swim survival

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Before Emma was even born I knew I wanted to enroll her in an infant swim survival class. I had a coworker who did it with her daughter and the stories she would tell me of how her baby could float on her back before she could even walk blew me away. If you've never heard of it, infant swim survival teaches your baby to roll over to their back and float independently until help can arrive - it essentially teaches them how to save their own life in case of an accidental fall in the water, which is pretty critical for us considering we live 100 yards from a pool and the cabin has two ponds and a stream. Emma has been practicing these skills since she was almost 5 months old, and her ability to turn and float still amazes us - not to mention the peace of mind we have knowing our baby can self rescue. If you're thinking about signing your baby up for swim classes, I highly recommend going with a swim survival program.

{made for dinner} broccoli and pesto pasta

We have a ton of cookbooks, but because of our handy binder system, we rarely ever look at them. But every now and then we get into a dinner rut and end up combing our cookbooks in desperation. One of our favorites is Jamie's Food Revolution by Jamie Oliver. It's full of simple recipes with fresh ingredients, and we have yet to find a dud. We discovered this one last week, and everyone loved it. The original calls for tagliatelle but we used gemelli to make it more toddler friendly. We also added garlic, because - well - pasta without garlic should be a crime.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium potato
• 1 head of broccoli
• a large bunch of fresh basil
• sea salt
• 1 lb of gemelli pasta
• 1/4 cup green pesto
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 tbsp of olive oil
• 3 ounces Parmesan cheese

Directions:

To prepare your pasta:

1. Wash and peel the potato and cut it into very thin shavings using a speed peeler
2. Slice the end off the broccoli stalk
3. Cut little broccoli florets off the head and put them to one side
4. Halve the thick stalk lengthways, then slice thinly
5. Pick the basil leaves and discard the stalks
6. Grate the Parmesan
7. Mince the garlic

To cook your pasta

1. Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil
2. Add the pasta and broccoli stalks and cook according to the instructions on the box
3. Meanwhile, saute the garlic in the olive oil
4. 2 minutes before the pasta is cooked, add the broccoli florets and potato slices
5. Drain everything in a colander over a large bowl, reserving some of the cooking water, and return to the pan
6. Roughly chop half of your basil leaves and add to the pan with the pesto, garlic, and half the Parmesan
7. Give it all a good stir and if the sauce is too thick for your, add a splash of the cooking water to thin it out a bit

To serve your pasta:

1. Divide the pasta between your serving bowls
2. Sprinkle over the rest of the Parmesan and the remaining basil leaves
3. Serve with a lovely big bowl of salad, and enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Jamie Oliver's cookbook, Jamie's Food Revolution

{life list} progress!

And just like that, summer is over... fastest summer ever, right? We kind of had a lot going on, but still. Amid all the craziness, I did manage to knock a few things off of my Life List... #33 - Keep a plant alive for more than 3 months... Remember these terrariums? Yeah, I kept one of them alive for FIVE MONTHS! Can you believe it? I'm sure many of you are reading this and thinking "what's the big deal?", but I have the blackest of black thumbs, so this new record is kind of a big deal for me. AND, it didn't even die, we just couldn't keep it alive during the cross-country move. Who knows how long I could have kept my streak going! Admittedly, the other terrarium died a slow and neglected death, but I'm still calling this one a victory.

#37 - Watch Emma eat her first ice cream cone... I'm so bummed I didn't think to get a picture of this at the time, but Emma did have her first ice cream cone this summer (well, we shared one) and she loved it! For those of you curious about what it was, it should come as no surprise that we went with only the best for our little boo boo - Almond Brittle with Salted Ganache from Salt & Straw.

#49 - Rock my natural hair color (or have it be mostly my natural color)... Back in February, I hinted that I was getting ready to take the plunge into mousy brownville, and I did. And while I wouldn't say I hated it, my natural color just didn't feel like me. (Every fake blond reading this knows exactly what I'm taking about.) I gave it a solid effort, though. Despite wanting to dye it back immediately, I kept it for almost 4 months, during which time I sent my BFF the following message: "Let's make a pact to never dye our hair brown again. It's never easier, it's never less maintenance, and we both look way better as bottle blondes. Deal? - sincerely, your regretfully brown-haired bff." That pretty much sums it up. I'm happily back to blond, and staying that way for good!

3 down, 73 to go! And I'm signed up for my photography class (#53), we're knocking out the AFI top 100 (#76), and I found my perfect shade of lipstick (#54)- I just have to order it. Have you made a Life List yet? How's it going so far??

{life list} AFI's 100 Movies - 90 to 100

We're slowly but surely chipping away at my Life List goal of watching all 100 films on the AFI Top 100 list. We're rating each one as we go, and decided not to look at the other's review before writing our own to make it a bit more fun. Here's what we thought of 90 through 100...

{#100 - Ben-Hur}

What Jared thought... B+. Quite a long movie, but Judah Ben Hur is pretty badass. The sheer production and amount of extras for a movie from the 50s is very impressive.

What I thought... B. Oh, Judah Ben-Hur. Your story is good, but so, so long. The film itself was impressive, given the scale and action and year in which it was filmed, but it could have easily been an hour shorter.

{#99 - Toy Story}

What Jared thought... A. Obviously a classic and was mind-blowing at the time, being the first feature-length Pixar movie. Great storyline, characters, etc. Basically everything is great.

What I thought... A. Toy Story is a classic, and it's the first in a long line of Pixar films that so brilliantly combine a great story with cutting edge animation. I loved it the first time I saw it, and it was just as great all these years later.

{#98 - Yankee Doodle Dandy}

What Jared thought... B-/C+. Honestly don't understand the reason why this is considered one of the top 100 films of all time. I feel like any movie on this list, regardless of knowing any background or not, you should be able to just watch and say, "That was a great movie!" I've watched musicals and whatnot with Sinatra or Bob Hope from that era, and I think any of the ones I've seen would match right up with this one.

