... And Other Adventures

Paleo Pecan Pie

2015-12-02T07:30:00.000-06:00

Pies have always held a special place in my holiday baking rituals. But once I have to cut out all grains, this was the one dessert that I missed the most. I could give up cakes and ice cream and all that, but missing out on my mom's pies seemed like a punch in the gut. It was just mean. Pie might as well be one of my love languages. That is how much I love it.

When I came across a pie crust recipe on Elana's Pantry, my sadness turned into hope. That lady does not mess around with her recipes. She does not stop until she dominates that recipe. So I knew it would be good.

So armed with her crust recipe, I embarked on my own quest to build the perfect paleo pecan pie. And oh my goodness... I think I have done it! But of course, I will let you be the judge.

Paleo Pecan Pie

the crust

2 cups almond flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/3 cup coconut oil (cold)

2 tbsp coconut sugar

1 egg beaten

the filling

3/4 cup coconut sugar

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup coconut oil (warm - melted)

2 eggs (room temp)

1 tsp vanilla

1 tbsp almond flour

1 tbsp coconut milk

2 cups pecans

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

The Crust - In a food processor, pulse the almond flour, coconut sugar, and salt all together. Add in the cold coconut oil and then finally the egg. Keep pulsing until the dough forms a kind of ball. At this point, I take the ball out and put in a small bowl and pop it in the fridge while I make the filling. Cold dough is definitely easier to work with.

The Filling - In a large bowl, beat the eggs until foamy. Then stir in the maple syrup, coconut sugar, and melted coconut oil. Once it is all fully whisked together, stir in the almond flour, coconut milk, and vanilla. And then finally add in the pecans making sure that they are all evenly coated.

Once the filling is complete, take your dough out of the fridge and with your fingers start pressing it into your pie plate. I use a 9" pie plate. Spread it out so that there are no gaps and make sure to push some up the sides of the pie plate as well.

Pour the filling mixture into the prepared pie dough. Bake in a preheated oven at 325 degrees for 45-50n minutes or until it no longer jiggles in middle. If the crust edges are getting to brown, just cover the edges with foil until the middle filling sets.

Once they are done baking, let it cool completely so that it sets. Then grab a fork and dig in. This pie is good room temperature of cold. I don't know if it freezes well as it has never lasted long enough to find out.

Support Small Business

2015-11-29T11:10:00.000-06:00

Just a friendly reminder to shop small business whenever you can. When you support small business, you support things like swim lessons, dentist appointments, date nights, field trips, electric bills, and so much more. Your money does not go to private jets, weekend homes, or fancy cars. It goes to real people who are forever grateful to support their families doing the work that they love.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Wallerbee

And of course, there is my little shop, And Other Adventures. I am offering 10% of all orders through Cyber Monday. Use code THANKFUL10 in checkout.

I hope this weekend has been great for all my small business comrades. So many of them have sales this weekend. If you have a small shop that you adore, please feel free to add a link along with any special offers/coupons on the comments section. Let's do whatever we can to support these small business owners.

Friday Favorites - Happy Thanksgiving

2015-11-27T16:09:00.001-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving Weekend!

I hope you had a fantastic Thanksgiving with lots of good food, wine, conversation, and pants that stretch in all the right places. We are spending this weekend hanging out in our PJs, visiting with family, watching football, and drinking lots of hot chocolate this rainy and cold weekend.

ONE

An awesome Thanksgiving. We hosted this year and it was great. While we did a lot of prepping and cooking this week, it was all pretty laid back. And my pies turned out great!!! This is a very big deal for me because Thanksgiving is all about the pie in my opinion. And coming up with a good paleo, gluten free alternative is tricky. But they turned out so delicious.... and even better for breakfast this morning. As you can tell by the chalkboard, we all have much to be thankful for this year! Even Frozen made the list... ha. Shocker.

TWO

Speaking of Frozen, Little B was invited to a Frozen birthday party. The whole party was so cute with little 5 and 6 year olds dressed up in their princess finest. And then when both Anna and Elsa walked in, the cuteness exploded. The sweet girls were in such awe and so excited and speechless all at once. I love this age where they still hold such beautiful innocence and believe in all things magical. Stay this age forever, Little B!

THREE

My Cabin Christmas decor is slowly starting to roll out. Makes me so happy!

FOUR

On Wednesday, I was busy all day making pies and chopping vegetables. At one point, I noticed that the house got crazy quiet. And as I am sure you other mamas know, crazy quiet usually means trouble. So imagine my surprise when I walking into this sweet scene of sisters quietly taking turns reading books to one another. Be still my heart! I hope they are always this close. I never had a sister so I am always in awe of sweet sisterly moments like these.

FIVE

In honor of the busiest shopping weekend of the year, I am offering 10% off all items in my Etsy Shop. Just use code THANKFUL10 at checkout.

