Healthy eating has never really been top of mind at our house. We usually eat, drink, and be merry indulging in delicate cream sauces, rib-eye roasts, mashed fingerling potatoes, sauteed green beans with creme fraiche, pasta carbonara, wine, cheese, italian subs (the real deal ones), lox and bialys, homemade mayonnaise, dutch potato salad, chips and salsa, tacos with sour cream, hot dogs and burgers. Have you ever had a hot dog from Bark in Brooklyn? The best.

HOWEVER, in desperate need of a post baby energy boost we decided to introduce a few healthier foods to the kitchen table - "power foods" like soft boiled eggs, quinoa, lentils, oolong tea, and blueberry banana kale honey ginger smoothies. In just 2 months it has helped tremendously. Heck we even stay up until 11 some nights watching movies! I highly recommend trying if you need more energy. 

Soft boiled egg breakfast
Usually just let water boil then put in for exactly 6 minutes.  

Lentils
Boil in homemade chicken stock, salt, any fresh herbs on hand

Quinoa
Trader Joe's has a good multicolor one that is not too expensive. You can mix it with anything and turn it into a meal. Pasta sauces, garlic, lemon, parm, nuts, cheese, dried cherries, dressings, a tiny bit of butter and salt. It also only takes 17 minutes to cook and can be served hot or cold.

Oolong iced tea

Detox smoothie recipe here on my Pinterest board here

Images/recipes: Kinfolk (egg), indonesian cuisine recipes  (lentils), the ktchnn (quinoa)

Summer project: organize the children's toys. We need a little family zen, clear spaces = clear minds kind of thing. There are toys in every room of the house. An empty pamper box full of baby Alec's toys. The kitchen, Isabelle's waiting for dinner toys. An excer-saucer that you have to leap over in the morning rush. Bath toys. Markers and coloring books on the living room couch. Tiny little Frozen characters. All that fun stuff :)

Not sure where to start I began sorting them all. Putting them into zip lock bags by category. Little people. Animals. Puzzles. Pretend food. Play dough stuff. Magnets. Play mobiles by scene. Paper dolls. I even resurfaced some old toys which was pretty great.

Talking to my mom about storage solutions for all this stuff she suggested I reuse my old boxes to make new toy containers. I love this idea. 

1. Plain boxes, multiple sizes (all those amazon shipments, iKea, The Container Store...)
2. Donna Wilson wrapping paper designed by illustrator Amy Walters - or you can make your own using    Spoon Flower
3. And then play around with styling the kids closet 

It's easy on the eyes and the kids like it too if you pick out cool patterns. 

7 things for Isabelle's beach birthday party:

1. Invitation from the Paperless Post (online or paper cards)
2/3. Knot and Bow blue mix garland and neon red heart stickers
4. Mini pinatas via Anthropologie (these also can be done on your own like this)
5. DIY party hats via 100 Layer Cake-let
6. Sprinkles mini cupcakes - vanilla and chocolate
7. Sea shells for a treasure hunt (a million other kids beach activities here)

It's time to deal with all that baby weight and there is only one solution:  Do It Yourself.

Discipline. Exercise. And hard ass work.

Let's face it. It doesn't just happen to you. I'll be printing this out this pretty picture of Cindy and sticking it on the fridge. Heck, maybe I'll even post one next to the tv in case I was ever thinking about being a couch potatoe. Pinterest will be my personal trainer since I have no idea what "leg lifts" are. There are about a million 30 day challenges to choose from. 30 day guns, buns, and ab challenge anyone? To the gym we go...

Our picnic in the Jardin du Luxembourg deconstructed. 

First a shop at our most favorite and special grocery store - Le Grand Epicerie Paris 

1. Fresh bread
2. Smoked salmon (Le saumon d’Écosse Kaspia)
3. Fines de claires oysters, you can read more about these types of oysters here
4. Brie and goat cheese, I want to buy this book
5. Sopressata (Saucisse enrobée avec du poivre noir)
6. Orangina, we really should have had some champagne but we were not equiped to carry it with the kiddos
7. Maille sherry vinegar for the oysters, the grand epicerie carries 79 varieties of vinegars and 94 types of oils
8. Maille cornichons (aka small pickled gherkins)
9. Compound butter - seaweed, herb, and garlic (Beurre de baratte aux algues)
10. something for the post picnic sweet tooth - Madeleines au beurre frais

I tried to recreate this picnic here in Chicago over the weekend but it was a fail due to the wind. In just a few more weeks it will be perfect and I will plan a picnic at the Botanic Gardens. 

To see more pics of the grand epicerie, go to this little blog. 

