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Good morning everyone!! I hope your year is off to a great start. Can you believe we are already nearing the end of January? It’s been a pretty eventful one for us, in both great and other not-so-great ways 🥴. I’m going to share it all today!

Zipping all the way back to December 28th, I picked up a shift at work and was greeted by this beautiful sunrise heading out the door. Usually I leave in the pitch black, but my shift started later this day. It was a nice start to the morning. I also got this picture below while Quinn was at daycare 🥰.

That afternoon, we FaceTimed with my siblings, niece and nephews. It was fun to see everyone. Andrea is coming in from Colorado at the end of the month, so we’re excited for that! She hasn’t seen Quinn since July!

We jumped on the call fresh off a walk outdoors, hence the wintry getup, hah!

December 29th was a very special day. We celebrated Christmas with my Dad-in-law’s side of the family in the evening. It was a reminder of how wonderful it is to live so close- it was tough to get all our schedules to match, but when you live in such close proximity, you can even celebrate Christmas a week later on a week night!

One tradition DJ did growing up, and I would love to continue with Quinn, was having a birthday cake for Jesus on Christmas. How adorable is this?!

I had a moment of total nostalgia. We had Moose with us, and I had a flashback to last year’s Christmas when I was sitting by the fire with Moose when we he was just a puppy and I was still pregnant. Now there he was, a full grown dog, lounging in the same spot, and Quinn is now here with us too. Wild how things change in a single year!

Quinn got after the gifts! She loved trying to eat everything per usual. In her mind the whole world is edible. Bow? Yum. Tissue paper? An appetizer. Cardboard? Main entree, fiber.

She was spoiled by her Sissy, Poppy, Aunts and Uncle! We had a blast the next day diving into the gifts. How adorable is this little turtle ball pit 😍.

That afternoon of December 30th, I decided to try the stroller again for a walk. With Moose, I don’t feel comfortable putting her in the carrier while walking him since he tugs on the leash when dogs pass. She enjoyed the stroller much more without the car seat. She just happily took in the views and crisp air while clutching her best friend, Violet.

New Years Eve, I was in the mood for a festive brunch. I decided to make a “beermosa” with non-alcoholic malt beer from Two Roots. This is fantastic non-alcoholic beer and award winning for a reason. Mixed with the orange juice it was a great combo. For brunch I made veggie egg scramble with a slice of Dave’s bread topped with Crofter’s berry jam.

It was a fun, chill day at home since DJ had the day off too! In the evening, Quinn got to experience her first fine dining experience.

We were going to a restaurant called Ken Stewart’s Lodge, so it seemed appropriate to put her in this outfit 😊.

And we’re off!

She started off in the high chair but didn’t last very long before we started passing her around. This social butterfly was ready to socialize.

For my main, I got scallops over butternut squash risotto (containing butter) which were divine. At that time I was adding back dairy into my diet in small amounts since Quinn had done well with yogurt and cheese. I had a little creamed spinach too. Unfortunately the next week, all her symptoms of cows milk intolerance returned, so I’m going to wait until she’s closer to a year to try again.

Quinnie girl got her own side of mushrooms, but was not super interested. She way preferred a couple bites of my risotto.

Here she’s reaching for the dessert menu. Girl knows what’s good!

Overall, she did well! It was a longer (albeit delicious & wonderful) meal. We were there from probably 530 to about 730, and she usually goes to bed no later than 7- but she was ready to push back the time on NYE! I probably should have brought more distractions though. At one point we used her shoes as a toy/teether- I mean they never actually touched the floor so they were probably fine?! 😅 It was so good to see our family and chat about everyone’s plans for the coming year.

January 2nd, DJ had the day off again! We had been wanting to take Moose to PetSmart to do his Christmas shopping, just never found the time until then.

Yes, we were bad parents without getting him anything to open on the holiday, but to make it up to him we thought it’d be fun to take him to the store and let him choose his own gifts/treats! If he really seemed excited about something we loaded it up.

The nice thing was pretty much everything he wanted was on sale after the holidays. Thanks for being a cheap date, Moose 😄.

Moose also so sweetly sniffed out some holiday cookies to take to his friends at Aunt Marie’s. Thoughtful guy, that one.

After getting Moose’s goodies, we took Quinn over to admire the birds and fish. I had her outward facing in the carrier, and she just loved taking it all in! This would be a fun rainy day activity for us to do in general.

That afternoon, we snuck in a family walk between the rain storms.

We started Quinn in the stroller, but she was over it halfway through and wound up in the carrier. We laughed because DJ was left pushing Violet in the stroller and no baby. Quite the look there, Deej!

That evening held another cherished memory ❤️. We went to Gigi and Gordie’s for Christmas!

They even had a stocking made for Quinn 💕.

We had fun opening gifts with Quinn (again trying to keep her from eating all the wrapping paper). She was sooo spoiled by all her grandparents!

We had Gigi’s chili for dinner too- my favorite!! She puts the big chunks of tomatoes in her chili, and I could eat it on repeat for days 😋.

Also I had to share how many EmergenC packs we were gifted for Christmas- clearly everyone knows we need them 😂.

January 4th was a tough one! I was using my back cam in the rain while backing into a gas station spot and didn’t see a pole since it was blurred in the cam 😭. I took out my back bumper and a taillight. Thankfully Quinn was not in the car (I was on my way to daycare when it happened). It’s all sorted now, and thank goodness for auto insurance, but was such a hassle, and I was just so mad at myself!

But this girl can turn any week around! On January 6, it was flannel day at daycare so I put her in this sweet outfit 🥰.

