Guest Blogger | Laundry Room Re-Do

I can't pass a Garage Sale or Antique Store without thinking of my mother. For as long as I can remember, she's been collecting, buying and re-selling, or restoring vintage treasures. We share a joy of creating fun and bring spaces, and an eye for retro or nostalgic pieces. Here's her latest project in my childhood home.

--
BEFORE (yikes!)

 AFTER (yay!)

This laundry room re-do is awash in bright colors and vintage containers. The colors were inspired by Hudson Bay blankets and old camp chairs. A camp/cottage theme is evident throughout.

Picnic baskets make for excellent storage, tucking away a myriad items from tools to cleaning supplies, extension cords to old sheets. Baskets can be transformed by painting them any shade you desire. The examples here were picked up at garage sales and flea markets ($5-$15).

Coffee cans are a real eye-opener lending a jolt of color and are great for storing smaller items like cleaning brushes, stray buttons, safety pins, or loose change that ends up in the laundry. These cans turn up regularly at estate sales, usually in the garage (nominally priced).

My husband has a colleciton of vintage advertising yardsticks which we used as shelf edging. My favorite is for a rendering company -- "Highest Cash Prices - Dead Horses - Cattle." You don't see that every day! The yardsticks were purchased at antique malls and feal markets ($1-$3).

The letters, door hardware, and metal shelf brackets all came from Hobby Lobby.

This room will help to wash away my laundry day blues!

- MJE

More posts from my mom:

If I Ran the Zoo...Or the Container Store

Baubles Bangles and Beads

Doubled Up | Olympic Peninsula Adventures

It's not up for debate, the Pacific Northwest is beautiful. With a plethora of geological beauty and unique destinations, we may never leave Washington. There's just too much to explore! Having never been to the Olympic Peninsula together, we road tripped out west in July... twice. Mr. Fleece and I planned our own family trip for the long 4th of July weekend and then we ventured out again with my parents during their visit, adding in a pit stop to Victoria, B.C. Given that Mr. Fleece fell ill on the first excursion, it was nice to get a second chance so close together!

The Peninsula is a bit sprawling, and hot destinations aren't close together. Here's some of the ground we covered:

- Purple Haze Lavendar Farm (great for pictures)

- Hurricane Ridge/Olympic National Park (amazing views, easy hikes)

- Lake Crescent (breakfast at the lodge, enjoy lake views)

- Rialto Beach (sandy Pacific Ocean beach)

- Ediz Hook (rocky beach)

- Elwha River (adjacent to Madison Falls Trail, a tinsy .3 mile walk to a rewarding waterfall)

I discovered I'm all about that lakehouse lifestyle. The first trip, we stayed on Lake Sutherland in this air bnb which provided access to a community dock for swimming along with kayaks and stand up paddleboards to borrow. We also had out own hot tub to retreat to, a great front-row "seat" for 4th of July fireworks. Other lakes I want to visit: Ozette and Cushman.

Victoria was also lovely! A beautifully clean city with gorgeous flowers, gardens, parks, and playgrounds around every bend. We explored the harbor area and our neighborhood beach, Gonzales Beach, along with Pebbles Beach, Clover Point Park, and the world-famous Butchart Gardens. Some of the best food of our trip:

- Red Fish Blue Fish (salmon talcones are yum if you don't want fish & chips)

- The Hive Eatery (amazingly delicious sweet & sour asian-syle pork burger!)

- Kid Sister Ice Cream (located in a cool back alley in Chinatown) 

Water, Bridges, Ferries, oh my,

- SJW

Guest Blogger | Dairy-Free Vegetarian Meals that Keep You Full - Part II

Continued from Part I....

Outside of my own kitchen experiments, blogs are another major source of culinary inspiration. Perhaps the most-cooked recipe of all time in my kitchen is this Zucchini and Red Lentil Curry from Dishing up the Dirt. For a nutrition boost, I serve it over quinoa or brown rice instead of white rice. And for simplicity's sake, I always cook the lentils in water rather than broth. But other than that, I tend to follow the receip pretty much as-is. Because it reheats beautifully, I often have individual portions stored in tupperwares in the fridge and freezer, ready for transport to the office. (Not to Mr. Fleece: the dollops of Greek yogurt on top is completely optional!)

