A Pin-spirational Boutique in Ft. Worth

A few short weeks ago I was in Dallas for the Family Travel Conference. It was inspiring, educational, and a great chance to catch up with tons of my fellow TravelingMom bloggers (and meet wonderful new friends). After the conference was over I was graciously invited to come on over and see what Ft. Worth had to offer (they're very hospitable down there in Texas).

How to Put Your Toddler to Bed

Aaaahh, toddler bedtime. The time of night that takes up pretty much the whole night, and sometimes has an encore performance at 3am that culminates in a little person joining you in bed. This little person will tenderize your kidneys with their tiny (yet hard and sharp feet) until the wee hours of the morning when they will pry your eyelids open and state "You 'wake?".

Turkey Stuffed Delicata Squash with Mushroom Gravy

I love Thanksgiving- the cooking, the family, the traditions and the flavors. A pile of delicata squash has been taunting me for weeks now. After canning slices of about 15 pounds of it I was at a loss with what to do to the rest. I've seen recipes for stuffed delicata before but always in "boat" form. Whether you just like Thanksgiving flavors or you're aiming for a smaller holiday with an easier turkey main dish this stuffed delicata looks chic on the plate and pairs well with traditional flavors. From a budget standpoint 1 lb of meat is stretched very far here. In our household I sometimes use only 4 squash and then cook the extra meat with a little cheese on top in two ramekins for toddler meals.

Banana Chocolate Chip Chia Lactation Cookies

I'm currently a nursing mama and like some other moms I know I sometimes feel that I'm not producing enough. It seems to be a common concern, and while I know that many schools of thought say "You're fine. Your body knows what your baby needs." I need to actually do something about it to feel sane. So I started making lactation cookies. I mean c'mon, it's an excuse to eat cookies and feel like I'm doing something good! I really can feel a difference when I use these especially if I eat one shortly before pumping.

20 Chore Tuesday- After Trip Edition

Today is the definition of insanity. After an amazing 4 days in Dallas and Ft. Worth at the Family Travel Conference I am launched back into the real world. Articles to be written, clients to catch up with (especially since the internet was down M-F of last week!), new connections to follow up on in timely fashion and of course the associated laundry to be done of a weekend away.

20 Chore Tuesday- No-Internet Edition

Well this will be short one... internet's down and a lot of my list relies on it so I'll be helping my husband stack firewood then heading downtown.

Peanut Butter Banana Muffins with Honey

These muffins are "healthy" but don't taste it. How do I know this? My husband had a training for his new job and a team of burly snowmakers at a ski resort polished these off proclaiming them "delicious". I ate a few too and there is something nostalgic about these muffins. Maybe it's just that pb & honey sandwiches with 'nanas were always a childhood go to. With few ingredients and a short cook time these are super simple.

My Last Minute Toddler Halloween Costume

Call us bad parents but my husband and I have a theory that adhering to holidays isn't really important for babies. When folks do it, it's more for them than their kids. We decided that we're not spending much on holidays until the kids are old enough to remember them. Last Halloween my daughter was sick so she never wore the bumblebee outfit that I had bought on resale. Her first Halloween she was a jellyfish. I used a terrycloth onesie, stuck sticky velcro around the waist then sewed ribbons onto a wide piece of ribbon and put velcro on the back of that. The hat was made by a family friend.

Our jellyfish being held by our skeleton ninja (minus the skeleton mask).