Handrafted

Places I LOVE – The Strand – Galveston Island, Texas

March 22, 2018 3:00 AM March 22, 2018

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Spending time at the beach can be so rejuvenating; whether that is inherent with vacation or it comes with fresh sea air and the constant white noise. Every time we…

Spending time at the beach can be so rejuvenating; whether that is inherent with vacation or it comes with fresh sea air and the constant white noise. Every time we visit the ocean it recharges our systems and prepares us for the next adventure. This past weekend we were lucky enough to join the family for a quick trip to Galveston Island, Texas. Our days were filled with beach visits, family board games and a fun trip to The Strand. One of my favorite places on the island.

Galveston Island

For those of you that don’t know, Galveston Island is located south-east from Houston in the Gulf Of Mexico. From Dallas, it takes about four and a half hours (five with your token stop at Buc’cee’s Convenience Store 😜). Galveston is the closest beach option for us in Dallas. If you are lucky enough to live in south Texas there are other proximal options such as Corpus Christi and South Padre Island.

On the northern end, bay side of the island you will find the port (that services many cargo ships, oil rigs and even Carnival Cruise Lines). Along the water, you will find many local businesses, delicious restaurants and informational museums. This business district is known as The Strand and is my favorite place to visit when in Galveston.

The Strand

Although there are many businesses that are located outside of the main strip, The Strand is primarily located on Strand Street and spans five city blocks. This district includes uniques shops such as Hendley Market, Gracies and The Admiralty (to name a few of my favorites). As well as many souvenir shops; lined with bright colored t-shirts, novelty shot glasses and fridge magnets – you’ll be sure to find the perfect gift for that special someone you left behind. 😉

MOD Coffeehouse

This past weekend our main motivation for visiting The Strand was starting our day off with a great – fresh brewed cup of coffee. For this we visited MOD Coffeehouse we arrived about 10:00 on Sunday morning to find tables filling up quickly, both inside and on their outside patio. Our group (of 9) ordered a variety of drinks from brewed coffee, to smoothies to their signature “Just Trust Me” latte. 🤔 Everything was reasonably priced, made quickly and came out piping hot! The coffeehouse was filled with beautiful art to look at while you were there – so many gorgeous pieces! Overall we were very pleased with our visit and will be sure to return next time we are in town.

LaKings Confectionary

Next stop on The Strand stroll is LaKings Confectionary. LaKings Confectionary is a wonderful candy store – soda fountain and ice cream parlor – where many of their treats are made onsite using 19th-century formulas and methods passed down thru the King family. A visit to LaKings will surely take you on a trip down memory lane. The variety can be overwhelming but the flavors are always satisfying! On this trip, we opted just for candy allowing each child in our group to pick their own bag of treats. As we walked out of the store the kids swapped flavors chatting about the experience and of course who’s candy was the best. 😜

Tips to Remember

👟 Wear good walking shoes, strolling The Strand can take as long as you want it too!

🍔 Come ready to enjoy a bite, there are many delicious local restaurants to choose from!

💦 Stay hydrated – Texas summer can be brutal!

🍻 (If of age) it is fun to note that when on The Strand you are legally allowed to carry an open container! So grab a cold one and continue your visit! 🍺

🛍 Remember most (if not all) of these shops are locally owned. Shopping small is so important to communities such as this one!

Have y’all ever visited Galveston? What was your favorite spot?

Let me know in the comments – I’d love to get some more ideas for our next trip!

xo,

Carolyn

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M I N D F U L N E S S

Making Meaningful Memories That Last A Lifetime

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March 15, 2018 4:00 AM March 15, 2018

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It’s that time of year again, Spring Break is upon us! As part of a co-parenting system, our time with Adreena is split. Sometimes we have her during her breaks…

It’s that time of year again, Spring Break is upon us! As part of a co-parenting system, our time with Adreena is split. Sometimes we have her during her breaks from school, sometimes she’s with her mom. Because of this, we are always working to make our time with Adreena most meaningful, although that is not always as easy as it sounds. Juggling time off, financial cost and the overall stress of #adulting 😅 can be a lot to take on for a solid week. In today’s post, we will work on a way to make more meaningful memories that last a lifetime.

