Tales of Me and the Husband

ten things i’m absolutely loving right now.

one. sliced apples with peanut butter. sweet potatoes, shredded and cooked with butter and salt and topped with fried eggs (yolks still runny), yogurt and blueberries and granola, oatmeal. just some of the latest breakfasts around here. sometimes i like to have all of them, and just graze between the hours of 7 and noon. i don’t, however, like to clean up afterwards. 
two. this lighting shop. woah.

three. these in orange!
four. the fun changes made to this ikea bunk bed.
five. the easter morning pancakes at the bottom of this post. i think i’m going to do that.
six. the snapchat filter that gives me angel goddess skin.
seven. caprese chicken?! are you kidding me? this looks so good.
eight. this primer. i don’t use it everyday, but when i do i feel like my face is this nice, smooth canvas upon which i can make myself into my diva-version. (still a far cry from the snapchat filter, but i’ll never quit trying.)
nine. observing parker when i arrive at school pick up a little early, without him knowing i’m there. almost always, someone else sees me and yells, “parker, your mom’s here!” so it never lasts long.
ten. next week’s forecast. a lot of sun, a lot of high(er) temperatures.

Spring coming in and going out.

We watched Brooklyn last night and Spotlight the night before. Our friend from Italy who’s visiting doesn’t find our current movies with the same ease that we do so we’re all playing catch up together. Not that we need a reason to plop in front of the television for movie night. Anyhow, I’d recommend both. Dedicated journalists uncovering an awful story or an Irish immigrant trying to find home. Different and both fabulous. Watch them. (I couldn’t decide immediately how I wanted Brooklyn to end, and decided today that I’m very satisfied with how it did.)

Anders has learned nose and taps mine anytime our faces are close. He taps his own, he taps mine. He’s gentle about it, smiling, self satisfied while he does. He’s also beginning to take steps with much more confidence. He’s had it in him for awhile, I think, but has only now decided to do it, ten or twelve steps at a time, until he grabs a chair, plops on his bum.
You might already know, but it snowed today. The second official day of spring. It’s mean, and it’s nasty of Mother Nature to do such a thing to us after teasing us, more than teasing us, into packing away our boots and gloves. Steve looked in the bag by the back door where these things usually are, as he headed out to shovel the driveway. “Where are my gloves?” I’d put them in the basement bins already.
Parker and I dyed Easter eggs the other day. That brownish one is his favorite, a mix of green and yellow and maybe blue?  We only broke a few, and I’m not sure if it was him or me. He’s careful, and listens in the kitchen and it’s really nice to have him in there with me. He pulls up the yellow stool so happily. With other things, I have to tell him a thousand times. “Wash your hands, wash your hands, WASH YOUR HANDS!” When he’s in the kitchen with me, he’s attentive and gentle.

weekend links.

Here’s Anders discovering the beauty of the classic Little Tikes car. Is that cute or what? He wants to be in the backyard all day long. If other people are out there without him and he knows? Forget about it. Anyway, what are you doing this weekend? Our friend from Italy is coming to visit!! We can’t wait to see her, and catch up on life and all things Orvieto. She’s been missed. 

7 Netflix documentaries worth streaming. (And 12 that will make you want to be healthier.)

I usually go the traditional route with Easter eggs but these are beautiful. So are these.

A basic tee. I like that one — and am in need of a few new ones. Anyone have any recommendations?

Jennifer Garner reads Go the F*&^ to Sleep.

“…too much stuff, too many choices, too much information and too much speed.” Let’s simplify childhood. (This article makes me so happy and perhaps a bit validated for the slow mornings, and often days, we have where Parker is able to use his imagination with cars, knights, etc.)

Do you guys eat kale? Is that the dumbest question ever? Despite the fact that I’m a sort of healthy person, I have never gotten on the kale bandwagon. Here’s 12 kale salads that do look good; found them when I typed into google: kale salads that are actually good. (Sidetone: I had a kale caesar salad last summer in South Jersey that I really did love.)

“Dry cleaning” your clothes at home. (Anyone skip the dry-cleaning-only rule and wash those items at home?)

Sometimes I think of Danskos as Mom-or-nursing-shoes but this pair is really cute.

JoJo, girl, you’re 24 years old. You’re still on your parents’ cell phone plan. This commentary on the Bachelor finale from someone who doesn’t watch the show was really funny.

