Seven Quick Takes vol. 42

Joining Jen and all the great takers-like the ceiling can't hold us!

{one}

Well this week has felt like the first whole week of spring around here! Children frolic-ing out of doors with no clothing, not one day of snow, windows open, its like a dream! A dream where my kids can roam outside and not be within five feet of me for every waking hour, a dream where they're exhausted by 7:30 when we put them to bed. For the next four months life won't be too shabby! 

{two}

I just finished Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin this week. I feel somewhat underwhelmed by it. Somehow I thought it was going to have a little bit more dramatic tips and lessons for what one can do to create a happy home. Or maybe simply because there was so much hype around the book itself. It does give great ideas on cultivating one's happiness as it centers around the home, and its got me thinking in different ways about my own happiness, and the happiness level of the home does rely upon the happiness of those within it...so I guess I liked this book! 

I'm always in favour of books that try to reestablish the importance of the home. Our culture does everything it can to get us out of our homes, dissatisfied with our homes, and lazy about our homes, both physically and spiritually, so any mainstream book that tries to fix this error is a winner in my book.

{three}

I haven't read any fiction since Nora's been born and its starting to get to me! I almost never not have have a novel on the go, but for some reason postpartum brain makes my attention span so short I find that non-fiction is easier to come back to in the tiny moments I can get to read these days. I did however take The Betrothed out from the library because I read its Pope Francis' favourite book...but I didn't realize its so long...and so old. The copy I have from the library has the most itsy-bitsy print I've ever seen so I think I'm going to try for a better copy. Anyone read it have any advice? Should I leave it for a better time? Is it worth it no matter what time in life? Should I get a philosophy degree before cracking it open? 

{four}

This is the best thing I've read for Mother's Day yet...

"Mommy Juice" is a great gift any day of the year...

{five}

If you're in the mood for an article comparing the morality of HBO's Girls and Jane Austen this is the article for you. Its a terrific article about the philosophic divide between the morality of our culture today and the morality Jane Austen valued. Its excellent, read it to the end!

(I really, really, really geek out over articles about Jane Austen AND morality being compared with contemporary tv/books. Even though I've never watched Girls at all. Not because I'm on the moral high ground when it comes to tv watching, I mean who am I kidding, its mostly because I don't have HBO and do have ridiculously expensive internet service.)

{six}

The jury's out on this jacket I scooped up at Winners the other day. I buy things these days without trying things on in the story because a) I usually have a baby strapped to my body, b) no time, and c) I have no issues returning things. Sorry about the bad iphone pic, and use your imagination to picture me not in yoga pants. Thanks.
Its a bargain, its leather-ish plus blue tweed which I think makes for an interesting mix and makes it a little less completely leather which is probably good for me because I don't know if I could pull that off so well. I'm trying to buy only fashion items approved by The Evangelista...or at least thats one of my goals in life.
Yay? Nay? You can do better?

{seven}



I'm off to write some Mother's Day cards. I'm the worst celebrator of Mother's Day ever. Cards. Flowers. No originality around here. Or for my mom in this case.

I'll be happy with a little "mommy juice" come Sunday, maybe a bath?  Hope all you moms have the greatest of weekends!