brannonpeople...the blog

DIY dry erase menu and meal plan board

2012-02-13T22:45:00.000-08:00

Well, there's not much of a tutorial on this one!

Hang a frame on the wall and write on it :)

I put some vintage linked paper in mine but you could do anything! Cool patterned paper or wall paper would be fun too :)

This ever so simple idea was inspired by a few friends blogs and pinterest. I put this in the utility room/pantry, and we love its usefulness! I had this 5 photo frame I bought in the damaged section of IKEA because it was $5 and had nothing wrong with it!? I think it was hung in one of the staged rooms? The frame was from my store and I had saved it but couldn't find the right spot. Both were sitting in the garage and either needed a home or needed to go!

I have to say that I LOVE it! It is SO handy and useful has been super helpful for me to plan meals and keep my grocery needs written on the side. Helpful too when my kids are asking for snacks, it helps me stay creative and healthy!

Enjoy,

the sweetest little thing

2012-02-13T22:25:00.000-08:00

oh, i enjoy him so much :)

these dirty little boys are the best.

new insta's

2012-02-08T00:00:00.000-08:00

Hello! Here's a few of our latest intsagrams.

Look who's getting really big :)

I'm slightly crazy and like to move my house around every few months. I'll have to share our latest "free-model" (it's my new word :) basically I just moved EVERYTHING around and re-ourposed a bunch of oldies! I'll post some projects this week :)

These guys rock. I'm having so much fun with them. We'll have to share some of our latest adventures too. I just cut Fordy's hair this week, It's quite sad how not baby he looks :( He's a little man now.

I'm working on a new decorating project, the pic above is from a few inspiration spots :)

This is my "camera battery is charging so I can't upload real pictures post :)"

All the latest coming soon :) Have a great week,

Spinach and Egg Tacos

2012-01-31T14:31:00.000-08:00

Leanna, These are for you :)

Yum Yum Yum... and ridiculously easy. We eat these for breakfast lunch and dinner :) My boys love them and I love that they're healthy and not a big mess to make...key for me these days. It's another not really a recipe recipes .

Spinach and Egg Taco's

6-8 eggs

1 cup spinach

pinch of salt and paper

1 tsp. taco seasoning

1.5-2 cups cheddar cheese (i love trader joe's raw milk mild cheddar)

12 small corn taco size tortillas

salsa (optional)

Scramble and cook eggs, adding spinach in when eggs are halfway cooked, season with sea salt and pepper. While eggs cook, sprinkle tortillas with cheese and pinch of taco seasoning and toast in toaster oven/reg.oven until cheese is melted and bubbly. Layer about 2 spoons worth of eggs on to the tortillas, fold in half like tacos and Enjoy!

You can add a scoop of salsa for some extra flavor, but they're good with out it!

perfect rainy day dinner :)

2012-01-23T13:59:00.000-08:00

Here's what I'm making for dinner tonight! It's the perfect one pot meal for a rainy day like today :) Packed with good healthy things and so tasty!

Enjoy!

Giada's Lentil Soup

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 pound lentils (approximately 1 1/4 cups)
11 cups low-salt chicken broth
4 to 6 fresh thyme sprigs
2/3 cup dried elbow pasta
1 cup shredded Parmesan

Directions

Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper and saute until all the vegetables are tender, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juices. Simmer until the juices evaporate a little and the tomatoes break down, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add the lentils and mix to coat. Add the broth and stir. Add the thyme sprigs. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and simmer over low heat until the lentils are almost tender, about 30 minutes.

Stir in the pasta. Simmer until the pasta is tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle with the Parmesan, drizzle with olive oil, and serve.

Melissa's Famous Scones

2012-01-20T15:12:00.000-08:00

I was printing this recipe tho make these for a bridal shower tomorrow. I thought I'd post it here while I was at it! They are delish. Anytime I have a shower or brunch,
I always ask my friend Melissa to make these!
They vanish quickly, watch out :)

Enjoy!

Melissa's Famous Scones

1 1/4 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 cup cold butter

3 TBSP sugar

1/3 cup milk

additions: 1/2 cup (choc. chips or dried cranberries)

* Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.

* cut butter into pieces

* Use pastry blender & work butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is crumbly

* Add sugar and additions

* Toss with fork

* Add milk & stir until it holds together

* gather into ball and kneed 10x

* pat into 6-8 inch circle

* cut into 8 wedges (but leave together in a circle - "scoring it")

* brush with milk and sprinkle with decorative sugar crystals (optional)

* Bake @ 425 degrees for 12-14 minutes

* remove scones to cool

* serve warm with your favorite jam and cream - yum!

burpee?

2012-01-18T14:41:00.000-08:00

CrossFit Burpee Demo - YouTube

Yeah, super dumb name... but killer exercise!

I know them as up downs, but here's a picture and a video is you were wondering what a burpee was

from thebrannon-people-workout I posted!

On another note :)
Get ready for recipes!
I feel like I've been living in the kitchen this week, I have SO many fun new recipes to post. Coming soon.

Enjoy, Cj

(and Yes, Erin! I still totally recommend the sneaky toy organizer.... it's looks and works like it did when we first bought it :) Holding up great!)

gush

2012-01-13T15:58:00.000-08:00

If you're in my house for long enough you'll hear me call Ford, "gush". It originally started when he was a baby, he was the squishiest and gushiest little thing... hence gush. He was (and is) simply squeezable. The name just stuck and he is now known as "Fordy Gush".

Here's a little series of Gush. Enjoying some oranges in the yard today :) He's so fun.

And I must make a note, he was insistent on wearing the crazy colored vintage button down shirt today.

I just love you Fordy. I really can't squeeze you tight enough or hold you long enough. You are so sweet and so wonderful. I love spending my afternoons eating oranges with you and playing outside in our yard.

Much love,

Momma

new pics

2012-01-12T23:38:00.000-08:00

Here's our latest family pics from {emmaleigh} :)

Hire her. She's wonderful :)

Here's the comment I left on her blog after she posted the shoot:

"Emma,

Thank you for another wonderful shoot! I can't wait to put these up in the Emma Gallery, also known as our house:) You have incredible talent. Shooting a couple or a new baby, most photographers can do. But shooting a family with 3 squirmy and half the time tired or crabby, little ones and getting amazing photos, now that's talent! Really! Your sweetness and patience I think is the secret to your success :)I remember saying over and over "did we get anything good? Did we get at least one shot." Well we definitely got more than one!! We got a million great shots! Thank you for your wonderful work, you are such a joy!

Carly and the boys :)

Also, I couldn't have been more happy with Melissa Mathews who did my make-up! She is awesome! She does weddings and special events, and I had been wanting pro-make up for our next shoot because it looks so much better in photos. She's wonderful, hire her too (you can email me for her info) :)

new favorite workout :)

2012-01-12T22:28:00.000-08:00

My days are very full and working out at a gym or running is close to impossible for me in this season with 3 little people. I have to find little 15, 20, 40 minute windows of time to exercise at home. I feel so much better when I do workout. I have much more energy, a desire to eat well and my days feel more productive.

