Fearless, bold, open-hearted Love.

A dear friend, and steady influence in my life is currently losing her very sudden battle to cancer. The news came out of nowhere. And it was, as this news always is, world-upending. Her name is Connie. She befriended my mother when we were young. They had kids the same age in the same schools. But it was her pure and driving force of positivity that forged a friendship with my mother who can be painfully shy.

Her persistence as a friend has been admirable over the years. If my mom is ever in need, during a hurricane or recovering from a surgery, needing help on the school fundraiser or an assist when hosting a baby shower, Connie, is who we would enlist. And I don’t remember a time, she turned us down.

Connie is unabashedly bold. She is fearless. Her overseas adventures had me in awe of her. Her usually bright lipstick inspired me.

She is a beautiful soul who showed me early on how if we have the capacity, we should open our hearts. I loved hearing her stories of adopting her youngest and the journey that led to a part of her life that had she hesitated would have never been lived. Her heart opened not only to her sweet son, but to any who happened to be in her orbit. Though she didn’t always have the resources of many of our peers, I never knew her to say no to any cause or any request.

Her home was humble and welcoming. We grew up in an affluent neighborhood with an even more affluent neighborhood adjacent. However, I can’t remember a home I felt more at ease in than hers. It was inviting, warm, always decorated for the occasion and a place you could be yourself. That’s a lot to give to an unsure teenager.

I was a few years older than her children and so got to watch her parent from a different perspective than my younger siblings. Her children are her greatest passion. And I was often in awe with how she parented them, two very different people, with joy, skill, patience and always kindness.

I am filled with incredible gratitude that I am able to have benefitted from her gifts.

I am sure she will meet this challenge with all these things. Fearlessness. Boldness. Positivity. And I know she will meet it with her trademark open heart and selflessness.

Thanksgiving Tradition Made Modern

My earliest Thanksgiving memories involve food, not eating it but making it. As the oldest child, I was recruited early to assist the kitchen. I’d help peel potatoes and carrots, dice onions and whip cream. But every year I would look forward to making the pie. It was and is my favorite part of Thanksgiving.

Mom would make a butterscotch pie from the Talk About Good! Junior League of Layfayette cookbook every year. Each recipe in this large volume had the contributing author printed underneath. I always thought it was fascinating that all these women submitted their recipes and actually got printed. It seemed glamorous to me.

It’s not a difficult pie to make but it does take constant attention while cooking. At first I was just asked to be the stirrer, likely because it’s a tedious task when you’re managing multiple sides, the turkey and children underfoot. But each year I’d get to do a little bit more until one year I was told, “make the butterscotch pie”. What?! I remember being so nervous and excited. I measured oh, so carefully. I read the instructions over and over again. I obsessed over every lump and bubble. I stirred diligently like my very essence depended on it. It was a success. The filling was smooth and delicious, and I took so much pride in that first “all my own” butterscotch pie that I volunteered to do it the next year and every year after. It was my mom’s pie. And it became my pie.

Over the years I would make mistakes, usually getting distracted as I was sometimes cooking the entire meal myself and didn’t have a young apprentice yet to hand off the stirring to. Now, I make them in bulk most years to deliver to those who have become fans of this not-typical-Thanksgiving pie. And I have modified the recipe significantly from the original. My mother had always turned up her nose at the margarine in the recipe, using butter instead. And if she ever used the butter flavoring it was long before I was assisting. Today it’s in a gluten-free pie crust and I use gluten free flour to make the roux. I still haven’t tried to make it dairy-free or vegan yet, but I want to someday.

Thank you Mary Wright of Layfayette for submitting your Butterscotch Pie recipe. It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving in my family without it.

Gluten-free Butterscotch Pie

Gluten-Free Butterscotch Pie

adapted from Talk About Good! Cookbook of the Junior League of Layfayette, original submission by Mary Wright

5 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1/3 cup gluten-free one-to-one blend (I use Bob’s Red Mill 1-1 baking flour)

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

2 cups milk

3 egg yolks, beaten

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

1 prebaked gluten-free pastry shell

Tips:

Stirring constantly is key to smooth pie filling. Make sure to pre-measure and ready ingredients ahead of cooking time.

Feel free to make your own gluten-free pie crust, but I often use a frozen crust for convenience and time saving!

