It is the March coffee date and I have something big to tell you:
I have officially switched over to iced coffees for the season! (Also, iced coffees with this coffee cake which I’ll be sharing soon? YES TO THE YES.)
I mean, if you want to get really specific about it, I still make hot coffee at home until about June at which point I start making cold brew in these cute little glass bottles. But my coffee shop order nowadays is a decaf iced soy latte with a half shot of vanilla, and it is the perfect springy sipper.
Are you onto iced coffees yet? Still holding out for hot drinks?
Today we are talking about:
- House Hunting
- Massages! (Like them or hate them?)
- My Favorite Random Thing in My Fridge
- Solvi Update
- New Work Space, Burnout, and Pressing Pause for a Minute
Settle in, grab a carrot cake energy bite, and let’s talk this month out.
House Hunting!
Bjork and I are thinking about possibly moving! How’s that for a wishy-washy, anti-climactic piece of news?
We aren’t in a rush, but we are looking at houses. We love, love, love our house, and would also love to have a little more space now that we’ve got a little squish on board.
Do you know what’s really hard?
Finding the very exact right place. Or maybe that’s just me.
You want it to match all your things: location, size, budget, layout, schools, but then there’s the most evasive one – the feel of it. Like, the heart. Know what I mean? I feel this so hardcore – like every place has its own vibe and energy, and I really want to end up in a place that has the right feel for us.
Okay, so talk to me about this.
How do you know when a place is right? Do you make the decision with your head? or heart?
Related / please share thoughts: we think we want to live on a lake. A LAKE. As a person who does exactly zero physical manual labor, what do I need to know about this? Tons of work? Reasons why it could be amazing? Teach me.
Massage
Okay, just a quick note to say that I recently got a massage because TREAT YOURSELF! and TAKE TIME TO RELAX! and all of that, and guess what?
I actually don’t really like getting a massage.
Am I the only one?
This Random Cool Thing
Know what this is? This is the FAT TRAPPER!
I’ve made several recipes this month with bacon (Breakfast Meal Prep Sandwiches and the Sunday Chili) and it has reminded me how much I love my little Fat Trapper!
Bjork got this for me (what in the world, honestly) a few years ago and we just always keep it in our fridge and it’s great.
The idea is that you need a place to pour hot grease when you’re done with it, so you pour it into this little heat-safe pouch that can handle hot oil, tuck it into your Fat Trapper, and then toss when it gets full, which, for me, has happened like 2x in the last five years.
Here’s a link to the Fat Trapper on Amazon. (This is an affiliate link.)
Solvi Lu
I was going to call this section Solvi’s Nursery, but then I remembered that it’s just forever half-done so there’s not much to share, and then I was going to call this Solvi’s Schedule, but then I remembered that it’s changing every two days, and then I was going to call this Solvi’s Sleep Update, but then I remembered that we are about to start a sleep training program because that whole sleep thing has kind of imploded. <- So, yeah. There’s her update!
Parenting mishaps aside, our lil Solster is straight Joy with a capital J. We love her so much and we are just having so much fun watching her personality bloom.
Six months is my favorite age yet. She still has some little tough spots, for sure. Last night we saw each other a few too many times between the hours of 10pm and 5am, and today I eventually just resorted to nursing her to sleep for her naps because… well, struggles.
But overall, wow. WHAT FUN. Smiles, giggles, and “dh, dh, dh” baby-whispered from the backseat.
Long, sunny spring days feel synonymous with a fog lifting on this baby chapter of our lives. I am so excited to get this sweet, soft-spoken, alert baby girl outside and adventure with her. You know, the kind of adventures involving park benches, squeaky chew toys, and iced coffees.
New Work Space, Burnout, and Pressing Pause For a Minute
Here, I’ll give you options.
Short version:
- We are about to begin the remodel on an office unit for our team!
- We have a new (temporary) kitchen space for me to work from!
- It’s all a lot of work! And I’m still getting the hang of mom life!
- I’m feeling a little stressed, so I’m going to press pause on new recipes for a week or two.
Long version:
The other day I came across these pictures of Bjork on vacation in California, and do you know what we were doing? We were attempting to record a Food Blogger Pro course. While on vacation. Like, we flew to California and went to the beach and we were like, here, mic me up, let’s use this day to teach people about blogging. On a beach. What in the actual.
In the end, it didn’t even work out (I’m not even kidding, birds started attacking me – it was a sign from the universe), and in hindsight, we should have just given ourselves some time and space to BE IN CALIFORNIA and not been so frantic to always get stuff done.
