Happy holiday wishes

I know it's a day late. But the holiday season continues for the next week our so. From our family to yours, best wishes for a holiday filled with love and magic. And a prosperous, healthy and happy new year!

Animation created by Kitchen Sink Studios.

outdoor holiday movie party

We had our second annual backyard holiday movie screening party, and I have to say it was a little magical. Not as big a turn out as last year - several friends with colds and the like. But the few who showed had prime seating to watch Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, A Charlie Brown Christmas, and some other choice classics.

We enjoyed hot chocolate, Starbucks coffee (with Frangelico and Irish cream mixers for the grown up set), finger foods, and movie popcorn. A few fire pits for marshmallow roasting as well. A few pics of party prep...

Here's our actual movie screen. It's two white sheets sewn together and stapled to a frame the huz built. With his bare hands. And, just fyi, you can't see that seam at night when the movie's playing. It's the perfect size for a backyard 'sit-in' theater.

Trimming the tree.

Setting out some light bites. With a little ambience on the side please.

Aren't these reindeer cupcakes amazing? Sandy made them. From scratch. And how adorable that a few of them are Rudolph with their red noses.

Pretty tree.

And a branch hanging from the patio adorned with red and blue ornaments.

Fire pit a-blazin'.

Camping chairs and sleeping bags make cozy spots on the lawn.

The huz was in charge of the electronics, including the projector.

Beautiful friend and her sweet sleeping babe.

It's our second year doing this and we really hope to continue the annual tradition.

blog I love

I don't follow a ton of blogs. And I'm not sure how I even came across this one. But the author is an amazing illustrator / artist. And she has an stunning home in Mexico designed by her architect husband.

And today, I downloaded this to be my desktop wallpaper. It is absolutely lovely...

holiday party decorations

This will be the second year we are hosting a holiday movie night. (See last year's invite above, with personal deets blurred out.) Last year, the huz created a huge movie screen for our backyard and we sat outside in the chilly night air with our dearest friends and family types, sipping hot cocoa (or hot buttered rum for the adults -- seriously important component btw), and watching some Christmas movie classics around a crackling fire in the fire pit. Hands down one of the loveliest nights that was had in our home.

We are hoping to recreate that magic once again sometime next month, but there are preparations and planning involved. Particularly now that we are both holding down full time jobs, I need to plan well in advance. So, this morning I came across this lovely picture from another blogger's post last Christmas and now I can't stop.

These two via katie did.

And the last via Apartment Therapy.

Just inspiration, but they are getting my creative juices flowing.

a few things on my list

Seriously. I know. Halloween is this weekend.... but I've got Christmas on the brain already.

Curse me out. Go ahead. Just like the stores that already have holiday decor on some of their shelves. (Ahem, Target, with their Christmas cards on display next to the spooky skeleton dinnerware.)

Anyway, here are the boys ready for the weekend.

OMG. I can't stand it. Aren't they the best? While I am a HUGE fan of homemade costumes (flashback to last year's homemade Indiana Jones and Max of Where the Wild Things Are), time was not my friend this season, so online-store-bought it was. And no doubt, there will be many capers to be had wearing these polyester delights.

Anyhoo, back to the title of this post, I'm trying to make a list of inspiration for the huz so I don't end up doing Christmas shopping for myself this year. (Pitiful. This I know. And it most definitely is not entirely his fault.) And here are a few things I've jotted down.

A tote from LL Bean to hold my work stuff.

This cookbook.

Some pretty yarn, knitting needles and a how-to book of knitting or crochet. I'm inspired by this

via wikstenmade

and this

via Amazon.

I would also like a pair of small binoculars for our next woodland or desert adventure. Arizona is filled with great birds and it's so much better when you can see their beauty up close.

For an easy stocking stuffer, I am madly in love with these lip glosses.

Any shade will do, but am especially fond of Stella, Vanessa and Lana.

Well, I'm off to bed now. I'm sure I'll be thinking of other ideas for the huz, but for now, I am dreaming of working, cooking, knitting, birding, and getting dolled up... Sweet dreams all.

In an effort to try new things...

My boys are like most children in America when it comes to eating. Despite the reality that the huz and I will eat anything -- and I mean ANYTHING -- our kids have developed their own selective tastes. Veggies of choice include carrot sticks, steamed broccoli (yes!), crispy steamed green beans, and, very rarely, a bite of bell pepper. And, if you believe corn is a vegetable and not a grain and a tomato is a vegetable and not a fruit... well, sometimes they eat those too.

