The Real Life RD

helping you find peace with food and your natural body size

  • the RD & NP
  • Online Courses
  • Women’s Wellness
  • Speaking
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
Life, Thoughts

September Coffee Date

September 25, 2019 By Robyn 14 Comments

It’s officially fall and even though it was in the 60s a week ago, now that fall is here the high today as I write this is EIGHT NINE in Boston…BUT I’m still ushering in fall over here by getting out my cozy sweaters, picking up unnecessary pumpkin flavored things from Trader Joe’s (like pop tarts) and buying ingredients for chili. We’re supposed to be back down to the 60s in the next week or so. Praise.

Winter is my favorite season, but falls comes in at a very close second. I stand in the 2% of people who claim winter as their favorite season. IT’S SO COZY. And the holidays. And then the start of a new year. And jeans and sweaters and scarves and hot cocoa and evenings spent around the fire with your closest people. And snow! What is not to love? When people talk about Boston winter, I’m always like “yea I love it, it’s like 17 months long and awesome” And then I lose another potential friend. Kidding. Kind of.

Ok, enough about the weather. Me and you are closer friends than surface level, we-talk-about-weather, kind of friends. Onto more meaningful things!

It’s 7:55am on Monday morning and I’m drinking my second cup of coffee (sleep was a little brutal last night..) with a candle flickering next me and the window open with the morning breeze gently blowing in. How’s that for illustrative writing? Let’s cozy up.

NPWH conference

I have been wanting to go to the annual Nurse Practitioner’s in Women’s Health conference for a few years now, but FNCE always fell the week after (and that’s way too much conference for me all at once) and I know a lot of RDs that go to FNCE and it’s fun so I always went to FNCE. Last year I didn’t go because I was super duper pregnant. This year, as I’ve processed how I want to grow professionally, the NPWH conference is a better way to invest my money and time even though I won’t know a soul going and I’m not totally sure what to expect. But I am SO EXCITED.

I feel pretty well networked in the RD space and I think some of that is because, overall, I feel RDs are more integrated into social media so it’s easier to network. The NP space, not so much. I’ve got some friends from Columbia I keep in touch with – my friend Meg is a pediatric NP and an IBCLC in training and my go for peds stuff, she also has taken on a HAES/IE philosophy so if you’re on Long Island and have a kiddo, you should go see her) – but other than her and a few other friends from school, I don’t know a lot of other NPs outside the ones I see at work. (I still work some weekends at the ED hospital)

So basically what I’m saying is …I know zero people going to this conference, but I’m hoping to meet some friends and get plugged in. There are several sessions I’m excited about & I’m signed up for a workshop on the last day that will certify me in several GYN procedures. It should be cool & hopefully a great learning experience. If you’re going to be there, be my friend!

I get asked sometimes how I travel for work with a baby. I’ve had a small handful of speaking events this year and have another one in November in Atlanta. My answer is that I take Cal with me. Even though it can be a lot logistically, it’s easier that way with him nursing and thankfully, I’ve always had good friends living where I’ve traveled to watch him for an hour or so while I give a talk. I’m taking Cal to Savannah for the conference and my mama and aunt are coming too and we are making a week long vacation out of it. The conference will be the last few days were are there. So they will be amazing help. It takes a village! In no way am I, “doing it all.” So, let me know all the good spots to eat and what to do while we are there! I’ve never been to Savannah, but I’m pumped about it.

Clean Mama

…as in the IG account and website, not what I refer to myself as lol. I discovered this account through Kylie and have found it so helpful. I don’t love cleaning and I don’t want to spend my Saturday afternoon cleaning. I’m probably not alone in that thinking. Nick is really helpful, but I do most of the cleaning because I’m home and he works FT. We live in 750 sq feet so it’s not that time consuming – but I’m not sure it’s the best use of my time. I also like a clean house. Enter, dilemma. About six months ago we decided on hiring a cleaning lady 1x a month for a deep clean and then we do quick cleaning in between. We shifted things around in the budget and it has been the best thing ever. I don’t stress or worry or dread cleaning like I used to. And that has been healthier for me and everyone else. I’ll forgo other spending for a cleaning lady anyyyyday. It’s working for our fam right now.

