Archives for October 2015

Skin wonder.

October 12, 2015 / By Courtney / 17 Comments

Confession: while I do love certain skin products (Origins and Josie Maran Argan Oil come to mind), I never truly believed deep down they could make a difference. Of course they hydrate and provide SPF and do all sorts of wonderful things, but come on, genes are genes. And a ticking clock is a ticking clock.

Until now.

I was first introduced to Kerstin Florian Correcting Hyaluronic Serum on a seriously indulgent day with my darling cousin at the Langham. Over the top? Completely. But oh so appreciated. Every minute.

The facialist told me I had nice skin but it leaned a little to the dry side. She recommended Correcting Hyaluronic Serum for going on prior to my moisturizer. She said it plumps the skin and the hyaluronic acid attracts some serious moisture. Like, 50 times its weight in water moisture. Basically, its whole goal is to help your moisturizer reach its maximum potential.

Have you ever put yours on and it just doesn’t seem to settle in? Me too. This changed all that.

It changed a lot of things, actually. My skin tone is more even, pores are smaller, my day cream literally melts right in. It’s unbelievable! I’ve had two friends ask if I had botox. Ummmmmm no. But I’ll take it as a compliment? Maybe?

So let’s talk price. $88.00. A total splurge, yes, but a tiny amount goes a long way. Your face and neck will be covered in one little pump. I was told a bottle may last up to six months, putting it at roughly $14/month. Not bad at all. Way cheaper and way less scary than botox. 😉

You can find Correcting Hyaluronic Serum at Nordstroms (like you need a reason to go there), and on Amazon too!

So tell me… do you have a favorite skin care product? I’d love to hear all about it in a comment below!

*The fine print: this post contains affiliate links which means that if you use these links to make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. Of course, you are not obligated to use these links to make your purchase but please know that when you do, it supports my blog and for that I thank you.

C’s picks – week of October 11th.

October 11, 2015 / By Courtney / 5 Comments

Another week, another kitchen line-up. Are you ready to work on the coming week’s menu plan? Let’s do this!

On Sunday night, we are off to a good family friend’s birthday party. Happy 9th, William! I’m bringing along my classic chocolate chip cookies.

Well hello Monday, and hello again summer. How unexpected and sort of expected of you to visit again. Let’s celebrate by getting the grill going. The flavors of this basil lime chicken look oh so good. Grilled zucchini on the side.

Oh my goodness, one pot chicken fajita pasta that is done in 15 minutes? Music to my dinner in a snap ears. Testing this one out for you guys on Tuesday night.

Ahhhhh this soup is SO GOOD. Perfect for a cozy Wednesday night in.

These chicken burrito rice bowls look both satisfying and healthy. I’ll get them going in the morning so dinner is much easier come football carpool on Thursday night.

And that brings us to Friday, and we’re off to the big city for some delicious food for a great cause. Not bad at all.

What’s on your kitchen agenda for the coming week? Leave a comment below; you just might inspire someone else’s menu plan!

Motherhood: on the magical age of 3.

October 9, 2015 / By Courtney / 20 Comments

Age three can get a bad rap.

Terms like ‘threenager’ are thrown around between moms at parks, online forums, and blogs. And rightfully so. Three can be a tough age. I’ve seen it myself.

But not with my boys.

Ok, hold on. They have (/had) their moments at three, that is for sure, but let’s back up a bit here.

My boys were certifiably insane from about one year to turning three years old. To prove my point I often had people, sometimes randoms, ask me ‘are you OK?’ ‘do you ever sit down?’ ‘how many stitches?’ ‘he fell in the pool again?’

Yes, he did. They both have. And no, I’m not ok.

I feel it can be best summed up this way: All my boys wanted to do from the time they were babies was to run around in the yard by themselves. And that can’t happen at one. Neither of them were even walking at one so they were just… mad. Not content. Then when they were two and running around like insane wild things, they of course had to be supervised (no B, you can’t blindly run into the road. No L, you can’t run out into the middle of the 18th green of a golf course), and that made them even more upset.

They wanted to run, play, climb… exist, without mom.

L was different in the sense that he wanted all these things but also had zero attachment issues to me. B wanted all these things but also spent most of his time also trying to figure out how to re enter the womb. Needless to say, it was a very frustrating mix for both of us. He wanted to be independent of me but didn’t know how, like many two year olds. He also had an over the top experience with teething, which didn’t help things at all.