Don’t skip adding a little of the butterscotch batter to the egg yolks to acclimate temperature. I’ve rushed this step before and ended up with bits of scrambled egg yolk in my batter. It’s worth the extra step.

Instructions:

Prepare pastry shell and cool. Melt margarine and stir in gluten-free flour. Blend until a smooth paste is formed. Add sugars and stir slowly until they melt completely. Add milk, 1/2 cup at a time, bring to a bubble after each addition. Cook until slightly thickened. Add 1-2 spoonfuls of butterscotch batter to beaten egg yolks to acclimate the egg yolks to higher temperature. Blend well. Add egg yolk mixture to butterscotch batter and cook to desired thickness. Remove from heat, add vanilla and salt. Cool. Top with whipped cream or Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream.

The original Mary Wright submitted recipe.

Butterscotch Pie Step 1

Melt your butter or butter-substitute, mix in your gluten-free all-purpose flour and stir until you get these bubbles.

You have a roux!

See how easy that was? You have a roux. Keep stirring.

Melt those sugars

Stirring is the game for this pie. Keep stirring and melt all the sugars until smooth.

Melted sugars

You’re ready to start adding your milk now.

Add milk.

Add milk and keep stirring. You want just a few bubbles to form, but keep stirring so the bottom of the pan doesn’t start burning.

Thicken it up!

Keep stirring, paying special attention that the bottom doesn’t burn. As it thickens you’ll see the color change and get lighter.

Ready for eggs

Once you’ve reached this phase turn off the heat for a minute while you prepare the yolks.

Time for yolks.

Your filling will be hot, so I like to add just a little to the egg yolks at a time…maybe a spoonful and stir quickly so your yolks don’t cook. You don’t want pieces of scrambled egg in your pie.

Cook until desired thickness

You’ll know when it’s right when it looks like a pudding. It will also firm up once refrigerated in the pie shell.

If there’s one bougie ingredient I feel I can’t do without anymore, it’s Rodelle Vanilla Extract. I promise it’s worth sourcing it.

My family’s tradition made modern. Gluten-free Butterscotch Pie

I hope your family enjoys butterscotch pie as much as mine. Happy Thanksgiving!

Fiesta (socially distant) Magic

It felt good to get back to hosting. It was smaller but just as festive. It raised good money for the school. But most of all it was soul-filling to be gathering together again.

I made the cutest pom straws using compostable paper straws , fiesta color poms and non-toxic glue. They really made the bar festive.

We. set up tables with plenty of spacing for some proper social distancing. And we were able to use the paper fiesta flowers and custom papel picado from years past to decorate.

I designed and printed menus for each place setting.

Having a smaller crowd this year meant we could do some special touches that wouldn’t have been in the budget in past years. These cups were a hit.

Midnight Mezcal

It was so great to back gathering. It was such a special evening for a good cause. I can’t wait to do it again next year.

Thanksgiving in Lockdown, Finding the Gratitude

This year has been hard. It’s been harder for many others. Often it’s been hard to find the gratitude. But I have so much to be thankful for.

We celebrate far apart this year. But in so many ways we celebrate together. I was reflecting today on how today there was no busy airports and packed roadways. For the first time since maybe the very first Thanksgivings, we are all simply sitting down to a meal today. Some of us are doing so on Zoom from an apartment in Brooklyn. Some of us are having turkey sandwiches with just our housemates. And some of us are still roasting a turkey with our immediate family. But without the hustle and bustle of usual holiday travel, we are all gathering around a table of sorts and figuring out what to be grateful about.

I’m grateful for my home. It’s provided me and my family with space to be together and apart this last year. I’m grateful for our oak-filled spacious yard that has allowed some socially-distanced neighbor visits. I’m grateful for our church that has worked so hard to keep our church family connected when congregating isn’t possible. I’m grateful for employment that can be done in remote settings. I’m grateful for teachers that continue to give even though their own families are dealing with the same stresses we all are. I’m grateful for a community that despite our many differences always comes together to support each other.

I have so much to be grateful for. Period. Tomorrow will bring more worries and concerns. But I’m putting this out there so I can look back and remember the gratitude.

We had phenomenol weather. So we were able to dine outside. It felt very 2020.

We sourced our Thanksgiving this year from many of our favorite local restaurants in an effort to support all we were able.

The menu:

Biscuits by Olamaie

Turkey by Backspace

Sides by Picnik

More Sides by me!

