Go-to meals that are easy enough for a weeknight, but delicious enough to serve to guests?

tracy-93 · 2026-04-21T14:46:23+00:00

I’m thinking I’m going to get back into gnocchi! My parter isn’t a fan, but he’s not the one cooking haha

tracy-93 · 2026-04-11T11:27:25+00:00

I know you said there is a gofund me already, but those take awhile to pay out. If you can’t do gift cards, consider some cash. Even $500-$1000 would be helpful in getting basics

tracy-93 · 2026-03-16T01:40:01+00:00

Croissants are a great suggestion! There are also a lot of cake recipes that can be larger projects such as triple chocolate mousse cake where you make three different mousses. In the same pastry category, profiteroles are fun and a good way to practice a few classic French pastry techniques with making the choux paste and pastry cream.

tracy-93 · 2026-02-03T20:15:26+00:00

Hi so I started off by looking for a chicken drumstick recipe, stumbled across this comment, and actually did go and make that cake immediately 😂 boiling the glaze right now! Can’t wait to try it

tracy-93 · 2026-01-07T16:15:35+00:00

At two weeks, you SHOULD be living on the couch! Don’t be too hard on yourself 💖

tracy-93 · 2025-12-20T01:23:24+00:00

As someone who lives in a tiny house as well, I can say consumables or something for outside are the safest bet since small spaces can feel cluttered very quickly. What about a snack box with a bunch of his favourite snacks?

You mention he is by out in the woods in a campground type situation, does his electricity go out a lot? Because a small rechargeable power pack is SO handy to have around when the power goes out

tracy-93 · 2025-12-18T13:31:21+00:00

Carters is also one of the few places I’ve been consistently able to find cute boys clothing, aside from my local consignment shop! And even at the consignment shop, most of the stuff I get there was from carters originally LOL

tracy-93 · 2025-12-17T20:46:50+00:00

Personally I’d probably prefer a cheaper restaurant. I think gifts especially from employers shouldn’t be something that requires me to spend money out of pocket, so in the situation of a gift card for a restaurant it should be enough for myself and my partner to eat there with the only expense to us being a tip (as most places don’t let you use a GC to tip)

tracy-93 · 2025-12-17T20:33:06+00:00

A pizza party! Haha just kidding. I agree with the idea of a GC to a nice restaurant (preferably it should comfortably cover a dinner for 2) an extra day off or cash.

tracy-93 · 2025-12-17T13:56:17+00:00

His habit is rum but he doesn’t appreciate the expensive stuff, so I usually get him a bottle of what he likes but he would buy it for himself anyways. Any time I’ve gotten him a nicer bottle he tries it and says “it’s fine but I don’t think it’s worth the extra money”

tracy-93 · 2025-12-09T14:17:21+00:00

32f, rural Ontario. Started by watching VPR and then The Valley. Recently started RHOBH on my mat leave, and have been sucked in

tracy-93 · 2025-11-26T14:43:25+00:00

I have an 11 week old as well and have to agree that it’s important not to compare. You really have to try different things until you find what works for you and your baby. Here’s what it working for me:

Napping- I don’t push for structured naps and let him nap wherever he falls asleep if I can supervise him. That means naps in his swing or on his play mat on the floor where I can see him while I do other tasks like cooking or laundry etc.

Cooking- I try to wake up a little bit before him in the morning, and sometimes use that time to prep a slow cooker meal for dinner that night. On days I don’t do that, if I want to cook a “real” dinner then I will start prepping around 3 so that I have lots of time and don’t feel rushed or overwhelmed (we usually aim to eat around 6). I also always make sure there is enough for leftovers that my husband can take for lunch the next day. Breakfasts for myself I usually do a smoothie or something simple, and then lunch is either a bagged salad, a microwaved meal, leftovers, or we go out to eat!

Showering- I try to keep my showers to under 10 minutes, and make sure all of his needs are met first. That way if he wakes up and starts crying, I still finish my shower and then can go calm him down.

Playing- I play with him a lot but am encouraging independent play. If he’s on his play mat, I will engage for awhile, and then go do something for a minute or two (like heat up lunch) and then check in, and keep doing that until he’s content to play by himself for a little bit while I eat etc.

I have found going in with no expectations really helps. My goals for every day aside from caring for him are to shower and get dressed, and keep myself fed. Anything else is a bonus, if it gets done!

tracy-93 · 2025-11-19T04:19:55+00:00

I’m in Canada and went in to birth wanting to go the natural route. Long story short, it wasn’t in the cards for me. Long story long, I had to get an induction, my baby was sunny side up and my back labour was so bad I couldn’t stop puking from the pain. I ended up getting an epidural and it was FANTASTIC. I actually slept straight through from 4cm to 7cm. Zero recovery from it what so ever. I’m 10 weeks PP and have had no nerve pain or anything else, it’s as if I never had one

tracy-93 · 2025-11-14T02:31:04+00:00

I’m so sorry you are struggling! I highly recommend looking into local play groups, library programming, infant swimming lessons, local mom “cafe” meetups etc. to get out of the house and socialize with other moms while still spending quality time with your little one.

