emerald city diaries – Page 54 – family + adventures + the emerald city

my weekend in pictures.

{we just got this gate for our small hallway upstairs. we went back & forth about whether we wanted a gate, but decided that it is too much of a risk of eloise getting to the top of the stairs (& falling down) since she is so mobile now. we are still going to teach eloise to go up & down the stairs safely but for now it is a gate!}

{the current state of my desk. seriously I have way too many projects going on at once! someday I will organize it but for now I am blaming party prepping activities…}

{updating to Windows 10!}

{making funny faces at the park.}

{an outtake from our anniversary selfie. see the real version here.}

{oh sadie. what a sweet, sweet girl!}

{how did this little one get so grown up? & sporting her first ponytail.}

{one of her favorite spots to play – under the side table in the living room.}

{party prep is a go this week! big party on saturday!}

another great weekend in the books! we celebrated our five year anniversary on saturday & had a picnic dinner at greenlake. we took along sadie & eloise, but hope to have a real date night in the coming weeks! we were both out in the yard on saturday trying to get some of the front flower beds cleaned up & aaron spent most of sunday in the backyard trying to chop down the old laurel bushes. some day our backyard will be presentable & I promise to share pictures! how was your weekend?

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friday I’m in love.

welcome back friday! be sure to pop over to see what kendra, mary beth, amanda, laura, aileen, jessica and ashley are loving! we would love for you to join us! leave a comment and we’ll come check out what you’re loving each week!

{one} gap relaxed henley.

{via Gap}

in my attempt to re-haul my wardrobe a bit this summer, I picked up this henley from the Gap. right now I still need things that are nursing-friendly & this one definitely fits the bill. plus, it is nice to feel a little more dressed up when I pair this with shorts or jeans (than just a tee).

{two} kismet rug.

kismet rug in navy

{via Caitlin Wilson}

I am dying for a new rug for our living room. so much so that I apologize to people who visit because they have to see our current rug. it’s too small, it’s not good quality, & it’s pretty ugly. I have been eyeing a few neutral-ish rugs at West Elm (big surprise!) but haven’t pulled the trigger on any (I am horrible at making decisions & an 8 by 10 rug is not cheap). but them I was perusing Caitlin Wilson’s shop page & found this Kismet rug. It is completely different than anything I have been looking at, & while it is a little bit feminine (read: hot pink), I think it would work really well! so now I am dreaming about it… anyone have $1600 they want to share?

{three} taco tuesdays.

Corn & Chile Salsa

{Corn & Chile Tomato-Less Salsa from Trader Joe’s}

in an effort to help simplify the meal-planning process each week (I plan & grocery shop once a week!) we have started a regular taco tuesday which is great because aaron & I both LOVE mexican food, it is easy to make vegetarian if we don’t want meat, & it is eloise-friendly so I don’t have to make a separate meal. even if you have a few tacos, it is nice to have a side to help make sure you aren’t hungry in an hour (or is that just me?). our new favorite side dish is roasted yams, black beans, & corn salsa. I just dice up two yams, roast in the toaster oven until soft, & then mix the yams with a rinsed can of black beans, & a few spoonfuls of corn salsa. it is awesome & super easy! on the topic, I found these hand-made style tortillas from La Tortilla Factory a few weeks ago & am obsessed. seriously, I buy them two packs at a time! they are small, but a little bit chewy, thick, warm up well, & don’t fall apart once you start rolling.

what are you loving this week? also, how is it possible that today is the LAST day of july?!

eloise {week 50}

{tee: Old Navy // bloomer shorts: Carter’s // block: Uncle Goose (similar) // bird from this Manhattan Toy Company set}

{week 50} not gonna lie that I am having some trouble with eloise being so close to one. it makes me a little sad that my little baby isn’t so little anymore. closer to being a toddler than an infant (or a newborn!). I have been loving all of the new milestones, activity, & development, it is just going way too fast! I often wish I could just rewind a bit & slow it down… at least to the parts where she wanted to cuddle. those don’t come too often these days.

