Green beans and new potatoes

I love summer and the summer vegetables. I bought in the market great new potatoes and green beans, and here is my suggestion about how to cook them in no time with very nice results.



How to cook the new potatoes?
- Clean the potatoes, but do not peel them
- Put them in an oven tray with olive oil and salt
- Leave them for 30 minutes at 180 degrees

While you wait for the potatoes to be done, you can start preparing a salad.

How to cook the green beans?
- Clean and boil the beans for about 10-15 minutes
- Clean and cut the tomatoes
- Mix the beans with the tomatoes and the corn
- Add a dressing, or just use olive oil and salt



You have here a super healthy summer dinner that people of all ages (including small children) will like!

Bye, bye, Pump in Style!

This is it. No more carrying my breastpump back and forth to work!

Anna is now almost 10 months and the moment has arrived to breastfeed her only in the mornings and evenings/nights.



I have used Medela Pump in Style breastpump for both Paul and Anna, and I am very happy about it. Honestly, I work four days a week, and a manual pump was not really an option. So I went for a double electric pump, and I am sure that I got back my investment. It takes me around 15 minutes in total to pump the milk and clean up the parts, since there are really few parts.

It took me a while to get used to pumping, and also to do it in a handy way. Eg.g If you hold one bottle in each hand, how do you press the "ON" button? Finding a suitbale place to pump, specially when travelling, has also proved a challenge. But I noticed that I just need to ask, and people are always helpful. Pumping the milk is really not my favourite activity, but ok, I totally see the benefits of doing it.

But the time has come to say: bye, bye, my dear Medela Pump in Style is going back to the closet!

Sewing dungarees

I started to sew few months ago, and this is one of my first creations: blue dungarees for Paul!



I took the pattern from Ottobre magazine, a Finish magazine specialing in children's and youth fashion very popular in the Netherlands. The fabric is in fact batik from Indonesia. I bought it in a small shop in Leiden, Oooom Piet, which is unfortunately closed now.

Dungarees made from cotton (or another light fabric) are great to play outside in the garden. Paul was very enthosiatic to wear what he called his "pirate" outfit!

Playing with a kitchen cloth

Eating times can get hectic, specially with one toddler and one baby.
Easy games that can be played at the table come handy to entertain them while eating!

Here comes a very easy one: use the kitchen cloth to disguise the child. You can fold it in different ways so that the child gets a different hat each time. Thanks to my aunt for this great idea!


Anna as a pirate


Anna as a pirate (second version)


Anna as a Spanish old lady

Paul found it hilarious!

How to carry a baby on the back

I had for long a wrap to carry Paul on the belly. I bought it with the idea that I could walk hands-free, and that for sure he should be comfortable and happy in it.

Well, it worked well the first months (I could even breastfeed him while he was on the wrap). But the truth is that I found two issues:
- The wrap makes you really warm
- My shoulders were suffering from it (although less than with other systems, since the wrap also goes around the hips)

I looked into internet, and I found a good solution: a back-wrap designed by Madame Zsazsa!

How does it work?
You make an order to Mde Zsazsa, and get the patterns, very clear instructions on how to sew it, and also the clips. I could sew the wrap without help and I only started learning how to use a sewing machine six months ago.

How does it compare to other methods of carrying a child?
- The weight of the child is distributed around your hips, so your shoulders do not suffer
- You can use it with hot weather, since your shoulders are free from any cloth
- When you get a bit of practice, you can put the child on your back by yourself without the help of a third person
- Anna was also sleeping there!

And here is the result!