

• Butter-Basted Cast Iron Rib Eyes - What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking

• Peanuty Pork & Brussels - What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like

• Lemony Garlic Butter Shrimp Orzo - What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking

VEGGIE

• Avocado Grapefruit Salad - Magnolia Table Volume 2

• Greek Pasta Salad - Magnolia Table Volume 2

• Honey Thyme Roasted Carrots - Magnolia Table Volume 2

• Mom’s Red Cabbage Coleslaw - Family Recipe

• Quick Pickled Cucumber Salad - Family Recipe

DESSERT

• After School Banana Bread - Magnolia Table Volume 1

• Coffee Cake - Magnolia Table Volume 2

• Thick and Fudgy Brownies - Sally’s Baking 101

• Key lime Cheesecake Bars - Sally’s Baking 101

• Oatmeal Cream Pies - Magnolia Table Volume 2

I hope you enjoyed my little meal planning experiment. I’d love to know if you would like to see a seasonal menu for the coming months. See you next week friends. 🥰

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A few cozy moments from this week… ☕️

📚 Off the Shelf: My favorite children’s books from our library haul this week are: The Big Snowdown by Katy Hudson and Lola Dutch I Love You So Much by Kenneth Wright.

🍪 Tiny Joys: Watching my little one’s make their first snowman together. They affectionately dubbed him “Peter Funnybunny”.

🍃 Slowing Down: Over the weekend, we spent an unhurried afternoon with cousins I haven’t seen in a few months. It was nice to catch up after what has felt like a long season of social hibernation this winter.

If you enjoyed reading this issue, there are a few easy ways to help our newsletter find more cozy friends.

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Check out the Mama Eats article that inspired my own seasonal menu below:

Mama Eats

how to simplify dinner decision fatigue

The transition for winter to spring is coming, and with this particular transition I always begin to daydream a bit of the possibilities that warmer days hold—what I will wear, cook, eat, do, and grow in the season ahead…

Read more

7 months ago · 86 likes · 3 comments · Amanda Leigh

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Welcome to Emily’s Cozy Chapter, the weekly newsletter that helps women like you cultivate joy in the everyday. You’ll find: faith-filled encouragement to fill your cup, my current reads, tiny things that made me smile, and tips for intentional living. I hope this brings a little joy to your heart and home.

We all know that less screen time would do us a world of good. Increased mental clarity, decreased anxiety, and less overstimulation are some of the benefits. But, if we’re ditching the doomscroll what are we replacing it with? Say hello to the cozy hobby, a gentle alternative that relaxes your nervous system and adds joy to your day.

I’ve put together a list of ten cozy hobby ideas so you can put down your phone and start living a more analog life. We’re so on trend right now.

I would consider these hobbies to be all low barrier in effort and cost. We’ll start off with the simplest hobbies and progress to hobbies that are more involved. Let’s get into it!

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1. Reading

Who doesn’t love getting into a good book? Reading is truly the peak cozy hobby. A cup of tea, a warm blanket, and something off your TBR list. I can’t think of a better way to spend a cozy evening.

The challenge is to find out what makes a cozy read for you. Think about what you’re in the mood for when you’re trying to unwind. It will be different for everyone. It could be biographies, mysteries, romance, historical fiction - just to name a few genres.

Looking for inspiration for what to read next? Here are a few ideas:

• Check out apps like Goodreads or StoryGraph. StoryGraph uses your reading preferences to tailor recommendations. You can also search books by mood and use content filters if needed.

• A fun way to find authors who are similar to your favourite author is using Literature-Map. The closer the authors names are on a map the more likely someone will like both of them.

• Post on or peruse the Suggest Me a Book subreddit.

• Ask your local librarian for suggestions. They’re in the know!

2. Coloring

If you enjoyed coloring as a child chances are you will still love it as a full fledged adult. There are so many options for adult coloring books these days that you’re bound to find one that inspires you.

