diapers and skinny jeans

I am so thrilled to be working with these amazing companies to offer two lucky Diapers & Skinny Jeans readers a chance at winning a Christmas package of handcrafted goodies for their little ones.  We have quite the collection of some of my favorite items from around the web lately - clothing, shoes, wooden cameras for budding "little" photographers, knitted toys, mobiles for baby's rooms, even nursing necklaces! To enter you must: • be a follower of Diapers & Skinny Jeans • leave a comment telling me which package you'd like to win • be of 18 years of age, or older • earn an extra entry by liking Diapers & Skinny Jeans on Facebook (please leave a separate comment stating you've "liked") • winners will be randomly selected based on comment number, and drawn on Wednesday, December 5th to try to make the cutoff for deliveries by Christmas.  Announcements will be made back on this post, and also on Facebook .  If t...

We're a lovely pair just you and me.  We've accomplished a lot in this life of ours, yet we have even more to look forward to.

The temperature outside warmed up just enough to be without jackets, the wind was wild and whipped our hair. Our first stop was my grandmothers.  Her house will forever smell of the leather from their set of couches, and the ferns she grows will always be much larger and more vibrant than anything I've been able to grow on my own.  After our meal, we packed up and headed back up north to the city to spend time with Erick's side of the family.  Happy and exhausted, we spent the most precious time with loved ones near and far away -- and that's truly what means the most to me during the holidays.

Happy Thanksgiving, friends.  We are off to spend the whole day with both sides of our family and have a lot of driving ahead of us. After seeing this post  a few days ago, I just couldn't help myself and needed to satisfy my chocolate cake craving.  The recipe can be found over at Teresa's place.  Both are fantastic blogs to spend some time getting inspired in!  The recipe is high in protein, grain-free, gluten-free, heart healthy and dairy-free... just to name a few.  It's also jam packed with nutrients, so don't even begin to feel bad about eating that last piece. We'll be back soon, but for now we're signing off to take a few days to be thankful with each other.

Another beautiful piece of nature hidden in this great state we live in. Erick, Sofia and I all headed south to Arrowhead Lake  to get started on a shoot for an upcoming project. We ended up cutting our time much too short because of an overtired toddler fighting a courageous battle with her brand-new set of molar teeth.  As soon as we saw the first sign of inconsolable tears, we both knew it was best if we just saved this session as "to be continued." Such is the life of a parent sometimes, no? We'll be back.

//  Blueberry waffles, bananas, grapes, and wholegrain cheerios //  Strawberries, zucchini bread, and organic banana rice puffs //  Cheese filled mini-raviolis with homemade tomato sauce, crusty bread, and grapes //  Homemade meatballs (shown in their preparation stage!) 1/2 grass-fed veal & 1/2 grass-fed beef //  Fresh green beans simmered with shallots and a boiled egg //  Banana oat pancakes from scratch with strawberries A majority of the meals this week have been of breakfast, and you might have noticed a recurring theme here with fruits, the girl definitely has her favorites right now!  We have been trying some old staples like eggs in new ways (boiled) which besides the yolks, she seemed to really enjoy.  I never thought I would feel so great spending extra money, but when we buy grass-fed meats and organic produce, (though tougher on our wallets) I know our money is going toward the health of our family. ...

I've been extra careful about random buying this season, especially since we are saving most all of our money in preparation for holiday gift-giving.  When I saw this vintage romper from Little Neon Deer , I really couldn't pass it up.  I keep imagining Sofia running around in the summer, or even pairing it with tights and a cardigan to get a bit of use out if it this season... sigh. I found the quilt for a steal of a price on the web somewhere, it's a piece I think will look nice as we begin to talk about converting the crib to a toddler bed.  We've made the decision to completely gut Sofia's current room and start over again to maximize space... the bright schoolbus-yellow walls will be no more, and we're switching over to something a bit more subdued and cohesive.  Erick and I both have been putting in lots of extra work to this little place of ours, and truly I think it's starting to come together. All of these little projects around the ho...

Just browsing around Georgi's blog, I was instantly drawn to her hauntingly simple film scans, beautiful words and eloquent stories.  Weaved together with recipes and playlists, I knew right away that having Maitland St. Meals  as one of Diapers & Skinny Jean's newest sponsors was instantly a perfect fit. The feeling you get just spending time over at G's space is enough to make you want to grab your cup of tea and stay for awhile. I had the pleasure of getting to know this lovely lady a bit better, here were some questions asked... - - - K:    What is it about blogging that you love? G:   I began blogging just for me, to catalogue some of my writing, after I lost two of my journals. What I discovered, in the subsequent years, is the extensive and encouraging community of bloggers from around the globe. With their encouragement, I became more confident in myself as a writer. That - the community and connecting with like-minded...

