Mid-week Musings

I hope you are having a great week!

I decided to start a new weekly series posting a roundup of odds and ends – things I am craving, reflections on parenting, books or articles I just finished, etc. The plan was to call it Monday Musings, but I did quite not get my act together to post it on Monday. So here we go…Mid-week Musings.

We had an activity-filled weekend, with my adorable nephew’s first birthday party and a friend’s wedding. It was one of those great weddings after which you wake up sore from all the dancing. We stayed out until 1 am (!!!!), which I haven’t done in forever. My body is still recovering and it’s Wednesday. Yeah – I feel old. Rose also had her first sleepover with her cousin that night and had a blast. Needless to say, we are all dragging a bit. I’ve been easing into the week with motivating music and a rather large cup (or two) of matcha.

Craving: This beautiful protein porridge from The First Mess. I love the idea of using white lentils to naturally up the protein content.

Reading: The Nix by Nathan Hill – I loved this beautifully-written, epic American novel. Epic, because it spans multiple generations and storylines. It’s hard to summarize such a novel, but it boils down to a coming-of-age tale of a mother and a son, each navigating turbulent times in American history – 1968 and 2011, respectively. It is equal parts funny and moving, and there are passages that make you stop and read over and over for the sheer vividness of the writing. I also read it on my Kindle and had no idea it was over 600 pages – a sure sign of a good book!

Listening: Gold Angel Savoir Adore Remix – by Minke

Parenting: Over the last few months, we have started the process of potty training Rose. At 18 months, she is still pretty young, so we are taking a laid-back, gradual approach and following her cues. I hope this approach doesn’t come back to bite us, but it feels right, for now. I welcome any tips! I’m also reading Elevating Child Care: A Guide to Respectful Parenting, by Janet Lansbury. This book is really helping me feel confident and more chill about the challenging stage we have entered –  of tantrums and testing every boundary.

Coveting: This scent. I haven’t worn perfume in years, because most give me headaches and are filled with toxins. However, I recently tried this delicious, earthy scent, and had no headaches. It is made using natural and organic ingredients, without parabens, phthalates and other nasties. For Rose, I am eyeing the release of Childhoods Clothing’s fall collection tomorrow. I love their cozy, simple basics. They are very high quality and are made in America.

Inspiring: I am so inspired by this family who sold their possessions, gave up their lease and set out for a trip around the world with their toddler in tow. A trip of that scale is not in the cards for us, but it is a good reminder that toddlers are resilient and adaptable to their surroundings. I’m trying to work on letting go of our schedule more and being open to new experiences with Rose in our day-to-day lives.

Tipping: My tip for this week is for storing bread – specifically bakery bread made without preservatives and other questionable fillers. I always opt for the large (read: giant) loaf of whole wheat sourdough from our local bakery, but used to struggle with it going stale so quickly. My new trick is to wrap the unused portion of the loaf in a piece of Bee’s Wrap and place it under this cake dome I have on my counter (it doesn’t fit anywhere else). It keeps the bread so fresh for days!

Doing: We took Rose hiking in the Palisades Interstate Park two weekends ago and had the best time. It’s only a half hour outside NYC, but we really felt like we escaped to nature (no hot garbage smell – yay!). We hope to plan another hike this weekend if the weather cooperates. Although, this time I think we need a step up from our Ergo carrier to carry Rose. Any recommendations for a toddler hiking carrier?

Have a wonderful day!

xx Maggie