Birth Story: Simon Atlas

After my OB basically guaranteeing that I'd go into labor before Christmas (based on my dilation+effacement+baby size), you can imagine how ready I was when it was almost a week post Christmas and I was still very much pregnant (I know, I shouldn't have believed her, but I did!). After my 38 week ultrasound (only the 3rd I'd ever had) they adjusted my due date from Jan. 3rd to Dec 31st. Not only was that exciting because that was 4 less days that I might not be pregnant but it would also be nice for the taxes ;).

I had an OB appointment on the 30th with Wendy a Nurse Practitioner I had never met (but really liked). She checked me and was going to strip my membranes, but there was nothing to strip. She said he was so low, I was 100% effaced, dilated to a 4 and was watching me have somewhat regular contractions right there on the table, so she thought I should go to the hospital right away.

I smiled and nodded and got myself dressed.  I didn't feel like I was anywhere near having the baby, so I had no intention of checking myself into the hospital just yet. I knew the longer you're at the hospital, the quicker (and potentially more) interventions they would try and introduce and I was aiming to go for as long as possible without interventions. I was pretty sure I wasn't going to go natural this time around, but I wanted to know how bad it got so that if I ever did want to try natural I would have some idea of what I was signing up for.

As we walked out to the car, Marcus started saying how we needed to run home and get the bag and get Poppy squared away, and then I told him that I wasn't going to the hospital. He wasn't so excited about that idea. I reminded him that I had written out a birth plan and he had agreed to support me on it and that one of the points was that I was going to labor out of the hospital for as long as I could. On the car ride home, I had to actually call and cancel the prenatal massage I had scheduled, in hopes that it would put me into labor, because I already WAS in labor!

We went back to my mom's house where my two sisters were and told them that it looked like I was in real labor and would probably have the baby pretty soon! It was exciting, but also I felt very calm. "Too calm," as Marcus would put it.

He was going crazy all day. He couldn't understand why I wasn't freaking out and why I wasn't listening to the NP's advice and going to the hospital. I told him that if this is what labor felt like, then I was just fine with having him right there in my mom's bathtub, but that what I really thought was that it must get a lot worse than this, and when it does, then I will know it's time to go!

My sisters were headed out to do some shopping at Tempe Marketplace and since I wanted to do some walking to hopefully get things going, I decided to come along. Marcus, of course joined too.

The sisters shopped, but Marcus and I just kept walking and walking. I was feeling the contractions much more and didn't feel like browsing and sharing pleasant conversations--haha. He kept asking me, "Can we go now?" "How about now?" Eventually he stopped asking, but his quiet frustration was almost worse. By that evening, the contractions seemed to spread out, which was really discouraging, but I thought, at least I'll be able to get a good nights rest...

At 3AM I woke up with STRONG contractions. I got ready while Marcus slept, because I couldn't sleep and I wanted to make sure they were real and timeable. I couldn't believe how calm I felt as I floated around the house getting things in order. It was like time was going slow and fast all at once and that I was really just watching myself from outside my body. It's hard to explain, but Marcus stayed asleep until I was ready and sure this was the real deal. I whispered that it was time for him to get ready and then we could go. He woke up in total shock--first because it was really happening and second because he couldn't believe he slept through all of it. I tried texting my sister Heidi who flew in from Utah to be with us in the room for delivery as support, but she wasn't responding, so when we took Poppy over to my mom's, I snuck down into the basement and whispered that we were heading over and that we'd text her once we got closer.

Of course, she couldn't sleep after that and ended up at the hospital not long after us.

When we got to the hospital, the contractions were much more uncomfortable. It took a little while to get checked in. They had me in a little side room to monitor and decide if they'd admit me. When they checked me, I was just a little above a 4 and they said I could go home if I wanted. I was so discouraged and shocked! Why would they send me home!? When the nurse saw my shock, she said she'd go ask the doctor. Then she came back and said I could stay, but would be put in a room they usually just use for storage because they were full. I told them I didn't mind a bit, but that I didn't want to go to my room yet, I wanted to keep walking. They said that was fine. Just then, my sister, Heidi showed up. She snapped a few pictures of us walking the hallways and then settled in our room and waited for us to come there.

