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Cute DIY Birth Announcements

George's stats: Name, birth date (on the calendar), Gemini, weight (5lb. sack of flour plus 2 lbs. 14 oz. on the scale), time, and length (the ruler).

George’s stats: Name, birth date (on the calendar), Gemini, weight (5 lb. sack of flour plus 2 lbs. 14 oz. on the scale), time, and length (the ruler).

We got our idea for George’s birth announcement from an adorable and popular pin on Pinterest.   We spent two of his naps setting everything up on our dining room table, checking the lighting and camera and then we gingerly lowered him into the photo before he woke up to eat!  It was such a fun project for us to do in those early weeks, so it got me thinking about other cute birth announcements you could accomplish in your own home without a professional there to help.   Here are some other ideas from Pinterest! Continue reading

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Babies, Scallions and Pudding Pops

puddingThe interesting (er…annoying) thing about nursing a newborn is that you only have a few hours at a time to do anything while they are not eating, and most of that time is spent pumping for the future, changing their diaper or entertaining them.  As a maker and a doer, this has been pretty tough for me, so I started trolling Pinterest for all those quick little projects I’ve always wanted to try out to make me feel like I’m accomplishing something.   Without further ado, I bring you three DIY projects that you can actually finish while nursing a new baby! Continue reading

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Raw Beet Salad

I fell in love with the raw beet salad at The JakeWalk in Carroll Gardens, so I ran home, copied it and then proceeded to eat it everyday this week.  It’s simple, delicious and the ingredients I prepped on Sunday held up perfectly all week!

beets

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My Breech Baby

Getting a little oxygen at a version makes a gal happy!

Getting a little oxygen at a version makes a gal happy!

May 22nd, 2013

I rarely write anything personal on this blog, trying to keep the focus on DIY ideas and practical solutions, but I decided to write about my recent experience with having a breech baby because I really couldn’t think of a time when I was more of a stalwart than the past two weeks, trying like hell to DIY flip my baby over!  Also, for some reason, women have an unfortunate tendency to skip over the parts of pregnancy that are tough to admit or talk about, like miscarriages, gender disappointment, depression or a feeling of detachment from all of it.

First attempt at a full inversion.  I had to tie my legs to an ironing board to keep them from falling off...we did this until I bent the ironing board in half!

First attempt at a full inversion. I had to tie my legs to an ironing board to keep them from falling off…we did this until I bent the ironing board in half!

Maybe we judge each other too quickly, too loudly or use the wrong words to comfort, creating an unsafe place to be more open.  I know that when I expressed my own bout of gender disappointment with some close friends and family, I often heard “Well, I’m sure you’re just happy he’s healthy, right?”…which actually only made me also feel like the worst person on earth!

We found out at my 38 week appointment that our son was breech.  This late catch was a mix of mistakes made by me and my doctors.  While no one checked this via ultrasound during my rotations, shuttling me in and out of appointments in sometimes less than a few minutes, I also had no idea that I shouldn’t be feeling large movements above my belly button and the smaller kicks in my pelvis so I never even mentioned it. Continue reading

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Solutions for Nursing Dresses

nursing7If you know me at all, then you know I very rarely wear jeans and a t-shirt, feeling more comfortable and put-together in a dress, a necklace and cute shoes.   When summer rolls around, this is even more important to me as I wouldn’t be caught dead in pants on a hot New York City day!  The problem is, I’m having a baby in a few days, and nursing clothing is terrible.   It’s AWFUL…especially the dresses!  Apparently, you are only allowed to wear ruched jersey or pants with a button front shirt while you are feeding your baby with your breasts.  While this is definitely an exaggeration, I challenge you to come up with 7 outfits that would make you feel pretty or stylish that you can easily breastfeed in.  It’s really tough!   When I was a freshman design major in college, my friends and I made a pact to never end up looking like the seniors, wearing their dirty pajamas in public…and we never did despite being just as sleep deprived as they were.  We made an effort to put our best selves forward since we were designers, after all.  This is how I feel about being a new mom as well.  nursing4There is really no reason why you have to step outside looking as tired and disheveled as you may feel.  It is just as easy, if not easier, to slip on a comfy dress with sandals as it is to put on a nursing tank with yoga pants and flip-flops.  I can’t tell you how many of my mommy friends told me to stock up on “nursing camis” as if they had EVER seen me in a “cami” in my ENTIRE life.  I decided to remedy this situation by shopping in normal stores for “easy access” dresses instead of ones made specifically for nursing and then designing and making a few of my own as well.  I hope my “nursing dress” line up inspires you to step away from the old, sad stuff you feel you have to wear and think outside of the box when it comes to whipping your boob out in style and comfort at a moments notice.  Continue reading

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The New Apartment!

From the front door.  The kitchen, living room and dining room are an open floor plan.

From the front door. The kitchen, living room and dining room are an open floor plan.

When Jeff and I found out we were pregnant, we knew we would have to leave our labor-of-love garage loft for a more practical apartment with doors so we wouldn’t constantly worry about the cats sleeping on top of the baby.

Our new view is spectacular!

Our new view is spectacular!

