Two Foot Home

A New Day

2012-01-09T14:45:00.000-08:00

For some reason I have always been rather averse to making "New Year Resolutions". Whether it's the fact that they never seem to pan out or that it's just what everyone else is doing I'm not sure. The last couple years, however, I have found myself unabashedly craving any excuse for a fresh start. So call it whatever you wish. The idea that the each day is new, ready for a fresh coat of paint, some sparkle, or maybe just a good cleaning gives me hope. So here it is, my list of new ideas, goals, and hopes for now.

First and foremost, pray for peace in this home. No, not the kind that has to do with silence-I'm no fool. It seems that one of the shorter people are always yelling, whining, crying, hurumphing or just generally fussing about something, nothing and everything. It's enough to drive this mama mad (and some days it does). I know they are one and three but I want my kids and husband (and guests and myself) to see God's joy and peace in our home rather than tears and stress.
Start journaling my prayers again. My head is often awash with so many ideas I can hardly think straight let alone pray in a focused manner. I picked up a composition notebook the other day and am looking forward to some more focused time with the Lord. It's been far too long.
Be more on top of the housework. Our house will never be perfectly clean-we live here. I do want to take care of what we have been blessed with though. I also think not having too much extra dirt and clutter contributes to a feeling of peace. I feel like I've finally figured out how get the laundry done in a reasonable time which is big progress! The other day I set up the calender on my phone to tell me what needed to be cleaned each day. Certain jobs repeat weekly, twice a week, monthly or every other month (for organizational things). I know I won't stick to it everyday but so far it's helped me.
Open our home more. Between unpredictable work schedules, allergies, little ones and life I feel like we haven't been as hospitable as we ought to be. When we were looking for house we knew we couldn't afford a ton of square footage but we tried to find a home that would suit our needs as well as being conducive to hosting gatherings. We want to use our home to honor the Lord and bless others. We want to be more purposeful about it!
Save more. We stink at sticking to a budget but we've got some goals and I hope having a stronger sense of purpose behind it will help us be more diligent. Nuff said.
Turn off the TV and computer and read more. We tend to slump onto the sofa at the end of the day and zone out in front of the computer and TV. I'm not saying that's going to stop entirely but I am hoping to fill my mind and heart with more useful things.
Love on people more. Not sure I can put specifics on this. I want to love and pray for my family, friends and community more this year. I don't know exactly what that will look like for everything but I think it's important.

Christmas 2011

2012-01-03T18:28:00.000-08:00

Well, it happened. Christmas has once again left and swiftly as it came. Things felt a little different this season. First and foremost it was special because I felt like Nadia was old enough this year to begin to understand the story of Jesus' birth. It was really special for me to share the story with her this year. It was really neat to watch her interest in it grow and, in fact, she keeps asking me if I "still know the story about baby Jesus". (For the record, I do.) We had a birthday party for Jesus with friends which was really fun. I had never done it before but it was neat. I think as the kids get older we can add more to make it more meaningful. This year we stuck to reading the Christmas story, playing Pin the Halo on the Angel and decorating cupcakes.
I had really hoped to do an advent calender but it just didn't happen. Maybe next year. I am still trying to figure out the balance between focusing on Christ and what has become a traditional Christmas in our world. Trying to get a three year old to look more toward giving than receiving proved to be a challenge. None the less it was a good Christmas and I loved the little moments I got to share with my family.

Merry Christmas from our house to yours!

2011-12-23T16:03:00.000-08:00

What it's really all about.

While I do enjoy the sparkles, ornaments and gifts I pray that you have a blessed day reflecting upon the birth of our amazing Saviour most of all!

WIWW

2011-12-14T13:01:00.001-08:00

I'm trying to get back in the swing of things but I've just got one little outfit to post. If I'm being completely honest it's from a couple weeks ago. We'll call it digging through the archives. Yeah, that's what we'll call it.

Dress: Target
Sweater: Gap Outlet
Boots: Vicky's
Belt: ?

Gratituesday: My sewing machine

2011-12-13T20:51:00.000-08:00

This might sound a little silly but I am quite thankful for my sewing machine. My mom taught me some of the basics of sewing when I was growing up and let me try my hand with her machine. I am so thankful that I have been able to continue sewing and learning. It has allowed me many hours of enjoyment (ok, with a little frustration in there). I love that I have been able to save us so much money by making some things. I am thankful that I have been able to help other people by sewing, mending or altering things for them also. It really has been a blessing! I am hoping that soon I will be able to open a little shop on Etsy so that we can save a little extra toward something big.

Linking up to

Memory Verse

2011-12-12T07:22:00.000-08:00

Ok, trying to get back into the habit of a memory verse each week. I will be honest that I am not remembering the verses perfectly and I am terrible at references. None the less I like having a verse to focus on for the week and having reminder for God's presence in whatever we are dealing with.

For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

Philippains 1:6

What I Wore Wednesay

2011-11-16T15:47:00.000-08:00

I don't have much to share this week. I spent some of Saturday and Sunday helping my brother and sister-in-law paint their new house. Call me crazy but I lurv painting. I was a happy girl. The girls and I have been under the weather (Aren't we technically always under the weather?) this week so there has been lots of this type of stuff and way too much TV. Seriously, I think my brain is rotting.

We had a Thanksgiving feast with friends that was AMAZING. I was stoked to score this dress on clearance and with a coupon for $10 to wear to it! I secretly love the Lauren Conrad Collection at Kohl's but I think their clothes are overpriced given the quality. I don't own anything thing else from her collection but the sizing is way off on this dress- I had to go up THREE sizes!
Dress: Kohl's, Pants: Thrifted (from Target though), Cardigan: Martin+Osa, Boots: Eddie Bauer

Trouser Jeans: Target, Top: Ann Taylor LOFT (A gift from my MIL), Cardigan: Martin+Osa, Shoes: Target, Scarf: Anthro (a gift)

Linking up with:

Gratituesday

2011-11-14T17:54:00.000-08:00

Many days it seems like I spend my entire day in the kitchen. Not that I am making anything special, just trying to feed my family. I am sure I am not the only one with kids who seem to have a hollow leg and want to eat all day long. I often stare blankly into the refrigerator wishing that something would magically appear that was not there 10 minutes ago. And like many other moms I have days where I run out of steam or the kids need me and dinner prep falls by the wayside. I'm not complaining here. It's all part of life and having a family. Recently I have been working on changing some of this. I am so thankful because we were able to score a chest a freezer on Craigslist for a quarter of what we would have paid retail. I am working on getting some meals into the freezer. I have been freezing in a variety of portions. Some things are in larger portions for family dinners while others are just enough for the girls and I to have for lunch. I am able to prepare somethings in bulk and just pull them out to heat. I have also loved having the ability to buy a lot of something if I find a great deal.
So far I've been able to freeze/buy:

20 lbs. transitional nectarines @ under a $1 a lb.
10 chickens from a local farm
organic frozen peas in bulk
chicken pot pie filling
chicken soup
pumpkin coconut flour muffins
mini spinach and mushroom frittatas
hashbrowns
aaaand some more stuff

Before I was able to finish writing this it turns out the girls and I are sick. I am once more grateful I have some things stashed away in my huge freezer. Sometimes I come back in from the garage and brag to Kurt that I was just grabbing something really quick out of my big freezer. 'Cause it's awesome.

Lining up with Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers

Monday Memory Verse

2011-11-14T08:10:00.000-08:00

I've had something on my heart lately (as in the last several months, maybe longer). It's honoring to the Lord and I know I can trust Him to see it through. He is faithful. Yet often when I look at it all I get overwhelmed and it's easy to sink into the "never gonna happen" mentality. The "I can't do that" camp is another easy place for me to go. God has got this though. It doesn't mean I get to sit on the couch and wait. It means I can trust in Him, I can walk in the Spirit as we work toward this seemingly insurmountable thing.

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

Ephesians 3:20 & 21

Love,

It's dancin' times!

2011-11-11T11:28:00.000-08:00

We're spending this morning doing some cooking in preparation for celebrating Thanksgiving with friends this evening. I am so looking forward to this time of fellowship and good food! We're hoping the kids will snuggle up in jammies and watch a movie so we can play games. Do you think it will work? Yeah, I'm not too sure either. I will just leave you with this little gem from this morning. I know I prompted her dancing in the video but she was doing it before I grabbed the camera. Love that little one!

Kids Christmas lists!

2011-11-10T14:13:00.001-08:00

Horrible Mommy Confession: Many times when people ask what the kids want for Christmas I want to drop to my knees and beg them to give them nothing. It's not that I don't like my kids, it's just that I need a maid. We have been blessed with so much and the kids don't need much. As an auntie though I know that it's fun to give and it's not my job as a mom to tell other people they can't show love to my children in this way.! I also know that I am not always sure what my nieces and nephews want. So here is a little Christmas list for my little girlies...

Kids Christmas list created on polyvore.com

Ikea Måla, $4.99 (or any sort of butcher paper roll
Nighttime Tangled Rapunzel Tee for Girls -- Made With Organic Cotton |..., $13 size xs
Amazon.com: Melissa & Doug Child-Safe Scissor Set: Outlet, $3.99
Ikea Ekorre, $20 for Cora. She loves carts and this one is nice and heavy on the bottom to avoid tipping.
Play Dough | Aroma Dough & Gluten Free Play Dough for Kids I would love to have some safe playdough for them! Nadia keeps asking to play with playdough but I worry about her getting wheat.
CamelBak Kids' Stainless-Steel Bottle - 13 fl. oz. at REI.com I would love to have one for each of the girls! These are great, durable cups!
Amazon.com: Crayola 25-count Washable Glitter Glue Pouch: Toys & Games What princess doesn't need more glitter.

Money towards going to Positive Energy would be a great way to get the girls and active during these colder months! (This would be my top pick and I know the girls would love it!

What I Wore Wednesday

2011-11-09T12:33:00.004-08:00

Shirt: Marshall's
Jeans: American Eagle

Sweater: Kohl's
Shirt: Target
Skirt: J. Crew
Leggings: Marshall's
Boots: Eddie Bauer
I kind of felt like this was too much layering but I was warm!

Shirt: Gap Outlet
Cardigan: Martin & Osa (It's actually navy you just can't tell in the picture.)
Leggings: Marshall's
Leg Warmers: a gift I never thought I'd wear- I love them!
Shoes: I don't even remember. I've had them since high school!
I really felt like this outfit needed a leopard print scarf so I "need" one now.

Making "larabars" with my girlies. Oh the joy of food processors.
Jacket: Old Navy
Shirt: Target
Scarf:American Eagle
Skirt:Banana Republic ( a gift from my MIL)
Tights: Target
Boots: Eddie Bauer

First of, let's just pretend that my room isn't piled with laundry and the mirror is clean.
Top: Ann Taylor Loft- This is my most favorite sweatshirt EVER. It's totally getting a hole in the sleeve and I might cry.
Skirt: Marshall's It has has black and white stripes.
When I left the house I wore my red velvet Mary Janes.

Linking up to:

Bits and Pieces

2011-11-04T09:04:00.003-07:00

I am in awe of how the week can by so very quickly when some of the days seemed to drag on forever. We managed to have some fun despite teething and a yucky nose for Cora...

I got to hang out with Rapunzel and a cute little dragon.

Nadia really wants a tower. It was not one of the prizes at the party we had at church. Bummer.

We painted and glittered some pumpkins.

She looks innocent, doesn't she? Don't be fooled.

I may or may not have eaten some of the special candy I made for them. What? It's practically health food. Coconut oil, honey, 100% dark chocolate and stevia.

Living Room Progress

2011-11-03T16:31:00.005-07:00

Sometimes I get frustrated because I feel like our house is a mountain of unfinished projects. I see all the things that we'd like to do or still need to finish. The reality is that we have made some great progress! We were going to address the yard this past summer but we ended up finding a great deal on some cork flooring (Through Ifloor.com) and decided to go for it! We feel like it completely changed the look of the house and set some other changes into action. We still need to replace the baseboards and casings but are waiting since we really need to do the entire house and that will be a chunk of change. Things are taking shape though and we are really happy with how things are coming together.

Before: The wall behind the couch and buffet. It was very green. The previous owners were into accent walls. You can sort of see that the vinyl flooring cut through the living room and down the hallway too.

I don't have many "befores" of this room. The walls were a taupe color that was not bad just too dark for us. The fireplace mantel was rose colored Corian with a white pinstripe on the front and and "mountain" motif on the top. It's ok to be a little jealous.

We painted the walls Ralph Lauren's Lamproom Gray. It was amazing how much lighter it made things feel! Confession: I actually want to paint again. I love the color we have, I just like change. (Yes, I know the rug is too small. It's on the list.) The window seat is two wall shelves from IKEA with MDF over the top. We added some some feet from Home Depot and some molding to finish it off. I made cushions with high density foam and sewed covers with this fabric from Fabric.com.

We just picked up this chair from World Market because we both felt like the chair we had there was too big. I love that the buttons in each of the tufts is different. On a side note, Kurt says the curtains are green, I think they are blue/aqua. What do you think?

I finally put up the gallery wall I have been wanting to do for so long. I purposely made the arrangement random so I could add later if I wanted to. I was able to collect all the frames at thrift stores for $10 and spray painted them! We're on the look out for a new sofa with little more style now. I'd also love to find some taller lamps at a thrift store and paint them for a pop of color.

Kurt got tired of looking at the ugly fireplace after our New Year's party and painted it when I went to bed. Eventually, we would love to add a gas insert and frame the fireplace out in would and tile with a new mantel. The bookshelves are IKEA. We love having the extra storage and a place to stash the DVD player, blankets and movies.
This was Nadia's dresser that we moved out to use as a buffet last Thanksgiving. We liked it there so we stole it from her 'cause we're awesome parents like that. You can find my wreath tutorial here.
This table was Kurt's great grandparent's. We use it for ~~piling junk on~~ our computer and pull it out for more seating at holidays. I desperately need to refinish it but haven't gotten to it yet. I found an old lamp with glass balls and was inspired by Britt's lamp. Ignore the chair. That is the chair that was wear the new linen chair is. I need to clean it and post it on Craigslist. So there you have it! Progress!

What I Wore...

2011-11-02T13:53:00.003-07:00

Um, I didn't do very well with taking pictures this week. I did get dressed every day though! Well, one of them I was dressed in grubby clothes because I was painting but whatever...

Shirt: J.Crew
Sweater: Gap Outlet
Jeans: Banana Republic
Shoes: Target
Wacky Kids: Yeah, those are mine.

This isn't really what I wore all day. I had boots on over the socks. Cora was playing in our drawer o'hats and brought me one. I was cold, as usual, so I left it on. This was when my darling husband decided to take pictures. How nice.
Shirt: J. Crew
Sweater: Gap
Leggings: Marshall's
Socks you're totally jealous of: Target
Beanie: My Sister-In-Law made it!
Necklace you can't really see: J.Crew

I was trying to be more creative but the big plastic play-thingy kills that a little.
Sweater: Target
Leggings: Marshall's
Boots: Eddie Bauer

Linking up with:

Gratituesday: Grace

2011-11-01T21:20:00.002-07:00

Keeping it simple today. I am thankful for grace. That when I trip and fall flat on my face, bumping some innocent bystanders on the way down, I am forgiven. I'm grateful that tomorrow is new with no mistakes in it yet.

