This morning my Mom called and wanted to take the babies for the afternoon.

I snatched my Man and we went for an adventure.

We ran off to the forest to explore and enjoy the wonder of God's creations.

A simple day, but beauty filled. I just love being out in nature, it is soul food for me!

 

 

Oh Darling, lets be adventurers

I love adventuring with my family. While my husband was in school, we would find fun and inexpensive activities to take our children to do so that we didn't suffer from the "we're on a student budget and can't go anywhere" blues. I am so thankful for those times... because of them, little things are big things to us and our kids. They get so excited when we load up in the car and take them to explore in nature, on a hike or to a new place.

This weekend we were able to explore a new and stunning place we have never been.

Bloomington Lake!  I could hardly take in the beauty!

If you are looking for a fun and family friendly adventure with your crew, I highly recommend visiting here. Bring life jackets and swing off the rope swing into the lake, or pack a picnic and enjoy the scenery from the edges of the lake.

 It is heavenly.

Homemade Avocado Ranch

You guys, I am such a ranch snob. Always judging restaurant ranch, in search of one that makes me squeal inside. The other night after we got home late, I dug around in the fridge searching for something to put together for a quick dinner. I found some items for salad, romaine lettuce, avocados, tomatoes, smoked turkey and olives. I made an easy chef salad with some shredded cheese on top and the only thing needed after that was some dressing. I love getting creative, so I whipped up this little recipe for homemade avocado ranch. It is really simple and really delicious! I wanted to share it with you.  

Homemade Avocado Ranch

Recipe source: Emmy in her Element

 

Ingredients:

1/2 avocado mashed

pinch of chopped parsley

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup milk

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 tablespoon hidden valley ranch powder

3/4 teaspoon rice vinegar

 

 

Blend milk and sour cream. Add remaining ingredients and mix well until smooth and creamy. Enjoy with veggies, on salad or as a dip.

 

Ps. I can't help but feel like this ranch would be excellent with crumbled bacon on top. Ooh eeee! Listen to me now!

 

            Need a quick and easy salad to use the ranch dressing on? Check this out...  

15 minute southwestern taco salad

   

Color on a rainy day

Today was rainy, and thundery and gray. It was quiet, and for several hours we didn't have power.

For some reason, I love storms. To me, they bring a comfort and a feeling of coziness. I took today's storm as an opportunity to get creative with my little ones. No TV, no electronics whatsoever. We had no choice but to bust out the puzzles, stamps and paints, books and rain boots. We played monster, ran through puddles, worm hunted and re connected. It was a wonderful and colorful day-

because we made it be.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Rainy days are for pjs, big blankets, rubber boots, legos, worm hunts, yesterday's hair, lots and lots of books, paints, crayons and adventures.   Today was sweet, and I learned to let creative happen.  We depend much too much on unimportant things to entertain us.   Need something to help you feel creative? Make some moon sand! It's super fast and easy. Just mix 8 cups all purpose flour, and 1 cup baby oil. Mix with hands and play! I like to put it on a cookie sheet or 9x13 pan and give the kids cookie cutters and cups. Then they make moon sand castles.    

Happy Birthday AMERICA

Wow this summer is flying by and I have hardly found anytime to make a post! I miss it so much. I have a fun new bread recipe I will be sharing later this week.   I just wanted to check in and post a few pics from our 4th of July. I hope you had a fun and special day! We took our kids to the parade and then had a BBQ with friends in the evening and watched a big firework show.   I am proud to be an AMERICAN!  

5 minute afternoon s'mores

Can we officially call it summer? It has been raining a lot and I don't know about you, but I have the camping BLUES!

One of my favorite summer night activities has to be sitting around the camp fire with family and friends and enjoying a good old fashioned s'more.

 

This afternoon I was craving them so bad so I had to whip up a quick batch! Here is my recipe for 5 minute oven s'mores, in case you don't have a blazing fire handy. (Insert wink here).

 

 

 

LET THEM BE LITTLE: Tricks to taking better pictures of your children

Over the last few years I have been learning more and more about photography. I started really loving photography after food blogging and learning how to stage pretty pictures and work with natural light. The more I used those tricks on my food, the more they spilled over into my other "everyday life" photography. The pictures of my kids started looking better. I wanted to share these tricks with you, so that you can better document the life around you that you never want to forget!  

