Domestic Fashionista

Florida Trip: Artemis Launch, Kennedy Space Center & Disney World

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Urke | Domestic Fashionista) — Mon, 06 Jul 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Over spring break we were in Florida for the Artemis II launch. We lucked out and the launch went off the first day of our trip, allowing us the rest of the week to hang out at the beach, do a day at Kennedy Space Center, and a very special first trip to Disney World.

Brent works on the Artemis program and we were so fortunate to be able to attend the launch in person. It was a life changing experience that I shared about in this post.

We stayed at Crowne Plaza Melbourne-Oceanfront and had a wonderful experience. It was one of very few hotels that still had availability during the launch that provided access to the beach. When we originally booked the hotel I was looking for a safe place that me and three of my kids could see the launch by ourselves. We ended up all being able to go to the launch as a family, but our hotel still proved to be a great choice for some low key beach and pool days.

It was over an hour drive to get to Kennedy Space Center and Disney World which was a long drive while on vacation. But the comfortable, low key vibe was so nice on our hotel days that we didn't bother trying to move once the launch was over.

After a very fun but long launch day, we needed some down time. We spent the next day just enjoying the amenities at our hotel which was so lovely. It has a wonderful restaurant on site right next to the pool and beach access.

Our kids had so much fun at the beach. We have taken them to the beach in the fall but this was their first warm weather beach trip and they had the best time ever.

After a well needed day of rest, we had the energy to head back to Kennedy Space Center the next day. Our launch tickets included an additional day's admission so we made sure to take advantage of the full experience.

We started off with the bus tour which took us all around the Kennedy Space Center, getting a close up look at things you only have access to on the tour.

It was so cool to see the VAB (vehicle assembly building) up close from the bus. This is where they assembled the Artemis rocket. Brent had the privilege of going inside and seeing the Orion capsule in here last year on another work trip.

There were lots of interactive displays that we all enjoyed.

Then we got to drive all the way out near the launch pad. This would have been pretty incredible to see the rocket here before it took off, but still pretty neat a few days later.

The different exhibits had so much to see and do. A few also included videos portraying dramatic retellings of past missions. Some of them brought me to tears. It was so well done and truly moving. My knowledge and interest in space grew exponentially on this trip. It was really special.

The kids loved "walking" on the moon. Their motion provided a digital image of footprints.

I loved that all the bathroom signs showed people with space helmets on!

After a fun and full day at Kennedy Space Center, we stopped in Cocoa Beach on our way back to our hotel. We ate at Fishlips for dinner and loved this surfing photo op!

Being on the "space coast" it was fun to see so many space themed places. We spotted Brent's original Sacramento company (it has changed hands/names over the years) on this wall of stickers at Fishlips.

The bar and grill ended up being a pretty family friendly place. We got to sit outside and enjoy this beautiful view of the water.

Afterwards we stopped at the iconic Ron Jon Surf Shop. Brent has brought kids swag from here in the past so they were really excited to see it for themselves. It was my first time as well and it was gigantic and almost Vegas like. So crazy and interesting!

The next day we had another low key day at the hotel. Mama got her yummy coffee and the kids enjoyed swimming and playing all day. It was so nice to have a day in between activities to rest and enjoy our hotel. We have not done a big trip with the kids like this in a long time so I am taking notes for the future.

We ate at the hotel's restaurant, Longboards Oceanfront Grille, for yummy food and a beautiful view.

The next day we surprised the kids with a trip to Magic Kingdom at Disney World. Brent and I planned that as long as time allowed, we wanted to take this possibly once in a lifetime opportunity to visit Disney World while we were there. It has been a bucket list location for me forever, and growing up in California with many visits to Disneyland over the years, it was really special to be able to to experience this together.

Look at those excited faces!

And in full transparency, after we paid a small fortune to buy tickets for our whole family, we got in line for the monorail, and then one of our children stated they felt like they were going to throw up and wanted to go back to the hotel! Thankfully one of the kind cast members overheard and told us about the first aid station in the park. So once we made it through the gate, we had to immediately head to first aid. Everything ended up being okay and they gave a dose of tylenol. These first aid workers are EMTs and I was so impressed by there help.

I think, much like at the launch, it was an exciting, busy, and hot day. The emotions were high. Thankfully it didn't put a huge damper on our day at Disney. It just was a slow and not so magical start to our day!

But once we got to our first ride, the mood definitely lightened. Everyone was having the time of their life and it was an incredible experience to have with our children.

These happy faces says it all. :)

We took a break for lunch and it was so cute to watch them look through the map and decide where they wanted to go next. Brought me back to some of my own childhood memories.

We also caught a couple of parades. The kids got so excited to see some of their favorite characters.

It was fun to compare what was the same and what was different from Disneyland. I think the most surprising for me was that It's A Small World was inside. The iconic outdoor line in Disneyland was always one of my favorite attractions.

But it was all as sweet and nostalgic as I remember.

We did bring a small tripod for our camera that we could set up on our stroller for a couple of family photos.

Mickey Mouse ice cream was a big highlight!

We mostly did rides we could all go on together but Brent and I each did a few with just some of the big kids. Here we are in line for Tiana's Bayou Adventure (Splash Mountain). I asked my four year old if he liked it. He said, "yes, but I don't want to go on it again!" I held so tightly on to him during the whole ride! Definitely a different experience to ride rides as a mom worried for your children!

It did end up raining for a short period of time but we were poncho ready. According to what I had read up about how much rain Florida gets, I found ourselves pretty lucky that we only dealt with a few downpours.

We closed the place down, with a last stop to pick out souvenirs. I'm so glad the girls wanted Minnie ears. They were so cute!

We had a really fun and long day at Disney. It will forever be such a special experience together. It definitely was a new level of vacation for us as we tend to keep things more low key. But I get the hype. Disney is pretty magical. I am grateful for the experience and that it meant so much to my kids.

We ended our last day in Florida back at the hotel. Standing with Brent in the sand, watching our kids have so much fun in the waves together, is always such a sweet time of reflection. Simply having long lengths of time together is such a gift, no matter the destination.

It was now time to head home. The kids always ask if we will come back one day. Maybe. :) For now we have the memories close to our heart.

We landed back in Seattle an hour before our son turned five. We took our night before your birthday photo in the airport. And then when it hit midnight in the car we all sang happy birthday! He was pretty tired and delirious but a fun memory nonetheless!

We collected a lot of treasures on our trip. Most of the Artemis swag we got for free which was so fun and special.

I used our Artemis and Disney World postcards to write some highlights from our trip. I know I will love looking back at these special memories for years to come.

I also showed the kids my Disneyland buttons that I had - one from when Brent and I got engaged and then another from our one year anniversary.

After we got home, the astronauts were to splash down a few days later. Brent's team had a splash down party where we got watch all the astronauts return home together.

And the owner let the kids play pool for free. They said it was the best day of their lives! It was pretty hilarious.

We had a wonderful trip to Florida. I am so grateful for the time together and to be able to experience this historical launch together.

In Between Seasons

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Urke | Domestic Fashionista) — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 10:00:00 +0000

I get an email newsletter from a cute local touristy farm and shop. I don't actually get the chance to visit it often but I continue to subscribe to their emails because the writing they include is so thoughtful and inspiring.

They recently talked about in between seasons and the produce that comes between spring and summer.

But "in between seasons". I wanted to settle on that phrase for a bit more pondering.

Summer is it's own season in itself, but as a parent, it is a bit of an in between season when you have kids in school.

I'm in between having two kids at home with me now which will be changing to just one kid at home in the fall (I'm so sad about this by the way).

I'm in between saying our goodbyes to beloved teachers who invested so much for my kids this past year and anxiously await to hear, meet, and get to know new ones.

I'm in between being at home all the time to bringing my baby sidekick along for the ride for all the big kid things to come.

In between seasons feels like a time of slow transition. I often love the lull after the holidays - the Christmas season is over but we have the slow days of winter that linger. It is a quiet break before the next thing.

I used to love looking ahead to whatever is next. But I have learned to actually feel quite comfortable in the in between.

Growing up it was the next step in schooling, getting a job, becoming an adult, getting married, having kids...and for us it was moving (and having a baby) and moving (and having another baby) again. All this uprooting and adjusting. It was good and right and exciting.

