17 Comments
Jan 8Liked by Haley Baumeister

I loved this quote you highlighted from Copeland's piece: "I must take every thought and effort captive to be formed into the woman I want my children to look to and learn from.”

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Jan 9·edited Jan 9Author

It's so TRUE. I need people who can help put my swirling mental musings into coherent words.

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Jan 9Liked by Haley Baumeister

I love your post-it note plans! I’m a post-it note addict. They are so useful for everything

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Jan 9·edited Jan 9Author

What’s funny is I don’t normally use them in this way, but we had an unusually eventful week and that was the best way to keep things mentally straight at the time!

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Literally just started A History of the Island by Vodolazkin, and never even thought about the audio version! However, I think the structure of this novel might not work with audio. I really want to read everything he's written, I gotta get on it.

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Yay! He's like our modern Dostoyevski. haha

I actually tried starting A History Of The Island several months back and abandoned it - but I think it was more the wrong book at the wrong time. There was a *lot* going on in it and you just have to be mentally prepared for that!

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Jan 9Liked by Haley Baumeister

The audio of The Aviator I thought perfectly done. The narrator Stefan Rudnicki has become one of my favorites, not that he has narrated many books I want to read.

I read Laurus more than once and once was by audio. That narrator was very different but I also thought him just right for the story.

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Jan 9·edited Jan 9Author

Isn't it great when the audio narrator elevates the experience from just listening to someone read to..... feeling like they somehow capture the story and characters perfectly with their voice?

Back around the time I was reading Laurus, I found this discussion helpful (if it's of any interest to anyone here). It's a great book, but I found myself needing some help to draw out some of its goodness. :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYw3eTgAdqg

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Jan 9Liked by Haley Baumeister

Well, I think it's infused with the Orthodox phronema or ethos, the way of being in the world, such that I found all the secular reviews, and actually all the reviews I read (back then when I read Laurus the first time) to miss all the things that affected me so deeply about the book. I will definitely watch this video. Thank you!

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Thanks for sharing! We also love kinetic sand, though the last time I ordered it I could only find bright blue. Undecided on if the blue is helpful because you can see that it gets everywhere or just alarming 😆

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hahaha I can see that.

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We love kinetic sand! We put some in a big, flat container and put a bunch of trucks in it for the kids to make a construction site. We’ve also buried things like jewels in it for them to find.

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It's perfect for that. Boys' construction paradise. Will try the hidden treasure idea, too.

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Jan 8Liked by Haley Baumeister

Chock full of goodies as usual! Looking forward to diving into these. Thanks Haley!

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Thanks for being a great hype woman for so many. :)

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Jan 8Liked by Haley Baumeister

I always love how your real life photos at the end. I have a toddler and I like seeing the reality/honesty of what an environment with young kiddos can look like. It's comforting!

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Jan 8·edited Jan 8Author

Oh yeah, things get messy. haha I don't feel the need to only post the messy stuff, as I do enjoy beauty and that's just as real.... but for surreeee having 3 boys in 3 years means a lot of chaos, and that's also part of my life. :)

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