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In the summer of 2012 when we traveled to Sweden to visit my brother, we spent a day in Stockholm and spent the majority of that day at the beautiful park called Rosendals Trädgård. It’s one of the things about Sweden (many) that I continue to dream about. It’s truly an extraordinary place. When we were there we wandered into their shop where you could buy cookbooks, freshly baked bread, kitchen gadgets, utensils, etc. This children’s book, Majas Lilla Gröna by Lena Anderson, caught my eye because of the beautiful cover art. I asked one of the shop owners if they had any copies in English, which they did not. I took a snap of the book cover on my phone, thinking I’d be able to find it online when we got home. But, despite searching everywhere I couldn’t find it! Since gardening, and eating, are such a big part of our days, I try to find things for the kids that portray growing, preparing, and consuming food in really positive, magical ways.

Last week a little care package arrived from our friends in Stockholm. Their was a nice card, and a few Swedish children’s books, including this one! I have no idea what the words say but it’s just beautiful, and it’s easy enough to make up a story to go along with the lovely illustrations. Flipping through this book makes me so, so excited to get our garden planted. The tone of the book is so magical, peaceful, and creative, which is exactly how I want our backyard, and my children’s memories of their childhood to be… and I can’t help but hope I look a bit like this lady when I grow older.

Swedish ChildrenPINSwedish ChildrenPINSwedish ChildrenPINSwedish ChildrenPINSwedish ChildrenPIN

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SO I BAKE…

Bourbon Chocolate Banana Pound Cake RecipePIN

SO I BAKE…

Ten minutes ago I was half asleep on our bed, lying in the sunshine with the cat… but I didn’t give into the nap, although I probably should have. I have been working tirelessly on my new website… except I don’t think it counts as working tirelessly if you are really tired? I’m not sure how that works. I’m nearly done with website #1 and it’s heartening to know that in just under a month I rebuilt a rather complicated website on my own. I guess I have learned a thing or two these past four years of blogging. So, no nap for me today. Instead I made myself a hazelnut latte with our newly fixed La Pavoni espresso machine. It feels a bit sacrilegious to be pouring a glug of hazelnut syrup into a latte made from freshly roasted beans and whipped up with an $800 espresso machine. In fact, I hate hazelnut flavoring, chocolate hazelnut, hazelnuts in general. But, like my Hot Tamale addiction, my affinity for hazelnut lattes started during my pregnancy with Lulu. Here I am ten months after she was born and I am still drinking them.

Now I am sitting outside looking fabulous, I’m sure, in my old jeans, Kyle’s sweatshirt, and slippers, sipping my latte and pretending to work on my website while my tall, handsome husband attempts to rig together something to keep the moles from burrowing into our irrigation box. I’m going to take this charade one step further and lie to myself that when I finish writing this I’m going to pull on my Carhartts (I don’t own any) and get to work with him. If I were being honest, I’d admit to myself that once this latte is drained I’m going to lean back in this patio chair and be very still, and very quiet until one, or both, of my children wake up from their nap.

This afternoon hour of rest has been well earned this week. Sometimes life is overwhelming, so I bake. There is something about the measuring and sifting, the whir of the stand mixer, the sharp scent of pure vanilla, and the smell of something baking that helps to put things right. I’m certainly not the first person to have discovered the bolstering power of baking, and I dare say I won’t be the last.

Pound cake is my favorite thing to bake in the afternoon, with banana bread holding the morning spot, probably permanently, as my favorite thing to bake before noon. So, what do you bake at 11:00 in the morning? I dreamed up this pound cake a few months ago and have been tweaking it to perfection. I really don’t think of myself as a baker; I’m more of a cook. I like to toss in a pinch of this, a little of that… the precise nature of baking doesn’t always appeal to me. But this cake was worth the effort of trial and error.

I started off using the basic pound cake recipe in the Cook’s Illustrated New Best Recipes cookbook, then came the banana, the chocolate… the booze. The result is something that is at it’s core, a pound cake. It’s heavy in the way that pound cakes are, with a dense, spongy base. It’s vanilla-y, with a hint of banana and sharp layers of bourbon-laced chocolate swirled throughout. It’s not too sweet, not too banana-y, not to chocolaty… it’s not too anything. It’s pretty much just right. In my book, anyway.