Be Present

With the constant stress of everyday life taking the time to really focus on moments with your kids can be hard. Life doesn’t just stop because school does, right?! Scheduling time for you to put those stresses aside is important. For me it’s a time of day, I earmark a section of time just for games, chit-chat or random beauty treatments. Working this into my schedule keeps my stress low because I am not neglecting something else. If you are not able to take the whole week off think about taking off several afternoons so you can make the most of your time at home; with afternoon field trips or lunch dates. Adreena always preferred this schedule so she could still sleep in – her favorite part of the break😆. Another fun thing we like to do is go to late night movies! Such a treat for her, since we rarely go out on a weeknight, much less stay up until midnight. Choosing a movie and heading out after her dad is already in bed is always an adventure – throw in her favorite candy and it is a slam dunk!

Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff

In addition to the everyday stress sometimes there is the added stress of creating the “perfect” memory. This unrealistic expectation has got in my way more than a time or two. Many a time I have taken the time to perfect the scene; chosen her favorite restaurant, played her favorite music, gave her the perfect outfit, and something has gone awry. So often the change in plans has ruined my mood, distracted my mind or caused me to overreact. All of these reactions have proven to detract from the overall experience. As of late, I have made an effort to roll with the punches and be open to what experience the universe has for us. Not panicking over the details really helps me stay present in the moment and soak up every detail.

I truly believe it is all to do with thinking about the moment you are in as opposed to planning the next.

Be Open to What They Choose

It all comes back to this; being open to participating in what they enjoy. I understand this doesn’t always have the most curb appeal, but trust me – showing interest in what they like is the quickest way to a meaningful moment. Most often our children’s days are filled chasing us from one errand to another, which is necessary – but not the most fun. Making the moment about them in its entirety really speaks volumes. It could be video games, basketball, taking the dog for a walk or endless hours of The Vampire Diaries,🤣 setting this time aside makes a lasting impression.

Learn To Play

Spring Break with kids is all about FUN! Anything and everything fun – to keep things light and enjoyable you have to learn to just play. Whether it’s playing a board game, Marco Polo in the pool or Race You To The Car at your local grocery. Playing and laughing as a family is important. Some of my most cherished memories are when the three of us laughed to tears sitting at the kitchen table for some silly reason.

Our game of choice is always dominoes. We started playing Mexican Train way back when and then eventually switched to real Dominoes once Adreena was able to handle the math. Can’t beat a game that doubles as math practice! 😉 Nowadays we play dominoes every night during dinner. It brings us all to the table and keeps us there long after we are done eating.

These days we also travel with our dominoes, playing cards and on occasion UNO. You just never know when you’ll need them!

This weekend we are headed out of town with family, I plan to introduce Spoons. 😈 When’s the last time you played? ha ha ha I’m so excited to see how much fun we will have!

Comment below your favorite Spring Break Moment! I’d love to hear about them.

Until next week, enjoy your kiddos!

xo,

Carolyn

12,664 Comments

A D V E N T U R E

A Day Trip to East Texas

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March 8, 2018 3:00 AM March 8, 2018

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Lately things in Dallas have been pretty grey, we’ve been in a constant rotation of full coverage clouds with a side of torrential rain. So when the forecast showed a…

Lately things in Dallas have been pretty grey, we’ve been in a constant rotation of full coverage clouds with a side of torrential rain. So when the forecast showed a Saturday full of sunshine and blue skies it called for adventure!

Many years ago as I was planning my wedding and was on the hunt for mason jars. A family member told us about First Monday Trade Days a HUGE flea market located in Canton, Texas. This flea market runs the first weekend of every month – rain or shine. The campus is overflowing with local artisans, antique vendors and collectors of all kinds. During our first trip we were lucky enough to find a good collection of vintage blue mason jars, perfect for my centerpieces. In addition we had some great food and shared many laughs as a family.

Fast forward 5 years and I had been craving the #FirstMonday experience. When the forecast showed sunny high of 74° I knew it was time. We set our alarms (something unheard of on a Saturday) and planned our day. Canton is about an hour east of Dallas and we knew we wanted to get there sooner than later so we planned to leave the house about 9:00 am. We left on time and headed toward Canton. If you’re a Texan or have ever been through Texas you are probably familiar with Buc-ee’s Convenience Stores. Within the past couple of years they built a new Buc-ee’s on I-20 just east of the metroplex. Any good Texan knows you can’t drive past a Buc-ee’s without stopping! 😋 So we made our required stop, got fuel, used the (wonderful) restrooms, picked up some fresh Kolaches (think sausage pig-n-a-blanket) and we’re back on the road.