That day I started feeling under the weather, and it got worse as the day went on. I was so nauseated by noon/had no appetite, and I couldn’t eat anything the rest of the day. That is highly unusual for me. By the evening I felt so weak and tired that all I could think about was getting into bed. Overnight, it hit DJ too. It was very clear by the next day we had the stomach flu. It was the single hardest day in parenting we had faced yet. We were so weak and sick, we set our alarms every hour to alternate caring for Quinn. Gigi graciously stopped by to relieve us for a bit too in the afternoon. We survived the day, and thankfully Quinn didn’t seem to get it as bad as we did (she did throw up once but seemed her normal, happy self most of the week). We turned the corner Sunday and started getting an appetite back. We loaded up all the bland food items.

We even had enough energy to set up an obstacle course for Quinn that afternoon. She had so much fun with this!

My milk supply plummeted after the bug, but two weeks later thankfully it has come back to baseline. I basically just had to eat a LOT and drink a lot of water to get it back.

Monday January 9th Gigi sweetly watched Quinn while I zipped to drop off my beat-up car and pick up a rental.

January 10th, Quinn and I played in her playpen after breakfast.

I then got Quinn ready for the day and realized we unintentionally were matching, hah!

I finally got Quinn’s eight month photo just a little late!

January 12th I had off work. Quinn and I had a blast just hanging out together all day and cooking.. I made a vegan shepherds pie from scratch. DJ and I didn’t love it- I should have known it wasn’t our cup of tea looking at the ingredients. But Quinn, now that girl loved it!

That week we decided to give the full on baby led weaning a go again! It’s been much less stressful this time around (also she has 7 teeth!). Quinn has been enjoying it, and meals tend to last longer since she really has fun munching on her foods. So far, we have done egg, avocado strips, tomato wedges, zucchini spears, sweet potato wedges, sardines, whole asparagus, broccoli florets and pineapple BLW style! We still give oatmeal for breakfast and purées to make sure she’s getting her iron, but it’s been an exciting and fun endeavor!

January 13th, my birthday, I decided to start the day with a different type of breakfast! I gave the shepherd’s pie a second chance and put an egg over it. It transformed the flavor, and I had this on repeat for several days after!

I went for a massage that morning and returned home to a sweet edible arrangement from DJ. It was so thoughtful of him to get this. I couldn’t really do cake this year with the dairy/soy allergy, but this was a very sweet alternative ❤️.

Rachel stopped by and brought me food from Town Hall in Cleveland knowing I would be able to order something from there! Again, so thoughtful 🥹. I had their beyond delicious Brussels sprouts and spicy salmon roll. There is so much on their menu I want to try!

It was so much fun chatting away with Rach! When she headed out, I opened my gifts from DJ- I have to share this one with you all because it’s one of my most treasured gifts I’ve ever received.

Best gift ever 😭.

That weekend was a much needed chill yet productive weekend. We got so much done and spent quality time together as a family. Moose loved the relaxing weekend too. I thought it was so sweet he took a nap on her baby blanket 🥹.

While Quinn insists I’m physically in the playpen with her 90% of the time, sometimes when I run over to do dishes or get my cup of coffee real quick, I’ll return to her making the silliest faces through the mesh 😄.

On January 15th, Gigi and Gordie offered to stop by to watch Quinn while DJ and I celebrated my bday out! We decided to go back to Michael Angelo’s. I had a giftcard, and I wanted DJ to experience their yummy food!

It always feels so weird when we get into the car without Quinn or Moose. We realized we hadn’t had a date since October! Crazy how time flies. We decided we want to be more intentional on finding time for dates out this year.

We shared a flight of wine to sample some different ones. Our favorites were the 2021 Rose and Wildflour Cabernet.

For my main, I got vegan rigatoni. It was fine, but when I brought home leftovers I was able to doctor it up with my own vegan cheeses and butter to take it to another level 😋.

I also gobbled up their asparagus salad which I had last time and loved!

DJ enjoyed their carbonara!

Car selfies always and forever.

We stopped by our land after to see it in the winter! So fun to dream about the future.

And I’ll wrap up here for now considering this is plenty long enough!

Thanks for reading :).

Questions for you:

– What’s everyone reading right now?

– Highlight of your January so far?

<3,

Mackenzie

Good morning, friends! I hope you have had a wonderful start to the New Year. Currently, the house is a mess, laundry is everywhere, my to-do list is about a mile long, but I really just want to share with y’all about our Christmas before it gets too far gone! 

For Christmas, we met with my mom, Pete, Halston and Kevin in a cabin-inspired Airbnb home on Lake Lure, NC. Lake Lure is situated among breathtaking mountains, so peaceful and quiet you could hear a pin drop. On a hike, you may have the occasional black bear sighting, as my mom and Pete did. It’s the type of place that when you’re there, it feels like the rest of the busyness of the world fades. And once we were settled in, we were all able to take a big deep breath, but the lead up to the road trip was pure chaos (as is expected!).

We had been planning on taking my car for the road trip as it’s a smoother ride than DJ’s truck, and Quinn seems to tolerate the longer rides in it better. However, with the storm and plummeting temps coming in, taking the truck was a no-brainer. The only problem was we didn’t have a cover for the truck bed (with the gifts, baby things and our own luggage we needed to use the bed!). On Sunday, I was calling every car shop in town and looking online for a cover that would come in on time for us to leave. I found one that would arrive the 21st. I then frantically called around to mechanics to have it installed on the 22nd, the day we were pegged to leave. Thankfully, Joe’s Auto in Stow agreed to make it work even though they had a full docket as was. They were so kind and had it done by noon on the 22nd. (Although they did mess with me and called telling me I had the wrong size cover- followed by, “just kidding, you’re all set!” lol, I needed the laugh that day, but I did believe him because I totally would order the wrong size). I picked up the truck, thanked them profusely, loaded it up after zooming around packing in the morning, and we were ready to hit the road when DJ got back from work that evening. 

