Classic Strawberry Shortcake

As a child, we did frequent family dinners at my grandparents home in Massachusetts. They were less about the food and more about the family. Of course I still loved my grandmothers cooking. I remember she would clip out weekly winner recipes in the paper or a holiday special from a magazine. She had many hand written recipes, but her GO TO kitchen assistant was always "The Fannie Farmer Cookbook" filled with those recipe clippings as page holders and hand written notes in the margins.

She handed the cookbook down to my mother. We frequently referred to it in our kitchen. It had become our GO TO cookbook; however, it was most assuredly my mothers when I moved into my own place. Bummer! To my huge surprise, my dad tracked down a 1996 commemorative edition of THE ORIGINAL 1896 Fannie Farmer for my 20th birthday!! Can you see my excitement jumping out of the page??? Don't get me wrong, I love using my food processor for a perfect pie crust or some DELICIOUS Oreo truffles, but the family oriented simple side of me could not have been happier. My dad gets me. He totally gets me. This is easily a top 5 gift in my 28 years!

Keep in mind, this version was written in 1896 without modern updates. Not a great gift idea for someone just beginning in the kitchen, but perfect as a novelty or a usable cookbook if you can interpret and change things a bit. It is so much more than just recipes though, it begins with teaching you about food. What is it? Organic vs. Inorganic. Moving on to cookery and how to build a fire. This book was also monumental in introducing standard measurements in recipes. Something to think about next time you pull out your perfectly sized measuring spoons.

Are you wondering where am I going with this family favorite cookbook story??? Just a little background about where this recipe came from.

We have been actively crossing things off our Spring Bucket List. There is still about 5 weeks left, if you want to check it out for some fun ideas! This week we had an abundance of strawberries so, it seemed only right that we make strawberry shortcake! Cue Fannie Farmer and my two tiny mixers.

Strawberry Short Cake

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon sugar + 3 Tablespoons sugar

3/4 cup milk

1/3 cup butter

1 basket of strawberries

2 cups whipped cream

Makes 2 strawberry shortcakes

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and create the shortcake.

Step 2: Mix dry ingredients and sift twice.

Step 3: Add butter in small amounts and work in with fingertips.

Step 4: Add milk gradually and mix.

Step 5: Toss onto floured surface and divide into two parts.

Step 6: Pat and roll out into a rough circle.

Step 7: Bake each in a greased round pan for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

Step 8: While the shortcakes are baking, crush slightly and heat strawberries with 3 Tablespoons of sugar on low. Reserve 3-6 strawberries for shortcake topper.

Step 9: Allow shortcakes to cool slightly, slice and butter. Remove strawberries from heat.

Step 10: Once the shortcake has cooled, layer dessert from the bottom up as follows; shortcake, whipped cream, sweetened strawberries, shortcake, dollop of whipped cream, 3 strawberries.

Serve and enjoy!!!

One great thing about this recipe is that it makes two decent sized cakes. One for you and one to share!

Emergency Road Trip with Toddlers - What To Pack

I hope everyone had a pleasant week. My great uncle passed away so, the girls and I quickly packed up and headed North with my parents. It's about a 15 hour drive. Longer with little ones. I find the ride is much more pleasant for everyone if you allow the littles to stop and let out some energy every few hours. Consider a rest stop for bathroom breaks, take a picture at the welcome center, go inside to eat (even at fast food) stop at a mini roadside attraction. If you try to fight it, they tend to get louder and louder and the vehicle gets smaller and smaller. Another option that always works for us is to leave at bedtime. My husband and I have no problem with driving at night and there's usually less traffic, but like I said before, this was an emergency trip so, I packed in an hour and we hit the road.

On the ride up (my mother still won't let me drive her anywhere) I realized that this situation is unfortunately not unique to me. I also know, it's not easy to quickly pack your toddler for a trip out of state lasting a week or two. You will rush around the house, run through everything they use on a regular day, rearrange their suitcase four times. Consider the weather for every season and debate with yourself if you're taking too much or too little. Kiss your lover and head out the door. You will probably spend the first hour feeling like you forgot something without being able to pin point it and the next three listing everything in your head. Luckily, there is likely a Target somewhere near you in case it's diapers you forgot.

