Advent.

After seeing this simple brown-bagged advent calendar on one of my favorite blogs last year, I stored it away in the overflowing "next year" file. Thankfully, a year much less hectic than the past, in which one could find me scrambling to Party City to pick up a boxed chocolate-filled calendar (post December 1st), after finding that Trader Joes' were long gone (as they should be, because who would still be in need of one?).

We've gone through several 'calendars'... rustic & wooden... build-a-lego-a-day... but in the past few years, as life got a bit chaotic, we've resorted to paper-box-+-chocolate (usually generously gifted from grandma). 

And who am I kidding? As long as the kids get candy (their main mission in life, as rightly stated by Jerry Seinfeld... so funny), they could care less where it came from, & how 'Santa' delivered it.  

But this was really fun to shop for & simple to create (simple, as in- Ryan & I quickly painting, filling, & hanging on Sunday morning... thank God the kids sleep in!)... mostly filled with lots of little cheap goodies (not only candy).

Day #1 was Baci chocolate... others are Candy Cane ChapStick, gold coins, striped straws, hot chocolate packs, a red lifesaver... and a green in another bag... jingle bells to hang on their back packs...

But by far, the best part is seeing the huge amount of anticipation & JOY that such a tiny treat can create. 
{even in a teenager :)}.

{day 1~ reading their Baci messages}

{day 2~ very early on a Monday morning, after having been off of school for a week... & very blurry~ but it made me laugh- in the midst of major grogginess... holding up their bells}

{day 3~ this time we waited till after school (Jacob leaves at 6:50am for zero period, when Hailey is still sound asleep!)}

{day 4~ a little bit of cheer, in the midst of a whole lotta' homework}

{day 5~ wanna kiss?}

If you've read my blog for a while, you may notice a theme complaint of wanting-to-do instead of doing. It's my biggest 'area of opportunity' (as they'd say in the corporate world)... an area in which I'm working hard to surpass. So it feels nice to have a 'next year' item moved to 'this year'.
                

The pursuit of happiness.

Last week was Ryan's final week at Starbucks Coffee Company.  Definitely the end of an era, for him- and for us (a combined 27 years, between the two of us).  The week was filled with goodbyes & a bit of coffee-amassing (we'll definitely miss our free pound per week)... Goodbyes, tax appointments, colds & fevers (that started with Hailey, & ended with me, in a big way), homework assignments... packing, playlists, & car repairs.  The boys were headed to the snow on Friday for an ice climbing trip.  Needless to say, it was a busy week.  He literally turned in his [company-owned] laptop and [practically new, company-owned iphone 5], picked up his final paycheck, & they were on their way.

So Hailey and I fended for ourselves for a few days... 

a little recovering, pizza & a movie {in bed~ the highlight of our weekend, for sure :)}, a bit of valentine shoppin', a high-adventure girl-scout-cookie-selling-dog-walk, an art walk, a day of cleaning (for all of the cleaning that was not done in the preceding days), & a big pot of short ribs... a welcome home dinner, a farewell to the week- to 27 years- and a hello to a new adventure.