But there isn't much new on the horizons for us (at least that I know of!). And I am quite happy in this in between. Brent and I are raising kids and surviving on 8 pm grown up chats, ice cream bars, and a favorite show. And it is the highlight of my day!

I don't mind the in between. There will be big days to come for our kids and for ourselves, I am sure. But until then I want to take these in between days slowly. Let them be what they are and all their glory.

Mother's Day Beaded Bracelets | Easy DIY Gift

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Urke | Domestic Fashionista) — Mon, 22 Jun 2026 10:00:00 +0000

For Mother's Day this year we made simple beaded bracelets to gift to grandmas and myself. They were so simple to make but so sweet and beautiful. I really think it is all in the presentation so adhering the bracelets to note cards with a bow made them feel extra special. The kids also signed the inside of the card making it a complete gift and note.

So here are a million pictures because I thought they were so beautiful. We love pastel wood beads. I'll link some of our favorite supplies at the end of this post.

Shop supplies here:

Thoughts On Mom Friendships (After 10 Years Of Being A Mom)

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Urke | Domestic Fashionista) — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Back when we had two kids and we had just made our second cross country move to Washington state I wrote a piece about friendship after becoming a mom and moving. It was for a parenting website I used to write for that is sadly no longer. I also did not manage to keep a copy of that post to be able to come back to. But my main point was that I learned that friends come in seasons. That they are put in our life for a time and that it was okay to let them go when they naturally do.

I wanted everyone to be a close friend and I wanted to keep in touch even if years or miles separated us. I think maybe the internet and social media gave me the illusion that this was possible. But instead of feeling hurt that friendships didn't always last the test of time, I grew to accept and appreciate that some friends were simply for a season. I still think lovingly about these friends I am no longer in touch with. But I have needed to allow myself to give my social energy to new friends who were right in front of me and available.

I had tried multiple mom's groups when we lived in our last home in Virginia. It took trying three different groups over the course of three years to finally find people I clicked with...only to end up moving again. But those friends I had for a short time were worth continuing to look for and invest my time into.

Fast forward six years since I shared all this - I am now a mom of four and have entered into the world of school moms. My oldest went to a half day kindergarten so we entered into our elementary school a year behind in meeting people. He did great in making a few close friends while I struggled to feel like I could keep up while balancing little ones at home.

And while I won't go into all the details, I have continued to feel some of those sad and isolating feelings I felt all those years ago, in Virginia, feeling like I was not welcome or fit in. Thankfully this time around I have a few established friends. We also survived moving to a new state right before the pandemic which was it's own social experiment of not knowing anyone and no one willing to open their quarantine circle up to our family.

But I am a couple years through this, feeling more established and connected at my kids' school. We have a handful of friends and neighbors who we feel genuine love, support, and a willingness to be our emergency contacts! And while I wish I never had my feelings hurt, it has been working through uncomfortable relationships that I have learned the most about friendships.

I have learned that I will not connect with everyone. As a people pleaser this is so hard. I would pour extra energy into people, trying to get them to like me, only realizing that they maybe weren't someone I wanted to be friends with anyways. I am getting better at spotting people who are genuinely caring and interested. And when I start to see the circles of women form, I am learning to be okay being by myself. Because I don't want to fight to be heard or seen.

There is something about finding security in myself. I want to teach my daughters to know there is always room at our table and that we shouldn't have to perform to be loved.

I am learning to be even more grateful for the few sweet friends that I have. To be better at seeing them, appreciating them, and showing up for them. Instead of spreading myself thin trying to get in to all the different social circles in my life.

I want to have the energy to say hi, ask the questions, and welcome people in. But that starts with investing in myself, caring for my family, having my own interests and hobbies, and then finding like minded people who want to simply do life together.

I also realized a few years ago, that being a part of my mom community, MomCo, continues to be such a welcoming and loving place - even though I am a mom of older kids now. I am going to a place that is designed for connection and it is a community like no other.

I am looking forward to the coming years where I can be more involved in my kids' school and activities but there is a different pace of life as kids get older. I can't keep up with all the extracurriculars and if that is a requirement to having friendships, I am looking in the wrong places.

Moms of littles at the playground are looking for someone to talk to. I still feel this at times myself, desperate for an another grown up to talk to - making friends with my grocery pick up workers and UPS driver! But I am finding that having young children is a unique time to make friends. You might be exhausted but there often is a more open schedule that allows for making friends and connecting.

So I am over here, stuck in the middle - still with little ones while also balancing the life of school age children. I treasure my big family but it also sets us apart at times. But through these years of raising kids over and over has come experience and insight I am so grateful for.

It is the friends who get me, are willing to show up, and genuinely care that are worth making time for. We don't always have the same age kids, our kids go to different schools or choose different types of schooling, and we have different hobbies and interests. But we share in a way of connecting that bonds us in a really special way.

Find your people, love on them, and make time for them.

I will end with this quote from At Home With Shannon that has really helped me reshape my mindset on relationships:

Teaching my daughters that we do not sit at tables we weren't invited to, we do not chase people who ignore us and we stop inviting people who don't show up. We create our own table for people who truly love us for who we are and WE KNOW OUR WORTH.

See her Instagram post here (it's so powerful!):

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Shannon Doherty (@athomewith.shannon)

Father's Day Flags | Free Printable

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Urke | Domestic Fashionista) — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 10:00:00 +0000

My dad will be staying with us on Father's Day this year as my parents are helping us out during my carpal tunnel surgery. We already have a little collection of Father's Day flags that we use for my husband so I wanted to make one for grandpa this year as well.

I used my go to #1 Teacher flag that we give for teacher appreciation and just changed it to dad, grandpa, and papa. Print on cardstock, tape to a stick and add some ribbon if you want! They are fun to tuck into a gift or use for decoration. Either way, I hope these help make Father's Day celebrations feel extra special!

Click on the image below to download:

Shop paper flag supplies here:

A Summer Rhythm

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Urke | Domestic Fashionista) — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 10:00:00 +0000

My kids have a couple more weeks of school but summer will be here before we know it. It feels like we are the last in the country to get out of school some years, but we do love our pacific northwest summers and will wait patiently for this magical time of year to arrive.

It seems like the common question in small talk as a parent is, "what are your summer plans?!" I'll admit to filling in the silence with this question but it's not my favorite. My current answer is - "I am having double carpal tunnel surgery!" It's a great way to kill the lighthearted conversation. ;)

Kidding aside, even if I wasn't having surgery, this question still stresses me out because we aren't doing what everyone else is doing. We don't go on vacation. We don't sign up our kids in a bunch of camps. We don't even go camping (I know, sorry world, please don't hate us).

And it is a reminder, over and over again in conversation for weeks, that we prefer a slower pace. And while I am very certain and happy with the way we live, having to explain it to people who don't understand feels draining.

So today I will not be sharing my summer bucket list, but instead our summer rhythm. I am sure we will be doing plenty of fun things but making a long list to complete only gives me anxiety.

So we are more of a take it a week at a time. And especially this year, when I will have two hands in recovery - I am reminding myself that if we do nothing, I still can savor this summer with my children.

Because the time goes by too quickly. It is not what we do together that matters but that I am present and spending time with them. For me, that has been the key to cultivating happy and close bonded children.

Our Summer Rhythm

+ Once a week we go to a different playground before we pick up our groceries. Depending on the day, and how often we frequent that playground, we can spend 30 minutes to an hour. It is not extravagant. But the fact that the playground is a surprise is what makes this feel special and fun.

+ Last year we started weekly "mommy adventure days!" On the same day each week, we go visit a fun, often free, local place. We went to flower nurseries, splash pads, and strawberry picking. We would get a special drink or treat, enjoy the activity, eat our packed lunch, and then head home in time for nap/quiet time.

+ Nap and quiet time is still a regular part of our lives. Even for my big kids, they do quiet times on the weekends and it continues through the summer. I need some downtime to recharge and I think it is really good for them to get some alone time as well. They each get their own space - our youngest still naps in the laundry room when everyone is home and my oldest hangs out in our bedroom. We have four kids in a three bedroom house and I am determined to make it work!

