For Christmas, June received the America’s Test Kitchen Complete Baking Book for Young Chefs from one set of grandparents. Inspired by the gift, she and I decided to bake something each week in the new year. For her, I hoped it would be a fun way to spend time together – and maybe gain some skills in the kitchen :) For me, I hoped it would be a way to set joy before us (per my 2021 goal) by slowing down; intentionally spending time in a hands-on, delightful way; and just enjoying each other. While we haven’t quite hit every week, we have hit most, and the practice has certainly brought joy to our family’s life.
To start, let me say that this cookbook is an ABSOLUTE SLAM DUNK. 95% of what we’ve made so far has not only been delicious, but literally the best version of whatever it is we made. (As in, the recipe for Chocolate Crinkle Cookies turned out the best chocolate crinkle cookies I’ve ever tasted!) I suppose this shouldn’t be a surprise, since America’s Test Kitchen has built a brand on perfecting recipes, but it’s still delightful to know that a kids’ baking book can be fun and engaging without scrimping on quality!
June is 5 and just starting to read, so baking from this book is very much a joint activity right now. Even still, I try to step back as much as possible in every way I can and let her lead. Things she has learned to do: identify measuring cups and spoons, scoop and level dry ingredients, pour and measure liquid ingredients, crack eggs, set the oven to the correct temperature, open the oven door and slide in baking trays, stir ingredients by hand, work the stand mixer, scoop muffins and drop cookies, knead dough, and shape pretzels, among other things.
Of course, she does all of these things imperfectly (except measure baking soda – she’s quite an expert at that!). Everything takes longer. EVERYTHING is messy. Egg shells get in the batter. Flour gets on the counter and on the floor. Ingredients get spilled and wasted. Friends, the physical mess is HARD for me. Like, exposing-my-weaknesses-as-a-parent-ouch hard. In that way, it’s been a humbling but worthwhile exercise in growing in patience – because she is watching to see how I react when she spills something. Do I show frustration? Do I speak sharply?
Depending on my mood and how the day is going, those often feel like my natural reactions. But I try VERY hard (and usually succeed!) to instead say, “That’s okay! Let’s try again” or “That’s okay! Let’s clean it up together.” This does not necessarily come naturally to me, but it is absolutely worth the effort. (Cheesy but true: the times she’s looked up from stirring to say, “I love baking with you, Mama” make any wiped-up spill worth it.)
I’m also not the only one gaining skills. June sees I trust her and believe in her (even with something as simple as measuring an ingredient!) and that I view her as a capable partner, and that has built her confidence inside the kitchen and out.
All in all, baking has been such a joy for us this year! My mama heart hopes our time together is making memories that she’ll remember with happiness, and that we’ll add to for years to come.
To finish, a few of the favorite recipes we’ve made from the cookbook: — Simple Cream Scones (the very first recipe we made – SO good!) — Cinnamon Rolls (I normally don’t love a decadent cinnamon roll, but these were yummy!) — Soft Pretzels (very fun to shape and they turned out delicious!) — Chocolate Crinkle Cookies (SO GOOD – John’s favorite thing we’ve made this year!) — Chewy Brownies (I’d never made brownies from scratch – delicious! Though honestly, Betty Crocker’s are delicious, too :)) — Chocolate Cupcakes with Nutella Frosting (gah SO GOOD) — Cake Pops (one of June’s favorite projects!)
We’ve also made Half-Baked Harvest’s Chocolate Banana Bread several times, and have plans to make Elisabeth & Butter’s Strawberry Cake this weekend with our most recent haul of berries!
Friends, I’d love to hear: if you have children, what’s an activity you love to do together? Or, what’s an activity you remember doing with your mom or dad growing up? If you have any questions about baking with a five-year-old, I’ll answer those, too :)
Happy early Mother’s Day to all of you friends who are celebrating this weekend, in any capacity! For those of you who are a mom yourself, know that I have full confidence that you are doing the very best job you can. Part of the reason I can say that is because I have a hunch that you love to learn (I think that’s something that unites all of us here!). And if, each day, you’re learning and applying something that moves you a small step in the right direction, you’re doing a great job.
