December 04, 2013

November 22, 2013

HIRING.



We are gearing up for our big launch on December 2, 2013!!!  I know this has been a really, really, long time coming so we are really excited to show you what we have been working on the past months (okay, okay... years)  There is still a ton of stuff to do in order to make things perfect before our launch date and we are looking for some help, so check out the details below:

STUDIO ASSISTANT
We are looking for someone who is extremely organized, hard-working, and efficient to become out studio intern.  You need to be willing to jump in and help with everything from packaging and shipping orders, assisting on photoshoots, maintaining inventory, writing content, marketing, social media and basic errands.  You need to be a creative person with a love for design and style and experience using facebook, instagram, twitter and pinterest, you must have a car and a laptop, and knowledge of photoshop is a plus.  You must be friendly, honest and very proactive.

Please email your resume and anything that will give us a feel for your style and who you are (Facebook, instagram, blog, pinterest account act.)  to hello@houseoflucky.com.

August 19, 2013

SUMMER IS A LOVELY THING.


If you would have asked me this time last year I would have declared my dislike for summer.  I know, I know... who dislikes summer?  Well, when you spend your summers working nonstop and pick up your 8 month old from your parents house while fast asleep at 2 am and get a nice wake up call from said 8 month old at 6:30 all while maintaining a nice shade of pasty white, its safe to say it's not your favorite season.  I have always been a fall girl...  fall smells, fall activities, the crisp air, spending time with family, a return to normalcy, back to school, the feeling that you have a lifetime between you and next summer... so many things to love.

Now fast forward to this year... I. Love. Summer.  Of course I still have my moments where I miss the shop and it definitely took me a few weeks into it to start feeling this way (I really didn't know what to do with myself memorial day weekend) but I am starting to realize that this summer thing is pretty sweet.  I have still been quite the little busy bee tying up lots of loose ends in my life.

Ive been cleaning out the storage unit that had everything from the shop and let me tell you it feels so good!  In the past I have been quite the hoarder (I can't tell you the number of times I moved my magazine collection from college) but I have turned over a new leaf and want to get rid of it all.  I hosted sales on instagram to sell all of the displays and merchandise from the shop and even have posted some new stuff as well.  We are also planning a huge (like really huge) garage sale in September  that I am pretty psyched for.

Im sooooo excited to launch the new website!  The new branding is complete and I just got a look at the site design and I LOVE it.  We still have some tweeks to make and are looking at launching sometime in the beginning of September.  So if you guys have any requests or advice, now is the time.  I would love to hear some input on things you would like to see.

On the home front we have really been trying to complete and finish some projects inside and out.  We have been living in our house for 2 1/2 years and it is very much a work in progress, so it's been fun to see some things finally start shaping up.  I am definitely going to be posting some images soon to show what we have been up to.

Hope you all are loving summer just as much!

June 17, 2013

A BIG TIME INSTA-SALE!


As most of you know by now we will not be back to the boardwalk this year... we are taking some time to regroup, rebrand, and launch our new website!!! So far I am so happy with my decision (I have had to steer clear of my old shop however... that gets me every time) and even though you haven't heard much from me in a while, we are working really hard and have some really great stuff coming soon!  But for now let's talk about the old stuff...

Since the storm I have had a storage unit filled to the brim with the contents of the shop and it's time to let it all go.  You know we love a good sale (ahem... all you bag salers can vouch for us here) but since we are currently without a space we are getting creative and happy to announce our Insta-sale!

The Details:
- Follow us on instagram @thehouseoflucky
- We will post all of the details and a link to our sale site
- Sale will start on Friday, June 21 at 4:00 (est)
- Each listing will have a price and quantities available
- To purchase an item comment on the picture with the word "sold" and your email address
- Items will be sold in order of the comments for the available quantities for each item
- You will receive and invoice to your email through paypal
- Payments must be received within 24 hours or else the item will go to the next commenter
- Shipping is $6 for the first item and $1 for each additional item (unless otherwise stated)
- All sales are final.

You guys we are selling everything.  I mean everything clothing, jewelry, handbags, decor, displays, furniture, chandeliers. It will be hard to part with it all but I need a fresh start, so tell all your friends and share, share, share!!!

If you guys have any questions at all be sure to leave them in the comments and I will answer right away!

May 07, 2013

CURRENTLY.


Ok, so things have been moving along quite quickly over here and I thought you guys need a little update...  

The website is coming awesome and I am so excited to see everything start coming together.  Right now I am working on all of the content and am looking to start shooting the products.  If any of you are into photography, fashion, or design and are interested in collaborating on some fun photoshoots, lets chat!  I know a lot of you have so many talents and would love join creative forces.