eloise is still such a happy child (as you can see from this week’s picture) & had such a great time with my family this past week. she is sometimes shy at first with new people, but usually comes around pretty quickly & will reach out for others to hold her so she can touch their face or play with their glasses. most of the clinging to me comes around mealtime or sleep time, or shortly thereafter. in the mornings, for example, as soon as she sees me she wants to nurse & if aaron is holding her she will fuss. lately if eloise & I are upstairs in the living room playing before breakfast & she sees aaron leave out the front door for work, she will fuss & cry for him. she also really enjoys when he gets home from work & gives him the biggest smile & crawls over to have him pick her up. it is the cutest.

teeth have been a fun (read: not fun) thing this past week. she is getting two teeth in front on the bottom (the left one is almost completely in & the right one is broken thru), & I still think she is working on a back molar. teething is the only thing we can really blame for the handful of evenings she has woken up screaming (around 9:30 usually) & cannot be calmed down. it usually takes both of us giving her cuddles & reassurance that we are there for a while before she will settle down. it hasn’t been very fun for any of us, but she is sleeping well otherwise (knock on wood!).

when we got home on sunday evening it was super cool in seattle (temperature-wise). for the first time in a while we didn’t need the fan on in eloise’s nursery & we put on a sleeper with long-sleeves & legs (Hanna Andersson makes the BEST ones!). she woke up a little bit after I put her to bed & her feet felt really cold, so aaron & I decided it was safe to give her a little blanket. I just put a swaddle blanket (folded in half) over her & even though it isn’t keeping her feet particularly warm (since she kicks it all over the crib), she seems to have enjoyed an extra something soft to cuddle with. she loves to rub her lovie on her face when she is tired & trying to put herself to sleep, & I have noticed she does the same thing with the blanket when I have seen her on the webcam.

a few months ago, I mentioned that I thought eloise had eczema on her chest & neck. I also started noticing some rash on the very back of eloise’s neck between her shoulders. I was making sure to wipe it down really well after each meal; put Zoe Organics Everything Balm or Cream, or Aquaphor on it; & even limit corn & eggs (as possible allergy culprits). while we were out of town last week, I stopped using our normal SnapBib in favor of a Bumkins one* we had for traveling at the suggestion of my mom & aaron. lo & behold, eloise’s rash cleared up! I am still going to chat with her pediatrician about it at her one year check-up & may still take her to an allergist, but maybe she is just allergic or sensitive to vinyl?

eloise is still loving cruising around along the couch, coffee table, & anything else she can walk along. she is still pretty quick to drop to her bottom when there isn’t something to hold onto, but she is starting to be able to stand on her own for just a few seconds! crawling is also up on her hands much more these days as she is almost as fast on her hands as she is on her elbows. I notice that she will still army crawl when she wants to hold something in her hand & crawl at the same time – smart kiddo!

happy 50 weeks eloise!

*I picked up another Bumkins bib so that we have two, but I have to say I don’t LOVE it. it has a pocket that I find to be more of a hassle than anything else. plus, I am not a fan of all of the graphics – why do all of the bibs for boys have to have cars & all of the bibs for girls have to be pink?? any suggestions on good bibs for toddlers?

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my {week} in pictures.

we were in idaho all last week so I thought I would share pictures from our trip, including our weekend!

{eloise eating with a spoon & fork. she is doing pretty well, but mostly wants to either chew on the utensils or take the food off of the fork & eat it with her fingers.}

{a playdate with some of our boise friends at the eagle splash pad!}

{eloise was really loving pool time with aunt yaya & grammie.}

{hugs for grammie.}

{still loving the swing.}

{learning to feed the dogs at meal time. oh boy!}

{finally letting (great) uncle bill hold her. it has been since E was so little since we last saw him, but she loved him in the end!}

{helping papa run some updates on aunt yaya’s computer.}

{driving into the mountains to my parents’ cabin in cascade. it is so beautiful up there!}

{first time with eloise in the ergo on my back. she seemed to like it!}

{we didn’t have her booster seat at the cabin yet, so lunch was served on papa’s lap.}

