10 Things I Love Sunday

Hello friends. I am feeling so inspired lately! I think I actually just came out of the “new mom fog,” which I didn’t even realize I was still experiencing. Life is so, so different now … but it’s beginning to feel normal too!

1. This bat costume (for reference, Nova is wearing an XS and it’s still pretty big on her—I’d say it fits like a 4T)

2. I cried reading this adoption article. It’s so good. It’s still so common to oversimplify these issues and they are just not simple at all.

3. I love browsing Joy’s shop. Just grabbed this phone case.

4. Love this art print.

5. I was looking for blue light blocking glasses to wear during work. Maybe these or these. Any suggestions?

6. I love this vase.

7. I’m totally obsessed with this circle shelf.

8. Anthropologie launched holiday decor and it’s too too cute. We’ve picked out a few special ornaments every year since we got married and this year I think I’m gonna go with the muffin—haha … one of Nova’s favorite foods.

9. Inspired by this ceiling paneling project for our living room. I feel like it might be the touch the room needs to finally feel “complete.”

10. Loving this Etsy shop!

Over on my family blog, I shared some of our favorite autumn/Halloween books and a Q+A post about our second adoption process. I hope you are having a beautiful weekend! I’m so excited to take photos in the autumn leaves soon!

xx – Elsie

  • We tried a few from Amazon but couldn’t figure out how to prove they worked or not…so we splurged and tried a few pairs from look optic which were nice but we preferred a different feel. We ordered a few from Pixel and like those and they do free trial/shipping/returns etc. Worth a look! My husband says his eyes feel better after a day on his computer.

  • Thank you for the adoption article link. It’s so different for our girls now that international adoption is more common (thank goodness). I am where you are with a newly adopted 3-year-old from China, and I so appreciate that you advocate openly for special needs adoption. Best decision we ever made!

  • I got my Rx reading glasses with the blue light blocking coating about a year ago and I’ll never go back. I’m at a computer all day for work and it’s made such a huge difference in my eye strain and head aches. I’ve never felt so good while having stared at a screen all day. I ordered online from

  • I got my Rx reading glasses with the blue light blocking coating about a year ago and I’ll never go back. I’m at a computer all day for work and it’s made such a huge difference in my eye strain and head aches. I’ve never felt so good while having stared at a screen all day. I ordered online from Coastal.

  • I thought of Elsie the other day when I heard a story on NPR about adoptions, prompted by the book written by the same author as the linked article. https://www.npr.org/2018/10/13/657201204/code-switch-transracial-adoptees-on-their-racial-identity-and-sense-of-self Thought you might find it interesting, too. I don’t know whether it’s research or good instincts or both, but you seem to be a great mom! It’s hard not to sound trite in these sound byte comments, but I have learned so much about parenting and adoption through your posts. Thanks for sharing your journey. 🙂

  • Please let us know which glasses you get and your review of them! I work all day, but I don’t wear glasses or contacts, so I would need to order specific specs for this issue.

  • They have come out with lenses that have a blue glare coating (sorta like anti glare but for blue light instead), my eye doctor got me to switch to them this year and what a difference they make! Don’t have half the headaches I used to from my office job but it’s still important to give your eyes a break.

  • I was adopted, but not internationally. There is tons of research and reading material out there for you. Children;s Home Society in MN has a group for trans-racial adoptees. My goddaughter was adopted from Russia and my friend took her to a Russian playgroup when she was in preschool and they learned a lot about her homeland.
    I will tell you that even though I was white, I was still picked on for being adopted. Never around adults, but the kids would use it against me when we were having words.

  • Blue light glasses make all the difference and help so much with my migraines. I bought the really highly rated $13 Amazon ones and they were great (and i got tons of compliments on them). I also keep night shade on my computer pretty low all the time and it makes a huge difference. you’d just have to turn it off for editing photos so the colors are true.

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