Next up i've been busy going in and out of New York the past few days on buying trips and can't wait to show you all the fun things I've been collecting.  This is soooo my favorite part, obviously! I missed out on most of the spring shows that took place this winter (because I was still in limbo) and was worried that I missed out but I was happy to find that most of my vendors are still showing their spring/summer lines.  And I picked up some newbies too. Yay!

If there is anything in particular you guys would like to see, let me know!

April 22, 2013

YOU SAY GOODBYE. I SAY HELLO.


Well here it is my big announcement... Lucky Lady, as you know it, will not be opening this summer.  Since the hurricane I have mulled this decision over and over in my head, made many lists, shed quite a few tears, and I am still not sure if it is the right one.  However, it is what is best for me and my family at this point in our lives.  The risks that this summer brings with so many unknowns are far too big for us bear this year.  So I am taking this opportunity to set some major goals for my life and career.  As much as I have loved creating Lucky Lady and building it into the shop we all love so much, it has not been easy.  Glamorous as it may seem there is so much more to owning a shop than shopping.  (Although there are a fair share of perks... I mean I have a pretty rad wardrobe)  I am really looking for a little more balance in my life which, as you can imagine, is hard to obtain when your shop closes at 2 am.

I know a lot of you will be disappointed, trust me I am too. I honestly have not been able to talk about it without tearing up.  This store has become such a major part of who I am and it has been really hard for me to imagine myself without it.  For those of you that don't know, I opened up shop the summer going into my senior year in college.  I had planned on studying abroad for the summer and when the program was cancelled at the last minute I was devastated and wanted to do something more with my summer.  I remember calling my parents and pitching them the idea about opening a kiosk in the middle of the boardwalk and selling jewelry and accessories.  At the time these beaded indian inspired slippers were all over the city and I was confident that I could sell them at home.  (By the way... I'm cringing right now thinking of them)  While they don't allow kiosks on the boardwalk, my dad made some calls and found a little stand I could rent and turn into a shop.  The next week there was a trade show and I remember saying if I found things I liked that would be the deciding factor.  My mom came along with me and when I placed my first order I almost died when it totaled over $1000.00 (which by the way is nothing, but this was all new to me... and I was in broke and in college).  I'll never forget my mom telling me, "You have to spend money to make money".  I had borrowed $10,000 from my parents to place my initial orders and fix up the store and had three weeks to get everything ready before opening Memorial Day weekend.  I will never forget that summer and how hard I worked in that little 12'x12' space with no air conditioning everyday from 11:00 am to 12:00am.  I learned so much in those three months.  I gained confidence and loved the feeling of accomplishment seeing all of my hard work paying off.  That summer I was able to pay back my parents and save enough to move into the bigger space that we have been in for the past seven years.  Those walls have seen me through so many life changing events and ups and down the past few years.  No matter what was going on in my life when I was at work I knew just what I had to do and I was good at it.  Imagining myself standing behind that counter looking beyond what I had built and out at the ocean for the last time has been hard to come to terms with.  (And may have resulted in me sobbing while touching walls. I know... I'm dramatic)

I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to do something that I truly loved to do.  I have had amazing help over the past few years and could not have done it all alone.  I feel so blessed to have developed such amazing friendships and can not imagine my days there without them.  The amount of encouragement and support I have received over the years has meant the world to me and I appreciate it more than I can ever express.

With that, I promise that you have not seen the last of me.  Right now I am focusing on creating the type of life and business I want.  As you can see above, I jumped into Lucky Lady pretty quickly and while it has been an amazing adventure there are always things I would do differently.  I truly believe that anyone is capable of accomplishing their goals and I am taking this opportunity to do so myself.

And now for the silver lining... meet House of Lucky...

We are not completely going away, just going through some changes.  We have grown to love so much more than just clothing and accessories and wanted a name that reflects that.  House of Lucky is so much more than a shop, it is a lifestyle, an experience, a place for inspiration, a place to share, a place to connect.   I want to get to know you better and I want you to know me better as well.  I want to earn your respect and trust that if I suggest a product, it's something I would use myself, in my home and for my own child.  I have just signed on to completely rebrand my business and build our website (I know, finally)!  This is a huge thing for me and something I have wanted to do for a long time.  I figured if I truly want to make this work I have to invest the time and money to make it happen, much like my initial $1000 order to start Lucky Lady.

I am really excited to share these changes with you all and hope you love whats in store.  I would love for you guys to follow my journey here and I'm open to any and all advice, suggestions, love notes, opportunities, questions, criticism... Ill take it all. Let's chat!

March 15, 2013

NEW BEGINNINGS.