We left around 8 pm on December 22nd after dropping off Moose at Marie’s (so hard to leave him, but we knew the 9ish hour drive would be near impossible with him in the truck- more motivation for us to get a mini van ha!). While the driving through winding West Virginia can put anyone on edge in the middle of the night, we were lucky to have avoided the storm and only dealt with fog and rain. 

Quinn did overall pretty well through the night. We arrived in NC around 6 AM on December 23rd to a balmy zero degrees outside. DJ and I were zombies- neither of us had slept a wink. My mom was eager and ready to scoop up Quinn- so I handed her over as I fell into bed and a deep sleep. I didn’t realize I hadn’t given her any of Quinn’s toys to play with or her pacifier- so my mom and sister got creative with entertainment using kitchen supplies! 

Look at these two together! <3 

When she started getting hungry, I got up to feed her, and just those few hours of sleep made a huge difference. I still had some cobwebs the rest of the day, but I could function! 

I took in the breathtaking home. It was so cozy and not a detail was spared. A book was lovingly placed on the blanket near the fireplace, there was a s’mores station ready for the outdoor pit, a hot tub was sizzling and ready for all, and the view of the mountains and lake was magnificent. Here’s a compilation from the weekend:

Downstairs, there was an adorable little sitting area.

While there, we gave Quinn blueberries with oatmeal for breakfast every morning (they even had a high chair!). We discovered blueberries are a contender for favorite food. 

After her morning nap, the fam watched Quinn while I snuck off to the workout facility to get a real deal workout in! It felt amazing!! The views from the workout center were beautiful too. 

When I returned, I got both me and Quinn ready for the day. I put her in the most adorable onesie that our family friend, Melinda, made her that fit perfectly!

Quinn is pulling up on furniture at every turn! Too fast, Quinnie girl! Momma needs you to slowww down. She also started saying “uh-ma” over the weekend, which is transforming more and more into a confident “momma” by the day <3.

For lunch every day we were there I had a turkey wrap with veggies and hummus, a side of Siggi’s yogurt and some popcorners. 

For dinner that evening, my mom made a delishh Jamaican curried stew. This is definitely going to be added to our winter meal rotation! We pureed up a bit for Quinn to enjoy too, and, boy, she did. It even had a little spice, but she didn’t seem to mind. Probably because I craved spicy food like nobody’s business when I was pregnant. 

For dinners, we hooked up the Inglesina fast chair so she could eat at the table with us. LOVE this thing!!

Cuddles with Grampy after dinner <3.

Kevin arrived later that evening and met Quinn for the first time right before she went to bed! She warmed right up to him.

The fam played Chameleon late into the evening (our current fav game) while sippin’ on Kahlua & Creams and orange vodka sprites. Pete dominated! I hit the hay earlier than everyone knowing I’d be up bright and early with Quinn. 

And I surely was! Around 630 on Christmas Eve, I got up with her and made some oatmeal with pb and coffee. My mom heard us and snuck out to kindly hold Quinn, so I could eat my breakfast without interruption (it’s the little things as a mom, isn’t it?). 

After her first nap, DJ took over so I could sneak out again for another run. Those little 30 min workouts through the weekend felt amazing. Sometimes if I try to add in a workout on daycare days I feel so guilty, so I don’t really enjoy it even though I know it’ll make me a better mom ultimately – it’s just a tug-of-war of the mind and heart!

For Quinn’s naps, I just walked her in the carrier in the downstairs sitting area.

It was tough at times feeling like I was missing out on precious time with the rest of the family I rarely see. But on the same token, I love Quinn’s nap time because it means cuddles for me. At home it’s a non-issue (I even can often get things done while she’s in the carrier or walk so I’m getting exercise), so it’s hard to have incentive to try the crib… But a time like that where I felt like I was missing out was a good reminder of why it’d be good to get to sleep in a crib on her own for naps. She does it at daycare (cat naps, but still), so I know she can do it! I told DJ one of my NY goals is to get her taking one solid crib nap a day by March. I don’t think that’s too lofty at all. I just need to be consistent which I have not been. It’s tough with my work schedule being so inconsistent & with all the sickness we’ve had recently. And I mean, again, it’s hard to turn down the sweet snuggles! Ok, I’ll stop now with my stream of consciousness lol. 

P.S. DJ offered many times to do the carrier nap with her, but I was worried about her getting overtired if she fought falling asleep, so I just said I’d do them.

Anyway, once she was up and ready to groove for the rest of the day, I changed us into our outfits for family photos. We took many, and of course, I have to share most of them :).

I did a little mini haul of outfits from H & M for Quinn- they have such cute stuff & you can find great deals!

I do love the neutrals, despite the “sad beige baby” warriors out there.. but come on, no one can accuse this girl of being sad!

For dinner, we had salad, wild rice, peas, veggie shish kebobs and beef tenderloin with bearnaise. As Quinn has tolerated yogurt and me eating a little goat cheese without issue, I decided to have a little bearnaise – and she seemed to do well! 

I had this alcohol-removed Luminara wine my mom brought along for dinner- it’s the best NA red wine I’ve tried yet! Good “fake” reds are really hard to find; whites are much better. But this was as good as it gets IMO!

Quinn had a serenity kids beef, kale and sweet potato pack. These were easy to bring along to make sure she got her solids in while traveling. She loves these packs, and they’re made with only organic good stuff.

Once we got her ready for bed, we started a couple new traditions. First, we traditionally celebrated Christmas on Christmas Eve with my dad every year, so as a way to honor and remember him we decided to have Quinn open one gift on Christmas Eve.

She opened her first ornament that matched her nursery theme <3. 

We then read The Night Before Christmas, which is surprisingly longer than I remembered ha!

We played a round of Chameleon and then loaded up Church on the living room TV.

