10/50 NYC Adventures: Statue of Liberty

Statue of Liberty.

Well, thanks France. I bet you folks never knew how famous we would make your epic gift. We really took that statue and RAN with it. Well, due to the intense fundraising efforts of Édouard René de Laboulaye and Joseph Pulitzer, with the design by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and Gustave Eiffel (yes, that Eiffel) our sweet Lady of Liberty stands proud atop Liberty Island in the middle of New York Harbor.

I've never really given it much thought, but have you ever wondered WHO she is? After visiting (and doing a bit of research), I learned that Lady Liberty is actually Libertas, the Roman goddess of freedom, who was especially worshiped by emancipated slaves in ancient Rome. Not totally sure how I feel about that. Why erect a Roman relic, created by the French, to inspire the American people towards a better tomorrow? It's just a bit jumbled for me. But alas, does it matter? Because here she is: our red, white & blue symbol of freedom. Well, more like coppery-green. But you get where I'm going with this.

// Liberty Island and downtown Manhattan, divided by New York Harbor. //

// I mean, it's not too shabby. //

Staten Island Ferry.

My savvy friend Jenna told me to do this. In order to see the statue close up (but not so close so that you have to actually pay to see it) you can ride the free Staten Island Ferry across the harbor for a 15-minute viewing of the lady. Then you simply get off the ferry and board the returning ferry that takes you back to Battery Park. And if you really want to enjoy your viewing session, you can order a glass of wine on the boat. That's right. That's the kind of freedom that we Americans enjoy. A good seat and a good beverage.

// For safety purposes, we had an armed guard accompanying the ferry across the water. 'Merica. //

The Statue.

It's historic. It's French. It holds significance for every American who embraces the gift of freedom. And... you can pound your wine while pondering this inexplicable privilege. I'm sorry, do you need more reasons to visit??

2nd Trimester Must Haves

2nd Trimester Must Haves by oykristen  // 1. Gap Pure Body Long Sleeve Tee // 2. Gillian & O'Malley for Target Nursing Bra // 3. The Tracey Anderson Pregnancy Project // 4. Belvoir Sparkling Lemonade // 5. Liz Lange for Target Maternity Tank // 6. The Honest Company Face & Body Lotion // 7. Xhileration for Target Sleep Shorts // 8. Mossimo for Target Canvas Sneakers // 9. Nalgene Water Bottle // 10. Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Balm //   

2nd Trimester Must-Haves.

If I could just post a picture of my sisters up here as my 2nd Tri Must Haves, I would do it and be done. But they would probably be embarrassed/horrified/ask me to remove them from the world wide web. So... I can't really do that. But to be TOTALLY honest with you, my sisters (obviously, including my sister in laws) have been so incredibly helpful and supportive during this entire pregnancy. They have lent me clothes, products, priceless advice and unrelenting encouragement during these past 6 months. And they have graciously answered my relentless, unending phone calls (I've been a bit emotional and needier than I ever thought I would be...) But have no fear! If you don't have big sisters to turn to (and ask embarrassing questions to, like, "Hey sis, did you ever feel like your baby's foot was gonna pop out of you because he kicked so hard??"), you're in luck. Because I shall share aaaaalllll the good stuff that they shared with me during this past trimester. And I swear, it's gold. Thank you, sweet sisters. Mega shout out to Kara, Lauren, Rachel & Katie for being my gold-medal supporters. And for swearing to me that this colossal amount of cellulite will melt away after my little boy is born. 

1. Gap Pure Body Long Sleeve Tee

- My darling sister-in-law lent me TONS of maternity clothes when I found out I was pregnant. As in, like 4 storage containers full of clothes. Yes, I am the luckiest girl in the world. Because after 3 pregnancies (and lots of shopping!) she has accumulated quite a fine collection of maternity wear. And since I hate shopping lately, especially for this growing bod, it has been the hugest blessing to open my closet and already have clothes that are soft and fitted. She lent me a ton of these Gap Pure Body long-sleeves, which are super duper soft and fit the belly nicely. I've been wearing them like crazyyyy. La, you are the BEST!