One last note on the banana aspect of this cake, I am of the camp that believes that an overripe banana that has been frozen in it’s peel, then defrosted is the best kind of banana for baking. But if all you have is a ripe banana on your countertop that will work just fine too.

Bourbon Chocolate Banana Pound Cake RecipePIN

BOURBON CHOCOLATE BANANA POUND CAKE

Ingredients.
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 whole eggs and 3 egg yolks, at room temperature
1/2 cup mashed banana = 1 very large (or two smaller) overripe banana
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons bourbon or whiskey (plus more for the chocolate sauce)
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
2 cups cake flour, sifted

For the chocolate sauce:
2/3 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons corn syrup
2 tablespoons bourbon or whisky

Directions.
With water in a small double boiler (or pot of water and metal mixing bowl)* simmering, mix together the chocolate chips, 1/4 cup heavy cream, and corn syrup until melted and combine. Turn the heat off (alcohol is flammable) before mixing in the bourbon! Set aside.

Preheat your oven to 325˚F. Grease and line a loaf pan with parchment paper.

In your stand mixer, beat your butter for a couple minutes, until it’s shiny and smooth. Then add in the sugar and whip on high until it resembles frosting, about five minutes.

While the butter and sugar cream, whisk together your eggs, egg yolks, vanilla, and bourbon. Reduce the mixer to medium low speed and slowly drizzle the egg mixture in, stopping once to scrape down the sides. Once the egg mixture is incorporated, add the banana. Finally add the salt, and a half cup at a time, add it the flour. Remove the bowl from the mixer and, using a spatula, gently fold the batter together to make sure everything is incorporated. Now you can assemble your cake.

First scoop in a layer of batter, followed by a layer of chocolate, then another layer of batter, a layer of chocolate, a layer of batter, another of chocolate, and, finally, the rest of the batter. It’s okay if you have chocolate left over, I usually do and it’s perfect on ice cream. Then, using a spoon, make three lines (the long way) down the top of the cake: one on the left, one center, and one on the right. Then take a sharp knife or skewer and, starting in on corner, work your way down the pan, swirling the chocolate into the batter.

Pop the cake into the oven, on the center rack, for 1 1/4 – 1 1/2 hours, until a skewer comes out mostly clean. Remove from the oven and let the cake cook, in the pan, for about ten minutes before removing it. Let it rest another ten minutes before serving it. It great warm, at room temperature, and my favorite thing about pound cake is that it is a totally acceptable breakfast item.

PRINTABLE RECIPE.
BOURBON CHOCOLATE BANANA POUND CAKE

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SOMEWHAT PATIENTLY…

Can somebody please explain to me how we are halfway through March already? This month has cruised by in what seems like a whirlwind of cuddles, laundry, sunshine!!!, cleaning, etc. I suppose I’m making up for our rough February. What a difference a few healthy weeks make. In fact, so far March is definitely proving itself to be a significant improvement in every way.

…
I’ve been taking a WordPress class at the college in the evenings with my Dad and beginning the rather tedious process of rebuilding all three of my websites. I’m starting with the most complicated one in the hope that the other two will be a breeze by comparison. This is resulting in a little less time spent doing actual “blogging” at the moment because I’m so sick of looking at my computer at the end of the day! But it will be wonderful in the end to have them all in one place, and to have complete creative and functional understanding of them.

I had an audition Monday which gave me a little acting fix just in time… every once in a while I get a sort of melancholy wave of missing it, of craving it, and often an audition pops up just in time to give me a little fix. It’s not the same thing as working on a little indie film, or shooting a commercial but it feels good to keep my toes wet. I know it’s time for a fix when I start to reminisce about our time in L.A. I start to think about the way it feels to drive on the ridged streets, the feeling of California grass under bare feet in the early morning, the buzz and excitement of walking onto a studio lot. I have half a mind to pop the girls in the car and head south… don’t ask me how I’d manage to pull of even a single audition with the two munchkins in tow! If we didn’t have a Mexican vacation on the horizon I just might be loading the car right now.

The weather has turned so lovely I’ve been practically singing my way through each day. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, the giant pile that’s been growing in the garage all winter long is in the car and headed to the donation center. I can’t stop getting rid of things! It feels like we are shedding one life, and lifetime of stuff, and moving into another. I can’t fully wrap my head around it but I’m just going with my instinct and letting things go.