Here's a workout you can do no matter how much time you have and you can do it anywhere! I've done it a few days in a row now and am loving it! I even wrangled Chad into doing it with me this morning. We added some crunches and added a few reps to some of them. It worked us! Maybe you'll enjoy it too :)

Enjoy,

LACMA and the lights

2012-01-10T00:45:00.000-08:00

Chad and our friend Jason had some filming to do down at the

Los Angeles County Museum of Art this weekend. So his wife Claire and I brought all our kids down for a fun evening. We ran around the museum and had a blast playing in the lights :)

L. A. rocks. I thoroughly enjoy this city so much!
There is so much culture, creativity and fun.

no-bake protein packed chewy granola cups :)

2012-01-05T23:32:00.000-08:00

Ya, still working on the name...it is a bit long?

I'm munch'n on one right now, just to make sure they're blog worthy :)...I think they are!

1 c. coconut flakes (i use unsweetened/ unsulfered)

1 1/2 c.oatmeal (can use GF oats)

1 c.peanut butter

2/3 c. honey

1/4 c. flax seeds

1/4 c. sliced almonds

1/4 c. dried cranberries

1/4 c.chopped walnuts

1/4 c. pepitas or pumpkin seeds

1/4 c. dried pineapple, chopped

mix dry ingredients well in a large bowl, then add in peanut butter and honey, mix until a dough is formed, scoop 2 generous tablespoons into paper linked muffin tins, pack down firmly, cover and refrigerate for 4-6 hours to allow them to set (you can eat them before, but they crumble:)

Any of the nuts or dried fruit can be subbed! Cherries or blueberries would be yum!

And of course chocolate chips won't hurt anything :)

I have posted a few granola bar recipes before, but I think this one is the new winner. I love easy things like these to make and keep in the fridge for good healthy "real/clean food"snacks! I don't know where the muffin cup idea came from? But it's the perfect snack size and is less messy than regular bars. It's kind of like homemade Cliff bars! But way tastier!

I hope you enjoy too!

2011

2012-01-02T22:24:00.000-08:00

2011 was quite a full year :)

this guy turned 4, oh my, how did that happen?

and this one who turned one last year is a few days from 2?!

we took a road trip adventure to texas

we moved from our studio city house

we had lots of playmates and art days

we had lots of fun parties and showers

we lots of fun new local eats

made lots of new recipes

had lots of picnics and park days

played in the yard

went to the beach

had a puppy for 24 hours :)

went to the beach some more

were silly

sold our house, bought another and moved

unpacked and organized

started to put the new place together

had this sweet baby 2 weeks after we moved :)

worked on the house a little more

finished the house set up...for now

and rode in a parade :)

These are just a few random highlights of 2011.

It was full of good things...really full!

I'm so thankful to the Lord for this wonderful year.

I'm excited to see what He has in store for us in this new year!

Happy New Year!

Enjoy!

popsicles

2011-12-31T21:18:00.000-08:00

Ok, random timing for popsicles :/ but I had to share.

I live in Los Angeles. And since sometimes in the middle of winter we have lovely 75 degree days...like today. It's the perfect day to make popsicles :) I often keep these in our freezer for way easy healthy snacks!

It's another not really a recipe recipes. I've got 3 little munchkins these days...as you can tell my recipes on the blog are getting quite ghetto!

Just freeze green smoothies into small dixie cups with large tooth picks inserted in the middle the sticks! Pop in the freezer for a few hours and ta da! Peel the cup off and you've got healthy "green popsicles".

The ones in the pic above are made with Greens berry mix, bananas, orange juice and ice....

but you can do them the Sneaky Spinach way too!

Enjoy!

Happy Birthday Boys!

2011-12-29T22:08:00.000-08:00

Since Hud and Ford's birthday's are so close, we decided to do a joint party. I knew it was going to be a busy season and time, and knew we'd have a full house of company here, but I wanted to do something for them. Those December birthdays can sometimes get a little passed over :/ and didn't want to do that.

hud and aunt mary

me and my snuggly fordy

We had a fun breakfast party with about 35 people. The morning was pretty cold but still nice for the kids to run around in the yard and for us all to sit outside. These days I've really had to try to not over do it . I can't quite pull off all I dream about doing and am learning to be ok with that. The kids don't really care anyways about a million little details, if you've got a donut and a yard, you've got a party :)

michelle and weston

Leiah, Claire and Sophia

melissa and cade

kacie enjoying her cupcake :)

hot wheels party favors :)

hudson and his lovely assistant

hud enjoying a fun new toy

Fordy enjoying a delish cupcake :)

I think the boys really had a fun time. They loved having 4 of their grandparents here and lot's of uncles and an aunt here to celebrate with them. Most of their buddies were able to make it and they were excited to play with them!

Thanks to the Brannon family who helped me prep, I appreciated all your help! And thanks to Jill for taking these pics, I wouldn't have had any pics if she wouldn't have grabbed my camera and shot these!

We enjoyed a fun time, and were reminded of the Lords goodness to us blessing us with these awesome little boys. I love them so much and am so grateful to be their momma.
Thankful for everyday of their lives,

I love my husband :)

2011-12-20T23:04:00.000-08:00

I love my husband so much. I heard this song tonight and was reminded how much I love him.

When the writer describes the dancing in the "mine fields" all I could think of was our first year of marriage.

In our first year of marriage we lost our baby, Olivia , which was quite an unexpected "mine".
But it is so true, the Lord carried us through, and gave us each other to go through it together. And as the years have gone on, there have always been tests and trials, some big and some small. But I thank the Lord for the gift Chad to me, and can't imagine "dancing in the mine fields" with anyone else.

This song is so true and so sweet. Maybe it will encourage you and make you love your husband more too :) It's probably playing on the play list right now, but if not, listen here...

Also wives, I read this article this week.
5-ways-wives-can-encourage-their-husbands.
So good!

We can never stop learning how to be better wives! This article was convicting and encouraging.

Check it out :)

Enjoy,

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-20T20:33:00.000-08:00

I thought we'd share our Christmas card.

To our family, friends and blog friends, Merry Christmas!

Thanks for reading our random little blog this year!

May this season be focussed on Christ.

And may our hearts be filled with gratitude as we reflect on His mercy and goodness to us!

Much love!

Carly and the boys...

And of course, thank you Emma our family photographer :)

We love you, you rock!

Seriously, this gal is amazing! Check her out @ {emmaleigh} PHOTOGRAPHY

super sweet

2011-12-15T23:01:00.000-08:00

Here's an awesome video of our dear friends Victoria and Jason's wedding.

It was one of the sweetest weddings I have ever been a part of.

It's such fun wedding video, I had to share it.

Grab your kleenex!

Love you guys! So fun to be apart of your special day!

Enjoy,

instagram recents...

2011-12-12T23:29:00.000-08:00

I'm an Instagram fan. It so easily and quickly captures life.

Here's a few pics of this past week's random adventures from the eyes of Instagram :)

I walk by this photo all day long in the hallway to my room. It reminds me to slow down and enjoy these little boys. Because they are fifty times bigger than they were in this picture, and I took it five minutes ago :)

The sweetest thing ever!

The crazy guest room. The room is crazy, not the guests :)

Melissa Matthews did my make up for a photo shoot with {emmaleigh} last week. I wish I could wake up and have her do my make up every day. That would be fabulous :)

I made this frame wrapped in twine last year as a pottery barn copy. I love getting the mail this time of year, in a week or so this thing will be over flowing with wonderful people we love. I'm quite a fan of Christmas cards... ours are coming, they're just a we bit late this year :)

The Mart and I have seen each other a lot this week. Enjoying my time working on a new project.

