Saturday, March 31, 2012

Picture Day

By now you've no doubt learned that Bowdenisms is constantly on the not-cusp of trends. You want to be introduced to a fad that's probably on its way out? I got you. (Draw Something! It's awesome!)




Interested in learning about some sort of technology that everyone already knows about? We're on it.

I kid. A little...we're not exactly trend killers, but try as we might, we're never going to be the hippest of hipsters. At best, we'll be slightly hipper than the masses (at least I got Pinterest before my dad!) and live solidly in the sweet, safe, gooey center of popular culture. (Have you read The Hunger Games? I heard they're all the rage with the kids these days!)

But what we may lack in timing, we make up with enthusiasm. (P.s. I don't know who this "we" I keep referring to is. I guess I'm lumping Dustin in with myself. Dorkiness loves company!). My most recent obsession? Instagram!

(At this point in the post, I ask you to please ignore the fact that you've had Instagram for years, and probably have a following of hundreds of friends, and actually, that's old news it's all about Pictureshow now. Just let me have my moment).

For those of you not in on this yet- Instagram is a phone app that allows you to take pics, add filters and frames, and share them on the web. It's free, simple to use, and transforms blurry, badly lit iphone pics into polaroid-inspired faux-vintage gems. I'm a fan.

They say the best camera is the one you have on you, and while that may only be half true, I will say that 75% of the pics we have of Piper were taken on our phones. They may not be the best quality (although the camera on my iphone is easily twice as good as the first digital camera I had. Does that blow anyone else's mind?) but they're much, much better than nothing, so I'm grateful for the random snapshots we've captured. And with the addition of Instagram, and then PicStitch (A collage making app. look!....I'm a wealth of iphone knowledge!) I've been having fun experimenting with effects and sharing pics.

Some of my recent favs:




So with my new found love for Instagram continuing to grow, I thought it would be fun to join a Photo-A-Day challenge, to encourage me to keep snapping, and maybe come up with some subjects, or angles, or ideas that I might not have thought of otherwise. There are probably thousand such challenges on the web, but Fat Mum Slim has one that looked like fun, so I think I'm going to give it a whirl.

Here's the list for April:


Fun right? Anyone want to join? You don't have to have instagram, or even a camera phone...you can use a "real" old school camera. With film even! Imagine that! But if you do join, I'd love to see what come up with. You can share on your blog, facebook...or tweet it! (I go on record saying I'm pretty sure this whole Twitter idea could become the next big thing. You heard it here (not even close to) first.)

Happy Snapping!

P.s. You can follow us on instagram: Cojobo and Bowdend31.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

a better way.

Today is one of those days where I consistently made the wrong choices...
I snoozed one (or two, or three) too many times, and set my morning off in a terrible whirlwind direction.

I skipped packing my lunch, and bought Pita Pit instead.

I bailed on taking an evening walk with Piper, in favor of an only slightly necessary trip to Target.

I got Chick-fil-a on the way home, inclusive of my second Coke Zero of the day.

I ignored the (literal) pile of chores that are all but screaming for my attention.

I procrastinated writing any of the numerous journals and blogs that I have floating around my head, but spent the evening tooling around on other sites.
It could have been a better day. I could have behaved better. I could have eaten better. I could have loved better. I could have been better.

I let myself get sucked into the trap of self-indulgence, and rather than feeling decadently spoiled, I feel slothfully sick. I believed the "too much of a good thing is great" lie, and allowed myself to humor one too many inner "you deserve it" monologues.

I'd like to start today over. I would get up on time. Actually get a shower. Spend some time playing with my daughter instead of confining her to a baby seat while I scramble to get bottles washed for daycare. I would pack a healthy lunch, drink water, and eat a dinner that doesn't include french fries. I would sit less, and move more. "Surf" less, and do more. I would approach my evening with purpose, prioritizing projects that make me feel organized, proud, productive, relaxed, creative and energized. I would focus on things that pour into my life, rather than wasting my time on things that suck my spirit dry.

I would remember that all the little cheats I allow into my day, actually just end up making me feel cheated. And I would remember that what I allow into my own life, dictates how I'm able to pour into the lives of those around me.

