be my galentine

I SAW this thing the other day that said ‘Does anyone have directions to that village everyone says will raise my children? It sounds wonderful.’ Have you seen it? It made me laugh out loud. And then I immediately sent it to ‘my girls.’ You know, the ones who actually DO help me raise my boys with kindness, unyielding support, fun and love. The sister wives. The besties. The ones you can ugly cry with and tell about your less proud parenting moments without judgement. Or those odd bodily functions. The ones I am supremely and profoundly grateful to call my Galentines. And though Galentine’s Day is a totally fake holiday, it’s a very real excuse to shower ‘my girls’ with the love and affection I feel for them every day of the year. Plus I’m a giddy fool for a good heart motif.

YOU REALLY can’t go wrong with any sweet little treasure for your nearest and dearest. After all, these are the people you know and love best, so trust your intuition and keep things simple. Homemade gifts created with love and experiences you can share together are always sweet and heartfelt and so appreciated. The possibilities for beautiful gifts for your lady loves is kind of endless, but these are some that I ador and think most gals would be smitten with. Check out the Gift Guide for Women or My Clean Beauty + Self Care Favorites for a few more ideas. Happy Galentine’s Day to all of you, lovelies, I’d ‘love’ to celebrate with each and every one. GIFT A LITTLE HAPPINESS. xo

Galentine’s Day Gifts

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lost love // pet sympathy

IN A YEAR filled with so much unspeakable suffering and loss, it feels almost trite to mourn so deeply the loss of a pet. But our sweet Murray dog was by our side, day in and day out for 13 years. He was our first baby, our fur baby and unbeknownst to him, the funniest member of our family (by far the naughtiest of all of my boys too, but we’ll forgive him that).

HE HAD a super amazing giant, toothy grin that brought a smile to everyone who witnessed it; even the grouchiest strangers couldn’t keep a straight face. He did the very best happy dance for FAR longer than was called for so that even a random plumber left feeling like the king of the universe. He once snatched an entire homemade apple pie off the counter mid-Thanksgiving dinner and devoured the whole thing. As a pup, he hopped onto my mother-in-law’s dining room table and drank a full glass of sauvignon blanc. He used to ever-so-gently nibble each individual raspberry off of our backyard bushes until they were gone. He snored loudly. He tooted a lot. In his golden years, he started gently plucking just the eyeballs out of every stuffed animal in the house. He always settled himself in one of our boys’ rooms at bedtime to watch over them both until he was sure they were asleep.

AND IN early December, on a sunny Tuesday, we learned that our seemingly healthy aging pup had an aggressive tumor that couldn’t be helped. A mere 4 days later we had to let him go. It was much too quick and much too soon and it absolutely gutted me. My heart was in pieces. I have ugly cried at the drop of a hat for a month straight. My poor boys still give me a glance anytime his name is mentioned to see if I’m going to burst into heaving sobs. I know all of you pet lovers out there feel me. He would’ve been 13 on Christmas day and we thought we had at least another 2 good years with our funny old guy.

THANK GOODNESS dear friends reminded me that I have full permission to mourn as deeply as I need to despite anyone else’s suffering, and so I have. Dear friends also gave us the most heartfelt and lovely gifts to commemorate our beloved pooch and I’ll always cherish them, in part because they so beautifully honor our guy, but also as a reminder of the awesome, loving community that we’re surrounded with.

ONE FRIEND brought us a tiny sneaker with Murray’s name on it because she’ll always remember him dancing around with a shoe gently clutched in his jaws, trying to smile wide with a mouth full of rubber. Another brought us gorgeous, personalized wind chimes that are meant to remind us that he’s always nearby. My boys made ornaments with his picture on them just hours after he passed as a way to deal with the grief and I’ll treasure them forever. Another dear friend’s incredibly talented daughter drew a stunning, tender portrait of Murray that so beautifully captures him that I just want to hug it. We were given personalized ornaments and drawings and flowers and deeply heartfelt notes. They are such a gift in every sense of the word.