Coloring is a great “brain-off” hobby which means it is perfect for when you want to relax. The repetitive nature of coloring can help your mind rest after a mentally taxing day.

All you need to get started is a coloring book, pencil crayons, or a set of markers.

3. Puzzles

Puzzles are a wonderful “brain-on” cozy hobby option. Working on a puzzle is great mental stimulation with real benefits. Puzzles help improve memory, enhance problem solving skills, and prevent cognitive decline.

Popular puzzle brands include: Ravensburger, Cobble Hill, Buffalo Games, and Cloudberries.

Beginner puzzlers often start off with 300-500 piece puzzles. 1,000 piece puzzles tend to be the most popular puzzle option for adults.

Working on a puzzle together is also a great way to spend time with a friend or loved one.

You will need a cozy puzzle, a large flat table, or a puzzle mat to get started.

4. Baking

Baking is one of my personal favorite cozy hobbies. Taking a few simple ingredients and turning it into something delicious is irresistible.

You can stick to a few tried and true recipes or stretch your creativity by trying something new.

You can also go all in on something in particular, like bread. I had a brief stint a few years back where I was baking sourdough boules. My sourdough starter has since been neglected but I do love baking yeast bread. Working with dough is therapeutic for me.

Here are a few food bloggers that you can check out for baking recipes:

• Sally’s Baking Addiction

• Preppy Kitchen

• Cookie + Kate

• Love and Lemons

• Food by Remi

Do you have a favorite baking recipe blog? Share it in the comments.

Leave a comment

I love that you can bless others with your baking. Bake your child’s birthday cake, gift baked goods to friends, or take something you’ve made to a potluck.

5. Herb Gardening

One of the simplest ways to try your hand at gardening is starting a windowsill herb garden. Herbs are resilient and easy to grow which make them perfect for beginner gardeners.

You also get to reap the benefits of having fresh herbs to cook with year round. All you need to grow herbs are small pots making it a great hobby if you’re living in a small space.

Wondering which herbs to get started with? Here are a few popular options:

• Basil

• Mint

• Thyme

• Rosemary

• Parsley

• Scallions

6. Junk Journaling

A junk journal is a fun way to preserve mementos, trinkets, and odds and ends that otherwise would be laying around.

Creating a keepsake in a low pressure un-manicured way can be freeing for your creative mind.

Grab a blank journal, glue stick, scissors, markers, and the items you want to remember to get started.

7. Hand lettering

Hand lettering may be the cozy hobby for you if you’re looking for a creative outlet that turns quotes you love into pieces of art.

The process of hand lettering is slow paced and relaxing. It takes some time to improve your skill which can be a meaningful artistic challenge.

With your new found skill you make art pieces for your own home or friends. You can also make personalized cards for special occasions and holidays.

One creator you can follow to learn from is Gia Graham.

Only a pen and paper is needed to begin your journey with hand lettering.

8. Watercolor

Watercolor painting is a beautiful and gentle hobby that expands your creative range. It is a freeing practice. Watercolor paint can be unpredictable which means there is no room for perfectionism. Instead you can make space for happy accidents.

Watercolor sets can be small and portable making it an simple hobby to take on the go.

Learning how to paint with watercolors can be a fun and rewarding process. Check out the Watercolor with Me books for step-by-step instructions to create beautiful paintings.

9. Sketching

Learning how to sketch simple illustrations is another artistic cozy hobby you can try out. If you loved drawing in sketchbooks growing up this may be a great fit for you.

There are so many things you can draw and the opportunities are endless. From flowers, to animals, food items, or people.

You can also keep your sketches simple or decide that you want to get really detailed.

There are many wonderful illustrators you can learn from on YouTube. Some of my favorite creators are Genevieve’s Design Studio and Mimimoo Illustration.

10. Quiet Handwork

Quiet Handwork includes knitting, crocheting, cross-stitching, and embroidery. The level of skill required varies and how long it takes to see progress will depend on each individual.

