whole parenting

Weekly Eats Saturday // Volume 2

October 31, 2014

Hi hi hi. Did you see how we’re doing weekly linkups & comment love on meal plans? Volume 1 for your perusal. I cannot tell you how awesome it was to read all your posts, comments, and take your advice and food ideas to heart. AA said in total shock “YOU MADE A MEAL PLAN???!?” Yes, I responded. Because of my friends in my computer!!!!! If you’re new, it’s very simple. Bloggers write a post with their meal plan (replete with pics, puuuleeeaze because this mama eats with her eyes). Normal people share via comment what they’re going to feed their brood or own gullet. You’re holding me accountable for making a meal plan and giving me inspiration. I cannot thank you enough!! Add your comments & links! Open all week! — Sunday: Dutch Pancakes & Pork Meatballs. I had a wonderful girls’ weekend a while back with my mommy dear friends. We all love food. They are all amazing foodies. One gave me this meatball recipe. TO DIE FOR! Do not overcook it like I did the first time I tried it. Mary, they were nothing like yours. Hoping to make it better this go ’round. Your recipe is AMAZING! Dutch pancake recipe here. Meatballs . . . 1 egg 1/2 cup finely chopped cooking apples 2 or 3 teaspoons snipped fresh sage 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper 3/4 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed 1 pound ground pork -Mix and form into 1 inch meatballs. -Bake at…

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we’ve had three kids and doulas with each–why we’d do it again that way

October 30, 2014

Doula doula whata? That was me, five months pregnant with SuperBoy. My childhood girlfriend (Hi, Andrea!) happened to hang out with me and catch up after a few years apart and mentioned a mutual childhood friend (Hi, Emily!) was a doula. Oh. That’s nice. A what? Her description sealed the deal for me: “a woman who helps you through labor.” Sealed as in, no thanks. I got this. My husband is smart and very sweet. He’s got this. We will just roll on into the hospital and have this baby, just like in the movies. Why would I want an old friend there? That’s just weird. It wasn’t until a little later in pregnancy that we chatted with other friends who had . . . wait for it . . . done Bradley Method classes and wait again . . . a midwife! I was again, so surprised and confident that we didn’t need methods or classes. We were signed up for the hospital classes. They’d tell us everything, right? Wrong again. Fast forward. Doulas at every birth. Bradley Method self-taught. Huge pushers of the Bradley Book and the Big Book of Birth. We’re like evangelizers for natural childbirth. Natural as in, no interventions or only as needed. Woe to those pregnant friends who were lured to our house for dinner. They always leave with a few books, a few enthusiastic chats about vaginas and cervixes and doulas. Poor friends. I wrote about our changing perspective and conversion on this…

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beautiful woodwork & a makeover of our Master Suite {gift for you to win}

October 27, 2014

Kelly. This sweet girlfriend of mine. We were roommates at The Hundred Event this summer. I was so delighted to get to know her over the weekend–including a really hilarious trip to Whole Foods that involved buying a pair (my first!) of TOMS shoes. But the best part was talking about our kids and the life of small children and artisan work. I felt a real kinship with her and was so tickled when she agreed to run a giveaway to credit for her shoppe. Oh, did I not tell you about Of Thistle & Thyme yet? Let’s talk about her shoppe. She and her husband hand craft botanical all hangings–wood burnt into high quality wood!! It starts with an inspiring illustration from early botanists. True vintage artwork. Then from her imagination, these take form in their woodshop where they cut, sand, draw, wood burn, and finish with teak oil–each piece by hand. So she literally draws out these vintage botany prints onto her wood panels. And then burns them into the wood. And then puts a stain//or not and then the oil. Talk about a labor of love!! Some are the natural pine stain, others are deeper in tone. I asked Kelly to help me create a deep rich feel for our sitting room. Our house is 100 years old this year (hbd, house) and was featured on Design Mom earlier this year. It’s all gorgeous hand carved woodwork. Naturally, her work fits right in around here. Her description…