{grammie got out some of my old toys & eloise was happy to play with them!}

{eloise in aunt yaya’s old baseball cap. so cute!}

{seriously. the cutest thing ever!}

{we always have to play careers when we are at the cabin. it is a family favorite!}

{enjoying lunch on the beach in mccall.}

{eloise enjoyed her first trip to the beach by eating some sand. she seemed to enjoy it!}

{we ended our day trip to mccall with some lunch at the local microbrewery. eloise snacked on some red onion. she must get that from her papa.}

{sadie & her sister dot enjoying some snuggles on the couch.}

{my oldest sister keri got married on saturday night. my oldest nephew gunnar walked her down the aisle. such a beautiful bride. congrats to the happy couple!}

{the night sky is amazing in cascade since there is hardly any light pollution. such a pretty moon on saturday night!}

{we drove north from cascade up to lewiston & then cut west to washington – a new route for us. the country was really beautiful!}

{we stopped in colfax, wa to get our wiggles out!}

{the last leg of our very long roadtrip was crossing over the columbia river at the gorge. so, so beautiful!}

we had such a fun & busy week hanging out with my family & celebrating my sister’s wedding. but, it is always so good to be home. now it is lots of laundry, a big trip to the grocery store, & settling back in for a busy rest of the summer. how was your weekend?

friday I’m in love.

{one} julep bare face cleansing oil.

Bare Face Cleansing Oil

{via Julep}

I may or may not have already mentioned this cleansing oil by julep, but I have to rave about it. I am always looking for a good way to remove my make-up and clean my face, but don’t want to have to use a bunch of different products. I was skeptical at first about putting oil on my face (I tend to go oily), but this was on a super summer sale last week at julep when I went to get my nails & brows done. I have been using it every night since & I am hooked! it smells amazing & really gets all of my make-up off. highly recommended!

{two} loft printed shorts.

{via Loft}

I was on a mission to find some new summer clothes – something that wasn’t super casual (like denim shorts) but that I could still be comfortable in when I run around after eloise. i found these abstract print shorts at loft a few weeks ago. & lo & behold, they had my size (there were only a handful left) which never happens. & I have been loving them (though mine seem to have a shorter inseam eve though they aren’t petite). these are on sale right now for a steal! I found that they run true to size (though vanity sizing stinks these days. extended sizing, but never smaller, always bigger!) but definitely try them on if possible first. I bought these shorts in my size, but tried on another pair of shorts (these scalloped ones) in the exact same size & style, & they were too small… wah wah.

{three} booties.

Jeffrey Campbell Taggart Booties

{via Anthro}

even though we are still very much in summer (& we’ve had a long one since we got so hot so early this year in seattle) I am looking forward to transitioning into fall. at least for footwear. I am loving all of the light colored booties that are making an appearance this year & think I need to pick up a pair, don’t you? I also like these ones on sale at Nordy’s (until august 3rd).

what are you loving this week?

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eloise {week 49}

{tank: Old Navy // shorts: Target (similar) // teething ring: LifeFactory // blanket: Milkbarn Organic Swaddle}

{week 49} oh three weeks left until eloise’s one year? how did this happen? but then looking at that photo, we are definitely entering toddlerhood.

eloise (& mama) have been enjoying our weekly playdates with our PEPS friends. now that the babies are a little older, they are starting to interact with each other & it is so sweet. recently, there has been a clamoring over one toy which is pretty funny – all the babies decide that one particular toy is the best thing ever & then steal it away from each other.

we left home last week on the (pretty) short roadtrip to boise & I was worried about eloise sitting that long in a car seat. worst case, it was going to be me, sadie, & eloise in the backseat. luckily, eloise did SO well. she only napped for an hour total, but it was hard to complain. she kept herself mostly occupied with a basket full of toys & watching sadie. we stopped for lunch & had a picnic (see here) & got all of our wiggles out, & then one more time for a pit stop, diaper change, & nursing. eloise was ready to be out of the car about five minutes before we pulled into my parents’ house, but so were we!

eloise has been very vocal (more than usual) lately. she babbles all day long with me, but has in the past not been as vocal around other people or babies. these days though, she chatters all the time! & volume is a fun thing – eloise likes to see how LOUD she can be, especially if she needs something like water or milk (or attention from someone) at mealtime. I’ll work on getting a video to share.