The newest member of the Incredibles, Tuck.

My new stacking thing. Ok, it's not mine at all, everyone's doing it, but I like it. :)

My house just doubled with little boys! There's 6 little boys in my house this week. Hud and Ford are having the time of their lives. So fun.

Have a wonderful day,
Enjoy!

Sneaky Spinach Smoothies

2011-12-12T21:33:00.000-08:00

Ok, I'm MIA again. This season is busy. Super busy. We had some dear friends in town over the weekend and now have out of state family in town for the next week! The boys birthdays are coming up, so planning and parties. I just started a new design project, to which lot's of my creative juice has been flowing :) So I just haven't had much time to blog... Lot's to post about, just need the time to do it :)

So now that I've given you all my excuses, I'll share a new favorite recipe. Sneaky Spinach Smoothies! It's our new breakfast thing, so easy, so healthy, so tasty :) If you're feeling blah from too many christmas treats, whip one of these up, do 100 jumping jacks and you'll be feeling great in no time :)

1 frozen banana

1 1/2 cup of frozen fruit

3-4 cups fresh organic spinach

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes

orange juice (fill blender 1/2-3/4 way full)

Blend in blender until smooth, Enjoy!

Have a wonderful week,

(photo cred. 52kitchenadventures.com)

bath time

2011-12-02T00:30:00.000-08:00

These are blurry and the light is weird, but they're sweet so I thought I'd still post them :)

Happy Friday!

parade day :)

2011-11-30T23:52:00.000-08:00

The parade was actually the reason we ended up in TX for Thanksgiving. Chad was asked to be the Grand Marshall of the City of Tomball's Annual Parade. Who can say they were asked to be the grand marshall of a parade!?

Here's a really kind article the Tribune did...

Brannon home from Hollywood to marshal Tomball Holiday Parade

He was honored to do it! We started the day off with a yum breakfast with the Chamber Members and local State Reps. and then headed down to Main St! We were thrilled to see that our "Car" was actually the Wells Fargo Stage Coach!? So we all got to ride with him. He rode on top and we rode below in the coach. It was a blast and the boy's had so much fun. What a cool experience! The Tomball Chamber of Commerce was so hospitable and treated us like royalty! A special thanks to Bruce for taking care of us! We concluded the parade with Chad's family for lunch at the one and only Goodson's Cafe. Talk about some good eats, this place is the best!

We definitely enjoyed our time !

And I had to sneak in a pic of my fave float :)... the cloggers!.....amazing:)

deep in the heart of texas...

2011-11-30T00:34:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful trip to Houston.

There are so many fun pics I don't know where to begin!?

I'll start with these randoms! More to come,

Joy the Baker :)

2011-11-28T22:57:00.000-08:00

Joy was a great client for years at my boutique, Carly Jean.

I knew Joy was a baker, but I didn't realize she was Joy the Baker

She was super modest about how fabulous of a baker she was :) It took me a while to figure it out!

I knew she was a cool gal, you could obviously see she was sweet, creative and had a charming personality. And I do recall her mentioning she had a blog....but I wasn't until last year I randomly stumbled across her blog while hunting for a recipe!? I must say the blog name made me curious, could this be? I had to find a picture to see if this was Joy. My client Joy?.... Joy? No way?! Too cool!?

Her blog is wonderful, just wonderful! She's so talented and her recipes are amazing. I was so impressed by her down to earth writing and incredible talent at making you feel like you're right there having a conversation with her, and she's funny...really funny! If you haven't read her blog before you must check it out, I'm sure you'll be hooked!

All this to say, Joy's 1st book will be coming out soon. I just saw it announced on her blog and though I'd share it here too. Go buy one, it's a fabulous gift! It's under $13 if you pre-order on Amazon!

Joy you rock! Thanks for sharing your fabulous food! You are such an awesome gal. I miss seeing you in the shop :) Much love,

(photo cred: Joy the Baker —)

MIA

2011-11-28T13:16:00.000-08:00

I've been MIA for the past few weeks visiting family for Thanksgiving. We just got home and are getting back in to the swing of things. I caught a lovely stomach flu on the trip home, nice way to loose the lb.'s I'm sure I packed on eating all that good TX food:) Once I have a chance to catch up, I'll post some pics of our adventures!

In the mean time I read this post Material World on my friend Julie Gebhard's blog, and was so challenged by her post, thought I'd share it her too! Thanks Julie!

Enjoy your week,

a wonderful reminder

2011-11-16T13:04:00.000-08:00

A friend emailed me this quote this morning and it was such a sweet reminder to me.

"What if, sometimes, there are mists and fogs so thick that I cannot see the path? ‘

Tis enough that You hold my hand, and guide me in the darkness;

for walking with You in the gloom–is far sweeter and safer than walking alone in the sunlight!

Dear Lord, give me grace to trust You wholly, whatever may befall;

yielding myself up to Your leading, and leaning hard on You when “dangers are in the path.

” Your way for me has been marked out from all eternity, and it leads directly to Yourself and home!"

~Susannah Spurgeon

We all are going through tests and trials, some big and some small. I love this line,"for walking with You in the gloom-is far sweeter and safer than walking alone in the sunlight" It makes me thankful for the hope I have in Christ. It reminds me of Gods goodness to me in salvation alone. Nothing compares to Him.

enjoying hope in Jesus,

a few creative inspirations!

2011-11-14T11:34:00.000-08:00

Here's a few fun things I found Pinterest recently :)

just loved this Thanksgiving table

commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com

love

bhg.com

great feel!

bing.com

stuck it on here because it's just lovely :)

love this pretty room

marthastewart.com

and this one...

padgetthoke.blogspot.com

genius!

clementineandolive.blogspot.com

free printable antique sheet music wrapping paper!

printable.tipjunkie.com

great holiday cookie bag idea!

designspongeonline.com

simple and sweet, great diy gift idea

texascottage.blogspot.com

another cute gift idea

nicety.livejournal.com

super cute free printable tags!

jonesdesigncompany.com

doing this finger print tree today! for a kids craft!

styleunveiled.com

Enjoy!

C &C's Birthday/Christmas lists...

2011-11-10T22:39:00.000-08:00

So Chad and I did a little brainstorming too, here's what we came up with for our wish lists :)

Carly

White Marble Mortar and Pestle at Sur La Table

Larger size, Perfect for fresh herbs, dressings, pesto :)

Emile Henry White Butter Pot

at Sur La Table

Been wanting one of these for a long time!

Jamie's Food Revolution

Rediscover How to Cook Simple, Delicious, Affordable Meals

Love his recipe's and think this book would be awesome!!

Hear wonderful things about this book, really ant to read!

Loving the Little Years

Love her parenting book Give Them Grace, and heard this one is great too,

Because He Loves Me (Paperback Edition):

How Christ Transforms Our Daily Life by Elyse Fitzpatrick

Amazon.com Kai Body Lotion - 8 oz

My favorite!!

Love these fancy fabulous workout pants! AMAZING quality, last forever!!

