Better Homes and Gardens Post: Fridge Work Station

Another week, another DIY over at Better Homes and Gardens! I hope you head on over and check it out. I chat about creating your fridge work station! Made out of tins and a vintage wood box. Pahlus, I share a freebie printable. Yup, a cute little list to keep yourself organized. Enjoy, and happy Thursday!

– Chelsey


Grain-free Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Dough Bites

Well, shoot. I thought it was about time I started sharing my Pinterest successes! I’ve tried about 1 million recipes… and 1 gazillion DIY’s. I should be sharing what actually turns out awesome. (I may need to also share the Pinterest fails… there are many of those too). So, here’s a first of many Tried It posts. Enjoy!

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 Grain-free Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Dough Bites by, Texanerin Baking

These little cookies looked delicious. I found them on Pinterest, and I was curious to try them… MOSTLY because they are made with chickpeas. Yup! You read that right. Ha! I tried them, I loved them. Erin’s cookies look much prettier than mine, but mine were still yummy.

Ingredients needed: 

– 1 1/4 cup canned chickpeas, well rinsed and dried. I used the whole can. 

– 2 tsp vanilla extract

– 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp homemade peanut butter. Erin mentions you need to use the homemade… or, the cookies will be too oily w/store bought. Don’t worry… it’s simple to make.

– 1/4 cup of honey

– 1 tsp baking powder

– 3/4 cup chocolate chips. Erin used a 1/2… I added more. hee.

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. In a food processor, combine all the ingredients (minus the chocolate chips) and process until the dough is smooth. Hand stir in the chocolate chips. To form the dough bites: this mixture is super thick and sticky. With wet hands, form 1 1/2 inch balls (I missed this wet hands step, and it probably would have helped with the stickiness). Place formed cookies onto a Silpat or a piece of parchment paper. Cook for 10 – 15 minutes (Erin said 10, but I went a little longer). I had 16 cookies to munch on!

Yum!

So, you can definitely tell there is something different about these cookies. They are a little more grainy, but are still very delicious. I would rather give these as a treat to Miss R than most other super sugary recipes. P.S. she loved them:

I hope you enjoy! And if you’d like to join me on Pinterest, here’s my link.

– Chelsey

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Categories: food, Sweets, tried it


Local love: The Velvet Bird

I love my city. A lot. It’s full of beautiful people and crazy talent (and delicious food). I feel like I need to show my city some more love (since it’s so awesome to me). My love will be in the form of sharing some favorite artists, foodie spots, and whatever random thing I think up. Hee. So, to kick this Portland lovey doveyness off: Vanessa, the talent behind The Velvet Bird.

photos by anja // model mal warning // last photo Vanessa by urban weeds

This is Vanessa. She is a lovely lady ANND is crazy talented. A wonderful clothing designer. I have been admiring her clothing for so long. And, I’ve been lucky enough to meet her (and, saw her beautiful three-ring dress in person). She’s so sweet and I think you should give her blog and shop a visit! Be sure to say hello (she’s got some beautiful photos over at her blog home too).

– Chelsey


My day off: Repeat

Well, I decided to take Monday off! Yay! So, I’d like to share a little repeated post with you all… It’s titled, “Don’t Like It? Move On.” I wrote this post in July. Enjoy, and I’ll see you all tomorrow!

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I’ve said it before (and, I’m pretty sure I will say it again), if you don’t like what you see or hear: move on.

The other day I was working on my computer, at Starbucks, while my friend entertained my girl for the day. I sat there for hours… Bought some food… had a ton of caffeine. Customers were coming and going. A couple hours into my Starbucks visit, these two ladies came in. Took a seat one table away from mine. I would never have noticed them, but some how their conversation wandered its way into my brain. I tried to keep working. But, now I was having a hard time focusing. I couldn’t stop listening to the gossip and negative conversations they were sharing. They spent 40 minutes putting down a beloved house guest, followed by their hate towards many family members, and even a couple of local shops they despised. There was not ONE single positive thing these ladies had to say. I kid you not. For over an hour. I couldn’t take it anymore, so I moved. I changed seats. I was now out of ear shot from them. I no longer had to listen to their gossipy mean chat. I made the choice: move my butt, so I no longer have to listen to these ladies.

