In the Studio: New Recipe Cards

These happy little recipe cards were one of the casualties of my move. They've been sitting on my desk patiently waiting for their turn to be listed in the shop. Today's their day in the sun, finally.

My recipe cards have been selling out fast, so grab some while they're fresh! And have a great weekend.

Road Trip Survival Kit

School supplies are filling the store shelves, which means summer is almost over. But if you're planning a last-minute road trip, here are a few helpful hints I learned this summer. We made two long road trips, for a combined total of 21 hours of driving with all three kids (and we lived to tell about it!)

• On our longest trip, I made an envelope for each hour of the trip. Every hour, the kids got to open an envelope to reveal a surprise. Sometimes it was a snack, other times a new game to play or a coloring book, or some new music to listen to. The surprise envelopes were a HUGE hit.
• One of the favorite surprises (shown above) were the I Spy Wonder Tubes. I picked some up at the last minute, but I'm sure they'd be a pretty easy DIY project, as well. 
• The license plate game is a great activity for older kids. I kinda like it, too.
• I also snagged a good old-fashioned clipboard for each kid. I filled them with plain paper, coloring pages I found online and some Highlights hidden picture printables.
• Kid-sized earphones are a must-have. Solves several problems...I don't have to listen to their movies, and they don't have to try to keep adult-sized earphones on their tiny little heads. Added bonus: these have a volume lock.
• Spill-proof water cups for everyone, so you don't have to stop to change clothes when bump in the road causes a soaking wet toddler. My children absolutely, positively will NOT wear clothing with the slightest drop of water on it...please tell me I'm not alone. Oh, and while you're at it, make sure you throw in a change of clothes just in case. ;)
• Fruit sauce packets are a great, healthy on-the-go snack, and it makes me feel better about all the junk food they consume while on the road.
• Sunglasses or a suction-cup window shade are fantastic so you don't have to hear, "It's too sunny. The sun is in my eyes. It's too bright." Over and over and over.
• And don't forget a stay-awake snack for the driver. Hot Tamales are my personal favorite.

Happy trails!

Where I've Been

Have I given up blogging? I'm not gonna lie, I've considered throwing in the towel. But I think I'll stick around a while longer. I'm happy to report that we made it through our move unscathed. Here's a look at what I've been doing:

When we weren't packing boxes, we were cheering at little league games, hosting water balloon fights and spending every last second with our good friends. Oh, and we threw in some swimming lessons to keep things interesting.

The last week of June brought B's official graduation, where all five of us were invited up to accept his diploma. Our moving truck arrived and the chaos ensued. We had a lot of very unglamorous moments, but the kids enjoyed our cardboard box picnics and our campouts on the floor. We took a week off and enjoyed the 4th with family in Utah...then we drove and drove until we reached our new home.

We had some incredible help (Thanks, Dad and Mom!). The move really couldn't have gone any smoother. After the dust settled and B started his new job, the kids and I set to work unpacking. We had to take frequent breaks, though, so we started exploring our new town.

So far, we all really like it here. We've been to the rodeo (twice!) And all the people we've met are genuinely so kind and helpful. Our neighbors started coming over to introduce themselves within minutes of us pulling up out front. I've never seen anything like it. 

 We also hit up the carnival, the children's garden, made our first batch of cookies in our new kitchen. And Mr. Nolan turned 6 months. We also snuck in three trips to Utah in the last two months.

It's been a fast, crazy whirlwind of a summer. But it feels like the calm is setting in. I miss my friends dearly (sniff, sniff) and I know the kids miss their friends. But it's nice to be on this end of the move rather than all the planning and stressing I've been doing for almost a year now. And it's great to be back here on the ol' blog. I've missed you.

Alex Isom Photo Shoot

Back in June, amid the mayhem of graduations, packing, moving and swimming lessons we were able to squeeze in a quick photo shoot with the very talented Alex Isom. I'm so thrilled with the way he captured my kiddos. Take a peek:

Thanks, Alex! We love them all.

Happy Birthday, Honest to Nod!

Time sure flies, doesn't it? I can hardly believe that Honest to Nod is celebrating its one year birthday! I'm so happy to be one of the contributors...it's such an honor to work with such creative, inspiring people. 

In true Nod fashion, they're celebrating by giving away a $100 gift card to one lucky reader. Visit their birthday post for more details on how you could win. I've got a bunch of new posts ready to go, so stay tuned...I'll be back on HTN soon.