life: styled

Favorites Friday, Art, Food & Parties

2012-01-27T15:35:00.000-08:00

Here's a random slew of ideas I've found inspiration from the past few weeks on the interweb.

{1: eskimo kiss. so sweet. via, 2: caterpillar and mushrooms, 3: a good day print, 4: apples and salty medjool caramel, 5: love you more download, 6: color ratio chart. pure brilliance, 7: mail a tube of chappy for the cost of a stamp}

Crazy Man on a Stick

2012-01-24T09:00:00.000-08:00

Right before we left on our trip, I quick whipped up this little man on a stick. I cannot for the life of me, remember where I got the face (you know, back before Pinterest, I just dragged and dropped things into my iPhoto that I wanted to make for later :) So if anyone can place it, please let me know!)

But the premise is still the same even if you made them yourself.

Draw up a face, and a bunch of different eyes, noses, mouths, hats, ties, etc.

Cut them out, (I highly suggest laminating too. Ours is already water damaged after a couple of uses... laminator is on my list now.) and use velcro in order to make the changing faces stick. Attach a popsicle stick to the back of the head and let your kids loose!

My young kids and the older kid we were with (fourteen) all had a blast playing and dreaming up new faces. Shoot, us adults were even in on the action when they'd let us.

Last Day in Paradise

2012-01-24T00:01:00.000-08:00

Today was the last day of our amazing little family vacation *tear*.

It has been one for the books that's for sure. I'm excited to share more details with you, like the great things we saw, things that are perfect for kids and families, where we stayed, etc. I'll get to all those, eventually. Groceries and laundry are on the immediate list upon returning to "normal".

To finish off our trip, we had pictures taken with some phenomenal photographer friends, Gary & Courtney, who happened to be on vacation here at the same time. They have a heart for travel, like us, and have ventured the world taking pictures. They continually inspire and excite us for new ways to look at life.

Here's a couple snap shots they took on my phone at the end of our session, with the most perfect sunset.

Cannot wait to see all the pictures and share them with you too!

If you are looking for photographers who will blow your mind...look no further. We had so much fun with them and they planned out everything to make it effortless, casual, and beautiful.

You can find them on Facebook, Twitter (here and here), or follow along on their blog (they just wrote an amazing post on traveling that we really resonated with).

Tomorrow I'll have another quick and fun idea for kids of all ages!

A Little Down Time

2012-01-16T10:57:00.000-08:00

I'm taking the week off from blogging to spend quality time with my little family.

Here's some shots of what our week of vacation has looked like so far:

{lots of silly time}

{lots of mornings on the beach with pjs, coffee and whales}

{lots of messes and sand}

{lots of local eats}

{lots of drinks with umbrellas}

{lots of family dinners}

{lots of breathtaking sunsets}

{lots of happy smiles in the warm sun}

Enjoy you're week, I'll be checking in next Monday!

Busy Bag for Flying, Geometric Puzzle

2012-01-12T07:00:00.000-08:00

See how small and compact this puzzle is? It's deceiving. This puzzle packs a brainy punch!

I took cue from all the geometric love out there, like this giant geometric puzzle, or these little wooden cubes, and made one out of thin cardboard so it doesn't take up precious cargo space.

I cut these into 2x2 squares then used painters tape corner to corner to get a straight line. Grab some acrylic paints then paint away, leave some blank, add a little silver bling, sky's the limit!

If traveling in the car, you could get a sturdier piece of cardboard and stick a bunch of little velcro strips 2 inches apart, and put the opposing side on each square so they stay in place on a bumpy car ride.

This project is great for color matching, fine motor skills and shape recognition. I'm super thrilled with it and hope it brings many miles of enjoyment.

Busy Bag for Flying, Personal iSpy Book

2012-01-11T07:00:00.000-08:00

Tayden is currently obsessed with iSpy books. Morning, noon and night you can find him delving through the pages of a half dozen at a time. He's super cute when playing with you too. He'll say "I 'py with my own eye..." and if you take too long finding it he'll say "do you need a hint?"

So how much more rad would having your own book containing your own toys among the pages be? Now, I'm not original in this thought. There are plenty of other moms who have done the same before me. But what struck me most about this idea for him was that he will be away from these toys for a couple weeks while we're on vacation. What better way to see your special toys while missing them then on the pages of a book?

This is a bit more time consuming, as you'll need to round up items (I did themed pages), set them up on a white piece of paper (I mistakingly used off white butcher paper, that turned out gray in the photos, but he won't care) and take your picture. Then pick out a few items from that grouping and take a separate photo of those for your child to "spy". Make a cover for your book and send off your photos for printing. Grab a cheap-o bragging book (found mine at Target) and insert them with each coordinating page facing one another.

Voilá! Adorable little book and a happy child.

Busy Bag for Flying, Color Matching Sticks

2012-01-10T07:00:00.000-08:00

Need to work on colors with your kids? These slim little popsicle sticks will be a fun way to do the trick.

I wrote out the name of the color in its coordinating color (for word recognition), then made a set of painted sticks for them to line up and match.

From there, how about building a little stick house? By matching colors side by side. Or put them in a line, like a simple game of dominos. Popsicle sticks have so much unsung potential!

Busy Bag for Flying, Woodland Creatures Memory Game

2012-01-09T07:30:00.000-08:00

This is a super simple idea, using adorable graphics, courtesy of Children Inspire Design, which were initially made for cupcake toppers.

Here, I've printed off a set, used a 2" punch to cut out, and since there's 2 of each creature, made it into a simplified game of Memory.

We have another memory game using baby food jar lids but I didn't want the bulk of the lids for our plane ride. I'm excited to see what other games the kids will come up with for these adorable little animals. What would you do with the download?

For your own copy, click here.

Busy Bag for Flying, Dry Erase Alphabet Matching

2012-01-09T07:00:00.000-08:00

This week we are taking the kids on their first plane ride. Our three year old son is over the moon at the thought. The 18 month old baby girl terrifies me. It's a long flight so I'm loading up our arsenal of busy bag goodness.

Since we're also limited on space (overhead compartment anyone?), the criteria for things allowed in the bag had to be flat, bitty, and long lasting. Tall order, huh?

Check back every day this week while I blow your mind with fantastic new ideas for your bag. AND, I'm giving you a two'fer today. Yep. (see here)

I don't know what it is about me and dry erasing everything lately, but I just can't stop! It's a moms dream to let their kids go wild with a marker on a surface they can just wipe clean! There's so much potential here people...

I have this set of vintage alphabet letters that I usually put on wood blocks, but decided to make a game out of it for my three year old too.

I printed off two sheets of the alphabet, put one in a protective sheet cover and cut up the others into individual letters and you're done. How do you play? Grab a dry erase marker and pull a letter out of the stack, match it with the other and cross it off. Great way to practice letter recognition and matching.

I love this one because it takes up such minimal space. You could make a whole slew of different games out of this too, and put them in behind each other, switch it out when ready for a new one. Like maybe this vintage iSpy sheet?

(ps- if your kid likes iSpy, be sure to come back on Wednesday...)

Favorites Friday, Put a Plastic Animal On It

2012-01-06T07:00:00.000-08:00

Ok, granted, "put a plastic animal on it" doesn't have the same ring as "bird" does, but I'm telling you here and now, they are the next it item. And they are my favorite new things.

They're popping up everywhere from DIY's to those for sale.

Here's a terrific smorgasbord of both.

{1: photo holder, 2: place card holder, 3: craft jar organizers, 4: wrapping paper decoration,
5: jewelry holder, 6: fridge magnets, 7: candle holder}

Be sure to check back every day next week for terrific new busy bag ideas
that you will not want to miss!

A Memorable Christmas, 2012

2012-01-05T13:29:00.000-08:00

5 Days to a Cleaner Home

2012-01-03T22:21:00.000-08:00

One of my goals this year is to keep up with cleaning the house. It seems that once the weekend rolls around, the last thing I want to do is break away from quality time with my family and go scrub a toilet.

So how do you eat an elephant?

One dirty rag a day.

Truthfully, I started doing a chore a day a year ago, but as life, and my days got busy, I faltered, and my house suffered. And as much as I loathe dusting, the dust bothered me more.

So I picked it back up a couple weeks ago and let me tell you, the weeks get easier, more streamlined, and the chores become second nature (and things don't get as dirty!).

I made this chart to remind me of how I have the weekly tasks broken down. If you click on the image below, you can download a copy too. They're listed how I structure my week, Monday's at top, Friday at bottom (yup, that's right, you get the entire weekend off) but didn't want to list the certain day in case that doesn't fit how you'd want to structure your week.

The best way to stay motivated is to print this out (it's a 5x7 print), stick it in a frame, and put somewhere you'll see it everyday (by the kitchen sink?). Velcro a dry erase marker to the side of your frame and as you finish your chore for the day, mark a big ol' X across it. Oh the satisfaction in checking things off a list!

Now excuse me, my iron is calling my name (save me).

2012 New Years Resolutions

2012-01-03T07:00:00.000-08:00

what are yours?

Menu Monday, New Years Vegetarian Kick Start

2012-01-02T08:15:00.000-08:00

It's officially the beginning of the year and the un-official kick off to "diets" around the world. But I don't diet. My food intolerance list is quite long enough that I refuse to eliminate even more! What I do believe in is healthy eating and that sometimes the body can use a little recharge, a cleanse if you will. To rid the system of too many rich holiday food and drinks. And I have to get into a bathing suit in a week.

These recipes are all vegetarian, because I find I feel much better when I cut out meat. They're also seasonal recipes so you're sure to get the most flavor. Certain ingredients overlap too so you get the most bang for your buck. Join me this week and kick start your 2012 with taste!

{m: herb, chard, and feta soup, t: persimmon and hazelnut salad, w: quinoa, fennel, and pomegranate salad, th: kale-walnut pesto pasta, f: fennel, orange, and avocado salad, sa: citrus and endive salad, su: cauliflower steaks with olive relish and tomato sauce}
And no good cleanse would be any fun without a few treats and snacks. The Food Lover's Cleanse (see number 1) has a lot of fun suggestions in their 2 week menu like celery sticks with meyer lemon relish and chevre. Hello yum! I gathered up a few others that I'll be making for this week.

{1: the food lovers cleanse, 2: gluten-free, egg-free, rosemary crackers, 3: almond-cranberry quinoa cookies, 4: fruit and nut bars,
5: rosemary infused olive oil, dark chocolate, and salt popcorn, 6: garlic parmesan edamame, 7: no bake energy bites}

Favorites Friday, 2011 Favorite Posts

2011-12-30T07:00:00.000-08:00

Here's a quick look-back into 2011, with some of the pivotal posts and terrific opportunities that have come along these past 12 months. Thanks to you for your input, encouragement and spreading the word.

Happy New Years!!

1. my very first feature! it was an exciting opportunity that has since opened up more wonderful experiences (see list at right) and has me hungry for more.

2. summer list of activities. this activity really pushed me to think outside of the box (no pun intended) to make a memorable summer for the kids.

3. Tayden's art in a closet, what he coined "art stop" and has brought endless joy and creativity, proving a small house shouldn't limit opportunities.

4. vintage transportation party featured on Hostess with the Mostess. seeing this little party on her blog had me over the moon with joy.

5. our busy bag. what a (continuous) labor of love. it was so much fun to explore this new-to-me concept and push myself to see teaching in a new way. looking forward to sharing more ideas in the new year, until then, make sure to check it all out from the tab above.

6. doggie bo's birthday party was an unexpected little pep to taking an idea and turning it into a week's worth of activities that has continually sparked interest in the 3 year old for the next celebration. may put him on payroll soon.

7. thanksgiving activity mat. this little mat starting bringing new audiences to the blog, to which I am most grateful.

8. a month of advent activities. I loved dreaming up 25 activities and challenging myself to do them each and every day, even in the crazy hustle of the holidays. the kids totally benefited from it, so that makes it all worth it.

9. guest post week! so, so much fun having other fabulous bloggers sharing their passions here. I've got plans for many more this next year, starting in January so look for that to come!

Flubber!

2011-12-29T17:50:00.000-08:00

This year, for some of the older kids in our lives, we made them flubber for Christmas. You, know, the 1961 classic Absent Minded Professor and his tremendous invention? I mean, he made a car fly, people! I love that movie.

Now, I don't promise you flying cars, but I do promise at least a solid hour of play and discovery out of this recipe. And, if you read to the bottom, you'll find my discovery that is perfect for boys...

I originally stumbled upon the scientific concoction through Pinterest (if you haven't joined, you really need to get on board) to Frugal Fun Challenge's website.

I made a few alterations to that recipe, mainly halving the recipe, which made more than plenty for our needs. Here's the recipe for you!

1. Get 2 bowls.

2. In one bowl, mix up 3/4 cup warm water, 1 cup Elmer's glue, and food coloring (we used neon blue) real good.

3. In your second bowl, stir 1 1/2 teaspoons of Borax (found in the laundry aisle of your grocery store) and 1/2 cup warm water until Borax is dissolved.

