Raising Gems With Ruby

Took a hiatus from posting on here, life has been a little hectic! From juggling two littles, to exclusively breastfeeding, it’s been a lot.

I am so excited for warmer weather so I can share how we plan to update our garden, expand our chicken coop, and some outdoor toddler activities I can’t wait to try!

In the meantime, enjoy this picture of my October babe finally getting to stick her pigs in the grass! 🌱

🌿 What I Did Differently With Baby #2 - and Why:

My second birth was a lesson in trusting physiology and my instincts. I chose to let my body lead, and it changed everything.

✨ Spontaneous labor - letting baby choose her timing supports hormones + smoother labor
✨ No pain meds - I wanted full mobility + natural oxytocin flow
✨ No Pitocin for placenta - trusted my body to finish the process
✨ Golden hour + skin-to-skin - regulates baby's temp, breathing, bonding, breastfeeding
✨ Delayed cord clamping - allowed baby to receive full blood volume + iron stores
✨ No hospital bath - protected her microbiome + vernix barrier
✨ Exclusive breastfeeding - early latch helps supply + bonding

Was it intense? Yes.
But it was also calm, deeply instinctual, and incredibly empowering.

My recovery has been faster.
My confidence grew.
And I walked away trusting my body more than ever.

Birth isn't one-size-fits-all - but informed choices + intuition matter.

Egg-citing news! 🥚

We got our first egg from our hens today! We’ve been waiting months for this moment 🧡

Our goodies from Cincy Crunchy Fest! Some lovely (and all natural!) smell goods from Sunburst Ridge Farm, and a cute binky clip from Morchella Knits! The festival is still going until 4 today so head over if you can! It’s worth the trip 🪴

Third trimester nesting as a crunchy mama means prepping all of my “from-scratch” items before baby makes her appearance 👩🏻‍🍳

Round one included some staples:
Homemade laundry detergent 🧺
Pancake mix 🥞
Apple muffins 🍎
Chili (courtesy of my mom) 🥣

I still have a whole list of things I’d like prepared before baby arrives, including my husbands yummy potato soup, but these days we can only do so much before I’m wiped out.

What are some things you prepped (or wished you had prepped) for postpartum?

🥞✨ Homemade Pancake Mix = Mom
Hack of the Week! ✨🥞

One of my favorite little ways to simplify mornings is keeping a jar of pre-made dry pancake mix in the pantry. It’s such a lifesaver when the toddler wakes up hungry, I’m short on energy (hello, pregnancy), or we want a cozy family breakfast without pulling out 10 ingredients at once.

💡Why make it ahead?
• Fewer dishes and less mess on busy mornings
• No hidden additives-just clean, simple ingredients
• Perfect for postpartum, road trips, or when dad needs to whip something up quick

👩🏻‍🍳 Dry Pancake Mix Recipe (makes about
4-5 batches):
• 4 cups (480 g) all-purpose flour
• 3 tbsp (36 g) baking powder
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 3 tbsp (40 g) sugar (optional)

Mix together and store in a sealed jar or container for up to 3 months. Shake before using.

🥞 To Make Pancakes (per batch):
• 1 cup of dry mix
• 1 egg
• ¾ cup milk (or buttermilk for extra fluff)
• 2 tbsp melted butter or oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Whisk wet ingredients, add dry mix, cook on a hot skillet until bubbly, flip, and enjoy fluffy pancakes in minutes.

I love pouring mine into a big glass jar with a label so it’s ready to go whenever we need it.
Little things like this make mom life a whole lot smoother. 💓

Confession time😅...

I've been a little MIA lately. Between our family vacation in the Appalachian mountains and this third trimester completely kicking my butt, l've been in full-on survival mode. 🤰🏻

I'm slowly getting back into the swing of things and can't wait to share more recipes, crunchy living tips, and updates soon.

Thanks for hanging in there with me 💓

✨ Sneaky veggie hack! ✨

Who knew brownies and zucchini could be besties? These fudgy little squares are loaded with hidden veggies, but taste all chocolatey goodness. Perfect way to use up garden zucchini without anyone suspecting a thing 😉

👩🏻‍🍳 Crunchy mom tip: shred your zucchini fine so it melts right into the batter--no one will even know it's there!

Next time you've got extra zucchini, try turning it into dessert instead of stir fry. 💚

We took a little trip to the Earthley Wellness store in Columbus and it was so worth it! I stocked up on some of their most-loved natural remedies like Teeth Tamer, Pain Potion, Breast Balm, Remineralizing Tooth Powder, and their nourishing Vitamin D Cream. I also took advantage of their sample sale, and grabbed several samples to try out! 🌿

But the best part? 😍
They have a play area for kids, which made shopping SO much easier, and my toddler needed to burn off some energy after the car ride. (Seriously, can all stores make this a thing?)
The workers were incredibly kind, helpful, and super knowledgeable. Another perk is that the prices are really affordable for clean, high-quality products.

I left feeling empowered and excited to continue supporting my family’s health naturally.

Have you tried any Earthley products, if so, what are your favorites? & if you haven’t… what are you waiting for?

https://earthley.com/?affiliateId=RaisingGemsWithRuby







Earthley Kate Tietje