Happy new week. I am baking sourdough this morning so my house smells pretty wonderful and I’m looking forward to slicing into it for lunch today. I haven’t been baking sourdough nearly as often as I used to. I think this is only my second bake since I’ve been in the new house.
Our amazing nanny just arrived to take over with Finn for the day. My work plate is overflowing this week but it’s all good stuff that I’m excited to be working on. In the next few days I’ll be sharing details with you about a new business that I’ve been developing since last December that is finally launching!!! There’s been a lot going on behind the scenes. 😉
Before I shift into go-mode, here’s a quick look at the last few days of life!
MOM LIFE
A really fun afternoon at Clark’s Creek Community Park. We met my photographer at the Nature Preserve for a mini-shoot to get some updated professional photos of Finn for holiday gifts for my mom and grandmother. I’m so glad that she suggested this location because we had a great time playing at the park afterwards. Charlotte-area readers, it’s definitely worth the trip to North Charlotte to get there. We will be back!
Finn and I baked banana muffins together. I used this recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction and it’s one of the best banana muffin recipes that I’ve ever tried! FYI: I used melted butter and not coconut oil in the muffins. They were so fluffy and perfectly sweet and spiced. Finn loves them and has eaten quite a few of them over the last few days.
We took a Sunday evening sunset stroll with the pups. Finn oftentimes wants to hold my hand while we’re walking and it’s quite a feat to juggle while pushing a stroller and holding two dog leashes.
Luckily, I can often distract him with helping me walk Zoey and letting him hold a piece of her leash (she’s still tethered to me). He also loves looking out for holiday decorations and we spotted ball lights hanging in trees (what he’s pointing at here) and an inflatable Mickey Mouse Santa. 🙂
All the snuggles. I know I have mentioned this so many times but I can never get over how physically affectionate Finn is. It is 100% his love language, haha. It’s hard to resist, “C’mon Mommy. I snuggle mommy.”
DOG MOM LIFE
The pups are doing well. I ordered Benji a new dog bed and they’ve taken to sharing it. I’m going to have to order a second for Zoey. She’s not usually a dog bed kind of girl (she has always gotten too hot) but she seems to really like this one.
Helping me work.
And how is this comfortable?
I don’t mean to be vague about Benji but we have had some significant issues over the last few months. I don’t feel comfortable sharing the details right now because I feel really protective of him. Benji is ultimately a really loving and sweet dog but it’s been stressful to make sure that he feels secure in our new home and also living with a toddler. We are all finding our way and I appreciate the support and suggestions from others who have dealt with anxious dogs.
OTHER FUN STUFF
I met a friend for a run last Friday morning and it was the best way to start the day. I pushed Finn in the jogging stroller which always makes for double the workout. Whew. I love, love running and walking dates with friends.
Ventured out to the new Grand Bohemian Hotel in Charlotte for a dinner date. The rooftop bar was beautiful and fun for pre-dinner drinks and dinner at Mico was delicious and the service was great. This was a grouper done in a fall presentation with delicata squash, roasted turnips and red onions.
Next on the agenda is working on a post for a peanut partnership (always fun ones for me!) and then working on my new business for the rest of the workday. I will be taking a break at some point to workout. It has been difficult to fit in consistent workouts lately and I need one today for energy and peace of mind! I know I’ll be so much more productive with work and better as a mom if I priories making it happen today.
QUESTIONS
Have you baked anything recently? Current favorite muffin recipe?
Have you decorated for the holidays yet? I was on the fence this weekend but ended up holding off…mostly because I ran out of time!
What is your child’s love language? (This is a serious and joking question all at the same time…I just love how they’re all so different!)
I want to start off by saying that I read through the comments on the post before last and just wanted to say that I am sorry you were on the receiving end of so much criticism. If your content isn’t a fit for others – that’s their problem, not yours. We get to decide how much we want to share and don’t owe anything to readers! So keep doing what you are doing. It is hard to walk the line of being transparent but not over-sharing, especially when it’s not our story to tell or leaves us open to criticism… hang in there!