4. Pour the Borax mix into the glue mix and knead with your hands until fully incorporated.

Watch as science flies around your kitchen! It is seriously so much fun, and weird, and easy! What more could you want?!

Like I said, we gave ours as gifts, so after enough playing, I put it into jars and made labels. What I discovered when putting them into jars is that it makes your very own fart maker! Kid you not. So, if you're looking for perfect entertainment for your tween boy, make this and stick it in a jar. Hilarious.

I digress, it makes a good gift, or party favors for a science party. Something to break away from play-doh.

Have fun!

Homemade Limoncello

2011-12-28T08:20:00.000-08:00

During Thanksgiving, my in-laws brought up a giant box of their home grown lemons. I knew immediately those perfectly virgin rinds would make a perfectly flavored limoncello.

I took que from CHOW and Martha Stewart and made this wonderful liqueur as gifts for friends on Christmas.

With an ingredient list of only 4 items, how could you find an excuse not to make it? Keep in mind you'll need a week to let the lemons and vodka do their thing, so plan ahead if giving it as a gift.

Why do you need limoncello in your freezer? Because it's good. How do you serve it? Traditionally, served up neat, in a chilled cordial glass. But I like it mixed with a chilled cava. Or with orange juice and seltzer.

The process for making it is really quite easy.

1. Peel about a dozen lemons, trying to only take the yellow part of the rind. Too much white rind can make it turn bitter.

2. Stick those rinds into a big jar. Pour in a bottle of Everclear 151. The higher proof the better.

3. Give a little shakey-shake (with the lid on of course) and store in a dark, cool place, like your cupboard. Shake and burp (open the lid) once a day for a week.

4. Mix 3 cups sugar and 3 cups water in a saucepan for about 5 minutes, or until the sugar has dissolved and it's thickened up a bit. Let cool.

5. Strain your jar of lemon vodka through a cheesecloth lined fine mesh sieve. It will take a little time to let it all strain through. Be patient. You want a nice clear liquid in the end.

6. Take your lemon liquid and your simple syrup and mix together. Pour into decorative jars (or one big one for yourself) and dress it up with these labels I made for you.

7. Store in the freezer and give when you need an elegant, original gift, or pull out when you're having friends over for brunch.

Paper Activity Mat

2011-12-27T07:00:00.000-08:00

The other week, while the kids were napping, I busted out a roll of butcher paper, markers, and a strong penchant for creating a super-activity-mat for the kids.

I knew it would need roads, a railway, airport and construction zone.

I also threw in some parking spots, a little lake for the animals to roam around, and greenery to fill the spaces.

Tayden loved it and straight away put his train on it. Then there were cars. Cars driving through the mud and on the railroad tracks! We had a few moments of panic, wondering if the cars would make it out of the way in time before the train came.

Happily there were no accidents to report, except the giant baby who thought it was funny to just run and stomp on it.

Our 25 Days of Christmas

2011-12-25T20:50:00.000-08:00

Here's the final look at our 25 days of Advent Activities.

These are definitely ones we can repeat for years to come, so I plan on recycling this for next year and am excited to track the progress of the kids' involvement and abilities.

One thing that I did notice in Tayden that I wanted to share was how his creativity and imagination really took flight after doing something stimulating every day. I was astounded at the difference in just one month of diligently engaging with them in these small ways.

I'm excited in this next year to keep on this track as the oldest is reaching "pre-k" age (we're planning on homeschooling) and will be looking to take ideas from you parents on techniques or activities that you have found work with your littles.

Merry Christmas and here's to looking forward to the new year!!

Merry Christmas & 2011 Review!

2011-12-23T07:00:00.000-08:00

Thank you all for a most terrific year here on the blog! I'm extremely excited for what's to come in 2012. If you have any recommendations on what you'd like to see here in this next year, as well as the things you've enjoyed so far, please leave a comment below.

Without further ado, here is the 2011 Waller Christmas card!

{our card from 2010}

A Last Minute Ornament That Will Last a Lifetime

2011-12-22T07:00:00.000-08:00

{today's post is from Melissa at daily-ish mel. a place to enjoy such weekly posts as wordless wednesday or crafty friday.

she's my crafting partner in crime and I'm so happy to have her share a hand embroidered felt ornament with us today.

be sure to stop by her blog and say hi!}

The idea for this ornament came from the festively fun book Fa la la la Felt. I love working with felt for many reasons, mainly because it doesn't ravel when cut and makes for a perfect canvas for embroidery projects.

The beading was very time consuming but really added the delicate detail I was looking for.

From earth-friendly felt, eco-felt to bamboo felt, crafting with felt can be green. Start yours today for a lifetime of Christmas enjoyment!

Gallery Wall for Artwork and Christmas Cards

2011-12-21T04:00:00.000-08:00

{I am giddy with delight for today's guest post from Abbey over at Aesthetic Outburst.

you can find her amazing handiwork gracing pages all over the blogisphere. from the creative art in her shop,
to making and styling costumes for Parents Magazine, and everything in between! this is a blog you'll want to bookmark and visit daily.

here today she is sharing a tutorial for a gallery wall. use it to hang art work or for displaying Christmas cards. thanks for the great idea Abbey!}

Hi, I’m Abbey Hendrickson! I live with my little family in rural upstate New York. We recently purchased an old, abandoned farmhouse and have spent the last few months working to make it our own. When I’m not tearing down walls or refilling sippy cups, I write a blog called Aesthetic Outburst and work as a freelance craft stylist. Thanks so much to Christen for inviting me here as a guest blogger!

One of the first things we did when we moved into our house was to make a gallery wall for our kiddos (ages 2 and 4). They’re both quite prolific and love to see their artwork displayed. Making a gallery wall is simple, and kids of all ages will love having a spot to hang artwork, photos, or important reminders. You’ll need:

screw eyes
wire (I used 18 gauge)
wire cutters
a level and/or measuring tape
clothespins
artwork

Instructions:

1. Mark the spot where you want to put your first screw eye. Using a level or tape measure, mark the spot where you want the matching screw eye. Mine are about 3 feet apart.
2. Twist the screw eyes into each mark.
3. Secure wire around the first screw eye and stretch the wire to the other. Wrap wire around that screw eye and cut off any excess wire.
4. Continue for each level, being sure to take into account the average size of your artwork and keep enough space in between.
5. Hang your artwork!

Making a Difference Around the Globe

2011-12-20T07:00:00.000-08:00

{please join me in welcoming Courtney from See Jane Advocate to the blog today.
she's here to share her heart, passion, and terrific ideas on how to make a difference in other people's lives this holiday season.
be sure to show her some love by leaving a comment below as well as visiting her website. thanks, Christen}
I'm so honored to be guest blogging here today! My name is Courtney, and I am extremely passionate about advocacy and helping people in need around the world. I know I'm not the only busy mom who wants to make a difference, so I created a blog called See Jane Advocate where moms (or busy people in general) can find quick, affordable and practical ways to make a difference.

Since the idea of finding ways to make a global difference in your daily life is one of my biggest life principals, it makes sense to me to incorporate those values into our Christmas celebrations. So I wanted to share 4 easy ideas on how to do that.

1. Stocking stuffers of cash to be spent on an online relief gift catalog

This has become one of my favorite parts of Christmas. Two years ago we started replacing stocking stuffers for our families with envelopes of $15 cash to be spent together on the Samaritan's Purse Gift Catalog or World Relief's Catalog of Hope. So on Christmas day, in that lull between gifts and lunch, we all get online and everyone spends their $15 (PS. You can do SO much for $15! Did you know you can feed a hungry baby for a WEEK for $9???). It's a win-win for us because it gives us an activity to do and it's crazy awesome to see the difference that our Christmas celebration makes for people in developing countries.

2. Make or Give an Operation Christmas Child Online Shoebox

If you aren't familiar with Operation Christmas Child, I would strongly encourage you to check it out. You can now make and send a shoebox gift online for $35 or pay for a box and send it to someone else to let them fill it and send it. This would be a great way for a family to do something awesome together on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Elementary aged kids would probably get especially excited to put this box together on the website (they can even upload a photo of themselves and write a note for the receiving child!). I also love this as a gift for families who don't live near you.

3. Buy just ONE gift that makes a difference

I know it's late for gifts, but just ONE gift that makes a difference can change someone's life in a developing country. Here are couple of my favorites that are pretty mainstream so you don't have to worry about shipping in time for Christmas:

FEED Bags. Fabulous bags (I use mine as a diaper bag!) that provide food, vitamins and other essentials for children in developing countries. You can find them at Whole Foods, Nordstrom, Gap and tons of other retailers.

TOMS (both the shoes and their new eyewear). Since they are super hip these days, they're pretty easy to find! Here's where you can find a retailer for their eyewear or a retailer for their footwear. They also offer gift cards!

West Elm has a whole line of products called Handmade in Haiti that are made by Haitian artisans attempting to rebuild their life after the earthquake. The products are RAD and support a great cause. Here's where you can find the nearest store.

4. Send a Christmas card to your sponsor child (and if you don't have one, get one!)

This idea started last year when Abreham, our sponsor child in Ethiopia, sent us a Christmas card with a drawing of an Ethiopian Christmas tree and it looked nothing like ours. Joelle (my oldest) was intrigued, so we sent him a card with a drawing of OUR Christmas tree...and it has now become a tradition. It's been a great way to get my kiddo involved in something meaningful that is also fun for her (even if she wouldn't show her face for the photos)! If you don't yet have a sponsor child, it's really one of the best things that we've done and I would encourage you to find a child to sponsor. We go through Food for the Hungry because we got to see their amazing work first hand in Ethiopia a few years ago, but you could also go through Compassion International or several other great organizations.

Ok, so these things might not change the WHOLE world. I do realize that. But they will deeply effect the life of at least one person in need and at least one person close to you (you, your child, your family, your friends). The point is: Do what you can. Even if it's a little thing, it can make a big difference to someone else.

I hope these things inspire you to find meaningful traditions that will work for YOUR family. Please let me know if you have any questions!

And if you have any ideas to add to this list please share them with us in the comments!!! I hope you all have a very merry and blessed Christmas! Thanks for having me here!

Menu Monday, Christmas Week

2011-12-19T09:51:00.000-08:00

Instead of my usual weekly menu, I thought I'd share some of the food traditions we do for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, with some links to recipes, for you to try too (just click on the photos to take you to the recipe).

Christmas Eve has always been a tamale dinner, ever since I can remember. Our next door neighbors would wheel a wagon full of steamy hot, homemade tamales, with all the sides, to our house and we'd devour it in no time flat. I love those memories, and so it continues on with our family here. We all gather for a homemade tamale dinner and do an ornament white elephant exchange, to get us in the Christmas spirit.

It also wouldn't be Christmas Eve without making sugar cookies for Santa. We'll make a variation of these two this year.

I make monkey bread for Christmas morning. I prep it the night before so I can throw it in the oven first thing in the morning, and still be a part of all the present-mayhem. The warm, gooey, cinnamon pull apart bread is perfect for sneaking a quick bite in between gifts.

Then my mother-in-law is in charge of Christmas brunch. Because she does it the best. She's been making eggs benedict since my husband and his siblings were wee ones. It's nice to sit back, relax, and stuff my face. The one day a year I allow myself to eat eggs. It's that worth it.

And we'll bring these mimosas with homemade limoncello we made.

After substantial resting from the adults and playing of new toys from the kids, we like to sit down to a quiet dinner at home, and enjoy the peace that Christmas brings.

I look forward to these food traditions all year. What do you and your family do? Will you start a new tradition this year? I'd love to hear your ideas below!

Favorites Friday, Trees!

2011-12-16T09:49:00.000-08:00

A few years back I started collecting snowmen. Their cuteness is irresistible (and I'm not a collector...too much clutter).

But lately, I've found them a bit too cute. You know what I mean? I'm definitely finding favor with the humble Christmas tree. In all forms.

Check out some crafty finds I've rounded up. Trying to decide which one to do this year, they're all so fun. The ice cream cone trees would be super fun to do with the kiddos, in lieu of a gingerbread house. Same with the pine cone & pom pom "tree", it's only 2 ingredients (Kiwi Crate has a whole 2 ingredient series that's definitely worth checking out)!

What collection do you fancy for Christmas decor? Leave your comments below!

{1: wood pallet tree, 2: candy cookie trees, 3: vintage ruler tree, 4: piñata tree,
5: felt trees, 6: wood block tree, 7: pine cones & pom-poms}

Chocolate Rosemary Olive Oil Cake

2011-12-15T08:58:00.000-08:00

I had the privilege this month of partnering with Bob's Red Mill and California Olive Ranch in their quest for better holiday baking using whole grain and olive oil.

Be sure to visit their websites to find more delicious recipes! Click here and here to check out this recipe on their websites.

Here's the recipe I came up with, using Bob's nutrient-packed millet flour and COR's chocolatey Arbosana EVOO.