After walking for sometime, I decided to go on with my plan to labor in the laboring tub they have at Banner Gateway. The nurse filled the tub and I got in my swimsuit. The room was quiet and dim, but the water was just luke-warm--not exactly the jacuzzi spa I was hoping for, but it still felt nice to be away from the medical room and with two people I loved in a calming space. At first I laid there, focusing on my breathing, but after about 45 minutes the water was cold, I was in serious pain and I couldn't tell if my uncontrollable shaking was from my dropping body temps or my nervousness, so I decided to get out and dry off.

To the room to robe-up, use the bathroom and get settled in my very large storage/delivery room. I met some of the nurses, gave them copies of my birth plan and settled in to get checked. At this point I was between a 7 and an 8. Things were getting pretty terrible, but I wanted to wait a little longer. I had grown up with absolutely terrible menstrual pains (read here), some GYNs speculate that I have endometriosis, and my entire pregnancy I was wondering if labor would be anything like that pain.

Well, it was--pretty much exactly like that, which was partly terrible, because it's probably the worst pain I've ever experience, but it was partly comforting, because it was something I had experienced, and survived. Although, usually with the generous help of my best girl, Midol!

(I should clarify that the contractions felt like terrible period cramps, the extreme pressure in your nether regions, were much more stressful and unfamiliar...)

I had told Marcus that I would go without the epidural as long as I wasn't passing out or throwing up (two things that happen to me during my worst periods). I didn't want that to be my memory of delivering my baby. After an hour or so, the nurse checked me and I was at a 9. They kept asking me if I was ready for the epidural (even though my birth plan mentioned several times, that I would ask if I needed it, and I didn't want to be offered, but what can you do?).

A few minutes after being checked I started shaking bad and throwing up and that's when I knew it was time. My anesthesiologist, Buck, was right out in the hall, ready and waiting. He works with Marcus regularly and Marcus was glad I got him because he knows he's good. I leaned over, trying not to shake too bad. He said I was super easy and it was done in a jiffy. Before getting it, I told him to do the lowest possible dose and he agreed. Within 5 minutes of getting it, I was professing my love for him. And within 10 minutes I was fast asleep. I think I slept for around an hour. I could still feel my contractions when i woke up and the nurse kept asking if I wanted to up my dose and I kept telling her I liked that I could feel them--the edge was taken way off, but I still knew what was going on. I could also feel when I flexed my stomach muscles and could move my feet and legs. I was so happy and wouldn't let the nurse come near the button that upped my dose--it was like she didn't believe me that I wanted to feel something!

Another nurse came in and checked me and told me it was time to start "practice pushing" they broke my water and I did my first practice push. One or two of those and the doc on call was there telling me it was for reals now. I pushed and I pushed and I pushed and everyone kept telling me how awesome I was pushing and I knew I was doing awesome because I could feel all the muscles I was engaging, but where the heck was my baby!? The contractions were right on top of each other, I had literally no time to take a breath between pushes and I thought the veins on my head were truly going to burst (and so did Marcus). Again and again and again, they kept telling me to keep going, keep pushing. I was so so tired, but I refused to show it because I was so scared the doc was going to say I was too tired and would have to go in for a C-Section. That was my worst nightmare, that and an episiotomy...

After about 45 minutes of hard back to back pushing, the doc said I was doing everything right, but the baby wasn't coming down. I was too tiny and he was wedged behind a muscle that wasn't budging. She said she needed to do an episiotomy. She then proceeded to tell us how dumb we were for thinking a tear would heal better than a cut. I had done a lot of research on the subject and except in the rare case you're going to tear all the way up, then a natural tear always heals better than a clean cut. I was so mad at how she was belittling us. I told her we'd keep trying, but eventually she said she needed to do it and I was too tired to fight it and she promised that as soon as she did, he'd pop right out! I begrudgingly consented, hanging on the promise of him popping right out... He did not. I kept pushing and he was still stuck. Then I tore and tore some more and finally she said the hair was out. It was a lot of hair and it was dark. Then I felt the pressure of him coming the rest of the way and then he was on my chest and it was glorious.