But since turning back the clock isn't an option, I will make the best of the choices that remain. I will wash the sink full of dishes. I will take my vitamin. I will go to bed. I will thank God for the infinite blessings in my life, and I will ask Him to guide my focus, knowing that each seemingly frivolous choice I make, adds up to a greater (or sometimes lesser) whole.

And tomorrow will be a better day.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Big Book of Baby B

Back in January, I revealed that last year we had a bit of a secret blog going on behind the Bowdenisms scenes. Sure we shared some pregnancy updates here (like our maternity photoshoot, baby shower recaps, and our Wishes for Baby) but that was just the tip of the iceberg. For over nine months, I kept a pregnancy journal, full of photos, memories, fears and joys. Each week Dustin took my "belly pic", and I typed a note to our baby-in-progress. And every month I filled in a template with pregnancy stats, like weight gain, cravings, and little fetus milestones. But in addition to that, I tried to write whenever I could about all the day to day details of Baby Bowden. By the time Piper made her grand entrance into the world, I had hundreds of entries, and a hard drive full of pics, just waiting to be assembled into a scrapbook.

But who has time for that once there is a baby around?

That my friends, is where technology gets involved. Because not only had I been typing and snapping away, I had also been funneling all those memories right into an online photobook on Blurb, before she was born (the same service we use to print our yearly blog books). That way, once Piper actually arrived, I just had to add her birth story, and hit print. (and trust me, with a newborn in the house, even getting that amount done was no small task, so I'm immensely grateful I got so much done ahead of time, or poor Piper would have a big stack of nothin'.) When all was said and done, we ended up with 118 pages of Baby Bowden goodness, in a professional looking, hardcover bound book.

I absolutely adore how it turned out. Dustin may have teased me a few times about how overboard I go with documenting memories (or how overboard I go with everything...) but I'm not the least bit sorry for even one minute that I spent putting this together. I only hope our little bug treasures it one-tenth as much as I do...you know, once she can read.




And now...it's on to the next one! Ugh...Piper's baby book is in progress, but something tells me corralling the thousands (or hundreds of thousands??) of photos from her first year is going to make this pregnancy book look like a cake walk. How do you moms do it? I worry I'm going to give up and start throwing things in a shoebox. Or more likely a digital shoebox called Facebook. Stay tuned I guess...

If you want to see more, check out some snippets of our book here.

Sunday, March 25, 2012

While the cat's away...

...the mice will play.

Friday night was the big Hunger Games movie premier (well technically Thursday at midnight was the real premier, but that showing is for true hardcore fans...i.e. crazy teens, and people without jobs). So while I was getting my mockingjay fix with the girls from work, Dustin and Piper had a daddy-daughter date. And like the diligent father he is, he kept me in the loop with picture messages to assure me they were doing ok:



"Don't worry about us! We're going to have a great time!"



"For real though I'm not a bad dad."


Oh how I love those crazy mice.

Friday, March 23, 2012

Date Night

It's been a while since we've been on a date...two months in fact. Sure, since then we've spent a ton of time together, and we've done a ton of things. We've been out to eat, visited the zoo, taken walks, attended a Penguins game, gone shopping...but all of that involved a tiny tagalong. So while we've had fun, I wouldn't necessarily say our lives are overflowing with romance. And though our monthly goals have moved on, I'm still tied to our tradition from December that encouraged us to prioritize time with each other. Don't get me wrong...family time is great, and an evening on the couch with a movie can be fun...but every once in a while you need to get out, sans kid, for a special husband-and-wife night on the town.

So when my mom called out of the blue to say she wanted to come for the weekend and watch Piper so we could go out...I just couldn't say no.

We didn't have any special plans, but we couldn't squander the chance at a night of childfree fun! We debated what to do...out options were pretty much limitless, but our goal was to take advantage of the evening and plan an outing that we couldn't do with Piper in tow. I mean, she's a great companion most of the time, but she doesn't exactly appreciate things like fine dining or adult conversation.