Handwork is one of the most traditional cozy hobbies around with real practical benefits.

With knitting and crocheting you can create sweaters, scarves, hats, blankets and more.

Cross-stitching and embroidery allow you to make beautiful decorations or gifts for others.

There is something classic and beautiful about quiet handwork that harkens us back to a simpler time.

I hope this list was helpful in inspiring you to slow down, put down your phone, and try out a new cozy hobby.

Thanks for reading and I’ll see you again next week!

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A few cozy moments from this week… ☕️

📚 Currently Reading: I’m slowly working my way through The Perfect Rom-Com. My little ones enjoyed the classic picture book Whistle for Willie this week.

🍪 Tiny Joy: Baking chocolate chip cookies with my daughter over the weekend. We baked a double batch and I found that 10 minutes was the perfect bake time. I’m happy to report the cookie container was empty after our church fellowship dinner.

🍃 Slowing Down: For Lent I decided to log off of social media. I deleted Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube from my phone. This small change has helped me be more present throughout the day with my children.

If you enjoyed reading this issue, there are a few easy ways to help our newsletter find more cozy friends.

• ❤️ Like this post and leave a comment - I’d love to chat with you!

• 📚 Re-stack this post to help new people discover us

• 🫶🏽 Tag us on Instagram at emilyscozychapter

• ✨ Share Emily’s Cozy Chapter with a friend you think would like it

👋🏼 Come say hi on YouTube

Welcome to Emily’s Cozy Chapter, the weekly newsletter that helps women like you cultivate joy in the everyday. You’ll find: faith-filled encouragement to fill your cup, my current reads, tiny things that made me smile, and tips for intentional living. I hope this brings a little joy to your heart and home.

Hi friends,

Thanks for checking out this week’s newsletter. I’m happy you’re here! I hope you enjoyed your weekend. We had a full and memorable one in our home.

Our kids spent time making homemade Valentine’s day cards for their loved ones. We enjoyed going to our first Valentine exchange party with some homeschool friends. Some family came over for dinner. My husband and son got the girls and I beautiful flowers and a heartfelt card.

Monday was Family Day in Canada. We took advantage of being able to sleep in. Then we made our way over to the Art Gallery. There were a few fun art projects for kids to create and they had a blast. We happily stumbled upon Korean BBQ all you can eat for lunch. It was our little ones first experience with Korean BBQ and they definitely got a kick out of it.

My husband is downstairs making pancakes for our Shrove Tuesday dinner. This is our first year partaking in Pancake Tuesday at our home. I think it will become an annual tradition because who doesn’t love pancakes?

We have used this pancake recipe since we got married (almost 10 years ago). While camping, our nephew declared these “are the best pancakes I’ve ever had” and with 17,000+ 5 star reviews on All Recipes they've got to be good.

Here’s a fun article for kids from National Geographic, full of Shrove Tuesday facts for your curious little ones.

The idea of feasting before fasting is something that I can get behind.

Lord willing, this will be our second year attending an Ash Wednesday service as a family (if we don’t get snowed in as there is a storm warning for tomorrow evening).

I longed to attend an Ash Wednesday service for years. I had a strong desire to feel united to the larger church body who marks the beginning of the Lenten season through this practice.

I was raised Protestant, and I am a member at a Protestant church. However, I have strong Catholic heritage on my mother’s side of the family. I’m thankful that the church we’re now attending chooses to join with the larger church in participating in Ash Wednesday. Taking part last year was meaningful for me.

Memento Mori. Remember you must die. Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust. Sobering and significant. The perspective our hearts need to re-orient ourselves to what is eternal.

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On my bedside table

1. The Perfect Rom-Com - Melissa Ferguson

   I’m still working my way through this cozy romance. I think it’ll be the perfect post-valentine’s day read to round out the rest of love month.

