Roasting Sunchokes!

What the heck is a sunchoke you ask?

Definition: It is a herbaceous perennial plant growing to 1.5–3 metres (4 ft 10 in–9 ft 10 in) tall with opposite leaves on the lower part of the stem becoming alternate higher up. The leaves have a rough, hairy texture and the larger leaves on the lower stem are broad ovoid-acute and can be up to 30 centimetres (12 in) long and the higher leaves smaller and narrower.

In other words, it's delicious. 

For those of you who haven't eaten one before, when cooked, they taste very similar to a potato impregnated by an artichoke. Quite fabulous. I had been completely neglecting my sunchoke consumption until I read that post. So, as I entered Whole Foods later that day, I was on high alert for sunchokes.

DIY: Hand Painted Wooden Spoons!

Want to give your house a little spring refresh? How about some hand painted wooden spoons that you can pop in a pitcher with some fresh flowers.

Simple and Pretty!

I had purchases a bunch of wooden spoons a while back and had some Martha Stuart paint on hand. I figured...why not try out some hand painted wooden spoons. 

This project was super easy and would make a cute hostess gift if you are attending any dinners in the near future. Here is how I did it:

Supplies:

Wooden Spoons

Acrylic Paint

Sponge Brushes

Tape (optional)

Directions:

Grab your wooden spoons and supplies. Line your work surface with newspaper or paper bags to account for any dripping. You only need a small amount of paint for this so I recommend just squirting a small amount on your workspace and dipping your sponges as needed.

If you want your lines to be precise, I would tape each spoon to section off the area's you want to paint. I didn't mind if it looked a bit uneven so I just did it by hand. All you need to do is dip your sponge in paint and lightly drag it along each spoon.

Once you have painted all of your spoons, let them dry for a couple hours. Once they are fully dry, feel free to display, gift, or stir!

The Look For Less: Classic Trench

Another Madewell dupe for you! I think I might actually run out and grab this H&M trench. Classic staple for Spring and Fall. Also, great thing about H&M. If you order online, free returns in store on anything!!

xx

Jeans, Top and Trench

What Nobody Tells You About Daycare

Nothing prepares you for parenthood. It doesn't matter if you've read every single parenting book there is. You will still feel like you are navigating through a field of endless jack-in-the-boxes. I rely mainly on my friends and family to tell me about the "big" stuff. 

Well.... since I am the first to send my child to daycare, there was some critical information missing...

A Spring Decor Refresh: 3 Tips on Bringing Your House into Spring!

Let me start by saying that I am not an interior designer. 

I do enjoy shopping at Home Goods pretty regularly and generally enjoy decorating things but I don't consider myself exceptionally adept at it. This post is geared towards those that dabble in decor and want to share some idea's on how to bring your home from winter to spring. 

To set the stage...I go hard for Christmas. I'm talking like antique snowshoes, ski's and sleds. Indoor wreath's, outdoor wreath's, reindeer's and Santa's galore. 

I knew that I had some work to do in order to get my home out of winter wonderland. 

So, I grabbed my wallet and headed for Home Goods. 

Here is what I kept in mind while shopping:

1. The bunny theme only lasts until Easter: Ok. Ok, so you see some bunnies. HOWEVER, I tried my best not to let Easter throw up in house. I want this to look nice until summer so I tried my best to stay away from Holiday specific items. 

2. Stick with one color palette: Mine was green. That helped me narrow down my choices. If it had accents of green, I used that to tie things together.

3. Bring a second set of eyes: I'm an advocate for a shopping buddy. They can be your voice of reason when you pick up the three foot painted rabbit. 

The pictures below contain most of my finds. If you are interested in something particular, leave a comment and I can try and find a dupe for you online! 

At Home Photo Shoot Fails

Themed photoshoots for every single Holiday are all the rage in the baby world. Easter? Let's rent a bunny, set up a backdrop and take cute pictures. 

I'm not going to fib...I love it. BUT, I don't love the price. So, I decided that I was going to buy myself a $15 backdrop from amazon, some bunny ears and use my trusty cannon because, y'know, I'm basically a photographer, right?

Nope. No. Not right. 

Wrinkles, less the good photoshop skills, and a kid surrounded by his own toys = a mess. A cute mess. But still a mess. 

The Dinnertime Battle: Toddler Meals

When my guy was first starting solid foods, he was easy peasy. He didn't fuss about anything at all. In fact, he loved veggies! Any type of veggie I gave him he ate right up! Devoured em'! Now... well...

He. Has. An. Opinion.

The nerve.

My weekend routine has become trying different meal combo's to figure out what he won't hurl on the floor. Honestly, finding foods that the dude will actually eat has been a pretty stressful experience for me. He has always been on the high end of the growth growth chart for height and pretty normal for weight. For whatever reason, I have this nagging dread that he will dip under at his one year appointment. This dread has turned into mealtime stress for everyone. I've asked around to all of the Mom's I know and I have round up some tips on how to make meal time less stressful. I've literally followed every one of these tips and they have made my life much, much easier. 

