15 Fruit Inspired Pies

So, in case you didn't know, March 14th is Pi day. For me, as a non-mathematical kind of girl, all I remember about Pi is that it is rounded up to 3.14...I think ;). When I think of Pi I think of pie, and that is something that I can relate too. 

Honestly, Wayne would rather eat pie than a cake any day, and I really don't know why I don't make them more often. There are so many different varieties and flavors that aren't that difficult to make! So I made a little promise in my mind that I would make more pies this spring, and most certainly make some pies on Easter this year. 

So I went searching for inspiration.

I looked at Foodie.com - a website that I am just learning about, that has tons of recipes with gorgeous photos that you can save and refer back to later. My first collection? Pies of course!

When I think of pies for spring I think of fruit flavored pies - light and fresh and colorful. I created a collection of 15 fruit inspired pies that I found that I would love to make in the next couple of months. The hardest part might be choosing which one to try first!

Here's the 15 I've chosen that I must make someday:

1. Orange Poppy Seed Yogurt Pie

2. Rustic Cranberry Apple Pie

3. Apricot, Sweet Cherry and Plum Vanilla Spiced Pie

4. Peaches and Cream Pie

5. Fresh Pear Pie with Dried Cherries and Brown Sugar Streusel 

6. Orange Creamsicle Pie

7. Blueberry Toasted Coconut Tart

8. Blueberry Pie with Chocolate Ginger Crust

9. No Bake Strawberry Lemon Cookie Pie

10. Black and Blueberry Pie with Lemon Cornmeal Crust

11. Nectarine Blackberry Open Faced Pie

12. Luscious Lemon Chiffon Pie

13. Key Lime and Elderflower Pie

14. Coconut Cream Pie 

15. Lemon Blueberry Cream Pie

Which one should I make first? What pie should I make for Pi day, and which one should I make for Easter? I'm SO indecisive...at least I've narrowed it down to 15!! :)

~Melissa

 Compensation was provided by Foodie via Glam Media.  The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Foodie”

My Typical Tuesday

Yes, I know its Friday, and I'm writing about Tuesday. Honestly I had full intentions on posting this on Tuesday, but it just seems like its been one of those weeks. I spent the last two days working my 'real' job and when I'm running kids around all morning and then working until 11 O'Clock at night I seem to get behind - on everything.

I was thinking about what my typical day looks like right now and just thought it would be fun to write it down and share it with you. They do vary day to day as Noah only has preschool three days a week and sometimes I have work or meetings to go to in the middle of the day, but on average this is what my day looks like right now - this is my typical Tuesday.


7:10 - Alarm goes off - hit snooze.

7:20 - Alarm goes off again.

7:25 - Peek my eyes ( well, squint one eye open actually) and check my emails on my phone.

7:35 - Drag myself out of bed and quickly get ready for the day and make sure the girls are all dressed, ready and fed for school.

8:05 - Noah and I walk Emma to school and drop her off, then walk home.

8:30 - Get Noah fed and ready for preschool.

8:55 - Drop Noah off.

9:15 - My time to go to the gym and/or run errands

10:45 - Back to pick up Emma from Kindergarten. We head home for 30 minutes and I'll normally do some housework real quick.

11:25 - Pick up Noah.

11:45 - Back home and I make lunch. the kids will normally watch a Nick Jr. cartoon while I do this.

12:30 - Eat lunch.

1:00 - The kids play while I try and catch up on emails or write.

1:30 - Quiet time. Yes, Noah will often still take a nap and Emma will go into her room to read of play quietly with her babies.

2:30 - The kids play while I finish up some work and get things ready for dinner later.

4:15 - Get things packed and ready, and go pick up Anika from her Tuesday after school kids club at church.

4:30 - Depending on the day we either have soccer practices or games starting between 4:30 and 5:15.

6:15 - Back home. We eat family dinner together.

6:45 - Homework time.

7:15 - The kids get ready for bed.

7:45 - Story times. We read at least one book with the kids before bed every night.

8:00 - Kids in bed!

8:30-Midnight - This is my time to catch up on writing, bills, blogging, scheduling, etc. I try to be in bed by midnight on most nights - but more often then not its 12:30 or so.

Then - Sleep. Repeat.