Tips For a Successful First Monday Trip

Don’t shop up on Monday (while the market was originally open on Monday’s – it is now only open Thursday – Sunday)
Take Cash
- $ 5 for parking on the grounds
- For shopping – although many vendors do accept other forms of payment, cash always works best for negotiating the best deals 😉
Wear comfortable walking shoes (my fitness tracker showed over 6 miles for the day! 😅)
Apply and reapply your sunscreen, there is very little time spent in the shade
Come prepared to carry your items.
- Many people bring their own carts (similar to this one). There are also vendors that have carts available for purchase onsite.
- We chose to each carry a backpack as opposed to a purse, giving us two free hands and a bag for our treasures.
- We also chose to take our pick up truck; just encase we needed a piece of furniture…or 8ft piece of cedar 😜
Pack water and snacks – feel free to pack your lunch. Aaron even noticed a few people enjoying a bruski 🍺, something he was quick to take note of for the next trip.

With all the recent rain east Texas was greening up nicely, the drive was beautiful! As we pulled in to the West Entrance parking there were rows of cars as far as the eye could see. As we walked to the entrance we noted cars from Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma and of course Texas. There were people everywhere! It was a great showing of vendors and shoppers!

Immediately Adreena and I noticed the amazing number of puppies! Everyone had brought their dog 💗! (As animal people, this proved to be the highlight of the day – wandering from one set of ears to the next. It was heaven!) 🙌🏻

We eased our way in to the flow of people, much like merging on to a busy highway – crafting our plan of attack. With so many booths you really do need a plan. We choose to look at both sides of the row as we made our way down the path, thus eliminating the second pass. Right off the bat I found a booth chalk full of cedar 😍 (my new wood obsession). We rummaged thru the options and decided to keep looking. Aaron had a great time looking through the many booths featuring old and new tools, while Adreena found a puppy owned by one of the vendors and more clothes she doesn’t need 😉. We stumbled our way though the maze of vendors laughing at interesting finds, dreaming of places to put gorgeous antique furniture and planning our next DIY craft. There is so much to see and I am certain it changes from month to month.

Of course with Chip and Joanna Gaines being based just two hours southwest – in Waco, Texas. The “Fixer Upper” influence was in full swing. From beautiful antique doors, to re purposed chicken coops Joanna’s touch was everywhere. Not to mention the countless t-shirts I saw walking around. Having the Magnolia Market in our backyard has been a really fun trend to ride! S

After about three hours of walking we decided we were ready for a snack. We quickly split; I in the ribbon french fry line and them in the fresh lemonade line. We joined back up at some shaded seating Adreena had scoped out. There we sat; people watching, window shopping and snacking. It was a glorious day!

After a few small purchases and hundreds of photos we decided we were ready to head home. We talked about returning again soon — and next time, bringing the pup 🐶!

I hope to venture back in the next few months to see whats new and hopefully take my mom, she would LOVE it!

Hope you are having a wonderful week!

Anyone else enjoy First Monday Trade Days? Let me know in the comments below 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼

Carolyn

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C R E A T I V I T Y

Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookies – Making The World A Better Place

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March 1, 2018 3:00 AM March 1, 2018

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Not much is better than curling up with those you love and a hot melty chocolate chip cookie (or two…). For years I have searched for the perfect recipe; cookies…

Not much is better than curling up with those you love and a hot melty chocolate chip cookie (or two…). For years I have searched for the perfect recipe; cookies that were soft, flavorful and contained just the right amount of salt. When I stumbled on this recipe I fell in LOVE! Absolute perfection.

So good I almost believed the urban myth. “What recipe?”, you ask, non-other than the signature Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookie. It is said that a woman and her daughter were shopping at Neiman Marcus in Dallas when they decided to stop in to the café for a small dessert. They ordered the chocolate chip cookies and upon receipt were so impressed that they asked the server for the recipe. The server went to ask the kitchen for the details and returned telling the two that they could purchase the recipe for “two fifty”. The mother approved of the charge and they left with the recipe. Later that month when she received her Neiman Marcus charge bill she was shocked to discover the recipe actually cost $ 250.00.

According to the legend the women reached out to Neiman’s Accounting Department to dispute the charge. When the customer service agent wouldn’t compromise with her she told them that she would give the recipe to everyone she met for free. That that was the only way she felt she could get even and get her full $ 250.00 worth of enjoyment.

So here it is the most expensive Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe that is worth

every.

single.

penny.

