Happening Lately.

Happening Lately.

After a month of almost non-stop travel, we are finally back home! My little family has experienced a lot of adventures since the end of April, and we have had SO MUCH FUN, but we are seriously ready to get back to normal. Babies thrive on routines. Heck, I thrive on a routine. It's back to grocery lists and scheduled naps and, oh yeah, this thing happened while we were gone - SUMMER!!!

I am still in the process of compiling all the photos from our trips to St. Simons Island and Rome (I found a few more Madrid photos and added them to the previous post, in case you're interested in seeing a few more) and I will have those up for you over the next week or so. One trip that I have almost zero photos from is the one from this past week - I was in Florida with my husband's family, where we basically go back in time and pretend that technology doesn't exist. Which was fitting because, this year, none of our technology worked anyway! The service on the beach that we love seemed to be worse than ever, so it wasn't hard to forget about owning a phone or computer. We just relaxed by the ocean and watched our babies eat sand while we ate grapes and sandwiches. I actually read a book. Well, part of a book. Okay, I read two chapters of a book and it was spectacular. I forgot how desperately much I love to read. It's been a long year of very little reading, but now that my baby is getting older, I feel like some of those pastimes will make a comeback in my world. Fingers crossed. Anyway, all that to say that I actually have very few pictures of the family beach trip (except for the few snippets above), because I needed to take a break and check out from my usual over-photographing, and that is quite alright. I got the memories!

I hope you all have some wonderful summer plans on the horizon. Since we stacked all our summer travel at the beginning of the season, come July and August I will probably be itching for another trip! But that's okay. I will just live vicariously through all of your vacation photos :) In the mean time, I hope you have a marvelous Monday and soak in some of this warmth!

Our Do-Over Trip to Madrid, Spain!

Our Do-Over Trip to Madrid.

We made it! The first time I visited Madrid, things went horribly wrong. But Since Stevie had previously lived in Spain and LOVED Madrid, we decided to attempt a do-over. I am so glad we did! Madrid is an incredible city, ripe with sangria and paella and flamenco and oranges, thriving with edgy modernism in spite of it's anciently old history. I am so glad that we decided to take our son and explore this festive city together as a family of three. This was our first trip abroad with a baby, and whoa, we learned a few things along the way. But more on that later. First! Madrid!

We chose to stay in an airbnb in the Recoletos neighborhood, which is mostly a residential (non-touristy) area of town. This spot is close to the city's enormous Retiro Park (much like New York's Central Park), and we knew that would be a nice feature for Everett. We spent a lot of time walking around the park, truly mesmerized by its well-groomed, fanciful beauty. It reminded me of the Queen of Hearts' lawn in Alice in Wonderland, where they are all playing croquet and the hedges are all perfectly manicured. So pristine was this park. Though I had a hard time not staring at all the couples, um, coupling in the grass. I am always rudely reminded of what a modest American I am when I blush at Europeans' very public (let's be real graphic) displays of affection. But I got past it, and we had a lot of fun, lazily picnic-ing and wandering about, and also, SWINGING. Everett loved it, although the other little kiddos on the playground could definitely tell he wasn't Spanish like them. All that blonde hair, you know.

The park! And THOSE HEDGES.

Lunch! We watched a family play soccer while we tore into some baby food pouches.

I don't know how I am going to teach my son not to play with his food. Because I play with his food.

The park itself is huuuuuge. There is a darling little lake with people boating around, and there is a spot called the Crystal Palace - hello! That was clearly a must-see. Because when you go to Europe, you see as many castles as possible. Even if they're like, fake ones. This one was kind of a fake one. But it was still really really pretty, bending the sunlight that was streaming through all the crystallized panes. Pretty pretty.

Speaking of palaces, we spent Stevie's birthday touring the Royal Palace of Madrid! Oh what a delight. He liked the armory, while I preferred the King's residential wing of the castle. Although I must say, the Spanish are sorely under-jeweled. Their crown jewels were pathetic. AND. They don't even use them ceremonially. When someone is "crowned", they don't wear the crown at all. It just sits next to them while they take the photo. WHAT?! I mean. C'mon guys. Wear those baubles. Work that updo.

