Pure Joy Home: September 2015

Posted by Unknown / Wednesday, September 30, 2015 / No comments / FASHION FINDS

WEDNESDAY WARDROBE GOALS

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FASHION FINDS

WEDNESDAY WARDROBE GOALS

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Posted by Unknown / Tuesday, September 29, 2015 / 2 Comments / EXERCISE , MOTHERHOOD

Losing Weight After Baby #purejoybodyback

This post is going to sound SO vain and probably really annoying to a lot of people but losing weight after baby SUCKS. With Brian, I was so out of sorts those first couple weeks and ridden with anxiety so I wasn't eating, hence immediate weight loss. With Grace, I'm so much more at ease and confident, hence eating normally and enjoying myself = little weight loss.<br />
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I'm in no way complaining that I'm fat and I know I don't NEED to lose weight for my health, but I'd like to fit into my pre-pregnancy clothes so I'm going to have to DIET. Ugh. I've started running here and there but it's kind of hard to fit in exercise with the two little ones, running my business, writing a blog, cooking dinner, keeping up a house, etc... I know there really is no excuse because I can certainly find a half hour and do some video work-out or even go to the gym because they have free babysitting, but a lot of days to be honest, I'm too tired and don't feel like it. I know, self-pity, get off your a** and work out and shut up.<br />
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Along with exercise I'm going to start really watching what I eat. I love sweets and carbs and I love wine, the carbs I'll give up, the wine, not so much. I'm not going to be super intense, or let it take over my life, I'm just going to be mindful about my intake and output. I feel best when I weigh 107, and I'm 117 right now, so 10 pounds and I'm not setting a deadline, though the holidays would be nice. Oh, I weighed 137 right before I had Grace.<br />
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I hope I didn't offend anyone with this post because I am aware that my weight loss is not dire, but I wanted to share because I think no matter who you are, what you weigh, after you have a baby, you want to lose weight. Being public and sharing my little weight loss journey happening on the outskirts of my life right now will hold me accountable and maybe if you're on the same journey we can motivate each other. Let's call it #purejoybodyback :) I'll be posting healthy meals and work outs on <a href="http://www.instagram.com/purejoyhome">instagram</a>, and I hope you will, too!<br />
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Here's to getting back in shape, and fitting into pre-pregnancy jeans!<br />
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EXERCISE, MOTHERHOOD

Losing Weight After Baby #purejoybodyback

This post is going to sound SO vain and probably really annoying to a lot of people but losing weight after baby SUCKS. With Brian, I was so...

Posted by Pure Joy Home / Monday, September 28, 2015 / 2 Comments / RECIPES

The Real Deal Chicken Soup

Yesterday was one of those perfect fall days and I was craving a bowl of hot chicken soup. We also all have colds so I wanted to do what I could to make everyone feel a little better. Of course, little Brian wouldn't eat it so he had oatmeal instead (enter mad face, are there emoticons on blogger? I must find out).<br />
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I can't remember making a chicken soup this good but then again I have pregnancy/sleep deprived/baby amnesia so it is possible. > Seriously though, what is with the amnesia?? Do other moms feel this way? I can't remember sh** these days. I feel like I need to give a disclaimer to every person I talk to like, "sorry if we've already spoken about this but..." Is that a thing?? Or is it only me? I hope not <<br />
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Anywho, I feel like whenever I am sick I rely on asking my mom to make her delicious chicken soup, but I wanted to give it a go this time now that I'm an adult with two kids of my own to look after, which still baffles me sometimes. I looked online for recipes and came up short with all these short-cut ones but I wanted to make the real deal. So I called up mom and went to the local market to pick up these ingredients:<br />
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1 whole chicken<br />
1 quart of low sodium chicken broth<br />
carrots (not baby carrots)<br />
onion<br />
celery<br />
*I already had dried spices at home to use which included parsley, bay leaves and thyme<br />
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So here is what you have to do, it's SO EASY!!!<br />
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Take the chicken out of the bag and rinse it under cold water (gross). I used perdue and the nasty inside stuff is in a bag in the cavity that you take out and throw in the garbage (super gross). Place the chicken breast down in a pot (I used my Le Creuset dutch oven). Cover the chicken with cold water and put in your chopped onion, carrot, and celery. Add your spices, some salt (about 2.5-3 tablespoons, you can always add more after) and peppercorns and let it all come to a boil. Once the water is at a rolling boil, reduce to a simmer and place the lid half on so the steam can come out. Let the chicken cook about 45 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.<br />
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Take the chicken out and shred it all up like this:<br />
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I can't believe I posted that, so gory looking!</div>
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And strain your broth taking out all the veggies. I added back the carrots but that's it, I guess you could add back the onion and celery if you wanted to but a lot of their flavor leaves and goes into the broth.</div>
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So you add the chicken back into your pot with the broth and let simmer. I added more broth using about a half quart of the low sodium chick broth and some more cooked carrots. </div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" class="b-hbp-video b-uploaded" frameborder="0" height="266" id="BLOGGER-video-3a21d82f112b8d90-10705" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwCCPUzFPjqxlySYM91RK-9MAqbsttPOwoap9g2MLHFyN7cyOCvknVNgBhQR9IIvOaVTjSj96hS7ijgRpBAHkBK1UhpGOaL2iRtSy4NbJetLN12Ss06LsNrtJxLhoiatOVdYWOf" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="320"></iframe></div>
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Also, cook the noodles of your choice separately and add them as you are serving the soup into the bowls so they don't get too mushy. </div>
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And there you have it, a perfect soup to impress the best! Add that to your list of staples :)</div>
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RECIPES

