Category Archives: The Rundown

The Rundown

Currently

February 12, 2019

Prim’s attitude towards Valentine’s Day is pretty much a whole mood for 2019.

Making: plans for Valentine’s day. Well, sort of. I’m thinking about making plans for Valentine’s Day. I have an idea for a date night at home this weekend and a See’s gift card that has been burning a hole in my wallet since Christmas. I think Valentine’s Day is the perfect excuse to stuff a pound of candy into my face, no?

Cooking: from the Sprouted Kitchen Cooking Club. I joined this online meal-planning service when it launched last year as a way of making mid-week meal planning easier for me and our amazing nanny. It includes 3 dinner recipes and one side/snack/dessert recipe each week and I’ve been so happy with it — the meals are creative, delicious and healthy, and it makes meal planning so much easier (and diverse!) each week.

Drinking: cocktails, lately. Especially these.

Reading: Educated (so interesting!)

Wanting: more sleep (I think I’m a little iron deficient right now, which is always fun for my energy levels).

Looking: at affordable art for a few spots around the house.

Eating: popcorn as a late-night snack, lately. I make it in the air popper and top it with melted butter, salt and everything bagel seasoning. Get on board, guys, it’s GOOD.

Wishing: for an unlimited budget for house projects.

Enjoying: the rain! Even though one of our many skylights kiiiiind of leaks…

Loving: how our house is coming together. It’s amazing how a few small touches (most recently a new plant and pair of wall sconces in the living room) can really finish off a space.

Hoping: to run off to wine country soon.

Needing: to get back to working out regularly so my back doesn’t murder me.

Smelling: coffeeeeee.

Feeling: like everyone has it together more than I do. I think it’s partially the “Instagram generation” that we live in and also just this season of my life (read: toddlers, balancing working with being a parent, trying to find time for myself and my relationship while keeping everything else together), but either way — sometimes it’s hard to remember that everyone has their own struggles, even if their life looks perfect from your phone screen.

Wearing: some new things I bought on Poshmark, including some flared overalls that are maybe my most favorite clothing purchase, like, ever. (PS: in case you’re wondering, yes, KC still hates overalls. Roooooomance!)

Watching: A Million Little Things. I just started it and love it!

Bookmarking: credit cards with hotel points. Our main credit card provides us with airline miles, but in an effort to make little getaways a yearly thing, we’re hoping to add some free hotel stays to the mix.

The Rundown

Currently

July 26, 2017

Photos from our trip to the zoo this weekend!

Making: peanut butter chocolate chip cookies as a belated treat for KC’s birthday (he has been working in Dublin for most of the past two weeks)

Cooking: the “Amsterdam” version  of this White Chicken Chili (because I can’t find all the ingredients here.) It’s delicious and healthy!

Drinking: Dutch beer, duh.

Reading: We Are Never Meeting in Real Life

Wanting: more time and more sleep, always.

Looking: at mamafiets (“mama bikes”) — though not anymore! I bought a new one this weekend!

Eating: peanut butter cookie scraps… They came out kind of crumbly, I think because I only have a hand mixer here. Plus my oven is weird.

Wishing: for nice weather for the next week. We’ve got visitors!

Enjoying: the fact that the kids went to bed super easy tonight. Hallelujah.

Loving: our weekend adventures. We did brunch, the bike shop, one of my favorite toy stores, and the zoo all in one day.

Hoping: to catch this damn mouse that is running rogue lately. Get outta here.

Needing: to get ready for tomorrow. Blah.

Smelling: lavender extract. I put it on the kids before bed to keep the mosquitos off them. (Prim and I are being eaten alive.)

Feeling: accomplished. Moving the girls into the same room has been an adjustment for both of them (and us), but so far with some sleep training and schedule fine-tuning, things are going really well.

Wearing: jeans and tees. Mom life.

Watching: Game of Thrones (delayed on US cable via VPN — ha!)

Bookmarking: accessories for my new bike!

The Rundown

Currently

October 17, 2016

img_9974Making: apple cake (I snapped the baking process if you care to follow along — chelseac7off)

Cooking: Ina’s mac and cheese this week. It’d better be delicious.

Drinking: water, because I’m a responsible pregnant lady.

Reading: No Bad Kids — Toddler Discipline Without Shame. I actually just finished this and really liked it.