He was swollen and pink and healthy and fat and he was adorable. I proudly proclaimed, "We did it, we beat the odds, we had a cute newborn!" And everyone laughed and agreed. Marcus cut the cord once it stopped pulsing and we cried and cried as we looked at our wide awake, super aware little baby boy...Simon.

After they weighed him (7 lbs 12.5 oz) and got his foot prints, we tried nursing and he took right to it. I was so tired and so happy. He was the sweetest little person and I COULD NOT BELIEVE it was all real. Besides the fact that I pretty much hated the on-call doctor and swore if I ever ran into her on the street, I'd punch her in the face. I absolutely loved my labor and delivery. I've never felt so loved and adored by Marcus and I've never felt so strong and triumphant and I've never loved anything so much in all my life. It was truly glorious. I look forward to nothing about pregnancy. I can candidly say that I hated everything about it other than watching him move inside me. But I look forward to everything about labor and delivery. It was so hard and so tiring and so exhausting and so painful, but it was so empowering and I loved it so much.

Recovery was a whole other story that I will share some other time. But all I can say, is that it's worth it.

Pinky, pinky promise.

Prepping for a Summer Vacation//Bikini Wax

Thank you Waxing The City for sponsoring this post. Unwanted hair is part of life...and so is getting rid of it. From brows - to backscaping - to bare it all Brazilians –we’ve seen it all. With 100 locations open –you’ll be sure to find a Waxing The City studio near you. First time customers get 50% off their first service!

Simon's swim lessons, friend BBQ pool parties and family reunions at the lake + an overwhelmed mother of two attention-seeking toddler boys who doesn't have a lot of time to keep up on her shaving desires, don't mix super well--but who wants to miss out on all the water fun? Especially when 115 degrees is the norm?? Not me!

Overall, I'd say I'm a pretty low-maintenance lady, but the idea of not having to worry about shaving the bikini line for a few weeks straight, sounded like a pretty nice perk this summer. I decided to take Waxing The City up on their offer to try out a modified bikini wax. (You can try one too--your first service is 50% off!)

I scheduled my appointment online--it was so easy and even virtually the service was personal and top-notch. I chose a day Marcus was home and headed down for my wax--

Now I'm kind of a prude when it comes to being naked in front of stranger- haha, I'm going out on a limb here in assuming I'm not alone in that way of thinking. So I was secretly hoping since I was getting a modified bikini wax I wouldn't have to bare it all...I was wrong 😅. BUT my waxer was so chill and didn't make me feel weird at all. Of course, they truly don't care--they chose this profession and have seen it all, apparently they've done over half a million Brazilian! We chit-chatted about life, her engagement, and how it's kind of weird that we all care about body hair anyways. She educated me a little on waxing, but wasn't pushy or salesy at all. 

The process stings a bit, but was overall so much better than my first experience at a different salon, where they used much bigger strips of wax and the end result was bloody and bruised hair follicles! 

At Waxing The City, their goal is customer comfort above all--not speed. One wouldn't assume an hour laying naked in front of stranger while they ripped tiny hairs off my body would be relaxing, but I guess that shows you how un-relaxing taking care of two little crazy (cute) boys is! 😆

Here are a few tips before you head down for your first wax:

• Grow out period is about two weeks--the hair has to be long enough for the wax to grab hold--Your hair grows in two cycles--so you follow up wax will be even less painful, smoother and faster.
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• If you're going to make this a regular part of your routine, they recommend coming in every four weeks, to keep the hair growth cycle on track.
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• Coming right before (or during) your period isn't recommended as you have more blood flow to the area and it will be more sensitive.
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• Wait to do self-tanning lotion until after your wax, as it will be removed with the wax.
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• After your wax, let your skin rest for a day or two, then start exfoliating to prevent any in-grown hairs. I loved their sugar scrub and their exfoliating mitts for this!

