miss this place:

Just discovered Jesse Leake's stunning San Francisco engagement photo shoot via Snippet & Ink. These pics are making my heart bleed to be back there right now--Just for the afternoon! Don't get me wrong, we are so blessed to be home in the Midwest, enjoying the seasons change, but there's just something about the sea-breezy air and fog horns in SF...

this is the way we eat our vegetables

This week we hit a major milestone: Solids!

No spoon-feeding endless bowls of rice cereal here--instead, we're trying out the idea of Baby Led Weaning. It's all about involving babies with family meals right from the get-go. Basically, you skip purees, go directly to finger foods, and let babes learn to feed themselves on their own accord.

We simply stick G in his Bumbo chair on the counter with us while we eat, offer him simple, healthy foods that he can easily grasp, and let him explore! Right now he just gnaws or sucks on things, and is only taking in tiny bits at a time. But we can tell that he is really enjoying it! Although it's a little nontraditional and makes for a giant mess, the method makes so much sense to me and so far we're having a lot of fun!

Here's my quick+humble summary of how/why it works:

• Babies meet all of their nutritional needs through breastmilk or formula alone in the first year of life, so you need not worry whether they are getting enough.
  
  
• Evidence shows that by 6 months, babies have a much more mature digestive tract and are better able to handle the introduction of a variety of foods...Not just bland mush.
  
  
• Breastfed babies especially (like G) are already used to controlling their intake and have already been exposed to a variety of flavors via mama's milk. I don't need to micromanage his portions or exposures or worry about overfeeding him.
  
  
• BLW naturally progresses with the child's development. At this stage, infants are very oral and learn about the world through their mouths. Right now, G is super curious and has the hand-eye coordination to stick almost everything en la boca. Why not his own food? Plus, he's already learning to equate colors, textures, and shapes with different tastes. Very cool.
  
  
• We don't substitute solids for those very important-hearty milk feeds. Instead, we schedule our meals in between his feedings when he is happy and alert. Eventually, he will realize that this solid food business is satisfying his belly and he will naturally begin to drop his milk feeds during the day. And somewhere in between, he'll begin mimicking everything we do--that's when the utensils and manners come into play. :)
  
  
• I should also mention the safety aspect: We only give G foods while he is sitting upright and under our careful supervision. Of course we are mindful about choking hazards.
  
  
  
• Eating real, nutritional food from the beginning will help him learn to love a variety of foods and will (hopefully!) help prevent picky eating and mealtime battles as he grows.

We want to give G the opportunity to try everything, eat at his own pace, and learn to love nutritious, well-balanced foods that we offer him. This whole approach is so laid back and easy, I love it! No slaving to make and freeze my own purees and no wasting money on those spendy little jars. Am curious about your thoughts or opinions!?

to market, to market

There's so much to love about making our new home in Apple Valley. We're convenient to great parks, a huge library, TWO Targets, have easy access to the freeway and all the excitement the Twin Cities have to offer. But for me, one of the sweetest perks is nearness to a great farmers' market. It's so fabulous to bring fresh, locally grown food into your home. Food just doesn't get much better. Just wanted to share a few pics of our excursion last weekend (because I could never get tired of photographing produce), plus this very adorable little chalkboard that my mom gave us as a housewarming gift. I love its rustic charm. Makes me melt with nostalgia for back-to-school. :) It is perfect for writing inspiring quotes, lofty goals, and plain+simple grocery lists. Which brings us back to the farmers' market:At $6 a pop, it was tough to pick just one giant garden-fresh bouquet to bring home. I chose this one:.

5 months, (well + 2 weeks)

Mr. G,

Can't even believe that we let 5 months scoot on by. Our little family has been a busy bunch lately, but you have been a champion at adjusting to all of our big changes.

Now that we're settled in our new place, I think you're glad to be back to your big crib. The past two nights in a row, you've slept from 9:30pm-7:00am after a loong stretch of those 2am snacks. God must be smiling down on us. :) You're also beginning to restore mama's faith in naps...

We love love love watching all of your curious little habits. You grab at everything in site. You've got this amazing power to differentiate between toys and no-nos. At mealtimes, you study every bite we take. Just a few more weeks, buddy. Although, admittedly I've been known to sneak you some tasty licks of fruits & frostings.

You've officially mastered rolling. Left, right, tummy, back. Been there, done that. But you don't spend much time practicing...you'd much rather be upright and involved than confined to the floor. Guess I don't blame you.

And what's with all of the drooling and raspberry bubble blowing!? No teeth yet--maybe in time for Christmas.

We are loving every minute of you. Seriously, there's nothing better than a cuddle with my soft+chunky Mr. Graham.

junk bonanza

Last Saturday's flea market scene rocked my world. I hit Junk Bonanza, the biggest antique/flea market/craft fair of its kind in the Midwest, which was conveniently hosted a few miles away at Canterbury Down in Shakopee. All of the booths were amazing; just dripping with the most charming vintage and re-purposed goods you ever did see. Enough gabbing, I'll let the pictures speak for themselves:
At one stop, there were thousands of pieces of this bright old European enamelware. A feast for the eyes!
And for the grand finale, I must share my finds. It felt fabulous to bring home a piece of the eclectic beauty! I love my new metal tray for its lovely flowers and mint condition.Also scored this little painted end table. It's exactly what our drab living room ordered to cozy up a corner. It even has the perfect little drawer for remotes + beverage coasters. Love, love, love.

