emerald city diaries – Page 56 – family + adventures + the emerald city

a safer staircase.

as many of you know, when we finished out our basement last year during the renovation, we had to add a staircase inside the house (since the existing staircase was outside). after a few different versions of a new floor plan, our architects came up with a genius way to incorporate an internal staircase that would feel like it was original. the only bummer was that it would take up nearly the entire second bedroom (used as our office). but, since we were adding three additional bedrooms, the sacrifice didn’t seem too extreme.

opting to keep the entire house in wood floors, this included having wooden stairs as well. & let me tell you, they are gorgeous (look here for the professional photo!). our contractor & floor guy used new growth fir that was stained to match the existing floor upstairs. the stairs also houses sadie’s dog door on the second landing since that is at ground level (& the rest of the basement is below ground).

as much as I LOVE these stairs, they aren’t perfect. for one thing sadie drags in so much dirt (so much!) & debris on her feet & legs, & despite our best efforts the stairs really should be cleaned once a day. the other thing is that wooden stairs are super slippery! aaron & I have both taken a tumble down the stairs (don’t worry, both of us are fine!) but it is scary since we are often toting eloise up & down the stairs. plus, if sadie’s nails aren’t really well trimmed, she slips around too if she takes a turn too quickly!

aaron & I talked a few months ago about possibly adding a runner, but then decided to table the discussion for a while. & we would have to be pretty creative about the installation of a runner since there are two big turns & two landings… enter: Puppy Treads. a lightweight, non-slip walking surface that easily installs on hardwood (or tile) stairs to protect from falls.

installation was super easy & took just a few minutes. I chose the bottom two stairs before the first landing since that is where most of the tumbles have occurred. slippery little suckers! first I started by really cleaning the stairs. I swept the entire staircase but only deep cleaned the two stair treads I was going to install on. (I have been loving the Honest Co floor cleaner!)

then I set the Puppy Treads on the stairs to see about placement. I put them on the right-hand side of the stairs since we tend to walk towards the inside of the staircase. they are pretty long though, so in hindsight I probably could have put them in the middle of the stair tread & been just fine.

next, peeling off the paper backing. the nice thing was that the Puppy Treads were substantial enough that they didn’t curl in on themselves as I peeled off the backing (that’s the worst!).

then onto adhering to the stairs. it was suggested that we use a rolling pin or wallpaper roller to help get the air bubbles out. honestly, the rolling pin didn’t seem to do much.

lastly, was admiring my handi-work! I managed to get them on pretty straight & get most of the air bubbles out!

so far we have been really happy with our new Puppy Treads. they give good gription (that is a family term!) on your feet as you walk down the stairs (down is really the problem in our house). I don’t love the look of them (although the transparency helps!) but I feel a lot more comfortable when I am carrying eloise down the stairs for naptime when I hit these two stairs which makes them totally worth it! cleaning is also great too – the material isn’t sticky on the top side, so no dirt or dog hair gets stuck & sweeps right off. & they also don’t seem to attract dirt or dog hair either, also a plus! all in all we are happy with the Puppy Treads & probably wouldn’t put them on all of the stair treads, but may want to add a few more to the problem areas (likely the bottom two stairs of the next two sections!).

bonus for all readers: get 10% off Puppy Treads with the code BLOG2015.

thank you Handi-Ramp!

{this post is sponsored by Handi-Ramp & the Puppy Treads shown were provided for my review & all opinions are my own. thank you for supporting the brands that support Emerald City Diaries.}

my {long} weekend in pictures.

