TGIF
Hello! I solo-mommed it for a few days this week for the first time since having Amelia and am happy to report it wasn’t nearly as terrifying as I had anticipated. The witching hour/bedtime routine felt about three times as long as it usually does, but otherwise we have all emerged unscathed. Nick actually told me that I should try and miss him a little bit because I MAY have hinted that there is less mess to clean up and I sleep much better when he’s away.
Speaking of the witching hour, please tell me that by the end of the day your house looks like you were robbed, too.
And that’s just one room. Overheard is Eloise upstairs making tidal waves in the bathtub, and unpictured is Nick holding a wet and naked Amelia straight out in front of him racing through the house trying to find diaper ointment. In a past life this whole scene would have made me come undone—chaos, messes, diaper rash—but I’d like to give myself a pat on the back for exhibiting some growth and not being too bothered by it.
A couple food-related things for you:
Make this soup. Perfect to transition out of summer and into fall—light but satisfying. It’s higher maintenance than my usual meal rotation, but I made it on a Sunday and doubled it for switch a meal. And if I were one to care about limiting heavy cream, I would be happy that this soup is creamy without any!
Our friends kindly allowed us to pick up their crop share at a local farm this week, and I have a new and very easy way to roast squash. This is kabocha, and it seemed similar to acorn squash to me. I cut it into wedges (perilous—watch your fingers), brushed it with coconut oil, topped it with salt and cinnamon, and roasted it at 400* for about 35-40 minutes. The girls wouldn’t touch it (Where are these kids who eat adventurously? Do they only exist on Instagram? I would like to meet and possibly adopt them) but Nick and I enjoyed it!
Let’s talk Jello. With Jello jigglers on our summer bucket list, I wanted to find a healthier alternative. Our grocery store is usually pretty good about having healthy options, but Jello isn’t one of them, so I was happy to find these on Amazon. It’s probably a little pricey for six small boxes, but I really like that it doesn’t have any artificial dyes, aspartame, corn syrup, or other yucky things. The strawberry flavor is really good and MOST importantly, this little lady loved making it!
Since increasing wine consumption while single-mothering this week didn’t seem like a good idea, I pulled out my Natural Tranquility. Do you know about this? If not, you need to. It’s a powdered magnesium supplement that you mix with water and I’m telling you, it melts the stress right away. It makes me feel heavy and sleepy almost like you’d feel after a massage, so I drink it before bed and am out cold. I think I had gotten it at my midwives’ recommendation when I was having trouble sleeping during one of my pregnancies, and it’s also good for muscle spasms. (This link will get you $10 off your first order and I’ll get a $10 credit as well.)
And my last item of witch-doctory for the day: ylang ylang. I’ve written about it before but I can’t say enough about this lovely oil. Do your research—so good for hormonal issues, mood balancing, and healthy skin/hair. If you are lucky enough to have cramps during your monthly cycle, try a couple drops of ylang ylang diluted into a pump of fractionated coconut oil rubbed on the abdomen and lower back. I also love it in the diffuser—it is VERY floral, so I like to cut it with a citrus oil—for an uplifting effect.
Happy weekend! Any fun plans? My sister is coming tomorrow, yay! We all can’t wait to see her and it will be nice having an extra set of baby-wrangling hands around while Nick and I pack for our trip. (Know what I don’t recommend doing right before leaving for a vacation to Cape Cod? Watching a documentary about rampant heroin use on Cape Cod.)
Here are some links from around the web:
Jenny posted a back-to-school menu plan complete with grocery shopping list, and I wish I could hug her.
Have you ever heard of a cuddle mattress? And am I the only person who thinks this is a terrible idea? Do people actually sleep like that? Please enlighten me. If I could, I would sleep 1) in my own bed 2) in my own room 3) preferably in my own house. ALONE. No to sleep-cuddling!!!!!
Maria Semple has a new book coming out next month which I will add to my reading list. (Just started this one and like it so far!)
Happy weekend!
