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Elora Leigh is 4 months old!⁣⁣⠀ ⁣⁣⠀ MY Elora Leigh is 4 months old!⁣⁣⠀
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MY LORD. The joy and light this little girl brings our family🥺 If you would have told me last year that in one year’s time we would have had a baby and be living in a pandemic idk which one I would have believed less. Probably the baby. And yet here we are. Surviving through a pandemic with a toddler and a baby. AND A BABY.⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
My pregnancy with Elora was one of the most mentally challenging things I’ve ever done. Pregnancy after loss is extremelyyyy difficult (for reasons I will go into on a future post). Pregnancy after loss during an unexpected pandemic.... intense to say the least.⁣⁣⠀
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I could not speak in absolutes about the future, as grateful and as hopeful as I was I could barely speak about being pregnant again. Yes, I allowed myself feel all the things but in a way I’m only just now starting to process everything I felt during her pregnancy (thank you therapy🙌). For much of it I was in denial that I would actually get to bring a living baby home. The trauma and ptsd from losing Liam was ever-present. I was next level terrified she too would die before I ever got to meet her. I was holding my breath and hanging on for dear life.⁣⁣⠀
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So every single time I look at this girl I am still in disbelief that she’s here. She is here and she is healthy and she is thriving. The miracle that she is is not lost on me, the miracle that ANY baby is born healthy and alive is not lost on me. Every single day with my kids is a gift, as much as I lose my f*cking mindddd🤪 every day with my babies is a gift.⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
These days we’ve learned to celebrate the simple things and the little things, and today that’s four beautiful and chaotic months with our sweet baby girl💕
Friday we took Luca to see dino bones and the t-re Friday we took Luca to see dino bones and the t-rex exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History and it was... rawrrrr-some 🦖 lolz. I’ll have you know I reached a new level of multitasking when I was chasing Luca and taking pics of him while nursing Elora in the carrier🤪 highly recommend learning that skill, gives a whole new meaning to hands-free 😆🙌
Luca is three🥳🦖 Andddd I feel like I have a Luca is three🥳🦖 Andddd I feel like I have a teenager😭😭 we had a mini dino bash for him, Alex even dressed up as a t-rex (swipe for the jig and to hear Luca’s new southern accent🤣). It was special, it was fun and it was a great, no-fuss day with our fam❤️
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We’ve been through a lot in the last year but I wouldn’t say the twos were terrible, pandemic and all! I am so proud of this boy and who he is becoming. Highlights of Luca’s twos: trips to Utah, Nashville and Lake George, exploring the farm, riding tractors, helping mom with the garden, Montessori school and making friends, endless arts and crafts, weaning from nursing, potty training (not really training bc I swear I did nothing🤣), learning all about emotions, speaking in full sentences and the best part of 2020, welcoming his baby sister, Elora🥰 He has BLOWN us away with how he has adjusted to being a big brother, truly. He’s the freaking best. I’m so lucky to be his mama and it is an honor to watch him learn and grow. Keep rockin little dude, we love you times infinity!!!❤️
Elora Leigh is 3 months old today!!⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
⋒ at 3 months:⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
⋒ you are smiling up a storm and finding your voice, especially when your brother tickles your sweet cheeks😭⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
⋒ speaking of your cheeks, they are UNREAL (swipe) and we’re all convinced you’re hiding something in there!⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
⋒ you’re a chunker - opposite of your bro - weighing almost 16lbs and growing out of all your clothes by the day! ⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
keep growing baby girl, and keep shining your light, we love you bb Elora💗
Rollin with my homies😜 we had a blast trying ou Rollin with my homies😜 we had a blast trying out the @cadillac XT6 for the week, it’s the perfect midsize suv with room for the whole family - giving you a closer look over in stories! Thank you to Cadillac for gifting us this experience!!
Mental health check in, how’s everyone doing?? I Mental health check in, how’s everyone doing?? I shared how I’m doing in stories today, we made it through the holidays but it was a lot harder than I thought. I’m sruggling in a few ways. Struggling on social media with the comparison game, struggling in general as a stay at home mom of two, struggling with a fussy two month old that doesn’t sleep, struggling that I’m unable to do things for me right now (like even go to the bathroom or shower alone), struggling with the omnipresent grief and anxiety, struggling with guilt — guilt over not giving my oldest enough attention, over wanting him to start back at school again, over not being happy and grateful 24/7.⁣⁣⠀