{grammie & grandpa put up a swing at their house for eloise. she loved it if you can’t tell!}

{eloise was obsessed with this toy of henry’s. it played music, had lights & a mirror – the trifecta of baby toys!}

{being in town meant we got to catch up with all of my best girlfriends from my childhood. plus their spouses & babes. the best!}

{my favorite lunch – mongolian bbq – with the fam.}

{we took the opportunity to be in the pool every day since it was so hot in boise! plus, eloise looks so adorable in her bathing suit. & that terry robe cover-up? I can’t even stand it!}

{grammie got eloise some wooden blocks & she loved them! we would build towers for her to knock over like baby godzilla.}

{happy father’s day to our number one guy! I was reading eloise the book “dada” since we got it for aaron, but she kept saying “mama!”}

{eloise got to rock in her grammie’s tiny rocking chair. it was so sweet!}

{yum, einstein brothers bagels at the boise airport!}

{eloise was super interested in the safety information card on the airplane this afternoon. she took it, the snack menu, & the Alaska Airlines magazine out of the seat-back pocket about a zillion times.}

{& aaron enjoyed his late afternoon mustache coffee in-flight.}

(obviously) we were in boise this weekend & it was so much fun. my dad’s birthday was last week, so we were able to be together with my family for a whole lotta celebrating! it was also great to see some close friends & just hang out. grandparents mean you actually get some down time during the day & it is refreshing – thanks mom & dad! this first official weekend of summer was fantastic & we are looking forward to an amazing summer! how was your weekend?

friday I’m in love.

welcome back friday! be sure to pop over to see what kendra, mary beth, amanda, laura, aileen & jessica 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} grilled ginger-sesame chicken salad.

{via Menu Musings}

the combination of the hot weather & finally having a grill (I think aaron may be slightly obsessed!) have made grilled [fill-in-the-blank] salads very popular around the lower house! we tried this chicken salad a few weeks ago & are still talking about it. it was so good. the cabbage base makes it super crunchy & the marinade on the chicken was easy & so delish! the only change I made was to buy a package of pre-shredded cabbage & carrots so that I didn’t have to shred them myself.

{two} bare belly organics sunscreen.

{via Bare Belly Organics}

sunscreen. so, so important & something I have been really working on being good about. between being as good as I can about keeping eloise protected & a recent mole removal at my annual skin check (benign, phew!), I have been a bit obsessed you could say. I scoured the EWG website for the best, most effective, & safest sunscreen, & I think this is pretty close to perfect. I bought the three-pack (shown above) & it is awesome. I keep the body stick & face stick in the diaper bag, & the bigger jar on the entryway table (as I am always slathering on sunscreen before we head out the door). I am really picky about sunscreen & get anxiety about all of the chemicals (started when I was pregnant) but hate super greasy sunscreens (which most of the “best” ones are). this bare belly is great & while it goes on white, it rubs in well & I find that I don’t need to wash my hands after applying. & the sticks are so convenient with a wiggly eloise. she doesn’t seem to mind getting sunscreen applied, especially if I let her play with one of the sticks. I sometimes use this sunscreen on myself as well as this Alba Botanicals one. we also keep the new Honest Company one around too (love that it isn’t as sticky & thick as it used to be!).

{three} serena & lily beach towels.

{via Serena & Lily}

now that eloise is old enough to venture out to the splash pad, pool, or even the beach, I have been using our beach towels like crazy. much like our kitchen towels, our beach towels are a mish-mash of towels from random places. I am loving these stripey ones from Serena & Lily that were featured in the most recent catalog. very west elm-esque if you ask me. plus, I am a sucker for anything with a stripe! some day we will have a collection of gorgeous, stripey beach towels!

what are you loving this week?

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eloise {week 44}

{onesie: Carter’s // shorts: Target (similar) // Sophie the Giraffe}

{week 44} oh boy, this week has been a blur! & by that I mean eloise is on the move. I am pretty sure it is because I just stated in her ten month post that walking wasn’t imminent. I feel like in the past week, eloise has taken huge strides in the pre-walking & mobility department.

eloise is happiest these days standing up. she can pull herself to her to kneeling on most things, including the fan tower & her nursery ottoman. & she can pull herself up to standing on the coffee table, the side table (whose low shelf I am storing some toys books), & in her crib. so just in a week (!) she has gone from just kneeling to standing. again, oh boy!

the other thing that makes eloise deliriously happy is a book. she has always enjoyed books & has “listened” to stories being read to her since she was born. we started early with storytime & even as a teeny baby she would pay attention to the books we read. fast-forward a few months & I can easily say books are her favorite things. she will most often pick a book to play with (or chew on) over a toy during play time. my mama heart, of course, is soaring because I have always adored books! the only problem is that she is now devouring books in that she is chewing the corners & eating the paper…

also, eloise insists on turning the pages when we read books, so sometimes the stories go very quickly! she does, though, stop & look at the pictures, & sometimes babbles as she flips thru the pages. adorable! when you get to the end of a book, she will shut the back cover & then flip the book over to start reading it again!

happy 44 weeks eloise!