Ok, so why am I talking about this?! Really, because I started making homemade cleaners based off Clean Mama’s recipes and I’m in love. They cost pennies (pennies!) and take less than a minute to put together with ingredients you probably have laying around your house. I am not saying you should go make homemade cleaners – do you boo boo. And I haven’t fallen off the cliff into hippie dippy crunchy land (although I respect that land) …but these cleaners are just so cheap and I feel good about spraying our counters and floors with stuff I would actually eat so when Cal eats food off the table/counter or licks our floor I don’t worry ….because he puts his mouth on absolutely everything. He can shovel dirt into his mouth all day long (hey, immune health) but it makes me feel more at ease if he’s not ingesting cleaners…and the ones I would feel good about (like Aunt Fannie’s) are just out of budget.

Do what feels best to you! But also, don’t be intimidated by homemade cleaners. Nick thought I had fallen into hippie dippy crunchy land when I bought glass bottles and 5 lbs of baking soda off Amazon, but now he’s kind of into it because they actually work and save us $$.

What I learned this summer

Laying in the grass for hours under the trees with zero technology is so good for my soul. I forgot where I read this, but there was a study quoted that found people who spend 15-20 minutes outside in nature per day lower their cortisol levels. Or something like that – don’t quote me. Regardless of the study, based on my own experience, I feel like some amount of that is true! Cal and I walk to the Boston Garden several times a week in between his AM and PM nap – we meet friends there or Nick for lunch on occasion or we go with just us two and we lay on a blanket under a big tree and he crawls through the grass and eats leaves and watches squirrels and I lay there too with zero phone, just watching him or other people as they stroll through or talking with a friend. Weirdly enough, even though I’m chasing my speedy crawling 9 month old, it’s so relaxing. And so good for both of us. No matter what life season I’m in, I want to be better about creating a little pocket of time & space to sit in the grass under a tree and just be. Anything that relieves stress….sign me UP.

An apple recipe you should make

This might actually be my favorite apple crisp. The crumble topping to fruit filling ratio is so on point. Like piles and piles of crumble topping and sugary, cinnamon-y apples. I nixed the pecans because I don’t like nuts in my crisp, but other than that, this recipe should be in your fall food archives.

Thanks for listening & joining me. You are the best. And remember….you’re enough and doing a great job and have value and purpose to contribute to this world!


YOU MAY ALSO LIKE...

  • March Coffee DateMarch Coffee Date
  • April Coffee DateApril Coffee Date
  • October Coffee DateOctober Coffee Date
  • Using Quotes to Live a Better LifeUsing Quotes to Live a Better Life

Filed Under: Life, Thoughts

« How I’m Reading More Than Ever
October Newsletter: Answering Your Hormone Questions »

Comments

  1. katherine says

    September 25, 2019 at 8:43 am

    I love making my own cleaners too! It’s amazing what you can do with baking soda and vinegar:)

    Reply
    • Robyn Nohling says

      September 25, 2019 at 2:08 pm

      I’m shocked at how well they work!

      Reply
  2. Allyson says

    September 25, 2019 at 10:07 am

    Was just in Savannah for Labor Day- highly recommend The Grey for dinner. Amazing food, great cocktails, and a really cool space (former greyhound station)! Savannah Coffee Roasters had great coffee and really good sandwiches. It’s also a cool space where they actually roast all the coffee in house. Enjoy!

    Reply
    • Robyn says

      September 25, 2019 at 2:09 pm

      writing these down – thank you!

      Reply
  3. Katherine says

    September 25, 2019 at 11:04 am

    Where did you get your glass bottles/jars for cleaning? I had ordered some off amazon but the spray capability wasn’t good (especially with a baking soda mixture).
    I need to check out those cleaning recipes!

