Happy Cinco De Mayo friends! In the celebration of Mexican heritage and pride we wanted to pass along our guacamole recipe. Guacamole is simple to whip up, which is why everyone should know how to make it by heart! I also learned how to store guac without it turning brown, like not even a tinge brown so read on muchachos. Arriba arriba!
Happy Cinco De Mayo friends! You can download any or all of the images to use as backgrounds for your computer or even phone and tablet wallpapers. Simply click on the download link below each photo and save the image. Enjoy!
Download shell shocker.
Download papery peonies.
Download dandelion seeds.
Download bayside boat.
Download funky dancers.
A note about the last photo: It was taken in the Northern Liberties neighborhood of Philadelphia on May 2, 2011. I was later told that the creator of these funky creatures is a really cool dad. He posts these up around Philly for his daughter to find during walks and car rides. Super sweet, right? Think about that while they dance around your desktop!
I could spend hours in outdoor adventure stores and usually I do, but I always walk away with only the most sensible, reasonable and necessary purchases. When I win the lottery, I’m going to finally buy all of those funky, hip, not-so-necessary purchases that I’ve coveted all along…
I’m in love with this hammock/tent combo, Tentsile. Who doesn’t love a portable treehouse?
I already have a few swiss army knives otherwise I’d buy this Matrioshka Classic SD Limited Edition.
If I had unlimited funds for fun camping gear you know I’d pick up this melon or this field of dreams tent.
Now that we’re on the subject of sweet tents, check out this VW Camper Van. I suppose it’s the next best thing after an actual VW!
I’m inspired to make some guest bed rolls because of these.
Coffee is a must on the trail, which is why this is going to be my next backpacking purchase. No more cowboy coffee for me.
Katie here : I know I’m getting old, because I want to make one of these super comfy camping chairs my next purchase. I think I’ll have the perfect double-use excuse once we sign up little A for soccer (just a three-year wait!) 🙂
We love our headlamps, and not just for camping. They’re great on trains, in cars, at bonfires on the beach.
While we definitely can’t afford it, we love this bear sleeping bag. And what an interesting/tragic story of design inspiration.
Lastly, a product that I wish every family had: the LifeStraw
We hoped you enjoyed our cool camping gear round-up. Happy weekend!
There is no better way to remember a special trip than to have it hanging on the wall. That is why I have gotten into the habit of stitching my trips onto paper maps. That way I can be reminded of and inspired by past trips as I walk through my home. Is it weird that I rarely take selfies while traveling or ever for that matter? When you walk into my apartment, you won’t see me smiling in front of waterfalls or on tops of mountains, nope, none of that. Cheers to you if that’s your style, but I’m just a little too camera shy and usually I’m the one taking all the pictures. It does not even cross my mind to ask someone else to take my picture in front of amazing landscapes. Sometimes I think I would like to work on that, but then a trip comes and goes without a selfie thought and here I am stitching maps in my free time.
Stitched maps make great gifts for your road trip buddies too. It is also a cool way to tell someone you are taking them on a trip. Imagine opening up a framed stitched map of Europe and having your sister yell, “Surprise! Pack your bags!” Or whatever else really amazing sisters say when they are taking you to Europe. [Katie here : now I’m hoping a stitched map shows up in the mail today! ;)] Grab your chosen map and let’s get started.
Have you tried stand up paddle-boarding (SUP) or know anyone who owns a board? I’ve noticed more and more stand up paddleboards popping up in magazines over the past few years, usually mentioned by a fit celebrity or cited as a workout. I had no idea there was a magazine specifically dedicated to SUP and it wasn’t until last year that I saw one with my own two eyes. I was eating dinner at a restaurant in Seattle and out on the calm water a couple was watching the sunset from their SUP. I was so envious! If you’ve ever watched the sunset over the water you know what an amazing view it is, now imagine being on the water while it’s setting. Breathtaking. Apparently I’m not the only newbie to SUP. According to the 2013 Outdoor Participation Report, “Stand up paddling had the highest number of new participants in the past year. More than half of stand up paddling participants tried the sport for the first time in 2012.”
Even though I had a lot of interest in SUP, I didn’t get the chance to try it for myself until this past weekend. My local outdoors store, Townsend Bertram & CO, hosted an event along with BIC (yep, the same people that run the pen game have a big hand in water board sporting equipment) to introduce SUP to those of us who have never tried it. There’s a large number of lakes and rivers in NC, not to mention the Outer Banks area, so what better place to entice people to get into SUP? At least that’s what I thought when I signed up for the free event.