Red & Gold Deer Ornament/Place Setting :: 1 - $9/Set of 4 - $35
Red Burlap Snowflake Wreath :: starts at $35
Buffalo Plaid Burlap Wreath :: starts at $35
Red & Black Plaid Burlap Wreath :: starts at $35

And there are lots more goodies in the shop, many of which are READY TO SHIP.

Happy weekend ya'll! Make it a great one.

Linkups:
Andrea, Erika, Narci

Currently

2015-11-23T09:47:00.001-06:00

.....just a few happenings from the past week...

seeing: the trees bursting with the reds, golds, greens, and browns of the season. Every day when we walk Little B to school, it looks like we are walking through a gorgeous movie with the leaves delicately falling all around us and the winds whistling through the tree tops.

prepping: we are hosting Thanksgiving this year. I feel pretty organized and ready for the big day. Table decor has been finalized, menu has been planned and groceries purchased. We are ready!

missing: peaches. The ultimate summer fruit.

waiting: December 18. David finishes his LAST CLASS EVER in his Masters program. It is Little B's last day of school. My Etsy shop will take a break for the holidays. And we have family coming in to stay with us. It is going to be so great to focus on my people and just soak them in.

celebrating: see above. Seriously, December 18th is going to be epic.

feeling: so excited for Thanksgiving! It kicks off the holiday season. I love watching the parade in my PJs with coffee in hand and I'm really a big fan of all the Thanksgiving eats.

black fridaying: I hate shopping, especially in stores with crowds. If I do any shopping, it is online with a focused in-and-out mentality. Kind of ironic considering that I work in eCommerce and have many times had to work on Black Friday. But this year, I will be enjoying the fact that I am not on the eCommerce front-lines and will be able to spend the day snuggled up with my family and friends watching football and Finding Nemo for the 367th time. It is supposed to be storming and chilly here. But if the weather were to be nicer, I would be taking REI's #optoutside challenge and spending some time outdoors taking the girls on a hike. Love REI.

eating: too many Pumpkin Spice Donuts. So delicious. Coffee + Donut = perfect morning.

reading: Just finished Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell on audio. Loved that. I find that I am still thinking about it even though it has been a week since I finished it. Now I am listening to At The Waters Edge by Sara Gruen. I'm liking it so far. It pulls you in quickly and the narrator is good. As far as reading (not listening) to a book, I have no time for that right now with the Etsy shop in full holiday swing of fulfilling orders. Maybe in January.

watching: we just finished watching The Fall on Netflix. Oh my goodness! It is so good. The main actors are Gillian Anderson (X Files) and Jamie Dornan (Fifty Shades of Grey). I can not wait for Season 3 to come out. Now we are watching The Man in High Castle on Amazon, which is also fantastic. The story is based on the premise of Nazi Germany winning WWII and therefore the US is occupied and run by the Nazis and Japanese. It is intense and thought provoking.

harvesting: pecans. We have a huge pecan tree in our backyard and it just spitting out pecans everywhere. The trick is getting them before the squirrels do.

cursing: allergies. Sometimes I feel like I could solve world peace if I could just get out of my allergy brain fog.

loving: watching my girls play together. At 2 and 6 years old, I feel like my girls have finally hit their stride where they can play happily and safely without too much mama intervention. It is so fun to see how their little personalities interact with one another. Singing, dancing, laughing, twirling. How are these tiny people so loud and noisy?

appreciating: all my Etsy shop customers. I have met some of the nicest people through orders that have come through. And it seems like there is a great story with each order - a special wedding gift going to someone that finally found love after waiting for so long. A woman excited about hosting her first Thanksgiving. And lots of orders are being sent on to loved ones in the military. There is just so much love and joy. And in times like these, I feel so humbled that something that little ol' me can do to support that love. I can't really describe the feeling, but it is good.

Friday Favorites

2015-11-13T08:15:00.002-06:00

ONE

This week was tough and awesome all at the same time. Lots of little things that are nagging and causing worries. But this week, I consciously worked on focusing my thoughts and energies on choosing joy. And I am so glad that I did because it turned out to be such a great week - babies were born, birthdays were celebrated, a first tooth was lost and I got to hang out with old friends that I had not seen in a while. So much to celebrate!

TWO

So this cute girl lost her first tooth this week. She was so excited when it happened and quickly decided that she needed to call everyone she could think of in order to tell them the amazing news. She was so proud to walk into school the next day with her toothy grin. Sweet girl! I was excited too, but on the inside I actually had quite a mom moment, remembering the day that little baby tooth first came in. My little baby is growing up. I wish I could hit pause and she could stay this age for a while.

THREE

Who else has watched Newsroom?! This series has 3 seasons and I just binged watched all of them over the last few weeks while finishing up Etsy orders. If you are an Amazon Prime member, you can watch Season 1 and 2 for free. And Season 3, I just checked out from the library. The writing, chemistry, and character development is just fantastic. I am actually kind of sad that I have no more shows of this to watch. If anyone has any good recommendations for what my next show should be, please let me know.

FOUR

This candle is my favorite candle of all time. It smells of fall and snuggly nights by the fire. It is pricey for a candle, but such a lovely indulgence.