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my weekend in pictures.

{eloise & I hit the grocery store on friday to pick up dinner for friends. she LOVES the grocery store!}

{if eloise is sitting & playing, this pretty much sums it up: one toy (or mama’s necklace) in her mouth & one toy in each hand.}

{good naps on friday also meant I got to get some work in on a sewing project!}

{friday evening aaron did dinner & bedtime with eloise & I took dinner to my dear friends & got to meet their new daughter nora. just a month old & so teeny!}

{it is cherry season & the lowers are enjoying it!}

{on saturday afternoon the roosevelt high school marching band – who practices all spring around the neighborhood – did a dress rehearsal complete with uniforms & police escorts. the best part is the parent paparazzi that follows them down the street!}

{eloise was reviewing the stack of restoration hardware catalogs we just received & planned out some décor for the house.}

{we watched jazmyne on saturday while her parents were at a wedding. yep, jaz just turned seven & is basically the same size as eloise, but with longer arms & legs.}

{aaron & jaz played a few games of yahtzee.}

{aaron did bedtime with the girls & jaz read eloise a bedtime story. so sweet!}

{standing is eloise’s newest trick & favorite thing to do these days. she can also pull herself up to standing. we are in so much trouble…}

{we set up the pack n play for eloise so we could get some work done in the office. she seemed to like it at first, but about 15 minutes in she had a meltdown. we are starting with a bit of separation anxiety these days…}

yay for lazy weekends! it was sunny but not too hot & we were able to keep the house pretty cool – always a win. how was your weekend?

friday I’m in love.

{one} june & january mix & match sets.

{via Instagram}

june & january (formerly little hip squeaks) is launching some fun new clothes for the babe. I am dying for this mix& match set of shorts & a crop top for eloise. seriously, so adorable!

{two} baby book.

{via Paper Source}

so this blog is definitely eloise’s baby book, but being that I am a little bit old school & LOVE paper goods, I feel like I should still be doing a real baby book. I like this one because it seems simple & manageable (meaning I would actually fill it out). any other mamas out there do real baby books for their kiddos?

{three} personalized sandra boynton book.

Are You a Cow Board Book?

{via Pint Size Productions}

while we sort of have a rule about all new books coming into the house needing to be in spanish (or french, or another language aaron or I could read), we also LOVE sandra boynton. & this is the book Are You A Cow? but it is personalized with your child’s picture & name. granted, eloise is just chewing books these days & won’t recognize her written name for a while, but this is still really cool. any other sandra b. fans out there?

what are you loving this week?

eloise {month ten}

{lion: jellycat via nordstrom // jumper: babyGap // tank: Burt’s Bees Organic (similar) // moccasins: Freshly Picked}

{month ten} wait, didn’t eloise just turn nine months?

this month has been all about moving. eloise is constantly crawling, jumping, or wiggling. all the time! her crawling has progressed to being up on her knees & with her belly up off the ground, but still down on her forearms. I know she can get into a traditional crawling position since she can rock on her hands & knees, but doesn’t seem too interested at this point in getting up on her hands. she is so fast & efficient with crawling the way that she is that she may just continue!

eloise has also recently learned to pull to her knees (in a kneeling position). she has trouble pulling to standing, though she desperately wants to. I suspect she will first do it in her crib since the bars make for easy support. eloise LOVES to stand, whether she is holding your hands, or she is supported by a table, chair, or ottoman. walking isn’t imminent yet which aaron & I are mostly very relieved about. eloise can already move around so much that I think we need a little more time before she is walking! if eloise is standing up, she is mostly just so excited to be up on her feet that she starts to jump if you are holding her. she will take a few steps, but doesn’t really get the whole concept of walking just yet.