• When waxing is done consistently, hair grows back slower and sparser. Some say it eventually stops growing all together! Okayyyyy 👌

I truly loved my experience with Waxing The City--most of all because of the happy, positive and comforting vibe of the staff and the cute and clean office. Plus I had NO irritation post-wax, yay! I highly recommend them and if you do decide to give them a try, make sure to use the 50% off your first service deal! Just visit waxingthecity.com to schedule your service.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Cranberry+Cutie Holiday Tart Recipe

At the Bagley house we have a few traditional recipes we make every year for both Thanksgiving and Christmas Dinner--when it's our year to spend one of those holidays at the Nielson's, I always make sure my mom saves me a taste because holidays don't feel compete without getting my fill. One is my mom's sausage, cornbread dressing. It's so good that this year, I made it to bring to the Nielson dinner and all the brother-in-laws couldn't stop raving about it. I have a feeling it's going to become part of their tradition too.

The second is my mom's Cranberry+Cutie Sauce. It's more like a fruit salad, but it's what we use for our cranberry sauce, because, well, once you try it, you'll realize all other cranberry sauces are inferior. Marcus even asked me to make that and bring it to the Nielson's this year too.

The thing is, we always make up a huge batch so we can snack on it for the rest of the week, but I had an idea on how we could mix it up and use our leftovers to create something new! As they say, variety is the spice of life :)

One of my favorite summer desserts is fruit pizza--it's a sugar cookie crust with strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, pineapples and oranges. So I thought it would be fun to create a winter version--a cranberry+cutie tart!

You start off with the sugar cookie crust--use any soft sugar cookie recipe you like--I even used zest from the Cuties in my dough.

Depending on the size of tart you want, you can form it in large muffin tins, small pie tins or a full size pie! I like a pretty thick crust, so form it about 3/4 inch. Bake until just golden. Let it fully cool, then fill in with about 1/2 inch of the cream cheese, whipped cream filling. Lastly, you top that off with your cranberry+cutie sauce.

We use the Zyliss food slicer to cut up the pears and apples, but you can do it by hand if you don't have one. Blend up the cranberries in a food processor, nice and fine. Then chop up the pecans with a large knife, or lightly blend in a food processor. Dice up the cuties-- the more cuties the better! Really, the cuties bring such a refreshing, juicy pop to the tart. It was taste tested around the family and all agreed it was a winner!

Let me know if you give it a try and how you like it. I'd love to hear some of you favorite holiday recipes too!

Cranberry+Cutie Holiday Tart//

Start with your Favorite Sugar Cookie Recipe with Citrus Zest

Cream Cheese Filling:

One 8 oz brick of cream cheese softened

6 cups freshly whipped cream, sweetened to your liking with powdered sugar

Cranberry+Cutie Sauce:

Two Apples

Two Pears

6-8 Cuties

1 Package of Cranberries
1/2-3/4 cup of sugar depending on sweetness of fruit

Pecans to taste (we like lots!)

Check out Cuties website for more seasonal recipes and inspiration from their #100DaysofSunshine campaign.

And follow along on social: Facebook & Instagram

*Thank you Cuties for sponsoring this post. 

A Complete List of Your Postpartum Needs//That everyone is too embarrassed to talk about

Before I had Simon I had gotten all the emails and read all the lists on what you needed to pack in your hospital bag and what things you needed at home. I thought I was set, and I figured if there was anything I was missing once he arrived, I'd just pop out of the house and pick it up from the store. Well none of those lists prepared me for the excruciating healing process my body was going to be experiencing the months after delivery. Granted, I had a pretty traumatic situation, and I know some women who are just bouncing around a few days after delivery, like nothing happened, but my advice would be to assume you may not be those women and you may be like me. Unable to get out of bed without your husband hoisting you out. Taking 5 minutes to carefully and gently maneuver your way down the stairs. Carrying your donut pillow/seat with you in the car, to restaurants, to you in-laws and everywhere in between. It was not pretty and it was a very humbling/humiliating time and I feel like a lot of that was because I just had NO IDEA it could be like that--and for so long.

