Author Archive | rae

stamped easter eggs

By rae on April 10, 2014 in holidays, KIDS, MAKE, spring

i’ve been waiting for a new way to use these pencil eraser stamps i made awhile back (tutorial found here) and since it’s egg decorating season and i have a stash of acrylic paint in bright colors it seemed like the perfect excuse.

i don’t usually get excited about this part of easter. so much detail on something so small and then waiting for the dye to do it’s job and they never seem to turn out the way i pictured (serious crafting problems over here, ha!), but was excited to find this method a lot more enjoyable and less stressful with the kids…. all the waiting to dry happens after the decorating!

and since we eat a lot of hardboiled eggs around here, particularly since i’ve been pregnant (anything for a little extra protein) it’s been fun getting to pick from all the designs…

what color and pattern would you like today? polka dots, maybe? or that creepy looking bunny? ha!

SUPPLIES & SOURCES:

pencils with unused erasers (checkout the target dollar isle if you don’t have any handy at home)
exacto knife or razor blade to cut a shape into your erasers
small paint brushes (ikea)
acrylic paint (got mine at our local craft store)
eggs, hardboiled and cooled to room temp
rolls of wash tap (optional, i’ll explain below)
plain egg carton found at shop sweet lulu

TIME:

pencil stamps only take 10-15 minutes
hardboil and cool eggs, about an hour
stamping and painting, about an hour
drying, 2-3 hours

it was really helpful to rest our eggs on a roll of washi tape while stamping and then leaving them there to dry.

we still have a couple dozen eggs to decorate and the kids have been asking to do the traditional egg dying (maybe this weekend!?) but if your looking to get crazy and switch things up this year, stamping with paint was fun!

how do you usually decorate your eggs?

xo . rae

(images by kim charie)

blue or pink?

By rae on April 7, 2014 in LIFE

happy monday friends!

i so appreciated reading everyones input and thoughts about finding out baby’s gender or not and after going back and forth without a strong feeling either way, johan and i had the ultrasound tech stick the results in an envelope for us so we could do a big reveal on our trip to phoenix with the kids. so without further adieu….

//the envelope, please.//

//the suspense is killing big sis.//

//not sure griffin knew what was going on exactly, but was totally into it.//

//i see pink!//

//tilly’s face says it all… girlfriends excited and relieved to say the least, but i think it just confirmed what she already kew. she’s been talking about a baby sister from the beginning and despite my rebuttal that God has a wonderful plan for our family and we don’t get to decide her response was quite simply, “yeah, then why would he give us another boy? it’s a girl.” she may have known something we didn’t.//

blue-or-pink-6

//it was a fun moment that required celebratory fudgcicles of course.//

//can’t believe he’ll be the oldest of 5…(sigh)//

//or that he’ll no longer be the youngest. (double sigh)//

so my final verdict – i still prefer waiting to find out vs. spilling the beans early, but this moment with the kids in the grass and sunshine instead of recovering in a hospital bed was rather priceless.

feeling extra lucky to have these pictures to document our growing tribe – hopefully no. 5 will one day look back and know how much we loved her – even before we met.

a big fat thank you to my new friend connie who came out to our resort (that was actually just a hotel with ridiculous amenities) to capture this moment and a few others from our day that i’ll post later!

thanks for letting me share the big news with you…

mwah!

BREAKFAST CLUB: yogurt parfaits

By rae on April 1, 2014 in EAT, spring, summer

spring hasn’t exactly made it’s way to the pacific northwest yet, but the dose of sunshine i got in phoenix last week (i have pics to share from our trip tomorrow!) has put me in the mood for a lighter, fruitier breakfast menu.

yogurt parfaits seem to be hitting the spot so i thought i would share some topping inspiration. i also find that little eaters are extra happy anytime they get to customize their meal and the endless variations make them easy to serve all week for snack and dessert too.

add the fixings you know everyone will like to your shopping list or plan out some fun combos. honey or vanilla greek yogurt, berries, bananas, granola and cereal (for crunch) is always a hit at our house.

