family{kiddos and a carousel}

Holy crap! I can't believe February flew by and I went MIA. There were some life things that were thrown at me last month that took some time and most of my energy to sort through. But, I'm happy to be feeling well enough to write up a quick post!

Last saturday we headed down to the riverfront for the Kids Kuisine event, a fundraiser for the YMCA, at Smale Park. It was nice to go to a food event where we didn't need to worry about our little one behaving, well. like a toddler. The event featured food stations, interactive demos for little (would be)chefs and a ride on the Smale Park Carousel!

Ro definitely enjoyed the banana smoothies!

A Cincinnati favorite, Holtmann's Donuts, was there.

A fun cooking demo with little foodies.

The one thing that we found a little curious was that for an event geared towards kids the options for anything not sugar or carb based were practically nonexistent. We really try to limit Rowan's processed sugar intake. I know that kids can be picky eaters but this would have been the perfect setting to try to introduce them to some new things in a fun way. Overall, we had a good time!

Someone is waiting patiently for his turn on the carousel.

It was a little chilly but a beautiful day so we took a little stroll along the Ohio River. This is one of his favorite toys. In the last few weeks he's insisted on taking it with us every where we go. It's a little bulky so if anyone has any suggestions for something that is similar but slightly smaller-and not as noisy!- I would appreciate it.

breaking bread

i consider myself to a decent cook but baking is something that i've never really been able to crack. if i'm being honest, the precise nature of it is more than a little bit intimidating. baked goods have to taste and look delicious too!  but, february is national bake for your family month, so i'm challenging myself to bake something that terrifies me once a week.

this week i'm tackling bread. there's all of that measuring and waiting and kneading and waiting. and praying that after all of that work that it doesn't come out like a brick! while browsing pinterest, i came across this recipe. no knead and the promise of freshly baked bread on a gray and rainy day. sold!  

the results are delicious!!

i think this is my new favorite thing- fresh baked bread topped with ricotta and honey!  four ingredients and 10 minutes hands-on prep time. it's so easy and so worth it. do yourself a favor, go make this. you can thank me tomorrow.  

worn{2.2.16}

another lovely spring day...in february!  i'm kind of okay with light layers and sunglasses this time of year. 

this isn't fancy despite the sparkly sneakers. but, it's the perfect mix of casual and comfortable necessary for wrangling my super active toddler! i think i got this t-shirt at target. it has a little chiffon trim along the neckline and it's the softest cotton!  i'm now kicking myself for not buying it in more colors. #rookiemistake   

small victories{motherhood}

i recall being in the thick of raising my four older kids on my own. it was an extremely difficult time in my life. i felt isolated and alone. i'm pretty sure i was suffering from postpartum depression. i was going through a divorce. i was certain that i wasn't qualified to be a parent and i was going to screw my kids up in some irreparable way. i was navigating life with a triple stroller, three car seats and a booster, potty training for four years straight and diapers for even longer! i rolled my eyes when i heard other mothers complain about being unable to manage their one tiny human(often with the help of a husband or partner) and i had no one.

 a few weeks ago i had an epiphany of sorts. when the ratio is, at least, one parent to one child you're harder on yourself because you feel like you should be able to do a better job. you feel like you should be able to keep them from melting down in the target checkout line. it shouldn't be difficult to get them to eat your lovingly prepared organic quinoa and veggie bowl. bath time and bed time shouldn't be something you dread all day long because the 35 minutes it should take is drawn out longer than the last 40 minutes of the wolf of wall street! when the kids outnumbered me, i was too busy celebrating the fact that no matter how hellish the day was, i got through it. they got through it. and, none of us were worse for the wear! that's not to say that i didn't worry. i did!! but it wasn't something i thought about daily. there was too much other shit i needed to get done! 

so here we are. rowan is 22 months old-whyyyyy is my baby growing up so fast!!!!-and i worry. all. the. time. we just learned that he has a bit of a speech delay. i suspected it but the actual confirmation was brutal. i spend all day with him. i talk to him all the time. we read books and sing songs. what wasn't i doing? or am i doing something wrong? i beat myself up over it for several days because it's what moms do. then i remembered to celebrate the small victories. he can only say a few words but his eyes ight up when he sees me. he gives hugs and kisses abundantly. he'll stop playing and walk over to hold my hand for a few minutes before returning to play. he calms down instantly when his daddy sings to him. he is joy. these are the things i need to savor!

stop beating yourself up, mama. you got this!  

worn{1.25.16}

yesterday we headed to the cincinnati art museum. it was the final day for the high style: twentieth-century masterworks from the brooklyn museum costume collection. the dresses in the collection were beyond gorgeous! however, the crowd was a little intense. note to self: do not wait for the final day to see an exhibit.  despite that one tiny quibble,  it was a perfect sunday afternoon outing.

these thrifted jeans continue to be a wardrobe mvp! last week i scored these cute little boots on sale at target. oh, target, why can't i quit you?!     

{oh my heart and home} get your game on!