Memory Verse

2011-10-31T08:10:00.003-07:00

Wow! A week went by fast. I actually did manage to memorize Hebrews 1-:24-25...mostly. Sometimes I mix a few words up so I will keep reflecting on that.

I've been having a hard time remembering that my life and fulfillment is in Christ this week. So, 2 Corinthians 4:18 it is!
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

2 Corinthians 4:18

Precious

2011-10-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

Nadia is my girl. She is so much like me. This makes her special and drives me crazy all at once. So many of the strange, confusing or frustrating things she does I vividly remember doing myself as a child. She is very very three and has quite the jumble of big emotions to go along with it. ( I am twenty eight and do too.) Along side those big, raw emotions is a tender heart that loves passionately. Sometimes she makes me melt.

The other day as we were driving to Costco I hear her little voice from the backseat. "What sweetie?", I reply, turning down the radio. "I want to talk about Grammy." she repeats a little louder. This isn't the first time she's wanted to do that along that road. It's where we were when we got the call that Grammy had died. "What did you want to say about Grammy?" I asked, knowing what was ahead. It's a conversation I love and hate. I love to share with Nadia the joy and truth that Grammy is released from all pain and is now praising Jesus in Heaven because He was her Savior. I tell her that Grammy gets to see her husband now, he's in Heaven too. "And Grammy gets to dance now too Mommy." she adds. That's her favorite part. It's also about the time I can't hold back the tears anymore. It's the part I hate because I miss her. I wanted my girls to know her more and I wanted to know her more. "Mommy, why are you crying?", she sweetly asks. I try to explain it but I'm sure my mix-up of words doesn't make sense. "I want to make something special for Grammy." Ugh. How do I say this? "Well, we don't have a way to give it to her honey. She's in Heaven." "Mom, we just need to put it in the mail." "Maybe we could right her a letter Nadia. We'll just put it in the mail."

And so we did.

Tutorial: Homemade ricotta

2011-10-27T09:42:00.003-07:00

Since finding out that the girls can have goat milk we've had a few more food options-which is really nice! One of the things we can now have it ricotta cheese. It can be made with cow or goat milk and it couldn't be easier. Fresh ricotta is smoother and creamier than commercially available ricotta. I used mine to make some stuffed shells with spinach last night. Mmmm. Here's how:

Heat about a quart (a little more is ok) of milk over medium heat until the top looks foamy.

Juice one lemon while you are waiting. If you don't have lemon juice you can use a few tablespoons of cider vinegar.

Turn off the heat and add your lemon juice. Give it a stir with wooden spoon. Wait about 2 minutes for your curds to separate.

Pour through a fine mesh sieve or colander lined with cheese cloth. I've even used paper towels in a pinch.

Let it drain for a few minutes and stir in some sea salt. Give it a taste. If it seems too dry you can stir in a little of the whey. You're done! Wasn't that easy?

WIWW

2011-10-26T09:36:00.003-07:00

I admit it. Each fall I get excited when things turn crisp and I dream of scarves, sweaters and boots. I mean well but a few weeks in, when things turn from crisp to frigid, I don't care what it looks like anymore. I just want to be WARM. Combine that with my insanely low energy lately and things aren't looking to pretty around here. Poor Kurt swears he doesn't mind coming home to find me (once again) in yoga pants, leg warmers and a sweatshirt but I know I can do better. It makes a difference in my motivation for the day. So I will be taking an awkward picture of what I am wearing each day and linking up with What I Wore Wednesday at The Pleated Poppy. I'm super uncomfortable taking pictures of myself right now-hopefully that will improve.

Thursday: Jeans & Scarf-American Eagle, Sweater- Gap Outlet

Friday: Jeans-Banana Republic, Shirt, scarf & shoes: Target, Cardigan: Old Navy

Saturday: Shirt: Costco, Jeans: American Eagle, Shoes: Doc Martens from forever ago
Fact: I didn't get dressed until 3 PM Sunday when I raced out the door to pick up my food co-op order and head to church. I did get dressed though!

Monday: Shirt & shoes- Target, Skirt-Marshall's, Flower: Me

Wow, this picture is phenomenally horrible. I went to the doctor's and came home to clean. I actually changed just after taking this picture. I'll be honest, I just weaned Cora and when I put this shirt on it looked fine. By noon it look vulgar. If you've nursed you know what I mean. I did not wear pigtails out of the house.
Tuesday: Top- JcPenney, Cardigan- AnnTaylor LOFT, Jeans-American Eagle

Linking to WIWW on Pleated Poppy

Gratituesday

2011-10-25T06:15:00.002-07:00

It's a funny thing the way gratitude works. Just being honest here: I've been feeling frustrated, tired and burnt out a lot lately. Yet as I sit here I am unable to nail down just one thing to write about, to tell you I am thankful for. I am so blessed and there is so much for which to give thanks. But here it goes...

I am so very very thankful that I married this amazing and handsome man:

Good looking guy, no? (Sorry, he's taken.) He's more than just good looks and mad baseball knowledge though. He loves me. Did you catch that? He LOVES me. Not the just the gushy-icky-sappy-love-stuff either, ok, some of that. He gets me. He gives me grace. He serves me. He doesn't expect me to be perfect. He doesn't nit-pick me ( I can do that very well on my own, thank you.). I tries to understand me, poor guy. He knows when I am at my limit and gives me a break. He has confidence in me though I don't know why. Did I mention that he knows when I am at my limit and gives me a break? Oh yes, worked hard to finish work early on Friday for me. Sometimes, when we are talking he even mutters this little phrase that makes my heart go pitter patter: You're right. {sigh} This could get long but maybe I should stop. He encourages me when I am struggling with something. Oops, there I go again.

It's not just all about me though...He wants to serve at church, to teach others about God. He cares about his co-workers spiritual state. He loves his family deeply. He's an awesome dad.

I am so very grateful that eight years ago he proved me wrong. I am so thankful that he is not the dumb jock with whom I have nothing in common that I thought he would be. I am so thankful that he is the Godly wonderful man that I get to be married to.

Linking up to Gratituesday at:

Monday Memory Verse

2011-10-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

I want to commit more scripture to memory and spend some time during the week praying about it and meditating on it. I am going to try memorizing a verse or two each week. Would you join me?
Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting with one another, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

~Hebrews 10:24-25

Moments

2011-10-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

I think that any parent can relate to the feeling that the kids are growing up altogether too fast. I've been forgetting to take pictures lately so I have a new goal of taking at least one picture each day. These days are ~~tiring, exhausting, maddening, crazy, loud, busy,~~ precious.

A local school has a pumpkin patch fundraiser each year. I secretly wanted to ride the hot air balloon but thought it would look weird if I did it without kids.

Nadia didn't care about anything but the three (3!) bounce houses.

Daddy made the girls a treat of bbq potato chips to snack on with a movie. In case you are wondering Cora only lasts watching a movie as long as the food does...unless there is a dancing song.

Practicing their oh-ah's. You kind of have to know to get it.

I was trying to get some sewing done the other morning so I kept giving Cora pancakes. She was quite pleased with being able to walk around with a snack. The picture is terrible but she cute.

Fall Wreath

2011-10-20T16:15:00.004-07:00

First of all, my models: Nadia striking a pose that Cora is apparently mortified by. Kidding, Cora was "peeking". The picture cracked me up though.

I've been wanting to make this wreath for a while now. Tutorial at Jones Design Company. I kind of wish it was yellow.

Flower tutorial

Ketchup!

2011-10-17T13:25:00.003-07:00

Over the last few months I have been tinkering and figuring out recipes for our family. Since allergen free cooking is a little more, uh, delicate I have been trying to take notes along the way. This means I have random note cards floating around my kitchen that I have to search for each time I need to make something. This recipe will likely be of little use to anyone else but it will help me feel a little more organized than digging for it behind the kitchen scale. Now if I could just convince Cora that this is a condiment and not a side dish I wouldn't need to look up the recipe as often.
If you are interested in making your own ketchup you might check out THIS recipe.

Ketchup (vinegar-free, refined sugar-free)

3 cups tomato puree (from giant can at Costco, freeze the rest)
1 tsp. sea salt
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. cloves
3/4 tsp. ground mustard
juice of one orange
scant 1/4 cup of honey

Mix and pour into jar.

This actually happened 10 miniutes ago...

2011-08-26T13:55:00.003-07:00

...And I am still laughing.

I hear Nadia calling out from her room while she supposed to be napping. This is a common occurrence. I don't make sleepers. I go in ready to enforce with my stern Mommy voice.
Me: Nadia, you need to nap and if you choose not to you will....
Nadia: (hands twisting in the air with curled fingers, a sure sign she has something important to say) Hang on Mom. Hang on Mom, I have to tell you something.
Me: OK. What?
Nadia: I can't sleep cause my eyes really hurt cause I poked them. My eyes hurt.
Me: Well Honey... (at this point I have to turn to laugh for a minute and gather composure) {ahem} You shouldn't poke your eyes (still trying not to laugh here). You need to go to sleep so we can have a great day.
Nadia: But Mom, my eyes hurt.
Me: Yes, Nadia. You shouldn't poke them. {kiss kiss} I love you, now you need to go to sleep so your eyes can feel better. Good night.
Moral of the story: Don't poke your eyes-It will hurt.

Meanwhile, Cora slept for 20 minutes in the car at 10 am so she thinks she is ready to rock for the rest of the day. She keeps taking breaks from playing to come over to snuggle (She's not tired, right?) which is super cute. Bets on her falling asleep on the way to the grocery store this afternoon?

On Children and Motherhood.

2011-08-19T13:43:00.003-07:00

My heart has been heavy lately and I have been praying a lot. The praying part is good but the heaviness keeps dragging me down. I've been thinking a lot about children and motherhood, not that I have it all figured out but how important it all is. About how we are called to it, created for it even. About how many attitudes toward it are harsh. I've been wanting to write this all out but I've avoided it because I don't want to rock the boat. I don't want to offend anyone-I worry about that sort of thing. I am offended though, and disheartened. So please know that my intent is not to point fingers or bash anyone but instead to cause you to pause and consider things in a different light.

I cannot claim to be any sort of Bible scholar but I can tell you what I do know: We are called to be Christ-like to those around us and walk in the Spirit. Will that always work out perfectly? No. I would be lying if I said I've never lost it and yelled at my kids over things I shouldn't have but that's not my heart. My heart is to be an example of Christ to my kids and to allow them to see the fruit of the spirit (Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Gentleness, Self-Control and Faithfulness). Christ came to be an example to us of how we are to live and treat others and it seems we have forgotten that those things apply to even our children. So often I hear or read people spewing over and over verses about how we are to "train" and "discipline" our children and it makes me sick to my stomach. I'm not saying these verses are wrong because all of God's word is useful. What are we training them to be though? Yes, we want to raise independent adults that are responsible, respectful and contribute to society blah blah blah. That's not wrong. Ultimately I want to direct my child's heart to Christ! Does that mean we don't discipline? Certainly not! Though simple English lessons would teach us that the root word of discipline it disciple. We are to come along side them because they are learning! We all have things we are slow to learn or bad habits we just can't seem to break. While we need to keep working on them and there may be consequences there should be GRACE! I will be honest that I am still figuring out what this should look like in my parenting. Certainly we can't let everything slide but if I am walking in the Spirit I can deal with my children gently.

As a parent more than anything else I have done in life I find myself praying for wisdom. I want to be careful in shaping these little hearts the Lord has entrusted to me for a short while. One thing I am learning is that undesirable behavior is not the same at bad behavior and it should not be addressed as such. It's so easy to focus so much on training that we forget to think about where our children are at. We forget that parenting is not a battle against them but a process in which we are to love them and raise them up! We are asked to serve them even. Their seems to be this adversarial attitude toward kids and it's so contrary to what it should be! They are children! That is who they are! It's all too easy for me to slide into an attitude of annoyance over Nadia's childish behavior but she is a child! She is acting just as she should! She hasn't yet learned to bridle her strong emotions so it my job to teach her with compassion. Are meltdowns desirable? No! But they are age-appropriate and over time we can teach a new way of expressing herself. Hopefully she can devote the same passion to something great!
Another way I can serve my kids right now is by being with them when they need me! Right now Cora is in the "Mommy and Daddy only" stage. Are there times when it would be convenient if I could leave her? Yes, but she is not being defiant-She's being ONE! I am happy to help her through this time. The Lord has provided some blessings and amazing fellowship in this situation for me!

So while I certainly do not live this all out perfectly everyday ( I could tell you some stories) the Lord is pressing more and more on my heart that I am to be Christ-like to my children. We are called to be loving, gentle, kind, faithful, joyful, patient and peaceful with our children! Treasure them, this time is short. If you are a parent, pray for your child's heart. Pray for other Moms! Encourage one another to love your children!

Happy birthday to my babies!

2011-07-26T14:32:00.007-07:00

I can't believe it! My babies are now one and three! They are very defiant little ones as I have been asking them to stay little but they don't seem to heed my requests. Two days after getting home from our little mini-vacay we called the family over to celebrate these two precious lives with us!I hung up some Curious George decorations.Cora watched Nadia to learn how to eat her cupcake.Finally, we opened some gifts.Happy Birthday Babies! I can't believe you are getting SO big!
Cupcake recipes from here and here.

A Mini-cation!

2011-07-25T20:35:00.002-07:00

A few weeks ago we decided to take a mini-vacation. We packed every nook and cranny of our little Corolla ("That's a Corolla S." I liked to say as we passed someone.) and headed for Santa Cruz. Kurt and I had gone there for an evening during our honeymoon and had wanted to return ever since. We decided to camp to save some money which was, well, interesting. Our check-in info was rounded out by a warning about the poison oak. It was everywhere! Yikes! Thankfully we had really only planned to be there for dinner and sleeping.
The first evening we headed to the cliffs and watched some surfers and crashing waves. Nadia loved to walk down some of the steps that led closer to the ocean while Cora mostly enjoyed the people walking their dogs.
The next morning we headed out to the windy, cold beach. We didn't stay for long but it was still fun to see.
After that we made our way to the Seymour Marine Discovery Center. This was by far our favorite part of the day. The aquarium was just the right size so that it was not overwhelming with small kids. We all had a blast playing with the starfish. It was interesting to see the different colors and feel the different textures! One even smelled like garlic which was pretty strange.
We stopped at a great place called "Burger." They used grass-beef and we all really enjoyed it. They also had a great beer selection but Kurt didn't try any. I highly recommend stopping by if you are in the area.
After a stop at a mall to let girls run wild in their play area we headed downtown. We were lucky enough to catch the farmer's market which was fabulous! I love farmer's markets since we can actually eat the samples!
The next day we headed home with a stop by the Sacramento Zoo. I will be honest that we were underwhelmed by this zoo. Geepers though, Cora sure is cute as a spider!
Overall, it was a great trip and I am glad we took the chance to get away and just be together as a family. We sure were tired when we got home though!

Some of my favorite scenes....