    Reply
    • Robyn says

      September 25, 2019 at 2:10 pm

      I linked to the ones I bought in the post 🙂 I think a lot of the spray bottles won’t be suited for baking soda unfortunately – if a cleaner has baking soda it’s usually a paste or powder to sprinkle in the sink and that’s what I use the mason jars for

      Reply
  4. Miley says

    September 25, 2019 at 11:46 am

    I am right there with you – Winter and Fall are the JAM. I always enjoy these coffee chat posts, Robyn! 🙂

    Reply
    • Robyn says

      September 25, 2019 at 2:11 pm

      couldn’t agree more!

      Reply
  5. Hilary says

    September 25, 2019 at 11:48 am

    Ah Savannah! Go to River Street Sweets for pralines (or just delicious candy treats). Savannah Bee Company is really fun because you can try all of their honey. Their honey is sold in other locations, but the store is really cute and there are lots of samples.

    I feel you on the house cleaner front. I love a clean home, but hate spending so much time cleaning. Our new post-baby plan is a weekly task chart. We now try to clean a little each day rather than wait until the weekend. The task chart also helps because my husband doesn’t have to “ask” what needs to be done that day. He can just look and do it. I hated feeling like the task manager of the house, so this has been a great solution!

    Reply
    • Robyn says

      September 25, 2019 at 2:12 pm

      Thanks for those suggestions! And YES to cleaning as you go vs a big clean – it feels so much less overwhelming. And love that you don’t feel like you’re delegating tasks – that is huge! Congrats on your little one 🙂

      Reply
  6. Ashley V says

    September 25, 2019 at 4:54 pm

    I am in that 2% too. Winter is 100% my favorite season despite all of the pressure to say fall. Granted, I’ve lived in Nashville for the majority of my life, so I’ve never experienced intense winters, but I LOVE winter and despise the summer. It’s supposed to be in the 90s next week here, and I am mad about it. 🙁 I enjoy these coffee date posts so much!

    Reply
  7. Kori says

    September 25, 2019 at 7:37 pm

    https://gypsyrd.com/2018/05/01/the-need-for-speed-birthday-celebrations-exploring-savannah/

    I shared our quick Savannah trip on my blog last year, & we had an amazing time! I hope it’s helpful for you in choosing some places to eat. I loved this post!

    Reply
  8. Rebekah says

    September 25, 2019 at 8:49 pm

    Getting a housekeeper is by far the best money I spend all month!! We hire a college student for $25 an hour and she does great (and refuses to take more!). You are paying for time and sanity! I remember the first time I came home after she cleaned. I thought “is this how everyone else feels when they come home after I clean?? Because it feels amazing!!” 😆

    Reply
  9. Leah says

    September 26, 2019 at 12:23 am

    Love the coffee chats! I would probably love winter more if I didn’t live in Seattle. It’s a blah mixture of gray and rain. I love that you head to the park and just hang out with no phone. I need to do this more. Hiring a cleaner was the best tbh f we did for our marriage! Have fun at the conference!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

A non-diet dietitian and nurse practitioner helping women find peace with food, accept their natural body size and heal from hormonal issues and period problems.

More On Lady Hormones

How Birth Control Methods Affect Your Hormones, Period and Fertility

What Your Cervical Fluid Can Tell You About Your Reproductive Health

women's reproductive health

Women’s Reproductive Health 101

I have yet to experience postpartum myself, but I've had many clients and readers that have been through that season of life. Or perhaps you are currently living through the postpartum period. Every woman's body is different, therefore every woman's experience after giving birth will be different. What works for one woman, might not work for the next. While one woman might go through postpartum and adjust to newborn life quiet seamlessly, another woman might find it much more difficult. She might need the support of medication, therapy, extra help and many other things. One way is not better than the other - they are simply two different ways of navigating the postpartum period. I hope this post helps you better care for yourself, whatever that means for you. There's no right or wrong way to care for yourself as a mom or your new baby.

Postpartum Hormones: what’s happening in your body and how to care for yourself

* indicates required

Categories

Get in Touch!

Follow Me!