image via

the aforementioned valentine's shoppin'... not surprisingly, my mom considered valentine's day another "big holiday." 
so do i. 
commercialism/forced affection/hallmark hoopla... bring it on.

~~~

a few of the treats i bought for the kids (not really valentine related, but sentimental nonetheless)...

...the book above (for my earnest, curious, book-lovin' boy)... a little set of worry dolls for each (do you remember these? thanks to mrs. habit i was reminded of them, & their simple wonder)... the little pig game!! (do you remember this?? thanks to kelle l was reminded of them as well, & their simple wonder ;))... a "beef-jerky-chocolate confection" (hmmmmm.) a little hello kitty pink cocoa (why not?), & of course, a few conversation starters.

image via

image via

image via

purchased via

image via

image via

pure nostalgia.
 

Pruning your garden... pruning your cabinets.

We're over at Pink Moon Daily today, with a basic how-to on tomato plant pruning.  A seemingly daunting, but actually quite easy {& highly necessary} gardening task.

As always, I'd love it if you visit us there- & even better, if you share your thoughts, tips, questions as they relate to pruning, gardening- or tomatoes in general... favorite tomato recipe??  We'd love to hear. 

By the way, have you been over to Pink Moon Daily lately?  It's good my friends.  When it comes to researching, testing, and scoping out toxin-free, safe, clean, smart products for our skin... our home, our garden, our bellies... Estelle is truly at our service.  She (along with the other contributors on our lovely little team), does the 'heavy-lifting' for us, and does not hesitate for a second when it comes to sharin' the bottom-line... in a down-to-earth, digestible manner.  

I admit, other than a few personal care products, and almost all of our home cleaning & garden tending products- I've got a long way to go in this regard.  But with the information, the tools, the tips, the product recs right there in front of me... making the switch to greener, cleaner living- one product at a time- is increasingly becoming a no-brainer.  Instead of asking, WHY??  I'm beginning to ask WHY NOT??
                                    
                                

{just a few examples of the aforementioned 'good stuff'...}

 

"the safely microwavable bag of pre-popped popcorn."

 

  {huge fans of this beloved snack, and this is a safe & convenient alternative to the 'movie theater/microwave crap' :).  we're taking a break from corn in our diet at the moment, but prior to that- we got out our trustee whirley pop on a nightly basis. popcorn n' wine... a magical combination.}

    

  

a tried & true, natural, chemical free deodorant that actually works.

             

  {melissa searched high & low for this one, and I can't wait to try it.}


AND... last but not least, a...
                                

{*click here to download this excellent guide. mine is downloaded, printed, and ready to be laminated.}

   
   

What did i tell ya??  She's there to serve us, that estelle... a clean-living heroin, in my book.

   

Progress report.

We're in the sixth week of our 'alkaline cleanse'.  Although there have been some challenges (i.e. finding meals that will be enjoyed by both us and the kids and local places that we can eat out, when we're in a time crunch- or when I've been gone all day and the kitchen is a disaster.  Either or.)... for the most part, it really has been much, much simpler than I imagined.  The huge availability/variety of products nowadays allows for many more food/snack/meal options- so that we feel more excited about these new items to try, more empowered to experiment, and less restricted.

But I will not lie.  I do miss the wine.  Or the weekend cocktail.  And the sweetener in my afternoon iced coffee pick-me-up.  And red licorice.  And Skittles.  But back to the positives...

Without meaning to sound braggy- I must tell you.  Aside from the many, many benefits of added energy, clear skin, a clear- defogged- brain, and more-- the extra weight that he & I have put on (due to the above [and many other] culprits) has literally dissipated.  I was working out five days a week, and eating very healthy (but with natural sweeteners, whole wheat, lots of fruit, etc), and was losing pounds, but not nearly as fast as I have in these past few weeks.  My jeans (that have not been wearable for over TWO years finally fit (without doing the crazy maneuvers that I usually have to do in order to get too-small pants on :)).  And Ryan has experienced the exact same results.  So, I'd say it makes up for the empty cocktail glasses and overflowing wine rack.