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If I learned anything last year it was to accept my feelings as they come and not label any as “bad,” so that’s what I’m working on, that’s my daily reminder. As my friend said to me today, this is hard, it’s the trenches!! Be gentle. It’s hard and wonderful all at once.⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
Check in below👇⁣⁣⠀
❤️ - I’m feeling great⁣⁣⠀
🧡 - I’m feeling ok⁣⁣⠀
💛 - I’m surviving⁣⁣⠀
💚 - I’m struggling⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
Let’s show up and support each other and remind each other we’re not alone in these hard days🖤
Took this week to unplug and reflect. Wild year. M Took this week to unplug and reflect. Wild year. Mixed feelings about a new year is not foreign to me, this is how I felt last year going into 2020. 2019 was Liam’s year, it was the worst but it gave me a perspective I’ll never lose and one I carried into 2020.⁣⁣⠀
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Through hardship you grow.⁣⁣⠀
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2020 saw more focus on me, on my mental wellness + on my family. Less worrying about what people think of me, less apologizing, more doing what makes me happy (or gets me through the day). More of that in this space also. I’m not going to be everyone’s cup of tea so might as well be me, ALL of me💯✌️⁣⁣⠀
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I’m not a resolution or goal setter when it comes to a new year, I try to focus on reflecting, releasing what doesn’t serve me any longer + manifesting/using affirmations to bring the good. Still working on what those are exactly for 2021!⁣⁣⠀
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In the meantime I wanted to share some of my big 2020 memories and wish you all love, light, peace and healing in the new year✨⁣⁣⠀
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1-2. Our new family unit🧡⁣⁣⠀
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3-4. The birth of our daughter, Elora, the best thing to come out of 2020. She is the brightest light.⁣⁣⠀
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5. Luca’s love for his sister + once again navigating a “new normal” in our family.⁣⁣⠀
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6. Pregnancy after loss. Amidst a global pandemic. While wrangling a toddler. One of the hardest things I’ve ever done, it was pure survival mode (+ still is postpartum).⁣⁣⠀
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7. Growing the most beautiful dahlias and diving more into gardening than ever before, mostly as a form of therapy, AND sharing it all with you guys — connecting through our gardens was one of my favorite parts of the year + growing this community has brought me so much joy!⁣⁣⠀
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8. Finding my groove and launching my oils business — never thought I would make this extra income + be able to pay off debt😭⁣⁣⠀
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9. Luca turning 2 and weaning + potty training at the same time — his decisions, not mine!⁣⁣⠀
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10. Liam’s due date in April. I remember wishing more than anything for the chance to deliver him healthy and full term, pandemic and all. We miss our boy + are moving forward WITH him, we’ll love him forever from afar❤️
Chaotic and beautiful and hard and exhausting and Chaotic and beautiful and hard and exhausting and awesome❤️ exactly how I want to remember this day. We’re sending you big love this Christmas, complete with our best “ewie smiles” (Luca’s term for silly faces🤣). I love how Doobie snuck his nose in there too!! Swipe for some special moments/things of the day❤️❤️
⋒ 8 weeks of Elora Leigh ⋒⁣⁣⠀ ⁣⁣⠀ ⋒ 8 weeks of Elora Leigh ⋒⁣⁣⠀
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You have been here in our arms for almost two whole months and my heart still skips a beat when I wake up and see you next to me. You are truly here. I still can’t believe you’re real and you’re ours.⁣⁣⠀
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At 8 weeks you’re not such a tiny babe anymore, you’ve doubled your birth weight and grew four inches — a testament to how much you love to eat😅🍼 (pic four is day 3 for reference!). Your chubby cheeks are also a testament to your love of milk😍😍 The super sleepy newborn days are over😭 You’re waking up more and more, crying more too (see pic three🤪), but still giving us good stretches of sleep (4-5 hours) at night. You don’t love cuddling with me as much as your brother did, I’m still in denial over that! And you’ve broken out of the swaddle, sleep sackin it up already! Luca loves you more than anything and is always wanting to hold you and help me clean your “spiggups,” he calls you “mista baby” and it killssss your dad and I every time🤣⁣⁣⠀
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I feel like you just arrived but also like I’ve known you forever. Happy 8 weeks of life Elora, you are so loved💗⁣⁣⠀
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#8weeks #eloraleigh #watcheloragrow
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Christine Covino