2011-06-22T09:39:00.002-07:00

Carrot Raisin Bread

2011-06-12T09:04:00.004-07:00

Figuring out a bread option that is gluten, egg, refined-sugar and yeast free can be a bit on the tricky side. Imagine my excitement when I discovered a quick bread recipe that was very versatile as part of 30 Day to Easy Gluten Free Living. I tried it out this morning and was pretty impressed with the results. My only complaint isn't actually with the bread or recipe. I used Bob's Red Mill gluten-free flour blend which contains bean flours. I can't taste the bean flavor when I use it to make pizza crust because of the garlic but I could in this bread. I will be getting more gluten-free flours to make my own blends soon from my natural foods co-op that will take care of that issue. I can't wait to try more varieties! I soaked and blended my raisins so that I could reduce the sugar in the recipe. It wasn't very sweet this way which was nice. Here's my variation fro this morning:

Allergen-free Carrot Raisin Bread

2 cups gluten-free flour blend
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. corn-free baking powder
1/2 tsp. sea salt
3/4 tsp. karaya gum
1/4 cup palm sugar
1/3 cup coconut oil
3/4 cup almond milk + 1 tsp. lemon juice
1 cup grated carrots
1/4 cup raisin-pear puree*
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ginger

Instructions are HERE because I am to lazy to type them up.
*Soak raisins in hot water for about 20 minutes. Add drained raisins to pear puree and blend. You could just as easily use 1/4 cup applesauce and add your raisins whole into the batter. Cora can't have apple and Nadia would pick all the raisins out and not eat the bread so I did it differently.

I am hoping to play with this soon and figure out a savory form. In part because palm sugar is expensive and also because it would be nice to have a regular bread.

Sage Turkey Breakfast Sausage

2011-06-12T06:49:00.002-07:00

I need a fair amount of protein in the morning so these are a nice option to have. I typically cook up the whole batch at once so I can just reheat them. You can also make extra to freeze, cook them and just pull out what you need.

Breakfast Sausage
1.25 pounds of ground turkey ( I would avoid ground turkey breast as it is too lean.)
1 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp rosemary
pinch of cayenne
pinch of allspice
1/8 tsp cumin
1/2 marjoram
1 tablespoon ground sage
1 tablespoon real maple syrup (optional)

Simply mix everything together and form into patties. Cook over medium heat in olive oil.

Knowing when to quit and say, "Yes!"

2011-06-05T15:18:00.004-07:00

Nadia is two and will be turning three in July. "July 16", she will tell me several times a week. I can't believe how big and smart she is getting! Some days, I can't believe how sassy and defiant, er, uh, "age appropriate" she is. Yikes! At times I find myself really struggling with her and questioning what on earth we are doing wrong. Last week I had to make myself take a step (or two) back and re-evaluate. It's so easy for me to get caught up on all the little things each day which inevitably sends us into a downward spiral. Ultimately I have to remind myself of a few things each day. Nadia is my daughter and she is a lot like her mom. I recall being every bit as intense as the little girl that challenges me each day. My children are a blessing! I love them so much and that includes the parts that need refining. I often think that God must often feel like He is dealing with three-year-olds all day long. "I've told you that a thousand times! I have your best interest in mind! Why are you freaking out over that? No means no. Would you just stop messing with that! Can you just snuggle and stop elbowing me!?!" Ok, maybe God doesn't deal with the last one, but you get it. While we do need to continue being consistent about boundaries and consequences I need to relax about somethings and watch my reactions because Nadia certainly is. She really can be a sweet fun little girl and I need to make sure I spend more energy focusing on that.

We also decided to take Nadia off of the GAPS diet. I had originally said that we would try for six months but it has just been too stressful. Also, I was feeling like she heard NO all the time- I decided that this was an area that I could say YES right now. Who knows, we may end up back on it later but for now we are done. So far we have just been allowing starches and she has had a few bites of quinoa. Next week will try introducing rice. We will still remain off all the things the girls are allergic to but this opens up a lot of options for us! It's honestly a huge relief for me. Nadia has been very excited to have some potato too. "Yeah, cause I'm not allergic to them anymore!", she exclaims each time we let her have some. Yes, there is part of me that questions the choice to stop. What if it was helping her? In the end I know that having a sane mother will help and that I have to trust all this to the Lord more than anything. I also know that there will be many many times in her life that I say, "no". This time, it feels really good to say "Yes you can!".

2011-05-28T22:49:00.000-07:00

Via Resolve to Worship

2011 Garden

2011-05-24T14:45:00.004-07:00

I can kill pretty much anything while trying to keep it alive. Here I go again though. I am going to try my hand at some vegetables this year. Here's what I got into the ground today! I've got some mint, thyme and sage in pots and would also like pick up some rosemary and basil, too. I'm also hoping to add some potatoes.

Diversions

2011-05-13T20:45:00.010-07:00

Maybe it's the change in weather that makes projects a little easier to tackle. Call it a creative outlet. It could be that I just need to change the subject but I've been thinking a lot about decorating lately. I've got plans. Big plans. You know, for all my spare time. Hahahaha.

I've been itching to put a gallery wall above our sofa...Love. Love. Love.

Via YHL

Via Pure Style Home
By the way, after I repaint the trim on our house we are totally painting our front door orange. We will NOT, however, be painting an SF Giants logo on it.
Via Lola Bs

Kurt and I both love open shelving but know it can be tough for resale purposes. Here is the perfect compromise...

Via Urban Grace
Cabinets? Check. Open Shelving? Check. Kurt and I both dig it? Check.
We scored an Uh-mazing deal on some flooring that we (and by we I mean Kurt and whoever he can get to help him) will hopefully be installing soon. We loves us some cork!

• Hypoallergenic and does not off-gas or shed fibers.

• Naturally fire retardant and will not release toxic gas on combustion.

• Resistant to over 38 species of insects including termites.

• Thermal insulator with over 100 million air-filled prism shaped cells per cubic inch.

• Impervious to the growth of microorganisms such as mold and mildew.

• Naturally buoyant and is impervious to moisture.

• Naturally sound absorbent and reduces impact noise.

Durability: Pre-finished cork flooring is protected with 3 to 5 coats of durable UV cured acrylic finish. When properly installed and maintained, cork flooring will last for generations.

Comfort: Cork provides a very comfortable cushion underfoot. Cork naturally “bounces” back, so marks from furniture will leave minimal residual indentation, muck less noticeable than on carpet or vinyl floors.

Via Handmade Recess

I'm campaigning for this headboard. A friend of ours gave us some bit of hardwood flooring that would be perfect for this. Lurv.

Mmmm. Fun stuff. Eventually.

Frame of Mind

2011-05-10T16:48:00.003-07:00

Last Thursday I finally bit the bullet and took the girls in for some allergy testing. The actual testing went as well as is to be expected with two squirrely little ones. The RN who did the testing portion has four kids herself so she was great and totally understanding when the girls got restless. The test confirmed some things that we already knew which was reassuring in a way since I knew it was getting some correct feedback. (Remember, I've always hesitated to test since it can be so inaccurate in little ones.) It also came up with a few things I was/am bummed about but we will adjust. Here are the food results for each of the girls:
Nadia
dairy(casein and lactose), corn, soy, egg yolk, banana, onion, cane sugar, yeast (bakers and brewers), gluten, pineapple, parsley

Cora
dairy (casein and lactose), corn soy, wheat, apple, egg, sugar (cane and beet), yeast (bakers and brewers), wheat (It's tested separate from gluten), mushroom, pistachio

Soooooo, I am trying to wrap my head around the fact that the little ol' elimination diet I embarked upon two months ago is basically a lifestyle now. Neither of the girls tested as allergic to nuts so I am allowing Nadia to have those now. My mouth broke out in sores about 30 seconds after I popped those long-awaited almonds in my mouth. Oh bother.

Interestingly, I thought that Nadia was reacting to strawberries and had mentioned it to a couple people. They both had the same response, "Were they organic?" The last time she was eating them and I noticed a rash they were not. Since strawberries are one of the highest pesticide foods (53 pesticides on them) it seems that many people actually react to the pesticides. Sure enough, she tested fine for strawberries but very poorly for pesticides. So, I will continue doing my best to buy at least our "dirty dozen" organic and probably avoid conventional berries for Nadia. In case you are wondering, Cora tested fine for pesticides. So, while they are not good for any of us some people can handle them better than others.

I am growing weary of dealing with the GAPS diet given our other limitations but will try to press on for a few more months in hopes that it is doing her some good.

{P.S. I'm not writing this to complain or for sympathy. This is just what's going on right now in our lives. We're learning and figuring it out. Some days it's fine and other days I feel overwhelmed. It is what it is for now though. After talking it over with Kurt we decided to move forward with the GAPS diet for another three months as was our original plan. Nadia is doing fine on it. We are blessed that she loves so many healthy foods so getting her to eat is not a battle most of the time.)

Grain-Free "Graham Crackers"

2011-04-29T20:42:00.005-07:00

We have been pretty lucky in that Nadia will eat most foods. However, without dairy, eggs or grains breakfast has gotten a little bit tricky. It's also nice to have snacks, other than fruit, that we can pack for her to the park or Sunday school. It used to be easy to toss some crackers or pretzels in a container and go. Well, now we can start doing that again!
A while ago I was perusing a blog and found a recipe for grain-free graham crackers. It involved a process of soaking and dehydrating the crackers rather than baking. It also involved yogurt so it was out. Well, I've never been one for following recipes so I used it as inspiration. I managed to come up with a fairly good substitute for us. I also love that since it's made from sunflower seeds it's packed with protein and good fat!
Next I will be playing with the recipe a little bit to see if I can make a nutri-grain type of breakfast bar with some all fruit jam.

Grain-free "Graham Crackers"

2 cups sunflower seeds
2 generous tablespoons flax meal
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 pinches of salt
1/4 cup coconut oil -I am sure butter would also be yummy
2-3 tablespoons water

Preheat oven to 375 and line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper. Place sunflower seeds and flax meal into food processor and process until finely ground. Add honey, coconut oil, cinnamon and salt and process to combine well. Drizzle in a little water at a time until the mixture just comes together. It should stick together if you pinch some in your fingers. With oiled hands, press mixture out onto lined baking sheet to a little less than 1/4 inch thickness. Mine was about 9.5x11.5 inches. Using a pastry wheel you can mark lines to "perforate" the crackers if desired. Bake for 10 minutes for a softer cracker or 13 for a crispier cracker. Cool completely then cut into crackers.

April and Easter sort-of Candy

2011-04-29T13:45:00.006-07:00

In case it's catching you by surprise too I just want to forewarn you: Tomorrow is the LAST day of April 2011. Yes, already. No, I don't quite know where it went either. It's been a busy month around here and we've had lots of fun! The week days typically fly by with a mix of "Where did the day go?" and "Is this day ever going to end?"
I have started doing "school" with Nadia whenever we get a chance and we both love it. It's still hit and miss because some days get wrapped up in other things. We're learning about letters and keeping it simple for now with some songs and coloring or crafts. She's only two so I don't want to push things, just follow her enthusiasm. Yesterday afternoon she told me that she loved doing school with me which was great to hear. I love doing it with her too! She also said she liked to do crafts with me. Except I heard "crap" instead and was initially concerned. Crafts=good times, crap=not so much.

Our CSA started for the summer and and Nadia loves to go see the farm. She loves to see the cow, goats and chickens (Ew, chickens. I am trying really hard not to project my fears. Nasty creatures.) Cora is not such a fan since she hates riding in the car. So next month we will be having our veggies and eggs delivered. I'm kind of sad since Nadia likes it so much but we are planning a little trip out for an official tour of the farm with some friends. I love getting super-fresh produce each week! I like not knowing what exactly it will be! Our share comes on Thursday which works very well for us since I typically shop on Friday. This way I know what other things I will need to buy from the store.

We've had some busy weekends too! Nadia got a new big-girl bed so Cora finally gets to sleep in the crib. (Poor kid has spent her life in the pack-n-play.) Kurt's sister gave us a slide that her kids are too big for now and Kurt built a structure for it. Nadia is LOVING it! We took a little hike (Ok, it was really short. I'm not even sure I can call it that.) up to the waterfall at Kings Canyon. Nadia thought it was cool after some initial fears since it was loud. Cora did NOT like it all so she and I went back down quickly.I hadn't really planned much for Easter since a)the day is really about Jesus b)I didn't want more junk around the house and c) Nadia can't have candy or eggs right now. I was all set and fine until Sunday morning when people started posting pictures of their kids with Easter baskets in facebook. Silly me. I became very sad and made an emergency trip to the store to scoop up some goodies. So Nadia was excited and I was happy. She got a little bucket of goodies and we used water color paints to paint eggs for Daddy. They even gave us extra eggs in our CSA share for the girls! After nap I hid, I use that term loosely, plastic eggs in the back yard for Nadia. I filled each egg with an "eggy-treat" which she was thrilled about. I have to say, I liked being able to give her something special even if that's not what the day is about. I also liked knowing that her special treat was still healthy so I didn't mind when she snagged one out of the fridge at 7 o'clock the following morning.We are still on a restricted diet but are finding plenty to eat. I am so thankful that God created so many yummy fruits, veggies, herbs and spices for us to enjoy! Next week both girls will go in for some allergy testing and hopefully some answers! We are doing testing with a biomeridian machine with is non-invasive. Like all allergy testing the results are not 100% accurate but I hope to get some more direction. I am just hoping we don't discover that they are sensitive to coconut since I have twenty pounds of it in the pantry! I am also hoping that I can eat eggs again. I never thought I'd say this but I miss eggs so much more than anything else. I also have to admit that it's hard for me to remember that ultimately my focus and hope needs to be on the Lord, not food or some special diet.

I am looking forward to May for several reasons. Next week is Kurt's birthday which will probably mean a date night for sushi. I'm so thankful that I lucked out and married such an awesome man and I am looking forward to some time with him. We are also having our first small group meeting with some other couples from church. We will be watching a video series called "Love and Respect". I am praying that God will grow us all through it. We don't really know most of the other couples very well so I am praying for some good fellowship and friendships to develop. Kurt and I have both been wanting to do this for a long time so we are very excited about it. Lastly, I am hopeful that May will bring some warmer weather and lots of outside playtime for the girls and some first-time gardening for me!

Easter "Eggy-Treats
These could be formed into little balls for anytime or add some extra nuts and form it into a bar for snacks!

1/2 cup dried apricots
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1/4 cups pumpkin seeds
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup unsweetened dried coconut

Place coconut into food processor and chop into small flakes. Remove and set on a plate. Place pumpkin seeds into food processor and chop coarsely. Remove and set aside. Toss in apricots, coconut oil, cinnamon and vanilla and process until smooth. Add pumpkin seeds back in and pulse until just combined. Scoop out about a teaspoon and a half at a time and roll in coconut flakes. Repeat until you have used all your apricot mixture. Store in the refrigerator.

