Labor Day at Hell's Gate

Yet another labor day and another campground. This year we went to Hell's Gate State Park in Hell's Canyon just outside of Lewiston, Idaho. It was a really nice campground. Very well maintained and groomed. Nicely shaded but with a lot of open areas. It was also pretty close for us, but unfortunately, it was a fairly long drive for everyone else. 

Setting up the mansion. 

The swimming beach. This is the Snake River.

First thing Emerson did was check out the rock situation. She decided these little tiny rocks will do.

Playing with grandma in their camper.

My cousins' dog, Oakley. Emerson loved him!

The palest family on the beach.

 Swimming with Grandpa

Grandma and Grandpa

And back to her happy place.

Mom as the sunshade.

My cousin's wife, Danielle, turned 30 a day or two before the camping trip, so my aunt and uncle put on a special dinner for her to celebrate. I'm not kidding. It was the best food I've ever had camping. SO GOOD! We have a tradition in our family of wearing the hideous birthday hat... which Danielle professed that she wasn't going to wear. So here's her party night and the hat debacle.

Hanging out

Water with grandpa (are you sensing a theme)

Bites with grandpa

swishing water, her new favorite

Doesn't she just look like a kid here!? Not a baby these days. 

Top of (grand)pop

A panoramic of the view from the Jack O'Connor Museum within the campground

My sweet aunt gave Emerson this cool animal book with flaps and sound. Obviously, it was a hit!

And again.

Pistachios. Also a favorite. Also a favorite of grandpas. 

Top of pop

Grandpa let her sit in his truck and she was pretty taken. 

My cousin's daughter (right), Joie, and her friend (left), C.
C was sweet enough to give Emerson her little pink camping chair.
It was fairly small for her and fit Emerson just right, but best of all,
it was all her own idea. What a sweet heart she has.

We got a rough start on this trip with teething in full swing (fever and all). The first two nights were anything but restful (for us and probably our neighbors) but things settled down after that and we enjoyed our time.

A highlight for me this camping trip was the s'mores. I spent the week before making the ingredients to make a healthy s'more. Yes, You read that correctly. I made marshmallows with grass-fed gelatin (all kinds of health benefits) and raw honey (which after cooking isn't raw... so next time I'll use maple syrup.. either way, it's not corn syrup or some other highly refined sweetener). I also made grain-free and refined sugar-free graham crackers and home made chocolate (which left some room for improvement). You have to be okay with some coconut taste to the graham crackers (which I am) and this little treat is heaven. Bonus, they didn't give me a sugar headache like last years s'mores.

I'm not particularly a marshmallow fan, but they are an essential component of a s'more so..
Everyone that tasted them said (somewhat surprised) that they tasted just like real marshmallows.
Hint: It's because they are! Just honey instead of refined sweetener. Easy to make regardless of sweetener choice,
once you get over the learning curve of a candy thermometer and correct pot size.

So tasty! Not the greatest picture but you know, it was dark and I wanted to keep eating it.

So good it's okay to have a couple for breakfast too (sans chocolate here)
In the future, I'll make the graham crackers a little thinner if I can. They were pretty filling!

 So there you have it. My homemade s'more adventure. Next year when Emerson is interested in these kinds of things, she can have a few herself (I gave her a taste but she wasn't impressed).

It was a fantastic weekend with family and another successful labor day camping trip! 

Bits and Pieces

A blog post not solely devoted to Emerson!? I'm as shocked as you are! Here are a few things from our daily lives that seem worth sharing:

1. Toasted coconut flakes. These little puppies are rocking my world lately! They're reminiscent of popcorn but maybe healthier? Still some calories because of the coconut oil in them (but that's a healthy fat, right). You'd have to try these to believe how addicting and delicious they are. Even Blake liked them and he's not particularly a coconut fan. Toast a couple cups of coconut flakes, add a tsp of your preferred spices and a good quality mineraly salt (e.g.), mix and you're done! Pictured below are cinnamon and garlic-turmeric.

2. Moving. We knew when we decided to move into this house that we would be moving back out of it. I knew when we decided to get pregnant that I would be sad leaving the house that I (literally) birthed my child in. The house where I paced the halls in labor, paced the halls in lulling a baby to sleep and now pace the halls while she enjoys 'walking'. I knew it would be hard and... it is. As I rock her to sleep looking at our room, out the windows, at the decorations I put up while expecting her arrival. I remember swaying in the doorway to the deck, praying and singing 'Lord I Need You' while letting the sun shine on her back when we were worried about her jaundice. Now I look at that door and am reminded of God's provision and faithfulness. Besides the emotions, just practically, I'll miss the space, the open floor plan, the enormous master bedroom, and don't even get me started on how much I'll miss this kitchen. Again, I knew this would happen but that doesn't make it any easier. Also... I HATE MOVING! We're in the beginning stages of packing and purging... ugh. I just dread it.

