little poncho gnome

Just wanted to pop in here super quick with some adorable photos I just took of Jack.  I haven't busted out my big camera for a while, mostly because my main lens is on the fritz, but I have all my gear ready to go for a photoshoot that I'm leaving for in mere moments so when I got this little poncho in the mail from my mom, I had to put it on him and snag some shots. My mom got it at a craft fair in Seward AK so unless I can find an etsy shop or something where the maker sells them, I can't help any of ya with finding one of these adorable little things! Also: scroll down for some epic Dusty derp face.

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Stripes for days

I'm pretty obsessed with jumpsuits this year, in all forms really.  Overalls, rompers, coveralls, fancy jumpsuits, and so on.  Luckily they are relatively trendy now so it's much easier to find them in stores. I usually shy away from tube top stuff, and I'm still not a big fan, but this jumpsuit was cute enough that I didn't mind it. I didn't do anything fun in this outfit, but I really want to take it for a spin to brunch with some sparkling rose, waffles, and friends.  Sounds like a perfect afternoon jumpsuit (with stretchy waistband) activity to me!  Also: if you haven't had sparkling rose, get on that.  I think it's my summer 2018 beverage of choice.

Shop the look

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DIY Triangle Hanging Shelves

I knew I wanted more plants in my bedroom, but with not a lot of floor space, I'd have to get creative with how I was going to incorporate them.  I already had a board that I'd bought months ago to make a different shelf that I never got around to making so all I had to do was buy some cord and whip these up!  They probably only took 10- 15 minutes to put together, so they're a quick and easy way to add some great shelving to any room!

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

1x8 common board
Rope or Cord
Screw with anchor (anchor optional)
Saw
Drill

/ STEP 01

Take your 1x8 board and chop it into the lengths you want your shelves to be.  I made mine 26 inches.  I used a skillsaw to cut mine but if powertools freak you out or you don't have access you can have them cut the board for you at most hardware stores!  Or just use a regular saw!

/ STEP 02

Use a drill to make 4 holes at the corners where your rope/cord will go through.  How big your holes are will depend on how thick your rope is, but I used a 1/4in bit for mine. Make sure you don't make the holes bigger than your knot will be, otherwise it will slip through when weight is put on the shelf. 

/ STEP 03

Take your first rope (cut to 57 inches long) and push the ends through the front two holes.  If the rope is frayed you may have to singe the rope ends to make it easier to push through the holes. Tie a knot at the ends of the ropes after you've pushed them through.

/ STEP 04

Once you've done the front rope, repeat the same process with the back rope. Cut the back rope to 55 inches (the back rope is slightly shorter because it's flush to the wall, whereas the front one has to angle back to the wall).

/ STEP 05

Screw a hole in your wall where you want to hang your shelf!  I used an anchor to help secure my shelf because I knew I'd be putting plants on in and didn't want the weight to be an issue.  If you aren't putting anything heavy you might be able to get away with a nail, but I'd recommend a screw. Voila, you're done!

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Keto Cookies & Cream Ice Cream

Dan and I have been attempting Keto since last summer.  Well, I should say Dan has been pretty successfully doing Keto, and I have been... not.  But I finally feel like I have mental and physical energy to focus on my own health and am diving back in!  For those who have no clue what Keto is, the readers digest version is: Your body runs on glucose and ketone bodies, but will default to glucose when it's present.  Ketone bodies are created from fats, so if you reduce the glucose you consume and increase the healthy fat, your body switches to running off of fat.  So real basic: eat fat = burn fat.  When your body is running on ketones, it's said to be in "Ketosis" hence: Keto.  Anyway, in such a carbohydrate and sugar heavy culture it can be hard to switch to a high fat/low carb diet, so something like Keto ice cream can help not feel sad about the carbohydrates I'm craving.

I was skeptical that this would be actually as tasty as normal ice cream because usually substitute foods are like a sad version of the original, but this stuff is actually amazing.  I was pretty excited to make ice cream because it was the first time I used my ice cream bowl and mixer for my Kitchenaid mixer!  If you have a Kitchenaid, you can find the ice cream attachment here! 

Keto Cookies + Cream Ice Cream

makes 10 servings (recipe via ruled.me)
 

INGREDIENTS FOR COOKIE CRUMBS:

3/4 cup almond flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 cup erythritol (I used Swerve)
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 Tbsp. softened coconut oil
1 egg, room temperature
Pinch of salt

MAKE THE COOKIE CRUMBS:

1/ Preheat your oven to 300°F. Take a 9 inch circular cake pan (or similar sized pan), and grease with oil, or line with parchment paper.

2/ Into a medium bowl, sift your almond flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, erythritol, and salt then whisk until there are no lumps.

