Meg, Author at Mostly Balanced

Sunday Morning Coffee: December 10, 2017

July 14, 2020December 10, 2017 by Meg

It’s a week of many firsts. It snowed yesterday, gorgeous heavy snow that turned the neighborhood and river bank into a winter wonderland. It was Will’s first snow ever, and we bundled him up to get a bit of sunshine and fresh air, and the warmth of his winter wrappings put him to sleep. He still has his days and nights a bit mixed up, and we’re trying to keep him awake during the daytime, so that was a bit of a bummer. Charlotte got out and enjoyed the fresh snow. Shortly after coming back inside she felt the hot pain of her fingers warming up after the cold – something that was a new, uncomfortable learning experience for her. She was so surprised to feel pain and not be able to figure out what action had caused it.

It seems like a lot of the country got its first snow this week. I hope everyone gets the chance to get out and enjoy it.

Here’s what I’m eating and reading this week:

Sunday Morning Coffee — November 26, 2017 — Reading and Recommendations

July 14, 2020November 26, 2017 by Meg

I hope it’s been an enjoyable Thanksgiving week for everyone. We’ve had David’s mom join us this past week both to celebrate the holiday (and her upcoming birthday) and meet the little one. Charlotte stayed home from day care most days to get some extra time with Grandma, which has been so fun for her (though it’s a handful having both home at the same time for five days). Her energy is hard to match with the limited sleep we’re getting with a one-month-old. He’s four weeks old this week!

I took a back seat on the Thanksgiving prep and menu planning this year. My only contribution was a pecan pie (made with store-bought crust because I don’t have the time, energy, or kitchen space to roll out a homemade pie crust at the moment. I used this recipe, and it was fabulous.

Here’s what I’m eating and reading this week:

Sunday Morning Coffee — November 19, 2017 — Readings and Recommendations

July 14, 2020November 19, 2017 by Meg

The little one is now a few weeks old. Hopefully the worst of the sleepless nights are behind us. He’s so tiny but is growing out of looking like a wrinkly red newborn and is looking more and more like a baby. There hasn’t been a lot to our days except for getting to know the new one and settling in as a family.

Here’s what I’m eating and reading this week:

Sunday Morning Coffee — November 5, 2017 — Readings and Recommendations

July 14, 2020November 5, 2017 by Meg

What a whirlwind it’s been over the past week: our wee one has arrived! A bit ahead of schedule, but all is well, and we’re home and settling in. I was convinced I’d stay pregnant through the month of October and at least a week into November, but instead, we welcomed our baby last weekend. There’s a lot to process, and we’re in a bit of a sleep-deprived blur, leaning heavily on my sister and the make-ahead meals with which she’s stocked our fridge. Somehow, I managed to pull the final details of Charlotte’s fox costume together, and we were out and about in the neighborhood for Halloween (something she has been looking forward to for weeks beforehand).

Here’s what I’m reading and eating this week:

Sunday Morning Coffee — October 22, 2017 — Readings and Menu Plan

July 14, 2020October 22, 2017 by Meg

We’ve had a week of beautiful weather in Boston. Last weekend we took Charlotte to the pumpkin patch and hay maze. I had the goal of going apple picking (something I hope to turn into an annual tradition), but being nine months pregnant meant I didn’t actually have the energy to motivate, mobilize, and then actually pick and carry all those apples around a farm. There’s plenty of farm-fresh apples available elsewhere, and I’m looking forward to making that fantastic applesauce bundt cake from last week again.

Here’s what I’m eating and reading this week:

Sunday Morning Coffee — October 15, 2017 — Readings, Recommendations, and Menu Plan

July 14, 2020October 15, 2017 by Meg

This weekend is a welcome one full of rest, downtime, and friends. The weeks are getting busier and busier as I try to get everything ready before stepping away from work for maternity leave (and I’ll be another kind of very busy and exhausted), and I’m finding my body is asking for a bit of a break. We had a delightful Saturday evening sharing dinner with friends I don’t get to see nearly as often as I’d like. I made a chicken dish out of Food 52’s new cookbook A New Way To Dinner paired with an applesauce cake (the standout hit of the night — I’d highly recommend it for anyone with apple picking on their fall agendas). All was delicious, but this morning I can tell I spent most of yesterday on my feet up and about in the kitchen.

Here’s what I’m eating and reading this week:

Sunday Morning Coffee — October 1, 2017 — Reading, Recommendations, and Menu Plan

July 14, 2020October 1, 2017 by Meg

Welcome to October. While we’ve still had warm days this week, it’s starting to feel more and more like fall around here. I think we’ve been to the splash park for the last time of this year’s summer season. I’m beginning to plan Charlotte’s Halloween costume and trying to help her remember what trick-or-treating is (she gets the general concept, I think, and definitely knows there’s candy involved). It’s also getting darker earlier, which last weekend really threw Charlotte off when she woke up from her nap, asked for a smoothie (something she eats for breakfast and snacks, so not an unusual request) and then freaked out a bit when she saw how dark it was outside. We think she thought it was the morning and got really surprised that it was the end of the day rather than the start of a new one.

Here’s what I’m eating and reading this week:

Sunday Morning Coffee — September 17, 2017 — Readings & Menu Plan

July 14, 2020September 17, 2017 by Meg

We took Charlotte on a cruise of Boston harbor mid-week as part of an end-of-summer celebratory outing with David’s company. The weather was a bit spotty with a mid-ride downpour, but we had fantastic views of the amazing skyline and brilliant clouds and sunset because of it. It was, ultimately, a low-key week and a fairly relaxed weekend, which feels nice in the middle of all these weekends where the news and the environment seem so tense and intense. Things are gearing up for next week, which looks pretty full, at least in our work and personal lives.

Here’s what I’m eating and reading this week:

Sunday Morning Coffee — August 27, 2017 — Reading Recommendations & Menu Plan

July 14, 2020August 28, 2017 by Meg

We’ve had a bit of a break this past weekend in terms of social schedules and were able to spend some unstructured downtime at home. We chose to use that time to move Charlotte to her big-kid bed and out of the crib, which meant tears and frustration at night and an early riser in the mornings. Coincidentally, this was also the weekend she figured out how doors open, a curveball that I think surprised both her and us. She seemed pretty surprised when she was able to not only climb out of bed but walk out of the bedroom to protest her nap. We’re not starting the week from the most well-rested of places, but as of last night, it seems like things are back on track and getting into our familiar sleeping routine.

Here’s what I’m eating and reading this week:

Sunday Morning Coffee — August 6, 2017 — Readings & Recommendations

July 14, 2020August 6, 2017 by Meg

We spent the week on vacation, laying low and slowing down. There’s a lot to do to get ready for our second baby, and I also really appreciated the opportunity to take a break from the frenetic pace of work from the past few weeks. We also had the chance to get away for a long weekend and celebrate David’s birthday. Instead of feeling a bit of a let down at the end of vacation, I’m trying to figure out how to carry this sense of calmness and balance forward into the coming weeks both at work and managing everything else at home between now the winter. A vacation can’t just be a break to avoid burnout but should be a chance to recharge and reconsider how the ins and outs of my week are feeling.

Here’s what I’m eating and reading this week: