Corner of Canal & Lafayette

Ryan Innes AKA the real deal

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 19:17:00 +0000

I am ready to check back into the old blogosphere after being checked out for nearly a month due to prepping for travel, actual travel, and uncooperative computers. It's good to be back.

Later this week we have posts coming about fun children's books, and great ways to store those books. Today I had to post about music and the soulful Ryan Innes. We have seen him live a few times here in Utah and he is crazy, rock-your-world, make-you-wanna-cry, soulfully-smooth good, in my humble opinion that is. In the audition video below from last night you can see how many judges on the voice agree with me. Watch it and I dare you not to feel moved the way you do when you experience someone IN. THEIR. ELEMENT.

Here are a few of his other songs via youtube video that I love:

For great listening while hanging out with the one you love on a Saturday night.
Something natural-an original by Ryan Innes

If you are a beetles fan.
Oh darling-a beetles cover

And you can listen to more of his original songs here.

Go team Usher! What local up and coming musicians are you into right now?

accessorize me [in the living room]

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 23:31:00 +0000

We have posted about larger items of furniture we have DIY'ed that make up our living room here and here. Now it's time to scale down and accessorize. And now that we are on our way to an adult er grown up living room my pinterest board entitled "accessories" is blowing up with ideas in our living room realm of mid-century modern DIY.

1. Books. Our go-to accessory has always been books. Kristian is an avid reader and I try to be, depending on the season of life we happen to be in the middle of. To add to the books that we already have on either side of our media unit I covered a book we already owned in fabric. This is a nice option if you want to hang on to a book that doesn't go with your accessorizin' color scheme. So far I have used black and white houndstooth which was leftover from another project, and you betta watch out 'cause next time I go to the fabric store I might just end up with some chevron.

2 More on books. I have been crushin' on these classic penguin books for a while now, their artsy meets classy covers are fantastic. I recently ordered the one pictured above [The Odyssey by Homer] from amazon because it was the right color. Maybe one day Kristian and I will actually read it. But for now, it makes me happy just looking at it and judging it by it's artsy, graphic cover. Robin Hood would be a perfect accessory in a boys room, Les Miserables is fantastic if red and black work in your home, and A Christmas carol is a blue and white wintery addition I would like to make part of my holiday decor.

3. Is anyone else loving the Nate Berkus line at target? I have been eying this metallic, pokey, orb of sea urchin for a while now. I was told they had been discontinued after calling every target within a 25 mile radius. [It seems that status has changed as they are now available online and in store.] And then I happened to be at target browsing and there was one left and now it is best buddies with my favorite blue book. They make quite a pair. This tortoise shell is fun too.

4. A box. Ooo, this fun oak washed box, yep Nate Berkus again. Containerizingitis: the over the top desire to hide items not pleasing to the eye or that cause clutter, but are nevertheless necessary, in something aesthetically pleasing. Yep, I have that. At night I dream about the closets you see on pinterest. Everything has a drawer, a bin, a box, or a color coded hanger, and everything is labeled. Part of my containereizingitis is that our remotes, all three of them, need a home. And I think the above mentioned box is indeed the box for the job, but for now they have a white ceramic home.

And here are all of these elements together. We purchased the tray from target just after Christmas when it was 50% off.

And when we don't have a 2 and 5 year old jumping around, our tufted ottomon/coffee table is it's home.

5. A clock. How many times have Kristian and I gone through Z gallery, restoration hardware, or pottery barn, just to find a clock of large scale that we love and want but can't afford? Many, many, many, many times. Here is one from restoration hardware that makes me want to shout all about from the rooftops because the scale is perfect, and it fits with our style. Ah, good design, it makes ya wanna cry. But $995 really makes me wanna cry because it just isn't in the budget for a clock. So our search has continued until last week. While we were in Arizona hanging out with family Kristian must have had his clock-finding-powers blazing because he lucked out at Marshalls and found this oversized alarm clock, and the price of $18.50 made it even better.

I think it looks great on the mantle with everything else we have going on. The ampersand (& symbol) has been on my accessory list for a while as well. After drooling over them on etsy I finally just went and bought one at Michaels for a few dollars, gave it a light sand, and spray painted it silver.

Check back in on Wednesday for more on accessorizing in other rooms. What is your favorite living room accessory?

How to Create Your Own Luck

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 15:04:00 +0000

Original image via

Ok…so we’re a couple of months into the New Year. We all survived the Mayan apocalypse. Congrats! I don’t know about you but I found the apocalypse a bit of a letdown. I expected more flash. More bang. At least some fireworks. Big pretty ones. That make you smile.

As our zombie looking friend on the left says, the end of the world has been cancelled. So what now? Well, what about making this year the best year ever?. Why not, right? We got lucky, and dodged an end of the world bullet. So let's celebrate by having our best year yet.

One way I plan on making this year a great year is by being luckier. That’s right. I want more luck, more serendipity, more “Wow that was an awesome coincidence” in my life. I know. Asking for more luck seems kind of silly. Kind of like my two year old wishing elephants came in various shades of pink. But I say the world would be a better place with pink elephants.

Original art work by

I thought I would share my formula on how I am going to make luck a reality. The formula is a creation of personal experience, observations of lucky people, and reading the writings of others. It is a simple formula. Only five parts. The key is making the formula a daily routine. A daily habit. And patience. Increased luck doesn’t happen overnight. But I know it will happen, if I am diligent in the application of this formula.

Ok, here we go.

Original image via

1. Spiritual: I put this first as I believe it to be the most important. I believe it is what grounds us. Connects us. Get’s us outside of ourselves. It helps us put our own ego aside and realize the world does not revolve around us. Here is the daily application.

- Pray: Prayer is powerful. It helps us to ponder the good things in our lives. It helps us to connect with something that is much bigger than us. It is an opportunity to meditate with the eternal.

- Read Uplifting Material: I don’t care what you read. It can be scripture, a self help book, a book that makes you smile or feel good about life. It could be reading the poem If by Kipling. It doesn’t matter what you read as long as when you are done reading you are motivated to be better. Do better.

- Be Honest: It really is the best policy. Be honest with yourself. We all deceive ourselves from time to time. Work to eliminate it. Be honest with the people around you. Don’t be brutally honest. Be genuinely honest.

Thinking Man

2. Mental: Mental is all about challenging yourself. Pushing yourself to create something new. To develop a new talent. Learn a new skill. It's about producing rather than consuming. Here are some ideas on how you can do that. You don’t need to do all of the ideas. Pick one of my ideas or come up with something that excites you. The key is to do it every day for six months. Evaluate at the end of the six. If it is going well…continue. If not pick something else.

- Learn a New Language: There is a great new website called Duolingo. It is phenomenal. The premise of the website is to teach you a language while you provide a service to the world. That of translating internet pages from the language you are learning to your native tongue. It is pretty impressive. And a clever way to provide a free service.

- Write Lists: Everyday, jot down 10 ideas. It doesn’t matter what the ideas are. Just jot them down. Could be ideas about books you want to write. Ideas about businesses you want to start. Ideas about people you want to thank. Ideas about 10 people you want to connect with each other. 10 ideas on how you are going to add value to your employer. 10 ideas on being a good parent/spouse/friend. It doesn’t matter. The key is to write down ideas. We all have an idea muscle. But like all muscles, if not used, it atrophies. The problem is even though our idea muscle has probably atrophied we still think we have good ideas. When in reality we have mediocre ideas. If you do this, the first 3 months will be a bit of a challenge. At about 3 months ideas will really start to flow. You will want to act on those ideas. Don’t do it yet. Set your best ideas aside for a few months. At about 6 months you will start generating great ideas. And you should start to act on one or more of them. And you know what will be awesome? Like magic, people will come into your life to help you execute and make your ideas a reality.

- Learn a New Skill: One of the things I am trying to do right now is learn to be a better cook and learn some interior design skills. So each day I read a little about both. With cooking, once a week I find a new recipe that will challenge me a little. This week I am thinking I will do a little sous vide. Should be interesting. With design, my goal is to find one project a month to do. Last month we reinventing our old coffee table. In the process it went from boring to amazing.

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3. Intellectual: Intellectual is a little different from mental. Mental is about the physical process of doing something. Learning a language, writing lists, making something. It is about producing. Intellectual is about expanding your mind. Learning. Studying. Consuming. Gaining a better understanding of yourself and the world around you. How should you do this?

- Read: Everyday. Read. History books. Fiction books. Poems. Plays. Harry Potter. John Adams. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. The Brothers Karamazov. The Writings of Cicero. It can be anything. If you are trying to be a funnier writer or wittier person pick up books by comedians. If you are trying to be a better thinker pick up books by philosophers. If you want to better understand human nature read one of the classics. I just finished reading the short story The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allen Poe. If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend it. It is a magnificent piece of writing. Poe is a master at using language to communicate ideas/imagery/feeling. One last note. Try to make your reading something other than your spiritual material. So yes, you will be reading two books at the same time. Double dip if you must. But try not to.

Wouldn't you love to run here?

4. Physical: We all know the benefits of exercise and good eating. Not only have we been taught it since we were little but we know it instinctively. Part of having a lucky life is being healthy. So here are a few tips/things I am going to focus on.

- Exercise: Get up. Get moving. You don’t have to be an Olympic athlete. You don’t have to train for a triathlon. You don’t even have to take hours out of your day. 20-30 minutes is all you need. 6 days a week. Get up, and break a sweat. That’s it. All you need to do is get your heart rate up high enough that you sweat for 20-30 minutes. Do yoga, walk, jog, jump rope, chase your kids around the yard, play basketball, hike, dance. You decide. Make it fun. Just do something everyday.

- Eat Right: First, cut out all or almost all processed sugars. That stuff is evil incarnate for your body. Also, eliminate junk food, processed foods, and significantly reduce your consumption of grains. Stop drinking soda. Even the no sugar kind. Instead eat good things. Natural foods. Consume more vegetables, fruits, nuts, and meat. I promise you will feel better. Have more energy. And your mind will be clearer.

- Sleep: Get your 8 hours of sleep each night. It is the rare person who can fully operate on less. If you get 8 hours you will find you won’t need stimulants to get you going in the morning. You will have less headaches. Your mind will be sharper. You will have more energy. It will almost be like magic. To help you sleep better make sure you have a dark room to sleep in. Try and get rid of any light. That includes lights from electronic gadgets. Also don’t watch tv or use a computer, ipad, etc an hour or two before bed. Studies show watching or utilizing electronics just before you go to bed makes it harder to fall asleep and sleep soundly. The blueish light they emit mimics daylight, which tricks your brain into thinking it is still daytime. Instead read an old fashioned book. Or and I know this is crazy, but spend time with your spouse. A little pillow talk is always a good thing.

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5. Gratitude: I end with gratitude on purpose. As it is a very important quality for a happy life and creating luck. It is said, that Albert Einstein once remarked, the most important decision you can make is deciding whether you live in a friendly or hostile universe. If you can develop an attitude of gratitude it is amazing how the world seems to conspire in your favor. Here are some ideas on how you can develop your gratitude muscle.

- Gratitude Moment: Try to find a moment each day, with a significant person in your life, to reflect on what it is you are grateful for. I have found the best time to do this is at night, with my wife, just before we roll over and go to sleep. Doing it at the end of the day gives me a chance to reflect. Each night in bed we ask each other, “What are you grateful for today”. Sometimes the answers are silly. I’ve been known to respond “bananas” once or twice. What? I love bananas. Especially in a morning smoothie. More often the answers are heartfelt. Doing this with a significant other will help strengthen the bond between you.

- Say Thank You: Think of people who have been positive influences in your life and write them a note telling them one thing that makes your grateful they were/are in your life. Be genuine about your gratitude. Ask them how they are doing. Getting this from you will be very meaningful. Imagine if out of the blue you got a thank you email, or better yet a hand written note, from someone long ago in your life. It would mean a great deal. Do this for someone in your life. Do it for 10 people. Do it once a month for the next year. Do it once a week for the next 6 months. Amazing things will start to happen.

- Write: Sit down and write a list of 100 things you are grateful for. If you can’t get to 100, that’s ok. Everyday add one more item. If you can get to 100, keep going. And everyday add one more item to the list. Write a paragraph about something you are grateful for. Write a novel about something you are grateful for. Write a gratitude poem.

So there you have it. The secret sauce for creating your own luck. Spread it on thick. Because luck is tasty.

The key is to make this a daily habit. Do this every day for the next 6 months and you will be amazed at the changes you will see in your life. If you can hold on for a year, by this time next year, you will look back and realize that life has really changed for you. I think Jefferson said it best, “I am a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.”

mid-century modern fab

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 21:47:00 +0000

On Monday we posted about using podcasts as motivation to get your least favorite chores done. Well, I have found that creativity is another major part of enhancing my day to day life. And it is even more rewarding when Kristian and I can be creative together.

When we first got married part of our let's-run-to-ikea-and-buy-as-much-furniture-as-we-can-for-$400 trip was this bookshelf which we used as such for many years.

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Several years later when we had a large wall to fill, Kristian decided to paint it, turn it on it's side, and use some left over wood for legs. And a table to help fill the wall was born.

Then around Thanksgiving of last year we joined the rest of the modern world and purchased a flat screen t.v. which necessitated a place to put it aka ikea hack numero dos. So here are the steps we took to make that happen.

1. Hairpin legs. They are sold online at around $12 each which was a bit more than we wanted to pay. So one Saturday afternoon, with both of our children in tow, Kristian decided to check out D.I. (the Utah version of Goodwill) to see if there happened to be any legs already attached to something that we could use. I could. not. believe. it. when he come home with these legs that were indeed attached to a table that cost him $4. $1 per leg? Yes please.

2. The best part of a nice media console? Being able to hide the unsightly corded parts. So naturally I wanted to add doors. Kristian and I picked out these sleek and streamlined handles to compliment the hairpin legs, as well as these piano hinges which I loved so much, I wanted them on the outside.

3. We picked out some solid pine which Kristian cut to size for the doors and he stained it chocolate brown with some stain he got for free a while back, don't they just pop?! [His Mom always says he was born under a lucky star, I believe it was a lucky DIY star!] He removed the piece in the center [shown below] and placed magnetic closures so that the doors will closed nice as well as make them kid-proof and prevent them from pushing all the way through.

4. We had also purchased enough pine to stain and place on the top. We couldn't decide if we liked it or not so Kristian just placed it on top and we thought about it for a few days. We decided the contrast of the dark wood on top against the white table made the whole piece, so he made it official and he screwed the top on with a screw in each corner.

As mentioned, I love that there are doors so that the less aesthetic, but necessary parts of our media console can be hidden. But I also love that there are 2 open shelves to add some personality.

In the reflection of the t.v. you can see some of the snow that fell today. OMG when will this winter madness stop!

Sure there are a lot of amazing pieces of furniture to use as an entertainment center out there, but when you make your own you can customize it exactly the way you like, and it doesn't cost you thousands of dollars. This piece came in around $80 as we already owned the bookshelf-turned-table, as well as the stain. Booyah! Thanks to my handy and born-under-a-lucky-star husband we have an amazing, one of a kind, modern place to house our source of entertainment to use while relaxing as a family. Our living room is finally starting to come together in a mid-century modern vibe.

podivation

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 16:49:00 +0000

images via here and here

We all have at least a few chores we loathe. Mine are laundry and dishes, they are the proverbial black hole and there are days that I find myself lacking any kind of motivation to get them done. My solution? Podcasts! Podcasts are my ticket to making the mundane enjoyable. And, while I am grateful to be able to stay home with our two children, I need some kind of intellectual challenge during the day, and podcasts fulfill that and provide a nice escape from all things kid all day long. Podcasts take me outside of my bubble without physically leaving it, and the cherry on top? A discussion with Kristian about what I have listened to, I enjoy hearing his insight and perspective.

No ipod? You can listen to podcasts on your computer as well. Here are my favorite weekly podcasts:

This American Life
Ira Glass is the host, and each show has a theme. There are a few stories in each episode, which are usually true, that are told within that theme. You can subscribe via itunes, or another podcatcher and you can also purchase archived episodes here. One of my favorites is episode 361 entitled Fear of sleep. It is fascinating and funny. In fact, one of the stories told in this episode was made into a movie called sleep walk with me, which is available on itunes and netflix. It is a bit slow moving, but is completely true, and completely funny, especially if you know of someone that does crazy things while asleep.

Radio lab
The format of this show is similar to This American Life, but it has 2 hosts that play off of each other, and there is usually some science and sleuth work involved in answering a question or two. You can subscribe via itunes or RSS feed here. One of my favorite episodes is Colors. It is one of those subjects so fascinating that I find myself thinking about it for hours after I have finished listening. They discuss how some humans can see a more vast color spectrum than others, and they ask the question, why is the sky blue?

Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!
I like this show because it is light-hearted and fun, but is also very informative. It is basically a game show, full of trivia questions that have to do with current events in the news. In every episode they have a person of interest on to play one of their games, they have a caller play a game, and they have a panel of 3 that participate throughout the show. Reading or watching the news can be such a downer, that is why I really enjoy catching up on current events once a week sans the bad after taste. Podcast here.

The Dave Ramsey show
No matter your financial situation, this show will help you to stay focused on whatever your financial goals may be. I learn something new every time I listen, and I like the foundation that Dave's show is based on. You can sign up for the podcast here. If you aren't familiar with his book The Total Money Makeover, it is one that I definitely recommend.

May you find motivation to do your least favorite chores by way of podivation!
Maybe you already do? If so, what podcasts do you recommend?

Check back in later this week to see our makeover of this bookshelf.

She put the lime in the coconut [soup]

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 18:43:00 +0000

It's true, we are coconut crazy 'round here. Over the last few months Kristian has made coconut butter, we have been cooking with coconut oil, coconut milk or cream has been making it's way into many dinner menus, and to top it off this coconut body butter from trader joes is my favorite smelling and cracked-skin- eliminating lotion. Ever.

We came up with this soup as part of our coconut craze. It has slightly taken the edge off of old man winter's sting here in Utah. Last month the temp had a 1 in front of it for weeks and just like with age, after you have experienced the teens you feel a lot more settled and comfortable in the 30s.

Lentil coconut curry soup

Ingredients:

2 T. coconut oil
1 small onion, diced
1 large carrot, or 10 small carrots, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
2 T. curry powder (add more to taste)
salt and pepper (add to taste)
1 17oz. package of lentils*
1 14 oz. can of broth (chic or veg)
1 14 oz. can of coconut milk
1 lime (optional)

Saute onions, carrots, and celery in coconut oil for 10ish minutes. Add curry powder, salt, pepper and cook for 1 minute more. Add entire package of lentils, broth and coconut milk and cook on medium for another 5 minutes until it all comes together and finish with the squeeze of half a lime. Is there anything else that you would add to make this soup more you? I enjoy this is as, sans meat. Kristian has added bacon to his portion in the past. And for more protein you could add some chicken to it, if you like that sort of thing.

*If cooked lentils are not available you can soak them over night and then put them in a crock put with chicken or veggie stock for a few hours until they are tender.

In our efforts to eat less simple carbs, this recipe has become a go-to for dinner at our house and is a nice way to have a balanced meal without any bread or pasta in the mix.

Friday link love [on food]

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 18:42:00 +0000

Microwave popcorn - I have had a long and taste-bud-satisfying relationship with microwave popcorn until a few years back when I realized it is covered in hydrogenated fats. I recently discovered a new way to make it cheaper, better tasting, and healthier: in a brown paper bag! I put 1/2 cup of popcorn kernes in a bag, fold the top of the bag down a few times and in my microwave I cook it for 2:25. Then I can control what goes on my popcorn, real butter is better for you as mentioned in our post earlier this week, and your taste buds will love it.

Pinterest - Have you cooked or baked anything via a pinned recipe? I have not tried every single recipe that I have pinned, but all that I have tried have been great. If you are interested in following us on pinterest, here are the links to my boards: breakfast, savory, and snacks, and Kristian's food board. We try to stick to the 80/20 rule. 80% of the time we focus on eating for health, and 20 % of time it's all about eating things because they rock our world. You only live once.

Mastering the art of french cooking - Julia Child was a fascinating, driven, and inspiring person. A few years back Kristian gave me her cook book that was made more famous to our generation in the movie Julie and Julia. I have not cooked my way through it, but I have tried a few recipes and one of our favorites is the recipe for cream of onion soup on page 14, it is the best I have ever had.

Before we left Portland and moved here [Utah] in 2010, a friend of mine and fellow foodie, gave me the book My life in France which Julia Child wrote herself. She is a fantastic writer, and her passion for food is infectious. I would highly recommend it.

Yelp - This site is a great resource to look up reviews about many things, but our favorite foodie way to use it is for reviews on restaurants. The reviews are written by anyone that wants to write one. I love to use it when I am about to purchase a groupon, living social, or restaurant.com gift certificate. A great deal to a shot-in-the-dark mediocre restaurant isn't worth it, but a great deal at a restaurant that gets great reviews is a foodie-on-a-budget's para. para. paradise.

Seriouseats - This link comes highly recommended courtesy of Kristian. I just checked it out and I can see why. The photography is amazing, warning: don't go browsing hungry or you might suddenly feel that your life's mission is to take the next flight to NYC, go straight to the east village with hopes that you make it while breakfast is still being served. Here are some two of their posts that caught my attention:

A Downton Abbey dinner party - This is my kind of dinner party, if you are going authentic that means dressing like you are in the Great Gatsby, and that your paid live-in help will prepare and serve dinner. This idea is sounding better and better.

DIY grape soda - It's never to early to start putting all of your warm weather hosting day dreams to work, and making some perfect-for-summer drinks at home.

And finally, maybe I will surprise Kristian this weekend by making this burger!

Meet us back here next week for some DIY projects, and music we love.

10 Healthy Snack Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 15:55:00 +0000

Hi All,

This week is all about nutrition and a major part of that is healthy snacking. Yes, I know, healthy and snack are two words that should never be seen together. But so are heart & attack. Plus, eating healthy doesn't have to be what I call B squared, Boring & Bland. So here are 10 yummy snack ideas with recipes.

1. Peas - We put this on here simply because we love the peas. The best part, they don't even need anything. Nature's goodness wrapped in a little present of joy. I could snack on these all day long.

2. Smoothies - in all their assorted glory.

Power smoothie. We make this every morning for breakfast. But it could be a healthy mid-afternoon snack. Particularly good on a hot day.

1 Banana
1 handful of fresh spinach
1 cup of frozen berries [blueberries are our favorite]
2-4 cups of Almond Milk [depending on how much smoothie you want]
Directions: Combine all ingredients into your blender and blend until smooth.

Coconut Strawberry Smoothie. Coconut is awesome. You can eat it, drink it, cook with it, use it for a bra, and even use the oil for everything from frying to skin care. It is basically the polymath of the food world.

1 cup frozen fresh strawberries [is frozen fresh an oxymoron?]
1/2 cup frozen fresh mango
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup water
Little pinch of salt to taste
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tbsp of extra virgin coconut oil [can omit if you like]
1 organic raw egg [for frothiness and protein. If you don't like raw egg just omit]
Directions: Blend all ingredients except the coconut oil and raw egg. Blend till smooth and creamy. Then add coconut oil. And finally add the raw egg and mix till blended. Don't over blend the egg. Pour in a tall glass [not a plastic cup] sit back and enjoy. If you are daring and bold sprinkle a little unsweetened toasted coconut flakes on top.

Simple Coconut Fruit Smoothie [yes, we like smoothies]

1 can of coconut cream or milk
1 cup of frozen fruit of choice
Directions: Blend. Drink. Relax. To mix it up add other ingredients, cinnamon, vanilla, unsweetened coco powder.

3. Cauliflower Popcorn - We got this from the NY Times. I know, the NY Times right? They have awesome little nuggets now and again.

1 head of cauliflower
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp Sea salt or to taste
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper or to taste

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Directions: Heat oven to 400 degrees. Crosscut across head of cauliflower to make thin slices. Parts will crumble off. It's ok. Lay the thin slices and crumbled bits on a baking sheet. Brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until tender and starting to brown. About 30 minutes. Take out, put in bowl. Sit down and enjoy a good movie with a healthy snack.

4. Dark chocolate almond cherry clusters - Protein, antioxidants, and a bit of sweetness all in one. Say what? Say yum.

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5. Cashew cluster with almonds and pumpkin seeds - another Kirkland brand, Costco shout out.

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6. Chobani yogurt - Full of that protein-pick-me-up you need to combat that "2:30 feeling."

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7. Apple + peanut butter/almond butter - This is the go-to after school snack for our kids. Protein and fiber, a great combo to keep you full.