FIVE

Mad for Plaid. Without meaning to, I am sensing a theme in my shop items this year. I think I went a little bonkers with the plaid. But what can I say... I love plaid. So more plaid the better!

SIX

And of course, I can't have a Friday Favorite list without some sort of food! We will be making this family favorite this weekend. Blueberry Lavender Scones are so simple to make and gluten free. Perfect for a lazy, chilly morning.

Happy weekend ya'll! Make it a great one.

Linkups:
Andrea, Erika, Narci
Karli
Christina

November Days

2015-11-11T10:42:00.000-06:00

November always seems to mean transition for me. The weather transitions back and forth between humid and hot to blustery and chilly. The season transitions from fall to winter and Halloween to Thanksgiving. Daylight Savings forces our bodies to transition, though my littles are fighting that one hard. Even my girls are seeming to transition with growth spurts, a first wiggly tooth, and developmental milestones. My days are transitioning back and forth from being crazy busy with work to being slow and free of commitments. While I often feel like I am turning in circles with all of the constant whirl of change, I also really appreciate it. One hot, humid day makes me appreciate the chilly temps that roll in later in the week. And one chilly, blustery day makes me appreciate the warm days where I get to wear my shorts and flip flops a little longer. The lazy days fuel me for the crazy deadline driven days right around the corner. Burger dinners out on the picnic table under the Italian lights followed by cozy nights eating chili around the kitchen table. It is like the world is trying to give me the best of everything all crammed into one month. Lots to be thankful for.

Friday Favorites: Fri-YAY

2015-10-16T14:06:00.003-05:00

ONE

Even though this week was a short one with Monday being a holiday, it felt like a week of forever. We all got sick with what I think was strep. Plus this Texas weather has been ridiculous with recording breaking heat. So over it! But as of today we are all feeling better and a cool front has dropped the temps about 15 degrees. Fri-Yay indeed!

TWO

We celebrated this guy's birthday! Looking might fine for 40 years if I do say so myself. I love this man like no one else.

THREE

We also celebrated this little girl's 2nd birthday. My little miracle October baby. She is sweet, funny, full of personality. She has 3 modes - smiling, sucking that thumb of hers, or sleeping. My happy girl keeps me on toes and keeps all of us laughing all the time. Our family feels complete with her here. Love her!

FOUR

The house is all decked out for Halloween and I love it. If I could leave up Halloween decorations all year round and not be ridiculed daily by my husband, I would seriously consider it. It just makes me feel like a kid again, still believing in fairies, witches, and magic spells.

FIVE

I love these little pumpkins. They are perfect for decorating for not only Halloween, but also Thanksgiving. My inspiration for making them was actually due to a certain little inquisitive toddler who likes to touch, play and throw everything that is not nailed down. I wanted something that would look really cute in my house, but not breakable. So voila... these were born. I tuck them all around the house - on bookshelves, window sills or even just stuffed in a bowl or basket. The girls rearrange as they see fit. But then for Thanksgiving dinner (which I am hosting this year), I will use them in my place settings. A pumpkin will sit on top of each plate. Then my guests will each get to take one home with them to remember the wonderful evening.

So if you like these and want a few for your home, grab them quick because the holiday busy season is already beginning and these are selling quickly. I just shipped out 21 of these little guys today. And I have a limited supply of fabric. So when they are gone, they are not coming back in stock.

Happy weekend ya'll! Make it a great one.

Linkups:
Andrea, Erika, Narci
Karli
Christina

Almond Flour Blondies (paleo)

2015-10-12T06:00:00.000-05:00

The love of my life turned 40 this past weekend. To celebrate, the kiddos went to their Abuelos (grandparents) house to spend the night allowing David and I to have a rare night all to ourselves! We went out to dinner, drank wine, held hands as much as possible, stayed up late talking about plans for our family, slept in, drank our coffee HOT, and had a lazy breakfast at home. It was heaven! As much as I adore my girls, I loved the chance to reconnect with my husband and celebrate his 40 years of life.

Anyways, for this magical evening, I knew that I needed to make a dessert that would live up to the epic expectations that we wanted for our rare night. These Almond Flour Blondies did not disappoint. They are ooey-gooey chocolatey goodness that are crisp around the edges and all melted in the middle. Two words - indulgent perfection.

Almond Flour Blondies

1/2 cup almond butter

1/2 cup honey, melted

1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2-1/2 cups almond flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 cup chocolate chips

shredded coconut, toasted (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix all of the wet ingredients (the first 5). Then add each of the remaining dry ingredients with the exception of the coconut. Mix well so that no lumps of dry ingredients. Grease a baking dish with coconut oil. For thicker blondies, use an 8x8 dish. I prefer the thinner blondies and use a 12x8 dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Keep an eye on the top. If they get too brown, cover the blondies with foil until the inside is done baking.

Once they are done baking, let them cool and dig in. Afterwards, I usually store these in fridge. They taste so good hot or cold! Also, these freeze super well in case you want to make a double batch.

