Good morning! How are you guys doing on this lovely Friday? All is well over here! This Friday should be a fun one because Chase and I will be heading out for an afternoon play date before the weekend fun sets in… And then we’re off to New York on Sunday!
A very last-minute opportunity popped up for me on Wednesday and somehow everything ended up working out from a logistical standpoint, so Chase and I will be New York City bound on Sunday for a super-quick event on Monday. (I’ll be sure to share more details on the blog when I get back next week, but let’s just say I may be dying my hair for the first time ever.) I’m nervous and excited and also a little stressed out about flying with Chase again but I’m hoping our travels will be similar to our flight home from Denver last month and not too similar to our flight away from Charlotte. I’m crossing my fingers for lots of baby sleep! At least the flight from Charlotte to NYC will be a lot shorter than our flight to Denver, right!?
But before I get too sidetracked and wrapped up in the stress that comes along with traveling with a baby, let’s stick to the Friday protocol around here… It’s time for your weekly Things I’m Loving Friday post where we all chat about what we’re loving most each week. As always, feel free to join in the fun in the comments section.
Have a great weekend!!
Things I’m Loving Friday
- Sadie After Chase’s Bedtime
I’m pretty sure that the moment I place Chase in his crib for the night, Sadie celebrates internally and feels like her world is finally back to normal. We’re still working on cultivating a loving bond between Sadie and Chase but there’s no denying she loves it when it’s just her and her two original humans. She soaks up all the love she can during this time and relishes all the loving cuddles and kisses! Her face in the above picture cracked me up because she looks like she’s in heaven in Ryan’s lap!
- A Returned Wallet
Bless the kind and trustworthy people of the world! I apparently left my wallet at Whole Foods Lake Norman on Wednesday and didn’t realize my blunder until late Thursday afternoon when I went to mail a package at the post office and my wallet was nowhere to be found. I quickly retraced my steps, figured out where I must have left it and called Whole Foods. I spoke to someone who had me identify my wallet (one benefit of having a yellow wallet!) and told me that it was securely waiting for me at Customer Service. What a blessing! Though I won’t get to personally thank the person who turned my wallet in, I was super grateful for the many headaches they saved me had my wallet fallen into the wrong hands. Hooray for good people!
- Espresso Cheese
I love coffee. I love cheese. But coffee and cheese together? I was skeptical but couldn’t resist buying a wedge of Sartori Espresso BellaVitano and it was freaking fantastic. I cannot seem to stop slicing off a little wedge of this cheese every time I walk by the refrigerator and it tastes wonderful when paired with crisp apple slices and a handful of cashews as an afternoon snack. Coffee and cheese lovers, you gotta try this one!
This Fabletics Europa Pullover is comfy and cozy but I love the way the hi-lo hem makes it look a little more polished than a basic sweatshirt. I now own it in two colors (gray and black) and also gave my mom the same pullover for Christmas after she complimented mine during a past visit. It’s a great go-to casual item I find myself reaching for in my closet again and again!
Apparently I missed the memo that Tuesday was National Peanut Butter Lovers Day, but rest assured, I was celebrating without even knowing it! I made a big ol’ batch of cinnamon peanut butter popcorn after dinner and Ryan and I destroyed it in 2.5 seconds. Love that stuff.
I had the opportunity to meet Elizabeth, the talented artist behind the beautiful March calendar you see above, during a blogger trip to Connecticut back in 2012. Elizabeth regularly shares some of her beautiful work on her blog and on Tuesday published a post with this gorgeous printable calendar for the month of March. I just had to share it here because it’s so pretty and I thought it might be a nice way to brighten up your office or home in a festive way!
- Baby Led Weaning Ideas Instagram
I recently discovered Bethany’s Instagram page @BLWIdeas which has been so interesting to me as a mom who is dabbling in baby led weaning. (We are currently doing a mix of purees and real food for Chase.) Bethany’s page has lots of ideas and every time I’ve asked her a question on Instagram, she’s responded with very helpful answers. She also gives helpful tips underneath her photos, like recommending that moms of little ones squish blueberries and watch for reactions to strawberries since they’re becoming a more common allergen, etc. I just wanted to recommend this one out there to any of you who may be interested in baby led weaning as well.
