Recently I’ve been overwhelmed by baby shower offers,  which is an incredibly pleasant thing to be overwhelmed by if you ask me. However, as someone who didn’t really intend on having a shower (maybe an open house type after baby?) I haven’t given any thought at all to a registry. When a close friend brought up the idea once again I said yes and the planning began. I would have preferred to use alternate registry options, such as my personal favorite Wishpot, but the host (who is also a mother to an 8 month old) advised creating one at a physical location as well. I chose Babies”R”Us for its close proximity to my apartment, making returns easier just in case any well-intentioned guests decided to veer off the registry and pick up items we know we won’t use, and set about creating an online wish list of things I’d be able to open with a genuine smile.

My favorite item found on my Wishpot registry. I’m sure my organic farmer father would love to see his first grand-baby wearing this! From seller Twig and Closer on Etsy.

Aside from the daily “registry update” emails I seem to be unable to escape from, creating this second registry wasn’t so bad. Except at the very beginning, when they forced me to put down my due date to continue the sign-up process! Though I’ve been a bit more liberal about tossing it out toward the end, for the most part my exact due date has been held close. I’ve heard the stories from other women, detailing how miserable those last few weeks are, which is often compounded by the endless inquiries dropped in casual conversation by well-intentioned yet clueless strangers making jokes along the lines of “You still haven’t had that baby yet?” Trust me, with cankles, tiny feet in her ribs, trips to the bathroom on the hour every hour, heartburn, and the inability to lift herself off the floor, she would like to be able to provide you with an answer other than “Nope, not yet” accompanied by a rather forced smile.

This is why, on the Babies”R”Us registry… I lied. I pushed the date back by several days, hoping it might eliminate some of those questions for me. When people ask when I’m due, instead of responding with a due date, I give a due month, April. According to the American College of Midwives, only 5% of babies are born on their actual due date. Baby is considered full term at 37 weeks and can bask in my uterus for about 42, and so I think it’s silly to pinpoint a specific date on the calendar. As my belly gets bigger, and I start to look more miserable, I’m going to hold firm to my belief in the due date. There is no magic number, baby will come when s/he is ready and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Will you join me in my anti due-date campaign?

Let’s rephrase the question from “When are you due?” to “What month are you due?”.  That way, the woman can decide what route she wants to take. If voicing the actual due date is important to them they can, but if they’re like me they’ll be free to answer however they please.

Oh, and if I respond to your question (no matter how you phrase it) with “April”, please don’t lean in and say “I mean, what day?” I feel bad when I feel cornered into telling lies, even little white ones that save my sanity.

As you may recall from my post about beach inspired interior decor, we were asked to be in Florida for an interview the week before last. Mr. D has been talking to this company off and on for the last year about this job position – it was supposed to be the meeting that determined whether or not we were going to stay put in New York City, or relocate to Southern Florida. Par for the course, the interview was never scheduled. We’re still waiting with baited breath.

We’ve been living without a cocktail table in front of our sofa since early December. Finally, we broke down and requested time at our storage facility in the Bronx. This past Friday morning, we liberated our glass table from storage. Hooray!! The addition of one simple piece has kicked me into nesting mode! I am totally dying to fill this spot on the wall over our Ballard Designs Terrific Table.

I’d like to put the Eagan Mirror from Pottery Barn in the empty spot on the wall to the right in the photo above.

source

{Read the rest of this entry…}

We’re lucky enough to have a large patio in our new apartment. While I love grilling and lounging in the sun with a good book as much as the next person, I must confess the biggest reason our patio excites me: GARDENING! The patio of our last apartment was always too windy for anything to prosper, but I’m hopeful that the interesting angles of our new patio will provide protection from the wind and offer both sun and shade.

I’ve so missed having my own herbs right outside to use while cooking (seriously, I grit my teeth every time I have to buy basil at the store, which is weekly). And I love the thought of trying to grow greens and vegetables in containers, too – maybe as practice for the “real” garden we might have someday. Here are some images from my urban patio garden inspiration folder that have me eager to dig in (winkwink) and get started:

Even the tiniest spaces can accommodate container gardens, depending on your conditions. I mean, if this apartment can do it…

source

Herbs galore! Going vertical is so smart.

source

{Read the rest of this entry…}

Are you ready for the easiest impressive gourmet DIY you’ve ever seen? (Ok, maybe not EVER, but it’s pretty easy).  Two words for you: Rosemary Salt. You’ve already probably figured that out from the post title. So away we go!

You will need:

-1 cup of sea salt, your choice (they say there’s a difference in qualities of sea salt but darned if I can tell the difference, so I just use whatever’s on sale)
-1/4 cup packed fresh rosemary
-Jar in which you can put your salt (can’t say this enough: save your old glass jars!!)

Step 1: Measure.

Step 2 Put in food processor.

{Read the rest of this entry…}

I have a newfound appreciation for oranges. Citrus fruit is at its peak here in the wintertime, but in the past I’ve always shunned oranges in favor of my beloved lemons.

Recently I’ve been buying a lot more fruit, and as I’ve been looking around grocery stores for the best-looking produce, I’ve given oranges another try. I’m happily realizing that there’s such a huge variety of types (shapes, sizes, and colors) to play with. I’m sure my little orange friends will keep me entertained until spring rolls around.

I made these muffins with one of my new favorites, cara cara oranges. They’re delicate, thin-skinned, and resemble pink grapefruit on the inside. I also used the blueberries we picked last summer, which is always a special treat. These muffins are incredibly light; the texture was among the best of any muffin I’ve made. Also, like many of Dorie Greenspan’s recipes, they’re really versatile, so feel free to play with your fruit.

Orange Blueberry Muffins
Adapted from Dorie Greenspan
Makes 12 muffins
Printable Recipe

Grated zest and juice of one orange
About 3/4 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons honey
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/3 cup sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking power
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen (not thawed)
Turbinado sugar, for topping (optional)

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 400F. Grease a regular 12-cup muffin pan with non-stick baking spray or line with paper liners. Place the muffin pan on a baking sheet.

2. Pour the orange juice into a large glass measuring cup or a bowl and pour in enough buttermilk to make 1 cup. Whisk in the eggs, honey, and melted butter.

3. In a large bowl, rub the sugar and orange zest together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist and the fragrance of orange is strong. Whisk in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and, with the whisk or rubber spatula, gently but quickly stir to blend. Don’t worry about being thorough. The batter will be lumpy and bubbly. Stir in the blueberries, and divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.

4. Bake for 20-25 minutes. If you want to top the muffins with turbinado sugar, sprinkle on after the muffins have baked for 10 minutes. When fully baked, the muffins will be golden and springy to the touch and a tester inserted into the center will come out clean. Allow to cool on a rack for 5 minutes before removing the muffins from the pan.