Quinn and I called it a night so we could be rested for Santa’s arrival!

Doesn’t get cozier than this!

Before doing gifts, we enjoyed a spectacular spread my mom put together of my grandma’s mouth-watering quiche, cinnamon rolls, a tofu scramble, pastry, bacon, egg scramble with no cheese (for me), tater tots and fruit!

We poured mimosas, and my mom and I enjoyed non-alcoholic mimosas made with Surely wine (incredible).

Yum!

Quinn opened some of her stocking after breakfast before taking a nap while the rest of us exchanged gifts. She snoozed well in my carrier despite the shuffling of wrapping paper and sound of torn open boxes. 

Sweet girl & her first stocking!

DJ took the pic after she woke up, and it melts my heart!!!

Time to join in on the fun!

and we sure did have fun!

The rest of the day we just lounged and relaxed. For dinner, we had asparagus, mashed potatoes and the most tremendous seabass made in the air fryer! I can’t believe I didn’t get a pic. It was out-of-this-world good! Just melted in your mouth. 

We checked in with Marie, and she sent us a Google file with Moose pics that helped us being away from him. He seemed to be having a blast! I admittedly did cry on Christmas because I missed him soooo much. 

How cute is this. It amazes me how she can get them all on a schedule. Also we were all cracking up at Moose choosing the smallest dog bed.

And that brings us to December 26th, sadly our last day.

We started the day with more fun by rolling one of her new gifts (a sensory ball) back and forth. Seeing how excited/proud she gets of herself brings me so much joy!!

Oh, and we couldn’t let Christmas pass without putting Quinnie in this outfit… 

We relaxed most if the day then packed up to go. Quinn soaked up some treasured last moments with her Grammy, Grampy, Aunt Hally and Uncle Kevin.

On our way out of town, we stopped by my Aunt and Uncle’s home in Asheville. It was special getting all the little cousins together for the first time!

Also, this was my first time going to my Aunt and Uncle’s new home- it is a renovated barn, and it may be the most incredible home I’ve ever seen! 

We left around 630 pm to hit the road after enjoying dinner and each other’s company. Quinn was not having it on the way home. Considering we have done three big overnight trips like this, and this was the only rough leg we’ve had, I consider ourselves pretty lucky. She was definitely overtired and, ironically, when babies get overtired it’s harder for them to fall asleep. We saw this scenario play out much of the drive home. I was so desperate at times to settle her I would lean over and nurse her for comfort in the car seat, lol.  When she did finally stop fighting it, I had to hold her hands or she’d startle awake. Thankfully, she slept well once we were home by around 4 am, and then she was her happy self and made a great unpacking buddy the next day :).

Thanks for sharing in our very special Christmas with us! Thank you also to my mom and Pete for putting this unforgettable family trip together! 

Questions for you:

• Do you usually travel for the holidays or stay local?
• What was the highlight of your Christmas?

<3,

Mackenzie 

*Let’s try this again! When I first posted this it wasn’t showing up- hope it does this time!*

Hi all! I wanted to get this post out before Christmas, and I think it’s going to happen! I am as shocked as you are. I’m looking forward to writing it since it’s all the Christmas Things and then some ☺️.

Picking up after Thanksgiving! November 26th I took Moose on his first ever official run (trot for him) now that he’s old enough. We did 4 miles together! So. Much. Fun.

The weekend was pretty chill as DJ recovered from HFM. I just knocked a lot off the to-do list and got the house in order which was nice.

November 27th I started the day with a spinach, mushroom, vegan smoked Gouda omelette and a side of leftover vegan cornbread and jam. 😊

That afternoon, I was sterilizing Quinn’s pacis. Many times when she has her paci, she makes a “doi doi” sound, so naturally we started calling her paci her “doi doi”. Well when I was sterilizing this new batch, DJ walked over with Quinn and went “Look Quinnie, Mommy’s making doi doi stew!”. Made me laugh 😆.

You can hear the “doi doi” a little in this vid 🥰

The night of December 1st, Quinn spiked a 102 temp. The whole next day, she mostly slept but seemed to feel better by the evening. Must have been a 24 hour bug. Thankfully I didn’t have to work that day and could give her all the cuddles.

Another day, another veggie bone broth soup.

December 4th was a lot of fun! Kollyns, my cousin’s daughter, had her first birthday at a fruit farm lodge! It was the coolest first birthday, not a detail was spared. It was Christmas themed with a tree full of ornaments of her from the first year, festive decorations galore, a cookie making station for the kids, a hot chocolate and coffee station and the cherry on top- a special appearance by Mr. and Mrs. Claus themselves!

This was Quinn’s first time meeting Santa and she did great. She was purely fascinated by this guy with a long beard. Speaking of- she decided to pull said (very real) beard. Poor Santa!! That girl has an iron grip too. I know, my hair is on the receiving end of it most days, lol.

But still a memory so sweet! Just like this dessert station 😍.

December 5th we woke up to this glorious sunrise!

That afternoon, Gigi, Chris and Renee stopped by to see Quinn and have lunch together! We ordered in Piada. They also kindly watched her while I ran off to a doctors appointment (finally established a PCP after being here for over a year, figured I should practice what I preach ha). Us healthcare folk can be the worst patients.

Anyway, while they were here, they shared the link to all the wedding photos! (You may remember the wedding from this post). They were without a doubt some of the most gorgeous wedding photos I’ve ever seen!! I wanted to share this one of Quinn making her first ever debut as flower girl down the aisle :).

That afternoon for Quinn’s nap, Gigi walked with us in a nearby neighborhood for a good couple hours. It was so fun, the two of us could chat forever if given the chance!! And Quinn slept the entire time. I think she likes the white noise of the chit chat.