hello / goodbye

Goodbye gold rosy sandals
Goodbye raspberry lemonade
Goodbye dining al fresco, Goodbye grill
Goodbye bright sunny warm days

Hello gold+red+orange leaves
Hello warm apple cider
Hello old jeans, Hello fuzzy sweaters
Hello chilly mornings and cozy evenings

Autumn, you're looking so great this year.

the great cloth diaper crossover

Diapers, smelly diapers. Wow, I never ever thought I'd be addressing the blog world on this topic. This week we are taking the big smelly plunge and giving cloth diapers a whirl. Literally. I know it's a little nuts. I've been open to the idea since day 1, but those pesky trips to the laundromat and relatively high costs of diaper services got in my way. Now that we're settled in a new place that has the kind of washer and dryer that do not require quarters, I'm falling in love with the idea all over again. A big box of these cute colored dipes just showed up at my door and we're about to embark on a very messy journey.

So why so old school in a world of splendid modern conveniences like disposable dipes and garbage bags?

1. These are not your granny's diapers. There are so so many new diapers out there that are easy peasy in comparison. Just google it.
   
2. After doing a few hours of research, I decided on these because they have a separate insert that soaks up the mess...making them a whole lot easier to clean and keep dry.
3. These also have velcro in the front. No pins! The average diaper change time will be just as fast as ever.
   
4. Landfills. Carbon footprints. Enough said.
5. Cash money, in the bank. We figure that we've been spending about $20/week on diapers so far. These fancy diapers were definitely an initial investment, but compared to the cost of disposables, they will have paid for themselves in just a few months. In fact, if I really put my laundry skills to the test and keep these looking pretty, we'll be able to use this same set for all our future kiddos. Crazy.
6. Speaking of the future, these dipes also have snaps that make them one size fits all. G can wear these 'til he weighs 35 lbs or (gasp) we start potty training! We need not spend more to get the next size up.
7. I've also heard a whole lot of hype about cloth being better for baby's skin and helping (especially) boys learn to sense wet and potty train early. Whether that's true or false, I'm willing to give this a test drive and am hoping it won't drive me crazy. :)
   

What are your thoughts? Wish us luck. Poop city, here we come.

The first batch

of cookies in our new place just came out of the oven this afternoon. We moved into our new place last weekend but of course not without a hitch...Our couch did not fit through the front door. (Yeah, our big beautiful new splurge of a couch, as in, our only nice piece of furniture, you know, the one we bought just last year!!) So after that minor set back, we have been busy unpacking, waiting for internet, and just plain getting settled ever since. It feels so good to have our own little things again--the blankets and gadgets and pictures that make your house your home.
So after the big dry spell around here, I'd like to say welcome back with some warm chocolate + white chip cookies and a sip of milk. I'm so happy about our new space, a new routine, and some bright new beginnings. Hoping that includes a little spare time for more frequent blogging. :)And today's first batch was completely inspired by my fabulous new apron from the ever-eloquent Bethany. Thanks so much--this new kitchen of mine has never looked so good!

kimberly + ben

Just got home from our road trip to Michigan for my little bro's Labor Day weekend wedding. I must confess that I was a little nervous about the 16 hour drive, with Graham stuck in the car seat...But guess what? He was a rock star--he either slept or played for most of the trip. He exceeded my expectations and we had the best time! Anyway, let's talk wedding. Everything turned out to be absolutely beautiful and we were so happy to be a part of Ben + Kimberly's special day. There's still tons of editing to do, but I just had to share a few pics! I loved Kimberly's idea to get a picture of the ladies from the church's balcony: Hard to see in the picture, but we had the most elegant floor-length plum bridesmaid dresses with a little side ruching and some embroidery and beading on the front. Very form forgiving. This shot of the guys was just supposed to be a light-test, but we loved how it turned out! So relaxed and fun.
Best for last: Ben is a complete motor-head, car geek, engine freak. So his '84 Trans Am getaway mobile was a big highlight of the day. When it was time for us to start pictures right before the wedding I couldn't find him anywhere in the church. I almost began to panic, thinking that he was chickening out and checking out. Case in point, I found the tux-clad groom under the hood of a vehicle surrounded by guys in the parking lot. Nothing like a little pre-nup tune-up. ;)And this, my friends, is the rubber he laid pulling up to the reception venue.

yo, yo, little bro

Can't believe this day has come...The wild child of our family (aka my little brother Ben) is getting married this weekend!! Truly, wild child is an understatement, and I think this picture says it all. I just finished putting together a slide show of pictures for their wedding reception and have been digging through the finest of the finest family photo albums all day. There were way too many classics to choose from! And oooh, I cannot wait for all of the stories, speeches, and roasts! But more importantly, I can't wait for his dear Kimberly to join our fam. Seriously, she is the sweetest girl, an angel to marry my little brother and I can't wait to have her as a SIL! Well, back to packing our suitcases...Getting ready for a mighty 13-hour drive to Michigan and leaving today. Can't wait to get there and celebrate. Will be back next week with a slurry of pictures for you!

getting thrifty

September is here with a bang. We've been having cooler weather here and it's beginning to feel a lot like fall. Ready or not, here it comes. As you can see, last weekend's garage sales treated me so well! I couldn't believe my eyes when I found this beautiful hand-stitched antique quilt. Am so in love with every bit of fabric, the pattern, and the colors! So much in love that it inspired me to {finally} change up the blog banner around here. I have zero graphic design skills, so it's always a project. :)I also picked up some dandy little milk glass dishes and a couple of pretty vintage linens. Very fun!