Mustard Apple Chicken

2011-04-13T20:26:00.004-07:00

I prefer to post a picture with a recipe but last night was one of those "just get it on the table so we can eat!" nights. Alright, pretty much every night is. This was just too yummy and simple not to share so I am going to post anyway. It doesn't require much effort or any special or fancy ingredients. It's easy enough for an everyday dinner but tasty enough to serve to company. The sweetness of the sauce should help make it an easy sell for kids too! Salty and sweet play nicely together in a rich tasting sauce over juicy chicken. Mmmm. I served it alongside some garlicky sauteed kale and turnip greens from this weeks CSA bag.

Mustard Apple Chicken
1 whole chicken, cut up*
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup apple juice
3 tablespoons dijon or whole grain mustard
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 apples peeled and sliced
salt and pepper to taste

In a dutch oven heat oil over medium high heat. Add chicken and brown on both sides. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to simmer for about 20 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside. Bring sauce to a boil over medium high heat and cook for a few minutes until slightly reduced. Add salt and pepper to taste and pour over chicken. That's it! You're done!

*Any cuts of chicken would work, adjust cooking time if using boneless cuts.

Orange Peel Chicken

2011-04-01T19:51:00.008-07:00

Sometimes when I am menu planning and at a loss for dinner ideas I ask for ideas on Facebook. I have to be honest though, nine times out of ten it leaves my mouth watering but still with nothing on my menu plan. I keep trying though cause my friends eat some good food and one day I'm going to make it. One day. For now though I file it away or figure out how to modify it. A while ago someone said they were making orange peel chicken and it sounded just so very good. I asked her for the recipe and at first allowed myself to be let down. It had milk, eggs, flour, sugar and soy but still sounded so good. Then I decided to see if I could make it work and judging by the fact that there are no leftovers I'd say it did. I can't tell you how my version compares to the original since I've never had it. I can tell you that I liked it though and if you want the original recipe I'll be happy to pass it on. Lest I forget my strange modifications and have to begin again...

Orange Peel Chicken, adapted from Lucy C.
Sauce:
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons coconut aminos
4 cloves of garlic minced (this was pretty garlicky, that's how I roll)
3 tablespoons honey,
hot sauce or dried chili flakes to taste
peel of half an orange, julienned

Chicken:
2 lbs. chicken cut into bite size pieces
1/4 cup flax meal+3/4 cup warm water
1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut, finely ground ( I used the spent coconut from making coconut milk so there wasn't a strong coconut flavor. )
liberal amount of oil for cooking

Mix flax meal and water in a medium bowl and set aside.

Combine ingredients for sauce and stir to combine. Set aside.

If flax and water has "set up" add the chicken and stir to coat. Spread coconut on a rimmed baking sheet. Remove chicken pieces and toss in coconut. Heat oil in a saute pan and add chicken in batches. Cook, turning carefully and remove onto a platter when done. Repeat with remaining chicken until done, removing bits of coating that have fallen off between batches. When chicken is cooked, scrape out pan. Pour in sauce mixture, bring to a boil and simmer a few minutes until thickened. Pour sauce over chicken and serve with steamed broccoli.

Update: The coating will stick better if you allow the coated chicken to set in the fridge for at least an hour before cooking. You can also place the chicken on a lightly oiled baking sheet and drizzle the chicken with a little oil. Then bake at 400 for about 12 minutes.

Nadia's secret

2011-03-30T06:53:00.000-07:00

Nadia has been quite the pickle lately. Last week, if someone had offered to take her till next Thursday I would have quickly packed her bags for them. Thankfully today was a much better day. One of the things she has been doing lately that I adore is telling me her secret. A lot. "I have a secret for you!" she declares. As I draw myself near she gently pushes my hair aside and whispers her secret. It's my favorite secret. It's my favorite secret that I've ever heard every time, and I tell her so.

Please just ignore the half masticated food in her mouth. Sometimes you just have to capture the moment when you can and ignore social intricacies.

Leprechaun Soup

2011-03-29T07:13:00.004-07:00

Are you starting to wonder about me? "Geez..." you may be thinking, "Does her life revolve around food?" Right now, yes. Yes it does.
Nadia is supposed to have stock a few times a day so I make soup fairly often. I've been trying to mix up the flavors a little and I yesterday I really wanted something springy. This soup is a lovely, vibrant shade of green with flecks of herbs and fresh lemon. I kind of feel like I should have made it for St. Patrick's Day though it's not really traditional. Please try it with a swirl of creme fraiche on top for me, if you can have it. :) Or you could serve a grilled goat cheese sandwich along side. Yuuummmmm.

No leprechauns were harmed in the making of this soup.

Refreshing Green Chicken Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 lemon, zested and juiced
6 cups chicken stock (preferably homemade)
1 cup peas
2 big handfuls fresh spinach
1 tsp. tarragon
1/2 tsp. dill
1 1/2 cups cooked chicken cut or torn into bite size pieces
1 cup cooked brown rice (optional)
sea salt to taste

Warm oil oil over medium heat in a pot. Add garlic and lemon zest and cook until fragrant, about one minute. Add stock, lemon juice, peas, and herbs. (Try to calm baby who sees that you have peas and is mad that you haven't given her any. Mean ol' mama.) Bring to a boil and simmer for a couple minutes until peas are very soft. Scoop peas into blender with about a cup of stock and puree until smooth. (First, reserve a few peas for said baby to swish and throw on the floor.) Add spinach and puree until smooth, adding a little more stock if needed. Return to pot and add chicken and rice (if using) and cook until just heated through. Check to see if it needs salt. Serve and enjoy.

Hamming it up for the camera.

April Monthly Menu Plan

2011-03-28T14:36:00.002-07:00

I typically plan our dinners out for each week. It helps me with my grocery shopping and reduces waste. However, right now I am still feeling a bit like I am spending my life in the kitchen so I planned out our April dinners for the entire month. I am hoping this will help me be a little better organized and feel little less stressed. We'll see. For Saturdays I originally planned breakfast for dinner but since we took Nadia off eggs again I am trying to rethink that. I was hoping to make that a meat-free night but since Nadia and I can't eat eggs and Kurt doesn't love lentils or beans I think that would leave me cooking two meals. Any ideas are welcome!

1-Orange chicken, broccoli

2-?

3-popcorn chicken, salad

4-Beef and mushroom "stroganoff" over mashed cauliflower

5-chicken soup

6-turkey-apple burgers, carrot "fries"

7-Chicken Salad

8- Lamb taco bowls

9-?

10- Coconut chicken with pineapple, green beans

11-Acorn squash stuffed with turkey sausage (Trying out cauliflower "rice", we'll see!)

12-Chicken soup

13-Chili, salad

14- Mustard-apple chicken, Swiss chard

15-green chili pork, veg?

16-?

17- Coconut Chicken Curry

18-Asian turkey lettuce wraps

19- Chicken soup

20- Burgers, salad, carrot "fries"

21- Apricot chicken, green beans

22-"breaded" fish, squash chips

23-?

24-Easter

25- Sesame Chicken, broccoli

26- Mexican turkey burgers, salad

27- chicken soup

28- Beef taco bowl

29- lemony fish, salad

30-?

So, what ARE we eating?

2011-03-18T15:56:00.002-07:00

With all this talk of what we can't eat I don't want you to think that we are starving to death over here. In fact, we are finding plenty to eat. I'm afraid poor Kurt has gotten the short end of the stick in dealing with all of this. Some of the typical things just aren't around right now, or I am not making them (though I've told him if he wants anything I am more than happy to make it for him). So, in case you're wondering or considering some similar changes for your family, here's some of what goes across our table on typical day. I'm leaving Kurt out since he can eat whatever he wants-lucky bugger.

Breakfast is pretty repetitive around here.
Nadia: avocado with hot sauce, eggs (she seems to be handling them fine now) or pumpkin seeds, maybe some wilted spinach
Me: hashbrowns, turkey sausage, wilted spinach, fruit (Not gonna lie, I miss my eggs.)

Snacks: pumpkin or sunflower seeds, homemade "larabars", fruit, dried fruit, banana-blueberry-spinach-coconut milk smoothies, salsa or guacamole with cucumber "chips", Bubbies pickles, oven fries for me. On a good day I might make some kale, carrot or beet chips.

Lunch is typically leftovers, especially soup. On occasion I might make myself a bowl of rice pasta. Nadia really loves the Trader Joe's lentil soup but it has potatoes (which she can't have) and I am unwilling to pay $2 a can. I make it for her by cooking some lentils in chicken broth with tomato, onion, garlic, carrots, spinach, green beans, balsamic vinegar and herbs.

Here are some of the dinners we have been having:
Chicken with mushrooms in broth/mustard sauce with roasted carrots, or "carrot fries" as Nadia refers to them.
Meatloaf burgers with roasted broccoli. A variation of this Bobby Flay recipe
Burrito bowls: Meat, brown rice, black beans, guacamole, salsa, bell peppers and onions
Spaghetti squash with meat balls and veggie sauce or meat sauce
Chicken soup different ways. Curry, Mexican, traditional
Grilled lamb and veggies
Main dish salads
Coconut chicken curry
Bunless burgers with butternut squash "fries"
Italian meatball soup
"Breaded" fish and salad. I coated the fish in "fleggs" (flax meal and water, an egg replacement) and tossed it in ground, seasoned sunflower seeds.
Some nights I just toss meat and veggies in some oil and spices and throw them in the oven to roast.

Treats are the fun part. Since Nadia can't have any added sugar but honey I don't mind letting her have treats often. We ran out of honey so that made them even healthier! One morning Nadia had pie for breakfast and I felt really good about it.
Kurt has made pie with Nadia couple times. Clever man that I get to be married to...He finely grinds sunflower seeds in the food processor and mixes them with flax meal, butter and coconut oil for crust. He made one that was filled with bananas, blueberries and honey and another with apples and dried apricots.
Banana pudding which is just banana mashed up with coconut oil and a little cinnamon. She totally digs it.
I made honey-sweetened coconut ice cream with blueberries which was quite delicious. Kurt has been begging for more.
I have been hitting the rice pudding pretty hard. I decided to avoid coffee and chocolate for now as well so I have been trying other flavors-none of which are as good as chocolate.

I ordered some coconut flour which will open up some more options like muffins or bread occasionally. It's $4.55 a pound so it will be an occasional treat for sure!

In closing, I want to share this post about what causes allergies that also explains some of the reasoning behind Nadia's diet: What causes food allergies.

Hi and a (gasp!) Recipe

2011-03-11T21:10:00.004-08:00

I feel like we are settling into things pretty well and making improvements. We've still been finding time for:

Nadia adjusted better to the dietary changes than I expected. I was sure she would have fits over not being able to have bread especially but she has been pretty ok with things. We just tell her that it will hurt her body right now and we are trying to help her face get better. She does talk more often about how she can or can't have something because it does or doesn't have dairy or corn. Usually followed by, "...But Daddy can have corn." It's interesting to watch her try to process things. She still has some spots and dryness on her face but it is improved and I think it's still some detoxing.

Cora's digestion is improving slowly but it's progress none the less. Her face still has some spots on it that I would like to see improve but I know it will take time. She also has two teeth now!

Adjusting to the elimination diet was much easier for me this time since I had done it before although it did take some time for me to get my footing in the kitchen again. I had forgotten how hungry I was at the beginning but I think my body as well as shopping and eating habits are adapted pretty well now. I was so blessed and blown away by the hospitality shown to us by another family at church recently. They invited us over but I was concerned that it would be too much trouble. Their son has some food allergies as well and she sweetly and generously accommodated all of our needs! She made a THREE soups that were all safe! Thai chicken soup was my favorite.

Trying to make all this fit into our budget and everyday life is something I am still learning. We are going through a lot more meat right now than normal but I have been fortunate to find some organic chicken and free-range ground turkey on sale. Last weekend I spent some time cooking so I could stock the freezer a bit. I decided not to buy any special gluten-free products until we determine what Cora's allergies are so I am sticking with rice and potatoes. I am having grains less often now so I feel very full after eating rice. I finally realized that while Nadia cannot have most legumes she can have lentils (She adores lentil soup, thankfully) and navy beans. We're going through avocados like crazy since, strange as it sounds, we need the extra fat. I just realized that Nadia can't have the packaged coconut milk because it has guar gum so I will get to start making our own. We are off nuts but are still eating pumpkin seeds and this afternoon I found some ideas for homemade Larabars. I am hoping they will be a good snack for her to take to Sunday School and MOPS. Nadia likes to help me in the kitchen which is good because we spend a lot of time there right now!

I wanted a treat tonight and tried rice pudding for the first time. Holy moly! I don't why I hadn't tried it before but I am glad that I did. I adapted a recipe from my sister-in-law's blog which was so simple and delicious!

Spiced Chocolate Rice Pudding

1 cup cooked brown rice
1/4 cup real maple syrup
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
2/3 cup coconut milk
pinch of sea salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cardamom

Place everything into a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 1o minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly and enjoy!

For real.

2011-02-18T10:09:00.002-08:00

I'm kinda overwhelmed right now. I've written two or three blog posts and could never get around to uploading pictures. Nadia has a cold, again. I feel like she has been getting sick more since we started going to story time at the library but it's not like we can just hide in our house forever.
My biggest overwhelming thing right now? Another round of figuring out fun food allergies. Yipee. For real? Nadia has had some eczema on her face for a while that we thought was winter dryness. It's not. I kept trying to tell myself that Cora was fine and was only sensitive to dairy. She's not. So Nadia and I are currently off of: wheat(gluten), corn, dairy, soy, nuts, peanuts, and eggs. Fun, no? I've been looking into something called the GAPS diet for (hopefully) helping Nadia's gut heal. We are working toward it. So, in addition to those things she also can't have: sugar (with the exception of fruit or honey), any grains, potatoes, most beans. It's super fun around here. Super duper fun. We are still discussing and if we do it we need to fully commit for at least six months. Actually, it's supposed to be two years but just saying that makes me feel overwhelmed and depressed so I am saying we maybe try for six months. So if you feel like praying for me, go for it. Please. I'm trying to accept that I may never get to send my kids to a birthday party and just say, "Have fun sweetie!" It will probably be more like, "Have fun sweetie. Here's your food and and a cupcake that you can eat. Remember you can't have any of the snacks or food they provide and don't drink the soda. Remember that Mommy loves you and if anyone makes fun of your special food just punch them in the face." Just kidding about the last part. Maybe. Seriously though, I want my kids to feel normal. I hate that I have to tell my two year old that she can't eat so many things. It's not fun. I hate that I love cooking but this is sucking all the joy out of it. Meat and veg. Meat and veg. Meat and veg. Fruit. (In case you are wondering we are not doing allergy testing right now. Especially for babies and toddlers the results are inaccurate at best.)
Anyhow, all this to say that I probably won't be blogging for a while, not that I was terribly consistant before. I know this probably sounds very dramatic but that's how it's feeling right now. I'm trying to trust that God works all things for good but it's hard in the midst.
Well, I'm off to try to figure out some safe meals I can stash in the freezer so I can have a few nights here and there where I don't have to cook.

Love,
Becky

Seriously?

2011-02-10T08:58:00.004-08:00

Baby-Child will be seven months old tomorrow. Are you serious? That is all.

