In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, some days it can be hard to slow down long enough to enjoy the simplicity of a moment – especially as a mom of three very active children. Most days I have a go-go-go mentality; not wanting to slow down but to make sure I stay on schedule. I seem to thrive best in the chaos of activity swirling around me. Needless to say there is never a dull moment around here.
But every once in awhile I’m caught off guard by the beauty of a scenic drive, the contagious laughter of one of my kids, or the luring of a spontaneous opportunity calling out to me to let loose just a little bit and have some fun.
Often times such opportunities present themselves in the form of an invitation by friends to go out for a couple hours of relaxing fun and being intentional about taking time to indulge in one of life’s little luxuries. [click to continue…]
Mother’s Day is this Sunday and I’ve been hinting to my husband how a gift certificate for an hour long massage or a pedicure would really make me happy. Every year the night before Mother’s Day he finds an excuse to go to the grocery store. He does this so he can search for a last minute Mother’s Day card and gift. It has become comical because there are two things I am not fans of –carnations and “World’s Greatest Mom” gear. Yet most years I get one or the other; sometimes both. We need to break this cycle where I get to say, “Every year my husband sends me to the spa for a day of pampering.” Oh yes, baby, spa day.
Savory Sweet Life Book Trailer!
In just over three weeks my cookbook, Savory Sweet Life: 100 Simply Delicious Meals for Every Family Occasion (June 2012, William Morrow), will be released. This cookbook is about great memorable food, family and friends, and celebrating the joys of everyday life. As I developed the recipes I was mindful of how busy families are these days and the reasons why people are too busy to cook, intimidated by a lack of confidence in the kitchen, or a combination of both. I wanted to write and photograph a cookbook that I could use (from a practical standpoint) everyday to feed my family, draw inspiration from, and have my kids someday recall their favorites recipes from their youth with a strong feeling of love and connection to me. I also wanted to write a cookbook which was a true representation of my life. Chapters dedicated to both Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, birthdays, potlucks, hosting friends for lunch, Sunday mornings, meals for caring for others, summer entertaining, and many more will inspire you to cook with confidence and with ease. With each recipe accompanied by a gorgeous color photo, they are easy, accessible, and so delicious that people will think you are a gifted home cook based on how good the dishes are. [click to continue…]
by Alice Currah on May 8, 2012. Updated May 14, 2012
Some women collect handbags, others collect shoes. As for me, I collect bakeware and cookware, kitchen gadgets, and other cooking related things – especially if it is made from Le Creuset. With quality and craftsmanship in mind, their stuff is the best. I’m happy to partner with Le Creuset in hosting this Mother’s Day giveaway for a Le Creuset Baker’s set in “Cherry”. Included is a 10-inch pie dish, pie bird funnel, oven mitt, and silicone French trivet.
See this handsome guy? He is the one who gets me. He is the clever guy who convinced me to start dating him based on a questionnaire he handed me after the fact I set in my mind that we were destined to just be friends. One of the last questions on that sheet of paper was, “do you want a guy who would make a great husband to you and father to your kids?” How could I not go out with him after being asked that? Twelve years of marriage under our belt and three kids later we are as strong as ever. The funny thing about marriage is that for me, when we made our commitment, I would have never guessed in a million years we would be most happy while raising three kids.
Life before kids is a distant memory. Back then we would spend our time together doing what we wanted. No curfews, no one else to be accountable to, and limited only by our work commitments. But once we become parents our lives changed. Sleep deprivation set in, round the clock feedings and diaper changes, and an unimaginable joy that permeated our lives forever. [click to continue…]
Waking up the morning after we arrived home from our vacation last week gave me a greater appreciation for the comforts of home. No longer living out of a suitcase, dependant on restaurant food, and swaying back and forth in an open sea of 20 feet swells, I love getting back to our busy routines. One of my luxuries in life is having a quiet house on the two days each week that Eli goes to preschool. With only the chorus of birds chirping in the background, I love in the silence of inactivity within the walls of my home.
While I’m by myself I like to make myself a latte and a warm breakfast. Selfishly, I get a lot of pleasure from making myself something deliciously satisfying – no kids picking apart my food and no husband to serve breakfast to. These types of mornings are just for me. [click to continue…]
