My fall baking plan

Being a mom is not for wimps. I'm sure everyone on the planet knows this but it's worth saying just one more time. The tedium of naps and diapers evolves into homework, sports and trying to help these small humans grow into a decent adults. Trying to keep them on track with homework and helping them navigate life without overstepping; letting them find their own way is a job in itself. It's like a giant act sometimes when you try to stay cool while inside you're cringing, steaming or laughing. The laughing is the best part so it takes the sting away from the moments that are not so hot. 

The kids have been in school for a month and thankfully life is settling into a routine. Routine I like, routine the kids like. So the ripping out my hair crazy person last week has morphed into "let's do this" mom. I like her much better, she's definitely much nicer.So when life settles and I feel nice I bake things. Baking for me is relaxing, making dinner NOT relaxing. I wish we could eat these Chai Spiced Sugar cookies I plan on making for dinner. I think a balanced meal is highly overrated. 

{recipe and image from My Baking Addiction}

Want It :: Apple, Lemon and Gin Shandy

I know I can't be the only wife who's already over football season. It makes me feel a teeny bit unloyal to my Sun Devils but everything about it makes me feel a little meh. I saw these in the latest issue of Southern Living in the Tailgating feature and they sound yummy. Mommy likey. Maybe a couple of these before the game will make it seem a bit more exciting. 

Apple, Lemon and Gin Shandy

3 large Granny Smiths peeled and chopped

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons fresh shredded ginger

1/2 cup simple syrup

2 cups gin

1 (12 oz) bottle of chilled Pilsner beer or club soda

Garnish: Apple and Lemon slices

Puree apples, lemon juice, and ginger in a blender. Pour mixture through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a large pitcher, pressing to release juices; discard solids. Stir in Simple Syrup and gin. Chill 2 hours. Stir in chilled Pilsner beer or club soda. Serve over ice. Garnish, if desired

::via Southern Living, photography by Hector Sanchez::

Dress Up :: Fall On A Budget

So we're back and again it's been almost a week since I posted. Ah, Sunday the day of procrastination the perfect day for blogging. I had all sorts of good intentions of a Knock It Off post or maybe some cool Friday links last week but it wasn't to be. I had a runaway dog and a sick kid which of course all happened at the same time. Fun times I tell ya! So I thought we'd play dress up today with all items priced below $100. It's transitional time right now so even though it's still hot we want to pretend it's fall so I kept that in mind when I was playing dress up. 

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Mondays

Happy days people, it's been a rainy weekend in Phoenix. That's like your birthday, Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale and hot cocoa all rolled into one. We are crazy about our rainy days especially when they fall on the weekends. It gives us a pass to hang out, so this was me all weekend. Slug like, not pretty.

It's Monday the kids are at school and I'm ready for the week, kind of. I'm getting excited though because I know at some point it's going to cool off. Fall fever is almost in full effect, I'm dying for sweaters! Even though it's 107 out I'll still try to somehow manage a thin sweatshirt. I'm ready to do some baking but I hate making the house hot with the oven. Maybe I'll pull out some fallish items to make the house seem more cozy and charming, less like a sweat lodge (the unfortunate side effect of all the rain). 

What now?

When I glance at the side bar of my blog I realize that this little engine that could has been chugging along for almost six years. Holy shiz you guys, that is a long time! It's been at a standstill for the past couple of years for many reasons. It's tough being a day in and day out blogger, sometimes you feel inauthentic, sometimes people leave really mean comments, sites like Pinterest and Instagram make it quick to get an inspiration boost, it's a huge time suck, original content...it's a killer, life is hard/good/busy/etc. All of these reasons make it really challenging to stay on top of it. A few weeks ago I was at a family wedding and I was asked why I didn't blog anymore and the truth is a muddle of all of the above things. As my kids have gotten older the hamster wheel of baby and toddlerhood morphs into a completely new dynamic of parenting. The time where they're self sufficient, funny, smart and sassy but also becoming the person that they will always be, and for us it seemed as though it was a time that needed a little privacy. Time to grow as kids and as a family. That doesn't mean that I haven't missed writing, it just meant that I needed time to keep things a little closer to my heart. 

I used to read blogs that had a voice, ones that I could relate to. Not a clone of me but maybe someone who was more brave/scared, busy/bored or quiet/loud than myself. I miss that, reading and hearing an authentic voice. Getting the visual is easy, there are lots of imaged based sites (that I LOVE, don't kid yourself) where we can browse the pretty for hours. But as much as I love pretty I also want to just talk out there to space like I did before. I miss it. So now I'm sort of back to the beginning where my Mom, family and BFFs are the only ones commenting, but that's ok because it's a fresh start. We all could use a fresh start sometimes. So with that I'm welcoming some input. If you've been a reader of my blog way back, I mean waaaay back because it's been awhile what would you like to see here?

image via

Make it :: Top Your Cake

Since we started the no dye/artificial flavor thing in our house checking out sites like Pinterest make me shudder. Many of the party sites and images are flooded with brightly colored candies, goodies and drinks. It makes for a pretty picture but all I can think of is literally, go CRAZY colors. I want my kids to have a fun party like everyone else but sometimes a little visual marketing is all that a simple vanilla cupcake needs. I've started pinning ideas that look festive so there's lots of eye candy but the treats have very little crazy. We'll stick with the old fashioned stuff like butter and sugar. 

All links to the tutorials listed below.

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Knock It Off :: Work Style

Since it's September and I'm dreaming of sweaters I thought this image from Pinterest needed to be knocked off. I love every single element. I did warm up it up a bit in the color department, since it's Fall and all.

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Original image via