I just wanted to pop in today and share something I’m so excited about this month! Go grab yourself a cup of tea and let’s get right into it.
When I started Charlie Rowan Designs I had no background in surface or textile design.
After receiving such great feedback on our Valentine’s printable I started thinking about what else we could offer that would be a fun monthly printable? I wanted to make sure to create something that I would use in my own day to day life – hence our little love notes? affirmations? words to live by? … I’m not quite sure what we’ll call them yet but I do hope that you find a multitude of uses for them, and they bring you a little joy each time you use one. As for me, I plan to tape these to the little one’s mirrors, stick them in there lunch boxes, write a kind note on the back to a friend, replace an old bookmark, and tape one to the front cover of my daily planner. I can’t wait to see how you use yours – be sure to tag us on Instagram so I can share all the fun ways you come up with!
Every year I find myself scrambling to find something that’s actually cute and doesn’t include candy for the kids Valentine’s to hand out at school. These are the two I created this year for both my son and daughter. They print 6 to a page, I recommend using a basic cardstock and they can be easily printed out at any local print shop or your home computer. Click the link below for you FREE download.
Skiing is in our blood. It runs deep through our veins, it’s our common ground, it’s our winter sanity, it’s our social circle, and it’s so much more than I can ever put into words. Ian was born and raised in Maine, went off to boarding school for skiing with some of the best (think Bode Miller) and eventually moved west to chase the ski bum lifestyle. Me, born and raised at the mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon I’ve been skiing at Snowbird since I was three. My parents, much like Ian, moved west from upstate New York to live the ski bum life and from as far back as I can remember our weekends were spent waking before sunrise, cramming our tiny feet into those god awful ski boots (seriously can we make them more comfortable yet) and heading to the mountain not to return until late afternoon with tired little legs, a huge sense of accomplishment and the signs of fresh mountain air staining our cheeks red.
While this isn’t necessarily the healthiest snack, I am always a HUGE fan of finding foods that the kids are excited to get in the kitchen and help make. A few months ago while we were visiting my parents my mom, who is the real chef & the original encourager of getting kids in the kitchen, cooking, tasting, and getting messy, introduced us to this soft pretzel recipe from Once Upon a Chef and it has quickly become a favorite of ours! It has all my favorite things going for it: simple ingredients, easy to follow directions, the kids can help measure and mix the dough, there is a little bit of rest time for the dough to rise (patience little ones) then they get to knead, roll, shape, and dip & bake their creations. The best part is regardless of how pretty they look they ALWAYS taste amazing!
Happy Friday Mama’s!! It’s been a minute since we’ve done a Friday Favs and I feel like it’s time to bring it back! With the start of the new year, we’ve been doing a TON of purging around here, as in I have literally gotten rid of every piece of furniture in my bedroom with the exception of my bed! This spring will mark 9 years that we have been living in our house and for some reason this winter the amount of STUFF we had accumulated hit me like a ton of bricks…literally it felt like the walls were closing in! As I purged, specifically my closet and dresser I got rid of SO many impulse buys, to the point where almost everything I kept was a purchase that I had pre-planned and loved it the minute I bought it. So going forward I am trying to set some strict rules for myself…staying FAR away from Target, making a list before I go in ANY store (even the grocery store) and sticking to it (ie if it isn’t on the list I don’t buy it) and when it comes to clothes and shoes (which are definitely my weak point, I’m NEVER giving them up) I am committing to only buying the things I LOVE and know that I will use and love for seasons. As in, if I haven’t been eyeing it for weeks I can not buy it! So with that said, let’s talk about what I have been eyeing:
One of the questions I get asked most when it comes to eating healthy with kids is “What do you give them for SNACKS?”. Especially when your kids are toddlers, snacks become a staple in most parents lives, and finding snacks that are easy to pack in your bag and not chalk full of sugars and preservatives….that your kids actually like…is no small fete! As most parents know snacks are serious business…they can buy you 10 extra minutes in the grocery store, pull you out of massive meltdowns in the checkout line, and give you the extra 10 minutes you need to make it home before nap time! So, I thought it would be fun to do a series on here of my favorite snacks, that my kids love and I also feel great about giving them. I’ll share some of my favorite home-made recipes as well as a few of my favorite brands that we always have on hand.
A change in the seasons call for a refresh of our weekly menu and the addition of all things that make you feel warm and cozy, inside and out! So while we’ve been busting out the sweaters and heavy blankets we’ve also been adding soups to our weekly dinner mix. I have a few soups that are my go to…Tortilla, Taco, & Coconut Curry…but this year I’m committed to breaking out of my mold and adding a few new favorites. Needless to say, I’ve been on the hunt for new soup recipes that are both healthy & delicious but can be made in 30 minutes or less….because let’s be real #momlife!
May marked one year since I left Corporate America to pursue Charlie Rowan Designs full time, and in many ways it feels like at the same time I left my desk job I also stepped away from my old life and consciously started to shift into a life that feels truer to my purpose.
This year has without a doubt been a year of transformation for me in many ways. I joke with my friends and family that I have really embraced my inner hippy this year. Which to be honest has always been there I had just pushed it way down and piled things like accomplishment, accolades, busyness, and outside perceptions really high on top of it, so high I had almost forgotten it was in me.
This year, I got clear on my “why” and what my ideal life looked and felt like, and while it’s an ever evolving process I can confidently say I feel more inline with my purpose and the real things that bring me joy than I ever have been.