The Real Deal Chicken Soup

Yesterday was one of those perfect fall days and I was craving a bowl of hot chicken soup. We also all have colds so I wanted to do what I c...

Posted by Unknown / Thursday, September 24, 2015 / No comments / FASHION FINDS

Bootie Tootie

There are SO many adorable fall booties to choose from. I can't wait to wear a pair with some skinny jeans, a chunky sweater and my new felt hat. I am currently coveting this entire round-up but will probably go with the TOMS because why not help a kid out with a new pair of shoes. I kind of like the heel vs. the wedge, what about you??<br />
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Oh, and I just urban dictionary-ied the word "tootie" which I thought sounded cute with "bootie" to make sure I wasn't out of bounds and it means: </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
"a. a girl with a banging body and fly ass style</div>
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b. a vagina</div>
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c. Your Australian Grandmother's word for a toilet</div>
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d. crystal methamphetamine"</div>
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<br /></div>
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Let's go with version a!</div>
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FASHION FINDS

Bootie Tootie

There are SO many adorable fall booties to choose from. I can't wait to wear a pair with some skinny jeans, a chunky sweater and my new ...

Posted by Pure Joy Home / Tuesday, September 22, 2015 / 6 Comments / MOTHERHOOD

Terrible Two's Weeknight Special - An Essay

OMG last night in the thick of dealing with the terrible two's, I posted on facebook that rather than a two's program, there should be a boot camp or boarding school situation for two year olds. Brian is a really good natured kid but the "two's" are really getting the best of him lately. It's INSANE. He freaks out over the littlest things, like FREAKS OUT/TANTRUM style. For example, here is how our night went:<br />
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We arrived home from a birthday party around 5:00 p.m. last night. I went to get him out of the car but instead of getting out, he wanted to play in the car. He likes to sit in the front seat and play with all the buttons (don't worry it's off). I said no because Grace was crying for a bottle and had to literally drag him out of the car kicking and screaming. I managed to get him in the house and ignored him until it passed. Then, I put a show on for him so I could sit down and feed Grace. As I'm giving her a bottle, I checked my phone for messages was enjoying a little downtime on instagram and facebook. He comes over and says "my phone" and takes it away from me and starts playing with it. I didn't have the energy to fight back.<br />
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Next up, dinner time! I've learned not to fight with him on this one. I'm not going to ask him what he wants, I'm going to give him his dinner and if he wants it great if not, tough. I'm hoping he learns to become a better eater this way. I put him in his high chair, he screams and fights that he doesn't want to eat in that anymore (which has been going on for a couple weeks) He wants to sit at the counter like a big boy, fine.  I put a dishtowel under his tush because the chairs are wicker and at this point in the night he only has a diaper on. He doesn't want that specific dishtowel so repeats, "no, the green one" until I spot the one he wants, and change it out. Bonus, he actually eats most of what I give him!!!! Raw peppers and cucumbers, hummus, cheese and grapes. He didn't want the chicken that was on the plate. He asked for raisins but I said not until you eat the chicken, so no raisins.<br />
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Dad comes home - YAYYY!!! And bonus, dad came home with two bottles of wine!! Christmas. I quickly open the bottle and pour a glass of red. I swear without wine, these terrible two's would be soooo much worse. After my first sip, I feel relaxed. Sorry if that sounds alcoholic-ish but it works.<br />
