Progress Over Perfection |

açaí in fashion

17 May

Is it safe to say that certain foods experience a period of being in fashion? Au courant, if you will?

Açaí (pronounced ah-sah-EE) is a berry that has been touted as a superfood with antioxidant superpowers to help promote weight loss and combat premature aging. It’s also known as a natural energy booster. Sign me up! I’ve become a bit of a health food librarian here on the blog, but we should always take the claims I share with a grain of salt. I don’t claim to be any sort of a health food expert (although I do consult three websites before I publish anything here). I’m simply interested in choosing foods that are going to benefit our health and well-being. This time, as I was researching açaí, I found information from webmd, which should be more reliable than some of the information we are able to find on the internet. No surprise, they took the “there isn’t enough research” stand on this super berry. According to their website, the jury is still out on the highly promoted claims of the benefit of certain super foods. However, they did affirm that plenty of research supports eating a diet rich in antioxidants such as açaí. They also state that “there is no doubt that berries and other fruits are a key part of any healthy diet promoting weight loss”. They just aren’t ready to claim that it is a miracle food.

OK, fine. Can’t hurt and can only help. I’ll accept that. Plus, it tastes yummy.

We’ve been enjoying variations on this “treat” lately. The kids love it because it’s kind of like having sorbet for breakfast.

Blended Açaí

There are so many things you can do with this basic recipe…but here’s how you start –

2 (3.5 ounce) packets of frozen Açaí (available in the natural food frozen section of many grocery stores)

1 c. frozen mixed berries (you could substitute any other frozen fruit)

1 small banana, chopped

1/2 – 3/4 c. unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or other fruit juice)

Blend it all together.

Here’s where the variations come in. (stick with me here…)

**************

One of my favorite go-to outfits is a pair of jeans and a button down shirt. A classic look that is so versatile. Here are three ways I would wear this look, along with the corresponding variation on our Blended Açaí. Food + Fashion, yay!

Option 1: You can start with the basics, as shown here. I’d liken this simple outfit to a basic blended smoothie.

Here, I simply added 1/4 cup more almond milk to our base recipe. You could also add plain greek yogurt. A nice way to get additional calcium.

Option 2: You can take the classic blouse and skinnies to another level with the addition of a simple blazer, a couple of necklaces, and a pop of color on your shoes. Gorgeous.

I’d liken this to our current favorite version. Pour your Blended Açaí into a small bowl and top it with crunchy granola (we like Pumpkin Flax by Nature’s Path). My kids love this for breakfast. I’ve also added a dallop of greek yogurt on top. You’ll want to devour this, but beware of brain freeze!

I think this is the perfect, waistline friendly, substitution for an ice cream craving this summer!

Option 3: I love that there is no rule against pairing a casual denim top with a sparkly skirt. It really doesn’t get much more versatile than that!

This version calls for a full-on Blended Açaí Parfait. Fill a pretty glass with layers of açaí, greek yogurt, and granola. A few fresh berries (and a mint garnish) provide the perfect finishing touch, dressing up our basic recipe in the same way a sparkly skirt elevates the humble button down.

I love versatile clothing just as much as I love versatile recipes. Particularly when they are both stylish and healthy, and allow me to be creative and have fun with them. Pick a combination that suits your mood for the day and give it a try!

all clothing images from my pinterest fashion board.

Leave a Comment2 Comments Filed Under: Fashion, Recipes

good design is in the details

15 May

Just the tiniest attention to detail can elevate the overall quality of a room.

We have paneled doors in our house, so this use of mirrors appeals to me if I ever wanted to add interest and dimension to a space. Great for an otherwise boring hallway, but also appropriate for a bedroom or bathroom, or even a walk-in closet.

One day I’m going to come home with a can of paint and paint the door leading to our garage. It takes such a beating and sits lifeless at the end of a long-ish hall. Talk about bang for your buck!

I’ve seen people add just a little molding to plain shaker cabinet doors in an otherwise builder basic kitchen. I adore this diamond detail. The perfect way to elevate the ordinary.

This wallpaper is gorgeous. I never would have thought to paint part of the baseboard, but this one extra step makes the wallpaper really sing.

I think an exposed brick wall is such a fantastic design feature. With just a small investment, a petite wall can become a focal point. Love how this one could be perceived rustic, but the rest of the decor is somewhat trendy and contemporary.

It really doesn’t take much to make me happy. This striped basket immediately caught my eye, making a loathsome space a happy place in my book. Tiny detail, but impactful nonetheless!