I think when travelling with small children the right apartment rental can be the equivilant of staying at the Ritz. Me, husband, toddler, and new baby in a hotel room. HA HA HA let's be serious. Housekeeping may swing by every day to make the beds and take the breakfast tray but it won't be relaxing. The kids need space and cool toys to play with. A place where they can eat and take naps. They need a kitchen. Check out the Stone Street Residence located in the Financial District of New York via Kid and Coe. Kid and Coe is a niche vacation home rental service for families. Now this is family travel done right! Lot's of space, quality interior design, toys, and quiet places for rest so all parties involved can have fun. Dinner party on the balcony while the kids are sleeping in their own big comfortable beds anyone?

We used another vacation home rental service, Airbnb, for Paris and London and it worked out great. I must say, I don't think we'll travel any other way until the kids are older. We just booked a family vacation to Napa Valley for labor day weekend. Let the hunt for the perfect rental begin. Please send recos if you hae any!

We made a stop at the Liberty store while we were in London. You don't see a store that cool every day. I purchased a few meters of fabric for the grandmas. 

I bought Delilah Cavendish C Tana Lawn for my mom. She is going to give me my first sewing lesson and we are going to try and make a dress for Isabelle with it this summer. Looking for sewing patterns I stumbled on a few other interesting kid centric projects from the Purl Bee: Project 1, Project 2. 

The second one I bought is called Wiltshire S Tana Lawn for my mother in law. She loves bright pinks and red. This print would make a beautiful lap duvet but I didn't purchase enough fabric. I think my mother in law is going to make herself a blouse. 

I may have to order this book too: The Liberty Book of Simple Sewing. 

Ah. The possibilities of knowing how to sew!

Images via Liberty of London and the Purl Bee

PARIS. GERMANY. LONDON. We are going to where bits and pieces of the old world still live for a little while. It will be long before I post again because I go back to work from maternity leave the day after we get back to the states (Ahh!). This will be my first time trying out Airbnb. Hotel rooms are annoying with the kids. I'll have to report back. - k

photos: 1, 2, 3

Good recipes are hard to find but every once in a while you find a gem. I've made this apple tart from Alexa Cooks several times and the crowd loves it. Easy to make, pretty to look at. Pefect for entertaining. My version uses 1/8 cup of sugar and 2 tbsp of butter on top. I also left out the frangipane. It's perfectly sweet and delicious as it is. You can subsitute apples with pears if you want too.

Messy hair five ways: simple braid, down and uncombed, high ponytaill, bun, and half up knot. 

10 things I bought to improve my post pregnancy style: 

4 things made of wood and delicate precious metals:

Dorothea Prühl fish necklace made of cherry wood

Fay Andrada suippo bracelets in brass, black copper, or silver

Another Feather oxidized brass rod earrings

All of Jennie Kwon's ring designs

I'm in the market for some new accessories and these are my favorite finds. Everything is simple, clean, and artistic. No matter how hard I try to get away from bohemian chic style I always come back to it. You can see more of my favorite looks on pinterest here. 

Beauty is on my mind as Chicago prepares for another round of single digit temps, dry skin, and cabin fever. Being covered in baby spit up is really helping too:) These ladies make beauty seem effortless. Just how do they do it?! Don't answer that. I'm sure it has nothing to do with excellent genetics or geography. In any case, I've decided to collect a few grooming tips from the great wise web:

101 beauty tips every girl should know from Beauty High
9 tips for gorgeous winter skin from Her Campus
17 beauty tips from around the world via She Finds
15 natural beauty recipes (you can make them in your kitchen!) via Inspring Pretty
A note from Christian Dior, "Zest is the secret of all beauty. There is no beauty that is attractive without zest."
9 beauty blogs worth bookmarking via Refinery29

Products that are saving me right now: L'Occitane Almond Delicious hand lotion, Almond Milk Veil firming and smoothing body lotion, and Mom and Baby Balm. 

Thank goodness spring is only 21 days away.  

Photo credits: Michelle Williams was pinned from a really nice blog Lou, Boo and shoes, Meryl is a pin from Note to Self tumblr, the rest are unknown sources via Pinterest

1. ikea high gloss shelving unit
2. ikea branas basket
3. ikea kasset boxes
4. plum and bow medium vase from Urban Outfitters
5. ikea riffa basket
6. globe from internet google
7. hand painted window sill pots via anthropologie
8. Eisenhower mid century chair via houzz
9. one of a kind moroccan berber pillow from Urban Outfitters
10. ikea tarnby flatwoven rug
11. faux antlers plaque from Etsy shop mahzerandvee
12. Ashley Goldberg print (all of her prints are awesome)
13. Allison Johnson teal stripes and arrows print

This is my first "get the look" post and I can honestly say it took forever and was much harder than I thought. I'm going to keep trying. This office space was designed by Homepolish NYC an interior design company working in cities like New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago. What I like most about this room are the bright whites paired with little pieces of colorful decor. You can see the rest of this home office space here. 

To come - I'm going to try my hand at a few before and after posts. We are painting our apartment Benjamin Moore Super White and Simply White which will be a drastic change from our dark warm beige. I'm very excited! We are also trying to sort through the clutter and simplify our living a bit. For example, all of those trinkets and glasses we do not use in the cabinet will move to storage. 

