This post is sponsored by Babyganics.

We are nearing two big milestones in our home–no more diapers, and no more crib…ever...and I have to admit, it hurts a little. Once we disassemble the crib, it will open up a whole new area for playtime and toys, but that crib? It’s been in our home for nine years, its wooden rails nicked with stories and its elaborate cherry trim scuffed with love from three babies and many nights. I’ve known our home more with the crib than without, and I can’t imagine not seeing it anymore. And the diapers? They keep me connected to the beloved baby aisles at our grocery store, although I visit them much less now that we’re in bigger sizes, out of bottles and beyond baby food. I love the baby aisles. I remember walking through them when I was barely pregnant with Lainey, the sight of pacifier packages and soft receiving blankets triggering the excitement to nurture. I was born a nurturer. I couldn’t wait to do it as my job, in my home, with my baby. And ever since then, I’ve always felt this sort of strange appreciation for baby aisles, for items in my cart that say “little ones at home.” And I know from holding friends’ hands who’ve waited too long for baby dreams that there’s some strange sort of magic there for them too–painful while waiting–but still, the simple act of buying diapers, tear-free shampoo, baby lotions, itty bitty nail clippers–it represents some deep desire to take care of someone. Those aisles whisper “swaddle and cradle, bathe and hug, sway and snuggle.”

And now? My littlest is my most independent. “Dash do it” and “no help,” he says…for everything.

(When I’m cleaning counters and bathrooms, he wants to clean too, so we set him up with toys to clean.)

Babies grow into toddlers, toddlers grow into kids, and kids…well that’s the beauty. They will always be my kids, they’ll always need my nurturing. They may not be swaddled anymore or need the safe confinement of a crib (still an arguable topic for Dash), and I may not hit the baby aisles for pacifiers and bottles, but I do still get to take care of them and, for as long as they’re in my home, choose many products for them–a process that calls for our best nurturing.

(“Dash do it.”)

And there are still many opportunities to nurture. He may not let me butter his toast without asking to help, but he still lets me rub lotion on him after his bath.

Oh, who am I kidding, he wants to do it himself then too.

Compromise. Because I know how to make the smiley faces.

While we’re nurturing the many phases of childhood–from buying diapers for the newborns to picking out laundry detergent for the third graders, Babyganics offers an entire ecosystem of cleaning and care products that create a baby/toddler/kid-safe world where babies can grow boldly and mothers can let go and let it happen. Babyganics, a company run by two dads and a team of hardworking parents, formulates all of their products starting with gentle, plant-based ingredients. All their skincare products are pediatrician and dermatologist tested and don’t use unsafe additives like cortisone, parabens, sulfates, phthalates, synthetic fragrances or dyes.

We love their Lavender Laundry Detergent, Toy & Highchair Cleaner and their Cold Relief Chest Rub stick (I use it too!).

And I especially love any opportunity to hit the baby aisles, long after the crib and diapers are gone.

Nurturer for life.

This post is a colorful explosion of happy artsy things, sponsored by Prismacolor Premier®

I grew up in a house of art. My art-turned-theology major dad hung on to his art books long after his classes, several of which were kept out in the open for us to look through. I remember flipping through the heavy art book that was displayed on our coffee table, enough times to recognize Monet and Rembrandt and find my favorite paintings in the book–Degas’ ballerinas. More important than recognizing art though was living it. My parents found ways to weave art-making into everything they did, and now that I’m a parent who loves art, I realize how important their art was during those days. It was Sanity! Peace! A moment to collect their thoughts, make something beautiful without kids coming behind them and messing it up! It was meditation in the form of paint and thread and piano keys.

At my dad’s retirement party last week, several of his co-workers talked about how he brought art to his job–painting posters for hospital events, drawing funny comics for patients and designing logos for awareness campaigns in between visiting families and saying prayers with hurting patients. And I think those two jobs fit perfectly together. Drawing and doodling and putting color to a page is like therapy, creating windows of effortless expression when we need them most.

In case you were curious, here some other “need them most” moments:

* When the house is a mess and you don’t know where to start.
* Anything that involves Witching Hour.
* When the kids are all crying to eat, and the only thing you can find in your pantry is flour, hot sauce and a bottle of something that looks like corn syrup.
* When school’s out and everyone’s complaining that they’re bored.
* When someone’s sock seam doesn’t line up correctly with their toes, hence: the end of the world.
* When you cut your bangs yourself, and you realize they’re way too short.
* When you get pulled over for speeding and the whole Look-there-are-kids-in-the-car-and-I’m-a-cute-little-mom-just-trying-to-make-it-through-the-day schtick doesn’t get you out of a ticket.

