There must be something about these postpartum hormones that make women do silly things. Go on a stupid shopping spree for example. This must be how I dealt with my postpartum depression, if I did actually have it (I’m still not sure, but I’ll tell you one day when I’ve finally figured it out).

After I gave birth, I bought my husband #thekitchenthatbankruptme, a carpet, a whole set of dinner plates from Villeroy & Boch, several pairs of shoes, three (!!!) sets of Olivia von Halle silk pyjamas  and some more small but expensive things. Needless to say, I regret them all now. 

Now that #thekitchenthatbankruptme is almost  complete (almost because there’s still another set of cabinets to be installed), I have more time to look around my living room and develop a need to fill it up with furniture. Not that we don’t have enough and I am actually trying to keep it “minimalist” but our ugly and bulky Ikea bookshelf  (pictured above) must go. It doesn’t provide enough space so half of my books, at least four boxes full, are still tucked away in the storage.

Since all of our furniture are second-hand and a bit on the classic/Scandi style, I am looking for one which is more modern, a bit more industrial and clean looking. I’ve been doing some online window-shopping lately and there’s a few that I would really, really like to buy. 

Dearest T,

The past year had gone by so quickly. Your baby phase is over and now that you are a toddler, we have a new set of struggles to overcome. I wouldn’t say that it had been a roller coaster ride because Mama finds roller coaster rides horrific. 

I was recently introduced to the new world of Dutch day care (kinderdagverlbijf or crèche). Here’s how it sounded (to an expat mom like) me. 

This morning, as I was sitting in my fauteuil by the window, I watched my daughter tinker with the keys of the cabinet at the far end of the living room. She turned the key several times but didn’t realized she had already unlocked the door. She push and pulled the whole thing, shaking the vase, the jewelry box and all the knick-knacks on top of it, desperately hoping (I assumed) that something will fall. She gave up after a while and wobbled towards the kitchen where my mother was washing the dishes. I could hear her giggle when she opened the cupboard.