We figured dinner out was a no brainer, but we wanted to do it up right, and make a night of it with another activity. We thought about seeing a movie (she's definitely not a fan of being quiet for two hours at a time), but there weren't any compelling options. We considered bowling (she might not hate it, but I can't imagine a more disgusting place to bring a baby than a bowling alley), but the weather was so beautiful out, it seemed like a shame to waste the evening indoors. So after some hemming and hawing, we eventually we settled on an old standby- miniature golf!

Once the plans had finally been made, we were excited to go, but a little hesitant to leave Piper for the evening. We knew she'd be in good hands, but it's hard not to feel guilty for leaving her, or like we're burdening whoever is watching her. Dustin felt the worst...he suggested we just go somewhere quick for dinner so we could get back, but my mom assured me that they truly wanted to be with her, and that we should relax, have fun and not hurry home. So we prepared a bottle, layed out some jammies, and hightailed it out of there before any of us could change our minds.

And from the minute we got in the car...we just had a blast. I thought we might have to make a "no Piper" clause to keep our date from devolving into a night of baby-talk, but honestly, we barely mentioned her. We were having too much fun to worry much about how the rest of the family was doing! We laughed and joked, made wagers on the game, and just really enjoyed a chance to relax and be together without any sort of caretaking, schedules or practical concerns to get in the way.


Somehow, after some fierce competition, we ended up tying. What are the odds?!


For dinner, we decided to check out a place several people had recommended for my birthday dinner- Willow. Apparently hitting tiny colored balls around for an hour caused us to work up quite the appetites, because we pretty much ordered the entire menu. In our defense, a lot of the choices were "small plates", so I got a couple of those instead of a real entree, but still...we put a hurtin' on some food:

Clockwise from top left: olive oil and parmesean for dipping; the wedge- baby iceberg, candied bacon, scotch egg, blue cheese dressing, berry compote, grape tomatoes; gnudi- seared ricotta dumplings, veal meatballs, sauteed escarole, sauce bolognese; double cut barbeque pork chop- beer brined bone-in pork chop, grilled with homemade bbq sauce sharp cheddar polenta, collard greens, crispy onion straws; seared scallops and korean pork-seared sea scallops, korean bbq pork belly, miso caramel, marinated shitake mushrooms; grown up mac & cheese- orecchiette pasta, braised short rib, caramelized onions, spinach, brie cream sauce baked with herbed bread crumbs.

Yes, the food was fabulous (I mean, really fabulous). But I think the best part was allowing ourselves to get a few courses, to drink, to talk, to take our time. So many of our meals now are hurriedly eaten while Piper naps, or wolfed down before she gets tired of sitting in her bumbo, or eaten one handed while trying to soothe and/or entertain a cranky baby. To sit next to one another for over an hour, with nothing else to do, and no where else to go, was possibly the most delicious part of all.

Sorry Piper. You are greatly loved, but you weren't terribly missed.

It was a simple evening, but such a wonderful chance to connect with each other. We may have a house, and a baby, and responsibilities, and stress, and wrinkles....But on the inside we're not that far off from the silly kids we were when we met almost nine years ago. I'm still happy to date Dustin, and hope he feels the same way...forever.

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Life with a Baby: Four Month Must Haves

When Piper was still pretty new, I wrote a list of my list of newborn must haves. Well, I don't know what happened, but somehow we lost our newborn, and found ourselves in possession of a squishy, squirmy, smiley, slimey BABY, so our list of go-to gadgets has changed. I'm by no means an expert, but at this point I can at least tell the difference between a Boppy, a Bumbo, and a Bjorn (a trio that proved especially tricky for Dustin to identify in the beginning) and even have some advice to share with those even newer to this gig than myself. Here, in no particular order, are some items we couldn't (or really would just rather not try to) live without:


Row 1:

1. Bumbo- We had kind of a love/hate relationship with the bumbo for a while- as in- I wanted Piper to love it. And she hated it. But slowly she started to come around, and now she full-blown tolerates it. Win! Sure, I don't love the idea of plopping your kid in any sort of containment device for extended periods of time, but let's be real- babies are loose and floppy and tippy and wobbly, and you just can't hold them all the time. Sometimes we have to make dinner, and occasionally we even want to eat that dinner, and some time in the Bumbo has made this possible. The tray is a nice add, as it helps keep a couple toys within arms reach (though we still spend half the meal retrieving them from the table and placing them back on the tray), and I imagine we'll love it even more when it comes time to actually feed Piper.
2. Tummy Time Gym- This was a hand-me-down gift from Rachel, and when a mom of three gives you something, you know it's going to be a winner. For some reason I hadn't thought about baby toys at all before Piper arrived. We got some as gifts, but I think I was in subconscious denial that I was going to need the more bulky items, and refused to register for anything large and/or primary colored if it wasn't absolutely essential. Rachel no doubt knew this was ridiculous, and my poor child would grow up without any motor skills if she didn't step in. So we became the proud owners of a music-playing, light-blinking, face-reflecting, toy-dangling type station, and Piper for one, loves it. Before she really tolerated laying on her back, she would endure it if she got to watch this toy do it's thing. She kicks her feet to the music, is enthralled with the lights, and now finally understands how to reach for the toys. The best part is you can adjust it so it lays on the floor- at the perfect angle for some tummy-time entertainment. (Unfortunately this model isn't available anymore, but I'm sure they make similar things somewhere. Unless the whole idea has proven unsafe and been discontinued. Either way, Piper still loves hers!)
3. Play mat/gym- Another gem from Rachel. I'm telling you...she saw a hole in our life, and filled it with colors...and noise! Piper won't last here forever, but she is getting better at some "solo play time" which is much appreciated when I need to find a few minutes for such luxuries as a phone call, or teeth brushing. I can't find the exact version we have, but this safari number seems pretty fun! (just try the songs out before you commit...because you will be hearing them, and humming them, in your sleep in no time.)
Row 2:
4. Timi & Leslie diaper bag- The diaper bag was a huge deal for me, as it's one of the first decisions that defines your mom style. Are you utilitarian, with a plain black messenger bag? Are you cutesy, with a printed tote? Or have you completely given up, and bought something with pooh bear on it? (Oh yes, that is real...and for some reason, a seemingly popular choice....) I am decidedly none of those things, and made it my mission early on to find a diaper bag that most resembled a regular purse as possible. I figured there would be plenty of compromises down the line in regards to kiddie junk, so I was determined to hold on to a few precious shreds of my pre-baby style. I finally found this line of bags, and fell in love. I have "dawn", and I get compliments constantly. It's durable, functional, and pretty. And the best part? People are always shocked it's actually designed to hold poop rags. Score.
5. Boppy- I am surely neither the first nor the last person to recommend a Boppy to you, but I will throw my endorsement behind it. There is a reason this is on every baby registry in america. We've been using this thing since day one (ok- day three, I really didn't think it was necessary to bring it to the hospital...though many others do!) and it made the early days of nursing sooooo much easier. Sure, you can balance your newborn on a armrest, or a pillow, or your knee, but when you're feeding them every two hours (read: allllllll the time) having something specially designed for the job is worth it. Now that Piper's older and wiser (ok, mostly just bigger, and better at breastfeeding), we don't use it much for that, but it still comes in handy when Dustin feeds her bottles. But the best feature is probably how well it functions as a "seat" to prop Piper up in. It was just the ticket while she was in that weird "I can't sit up, but if you even try to lay me down flat, so help me I will scream bloody murder" phase of life (i.e. months 1-3). We sprung for the waterproof liner, and a decorative cover, which of course ensured that she never bothered to throw up on it (unlike our unprotected couch, bed, clothes etc.)
6. SwaddleMe blanket- Piper loves a swaddle, so I love a swaddle, and for a long time, the Miracle blanket was the only option we found that worked. Plain swaddle blankets came undone, and even the ones with velcro were no match for our baby's escape tricks. But we got the SwaddleMe as a gift, so we gave it a shot. And we all fell in love once again. The velcro is super strong, so Piper stayed under wraps, and since there is so much less fabric, it's a lot faster to get on a cranky, tired baby. We still used the miracle blanket quite a bit, but now when she poops through her pj's we have a back up and can avoid a swaddle-less crisis.
7. Ergo carrier- Baby "wearing" is all the rage these days (and by "these days" I pretty much mean since the dawn of time...but modern technology certainly has expanded the options.) This is one of those baby topics where everyone has an opinion (turns out that's pretty much all baby topics) and though the choices are pretty much endless, there are a few common players in the market: Ergo, Baby Bjorn, and to a lesser degree, the Moby Wrap. I didn't mean to start such a collection, but I registered for the ergo and the moby (figuring they were pretty different, so why not have both) and ended up getting the Bjorn as a hand-me-down from Rachel. (I know! What would I have done without her? Poor Piper would be playing on the hardwood floors sad and alone.) We use them all with relative frequency, but I have to say the Ergo is my fav. It's a bit more cumbersome than the other two, and tends to make you look like you're ready to climb a mountain, rather than stroll around the block, but Piper will sit (and sleep!) in it without an issue. Plus, I've found it's by far the most comfortable when it comes to weight distribution...I can wear it for hours without feeling any strain in my back (which is definitely not the case with the other carriers). We've carried her at the zoo, a Penguins game, friends' houses, church and book club...and now that the weather is nice, we strap her in for walks almost every evening. We still use the infant insert, to give her a boost and help cushion her head, and she's perfectly content to see the world, or snuggle up for a snooze.
Row 3:
8. Ameda Purely Yours Breastpump- This is not an area in which I did a ton of research...I figured A: I need a pump. B: there are pretty much two major brands out there that seem to get the job done. and C: my friend generously offered me her practically brand new one. Decision made. (Yes- I have a used pump. I checked with my OB, and a lactation consultant and they both said it's totally fine. I replaced all the tubes and flanges etc. and haven't had even a hint of an issue. So please....don't let the crazy people on YahooAnswers freak you out about the whole thing. Actually- more specifically- don't listen to the people on YahooAnswers about anything. Ever. amiright?) I won't shout my pump-love from the rooftops, but I'm pretty sure that's not the pump's fault. It's totally adequate in every way. And I'm thankful for the lifestyle it affords us (I can work, go out for the evening, or even away for a night and still breastfeed my baby). Done deal.
9. Dr. Browns Bottles- OOOOOOOOOHHHHHHH bottles. This is one of those crazy topics that before having babies you could absolutely not care less about (they're all pretty much the same right? You pour the milk in. They suck the milk out. How complicated could this be?), but once you have babies, you spend an insane amount of time and money obsessing over. Every bottle is different, every baby is different, so I can't possibly recommend something to you with any sort of guarantee that it will work. The long and short of our bottle saga (well...just the short- someday I'll bore you with the long) is that in the end, Piper learned to take a bottle, primarily because she had to. Does she show a slight preference for the Dr. Brown's? Maybe. Do they help eliminate air bubbles, gas, and fussiness? Perhaps. Would she learn to drink out of a paper origami cup if she wasn't given another option? Probably. So again- this recommendation actually morphed into more of a pep talk to any of you new or expectant moms. Don't stress about the bottle. Get a few. Keep trying. If you really want them to "get it", they will.
10. Boon bottle drying rack- It's a drying rack that looks like a modern art sculpture of grass. Sells itself. To me, anyway.
11. Nose Frida- Remember that friend that gave me her breastpump? Well, it turns out she's not only generous, she's also wise. She bought me this crazy gadget, and promised it was a must-have. Take a gander at the pic on the box...Can you figure out what it is? Yep. It's a snot sucker. That is powered by your mouth. Ummmmmmmm gross. But after trying the bulb shaped alternatives, and finding they do NOTH-ing to clear Piper's nose, we gave this a shot. And darn it, if it's not the grossest, most effective little sucker (pun intended) you can imagine. I wouldn't go so far as to say Piper likes it...but she does like breathing, so we're fans of this crazy little tool. (Please note there is a filter between your mouth and your baby, so there's no danger of actually inhaling someone else's snot. Once you're a mom that pretty much becomes a non-issue anyway-I've done grosser things at this point- but it's a nice feature nonetheless.)
So that's what keeps our house going at the moment. And again...These are just our loves. Who knows if your baby will feel the same. Actually, I can assure you they won't...but that's the beauty of these wackly little people: they're small, but opinionated. It's been fun experimenting with gear, and discovering what Piper likes. I can't wait to see what she gets into next. (Unless it's Bratz dolls. We still have a few years before I have to fight that battle, right?)