Parker is more interested in helping in the kitchen all the time. Just last week he was devastated (truly devastated) when Steve made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for him because he wanted to do it himself! We didn’t know how important this was! This post on Orangette is a good primer for kids in the kitchen.

Rachael’s post on paternity leave was so good. “They love carrots” made me laugh out loud and then the parts about her husband working from home had me nodding my head furiously. (I’ve never blogged about it, but I mostly can’t stand when Steve works from home.)

Have a great weekend!

spring capsule wardrobe with thredUP.

click below to read more!!


thredUP. why haven’t i visited sooner?!? thredUP is an online consignment boutique full of really, really, really great pieces. three really’s, guys. i don’t do that every day. think anthropologie! madewell! theory! j.crew (as i clearly did when placing my order)! and up to 90% off the retail! speaking of my order, at checkout, i discovered i saved 77% or $499! one man’s trash is another man’s treasure or something? the pieces came beautifully packaged, with their own thredUP tags attached, folded and basically looking like new. i’m serious.
the majority of the above are thredUP’s (the chambray, black jeans, and vest are the only pieces from my own closet) that i got to begin building my spring capsule wardrobe. what is a spring capsule wardrobe?! mmmm… let me see if i can first figure it out myself and then share that with you (though you probably already know because capsules have been making the rounds for awhile now, but i’ve only half-paid attention to all of it).
a capsule wardrobe! the essentials that can be worn and reworn a bunch of different ways. plaid you say? oh yes. plaid is like a gray to me. (true fact: i’ve worn this specific plaid about three times in the week and a half that i’ve owned it, so there.) around your waist with a white v-neck and a leather bomber jacket, open over a white tee, or paired with skinny jeans. plaid is the new black! you heard it here first!
can i interrupt for a minute? a thing about thredUP. their search engine is fabulous. to find these jeans, i literally typed in “zipper jeans.” and boom, the ones that i envisioned appeared. by rag & bone! originally in the $150-200 range, folks.
back to the capsule. my real spring capsule would obviously have more pieces than only what you see above, buuuuut not that much more because paring down is the idea. that chambray? i can and will wear it three thousand different ways. that cable knit sweater? with an a-line skirt, with the plaid underneath or the chambray (as pictured), with the blue jeans, with the black jeans. the stripes? classic! under the vest, on my head, as a scarf, as a skirt… (are you paying attention because i’m not making sense anymore).
what do you say we start building your capsule wardrobe, k?
outfit 1// these j. brand black jeans, this j.crew blouse, and these j.crew flats
outfit 2// the above jeans again, this james perse top (a perfect staple!!), this levis vest, a j.crew scarf, and these joie boots
outfit 3// a paige blue jean, the james perse top, a theory blazer, and those j.crew flats again
three days outfits planned reusing a lot of the same items. eeeeasy.
use BRIDGET21 for 21% off your first thredUP order! expires 4/15.
other items pictured: chambray shirt // black ripped jeans // jeans vest
this post is sponsored by thredUP. thank you for reading and supporting this blog!

Elevating your kitchen basics.

I’m something of a healthy(ish)-eater, who believes in indulging every now and again (and now, and now…). I just want what I’m indulging in to be worth it. So, when I’m making things at home that really shouldn’t be crappy for you but end up being crappy for you because they’re just sub-par ingredients, I’m not happy about it. If I’m having a peanut butter and jelly sandwich (which the Hunts eat a lot of) I want to know that those three ingredients are the best they can be. When I’m salting my food, can I make that good for me too? I don’t want the basics to become something that’s not good for me or my family. Save that for the indulgences!

So, here’s a few things that I stock in my kitchen at all times:

Pacific Organic Cream of Chicken soup // There are a lot of recipes that call for cream of chicken soup. One of our favorites (and the main use for it in our house) is for Chicken Divan. Before I found this one, I sort of dragged my feet about making it because the only one available at the grocery store was Campbell’s and if you’ve ever read those ingredients, they’re not awesome (MSG, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, etc.). But then I discovered the beauty of buying some harder-to-find food items on Amazon and about once a year I buy a case of it there. Done! It’s delicious and you won’t notice the difference between it and the lesser-good Campbell’s version.

Kerrygold butter // I’ve been known to go through one of those entire rectangles of butter in a day. I sauté veggies for Anders in it, I spread it (liberally) on a piece of toast for Parker, so on and so forth. I know not all would agree, but I’ve always been in the butter’s good for you camp. Especially for young kids. Kerrygold is more expensive than other butter but now that Costco carries it, I buy it in bulk for a little cheaper. It’s grass-fed, pasture butter, and it’s so delicious.