Wunder Under Crop *reversible | women's crops |

Lululemon Athletica

Groove Pant (tall) | women's pants |

Lululemon Athletica

And of course Gift Cards to Nordstrom, Homegoods, TJ Maxx, or Amazon are always fun!!

Chad

Chad is probably one of the hardest people in the world to buy for?!

But at least I got 3 things he said he would really enjoy!

I'll have to do some hunting and add some to his list :)

One You Need

New CD by Shane & Shane

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

Business Stripped Bare: Adventures of a Global Entrepreneur

Richard Branson: Books

And of course gift cards to Nordstrom, Starbucks or Amazon are always very useful! :)

Birthday/Christmas Wish List :)

2011-11-10T00:43:00.000-08:00

So this is kinda random, but I always love hearing people's Christmas lists! When asked "what would you like for Christmas?" I always have a hard time thinking of things on the spot that I or the boys really would want or need (strong language:) So this year I took a second to really think through what would be most useful! I'm sharing our random list, maybe it will remind you something useful you can add to yours?

Hudson

Bike

Adidas Navy/White Kids' Samoa Leather ( size 12):

I never feel bad spending a little bit on his shoes because they get passed down twice!

Boy's accessories - ties & bow ties - Boys' Bear Canyon flannel tie -

Boy's pants - denim - Boys' vintage slim-fit stretch denim jean - J.Crew Size 5

Boy's shoes - boots - Kids' suede MacAlister boots - J.Crew Size 12

Boys' Shirts - Boys' Graphic T Shirts, Hoodies & Polos - Boys' Knits & Tees - J.Crew

Spider Man gear (his special request): red boots, mask, and web spinners :)

Spider-Man Comic Gloves

Kids Spiderman Boot Covers
Spiderman web blasters....
Spiderman mask

H&M slim leg pants size 4/5:

(in store)

H&M cable knit sweater with elbow patch

(in-store 4/5)

Tie/ Suspenders

Boys Black and Gray Retro Tie Available in by sleepyowlboutique

H&M plaid shirts or really any shirts from H&M :)

(in store 4/5)

Transformers Playskool Action Toys
Playskool Transformers Rescue Bot - Optimus Prime - Hasbro - Toys "R" Us

youth soccer ball and cones

Amazon.com: Competition 1000 Comet Soccer Ball - Size 4 - Youth League: Sports & Outdoors

Ford
Cars 2 Movie!

Tiny Toms in gray :)

Tricycle

Transformers Playskool Action Figure
Transformers Toys, Action Figures, Games - Toys"R"Us

Tie/Suspenders

Brown and white gingham little boys tie Ready by sleepyowlboutique

Play-Doh: Rollers and Cutters

Walking with the Wise CD

Super cute bow ties :)

Tucker
Tiny TOMS - in gray :)

ERGObaby Original Baby Carrier - Free Shipping at REI.com

Humidifier

Humidifier at Target

Boys Shareables

small trampoline

JumpPOD Preview 48" Dolphin Bouncer

LA Zoo Membership (renewal)

Membership - Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens

Pasedena Kidspace Museum Membership

Kidspace Children's Museum: Kidspace Children's Museum: Individual Membership Information

Enjoy the randomness,

Cj :)

Pennsylvania Dutch Apple Dumplings

2011-11-09T13:05:00.000-08:00

As I flipped through the Williams-Sonoma catalogue I got in the mail today, I came across this yum recipe! These look relatively easy to make and sound so tasty. What a great thanksgiving dessert!

MacGregor Mann, sous chef at Amada restaurant in Philadelphia, created these apple dumplings, which make an inspired dessert for autumn gatherings and holiday meals.

Ingredients:

For the dough:

2 tsp. fine sea salt
2/3 cup ice-cold water
5 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
4 sticks unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes

For the apples:

4 honeycrisp apples, each 6 to 8 oz.
1/4 cup plus 1 Tbs. firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. kosher salt
12 Tbs. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 tsp. water
Warmed cream for serving (optional)
Caramel sauce for serving (optional)

Directions:

To make the dough, in a small bowl, dissolve the salt in the water. In a food processor, pulse together the flour and baking powder until combined. Add the chilled butter pieces and process until the butter resembles the size of small peas. Gradually drizzle in the ice water mixture, pulsing to combine. Remove the dough from the food processor. Divide the dough into 2 balls and flatten each into a disk. Wrap separately with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.

Preheat an oven to 350°F.To prepare the apples, peel and core each apple, then cut each apple in half crosswise. In a bowl, stir together the brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Rub each apple evenly with the sugar mixture. Combine the remaining sugar mix with the butter and set aside.Remove 1 dough disk from the refrigerator and let stand for 5 minutes. Divide the disk into 4 equal pieces. Working in batches, on a floured surface, roll out a piece of dough 1/8 inch thick and about 8 inches square. Place an apple half, cut side down, in the center of the dough square and fill the core with some of the reserved butter-sugar mixture. Pull the dough around the apple to create a beggar’s purse and gently tie the corners together with butcher’s twine. Repeat the process with the remaining dough and apple halves.Transfer the wrapped apples to a parchment-lined baking sheet and brush the dough with the egg mixture. Bake until the dough is golden brown and cooked through, about 25 minutes. Remove the apple dumplings from the oven and let cool slightly. Serve with warmed cream and caramel sauce.

Serves 8.Recipe by Chef MacGregor Mann, Amada, Philadephia.

in love...

2011-11-04T23:41:00.000-07:00

Hud is so in love with this baby.

Today he asked me if I could have some more babies, some more brothers and a sister :)

Not sure if thats going to happen anytime soon, but loved that he enjoys his brothers a lot!

Have a great weekend,

MOMS Club of Tarzana Charity Garage Sale!

2011-11-04T15:37:00.000-07:00

I recently became a member of the MOMS club of Tarzana and am involved in this fun event!

If you are a mom, pregnant or have friends with little ones, this sale is for you!

MOMS Club of Tarzana

is having a charity garage sale!

7-11 Saturday morning

November 5th 2011

5121 Vanalden Ave. Tarzana CA 91356

There's a huge assortment of barely used baby and kids goods!

-baby/ kids girl and boy clothes!

-shoes

-bouncers

-swings

-blankets

-baby gear: nursing covers, bibs, etc.

-toys

-men and women's clothing

-housewares

-kids books, cook books, books, etc.

-smaller furniture, frames, mirrors

There will also be baked goods and Starbucks coffee for sale! :)

Hope to see you there, Enjoy!

(just a reminder, the earlier the better, the great stuff goes quick!)

Tapia Brothers

2011-11-03T17:47:00.000-07:00

A few pics from our visit to our local Tapia Bros Farm.

Enjoying this lovely fall,

change your life chicken

2011-11-03T01:03:00.000-07:00

Ok, maybe I'm exaggerating a bit?!

But this chicken recipe really has made my life much easier!

It's probably the easiest chicken recipe in the world! It's now being made once a week in our house.

Throw it in the crock pot and go! Great for busy days!

2-3 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 large roasting chicken
1 cup chopped onions (optional)*For extra flavor you can stuff with a cut lemon, handful of fresh herbs, and head of garlic cut in half.And add any additional seasonings or spices!