Canned Cocktails To-Go by Little Brother

Homemade Cocktails with Milam & Greene

Wine Bookbinder by Scout and Cellar

Super Duper Yummy Blueberry Muffins (Top 8 Allergy Free)

Y'all have to try these. They aren't hard to make and they are Top-8-Allergen-Free! That means they are gluten-free and vegan too! Woot! I had to make a quick allergen-friendly cupcake batch for a school event and I was really just throwing it together working from an old recipe, but these turned out fantastic so I had to share. Don't you love when that happens? You're in a hurry, it's late at night, so exhausted you can barely see straight and you're sure it will be a disaster, Then, the baking fairy smiles on you and poof! Delicious allergen-friendly muffins!

The recipe:

Ingredients:

Muffins:

1 1/2 c. gluten-free flour blend (I use Bob's Red Mill)

3/4 c white sugar

1/2 t. salt

2 t. baking powder

1/3 c. vegetable oil (you can swap for unsweetened applesauce. I'm also going to try coconut oil next time I make these)

1/3 c. pumpkin puree (this is your egg substitute - feel free to try half a mashed banana or Egg Replacer equivalent for 1 egg)

1/3 c. coconut milk (I'm sure any non-dairy milk substitute would work!)

1 c. fresh blueberries

Crumb topping:

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/3 c. gluten-free flour mix

1/4 c soy-free vegan butter, cubed

1 1/2 t. ground cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) Prepare muffin pan by greasing cups, or use paper liners. Note: I recommend the paper liners to help them hold together better. 

2. Combine dry ingredients (1 1/2 c. flour, 3/4 c. sugar, salt and baking powder)

3. Lightly whisk oil, pumpkin pure and coconut milk. Then add to dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. 

4. Fold in 1 c. blueberries. If using frozen, lightly dust thawed frozen blueberries with gluten-free flour blend to prevent berries from bleeding and turning batter blue. 

5. Make crumb topping: Mix together 1/2 c. brown sugar, 1/3 c. gluten-free flour blend, 1/4 c. soy-free vegan butter and 1 1/2 t. cinnamon. Mix with fork until a crumbly mixture forms. 

6. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups nearly to top. Sprinkle with crumb topping. 

7. Bake for 20-25 minutes in the preheated oven or until tester comes out clean. 

8., Let cool for 5-10 minutes and remove promptly to a cooling rack or eat warm!

Pokemon Party!

We recently celebrated H's 6th birthday. Between our trip to New Orleans and just plain recovering from the holidays, I started the prep super early. I'm glad I did as the week before the party was unusually busy and cedar allergies took me out a few days this season.

I painted this Pikachu plywood game board and the kids tried to “catch” him with the styrofoam pokeballs.

H had asked for a Pokemon party for several months, so i had a while to brainstorm. I don't usually care for just throwing some themed plates and napkins at a party and since Pokemon is either played via the trading card game (excluding kids that aren't into that) or PokemonGo (virtually and only on phones) I struggled on how to bring Pokemon to life. Eventually I came up with kid carnival games where they could interact with some of the franchise's well-known characters. 

I painted a "ball toss" board with Pikachu on it. And used inexpensive Styrofoam balls from the craft store as the pokeballs. It took one hour in front of the tv to paint 12 of them like pokeballs using plain ole acrylic paint which I had either lying around or leftover from painting Pikachu on the board. At the last minute my husband taped some Christmas lights to the outside of the board and plugged it into an outlet that we have on remote. Everytime the kids would get a ball through he'd hit the remote and the lights would light up.

Next I asked my sister to help me simplify Charmander to an image I could piece it together out of felt. This one was fairly easy once I figured out the dimensions. I made felt "flames" to go on the board and created a "Pin the tail on Charmander" game. For the background I simply wrapped a large piece of scrap board we had in the garage with two yards of white felt. 

And lastly, I had a poster of Magikarp printed up and laminated (I laminated in case the weather was bad - you could easily skip this expense). This poster we hung on an old blue table cloth from my backdrop stand. These are fairly inexpensive on Amazon and I have one that we use for the shop. You could easily string it up between two chairs using twine as well. 

My final piece was the giant Pokeball pinata. Pinata pro-tips: take your time, use real crepe paper, not tissue paper and settle in with a nice Netflix binge because it’s not a quick project. Geez louise did it take awhile to wrap that sucker. And it did hurt just a bit when the kids ripped it to shreds. But only for a second because they had so. much. fun. 