+ We don't do a lot of play dates. I actually think it is easier on me to have all my kids together because they entertain each other. I also find it really hard to socialize while keeping an eye on four kids and usually just leave feeling exhausted. So instead we spend most of our days just together.

Sure there is arguing at times but given the time to work through it (which means an hour or so for a rough morning or a week adjustment period for a schedule shift), they fall into a really good rhythm when I give them the space to work it out. This often means I make everyone go outside for "outside time" or they finally get into some kind of creative play together that is a mix of building and pretend (usually legos or magnatiles).

And my older kids are great conversationalists now! They keep me company and feed some of my social needs. When I just had little ones, I remember feeling very lonely. Having older kids really changes things.

+ Tea time! One of my favorites of the summer - after nap/quiet time, I get out my tea pot and we have tea and a little treat. And by tea I mean milk or lemonade with a cookie. :) It is just served like a fancy tea time. We quietly enter back in to time together and everyone looks forward to it. It also forces me to stop and sit with them for a few minutes.

+ If we are at home for the day, I start a movie before lunch for them to watch and eat. It gives me some quiet time to clean up the kitchen and get dinner ready so come nap time I can do something I actually want to do!

+ I try to take a break from the hurry - we are not in a rush to get out the door. I wake up when the children do for the chance that I might get to sleep in. I try to cut back on caffeine and rest or sleep at nap if I need it. I ride my exercise bike after everyone is awake and playing or eating breakfast (instead of before they wake up). I make delicious salads for myself everyday. I have the time to make more time consuming dinners because I want to. This is my time to rest, slow down, and take care of myself.

Our Family Favorite Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Urke | Domestic Fashionista) — Mon, 25 May 2026 10:00:00 +0000

This is our family favorite chocolate ice cream recipe when I am in the mood to make some homemade. It is so yummy - rich and you can really taste the melted chocolate. It is an elevated version of an everyday ice cream favorite.

I use this ice cream maker. Find all my homemade ice cream recipes here.

Chocolate Ice Cream

1 cup whole milk (you can also use reduced fat milk for a lighter yet still delicious version)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

2 cups heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat the milk on the stovetop until it starts to bubble. Pour the heated milk, sugar, and chocolate chips into a blender or food processor and process until well blended and smooth. Transfer to a bowl and let cool completely. Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Pour ice cream into ice cream maker and mix following manufacturer's instructions.

Coffee Cookie Ice Cream Recipe (With Oreos!)

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Urke | Domestic Fashionista) — Mon, 18 May 2026 10:00:00 +0000

I love any type of coffee ice cream but this combination of coffee and Oreos is an all time favorite! One of my favorite local ice cream shops makes this but they are only open in the spring and summer. It is very sad that I cannot get my favorite ice cream year around so I had to figure out a way to make it myself!

I use a very similar base for all my ice cream recipes that I adapted from my Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker. It is so fun to be able to have a go to recipe that I know I love and be able to change it to fit whatever flavor I am craving.

You can see all my homemade ice cream recipes here.

Coffee Cookie Ice Cream

1 cup whole milk

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons instant coffee or espresso powder (I use decaf instant)

2 cups heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

15 Oreos broken into pieces (smashed)

In a medium bowl, whisk milk, sugar, and instant coffee until sugar and coffee is dissolved. Stir in heavy cream and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate for about an hour, if time allows.

Pour mixture into ice cream maker and mix following manufacturer's instructions.

When ice cream is finished, mix together ice cream and Oreos in a large bowl. Transfer into freezer safe container.

For real ice cream consistency, freeze for about 2 hours before serving. But if you can't wait, it is more like frozen yogurt and is just as amazing in it's own way!

Artemis II Launch | Kennedy Space Center, Florida

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Urke | Domestic Fashionista) — Mon, 11 May 2026 10:00:00 +0000

We had the amazing privilege as a family to see the Artemis II launch in person at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida last month. It was the opportunity of a lifetime and an experience we will never forget.

Brent works on the Artemis program, specifically building engines on the Orion spacecraft (the capsule that carries the astronauts). Brent has worked in aerospace for over two decades and this launch and trip truly changed me - in understanding and appreciating his work on a whole new level. He works so hard and we have both made many sacrifices for his career. To be emotionally moved by this project truly changed my life.

Our journey to Florida started in the beginning of the year. The first launch attempt was to take place in February and we were informed that Brent would receive two tickets to see the launch. We decided that this was a big deal and I really wanted the whole family to be able to go. So our initial plan was that if we could not get tickets for our whole family, Brent would take our oldest to the launch and I would find a public place me and the rest of the kids could watch from the beach.

At the time, all the February launch windows were scheduled for the middle of the night. So with most hotels already booked long ahead of time, I found a hotel that was in Melbourne (about an hour down the coast from Kennedy Space Center) that advertised watching launches from their beach front hotel. The plan was I would wake up the kids in the middle of the night and we could walk down to the beach together where likely there would be other hotel staff and guests present to watch the launch. While this was the best case scenario (versus trying to drive or walk somewhere in the middle of the night in a town I had never been to!) it was still quite terrifying to think about. On the beach, in the dark, with my three youngest children. But we were going to make it happen!

And then the launch got delayed. Thankfully our hotel had free changes and cancelation so we just pushed it back. And then we had to do it again for March. Until, thankfully, things started to look promising for an April launch. Once things started looking like the launch was going to happen, public tickets to the launch opened up at the Kennedy Space Center and I was able to get us six tickets!

We decided after months of waiting and trying to figure out what was best for our family - that giving up Brent's work tickets and taking the opportunity to see it together was better for our family. There would be things to do and food to eat at the Kennedy Space Center as well as simply being together. And by April, the launch windows were earlier in the evening, making the launch viewing even easier. It truly all worked out for our family, giving me so much peace and excitement for this incredible opportunity.

We arrived in Florida the day before the launch. It was a long travel day and I was stressed about the long plane ride for the kids. But they did so well and everyone we interacted with were so kind and pleasant. I was reminded that these types of things just get easier as the kids continue to get older.

If the launch was to go as planned the next day, that evening was our only chance to try to see the rocket on the pad. So we drove into Titusville to try to see Artemis as close as we could. Driving around the coast was an experience in itself - there were so many camper vans and RVs lined up, people hanging out with their cameras. There was energy, excitement, and so many people ready to see this moment in history.

We could barely see it but there it was (on the left). It was all becoming more real. From there we headed to our hotel in Melbourne to get to bed as we had an upcoming full day at the Kennedy Space Center.

We were all pretty jet lagged but as soon as our early riser child woke up, we all got up and got going. We stopped to get some breakfast and had an hour drive.

The Kennedy Space Center was incredible. It felt like a space themed museum meets amusement park. There was so much to do and see. It was truly remarkable and we learned so much about space. The experience was so imersive and I am so glad that our older kids are at the age that they will remember and were able to learn so much from this trip.

This Orion replica was so special to look at and Brent got to exlain to us that he builds the boosters (the black circles) on these.

Mid-day the launch viewing areas opened up and we found a space on the grass to save a spot for us to sit. We chose to sit at the Atlantis North Lawn as it seemed the most comfortable for our family. They had a live feed going so we could follow along with the preperations. We then took turns taking the kids to get food and check out the activities while waiting for the countdown.

It was really neat to be able to watch this with a crowd. When the astronauts appeared on screen, people would cheer. It was so special and emotional.

In true Florida fashion, it ended up pouring down rain hard. Lucklily me and the kids stayed dry inside one of the museums. Brent and our blanket were soaking wet!

Once it got close to launch time, we returned to our viewing spot to wait for the big moment. There was still a chance something would happen that would delay the launch so we waited in great excitement and anticipation.

Everyone stood up once it got close and then the countdown began!

It was truly incredible and surreal. I cried. And it was so wild to comprehend that there were people in that rocket going off to space.

It was probably one of the most special moments of my life. To see a part of history in person...with my sweet husband and children...knowing Brent had and continues to have a part in this amazing program. I was so humbled, touched, and grateful.

And just to keep things real - literally a minute after the rocket was out of sight, one of our children threw up! It was such a long and hot day for our kids on top of not a lot of sleep and jet lag from arriving the day before. Thank God it happened at least after the launch was over.