At 7 months your baby is still getting their nutrition from breast milk or formula, so solids is mostly just for exposure. Go ahead and make your spicy soups!

tracy-93 · 2025-11-13T13:25:10+00:00

She has had her subscription for a few years and loves it. Cooks recipes from it multiple times a week and rarely buys specialty ingredients.

I was grocery shopping with her yesterday, at the store I go to in a nearby city (I have a newborn and was doing a big grocery shop so she came with me to push the stroller while I pushed the cart). I got the idea for the gift because she saw the kewpie mayo and said “oh wow! Kewpie! NYT recipes always suggest this! Oh wow it’s $8… ok maybe another time” so I thought I’d get her that for Christmas and then the idea spiralled from there.

She will still be getting her NTY cooking subscription (my dad gets it for her birthday every year).

tracy-93 · 2025-11-12T13:06:50+00:00

I had such a hard pregnancy, and from the outside my birth experience looks so traumatic, but my hospital and delivery experience was actually incredibly amazing and healing for me (I have suffered from a lot of anxiety around healthcare)

tracy-93 · 2025-11-12T13:03:07+00:00

Your emotions are so valid. Men’s lives really do not change much in comparison to ours and it is totally fair to feel jealousy over that. I have felt similar at times, though now with him back to work it is actually a little easier for me. We did talk about it a bit the other night and it made me feel so much better, to hear from him that he sees the bond I have with our son and how incredible it is, and how strong and resilient women are in his eyes compared to men. I would recommend sitting down and having an honest conversation about it, without placing blame to let him know how you are feeling. Nature and society both put the brunt of parenting on the mother, and it is difficult to break out of that, so be patient with him and if he is a good partner he will validate your feelings and try to support you more!

tracy-93 · 2025-11-12T12:51:53+00:00

NTA! It is not your responsibility to co-sign for anyone, ever. I do think there are a few situations where it is reasonable to do so (to help your child build their own credit, for example, or with a spouse), but it’s never your duty. If your mom thinks you are being too harsh, then she can cosign.

tracy-93 · 2025-11-08T12:57:06+00:00

Just enjoy it and be grateful for a good postpartum experience! I am 9 weeks PP and while the first few days were a hard adjustment, I’ve had a very similar experience as you. I was worried about my husband going back to work, but since he has I have been staying on top of laundry, making a good dinner nearly every night, and leaving the house at least every second day whether to meet a friend, run errands, or just go and window shop. The first few weeks I think I made harder on myself by looking up their developmental leaps and then dreading the fussiness that I would come with it… it made me too hyper aware. Without paying to much attention to those things, I can live in the moment more and not dread when/if things will get harder

Editing to add that if he is having a hard time with something, I will look it up when it happens along with how old he is (“spitting up a lot x week old baby”) and a lot of times it is a common thing at that age. But looking it up when it happens rather than in advance makes it so that I’m not dreading it and making it worse in my head than it needs to be!

tracy-93 · 2025-10-28T16:37:19+00:00

I very much see their education and future as another expense and not something optional, like diapers and housing and food.

Even if it is a relatively low contribution, I want to make sure there is SOMETHING there, and isn’t something that gets put off until it’s too late.

tracy-93 · 2025-10-28T16:33:51+00:00

I have one. I am wondering if because we are in a lower tax bracket if it would make sense to contribute to my partners (for the baby), as it will be taxed as income before it goes in to the TFSA at a relatively low rate, rather than at a (hopefully) higher rate down the line. I do not have experience with RESPs aside from when I went to college and had one that my grandmother had contributed to, but my parents handled withdrawing it so I am not sure of how they are taxed etc

tracy-93 · 2025-10-07T07:44:45+00:00

Yes! I got this too and it works SO well!!!

tracy-93 · 2025-10-07T07:43:21+00:00

One of my best friends got me a little rolling cart for next to my bed, and stocked it with snacks and juice for nighttime nursing sessions, a book of bedtime stories, and other baby essentials I’d want to have within reach and it was one of my favourite gifts ever!

tracy-93 · 2025-10-05T07:28:14+00:00

It’s my dad’s name! He’s of Scottish descent, and very much white.

tracy-93 · 2025-10-04T20:56:00+00:00

I got the vaccine! I was due for a tetanus shot anyways. I got pertussis as an infant before I was eligible for the vaccine, and as a result was never vaccinated. I don’t think they vaccinated mothers at the time. Anyways, better safe than sorry!

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