Little delights from life lately
Hi, my friends! How are you? Happy November!
So it’s almost been five weeks since Baby Brady was born, and the time is going by so quickly. We’re doing pretty darn good over here, in spite of the fact that our sleep is not what it used to be. Brady doesn’t really ever sleep a span more than two hours at night yet, which means we are up a lot, although he’s a very good boy and couldn’t be any cuter. A lot of what I explained in this post about the first two weeks of life with a newborn is still going strong, but we’re getting into a better routine.
I’m enjoying my solo time with Brady during the day, and we seem to fit in a lot of snuggling, eating, one long walk with Rudy, a shower and that’s about it. Life is good! And that’s the report from over here.
Now that we’re all caught up, I thought today would be a great day to talk about a few things I’ve been loving lately …
An easy and delicious breakfast
This mention is brought to you by Bob’s Red Mill. Thanks for supporting our sponsors!
I’ve always appreciated an easy and healthy breakfast, which requires minimal steps. And now that I’m a mom of a newborn, I need a simple meal in the morning more than ever. Well, my friends at Bob’s Red Mill just debuted their new organic oatmeal cups, and I absolutely had to try them. These babies are so good. You can expect to find these single-serve oatmeal cups at a store near you in the next month, but until then, they’re available on the brand’s website here.
Fun fact: I used to eat those sugar-laden instant oatmeal packets from another brand for breakfast all the time back in the day, but these organic cups with their superfood ingredients are a far cry from those packets of the past.
And they are easy too! The best part is that I can boil water and pour it into the oatmeal cup with one hand, to let it sit and simmer, while I hold Brady with the other hand. (The oats cook up in their cup and can also be microwaved in there as well.) Convenience!
These cups are, of course, organic, whole grain, gluten free and are made with flax and chia too. There are a few different flavors, and coconut and pineapple is definitely my favorite. It has chunks of both fruits, mmmm!
A tip: I also tried adding a little bit of coconut milk with the water, which thickened up the texture, and I liked that. You can even add toppings if you want, and I added a banana each time, and there was just enough room in the cup to make that happen. Overall, I’m definitely a fan of the convenience and flavor of these new cups.
By the way, I’m not a gluten-free gal (in fact, I consume a lot of gluten actually), but just so you know, Bob’s Red Mill has a 100 percent gluten-free facility, and the company offers minimally processed vegan and paleo products, as well as gluten-free products, from its Oregon stone mill.
Thanks for the delicious breakfasts, Bob’s Red Mill. I received compensation and product, but all opinions are my own.
A dinner date out
Last weekend, Dave’s parents were here visiting us, so they could meet Brady, and Dave and I decided to take advantage of their company by heading out for a quick dinner, just the two of us (our first dinner out for a very long time!). We went to Va de Vi in downtown Walnut Creek for a wine flight, a cheese platter, tartar and more. I missed all of those things when pregnant and knew it was exactly what I wanted. I’m not sure when we’ll get out by ourselves again in the near future, and it sure was great to have a little adult time.
Treats and sweets
Also last weekend, Dave and I had some visitors from Maine. They came by in the morning to say hello and meet Brady while they were in town, and they delivered not only a gift, but also a plate of delicious pastries from Sweet Affair Bakery. Embarrassingly enough, I worked on these goodies and had them nearly finished by the end of the weekend. Sugar is my friend, and even though I don’t have the excuse of pregnancy any more, I can’t give up my treats. Life is too short!
Halloween pictures and brothers
I absolutely love to see Brady and Rudy together. Brady doesn’t really acknowledge Rudy, and Rudy is still a little nervous around Brady, but it’s just so darn cute. On Halloween, I spent about 30 minutes trying to get some good photos of them both with their respective pumpkin decor, and it was a hilarious scene. I had about 35 photos total, and only a few of them didn’t have a blurry baby arm or blurry dog foot from too much wiggling.
Speaking of Halloween, Dave and I didn’t dress up, nor go to any Halloween parties, but we did enjoy some candy, and we gave out some treats to the little kids who came by our door that night. Also, Halloween is my favorite day of the year for scrolling social media, because I love to look at pictures of little kids and full-grown adults in costumes. Who’s with me?
Other recent delights
A few other favorite things …
- MOTIVATION: I watched this Tony Robbins documentary on Netflix this week and was totally enthralled. What a cool guy he is. He did “interventions” with people at his very expensive conference during this documentary, and it was enlightening to watch. I want to see more from him, so maybe I’ll buy one of his books.
- FOOD INSPIRATION: This spaghetti squash pie dinner recipe is SO good and only has five ingredients. I shared this one in the A Lady Goes West Friends group on Facebook earlier in the week, because Dave and I have had it two times, and it’s tasty and clean. We may make it again with some extra veggies and a different meat. I have to thank my friend Kicki for introducing us to this dish.
- FITNESS: I’m a millennial, and I love to see positive articles about us. We like to exercise, and we’re the fittest generation ever. Here’s why.
- PREGNANCY: There was only one post on the blog this week, and it’s all about what I did to have a healthy pregnancy. Check it out.
By the way, it took me about 10 sittings and three days to complete this post, as I was constantly interrupted by diaper changes, snuggle sessions, feedings and a wandering mom-brain. Good times!
Have a great weekend, people, and I’ll see you on Instagram until we meet here again.
Little delights and fun stuff from A Lady Goes West ... Click To TweetQuestions of the day
Did you dress up for Halloween? If so, what were you?
What are you up to this weekend?
What’s your favorite quick and easy breakfast?