No matter how wonderfully you recover, your body just went through a hell of a lot. And you'll probably never feel cooler in your life, than when you go through all that and they hand you that amazing and perfect baby at the end. But gosh darn it, your body still has a hell of a lot to do after and so here's an extensive list to make it a little less hard, a little more comfortable, and maybe make you feel a little less awkward talking about those rips and tears and dreaded hemorrhoids that are a lot more common than people are comfortable mentioning.

I put out a mass question on my IG stories last week and I think I had over 100 answers from woman of things they needed or wish they would have had--here were the most common answers!

• For Healing:
• Witch Hazel Pads--Like Tucks
• Peri-bottles in every bathroom (The hospital has them, beg to get sent home with an extra one)
• Padcicles (Also from the hospital, these are frozen pads that sooth your poor, sore vagina--hoard these!)
• Hemorrhoid Cream--yup, even if you avoided them through pregnancy, there's a very good chance you'll get the joy of experiencing them from all that hard pushing :/
• Dermaplast--bluelid (Also from the hospital--ask for extra!)
• Earth Angels Mama Spray (a natural option)
• Capsulized Placenta (didn't try this, but I've heard amazing stories regarding milk supply and mental health)
• Mesh Undies from hospital (just keep requesting more while you're there, so you don't ruin all your underwear when you get home!)
• Adult Diapers--Depends fit/flex diapers or Depends silhouttes (The pads shift around, so once you're home, I highly suggest just suckin' it up and wearing adult diapers while the discharge is heavy)
• Maternity undies (I really want to try Thinx brand for when the bleeding isn't so heavy)
• Donut seat/pillow (the swelling, the stitches and the hemmorhoids do not make a comfortable seat, so these keep that area free of pressure, plus you'll look so fancy, requiring a personal pillow everywhere you go!)
• Stool Softener/Digestive Support
• Tushy Bidet (if you're really lucky, those hemorrhoids won't go away for a long time and this is a toilet attachment that keeps things hygienic and irritation free. Europeans have been using these for a looooong time, I'm not sure why we've been so slow to adapt, but I have one, and I attest that they are very cool.)

• For Breast Feeding/Pumping:
• Warming Pads and freezer packs for sore breasts
• Nipple Cream
• Hands-Free bra if pumping
• Nursing Basket with Easy snacks and new toys for other siblings (I thought this was such a cool idea, you just pull it out when toddler needs a distraction while you nurse)
• Nursing Pads--Lansinoh Brand is my favorite!
• Snacks for mama (that can be opened one-handed and aren't loud to chew)
• Dry Shampoo
• Nursing Pillow (your back and neck will experience a whole new level of soreness from nursing, you need all the support you can get!)
• Milk Catcher (while you nurse on one side, the other breast will just drip and drip and if you're like me, SPRAY!, so these will catch the extra milk so it doesn't go to waste)
• Burp Clothes (both for spit up and for wiping up the milk that drips from your boobs)
• Water Bottle that keeps water cold in every room (gotta stay hydrated to keep your milk supply up!)
• Comfy nursing chair

• For Changing:
• Puppy Potty Pads (for boy moms especially--for the first month, S would pee EVERY SINGLE TIME we opened his diaper. We started keeping stacks of potty pads around where we'd change him, we'd throw one under him so when he started to wiz, we could throw a corner over him and avoid the major clean up. I always stick some of these in shower gifts if they're having a boy)
• Night Lights
• So many diapers

• For Dressing:
• Compression Belt 
• Maternity Leggings (have these and LOVE them)
• A robe or Plain Jane dress (something you can feel cute in for visitors, but still easily nurse in)
• Slippers without backs (no bending over required)

• Extras:
• Pre-Written Thank you notes
• Frozen Breakfast Burritos/waffles/overnight oats (you get lots of dinners brought in, but not a lot of breakfast options, so something to think about!)
• Fresh fruit and veggies (Most of the dinners that were brought to me were delicious, but rich and creamy with not a lot of fresh stuff, so I was majorly craving just a big bowl of cut of fruit or veggies and dip!)

