Well, hi!
It’s September, but really, it’s EARLY September, so a picture of the last few ripe and wonderful days of summer is what’s gonna be happening right now.
Okay, buckle up and grab a drink! Is it a cozy PSL keeping your warm on your couch? Is it a cold agua fresca to cool you down while you soak up the sun? Could be either! Depends on the day! Because it’s that magical time of year known as September.
Firstly, I think it’s worth acknowledging that I have fallen out of rhythm with these coffee date posts this summer. Let me explain the drought.
I did a series of posts in March, April, and May called the Quarantine Reports – basically a documentation of what time at home was looking like for us during the stay at home order. Oh my gosh. Remember the emotional train wreck that was quarantine? LOL.
And after the stay at home order ended, and people started emerging from their homes again, and life semi-returned to a tiny fraction of normal, I had planned to do a few coffee date posts but then, well, there was this one big thing that I was struggling with talking around:
Baby On Board
There was, and is, a baby on board over here!
And that’s one reason why it’s been hard to talk like a normal person in both the quarantine reports and in the recently nonexistent coffee date posts. It was a really, really rough time during the first trimester, for so many reasons including the nausea that was overtaking my life, and that was the thing that I was trying to say without saying in a lot of those spring posts.
I had planned to make this baby girl public via coffee date post sometime in May/June, but wow. The cycle of bad, hard, horrifying, heartbreaking news has been kind of nonstop both here in Minneapolis and worldwide for the last few months, hasn’t it? Not to mention social media and the internet in general being just kind of a hot mess of hurt, tension, and hostility. Other things in our world and in our online communities have been more pressing these last few months. There never was a right time to share or celebrate.
But now is the right time, I think, and it sort of has to be, because she’s going be here in October!
I’m 30-ish weeks, I’m feeling tired and big, but otherwise great. Baby’s room is mostly ready, all her hand-me-down clothes are washed, and Solvi talks about the baby nonstop. We are so excited to welcome another little girl to our family. ♡
Being Outside Is Everything
This summer has been the summer of life on the deck.
It’s one of the few places we feel comfortable being with people, hanging out socially, and not needing to SUPER worry about Covid thanks to the top-notch filtration system of the great outdoors.
This summer we replaced our two-person patio table with a party-size table and chairs for the deck – perfect for holding mountains of tacos, chips, and jugs of agua fresca and seating our friends.
And this fall we added to the deck collection: a fire table! and a projector! for outdoor movies and s’mores! And they are getting a wonderful amount of use.
Listen, if we aren’t going anywhere for the foreseeable future, we are definitely putting all our eggs into the deck life basket.
Anyone else living it up in the outdoor spaces this summer / fall? Anyone else afraid for what their social life (or lack of social life) will look like come winter?
Vacation
Okay, I just said we weren’t going anywhere but Bjork and I DID recently take a little drive down the Great River Road to Lake Pepin where we stayed in an adorable Airbnb for a few days right on the lake. River? Lake. It’s kind of both.
We had only been to Lake Pepin one other time (way back here) and this time, being right on the water, truly felt like we might just be in the Caribbean even though we were only about an hour from home.
I read three books in three days (toddler-free life is just so very… open) and we had lots of pie, cheese and crackers, olives, root beer, you know, the things of summer and pregnancy.
Anyone else been able to getaway this summer, even if it’s only an hour away? And/or feeling restless and wanting hop a plane for some adventuring?
Home Sweet Home
In what will either go down as a great idea or a terrible disaster, we’ve decided to do a few home projects in the last few weeks before baby.
The thinking here: because of Covid and Minnesota winter and having a newborn, we are going to be at home essentially for the next 6 months straight. There are no upcoming trips for us, there are no outings. This is a very home-centric time in our lives. So let’s make those updates we’ve been talking about so we can feel like this is a place that makes us really happy and cozy until we start to re-emerge, right?
Right?
We are hiring everything out because we know ourselves and we know that what we can do right now is Toddler Life and Food / Technology Life and nothing more. There is zero DIY skill in this house, so we’re leaving it to other people to help us make this happen.
And *mostly* what is happening is paint. Kitchen, living area, fireplace, laundry room, etc. – all getting a little paint perk-up. There will be a new backsplash. There will be an office makeover. There will be wallpaper in the bathroom. There will be a closet refresh to include some built-in storage which will magically make us super organized, right? There will be a few nice new things and a few key pieces of Craigslist furniture and none of this will be stressful. Thanks, bye.