Sometimes I get tired thinking about all of the stuff I haven't done or need to catch up on, but then I try and remind myself that this doesn't last forever and someday I will probably long for these crazy days to be back again. None-the-less I'm longing for summer days already.

What is your typical Tuesday? (or any day for that matter). When do you wake up and go to bed?

~Melissa

Create.Simplify.Inspire. #57

Where is this week going too? I've worked the past couple days and haven't gotten home until after 11pm... it makes for a full day and my to-do list is growing too long! I plan to catch up the next couple of days on here, and I would love to see how your week has been and what you've been up too!

 Show us something that you've created; something that inspires you. I love to read them all.

           ~Melissa

 

Create.Simplify.Inspire. #57

  

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Life Lately

It seems like its been forever since I wrote about what we've been up to lately. I can't believe how quickly February is flying by and there's only a few days left! Even though I haven't been nearly as busy this month as I normally am, having a cold/sinus infection for two weeks really kicked my butt!

Wayne had to work this, so I took the kids up to Portland Saturday and we checked out the Home and Garden Show at the Expo center. 

I had won admission tickets from the PDX Pipeline so we went and checked out all of the booths and beautiful outdoor displays. The kids were in awe of this old claw-foot tub turned into an outdoor spa with a shower sprinkling down . 

There were beautiful flower displays and table settings that made me long for summertime again.

After our adventures at the Home and Garden Show we drove over to the Northwest Children's Theater to see Goodnight Moon thanks to the PDX Kids Calendar. The kids were so excited to go back to the theater since we saw Peter Pan which was an amazing performance. The kids were not disappointed and the show was a little shorter - perfect for younger kids. They had a girl that interacted in the performance, but also interpreted the play with American Sign Language, which really captivated Anika's attention.

The final program of the year will be Little Red Riding Hood....the kids are already begging to watch it! I think they may be getting a tad bit spoiled ;) but I'm so glad that I've had the opportunity to do this things with them. 

Sunday Wayne had to work a half day, but other than that we all just relaxed at home and didn't really do much of anything. It was great. This week I work a couple evening shifts and then I'm just planning out next month's schedule. Soccer is starting up again, but unfortunately Anika's wonderful coach that she had for years isn't coaching anymore and their solid team has dwindled down and now Parks and Rec is trying to ship Anika over to a different town's team. I'm really sad about it and I'm not sure what I'll do. She's been playing through the McMinnville Parks and Rec for years, and only has one year left to play with them before she's too old, and then there is no soccer offered in Middle school....so she would have to go on a traveling team until High School. I just don't know if I could handle it? I know she loves soccer and I hate to see her not being able to play for years, but I don't know how much more time a league would take from our schedule?

Do any of you have children in sports leagues? Any tips or suggestions? Thanks!!

~Melissa

A Day Out

Life gets busy and as a mom I feel like I'm constantly cleaning, helping with homework, and cooking for my family. I'm not complaining, but I've learned that every once in a while getting a little break really helps you appreciate what you have. 

Today I had a girl's day with one of my best friends and drove to Tigard and did some shopping at the Washington Square Mall. She is spending the weekend with her boyfriend at Cannon Beach and we *think* ;) he might just pop THE question. So of course, we had to make sure she had the perfect outfit for their dinner date and the evening after. 

We took a shopping break and had lunch at the Cheesecake Factory, where I ate a delicious salad  and sipped on a Blueberry Mojito. After lunch we finished our shopping and then headed over to get manicures and pedicures.

The older I get the more I realize that it truly is the little things that make a difference. Little luxuries make life worth living. This evening I returned home with pizza for the family and we all ate in the living room and watched a movie.

What are some things you do to unwind and relax? How often do you get a break?

~Melissa

Create.Simplify.Inspire. #56

Happy Thursday again everyone! I am FINALLY starting to get over this cold....I haven't felt so worn out in such a long time. I'm happy that I'm beginning to get my energy back and after a week of just wishing I could sleep all of the time finally have went and worked out with my friend twice. That alone helps give me more energy.

I'm looking forward to what you have to share this week! Show us something that you've created; something that inspires you. I love to read them all.

           ~Melissa

 

Create.Simplify.Inspire. #56

  

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10 Things to do with your kids in Oregon This Summer

Oregon is one beautiful state that offers a huge variety of unique things to do with your family - here's 10 things that should be on your bucket-list next year!