K and I headed to the lake on full hoagie-bellies (that’s sub-bellies to you [katie here: haha, Calder and I argue about this all of the time, thanks for the data!]) excited to try something new. Once we checked-in we were assigned a number. The friendly folks at Townsend Bertram & CO would periodically call out numbers, which was the cue to step on down to the waterside. First the paddle was adjusted for height. You raise your arm straight up into the air, but let your wrist hang limp. The top of the paddle handle should just touch your palm. Then the instructors picked a board depending on our height, weight and intended use. There are different boards for racing, yoga, surfing and just plain paddling around. K and I both tried standard boards the first time out. He was on a 10’6” while I was on a 10’4”. I wasn’t that nervous about the whole thing, but I think K thought it was going to be harder than it was. I only saw one person out of 70 fall the entire day! You simply wade out into the water, hoist yourself onto the board and then kneel in the center of it. After you feel comfortable kneeling and paddling you can stand up and off you go. K liked it so much that he went out a second time on a slim racing board.
Before I tried SUP I was excited about the idea, but thought it was a bit redundant since I already owned a kayak. Once I was on the board, I fell in love! It’s much different from kayaking and maybe it seems selfish, but I want one of these too. Unlike kayaking, you’re much higher than the surface of the water so you’re able to see farther. As a photographer, I really like that about SUP. I also like that you can easily see where you’re going. Instead of just paddling blindly through the water, the more detailed view allows you to anticipate different currents, depths and passages. I also love that SUP works your core and more of your upper body than the kayak. I tire very easily in my kayak because I have a relatively weak chest and shoulders, but my core is solid, which made SUP less challenging and more enjoyable for me. You can also hop off your SUP when waters get rough and choppy as opposed to flipping over in a kayak, which scares a lot of folks.
I love that SUP doubles as a surfboard and for that matter triples as a floating yoga mat! You know the Seasoned sisters love yoga and if you don’t, we tried to tell you here and here. At the event on Sunday I also ran into Allison from LYFSUP. In short, LYFSUP is dedicated to building the SUP community around Jordan Lake and in Chapel Hill, NC and beyond, and they are dedicated to protecting water & natural resources, donating a percentage of their profits to the cause. Allison has an impressive background in surfing and SUP so it’s no wonder she’s committed to bringing it to the area. LYFSUP offers SUP yoga classes, which is what I had the chance to see on Sunday at the lake. Allison and her stepdaughter Haley went out on the water and demonstrated a mini yoga flow for me! It looked so relaxing and at the same time more challenging and complex than yoga on solid ground. After watching the ladies practice side plank, chair, down dog and sun salutations out on the lake, I started calculating a budget to see how quickly I could buy a board! My family has a home in Virginia, just a few yards from the water, so I could already envision switching my daily yoga practice to SUP yoga. Imagine how tranquil and relaxing it must be to practice while gently floating along *sigh*. In the meantime I’ll take a couple of Allison’s SUP yoga classes and hopefully by next year a board will be mine.
I do think the boards are a little bit pricey, but that may be because I’m used to buying boats and equipment with more to it. Since SUP is a newer concept to me, I think I’m having a hard time justifying such an expensive purchase on just a board (even though I know it’s so much more than that!). Like I said, it really is a SUP, surf board and yoga mat all in one. The boards I used on Sunday were top-of-the-line, but I did find some for as low as $600 and even $400, but I can’t attest to the quality. The ones I saw Allison of LYFSUP using were even more impressive and perfect for practicing yoga so I’m excited to get the opportunity to try one out for myself during her class (the board and anchor rental is only $5 extra). After perusing the internet and seeing so.many.options. I think it would be a good idea to rent several different kinds and really get a feel for the type of board that’s right for you. In my family, we often split recreational purchases like this, making it extra important to research the boards to find one board that can fit everyone in the family.
If you are new to SUP like myself, you should do a quick google search and see if any sporting good stores, outlets or parks in your area rent out boards. I was surprised to find out that there are several rental venues in my area and near the Outer Banks too. It’s a great way to explore, and who doesn’t love a new adventure?
I feel like I’ve become mildly obsessed with SUP in a matter of a few days. I promise this post isn’t sponsored by anyone (although I wish it was, helllllo free SUP). I tend to bounce around from one expensive hobby (backpacking to rock climbing and always photography) to the next so I’m really trying to reign myself in on this one. I can already see myself buying a board during end-of-the-summer clearance sales. So be it. All the better to photograph the sunset with, am I right? [katie again : you have me convinced!]