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8. Hummus + carrot sticks - This brand and flavor of hummus is the best we have found since leaving Portland. Portland is the land of great hummus. And hippies. Which might be why they have great hummus. I wonder what they put in that hummus to make so good...so addicting. Anyway, hummus is great with carrots or other veggies. Costco carries it and if you go through a large container quickly, that is the place to get it. But if you don't go through a huge container of it fast enough most regular grocery stores carry it as well. Also, make sure to check you local farmer's market. You'll probably find some great hummus plus you will be supporting a local farmer/hummus maker.

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9. A Lara Bar - These bars are fantastic. Most of them consist of only fruit and nuts with no sugar added, and they have a good amount of protein. And then of course there are the more rich ones that do have sugar added, and those are always the ones that our 5 year old always wants to buy. They can be a little pricey at $1.39 each, but our grocery store often has them on sale.

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10. Banana "ice cream" - Our 2 year old does not play well with most dairy products so I discovered that this was possible when doing research about ice cream alternatives. You start by chopping up a few peeled bananas and putting them in the freezer for a few hours. Once they have a good freeze on them put them in a food processor or heavy duty blender with just a sprinkle of almond milk and it turns into a creamy dream. It is very tasty without anything else but it is also delicious with some peanut or almond butter added, and is more of a dessert with some hazlenut spread added once you have pureed the banana. Do you have any other suggestions out there for what could be added to this to make it even more amazing?

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BONUS: Water! Sometimes hunger can be confused for thirst. Before you go for any snack make sure you are getting enough water. How much is enough? You'll know because you won't be thirsty.

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Now that we have shared some of our favorite healthy snacks with you we would love for you to share yours by making a comment below!

The Skinny on Fat

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 15:06:00 +0000

Are you sitting down? 'Cause I am going to tell you something that is going to totally rock your world. At least it rocked mine.

Ready?

Here it comes...

...Fat doesn't make you Fat.

What!? I know, it is kind of hard to believe. {Read with me for a bit to find out why this is so, or skip to the bottom to see a great infographic explaining why Fat doesn't make you fat.}

This simple truth is hard to believe because all we have been taught for decades is: Fat is bad. It increases cholesterol, hurts your heart, and turns your belly into a flabby donut. Fat is practically a poison, right?

We have heard this constant refrain from teachers, parents, advertisers, the government, friends, doctors, strangers, scientists, and a whole host of health groups.

Unfortunately, all of this well intentioned advice is wrong. Not just slightly wrong but demonstrably wrong.

To be fair, the issue is not black and white. The problem is all fat has been lumped [pun intended] into a "bad for you" category. That is simply not the case. There are good fats [most of them actually] and bad fats [ones made in a laboratory].

Let's talk for a moment about why it's time to pass on the low fat foods and pick up a slab of fatty bacon. Mmmm bacon.

Let’s start out with what makes us fat. The shocking answer is: it’s not fat. Recent studies are returning to the idea that sugar and simple carbohydrates are the real culprits behind weight gain.

Did you notice I said "are returning to"? In fact, it was only recently that the idea fat is bad for you became popular. For well over a century if someone wanted to loose weight the medical community would recommend a high fat low carbohydrate diet. But in the 50's science began looking at the causes of heart disease and looked at saturated fats as one of the causes. Before the link could be proven the media and do-good government types ran with the story. The only problem? It's never been definitively proven. {Here is a good read that pools together data from 21 studies which tracked 350,000 people for 14 years and concludes there's no relationship between the intake of saturated fat and incidences of heart disease or stroke}

So what's wrong with Sugar and Carbohydrates? Let me answer the question with a question. What do farmers use to fatten up cows? They certainly don't use fat. Rather, they use low-fat grains.

I am not going to get into all the technical details, but the simple answer is sugar and simple carbohydrates increase your insulin level. This increase in insulin tells the body it needs to store more fat. Which the body then does. Now, this is way over simplifying things but the reality is if you eat a lot of processed foods, sugars, and breads you are more likely to gain weight than if your eating lifestyle is made up of mostly vegetables, fruit, nuts, and meat.

Insulin molecules

For most of my life I have heard that weight is determined by calories in calories out. And that low fat calories are better for you. But as it turns out, things are a little more complicated than that. What science has found is a calorie is not necessarily a calorie. Sounds confusing right?

Let me tell a story, I find stories always help me make better sense of confusing information.

Amanda and Amber are sisters. In fact they are more than that. They are identical twins. They are so much alike that sometimes even Amanda and Amber get confused about which one is which.

Amanda and Amber decided it was time for a nice little get-a-way. It was time they finally took that trip to Hawaii. And since it was an especially cold winter in their home town, Hawaii was sounding nice.

Hanauma Bay, O'ahu

Oh they were so excited. But the excitement quickly gave way to the dread that they would need to get into beach shape. It being winter and all they had packed on a few extra "fat keeps me warm" pounds.

Even though the sisters are very much alike and did almost everything together they disagreed on the best way to shed those winter pounds.

Amanda had always heard the best way to shed weight was to eat less and move more. Which seemed simple enough. Why go to the trouble of creating a whole new diet when you could just ease back on what you already ate.

Amber had never really bought into the eat less move more theory. Mostly because she had tried it several times and never found lasting success. So instead she decided to do something a bit more radical. Amber decided to change her whole diet. She would eat more veggies, nuts, meat, and fruit while completely eliminating processed sugars and all grains.

What both sisters agreed on was their exercise plan and caloric intake. They would work out together doing the exact same routine and eat exactly 2,000 calories a day.

Amanda and Amber have 8 weeks to get into rocking beach shape. And they are diligent. They work out everyday. Amanda eats less and Amber eats only meats, veggies, nuts, and fruits. At the end of the 8 weeks both girls are pretty impressed with the progress they've made. But it is very clear that Amber is going to look a little better at the beach. Amanda is frustrated. Why does her twin sister look a little fitter than her. They both exercised the same, ate the same number of calories, and were genetically identical to each other. It made no sense to her. But there it was. Amber looked like she belonged on the cover of Fit magazine and Amanda looking like she belonged on the cover of How to Loose those Last 10 Stubborn Lbs.

We need to ask why one sister had better results than the other? Scientific thinking for a long time has been weight loss occurs when you are burning more calories than you take in. If you want to loose weight you lower your caloric intake and increase your movement. While that is true, it's not the whole story.

They both have the same calories but which is better for you

Our bodies are designed by nature to process natural foods better than processed foods, which makes sense. I mean evolution is not stupid. Our cave man brothers and sisters couldn't run down to the Kwik-e-mart to grab a bag of chips, a Twinkie, and a diet Coke. They subsisted on diets made up of largely meat and vegetables. With some fruits and nuts thrown in. So their bodies [which are now our bodies] naturally adapted to eating those types of foods. It is interesting as scientists gain a better understand of the health of our prehistoric brothers and sisters they are finding that they were much healthier than us. Even though they were eating a lot of saturated fats. In fact, our bodies need fats to function. If we didn't eat fats we would die. Our brains thrive on energy from fats. Fats make up ½ of our cell membrane structure. Fats also contain more energy than sugars, which is why our ancestors craved them. I mean chasing an antelope all day takes a lot of energy.

Here is the key, there are good fats and bad fats. So how do you tell the difference? It is pretty simple. Made by nature is good, made by some guy in a lab coat is bad. If you ever see the words hydrogenated, partially hydrogenated, or trans fat on a package drop the package and run like an angry mama bear is chasing you. That stuff is deadly.

Coconut Oil. The good kind of fat.

Ok, let’s wrap this all up. Roughly 80% of our weight is determined by what we eat. Grains and Sugars trigger the body to increase Fat Production. To be a little healthier make sure a majority of your diet is made up of veggies, meats, fruits and nuts. Eliminate or at least significantly reduce any intake of processed sugars and processed/whole grains. And make sure to stay as far away from trans/hydrogenated fats as possible.

I know this all sounds crazy. Fats don't make you fat. It goes against everything we have been taught. I would highly recommend you do your own research. A good place to start is reading Why We Get Fat by Gary Taubes. Also the documentary The Perfect Human Diet has some good info.

Now I’m off to cook up some bacon and eggs.

But before I cook that bacon here's a fantastic Info Graphic. I wish I could take credit for it. But alas, I can't. You have to thank the chaps over at Massivehealth.com.

Check back in later in the week when we talk snack ideas and recipes.

Friday link love {on fitness}

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 15:43:00 +0000

As mentioned in our fitness + you post on Wednesday, here are some links to websites and products that can keep you motivated to exercise whether it's at home or at the gym. My only incentive for listing these links is that I think they are great, and I want to share them with you.