What I thought... C. The only thing that saved this movie for me was the back story - if I didn't know that it was based on a true story, or that James Cagney was basically the James Gandolfini of his time and for him to do a movie musical was kind of ridiculous (making his performance all the more impressive) - this would have gotten an even lower grade from me. I love musicals, but there are much better than this (hello, Newsies!) and I'm not sure why this even made the Top 100.

{#97 - Blade Runner}

What Jared thought... B. Very strange movie, but the special effects made for a very realistic-looking world of the future.

What I thought... B. I have to preface this by saying I'm not super into sci-fi, but the story here was interesting. Harrison Ford and the special effects (which I could usually care less about, but were very impressive for early 80s) saved this one for me.

{#96 - Do The Right Thing}

What Jared thought... B. I don't like Spike Lee (it has to do with a run-in at a Bruce Hornsby concert at the Blue Note in NYC…don't ask), but I did think this was a good movie. I have a hard time saying I enjoyed watching it, because I feel like it's purposely a rather hard movie to watch, but it was well acted and written.

What I thought... B. I liked this move more than I thought I would. It was thought provoking, if a little film school self-indulgent.

{#95 - The Last Picture Show}

What Jared thought... B. I'm showing my cinematic ignorance here, but I feel like this could have just as easily been a play, rather than a movie. It was more depressing than I thought it would be, but I did like it.

 What I thought... B-. This was just okay for me. The acting was superb, and it was great seeing a young Jeff Bridges (who I love) do his thing, the story just didn't hook me.

{#94 - Pulp Fiction}

What Jared thought... A. I absolutely love this movie. Samuel L Jackson is nothing short of brilliant, in a role that pretty much defined him (in my opinion). I've watched this movie at least a few dozen times since it came out and I enjoy every bit of it, except that I've always disliked the song that Mia puts on before she OD's. But that's a very small criticism for a great movie.

What I thought... B+. I hadn't seen this in years and it has held up as simply a great f-ing movie.

{#93 - The French Connection}

What Jared thought... N/A. I honestly do not remember watching this movie, so I couldn't have liked it very much. I know Gene Hackman was in it, and he was great as Lex Luthor and in Unforgiven, so maybe I should just go with a B and call it a day.

What I thought... B. I had to watch this in film class in college and remembered nothing of it. I should have tried harder to stay awake back then because it was actually a pretty good movie… a good and gritty detective movie like they rarely seem to make these days.

{#92 - Goodfellas}

What Jared thought... A+. I've loved this movie since the first time I saw it in high school. I've read the book (which I actually think is better) as well, and the movie definitely does it justice.  It's eminently quotable, and the acting is off the charts great.  Ma, I can't leave it there, it's a sin.

What I thought... A. I don't know why this is ranked so low on this list. Such a fantastic movie… brilliant acting, and I'm a sucker for a good sympathetic antagonist like Henry Hill.

{#91 - Sophie's Choice}

What Jared thought... B/B-. To quote Seinfeld, "Oh that Meryl Streep, she's such a phony!". A very good, if utterly heartbreaking movie. I feel like the middle part dragged out and then all of a sudden WHAMO, they go for the gut punch. Maybe that was intentional, maybe not.

What I thought... B. Ugh. WRECKED. That is how I felt after this movie. Completely and utterly wrecked. I was still crying when the movie ended and I kept saying to Jared, "It's just so awful! Can you imagine?" I cried the next day just thinking about it. Aside from the soul destroying story, this movie is yet another example of why Meryl Streep is the master and all other actresses must bow before her. She's simply flawless.

{#90 - Swing Time}

What Jared thought... B+. Fun movie, great dancing, and a great story. Not much else to say.

What I thought... B+. I could watch Fred Astaire dance all day. I think there's something so fascinating about watching someone do with great ease what you are so completely incapable of doing. I have two left feet and the only time I'm relaxed enough to look halfway decent dancing is when I'm quite drunk. Anyway... this was a fun movie and I found it impossible not to be charmed by the legendary Fred and Ginger.

Have you seen any of these movies? I'd love to know what you thought!

how I make breastfeeding work as a working mom

Yep. I'm finally going there. I've debated for a long time whether or not I should write about my experience with breastfeeding. It's such a personal subject, and every woman's experience is different. But by some miracle I've been able to exclusively breastfeed Emma while working full time for the past 14 months and we're still going strong... so I hope that in sharing my experience and what has helped me along the way I might be able to help other working mamas.

(Disclaimer: if you are my father or father-in-law, we're getting into specifics here, so while I appreciate you reading my little blog, this post may not be for you.) :-)

It has been my experience that our relationship with breastfeeding our babies is always evolving. As our baby's needs change, so must nursing. I think this is one of the most challenging aspects of nursing - you finally feel like everything is working, and a tooth comes in or your supply changes and suddenly you're stressed and find yourself questioning whether or not it's time to wean. These moments aren't made any easier by the comment you get over and over and over again from well-meaning friends and family: "Oh you're still breastfeeding? That's great." Equal parts supportive and judgy, the "still" always feels so loaded, even if it's not. I am neither hero nor freak of nature - I'm simply a mom who's trying to do what's best for her baby. So without further adieu, here's how I've made it work over the past 14 months...

Breastfeeding did not come easily for me. In fact, I know very few women who didn't experience some element of difficulty when they first started nursing. Yes, breastfeeding is best - but it can also be really really hard. Emma wanted to nurse 24/7 and I just couldn't get a good latch, so nursing was extremely painful. There were a lot of tears and a lot of crappy moments feeling like a failure as a mama. To get through it until I could come up with a better solution, I ended up pumping on the most painful side. So each feeding consisted of a bottle and whatever she wanted from the less painful side. Around 2 months, and after help from an amazing lactation consultant, craniosacral therapy for Emma, and time to - well - let things toughen up, nursing finally got better. Those were two of the most difficult months of my life, but I'll be forever thankful that I stuck it out. And because I was already pumping I ended up with a decent stash of reserves so I had more than enough for that first day back at work.