Places No. 1
San Francisco, California

With the arrival of our friend the Polar Vortex here in Chicago, I've been seriously questioning my permanent place of residence on this Earth. There are a million things I love about Chicago, summers by the lake, architecture, and food but the bottom line right now is that the weather here sucks and I have a major case of winter blues. While waiting for the frost to thaw, I'll be day dreaming about moving to warm and awesome cities like San Francisco. Here is a link round up for good old San Fran:

Best blog post about living in San Francisco here
Favorite SF based fashion designer (hello Erica Tanov!)
Beautiful SF based interior designer Catherine Kwong
7 Foods that were born in the bay area here 
SF iconic drinks list
Best SF secret spots from the Thought Catalogue
Bay area slang dictionary
Favorite blogger SF Girl by Bay

Images: First image via Pinterest (no source), "Path" by Chris Smart, "Ocean Beach, SF" by Leslie Anne Gonzales, Erica Tanov winter 2013-2014 collection pieces, and downtown residence by Catherine Kwong

A Valentine's gift guide for him, 

For the fiscally responsible: Bellroy note sleeve wallet

For the artist: Arrows linoleum block print via PerlaAnne Etsy shop

For the world traveler: Herschel little america backpack from Mr. Simple

For those guys weathering the polar vortex of Chicago: Norse Projects John Cotton Wool Jersey long johns via Need Supply Co.

A Valentine's Day gift guide for kiddo: a card from Etsy shop Happy Cactus Designs, plush toys from Etsy shop Woodland Tale, and a date at your finest local bakery. 

Isabelle LOVES to go on what I call bakery dates to get fresh doughnuts. I'll take her in early morning just before school on special occasions to get warm chocolate long johns and hot cocoas. Then we sit on a bench at school and enjoy our treats while we wait for the teachers to arrive. It is one of my favorite things we do together. 

A Valentine's Day gift guide for her: bright pink peonies vs. roses (photograph by Kari Herer - she is amazing), the best chocolates in the world from La Maison du Chocolat, Orly Genger by Jacklyn Mayer necklace and Huit lingerie from one of my favorite online shops the Lille Boutique.

Traditional with a little extra umph...

brass (bra:s) 
n
a. A yellowish alloy of copper and zinc, sometimes including small amounts of other metals, but usually 67 percent copper and 33 percent zinc.
b. Ornaments, objects, or utensils made of this alloy.
c. BEAUTIFUL when done well.

This cool home in Brooklyn features brass in almost every room. I especially love the kitchen. We are in the middle of making updates to a home we plan on living in one day. First stop. The kitchen. The brass is beautiful and I would love to incorporate some into the design but I'm worried that I may tire of it quickly. We are being very careful about the finishes we select because we essentially want them to live forever. Photos via Dwell. Read more about this Brooklyn home here. You can also check out my brass and metal round up on my H O M E Pinterest board here. 

Things to help get organized: mid century shop display from Fab, Me and Arrow key chain, Munn straw basket, And so it goes large mesh bag, brass number clip set from Spartan.

Staying organized best practices: 1) one item in means one item out 2) no transferring of clutter from one room to another (I'm the queen of killing one room to save another) 3) toss duplicates 4) keep things in their place 5) a little bit of labeling 6) have an empty cabinet or space for nothing (just in case) 7) fix one spot start to finish before starting another organization project 8) consolidate priorities in one place 9) don't try to do everything all at once, chip away over time 10) remember- lived in is not the same thing as messy.

Gabriel Alexander (going by Alec)
January 12, 2014
1:26am
7lb 1oz

It's a boy! Isabelle is thrilled to be a big sister and everyone is happy and healthy at home. We are learning how to take care of a newborn all over again while drinking lattes and sleep walking. I can't wait to share more about life with these two little tykes. - Kristin 

With baby on the way any minute now, I have things for newborns and big sisters on the mind.

From top to bottom, right to left: Tane hat and socks, Gray Label hooded jumpsuit, ABC Home Collection honey stars storage bin, Jellycat vintage panda, Smiling Planet lion roar print sheet set, Donna Wilson build your own monster kit, and Eco-Kids crayons that look like rocks. 

 A few things for her from top to bottom: Gabriela Artigas jewelry, BlackbirdAndTheOwl clutch, messy ombre hair, Coclico shoes, and Anthropologie trotter buckle booties. 

Tones: black, brown, and gold

Textures: wood and leather

Happy New Year! Inspiration for the year from Pablo Picasso: drawing of Francoise Gilot, horse line drawing, dove of peace, dachshund line drawing, mother and child sketch. 

I'm always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso

A few of my simple goals for 2014: expand family + 1 with grace, complete four posts a month, paint with watercolor, learn surface pattern design and print one spool of fabric. 

This will be an exciting year with the arrival of our second baby due January 26. I can't wait. Wishing you happiness and joy in the new year. - Krisitn