2. Gillian & O'Malley for Target Nursing Bra

- Okay, so you have to buy some new bras when you're pregnant. You can try your best to stay in your regular size, but let's just be honest now: those girls are GROWING. Gotta give 'em some support. I found the idea of a nursing bra horrifying (have you google searched them? Hideous!), but was relieved to see that Target offered some inexpensive, relatively cute options. Since you will have to invest in some nursing shirts/bras once the baby arrives, it's a good idea to go ahead and start making those purchases as you grow. It helps spread out the insane costs associated with having a baby! But seriously - these bras are soooo comfy. Getyusome.

3. The Tracey Anderson Pregnancy Project

- Exercise. It's a dread. I totally thought I would be one of those bouncy, jogging pregnant chicks, but alas, that is the LAST thing my body has craved. I wish I were bouncy. Lethargic is more like it. But the more I read, the more important I know it is to exercise and train for labor. So it's been a real challenge to discipline/motivate myself during this pregnancy. However, my sister lent me this DVD set and it has truly made a difference in my flexibility. For each month of pregnancy, there is a corresponding DVD to focus on what you need in that month (so you never get bored!) It has helped me hold (some) of the tone I previously had, as well. Tracey focuses on keeping your arms, legs and bottom half as toned and tight as possible, both for a smooth labor/delivery experience and for overall weight management throughout the 9 months. She is a genius. And she doesn't yell at you, like some DVD trainers do (I'm glaring at you, Jillian Michaels). I honestly didn't really start doing this regularly until months 4-5, when I had already gained weight and lost a lot of my previous exercise "ammo", but I have seen some improvements over the past 8 weeks or so. I would really encourage any pregnant lady to invest in this - it has done a lot for my sanity, as well!

4. Belvoir Sparkling Lemonade

- Drinking water gets monotonous and boring. You can snag this little delight at Whole Foods and treat yourself every once in a while. The lemon-rose flavor is also pretty scrumptious.

5. Liz Lange for Target Maternity Tank

- Back to the sister love. My older sis bought this brand/version tank top in every color during her pregnancy, and just rotated them everyday. She was living in South Florida at the time, where the weather was righteously hot, so these worked perfectly for her. She's lent me her rainbow collection and I've been investing in a few of my own - they are awesome to wear with anything and everything. In the winter I wore them under sweaters and long-sleeves, and now I'm starting to pair them with long skirts and (ahhh!!) shorts. They're super long and super soft, and made with a thick enough fabric that feels appropriate to wear over a protruding belly.

6. The Honest Company Face & Body Lotion

- Pregnancy has made me feel so dry. I love this lotion because its moisturizing without being oily or sticky. And its light enough to wear on your face as well! Jessica Alba, you are taking all my money.

7. Xhileration for Target Sleep Shorts

- Since my bottom half has grown, my normal pajamas wouldn't do. It helps to invest in something semi-cute so you don't feel like a whale ALL the time. Sleeping in something cool and crisp helps with all the dry/hot flashes I keep waking up with.

8. Mossimo for Target Canvas Sneakers

- Slip ons!!! They're necessary! Over the past several weeks, I've noticed I'm having a bit more trouble bending down to pick things up/put on my boots/shoes. In fact, I've almost retired my beloved winter boots and I'm in that strange in-between winter/summer stage. Sandals don't really work in NYC yet (though we've had a few almost-hot days!), so these easy Target slip-ons have been in heavy rotation lately. Thankfully, they're inexpensive and come in lots of colors (I literally just bought another pair of these yesterday :) Although soon I'm gonna have to invest in some comfortable slip-on sandals... Summer, I anticipate you!

9. Nalgene Water Bottle

- You have GOT to get your drink on. Minimum 8 glasses of water/day. It's a tedious task, and adding lemon/lime slices most certainly helps. I try to measure my drinking in these handy-dandy Nalgenes (we have about 10, REI has made a killing on us over the years), which has helped me keep track. When you're pregnant, you gotta hydrate! Keep that amniotic fluid fresh! (Did I gross you out? Too far? Okay, okay, too far.)

10. Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Balm

- I ran out of my 1st trimester belly balm, and was gifted this by my sweetheart-of-a-friend Natalie. It has been awesome! It's not oily at ALL, just really soft and buttery. I can't believe how much my belly/hips/thighs have grown, but I've been super diligent about slathering this on and have yet to identify any new stretch marks. Fingers crossed it stays that way! Thanks for the skin treat, Natty!

Hope my must-haves are helpful to you pregnant chicas. Anything amazing that has helped you get through your 2nd Tri? I'm all ears!

9/50 NYC Adventures: Metropolitan Museum of Art

Metropolitan Museum of Art.

This place ignites an ocean of memories in my mind. I remember first visiting the museum when I was about 13 years old. My dad had surprised me on my first trip to the Big Apple, and touring the Egyptian exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art was on my bucket list. At the time, I was studying Egyptian history in school, so walking through this massive exhibit was more than a thrill. It sounds sort of geeky now, but it's a lot like the experience of seeing a movie after reading the book. Everything comes alive, because a part of you has experienced the narrative. I've been to the museum several times since I was a wide-eyed 13-year-old, but to this day, my favorite spot in the gigantic maze of masterpieces is still the Egyptian exhibit, especially the Temple of Dendur.

The Temple of Dendur.

Housed in the most beautiful part of the museum, The Sackler Wing, the Temple of Dendur lives in a a most meticulously designed room of slanted floor-to-ceiling glass windows. The echoey space is illuminated in the watery sunlight, peering down at the temple, bending prisms through the plated glass. All the inquiring wanderer needs to do is follow the path of the lazy river ("the Nile") leading up to the temple's impressively open mouth. It's ostentatious. Almost obnoxiously so. It's a brooding construction of sandstone, etched with delicate lotus bundles, papyrus stalks, power-hungry statues and prayerful relics. This is a complete construction that was removed from it's original site in 1965 (built around 15 BC) and put back together in this room (in 1978 - thanks, Jackie O!) You really feel like you are standing in the Nubian oasis, staring up at the mammoth pagan sanctuary. It's a strange kind of wonder. And I just love it.

// The Path through the Irises, Monet // Figures on the Beach, Renoir // Bouquet of Sunflowers, Monet // Bridge Over a Pond of Water Lilies, Monet // Roses, Van Gogh // The Manneporte, Monet // Camille Monet in the Garden at Argenteuil, Monet // Irises, Van Gogh // By the Seashore, Renoir //

// We LOVED this one. My grainy iPhone pic doesn't do it any justice. Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde, Paul Signac //

The Impressionists.

Stevie has endured The Temple of Dendur with me before. Even though there is SO MUCH more to see in this museum (it would take weeks to get through all the exhibits), I can't help but beg to visit this spot each time we visit. It's just a special place. However, this time around Stevie got to pick the tour, so we spent most of our visit with the dear, fanciful impressionists in the European Paintings and with the feisty in the Modern and Contemporary art. It really is so impressive that an American museum has so much famous work from European artists. It's a shame that more people don't visit, because the gang's all here! Manet, Monet, Van Gogh, Renoir. Not to mention - Klimt, Matisse, Dove, O'Keefe, Picasso. All housed under the same roof! It's a mighty wonder.

One favorite memory came back to me while we wandered amongst these European visionaries. When I visited with my dad years ago, he also wanted to spend all his time in the Impressionists wing. I remember how he would lean into the art as close as physically possible, nose almost to the brushstrokes, eyes lit up, scrutinizing and fawning over the artists' work. He was awe-struck. And consequently, the museum guards would rush out, "Sir, sir! You cannot touch the art! Please step away..." This must have happened twenty times. My dear dad. He's a curious examiner of the world. And unafraid to get in trouble. And humorously alive in my memory :)

Stevie & I wandered for hours. My feet tired out. I sneaked snacks. We had such a blast. And it definitely brought back some memories from this past summer's Euro Trip, where we traipsed through countless museums and had the absolute time of our life.

// Stevie and Claude with his Water Lilies. We tried to see an almost complete collection of these bad boys in Paris, bus alas, we ran out of time!