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

I talk a lot about moving, eating, and living intuitively so you can be well hormonally and live a fulfilling life in line with your values

The Real Life RD on Pinterest

  • Instagram Find: Viktoria's Awe-Inspiring Kids Rooms Filled With Pretty Design - NordicDesign
  • 10 X DE MOOISTE KINDERKAMERS VAN INSTAGRAM OKTOBER
  • Wooden Rainbow Lamp Wooden night light Kids room decoration | Etsy
  • This cute little walk-in wardrobe for kids is too cute of an idea! Loving the white tones with a pop of teal drawers
Follow Me on Pinterest
We veered from our usual Friday night homemade piz We veered from our usual Friday night homemade pizza (minus the dough, we leave that to @albemarlebakingco) because we are eating pizza tomorrow with some friends - instead I called my mom and asked her how she makes her chicken fingers and we fried up a big ole batch of chicken nugs 🙌🏻🤤 along with a sheet pan full of sweet potato fries and a simple arugula salad dressed with parmesean, olive oil and s&p. Oh and my moms honey mustard recipe for dipping. It’s SO DANG GOOD.  Over the past 6ish months we’ve been practicing (and practicing and practicing bc it doesn’t come naturally) unplugging from technology and slowing down and resting and just being for one day a week. Some call it Shabbat. Some call it Sabbath. Maybe you call it something different. All I know is IT IS SO GOOD FOR MY WEARY SOUL and the day I look forward to ALL WEEK. Sundown on Friday to sundown Saturday. Nothing but rest. For us that means hiking (or something outside) and napping and reading and being with friends and eating really good food. And drinking some really good wine or craft beer. Sometimes whiskey. 😛  And because I know I’ll get asked about the chicken finger recipe and also because it’s too good not to share and Momma Coale said I could, here ya go:  Cut chicken breast into thin strips or small pieces (I prefer nug size bc the breading to chicken ratio is perfection). Salt and pepper those babies really well. Then dredge them in all purpose flour, then egg, then panko - just like you would bread anything else. Then fry them up in a light oil - I use avocado oil because that’s our everyday oil. You could also use canola or peanut oil. Just fill a pan with an inch or so of oil on medium high heat. They only take 2-3 minutes per side. You can always temp them to make sure they are at least 165 degrees F to really make sure they are done. Dunk in all the sauces and enjoy!  Happy weekend!
I am not a craft mom. My version of crafts is baki I am not a craft mom. My version of crafts is baking because 1) my toddler actually engages with it and 2) we have tasty things to eat in the end.  Wanna know how long crafts last in our house? Approximately 23 seconds. Maybe 51 on a good day. So we just stopped crafting a long time ago and instead started baking.  And when I need my toddler to stay in one place, I turn on the faucet. I am still utterly amazed at how long water can entertain a small human. And it’s FREE. 🙌🏻 well, mostly..  Send me all your favorite baking recipes because we are on a roll over here 👩🏻‍🍳
Just left my mom vacation. 💆🏻‍♀️ I do Just left my mom vacation. 💆🏻‍♀️  I don’t know what this says about me. Anybody else find the dentist weirdly relaxing? For the most part, I love being with my two tiny humans all day, but BLESS does it feel good to lay in a chair for 60 minutes with my eyes closed and do nothing except hold my mouth open.
🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻 two babies are asleep at the same time in their beds (and not on me) for the FIRST TIME IN 7657 DAYS and dear lord I could cry tears of relief straight into this latte and bowl of chocolate chips bc I woke up this morning exhausted and weary and told Nick I didn’t want to parent today 🤣 Not even calling this self care. It’s sanity right now. And even if it lasts 5 minutes it will be 5 minutes of freaking glory. p.s. yes that brick is crooked bc v uneven floors are part of the charmed package of this old house
Learning over and over again in this season that f Learning over and over again in this season that feels unsettled and chaotic and longgggggg that sometimes, you just need the viewpoint of a toddler to remind you that the seemingly insignificant things & moments really are....straight up magical. And that yes, these mundane days are packed full of goodness & beauty if I keep my eyes fixed on what actually matters.
Spent two hours at Lowe’s this morning and wow, Spent two hours at Lowe’s this morning and wow, wowww 🤯 Asked at least six people where to find something and their opinion on all the options bc holy decision fatigue. Nursed my newborn on the floor of the paint aisle. And BLESS my new contractor friend Matt I found in the lumber section that pushed my cart around and helped me avoid the mistake of buying exterior wood for some DIY bathroom shelves.