Raspberry rhubarb delight

Comfort food at it's finest, with a twist. My original rhubarb crisp recipe is from my Grandma, the flavors are tart with a sweet crispy crunch from the oat and brown sugar topping.

I planned to make this recipe for my brother on his birthday, but when I noticed I was out of a few of the ingredients, I improvised and realized that I loved the result so much I had to document it! 

If you have some guests coming for dinner, this dessert is a sure crowd pleaser.

It was a special compliment to me when my brother walked in and said "Hmmmm it smells so good in here Em, it smells like Grandma's house"...

15 minute Wonton Tacos

 

 

Are you ready for the quickest taco dinner you have ever made? These are so easy and such a fun twist on regular hard shell tacos. In just 15 minutes your kitchen will be filled with the scents of cilantro and lime, and your table set up for a colorful family fiesta!  

Rosemary and Lemon cream scones

These scones are delightful! After making two batches this week and sharing with friends, I knew I wanted to document this gem of a recipe and share with you!

Hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

Spinach and asparagus pasta with white wine cream sauce

 

This is a quick dish with a classy taste. You will have dinner whipped up in less than 20 minutes and there's a little something for everyone.

 

 

No bake carrot pudding pots

 

 

These little nuggets of fun are perfect for a quick treat or spring dessert. Kids can help make them and they are sure to be a hit!

Crafting with kids- DIY 3 ingredient ornaments

 

 

Crafting with kids: easy Easter egg paper art

  Welcome to day 3 of my Crafting with kids week, gearing up for Easter this Sunday. Did you see our paper daffodil flowers or butterfly snack baggies? My little man has come down with a cold, so we have been spending our mornings around the kitchen table with construction paper, glue sticks, paints, and anything we can find to help us create. It has been so much fun and it has definitely boosted his spirits.   Today we made some Easter art for the refrigerator, and a small banner with eggs and bunnies. There are endless possibilities for this art! We used all paper but using ribbons, yarn, watercolor painted paper or finger painting would be so cute as well. Have fun and let your kiddos use their imagination!

Crafting with kids: DIY butterfly snack bag

 

Today is day 2 of my week of Easter crafts. Be sure and check in with me on my INSTAGRAM so you don't miss out on any extra goodies I may only post on that account.

I am having so much fun already making extra time to craft with my little ones. If the words "craft" or "DIY" scare you, fear not! These are simple activities that I have my 2 1/2 and 5 year old doing mostly themselves.

I love giving my children reasons to use their imagination and creativity. In this day and age there is so much brain drain with TV, electronics and toys with instant gratification and entertainment.

I love to watch my children's faces as homemade projects come together and they are so proud of their work.

 

DIY Easter daffodil kids craft

 

 

This morning my little man woke up with a cough, so we cancelled our busy day and stayed home. He still has lots of energy so I thought it would be really fun to make some Easter crafts. We started out with some paper daffodils, and we had so much fun. We wanted to show you how, so you can make some too!

 

Creamy broccoli medley

 

 

Recipe: Creamy Broccoli cheese medley

Recipe source: Emmy in her Element

 

Better than store bought ALMOND ROCA

 I promise you this almond roca is better than the kind you get at Christmas from your work office party! And the best part is, it is super easy to make at home! Only 4 ingredients and you will have a batch whipped up to share with friends or hoard for yourself (like me).  

DIY baby shower on a dime!

This past weekend I hosted a baby shower for a sweet friend of mine. She is the most beautiful girl, inside and out. She is a strong mother who has quiet a story to tell. I was excited to share this special day with her. I wanted to share with you how I put together this party start to finish in case you are hosting and need some ideas!   Luckily Rachel agreed to let me take her maternity photographs so that I could design my own invitation. This was really fun and I loved the practice! Here are a few of my favorites...

DIY easy yarn tassel for decorating

 

This past weekend I hosted a baby shower for my friend. Being the thrifty chick I am, I tried to make as many decorations from scratch as possible, saving me money and giving my party a unique and original look.