This girl!

Gloria Katherine (after her grandma) came on the scene at 1:37PM on May 30. Easiest labor yet for me- after a morning chiropractor visit and a quick stop for a cheeseburger, we got to the birth center and she was born within the hour. We have been soaking up all the baby sweetness ever since! She has been pretty easy so far- milk/sleep/repeat, please.

Our friend Meredith of Meredith Eileen Photography came to take a few lifestyle shots of us at home when Gloria was just about two weeks old. I love all of her captures! There are tons of great ones, but these are some of my favorites.

I would like to say “I’m back, new post coming any day now!” but you guys know me better than that. I’m not sure when I’ll get back in my groove. Maybe soon, maybe never.. I’m still trying to figure out where the blog falls on my list of priorities now that we’re a family of five.

If you made it to the end of this post, thanks for reading and keeping up during this unpredictable season of life. We are in a constant state of flux with three small ones. Rest assured, I am spending plenty of time in the kitchen and daydreaming about blog-posting (among other things) while nursing the baby. I have so many grand ideas for Oven Love- they may never see the light of day, but know that I still cherish this space and everyone who finds their way here.

Things I’ve been up to:

• Growing a tiny human person
• Keeping 2 additional small human people alive
• Going to a bazillion doctor/chiropractor appointments
• Wrapping everything in tortillas
• Occasional blogging at MPMK
• Not blogging here, ha!
• Doing weird nesting stuff like sewing crib sheets late into the night
• Eating all the bacon, avocado or chocolate-related things

So, yes! Busy living life. I have thought about posting so many times, but I just couldn’t get the gumption. I wonder if someday this blog will be like an old MySpace page (or dare I say Xanga?!?) that I can remember writing on, but can’t seem to track down on the web. Just an old part of life that I remember. Hopefully it will live on these great wide internets and be helpful to people even when I’m not actively writing here. Life! Blogs! So strange.

Anyways, that tiny human person I’m growing will surely be here soon, meaning more of the same on this blog. For today, though, I can at least share a few snippets of the work done elsewhere, since there’s no new content here. Click through, if you like!

quick and healthy dinners

simple chickpea lunches

colorful juices and smoothies

fruit and veggie gummies

seed crackers from I Quit Sugar

30 minute weekly meal plans

Happy Friday, darlings!

The ol’ Oven Love family is embarking on another nutritional adventure. On Sunday, we’ll be starting the 21 Day Sugar Detox, created by Balanced Bites author and nutritionist, Diane Sanfilippo. For all the details on the 21DSD, check out Diane’s website and her two books, The 21 Day Sugar Detox and The 21 Day Sugar Detox Cookbook (I checked mine out at my local library, notice the pen marks in the photos?). This is not a detox in the traditional sense, so it’s completely safe for pregnancy.

Why? Why subject my poor family to another experiment? Ha!

Well, since we moved across the country a few months back, things have slowly fallen apart in the nutrition department. GAPS fell to the wayside when we arrived in our new house- I just couldn’t keep up with the preparation, I was newly pregnant with baby #3 (aka TIRED) and I didn’t know where to source our food. I tried to keep things paleo-style, but that started to fall apart, too. We started eating more grains, which was fine in moderation.. and then we spiraled down into treats and eating out and all kinds of nonsense. You know how these things go.

Now, here I am, just a few months from having a new baby, and I’m feeling the push to get back on track. My carb and sugar cravings have been driving my food choices and I am not comfortable with that! I do not want to be controlled by food or give food more power than it deserves to have in my life. Christ is the one that should drive my thoughts, actions, and choices- not the treats calling from the pantry.

Sugar cravings were no problem for me after a week or two on GAPS, so I know I can benefit from the 21DSD. We are following Level 2 with Energy modifications for my pregnancy. Level 2 includes full-fat dairy, which I think will help the kids to cope better with the short term change.. they love their fruit, so I’ll be glad to have milk and yogurt as options for them. I’m looking forward to kicking these cravings and getting my gut balanced before baby comes (babies get their first beneficial bacteria from mom in the birth canal, it’s very important for me to be balanced!).

I’ll be sharing our experience here for each of the three weeks on the 21DSD. That means you’ll see all of our meals and hear about our experiences- that includes my husband and kids, too! I promise to share the good, bad and ugly. So look forward to at least some description of us completely melting down.

Happy weekend- I’ll be back soon with an update!

Just wanted to pop in and share our Christmas card with all of you. We had this sweet portrait done by Etsy artist jordyluxe. I love how it came out!

We are making the final preparations today for our holiday fun and looking forward to spending time with our loved ones. Hope you are enjoying the season, too.

We have so many blessings to reflect on and much to be thankful for. We are most thankful for the sacrific of our great King Jesus to humble himself, come to eart and become a man to save us from our sin. What a gift, that we can be in relationship with our perfect Creator and counted as precious children in the great family of God. The only gift that really matters, and it’s free for us all. It’s too wonderful to understand. What great love!

Now I need to wrap up before I turn into a weepy puddle. Merry Christmas, my darlings!

PS. I made you some sparkling jello push-up pops for New Year’s Eve.

