sproutin' sprouts

I started my little mason jar sprout garden a couple of days ago...

What I used:

 

Mung Beans and Broccoli sprout seeds {both bought at the health food store}

2 mason jars

rubber bands

cloth to cover

What I did:

 

Added 1/4 cup of each in the bottom of the jar.

Covered with water. 

Covered jar with cloth and rubber band.

What's next?

You have to rinse them twice a day.

And you sit and wait.

I should have sandwich and stir fry ready sprouts in a couple of days.

Interested?

Read this

and this.

I'll report back.

xoxo,

Ashley

A boy and his tractor...

... it's a sweet, sweet thing.

xoxo,

Ashley

lightbulb

I wrote about my yearning for the so called simple life and what those words mean to me here.  I have since done some "research" online. More recipe searches, more homeschool researching, and more searching for tips on gardening and preserving, etc. 

As it turns out, I'm not alone in my desire to slow. life. down. and find a simplified peace in my life reminiscent of years past. No, the resources {read: blogs} online are endless, and the like minded ladies countless. 

But, the more I read, the more despair I felt because I didn't really know if I saw life in the country in our future. Plus, how can I be sure this is something I will continue to be interested in? And what if the mister doesn't share my sentiments? {Have I ever mentioned that I'm an over thinker?}

Then, I came across this blog {specifically this and this post} and it all clicked. Hello, Ashley! Make do with what you have, where you are right now. Why oh why did I think I needed some huge change in order to satisfy this inner desire?

{source}

So, where does an apartment dweller start?

• Very soon {as in today} I intend to plant an indoor herb garden and start growing my own sprouts. 
• I've already dipped my toe into making some of our own household products when I made homemade laundry detergent, and I plan to try my hand at making more of the like. 
• I've dusted off the cloth diapers and hope to give them a whirl again soon {thanks for the inspiration, B and K!}
• And this summer {oh please hurry up, why don't ya?} I'll plan to fill our balcony with a few potted containers of edibles.

 {source}

Here's to turning fantasies into realities...

xoxo,

Ashley

Saturday

Saturday was a good day. 

Just like any good day, it started with sleeping in until 8:30am.

Then, we headed to Target for their Dr. Seuss story time. Morgan absolutely loved it. Not so much the story part, no he was too distracted by all the other kids around us. He LOVES being around other kids. We definitely need to make that happen more often.

He had this smile on his face practically the whole time as he flirted with the little girl sitting next to us {and her mom}. Such a lady's man my boy is! 

Then, we went to this hole in the wall Mexican restaurant we had never been to before. They had the best veggie fajitas I've had so far {with potatoes!}. 

We also hit up Goodwill because again, a little thrifting excursion should never be omitted from the recipe for a perfect day, should it?

The rest of the day was spent lounging around the house....baking cookies and bread, laughing out loud to a Kevin Hart special, and cuddling up on the couch to Toy Story 3. 

I <3 Saturdays.

xoxo,

Ashley

my happy

Source: wisuella.tumblr.com via Ashley on Pinterest

1. Coffee and homemade donuts with Morgan and my friend Brenna this morning. Powdered sugar covered, chocolate chip donuts, that is. Yummo. {recipe here}  2. Riding with the windows down on the way home from the gym the other night. It felt so good. Summer, hurry up!  3. Getting a good review at work. Not that I was expecting a bad one, but it's always nice to get a pat on the back isn't it?  4. Starting a traveling love journal with Frank.  5. Making a quick stop at the thrift store the other day and leaving with more fun little kitchen gadgets. My new weird little obsession. Who's the proud new owner of a melon baller? This girl!  6. An impromptu dinner with my parents at our place the other night.  7. Looking up at the night sky and recognizing constellations and even planets {!!!} since learning about them on our date earlier this month.  8. Looking forward to sharing the weekend off with Frank. We don't have any plans, but I can't wait to find out what fun thing we will come up with to do.  