December 6th, I unfortunately had to call off work again since Quinn spiked a temp overnight. She turned the corner fairly quickly the next day though, just had a little cold that lingered after.

That evening I made some Banza pasta paired with a yummy Athletic non-alcoholic IPA.

Moose was exhausted that evening after a fun day at Aunt Marie’s!

For DJ, I made some black bean tacos that week. Unfortunately, I couldn’t have them because there was soy in them, but he said they were delicious!

December 7th I ran through the Starbucks drive through before a haircut. I have gotta say. I have decided as an unpopular opinion that I just don’t like Starbucks. Cue the gasps. I know, I know. I sound like a real coffee snob, but the coffee always tastes so bitter to me. We’re spoiled with having Nervous Dog nearby; it’s tough to go back to Starbucks after that. But I will definitely drink it if there’s nothing else around, don’t get me wrong. I will drink any coffee over no coffee.

I dropped off Quinn at daycare for a couple hours while I got the hairs chopped and took Moose for a run. They sent this sweet picture of her writing her first letter to Santa!❤️ It’s hard for me to drop her off when I don’t absolutely have to, but these pics remind me she genuinely enjoys daycare!

When I picked her up, we had fun together the rest of the day! We went to the same local shop we did in the fall, and this time instead of pumpkins, we picked up poinsettias. The owners were both there and soo sweet. They seemed happy to see Quinn again!

I also picked up a couple other little Christmas trinkets like the reindeer feed, burlap fern, and coffee mug that I lined with candy canes. I put Quinn front facing in the carrier for the first time ever while decorating- she was alll about that!

This Santa pictured above actually has special sentiment. It was my grandma’s, and she distributed them to family before she and my grandpa moved into their current place. All my family on my mom’s side has a couple Santas. I obviously wanted the baking Santa with the dog and was excited when he was still up for the taking!

That evening, I asked DJ if he was craving anything specific for dinner, and he requested cacio e pepe. We had this for the first time in Austin, and we were obsessed. I looked up a recipe expecting it to be complicated (I mean the name sounds so fancy, right?), but it was actually so easy!!! Highly recommend. (I couldn’t eat it with the dairy, but I will be trying it as soon as I can). DJ raved about it!

December 9th I felt like I’d been hit by a truck. I had a 102 fever overnight (deja vu!) and severe chills. I haven’t had chills like that since I was a kid. It was hard to get out of bed, but obviously Quinn needed me to. I tried to stay moving and distracted most of the day so I didn’t have to focus how terrible I felt. I started to put together the gift bags for her daycare teachers and wrapped a few gifts.

I captured Quinn’s 7 month photo (just a couple days late). These photos are getting harder to get because she’s so wiggly and wanting to be Dora the Explorer everywhere she goes.

Probably needless to say, this sweet girl and my time with her was the best medicine. I was feeling better by the evening!

I was fiercely craving red meat that evening, so I made some bison tacos for dinner. Mmm mmm.

Unfortunately, with my fever and not feeling 100%, we cancelled our weekend plans. We’ve had to cancel so many plans lately, but thankfully everyone has been very understanding.

The morning of December 11th, I sat with Quinn and rolled this small ball to her. She loved it (but is still working on the idea of rolling it back hehe). She’s sitting so well though unassisted now.

That day I made a gift box for the delivery drivers who I do not know what I’d without this year. Since Quinn was born we pretty much have had everything delivered, and I’m so darn grateful for the convenience.

December 13th, Quinn and I went to First Watch with Gigi! Quinn had her very first food order out for herself, which of course I had to document. I got her a couple eggs that I could cut into strips and feed her. She did well! About the same amount made it on the floor that made it in her mouth, but it was so fun.

Gigi ordered their cinnamon chocolate chip pancake. Their pancakes are so so good.

I had their tri-athlete. Love this meal, it’s so filling and nourishing. I think the cremini mushrooms they put in it are particularly tasty.

We went back to play with Quinn before Gigi headed out for the day. I adore these pics! 💕.

We got Quinn the biggest playpen we could find for the living room. She loves it! We had a hard time keeping her from climbing on the wood furniture and chasing after Moose’s bones, so this was a great solution! (Moose was so fed up with her going after his bones that he started stock piling them on the couch out of her reach. One time we gave her one of her toys that looked like a bone just to keep her happy 😂).

Also, this is officially Quinn’s pouf- she loves pulling up and standing on it. Such an unexpectedly great little tool for her to practice her gross motor skills.

For dinner that evening, I made us caulipower chicken tenders, veggies and farro. I’ve been on a real farro kick lately. I love how hearty and chewy it is.

December 14th I was craving sushi like nobody’s business. I ordered an eel and crab roll from Ichiban Sushi for lunch- never disappoints!

That evening, I made a veggie flatbread with tomato sauce, kite hill ricotta cheese (vegan), mushrooms, artichoke hearts, arugula and vegan parmesan on a Lavash wrap. This turned out unexpectedly so delicious. That kite hill ricotta is a winner!!

The evening of December 15th was DJ’s holiday party for work. I ordered Enticing Cakes to bring to the party. They had great flavors, including a deep fried Oreo cupcake! We didn’t make it to dessert to try them out (had to leave early to get Quinnie to sleep), but we will reorder for some occasion and give them a try! I just love DJ’s coworkers and always have a blast when we all get together.

December 17th, we went over my brother and sister-in-law’s to celebrate Christmas with them and my nephews and niece! It was special bonding time. My brother is an awesome dad, but it’s fun seeing him in the Uncle role now. Here he’s showing Quinn the ornaments on the Christmas tree and the train looping around on the track.

Chatting with my sister-in-law, Maura, is like therapy! She’s a mom of three young ones and always has amazing wisdom, tips and advice for me. So grateful for them.

Kate could not wait to see and hold her cousin Quinn!

