Lily Claire & Ella's New Bedroom

A few months ago I started noticing that my girls were getting older and that there was a lot of stuff in their bedroom that they didn't use or play with anymore. I also started thinking that the paint, bedding and decor in general could really use a change up and a more "grown up" feel.  I scrolled through lots of photos on Instagram with my oldest daughter, and she picked one room that she loved, by @nestingwithgrace. It was also a shared bedroom space in a similar style room with the sloped ceiling. It had a very cute eclectic vibe and I fell in love.  If you haven't checked out Brooke's feed, please do! It's so cute and cozy.

I started collecting pieces for the "re-do" for the last 2 months, and then, finally, the last two weeks, while Lily Claire was on a trip to Paris with her Grandma, Ella and I got busy on the room.

We painted the walls a color called Sea Salt by Sherwin Williams, and the beds are painted in Four Winds by Valspar. I found the desk at a thrift store and painted it with Valspar's Gentle Blush.

The prints and wall hooks are from Ikea.

The vintage beds I found on Cragislist and the dresser and doll cradle are thrift store finds. The duvets are from Ikea, large pattern pillows are Ikea, pink velvet pillows Burlington Coat Factory, the bed skirt is from a shower curtain I bought years ago at Anthropologie, I love it, but id doesn't match the paint color in our bathroom. I cut it apart and used a staple gun to staple it to the undersides of the bed.

The pink bins desperately need to be replaced, but Ikea doesn't carry pink ones anymore and the other color options wouldn't match this room, so I'm still on the look out for a good replacement.

I made the mobile with leftover felt and fishing wire.

Most of the art and accessories were collected over time or gifted to the girls. I really love the way the room turned out. It still has a whimsical feel to it, but seems more "grown up" now. 

What do you all think???

Garden Fresh Marinara Sauce

I'm sort of embarrassed to admit this, but I have to trick my kids to get them to eat their vegetables. I mean, being a food blogger and all one might think that my kids have well rounded meals with exotic spices and a wide variety of proteins and vegetables, but in reality I'm just like you.  My kids want pb&j, plain spaghetti with butter, and chicken nuggets and french fries.  Getting them to eat carrot sticks with ranch dressing feels like a victory.  I have been known to consider ketchup a vegetable.  (It's made from tomatoes!)

Sneaking zucchini into brownie mix has happened around here!  Butternut squash macaroni & cheese is also a trick I use...

Basically what I'm saying is I have picky eaters, so if you're like me, give this sauce a try.  And hey, if your kids won't eat it, at least you've already made the plain pasta...

Ingredients:
1 onion diced
3 cloves of garlic minced
2 cans of tomatoes (whole peeled, diced, doesn't matter)
1 large eggplant diced into 2" chunks
3 zucchini diced into 2" chunks
2 green bell peppers diced into 2" chunks
1/2 cup red wine
olive oil
salt & pepper
dried italian seasoning

Directions:
You will need 1 heavy bottomed pot such as a dutch oven and a large non-stick skillet.  Heat non-stick skillet over medium high heat.  Add olive oil, onions and garlic, salt and pepper.  When the onions turn translucent spoon them into the dutch oven.  Add a little more olive oil and then saute the eggplant, seasoning with salt and pepper.  Repeat all steps until all of the fresh veggies have been sauteed and are golden brown and soft.  Add the two cans of tomatoes to the dutch oven and stir all vegetables to combine.  Place dutch oven over medium high heat, add wine and cover.  Stir every few minutes.  All vegetables should begin to fall apart.  Using an immersion blender puree the vegetables until they are smooth.  Add italian seasoning and check to see if the sauce needs more salt and pepper.  If the sauce is too thick you can add a little water to thin it out.  If you like spice add a pinch of red pepper flake.   Serve with meatballs & spaghetti. (Unless you are vegan or vegetarian!)

 

French Dip Sliders

First off, I want to say thank you, thank you!! Buddies, your response to my post about my baby girl's hip dysplasia was overwhelming!! I'm really hoping it helps someone else who is going through the same thing! If you didn't catch the post but are interested it's the post right after this one or click here!

If you are just looking for a really good recipe and aren't interested in hip dysplasia, that's okay too! I've got you covered! French Dip Sliders. Yup! You're welcome because these are so stinkin' good and so easy!



Ingredients:

1 pkg of hawaiian sweet dinner rolls
thinly sliced deli roast beef
6 slices of provolone cheese
1 sweet onion thinly sliced
6 tbs of butter divided
1 tbs ppoppy seeds
1 1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp seasoning salt

Instructions:
Sautee thinly sliced onion in 2 tbs of butter over medium heat until caramelized. This takes about 10 minutes, but while they are cooking you can start prepping the bread and other ingredients.

Remove the rolls from the package and slice completely in half with a serrated knife while still stuck together.  You should have one half with bottoms and one half with tops.  Place bottom half of rolls in a buttered or sprayed baking dish. Add a layer of thinly sliced roast beef and a layer of cheese. When the onions are done spread them over the layer of cheese and top with another layer of roast beef. Place the top half of rolls.  In an oven safe bowl melt 4tbs of butter for 30 seconds, then add worcestershire sauce and seasonings and stir well. Pour butter sauce over the top of the rolls and then cover with aluminum foil. Bake in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes covered, then remove the foil and bake for 5 minutes uncovered.