Organic peanut butter // Remember about two years ago when all of our food was a little more expensive? This peanut butter was $5 a jar and the way we go through peanut butter, I was not loving it! Now it’s back to $3.49. Hooray. It’s made with two things: sea salt, and peanuts. What a novel idea. Conventional peanuts and the pesticides/fungicides that go into their production is a controversial thing that has some wondering if the way they’re produced and the byproducts that are on and in them are linked to the peanut allergies that so many have today. I’m no scientist, but since we eat a lot of peanut butter, I use this one. Because the natural oils separate from the bulk of the peanut butter, store it upside down and the mixing process begins naturally.

Celtic sea salt // I put this in a little salt box I got from Target and use it all the time for seasoning our foods. This salt has tons of trace minerals that are hard to find in other foods we consume. I’ve talked to people who even sprinkle a little bit in the water they sip throughout the day for natural energy and electrolytes. Celtic sea salt has even been linked to improving adrenal and thyroid functions. You can also buy this on Amazon. It takes me a really long time to go through one bag.

Kodiak mixes // I was seeing this all over Instagram for awhile and over the last few months have gotten to trying it myself. Costco now carries it too (I was getting it at Target). It’s really good. I’ve tried several now–their Power Cakes one, the Gluten Free one, the Super Foods one (with quinoa and chia right in it) etc. I use it like a flour (not foolproof though because some of it already has brown sugar, egg, etc. in it which could screw up some fickle recipes!) in our pancakes or muffins mostly and I’m going to try using it in cookies. Most are GMO-free and they’re working on making it all GMO-free in the future. Just a healthier alternative than bleached all-purpose flour. There’s a lot of recipes on their website too.

That’s it! Was this helpful? Should I do more posts like this in the future? Do you have some of your own to add to this list?

ten things i’m absolutely loving right now.

one. this shirt. and tacos.
two. watching netflix food documentaries. fed up last night! (so someone else can tell my kids that sugar is bad instead of me for a change. thanks katie couric!) 
three. that tonight is the finale for the bachelor and i’m so excited but going to be so disappointed when this season is over because i have loved it. (that sounds very, very sad. even so, i’ll miss ya, ben.)
four. the next julia rothman book that i got for lindsey’s easter basket. her last book (farm anatomy) is one of my favorite books of all time.
five. that the weather is so nice lately and william’s been tossing the football around in the backyard. seeing my kids outside makes me all sorts of happy. the way it should be!!
six. applegate lunch meat. plus, anders likes it too. we roll it up and dip it in hummus.
seven. that target made these lights in other colors; i got orange for parker’s room!
eight. yogi’s vanilla hazelnut tea with half and half and a little bit of honey.
nine. the iPhone app for td bank north where you can MAKE MOBILE DEPOSITS. this is huge. we used to gather checks and then eventually make our way to the bank for a big deposit. no more!
ten. these sandals. come on summer.

ice cream in March.

Anders was obsessed with trying bites of my ice cream; gone are the days when you could quietly eat things without him noticing! Now he basically chirps at you over and over until he gets more tastes.

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Making a night out happen.

Getting out for a date night can be a huge pain in the neck for so many. Coming up with the plan, getting the date on the calendar, finding the sitter, booking the sitter… it’s no wonder for a lot of people (ourselves included, even though our older kids are somewhat of built-in sitters!) a date night looks like Shawshank Redemption at home for the tenth time on the couch with a pint of Haagen Dazs (is it just me or is Shawshank undoubtedly on some movie station almost 24/7?). We deserve more than this, people!

Enter Chime.

Chime is an online sitter-booking service. The best part in my opinion? Babysitters go through in person evaluations with the Chime staff. That’s pretty amazing, right? It may be easy to fool someone into thinking you’re capable of watching small children with only an online profile, but in person? Harder to achieve. Chime even checks their references, their social media, their entire background before they’re Chime-approved. They go one step further too: video interviews for the parents who are booking from home. So you scroll through the sitters, read their ratings, their profile, and then you can actually watch their video interview! Better yet, your kids can watch it too so that the person isn’t a total stranger upon arrival. I love that.

And, if you weren’t already convinced of their ease of use, here’s one more to convince you: no cash required! You pay the standard rate for your city online (between $14-17/hr). Easy. 