Kate gave us all face paintings, and I’m kicking myself for not taking a picture because the butterfly she painted on my cheek was so cute & good! DJ and Jack were two peas in a pod the whole evening, playing various sports games. Will is a ball of energy and has the sweetest little giggle! I love seeing his sweet personality develop.

We opened gifts and enjoyed watching the kids play with them before heading out.

December 18th, my good friend Melissa had a birthday lunch at Michael Angelo’s. I was so excited to try out the food since the only time I’d been there was for Renee’s wedding. I didn’t get pics (I should have), but I tried their asparagus salad with salmon, and it was soooo gooood. I think I will go back there for my birthday-there’s so much on their menu I want to try! It was a blast- I got to meet many of the fellow bridesmaids and flower girl who will be in Melissa’s wedding next August. They are all so awesome!

December 19th, I couldn’t find my pump bag anywhere. I realized I must have left it at work, so I ran there to get it. So frustrating when things like this happen because it feels like a time suck, but I was grateful I at least found it!

This week at daycare, I received this adorable pic!

They also sent the sweetest, most creative Christmas goodies back with Quinn. Made me darn emotional! They have a wrapped gift from Quinn to us that I’m saving for Christmas Day. I savor everything. How special is all this?! There’s even a little footprint reindeer ornament 🥺💕.

And that wraps us up to about… well now! Have a very Merry Christmas, all! What a beautiful time of year to spend time with loved ones and celebrate Christ’s birth. ❤️🎄

Questions for you:

– What are your Christmas plans?

– I didn’t get around to baking cookies this year, but if you did, what did you make?!

<3,

Mackenzie

Educated was easily one of the most well-written, gripping stories I have ever read. I had a hard time narrowing down my favorite quotes- but these were definitely some of them! I highlighted a good portion of this book just out of pure admiration of Tara Westover’s insightful, vivid and beautiful writing. Others were the power of the words- the way she was able to put universal experiences into words in a genius way.

“It would be past dusk by then- that moment just before night sets in, when the landscape is visible only as darkness and lighter darkness, and you feel the world around you more than you see it.” (Ch. 1, p. 7).

“It’s a tranquility born of sheer immensity; it calms with its very magnitude, which renders the merely human of no consequence.” (Ch. 3, p. 27).

“but the notion that a person could be functional, lucid, persuasive, and something could still be wrong, had never occurred to me.” (Ch. 3, p. 29)

“Dad lived in fear of time. He felt it stalking him.” (Ch. 6, p. 55)

“The skill I was learning was a crucial one, the patience to read things I could not yet understand.” (Ch. 6, p. 62)

“To admit uncertainty is to admit to weakness, to powerlessness, and to believe in yourself despite both. It is a frailty, but in this frailty there is a strength: the courage to live in your own mind, and not in someone else’s”. (Ch. 22, p. 197).

“Not knowing for certain, but refusing to give way to those who claim certainty, was a privilege I had never allowed myself. My life was narrated for me by others. Their voices were forceful, emphatic, absolute. It had never occurred to me that my voice might be as strong as theirs.” (Ch. 22, p. 197)

“He had defined me to myself, and there’s no greater power than that.” (Ch. 23, p. 199).

“His voice was gentle, and that gentleness was cruel.” (Ch. 23, p. 200).

“Curiosity is a luxury reserved for the financially secure:…” (Ch. 23, p. 203).

“I began to experience the most powerful advantage of money: the ability to think of things besides money.” (Ch. 24, p. 207).

“I knew what it was to have a misconception corrected- a misconception of such magnitude that shifting it shifted the world.” (Ch. 28, p. 238).

“I could tolerate any form of cruelty better than kindness”. (Ch. 28, p. 240).

“I felt exposed by the elegance and yet somehow made invisible by it”. (Ch. 28, p. 241).

“This monster child stalked me for a month before I found a logic to banish her: that I was likely insane. If I was insane, everything could be made to make sense. If I was sane, nothing could. The logic seemed damning. It was also a relief. I was not evil; I was clinical.” (Ch. 35, p. 294).

“When I was a child, I waited for my mind to grow, for my experiences to accumulate and my choices to solidify, taking shape into the likeness of a person.” (Ch. 40, p. 327).

“But vindication has no power over guilt. No amount of anger or rage directed at others can subdue it, because guilt is never about them. Guilt is the fear of one’s own wretchedness. It has nothing to do with other people.” (Ch. 40, p. 327).

Have you read Educated? Would love to discuss it more!

<3,

Mackenzie

Happy Halloween from us 😊 👻🎃

Hope you all have a fun, safe & sweet day!

Love,

Mario, Princess Peach, Toad & Bowser

This Friday Favorites is going to be a little different today! I figured I would whip up my 10 favorite items I’ve used in this newborn phase. It was hard to narrow down, but I tried to focus on the items I rely on almost daily!

1. Lovevery Play Gym & Play Kit. Quinn loves her play gym, whether on her back or for tummy time. She was gifted the subscription box as well, and it is amazing!! She is so fascinated by everything in it & it’s so fun. I love how it focuses on fostering her development too.

2. Hakka Electric Nail Care Set. I used a regular manual baby nail file for the first couple weeks, and it seemed to take forever and wasn’t very effective. This nail file is a game changer!! It’s safe, easy and fast. She doesn’t mind it either.

3. The Brest Friend Nursing Pillow. The Brest friend is my best friend!!! I LOVE this, and it makes the difference for comfortable breastfeeding. She feels so much more secured and well- positioned on it. I also like to make lunch and then can eat one handed while supporting her with the other on the Brest friend. A must for breastfeeding in my book!