If any of you are in my area, Chapel Hill, NC, let’s take a SUP yoga class together! I’m doing it either way so why not join me? Back to daydreaming about SUP in tropical locations for me…
If you’re willing to experiment in the kitchen, there’s nothing more fun that moving out of your comfort and cultural zones for ingredients. Have you visited any of the many Chinatowns in the US? That’s where I had my first bubble tea (over 14 years ago now!) and some delicious meals, but when I want to really go shopping, I search out the large grocery stores. My exploration started when I discovered a large Asian grocery store in Philadelphia and then Ming’s Supermarket in Boston. Leaving behind the large markets was one of the urban luxuries that I mourned when moving to central PA, but, as luck would have it, our little town has a number of Asian markets! While they aren’t as big as their city counterparts, they have a surprising amount of variety in a small space.
What do I buy when I go to the markets? Anything that catches my eye! I went shopping a couple of weeks ago and took a few pictures to show you both what I buy and why I love the markets.
Just a simple yet important reminder for the week ahead of you. Isn’t it lovely when someone pays you a compliment, tells you you’re doing great or encourages you in some way? Why shouldn’t you provide your own encouragement as well? Only you know why you’re headed in the direction you are and that is enough to know it is correct and good. Maybe you are unsure of your path and that’s ok too! Just keep moving and encouraging yourself every step of the way, sooner or later you’ll realize everything you did was for a reason and a good one at that. Remember to encourage others as well. Tell family, friends and even strangers, words that will boost their spirits and empower them to live a happier and healthier life today and every day.
We’re encouraging you to focus on self-love this week. Christian Nestell Bovee said it best, “our first and last love is self love.” So why not start today? Realize when you’re being too hard on yourself and simply let it go, exhale and tell yourself something encouraging. Something you’d say to your sister, partner or coworker to make them feel a bit better about their efforts. Simply realizing when I’m battering myself has helped me have a more positive mindset in many faucets of my life, everything from self-employment to traveling to eating. Hear your worries and woes as if they’re coming from a loved one and respond accordingly. I promise you it will feel great. Happy Monday!
If you haven’t grown your own food yet, we think herbs provide one of the easiest ways to begin gardening. Herbs can be grown indoors or outside, whichever you prefer. Once they get growing, they’re relatively low maintenance, and you can begin harvesting almost immediately. I recently moved to an apartment with no yard so I began an indoor herb garden. This post contains a few things I’ve learned about growing herbs indoors, and that terra-cotta pot painting tutorial we promised is at the end of the post!
We know, we know, we told you that there was going to be a photography tutorial today, but we couldn’t help ourselves, we had to update you on Alex’s stripe party! The little guy is turning one on Friday so we gathered the family together for a stripe celebration.
Baby A looks great in stripes, which is how we came up with the theme. We also asked all of our family to dig through their drawers and play the part as well. Katie, Calder and Alex all matched in striped Old Navy shirts (Kate and Alex’s colors are now sold out). The rest of the gang looked great in their various striped outfits. The Easter bunny even dropped off party-appropriate footwear for all the guests! All the guests received goodie bags filled with striped candy, striped kazoos, stunna shades and a party hat. The instruments, shades and hats were an easy way to add to the stripe theme and the over all goofiness of the party. They also worked as great props for our photo wall. Katie simply hung strips of yellow crepe paper on a white wall, which I then encouraged everyone to pose in front of throughout the party.
This we know: the earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth. All things are connected like the blood that unites usall. Man did not weave the web of life, he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.
A quick internet search revealed the source of these words as Chief Seattle, but after a little digging and this article, that wide-spread assumption is most likely false. Even so, I think the sentiment is beautiful and one that I wished many humans believed in. Tomorrow is earth day and Friday is arbor day so I challenge you to carry these sentences with you this week and the rest of the year. Pass them on and share them when appropriate and feel great when you do something beneficial for mother nature. She deserves it and so do you.
Rather than follow our regular schedule, this week we have some really great Earth and Arbor Day-inspired posts for you cats. Tuesday we’re featuring artist, Benjamin Gazsi, who creates impressive large-scale eco-sculptures that we think you’ll love. Wednesday’s post will be an easy to follow nature photography tutorial. You’ll learn about aperture, shutter speed and other functions of your point-and-shoot or DSLR so that you can stop shooting on auto settings and start taking better photos. Thursday we’re sharing a terracotta pot painting tutorial. We’ll also highlight some common herbs and tips on how to grow and use them in your home! And Friday we’re going to skip our usual In Season post and introduce a new series we’re calling In the Field. This week we’ll be talking to Sara Fitzsimmons, a scientist working to breed and reintroduce blight-resistant Chestnut trees to the forests of the eastern US.
We hope you’re gearing up for a week full of earth-inspired posts and living every day like earth day. Ok, time to take the pup on a hike. Happy Monday!