So as I have said like 4000 times in the past few months I have been going through many changes as I figure things out over here.  This week I dusted off a few of my art supplies from college and realized that it has been so long since I truly created.  My life has been so task orientated the past few years that I haven't taken the time for myself to be creative which is such a huge part of what makes me tick.  I have really enjoyed the past few days and surprisingly once I allowed myself this little luxury a lot of the mess in my head seemed to sort itself out and things quickly made a lot more sense!  With that, I have a big announcement coming next week and I can't wait to share.  Sorry for the vagueness as I work out a few of the details (no I'm not pregnant) I am really excited for this next chapter and want to thank all of you who have been so supportive and encouraging, you have no idea how much I needed it!!! So stay tuned and enjoy your weekend!!!

March 07, 2013

A SICK DAY.






Sorry for the crickets lately, but we have been on the mend over here... First, Kurt came down with a seriously runny nose and then Kris got the stomach bug.  I am not one to go crazy about germs, I actually think it is good for the immune system, but I don't mess around when it comes to a stomach bug.  I went into serious clean freak mode and have the chapped hands to prove it.  I think we fared pretty well, luckily it's been a full two weeks and neither Kurt or I caught it, which I think is pretty good considering Kris and I shared a glass of wine an hour before it started and Kurt was laying in bed with him 5 minutes before.  (I do realize that actually writing this may totally jinx me)  Anyway here are some tips that I picked up...

1.  Grape Juice: Have any of you seen the whole Grape Juice thing on pinterest?  Well I pinned it a few months ago and sure enough found my self frantically scrolling through my boards when it struck.  I didn't have Welsh's 100% Grape Juice (which actually makes me want to vomit when I drink it, I'm not a juice person and have a hard time stomaching it) but I did have Honest Kids Grape Juice on hand which both Kurt and I had.

2.  Essential Oils:  Ok, I plan on doing a whole post on essential oils soon because I am big believer and there is so much info.  In the meantime, this is what I did specifically for this situation.  Kris started getting sick at around 10 pm.  At that point I moved to the couch and Kurt to his room,  all three rooms had a diffuser with thieves in it.  I also directly rubbed thieves on all of our feet.  I put one drop of oregano oil on my tongue about three times throughout the night when I would wake up to check on Kris.  Oregano oil is not suitable for children and is really, really strong so just I did this.  I also added peppermint to Kris' diffuser because it soothes the stomach and diluted it and rubbed it on his belly.  I did the same with frankincense as well.  I think this helped, he only threw up once after I started the oils on his belly, which is pretty good considering that I have heard this go around of the bug has been pretty violent.  I kept up with the thieves on all three of us... diffusers and applying it to the feet.  Kris also had a fever so I rubbed lavender on his chest and neck.

Please note:  Do some research before using essential oils on yourself or your family, some people have sensitivities and only a few are suitable for use on children.  Also, I only use young living brand of essential oils, they are they only ones that I know of that are pure enough to ingest.

3. Quarantine:  I completely quarantined Kris from the rest of us.  He was not allowed to leave the bedroom for two days.  And when he finally was able to get up and out of the house, I went crazy in there disinfecting.  I read that bleach is the only thing that will actually kill norovirus (stomach bug) so I used Clorox Clean-up and Lysol on everything!!! Disinfecting wipes won't kill the virus so I wouldn't use that.  I actually never use bleach to clean, it is way to harmful of a chemical however... desperate times = desperate measures.  I disinfected the whole house this way to be extra careful and opened doors and windows to air it all out.  Plus I was extra careful to do this when Kurt was sleeping so he didn't come into contact with any of the chemicals.

4.  Wash up:  Wash your hands with soap and water like crazy and do not touch your mouth or eyes.  This is pretty difficult with a toddler so make sure you wash your little one's hands as well.  I even found this cute Mickey soap to make it a little more fun for him, even though anything involving water is fun for him.

5.  Laundry: I washed everything with hot water for a few days and kept all of Kris' laundry separate. (Especially underwear or anything that was soiled from vomit... I know, gross!) I completely stripped the bed and washed everything with very hot water and sprayed the mattress with Lysol and I always have a mixture of thieves and water in a spray bottle that I sprayed all over as well.

Hope you are all feeling well and that you don't have to resort to these tips at all.

February 18, 2013

SNOW... A CURE FOR THE WINTER BLUES.


I am a big fan of snow...  I always feel like if it has to be cold I would much rather it be snowy and pretty than grey and rainy.  Plus, who doesn't love a snow day... a day dedicated to cozying up with the ones you love eating (and drinking) all day long!!!  Last weekend Kurt got to experience his first snow day and it was pretty magical.  We started the day by baking a blueberry breakfast cake while we waited for dad to finish shoveling... and then headed out to play.  He didn't know what to think of it at first, but he quickly came around and had a blast.

February 15, 2013

DON'T HOLD ME BACK.