(Ps. It probably goes without saying that I am in no way compensated for my opinion. Although I would very much like to be. My journalistic integrity is cheap ya'll. Call me.)

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Top o' the Mornin' to You

(ok, it's almost afternoon, but I assure you, our little leprechaun had us up at the tippy top of the morning.)

Piper worked hard on some St. Patty's Day crafts this week at daycare. (and my that I mean she tolerated the ladies wiping her hand in paint on two separate occasions!) we are obviously extremely proud of her innate artistic ability....


Happy St. Patrick's Day, from our little thin mint.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Cut the Cord

Sometimes I feel like my life, and as a result, this blog, is on repeat. But not in a bad way...we just seem to deal with the same themes over and over again- Baby pics, recipes, lists....

So today’s rehash is on the topic of TV. Specifically...how I want to get rid of it. Familiar territory, no? For those newbies in the bunch, I have an ongoing love hate relationship with TV. As in- I loooooooove it. And hate how much I love it. So every so often, I wig out and contemplate going Amish to release the tight grip television has on my heart. It started in college, with me waking up one night fah-REAKing out about how I just couldn’t take my couch potato life anymore (but didn’t have the willpower to do much about it), and begged Dustin to move the TV to the basement storage locker. Immediately. I don’t quite recall, but I think he was able to talk me off the technology obsessed ledge, and delay any appliance relocation. At least until morning.

But whether the TV remained in that instance or not, my feelings didn’t change, and I’ve continued to have an on-again-off again soap opera romance with the tube. We started with a week off, advanced to a month without viewing, and eventually gave it up for (almost) an entire summer. Each sabbatical was more successful than the last. And when we resumed watching last September I had optimistic goals on how to reign in TV’s presence in our lives.

But alas, history has repeated itself, and we once again find ourselves crashing out in front of tube more often than we’d probably like to admit. BUT- we have a plan. And rather than force another cold turkey break, only to inevitably succumb to TV’s siren song, we’re taking a different approach.

This time- we’re taking the plunge....and giving up cable.

That might not seem crazy to some, but to a couple of borderline addicts, canceling cable is a pretty big deal. The whole idea came about pretty abruptly, as many of my hair-brained schemes do. I mentioned I was thinking about it, a friend sent me a link with some tips on how to still have access to your shows while drastically reducing your bill, and after a quick browse, I was sold on the idea. I texted Dustin "I'm thinking about getting rid of our cable..." and immediately got a response: "Done". By the next evening, we were officially blacked out. The magic box that had brought us hours (and hours and hours and hours) of entertainment was dark.


Goodbye old friend.

Despite our quick action to cancel the cable, we're still in the exploratory phase of figuring out our media consumption. Watching shows online is an option, but we might decide to "upgrade" to streaming content through our xbox, or even get a subscription to a service like Hulu+ or Netflix. For now though? We're kicking it old school- you know, nothing but internet, iphones, an xbox with kinect...the basics really. But kidding aside, I hope whatever system we come up with not only saves us some money, but encourages us to look beyond technology and take advantage of our time together in better, more purposeful ways. I still have some "must sees" on my list, but I'm hoping that the new set up will force me into being a bit more selective about my viewing, and less likely to stumble into a Millionaire Matchmaker marathon and forget how to get out. And though we'll still have access to many of our shows through the internet, it won't be quite as convenient, which will actually be a good thing. Without a DVR to spoon feed me lazy entertainment, I'll be taken off of autopilot, and be more aware of how I choose to spend my free time. There are tons of activities I love to do that I complain I never have time for (reading, blogging, photography, working out, cooking, etc. etc. and so on....) when the truth is, I've been squandering a lot of my free time without much thought.

Which reminds me, we've got a house full of books, and there's a little girl upstairs who desperately needs to hear a tale about a Hiccupotamus. So if you'll excuse me....

While I'm off exploring my new reality-tv free reality, tell me:
Anyone else jumping off the TV bandwagon? Do you have an internet safety net? Or are you off the grid doing crazy things like playing outside and talking with your family?