I’m so pleased to get to tell you that Lila’s family is going to be spending two months in New York at Sloan-Kettering hospital. She’s going to receive a special treatment for her specific type of cancer that boosts her chances from a heartbreaking 10-20% up to a wonderful 75%. You can read more and support her family on their website. https://www.giveforward.com/fundraiser/mw14/lila-may-schow-s-cancer-fund?utm_source=giveforward&utm_medium=share&utm_campaign=dashboard&shareid=1930191

Kyle’s folks, and his Nana, are coming down to visit for the weekend and I’m so excited. his parents haven’t been down since the fall, and his Nana hasn’t been down since our wedding. We will most certainly spend lots of time outside, and of course, I’ll be doing a little cooking. I’m thinking a nice breakfast on Sunday will be just the thing before they head home. I’m thinking crepes… or to be more specific Ricotta Stuffed Crepes with Lemon Zest. 

I make these on semi-special occasions and I think Kyle’s Nana visiting is a very special occasion. These stuffed crepes have are just sweet enough without being overpowering. The lemon zest mingles with maple syrup and powered sugar and has a perfectly spring-like flavor that seems like it turns up the volume on the birds chirping outside. They’re pretty easy to make once you get the hang of crepe making, which always takes a couple tries. Once the crepe batter is chilling, you can whip up the filling, then it’s just a matter of assembling and waiting somewhat patiently.

These crepes go perfectly with a black cup of coffee… although a mimosa or bellini would be pretty wonderful as well.

RICOTTA STUFFED CREPES WITH LEMON ZESTPIN

RICOTTO STUFFED CRÊPES 
with Lemon Zest
(adapted from Tyler’s Ultimate)

Crepe Ingredients.
1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 3/4 cup milk
2 eggs
10 tbsp. melted butter (plus more for the pan)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Filling Ingredients.
15 oz. ricotta
zest of 1 lemon (plus more for serving)
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup powdered sugar (plus more for serving)
1 egg

pure maple syrup, heated (for serving)

Directions.
Combine the flour, salt, milk eggs and vanilla in a blender and blend until smooth. Add in the melted butter and blend again to combine. Pour through a mesh strainer to remove lumps. Refrigerate for one hour.

Meanwhile, combine the filling ingredients and set aside.

After the crepe batter has rested heat a skillet over medium heat. Brush a bit of melted butter into the heated pan. Pour about 1/4 cup of the batter into the pan and swirl the pan immediately to spread the batter into a thin layer. Cook for about 30 seconds, gently flip it and cook for 30 seconds before removing it from the pan. Repeat with the remaining batter. Keep the finished crepes covered with a thin towel.

Preheat the oven to 375° F. Place a large cookie sheet in the oven to preheat.

Working with one crepe at a time, spoon 1/3 cup of the filling into the center of the crepe. Fold the top and bottom of the crepe to cover the filling, followed by the right and left side. Repeat with the rest of the crepes and filling.

Once the crepes are stuffed, carefully remove the hot cookie sheet from the oven, brush with butter and gently place the crepes on the hot cookie sheet, folded side down, leaving a little space between them. Pop into the oven for 15-20 minutes, until they are heated through.

Remove from the oven and serve immediately with a little sprinkle of lemon zest, powdered sugar and plenty of warm maple syrup!

PRINTABLE RECIPE.
RICOTTO STUFFED CRÊPES

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sick dayPIN

I had fun things planned for last week; lots of cooking, playing, organizing. I was ready to get ready for Spring. But instead we spent the week engulfed by the plague (commonly referred to as the stomach flu). Gigi was the first to fall, then me and Lulu, and finally Kyle. One by one it took us down. I’d made some broth from scratch and chicken soup the day after G got sick so there was that.

I was thinking back on this month that’s already nearly over, and I feel like all I cooked was broth, Chicken Soup, Chicken and Barley Soup, Lentil Soup… and I bought the “Family-Size” box of Saltine Crackers, and a fair amount of Ginger Ale. I guess the silver lining, if there is one, is that I have been reading about different broth (or stock, or bouillon) making methods and I sure got an opportunity to put some techniques to the test. I even got caught up on a little bit of Vogue reading and in the November issue there was an article on making the perfect broth! In spite of that, I have no recipes of any kind for you today. I have only hopes that you all had a much healthier last week than we did. Here’s hoping that the remainder of this February is kind to us because the first 3/4’s have certainly brought us down a notch or two.

