Mini & Me

MINI: J.Crew Swimsuit, GAP Romper & Sandals // ME: Joe Fresh Dress, Madewell Hat & Tote, J.Crew Sandals

While it rained most of the weekend in New York, it still felt more like Spring to me than it has in months. It got me thinking about the warmer days ahead....and of course how I plan to dress for them. I'm never one to back away from a nautical stripe so it's no surprise that a stripe dress is high on my wishlist this season. I also thought it would be fun to think about what Olivia will be wearing as the weather heats up too. After all, it is way more fun dressing her than myself!

Have a great week.

Friday Favourites: Dining Edition

1. West Elm Pendants, $100 // 2. Bodum Chambord French Press, $70 // 3. West Elm Parker Mid-Century Dining Table, $600 // 4. Eames Moulded Plastic Dowel-Leg Chair, $430 // 5. Crate&Barrel Como Splash Flat Plate, $15

Adventures in Motherhood: On Being a Mother

This parenting thing has surprised me. Being a mother has come a lot more naturally to me that I ever could of imagined (and more than my own mother could of imagined, so she told me). I always wanted kids, but I was never overly 'clucky'. Newborns scared me because they seemed so fragile and vulnerable, and older babies just scream and demand things, don't they? Needless to say I had no idea what I was in for.

The love that I felt for Olivia was instant and all-consuming, and it still is. I have never once questioned my ability to care for her. That's not to say I haven't ask for advice or help, I definitely have, no new mum has all the answers. On a whole though, I have found that trusting my instincts and being on the same parenting page as my husband has helped to shape us into the parents that Olivia deserves. It's a moving target for sure, but I think we are doing a pretty great job.

Here are ten things that have surprised me about being a mother, in no particular order:

1. I am more strict that I thought I would be. My life is ruled by Olivia's routine, and that's okay because it works for us.
2. Poop hasn't offended me quite as much as I thought it would (though there have been a few exceptions).
3. Leaving Olivia with our babysitter still feels weird. We love our sitter, but leaving the house without Olivia always feels like I left something behind (I guess because I did).
4. Baby's don't just go to sleep when they are tired. What! I know, how silly I thought this to be the case. Olivia used to be a terrible sleeper. I used to have to rock her for 40 minutes just to get a 30 minute nap, and she would go down at night only to wake up half an hour later, every. single. night. We have gone through a few different stages of sleep training though, and now she is a champion sleeper - most of the time.
5. I enjoy living in New York more now that I have Olivia as my sidekick.
6. Just leaving the house takes a lot of preparation... do I have food - check, nappies/diapers - check, toys - check.
7. Breastfeeding is hard! I had nipple trauma, a turbo milk let-down, and oversupply issues, and that was just the start of it. The first couple of months were very painful, but we got through it. I ended up breastfeeding Olivia for twelve months, and the end came at the right time for us both.
8. Babies are really noisy. That cute tiny little ball of a baby can scream the house down, and even when they aren't crying they are always making noise; coos, gurgles and purrs.
9. Babies grow fast - really fast. Just when you have bought clothes of one size they are into the next.
10. My day is filled with so much fun, joy and laughter. Being home with Olivia has been such a great thing for me, and our family. Not everyday is easy, and not all day is easy, but I love being home with her so much, and feel very blessed that I am able to do so.

It sure has been a fun year!

Kid Food

Lately, I have really struggled with what foods to feed Olivia. She is certainly not what you would call a fussy eater, in fact, she rarely refuses food, but I have stressed nonetheless with making sure I have easy, ready-to-go, and healthy food for her.

It was easy when it was all purees. I added lots of flavours and textures, and tried to be really adventurous. I would freeze the purees in big batches and that way had lots of food ready to go as needed. Fast-forward to now and Olivia is at the stage where she wants to feed herself, yet isn't quite there with using a spoon or fork. Fingers seem to be much more effective, and fun. The problem with the current status quo however, is that I am afraid of mess (I'm working on it), and so I like Olivia to eat foods that leave the fewest amount of crumbs possible. Finger foods are where we are at and so I have had to get a little creative to make sure Olivia is getting good nutrition in every meal she eats, with the least amount of mess (shameful but true).

Aside from easy things like chopped fruit and vegetables, cheese and rice cakes, my go to lunch (and sometimes dinner) has become a modified version of Zucchini Slice. I omit the bacon and add lots of other veggies to make Olivia's version a little more nutritious. I slice it into Olivia sized portions and keep it in the fridge or freezer, depending on how quickly we plan to get through it. Here is my recipe...

OLIVIA'S ZUCCHINI SLICE

Ingredients
1 large zucchini, grated
1 large carrot, grated
1/2 - 1 small head of broccoli, chopped finely
1 medium onion, grated
4 eggs
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 cup self-raising flour*

Method
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F/190 degrees C.
Combine vegetables with the flour, cheese and lightly beaten eggs.
Pour into a lightly greased pan (I tend to use a round 10 inch pan), smoothing the top with the back of a spoon.
Cook for 30-40 minutes, until cooked through and nicely golden on top.

*As an alternative to self-raising flour, use 1 cup of all-purpose flour with one teaspoon each of baking powder and bicarbonate soda. I also like to use wholemeal flour.

There you have it, so easy you can almost do it in your sleep. I also find it delicious for myself served with sweet chilli sauce and a nice side salad. Enjoy!

Her Style // Your Way

Image of Jessica Alba from Pinterest

To kick off the first Her Style // Your Way post in a long time, I decided to go with a Mum who's casual yet put together style I am always looking at for inspiration, Jessica Alba. I love the way Jessica has elevated what is otherwise a fairly neutral outfit with studs and metallic elements. Remove the scarf and swap the sandals for heels and you can take this outfit from the park to dinner - because sometimes you just need an outfit that can do both.

Why hello there, remember me?

Hello and the warmest welcome back! It has been well over a year since my last blog post so you are forgiven if you forgot about me. So much has happened since we last spoke - let's call that time off my extended maternity leave.

We welcomed our sweet little Olivia into the world fourteen months ago now, and it was love at first sight. Wow what a year, it has truly been one of the greatest. We have been blessed with an adorable, sweet, funny, intelligent, stubborn and brave little girl.

Now that Olivia is one I am about to embark on a journey to find my blogging feet again. I am sure our not-so-new-any-more addition will feature prominently, so I hope you don't mind. The direction of the blog now that she is here will reveal itself as we go along. I myself am not sure where we will be going, and how much of my personal life I will want to share. So please be patient with me, and I hope you will continue to follow me on our journey, living life in New York, only now with a toddler in tow.