i’m still here! due to craziness in our life right now i haven’t been sitting down with my little space (this space!) as much. no, don’t worry, i’m not second guessing whether i should be here. where else would i dump all my photos of ramona? it’s just that jp is THIS close to opening the populist so he’s not home as much. so when he is we gobble him up and spend as much time with him laying in the hammock, playing in the backyard, or going on fun field trips.

and can we talk about how manic toddlers can be? sheesh. one day it’s a 3.5 hour nap. the next it’s no naps at all. where did all the quiet time go?!

also, i started cooking dinners. attention! emily is cooking. in the kitchen. from recipes i’ve picked out and grocery shopped for. you guys: i’ve cooked more dinners in the past two weeks for this family than i have in the four years of our marriage. it’s insanity. and i love it. but that means that i’m in the kitchen more and hanging out w mo making sure she doesn’t cut her little hand when she sticks it way down in the vitamix (which she can’t seem to get enough of) and that stuff is exhausting. how do you all, who have probably been cooking before college, do it? and what the hell did i eat before i met jp?

AND now fall television is back! and i’ve got a stack of books from the library! SO, all that to say, when i put bean down for bed i just want to sit on the couch and either zone out with the boob tube or stick my head in a book — after i’ve cleaned the kitchen, of course. not too bad of options, if you ask me. so soon i will be back (with a new design!) and with some great posts (how about a little bit more about this great city, denver, eh?).

so if you’re not already subscribed in one way or another to this blog, make sure to add http://www.adenverhomecompanion.com/ to your bookmark tab, your rss reader, or subscribe via email (there’s an option to do so if you go to the comment section of any of my posts). this way you’ll know when i’ve gotten my blogging act together. thanks for reading. 

denver area happenings:

• ramona and max and i found a new playground that is absolutely the best. the downtown denver children’s playground rocks our world. it’s got rubberized play surface near the playground equipment, a big kids side and a little kids side, and then a sandbox in the middle. it’s right off the bike trail next to the river, and two blocks away from the Museum of Contemporary Art.
• jonathan and i went to a fancy dinner promoting the source, a new artisan market slated to open next year in denver. i’m really excited to see what vendors set up shop there and i am confident it will be a great addition to that neighborhood, just a stone’s throw from the populist and crema coffee house.
• speaking of the RiNo neighborhood, check out our friends’ house on apartment therapy! what they’ve done is a really great use of space and i love they way their style really complements the denver art scene as well as the neighborhood.
• melanie over at you are my fave, gives her suggestions for 24 hours in denver. i think she’s got a pretty good list going there.

elsewhere:

• i was really inspired by watching the documentary on happiness, called the happy movie (it’s on netflix streaming). i’d consider myself a pretty happy person but there are certainly areas in my life where i am seeking extrinsic (vs intrinsic rewards) for happiness (heads up: intrinsic rewards are longer lasting and result in more genuine happiness). i think extrinsic rewards have some value (who doesn’t love a little retail therapy?!), but i’d like intrinsic rewards to noticeably tip the balance in my life.
• speaking of retail therapy: shoe mint has some pretty fantastic shoes (you have been warned: they love to send you emails).