Time to Bake

First step is to cream the softened butter,granulated sugar and light brown sugar. Once creamed set that aside, and mix your dry ingredients in another small bowl. Then mix the wet and dry ingredients together.

Once fully mixed add the espresso powder and chocolate chips.

For this Recipe I chose mini chocolate chips, but I like standard size and even dark chocolate.

Let me know what you prefer!

Once the dough is mixed be watchful for sneaking hands! This cookie dough is delicious!

(As you can my security detail was down when Adreena tried to “sample for quality control” 🙃).

Roll or pack the dough in to small mounds and then press with the back of a spoon.

Bake for 18-20 minutes depending on how crunchy you prefer your cookie.

I love baking half of the batch and pre-portioning the other half for the freezer. They cookies are EXCELLENT after they have been frozen, but seriously who can wait that long?!?

Hope you enjoy every bite with someone you love (or all by yourself #youdoyou) 🙌🏻.

Let me know what you think in the comments below.

Carolyn

5 from 11 votes

THE NEIMAN MARCUS CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE

Course Dessert

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes

Total Time 43 minutes

Servings 2 dozen

Ingredients

1/2 cup 1 stick butter softened
1 cup light brown sugar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons instant espresso coffee powder
1-1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Cream the butter with the sugars using an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy (approximately 30 seconds)
Beat in the egg and the vanilla extract for another 30 seconds.
In a mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients and beat into the butter mixture at low speed for about 15 - 30 seconds.
Stir in the espresso coffee powder and chocolate chips.
Using a 1-ounce scoop or a 2-tablespoon measure, drop cookie dough onto a greased cookie sheet about 3 inches apart. Gently press down on the dough with the back of a spoon to spread out into a 2 inch circle.
Bake for about 18 - 20 minutes or until nicely browned around the edges. Bake a little longer for a crispier cookie.

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A D V E N T U R E

Places I LOVE – Beautiful Aspen, Colorado

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February 22, 2018 12:10 AM February 22, 2018

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Originally our family is from Colorado. We all grew up in Southern Colorado and had the fortune of the Rocky Mountains in our backyard. One thing I have realized since…

Originally our family is from Colorado. We all grew up in Southern Colorado and had the fortune of the Rocky Mountains in our backyard.

One thing I have realized since becoming a Texan is that Colorado is waaay more fun to visit. As a resident we enjoyed the beautiful scenery, great camping and winter sports, but not as much as we do now. Planning a Colorado vacation is one of the greatest and most difficult tasks – what do we want to do this time? With so many options it might be daunting but thankfully there are no bad options.

This past summer we had the pleasure of attending a sunrise wedding in the gorgeous Maroon Bells (just outside of Aspen). The wedding was scheduled in early July and the weather could not have been more perfect. Sunshine and a light breeze kept us comfortable the whole stay.

Travel

It is about 50/50 whether we travel by car or plane when heading back home. To meet our time restraints for this trip we opted to fly. Flights from Dallas to Denver are reasonably priced for most months of the year. As a family we are light packers and tend to choose economy over comfort. With this particular trip I found flights with Spirit Airlines to be most cost effective. I know that there is some bad press when it comes to Spirit but we have never had any issue. And when you can fly round trip for less than $ 100/person – I mean com’on! 🤷🏻

Upon arrival we picked up our rental car that I booked with RentalCars.com. I love RentalCars.com because their app is user-friendly and they have the option to “Book Now, Pay Later”. I love this feature because it gives me the ability to book a rental car even if the trip is still a distant possibility. Cancellation is free up until right before the reservation so it gives you the freedom to lock in a great rate without the commitment. After a quick turnaround at the checkout counter we were on our way, headed west on I-70. Mountain Bound!

Lodging

While we were in Aspen, Colorado we stayed at the beautiful Gant Hotel. Our room featured three bedrooms on a split level floor plan. The condo had a full kitchen, dinning room and living area. The kitchen was stocked with all the cookware and serving utensils you could need and the couch pulled out to feature even more sleeping area. It was a wonderful space for wedding prep and family chit-chat – our room was the hub for family throughout the stay. Adreena enjoyed the beautiful grounds, pool and hot tub with her friends. While Aaron and I enjoyed the walk ability of Aspen. We would gather up and walk as a group from the hotel to lunch, drinks and dancing. It was amazing how close everything felt. Other than the wedding I am pretty sure we never moved the car!

