Girls Traveling

farm baby #2 | 23 week stats

Monday, June 30, 2014

23 weeks brings a new batch of awkward pictures...and a dress i'm never wearing again. maybe it's because it really doesn't look that good or maybe it's because it doesn't quite fit yet...or maybe it's both. either way, someone should have told me it wasn't flattering. (eh hum, amy? where were you on that one?)

regardless...for being hot in the middle of baling up our second cutting of alfalfa (and by "we" i mean...my farmer and his crew)...we still had quite the exciting little sunday.

but first...the goods.

23 WEEK STATS | farm baby #2

WEIGHT GAIN | six pounds. six glorious pounds in my bra. that's a lie. it's actually blooming down to the stomach area. i definitely look pregnant now. i'm super happy that i've been able to keep the weight in check this go-round on the pregnancy train. i have four more months to go, though...which is a huge opportunity to let things get out of hand. which brings me to the working out portion of the program...

WORKOUTS | my workouts are awesome. when i was pregnant with kaye i worked out super regularly but was always in quite a bit of pain/sore from about 16 weeks on. with baby 2.0 i'm still sore, but not nearly what it felt like with kaye...or maybe i'm just tougher. regardless, i hope things keep progressing as smoothly. cross your fingers.

CLOTHING | i'm venturing into some new maternity clothes, but as seen above...they just don't quite cut it yet; still a little baggy. i'd really love to find myself a nice little pair of denim cut-offs...no such luck unless i'm willing to spend $160 at a pea in the pod. say what? yeah...that's what i thought.

i would love to find a cute little fourth of july outfit...but i just have the hardest time spending money on maternity clothes...four more months. four more months.

for instance - today, for whatever reason, the water in our shower wouldn't get hot. i waited and waited and waited...finally, i had to take a cold shower. i cried the entire time. who does that?

CRAVINGS | remember last week when i was talking about that amazing salsa recipe i'm going to share? well...it's been made and i have mason jars full in my fridge. i ate my weight in salsa today and i'm not mad about it.

a preview? sure thing...

look for the recipe on thursday!

which brings us to our exciting sunday.

miss amy was snapping awkward pictures of my belly and i was able to coax my farmer into a few shots in front of the fun bus. (seriously...my farmer bough a short school bus.)

after the terrible pictures with my farmer we were all standing about chatting, and watching kaye show us her feats of strength. seriously...if girlfriend sees something heavy, she'll attempt to pick it up and carry it somewhere.

amy was standing right in front of the doors to the fun bus, and as we were chatting away i screamed. i can't help it. it's a very very organic reaction to seeing a mouse run across the bus threshold and under the drivers seat.

i screamed, amy yelled, jumped, and ran, then i ran...and our farmers jumped into action.

the boys immediately hatched a plan that involved my farmer herding the tiny mouse in amy's farmer's (ryan) direction.

ryan whipped his shoes off, put one on each hand, and got on all fours. apparently he's done this before?

and just like that...that poor mouse breathed it's last breath.

i won't describe exactly how it went down, but know it was "farm-style" and there was more screaming involved...from the boys.

sweet victory.

and that's how love is made on the farm folks. pregnancy pictures. mouse killing. hand holding. love.

happy monday.

farm food | chocolate chip cookies for a rainy day

Saturday, June 28, 2014

you know what you do on a rainy day?

you make chocolate chip cookies with someone you love. or for someone your love.

and maybe the person you love is yourself...and that's just great. i love myself so much i ate well over a half-dozen...and don't forget the dough. if i could have eaten that, it most certainly would have found it's way to my mouth. it is what it is.

so...one of the most important steps is to make sure you have an excellent kitchen assistant. it's a total bonus if they are cute.

even though i have two ridiculously cute people to choose from, i chose turtle.

i read once in a book that if you bake with your children often (what's often? i don't know.) from a young age they will have a healthier relationship with food...and learn about cooking/baking along the way.

i've been doing this with our gal ever since she was able to sit up. i get the mixer. she gets bowls and measuring spoons. she loves it.

i always let her help me measure anything that needs measured and she always gets to pour the ingredients into the mixture.