Wanting: this pumpkin loaf! Gotta find some pumpkin around here though…

Looking: at warm clothes for P and the baby. I feel very unprepared for “real” winter.

Eating: apple cake… in like an hour.

Wishing: that this apple cake baked a little quicker.

Enjoying: the new lights we bought over the weekend at IKEA. Our apartment isn’t such a dark, depressing cave now.

Loving: the local chocolate. Tony’s Chocolonely is going to be the death of me (or really just the death of my moderate pregnancy weight gain).

Hoping: to book our tickets back to California for Christmas this week!

Needing: to figure out dinner. Ugh, everyday.

Smelling: fall spices! I made a scent on the stove and now the whole apartment smells wonderful all the time. (In case you’re curious, I used orange peels, whole cloves, a cinnamon stick, half an apple, a knob of ginger, and some whole allspice berries.)

Feeling: pregnant

Wearing: maternity jeans that are constantly falling down. I’m a mess.

Watching: Stranger Things with KC (I know, I know, we’re so behind). Ummm it’s kind of totally creepy.

Bookmarking: new fiction to read. I really need to get back into the groove of reading every night (and not just parenting stuff!) Send along your recommendations if you have any!

The Rundown

Currently

June 17, 2016

img_9086

Making: stovetop mochas for breakfast (and isn’t that little pot cute? It’s IKEA!)

Cooking: roast chicken tonight. It’s going to be a regular thing in these parts since I need the bones for stock. They don’t sell stock here, only bouillon, apparently. And I’m not super down with MSG…

Drinking: all the Euro beers! Blondes, Tripels, Goldens, all of it.

Reading: the Dutch utilities websites. Google Translate is a godsend, but not exactly foolproof.

Wanting: Prim to take a nice long nap so I can veg out for a bit. Moving = going up and down the stairs 400 times a day.

Looking: forward to Father’s Day this weekend! Or I guess I should say, “Vaderdag.”

Eating: Lu Petit Ecolier (because they’re so cheap here!)

Wishing: that someone could come and steam clean the floors and the couch for me.

Enjoying: using the Bugaboo again. The Yoyo is awesome for travel, but the Cameleon is made for these cobblestone streets!

Loving: our new place! It definitely has its quirks, but it’s so charming and lovely, and it’s so nice to be home.

Hoping: to hit up Albert Cuypmarkt this weekend for some flowers and fresh fish. (We live less than two blocks from the market!)

Needing: to do laundry. Per usual. Ugh.

Smelling: Ecover cleaning products, because I went a little crazy in the cleaning aisle at Marqt.

Feeling: HAPPY.

Wearing: different clothes, because after two whole months I was finally reunited with the rest of my wardrobe! But let’s be real, it’s still jeans and a t-shirt because I’m boring.

Watching: US TV via my crafty VPN network.

Bookmarking: recipes for beef stock. Looks like I’m gonna have to find a butcher who sells beef bones around here…

The Rundown

Currently

May 17, 2016

img_8377Making: a mess, because I’m packing — we move to Amsterdam tomorrow! (holycrap)

Cooking: nothing. I’m just assembling snacks for the plane!

Drinking: a mom beer in the afternoon, since I’ve got a long break between nursing sessions.

Reading: the kid-show section of Amazon Prime, because all the rules go out the window when trying to keep a baby (toddler? OMG) quiet on an international flight.

Wanting: to sleep on our flight tomorrow night, but let’s be real — that’s probably not going to happen.

Looking: forward to being settled in our very own place… soon.

Eating: Mexican food, See’s candy, avocados, all the California treats.

Wishing: that the flight to Amsterdam was a bit shorter.

Enjoying: sleeping through the night. Guys, it’s a game-changer.

Loving: all of Prim’s babbling. All of her little nonsense conversations are just too adorable.

Hoping: to find a perfect apartment in Amsterdam (quickly!)

Needing: to do laundry, wash my hair, get organized, stop stressing. All the things.

Smelling: Prim’s sweet baby-smell.

Feeling: excited to move, sad to leave, ALL THE EMOTIONS.

Wearing: the comfiest and most adorable sun dresses from Old Navy (that I got sooo much on sale. Whoop whoop!)

Watching: Game of Thrones, and wondering whether I even like it, even though I’ve watched all the seasons. It’s so depressing!

Bookmarking: ways to watch US shows overseas. Because guys, I need to keep up with Outlander!