Comment anything we missed! Happy healing!

Natural Moisturizer Options for Dry Winter Face

Do you know how much i love having an online community of friends--a group of women from all over the country/world to reach out to for advice and to share things I've learned or am learning with? It's pretty darn amazing, really.

For a long time I've been dealing with really dry skin (on my face specifically). It manifests itself in flaky skin, lately around my hairline, but in the past, around my nose. Not only is it not good as far as wrinkles, to have ultra dry skin, but it also makes it hard to wear makeup without it accentuating the problem areas.

So I hoped on IG stories and asked all of you for non-toxic, preferable natural products and solutions you have had success with! I got so many great responses and a lot of other women saying they wanted to hear the suggestions themselves because it's something they're dealing with as well!

Since asking, I've added a few things to my routine. I'm currently using the Everything Oil by Crude for washing my face, which I like, but don't find it quite moisturizing enough on it's own. But someone said they love using the Crude Bloom oil, after they wash with the Crude Everything Oil. Maybe I'll give it a try.
I also started using Apricot Kernel Oil at night, it's much much less absorbent than the Argan oil I was using, which was dry before I finished applying it, which makes me feel like it's moisturizing better. It's a little much for under makeup, so for the morning I'm trying out the Julep Radiance Oil (available at Ulta 'til the end of the month).

So here, my friends, are all of the suggestions I received! Thanks so much for your help!

You can click on the images to shop the oils, and don't forget to the check out the rest of the list below.

*Someone made the wise suggestion of getting a sample of the Josie Maran Argan Oil at Sephora. I always forget that you can do that!

Several people mentioned that they love anything and everything by BeautyCounter
Here are some cute small facial oil businesses:

• BabesandBabiesCo Beauty Oil
• H is for Love Nectar Nourishing Oil & Bara Balm --Their branding 😍

Here are some homemade oil combos that were suggested:

• coconut oil+tea trea+vitamin E oil
• 20 drops geranium, 20 drops elemi, 10 drops frankincense in a bottle of leven rose
• frankincense + fractionated coconut oil
• Using Apple Cider Vinegar as a toner
• Eating a Tablespoon of coconut oil everyday, she said her favorites are Nutriva and Dr Bronners
• my (*cough*least*) favorite suggestion--DRINK MORE WATER!

DIY Winter Citrus Garland

Citrus season in Arizona, hands-down, is my favorite time of year. It runs from December to April, which means not only am I eating and smelling one of my favorite tastes and smells on earth, but I also get to do it while enjoying our perfect Winter and Spring time temps!

Last year we were on a major natural kick (we still are, but most of it has become habit now, so it seems less relevant). So I decided to make all my own Christmas ornaments. I used popcorn, cranberries, and all types of citrus and I loved how it turned out so much I might have cried when we took down our sweet little tree. The citrus garland hanging on the stairs however, stayed up all year! I didn't see any reason to take down something so lovely.

So while these dehydrated citrus slices make excellent Christmas decor, I won't judge you if I walk in your house in May and see them still hanging around--you'll be in good company.

To make them, you simple pick out what citrus you'd like to use--pink grapefruit and oranges turn out best in my experience, but I've included lemons and limes in the past as well.

You then want to cut slices, not too thick or it will take a looooong time to dehydrate, but not too thin or else they'll burn (and you'll end up with some dark brown ones, like I got this year on accident--i didn't hate them though...) I'd say no more than half and inch, probably a little thinner. Pat the slices gently with a towel or napkin to absorb some of the excess moisture. Turn on your over to a low temperate around 125°. Arrange the slices onto cooling racks and put the cooling racks on cookie sheets--I recommend putting similar sized slices together so if your grapefruit take longer than you lemons, you can just removed one tray. Check on them every hour and you can flip them half way, especially if you're not using cooling racks. The house will smell so insane, you'll want to scream for all your neighbors to come take a wiff, so they can share in the euphoria that is drying citrus.