i also hope i'm teaching her patience, self-control, moderation, and general cooking/baking skills. we'll see how that all turns out.

while that's all important to me in my world...let's get to the recipe.

original recipe adapted from HERE

INGREDIENTS

*3 cups flour (i used whole wheat)
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
*2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter (soften...don't melt)
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
*1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips

*indicates changes made from original recipe

PREPARATION

1 | preheat your oven to 375 º and pull out your baking sheets. i use non-stick as well as far smaller cookies. i believe this led me to having to cook them for about half the time of what's called for in the original recipe. (she bakes her cookies on parchment or wax paper.)

2 | whisk together the dry ingredients - flour, baking soda, salt in a medium sized bowl.

3 | cream your sugars and softened butter. go ahead and taste it. butter and sugar is delicious all day, err day. this will take about 2 minutes. you want it to look pale and fluff-tastic.

while that's taking place, lightly beat 1 egg with a fork in a bowl. add 1 3/4 tablespoons of that egg + 2 more whole eggs to your sugar mixture for an additional minute. beat in your vanilla!

4 | reduce the mixer speed to low and begin adding in the flour mixture about 1/2 cup at a time. do not over mix!

5 | add in those glorious dark chocolate chips. eat a few. share some with your turtle.

now your dough is ready. if you're not pregnant, go ahead and give that dough a taste. i can promise you it's 100% satisfactory. if you are pregnant...do not eat the dough. raw egg reminder. you wouldn't believe the self-control that was practiced in the making of these cookies. i ALWAYS eat the dough.

6 | you're ready to scoop your cookies! you can make giant cookies (like the original recipe) or you can make cute, turtle-sized cookies...like we did.

scoop approximately 1 heaping tablespoon about 1 1/2 - 2 inches spaced until your baking sheet is full. my large sheet held 12 scoops. (mostly because i hate when my cookies bake together.)

bake your little chocolate-doughy morsels for about 7 - 8 minutes. pull from the oven and let cool for no longer than 24 seconds...and you're ready to enjoy a tasty treat with your very best gal...or whoever. or maybe just yourself. all of the above are perfectly acceptable and encouraged.

why i want to get in a girl fight + sponsor post | q + a with march to december

Friday, June 27, 2014

shocking news alert...the gals i link up with each friday are no longer...ARE NO LONGER doing their 5 on friday.

okay...so that's definitely a bit dramatic. plus, they are just suspending it for the summer. regardless, i'm at least a tiny bit bummed that it's taking a hiatus.

this definitely does open up my fridays for other kinds of posts though...so i've got that going for me!

for instance, i never would have been able to bring you this gal, who has graced the September FARM sidebar a few times now.

it's everyone's best gal - la'shawn of march to december.

la'shawn and i had a little q + a sesh...and i can't deny. i love doing these. i love them because it gives us a chance to meet a blogger in a different way than what we would normally by just reading their posts. plus i get to ask whatever questions i want and then cross my fingers that the blogger answers. (like that one time i asked a gal if she'd ever been in a girl fight. as it turns out...she had been.)

what i wouldn't give to be in a girl fight. seriously...i think i could hold my own.

tangent - farmer doesn't think i'm tough. he literally thinks i would get hit once and be done. i literally think i would whip some boo-tay. so, more often than i'd like to admit farmer and i have a conversation that goes like this:

KARLI | farmer...do you think i could beat (insert name of friend here) up?

FARMER | hmmm. maybe. you might get a hit in, but then she would overpower you or fight dirty and you would be done.

one day i'll be so lucky - so lucky to prove my idaho toughness.

wow though. enough about me...please please let's get excited to meet la'shawn!

KARLI | hey girl hey, la'shawn! i really think we should get right to it since i blabbed and blabbed up above. sorry about that!

so...i'm going to be a new mom again here in a few short months. what's the biggest change you experienced when you became a mom?

LA'SHAWN | i am lucky in the kid department. i have one amazing son. i can't say that any big change has been bad. i would say that the biggest change i experienced, though, is i laugh more. truly! my husband has had me laughing for the past 10 years. then came along our son, who has his dad's humor, and I really feel like there isn't an hour that goes by that they don't have me laughing.