This is something John and I have taken to heart from the very beginning. In one of my earliest parenting posts, I shared advice from friends that has stuck with us over the last five years. Remember, they said, you will know more tomorrow than you know today. And you know more today than you knew yesterday. Like us, they didn’t have too much “baby experience” before the birth of their son, and they marveled to us how much more they knew at the end of the first week of his life – like, light years different. That was so encouraging for me to hear, and I’ve found it to be true over and over, even beyond the baby years.
Some of my favorite people to learn from about parenting are our in-real-life friends, and of course I’m always learning from and inspired by our own parents. And books. I love parenting books! But over the years I’ve collected a few other sources of parenting wisdom, ideas, inspiration, and expertise that are closer to real-time companions, in my ears or at my fingertips when I need a mid-day boost or encouragement to keep fighting the good fight of parenthood. I thought I’d share that list of parenting resources with you today! In no particular order…
Favorite parenting podcasts
Walk in love podcast | This is most definitely not a strictly parenting podcast, but T.J. and Brooke share often about the intentional ways they’re building their family culture. Our philosophies and goals feel similar, and our kids are around the same age (maybe 6 and 3 for them?), so it feels like we’re in the trenches together. Their episode about their Sabbath and weekly rhythm is a good place to start, and I always enjoy T.J.’s twice-yearly reports from the intentional dad mastermind he’s a part of (most recently here and here).
Raising Boys and Girls podcast | Of all the resources listed here, this podcast undoubtedly qualifies as the most “expert.” Hosts Sissy Goff and David Thomas are both authors and long-time practicing family counselors at DayStar Counseling in Tennessee. What a treasure trove of wisdom and experience they are! Each season of the podcast is a bit different, from interviews to walking through stages of development, but overall, their goal is to “help you care for the kids in your life with a little more understanding, a little more practical help and a whole lot of hope.” I really enjoy this one.
Merrick’s Art | Merrick is Janssen’s sister! She has three boys ranging from about 6 to 11, and though similar in parenting ethos to her sister, it’s fun to see how she applies it for a family of boys. The topic of Merrick’s blog (fashion) is of slightly less interest overall to me than Janssen’s, but I find many of her parenting posts helpful, like life skills she’s teaching her boys, their one-hour mom dates, a family economy, and tips for raising boys.
Risen Motherhood | Risen Motherhood “exists to encourage, equip, and challenge moms to apply the gospel to their everyday lives.” In the midst of the more fluffy things I read, it’s a solid reminder of what matters most in my role as parent, sometimes in more philosophical and sometimes in very practical ways.
NieNie Dialogues | I love reading about all of the intentional ways Stephanie and her husband build their family culture, live out their faith, share their faith with their children, and make much of celebrations big and small. The Nielsons have five kids ranging from about 8 to 18 and as with many of these resources, I love getting a peek ahead to what life might look like in a few years. I’ve particularly been inspired by their back-to-school dinners, complete with family theme for the year.
Favorite parenting Instagram accounts
Shay Cochrane | Shay is a commercial photographer and business owner who I’ve had the pleasure of working with in several capacities over the years. She is another total kindred spirit, including our shared love for intentional parenting, healthy and joyful marriage, and financial freedom. With two daughters about ages 9 and 11, she might be my absolute favorite person to follow on IG for the thought-provoking and practical parenting tidbits she shares, like talking about sex, thoughts on experiences over things, what it means to build a home, and strategies for navigating a crisis.
Alice Park | Alice is another photographer and business owner, and though I think our parenting styles might differ slightly more than some others on this list (she’s a little more Enneagram Type 3 than me, ha!), I love the nuggets she shares, like balancing mothering and working, raising resilient diverse children, and creating a home where your kids know they’re valued. She has a daughter who’s about 7 and a son who’s about 10.
Simply on Purpose | Ralphie is another mom to four girls, ranging from about 8 to 16, and she is a font of wisdom and practical tips for positive parenting. Out of all of these resources, I feel like she’s truly the coach in my ear, daily reminding me to look for the good, create momentum, be a safe space, and simply enjoy the gift of having kids in our home. She is REALLY good at breaking down explanations and providing examples, so if these topics are new to you, I think you’ll find her account really helpful!