Chocolate Rosemary Olive Oil Cake

1 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill unbleached white flour
3/4 cups Bob's Red Mill millet flour
3/4 cups sugar
3/4 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoons salt

3 eggs
1 cup California Olive Ranch's Arbosana Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3/4 cups milk

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
4 ounces grated dark chocolate bar (70% cacao)
2 tablespoons sugar (for top crunch)

Preheat oven to 350º. Rub a bundt (or loaf) pan with olive oil.

Whisk the flours, sugar, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.

In another bowl, whisk the eggs together, then add the olive oil and milk to the eggs. Whisk until blended. Then mix in the rosemary.

Fold wet ingredients into the dry, mixing until just combined. Next fold in the shaved chocolate until uniformly mixed.

Spoon the 2 tablespoons of sugar into the bottom of your bundt pan. Then pour the batter into your prepared pan.

Bake for 40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and skewer inserted comes clean.

Wait until the cake is cooled before inverting the bundt pan to release your beautiful cake!

Imaginative Play, Kitchens

2011-12-14T18:37:00.000-08:00

Our big gift to the kids this year is a play kitchen and all the accessories and play food. These mini little kitchens are everywhere right now, and for good reason. They are so fun. Spark creativity. And develop imaginative play.

We decided to make our own from an old tv stand, so we could do it on the cheap, and have exactly what we wanted in it.

Here's the stand we picked up for $5! Aka, the "before".

I also went to thrift stores and the dollar store to pick up a lot of the accessories like towel racks, dishware, faucet, etc.

The most important part of the kitchen is the food. We got a variety, but if you too are looking for a good resource, start here.

I also rounded up some inspiration, whether you'd like to buy or make one yourself. I'll also be sure to post our "after" pictures...if it gets done in time for Christmas. Wish us luck!

{row 1: 1, 2, 3}
{row 2: 1, 2, 3}
{row 3: 1, 2, 3}

Our Turkey & Tannenbaums, 2012

2011-12-13T08:00:00.000-08:00

The Thanksgiving Feast & Gift Exchange

Christmas Tree Hunt & Tailgating Lunch

Christmas Tree Lighting & Leftover Party

Send-Off Pancake Breakfast

Menu Monday, CHOW

2011-12-12T17:25:00.000-08:00

I may be late to the party, but I just discovered the coolest food website I've seen in a long time.

CHOW.

It just calls you in. The reason I fell in love? The vivid photos, unusual recipes, and tons of DIY food gifts. But there is so much more than that too.

Like this advent, where each day you visit, you can unwrap a new recipe to make and give as a gift.

I gathered up recipes for this week solely from CHOW. So...chow down.

{m: sautéed bratwurst with broccoli rabe, t: swiss chard stuffed shells, w: bacon and cheddar deviled eggs, th: slow cooker split pea soup, f: gai lan and shiitake stir-fried brown rice, sa: honey-mustard baked chicken, su: chipotle, beef and bean chili}

Favorites Friday, Matryoshka Nesting Doll Kitchen

2011-12-09T07:00:00.000-08:00

Oh among my many favorite things, Russian nesting dolls has always held a sentimental spot in my heart.

Whilst I plan on starting a collection for Sedae, gathering a new set every year, I need to re-vamp some items in our kitchen and want all these seen below. Especially that worlds-cutest-pillow. Have you ever?? Love her.

{1: nesting storage containers, 2: stacking cups, 3: tea towels, 4: nest friend pillow,
5: measuring spoons, 6: kitchen timer, 7: stacking glasses}

Gathering of Grandparent Gifts

2011-12-07T07:00:00.000-08:00

Today on our advent calendar, we are to shop for presents for the grandparents. A sentimental craft is surely the way to any grandparents heart because who loves your kids more? And giving them something they can show off is even better.

While I haven't decided exactly what we'll end up getting today, I figured I better take the initiative lest we come home and wrap hot wheels that Tayden inevitably would choose.

{1: silhouette pictures, 2: modge podge photos on canvas, 3: kids art notepad,
4: wood block ornaments, 5: hot chocolate on a stick, 7: tangerine gumdrops}

Cookies and Champagne Holiday Party

2011-12-06T21:30:00.000-08:00

It's a simple premise: invite guests, each guest brings 2 dozen of their home baked cookies, you set one dozen out, and one dozen aside for everyone to take home, eat, drink, be merry and bright.

Just the simple act of adding cookies and champagne together, makes for one magical day of friends enjoying the Christmas season.

And one of these years, I'm going to have one...

Here's what mine will look like.

And if you beat me to it, two things: I better be invited and here's the invite to send. (click image below)

This perfectly updated girly color palette will draw everyone in. Focus on pink and gold, and throw in some yellow and orange. How fun, right?!

Scroll through the pictures below for more party details. Cheers!

set up your table for guests to set their cookies on and grab a glass of bubbly like this gorgeous table with chevron backdrop
send each guest home with a cookie spatula and sweet tag thanking them for coming like this gift tag found here
how amazing would your cookie labels look with some jeweled bling
you can order these limited edition möet & chandon champagne bottles to add to the festive pink & gold
make sure to dress up your invites when you send them out, as they set the tone for the party
no party is a good party without drinks and humor
make these tiny trees using champagne corks either before as decorations, or during as a fun project everyone can do when a bottle is opened

buy or create this cute toast towel to send one lucky winner home with a bottle of bubbly to go with their cookies
set up tables for guests to assemble their cookie take-homes while sitting and enjoying a plate like this eye catching set up
easy decor can be done using glass pillars, water, floating candles and embellishments like found on this dessert table
don't forget the details like this pink and gold pillow
recipe cards are a must for your guests to bring and share so provide them with a dozen like these free downloads
break away from just cookies and have some other treats available for your guests to munch on like these ribbon candies
fill a big bucket of ice with plenty of bottles of champagne chilling and if you're feeling adventurous cover them in pink wrapping to spice them up even more

Menu Monday, Start of December

2011-12-05T13:04:00.001-08:00

Here is December's meal planner download. Just click on the photo below to download.

If you're unsure of how to use this planner to work for you, how about framing it and using it as a dry erase board where you can change out the recipes each week like this.

Then write out the menu below and the hardest part of coming up with dinner is done! We had Sunday's ham bone soup last night and it was amazing.

{m: quinoa cakes with poached egg, t: spaghetti with meat sauce, w: mini burgers using gluten free soft dinner rolls,
th: sweet potato and chickpea stew with quinoa, f: caramelized onion, bacon and goat cheese pizza,
sa: coconut waffles with cranberry sauce, su: ham bone soup}

Favorites Friday, Stack it Up

2011-12-02T07:00:00.000-08:00

If you're looking for some open-ended toys for your tot, check out these stacking toys that will really stack up!

Oh... bad joke.

But really, these are great and will last through the generations.

{1: balancing blocks, 2: vintage romper room round abouts, 3: magical beans,
4: tobbles, 5: vintage bill ding blocks, 6: stackrobots, 7: witty worm}

Our Advent of Activities for December

2011-12-01T13:10:00.001-08:00

Here it is!

I took inspiration from my gathering of advent calendars, and came up with this for our little family.

And I'm sharing the download with you!!!

I knew that instead of a candy/little toy advent calendar, I wanted to be able to have activities for each day of the month, to savor the fun of December. The greatest thing is that the activities I chose can be enjoyed by kids of all ages, tweaking here and there where necessary.

I also knew that I wanted the calendar to hang in our house, as counter-top space is limited. This way, it makes a cute little banner to enjoy all month long as well.

I love how hanging it on our mirror allows a peak at the un-covered day to come, or the reflection of the paper back once revealed.

So here's what to do. Download, print and cut out the activity cards I made for you. Choose and cut out 3x3 squares of scrapbooking paper to cover the back of your activity cards (and one 4x4 for December 25th). Glue the decorative paper to the back of the cards, grab some twine or ribbon and clip on your cards with clothespins. Each day, uncover your activity for that day. Easy! Fun!

Below are links to some of the crafts found on the cards.

December 2- make crystal snowflakes
December 6- make hot glue tracings of winter objects
December 9- make snowglobes
December 12- make okra snowflake prints
December 14- make an ice block building
December 15- make foam snowmen
December 19- make snow-melt art wrapping paper
December 20- make cottonball snowman
December 21- make glue paint snowflakes
December 22- make snow play-doh

Advent Calendar

2011-11-29T10:00:00.000-08:00

Ok, December 1st is coming up quick...too quick. I have been wanting to make an advent calendar, to start this tradition I grew up with, with our kids.

So I started searching around last night and holy calendars there's a lot of amazing ideas out there!

I haven't decided which I'll do, other than I want to fill them with activities to do together. Hopefully I can get a list put together and our calendar to share soon, but until then, here's my favorites.

{stocking advent with printable, string of lights advent and pattern, paper roll advent and download, matchbox advent,
brown box advent, activity advent and printable, baby sock advent, advent pouches}

{paper bag bunting advent, library card advent, advent for everyone, spool advent and download, magnetic tin advent,
craft stick and origami tree advent, lego advent and download, counting the days advent}

Cyber Monday

2011-11-28T11:34:00.001-08:00

{make boozy olives, bay rum after shave and mountain spice liquid shaving soap, bottle opener and resealer,
hand printed rock glasses, vintage Emerson clock radio converted to mp3 player}

{kenyan black tea, 100% goes towards education of kenyan orphans, heart on your sleeve long gloves,
iPod/iPhone stand, ruffle front skirt, vintage 70's drinking glasses}

{hand knit wool owl, dancing ballerina, fabric button hair clips, set of 3 babushka russian matryoshka cloth dolls, hand painted wood cubes}

{vintage push out puzzles, recycled car crayons, hand knit crankypants, wood tic tac toe, vintage wooden trail pull toy}

Menu Monday, Thanksgiving Leftovers

2011-11-28T11:22:00.001-08:00

Is your fridge chock full of the most coveted leftovers of the year? Ours is. And I love a good turkey and fixin's plate as much as the next guy, but you can only eat so many of those in a row.

So here's some variations on using those leftovers that will be making appearances on our dining room table this week.

{m: the hammy down, ham sandwich, t: pocket pies filled with leftovers, w: quesadillas with chutney and brie, th: mashed potatoes au gratin, f: Roast Turkey Panini with, Pesto, Roasted Red Peppers and Fontina, sa: pumpkin pancakes, su: turkey ban mi}

2011-11-25T09:00:00.000-08:00

Here's what we're out doing today.

{photo source}

Hope you're enjoying family, full bellies, and wonderful memories!

Thanksgiving Invites, 2011

2011-11-24T07:00:00.000-08:00

Invitations are wonderful because they are the speak piece that sets the stage for the party to come.

I hope this years Thanksgiving invites do just that for our guests. 'Cause we're ready to party!!

{I took out our address at the top}

{The day after Thanksgiving is traditionally the time we all head up to the forest to cut down our Christmas trees.
This year we're going to try out a full tailgating meal, with Rich's famous turkey pot pie and hot cocoa to keep warm}

{I also made buffet labels for all the dishes we'll be enjoying!}

Happy Thanksgiving to You and Yours!

While Your Turkey's in the Oven...

2011-11-23T14:37:00.001-08:00

Yes, let's be honest, everyone comes for the food. But there's no reason you can't dress it up a bit right?

So while your bird (or tofurkey...) is in the oven, and you're sitting down to rest and watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, take a moment to think about how you will present your food you labored all week over.

Iron that tablecloth and set up a buffet table. Find some cool twigs in the front yard and put them in a vase. Leave little notes for your guests, reminding them of all the reasons to be thankful.

Make your most anticipated meal of the year shine!

{wood runner, twig centerpiece, silhouette place settings}
{coffee filter chair flowers, change up the traditional colors, a symmetric buffet table}
{thankful butcher paper runner, rustic buffet table and tissue pom poms, tree stump chargers}

Kids Thanksgiving Table Ideas

2011-11-23T13:59:00.000-08:00

I love how the traditionally boring, sentence-of-death, Thanksgiving kids table has gotten a complete make over in the past few years. I declare no more twiddling of thumbs, squirming in chairs and whining of boredom!

Make sure to remember your wee ones (and their own sanity) tomorrow with some of these inspiring ideas.

{1: nutter butter and hershey kiss acorns, 2: kids activity place mat, 3: pine cone turkeys,
4: butcher paper covered table, 5: turkey toes jars, 6: tons of crayons}

Menu-ish Monday, Getting Ready for Thanksgiving

2011-11-21T21:01:00.001-08:00

I've said it before, I'll say it again, I'm not a big fan of making dinners the week of Thanksgiving. I don't need more mess, more thought and more stress (I don't do well with stress)! Dinners this week are short, sweet and minimal dishes.

We've got close to thirty family members coming to our house Thursday and a tailgating party in the forest on Friday, so if you're looking for me this week, you'll find me in the kitchen.

Everyone brings their signature dish to the festivities, but what I'm sharing with you are the dishes I love and am making for everyone this year. If you're looking for that special new dish or needing one more side, hopefully you'll find inspiration here.