KARLI | ummm...that sound like an absolutely delightful way to live on the daily. you laugh hourly. i'm picking mickey mouse chicken nuggets out of my hair hourly. nice.

well, i mean...sure you laugh hourly, but any mom confessions? embarrassing moments?

LA'SHAWN | i have a few mom confessions. like letting my son stay up to 1 am or letting him sleep in my bed once a week & him being 7 years old. sigh. the embarrassing moment is a lot better. Mother's Day about 5 years ago. my son was just a bit over 1 years old. we were at the mall and standing in the checkout line. i placed my hand on his bum and realized he had exploded in his diaper. by exploded, i mean just that!! it was all over him and all over me. GAG. it was sooo embarrassing. we had to walk through the mall stinking to high heaven and covered.

KARLI | i can honestly say i've never had either of those things happen. 1. because kaye would never and has never wanted to sleep in our bed. literally. we've tried. she all but leaps off the king sized frame and runs to her crib. what gives?

and 2. farmer and i did have a moment in a thai restaurant when kaye was about three months old. i remember thinking that was particularly terrible at the time because the restaurant didn't have a changing table...but in hindsight...we've experienced worse. (but never as bad as your mall poo. sorry about that gal!)

so after this one...i'm done-zo. i'm no good at being pregnant...as in i'm crazy-town. what about you? any plans to have more?

LA'SHAWN | nope. i get asked that often because we just have the one. i am quite content being his momma, only

KARLI | i guess when you nail it with the first one...why have more, right? right. farmer and i didn't quite hit the mark with kaye...that's why we went for kaye 2.0. kidding kidding! i'm actually having one more so that they will raise each other. here's to hoping!

so lately i've been trying to convince my farmer that a babymoon is an actual thing...a thing we should take advantage of. so far...no go. here's to hoping though, right? how about you? any dream vacations?

LA'SHAWN | hmmm. probably going to england for as long as i can. i would move over there if my husband would let me!

KARLI | did you watch the tudors? basically the very very best show. it's on netflix. get on that if you haven't. anyway...it makes me desperately want to go back to england so i can do all the super touristy stuff. i think i'm pretty nerdy like that.

random question - what's the most expensive item of clothing you own?

LA'SHAWN | i don't spend a lot of money on clothes. i am of the mindset quantity over quality. lol. i couldn't tell you the most expensive.

KARLI | whaaaa?!! what about quantity AND quasi-quality? that seems to be route i've taken lately. mostly because i couldn't figure out how to dress my post-kaye body. girlfriend did a number on my belly. maybe i should try a sit up every now and again? but that sounds lame.

have you ever had a celebrity siting? or maybe you just want to meet someone famous?

LA'SHAWN | i haven't. i would love to meet Tom Hiddleston. yeow! my husband gives me a hard time about my little crush on him.

KARLI | i get it now. that's why you want to live in england...so you can be close to tommy. makes sense. we all have dreams!

well gal. we're winding down our little q + a. do you want to leave us with your most favorite post you've ever written?

LA'SHAWN | my most favorite post is called Swimsuit Ready Body (it was a big deal to me showing this part of me).

KARLI | girl. good for you! i've often wanted to do a post-kaye body post but chicken out every. single. time. thanks for rocking it...because...well...YOU ROCK!

people...let's all take a minute to check out la'shawn some more over yonder.

you can also find here here:

bloglovin' | facebook | instagram | pinterest | twitter

ps. should you be feeling fancy and are looking for a place to burn a a few dollar bills...don't be afraid to check out la'shawn's advertise page! she's offering a 50% discount off all spaces for September FARM readers! code : M2Dfarmer

giveaway | $200 SEPHORA gift card!

Thursday, June 26, 2014

you know you've made it in the blogging community when you get in on a giveaway on a blog like helene in between.

and what i mean by that is i contributed my hard earned blog money to help bring you a $200 gift card to SEPHORA. yay!

now...before you get unexcited about a SEPHORA gift card, let me tell you why this is awesome.