Obviously in last minute situations, you won't have the time to write down a packing list. To lay out outfits with matching hair bows and coordinate shoes. The ones in my head never work out. Maybe it's because I love the satisfaction of crossing something off  (best feeling ever) or maybe it's because important things are left behind. To help you and me out I've created a checklist for just this situation. I've kept it to a minimum. Think, emergency trip. I hope you have a successful road trip and I hope you find it useful. Most important of all, bring your famous mom patience. I include a blank space at the bottom to write down important things you wouldn't want to forget, such as medications or dress shoes. Print and please enjoy!

Emergency Road Trip with Toddlers - What To Pack

1. Shirts - I pack 3 short sleeve for warmer days and 2 long for cooler. Short sleeves can be better in the car even when it's cold outside if they tend to run hot in their car seat. Just keep a sweatshirt handy which brings us to 2.

1. Sweatshirt - I only pack 1 and 1 jacket.

1. Jacket - In colder weather a jacket is easier to remember. If it's warmer, I pack a lightweight jacket (like a raincoat/spring wear)

1. Shorts - I pack 3 pair.

1. Pants - I pack 1 pair of jeans 1 pair of sweats (or other pants) and 2 pairs of leggings. Leggings are so versatile. I prefer them over tights when traveling.

1. Undies or Diapers - I bring 1 bag of diapers or 5 pairs of undies (easy enough to wash, but handy to have on hand in case of an accident)

1. Socks - I pack 6 pairs. Again, easy enough to wash but always more convenient to have on hand in case they get wet or dirty or thrown out the window...just kidding!!

1. PJs - I pack 3 pair. The footies are my favorites but they can be much to warm in the Spring or Summer. For travel, I really love the ones that come with shorts and pants.

1. Shoes - I bring at least 2 pair. Think sneakers and sandals. For this trip I also packed dress shoes for the services. In Winter, think about boots.

1. Ziploc baggies - I pack things in Ziploc bags to sort and also so I have them on hand in case an outfit gets wet or yucky.

1. Hair Kit - I would never comb the girls curls without spraying it first so, I bring a hair kit. It includes; spray, wide comb, fine comb, ponies, bows and headbands optional. I put it all in a gallon size baggie.

1. Wipes - I don't think I will ever stop packing wipes. I packed them before we had babies. They come in handy with so many things. A packing must. If you have a baby in diapers then you should bring 3 soft packs. If they are just for wiping hands or faces or anything else I would suggest 1 soft pack.

1. Bath Kit - Keep it to a minimum. Just bring your favorite baby soap and baby lotion. Remember to put the them in a ziploc in case of spill. One washcloth and one towel per child. Lastly, toothbrushes and toothpaste. Beat that stinky breath and cavities, even when on an emergency trip.

1. Travel First Aid Kit - We have two first aid kits. I check them once a month to make sure they are stocked and nothing has expired or spilled. The full sized one stays in our bathroom and so does the travel...unless we go somewhere haha! Our kit includes things like infant tylenol, hydrogen peroxide, bandages, A&D, etc. 

1. Books - I brought six books total for the girls to share.

1. Blanket - Can't go anywhere without the favorite blanket! Even if they don't have a favorite, I would pack a travel blanket for car naps or if they get chilly in the car. For comfort I brought them a small stuffy. We have the ones 

1. Crayons and coloring book - I only pack a few crayons and if you can't find a coloring book a notebook is a great option.

1. Sippy Cups - Bring one per child. I like the ones with a cover in case it falls on the ground or under the car seat.

I think a stroller is optional. My favorite travel stroller is the Chicco Echo Stroller Ours is turquoise. I love it because it is so easy to fold and unfold. An especially great function when you have more than one little. My second favorite thing about the Echo is that it is lightweight without feeling like you are using a ten dollar flimsy umbrella stroller. Keeps baby secure and there's even a basket underneath!

Library Loot - Earth Day Theme

We have read to our girls since the first night Adalaide came home with us. That's why we are SO excited that our 3 year old has begun reading on her own! Very proud parents right here. Before moving, the library was one of our favorite places to go every week. 

One of the first things on our checklist was to find our new library in Charlotte. Mission accomplished. I cannot say enough great things about the welcoming and friendly Charlotte Mecklenburg Library. They have multiple branches (talk about convenient) and you can request and renew books all with their app. Wonderful idea for busy moms! They have amazing resources. Puzzles and computers with toddler friendly learning games. The girls and I had an amazing time. Weekly visits are now on our schedule.