Camille's Hip Dysplasia ~ Life with a Pavlik Harness

This is not my typical post. No recipe or home design tips today. Just one momma's heartfelt experience with her newborn's diagnosis of hip dysplasia. Feel free to skip this post if it's not helpful to you. My hope is, that someone else out there just got this diagnosis and it will be helpful to them! If you follow me on Instagram of Facebook, you may be aware that our baby girl Camille was diagnosed with DDH - developmental dysplasia of the hips, when she was 2 days old.  I thought I would share some of what we went through now that her harness wearing days are officially behind us!

When Camille was two days old we went in for her first well baby check. Since our insurance is different than our older kids insurance we went to a pediatrician that we were not familiar with. We would have 30 days to add Camille to our other plan, but for the time being Camille would be covered under our plan. The new doctor was very nice, and she noticed that Camille's hip was making a click sound. I didn't really understand what she was talking about, but she referred us to a specialist that was going to explain things to us. When I called the specialist I was told they don't treat patients that are this young and we were then referred to Shriner's Children's Hospital. Since it wasn't an emergent case we had to wait almost 6 weeks for an appointment. Since I wasn't thinking this was a big deal, she wasn't in pain or discomfort of any kind that I noticed, I didn't think much of it. My main concern at the time was trying to get her to gain weight, as she had gone down to 5 lbs after being born 6lbs 3oz. Plus, we were adjusting to life with a newborn and juggling having 3 kids now...
It just didn't worry me much.

On the Friday we went in for her first orthopedic appointment I was floored when the doctor said both of her hips were completely dislocated and she would need extensive treatment to fix them.  She was immediately placed in a Pavlik Harness. I was so unprepared, I didn't even have a onesie with me in the diaper bag! And for some reason the PA who fitted the harness on Camille made me feel terrible about that. How could I not have a onesie? What did I think was there for today? It was awful.  I cried the entire way home from the hospital.

Camille right after being fitted, in her borrowed onesie.

It was February, it was cold, my baby couldn't wear pants, footie pajamas, nothing but a onesie. I could not take her out of the harness. Ever. At. All. for the first 3 weeks. Ever. At All. Even to bathe/change diapers. Not. At. All. Queue the ugly cry.

But we made it. We got through it. And if you are in the same boat, I'm here to tell you, you will too! My friend made Camille some pants with snaps down the side that went over the harness. My other other friend ordered her leg warmers to go under the straps of the harness.

The first month was the hardest. Then, after we switched insurance, we met her new doctor who gave us permission to remove the harness for 15 minutes a day so she could have a quick bath. I was so excited! Another month went by and she had another ultrasound. Things were improving, but we weren't able to go harness free yet. We began a weaning schedule. An hour of freedom twice a day for a month, then two hours twice a day for a few weeks, then finally, just naps and night time until last week. And finally we are harness free!

Yesterday Camille had her hips x-rayed. The doctor said that her hips are in the sockets, but the sockets are still not formed perfectly.  For now he wants to wait and see how they develop. When she is 4 they will do another x-ray and then decide if surgery is necessary. While it is not the "your baby is cured" I had hoped for, I am still relieved that we are done with the harness.

I did learn a few things that I wanted to share with anyone who just found themselves in this boat.

First, it's okay to be sad and to cry. One of the most frustrating things when she was first diagnosed was people telling me "At least she won't remember it." You will remember it! And it's not fun. You have the right to feel upset.

Leg warmers are so helpful! We didn't really need them once it got hot, but when the weather was cold, they really protected her skin and kept her warm.

Keep a onesie under the harness so the straps don't rub. If your baby spits up a lot try putting a bigger onesie over the top of the harness to protect the straps from getting spit up on.

Have fun with hair accessories. I was so sad that Camille couldn't wear any of the cute outfits I had bought her and that we were just stuck with onesies. So, I bought a lot of headbands and they are so much fun! (Girls tip!)

Breastfeeding is tricky. I had to have Camille sitting straight up on my lap straddling my side to nurse. She refused to nurse on the right breast and that was so frustrating. Give yourself grace here. If breastfeeding isn't working for you or her, it's okay! Bottle feeding is not bad!! I did a combo of both because she wanted to breastfeed, but I really think it would have been easier not to. Your choice and don't feel guilty if you can't or don't want to. You have enough going on with this harness!

Try to find a friend who has gone through this! You don't have to be alone! I looked on Instagram and connected with a couple moms who were going though the same thing, and have since been contacted by several others. A support system is so helpful!

This is just a season, but it when you are in it it seems to last a long time. I know! So take breaks when you can. And remember that you are helping your child so they will walk correctly. They will get stronger and hopefully not need surgery. Keep that in mind. This will sometimes seem awful and your baby may cry, but you are strong enough to get through this!

xoxo