In light of yesterday's negativity... I found this quote to be pretty fitting.  I am having a much better day today and decided that it should be some sort of code that you don't get your period on Valentine's Day, because that my friends was a doozy.  Enjoy your weekend!

February 14, 2013

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY... And Other Stuff.


So I have to admit that today I am not really feeling the love.  Rather than seeing the day through rose colored heart shaped glasses I feel like hiding behind some seriously dark black frames.  I really do have so much love in my life so I feel silly even writing these words, but lately I feel lost.  The past five years have been quite the whirlwind and while I have gained so much along the way, now that I have the chance to sit back and take it all in I feel like I have lost myself along the way.  My spark, you know the thing that makes you tick, not sure when, but somewhere along the way it flickered out.  I constantly struggle trying to strike a balance between being a mom and being me, and I honestly never feel like I am doing either to the best of my ability.  I truly believe that to be a good mom you can not loose focus of yourself and what you love.  Well you guys, I've been searching... truly gut wrenching, list making, deep into my soul searching, and so far I've come up with nothing.  I have free time that I have no idea how to fill, a mind full of ideas, but I am having a very hard time taking a leap.  I am feeling discouraged, uninspired, and like I just don't measure up.  I find myself constantly comparing myself to others which is an awful feeling that I am just not used to.  I focused my entire college experience on "finding" myself (i know, so cliche... I literally just cringed writing that but it's true) and have always been very comfortable with who I am.  But somehow lately I have been comparing, judging, and have let some jealousy sneak its way into my life here and there.  Im trying, really trying to keep all these emotions in check, but the past few days, I have to admit they have gotten the best of me.

I have never been much of an open book, it usually takes me a long time to warm up to people, so it surprises me more than anything that I have chosen this as my place to voice and vent my struggles.  Lately, this blog has become a way to hold myself accountable and really sort things out in my own mind, which is why I am sharing this way too personal information that I am very certain no one cares to read.

That concludes the pity party for now... I hope your day is filled to the brim with love, smiles, hugs, kisses, pretty pink hearts and all things warm and fuzzy.  I am off to kiss a very little man who is sleeping upstairs while I remind myself of all the ways I am blessed (there are many, many, many way... this I know).

February 11, 2013

YOU ARE. YOU EAT. // Week 5

So this week I didn't do a whole lot of planning, and I was perfectly fine with that.  We ate lots of leftovers, ordered pizza, ate at my sister's (who made really delicious chili that maybe she would like to share?) and then we had the best perogie's ever (thank's helen)... so there wasn't a whole lotta cookin' going on.  We did however, do a little baking and tried out a few interest recipes I've been wanting to give a go.  So here it is... Week 5.



Meal Plan//
1. Oven Roasted Chicken Thighs
2. Homemade Zeppoli's (by kris)
3. Brussels & Sausage Pesto
4. Blueberry Lemon Breakfast Cake

Shopping List//
Produce:
  Broccoli
  1 lb Brussel sprouts  
  3 large carrots (or a handful of baby carrots)
  2 cup fresh blueberries 
  8 cloves garlic  
  2 Lemons
  Rosemary(optional)
  Sweet peppers

Pantry:
  2 quarts Canola oil  (for frying)
  Confectioner's sugar
  Flour
  Olive oil
  Salt
  Sugar
  Vanilla extract
  1/3 cup pesto*
  (16 oz.) orecchiette,  1 lb. (or any pasta)
  Baking powder
  Garlic powder
  Pepper

Dairy:
  ½ cup Buttermilk**
  3 Eggs
  Parmesan cheese
  1 cup Ricotta cheese
  ½ cup Unsalted butter

Frozen:
  Frozen peas

Meat:
  Bone-in chicken thighs (boneless works too)
  Chicken sausage links (I used spicy Italian)

* Pesto- I made my own pesto... I just put a bunch of fresh basil, pecorino romano cheese, a few roasted pine nuts and olive oil in the food processor.  So easy and so good.

** Buttermilk-  This pretty much blew my mind, you can make your own buttermilk.  I usually stay away from recipes that have buttermilk because I hate buying a whole carton just to use a little bit and the rest always goes bad.  It is so easy to make with things you probably always have on hand... just place 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice (I used lemon juice) in a liquid measuring cup. Fill cup with milk until it reaches 1 cup and let stand for 5 minutes.

HOMEMADE ZEPPOLES.


Ingredients:
2 quarts canola oil (for frying)
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 pinch salt
3 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs (beaten)
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar (for dusting)

Directions:
Heat oil in a deep fryer to 375 degrees.  (A deep fryer is probably the easiest way to keep the temperature consistent.  We don't have one so kris used a candy thermometer in a deep frying pan.)  The temperature of the oil is pretty important, so really keep an eye on it and keep it consistent.

