5 Days A Week

The other day I looked at Rafael and couldn't believe how big he has gotten. I decided to start taking a photo of him 5 days a week, Monday through Friday.

It has become one of my favorite parts of the day: Raffi wakes me up at around 6:30, when it's still dark and my husband and the dogs are still deep asleep. Rafael and I kiss and nuzzle, I change his diaper, and then we go to the bathroom where I brush my teeth while he sits in his car seat by the heater and watches me with curious eyes.

Then we go to his room, which feels so warm and quiet, and while he swats at the wooden rings on his baby gym, I pick out the little outfit for the day. At some point, we hear the tip-tip-tip of doggy paws on the floor, and they join us in his room, with tail wags and sleepy stretches.

When there is a little sunlight, I sit him on the plump white chair, give him a toy, and take photos of him. He looks out the window, looks at his toy, looks at Boston or Kiki, sometimes looks at me.

Wherever he looks, he always looks CUTE.

shirt: C&A :: wool pants: H&M mouse: Powell Craft, a gift from Rachel

plaid shirt: Gap :: corduroy pants: H&M :: teddy bear: vintage find

striped shirt: cosilana :: jeans: H&M :: double decker bus: vintage find

striped onesie and sweat suit: H&M :: wooden toy: Walter

plaid jacket: Gap :: jeans: H&M :: sneakers: Nike :: crocheted bear with red scarf: Ana Paula Rimoli :: alphabet pillow: loop loft

Our tiny daily photo shoot has quickly become a morning ritual and I am so happy about it. I am so excited to watch him grow, picture for picture, day for day! So, I hope to keep this post series going every Sunday. 

Thanks for stopping by, lovelies!

xoxo

Helpful Tips On Shopping For Little Ones ONLINE

Ever since I got pregnant, I've been doing about 90% of my shopping online. It's made a huge difference for me:

1. No wasted time packing a big diaper bag for the trip
2. No lugging around the big diaper bag (or big baby, for that matter)
3. No screaming, tired baby while you are waiting in line to pay
4. No long lines

5. No sweating because it's cold outside and boiling in the store

6. No buying a bag full of clothes only to find out a few days later that the store is now having a big sale and you could have saved a bunch of money if you had waited

The one time I went clothes shopping since Rafael was born was a horrible experience (all six of the above happened), and made me all the more appreciative of online shops. After all, what could be better, more comfortable, and more practical than ordering furniture, clothes, and toys  in your pajamas while your baby sleeps and having them delivered to your doorstep a few days later?

I think I've gotten a pretty good hang of it and wanted to share a few things I've learned throughout this past year of online shopping for baby articles.

1. Get informed
Find out which stores are out there on the web that offer the kinds of clothing, toys, bedding, and furniture that you like. There are the basic favorites like Amazon and Baby Gap, but I've also found other stores which have a more unique selection by:
- searching with key words like 'handmade toys,' 'vintage kids room,' or 'boy fashion' on Pinterest
- putting specific words like 'red metal bed,' 'elephant pull toy,' or 'baby boy pilot hat' in Google images, and click on the pictures you like to follow the link to where you can buy them
- searching 'kids lookbook' in Google images to see which online shops offer pictures of children modeling their clothing

2. Become a member to save money
When you find an online store that has a lot of things you like, sign up for their newsletters. I have saved tons of money by always knowing when online shops were having a sale. Which leads me to...

3. Be prepared for sales when they come
Sign into an online shop and put all the items you like into your 'cart' or 'shopping bag.' In most online shops, as long as you don't sign out, you will remain signed in and the items will remain in your cart for quite some time. Wait for an email notice that they are having a sale or offering a day of free shipping and then pounce on it. Sometimes, by waiting longer, something you wanted may not be available anymore. So, if there is something you just HAVE to have, buy it right away. I learned this the hard way.

4. Buy on sale in the size available, even if it's too big
If there is something on sale that you really love, but it's not in your baby's size, BUY IT IN THE LARGER SIZE that is available. Your little one will turn 1 or 2 at some point, and then you'll have that adorable little coat or pajamas ready for them. And you will have bought it for an awesome price, too! I've done this quite a few times and have a nice stock of really, really great clothes for the older Raffi. There is one thing to take into consideration when buying like this, and that is:

5. Make sure the clothing fits the season of your child's future age
If your baby will be two in summer, it's clear that they won't be needing a thick sweater made for a two year old.

6. Do your research
Take advantage of the fact that you can read people's feedback on sites like Amazon. Sometimes an item will have some people giving it 5 stars, others giving it 1. Pay much more attention to what they are writing about the product than the amount of stars: sometimes people reduce their rating stars for things like 'shipping took too long,' which has nothing to do with the integrity of the product itself.

7. Order large and heavy items
If you would rather see and feel clothing in person, at least consider ordering things like high chairs, cribs, or baby gyms online. It's so great having these things delivered to your doorstep!

8. Check if it's available in your country
I almost spent a lot of money on an adorable giraffe because the link on Pinterest led me to an Australian online shop and I didn't know it was available somewhere else. Right before buying (and spending way too much on shipping), I checked the Austrian Amazon site, and what do you know, they had it! So, it never hurts to check if that thing you love that you found in some shop from far, far away is available right near by.

9. Check if it's available at a better price through Amazon
Don't feel bad about checking Amazon for a better price on something wonderful you found in an online boutique. Amazon supports small businesses that sell through them, offering really great competitive prices. The first thing I do when I find something expensive that I love is copy the name and past it into the Amazon search.