ADorable photo of them! I need to save all the Halloween costume pics from kids this year so I don’t have to think next year, haha! Mom life does get easier. Those nights are so hard, and I know it’s lame to say, but the snuggles at night are just the best. As he becomes more alert during the day, those nighttime ones are the best to just focus solely on him- not the to do list or the laundry or the house that needs cleaned. Now, that’s to say waking up every 2 hours isn’t easy, but when he’s down to once or twice, relishing those moments is easier 😉 I hope he starts making longer stretches soon! If you haven’t checked out the wonder week app, check it out! I also started focusing on a bit more awake time during the day which helped at night. And now that you didn’t ask for any opinions… I’m going to go, ha! Have a wonderful weekend, Ashley!
Hi Heather! I haven’t heard of the Wonder Week, so thanks for the rec, I will definitely check it out. The advice is quite appreciated. And I do love the baby snuggles, even in the night — you are SO right to relish them. Happy Friday to you, lady! 🙂
Love that Halloween photo! And so nice you and Dave were able to get out for night, I think that alone time together is so important.
So excited about those Bob’s Red Mill Oatmeal cups. Usually I make some oatmeal in the crockpot for the week, but those will be handy when I don’t have the time. Happy Weekend! Pretty relaxing weekend here as Tom will be preparing for his playoff game next week. I’m hoping to relax on the couch and catch up on lots of TV 🙂
Hi Patricia! Playoffs — woohoo! Good luck to him and his team. And you know, I’ve actually never made oatmeal in a crockpot — yummy! Enjoy your relaxing this weekend, lady!
Sounds like a great week! My older kiddo slept like that (1.5-2) hour blocks until he was like 2 months old and then magically added a 4 hour block each night. Hopefully you will all be getting more sleep soon. He is just cute as can be. Hope you have a great weekend.
Hi Emily! Okay, a four-hour block would be absolutely insane, and I look forward to those days hehe! We have about three more weeks until 2 months, so here’s hoping! Thanks so much for the hope, lady. Have a fab weekend! 🙂
I remember those sleepless nights, so hard! But at least it does get better!!!
I live about 30 minutes from Bob’s Redmill Stone Mill in Oregon! We love going there. My kids ask to go all the time! It has so much yumminess and I love the atmosphere! And a bonus: Dave’s Killer Bread factory is right across the street! Score! We hit up both whenever we go.
I have a women’s conference tomorrow but other than that we have a chill weekend!
I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Brandy, okay, clearly there are some awesome places in Oregon! I’ve never been, but now I want to. What great places to have nearby to take the fam. I hope you enjoy your women’s conference, lady! Have a fab weekend! 🙂
You are a busy momma! I love seeing your IG stories with Brady, so please keep doing those! Oatmeal cups are like the new hot thing, ay? I’m seeing them pop up everywhere, but I guess it is that time of the year for OATS!
Hi Carrie! I’m glad you like the Brady videos and pictures, because I want to do about double the amount I do, but don’t want to overwhelm ahah! And yesss, I have seen a lot of these oatmeal cups, but some are better than others. Hope you had a great week! Happy Friday to you and to Dane! 🙂
Luckily, neither Alex nor I are used to actually sleeping through the night, so we will be right on track with a baby 😀 Between not being able to breathe and being at that stage of pregnancy, I am just a joy to try to sleep next to!
Seems like life is normalizing and you are finding your groove. Hooray for that!
Hi Susie! Oh no, I’m sorry your sleep is already suffering. I didn’t ever have that problem in pregnancy, but it means that caring for a baby and being sleepless is a shock. Luckily, you’ll ease right into it hehehe! Happy Friday to you, lady!
Oh my goodness, the picture with that little pumpkin hat is the cutest 🙂
Hi Christina! Thanks so much! Dogs and babies are pretty adorable together, right? I hope you had a great week, lady! Happy Friday!
So happy to hear everything is going well on the baby front! Hopefully he’ll start to sleep longer than 3 hours at night soon. My favorite quick go to breakfast is overnight oats because I can prep them the night before when I make my lunch for work. Now that it’s getting colder I think I need to switch to a hot breakfast so I will definitely check out the oatmeal cups you shared!
Hi Maureen! I really hope he sleeps longer spans soon. 🙂 And I also love overnight oats, but agree that sometimes a hot breakfast is more fitting for the cooler weather. Happy Friday to you, lady!!
That photo of Brady and the pup is so STINKIN’ CUTE! I love it so much!
Hi Jamie! Thank you! Just wait — you’ll be doing a WHOLE lot of dog/baby photoshoots too heeheh. 🙂 Happy Friday, lady!
I’m so impressed that you got out for a date without babe! We have three little ones and we didn’t go on a solo date until at least 5 months after having all of them. So impressed!
Hi Lindsay! I know, it was early to get out, but I’m SO glad we did. It helped that we had family in town wanting to stay with him. I don’t know when it will happen again! 🙂 Hope you have a great weekend, lady!
Your Halloween picture is adorable, haha! How does Rudy like his brother? So cute! And yay for date nights, those are the best!! 🙂
Hi Marielle! Rudy is a little nervous around Brady, but is very interested in him. He licks his feet sometimes, which is adorable eheheh! Hope you had a nice weekend, lady!
Brady is so stinkin’ cute!!!
Those oatmeal cups look perfect. So much better than the ones we both used to eat. 🙂
Hi Julie! Ohh thank you! We love him. And YES to healthier oatmeal. Hope you had a nice weekend, lady!