This week we went in with an "Earth Day" theme in mind. Here are the books we checked out.

Now that we have read all the books here is a brief summary of my thoughts and how the girls reacted to these choices. All in all I would say we made great choices for Earth Day! Lots of reading was done and lots of prompted discussions. I am a happy mom.

1.Fancy Nancy Every Day is Earth Day by Jane O'Connor- A great early reader. Full of simple words. I really liked how it introduced more complex words and then gave a definition of what that word meant, in the story. It opened me up to a discussion about each word with my 3 year old. As a story it was great because it talks about ways to be green year round as a family!

2.Earth Day-hooray! by Stuart Murphy- This book introduces math! How great is that?? It's a great starting off point if you haven't introduced math yet. It also lists ideas to make the math more challenging. As a bonus, I like that the story comes full circle. It shows how recycling can be turned into flowers.

3.If You Hold A Seed by Elly MacKay- I love, love, love the illustrations in this book. This book has simple words with short statements on each page. Perfect for an early reader.

4.Ants in Your Pants, Worms in Your Plants by Diane De Groat- This book is so fun! The girls just giggled and giggled about having "ants in your pants." It's great for Earth Day because each student introduces a different concept about how they can help the planet.

5.Round Like a Ball! by Lisa Campbell Ernst-This was absolutely our favorite!! There is phrase repetition, which is perfect for our beginning reader. Each page kept the girls guessing and thinking of all the round objects they know. Keeping them engaged is always a plus! After the story, there is a page listing ways you can help the Earth. I loved this part because it prompted a discussion with my 3 year old about how we already help the environment and how we can improve.

What are some of your Earth Day favorites? Any older level books we can look forward to in years to come?

Ed Sheeran Lunch Notes For Your Lover

My husband typically brings his lunch to work. It helps us save money because on days he doesn't bring his lunch, he's spending between 7 and 9 dollars OR jumping over the girls when he comes home to eat dinner. That's about $35 a week out of the budget and at the grocery store, his lunch supplies cost roughly $12. Who doesn't love saving??

His previous job was on the road so, his meals were typically cold served. Occasionally, I would switch it up with some soup or chili in a thermos. The nice thing about the relocation is that he is at one location all day with a microwave. Now we have a lot more options for lunch.

We can pretend I'm a super wife and pack it every day with a smile BUT in reality I do it about twice a week and the rest is all him. When I do pack it, I like to sneak a little love note in there. A little something extra to say I love and appreciate you. He works very hard to provide for our family and sometimes I get caught up in the daily grind and need to be more accountable for showing him appreciation.

A typical note might be a simple "I love you" or "see you tonight ;)" "nice bum" haha! They usually don't have a theme, but what a fun switch up?? I had so much fun with this one I'd likely keep this up!

As a Mother's Day present last year, he took me to see Ed Sheeran in September. I know, I had to wait forever but it was SO worth it!!! It was really the perfect gift. The show was at Gillette Stadium (Goooooo Patriots) and it was incredible. That perfect date night is how I came up with this cute idea of using Ed Sheeran lyrics as lunch box love notes. He does right a great love song, don't you agree?

10 Romantic Ed Sheeran Lyrics

...as adorable lunch notes

1. "I'd rather put on a film with you and sit on the couch" - Don't

2."You are my one and only" - Small Bump

3."Maybe I'm just in love when you wake me up" - Wake Me Up

4."All that you are is all that I'll ever need" - Tenerife Sea

5."We found love right where we are" - Thinking Out Loud

6."I fall in love with you every single day" - Thinking Out Loud

7."you can keep me inside the pocket of your ripped jeans" - Photograph

8."I will be loving you till we're seventy" - Thinking Out Loud

9."it's all for you" - Lego House

10."I'm gonna paint you by numbers and color you in" - Lego House

Do you write love notes? Which artist would best suit your love story?

Celebrate Earth Day for FREE in Charlotte

Earth Day Celebration
Anne Springs Close Greenway
288 Dairy Barn Lane

Saturday, April 16
10am

Events are located at the Greenway’s Dairy Barn entrance. Events and activities will include border collie demonstrations, cane pole fishing, canoeing & kayaking, face painting, geocaching, lead-line horse rides and farm animals.