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(Oh and in the background of all this, I'm cooking bolognese sauce with Grace in her happy place - the Bjorn) The bolognese is done, I put Grace in her new bouncer, and we play with Brian for a little bit, he's so happy.<br />
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Bath time. Brian, do you want to take a shower with mama? (this is how we've been doing it lately because it kills two birds with one stone and Brian is home to be with Grace in case she cries). "No". "Okay well it's time so come on up, we'll do numbers and letters!". He actually listens and comes. Once we get in the bathroom he screams and cries because he doesn't want to get in. I throw the foam letters and numbers in and he wants to get undressed and come in, great. Time to get out, "NOOO!!!". "Brian daddy is going to get upset if you don't get out", nothing. Dad screams from down the stairs, Mom do I need to come up? Brian quickly jumps into my arms and gives me a kiss. It's amazing what a stern man's voice can do!!<br />
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We decide since it's 7:30 and he had a short nap to put him down to bed. I could write an essay on this one but I'll spare you. 7 books later, both Mom and Dad in and out of the room, about 5 minutes of broken up crying spells and he's down.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSizK_VURpJSJ5T8pj3gvhtH2EkY3VAj8xUvp1jcAf2uDtqNzfzW1ZeSuAwEDI-PrA48BMa6y6w2Z_DLQ5V7XB0qZhXVDUpKnyxI5SC5K1kR10SO0VM2ywVxJp-Z_cOto3ynPvQGK1gDZI/s1600/IMG_3395.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSizK_VURpJSJ5T8pj3gvhtH2EkY3VAj8xUvp1jcAf2uDtqNzfzW1ZeSuAwEDI-PrA48BMa6y6w2Z_DLQ5V7XB0qZhXVDUpKnyxI5SC5K1kR10SO0VM2ywVxJp-Z_cOto3ynPvQGK1gDZI/s400/IMG_3395.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sometimes when the dust settles, I go in his room while he's sleeping and gaze at him for quite a while. I love watching him sleep so peaceful. The love for your children is so unconditional that after 5 minutes, you forget the torture they put you through and your heart explodes for them again.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Enter second sip (gulp) of wine.<br />
<br />
Brian and I eat our dinner, Grace is peaceful in her bouncer, Brian offers to clean up (love that he's back from his business trip) and talk about stuff. Some topics we covered are that he can never leave on a business trip again, I talk about how military wives are true heroes for what they do on a daily basis, I mean raising families alone with their husbands fighting for our country?? It's insane how strong these women are, they don't even have the guarantee they their husbands will come home? I need to write more in length about that. We talk about his trip, and I talk about how we got through the week. Brian throws in that we are in hell (haha) exaggeration, but we talk about little Brian and how we're going to get the terrible two's under control. Some ideas we have are to continue ignoring the tantrums, he's sensitive so tell him when he gets snippy that we are hurt and pretend to cry/be really upset, distract distract distract.<br />
<br />
Isn't it lovely????

MOTHERHOOD

Terrible Two's Weeknight Special - An Essay

OMG last night in the thick of dealing with the terrible two's, I posted on facebook that rather than a two's program, there should ...

Posted by Unknown / Friday, September 18, 2015 / No comments / DECORATING , FOLLOW FRIDAY

FOLLOW FRIDAY :: STUDIO MCGEE

I don't think I can express in words the amount of envy I have for this STUNNING home designed by <a href="http://www.studio-mcgee.com/">Studio McGee</a>, it almost makes me feel sick. I follow them on <a href="https://instagram.com/studiomcgee/">instagram</a> for daily vomit-worthy envy snapshots and you should, too.<br />
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If I could dream up a house, it would look exactly.like.this.<br />
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DECORATING, FOLLOW FRIDAY

FOLLOW FRIDAY :: STUDIO MCGEE

I don't think I can express in words the amount of envy I have for this STUNNING home designed by Studio McGee , it almost makes me feel...

