Songs about Home

March 20, 2015March 29, 2015 by Katie | 6 Comments

Today’s the day we close on our house in Colorado! Of course, we’re all kinds of excited. I’ll share more details about the place soon, but really, what makes us so happy is that we see it as the perfect place to stay for a long, long time. As such, we’re planning all sorts of ways to make this place our own, personalizing the house and back yard that we haven’t done before when our home seemed (and was) less permanent. Without neighbors, we’re also excited to play our music loud.

And so, I started a playlist of songs about home, whether it’s the physical space or the feeling of home when you’re with someone special, but I feel like this list is incomplete*. What are your favorite songs about home? Any that aren’t on my list? I would love to know, because this is going to be the soundtrack of our weekend as we pack and unpack boxes.

Welcome Home (that link will take you to the list on Spotify)

Randy Newman – Feels Like Home
Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young – Our House
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros – Home
Talking Heads – This Must Be The Place
Phillip Phillips – Home
Brandi Carlile – Wherever Is Your Heart
Josh Ritter – Love Is Making Its Way Back Home
Simon & Garfunkel – Homeward Bound
Dixie Chicks – Long Time Gone
Bruce Springsteen – Thunder Road

*For one, ~~there’s no Bruce~~ I added Thunder Road because I love the image of the screen door slamming and the radio playing as the song opens, but it’s a song about running away from all of that. WTF? Can you think of a more fitting one?

Potato Patties With Egg and Asparagus

March 19, 2015March 8, 2018 by Sarah | 1 Comment

I hope this post finds you well and just in time for the weekend. Why? Because big breakfasts are what my weekends are all about and precisely where these Potato Patties With Egg and Asparagus were born. I rarely eat any breakfast during the week. I’m not sure when that happened, but it did and I know, it’s not a great routine to get into, but so it goes. Let’s forget about Monday through Friday and focus on the weekend, which is when you’ll be making this eggy, garlicky, asparagussy (<quite proud of that made up word) goodness. There’s something about layering food that makes it taste that much better to me. I like grabbing a little of everything in each yummy bite. I know I could do that if these three ingredients were all sitting side-by-side on the plate, but it just takes the fun out of all of it. I want everything snuggled together ready to be devoured in under a minute’s time. This potato, egg and asparagus breakfast is extremely simple. If you haven’t ever cooked a thing, try making this. Everyone can make eggs, right? Can you use a spatula? Do you know how to shake a salt shaker? Sweeeeet! That means you can also impress your family with this super tasty take on breakfast.

Garden Research

March 18, 2015March 24, 2016 by Katie | 1 Comment

Doesn’t the first hint of warm weather make you excited to plant something? It could be something small like a pot of flowers on your stoop or in a windowsill box. Or, you may have bigger plans this year ~ are you dreaming of a full veggie garden with a bed of flowers for picking?

If all goes according to plan, this time next week we’ll have moved into a new house (eek!). It has a huge deck, and many tiered beds for planting. Some of the beds have perennials, but from what we understand, some are open for annual plantings. With temps in the 60s and 70s this past week, I’m so excited to make planting the beds and flower pots one of my first new-house projects. And while I know it’s not time to plant yet, these early spring days are a great time to start doing research.

Sarah’s Spring Uniform

March 17, 2015March 16, 2015 by Sarah | Leave a comment

Today I wanted to share my official spring uniform. Sorry gents, this post is for the ladies, unless you wanna peep at my accessories and such. I’m the kind of gal that finds an outfit she loves and then sticks to it religiously. I like to call it my uniform. Seriously, you’ll find me in this outfit for the next month. I’ll switch up the shoes depending on the activity and the t-shirt obviously, but that’s pretty much it. For instance, I photographed this yesterday, but I’m wearing the same jeans and sweater only with a tank top and my trail shoes this time. I know this style post isn’t groundbreaking, but I’ve been wanting to do one for awhile. It’s kind of tricky since I have to set my camera up on a tripod for the shots so it will be fun to see how these posts progress and improve over time, until then, here’s bar zero.