I talked last week about thinking about weaning eloise, but didn’t think it would be happening for at least a few weeks. well, go with the flow (ha, pun intended!) but I inadvertently dropped eloise’s lunch nursing session on the drive over. when we stopped for lunch, there was enough commotion with the food & sadie, etc. that I completely forgot to nurse! I chalk it up to a difference in schedule since I usually nurse eloise between napping & lunchtime. aaron & I realized it a few hours later, but eloise didn’t ever seem to notice. so, ever since I have been giving her 4 oz of milk (formula for now) with her lunch. she doesn’t seem overly excited about milk with lunch & normally will drink it after she finishes eating. {which is different with the milk we give her at dinner – she usually drinks that up before she gets into her meal!}

eloise wants to walk, but doesn’t have enough balance yet. she climbs up on everything to standing, but will drop down to her bottom & crawl to wherever she wants to go. I think we have a little time before she is walking, but she is mobile enough to keep us on our toes!

happy 49 weeks eloise!

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my weekend in pictures.

{yep, this is super fun. take all of the wipes out of the container.}

{we got this new playmat for eloise from the nordstrom anniversary sale. maybe it will mean less head bonks on the hardwood floors as eloise learns to stand & walk.}

{now that eloise has learned to stand against this gate, she isn’t always sure she likes to be on the other side.}

{finally found a quiet moment to enjoy a face mask from an old birchbox. luxurious!}

{we stopped for lunch in yakima, WA & had a family picnic. it was the best thing ever.}

{being huge Serial lovers, we wanted to give this follow-up podcast a try. between road noise & a sleeping baby, we didn’t get thru much, but are still intrigued.}

{eloise is loving all of grammie’s cookbooks that she can pull out & read.}

{my parents’ dog lily is very sick & we have been enjoying lots of extra snuggles from this sweet girl.}

{sadie decided to take herself for a swim in the creek this afternoon. I guess she needed a bath anyways…}

{eloise & my sister, the birthday girl!}

{happy birthday anya! here’s to another great year!}

this weekend we drove to boise to visit my family. it’s so good to see everyone!

how was your weekend?

friday I’m in love.

{one} cactus pin cushion.

Adorable! cactus pincushion DIY (click through for tutorial)

{via A Beautiful Mess}

oh my word. cactus pin cushions? I think I need to make these stat! I have been doing a lot of sewing recently & still have a few projects lined up, so corralling pins has been on my mind. I get so much use out of this sewing machine pin cushion I made a few years ago, but these are wonderful. plus, they are cute décor, so they could sit on your desk or sewing table without screaming “pin cushion!”

{two}

{via Lo & Sons}

for years I have loved (& needed) huge handbags. partly because I have this fear of not having something that I need (so I carry around everything!), partly because I was commuting & away from home, & party because I am petite & the bigger the bag the better, right? but, after feeling like I schlep around everything but the kitchen sink in my “diaper” bag these days (though I have downsized considerably & it is lovely!) I am ready to minimize. enter this beaut from Lo & Sons: The Pearl. it is a small bag with lots of inner pockets, & converts to a cross-body bag, a wrist-bag, or a clutch. plus it is leather & plus it is on sale!

{three} children’s art table.

Oh Joy / DIY Kid's Art Table

{via Oh Joy blog}

we have a little while before eloise will be able to sit in a chair & do art, but I am loving this mini art table! the table top has a magnetic strip in the middle to hold magnets & pictures & things, & the rest of the table is chalkboard. I don’t anticipate having a lot of eloise-sized furniture (since she will grow so quickly!) but I do really love this little table set.

what are you loving this week?

eloise {week 48}

{tank onesie: Carter’s // jeans: babyGap // rubber duck (gift from E’s dentist)}

{week 48} just as soon as I hit publish on eloise’s monthly post last friday, I noticed a tooth bud on the right-side next to her bottom two teeth. I still have a hunch that she is getting at least one back molar, but I was definitely right-on about eloise acting like she was teething (drool, fussy during sleep, wants mama, chewing like crazy). & then just yesterday I discovered that the bottom tooth on the other side is also coming in! sorry kiddo. your teeth like to come in all at once!

