Gifts for New Moms

When the topic of gift-giving comes up, they say it's the thought that counts. So when people give gifts like clearance throws or a gift card to a random place, it annoys me. If you can't bother taking five minutes to really think about what that person may enjoy, don't take the $10 out of your wallet. Truth hurts sometimes, sorry, not sorry.

Disclaimer: I don't need one. None of these are affiliate links. These are legitimately my favorite things that I have used or appreciated as gifts.

How I Embraced Dietary Change

Over time, I've had my fair share of dietary eliminations. If there's one thing that I have figured out and had to accept, it's this: You will never find a replacement for your favorite foods. You just have to learn to love new things.

Initially, as a vegetarian, I discovered that meat substitutes are not delicious. I don't care what you say, you're lying. They're gross. And on the rare occasion that you do find a delicious replacement, that chick'n patty probably has more chemicals and body damaging components to it than just eating the dang bird does. I missed meat. And considering how sick I was getting from malnutrition, I realized I didn't really need a substitute... I just needed the real thing.

When my doc took me off of dairy, gluten AND sugar (at the same time! jerk!), I had to figure that mess out. 

There were really only two major things I was seriously upset about giving up. Vanilla coffee creamer and sourdough toast (*sob). So I tried to figure out replacements. 

Trial and error x 285. ANY combination of vanilla syrup (homemade or not) + ANY milk replacement is just not the same flavor or consistency. Coconut milk, coconut cream, almond milk, rice milk, cashew milk, hemp milk. BLECK.

Seven Non-Candy Easter-Egg Fillers

I try not to spoil my boys too badly. Generally we try to make sure each child only gets one gift for Christmas (from Santa, anyway), and one gift for their birthdays. In order to both stick to tradition and try and eliminate the vast amount of sugar we don't need to consume on every commercialized holiday, I had to get a little more creative.

Here are some easter egg-stuffing ideas for you and your tiny people:

POP-ITS noise makers - I don't know about you, but my kids love these things. These are obviously for children older than three. These things are awesome candy replacements in Christmas stockings, as well!

Step Back, Love What We've Got.

Happy New Year, friends!

I hope your holidays were as wonderful as ours were. We took the kids on an old-fashioned train, saw Santa multiple times, got to snuggle with my squishy, chubby, gorgeous baby niece, played with firecrackers, saw my out-of-this-world grandparents, my hilarious cousins, my in-laws, my dad, and my aunt and uncle. I even was able to socialize with some lovely ladies for an evening! Whaaaat?!

Not only that, but our town has seen its first snowman-yielding snow in over two years, so my boys' Christmas wish is 100% granted. Two snowmen and hours of sledding later, I have some happy, happy boys.

Back in the kitchen, I made about 247 batches of tamales (one of which I lovingly shared with you on Facebook!), roughly four dozen cookies, and have a chocolate & peanut butter pie chilling in fridge at the moment.

These past two weeks, I have been busting my butt to keep the house clean, cooking and baking like my life depended on it, traveling to and from far-away lands, and whipping up ideas to keep the kids entertained. Yet here I sit, with four more days left of freedom from work, and I feel like nothing has really been accomplished. I haven't finished a single book. I haven't edited any photos for the blog- much less written anything! I haven't made a single batch of soap. I haven't sat with the kids to paint a single finger painting!