Here's a few things I've been entertaining myself with lately...

My friend Anna just opened a popsicle stand at our farmers' market (see the photo above) and now I'm planning to order this book!

This movie about Coco Chanel called Once Upon a Time, by Karl Lagerfeld was lovely.

I love my friend Lauren's baby name posts. We already have baby girl's name (mostly) decided on but I can't help myself from browsing through them. My favorites were her Last Names As First Names and Old Lady Names! Another great baby name source I discovered is Nameberry - really unique names, categorized in really unique ways.

I've been watching every single episode of Gilmore Girls. (which leads me to my favorite current adivce: Don't judge your pregnant friends.)

My lovely friend, James, made ketchup and I can't wait to try making it myself. We've made lots of barbeque sauce around here, but never ketchup!

I got this Snuza baby monitor after reading this article about it by Danielle... I'm already feeling more relaxed!

Erika featured me on her blog, Rouge+Whimsy. She shared our cooking video and recipe for Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.

Finally, here's a little video that proves that Gigi is, without a doubt, a brewer's daughter...

-I wanted to say THANK YOU for all your sweet comments, love and support regarding our little hospital visit last weekend. I'm feeling better and better each day. We had a very reassuring doctor appointment yesterday and our OB/midwives seem confident that we can get to at least 35 weeks (I'm 32 now). Gigi was born at 39 after I had preterm issues with her, so that's a good sign. I received a series of steroid injections to boost baby girl's lung and intestinal functions, so that makes me feel a little less worried. The whole experience is definitely unnerving and scary but we are doing great thanks to the support of family and friends. I'm doing my best to take it easy, sewing, reading, catching up on computer work, and watching movies. G has been an absolute doll this week... she's taking good care of me.

-My sweet friend, Kyla Roma, shared our cooking video on her blog yesterday... in case you missed it you can watch it here!

-The Q&A on French Kids Eat Everything is coming soon! I got a bit delayed with the hospital visit but I've emailed all your questions off to Karen and will post them as soon as I get her responses. We will also be giving away a copy of French Kids Eat Everything to a reader, so stay tuned.

-You also have until next Tuesday to enter the giveaway from Miss Darling Clemetine!

Have a wonderful weekend!

*photo by my sister: MKM Photography (I'll post my maternity photos she took next week!)

This morning I woke up full of energy... maybe it has something to do with the fact that I spent the majority of the day out of the house yesterday. I had a little photo session in the morning, then I met up with my wonderful friend for breakfast and a day of watching movies, sewing and crafting, and I didn't come home until 8:30. I think it was the first real time I've spent out of the house in months! I grabbed my camera this morning and snapped some photos of our first hour, from 7am-8am...

This girl wakes up hungry! She generally has two eggs scrambled with cottage cheese and a whole wheat waffle or toast.

While Gigi eats breakfast, I start some laundry. I try to do one load a day and it's helpful for me to split our laundry up. Today was a G laundry day which consists of washing all of her blankies. These little security blankets are like her binki. She has two at a time and sucks on them all night which means they need constant washing. I bought her four new ones for a stocking stuffer.

I'm also washing these 3T size pajamas for her since she's moment away from outgrowing her 2T size. She is one tall little girl!

My bedhead and baby bump! It's really starting to show which I love. As weird as pregnancy can be I'm finding myself really enjoying it this time around. Maybe part of that is really understanding what the end result is... I'm so excited to have another!

We got our Christmas tree this weekend and have one little gift under it.

Grey morning clouds over the mountain. We don't get to see the mountain often in the winter but it sure is beautiful when we do.

Yesterday I sewed this little ornament for Gigi. She was frustrated with her lack of participation in the tree so now she has her own little ornament to hang and play with whenever she feels like it!

I'm currently reading Les Misérables and Parenting with Love and Logic. I have had Les Misérables on my shelf for a few years and have been waiting and waiting for the perfect window to read it. I finally started it and then learned about the film coming out. I want to finish it before the release but I highly doubt that's going to happen. As for Parenting... we are heading full-tilt into the twos and we are both wanting to approach these important years ahead with thoughtfulness and patience. This weekend was not an easy one and it's clear that Gigi is beginning to really need our guidance and consistency in a new way.

Morning bath. Why not?

I hope your week is off to a good start!

This week the freezing air swept in and it's officially winter. It feels like fall just hurried past. A couple weeks ago we had a wonderful day with our good friends embracing the fall by gathering apples and pressing fresh apple cider. Our friends, Ivy and Mike, acquired a press last year and we ready to put it to good use this fall. Kyle's boss has an apple orchards so we headed up into the hills with our neighbors Patrick and Kate and their son, Waylon... who is Gigi's regular partner in crime. The orchard was wet and muddy but these two tiny helpers didn't seem to mind at all and we quickly had our bin filled with apples.

Then it was time to head to Mike and Ivy's house with our bounty. Waylon and Gigi gladly joined their little friend Grace to play while the adults got the apples and press ready to make cider. Actually, Gigi and Grace spent most of the time pushing a baby doll around in a grocery cart feeding it from a bottle... It's amazing how the girls were such little caregivers!

It didn't take long before we were ready to get the press going. The kids were a huge "help". It was amazing how quickly the process went. Before long we had tons of fresh, sweet cider flowing.

It was exceptionally sweet and delicious. We took a few jugs home and Kyle filled a big carboy to make hard cider but, due to neglect it has since turned into apple cider vinegar... and lots of it. Before we took the babes home for their late afternoon naps, we took them out to feed the crushed apples to the goats and go for a little ride in the Radio Flyer. These three, I tell ya.

