With a firstborn who hated nursing due to reflux issues, breastfeeding started as a struggle and quickly ended with regrets and feelings of failure. Then when my daughter, Lucy, was born, I got the special nursing relationship I had hoped for and planned to go on for at least two years (partly because it was going so well and partly because extended breastfeeding decreases my risk of breast … [Read more...]
“I’m Not Prejudiced, I Just Don’t Like 25% of Humanity”
What if I told you there was an article going around Facebook called 26 Reasons Women Shouldn't Be Scientists, with photographs of women doing dumb things? And that the comments were full of men gleefully agreeing that women were idiots and they sure counted themselves lucky that they were able to work in a woman-free industry. What if I told you that some men are calling for a return of Male Only … [Read more...]
In Which Daniel Reviews a Book on Sewing (and a Giveaway!)
My lovely friend Nicole Bennett, blogger of Gidget Goes Home and creator of The Motherhood and Jane Austen Book Club, wrote a fantastic ebook on the basics of sewing--something I want to learn to do. It's called Sewing School 101: Simple Tips to Get You Stitching. I've been so excited to share the book with you, but...it's hard to vouch for a book on sewing when you know less than nothing … [Read more...]
The One Thing I Regret About My Wedding
I was 20 when we were married. Generally speaking, I didn’t know much of anything. I knew I wanted to marry Daniel in a church. I didn’t even care so much which church (it was a few years before we became Catholic). I didn’t care what our wedding colors were. It didn’t make much of a difference to me what song played when I walked down the aisle. It was before Pinterest. I just wanted a white … [Read more...]
The Secret to Not Fighting With Your Kids About Their Messy Room
Want to know the secret? Get rid of all the toys. Ok, ok, not ALL of the toys. Just a few garbage bags worth. Seriously. After weeks of begging, threatening, and fighting over the kids' messy room, we finally wised up and realized that they weren't trying to be uncooperative little stinkers, the task was overwhelming. When our five-year-old sat down in the middle of his room and cried that … [Read more...]
It’s Our 8th Anniversary! Sometimes I Write About Being Married.
Eight years ago today, I did a super smart thing and married Daniel Stewart. You can read about everything that led up to that day in our love story. (Aww. Or gag...depending on how you feel about sappy love stories.) Here's a few posts I've written about the married life that I thought I'd share to commemorate the day. (Also, we're going on our second date without the baby in a year! I plan to … [Read more...]
Recalibrating! (How Parenting Is Like Following a GPS)
You know where you’re trying to go. You thought you were on the road that would get you there, but suddenly everything looks wrong and your intuition is confirmed when the know-it-all voice of the GPS on your dashboard barks, “RECALIBRATING!” You took a wrong turn and the lady inside your GPS is frantically trying to get you back on track. For a blogger, I have surprising Luddite tendencies. I … [Read more...]
From the Garden: Fresh Mint Homemade Ice Cream Recipe
The other day I posted a photo on Instagram of a batch of homemade ice cream made from fresh mint from the garden. It's our go to summer dessert and there must be other folks out there whose gardens are overflowing with mint because I had several requests to share the recipe. I thought I'd do a how-to post (and because recipe posts are only fun with photos we simply had to make another batch. I'm … [Read more...]
Dear Moms, Don’t Hate Yourself for Liking Social Media
We're always hearing about the dangers of being plugged in. It’s so easy to get too attached to our screens. To be looking down at our phones when we should be looking up at our children. I get it. It’s so hard to have a healthy balance and not let the internet and social media take over our lives. It’s a very real danger to be, in the words of T.S. Eliot “Distracted from distraction by … [Read more...]
Why New Orleans Has My Heart and How to Visit with Young Kids and Have a Blast
We have some history in New Orleans. Daniel grew up there and I think that's where he picked up his appreciation for good food--something I'm really glad he brought into our family culture. NOLA's also about halfway between Waco, TX (where I went to college) and our hometown, Tallahassee, FL. Daniel and I met in New Orleans one weekend when I was a freshman and we were "just friends" before … [Read more...]