October Goals

2015-10-06T16:39:00.001-05:00

This is my most favorite month of the entire year. Fall weather is just starting to show its stuff around here. It is chilly for that morning walk to school but then we are all pealing off the layers by noon. I am starting to see the beginnings of a few trees starting to change their leaves.

Make smores in our outdoor firepit.
Read at least two books. I did well in September and read 3. I enjoyed these little pockets of time that I spent reading and definitely want to keep it up.
Decorate for Halloween
Explore a new hiking trail
Visit a pumpkin patch
Figure out how to make an amazing grain-free pie
Have our family picture taken. We do not have anything with all 4 of us since Wild Child was born. That is way too long.
Go out on a date night
Carve pumpkins
Install a solar tube in the hallway
Make banana bread
Celebrate my husband's 40th birthday!!!

Anyone else have some October goals that they are ready to tackle?

Friday Favorites: Hello October

2015-10-02T09:23:00.002-05:00

ONE

We have had such an amazing week celebrating this little 6 year old! And celebrate we did whole-heartedly... donut with a candle for breakfast, cupcakes at school, a few drop in visits from friends and family, and another round of cupcakes at the park with all her buddies. This year we decided to do a joint birthday party to celebrate 3 birthdays... Little B's best friend, Little B, and Wild Child (who turns 2 on Monday). We had such a good turnout and it could not have been more simple. I basically brought cupcakes, juice boxes, and paper towels to the park and watched the magic unfold. It was easy and the kids had a chance to burn off their sugar high before they went home.

TWO

This guy! He is such a great daddy and husband... and now a soccer coach. I got one of the good ones with this man!

THREE

And then there is this little crazy one. So full of personality for one so small. She will be 2 on Monday. Can't believe it! And as you can see, she loves her accessories! Just a normal day getting ready to go to the post office to send out a bunch of Etsy orders.

FOUR

It is starting to be soup-making weather. We are getting a cool front this weekend where the lows may be in the 50s!!! So of course, we will be making smores. But before we load up on the sugar, we will be making this Butternut Squash & Italian Sausage soup to kick off the season. This is Little B's favorite soup. It is good enough to serve to guests or just warm up on a weeknight. With this recipe, we easily get a few dinners out of it. Which is fantastic because it freezes really well.

FIVE

October 1st may as well be a holiday to us. It signifies the start of Halloween season and we could not be more ready. So this weekend, we will all be wearing our Halloween PJs, decorating the house, and watching Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin on repeat. My heart is happy! Growing up, Halloween was so magical for me. My family really got into... in the cute classic sort of way. None of that zombie or gore stuff. I love that being a parent allows me to relive that magical spirit with my kids. It is so energizing and fun.

SIX

I am extra thankful for all the orders coming in my Etsy shop. I am scurrying to get Halloween wreaths made, hoops embroidered, and everything shipped out. So many items have already sold out. Such an ego boost for me and my humble craft-making hands. But I will be going out this weekend to get more supplies. So hopefully I can get some of those favorites reposted again, along with a few new ones, early next week.

Happy weekend ya'll! Make it a great one.

Linkups:
Andrea, Erika, Narci
Karli
Christina

Pumpkin Spice Donuts

2015-09-14T08:47:00.000-05:00

With each season's transition comes the craving for the smells and flavors that go along with it. As I say so-long to stone fruit, eggplant, and fresh tomatoes, I anticipate pumpkins, hearty stews, and apples. And while summer has not quite given up her stage here in Texas, she gracefully shares that same stage a few days here and there with her sister, Autumn. It is like we are getting a special sneak peak in order to build up the anticipation of Autumn's grand debut.

And what better way to honor that upcoming debut than to make these glorious pumpkin spice donuts. This year may be an Indian Summer, but these donuts at least make breakfast (or dessert) feel a little more like fall.

Pumpkin Spice Donuts

2-1/3 cups almond flour*

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tbsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg
1-1/2 tsp allspice
1 tsp ground ginger
4 eggs
1-1/2 cup pureed pumpkin

1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup coconut oil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease your donut pan. Mix the almond flour, salt, baking soda and spices together in a bowl. Bring out your blender and place all the wet ingredients into it - pumpkin, eggs, coconut oil, and honey. Then dump your almond flour spice mix into the blender as well. Give it a good blend until there are no more dry pockets left and everything is smooth. You may need to scrape down the sides of the blender a few times in order to achieve this. Blending the batter is an important step and the only way that I have found to get the consistency that I was looking for.

Pour the batter in each donut mold. I usually fill it just under the top, but definitely not over. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Definitely keep an eye on them to make sure they do not overbake. Trust me when I say that overbaking is no good for anybody! You want them golden on top and when you insert a toothpick, it should come out clean.

Remove from the oven and let them cool at least 5 minutes.

When serving, you can enjoy them as-is, sprinkled with a little cinnamon sugar mix or drizzled with a bit of maple syrup or honey. My favorite is semi-drowned with warm maple syrup... Messy, but totally worth it.