Zuzkalight is a great website to use for at-home workouts, think cross fit at home. Each workout consists of basic moves like squats and pushups, and you don't have to worry about following choreography. There is a different workout posted everyday, and a lot of them can be modified if you don't have exercise equipment at home. The best part? Each workout is 12-15 minutes, and it is intense. This workout is just over 14 minutes and is a good example of a workout that you can get a lot out of even without using additional equipment. She shows you briefly what each exercise looks like, and then takes you through the workout. The goal is to complete as many rounds as possible. She explains all about her ZWOW workouts here. She also offers more core focused and less heart-rate-peaking workouts like this one. And by the way, using the website itself is free.

Gymbox offers new workouts each week. If you enjoy choreography they offer kickboxing, dance, and step aerobics. They also offer yoga, pilates, core, and strength training. And if you happen to have a treadmill or stationary bike at home they offer treadmill and cycle classes as well. They have an app that can be used on your tablet, pc, or on your tv via many internet browsing devices such as roku. They offer a 15 day free trial and you can view sample classes here. If you decide it is for you it is only $10 a month.

I heart Lululemon and the get-to-the-gym motivation that can come via a new piece of well designed, quality fitness wear. I have this headband [shown below] in black and white. I love how wide it is, it keeps my hair out of my eyes, it looks cute, and it doubles as a wear-all-the-time-while-I-grow-my-hair-out piece. It is an affordable lululemon piece and a nice addition to any fitness wardrobe.

These pants are also Lululemon [shown to the right]. Their pants are pricey but worth the money because they fit so well, they are sassy, and they last forever. Sassy pants are an important part of any workout, especially when you have a date with the treadmill - they make you run faster.


Says our 2 year old every day in so many words!

Sorry clementine is a recent discovery of mine. This girl started out sewing pieces and selling them on etsy. She has some well designed and unique pieces, I am a big fan of a lot of her hoodies. They look great with a pair of skinny jeans, but are sporty enough to wear to the gym. I am seriously coveting the one to the right in all of it's asymmetrical, large buttoned, and colorfully hooded glory. You can find her on facebook here, on etsy here, and if you live near SLC she just opened a brick and mortar location, address here.

Check back in next week when we talk nutrition, and we might even throw in a completed DIY project for kicks. Until then I will leave you with a song from Imagine Dragons. We saw them live last year, their lead singer Dan Reynolds is the man for the job and overall they put off good vibes. Cause I'm on top of the world...

To do image via - Head band image via - Lulu pant image via

Sassy pants image via - sorry clementine image via

Fitness + you

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 15:14:00 +0000

On Monday I wrote about fitness + me, today my post is all about fitness + you. Whether exercise is a habit or you want to make it a habit, let's talk tips. There are so many options out there, it is all about finding your niche and pacing yourself.

Time of day.

Just like getting any habit to stick, choosing a time of day for exercise is a major part of making it a regular part of your week. So take your pick: early morning, during your lunch break, while your kids are at school, after work. What consistently works best for you?

Activity

Does the gym intimidate you or is it beyond your budget? Go for a walk or a jog with your baby in the stroller. Find a walking or running partner and chat it up to make the time go faster. If you prefer to exercise at home check out what is offered on demand with your cable provider, sometimes they have a nice selection for free. Your local library might also have a nice selection of exercise DVDs or VHS tapes.

If you have a gym membership or want one, group exercise classes are great way to stay motivated. There are a variety of classes. Some are choreographed which can make the time go by really fast, and if choreography isn't your thing there are always classes like cycling, bootcamp, or on a treadmill.

Amount of time.

Ease your way into whatever activity or class you are doing. For example, if you go to a one hour class having not exercised recently don't expect to stay for the full time or you will just end up feeling frustrated with yourself. A simple guideline would be going for 20 minutes each time you attend the class the first week, and 30 minutes each time the second week and so on. That way you can slowly work up to that hour knowing that you will reach your goal in a predetermined amount of time.

A new challenge.

Last year when I realized that Kristian was training for the Ragnar Relay and his first triathlon, my brother Jeff was training for a triathlon, and my Aunt Melanie was training for her first triathlon I felt extreme motivation to challenge myself, especially because they are all at least 10 years older than me. I wasn't going to go as far as a triathlon. I am not a strong swimmer. But then again, neither is my Aunt Melanie which didn't stop her. She nearly drowned during the swim portion of her first triathlon, but she did it and as she crossed the finish line she signed up for how-to-swim-any-stroke-besides-treading-water lessons. She is seriously hard-core and an inspiration. Anyway, with all of that motivation pulsing through my veins I signed up for my first 10k. I decided that would be a long enough distance that it would force me to train for it. My friend Wendy and I ran outside together twice a week and then I usually ran another time each week on the treadmill. It felt great to train for something, I got extra chatting in with a friend, and I met my goal: to run it (6.2 miles) in just over an hour. If you are new to exercise or a veteran, it helps to keep it fresh by challenging yourself in a new way and trying something new.

Here I am in all my nerd-glowing glory. The race started at 10 pm so glow sticks were handed out to light the way. Races have such a cool vibe.

The winter blues.

Here in Utah we have had temps in the teens and have rarely seen 40 this winter. So much snow has come that it lost it's enchantment long ago. Come February, winter can be so depressing. Because of that it is essential to get your workouts in so that your body can produce those mood boosting endorphins. Changing up your routine in the colder months is a great way to avoid old man winter getting you down. If getting up early in the freezing cold just isn't happening try going to the gym at a different time of day until spring brings warmer weather and an earlier sunrise. Or if early morning is still your best bet to get those endorphins going just change your location during the cold months and exercise at home instead of venturing out into the cold to get to the gym. Most gyms offer the option of freezing your membership, and that way you can still get your workouts in and not allow winter to freeze you.

My final tip is to check back in on Friday for our Friday link love post. There will be links to some quality resources for getting in some great workouts at home, as well as incentives for getting yourself to the gym, don't miss it!

quote image via
group exercise image via
Clock image via

Fitness + me

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 14:59:00 +0000

My first connection to fitness was my brother Jeff and his weight set. I remember hearing him pump iron in his room and thinking he was too cool for school. Indeed I thought everything he did was cool because he got to do it all, way before I did as he is 12 years my senior. I realize now that he had two uses in mind for that weight set: 1. To attract girls via the effects of pumping iron. 2. To repel girls (me), by putting that "iron" in front his bedroom door so it couldn't be opened from the outside. Privacy is valuable with three sisters around.

From a young age I also looked to my Aunt Melanie as a fitness inspiration. I adored her in every way. She was on the cusp of teaching step aerobics right when it went main stream. I remember wishing so much that I could go to one of her classes.

I begged my Mom to join a gym which I realize is totally whack at the young age of thirteen, but my dreams at that age happened to include a gym. A gym membership was insanely expensive back then, which meant joining one was out of the question. The next best thing? Waking up early on Saturday mornings to make sure I caught the hi-lo aerobic show on PBS. This was after all back in the day when you had to watch television shows when they were actually on, otherwise that was that, you missed your one and only chance. This hi-lo program encouraged ages 10-99 to participate, after all, there was a level for everyone. Level 1: barely moving, level 2: add some arms, level 3: dude you look like a sweaty manic. And then to be sure you were on the right track they would ask you to march in place, take your pulse, and their target hart rate chart would flash on the screen. Next came the big purchase of a VHS step aerobics tape, and a step to be used with said tape. My sister and I would take turns using the step and we eventually worked up to using two risers on each side, booyah!

Around this time I remember thinking it would be really cool to have a job as the boy I was in love with at the time worked, so why couldn't I? I happened to know the manager at the very gym that my Aunt Melanie had taught at several years before. One day when a friend and I were out for a bike ride we ended up stopping in the gym to say hello and I was offered a job to work in the kid's club. I remember riding home as fast as my legs could go to tell my parents the good news. I had a job (at 14) and I finally could go to a gym, and I had accomplished this all on my own. Soon after I started my new job I remember going to my first step aerobics class and feeling exhilarated, and I didn't have to do that same step aerobics VHS tape for the 52nd time.

90s flashback anyone? Leotards, hi-tops, spandex, action!

Thanks to my fitness idols igniting my fitness buzz and the free gym membership I scored via my first job, fitness has enhanced my life and I feel passionate about passing that buzz onto others. I have taught group exercise classes over the past 10 years including kickboxing, cycling, boot camp, yoga, and step. And in 2011 I became certified to teach body pump. Fitness has helped me to recover more quickly after having my babies, it gives me the break I need while raising those babies, and it is something that I can do for me, it is my gig. I hope to ignite the fitness buzz in you, or maybe it is already there, it just needs to be re-buzzed.