The transition back to work wasn't nearly as bad as I had feared. I am very fortunate to work for a company and bosses that are not only understanding of my desire to breastfeed my baby, but are also extremely supportive - and yes, there's a difference. When I worked from the office (I just started working from home a couple of months ago) I had a private room to pump in that no one else ever used, and I found it fairly easy to plan my 10-15 minute pumping sessions around meetings. My biggest stress regarding pumping at work didn't have anything to do with privacy or feeling like it was impacting my performance - it was whether or not I was pumping enough. It's an obsessive task, all the counting of ounces, making sure the bottles have just the right amount. At 3 months, Emma was taking three to four 4.5 ounce bottles while she was at daycare and thankfully when I first went back I could easily pump that much and then some.

My oversupply gradually turned into just enough, and then not enough. By 6 months my pumping output had become less predictable and even though Emma was taking a bit less at daycare (three 4 ounce bottles), around 9 months I added a 4th pumping session right before I went to bed just so I could round out the next day's bottles. I know what you're thinking... what a chore! But I wasn't ready to give up nursing and make the switch to super pricey formula so I did what I had to do.

Aside from supply stresses, the other major challenge I've faced being a breastfeeding working mom is travel. I usually travel about once a month for work - sometimes day trips, sometimes overnight. And as a result I have pumped in more places than I care to count... airport bathrooms, airport nursing rooms (yay SFO and SEA!), airplane bathrooms, client bathrooms, client nursing rooms (yay Accenture!), train bathrooms, hotel rooms, hotel lobby bathrooms, and rental cars. I'm pretty sure having an automatic toilet flush underneath you before you're done is the worst feeling I've encountered in a public bathroom, but pumping milk for my baby while people are doing god knows what in the stalls next to me is a very close second. Pumping in bathrooms is always a last resort, and sometimes you just have to do what you have to do... plug your nose, think of a happy place, and seal everything up as quickly as possible.

I've been fortunate to never have a single issue getting my milk or pump through TSA, and I've taken a decent amount of milk through. If I'm going for a day trip I just pack the little cooler and ice pack that fits in my pump bag (I have the Medela Pump in Style) and use either my pump bag or my laptop bag to hold my wallet, keys, etc. so that I don't go over my 2 carry on limit. For overnight trips, I'll use the same approach and use the little plastic storage bags for milk since you can fit a lot in the cooler, or I'll pack a slightly bigger cooler in my suitcase.

Storing milk overnight can be a bit tricky depending on your hotel. I'm a Starwood gal and have always had good experiences with them either having a fridge I can fit my milk in or bringing a mini fridge up to my room. A lot of people don't know the mini fridge is an option at most hotel chains... you just have to ask!

When we moved and Emma started her new daycare, I decided to do something that has completely changed my relationship with pumping... I decreased her to 2 bottles a day, and I'm just sending what I pump. I sometimes don't even look at the ounces. I'm lucky if I get 2 ounces out in a pumping session, and that's okay. She's getting almost everything she needs from food, and still isn't tolerating plain milk very well, so I'm happy to continue supplementing her nutrition with breastmilk. Plus, with working from home I've found it's nice to have those 2 forced breaks to step away from my computer.

At this point I'm just following Emma's lead... My original goal was just to get to a year, and I'm the first to admit I didn't think I'd still be nursing at this point. I keep expecting her to lose interest, but so far she's just as eager for her 4 daily nursing sessions as she always has been. Her daytime sessions are short and sweet, but her morning and bedtime sessions are still around 15 minutes. And now she eagerly signs for milk and it's the cutest thing ever. How can I say no to that? Yes, I'd love to stop having to pump, but every time I have those moments of feeling like it's not worth it, I think about actually nursing Emma - not pumping - and how wonderful and rewarding it is and I just can't bring myself to wean her before she's ready.

You may think after reading all of this - wow, she's put in a crazy amount of effort just to be able to breastfeed her baby - but for as selfless as pumping can feel, still being able to breastfeed and have that bond with my baby feels wonderfully selfish. Yes, breastfeeding is hard... it can be emotionally and physically draining, but it has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life and I'm grateful every day that I stuck with it.

UPDATE! I realized from Andrea's comment below that while I blabbed on and on about my experience, I didn't include a ton of tips aside from the travel stuff. So... here are my top 5 tips for making breastfeeding work as a working mom:

1. Be unapologetically stubborn - With yourself, with your job, with every thought and comment that makes you question if this is all worth it. It will take work, and there will be highs and lows, but if this is what you want, it's definitely achievable.
2. Find a good lactation consultant to work with - Us moms tend to have a tough time asking for help, but this is one area you don't have to (and shouldn't!) go it alone. But not all lactation consultants are made equal and it's important that you find one that you're comfortable with and that is supportive of your goals. Even if you're not having issues with breastfeeding, they can be invaluable in getting you prepped to go back to work - from making sure your pump is working for you, that you're using the right shield size (I had no idea I wasn't), and that you're pumping the right amount for your baby.
3. Find something to do while pumping that nurtures your soul - Your pumping sessions don't always have to feel like a chore. You're not a dairy cow! Whether it's having a piece of chocolate, reading a good book, or doing some stretching after you're done, treat your pumping sessions as an opportunity to do something that's just for you and you might actually start looking forward to those breaks.
4. Reevaluate your baby's needs as your supply changes - This is one of the most stressful aspects for pumping moms, and it's important to make sure you're considering your baby's changing needs as you experience decreases in your supply. It could be that your baby needs less, and you should attempt to send smaller bottles to daycare before you start stressing out and adding unnecessary pumping sessions. The website Kelly Mom was immensely helpful to me as I navigated these changes.
5. Remember that everything is a phase - This is probably the best parenting advice I've gotten so far: Everything is a phase... the good stuff, the bad stuff, the teething and biting, the distracted nursing. Treasure the good times and don't panic during the bad times because they're all fleeting. This has been especially helpful for me to keep in mind as a working mom - the pumping won't last forever but neither will breastfeeding. Try not to stress too much about the former, and cherish the latter.