3/ Add the vanilla extract and coconut oil to the bowl and mix until batter forms into crumbs.

4/ Add the egg and mix everything together until the cookie batter begins to stick together.

5/ Dump the batter into your prepared pan and press the batter down with your fingers until it evenly covers the bottom of the pan.

6/ Pop it in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the center of cookie bounces back when it's pressed.

7/ Once it's done, take the pan out of the oven and let it cool.

8/ Now that the cookie has cooled, crumble the cookie into small bits. Set aside.

INGREDIENTS FOR ICE CREAM

2 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup erythritol
1/2 cup almond milk, unsweetened

MAKE THE ICE CREAM

1/ In a large bowl, blend the whipping cream with a Kitchenaid or electric mixer until stiff peaks form.

2/ Add vanilla extract and erythritol, and whip until thoroughly combined.

3/ Pour in the almond milk and blend mixture until it re-thickens.

4/ Transfer cream mixture to ice cream maker bowl and churn until ice cream begins to hold its shape. If you're using the kitchenaid mixer, make sure you only use the churning attachment on the "stir" speed.  Churn for about 20 minutes.

5/ Once you've been churning for 20 minutes or so, gradually pour the cookie crumbles in while the ice cream maker is churning to evenly mix the crumbles into the ice cream. Churn for 5-10 more minutes, until the cookie crumbles are mixed throughout.

6/ Once all of the cookie crumbles are incorporated, transfer the ice cream into a freezer-safe container.  You can serve the ice cream right away if you want a softer texture, or if you want it harder, put it in the freezer for an hour or two. Mine gets too hard in my freezer, so I have to take it out and put it in the fridge for a bit to let it soften up. 

Makes 10 servings. Each serving comes out to be 289.9 Calories, 28.9g Fats, 3g Net Carbs, and 4.6g Protein.

ENJOY!

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My Mother's Day 2018 Gift Guide

Commercialized Mother's Day gifts feel so impersonal and out of touch with what real moms want and need.  Not that I don't like flowers and little goodies, and growing up I don't think I thought much in depth about a Mother's Day gift.  But I think if we're going to have a holidays celebrating moms, lets give moms something they really need.  And obviously for every mom that's going to be different, especially depending on her love language and personal interests.  

For me, my love language is quality time, and I've realized that as a mom you get tons of quality time with your kid(s), not as much quality time with your partner, and almost no quality time with your self. This gift guide doesn't really have a theme other than "things I as a mom truly love or crave."  So it might be relatively specific, but I figure there are probably moms out there like me, so you might enjoy this little list too!

A get-away OR a staycation

image via the joshua tree house

I crave an escape to the desert at least once a month.  But being able to hang out in a relaxing home-- ALONE --in the warm sun, getting to sleep in, not have to give my kid any of the food I'm eating, and lounge around all day with no one bugging me?  Sounds magical. On the flip side, being able to be in my own home for a long weekend so I can accomplish projects around the house that feel impossible to do when a toddler is following me around or napping also sounds magical.  I think the key here is: time sans child(ren).   Just time to fill our own tanks without the distraction or obligation of caring for anyone else.

Plants that don't die in a week

image via wearetriibe

Flowers are nice and all, but in a few short days, they start to wilt and eventually all those pretty blooms will have dropped their petals and died.  I don't know about you, but I adore have living plants in my space and have accumulated a small urban jungle-- but I always want more.  I would prefer to get a snake plant, monstera, or some other beautiful greenery that will fill my home with life for years to come!

Professional Hair Cut/Color

image via jessfxstyle

I would love to sit in a salon chair and have a hair magician take my locks to the color I've been dying to try for years.  I haven't had my hair colored since before I had our son, and while I'm not a salon junkie and I prefer low-maintenance hair, it feels so luxurious and caring to have someone refresh your hair.  I'm usually too cheap to splurge on a salon, so it would be a lovely treat to be able to hit the salon and get a fresh look.

Gift Card to a Shop I Love

image via satori

This one gets me two things: time alone to walk around said store and enjoy the ambiance of a store I like (ya'll even Target will do, my ambiance threshold is loooow), and then things that I want to buy.  I know people like to give gifts that they find meaningful, but it can feel really nice to just get something that you know you'll love because YOU picked it out.  A gift card to an online shop is nice, but now that I'm a mom I kind of like the idea of getting to get out of the house by myself, wander around the store and touch things.  Ideas? World Market, Target, Home Goods, Satori, Moorea Seal, Ikea  (These are just stores that I like shopping at that have local shops where I can go walk around).

I know Mother's Day is coming up quickly, but pretty much all of these gifts can be procured last minute (probably minus a vacay). And throwing in a nice note of appreciation can go a long way too.  Oh and a mimosa.  Happy Mother's Day!

photos of me + jack by sons and daughters photography