The best design details tell a story about the people who inhabit the home they are in. There are all kinds of ways that this can be accomplished. Sometimes the best way is through a grouping of simply framed family photographs. This is something I’ve been meaning to add to our home. Honestly, no one in our family really loves getting their picture taken, but I have some precious photos from times gone by that could be used in a special grouping. This is something that I hope to work on this summer. A wall of photos can be positively magnetic. My vision involves a small wall in a hallway. I’ll display photos in simple frames like the ones you see above, starting near the floor and stretching up high. It’ll take some time and effort to put together, but I know it will be a detail that I adore for years to come.

{sources via}

Leave a CommentLeave a Comment Filed Under: Decor

happy mother’s day!

12 May

Mothers, wishing you a trail of beautiful blessings for your day!

And for my three sons, I’m so thankful that God gifted me three young men who call me MOM. Raising you is an honor and a privilege and I am so proud of who each of you is becoming. Watching you as you grow and mature brings me so much joy… I delight in you, my special, special boys.

I love you like crazy,

Mom

{image via}

Leave a Comment4 Comments Filed Under: On my mind

finders keepers

11 May

Yesterday a friend asked me to take her to an antique store to give her some tips on how I shop vintage treasures. She was the one who was supposed to be on the hunt. Um, yeah. We know how this is going to end up…

Spotted this little dandy. Thought it was cool. (Even better with a fresh coat of paint to make that hardware pop!)

I snapped a picture, popped it on Instagram, and walked away. But I couldn’t get it out of my mind. The price was certainly right (a mere $146 before haggling) and it was in pretty good condition, but I didn’t have an immediate need for it.

Of course, it crept into my thoughts later in the evening.

This picture I had seen earlier in the day kept popping into my head. I love a good beverage station. Not because we drink liquor (we don’t), but because I think they can be just so darn swanky. So fun to style. I’d even have fun styling one up for a smoothie bar when hosting brunch. Why not?

You don’t even have to go overboard on the liquor. I love the idea of mixing in plants and layers with a lamp and framed picture. A simple tray to corral a few libations and accoutrements will suffice. Love the sassy straws! The cabinet I’m pondering opens to reveal shelving. I’d love to see a little wicker inside, perhaps holding entertaining essentials such as napkins and the like.

The interior of this gentlemanly cabinet is super chic. Such a practical spot for extra glassware, along with silver, bottles of wine and a few other essentials.

Of course, if I decided not to use it as an mini bar, I could always style it up like so. In fact, I have the perfect replication of the bird print just waiting for a home. Love the layers here. A little vintage, a little organic, a little reflection…mmmm, mm.

I’m already imagining the perfect spot in our basement to put this little lovely. You would have to see the whole space to understand, but I’ve got Benjamin Moore’s Hale Navy on my mind…

I’m dying to use this color somewhere and our basement is calling out for it. I love navy and brass together, but the funky hardware may wash out against such a dark color…might need to play it safe and choose a nice creamy white.

Now you know what I’m doing this weekend when I’m not at soccer games…heading straight back to the antique store to check measurements and inspect my “new” piece of furniture more closely. Fun, fun!

Hope you are enjoying your weekend, friends!

All images via

Leave a CommentLeave a Comment Filed Under: Decor

teacher appreciation gifts

8 May

It’s Teacher Appreciation week and I couldn’t let the week pass without sharing a few ideas I have mulling around in my head for gifts for our dear teachers…

I’m completely drawn to this adorable tote tag and the monogrammed bag. You can download the tag for free over here. It comes in a blue/green colorway, too. Adorbs! This bag is from Hobby Lobby and stenciled with a freezer paper technique. I found a great tutorial for freezer paper stenciling here. The creative possibilities with this technique are endless! A must try. This is the kind of thing that keeps my brain whirling at night while I dream and scheme how I could use it!

If you aren’t into making a tote, I found this cute one here. I’d fill it with a water bottle, a book I enjoyed reading, maybe a pair of flip flops, and Starbucks Refreshers (Very Berry Hibiscus is a favorite of mine).

They even have a reusable grocery bag in a variety of colors. The green is male friendly. If you were going in on a group gift, you could attach a gift card to a grocery store with this bag. I especially like this idea for a certain eco-conscious teacher I know.

I found this free printable right here. There are so many clever and creative ideas all around the blogosphere! I would consider using this printable with a layered Mason jar of cookie ingredients. That way, the teacher could make cookies later, as I think they are bombarded with sweet treats at the end of the year.

Found this printable on that same website here. I like that it could be printed and mounted onto a different background that was more male-friendly if you would like. For more printables and inspiration, check out my Pinterest Teacher Love board here.