What about you? What has your experience with breastfeeding while working been like? Are you going back to work soon and have questions? Let me know!

Homemade Kettle Corn (it's so easy!)

 

Don't hate me for sharing this with you. I've made it approximately 17 times since discovering the recipe a couple of weeks ago. Jared and I have been making microwave popcorn from plain kernels using this approach for ages, but now that we've discovered you can make it on the stove there's no turning back. It's a far superior method - especially when you add sugar to make it Kettle Corn!

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup popcorn kernels
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. (We use a deep non-stick pot with a heavy glass lid.) Add the popcorn and sugar. Give the kernels a quick stir and then cover with a lid. Once the popcorn starts popping, carefully pick the pot up and give it a quick shake every few seconds until the popping slows down, between 3-4 minutes. Remove immediately from the heat and pour the kettle corn into a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and serve immediately. Do not make the mistake of removing the pot from heat without transferring to a bowl. Due to the high heat of the pot, if you don’t transfer the popcorn it will caramelize and perhaps burn. (Also, do not attempt to make a batch of this in a dutch oven. The original poster tried this and it caramelized too quickly and burned.)

(Note: if you're not a kettle corn fan, you can use this same recipe to make plain popcorn - just leave out the sugar. That's how Jared makes it, and once it's done he drizzles some melted butter on top.)

This recipe makes a good amount for 2 or 3 people to share, but you can halve everything for a single (albeit generous) serving. (Making a quarter of this recipe is probably a good "watching my weight" size.) Enjoy!

Recipe from Kitchen Explorers on PBS.com

Our First House: Before & After

(Note: most of the before photos are from the original listing when we bought the house, and all of the after photos are what our photographer, Terry Iverson, took right before we went on the market.)

Front Before

Front After

{Changes made}

Nothing major... just landscaping maintenance and getting the trees trimmed back

Living Room After

{Changes made}

Nothing major... ahead of going on the market we took down our massive TV and decluttered the bookcases and mantle

Dining Room After

{Changes made}

- Painted the same color as the living room to make it feel more like one big space

- New curtains and hardware

- Ahead of going on the market we gave the main section of the buffet a new coat of paint so it would shine at the showings

Kitchen before

Kitchen after

{Changes made}

We upgraded all of the appliances except the dishwasher. You can't see it in this photo, but we also upgraded the refrigerator from a white side by side to a stainless steel with french doors with a pull out freezer drawer. It was roomy and wonderful.

We also replaced all of the cabinet hardware, which made a much bigger difference than I anticipated considering it only cost us about $100.

Landing Before

Landing After

 {Changes made}

Got rid of that hideous yellow and painted the whole area a nice neutral color

Sun Room before

Sun Room after

{Changes made}

This is one of the most changed rooms in the whole house, and you can get all the details here!

Guest Bedroom before

Guest Bedroom after

{Changes made}

It's amazing what a coat of paint will do! We got rid of that icky dark blue and painted the room one of my favorite colors ever, Benjamin Moore Woodland White. It's this super soft pale green and I love how it completely transformed the room.

We also replaced the outdated window treatments with simple roman blinds.

Guest Bathroom before

Guest Bathroom after

{Changes made}

You can't see it in either picture but we replaced the gross crooked builder grade round bulb light fixture with something much prettier (and level!)

We also gave the wainscoting another coat because whoever originally renovated this bathroom only gave it one coat and you could see the bare wood peeking through. Shame shame.

Nursery before

Nursery after

{Changes made}

This room still makes me so happy. :-) You can read about all the changes we made here.

Master Bathroom before

Master Bathroom after

 {Changes made}

Ah yes, the saddest master bathroom of all time. It's so tiny! It's definitely the thing I miss least about our first house. We were pretty limited in what we could do here, but we did give it a lighter paint color (Benjamin Moore Pearl River).

We also took the shelves out of that nook to the right of the shower and installed towel hooks and a basket, that way we could keep the walls clear and make it feel just the tiniest bit bigger.

Master Bedroom before

Master Bedroom before

Master Bedroom after

{Changes made}

Let's be honest here, one look at the bedroom before and it's not hard to believe that the owners before us got divorced. From the paint, to the ceiling fan, to the TV where the vanity should be, it was all just plain bad.

The first thing we did was paint the walls the same Benjamin Moore Pearl River gray that's in the bathroom. We also gave the whole wall with the closets and vanity a fresh coat of white paint. The top to the vanity was bare wood before and it really came together once we painted it white.

We also replaced the old wooden ceiling fan (it had a plastic unicorn head at the end of it's pull string, I kid you not), the window treatments, and installed sconces on either side of the bed.

Basement before

Basement before

Basement after

Basement after

 {Changes made}

The basement was a huge labor of love, and I'm glad for it because by the time we moved we were spending the majority of our evenings down there.

We immediately replaced the Costco washer and dryer with my dream front loading washer and dryer. They almost made doing laundry fun.

We also tore out all of the remnants of old walls that used to be down there as well as the ceiling tiles. (I love how hours and hours of work end up getting packed into one small sentence.)

We installed carpet tiles when I was 8 months pregnant, and turned the space into a multi-use family room, with tv, crafting, and play areas. Jared even had a keezer (it's like a kegerator) down there! It wasn't fancy, but functionally the space really worked for us.

Backyard before

Backyard before

Backyard after

Backyard after

{Changes made}

The backyard was Jared's pet project for the 2+ years we lived there. He worked his tail off weekend after weekend, and it shows. He ended up creating so much more space for us back there, including areas for grilling, a garden box, and a fire pit. We moved before the weather got nice, and I would have loved to see it one more time in full bloom.

