CharlieRowanDesigns Blog

charlie-rowan-designs-cooking-with-kids-pretzels

In the Kitchen with Kids: The Best Pretzels You’ll Ever Make

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! Continue Reading

January 26, 2018 by Ryann

Family, Style

Friday Favs: What I’m Adding to My Closet + Kids Books We’re Loving

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: Continue Reading

January 19, 2018 by Ryann

Thats it Kids Healthy Snacks Charlie Rowan Designs

Food

In the Kitchen with Kids: Healthy Snacks + That’s It Bars

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. Continue Reading

January 15, 2018 by Ryann

Barley Soup for Kids and Ironwood Cutting Boards

Family, Food

In the Kitchen with Kids: Barley Soup + Ironwood Gourmet

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! Continue Reading

November 8, 2017 by Ryann

6 Habits to the Best Me - Charlie Rowan Designs

Family, Food, Motherhood

6 Habits To A Better Me

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. Continue Reading

August 30, 2017 by Ryann

Family, Food

In the Kitchen with Kids: Overnight Oats + OLLY Nutrition

If you’ve been following along it’s no secret that I am one of those moms…the ones who are borderline freakish about the foods their kids eat. I mean, it’s not like I won’t let them eat a cupcake or have a juice box from time to time, but I try to be really conscious of the foods they are eating and try to do my best to control the foods/meals that I can. We do our best to eat wholefoods and watch the amount of preservatives we/they eat but I will openly admit that breakfast has always been a struggle for me. I feel as though there are multiple reasons why this has been the least nutritious meal of our day, for starters, I’m not a breakfast person, for as long as I can remember I have avoided breakfast like the plague…give me a cup of coffee and I’m good to go, so while I’m trying to change that I naturally don’t have a lot of interest in breakfast. Secondly, we’re so busy in the morning, which I know is a lame excuse, but it’s the truth. So sadly, we have fallen into a Cheerios + Honey routine and I am determined to break it! Continue Reading

August 4, 2017 by Ryann

Food

In the Kitchen With Toddlers: French Fries That Won’t Kill You

What better week to talk about homemade french fries than this??? I mean the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition pretty much just stated that eating french fries pretty much kills you! Or as the Washington Post so gently sums it up:

“Exactly 236 people died during the course of the study. After adjusting for a variety of factors — education, race, income, alcohol consumption and exercise, among other things — the researchers concluded that people who eat french fries more than twice a week are doomed. Doomed!” (article found here) Continue Reading

June 23, 2017 by Ryann

Family, Small Buisness, Style

Friday Favs: Podcasts I’m Binging On + What’s Keeping Me Sane & Organized

It’s FRIDAY!!! Plus it’s been a hot min since we have done a weekly round up of our favorite things so lets do this!

First up, Podcasts:

I’m currently, obsessively binging on the @thealisonshow podcast Awesome with Alison, found here. So, admittedly I didn’t really think Alison was my cup of tea. My only perception of her was through social media, and while entertaining, she came off as a bit over the top, loud, and borderline obnoxious. However, it’s kind of like the sun, you just have to look! So when I stumbled across her podcast I thought well, it will at least be entertaining if nothing else! But guys, IT IS SO MUCH BETTER! It’s entertaining, insightful, thoughtful, she shares a ton of great resources, and seriously the babe is SUPER smart….way smarter than I gave her credit for…shame on me, for real! If you haven’t listened and you’re into the whole self-improvement thing (which really who isn’t?) then tune in, I bet you’ll end up liking it more than you think. Continue Reading

June 23, 2017 by Ryann

Family, Food

In the Kitchen with Toddlers & Hello Fresh

Over the past few months Hello Fresh started popping up in the feeds and posts of many of my favorite bloggers and Instagram mama’s who were all raving about the simplicity of the meals that were not only quick but also healthy! So obviously I was intrigued….I mean…quick, healthy, and delivered to your door….sign me up!! So when HelloFresh reached out to partner I jumped at the chance! Let’s be real what busy mama couldn’t use someone else to do the meal planning, shopping, and delivery right to their door….and did I mention that start to finish the meals take 30 minutes!! I mean, what dreams are made of, am I right?!! Continue Reading

May 30, 2017 by Ryann

Charlie Rowan Designs Picnic at the Park

Motherhood

SUMMER LIVING.

Isn’t it amazing what a little sunshine and outdoors can do for the soul. After months of snow, rain, and short days summertime feels like such a godsend as a mother. Summer seems to bring such a sense of adventure, and with the warm weather and longer days it feels like you gain a few extra hours to pack in just a little more fun! This week we kicked off the summer with a picnic to one of our favorite parks and it made my mama heart so full with the simplicity of it and the joy the kids have in simply exploring and running for hours. We ate way too many pastries and sweet treats, overcame our fear of geese, rolled down massive hills, stood up – fell down, climbed through rocks, and never even made it to the playground. I don’t know what is in the summer air, but I’ll take it, all day everyday! Continue Reading

May 26, 2017 by Ryann

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