3. Plastic vendetta. Bottom line: I read too much. I read this awhile back and it sent my plastic vendetta into overdrive. Our food related kitchenware has been pretty polymer free anyway, kind of following an 80/20 rule (80% ideal; 20% less ideal) but we do still use the occasional plastic container for Blake's cold lunch, plastic cutting boards and (guilty confession) we use too many zip top bags. I did recently start using wax paper 'bags' for some things though and I've stopped using plastic wrap for the most part (did you know it says on the box that you should keep it at least one inch from the food - because it can leach junk!?).
It's one small step but I found a beverage solution for our smoothies and for Emerson (most of the kid beverage containers are plastic, even stainless steal have plastic tops). We have a ton of mason jars for canning and they make different tops for them, but until recently I could only find plastic. Well, I finally found some that are stainless steal and also got some stainless steal straws. Loving them! I've used a few different sized jars but I'm always needing to drink more water so I finally just committed to the quart jar. For Emerson, I went for a silicone straw because I worried about the stainless steal jabbing her gums or palate. Silicone is still a polymer but is considered one of the safest plastics... I'm still not going to bake in it but until she's ready for stainless steal, it works.. and bonus, she loves it. She doesn't need to drink water yet but we've been practicing anyway. It's pretty cute.

Emerson's little pint jar cup. It's pretty
water tight and I'm planning on getting a silicone
sleeve for it. 

4. Hair loss. My postpartum hair loss started a little over a month ago, so now I have all those little hairs growing back in and it's as fun as it sounds or as you remember. The funny thing is it took me awhile to figure it out. I noticed I was losing a bit of hair but (guilty admission) I don't get it washed as often as I used to so I just thought it was from that. I also couldn't really figure out why my hair was a little funky but then I finally noticed all the little hairs at my hairline and put it all together.

5. Salve. I love this salve to the moon and back. I used to use another salve that was very similar but it was a little more expensive and shipping was more, so at the suggestion of a friend I tried the Eden salve. It's a little herbal smelling (like rosemary mostly) and it's green but man does this stuff work! We put it on anything and everything. Burns, scrapes, cuts, dry skin, diaper rash, bug bites.. everything. Comfrey is known for it's healing properties and aides in cell proliferation/regeneration. I recently had something removed from my skin and my doctor couldn't believe how fast I healed... it was the salve! Anyway.. it's awesome! In general comfrey salves are all pretty similar, so if you ever see one you should pick it up and give it a try. I do love this one because the company that makes it is Christian owned and it is organic, but that's mostly personal preference. I promise if you try it you'll never buy another tube of antibiotic cream again!

6. Hair love. Last time I was ordering more of the aforementioned salve, I decided to also try out this product. It's a herbal hair treatment that restores shine and health to your hair and enhances your natural highlights. I was a little skeptical but I was also feeling a little blah about my hair (likely from #4) and wanted to do something to liven it up, but I didn't want the upkeep or toxic load of chemical highlights. I'm happy to report that it worked! I left it on my head for about 2 hours and happily washed it out to find noticeably brighter blond streaks. I added peppermint essential oil to the mix so I didn't smell like herbs for a day (you rinse it out but don't shampoo until the next day). My hair feels and looks great! One order is a half a pound, but I only used 1/4 cup, so it should last me a long time!

7. Liver. At one point I said to Blake, "Well I might drink raw milk and add raw egg yolks to my smoothies but it's not like I'm going to start eating liver or anything!" And then one day I started eating liver. It's so good for you!! We follow the nutritional guidelines of the Westin A. Price Foundation and the book Nourishing Traditions (or we try to anyway.. again, 80/20). I started this journey because I'd been lactose intolerant for some time and my mom had been into WAPF for a while, and suggested I look into raw milk. I was reading the WAPF recommendations for pregnant and nursing mothers just before I said the above quote to Blake. I admit I don't get enough raw milk, liver or pasture raised egg yolks but it's a goal anyway. We're also following their guidelines for introducing food to Emerson, which primarily suggests not to give grains or legumes before at least age one, or preferably when molars erupt (indicating their digestive enzymes are ready to digest such carbs.). My neighbors butchered their (grass-fed) cows and I was thrilled when I found out they had a liver for me! I never thought I'd see the day when liver made me so excited (it was mostly the free part of the scenario that was so exciting). The thing was huge and we spent the better part of a day cutting it up and processing it. I pureed a bunch and strained it, then froze it in an ice cube tray so I can add it to soups, chili etc (I even added it to these chicken nuggets successfully! Blake had no idea!). Clearly, I don't eat it straight, I'm not saying that one day we wont (I've learned that lesson) but for now.. neither of us actually like liver.. we just hide it in our food for its nutritional benefits. I also swallow small pieces of frozen liver (aka liver pills) which don't have any taste unless you let them thaw. It's seriously a super food!

Processing liver.. seriously, that thing was HUGE! (I know, I know, plastic!)

8. Vanilla. So as not to end with liver.. I'll share this little project with you. Last fall I bought a bunch of bulk vanilla beans for a steal of a price (it was a group co-op order). I also bought some (very) cheap vodka at Costco. Put them together and wait 2-6 months and viola! Pure vanilla extract. It's darn tasty and was dirt cheap! It was usable at 2 months, but it's delicious now.