Four Best Travel & Adventure Documentaries on Netflix

March 16, 2015August 4, 2015 by Sarah | Leave a comment

Sneak in some travel on the couch or at your desk by reading these travel guides: State College, Bangkok, & Haystock Rock, Oregon.

Happy Monday chickadees! Are the birds chirping outside of your windows like they are mine? I truly hope so I had a relaxing weekend full of hikes, coffee, photos and putzin’ around the yard. I also lounged around and watched some Netflix. Sometimes I’m at a total loss as to what to watch, but this weekend I cozied right in with some adventure documentaries. In this post about saving money for a trip, I mentioned staying motivated by thinking of your future travels. I try to do this constantly by reading travel magazines, books (< freebies) and guides. I also love looking at maps and globes (right now I have three globes, two big maps and a world map shower curtain) and watching adventure documentaries for inspiration motivation.

I have a few favorite travel and adventure documentaries that are streaming now on Netflix and I wanted to share them with you. I’ve watched a bunch of documentaries and movies, high and low budget, and these are my four favorites. I won’t give you any spoilers, but I’ll let you know why I enjoyed each film. Also, I tend to always be doing something, even while watching TV. These films are listed in order from most to least multitaskability (Yes, I made that up. I think?) meaning you can probably multitask a little with the first and second suggestions, but watching every second is imperative as you move down the list.

180° SOUTH – watch the trailer

180° South follows Jeff Johnson as he retraces the epic 1968 journey of his heroes Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins to Patagonia. Do the companies Patagonia and The North Face ring a bell? Yep. Chouinard and Tompkins are the founders and owners and are totally badass rock climbers and environmentalists (you’ll see how amazing they are in the film). Back in ’68 the pair drove a van down to Patagonia, but Jeff decides to travel by sea from Mexico and south along the west coast of Chile.

The film opens with Chouinard and Tompkins’ original home video footage and continues with Johnson’s. Johnson’s adventure south includes surfing, sailing and climbing and an extended stay on Easter Island. I won’t tell you much more, but you’ll never guess who Johnson meets up with in Patagonia…

Watch 180 south if you want to be uber inspired to save up for epic travels. If you’re an ultra planner take some tips from this documentary; you’ll see everything doesn’t always have to go as planned.

Mile… Mile & A Half – watch the trailer

Mile… Mile & A Half is the story of five friends and their hike on the John Muir Trail, a 211-mile stretch from Yosemite to Mt. Whitney (the highest peak in the contiguous U.S.). The documentary is shot by the group over the course of 25 days. The trail scenes are breathtaking. Mile… Mile & A Half was created during a high snow year, which means the rivers were raging and the peaks completely covered with snow.

Mile… Mile & A Half immediately had my attention. I started backpacking around age eleven. I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard, “about a mile… mile and a half.” It is the answer to every question. How far until lunch? How far to the vista? When do we get to the summit? Where is the swimming hole? Are we almost at the campsite? I loved living vicariously through the group. Mile… Mile and a Half actually got me on a John Muir reading kick. Speaking of kick – this project was partially funded by kickstarter.

Watch this movie when you’d rather be outside, but for some reason or another you’re stuck on the couch. I promise it will have you planning adventures ASAP.

Happy People: A Year in the Taiga – watch the trailer

Happy People is a documentary depicting the life and work of animal trappers in Bakhtia, Russia. Bakhtia is a village in the heart of the Siberian Taiga, where daily life has changed little in over a century. This film is an amazing look at the ‘simple life’ which is complex in its own right. The documentary follows the trappers for over a year.

Happy People has subtitles so you’ll have to pay attention. As you should. Happy People gave me warm fuzzies even though it looked damn cold there. You’ll get to watch the trappers interact with their dogs and repair their tiny huts in the wilderness. We also get a glimpse of cultural traditions in the Taiga.

Watch this film when you really need to unwind. Watch it when life is a little too much or your routine is upsetting you a bit. Happy People helped me focus on simplifying

SAMSARA – watch the trailer

I have to admit it took me a good half hour to get into Samsara. I didn’t know anything about the movie before I pressed play and I was kind of dumb founded for at least twenty minutes. Samsara is a non-verbal documentary. Yep, there is NO dialogue. It’s not all scenic, areal shots though, there are people, just no dialogue.

