Tales of Me and the Husband - Page 127 of 207 -

October 9, 2012

we’re looking forward to…

+ cutting down a christmas tree like we did last year

(not to worry, we’re still enjoying fall here though!)

+ sweet potato chicken burritos for dinner tonight

+ halloween. i’m actually dressing up this year. first time in a long while.

+ ice skating in boston at christmas time

+ reading our next book club book recommended by my friend jenny

(finished unbroken and man, was it good. read it.)

+ taking swim lessons this winter with parker

+ a new ray lamontagne cd. i don’t know when one’s

coming out but i’m looking forward to it nevertheless?

+ that rv trip that we will take one day. we will. and i’m excited.

what are you looking forward to these days?

October 8, 2012

this guy. his birthday was this weekend. is there ever a time as perfect as one’s birthday to sing one’s praises? i think not. so… here we go. happy birthday steve. i love you. i’ve told you this before, but it’s worth repeating that i’m really glad i married you. sure, you can be a pain in the ass sometimes. but so can i. what’s important is that we get through it and end up liking each other more at the end then we did in the beginning, right? you’re smart, so smart. you’re a good dad, who thinks about his actions and words and isn’t too proud to apologize to his kids. i like that. you’re handsome, you’re funny. you’re a dreamer. and i get to be part of those dreams. i’m the lucky one. so, happy birthday steve. the happiest of birthdays. i love you. we all do.

October 4, 2012

Stocking your natural first aid kit, volume 2.

volume 2.

hi, friends. i’m sara from bonzo, chooch and me. i’m stoked to be over here today and i’m stoked bridget’s doing this little series. if there’s one thing i love, it’s learning from other mamas about how they treat – or hopefully prevent! – sickies.

i have a love/hate with this time of year. i love how cozy fall feels after a long, hot summer but i feel like cold and flu season hits earlier and earlier each year and along with that comes the worry. oh i wish i could let it go and not worry about germs as much as i do. i know bridget – and maybe many of you – can relate!

so, since we can’t germ-proof-bubble-wrap our babies and ourselves, the next best thing to do is to be prepared with information and supplies. is it just me or is the worst time to research various illnesses and/or gather the necessities when the fear said illness is knocking at the door? half the battle is preparation. it’s always best and most effective to spring into action at the first sign of symptoms.

i’m not dead-set-opposed to an occasional dose of tylenol when absolutely necessary but to say i prefer a natural approach is a major understatement. and there are so many natural and homeopathic treatments to so many different ailments – i actually find it equal parts inspiring and overwhelming. but i like to have a handful of some tried and trues at the ready and add to my list as i go.

i’ve always known that garlic works wonders – it’s often dubbed “natures antibiotic” – and putting it on the soles of your feet is a really effective way of letting the garlic circulate through your system so it can go to work.

last year i read a post (bookmark this blog, friends. it’s one of my favorites and is loaded with great information, tips and tricks!) that took my home arsenal to another level. and lo and behold, days later bonzo seemed to be on the cusp of a little bug so i put it to the test – and we nipped that bug in one day flat!

•••

we call this “two socks” or “stinky feet” at our house.

here’s what you’ll need:

garlic, olive oil, coconut oil and a mini food processor. and two pairs of sacrificial socks.

here’s what you’ll do:

peel up to 10 cloves of garlic (i usually do about 8) and throw them in the food processor.

pour a couple tablespoons (2 or 3-ish. i keep my measurements loose!) of olive oil

and a couple tablespoons of coconut oil on top and whiz it up until it’s smooth and creamy.

transfer it to a short mason jar (or similar) and put it in the fridge.

once it sets a bit, scoop it out and slather liberally on the

bottoms of your – or your little one’s – feet, put two pairs of socks on and go to sleep!

(if you’re worried about sensitivity to garlic, i’d say maybe use less garlic the younger they are.)

and since you’ll likely be home if you or your little one are under the weather,

there’s no need to wait ’til bedtime. we’ll rock two socks any time of the day when we need ’em.

and this little remedy works double time for mamas, too: soft – albeit stinky – feet!

here are a few other items i keep in stock to fight the fight:

homemade bone broth/chicken stock, raw honey – local is best, high quality probiotics, elderberry concentrate, coconut oil, vitamin d-3, vitamin-c powder, high quality mulitvitamins, oscilloccinum , coldcalm.

stay healthy! xx

October 2, 2012

Tortilla Soup.

Enough pictures let’s get to the recipe already? K!