eloise has always preferred me (I am her food source afterall) but lately she is super clingy. I guess it is separation anxiety? but even if I am standing right next to her, it sometimes isn’t enough. usually she fusses & cries a bit if she wants to be with me, but then as soon as I pick her up or hold her, she wants to be down & crawling around. maybe she just needs a quick mama hug?

cruising (along the couch, coffee table, side table, sideboard, or any piece of furniture she can stand up against) is still eloise’s favorite activity. she does know that she can’t stand on her own just yet & doesn’t actually try to stand or walk without assistance. once she gets to the end of whatever she is cruising on, she will drop down to her bottom & start crawling. I know walking is imminent, but I am thankful she doesn’t want me to walk her around all day long (having her hold onto my hands so she can walk)!

this week marked the end of the baby bathtub. sniff. we had long taken the infant insert out of the tub, but really liked using it inside the bathtub (both to help contain eloise & to save on water use). however, eloise wants to be active in the tub as well & would hold onto the sides & try to pull herself over. not good for anyone. so we got this tub mat & are just putting in a few inches (if that) of water. now eloise can splash & play, & I don’t have to be worried about her falling over in the tub. plus, with her current bath toys that stick to the wall (see below) she has much more fun since she can reach them all, whether they are floating in the water or sticking to the tub.

{Boon Tub Applique toys}

as we are approaching 12 months (what?!) I am planning on weaning eloise (from nursing). we still nurse three times a day (after she wakes in the AM & after each nap) which I am hoping will continue for the next four weeks. at that point I am thinking about dropping the middle feeding & doing milk at lunchtime instead, & then a little while later (depending on how my supply is doing) I will drop the late afternoon one & add more milk at dinnertime. that final nursing session, though, is still really special to me & (for the most part) I would like to keep it going for some time longer. some days I am ready to be done, but mostly I love that time with eloise, even though she isn’t really snuggly during that time anymore & just wants to eat & play! any advice from you mamas out there about weaning babes from nursing to milk in cups?

happy 48 weeks eloise!

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my weekend in pictures.

{after saying “good morning” to her papa, eloise discovered how fun the roman shade is in our room.}

{what a ham!}

20150710_201226061_iOS

{eloise is so good about having to wear sunscreen & mostly doesn’t wiggle too much. the face stick helps!}

{another mama friend found these cool trays that suction right to the table, & despite me not loving the separated sections (I would prefer just one big bowl or plate), it works pretty well. it is nice to have the ability for eloise to be right at the table in her highchair (without the tray).}

{papa & eloise share some early morning antics.}

{mmm, pasta & co for lunch. the tuna fish sammie is so delish!}

{these two. I don’t know what I am going to do with them sometimes.}

{I have been eyeing this dress at ann taylor for a while now & was pleasantly surprised to find it 60% off this weekend (& it still is!).}

{we attended the sweeney’s for a bbq & it ended up being a bit of a high school reunion as a friend from out of town was visiting. I haven’t seen danny (right) since high school! I have known these guys since middle school & it was SO fun to catch up all together!}

{this mallet is her favorite toy of late. & she loves to bang it on the wood tables… a future judge?}

{our new fridge has an ice-maker (!) but we needed a water line from the sink. luckily this guy was able to make that happen. thanks babe!}

{date night called for dressing up. I have had this skirt for a while, but no occasion to wear it until now. I am not a fan of “fast fashion” but this is an exception – the print is gorgeous & it has such great shape!}

{wicked is in town & part of our season theater tickets. neither of us had seen it before – or even knew the story – & really enjoyed it. what a great show! thanks to ben & sarah for watching eloise.}

this weekend was the first in a while that didn’t seem to fly by so quickly. I think it is because we got a reprieve in the weather (overcast, lower temps) & it was glorious! I love the hot weather, but needed a break for a bit… sun, you can come back anytime! we had lots of quality time the three of us & also got to see family & friends – nothing better!

how was your weekend?

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