Nesting - Putting Together a Minimalist Nursery

It seems like nursery decor goes one of two ways - minimalist or way-oh-my-god over the top! While browsing Pinterest - something that by now you know I NEVER do - I have come across both types of nurseries. I knew I would be on the more minimalist side of the debacle because I wanted to keep the nursery low-cost and also fairly basic so I could adjust it to grow with my boys. No "big boy" wants a room that still looks like a baby room. Here are some of the DIY projects we did while nesting!

As you may have seen from my previous Nursery Tour post, the room is basic and uncluttered. The walls are grey with a grey and white striped accent wall. I had seen bunches of nurseries in this color scheme on Pinterest and I knew right from the beginning that's what I wanted! It's calming, matches everything and will still look good when my boys are older. Even if we had girls, the walls would have been painted this way.

This was hour #3 - and I'm pretty sure we hadn't figured out our measuring mistake yet!

Andy used to work in the Home Depot paint department so he knows his shizz when it comes to painting. I will have to ask him to put together a guest post tutorial on picking out paint supplies and colors - but I definitely won't have him write one on actually PAINTING the striped wall. Disaster. He swears he will never do it again. And not to bring this up for the millionth time... but the stripes are all different sizes. Umm. Yeah. It might be a big deal to some people but it's actually not that noticeable. It's only a matter of a few inches here and there... That's what she said.

DIY Mobile

In my Pinterest-ing adventures, I came across these beautiful mobiles. I wanted them. But they were $63.00. EACH. Ain't nobody got the money for that! Even though I am the least crafty person I know, I decided to make mobiles myself and I'm proud to say they turned out decently - I'm sure you could do a better job though - and they only cost $18.00 for BOTH. 

Not bad, not bad at all!

What you'll need: (for two!)

• Two hoops of some sort or another type of base (I purchased the 2 most inexpensive wooden hoop things at Jo-ann Fabrics. They were about $3 each.)
• Ribbon to cover the wooden hoop (I chose sheer, slightly glittery ribbon in 3 colors - silver and two blues from the dollar store)
• Shape punch (optional) I borrowed a star shaped punch from my Grandmother. You can use whatever or even hand cut shapes if you're patient enough.
• Ribbon in various lengths (again, I went to the dollar store and chose several colors of thin ribbons)
• Glue
• Pretty paper - about 6 sheets per mobile. Jo-Ann Fabrics has a wide variety of thick, card making papers. You'll need extra if you want to do both sides to cover the ribbon and glue to give it a more finished appearance. I didn't have the patience to do this.
• Clear string or thread (to suspend mobile from the ceiling)
• Appropriate hardware to hang mobile

Instructions:

1. Cut various lengths of ribbon that will hang from the mobile. Punch or cut out shapes from paper. Glue shapes onto ribbon - do both sides if you want a more finished look. Let dry.

2. Tie ribbon to hoop and adjust lengths to your liking. Take sheer ribbon and cut into pieces that are just long enough to tie around hoop and give character to the top of the mobile. Tie ribbon the whole way around the hoop.

3. Use clear string or thread to attach to hoop. Have husband (you're pregnant, remember?) attach hardware to ceiling and hang mobile!

4. Celebrate the fact that you saved so much money for something that is not 100% necessary to have in a nursery!

Bookshelves from Spice Racks

If you're on Pinterest, like ever, I'm sure you've seen the ten thousand nursery decor pins that show these cute little spice racks - you guessed it - turned into bookshelves. I saved this idea in the depths of my brain the first time I saw this. I knew I wanted to do that for the boys' nursery. Not optional. It's a thrifty alternative to those costly bookshelves - and super cute, too!

The boys have quite a book collection already!

We purchased 6 of them from IKEA - they're really inexpensive since they're technically spice racks, not bookshelves. Andy painted them white to contrast the grey nursery wall. Let them dry. Hung them. Voila! Seriously, that's it. It was so easy and inexpensive. Somebody was a genius. But it wasn't me.


I'd love to see any DIY projects or nursery decor that you have done! 

Introductions & A Semi-Paleo Lifestyle

 I'm sure you've realized by now, but having twins, working part-time, cooking, cleaning and taking care of a house is a full time job. Then I added blogging. I actually spend A LOT more time working on this side-project than I thought I would. I like it. I want to continue with it. I also want to open up my blog to people who have interests other than babies and food (also known as strange people... I know not of what these so-called "other" interests could possibly be!) Those are about my only topics of expertise but from what I understand, there is a whole world beyond babies and food!