We've discovered many new ingredients, and have added several delicious entertain-worthy meals to our 'rotation'-- baked ratatouille, black bean burgers, gp's fish tacos, soba noodle stir fry, cauliflower curry, stuffed avacado/salsa sweet potatoes, quinoa salmon salad, lamb ragu, & tomato basil pesto...

{I look forward to sharing more tips, products, and recipes along the way but in an effort to not pile it all on you in one post, I'll start with a simple [cheese-less] recipe shared with me by my good friend, hiking buddy- and the person who introduced us to this cleanse...}

{a very loose, adjust-according-to-desire kinda recipe}

 

        

... a perfect way to use up lots of basil, and a perfect make-ahead meal.  My grandma and I made it (along with another great make-ahead meal- big pot of ratatouille for dinner!) Saturday morning- so after working in the garage for a bit, all we had to do was heat up some pasta and just like that, lunch was served.  A delicious one at that.

Oh, and I promise- you will not miss the cheese.  While the fresh tomato adds moisture and a bright, clean taste (and nutrients!), the sundried tomatoes add a nice, rich flavor, which makes up for the lack of that rich flavor you'd get from the cheese.  But by all means, if you'd like to add it- go for it.  A little extra "flavor" never hurts.  

p.s.

I'm over at Pink Moon Daily discussing a) the perfect summer gift- for yourself and others, and b) the solution to leaving your reusable grocery bags in your vehicle.  Come visit!

        

Blue skies & black beans.

          

Well, the week is {finally} coming to a close.  Volunteering's done, hailey's canker-sore is gone (crazy how one little 'ailment' can be such a major source of pain... for an entire week!), lots left to go on our 'purging  project', but the table is cleared, and the garage has at least been started, homework assignments are ALL done, jacob's promotion outfit's purchased, and he's more than ready to walk down that aisle.  Picked our first bell peppers yesterday, a huge bunch of basil's ready & waiting to spice up our life, & the tomatoes are well on their way...

 

We're all stocked up on sunscreen, bags, suits, and towels (finally ordered some linen towels! ...since I won't be making it to France anytime, soon, figured these will make do- for now :))... Just a couple a' days left of school and we cannot wait to put our 'supplies' to good use.

               

But I didn't want to let the week come to a close without sharing this week's tried & true recipe... Sorry, no pic & only a quick link, but seriously- these black bean burgers (via PMD contributor, Chef Dayna McLeod) will most definitely not leave you asking... Where's the beef??  On Memorial Day morning, I sat and read my way through my reader, facebook, twitter... reading about bbq's to be had, burgers to be grilled, potato salads to be prepared... Seeing that the usual holiday fare was pretty much out of the question, I had no idea what our menu would be.

...until I saw this recipe.  I closed the computer, put some beans to soak... & after a loooong day of cleaning, & organizing- we watched one of the worst best movies ever made {Three Amigos} & enjoyed our 'burgers'. 

   

Deepest, darkest secrets...

  

... I'm over at Erin's place~ Such Small Steps ~sharing a few (secrets, that is)...

spillin' a few beans.

 

Come on over & feel free to spill a few of your own :).

           

Wonder woman.

I believe every woman needs to be recognized now and again for their incredible multitasking prowess.

                                                                                             

{mother's day is just around the corner after all}

Speaking of items in which we all *need, this is also pretty high on the list.

             

{an all-sriracha-cookbook??  a dream come true}

Since I was so busy being "wonder woman" today, my weekly recipe post won't be here till tomorrow... or maybe Friday.

     

*apron via

   

The countdown's ON.

aside from re-uniting with pinterest (how could i ever, ever claim to be "too busy" to spend some quality early morning-when-everyone-else-is-fast-asleep pinning time??), making the [5-min.] trek to target to purchase the product that i am hoping will change the course of my [& hailey's] up-dos forever, selling pushing girl scout cookies with the troop... for 4 hours... the true highlight was a night out with my husband.

a friend turned 40, & celebrated new orleans-style... our first ever crawfish boil...

... hurricanes a' plenty... batches & batches of jambalaya, a fancy cake, lots of beads...

a nice way to "get away" without actually stepping foot on an airplane.

...but also a little preview of our upcoming weekend in which we really do get to get away... five days & counting.