Meanwhile, in a bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.  Stir in eggs, ricotta cheese and vanilla, the batter will be sticky.  (The recipe Kris was using said to mix all those ingredients in a saucepan over low heat until combined.  He didn't think was necessary and just did it in a bowl, but yo can try this method if you'd like.)

Drop tablespoons of the batter in the hot oil.  (If you are doing it in a frying an you will need to turn them, but they will turn themselves in a deep fryer.)  Fry until golden brown, about 3 or 4 minutes and test to be sure that they are cooked through.  Let them cool on a cooling rack covered with paper towels.  (We made ours a little too big at first so the were too brown on the outside and not cooked enough on the inside... so be sure to keep them on the small size.)

These were so delicious... perfectly light and airy... you didn't need much but we did dust with a little powdered sugar.

Enjoy!

source

OVEN ROASTED CHICKEN THIGHS.


Ok, so we eat this a lot around here... it is really simple you just prepare everything in the morning, let it marinate all day, and then pop it in the oven for about an hour.  Everything in one dish and the chicken come super tender and all the veggies have that roasted, slightly caramelized goodness.  I got this recipe from my friend Dana, who when we came to visit her new baby bay and toddler fed us this deliciousness.  Oh yeah, we went to visit a new baby and she fed us... she's pretty much supermom.  (And we are the worst visitors ever!) Needless to say I was pretty floored how she accomplsihed brushing her teeth that day, let alone this.  Anyway she let me  in on her little secret and gave me this recipe.  Thanks Dana, I hope you don't mind me sharing!

Ingredients:
bone-in chicken thighs (boneless works too)
1 lemon
olive oil
salt
pepper
3-4 garlic cloves (minced)
garlic powder
rosemary (optional)

roasting vegetables:*
carrots
brussel sprouts
sweet peppers
broccoli
frozen peas

*  You can use a variety of vegetables, so try out some different ones.  I pretty much just use whatever I have in the fridge, the list above is what I used this time around.

Directions:
First clean your chicken and place in a large roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil.  Wash your vegetables and chop up whatever needs to be cut.  Place them in a bowl and toss with olive oil so they are all coated.  Scatter your vegetables around the chicken in your roasting pan,  Squeeze the juice of one generous sized lemon over the chicken and vegetables; season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, minced garlic and top with fresh rosemary.

Cover with foil and let it sit in your refrigerator for at least an hour or two.

Heat over to 375 degrees and roast until chicken is cooked through, about an hour.  I finish it for a few minutes under the broiler to get it nice and crispy brown.

Enjoy!

February 07, 2013

DISNEY WORLD // With a Toddler




I am finally getting around to posting a few pictures from our quick little trip to Disney last month.  We also were there back in November for my families annual trip, which was also Kurt's very first time there.  To us that was a big deal, a very big deal.  We were very big Disney people growing up, let's just say my mom is a Disney College of Knowledge graduate... complete with mickey ears grad cap and all... oh yeah, big Disney people. I have very vivid memories of being there as a kid and dreaming of taking my own little one's there.  Knowing what Disney means to our whole family everyone wanted to be there for Kurt's first trip.  I mean people were calling him for there favorite rides months in advance.  While we are so fortunate to have shared the experience with all of our loved ones (both sets of grandparent, both aunts and their significant others, a great grandmother, and our family friends with three of there own kids ages 11, 9, and 6) it was definitely a little overwhelming a times.  A lot of people wanting Kurt's attention made it a little hard to sneak in naps.  Mix that in with what I think is the unhealthiest food choices (more on that later) and plane germs and get yourself a poor little boy getting sick on his very first trip to Disney... even with all that working against us we had a magical time.

Our trip in January seemed to go a little smoother... It was only the three of us for a quick little trip while we were in Orlando for a trade show.  It was way less planned (like, we booked a hotel through hot-wire an hour before we rolled into town) and yet seemed way easier.  That being said along the way I picked up a few tips on tackling Disney with a toddler and thought it would be fun to share them here.  It all can be a little overwhelming for everyone and if you are anything like me, you probably have pretty high expectations and want everything to go perfect.  That leads me to my number one tip...

1. Be flexible.  Traveling takes a lot out of everyone especially little ones, so try not to plan too many things and don't freak out if things aren't going according to your plan.  You can make memories even doing the little things, that don't involve characters, lines, pictures, more lines.  Let your little ones take it all in on our there own and call the shots.  If they are having fun playing with a leaf, let them enjoy it, even if there is a parade going on in the background.  Just let them soak in all the Disney magic on their own and try not to force anything on them, everyone will have more fun this way... trust me.