{1: cranberry cobbler, 2: wine basted turkey, 3: double craggy garlic bread, 4: layered pumpkin pie in a jar, 5: wild rice stuffing with pine nuts, 6: chocolate chunk and caramel pecan pie, 7: green beans with cherry vinaigrette,
8: mashed sour cream and scallion potatoes, 9: spiced cranberry sauce}

Favorites Friday, Muppets Mania

2011-11-18T10:40:00.000-08:00

There's a new Muppets movie coming out next week and I'm so excited! I can't wait to take the kids...and have an excuse to see it too.

The thoughts of this new movie made me remember a miss piggie ornament I had when I was young. Every Christmas it was my most treasured ornament. It had to have front row center placement on the family tree.

(photo source)
Did you have any favorite Muppet paraphernalia growing up?

Here's a round up of some other super cool Muppet themed items you can get or do too!

{1: haters gonna hate, 2: ornaments, 3: muppet puppet printables, 4: art print, 5: minimalist muppets, 6: kermit snack, 7: retro concert posters}

Cowboys & Indians

2011-11-17T08:16:00.000-08:00

What's that? Halloween was a month ago and Thanksgiving is next week? Well, it's never too late to share cute pictures of babes, is it?

Here's our Halloween 2011.

{we went to the central oregon pumpkin patch to feed some animals and pick out pumpkins}

{instead of carving, we had the kids paint their pumpkins}

{finished product...for both}

{all dressed and ready for candy}

{tayden's best friend was a cowgirl. how cute are they?}

{by the end, the little indian princess was tired and cold}

{finished our night with orange colored chocolate chip pancakes for dinner!}

A Birthday for a Child's Friend

2011-11-15T20:15:00.003-08:00

We've all had those friends. Stuffed in nature. The quiet type. You know the kind. Those that are just like real friends.

Our three year old has just that friend. Or two. Or three.

But I digress. The one he's always loved and always talks about is Doggie Bo. So one day, searching for something to engage the kids' minds and creativity, I blurted out "Did you know Doggie Bo's birthday is on Friday?" thinking we could do something fun with that.

'Crap' I quickly thought, 'now he's going to demand a party for all his animals.'

But the can was already opened and he jumped all over that idea. He was so excited to plan a party, we went with it.

Each day we did a new task in order to be ready for the big party on Friday night (once Daddy was home from work).

So that Monday we wrote out a guest list and he made an invite to all of Doggie Bo's friends. (Do you love how Sedae is thought of last? Ah, brothers.)

He wrote out all the party details like the time and date, then drew out what we'd be doing :)

Tuesday we had a lesson in mail delivery and dropped off the invite. We received the invitation the next day on Wednesday (our local mail is really fast) and he was so stoked.

On Wednesday Tayden made Doggie Bo a party hat. Because no good birthday would be complete without it.

Thursday was baking day. And both were in on it, and of course beyond hyped about the forthcoming party. I just loved how excited they got about something that could seem so trivial. Cupcakes were made and decorated. A special one just for the dog-of-the-hour with red icing that read "Happy Birthday" of course.

Friday morning arrived and it was like the royal wedding with play-by-play announcements on Doggie Bo's every movement on his very special day.

That evening the festivities began with Tayden arranging all the invitees on the couch to get the best view.

We treated this as a real birthday party because to a kid, this is real.

We set out the presents and cupcakes and then had Tayden help him open his gifts. Little Sedae had one thing on her mind: how to get those cupcakes in her mouth. She didn't take her eyes off them the entire time.

So we sang, (which Sedae thought was for her) blew out the candle, and moved on to the best part. Eating said cupcakes.

And Doggie Bo got his cupcake (which Tayden ate for him).

I've gotten a few hey mom, when is so-and-so's birthday's but for the most part, he still talks about how cool Doggie Bo's party was and he'll make up his own mini parties for us or his animals, all on his own. I think we'll be sure to celebrate ol' Bo's birthday every year.

Thanksgiving Activity Placemat

2011-11-14T15:48:00.001-08:00

If you are looking for an activity to keep little hands out of the pumpkin pie before dinner, here's the activity for you. Print these place mats onto an 11x14 paper and set at each kids seat. Have a bucket of crayons, markers and pencils available and enjoy at least 20 minutes of quiet. You're welcome.

(click on the photo to download)

Menu Monday, Them vs. Us

2011-11-14T08:28:00.000-08:00

I was gone this past weekend to Portland, Oregon again. And as to not disappoint, I ate my way up and down that city, and took notes, just for you.

I had the best brunch of my life at Tasty N Sons and the best soup of my life at Grüner, and in the same day!

In wanting to know how to try and re-create these divine dishes, I hunted down some great recipes that are close to those in the restaurants I tried. I picked out seven of my favorites, one for you to try each night this week. The beauty of it all is, these recipes are basic and will be most powerful if you use the freshest ingredients possible.

What I love most about NorthWest dining in general, is their obsession with fresh, local and seasonal fare. This translates into the most flavorful products available to you for re-creating on your own.

Enjoy! And let me know what your favorite ends up being.

Restaurant's Way

{1: zeus cafe: pulled pork sandwich with cabbage slaw & bbq sauce on a brioche bun, 2: tasty n sons: roasted apple with bacon lardons & cheddar, 3: h50 bistro: tomato basil soup: san marzano tomato, organic basil, cream, 4: blueplate: northwest sliders: little cheeseburgers with tillamook cheddar & special basil spread, 5: otto: waffled french toast with sauteed apples, pears, cranberries & maple syrup,
6: olympic provisions: chefs choice: assorted charcuterie and cheeses, 7: grüner: cream of turnip soup with dill goat cheese butter} Home Cook's Way
{m: ginger beer pulled pork on brioche buns, t: grilled apples with bacon, cheddar and scallions, w: tomato basil soup,
th: steak sliders with roasted red pepper-basil mayo, f: waffled french toast, sa: pick up assorted hard salami, terrine, paté, cheeses and accompaniments like brown mustard, grapes, fig jam, su: creamy turnip soup}

Easiest Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-11-13T16:26:00.003-08:00

These literally took fifteen minutes to make, including bake time.

This recipe makes a small batch. They will disappear quick and since they're so easy to make, feel free to repeat as necessary.

They're also gluten-free, egg free, and dairy free. But not taste free, promise!

Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies
1/2 cup gluten-free rolled oats (or quick cooking), ground
1/4 cup coconut flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon white sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon oil
4 tablespoons coconut milk (or other non-dairy milk)

2 tablespoons chocolate chips

Pre-heat oven to 375º.

Combine dry ingredients into medium bowl and mix. Add in oil and coconut milk to combine. Stir in chocolate chips.

Form into 1 tablespoon sized balls and place onto cookie sheet.

Bake for 6-8 minutes or slightly browned. Enjoy!

Favorites Friday, Going Crazy

2011-11-11T09:02:00.001-08:00

I've been neglecting this blog lately, totally un-intentionally. I don't know if I'm alone in this, but when I get overwhelmed in one area, all areas suffer.

Things have been crazy busy in our household; from parties, to benefits, to trips, too many projects going, normal household stuff, trying to see friends and family...just never seems to be enough time in the day for all these wonderful things and blogging.

So I apologize if it's sparse around here for awhile. Family will start trickling in for the best holiday of the year (Thanksgiving of course) soon and we can't wait to host everyone again. I will make sure to update on all that I've got planned, projects I'm working on for it. Some fun stuff!

Until then, here's a Favorites Friday in honor of how I've been feeling: crazy!

{1: been loving the crazy combo of neon and neutrals like this purse, 2: may just throw another project in the fire like this crazy paper cup light, 3: favorite crazy artist, jean-michel basquiat, here a self portrait, 4: this print encompasses the reason why I make myself crazy with too much to do, I love it, 5: the crazy colors on this outdoor bench make me hungry for long summer days, 6: turn your kids crazy drawings into their very own stuffed animal, 7: these ladies-in-waiting plates make me crazy happy}

Menu Monday

2011-10-31T08:18:00.000-07:00

This weeks menu kinda speaks for itself.

Rich, hearty, full of fall flavors.

But for tonight, Halloween night, you'll want this easy egg salad sandwich that's full of energy-enduring protein and carbs. And still have room for candy!

{m: egg salad sandwich, t: slow cooker barley soup, w: roast chicken with honey rosemary plums,
th: roasted veggie, quinoa, millet & arugula salad, f: kielbasa, apple and kale hash,
sa: smoked salmon, fennel, grape, blue cheese and pecan salad, su: chicken enchiladas with pumpkin cream sauce}

Last Minute Halloween!

2011-10-30T22:11:00.000-07:00

{us this year: pirate, soccer player, cowboy and indian.}

last year

If you're anything like me, and plan on shopping in your own closet (30 minutes before you're to leave) for your Halloween costume this year, I've extended this brilliancy onto the kids.

Here's a round-up of last minute costumes for baby's, girls and boys, you most likely can pull together with things around your house.

And maybe some duct tape.

{ventriloquist, max, flower child, mommy's mummy, sushi}

{boo ghost, olivia, madeline, pirate, paper doll}

{strong man, gnome, scuba diver, clark kent, golfer}

Favorites Friday, Billy Buttons

2011-10-28T07:56:00.000-07:00

I can guarantee these little billy buttons will be present, in some form or another, in our Thanksgiving feast decor.

I can also guarantee you'll be seeing a lot more of these native Australian flowers everywhere in the near future.

To billy buttons! Aren't they cute?

{1: invitations, 2: custom wine labels, 3: botanical art print, 4: boutonniere, 5: embroidered, 6: table decor, 7: felted wool diy}

Book Swap Party

2011-10-24T22:30:00.000-07:00

If you, or your kids, have books that have been read so many times you start reciting them in your sleep, then this party is for you.

A book swap.

Simply assemble your guest list then pick an invite from below. Send instructions with the invitation to bring a book (or more) they'd like to swap.

Get your house festive with the decor ideas you see here and have a place for each guest to drop their books when they arrive.

Have time for guests to mingle or play while eating the delicious food-centered treats you've prepared.

Before everyone departs full and happy, let the swapping commence. Everyone leaves with as many new books as they brought.

The great thing about this party is a) everyone loves books b) everyone loves a party c) everyone leaves with new-to-them reads and no one has to buy more to get them d) you can do this again and again!

{free printable invite reminiscent of library check out cards of yore, cut out the center of an antique book and insert invite, include bookplates with your invitations for kids to fill out and put into the book they're swapping, order these index cards with bright envelopes, sew envelopes with pages from kids books} {use old book pages as table chargers, make book bags as favors, eraser placemarkers are a fun way to corral the kids to their seats, create three dimensional art covered in book pages, easy to make hanging flowers using catalogs, attach old book pages to coordinating ribbon and hang, use library index cards as a tag for favors} {have little tins of 'caterpillar food' akin to Carle's famous book, assemble a mini book cake banner, use stacks of books on your food table to create height and texture, make little edible books, festive paper straws help bring your party colors together, a mother goose themed menu ties the party together in a pretty-little-bow}

Menu Monday, No Tricks Just Treats

2011-10-24T14:03:00.000-07:00

Having a Halloween party this weekend and need food ideas?
Looking for fun treats to hand out instead of the ususal pre-packaged candy?

Here's a little round up to inspire you to make the most of this goulishly-good holiday.

{1: funny bones: pretzels, marshmallows & white chocolate, 2: wide-eyed fruit smoothies: a mix of berries and yogurt with meringue eyes, 3: bat bites: cheeses rolled in poppy seeds, olive eyes, chip wings, 4: candy corn cheesecake: food colored cheesecake sections from a checkerboard cake pan, 5: cherry mice: cherries dipped in chocolate, almond slice ears, 6: mummy bars: chocolate bars wrapped in white streamers, 7: witch hat cookies: fudge stripe cookies topped with icing and hershey's kiss, 8: edible monster mouth: apple slices, peanut butter, marshmallows, cheerios, and dried apricots, 9: snakes on a stick: breadsticks, herbs and olives}

48 Hours in Portland

2011-10-19T16:21:00.000-07:00

If you know us, and follow along here, you know how excited I get about sharing our travels. I've been trying to put a finger on why that is. Who really cares right?

Then it dawned on me. 99% of the time, we travel with our kids.

And I get comments all the time about "how do you do that?" "I'd never be able to take my kids to the places I want to go." "ya'll are brave." "we just don't have the money."

But we're really not crazy, or that brave, or rich.

We just love to teach our kids about life and living and what makes us tick. And we prioritize travel into our budget. (Really, other than travel cost, we don't spend more money than our normal weekly budget, and that's pretty tight anyway. It is possible!)

With the kids, we set up expectations before hand on what we're going to do, what to expect when there, you know, talk to them.

Is it always perfect? Absolutely no.

Are there times we look at each other and wish for a nanny? Hell yes.

But you can't just pause life because you have kids. They are a part of you, and that's what, we feel, makes you a family. Bonding, sharing, experiencing. I guarantee, at the end of the day, when you snuggle all together and talk about the adventures of the day, it really makes it all worth it.

So how do we make all that work? One trick is to do your research. And that's why I share these places with you. Because I rely on other bloggers to share the same; to introduce me to new and exciting places. And to show those places where it is okay to take your kids for a nice dinner you can enjoy too. (just don't forget your busy bag.)