After the launch we saw an aligator in the parking lot! A woman walking by told us, "if it starts coming after you, run in zig zags!" Oh my goodness! Children get in the car!!!

Just like any other big event it took forever to get out of the parking lot and through traffic. But we got to chat with other people and families, all sharing in a similar interest in space. It was truly so unique and special to be in an environment where we could be so proud of Bren't work.

Speaking of proud, over the course of the week Brent was interviewed on multiple news stations both in Seattle and Sacramento.

He even helped give a tour to the U.S. Senator of Washington, Maria Cantwell, who came to visit right before the launch.

He took a few of these interviews while we were in Florida. He is pictured on the balcony of our hotel room because there was a wedding taking over the lobby area and our kids were having nap time in our room. I laugh seeing this knowing on the other side of that door is blaring white noise, a two year old napping, and children watching a show on the kindle on the bathroom floor.

It is a reflection of Brent and his easy going demeanor. His ability to transition from work to dad and his personal cheering squad always by his side. Balancing work and family is not easy. But how wonderful and bonding it has been to make it work. It takes me back to when we moved from California to Virgina - we have been on this journey together and I am so grateful to be on the receiving end of years of sacrifice and commitment that has brought us to where we are today.

We felt so fortunate that the launch took place on the first day which allowed us to spend the remaining time in Florida as a family vacation. I will share more details of our trip in an upcoming post.

Here is a video from the launch that I took:

And here are the news segments that Brent was in:

KCRA 3 Sacramento Interview

KOMO 4 Seattle Interview

ABC 10 Sacramento Interview

A Mother's Day Reminder

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Urke | Domestic Fashionista) — Mon, 04 May 2026 10:00:00 +0000

As Mother's Day approaches, this post I wrote ten years ago was what I needed to read again today. And it only took ten years for me to pop a few Mother's Day cards in the mail. Better late than never. :)

Here is my post from Mother's Day 2016 (pregnant with my first):

The Mom I Want To Be: Thoughts on Mother's Day

Last Mother's Day we had just started trying to get pregnant and I remember, for the very first time, Mother's Day felt uncomfortable. We had only been trying for a month, but even then it was weird to be at a place where I was ready and wanted to be a mom but wasn't yet. We had gone to church that day and I watched all my sweet mommy friends receive hand painted crafts from their little ones while we sat through a morning of honoring moms. It is a lovely sentiment and one I look forward to in the coming future, but it definitely left an unsettling feeling in my stomach.

And yet here we are, a year later, with our son kicking me in the gut every few minutes. All that gushy mom stuff is just around the corner and even now I feel myself especially sentimental about what it means to be a mom.

But I have to say, while I feel like I half get to celebrate this Mother's Day, I am ashamed to admit how quickly this holiday became all about myself.

The expectations of what I wanted, what I deserve, and the lofty dreams I make up in my head started to consume. I started feeling sorry for myself as I pregnancy waddled through the Saturday afternoon crowd at the grocery store to put together Mother's Day dinner all on my own. I made a mental list of what the perfect gift would be to receive from my husband on this first Mother's Day and how I would make him take me out for a meal on Saturday only to find out he had to work instead.

And then I got this sweet card in the mail. A friend of mine sent me the kindest Mother's Day card and it reached in and grabbed my heart. It made me consider the type of mom (and woman) I wanted to be - prompting me to take a step back and reevaluate my intentions on this holiday.

I want to be the type of friend that thinks of my own mom friends on Mother's Day - to be thoughtful enough to send a card to an expectant mom. It makes me think of my friends who continue to struggle with infertility and what an especially hard day Mother's Day can be. It would have been nice to pop a card in the mail letting them know I am thinking of them.

I consider my own mom who spends her entire Mother's Day weekend at her flower shop, serving other well deserving moms beautiful sentiments of love through flowers, while expecting nothing in return. She has sacrificed every Valentine's Day and Mother's Day since I have been alive to her business, never sulking that she doesn't get these days to herself.

I think about my mother in law and what a wonderful job she did raising my husband. As I prepare to raise my own son, I want to look to her in appreciation and respect for the mother she has been to him. I desire to continue to honor her role as mother in our lives and not just make this holiday all about myself now.

And then I think of my husband. The man who has given me this gift of being a mom as he sacrifices his day off to work and continue to provide for our family. He gives me so much all year long, expecting so much in one day only sets him up for failure.

I want to be the type of mom that gives and loves selflessly. To love and serve my children as a calling on my life with no strings attached. I want to be a wife, friend, and daughter who is thoughtful enough to honor others before even worrying about myself.

I want to be a mom that is grateful every day for the life that I have been given. To find my worth in knowing that I am loved by simply being more present in the moment and to embrace the priceless gifts that are already before me.

I want to be a mom that appreciates each day. Even when things are hard. And even when I get caught up in my own selfishness. I am thankful for the moms who have gone before me, who have shown me what gracious love looks like. I want to be a mom like them who encourages other moms to see their Mother's Day gifts are already right in front of them each and every day.

Happy Mother's Day to all my mom friends and my hoping to be a mom one day friends as well. You are a gift to me and for that I am forever grateful.

First Day Of School Breakfast

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Urke | Domestic Fashionista) — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 14:30:00 +0000

This post is long overdue! But hopefully still fun or inspiring to make the special moments memorable. I can't believe that this school year is almost coming to an end. It has flown by and I cannot believe I will have three kids in elementary school next year.

Now that we have continued this first day of school breakfast tradition for a little while now, I have my system down. I continually love my blue and white striped runner for every holiday. No more different colored tablecloths to store. Blue and white is the backdrop of our home and learning to bring this to our dining table has made things so much easier.

We had leftover lined paper napkins from our paper airplane birthday party, I print out the same school grade flags, and the clear apple containers hold the kid's cereal for the morning. The pencil plates were an impulse buy when I was searching for things for the paper airplane party. In case you are looking for them, I found that these all came out at Target in May around teacher appreciation and the end of the school year.

I did use Cheerios in the apple containers just for the photos (and because we had them for our 2 year old at the time) but actually serve my kids Fruit Loops. They don't get sugary cereal very often so having it on the first day of school is a very exciting treat.

We did have two first days with preschool in the mix this year. I let them have Lucky Charms for the second first day and those darn marshmallows turn their tongues and faces blue! Not great for first day of school photos. So note to self for next year - stick with Fruit Loops. They can enjoy those messy marshallows on Saint Patrick's Day!

I had some chamomile flowers still going strong from summer that gave us a whimsical centerpiece. I can usually find these sweet tiny daisy looking flowers at Trader Joe's in the summer and early fall.

Our colored everyday kid's plates are also the backdrop to our school themed meal. I also love having the bowls in a few different colors for seasonal activities and meals (we have blue for everyday snacks and also pink and green for seasonal things).

The school grade and pencil banners are no longer available but you can find all kinds of other cute ones on Pinterest.

For dessert that night we also have our "one smart cookie" cake.

Then a week later we had the first day of preschool and did it all again!

First days (and birthdays) are always a litte sad for me. It sure is hard to have these markers of time that tell me my kids are growing up quickly. But a festive and fun creative outlet helps me celebrate the day with my children's excitement. I hope they look back at these special first days with sweet memories.

Shop the back to school sources here:

Doing Less

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Urke | Domestic Fashionista) — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Reminder:

You don't transform your life by doing more.

You transform it by doing less of what doesn't matter.

- Shira Gill

Sunflower Picking In Duvall | Muddy Boots

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Urke | Domestic Fashionista) — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0000

We went sunflower picking in the fall at Muddy Boots in Duvall. The sunflower season was coming to an end and they were preparing to transition to their pumpkin patch. So for the last two days of the season they offered free admission to their sunflower field. You just pay for the sunflowers you pick.

So on an early release day from school, we headed out to pick sunflowers. It was such a low key, fun, and special beginning of fall outing. Most of the sunflowers were starting to turn but we still found some beautiful ones.

The fields are full of fun little activities along the way. The kids loved finding whatever was next around the corner.

Beautiful wildflowers were found and rows of sunflowers created a maze for us to explore.