here are some other ideas to pair with your choice of yogurt:

sliced kiwi, strawberries & cheerios
raspberries, coconut flakes & cocoa krispies cereal
broken graham crackers, lemon curd & coconut flakes (dessert)
peaches, brown sugar & rolled oats
diced apples, cinnamon & chopped walnuts
warmed almond butter, banana & honey (if using plain yogurt)
fresh berries & mini chocolate ships

layer ingredients and serve or set out fixings and let everyone build their own!

is there anything your craving now that spring is here!?

xo . rae

#shenanigans (free poster download)

By rae on March 20, 2014 in FREEBIES, KIDS, LIFE, MAKE

i designed this simple poster to hang over our “check-out” basket of ever increasing (and slightly ridiculous) gaming and tech devices and thought i would share in case you have the perfect spot for it. just click on the links below to download! each poster is 24×32 inches and fits perfectly in the large frame from ikea.

here’s to lots of silly shenanigans! enjoy!

xo . rae

ice cream sammies (happy st. patrick’s day!)

By rae on March 17, 2014 in EAT, holidays

want to eat something st. patty’s-ish today, but corned beef and cabbage isn’t your jam? throw together these minty ice cream sandwiches to enjoy after dinner!

you’ll need:

chocolate chip mint ice cream or other green ice cream or gelato of choice
waffle cone or chocolate wafers (cookies or graham crackers work too)
gold &/or green sprinkles

set ice cream out to soften for about 5 minutes. press a scoop of ice cream between two wafers or cookies. roll edges in sprinkles. cover and store in freezer until your ready to eat!

a few other st. patrick’s day ideas from last couple week:

i don’t know about you guys but monday came way too soon for me this week, so i’m looking forward to doing and eating something yummy and festive with the kids tonight. how about you – any fun plans!?

xo . rae

FIVE.

By rae on March 14, 2014 in LIFE

i’ve hinted at it a couple times in previous posts but am beyond thrilled to make an official announcement…

we’re expecting a new bundle of cuteness this summer!

today marks week 20, and as they tend to do once you have other children to take care of, it’s flown by.

i’m not usually the “love to be pregnant” kind, but it’s been a pretty fantastic 20 weeks. my mind and emotions race every time i think about adding a 5th child to our family but more than anything i’ve been feeling incredibly humbled.

looking forward to having this space to share and document the journey this time around and hope you don’t get all babied-out with updates or projects!

before i sign off i would love your thoughts… we go in for our ultrasound this week (i keep putting it off!) – yoder and i would prefer to keep the gender a secret, but tilly, espen and ozzie are dying to find out if they are having a brother or sister.

should we take one for the team and find out what we’re having or keep it a surprise!?

happy friday!

xo . rae

(image by stacy jacobsen)

Hello… spring training.

By rae on March 12, 2014 in KIDS, spring, summer, WEAR

later this month, yoder and i are surprising the kids with a trip to sunny arizona for some baseball games, concession food and all the pool time we can handle. for the past couple weeks i’ve been secretly sorting through last year’s summer gear and stocking up on all the things we’ll need to bring with us, including some ballpark must haves.

here are some of the baseball ready goodies i’ve found:

01/nostalgic baseball tees, peek kids (BOYS/GIRLS). 02/floppy sun hat, sonnet james. 03/canvas tote, gap. 04/sunscreen, the honest co (we’ll need some of this too). 05/notebooks, minted. 06/beach blanket, kate spade saturday. 07/a staple in my baseball bag, entertaining and easy to share, sidewalk chalk.

MARCH one week spread.

By rae on March 11, 2014 in EAT, FREEBIES

i’m excited to be going back to my roots with a little meal planning action today! a bit different than what i’ve done in the past, but still fun and helpful… let me know what you think!?