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #HomeBowlParty #CollectiveBias

the end of january is almost here and that means the end of football season. cue sad trombones. while i'm not the biggest football fan, i am a huge fan of any occasion that lets me throw a party and eat a ton of delicious food! 

over the years i've learned to keep things simple when hosting. there is nothing worse than having so many ambitious party plans that the you run yourself ragged trying to execute everything. as far as decor, i'm a big believer in using what you have. this is why i tend to use "real" dinnerware, etc instead of disposable. it's less for me to buy. a few simple elements, classic white dishes and flowers(i am a florist so that's non-negotiable!) are all you need to create a festive party!

i drew inspiration from the idea of a gentlemen's study. i wanted it to look masculine but not scream FOOTBALL. i settled on a little bit of plaid, denim, metallics and a touch of vintage.

i love the way it turned out! it's a little sophisticated but relaxed enough that my husband and his friends can enjoy the spread.

this brings us to the most important thing when hosting a #homebowlparty...the food! i grabbed some of these cute REESE'S footballs(because chocolate!),a few 6 packs of Coca-Cola and saved some money by using my CARTWHEEL app while making my weekly, err... every other day, target run. i knew these would be perfect to round out the party menu which included pulled pork sliders, homemade kitchen chips, and coleslaw. i decided to set up a DIY float station with the Coca-Cola. And, a party just isn't a party with dessert! these REESE'S cup mini cheesecakes are sublime!
target.jpg

 

INGREDIENTS

Crust

  • 4 graham crackers
  • 1 Tbs Sugar
  • 2 Tbs melted butter
  • a pinch of salt
  • 8 REESE’S Miniatures

Cheesecake

  • 7 ounces of whipped cream cheese
  • 1 large egg
  • ¼ cup Ricotta cheese
  • 2 Tbs Flour
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • ½ tsp vanilla 

TOPPING

  • ½ cup chocolate chips (melted)

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Use blender or food processor to pulse graham crackers into almost a flour.
  2. Stir sugar into the graham crackers, and add melted butter, mix together and add a dash of salt.
  3. In a separate bowl cream together the cream cheese, ricotta, vanilla and sugar.
  4. Add in egg, and blend with hand mixer until fully incorporated.
  5. Mix in 2 Tbs flour until fully incorporated
  6. Use a muffin tin, and line with cupcake liners.
  7. Spoon about a tablespoon of graham cracker crust mixture into the bottom of each liner. Press firmly with the back of a spoon.
  8. Unwrap a REESE’S Miniature, and place one in the center of each liner.
  9. Fill the cup with cheesecake mixture.
  10. You should have 4 empty muffin slots, fill each of these with ¼ cup of water, the water will help the cheesecake bake more evenly.
  11. Bake at 350 for 20-22 minutes, until just set in center. Do not overcook.
  12. Remove from oven.
  13. Let cool in pan for 15 minutes, remove from pan to cooling rack, and let cool an additional 45 minutes.
  14. Put in fridge for a few hours to set.
  15. Remove from fridge and top with cut up REESE'S Miniature.
  16. Melt chocolate in microwave for about 35 seconds.
  17. Drizzle melted chocolate on top

worn{1.7.16}

sometimes i wonder if people who have met me in the past few years would recognize the old me.  there are so many things in my life that have changed in the last five or six years. some are much better. some are just different. and some. well, i long for those days. i've mentioned before that my style and self esteem have taken a major hit. i miss the days where i wore fancy dresses and heels just because it felt good! i'm challenging myself to get a little bit of that back this year. this means that i'm forcing myself to let go of my daily mom uniform and "dress up" at least one day a week. of course dress up is a relative term but i'm holding myself to no yoga pants, leggings or uggs on those days.

it's been a fairly mild winter in ohio. i only had a few errands to run with the little and none of them included sitting/playing/crawling around on the floor so i threw caution to the wind and wore a dress!

i love that this dress has enough weight to it that i can pair with tights and sweaters when it's cool but it's light enough that i can wear it with sandals in the warmer months.  i tend to layer over things and it never really occurred to me to use the dress as a top layer over this plaid shirt. don't know why i needed to see it on pinterest to make it click but thanks pinterest! here's to banishing the wardrobe blues in 2016!

 

bookshelf{january}

last year i set a 40 book goal for myself. i managed to read 35. so close! i thought that i would be able to rally those last few weeks of the year but ultimately i'm happy with my results. i also learned that there is no shame in walking away from a book. if i'm not feeling it it's okay to put it down. the book police aren't going to come and arrest me! it's kind of freeing to say i don't have the time or mental space to finish something that doesn't interest me. this year i'm challenging myself to read 52 books. one a week seems completely reasonable. i think.

here's what i've got to keep me company this month.

the first two books are recommendations from one of my favorite podcasts, all the books.

thirteen ways of looking by colum mccann is a collection of short stories and made plenty of "best of" lists in 2015. i've never been into short stories. they always feel so...short. abrupt. but these days my attention span is not that great and my days are full. a wonderful collection of short stories may be just what the doctor ordered.    

i don't remember why i added girl waits with gun by amy stewart to my list. or should i say i can't recall why i thought i would enjoy it other than liberty hardy's enthusiastic recommendation. it looks interesting so i remain hopeful that even though it's not my typical read it will be a good one!

for interesting non-fiction that often reads like a novel erik larson is kind of a no brainer. i'm a few chapters into his latest offering dead wake: the last crossing of the lusitania and i'm enjoying it.

do you have anything interesting to read this month? are you excited about any upcoming releases?

pssttt...are you a user at goodreads? follow me here.