four simple goals before 2014

one of my favorite blog A beautiful mess posted about this challenge: 4 simple goals for these last two months. as they said these goals has to create healthy, life-enriching habits during the busiest time of the year.
I’m the laziest person in the world in many ways so i want to take the challenge with my four goals:

1. did i mention that I’m lazy?! walking with the girls and my husband give us the chance to talk, have fun, do something together… and exercise! only pros, no cons!
2. I’m one of those person that throw herself headlong in a new project, but loses interest after a while. i have at least three unfinished project and i have to complete them. it’s a weight that i don’t want with me in 2014!
3. it’s easy to find some time to spend alone with alma; i sing to her while i’m changing her diaper or we play while zoeti  is at the kindergarten. but finding some time to spend alone with zoeti seems impossible. she’s a daddy-girl but sometimes she needs her mom too and i really want to create a relatioship between us (before adolescence!). daddy is the one that plays with her and i’m the one that says “one minute please” or “i have to change/breastfeed alma”. it’s not easy for me and definitely not easy for her. So at least once per week i want to spend a couple of hours with her alone… just the two of us!
4. i want to read this book and i already know that meat is something we should try to avoid. but make tasty vegetable for a two years old is not easy! i want to learn more about vegetarian cooking and use more legumes instead of meat.

a car-bag for kids

 credits

Since when I've been to Genova I've looked for tips to keep zoeti busy while I'm driving. Lately I've created our car-bag, a tote bag full of books and simple toys for zoeti, that helps me a lot when she doesn't want to sing or there are no trucks on our way (she loves trucks!)
You know... When you're stuck in traffic with a couple of screaming kids and you just want to die... Sounds familiar?!
Recently I added a items  in my emergency kit: food! Some crackers, a bottle of water, a juice... Believe me: organization is the key with one kid and survival with two!
What do you do to keep your kids entertained while driving?

43/52

 

  "a portrait of my daughters, once a week, every week, in 2013"

Zoe Tiare: first time with a knife! you’re growing so fast…

Alma Aiko: co-sleeping is definitely our thing! sleeping with you and wake up with you is the best way to begin the day!

Taking part in Jodi's weekly portrait series

small tart with ricotta cheese and fig

that’s a super easy recipe!

you need:

figs (depends on how many tart you want to cook)

300 gr of ricotta cheese

1 egg

75gr of powdered sugar

a roll of puff pastry 

mix sugar, egg and ricotta until you have a cream.

using something circular cut the puff pastry to wad some small cake pans. fill with the cream and half fig each.

put in the oven at 180° for 20 min

you can try them with nuts instead of figs!

enjoy!

b-hobo bag review

It took me seven months to chose a camera bag!in Italy you can't find cute, girly camera bag so I took advantage of a recent trip of Giulio's parents to USA to buy one. I was undecided between Kelly Moore, Epiphanie and Jo Totes.
I watched every review I found on YouTube and read every blog post talking about it and then I chose: B-hobo in walnut.

I love the material, the color, the inside and most of all the fact that it looks like a normal bag! I was tired of all that camera bags clearly thought for men, always black or grey, and in Italy you can find only that type.
That's where Internet comes!
What about the inside color? I love it!,
The two straps are very useful: when I'm alone with the girls I use the cross-body one while normally I use the one for the shoulder.
I hold my camera with the 85/1.8 always attached (since it's the lens I usually use) but I keep also the 18-80 (maybe it's time for a wide angle!), some personal items (iphone, wallet…) and there’s still room for some baby clothes and a couple of diapers.
and looks great even on a child!!  zoeti loves mommy’s bag!

42/52

  "a portrait of my daughters, once a week, every week, in 2013"

Zoe Tiare: my little beautiful flying bird! (iphone picture!)

Alma Aiko: your first time in the swimming pool and now i can say that you are my little beautiful swimming fish!

 

Taking part in Jodi's weekly portrait series

dear juliet… one day in verona

dear juliet,
my name is barbara. don’t worry… i’m not writing because i have love troubles: my sentimental situation is a bed of roses! i’m so lucky!
i’m writing to you because i just spent a beautiful day in your city, verona, with my kids, a day dedicated to you. we visited your house (and… sorry… touched your breast as tradition wants!)

we ate delicious italian specialities (bruschette), have espressos, took pictures.

we visited also your grave, in a spectacular cloister.
 

>> the first time we saw restorers at work! <<   

we had fun in your city, juliet… and i just wanted to let you know that!
 