Colorado

On our way back down the mountain we opted to drive through the historic town of Leadville, Colorado. Leadville is known as the highest incorporated city in the United States. It is a former mining town that still has all the charm from its yesteryear. Downtown Leadville features one long drag lined with historic buildings from saloons to candy shops – it really is a wonderful place. Throughout the year Leadville features many festivals and events. Some of my favorite include Boom Days and Skijoring. We stopped for lunch and then were back on the road headed for Denver.

Many times when we are in Colorado for play we visit Grand Mesa Lodge. The Grand Mesa is the largest flat top mountain in the world and is located on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. At the lodge you will find fun things to do regardless of your age, ability or the season. Grand Mesa Lodge features 14 individual cabins and even some hotel rooms for rent. During the summer months there is hiking, biking, four wheeling and water sports. The winter months are full of snowmobiling, sledding, cross-country skiing and of course epic snow ball fights. Near to the lodge is Powderhorn Ski Resort – a smaller resort with a personal feel. We thoroughly enjoy skiing/snowboarding at Powderhorn. Of course if you prefer to just snuggle up in the rustic cabin with a hot cup of coffee – the lodge has you covered there too.

On the way back to Denver you pass by Glenwood Springs (home to the worlds largest hot springs pool), many other ski resorts and great shopping. With all these distractions it can be challenging to make back to the airport in time! 😅

What your favorite thing to do/see in Colorado?

Can you pick just one? 🤔

Let me know in the comments below!

Carolyn

4,358 Comments

C R E A T I V I T Y

Triple-Layer Cracker Toffee Bars

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February 15, 2018 9:52 AM February 15, 2018

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4,297 Comments

Last minute family function? Never fear showing up empty-handed again with these Triple-Layer Cracker Toffee Bars. Just six ingredients that you can keep stocked in the pantry, these bars are…

Last minute family function?

Never fear showing up empty-handed again with these Triple-Layer Cracker Toffee Bars. Just six ingredients that you can keep stocked in the pantry, these bars are a delicious sweet and savory treat that everyone will enjoy!

After you gather all of your ingrediants, line a 9×13 pan with parchment (or nonstick foil). Spray down with cooking spray. Arrange 30 crackers in bottom of pan, filling every corner.

Now it is time to make the creamy caramel! In a saucepan, mix condensed milk, brown sugar, butter and milk. Cook over medium heat until butter is melted, stirring frequently. Then increase heat to medium-high; heat to boiling. Boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly. * Caramel mixture scorches easily unless you continually stir – Use caution *

Pour a third of the caramel mixture over crackers you’ve arranged in the pan. Time for the next layer, arrange another layer of 30 over caramel. Cover with one-third of the remaining caramel mixture and finally arrange and cover the third layer using the remaining crackers and caramel.

In small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips uncovered on High 1 to 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and smooth. Pour over caramel and spread evenly.

Refrigerate the pan for about 1 hour or until set. (Just enough time to get ready for your outing!🙌🏻)

Cut into 6 rows by 8 rows. Store covered up to 4 days.

Let me know how your Triple-Layer Cracker Toffee Bars come out in the comments below👇🏼!

5 from 1 vote

Triple-Layer Cracker Toffee Bars

These easy caramel and chocolate layered cracker toffee bars are a twist on a traditional cracker toffee.

Course Dessert

Prep Time 25 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes

Servings 48 servings

Ingredients

90 Buttery Rectangular Crackers (Club Crackers) From 13.7-oz Box
1 can 14 oz Sweetened Condensed Milk (not evaporated)
1 cup Packed Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Butter
1/4 cup Milk
1 bag 11.5 oz Milk Chocolate Chips (2 cups)

Instructions

Line 9x13 inch pan with parchment or (non-stick) foil. Spray foil with cooking spray. Place 30 of the crackers in bottom of pan.
In 2-quart saucepan, mix condensed milk, brown sugar, butter and milk. Cook over medium heat until butter is melted, stirring frequently.
Increase heat to medium-high; heat to boiling. Boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
Pour one-third of the caramel mixture over crackers in pan.
Arrange 30 of the crackers over caramel.
Top with one-third of the remaining caramel mixture.
Repeat with remaining crackers and caramel.
In small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips uncovered on High 1 to 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and smooth.
Pour over caramel; spread evenly.
Refrigerate about 1 hour or until set. Cut into 6 rows by 8 rows. Store covered up to 4 days.

Carolyn

4,297 Comments