Just Where Things Are At
This post sums up how I’ve felt about showing up in online spaces lately. It can be hard to get it just right. There will always be mistakes made, things misunderstood, or things disagreed upon because we are human. Brené Brown talks about not showing up to be right, but showing up to get it right. And I really feel that and appreciate that. And also, more and more, I feel like social media and the internet and my habits with both doesn’t always feel healthy. I’m starting to wonder if maybe it’s time to pull back. To focus on what’s real and what’s right here.
I love Pinch of Yum. I love doing this with you. I love making recipes, sharing them, and co-creating little moments of delicious joy with you in our very real, very precious lives.
I also feel tender and overwhelmed, by the internet and the news and the State Of Things.
I feel protective of my baby who is actually a big girl now. I feel a deep desire to be with her, working through our real life stuff, while we wait for cookies to come out of the oven. I feel anxious about how I will spread my time even thinner with another little human on the way.
I feel determined and purposeful in my work to bring you these little joys in the form of food. But I also feel soft. And slow. And content. Not ambitious and not striving.
I think I’ve come to the realization that I’m now playing a different game than I was in 2009 when I started Pinch of Yum. The game I’m playing now isn’t about followers, traffic, growth, and reach – you know, doing all the things and doing them well. The game I’m playing now is just about real people and real life. My real life, your real life, our real families and friends, our real hearts, and how food can be a thread that ties all of that together.
Life and work is always in transition, and this season – the next few months – is no exception. I will be preparing for maternity leave, and preparing to scale back for a while. (WE HAVE SOME AMAZING FALL RECIPES COMING UP BTW.) You will be preparing for whatever is coming in your life and family, and the news and the internet will continue to do what it will do, and we’ll just take it all as it comes, right?
I don’t have a point I’m trying to make here other than to just say, hi, this is me, and this is where I am at these days.
And maybe you can find yourself in that as well. ♡
Thanks for being here with me. Thanks for shining your light into the internet and into your real life places.
September, we’re ready for ya.
LOVE hearing your thoughts and realness. You are beautiful woman and mother! I love that life comes in seasons and glad yours is filled with joy and focusing on tiny people that need the love you offer. Your heart is about to grow even bigger!!! I have two young littles and I was worried about splitting my attention between the two as my second was due. It starts off real steady (other than not sleeping much at night haha) because you forget how much newborns sleep! Soak it up and squish the newborn squish <3
So many congratulations. I’ve lurked around PoY for the recipes for the last few years, but not checked back in a while – turns out depression in the household can lead to a serious lack of enthusiasm for cooking, even at a time when it’s most important.
I’m just now getting my work ethic back and rediscovering food – your post hit me right in the heart and I’m so happy for you and your family. Sending love from the South East coast of England!
Congratulations! It’s better when you just go with it. Thinking only good thoughts for things to come for you, and life in the good ole USA
Congrats! Such great news for you guys! I love being part of your FBP community and following on Pinch of Yum. You both inspire me every day!
Thank you for sharing and keeping it real. I hope all goes well with baby girl. I’m sure Solvi will be a great big sister and Sage will love her as well. We are expecting our first great grandson the end of October. Congratulations to you and Bjork.
Thank you for your very real update. Congratulations on your second baby! Good luck with being spread thinner! But you will make it successfully out on the other side of that challenge! Good luck on all the things. We will all get through.
Congrats! I joined your tribe grieving your first little one and am so happy to see you blessed with baby girl #2! While big brother will never be replaced, I pray your heart will Continue to grow with your new addition! I am praying for you.
The scaling back thing is where we are at too. Just took a social media break through the holidays, maybe even after. It hasn’t filled up my happy cup in a long time but slowing down with nature and my family does. Hope these next few months are great to you!
A beautiful blog post/update and feeling all of these fall related things too up here in Duluth! And realizing that I really want and need to paint a couple rooms in our house too!
OMG!!! ❤👏👏 What a surprise! So very happy for all of you! Congratulations!!
Congratulations!!! Thank you for what you do and ENJOY this special time. Family is ALWAYS first!!!