Matthews Earth Day

Stumptown Park

120 South Trade St 

Saturday April 23

10am-2pm

Celebrate Earth and the Environment with HAWK (Habitat and Wildlife Keepers) of Matthews! Join us for wildlife & animal exhibits, kids' crafts, vendors, music, food and more. Exhibits on composting, recycling, green businesses and services.

Celebrate Earth Day

McDowell Nature Preserve

15222 South York Road

Saturday April 23

9:30am-4:30pm

Drop by anytime to celebrate Earth Day by going on a scavenger hunt, making a recycled craft, and taking the recycling relay challenge. Also, meet some of our resident wildlife ambassadors during scheduled presentations at 10am, 2pm, and 4pm.

Earth and Arbor Day

Stallings Municipal Park

340 Stallings Road

Saturday April 23

10am-1pm

Celebrate with vendors, arts and crafts, and plenty of interactive activities that will bring everyone together in the appreciation of our Earth.

Earth Day Celebration
Robbins Park
17738 West Catawba Avenue

Saturday April 23
10am-12pm

Bring your family to Robbins Park for their annual Earth Day Celebration. They'll have fun activities, nature walks, giveaways and more.

However you choose to celebrate, I hope you have a wonderful time honoring this beautiful planet we share!

 

Coachella 2016

Coachella queens! The lineups are set and weekend one starts tomorrow so, I put together a few festival fashion finds on Polyvore.

Second Anniversary Cotton Gift Ideas

"A successful marriage requires falling in love many times,
always with the same person" - Mignon Mclaughlin

December is a special month to us because we met on the 2nd and share that day with two birthdays we hold dear. And the special birthdays continue throughout the month, including the arrival of our first born. Our actual marriage was an intimate ceremony in April.

In 1922 Emily Post published Etiquette in which she identified symbolic gifts associated with 8 milestone anniversaries: paper, wood, tin, crystal, china, silver, gold, and diamond.

Fifteen years later, the Jewelers of America expanded her list to include materials for every one of the first 20 years of marriage and every 5 years thereafter.  Thus was born the traditional list of gifts and wedding anniversary meanings we have today.

The modern 2nd anniversary gift is China, but I've always been more of a traditionalist. I also like what it symbolizes; strong and soft. They way a marriage is intertwined and strong, but has the ability to adapt to changes.

In honor of our 2nd wedding anniversary coming up, here are some cotton gift ideas for those wonderful husbands and wives.

His:

1. Any cotton shirt could do, but why not show him he's your hero with this Superman shirt found on Amazon

2. I hope you two can enjoy a good joke like Cottonelle found at Target

3. Have him looking dapper with a new bow tie found on Amazon

4. Get a hat with his favorite team. At our house, we love football so I found this NFL Hat (Buffalo Bills specifically found here)

5. There are a lot of adorable pillow case ideas out there. Give him this Star Wars Classic pillow case found at Target

6. Boxers! Practical or Powered By Bacon Boxers on Amazon

7. History lovers rejoice over this vintage inspired cotton flag made in the USA. Flag Heritage Series found here

8. Relax with a hammock from Amazon

9. Whimsical and delicious, you can find this BELLA cotton candy maker at Walmart

Hers:

1. Enjoy the lovely scent of Clean Cotton from Yankee Candle Make it personal with a lovely photo here

2. A light airy scarf from L.L. Bean

3. Adorable Apron such as this one from Amazon
4. Our family's favorite cotton sneaker company Converse
5. Cotton rope necklace with a little bling found here
6. Custom cross stitch of your happy family from Etsy. Easily customized with your hobbies or pets.
7. Search for Natural Cotton Essie nail color at Target
8. Wine and dine her with some cotton candy liqueur.

I hope you enjoy these gift ideas, but most of all take time to enjoy each other!

DIY Coffee Scrub

Just another manic Monday at the Aviles house. Maybe it was the busy weekend or my growing toddler. Short naps and constant eating anyone??? Here's a little dose of energy for the rest of the week.

