LET'S HAVE ANOTHER - Blog

Friendsheep!

10/12/2018

Friends! I love these little "friendsheep." Made out of organic wool, these little cuties have cut down on drying time (I can shave at least 10 minutes off a cycle and lower it from high to medium at the same time, saving energy and being a little gentler on our clothes). You can also buy them with stars or penguins on them instead of sheep (and other brands make them as well). Plus, if I add a few drops of essential oil to each little ball (I've been using my lavender essential oil), they leave our clothes (and our tiny bathroom, where the laundry and dryer are) smelling great - no need for fabric softener.

Just wanted to share my little eco-friendly dryer trick. Have you used dryer balls? Do you have a special laundry trick? Please share in the comments!

Current Crushes

10/10/2018

With not one, but two, trips to the pumpkin patch, I think it's safe to say that autumn is officially here! Here's what's putting a little extra pep in my step these days:

Make a Game Out of It

10/8/2018

maybe yelling runs in the family?

I'm a yeller. I never really realized it, until J pointed it out one day. I grew up in a house of yellers, so it just seemed normal to me. And, look, I don't think there's a toddler out there who hasn't driven their parent to yelling at least some of the time. But I wanted to yell less.

Rituals

10/4/2018

As our little ones grow, I've been thinking more about what will be the traditions and rituals that help provide structure and stability to our lives. I think back on my childhood and the rituals that marked it; a lot revolve around the holidays (and, apparently, food). The lamb with mint jelly my mom would make for Passover; my aunt Jill's "better than Robert Redford" dessert at Thanksgiving; breakfast burritos on the beach with my sister the day after Thanksgiving; going to Disneyland on my birthday (perks of growing up in Southern California!).

Quick Update

10/1/2018

when ducks swim by, all the kids stand still to watch. (side note: how cute are these little butts?)

Hello, friends! Sorry for the brief hiatus. There was the return to work, and P2's transition to daycare (which also threw P1's routine off, so we were back to tears every morning for her too), and P2 turned one!!! and back to back arraignment shifts, and the cold that wouldn't end, and and and . . . .

But there's lots of stuff in the works. Recipes (including homemade matzoh ball soup and a fast weeknight dinner), parenting notes and observations (including how I figured out to yell *a little* bit less), ethical fashion round-ups (work bags and jewelry and boots, oh my!), interviews with more bad-ass women and more ways to incorporate activism into your every day (plus a quick eco-friendly laundry trick). I hope you'll stay tuned!

In the meantime, a look at where I've been spending (some of) my internet time:

The national conversation around the allegations against Brett Kavanaugh have made this a shaky week for many. As a public defender, I've stood next to my clients charged with violent sex crimes (some guilty, some not) without flinching; my duty to my clients is clear and I wouldn't take the case if I couldn't fulfill that duty. That work has never brought up the feelings that this news cycle has. I've been reading and thinking and talking and listening a lot about this; a couple pieces that I resonated include this, this, this and this.
There's also this: hundreds of migrant children are being moved in the middle of the night to a tent city in Texas, without access to school or legal services. Children separated from their families at the border are still waiting to be reunited. We cannot look away.
And the number of people killed by the earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia continues to climb. Here's more information and how you can help.

And on a significantly lighter note (because we could all use one):

I've been catching up on Insecure, and Natasha Rothwell is just great.
Apple cider doughnuts are a lie: true or false?
Loving this pendant lamp.
We're looking forward to BBG's Ghouls and Gourds festival in a few weeks; P1 says she wants to dress up as a pumpkin. Have you picked out your Halloween costume yet? (Also: how cute are these Halloween surprise balls?)

Potty Training is Hell.

9/12/2018

Oh, friends. I am exhausted. I am exhausted, and the floor in my living room is covered in scattered toys (many of which are painfully prickly to a bare foot) and beneath the toys, I am sure, despite my best efforts, is a fine layer of pee.

Apple Honey Challah

9/10/2018

Shanah tovah, friends! We kicked off the new year by making not one, but two, of Smitten Kitchen's apple and honey challah (one to keep, the second for P1 to take to daycare to share with her friends and teachers. She was super resistant to the sharing bit until she saw how much challah we got to keep at home - these make big loaves). It was ambitious, but reminded me of just how awesome fresh homemade challah is.

Whole-Wheat Buttermilk Scones

9/6/2018

These scones are a perfect grab and go breakfast for a busy weekday morning (aka, back to school time! Or pretty much every day around here). They're healthy and yummy and easy to whip up - I find myself baking a batch almost every other week. I make them so often that now I just keep most of the ingredients on hand (it's mostly pantry staples anyway).

Happy Labor Day!

9/3/2018

Happy Labor Day, y'all! Grateful for this extra day off, even as we spend it cooped up inside, potty training a toddler who keeps expressing sadness at losing her diapers. Sigh. Hopefully your plans involved more fun and fewer arguments. If you're still trying to think of what to bring to your potluck/BBQ/picnic, I've rounded up some of our favorites from the archives and around the web. And if you have any potty training tips, please share them in the comments below!

Mains:

Sides:

Desserts:

Natural Deodorant

8/31/2018

our cast of characters. not pictured: the loser

I had resolved awhile ago to start up on the natural deodorant (and felt subsequently quite guilty when pregnant and nursing and still hadn't made a switch and came upon some horrid parenting web site that took it as a given that no mother would subject her baby to the horrors of second-hand antiperspirants! Whoops.).

Well, after a few fits and starts, I think I'm firmly in the natural deodorant camp now. Of course, with so many more options available now, and everyone's body chemistry apparently adjusting to natural deodorants differently, I had to test out a few before finding one that would stick.