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Fall Garden Prep & Tasks To Do Now

August 14, 2020 / Gardening

It’s time to prep the garden for Fall! Read on for my plan and tips to keep your gardening going through the cooler months! This post may contain affiliate links.

Fall Garden Prep & Tasks To Do Now

Fall is almost here, I cannot believe it! August is a great time to get your Fall garden and landscape tasks set and put into action – you can get a whole extra season out of your veggie beds if planned correctly!

I’m so excited for today’s post to go over a little bit of my plan, my tips and things on my to-do list for my fall gardens. Fall is such a nice season to be in the garden because temps are cooler but crops still want to grow!

Two things to know/look up before you get started:

  • Check your USDA Hardiness Zone so you know when your first frost date is, you’re going to want to pant most crops about 8 weeks before that date in order to get a harvest.
  • Check mature-by time frames on the crops you are looking to plant! Just run a quick google search like “broccoli days to harvest” or “days to maturity” and write all that info down so you know how far ahead to plant!

7 Tips for Prepping & Planting Your Fall Garden

1. Clearing Beds & Amending Soil

The first thing to do for your fall garden is clear some space and amend the soil.

For us, our cucumbers stopped producing after they got ripped up and drowned during the hurricane (sad!!), our kale got decimated by caterpillars (sad again!!), our beans and peas were at the end of their season and our carrots finally finished up. So we are pulling all those crops to make room for the cool-weather loving ones, nothing like starting fresh!

What’s left in the beds? We still have tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, eggplant, swiss chard and all our herbs still producing!

After you pull the “done” summer crops make sure to add a good amount of compost and worm castings back into the soil before planting your fall crops, this will give them a healthy foundation and a great head start.

2. Choosing & Planting Fall Crops

Don’t stop vegetable gardening just because it’s cold out, there are plenty of veggies that actually prefer colder weather!

Lettuces and greens prefer the coolness and will mature quickly, before intense winter cold sets in (and some even taste better with a touch of frost, like kale), so definitely try growing some of those.

You can try planting lettuces, spinach, mustard greens, chard, celery, collards and arugula and like I said above, be sure to mix a rich compost and worm castings back into your vegetable beds to give those fall edibles a good head start.

In very cold regions, frost blankets can protect lettuces and tender greens into colder months.

Other cool-weather veggies you can try are root crops like carrots, turnips, radishes, kohlrabi and beets. The brassica family thrives in cooler temps so definitely try some broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale and brussel sprouts. Peas also like it cooler so you can try a round two of those as well!

ALSO! Don’t forget now is the time to plant veggie bulbs, like garlic! I can’t wait to grow garlic this year in my garden, we grow it at the farm but I’ve never had it in my own yard!

You plant garlic in the fall and harvest in the late spring – extremely long maturity time! But sooooo worth it – garlic is both delicious and healthy AND helps repel insects, namely BEETLES, which I don’t know about you guys, but I battled hardcore this year and would love to not have to do that!

Veggies & flowers I will be planting:

  • Brussel Sprouts (another one that tastes best when harvested after a frost!)
  • Kale
  • Lettuce & Spinach
  • Peas
  • Radishes
  • Beets
  • Garlic
  • Calendula
  • Stock
  • Snapdragon

Seeds vs. Starts

Root veggies and peas always do best direct-sowed from seed straight into the ground, so we will be planting those crops from seed this weekend! Lettuces and greens (like spinach and arugula) we will also be doing from seed because they are so quick and easy, and because we will sow about three successive rounds over 4-6 weeks. I definitely recommend trying these crops especially for beginner seed starting!

Brassica family plants we will be purchasing and planting starts! It’s easier, huge time saver and saves a ton of frustration, which I’m all about these days! It’s my goal to one day to do everything from seed but for now there’s no harm in using starts for some!

For more on seed starting, check out THIS POST!

3. Ordering & Planting Spring Bulbs

If you haven’t already now is the time to order your early spring-flowering bulbs! Fall is the time for planting bulbs like daffodils, tulips, muscari, hyacinth and crocus! The work you put in now will pay off ten-fold next spring. For my zone (6a) we aim to plant bulbs in October/November.

I will be ordering some specialty Daffodil and Tulip bulbs form Eden Brothers in the coming weeks, I usually get my bulbs from Floret but sadly she is not offering them this year – I love her unique and showy varieties!

Don’t forget to grab your garlic sets as well!

Bulb Sources to Check Out:

Johnny’s Selected Seeds – veggie & flower seeds, garlic sets, cover crop seed, garden supplies

White Flower Farm – everything!