1 | if you're like me and rarely wear makeup, you too can still spend money at SEPHORA.

2 | they have nail products, hair tools, skin care, perfume...the list goes on and on. check it out!

3 | if you're still not into any of these things...you can give away your winnings to a grateful friend.

see...everyone wins.

next step - go have a looky-lou at all these super cute gals. especially the second row on the far right...she looks like a nice farm gal!

last step - enter away below!

WIN a $200 SEPHORA GIFT CARD!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

sponsor post | kali @ kaliwood

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

are you an avid blog reader? like...you hunt and hunt and sometimes you're lucky enough to find a blog you really connect with?

or maybe you find a blog that you really just enjoy reading?

or maybe you find a blog that you want to steal all their post ideas?

that's kind of how it went down when i happened upon kaliwood.

girlfriend is funny. girlfriend is clever. and girlfriend lived in france. no big deal or anything.

(plus i think she's a natural blonde which certainly doesn't make me jealous or anything.)

this is exactly why i want you to take a September FARM guided tour to KALIWOOD.

1 | you're going to have the opportunity to get to know kali at 16. apparently girlfriend was 5'8" and 120 lbs.

this sounds like me in 6th grade. (by the way kali - if you're reading this...i'm copying your idea for this post. it's hilarious.)

2 | we get to read all about how she freaked her boyfriend out when she was bit by the wedding mosquito.

don't worry kali. i all but bought myself a ring and put it on my own finger.

3 | and kali totally hangs out with famous bloggers like sarah (venus trapped in mars) and erin (living in yellow).

but i'm sure if those two just happened upon idaho...they would want to hang with me too. right? i mean...i'd take them to the raddest camping spot and show them a baby goat.

scratch that. they should continue to visit kali in kentucky for the derby.

so if you're not in love by now...maybe you should see what one of her ad spots can do for you? i mean...she's offering 50% OFF to September FARM readers with the code FARMER! head on over. it's not a bad idea.

you can also find her in each of these spots...enjoy!

bloglovin' | twitter | facebook | instagram | pinterest

farm baby #2 | 22 WEEK STATS

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

i'll say it again...i'm absolutely giddy over all the love and compliments you guys have sent our way. it makes being pregnant that much better.

because, if there is one thing i know...it's that a pregnant gal LOVES compliments. at least this one does.

so now we're at 22 weeks large, we've announced to the masses our exciting news, AND we know what we're having. i can't wait to share that news with you guys...but what kind of blogger would i be if i didn't make a spectacle of it and blow up some balloons or wrap myself with ribbon or make kaye hold a sign or something?

answer - a terrible blogger. everyone knows you take full advantage of the blog posts you get out of being pregnant. so...in a week or so i'll definitely be announcing that! don't forget to vote in the top, left corner if you think it's a mini-farmer or a sweet, little gal...the exact opposite of kaye, of course.

22 WEEK STATS | farm baby #2

cue the awkward pose. i had exactly one 22 week picture to choose from.

WEIGHT GAIN | oh, you know...five pounds. that's a zero pound increase from last week. however, my stomach has definitely popped out, which is nice. it no longer appears as though i've eaten a large meal or that i'm trying to loose the baby weight from kaye.

CLOTHING | my tas are growing hourly. it's a problem, people. i was chatting with a gal (who is 26 weeks) and her husband last week and they agreed that was one good thing about pregnancy...bigger tas. i said, "speak for yourself." at this rate i'll be having a baby in late october and a mandatory boob job in early november.

also, i'm officially a permanent wearer of my yoga pants or dresses. my maternity clothing from kaye is still too big but my pants are just so damn tight. i mean...if i HAVE to squeeze into my white, skinny jeans, i'll do it. but you can count on them being unbuttoned and unzipped a solid majority of the time.

WORKOUTS | i'm still running all over the place! the farm weather has been substantially better lately so kaye and i are getting outside more. she's such a little trooper in her running stroller. i'm averaging about 15 miles a week.

also, last night i purchased one of those front seats for toddlers you can put on a bike. kaye is a bit of a daredevil so i know she's absolutely going to love it.

what is she not going to love? the helmet.