This Vegan Taco Salad from The Crunchy Radish is admittedly one of the most time-consuming recipes I've every made, and yet the flavors are so good that I'd be remiss if I didn't share it here. The walnut chorizo alone is reason enough to bookmark this recipe, as it would also work well stuffed into a baked potato, or mixed into a quinoa and black bean "burrito bowl." I typically don't make the vinaigrette or cashew cream suffested, and instead whip up a tofu-based jalapeno ranch dressing.

Dinner isn't the only meal that should keep you satisfied -- a heart breakfast can also help contribue to keeping your energy up throughout the day, and keeping the mid-morning hunger pangs at bay. For leisurely weekend breakfasts, I like a balance of sweet (whole grain pancakes, whole grain French toast, whole grain muffins, granola parfaits, fruit smoothies, etc.) and savory (usually an egg and veggie scramble). On weekdays, however, a protein packed porridge hits the spot. This PB & J Overnight Oatmeal is literally the only breakfast I eat on weekday mornings between Memorial and Labor Day, and the peanut butter and chia seeds add fiber, protein, and healthy fats, which all contribute to satiety.

Do you have a favorite dairy-free vegetarian recipe? Do tell! 

- Kelly

kellytoups.com

Guest Blogger | Dairy-Free Vegetarian Meals that Keep You Full - Part I

Sarah invited me to share some of my favorite dairy-free (Mr. Fleece is lactose-intolerant) vegetarian meals that "aren't rabbit food" and will actually fill Mr. Fleece up. Challenge accepted!

Despite my love of grilled chilcken, Greek yogurt, and artisan cheese, vegan cookbooks are actually some of the biggest sources of inspiration in my kitchen. I actively find myself seeking out plant-based recipes, not necessarily as a lifestyle choice, but because these recipes tend to be the most economical and have a greater proportion of vegetables and other health-promoting ingredients.

Inspired by the Mediterranean diet, one of my latest kitchen experiments has been perfecting an oven baked falafel. These patties are surprisingly easy to make, and form the foundation of two of my favorite plant-based meals.

Delicious Falafel Wraps
To make delicious falafel wraps, spread a whole grain pita or tortilla with hummus, then top with spinach, diced cucumbers, diced red onion, halved cherry tomatoes, and 2 falafel patties. To streamline mealtime after a busy work day, I bake the falafel patties ahead of time on the weekend, and have the diced veggies ready to go in the fridge. Simply warm the patties in the toaster oven and heat a pita or tortilla in the microwave or on the stovetop, then assemble the wrap. A single wrap with a small side (like dried apricots and pistachios) is usually enough for me, but for most adults with larger appetites, two wraps will do the trick.

Panzanella Salad
When tomato season is in full swing, I also love to use these falafel patties in a refreshing panzanella salad, along with red bell pepper, diced cucumber, fresh basil, and a simple dressing. The protein and fiber in the falafel make this a hearty, entree-worthy salad.

Eggs are also a great ingredient to have on hand to make meatless meals more filling, and are budget-friendly to boot. This Shakshuka Polenta with Chickpeas was a desperate creation I whipped up when my cupboards were bare, and has since become one of my favorite weeknight meals. All you need are whole grain corn grits or polenta, a can of chickpeas, a can of diced tomatoes, some eggs, and some harissa sauce. It is also easy to dial up the portion size according to your appetite, by adding another egg or cooking a bigger batch of polenta.

Up next...the most-cooked recipe of all time in my kitchen, amazing flavors, and a hearty breakfast.

- Kelly

kellytoups.com

Rock-a-Bye Sweet Baby Frames

These days are filled with mini moments, tiny snapshots of NLW that I want to tuck away and hold onto forever. His keepsakes come in a vareity of forms. There's the entire glee-filled category: giggles, cheesin' grins, belly laughs, almost smirks, joyous squeals, and I-recognize-you smiles. Curious hands, objects directly in mouth, you-caught-me looks of surprise, tired eye-rubs, quick-as-a-rabbit crawls, splashing in my I'm-too-big-for-this bathtub, and I'm-so-tall standing up occurrences all take the cake.

He's certainly growing "quickly" and time is passing by, but both Mr. Fleece and I feel like we are cherishing the baby stage - this age, these moments. Most noticebaly, we're on the floor a lot! Reading books, knocking over dinosaurs, chasing him down as he goes after every cord, piece of paper, and fabric. He's a fun curious little boy - cheerful, energetic, and easy-going in equal measure. My love for him is deep and wide, full yet growing.

Deep greens and blues are the colors I choose,

- SJW