Natchez Glenhouse – curated collections (LOVE these and such a great value!!)

Eden Brothers – bulbs and tubers

Brent & Becky’s Bulbs – bulbs an tubers

Holland Bulbs Farms – bulbs and tubers

4. Digging Bulbs & Tubers

The other part of my bulb plan is to dig my daffodils and tulips from one of my raised beds and move them to the front landscape bed – I want to be able to enjoy them from a different location next year and I’d like to use the raised bed for more veggies (or flowers) instead!

Now is the time to dig spring bulbs but wait until after the first frost to dig your dahlia tubers! Those babies are going to be flowering right up until frost and you don’t want to miss it! Stay tuned for my full guide to growing great dahlias, I’m working on it now and should be publishing it soon!

5. Ordering Winter Cover Crops

Fall is the time to start thinking about winter garden maintenance, for us up here in New York that doesn’t mean a whole lot, mainly getting a cover crop to replenish nutrients in the soil! I will especially be doing a cover crop in all our beds, especially those that had Solonacea family veggies growing this season (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, squash etc.) as they are known to drain a TON of nutrients from the soil.

Cover crops are an incredible way to inexpensively and with zero effort amend your soil, 1/4lb. of seed (more than enough for most home gardens!) is only around $5 and all you have to do is spread the seed on your beds.

Most cover crops are in the legume family – these plants actually replenish key nutrients, especially nitrogen, in your soil. Pretty amazing if you ask me, once again plants for the win! So just spread some seed and let the plants do the work! You’ll have a head start on healthy soil for next spring’s veggies!

I’ll be using Johnny’s Selected Seeds to order my cover crops from, read more about what they say on winter cover crops HERE.

My Cover Crop Plan: I am going to try crimson clover and rye this year as they are winter hardy in my zone. I am ordering now and will spread the seed in November after full garden clean up is done! The crop will grow through the winter and we will either pull or til the spent organic matter back into the soil during spring prep! YAY for healthy soil!!

6. Transplanting & Pruning Perennials

Fall is a great time to update your landscape beds – get any shrubs, trees and perennials in the ground if you’ve been planning it! In our zone (6a) its best to plant in September or a October to allow for root systems to establish before the ground freezes.

Transplant any shrubs and perennials as well! I was talking to many of you about peonies – now is the time to dig, divide and transplant!

Pruning is another fall task for many landscape plants, especially hydrangeas. I know many of you have hydrangeas so let’s talk about them!

Some hydrangea species bloom on last-year’s growth, which is often called “old wood.” This old wood contains the flower buds that will open with the coming summer. Pruning in winter or spring would remove the flower buds, leaving us with a bloomless plant this year. Therefore, these varieties are pruned after blooming in summer, you can almost consider it deadheading.

Hydrangeas that bloom on new wood produce flower buds on the young growth that emerges in spring. Because the buds are not present during the winter months, these plants can be pruned in late winter or early spring, before new growth begins.

So, if your hydrangea blooms on old wood (most fall in this category, like Endless Summer, all Macrophylla are in this species) you can prune/deadhead now, if you prune these guys in early spring, you risk cutting off the dormant flower buds that were set the previous fall.

If your hydrangea blooms on new wood (Hydrangea paniculata, like PeeGee) you can cut them back in the winter/early spring while they are dormant!

Lastly, now is the time to cut back any spent perennial flowers and foliage, this will both help the plant’s roots store nutrients over the winter and will make the landscape look clean and tidy.

7. Mulching Round Two

Putting down more mulch down in both your veggie/flower and landscape beds will be very beneficial to the soil. Mulching helps by adding organic matter to the soil, retaining water and suppressing weed. Always a good idea to and will greatly benefit your plants!

Read more in my post HERE on mulching methods and mediums!


