what we're into...

i have about 10 blog posts in my head but i keep getting sidetracked. before they're lost for good (pregnancy seems to be taking a huge toll on my brain) i thought i'd stick them all into 1 post--here goes. 

here's what we're into these days: 

1. consignment shops--i'm slowly building lucy a fall/winter wardrobe based pretty much on just what i can find used at local consignment shops. we happen to have some great ones around here that carry mostly high end, like-new-condition things. i've even found some great items in the newborn section at our local thrift store--a real dive establishment but good for a great deal once in awhile. 

the obvious benefit to buying used is that it keeps items going--a lot of children's clothing (especially baby items) have tons of life left in them. plus, non-organic pieces have been washed multiple times, which pretty much gets rid of residual pesticides and chemicals in the cotton. 

i don't claim to be anything less of a clothes snob when it comes to what i put on my kid--generally, not just anything will do, as bad as that sounds. but i'm truly surprised at the great finds (and prices) that i've come across in recent weeks. one of these finds was actually not for lucy, but for the new baby--

on the left, a bummis fleece diaper cover, on the right, a nicki's wool wrap. in the middle--i don't know. but it is one of the nicest newborn diapers that i have ever seen, and i am in love with it. if anyone has any ideas what this diaper is, please let me know, as i would like to get a couple more. 

2. food as decor--we've been overrun with basil lately from both our farm box and our own plants. i keep meaning to get around to making pesto to freeze, but it never seems to happen. until then, i'm using our farm box basil as a centerpiece on our kitchen table. it's cute, smells nice, and lasts a really long time--much longer than cut flowers and it doesn't drop pollen. 

3. born free 9 ounce glass bottles--we've always done glass bottles for lucy (on the rare occasion that she bottlefed over breastfeeding) but used the 4 ounce evenflo glass bottles. now that she's older, mostly weaned and taking a 5-8 ounces of milk before bed, she needed a bigger bottle. instead of using the bigger evenflo bottles, i opted for the born free. why? because the wide-neck option works with the sippy nipple. lucy has never been attached to the bottle nipple and i didn't see any reason to get her started on one. i love that these bottles can be put directly into the microwave (minus the nipple, of course) instead of having to heat the milk in a separate container. we've yet to break any of our glass bottles, which was my only concern with glass. 

4. snapea crisps--i get them at trader joe's or in the natural foods section at the grocery store. and yes, i am well aware that these aren't exactly health food. but they have a short ingredient list and are very good--lucy and i love them. the only problem i have is eating most of the bag in one sitting. it could be worse. 

5. fair trade, organic coffee--yes, i have started making my own coffee. it's not anything fancy, but i do feel good about spending my money on a fair trade product (which we all know starbucks is not). and i'm not making trash with the paper cup. and i'm saving money. and i don't have to drive anywhere to get it. and the milk i put in it is organic (again, not at starbucks). really it's a better choice for me all the way around--and not as hard as i thought it would be, either. i was surprised to find quite a few organic, fair trade options at trader joes for only slightly more than their non-organic beans. 

wow, that's big

6. repurposing--is that a big ol' vintage carpenter's box hanging on my wall? why yes, it is. and it's holding a ton of stuff that used to be scattered around the kitchen--important papers, cloth napkins, washcloths for lucy, notepads, bills, keys, reusable bags, my wallet and more. now everything's in one place. and i'm starting to get used to the look of a huge box mounted on the wall in my kitchen! the box was found out at the alameda antique fair last weekend for $20. 

7. waffles & pancakes made from scratch--i can't claim to be the breakfast cook in this house, but ever since i stopped buying mix from trader joes, jeremy has been cooking up some good stuff, all on his own. you might be surprised to know how few ingredients in takes to make your own organic dry mix--i was, anyway. we've even been making the waffles on our vintage waffle maker--super fancy!

8. our new (double) stroller--specifically, the phil & teds vibe. i wouldn't even come close to mentioning it on this blog, except for the fact that we got it USED on craigslist. and, i was able to sell my single stroller on craigslist. so it's like i broke even in the world of stuff. except for the fact that i ended up roughly $500 poorer when all was said and done. babies are expensive, no?

anyway, this is proving to be a great stroller. we've had it for a couple of months and lucy really digs it--she never stayed long in the chicco that we had. maybe she's just maturing, or maybe this stroller really is a comfier ride. it's surely a smoother push for me, anyway. 

9. eating outside--lucy and i have been trying to eat lunch outside as much as possible--no high chairs required. it's not a huge adaptation from our regular course-of-day--we spend lots of time outside. but bringing the food out and sitting on the deck has just become a really nice way to spend time with my girl--likely because she's sitting instead of in a constant state of motion!

10. handmade body products--i picked up a jar of handmade "mama's belly balm" while at a farmer's market/street fair in grass valley a month or so ago. a total out-of-the-blue purchase. it's made with fair trade, organic and garden-grown ingredients, no synthetics, and i ended liking it so much (especially when it cured a case of super-dry-camping-skin on lucy's back) that on our trip last week i found the same vendor and bought her calendula baby cream. i am always pretty skeptical of handmade body ingredients (having made some crappy ones of my own), but i got a truly great vibe from the woman who makes the stuff, and i am very pleased with the quality of her products. and i love the idea of supporting an independent merchant over a large company. 

i think that's it for now, people. my brain is empty. it feels nice.