There are a lot of nice things about the digital age, and the age of digital cameras in particular. As examples: you get to take twenty million photographs of your child’s first year of life, and don’t have to pay to get all those photos developed in order to find the single group shot in which everyone’s eyes are open and no one looks like they’ve been awake for 60 hours straight. You can send your mom pictures of your trip to the beach while you still have your feet planted in the sand. Several years’ worth of family photos take up no more space in your house than the three inches required to store an external hard drive.

But the albums. I never get over how much I miss having actual, hold-them-in-your-hands albums to page through. There’s just something about them that’s romantic; that makes those memories you captured feel…I don’t know, more alive, somehow.

My parents-in-law have especially lamented the fact that they don’t have many hard copies of photos of us and the kids, and so for Christmas I decided to make them an album of some favorite shots from the past few years using Canon’s hdAlbum service. I’ve thought about trying out a program like this from time to time, but have always been a little intimidated by the process. But you guys? It was SO EASY. And SO FUN.

 I prefer my kale in sweatshirt form, thanks. (You can get one of your own here.)

 No matter how many hours you spent on the phone with Comcast today (oh, was that just me?), this cocktail tray is here to remind you that at least at the end of it all there was wine.

 Anthropologie is having a Winter Tag Sale and it's really good. (I love this shawled cashmere wrap and these Citizens of Humanity overalls. And on the home decor front, these dipped sisal baskets.) Take an extra 25% off of sale prices using code TAGTIME.

{ Essie Clambake Polish }

I go to the nail salon only when absolutely, positively, horrifyingly necessary. It's just not my favorite thing to do; it takes so freaking long. And it's expensive, especially if you get gel pedicures (which I do so as to lengthen the amount of time that passes before I have to make a return trip). And there is always the possibility certainty that I will fall asleep leaning back in my chair with my mouth hanging open and start snoring, because parenthood has turned me into a borderline narcoleptic. But after our Ohio week, my nails were an actual emergency situation, so on Saturday I asked Kendrick if he minded watching the kids for a couple of hours while I ran off to make them less frightening and gollum-ish.

And then Kendrick said one of my favorite things I've ever heard him say:

When my parents visited over the weekend we drove over to one of my favorite local spots, a little used bookstore in Campbell with a great kids' section. I got all excited about a bunch of books and started to buy a whole stack of them "to read over the holidays," and then remembered that I have two children and put back all but one (the Stephen King, obvs). There's always the chance that Goldie will fall asleep on the flight to Ohio and let me get through a few chapters (ha hahahahahahah).

But MAN am I excited about the books that are out right now. So I thought I'd put up a list of some recent favorites and a few I'm looking forward to reading...someday. And if you have any suggestions, I'd love love love to hear them!

Recent Favorites:

There are three things that I require. All are completely non-optional.

{ Something To Wear }

The first is a new pair of pajamas. I ask for new pjs ever year - oversized and cozy and old man-ish and zero sexy, please and thanks - and every year I try to manipulate the present-opening process so that I can get my hands on the box that I suspect holds said pajamas first. And then I change into them, and wander around in my brand-new pajamas all day long. It is wonderful.