Officially Summer

We unpacked the ice cream machine yesterday. Two batches have been made, both dairy-free, one egg-free (and of course both gluten-free, as goes with everything here). I got both recipes from Danielle Walker's first cookbook, Against All Grain. You can find it on Amazon or Barnes and Noble, along with her other two wonderful cookbooks. …

Some days are stroller days

When dealing with autoimmunity, balance is pretty important. You don't want to overdo your exercise, but that's not an excuse to just let it go. Today was a stroller day. I love wearing my little one close and try to do it as often as I can, but I also recognize the fact that it…

Simplifying

I'm going to be reading Marie Kondo's book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and putting it into practice soon. I've been meaning to do this for a while, but after a peaceful week at a simple beach house, I was pushed over the edge from "want to" into "let's get it done already". We came home…

A Snowy Day

"Brace for Brutal Cold: Arctic Blast Invades the US" Well, it looks like the Northeast won't be experiencing this particular "Arctic Blast", but we did wake up to snow! Though it is forecast to warm up, I'm hoping the lovely frosted look doesn't disappear as they predict. There's something so beautiful about snuggling with my…

What I’ve Been Up To

December is a pretty busy month for many people, the Bouchers included. We have multiple family birthdays (one of us, and several relatives) and Christmas (and all of the associated preparations). I tend to knit like a fiend during the fall and December, and since going gluten-free, I have developed the habit of testing recipes…

Healthy habits

It can be so easy this time of year to lose track of your wellness regimen. You start off strong, with all the best intentions to keep ahead of the germs that get passed around, and to restrain yourself from overindulgence when holiday treats abound. But all too often, the comforts of past habits sneak…

Creative play

The morning started off nicely today with Little Brother allowing Big Brother and me to enjoy our breakfast in peace while he played. I even got him to take his nap without much fuss, and Big Brother and I got to enjoy some story time snuggles! We love the  Dolly Parton Imagination Library ; while the…

Destruction and Peace

"Do you like this wall, Mama? If you take a picture of it, can I knock it down?" I have made it clear not to knock things down immediately after we finish building them (the better to appreciate our handiwork). Though apparently if I take a picture, that idea is moot. I understand that kids like to…

Watermelon days

Summer, your days are numbered. We don't have anyone school-aged yet, so I can stretch it out a bit, but I know the days of crunchy leaves and sweaters will soon be upon us. I can't help but get a little excited - Autumn has always been my favorite season - though I do want…

Toxin-free testimony

  Just a quick one because I posted earlier today. To tie in with yesterday's post about cleaning without toxic chemicals, I'm going to share about cleaning the kids' toy this afternoon. I was rummaging in Big Brother's closet and found an old favorite of his. It was pretty dingy, so I decided to give it a…