Whew! That's it! 2 years of hard work packed into one post. If you have questions about resources or anything else, just shoot me a comment or email.

doing something about it

It should be pretty clear from this post and this post that the past few months have been some of the toughest of my life. And part of what has made this so challenging for me is the lack of control I've felt in all of this... we moved for Jared's job, for Emma's future - and what I wanted sort of got lost in the shuffle. I was okay with that because what I want most in life is for my family to be happy. But I'm no martyr mama. And it was high time I get back to doing what nurtures me as an individual, not just as a wife and mother. So I've been making an effort to get out more and explore our new city. Emma and I had a girls day last Saturday and went downtown to check out the shops, walk along the creek, and grab some dinner. We even happened upon a crazy bike race with those old fashioned tall bikes with the big front wheels (they're apparently called Penny Farthings.)

Another big part of nurturing myself has been getting back to blogging. It's such a simple thing, but it really helps me to feel grounded, focused, and connected. And despite my hiatuses during the move and after Emma's birth, my intention has always been to keep growing and improving my little corner of the Internet. So... I'm very excited to announce that I've signed up for not one, but TWO classes this fall that will undoubtedly help me do just that! I've been wanting to take both for at least a year now, and in the past few days I finally bit the bullet and signed up.

The first is Clickin' Moms Shooting 101: The Best Darn Beginners Course Ever. You may have noticed that my photography has only slightly improved since starting this blog, due to my meager attempts at teaching myself how to operate our camera in AV (and sometimes Manual) mode. And now that Emma's running circles around us, I find myself missing all the perfect shots because I'm still fumbling with the settings. This class is supposed to be one of the best online courses out there, and from the reviews I'm optimistic that it will be money well spent. From everything that we have going on this Fall, to projects I have in the works, I really want to get my photography skills (or lack thereof) in better shape so I can feel more confident sharing photos with you. It's also #53 on my Life List, so yay!

The second class is one I'm still pinching myself about, and I'm pretty sure I won't be able to sleep the night before considering how excited I already am... I signed up for BLOGSHOP!! It's the amazingly fabulous Photoshop for bloggers class taught by Bri from DESIGNLOVEFEST and photographer Angela Kohler. I missed it when they came to Portland, so when I saw that they were coming to DC I knew I had to jump on it. I'm a self-taught Photoshopper so I'm bound to have about a million a-ha moments during those two days learning all the tips and tricks that will make my blogging life a whole lot easier. And I get to learn all those cool graphic-y things I see on other people's blogs and wonder how the heck they did them. I'm super intimidated and have nothing to wear, but I'm hoping everyone else feels that way too and I won't stand out like a sore thumb among my classmates' supreme hipness.

So that's that! My photography class starts in a few weeks, and Blogshop is at the end of October. On top of the hiking, camping, and beach trips we're excited to take as a family this Fall, it feels really good to have a couple of things on the calendar that are just for me. :-)

watch her grow

Emma's approaching an age where she might actually stand still long enough for us to mark her height on a growth chart, so I've been scouring the Internet looking for just the right one. I want something that has a clean look and that can be easily moved to our next home in a couple of years. Here are my favorites:

 This one is a little more than I want to spend, but I love how fun and unique it is.

This one is simple and cute, and would be really easy to DIY.

Measure Me Stick from Studio 1am

This is my favorite among the wooden ruler variety, but I'm still not sure it's the best fit for our decor.

Embroidered growth chart on Apartment Therapy

This one is easily my favorite of the bunch... I have plenty of scrap fabric I could use, and it has both an heirloom and modern feel to it. It's nice enough to keep out if we want, but can also be easily rolled up if we want to keep it stored. I'm determined to make it before the end of the year. Or at least before Emma's like 5 feet tall. :-)

link love - 8.17.12

I can't believe it's been almost 4 months since my last link love post! Ack! Well I'm happy to be getting back into my blogging groove a bit, and to share with you some of the things I've loved this week...

{Life} I've been obsessed with the photography series, Humans of New York. NYC is so energizing, if for no reason more than its people... the fashion, the personalities - you can't help but get caught up in it, and Brandon's portraits capture that energy so perfectly.

{Food} You know those food tips that are so simple and brilliant you can't imagine how you ever got along without them? This strawberry trick is one of those, courtesy of my friend Susan (I like to call her the nicest person I've never met, because - well - that's what she is!) I'm sure it's been all over Pinterest and I've managed to miss it, but I'm going to give Susan all the credit anyway.

 {DIY} Okay, so this is more beauty than DIY but I just had to share it. The lovely gals at The Beauty Department are my go to resource for all things pretty, and they just may change some lives with this latest tip. Apparently, swiping your mascara wand on a tissue before each coat is the key to clump-free, soft looking lashes. Who knew? Well, they did obviously, but now we do too! And I'm here to say it works like a charm.

 {Sewing} Even though I haven't touched my sewing machine in months (tear!) I still accumulate post after post of stuff I want to make - this top especially! The cut, the fabric... just perfect.

{Shopping} I added this ring to my Wish List the moment I saw it. It's a wee bit pricey (okay, a lot pricey) but that's why it's called a wish list, right?

{Laughter} This made my whole day. I love this kid. I love any kid who has a Madonna themed Bar Mitzvah, especially one who does the whole Vogue dance in front of all of his friends, wearing what might be the most amazing white button down shirt that has ever existed. No way was I even remotely this brave or self-confident at 13. I'm not that brave or self-confident now. Job well done, Shaun's parents!

http://youtu.be/I8XDo4lsa10

the new digs

As promised, here are some photos of our new house in Frederick! The first thing you'll notice is that it's very different from our house in Portland. But in all honesty, there are some up sides to living in beige-ville. First of all, it's so nice being able to check on Emma when she's sleeping without having to navigate around the creaks in our old hardwoods. 100 year old houses are quite charming, but also quite loud. And even though we live in a planned community, the walkability is surprisingly great... there's a pool and tennis courts about 100 yards from our house, and we can walk to the grocery store, liquor store, a fantastic county park, and a really great library. (You know, a little something for us - a little something for the kid.) Plus the library has a little farmer's market in its parking lot on Sundays. So even though we're in the burbs, it could be a whole lot worse. Ha, okay - enough with my cynical attitude. The truth is, it's a really nice house, in a really great neighborhood, and I'm glad we ended up here.