// I love this guy A LOT. Oh Gustav. These were the non-nudes. Serena Pulitzer Lederer, Klimt & Mada Primavesi, Klimt //

// I promise, we were ALLOWED to photograph the art. We aren't rebels. Although we might already be soccer parents (Exhibit A: Stevie & the camera bag. Nuff said.) //

A Perfect Rainy Day.

Spending this excessively rainy Saturday with Stevie was pretty perfect. With so much to see in NYC and so little time until this little one arrives, we are scurrying at our best pace to experience all the gems New York has to offer! And this one? Well, it's fine art at its finest. A New York must.

TASTE: Blueberry-Apple Baked Oatmeal

Blueberry Apple Baked Oatmeal

Yum yum yum yum. I don't know about you, but I love eating oatmeal in the mornings. Heeeaaaallllthy. But I pretty much loathe making it. It just feels like it takes, like, 7 whole minutes. I know, I sound like an ugly rushed American. But in the morning time, especially lately, I've been waking up famished and wanting food NOW. So oatmeal? Doesn't really fit into the "quick and easy" breakfast category. But this oatmeal (introduced to me by my lovely dear, newly-British friend Carrie), is wondrous, because you can prep it the night before and just pop it in the oven in the morning. Then, voila! You have a delicious, healthy, toasty breakfast. And if you have a husband who wakes up before you... he can put it in the oven so that it's hot and ready right when you wake up :) Thanks, Stevie!

Ingredients:

- 3 cups Rolled Oats

- 2 Eggs

- 1/4 cup Agave

- 1/4 cup Butter, melted

- 1 Apple, chopped

- 3/4 cup Blueberries, fresh or dried

- 1 cup Almond Milk

- 1 tsp. Ground Cinnamon

- 1/2 tsp. Salt 

Method:

1) Chop the apple. Combine in a bowl with the blueberries. Set aside.

2) In a large bowl, combine the oats, salt and cinnamon. In another bowl, whisk the eggs and combine with the almond milk, agave and melted butter. Stir the wet mixture into the oat mixture, adding in the apples and blueberries until evenly combined.

3) Spoon into a greased 9-in. square baking pan. Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until set. Yields 9 servings. Or 2. Depending on how much you eat :)

Breakfast of Champs!

I really hope you love this. Because I do - a lot. And if you're interested in a fun twist of flavor on this basic oatmeal recipe, you can check out my exotic Mango Coconut Baked Oatmeal. That's right. You can get a little crazy with it and this will still taste incredible.

Happy breakfasting!

His Name!

Dear Everett,

We've spent a long, long time thinking about you. In fact, since we learned about your little life beating furiously inside of mine, we haven't thought of much else. Your dad and I agree that you are going to be so strong, perhaps even to the point of stubborn (nothing like us, obviously), and brimming with joy for life. How could we possibly know this much about you already? Well, actually, I've gotten to know you pretty well in these past six months. You have made your presence very well known. The acrobatics you keep trying out in my tummy aren't lost on me. Neither is the kicking. Or the punching. Or the late night hunger pangs for peanut butter and jelly. Or the early morning wake-up calls for cereal with blueberries. Why do you like to wake me up so early? Even God is still sleeping at 5am, my dear.

But you know what? All that strength; I secretly really love that about you. And that strength, my little man, is what your name means.

Everett Lee Hale.

Everett

- Strong as a boar (!!!), Brave, Mighty One

Lee

(your daddy and granddaddy's middle name) - From the pasture meadow, Contented One

After spending some time thinking about you, I found a few verses that I am declaring for your birth and life:

 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power from his spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted & established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.- Ephesians 3:16-19

These are such sweet promises that your dad and I believe for your future. The you may know Christ as your Lord and savior. That you may be unwavering in your faith all the days of your life. That you would pursue every dream in your heart. The you would surround yourself with loving people who encourage your faith. That you would have the best education possible and incredible, jaw-dropping opportunities. That you would see this Earth as the gift that it is and explore it to the utmost. That your identity would be rooted in nothing but Christ's love for you. And that you would be an overwhelming vessel of joy, fun and encouragement to all who know you.

As much as we can't wait to meet you, we can wait. Grow Everett grow.

*Many thanks to Jenny Highsmith for the beautiful custom-made name artwork. You can check out her shop here.