It had been a few months since the last visit to Portland so the list of places to check out had grown again.

We made a great dent in that list, with reason to go back again soon.

First stop was ReRun, a resale consignment shop. I forgot to get a picture of the front because I was so distracted by all the fun sitting outside waiting to be gone through.

They had tables set up inside, color coordinated, full of household treasures. I was instantly drawn to the orange table as I'm on the hunt for fun vintage finds for the trailer (which is getting prepped for paint btw!). They also had tons of fun vintage kids toys that the littles occupied themselves with while we looked around at the clothes and shoes. Ended up with a cute skirt for me, a rockin pair of pink boots for Dae (find in pictures here) and a couple wood spools I've been looking for.

From there we drove to Alberta Street, the counterculture's mecca for restaurants and shops. We had so much fun walking around and looking in all the shops and eateries.

We stopped at Grasshopper, a toy store filled with imaginative toys, played around for a while before the kids decided on one treasure each. Tayden chose (of course a car) a VW bug, "like Herbie" to be exact :). And got Sedae matryoshka dolls. I grew up playing with them and am excited for her to have some too.

We then walked the few blocks to Cruzroom for lunch.

We were hungry and thirsty from the drive over and all that shopping around. I ordered the Downward Spiral (vodka, sage & marionberries) and he, the Sir Isaac Newton, a fig-laced scotch drink with Aquavit and bitters. I don't like scotch, but this was good.

For brunch (on Sunday's they serve brunch until 2:30) I got the PBT & BBT tacos, with tofu. Rich got the Bacon Chorizo Burrito. And the kids had cinnamon-vanilla pancakes, they were yum!

Oh man, everything was so good. It was our favorite meal of the trip, and highly recommend, with or without kids (they have a sweet outdoor lounge for nighttime).

Headed back the way we came, we stopped at Salt & Straw.

The awesome little food cart, known for their wild ice cream parings, now has a store! And it is so cute, with walls and every detail filled with vintage decor.

I tried their Sea Salt with Caramel Ribbons and Pumpkin Cheese Cake. Rich got the Honey Balsamic Strawberry with Cracked Pepper and the Chocolate with Gooey Brownies. The kids had the Double Fold Vanilla. The sea salt & caramel and the strawberry balsamic were the favorites, but all were awesome.

The kids plopped right down on the floor and started in on their ice cream. The store manager came over to click pictures to go on their wall of fame :). They were so uninhibited by rules and etiquette, and only had ice cream on their minds! It was awesome.

Next we drove to The Meadow, my personal favorite of the trip. It is a salt and chocolate shop. Yes, you heard me right, salt and chocolate. They have over 140 different types of salt, lined up so pretty, all along a wall. And boxes of vintage toys for the kids to play with.

Opposite, is the wall of chocolate.

Oh, and they also have flowers, bitters and wine. It is the coolest store.

We came away with a nice assortment of salts, for bbq'ing, finishing, etc., as well as an aromatic bitter (Rich, the mixologist, is getting into bitters) and Xocolatl de David's Pecan Nougat Bacon Carmel and Parmigiano-Reggiano Chocolate Bar.

We were all pretty exhausted at this point, so we checked in to our hotel and relaxed a bit.

We ended our night at Clyde Common (next to the Ace Hotel), an open kitchen/common seating style restaurant with an assortment of good food. The french fries with harissa and crème fraîche are amazing. We also ordered a cheese plate, with local honey and jam, and cinnamon pork with dijon and pickles. It was really dark upstairs where we sat so I didn't get any real good photos.

To drink we tried the Heavy Petting (vodka, grapefruit, Aperol and quinine syrup), Part and Parcel (tequila, raspberry gum, lime and Punt e Mes), Tuning Fork (scotch, vermouth, orange and honey syrup) and their daily punch which was a gin and apricot brandy mix. Drinks were delicious and different.

When I was telling Rich, prior to leaving, all I was planning for us to do, he laughed and said "We'll never be able to go to all those places, you know that right?"

Yes, we did pass out early that night. But yes, we did make it through all those places, and were ready to do it all again the next day.

48 Hours in Portland II

2011-10-19T16:10:00.000-07:00

(day one)

Day two started with checking out of the room early and headed to Barista.

Holy-66% Organic Dark Chocolate-Mocha!

And we noshed on some tasty bakery goods. Picked up some beans for home too. The experienced baristas were super friendly to boot.

It was a cold, "typical" Portland day, and the plan was to hit as many places in the downtown area as possible before Rich's noon meeting.

All warmed and coffee'd up, we drove to Chop Butchery first. Nothing like raw meat in the morning! Ha!

Those carnivorous taste-buds weren't quite awake, but we did grab an organic pork tenderloin to take home and bbq with our new salts.

From there we drove to Steven Smith Teamakers shop (which is next door to Olympic Provisions downtown restaurant) to select some teas.

The shop is small, but has a few tables to sit down and enjoy a nice pot of tea and chat with friends.

We grabbed a variety pack, to find our favorite, and found out that our Whole Foods now carries their tea. Score!

Then we drove to Lovejoy Bakers to pick up dinner for the drive home.

Super great bakery with lots of indoor and outdoor seating and delicious sandwiches. We got the Cubano and a roast beef with horseradish aioli. The kids shared a turkey and cranberry chutney sandwich. We also grabbed a sourdough baguette to enjoy at home and it has the best sourdough flavor I've ever had.

On the way back to our car we stopped at a little park to let the kids run and look at the fish.

We then dropped Rich off at the Olympic Provisions on the eastside for his lunch appointment (fyi, Chop Butchery eastside is also next door), while the kids and I ventured back downtown to eat at Grüner. I was a little nervous going out with them by myself here, but they were great for me, and the restaurant was most accommodating.

(Olympic Provisions on the left, Grüner on the right)

I ordered the fig & fennel soda (which the kids mostly stole from me), the tarte flambée with sweet onions, smoky bacon, fromage blanc & chives, and their warm powdered donuts with chocolate ganache dipping sauce. All were devoured!

From there we headed to go to the kids museum by the zoo, but they're closed Mondays. We ended up at the World Forestry Museum right next door. The kids liked it; I was bored to tears. However, it was a good activity to expend some energy.

The last stop before heading home was Ristretto Roasters.

Rich got the pour over which was fun. And I, their mocha which was a not too sweet, very tasty break from over-sugared drinks. And again, great atmosphere and friendly baristas.

We gladly ate our sandwiches on the drive home. Thinking ahead this time sure beat grabbing fast food on the way. Win win and what a 48 hours!!

Menu Monday, Mostly Vegetarian

2011-10-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

I've been feeling heavy this week. Weighed down, physically.

When I start to feel this way, I always notice a great difference when I cut out (gluten of course...which I'm not perfect at) meat for a week. As a sort of restart for my body.

So this week, there's lots more veggies in new (Wednesday) and old (Monday) ways. Finishing off the week with a tasty organic, grass-fed chuck roast.

I love fall cooking.

{m: vegan black bean burritos, t: quinoa, roasted grapes and garlic, w: braised artichokes with olives and feta, th: yumm bowl, f: grape and rosemary jam, serve with cheese and bread, sa: rosemary red bean soup, su: organic grass-fed chuck roast with bouquet garni}

Favorites Friday, Fall Projects for the Home

2011-10-14T14:26:00.000-07:00

Now's the time, if you haven't already, to start pulling out those boxes stored away marked "fall".

If some of your decor from seasons past are looking a little sad around the edges, start the season off right with some of these great projects. Sure to spruce up your home, make you feel all warm and cozy, like autumn does best.

{1: paint your house numbers on a pumpkin, 2: cover frames in fall colored lentils, 3: make leaf printed linens, 4: adorn a cowl with some festive pom poms, 5: decorate with a nature garland like this, 6: eat many bowls of homemade pumpkin gingersnap ice cream, 7: start making vanilla now to give as christmas presents later}

A Fling with Seattle, Day 2

2011-10-14T09:13:00.000-07:00

(day 1)

We woke up the next morning, exhausted, but determined not to let lack of sleep ruin our best day.

(above photo of Sedae: she was mad that she couldn't be walking on her own. Girlfriend loved to walk the city.)

First stop, Top Pot Doughnuts.

Hand forged, trans fat free, and full of flavor.

This is also the scene of the crime for poor, dear Tayden.

He pulled himself up to a table we were about to sit down at and our fresh poured coffees spilled all over him. It was so awful.

I quick pulled his pants and shoes off (where it all spilled).

Yeah, in the doughnut shop.

Oh, the looks.

It was parenting at its most awesome.

We took him back to the hotel to change and went walking to find the ferry. For the kids' first boat ride!

Easy to say they loved it. We looked for sharks in the water. (didn't see any ;))

We had taken the ferry to Bainbridge island. It was adorable. Loved.

From the ferry dock we walked all the way around downtown, down to the marina, and had lunch at Doc's.

Warm sun. Sitting at the marina. With our two kiddos. Eating great food and drinks.

Rich and I couldn't get past that moment of absolute perfection. It was the most memorable part of the trip.

Before heading back to the ferry we stopped for ice cream at Mora Iced Creamery. I got lemon bar and dark chocolate. It was so creamy and delicious.

We had to sprint (yes, again) a good mile, to get back to the ferry on time. Made it with one minute to spare.

From the dock we walked straight to another restaurant...at the Space Needle!

But that was another hike and a half.

And we were tired of walking.

But lacking other options (the horse carriage and bike pulley said they wouldn't go up the hill...we should've taken that as a clue to hunt down a taxi) we pressed on, carrying a kid most of the time, and finally made it.

We stopped for some quick photos at the Frank Gerhy EMP building.

Inside the Space Needle, we took the epic elevator ride to the restaurant and were seated at the window! The whole restaurant rotates while you're sitting and eating, in a full circle in 47 minutes. We saw the same views about 3 times. Another wonderful meal, service and memories.

(photo above: I ordered a drink with dry ice, that made it bubble and smoke. Sedae was not fond of it. Her face was classic.)

The last thing we had to do was take the monorail from the Space Needle conveniently right back to our hotel (it only stops once). We were full, happy, and tired of walking. It was also the kids' first "train" ride. It was so fun riding up over the city.

Back at the hotel, we had a wonderful nights sleep (as our next door neighbors were gone) and headed home the next morning. Thanks Seattle, for another memorable trip. See you again soon!

A Fling with Seattle, Day 1

2011-10-13T21:27:00.000-07:00

Our little fam took a mini vacation to Seattle last week.

We had the best time ever.

Well, mostly.

Some absurd things happened on our 2 day trip.

Like a lady having a seizure in a restaurant and having to call 911.

Like getting into a fight with our hotel neighbors and security being called.

(got your attention huh? not quite that dramatic, but it'll make you keep reading)

Like Tayden pulling a table and pouring an entire hot cup of coffee onto himself.

Aside from that, we did what we love to do best: eat and discover. We walked everywhere. Which was good, for all the eating we did.

Another great thing about this trip? I marked two things off my 1001 list! (That list needs more attention.)

There are so many great places and pictures to share (I'll apologize now for the crappy photo quality, all I had was my trusty iPhone) that this will be a two posts.

The first day we checked into our room and the kids (and truthfully, us too) went nuts! It was a perfect introduction to our trip with views of the sea, Pikes Market and some fun only-in-Seattle window art of a beloved childhood icon.

We headed downtown for dinner, determined to eat Beecher's famous mac & cheese, when a poor woman had a seizure in the shop, and we had to call 911. Luckily there was a nurse dining there that started administering help to her. We soon realized the cramped little shop was about to get a lot more full, so we pushed on.

And around.

And circled back again.

Couldn't find anywhere that looked good to sit down, with kids.

So we ended up at Hard Rock.

I know, we were in Seattle and we ate at Hard Rock.

But, the service was friendly and the kids loved the music and loud atmosphere. Pretty good burger too. But not the margarita (this whole trip ended up being a marathon of trying margaritas). Save your money here folks.

The one place I had to go on this trip was Marie & Freres Chocolate. And we literally ran 15 city blocks, just to make it there before they closed (good way to work off that burger). It was so worth it too.

We sampled about a dozen different chocolates, and their famous macaroon. The kids ended up with chocolate pops and us, a bag full of favorites like said macaroon, their coconut dark chocolate, cinnamon, spicy and the ultimate dark chocolate and pop rocks. So delish!

Unfortunately, our great first day ended badly as we were wall-buddies with the wild rumpus room and we not only had to call hotel security (they fought back, mama bear claws came out, it was ugly) and we got no sleep that night.

(see day 2)

Menu Monday, Here's to Fall

2011-10-10T07:00:00.000-07:00

So if you've noticed a little lag in posts lately, like getting October's menu printable up last Monday, I apologize, but have good reason!

We all got the nasty cold going around two weeks ago and was laid up that week, trying to take care of me and the sick kiddos.

Then we were gone all last week on a mini vacation (more on that later, but we had a stellar trip).