Remove any giblets from chicken and clean chicken. Rub spice mixture onto the chicken. Put chopped onion in bottom of crock pot. Add chicken. No liquid is needed, the chicken will make it's own juices. Cook on low 4-6 hours.

Last week I made this and got 3 meals out of it!! How's that for convenient?!

1.The first night we ate it as is, just roasted chicken with some steamed veggies and a spinach salad.

2.The second night I used the broth that was left over and 1/2 the left over meat to make a yum homemade chicken noodle soup (recipe coming :).

3.The third night I used the other half of the chicken to make chicken enchiladas!

Enjoying dinner being made while I'm away or doing something else!

CJ

P.S.: Pavilions has Foster Farms Chicken on sale for .68 cents a pound this week! (through Sunday!) Thats a huge antibiotic free chicken for $3-4 ! I always stock up and freeze the extras when they are at this price!

happy happy joy joy

2011-10-26T21:54:00.000-07:00

Enjoying this very happy baby today :)

No-Bake Energy Bites

2011-10-20T00:06:00.000-07:00

These are delicious.

You should make them .

I made them today and they were pretty rocking.

No-Bake Energy Bites
1 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter)
1/3 cup honey
1 cup coconut flakes
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla
Mix everything above in a medium bowl until thoroughly incorporated. Let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour. Once chilled, roll into balls and enjoy! Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

P.S. I didn't have coconut flakes in my pantry so I subbed it for 1/2 cup raisins, 1/4 coconut oil and 1/4 cup Trader Joes Pumpkin Butter, it was delish!

They reminded me a lot of these...
brannonpeople...the blog: Granola Bars :)

The recipe is from this cute blog...

Smashed Peas and Carrots

Thanks Maggie for the yummy recipe!
My boys and I are enjoying them right now.
Cj

simple fall decor...

2011-10-18T22:41:00.000-07:00

I don't even know if this qualifies as fall decor, but I thought I'd share some super simple fall things around here...

super simple text printed and layered onto scrap paper...

I repurposed these from last years project ...simple fall banner

I cut a few strips off a large burlap piece to make, burlap ribbon, and tied it around all my vases, candle hurricanes and orchid urns...

I dried these flowers from my friend Victorias's wedding a few weeks ago and they kept their color beautifully, I thought they looked fallish, so I stuck them in a few vintage pitchers...

Our house smells like this :) That's pretty much all you need for it to feel like fall!

Simple branches from the yard...

And my favorite fall bargain of all definitely falls in the ghetto fabulous category.....

$1 pumpkins from the dollar store?! I couldn't believe it, there was a huge bin of fab big pumpkins

Quite the deal! The total for my fall decor was a whopping $2 :) How's that for budget friendly!

Enjoy,

protein pancakes

2011-10-17T22:17:00.000-07:00

Ok, I don't know if I am going to be able to communicate how excited I am about these things?!

Protein pancakes are our new favorite thing!! They are SO YUMMY and can be done a million different ways. My friend Melinda gave me this recipe after I told her my boys were bottomless pits and were always hungry?! It is a great way to "sneakily" get protein in and avoid them snacking on unsatisfying carbs. You can make them sweet or savory and they are not only for kids :) They taste like a crepe and a pancake hybrid and you would never guess they are mainly made of eggs and cottage cheese?! You just combine these ingredients in a blender and blend til smooth,

2 eggs

1/2 cup cottage cheese

1/4 cup flour (you can sub whole wheat or a wheat free version)

(you could also easily add a 1/4 cup pumpkin puree, or any fruit or veggie puree, or go sweet with coco powder, peanut butter, or chocolate chips :)

Pour into a well greased pan, and cook just like you would cook pancakes!

Flipping them over once one side is golden.

(Serves 2-3, or a mom and 2 kids ;) I doubled the recipe this morning to feed our whole fam)

This morning I added 3/4 of a banana to the mix and blended well, then used the remaining 1/4 to slice and serve on top with a drizzle of maple syrup :)

Delish!

Tomorrow we are going savory! I'm going to add spinach, mushrooms and feta to the mix! I'll let ya, know how it goes:)

Try these! I promise you'll enjoy

(image credit: epicurian.com)

The 100 Workout

2011-10-17T11:18:00.000-07:00

Alrighty, this thing is awesome! I found it on Pinterest and had to try it. It's quite the booty kicker!

Chad and I did this together this morning while the kids played and ran around us. I must admit it's pretty hard, and having a partner to do it with made it fun and motivating. But I will totally do this alone too, its easy to do anywhere. We ran laps in the back yard for the 10 min run, but you could do 10 min. of cardio inside if space is limited! This is totally going in the mix of my workouts!

I think you'll enjoy it too!

impromptu

2011-10-12T22:58:00.000-07:00

The Lord is good. Really good. I know that. Not only does His word say it, but I have seen it and experienced it. Sometimes its hard to see or understand His plans, and yet I know they are perfect and know they are for my good.

"For I know the Plans I have for you,"declares the Lord,"plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" Jeremiah 29:11

Chad got a call a few weeks ago letting him know that he would no longer be used on a ~~big~~ huge, really huge account that he was doing voice over for. We were left quite shocked and it took a few days for it to settle in. At this specific moment in time nothing crazy or dramatic is changing for us, but we are praying for a new account to come along to replace the last one and praying it comes soon.

Until then it's crazy frugal time. It has been a total perspective changer for me and allowed me to see everything in a new light. Not that we are like"yay! chad lost a huge job!" but we see the Lords hand in even the test of our trust in Him. It's given me a better perspective of His incredible blessings that He has so graciously given us to be faithful stewards of. This trial is making me thankful, and this test continues to challenge my soul and make me more thankful. There are still moments of fear or times my heart feels weary and overwhelmed, but I know the Lord knows every detail. And He hasn't given me or Chad anymore than we can handle. We are praying for peace, wisdom, and work! I am so thankful for Chad. His leadership, amazing work ethic, care for me, shepherding of me, patience, and sacrifice.

I'm thankful he loves and trusts the Lord.

What an intro to some pictures of our impromptu beach trip?! :) All that to say, We needed some time to just be together and enjoy each other in this busy time, a little afternoon vacation. We had both finished up our projects for the day and Monday afternoon was really the only family time we were going to have until next Saturday. Chad's week is super full and I had a bunch of stuff scheduled and needed to get the house ready for having guests this weekend.

Over lunch, we were randomly talking about Oprah and real-estate, and how she bought this crazy place in Monticito...and so on... (We are really random I know)... but as we were talking we thought Montecito!...Santa Barbara!...it's only an hour and a half away!?...let's go find it! So off to find Oprah's Monticito mansion we went!

(this in't it, but isn't this a cool home)

We knew we probably wouldn't really find it :) but why not pack a picnic, go for a drive, get some fresh air, stick our toes in the sand, and an impromptu cruise around Montecito for the afternoon:)

And hey! I packed a picnic basket for dinner, so we didn't spend a dime!

We had the most wonderful time. Sweet time. Fun time. I think we hit a total of three parks that the boys played at, on our cruising adventure.