Thank you for all of your wonderful recipes and for sharing your life so openly with us. It makes things feel good and right. I wish you the best and look forward to reading about your new baby girl. May you continue to be blessed. Lots of love!
Lindsay, this is such a lovely, honest, gentle post, and was exactly what I needed to read this morning. Thank you so much for sharing so openly, and huge congrats and your next little bumble! love Nan (photog workshop 2016)
OH my God! You just came into my life during the pandemic and I wonder how I cooked without you! You are so honest and authentic – I am a fan for life. Making your spicy ramen tonight as a matter of fact. I am wishing you such great rest and happiness during this next phase! Luckily I have a gazillion recipes to explore during your hiatus but will miss your voice. Hang in there and BEST of luck with your baby girl and your home projects! Kate
Heartfelt congratulations- wishing you so much joy with your growing family!! Good for you to take time for this stage in your life. I have loved and will continue to make and recommend with pleasure your recipes to anyone who asks “where did you get that recipe for…?” Thank you for all you have given us over the years❤️
I recently found your blog and it made my red curry dreams come true. Your recipe is delish and i’ve shared it (the final dish and recipe) with a dozen of my foody friends. And to no surprise, they agree with me. I serve it over soba noodles, under grilled salmon and all together with grilled chicken. It’s like a great pair of nude-colored shoes, it goes with everything. Congratulations on the new, little human.
With that sudden burst of energy they say comes just before the baby, can you whip up a pumpkin scone recipe for us?
Cheers.
Hi Lindsay. So nice to have an update on you and your family and the new baby girl. I love your posts and feel like we are all part of a big family. You and Bjork and Solvi and the New One are a good model for all of us. I am loving it !
I made the broccoli Cheese soup the other day. It was GOOD!. Thank you for your good recipes. I’m gonna make the butternut fettuccine with pancetta next. Problem though….I am alone so I eat ALL of it myself.
Love you guys! Jody
Dear Lindsay & family, Thank you for sharing your wonderful news when you were ready! This is such a lovely bit of news to welcome! Indeed, you must just relax, mellow-mood your way into autumn, to welcome your new baby daughter, and honestly – just enjoy it! If you must sit in pjs for the next 6mths, we are totally accepting& understanding of this! Prayers & love to you all, Fozia. Greetings from London
Congrats!!!
I can so relate to this post here. I was all excited about a blog my sister and I started before baby number two came for me. I have scaled back tremendously from work things and am realizing quickly what is most important-more time with family and those that matter most. I also feel like the internet and social media realm has taken a turn recently, and it does not make me feel great after being in it. Another reason to scale back for me. Thanks for sharing!
I started reading this on my email so your picture wasnt there until I clicked on your website, but in those few short seconds, I was really hoping there was going to be baby news!! We have a tiny about Solvi’s age and another little girl due in mid-October. Such a fun time to have a baby, but you’re right. With all the stuff floating around, quarantine 2.0 will be the name of the game until spring. Praying for your new little nugget and all the things related. Enjoy your time away!
Congratulations on having another bundle of joy! so happy for you and the family. <3
Hi,
Congratulations All the way from Australia. It’s interesting to know how things are with all the COVID restrictions in other countries. Being pregnant during these times gives you another perspective as well. I hope all the nausea has settled – it sounds like it has.
Wishing you all the best as you prepare for the birth of you little baby girl.
Thank you for all the things you share through
pinchofyum.com – always makes everyone feel good and inspired to try a recipe or two – using healthy food choices
So excited for your upcoming arrival AND home updates. Totally understand! Take it easy, take a nap, do whatever makes you feel good❤️ My babies are now 22, 20 and 16—time goes by WAY TOO FAST. Although I would not want to do it ALL over, I stayed home with three boys twenty years, and there are so many sweet memories stamped onto my brain that I would LOVE to feel again. I’ve been reading your posts for years and absolutely love your recipes, too many to mention. Don’t let yourself worry about all this extraneous stuff going on outside in the world, just tuck in and enjoy the one of the most exhausting yet beautiful times of your life! So many hugs to you!!!
oh Lindsay…so so very happy for you and Bjork and solvi..God is blessing you and I feel so much happy emotion all I can do is cry..❤❤❤❤
Dear Lindsay,
So so Happy for your exciting news!!
Congratulations and many blessings on all
of you !!!