I hope this post was helpful and got you excited to keep gardening through the fall, it’s such an awesome time to be outside! I would LOVE to know your fall garden plans, leave me a comment below!

xo, christine

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Elora Leigh is 4 months old!⁣⁣⠀ ⁣⁣⠀ MY Elora Leigh is 4 months old!⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
MY LORD. The joy and light this little girl brings our family🥺 If you would have told me last year that in one year’s time we would have had a baby and be living in a pandemic idk which one I would have believed less. Probably the baby. And yet here we are. Surviving through a pandemic with a toddler and a baby. AND A BABY.⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
My pregnancy with Elora was one of the most mentally challenging things I’ve ever done. Pregnancy after loss is extremelyyyy difficult (for reasons I will go into on a future post). Pregnancy after loss during an unexpected pandemic.... intense to say the least.⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
I could not speak in absolutes about the future, as grateful and as hopeful as I was I could barely speak about being pregnant again. Yes, I allowed myself feel all the things but in a way I’m only just now starting to process everything I felt during her pregnancy (thank you therapy🙌). For much of it I was in denial that I would actually get to bring a living baby home. The trauma and ptsd from losing Liam was ever-present. I was next level terrified she too would die before I ever got to meet her. I was holding my breath and hanging on for dear life.⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
So every single time I look at this girl I am still in disbelief that she’s here. She is here and she is healthy and she is thriving. The miracle that she is is not lost on me, the miracle that ANY baby is born healthy and alive is not lost on me. Every single day with my kids is a gift, as much as I lose my f*cking mindddd🤪 every day with my babies is a gift.⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
These days we’ve learned to celebrate the simple things and the little things, and today that’s four beautiful and chaotic months with our sweet baby girl💕
Friday we took Luca to see dino bones and the t-re Friday we took Luca to see dino bones and the t-rex exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History and it was... rawrrrr-some 🦖 lolz. I’ll have you know I reached a new level of multitasking when I was chasing Luca and taking pics of him while nursing Elora in the carrier🤪 highly recommend learning that skill, gives a whole new meaning to hands-free 😆🙌
Luca is three🥳🦖 Andddd I feel like I have a Luca is three🥳🦖 Andddd I feel like I have a teenager😭😭 we had a mini dino bash for him, Alex even dressed up as a t-rex (swipe for the jig and to hear Luca’s new southern accent🤣). It was special, it was fun and it was a great, no-fuss day with our fam❤️
.
We’ve been through a lot in the last year but I wouldn’t say the twos were terrible, pandemic and all! I am so proud of this boy and who he is becoming. Highlights of Luca’s twos: trips to Utah, Nashville and Lake George, exploring the farm, riding tractors, helping mom with the garden, Montessori school and making friends, endless arts and crafts, weaning from nursing, potty training (not really training bc I swear I did nothing🤣), learning all about emotions, speaking in full sentences and the best part of 2020, welcoming his baby sister, Elora🥰 He has BLOWN us away with how he has adjusted to being a big brother, truly. He’s the freaking best. I’m so lucky to be his mama and it is an honor to watch him learn and grow. Keep rockin little dude, we love you times infinity!!!❤️
Elora Leigh is 3 months old today!!⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
⋒ at 3 months:⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
⋒ you are smiling up a storm and finding your voice, especially when your brother tickles your sweet cheeks😭⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
⋒ speaking of your cheeks, they are UNREAL (swipe) and we’re all convinced you’re hiding something in there!⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
⋒ you’re a chunker - opposite of your bro - weighing almost 16lbs and growing out of all your clothes by the day! ⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
keep growing baby girl, and keep shining your light, we love you bb Elora💗
Rollin with my homies😜 we had a blast trying ou Rollin with my homies😜 we had a blast trying out the @cadillac XT6 for the week, it’s the perfect midsize suv with room for the whole family - giving you a closer look over in stories! Thank you to Cadillac for gifting us this experience!!
Mental health check in, how’s everyone doing?? I Mental health check in, how’s everyone doing?? I shared how I’m doing in stories today, we made it through the holidays but it was a lot harder than I thought. I’m sruggling in a few ways. Struggling on social media with the comparison game, struggling in general as a stay at home mom of two, struggling with a fussy two month old that doesn’t sleep, struggling that I’m unable to do things for me right now (like even go to the bathroom or shower alone), struggling with the omnipresent grief and anxiety, struggling with guilt — guilt over not giving my oldest enough attention, over wanting him to start back at school again, over not being happy and grateful 24/7.⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
If I learned anything last year it was to accept my feelings as they come and not label any as “bad,” so that’s what I’m working on, that’s my daily reminder. As my friend said to me today, this is hard, it’s the trenches!! Be gentle. It’s hard and wonderful all at once.⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
Check in below👇⁣⁣⠀
❤️ - I’m feeling great⁣⁣⠀
🧡 - I’m feeling ok⁣⁣⠀
💛 - I’m surviving⁣⁣⠀
💚 - I’m struggling⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
Let’s show up and support each other and remind each other we’re not alone in these hard days🖤

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