After oodles of research, I have been informed that their selective tastes will change over time. And our job as responsible parents is to continue to expose them to a variety of healthy food choices without any pressure that they 'have' to finish their plate. I know, I know, some of us were raised in a strict environment with parents who were products of the Depression era... yada yada yada... and we couldn't leave the table until everything was cleaned off our plates. I understand this train of thought. There have been many times where our budget for groceries was extremely limited and I would be furious at the thought of throwing away any leftovers. But with eating disorders and obesity running rampant in our nation, I think it's important to avoid creating extra anxiety in our kids when it comes to eating. So, fingers crossed, our kids will learn to love trying new things just by being exposed to a wide variety of foods in their childhood...

So, yesterday, in an effort to increase fiber in our diet, I thought I would introduce a vegetable that no one in our family has ever eaten. Ever.

Kale.


Which, by the way, has an incredible amount of fiber per serving. But, truth be told, it's not that great. Truly. I won't be running to the farmer's market anytime soon for a gorgeous bunch of kale. But, hey, I'll try anything once.

And using this preparation, I may even try it again.

Crispy Kale Chips

1 bunch of kale
some olive oil
some salt & pepper/seasoned salt

Oh-so-simple directions: Tear off leaves of the kale into bite sized pieces. Toss with a small amount of olive oil (or, even easier, spray with cooking spray) and toss again with some salt and pepper, or seasoned salt, whichever you prefer, to your taste. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the kale leaves onto the sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes and tadaa! crispy kale chips.

Crunchy, salty and good for you.


Here's the true taste test: What did the kids think?


Little A, 2 years old, LOOOOVED THEM. That little guy constantly surprises me. He ate a small bowlful.


Our 5 year old, on the other hand, gave a polite bite and declined to try another. No thank you, mama.


What can I say? I'm just proud of him for trying it. Good job, little man. And here are your chicken nuggets for dinner. ;)

What's for dinner

Cold pasta salad w/crispy fresh veggies... steak kebobs... roasted fingerling potatoes...

Seeking shared room inspiration

When Little A moved into his big boy bed last month it was not well-planned and the huz and I have rearranged the boys' room a few times since. We are still not totally pleased with the current layout, so my hope in posting these photos is that it will result in some design inspiration or an 'aha' moment.


Our house is small-ish. It's about the same size as my childhood home. Which, of course, seemed huge at the time. But, compared to our friends who live in the suburbs of Phoenix, and who have traded square footage for a massive commute time, our house is little. Wee, if you will. And, though we have 3 bedrooms, the sizes are not equal. The smallest bedroom is too small to be anyone's permanent bedroom, so we opted to make it an office / guestroom. And, of course, the huz and I have the largest room. Which leaves the middle bedroom for both of our boys, ages 2 and 5. For now, it's great. The boys love sharing a space, sleeping next to each other and honestly, they just don't take up a lot of room. Yet.

So here's where we are at.


The room has 2 twin beds, lots of books and lots of toys. We have absolutely no extra money for furnishings, so anything we do to the room has to be cheap, cheap, cheap. And requires that we work with what we already have.


Notice we have no wall art to speak of. After I figure out the final layout, wall decoration is next. And I am seriously hoping to score some bookshelves to go under the windows. Since budget is ever a concern, maybe I'll get lucky at a yard sale.

I have some crafty ideas up my sleeve. But as with most of my working momma friends, following through with any of them is the biggest challenge. So, check back often. I am hoping to post some of my design inspiration and RESULTS very very soon. xoxo, K

Ewwwww....

Sorry it's taken so long to write anything... But what's better to bring me out of writer's fog than placenta crafts?

When our first son was born over 5 years ago, my husband joked early on that he wanted to keep the placenta in a jar. No kidding.

No way, no how.

By the time our 2nd son was born, he still had placenta on the brain. But this time, he got a picture to remember it by.

So when I came across this blog post, I immediately thought of the huz. And all the crafty opportunities he missed because of my insistence that he never, ever bring my placenta home from the hospital.

Photo courtesy of inhabitots.com

Sun + flower

The first of the season. Hope your day is bright + sunny.

Summer

Despite the fact that our work schedules remain unchanged in the summer time, summer for our family means making the occasional day trip up north. Cooler weather, cleaner air and nature in bloom... Plus the huz' recent addiction to fly fishing all make for excellent excuses to flee the city. Our most recent trip was a quickie. A sweet creek in Sedona. No fish, and few places for our little ones to explore. But undeniable beauty. All around us.


Deep thoughts. And that's a Diet Pepsi y'all.