just yesterday I saw eloise, for the first time, go from her belly to sitting. I know that’s a game-changer. & then this morning she was sitting up in her crib when I went in for her wake-up. oh geez, she is such a big kid!

speaking of moving. as you may have seen from recent pictures (& did I also already share?) we ended up putting up one baby gate in our living room. as soon as eloise learned to crawl, she bee-lined for the entryway because shoes are her very favorite thing. she didn’t discover that if she turned down the hallway, she would get to the staircase, & we have been very unmotivated to teach her about that part of the house. I don’t really want a gate at the top of the stairs, but will if we need to, because I always have my hands full going downstairs (so opening the gate would be tricky) and I don’t want to have to drill into the drywall. I know, First World Problems. anyways, we got this pressure-mount gate for the doorway between the entryway & our living room & it works really well. eloise isn’t mad about not being able to go into the entryway anymore, & she discovered her love for the shelf on our side table (which is now storing some of her toys & books).

one thing that eloise is still learning how to do (but is so close) is clapping. she sometimes puts her hands together, randomly, but it isn’t exactly clapping. however, if you clap, she squeals with delight! I try to have her hold my hands when I clap or move her hands together to clap & maybe she’ll start doing it on her own.

just this week I dropped eloise’s third nap, so she is down to just two naps a day. a lot of people (parents & non-parents alike) were really surprised when I would tell them she was still taking three naps. she was on a three-hour feeding schedule, which is what she has been on since she was born (except that from months five & on, she wasn’t feeding in the middle of the night). there were a lot of reasons why I kept her taking three naps a day, including that every kid is different. eloise did really well with that schedule & often would take two 90 minute naps & a 60 minute nap. I think eloise, on the spectrum of sleep-needed, is like her mama & needs a lot of sleep! now eloise will, hopefully, take two 2 hour naps each day. the transition seems to be going really well & it gives us more time during the morning & afternoon to play, though her naps have been shorter than I would like. now we have time in the middle of the day (between 12:30ish & 3) to get out of the house. I still use the eat, play, sleep routine in our day which is wonderful. eloise has three solids meals per day with a nursing session before each, & then a bottle at bedtime after her bath.

in the past few weeks I have noticed a little eczema-type rash on eloise’s chest & neck. the semi-circle shape of it is where her bib doesn’t cover up & protect that part of her skin from food. I have been cleaning the area well after each meal & making sure it is washed in the bath. of course, it looks better in the morning when she first wakes up since it has been un-irritated all night. I picked up some Zoe Organics Everything Balm when I was at Target last night since I have heard it can do wonders for eczema (naturally). I will let you know how it works!

this kiddo is so expressive. she constantly makes faces & can go thru an entire range of emotions in just a short amount of time. her mean muggin’ face (last seen here) is still very popular & she does it constantly! now, though, she sometimes can’t keep a straight face & cracks a smile just as soon as her brow furls. but she also raises her eyebrows (the cutest), smiles & grins, & gives me faces that I know we will be seeing again in about 14 years.

eloise’s hair is awesome. everyone comments on it. I keep it sticking straight up because I love it & it reminds me of her newborn mohawk. it is getting so much longer though & lays flat from the weight of her hair. it still is fine like baby hair, but filling in so much. these days, it gets crazy since it is hot & she sweats. post-nap hair in this heat is pretty funny because the sides are always crazy & sticking out in all directions.

finally, lots of people (seriously everyone, people we know, we don’t know, moms, non-moms) have been asking about when I am weaning eloise. my goal from the start was to nurse thru one year & that is still the plan. not only do I feel fortunate that I get to be home & nurse her each feeding, but that I still have maintained my supply up to this point. eloise has slowly been weaning over the past months as she has dropped various feedings – her middle of the night feedings, bedtime, & most recently, her fourth daytime feeding when she dropped the third nap – & I hope to continue down that path. as long as eloise continues to want to nurse & I continue to have milk, I hope to get her to her first birthday & then start weaning her from her daytime feedings (& giving her milk in a cup instead at mealtimes). if possible I think I want to keep up her wake-up feeding for a bit longer. I love this time with eloise & it would make me so sad if we didn’t get that time together for very much longer. (though ask me another time & I may have a completely different story!)

