Traveling with a baby: Fun? Crazy? Naive? We didn’t know but decided to roll the dice and see. With me being on mat leave and D having left over holiday time, we wanted to take advantage of our time away from the office and go far away. After considering our warm-weather options we decided on a month-long adventure to New Zealand’s North Island, leaving in mid-November. We had never been, the climate seemed nice, the photos we had seen were stunning, and it is a very safe country to travel in with excellent health care. So with that limited amount of knowledge we booked flights from Vancouver to Auckland and a campervan and bought two travel books that we didn’t really even have time to read until we arrived.
Author Archives: karineinthecity
Fall Fun ~ October 2015
Fall is off to a good start, with a few trips out of town, some socializing and enjoying some beautiful sunny days. It’s been a really low-key month but in the best possible way. Here’s a little bit of what I’ve been up to in the first half of October…
Recipes: Chocolate Diablo Cookies
Um, yum. These are so much more interesting and flavorful than your regular chocolate cookies. These combine chocolatey, spicy, sweet and salty flavours. They’re not for everyone, but if you are intrigued by the sound of cayenne, ginger and sea salt served up with a fudgey chocolate treat, these may be up your alley. We like them in our household as a special treat from time to time. They’re inspired by the ones served at Tacofino, a great local place famous for their Baja-style tacos. Check out the recipe below!
Fall Shopping List
After scouring the stores, Instagram, and magazines, I’ve come up with my curated list of Fall 2015 essentials. Actually nothing on this list is essential except for the raincoat and maybe the tea, but I find it’s easier to justify the expenses when you tell yourself these things are essential. Shopping details and my commentary are below!
Whistler Getaway
Last week we skipped town, packed up the Phil & Ted’s travel crib, and went for a little getaway to Whistler. We stayed at Nita Lake Lodge and had no real plans except to relax. It was great to have a change of scenery and to stay in a hotel, with no laundry, dishes, or cleaning to do… having someone to make the bed and fresh towels every day felt like a luxury after my last three months with a baby taking up a lot of my time and energy. It was sunny for half of our time there and rainy for the rest, which was fine by me as that was the perfect excuse to sit by the fire and drink wine and eat baked goods from Purebread. Usually I like to go to the spa when I’m in Whistler (either at Scandinave or the Four Seasons) and go to a yoga class at YYoga NeoWhistler, but neither of those things happened this trip. Instead, this trip was all about family time, leisurely walks, and happy hours. Here are a few iPhone snapshots from our trip.
Recipes: Zucchini Loaf
I tested out this zucchini loaf recipe today from the Butter Baked Goods cookbook, which I love. My mom brought me a bunch of zucchini from her garden last week and I wanted to put it to good use. The loaf turned out nicely and I’ll be sure to make it again the next time I have zucchini laying around. Serve with a cup of tea and enjoy!
Hello Nordstrom + Birthday Week
This week was really fun. Not even just in terms of mom standards, but legitimately, objectively fun. Highlights included getting dressed up and going to the Nordstrom Opening Gala on Wednesday night and my birthday the next day. I love my birthday – always have, and always will. What better excuse to eat cake for breakfast and spend quality time with people you care about doing what you feel like doing. Here’s the run down on how I celebrated my fourth annual 29th birthday week.
Fall is in the Air and That’s a Good Thing
The weather has shifted and Fall is in the air. While I’m sad to say goodbye to summer, especially the long days and warm weather, I find that I’m welcoming the transition to another season this year a little more than most years. I was trying to figure out why that is and I realized it has a huge part to do with my confidence in this whole mom thing. There has been a shift and I think we are entering a new phase. Things feel a little calmer than they did in the first few weeks of summer when Baby N was brand new, and as we are approaching the three month mark, I have been feeling like the ‘real me’ and not just some imposter with a newborn. Life is now back to something that resembles my old life, but now my new life involves the most adorable smiley little sidekick. I’m back in my pre-pregnancy pants. I’m not going to lie, that feels great. I’m getting some baby-free time too for things I enjoy, like yoga, and that is such a gift. D is happy to watch the little guy and I am happy to get a break.
Recipes: Beet Salad with Maple-Glazed Walnuts, Goat Cheese & Arugula
I made beet salad this week after picking up some fresh beets from our neighborhood farmers’ market. I had been craving one for awhile and this easy recipe satisfied that craving. This dish is a nice side salad that pairs well with a protein (I served it with chicken marinated in tamari, lemon juice, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper). It’s a simple list of ingredients, but the final product packs a good amount of flavor and texture. See my recipe below…
Our First Wedding Anniversary
Today is our first wedding anniversary! Our wedding at Nita Lake Lodge in Whistler last August was the perfect wedding weekend. It’s hard to believe that our first year as husband and wife has already passed us by. The past year has been a blur. An amazing blur. Since then, we’ve made many new happy memories and we’ve taken the leap into parenthood together. I can’t imagine anyone else by my side and I feel so lucky to have D in my life. I am excited for our future together. Who knows what the next year will bring?
karineinthecity 