Posted by Pure Joy Home / Thursday, September 17, 2015 / 1 Comment / SHOP PROMOTION

Etsy Shop Open for Bizzzz

I was a little apprehensive about posting the reopening of my shop post-baby because to be honest I'm not 100% sure I want to give up all my free time with Grace just yet, however I am definitely willing to trade a little time to get my creative juices going again and interact with customers. It was definitely a pleasant surprise to hear from shop owners and brides while I was "on leave" asking when I would be returning, I guess I do have a little something going on for myself :)<br />
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I did want to have everything re-photographed including dozens of wedding suites I did this spring before I opened but my act is not all that together so please shop away and enjoy what you see :) Please note that I am not taking custom orders for art prints, but am accepting wedding orders at this time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkjK-X-ZvNg2qKoZEiD6FThDKcyAFqlrbdCZ0aXRTgl3WEmKfqu-ev_cy9nRHiBB_VaV2V7fwYMuWfQmeBPG3KKCS10dij2Lhl89KX5KUZ8lwtdoN_AIaLFyhmAZUG7iqLxYAuJ_TWvTy3/s1600/628x471-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkjK-X-ZvNg2qKoZEiD6FThDKcyAFqlrbdCZ0aXRTgl3WEmKfqu-ev_cy9nRHiBB_VaV2V7fwYMuWfQmeBPG3KKCS10dij2Lhl89KX5KUZ8lwtdoN_AIaLFyhmAZUG7iqLxYAuJ_TWvTy3/s320/628x471-2.jpg" width="301" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">werkin' for the weekend<br />
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<a href="http://purejoypaperie.etsy.com/">LINK TO SHOP</a></td></tr>
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SHOP PROMOTION

Etsy Shop Open for Bizzzz

I was a little apprehensive about posting the reopening of my shop post-baby because to be honest I'm not 100% sure I want to give up al...

Posted by Pure Joy Home / Tuesday, September 15, 2015 / No comments / FASHION FINDS

Old Navy Fall Faves

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I LOVE Old Navy. I always seem to find things that fit just right and the price for chic on trend clothes can not be beat. People sometimes complain about the quality but really you'll probably wear it for one season so who really cares? Their jeans are also ridiculously flattering and seriously, $20? Almost every time someone asks me where I got something and I reply with Old Navy, they're like "No way, really??", so I guess if you wear it right it can look like you paid a lot more for it than you really did. Here are some of my favorite pieces for this fall:<br />
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Also, their kids clothes are SOOOO cute. I just ordered a huge box that was delivered yesterday and couldn't be happier. Here are some of our faves:</div>
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Sorry to say but girls are SOOOO much fun to shop for, thankful I have one :)</div>
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And for the boys:</div>
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Click on the images to shop! Happy Fall Shopping (on the cheap)!</div>
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FASHION FINDS

Old Navy Fall Faves

I LOVE Old Navy. I always seem to find things that fit just right and the price for chic on trend clothes can not be beat. People sometimes...

Posted by Pure Joy Home / Monday, September 14, 2015 / No comments / MOTHERHOOD , RECIPES

Cauliflower Mac & Cheese (The Rich & Creamy Version)