We decorated for Christmas this past weekend, which is very early for us. But our son had started to say “it’s Christmastime!” when we got our first big snowfall in October. We have had more snow since and it feels like winter is here to stay. I really needed the warm glow of a tree to make our house feel cozier and happier. Plus my c-section is the week after Thanksgiving so I wasn’t sure how I’d feel that weekend (we usually decorate Thanksgiving weekend). I’ve seen outdoor decorations in our neighborhood so I think everyone is craving some coziness right now!
I have not baked anything recently which is too bad as our son loves to help bake. I have gestational diabetes due to being on a med that raises my blood sugar so it feels pointless to bake when I can’t enjoy it. There are keto recipes but I feel pretty meh about them compared to what I’d really want to be eating. And our son’s love language is probably physical touch right now, too, but it has to be his idea and he’s more affectionate to me than my husband. But those spontaneous hugs/cuddles are THE BEST.
Your question about my kids’ love languages made me go “Hmmm.” I am familiar with the concept of love languages but had never really thought about it with respect to my kids.
I have twin boys, age 8 (9 in Jan.) I would say that Twin A’s love language is quality time and/or physical touch. Twin B’s love language is probably words of affirmation and physical touch. (I don’t think acts of service really work as a love language for children because they expect us to do things for them all the time anyway. LOL)
One of my favorite things to make this time of year especially is orange cranberry pecan loaf by Eat Live Run. It is so good and addictive! I usually make some to give out to friends and family for Thanksgiving.
Can’t wait to hear about your new business!
I’m glad you had a dinner date:) That sounds like fun!
My doodle isn’t anxious, but she had a massive hip surgery 2 weeks ago and it was INTENSE. She had to be restricted to a small area and I had to carry her everywhere. So I get how god issues can become huge family issues.
Lots of love to you:)
Just wanted to say that the 2 biggest baked faves in this house are your paleo banana bread (I’m not paleo but I love the taste) and your CARROT CAKE COOKIES!!!
My anxious dog has been on Prozac and it’s made a huge difference. CBD has helped also.
Our anxious doggo takes trazadone, as needed, to help her handle anxiety provoking situations when the normal stuff (exercise, puzzles) isn’t available or working. Right now she’s on if because she has a medical issue that requires her to be low-activity. I highly recommend talking to a vet about options for helping him through this transition if you haven’t already.
If you can believe it, I literally made THAT exact banana bread muffin recipe this weekend with my 2 year old too! It’s so good! Best breakfasts this week.
Jen–I just wanted to let you know that I’ve been reading your blog since I was 16–I’m 26 now and have gone through five moves, four boyfriends, two pets, a bachelor’s and a master’s degrees, and five jobs already and your blog has been one of the few constants in my life during such a period of transition. It feels like you’ve been my cooler aunt for the past ten years, giving me advice and inspiring me to develop healthier eating habits after I suffered from overexercising/bad body image when I was younger.
I’m so sorry for the negativity that you’ve been reaching. No one knows what is going on in someone’s life, and you have handled the past years with more grace and kindness than I could muster. I really have thought about going to Charlotte or Asheville to take one of your yoga classes!
Your recipes, book recommendations, exercise tips, and life musings have been a huge source of support for me. Sending you a big virtual hug through the screen.
-Camille from Washington, DC
Hi Jen!
As “mom” to a nearly 13 year old anxious pup, I totally get it. He was anxious from the minute he was born – we’ve never been able to figure it out since he’s always lived in the lap of luxury, haha. Ultimately, I think three things have been the key as he’s pretty chill now- Time, Patience, Prozac. The Prozac made a huuuuge difference for him, but it wasn’t a magic bullet – we still had to patiently work with him and as time went on, he felt more and more secure. Hang in there! It’s a lot of work but they are so worth it. 🙂
I made rice krispie treats if that counts as baking.
Tree is up but that is as far as I have gotten.
Love language is for sure different for all 3 of mine.
madeline (23) words of affirmations
Gabi (21) gifts
Alex (17) physical touch