1. Limit the amount of time you spend at the table: Ok. So, in the height of C's mealtime revolt, we'd spend an hour and a half at the high chair with me begging him to eat. That's nonsense. Limit mealtime to a 1/2 hour. If baby doesn't eat everything, so be it. Babies won't starve themselves and they will learn that they have to eat when we are all eating.

2. A sippy cup: If baby is old enough, introduce a sippy cup into the dinner routine. Sometimes solids can make a little thirsty just like us! So, a sippy cup with some water could make a difference.

3. Persistence: Before you throw in the towel on a food group, give it to your little several times. It may take 3-4 tastes to get used to the texture. 

4. Eat together: If baby sees you eat, he knows it's time to eat and it just becomes part of the routine. 

5. Calm Down: This one makes me LOL. Yeahhhh, calm down. Suuuure. But, babies sense stress. Mine can sniff it out like a bloodhound. Have a glass of wine before mealtime to calm your nerves and just enjoy your time together. The less stressful dinner is, the happier the experience will be.

Look for Less: Overalls and Kicks

Overalls are just fun. They transport me back to my youth. A time when one-pieced clothing was the norm to wear. Wearing them styled with a classic black tank and black sneakers brings them to another level. I'd even argue that a staw fedora would top this look off. 

Check out my H&M dupes below!

The Look For Less: Sleek and Modern Spring White

Spring white. Chic and classic. Just be careful to stay out of the mud!

Madewell Look: Here

H&M

Jeans: Here

Tee: Here

Sneakers: Here

5 Must-Haves for Spring (For Baby!)

Spring has arguably the best kid fashion. Maybe it's because of the wellies. I think it must be the wellies. This is the season where extra-bright colors abound, bow tie's flourish and rain coats get much use. 

xx

Photo's all sourced from Pinterest

5 Simple One Pan Recipes

Quick, mess free simple meals give me life. When I walk in the door from work, the very last thing I want to do is dirty a bunch of dishes, pots and pans to make dinner. I want to play with Bink, talk to my husband, write up a couple posts, perhaps enjoy a glass of wine and maybe do a workout video.

So, when I came across PureWow and this outstanding recipe series I was thrilled. 

STEAK WITH BEETS AND CRISPY KALE

1. Bring four 8- to 10-ounce beef tenderloin steaks to room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes. 
2. While the steaks rest, prepare the vegetables: Roughly tear 1 bunch kale into bite-sized pieces. Trim and peel 1 bunch beets. Using a sharp knife or a mandoline, slice the beets into very thin slices. 
3. In a large bowl, toss the kale and beets with 3 tablespoons olive oil; season with salt and pepper. 
4. Arrange the beets and kale on a greased baking sheet. Brush the steaks on each side with ½ teaspoon olive oil. Season each side with salt, pepper and ¼teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning. Arrange the steaks directly on the baking sheet (not on top of any vegetables). 
5. Position the top oven rack in the middle of the oven and then preheat the broiler on low. Place the baking sheet in the oven and broil for 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Remove the sheet from the oven, flip each steak over and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more (the steaks will be medium rare, the beets will be tender and the kale will be crisp). 
7. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow the steaks to rest 5 minutes before serving. To serve, Divide the steaks and vegetables evenly among four plates.

Absolutely delish. These five featured will become staples in my evening dinner routine. 

PHOTO: LIZ ANDREW/STYLING: ERIN MCDOWELL for PureWOW 

5 Must-Haves For Spring

I've pulled together a short-list of the must have items for your spring wardrobe. These five staples should help you strut right into warmer weather.

Photo Credit:

Shoes: Here

Striped Top: Here

Denim Dress: Here

Cardigan: Here

Necklace: Here

New Favorite: VSCO Cam

I take a lot of pictures. A whole bunch. I want to start taking some videos too because who doesn't love to watch old home videos?! I digress....

There is a new app called VSCO cam. And by "new" I mean new to me. It looks like the company has been around since 2011. Per their website:

VSCO® is an art and technology company empowering people everywhere to create, discover, and connect. Our goal is to honor art and artist while fueling a worldwide creative movement through innovative tools and experimental projects.

Founded in 2011, VSCO is based in Oakland, CA with an office in New York City, NY.

This app lets you edit your photo's (and video's I believe) with some really beautiful new filters. There are new filter packs created by artists around the globe that you can purchase in app. You can easily upload your professional photo's on the website and edit through the app as well. There is a social aspect of the site in that you can "publish" your photo's for others to see. 

Honestly, I see this app giving Instagram a serious run for it's money. 

At the very least, I will now be using this as my primary photo-editing site. 

Check out their website here: http://vsco.co/

The Look for Less

Madewell is, hands down, one of my absolute favorite brands. I actually visited one of their store locations for the FIRST TIME EVER over the holidays. Madewell just screams effortless classic style. Their clothes make you look crisp yet comfortable all at the same time. Like you are perfectly put together but didn't spend more than 10 minutes doing it. As a mom of an infant, that speaks volumes to me. The one thing that I really struggle with is the Madewell price as I'm sure many of you do. 