2. To the Tenth Generation: God’s Heart for Your Family, Far into the Future - Ray & Jani Ortlund

   I am only a few chapters into this book but I have been encouraged by The Ortlunds’ to pray for faithfulness and generational blessing in our family line.

3. Boyhood Resurrected - Rebekah Lovell

   I first heard about Boyhood Resurrected through The 1000 Hours Outside podcast. As a mom to an energetic young boy I was curious about what Rebekah had to say about her experience. You can listen to the episode down below.

Black History Month: Children’s book picks

For the remainder of Black History Month I’ll be reading through positive picture books that feature Black characters with my children. The selections for this week are books that we already have in our family library.

1. He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands - Kadir Nelson

   A beautiful picture book featuring the historical spiritual “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands”.

2. Julie and the Mango Tree - Sadé Smith

   A delightful story about a young Jamaican girl who loves mangoes. A particular favourite of mine given my passion for mangoes and Caribbean heritage.

3. Bedtime Bonnet - Nancy Redd

   A story that explores the different ways a family cares for their hair at night.

4. The Snowy Day - Ezra Jack Keats

   The classic story of Peter enjoying a snow day in his neighbourhood.

5. Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History - Vashti Harrison

   Beautifully written and illustrated by Vashti Harrison this book shares one-page biographies of influential women in Black History

6. Little Legends: Exceptional Men in Black History - Vashti Harrison

   Along the same lines as the book above but exploring the impact of Black men in Black History.

Some sweet & savoury treats

There are a few snacks that have been on rotation in our home this past month. Here is what I’ve been reaching for again and again.

• Nature’s Touch - ChocoFruit Milk Chocolate Coated Strawberries

• Fruit Riot - Sour Grapes

• YumEarth - Organic Assorted Lollipops

• Bothwell - Monterey Jack Jalapeño Cheese

Do you have any go-to snacks right now? Share them below.

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This week I had the opportunity to pick up a few practices and hobbies that I had laid down for quite some time. If you read last week’s newsletter, I wrote about the practice of gratitude journalling.

This week I found myself pulling out my journal at different points in time to record what I was thankful to God for. It made me remember how much I appreciate carving out time to reflect.

I also unexpectedly found myself at the piano this week. I grew up playing instruments and as a teenager I would practice new songs often on both piano and guitar. Music was truly my primary hobby for many years.

As I got older, I entered a season of depression and music left me for a time. Slowly, I was able to sing again and I found joy in that. But, I didn’t reach for instruments anymore.

Having little children around has brought back some of the joy in playing music. Their curiosity in the piano has made me curious if I remember some of the songs I used to play. Surprisingly, some things have stuck. Thank you muscle memory. 💪🏽

💭 My challenge for you is to pick up one old hobby this week (even if it’s only for 5 minutes).

If you enjoyed reading this issue, there are a few easy ways to help our newsletter find more cozy friends.

• ❤️ Like this post and leave a comment - I’d love to chat with you!

• 📚 Re-stack this post to help new people discover us

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Share Emily's Cozy Chapter

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Welcome to Emily’s Cozy Chapter, the weekly newsletter that helps women like you cultivate joy in the everyday. You’ll find: faith-filled encouragement to fill your cup, my current reads, tiny things that made me smile, and tips for intentional living. I hope this brings a little joy to your heart and home.

Hi friends,

Thanks for checking out my cozy corner of the internet. I’m Emily, a wife, mom of three little ones, follower of Jesus, and a creative entrepreneur at heart.

As you can tell, I’m new to these Substack streets. I’ve been loving what I see around here and decided to join in on the fun. 🎉

This is the first issue of my newsletter created to help women like you find joy in the everyday moments of life.

I appreciate you taking the time to be here - now get cozy, grab a cup of tea and I’ll see you again next week. Happy reading! 🥰

During one of the most difficult seasons of my life, I was gifted the book One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp.