Note: I have no idea if BLW is an all or nothing thing… Perhaps giving Chase purees means I’m not technically doing BLW at all? I don’t know. We’re taking a blended approach and going back and forth between the two right now and the only way I’ve heard people refer to giving babies bites of real food is to call it baby led weaning. So that’s that!
- Around the Web
Interesting Reads: Clean Non-Toxic Beauty // Passport and Chill (<— My BFF Merri’s twin sister’s travel blog all about 148 days of traveling on a budget!) // The Truth About Eggs
Food: Makoto Ginger Dressing Remake // Healthy Shamrock Shake Recipe // Bang Bang Buffalo Cauliflower // Crispy Chocolate Coconut Protein Bars // Crock Pot Cheesy Enchilada Rice Bowls
Fitness: 7 Foam Roller Exercises for Sore Muscles // Killer Kettlebell Workout // No Equipment Plyo Circuit
- Giveaway Winners
Congratulations to Salome D., the winner of the Blue Apron giveaway! Congratulations to Christi, the winner of the Grokker giveaway! And congratulations to Carolyn S., the winner of The Honest Company bundle giveaway! All giveaway winners were emailed first thing this morning. Thank you so much to all who entered!
- Friday Flashbacks
Healthy Banana Bread (We love this recipe and it also works well as banana muffins!)
60 Minute Boot Camp Workout (Complete each station in the below workout for three minutes before moving onto the next. You will likely finish all of the exercises in each station before three minutes are up, so simply repeat the exercises over and over again until three minutes are over. Rest as needed, but try to keep things moving!)
Question of the Day
- What is one thing you are loving this week?
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Espresso cheese? And cinnamon peanut butter popcorn! OMGoodness I need to go buy and make these ASAP! Happy Weekending!
Love that black hoodie! Looks so comfortable. Also, so glad you got your wallet back!! Have a wonderful weekend!
Yay for wonderful people in this world! So thankful your wallet was safe.
Technically, BLW does refer to just giving your baby normal food only and no purées so technically you aren’t doing BLW. As a Mom who did true BLW from the start and is now dealing with some lack of poo issues that stem from lack of fluids (we still EBF too) and is having to back track to some purées, I think your approach of a good balance between the two is spot on and will be great for Chase
Have a great weekend!
I had my first cooking demo on a tv morning show this week!!! BLW is “technically” all or nothing but who cares? I did a blended approach too! I’m going to check out that IG page! There’s also a great fb group (probably many!) but one I like is called feeding the littles!
See I disagree. I think even doing some real food is still BLW, because in those instances you are allowing Chase to take the lead. I did a mix of purées and BLW, because my mother who watches my son wasn’t totally on board with BLW. We did start giving him the spoon more whenever we fed him purées. Then about 8 months or so he was completely doing BLW. He’s a great eater now!
I love Bethany’s feed! I still find it interesting even though my youngest is 19 months! 😉
And yeah, BLW is all or nothing – I think your hybrid approach is great! And you’re describing it very well based on my understanding. And I don’t think offering purées is not BLW, it’s just that with BLW the baby is the only one doing the feeding, so if you gave chase the spoon exclusively that would follow along more with BLW but that sounds like the messiest messy waiting to happen!
I’m excited to see how your trip goes! I’m flying alone with both my girls next month for the first time and I’m already freaking out!
Where did you buy the espresso cheese?! My husband would go nuts for it! Even though I don’t have kids (yet) I love the baby posts and would be interested to hear more about your modified BLW. Super intrigued to hear about your trip, have fun and fingers crossed for happy baby flying 🙂
Loving my new dog harness seatbelt attachment! My girl does not love traveling but this seems to keep her more secure! No more 40lb dog in my lap while I try to drive!
Don’t stress over flying with your baby you will cause yourself more stress stressing over it. Just roll with it. Y’all will be fine I’m sure!
BLW is awesome! We did it with our daughter! She now is almost 2 and will eat literally ANYTHING we put in front of her. I highly recommend it to anyone! Good luck!
That espresso cheese!!