It made me realize that the queen of England is seriously, seriously endowed. I will never forget the rooms and rooms of crown jewels that she is in possession of. For real. KATE MIDDLETON IS SO LUCKY. Inheritance and whatnot.

The Royal Palace. Not too shabby. I mean, I'd take it.

Palace views of the city. And the country. And the mountains. I suddenly feel like such a peasant.

Birthday boy picking our his birthday baked good. I was like, GET ALL OF THEM.

 There are some strange statues in this city.

We wandered around and grabbed a very Spanish birthday dinner in the Plaza de San Miguel. Cheese plate! Wine! Crazy amounts of jamon and baguettes and olives! Everett was such a little champ, staying out much too late with us, sitting in the plaza and laughing and watching the sun go down and the stars come out. It was such a sweet time, the three of us, just being family, exploring the world together. It was exciting and very normal, all at once. Exciting, because everyone around us spoke emphatically in their native tongue, and normal, because we were just eating dinner, like we do everyday. It was such a strange and oddly humbling experience.

Mercado de San Miguel! Where one buys hip wine and overpriced cherries.

Fancy cheese. Of the Spanish varietals.

Oh, and in case you were worried that we weren't experiencing enough Spanish culture, we toasted to Stevie's birthday with hot chocolate churros. So yeah, the trip pretty much felt complete all in one moment. THE TASTE IN MY MOUTH WAS SINFUL AND HEAVENLY ALL AT ONCE. And if you want to be a drillionaire, you should open a hot chocolate churros food truck in the States. I will be the first in line. THE VERY FIRST.

Something that I've had on my bucket list for years is to see the infamous Velazquez Las Meninas painting in The Prado Museum. And we finally got to it! It's such a magnificent painting,some say one of the most important in the world. The meaning of the painting is disputed; there are dozens and dozens of theories about what the different subjects are doing and why - but I personally wanted to see this painting after learning about how it impacted Pablo Picasso. A few years ago, when we were in Barcelona, I saw his series of "Las Meninas"-inspired paintings, which he was compelled to create after being so taken with Velazquez's masterpiece. He created 58 paintings, in his own spectacular style, reinterpreting the original and skewing the sense of light, color, composition, angle and subject. It was fascinating, I remember thinking, "I have to see this crazy Las Meninas picture!" And now, I can say that I have. Picasso was no fool. The original painting was outstanding, so complex and intelligent and full of mystery. It was exhilarating to finally see the real picture, the one that inspired all the others. I felt like I was on a treasure hunt around the world, and a piece of the map came together for me on that day, in the Prado. I wish I could have lingered. But Everett discovered how his voice echoes in the museum and he reeeeeeally liked that... so we had to jet out of there as fast as lightning. I mean, he was loud.

Having a baby along for this particular adventure made me feel connected to people in a way that I never had. Even though I couldn't understand their words, I knew what their smiles, their gestures, and their warm words implied as they leaned down and spoke so sweetly to my son. Wherever we went, Everett somehow wormed his way into the hearts of everyone we met. I thought he was the apple of my own eye, but oh my! He left those little old Spanish women in a wake.

It made me realize that no matter what the vast differences might be between people, not only the language, but the culture, religion, politics, heck, the OCEAN that lies between the United States and Spain, the practice of adoring babies is truly universal. Young men, old women, children, couples, people of all heritages and walks of life - they approached us with warm eyes and excitable hearts. They wanted to speak to the baby, touch his hands (which made me cringe), and engage with his little presence and personality. They wanted to connect, and my little baby boy was the bridge. The olive branch. The conductor of electricity between us and them. It made me feel very human. Very human and very much a citizen of this vibrant world.

I feel insanely grateful that I had opportunity to experience this rich city just like this - as a wife and a mother, and a student of the world, exploring the Earth with my treasured ones.

My Favorite Lip Picks.

Lip Service. At Your Service.

I have had so much fun incorporating a bit more color into my makeup bag over the past year. Since having a baby, I feel like I look tired all the time (probably because I am tired all the time...) so I've started adding a punch of color to the lips. I think it really helps lift the face a bit. And ladies, we will take all the help we can get right?