Check back on Wednesday to read fitness + you.

What inspires you? What are your fitness goals? Why do you do what you do?

Bench press image via

Step image via

Heart rate chart via

Friday Link Love

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 14:52:00 +0000

We hope you like this weeks links, we sure do. We go from hipster to hippie with a delicious cupcake tossed in for good measure. I mean who doesn't like a good cupcake? If such a person exists scientists should study them as they are clearly not normal.

Wooden Bow Ties: Nothing says hipster like a wooden bow tie.
Oh So Delicious Cupcakes: Ever since we left Portland we have been in cupcake withdrawals. Well we finally found a shop that rivals our favorite cupcake place of all time, Saint Cupcake. If you are in SLC you have to try One Sweet Slice. Simply divine. Plus their shop is oh so cute. And don't miss out on their wedding cakes.
Great Wall Art: Speaking of Portland, a couple of years ago one of us received this great poster of Portland neighborhoods {custom framed} for a birthday present [you get one guess who was the giver]. Portlandians love their neighborhoods. Each one is a little different and all are quirky. Especially the ones with the hippies. We have this hanging in our front room and we love how it reminds us of the memories we made while living there for 5 years.
Costume Fun: Helen Saba, of Australia, loves to dress up so much she decided to dress up in a different costume every single day for a year. Fun people make the world a better place.
Good Reads: Following up on Kristian's top 25 books list post we wanted to make sure you know about Good Reads. A great place to keep track of all the books you've read, or want to read. Get great recommendations, and connect with friends who have the same interests. Or surreptitiously find out who is reading 50 Shades of Gray. {Naughty. Naughty.} Make sure to click our names {Em and Kristian} to add us as friends.

Spice up your Spice Rack

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 15:05:00 +0000

Em and I have a friend named Taryn [name not changed to protect the innocent, because Taryn is wonderful]. A few years ago her husband hit the ripe old age of 30. Thirty is a significant birthday. It’s officially the age when you become an adult. I know, 21 is the official government recognized age of adulthood, but most folks in their 20’s are still in college, single, and blissfully unaware of coming responsibilities. But something happens at 30. I can’t really explain it. You feel like it is time to move into a new phase of your life. To shrug off the things of your youth and step into the life of adulthood.

From comic Poorly Drawn Lines

Taryn, being a wonderful wife, threw her husband a great 30^th birthday party. She rented out a cozy little place, secretly invited all of his friends, and whipped up the delicious food for the evening. It was a wonderful moment for him. Here he is, surrounded by close friends and family celebrating a significant day in his life.

What does this have to do with spice racks you ask? Stick with me for a few more sentences and all will become clear.

Last year Emily turned 30. You'd hope that I would have followed in our friend's shoes and properly celebrate Em's day. But I didn't. I dropped the ball. I was the complete opposite of Taryn. I didn't do anything special. I didn't make a big deal of her big day. In fact, I don’t even think I gave her a gift until the day after her birthday. And that gift was something I spent 10 minutes on [a quick trip to World Market to pick out a necklace. It was a cool necklace…but still…] Emily was, how can I put this delicately, none-too-pleased. I mean I blew it. I totally muffed. I was a very bad husband.

Clearly this year I had some making up to do. SIGNIFICANT MAKING UP. It was the Mount Everest of making up.

Everest, smaller than the trouble I caused myself.

I couldn't erase the disappointment I caused last year. But I knew if I put some thought, heart, and soul into her birthday this year, I would be able to at least create a memory that will hopefully be longer lasting than the sad and disappointing memory I gave her for her 30^th birthday.

To make up for my sad showing I employed a three pronged strategy. Friends, Food, Function. Guys pay attention.

Friends: I wanted Em to have a day where she felt special. Where she felt the love she sends out into the world come back to her.

One of the things I admire about Emily is her ability to make friends easily. She can meet a perfect stranger in the park and before you know it they are lifelong friends. She has an amazing quality to connect with people. She does this so effortlessly because she's a great listener and genuinely cares about others.

We have lived in Connecticut, New Jersey, Oregon, and Utah, so Em has friends all over the country. Thanks to an awesome little website named Facebook, I was able to send messages out to scores of her lifelong friends, asking if they would send Em a meaningful happy birthday text. I wanted Em's phone buzzing all day long with special little happy birthday messages.

And ya know what? Those friends pulled through. On her birthday, all day long, texts were buzzing in left and right. Some made her laugh. Some made her cry. But all of them were dear. I think she ended up getting well over 50 texts that day from meaningful people in her life. If you were one of those people, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. You helped to make her day wonderful.

Food: The second thing I wanted to do was make sure she had a special night out. To accomplish this, I needed some significant help. The first person I turned to was my mother-in-law, Sherrie. We have two young kids, and while they are the love of our life we need a little time away from them now and again. So about a month before her birthday I spoke with Sherrie, and arranged for the kids to spend the night at her house. The kids love their Grandma.

Next I contacted two of her dearest friends here in Utah to see if they and their husbands would be able to join us for a birthday dinner. Emily adores these two gals, and she never feels like she gets enough time with them, so a birthday dinner was the perfect opportunity. I asked the friends to keep the plans quiet, and they were awesome. Em didn't know they were joining us for dinner until they showed up [p.s. we went to this great little place called Blue Lemon. If you live in SLC or are ever in SLC check them out. Delicious, fresh, and healthy].

But wait, the night was not yet over. I have a friend who works for a nearby hotel. He was able to hook us up with a nice little get-a-way suite.

In the end it was a wonderful night. And much thanks goes out to my mother-in-law who by watching the kids helped me pull the night off.

Function: Normally for Em’s birthday I give her a necklace or a cute blouse or something. This year, for obvious reasons, I wanted to give her something a little more meaningful. Something with a little thought behind it.

Em is an organizer. She likes to have things in order. Which is great for me, because I’m not. One look in my dresser would horrify most people. She also likes to cook. So this year I thought I would snazz up her spice rack.

See I told you if you stuck with me, we’d finally get to the spice rack.

It turned out so well that we wanted to share it with you all. So here are 4 simple steps for how you can spice up your spice rack.

Step 1: New Spice Bottles – the easiest way to spice up your spice rack is to switch out the boring plastic store spice bottles with something a little fancier. I found these great little bottles at World Market for only 99 cents each. Score!

I also got 3 of these bottles because I wanted to have something bigger for larger spices such as bay leaves.

The great thing about the jars is they have different color tops, which Em loves, because she can color code the spices. If you don’t have a World Market close by, Amazon has a great assortment of spice bottles.

Step 2: Labels – I was a little worried about this at first. How could I label the jars? The first idea was to use chalkboard paint. Tape off a square and apply the paint directly to the jar. A good idea right? She could then use a chalk marker to label the jars. I then realized it was going to be a ton of work taping off 20+ jars. And trying to keep them all even and pretty was a chore I didn't really want to take on.

And then came the epiphany. Don’t you love epiphanies? They are little moments where you get to say to yourself: I’m brilliant or at least clever. Mailing Labels. I could paint them with the chalkboard paint, peal them off, and stick them on. And you know what? They look great.

Just paint, peal, & stick.

Step 3: Make a Box – I made a very simple box out of left over wood from prior projects. It is nothing to write home to mom about, but it works. I think we will saucy it up a bit in the future. Maybe add a cool Spice Rack font on the front.

Step 4: Chalk Marker – These things are cool. I hope the person who invented them received an award. Basically, it’s a marker that works on a chalkboard. I know, awesome huh? You don’t have to worry about chalk dust or having your handiwork accidentally wiped away. I found these exact markers at Michaels Craft. But you can find them in all different colors and prices on Amazon.

And that’s it. Now you have a wonderfully adorable, functional, and pretty snazzy spice rack. Plus you can buy your spices in bulk, which will save you a little money at the grocery store.

A lot prettier

Em loves it, which is the best part.

And that is how I attempted to correct my sad birthday showing last year. I don't know if I have fully redeemed myself, but I know I am on my way back.

I am curious about special birthdays you've had in the past. We would love to hear what made them special. Let us know in the comments below.

Kristian's Top 25 Books

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 15:00:00 +0000

One of my dreams is to have a man cave that looks like this...