(FYI: it’s not available where I live, so I wasn’t able to experience the service myself, but have heard good things from first-hand users!)


Available now in NYC, Boston, Washington D.C., and Chicago (and adding more all the time!).


Use HUNTLIFE for $50 off your first booking!!

Thanks to Chime for sponsoring this post, and to all of you for supporting this blog!

Thoughts from a coffee shop on a Monday morning: reading books, #BachelorNation, and room switches.

Let’s see if I can relax enough to just… write… some… thoughts…

I get out of the house and my mind is buzzing with how! to! best! use! this! precious! time! Life is exhausting right now. Cosleeping, and nursing on demand (like, do I have a newborn? He nurses almost as though he is one. Yes you, Anders.), teething, and mini naps (for Anders, not me; he’s a master of the mini-nap.), and work, and laundry, and groceries. Oh it’s the same old same old, I don’t need to go through it with you who is, no doubt, looking at a list very similar to mine.

It’s life. And right now it’s exhausting!

So, what are my thoughts even? I don’t think they’re wildly impressive. I’ve had a post in my drafts on the books I’m reading for at least 5 weeks. I’ve made little to no progress on any of the books. They’re in various places in the house, and one (a library book that is overdue) may be behind the couch? I’m wondering when people do read books, in fact. Do they have more hours in their day than I do? Do they still grocery shop? Do they stay off social media (if so, they obviously haven’t discovered the fun of Snapchat filters)? Do they do their makeup every day? Where can I find more time in my day? Steve and I say to each other sometimes, “Wouldn’t it be awesome if we got to a certain point and didn’t require sleep anymore? Our kids still did, but for adults it was optional?” Can you imagine how much we’d get done? Problematic for those who are apt to get into trouble, but I think I’d use it to like really learn how to fold fitted sheets and mop the floors and discover new recipes and answer really, really thoughtful reader emails that are way overdue for responses and finally get that pee smell out of the bathroom that seems semi-permanent since Parker became potty-trained.

What would you do with all those hours in your day?

Where I was going with the whole books-post-in-my-drafts folder is that my mind is mush, and even if I did have the time to read I think I’d have to reread each page (nay, each word) to get the words to stick.

Let’s move onto the important things.

Tonight! Women Tell All! (I think we’ve just discovered where I can find some more time in my day…)

If you’re a #BachelorNation fan, here’s what I’m most looking forward to:
Olivia’s giant mouth, hearing what Leah has to say about bitching about Lauren behind her back (too bad Lauren won’t be there to call her out), and… that’s the long and short of it. Also, WHO DO YOU THINK BEN PICKS? Here’s my prediction (not based on any spoilers because I haven’t read any and DO NOT TELL ME IF YOU KNOW): he lets Lauren go and picks JoJo, then pulls a Mesnick and calls Lauren on the phone to bring her back and be with her. Which is a really rough start for a relationship, yes? I do hope they’re happy now though. Ben is probably my favorite Bachelor ever and I like Lauren well enough.

The ROOM SWITCH OF 2016 has begun. More than begun, it’s well underway. So far so good. There was a heated moment (not caught on Snapchat, my apologies) where we were moving this 11-ton dresser out of our room and Steve was like, “THIS IS THE MOST TERRIBLE IDEA” and “YOU HAVE TOO MANY CLOTHES” I was like “LET’S BURN THIS HOUSE DOWN!” but we carried on, I donated an enormous bag of clothes, and we are still married.

I feel like my time is up, my brain energy is spent, and I should probably return home where Anders has no doubt refused any food offered to him because he’s holding out for more nursing.

Until next time!

weekend links.

Throwback picture to last summer. They both look so different to me!
What are you up to this weekend? We’re doing our projects, as you know. And tonight I’m making this for dinner. I’m excited. Her recipes never fail me.

I made this bread last week and it was really good. On the healthy(ish) side of the baked goods spectrum too (which is, much to my family’s dismay, how my baked goods almost always are).

These photoshopped Leo’s are funny.

This top (in red!!) is awesome. Those buttons in the back.

Adidas makes sneakers from ocean trash.

Watched the debate last night. Found a lot of it to be ridiculous (and poor Kasich over there in right field. Steve suggested they get a chair for him so he could just sit down.). Also, this meme is funny. So is this one.

These planters are adorable.

This amazing Big Sur property. I want to move in…. yesterday.

Faux Martha cooks up the best oatmeal ever. Toasting the oats first? I’d never have thought of that.

Have a good weekend!

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