Since this post has been a bit on the “downer” side, here is a couple of photos I took of Gigi at her new favorite place she calls “the Lost Boys fort”. She certainly has a smile that can light up any grey day, both the figurative and literal ones.

outdoor swingPINoutdoor swingPIN

And just in case those photos didn’t do the trick this video of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers singing Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off, and dancing to it on roller skates, should help.

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baby toddler essential listPIN

I get asked all the time by girlfriends what are the baby/toddler essentials they need to get through the first two years with a new addition. I put together a comprehensive list of the basic baby things you need to get started for putting together a registry or shopping for your baby. I made this list when G was about six months old, and have updated and made changes to it now that Lulu is (almost) 9 months. I hope this list and my opinions on these items help you get prepared for welcoming a baby into your homes!

Bathing and Toiletries…

Tub: We mostly just do sink baths or I dunk Lulu in with G for a quick rinse.

Towels: We use the Aden+Anais towels and washcloths for post-bath drying. They’re thick and well made and last forever!

Baby Wash & Lotion: We use California Baby shampoo and body wash and other products. We also love Dr. Bronner’s, we use their almond, lavender, and unscented soaps. A great site for looking at toxin levels in beauty/bath/sunscreen products is the Environmental Working Group. Burts Bees and Hello Bello also makes some great baby products.

Sunscreen: I prefer to use Badger Baby Sunscreen. It’s expensive but it doesn’t have all the bad stuff in it. (Pediatricians only recommend sunscreen after 6 months). Again, the Environmental Working Group is a great site for finding the best/safest sunscreen for your family

Tiny Colds: When Lulu gets sick we rely on the brilliant NoseFrida. It is totally disgusting but it works to clear congestion in a way those little bulb snot-suckers don’t. Kyle (and lots of other Dads I know) won’t go anywhere near it but mom’s everywhere love it. We have one in our travel bag too. It’s a lifesaver.

Tiny Fevers: We invested in the Braun Thermometer and love it. It’s fast and easy and accurate and it’s great for sneaking in for middle of the night fever reading.

Potty Training: We recently discovered and love this NextStep Toilet Seat. It fits discretely onto your toilet and the kid seat magnetically connects to the larger lid so it’s easy for everyone to use without having a bulky or awkward separate seat. We will keep our Baby Bjorn Toilet Trainer Seat in the car for long road trips and visiting friend’s houses.

Diapering Needs…

Newborns: Disposable diapers are must in the early days! They fit tiny babes and have a yellow line that turns green when they are wet so you know when you need to change them.

Cloth Diapers: We tried a few but stuck with the BumGenius 4.0 Diapers. We love them. I did a big post here on cloth diapering.

Disposable Diapers: I always have current size, fragrance free disposable diapers on hand. We gave up trying to use the cloth diapers at night or while not at home.

Wipes: We use the Kirkland Premium Baby Wipes (the Costco Brand) and love them. They’re soft, inexpensive and unscented. The main issue for us is keeping as much unscented as possible. We never used a baby wipe warmer.

Diaper Cream: We use Bourdreaux’s Butt Paste  or Hello Bello cream for diaper rash. Be sure to use it with disposable diapers only. It will create a water barrier on your cloth diapers and make them less absorbent. I never use baby powder but do sometimes use a bit of plain corn starch for major rashes.

Changing Table: We didn’t have a changing table! I found over the ten years that I nannied diaper aged babes I very rarely used one. Most of the time kids were changed on a mat or blanket on the floor. You never have to worry about the baby falling… although changing on the floor does allow for a faster escape once they’re mobile! We just put down a swaddle or little mat and changed them on that!

Sleeping…

Swaddles: We love the Aden+Anais brand for swaddles. They are easy to use and hold tight. Plus, these beautiful swaddles can be used for just about anything and everything. They’re on the top of my baby essentials list.

Chair: Baby Bjorn Chair By far one of my favorite baby items is the . It was one of the things we used the most. We also had extra covers for it.

Blankies: Gigi fell in love with the Aden+Anais Issie Security Blankets. She sleeps with them every nap and every night… we have 12! We’ve gotten a few of the Aden + Anais Dream Blankets for all the kids.