I thought I would share a few of my rotating favorites. I am not really a serial product tester, so when I say that I use these... I mean that I actually use them! Not just once or twice. Also, these are probably best on olive skin-tone - all you peaches and cream gals, you are so lucky. You can actually wear true reds and pinks and look like movie stars. All of us with yellow faces... we have to get a bit more creative. With orange tinted everything.

EOS Organic Lip Balm in Pomegranate Raspberry

This is my everyday go-to. It's completely clear and natural-looking. I can kiss all over my baby while wearing this balm, and nothing smears or rubs off. Plus, it just does a fantastic job moisturizing. My other favorite flavors are honeydew and passion fruit.

Korres Lip Butter in Quince

I love love love this color. It goes on like a balm but packs a joyful fruity punch of color. I only wish this consistency came in a wand/stick situation. I don't love dipping my finger in the little pot. Just a germophobe pet peeve.

Covergirl Natureluxe Gloss Balm in Coral

I'll go ahead and admit that I bought this one a few years ago, only because Taylor Swift was the cover girl for this line. But it turns out that this color quickly became my favorite! It's carefree and sheer and summery. Just like Taylor in 2012.

Royal Apothic Lip Tintie in Coral

Another coral, another wonderful one. This was a gift from my gal pal Natalie, and it is like a treasure! It comes all wrapped up so cutesy and the color is another coral, but a bit softer and pinkier. It's just lovely. Anthropologie strikes again.

100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Lip Glaze in Vixen

This is my newest favorite shade. Not only is the color a little outside my comfort zone (baby pink!) but it is surprisingly fun and makes me feel like one of the Pink Ladies from Grease. Annndddd this product is literally pure - there are no garbage chemicals in the ingredients. LOVE.

Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey

Man, I tried this one for the first time in middle school and I thought it was THEEE coolest color. Ever. I tend to rub this one on when Starbucks rolls out it's Pumpkin Spice Latte in late August. It's just a color that screams for autumn and pumpkins and knitted sweaters and colorful hardwood trees. Yum. Now I want a Starbucks.

Sephora Cream Lip Stain in Strawberry Kisses

This is my go-to date night lip color. It's a stain, so it stays put, and the color is like WOW. It makes me feel modern and ladylike all at once.

An instagram of me in this color.

So there you have it! A peek into my medicine cabinet of lip paraphernalia. Groovy stuff, huh? These just make me happy and remind me of why it's so much fun being a girl. SO MUCH BETTER THAN BEING A BOY.

TASTE: Milkmaid Cookies (for lactating mamas!)

TASTE: Milkmaid Cookies (for lactating mamas!)

This recipe is my secret weapon.

As a nursing mother, I have experienced the highs and lows of breastfeeding during my almost 10-month journey. If you are experiencing a drop in your milk supply, but you want to continue breastfeeding, cook up a batch of these cookies and get to eating! The combination of flaxseed, Brewers Yeast (an awesome super food!) and oatmeal is some kind of magic sauce, and helps increase the lactation. I like to refer to these as my boobie cookies, but that probably seems kind of crude to some of you. Although, if you do refer to them as your boobie cookies around the house, it might scare your husband from polishing them all off. I told mine that these would make him grow boobs and start spraying milk in public. However, doesn't seem to fear this, because these cookies still disappear... I need a new scare tactic.

Many thanks to my sister for introducing this recipe to me. I've tweaked it a bit, subbing in a few different kinds of sugar instead of using white sugar. I also added in the variety of chocolate and white chocolate chips and raisins, because I like my cookies to have some extra flavor. Plus, the flavor of the Brewers Yeast (the main ingredient that helps increase milk supply) is pretty bitter, so adding in some punches of add-ins really helps. Also, I used some steel-cut oats because it makes the cookies super nutty and chunky, but if you don't love that texture, you can use all regular oats.

Ingredients: (*Updated as of 4/12/2017!)
- 3 cups of old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1.5 cups unbleached organic all-purpose flour
- 5 tbsp. brewers yeast
- 3 tbsp. ground flaxseed
- ½ tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 1 stick butter, softened
- 4 tbsp. coconut oil, softened
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 1/3 cup organic white sugar
- 1/3 cup organic coconut sugar
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- ½ cup dark or milk chocolate chips (the Ghirardelli kind are my fave)
- ½ cup white chocolate chips (again, the Ghirardelli are the best)
- ½ cup raisins
- ½ cup shredded coconut

I had the cutest little kitchen helper.