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

In the Kitchen with Bowden

As a part of our effort to get a little healthier (and save some money) Dustin and I have been attempting to better plan our meals. Normally we just wing it, throwing together whatever sounds good, cobbling together concoctions out of our leftover fridge contents, or just give up entirely and pick up food. But now that the "we" is "three", we've tried to be a bit more
thoughtful, and plan ahead a bit. Preparing in advance is a bit more work, but it saves us from last minute grocery store runs, giant fast food bills, and night after night of quesadillas, so I'd say so far it's worth it.

I've shared some of our crockpot successes, but that's just the beginning. Last month I made Chai Cookies, for a tea-obsessed friend's birthday, and yesterday Dustin and I whipped up some Tortellini soup. It's been fun trying out some new things, and finally putting all the recipes I've saved or pinned to good use.

Some people have fancy systems for planning meals (there's probably an ap for that...) but we're experimenting with using google calendar. We decided on various "theme nights", and set them up to repeat every few weeks. Each theme lasts two nights because typical recipes yield at least 4 servings. We plan the basics like pasta, sandwiches or grill out night, and of course my new love the slow cooker is incorporated. Then at the beginning of the week we map out specifically what we want for those meals. I've found that already having it narrowed down to a couple categories keeps me from getting overwhelmed with choices, but still forces us to get out of our comfort zone a bit.

But the best part is, as we've been finding our grown-up groove with planning the meals, we've also found a little sous chef to help make our plans come to life.


Yep- Piper is sling-ing for her supper! Because cooking meals, rather than relying on the microwave or the drive thru, actually takes some time, we've turned it into a family affair. She's happy to hang out (literally) in the Bjorn while we expand our culinary horizons. I think she gets a kick out of all the colors, and smells...and I like having her cuddled up to me while I mutter to myself about measurements or ingredients. (and don't worry- we keep her away from anything hot, and make sure she doesn't get an eyeful of lime juice).

She assisted with Cheesy Chicken Meatballs....



But I think her favorite so far was Margarita cake!


Only 20.6 more years 'til she can lick the beaters!



Monday, March 12, 2012

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Happiness- March

I’ve tried desperately not to start this entry with “Can you believe it’s already March?” But really....Can you? Where DOES the time go?! It's flying by! ....And similar such clichés...

But the arrival of March doesn't just signal that Spring is on its way. Around these parts it also means it's once again resolution time.

I’m skipping the recap of February’s goal- “practicing kindness”, not because I didn’t do it...mostly because listing a bunch of ways I was nice this month seems more like a brag-fest than a legitimate report. But yes, I did try extra-special hard to do and say nice things. Maybe (hopefully!) you were on the receiving end of those things. And if not....good news! It’s not over. As with all of my monthly resolutions, my goal is to integrate different focuses (foci?) into my life bit by bit, but then embrace and keep them for the long haul. So for those of you keeping track (and keeping me honest), you should be noticing a slightly nicer, more flow-y, me. (Oh, self-reflection and accountability you have become the multivitamin and fish oil capsules of my emotional life- necessary medicine that is often hard to swallow.)

So with that....on to the next! This month’s goal is to “take care of my body.”

When I was mapping out what my resolutions would be for the year, I purposely skipped the “get fit” focus for January, and decided to save it for March. Tackling an exercise goal in the new year was definitely necessary, but it seemed a bit too obvious for my first choice. Plus, at the time I was two months post baby, and still on maternity leave, so I had both the incentive, and time to make my health a priority. So instead, I saved it for March, when I knew any good faith efforts I had toward diet or exercise would have probably waned. And what do you know? I was right! My efforts have indeed waned. I can give you all the excuses in the book...I don’t have time, I’m exhausted, breastfeeding makes me starving... (that last one is from the new-mom book specifically). But the bottom line is that as I adjust to my new life as a working mom, I’m having trouble prioritizing myself, and having an even harder time prioritizing making the right choices for myself.