I love them so much. They are awesome :)

Not too shabby of a park location :)

this is how we roll :)

Thankful, Thankful for what the Lord has given to me :)
Enjoying some these blessings,
CJ

roasted asparagus soup

2011-10-12T00:18:00.000-07:00

A friend and I were trading ideas of real food/ clean food recipes and she told me about a recipe similar to this. She recommended this one because it doesn't cost much to make and its super nutritious! I found this Roasted Asparagus Soup @ the FatFree Vegan Kitchen and it is delish! Asparagus is on the Clean Fifteen list and it was on sale at Pavillions, $1.69 a pound, so I had to make it! The soup cost about $5 to make :) and made a huge amount! I served it with Ina's Roasted Chicken sliced over a bed of organic baby greens.

Recipe: Roasted Asparagus Soup

Ingredients

2 pounds asparagus, ends trimmed
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 small onion, sliced
2 cups warm vegetable broth or “no-chicken” broth
1/2 ounce raw cashews (1 heaping tablespoon) or 1 tablespoon cashew butter
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
salt to taste
grated peel of 1/2 lemon or orange

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450F. Place the asparagus spears on a baking sheet lined with a silicone liner or parchment paper. Roast for 10 minutes. Turn asparagus and sprinkle the onion and garlic over it. Roast for about 10 more minutes, until asparagus is very tender. If anything looks like it’s browning too much, take it out. (Important Note: These directions are for thicker asparagus. Thin asparagus may take much less time so start with 6 minutes, turn and add onions and garlic, and check again in 5.)
While the asparagus is roasting, blend 1/2 cup of the broth with the cashews and pepper until smooth. Leave it in the blender.
When the asparagus is done, select several of the best-looking spears, remove the tops, and set aside to use as garnish. Cut the remaining asparagus into pieces and put it and the onion and garlic into the blender, along with the remaining broth. Cover the blender and blend on high until perfectly smooth.
If you’re using a Vita-Mix, you can blend it on high for a few more minutes until piping hot (remove the center cup and cover with a kitchen towel to allow steam to escape). Otherwise, pour the soup into a saucepan and heat until hot, stirring frequently. Add salt, if needed, to taste.
Pour into bowls and sprinkle with grated lemon or orange peel. Garnish each bowl with the reserved asparagus spears and serve hot.

Enjoy!

Preparation time: 5 minute(s) | Cooking time: 25 minute(s)

one more look alike...

2011-10-10T20:01:00.000-07:00

This is baby hud, last week.

Ok, not last week but it feels like it!

I can't get over how much tuck looks like him.

It's mini Hud :)

Enjoying these fabulous babies,

sneaky toy organizer....

2011-10-09T22:57:00.000-07:00

I had been hunting for quite a while to find a "sneaky" toy organizer, or in other words something not totally cheesy and ugly! I want toys in our house don't get me wrong, but I can't hang with the toys taking over the house or every room being consumed with kid stuff! I wanted the den to serve as a play room too, but wanted to be able to disguise the room to look more adult than kiddo. I was going for...

Play room by day, Parents hang space by night :)

I was thrilled to find this bargain of a solution, EXPEDIT @ Ikea! We absolutely love it! The baskets are the PJÄS Basket, also from Ikea. They're super sturdy and fit a great amount of toys. They were more than I normally would want to spend for a basket and we had to buy 8 :/ but they fit perfect and looked the best! I added labels for the boys to keep them organized and sorted out, and overall they stick to them pretty well. On one side is the written word of the contents and the other is a little picture :) Also If we want to bring blocks or cars for example to another part of the house, the baskets allow us to take the toys anywhere!

If your'e looking for a toy solution, this thing is fab!

Enjoying the toys off the floor and in their own place,

Real Food for Less: Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen

2011-10-09T00:11:00.000-07:00

I've been closely watching our grocery budget recently and have been trying to find ways to cut costs. The challenge is eating "real", fresh, organic, good for us food, for a little bit of money. Not the easiest thing in the world to do! But I'm going to figure this one out! I'm on a mission to feed my family real food for less.

Knowing the Clean 15, what we don't necessarily have to buy organic can help save lots if on a budget! And knowing the Dirty Dozen can help us to know what to just skip or where it's worth it to splurge on organic :)

"In a perfect world, all produce would be grown organically and we wouldn’t have to worry about consuming pesticides or other chemicals. Since it isn’t a perfect world, here is the most recent Environmental Working Group’s report on the most contaminated produce, know as the Dirty Dozen, and the least contaminated fruits and vegetables, referred to as the Clean 15.

Picking and choosing organic produce

Though organic varieties of most fruits and vegetables are available, not everyone has access to them or can afford to follow a 100 percent organic diet. Experts recommend that if you can’t buy all organic fruits and vegetables, to at least buy organic when it comes to the Dirty Dozen, and be less concerned about organic fruits and vegetables on the Clean 15 list." Dirty Dozen (Buy these organic)

The Dirty Dozen fruits and vegetables have the highest pesticides residue, based on data compiled by the United States Department of Agriculture.

Apples
Celery
Strawberries
Peaches
Spinach
Nectarines (imported)
Grapes (imported)
Sweet bell peppers
Potatoes
Blueberries (domestic)
Lettuce
Kale/collard greens

Clean 15 (Lowest in pesticides)

The Clean 15 contain the least pesticide residue, meaning if budget or availability is an obstacle to buying organic, you can buy conventionally grown varieties of these fruits and vegetables.

Onions
Sweet corn
Pineapples
Avocado
Asparagus
Sweet peas
Mangoes
Eggplant
Cantaloupe (domestic)
Kiwi
Cabbage
Watermelon
Sweet potatoes
Grapefruit
Mushrooms

Enjoy!

Psalm 139

2011-10-08T08:41:00.000-07:00

A reminder to me this morning of Gods love and sovereignty...

Psalm 139

¹ You have searched me, LORD,
   and you know me.
² You know when I sit and when I rise;
   you perceive my thoughts from afar.
³ You discern my going out and my lying down;
   you are familiar with all my ways.
⁴ Before a word is on my tongue
   you, LORD, know it completely.
⁵ You hem me in behind and before,
   and you lay your hand upon me.
⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
   too lofty for me to attain.

⁷ Where can I go from your Spirit?
   Where can I flee from your presence?
⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
   if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
   if I settle on the far side of the sea,
¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me,
   your right hand will hold me fast.
¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
   and the light become night around me,”
¹² even the darkness will not be dark to you;
   the night will shine like the day,
   for darkness is as light to you.

¹³ For you created my inmost being;
   you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
   your works are wonderful,
   I know that full well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
   when I was made in the secret place,
   when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed body;
   all the days ordained for me were written in your book
   before one of them came to be.
¹⁷ How precious to me are your thoughts,^[a] God!
   How vast is the sum of them!
¹⁸ Were I to count them,
   they would outnumber the grains of sand—
   when I awake, I am still with you.

¹⁹ If only you, God, would slay the wicked!
   Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty!
²⁰ They speak of you with evil intent;
   your adversaries misuse your name.
²¹ Do I not hate those who hate you, LORD,
   and abhor those who are in rebellion against you?
²² I have nothing but hatred for them;
   I count them my enemies.
²³ Search me, God, and know my heart;
   test me and know my anxious thoughts.
²⁴ See if there is any offensive way in me,
   and lead me in the way everlasting.

look alike

2011-10-07T20:32:00.000-07:00

Hud

Fordy

Tuck

um, yeah...i think they look alike :)

House Week: Office/Guest Room

2011-10-03T00:53:00.000-07:00

We only purchased 2 pieces of furniture when we moved here, one being this chocolate sofa/bed.

