Couples costumes are hard...

I feel for Charlie today, he has one of those partners that never wants to dress up.  Just says "I'll be a construction worker", basically goes as themselves for Halloween.  So we learn to work with that partner, compromise. 

Charlie thrifted his equestrian costume.  So proud.

Issy went as his horse.

Happy Halloween!  Hope you have fun tonight!

Get your poodle skirt out

Are you doing anything Halloweeny this weekend?  I'm not.  I don't know why, Halloween just isn't my holiday.  My teeth hurt just thinking out it.  I did buy a pumpkin, but I'm going to roast it and make some baked goods instead.  I'm ready for Thanksgiving...

Have a fun size Snickers for me!

Paper or plastic?

Bryan and I had a conversation the other night that ended with him calling me Al Gore, and me saying that I hate big trucks.  Hurtful words to a man who loves his truck.  We were discussing the environment and how much I worry about it.  I feel like I try to do my part, and he cancels it out by not doing his.

For example...did you know that even though you recycle plastic water bottles, the cap and little white ring left around the top are not recyclable?  After you recycle that water bottle, they ship it to China and run them on a conveyor belt where a man with a machete chops the tops off the water bottle so the rest can be recycled.  I'm pretty sure that when you're wielding a machete...you're not trying to take off as little waste as possible.  I'm pretty sure you're chopping that thing in half and saving your fingers.  Not to mention the fumes from the melting plastic that these workers are exposed to.  Check out this article on Mindfully.org.

But do you know where I am falling short lately?  I don't bring my own bags to the grocery store, even though I have a million of them.  We always ask for paper and we use them as our garbage bags.  This is what we did growing up too.  Since then my parents have switched to compostable bags and I'm feeling like I should also.  It's tough to know what is BEST when there are so many options. 

The other day my coworker (our green guy, no really that's his job title) sent me this recycling calculator to see where I stacked up.  I did pretty well, mostly because we don't get the newspaper!

Check it out for yourself, click 'here'.

Do you still use plastic bags?  I've been hearing a lot of commercials on the radio about what they do with recycled bags (trex decking, playground equipment).   You can drop them off at your local grocery or hardware store, which we've been doing lately.  Just make sure to take your receipts out first!

Pumpkin Patch!

Sunday we had a break in the weather so I tagged along with my Sister's family to go to the pumpkin patch.  My dogs don't appreciate pumpkins...and neither do my Niece and Nephew.  But Jackson appreciated the old cars and tractors at this pumpkin patch so it made it all worth it.

The highlight...

Obviously Auntie needs to buy this girl some shoes!

 

I took a million of them on this tractor...Jackson starts out smiling and loses interest when his sister is on his lap.

Ava was thrilled though and wanted to play with the steering wheel.

This was my favorite part.  Jackson walked in to the barn and said "where are the horses?"

There were none, but there was a German Shepard in the hay loft

Once upon a time

Did anyone catch this show on Sunday night?  I half watched while we chatted with my parents who came over for dinner.  There was a scene where the Prince sword fights while holding a newborn...both my Mom and I thought that was pretty hot ;)  Of course there were other conversations about that scene too...

Mom:  Oh my gosh!  What is he doing with that sword, is he going to kill the baby?

Dad:  No, he's going to circumcise him.

My Dad has really been watching his tongue lately and following up his jokes with "don't blog that".  Luckily he forgot to throw in the disclaimer on this one ;)

everyone's favorite redhead

Did you have a good weekend?  We did too.  Friday night we headed to our friend's house for dinner and to see little Dori who hasn't really gotten any bigger, but is quite a ham these days.

Playing with Bryan

Magic tricks...where did it go?

Danielle's pretty appetizer

Baci doesn't care much for our game

Baci in her bed...

I wonder if this is what Ikea had in mind when they built this shelf

Hangin with the boys

Cuddling with Bryan

Hey, don't pick the dog over the baby!

Danielle and moi and our froyo

Perfect end to a wonderful night!

Thanks D &S for dinner!

Halloween in rainy Seattle

My coworker and I were talking the other day about trick or treating in malls.  It has become pretty popular here because Halloween is always wet and cold.  Plus tolling around in the dark isn't always the safest.  Growing up we had to be creative with our costumes to keep warm, and then they were usually covered up with a coat anyway.  I think the genius year was when my Sister and neighbor went as dead skiiers.  They were toasty!

This particular year we went as Victorian Ladies, the key accessory being the lacey umbrellas.  But...we still ended up looking like drowned rats.

What do you think of our Cindy Crawford moles and turtlenecks?

Happy weekend.  What do you have planned?  

Now that's a good reason to have kids

Growing up we never bought costumes.  We used what we had, or went to the Goodwill and put something together, which is why we were usually hobos.  I prefer the thoughtful costumes though...I'd totally have a kid so I could do some of these.  Darn free will and kids picking their own costumes.