2.  Meals.  Ok this for me was a big one.  Kris was so tired of hearing me complain about the quality of food choices, especially kids.  During our first trip,  we stayed on the Concierge Level of the Wilderness Lodge the first two days by ourselves before everyone met us there.  This was made things really easy for us with Kurt for a few reasons.  First, the concierge level is offered on Disney properties (not sure if every hotel has one) and they offer food and drink pretty much around the clock that you can help yourself to.  They had milk so this made it really easy to give Kurt a bottle in the morning.  Also, they had somewhat healthy options like fruits and vegetables and we were always gave Kurt a little something before we went anywhere.  That way no matter where or when we got to eat I felt like he was taken care of.  Plus I would grab 2 bananas each morning to have on the go.  In addition to that I packed some of my own food and snacks for him like a few avocados, organic apple sauce, annie's cheddar bunnies,  happy melts, organic raisins and some happy baby pouches.  I never really fed these to Kurt as food when he started to eat but I like to keep one on me all the time so if Im ever in a jam I feel he is getting some nutrients.  He likes the novelty of them because he doesn't really get them so its a win win for vacation food.  Also, he doesn't normally eats snacks so these things also kept him pretty occupied on the plane.  Once my parents got there we moved to The Beach and Yacht Club Vacation Club Villas which have a kitchen and they brought a bunch of food with them, so we were back in business.  My parents only live two hours from Disney so they packed coolers but if you are traveling from far I saw they have this service that will let you place orders for groceries, diapers, and wipes delivered right to your hotel.  I have to say I really has a hard time getting past the food situation our first trip.  The second trip I eased up on myself a bit and had a little more of a "we're on vacation attitude".  He got a few more chicken fingers and quite a bit of fries too... I even let him have a few bites of a Mickey Cookie and Creme Ice Cream Sandwich, at 8:00 pm wearing no pants during Pluto's dance party.  Oh yeah, I let him live!!! I couldn't deprive him (more like me) twice of having that delicious chocolate smudged face.  Even though I'm pretty sure someone (pop-pop) snuck him a bite last time.  It was pretty much at that moment I realized that even though he was only 15 months old, he got it.  He got that this was special and felt the magic.

3. Nap Time. Try to stick to there regular napping schedule as much as possible, they will most likely be pretty overtired from all the action anyway so try to get in as much sleep as you can.  Kurt always wants to be a part of the action and has a hard time falling asleep with so many distractions.  He never wanted to miss a thing.  We found the best way to get him to sleep was to find a quite corner somewhere and rock him to sleep in the stroller.  We would face him toward a wall or somewhere we knew no one would be walking by.  Our favorite was at Sleepy Hollow refreshments it was pretty central to everything and they have a little seating area tucked away in the back that is pretty secluded.4. Attractions.  Know that the popular rides usually have the longest waits.  Waits, lines, and toddlers aren't the best combination.  Kris downloaded the Disney World app for which updates all the wait times and tried to keep everything under 20 minutes.  We found a few hidden gems and actually went on a few things we had never even knew existed.  Some of Kurt's favorites at the Magic Kingdom were It's a Small World (they always seem to have a pretty reasonable wait), The Jungle Cruise, Dumbo (which has this new play while you wait thing that he may have liked better than the ride), The Carousel of Progress (this is a family favorite, and there is never a wait... a must for sure), Country Bear Jamboree, The Walt Disney Railroad, and The Peoplemover.  Attraction Fail= Swiss Family Robinson Tree House... stairs carrying a toddler in 85 degree weather... not by best idea. Can we talk about The Peoplemover for a minute... I'm not really sure how we didn't know about this one and I'm not sure who was more excited me or Kurt.  The Peoplemover is a very slow attraction that rides on an elevated track through Tomorrowland and goes through most of it's attractions... including Space Mountain.  I don't know what it was about this ride, maybe the fact that he had just woken up from a nice long nap, or the wind blowing through his hair as it gently sped up and slowed down but to Kurt, The Peoplemover was where it was at.  (Also, if you are traveling with children of multiple ages, some of which can ride Space Mountain and others who can't and are not happy about it... I'm thinking you can do some pretty sweet talking about how this is a "special" Space Mountain just for them... and probably still have time for an ice cream by the time everyone else is done with the real deal.)  
On The Peoplemover with Nonna and Pop-Pop... while this doesn't quite capture the enjoyment, trust me, practically squealing the whole time.  Oh, and notice the hands. :)

5.  Bring a Change of Clothes.  Ok,  I know this is like parenting 101, but it's something I often forget.  Well I thought I was pretty safe bring him an extra t-shirt and sweater.  Ok, I was wrong.  Why was I wrong... because there was a splash pad.  Show this kid a splash pad, or fountain, or water and all bets are off folks.  He spent a good 30 minutes in that thing until I had to physically remove him because his lips were blue, at which point he threw his very first tantrum.  We dried him off (we had to buy a towel, you may want to bring one of those too) and changed his clothes and he spent the rest of the day pant less. (Hence, pant less dancing with Pluto).  