The slices should look like the majority of the moisture is gone, but not be brown (unless you want some brown ones). When you take them out, let them cool on the racks. They will still be a little tacky, but will continue to dry for the next few days. Feel free to make ornaments or a garland or window charms, whatever your heart fancies, as soon as they're cooled. They look especially beautiful hanging somewhere where they can be backlight by a window, so their colors shine through--you don't have to wait til they're bone dry to create with them!

Off to eat a grapefruit! 👋

on me:

*nursing friendly* buffalo check dress//plain jane (buy here)

sam edelman petty booties//nordstrom (one sale here)

on him:

striped onesie//j.crew old (buy similar here)

gray label organic overalls//noble carriage (buy here)

navy rainboots//c.o. western chief (buy here)

african market basket//sprouts (buy similar here)

Christmas Donuts {A New Nielson Tradition}

If I'm being honest, there is nothing inheritantly "Christmas-y" about these donuts, as you'll soon realize. There was just something so fun about turning on the Christmas tunes a few days after thanksgiving, opening all the windows and doors and trying out this new recipe with Marcus in the kitchen while Simon and his cousin Lucy played and laughed on the back porch. It made me want to make them at least once a year (although they were so good we already talked about opening up our own gourmet doughnut shop on Main St, so maybe it will be more often than that--haha). Hopefully I remember that beautiful morning memory forever and keep this tradition going.

Here's the recipe, give it a go!

Ashley Nielson's Christmas Doughnuts//

1/4 cup scalded milk
1 cup room temperature water
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 Tablespoon yeast
--set this mixture aside for about 7 minutes

3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
--sift together and cut in 1/4 cup cold butter with a pastry blender or fork
--add liquid yeast mix

Roll out, cut into donut shapes and let rise for about 20 minutes under a tea towel
Fry the donuts on each side until lightly golden in a cast iron skillet using coconut oil

Glaze//
Melt butter and add powdered sugar to taste, dip or brush on donuts while warm

These are best fresh and hot!

(We tried cinnamon donuts and powdered sugar donuts, but everyone's favorite were the glazed)

What are some of you fondest Holiday Memories?

Minimalist's Baby Registry with The Baby Cubby

Since finding out we're expecting boy number two, I've been asking myself what items we'll actually really need. He's due around the same time of year as Simon, so most of the newborn clothes we have should work just fine for him. But a part of me is itching to "prepare" or "nest" so I thought just a FEW new items wouldn't hurt, right?! Of course when I started pursuing the baby cubby's beautifully curated website, a "few" turned into a little more than I was expecting and my wishlist got a little out of hand! Oops! Promise I won't buy it all...

It's pretty rare to find a shop that has so many things you connect with and is free of all the...junk you don't! That's exactly what I found at the baby cubby, probably because the cubby team is made up of real parents, who know, test and use these products themselves. They know they're the best and safest available, plus they offer free shipping and price matching--EVEN AMAZON! I don't know about you, but I love supporting small businesses over Amazon whenever I can, and when they're price matching, why wouldn't you?

Here is a group of my very favorites, some are tried and true by me and Simon (like Tubby Todd Natural Wash & Lotion and the machine washable Lorena Canal Rugs) and some are new goodies I hope to try out on #babyboynumber2 come February-- (I got my eye on you, DockATot!)

I'd love to hear some of your favorite baby items or things you learned about buying for your second child! Did you feel like you didn't get to nest as much?

