while we roam

TREES & BEES

Aug 27 trees and bees
We spent most of the weekend on the road, landing in North Carolina on Saturday night. Every time I visit this part of the country, I am blown away by the trees. They're everywhere...they're beautiful...and it's hard to see around them.  We're camping out in a pretty woodsy area so Olivia is having a blast.  She's talking to squirrels, picking up sticks, hoarding pine cones - the usual.
Today, I'm headed in to visit my old friends at Burt's Bees.  I'm so excited to see everyone and thank them in-person for their support - they sponsored our NYC road trip!  We installed some signage on our trailer to let people know about an upcoming photo contest that Burt's Bees is launching on their Facebook page.  We've been passing out Burt's Bees Lip Balm to all of the people we meet on the road. People are driving by us...honking and holding their lip balms out of their windows.  It's been an awesome reminder how many people love Burt's Bees!  Hey, we've still got some lip balm to give away - who wants to meet us between here & Arizona?

Posted on August 27, 2012 in travelogue | Permalink | Comments (0)

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#ALTNYC

Aug24 altNYC
WOW.  New York City.  Alt Summit NYC.

It was big.

I'm spent.  

Will fill you in on all the juicy details next week.  Have a great weekend!  When you check back on Monday, we'll be in North Carolina!

(All photos were taken on my iPhone using Instagram, with the exception of two.  1. bottom/left can be found on Alt Summit's Instagram feed   2. bottom/center can be found on MS Living's Instagram feed.)

Posted on August 24, 2012 in gettin' my blog on | Permalink | Comments (0)

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SCENES FROM THE ROAD

Aug-20-scenes

Posted on August 20, 2012 | Permalink | Comments (0)

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TRAVELOGUE: ALBUQUERQUE, NM

With the AZ temps hanging out around 116, we decided it’s time to hitch up the Airstream and go for a drive.  This time, we’re headed to New York so that I can attend Alt Summit NYC.  I’m SO excited!

The first leg of our journey had us traveling from Scottsdale, AZ to Albuquerque, NM, which was perfect because it allowed us to kick off our trip with a luxurious stopover at Los Poblanos Historic Inn & Organic Farm.

The Inn & Farm are located on Los Poblanos Ranch, nestled on 25 acres of farmland, fields & gardens.  The land, and the ranch that sits on it, has a rich and fascinating history.  Today, their mission is to preserve the land and the important New Mexican art & architecture on the ranch through sustainable practices.  This place is so cool.

We arrived just after 8PM on Wednesday.  Nancy, the Inn Manager, met us outside to help guide us onto the property.  She is so lovely and welcoming – as is everyone on the ranch!  She invited us to park next to their barn and escorted us to our Farm Room.  It was so dark outside – we could barely see the beauty around us but we could smell the lavender in the air!  Our room was gorgeous, filled with beautiful furniture and home-grown amenities.  Think Restoration Hardware with a rustic twist.  LOVED it.

2

As the sun came up, we hurried to check out our surroundings.  OMG.

3a

We enjoyed THE most delicious breakfast.  There is nothing more satisfying than food that is grown organically, harvested and prepared right in front of your eyes.  Freshly squeezed juices, homemade granola, perfectly picked plums & dragonfruit.  Iris went to town on the dragonfruit!  Entrees loaded with vegetables that tasted the way vegetables are supposed to taste!  There were only a few bites left … we packed those up and took them over to feed to the animals.

4

On the way over to visit the animals, we made a pit stop at the Farm Shop.   It’s a tiny space loaded with the coolest stuff.  Lotions, salves, soaps and balms all made in small batches, infused with the essential oils from their lavender, hand poured and packaged perfectly.  It doesn’t get much better than this.  They also have culinary lavender, which they use in their Lavender Sugar and other creations.   I wanted one of everything.  (If you visit, make sure to talk with Stephen at the shop – he is super cool and has a wealth of knowledge about the ranch.)

5a

Ok, no more shopping – it’s time to check out these farm animals.  Olivia was in heaven.  She talked to the chickens, pigs, goats, ducks, and the llama for quite some time.  Not sure what they were discussing but she got them and they got her.  She made special friends with the cow, who she named “cow”.  When it was time to go, it took her a while to say goodbye to him.

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Since we’re on a strict schedule to get to NYC, we were only able to stay one night at Los Poblanos.  I can’t wait to visit again, learn more about the history of the ranch and the region, hang out in the salt-water pool, fill up on their glorious food and shop for a few more hours.  I LOVE this place.

Next stop: Amarillo, TX.