Even back in April 2012 when I began this blog to share our lives, I knew I wanted it to be more than that.

I've often talked about my passion for living on here, and from that stems so many topics. Learning new recipes, crafting with the kids, and some of my favorites - sharing our adventures with you.

I've always shared things on a local level too - having a "local living" tab so you can easily scroll through the events, places, and other things we have done here in the greater Willamette Valley.

But living locally isn't just about Portland, Oregon. I hope that by sharing some of our adventures it will inspire you to create your own - wherever your "local" is.

Someday I would love to expand and venture out farther with the family and share local experiences from other states - but for now I will continue to share living locally in Oregon.

With that being said I wanted to write and highlight some great places and things to do here in Oregon. Spring break and summer will be here before we know it, and it'll be time to begin looking for things to keep the kids busy. Here's some of my favorite things we have done over the past two years:

1. Visit the Oregon Zoo - The Oregon Zoo has always been one of my kids favorite day trips. There is always a new animal to see and a treats to eat. The Zoo offers a discount Tuesday once a month, and we braved the crowd last July, but my suggestion would be to skip the deal and pay full price for less crowds during the summer. For more information visit the Oregon Zoo Website.

2. Climb to the top of the Astoria Column - About a year and a half ago we finally made it to Astoria and climbed the infamous Astoria Column. They have little wooden airplanes that you can send off from the top and watch them soar all the way down. Anika had a little fear from the height of the Column, but she made it. This is my favorite photo from our trip, and you can see the comparison of the column to my husband and kids. Astoria is a very historical coastal town as far north west you can go in Oregon, and its worth spending a day and/or night it. For more Astoria adventure ideas visit their Chamber of Commerce website HERE.

3. Visit the Beach - One thing that I love about living in Oregon is the abundance of beaches we have. Sometimes when we visit my family in Southern Oregon we will just take Highway 101 down the coast and turn it into a scenic day trip. There's many little towns and shops to explore.

4. Crater Lake - I have been an Oregonian my entire life and had never been to the Crater Lake until two summers ago! It is a must on an Oregon visit! It is the deepest lake in North America and it is simply breathtaking. It will take a little drive to get there, but once you step out and take a look at the lake you will be in awe. The blue is the richest blue I have ever seen. We went in July and there was still some snow on the grounds and my kids were so elated that they were teasing me that it really was Christmas in July. We packed a full lunch and had a picnic.

5. Take a ride on the Mount Hood Railroad - Over in Hood River, which is about 2 hours east of Portland, there are lots of fun things to do, including their local Mount Hood Railroad. We rode on the railroad for the first time this past winter for their annual Polar Express Train Ride. They have afternoon excursions, dinner trains, and many other themed adventures throughout the year that look like a lot of fun. There's also other festivals like a Cherry Blossom Festival held every year that I imagine is simply beautiful.

6. Go to a rodeo - Last summer we took the kids to see their very first rodeo in St. Paul Oregon. St. Paul is a tiny town in the Willamette Valley that really has nothing going on except for the infamous St. Paul rodeo. The town with a population of just over 400 people draws in thousands of people ever Independence Day. There's other rodeos around throughout the summer, but the largest one around is held in Pendleton every year and is called The Pendleton Round-Up. It over in eastern Oregon and I've not made it out there to it yet, but its on my bucket list to do one of these years.

7. Experience the Oregon State Fair - What would summer be without attending a state fair? The Oregon State Fair is held at the end of summer every year and always has something fun for everyone, whether its the rides, animals, or concerts.

8. Visit a local farm and pick blueberries - One of my favorite things to do every July is travel to one of the many local farms in the Willamette Valley and go blueberry picking with the kids. Blueberry picking is the perfect berry to take kids picking with, because there's no thorns, and they're easy to pick! Afterwards we always reward ourselves to a homemade smoothie or milkshake. The Last couple summers we've headed over to Farmer John's in Mcminnville for picking.

9. Stop by Southern Oregon - I was born in Southern Oregon, and there are lots of activities for outdoor enthusiasts. If you like rafting the Rogue River is a huge attraction! There is also the Oregon Caves, Fun artsy towns like Jacksonville to visit, and the Wildlife Safari in Winston, which is a large outdoor exotic animal park.