Guys. Guys. Listen. This soup is delicious. Are you listening? New Hunt house staple, for sure. We downed it, all of us. Parker even. Steve had to be cut off at three bowls. William and Lindsey gave it two thumbs up… or, one thumb up from each of them, I guess?

What I’m trying to say is that it’s really, really good. No wacky ingredients. Healthy. Delicious. Easy. Done. We had it a few weeks ago at our friends’ home. He is known for his cooking (hey Ryan!) and this meal was no exception. And for the record, fall and winter food beats all the other seasons times ten. Like a kick in the pants! It’s definitely one of my favorite changes as I head into the cooler weather.

Make it and then come back and thank me later.

Tortilla Soup

serves 6-8

olive oil
1 onion
2 bell peppers (any color, but I used red)
1 zucchini
1 t cumin
1 t poultry seasoning
1/2 t chili powder
1 1/2 t salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 cups frozen corn kernels (or fresh if in season)
1-2 cups black beans (I used 2!)
3 cloves garlic
1 28-oz. can stewed tomatoes
1 8-oz. can tomato sauce
2 1/2 c vegetable broth (I had homemade chicken stock, so I used that)Chop the onions, peppers, zucchini into 1/2″ pieces. Dice the garlic.
Heat the oil over medium heat in a large soup pot. Toss in onions and saute. After a couple minutes add peppers and zucchini. Flavor with spices and stir every few minutes until they soften.
Add frozen corn (it’ll defrost quickly) and garlic. Once corn is heated up, add the tomatoes and sauce, black beans, and broth. Bring to a boil then turn heat to low. Simmer until you’re ready to eat.

Garnish with crumbled tortilla chips, cheese, and sour cream.
(And, if you’re feeling fancy, avocado and cilantro too! We didn’t have those…)

The chips get soft and a bit soggy and the cheese gives it a salty bite. And sour cream? Well,

let’s just say we need to replenish our supply every few days…

And! You could add chicken if you wanted. I added some, shredded-style, because it was ready to go in the fridge from a crockpot meal the day before. The soup certainly didn’t suffer for it…

It’s soooooo yummy.

October 1, 2012

lately.

It’s chilly here. And, for the last 48 hours… rain. The whole weekend! Rain! Usually this would have me all up in arms with Mother Nature but lately the house is feeling extra cozy. In part because we’ve had a few fires going, Parker is pretty content with his newfound walking, I make a meeeean (boxed from Trader Joes do-nothing-but-add-an-egg-and-oil) banana bread, I’ve got a spicy candle burning almost all the time, jazz streaming from Pandora, and a cup of hot chai with some cream and honey and boom! Being house-bound isn’t half bad. By Wednesday if this keeps up, my story will change though.

This weekend we took advantage of the Smithsonian Free Museum Day and headed off for the Crane Estate–another tip thanks to Rachael! One of the most beautiful places in the Boston area. Heck, in Massachusetts! (USA! WORLD! I’m done.) We’d been on the grounds a couple times (family pictures, remember? Which reminds me, we’re desperately in need of an update!), but never inside. Do you know that the Crane family only lived here for 8 weeks of the year? It was their summer home, folks. That is just silly.

I’ve also been making good use of the beaches before they’re covered with snow. Parker and I have been arriving at the beach shortly after William and Lindsey get on the bus, and returning in time for his nap. They are the perfect thing for exhausting a very busy 14-month old. We get all layered up, he points to the birds, eats a snack, looks at the water, walks all around, eats the sand… you know how it goes. And William! He had his first cross-country meet. It was a two-miler and he did awesome. I’m going to enjoy going to his meets this year (cross-country was my favorite sport in high school.). I get all goose-bumpy when I cheer for him.

Hope you’re staying warm and cozy wherever you are. Though, some of you are probably heading into summer?

What I’m wearing: (faux! leather! runs super small!) jacket // flannel
And Parker too: green snapsuit (bought on Zulily) // pants (my favorite… I keep ordering the next size up because I love them so much) // shoes (Lindsey’s wearin’ em too!)

September 28, 2012

Guest Post: Rachael’s Guide to Boston!

Hi all! Bridget here. From time to time, I’ll get asked if I have a Boston guide being that I live near the city and, well, I don’t. There are things I love to do in the city time and time again, but a tried and true guide would be so much more fitting coming from my good friend Rachael who lives IN the city. Beacon Hill to be exact. Her daughter Lux is less than half a month older than Parker, and we’ve been doing playdates since they were a few months old. New moms, surviving one playdate at a time! You could say we bonded.