GENDER | we totally know and it's so exciting because we didn't find out with kaye. as stated before, vote in the top left corner of the blog! also, be on the lookout for another annoying blog announcement in the coming week(s)!

CRIES THIS WEEK | i'm sitting solid at ZERO cries this week! this is a big deal. i'm probably gearing up for a big one...who knows what will trigger it. probably in the dressing room of macy's as some lady is telling me my bra size is a 34 G-H-I-J-K and she's never seen that on someone my age.

CRAVINGS | salsa. i ate chips and salsa the other day and was in absolute heaven. actually...i'm craving them right now and it's 7:05 am. i know a fantastic salsa recipe that i'd just love to share with you guys...i'm inspired. look for that next week too.

and that's that! 22 weeks in the books and less than 18 to go.

for all you moms of two (or more!) - any products i should look into for multiple kids? as in...baby toddler products?

do you think i'll need a new stroller? do we like the baby bjorn or the ergo carrier more?

have a great tuesday!

farm food | sweet potato + kale + sausage bake with cheese sauce

Monday, June 23, 2014

friends. gals and guys alike. i have a delicious recipe for you today. it makes me sad that the only credit i can take is that i made it and it tasted good.

source

the recipe comes to us today by way of pinch of yum. it's the every so tasty sweet potato + kale + sausage bake with an unreal cheese sauce made with gruyere cheese.

i still cannot pronounce gruyere. my mouth gets all twisted and awkward and it sounds like i'm gagging.

regardless...visit pinch of yum. pin the recipe...then head back over here and i'll tell you how i made it and you can look at my less beautiful pictures. (seriously...i'm shamed.)

a few notes | my farmer loved it. my turtle loved it. i loved it. the leftovers, i was told, actually tasted better than fresh from the oven. it has been requested i make this weekly. we'll see.

ingredients list
2 tbsp olive oil
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 chicken sausages from costco sliced in 1/4 inch rounds. (pinch of yum calls for italian pork or chicken sausage.)
2 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup flour
3/4 shredded gruyere cheese (i used well over a cup and it was amazing. no complaints.)
2 cups finely chopped kale

1 | heat your olive oil on high heat in a large pan and then throw all your sweet potatoes and sausage in there. brown them and ensure they are coated in the oil. they will eventually have a nice, crisp exterior.

you'll then toss in your kale and mix everything together. transfer all these goodies to a 9-inch square baking dish. i used the le creuset casserole dish you see below. please note my farmer got this for me for valentine's day three years ago. it has since sat on our stove every single day of those three years pristine and untouched. just as any beautiful casserole dish should be. farmer was beyond thrilled when he realized he was going to see his gift in action.

2 | preheat your oven to 350º. in a small - medium sauce pan combine the broth and 1/2 cup milk and bring to a boil. once it's boiling turn it down to a simmer. with the remaining 1/4 cup milk in a liquid measuring cup, whisk in the flour to make a thick paste. add this to the saucepan while whisking to keep the sauce smooth. add 1/4 cup gruyere while string until melted.

3 | now that your sauce is deliciously beautiful (and you probably want to drink it...like me, right?), pour it over the sweet potato/kale/sausage baking dish. top all of that with the rest of your cheese and bake it to perfection...or about 10 minutes.

now go enjoy this recipe that looked healthy until you added all that effing cheese.

let's all give three hip hips! to pinch of yum for making our dinner tables a little more interesting. plus she's just so darn cute.

saturday confessional | jessica @ kessler kraziness

Saturday, June 21, 2014

yay. Saturday Confessional is here and there's nothing i like more than living the sorority life vicariously through other gals. it makes me think of all the hangovers i missed out on...and probably saved me a bunch of money too. still, i do get just a smidgen jealous that i didn't experience what looks to be a super fun (read: drunk) time.

let's all team up with jessica and relive her sorority days.

but before her confessional...the bizz.

as always, if any of you fine gals have a confessional list or confessional story you want to share here on September FARM get in on the action by visiting my advertising page! this is a brand new ad space that you get to take over for saturday, sunday, and a solid portion of monday! read more about the spot here!

also...should you be feeling extra snazzy and you want others to enjoy these confessionals...feel free to grab the button below (HERE)!