MY UGLY crying episodes are fewer and further between these days, but the hole in my heart is still gaping and I don’t expect it to fill anytime soon. I will learn to live with it and hopefully one day will be able to smile and well up with sweet memories instead of a torrent of tears when I feel it. In the meantime, I made a little Murray shrine on the messy board where I keep little treasures so that I can see him every time I pass by.

BELOW ARE some ideas for lovely things that commemorate lost loved fur babies in case you love someone who could use one. Etsy is an amazing resource for these kinds of special, personal gifts. Your own handmade gifts are also incredibly heartfelt (garden stones, drawings or paintings, kind notes). For our own part, we made a donation to our local humane society in Murray’s name; you could do the same to a similar organization that rescues or cares for animals. If you’ve given or received other things that touched your heart, please leave a note and tell us about it. And hug your pups extra tight today for me. xo

1. Sweet custom painting of your pooch on a sliced wood ornament via Etsy // 2. The personalized sneaker we were given via Etsy // 3. Pretty “look for me in the rainbows” prism sun-catcher via Etsy // 4. Custom foiled portrait via Etsy // 5. Crown & Paw custom canvases are a sweet, lighthearted way to commemorate your pup // 6. As are these West & Willow custom portraits // 7. Hand-poured personalized garden stone via Etsy // 8. Handmade embroidery hoop “portrait” // 9. Proceeds from this “I hear you in the wind” chime feeds shelter dogs // 10. Personalized silver ring // 11. Super sweet felt ornament via Etsy // 12. The Trees Remember will plant a tree in a national forest in your doggie’s name // xo

gratitude for 2020

My sweet husband gave me this stunning MQuan New Sun Marigold Incense Burner for Christmas (lucky gal, right?!). I love her gorgeous work and the intention it’s made with. He also included some absolutely beautiful Incausa Palo Santo incense. Today seemed like the perfect day to smudge the whole house; to clear away any negative juju and to invite the fresh, powerful, positive energy that I hope to bring into the new year. Goodness knows there has been enough weird juju this year to last us a loooong time and I wanted it out.

While I do share in the “good riddance” sentiment to a year of unspeakable suffering by so many for so many reasons, I have found myself more grateful to my core this year than maybe any other of my life. And some of the things I feel most grateful for are the direct result of our being forced to slow down, to keep it close and to find new rhythms to our days.

- I love that I get to hug my husband at lunchtime each day instead of scheduling business meetings with each other to compare busy calendars.

- I love that I got to see the look on my littlest’s face when the big concept of multiplication clicked in his little brain during our afternoon math sessions.

- I love listening to my older son’s genuine, unselfconscious belly laughter during online small groups when no teacher is monitoring.

- I love that I got to spend almost every moment of the last 9 months of my sweet pooch’s life by his side instead of leaving him behind while we raced around.

- I love that I’ve deepened friendships, some old and dear and some new. Shared experiences, even at a distance, create such strong bonds that even “new” friends now know my heart even though we’ve never even shared a meal.

- I love that in all of the chaos, I found space in my brain and heart to start a new business to create an outlet for my passions and that lovely people actually responded.

So I will DEF welcome more “normal” times and can’t wait to hug my parents and entertain friends + family indoors and travel the world and see my sister IRL, but I hope some of what we learned to appreciate in 2020 will stay with us.

Here’s to another hopeful trip around the sun. May it be filled with health, joy, adventure and love for you all. And please leave a note to tell me what little (or big!) 2020 adjustments you hope to cling to in the new year.