We also got all the kids "Ash Ketchem" pokemon trainer hats. I ordered some $1.50 hats and drew on the symbol with fabric marker. 

I was pretty thrilled to see how much H loved everything. And happy that he's at an age where he notices all the little details!

Road Trip to Wyoming!

When my dad first brought up the idea of a 3-week, boys-only road trip from Austin to Wyoming I was sure he hadn't thought it through enough and would soon realize that this was waaaay too much work.

They're off! 4 days driving just boys. They will meet up with my mom for a few of the days. 

But I would soon learn that he had thought of nearly everything as I brought up point after point of why this would be too much. (Remember, he has to have medicine twice a day, you can't forget!  -  He needs reminders to go potty.  -  He can't eat at every place you can eat. Accidental exposure to peanuts could kill him at worst, hospitalize him at best.  -  He's five! It's hard.) But my dad would confidently offer a counterpoint to every point. And somewhere along the line I became convinced this would really work.

Not everyone was such a believer. My husband thought H would surely get homesick on day 2. My mom thought my dad would be too exhausted to keep up with a five-year-old for that long. Even I was hoping he'd be homesick (though I knew he wouldn't) and bought him a $20 flip-phone from Target at the last minute so he could call us anytime. He didn't use the thing until about day ten.

Lesson learned: know your kid, trust your gut, take advantage of any crazy fool willing to take them on an adventure of a lifetime for three weeks. 

H had a blast. He learned a lot about the National Park System, as he visited four parks and earned Junior Ranger Badges at all of them. He learned how to get along with someone outside his immediate family. He learned about the five different states he went through. He learned about my dad and mom. He learned how it was to live a little differently than we do, a lot of which he liked, some he didn't. He learned about a lot of wildlife he's only seen on tv or books. He learned some personal responsibility. He learned some bear safety.

In short, he learned about life. And that's what I remember most about my childhood road trips to Colorado, Montana and Wyoming every summer of my childhood. There are some things that can't be taught in books. They need to be learned by doing. And that's what a summer road trip is really all about. New people, new place, new experiences. All of which will stay with you for a lifetime. 

Thank you Dad & Mom for the road trips of my youth and still having the energy to do the same for H. 

My Test Run of Daily Harvest Smoothie Delivery

My take on Daily Harvest smoothie delivery: 

First, they are delicious. That is really the most important thing. Sometimes smoothies are full of nutritious ingredients and very filling, but taste horrible. I tried 6 different varieties and while some I may not order again, they were all yummy. They arrive in a cardboard box, insulated and cooled with dry ice. In my case the first box arrived within about a week of my order date and was delivered to my front porch as I wasn't home. I was a little panicked when I saw it and realized it had been on the porch in 100+ degree heat for over 3 hours. But they were still frozen. If it had been much longer, I'm not sure the containers felt as if they were just beginning to soften. 

Second, I do think they are expensive. They work out to be about $8/smoothie and you are providing the liquid base (I prefer adding pecan Malk). My husband prefers coconut milk. So at $8+ they aren't cheap. But they are fresh, and delivered. So though they are expensive, I do think you are getting your money's worth. 

Third, they put a lot of thought into the ingredients and flavors. We love that they are paleo which means that they are legume-free. This is important since my oldest has a severe peanut allergy. This is one subscription box that works for every diet in our family (paleo, vegan, egg-free and peanut-free). Woot! My kids didn't taste the cold brew and green tea matcha varieties. But they tried all the others. Both the 5- and 2-year-old loved them all. The only downside of that is needing more smoothies. 

Fourth, it's flexible. I signed up for 6 smoothies a week plan. But it's very easy to login and edit your plan to either more smoothies or skip weeks. I already needed to skip when we would be out of town for a few days. 

In short, I think we'll keep up the subscription. It's nice to have a quick, easy meal when we are always on-the-go these days between schools, activities, doctor appointments and the post office!  Click here to use my referral code and get two free smoothies!

Giraffes are Amazing

I have giraffes hidden and some, not so hidden, all over my home. I love them. So when my friend invited us to the Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch which is also a giraffe sanctuary less than an hour from our house I couldn't say yes fast enough.

We got a late start (of course) and didn't arrive until nearly noon so it was a bit warm for some of the animals. But this park is amazing. Amazing!

