Author Archives: Katie

Summer Essentials : Park Days!

by Katie | Leave a comment

From the popsicles on Monday to cooking with Little A on Tuesday and Sarah’s tips for taking sibling snapshots yesterday, it inadvertently turned into a kid-themed week over here. Meanwhile, Alex, Luc and I are in the middle of an awesome summer of kid fun. What does that mean? Playgrounds and parks. Between naps and rainy day visits to the library, we try to spend as much time outside as we can, so I thought I would share our park/sun essentials.

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Swim/sun suits are the way to go if you have little ones and a park with a fountain. The suits make sunscreen application so easy! … and they aren’t just for kids, my mom just gave me this suit for my birthday. PS. everything on that site is 15% off with the code SUMMER15.

I love all of the cheap options for prescription glasses these days, and am thinking about ordering these sunglasses.

Homemade sunscreen? Check!

Word on the playground is that skorts are a mom’s best friend. I never thought I’d say that, but luckily, there are a lot of great looking and fitting skorts out there. Unfortunately, my current favorite is now sold out, so I can’t buy a dozen more, but this is the “sport” alternative.

Keens are awesome for active little kids. Socks aren’t necessary, they keep feet cool, they are great on dry or wet days, and they dry quickly. The only bummer? They’re targets for stray pebbles.

I always pack a hat, and my favorites are the inexpensive floppy ones.

No matter where we’re going, staying organized is the key to getting out the door quickly. I just bought this small Timbuk2 bag and am so happy to be back on the messenger bag train again, especially when there are so many pockets involved.

And the key to keeping everyone happy in the heat is water. At Christmas time I used Cafe Press to make us a couple of personalized water bottles – they made great stocking stuffers, and now they’re in constant rotation for our park trips.

Little A is such a tough guy that he rarely needs more than a kiss to get back on his feet, but I picked up a couple of these first aid kits just in case we happen upon a bandaid moment. They are compact enough to keep in my bag and in the glove box.


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As is my nature, I try to keep things simple when we head out for the day; it gets us out the door faster and there’s less to keep track of when we’re at the park. Of course, we always pack a snack and my camera :-). What about you? What are your park essentials?

Cooking with Kids : Lemon Bread

by Katie | 4 Comments

Lemon is our ingredient of the season! So far we’ve used it in a buckle, in bars, in a savory pasta, and in the shower. Oh, and there are two on my counter waiting for our next project!

You don’t have to have a kid to make this Lemon Bread, but it’s more fun messy if you do! As you’ll see, the simplicity of this recipe is what makes it the perfect choice for cooking with an assistant, but it’s also what makes it an easy go-to treat. You can bake a loaf in no time at all for a last minute brunch, but it also stores well, so it’s the perfect tangy treat to make on a Monday and eat it all week long with your afternoon tea break (speaking from experience). Now on with the cuteness ~

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We’ve reached a new milestone in our house : weekly cooking sessions with Alex. It’s no surprise that Calder and I love to cook, and we’ve kept the kitchen open to Little A from the start. We recently turned a corner when it comes to sharing the kitchen with a little guy; at first we were just trying to keep him busy and safe, but now he’s actually helping with the cooking and he understands what’s going on!

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Species Spotlight : Sharks!

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Yesterday we mentioned the abundance of Atlantic shark activity, and rather than just stop there, we thought that it would be worthwhile to spend a little bit more time talking about this species that is crucially important to ocean health. Think of today’s post as the highlight reel about the role sharks play in the world’s oceans and why it’s important to conserve these predators. Yes, you read that correctly, while we’re the first to raise our hands and say that we could do without a shark sighting at our beach, we’re also the first to support all efforts to study and conserve them too. Read on to find out why…

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Before we get started ~ 1. there’s at least one image in this post that readers may find offensive (it’s in the “Estimating the Sharks’ Value” section), 2. I provide some definitions and clarify some terminology at the bottom of the post (you may find it useful to go there first).

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Welcome July

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On the first (or second!) Wednesday of each month we like to pause and take a look at what’s going on in the world around us, with a particular focus on animal activity, farmers’ fields, and environmental holidays.

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Ahhh, we love July! We are well into summer, yet have quite a bit to go. Both of us celebrate our birthdays this month. The food is fresh and delicious, the days are long, and the ocean is finally starting to warm up. Although, we’re a bit scared to go swimming this year; more on that below. While we had a fantastic vacation last week, Calder and I are surprised that we haven’t been able to get out on a camping trip yet this summer, so we’re hoping to make that happen this month. We’re also focused on our watermelon intake, throwing a minimum of two in the grocery cart every week! What are your oh-so-serious mid-summer goals? 
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Lemon Ricotta Pasta

by Katie | 2 Comments

Lemon is our ingredient of the season! So far we’ve used it in a buckle, in bars, and in the shower. Oh, and there are two on my counter waiting for our next project!