{weight} 20 lbs. down slightly from last month. I am guessing it is from all the activity!

{hair} dark reddish brown.

{teeth} bottom two teeth & four top teeth.

{eyes} dark brown.

{clothes} 9 month, 6 to 12 month, or 12 month.

{diapers} full-time cloth {bum genius freetime, pocket, & elemental} & honest company size 4 diapers at night with a bum genius diaper cover.

{feeding} during the day, 4 hour cycles. at bedtime she gets a 6 oz bottle.

{likes} books, anything she isn’t supposed to have, toys that squeak or rattle, singing & music, Sadie, standing, FaceTime, bathtime.

{dislikes} getting her face wiped off (after eating), sitting still, (most) diaper changes before nursing, sitting in her highchair & not eating.

{nicknames} Bug{s}, Love Bug, Baby Bug, E, Wheezy, Kiddo, Love, Bugaboo, Ellie (my family).

happy ten months eloise!

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eloise {week 43}

{top: Carter’s (similar) // shorts: Carter’s // butterfly teether: Honest Company}

{week 43} today is also eloise’s 10 month birthday (if that is even possible!) so check back for her monthly update!

happy 43 weeks eloise!

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project baby {post-partum essentials}

much like my pregnancy essentials post, this was a long time coming…

one thing that I really didn’t think about too much when I was pregnant was not being pregnant. & by that, I mean, I didn’t really think about post-partum recovery. I assumed that since I was a low-risk pregnancy & that a c-section was not likely in the cards for me that I would bounce back to normal pretty quickly. whatever normal means once you have a newborn that is. oh boy was I wrong. just because I wasn’t recovering from major abdominal surgery (which is what a c-section is!) doesn’t mean I didn’t have a recovery period. birthing a child is no small feat!

even though I am the type of person who gets dressed & ready every day (nope, I do not hang out in my yoga pants all day, even if eloise & I don’t leave the house!) I definitely focused on comfort for those first few weeks.

{one} comfy pants & shorts. it was the summer when I had eloise & it was very hot so I mostly wore t-shirts & comfy, loose pants or shorts. I focused on drawstring or elastic-waisted things which were fortunately starting to be on-trend last year (I stocked up on a few pairs that I wore at the end of my pregnancy & then into post-partum). I was particularly fond of these Gilligan & O’Malley Knit Pajama Pants that I picked up at Target for my hospital bag. I wore them home from the hospital & they quickly became a favorite. I didn’t want anything tight or clingy around my mid-section for a while, so elastic was my best friend for those first few weeks!

{two} lalabu nursing tank. this is actually a tank that I didn’t get until eloise was a few months old, but I wish I would have had it as soon as she was born! it is a nursing tank with lots of great features including a long length, thick material, & the ability to be worn with or without a bra. but the best feature is the little pocket in the front that is meant for holding baby. since it isn’t a baby carrier per se, you still have to support baby a lot, but it is nice to tuck that little one right near you without the fuss of a moby wrap or ergo. I wore it long after eloise had outgrown that little pouch pocket, especially when I traveled or at nighttime since it was so easy to nurse in. the only downside I found was that the top of the pouch doesn’t really stay flat under your shirt, so sometimes it looks a little wonky.

{three} nursing tank. I had a few simple nursing tanks from Target but I never really liked them too much. they were ill-fitting & seemed redundant since I was wearing a nursing bra (so many clips!). I figured if I found just a simple stretchy tank top I could just pull the front down when I nursed. plus, wearing a tank under your shirt when you are nursing is nice if you have a shirt that has to be lifted up during a feeding (I still wear a tank under everything these days!). the H&M Basic Tank fits perfectly & is $6 so you can stock up! I like this one because it doesn’t have a built-in shelf bra; maybe this is a personal preference, but having that additional bra inside was really uncomfortable for me. if you don’t mind the built-in bra, Target has some similar tank tops.