I found some of that on sale last week, bought it, and it has been sitting in my fridge untouched ever since. I love cheese and coffee, but I wasn’t quite sure what I was thinking when I bought this until I read your post today. t’m glad to hear your glowing reviews, and I will be making it my afternoon snack today! Happy Friday!
We are loving your Turkey Mushroom Bolognese from earlier this week! We paired it with spaghetti squash, and even my 1 and 4 year old boys gobbled it right up! So thank you!!! 🙂
I’m so glad to hear this!!! 🙂 Thank you for taking the time to let me know!
Ooh that pullover is super cute. I love Fabletics stuff! Also, Sadie’s face kills me. It’s pretty adorable how attached she is to you guys.
Love the picture of your husband with Sadie, she looks so happy!
http://www.ablondeinanairport.com
That banana bread looks delish!
It is!! Every time I’ve made it people tell me it’s the best banana bread they’ve ever had!
P.s. I’m so glad y’all are coming up to NYC!! I hope you have the best time! 🙂
I feel like our dog does the same thing. Once the baby is in bed he thinks it should be all about him.
It’s so nice when you see proof that there are good people in the world. They could have easily left it there or taken it but they chose not to. So nice!
What exciting plans!! I forgot how much I love your peanut butter popcorn too. I am seriously going to have to make it again. The combo is just the best,
You should look at the babyfoode website and Instagram. I don’t even have kids yet but all of their purees and toddler food plates look amazing! They go in to detail of why certain foods are good for babies and the website has things broken down by age.
We love Bellavitano cheese in this Wisconsin household. My favorite is the rosemary and olive oil and my husbands favorite is the cracked black pepper.
Yummmmmm pb popcorn is now on my list for this weekend!
wow that popcorn looks delicious!! 🙂 Have a great weekend!
Thank you so much for that instagram page! I have a 5 month old and am so nervous and anxious about introducing solids for some reason – I basically don’t get it or when I do it since I work outside the home. I have been nervous about this since being pregnant lol. I think I want to do a hybrid approach too so it is nice to follow along.
Also, I want to beg you – please do not dye your hair! You have the most beautiful natural hair color. Once you do it, it just impacts the quality of your hair and takes forever to go back to natural. I am just sharing from someone who has to get it done every 6 weeks and wishes I could go back!
Espresso cheese?! Too cool! 😀 I’m loving the fact that strawberries are coming in season! Have a great weekend! 🙂
Thanks for the link love, my friend! And gahhhh, you’re going to be SO CLOSE to meeeee!! You should totally travel an extra 2 hours north so I get to see your beautiful face!! <3
Soooo glad your wallet was returned! I would’ve been freaking out. Hooray for good people!
When we were in Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA we went to the Cheese Shop and they had us try Sartori’s Balsamic Cheddar…Oh. My. Gravy. It is amazing! If you see a wedge, grab it and thank me later. 😉
My husband and I can’t have kids. It’s something we have struggled with for three years. Yesterday though, we turned in our application to foster/adopt! It’s a big deal for us so that is something I am absolutely loving this week! Praying for God to send us the right child so we can love.
That’s awesome!! Good luck to you!!
Your picture of Sadie and Ryan cracked me up so hard! It is the same way in my house at bed time only I have 3 cats, a dog and a 3 year old. As soon as I walk out of the room from putting my daughter to bed all of my pets are standing there waiting for me to pet them. All day long you don’t see them, but come bed time they are ready! Don’t think that is going to stop.
How exciting that you’re going to New York! I hope you have a blast. Also, that peanut butter popcorn looks soooo good.
Omg I love that first photo. My dog used to force herself on your lap and then smother your face with her neck until you kissed her and paid attention. Hope you have a great weekend!
Thank God they had your wallet! I probably would have splurged on a new pair of sneakers 😉
LOVE Fabletics, that pullover is adorable! Also peanut butter and popcorn are two of my weaknesses. I’m not sure if I should thank or curse you for pointing this deliciousness out to me!! 😉
Peanut butter popcorn?! Wow, I need that in my life 🙂 how exciting about your trip! Have a great weekend, Julie!
Thanks for posting the Instagram BLW tips! I’m going to go follow RIGHT NOW!