Heading to a sunflower field, just for the pictures, has been on my want to do list for a long time. I am never sure about dragging my kids to these kind of things. So it was a pleasant surprise to be able to do this so inexpensively and on a whim. It was so fun and magical to explore such a beautiful place with my kids.

The children, of course, wanted to find the biggest sunflowers they could. They did a pretty good job of it!

And I gathered a few more pretty ones to create an arrangement at home. And at just $1 a stem, we made out with a $7 bouquet and a wonderful after school outing.

We finished our fun afternoon with ice cream at C.C. Espresso and Ice Creamery in Downtown Duvall.

Always coffee ice cream for me. A treat and caffeinated skip in my step thank you.

Then I pretended I had a farmhouse sink full of sunflowers. It was a pretty lovely day.

What We Did In The Fall

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Urke | Domestic Fashionista) — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0000

I am very behind in my seasonal update posts of things we did and life around our little home. But none of us knew what a whirlwind the fall and months following would be.

The week after the kids started back to school Brent started traveling weekly to Arizona for work. And still continues to on top of other work travel. We would have never imagined him getting on a plane every week with no known end date. But here we are. It has become somewhat normal now, all these months later. But still just as exhausting on our whole family.

We are also in a preschool year with child #3 in pre-k. He is doing great and loving school but I forget what a busy year it makes driving to and from school in combination with older kids in elementary school. I spend so much time in the car and it is not how I want to be spending my days! But it is an important year for each of our kids - a chance to prepare for elementary school as well as on my mama heart to send them off.

All this to say, we are learning to manage. But we are tired. The days are full and pass quickly. I want to cherish each day I have with my sweet children but I lay down my head every night exhausted. I am thankful we decided to say no to a few extracurricular activities, not knowing at the time what the year would bring. While I cannot control the circumstances of life, I can control the speed I choose and the commitments I make. So I continue to pull back, choose slowness at home, and try to treat myself with kindness and allow myself to rest. These are things I love to say yes to all the time - but is different when you have to choose these out of survival.

For the past decade we have been growing our family and got into sort of a rhythm of slowing down during pregnancy and with a newborn. I was so eager to jump into this new season of life with all the freedom to come. Yet life just threw us something else. So I am continuing to be reminded that choosing a slower life is a sacrifice when it feels like the rest of the world moves at full speed. I don't have the excuse of a baby anymore, but I can still say no when life starts to get too full. I know these are all things I say over and over but, even still, I have to remind myself regularly!

Back to school means back to walks to the bus stop. It can be crazy trying to get everyone out of the house on time. But once we hit the street it can be such a nice time together.

As the seasons change and our days start getting shorter, our living room can start to feel very dark. After studying our set up I decided I wanted to lighten up our gray couch with some lighter pillows. I shopped the house and created a new brighter set up.

The big kids were back in school but preschool hadn't started yet. So I took the littles for a picnic lunch in front of this fun mural in Downtown Woodinville.

Then a walk to Haggen, an adorable local grocery chain, to look at some flowers.

And then a trip to the pet store!

Brent had his yearly follow up appointment at the hospital that we had to take him to. I shared here about our surprise news of him being so close to remission. I take the kids out of school early and we all go because I decided long ago that it was easier to just do things together than to bother getting help and coordinating school schedules. It is moments like these that are inconvenient to not have extra help around - but it is also these moments that provide the opportunity to further bond our little family unit.

We now have a routine down - a stroll through the hospital to look at the art, an iced coffee for me, and then a snack at the hospital cafeteria. The first time we did this was post-covid and I was so nervous people would be upset to see me bringing all my kids to the hospital. But of all places, it has actually been one of the places where I have felt that my children's presence has brought strangers the most joy.

Afterwards we went to one of my favorite places in Seattle, near the hospital - Aqua Verde Cafe for dinner and a walk and play at the Fritz Hedges Waterway Park. We came here many times during my pregnancies, even a walk after a membrane sweep, hoping I would go into labor!

I continually am reminded how lucky we are to live by the water.

On nice days where we don't have to get home right away after the bust stop, we enjoy strolls through the neighborhood and hitting up free little libraries.

We had construction day for the kids at our church. They had so much fun climbing into these real full size working vehicles!

A house in our neighborhood put up a flower stand selling flowers from their garden. Brent brought me home some one day. Garden goals.

I tried to keep up with my morning biking as much as I could. I told myself I wasn't allowed to look at my phone or read my Kindle until I was on my bike!

My daughter's teacher loves dinosaurs and has dinosaur day once a week at school! So we got her a few dinosaur dresses with Boden vibes. She loves this pink one and I really like this floral one we got her as well.

More morning walks and checking out libraries. How lucky that we have three little libraries in walking distance from our house!

People are often surprised that I don't put our kids in more than just pre-k for preschool. I know every family has different circumstances. But for me, seeing these two bond and get time together is one of my main reasons. They are finally at the point where they can actually play and entertain each other. This time for them and for me is a gift.

This vintage book haul one day was especially fun.

A visit to the neighborhood llamas.

The cutest scarecrow.

Saturday morning donuts and pumpkins.

Beautiful fall bounties. Minimalism keeps me from buying a thousand mini pumpkins. But I can still take pictures.

The kids kept asking about having a sleepover. So until we could have a sleepover with cousins, we decided to let them have a sleepover at home. They were so excited! We put them to bed and then went to our room down the hall. They were so silly until 9 pm and then finally went to sleep. We then hid in our room waking up to them getting into toys in the dark come the early morning. It was a pretty crazy night - not one that I would be up for often (I cherish my sleep!). But it was such a highlight for them.

A sweet family movie night. I got a bigger Gathre mat and it has been perfect for our weekly pizza and movie nights.

A pretty fall centerpiece.

A rainy day outfit.

I finally passed on my collection of fake pumpkins to my mom that we had used in our wedding. They served us so well for fifteen years - to be able to just pull them out each year in the midst of babies and pregancies and feel like my home was ready for fall. But it was time to go more minimal this year and create something new.

I have been wanting to do a sheet ghost over our porch light. And thanks to Trader Joe's, one statement Cinderella pumpkin for $10 made all my minimal big statement porch dreams come true. It felt like such a big step, to have the time and energy to follow through with something I have been holding in my mind for years. A coming up for air and to be creative in a new way.

Plus my kids LOVED it.

School picture day cuties.

A tidy room and good lighting called for a picture.

I made an apple pie from our apples we got apple picking. I used this recipe and I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was (I used a premade crust).

I made some ice breaker questions for my MomCo group. I thought they came out so fun.

We got to attend a bowling birthday party and the kids had so much fun.

The kids wanted to help in making Halloween decorations and they came out so sweet. They were so proud to have them on display.

My oldest made this robot. He is our little engineer.

A fun family movie night reusing their McDonald's boo buckets for popcorn.

Picking out my outfits for our anniversary trip. I am grateful to have my go tos nailed down.

Continuing my living room journey of lightening it up and making it cozy for fall - I shopped the house and hung up a blue and white plate, propped another frame on the window, added some of my battery powered candlesticks, and found a kid friendly coffee table set up.

It makes such a difference with a little contrast and using items to fill in the windows. The coffee table holds one of the kid's books that I took the paper cover off of. Then I used a basket bowl to hold some photos and seasonal decorations. The kids and guests love to look through the pictures and I don't have to worry about anything getting broken.

We picked up our pumpkins to carve at Trader Joe's this year. We had a busy October and I wasn't sure if we would make it to the pumpkin patch or not. Plus it allowed us to save a little money and spend it on the amenities at the pumpkin patch instead. And going to Trader Joe's is a fun outing to the kids in itself. Excuse me shoppers as I pose my kids for a pumpkin photo! We are making core memories right now! ;)

My oldest participated in cross country this year through our school. They practiced during lunch recess and had four meets after school. This is the kind of participation I can get on board with! It was really fun and we were so proud to cheer on our son. And I managed to figure out a good rhythm of making grilled cheese on meet days for dinner. The other kids ate while we watched which allowed us to not have to push back dinner or bed time.

I got myself some better waterproof boots for walking to the bus stop on rainy days. They are much more supportive than traditional rain boots and match my mom athleisure uniform.