Co-Sleeper: We always used a travel crib/cot. Most recently, with Roux we used the Nuna Sena and LOVED it.

Crib: The crib we used for all kids was a IKEA Gulliver crib. We got it in white but they have it in natural wood too. It’s inexpensive and simple. It transitions into a toddler bed as well so it works for a really long time.

Crib Mattress, etc: We got this Sealy Foam-Core mattress because it’s lightweight which makes it easy to change the bedding. We couldn’t afford the nice organic mattresses but this one has great reviews and we’ve loved it. We have this Organic Waterproof mattress pad cover and love it. It’s soft and cozy and easy to wash and dry. I originally bought cheap sheets from Target and we’re still using them but I don’t like them. I will be replacing them with these inexpensive Carter’s Jersey Cotton soft sheets.

Noise Machine: I can’t say enough about the Sleep Sheep. We loved it. It bought us lots of sleep! It works in two settings 23 minutes and 45 minutes. It takes babes 20 minutes to fall truly asleep so the 23 min setting was great for soothing her into sleep, it’s designed to shut off just after they’ve fallen asleep so it doesn’t disturb them or shock them out of slumber by shutting off too early or too late. Babies sleep in 45 minute cycles so the 45 minute setting worked great for buying us extra sleep cycles early in the morning. We listened to a lot of waves and rain those first six months (not so much the heartbeat or the whales)! We never really used the sheep itself but took the sound box out of the back and took it everywhere we went! This time I will be purchasing the On the Go Sleep Sheep which is smaller and straps onto the car seat or stroller.

Baby Monitor: We never really used one.

Movement Monitor: We did not have a movement monitor when G was a newborn but we got one this time because I had pretty severe postpartum anxiety last time. I was pretty nervous and anxious and checked on Gigi about 5,000 times a night/a nap in those first months (I wish I was exaggerating). The Snuza Hero Baby Movement Monitor snaps onto the diaper and is designed to vibrate if the baby hasn’t moved (a.k.a taken a breath) in 15 seconds, a audible alarm sounds after 20 seconds. It’s $120 but I loved it. It gave me such peace of mind and I was able to relax and get more sleep. We used it until Lulu was rolling around (up until she turned 6 months). I am so glad we got it this time.

On the Go…

Infant Car Seat: Diono, Britax, Nuna are our favorites.

Car Seat: Once your baby reaches the height/weight limit you’ll need a bigger car seat. We love the Diono car seats beacause they last forever. Our kids used them to rear face, then forward face. Our five year old son is still in his!

*If buying or registering online through Amazon I highly recommend choosing a car seat that’s “shipped and sold” by Amazon. Our infant car seat was sold from a smaller company via Amazon and when we had an issue with it, it was impossible to deal with! Had it been purchased directly from Amazon they would have been able to replace it/work with us directly. All three car seats i linked to above are shipped and sold by Amazon.

Stroller: We have and love two Nuna strollers, the Nuna Ivvi Savi which is a fancy “luxury” stroller, and the Nuna Pepp Luxx which is an umbrella-type stroller. Now we have the Ergo Baby Metro Stroller because our Nuna Pepp was stolen in England.

Baby Carriers: We have the Ergo Baby Carrier and love it. It’s comfortable and can be used for a long time. The only other baby carrier we have is our Solly Baby wraps. They are lightweight, beautifully made by wonderful mama named Elle, and I can’t say enough about these wraps and the Ergo. They’re must haves! We use the Ergo for more active outings and the Solly for lighter use.

Diaper Bag: I mostly use my great Tano purse that has lots of pockets as a diaper bag but for bigger outings and when Gigi was really tiny we also used the Skip Hop Duo Diaper Bag. It was inexpensive and it wasn’t ugly. That’s saying something when it comes to diaper bags! The Skip Hop bag is still in use ELEVEN years later!

Emergency Kit: After 10 years as a nanny and 7 as a mom, I’m a big believer in the “emergency kit”. It’s amazing how many times I’ve been saved by having a bin in the car with extra diapers/wipes, a change of clothes, a few squeezy packs of food, a small container of formula, an extra bottle, a blankie, pajamas, a binki, a board book…  The trick is to remember to replenish it when you deplete it.