Also, Rachael is a seriously beautiful writer. Check out her blog, Erstwhile dear, for more of their sweet life in and around Boston. (Bonus: she’s got a Nantucket guide too!)

Without further ado, here’s her little family.

And, here’s her guide!

Welcome to Boston! Ditch your car, meet the MBTA and get yourself a T pass to ride around the city. Get ready to ignore the crosswalk signs, Bostonians walk everywhere and consequently view cars as competitors for the road. Like seafood? I hope so! Dollar oysters are this city’s version of a happy hour. It’s tough telling folks what to do here–there are sooo many things. But here a few of my favorites:

Kendall Square, Cambridge

Do the letters MIT make you say “ooo la la”? The university is based along this neighborhood on the Red Line and there is loads of great stuff to eat around here. Voltage Cafe has the city’s best lattes. Across the street, Tatte Bakery is possibly the loveliest coffee shop you will ever vist. Area Four has a pizza oven that chefs all over Boston envy, plus a chic little coffeeshop during the day. Hungry Mother is the restaurant you’ll read about in national magazines: it’s the best of hipsterism–beautiful wallpaper, creative light fixtures, amazing unique drinks, incredible crafted food. I recommend reservations, though for a seat at the bar it is usually a short wait.

And, random: I think Central Bottle is the best wine store in the city. They always have great events so check the website. I love their Thursday night wine tasting parties.

Harvard Square, Cambridge

I still remember visiting Boston for the first time and driving past the towering brick walls of Harvard University. I was in love—there it was! The most famous Ivy League of all time. I couldn’t believe we could just wonder through the campus, lounging on benches and peering up at the beautiful libraries. (Of course, you can’t go in the libraries, oh no no, that would be too much.)

Any visit to Boston is worth a quick trip on the Red Line to Harvard Square. Get a slice of pizza at the tiny Otto’s shop. Order the darkest hot chocolate from Burdick’s and sip slowly. I love to visit Harvard’s wonderfully dated Museum of Natural History. It’s a old museum with a million interesting things to look at. And…..shop at Oona’s! This incredible vintage store will welcome you as soon as you step inside. Just the warmest, coziest space, with perfectly seasonal and curated items. Also! You can bring the boyfriend–the men’s section might be more fun than the ladies.

Beacon Hill, Boston

Beacon Hill is essentially Charles Street, with the sprawling brick neighborhood on either side. It is framed by the Esplanade along the Charles River, and Common and Garden on the other side. Bridget adores Paramount for all meals–if it’s nice out or you’ve got kiddos, take it to go. I love Beacon Hill Bistro for an quiet elegant breakfast where you can count a coffee refill and real cream. 75 Chestnut is frequently voted the neighborhood favorite. The food isn’t stunning but the ambiance is friendly and cozy, and the bartenders are kind.

Step into our neighborhood market Savenors to get cheese and crackers for the park or buy a Bequet salted caramel (the yummiest). Take the footbridge over to the river and watch the sailboats. Just off Charles Street, turn left at Philips St. and go up a block to see the gorgeous flower shop Rouvalis. If you need a break from the heat, or just a spot to sit awhile, step into the lobby of Liberty Hotel.

Traveling with kids alert: Myrtle Street playground, at the corner of Myrtle Street and Irving is the neighborhood’s favorite.

North End, Boston

Boston’s Little Italy, the North End, is a wonderful neighborhood that begins along the Greenway (a fantastic park that cuts through Boston following the old highway line). If it’s nice out, get sandwiches to-go at Volle Nolle (featured recently in Martha Stewart) and a bottle of wine at the Wine Bottega (you gotta be sneaky about drinking in public in Boston. Use normal paper cups and keep the bottle in a paper bag) and sit along the Greenway watching the children frolic. My favorite restaurant there (and perhaps in all of Boston) is Neptune Oyster. You’ll spot the lemons lined up at the window, the fresh oysters peaking behind, and the gilded mirrors of menus beyond that. If you have an flexibility in your schedule, go here at an odd hour. The wait can be crazy.

If you do have to wait, walk up the street two shops to Acquire one of the loveliest and most unique shops in Boston. Everything here, as they say, is wonderful.

Pizzeria Regina’s original location is here, a classic pizza joint where they practically throw the pizzas at you, black and white photographs line the wall, and the booths are tiny enough to hear your neighbor’s conversation. It’s now a chain with 10+ locations, but many swear that the pizza from this original location is the best.

On the way to the North End, if you’re walking from Boston, you’ll probably pass Saus. You must stop at this amazing french fry and Belgian waffle spot. Yup, that right’s—the two most amazing food groups, in one location. They also have fantastic Belgian beers and unique lunch-y food.