One final idea to run with… I saw this and thought it would be fun to give a basil plant with a note thanking the teacher for a year of growth. If I were to do this, I would simply print my note in a fun font onto cardstock and cut it into the shape of a ribbon banner, similar to this. Then I would attach the note to a potted basil plant with a natural material like raffia or twine. A small bottle of balsamic vinegar from a specialty store or a package of fancy crostini toasts and some sort of bruschetta spread would be a nice addition, too.

This is just a taste of the inspiration offered all over the internet. I often say, no idea is truly original. Half the fun is taking other’s ideas and putting your own creative touch on it. Hope I’ve inspired you to create a special gift for your child’s deserving teacher. Have fun!

Leave a CommentLeave a Comment Filed Under: Teacher Appreciation

the three musketeers

6 May

If there is one thing I desire as a mother, it is unity in our family.

Sometimes we see glimpses of true brotherly love between our three sons, but sometimes the boys just needle each other. It’s all normal, I know, but the oldest to youngest pecking order can be a real detriment to brotherly unity at times. It seems that whatever jockeying for position happens with their peers at school carries over to our home. It’s the nature of the male beast.

Love how Belle calmly, but firmly, doesn’t back down to the Beast’s terrible suppressed anger outrages. Moms, I’m just sayin’.

Last week we had what I hope was a breakthrough into the hearts of each of our boys’ true feelings. I’ve preached a thousand times how important their relationship with one another is. Many years ago, my brother-in-law asked me if I thought they would grow up really liking each other. I hated that question. It hurt my heart (even though it was an innocent, matter-of-fact question). I know the reason it hurt – because I can preach unity ’til I’m blue in the face, but they will make their own choices. God help them!

One of my all-time favorite pictures of my three musketeers, taken in 2008.

On the tail end of that breakthrough, we sat down for a family meeting. My boys hate too many words. They just can’t handle it. This is probably one of the hardest things for me as a mother because I am a verbal processor. (Really?!?) We came up with this phrase as a reminder to call out as needed. I’ve since said it as a lecture-free encouragement to a right attitude, as well as a praise when I’ve caught one of them making a good choice in relating to his brother.

This bread pan turned chalkboard has been hanging blank on the wall in our kitchen for over a month now, just waiting for the right message to be doodled on it. And I love my chalk marker, purchased at Archiver’s scrapbook store. So much easier than even the smoothest chalk I’ve tried.

I’m sure that eventually this chalk art will not catch our eye every time we walk into the kitchen as it does now, but I can definitely say we have seen a change in the climate around our home since we had our breakthrough and I put up the sign. I’ll take whatever growth in the direction of family unity I can get! And if the boys can’t get along, I’ll take the advice of an older and wiser mother who carefully tied her sons’ hands together for an hour or so, so that they were forced to learn to behave harmoniously and cooperate with one another. ; ) Hopefully my boys will form lasting habits of brotherly love and kindness that keep me from instituting this plan the first week that school’s out for summer!

How about you? How do you stay purposeful toward unity in your family? Did your parents do something well within your family to this end?

Leave a CommentLeave a Comment Filed Under: On my mind, Our Family Life

springtime slow cooking

3 May

It’s noon, you have a list of things demanding your attention, one of which is planning a wholesome, satisfying dinner. You pull into the grocery store parking lot and prepare to walk through the doors without a list. What next?

That was my day last Thursday. I knew I was going to be spending the better part of the afternoon preparing food for teacher appreciation and I needed a dinner that would be ridiculously easy to put together… so easy that it practically prepared itself. Something that didn’t include full microwaveable directions. Enter: the crockpot.

It was already getting late in the day to start a crock pot meal and I didn’t have any plan in mind, so I set my mind on what genre of food I wanted to make. Italian? Mexican? Chinese? Good, old-fashioned American?

I settled on soup and salad, dashed through the store, and what ended up on the table 6 hours later was worth sharing. Most of the ingredients I already had on hand. I bet you do, too! I came home, cranked up the tunes (this always gets me into a groove) and got to work.

Tortilla Soup

3 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized strips

3 carrots, diced into half inch pieces

2 celery stalks, diced into half inch pieces

1 small white onion, finely diced

2 garlic cloves

1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes and their juices (I strain the juices into the crockpot and chop the tomatoes finely so my kids will eat them.)

3 c. low sodium chicken broth

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed (I actually used a combination of black beans and garbanzo beans because I had left overs of both.)

