Apr. 4, 2014
Update: To purchase aspects of this theme, please visit my Etsy Shop!
Our son turned one last Saturday and I wanted to share some photos from his Powwow themed first birthday party. I can not believe how fast one year can go! I know it is said all the time, but until you have a child of your own it is impossible to fully understand. I used to think first birthday parties were generally overdone considering the kids won’t remember them. But as the time neared to begin planning, I had so much love for this little guy that my craftiness and party-planning spirit was just bursting at the seams. So did I over do it? Maybe. But for me, it was so worth it.
To start our decor off we flipped our dining table around and pushed it against a wall to display the food in a festive and open way. This gave our guests a bit more room to grab a bite and chit chat when they arrived.
“Sun-rays” (orange juice) and water from the “Watering Hole” were served with some hors d’oeuvres style breakfast items.
Maddax loves breakfast food so I knew I wanted to have a brunch style spread while also keeping it simple and easy, so we themed the spread around that using bite sized minis that the kids could also enjoy nibbling on. There were Mocca-Cinnamon Rolls, Yogurt Straight Shooters, Powwow Pancakes, and Powdered Arrows served along side some yummy cupcakes, juice and water. There was very little prep time for me so I could focus on making the presentation a bit more fun and I love how it all turned out!
We pulled out our beautiful striped teepee from this kiddos bedroom and utilized it as the designated gift area until it was time to open presents.
I got the most amazing leggings on Etsy and some Moccs on GroopDealz last fall that fit his birthday theme perfectly. For his shirt I used my Silhouette Cameo cutter (love!) to create a custom design and ironed it onto a white pocked t-shirt from Target. His little silhouette just fills me with joy.
We also framed a little infographic full of all things Maddax. His age, height, weight, and number of teeth. Favorite books, TV show, activity, song, food and toy. As well as his current nicknames, first words and some of the things he learned to do this year.
On the way out there were little goodie bags with “Indian Corn” (flavored popcorn) for guests to grab as they left. These were simple white paper lunch bags that I ran through the printer and printed buffalos on and sealed with some cute little stickers I got on sale for $5 online.
Our sweet little family was just overjoyed to celebrate the big O-N-E with so many of our loved ones. Thanks to all our friends and family for their love and support as we took on our first year of parenthood. We couldn’t feel more blessed or loved.
Mar. 19, 2014
Life is busy, we all know this. So I try to find recipes that are super quick and easy, with as little clean up as possible, yet still delicious. And this is probably our biggest go-to at home. If you have been over to our place for dinner, chances are you’ve had these at least a time or two.
Taco Turkey Burgers. They are seriously delicious and the easiest thing to make. Simply take one pound of ground turkey and one packet taco seasoning and mix! Thats it. Mine makes four patties which I just pan fry on the stove, but if you want to fire up the grill they are delicious there as well.
I pair mine with guac usually, but even with some chips and salsa, a lil sour cream or queso, these are delicious. Even my one year old LOVES them!
Some people find Guacamole intimidating, or don’t know exactly what to put in there, but we have avocados in the fridge nearly all the time. I think the key to great Guac are ripe avocados. You don’t want them to be firm at all, or it becomes hard to mash and the flavor and texture just don’t seem right. From there it is based on personal taste what to put inside. We put lots of cilantro, red onion, garlic and salt in ours, mostly because those are the items that are generally always in our fridge. If we are feeling really fun with the it, I love throwing in a squeeze of lime juice and a splash of orange juice.
I am generally the “taste, don’t measure” kind when I cook, but for those of you who desire more detailed ingredients this is what I used to make our dinner last night:
Taco Burgers: 1 lb ground turkey and 1 package taco seasoning – Mix well, form four patties, brown on stove top until done inside.
Guacamole: 2 ripe avocados, 2 tbs cilantro finely chopped, 1 tbs finely chopped red onion, 1 squeeze lime juice, 1 tsp orange juice, and salt to taste.
*If you want to make these extra healthy for your family, you can make your own taco seasoning to keep on hand. I’ve found a recipe here that looks great and I’m dying to try it and compare.
Oct. 21, 2013
Since my son Maddax turned 6 months old, I have been pureéing anything and everything he is allowed to eat. It is one of the new mommy things I was most excited about when we got pregnant, I couldn’t wait to cook healthy whole food for my little sweetie. Now that fall is upon us, I decided I would pureé some pumpkin, not only for him, but for some treats for the family as well.
Before this, I had never cooked pumpkin, knew little to nothing about it, and found there was a lot of confusion in my mind as to what kind of pumpkin to get, how to make it or if it would even steam in my baby pureé food maker easily. After doing a little research and picking out a perfectly baby sized pumpkin at the store, I was ready to go.
I have read that all types of pumpkin are edible, but purchased a pie pumpkin, mostly because it sounded good to me…it is also supposed to be the sweetest and smoothest when pureed, which I thought Maddax would enjoy a little better since we are trying new things.
I simply cut the pumpkin in half (my goodness those things are tough), scooped out all the seeds and pulp (here is a great pumpkin seed recipe if you’re into that sort of thing) and put it in my Beaba Babycook Food Maker which I LOVE! After a few short minutes, and a little blending I had two storage trays full of fresh pumpkin for baby boy and me to enjoy.
Maddax has loved eating his pumpkin mixed with other veggies and fruits, or mixed with his cereal in the morning and I have found a few yummy ways to eat some of it myself. :)
1. Pumpkin Pancakes | 2. Pumpkin Pie Milkshakes | 3. Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Oct. 9, 2013
This season in my life I have been hearing and reading about being intentional more and more often, and it’s seeming to stick. Of course I am not (and never will be) a perfect individual, but I can strive to be intentional with my time in a more active and productive way.
I spend hours a week watching television (its my guilty pleasure) even if it is while I am folding laundry, cooking dinner, eating lunch, or doing other mindless chores around the house, I have been feeling conflicted lately, knowing there is a more productive way to engage my mind. This is not to say that I won’t keep a list of favorites tucked away each week, but I hope to be more intentional about which shows I choose, and how often I choose them.
This blog is an out pouring of two things: The fact that I have always wanted to start a blog and tossed around the idea here and there for the past few years. And a place to keep me accountable for my activities, spending, lifestyle, and more. A place to keep my intentions goal minded.
Now, all that said, what I find intentional, you may not. I don’t ever want this to be a place for comparison, judgement, or another way to make us feel inadequate. Social media and society in general do that well enough already. I want Intention & Grace to be a place for people to come to be lifted up or inspired. A place to have some fun, learn some new things and do life a little more closely with me.
So, I hope you will join me in being intentional in your own lives, relationships and with your time. It is a challenge I am taking on head first and would encourage you all to keep me accountable for.
Here are some of the fun things I will be sharing in upcoming posts. Enjoy!
