Happy Monday! What’s in store for your week? I’m attempting to squeeze forty hours of work into three days before skipping off to the Outer Banks, North Carolina. I’ve never been there before so I’m SUPER excited to explore the coast yet equally pumped to sit back, sun it up, and finish my book. While I’m wasting away in front of my monitor editing, designing and emailing, you should probably mix up one or all of these delicious popsicle recipes that we’ve featured in the past.
This week went by in a blink! The pottery studio was extra sweaty this week, but I cooled off by drinking jars of iced cold chia seed water. Staying hydrated is key to staying happy while working among 2300 degree kilns.
I also had a few friends visiting Chapel Hill. It’s always fun to entertain visitors and overload them with suggestions. Yesterday we went for a hike with Catahoula_Cash near the Haw River. It was a muggy, sweaty hike, but it was fun to get out into the woods and splash around in the creeks and river for a bit. After the hike we headed into town to eat at Al’s Burger shack, arguably my favorite grub in Chapel Hill. Then we trotted down the block to Beer Study for a couple brews to end the night.
This weekend I’m going to State College, Pennsylvania for Arts Fest. I love walking around in the sunshine and seeing what our Pennsylvania artists are creating. I’ll also stop by my favorite yoga studio in town and the Simply Health salt spa for some relaxation. Hope you find a bit of relaxation yourself this weekend!
Why? Because it’s her birthday! Happy Birthday Katie! I wish I could give you a big squeeze! Katie tried to contribute to this post, but her hard drive and her internet are malfunctioning so let’s all wish her luck for this coming year!
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…
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).
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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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.
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.
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
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!
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.
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?
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…
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.