I’ve also included some resources for gorgeous smudging supplies if you want to try it in your home, too (note: you don’t have to use Palo Santo; white sage is also popular for smudging, I just prefer the smell of Palo Santo. Read this Lonny article to find out which might be best for your space and intention). Whichever you prefer, any of these beauties would make stunning gifts for anyone who might like to invite some good juju into their life. xo

1. Stunning minimalist Bodha brass incense burner from Jones + Co // 2. Incausa Stonewear Clay Incense Burner from Cedar & Hyde // 3. Sounds sustainably harvested Palo Santo sticks from Morningtide // 4. AA grade Palo Santo sticks respectfully collected in Peru via Etsy // 5. Crescent Incense Burner by Michele Quan // 6. Incausa Breu Resin Incense Parcel // 7. Catherine Rising Floral Smudge Stick from Jones + Co. // 8. Incausa Palo Santo Wood Incense Bricks from Cedar & Hyde // xo

salted chocolate almond toffee

THE BOYS and I have started an inadvertent tradition of making super ugly spritz cookies for our neighbors for the holidays. Our hearts are totally in it, we just haven’t quite nailed the whole process and end up with unidentifiable, colorful blobs. Maybe it’s because they’re gluten free or maybe it’s the altitude or maybe we it’s entirely pilot error and we just can’t quite master the cookie press. Whatever the reason, we alwayend up with “nailed it” style cookies. Though they are the ugly-super-delicious kind. They really are so yum, so I guess we get it where it counts. This year we also tried our hands at some pretty amazing gluten free sugar cookies as well 😂 #nailedit

Thank goodness for gracious neighbors with a sense of humor, cute packaging from The Container Store and this Iowa Girl Eats Salted Chocolate Almond Toffee. It. Is. Totally. Amazing. Really! And super easy to make. We’ll still make the ugly spritz cookies because we’re just not quitters, but this toffee will def be my new go-to holiday treat. Here’s the recipe for easy access, but you should really check out her site for more inspiration, she has tons of awesome recipes (I love her Simple Shrimp + Asparagus Risotto).

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 cup salted butter (2 sticks), cut into pats

• 1 cup roughly chopped roasted + salted almonds (I also added salted peanuts, which was super delish, but you can use any nuts you like)

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1 + 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

• 1-2 tbsp coarse sea salt

DIRECTIONS

• Line a 9x13” glass baking dish with parchment paper and set it aside. Tear off a sheet of foil big enough to cover the top of the baking dish then set that aside, too.

• Add sugar and butter to a small/medium-sized, heavy-bottomed saucepan and place it over medium heat. Stir contantly until until the butter has melted and come to a bubble. Clip a candy thermometer onto the pan then continue to cook, stirring every so often, until the candy reaches 300 degrees and is the color of maple syrup. Resist the urge to turn your heat higher then medium - be patient.

• Remove pan from the heat then, working quickly yet safely, remove the candy thermometer and add the almonds and vanilla. Stir quickly to combine then immediately pour into the prepared baking dish and spread candy into an even layer. It hardens really really fast!

• Sprinkle chocolate chips over the top then crimp the foil over the baking dish and let it sit for 2-3 minutes. Remove the foil and use the back of a spoon to spread the chocolate into an even layer. Let the chocolate set for 5-7 minutes (until it’s tacky vs. molten) then sprinkle with sea salt. Refrigerate until completely set, around 2 hours, then lift it out of the baking dish and break it into pieces. If you have any left, store remaining it in the refrigerator to extend its shelf life. But… I doubt you’ll have any left!

And when you’re all finished with the baking and cleaning and sampling and recovering from your sugar crash, you can package it all up in a beautiful little bundle and deliver it like a little holiday elf. See below for some of our favorite supplies for dolling up our baked goods for gifting. Perfectly pretty packages make up for our perfectly imperfect decorating skills. xo

1. Container Store waxed tissue paper for lining the boxes // 2. Bakers twine in every color via Etsy // 3. Container Store bakery boxes make everything look fancier // 4. Or these lovely kraft ones via Etsy // 5. Pretty waxed paper via Etsy // 6. Half Baked Harvest x Etsy Scalloped Treasure Cookie Boxes // 7. Container Store Window Boxes // 8. Window kraft bakery bags via Etsy // xo

salted pretzel chocolate chip cookie dough snickers bars

Sweets for my sweets

‘TIS THE season for my sweet little family to have celebration after celebration after celebration… my husband’s birthday followed by Thanksgiving followed by my oldest’s birthday followed by my birthday followed by Hannukah followed by Christmas… you get the idea. It’s a lot of cheer-making in a very short period of time.

