While on my maternity leave, I thought it would be fun to do a couple of posts about the moms that bring you Baby FoodE. A little behind the curtain inside look into our lives outside of our obsession for baby food. So I had each of us answer the same questions and post some fun candid photos of us with our families.

Enjoy!
Michele

What do your little one(s) like to eat?

My daughter Elliette, who is 2, devours fruit, lots and lots of fruit! Yogurt, eggs, avocado, cherry tomatoes, beans, cheese, fish or meat if there is some kind of dipping sauce and of course ice cream. Ellie is an extremely good eater, when she wants to be. She can be a little stubborn when we try to make her eat something new without her thinking that it was her idea.

What is on their better-not-come-in-contact-with-my-plate list?

Lettuce.  Ellie will try it every once and awhile and then spit it right back out as she gives us a ‘why do you eat this stuff???’ look. She just doesn’t see the point. She also sees bread, crackers and chips as a vehicle to get something yummier into her mouth like peanut butter, guacamole, or cream cheese. She then tosses the slobbery carb vehicle back into whichever dish it came from and I get the fun job of having to fish it out and pretend not to be embarrassed by my daughters weird eating habits.

What is your go to meal when you are tight on time?

Mexican Night – Beans, rice, tomatoes, avocado, cheese, cilantro, salsa, lime and some chicken (if we have leftovers) on top of some mixed greens for a salad, between tortillas for a quesadilla, spooned into taco shells or just served as a bowl. I always have those staples on hand and you really can do a ton of different things with only a couple of ingredients.

What are some of your favorite foods?

I am a carb girl at heart so I can always be talked into eating some thin crust pizza, pasta or some delicious pastry. When I was a kid, this was all that I ate, but now that I am getting to be a grown up, I have expanded my pallet so I crave fresh summer salads, fruit with yogurt and homemade granola, soups, hummus with veggies and chicken. My second pregnancy has been hard on me because for the first 5 months nothing sounded good and almost everything came back up. As soon as I was able to eat again, I still wasn’t able to enjoy or crave my normal go to healthy foods. I am hoping that once I deliver I start to feel and eat like my old self again.

Least favorite – This would have to be mushrooms and eggplant. I think it’s a texture thing.

What is your favorite mommy beverage?

Wine!! Red in the Winter, White in the Summer.  I have been known to rock a white wine spritzer with fruit in it more then I care to admit. 

What are a couple things your rock at?

Planning and crazy Projects! I love to sit and just plan things – my workouts for the week, what I am going to have for each meal, group parties and get to togethers, activities for Ellie, a vacation, etc. I find it to be extremely relaxing. My iCalendar app is always open and gets used a ridiculous amount. I also like coming up with projects for around the house that I then start at 10 at night. Some of my recent projects have been – colorful pendant banners for the girl’s room, 2 standing vertical planter boxes, painting the wood trim throughout our house, sanding and painting an old bed I found on craigslist for Ellie’s big girl bed, sewing pillow cases, etc. I always have at least 5 projects that I am working on at once (see below that this is something that I am also working on).

What are a couple things you are working on?

Taking on too many projects at once. I tend to overload my schedule and to-do list with activities and projects, then complain to my hubby that I have no down time. He usually just laughs at me because we both know it is my own fault. I can’t help it, I like to have lots going on.

How do you balance everything in your life?

Well, I don’t. But I do try very hard to achieve balance. I think the key is scheduling time for yourself, if not everyday then at least a couple hours a week. On one hand I feel guilty when I have my husband watch Ellie so I can take a yoga class, or take the night off to have a girls night or just go to the mall and do some shopping without a toddler in tow. But in the long run it makes me feel like myself again and I have even more energy the following day to be a better wife and mother.

What do you do in those precious hours after the kiddos go to bed?

Stare off into space while licking a spoonful of peanut butter or better yet straight up icing. Other then that, I like to read, watch movies, do ridiculous craft projects, sew, drink wine, garden, go shopping without the little one, play games with my hubby or spend way too much time on Pinterest. 

What are some of your family’s favorite activities?

Living in beautiful Colorado, there is always so much going. We love getting up to the mountains to go hiking, exploring old mountain towns, skiing or other mountain sport. We tried snowshoeing last winter and I feel in love with it. There are also so many events going on in Denver that we try to find time to enjoy – farmers markets, festivals, food truck parties, museums, etc.  I try to balance a couple big activities a month with more local low key activities like hanging out in our backyard, going to the park, taking long walks, riding bikes, going to the pool or just hanging with friends. 

What is your family’s typical routine for the day?

Because my husband and I both work from home, our days are never the same. But here is a general outline –

Wake up around 5:30 or 6 and hopefully I get to either workout or get some work done, or if it is a super morning, both! Ellie gets up between 7 and 8, and then the craziness begins. More often then not, she wakes up very hangry, so I quickly get her some breakfast and we sit together and talk about what we are doing that day. When I have her (my parents watch her two days a week) I try to jam a ton of fun activities in the morning. This might be soccer practice, swimming, trip to the library, a visit to a museum, play date with friends, etc. She still takes naps (so very thankful for this!!) around noon so we try to be back by then. Some days during naptime, she will just play in her crib for an hour or so but other days she can take up to a 4 hour nap. I usually work during her nap time or pick up and clean around the house. When she wakes up we enjoy hanging out reading books together or playing in the backyard until I have to start making dinner. We eat early, usually around 6. Then it’s bath, books and then bedtime. She goes down between 7 and 8.  Then my hubby and I hang out or I start one of my crazy projects. We are both usually in bed by 10, where I read for awhile before I crash for the night.

What is one thing you said you would never do before you had kids and now do all the time? Let her eat in the car! I never wanted to be one of those moms driving around with the Cheerio filled car. Ha! That lasted until she started eating on her own. Most days we have either spilled milk, smooched banana or raisins in the car seat. And my jogging stroller isn’t looking much different either. There are sometimes I will look back at her and she is snacking on something but I didn’t give her anything to snack on that day. Car Seat Ceviche, as we call it.