Cauliflower Mac & Cheese is nothing new but the version I made last night is a little richer than the healthy versions all over the web. I included butter and lots of cheese along with the cauliflower because this recipe was intended to feed my toddler, Brian (age 2), who burns 80,000 calories a day. He is also the PICKIEST eater you could imagine and I should have known he would refuse to eat this because he saw the bag of cauliflower on the counter and because it didn't taste like the box of Annie's he usually gets. He cried in his high chair for about 15 minutes, like sobbed, until we finally gave in and let him eat what we knew he would: cucumber, cottage cheese with jelly, cheese, grapes, and a few crackers.<br />
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I can't tell you how AGGRAVATING it is to think you're going to hit the jackpot with dinner for your toddler only to have him say "YUCK I don't like it" without even trying it. I know it's my fault because I usually just make what I know he will eat and he knows I will eventually give in.  I also understand it would help if we ate as a family but Brian Sr. commutes to New York City and gets home too late for Brian who is usually hungry around 6. I guess I will continue to try and hopefully he'll come around. Do you battle this with your toddlers??<br />
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I posted this instagram because I finally saw the humor in the whole thing:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqxOw7KQjB_0P_-41KVF9p_uVKvC2oeEsm6WXBYthdIgfMb3GjMVE5BodSCusOkLAAaisutTFhKjTOk17gTsx__zQRStQzvkvnFsEW8KKazAn-URF6PlEAS4HmNEHbP3x7yvRw0XLcM4h-/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-09-13+at+8.56.12+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqxOw7KQjB_0P_-41KVF9p_uVKvC2oeEsm6WXBYthdIgfMb3GjMVE5BodSCusOkLAAaisutTFhKjTOk17gTsx__zQRStQzvkvnFsEW8KKazAn-URF6PlEAS4HmNEHbP3x7yvRw0XLcM4h-/s320/Screen+Shot+2015-09-13+at+8.56.12+PM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what I deal with...</td></tr>
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SO onto the recipe. My husband and I devoured it or else I would have thrown it away (and this is how mothers and fathers gain weight). This would make an excellent side dish to any comfort food, or as a main dish for normal children who eat. This recipe serves 4.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNgYlD1tGk9Ev9N8eWMjzgpZMyQnFT9JWTUZcUdXlFe1f-9u9H0ucNYDKZ195zTfZhi_fhRt0sCIMmO4CEMjYdLMOmRWl1khdo5o1IuoDeKLomamKouQ-8v7zHLikv7pXwVPmXEst1dZHZ/s1600/unnamed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNgYlD1tGk9Ev9N8eWMjzgpZMyQnFT9JWTUZcUdXlFe1f-9u9H0ucNYDKZ195zTfZhi_fhRt0sCIMmO4CEMjYdLMOmRWl1khdo5o1IuoDeKLomamKouQ-8v7zHLikv7pXwVPmXEst1dZHZ/s640/unnamed.jpg" width="504" /></a></div>
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I boiled pasta and made the sauce on the side.<br />
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For the sauce, I used:<br />
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About 4 cups of boiled cauliflower, puréed in a food processor. In a sauce pan I melted 3 tablespoons of butter and added the puree with some salt. I mixed it up and then added two handfuls of shredded mozzarella cheese, about 2 ounces of cheddar, and a dash of milk. I really eyeballed the whole thing and kept stirring it until I got the consistency I desired.<br />
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I poured the mixture of the pasta and got delicious results. Seriously, even though the tot didn't like it, it was delicious and you should definitely make it :)<br />
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Hooray for hidden veggies!<br />
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MOTHERHOOD, RECIPES

Cauliflower Mac & Cheese (The Rich & Creamy Version)

Cauliflower Mac & Cheese is nothing new but the version I made last night is a little richer than the healthy versions all over the web....

Posted by Pure Joy Home / Thursday, September 10, 2015 / 2 Comments / BABY , MOTHERHOOD