You arrive at the park and can purchase your map and animal food. There is a visitor center and cafe if you need to stop before heading out on safari. We headed straight for the gates. I let the kids unbuckle and you drive 5 mph through acres and acres of well-groomed, scenic hill country views with the added bonus of dozens of different types of wild animals.

They do such a great job of laying out feed in shady spots near the road you so are guaranteed to get up close to so many animals. Many of them hang out on the road to get a closer look at you.

My boys could have driven it twice, but we were hungry and I was eager to back to Austin before rush hour began. So we stopped in the cafe for a late lunch and explored the lemur exhibits and the great petting barn. So many baby goats. Enough said, right? Both boys would have brushed these baby goats until sunset if I had let them. 

We are already planning our next visit. My only advice would be to go early if it's summer time, because the animals don't care for this heat any more than we do.   

Dinosaurs Roar

We get to do so many fun things once you have kids, like go to a dinosaur park in 100 degree heat. No really, it was a lot of fun! Just hot. If you're in the Austin area and you have littles, it's a must do, especially if they're into dinosaurs.

It's a half-mile loop. with full-size dinosaur replicas and fossils. Each stop has information on the dinosaur presented and if you have an interested audience they can learn a lot. The trails are well-groomed, stroller-friendly trails in a wooded area. We didn't notice any mosquitoes, but bug-spray might be a good idea.

We packed a lunch and ate at the covered picnic area by the playground which also has some dinosaur related activities, like digging for fossils and even a Jurassic Park jeep and scene setup to enjoy. It is fairly inexpensive day if you can get out of the gift shop (which is where you enter and exit) souvenir-free.

H loved this place and wants to return immediately. Leo was a little unsure of the large dinosaurs and stayed in the stroller for the most part. He did love the playground dinosaurs though!

Trying, Trying to get fit

I've been on a health kick, but considering it's lasted over 6 months now, I'm pretty sure it's going to stick. I love food, cooking and eating it. I love to bake. But in February I did the Whole 30 and I'm never looking back.

Don't worry. I do indulge in a treat every now and again. I had a seriously yummy tiki cocktail the other night at drink.well. But I'm enjoying how much more natural energy I have and just my overall healthfulness is better than I've felt in years. Plus, now that my "baby" is rounding on three, it's time to get rid of the last bit of baby weight.

Besides using the Whole 30 to kick start my health plan, I've recently purchased a fitbit alta. I love it!

I had the original fitbit years ago, but kept accidentally washing it. Wearing it on the wrist makes it much harder to end up in the laundry. And I find it super motivating. I thought the "reminder" feature which reminds you every hour to get up and move if you haven't hit 250 steps every hour would get on my nerves. Not at all. Every time it buzzes me and tells me I haven't hit that seemingly small goal, I hop up from the computer and do a little stroll, mortified I've been sedentary that long. And I have to say my little chunky monkey, George, is enjoying the longer walks he's getting in the evening. We're going to lose that baby weight together!

Love my fitbit!

Kiddos are getting in on the evening walks when dad works late. 

Cold Brew Days

Guys. I've got a serious cold brew addiction. Before I had kids I didn't drink any caffeine at all. I would have the occasional cola in a cocktail and that was it. Fast forward nearly 6 years - years full of sleepless nights, late night feedings, all-night-fever-a-thons, early mornings and endless running around - and I'm a full on addict.

I started by gulping down Frappuccino's and mochas and lattes like it was my job. All. That. Sugar. When I think back, it makes me ill. I'm now a reformed sugar addict, but I've kept the caffeine. And that brings me back to cold brew. It's the best stuff on earth, nectar of the gods. I typically drink it either black or with a little pecan Malk. Austin coffee shops are pretty much all doing their own brew these days so there's always a new one to try. And many restaurants are serving Chameleon or Cuvee on tap. So thankfully, at least in Austin, I'm never without an option. Plus it's a seriously nice beverage to enjoy in this heat. My current local favorites are:

1. Friends and Neighbors
2. Cuvee
3. Summer Moon

And my favorite store bought are:

1. Stumptown
2. Grady's
3. Chameleon

I do make my own as well, but I really enjoy the ritual of sitting down in a local coffee shop, enjoying my beverage and reading or writing or just taking in the scenery. It's become my favorite day-date with my husband too. 