Running out of time to get those family pictures taken?  You're in luck! I'm teaming up with fellow photographer, Justina Olenick to offer a last chance for anyone in the greater Chicagoland area to sneak in some portraits at a really awesome price.  We'll be booking 20 minute mini-sessions on Saturday, the 24th of November from 8:30AM-3:00PM at the IDE Christmas Tree farm in Downers Grove-- a beautiful winter backdrop with miles upon miles of evergreen trees.  We will be offering multiple options for digital downloads, holiday cards, and much more, so don't wait! Space is extremely limited.  Download our info packet by giving us a quick shout below! Request info & book now : gowintersessions@gmail.com

The crunch of the dead leaves on the ground, late blooming flowers, a mid-conversation snap of the little one... This is what our autumn looked like the past few days. I loaded up the grocery basket with every single root vegetable imaginable, with my lofty plans for soups, pies, and even an impromptu purchase of eggnog.  It's silly, but no matter what type of mood I'm in, when I head to the market or our local Whole Foods I can instantly be cheered up... I sure do love food. This was also such a wonderful week for budding, new friendships.   Katie , who I've known and loved from  Off Switch Magazine , is such a delight in person.  I first "met" her at the Renegade craft fair, complete with an awkward hug on my side.  This time, though nervous, I think I held it together a bit better as we sipped on our tea and coffee.  After our meet up, I immediately went home and jotted down new ideas for the blog, and tried out some grain-fr...

The remembering now project, 2012. Catch the rest of the series here . Papa painted us a chalkboard wall yesterday, right beside the entrance to the kitchen.  It's just big enough for mama to write her lists up top, but perfectly sized for little scribbles at the bottom.

This morning, I woke before anyone in the house and made a simple batch of scones with jam. With sticky fingers and a cup of warm coffee, it was the perfect start to the week. Happy Monday to all of you! (Thanks for giving me the tasty idea,  Gaby !)

      grape tomatoes, avocado, grilled veggie burger and annie's cheddar bunnies             green seedless grapes with pancakes             cheddar potato pierogis, tangerine slices, garlic pearled couscous with corn           Diapers & Skinny Jeans will be slowly introducing more and more new, original content over the next coming weeks, and I'm excited to announce I'm bringing back the "What Sofia Eats" portion of the blog to you.  (Especially since it doesn't consist of rice cereal and mashed bananas anymore!)  Since I started a bit late, I only have three meals to show you this week-- but, I'm hoping to catch every meal for the next seven days.  I know I've personally struggled at times with finding inspiration for kiddo meals, so I figure if anyone else out there has run into a similar problem, hopefully these meals can give y...

"The beauty of life is to experience yourself" -- on my Yogi tea  Realizing how each individual season impacts my day-to-day, I'm starting a recurring column based on this book and all of its lovely pieces of wisdom.  If you've never heard of it, I highly suggest picking up a copy.  It talks of happiness, not in the usual way of perfecting an "emotion", but rather explores the individual seasons and their deeper meanings, putting us back in sync with our own cycles. On to autumn. Each season carries it's own reminder, or meaning-- a lesson we must heed to accrue the greatest wisdom they bring.  Autumn, a time for harvest.  This is when I begin to inventory and plan, counting my blessings I've reaped over the summer and diligently preparing for the depths of winter.  Our family has slowly transitioned to staying indoors more, preparing our home for the holidays and deeply cleaning every last spot we can find.  It's rejuvenat...

the remembering now project, 2012. catch the rest of the series here . little one, there's not too much that doesn't seem like the biggest adventure to you.  we were on top of a parking garage before a trip to get our groceries, but we pretended we were on top of the whole city .  

The Chicago Botanical Garden has been a popular choice for families, especially during the fall-- and no wonder!  It's absolutely magical.  I met with the Barry family over the weekend for a very quick session before they headed off to a birthday party, and I'm so very glad that we were able to sneak some photos in.  Little Larry Barry is only a few months older than Sofia, so it has been so wonderful watching him grow up.  He's very quick, very bright, and especially unkeen on staying in one place for too long, as most children his age are-- mine included! ;) Annie and her husband are phenomenal parents, and it's no surprise considering how wonderful their own parents are.  There's a long story behind why Sofia's middle name is Michele, and Annie has a lot to do with it.  Her mother, Michele, was one of the greatest ladies to ever grace this planet-- adven...