I’m getting older and wiser, maybe, so I’m now going to take that sentence and apply it to my current situation:
I should just give myself some time and space to MOVE INTO A NEW KITCHEN and not be so frantic to always get stuff done.
Here, you try:
I should just give myself some time and space to ____________________ and not be so frantic to always get stuff done.
That line we walk as ambitious workers and business owners and moms and dads and bloggers and humans – it is so thin. That push and pull of working harder than anyone you know, but also relaxing so you don’t burn out, all while constantly trying to create amazing things? Like, good luck with that. It is HARD. It was hard before kids, and it’s hard after kids.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve gotten better at sensing burnout’s slow creep before it is in full-blown life takeover mode. And right now, while I feel so energized by projects around the corner, I can also feel the slow creep coming on. And my preventative measure for keeping burnout at bay is just giving myself some time and space.
So I’m gonna take some time and space. A week or two. And I just wanted you guys to know. The irony is that I won’t be resting, really. I’ll be just catching my breath. Doing the stuff that needs to get done that I don’t want to squeeze into the two hours post-baby-bedtime.
I can’t wait to bring you my best, organized, non-frantic self, and all her good recipes! ♡
This is a throwback, but yes, you need it.
Sage would like to remind you:
Whatever happens, you are enough. You are a human being of unsurpassable worth. You are amazing.
And you know you gotta listen when the dog with the bunny ears talks to you.
I always love reading these posts and the way you write them. You crack me up and they are an encouraging breath of fresh air. I appreciate your efforts you always make me smile
My baby girl is almost one (!) and I totally agree about the favorite age thing. Each month she gets more independent and interesting.
Good luck on the house hunt! We found ours through a combination head/heart – we didn’t fall in love with our classic-suburbia house, but it was the first one we saw where we could see ourselves living there, and loving it.
And burnout/mom-life… yes. I sort of accidentally-on-purpose took a year of maternity leave from my blog, and I think I’m finally ready to go back. It’s just such a different life I’m living now that it’s taken me this long to find some of the new edges of–myself? If that makes sense.
Where is the recipe for the Maple Date cake? Thank you
You know what I like even more than your recipes (and this is saying something, because I really like your recipes)?
Your coffee dates. Your what I ate Wednesdays. Your recipe roundups. Your life updates. You, being you, just writing. If you need to take a complete break from the blog, by all means do that too because YOU DESERVE IT, but if you just need space from developing/testing/photographing/writing recipes? That is MORE than fine!
Enjoy your breathing room, take as long as you need. We’ll be here when you get back.
Just here to say how much I love your blog and your writing style. It is so natural and down to earth, and just a pleasure to read! Also your daughter is just absolutely gorgeous!
I should just give myself some time and space to grieve the unexpected death of my Daddy and not be so frantic to always get stuff done. Routine and the ‘new normal’ and the things people say when they don’t know what to say can just go away for now.
My daughter is 14 and I think every current stage is still the favorite stage. So much! So busy! Still wants to hold my hand sometimes!
Thank you for sharing these pictures and for the update. I love that we can see Solvi’s little feet/legs in that first picture with the coffee cake. I wish I’d embraced the carrier with my little ones. My youngest loved to be carried around, and I’d have saved my arms if I’d used a carrier or sling.
Really yummy cake with new idea, I like your article.
Stopping by to say happy Friday Lindsay and wishing you a great weekend my friend 🙂
Hi Lindsay,
This is awesome post. Photo with your kiddo is pretty good. It really changes life and your routine once you have kids.
Keep posting and sharing your thoughts.
Love your coffee dates!! I’m wondering if you can follow up with all the baby gear you got for Solvi. Specifically, I’m very interested to hear if you liked the fancy Harvey Karp bassinet. I am pregnant and it sounds great but I’m wondering if it really is a miracle.
With the house you will feel it once you walk in to the house. I am not a huge fan of massage too.
Hello! I’ve been following you for a long time (since you lived in South Asia) and some of my favorite recipes are ones that came from your blog (hello Creamy Squash Curry Quinoa). Kudos to the team member who makes the videos. They are great. Every time I watch one (on Instagram) I want to make it immediately! I always tell myself: “I’ll surely remember that one and look for it soon.” However, truth is, I don’t remember (am desperately trying to find something to blame that on- maybe because I’m in my 60’s and officially “old?”). I finally decided to go to your blog to browse through all your food videos to find the ones that made me think “I HAVE to make that.” However, I could not find a button that says “Here are POY’s Videos You Saw On Instagram.” Are they all in one place on your blog or do I need to scroll through the Instagram posts I have? I will admit to being very computer challenged and need some help in this. Thanks for any help you can give.
i’ll say two things about living on a lake that i’ve learned from watching close friends do it (and living 5 min. from the same lake myself):
1. Investigate MN’s laws about who owns the land from the shoreline to your property line. Here in GA, the US Army Corp of Engineers owns the land, and they have all sorts of rules about what you can and can’t do that take some of the fun of living on the lake out of living on the lake.