M/ Happy St. Patrick’s Day… go green with asparagus soup and BLT&A sandwiches
TU/ crockpot (or baked) mexican lasagna
W/ happy hump day! treat yourself (and the fam) to dinner or takeout…. or warm up leftovers from last night.
TH/ chicken, edamame & noodle stir-fry
F/ indoor picnic (& a movie), hearty wraps, your choice of fries and simple fondue
BREKKIE/ protein pancakes or oatmeal
SNACK/ corn fritters or hummus with chips and carrots

here’s a printable menu and shopping list you can add to your fridge. to use, click the image above and download, print and cut. then follow the links above to fill in the grocery list and (bam!) your all set for next week!

xo . rae

ASPARAGUS SOUP with BLT’s and avocado

By rae on March 10, 2014 in EAT

this soup may be green, but it’s 100% kid approved in our home… i could hardly believe my ears when they raved about how yummy it was the first time they tasted it (and every time since). if your still nervous about giving it a try, go heavy on the salt – it helps!

for the soup, YOU’LL NEED:

(serves 4 to 6 / takes 30 minutes)

2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 pounds asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup basil leaves, chopped
kosher salt & ground black pepper
sour cream to top
basil leaves to garnish
an immersion blender, food processor or blender (i highly recommend getting an immersion blender if you don’t have one already and are a soup person like me! so much easier and less messy than letting the soup cool and blending in batches)

in a large saucepan or dutch oven over medium heat, melt butter and add onion. stir constantly until softened (about 4 minutes).
add asparagus, basil and broth and bring to a boil over high heat.
reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until asparagus is tender.
remove from heat and blend soup until smooth using an immersion blender or in patches using a food process or blender.
season to taste with salt and pepper. ladle into bowls and top with sour cream and basil.

for the BLT’s, YOU’LL NEED:

(serves 4 to 6 / takes 15 minutes)

8 to 12 slices of country bread
8 to 12 slices favorite bacon, cooked (i used turkey)
2 avocado, peeled and sliced
2 large ripe tomato, sliced
favorite lettuce
2 to taste salt and pepper
mayonnaise

cook bacon and toast bread to your liking.
meanwhile, prep fixings.
build sandwiches by layering mayo, avocado, bacon, lettuce and tomato in-between slices of bread.

(images by stacy jacobsen)

everyday DIY (simple garlands & a free print)

By rae on March 10, 2014 in fall, FREEBIES, holidays, MAKE, spring, summer, winter

garlands are one of my favorite ways to decorate for various seasons or celebrations. so today i thought i would share my obsession with some simple garland ideas (and a free art print!) that i dressed up for st. patrick’s day but that can easily be adjusted for anytime of year!

1/ chalkboard banner: use black card stock to make a banner and then write a message with chalk.

2/ gold starbursts: pick up some stickers from your office supply store and then add them to a strand (or 2) of twine.

3/ felt garland: change the colors to match a child’s room and keep it up all year! diy details here.

4/ LUCKY art print: click here to download.

xo . rae

kids crafternoon – st. patrick’s day felt

By rae on March 5, 2014 in holidays, KIDS, spring, winter

st. patrick’s day might not be the most popular holiday around, but it is a good excuse for getting crafty with the kids. here are a few simple and festive ideas that will keep them busy and feelin’ green for the big day!

1/FELT PINS/ supplies: green felt, scissors, fabric or hot glue, pins, embroidery thread & needle/ how-to: for each pin, using different colors of felt, cutout two-2-inch circles and a cute shape (such as a heart or shamrock). glue or stitch the shape to one of the circles. using a whip-stitch (here’s a toot w/pics) and the shape on the outside, stitch the two circles together. finish by gluing on a pin. they look super cute on sweaters, tees, backpacks, etc.!

2/ELBOW PATCHES/ supplies: green felt, embroidery thread & needle/ how-to: this one is less hands-on for the kids, but is really quick and easy. cut a fun shape thats approx. 2.5-3″ big from felt. have your child put on a long sleeve tee. using a pencil, mark the middle of their elbow. take their tee of, lay the felt shape over the top of your mark and attach using embroidery thread. if you plan on keeping the felt patch on their shirt past st. patrick’s day, be sure to wash the felt first before sewing it on so it doesn’t shrink!

3/FELT GARLAND/ supplies: green felt, scissors, embroidery thread & needle/ how-to: cut shapes from different color felt and thread together with embroidery thread! simple, cute and easy to store for next year or keep up all spring!

we spotted a double rainbow this morning on the way to school (yay, spring!) and then was bombarded with questions about leprechauns, pots-o-gold and all that good stuff. needless to say, we’re definitely in the mood for st. patrick’s day fun around here… stay tuned for more simple recipes and ideas the next couple weeks!

xo . rae

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