I did not enjoy hearing them. I moved on. I moved quite a few tables away. I’m happy I did, because these ladies sat there for another hour: I did not hear that last hour… Thank goodness.

My point to that whole story, if you don’t like what you see or hear: get out of there. I’ve had my fair share of negative comments and feedback (whatever, brush it off), but I still can’t understand why anyone would continue to come back and read something they hate. Why read a blog, follow their twitter, Facebook, and instagram if you despise them? Or, why would you want to go to a blog that is, in your opinion, never interesting. Is it just so you can join in the gossip? Calling people ugly and stupid is fun? I don’t know.

I chose to start a blog when Ruari was a few months old. I wanted to meet other mama’s with newborns. AND, I did. PLUS, I found this amazing community of bloggers. It’s been awesome. BUT, when you blog you’re opening a door to a part of your life for the world to learn and read about, which is actually a little scary. This is my blog. I am my boss. How I am on my blog, and in real life… is me. I can be shy, I can be nice, I can have a bad day. I am never intentionally mean. Never. But, here’s a fact: Hiding behind an anonymous profile… talking crap about someone… means you’re a coward. When you look up my phone number, call me with a blocked number, and curse me out on a message, (including saying stuff about my daughter)… you are officially a complete and utter creepster. Yup. You now live in creepville.

I’ve been trying my best to move forward and continue to work on myself and PTSD, then I read some mean words, comments, and get a weird ass phone call… And, I feel myself taking a step backward in this whole process. So, I choose to ignore it. As much as I want to look over and watch the train wreck of words, I ignore. I will not support it. There will always be mean spirited people out there with weird, random, unrealistic things to say about you. But, oh well. I choose to look away and ignore the hurtful things people will say about me. I choose to accept the fact that: maybe not everyone I meet will like me (believe me, that’s the hardest part. I don’t like to not be liked… Or, even hated). But,whatever. I know me. I have readers that truly enjoy me, and I enjoy them (I’ve made some amazing connections through this blog, and can’t wait to make more). I can’t win them all over (even when I want to). But, do I really want to? I don’t like negative/toxic friendships… and, I don’t put up with them. SO, I think I’m glad I can’t win them all over.

I make some money on my blog. Yes! I do. I do some sponsored posts. Yup, I do. Yes, I allow some companies to put their logos on some posts… I think it’s awesome I can get paid  for something I would have written about already. I run a for profit blog. I don’t hide that fact. Heck yeah! I get to stay home with my daughter. Holy crap! We get to play my little ponies and learn how to garden. Yes! I am happy. Yes, I have bad days, but luckily: they’re will be a lot less when I ignore all that negativity. I can and will focus on the positive. <3

I have the power to hit delete on those mean comments, and I make the choice to ignore all the negativity.

The true ugly: mean.

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Categories: about me


Things I Love This Week

Yay! Labor Day weekend means my husband has Monday off! Yay! It’s been a crazy week… I’ve been catching up on drawing orders and prepping for the holiday season (I can only take on so many custom orders before Christmas, so email me ASAP if you want one before December). That probably explains why I haven’t slept that well this week. I will be sleeping in tomorrow for sure! Alright, happy weekend to all of you!

On to my lovely links this week… I sort of went crazy with the DIY link finds + yummy food. Enjoy:

DIY:

Free doll mermaid pattern! I want to make.

A very lovely lovely dress. A free pattern for you to make a dress for you little girl. <3

Homemade polaroid coasters. These are cute and would be lovely for a holiday gift!

A cute way to organize your medicine cabinet.

Storage in clear canning jars! Cute.

Make your own lovely lace a-frame tent! Another fun kiddo DIY.

Yum:

Nutella Pudding Cookies. Ok? Ok.

Grain free peanut butter chocolate cookies dough bites. Ohmagoodness.

Banana bread in a jar… for a gift!

Gah! Chocolate coconut bars…. ohmageegahwhoayes.

Next up on our “recipe to try” list: Creamy Asparagus Soup with a Poached Egg on Toast. Yes!

Polenta crusted rosemary potatoes!

Peanut butter and jelly sushi! Fun for the kids.

Delicious: Homemade caramels!

LEMON BUTTER COOKIES. The End.

 

And, in case you missed it yesterday: I have a big ad space sale going on!  Click here to get more info. Sale ends Monday.<3

Happy Friday,

– Chelsey

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Categories: Uncategorized