For our anniversary we always get dinner from Olive Garden and watch our wedding video together. It is such a special (and yummy) tradition.

We went to Muddy Boots in Duvall for their pumpkin patch this year and had so much fun. It was just the right amount of activities to entertain our crew without being too over the top.

Silly kids and our cute collection of Halloween plates.

pumpkin plate | cat plate

And our annual seasonal smore's platter is always a treat.

ghost platter

Our carving pumpkins added to our Halloween porch.

The eyeballs always take these Halloween sugar cookies up a notch!

This four year old lookig so grown up and like his brother at this age.

Pajama day at school.

Last day of cross country ice cream at Costco!

Halloween things.

Halloween waffle plates | waffle maker

We aren't big sports watching fans but Seattle has had quite a year. We enjoyed following the Mariners to the championships.

Free chef hats from the grocery store!

Off to a Halloween event at school. I let them wear whatever they want and we saved our pirate costumes for trick or treating.

Carving pumpkins with our neighbor friends.

Celebrating Brent's birthday. I believe he was sick but he still enjoyed his favorite ice cream cake treat.

Signs of fall - nature's confetti.

We are now eating lunch in the car at preschool pick up some days, depending on our schedule. At least once a week, on the days my elementary kids get out of school early, and it is a mad dash from preschool to an early nap before we have to turn around and get the big kids. I am still going strong with my lunch salads thanks to some easy shredded chicken and my favorite dressing. It feels a little crazy at times but it is also nice to not be starving by the time I get kids settled for nap. So I continue to stuff my face while waving to preschool teachers!

The carved masterpieces.

Halloween night dinner - refrigerated biscuit pizzas. I flaten the biscuits and then pinch a little piece at the top for the stem. A quick yet fun dinner on an exciting and busy night.

Every year it is so rainy and dark but I continue to try to take pictures because I want to remember every moment. This is truly one of my most favorite nights of the year. My kids are so happy and I love the sense of community trick or treating in our neighborhood. We even had one of our neighbors invite us in for some hot chocolate and cookies. And another woman stopped me on the road a few days before making sure I brought my children to her house to trick or treat! It is so sweet to be on the receiving end of generosity. I love that it gives us opportunity to better connect with our neighbors.

Late birthday donut celebration for Brent. If you haven't heard the story, pre-kids Brent and I used to go get donuts at midnight on our birthadays. Brent now takes the kids, when they are around five, and takes them for "middle of the night" donuts that is actually more like at 5 am. The kids SO look forward to this and it is such a sweet tradition. It is so special to be able to sneak out of the house while everyone else is sleeping for this special outing with daddy.

I remember the kids were especially grumpy this morning but we still took pictures and went with it. Because we will all just look back and have these fond memories. I heard this line from the show Good Medicine that I just loved - "Life is uncertain. It is tradition that gives us something to look forward to."

Cutest little pigtail buns.

Christmas decorations started to come out at the hardware store. She made a friend.

My fall uniform - same midi dress (I have it in black and blue), different coat, scarf, and shoes. Repeat.

After Halloween, I cleared off our spooky porch but moved my Cinderalla pumpkin out to the patio through Thanksgiving.

A few pumpkins left out as I transition to thinking about Christmas.

We got this climbing ladder and slide from a friend. It was fun while it lasted but they just ended up fighting over it all the time (even the big kids who were probably too big for this). So I am glad we didn't end up buying one and could just pass it along to someone else.

Rearranging books in our bedroom and storing little mementos in my old Powersheet boxes.

Staring to decorate for Christmas. I like to give myself lots of time to work on the tree because it takes me awhile to figure out how I want it each year. We went with white bows this time and then later added the ornmanents. I like to live with just the bows for a short time - the minimal decor and twinkling lights are a soft welcome to the season.

Sweet little friends. I finally made a close friend - the closest I have had since we moved away from California nine years ago now. I am so grateful for her and her precious family.

My favorite days are slow days at home where we don't have to go anywhere. I really try to protect this time as I find it is good for me and my kids. They settle in to playing and I get to putter around the house.

Trying out three bows this year on our front door wreath.

These two dancing together. So precious.

I did the same bow situation on our back door wreaths (using leftover outdoor wreaths I had). I later decided to invest in slightly nicer wreaths this year for these doors now that I have decided I like having them here every year. So the new wreaths I will share later.

Another impressive creation by our oldest.

Digging into our Christmas seasonal book collection.

Writting letters to Santa. I like having them do this early so I can also get a gauge of what they want.

Thanksgiving crafts.

More fall bus stop walks.

Writing what we are thankful for. We then read them during our Thanksgiving dinner which is always such a sweet tradition.

Coming home to our cozy festive home. We left the Christmas lights up all year this year which ended up being kind of a gift. Just plug them in and we were set.

Nativity animals going for a Barbie boat joy ride!

I loved having this little wreath hang in front of our fireplace this year...until it started melting when we lit a fire. Oops!

Getting in the spirit.

A Thanksgiving funny.

A robot lawn mower came to our house to mow our storm water pond. A certain four year old was very entertained by this.

Our Thanksgiving lunch spread.

Some of our apples we got from apple picking on display. The children said, "mommy, why are the apples decoration?" Because you picked a MILLION apples! ;)

They love hanging up the ornaments and reminiscing over each one. It is so fun to see how special they are to them.

How sweet to see them all playing together. The fact they are all old enough to actually all play together is mind boggling to me. But also so special...and so freeing. It is a good season ahead.

Thanksgiving cinnamon rolls for breakfast.

And a cozy day together at home.

Our pretty and delicous Thanksgiving dinner spread.

It was such a busy fall. But like I seem to say every time I do these posts - what a beautiful season it was. I am so grateful for the ease of taking photos so that I can actually remember these precious moments. It passes quickly but luckily stays forever in my heart.

Apple Picking In Snohomish | Bailey Farm

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Urke | Domestic Fashionista) — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 10:00:00 +0000

In the fall we went apple picking for the first time at Bailey Farm. It made for a lovely fall outing with the family.

We went to Bailey Farm, the same farm that we went strawberry picking at. It was so magical and fun that I promised the kids we could come back to apple pick in the fall. Unfortunately due to my rookie mistake, I let the kids go crazy picking apples. Brent tried to warn me but I didn't listen. Let's just say, this was one expensive apple picking outing. The check out girl was uncomfortable telling us how much our apples were going to cost us! Lesson learned - strawberries weigh much less than apples!

Besides the uncomfortable cost of our apples and a bit of an emotional meltdown I had over it - we had a lovely morning apple picking. It was all my family apple picking dreams come true.

Bailey Farm is perfectly sweet. If you get there early it is quiet and not crowded which allows for plenty of pictures and free for all apple picking! (Are you laughing at me yet!?)

The apples were big, beautiful, and delicious! We had plenty to eat, share with friends, make an apple pie, and apple juice! I didn't buy apples for weeks!!! ;)

The kids had so much fun and it was so sweet to experience with them.

I gave each kid their own bag! What was I thinking!?

We brought our wagon! Fill it up kids!!!

But my sweet girls in their matching denim and bows. I mean...worth every penny!?

And apple picking family photos...at least cheaper than paying for a photoshoot!

I mean...look at these precious children.

Then we went to Historic Downtown Snohomish for lunch and my favorite Snohomish Pie Co. for treats. Girl liked her cinnamon roll!

I love the pie shakes.

It was a lovely fall family day. But I think we will stick to strawberries next time!

Love Grows Best

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Urke | Domestic Fashionista) — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Love grows best in little houses,
With fewer walls to separate.
Where you eat and sleep so close together,
You can’t help but communicate.
And if we had more room between us,
Think of all we'd miss.
Love grows best in houses just like this.

Spring Children's Books | Easter + Saint Patrick's Day

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Urke | Domestic Fashionista) — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 10:00:00 +0000

As we turn the page on another season, that means a new basket of seasonal books for my little ones. They love pouring into our fun collection. And, spring, we are definitely ready for you!

Here are our favorite Easter and Saint Patrick's Day books.