Hullabalu is a line of cute and funny stuffed animals. They recently sent Gigi this charming fox whose named Nigel Noblecam. She adores Nigel, he even came to Europe with us. Gigi calls him "Fock...s". It's very cute. The site for ordering the toys works like a rewards system. As you refer people to it you get rewards like discounts and free shipping. My favorite thing about thier toys are the quirky and silly descriptions of the animals. For example, Nigel "plays cricket but doesn't know the rules, likes talking to foxy ladies, dislikes singing 99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall..." Adorable. Nigel is no longer available but they have a whole line of new fun animals to choose from! You can check out there site here.

This weekend we took G to her very first concert. Our friend Chris is in a great band called The Head and The Heart. We haven't had the opportunity to see them play in concert yet so when the Portland Zoo announced that they would be playing a show as part of the summer concert series we immediately bought tickets. We listen to their CD a lot so I hoped Gigi would recognize the music. We were completely unprepared for her enthusiasm as the band took the stage! She went absolutely bananas...

Gigi had so much fun meeting her "Uncle Kick", the concert was wonderful, and it was so lovely to catch up with Chirs.

I'll have more photos and stories from our weekend in the next couple of days. Happy Monday.

I always love Kyla's blog for inspiration, especially this post...

I can't wait to make this Buttermilk Roast Chicken.

 Oiu. I love this by Myles Lucas.

 This look from J Crew makes me happy.

 I can't wait for Joy the Baker's cookbook!

 I love Julia and I highly reccomend getting her old cooking show DVD's on Netfilx.

I love Moorea's new blog look...

 Michelle Williams blew me away with her performance in My Week with Marilyn.

 Orangette is my new favorite blog.

This book is on my wishlist.

I always love Danielle's Weekend links! (This week she featured my parenting post.)

And, finally, if anyone knows what this kid is saying please tell me!

Have a great weekend!

I think this is magical...

This cheesecake is so amazing I'm making it again today...

I think this is the scariest baby shower cake ever...

This movie poster breakdown is so accurate and funny...

I love this gift idea and the tutorial is fantastic...

I really can't imagine a better Gatsby...

I'm confused as to why Netflix recommended Sharkwater "based on my interest in The Business of Being Born"...

This outfit is amazing...

Murmuration via Freckled Nest, cheesecake via Joy the Baker, scary cake unknown, movie poster via ONTD, paperwhites via frolic, Leo via People, Sharwater via Netflix, dress via Sartorialist.

I can't wiat to see this...

I am loving Jonny Miller's photography lately..

I want to try eat the whole pint of this...

or this...

 I love these (and they're affordable)!

I think this is sweet and brilliant.

I would do this if I had time...

I think this is so silly and SO Portland...

I think this e-course looks really fun (and productive)!

I fell in love with these boots from this shop... I think Gigi liked them too.

I love this photo of Emma Stone...

I love this man (and that baby)...

I was smiling from ear to ear while recording this...

I'm going to buy a curling iron because of this...

I'm making this for dinner tonight...

I think this dutch subway slide is hilarious (thanks Joanna for posting this video earlier in the week)

I've been really enjoying All This Grace and Charm lately...

I need these... okay maybe I just really, really want them...

I absolutely love this dress...

Images: A Beautiful Mess, Sur La Table, The Glamourai, pop-up city, All This Grace and Charm, The Frye Company, J.Crew

I am so excited to go see this...

and this...

I'm loving this blog lately...

Is this the cutest birthday party you've ever seen or what?!

I am so making these flatbreads with honey, thyme and sea salt from Smitten Kitchen...

I think I've finally got a handle on this madness (no baby needs this many clothes)...

I must have been living under a rock (no pun intended)!  I love this...

I think this is pretty cool...

I've been enjoying this new cookbook...

I am having fun experimenting with this...

I think we have the sweetest kitty around...

I just need this, a glass of rose and a cozy chair and we're in biz...  

I'm so making these...

I think this is disgustingly cute...

I love this little moment...

Hope you all are enjoying this beautiful Friday!  The sun is out here so I'm going to make the most of it.  Gigi is sleeping and I'm about to crack open all the windows, clean the house, sort through the next size up in baby clothes (she's growing so fast) and enjoy a day of relaxing before it's time to get Poppy from school!  We have such a fun weekend ahead of us... Pops has a ballet recital, we have two birthday parties to go to, possibly a let's-take-the-baby-camping test run (a.k.a. camping in a friend's yard) and lots of BBQing to do! Happy Friday! 

I still want one of these...

I should have put this on my Favorite Baby Things post...

I do believe G needs these micro-Frye's...

I love this look...

I may need to find an excuse to make these mini-cakes...

I'm excited to try this new Tracy Anderson workout...

I'm really enjoying this blog...

I love this dining room...

I think this is adorable...

Sources: Nadia Tan and Down and Out Chic, Go the F to Sleep, Frye, People, Martha Stewart, Sprouted Kitchen, Vogue, Bluebird

I want to have another wedding like this...

or this...

or maybe this...

I loved this...

I am so excited about this...

I love a good dark comedy.  I think this might be it...

I love these Louboutins...

I don't understand why people do this...

(although the Hooter's Girls add a classy touch).

*images via trendland, weheartit , snippet and ink, the satorialist, bandhphoto, the shoe blog, fashionisgreat

(Kyle thinks I've forgotten about micropiglets... but I haven't).

I'm going to make these...

I need these...

I'm looking forward to this...

I can't stop thinking about this...

I dream about doing this...

I'm looking forward to this...

I love this...

and this...