While we realized newborns could be brought up pretty much anywhere, the building was extremely loud from the scrap metal business on either side and sometimes even crumbling a little from the rumbling!  It was time to move on and so we began the epic search for a New York City apartment.  Nothing would be 1,400 square feet with a 1,400 square foot rooftop, but something great would come up…right??  WELL…It took a lot longer than either of us could have ever predicted, but we finally settled on a condo that couldn’t possibly be more unlike the garage! Continue reading

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Our Magical Woodland Nursery

IMG_8003We finally finished our magical woodland nursery and I am absolutely in love!   Rather than forcing the typical gender stereotypes (I mean…I don’t even know this person yet!),  I wanted to create a mostly unisex nursery that encourages a healthy imagination since that’s what I remember most from my own childhood.   We would gather around as my mom told elaborate stories about gnomes and fairies that my brothers and I fully believed and lived.  They were so magical and real to us that I wanted to start my own child’s life out with that same sense of possibility and wonder.    I combined stuffed animal taxidermy with a large painted mural of a magic forest, neutral furniture and the most modern-looking nursery essentials as possible.  I already posted about some of the elements in the room, but the final result below really brings everything together beautifully.  I hope you feel inspired to keep things simple, magical and woodsy for your baby too! Continue reading

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My Very Own Brooklyn-Hip Baby Shower!

IMG_7922It made more sense to have our baby shower host write the post about planning this shindig…so without further ado, I give you my bestie’s thoughts on throwing me a rockin’ party…

By: Jeff Hinchee

As someone who reads Delia’s blog, you no doubt spend your free moments thinking about how lucky her friends are to regularly indulge in her epic and well conceived parties. We ARE very lucky.  Delia and (husband) Jeff are really amazing friends,  so I wanted to throw them the baby shower they deserve.  Actually, when Delia and I were in California last year throwing baby showers she pulled me aside, looked me in my eyes and said— totally deadpan— “Take notes. This is your job when I’m pregnant.”

The theme was loosely inspired by Delia’s nursery. Enchanted forest, real and imaginary animals, with a splash of “baby hunting lodge”. For the invitation I collaged together a bunch of images I liked to convey that unusual concept.

The theme was loosely inspired by Delia’s nursery. Enchanted forest, real and imaginary animals, with a splash of “baby hunting lodge”. For the invitation I collaged together a bunch of images I liked to convey that unusual concept.

Throwing a party for such a seasoned party planner is a daunting task.  Even though I knew she would be happy with anything, you would never invite the Queen of England to stay in your railroad apartment and sleep on the Ikea mattress on the floor that you call a bed.  And so I enlisted the help of some other devoted friends, referenced Martha Stalwart frequently, and proved that you, reader, CAN throw these parties too!

With only 30 minutes to set up the space it was a scramble to get the food table arranged, the leafy pennants and balloons hung, and the furniture moved around.

With only 30 minutes to set up the space it was a scramble to get the food table arranged, the leafy pennants and balloons hung, and the furniture moved around.

IMG_7899 Continue reading

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Quick and Simple Dinner Party

Sometimes you just want to have an effortless but delicious dinner party!  Here’s what we served this last weekend for a perfect dinner for four:

(This is timed out so you have a hot appetizer and an hour or so of relaxed chit-chat time before dinner.   If you want to serve your dinner sooner, skip the cheesy bread and have a cold appetizer or salad first.)

MENU

  • Cheesy Crack Bread

    cheesebread

  • Roast Chicken with Potatoes and Sautéed Kale

    chicken

  • Peach and Raspberry Shortcake

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Frozen Food Month! (or two…)

All tucked away and ready for June!

All tucked away and ready for June!

Jeff and I decided to jump on the frozen meal train for our first month (or two) with the baby.  It’s incredibly easy to get any type of food delivered in New York City at all hours of the day, but the cost and calories are ridiculous when added up.  I decided instead of depending on the famously convenient city, I would plan a little over a month of food and snacks for us so we have minimal grocery shopping each week when the baby comes.   Unfortunately, our first month will be smack dab in the middle of farmer’s market season, so not only will we miss a bit of that deliciousness in exchange for quality time with the tiny,  but I also had to plan food that was summery without needing the seasonal veggies ahead of time.  It was quite the task!

This is the master list of everything we can choose from....who needs take out?!

This is the master list of everything we can choose from….who needs take out?!

I started by doing some research on Pinterest and creating a board with frozen food ideas.  The site Once A Month Mom also helped A LOT.  Since those recipes are broken down each year by month, I was able to narrow my choices down to May through July which ensured that I would be picking food appropriate for the season.  I wrote down all my ideas, separated them into breakfast, lunch or dinner and then narrowed them down by my favorites.

Yes...I TAPED everything in despite the fact that I am perfectly capable of using the computer!

Yes…I TAPED everything in despite the fact that I am perfectly capable of using the computer!

When it came to typing up the recipes, I first established what portion of the meal could be made ahead and frozen and what portion would be better fresh.  I typed the prep recipes separately from the “on the day” recipes which also included the grocery list for the fresh stuff.

The prep recipe is on the left and the recipe for Jeff to follow while I'm sleeping...;-)...is on the right!

The prep recipe is on the left and the recipe for Jeff to follow while I’m sleeping…;-)…is on the right!

I imagine each week we’ll decide which meals and snacks we want to have, and Jeff can just jot down the grocery list from each recipe onto a master list and hit the store on Sunday!  I’m really excited to have all of our food planned for June so we can focus on being new parents.  Now I just need to precook and freeze everything before I go into labor… 😉

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