While these don't usually last too long around my house, I usually store them in an airtight container with a paper towel lining the bottom. And sometimes, if I am super ambitious, I will freeze each donut individually separated by parchment paper. Whenever I want one, I pop it out of the freezer and heat it up in the oven. So good!

* I use Honeyville Almond Flour. I like that it is super-fine and therefore gives me the best texture/consistency in baked goods compared to other brands.

Friday Favorites

2015-09-11T10:10:00.001-05:00

ONE

#ShareTheGoodWhat started as a simple post sharing my frustrations and my desire to do more, turned into something much bigger than myself. It makes me happy to know that there are other kindred spirits out there that feel the same way that I do. And especially on a day like today where we are full of remembrance... my heart is full.

TWO

I made these pumpkin spice donuts this past week... and let me tell you, they were amazing. Plus no gluten, no grains, and no dairy = no tummy troubles. Hooray!

THREE

This weekend the highs are supposed to be in the low 80s. That is downright chilly for this Texas girl. It is starting to feel like fall! And what a great weekend for it... we are meeting up with friends tonight at Thurber Mingus, first soccer game of the season, may go to Vintage Market Days at Southfork Ranch (where the show Dallas was filmed and also the site of my highschool prom), and lots of football watching for the rest of the weekend.
Can't believe that photo above is at Little B's first soccer game ever. She was so little!

FOUR

This weekend the highs are supposed to be in the low 80s. That is downright chilly for this Texas girl. To celebrate all the greatness of this weekend, Little B and I will be making a double batch of these homemade brownies.

FIVE

1st win of the season for the Aggies was last Saturday. Whoop! Looking forward to many more.

Happy weekend ya'll! Make it a great one.

Linkups:
Andrea, Erika, Narci
Karli
Christina

Share The Good

2015-09-09T11:14:00.003-05:00

This past weekend, I was in a bit of a funk. I could not really put my finger on what exactly was bothering me. So I went through the motions of the weekend and did my best to be in the moment, but I just could not shake it.

After a few precious quiet moments one morning, I was able to sort through my thoughts... the Syrian families paying the ultimate sacrifice for the hope of a better life, policemen being shot for no other reason than their uniform, wild fires destroying homes and taking lives, people fighting health battles, ongoing political banter, Greece's financial woes... the list goes on and on. In a world that is so often filled with real, gut-wrenching, heart-breaking struggles, I find myself feeling very small and helpless. I want to be an instrument of change but feel that anything I do is just a drop in an ocean of need. Even after I donate to the organizations I believe in, I still feel that I could do more. But what is that more? What does it look like?

I am still pondering on those last two questions, but I do know that there are some things that I can do right now.

1. SHARE THE GOOD: Inspired by Jenn, I want to Share the Good. I think this idea is brilliant. Share something positive – a beautiful picture, an inspiring quote, a good news story – and tag it #sharethegood. More often than not, the good things in life are subtle, personal and not as sound-bite-worthy. But those little moments add up and together can be a force to be reckoned with.

2. DONATE: your time, your money, your belongings. Here is what I will be doing:
* My Money - I will be donating to Doctors Without Borders. I really believe and respect everything that they do. Did you know that they recently, in one day, rescued and provided medical treatment to 1,658 refugees found floating in the Mediterranean. They are often on the ground in the middle of warring countries providing medical treatment to those caught in the middle. Their work is often so dangerous yet so life changing. In addition to that, I like how that over 90% of contributions actually go to the the programs/people that they are working so hard to help all over the world.

* My Time: I am struggling with this one as my time is incredibly limited at these phase in my life. Between work, raising my littles, and being a good daughter/wife/sister/friend, this one is tricky. So my answer right now is a hybrid of time and money... For the rest of September, I will donate 50% of all of my Etsy shop sales to Doctors Without Borders.

* My Belongings: We have a car seat, baby clothes, bottles, blankets, etc that I will taking to Catholic Charities. They have a variety of programs, but I especially like their refugee settlement program that helps refugees find housing and transportation, provides them clothing, and gets them registered for school. Can you imagine showing up in a foreign country with only the clothes on your back!? This program helps families make that transition a little easier.

3. BE THE GOOD: I firmly believe in small acts of kindness. I don't know yet exactly what I will do for this one as I am often inspired in the moment. But here are a few ideas to keep this intention top of mind for me:
* Compliment a stranger, especially one that seems sad or angry in that moment
* Share some extra garden vegetables with a neighbor that I don't know very well
* Pay for the person behind me in line (Starbucks, the grocery store, etc)
* Say "Thank You" to Little B's teacher for all that she does every day.

4. APPRECIATE WHAT I HAVE: How lucky am I to live in this country surrounded by plentiful food, jobs, housing, schools, etc. While our system has its flaws, we have pretty great. My kids are healthy, my husband has a job, we have a roof over our heads, food on our table, and friends and family that always ready to help. I am one of the luckiest people on this earth.

