The number of little yellow tins I’ve worn through could probably circle the moon. I love, love, love Burt’s Bees. And lemon butter cuticle creme is a saving grace in the winter.

I’m the worst fidgeter there ever was, especially when it comes to my hands and nailbeds. So when the air gets cold and dries up, my fingers look like a war zone. Enter Burt and his cuticle cream. I rub it in at a stoplight, after washing my hands, before my fingers touch the keyboard. Every day. Because it works. And it smells really, really good.

(Neither Burt nor his bees paid me to say any of this. I just adore the company and their products.)

When Lily spotted the North American Bear Company box on our doorstep, her squeal could have been heard in China. She has been waiting on this particular package. Not-so-patiently.

And finally, last night, her new princess doll arrived. Lily dug her out of the box, wrestled the tag from her neck and squeezed the doll to her chest. “She’s so soft, Mommy! Feel her! And look at her yellow hair! And her princess crown!”

Together, they plopped on the couch until the dinner bell rang.

Already two peas in a pod.

Now that she’s officially mobile, Sophie is ALL OVER THE PLACE.

It’s like the house is one giant puzzle to solve. Oh! There’s a room here? I haven’t tasted this furniture yet. And what’s that? The dog bowl? Yum!

When she discovered the fridge, we moved all of Lily’s artwork out of reach and stuck a bunch of Sophie-friendly magnets on the bottom parts. She loves playing here. Until she sees my camera and comes crawling over. But the magnets always lure her back.

And the rest of us? We’re just following in her wake.

I was trolling Etsy for DIY message board ideas, and this happened:

I didn’t buy them.

Yet.

(Thoughtful Stitches on Etsy)

Isn’t this awesome? Baby finger-painting.

This was the most wonderful surprise waiting for me at home on the counter after a loooong day at work. Usually it’s a heap of bills, lunchboxes and dirty bottles.

I love that you can see her little fingerprints. And how her mind worked, when presented with paint and a blank canvas for the first time.

So beautiful.