We really do love Disney and look forward to many more trips together as a family.  The whole time we were there Kris and I kept picturing our future saying "I can't wait to show him this" and I know that running around trying to get on as many rides as possible really isn't too far away.  However, this time I was enjoying the slow pace of letting it all sink in and experiencing everything for the first time through his eyes.

Feel free to comment with any questions you have.  I'm sure I will post a few updates as more tips come to me.  I would love to hear about any experiences and tips you've discovered traveling with little ones.


February 06, 2013

YOU ARE. YOU EAT. // Week 4


This weeks menu//
1. Baked Potato Soup
2. Turkey Tacos* with Avocado Sauce
3. Pork Tenderloin/ Rosemary Roasted Potatoes
4. Burger Night* with Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries*
5. Cacio di Pepe/ Garlic Sautéed Spinach

*Scroll down for a few notes on the menu items above.

Shopping List//
Produce:
2 avocados
1 bunch cilantro
1 lime
1 carton of cherry tomatoes
1 red onion
1 mango
1 bag russet potatoes
3 sweet potatoes 1/2 cup finely diced celery 
1 head of broccoli
2 onions
7 cloves garlic
1 lemon
fresh dill
fresh parsley

Pantry:
worcestershire sauce
chili powder
chipolte chili powder
ground cumin
garlic powder
onion powder
crushed red pepper
dry mustard
olive oil
soy sauce
red wine vinegar
1 box linguine
1 can organic black beans
1 can organic corn
1 package organic corn or flour tortillas
4 sourdough rolls
3 cups of vegetable broth

Dairy:
Feta Cheese
Plain Greek Yogurt
Butter
Cheddar Cheese (or choice of cheese for burger)
Grated Pecorino Romano
Grated Cacio di Roma
Shredded Cheddar

Meat:

1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. ground turkey
1 lb. pork tenderloin

Also, include what ever burger topping you like!


Turkey Tacos- To make the turkey tacos i just brown the meat and add my own seasoning.  (1/2 tsp. chili powder,
1/2 tsp. chipolte chili powder, 1 tsp. ground cumin, 1 tsp. garlic powder, 1 tsp. onion powder, 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper)  Be sure to add a little water when simmering so the meat doesn't dry out, turkey is always a little bit dryer than beef.  I make a little corn and black bean salsa combining black beans, corn, red onion, mango, cherry tomatoes, lime, and cilantro.  Then everything gets topped with the avocado cream sauce and feta cheese.  So delicious!

Burgers- To make your own burger patties, mix ground beef, 2 tbs. melted butter, 3 tbs. worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper.  Form into patties and grill.  Top with cheese and serve topped with your favorite fixings.  Here's what we like to use; avocado, cheese, lettuce, sprouts, and our special sauce with olive oil mayo and ketchup and some secret ingredients!  To make sweet potato fries I cut up sweet potatoes in 1/2 inch sticks, coat with olive oil, salt, pepper, and a little rosemary (optional) and bake in the oven at 400 degrees until browned and crispy.  I finish it on broil for about a minute to really crisp it up, but be sure to watch closely because they can burn very quickly.

Pork Tenderloin- I completely followed this recipe.  Then for the potatoes I did the same thing as sweet potato fries above but cut into 1/2" cubes.

VEGGIE BAKED POTATO SOUP.


I made this in a crock pot but if you don't have one you can simmer it on the stove.

Ingredients:

5 medium/standard-sized russet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup finely diced celery (approximately 3 stalks)

1 head of broccoli (chopped)1 onion, diced
3 cups of vegetable broth
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 cup sharp cheddar, grated
a few cranks of ground black pepper
1 tsp kosher salt 
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tsp fresh dill

greek yogurt

* I use all organic ingredients... especially the produce and think it makes a world of difference in taste.


Directions:

Gather all your ingredients and chop all the veggies. Add the veggies, broth, garlic, butter, salt, and pepper to the crock pot.  Set your crock pot to high and cook for 3-4 hours.  Mash your potatoes, either with a  wooden spoon or potato masher according to how chunky you want your soup.  (Once again, with a toddler I like to leave it pretty chunky)Next, mix in, cheese, spices, and yogurt.  Taste and season as needed and add toppings.

Recipe Source

February 04, 2013

A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR YOURSELF.


I have always been a fan of Valentine's Day.  Not that I care so much about the day but oh how I love all the cute little things that pop up this time of year.  I always kind of think of it as a day to celebrate being a girl and like to do something nice for myself.  Here's a few things I am looking:

1.  a simple sentiment for your neck // $20.00
2.  fill this little cutie up with treat // $16.99
3.  wear your heart on your wrist // $22.00
4.  loving the vintage/feminine feel of this // $68.00
5.  neutral with a pop of color and lucite // $358 (it's fun to dream)
6.  pretty much my staple // $14.00

January 31, 2013

PARENTHOOD // Sleep... That was fun.