Posted on August 18, 2012 in travelogue | Permalink | Comments (4)

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CURRENTLY CRAVING: WATERMELON ROSEMARY LEMONADE

Jul 31 currently craving
Wishing I was in LA today, enjoying THE most refreshing drink at Lemonade LA!

Posted on July 31, 2012 in currently craving | Permalink | Comments (0)

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LOVE IT: CHARIOT CARRIER CX2

Jul 24 Love It Chariot Carrier
If you ask my husband why he loves our Chariot Carrier CX2, he’d mention its CTS Conversion Kits, 20 inch all-terrain tires, hand-lever activated rear drum brakes, adjustable rear suspension, ergonomic handlebar, UV protection on all sides, screens to protect the girls from debris/bugs … blah blah blah.

If you ask me why I love it, my answer is simple.  It’s the only place where Olivia insists on holding hands with her baby sister. 

Posted on July 24, 2012 in love it | Permalink | Comments (3)

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SUMMER TO-DO LIST: CANNING & PRESERVING

Jul 23 summer to do list canning
Some girls love shopping for shoes or jewelry.  This girl loves shopping for cookware. My "happy place is Williams Sonoma - if my mood is low, I spend a few minutes in that store and I'm recharged & ready to go!  I'm LOVING the Williams Sonoma Agrarian Program - it's all about connecting the virtues of the homegrown and the homemade to our everyday table.  Have you seen it?  If you check out their catalog or go to their web site, you'll see all of these gorgeous images of nature's bounty - vibrant vegetables and perfectly ripened fruit just waiting to be preserved for winter. They're also promoting DIY Cheese & Kombucha, Beekeeping & Chicken Coops - it's all good stuff.

This summer, I've decided that I want to learn the art of canning & preserving food.  I think I'm going to start off by making strawberry jam.  Here are some of the tools I plan to use ...

1. Kilner Stainless-Steel Jam Pan   2. Stainless-Steel Canning Insert Rack   3. Jam & Sugar Thermometer   4. Kilner Jam Jar Tongs   5. Kilner Stainless-Steel Easy Fill Funnel  6. Kilner Preserve Jar  7. Welk Mini Mold Jars   8. A Book   9. And another Book

I'd love to hear your advice - any tricks I should know or additional tools I'll need? I'm off to the market to pick up some berries!

Posted on July 23, 2012 in summer to-do list | Permalink | Comments (2)

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PREPPING FOR OUR NEXT ROAD TRIP . . .

Jul 18 prepping for road trip


Posted on July 18, 2012 | Permalink | Comments (2)

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INDOORS/OUTDOORS: STEMLESS WINE GLASSES

Jul 17 in out stemless wine glasses
Who am I kidding?  I don't drink wine.  I drink water, sweet tea & the occasional (and oh so delicious) Dr. Pepper.  Even though these drinks aren't fancy, there's no reason I can't feel fancy drinking them.  At home, I love to use these Riedel "O" Bordeaux Wine Tumblers. While we're traveling in the Airstream or having a picnic in the park, I love to use these Go Vino Wine Glasses.  They're shatterproof, reusable, recyclable & BPA-free!  Fancy Schmancy!

Posted on July 17, 2012 in indoors/outdoors | Permalink | Comments (0)

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IN THE TOOLBOX: BOBBI BROWN CORRECTOR & CONCEALER

Jul 16 in the toolbox bobbi brown
Before having children, I used (and appreciated) my under eye concealer like I did all of my cosmetics ... just another tool in the ole' toolbox.  Now that I have two small girls, and achieve approximately 2.5 hours of REM sleep a night, I rely on it like it's the air I breathe.

My favorite combo is the Bobbi Brown Corrector with the Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer layered on top.  On a good day, the Bobbi Brown Concealer Brush works just fine. On other days, not so much.  I feel like anything less than a spackle knife will not provide enough correction or concealing!  Some days, I determine that NO amount of product will do the job and throw on the darkest pair of sunglasses I own.

The other day, I used these products along with my other make up and went on up to the mall.  As I entered Nordstrom, I spotted the make up artist that had sold me these products standing at the Bobbi Brown counter.  I knew she'd remember me because we had shared a moment during the color matching process.  Feeling all proud of myself, I walked past the counter and said "hey look, I'm using the under eye concealer" - I said it just like Oprah says "John Travoltaaaaaa".  I was really feeling myself.  No joke, the woman says back to me "use more-eeeeee" in her own Oprah voice.  OUCH.

Posted on July 16, 2012 in in the toolbox | Permalink | Comments (1)

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