It's a ... BOY

We are so overjoyed to welcome this little man to our family! Our little Hudson came into the world September 13th and has been brightening our lives every day since. It has been a whirlwind, but we could not be more thankful for this incredible little life we've been entrusted with. I've been learning so many lessons that I think are worth sharing, so those will come soon, maybe after a bit more sleep. Thank you so much to our amazing friends and family who have been an incredible support, and shown Hudson more love already than we could have asked for. He has truly been welcomed into the world surrounded by the most amazing people!

Popcorn Bar Recipes

The popcorn bar included in the baby shower post here has gotten a little attention, so I decided to post the recipes.

 

We made A TON of popcorn and had leftovers for a good week. You can pop as much as you want and alter the recipes accordingly.

Basic Popped Corn

• use the biggest pot you have
• cover the bottom of the pot with a decent amount of canola, coconut, or grapeseed oil (I use grapeseed oil for the savory flavors and canola or coconut oil for the sweet flavors)
• most say to use a 4 to 1 ratio of popcorn to oil, so 1/4 cup of corn to 2 tablespoons of oil, 1/4 cup of corn will equal about the same amount as a bag of microwave popcorn
• heat the oil up and put 3 kernels in, once those 3 pop, the oil is hot enough
• pour in enough kernels to cover the bottom of the pot
• put on the lid, swirl it around, put back on the heat, and let it pop away
• once the popping stops it's about done, don't leave it on too long or the steam will make it chewy
• remove lid and pour into paper bag to add toppings (about 3 tablespoons of butter will cover 1/4 cup of popped corn)

Italian Herb

• melt butter
• add Italian seasoning and parsley flakes (be as liberal or conservative as you like)
• drizzle over popped corn, and shake until all the popcorn is covered

Garlic Parmesan

• drizzle melted butter over popped corn
• immediately sprinkle granulated garlic, freshly grated parmesan cheese, and salt over popped corn (*note* do not add extra salt if you're using garlic salt instead of granulated garlic) 

Muddy Buddy

• I used the normal Muddy Buddy recipe found here but cooked it on the oven in a double boiler instead of the microwave
• pour the chocolate mixture into the pot of popped corn and mix to coat, then pour into paper bag with powdered sugar and shake to evenly coat

Kettle Corn

• begin to heat oil as described above in the basic recipe, as oil is heating add 2 tablespoons of sugar, add corn in the sugar oil mixture, shaking pot frequently, it will be done when the corn stops popping like normal 

Carmel Corn

• I use this recipe, here, and substitute honey for the corn syrup

The toppings I put out were: marshmallows, peanuts, chocolate chips, and butterscotch chips. There are tons of different things you could do for this!

Enjoy :)

Summer Hair

1 . PUT IN A LEAVE-IN-CONDITIONER BEFORE YOU GO
Massaging some leave-in-conditioner into the ends of your hair before you go will provide protection against sun, salt-water, and wind.

2 . WEAR A HAT OR SCARF
The sun’s harsh rays not only damage your skin, they also take a toll on your beautiful locks and can alter your color if it has been treated. Wearing a hat or scarf are great ways to prevent this. My amazing hairstylist recently told me about hair sunscreen which I am yet to try.

3 . STYLE WITHOUT A PART
The top of your head is the most exposed to the sun and typically not protected with sunscreen. Especially if you’re not going to be wearing a hat or scarf choose a style like a messy bun or pony tail, without a part, this will prevent the uncomfortable scalp sunburn that can come after a day at the beach.

4 . RINSE AFTER GOING IN THE WATER
While the salty water often creates great waves and curls, it also strips your hair of many natural oils leaving it dry and brittle. Combine this dryness with the wind you typically find near the shore and your hair is incredibly susceptible to breakage. So rinse your hair with clean water after getting out of the ocean and prevent it from breaking and drying out.

5 . SPRAY WITH COCONUT OIL
After you get out of the water and rinse your hair, replenish your mane with the oils it’s been stripped of by spraying a coconut oil mixture onto your hair. To make this coconut oil spray mix one part melted coconut oil with one part clean water in a spray bottle. If the bottle is in your bag at the beach the sun will keep it liquid and perfect to spray on your hair.