Hi September Farm readers! I'm so excited to be a guest writer for Karli's awesome saturday confessional series. I always enjoy reading it each week. But first, how excited are y'all about Karli and Farmer's big announcement this week? OMG such great news! Congrats to them!

Onto the confessional! I had a really hard time figuring out what I wanted to tell you about. I couldn't think of anything that I thought you'd enjoy reading about. Then, I thought of something more serious, but decided against that. Instead of an actual story as my confessional I'm going to tell you about a bunch of experiences that tie together into a nice little "story" of their own. Confused? Well, don't close the browser just yet because you will enjoy this flashback. I'm going to tell you about my crazy college experience. More specifically, I will confess to you about all the crazy things I wore in college thanks to my sorority. Doesn't sound interesting? Just read on. You will be surprised. ;)

I went to the best university in the great state of Indiana called Purdue University! Yes, there are people that will disagree with me, but in my opinion it was the best place to be for 5 years. Yep 5 years, but that's a different story. As a freshman I joined the sorority Alpha Xi Delta. For those of you who belong to a sorority you know there are all sorts of fun philanthropies, dances, and experiences that you encounter in greek life. All of those things are something I looked forward to.

One thing that I didn't count on was how ridiculous we would dress at different times throughout the years. Not only did I have a million t-shirts that all my sisters had (and at times the entire greek community), but sometimes we dressed like absolute idiots. Part of it was being a student at Purdue and something called Breakfast Club (will explain in a few), but most of it was the crazy themed dances we attended. Let me show you...

spontaneous dance - i can't remember the exact theme, but basically
everyone wore a towel and hung out at a bar with another fraternity.

fraternity/sorority football buddy function - tennis theme

thug party

toga party with my friend stewy

barndance! probably the best dance we had each year. we rented a barn on a
big farm, rode on hayrides,sat by a bonfire, and danced the night away!

Are you getting the picture yet? I look back at these pictures and put my head in my hands. Did I seriously dress like this? Did I seriously hang out with boys (and I truly mean boys for most of these events because many of them were super immature)? Oh the things I hope my children don't see someday. I'm not sure how I can explain many of the outfits. It was so much fun, but oh my was it a bit over the top.

There were also times that we had great reasons to dress the same and celebrate like when we got a new pledge class in which we all wear white. Also, there were dances where we actually dressed cute. I have a ton of those pictures too and I'm so thankful I have those to show off and not just the crazy ones.

initiation 2005

pledge pop night with one of my little sis'. i feel terrible i had her dress like that. at least she still loves me.

this was a great time and i actually am dressed cute!

Alright, I said before I would tell you about Purdue's Breakfast Club. It is quite an experience. You wake up around 6:00 am on the morning of every home football game, dress in absolutely stupid outfits and go to the bar. Many people don't make it to the football game because they can't see their own feet, but it's quite an entertaining time. I promise you I always made it to the game and honestly only attended two Breakfast Clubs. My friends and I were really good at locking our doors, not answering our phones and sleeping in like normal people. My favorite part of going to breakfast club was seeing how ridiculous people dressed. If you look it up on Google you will find some pretty funny pictures.

cowgirl, pregnant lady, and gypsy. she didn't actually go as a pregnant lady. whew!

To prove that I did actually go out with friends and not look ridiculous I have to show you a good one too. I don't want you to think that all I did was drink in college. I had an absolutely amazing time with some of the best people.

Even though I've shared how ridiculous some of the things I did and dressed as I wouldn't trade it for anything. College was so much fun. I learned so much academically and also about who I am. I met some of the greatest people and I still miss seeing them every day. Actually I'm having a girl's weekend with the two lovely ladies in the picture above this weekend in Charlotte. I haven't seen them since my wedding in 2008 and I can't wait. Thank goodness they don't hold all those outfits against me and they can't because they were right next to me. Ha ha!

Thanks Karli for letting me confess how crazy my college experiences were. I love this series and am so glad I could share. Have a great weekend!