Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Making It Work

Our kitchen has been like a science lab with all my foodie experimenting in the last few days. It's been trial and error to determine what makes a healthy meal that wont attack my gall bladder. I found this humus recipe here, and it is the best one I've whipped up to date. I managed to get a nice, smooth consistency and the addition of an orange (the recipe calls for orange juice, I just threw in an entire orange) gives it a tangy taste. We toasted up some tortilla shells, tossed cucumbers with balsamic vinegar and olive oil and voila! A yummy, balanced meal. 

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Weekend Recap

We've been staying very entertained in our household. Whether it's the crazy antics of our toddler, the cuteness of our baby, or new discoveries I'm making, life is interesting. Here are five of our happenings:

1. The other night I heard Levi out in the living room at 3:15 AM. I sent Ben to check out the scene and at first he couldn't find Levi. Ben finally found him under the computer desk with an unlit candle and a wine glass filled with ginger ale. Yes, he poured his own glass. Yes, we negligently left an empty wine glass on the floor and an open can on the counter. I am continuously baffled by this 2 1/2 year old. What was he thinking?

2. I went for my first post baby run on Saturday. I felt like a champion and was certain I was skinnier after my athletic endeavors. I popped my wedding ring back on my finger after not being able to wear it for months. I was super excited to be symbolically married again until my finger puffed up like a balloon. Scene from a horror movie, Ben wielding a mini-grinder with a cutting blade holding my hand flat on the table, cutting the ring off my finger (true story). I'm lucky to have a tool savvy husband...

3. I've been experimenting with many raw food recipes. Most notable are the healthy pancakes I made for Levi and I. They were interesting... I am the mom in this video.

4. To get a better idea of how Levi feels about the healthy menu we've been eating lately I made him a super nutritious smoothie and he told me, "I'm pretending I'm eating my poopies."

5. I've never gone across the border just to go shopping but Gwen Stefani has designed a Harajuku Mini line for Target and I'm a little bit in love.

Thursday, November 24, 2011

A Great Betrayal

After days of intermittent pain and runs to the doctor's office the final diagnosis of my condition is biliary sludge. Doesn't that sound lovely? I was hoping for medication that would cure my pain but it turns out dietary changes are what's needed. I wont bore you with the details of exactly what biliary sludge is but if you're dying to know, check it out here. Most likely I developed sludge due to my pregnancy. I basically have to cut out my favorite foods for an indefinite period of time. No cheese or other creamy, dairy foods. I have to avoid high fat, processed foods and stick to a high fiber, veggie and fruit filled diet. 

The killer thing is that I've always tried to eat healthy and avoid certain foods, even limiting the amount of dairy I have, and now I have to completely eliminate the occasional treats I indulged in. I love cheese. If I lived in a world made out of cheese I would be a very fat, happy person. Except it turns out that world would be the death of me and I'd land myself on a surgeons table getting my gall bladder removed.

 It's fascinating to me how our bodies betray us. They're the home our soul lives in and it's a fragile existence. It's always when my body gives out on me that I remember how finite I am. I know that sounds depressing but really it makes me glad to remember that while my outward body is wasting away, it's my choice to allow my inside (as in my soul and spirit) to be renewed every day. 

Another great realization is that biliary sludge is like a mandatory diet plan. I'm being forced to eat even more healthy. No more of my mother-in-law's famous mud pie (that's what I'm grieving the most). But really, I'm excited for the challenge of finding alternative meal plans and seeing whether I can keep this beast under control. 

 Enough talk about my physical woes. It's time for some pretty bohemia up in here.



lots more bohemian tents at bohemian twilight


Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Gift of Distraction


Where to begin... this week has been eventful. I have been in and out of the doctor's office and hospital trying to figure out why I'm suffering from excruciating stomach pains. All the tests have shown up clear and still I get painful episodes that are comparable to the contractions I experienced during labour (Probably worse). I have some other theories of what's causing this agony and hopefully my next round of appointments tomorrow will bring something to light. 