4. Ergo Baby Carrier Wrap. I live in this!! As does Quinn. It’s another game changer- I can get so much done, and she is so comfy in it. It soothes her more than anything too. If she is fussy I put her in this, go for a walk, and it really tends to do the trick. The only downside is it’s a little challenging to initially figure out. But soooo worth putting in the time to learn! It also loosens so I do have to redo it through the day. I just love having her so close to me too.

5. This changing table. We use this in our bedroom right now for night changes and use the changing pad from the nursery downstairs since we don’t do changes in the actual nursery yet. I love this changing table! It has great pockets, is super easy to clean and is easy to assemble.

6. Bath Kneeler and Elbow Rest Pad. A bath time essential !

7. Bumco Bum Brush. This makes applying diaper creams/ointments so much easier and less messy! I love!

8. Itzy Ritzy Diaper Bag. Obsessed with this bag! I take it everywhere with us.

9. Baby Bjorn Bouncer. Due to Quinn’s reflux, this bouncer has been particularly useful during her playtime immediately after feeds before switching to the play mat.

10. GoGo Plastic Milk Bags. I tried a couple different milk storage bags (I tried some silicone ones that were too expensive and a pain!), but I love these- they have no air when you seal them, and they’re BPA free.

What are some things you’re loving lately?

<3,

Mackenzie

*All pictures are from the respectively linked site*

Top of the morning to ya!! After so many blog posts, I figured I’d try out a new greeting 😜. Oh did you hear? Emojis are no longer ‘cool’. I think there have been murmurs about this since early 2021, but I’m just now coming out of the stage of denial. So alas, we’re at a crossroads: Continue to use my beloved laughing face with tears…even when things aren’t all that funny …or put the emojis aside at an attempt to keep up with the times. I will have to think on it 🤔.

Anyway! I am very excited to dive into weeks 5 & 6. They were definitely better overall than the two weeks prior! While there was no set routine per say, it felt like the days had/have some sort of rhythm: wake up, put Quinn in her dock-a-tot while I quickly get into the first yoga pants and tshirt I can grab, have breakfast with her either in the carrier or swing (whichever she’ll tolerate), go for a walk, have lunch, do misc. chores in the afternoon while she naps in carrier (she didn’t nap well outside the carrier during those weeks), play time after feeds (tummy time/contrast books/Lovevery play gym/bouncer) and read my kindle or watch a few episodes of housewives of NJ with downtime. I usually start dinner earlier than I used to, around 5. We still even have a couple crockpot meals left! I think weeks 5 & 6 were also somewhat better because we started understanding her cues better- a hungry vs overtired cry for example, and we started to learn the best soothing techniques for specifics times of day/situations.

The evenings of week 5 & 6 were tough though because she had a definite witching hour between the hours of 8-11 pm. Knock on wood, writing this at week 7, this has improved a lot!!

June 3rd we started the morning with lots of snuggles. She loves having her hands up by her face, I’m pretty sure that’s how she was most of the time in the womb.

Hehe, I love this pic.

We didn’t go on a walk that morning due to a scheduled doctors appt, so we played a lot on her play mat and then came home for lunch after the appt.

June 4th was such a great, lazy day. I love weekends especially because DJ is here all day. We went on a walk in the morning, and then I soaked up all the cuddles with Quinn in the afternoon. That evening we watched a couple episodes of Yellowstone – our latest obsession.

June 5th we started the day with a walk again. As I walked back from the bathroom on the trail, I captured DJ juggling these two like a pro!

That afternoon we went over to see Quinn’s Poppy, Sissy and Aunts!

 In the morning of June 6th, we met with the nurse practitioner I mentioned in my last post. That’s when things really started to turn the corner! I’m so thankful for her. We see her again for Quinn’s 2 month appointment.

 That afternoon after some play time we took this sweet pea’s one month photo 🥰. But also, it amazed me that a month had already passed! Howww. And now we’re already coming up on two!

A lot of times when DJ gets home, he’ll play with her while I run up to shower. She does so well on the play mat. She particularly loves just laying on her back and kicking away. Writing this at week 7, she’s already rolled over 4 times (!!).

 The morning of June 7th I went on a walk with Moose & Quinn, I know I sound like a broken record!

 I was on a kick that week of stuffed sweet potatoes for dinner. This one had avocado, green beans, a vegan burger, artichoke hearts and wilted kale. I love topping these with Noble Made dressings.

June 8th we received another adorable photo of Moose and Crush together 🥰.

She sent us home with some awesome pics of Moose she had taken!

That afternoon, Rach, her sister, Olivia, and Trotter came by to see Quinn 💕.

 Gigi came by on June 9th and knowing how challenging things had been lately, she brought over the sweetest gift and card. The words of encouragement in her card meant the world and came at such a perfect time. She also has been helping me out so much with getting naps in and caring for Quinn while I get things done. So thankful for her being close!

June 10th, DJ went out of town for a wedding for the weekend. I decided to try seeing how Quinn would do in her crib that evening. I set up a makeshift bed on the floor next to her crib to sleep on for the night.



Moose thought it was a bed for him though.

Overall, she did well! I was excited thinking oh, she just wants to be in a crib, but then the next two nights didn’t go well so back to the original co-rooming we went. (I way prefer this anyway).

Late that evening my sister, Andrea, flew in from Colorado to meet Quinn for the first time!