2. If you don’t want to add physical labor to your life, be sure you have the budget to hire folks who can help with that. There are docks to maintain, trees to trim, etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. It can consume all your free time, which means you’re working instead of living at the lake. PS Watercrafts are $$$.
First of all, your precious Solvi is just the most beautiful mini-you ever. My hearts sings for you every time you post a picture.
I totally get what you mean about the feel of a house. While the basic checklist of things you need/want has to be there, for me it’s almost an entirely emotional decision. It’s like you just know when you walk into the house meant for you. You know it when you find it.
Regarding massage, I tend to agree with you there as well AND I AM A MASSAGE THERAPIST. Weird I know. I think that too is a matter of finding the right one—the exact right therapist will offer the exact right massage. Every therapist is different, even if they all trained in exactly the same place. Maybe one day we will both find that therapist who is meant for us 🙂
You should put Mahtomedi on your radar for a house. It is a beautiful, charming area and you can get a “lake” style home without the hassle of being on the lake but with access to public beaches nearby. We lived there for several years and LOVED it. Convenient location, character, history… it’s a great place!
While I love love love your recipes, your coffee date blog entries are my favorite part of your blog!
I always feel like if it’s meant to be it will be (with all aspects of life), if a house is meant to be it will happen and everything will just pan out! And I’m def on to ice coffee already. I had a colossal size iced mocha from Starbucks over the weekend and loads of energy haha 🙂
I’ve got no advice. Just thanks for keeping it real and for the smiles. Can’t wait for new recipes because we subsist on them, but also glad you are taking a break. Love these little peeks in to your life.
Yes to sleep training! As a medical professional and a mom, i can tell you that if your baby is over 5 months old and wakes up multiple times a night and can’t go back to sleep on her own, it means she doesn’t know how to go back to sleep in between sleep cycles, which is a critical skill. Please don’t listen to anyone who tells you otherwise! We just finished sleep training our 5 month old and it is the best thing we could have done for her. Sleep training gives your baby the gift of good sleep and helps her develop a skill she is going to use throughout her childhood.
House Hunting. I’ve been a Realtor for 30 years and I can say without a doubt that buying a home is an emotional purchase. Use your heart, I always tell people “you will know when you’re in the house, it will feel like home”. Personally, I love a home with a view, I work from home a lot and it’s nice to be able to look up and see a beautiful view, to be able to step outside to take a break from work and enjoy the view. I often watch the sun rise or set for a few minutes, it clears my mind and puts me in a good frame of mind before or after a stressful work day. I wish you luck in your house hunting adventure, be patient and lead with your heart! ♥️
Massages aren’t for everyone. But I would say you haven’t found the right massage therapist. It’s like finding any professional – ask around and get recommendations. Know what you’re wanting in a massage – relaxation, stress relief, therapeutic, clinical, etc. I am a massage therapist and educator in the Minneapolis area. The right massage therapist is out there.
I love your blog – your recipes, the Solvi updates and, of course, Sage’s wisdom.
My boyfriend (for as long as I’ve known him) keeps a “fat jar” on the counter (just an old salsa jar) that he pours fat into… It smells, and it’s unsightly, and now you’ve proposed a solution! A fat trapper is on its way to us!
Solvi is so adorable — just enjoy this stage in life. It seems like you will never have a decent night’s sleep again and poof! Its gone. Maybe I’m the only mother on earth that regrets sleep training — but usually they just want to be with you and nurse. Its pretty simple and I just listened to too many voices telling me what my babies should be doing at each stage. An aside, we live on a lake in MI and its no more work than any other house. Well, we have a lot of trees which means more leaves in the fall! I love it at all times of the year — but especially in the winter because its so peaceful. Its not
a busy lake but we do have a lot more action in the spring, summer and fall. Since you have live in the land of lakes — go for it! 🙂
Wow, “the slow creep of burnout” thanks for clarifying what this entrepreneur with too many hats struggles with as well. There are never enough hours in the day and yes, enjoying life seems to easily slip way down my tyrannical to do list. The smile was a blessing : )