Navigating the waters of parenthood, marriage, health, and wellness while enjoying all sorts of food and travel.
Last month, I was asked by my Rabbi if I would prepare a Dvar Torah — or sermon — for the first Friday of June, otherwise known as Pride Shabbat. Aside from the extreme honor it was to be asked, it was also a no brainer. If you’ve been following us long enough, you know that we live by the words “visibility matters” — so of course I said yes!
When Brit and I first began actively planning for our family, our first hurdle to overcome was figuring out the who, how, and where. Who would be our sperm donor? How would we find him? Where do we look?
We had an amazing opportunity recently to be interviewed by Shira Lazar, host of Let’s Go There on Channel Q & RADIO.COM, about our journey to parenthood. We spoke about how and why we chose the California Cryobank as well as what we were looking for in a sperm donor.
My pregnancy with Nathan as a whole was completely different than my pregnancy with Thea. And more than in that they are two different babies, thus each pregnancy will be different. I mean in the sense that exactly halfway into my pregnancy, the world shut down. I was officially having a pregnancy and birth in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The word ‘unprecedented’ became a part of everyday jargon – in conversations with friends … in memes both funny and serious … in texts …
In case any of you are interested in what a birth plan can look like, and in particular, what our home birth plan looks like, we are sharing it with y’all as we just finished putting it together, now that our due date is just 3 weeks away.
An experienced photographer, although new to her own business, was looking to expand and diversify her portfolio. She is committed to showing all people and families of all colors, genders, sexual orientations…the works! Pretty awesome, right?
As we near the end of our second pregnancy with Baby Boy, we were gifted with an amazing opportunity from our birth photographer and videographer to document a moment in the life of our family of three before Baby Boy arrives.
For our maternity shoot this second time around, we decided to step up our game and move from a studio shoot to a home shoot. As always, Anna delivered!
Something happened this year that I’m pretty disappointed about. I usually sit down with Sydney and create how our year is going to look. It’s our goals written down on paper vs just living in our heads as “nice thoughts”. Well, for the first time in about 8 years, we didn’t do it.
Brit and I are expecting Baby #2. We can’t wait to share our journey with you as we navigate pregnancy with a toddler.
Having done this three times, I can honestly say that there is very little baby needs and oh so much the world has invented and created and marketed that will make you feel both like you need it all while also feeling completely overwhelmed. Couple my experience with this relatively new found passion I have for Waldorf education and its ideology, and I now have, what I believe, is the ‘real’ baby registry list.
We all know how important self-care is, especially as parents. And I feel like often as the primary parent, I will put my me-time on the back burner, usually to be forgotten until my fuse has run out. Well, the good news is, Brit has found a way to not only make sure my mental health and wellbeing are taken care of but has figured out how to present it to me in my love language: gifts!
When Brit and I first began actively planning for our family, our first hurdle to overcome was figuring out the who, how, and where. Who would be our sperm donor? How would we find him? Where do we look?
We had an amazing opportunity recently to be interviewed by Shira Lazar, host of Let’s Go There on Channel Q & RADIO.COM, about our journey to parenthood. We spoke about how and why we chose the California Cryobank as well as what we were looking for in a sperm donor.
We have compiled a list of all the baby registry must-have items, including a few other good-to-know items, for first-time mommies. From strollers and car seats to baby food brands and our favorite places to shop for clothes, we’ve got you covered!
An experienced photographer, although new to her own business, was looking to expand and diversify her portfolio. She is committed to showing all people and families of all colors, genders, sexual orientations…the works! Pretty awesome, right?
So I figured I’d put this post together because this information isn’t really out there and I feel like it should be. Gyu-Kaku is one of my favorite restaurants to go to. First off, Sydney loves to “do the cooking” which is nice on my end. Secondly, as someone who has been tracking her macros (macronutrients: Fats, Carbs, Proteins), I am usually always looking for ways to make sure I hit my protein goal, Gyu-Kaku, a Japanese BBQ restaurant is a great place when protein intake is needed. I also enjoy eating out but it’s common knowledge that eating out can be tricky while dieting. You could get a salad that you think is “healthy” but walk away having eaten an entire day’s worth of calories and then some! At Gyu-Kaku, I know if I pick a lean meat, I should be good.