Mixing bowls really entertain babies in the kitchen. Another secret weapon!

I like to freeze half the batch in this "cookie log", then have some for later! Just wrap the remainder in parchment paper and then re-wrap in plastic wrap and store in the freezer.

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, combine the oats, flour, yeast, flaxseed, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Mix well.

3. In another bowl, cream together the softened butter and coconut oil on medium speed. (Letting the butter sit out for an hour before baking makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE. It makes the entire batter soft and fluffy.) Slowly add in the white sugar, then the coconut sugar, then finally the maple syrup. Add in the two eggs and continue to beat until combined.

4. Slowly begin to pour the dry mixture into the wet mixture, continuously beating the mixture to combine the two until both are fully combined.

5. Begin stirring in the chocolate (white and dark/milk) chips and raisins until evenly distributed.

6. Using an ice cream scooper, scoop 1-inch rounds onto a baking sheet, spaced about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the bottoms are just slightly golden. Let cool completely before storing in a sealed container.

A few notes:- I recently changed over to this recipe and it tastes sooo good, not like a "healthy" cookie, but like a really good cookie! So beware, your family will totally snatch these from your stash. Even if you warn them that they will grow boobs from eating them - my boys are willing to take that chance apparently ;)
- This recipe will yield so many cookies. I actually baked about 1/4 of what this calls for a froze the rest into the cookie logs shown above. It's always nice to pull the frozen dough out of the freezer, slice them up and have hot cookies in 10 minutes. :)

Let thy milk flow.

I guarantee that you will experience some increase in your milk supply if you eat a few of these cookies each day. Let me know if you give these a try and how they work out for you!

Get your milk on, ladies.

P.S. - From the first photo - Palm table runner, table chargers, our favorite baby pacifiers and favorite baby bottles.

And We're Off!

Off on an adventure!

I'm packed. Stevie's packed. Everett's packed. I really hope I'm not forgetting anything.

Today we leave for a 9-day family trip, exploring Madrid and Rome! The last time we were in Madrid, this is what happened. So needless to say, I don't remember a lot of the trip. But what I do remember... isn't great. So we are excited for a do-over! And the last time we were in Rome we toured hardcore, going underneath the Vatican and meandering through ancient Roman ruins. That trip was pretty epic, because we experienced 30 days of travel with just two backpacks and Rick Steves guiding us to and fro.

This time around, with Everett and his mammoth stroller and all the baby paraphernalia ON EARTH, we hope to take a more relaxed approach. Not necessarily touring and hitting tons of museums. Just wandering around, eating in cafes and taking in the deliciousness of the dolce vita. It feels very strange to have such a loose approach to this trip, but we figure if we set the bar pretty low, the trip will feel like a success if we just make it there without a major breakdown. And eat some gelato.

I am leaving my computer at home (gulp). I can't remember the last time I didn't travel with my laptop (it's been years), so I am excited and a little freaked about that. But I really want to detach and just experience this vacation with my family the old-fashioned way. I know I will have my hands full with my son, but I also don't want him to feel like second fiddle while mommy is blogging incessantly. So it's a big decision for me but I feel really good about it. However, my phone will be working and I will be posting to instagram like a crazy person, because, well, I'm a crazy person. So you can follow along our trip there, if you're into drooling over travel pics like I am. Also, I have a few posts ready to go, so there will be some content that I am excited to share even while I am away, so you can hang around the blog next week and there will be some fun recipes and recent travel posts to browse through :)

We are suuuuuper excited to celebrate two of our friends getting hitched in Rome, and anticipating what it will be like to travel abroad with our little baby... who is just shy of 10 months! Stevie's birthday is this weekend, too, so there is more than enough to clink our celebratory wine (or sangria!) glasses to!

For those of you who have been to Rome and Madrid before, do you have any suggestions on places or things to do/see/eat? Leave me a comment and let me know! And also - prayers for the 9+ hour flight with a baby pleeeeeease!

Love love love.