After all of our desserts and drinks in the lemon category, are you ready to try something savory? This Lemon Ricotta Pasta is the perfect savory use of lemon. The citrus takes a pasta dish that could feel heavy when mixed with two cheeses and lightens it up, perfect for a summer dinner on the deck.

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As you’ll see, this dish is also crazy easy to make.  After an early morning flight back to Colorado yesterday, our family is still in recovery mode and trying to get back into a routine. It’s weeks like these when I like to cut myself a break and keep dinner simple while still actually cooking because I find that even simple dinners are key to helping us regain a routine.

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Summer Vacation!

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Hey There! We’re taking a couple of days off to fully indulge in the Fourth with our family and friends. You can be sure that we’ll be spending plenty of time swimming, drinking lemonade, hiking, and eating some good food. If you’re lucky, we’ll pop in with something fun, but if not, we’re still posting on Instagram, and we’ll see you back here on Monday! xoxo

Pineapple Flowers

by Katie | 4 Comments

Today we want to show you how to make pineapple flowers, which are a beautiful and edible garnish that looks fantastic on desserts and happen to be the perfect touch when celebrating your fourth anniversary!

 

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Can you believe that those are made from pineapples? Neither could I the first time I saw them! Someone called them pineapple flowers, and I just assumed that they were the actual flowers that grew on pineapple plants. Nope. But back to why these are perfect for your fourth anniversary ~ the traditional fourth anniversary gift is fruit or flowers! You could order an edible arrangement, but why not make a flower from a fruit? Read on to find out how.

 

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DIY Mineral-based Sunscreen

by Katie | 3 Comments

Now that we’ve moved to a higher altitude, I think about sunscreen year-round, but particularly in the summer when we are spending more time outside and wearing shorts and t-shirts. Additionally, I’ve started to have an internal debate about my use of sunscreen, because while I use it every day to protect my skin from aging, I’m starting to think that a little bit of tanning is Ok and even good for my health by naturally increasing my Vitamin D levels. Do you know about the negative health concerns associated with Vitamin D deficiency?

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The other concern I have while using sunscreen are the chemicals found in many over-the-counter products, especially since I’m still nursing little Luc. The problem is that a number of the chemicals in certain sunscreens can enter your bloodstream and some act as or disrupt the natural hormones in our body. The Environmental Working Group provides a detailed overview of both the chemicals and minerals used in sunscreens and the toxicity concerns associated with each. So, what’s a person to do? Read on to find out a little bit more about sunscreens and my current solution…

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Two Bits

by Katie | Leave a comment

We want to break down these internet barriers and invite you into our lives and we’re hoping you’ll do the same.  You are welcome to share a bit of your week or day in the comments, or if they’re better represented by a photo, tag us on instagram @liveseasoned.

Katie here :

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I feel like we hit summer out of the park this week. There was nothing spectacular, just a bunch of perfect summer days filled with all of the things you/we say we want to do during these long days, and we actually did them. It started on Sunday when Calder called from his bike ride and suggested we meet him at a lake up in the mountains for a picnic dinner. How could we say no? So we hopped in the car with a loaf of bread and the PB & jelly jars, and met him at the lake! Inspired by that perfect evening, we recreated it at the Boulder Reservoir. The boys and I arrived at the reservoir around 4:30 and Calder met us after work. It was just the right amount of time for Alex to play on the beach and in the water, then join us for dinner, and arrive home tired out and ready for bed. The rest of the days were spent on the deck and in the garden. Spending many moments just following the ladybugs around the mint patch. Today we’re off to CA! We’re spending the week there visiting with Calder’s family with plans to continue this trend of perfect summer days.

And if you haven’t heard ~ Sarah’s off on the Appalachian Trail! She’s spending the week volunteering to keep a West Virginia section of the trail in tiptop shape.

 

Wedding Projects : The Book!

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Four years ago today, Calder and I got married! This June I’ve been sharing some of the crafts that made their way into our wedding. A couple of weeks ago I showed you the bunting that decorated our reception tents and ceremony. Last week I shared the homemade purses that I embroidered for each of the bridesmaids (you also got a sneak peak at the sash that my mom made and hand-beaded to go with my wedding dress!). Just yesterday you saw the tags that labeled our homemade favors and were used as place cards. Today I’m sharing the book that we made to remember our big day. It also serves as a cookbook and highlights the huge role Calder had to play in our wedding. He planned our dinner and did most of the cooking, including the grilling during our reception!

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Interspersed throughout this post, you’ll see photographs from our wedding as well as snapshots of the book. We never got around to hiring a professional photographer for the day, but of course, with Sarah being a professional, that is what we would recommend to capture your important memories. Fortunately for us, between Sarah and a few of our friends with professional cameras, we had a great impromptu crew on hand, and they captured the day beautifully. All of the photos throughout this post come from their keen eyes, and we can’t thank them enough!

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