Raising a Hipster Baby: Tip #32

As a Washingtonian - more importantly a NW Washingtonian - I feel it's my duty to tell you all how to raise proper hipster babies.

Tip #32:

Listen to hipster baby music.

Your baby doesn't need any of that mainstream "This Old Man" junk.  That's for normal babies.  We're raising original and unique children here.  What your baby needs are artists like: Charlie Hope, Raffi, Frances England, and Elizabeth Mitchell.

These artists provide a new and refreshing sound for your babies.  Soon, they will be dawning flannel shirts, beards, wide-rim glasses, and a love of all locally sourced craft beer.

One way of doing this: set up a Pandora station with Raffi and Charlie Hope.   I add a little Jack Johnson (children's), but that's just to add a little variety to the mix.  It provides a nice break for the ears.

You will probably come across a few popular tunes like: Old MacDonald Had a... nope.  Thumbs it down.  You don't need that poisoning your child with pop-y sounds and high-pitched kid voices.  That's so '90s.

This is what you want:

 

  

These artists will make you a happy and satisfied parent while ensuring a future for your child in local brewing (both coffee and beer).

Hello, Goodbye

2014 was quite a year. 

+ Ellie had her first birthday.  Along with her first teeth, first crawls, first steps, first words, first kisses (giving), first swings, first slides, first camping trip, first self-feedings with a spoon, and a million more.  I can't keep track!

+ I started a part-time job teaching music at a K-8 christian school.  It took awhile to get used to, but I absolutely love it.  And by "it" I mean the kids, the staff, and the community.  I get to have fun being a teacher part-time and I also get to be home with my daughter the rest of the time.  Definitely a win-win for us.

+ I had the amazing opportunity to fly to Japan for my friend's wedding in Tokyo.  Amazing.

+ I was able to NOT give up blogging.  Something that I was worried would happen for awhile, but alas.  I miss the conversations and people way too much. 



And here's to 2015.  A year that...

...is starting off debt-free!  Aww yeah.  We paid off the last of our car loan yesterday.  I don't think it has fully sunk in yet, but what fun this is going to be!  We've been following the Dave Ramsey method for the most part and now the rest of our adulthood is going to be debt-free, except for a mortgage, but that's a different story.  Here's to saving up for a house!

...is beginning with a very talkative and toddling toddler.

...includes our FIRST ever weekend getaway sans baby to Whistler!! My Christmas present from Nick and I'm BEYOND excited!  Did I mention that we are going in February, have free snowshoes, AND I've never been to Whistler before.  

...will allow us to see our favorite band, Punch Brothers, in Seattle! Yeeesssss!

...will be another crazy journey with each new thing that goes on, including Nick going back to school to become a surgical tech!

Currently...on a Sunday

Reading :: J: A Novel, by Howard Jacobson.  It's my Blogging for Books book.  Different than what I usually read, but I think I'm slowly starting to get the hang of the writing and style.  Should be quite the adventure.

Watching ::  The Holiday.  I'm watching it now because (1) my husband is off having fun playing music and rock climbing and (2) we didn't really watch any Christmas-y movies this year. Very sad.  The days just slipped away.  And Mad Men is just the right amount of time between Ellie's bedtime and our brain's bedtime.

Listening to :: The purr of the baby monitor, which is absolutely wonderful when your teething and slightly-feverish daughter is sleeping.  

Thinking :: About the mass amounts of chocolate I still have sitting around since school got out.  Apparently all teachers love chocolate and coffee because that's what was being handed out by all the kiddos.  Alright, alright, it's probably true.

Smelling :: Nothing.  Nothing is baking, nothing is cooking, nothing is burning.  Just normal house smells.  I would love to smell some Starbucks in my hands, though.

Eating :: Tapioca pudding.  Yum.  I used to think it was for old people.  Or maybe this is a sign that I'm getting old.... 

Wishing :: For a little of bit snow to fall down instead of puddles of rain.  Ellie had an awesome time at the mountain New Year's Day.  It would be so awesome to recreate that fun in our own yard instead of driving an hour both ways.

Wearing :: a maxi skirt and sweatshirt.  One of the best outfits for being comfortable while still looking like you dressed up.

Loving :: Into the Woods.  We saw it after Christmas and I LOVED it.  I've been listening to the soundtrack lately.  Nick and his family grew up watching the original broadway version and were a little skeptical of the movie, obviously.  BUT, they all liked it and I got to indulge in a pretty sweet musical.  It helps to have new ones every so often to feed my addiction of great musicals.
 
Hating :: The end of break.  I love these lazy days with Ellie.  Now I'm just looking forward to spring break... only 4 months away!

Creating :: A million things and nothing all at once.  I have been slowly, and I mean S.L.O.W.L.Y, putting together a felt quiet book for Ellie.  That and a cross stitch for her room.  Once again, my time management between watching things and planning for school needs some major improvement.

Wanting :: More outfits.  Why is it that when you go shopping to buy clothes you feel satisfied for awhile and then you start going through your clothes and feel unsatisfied with your wardrobe?  It's such a terrible thing.

A new phone.  I have an iPhone 4 and I think it's time for an upgrade.  Android or Apple?

Needing ::  More and more sleep.  Ellie has been waking up in the middle of the night (probably because of teething) and it's been taking us 30-60 minutes just to get her back to sleep.  Plus, after that she wakes up at 6:30.  I would love to sleep a little longer if she decides to wake us up in the middle of the night!

Feeling :: Comfortable and cold.  I should probably just get un-lazy and grab a blanket for my cold feet.  It's just.. so far away...

Planning :: School, school, and.... more school stuff.  There's too much to plan when you don't have a curriculum.  Here's to the next six months!