 

Mr. and I headed a few hours out of LA LA Land this past weekend for one last time away before peanut gets here. After a season of non-stop go go go we needed this break more than we even realized. From Friday evening to Monday afternoon we embraced all that the relaxation could offer! I turned my phone off for the entire weekend and it was LIBERATING! I have done this once or twice in the past, and it is seriously amazing. To be disconnected from the constant attack of social media and just being so connected to everything all the time is sooo good! Seriously - try it sometime - even just for a few hours. Anyways, we sat by the pool, slept, and ate delicious food. Thanking the Lord repeatedly for this time of rest and cherishing such sweet time with my amazing husband. Here are a few pics -Baci Baci

 

 

Growin!

Well little peanut is growing away! Third trimester, check!

I cannot believe how fast this time has gone! In the beginning 9 months felt forever away, and now that the time is quickly approaching I feel like I'll never be ready on time. God clearly knows we need these 9 months to prepare, mentally, emotionally, obviously physically (on baby's end at least). But as is true with just about every big and new thing in life, we are as ready as God sees that we need to be - maybe not as ready as we think we should be. But His ways truly are higher than ours.

This little surprise - which was a huge surprise - has become one of the greatest blessings in my life already. His greatest gifts in my life always seem to be the most unexpected ones. Taking a moment to stop the craziness and be thankful. baci baci

A little photo update from a recent afternoon in the park with my talented Mr.



WASH your fruits & veggies

I do not claim to be a whiz in the kitchen or a master of the agricultural process that takes place to grow our food. But I do have a little observation and a love for documentaries about the food industry. Whatever your views, this is the most practical thing I've learned in a while. We don't buy 100% organic, would love to, but financially it's just a non-opt. right now. I make sure to check the tags on our produce to make sure they are non GMO. This is a great article about what the infamous "GMO" means, and how to read the label to know if your food is or isn't. Whatever you're buying I HIGHLY recommend using this cleaning method. Lots of companies have various "produce cleansers" - I'm not going to lie - I'm a little skeptical about rinsing the chemicals off my fruits and veggies with ... another chemical ... seems self-defeating. Anyways - here's the easiest, cheapest, and, in my opinion, BEST method to clean your produce.

 

1. fill large pot or sink about 3/4 full with cool water

2. add about 1/2 cup of white distilled vinegar

3. let your produce soak for 5-10 minutes

4. dump vinegar water, rinse with clean water

5. eat or store your freshly cleaned veggies

 

What you will see by doing this ...

-a disgusting chemical film on the surface of the water before you dump it

-your produce will last longer without going bad

-your produce even tastes better

 

*don't worry - this doesn't leave your produce tasting vinegary

 

Enjoy <3 - baci baci



Motherhood

They read this at church today, and I thought it was so encouraging and sobering. I'm not sure where they got it, but I hope it blesses all of you <3 baci baci

To those who gave birth this year to their first child—we celebrate with you

To those who lost a child this year – we mourn with you

To those who are in the trenches with little ones every day and wear the badge of food stains – we appreciate you

To those who experienced loss this year through miscarriage, failed adoptions, or running away—we mourn with you

To those who walk the hard path of infertility, fraught with pokes, prods, tears, and disappointment – we walk with you. Forgive us when we say foolish things. We don’t mean to make this harder than it is.

To those who are foster moms, mentor moms, and spiritual moms – we need you

To those who have warm and close relationships with your children – we celebrate with you

To those who have disappointment, heart ache, and distance with your children – we sit with you

To those who lost their mothers this year – we grieve with you

To those who experienced abuse at the hands of your own mother – we acknowledge your experience

To those who lived through driving tests, medical tests, and the overall testing of motherhood – we are better for having you in our midst

To those who will have emptier nests in the upcoming year – we grieve and rejoice with you

And to those who are pregnant with new life, both expected and surprising –we anticipate with you

This Mother’s Day, we walk with you. Mothering is not for the faint of heart and we have real warriors in our midst. We remember you."