What I Learned // July 2015

For the first time I'm participating in Emily's roundup of "What We Learned" this month. My sister has been writing these posts each month, and I really enjoy reading them, so I thought I would join in. I've been a little slack on blogging lately, what with a new baby and all, so this will help recap what we've been up to in July.

1. Making a lattice pie crust is not as hard as it looks. This has been one of my kitchen goals for a while now and just the other week I tried it out. I followed these tips, and I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was! The pie was tasty too, so I'll be sharing the recipe soon.

2. I am a schedule person. I already knew this, but having a baby has taken it to a whole new level. Just in the past couple of weeks Madeleine and I have gotten to a really good place with a daily routine. She is napping and eating on a good schedule, and it makes our days so much better! She has been a happier and more content baby, and I have been a much happier mommy! Some people find schedules restricting, but I find them freeing!

3. My makeup bag has gotten out of control. The other week I pulled 8 mascaras out of my makeup bag! I have a bunch of extra makeup and tools that I never even use in my bag, and I've decided I've had enough of fumbling through an overstuffed makeup bag when I get ready each day. I got a new makeup bag and have only transferred what I really use. I'm also in the process of searching out some new brands and new beauty products that I really truly like, instead of just falling back on what I'm comfortable with.

4. I have musophobia, or a fear of mice. We discovered evidence of the dreaded house mouse this past month, and I freaked out much more than I had thought I would. I could not step foot in the kitchen, so for two days you could find Madeleine and me as pictured above: camped out on the couch in the front living room. I am happy to say that the little mouse has been taken care of: Caleb killed him with a BB gun :)

5. Flowers are my love language. Between flowers given to me by friends and bouquets that I have picked and arranged from the yard, I realized just how much I love flowers. They are just so beautiful and brighten my day! Caleb got me three different bouquets for my birthday last week, and now that those have died I've replaced them with three new bouquets from the yard. I'm already trying to figure out what bulbs I need to plant to ensure that I have pretty flowers in my yard for as much of the year as possible.

I can't believe we're already into August! This summer has been a bit of a blur as we've adjusted to life with a new little one, so I'm thankful we have another month of summer to enjoy! What did you learn in July?