To Stay

There are several hostels in Boston but I love that 40Berkeley is located in the South End. This is such a great neighborhood to be based in for your visit—delicious restaurants everywhere!

Try the John Jefferies House which is cheaper than Holiday Inn and a great Beacon Hill location. The rooms are a little old fashioned, but in a semi-charming way.

The Women’s College Club, a great charmingly-chintzy spot in Back Bay, a good deal if it’s available.

This b&b, Harding House, is in Cambridge, but right next to the red line, thus easily accessible to everywhere. Um hello, charming. The breakfast looks amazing!

The Beacon Hill Hotel & Bistro, one of my favorite spots ever can be comparable to cheaper spots, if they have a full bed open. Delicious breakfast included!

It’s always good to check airbnb when in new cities. Unfortunately very few people in Boston have any extra space, so the listings are pretty measly. They might get better though!

—

Bridget again. There’s some seriously good info here, so if you’re planning a trip to Boston (Come, come! New England in the fall cannot be beat!), you should bookmark this! Or, are you a Boston-local yourself? Anything to add?

And thank you Rachael!

September 27, 2012

friday night lights.

Friday Night Lights Theme by W.G. “Snuffy” Walden on Grooveshark

if you’re on twitter, you probably know this… who am i kidding, you definitely know this… i’ve developed a bit of a devotion to this show. steve and i made our way through it on netflix since the beginning of the summer and we finished it a few days ago. i teared up. so did he.

blast, season endings! blast you!

to say i really wish the characters were real people whose stories i could continue following and checking in on from time to time would be an understatement. i really wish! the show became soooo top of mind. i saw a big suv, i thought, “hey! there’s buddy garrity!” i totally drive towards all the fast food stops and every time think, “um, where’d alamo freeze go? it used to be right here, of this i am certain.” i wait for the panthers (or lions… wherever coach t is) to go zooming down the main street in the school bus, complete with a police escort and cheering, and, well, main street remains empty. it’s always such a letdown. i mean, i even bring pompoms, lyla garrity style. and, finally, i’m pretty sure tim riggins is supposed to be on my driveway living in an airstream. but, tim? where are you?

for real. i loved this show. i loved the characters. i loved the way it portrays relationships and a sort of middle america hum-dee-dum. i looooved explosions in the sky’s soundtrack throughout, and finally, i loved the way coach taylor’s eyes look like little crescent moons every time he smiles.

thanks for everyone who suggested i watch it last june. i owe ya one.

clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose.

(and we’re still tv-free but we do tap into the netflix for movie night and/or a tv series for steve and i to motor through once the kids are asleep. a nightcap, if you will.)

September 26, 2012

fall decorating at the hunt house.

if you knew me, you’d know i don’t go too far down the decorating-for-the-holidays path. honestly, i wish i did. i have the fondest memories of my childhood home decorated with garland up the stairwells at christmas time, nativity sets out (including a precious moments one that i would play with for hours) for their once-a-year unveiling, otherwise hidden away in boxes amongst their newspaper cushioning for most of the year. decorating lends itself to excitement and fanfare about the whole holiday, right? it’s worth doing. but sometimes, the whole thing stresses me out and if it doesn’t end up looking like the front page of cottage living, i’m all, “why bother?” plus, doing it right costs money. duh. i mean, i always get a few mums, two or three pumpkins, and some gourds, maybe a glittery skull, but that’s about where the path ends for me.

i’m going to try to do better (starting this year! evidence above!). i seriously enjoy it, the kids are so excited to see it (and help do it too), and when the house is quiet at night and i look around at the trinkets and such that help ring in the celebration, it makes me happy.

September 26, 2012

supplies, supplies!

i remember when i first discovered jamali garden, it blew my mind. so many awesome supplies, good aesthetic, and great prices in one place. i bought three huge glass vases and some small silver bud vases. they’re awesome. everything there is. i never shared it when i first discovered it, but thought of it the other day as i was decorating for fall and checked it out again. still awesome, duh. so, i am sharing it with you in case you’re in need of candle holders, baskets, vases, urns, pitchers, sea glass, stones, fabric, pillows, garden supplies, raffia, branches, fake birds (you didn’t know, but yes! you need a fake bird!)… you get the idea. it’s like container store but better (loose connection there). i’m pretty sure some of your heads are gonna explode when you click over.

note: i am writing this because i really like this site. i’m not getting paid and i’m not affiliated with them. so there!