Enter Ashlee. Ashlee has been a friend of my for, oh, 7 years? Can't remember. I'm getting old. Her interests are almost completely opposite of everything I enjoy in life, except for food. We both love food. Here is a list of things that Ashlee enjoys that I just... don't.

• Fashion & Style
• Make-up
• Working out & fitness
• Nature and hiking (this is perhaps my least favorite... umm, ticks?)
• Pursuing a graduate degree
• Working in an office setting
• Not having children... at the moment. 

So, with that introduction given, here is Ashlee's first post on Oh.em.gee it's Nikkie and there will be plenty more to come! Enjoy :-)  


"I have a serious problem with the word 'diet,' and if you know anything about maintaining a healthy lifestyle, you probably do too. If you adjust your diet temporarily to lose weight, that weight loss will only be temporary. Another problem with the word 'diet' is that it doesn't necessarily mean healthy, and ultimately your goal should be a maintainable lifestyle so your weight doesn't yo-yo. Numerous studies have found this type of lifestyle extremely detrimental to the body.

So now I come to one of the latest buzz words, 'paleo.' Paleo enthusiasts want it to be a lifestyle choice, but for many of us that is entirely unrealistic. Therefore, if it is a temporary change, it is a diet. Here are the basic paleo principles:

• No grains, no gluten
• No unnatural sugars (anything not found in raw foods)
• Modern vegetable oils such as coconut oil (another fad food)
• High quality animal fats such as ghee
• High quality meats
• Lots of veggies

As you can see, some of these principles are unrealistic for average joes. Who wouldn't want to eat all organic meats? Why wouldn't it be healthy to eat a great deal of vegetables? But there aren't a lot of people who are willing to completely forgo grain and dessert, making this hard to maintain for your average person. Therefore, it is a diet for most—not a lifestyle choice.

I choose to look at these fad diets (those that are founded on decent whole foods eating principles, not those which include potions and lotions) and extract principles that are of value and incorporate them into my lifestyle. A great resource about paleo and the mindset behind it is “Practical Paleo.” I suggest you read it if you're interested in paleo as a lifestyle change. 

 

I use paleo this way: people who love food but are trying to have a more healthy diet love making recipes that mimic some classic favorites. Pizza, dessert, and all sorts of conventional recipes are adapted for these lifestyles so they're easier to maintain. If I want a healthy, filling dinner that will please my husband and that I will feel good about eating, I Google Paleo+whatever traditional recipe I'm craving. People on whole foods diets find very creative ways to make things such as crusts, desserts, and rice out of raw veggies and fruits making them lower in calories and very, very healthy. The paleo diet is high in animal products, so I don't do paleo recipes more than once or twice a week because as a former vegetarian, I choose not to frequently include a great deal of animal products in my diet. So here's what I made for us on Wednesday night!

Primal Pizza Pie Layer Casserole courtesy of Beauty and the Foodie

This recipe is easy, quick, and fairly inexpensive to make. If you don't want to use items like coconut flour, don't. I didn't! You can still get the benefits of eating a delicious, flavorful meal that incorporates a lot of veggies. Omit cheese for a fully paleo meal. Additionally, this might be a good choice for someone suffering from IBD, Crohn's, or IBS. My husband has Crohn's, and I will do a separate blog entry about creating meals that are compatible for someone who has a bowel disorder. I hope you enjoyed my introductory blog entry. Eat food you love, eat food that is good. Don't diet. Make gradual, sustainable lifetyle changes. Bon apetit!"

What I Ate Wednesday - 9-ish Layer Taco Dip

Follow me on Pinterest for more delicious recipes!

So, if we're being technical here, this is actually more of a 9-layer Taco Dip instead of your traditional 7 layer. Why not? I wanted a mexican-type dish to take to a party (my birthday party, to be precise) and I wanted to make something new so... this is what I came up with! After reading through about 5 different 7-layer dip recipes and taking inventory of the ingredients I had on hand, I now present to you the 9-ish layer dip. The -ish comes about because you could combine some of these ingredients to make a salsa or guacamole and use them in that fashion. But I didn't, because this was easier. 

This dip is served cool or room temperature - you don't want to heat this after it is prepared because it will wilt your lettuce and crisp veggies - plus, it's an extra step you don't need to take. 

