organic & guilt-free banana chocolate pancakes!

What the fudge, right? A second food post in a week! But I can assure you that I have a really good reason for this. I got hit with a really bad sinus infection this week and it got so bad I had to call in sick today. So I figured I needed to eat good and get me some proteine. And that's where these pancakes came in! And since they were majorly delicious as well, I wanted to share them in this quick update. You know, before crawling up the stairs again and collapsing on my bedroom floor.

These pancakes are really easy and quick to make and you only need a few simple ingredients. All you need are two organic eggs, an organic banana, a small table spoon of high quality organic cocao and a tiny drip of olive oil. 

You throw the banana, eggs and cocao in a bowl and mash the ingredients up to make a smooth batter. It helps if you mush up the banana first and than mix the other ingredients into it. You can use a kitchen aid for this, but a fork works just as well. 

Once you have a nice and smooth batter you throw it in the pan and prepare them just like a regular pancake. You use a tiny bit of olive oil for this. I use a ceramic pan, so I could probably pull off not using any oil at all. But I just like it better this way. This batch makes about 4 - 5 pancakes depending on the size. 

And there is the very yummy result! I used some powdered sugar to sweeten them up a little bit more. I thought they were really good, easy to make and hopefully they will help me get my strength back soon! I'm just not the sitting at home being sick type of gal. So, what is your go-to food when you're feeling a bit under the weather?

Delicious Apple Crumble Apples!

 We just had one of those days yesterday. It was rainy and cold outside and we just wanted to hide away in our pj's all day. Now this doesn't happen to me very often. But every once in a while you just need a day without any obligations outside the house. So we searches the house for food and an activity to do and I realized we always have the ingredients to make an apple pie lying around. I had seen these cute apple pies in an apple all over the internet, but I hadn't seen them in the apple crumble version yet. So we made, we ate and now we share! 

So this is all you need to get started! Just open your kitchen cabinets. There's a 99% chance these ingredients will all be in there. Try it, I dare you!

4 apples

2 oz raisins (let them sit in some water for a little bit)

2½ oz plain flour

2 oz margerine (or butter)

2 oz light demerara sugar 

1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

Start off by hollowing out the apples. I'm sure there are all kinds of tools available for this, but I just used a sharp teaspoon and it worked fine. Thow the pieces of apple in a bowl together with the drained raisins and a teaspoon of cinnamon. Mix them together and fill the apples with the mixture. 

Take another bowl and throw in the flower,the sugar and the butter and kneed them all together. Crumble the dough over the apples and slightly push it down. You don't want the crumbles to fall off in the oven. But the apples in an oventray and fill the tray with some water to make sure your apples don't wrinkle up like a couple of old grannies. Preheat the oven at 375 degrees and place the tray in the oven for about 20-25 minutes. 

And voila! Serve it with a some chai tea latte and some whipped cream and you got yourself a delicious little treat. It was hard to snap a picture of the end result without Charlotte's little greedy fingers in it though, but I guess that's a good sign! Haha! Bon appetit! Oh, and I gave the blog a new look today. What do you think of it?

It's a Wonderful Life...

I feel like I may be suffering from the fall blues a little. Life can get a bit overwhelming at times, especially if you're a full time working mom. Work has been crazy and it seems like no matter what I do, it's just nog good enough. And when I get home I feel so exhausted that I don't seem te have the energy to be the fun, energenic mom Charlotte needs me to be. And obviously the fact that the days are getting colder and darker doesn't do much for my energy level either. I guess you could say I'm in a bit of a funk at the moment and it's making me questions the decisions I have made for me and my family. But luckily I understand that eventhough I am going through a rough patch right now, that doesn't mean life isn't wonderful. It just means I have to put a little more effort into seeing it. So let me share five things that always seem to do the trick for me. 

Blowing bubbles at sunset

Because blowing bubbles is awsome in general, but doing it at sunset makes iy even more special. The setting sun will make your bubbles even prettier than they already are. The colors will really pop and it's like having a dozen little rainbows floating all around you. It's just one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. And it's so simple and easy that you can do it in your own backyard. All you need is a clear sky, a sunset and a little bit of bubble blow.  

Bake or cook something delicious (and eat it!)

Nothing says 'me time' like preparing something delicious and taking all the time in the world to enjoy it. Really create a special moment for yourself and treat yourself to one of your all time favorites. For me it's this delicious oatmeal crumble that always seems to do the trick. I indulge with a little bit of whipped cream on the side and a good cappuccino. 