Just thought I might pop in to fill you in on what nonsense we’ve been up to. I know it’s been awhile. But, I still love you guys and I am 30-40% sure you love me/care about my whereabouts. So, let the over-sharing begin!

Fun Fact: As I so casually alluded to in my title, I am pregnant with baby #3! Surprise, world! (Surprise also, self and husband!) We have known for a while, but as these pregnancies keep coming, I am getting lazier and lazier with announcing them. Not that we’re not excited, just lazy. I am 14-15ish weeks right now, due at the end of May.. so probably June if my other well-baked babies are any indication. Here’s a crazy/awkward/very flattering photo I sent to a friend after I found out (no bump yet to show you) and the 10 week ultrasound photo:

Enough of that? Yes. In other news,

Though I have all but quit writing here, I have still be writing at Modern Parents Messy Kids. I just posted up a fun ice cream sandwich bar for the holidays (shown above). I love the idea- totally switches things up from your typical holiday cookie spread. Check out the post at MPMK for more details and recipes. I also shared my list of holiday baking essentials that I keep on hand this time of year.

My evening sickness (I typically do better in the mornings, I am a weirdo) has been crippling at times (over-dramatic much?), I am still managing to turn meals out of the kitchen. Dishes are going days without being washed… but everyone is still well fed. Can’t say the meals have all been paleo or GAPS or even gluten-free, but they’ve been meals and I’m thankful they made it to the table. Some phone pictures of our escapades:

top: my grandma’s recipe mac & cheese, a sweet potato with BBQ chicken and avocado, my kid carbing up. middle: swedish meatball recipe i wish i would have written down, sweet potato totchos for Halloween, cranberry sauce explosion. bottom: kids downing some green juice, Thanksgiving-ish salad, early Thanksgiving spread from last week.

I feel like I have lots more to say, but this is all I can handle right now, you guys. Baby steps! Maybe I will share some foodie gift ideas with you soon? My head is swimming with holiday ideas but I can’t seem to get it all on paper yet. I’ve been keeping up with Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to follow me there if you want to keep up with me while I am an otherwise delinquent blogger. Slow blogging for the win!

And of course, enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday! We all have so much to be thankful for.

We are now settled into our new house in Dayton, OH. I use the word “settled” lightly, because a) I still feel like I’m on a strange vacation, b) boxes everywhere, ugh, c) we started painting and won’t be done anytime soon, and d) I just don’t really feel settled yet.

What’s been happening the past few weeks while I’ve been farming out my posts to other bloggers? Quick recap.

I was/am super sad about leaving Georgia. You guys, I did not know I was going to like Georgia. Really didn’t. I waltzed down there in 2010 with my new baby and I was all, “Eh, it’s too hot down here, three years better pass fast cuz I’m out.” And then I practically held on for dear life and had to be pulled out of GA crying like a baby. Those charming Southerners will do it to you every time. I am still missing my people something fierce, but my random crying outbursts have reduced by about half, so that’s progress.

Also, I have to stop myself from saying Ya’ll. It’s etched into my brain forever.

I sort of totally jumped off the GAPS bandwagon. It was unintentional and I really tried to plan for the move, but I broke down on hour 9 of a 12-hour drive alone with the kids. I had no food left, and I ate some (ughh I hate to even type this) Burger King at a rest stop with the kids. Ughh. Then I thought I would get back on the bandwagon the next day, but we didn’t make it out for groceries because my car was stuck behind the moving truck. I will save you all the details, but I will say that my stint back on the Standard American Diet included Dominos Pizza, Mini Oreos, Sesame Honey Cashews from TJ’s (these are a serious weakness, try them and you’ll see), a UDF brownie sundae and some other total junk. Needless to say, I have seen the light and I am moving back toward it (aka all that junk made me feel terrible). I’m trying to find a happy medium.. trying to figure out what my body can truly tolerate.. I’m such a mess, you guys- the will-Natalie-ever-figure-out-how-to-eat saga continues!

I guess that’s the major news. Enough of that. Here’s some fun stuff I found while I was cleaning out my reader last night:

I really want to go to Ojai, like anytime would be great. And I want to stay here.

I’m into chilly treats- pink grapefruit sorbet in grapefruit cups, blueberry frozen yogurt, green smoothie detox pops, chocolate-dipped coconut pops, raspberry chiffon pie. I wants it!

And I’m into kale salads.

I want to do something with all those Instas- anyone used Printic or Stickygram? Or any other recommendations?

Two recipes that are baffling/intriguing- orange coconut omelettes and kale granola (wha?? but also, get in my belly)

salty nuts ice cream. because, yeah.

awesome paleo lunches this year, Michelle!

a vest for Lucy, and one for Elliott, too.

I’m pumped to have a great library again, and Janssen has got my thinking twice about audiobooks. I think I’ll be requesting a lot of these!

Aaaand, thumbprint cookies are killin’ it. These and definitely these.

You guys. That bowl of yogurt is my new obsesh. Yogurt, peaches, honey, toasted pine nuts. So glad I found that random half bag of pine nuts when I was cleaning out the pantry. Gold, I tell ya.