Happy Friday!

xoxo,

Ashley

broiled grapefruit

Do you like grapefruit or

are you one of those grapefruit haters?

I used to be, but no more.

I have now been made a true grapefruit convert.

Still need some selling on the tangy, juicy goodness that is a grapefruit? Try the "recipe" below, you won't be sorry.

Promise.

Broiled grapefruit and chai tea latte breakfast. Great alone, but not exactly the best flavor combo on your palate {yes I just said palate}.

...

Broiled Grapefruit

Cut your grapefruit in half and use a knife to "segment" it. Mix 1 tablespoon buttery spread {I used Earth Balance} with 2 tablespoons of brown sugar. Spread the mixture over your grapefruit halves. You can also sprinkle the tops with nutmeg or cinnamon or any other spice that tickles your fancy {<--what does that expression even mean?}. Then, place under the broiler in your oven for 4 to 6ish minutes. Keep an eye on it. You want it to brown and get nice and gooey, but not burn.

Enjoy!

xoxo,

Ashley

happy accident

I have been wanting to add some chicken wire to a frame to create a little message board or photo display, but have always been too lazy. 

Because doing it myself would mean I'd have to find the right frame, schlep to the hardware store to search for chicken wire, fiddle with the wire cutters and staple gun...blah, blah, blah. Gosh, I'm exhausted just thinking about it. 

Luckily for me I found one at the thrift store a couple of weeks ago for 3 dolla bills! A deal and no work to be done by me - cha ching! 

But alas, it wasn't a perfect find because the color of the wood was all wrong. Our house is filled with darker, earth tones and I feared the light wood would just stand out. That of course didn't stop me from hanging it as is just to see if it would work - with no work on my part.

{Insert before picture that I took, but must have deleted in order to free up space on my camera to take pictures of this guy:

Like how I managed to work a picture of my little guy into even this post? skillz. 

...

So, we'll have to settle for this pic of the back of the frame, showing the original color. 

In another moment of pure laziness {you can kindly call it resourcefulness though, if you'd like} I decided to use the paint I had on hand instead of making a trip to the store.  

Chalkboard paint? Hmm, not a bad idea. I started painting a thin layer onto the frame and was immediately pleasantly surprised. The thin coat turned out looking more like a dark wood stain than chalkboard and I thought it looked so pretty with the wood grain showing through underneath. 

I'm so pleased with how it turned out AND how quick it was {a lazy crafters dream!} Do you like it?

xoxo,

Ashley

road trippin'

This weekend we took a little road trip to visit my Grandma and some more family in Indiana. Even though traveling with a baby is not high on my lists of favorite things to do {it's somewhere down there around shaving my legs and cleaning the toilet}, it turned out to be a nice weekend away.

We got to meet one of our new cousins, and Morgan got to hang out with a person littler than him. That was all kinds of fun to watch.

Look at those tiny toes!

Sunday we enjoyed a yummy homemade breakfast of hearty oatmeal, toast with apple jelly, and juicy cantaloupe.

After which Morgan and I headed back to bed. He cuddled up next to me for a much needed 2 hour long nap, while I read my latest cookbook.

What? Your grandma doesn't have zebra printed sheets?

Morgan stole hearts all over again with his big, beautiful eyes, gorgeous brown locks, and killer smile. And forced Grandma to un-decorate her house for the weekend {i.e. hide all the breakables}.

Morgan with Grandma and Great-Grandma

Please excuse my lack of makeup, I was in road trip mode :)

On the way home, I turned my mom onto the wonder that is Trader Joe's with a pit stop around Chicago. {And now our cupboards are restocked with Joe-Joe's! yes!}

And of course the car ride was filled with warm conversation and the sweet sounds of country music. Yes, I think we can count this weekend a success...

xoxo,

Ashley

homemade laundry detergent

Last Monday I took a half of a "mental health day" for my sanity {and that of those around me - p.s. you're welcome, husband}. 

