The Potluck: September 2018

Continuing the monthly tradition, The Speckled Palate’s The Potluck: September 2018 includes two television shows, baby-centric items that have been lifesavers, a sweet teeth, a book and more! Swing by the blog today to get a full list of the things I adored during the month of September.

Let’s be real: September was INSANE.

From waiting for a sweet baby girl to arrive to trying to get all the things done before her arrival to settling in when she finally did arrive (almost two weeks late!), it was a busy month.

We are thrilled that Baby Speckle is finally here. Since her arrival on September 15, we’ve been settling in to being a family of four.

But before we get too far into October (and have inevitably forgotten all the things we adored during September), let’s have a look back via the potluck. To recap, my potluck, as defined by the folks at Merriam-Webster is:

the regular meal available to a guest for whom no special preparations have been made… a communal meal to which people bring food to share —usually used attributively <a potluck supper>; whatever is offered or available in given circumstances or at a given time.

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    Ready to learn all the things I liked? Let’s do this!

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    1. Halo Sleepsack Swaddle: Our oldest loved sleeping in a sleepsack when she was still in her crib. This time around, we were introduced to this sleepsack swaddle at our hospital! It’s made getting our girl settled at night a little easier without the fuss of busting out a full swaddle to have her inevitably break out it because both of our girls are escape artists. If you have a newborn or are pregnant, I highly suggest trying this on your babe!

    2. Root beer: For whatever reason, I craved root beer during my pregnancy and after. I love, love, love this cane sugar rendition of the classic drink. Also, apparently, natural root beer is good for milk production, so I’m basically doing myself and Speckle a favor by sipping this, right? Right.

    3. Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: We decided to watch this show at night after we laid Baby Speckle down. Not surprisingly, we binged all eight episodes in a week. While certain aspects of the plot were a bit unbelievable, especially with the way timelines worked out and how cleanly everything lined up, it was an enjoyable to watch at night. Also, Jim and Bunk were front and center in this series, and that made us both oh-so-happy. (Please tell me I’m not the only one who refers to actors as the character they played that I know best.)

    4. Waitress the Musical Soundtrack: When she was a newborn, Lady A was soothed by Taylor Swift when she was upset. We recently discovered Baby Speckle is into musicals. Namely, Waitress and Hamilton. I listened to both a ton while pregnant, so maybe that explains it. Within the first few chords of “What’s Inside,” she’s taking deeper breaths and not crying as hard. By the end of the song, she’s calm again. … I don’t know if this magic will last, but I will happily listen to this musical over and over if it soothes my baby.

    5. Foodstirs Molten Chocolate Minute Mug Cake: I was introduced to this brand at SproutsFest back in August and enjoyed the heck out of their Minute Mug Cakes in September. These chocolate mug cakes are absolutely delicious. I may or may not now keep several of these beauts in my pantry at all times because sometimes, you need some chocolate.

    6. The Great British Baking Show: I saved this show for my maternity leave, and I’m so glad I did. I legit watched all five seasons of this charming, lighthearted baking show in the first four weeks of Speckle’s life. I just couldn’t stop. A reality show without jerks? People who actually root for and help one another? Be still my heart!

    7. Bear and Wolf by Daniel Salmieri: A sweet friend gifted Lady A with this book back in August, and we read it a ton to her in both August and September. Daniel Salmieri illustrated another one of her favorite books–Dragons Love Tacos–so it’s been fun to add another one of his beautifully drawn books to our collection!

    What Did You Love In September?

    Curious about other things I’ve loved? Check out my other potlucks:

    2014: October | NovemberDecember

    2015: January | February | March | May | June | July | August | September | November | December

    2016: January | February |March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December

    2017: January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December

    2018: January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December

    2019: January | February/March | April | August

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    About the Author:

    Erin Parker is a Southern gal living in Texas with her husband and two daughters. She started The Speckled Palate to share what she was cooking as a newlywed… and over the years, it’s evolved to capture her love for hosting. Specifically, the EASIEST, lowest key entertaining because everyone deserves to see their people and connect over good food. Learn more about her

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