If you used last months planner and were waiting for October's, here it is for you (click on the picture below). The good news is you still have four Mondays to use it in the month, before I get November's up for you.

I've also selected a delicious array of fall foods for you to try this week. How good does a pumpkin soup sound? A Pumpkin Patch run is in order for sure.

Enjoy and bon appétit!

{m: cinnamon-roasted sweet potato & apple salad with caramel vinaigrette chicken, t: beecher's world famous mac & cheese, w: tomato pesto, spread on a sandwich, th: sweet potato cakes with sour cream and chipotle black bean salsa, f: crockpot bbq beer chicken, sa: pumpkin soup with gruyère, su: prosciutto-wrapped pork loin with roasted apples}

Favorites Friday, Halloween Crafts with Kids

2011-10-07T08:08:00.000-07:00

Gear up for Halloween with your kids by doing one, or a few, festive projects. Here's a few ideas to help get you started!

{1: make a wool mask like these, 2: order and address invites for your party, 3: make some misfortune cookies like these, 4: decorate treat bags with these free printables, 5: make play-doh creatures, 6: play with shadow makers, 7: decorate with fanged pumpkins}

Menu Monday, Bite by Bite

2011-09-26T14:06:00.000-07:00

Do you remember the movie Mermaids with Cher, Winona Ryder, and a bitty Christina Ricci? And how the mom, Cher, only served finger foods?

I could so adopt that philosophy.

There's something about tiny bites that just evoke a sense of whimsy and fun. A bit carefree.

Then I got Peter Callahan's book Bite by Bite. It rocked my ever-loving-finger-food mind.

I talked to him via Twitter (did you know you could do that? ;)) and he joked about how he's been doing mini's for 15 years, and just glad the trend finally caught on. With a forward by THE Martha Stewart, he has a resume with quite a bit of clout. And once you open his beautifully photographed book, you soon realize why.

{photo 1, 2, 3} Whether you call them finger foods, small bites, minis, whatever, this weeks menu will be all about it. Oh, you heard me right. Get your fingers ready.

Here's to you, Mr. Callahan. Thank you for sparking my mind to think bigger with the smaller things in life.

{m: mini zucchini and goat cheese tarts, t: three cheese mini macs, w: outside in cheddar sliders, th: spaghetti nests with bacon and chard, f: adobo-glazed mini turkey loaves, sa: chicken tahini salad on mini pita rounds, su: lasagna cupcakes}

Favorites Friday, Black and White Fall

2011-09-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

Today is the first day of fall so if you're looking for some inspiration on how to decorate this year, consider the simple yet strongly-stated use of black and white.

It doesn't have to be just for Halloween, but all season long.

Stretch your fall comfort zone with these bold colors, and daringly mix them with with natures abundant colors you see outside.

{1: black and white plates mixed with natural fall colors, 2: make some fall art, 3: white watering can and gourd with black numbers and neutral flowers, 4: love this striped cover-up, to stay dry in the rain, 5: arrange a gorgeous bouquet of black and white flowers, 6: embroider a statement and frame it, 7: stencil a silhouette on a pumpkin}

Summer Fun Box Check Off

2011-09-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

I must be feeling really list-y this week. Seems like I've been making a lot of them.

But this one's fulfilling to my obsessive-compulsive-need to check things off lists.

Remember back at the beginning of summer when I made up a box of fun summer activities to do? Since tomorrow's the first day off fall (*tear*), here's a summer wrap up from our check list.

✓Picnic at the park

✓Eat breakfast outside

Take family pictures (the camera I got, I returned. Didn't like it. So I'm on the hunt for a new one.)

✓Make s'mores (admittedly, a few times)

✓Go to ~~baseball game~~ car races

✓Go to Munch n' ~~Movies~~ Music (none of the movies were toddler-appropriate)

✓Go out for ice cream (can you say "we live too close to frozen yogurt"?)

Go canoeing (floated on the lake, but still not canoeing)
Make frozen bananas
Play soccer outside
Spit seeds
✓Make popsicles

✓Color with chalk

BBQ pizzas

✓Take picnic to dad

✓Living room sleep out
Snow cone party

✓Water day

✓Make stepping stone

✓Float the river

✓Go to play ground

✓Fly a kite

✓Go camping

✓Go for a walk

✓Fireworks

Build fort outside
Go fruit picking (cannot believe we didn't get to it this year!)

✓Make lemonade

Go for bike ride

✓Go to the pool

✓Paint outside (planning for this Friday, can I still check it?)

✓Walk to get snow cones

✓Collect bugs

✓Watch clouds in a field

✓Make fancy ice cream (totally flopped. ended up at above mentioned frozen yogurt.)

✓Plant ~~flowers~~ garden

✓Make playdoh

Go carting
Movie outside

We did pretty good! And there's always next summer to try again...

Apps for Kids

2011-09-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

If you have an iPhone, iPad, iTouch, iWhatever...and kids, this is the post for you.

I have four folders on my phone full of educational, and fun, games for my kids, to play and learn on when the need arises.

Have you heard of the website Moms with Apps?

Well now you have.

And you're welcome in advance.

Why? Because every Friday, they have what's called App Friday, and they bring you new or popular app developers that offer their app for free or deeply discounted.

Only for 24 hours though. Then it goes back to regular pricing.

How rad is that?!

Below are some of my kids' favorites.

Perfect for those moments when you need another hand.

Click on the links to take you straight to iTunes store to download.

Here's to happy learning (and putting that investment to good use)!

ABC Balloon Pop: $0.99. Ages: 2-7. Teaches letter shapes and recognition while popping balloons.
Alphabet Tracing: FREE. Ages: 2+. Trace letters and numbers like a doodle pad to learn letter shapes.
Color Dots: FREE. Ages: 1+. A color tracking game.
Dash & Ditto: $1.99. Ages: 1-7. Seven different games in one app. Full of cute little bunnies.
First Words Sampler: FREE. Ages: 2-7. Teaches letter recognition, letter sound and spelling.
Go Go Mongo: $0.99. Move Mongo around the screen to help him catch food to eat. Teaches hand/eye coordination and timing.
Gunther is a Star: FREE. Ages: All. A fun little puppet that does funny things and sings.
Helicopter Taxi: $1.99. Ages: 1-7. Fly a helicopter all around your house, or anywhere you go!
I Hear Ewe: FREE. Ages: 2-5. Kids learn animal and vehicle sounds with real sounds. Easy to play.
Kids ABC Alphabet Puzzle: FREE. Ages: 1+. Building letters through moving puzzle pieces.
Learn My Letters: $1.99. Ages: 2-6. An adorable little owl teaches letter recognition and orientation.
MeeGenius: FREE. Ages: 1+. A library full of children's books.
Moody Monster: FREE. Ages: 3-8. Kids can make their own monster, learning emotions, or play games teaching sorting, matching, colors and more.
My Little Suitcase: FREE. Ages: 1-7. The kids pack their suitcases for four different vacations, then unpack once there with hidden discoveries. Simple and endless fun.
Preschool Adventure: $0.99. Ages: 2-6. Eighteen learning activities that runs the whole gamut.
Toca Doctor Lite: FREE. $1.99 for full. Ages: 3+. Five puzzles, letting your kiddo play doctor, while learning.
Wood Puzzle Lite: FREE. $1.99 for full. Ages: 1+. Just like the real wood puzzles, but virtual. Even has a baby mode.

Hidden Treasures to Take Your Kids to See

2011-09-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

We love to travel.

Everything about it excites us. Especially the planning portion.

I recently grabbed up the book Frommer's 500 Places to Take Your Kids Before They Grow Up. Searching around this thick book drove me to make up a list of 20+ places maybe you've never heard of and need to go see. It covers places around the world, but for the sake of focus, I stayed to places in the United States.

With our kids at 18 months and 3 years, I don't like thinking of them as having "grown up" but if you don't plan to travel, it will most likely never happen. And there's so much out there to see!

We have a trip to Australia penciled for this next year (Lord willing) so our travel budget is going towards that right now (and I'm hoping we can see some of the Australian sites this book offers).

But I digress. This little list will grow upon more discoveries and also whittle away at every travel opportunity we get.

Alaska: The Call of the Wild
Why the kids will thank you: Bonding with the huskies.

{photo source}

Arizona: Ballooning Over Red Rocks
Why they'll thank you: Up, up and away.

{photo source}

Colorado: Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
Why they'll thank you: Clinging to the cliff face.

{photo source}

Delaware: Water Gap
Why they'll thank you: Gliding through the gap.

{photo source}

Florida: Coral Castle
Why they'll thank you: Deciding whether or not this was a hoax.

{photo source}

Georgia: Stone Mountain National Park
Why they'll thank you: Getting in touch with Dixie Pride.

{photo source}

Hawaii: Mauna Kea Observatory
Why they'll thank you: That monster telescope, that killer view.

{photo source}

Kentucky: Mammoth Cave
Why they'll thank you: A whole world underground.

{photo source}

Michigan: Mackinac Island
Why they'll thank you: Overtaking a carriage, your bikes will be the fastest thing on the road.

{photo source}

Minnesota: Paul Bunyan Statue
Why they'll thank you: A tall man to match the tall tales.

{photo source}

Montana: Going to the Sun Road
Why they'll thank you: Straddling the Continental Divide.

{photo source}

Nevada: Valley of Fire
Why they'll thank you: Telling stories in stone.

{photo source}

North Carolina: Wigwam Motel
Why they'll thank you: Waking up in a teepee.

{photo source}

Puerto Rico: Swim with a Million Tiny Lights
Why they'll thank you: Nature's night light.

{photo source}

South Dakota: Corn Palace
Why they'll thank you: It's beyond corny.

{photo source}

Texas: Dinosaur Valley
Why they'll thank you: Dinosaurs walked here.

{photo source}

U.S. Virgin Islands, St. Croix: Salt River Bay
Why they'll thank you: In the footsteps of Columbus.

{photo source}

U.S. Virgin Islands, St. John: Snorkeling Trunk Bay
Why they'll thank you: Connecting the dots underwater.

{photo source}

Utah: Arches National Park
Why they'll thank you: Waiting for Balanced Rock to topple.

{photo source}

Virginia: Assateague Island
Why they'll thank you: Wild horses couldn't drag us away.

{photo source}

Washington: San Juan Island Kayaking
Why they'll thank you: Paddling alongside a whale or porpoise.

{photo source}

Washington DC: International Spy Museum
Why they'll thank you: Being Bond for an afternoon.

{photo source}

Wyoming: Devils Tower
Why the kids will thank you: An icon of the West with mystical power.

{photo source}

Menu Monday, On the World Wide Web

2011-09-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

I get asked a lot where I find my inspiration for pulling together weekly meals. I think the question of "What's for dinner tonight?" is the bane of any adults existence. Not only that but, if you have children, what will they eat that we can enjoy also?

The answer to finding inspiration is simple: look everywhere!

I've told you about my obsession with iPhone food apps, well, admittedly, apps in general (but more on that later this week). I've mentioned some books I have around. But I also use the good ol' www for most of my searching and researching.

And I do a lot of it.

Any time I see something that seems realistic in me making, I'll bookmark it, Pin it, or favorite it.

Today I'm going to hand over my interweb-arsenal to you, with a recipe from each of my most visited seven sites.

*Note*: For those who have food allergies, are vegan or gluten intolerant, I will post all of my favorites for those sites in a few weeks.

Here's to you also being inspired and breaking out of a possible weekly rut.

Epicurious' Everyday Cooking: This site is handy because it gives you dinner ideas for Monday through Friday, with side dishes and dessert. Complete meals! They include a shopping list for all the recipes and can be saved to your phone for easy shopping.
Honey & Jam: Hannah takes beautifully rustic pictures of wonderful food. She's passionate about what she does and it shows.
Joy the Baker: Joy is a hilariously, amazing chef. The end.
Not Without Salt: Ashley is a beautiful person sharing her family and food. Her pictures are simply amazing and every recipe makes me want to lick my computer screen.
Shutterbean: Tracy seems like the sweetest, most down to earth person, who's cooking and photographic skills reflect this. Join her on her journey of eating and cooking through life.
Smitten Kitchen: Deb makes the most updated of comfort foods which will have you coming back each week, ready for more.
Weekly Greens: A fantastically new site to me. Each week Alicia focuses on one ingredient and how to cook with it in new and creative ways. She gives you a weekly meal plan and grocery list! How simple is that!

{m: hasselback potatoes with spinach cashew pesto, t: grilled halloumi with grapes, walnuts and rosemary, w: grilled chicken and peaches with chipotle peach dressing, th: greek nachos, f: roasted tomato soup, sa: corn zucchini lime pizza, su: beef chili + sour cream and cheddar biscuits}

Favorites Friday, Let's Hear it for the Boys!

2011-09-16T15:59:00.000-07:00

{source: off the wall expressions}
How many times have the boys been overlooked by all the girly stuff on the market? From boyhood to manhood, the story still tells the same. But there are many people out there trying to do something about it. And today we're paying tribute to some of these awesome products and ideas.