>> in the municipal library, trying to find a book about romeo & juliet (but zoeti preferred this one!) <<

love,

barbara

41/52

  "a portrait of my daughters, once a week, every week, in 2013"

Zoe Tiare: enjoys the garden in a sunny but chilly autumn afternoon.

Alma Aiko: those. curious. eyes.

Taking part in Jodi's weekly portrait series.

let’s talk about it!

After a couple of months as mother of two, it's time to sum....
Being a mom is my dream since when I was young. I know I'd never become a painter or a scientist, but I so wanted to have a family, and kids... At least three! My dream included always happy faces, clean hands, delicious dinner and tons of kisses. Now the reality is different!
This week zoeti was sick so she stayed at home (normally she goes to the kindergarten three days per week) and I have had a taste of a full time mom life!
And it's hard! God it's so hard!
If you can survive the mornings routine (i'll share mine in another post soon!) you are safe! But breastfeeding while taking care of a sick toddler can be scary, and overwhelming, and stressful. Afternoons are quite easy: zoeti sleeps from 1 to 4pm so I have plenty of time for taking care of alma. Almost all the blogs I follow are written by moms and looking that pictures with clean, well dressed kids, playing and having fun, can be frustrating. Then I realized that my family is maybe not always so cool or fancy, that sometimes I have to dress zoeti with pink & red because I forgot to do the laundry ( or I didn't have time!) and I have no clean dresses, and peppa pig is my best friend. But then something happen... zoeti plays quietly alone in her room, alma sleeps for more than ten minutes, i can actually cook a real dinner, and everything become so easy!

I took this picture last Wednesday: I was reading a book to zoeti while alma was playing and looking at us. There were laughs and love… That day has been soooo perfect! But I have also understood one thing: being a mom is all about imperfection, lessons to learn and teach, unexpected moments. I love to see those beautiful pictures of dreamy families but I love more the way mine is!

ricotta & choco cake

 

i made this cake a couple of weeks ago and it was love at first sight! it’s very easy to do ( i made it while being with both my two daughters so…) and super delicious!

and half a glass of milk,

a packet of baking powder

choco drops.

 

whip the egg whites in a bowl. get another one and mix yolks, sugar and butter. add the ricotta cheese and mix gently. then add the flour, baking powder, milk and choco drops. in the end incorporate the egg whites.

bake at 180° C for 40 mins.

 

in order to lose weight i’m trying to bake my own sweets (i can’t quit them!) and i’m trying to choose cakes and biscuits with less butter or fats in them.

Enjoy!

40/52

  "a portrait of my daughters, once a week, every week, in 2013"

Zoe Tiare: testing your sister’s games. i can see some kind of jealousy lately… which  is normal. every toy alma receives is yours and you want to do everything she does. but so far you are still the most kind and loving big sister i have ever seen!

Alma Aiko: your rebel hair and those ears make me always smile!

my favorite last week are: Zaden portrait by dearest lou and the light and the beautiful face in kate’s photo.

Taking part in Jodi's weekly portrait series

stills: a weekly collection

1. watching tv with a doll

2. flowers gift

3. learning how to make bubbles

4. thinking and creating

5. those feet

6. sunday breakfast

7. autumn is here / last picture to Alma’s pink ribbon

linking up with emily’s weekly collection

the “weight” of being mom!

 
Two months after Alma's birth I still have 9 kg to lose... It's time to do something. I've downloaded the app My Fitness Pal to help counting the calories and I'm creating a program of exercise to do in order to be back in shape the soon as possible. I've been indulgent right after delivery: chocolate was (and still is…) my best friend and I ate way too much. Winter is not the right time of the year to quit chocolate so it’s better if i make my own sweets: i will eat them anyway but they are homemade i know what i’m eating!
I'm breastfeeding so it's not the right time for a strong diet and the time I can spend in a gym is definitely less than the necessary, but I've started (or better came back) to my original 5 portions of fruit and vegetable and I try to go out for an hour walk 4 times per week. During the evening, if the girls are quiet and my husband is not that tired, I add thirty minutes of cycling and some other exercises.
I'm a lazy person that's why I need to write it down and write it here... My friends and family read the blog and can help me to stay focused on the goal. Winter is not the right time of the year to quit chocolate so it’s better if i make my own sweets: i will eat them anyway but they are homemade i know what i’m eating!
So if you have any tips or light recipe to share let me know!