Nursing/Breastfeeding and Eating…

Breast Pads: Lansinoh Nursing Pads are the way to go, they are the best disposable breast pads. There are also great washable pads that I’ve used and loved. I know some moms who have used used and loved the reusable silicone Lily Padz.

Lanolin: I loved the the Earth Mama Angel Baby Natural Nipple Butter and I loved it so much. I also had a few of these Lansinoh Soothies. If you put them in the fridge for a few minutes before putting them on sore or cracked nipples it will help you get through the first few weeks of breastfeeding! Another thing that works great is taking cold green cabbage leaves, rolling over them with a rolling pin and then tucking the cold leaves into your bra… green cabbage has antibiotic and anti-irritant qualities and reduces swelling and engorgement. Also, you look really glamorous with cabbage in your bra.

Breastfeeding Pillows: I loved my Boppy Breastfeeding Pillow. In the early weeks I propped it up with an extra pillow to get Gigi up to the right height. I know some moms prefer the My Brest Friend Pillow but it looks a little cumbersome to me. The third and fourth time around I didn’t use any pillows, but it was great in the beginning with G and L.

Cover: Sometimes I used an Aden and Anais Swaddle, but mostly people just saw my boobs.

Pump: The Madela Breast Pump In Style is the best breast pump around. I didn’t use one after baby 3 or 4 cause none of my babies like bottles until way later (like after six months).

Bottles: I’m a fan of the Born Free Bottles. We have both the glass and the BPA Free plastic ones in both the 5 and 9oz sizes . They are easy to use and Gigi never seemed to have any issues with air bubbles from bottles. They are wide-necked so the nipple is wider which Gigi also preferred.

Highchair: In place of a highchair for Gigi we opted for the more discrete Stokke Handysitt which also allowed Gigi to sit at the table with us rather than separately. It’s made by the same company that makes the Handysitt. This time with Roux we got the Nuna Zazz and GREAT. We now have the amazing Stokke Tripp Trapp highchair 

Baby Food: You can read my big baby food post here. I bought about 50% of Gigi’s baby food and made about 50% of it. I made it in large batches using our Cuisinart which worked perfectly. However, Gigi was a slightly picky little eater and flat out rejected many of the combos I made which left me feeling exhausted and frustrated with a lot of wasted food/time. I love the idea of using a small system like the Beaba Babycook Baby Food Maker because you can make smaller batches, defrost frozen food and you only have one small thing to clean instead of several large things but I have opted to use a 4 Cup Cuisanart Food Processor instead. After reading French Kids Eat Everything I’m determined to introduce Baby #2 to a variety of foods early on and this will make that easy and doable without all the waste and all the dishes. Lulu has been loving her purées and I’ve made them all at home. I use a small pot with a lid and a simple basket steamer and then I use a Hamilton blender to purée the food really fine, as she grows we are using the Cuisanart Food Processor more (it leaves a bit more texture than a blender). I use these OXO Tot storage containers, this set has both 2oz and 4oz containers. We love both these Baby Bjorn “pelican” Bibs, and these Aden+Anais Bibs.

Miscellaneous Things I LOVE…

Sophie the Giraffe Teether toy. All kids have LOVED it. It’s cute. It’s French. It worked on her little gums.

We had a salt rock lamp in our room when Gigi was sleeping with us. The light was soft and peaceful and made it easy to see her, change diapers, feed her, etc. but it didn’t interrupt her sleep or ours. I normally need it to be really dark for sleep but this soft light never bothered me. We never used a nightlight and Gigi doesn’t have on in her room now. It would be wonderful to have a dimmer switch in her room/in the nursery for late night visits/diaper changes/etc.

Gigi loves her Melissa and Doug shopping cart, her Fisher Price Medical Kit, and her Ikea Kitchen.

Books…

 

Secrets of the Baby Whisperer and The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems which have great methods, ideas, routines and advice. The Baby Whisperer books were my favorite and I still use the Solves All Your Problems book now.

Brining Up Bébé was a fun book to read and gave me some perspective on the French parenting style which I am really drawn to. French parenting seems to be a bit more in sync with my instincts than some of the more American based options like Free Range or Attachment Parenting. I didn’t always love the author’s attitude but I appreciated the main points about parenting.

Well, there you have it! Feel free to chime in with your thoughts and opinions in the comments below! This list is bookmarked along the left hand side of the blog so you can easily refer back to it.

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