Dig into this virtual sandbox and get a little dirty:

{1: I love the simple idea of making playdoh monsters. Add wiggle eyes and done! 2: a file folder car ramp! perfectly portable fun when vacationing away. 3: Patrice. the coolest plush on the block. 4: personalized 3d letter art. buy it or make it. either way will make a statement in your boys room. 5: parts is one silly all-boy book you'll both get a kick out of reading. 6: make a space shuttle out of cardboard tubes.} {1: this story cube idea is one of the coolest things. 2: cardboard tube monsters. 3: a lego and car IKEA table re-do. 4: make these easy and adorable page corner bookmarks. 5: have a pirate day with this hat, hook and spyglass tutorial. 6: these 'stache straws would make any meal more fun. 7: the raddest set of peg dolls ever. there's even a harry potter set to make. 8: have a monster themed party or playdate with this set of cupcake wrappers.}
I have to stop daydreaming about awesome boy projects now, and attend to the clingy girl at my feet.

Our Busy Bag

2011-09-15T20:44:00.000-07:00

Our bag is done! We even took it on a test drive last night and it was as big of a hit as I had hoped.

I decided to use a tote bag to hold everything, and used freezer paper to stencil on the design.

It was a lot of fun to make, and it looks cute toting around. It also fits a lot.

I found these awesome, and colorful, organizers at the dollar store.

They came with the coordinating bag inside too, which I was able to use to hold smaller parts for each activity, or split them up and use them separately.

I had overflow projects, and stored them in a plastic shoe box to rotate things in and out.

So lets get started on what activities we made. First up is the "build your cupcake" kit.

It's so cute and just screams to be played with. Tayden enjoyed building one before dinner came last night.

I made lacing cards in various objects; things I know my kids enjoy. I used nylon ribbon as the lacing strings.

We dyed pasta (little bit of white vinegar in a bowl, food coloring drops and mix in the pasta, lay on parchment lined pan to dry over night) in a bunch of bright colors.

And used them as lacing necklaces with yarn and a bead tied at the end of the yarn to keep them all on.

Then used the rest as a sorting game to learn colors.

I used up paint chips I had from planning the master bedroom and made another color matching game with clothespins.

The baby food jar lid game was a great way to use up all the random lids I had leftover from using the jars.

These popsicle stick puzzles were ridiculously easy to make. Line up popsicle sticks, print off some 4x6 photos onto sticker sheets, cut them out, press the photo onto your sticks and then slice with an exacto knife in between each stick.

Tayden loved them. Puzzles + characters he loves = win for Tayden!

Do you have plastic eggs stashed away from Easter? Well dig them out and make this:

I made a sheet of egg templates for you to print and cut out into nine squares. Then, cut out felt eggs that match whatever color plastic eggs you have and you have a fantastic game to teach your little colors, sorting, and matching. It all stores quite neatly into a recipe box.

I picked up a metal cake pan at the dollar store, which serves as a perfect tray for all these activities and as a board to practice numbers and addition.

This pom-pom stuffer was a huge hit with both.

Especially with Sedae. She played it about 4 times and got mad when Tayden tried to have a turn :) It was simple enough for her to do on her own, and she loved the feeling of the pom poms.

I printed off all the flash cards that I posted here.

Picked up some dollar store books and notepads.

And a cute little folder, clip board, and coloring pages.

Tayden's already asking when we can break out the bag again. And I have no problem with that. Because it means more eating out for me!

There's a new tab at the top here to have easy access to the whole series we covered, plus those that will come up in the future.

Here's to staying busy!

Getting Those Busy Bags Organized

2011-09-14T17:37:00.000-07:00

Here we are, back with installment #3. And this is for the organizer in all of us. The quest to be perfectly put together and ready to go at a moments notice.

Ok back to reality, here's some ways to organize your busy bag (see 1 and 2 for ideas) so you can just grab it and go. Then only have to worry about getting everyone else out the door.

{row 1: if you feel like sewing up your own tote, this is a great tutorial; one way to sort each game is in pencil holders which I'm sure you could find on clearance right now with back to school, row 2: don't feel like splurging on pencil holders, ziploc bags are just as great; this brilliant idea of using part of a shoe organizer would be great to have your activities at the ready for road trips; make a tag labeling the contents of what you have in your bag before pulling everything out, this is great for rotating stock, row 3: this dual bag-in-bag is great for separating each activity as well as toting it; you can find a basic tote that's cute to boot on etsy; but this felt organizer is sure to please even the most anal organizer} So go forth. I have bestowed all the tools you'll need. Create. Organize. And pass it on.

I'll be back tomorrow with our great little bag we put together.

Busy Bags, Part Deux

2011-09-13T13:47:00.000-07:00

Welcome back for the second part of our busy bag series. Today I'm sharing ideas you can do with things lying around your craft space. You don't have to do the project just as suggested. Think outside the box. Use up those miscellaneous supplies you already have. Being frugal will be so fulfilling!

Here's a round up of some ideas I love with links to each of the bloggers or websites supplying the tutorial.

Enjoy and let me know which you end up making. Tomorrow I'll cover organization ideas for gathering all your wonderful crafts together in one tidy little package.

{row 1: pom pom stuff it in, counting felt fish, smart snacks mix and match, row 2: build a cupcake, button snake, counting page} {row 1: felt build-a-house, magnetic pom poms, row 2: patterns with plastic eggs, stringing buttons, row 3: dyed pasta sorting}

Menu Monday

2011-09-12T08:41:00.000-07:00

I've got a couple of sandwiches for you this week. They seem so summery and carefree don't they? I love a good sandwich. And a good pasta salad. Like on Tuesday. The lemon plays on the asparagus' flavors so well. It's guaranteed to be a favorite of yours too.

Be sure to serve the simple arugula salad alongside Wednesday's chicken and blue cheese dish. And I'm thinking a finger-food Friday would be delicious with the mushroom and goat cheese phyllo bites.

Have a flavorful week my friends!

Find links to the recipes below.

{m: california sandwich, t: asparagus and lemon pasta, w: balsamic chicken and blue cheese, th: veggie quiche casserole, f: mushroom goat cheese phyllo bites, sa: rosemary chicken salad sandwiches, su: drunken mexican beans with cilantro and bacon}

Needed a Laugh

2011-09-11T22:05:00.000-07:00

In light of the tragedies and unspeakable injustice that happened on this day a decade ago, a laugh was much needed around here.

I thought of these pictures that my mother-in-law took of Rich's dad, Rich, Sedae and I sitting on a curb eating a bbq dinner on the California coast.

Later that night when we were all looking through them, we realized the quick capture hilarity of these two photos.

They may not be the funniest to you but it was the last time I can remember laughing so hard my sides hurt and happy tears were streaming.

To the good things in life. Like a country where we are free to share such things...

So Zilly for the Beach

2011-09-10T08:36:00.000-07:00

Zulily is the place to shop for daily deals on all things mom, baby and kid. Everyday essentials you'll need, they'll have it. At majorly discounted prices.

So if you haven't signed up yet, do so now. It's free to join and they'll send you daily emails on all their killer deals!

I went "zilly" over these great beach themed items:

{onesie, activity book, book, canvas}

Favorites Friday, Ombre

2011-09-09T09:02:00.000-07:00

Ombre is the gradation of a color from dark to light. And it seems to be the new black. It's everywhere! For good reason, too. How great would any one of these be in your home or for your next party?

{1: i love lamp, 2: swell, 3: vintage pitcher and glasses, 4: sky's clearing dress, 5: storage, 6: celebrate, 7: invites}

Busy Bags

2011-09-08T20:10:00.000-07:00

You know when you think you have an original idea, only to find out you're totally not original?

I had that moment this week. In fact, it happens quite often. I'm always impressed with how many genius crafters there are out there. Just ask Pinterest! Am I right?

My thought was to put together a bag full of fun tabletop activities to keep my littles occupied while out to eat, waiting at a doctors office, etc. No, I'm not naive enough to think I was the only one who had thought of this concept, but was blown away with just how many ideas there were for this. Come to find out, they're called busy bags.

These are Montessori style activities all stored in a tote, preferably stashed away in the car, ready for use at all times. All the activities fit into a sandwich size bag and are meant to basically engage the mind and keep hands busy.

You should see how many tabs I have open on my browser brimming with inspiration! I'm in love with this idea. This will be a three part series, full of insanely fun ideas.

It's best to pick a handful of these activities and change them out periodically, to keep the little peeps always excited when they see the busy bag.

To kick this off, we'll start with things to print. Click on each of the pictures to take you to the download of these printables.

Mr. Printables' website has dozens of great downloads, all for free! You'll find these below, plus many more.

They also offer wonderful coloring pages, that I took, and made two to a page. This way they're smaller, easier to color and tote around.

Their file folder games are the best I've seen.

This baby food jar lid game would be fun as a memory game.

My favorite memory game for summer is this popsicle game that I posted last week.

And lastly, here's some food flash cards I made up from the images found here.

Did you make it to the bottom? Exciting, huh?

Check back on Tuesday where I'll cover projects using basic craft supplies, that you probably have around the house. We'll cover a few other essentials throughout the week, followed by what projects I ended up putting into our bag.

If you have done a busy bag and have suggestions, please comment below!

Orange Dream Machine, Update

2011-09-07T14:21:00.000-07:00

Progress on our sweet, little trailer has been slower going than anticipated. Roadblocks, poor weather, lack of time, and basically, life, have been contributing factors. But I thought I'd share what we've been able to do so far.

We've built a clear plan as to the steps we need to take and what we hope the final product will look like. Orange and white will be her colors. Minimalist design with touches of her original roots.

She pretty much looks the same as seen below, but all the windows are out and being repaired and cleaned up. They'll stay out until we get it painted, hopefully soon. Once that part is done, we'll be able to move into the interior this winter. Can't wait because that's where my involvement really ramps up!

Here's a little look into The Orange Dream Machine.

Here's what the interior layout is like:

The back end got put back on this weekend, all the dry rot is now repaired and leaks found! Big steps for Rich, I'm a good cheerleader. I can't wait to get the paint done, so it starts feeling like we're making progress.

We hope the final product will look something like this:

{via} And many, many, many more ideas brewing. You can look at all of them here, and check back there often as more ideas come up!

Master Bedroom Re-do

2011-09-05T22:10:00.000-07:00

The master bedroom. Usually the most neglected room in a family's house, and ours is no exception. I think one of the reasons this is such a common occurrence is lack of vision. I know that's always been my struggle. Since we've moved into this home I've been drawing inspiration for a room re-do. As you can see, we need it!

I pulled together images of rooms and decor that I like in grey, yellow and white. With maybe turquoise or coral touches. This is my favorite part of design: hunting, gathering and shopping!

This is also where a handy husband comes in hand, since I loathe painting walls.

Loathe.

I've got a gagillion projects I want to get done, but I think it's important for us to have an oasis to retreat to at the end of the day. So I'm making it a priority. I'll share any shopping finds I come across on twitter and of course, the big reveal at the end.

What do you think??

{row 1: 1, 2, 3, row 2: 1, 2, 3, row 3: 1, 2, 3} {row 1: 1, 2, 3, row 2: 1, 2, 3, row 3: 1, 2, 3}

Menu Monday, Back to School

2011-09-05T08:32:00.000-07:00

School starts this week around these parts, and while some of you have already been back to the grind for a week or two, I thought I'd kick off September with a little help in the mealtime planning department, with a meal planner.

At the beginning of each month I plan on changing up this planner to get you into the mood for the month. This month, as you could guess, is geared towards back to school.

Print this off, one for each week in September, and hang it in your kitchen for everyone to see. You could even frame it and use it as a dry erase board. There's space to plan out your meals as well as snacks.

(click on the image to take you to the download)
And since school is starting back, hectic schedules are surely in tow, so easy, yet healthy, recipes are in store this week. Ok, maybe the mac & cheese isn't the healthiest, but Monday's need all the help they can get!

Friday's your chance to get outside and enjoy the beginning of the weekend bbq'ing and enjoy the fact you made it through the week.

The kids will go nuts over Saturday's dinner of a ham and cheese sandwich made in the waffle maker. Get them in the kitchen with you and make them chef for the day.

As always, click on the links below to go to each recipe's website.

{m: crack-n-cheese, t: chicken and cheese sliders, w: smashed white bean and avocado club, th: greek quinoa and avocado salad, f: honey-glazed chicken, peach, and sweet potato skewers, sa: waffled ham and cheese sandwiches, su: fresh tuna tacos}

Favorites Friday, Dessert

2011-09-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

Wipe the drool off your keyboard, click on the links below, and get in your kitchen this weekend.

{1: brownie and salted caramel ice cream sandwiches, 2: double chocolate peanut butter ice cream, 3: blueberry oatmeal crumble bars, 4: white sangria popsicles, 5: chocolate coconut cookies, 6: browned butter salted caramel rice crispy treats, 7: DIY popsicle memory game}

Labor Day White Party

2011-09-01T09:54:00.000-07:00

You know that old rule of no white after Labor day? It's a silly old fashion rule (I can say that because I don't wear much white anyway) but why not make the most of it by sending the color off in style with a White Party.