I LOVE it all, but if I’m being super honest, my effort and excitement for the birthdays wanes a bit as the weeks come and go so that by the time it gets to mine all I want to do is order a pizza and a box of Oreos and eat them alone in bed. And because my early gung-ho efforts are usually showered on my son, my hub’s celebration is often a bit rushed and more lackluster than I’d like (his birthday is sometimes ON Thanksgiving, too, which adds to the chaos). So in an effort to make him feel even a fraction of the love and cheer that he deserves, I made him a sweet treat that speaks his dessert love language; chocolate + nuts + salt : )

EVERYTHING that Tieghan of Half Baked Harvest makes is the bomb. Seriously. I’m slowly working my way through her savory and sweet recipes and have yet to be disappointed. Her desserts are so amazing that I literally have to package them up and give them away to save myself the embarrassment of being discovered by my boys passed out in the pantry from a sugar rush smackdown. They’re just SO GOOD. I made these Salted Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Snickers Bars for my husband’s birthday surprise (phew, that’s a mouthful, but don’t let the name slow you down, they’re actually super easy to make). Here is her recipe for easy access, but you should def check out her site. She’s super talented. Note that the butter and eggs need to be at room temp, so you plan ahead (yeah, I learned that the hard way so I want to save you the grief if you also don’t read the WHOLE recipe before getting after it).

SALTED PRETZEL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE DOUGH SNIcKERS BAR RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

• 2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter, at room temperature

• 2/3 cup light brown sugar

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 2 large eggs, at room temperature

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour ( I used equal amount of GF and they were amazing)

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

• 2 (10 ounce) bags caramels, unwrapped (OMG - did you guys know that these exist?! They made is sooo easy)

• 1/4 cup heavy cream

• 3/4 cup roasted peanuts, roughly chopped

• 12 ounces chopped semi-sweet or milk chocolate (I use these, but obvs whatever you like)

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil

• 20-24 pretzel twists

INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13 inch baking pan with parchment paper.

• In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar, and sugar until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until combined and creamy. Beat in the vanilla. Add the flour and baking soda, beat until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

• Spread the dough out in the prepared pan and bake for 23-25 minutes, until just set in the center. Let cool.

• Meanwhile, make the caramel. Combine the caramels and cream in a saucepan over low heat. Melt stirring occasionally, until smooth, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the peanuts. Gently pour the caramel over the cooled cookies. Let set up 10-15 minutes.

• Melt the chocolate and coconut oil together in the microwave until liquid. Pour the chocolate mix over the peanut caramel layer. Press the pretzels into the chocolate. Transfer the bars to the fridge and chill 1 hour, until set (or 30 minutes in the freezer). Cut into bars. Keep in a cool, dry place for up to 1 week.

I HAVE also made and had to give away her Lunchroom Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars and her Brown Sugar Maple Chocolate Pecan Bars (hmm… starting to see a pattern here). They’re all completely insane, so if you’re still searching for the perfect holiday dessert, look no further. Just plan to wear your fanciest sweatpants to dinner. And if you love her recipes as much as I do, see below for a few more and to check out her books. They’re really beautifully shot and have lots of recipes that aren’t online. I’m also including some of our favorite packaging for delivering treats to friends because you are SO going to need to get these out of your house. GIFT A LITTLE HAPPINESS. xo

OOH! If you’re looking for more yummy baking ideas, check out my ‘sweets for my sweets’ Pinterest board. There are tons of recipes and some great GF and paleo options, too.

1. Half Baked Harvest Brown Sugar Maple Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars // 2. Half Baked Harvest Lunchroom Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars // 3. This Crockpot Sun-dried Tomato Penne Alla Vodka was awesome // 4. Half Baked Harvest Super Simple is beautiful and has lots of recipes that aren’t online // 5. This Half Baked Harvest Cookbook is on my wishlist // 6. Cutie washi tape with cupcakes + donuts // Her 30-minute Creamy Thai Turmeric Chicken and Noodles are divine // 8. I always have a stash of Bakery Boxes for delivering treats to friends // xo

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