.
I’m giving all our bathrooms a DIY makeover and I couldn’t be more of a rookie. So shoutout to all my Lowe’s buddies and YouTube 😜 You’re making this happen.
We are now officially homeowners. WUT? We didn’t We are now officially homeowners. WUT? We didn’t plan to close on a house 10 weeks after having a baby, but here we are. And we are so, so grateful.  And I’m also terrified. We’ve moved three times and lived in three different states since we got married three years ago. After six years spent living in New York City and Boston, moving back to Charlottesville was really, really hard for me. I cried a lot those first six months because my heart ached for the northeast and for city life. I wanted to pack up and go back to Boston ASAP. It felt so different and so quiet here and at times, very lonely. Even though it felt like the next right step, I second guessed our decision A LOT.
.
But here we are 10 months later ready to continue investing in this neighborhood we’ve come to love. And this community of people that have become so dear. Ten months later and it feels so, so right. And although committing to settling down here for a good bit feels really scary to me, it also brings so much peace to know we aren’t moving again anytime soon. We are here to plant and grow. And raise our babies in this house as we make it a home. It’s also really fun to have one of your best friends be your realtor. We love you @kelli.teter.nesting 🤗
.
Now, to see if we make it out of this kitchen renovation all in one piece 🤪
my go-to breakfast these days is two fried eggs in my go-to breakfast these days is two fried eggs in ghee with sautéed spinach (also in ghee) and an english muffin with more ghee + some sort of jam on half for that sweet & savory combo. we discovered these local english muffins (from The Bread Basket) and they are doughy and delicious and we are obsessed.
.
I’ve found that I need a solid source of protein and lots of fat for breakfast to keep me full while breastfeeding this time around vs with Cal, I was so into big bowls of pb & chocolate chip banana oatmeal. just goes to show our bodies know what they need and change cravings accordingly. also, just a psa: go pick up the maple butter from @traderjoes bc it is bonkers 🤤 and lastly, shout out to my husband bc a lot of mornings he is making this bfast for me while I nurse & try to pull myself out of bed - don’t for a moment think I’ve got it together 🤪
I’ve had many thoughts rolling around in my brai I’ve had many thoughts rolling around in my brain of if/how to use this platform in a way that aligns with how I want to live my life. I’m finding it tricky to discern that when 90% of my use on this app is for professional purposes. But I’m not sure if even professionally, it makes sense for me. Because I feel more aligned with what matters to me when I’m not regularly present here.  I’m not really sure what things will look like moving forward, but for right now I’m here to share with you that I somehow found some spare minutes between newborn & toddler life to write a post with some semi-coherent thoughts on life lately. 🤪 You can head there by clicking the link in my profile.
I’ve been completely disconnected from social me I’ve been completely disconnected from social media and that’s been vital for me during this tender postpartum period of transitioning from a mama of 1 to 2. But today, I’m bopping on briefly to share how Teddy entered this wild world with you - if you’re into a lengthy, detailed birth story, the link in my profile will lead you to the blog post 💙
Theodore “Teddy” Lars Nohling joined our famil Theodore “Teddy” Lars Nohling joined our family at 12:48am on Wednesday after a quick and swift labor & birth at home 💙 Thank you Father for another healthy baby boy & your abundant, tender love for us. What an undeserved gift.
Very grateful to be carrying another baby past his Very grateful to be carrying another baby past his due date, but also....LET’S GO DUDE. Still over here eating dates (check out the @ebbirth article on the research showing dates can help ripen (aka soften) your cervix, reduce the need for medical intervention in labor and can overall, improve birth outcomes) drinking red raspberry leaf tea and sleeping as much as possible with a 19 month old running around. And also trying to survive July in VA without public pools or splash pads bc it is BLAZIN HERE (and I’m a wuss with the heat 🤪)

Copyright © 2021 · The Real RD· Blog Design by Little Blue Deer


Terms and Conditions | Disclaimer | Privacy Policy