{it is my last week of "#35" afterall.  i plan on making it a good one.}

      

hope your monday treats you well... or you treat it well.  either-or :).

  

{March}ing in.

                     

a sweet sigh of relief.  

we made it through the treacherous roads of FEBRUARY.

... like my shoes?  they were inspired by this post- "Forget the Frump: Hot Houseshoes for Her"... and before you laugh out loud, I am not asserting that these shoes are "hot" ... but at the same time- not my typical at-home attire (gym shoes, converse, or flip flops).  and they are kinda cute... & super, super comfy.  i really like 'em.

and maybe if paired with the right piece they have the potential to look hot.

or maybe not.

{*only $16.99 @ target ...just a tad less than some of my favorites highlighted in the aforementioned article}

 

Life upgrade.

So I saw this tweet from Pippa @sousstyle a couple of days ago, mentioning a new series on her fabulous site {for the "new generation of homemakers"}, titled- Organize the Chaos.  Always up for a little organization advice- I clicked on the link, read the article, tracked down the "acrylic shoe bins" mentioned within, and excitedly sent her this reply...

She ever-so-sweetly replied back- totally *getting* my shoe bin fervor.  It got me thinking about products that I either have- or intend to get- that will inspire me to stay on top of organization & cleaning.  Okay.  Maybe I was a bit far-reaching with my proclamation that these shoe bins will be #lifechanging, but she was spot-on in her response... It's a life upgrade!  Then I guess, in a small way, they would in fact be life changing.

                         

Here's a few items that have or will (sure of it) improve [upgrade] the quality of my life in the realm of cleanliness...

...stacking shoe bins

Have I mentioned our [southern california] limitation of square footage?? ...aka- SPACE?? Nuff said.              

 
 

...bon ami tangerine thyme dish soap

I'm very sensitive to harsh, abrasive cleaning products (both my skin, & nose!).  I love Bon Ami cleanser, & when I saw this new packaging- plus the scented dish soap I had to buy it.  (anything to make dish-washing a little more "fun")           

...cleaning system mop bucket 

...a "life changing bucket" according to this article (a trip to the container store is clearly in order)

        

...mrs. meyer's scented soy candle     

I must say- if you're into baths, this is the perfect 'bath-time' candle... small, not wobbly, & can be closed up & stored right in the cabinet for the next rare occasion that you actually get to enjoy a candlelit bath.  But, as for cleaning...

Mrs. Meyer's say it best:

     

Sometimes it feels good just to have a nice candle giving off some extra fragrance while you're busy with your chores... It's in a cute jelly jar that you can reuse as a juice glass or hold your marble collection.

       [wow. so many uses for one candle?!... purchased mine @ target]  

     
 

...a great audiobook (such as this one)

   ...to keep your mind from thinking angry thoughts amidst scrubbing the toilets

...or on a slightly more positive note (because it is Friday after all)- to keep you inspired in the midst of chaos :).

  

{any "life-changing" tips/products you've discovered? let us know below...}

  

Understated style.

            

In my daily endeavor of getting ready, I don't necessarily aim to look sexy.  If I'm being honest, just aiming to look like I'm not wearing pajamas or stepping out of a gym is a large feat as of late.

Lots of solo time this week, chipping off the ol' to-do list.  In other words, "comfort"  first.  Cute second last.

But really, who says you can't have both?   And along those same lines, who says sexy has to be tight... low-cut... un-comfortable??  Maybe I'm just enabling myself to carry on with the "seasonal lovefest" of baked treats, hearty dishes, and spirited beverages, but there's a definite appeal to a little more subtlety, a little less flaunting... a bit more flowy, a tad less stretchy.  Simple, soft, slouchy, maybe even over-sized.  Yes please.

{images...clockwise 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}

                           

Incognito.

Well.  We made it home from Hawaii safe and sound.  

 A glorious 8 days of paradise.   

I'd love to share pictures (and I will) but as is usually the case after returning home- I'm desperately trying to get my groove back- or simply get back into some sort of groove... one that doesn't involve a daily room [house]-cleaning, nightly mai tais on the beach, stored-away laptops, and empty agendas.  

