Writing my first blog post — a little daunting, but very exciting!  There are a couple reasons why I finally pulled the trigger and started my blog: 1) to share my cozy life with others and 2) to encourage accountability & self-discipline in my life.

A little more about that.

Life in the cottage

I’m a mom to a delightful 3-year-old little girl and wife to who might be the most patient and supremely tolerant man on Earth.  Don’t tell him I said that.

CozyCakes Cottage sums up what makes me happy in life: cooking and baking with my little one underfoot in our home (my cottage) in the  suburbs.  While we may not live in an authentic cottage like the one in the picture,  I have had a lifelong love of all things cozy, cake-like, and cottage-ey.  I strive to make our home inviting and comfortable for those I love and I spend my days playing and creating chaos with my daughter while attempting (operative word) to manage our household with grace (oh dear), organization (ack!), and fun.

I’m what you might call a bit old-fashioned and ever since I was a child I’ve dreamed of a cottage, perhaps thatched, in the English countryside, fire burning, pup at my feet, teakettle whistling on the stove top, a sweet concoction baking in the oven, and rain pitter-pattering on the rooftop.  Blame the movies I watched as a child and teen over and over and over.  And the books I renewed from the public library…over and over and over.  Cue music from Enchanted April, Anne of Green Gables, or perhaps a circa 1993 Hallmark Hall of Fame TV movie.  I know, I know–so very cliche, but my idea of perfection nonetheless.

All out on the table

I’ve created my own itty bitty slice of the web because I certainly have room for growth in many (oh so many) areas of my life — although I love being a stay-at-home mom and am most content when I’m doing mommy and household things, I’ve discovered I’m not crossing off many items on my to-do lists, running out of both time and steam by day’s end.   My lists and goals are straightforward and simple, but anything such as make freezer casseroles for the month, cut colored paper for Pilgrim craft for Annalise, pick clothes off my closet floor, and file bills tend to remain unchecked by the time I plop into bed each night.  And that won’t do.  So this is part fun, part strategy, part what the heck am I doing.  My attempts at accountability and self-discipline.  If I lay myself bare on here, so to speak, then perhaps it’ll embarrass push me to complete my tasks, both big and small, those tasks altogether important in keeping our lives “cozy.”  And I certainly wouldn’t mind encouragement from others and will take it where I can get it!

It has also been my hope to connect with others out there over their own cozy lives.  Sharing recipes, daily successes and defeats, money saving strategies, and day-to-day life of the mommies.  I glean an abundance of inspiration from the bloggers I follow regularly and the ones I thankfully stumble upon accidentally. So…I’m raising my teacup to you and am glad you stopped by– won’t you stay and chat awhile?