baby shower

A couple weeks ago, my dear friends threw a baby shower for me and baby girl meakins. I am so so blessed to have such amazing friends, and it was special to have the grandmas-to-be there for the afternoon as well.

Check out a few pics of the lovely event - such a classy affair - everything was perfect and pink! :)

Delicious cupcakes, compliments of Karrie :)

Wonderful peeps! Kristin & baby Josiah, Whit, and Kristen

I have so many wonderful mama friends to learn from. :)

My amazing and beautiful hostess, Maggie! You throw one gorgeous party my friend!

My mom and sis, Alison

skamania lodge surprise getaway

A few months ago, my friend Maggie and I bought Living Social deals that were just too good to pass up - 18 holes of golf with a cart at Skamania Lodge - as a surprise for our husbands. We decided to make a weekend of it, and stay the night at the lodge too. This little secret of ours has been brewing since March and it was fun to finally unleash the surprise on Friday night when we told Jeff and Pete! They were so excited about getting away for the weekend, and even more so about playing 18 holes of golf on a really nice course. :) Of course there was something good in this for us.......we spent the afternoon getting massages and facials at the spa. Ahh, what a relaxing day.

Even more important and noteworthy was the fact that I do not have the best track record of keeping secrets :)...but I did it! Jeff was so surprised! If you ask me, surprise getaways are just about one of the best things you can do for someone. Who doesn't fantasize about being whisked away to a surprise destination, knowing someone took time to plan every detail thoughtfully just for you?

The evening was memorable as well - tons of laughter with our good pals, Maggie and Pete, and a special dinner at the restaurant. We felt like sumo wrestlers as we left, stuffed full of delicious entrees and absolutely huge desserts for each one of us (no sharing!!). Even at breakfast the next morning in the more casual lounge, the views were spectacular from our table. What a beautiful place - we kept talking about how great it is to live in a place where there are so many spectacular spots like this one, only an hour away.

baby girl's closet

Last Sunday I had the whole day to myself to "accomplish stuff" - Jeff was away for the night with his brothers for some guy time (which included 27 holes of golf, lots of beer drinking, and much obnoxiousness I'm sure). Our project list keeps growing as we prepare for baby meakins' arrival, and I decided it was time to do something about her closet. Afterall...we need to take pride in making a beautiful home for our clothes. :) Here is a picture of her closet before I began the project...

I have to say, I was quite proud of myself. This is a project I would never normally tackle without Jeff's help - I loathe activities such as configuring shelves and using a screwdriver, much less making a long trip to Home Depot by myself. BUT...time is precious, and maybe all these pregnancy hormones gave me the extra determination to get this job done.

I looked at different closet organization systems online, but all were pre-set for specific closet sizes, and baby's is quite small (which is unfortunate - thankfully her clothes are pint-sized for the time being :). In the end I remembered a client telling me she used basic shelving from Home Depot for her nursery, so I decided to sketch out a little something just in case this was a good option. I wanted to maximize my shelving space, but also leave a larger spot for a clothes hamper or diaper disposal thingy. Here is my basic sketch...

I took my little amateur sketch to Home Depot and cornered an employee on the closet organization aisle...sir, is this something that would be pretty easy to install? to which he said yes! Maybe about 15 minutes later, my cart was loaded with all of the materials I would need to assemble the organization system, including three custom-cut shelves.

Got home, busted out the screwdriver, figured out how to install some drywall screws, and got the basic bracket system attached to the closet wall. After that, the rest of the system basically snapped into place and wa-la!! Baby girl now has a LOT more room for her growing wardrobe. The picture below is very preliminary! I plan on adding a lot more bins to the shelves for toys, accessories, etc. Shoes will be lined up on the floor below, and the remaining shelf space will be used for folded clothes and other extra gear. Also I still need to figure out what to do about all of that wasted space in the top of the closet.

You should've seen Jeff's face when he got home and see what I had done - he couldn't stop laughing....probably picturing my 31-weeks-pregnant self designing a closet system, going to Home Depot and loading up the cart, then installing it all myself. Now that's determination! :)

drowning islands

Hi friends! Just wanted to share with you a cause that my amazing sister-in-law, Brook, has been very passionate about and working hard on as of late. She recently was at the UN climate negotiations in Thailand, a conference that is very competitive to get accepted into. Check out the e-mail from her below, visit her website, and feel free to subscribe to her blog! :)

Drowning Islands

I wanted to share a new project that I'm really excited about, and that's been in the works for quite some time.