10.  The Tillamook Cheese Factory: It wouldn't be an Oregon summer without a trip to the beach and a stop to the Tillamook Cheese Factory along the way. The kids love going and watching the cheese making process and sampling a variety of their cheeses, and finishing the trip off with a large waffle cone.

I hope this gives you a few ideas of places to visit in Oregon this year! This is just a few of the great things we have done...I hope to share more with you in the near future! Do you have a favorite place to visit in Oregon?

~Melissa

Protect what you Love with Master Lock

This post is brought to you by Master Lock in conjunction with Global Influence. All opinions are my own. #MasterLockProtects

I'm sure all of you have heard of The American Red Cross. The American Red Cross has been there for us through many various disasters that have occurred over the years by providing relief for victims and supporting them with food, shelter and health services, and the majority of their help is provided by volunteers.

People helping people. 

Professionals in the health care field providing aide and protecting those in need. As a nurse I commend them giving so selflessly to help others in extreme situations.

No one ever wants to think that disaster could strike on them, but the truth is, you just never know. 

I've thought about what we'd do if something ever happened to our home. There's not very many things I can't live without, because I am not one that is very attached to objects. What I am attached to is my family, because they are what life is all about. I love them more than any 'thing' in this world. Times ten.

Secondly though, I do love our photographs - these are my visual memories. I would hate to loose these, because these are windows of my life. There are also things like birth certificates and a few pieces of jewelry that are memorable to me. 

                                        

Master Lock is asking people the question, "What would you like to protect and why?" Master Lock is the world's largest manufacturer of padlocks and related security products, and they've been around since 1921. Master Lock strives to provide only the best products to help families live their lives secure and safe. 

I'm super happy to share that when you tweet your answer to Master Lock with the hashtag #MasterLockProtects they will make a $1 donation to The American Red Cross. Master Lock is kicking off a year-long campaign to donate to The American Red Cross by donating $10,000 and up to an additional $10,000 from consumer participation. The donations will be utilized by responding to disasters, helping collect blood that can save lives, and even help teach individuals CPR to pay it forward and help saves lives. 

If you send your tweet by February 28th you will also be entered in to win one of these great prizes:

   Grand Prize Winners: 3

§  $100 Visa Gift Card

§  Master Lock 5422D Portable Key Safe

§  1547DCM Backpack Lock

§  5900D SafeSpace

§  Red Cross Emergency Preparedness Kit

   First Prize Winners: 25

§  $50 Visa Gift Card

§  Master Lock 5422D Portable Key Safe

§  1547DCM Backpack Lock

§  5900D SafeSpace

§  Red Cross Emergency Preparedness Kit

You can help participate in the campaign's kickoff by attending the Master Lock Cares Twitter Party on Tuesday, February 18th from 8pm-9pm ET. Ten winners will take home great prizes during the party!

What would you like to protect? Answer below and then tweet your answer to help out a great organization and cause! 

For all rules and regulations click HERE.

~Melissa

No More Diapers = New Clean Routines

“This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™ and Cottonelle but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #CtnlCareRoutine  http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO”

Last year marked a monumental moment for us around here: we were officially done with diapers. It was actually a rather bittersweet moment for me when we had purchased our last box - I knew we wouldn't need anymore and in fact we never even finished the final box. Out little man was growing up.

Most of you guys know though that sometimes toilet paper just doesn't cut it, especially for kids. I know we still needed something around here to keep things clean, and sometimes the kids need a little extra assistance. As a nurse, using cleansing cloths in the bathroom is nothing new - believe me, I've dealt with a wide variety of issues in my profession.

What I think is odd though, is that in many homes only toilet paper is used and people don't even think about purchasing cleansing cloths. Well, I recently purchased not only the Cottonelle Ultra Care Toilet Paper, but their moist cleansing cloths as well. It seems like what we've used for a clean care routine in the medical field is finally going mainstream - and it's so handy with kids, because like I said, even though they are potty trained, still need a little extra help ensuring they get clean.

