A Sling and My Boobs

Ila's Room.  Many hours spent rocking in this chair.
Not many sleeping in the crib.

Well, I think it might be true what they say. It is just different with a second child. We had everything under the sun that a baby could possibly need/want weeks before Ila was born. We had a huge baby shower where we got so much stuff, we couldn't fit it all in the car to take home and had to have our families bring some of it with them. We had a nursery decorated and furnished with a crib, comfy rocking chair, changing table and everything we thought we needed. She had so many clothes that she didn't end up wearing a lot of them. When I think about how much money was wasted, I cringe.

Look at all this stuff.  This isn't even half of it.

This time around is completely different. This baby is not getting a nursery at all. We are not getting a crib or any other furniture really. Ila never really slept in her crib so we are not purchasing a large item until we know that this baby will use it. We will put all of the baby's clothes and other items in Ila's room and closet. We did pretty good getting most things gender neutral with Ila so we don't need many supplies at all. We used cloth diapers so we don't even need diapers! All we really need for this baby for the first part of his/her life is a new sling and my boobs.

Even though we don't need much for awhile, we decided to register anyways for any friends or family members that would like to get us something to help us out. We found quite a few things that are not necessary but that would help make our life a little easier. If you would like to check it out, we are registered at myregistry.com under Dru or Brandi Wolfe.   I used other mom's registries as a guide to making ours.

Although we don't need a lot of things, we still want to celebrate the fact that we are a bringing a baby into this world!  We are doing this by having blessingway-type celebrations.  We are not asking for gifts but more for support and love.  Figuring out what we need is making me very excited and I can't wait to get together with our family and friends to celebrate! 

How did you/are you going to celebrate the upcoming arrival of your baby?  What do you think is essential for a baby registry? 

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Shrimp and Quinoa (Instead of Grits)

I love quinoa and so does my two and a half year old. If you have not tried it yet, do so soon!

I am lucky enough to live in the low country where shrimp and grits is easy to come by. It is made differently depending on where you go. I had a version of shrimp and quinoa at a restaurant and it was delicious! I wanted to make it at home one day but I could not find a recipe for it anywhere so I decided to come up with my own. I measure most things with my eyes and do a lot of taste testing so don't take my measurements too seriously.  Don't plan on having leftovers!

* 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
* juice of 1 lemon
* hot sauce
* salt
* pepper
* 1 cups quinoa
* 4 cups chicken stock
* 6 thick slices bacon, chopped
* 1 small onion, finely chopped
* 1 green bell pepper, chopped
* 3 garlic cloves (but we love garlic), minced
* 2 scallions
* 2 tablespoons flour
* 1 to 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
* ½ cup (or however much you want) Asiago cheese
* chives

Preparation
· Combine the shrimp with the lemon juice and a couple of generous splashes of hot pepper sauce. Let sit while you work on everything else.

· Make the quinoa according to package instructions. Usually 1 cup of quinoa and 1½ cups chicken stock. I cook the quinoa in olive oil for a minute or two before adding the stock.
· While the quinoa simmers, fry the bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat until brown but still limp. Stir in the onion, green pepper, and garlic and continue cooking until the onion and pepper are soft but still have a bite to them, about 5 minutes.

 Add the scallions, sprinkle the flour over the mixture, and continue sautéing for 5 minutes longer. Stir in the stock and salt and pepper to taste and cook for 5 minutes longer. Remove from the heat while you finish the quinoa.
· When the quinoa is translucent, stir in as much butter as you like, followed by the cheese. Add a splash of hot pepper sauce and additional salt if you like.
· Return the gravy to medium heat and stir in the shrimp.

 Cook until the shrimp are opaque throughout, about 5 minutes.

Serve immediately, mounding the quinoa in large shallow bowls or on plates and covering them with shrimp and gravy. Top with chives and enjoy!

And this is what it looks like at the end of dinner!

Did you make this recipe?  I would love to hear what you think! Pin It

How Do I Prepare My Daughter for the Loss of Her Pet?

We recently discovered that our sweet boxer, Molson, has cancer. Because of the cancer's location and the fact that it is very aggressive, there is not much we can do about it. We are working with a holistic vet and giving him different supplements and herbs to help with inflammation and to keep him comfortable. He is showing no signs of discomfort yet besides being a little tired.




He has been a wonderful dog for the past eight years but especially for the past two and a half. He became very protective and never left my side when I was pregnant with Ila and then he welcomed her into our home. The poor thing has allowed her to pull his ears, ride him like a pony, dress him up for tea parties, and I'm sure a lot more that I'm not even aware of. He barks like a crazy dog every time someone comes near our home which makes me feel very safe, especially since my husband's job requires him to spend every third night away.





Ila loves him so much and calls him “my Molson”. She tells random strangers about him and is so proud. She has never experienced any type of loss and I am trying to learn how to approach this. I have no intention of lying to her or lessening the severity of it. I wish I could keep sadness from her always but life doesn't work that way. I want her to feel sadness without thinking it is wrong or just working on trying to fix it. I want her to know the sadness that she feels is okay and that we will go through this as a family and although she will always miss her pet, if she handles her feelings in a healthy way, the pain will lessen and she will feel happy again.



