{A Year of Date's} April

WOW, almost a month late, but we DID IT!  We finally found a time for our April date.  :)  I think I mentioned when I first told you about the book that I left a couple of months blank so that I could find some fun last minute activities (either from word of mouth from friends or from a deal site).  April was one of those blank months.

I scoured Groupon looking for fun activities that we could do (with a baby).   I saw a deal for "Stray Boots" and had to click on it out of curiosity.  Stray Boots originated in NYC as a text message led scavenger hunt as a way to get to know little known places in NYC.  To give you little tidbits of knowledge about the city as well as expose you to some cool hole in the wall places.  Portland (about 45 min. north of us) had 3 different tours that you could do.

I jumped all over this one!  It was so reasonably priced ($12) and said it took 2-4 hours, depending on how quickly you wanted to move through things.  Skyler and I (and our adventurous souls) love this type of thing!

We went to our starting place...

 
And texted "GO!"

And off we went.  The day was gorgeous, Asher was napping in the Boba carrier and we had an adventure that made us fall a little bit in love with Portland (not enough to make us move there).

Here are just SOME random photo's we took... (Can't ruin it for any of you scavenger hunters that want to try it!)

First off...this wasn't on the scavenger hunt.  No, the hunt doesn't take you to the Loo.

But these are new.  And really funny.

Also really helpful.

Thanks Portland for being so weird and letting us pee right on the sidewalk.

This one was a clue that Skyler majorly impressed me with!  I read the clue and without skipping a beat just named the answer.  I would never have known the answer, even with hints (which you CAN get from Stray Boots.).  So proud of him and his random knowledge! Ha!

Oh, the famous Powell's bookstore.

We had to go in and find our favorite section to take a picture in.

So.

Birds.

Duh.

Portland.

"Put a Bird on it."

Then we took a quick pit stop in Starbucks (NOT part of the hunt!) because the day was so glorious and beautiful and we needed a tasty drink!

Of course, FAIL.

The drink was good but...

No one can ever (and I mean ever) spell Skyler's name right.

It's our ongoing joke.

She wrote it out and we just looked at each other, smiled and winked.

Skylar?  Really?

Why does everyone assume A when so clearly we say "SkyLER".

Wouldn't you assume er?

Anyway...

Just so you guys know, it's SKYLER.

With an E.

;)

This cool map was in one of our stops:

The Pearl District - where our scavenger hunt took place.

We had so much fun just exploring these new places that we'd never heard of and probably would never have known about unless we actually got of the car and walked around.

It really made us fall in love with Portland a little bit, where we never have really cared for it before.

Especially downtown.  

Cool waterfall feature that flowed all the way down the block, on BOTH sides of the sidewalk. 

We stopped to grab a "Little Big Burger" bite.  :)

And then we learned about this amazing place, Cargo:

I could've spent hours and hours and hours in there looking at all the neat trinkety things and cool old furniture pieces.  It was like a plaza of imported, vintage goods.

 I told Skyler we needed to remember that place for Christmas time because we could easily pick out a cool gift for each family member in there!

Loved the different beautiful buildings and unique art that we saw on our walk.

The scavenger hunt took us about 4.5 hours (with stopping for food and feeding Asher a couple times too).  On the way home, I wanted to stop at this viewpoint, Council Crest, which I had visited LONG ago (like...8 years ago), and LOVED and couldn't remember for the life of me where it was.  I searched and searched the internet for clues of what it was called and where it was.  Nothing.

Finally last week my friend posted a picture from up top with a caption of where it was.

She has no idea how happy that made me because I knew immediately she was in my favorite view point of Portland!

Asher and I, with a faint Mt. Hood in the background.

And the rest of Portland, Columbia River and Mt. St. Helens in the background.  

On a really clear day, you can also see Mt. Rainier.

SUCH A FUN DATE.  Seriously.  See if you have a Stray Boots hunt in your town or nearby!  You'll learn about interesting hole in the wall places and have such a fun time doing it!  We can't wait to do it when we take some vacations, too.  Portland has three different hunts.  We did the Pearl District one but are excited to do the ChinaTown, Downtown and Art Museum one's sometime too!  These could easily be fun family outing's also.  I know Zeek would've had just as much fun with us.

  See our past month's dates:

January

February

March

Love,

K

The "Overall" Debate

My sister's getting married in a few weeks.

Zeek's in the wedding.

And he's wearing suspenders.

I decided he's going to have to get used to them so he doesn't try pulling them off at the wedding.

And I LOVE them on him.

Hipster, sure.

But DANG, he's cute!

Naturally, we had a difference of opinion.