My Breast and Bottle-feeding Experiences with Brian & Grace

This is going to be a long one, but a topic I think lots of moms like to share and hear others experiences on. Breast-feeding, pumping, bottle-feeding, formula feeding, hypo-allergenic formula feeding -- did I cover all of them??  I've pretty much done all of these between my two kids and am sharing the ups and downs of what we went through.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brian happily chugging a bottle around 8 months and little Gracie and me bonding in the hospital</td></tr>
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I guess you could say I'm an easy-going person in that whatever works is A-OK in my book. Although I wanted to feel and experience all the hype of breast-feeding, I never put too much pressure on myself to exclusively breastfeed. I wanted my babies to have bottles from the start because I could not mentally handle the fact of being their only source of food. In the hospital, I needed my sleep to recover from labor and was happy to say goodnight to my baby in the nursery until the second I opened my eyes, IN THE MORNING. Yes I missed them, but I wanted to be rested to care for them during the day and when we got home.<br />
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With Brian, now 2, we had a little trouble with the latch at first but got the hang of it in a couple days. During that time I had lactation consultant after lactation consultant coming in to look at our latch, squeeze my boobs, hook me up the hospital grade pumps to get the milk to come in, it was all pretty overwhelming to be honest. When he finally latched, I'll admit, it felt magical, I got it. The bonding was unreal and I was so happy that my baby was getting my colostrum and milk. Flash forward three days at home: my nipples were sore, cracked and bleeding. The pain was excruciating and I wanted to stop but those LC voices were in my head telling me that my baby would be doomed if I didn't breastfeed. So I called a lactation consultant in Stamford, <a href="http://www.lactationservices.com/">Lorna Aliperti</a>, who is the best. She came to my house and was so honest and real with me. She could see the look on my face that it was not working so she told me what I wanted to hear, get him off the breast to heal your nipples, up the amount of formula I was giving him, and only if I wanted to, pump. I loved how she came in with no agenda but to assess our particular and personal situation and go from there. She assured me he would be fine on formula and just as well on pumped milk so I did both for a month until my postpartum hormones dropped and some anxiety kicked in where I wasn't feeling 100% like myself. Shortly after, we went straight formula, I was smiling ear to ear, so was little Brian, and I never looked back :) We bonded during those bottle-feedings like no one's business. He is as smart as a whip and as healthy as can be.<br />
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Flash forward two years to Grace :) She latched right on, got all my colostrum and the milk was flowing. She got a bottle from the start so I never had to deal with her not taking one and again, it eased my mind about not being her sole source of food. During those early days and late nights, it's so helpful to have a mother and husband who can jump in to do feedings. The whole feeding experience was going wonderful in the hospital and at home. I was rested because others could help at night and she had no nipple confusion. Once Brian Sr. went back to work things got a little tricky because she was feeding on me just about every hour and I was trying to simultaneously be a mother to my super active, dare-devil, attention seeking toddler. He was definitely feeling the change in the house with this new tiny human-being taking all of my attention so bottles became more and more a part of our routine. Grace was adjusting beautifully and gaining weight like a champ. A few weeks later we saw some blood in her stool which signaled an allergy. I got her off the breast completely to rule out the many variables it could have been, and I wasn't dedicated or interested enough in keeping her on my breast to do an elimination diet, and the blood went away, go figure.<br />
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SO that's my feeding journey. Breastfeeding advocation is all over the damn place, in doctors offices, magazines, blogs, etc... but for those of us who choose not to and/or can not breastfeed, there is no reason we should view formula as a second-best option because it's not. The <i>only</i> option is what works for each individual mother and child and no one should make you feel inadequate for one-tenth of a second for that, nor should you feel you have to have an explanation for your choices. We are a sisterhood and a community of mothers and I wish for no one to ever feel shamed for the way they feed their baby. A fed baby is a happy baby no matter what or how it got there ;) In short, everyone should mind their own effing business.<br />
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Oh, and in a most <a href="http://time.com/9917/sibling-study-shows-little-difference-between-breast-and-bottle-feeding/">recent study</a> covered by Time Magazine that was originally published in the journal <i>Social Science & Medicine</i> researchers looked at 1,773 sibling pairs where at least one child was breast-fed and at least one child was not. Researchers measured 11 outcomes previously shown to be impacted by breast-feeding: body mass index (BMI); obesity; asthma; hyperactivity; parental attachment; behavior compliance; and achievement in vocabulary, reading recognition, math ability, intelligence and scholastic competence, the benefits were not statistically significant. The exception was that breast-fed children were at higher risk for asthma, though it was unclear if those reports were self-generated or actual diagnoses. The article goes on to state that perhaps we should focus our attention and energy on other factors affecting a child’s long-term outlook, like child care, maternity leave, school quality, housing and employment. BOOM.<br />
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BABY, MOTHERHOOD

My Breast and Bottle-feeding Experiences with Brian & Grace

This is going to be a long one, but a topic I think lots of moms like to share and hear others experiences on. Breast-feeding, pumping, bott...