Jay Walker's private library. I'm a tad bit envious.

Or at least an awesome stair case like this...

The smartest stairs on the planet

Yup. I'm a reader. I love me a good book. I wasn't always like this. In fact, I don't think I picked up a book all through high school. Just ask my teachers.

But a few years ago, Em and I moved to Portland, Oregon [totally awesome place. Make sure you put it on your Must Visit List]. And I started taking the light rail into work. The ride was about 40 minutes each way. And well to pass the time, it was either people watch, which I enjoyed, but folks found a bit creepy, "Why is that guy staring at me". Or I could read. Thus began my love affair with books.

I thought it would be fun to share a list of my top 25 favorite books. This list always changes. I suppose it would stay the same if I stopped reading. But that is unlikely to happen anytime soon. The list is in no particular order...except for the top two. They are by far my favorite. I suppose I should break the list up into categories but I'm not going to. I'm just going to list them as they come to mind. I'd love to hear what some of your favorite reads are. I am always looking for good recommendations.

Ok. Here we go. [Each book is linked to amazon, just click on the title to purchase. Some are even free if you have a Kindle]

John Adams by David McCullogh - A must read if you are at all interested in American History. It is about both the second president and the founding of this here United States of America. It is also a beautiful love story between John and his wife Abigail. I don't want to give anything away, but I cried at the end of the book. On a train packed full of people. Yes. You read that correctly. I, Kristian, was a slobbering mess during the morning commute.
The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky - A wonderful book about family, inter-contentedness, and how small actions make a difference. Warning - The first 3/4 of the book are a slog to get through. But the last 1/4 is totally worth it. Folks such as Albert Einstein, Sigmund Freud, and Martin Heidegger have hailed it as one of the supreme achievements in literature. Bonus - This book has one of the greatest essays on free will and man's relationship to Christ ever written. If you can't slog through the whole book at least read The Grand Inquisitor. The best part? The Kindle version of both the book and the Grand Inquisitor essay are FREE!
Westerly Gales by E.C. Williams - This comes in third only because I just finished reading it. I would have never found this little gem without a recommendation. [hence my not so subtle request for recommendations from you] It's definitely a guys book as it is all about the Navy chasing down pirates in a forgotten future.
The Hunting of The Snark by Lewis Carroll - This is more of a long poem than a book, but it is simply enchanting. I want to read it with my kids when they get a bit older. That Lewis Carroll was one creative cat.
Slaughter House Five by Kurt Vonnegut - An American Classic. Fun, odd, thought provoking read.
What Ever it Takes by Paul Tough - A fabulous and true story of Geoffrey Canada and his work to improve the education of children in Harlem. I firmly believe that if he is successful, Canada [the man not the country], will change the lives of a whole generation of kids. I highly recommend reading this book and then watching the documentary Waiting for Superman.
The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien - This was recommended by a workmate from the Portland, OR days. I am so glad he did so. It's a beautifully written book about the things, both physical and emotional, soldiers carry during and after war. It is powerful and emotional.
Brave New World /1984 by Aldous Huxley / George Orwell - Ok so this is really two books. Which puts my list at 26...I know it says 25 in the title: under promise and over deliver right?! But how awesome is this...Huxley was actually Orwell's literature teacher. Pretty cool eh? The books are powerful dystopian novels. Both are quick reads, highly entertaining, and thought provoking.

Enders Game by Orson Scott Card - Considered by many as one of the greatest science fiction books ever written. It is the story of how gifted children save earth from an alien invasion. I hear it is soon to be made into a movie.
Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcom Gladwell - An enjoyable academic read...but not too academic. Gladwell is a master at taking boring scholarly research and writing a book that doesn't make you feel like you're back in college listening to a musty, old, and tragically ill dressed professor. This book looks at why some folks are successful.
Still Life with Woodpecker by Tom Robbins - "A British newspaper once said Tom Robbins writes like Dolly Parton dresses." Still Life is a crazy story with wild twists and turns. Robbin's writing is immensely creative and mind bending. Warning - contains some potty mouth language.
Born to Run by Christopher McDougall - A captivating read on how the human body is designed to run. Did you know that at least 2.5% of everybody's genes are Neanderthal? That's right. Neanderthals and Homo Sapiens were getting it on back in the cave man days. I wonder if it was a bit like Romeo and Juliet. Forbidden love between two species. One of the reasons why we've out lasted the Neanderthals is because we, homo sapiens, are built to run.
The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe - Ok...this is technically a short story. But it's incredible. What makes it incredible you ask...Masterly use of the English language by Poe. Plus it's a darn good story. Especially if read on a dark and stormy night.
A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future by Daniel Pink - Interesting short book on changing economic dynamics and how we need to be more creative to stay a head of the competition.
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss - If you like the world of fantasy this is a good book for you. Rothfuss spins a good tale. For me, it came across as a sophisticated Harry Potter. Rothfuss would probably have me put in the stocks for that remark but there are a lot of similarities. It is one of the better books to have come out in this genre in a while, and I think a much better read than the over-hyped Game of Thrones [Song of Ice & Fire] series.

A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs - A fun quick read. It was recently made into a movie called John Carter. This is a good story for dads to read with their young pre-teen boys. It's a gripping story of a Civil War soldier who suddenly finds himself fighting another war except this time on Mars.
Human Accomplishment: The Pursuit of Excellence in the Arts and Sciences by Charles A. Murray - Major NERD ALERT. If you read this book be prepared to feel like you are back in college. It is very much like reading a textbook. But I'll tell you what, it's intriguing. Murray, an acclaimed academic, looks at some of the great artistic & scientific accomplishments. Basically, he is writing humanities resume. He also explains why the true genius is so rare.
The Adams-Jefferson Letters by Thomas Jefferson and John Adams - Jefferson and Adams were two of the great men who have ever lived. They were also two of the most significant players in the establishment of the United States. [In fact the Constitution draws heavily from Adams writings] The two were very dear friends and wrote often, particularly late in life after retiring from public office. The letters are a fascinating look into the minds of two political geniuses.
Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh - An interesting read into the creation of the online shoe store Zappos. And along the way, the book explores happiness.
Joseph Smith by Robert Vincent Remini – Joseph Smith is a fascinating character. He established the first great American religion and the first global religion since Mohammad walked out of the desert. Remini, a non-Mormon, is a recognized Jacksonian scholar who applies his considerable skill in telling the story of this American prophet.
The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane – An interesting tale about a young man who wanted to fight in the Civil War. His mom forbids him, but he enlists anyway. It is an exploration into the psyche of a young solider. How will I react when the shooting starts? Will I stand firm or will I run like a scared rabbit?
The Jungle by Upton Sinclair – Most folks probably read this in high school. I’m sure I was supposed to read it, but seeing how I never picked up a book…I finally got to it a few years ago. Gripping read. Makes you appreciate those who came before us and fought to ensure we have much more favorable working conditions today.

The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway – I am not sure why I am putting this book on the list. I hated it. Except for the last line of the book. It is the single most genius sentence I have ever read. But, you have to read the full book to appreciate the mastery of the final sentence. Another reason to read the book…Hemingway transformed the writing of his day. It is good to be exposed to those talents who fundamentally alter the course of an art form. Hemingway was the master of short sentences, which I am clearly not. My favorite Hemingway story is six words: For Sale. Baby Shoes. Never Used.
DIY U: Edupunks, Edupreneurs, and the Coming Transformation of Higher Education by Anya Kamenetz - Another NERD ALERT. I worked in Higher Education for years, so I am naturally interested in the subject. But anyone who has kids going to college in the next 5-10 years should give this a read. Colleges are going to look very different in 10 years than they do today. Why? The internet.
Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs - A classic good read. Fun. Quick. Makes you want to swing from the trees. I want to read this with my kids when they are around 7 or so.

Friday Link Love

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Ok friends. Each Friday we are going to link to some of our favorite sites, discoveries, bloggers, and quirky little spots on the internet. Here is our first link love list. A couple of cool finds, a standard, some fun stuff, and one of our favorite blogs. Ready. Set. Go.

Staman Maps - Turn any map into a water color...perhaps we should not put this one up because then you'll know how we created our blog header...but that's not like us. We say, share the love.
Below the Boat - A door into another world. These laser cut, hand crafted heirloom quality masterpieces are a view of what lies beneath the surface. Now we just need to convince them to make one of the Great Salt Lake.