Easter Books:

The Tale of Peter Rabbit - a classic in a board book

You're My Little Honey Bunny - love this whole series of seasonal books

A Little Chick - sweet chick shaped board book

Peter Rabbit: P is for Peter - the simple illustrations in this one are lovely

Bunnies for Tea - adorable tea cup shaped book

A Little Bunny - the cutest bunny shaped book

God Gave Us Easter - a great series of books on faith for kids

Mrs. Peanuckle's Flower Alphabet - beautiful illustrations and facts about flowers

Little Blue Truck's Springtime - for the Little Blue Truck fans!

The Berenstain Bears' Easter Blessings - a sweet story about Easter traditions

Curious George and the Bunny - my boys have always loved these simple Curious George board books

The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes - definitely one of our favorites with gorgeous vintage illustrations and a moving story

Spot's Easter Surprise - my kids love the different animals and eggs to hunt for

The Story of Easter (new version is called The Easter Story) - a simple and straightforward story of Jesus' death and resurrection in a board book

Home for a Bunny - a nostalgic Little Golden Book story

The Garden, the Curtain, and the Cross - a beautiful book telling the story of creation through Jesus' death and resurrection (great for my school age children to better understand the story of Easter or read on their own)

Saint Patrick's Day Books:

I'm A Leprechaun - Little Golden Book that introduces the story of leprechauns

The Berenstain Bears' St. Patrick's Day - goes more in depth to the history of Saint Patrick's Day

You're My Little Lucky Charm - cute seasonal rhyming book for little ones

Arts + Crafts Birthday Party

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Urke | Domestic Fashionista) — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 11:00:00 +0000

For our daughter's birthday this year we hosted her first friend birthday party. This was a big deal, both for her and for me, on many levels. We have yet to throw a party inside our home since we moved here six years ago, which seems wild since we entertained so much in year's past. But this was the bandaid I needed to rip off to open up our home to more than just a few people. Add in our own four kids and it alreay feels like a lot. And with a rainy and wet February birthday, going outside usually is not an option.

But with some thoughtful activities and a sweet little group of first grade girls, it ended up being lovely. I was literally trying to time out how long each craft would take and divide it by the amount of time the party would last. I was very nervous about keeping everyone entertained but we had more than enough activities to keep everyone busy.

There are so many insecurities I could use as an excuse to not open up our home. But The Nester always reminds me that the size of your house does not dictate the size of your hospitality.

For this party we put the focus on the crafts so we reused a lot of things we already had to create a whimsical and artsy environment. I planned a bunch of different crafts and then we had the kids all decorate their own cupcakes for the cake portion of the party.

My daughter was also excited to help out. She made these paper chains that we hung up with her seven balloon decoration. It was the perfect handmade detail for an arts and crafts theme.

We reused the paper lanterns (pink ones) I had gotten for our other daughter's farmer's market birthday party.

I used white paper gift bags with each child's name and a star tag as their take home bag. They could decorate the bag if they wanted and then it provided a place for them to put their finished crafts in to take home.

We put together really simple goody bags that included stickers, a rainbow coloring pencil, and washi tape.

I wanted to spread out the crafts into stations so that the guests could move around to whatever project they wanted to and to spend as much time as they needed. So I moved part or our couch to the other side of the living room to extend out our dining table. Then I put out our train table to add another space for crafting. It worked out really well and gave everyone plenty of space to move around or sit.

At the dining table I used more paper lanterns and hung a bunch of ribbons and star garland from the chandelier. I loved how it created such a whimsical focal point.

I spread out a variety of craft projects, each with an example of the finished project. We stocked up on extra scissors and glue so that there would be plenty at each station.

We made flower bouquets using printed paper flowers. I used paper grocery bags to cut and fold paper wrapping for the bouquets.

Then there were cardboard rainbows to decorate. I cut out a bunch of cardboard rainbows from thin cardboard from food and snack boxes. They could then use a mix of materials to glue or stick on. I cut tissue paper into squares, provided foam shape stickers, washi tape, and pom poms. It all was neatly organized in this round serving tray.

There was a beading station equipped with beads, pipe cleaners, and string.

There were also bookmarks to make. I precut some white cardstock into book markers that they could then decorate and add ribbon if they wanted.

This silicone muffin tray worked well for organizing materials. I also put out extra construction paper.

My daughter came up with an ice cream craft station all on her own. She cut out all the cones, ice cream, whipped cream, and toppings. It was really cute and impressively excecuted.

I used my favorite seagrass scalloped trays (round ones) to organize some of the materials along with our Valentine bowls and these white organizing trays I use for everything.

All the crafts were so much fun. It was helpful to have examples for them to follow but also giving them the creative expression to make it their own. It is always fun to see their own interpretation - some like to follow the example exactly while others are a little more free spirited with their own ideas.

For cake I made some unfrosted cupcakes. The kids then each got their own plate with frosting and candy toppings. It was a favorite activity and so easy! I used cupcake liners to scoop frosting into and everyone got a plastic knife.

The birthday girl happily posed for a photo with all the projects. We also got her a new party dress for the special day.

Our precious girl! I can't believe she is seven!

Since it was a morning party we offered cake, snacks, juice boxes, and sparkling water. Basically a kid friendly charcuterie board that was super easy. I made a cupcake tower for the cake decorated with candles, a seven candle, and star picks. It was also fun to pull out my ampersand board again that I had received from Uncommon Goods years ago.

Since her birthday is in February we used Valentine candies for the cupcake toppings. Cupcake liners made for easy disposable bowls to hold the sprinkles and frosting. I used a round scoop to make perfect frosting rounds. These scalloped plates had a sweet detail while still being versatile.

And here is the invitation I created. I just made it in Canva and then texted it out to the guest's parents with the details. So simple and corresponding one on one made for smooth communication.

I love a thoughtful themed party but I also chose to keep the non-essential parts easy. I focused on the fun parts that I enjoy doing and tried to sreamline everything else. It made for a really special and doable party for my sweet girl. Becasue most importantly - she loved it!

Shop all the sources here:

Paper Airplane Birthday Party

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Urke | Domestic Fashionista) — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Over the summer we celebrated our son's ninth birthday with a paper airplane theme. It was a really fun party to put together for our paper airplane building expert! He is constantly making airplanes so this was the perfect theme for him.

We planned to have a paper airplane flying contest so we included some race type details as well.

For our living room, I made a balloon arch in colors to reflect the sky. I tucked in some paper airplanes amongst the balloons and used poster board to make the giant paper airplanes. Then a large beige number nine balloon to finish it all off.

The giant posterboard airplanes were the perfect large size decor. They were heavy though so I used string and packing tape to hold them up, depending on where they were hanging. A simple airplane banner got hung across the mantel.

I filled some baskets with paper for paper airplane making along with a basket of airplanes that were made by our son for the party.

I hung a few paper airplanes from balloons but they were hard to keep afloat. Only a few lasted. I think it would have needed some bigger balloons to hold more helium for the weight (or smaller paper airplanes).

Extra airplanes got tucked around the house and on gifts.

I found this fun paper plane toss game banner years ago and have been saving it to buy when the opportunity arose. It was my original inspiration and such a fun detail. The first thing the kids did when they came downstairs was try to fly their planes through the holes to score points.

Outside we set up a paper airplane contest. We ran black and white checkered flags to mark the contest area.

Then we hung hula hoops from the tree to try to throw the paper airplanes through.

For the table I continued the black and white checkered theme with plates for contrast (and gold happy birthday ones). I found and saved these notebook paper napkins that came out during the end of the school year. Then everyone got a paper airplane to finish it all off.

I loved how these giant hanging paper airplanes turned out. I usually have some sort of inspiration or plan but it always comes together in it's own way when I actually set it up.

For the cake and donuts I printed some stripes and matching colors on cardstock for the paper airplane topper. Having a variety of sizes gave it some depth.

We kept the cake simple with a gold number nine candle.

Balloons and paper airplanes! Such fun!

I found this really cute/cool paper airplane shirt both mom and son approved!

We then headed outside for our paper airplane throwing contest.

Then we enjoyed a version of our family favorite ice cream cake recipe.

The sweetest and happiest nine year old I have ever seen! I can't believe he will be double digits soon!

