Are you tired of hearing about my marathon training yet? I hope not because I really need your help. Sticking to an exercise plan is so much easier when you have a workout buddy and I’m hoping you will be mine! Don’t worry. You don’t have to run 26.2 miles (unless you really want to). I’ve been working with Erik Stanley, a rockstar running coach here in Austin and founder
Read MoreMy Kind of Valentine’s Day
I sat down to write a Valentine’s Day blog post about the best gifts to give the ones you love, but…I got stuck. The truth is, I kinda hate Valentine’s Day. It feels so manufactured and cheesy, with overpriced roses, cliché jewelry and gimmicky prix-fixe dinner menus. Sure, I dutifully arm the kids with cutesy cards for their fellow classmates. (I do have a soft spot for the elementary school
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Soup Recipes To Warm The Season
To me, there is no better comfort food than a bowl of homemade soup. It reminds me of snowy winter days in Idaho and my mom’s caring hands. She would sauté aromatic vegetables, letting all the ingredients simmer and marinate while we were away at school until they made a delicious, rich broth. Coming in from the cold to the finished pot on the stove felt like such a treat,
Read MoreSkincare secrets to live by: A Q&A with Dr. Barney Kenet
Ok, I resisted the 10-year challenge as long as I could. Here you go… Us in 2009 And us in 2019 Ahh, how fresh-faced and well-rested we looked before having three kids. If we only knew then what we know now…we would have savored sleeping in so much more! If we’ve learned one thing over the past 10 years, it’s that being a parent certainly does keep you humble. When
Read MoreRunning with purpose- The Boston Marathon!
Who What When Where WHY?? Good questions. I asked myself the same thing when my husband, Jared, decided to run the Seattle Marathon last Thanksgiving. The whole thing was decided on a whim, something that our friend Misha schemed up in passing, and the next thing I knew he (and several other gullible suckers) were signed up for 26.2 miles of torture. Being the decidedly more practical of our pair,
Read MoreAll the Lessons 2018 Taught Me
Happy New Year! The start of a new year always makes me reflect on the last year and what a year 2018 turned out to be… My sweet daughter turned one whole year old. My eldest lost FOUR teeth and won his first medal in his first chess tournament. My middle learned to ride a bike without training wheels and began to write and read. We took the boys on
Read MoreMy Guide To Hacking The Holidays With Mastercard On File
You know that person who has all their Christmas cards sent, gifts bought and presents wrapped to perfection under the tree by the first week of December? Um, yeah…THAT is not me. I wish it were. I so want to be that person who doesn’t procrastinate and gets the holiday prep done way ahead of schedule, but every year the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas feel shorter and shorter. I’m
Read MoreHomemade Salt Dough Ornaments
Salt dough ornaments are one of those crafts that look easy and fun to make…and they actually ARE. They also keep my kids occupied for hours, which feels like a major parenting win during the chaos of Christmas. In between sports and school they plop down at the table and pick up a brush and paint the ornaments. I’ve been letting my OCD guard down and leaving the drop cloth
Read MoreDecember Lit List: Books for Gifting
If you’re still in need of some last-minute presents, I’ve got you covered. This lit list is full of giftable reads—from children’s picture books to luxe coffee table tomes and cult-favorite cookbooks. I especially love giving books because they can be used over and over, talked about and shared with others long after they’ve finished reading. A gift that truly keeps on giving! Simple by Yotam Ottolenghi I’m a huge
Read MoreSimple Christmas Craft: Orange Pomanders
I’d completely forgotten about these until I came across a drawing in one of Odette’s illustrated books of a beautiful Christmas fireplace mantel adorned with old-fashioned clove-studded oranges. Could we make a fun activity out of making these together? Is this even achievable?? Google to the rescue and YES! Turns out the word “pomander” comes from the French term “pomme de ambre” which means, eloquently, amber-scented ball. Centuries ago, citrus
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