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Week Eats Saturday :: linkup, comment up, food help for meal planning

October 25, 2014

Hi friends! I’m so so so excited about this new linkup. I also have no idea what I’m doing. Patient with me? Pretty please? So here’s the plan. I am going to slap this baby up here every Saturday morning until you tell me to stop. I’m going to meal plan aloud, and then get really excited about all the ideas you’re telling me, and probably change my meal plan all up. But that’s okay! If you’re a blogger, follow the linkup below and post your actual meal plan blog page. If you’re a normal person, {hi, Molly}, comment with a recipe or seven that you’re going to do // like or just food planning tips. Share your wisdom with the masses! I have a few recipe posts from the past. 4 Easy Family Recipes // 7 Yummy Recipes // Quinoa You’ll Like // Whole Grain Pancakes // and Baking for the Mama Heart (and more, yes, search for “food” in the search box. My plan: Sunday: Broccoli Cheddar Soup. Monday: Swiss Chard & Sweet Potato Gratin. Tuesday: Veggie Bean Soup. Exactly what it sounds like. No recipe. Just chop veggies & beans and add cheese. Basic basis soup. Wednesday: Tilapia (white fish) and coconut rice with mango & red pepper & onion. My BFF made this for me. And it is SO good. Thank you, Sarah! And check out her recipes over there. White rice (long grain or short) cooked in coconut milk, fish pan friend with seasoning of…

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when // how // where introducing solid foods to your baby {guest post by a real foodie}

October 23, 2014

Well my dears, I have a real treat for you! A new girlfriend who’s an incredible foodie is kind enough to share her methods of starting solid foods with us today. With BabyLoves edging into his fifth month and snatching things, I’m still determined to hold off til his gut bacteria is ready (AAP recommended 6 months) and, frankly, because I’m not ready for the MESS. But when we do start down that lane, I am eating ALL of this advice. Right. Up. Hop to her site for two recipes & a giveaway of one of my Bandit Bibs. Like you’re a bunny. hop hop            HOP. And while you’re there, follow her because we all need all the food help we can get. Thanks, Sarah. Take it away with your adorable children!! — Hello Whole Parenting friends! I’ve been following along with Nell’s adventures since her blog was mentioned over on Camp Patton a while back. I always enjoy seeing what she is up to, and reading her advice on all things kid related! Let’s just say her recent post on 4 year old discipline spoke to me! I’m a mama to two mostly sweet boys—David (pronounced in Spanish— da-veed), 3 ½, and Jonathan, 6 months. You can read all about our foodie adventures over on my blog Fried Dandelions. Stop by today to get two new baby food recipes, and enter for a chance to win one of Nell’s fabulous Bandit Bibs! Today I am…

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Meal Planning is My DOWNFALL {i suck at it} {{help me}}

October 21, 2014

You’d think I’ve got it down. Meal planning. Simple enough, right? You write down what you’re going to eat. Then you write down your shopping list. Then you buy the ingredients and make the dammm food. Simple but oh-so-elusive. I’ve tried for years to be consistent about it. Often in a frantic panic Sunday nights (that, and staring down a huge pile of white dress shirts that firmly require ironing out their set wrinkles for AA’s work). I’ll scream to my husband I DON’T KNOW WHAT WE’RE GOING TO EAT THIS WEEK??!!! Of course, I could pay for a meal plan to have all this sent to me. I tried that. Of course, I could just defrost some meat every night so there was something to eat the next day. I tried that. Of course, I could order a lot of takeout + organic frozen pizza. Yup. Guess who’s done that. But what I’d like to do is a meal planning link up. Saturdays. If you don’t have a blog, no problem. Just comment with your meal plan for the week with either the link to the recipe, or if you are a chef (Mary, Cynthia, Laura, I’m looking at you girls) maybe share your secret recipe with us. If you have a blog, link your post up. It will be open the whole week long. Saturday is a family day, and some people don’t waste time on the internet that day {ahem can’t pretend I don’t}. So anytime during…

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