In it she emphasises, “Eucharisteo. The Greek word for giving thanks, when Jesus took the bread, and gave thanks, eucharisteo, at the Last Supper.”

In the book, she expounds on how thanksgiving is essential to holding space for more joy in our lives.

This rings true in my life. When I’m prone to discontentment, shifting my focus to gratitude for what God has done reorients my heart.

She encourages readers to start a gratitude journal. The intention is to record one thousand blessings in your own life. Over the years I’ve added to my journal. I’ve paused for long seasons and in the busyness of life I have often forgotten that it was there.

When I pick up my journal again, I am struck by the faithfulness of God. He has carried me through the dark days and He has added so much joy to what I now consider my everyday life.

In a way, this newsletter is another avenue to document all that the Lord has done.

He is a good Father friends, let us find our joy in Him.

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A quick peek at what’s on my bedside table atm

1. The Bible Recap - Bible in a Year Reading Plan by Tara-Leigh Cobble

   I appreciate the devotional recaps at the end of reading each day. This may be the year I read through the whole Bible by December 31st. Lord willing!

2. The Purpose Driven Life - Rick Warren

   I’ve been working through this devotional with a friend. It has made for some thoughtful conversations.

3. The Perfect Rom-Com - Melissa Ferguson

   I recently started this book. It’s a sweet cozy read so far! I first learned about Melissa on the Simple Farmhouse Life podcast. I was fascinated by her journey to becoming an author which led me to pre-ordering her book.

Cozy Valentine’s Day Read-alouds

Valentine’s Day books from our local library that I’ve read to my kids this week.

1. You are Special - Max Lucado

2. Little Bear’s Valentine - Else Holmelund Minarik

3. The Day It Rained Hearts - Felicia Bond

4. I Love You Already! - Jory John

5. Happy Valentine’s Day, Corduroy! - Don Freeman (Creator)

6. A Kiss for Little Bear - Else Holmelund Minarik

🥰 happy tummies = happy hearts

I love finding delicious, simple, and comforting recipes. Here are a few that are too good not to share.

• Naan - Recipetineats

  • I needed to make naan in a pinch to serve with butter chicken I made for dinner and this did the trick!

• Creamy One-Pot Italian Tortellini Soup - Christine’s Notebook

  • This soup got rave reviews from my husband and parents. I substituted the meat for ground turkey and it worked well. Christine also happens to be my go to comfort creator on YouTube. I always feel inspired to cook for my family after one of her videos.

• Easy Slow Cooker Chilli - Cooking Classy

  • I’ve been making this recipe for years and it has never failed me. I will often make the chilli in my dutch oven if I don’t feel like using the slow cooker.

If you try out one of these recipes, let me know what you think in the comments!

Leave a comment

🥳 a small win against visual clutter!

I finally got around to organising my homeschool bookshelves. I’m thankful for the closed storage at the bottom for the items that I don’t want to stare at everyday.

❤️ be my valentine

I’ll be leaning into Valentine’s Day this week with my kiddos. They are excited to make Valentine’s Day cards for their friends (which reminds me that I need to pick up lollipops). I plan to make a paper chain for our fireplace and to bake some heart-shaped cookies to celebrate.

Maybe it’s because it’s the middle of winter and I’m running low on vitamin D (don’t worry I’m taking my supplements) but my energy levels are low. Particularly my social energy levels.

Between church events and kids activities I’m pretty much tapped out by the end of the week. Knowing this, I’ve been learning to conserve my energy and rest when needed.

This means sometimes saying no to good things which is not easy for me to do. So yes, I’m in slight hibernation mode. I’m sure I’ll emerge again in the Spring. 🌸

💭 My challenge for you is to say no to plans if you’re already feeling maxed out.

If you enjoyed reading this issue, there are a few easy ways to help our newsletter find more cozy friends.

• ❤️ Like this post and leave a comment - I’d love to chat with you!

• 📚 Re-stack this post to help new people discover us

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