Bonus bit: I've reached the point that I miss blogging so much that I'm willing to make a few compromises to try to get a post out now and then (as well as the few other things I try to accomplish on my computer). So sometimes that means sitting at my desk with Emerson on my lap. Now I don't know if you've been offended by seen my choice to 'ban' screen time until Emerson is two but it's a pretty important decision for me. I really don't want her staring at my computer while I work/write, which has stopped me from getting much of anything done lately. However, recently I was doing something legitimately important and she was being particularly clingy so I just sat her on my lap and typed.. darn the consequences. I opened up the desk drawer and let her dig around. Turns out she could care less about the screen (unless there's a picture of her on it!) because throwing the pens etc out of the drawer is apparently AWESOME!. It's probably the most entertained I've seen her in a long time (I have a lot of pens). Today she discovered that the drawer goes in and out.. mind. blown. (I keep something sticking out so it doesn't get her fingers). Who knew something so simple could be so entertaining!

The Nursery

Clever title, don't you think? I'm out of creativity apparently ;). While I'm still working on the footstool for this little space, I thought I'd post some pictures of the rest of the finished 'nursery'. It is really just the other half of our master bedroom but I'm loving this little baby dedicated sanctuary/corner of our room.

We only use the right door, so the bassinet is in front of the other one and that's probably where the crib will go when we're ready for it, if for some reason we don't end up doing the side-car thing. The bassinet is a family heirloom of sorts.. it is what my mom used for us and my aunt used for my cousins and my cousins used for their kid. We also have a co-sleeper that goes next to our bed, which will be awesome for nigh time breastfeeding, but it's fun to have the bassinet as well.

We don't have the changing pad yet, but eventually it will go on top of the dresser in the corner and those baskets will be filled with prepped cloth diapers. I think we'll add some shelves too, so the animal assortment has a place to live.

This was a fun project, although I probably should have started/finished it before I was 8 months pregnant. I can't say that climbing up and down from the stool repeatedly was the best idea, but it's done now anyway. I won't say how many times I had to move things around, but I will say I was able to use some of the pre-existing holes in the wall!

This canvas print was more work than I anticipated, but I am happy with how it turned out. Cutting out the stencil for the words was the most tedious part! It's hard to tell here, but the white letters are wooden and raised. I looked at lots of subway art to buy for this space, but none of them really said what I wanted to say to our daughter like this verse does.

A little action shot.

This print is special to us because we bought it in Israel while we were there and about 7 weeks along. We loved idea behind it and when we saw the Noah's Ark print we thought it would be great in a nursery eventually. It is the Bible story of Noah's Ark from Genesis written out in Hebrew!

 Isn't it crazy! I can't imagine reading it, even if I could read Hebrew.

The Glider. There is a nice long story about this glider, which you can read about here. Long story short, I couldn't find what I wanted for the price I wanted so we created our own thanks to the help of my brother. I'm still working on the footstool, which will help hide the black ring you can see here. It is a great fit and comfy. If you put the pillow up higher it easily supports your head and some dozing could happen.

Now all we need is a little sweet baby girl to start using all this stuff! (okay, we need a few more little things too.. but at least we have the essentials!)

The Glider

And now for the story of The Glider.

I have a somewhat obsessive nature when it comes to planning. I really wanted the following in a nursery chair: upholstered, swivels, glides, reclines and has a slipcover. You can buy something that comes with any four of the five qualities, but not all five.. and the slipcover part was the most expensive, but also seemed important to me. I have commitment issues when it comes to upholstery and had a hard time spending so much money on something that I had to commit to a patterned fabric on that couldn't be washed.

Pottery Barn came the closest with upholstered, slip-covered, swivel rockers, but they also came with a hefty price tag that was more than we've spent on any of our other furniture combined. That didn't make sense for such a specific item. The next best option was an upholstered, reclining swivel glider from Target that was within the acceptable cost parameters, but I didn't absolutely love the pattern on the fabric for long term (it was a little trendy, and I like to stick to classic looks for items like this) and I couldn't decide between brown and gray (brown would go in our living room, which I imagine is where the chair would eventually end up; but gray would go in our bedroom, which is where the chair would start out).

SO. The solution? Make our own. This is the Jennylund chair from IKEA which is affordable and has a slipcover. However, it didn't recline or swivel or glide... I did some Googling and found that several people had successfully turned this exact chair into a swivel rocker, so I recruited my brother to see if he thought he could make it work with these swivel glider parts (we used the heavy duty one, my brother said it looked more durable and like I said, he likes to go big or go home).

My brother gave the go-ahead and I ordered the parts and picked up the chair. Now, my bother is famous for over-engineering things, but he also puts out a quality, sturdy product whenever he attempts something and the glider was no different. I wasn't there when he worked his magic so I don't have pictures of the play-by-play but I took some pictures of the bottom for anyone interested in attempting this too.