I don’t mean any of that to sound like a martyr. Yes, I have less time than before. Yes, my daughter’s needs come first, and tend to dictate a good portion of my schedule. Yes I feel torn between all my responsibilities and tasks, and struggle to fit it all in. But who doesn’t? I don’t have it harder than most, and the major stumbling block between me and a healthier lifestyle isn’t my daughter. Or my job. It’s me. Well, it’s me and my love for grilled cheese sandwiches and TV.

Some stuff I’m getting right. I drink a ton of water, eat lots of healthy snacks during the day, and have been going to bed earlier than I ever have. But for the most part, any areas of success are due to external pressures, rather than victories of my own will power. Nursing is the biggest motivator- it forces me to eat more often, and drink much more water than usual. And getting up at dawn (and midnight, and sometimes somewhere in between as well) pretty much ensures I can't stay up past 10:30 even if I tried. So I've found that if I have a good motivating factor (I.e. a baby that is uninterested in my excuses) I can follow through on all kinds of healthy habits. But those areas where I have freedom? Not so good. No one is forcing me to exercise, so more often than not, I don't. There aren't any hard and fast rules about what I can eat, so dinner (and the subsequent "forth meal" that has been creeping into our evenings) becomes a free for all.

But despite some areas of struggle, we haven't gone completely off the rails, so now seems like an ideal time to get back on track. I don’t have specific goals in mind (pounds lost, calories counted etc.)- but I do have some areas I am aiming to improve. I want to regain some flexibility, build more muscle, prioritize sleep (thus increasing my energy) and make conscious choices about the types (and amount!) of food I’m eating. I have a hip hop class once a week and a running ap on my phone to get me moving, but I need to be more consistent with how often I actually use said running ap, and now that I’m no longer going to yoga, it wouldn’t hurt me to find time for some sort of strength/flexibility training as well. (any advice here?)

As for the sleeping- I just need to come to terms with the fact that I just can’t be the night owl that I used to be. I love staying up late, watching TV or reading, but these days my eyelids start getting heavy soon after dinner, and if I push my bedtime back too far, I end up paying for it big time the next day. It’s tough to rush home from work, get dinner, have some family time and immediately hit the sack without building in some downtime (let alone getting anything done on the homefront), but cramming in activities, and then dragging through the week is a much worse feeling. My DVR will save my shows. My book will still be there on the weekend. The chores can wait. Sleep is a must.

And eating? This has always been the hardest part for me. I’m just not a dieter. And for that matter, I’m not sure I’m even a “healthy lifestyle” type eater. Maybe I could learn to be, but so far it’s just never been important enough to me to make it happen. Breakfast and lunch I have under control. And if I pack enough healthy snacks, I can avoid sneaking four cupcakes from any midday office birthday celebrations. But dinner is the toughie. The great part is having Piper has forced us into a more normal work schedule, allowing us to be home for dinner together every night. And since we eat at the dining room table now, rather than in front of the TV (a huge development in our house!), we’re starting to think more about pulling together real, balanced meals, instead of just wolfing down a quesadilla on our way out somewhere, or stuffing ourselves with fast food while we zone out in front of the tube. We’re working on meal planning (it does not come easy to me)- but that requires forethought, regular grocery store trips, prep time....something we previously couldn’t really be bothered with. But with some practice, I think we could get into a rhythm, and enjoy the (literal) fruits of our labor.

So that’s the Bowdenisms health status for now. We certainly don’t have it all figured out...but we have good intentions, and some reasonable goals. And soon....abs of steel.

Sunday, March 4, 2012

1/3 of a year

Little Miss Piper is 4 months old today...We didn't celebrate much (unless you count a trip to Target for diapers, and a lunch out at Wendy's!) but we kept the photoshoot tradition alive, and snapped some shots of our goofy girl. She was in good spirits, so we didn't capture her famous pout, but she made up for it with smiles instead.

LinkHer little face is irresistible, and she constantly cracks us up with her multitude of expressions (many of which now have a silly noise to accompany them). She's still all baby...but occasionally there are little peeks of the grown up girl she'll someday be. I adore seeing her open, unfiltered reactions to the world and I hope she always has the courage, trust, and honesty to wear her emotions this proudly.

Check out the rest of her faces :
1 month
2 months
3 months