There you have it! There are other moms and parenting platforms that I love and am inspired by, but these are the ones that consistently help me learn: the ones that teach me new ways of doing things and approaching situations, give me new ideas to try, and have me taking notes and screenshots.
I would love to hear: do we share any favorite parenting resources? Or do you have another to recommend? I’d love for y’all to continue my list in the comments!
Occasionally, one of you will ask me how I come up with my monthly goals. Here’s the short answer: I choose the things that will move me closer to the person I want to be, the family I want to have, the life I want to live, and the legacy I want to leave. I try to make sure they make sense with the season, the sequence of where I am in the project or process (i.e. what is the next logical step), and what else I have on my plate and calendar for the month.
The breaking-it-down part comes fairly easily to me; what might be the better and bigger question is how I choose the direction I want to go. The short answer for that is my annual PowerSheets Prep Work, a series of guided questions that lead me to my yearly goals. Once I know where I’m going, the getting there becomes easier – and usually fun :)
P.S. A heads-up that I updated a few recent posts: my maternity planning post with thoughts on the dresses I ordered, and the road trip post with thoughts from our Jekyll Island trek!
On my calendar this month: — Mother’s Day! — Picking all the strawberries! Our local pick-your-own farm opened last week and we’ve already been for our inaugural after-school trip. — A weekend trip to Charlottesville with my brother- and sister-in-law, loved ones we haven’t seen in a year and a half. — June’s preschool graduation celebration, which my parents will get to attend!
What I’m loving right now: — This kids’ conditioner is cheap and has worked wonders on untangling June’s hair after washing! Highly recommended. — The Feel Good Classics playlist on Spotify (“happy tunes from the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s) most definitely makes me feel good. — We’re using one of these acrylic frames to showcase a baby sister ultrasound photo, and now I’m imagining all of the other sweet mementos they’d be perfect to hold! Just what you need for those oddly-shaped or sized items that can add so much meaning to a mantel or table-top display.
What I read in April: — The Dutch House | Five stars, for exquisitely-painted characters and spaces alike. This is the kind of narrative that is all-consuming, in the sense that you almost forget where you are and the people around you when you dip into its pages. I’ve heard the audiobook, narrated by Tom Hanks, is absolutely superb. — Women of the Word | This short book is very practical and very needed if you’re someone like me, who was never formally taught to read the Bible. Her suggestions are easy to understand, but now I’m left trying to figure out how to apply them in my life, because they’re certainly more in-depth than I’m used to… — Olive Kitteridge | This Pulitzer-Prize winner promised to be controversial (people seem to either love it or hate it), and when I turned the last page, I still wasn’t exactly sure what to make of it. I appreciated the small-town Maine setting and the carefully-drawn portraits of the townspeople, and thought it was neat how Olive’s influence was woven into each to all different degrees, but it is relentlessly negative. It seemed like the worst possible parts of each character were being highlighted (in most cases), and while the portraits didn’t ring untrue, that’s just not how I’m accustomed to viewing the world.
Revisiting my April goals: Make a new design plan for the Magnolia Room (Done!) Magic Eraser/touch up paint in Magnolia Room (In progress! Have the paint and planning to brush it on this week.) Plan maternity/family photos (Done! They actually happened last night and PRAISE for sunshiny weather!) Try twice a week meal prep/chopping nights, inspired by Lisa! (Didn’t do a single one – going to try again this month!) Have my Fearrington tea + pedicures date with June, one of her Christmas presents (Scheduled for later this month!) Assist with June’s bake sale (Decided to postpone this! She hasn’t mentioned it in a bit, and I’d rather it be driven forward by her :)) Proceed with garden party planning (Plans are underway!) Clean out our pantry (Done! Watch me work on Instagram Stories! :)) Order our 2010-2014 family photo album (I chose MPix and have laid out 2010 so far! There are a lot more pictures to choose from than with the 2005-2009 album, ha!)