It has worked great for seating in the office/craft room and easily turned the space into a cozy room for guests!

i just love these colorful curtains

this whole vignette above needs some love! the bench and desk will be an upcoming projects!

(just to show how it opens to the courtyard patio :)

I'll wrap this house thing up soon :)

Have a great week!

helper

2011-10-01T21:10:00.000-07:00

Ford was helping me make Tuck's bed, quite a cute helper he is :)

Have a wonderful weekend!

House Week: Don't be frightened!

2011-09-30T23:39:00.000-07:00

I don't really know what this house week is but I'm going with it! :)

Ok, this is really scary. Remember the craft closet...
from this post Just do it!?!
Well this is maybe scarier :/ eek!

We moved to this house in mid May and I had Tucker June 6th, after all the baby adventures and then trying to unpack, settle in to a new home, recover from c-section, figure out life with 3 little ones, ministry, and plenty more....this was the last place to really get dealt with. Other areas were of much higher priority to organize than my closet and so it became the great abyss! Half the closet wasn't even out of boxes! So, it was finally time! Chad had a busy week last week and was gone a few evenings, perfect time to tear this thing apart while the boys were asleep and the house was quiet!

This is the before pic. Ahhh! Yes, I know, quite frightening :/

But there was hope for this disaster of a space...

I emptied the space entirely, and started new. Only things that were in good shape and were things I really loved and wore went back in. I didn't spend a dime on organizing stuff, I just used what I already had and a actually found a few hanging organizers I had bought a while back, but were never used!

These ROCK! I hung most my jewelry in these and put one on Chads closet door for his small stuff like watches and cuff links, etc. I grabbed them at Target a while back for around $7?! Well worth it!
( and that is Chad my super hot project buddy holding the organizer, I don't have man hands, just in case you were wondering :)

These are great if you have a small space! They really do help maximize hanging space and allowed me to easily hang pants and skirts together.

Shoe boxes were the ghetto but fabulous drawer organizers for the dressers :), the pics won't upload for some reason?

Here's the end result to our closet makeovers...

oh my goodness, there's a floor!

these ikea kitchen bars work great for necklaces!

BYGEL Rail - 21 ¾ " - IKEA @ $1.99 a piece!

Beat that Container Store, you'd charge me $20!

this side got a little make over too :)

I am now loving this space! It's crazy how enjoyable it is to have things organized!

And after getting rid of half my closet I feel like I actually have way more options, because I can find things!

I love this quote, such a great reminder to me!

Procrastination:

No unwelcome tasks become any the less unwelcome by putting them off till tomorrow. It is only when they are behind us and done, that we begin to find that there is a sweetness to be tasted afterwards, and that the remembrance of unwelcome duties unhesitatingly done is welcome and pleasant. Accomplished, they are full of blessing, and there is a smile on their faces as they leave us. Undone, they stand threatening and disturbing our tranquility, and hindering our communion with God. If there be lying before you any bit of work from which you shrink, go straight up to it, and do it at once. The only way to get rid of it is to do it.

-Alexander MacLaren (1826–1910), Scottish preacher

Have a great weekend!

Oh, yeah! All this to say, There's now a garage full of clothing rolling racks and house goodies so...

If you see this by then, Garage Sale tomorrow morning!

Saturday October 1st, 7a.m.-11.a.m :)

House Week: Den/Dining/Living Room

2011-09-30T00:16:00.000-07:00

Ok, these pictures aren't the greatest :/ and are very impromptu, like Hud on the couch :)

But at least document the latest on the house?!

Enjoy,

fordy

2011-09-28T23:25:00.000-07:00

Oh Fordy.

I want to go wake you up right now as I'm going through these photos...just to squeeze you :)

You are just the squishiest little thing.

I'm enjoying watching your wonderful personality come out

and having so much fun watching you grow into a little man.

I love you so much sweet boy,

Momma

house week: Kitchen & Baths

2011-09-28T15:36:00.000-07:00

These aren't super exciting, but I thought I'd share anyway...It being house week and all :)

breakfast nook off kitchen

this is the tiny guest bath + shower,

Master Bath

don't you just love that fab 80's bulb light fixture :)

I want to frame that mirror, and put a pendant light in the ceiling someday!

teal mirror facelift

2011-09-27T07:36:00.000-07:00

I bought this mirror at a yard sale from a cool 1920's house in the "college hill's" area of Glendale. (a great neighborhood for antiques) It was in great shape so I thought I'd just leave it in it's original wood state. But after I hung it on the wall in a few different spots, it just felt too old lady looking! It needed a little facelift!

This is my secret product...It works like a charm, I cover everything in this :)

Rustoleum Satin Aqua

After 1/2 a can spray paint, this thing was spunky in no time! I sprayed it and let it dry over night. The next morning, I took some 120 grit sand paper and just quickly gave it a fast scrub (especially on the detailed carved parts). These are my kind of projects, quick and super easy!

Enjoy! CJ

big guy :)

2011-09-26T21:23:00.000-07:00

This guy is just the sweetest thing. So snugly and smiley.

Enjoying every minute of this delicious chub man.

house week: boys room

2011-09-26T08:38:00.000-07:00

( and yes, Fords napping :)

house week: Master

2011-09-25T22:21:00.000-07:00

I haven't' posted house pics in a while, so I thought I'd post some this week!

Here's the latest of the Master :)

Always a work in progress, enjoying the process!

3 little boys

2011-09-23T07:47:00.000-07:00

Enjoying these 3 little boys :)

Have a wonderful weekend!

too easy pumpkin cake

2011-09-21T09:15:00.000-07:00

So this recipe is so easy I don't even know if I can call it a recipe?!

I found a ton of versions of this, some adding an egg or two. some adding sugar or cinnamon, which all may be yummy to add. But I made mine with these two ingredients alone! For a super quick fall dessert, it was pretty tasty!

Just mix a box if spice cake mix with a 16.0z can of pumpkin in a bowl. Then pour into a well greased 9X13 baking dish (or 2 round) and bake @ 350 for 25-30 minutes!

Frost with cream cheese frosting or slice and add a dollop of whip cream! If you're a nut fan, chopped walnuts on top are delish!

Enjoying Fall!

(photo cred, cookinglight.com)

Maggie Grace's Shower

2011-09-20T20:33:00.000-07:00

This is Maggie's momma, Ashley!

This was tied in the moss wreath on the front door, so no one had to stand there and knock :)

We enjoyed a yummy brunch on the patio, September weather is wonderful here!

This handmade yellow and white stripe bunting was hung everywhere...

She gave me a good list of her favorite breakfast foods, and Cinnamon Life happened to be on the list.

I thought little bowls of cereal would be fun!?

My mom and I designed all the printed paper decor. Ashley's colors were Grey and Yellow with a pop of white and teal!

Chad and I painted the entry way hall in these grey and white stripes about a week before, which just so happened to go wonderfully with the shower colors :)

I used my own glass plates and glasses, which always looks nice and costs less than paper goods!

I had so many gals offer to help with food, which was amazingly helpful!