Cora

2011-01-28T21:39:00.003-08:00

Cora. Oh my sweet girl. You really have been quite a surprise. How on earth did I get such a happy little girl? You're kind of a Mama's girl and that's fine with me. I love that when you wake up and call for me your yelling turns to a big grin the moment you see my face. I love the way you snuggle in for a good hug.

You love to have a good time. Oh, my silly little girl. Playing and exploring is just your sort of thing. From the time you were rolling if there was a toy you would get to it. Now that you have mastered your army crawl we are in trouble. You're always venturing under the kitchen table or onto the hearth. If there is a tight spot or electrical cord you will find it. Not that you don't need us, because you are such a love, but I am amazed by the way you play on your own.
It has been wonderful to watch your love for our little family from such a young age. I am continually gobsmacked by the bond you have with Nadia. Sisters. It truly is an amazing thing. Nadia has been sick and you, at just six months, keep crawling over to the couch and yelling at her as though you miss her. "Come play with me!" I imagine you're saying. (And you're one tough cookie, she's not always gentle.) Daddy and I are always giggling at the way you growl when you are happy. You growl in the morning when we snuggle, when we play and in the evening when Daddy comes home. We love the way you will follow our voices down the hallway to find us, growling along the way for good measure. What a sweet curious little girl you are becoming.

Now if we could just ask you to stop screaming that horrible scream you do...Please, oh sweet Cora.

Green for Green: Mackins.

2011-01-26T22:27:00.003-08:00

There are somethings Nadia says wrong and it's so stinkin' cute that we don't correct her. Eventually she starts saying the word properly and while we know it's best there is some sadness. The day she started saying coffee instead of "hockey" was bittersweet indeed. Glackillis eventually morphed into glasses. Her current word is "mackin". As in, "Mom, can I have a mackin please for my sticky fingers." Yep napkins.

"If everyone in the United States used an average of one fewer napkin per day, more than a billion pounds of napkins could be saved from landfills each year. A stack of napkins this size could fill the entire Empire State Building."
source

Holy Cow. That's a lot of trash! Make an easy switch to cloth napkins! They are pretty easy to find on clearance after holidays or at discount stores like Marshall's. Bright or dark colors and patterns hide stains better. You can even make your own if you like to sew.
I don't worry about them being perfectly folded or pressed unless it's a really special occasion. They round out a load of laundry nicely. Most of all, it's one less thing to hunt down and pay for each month! Sorry if you thought I was being fancy when you came over-we don't use paper napkins in our house with rare exception. It's an easy switch to make and I really find that cloth works so much better any way!

Wondering what "Green for Green" is? Check it out here.

Gratituesday: Surprise visitors

2011-01-25T12:05:00.003-08:00

I'm one of those weirdos that panics at the thought of people just dropping by unannounced. Give me three minutes notice to be sure there isn't dirty underwear on the floor and shove the dirty dishes into the oven. It makes my face feel flushed. I get a little sweaty and my heart races. I feel a strange mix of emotions and have to talk myself down from the proverbial ledge before opening the door. I realize it's a bit irrational but I like to think there is good reason. My house is messy more often than it is picked up. My kitchen counters cluttered more often than wiped clean. The toilets still need to be scrubbed most of the time. The girls outfits don't always match and Nadia's hair frequently is a mess. Cora usually just spit up or pooped. Sometimes, if I'm not going anywhere or have been busy trying to deal with the aforementioned house or children, I don't have mascara on. Believe me when I say it's very important. Sometimes, if you don't give fair warning I may not be wearing , uh, support garments. I might be in yoga pants and have messy hair. I probably don't have anything nice to feed you for lunch. I know none of it really matters. I wouldn't care if I came to your house and you hadn't brushed your teeth in three days and kids were naked and dirty faced. I'm just freaky like that.
There is however, one surprise visitor I have grown accustom to. It makes Nadia squeal with delight and yell and jump up and down each time he shows up. I hear a knock at the door and see that little, round, five year old (almost six) face peek through the window with goofy grin. I open the door, he kicks off his shoes and drapes his jacket over the arm of the couch. Unless we are on our way out the door, I usually breath a sigh of relief rather than angst. Especially today. Nadia and I needed a distraction from each other this morning (two time outs by 8:30 am made for a rough start to the day). There was that little round face in my front window today. Thank God. Thank God for S. Salami here to save my sanity today. S. Salami who doesn't seem to care that there is hair on the bathroom vanity, thinks hot dogs make an awesome lunch and makes all of us laugh.

Linking up to: Heavenly Homemakers, Gratituesday

Gratituesday: Some things never change.

2011-01-18T09:27:00.003-08:00

The girls have a cold. Kurt has a cold. Thus far I am doing fine. Fine except for yesterday when I started to feel sorry for myself. You see, being the one who is well means I get to take care of everyone. I get to be the one with snot smeared across my shoulder who wipes noses and washes my hands 753 while trying to make good food to nurse us all back to health. So yesterday while I walked around the house holding Cora and doing the "mommy bounce" to keep her happy I realized that I had nothing to whine about. So I changed my tune.
"Thank you Lord that I am well so that I can take care of my family (because it would be worse if they were needy and I was also sick). Thank you that mama snuggles help little girls feel better. Thank you that Kurt can sleep through anything so I don't feel like I need to keep the girls silent while he rests. Thank you that I am able to be home to care for my family. Thank you that we have good food available and extra vitamins and supplements to ~~shove down their throats~~ help them recover more quickly. Thank you that Cora is still so sweet, even with a cold. Thank you that I can love them in this time. Thank you that we get to slow down for a few days, at last, and have some family time. Thank you for warmer sunny days so we could get a little sunshine. Thank you for tea and homemade chunky applesauce. Thank you that Nadia is bitty so she can still go in the carrier."

{Trying to hide behind a bag of almonds. It didn't work.}

Linking to: Gratituesday @ Heavenly Homemakers

Green for Green: A greener clean

2011-01-09T14:04:00.008-08:00

Green for Green is a series of posts I am hoping to share about simple changes that are good for you and the environment that also save you money. Get it? Green for Green, like money is green. I'm not claiming that I have it all figured out and I'm not trying to save the world on my own. It just makes sense to me that if we can make small changes to use less or limit our exposure to certain things we should. I know that most of us don't have the cash to convert to solar power or may not live in a town that makes biking to save gas easy. ( Seriously, I can't wait to get a bike trailer but I don't think I'll be making trips up that monster of a hill to Tar-jay any time soon.) So that's it. It's nothing revolutionary or high tech but it's something. I figure I don't when Jesus is coming back and if I can help a little I should. Maybe you can too? It'll keep our world cleaner and help us be a little healthier.

A Greener Clean:
Have you seen those fancy-shmancy new earth-friendly cleaning products? I'm sure they're awesome but four or five bucks for some cleaning spray can really add up. My kids are still at the lovely stage where everything goes in the mouth. Everything. Not to mention the fact that sometimes I am cleaning with a child in my arms or strapped to my back. I've also spent half of the last three and half years pregnant. The idea of my kids or myself ingesting and inhaling some of the nasty chemicals totally freaks me out. Seriously, the other day I looked over and Cora was licking the floor. Ew, that could have been chemicals. So a few years ago, as my cleaners ran out, I made an easy switch and it cost me under $10 and has saved us money in the long run. My cleaning arsenal now consists of this:
Baking Soda and Vinegar (and bit of dish soap) both purchased in bulk at Costco. I mix the vinegar with water and a tiny bit of dish soap for a cleaning spray. It works on counter tops, mirrors, windows(not that I ever clean them, but I could), toilets, door knobs, toys, wherever you would use a cleaning spray. I use the baking soda for places that need to be scrubbed like toilet bowls, sinks, and bath tubs. I love that I don't need to worry about the kids accidentally getting into the cleaning cupboard and a trip to the E.R.
How much should I use? I fill a spray bottle half way with vinegar and top it off with water and couple drops of dish soap. Mist the surface and wipe clean. Just sprinkle baking soda on like you would Comet and scrub away. I keep a ramekin in the bag to make this easy.
I don't have time to mix cleaning solutions. The measurements don't need to be exact. This should take under a minute. If your squirt bottle is fairly good sized it should last you a while so you don't have to do it often.
Won't it smell bad? The vinegar smell can be strong but it dissipates quickly. If you like you can add some drops of essential oil for fragrance. The other day I mixed lavender, lemon and tea tree* oils into my mop water and it smelled so good it almost makes me want to mop more. Almost. This obviously adds to the cost a bit but my essential oils seem to last a long time even though I use them daily.
Does is really clean? Yes, vinegar is known to be an effective sanitizer.
I'm not gonna lie. I usually have one bottle of icky chemical cleaner tucked up on the shelves of my laundry room that I bust out on rare occasion. I don't usually need it though.
*Tea tree is a natural antibacterial.

I know a guy...

2011-01-06T19:21:00.003-08:00

I know a guy that works at the skating rink here in our little city. He's really hot so sometimes I flirt with him a little. As luck would have it I'm also married to him and he's the father of my children. Lucky us.
Yesterday Nadia was lucky enough to get a special surprise. In all honesty, it's not so much that we were trying to surprise her. It's more that we know if we tell her about things ahead of time she will be obsessing over it and drive us mad (with a few fits because it's nor right now thrown in) until it's time for, well, anything. That and "a special surprise" works as a pretty good bargaining tool when she refuses to eat her lasagna at lunch time. Anyhow, since Mr. Handsome-and -Wonderful-Daddy is running the show down at the rink we got our own, private skating session. Nadia was pretty excited as you can see by the perma-smile plastered all over her cute little face. Daddy even thought to bring her playlist with Cars, Cinderella and Curious George music. A special surprise indeed.

Nadia

2011-01-04T14:31:00.004-08:00

Oh that girl. That Nadia. I love her so. She makes me insane. I'm not sure what I'd do without that little girl. I'm not quite sure what to do with that girl. She amazes me.
I'm having a hard time with her intensity right now but she came out that way. Intense. Nadia does things in a big way. She doesn't really have a "medium" setting and never really has. The hard part is that when she is mad or sad she is usually really mad or sad. ~~When she's not sleeping, she's really not sleeping.~~ The good part is that she is also really sweet, silly, funny and happy sometimes.
One of Nadia's favorite things to do right now is dance. If you've never gotten to see this before, ask me next time you're over. It's pretty cute. Of course, dancing looks a lot like running, jumping, bouncing and flailing her arms while yelling. (Come to think of it, that is what most dancing looks like.) Her favorite songs to dance to right now are "The Move It-Move-it song" and "Maniac" from Flashdance. Yeah, that's how we roll. When she's feeling particularly inspired she may choose to name her dance moves or command others in the room to "rock out!". I have to say that as someone who can't dance without looking and feeling like a giant weirdo this is very freeing.
One thing that cracks me up every time is her organizing. That kid can dump and spread toys with the best of them but every now and then I look over to see her lining things up. Often times this means she has tossed something else on the floor to make space but there she is, meticulously laying things out. It gives the type A in me hope.
She loves to help me make dinner while standing on her pink step (my cabinet door has the pink paint to prove it). This usually involves lots of sampling which I'm pretty sure is the draw for her. Raw onions are her favorite things to sample while cooking and keeping her hands out of things while baking is a lost cause. Sampling and watching is mostly what she does but if given a chance to stir she'll jump right in. I also love using a chopper with kids. They love to see it work and since the blade is inside her fingers stay intact. She even got her very own kitchen for Christmas and has made us lots of toast, soup and chicken pot pie-her favorites.
Yes, she is a silly girl. A sweet girl. I challenging girl. That's my Nadia-girl.

2010

2011-01-01T10:42:00.006-08:00

Here it is. The "New Year" post. A lot of bloggers are highlighting their best of the year. I started a post about my favorite things of 2010 but it just didn't feel right. In part because while there have been some big things happen this year has been a blur. I am honestly not even sure that August happened. Seriously, did we skip it entirely? 2010 must have happened though. Everyone keeps talking about it. Here's what I can remember:
We moved into our house after a whole lot of madness. We've been hard at work trying to make it ours.
Nadia has gotten SO BIG.
Cora joined us an rounded out our family. The transition to two has been really rough at times but we love the girls like crazy.
After more changes than I was personally comfortable with Kurt is back at his old job that he loves. We're still adjusting to the lack of schedule but I am so glad that he can do something he enjoys.

God has continued to break me and work on some rough areas in my life. He's still got plenty to do in me so He won't get bored in 2011 (and many years after that).

We were blessed to finish out 2010 and welcome 2011 in prayer with friends. Maybe it's a nerdy mom thing but I loved that we started out with just the adults praying and by the time we finished each of the kids had edged their way into our little circle.

I have to admit, I'm not big resolutions. For me, if I'm not already doing something or changing something a new number at the end of the date isn't going to help me. That being said, now that the madness of the holiday season has slowed down I am looking forward to a few changes.
1. I am taking myself off of refined sugar for 2 weeks. I am completely and totally addicted like it's crack. I want it all day long. I know, for me, that I have to get it out of my system then I can go back to having a small treat once a day (maybe even less, eek). Not sure I am looking forward to the next few days but I know it's good for me. The fact that I wrote this first, before the other, more important things should tell you something. Yikes.
2. I will be closing my computer more. Most of my computer time is in tiny bits. A minute here and there but frequent. Nadia has even been commenting on it lately and I need to spend more time really being present with my family and lift them up in prayer.
3. I'm really hoping I can make time to exercise. Right now my body hurts (in part from lack of sleep) and I know if I feel better it will help with #2.
4. I've been trying to think up a few small ways to serve in our church body. I'm hoping I can put it all in place over the next year.

Family Photo Courtesy of J. Dalton

Reflecting on Christmas

2010-12-25T07:53:00.002-08:00

I love Christmas time. I really do. I love the lights, shiny decorations, trees, ornaments and cookies. I love giving gifts to people but hate waiting for the 25th to give them. After all, we don't know that it was the 25th that Christ was born. I like to use the excuse that I want to help people focus on Christ on Christmas day by giving early. It never works. The mean people make me wait.
Never the less I find the Lord teaching me more and more about himself at Christmas. Last week at church the message was on Christ being FULLY MAN on earth. I'm not sure I can ever fully grasp that truth but I'm starting to get small glimpses of it. I always marvel at the way God chose to send his son. He chose a woman out of wedlock. Can you imagine the looks she must have gotten at the Jewish temple? Sure Mary, I see angels too. Can you imagine telling her parents? "Yeah, Mom and Dad...You know that guy I'm betrothed to [but not married to yet], yeah, he's not the father." The Lord must have been her peace because I am sure she faced judgment. (I always wonder if she had morning sickness.) Then there is "the trip". Mary must have been pretty special because I am telling you that I would have told Joseph to have a nice trip. I would be staying home because I was about to have a baby. Decree or not, I would have been maaaaad. Then she had Him in a barn. I think home birth is awesome but a barn? With smelly animals and pokey, itchy straw? I'll pass. Then there was Jesus (and I am so glad!). As I sit here with my own sleeping baby suckling at the breast it all comes together. Christ was fully man. He was a baby and needed his Mommy and Daddy for everything. Wow! He had to learn to do all the things we do. His parents delighted in his smiles and giggles. He was a person, here, for us.
[Can you imagine the pressure Mary must have felt raising the Son of GOD?]