 The next day was a wild one. The morning of June 11th started out normal- we had breakfast then headed out for our walk. It was a busy day on the trail, so I was grateful my sister was with me. She took Moose and I walked Quinn in the stroller. For the second part of the walk, we switched since Moose can be quite the handful when there are so many people and dogs on the trail! Near the end of the trail, we spotted a goose off to the side. We were a little nervous having Moose pass by, but the goose was not bothered by the people and bikers going by. Andrea and Quinn went first with no issues. Then I started walking and had a gut feeling things were not going to go well. The goose started hissing. I created as much space as possible, but it didn’t matter. Moose lunged and the goose angrily threw up its wings and started chasing us. Moose was freaked out and darted the other way… taking me with him. I had the waist leash on, so I couldn’t just let go. I was drug through gravel and concrete. When we finally stopped, I was glued to the ground but in my periphery I could see a blur of gray wings an arms reach away that I knew belonged to the goose. I heard Moose yelp and was terrified he was getting attacked or bit. He took off again, and I was drug a second time. This time the goose didn’t follow, thank goodness. My sister saw the whole thing and reassured me Moose and the goose never made contact. I think he yelped because he felt cornered or in response to my own screams. I was so shaken up and quite injured with deep scrapes on my hands and knees, so she came over to get Moose. I took the stroller (thankfully Quinn and Andi were far away from the event). The goose dived into the brush on the other end of the trail and my sister and Moose made it across safely. Let’s just say, the term “goose chase” has taken on a whole new meaning for me!

When we got home, I got all cleaned and bandaged up, and then we had lunch. After, I was able to get in a nap while we watched some shows.

Once refreshed, I decided it would be good to tackle setting up a bean bag lounger for Quinn. I bought this as it was advertised to be good for reflux. It was such a pain in the butt to put together (something that should just be so simple?), and the beans got EVERYWHERE. I still am finding them today! Coupling the pain I was in from my morning bath of gravel with the frustration with this bean bag, I just started crying. The tears ended up turning to laughter when we realized just how truly ridiculous the whole bean bag situation was. We decided to document the whole crazy fiasco with this picture!

 The night really turned up when my sister cooked us up a delicious meal of coconut chicken.

Of course, this sweet girl lifted my spirits too! The look she’s giving me in this picture cracks me up!

Fortunately, June 12th was way less eventful. Since DJ got home around 1 AM, he was there in the morning to go on the walk with us. It was a much smoother walk, goose free!

Andi made us a yummy Korean pancake for lunch, one of her favorite recipes she graciously shared with me!

Moose loves playing with her play mat 😆.

That evening I made us shrimp tacos in the air fryer. I crave these!!!

For dessert, I had a pitaya bowl with berries, pb2 to mix in and part of a Go Macro bar.

Sadly, we said goodbye to Andi the next day- so thankful she was able to make it here though ❤️.

June 14th, Gigi came by to spend time with us and gave me some time to get in a wonderful nap. I just love this picture!!

And here’s a random picture of Moose being Moose.

When my mom was here, she got me a basil plant given how quickly I go through it. On June 15th, I whipped up a caprese for DJ and used some of it! It smells so amazing and fresh. I have zero green thumb, so I just hope I can keep this thing alive, lol.

Oh look, it’s more Moose being Moose.

 Marie is out of town for a few weeks, and he’s definitely been acting up. I think he misses his friends 🥺. Plus he’s just not expending as much energy, so he’s getting into everyyyyything.

This picture is from June 16th. My sweet girl lost much of her hair in weeks 5 & 6, leaving her with this adorable mini mullet! Midway through week 7 while I’m writing this, it has mostly grown back!

June 17th, Renee and Ender (my sister in law and my nephew) stopped by. It was so fun seeing them and seeing Ender interact with Quinn. He kept bringing over little “gifts” to her (usually one of Moose’s dog toys). It was so cute.

Moose has really warmed up to Quinn. He likes being close to her and actually has become very protective of her/more protective in general.

 And that wraps up weeks 5 & 6!!

Peace out all!!!

Question for you:

– Do you have any encounter with wildlife type stories?

– Are you on any food kicks right now?

<3,

Mackenzie

When Quinn was one week and one day old we had these newborn pictures taken 💕. We will cherish these forever!! Thank you, Rachael, for capturing such a special time for our family.

Happy Friday!! I have had this list of *very random* favorites building for some time now and finally just threw them in a post! So here are some things I have been loving lately :

1. Uproot Cleaner Pro. We tried everything to get Moose hair up from one of our couches where is seemed enmeshed into the fabric. We even hired a professional furniture cleaner, and even they weren’t able to get it up. Enter this handy little inexpensive tool!! Wow, this works so well- we are obsessed and use it all the time!!

2. Grilled Marinated Artichoke Hearts. Where have these been my whole life?! My goodness these are tasty! I put them in eggs, stuffed sweet potatoes, on avocado toast, with antipasto spreads, and the list goes on. Deeeelish.

3. Meteorite. I’m just really enjoying this song lately.

4. Prayers for my Baby Girl book. I received this wonderful book at my shower from a great friend (Thank you again, Dani, if you happen to read this!). It is filled with short but powerful prayers to pray over your daughter. I started one per day when I was pregnant, and I love how it puts words to the desires/hopes I have for my girl in such a beautiful prayer. It has a scripture with each prayer too 💕.

5. Ruggable Rug. This is a long overdue favorite! We got a Ruggable rug as it’s made to be thrown in the washing machine & is stain resistant. Is there a better rug specifically for pets/kids?! It’s amazing!

6. Stay Close. If you’re looking for a great thriller/mystery show that is easy to binge, Stay Close on Netflix meets the ticket. I went through this show so quickly!

7. Educated. I just started this, and it’s probably one of the most well written books I’ve ever read. And the story is just wild, it’s mind blowing it’s true !

8. Waist leash. This is my solution to walking both with Quinn and Moose! It works GREAT & is so comfortable. I am amazed how well it’s working out!

9. Air Fryer. I am so late to the game with this one, but my mom and Pete surprised us with an air fryer while they were here, and I am obsessed. I put anything and everything possible in it! It’s the BEST for reheating leftovers too.

10. Voice memos on iPhone. I have discovered how beneficial these are considering I don’t always have two hands free to text anymore! So helpful!!

What are you loving lately?

<3,

Mackenzie