Merry Christmas!

Happy Christmas! <3, MiddleCoastMommy

Music for Christmas Eve

Here is a favorite Christmas tune to dance to. Can you tell I like the "oldies?" Enjoy! ;)

Top 5 Natural Beauty Favorites of 2013

Here are my top 5 favorite natural beauty products of 2013!

• bareMinerals READY Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF 20: With the right brushes this powder foundation can be used both as a concealer and foundation. It not only feels lightweight but also covers and is long lasting.
  
• Tarte's Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara: Not only does this mascara condition my eye lashes, but really makes them pop. 
  
• Aveda Brilliant Conditioner: I have curly hair and curly hair tends to be on the drier side, and this conditioner has done wonders for my curls! 
  
• Burt's Bees Orange Essence Facial Cleanser: Not only does this cleanser smell amazing, but it also makes my face feel ultimately refreshed afterwards!
  
• Aveda Hand Relief: This lotion smells and feels so good that it's not just me who loves it, but my husband too!
  

Hope you enjoy my favorites, and feel free to share some of yours too!

Cold Weather Fun

To beat cabin fever during those cold winter months, I suggest getting outdoors whenever possible! Living in the midwest you can easily see freezing temps, like tonight when we're -4 degrees with a feel like temperature of -17. So obviously be choosy when you take those adventures. If you do decide to go outside make sure that your little one is dressed in head to toe winter weather gear. When Zooey plays outside she is in snow boots, snow pants, snow coat, snow mittens and a snow hat (literally head to toe winter weather gear). One of her favorite winter activities is riding in the boggon  (has a safety strap and all) as I pull her along, weaving in and out of our front and backyard.

So even though we're "adults" feel free to be a kid again and play with your kid(s) in the snow: snowmen, snowball fights, sledding, ice skating, "snow" castle, snow fort, snow igloo,
cross-country ski, snow angels, and so on.

And if the cold weather gets you down? Put on some island music, turn up the heat, and dance around (inside) in your swimsuits! ;)

Zooey's First Birthday!

Zooey's First Birthday

November 29th marked Zooey's 1st birthday! I feel so blessed to have her in my life, the experience of being a mommy, and all my family and friends who have been there for us. It's truly been a remarkable and unforgettable year. Love you all!


The Sunday after her Birthday we threw a little party for immediate family. I used Paper-Source Fox Place Card Kit to create adorable

Foldable Fox Invitations

invitations. Since it took place in the afternoon we made yummy snack food: Roasted Sweet and Spicy Nuts, Puppy Chow (or during the holidays you can call it Reindeer Food!), carrots and dip, and homemade chocolate cake with whipped vanilla frosting. 

Birthday Cake

Zooey loved seeing her family and getting cute gifts!

Birthday Fun

On another note, since December's holidays reminds people of family and giving I thought it'd be appropriate to pick the Meg Meeker, M.D. book "The 10 Habits of Happy Mothers: Reclaiming Our Passion, Purpose and Sanity" as December's read! Mother's so often want give to others and make others happy, but sometimes forget about themselves. As Meeker states, "Feeling good about your value to them [your children] is important because the better you feel, the better your relationship with them will be and the happier both of you will be. Sounds simple, but understanding our value and then feeling good about the mothers that we are (or maybe even saying it out loud!) is one of the toughest challenges we mothers face."

The Middle Place

Corrigan and her girls

"This is exactly what being an adult is--leaving a voicemail for the national expert in urology while scrubbing out the grime that builds up inside the lid of a sippy cup. Keeping your toddler from opening
the bathroom door while you inject a thousand dollars' worth of Neupogen into your thigh so you can keep up your white blood cell count. Untangling a pink princess boa while wondering if you are a month away from losing both breasts, both ovaries, and your father." -Kelly Corrigan, The Middle Place

Corrigan with her father

The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan is a book about a woman who battles breast cancer while being married with two young children and a lovable father who also has been diagnosed with cancer. She jumps back and forth between stories of her past with her stages of facing cancer. Corrigan reveals emotional and personal accounts that gives the reader an intimate look at her life. It is a life-like read that can seem harsh but has the sweet rewards that only life brings.