May goals: — Order custom roman shades for the Magnolia Room — Clean out the Magnolia Room dresser and closet — Order and hang curtains for our master bedroom — Plan (and maybe hold?) the garden party — Make my Big List for baby girl (Basically, a Google Doc where I’ll list out everything related to baby that needs to happen between now and July – then, I’ll break it down month-by-month. Helps me wrap my head around what can seem like an intimidating list! I’ll make a separate one for work things, too.) — Research EFM book options — Make EFM content plan through Q3 — Camp in our backyard — Prep for trips to Charlottesville and Connecticut — Try again with the meal prep/chopping nights
As a reminder, many of these are drawn from my 2021 goals!
Whew! That’s a lot, but it’s all things I’m excited for! Since I didn’t do a survey this year, and I’ll be working on content planning this month, I’d love to hear: is there anything you’d like for me to write about, or that you think would make a good topic here?
File this under classic third child situation: baby girl will not have a dedicated nursery.
BUT – we still have some special plans up our sleeves, and since where our newest addition will sleep has been one of our most commonly asked questions, I thought we could chat about our plans today!
In our home, the master bedroom is downstairs, and we are grateful to have three bedrooms upstairs. June is in one, Shep is in another, and the third is our guest room. The guest room was the very first room we painted in this house (Benjamin Moore Healing Aloe – the prettiest soft green, which I still love!), and after we hung a pair of magnolia art prints on the wall, we dubbed it the Magnolia Room. It’s perfect for welcoming our mostly northern guests to our Southern home! Here is what it looks like today:
Since we live far from loved ones and my sister and her family visit for weekend trips often, it’s important to us to keep a queen bed upstairs. Because of this, this room will largely stay intact, but we will be making a few adjustments to accommodate baby girl! (On that note, I am very glad that baby is, indeed, a girl and not a boy, because the existing decor definitely skews feminine! We could have made it work if we were welcoming a boy, but it’s a much lighter lift this way, ha!)
Here’s a look at the plan, and then a few more details:
First, of course, we’ll add a crib. We’ll use Shep’s same white Jenny Lind crib, even though he’s currently occupying it. We figure we have at least until the end of the year without overlap (if we need it!), since our babies usually sleep in the bassinet in our room for the first few months. Once we move the crib into her room, we’ll add this beautiful magnolia crib sheet (with this floral design as a back-up) and eventually this muslin quilt.
We’ll also switch out the curtains. While I love the current curtains, they’re not black-out and don’t even exactly cover the entire window when closed. (Oops – one of my earliest commissioned projects :)) I’m planning to find a seamstress to make black-out roman shades with the gorgeous Poppy fabric by Lulie Wallace, which I think will tie together lots of the colors in the room and be a fun, feminine touch for baby girl.
Finally, we’ll hopefully switch out the dresser. There is currently a dresser in the room, which was a free hand-me-down from one of our cottages in Maine. It is lovely, but smells AGGRESSIVELY like mothballs. We have tried various things to air it out over the years, but none have made much difference and we don’t have much hope of further progress. We’re currently storing a few things in there that don’t really absorb smells or we don’t care if they do, but ideally we would like some storage for baby girl things. So, we may opt to replace this dresser with another one – maybe this one. If I could get an exact dupe of the dresser in June’s room, I would in a second – I still think it is the most gorgeous honey wood color!! Alas, it was a one-of-a-kind flea market find.
We’ll also likely take the opportunity to switch out the lamps for a matching pair, add some happy yellow artwork over the bed, and frame a few family photos for the dresser!
For those who are curious, we figure the room in this configuration should be just fine for at least the first 2-3 years of baby girl’s life. Our kids don’t keep too many toys in their room until they start quiet time, so it shouldn’t be an issue to preserve the guest room feel. After that, we might consider having two of the kids share a room, or shifting the guest room to be more custom for baby girl (but still keep a queen bed). Or, we might be in a new house entirely! We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it :)
Sharing these posts is always good motivation to nail down the details – now I just need to execute! T-10 weeks to go…