Samsara was filmed over a five-year period in twenty-five countries. According to the website, Samsara is one of only a handful of films shot on 70mm film in the past forty years. The filmmakers Ron Fricke and Mark Magidson, had previously created BARAKA another film, which they describe as a guided meditation on humanity. That phrase actually perfectly describes Samsara too. I’m excited to get my hands on a copy of Baraka.

Watch this film when you’re really in the mood to cozy up on the couch and enjoy an amazing sensory experience. Turn on, tune in, drop out friends.

*All photos taken from the movie trailers linked above.

Two Bits

March 13, 2015 by Sarah | 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 your 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:

Actually Katie isn’t here, I think she’s off being a mom somewhere. Who knows, maybe she went into labor early?! JUST KIDDING. Don’t get excited ~~mom~~ readers!

Sarah here:

I had an awesome week space cadets! I’m feeling a little zapped right now so I’ll let these photos tell most of the story 🙂 Above you can see my haandy work. Which is your favorite color? I think mine is fog or celadon. Starting from the bottom: pollen, celadon, lake, white, clementine, robins’ egg, coral, fog, sand, sea foam and white again.

Catahoula_Cash and I went on a hike every day this week! We even went some place totally new. We hiked along the Haw River and Cash even took his first dip of the season. I was a little bit worried that he would try to jump into the river, which is high right now, but he’s a smart pup. Instead he rolled around in a stream and hopped into a pond!

I also found a family-owned dairy farm on the way home from the pottery studio. I bought a dozen eggs for $3. Major breakfast plans this weekend!

Nut & Fruit Bars

March 12, 2015January 18, 2016 by Katie | Leave a comment

Nuts are our ingredient of the season. If you’re as excited as we are with this selection, you can get a head start with some of our past nut recipes, which we’ve added to the archive.

We end up eating a lot of snack bars in our house, most often packing them for hikes and days out, but also as a little treat at the moment when you realize that there’s too many hours between now and the next meal. I’ve never made a homemade snack or granola bar before, but have wanted to try for a long time because of the opportunity to personalize the ingredients. When I saw today’s recipe on Food52, I was excited to try it, partially because it’s simple enough, that it’s the perfect base for experimentation. Lo and behold, just six short months later I’ve finally put a batch together! We’ve been snacking on these all week, and I’ve quickly decided that this recipe is a keeper. Even little Alex, with his mouth full of teeth has no trouble eating these and always requests another.

This couldn’t be a better first recipe for our nuts category, since it’s packed with walnuts, almonds, nut butters, coconut, and pumpkin & sunflower seeds (we’re being liberal with our nut category!). Consider this nut & fruit selection below a suggestion and feel free to swap in your favorites and/or change the ratios to your liking. Of the few changes I made to the original recipe, I was most excited about my decision to add a touch of spice with the Baharat spice mix, which adds a bit of complexity and depth to the nutty flavors. I’ve included a link to our previous post with the Baharat blend if you want to try it, but using it is not necessary. You can completely leave out the spices or modify them to your liking ~ adding a pinch of whatever spice you like!

Nut & Fruit Bars

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups quick oats
3/4 cup roasted almonds
1/3 cup walnuts
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup coarsely chopped dried cherries
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/3 cup ground flax seeds
1/3 cup honey
3/4 cup almond butter
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1/2 tsp Baharat spice mix
Pinch of salt

Instructions

Line a baking dish with parchment or wax paper.
Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add the wet ingredients and stir until everything is well blended.
Dump the mixture into a backing dish and press down to flatten.
Freeze the mixture overnight, then cut into bars, and store in an airtight container with wax paper between layers in either in the freezer (my preference) or the fridge.

https://liveseasoned.com/nutty-snack-bars/

The original recipe recommended keeping the finished bars in the fridge, but we first sampled them straight from the freezer (when I was cutting them), and we really liked how firm they were then as opposed to their softer texture after we moved them to the fridge; in the end we decided to keep them frozen. And really, that would be my one complaint with a recipe like this ~ that the bars have a tendency to crumble and fall apart if they get too warm. As a result, I’m still on the hunt for a homemade bar that’s just like this one except with a sturdier disposition for taking on hikes. If you have any recommendations, send them our way!