I am not naive to think that my efforts alone will solve the world's problems. But I do know that as long as I am on this earth, I can not sit idly and just watch human suffering. I still believe that Good conquers Evil and that there is so much good to be found on this earth and in people's hearts.

So will you believe with me? Can we do this together? Will you spread the word? In the comments, share any of your efforts that you have done to impact change. Share your blogposts that talk about the positive and/or causes/organizations that you believe in. We can inspire each other along the way.

September Goals

2015-09-08T10:47:00.000-05:00

I've decided to start a monthly goals post to help keep me on track. I'm actually kind of a nut about this offline. My friends make fun on me because I take the agile methodology that I use at work to keep huge development teams on track and use that same methodology at home. It is a bit bonkers but it works for me. And I have a few friends that I talked into adopting my crazy ways and really like how much they are accomplishing.

Have I lost you yet? So proud of ya'll that made it through that. Anyways, as I was saying... September Goals. Here's what I have so far:

Finish up the plan for the girls' joint birthday party that will happen at the end of the month.
Plant the fall garden on the side yard (our biggest garden yet).
Paint the front door and shutters.
Read at least two books.
Keep up our weekly tradition of family movie night (this has become a big highlight in our week).
Start decorating for fall.
As soon as temps get cooler, take the family on a nature hike. Come on cool front!
Clean out the girls' closets.
Install shelves for our coffee station.
Finish painting the kitchen cabinets.

Whew! That list is a little overwhelming to me at this point. Better get started.

Anyone else have some goals that they are planning to knock out this month? Share your blog link in the comments. Then we can keep each other accountable with a smile!

Friday Favorites - end of summer

2015-09-04T10:13:00.000-05:00

ONE

It is the last "official" weekend of summer. This weekend signifies the beginning of the slow transition between summer and fall. Where the best of both seasons start to combine in an ode to the Indian Summer spirit. Juicy stone fruit mixes with the promise of hearty soups. The smell of sun-kissed babies blurs with the smell of pumpkin spice. Squeezing in some last few trips to pool amidst the routine of back to school. Cool mornings and steamy afternoons. Summer is putting the final touches on its finale while autumn is prepping for its glorious debut.

TWO

Wild Child's vocabulary has grown leaps and bounds over these past few weeks. It is really funny to finally get some true insight into her little mind and all that is going on in there. The stuff that comes out of her mouth keeps us laughing all the time. Such personality for one so small.

THREE

A few touches of fall are starting to pop up around the house. I like to trickle out my fall decor little by little. Not quite ready to pack up summer just yet.

FOUR

This homemade remoulade sauce is my current favorite condiment. I am putting it on anything from chicken to asparagus to french fries. So pretty much everything. I'll post a recipe on this one soon.

FIVE

Just finished up this cute Halloween hoop for the shop.

SIX

Nothing pays better homage to summer's finale than my paleo peach crisp. This is a great way to use up any extra peaches while they are still in the markets. So good for breakfast, dessert or an afternoon snack. Cold or warm, it is always delicious.

Happy Labor Day weekend ya'll! Make it a great one.

Linkups:
Andrea, Erika, Narci
Karli
Christina

Currently September

2015-09-03T17:09:00.000-05:00

I am linking up with Anne and Jenna for this September edition of "Currently".

READING nom nom paleo by Michelle Tam & Henry Fong and The American Heiress. I mentioned The American Heiress a few posts back. So I won't go into more detail on that one. nom nom paleo is excellent. Yes, I read cookbooks like they are a novel. Am I the only weird one out there that does that? Anyways, we have made two recipes from it so far and both turned out excellent.

MAKING homemade yogurt and lots of new fall/holiday goodies for the Etsy shop.

PINNING inspiration on what to with our scrap wood pile. I have found a few holiday projects that should whittle that wood pile down in no time.

ANTICIPATING our crazy month of birthdays that kicks off at the end of September. Little B, Wild Child and David all have birthdays back to back. While I love the festivities surrounding those celebrations, they are a lot of work for this mama. Makes me glad that my birthday is in April.

LOVING that college football starts this weekend. Go Aggies!!! Plus a 3-day weekend. Life is good!

Our Trip to Maine

2015-09-02T09:22:00.001-05:00

This past July we took the most amazing trip up north to Maine. It is a bit of trek from Fort Worth, but totally worth it. We mostly stayed around the Portland/Freeport/Yarmouth area.

This trip was wonderful for so many reasons. Our most important reason for going was to see one of my best friends, Tari, from college and her gorgeous family. I had not seen her since I was pregnant with Little B. So we were well past due for a visit. Don't you just love friends that you can go without seeing for so long and then just jump back in where you left off.

Everytime I head up there, I am reminded that people from Maine know how to do summer right. Everybody is outside as much as possible. There are HUGE vegetable and flower gardens in EVERY yard. Their gardens put mine to shame. The farmers markets are amazing. It seems like there is a different beach to explore every day. And the seafood... Oh, the seafood is heavenly. That is all that I ate while I was there.