Reasoning is also huge, huge. Traveling with them when they were 18 months on a plane? Scary. They didn’t get it. You can’t get out of your seat because WE ARE ON A PLANE. But you don’t get that.

At three, they might still want to run around on the plane, but they understand they can’t. Here, watch a movie. Life changing.

At three most baby things are gone. Hallelujah. Bottles, pacifiers, cribs, diapers (ok, ok, we are working on it!), even strollers. We are in ‘big kid’ mode, and I love every minute of it. Yes the cuddly new born stage is endearing and nothing beats the chub of a 6 month old, but honestly? I thrive as a mom at age 3+.

So if you’re a mom worried about the bad rap three can get, I’m here to give you hope. If age one and two were tough, maybe three will be your turning point. And hey, I’ve found that it only continues to get better and better, because you know what? There is pretty much nothing more awesome than an eight year old son. Except for maybe a nine year old one. 😉

Fall crushes.

October 7, 2015 / By Courtney / 10 Comments

It’s been exactly one year since I started doing my seasonal crushes posts, and I have to say, it’s one of my favorite things to write! It’s so fun to think of the little (and sometimes big) things that are making me and my family happy during the seasons. Here’s what is going on in our home this fall and if you missed it, last fall as well.

Check out this goes-with-anything fluffy and warm scarf. I don’t want to take it off!
It’s pretty rare that a bag comes along that makes me put my Louis on the shelf, but this Frye one has got it going on. Love the tough leather look, and it’s so roomy, which we moms always seem to need. Obsessed. Thank you, M!
OMG! Did you know you could have something green in your home and not kill it? Helps that it’s fake, I suppose. Ha. I am on a serious succulent kick, and wrapped individually, these make awesome hostess gifts! I’ve already given away three.
Call me crazy (or a witch doctor, as M likes to tease), but I’m getting on the whole essential oil kick. I love mixing them to diffuse in my boys’ rooms at night. Oh so necessary once the notes start coming home from school… “there is a case of strep reported in your child’s class”, “there is a case of hand foot & mouth disease reported in your child’s class” – looooovely. This oil starts going in the diffuser ASAP. Please protect us! And hey, if nothing else, I get comments from L like ‘oh mom, that smell last night made me have the best dreams.’ Yep, all me. All me.
These fun socks make me smile. Perfect for under your booties.
Love the label, love the copper lid, love the festive scent. $5 at Target, not bad, not bad at all.
Fighting for Grace in a world of Impossible Standards. Yes, please! Loving this read.
And last but not least, a little tradition between M and me. The first 50 degree night – this is our wine. Spoooooooky!

These are just a few of my fall crushes. What are you and your family crushing on this fall? I’d love to hear about it in a comment below!

*The fine print: this post contains affiliate links which means that if you use these links to make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Of course, you are not obligated to use these links to make your purchase but please know that when you do, it supports my blog and for that I thank you.

Dinner in a snap: chicken enchilada skillet

October 5, 2015 / By Courtney / 11 Comments

Here’s another dinner in a snap post for you! Quick, healthy, fresh recipes made from minimal ingredients. Read: perfect for those busy school nights. Dinner is done, whew! Alright, here’s how this chicken enchilada skillet recipe breaks down.

The timing:

So quick, right?! Yippee! Most of that was simply cooking the chicken. Once that happened, the recipe flew together.

The verdict:

We loved it. I served it with tortilla chips for dipping. M and I each had two bowls, L ate some of the chicken and chips, and B, well, he went for just the chips. We are trying!

Tips & tricks:

There really isn’t anything to speed up this recipe as, like I said above, once your chicken is done it’s only a matter of a few more minutes and dinner is complete. Really, really easy. And tasty.

Chicken Enchilada Skillet

2015-09-30 14:50:47

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Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 boneless, skinless thin-sliced chicken breasts
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
6 corn tortillas, cut into bite-size pieces
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained
1 cup red enchilada sauce
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce (I only used about 6 ounces)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and diced
1/4 cup tortilla strips or chips
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat.
Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper on both sides. Add to skillet and cook, flipping once, until cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side. Let cool before dicing into bite-size pieces.
Add corn tortillas to the skillet, and cook, stirring often until golden brown and crisp, about 4 minutes. Stir in diced tomatoes, enchilada sauce, tomato sauce and chicken until well combined and heated through, about 2 minutes. Top with cheeses and cover until melted, about 2 minutes.
Serve immediately, garnished with avocado, tortilla strips and cilantro, if desired.

Adapted from Damn Delicious

A Life From Scratch. https://a-life-from-scratch.com/