I could go on. Needless to say, there are many opportunities for drawing and doodling and putting color to pages, which is why whenever I color with my kids, they end up running off to find something else to do, and I’m left shading highlights into Barbie’s hair with four different shades of yellow like it’s my job.

Enter adult coloring books, a huge trend right now. Did you know 8 of the 20 top-selling books on Amazon are adult coloring books? A fact that makes me very happy.  I get this completely. Coloring’s my favorite.

I get excited talking about art supplies like I get excited talking about baby clothes and music and candles and Christmassy things.

This coloring book and Prismacolor Premier® colored pencils (deliciously vibrant, by the way–with soft, smooth leads) are sticking with me this holiday season. What’s that? Clean up the wrapping paper? Hang on, I’m coloring.

And if you’re hosting family or having a holiday party in the next few weeks and need a little extra entertainment, leave some of these coloring pages out and some blank paper, pile up some Prismacolor colored pencils and illustration markers, and spark some creativity.

Can we pause for a moment and talk about this 80’s page in the coloring book? IT HAS POPPLES! I repeat, POPPLES! Ten points to the 80’s kids who remember them.

Adult stocking stuffers can be hard. Just sayin’, I’d be thrilled if Santa filled mine with Prismacolor art supplies. You can also find Prismacolor on Amazon.

I used my illustration markers and colored pencils to make a holiday print for my office last night (quote from the book of “You’ve Got Mail” in the holiday bible–chapter 4, verse 1).

Thanks Prismacolor, for making our art a little more vibrant and for sponsoring this post.

This post is sponsored by Blue Apron.

We’re one full week into December, and every time the house is clean, dinner’s on the table and our holiday bucket list is getting somewhat checked off, I get all excited and want to proclaim to the world, “Look! I’m riding my bike and not falling off!” But everybody knows the second you think about how great you’re riding your bike is the second you crash. We make efforts to make sure December isn’t stressful, but as far as busy, full, crazy–I don’t mind it, especially because most of that fullness comes from special events and holiday rituals we love.

When it comes to meals in December, we do everything from take-out to big meals at the table while we entertain for the holidays. Last week, we had friends over and made an entire meal from hors d’oeuvres. The next night was macaroni and cheese for the kids, leftovers for us. In between all of this, it was really nice to have our Blue Apron meals land on our doorstep–farm-fresh ingredients and everything we needed for a chef-designed meal at home.

Our latest favorite was Seared Salmon & Sweet Potato Salad (full recipe here) which revolutionized the way I’ll use sweet potatoes in our home. Roasted! With rosemary! And tossed in a salad! I would have never thought of it, and it was delicious.

And I don’t why I continue to believe the lie that cooking fish is fancy and difficult and above my kitchen skills because I’m always proven wrong. This salmon took just minutes to make and with a simple blend of spices (fennel, coriander, cardamom and nutmeg), it was seasoned to perfection and so tasty.

If I had beautiful cheat sheets like this for every meal I attempted, I’d never leave my kitchen.

I’ve always just baked or mashed our sweet potatoes, but I loved them this way–sliced thin, strewn out on a pan, drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with salt, pepper and fresh rosemary and roasted for 14-16 minutes on 450.

I could have eaten them just like that, but we mixed them with baby kale, dried cranberries and onions soaked in lemon juice, and it made a delicious salad with interesting flavors.

Preparing the crème fraîche…

A little seasoning and searing…

And there you have it, a gourmet meal enjoyed at the table with our family in the middle of all this holiday fun.

Look at us riding this bike!  We’re pedaling, we’re doin’ it!

Blue Apron offers a large selection of recipes and is always adding new dishes to their menu every week. Now that I have the salmon thing down, I’d like to kick up the spice with their Spiced Salmon and Cranberry Chutney.

And as always, Blue Apron makes eating good meals at home with the family easy and convenient. While we don’t do Blue Apron every week, it’s a splurge we love. We always enjoy our meals, the time spent preparing them together and learning new ways to cook in our kitchen.

You can also return your Blue Apron packaging to them for free via USPS, and they’ll recycle it for you.

The first 50 readers will get two free meals on their first Blue Apron order! Just click here!