Bébé Day By Day

A couple months ago I was pleased to see that Pamela Druckerman came out with a companion to Bringing Up Bébé: One American Mother Discovers The Wisdom of French Parenting. Druckerman is an American journalist who has written for The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and The Washington Post just to name a few. Her work has also been shared on Good Morning America, the Today Show, National Public Radio, BBC Women's Hour and Oprah.com. 

Before writing about French parenting, she met and married Simon Kuper, a British author who writes about sports with an anthropologic perspective. Soon after, they got married and began calling Paris, France home. Next thing you know they were expecting a child, and she started realizing how different French parenting was from that of the United States. So looking at it from a journalist perspective she wrote "Bringing up Bébé," which was a book that I found rather amusing. It was an interesting and sometimes even humorous read about the French culture through her eyes while I took in some tips, and strengthened some of my own parenting beliefs.

Pamela Druckerman's companion read is "Bébé Day by Day: 100 Keys to French Parenting." It's a quick read and does exactly what the title suggests. She has ten themes with ten French parenting keys each. Each key consists of a couple paragraphs explaining it. She even includes her favorite recipes from the Parisian Crèche (otherwise known as a daycare) and has an example of the daily menu you would find in a Crèche for birth-3 years old.

Druckerman does not push a parenting philosophy, but rather she reports on how the French parent, and as a reader you can take it how you want to view it. Personally, I do not brand myself as a particular type of parent, such as the tough loving Tiger Mother or Attachment Parent. Parenting philosophies depend on cultures and family dynamics so it is hard to say one is right and the other is wrong. 

But with that in mind here are 10 of my favorite French Parenting Keys from Pamela Druckerman:

1. "In the French telling, the resulting zen maman pops out a zen bébé, and a calm pregnancy sets the tone for calm parenting."

2. "It is never too early to start modeling good manners."

3. "[Babies] Connecting sleep cycles is a skill. A few lucky babies are born with it. Most have to practice before they master it."

4. "Food guides suggest getting beyond "I like it" / "I don't like it" and instead asking questions such as: Are the apples sour or sweet? How does mackerel taste different from salmon? Which is better—red-leaf lettuce or arugula?    Treat food as an endless conversation starter."

5. "French mothers want to spend time with their offspring. But they also think it's crucial that kids socialize with people who are equally enchanted by fire engines and princess paraphernalia. They want their children to learn how to make friends, to wait their turns, and to get along in a group."

6. "Scientists have found that kids become good at waiting once they learn how to distract themselves—by inventing a little song or burping at themselves in the mirror, for instance. This makes the waiting bearable."

7. "If you can get a grandparent or trusted relative on board, let your child spend some time away from you."

8. "They [frenchwomen] don't sex it up to overcompensate (there's no French equivalent of MILF, because in France there's no reason why a mom wouldn't be sexy)."

9. "He's cuddly, he's adorable, and your mother loves him. But your child shouldn't permanently nudge your partner out of the picture."

10. "As the French say, you're not disciplining, you're giving the child an education, an ongoing process that starts when kids are very young." 

If these keys seem interesting to you pick up a copy of Druckerman's book. And Happy Reading!

UW Madison Arboretum

Here are some of my favorite photos from our visit to UW Madison Arboretum.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween from Middle Coast Mommy!

Easy Front Door Chic-ify

Front Door Before and After

About a year ago, when I was 8 months pregnant, my husband and I moved into a historic tudor-style home in which ivy warmed the brick and one would imagine Little Red Riding Hood or a hobbit resided in. One of my favorite features is the rounded front door, and to emphasis this I decided to paint it red. It
was a perfect small project to spruce up the front of the house and just in time for the fall weather!

Chic Entrance

Chic-ify

Baby Weight Update

I'm happy to say that between a May and October wedding, I went from a size 10 dress to size 4! Thank you healthy eating and exercise! :)

9 Months Pregnant November 2012, May & October Wedding 2013

Baby Room Arts & Crafts

Since I started this blog about 9 months after I had my lovely daughter, Zooey, I never got a chance to share with you some cute arts & crafts in her room.

A Cozy Corner

Bonjour Painting

Upon entering her room, you're greeting with my "Bonjour" painting. It was a quick and fun creation. First I drew the layout on the canvas, painted it using matte acrylic paints, and finished it by painting along the edges creating a pseudo frame. Acrylic dries fairly quickly so this painting was ready to be displayed and enjoyed.