I just started a blog called www.drowningislands.com- a portal for stories from those impacted by climate change across the globe, as well as interesting insights into the relocation problem and just the intersection of climate change and human rights in general. As you most likely know, I'm an attorney with a solo practice that provides traditional and non-traditional advocacy services for my clients. But you might not know that I also have a climate justice/environmental advocacy branch of my practice that is growing, and it's the area of my practice that really excites me! I went to the UN climate negotiations in Bangkok last month, will be attending the negotiations in Germany in June, and have started putting together an advocacy training course that I'm taking (pro bono) across the globe later in the year to help train non-profit conservationists in the art of advocacy. This portion (the pro bono advocacy trainings) has generated a lot of interest because there are so many beautiful groups of committed and caring people in the world that feel underprepared to advocate for their causes. I am seeking financial contributions for the expenses (air travel, mostly) for these trainings, so if this is something you're interested in helping with, please let me know.

If there is ever something I can do to assist you in your work or interest, please let me know! It is so great to know that there are others out there who are fighting the good fight too!

If you want to do me a favor, tell your facebook friends about the blog- even if you're not an environmentalist or a "humanitarian", you probably have lots of friends who are and I'd love to connect with them. And please subscribe to the blog yourself - even if only to see my pictures from my travels!

Very sincerely,
Brook
www.drowningislands.com

jade teahouse

Just wanted to post about this adorable little restaurant - Jade Teahouse! My friend Andrea introduced me to it years ago, as a fabulous lunch spot. You will find it's often packed to the brim with people, but usually you can find a spot to eat by the time you order your food at the counter.

A little fact about the restaurant owner that makes this gem even more of a gem...at least I think so: She traveled the world for many years, and lived in all of the places where the food at Jade gets its influence from. On the menu you will find a combination of food from Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, and France. France...is that kinda random? you might say. Not when you see the delectable French pastries made in-house by the owner herself...including macaroons and cakes of all kinds. I went straight for the black rice pudding topped with coconut milk and green tea. DELISH.

Go for dinner, or for lunch. All of the food is made in-house. You will find noodle dishes, amazing and tender meats, seafoods, rices, pho, and lots more. Check out the website here.

FRONT: House tea (thanks, baby meakins for forcing me to try tea instead of my usual wine...it was delish), BACKGROUND: remainder of fresh wide noodles with shrimp

Grilled Sesame Beef

Fresh spring rolls!

san diego getaway

Last weekend we jetted off for a few days to a wonderful, warm, and sunny place....San Diego. Both of us love this city, and it seemed like an easy choice when we wanted (I NEEDED) a few things:

• a few days of quality time together before baby Meakins makes her appearance
• sunshine and warmth
• some delicious food
• relaxation!

Jeff couldn't say no to his baby's mama so off we went! :)

Here are some highlights from the trip...most of them include eating, so try not to get too hungry from these pictures. Huge thanks to M+P for the great suggestions all around!

• Daily visits (well, 3 out of 4) to Hector's to get the most delicious breakfast burrito on the planet. By end of trip, we awoke with a ravenous hunger as our stomachs became accustomed to this staple.
• Beach time!! La Jolla Shores, Mission Beach, Ocean Beach, Coronado. The sun was shining and it was pretty much a constant 70 degrees. Our poor Oregon sun-deprived bodies were somewhat sun-shocked and are still recovering....
• The most amazing Easter breakfast ever (our one morning not at Hector's) at the Mission restaurant. Order the french toast!!
• A sunny afternoon walk and people-watching session along Mission Beach and the boardwalk.
• Several romantic dinners with my hubby!
• Pool lounging time
• Padres vs. Phillies game
• Lots of laughs
• Exploring Coronado island and the cute little shops, beaches, and restaurants
• Four great nights' sleep in a very comfortable bed :)

Several of the above bulleted items are things we may be "missing" for a while once baby girl arrives, so Jeff and I will just be basking in these glorious memories for the next few months. :) But....I know with the institution of frequent babysitters they will soon make a return! Trips like this, even short weekend ones, can make you so thankful for such an amazing husband or wife. So start planning! :)

Sitting on our hotel balcony at sunset, overlooking the marina and the bay to the left

Walking on the pier at Ocean Beach

Mission Beach boardwalk

Coronado Beach

At the Padres game

Good times together :)

Baby bump shot: 27 weeks

Sitting by the pool at our hotel

Hector's breakfast burritos are not to be underestimated...

mississippi avenue food carts

Despite the rain, on Sunday morning we decided to take my parents to Mississippi Avenue to explore the eclectic shops a bit, drink some quality coffee, and eat lunch at the food carts. Portland is famous for its food carts - you can find clusters of them in many different areas around town, but Mississippi Ave. is home to some of the best ones. One of our favorite spots, Prost, is next door, and they happily allow customers to bring food from the carts into their adorable, light-strung patio area, as long as you are also drinking the delicious German beer from Prost.