Here's a list of my favorite places to shop:
(I'm giving you links to the American or British sites, but there are also other locations available)

Clothing:
Zara kids
Baby Gap
Mini Boden

Handmade Toys, Vintage Toys, Baby Blankets:
Etsy

Furniture:
Maisons du Monde

Clothing, Toys, Furniture, etc.
Amazon
Jako-o

Here is a link to my Pinterest board labeled 'Stuff for Babies and Kiddos"where I have posted, and regularly continue to post, toys and furniture for babies and children.

Here is a link to my Pinterest board labeled 'Rafael' where I post clothing and shoes for boys.

Hope these tips and links prove helpful for some of you!

xoxo

Kaiserschmarrn: Traditional Rustic Austrian Pancake

On cold winter days like these, the most satisfying dishes are the traditional ones.

Here in Austria, there is a delicious dessert called 'Kaiserschmarrn,' which translates roughly to 'Emperor's mess.' It's a thick, eggy, fluffy, chopped up pancake sprinkled with powdered sugar. Perfect comfort food for this time of year. I'm calling it a dessert, but really, it's so filling that it is a meal on it's own.

Kaiserschmarrn


3 eggs, separated
3/4 cup flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk
butter for frying
raisins (optional)
powdered sugar

Combine flour, sugar, vanilla, and salt, then add the egg yolks and milk to make a thin batter.

Whisk egg whites until stiff and fold under the batter.

Melt butter in a hot pan and add the batter. (Optional: Sprinkle raisins over.)

When bubbles begin to form throughout the surface, cut the pancake into four pieces with your spatula and flip them over.

Allow these pieces to cook for about a minute before cutting into rough pieces with your spatula. Toss these pieces around until they are lightly browned.

Pile onto serving plates and sprinkle with sifted powdered sugar.

Serve with warm apple sauce or plum compote.

Enjoy!

xoxo

Raffi's First Meal

Rafael recovered quickly from his fever a few days ago and today we decided it was time for him to try his first food. He sits on my lap while I eat and has been more and more interested in what I'm doing. Last night he even grabbed my fork and tried to eat the piece of dumpling on the end of it!

I bought wonderfully sweet organic carrots at the farmer's market and prepared them by peeling them, and then steaming and mixing them in a fantastic machine which can do both.

Once it cooled I took him on my lap and thought I would carefully bring a spoonful to his mouth. I expected him to spit it out at first. Instead he immediately opened his mouth wide and began chomping down carrot puree like no one's business! 

When his little bowl was empty he got upset and wanted more. But I froze what was left over because we had to see how his stomach would take this new kind of nourishment. Now, at the end of the day, we know...he handled it great!

More carrots tomorrow, and then we're trying parsnips.

I can't believe how quickly my tiny baby is becoming a little boy.

xoxo

P.S. Thanks to my hubby for taking pictures of these monumental moments!

Some Favorite Things In January

Make your own tags and ornaments with homemade salt dough, alphabet stamps, and paint.

Recipe here.

The breathtakingly beautiful Swedish home of a blogger named Julia. All of her text is in Swedish, but you actually don't need to understand anything...the photos speak for themselves.

The pictures of her home, garden, and family, just fill me with inspiration and happiness.

Visit her blog, Julias Vita Drommar, here.

These DIY tea bags for Valentine's Day gifts. So simple and sweet!

Find the instructions here.

This handmade canvas backpack. Just think of all the things you could fit in here for hikes in the wilderness! Camera, snacks, thermos....Available here.

This newspaper snippet. Hehehe. Originally posted here.

This book! My mom sent it to me and it's great. It also has a very easy format for someone who has to dip in and out as time (i.e. baby) allows. You can find it for yourself or some new parents you know here.

This woman's pantry makeover, which you can see here.  Our pantry is in absolute chaos right now and I really hope Ramon will help me organize it this weekend. This woman's pantry is a great inspiration.

This quote from the amazing singer Adele.

In this month of New Year's resolutions, I can relate to her words.

Life isn't about being skinny.

At least it shouldn't be!

Here's to all the women who, despite so much pressure from all around (even other women!), don't lose sight of all of the great things about them and about their lives that are so much more important than fitting into a certain size of jeans.

xoxoxo

Once Upon a Winter Day

"To be housebound in the dead of winter is one of the most voluptuous enjoyments that I know, a supreme glorification of the creature comforts; that snuggling down by a roaring fire while the blizzard rages without, that anticipatory planning of warm and heartening dishes, of a special winter edition of the cup that cheers, and to crown it all, the eventual retiring to a cozy bed with a book."
-Barbara Webster, The Green Year


I am thoroughly enjoying the snow now that it is finally here. The bundling up for walks outside...the cozying up with leg warmers and a cup of malty, milky Caro when you come home.

xoxo

On A Snowy Morning

Finally....SNOW!

We woke up to a whole lot of it covering everything in a blanket of white. The colder it is outside, the more you enjoy the warmth of your home. Rafael and I cuddled and snuggled and made each other laugh. The dogs came back in from a morning romp in the garden with snow stuck to their fur.

My little guy had a fever the past few days but was feeling much better today. So full of chuckles and kicks.

I didn't have the cable to my camera, so I took pictures with my iphone, which was fun.

I hope you are enjoying your week!

xoxo