Z for Zooey

A Puffy Letter Z

My fabric "Z" letter was created after she was born since at the time we didn't know if we were having a boy or girl. Using a wooden "Z", I traced the shape on a fluffy wool, and covered the wood and fluff with fabric to match her room.

Moon & Stars Mobile

A Hand Painted Z

The last arts & crafts I wanted to share is a mobile that my talented sister and her boyfriend made for Zooey. At the moment we have it hanging next to a window above a bookshelf filled with board books and stuffed animals and lovies for Zooey to cozy up to.

Milk Madness

Say No to Frankenfood

Normally when I cozy up to my "Experience Life" magazine, I feel inspired to live a healthier and happier life for me and my family, but tonight instead of inspired I felt disgusted. 

When I opened up to the "Got Aspartame?" article I was mortified by the idea that apparently milk producers are hoping to make milk taste sweeter by adding aspartame to it. Milk producers are currently trying to convince the FDA to not only allow aspartame in milk but also allow it to only be listed in a fine print ingredient label instead of the front. 

So my plead to any readers, please read the ingredients in the food you or your family eat. Just because it seems ridiculous doesn't mean that these companies aren't doing it. And even if the FDA approves it (aspartame in milk or any other sort of frankenfood), don't buy it. What you purchase is basically a vote. You are voting for what you want, what you believe should be on the shelf, and what companies should sell. These businesses take note to trends, and if we avoid buying products with certain ingredients the companies should eventually notice. 

One last note, be careful of "greenwashing!" Some companies will advertise how healthy they are on the front, but if you flip the product over and read the ingredients sometimes you would be surprised what is in it! A personal example of this was a "healthy spinach veggie wrap" was actually made from bleached flour and a green dye was used to make it green (as if it was an actual healthy spinach wrap).

Say no to Frankenfood!

A Madison Outing

Downtown Madison

This past weekend we decided to take a little road trip to Madison, Wisconsin (specifically to get family portraits taken from the lovely and talented Anna). But really for years people have told me that I would love Madison, and they were right; I do love Madison.

Indie Coffee

We started our outing with delicious coffee and food at Indie Coffee. It is an artsy little coffee shop next to UW Madison, so if you could guess on a Sunday afternoon, there were plenty of college students with faces buried in laptops trying to catch up on their latest school work. David enjoyed a Pumpkin Spice Latte and Salami Focaccia Sandwich while I enjoyed an almond milk Mocha and Vegan Mediterranean Veggie Wrap.


Our family portraits were taken at the UW Madison Arboretum, which the trees were beginning to change to the stunning colors of yellow, orange, and red.

The Old Fashioned

Afterwards we dined at The Old Fashioned which is right in Madison Square. The restaurant was solidly packed on a Sunday evening, saturated with personality, and the menu made it difficult to pick just one dish and drink. David drank an Oktoberfest Beer and feasted on a Spicy Burger and fries (impressively the burger came from 100% grass fed cows-which tends to be hard to find and the bbq sauce had the surprising hint of yellow curry). I sipped a deliciously sweet Riesling White Wine and ate a salad filled with plump Door County Cherries alongside flavorful chicken. Not only were the waiters friendly and attentive, but the atmosphere of customers was one of friends, family and good times.

As we drove off after our fun little Madison outing, David and I realized that this one little outing is just the beginning to many more Madison outings to see the variety of lovely things that city has to offer, such as the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, Madison Children's Museum, Henry Vilas Zoo, Olbrich Botanical Gardens, the Madison Public Library, etc. The town is filled with museums, parks, two lakes, kayak rentals, endless mom and pop coffee shops and restaurants. Overall, I can't wait to visit again otherwise watch out I'm moving in!