Doing early morning yoga

When you're in a bit of a funk it is really tempting to stay in bed all morning. But that only make you feel worse. Physical exercise will make you feel good about yourself, it will energize you and it won't make you feel like you just wasted a perfectlty good morning. And when my daughter decides to join in I enjoy it even more! And all you need for this is a yoga mat. And preferly some loose fitting clothes, but that isn't a necessity. You can always do naked yoga! :)

Enjoying nature

Especially when life it getting a little bit too complicated, there is nothing better than going back to nature...literally! Even if it's just for a little while. Just breathe the fresh air, focus on the trail ahead of you and enjoy the beautiful surroundings. A great way to clear your head and let go of the stress you are carrying around with you. See live as it was intended to be. Simple, peaceful and beautiful. And who knows, you might walk into something cool and unexpted while exploring new places. Like this warning sign I bumped into a couple of weeks ago. Apparently the've had some issues with low flying witches in this forrest or something... I continued my way with caution! Haha!

Cuddling up!

It is a fact, cuddling will make you feel better. Cuddling releases oxytocin, which is known as the 'feel good bonding hormone'. So it will make you feel better and bring you closer to the ones that are special to you. So grab your spouse, kid, cat or ferret... It's cuddling time! :)

So there you have it! My personal five step program to get through any funkyness. And you know what the best part is? It won't cost you a penny. So what is your medicine? I'd love to hear it! 

Love,

Tessa

Mommy & Daughter OOTD - Burberry Check!

Well, turns out it isn't fall just yet. The sun came out and treated us to a couple of very nice summery days. So I figured it was now or never on slipping in a summery OOTD before pulling out the gloves and scarves again! I picked out two of our favorite outfits today and we both rocked some Burberry check to match! So this is what we're wearing!

My OOTD
I'm wearing a mouse grey pair of jeans by Esprit, A simple white cammy by H&M, a silky top by Broadway, flats by Marc O'Polo, my Burberry bag and rosé gold jewelry.

I'm keeping my jewelry nice and simple today. I'm wearing my new Guess mini phantom watch in silver and rosé gold. I also bought some matching babyproof ear studs to match. The studs are by Zinzi. I used to be all about the big stuff, but my little one loves to pull my earrings when she's tired. This already caused more than enough teared earlobes to last a lifetime, so I'm downsizing!

I'm carrying my good ol' Burberry Bromley bag. It's been with me for years but still looks like I bought it yesterday. I dont think I'll ever part with this bag to be honest. It will probably be hanging from my walking aid some day! Haha! The quality of this piece is just amazing!

I was going through my closetroom and I came across a little shoecabinet I hadn't opened in year.  I had no idea what was in it, but these little gems came out! Its always fun to shop in your own closet and find something cool and forgotten. These flats are by Marc O'Polo and I bought them ages ago.

Charlotte's OOTD

Charlotte is wearing a white longsleeve top with a giraffe on it, Burberry shorts (which I love on her since she got the cutest little legs ever!), shoes by Clarks, a ladybug bracelet and a white hairclip. 

Charlotte doesn't have her ears pierced yet, so there isn't much we can do jewelry wise. Charlotte will get her ears pierced when she's old enough to ask for it herself. So until that moment arrives it's just an occasional hairclip or bracelet. Which she'll most likely lose by the end of day anyway. 

The top was a gift from grandma and I think it's so adorable. It has a giraffe on it with glittery earrings and a  black bow on it's head. I love the colors of the print. I think they go really well with the colors in her Burberry shorts!

Charlotte's shoes are by Clarks and they are in a lovely champagne color. We got these on sale a couple of weeks ago and they were really cheap! I believe we ended up paying 15 bucks for these. Not too bad for good quality leather shoes!

So there you have it, our mommy & daughter OOTD! Do you still have some nice weather over where you live? Don't forget to take advantage of that and enjoy your favorite summer outfits for as long as you can! See you later! 

Kisses!

She lied to me...

I already touched on this subject in Charlotte's 18 month update, but I thought this moment was so significant that it deserved an entire blogpost on it's own. So here it goes! 

How different our parenting styles may be, we all have one thing in common; We all put our best efforts into raising nice, decent, honest children. We may even fantasize about possible academic achievements, or about the family life they will have on their own someday. But no matter where our wishes for their futures lie, we all want to guide them in becoming the best version of themself they could possibly be. Oh, and happy! Let's not forget that we want them to be happy.

It's probably the biggest and longest journey we'll ever set sail on. And that's okay. Anyone with adult children will tell you this journey went by way too fast anyway. And that reminds us to cherish those special moments that make it all worth while. This is actually the reason I started blogging in the first place. To document those moments and to have them preserved forever. So that I can look back at them and so that my daughter can as well. Maybe even long after I am gone. There are many moments during this parenting journey that make us feel as proud as we possibly can.Those first few words, their first steps or when other parents compliment us on how wellbehaved our children are. But there are also those other moments. For example when your child tells you it's first lie. 