December- Merry Christmas!

2010-12-21T22:23:00.005-08:00

Phew, what a busy, fun, exciting, exhausting month! Here's a quick summary:
Kurt has been at his new job for over a month now. Man has he been busy. At this time of year the ice rink is up which means cleaning up the precipitation each time it falls. Poor guy has worked some long, cold days!
We took Nadia on the Santa Train along with some friends. Papa even came out and used his "connections" so Nadia and her friend were able to see the inside of the engine. Kurt said she seemed to think it was neat but with a healthy fear. (I was waiting in the long line to ride the train.) Watching Nadia's smiles on the train made the long wait [for the short ride] worth it. She's had lots of fun playing with the candy canes Santa gave us since them.
Cora got her first cold and that was rough. There were some sleepless night in there. We got through it though and she is just fine. In this last week she has started trying to crawl! She hasn't mastered it yet but is getting up on all fours and can get wherever she wants to. I guess trying to keep up with Nadia is a good motivator.

Both of the girls really loved the Christmas tree. Nadia did really well after the first day of reminders to leave it alone and just look. Cora becoming more and more mobile over the last few weeks meant I needed to be extra vigilant. I think next year our house will be sporting a smaller table-top tree.
I decided to make some of our Christmas gifts this year and in all made fifteen! Twelve were sewn, one baked, and two crafted. I only had one thing I ended up giving up on and bought that person's gift instead. I started in October and it was a lot of work but so much fun! I really enjoyed finding ideas and fabric for people. I hope they enjoy the gifts as much as I enjoyed making them! Next year I am hoping to make a few more things but learned that I need to start sooner-like maybe August.

What I want for my birthday.

2010-12-12T22:43:00.003-08:00

You're probably thinking a couple of things right now.
1. Can we just get through Christmas first?
2. Jeez Beck, Really? Telling us what to get you for your birthday...
3. That time already? I thought you were looking old. You old fart. Geezer.

The only reason I'm going there now is because, well, it's been on my heart. Lately I've been thinking a lot about giving, needs, wants, hearts and such. I've been thinking about it because I'm selfish and God has been nudging me lately. You know, kind of like my brothers used to "nudge" when I even thought about touching their Nintendo to play Duck Hunt but in decidedly more loving way. Here's and brief overview:
Anna blogged about World Orphan Day. I warn you, those links will break your heart.
Louanne had a birthday and I was kind of jealous. Oh that ugly green eyed monster.
Collin bought some coffee. Pay for the next person in the drive-thru next time. Oh it's so very fun.
Then, a friend had the nerve to post this song on Facebook one day. Stinking Facebook.

Did you hear that line? "...I never give till it hurts" Oh, me neither.
So those are just a few things that have me thinking and praying lately. Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying things are wrong or bad. I'd be lying if I said there weren't a few stores you could walk into and I would love almost anything. I'm just saying that, right now, for me- God has put other things ahead of that.
Before I go on I want to say that I am not asking you for a gift. I don't expect one. If you don't want to or didn't plan to that's fine with me. I'm also not trying to tell you HOW to give, that is entirely up to you. If you think something else is more appropriate that's ok.
That being said if you feel led to give something for my birthday this year I am asking for this:
Please consider making a contribution to help bring a precious little girl home to the arms of her Mommy and Daddy. My friends Josh and Angie are in the process of adopting a daughter from Thailand. Adoption is very expensive though so funding is an issue. If you so choose, please go HERE and help support them. If that's not possible or not what you choose please uphold them in prayer. Thank you.

Love,
Becky

Memories

2010-12-11T07:35:00.005-08:00

One of my very favorite Christmas traditions from growing up was decorating coookies each year with my best friend. Each year her mom would make gingerbread cookies and hers were the best. (I am pretty sure it was this recipe from Betty Crocker.) I actually missed them enough that a couple of years ago I called her for the recipe. She would pull out gobs of frosting and sprinkles and we just went to town. Every year it was a highlight for me. When we were in elementary school she would make gingerbread men for our whole class and bring in frosting and decorations. As a kid I loved it! As a mom I realize that it was a TON of work for her to do!

This year I decided it would be fun to start the same tradition with Nadia. So I made cookies and frosting and collected some Nadia-friendly decorations. Friends were invited. We shared a meal and then decorated cookies! It was a great time with friends we hadn't seen in a while and so fun to watch the kids. Nadia loved it and just kept grabbing more cookies and decorations. I think the little boys had fun too. Hopefully we can make it an annual tradition!

More soon. Maybe.

2010-12-02T22:29:00.002-08:00

I can't quite pinpoint what we've been so busy with. I think it starts with C and N. Nadia's learning to go on the potty. I think. We hope.
I'd love to show you some projects I've been working on but then I'd have to kill you. They're Christmas gifts, for you. So I'd either have to kill you or bribe you to act surprised. I don't really have money to bribe you so let's just wait till Christmas, Okay?

Thankful

2010-11-18T14:47:00.004-08:00

I know a lot of people are sharing what they are thankful for each day on their blog or facebook. I'm not that cool. You already knew that though.
Alone time. Oh what a treasure it is, even if it's 15 minutes in the shower. These days almost always by candle light cause it helps me relax.
Breastfeeding. I'm glad we've been able to make it work. It's something that's important to me.
Cora. Oh those sweet little smiles, giggles and chub.
Dark Chocolate.
Exercise. On the rare occasion that it happens it really does feel good.
Food Allergies. I know that's strange but it makes us eat a little better and means I can say No easily to a small fraction of the junk food offered.
Grace. Oh the goodness of grace that I need so often.
Hilltop Community Church. Love this body of believers we are part of!
Internet. We didn't have it this time last year and that sucked.
Jesus. So glad that he lived out grace for us.
Kurt. I'm so blessed to have him. That's a whole post on it's own. Oh and he's cute too.
Library. Free books that I don't have to store when I am done! I just started taking Nadia to story time and she loves it!
MOPS. So nice to get a chance to be encouraged and hang out with other moms.
Nadia. That funny little girl cracks us up and makes us crazy. I love watching her grow.
Opportunities to serve. Sometimes I struggles with how I can serve others when so much of my time is consumed by these little ones right now. Lately, I feel like there have been a few small opportunities to do that.
Probiotics. They made such a difference for Cora.
Quiet. I really love quiet. I've heard people say that when your baby falls asleep you should play music or turn on the TV to make noise so they will learn to go to sleep even if it's noisy. I love quiet though. Love it.
Reading with Nadia. She loves to read and I am so glad.
Smoked paprika, Smartipants, Sweaters, Snuggles, Sparkling water, Spray paint, Scarves, Sisters-in-law, Sewing.
Two year old silliness. I'm not sure there is any better kind. (Until next year when she's three.)
Unconditional love. Since every now and then (but rarely, haha) I'm not perfect.
Vehicles.
Worship music. I love that we can use music as part of our relationship with God and I love sharing that with others.
X-uuuuuuuuh. I got nothing.
You! Yep, you!
Zebra print fabric that I'm going to put on a chair. Woot!

Fall Leaves

2010-11-16T20:58:00.003-08:00

Our Kitchen

2010-11-12T14:13:00.005-08:00

We are making some great progress on our kitchen. It's actually done-ish. You know, it's never REALLY done. First, here is the before. Ick. Scary red wall.

Ok, not too bad but just boring. Except for the window treatments (if you can call them that) over the slider. Ug.

Here's where we're at now:

We put up a shelf in the eating nook. I figure that way I can change it up as much as I want for each season or occasion. For now I've got my French Onion Soup Bowls, pumpkins and Book Page Wreath. I made more roman shades so that we don't have to be blinded by the sun coming in at dinner time anymore.

I still love our chalkboard wall. Although, we've had to take a break from the chalk for Nadia. She colored on other walls and five chairs during lunch preparations one day.

We added hardware to all the cabinets from Ebay. It was such a great deal and I am happy with the quality!

Someone had this image on their blog one day and decided my kitchen needed it.

I love my little towel hook from World Market. (Even if it falls off all the time-I should glue it.)

Still left to do:
I am trying to find a dresser to convert into an island.
I am planning to add some fabric edging to the curtains over the slider.
I am trying to figure how to best cover the cane-back chairs. I think a removable seat cover makes the most sense for how we ~~abuse it~~live but I have to figure out a design I like.
Finish the table.
Paint the ceiling.
We're hoping to replace the flooring everywhere but the bedrooms over the next year since the linoleum is peeling up in several places around the house. We'll see.

Pumpkin Spice Latte Ice Cream

2010-11-06T08:04:00.004-07:00

I'm going to keep this short and sweet. Remember these guys?

They were lonely. Also, I am addicted to sugar.

Pumpkin Spice Latte Ice Cream

2 cans coconut milk (not lite) or 2 cups cream, 1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup coarsely ground coffee (I used decaf)
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
pinch of salt

Place one can of coconut milk (regular milk) into a sauce pan with sugar and cook over medium heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Remove pan from the heat. Next you can do one of two things:
1. Add coffee directly to pan of milk and sugar. Stir, wait three or four minutes and pour through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl.
2. Place coffee into a french press, add pan of milk and sugar, let sit for three or four minutes and press. Pour coffee mixture into a medium bowl.

Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and place in fridge until well chilled. Freeze according to your ice cream makers directions.

Looking for an ice cream maker? If you have a KitchenAid mixer I would recommend this attachment. This one from Cuisinart is pretty good too.

Fall craft: Wax leaves

2010-11-04T09:00:00.001-07:00

I don't think anyone can deny that one of the best things about the changing of seasons is the beautiful colors. Seeing the trees change to shades of yellow, orange and crimson is enchanting every year. The problem is all too quickly the gorgeous hues of autumn are just, well, brown. Nothing against brown or anything (chocolate is brown, coffee is brown) but it's just not at special. Luckily there is a way to preserve the color with out complicated presses. Plus, it provides instant gratification! Here's how...
You will need:

Parawax (in the canning section at the grocery store)
An Aluminum pan ( I got mine at the dollar sore)
Waxed paper
Fall leaves

First, two blocks of wax over medium heat. For safety, use a rear burner so that nothing gets bumped.Once your wax is melted you can begin carefully dipping your leaves. You don't need to dip the stem. Just let a little of the wax drip off over the pan.
Now lay your leaves on wax paper until the wax hardens!
I chose to write on mine with a Sharpie marker so I can use them for name cards at Thanksgiving. You can tie them on a string and hang them from your window or as a garland across the mantle. If you had a lot of time you could put them on a wreath form for a beautiful wreath! Enjoy!

Harvest Party

2010-11-03T17:14:00.005-07:00

On Friday night we all headed up to the Harvest Party at church, Kurt, myself and our two little lions. They had "trunk or treating" which Nadia was thoroughly confused by. I kept trying to tell her we were getting candy for Daddy but she just wanted to go find friends. After that we headed inside where they had lots of games and even a bounce house. The bounce house was by far her favorite thing! It was nice to have something for her to do that wasn't all about the candy- and there were no spookies.
On Halloween we just stayed home. Nadia helped us hand out candy which she loved. She stood at the front window looking for kids and yelled with excitement when she saw them. She's quite a generous candy-giver so we ran out of candy by seven o'clock. Next year we'll have to buy more. Poor Nadia kept looking at the bowl of candy and saying, "Let me check if it has corn. I'm gonna check if it has dairy." Luckily, Kurt's mom sweetly put together a goodie bag for Nadia so she could have some treats.

Pumpkin Gingerbread Cookies

2010-11-01T07:02:00.000-07:00

Autumn is such a fun time of year to me. Hello pumpkins! All of the lovely colors of the leaves are like icing on the cake. On top of that it kicks off the start of the holiday season. I'm wondering why there aren't more songs about fall...

One of the other things that I love about fall is the spices. So rich and warm. Last week at my MOPS group we had a craft day. That's my kind of day! There were so many great ideas for Christmas gifts and we even got to make one of each of them (with a baby strapped to my chest). One of the things we brought home was a jar of gingerbread cookie mix. I'm sorry that I don't have a picture but I'm sure you've seen something similar. Jar+carefully layered ingredients+tag with recipe=cute! Since I don't have any self control I busted that jar open to make some cookies for us. I shared... a few. I couldn't just leave it alone though. I turned it into pumpkin gingerbread cookies. It helps keep the cookies a little softer which I love and well, its pumpkin! I hope you'll enjoy them too. It's doesn't get much more "fall" than this.
I'm going to write the directions as though you are making it into a jar as a gift.
Pumpkin Gingerbread Cookies

2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda

Mix together and place into jar. Gently "shimmy" your jar to help settle the flour.

1 cup brown sugar, packed

Pack brown sugar on top of flour.

1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp EACH cinnamon, allspice, cloves
2 tsp. ginger

Mix together and top off your jar with the spice/flour mixture. I had to slowly press down the flour to fit it all in.

OK, now for the recipe... (If you're giving this as a gift you can attach this on a cute little tag.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Empty jar into a bowl and stir together. Mix in 1/2 cup softened butter, 2/3 cup molasses, 3/4 cup pumpkin and 1 egg. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Roll dough to 1/4 inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut into shapes and place on a nonstick or lightly greased baking sheet.
Bake for about 10 minutes and remove to a cooling rack. (Since my cookies were little I found that 8 minutes was long enough.)

Looking for more pumpkin love? Pumpkin Pie "pop tarts"

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T18:16:00.002-07:00

I don't know if you can tell but there are little holes with clear marbles in them on the pumpkin on the left.

Fall Fashion Week, Day 6 and 7

2010-10-31T13:18:00.004-07:00

Yesterday was a busy day and I didn't get a chance to post these.

Jacket: Old Navy
Scarf: Anthro, a gift
Skirt: Old Navy
Leggings: Target
Boots: Victoria's Secret (Are you tired of seeing these? Sorry, I love them.)

I apologize in advance for these pictures. I guess this is what happens when I have Kurt take pictures and he tells me to "work it". Aren't you glad I deleted the bootie shot? Oh shoot. Now you know the kind of craziness that goes on around here.

Sweater: Gap
I have on a purpley-blue cami for some color but it keeps sliding down so you can't see it.
Cords: Banana Republic
Boots: Are you tired of seeing these yet? I love my boots in the fall.

Flapping like a birdy!

Fall Fashion Week, Day 5

2010-10-28T21:37:00.006-07:00

Boots: Victoria Secret
Tights: Target
Skirt: I made it! (I meant to put pockets in but I forgot. Skirts with pockets are the best!)
Shirt: J. Crew
Necklace: J. Crew
Flower: I made it. Tutorial Here.

Not quite a typical Friday around here today. It's Nevada Day so my handsome husband gets the day off! His sister has been dabbling in photography on the side for a while now. I am SO VERY excited that she is taking some family pictures for us today! Really, very, very excited. We pretty much never have professional pictures done so it's kind of a big deal to me. I even went and did that really dorky "mom thing" and made matching skirts for the girls and I to wear. Yes. I am that dorky. Oh, and flowers pins and headbands that I'm sure Nadia will refuse to keep on. So here's a sneak peek into our cute little matching outfits.