If you only take away one thing from this recipe to use in your own rendition of a 7-layer dip, please make it this: for the LOVE OF GOD do not just open a can of re-fried beans and put them on a platter. PLEASE. Thanks in advance. Life lesson: cold, straight out of a can re-fried beans are not something you want to serve at a party. I'll go as far as to say your friends will hate you. They may even leave. And then you don't have a party anymore. And you won't have any dip because they will burn it. Slightly dramatic? Maybe. But you have been warned.

9-ish Layer Taco Dip

Ingredients:

• 1 can re-fried beans
• 1/2 jar of salsa
• 1 tsp of cumin
• 6 oz sour cream
• 1 cup taco blend cheese
• 1/4 diced white onion
• Handful (very precise measurement) of shredded romaine lettuce
• 1 diced tomato (if you don't have any ripe, home-grown ones available, store-bought will do. Silly Ina Garten.)
• 1/2 diced green pepper
• 1 diced avocado
• Handful of chopped cilanto

Instructions:

1. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP. See the above reasons for why you need to do this. Heat your canned, re-fried beans over medium heat. Add 1/2 jar of salsa and the cumin. Stir and heat through. This will transform your beans. People may even question if you made them yourself.

2. Spread beans on the bottom layer of whatever serving dish/tray you want to use. Top with the sour cream. Spread the mexican blend cheese on top. Add diced onion, tomato, green pepper in any order you want. Go crazy. Let loose.

3. Top with shredded lettuce, avocado and cilantro. Cover and refrigerate until chilled or serve immediately with tortilla chips.

I Have No Idea What I'm Doing, But Here Are Some Tips...

It was a year ago tomorrow that my life really changed. For the better. But I didn't realize it at the time. August 26th, 2013 is the day that we found of that we were having twins! And it was terrifying.

"Peanut" and "Cashew" - first photo together at 7 weeks old!

The changes that come with pregnancy and becoming first time parents are overwhelming. Multiply that by about a thousand and you get what it feels like to be expecting twins. Maybe.

The last year has been a year of changes, surprises, life lessons, experimenting- but most of all, winging it. I have no idea what I'm doing, after all, I am a first time mom! Also, I HATE surprises. If you know me at all, you know not to surprise me with anything. I'm not sure if it's considered a pet peeve or a quirk in my personality, but I hate surprises.

A few things that I have picked up over the last year, life lessons, if you will...

• Be flexible. I cannot stress this enough. Everything that you think you have planned, will probably fall apart. You will be too tired to read to your baby every night before bed. You will be too busy to work on all of those cute Pinterest-y sewing projects. Your baby will turn you to mush and you won't have the heart to do the strict sleep training you researched for months about. 


• Be prepared for surprises (even if you hate them.) Expecting one baby, meh, why not have twins! Just kidding. But seriously, be prepared for surprises - the good, the bad, the poopy. Heck, even surprise visitors. It seems like a lot of people feel they don't need to call before dropping by to see a baby! You may also be very surprised at the cost of baby things. I guess it's kind of the same theory as bikinis... the less fabric, the more expensive. This includes baby socks and outfits.


• You will probably want a second baby. Or a third. Or a 7th! It seems like babies just have that appeal, no matter how many you said you wanted 3 years ago. If you find yourself thinking these thoughts while you still have an infant, have your husband bring out the journal of all of your pregnancy and labor complaints. I'm assuming he kept one, even if it is just a mental list in his head, like Andy's. If your man thought ahead, he may even have had you sign and date a copy of said complaints, including direct quotes so that there are no takesies-backsies. 

This could not describe me more starting at about 7 months.

• Be prepared to learn. I had never changed a diaper, it had been years since I held a baby, I didn't even know what to put on a baby registry for heaven's sake. I learned something new every.single.day in the last year. Read a lot, research, talk to people. ASK QUESTIONS. Just not stupid questions. There is such a thing as a stupid question. Something you might not have known: Bottle nipples come in different levels/stages/sizes. Who knew? I sure as heck didn't until about 2 months in, when the boys were freaking out when they ate because they could not drink fast enough with newborn nips.


• You will have no idea what you're doing. Sometimes I come across a situation that I just don't know how to handle. I wing it. Baby wakes up screaming in his sleep an hour after he goes to bed. Do I pick him up? Do I give him a bink? Yup, give him a bink. OMG. Can he have a binkie in his crib? Did I just create a whole new problem of having him be dependent on a binkie to sleep? Is that possible in a 3 month old? Wait, how old is my baby again? Yup. No idea what I'm doing. And you won't have a clue either - so wing it. 

This thing called parenting is hard, but you'll survive. Most people do, from what I understand.