Obviously I knew we were going to hit that milestone too someday. But it was something for the future. Maybe when she would start hitting puberty and when it was time for her to rebel  against the old folks a little. I never imagined it to be something big either. It would be just a silly little thing. Because eventhough we know our children arn't perfect, we don't believe they could actually do something bad either. But whatever my thoughts about this might have been,  I never could have imagined it to happen this soon. Because... well... my daughter is only 1 year old! Technically she shouldn't even have entered her terrible two's yet! What the duck?

It all happend on a sunny afternoon. We were on our way home from a lunch date at a friend's house. And eventhough it was a lot of fun, the food served wasn't as nutritive as I would have liked it to be. So I stopped over at a grocery store and picked up some raspberres on our way home. I figured we could share them when we got home. My daughter however didn't agree. Everytime I wanted to take a raspberry out of the bowl she got upset and gave me a firm "No mom!". She really loves her raspberries and sharing them with me was just a little too much to ask apparently. She stuffed her face like we hadn't fed her in a week and by the time there were about 5 raspberries left I politely asked her if mommy could have one. And that's when it happened. She looked down at her bowl of raspberries, she looked at me, she shrugged, she gave me the most innocent looking face I had ever seen and then answered me with a "No left mommy!" But there were raspberries left. I could see it, she could see it. And that resulted in a serious stare down between me and my innocent little angel . For a second I tried to come up with an explanation that would completely justify this whole situation. Maybe she didn't understand my question, maybe she was simply mistaken... But when she continued eating her raspberries while continuing the whole staring me down thing, I was forced to face the fact that she knew exactly what she was doing.  She knew she still had some raspberries left, but she simply didn't want to share them with me so she lied about it. Ouch! I probably should have been pretty heartbroken about this, but I couldn't help but laugh at this innocent little face that was now covered with raspberry stains...

So what do you think? Am I raising a pathological liar or is there still hope for us? And do you remember the first lie your child told you? Do you remember what it was about?

Kisses!

Mommy Weekend!

Well, that was it for our summer vacation. We're back to work and it's been so chilly and rainy here the last couple of days that it's starting to look a lot like fall already! But thanks to a friend of mine I had another fun weekend to look forward to. She booked a hotel for us as an early birthday present so we could go on a much deserved shopping trip! We had a blast! We went for coffee and wine, we went out to dinner and we set a pretty generous shopping budget for ourselfs. Just having fun without stressing over price tags so much. I could get used to that! Haha! But it was also my first weekend away from Charlotte. It was nice just focussing on myself for a change, but I did miss her like crazy. Everywhere I looked there seemed to be little curly blonde girls running around and it made me wish she was there with me. But that's beeing a mom I guess. Always wishing you had a little more time for yourself, but missing those little terrors when you actually do! Anyway, I thought I'd share some shots from my little shopping weekend and the cuteness I purchased. Now it's getting back to seriousness, hard work and saving money again. Wish me luck! :)

Drinking cappuccino's in the sun

Our hotelroom and some of the shopping bags on the bed

Delicious lunch!

Buys for me! A simple dusty pink top by Vila, a brown Ralph Lauren Ronnika cardigan and a Guess mini phantom watch with rose gold. 

Buys for baby! A pink coat for fall with cute little ears and a knitted scarf and gloves. All by baby Zara.

Well, that was it for today! Has your summer come to an end yet? Did you have a great time?

Kisses!

Vacation Part Deux!

Since we had to postpone our vacation due to Charlotte's health scare, we had to wait a little longer for our much needed second break. But vacation was finally here! We spend a sweet little holiday in France, a holidaypark in Aisne called le lac d'ailette to be exact. I had lots of activities planned, such as seeing the Eiffel Tower and visiting Disneyland Paris, but since Charlotte was still recovering and we were all pretty exhausted from the whole experience. we decided to just have a chilled and laidback vacation instead. We hung out at the lake, went swimming, went for walks and went out to dinner. We stayed at the park most of the time and just did some light local sightseeing. It was absolutely fine though. We had to cutest little cottage and the park was absolutely gorgeous! Here are some of our favorite holiday shots!

I actually liked it so much there, that I'm seriously considering going back there next year. And maybe then we can actually go see the Eiffel Tower and visit Disneyland Paris. Who knows! :) Did you have a fun vacation? 

Kisses!