Posted by Unknown / Tuesday, September 8, 2015 / 2 Comments / MOTHERHOOD

Welcome Grace Louise Joy

Wanna know what's funny? I told myself over the weekend that as part of my attempt to get back to normal (post-newborn phase), I would start blogging again because I miss it terribly.  Just when I finally accepted that the laundry and disaster that is my house can wait, I go to sit at my computer and my wireless mouse had gone missing... typ. I found it on one of our kitchen seats, thanks Bri :) OK Grace just started eating her hand so I'll go feed her and come back.<br />
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Ahh hopefully she's falling asleep right now, I can hear her sucking on her "woowie", our household code for <a href="http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/wubbanub-pacifier-toy/3424729?cm_mmc=Google_Product_Ads_pla_online-_-datafeed-_-toddler_unisex:baby_accessories:teething_ring_pacifier-_-586780_3&gclid=Cj0KEQjwjrqvBRD6wf2fy-C61PIBEiQAUzKQTsfQOUNueoYvx9g85ECMSljtg69_6BgIxq8udvS5WbIaAi8o8P8HAQ&mr:referralID=64ddace5-564a-11e5-9549-005056947d48">Wabbanubs</a>, and slowly getting quieter and quieter, bliss. Brian is at his babysitter which he goes to on Tuesday and Thursday mornings so I can get a few hours to myself, well myself and Grace.<br />
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Grace Louise was born on July 15, 2015 at 5:19 PM. I was induced (more on than in a later blog post) and it went beautifully. I went to the hospital at 8:00 AM, started pushing at 4:00 PM and an hour and 19 minutes later came my precious little girl. She is the sweetest little bundle of JOY and we are all head over heals in love with our newest member. Brian was a tad overwhelmed with the change (more on that in a later blog post) but has adjusted beautifully throughout the weeks considering his world has completely changed, he's the best. She is SUCH a good baby and I am thrilled to have both a daughter and a son.<br />
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Here are some pictures of little Gracie Lou from the past 8 weeks:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN4TkInK_gZ5AXjcJiwvmdWgM1sy5U10ki_EnGKu0rees2YzyWDwBPAv-rIXbhsSj2zEIpIB5P0EadyWxmPSRkFnBbXtf4TKqNn_oVbk9wZqn89XjInmZqAg0WI1PLqjWl2ud2l_Q1Gk7m/s1600/DSC_0791.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN4TkInK_gZ5AXjcJiwvmdWgM1sy5U10ki_EnGKu0rees2YzyWDwBPAv-rIXbhsSj2zEIpIB5P0EadyWxmPSRkFnBbXtf4TKqNn_oVbk9wZqn89XjInmZqAg0WI1PLqjWl2ud2l_Q1Gk7m/s640/DSC_0791.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Our first family portrait of four. Brian is holding his present from Grace, a stuffed "George" from his favorite Peppa Pig books.</div>
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As you can see Big Brother Brian was very <strike>enthused</strike> skeptic...</div>
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And we're home!</div>
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first bath</div>
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LOVES the baby bjorn</div>
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also loves to cuddle, basically just likes to be held and cuddles all the time which I'm fine with :) </div>
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all smiles for mama</div>
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chunkin' up :)</div>
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sleeping beauty and those arms</div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"> It's been an incredible eight weeks, a few ups and downs in the very beginning with the adjustment and lack of sleep, but we are so so blessed with our Baby Grace. I look at my kids and wonder how I got so lucky, thanking God for this perfect life. I am forever grateful and count my blessings every. single. day. </span><br />
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Moving forward, I'll be sharing lots of my little bits of life on this blog including pregnancy, birthing, getting in shape after baby, baby-feeding, life with two, how I try and stay sane as a mom of young children (wine), and fun stuff like recipes, fashion, decorating, house-keeping, entertaining, etc...I'll also cover local stuff that has to do with Fairfield County (mainly Stamford). It will be 100% genuine and I hope you'll follow along and comment on your thoughts and experiences as well. </div>
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Disclaimer: There will be typos because I have zero time to edit.</div>
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Chat soon.</div>

MOTHERHOOD

Welcome Grace Louise Joy

Wanna know what's funny? I told myself over the weekend that as part of my attempt to get back to normal (post-newborn phase), I would s...

Posted by Unknown / Wednesday, September 30, 2015 / No comments / FASHION FINDS

WEDNESDAY WARDROBE GOALS

Posted by Unknown / Tuesday, September 29, 2015 / 2 Comments / EXERCISE , MOTHERHOOD

Losing Weight After Baby #purejoybodyback

Posted by Pure Joy Home / Monday, September 28, 2015 / 2 Comments / RECIPES

The Real Deal Chicken Soup

Posted by Unknown / Thursday, September 24, 2015 / No comments / FASHION FINDS

Bootie Tootie

Posted by Pure Joy Home / Tuesday, September 22, 2015 / 6 Comments / MOTHERHOOD

Terrible Two's Weeknight Special - An Essay

Posted by Unknown / Friday, September 18, 2015 / No comments / DECORATING , FOLLOW FRIDAY

FOLLOW FRIDAY :: STUDIO MCGEE

Posted by Pure Joy Home / Thursday, September 17, 2015 / 1 Comment / SHOP PROMOTION

Etsy Shop Open for Bizzzz

Posted by Pure Joy Home / Tuesday, September 15, 2015 / No comments / FASHION FINDS

Old Navy Fall Faves

Posted by Pure Joy Home / Monday, September 14, 2015 / No comments / MOTHERHOOD , RECIPES

Cauliflower Mac & Cheese (The Rich & Creamy Version)

Posted by Pure Joy Home / Thursday, September 10, 2015 / 2 Comments / BABY , MOTHERHOOD

My Breast and Bottle-feeding Experiences with Brian & Grace

Posted by Unknown / Tuesday, September 8, 2015 / 2 Comments / MOTHERHOOD

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