The Pioneer Woman Book Review

"The week of a girl's wedding was supposed to be a happy time. I should have been leaping gleefully around my parents' house, using a glitter-infused feather duster to sparkle up my wedding gifts, which adorned every flat surface in the house. I should have been eating melon balls and laughing in the kitchen with my mom and sister about how it's almost here! Don't you love this Waterford vase? Oooh, the cake is going to be sooooo pretty. Instead I was in my bathroom holding my face at gunpoint, forcing it to exfoliate on command."
 -The Pioneer Woman: Black Hells to Tractor Wheels A Love Story by Ree Drummond

Originally from Oklahoma, Ree Drummond attended college in LA where she relished in the city life, becoming a health nut-heel wearing-martini drinking-vegetarian. After graduation she decided to end a long term relationship, leave LA and move to the Windy City, Chicago. During this transition, Ree moved back to her parents house in Oklahoma while trying to find the perfect Chicago apartment. One evening, she dressed to the nines, headed to a bar, and met a cowboy, a swoon-worthy cowboy. At that moment she viewed him as her "marlboro man," someone she was head over heels, madly in love with. However, life had other plans and they didn't cross paths again until a few weeks before her big move to Chicago.

"The Pioneer Woman" is a memoir written with honesty, humor, and sarcasm. I caught myself laughing throughout the book and rooting "hurrah!" at points while in others cringing in the tension or dire situations. Overall this was a book that I didn't want to put down. I even laughed at myself thinking that this memoir is the closest romance-novel like book that I have ever read and I'm not ashamed to say I LOVED it!

If you read it too this month, share your thoughts and favorite quote! If you didn't get a chance to read it; find it and read it!

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, October's read will be "The Middle Place" by Kelly Corrigan which is a memoir about a woman who works her way through breast cancer and its impact on her family.

Happy Reading!

Pumpkin Mocha

In celebration of fall, my husband and I started drinking homemade Pumpkin Mochas!

Enjoy this Autumn drink hot or cold!

Ingredients:
*1-2 TBSP Chocolate Syrup
*1-2 TBSP Pumpkin Pie Syrup
*Pumpkin spice or cinnamon
*2-4 shots of espresso
*Almond Milk (or regular depending on your preference)
*A favorite mug!

How To:
*Mix Chocolate and Pumpkin syrup in mug
*Pull espresso shots
*Pour espresso over chocolate and pumpkin syrup and stir
*Steam milk (attempt for the microfoam perfection!) or pour cold over ice
*Sprinkle pumpkin or cinnamon spice on top
*ENJOY!

Hello Autumn!

Zooey's First Pumpkin Patch

Zooey loved touching the pumpkins!

To welcome the new fall season we took a little trip out to an adorable pumpkin patch.

Zooey's mini pumpkin

There were lots of squashes, pumpkins and gourds. Even pumpkins Zooey's size!

Pink Pumpkin

I found a "pink pumpkin," and part of the price for it went to breast cancer research!









We even had fun on a tractor!

Zooey and her tractor

 Next stop: the apple orchard!

Zooey my Apple

Kick Cancer's Bum!

Good friends since high school

It's a surprise when anyone finds out that they have cancer, but it was a huge surprise when I found out that someone very close to me and my own age (mind you that I just turned 28) finds out that they have stage IV colon cancer that has metastasized to the liver.

If you can please donate or send warm wishes to him and his family.

Thank you.

Will Chalkboard for Espresso

Our Espresso Set up

Considering how busy we have become (as new parents) and the cost of a coffee drink, such as a medium mocha with almond milk is about $6; we thought it was time to add an espresso machine to our household. We picked one that is semi-automatic and has pressure bars (without those you are basically making drip coffee from espresso beans).

Yummy Espresso

Luckily one of my jobs when I first graduated college was working at a delicious coffee shop (Grahams 318). I had been trained how to make stellar espresso and microfoam with even non-fat drinks such as almond milk. Once again, lucky for us, we live close to a tasty “Pop” Coffeeshop (Arcedium Coffee House) that roasts their own coffee and espresso beans. So we have direct access to the freshest beans!

Once our espresso machine arrived we realized that it would be hard to tell apart the espresso from the coffee beans since all we had were two lableless white jars to store them in. You guessed it! It was the perfect time to try out the lovely art of chalkboard painting!

Chalk Paint

Instructions:

-Wash soon to be chalkboard

-Either paint tape shape or attach stencil for shape

-Use small foam roller to paint one coat

-Let dry 4 hours

-(Sanding is optional)

-Use small foam roller to paint second coat

-Let dry 4 hours

-(Sanding is optional)

-If need be paint one more time

Chalked Jars
 

-Let dry 3 days

-“Finish” the chalkboard by applying a layer of chalk

-Wash off

-Ready to use!

Now all that is missing is our very own coffee house sign! J