1 t. ground cumin

1 t. ground coriander

salt and pepper

Place all ingredients into a slow cooker and cook on low for 4-5 hours. Garnish with

chopped cilantro

sour cream

shredded cheese (I used a combination of queso fresco and Mexican cheese)

We loved having John Wm Macy’s Original Cheddar Cheese Sticks with the soup. (In our grocery store, they can be found near the fancy cheeses.) Feel free to get creative with this soup. You could add chopped spinach, corn, rice…and the list goes on. Sometimes I like to follow a recipe one time, then make notes about how I would add to and/or alter it the next time.

I threw a salad together to go along with the soup. Totally improvised, totally basic. Yet it kept our soup feeling seasonally appropriate.

Mexican-inspired Light Side Salad

Mixed greens

Chopped avocado

Shredded Queso Fresco

Vinagrette: juice of half of a lemon + Extra Virgin Olive Oil + salt and pepper + 1 T. chopped cilantro (optional: diced shallot)

This would be great with corn (grilled and cut off the cob, even better!). It needs crunch, so the cheese sticks were a nice accompaniment here, too.

****************

As for the (wonky) heart on the soup? I added it at the last minute. Why I feel the need to share this with you, I don’t know. Authenticity? My brood was just being moody…kind of reminded me of when they were little and the dinner hour was always their crankiest. Many moms of toddlers know what I’m talking about. You are trying to make dinner and you have a crabby kiddo hanging on your leg, making the experience of sitting down to a meal together less-than-pleasant. I added the heart as a little way of reminding myself to keep a cheerful, calm attitude despite everyone else’s mood. Let love prevail. I think it worked.

I’ll be keeping this recipe in the back of my mind for easy dinners when I’m feeling uninspired and under pressure. As for the heart, that’s something to add to any meal. As moms, we have the power to help set the tone in our home every day. This works both ways, and if you are like me, you can always use a reminder to make the better choice…

Leave a Comment5 Comments Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: Healthy Eating, Idea Alert!

spring style picks

30 Apr

I’m sitting outdoors with my laptop catching a few minutes to share my Spring fashion picks with you. Why? Because I can. It is glor-i-ous outside and we waited a looong time for Spring to arrive this year. Honestly, it’s been hard to really embrace Spring fashion without rolling our eyes because up until a week ago, we were still experiencing blizzard-like weather, for crying out loud!

{via}

In fact, I ordered this stadium coat from JCrew just last week and the weather turned for the better the very day that it arrived. Thank you very much. I think this coat is chic and darling at the same time… {in November!}

Not that I’m taking credit for the change in forecast. That goes to God. Just today I was marveling at the rhythm He creates in nature. Rain in the morning, followed by warm sunshine in the afternoon… the grass is greening up right before our eyes and in no time the buds will burst forth on our trees like a symphony that was so beautifully orchestrated by the Creator God. He works it all out… in His time! Many of you have already seen this magical time come and go.

This is supposed to be a fashion post. Sorry. Without further delay, here are a few of my recent picks for Spring…

I love a maxi dress for everything from a casual day of errand running to an evening of grilling out with friends. We are still all over the place in our temps, so I’d wear this with a denim jacket and a stack of funky bracelets on a cooler day. I’ve also seen maxi dresses layered with a loose fit crewneck sweater over top and wedge sandals…very cute. I found this striped number here.

This season wouldn’t be complete without a pair of colored skinny ankle jeans. I tried to cheap out on this trend, trying on pants at Old Navy and even Target, but they just didn’t fit right. Finally purchased these and I love them. Plan on wearing them to death from now until September. I’m drawn to just about anything mint this season.

Most days I’m just doing the Mom thing, so I love my mint pants with this stripy coral t-shirt. I never like to stop at a plain tshirt and pants, though. Lately I”m loving my JCrew Classic Pave Link Bracelet to take a plain outfit to the next level. It’s been a true wardrobe workhorse. In the summer, Chanel’s Rouge Allure lipstick in the color Rebelle is my sheer pick for a pop of color to go with minimal make up. I also love my Coach aviators, which I picked up at a Sunglass Hut in the Denver airport a couple of months ago. Leave it to me to go shopping in an airport.

Now that Spring is finally here, I’m completely smitten with the color we’re seeing everywhere. Worn with easy going makeup and open toed shoes, it’s all so fresh and fun! Whether you decide to add a few of the season’s freshest trends to your wardrobe or not, keep in mind -

Join me in taking a deep breath of fresh air in . . . and S M I L E !

{Aaahhhh, THAT’S beautiful.} Here’s to Spring Fever!