{four} nursing pads. if you are nursing, you will more than likely need nursing pads. they are good for absorbing extra milk (& preventing leakage thru your shirt) & will prevent any ointment or cream that you are using from getting onto your bra &/or shirt. there are two different types of nursing pads – disposable & reusable – & I am most definitely in the reusable camp. I found that disposable pads are really scratchy & not very comfortable; on the other hand, you don’t have to do laundry if you run out. my preferred nursing pads were Bamboobies & I still use them if I have extra supply or any leakage. & while Bamboobies makes thicker overnight pads, I used these Satsuma Organic ones which were great for nighttime.

{five} sleepmask. while the old adage “sleep while baby sleeps” is somewhat misleading, I did find that I was sleeping during the day quite a bit those first few weeks (okay months). I had always used a sleepmask when I was traveling, but daytime naps before I was pregnant weren’t really a thing. but, since I did sleep during the day when eloise was very little & we didn’t have a window covering on our bedroom window, I found that a sleepmask was imperative! the one that I have is my favorite & I have had it for years; it is silky on the inside & the elastic isn’t too tight around my head. this is the Sleepmask that is shown above.

{six} reusable water bottle. yep, same bottle as in my pregnancy essentials post. I think it sort of goes without saying that you need to stay hydrated during recovery from childbirth (natural or c-section) & for nursing. if you are anything like me, you will be so thirsty post-partum that you can’t get enough to drink (I was the same way with food those first months – so hungry!). I kept my Camelback Eddy Insulated Water Bottle on the sidetable in the nursery, upstairs near the couch, & at my bedside – one each place. I wanted to be sure that I never was without water & the last thing I needed to do was haul around a water bottle (since I was already trying to keep track of my phone for pictures & tracking feedings, & eloise!). you could also leave glasses of water in various parts of your house too, but I am way too clumsy for that!

the other thing that should have made this list was nursing bras! I waited until after my milk came in to go & get fitted, just because I wanted to make sure I was getting the right size (& bras are not cheap!). my advice is to get a few really comfy nursing bras from Target that fit you in the last few weeks of your pregnancy, & then wait until you are ready to venture out with the babe to your local Nordstrom* & get fitted. Nordstrom will convert any bra into a nursing bra, so don’t feel limited by what small selection of nursing bras are in the store. it is going to be a bit of a splurge, but if you plan on breast-feeding for any length of time, stock up on bras! also consider buying a bra (or two, or even a supportive nursing tank top) for nighttime. (& if you don’t have a Nordstrom where you live, ask around to see where other mamas got nursing bras locally. the best thing you can do is go get fitted so you are wearing the right size.)

fellow mamas – what were your post-partum must-haves?

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*this isn’t a plug for Nordstrom & I was in no way compensated for or asked to talk about Nordstrom, it is just the only place I know that converts bras to nursing bras. if you are crafty though, you could probably DIY it!

my weekend in pictures.

{I ordered this Life in Play tote organizer & it came friday. essentially you can turn any tote bag into a diaper bag. yes, please! I love my diaper bag, but I need some diversity. I have been using it with my old trusty Madewell tote & my bag is slightly narrow for the organizer, but it works well!}

{eloise spends much of her playtime with a toy in her mouth & one in each hand. definitely an only child who doesn’t attend daycare!}

{we can’t seem to get enough of the local strawberries. I picked up two cartons on saturday afternoon & by sunday morning they were gone! we finally introduced them to eloise & she loves them, though I did notice a slight rash on her face this morning. better watch that strawberry juice in the future.}

{eloise has started to discover the world beyond her nursery door.}

{this is her new favorite thing to do: pull out all of the books. this evening I moved some books around & added a few of eloise’s books & toys to the shelf. if she is going to explore in that area, I might as well make it eloise-friendly!}

{sadie is pretty unsure of eloise’s mobility.}

{eloise’s favorite things these days are non-toys. like water bottles. she spent about 15 minutes with this one & giggling & laughing. it was adorable!}

we had a pretty low-key weekend with not a lot of plans. so I just took pictures of eloise! it was so, so hot here & it zapped the energy right out of me. way too hot for june! we have had fans running all weekend all over the house in order to stay cool. how was your weekend?

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