Paperboy Cold Brew

Flyrite serves Cuvee nitro cold brew

Fair Bean Coffee on South First is pretty delicious and there's a great up and coming food trailer park just across the parking lot. 

Fireworks, Water Balloons and S'mores

I love fireworks. I really love them. I'll happily sit for hours camped out to get the best viewing spot. That isn't really possible with tiny kiddos or a husband who doesn't care too much for the Texas July heat. So we hadn't ventured downtown to see the Arboretum Shores fireworks until this year. I packed a bag that morning, I tired the kids out with a parade and lots of running around. Then I convinced them both to nap. And they did! I actually had to drag them out of bed to get downtown in time. We hung out on Congress bridge, playing Go Fish, snacking, blowing bubbles and waving glow sticks. Then it was time for the fireworks. The kids were in awe! They loved it and that made me love it even more. I'm hoping this starts a family tradition that will last!

Happy kids, ready to bike in the parade.

So upset, I can't remember why but I think it had something to do with the late night the previous evening. Nap time was definitely needed. 

When everyone is hot & cranky there is no better solution than water balloons. 

Red, white & blue snack - nothing fancy here, just plain deliciousness.

S'mores to cheer everyone up. All peanut free and vegan. 

Mesmerized boys looking out of Lady Bird Lake from the Congress Bridge.

Holiday goals: watching the fireworks from a kayak. 

One Year Later

We moved into our dream home last year. We were extremely fortunate and found a flat lot and a single-story house in the hills of Austin with plenty of live oak tres and even a bit of a view. It needed nothing done to it and hit just about everything on our checklist. I did say we were extremely fortunate! 

Moving is never easy. We've moved overseas and back - once with a 9-month-old. But this one was the hardest yet! With two active and not yet fully independent boys under the age of 5 it was flat out exhausting. Yet so many of my friends seem to be in this phase. Everyone seems to be trying to find just a bit more space or get into this or that school district before Kindergarten starts and some people are just finally putting down roots and buying their first family home now that they feel more settled as a family. But boy is it hard to pack and then unpack all the stuff (kids have so much stuff!). We're coming up on the one year anniversary of our home and I think we may still have two boxes that haven't been dealt with. So, okay, we probably don't need whatever is in those boxes. But who has time to open them and find out?

I believe a home is never "done". You'll always have something on the "want" or "need" lists, but I'm feeling pretty content these days. Although…I have been getting a landscaping itch.

Have you moved with babies or toddlers? How did you survive? 

George, our Cavalier, keeping an ever-steady watch under the table.

I keep filling this room with more and more plants. Eventually it will be my own little urban jungle.

Our marble fireplace almost always has a few garlands on it whether it's a test run for the shop or just because we like to celebrate for just about any reason.

We are unashamedly Texans. I have a hard time keeping the "Texan" decor to a minimum. 

I love this room and love this planter from West Elm. The burnt orange couch is the first piece of furniture my husband and I picked out together. We had only just started dating, but he had moved and needed some furniture advice. It needs to be recovered and refreshed, but we just can't bear to let go. I curl up on it weekend mornings before the boys are awake and read in this cozy corner snuggled up with my giraffe pillow. This room used to have my favorite Target rug ever in it, until my dogs just wouldn't leave it alone and it was destroyed. I'm currently on the hunt for a perfect replacement.

The real reason we purchased this house was the oak tree-filled backyard. We spend most of our time here inventing all sorts of games or just blowing bubbles. 

We have a tiny view in the back and from the fire pit patio we can sit and watch the sunset every night. If I ever get the boys to bed before sunset this is where you will find me.

Hello World!

Hi y'all. I spend my days running after two boys, ages 5 and 2, two dogs, ages 9 and 1 and one husband. I do all this while trying to run an Etsy shop with my sister, volunteer as much as time allows, occasionally fold laundry and finding a second or two to "do me". The final category is what this blog falls under. In my previous life I spent endless hours photographing and writing about my everyday adventures and occasional travels. Now I whip out my phone to snap a few shots when I have an empty hand. I rarely have three minutes to respond to an email, much less sit and write anything of substance. I've swapped lens changes for diaper changes, a camera bag for a diaper bag. So this blog is my creative outlet and a way to attempt to tell our story in a way that encompasses the things I love to do most.  

Our family, hanging out enjoying quality time. ;)  photo credit: the amazing Carli at Inked Fingers