As I tried to put them on him, he was whimpering and saying, no no no!

I nonchalantly told him, oh Zeek, you're fine.  These are just your overalls for today! (Since he knows and wears overalls).

His response?

In the saddest, most pathetic way possible:

"But I don like dem overahhls..."

I think that made the suspenders even cuter.

(And obviously, I won the debate.)

He eventually forgot about them.  :)

I really like dem overalls. 

Love,
K

P.S.  This morning, I got out the "overalls" again for him to wear.
He was just about to whine about them, but just then we looked up at the TV to his new obsession, Chip n' Dale Rescue Rangers, and one of the chipmonks was wearing suspenders!  The suspenders quickly became "Chip n' Dale overalls" and he wore them excitedly!
Thank you, Jesus! hahaha

R is for...

18 Weeks

• We "ghetto weighed" you at Grandma's house this week (aka, mommy stood on the scale with you and subtracted my weight).  You weigh.... 17 pounds!  SEVENTEEN!  That's how much your aunt Krista weighed at ONE YEAR, you little four monther, you!  (I use the word "little" loosely.)
• You are seriously obsessed with your feet.  As soon as your socks are off, you are grabbing for them.
• You also love when I make fart noises with my mouth on your feet.  You love the vibrations, I guess.  Makes you laugh every time.
• You are looking waaaaay big in your cradle... Time for us to think about getting Zeek an official toddler bed and making his bed back into a crib for you!
• You are always reaching out to touch me, daddy or Zeek.  You are clearly a snuggler and lover.  You just always want to be holding onto one of us.  We keep trying to tell Zeek it's how you show love.  Sometimes he's not terribly thrilled with your method.
• You are official in size Medium G Diapers now and size 2 disposables.  You can't squeeze into size Small or size 1 if you wanted.
• Your thighs have really filled out and are looking thunderous like daddy's.  :)
• Your cradle cap is oh.so.slowly. going away.  (Fiiiiinally.)
• You have discovered the tree's and LOVE laying on mom and dad's bed looking out the window at them or laying on a blanket outside under the trees.

Love,
Mom

 

{Almond Flour} Paleo Pancakes

More often than not, we have some form of eggs for breakfast but once or twice a month, one of us gets a hankering for something a little sweeter.  :) 

One morning, I decided to come up with a fix for our sweet tooth and throw together some form of Paleo Pancakes.  I have to say, these turned out pretty awesome!  We make these fairly often now (a couple times a month).  Zeek loves this "special treat" breakfast.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups almond meal
• 1/4 cup flax seed meal
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Just mix all together (add small portions of milk or almond meal until you get the right consistency.  You'll want these to be thicker batter than regular pancake mix.).  I like to use our cast iron skillet to cook these on.  Coat it with coconut oil and then use the 1/4 cup to scoop out pancake portions.  Keep these pancakes smaller than you would make regular pancakes because they are harder to flip.  The bigger the are, the harder it is to flip and more chance of it breaking all apart.

Let these cook on the lowest stove setting (too high will burn the bottom side before it's cooked through enough to flip).  Usually about 5 minutes on the bottom side until it's firm enough to flip.  Seriously, really watch them because if you're in too big of a hurry, they tend to burn.  Let them cook slooowly on the lowest setting!!  (I know from rushed experience! ha) :)

In lieu of just maple syrup, we scoop about a cup and 1/2 of frozen blackberries and blueberries, pour 1-2 tbsp of maple syrup over the berries and microwave for a minute or so, until they are completely defrosted.  Smash up a bit with a fork and scoop onto your little golden Paleo pancake!

YUM!
Love,
K

Thai Shrimp Coconut Curry

You guys.
You know I love me a good Thai dish.
I found one.
It's easy.
It tastes incredible.

Check out the recipe here.

Yes, it looks daunting.  I promise it's super easy.  It's a lot of ingredients, but you just mix 'em all together.  Super easy.  SO tasty.

Do it.
And then come back and tell me how amazing you think it is too.

I could eat Thai food every day.
EVERY day.

Love,
K

I got new hair. And the creepy thing I did.

For the first time in the my life, ever, I got a hair style last week.

I'm 27 years old.

Is that sad?

I have always had fairly long, naturally wavy hair.

Sometimes I've loved it and sometimes I've hated it.

One time, senior year of high school, I permed my hair.

I really liked it a lot, crispy mousse curls and all.

Then I decided to go all dramatic and cut it to my shoulders too.

HATED it.

And I have been fearful of haircuts since.

I get a bi-annual trim.

Nothing more, nothing less.