So there you have it... oh! I forgot to add that it's 4 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms so we have plenty of room for visitors. :-) I'll add more photos as we get the decor nailed down. We're through the big push of unpacking, now we just need a second wind so we can add those little touches that make it feel like home. Maybe by Thanksgiving? You know, no pressure.

greetings from Maryland...

Hello my lovely blog readers! I'm so sorry for the prolonged absence. This move has taken its toll on me and I tend to retreat when I'm trying to work through something (that something being adjusting to life in Maryland.) The truth is, for as hard as I thought the move was going to be - it's unfortunately been about 100 times harder. I think I've cried more in the past two months than I have in the past two years. First it was about leaving Portland... I didn't just cry for my beloved Rose City - I wept, I sobbed, I ugly cried good and hard when it was time to say goodbye. In short, it sucked. And then we arrived in Maryland and it has been one thing after another since we got here... we found a really nice rental house, but a string of really crappy luck has left us without power, AC, hot water, and a refrigerator at various points over the past month. And don't even get me started on the day care situation for Emma... it's way more expensive here and the quality can't even hold a candle to where she was in Portland. It's immensely frustrating sending your kid off to a place every day that you don't like. So yeah... see why I haven't been blogging? I'm a downer! But I really am trying, despite all the hurdles that keep getting thrown my way. We're here now and I do still believe that this will be the best thing for Emma in the long run. And every time I start to question that, I look at this picture...

That's my mom a few weeks ago on her birthday with Emma and my nephew, Zachary. The happiness on the faces of people I love most in this world makes this all worth it. And for as much as I've struggled with this move, I do know that I can be happy here. It's just going to take a bit of time to work out the kinks.

I know I keep saying it, but I really am going to get back to regular blogging this week. I have photos of our new house to share with you, the big before and after post about our old house, and some funny "before" photos of my post-baby body to shame me into sticking with my new weight loss & workout regime. Okay, I might not do that last post. We'll see how brave / crazy I'm feeling. :-)

10 years

It's hard to believe that 10 years ago today I arrived in London and began what would be one of the best experiences of my life... 6 weeks studying abroad in the UK. I met some of my closest friends to this day on that trip, and will always be immensely grateful to my parents for giving me the opportunity to go abroad - particularly since there was pretty much no studying involved and whole lot of partying. Thanks mom and dad! Love ya! Here are some of my favorite photos (scanned because nothing was digital back then... man, we're getting old!)

Happy anniversary, friends! Especially to my boo, my BFF extraordinaire, Lindsey... the first day we met we stayed up all night drinking cheap wine out of Nalgene bottles and playing cards and I knew we'd be friends forever. May there always be a Burger King with a pay toilet nearby when we need one. Love you to pieces.

XO,

reflections on Emma's first year

A year ago at this time we were in the throes of new parenthood... in complete awe of this tiny person we'd created, but struggling with nursing, naps and everything in between. Emma was not an easy newborn... she's never been a cuddler, never one to just fall asleep on your shoulder. Getting her to sleep in those early months could have been an Olympic event. Bounce, bounce, bounce... bigger more elaborate bouncing, small quick bouncing, bouncing on the exercise ball, bouncing while walking, bouncing while shooshing, bouncing while singing... bounce, bounce, bounce. We were both seeing a chiropractor by the time she turned 3 months old. Once we figured out that she was milk protein intolerant and I cut out dairy things got almost immediately easier. She wasn't feeling like crap all the time, we regained some of our hearing loss. Everyone was happier...

Months 4-8 were nothing short of awesome... it seemed like every week there was a new "thing" she could do: laughing, rolling, solids, first words, sitting up, crawling. She was on a developmental tear and we were happily along for the ride.

And then we hit 9 months... and everything that could fall apart did. Ear infections, food rebellions, teething, sleep regressions - we were all pretty miserable and the lack of sleep was making everything that much harder. She was waking up every 2 hours, standing at the edge of her crib and screaming... and nothing soothed her - not bouncing, shooshing, singing, or nursing. We knew we were in trouble when nursing stopped soothing her. We desperately sought the advice of our pediatrician, who recommended what we feared was coming - sleep training. We'd been so anti... we never felt like she "needed" to be sleeping through the night at a certain point. Prior to her regression she'd been waking once, maybe twice a night to nurse and immediately went back down. It worked. Until it didn't. CIO, extinction - these are not words I ever wanted to be part of our parenting repertoire. But we were desperate... she was screaming with us trying to soothe her, was it really that much worse to let her scream while she tried to self-soothe? You have to tell yourself no to get through it, so we did, and it worked. She never cried for more than 20 minutes, and after 3 nights we were all sleeping much better. I wish it hadn't needed to come to that, but I have no regrets... we let her tell us when she was ready for a different approach, we didn't try to force a sleep schedule on her. It felt right at the time and I'm glad we did it.

As for the ear infections - our trusty Nose Frida has been helping keep them at bay. And her food rebellion was helped a ton when we discovered that she's okay being fed if she also has something to feed herself at the same time... so now if we give her a puree we make sure there are also steamed veggies or Os, puffs, raisins, etc. on her tray. Otherwise the dog, chair, my jeans, my hair, end up with a whole lot more puree than her tummy. It never ceases to amaze me how such a small person can create such a huge mess.