...but instead- grocery shopping, unpacking (yes, still), LAUNDRY, pumpkin purchasing, Halloween decorating, homework assisting (oh... the homework), boy scout events, girl scout events, LAUNDRY, costume parties...

Okay, I'll spare you the rest of my oh-so-interesting-to-do list, and simply say that despite the madness, it feels good to be back... to jump into Halloween-mode, and to reconnect- with  my laptop, my reader (soon!), the dvr...  And since I can't post Hawaii pics yet, here's a few from Saturday night's costume party to hold ya over :). 

{a handsome security guard (aka- Ryan), a Butcher's wife (aka- my mom), & yours truly- a Mad Men wannabe}

 

{Costume inspired by Naina (dress & shoes- Ross; belt- Banana Republic)... If you're looking for a last minute costume idea & want to dress up as a 60's gal yourself- Ross has a fantastic selection of dresses (dresses that seem to hide all the the 'mai tai/macadamia nut pancake' indulgences... 60's dressing just may become a regular thing).}

 

Princesses & pirate ships.

We'll be in Hawaii for my BIL's wedding  next week (they just had to have it in Hawaii, and just had to ask us to be in it , so we just have to go ;)), so we spent Saturday afternoon at thrift stores, getting ready for Halloween... always a big relief to check off the to-do list.  As I've mentioned before- the older the kids get, the "stronger their opinion" gets when it comes to who they want to magically transform into each year.  A BIG decision I tell ya.

    

So.  Who's it going to be this year??

 

Mr. Chaplin... a cute lil' farmer (although after Halloween, that $3.00 Banana Republic cowhide belt is mine)... a security officer (Ryan)... {me? still working on it}

SHOUT-out.

 

It's been a long week, to say the least.  

My grandma's out of town for a few weeks, and generously gave us LOTS of groceries.  Between this, the CSA box, and the garden- our fridge was packed with produce.  I've been an iron-chef in my own little kitchen... on a serious mission to get creative, and use as many ingredients as possible per meal.  Autumn may be starting today, but it kicked off a bit early in our house.  Plenty of hearty meals and a constant stream of dishes to show for it.

Aside from the cooking sprees, I'm on yet another mission to win this laundry/cleaning battle once and for all- trying to end the cycle of- get behind, get overwhelmed, get more behind, finally make a little headway, get behind again, repeat, repeat, repeat.  Put my Housewife cap on, & channeled my inner June, but damn... I'm tired.

Oh, and our car was declared totaled on Monday morning after a [believe it or not] "minor" accident that Ryan was in (not injured!).

Needless to say- I'm ready to sign out, but before I do- I thought I'd give a few shout-outs of some new & old finds that made the week a little brighter...

Image via

 
BIRCHBOX.  Have you heard of this?  I've become quite the product junkie in the last year- which I attribute fully to blog-reading.  Always wanting to try new {and old} products... to figure out what works and doesn't work for me... but not having the time or money to fully research and invest.   With Birchbox, "Four to five hand-picked deluxe samples delivered to your door for $10 per month" ... Perfect for me.  I'm in.  I'll let you know how it goes.

Image via

dandelion goods.  I've been anxiously waiting for Danielle to open the doors to her new Etsy shop.  She did.  And I shopped.  Handmade, high-quality clutches and scarves.  An incredibly talented & sweet gal.  Excellent service and packaging perfection.  What more could you ask for?  Go ahead.  See for yourself :).
              

Image via

Amy's.  Some weeks require a convenient mid-day meal.  And this is one brand that does not invoke any guilt.  {...a great reputation & back-story too}

Image via

SHOUT COLOR CATCHERS.  My grandma also gave me a box of these.  I admit.  I inwardly turned my nose up a tad at first.  I pride myself on my OCD-laundry-separating... why would I need these??  Well, staying on top of laundry meant doing smaller loads, and mixing more clothes together- for the sake of STAYING ON TOP OF LAUNDRY.  These came to the rescue.  Color bled straight into the wipe (just like on the box!) and laundry is done.

 

 Image via

Pustefix bubbles.  Alright, these had nothing to do with my week, but I just loved all of your comments on my childhood reminiscing post- and I've decided those memories need to be inserted on the blog more often.  And so many activities and items are still available for our kids to enjoy today... like these bubbles.  Remember these??  They made me very happy as a child.

Well, I'm off to enjoy a weekend here with this guy...

...doing a lot of what he's doing...

...with his parents- and this soon-to-be-married couple!

 Have a wonderful weekend everyone.