Shop all party sources here:

How To Steam Dumplings And Potstickers

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Urke | Domestic Fashionista) — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Living in the greater Seattle area we have access to so many delicious dumpling restaurants. It has been fun to be more frequent dumpling connoisseurs and it has inspired me to make better dumplings at home. I love to make them homemade but they are a bit time consuming. So most often you will find me preparing some frozen ones from the store instead.

I wanted to find a way that I could make them without them sticking to the pan or frying. So I learned to steam them and they turn out perfect every time without any use of oil.

I use my stainless steel pots and steamer inserts. One steamer insert came with my pot set and I accidentally purchased a second one! So now I have two which ends up cutting my cooking time in half. I use them often so it has been handy to have them both. I love how pretty and shiny they are. They make me feel very fancy. ;)

I have used a variety of brands of frozen dumplings and potstickers. Both steam very well and come off the pot cleanly without any oil.

Only two of my four kids like dumplings so I also serve this with my super easy green onion noodle recipe and some vegetables.

How To Steam Dumplings And Potstickers

- Using a stainless steel pot and insert, fill pot with a few inches of water. Place steamer insert and bring water to a simmer at medium-low heat.

- Once water starts to heat, fill steamer insert with frozen dumplings or potstickers. You can fill the steaming pan pretty full just make sure none are on top of each other.

- Cover with lid and cook for 10 minutes or until the dumplings or potstickers are easy to pick up.

- I use tongs to carefully pull up on the dumplings. If they are sticking at all, they are not fully cooked. Cover with the lid and let steam for a few more minutes. You will know they are done when they are easy to pick up.

- You can also immediately put the dumplings or potstickers in the steamer even if the water isn't simmering yet. It just might take a little longer for them to cook. I usually get the pot of water going and then open up the bag of dumplings.

February Picture Books: Valentine's Day, Lunar New Year, MLK Day, and Black History Month

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Urke | Domestic Fashionista) — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 11:00:00 +0000

We pulled out our February themed picture books this past week as we quickly approach some of the upcoming holidays. It is always so fun to have a slow morning or quiet afternoon to put these out for the first time and let my kids get lost in the stories. I love our little collection that we have made over the years, including a few favorites from my own childhood.

For the month of February I like to include books for Valentine's Day, Lunar New Year, Martin Luther King Jr. Day (end of January) and Black History Month.

Fortune Cookie Fortunes

Daisy Comes Home

My First Heroes: Black History

Tikki Tikki Tembo

Angelina and the Valentine's Day Surprise

You're My Little Cuddle Bug

Tokyo: A Book of Senses

Good Night Martin Luther King Jr.

Happy Valentine's Day, Mouse!

Bringing In The New Year

How Spider Saved Valentine's Day

Eyes That Kiss In The Corners

I also just ordered National Geographic Kids Martin Luther King Jr. from my kid's Scholastic Book order. I think this will be a great more in depth book for my older kids.

Happy reading!

Boy And Girl Shared Bedrooms

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Urke | Domestic Fashionista) — Mon, 12 Jan 2026 11:00:00 +0000

At the end of this summer we transitioned our kids into boys and girls shared rooms. I waited until about two weeks before school started to make the transition so that we had plenty of time before school started but also took advantage of as many days as possible that our youngest was staying in her crib late into the morning.

Previously my three oldest were sharing a room and our youngest was in the nursery in her crib. We had purchased a set of bunk beds that could also be used as single beds. We made this transition with intentions that they would eventually be split up two and two. You can see how the three kid shared room was set up here.

The bunk beds worked out really well and though it sometimes got a little crazy in there, we have seen over and over the value a shared room can be for sibling relationships. I would say my only complaint was having to climb up to make the top bunk or to change the sheets. It is not fun and hard to do when you are short! I was counting down the days to finally be free of trying to keep bunk beds look neat and tidy!

So when the time came to change up the rooms, Brent took apart the bunk beds and got them set up as single beds. We got down our other twin bed out of the shed that we had when we had two in a shared room and reassembled that. Once we got the furniture all squared away, Brent took the kids out for a couple of hours so I could get to the decorating fun!

I knew that we would be keeping the decor mostly the same but it still took time to get it right in their new configurations. I felt like I was on a design show watching the clock! My goal was to have the rooms mostly finished by the time everyone got back home to give an official reveal. I was sweating and working like a crazy woman. But it was so fun and I was so happy with how it all turned out. The kids were ecstatic to see their new rooms making it even more special.

Here is the boys' room:

Such sweet and happy brothers! They were very pumped for a boys room!

And the girls' room:

And these cuties were just as excited to get to share a room together for the first time!

We lived with the rooms for a couple of weeks. I was really excited about having just a girls room to decorate so I was surprised to find I actually liked how the boys' room looked and felt better. After analyzing and trying a few different things out, I realized that I liked the boys' room better because it felt more cozy. The girls' room felt too open. I didn't want to add anything to the room that would be unnecessary so I decided to try moving things around to make the room feel a little more warm.

I decided to let one of the beds fill the middle space and it ended up being just what I was looking for. They lost a little floor space but they still have plenty of room to play.

Here is the updated room:

The window in the corner has always been restrictive. I also found it didn't allow me to have a decorative focal point behind the bed. Moving the bed to the other wall opened up some different decorating opportunities and I am so pleased with how it came out.

I was also on the hunt for some art to hang in the boys' room. I settled on an old rocket print we had and this fun Be Strong and Courageous banner. I was also storing their wood tool bench in the closet for years, hoping to have the room to use it when we had a boy's room. It ended up fitting perfectly next to the book shelf and they love having it out to play with again.

Many of the decorations, bedding, and toys have all been collected over time. I love that items place us at certain times in our life or seasons of parenting or where we lived.

The thing I have learned with having boys and girls and lots of kids is that I have never regretted going with neutral statement pieces. The simple classic beds, the minimalist bookshelves, and the white, metal, or wicker bins. They have been able to be used interchangeably over the past ten years without looking outdated.

I rounded up as many sources as I could for their rooms which you can find here:

The Best Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Urke | Domestic Fashionista) — Mon, 05 Jan 2026 11:00:00 +0000

My sweet friend hosted us for a play date over the summer, providing food for the kiddos, and a delicious chicken salad for us mamas. The chicken was so moist and flavorful - I had to know how she made it. She told me she made it in her Instant Pot and that it was just garlic and salt. Mind blown.

So that afternoon I went on to research what kind of Instant Pot I would want because I must make this chicken! Then after getting overwhelmed and deciding I wasn't quite ready to jump on the instant pot train, I thought, surely there is a slow cooker recipe out there that could possibly make something similar. And that is when I found and came up with this amazing slow cooker shredded chicken recipe. It is moist. It is flavorful. It sort of resembles rotisserie. I now make it every few weeks so that I always have chicken for my lunch salads.

Obviously you can use this chicken however you want. It is a great base for just a simple delicious chicken that you can combine into any recipe.

The Best Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken

3 lbs or about 4 large chicken breasts

1 cup of water + 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon (or 1 cup chicken broth)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

Place chicken in slow cooker and top with remaining ingredients. Cook on high for 3 hours.

Remove chicken and shred. Reserve some liquid to add to the chicken if you'd like. Add small amounts of reserved liquid to your liking. I find that this gives it just a little more flavor and keeps it moist.

I divide my chicken up into small bags to keep in the freezer. I portion out what I think would be a couple of days amount at a time so that I use the chicken up before it goes bad.

Merry Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Urke | Domestic Fashionista) — Thu, 25 Dec 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Thank you always for your kindness and support. It truly means so much to me.

xo Ashley

Easiest Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Urke | Domestic Fashionista) — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 11:00:00 +0000

These are the easiest ice cream sandwiches ever and were a huge hit with my family. Technically you use whipped cream instead of ice cream, but I am telling you, it tastes just like ice cream. This is the easiest, wow your kids recipe, when you don't have the bandwidth or time for something fancier. Plus a really easy one to let the kids help as well.

Easiest Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches

- Chips Ahoy or similar size cookies (they are the perfect size to fit in a muffin tin)

- whipped cream

- jumbo silicone muffin tin (this makes it easier to peel out the frozen whipped cream)

Place one cookie, top side down, in muffin tin. Top with a swirl of whipped cream. Place another cookie on top. Freeze. Store in an airtight container in the freezer.