I don't want to tell her that he is sick, hurt or old. I don't want her to be afraid the next time Daddy gets sick, she gets hurt, or she thinks Mommy is old, that we will go away and never come back. I don't want her to be afraid that everyone she knows is going to die or be afraid that she is going to die herself. I don't want to tell her he went to sleep and isn't waking up. I don't want to tell her that he is leaving and isn't coming back. I don't want her to be afraid of going to sleep or leaving. I don't think I want to deal with it in a religious or spiritual way. I don't think she would understand “heaven” or “a better place”. I want to confuse her as little as possible. I don't want her to think he is hanging out somewhere else and might come back.



I think she is at a very difficult age for this, not that any age is easy. She is old enough to understand and notice that he is not around but too young to really grasp the concept. Another issue is that we are expecting a baby in the same time frame that the doctor has given Molson. I don't want her entire life to change at once or think that we made Molson leave because we needed room for baby.



Well, I guess I have an entire list of things I don't want to do, now I need to figure out what to do. I am going to do some research on the subject and then write another post for things I am going to do. Have you had to deal with this? What did you do? How did your children react? I am open to any suggestions. Pin It

My Daddy is a Firefighter

For Dru's Thirtieth Birthday I wanted to do something special. We are by no means rich and he has been working really hard around here since I have become pregnant. I decided to do thirty, mostly small, gifts in thirty days (working on the post, I'm very proud of myself). I just wanted to share his favorite gift. I wrote the poem one afternoon and got in touch with Sugardoodle Designs to make the gift extra special. With a beautiful design and quick response time, they were a pleasure to work with. Exactly what I wanted.


The poem reads:

My Daddy is a Firefighter

My Daddy goes to work
And he is well prepared
He loves his job because
He helps people hurt or scared

Sharing him is my job
Though it's hard everyday
I'm so proud of him
And I know I must be brave

I think of him at night
When I lay down my head
I wish my daddy was home
To snuggle in our bed

Mommy and I say, “Be safe”
As he turns to leave
I smile and wave and pray
Please come home to me

I have to say, it was a bigger hit than I thought it would be. Especially for someone that is extremely difficult to buy for and also doesn't wear his feelings on his sleeve. I know he loves it. Gifts from the heart are always the best!

I am so excited to announce that this print is now available for purchase!  Head over to Sugardoodle Designs on Etsy for one of your very own!!  http://www.etsy.com/listing/107795885/my-daddy-is-a-firefighter-firefighter Pin It

Getting My Best Tan

I know every person's skin type is different. I am not a doctor. These are simply things that work for me to avoid burning. Know yourself and your skin type and use common sense when working on soaking up your vitamin D. :)

            When I was young, I rarely burned. I would spend hours in the pool and turn a beautiful golden brown. As I got older, I started to notice that I would burn more easily and when I did tan, it was not that same bronze color. I always had a red tint to my skin. I have made quite a few lifestyle changes and I have noticed that my tan has changed as well. When I am expecting to have a sunburn, I don't. Even if I do turn a little pink, it will turn to brown by the next day. My color has turned to a more golden color and it doesn't fade as fast. I started looking into it and these are a few of the things I do that I believe help me get my best tan and keep it!
               1. Cut out Processed Foods. You are what you eat and when the sun reacts to the trans fats and other chemicals in the food we eat, we get a sunburn, one that could be damaging, leading to skin cancer. Eat real, whole foods all the time for best results but at the very least, don't pick up fast food on your way to the beach.
               2. Spend more time in the sun. So often people spend their days in doors and then choose to spend ten hours on the beach on the first hot day of the year. I am lucky enough to live in the south with plenty of sun shining days. We try to spend at least 15 minutes outside in the sun everyday. We don't always get to, but that is our goal. We also don't use sunscreen during our 15 minutes outside.
               3. Coconut Oil. Okay, I might have a slight addiction to coconut oil. We use it all the time. I keep it in my kitchen to use in place of other oils and butters. I keep it in my bathroom to use as a moisturizer and as an ingredient in toothpaste and also for oil pulling. There are so many benefits to using coconut oil and these are only a few of the ways we use it. It is also a natural sunscreen.
               4. Vitamin D. I take 5000 ius of vitamin D3 everyday. On days when we are not in the sun at all or just need the extra boost, I take up to 10,000 ius. Most of us are vitamin D deficient which can cause so many health problems. I believe that keeping up on my vitamin D helps my skin in the sun.
               5. Dry Brushing. I am somewhat new to dry brushing. I haven't been doing it for a real long time, but the results are almost immediate. I use a loofah before I get in the shower and just brush my skin. Start away from your body and brush towards your heart. It is a great way to exfoliate, detoxify, and improve circulation, all of which can help with your tan. It also helps reduce cellulite. Find out more on the benefits of dry brushing.
               6. Natural Sunscreens or none at all. We do not wear sunscreen every time we are in the sun.  We don't use sunscreen for a few hours at the park.  We use sunscreen when we are going to spend the day at the beach or pool or any situation where we will be in direct sunlight for a few hours at a time. We never use higher than 30 SPF. Most sunscreens contain ingredients that actually cause cancer. 84% of them according to this article. Check out this site to find the best sunscreens and other sun safety information. If we are outside for most of the day, we try to spend some time in the shade to take a break from the rays.
               Basically what it comes down to in protecting my skin and getting my best tan, is the way I feel about most things. Stay away from as many chemicals and toxins as possible, look to nature, and know and trust my body. Don't be afraid of the sun. Enjoy the outdoors and the summer that lies ahead of us! Pin It