Since we live in the boondocks (Nate hates it when I say that) and travel a bunch, readers often ask about our TV situation. Do we have cable? Subscriptions? How on earth do we keep up with shows? These are the important, nitty-gritty day-to-day details that everyone wants to know.
The kitchen is the hub. The one place in the home everyone can come together and be – for the most part – in the moment. From the ancient dirt-floored and open fire pit kitchens of old to the stainless steel and subway tile backsplash-adorned kitchens of today, everyone is drawn to this hallowed space. And for good reason.
When I was a kid growing up along the coast of Washington, I’d walk down to the coastline to go shelling at the beach and repeat to myself over and over again, “She sells sea shells by the sea shore.” I learned this little diddy from my stepmom and I thought it was SO clever. Not even kidding, I had visions of myself collecting all the shells and opening up shop, making some sort of jewelry out of it all and eventually saving enough money to escape our tiny island.
Of all the questions that readers email in, this is the one that gets me rambling every single time. “How do you do it all?” … Read more
It’s that time again. Our youngest baby is now six months old, and we’re slowly getting back into adventure mode. This time we’re doing it with 4 boys ages 6 and under. People constantly ask how we manage it, what’s in our diaper bag, aren’t I tired, and so on and so forth.
I’ve admitted to you all in the past that I’m a bit of a perfectionist. That tendency spills over into a LOT of aspects of my life and I actually make a conscious effort to limit my expectations around the cadence of day-to-day life with four small children. When it comes to shopping and products, though, I maintain my dang-near-impossible-to-please attitude. I have certain standards and I’m always on the hunt for the best.
Athleisure is all the rage right now. Anytime I hear someone mention athleisure, I think of that line at the end of Pride & Prejudice. Mr. Bennett gets good news and urges his wife, “For heaven’s sake, send them in. I’m quite at my leisure.” It’s one of those scenes I could watch ten thousand times because it never fails to make me smile. The twinkle in his eye, that feeling of belonging and peace. That’s what leisure really is, isn’t it?
My close friends and family will tell you that I am a huge pain in the butt to shop for because I’m kind of a minimalist. I like stuff, don’t get me wrong, but a gift has to meet a certain set of criteria in order for me to really put it to use in my life. I need items that are quality and that serve a purpose. With four kids, our home is simply too busy for stuff that breaks or adds clutter!
I’ve always had this vision in my mind of Joshua Tree as a warm place, both in temperature and in spirit. A place filled with tie dye and wildflowers, late night bonfires and wide-smiling travelers whose well-worn shoes skip from rock-to-rock beneath waving arms and billowing braids.
That picture in my mind was spot-on.
I was given two options. Basil…or lavender.
The kids were off with Oma and Opa and Chelsea and I were determined to spend an afternoon doing absolutely nothing. Literally, the only item on her usually-endless list of things to accomplish were the words, “take a bath.”