Bedtime Stretches To Relieve Lower Back Pain

March 11, 2015April 16, 2018 by Sarah | 24 Comments

Want more yoga and exercise? Become a woods warrior, try this lower body workout, then end the day with bedtime stretches that relieve lower back pain. Check out my 200hour yoga teacher training experience and read about the school I attended here.

Ohhhh lower back pain and pressure. How many times have I groaned, moaned and cursed at you? In fact, here I sit, back throbbing and hips aching, worrying about my future. I have to admit, I don’t stretch or do yoga each day like I should and it’s evident in the way I feel when I lay down at night. While these eight bedtime stretches are not a cure for lower back pain they help sooo much! Instant relief. My tightly, tangled ball of rubberbandy back muscles relax into alignment and allow some comfort before bed. If you’re in the same back pressure ~~out your ass~~ predicament, go stretch out!

Preparing for Baby #2

March 9, 2015March 8, 2015 by Katie | Leave a comment

As the months and weeks wind down, we’re starting to *think* about how we’ll prepare for our new little guy. When I was pregnant with Alex, I really enjoyed reading other people’s lists of necessary baby gear. Just as each pregnancy/labor/baby is different, so are these lists. Some are over the top with gadgets and gizmos, others are relatively tame. Luckily, Calder and I are on the same page about many things, and minimal baby gear is one of them, so I thought our list might be helpful to other minimalist parents.

Today I wanted to talk about what we needed/will need for the baby in the first few weeks after his arrival, and I’m leaning heavily towards the notion that you don’t need much for a few reasons. I think some expectant parents may find it useful to hear a voice saying that those long lists of “necessary” baby gear, may not be necessary. You don’t have to empty your wallet in order to prepare for a baby. We care deeply about our impact on the environment, and by default, the more you buy, the bigger your environmental footprint. That said, so much early baby gear gets lightly used, and you may be able to find some great second-hand sources for clothes, furniture, swings, and seats; that choice saves you money and saves resources.

When planning for the new baby’s arrive, I keep two questions in mind : 1. what does an actual newborn do/need? 2. if we don’t have it, but find that we need it, can we easily buy it?

Two Bits

March 6, 2015 by Sarah | 2 Comments

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 your 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:

Oh boy, I know it’s been a crazy week when I barely have a photograph to show for it! Other than the photo above, even little A was spared from the spotlight this week. Somehow our days went from long and lazy to crazy. It’s not going to slow down anytime soon, but don’t take any of that as a complaint – we have so many exciting things going on over here. As Sarah mentioned yesterday, our newest little family member should make his appearance sometime over the next couple of weeks. AND in just two short weeks we’re scheduled to close on a house! (wow!) It’s the house we hope to stay in for a long time, with many exciting features for our little fam, like a large lot size (on the side of a mountain) that we’re hoping to make into a little wonderland with meandering trails, hidden swings, and other bits of fun. And, of course, I’m excited to do some gardening. We have plans for berries and other fresh veggies along with plenty of flowers. I can’t wait to share pictures and tell you more about it when everything is finalized.

Sarah here:

Whewww. So glad it’s Friday. I require LOTS of sleep and unfortunately I had to wake up early every day this week. Rough life, I know. I started working at HAAND, an amazing ceramics studio, way out in the woods of North Carolina. I’ll be taking over their instagram so follow along if you like pretty haandmade dishes, bowls, mugs, vases and such.

I also helped #cashthedog create his own instagram account, so that you’re not inundated with Cash pictures on @LiveSeasoned. You can see his cute and crazy moments by following @Catahoula_Cash. I promise I do other things besides post to instagram all day. Fortunately/unfortunately that is the nature of photographs these days. *Insert old photojournalist’s geezer rant here*

This old geezer is going to make a cup of tea and take some photographs today. Happy Friday errrrrrbody!