Last night Nadia wanted to wear my belt and made me think of all the cute belted outfits everyone has been wearing. I love that look but taking a belt off every time Cora wants to nurse would drive me nuts. I'll leave it to a cute little two year old in her jammies for now. ;)

Just for fun, since Friday is typically when I go grocery shopping for the week, I thought I'd share our menu for the week.
Sunday: Butternut squash, spinach, mushroom and Italian sausage lasagna rolls
Monday: Tacos/Nachos, salad
Tuesday:Whole Wheat Pasta with sauteed veggies and chicken
Wednesday:Chicken Pot Pie, Nadia's favorite
Thursday: Dinner out with long lost friends at Firkin Fox!
Friday: Arroz Con Pollo

Fall Fashion Week, Day 4

2010-10-28T08:55:00.003-07:00

Sweater: Gap, a Christmas gift from MIL last year

Tank: Target
Pants: Express, but I think I got them at Marshall's
Bracelet: Target, it's actually a necklace
Blur: Made by me!

How I'm actually feeling today. What a night. Let's just say Cora was not ready for me to eat beans and yelled at me about it A LOT last night. Oy. Sorry baby.

I got this cause I didn't want to spend the money on the J.Crew version. A week and a half later I got the J.Crew necklace for $10!

What I'll really be wearing most of the day. Just a hunch.

Fall Fashion Week, Day 3

2010-10-27T09:18:00.003-07:00

Guess what? I cleaned the house and tried to walk in the Spirit whilst being screamed at by a someone much shorter than me yesterday. Cora was strapped to my chest in the Mei Tai a fair amount as well. Awesome. Ok, snuggling the tiny wasn't bad. I wore the above outfit with my nine-year-old-beat-up slippers that I can't let go of. I actually like the sweater, Ann Taylor LOFT from a friend. The outfit as a whole though= yawn. Let's just move on. Shall we?

Shirt: Marshall's
Cardigan: Old Navy
Cable Knit Leggings: (again) Marshall's [See aforementioned accessory, I don't have a lot of pants that fit. ]
Shoes: American Eagle

I heart ruffles.

The back of the shirt has a black heavy duty zipper. I oscillate between thinking, "Oh, that's fun and edgy." and "It looks like I made this shirt and was too lazy to go buy the right zipper."
Don't forget to head over to EmeryJo.blogspot.com for Fall Fashion links!

Fall Fashion Week, Day2

2010-10-26T05:40:00.001-07:00

Thank you to everyone for the lovely comments yesterday! What a sweet surprise!

Aaaw. Isn't that just the cutest little crying accessory you ever did see? Poor girl.

MOPS Monday.
Cardigan: J. Crack, a gift from the Huz last year right before I found out I had a baby growing in me again. (How does that keep happening?!?!) I think he was trying to convince me that I could still go to J.Crew even though we live in Nevada. Then I got pregnant, they have no maternity line.
Shirt: Kohl's, yippee
Belt: Pretty sure I stole it from my Dad a long time ago. Mom, will you check if he wants it back. (Dear Dad, Can I keep this please? I don't have another one?)
Jeans: Maurices Ashlyn Jeans. Sort of. The leg was too wide so I took it in a little
Boots: Eddie Bauer. I heart these boots big time.
The end. Maybe tomorrow I will actually do my hair. Maybe.

Where are we now, 3 months

2010-10-25T21:11:00.003-07:00

Wow. Where to begin...So many changes seem to be happening everyday. I am feeling like I am sucking a little less as a mom which is good. There are good days and bad days and in-between days. Things are pretty good though for the most part. Kurt not working until 7:30 has been a blessing and allowed us more time as a family as well as with family and friends. So here is the breakdown.

Cora: She is growing bigger each day like I can't believe. She is in 3-6 months size clothes now and some of them are even on the small side. She is wanting very badly to use her hands to grab and play with things. She tries so hard and is getting better and better at it. She can roll from back to front (as of tonight!) but still hates being on her tummy. Something happened a few weeks ago and Cora is suddenly full of smiles and giggles. Hooray! Not that she doesn't have moments but she is happier overall. We think a big part of it has to do with some probiotics we started giving her. THESE things are magic! She still spits up but doesn't seem to have an upset tummy all the time. Now if they could just make her stop crying in the car. ;)

Nadia: I feel like I could write a whole post about just the amazing things that Nadia is doing. She is learning and doing so much right now! She likes to stand on her stool and "help" me cook (then freaks out when it's time to put the stool away). She LOVES on "Cocomo" ( one of Cora's nicknames) all the time. She is singing all sorts of songs which is so precious to hear. Kurt likes to have her sing me a song before he tucks her into bed at night. She still LOVES to read. Play food is lots of fun for her right now and she loves to load up her shopping cart and bring us a feast. She's doing really well with her ABC's. We played for an hour this evening just reading books and alphabet cards, breaking for a small snack of eggs, french fries, butter, watermelon, chicken, bread and bell peppers. It was delightful! She still has times that are really hard though too. She is having an especially hard time sharing and being kind when friends come over even though she adores having friends over. She loves going to church and gets very excited about it but tends to have melt-down in the last couple minutes of class (because clearly we are not going to return for her, ever). The hitting. {sigh} Perhaps we could just cut off her arms and reattach them in a few years? She has been waking VERY upset a few times a night for the last few nights. We are not entirely sure why and would love your prayers as we figure this out.

Kurt: Kurt is handsome. He is wonderful and perfect. He's fabulous and green. His new job is going fine and he has an interview for a new/old job tomorrow! He's pretty stoked that his Giants are going to the World Series. Hunting season has started and despite the fact that I will never understand how shooting at nasty inedible fowl brings him joy he is suddenly able to wake at 4:30 on those days. His new schedule allows him more time with us in the evening which has been great. It seems that he alternates days spending the evenings holding Cora and playing with Nadia. He just started a new season of baseball card game ( I don't know how else to explain it.) with a group of guys from church. I am hoping we are able to spend some time offellowship with those families when they meet for that.

Me: I'm still trying to figure this all out but feel like we are making progress. I've been trying to find time for some sewing and little crafty things as a creative outlet. (I'm hoping to sew/make most of the Christmas gifts this year!) I'm really trying to enjoy the good moments/hours/days with the girls as I know they pass all too quickly. I am still trying to figure out the balance of showing Nadia God's love and grace and yet providing firm boundaries. I'm not sure that ever stops though.
I have been off of gluten and eggs also for a week and a half to see if Cora showed any further improvements. She wasn't really having a lot of issues but I tend to over analyze so I mostly did it for my peace of mind. So far nothing has changed, which is good.
I would love to make time to exercise more because my body is feeling a bit worn and achy but it seems when I have time I lack and when there is energy I realize I should do 8,762 other things. My incision is still sensitive if there is too much rubbing against it (like when I wore jeans with a belt today). Numbness and sensitivity is an odd combination.

So that sums it up.

Fall Fashion Day 1

2010-10-25T06:36:00.004-07:00

Here it Monday and I'm already cheating. This is what I wore yesterday, Sunday. So that's how I'm rolling, a day ahead (or behind depending on how you look at it) to keep on top of things. Maybe if you're really good you'll still get to see what I wear on Friday- grocery shopping day!

Forgive the bad picture. It was rainy so it was hard to find good light...and the mirror is dirty.

Blue Silk dress with ruffles: Old Navy, Oh I love ruffles.
Black Cable Knit Leggings: Marshall's
Black boots: Victoria's Secret

Fall Fashion Week!

2010-10-22T21:06:00.002-07:00

Next week
Because I am weird...
Because I never out grew playing dress-up...
Because I only have 1.5 pairs of pants that I can button...
Because I consider it a success if I am dressed before nap time...
Because I am finally painting my nails and it makes me feel fancy...
Because I just got some cable knit leggings...
I am going to TRY ( I repeat, try) to participate in Fall Fashion Week!

Won't you join me?

Nekid

2010-10-20T06:35:00.000-07:00

We have clothes for both the girls. Really. We do. It's just that they love to be without sometimes...

Oh my. She's so rolly.

I guess Daddy doesn't like painting on paper.

My nod to Halloween

2010-10-19T18:35:00.003-07:00

I'm a pretty big fan of fall. I love the leaves turning colors and their crunch under my feet. I don't think I need to go into my love of pumpkins. Turning to comfort food and warm lattes in the morning is always welcome. I love pulling on a sweater and some boots (for about a week until I just get tired of being cold). Halloween on the other hand, not so much. It has a tendency to just get tacky and I'm just not that into it. The entire month of October I start ranting every time we drive past the Governor's mansion. I've seen a couple cute things around blogland though and I had some leftovers from a previous project. So this is my Halloween decoration. Note the singular form of the word.
I hot glued some black feathers around a wreath form. Then I ModPodged some scrap booking paper over some wooden letters. A little more hot glue and I was done!

Tatas

2010-10-18T13:06:00.002-07:00

September is breastfeeding month and October is breast cancer month so I figure it's about time to talk about boobs around here. I actually started a post about nursing a while ago and never finished it. Why? Well, I was writing a post about the potential hang-ups and issues women have trying to nurse when I realized that someone has already done it ~~better than me~~. So today, instead of me trying to carefully detail all the little things that trip us up while tip-toeing around (cause, let's face it, this can be a touchy subject and being a mom is hard enough) I thought I'd tell you about Best for Babes. This is a great organization that is working to educate women about breastfeeding. This is their Credo:

"ALL moms deserve to make an informed feeding decision, & to be cheered on, coached and celebrated without pressure, judgment or guilt, whether they breastfeed for 2 days, 2 months 2 years, or not at all. ALL breastfeeding moms deserve to succeed & have a positive breastfeeding experience without being “booby trapped”!

They've come up with what they have termed "booby traps" (love that!) that you can read about HERE. Whether you're done having kids or not I would encourage you to check those out. What we say to other women can impact their choices and there is already so much misinformation out there! So, while in an ideal world every child would be breastfed for a long time that often just doesn't work out for a variety of reasons. Let's give every mom and baby a fighting chance. While you're at it you can help reduce their risk of breast cancer (uterine and ovarian cancer too! ) by encouraging them to nurse, even if it's just a short period of time.
If you are interested in more breastfeeding info you can follow BFB on Facebook!

Poor Cora

2010-10-07T08:40:00.003-07:00

Poor Cora. Our hard drive is cluttered with more pictures of Nadia than Joseph Smith had wives. Along comes sweet little Cora. She gets a few here and there but no weekly posts. She doesn't get her own website. Poor Cora. When I get a few moments ~~in which Cora isn't fussing and Nadia isn't clobbering her~~ alone with her I just want to play with her ( or rest). Figuring out where I hid the camera just isn't priority. Poor Cora. Now I know why there are about twelve pictures of me as a kid. (Kidding Mom.)

I had plans

2010-10-01T12:09:00.002-07:00

I had plans for today. Really I did. I was going to go to the grocery store and we did. (Although I think I should have bought coconut milk, but I didn't.) I was going to come home, put away groceries, play with Nadia for a while and have lunch but I did not. I was going to snuggle Cora and she was going to fall asleep easily, stay asleep when I set her down and take a solid nap but that did not happen either. I was going to tidy up the house for a few minutes while the children slept and then write a great post about breastfeeding (mostly about a great organization) but, I am not today.
Instead, because the Lord continues to drive me to my knees with these little ones, I am going to share something else with you. It is far more important that breastfeeding (and I'm pretty big on the importance of nursing). I know it is long but please find the time to watch all the way through. You will chuckle, cry, be convicted and inspired because God has plans too.

Cora, 11 weeks

2010-09-30T13:44:00.005-07:00

(OK, these are ten weeks)

Eleven

Nadia likes to keep all her ducks in a row.

Pumpkin Muffins with Frosting Hats

2010-09-29T14:23:00.003-07:00

In the words of Jim Gaffigan: A muffin is really just a bald cupcake.

Yesterday was another one of those days from hell where I wondered, "Lord, why exactly did you think I should have kids today?" Yet again I know the answer is, "Because they are not yours, they are mine and you need to entrust them to me and use my strength." While I believe this is true there is this small part of me that would like to flippantly respond, "Ok God. Then can they wake you up at 4 AM and scream at you all day?" Then I remember something my friend mentioned the other day: Perhaps that is how we sound to God. I know that yesterday that is what I was like, whiny and screaming. {sigh} I know I am so blessed to be with these precious girls each day but it isn't always sunshine and rainbows, is it?
By the end of day, well, let's just say baking helps me relieve stress and I made bread, hamburger buns and cupcakes yesterday. We were having some friends over to play today and I thought it would be fun to share some treats. The cupcake part is actually just the pumpkin muffins I make minus the dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds I typically add. I decided on a maple frosting because even though it's 92 degrees outside I'm choosing to live in denial and pretend it's fall. It was lovely to watch the kids licking the frosting off the top and even more lovely to spend some time getting to know new friends!

Pumpkin muffin/cupcakes-makes 12

3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/3 cup oil
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin

Preheat oven to 350. Line muffin tin with paper liners. In a mixing bowl, mix together flours, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda and pumpkin spice. In a 2 cup liquid measuring cup mix oil, pumpkin and eggs. Stir liquids into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Divide among muffin papers (about 3/4 full). Bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack and frost once completely cool.

Maple-Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream

2 egg whites
2/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. maple flavoring

In a heat proof bowl over a pot of boiling water whisk together egg whites and sugar. Whisk continually until mixture reaches 160 (warm to the touch). Remove from heat and beat with an electric mixer* until completely cool and stiff peaks form**. Using the mixer, beat in the butter a tablespoon at a time, then mix in flavorings. Frost your muffins, er, cupcakes.
*I find for this small and amount I have to use the hand mixer, my KitchenAid doesn't whip an amount that small.
**For some reason mine didn't reach stiff peaks this time no matter how much I beat it. I just mixed in the butter, put it in the fridge for a while and beat it again. It was fine. I've made this recipe before without that problem so I am not sure what happened

I'm gonna peek-a-boo Mommy!

2010-09-24T15:28:00.002-07:00

Oh kids

2010-09-22T21:53:00.004-07:00

It's funny how you learn from your kids. Sometimes it's some strange things about the inner workings of the two year old mind. Sometimes it's that I'm really not as patient as I'd like to think. Sometimes they teach you about your relationship with God. That's the best! For a while now Nadia has really loved it when we pray. I'm not sure what it is about it but she loves it. Sometimes she asks to pray at funny times. At least that's what I started think. Then I realized that there is never a funny or wrong time to pray. When we are walking down the aisles of Target, that is the perfect time to pray (outloud, for anyone passing by to hear). In the middle of a meal, when we already prayed before is a wonderful time to talk to God. What a blessing that we can talk to our Jesus anytime! Now if we could just get her to understand that we don't pray to Jonah but we can pray like Jonah...

Happy Friday

2010-09-17T12:54:00.004-07:00

Kurt has been singing this to Nadia at night and she has learned a lot of the song. I love watching her learn!

Blah Blah Blah. The post in which I spew words about body image and fall fashion.