My love of coffee is SERIOUS. The coffee cups we own are basically the size of a bowl. I refuse to buy anything that brew less than 12 cups at a time. I like to keep coffee extras stocked for company the way most people would stock a bar. I painted our old cabinet with this adorable phrase that said "All I need is coffee and Jesus" okay...the more I am typing the more I see how serious this love is.

Last year we started a compost bin, but this is, by far, my favorite way to reuse my grinds. The recipe is simple and can be easily doubled.



Ingredients:
1/2 cup of ground coffee
1/2 cup raw sugar
1/4 cup coconut oil
Splash of vanilla extract *optional*

Step One:
Mix coffee and sugar in a bowl.

Step Two:
Add coconut oil to the bowl and stir. This will moisturize
and adds a subtle delicious smell.

Step Three:
If you want, mix in the vanilla extract. This will have it smelling like a delicious French Vanilla iced coffee.

Step Four:
Store in an airtight container, such as a jar. I recommend using it within a month, but it will last up to six months.

Nap Time Cleaning - Entire House in One Hour

Ahhh nap time. Breathe that sigh of peace and quiet. Now, let's get to business.
I am the type of person to get ultra focused on a single task. So focused that it will consume hours of time. Here I go to put away the towels and oh look, I'm reorganizing the entire linen closet...after I repainted it. Haha. Moms don't have time for that! 

During my brief time cleaning houses, I learned a few tips and tricks that help me clean with much more efficiency. Start the washer first so, a load will be done when you are. Sweep hard floors onto carpet and suck up with the vacuum. Cut up old tee shirts for the best dust rags. Find what really works for you, your family and your schedule. I like to Swiffer the bathroom floors as soon as possible so they're dry when the girls wake up. There are a few simple things I try to accomplish everyday during nap time to keep our house feeling clean.

On a good day, nap time will be three hours and have me feeling super productive...or binge watching Psych on Netflix. Hey, you can't win 'em all. On an average day, an hour or two. I put the girls down to sleep, sip my coffee and begin my run through. I'm so blessed to have both girls sleep through the vacuum, the dog barking, a possible T-Rex in my living room, you get the idea. They love sleep as much as mommy and daddy. If you think the vacuum will interrupt their peaceful slumber, save it for later. Here is a basic breakdown of what I get done in an hour. You can too!

Washer(3 mins)- Grab a load and get it started.

Make Bed(5 mins)- A simple task you can easily take care of when you wake up. It just doesn't work out for me. My husband is usually still sleeping when I begin my day with the girls.

Tidy Bedroom(2 mins)- Just a quick pickup of nightstand water bottles, last nights clothes or any other random things.

Bathroom(5 mins)- Wipe down counter tops and toilet. Pour some toilet cleaner around the bowl. I skip the shower/tub for when I have time for a more deep clean.

Windex(10 mins)- I start in the bedroom and do my patio doors and mirrors. Move onto bathroom mirrors. Next our front windows and finish with the living room sliding doors.

Tidy Toys(5 mins)- First I sort (dinosaurs, play food, books, etc) then I put everything away. So much easier now that we have worked out a system at the new house.

Swiffer(5 mins)- With the house tidy, I dry & wet Swiffer the bathrooms and entryway.

Kitchen(10 mins)- I unload the dishwasher. Reload. Usually it's not full, so I don't run it till after dinner. Then tidy up and wipe down the counter tops. I Swiffer the floor.

Vacuum(10 mins)- Luckily the girls sleep through this. If not, you could easily wait since this is last on the list.

Dryer(2 mins)- Swap clothes from washer to dryer. Breathe a sigh of relief at your tidy home.

This brings us in at 57 minutes. Phew!! Pat yourself on the back. You kicked mom butt today! Use those extra three for cleaning up the nail polish your toddler spilled on the floor or the oatmeal turned glue under the dining chair...no? Only my kids? Haha! 

I'm curious what your daily "must cleans" are?

Spring Bucket List

Spring has arrived!!! It's already been feeling like Spring with the warmer days here in Charlotte. We started exploring outdoors and learning about Spring, through books and activities. We discovered a wonderful farmer's market open year round in March and planted seeds that are sprouting in the kitchen windowsill. 

This year I decided to make a bucket list as a way to show the girls some of the fun activities coming. I hope you like this little checklist I made. Print and post on your fridge for Spring family fun! Enjoy!

I'd love to hear about your fun plans for this Spring!!