On top of all that, we loved our family time with no work, no school, no responsibilities, or home improvement projects in the works. It was the stuff that memories are made out of.

I have to admit that it was really hard to get on the plane to come home. The triple digit temps back home did not help at all. But I am so glad we got to spend the time we had there and hang out with great friends.

Okay, so if you are ever planning a trip up to Maine, here are the places that I would highly recommend:

Five Islands Lobster Co. - People come for the lobster and the stunning views. You sit at these huge outdoor picnic tables. So definitely go when the weather is nice.
Downtown Portland - We got out and walked all along the waterfront. Great seafood restaurants, cute ice cream shops that have been approved by Wild Child and Little B, and little boutique stores.
Any farmers market that you can find - definitely pick up some Maine blueberries. The berries are much smaller than the ones we usually see in the store, but so much sweeter.
Any of the beaches - Depending on what you want to do, there is a beach for you. Some are rocky, but deep and great for paddle boarding, jumping off rocks. Others are sandy and have a more gradual slope making them perfect for the babies to play in the water. All of them are breath-taking beautiful.

For my next trip up there, I really want to go in the winter - see if this Southern girl can tough out a Maine winter. That trip will be comical if nothing else. We joke that Tari will have to dress me and tell me everything that I am supposed to do. So clueless about winter. That's ok. It would be a great adventure.

You Are My Best Adventure

2015-09-01T14:24:00.000-05:00

I made this cute little hoop to hang in my girls' bedroom. They are now sharing a room... which is a whole other blog post. So anyways... something to hang in their room.

In this house, we talk a lot about adventures. Past trip adventures we have been on. Food adventures. New school/new friend adventures. Etc. The list goes on and on. Adventures are important to us. It is why my blog is named what it is. Life is an adventure in all things.

One day Little B asked me what my most favorite adventure was. I was a little caught off guard by the question. But it only took a moment to know my answer. My beautiful girls. Little B gave me my first adventure into motherhood and all of its humbling, heart-pounding, beautiful intensity. And Wild Child... well based on her nickname, she is giving me adventures in all sorts of things. But all kidding aside, these two girls are the best thing that I have done with my life. They truly are my best adventure.

That is why this piece is my most favorite to make. It was inspired by that moment with my beautiful little 5 year old. It means so much to me as well as any mama that I make it for. For anyone that wants one of their own to keep or gift to someone you adore, you can find it in my Etsy store.

Friday Favorites - 1st week of School

2015-08-28T09:38:00.002-05:00

ONE

We survived the first week of kindergarten!!! I am not gonna lie. This week has been bumpy. Lots of new faces, changes to routine, etc. My shy, reserved little girl is getting stretched in all different directions. She is navigating through it in her own way. We are celebrating small victories every day. And while it is often hard to watch her go through it, I am so proud of her.

TWO

Thank goodness for COFFEE! Between the new routine and my stinkin' allergies, coffee has been my saving grace this week. Enough said.

THREE

I feel like such a dork admitting how excited I am about first attempt at growing beets. They have given us a steady supply all summer. I am surprised by how low maintenance they are. Your just throw in the seeds and watch them grow. They have survived our epic floods and now our brutal heat. When you pick them, they smell like that smell that comes just before a thunderstorm hits. I love that smell. They need to make a candle that smells like that. I wonder what they would call it.

FOUR

This sassy girl is definitely keeping me on my toes. We affectionately call her Wild Child. My friends have recently been teasing me because my right bicep is really defined because I am always quickly grabbing this child off of something dangerous or mischievous.

FIVE

Our basil is going bonkers! I purposely grow a lot of it because we use basil on everything from pizzas to soup to salad. It is so good. This latest harvest gave me 8 cups. I used all of it to make freezer pesto. Which let me tell you friends, if you have not made freezer pesto yet, you are missing out. It is the best thing to pull out on a cold January day and put on top of chicken, fish, pasta (or spaghetti squash in my case). I will post my paleo-friendly pesto recipe soon.

SIX

These bento-style lunch boxes are awesome. We have used them since Little B was three and in preschool. We usually pack all 5 days of lunches on Sunday night. Makes life so much easier for this busy mama. I love that these are dishwasher safe, very sturdy, and have different compartments, and fit perfectly in Little B's lunch box with an ice pak underneath.

Linkups: Andrea, Erika, and Narci

Currently reading

2015-08-26T07:00:00.000-05:00

The Hurricane Sisters

I listened to The Hurricane Sisters on audio while driving on a road trip. I must admit, I think I would have liked it better if I had read it the old fashion way. The narrator's voice grated on me. With that said, the book was entertaining for what I needed it to be and yet light enough. Perfect for a road trip where you don't want to have to be super focused on every single word. This would be a good, easy beach read. 2.5/5 stars

The American Heiress

I just started The American Heiress and am about 70 pages in. So I am still forming an opinion. It reminds me a little bit of Downton Abbey due to the time period and all. It is about a young American heiress who travels to England with her mother. Her mother is on a mission to find her daughter a title by marrying her off to an eligible duke.