I dropped Morgan off with my mom for a couple of hours and cleaned up the house a little first. When I'm in a funk like I was that day, I just feel better and feel like I can think clearer when the house is in order. 

I also used the time to make a couple batches of this homemade laundry detergent. It was incredibly easy and the stuff works great. {I also took some over to my mom in a little blue ball jar as a thank you for letting my little rugrat hang out with her for awhile}.

Just a few tips I've picked up around the internet: you only need 1-2 tablespoons {we use about half of that little scoop in the jar} per load. Also, it helps the little soap chunks dissolve better if you start the water and add the detergent before you toss in your laundry. 

...

This day was also the day that I finished up my ruler growth chart. It was so refreshing to channel that negative energy that was bringing me down into a few fun projects around the house and after just a few short hours I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. 

I think everyone deserves a day like that every once in awhile, don't you?

xoxo,

Ashley

donuts

For Valentine's day Frank got me a Babycakes Donut Maker. This is proof that A. He listens to me when I ramble on about such things as how cool it would be to make my own vegan donuts and B. He really likes donuts.

Whatever the motivation behind the gift, I was beyond thrilled to be on the receiving end of my own tiny little yellow donut maker. Isn't she pretty? 

Well, I caught up on my sleep last night after a week of awful, awful sleep {Frank let me sleep in...awww} and I woke up rarin' to go try out my new donut maker. Prior searches of Pinterest through out the week yielded this promising recipe. 

Well folks, the verdict is in and they are deee-licious! They aren't quite like store bought/bakery donuts, so this might not be THE recipe, but they were certainly a yummy treat and an excellent way to start the weekend. 

As I was finishing up the batch, Frank brought Morgan to me to kiss before he laid him down for his nap. With my hands sticky with sweet donut glaze and sprinkles, I kissed him on the cheek and promised to save one for him when he woke up from his nap. Oh dear, I fear that promise might prove to be a hard one to keep...

xoxo,

Ashley

p.s. I tweaked the recipe linked above a little bit. I used whole wheat flour, light vanilla soy milk, and a TBSP of applesauce instead of the egg replacer. I also melted some semi-sweet chocolate chips for the chocolate covered ones.

what's on my mind: unpluggin...

One of my intentions for 2012 was to unplug more. I think so far I've done an okay job with it, but it's still something I struggle with. 

I've significantly cut down on the amount of time I spend on the computer during the day, especially during Morgan's waking hours. I try to limit the amount of time I'm on my laptop, ipad, or cell phone to when he is napping or in bed for the night because he deserves my full attention. 

I still struggle every day with balancing the benefits of modern technology with my desire to be more present with those I love and living more in the moment. So while I'm still obsessed with searching Dr. Google for information, oogling pretty pictures on Pinterest, and reading blogs for inspiration I think I've made some great strides so far and am getting a little closer to that simplified life I was talking about yesterday.

...

And just because putting it all out there is a good way to hold myself accountable, a quick run down of how I'm doing with my other intentions for 2012:

1. Keep a house cleaning schedule - Umm, yea this is probably the one I've been worst at. Most days I'm so exhausted that I'm just happy if the kitchens clean and the floor is free of raisins and cheerios.

Source: google.co.uk via Ashley on Pinterest

2. Work out regularly - I finally joined a gym and my goal is to go a minimum of 3 days a week, but hopefully more. So far, I'm sticking to that. It feels good to work out, but it's also turned into a nice little slice of "me" time that I cherish.

3. Quit Facebook -  Although I originally intended to delete my Facebook account, I realized it was a really useful tool for keeping in contact with out of town friends and making plans with those I spend time with in real life. So, instead I have widdled my friends list down to next to nothing. I still feel compelled to check it several times a day, but with a lot less junk filling up my news feed, it is something that is no longer stressful and only takes a few moments to catch up. 