Emily Henderson - We became a fan of this gal after seeing her on Design Star. Especially after we found out she was from Portland, OR and a Mormon...ok so she is a former Mormon but we won't hold that against her. She is witty, stylish, and down right inspirational. Check out her blog and put her on your permanent to-read list.
Apartment Therapy - Pure eye candy; cause sometimes ya just wanna browse and oo and ah. It is one of our favorite spots because each post is all about the everyday person making the space they live in their own.
Rob Taylor - Rob is an old fried of ours from back in the Connecticut days. He is also a fantastic photographer, singer/songwriter, and budding graphic artist. If you like a little Star Wars, and really who doesn't, click the link for his hip Star Wars inspired art work.

Welcome

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 16:33:00 +0000

Hi, and thanks for stopping by. We welcome you to our little blog. We hope it becomes a part of your weekly reading.

The Corner of Canal and Lafayette was founded on a snowy day in January 2013. After surviving the 2012 Mayan Apocalypse we thought…well what now…the obvious choice? Start a blog.

We can hear you asking, “So what’s up with the name? It’s kinda strange”. When we created this blog we wanted the name to have meaning to us. And what is more meaningful than the place you met the love of your life.

It was the spring of 2002. A Utah boy and a Utah girl were separately having grand adventures in the New York/ New England area. They did not know each other but fate was about to change that. The girl had moved to New York on a whim to be a nanny. The boy, feeling like it was time for a change, applied for jobs all up and down the east coast and landed a position at the University of Connecticut.

One spring day the girl headed into New York City with three friends to enjoy a little shopping in the city. That same day the boy also headed into New York City to enjoy a little shopping…we kid. He went in with a buddy of his to check out the St Patrick’s Day parade and the big city girls. Little did they know this was the day the universe had conspired to have these two Utah natives randomly meet in New York City on the Corner of Canal & Lafayette. Fast forward three weeks. Boy and girl have hung out almost every day since meeting. They decide to go to dinner after work. On the way to dinner Boy and Girl get engaged. And have lived happily ever after.

Here we are, ten years on, back in Utah, after stints in Connecticut, New Jersey, and Portland Oregon.

We compliment each other. Emily is more organized and focused while Kristian is more spontaneous and silly.

Over the past couple of years we have been bitten by the DIY bug. We love making things for our home. This blog is going to share some of the projects we take on. Along the way we will also be sharing other random happenings from our life - like trying to be good parents, budgeting, staying fit, eating right, and just plain having fun.

So we welcome you. We hope you become a long time friend.

Emily & Kristian

DIY Tufted Coffee Table

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 16:00:00 +0000

The first project of 2013 is complete! Already ahead of schedule - we want to do at least one a month. It will probably end up being more. We are just about done with our third this month - future blog posts coming.

It was fun, quick, and inexpensive.

Em and I love DIY projects. Why? Well, we always learn something new, we get the satisfaction that comes along with making something with our own hands, and it’s humbling. Ok maybe we don’t LOVE that last part.

Em and I are slowly, ever so slowly, creating a grown up living room [I almost wrote Adult Room, but that is a whole other room and this is a family blog]. Piece by piece we are either replacing the IKEA furniture or turning the IKEA furniture into something fabulous.

The first project of the year was updating our coffee table [which used to be our dining table, before we lopped its legs off] into something a little…well…prettier. And, I think we pulled it off. What do you think?

Here is how we did it in 10 steps...

Step 1 – Identify coffee table to prettify: This was easy for us. We had an old table we’ve been using for years. While it was functional it wasn't how shall we say….pretty. Most guests tried to avert their eyes upon walking into the front room. If you don’t have a sad coffee table, check out your local thrift store. There are plenty of ugly tables looking to be adopted and prettified.

Step 2 – Decide on color scheme/pattern: Our decision was based on what colors/patterns were already in the room or are planned for the room. We have a large patterned rug with brown, orange, and a steel blue that the coffee table sits on. We wanted the table to compliment the rug so we chose a tight minimalist patterned fabric whose color closely matches the steel blue in the rug [I know in the photo the material looks greenish, I even think it looks a little green, but Em swears it is blue. And I've learned to trust her judgement.]

Step 3 – Modify your table: You might be lucky and have a table that is awesome and needs no modifications. We‘re not that lucky. We needed to shorten the length, add sides, and shorten the legs. [In fact I am still not happy with the legs. I am thinking we are going to swap them out for more mid-century modern inspired legs]. Also, think about the proportion of the table. What should the length & width be? I wanted to go with the golden rectangle [future post coming on that] but the dimensions for our room were just not right. Proportion and ratios are big for us. We like things to look the right size and fit right with the other furniture. So I decided to do a little research on coffee/ottoman sizes. Turns out, they are all different sizes. I even attempted to see if there was a ratio between all the sizes. Nope. So I just picked one that was closest to the current size and made the cuts. I then added the sides. I waited till the whole table was complete before I cut the legs.

Step 4 – Buy cloth: This is a very important step. Because you need to get both the color/pattern and AMOUNT right. We got the wrong amount…too short. Thank goodness it was only slightly off…so not a big deal…we just took a little off each side of the table. The key here, and this is where I messed up, is when you measure your coffee table don’t forget about the inches the foam will add. Humbled, I learned a lesson. We got our cloth at Joann’s. It is actually outdoor fabric. We liked the color/pattern and the fact that it is a little more durable. With two kids under six, durability is an important consideration.

Step 5 – Purchase other materials: Other things you will need foam [at least 2 inches thick], batting [trust me it makes a difference], spray on adhesive [we bought ours at Home Depot. It was $10 dollars cheaper than Joann’s], cover buttons [get the ones with the little teeth], cover button making kit, thread [I got upholstery thread. Nice and strong], long quilting needle, regular buttons, staples for your staple gun [I am assuming you have a staple gun, if not, time to take the plunge], and a whole heap of patience.

Step 6 – Create your tufting pattern: On your table you will need to mark out your pattern. This took me awhile. It would have been a lot faster if I had of paid attention in Mr. Pincock’s geometry class. But no, being the all wise teenager I said to Mr. Pincock…”when am I ever going to use this in real life”…and then mentally checked out for the rest of the year. Well it turns out, this project was the day I was going to use geometry in real life. I wasn't sure where to place my buttons or what the best pattern would be. So I cut little paper circles, about the size of the buttons, and laid them out on the coffee table. Em and I kept moving them around until we found a pattern we both liked. Once the design was decided on I broke out the measuring tape, ruler, and marker and began to create a grid. [this is where the geometry came in] I made sure the grid created perfect squares. It ended up 5 buttons long and 4 buttons wide. I drew x’s on the table where the holes were to be drilled.

Step 6 – Drill your holes: Now comes the fun part. Drilling your holes. Don’t you love the power of a drill and the smell of freshly ground wood? How big should the holes be? Big enough to put a needle and thread through but not so small as to make it difficult. I would say a good gauge on the size of the hole is pen size. Why pen size? Well, once you have your holes drilled you will want to lay your foam down, poke the pen up through the drilled hole, and mark your foam. Then take a sharp knife and carve small holes in your foam. Doing this will make it much easier to tuft your buttons. Especially if you have thick foam.

Step 7 – Attach your foam/batting: This is the easy part. Spray down some adhesive on top of your table and apply the foam. Then cover with your batting. Easy peasy.

Step 8 – Here comes the fabric: Now it is time to place the fabric. Lay it on top and make sure it is square. This is important if you have any kind of pattern. You don’t want it to look skewampus when all is said and done. Once you have it square, begin to staple it under the table. Start from the center on one side and work out towards the edges. Then move to the opposite side. Make sure to pull it tight. Pulling it tight is the difference between it looking “wow!” or looking “not bad for homemade”. It helps to have an extra set of hands. [Don't mind the boxes in the back. We were just putting away the Christmas decorations.]

Step 9 – Add the buttons: Get your long needle, thread it, [I actually doubled up the thread as I knew I would be pulling pretty hard on it and I didn't want it to break]. I then got a regular button, bigger than the drilled hole and tied the end of the thread to it. Now poke that long needle through the hole and foam, thread the cover button, and sew it back down. Pull the thread tight, tight, tight. And staple it down. You will want to do this in a zig-zag pattern to ensure it does not slip back through. Rinse and repeat until you have a fabulously tufted coffee table.

Step 10 – Admire: Take a step back and take a look at your handy work. Put it up on your Facebook. Write a blog about it. Congrats! You are now the proud owner of a one of a kind incredible looking tufted coffee table.