The Book of Life

The Book of Life is the third book in the Discovery of Witches trilogy. I loved the first one. Thought the second one was just so-so. And really enjoyed this final one. To me, it has that same feel as The Historian in that it deals with the supernatural but with an element of history, old libraries, and interesting, worldly cities thrown in. 3.5/5 stars

Killing Patton

I LOVED this book! Killing Patton might be my favorite book that I have read all year. Another audio book, it is non-fiction and narrated by Bill O'Reilly. I would listen to this one while I did chores - laundry, cleaning the kitchen, etc - and I would do more chores that needed just to hear the end of the chapter. And the fact that it is non-fiction just makes it even more intense. So for any other WWII history enthusiasts out there, I highly recommend this one. Apparently, Bill O'Reilly has a whole set of these kind of books - Killing Kennedy, Killing Lincoln, etc. I will definitely be picking up those to read. 5/5 stars

If interested, you can catch up on other books I've read here. And of course I'm on Goodreads. Some send me a friend request and we can geek out on books together.

And away she goes

2015-08-24T12:54:00.000-05:00

As of this morning, I have new kindergartener! Aggh! I need time to put a pause on it for a little bit. We have been talking about this day for so long and now that it is here, I am not quite sure what to do with myself.

This morning, Little B woke up bright and early, got dressed and brushed her hair with no fussing, ate breakfast, put on her backpack and announced that she was ready to go. Love that girl! When she makes up her mind to do something, she does it.

We took our obligatory first day photo in front of the big magnolia tree and then headed out to meet the rest of the crew of friends. Driving in the car, we played Taylor Swift loud and proud in order to get pumped for the day. And I am not gonna lie, I got a bit teary-eyed in car thinking about how my little girl has gotten so big. Deep breaths. Don't worry, I pulled it together before we got there!

Aren't they the cutest?! These kiddos have been friends since they were two. We are so lucky that their friendships are so strong. They really bring out the best in each other. And their parents are awesome too. So lucky to have this crew in our lives.

When we finally dropped Little B off at her classroom, her Irish stoicism came out strong. I could tell that she was excited and nervous all at the same time. I told her "Be brave. Have fun. And remember that your mama loves you!" She did great. I, however, was a bit of a hot mess on the drive out.

I can not wait to hear all about her first day adventures tonight!

Favorite books for my little girls

2015-08-03T09:44:00.000-05:00

My girls and I love some reading time. I'm so glad that they both inherited my book nerd love for all things literary. My girls are about 1-1/2 and 5 years old. So during our reading time, we usually flip-flop between a board book, regular book and a chapter book.

Here are a few of our current favorites:

This one has been a consistent favorite for both the girls at any age. When the day has a bit too much bickering, this is a crowd favorite that everyone can agree on.

Who does not love some Dr. Seuss?! My girls have started to narrate some of the favorite parts. It is super cute.

This is our first chapter book that we are reading at bed time. Firecracker has no interest at all. But Little B is hooked. Plus, I love reading them out loud as it is a throw back to my own childhood.

These board books are Firecracker's consistent favorite. They are well loved and have survived the test of time with two teething babies. I love that they are short, making them perfect for a little's short attention span, and that they pack well into a purse, diaper bag, etc. These are the sure-thing books that I pull out in waiting rooms, airports, etc when I am about to have a fussy, melt-down toddler.

July 2015

2015-08-01T10:39:00.000-05:00

Our Chalkboard - Summer List of Fun

2015-07-16T15:19:00.001-05:00

Last summer, I created a similarly themed board that Little B would show anyone who came over. She was very proud to point out each thing that could be checked off the list. So for this summer, I thought we would do it again. I always wonder if it is little things like this that my girls will remember as their childhood memories. Plus, it just makes me happy every time I walk by it.

Happy summer of fun!

Blueberry Almond Crisp

2015-07-15T14:35:00.001-05:00

This is the perfect answer to an intense pie/cobbler/crisp craving. Yes, that is a thing. Well, at least for me, it is a thing. I often craving that beautiful mix of fruit and nutty, doughy goodness. And let me tell you, this dish hits the spot! In fact, it is so good that it was really tough to get a photo of this bad boy before forks dived in to gobble it up. We did not even bother with plates.

Blueberry Almond Crisp

3-4 cups blueberries

1-1/2 cups almond flour

1 cup chopped almonds

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

1/4 cup honey

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp sea salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place all the blueberries in baking dish. In a separate bowl, mix together all of the remaining topping ingredients. Crumble the topping over the blueberries and place the baking dish into the oven. Let it all bake for about 45-50 minutes. Check it half way through to make sure the top isn't browning too quickly. If so, cover loosely with foil over the top to protect it while it finishes cooking. When done, let it cool just a bit and then grab a spoon (or fork) and dig in. This crisp is good with ice cream, whipped cream, or plain.