With the exception of a few weeks of intense separation anxiety, months 10-12 were pretty fantastic... Emma started cruising, then walking, and it's been a blast trying to keep up with her. (Okay, it's also been super tiring.) Once she started walking she was done with crawling. She'd rather walk and fall on her tush 8 times trying to get somewhere than crawl. I just have no idea where she gets this stubbornness from! And after 6 months of working at it, she finally mastered her roll and float in swim survival class, and we were super stoked for her. We had been telling her it was okay that she wasn't the best swimmer in her class, that she could get by on her looks if she needed to, but it was a huge relief when it finally clicked for her. (If you haven't looked into swim survival I highly recommend it. It's a little terrifying and kinda pricey but it's so worth it.)

One year later and we're still so in awe of our little girl... for all the ups and downs of parenthood, it's just so insanely worth it.

an update!

Hellooooo! How are you? I'm good... exhausted, but good. The baby and dog are asleep, my tummy is full of dark chocolate coconut ice cream, and I'm laying in bed happy as a clam that I actually have a few minutes to spend on my poor deserted blog. Here's the gist of what's been going on lately...

We put our house on the market... and were under contract in less than 48 hours! It was a whirlwind, and we feel very very fortunate to have fared so well in this economy. More details coming soon, including loads of before and after pics.

Our sweet Emma turned 1 year old last week! I can't believe how quickly this first year flew by, and how much she's changed and grown. Our tiny screaming newborn has turned into this happy little toddler... so curious about her world and with a smile and laugh that melt away even the worst days. I know I'm biased, but she's pretty much the best baby ever. Oh, and we did throw a little 1st birthday bash for her... I'll have more on that soon, too. (Are you noticing a pattern yet?)

Jared left for Maryland last week. Before he left we knocked a bunch of stuff off of our "Before we leave Portland bucket list." It'll get it's own post, too, but one of my favorite things we did was to go back to the place where we got married and take a family photo in the same spot where we said our vows nearly 3 years ago. It was such a special day (Father's Day, actually) and I'm so glad we were able to get up to the mountain one last time.

Life without him here has been a tough adjustment... parenting is just flat-out easier with 2 people, especially when that 2nd person is as hands-on (and awesome) as Jared is, but I'm doing my best and (knock on wood) have yet to have any major parenting fails. As tired as I am, in a weird way it's the time I'm getting one-on-one with Emma that's pulling me through. I live for the moment I walk into her classroom after work and she comes bounding toward me, arms outstretched and grinning from ear to ear... there's no amount of exhaustion that makes that feel any less awesome. That being said, we're heading to Maryland this weekend to look at houses, and I'll be very very glad to be a family of 3 again - even if it's just for a few days.

In other news, I've actually been making progress on my Life List! Again, a post is in the works... but to give you a preview, I've dyed my hair it's natural color (and 3 months later am now happily back to blonde), we're up to #91 on AFI's Top 100 movie list, I had a photo shoot with my mom and sister and our babies, and - miracle of all miracles - I've kept a plant alive for more than 3 months! And now that we're moving back east I have a whole bunch more things I want to add to the list... like having a girls theater weekend in NYC (Newsies, anyone??), and taking a little getaway with Jared to Savannah.

So, let's see... that's at least 4 blog posts I owe you. Guess I better get cracking - er, typing.

XO,

love letter to a house

Our house officially goes on the market tomorrow. We've worked so hard at getting it ready the past few weeks... it has been decluttered, staged, and cleaned within an inch of its life. We are tired. But we're really happy with how it looks, and are crossing everything we've got that all our effort pays off. As part of going on the market, our agent (the amazing Linda Muter... if you're selling or buying in Portland I can't recommend her more highly) asked us to write a letter for potential buyers to read when they come to tour our house. I put it off as long as I could, afraid of the emotion it might unleash, but I'm happy to say I got it done with exactly zero tears shed... perhaps I'm just too exhausted at this point to cry, or my trusty detachment coping mechanism is finally kicking in. Anyway, here it is...

Dear Potential Buyer,

Welcome, and thank you for touring our house!

We knew this was the house for us – our first house – within minutes of walking in the door and we hope you have the same reaction. That was two and a half years ago, and we’ve only grown to love it more with time. From the built-ins, to the molding, to the original doors… the little details of this house give it so much character and have really made it feel like home for us. We love decorating it for the holidays, stringing lights around the trees out front, and hanging stockings over the fireplace. And in the summer we love sitting on the front porch with some home brew, or spending lazy Sunday mornings eating pancakes in the sun room.

But for as much as we love this house, what we’ll miss most about living here is the neighborhood, and especially the neighbors. Within days of us moving in they brought wine, beer, and cookies and made us feel so welcome. We get together for BBQs and holidays… an egg hunt at Easter and a pretty epic 4th of July block party complete with a bounce house and bike parade for the kids.

And being so close to Fremont means that we’re within walking distance of restaurants, coffee, shops, and a market. It’s a rare weekend we aren’t up at Bumblekiss for french toast or at Cha Cha Cha! for burritos. (We can even walk to the Hollywood Library and Whole Foods thanks to a handy shortcut on Alameda.)

We feel like we really lucked out moving into this house, on this street, and we can only hope that the new buyers (maybe you!) love it as much as we have.

Best of luck in your search for a new home.

Sincerely,

Allison & Jared

So that's it... tomorrow we officially take the plunge into selling our beloved first home. I will miss our house and neighborhood more than I can say, but I'm (mostly) ready to see what our new east coast adventure has in store for us. Who knows... maybe we'll find an even better house with just as cool neighbors. I'm nothing if not optimistic. :-)

never say never

Jared and I were Portlanders long before we ever moved here... our liberal, DIY, eco ways made us feel right at home in a city that's as weird and wonderful as it is wet. Portland has become so much a part of who we are - as people, as a couple, as parents - and I can honestly say that there's no city in the country I'd rather live than right here. That's why what I'm about to tell you is really really really bittersweet...

We're moving.

And not only are we moving, we're moving back to the east coast. To Frederick, MD to be exact. Whoever said having kids changes everything could not have been more right... before Emma was born I couldn't have imagined anything pulling us away from this area. Portland was our forever home... everything we imagined for our future as a family was in the context of living here. But in February Jared was contacted by a recruiter for a job in Frederick (45 minutes away from my family in Northern Virginia) and after initially dismissing the idea, we started thinking about what living there would mean...