And it does not hurt having friends who are wonderful cooks! :)

_________________

Orange Juice

Coffee/Tea

Fresh Fruit

Spinach Egg Casserole

Tomato and Green Chile Egg Casserole

Pesto Mini Frittatas

Cheese Hashbrowns

Cinnamon Life :)

Chocolate Chip Scones

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

My florist friend Crystal, brought the lovely yellow flowers to give the tables some life :)

It was so fun to throw this shower! Thanks to the gals who helped! Looking forward to meeting baby Maggie Grace soon!

Enjoy,

baby shower sneak peak

2011-09-17T22:32:00.000-07:00

So much...

2011-09-17T21:17:00.000-07:00

Forgive me for my lack of blogging. There's just so much to catch up on! We've ben busy, like super busy...so we have lot's of adventures to tell about and projects we've been doing, hence no posts! Heres a little randomness until I can sit down for more than 2 minutes ;)
lots of posts coming soon... Stay tuned.
Enjoy the instagram update for now :)

still summer :)

2011-09-05T21:09:00.000-07:00

It's still warm, and my guys are still little. September will mean school someday, but not today :)

Enjoying these sweet afternoons,

stud muffin :)

2011-08-23T23:43:00.000-07:00

This guy is amazing.

Enjoying every moment of this stud muffin and his muffin.

the ranch...

2011-08-23T23:11:00.000-07:00

My friend of many many years is getting married this weekend. She and her fiancé are getting married at a beautiful avocado ranch in Moorpark, CA. We went there this weekend to scope it out and prep for the upcoming weekend! The boys had a blast!

Here's a few pics :)

best friends

2011-08-11T23:05:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love these pics of Hud and Ford. So fun. So silly. So sweet. They really are best friends. They love each other so much and enjoy each others company. Thankful for these sweet blessings. Enjoying them so much,

photo cred: {emmaleigh} PHOTOGRAPHY

living room...

2011-08-11T08:07:00.000-07:00

I haven't really posted any house pics since we've moved!

Here's a few of our living room! Please forgive the terrible lighting!!

pinterest :)

2011-08-10T21:52:00.000-07:00

I love Pinterest .
It's quite wonderful. If you haven't already heard of it....
It's a fab website that allows you to make online pin boards, to help you keep track of anything from interior design ideas to fashion to recipes. Here's a link to my pin boards if you want to see my design inspirations and all things I would "DIY" if there were a billion more hours in my day :) You can follow me @

(carlyjean)
Enjoy!
Cj

Granola Bars :)

2011-08-08T21:48:00.000-07:00

A friend was looking for this recipe and couldn't find it on the blog! I posted these a while back but they got very lost on the blog roll and weren't easy to find!

They're so yummy that I thought I'd just post them again!

brannonpeople...the blog: our new favorite snack!

I need to go make another batch of these because they do not stick around this house for more than 24 hours! I've made 2 batches already this past week!

I am always looking for healthy, "real food" snacks for Hudson ( ok... and me :) So I asked my "gluten free/ wheat free" friend Lindsey if she had an new fun recipes. She recommended this is one. It is SO quick and easy to make and is a great alternative to store bought, junk bars!

Peanut Butter Granola Bars

1/2 cup of honey

2/3 cup of peanut butter

1 cup of oats (I used Bob's Red Mill GF rolled oats)

2 cups of rice krispy cereal (gluten free and low sugar)

raisins (however many you desire)

( I finely chopped a 1/2 cup of trail mix... yum! the nuts and hint of chocolate you can't go wrong with!)

Put the honey in a medium size pot and put it on low heat. Stir constantly. You want it to thin out and be melty but not to boil. When it gets to that point you can add in the peanut butter. Stir this until it gets really smooth. At that point turn of the heat and stir in your oats and rice cereal. Add the raisins or whatever dried fruit you would like. After everything is stirred together, lay out some parchment paper, dump everything out and form into a square. Let them harden up a little bit, cut them, put them in a storage container and put them in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!

welcome :)

2011-08-07T21:38:00.000-07:00

Blue it is!

We loved our old red door, but thought this new place needed something new! Our old house was a 1940's Traditional with much more formal details, the red worked well for it. This place is a mid-century ranch house with California coastal landscape, so we thought we'd embrace the coastal, beachy, ranch thing and went with this "tiffany"blue/turquoise color...

a bit crazy, maybe?

but I'm really enjoying it! :)

I'll post some more new house pic's this week...

"stay-cation"

2011-08-05T09:35:00.000-07:00

I really do think California is one of the most beautiful places on this earth. We've been on the coast and in the mountains all week, and it's all just so pretty. Maybe I'm a little bias, being from here and all :) But it really is beautiful! Where else can you ski and surf all in the same day?

Enough of my love for California...

Chad and I decided to have a little "stay-cation" this week. He was gone for 7 days last week, and we were needing some family hang time! Since he still had work we couldn't go too far, so we decided to stay around town and enjoy this super fun place we live! We've been enjoying the beautiful coast and adventuring out to new places and new restaurants around town. We also enjoyed the Camarillo Premium Outlets, that place has become quite the spot to shop! You name it they have it!

Also the rates at the "Brannon Hotel" are very reasonable this time of year :) It's kind of nice to be on vacation but still get to sleep in your own cozy bed!

Here's a few pics from our "stay-cation". Enjoying this lovely place! Cj

Nothing like a dancing monkey at the Santa Monica Pier :)

watching the waves coming in under the pier

Beautiful rooftop eating @ Santa Monica Place : Dining

If you haven't been here, you must go! Its awesome! Great place for a date or fun family outing!

Santa Monica Place has all been re-done. It now has great designer shops, Nordstrom, Bloomingdales and is kind of like a more modern Grove or Americana.

Thank you Mary for the amazing recommendation of

Sonoma Wine Garden, a fab roof top spot!

The food was amazing, atmosphere was so cool and the view was beautiful!

I'll take those lanterns for my patio :)

Live music and great lounge seating!

This was another day @ ZuMA BeACH :)

Enjoying our vacation :)

For Debra :)

2011-08-04T21:27:00.000-07:00

I got a comment asking about some info on The Getty Villa in Malibu. A few years ago I posted on a little day trip we did to the Villa, If anyone is looking for a wonderful summer activity this is a great one. I thought I'd just repost it since it had been almost 2 years ago!

Here's the post Debra :)

Brannonpeople...

the Getty Villa

And a few other links with helpful info:

Hours, Directions, Parking

Frequently Asked Questions

Enjoying seeing Hudson so little in those pics!

It looks like it's time to go again!
Cj

Tuck

2011-08-04T15:50:00.000-07:00

I'm back...

2011-08-03T21:57:00.000-07:00

Sorry for leaving you with the mirror measurements for a week! And also not posting that it has sold! Chad was gone for the week and I was home with the boys...I couldn't quite figure out how to squeeze in time for any posts. My hands were full :) but I did take a few pictures...

My mom and I worked in the yard for a few of the days, transplanting and adding in some new flowers. I came out of the house to find this little guy, just hanging out on the lounge. He grabbed a snack, climbed up and reclined, all by himself :)

here's our mid-way through planting mess, the after pics to come...

here's two little boys who shouldn't be climbing on the table to get oranges :)

and here's Tucker who is getting big!