Leave a CommentLeave a Comment Filed Under: Fashion

teacher appreciation {sending sunshine}

27 Apr

Up until the last day or so, we were experiencing lousy Spring weather around here. When I planned April Teacher Appreciation, it seemed that everyone was feeling downcast. All I could think about when I was dreaming up this month’s plan was the color yellow. Lots and lots of saturated, sunny yellow. Rather than focusing on “April Showers,” I felt desperate to spread sunshine! Fortunately, God beat me to the punch and we are heading into what looks to be a beautiful weekend. Hip Hip Hooray! This made it all the more fun to create a cheery scene for our teachers to enjoy.

I’m crazy about buntings and have used one for every Teacher Appreciation event I have styled so far. Why break tradition? This time, I used the bunting to spell “Good Day Sunshine”. I cut the letters at Archivers Scrapbook Store using a die cut machine and designed the pendant flags on my own. I hand-lettered the rest. The buntings are strung together on glittery adhesive ribbon, also from Archivers.

For treats, I kept with the yellow theme. A big glass dispenser filled with lemonade, Barefoot Contessa’s lemon bars, chocolate peanut clusters, lemon drops, and yogurt covered pretzels fit the bill. The toothpick flags and tablecloth are from the Martha Stewart party line at JC Penney, of all places. (Sidenote: Have you seen the Jonathan Adler home collection that has recently been introduced at JC Penney? You can check it out online here. Fun stuff!)

Speaking of Martha Stewart, I had to laugh when the school principal told me my table looked like something out of Redbook or Good Housekeeping magazine. (Teeheehee!) One of the female teachers told him it looked more like Martha Stewart magazine. Bless his heart!

This post wouldn’t be complete without a recipe. Here’s one for your Sometimes Naughty Is Nice file. ; )

Grandma O’Neill’s Chocolate Peanut Clusters

This recipe hails from my bestie’s beautiful grandmother and is a favorite for bake sales and the like.

23 ounce bag milk chocolate chips

11 ounce bag butterscotch chips

1 t. coconut oil to thin the chocolate mixture (optional)

About 30 ounces Virginia peanuts

Melt the chips over a double boiler (you could also do this in the microwave). Stir in peanuts. Using two soup spoons, drop by rounded spoonfuls onto wax paper. Allow to cool. I like to then refrigerate the clusters to further harden the chocolate.

*************

This will be my last teacher appreciation event this year since our final event is a breakfast hosted by the PTO Executive Board. It has been a lot of fun to come up with different ideas each month, and I cannot say enough times how deserving our teachers and staff are of a little extra love each month! If you are curious to see other events I have planned and executed, search Teacher Appreciation in the Categories drop down menu at the top of this page. {Hope you enjoy!}

Leave a Comment6 Comments Filed Under: Recipes, Teacher Appreciation

in the midst of busyness

25 Apr

Lots going on around here. In the midst of all the busyness, I’m planning on following this* advice.

My To Do list includes making preparations for monthly teacher appreciation at our elementary school (I’ll share more on that when it’s done!), so today will require a creative spirit. On days like this when I want to keep my juices flowing, I like to treat myself in little ways throughout the day. Maybe I’ll make an extra colorful salad for lunch and actually take the time to sit down to enjoy it. I’m guilty of eating my lunch on the go even when I’m at home during the day, darting off to fold laundry or put something away or do whatever else is on my mind in between bites. It’s such a bad habit! I’m also planning to get outside for some exercise today since our weather seems to FINALLY have turned the corner away from winter. (That right there will boost anyone’s creativity! Thank God!) Purposing quiet time in a tidy room to do my Bible study always helps me to focus in other ways throughout my day as well. The time I spend in study often helps ground me in a gentle frame of mind, rather than frazzled and disjointed.

Yep, the list of things on my mind that need to be addressed in the near future is full of lots of little tasks. Experts in productivity say that it is actually detrimental to try to multitask. I agree. As much as we females like to tout our ability to keep several balls up in the air and still stay focused and productive, I find that I am dissatisfied with the end result when I don’t force myself to focus on one thing at a time. Along that train of thought, I like the concept behind this sweet to-do list.

get the free download here

The power of writing a To Do list is not what it helps you to accomplish, but how it frees you up to stay focused.

QUESTION: How do you stay focused when your list is long? Are you a good multi tasker? What kinds of things do you do (or would you do) to make your day beautiful in the midst of busyness?

Here’s to a productive and inspired day!

*If you would like a printable copy of this cute graphic, you can click here. Go make it beautiful!

Leave a CommentLeave a Comment Filed Under: On my mind, Organization

Progress Over Perfection