Shop the Items Here: Tubby Todd All Natural Gift Set / DockATot Baby Sleep Positioner / Owlet Baby Vitals Monitor / Stokke High Chair Set / Salt Water Sandals / Lorena Canals Washable Beige Rug / Lorena Canals Black Rug / Grey Striped Terry Sweats / Little Unicorn Striped Cotton Quilt / Lulujo Baby Turkish Towel / PlanToys Submarine / Stokke Steps Bounce / Fitted Coverall / PlanToys Coastguard Boat / Ubbi Diaper Pail / Cranberry Swaddle / Aden + Anais Bandana Bib / Briar Handmade Bonnet / Piper Finn Stone Gray Oxford / PlanToys Racer / Natursutten Orthodontic Pacifier / Banana Infant Teething Toothbrush / EleFriend Bendable Toothbrush for Toddlers / NoseFrida Nasal Aspirator 




+Thank you babycubby.com for partnering with me on this post, as always, all opinions are my own.

A Betty of a Cookie!

Reason's I love this cookie--just cooled from the oven they have this very thin layer of crisp, like a perfectly toasted marshmallow,  that up until now has been very hard for me to achieve without the use of Crisco, which I refuse to use. The inside is still a little but gooey while they're still warm, which is delicious, but also rich, so it keeps you from eating the whole patch right away. Because of said gooeyness, they are still perfect the next day and if you can resist the following day after that. They no longer have that crisp skin, but they're still soft and satisfying and now way too easy to eat 3...4 at a time. I also recently tried this Guittard brand chocolate chip after having some troubles with my normal Tollhouse choice and really like them a lot more!

Both this recipe (a vintage Betty Crocker recipe and that choc. chip brand were recommended to me by friends on SnapChat! Woot woot--love that app more and more each day :))


Ingredients:
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup softened butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup semi-sweet Guittard brand chocolate chips

Heat oven to 375°
Mix sugars, butter, vanilla and egg in mixer
Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl
Mix in flour mixture to sugar mixture, Stir in chocolate chips.
Place rounded Tablespoon sized balls 2 inches apart on cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes until golden brown. Centers will be soft. Cool on pan slightly, then cool on rack.







*This is my take on this original recipe found here

Involuntarily Falling in Love with Volunteer Park//Downtown Seattle Day Four

For those who asked about my outfit details on IG: similar hat, necklace, tee, skirt, daniel wellington watch, similar shoes (just click to shop)

Our last day in Washington, we got ready early and hit up Pike Place again, since the first day everything inside the actual market had already closed. It was just as beautiful as I remembered from last time we were there (and just as crowded too). There are stalls and stalls of giant, colorful flowers for insanely low prices and more fruit and vegetables than you can...shake a stick at--did i just become my mom right there?

It's basically paradise, especially when you get to Sosio's Produce and there are several workers cutting up fresh fruit and insisting you try all their sweet goods. There wasn't one thing I didn't want to buy, but we settles for a bag of tree ripened rainier cherries that blew our socks off! The bag was empty in about 3 minutes...

We made it to the end of the market just in time to see a rowdy fish throw. It was so much more exciting than I would have imagined, I'm glad I got to witness it this time around.

After our stroll through the marketplace, we went across the street for some Pain au Chocolat (chocolate croissants) from the French bakery and who was gonna stop us?--A grilled cheese from Beechers!

We had a few more hours to kill before we had to head to the airport, so we finally hit up Volunteer Park Conservatory, which I had been dreaming about seeing for years. IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT!

The greenhouse was built around 1912 and is more charming than you can even dream up. I've always been a sucker for greenhouses, but this one may have ruined all other greenhouses in my past and future.

Simon was being a real treasure (after not napping for 4 days), so we spent the rest of the time letting him run around the beautiful grassy park, doing whatever would keep him happy. It wasn't the worst.

He ended up making friends with a little boy just a couple weeks older than him, and the boys parent's recommended we grab lunch at Volunteer Park Cafe, just a couple blocks walk away. It was a cute little place on the corner and we split a chicken sandwich. It was really tasty and I regret not getting the baguette with fresh made strawberry preserves--seriously what was i thinking!? If you go, please get it and report back.

We had a great trip, but I was very excited to get home and back on a napping/sleeping schedule with Simon. In case you were wondering, traveling with a toddler is very very exhausting. Living with a toddler is exhausting, but traveling with one, takes it to a whole new level.

Until next time, Washington. It was real.