I follow the FB page ‘Feeding the Littles’ and according to them, BLW is no purees. When you add in purees it’s just traditional weaning. I do the same as you, little puree and a little chunks of food. My pediatrician suggested introducing a sippy cup with a little water to help any backing up that the solids might do! Another great Instagram to follow is Baby Food Universe. Great recipes and meal ideas!
And my dog does the same thing as Sadie. Once my son is in bed, it’s time to play and invade my personal space!
Sadie is such a character! My dog acts the same way when I take him on walks now. My sister and her dog came to live with us and he often gets so jealous when we give her attention! When I walk him he gets a little pep in his step, it’s adorable!
We had to do a combination because our daycare wouldn’t do BLW. So he got purees during the day and at home he got pieces off of our plates. I just looked at it that he got exposed to both sides. It was nice though because when he moved up into the class where they do start letting the children feed themselves they were all amazed at how well he could already do it.
I am so glad that your wallet was returned to you! The other day I left my iPad in the gym and was terrified it was going to be gone, but thankfully it was sitting right where I left it. 🙂 It makes my heart happy to know that there are still so many good people in the world.
Peanut butter popcorn? stop!!!! that sounds so good! That is so nice that someone turned your wallet it. Have fun on your trip, can’t wait to hear about it!
Hi Julie! I have a really random question for you. Have you stumbled upon any recipes for cooking with breast milk? I am nearing the end of nursing and pumping (not-so-baby-boy is 9 months old today!) and I have a freezer stocked with pumped milk. I have explored donation for some, but I am not able to donate all for health and safety reasons. I am thinking I could continue to give it to my guy through our BLW feeding by cooking with it. Have you experienced any recipes? Thanks in advance! I always love the healthy recipes you post for you and Ryan and thought maybe you had explored it for Chase.
Omg so many things I want and want to try in the post. I’m thinking the peanut butter popcorn for this weekend. Holy YUM!
We did a combo-approach to baby led weaning too. With really soft foods, we’d let him dive in, but after taking too-big bites of some scary foods (like the carrot or bell pepper strips that baby-led weaning books suggested), we decided some foods are best introduced as a puree until he could chew better.
A friend put it to me this way: We (adults) eat purees, too, like soups, smoothies, and the like. Why would we insist that our babies never get to try these delicious blended flavors? I thought it was such a great point and helped me relax about doing baby-led weaning the “right” way and just focus on letting my kid experience all kinds of foods and textures. Now, he’s an AWESOME eater–literally eats anything we give him!
Where did you buy the espresso cheese? I went to the site, but it costs $20 to ship (yikes!) – if it is at whole foods or trader joes or something, i’ll go on a quest – would love to get this for my husband!
That popcorn looks amazing!!! And I have never heard of espresso cheese. But I do love both so I might have to give this a try.
You should follow Bethany on snapchat too! I’m obsessed.
Holy Smokes! I was checking out your suggested Around The Web and I’m obsessed with Goop!!! I could probably spend all day on this site. Also, your boredom fighting cardio workout is killer. Thank you! 🙂 I’ve had a couple of people at the gym comment to me how hard the workout looked.
I adore that picture of Ryan and Sadie!!
This week I’m totally loving my renewed obsession with smoothies…I can’t go a day without one that includes kale and almond butter.
Enjoy your time in NYC! I’m a bit bias, but I think its the best place ever 🙂 Excited to hear about the special event that you will be attending!
So glad you got your wallet back!!
Hey Julie! Just catching up on your posts, hence my late comment 🙂 Have you read Baby-led Weaning By Gill Rapley? It was really helpful when we did BLW with my son! So many people are scared of their baby choking because they aren’t aware that gagging isn’t in fact choking. Also, doing a combo like you are of purées and solid food is just called traditional weaning, not BLW. So you wouldn’t say I’m doing BLW and purées, you’re just doing traditional weaning 🙂 Make sense? BLW is strictly the baby only putting food in his own mouth. When we spoon feed our baby, we are bypassing their gag reflex and not really giving them a chance to play around with the food in their mouth. I also started my son on straw cups around 7 months and that way we got purées into him in the form of green smoothies! And now he’s a huge green smoothie lover!