First of all, we'd have family nearby. We'd have support. And Emma would get to have close relationships with her grandparents, aunts and uncles, and her cousin who is only 3 months younger than her. As of now, every time we see family she has to relearn who they all are... it's only by the end of the trip that she warms up to them and it kills me. From family vacations to date nights to spending holidays together, the family aspect of all this was a huge draw.

Secondly, the schools there are MUCH better than in Portland. The high school she would have gone to here has a 79% graduation rate... and it's one of the better high schools in Portland. Our house is considered to be in an excellent school district. It's baffling. Jared and I both went to excellent public schools, where far greater than 79% not only graduated but went on to 4 year universities. We want the same or even better for Emma, which we'll be able to provide her in Frederick. The only downside is that in order to do so, we may end up having to cross over the dark side of new construction suburbia... a thought that currently pains me, but perhaps I'll come around to.

Thirdly, the cost of living is even better in Frederick than it is in Portland (which is pretty affordable compared to other cities we've lived in.) We'll be able to get more house for our money and be able to more easily afford a bigger family. Frederick is an old city with loads of historic homes... I'd be lying if I said I hadn't already planned out my dream renovation of a big 1900s colonial. :-)

There are plenty of other draws as well... being within driving distance of the cabin, being able to go to Phillies games, taking trips up to NY to see friends, the culture, art, eats in DC and Baltimore, and still having both great hiking and beaches nearby. There's very little that we have here that we can't have there, which is why we decided to accept when Jared was ultimately offered the job.

But... as certain as we are that this move is the best thing for Emma, I do worry about how Jared and I will fit in there. I grew up in Northern Virginia and had one foot out the door as soon as I hit high school. It wasn't me, and has become increasingly less so as I've gotten older and the area has continued to change. Frederick is different... removed from many of the things I don't like about NoVa. I'm hoping that Jared and I can still be "us" there and not feel like total outsiders. There must be other people in Frederick who homebrew, compost, cloth diaper, grow their own hops, and have stellar taste in music, right? Maybe? I guess we'll find out.

So that's the news... that's why I've been so stressed and absent from blogging the past couple of months. On top of all the anxiety about moving, work has been crazy busy. And now we're faced with getting our house sold. Jared's actually going to move out there before me while I stay back with the kiddo and the dog until we can sell the house. Just thinking about that separation is heartbreaking and terrifying, so I'm trying to settle into a blissful state of denial. (Getting the house ready to go on the market has proved a nice, albeit overwhelming distraction.) I'll try my best to keep you posted on all the happenings in the next couple of months. Blogging (and wine) just may be the only thing that keeps me sane while Jared is gone.

Oh, and if anyone reading this lives in the Frederick/DC/Baltimore area, please contact me! I'm very much looking forward to reconnecting with old friends, and maybe even connecting with some fellow crafters/bloggers/ice cream connoisseurs/banjo lovers.

the cabin

Jared and I just got back from a long weekend at our friends' cabin in North Central Pennsylvania, and the trip was exactly what we needed. You may have noticed I've been a little absent from my dear blog lately (and that will sadly continue as the next couple months are likely to be some of the craziest of our lives.) We've been stressed beyond belief, but for now we're recharged... 4 days in the woods, no phones, no internet. It was perfect. We even got to break in our new "our backpacking days are over " tent. (Yeah, it has two rooms. That's apparently how we roll now.) This was my 5th year going to the cabin and while it's different now that most of us have kids, it's still one of my favorite weekends of the year...

 

link love - 4.27.12

Hello! Long time no see. I decided it was time to come up for air to share some of the things that caught my eye this week. Life has continued to be completely crazy, but I'm only 6 days away from vacation and I can. not. wait. By this time next week, I'll be in the middle of nowhere Pennsylvania with no phone, no laptop - just my family, great friends, good tunes, and plenty of Yuengling. I can't think of anything better. :-)

{life} I <3 Portland, and this amazing stop-motion video...

chocolate chip perfection

If you're on Pinterest, you've likely seen a pin floating around for what is supposed to be "the BEST" chocolate chip cookie recipe. It was first published in the New York Times about 4 years ago, and has taken on near legendary status since then. (Fun fact about me: if you put the words the best in front of something, I will nearly always say back to you challenge accepted. Best mac 'n cheese, ice cream, cupcake, chicken parm? I'll be the judge of that, thank you very much.) So I decided to finally try out this famous recipe for myself last weekend, and I'm pleased to report that it very much lived up to the hype. The secret? You let the dough rest for at least 24 hours. This apparently enables the egg to fully saturate the dough and therefore the cookies bake more evenly, and well - perfectly.

In full disclosure, I'm a loyal fan of the chocolate chip cookie recipe on the back of the Tollhouse chip bag. It's a classic, and hard to beat in my opinion. But this recipe is like the adult version of the Tollhouse recipe... the Big to Tollhouse's Aidan. They're classier, more substantial, and worth the wait.

The part of the recipe that really blew my mind was this "Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day." You mean I can just make enough for myself and Jared? I don't have to make them all at once, inevitably taking the extras to work so that they can be enjoyed before going stale? Sorry, coworkers. They're all for me! (Okay, me and Jared.)

New York Times' Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

Time: 45 minutes (for 1 6-cookie batch), plus at least 24 hours’ chilling

Ingredients:

• 2 cups minus 2 tablespoons (8 1/2 ounces) cake flour
• 1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter (or Vegan Buttery Sticks if making dairy-free)
• 1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content (see note)
• Sea salt.

Directions:

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.
2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.
3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.
4. Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big napkin.

Yield: 1 1/2 dozen 5-inch cookies.

Note: Disks are sold at Jacques Torres Chocolate; Valrhona fèves, oval-shaped chocolate pieces, are at Whole Foods.

Recipe from The New York Times