2010-09-16T21:02:00.003-07:00

Well, here I am nearly 10 weeks after having a baby and life is wild and crazy. Fall is on it's way which means boots and sweaters. I always love when things first start to cool off and I get to exercise different parts of my wardrobe ~~until I cross the threshold of just not wanting to be cold anymore~~ . Trouble is, I can't fit into most of said wardrobe unless sweatpants count as wardrobe. (They don't.) The weird thing is I am ok with my body the way that it is. It's a little squishy, lumpy and bigger than it was before but I'm cool with that. I remember at this point after Nadia freaking out and thinking that I "needed" to lose weight, like, yesterday. Then, this really bazaar thing happened. I realized that my body had done something AMAZING and made another person. My husband thought I was beautiful and more importantly my Heavenly Father created me exactly how he wanted. Neither of them cared what size I wore and chances are nobody else did either. I also realized that some of the most beautiful women I knew were not a size zero. I don't mean that in a "she's pretty on the inside" way either, though they are that too. I mean I look at these women and they are beautiful. I decided I don't want to be the reason my daughters think women are supposed to constantly worry about their size (though I fear society will get to them anyhow). Oh, I still have days that I feel ugly and I imagine I always will. I'm still getting used to these fancy new stretch marks I've acquired. But I know that my value is not in the shape of my post-partum body.

All that being said, I really want to lose this weight and fit into my old clothes. Not to be a certain size but just because I like them and I don't want to buy a bunch of new stuff. It's freakish and strange for me. I don't want to buy a bunch of new clothes. Aack! It's kind of weird to write "out loud". I decided at some point last year that I would rather have ten well-made, properly fitted, quality things that I love than forty things I got on clearance at Target (not that there's anything wrong with that) that don't wash well, wear well and I just don't love. I made a conscious choice to plan out my purchases for each season. So, I actually really like the clothes I already own. Between moving and getting pregnant I didn't get much wear from them. I don't know if I am really dressing any better but I feel better and it's easier to get dressed because I love what I have. So, assuming that I can get into some of my old clothes before next summer, I only want two things for fall/winter.Hurley

Much as it frightened me at first I think I am ready to cautiously jump onto the plaid wagon.

J. Crack

A black V-neck sweater is a staple for me. I had one I had invested in a few years ago but Kurt decided he wanted me to get a new one. By that I mean he put it in the dryer and I passed it in to my ten-year-old niece.
So be healthy, eat real food, be reasonably active, realize that what God thinks is most important and maybe do a little shopping.

Go go gadget mind...

2010-09-15T21:17:00.004-07:00

I can't tell you how many times I've wished my mind had a camera. I would snap pictures for you all the time. It'd be easy to get them onto the computer to share with you all. I'd be able to look back and recall so many sweet moments that I had since forgotten. Tonight, I would have taken some family pictures of us all laughing and swinging at the park as the sun sank behind the hills. I would capture every one of the sweet smiles I get to see. There would be record of embarrassing moments for future blackmail too.
Unfortunately, I can't do any of that. I did manage to grab my camera to get some cuteness into the camera this morning though. I set a book up by Cora so she could look at it and (hopefully) stay happy for a few minutes while I changed our bedding. She was fascinated by all the bold colors. Nadia came in and (after some initial jealousy over Cora reading "her"book) decided to read to Cora. She sweetly read her two books before I had to intervene.

Note the placement of Nadia's hand in the final picture. We're still working on teaching her not to push on Cora. She's usually not trying to be malicious, she just has a hard time with gentle.

Sunday Morning-praying for husbands

2010-09-12T08:00:00.002-07:00

I often find myself forgetting to do simple things for the people I care about most. Life gets crazy and instead of giving things over to God I get all wrapped up in the busy rush of things. This week I am committing (hopefully?) to praying for my Kurt everyday. Yep sometimes I forget to do that and it's something so very important! They have been given such a big responsibility that can only be done through our Heavenly Father. Will you join me this week in praying for your husband as they lead your family? Pray for their hearts, minds, bodies and struggles. Praise the Lord for them and their strengths! Pray for them as a man, a son, brother, friend, husband and father.

Have a great weekend!

2010-09-10T15:03:00.003-07:00

Can I make a horrible confession? Good. We have some fun things to do this weekend but it's going to be busy. I am super excited to relax with family and friends but...I am bummed that it means I won't be making progress on some projects. There, I said it, I'm a secret workaholic. I just like getting things done and squared away. Spending time with lovely people is more important though. Speaking of lovely things...Here is my lovely little girl.

My two-a-day habit

2010-09-09T09:00:00.000-07:00

Hi. My name is Rebecca and I am an addict. I can't stop eating sugar. It used to be mostly dark chocolate and some cookies here and there. Lately though, it's gotten bad. I've been hitting the cupcakes pretty hard. I make all sorts of excuses too. "It's baked, not fried." "I'm nursing." "That one used organic ingredients." "I'm just making them for Kurt." I know it's wrong but I just can't quit it. So I thought I'd share the love now that we are detoxing from the sugar overdose here...

Oreo Cookie Cupcakes. Mmm, so good! I used a Swiss meringue buttercream (Thanks B for cluing me in!) since we can't have cream cheese. I can imagine the cream cheese would be lovely though. I used Newman-O's instead of Oreo's and since they are made with organic sugar and flour I consider these cupcakes practically health food!
Mint Chocolate Cupcakes (Makes 12, unless you are me, then it makes 14.)

1 1/4 cups flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs, 1 egg yolk
2/3 cup milk (alternative milk is fine)
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon oil
1 tsp. mint extract
2/3 cup warm water

Preheat the oven to 350. Line a muffin tin with paper liners. Sift the following into a large bowl: flour, sugar, cocoa, salt, baking powder and soda. Add the remaining ingredients and beat on low for about 3 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed.
Divide batter into tins and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from tin. When completely cooled frost the cupcakes. Try to share.

Chocolate Mint Frosting

12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
10 oz. coconut milk (lite is ok) or good ol' cream
1/2 tsp. mint extract
5 tablespoons butter, room temperature

Pour chocolate chips into a mixing bowl. Heat coconut milk over medium high heat until just bubbling on the edges. Remove milk from heat and pour over chocolate chips. Stir until the chips are melted and smooth, stir in extract. Place in fridge or use an ice bath to cool until set. Using an electric mixer beat in butter a little at a time until combined and fluffy. Taste to check if you want more mint and adjust if needed. Frost those cakes!

Cora, 8 weeks

2010-09-08T21:14:00.003-07:00

precious.smiley.cute.amazing.snuggle.chubby.fuzzy.love.cooing

Book wreath tutorial

2010-09-07T14:16:00.005-07:00

My latest blog crush is Jones Design Company. I've strongly considered e-mailing to politely ask if I can just move-in and live with her. She's already got four kids so what's one more? I might miss Cora though, and Kurt and Nadia (except when she's throwing a tantrum. kidding. sort of.) Oh never mind. There is that extra bed in her daughter's {adorable} nursery though...
Over the weekend I made a couple book page canvases for our bedroom ~~to cover up some horrible awful "artwork" I attempted a while back~~. I picked up a book at a thrift store over the weekend for a buck to make it. For the record: 1. There are some weird books out there 2. I ended up getting the 1947 edition of Emily Post's "Etiquette" which has some pretty funny stuff in it. 3. I heart cheap projects. I've been wanting a fall wreath for my door but none of the ideas I found seemed quite right to me. Since I already had the book I decided the make a book wreath. The only problem is that even though I have been to the craft store a few times in the past week I kept forgetting to buy a wreath form. (Something about Nadia's go-go-gadget-arms suddenly being long enough that she can lean out of the cart and reach things makes me do that. It's so odd.) So I decided to make a different wreath with what I had on hand. Here's how I did it:

Supplies:

cardboard
book or sheet music
hot glue and glue

1. Cut out a cardboard circle using a utility knife. Try not to cut yourself like me.
2. Cut out or tear pages from your book. I needed about forty.
3. Roll your pages into a cone shape and secure with hot glue. I found that I needed to hold it in place until the glue cooled a little. ~~I had my handy assistant do this for me.~~
4. Glue a cone onto your circle at 12:00, 3:00, 6:00 and 9:00. Then glue a cone between each of these. (Please ignore the two I had right together, I was learning as I went)
5. Glue another cone between each of these.
6. Fill in your spaces as needed. You'll notice some of them are slightly set back in order to fit. That's fine, it adds dimension.
7. There are still a few small gaps so glue your cones on TOP of your first layer to cover them. Add as many as you need to cover all your gaps and make it roughly even.
8. Hang your wreath on the ~~gross, dirty looking even though you've cleaned it~~ door! I used a wreath hanger, attached the ribbon to it with wire and then hot glued the cardboard to the ribbon. You could glue a loop of ribbon and hang it on a nail if hanging indoors or on a wood door.

Enjoy!

Shirt re-do and a fabric rosette tutorial

2010-09-05T16:31:00.005-07:00

I've been trying to give myself a little "creative outlet" lately. Let's be honest though, I get pretty small windows of time. So I've been having fun making various sorts of fabric flowers and thought I'd share some with you. This one doesn't even require any sewing and they can be done quickly! All you need is:

LOVE, just kidding.
Fabric
Scissors (to cut the fabric, duh)
Glue gun

Cut a strip of fabric about 1 1/2 inches wide (just eye-ball it, it doesn't need to be exact) and tie a knot in the middle. The length is up to you and depends on how large you want your flower.

2. Place a dot of glue on the knot and wrap one of the sides of your fabric on it.
3. Begin twisting both pieces together and wrapping around the knot, gluing on the underside as you go.
4. Place a dot of glue on the end and tuck it underneath.
5. Look at the cute little flower you made and decide how you will use it.
I had some stains on one of my shirts and decided to use a group of them to hide them.
I arranged them on the shirt and put a dot of glue on the back of each flower to hold it in place while I stitched them on. You glue or stitch them on a pin, hair clip, tote, tea towel, headband or dress. To put a group of them together for a pin or headband you can glue them to a piece of felt. Try placing a button or pearl in the center. Have fun!

A Lovely Day

2010-09-01T13:21:00.004-07:00

I'm really enjoying my girls today...
(Please excuse Nadia's hair, she rubs her head on things all the time.)

Cora now weighs 9 lbs. 5 oz. Oh my goodness!

Really, I do.

2010-08-31T14:52:00.001-07:00

I have really clever and insightful things to write about until I sit down and the computer. Really, I do. Then I get interrupted 87 times and I forget what they were.

Thankful Thursday

2010-08-26T08:46:00.003-07:00

Thank you all for your prayers and encouragement and sharing that you struggle with things too. Sometimes it's just good to know I'm not alone. I'm trying to take some time to remember that God works all things for good. It's not easy to remember all the time but I know His plans are best.

Other things I am thankful for:

My little family. Even though it's tough sometimes, I love them fiercely.
Finally getting some projects done around here since I don't have a kid inside me.
Sometimes getting both girls to nap at the same time.
Kurt's new job and a better schedule, even if it's temporary.
Someone left a bottle of wine at out house the other night.

Silly Head

Oooh! Bubbles!

Cutie face

In the hood.

In regards to Cora's allergies, I think I over-reacted a little. (What? Me? Over-react? Never. I n.e.v.e.r. do that!) I realized that I (unknowingly) got some dairy in something the other day. I already knew that she doesn't handle that well. Phew. Hopefully that's all. Please.

You don't need to read this, ok?

2010-08-22T21:20:00.003-07:00

I'm not entirely sure why I am writing this post. I guess I just need to get it out and this helps me process my thoughts. I would probably never say any of this if you asked me because we live in world where we are trained to just be "fine". Really though, I'm an emotional wreck today and I don't feel fine.

I think part of my problem (ok most of it) is all in my head. I have this idea that I need be super mom and everything should always go smoothly and my kids should be perfect. Guess what. It's not. To be totally honest I am really struggling as a mom right now. I feel totally overwhelmed. I think part of it is the transition to having two kids but, part of it's just figuring out how to best deal with each of my kids separately and dealing with the emotions around all that.

I'm just gonna put it out there and say that some days I really struggle to like Nadia right now. I can say that she's being difficult people reply with the typical, "She's two." What does that mean anyway? It doesn't really matter if she's two or five or seventeen. It's hard right now and I have to deal with her day in and day out and some days I don't like it. I feel like she spends half her day screaming over something dumb, she keeps hitting and yelling NO. It doesn't matter if it's typical or normal or whatever-I hate it and it sucks. It's hard for me to keep my cool sometimes and I lose it and yell at her more than I'd like. Then I feel like a crappy mom. "Super. I just screamed at my two year old for screaming. That's a great example of how to properly deal with your emotions. Sigh." She has fun and cute moments too and I really am trying to treasure those but at times it feels like I am too busy trying to stay afloat to notice when she isn't being naughty.

On a side note, I am pretty tired of people saying, "It will still be there tomorrow." in regards to things that need to get done. Yes, but if I don't get the laundry put away then Nadia will tear through the pile and drag it around the house on the floors that I haven't had time to clean either and then I will will have to wash it again and the cycle will repeat. If I don't plan a menu and go grocery shopping then we can't eat.

For the first time this morning I was asked if Cora was a good baby. I know people mean well but what on earth is that supposed to mean? As if a baby who cries is being "bad". How much crying is too much? Cora cries and gets fussy sometimes, I'm pretty sure all babies do. Cora has reflux and that sucks. I'm over talking about it. She has reflux. She spits up a lot. She's growing fine. We're dealing with it. She's ok. She cries. I don't always know if it's from the reflux or gas or what-babies cry sometimes. Whenever she cries or spits I feel like people think I am a complete idiot for making babies that spit up a lot or get fussy. Sorry, that's the kind of kids I make. I didn't drink or do drugs, they just come that way. That or I feel like they think I am aterrible mother for not knowing what's bothering and fixing it immediately. I feel like they are looking at me wondering, "What did she do? Why did she make her kid like that? Why is she letting her scream?" To top it all off Cora has had a couple yucky diapers like Nadia used to before we figured out her allergies. So, yippee, we get to start that whole lovely cycle all over again. I just feel overwhelmed. I know we will figure it out, adjust and be fine but it's annoying.

Kurt and I are done having kids but for some reason packing up my maternity clothes was really hard for me to do. I'm saving them for Kurt's sister so it's not like they are going into a bonfire or something. For whatever reason it totally makes me freak out. I kept crying this afternoon as I packed them away. Somehow, even though I don't want to be pregnant again or to have more children, it feels like closing that chapter of our lives. Forever. I don't really understand these feelings.

So there you have it. I feel overwhelmed and I feel like I suck at this. I don't really want to leave the house because I don't want to talk about it. I have a crazy little girl who, while very cute, is SO hard for me right now. I feel like everyone thinks I am either nuts or horrible for making kids that cry and have food allergies. I have separation anxiety in relation to maternity clothes. I am a giant weirdo. The end.

Above water.

2010-08-20T21:07:00.005-07:00

Boo-yah!

Check out that double chin action!

Movie time

What are you looking at?

Hello there!

Cora is doing more and more cooing and it's super cute.

This is not so cute. This is the hip high pile of laundry I need to fold and put away but at least it's clean! It's also the weekend! Wahooo!