The hardest thing about being sick is not being able to give my family 100% of my energy. Anyways, once the kids are in bed I go on Pinterest to distract myself from the pain (Woe is me, seriously). I've come across some great gift ideas that I thought I would share. My favorite is the Lawn Jenga. You just have to be quick on your feet when it topples. 

To find the sources of these gift ideas visit my Pinterest.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Six Weeks-Sucking it Up and In


I hit the magic six week mark and I'm building up my fitness routine very slowly. Apparently my mother left the hospital in her pre-pregnancy jeans after giving birth. I'm still sporting maternity pants. I have the option of skinny jeans that give me a mega-muffin top or fit more like leg warmers and my maternity pants that give me a saggy butt but cover all the necessary parts. Buying in between pants feels like a waste of money and so option number two is a healthy fitness routine that will hopefully lead me back to a version of my old size (Nothing's ever quite the same). So here's my plan:

Three times a week I will alternate between pilates, yoga and the gym. On in between days I'll go for walks (maybe). The whole point of such a simple routine is that I wont beat myself up if I miss a day. If I start too hard core I'd probably injure myself or fail to meet my expectations. I follow this book for pilates, this IPhone app for yoga and hit up Steve Nash Fitness World. Eventually I'll get back into running but the weather puts a damper on that prospect. I'm a bit of a lost puppy at the gym, never sure what equipment to use, so I usually stick to the elliptical. I have to be careful with weights because my abdominal muscles split like the Red Sea during pregnancy and I'm using pilates and yoga to suck things back together. Any suggestions ye gym goers? 

Now that I've put this out to the WWW I'm committed!

P.S. last time I talked about fitness and the "last ten pounds" I found out  I was pregnant a week later. 

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

The Festive Collective

I've been waiting for an opportunity to blog about The Festive Collective event I attended last Friday Night. Why don't mothers grow a third arm during pregnancy? While the scale of this pop-up shop is small the local vendors featured are mighty in their creativity and  affordability. It was hard not to walk away with a stash of new accessories. The Festive Collective runs from Nov 2-27th at The Rize in Vancouver.

Here are a few of my favorite, drool worthy pieces. 




To check out a list of vendors and all other info visit The Festive Collective Facebook page.

Monday, November 7, 2011

Weekend Recap: What Dwells Within

 
The big event for our family this weekend was a walk in the forest. Levi's story books are full of animals that dwell in the forest and it suddenly occurred to us that Levi had never been in the woods.  We spend most of our time pounding the pavement of our city.  As much as we love urban living, the forest is a magical place for a two year old to visit. Fortunately for us Pacific Spirit Regional Park is a short drive away and the perfect place for an adventure.
 Sheer glee at discovering mud. For real, I've never seen this kid happier.
 Jethro slept through our adventure. Snug as a bug.
 Levi did not want to leave the forest. Or the mud.

Friday, November 4, 2011

Drab to Fab

God knows I need some laughter on days when sleep is scarce and hormones are raging out of control. I've been feeling beasty, quick to flip out and unreasonably agitated. All part of the post partum period. A quick cure for my weary soul is having a creative outlet. 

This Le Fleur Dress is in the Repo Wear shop right now and I'll be the first to acknowledge its apparent frumpiness. However, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and I couldn't wait to transform this dress from drab to fab (is fab an out-dated term? I am almost 30...). Three of my sisters and I headed to the hills for a little photoshoot. 

This dress is sad and needs some loving.

A jacket, a belt and a knot. Things are looking up for Le Fleur Dress.


I was going to shorten the dress but I love the way the knot changes the look.

Poo on shoe is always a danger of frolicking in the grass.

Subtle accessories complete this look. I made the beaded bracelet.

I'm so happy! The hills are alive with the sound of music!

Thanks to Lizzy for taking these photos and putting up with my wackiness.

Le Fleur Dress was just marked down!

Sweet Serendipity



Wednesday, November 2, 2011

A Few More

A few more Halloween pics because these kids are adorbs!




My sister was dancing a crazy jig to get those smiles.