Making sure my kids are completely clean after bathroom breaks just gives me a peace of mind lowering the risk of them getting an infection or sick from not keeping themselves clean because let's face it - kids are not too worried about taking the time to double check - I STILL have to get on them to wipe, flush, and wash their hands! Am I the only one that feels like a broken record!? :)

Right now through the end of February at Walmart, if you buy Cottonelle Ultra Toilet Paper and Cottonelle Moist Wipes you can receive a $5.00 gift code to Vudo.com. I love Vudo because I can catch up on all of the reality shows I've missed throughout the season!

All you need to do is take a picture of your receipt from Walmart with both Cottonelle products and email it to clean@drvsusa.com and you'll receive your gift code to start watching movies! For more information on this promotion check out: http://www.drvsusa.com/cottonellemovies

So, here's the real question I'm dying to know...do you guys or have you in the past used moist wipes for cleaning? Like I said, as a nurse, it's nothing new to me, but it seems to be a taboo topic for most! I would love to hear your thoughts...

~Melissa

Love Yourself

"Love yourself first and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world."

- Lucille Ball

I adore all of the love shown on this day, but don't get too caught up in everyone else's love stories; remember that if you love yourself first everything else will fall into place. Happy Valentine's Day my friends! 

~Melissa

Create.Simplify.Inspire. #55

Happy Thursday again everyone! We've been under the weather around here lately...I've had a back cold and my voice has been threatening to leave for a couple days, and poor Emma got sick at school today and threw up in class. Did that ever happen to you as a kid? I felt so bad for her!
I'm looking forward to what you have to share this week! Show us something that you've created; something that inspires you. I love to read them all.

           ~Melissa

 

Create.Simplify.Inspire. #55

  

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Easy D.I.Y. Valentine Cards

Hello to all of the last minute crafters out there! Don't tell me I'm the only one, right? I know it would be so much simpler to go and buy a few boxes of Valentine cards for the kids to take to their class parties, but I guess I just have to do things the hard way around here. The past couple of days (okay and mostly this evening) Anika and I were busily creating 66 of these little hearts for three different classrooms.

I had actually purchased this red glittery wrapping paper from Costco a couple of years ago during the holidays and have never used it all up...and then while I was putting Christmas stuff away it dawned on me; Valentine Hearts. Of Course! 

The Kraft paper was also a score from the Target clearance section. I think it was like 3 rolls for $3.00 or some sort of offer like that I couldn't refuse...and I seem to have this thing for polk-a-dots.

So here's what you need:

1. Photo Paper. I used HP Photo 5X7 photo cards
2. Glue Dots, or a Glue Stick
3. Kraft Paper
4. Red (preferably glittery!) Wrapping paper or scrapbook paper
5. scissors and /or a fancy dancy paper cutter
6. Black Washi Tape (optional)
7. White Chalk Marker (optional)

First I created a heart template and folded it in half. I then traced the half hearts onto the back of the glitter paper. I created a whole row and then cut them out. The great thing about this wrapping paper is that its got the grid on the back and it makes it so much easier to fold and align things.

I then took my photo cards and folded then in half, then cut each card into two pieces. You could use a card stock instead if you want, I just had the photo cards on hand already, and then were a great size for the least amount of cutting possible. :)

I then measured and cut the craft paper to fit just inside the photo paper, then using glue dots I attached everything together. We did end up running out of the glue dots so we switched to a glue stick and that worked just fine.

When I glued the hearts, I just glued along the folded line, leaving the edges free to create more of a three dimensional look. This also came in really handy because we bought a big bag of Sweetarts and you can staple the candy to the back of the card and put the staple underneath the side of the heart... so you don't even see the staple. Anika thought this was "such a great idea Mom!"  Sometimes my brain still works. :)

So where does the Washi Tape and chalk marker come in? Unfortunately I didn't get pictures of them finished with candy and labeled, but what we did after we stapled the candy off to one side of the back was cut two Washi tape strips and stick them on to the back of the card and then Anika used the chalk marker to write To and From names. It actually turned out really cute!

And that's our crazy last minute D.I.Y. Valentine cards!

~Melissa

Snow and Roses

The snow is nearly all melted away today, but I took the opportunity last week to practice taking photos. There really isn't anything much more gorgeous that red roses against falling snow in my opinion.Who knows how long it will be before we get snow around here again, but I'm glad we had a magical long weekend this year to make memories.

~Melissa