Just a little hotel ticklefest to brighten up your day.  Oh that and I pretty much pinpointed this scene right above to the reason my rockstar sleeper of a son has been shacking up with us the past few weeks.

What happened to the little boy who used to say "nigh nigh" and walk to the foot of the stairs to go to bed.  I guess this is just one of the many lessons you learn being a parent.  Just when you think you know what your doing... boom.  Curveball!

I have to say I was really diggin' the extra snuggles at first.  I mean... he's just so cute when he sleeps.  And then there's how he likes to lay head to head.  Oh no... not like that... I know what your thinking.  Heads side to side like normal people.  No, my son likes to lay directly on top of me... head on head.  It's sweet, and I know one day I will look back and wish I had that little head on mine, but right now I am in desperate need of a good night sleep.  Wish me luck.

January 29, 2013

YOU ARE. YOU EAT. // Week 3

So clearly I am not having the easiest time with the meal planning... well actually the meal planning is going well... the remembering to photograph and write the recipes while I'm cooking is the hard part.  So I decided I will just post what my meal plan for the week and post recipes as I get a chance.  I usually rotate a lot of the same things so the majority of my recipes should be up here in no time.  Also, I will just link to a recipe if it is one that I get from somewhere else.  Anyway here is our plan from this week:

This weeks menu//



*So in all honesty I didn't try the salmon... Im a little bit funny about fish and unless I feel like it is really fresh good fish I want nothing to do with it.  However I am trying to add more salmon into my diet because it is so good for you so I found this recipe and thought it sounded good and gave it a try... I mean I love butter so whats not to love here, right?  Well i pretty much got turned off by the whole meal from the start.  I used frozen wild salmon filets and the whole defrosting fishiness really grossed me out.  Now that I made that sound really appetizing... go on try it! (Let me know if anyone does give it a shot and if I should try it again)

Shopping List//
Produce:
1 Bag Organic Baby Carrots (save some for soup and stir-fry)
1 Bunch of Organic Celery
3 Onions
1 Head of Garlic
1 Piece of Ginger
1 bunch- fresh thyme
1 bunch- fresh dill


1 bunch- fresh rosemary
1 head of broccoli
1 pineapple
1 apple
1 bunch of kale
2 lemons
4 scallions
1 eggplant
1 zucchini 
1 spaghetti squash






Dairy:
butter
pecorino romano cheese
ricotta cheese
shredded mozzerella
block of part skim mozzarella

Meats/Fish:
1 whole chicken or 1 rotisserie chicken 
salmon filets
4 chicken breasts

Pantry:
1-2 cartons organic chicken stock
1 box of soup pasta
1 box lasagna
1 large jar tomato sauce (Rao's is our sauce of choice)
canola oil
whole wheat bread crumbs
brown rice
rice vinegar
soy sauce
honey
brown sugar
olive oil
red pepper flakes 
sesame seeds

VEGETABLE LASAGNA.


Ingredients:

1 box dried lasagna
1 eggplant (thinly sliced)
1 zucchini (thinly sliced)
1 spaghetti squash*
1 cube part skim mozzarella (roughly cut into approx.1" cubes)
1 bag shredded mozzarella
2 cups ricotta cheese
1 jar marinara sauce
2 cloves garlic
grated pecorino romano cheese

Directions:
In a large pot salt water and bring to a boil.  Add a tablespoon of olive oil and lasagna.  Cook according to instructions minus a minute or two since the pasta will continue to cook in oven.  Drain and set aside.  

Meanwhile, in large pan heat olive oil and add two cloves of mixed garlic.  Add sauce and cook until heated through.  (If you want to add meat to your lasagna you would do so here.  Just chop up ground beef and cook before you add sauce.)

To assemble lasagna take a baking dish and layer sauce, lasagna, eggplant, zucchini, spaghetti squash, cubed mozzarella, shredded mozzarella, dollop about 15-20 spoonfuls of ricotta cheese throughout.  Repeat about 3 or 4 times until you reach the top of your pan.  Top with sauce and pecorino romano. 

Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes to an hour covered with foil.  I take off the foil and cook for another 10 minutes or so to get it a little crispy on top.

Serve with a warm crispy loaf of bread and top with cheese.

Enjoy!

*Note:  The flesh of spaghetti squash is stringy much like spaghetti.  To prepare it puncture the flesh a few times with a fork and put in the microwave on a plate.  Microwave for 12 minutes rotating every 3 minutes.  Let it cool a bit and slice lengthwise.  Scoop out the seeds and the flesh kind falls away from the skin in ribbons.