 

Source: None via Stephanie on Pinterest

Source: blogs.babble.com via Toby on Pinterest

Source: blogs.babble.com via Valerie on Pinterest

Source: tumblr.com via Christian on Pinterest

Source: thespottedfox.com via Jackie on Pinterest

Want

Hey guess what?  It's Wednesday and we have a winner!  #5 GringationCancun!  Congrats Laura, email me Grandma's address and I will send you your petite package de Paris!  Thanks everyone for entering, I wish I could send you all Swiss chocolate but...we ate it all!

I really want this... is $110 too much to spend on a sweater?  A really cozy striped one?

{via Madewell}

Check out some cozy Fall food over here

Roasted pears with coconut butterscotch sauce

Today is the last day to enter the giveaway!  Click 'here' for some European goodies!

Whelp, if you come over for dinner at my house this Fall this is what we'll be having ... What are your favorite desserts of the season?  I just bought a pumpkin to make some crustless pumpkin pie and roast the seeds.  Last year Bryan ate all the roasted seeds before I even got a chance to have any.  I roast them with a little butter and soy sauce, so good.

{via The NY Times}

4 Bosc pears, peeled, cored and quartered lengthwise
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar
Fine sea salt
Black pepper
1/4 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut
2 cups coconut milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
Dark chocolate squares, for serving.


1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. In a bowl, toss together the pears, butter, 1/4 cup brown sugar, pinch salt and pepper. Roast on baking sheet, tossing occasionally, until pears are tender and golden, 15 to 20 minutes.

2. In a small skillet over medium heat, toast the coconut until golden.

3. In a separate skillet, combine 1 cup brown sugar and 6 tablespoons water. Cook over medium heat until sugar melts and loses its sandlike consistency (there can still be a few sugar granules). Whisk in the coconut milk and a pinch of salt. Increase heat to medium-high and simmer until sauce reaches a consistency between that of heavy cream and butterscotch sauce; this could take 10 minutes or longer. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and lemon zest. Spoon sauce over pears and garnish with toasted coconut. Serve with the chocolate on the side.


Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

have I told you...

About my love for Nutella?  Oh I have?  The other day I was thinking about having babies (because I swear the world has made a pregnancy pact and forgot to include me), and I thought...if I have a little girl I'm going to name her Hazel so I can call her my little hazelnut.  Which has evolved from my previous baby name of Nella, also close to Nutella.

{via planet do & undo}

I have discovered another chocolate hazelnutty goodness product this weekend.  I bought Luna & Larry’s Chocolate Hazelnut Fudge Coconut Bliss ice cream (made with coconut milk), and it is seriously my new favorite thing in the whole world.  I had it for dinner.

But enough about me...or actually more about me really.  I did a little interview over at The Girl with the Blue Bow today.  Stop by and find out more than you ever wanted to know.  But I think you probably already know way too much about me ;)  Thanks for the interview Christianna!

So tell me about you, what did you do this weekend?? 

Okay now back to me.  Click "here" for the interview.

Grand St. Bernard Pass: 28 years earlier

Do you live in Seattle?  Swing by my other blog Perpetually Engaged for a fun giveaway, today only!  What are you still doing here?


Remember our little trip to Grand St. Bernard?  Well my Mom sent me this picture of us there...28 years ago.  Looks pretty much the same don't you think?

We couldn't even afford hats or shoes

we had to wear socks with our sandals...sorry I made you freeze Bryan!



Salmon Days 2011

A few weekends ago, in all my jet lag glory, I hit the Salmon Days parade with my Mom and Sister.  It was Jackson's 2nd Salmon Days and Ava's first!  I couldn't miss it.  She watched the whole parade, which is awesome because I hate to admit it but...we're a parade family.  We clap with the marching bands, we wave at the princesses, we stay until the pooper scoopers go by. 

Ava, 5 months old

Sammy the Salmon

Last year he hitched a ride, this year he walked

Must be a younger Salmon this year

Jackson eating caramel corn for breakfast

Ava talking to her mouse

This boy loves the fire trucks!



Auntie Nikki you are so funny!

And you have crows feet

Ogopogo of Lake Okanagon

We used to camp on this lake and I was pretty worried about the monster for awhile there

 

Shiska-berries

 

This year he got to ride the train

I sat with the stroller and pointed out missing children to frantic parents

No really, I did

He seriously needs a bouncy house for his 4th birthday

I can't believe he'll be 4 soon!

Convo of the day:

Background- we parked at my Father in Law's house and there is a basketball hoop in his driveway from when the kids were younger, and a crate of basketballs that belong to the neighbors who now use the hoop.

Jackson:  Are those basketballs Papa Paul's?

Me:  No, they belong to the neighbor's, but the basketball hoop is Papa Paul's

Jackson:  Are those baketballs Papa Paul's?

Me:  Yes....

Jackson (to my Sister):  Why did Auntie call it basketball 'poop'?