Source: someecards.com via Ashley on Pinterest

4. Be more intentional and purposeful in my relationships - I kind addressed this one above.

Source: ruemag.tumblr.com via Ashley on Pinterest

5. Unplug more. - See above.


6. Eat more healthy foods - I've kicked this intentions ass if I may say so myself! I wrote about my decision to switch to a vegan lifestyle here. I've given up all animal products and kicked my diet soda habit. Plus, I've lost 10 pounds in the process. 


7. Be more forgiving. - I continue to get better with this one. It feels so good to forgive someone that has hurt you {or simply pissed you off}. By holding a grudge, you're not hurting anyone but yourself. It feels a hell of a lot better to spread the love than to hold onto things. 

Source: inspiredbythisfeeling.tumblr.com via Ashley on Pinterest

Anyone else having a hard time believing February is halfway over? 2012 is already moving at lightening speed...

xoxo,

Ashley

simple life

Source: rosylittlethings.typepad.com via Christine on Pinterest

I’m not sure what it is, but lately I’ve had this yearning for a simplified life.

Source: cathaplexie.tumblr.com via Ashley on Pinterest

I peruse Pinterest and lust after pretty images of tiny houses and dream of building one and living by the sea, a lake, or the country side. 

Source: tumblr.com via Ashley on Pinterest

I fantasize about feeding my family with fresh fruit and veggies from our own garden…

I dream of spending my days with my loved ones, with no place to go, no place to be, and living life on my own schedule. 

Source: meggielynne.tumblr.com via Ashley on Pinterest

If this were my life, I’d wake up with the sun and enjoy a cup of coffee over a stack of books. I’d spend my day playing with my child{ren} and watch and guide them as they learn about the world on our own terms.

Source: apartmenttherapy.com via Ashley on Pinterest

There’d always be freshly baked bread in my kitchen and I’d have all the time in the world to bake cookies and treats for my family.

Source: makeandtakes.com via Ashley on Pinterest

I’d end the day with the sun, sitting outside under the moon and stars, drinking ice tea out of a mason jar with the love of my life by my side.

Source: smashedpeasandcarrots.blogspot.com via Ashley on Pinterest

And then I’d lay my head on my pillow and be so excited to do it all again the next day. 

Ahh, a girl can dream...

xoxo,

Ashley

DIY ruler growth chart

Did your family have a doorway or wall growing up that you'd stand up against every so often and mark your height off with a pencil to keep track of your growth? I didn't, but I love the idea.

I love the idea of having those little pencil marks to look at for years to come...little notches penciled in for each kid and maybe even grand kids someday. It's such a sweet idea. But, if you're like our family and haven't settled into the home you plan to raise your family in yet, you need something a little more portable. 

Thus, the ruler growth chart was born. Besides the staining of the wood {which I guess is optional depending on the color you're going for} this is a pretty easy and quick project. You wouldn't think that though seeing as how it took me months to complete it. I stained the wood out on the balcony back when it was still semi warm out, but then lost the motivation to finish it. I finally decided to tackle it today and it was so quick and easy that I have no idea why I've been putting it off for months.

So, if you want a step by step tutorial, visit this blog. But, if you're looking for the cliff notes, read on:

-Buy a 1in x 8in x 6in board. I bought mine at Menards.

-Stain it your desired color. I used walnut.

-Let stain fully dry and cure {if you're hard core like me, you can drag this step out for months, but I'll understand if you choose not to}.

-Using a sharpie and ruler, make one inch marks along the length of the board. I alternated between making my marks 1 inch and 2 inches long.

-Add your numbers. I used the self adhesive numbers pictured below. I got them at Walmart and they are meant for mailboxes.

...

You like it? 

I'm kind of in love with it. 

I mean, I can't stop staring at it. 

This is going to be it's home,

now I just have to figure out how I'm going to hang it 

so the tornado {Morgan} doesn't knock it down.

xoxo,

Ashley