Let's take a trip down memory lane, shall we?

BEFORE:

 

 My camp counselor buddy and I. (2003)

Senior Pic (2003)

This is when I was stupid cut off my hair the first time and had cutters remorse. (2004)

Kaily and I.  (2005)

My fuzzy Kitty! (2006)

 My niece and I at the zoo (2008)

 Zoo (2013)

You can see that I haven't really ventured far from the long locks.

Being pretty a low-maintenance gal (shower, towel dry my hair, mousse, brush teeth, eyeliner and mascara and DONE!), I never could grasp the idea of spending more than 5 minutes in the bathroom.

Especially with kids.

And then I had Asher.

He likes to pull hair.

His big brother didn't, so I never had that problem before.

So I started tossing around the idea of a haircut.

An actual one.

With an actual style.

Then, one day, while Facebook stalking browsing, I stumbled across a picture of an old classmate's wife.

SHE had cute hair.

And it was one of the few photo's I've seen where I actually thought, "hey, that's cute hair!"

Then I noticed something better:

She had a similar face shape to mine.

And I thought, "hmm, I could make this work..."

THAT is when I became the creep who saves strangers pictures to her desktop.

Oh yes I did.

SO, for those of you readers of my blog who have been too fearful to say "hi" because you are "the creepy person who knows all about me from reading my blog for so long and I don't even know you", fear not.  

Unless you have a photo of me saved on your desktop, you are not as creepy as I am.

So say hi.

Anyway.

I printed a copy of the photo of my old classmate's wife (did I say creepy yet?  Ugh.  Totally.) to take to my hairdresser.

Skyler, who was in the office at the time I printed, snatched the photo off the printer.

"Uhh Napoleon, do you want to look like this?"

I grab the photo out of Skyler's hands, act like a know-it-all and reply, "duh, you have to take in a photo of how you want your hair to look!... I'm not a creep.  I'm NOT a creep!"  (The motto of creeps?)

Anyway.

All that to say:

I got a hair cut.

And I like it.

(I added the kids in here so it wasn't one of those awkward "hey honey, can you take a few pics of me for my blog?" moments.  Which it still totally was.  I could never ever be a fashion blogger.)

(oh, I guess I should address my naked son... we're working on potty training.  Enough said.)

And then there was this awkward exchange between husband and wife...

Husband: (trying to get into photographer roll) Ok, now turn sideways!

*snaps this photo*

*snorts to himself*

Husband:  Now everyone's going to think you're pregnant again!

Which resulted in this photo of my reaction:

Me: Do you really think I still look pregnant?!

*sigh*

and THIS, again, is why I would never be a fashion blogger.

 I realize that these pictures really are not that great of my new hair.

Bad lighting and poofy-ier hair than should be normal.

Also, I think my bangs are rebelling against me because of this post.

Total 80's poof bangs until flat ironed.

Never before in my life (see above flash-back pictures).

But, they deserve a post of their own.  

Ok, for a low-maintenance girl, this post has been much much too long talking just about HAIR!

So, good-day.

Oh, and I'm NOT creepy.

I'm not.

Love,

K

Holy Mackerel, it's been a year!

A year since our wee little shop opened up.

It was spring break last year and I was driving home from Huntington, CA with Skyler and Zeek both sleeping in the car.  Around 4 am, the idea of opening an online shop called Wood & Thimble was born.

A year ago, I had a goal of selling *hopefully* one thing a month. 

A year later and having sold over 50 items (mostly Map Art's, of course), I am pleased as a peach, quite shocked at how many of you like them, and humbled by your support.

I have literally had the best customers.  Ever.

You all have been so encouraging and fun to work with.

I have gone an entire year without a single complaint and instead, an overflowing of undue compliments, and only one Map Art that didn't arrive to its recipient in one piece (boo hoo!  Lesson learned: buy USPS shipping insurance!).  I consider that success.

And I'm thankful.

I've had so much fun working on all of your pieces and joining creative forces with you all in order to come up with some truly unique pieces!  Not any two of almost 50 Map Art's were the same!  

(In fact, one of my most recent customers had such a cool and fun request that I added her version to my shop also!  See it here.)

As a little thank you, I wanted to offer a 10% discount to you all!

Enter coupon code HAPPYANNIV10 at check out to save!

Valid now through May 31st.

If you have previously ordered something from our shop, THANK YOU for your support.  It means the world.  Check your email for a special offer to save up to 20% off of a future order!

For a one year anniversary present to the shop, I gave her a lil' website up-do.  :)

Thanks, friends, family, strangers, for your love and support.

You guys are amazing.

Love,

K