whole parenting
And now for the moment you’ve all held your breath: the baby edition! Read SuperBoy (4) here. Read SweetPea (2) here. I promise I’ll put my edition up soon, too. And check out my friend Sarah’s capsule post for her eldest. Really good ideas, here. But back to baby business. I truly hate lots and lots of baby clothing options. They are ill-fitted or unsuitable for movement or scream PRINCESS or SPORTS. And then they all end up stained to high heaven. I get pickier about baby clothing the more babies I have. Go figure. I actually bought more clothing for BabyLove than practically SweetPea, and she was my first girl! Tops. short sleevers: organic cotton onesies are a must. I like Nature Baby and Under the Nile. Avoid Gerber or Circo (target’s brand) as they are so poorly made they just don’t last. I’ve been gifted a few sweet Minnesota themed ones. Love them, natch. L’ved Baby is okay but hasn’t washed well for me. Maybe I need a laundry lesson. long sleevers: I love waffle knit because they don’t absorb spit up as quickly and they are warmer and more durable in this weather. Polarn has great stripes, as shown here, of course. I don’t mind snaps on the side for extra fit, or a few buttons in front, but long sleevers that have that stretch collar where the shoulder part is supposed to fold back. What is that called? Brain freeze. Anyway, I don’t like that because it never fits…
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It’s Friday. That means I link my blog post with a bunch of other nuts at This Ain’t the Lyceum where Kelly is Queen. Hustle over and read what others are writing. 1. Prayers for a good friend’s daughter. Please pray for a good friend’s daughter who is only five years old and having major kidney trouble, like surgery & dialysis kind of trouble. We’re asking for the intercession of Venerable Bishop Baraga and Our Lady Undoer of Knots for healing for Mary Frances. Chime in, please. 2. What to Expect again. I’m a regular contributor at What to Expect and this month wrote on 7 ways to maximize your maternity leave. Nell, you aren’t working. You don’t have a maternity leave. I’m thinking, hey, once I wasn’t this online hanger-on-mama-lady. I did have maternity leave with SuperBoy. Ages ago! Hey, wisdom only ages well, right? Maybe. So go read it and tell me what resonates with you. 3. I launched the Lady Leggings. With quaking knees, I did the pre-launch for the subscribers to my newsletter. Now why would I want another email from you, Nell? You’re annoying enough as is. Well, gentle reader, the newsletter is just about etsy. So if you want to skip the temper tantrums and compostable diapers, subscribe and you’ll get insider scoops on new products and insider pricing. Not insider trading. Oh, you’re so not funny. And Grace was so sweet as to highlight my kiddo and lady leggings on her fabulous blog. And stay at her blog when…
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My girlfriend Britt was kind enough to let us see a little glimpse into life on the cattle ranch in New Mexico, one of my favorite states I’ve only read about. Cannot wait to visit her there someday! She runs a beautiful blog at The Fisk Files and her photography business is, frankly, earth shatteringly stunning. I want to live with her beautiful family!!! So check her on instagram, the blog, and fbook. And hear what she has to share! —- Nell and I met last August, and my life’s been forever blessed! She made me feel comfortable right from the start, and if I’m being honest, I was worried we might not click. Why? Well, I hadn’t read her blog for long, and by her title, I assumed she might not think too highly of this formula-feeding, screen-time loving (well, liking), non-organic mom. Boy was I ever wrong. I’m not sure I know many that are as encouraging and as deeply thoughtful as sweet Nell. And, I couldn’t be happier to be here today! When asked to guest post for Whole Parenting, I didn’t really know exactly what to say, but since I feel that my way of life makes me a bit different than some, I thought it might be something fun to touch on. See, I was raised on a ranch. Until college, I never lived within the city limits. Since then, I’ve lived in mid-sized cities, the District, and now I’m back to a life with…
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I’m a mom of three under five. You’d think I have figured out how to pack my bag so when I leave the house, there are no unmitigated disasters. Well, I cannot guarantee this. In fact, I really really cannot. Three kids these ages in public for prolonged periods of time can mean any number of issues. Hunger. Fatigue. Flat out tantrum. You’d also think I wouldn’t even want a diaper bag anymore. And I don’t. That’s why I love my Madeline in Canvas because it’s a purse with a secret diaper bag side. This fall I had AA take pics of me & my leading lady. Remember? This winter, it’s been a real workhorse of a bag. I take it with me everywhere. But when I pack my bag, I try to pack for everything that could happen. Unless I just tuck a diaper & thin pack of wipes inside the baby’s car seat and then snug them into my sling while we go. So this is what I pack when I am ruddy trudy prepared. I don’t use the baby organizer insert any more because a few items in my bag are for winter, and for me, and wouldn’t need a compartment. Also I find the Madeline has enough outer pockets that nothing gets lost in the bottom. Ever. One of my favorite parts. Winter gloves, house key, beautiful infinity scarf from my sister that doubles & triples over, a rosary from Lourdes, my sister’s honey balm for…
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I’m late to this game, Dwija, will you still take me?? I’ve been scrolling through my friends 12 moments in the year 2014 and finally had 20 minutes alone to share mine. It was a really big year, and it was a small year, and it was everything in between. Instead of blog links, because I feel like I already did that a bit in my New Year post, I’m just going to do 12 photos that captured our year. Love love love, late//tardy//nell//me We celebrated my brother’s safe return from deployment by all getting together at the beginning of the year! One of my best friends from law school got married on the beach in Florida. I got to be a bridesmaid!! Two of my favorite friends ran a fermented foods workshop in our kitchen. Let’s just say my gut bacteria was impressed. SuperBoy and his bestie practicing being priests. This little boy’s mom is one of my absolute favs! My life-long friend and I got to be pregnant at the same time with two boys who are bound to be best friends! She looks so fabulous here, and even though I was due before her, I definitely look like it’s my third 😉 Double birthday with my baby girl. She was the best birthday present ever! emily rumsey photography Another super close friend with her adorable boy. These kids of mine are so lucky to grow up being surrounded…
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So lovelies, How are you gearing up for Christmas, if you celebrate it? With food on the brain, of course. Let’s pretend you don’t need my last-minute shopping gift guide and you’re simply contemplating your table spread. Here we are at Week Eats, my weekly comment in linkup food planning for those of us who are terrible at it. So comment with your food ideas or link to your blog with the link below. Thanks in advance for all your suggestions. You’re changing our lives! For your perusal: the first week when I had lots of pictures. The second week when you had lots of ideas. The third week when I was out of steam and you guys saved the bacon // dinner. The fourth week which doubled as THANKSGIVING PREP! The fifth week when I had high hopes for a few of these recipes. Don’t ask me why this is volume 7. I just follow the numbers. I’m planning for a really stellar Christmas Day dinner, with a light spread to be eaten over the course of Christmas Eve (when we open gifts), sprinkling in lots of semi-healthy treats and a few dishes because most of my family is in town and we have lots of folks crammed in the house who need to eat. Monday Chicken, asparagus, & penne. simple, simple. Following this recipe: for Creamy Chicken & Asparagus Pasta. Tuesday Frittata again! This time, from PW’s (that’s Pioneer Woman to you): Sunday Frittata. Sorry it’s on a Tuesday,…
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