Remember long ago, when I used to share a monthly Coffee Talk post? I think I started by linking up with another blogger, but I’m not sure that’s still a thing. I do know that I miss that sort of monthly brain dump and in the spirit of our new blogging philosophy, a chat over my morning cup seemed like the perfect way to share an otherwise unrelated list of things.
If we were on a coffee date, I would tell you that my readers and followers seem to agree about the current state of the blogosphere. I do like sharing what I’m buying sometimes, but it feels like that’s the only thing bloggers are talking about these days. I miss sharing what is on my heart and the more mundane moments of life with small children, so I’m going to make a shift during the month of December, so that 2019 looks more like writing and less like selling.
If we were on a coffee date, I would tell you that I’m not abandoning affiliate links altogether. The fact of the matter is, affiliate and advertising income is still what keeps this blog on-air, and I get plenty of messages about where we got things or what we would recommend. The shift isn’t away from links, so much as a shift in why we’re sharing them at all. I don’t have the time or energy for creating gifts guides this year and there are plenty out there for you to choose from. Instead, you can find last year’s guides in the sidebar and they are still completely relevant to my life. I’ve also added a sidebar widget that takes you straight to my Amazon storefront, where you can always find our favorite products and things we’re currently shopping for.
If we were on a coffee date, I would tell you that my efforts to return to the gym have been pitiful, at best. I went three times in November and I’m currently paying for a service I’m not using. I had great intentions (and still do!), but I picked the worst possible time of year to recommit. Now that my work schedule for December has calmed down a little, I think I’ll be able to get in a few classes a week. I do really miss exercise, so I’m going to work extra hard to make it happen.
If we were on a coffee date, I would tell you that I am completely happy with my postpartum body. No, it doesn’t look like it did this time last December, but it did a really cool thing this year and I’m giving it a little grace. My pants are all a little snug and my chest is ridiculous, but I’m sure it will find it’s way back to normal eventually.
If we were on a coffee date, I would tell you about two episodes of a (new to me) podcast I listened to yesterday. I saw these episodes about breastfeeding mentioned in an internet forum earlier this week and was completely and totally mesmerized. Yes, it’s two guys talking about boobs, but they aren’t mansplaining and actually do a great job of providing both scientific and anecdotal information about feeding babies.
If we were on a coffee date, I would tell you that I adore our birth, fresh 48, and newborn photos so much. My sister is an amazing photographer and I have been so blessed to have her document our lives. I haven’t shared the full gallery of our newborn photos, but you can see her beautiful work in our birth story here. There are so many photos of me and Polly (like the one in today’s post), that I will treasure forever — especially since she did such a great job hiding how tired (and how old) I was.
If we were on a coffee date, I would tell you that we might be planning our next Disney trip already. It will be awhile (we’re thinking sometime in 2020?), but Josh really wants us to stay in a Disney property and never wait five years between visits again. We had such a wonderful time and I can’t wait to share all of our trip details with you — as soon as I edit all 505 photographs that I took during our trip.
If we were on a coffee date, I would tell you that I missed you and it’s good to be back.