I took a look at their lookbook and challenged myself to dupe some of the styles featured. My go to spot for this was H&M. While they are exact matches, they are pretty darn close. You won't break the bank AND you will look effortlessly cool. 

xx

Madewell look: Here

H&M

Faux Suede Jacket: Here

Jeans: Here

Top: Here 

The Word on Weaning

When I decided to write this blog, I did it for the purpose of connecting with other women out there that could potentially be going through the same things that I am. I think there is nothing worse that feeling alone. There is honestly nothing worse than thinking that nobody can relate to you or understand you. Everyone needs a tribe. Whether your tribe is your close friends you've had for years or a group or strangers that you have found common ground with - it doesn't matter. So long as you have somebody.  

Well tribe... I want to talk to you about weaning. When I made the choice to breastfeed, I honestly didn't anticipate the deep emotional connection it would spark between my baby and I. Of course, every mother and child have a deep emotional connection...

But, for me, the act of giving him life and sustenance from my body was so empowering to me. I loved nursing. When I went back to work I dedicated myself to 3-4 pumping sessions a day so I could continue nursing. I got to the six month mark and was determined to make it the full twelve months. That is when my meeting and travel schedule interfered. It made it very challenging for me to maintain a normal pumping schedule. Flights, hotels and all day meetings quickly caused my supply to wane and I decided it was time to ween. 

I can remember the last time I nursed him. Even now I get teary over it. I would give anything to rewind time, stop the weaning, put my foot down and muster through. It was just such a wonderful bonding experience that I will treasure forever. 

What I read about weaning focused more on the transition to bottle and the change in routine rather than the actual emotional impact it could have on the mother. And by emotional impact, I mean some form depression. It took me a very long time to connect the dots and honestly understand what has been happening to my body over the last few months - so let me break it down for you. 

Weaning alone is emotional. It means that your little one has reached a stage in their development where they are no longer solely dependent on Mom for sustenance. Nursing also produces endorphin's for Mom AND burns calories. This stops when nursing stops. For some people (like me!) that equals immediate weight gain. Once you stop nursing your body also attempts to kick itself back into your normal monthly cycle. That means a rush of hormones. 

I stopped nursing in December. It is now February. I can genuinely say I have yet to consistently feel like myself. I have good days and I have bad days. My doctor says once my hormones finally even out, I should get back into the swing of things and consistently feel like myself. While I wait for that to happen, I will just keep in mind that these feelings are normal. That change is hard. That the little, no matter what, would have eventually weaned. 

I'm sure many of you have experienced this process while weaning your kiddo's. I would love to hear about them. 

3 Tips on Finding Confidence

Secret. I struggle with confidence. It doesn't matter that I have a successful career, beautiful family, nice car or home. It doesn't matter. I still struggle. I constantly critique my body, my face, my decision and intelligence. 

  

I wish I could be thinner, smarter, and more decisive. As I get older, I try to actively coach myself to be more active in self love.

When I became a mother, displaying confidence and loving myself became even more important to me. I didn't want my son to see me not believing in myself... because I always want him to believe in himself. 

Here are a couple tips I use to reinforce my confidence.

1. Nerd out and buy a Journal: I bought a journal. I did. And every day I write at least one thing I love about myself, or one wonderful thing that I did, or great decision I made. Sure,I can also use it to write down the things I hope for, the things that worry me and everything I care about. But, it's key to include one thing I really just like about me.

2. Practice Yoga or Meditation: The act of clearing your mind can actually help you see more clearly. Precisely see yourself more clearly. 

3. Take (or have someone take) photo's of yourself: Selfies, posed pictures, professional or amateur... doesn't matter. Just document you. When you are 90 and all of you great grand "children/nieces/nephews" want to see pictures of you, you will have something lovely to share. Who cares if your hair, makeup or clothes aren't perfect. They will just want to see you. 

Baby Travel Essentials

a | b | c | d | e | f

When you have a baby, you belonging multiply by two to three thousand. Literally. Travelling with a baby, in my humble opinion, is an art! I've round up my essentials to hopefully make any trek easier for other parents. 

a. POUCH FOOD! Need it. Convenient and nutritious. 

b. Yogurt Melts. Dude's new fave snack. We like the happy baby brand. These little nuggets of pure gold calm a fussy baby during a long restaurant stay.

c. Sleep sacks make a chilly room snuggly and warm which equals more sleep for mum and dad.

d. A snuggly stuffed animal. For cuddles, of course.

e. Ergo Baby. Ergo's is a must have for me simply because it's easier to navigate pretty much any setting with an ergo versus a carriage. Plus, it lets your little enjoy all of the same views as you.

f. A pack and play. We have a Lotus. They are seriously so necessary. The cribs in hotels are just very gross. This eliminates and random germs from other kiddo's past.

What are your essentials?!