What does a pregnant gal do when faced with multiple food carts that all look mind-blowingly amazing?! Stand there, eyes glazed, slowly shifting incoherently from cart to cart, and drool. I got several funny looks from the cart owners...like, "can I help you miss???" Everything looked so darn yummy, I just couldn't make up my mind!!

My mom and I finally settled on delicious savory waffles from Flavor Spot. I ordered a cornmeal savory waffle with a scramble on top, made with eggs, a tiny bit of bacon, green onions, a little cheese, and some spinach. My dad and Jeff visited another food cart for some chicken-fried-steak sandwiches topped with a fried egg and some cheese, all slammed between a brioche bun. Wowsers - gut bomb! But it was de-lish.

So next time you're looking for something to do...stroll down Mississippi Ave!! Visit Fresh Pot for some Stumptown coffee, browse the vast array of adorable shops, pop into the Rebuilding Center just to see what it's all about, and grab a snack at the food carts. Oh, and stop to pee three times along the way (that's what I did...thanks baby meakins :).

The eating area at the food carts - it's covered, but bring your jackets!

My savory cornmeal waffle with scramble on top

My cutie pie parents

blueberries and the start of a garden

I AM DYING WITH EXCITEMENT!!! For my birthday (next month), my parents' gift to me was to buy me some blueberry plants and help us get a garden started. I am super lucky in the fact that my mom is a landscape architect and knows all about these garden things, because I do not! I have never been one to enjoy getting my hands dirty :) ... but I think we may have entered a new chapter because I have a new motivation for getting dirty...the FOOD (that is growing in the garden)!!

First my mom told me that most blueberry plants do not produce any fruit for several years. Of course I did not like this answer. So I started looking on Craigslist, and found a guy out in Estacada who was selling some eight-year old plants that would "produce a ton of fruit this year" the ad said (time will tell...). My mom said this would be our only option for getting a lot of berries this year. So we made the trek out there, brought home three luscious blueberry plants, and started getting dirty! I could squeal with excitement over picking blueberries from my own backyard this summer!

Jeff and my dad whipped out a hefty garden box in just a few swift minutes, and now we even have room for me to plant some tomatoes, basil, chard, lettuce, or whatever else I choose! LOVE IT! Next year we will add another box next to the current one (maybe two :). Why not take advantage of this free land behind us?!

Jeff sprinkling grass seed to fill in the bare spots we turned over...Chloe inspecting the changes to her playground

Chloe: "Okay guys, I think all is looking good! Now if I could just find my frisbee..."

Dad taking a hard-earned break from the manual labor - Chloe is by his side, as usual

She was happy as a clam on this day - before planting we took a two-hour walk to Peet's coffee and back - bliss!

homemade coconut pancakes

Okay, well I haven't been successful at locating (besides online) the Stonewall Kitchen Toasted Pancake & Waffle Mix I posted about a couple weeks ago...so...I found this recipe and tried it out on my parents this weekend while they were visiting. I got thumbs up from the eating crew, so I would say it's a winner! We topped with warm maple syrup, but it would surely be amazing with any type of banana topping or tropical sauce. Serve with bacon and eggs for the perfect sweet-savory breakfast combo!!

TOASTED COCONUT PANCAKES

1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
4 eggs, separated
1 1/2 C coconut milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 C unsweetened coconut, toasted until light golden brown

Place all of the ingredients except the eggs whites into a bowl and mix to combine. Whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form and then fold into the batter. Lightly grease a frying pan with butter over medium low heat. Cook about 1/4 cup of batter at a time, about 3 minutes per side. You want to see air bubbles al over the top of the pancake before flipping it. Keep them warm in a 200 F oven while you finish making the rest.

the growing belly!

This is for those of you who have been pestering me to post belly shots!! I have always said I would not be one to post a bunch of preggo pics of myself, but here are a few to make everyone happy. :)

Jeff and I are off to San Diego in a couple weeks for a little getaway before the baby comes...more pics will be posted then I'm sure. Love to you all!

16 weeks along...

19 weeks

21 weeks

23 weeks