Something happened this year that I’m pretty disappointed about. I usually sit down with Sydney and create how our year is going to look. It’s our goals written down on paper vs just living in our heads as “nice thoughts”. Well, for the first time in about 8 years, we didn’t do it.
Aside from the pumpkin spice lattes, the 31 Nights of Halloween movies on TV, and sweater weather creeping in, another fall favorite for my family, or me rather, is prepping for, creating, and ordering our holiday cards. This year, we are super excited to be using Basic Invite for our personalized holiday cards.
We all know teething sucks for all parties involved in a babies life. Whether you have kids or not, we can all agree that teething’s a bitch. Or is it…?
I grew up eating sesame peanut noodles and together with my mom, we have perfected the yummiest, creamiest, most satisfying peanut sesame noodles. Some of our secrets? Adding milk and using crunchy peanut butter!
This has become my new go-to whenever someone isn’t feeling well. Think the Greek version of the traditional Jewish matzo ball soup. This is our new penicillin. And it’s so flavorful, easy and quick to make, and healthy to boot!
This is a traditional shakshuka recipe — and it has been approved by both my Israeli wife and my Israeli-Iraqi father-in-law. So you know this is going to be good! And — it’s ready within 30 minutes.
So I figured I’d put this post together because this information isn’t really out there and I feel like it should be. Gyu-Kaku is one of my favorite restaurants to go to. First off, Sydney loves to “do the cooking” which is nice on my end. Secondly, as someone who has been tracking her macros (macronutrients: Fats, Carbs, Proteins), I am usually always looking for ways to make sure I hit my protein goal, Gyu-Kaku, a Japanese BBQ restaurant is a great place when protein intake is needed. I also enjoy eating out but it’s common knowledge that eating out can be tricky while dieting. You could get a salad that you think is “healthy” but walk away having eaten an entire day’s worth of calories and then some! At Gyu-Kaku, I know if I pick a lean meat, I should be good.
I was so fortunate to stumble across the recipe a few years ago when I thought I was making traditional cornbread. You can imagine to my surprise after all the baking when my finished product was more soupy and mushy than traditional dry cornbread. Needless to say, this is one of those mix-all-the-ingredients-together-and-bake sorta dishes, and your family and friends — and you — will never want the traditional kind again.
Most people would probably not bother adding a Rise Krispie Treats recipe to their blog since the original one is so readily available on every Rice Krispie box. But, once you try making them this way, you’ll never want them any other way again. So proceed with caution. These are dangerously delicious.
This challah has been a staple in our home for the Jewish High Holidays since I was a baby. Over the years I have stayed up late with mom baking this bread with her to ensure it’s timeliness for dinner. This year was a special treat as it was my first time making it on my own. May this sweet and wonderful recipe bring you and your family full, happy tummies!
Starting a family is a big decision. And it always has its ups and downs, regardless of what your family dynamic looks like. Are you a mom + dad? Two moms? Two dads? Single parent? Perhaps you’re even a two mom + one dad household? Whatever the case, the journey into parenthood is a roller coaster. And like the old adage goes, “it takes a village” — and they aren’t kidding around. We started this blog at first, for ourselves. We wanted a means to documents our trials and tribulations, the ups and downs, the hard and scary stuff, and the joyous parts, too.
Along the way, though, we found that so many people had questions for us. Questions they didn’t want to ask because they thought they were being rude or insensitive. It’s quite the opposite, actually, Well, for us at least. We realized that as a same sex couple looking to start a family, there were going to be questions. So why not blog about it and provide a safe space for those questions to be answered and for other couples to find solace in knowing they aren’t alone.