As you know, we’re in the thick of the moving process. While I’m eating random bowls of delicious yogurt and taping boxes shut/ripping them open again, you’ll get to enjoy more guest posts by my food blogging pals. I’m looking forward to getting settled and working on new content.

Until then, some Thursday things.

Corn and Cotija Guacamole. Already amazing, and then he went ahead and added bacon.

Jenni went ahead and did it again with Lemony Carrot Apple Bombs.

Beet lemonade sounds crazy and awful and awesome all the same time.

I have seriously got my eye on Tina’s crispy shallot, bacon and brie burger. Yes and yes.

This ice cream kombucha float seems like the most logical way to drink our booch.

I’ll have a melon gin and tonic in each hand, please.

This is how I hard-boil my eggs, too. Works every time!

Oh, yeah- I’m at MPMK today sharing 16 drool-worthy stone fruit recipes. Go get you some.

Also, I’m a little teeny bit obsessed with Twitter again, so come find me @natalieherr and say hello!

I wish I was eating some fat almond pancake right about now.. so good.

We have got a bang up weekend planned around here- we’re hitting the water park today as a family, then spending Saturday in Savannah/Tybee Island (if it’s good beach weather) and then Sunday. Oh, Sunday. Sunday is my last week leading worship at New City Church, followed by a going-away picnic hosted by our church family. I’m a guaranteed basket case.

And of course we’ll throw in some packing here and there. Maybe.

Friday Things.

Coconut Stuffed Ice Cream. This looks like a dream.

Love this little shop- Candy Kirby Designs

Walnut pork butter? Yeah, it’s a real thing.

What new moms really want. This is spot on.

Cobb Salad in Bacon Bowls. What else can we put in bacon bowls?? (anything/everything)

I’ve been building my playlist for our drive from GA to OH and it’s equal parts awesome and sad. Tell me your favorite songs for going away/driving/leaving your BFFs so I can get those jams ASAP.

Grain-Free Oatmeal Cookies with Marshmallow Filling. Um, what? Amazing. People are so creative.

I don’t even really play ping pong, but I want this shirt.

Have you guys watched that show Camp? I am kind of loving it, and also loving Camp Brand Goods. Take me back to summer camp, I needs it!

Also, Paleo Chicken Pot Pie. Bam.
Enjoy the weekend, dolls!

The countdown is on, people!

We move out of this house in four weeks. Unbelievable.

I’m at the point where I start thinking sappy thoughts about my friends and my town, and then I have to snap myself out of it and try to remember my best sappy stuff for future moments when I’m writing thank-you notes or trying to say goodbye/sobbing at our going-away party. Get it together, sister!

Aside from cleaning things up to show our house, we haven’t done much packing or anything yet. My main focus has been eating all the food in the chest freezer because I can’t bear to think about all the other stuff I should actually be doing. I made a list of all the stuff that needs to be eaten, posted it on the fridge and we are working our way through it. Bring on the awkward (I mean, creative?) meals made of random freezer and pantry ingredients, hooray!

Since the whole thing was consuming my thoughts, I wrote more about it over at MPMK. The focus of the post is how to eat healthily while you’re moving or traveling. I am a little scared that I won’t be able to stay on the GAPS wagon during this transition, but I am darn well going to try! The snacks pictured above are some of my favorite on-the-go foods that hold up well during travel (love me some pistachios on a road trip!)

Tell me how you stay healthy when things get stressful or you’re on the go. I want to know your secrets!

(photo from yesterday’s post, Grain-Free Peach Cobbler)

Hi, dolls!

It’s Friday, thanks Heavs. My hubby is on his way home and I couldn’t be happier! Only one more week of training and he’s ours for good again. Yes. Just in time to help us pack up and get our rear ends up to Ohio..

Anyways, amidst all the moving business (aka house showings and paperwork and avoiding actually packing anything), I just thought I’d chat it up with you a little bit and share some links that have been on my radar this week. Enjoy!

Cold Avocado Soup. Let’s discuss. Looks good, sounds good.. can’t imagine actually preparing it or putting it in my mouth. I have never been on board with cold soups.. it just seems weird to me. Like eating a smoothie out of a bowl? But again, I really think it sounds good, so maybe I’ll grow up a little and try it.

I definitely need this ghee tutorial. If you follow me on Twitter, maybe you remember when I totally burned a batch a few months back? #gheefail

Have you ever heard of Jaggery? This post was my introduction and now I really want to try it. I love products with traditional preparations.

This super cute shop called Camp Brand Goods is calling my name. I want all the things.

The move is in about a month, and I’m planning on picking up one of these books about moving for the kids. Anyone else have any book recommendations or tips on how to prepare the little ones for moving day?

Wondering if I can pull off one of these turbands. I love the look, but I’m 98% positive that I am not cool enough to wear it.

I loved this post with Pandora workout station recommendations. I would like to officially add “Eye of the Tiger” radio to the list ‘cuz it’s my jam.

And lastly, The Surest Way to Promote God’s Good Plan for Marriage and some sweet words on Teaching Children the Bible (which features my very favorite kid’s bible.)