{row 1: one, two, three, row 2: one, two, three, row 3: one, two, three, row 4: one, two, three}
As much as I wish we could have a White Party of our own, the husband has convinced me into a trailer work party.

But can guarantee I'll be wearing white.

(click on the image to find out where to get the look yourself!)

Menu Monday

2011-08-29T14:13:00.000-07:00

What can you look forward to this week?
A little fish, a little vegan, chicken done a few ways and a pizza that will make you drool.

{m: lentil stuffed peppers, t: baked fish tacos, w: boursin stuffed chicken, th: loaded tuna salad,
f: hungry-man's pizza, sa: rosemary meatballs, su: chicken chimichangas}

Favorites Friday, Dog Party

2011-08-26T17:10:00.000-07:00

I had grand plans for having a fun fourth birthday party for our little pup Max this year. We celebrated big on his first birthday but then one kid came, and then another and the poor pup became third fiddle.

I was determined that this year would be the year to do another party.

A bunch of dogs all romping around the yard is tons of fun and it's a great excuse to hang out with their owners over great food and cocktails.

So I sent out invites and everything. See?

Well, his birthday weekend just so happened to fall on the only weekend we had open and was the weekend my wonderful husband wanted to send me on a girls trip.

So, I chose to be selfish and cancel the party.

In hopes of ever getting to this party again this year, here's my inspiration board. If not, well, the 5th birthday's a big deal right?

Happy (much belated) 4th birthday to the craziest poodle around!

{1: tutorial for quilted scottie pillows, could be great party favors or an activity for each guest to choose pre-cut fabric and take home to do, 2: dog toy ice lick, would keep the dogs entertained and hydrated on warm summer days, 3: balls, bones, and leashes oh my!, 4: doggie bags to send treats home in, 5: dog bowl platter could hold all sorts of yummy food, 6: great silhouette party invites, 7: the center of attention can't go without a party outfit, 8: plush bone party favors, 9: gather friends and celebrate all your dogs' special day}

A Look Into My Birthday Celebration

2011-08-23T14:23:00.000-07:00

Highlights include:
-sleeping in
-fudge cake made by my hubby and kiddos
-warm swim in a turkish spa
-floating down the river with a picnic lunch
-shopping
-dinner out with my sweet little family

Here's to another year of wonderful memories!

Menu Monday

2011-08-21T21:48:00.000-07:00

It's a colorful menu this week with lots of ways to take advantage of the last of summers bounty. As always, click on the links below to take you to each recipe's website.

{m: blackened salmon tacos, t: creamy avocado pasta, w: french tartines, th: goat cheese nachos, f: caprese pizza,
sa: tuna antipasto salad, su: chicken souvlaki with lemon mint tzatziki}

Favorites Friday

2011-08-19T14:14:00.000-07:00

Which one inspires you?

{1: peach margaritas, yes please, 2: DIY paper pouches, 3: magnetic airplane clips, for displaying artwork, 4: Will Schofield prints, 5: i like you print, 6: zach the triceratops, think i'm going to try my hand at making one, 7: we're in need of new drinking glasses, and I'm in love with these}

Hostess with the Mostess Feature!!

2011-08-18T14:30:00.000-07:00

I cannot put into words the excitement I felt when I saw Tayden's Vintage Transportation party featured on Hostess with the Mostess blog. It is one of the first party websites I started reading when I first began blogging over three years ago.

If you haven't had the chance to visit Jen's site, do so now. It is chock full of inspiration for your next party. It's a land where great ideas and labors of love abound.

Friends of mine and of this little blog may know that taking this site to the next level is a deep desire and passion of mine. Little progressive steps in moving forward have happened, like changing the web address and name, the look (which will be changing again soon), feel and theme, but I need your (yes, you who's reading this) help.

One great way to help me along with this is by spreading the word and sharing your thoughts here on the blog. I read each and every comment and it shows that you are reading it! And if you have any suggestions or ideas, I'd love to hear those too. I'm also going to be opening up to sponsors soon so if you would like to showcase your business or know of someone looking for exposure, contact me and I will get you all the necessary information.

I've got another feature in the next couple weeks scheduled so be looking for that too. I'm looking forward to the future, and really enjoying the present. Cheers to following dreams!

Menu Monday

2011-08-07T22:10:00.000-07:00

{m: spinach feta turkey burger, t: thick and rich pizza sauce, w: grilled fish tacos with chipotle mayo, th: chickpea veggie quinoa salad,
f: gouda stuffed mushrooms, sa: stuffed zucchini, su: tomato, basil and goat cheese pie with quinoa crust}

Favorites Friday

2011-08-05T21:41:00.000-07:00

{1: juicy couture polka dot clutch, 2: make a pouf tutorial, 3: the worlds cutest baby shoes by baby bloch, 4: vintage inspired squirrel on board, 5: fun doormat, 6: hilarious "no hablo" onsie, 7: adorable farm play mat}

Water Play

2011-08-01T21:27:00.000-07:00

It's been a pretty mellow couple of days catching up on much needed sleep and hanging out with some family we haven't seen in a while.
Today was spent like a normal Monday would have at home with grocery shopping and laundry but we threw in some summer fun at the end of the day.

We washed Nanie's car which Tayden loved. But when he soon realized what power he wielded with that hose...

...he loved that even more. Poor Sedae! Look at his face! He thinks it's hilarious! I guess that's siblings, huh?

We couldn't stop laughing but Sedae was pissed. Ha ha!

She soon got over it and went on waving to all the neighbors.

Then we played out back with the slip n' slide until the sun went down.

But not without Tayden dragging his sister in the water one last time.

Menu Monday

2011-07-31T20:10:00.000-07:00

Take advantage of summers bounty with these great recipes chock full of seasonal veggies and herbs.
As always, click on the links below the picture for the recipes.

{m: cobb salad, t: avocado blt with chipotle mayo, w: black beans and quinoa with peach salsa,
th: grilled veggie stack, f: pizza pops, sa: grilled rosemary chicken, su: summer veggie tostada}

Travel Fun

2011-07-30T14:24:00.000-07:00

We're on the road, again. We're road tripping spending most of our time at the California coast. Our first stop was in the Oregon valley and I took the kids to the Wildlife Safari again. Last time we went Dae was a bitty baby so both of them thoroughly enjoyed it this time. I heart traveling with our kiddos. They are just the best; always up for adventure.

Annual Camping Trip

2011-07-26T14:02:00.000-07:00

We just returned from our annual camping trip with Rich's side of the family. We've been doing a camping weekend for the past few years where we all try to meet up and spend time together, not surrounded by holiday stress.
It was a great weekend to just unplug and soak in family time. Although with the kids almost outnumbering us, it was anything but relaxing. On the first day Tayden fell into the firepit (no fire in it, phew) and cut open his eye and Sedae, trying to walk down a hill, fell and biffed it pretty good, taking a chunk of her nose off. Needless to say, we were on them like hawks after that!
The kids had the time of their lives making great memories together and that made all the work worth it.

Menu Monday

2011-07-25T13:23:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of overlapping ingredients this week like mushrooms, asparagus, goat cheese, avocados, and tortillas. That means savings at the cash register and less waste for you.
The lemon asparagus pasta on Wednesday is a summer favorite. And I'm looking forward to setting up the crock pot on Sunday and return from floating the river to those pork carnitas. Bon Appétit!

{m: grilled peach and avocado salad, t: spicy veggie stromboli, w: pasta with goat cheese and asparagus, th: taco chicken bowls,
f: raw veggie burgers, sa: asparagus and mushroom quesadillas, su: slow cooked carnitas tacos}

Favorites Friday, Bento

2011-07-22T10:47:00.000-07:00

I'm fascinated, and alright, a bit obsessed, with the bento craze. To make a simple sandwich a work of art. Or create playfulness with fruits and veggies. To take a few extra minutes a night and put special thought and love into your kiddos lunch. I just imagine the kids' faces when they open their lunch boxes or sit down at the table and see what story they get to eat today. Shoot, I want someone to come make me one of these! Do any of you bento? I have this little goal in my head to try and make a fun lunch once a week. That seems doable. I figure once you're in that frame of mind, seeing that leftover pasta as stringy hair, it'll be easier to do it more. But for now, I have accumulated plenty of inspiration to last me on my once a week goal.

{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10}

What the Kids are Reading

2011-07-21T14:19:00.000-07:00

When I say the "kids are reading" what I really mean is what we're reading to them. So really, these are not only their favorites but the ones we don't mind reading over and over and over...and over again.

I figured out that we read about 60 books a week. SIX-ZERO! Three at nap and three more at bedtime for Tayden. Two at nap and one at bedtime for Sedae. That's a lot of books.

So we have a whole arsenal of go-to's.

And like I've said before, we visit the library a lot to refill that arsenal.

But I love that my kids love reading so much. Lots of times I'll find them reading to themselves, too. That warms my heart.

Some authors we never tire of are Sandra Boynton, Mo Willems, Karen Katz, just to name a few.

Aside from the running list of books we love, here's some we're reading now:

{row 1: we are in a book, spot it!, the donut chef, big kicks}
{row 2: new socks, the giant jam sandwich, book!, i'm the biggest thing in the ocean}
{row 3: follow the line, race you to bed, ted, bo and diz, 365 penguins}
{row 4: abc is for circus, the opposite, abc3d, one more sheep}

Miss Sedae's Room

2011-07-20T13:44:00.000-07:00

I'm {slowly} starting to gather things to re-decorate Sedae's nursery. So before I transform pieces here and there, I figured I should share what it looks like now.

It's a real girly girls room. Which I swore I wouldn't do. But I did.

And it fits her because this little one is all girl.

Her room has the right balance of feminine with whimsy and personal touches with lots of stories behind it all.

Whether it's the crib and changing table that Tayden once used or the bookshelf Rich built, the hand stitched animals, knitted doll or paintings from family and friends, presents, pictures, and the DIY's I did, it all means something.

That's what makes a room, any room, tell a story. Fill it with things you love and it will speak to you every time you walk in.

See the above caterpillar here.

life: styled

Favorites Friday, Art, Food & Parties

Crazy Man on a Stick

Last Day in Paradise

A Little Down Time

Busy Bag for Flying, Geometric Puzzle

Busy Bag for Flying, Personal iSpy Book

Busy Bag for Flying, Color Matching Sticks

Busy Bag for Flying, Woodland Creatures Memory Game

Busy Bag for Flying, Dry Erase Alphabet Matching

Favorites Friday, Put a Plastic Animal On It

A Memorable Christmas, 2012

5 Days to a Cleaner Home

2012 New Years Resolutions

Menu Monday, New Years Vegetarian Kick Start

Favorites Friday, 2011 Favorite Posts

Flubber!

Homemade Limoncello

Paper Activity Mat

Our 25 Days of Christmas

Merry Christmas & 2011 Review!

A Last Minute Ornament That Will Last a Lifetime

Gallery Wall for Artwork and Christmas Cards

Making a Difference Around the Globe

Menu Monday, Christmas Week

Favorites Friday, Trees!

Chocolate Rosemary Olive Oil Cake

Imaginative Play, Kitchens

Our Turkey & Tannenbaums, 2012

Menu Monday, CHOW

Favorites Friday, Matryoshka Nesting Doll Kitchen

Gathering of Grandparent Gifts

Cookies and Champagne Holiday Party

Menu Monday, Start of December

Favorites Friday, Stack it Up

Our Advent of Activities for December

Advent Calendar

Cyber Monday

Menu Monday, Thanksgiving Leftovers

Thanksgiving Invites, 2011

While Your Turkey's in the Oven...

Kids Thanksgiving Table Ideas

Menu-ish Monday, Getting Ready for Thanksgiving

Favorites Friday, Muppets Mania

Cowboys & Indians

A Birthday for a Child's Friend

Thanksgiving Activity Placemat

Menu Monday, Them vs. Us

Easiest Chocolate Chip Cookies

Favorites Friday, Going Crazy

Menu Monday

Last Minute Halloween!

Favorites Friday, Billy Buttons

Book Swap Party

Menu Monday, No Tricks Just Treats

48 Hours in Portland

48 Hours in Portland II

Menu Monday, *Mostly* Vegetarian

Favorites Friday, Fall Projects for the Home

A Fling with Seattle, Day 2

A Fling with Seattle, Day 1

Menu Monday, Here's to Fall

Favorites Friday, Halloween Crafts with Kids

Menu Monday, Bite by Bite

Favorites Friday, Black and White Fall

Summer Fun Box Check Off

Apps for Kids

Hidden Treasures to Take Your Kids to See

Menu Monday, On the World Wide Web

Favorites Friday, Let's Hear it for the Boys!

Our Busy Bag

Getting Those Busy Bags Organized

Busy Bags, Part Deux

Menu Monday

Needed a Laugh

So Zilly for the Beach

Favorites Friday, Ombre

Busy Bags

Orange Dream Machine, Update

Master Bedroom Re-do

Menu Monday, Mostly Vegetarian