The smoke from the Butte County fire has kept us inside most of this past week… meaning we’ve been making the most of our cooped up situation. Lingering mornings spent in our pjs snuggling up under the covers, staying “cozy” as Rex says, have made me so happy. It’s been heartbreaking hearing all of the stories from the Camp Fire (and the southern California fires), especially since it’s hit so close to home–where T and I grew up. I’m just so thankful that my parents and in-laws were evacuated safely and Rex has loved having them here with us these past few days. (If you’re looking for a way to donate, North Valley Community Foundation Evacuation Relief Fund is a local organization serving evacuees and first responders.)
But besides the smoke, just the fact that it’s cooler and temperatures are dropping means more time indoors for everyone. Having a very active toddler this winter season has made me quickly realize I need to get a bit more creative when it comes to those days spent entirely indoors. If mainly for my own sanity!!
A few of the ways I’ve been keeping Rex busy while stuck inside:
— having him help in the kitchen (I’ll pull the step stool up to the counter and he loves to watch and “help” me prep). We’ve been busy making everything from butternut squash soup to homemade applesauce. Plus this one feels like a real win for me because I’m so happy in the kitchen these days.
— forts and tearing apart the couch. He likes to turn the couch cushions into a slide
— lots of reading (we’ve been getting him a few new books weekly–also again for our own sanity)
— arts and crafts. painting and playing with clay (his fave–we’ve also been spending a lot of time at ArtBeast in Midtown which is mainly where he gets messy with the paints)
— hide and seek (Rex loves when big boxes arrive and he can hide and play in those)
— helping me clean. I can’t believe this one works but he loves to help me put things away and swiffer the floors. Which usually makes more of a mess but hey, at least it’s keeping him busy
— putting craft paper down on the kitchen table and letting him go to town coloring or creating
Send any other ideas my way!!!
One of my favorite finds for Rex more recently has been these sweet, natural dyed waffle sleepers from Noble Carriage. They come in an assortment of pretty colors and I’m already planning to order him a few other colors for the winter months ahead. Noble Carriage gave me a code to share with my CITNB readers, so if you’d like 20% off use code: alicia20. They have adorable pieces, perfect for holiday gifting!
Another Rex favorite right now is this Nature book I found at Bitte. It’s broken down by season with the sweetest images, and Rex just loves to point out everything he knows on each of the pages. My girlfriend Maia curates the cutest selection of kids books and so many of our favorites have come from her site. Also! If you’re local in Sacramento, Bitte now has a showroom in downtown (by appointment only) but you should definitely go. She has an adorable selection of unique items which are also perfect for gifting this season. Um can’t believe the holidays are right around the corner?
Wearing an older dress from Doen, last seen here… and here (some of my very favorite bump photos!!).
Photography | Susan Yee
