More Autumn Fun in Charlestown, MA & Portsmouth, New Hampshire!

Continuing to share a bit about our New England adventure (part 1 here). This was a long but incredibly spontaneous day. Which I’m learning I really really love and makes me feel alive, making spontaneous travel choices. Don’t get me wrong, I plan a ton for the trips when we travel. But then once we’re finally there, I like to deviate and have lottttts of flexibility within “the plan”. Which makes for a fun day! So on this particularly chilly autumn day, we started off walking around Charlestown, touring the Battle of Bunker Hill and showing Everett the U.S.S. Constitution (he was obsessed!), but things started getting seriously wet and cold… so we had to make a choice. Go back to the hotel and hunker down. Or, you know, drive to Maine and get some lobster rolls. Which one do you think we chose??

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Charlestown, Massachusetts

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Outfit Details:

Anthropologie Top, Old Navy Jean Jacket (like 10 years old! Similar here), Nordstrom Jeans, Sebago Boots, Madewell Scarf, Stella & Dot Knot Bracelet

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(And this is just a side note but I found the most amazing natural nail salon in Atlanta where they do fancy polish and nail art - Lark and Sparrow!)

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Portsmouth, New Hampshire

We drove up to Kittery, Maine (such a great lighthouse!), and then turned around and found our way into Portsmouth, NH. These towns are right next to each other on the water, and we decided to walk around quaint little Portsmouth and find some dinner. Not too many pictures from this spot because it was drizzly, but we all cozied up in a little cafe and the boys had quesadillas and we had lobster rolls. I know, we are all sorts of culinary excellence ;)

Truth be told, we had to pull out the kindles for this meal, and Stevie didn’t love it. We don’t like to be those parents who shove technology in their kid’s faces all the time, but sometimes if you want to have a nice meal, and you’re all traveling together, and things are getting fussy… yep. Kindles to the rescue!

And that was our drizzly cold, 40-degree day in Massachusetts, Maine, and New Hampshire. Okay, the Maine part barely counts, but it’s still KIND of fun to count it because it makes us sound like road warriors. Which, in a van with two toddlers demanding “Frozen” songs over and over for hours, we kind of became.

What are your travel go-tos when your children are sort of melting down? I would love to hear!

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I Cook Turkey Now.

Thanksgiving 2017, I will never forget you, because you are the first year that I cooked the Thanksgiving turkey and IT WAS GOOD. I love WIlliams Sonoma for that meat thermometer. I love the internet for the zillions of recipes available. And I love my mom for letting me cook it this year (although she did ask me about 20 times how my cooking plan was coming along. WOMEN FOLK.) I stuffed that turkey full of butter and citrus fruit and the heavens parted in my mouth. Oh bless.

Thanksgiving 2017, I also won't forget you because you are the year that my son went down for a nap at 2pm AND NEVER WOKE UP FOR THE REST OF THE NIGHT. All that fresh air and playing with Daddy outside must have really gotten to him, because he napped the whole way through, only to wake up at 10pm to ask me to change him into his jammies. Then he crawled back into bed.

Thanksgiving 2017, I ate too much dessert.

Which is fine, because another round of Whole30 is coming in January. So I feel justified in my partying like a college freshmen until then.

Thanksgiving 2017, thank you for bringing my family together around my recently re-painted dining room table. Thank you for my Grandma's china, my mom's red table runner, my brother-in-law's mother's dining room furniture, and my own wine glasses. Which we ran out of. Because my family likes to drink all the wine and then have all the laughs. And then play all the board games.

Thanksgiving 2017, I love you to pieces and I am so grateful, so so so so SO grateful, to live in a place where I can live in all kinds of freedom and health. I can worship my Lord and Savior,  I can raise my children how I see fit, I can work and be home with my kids and listen to the new Taylor Swift album while I exercise and write my heart out on the Internet and call my sisters whenever I want AND SEE THEIR FACES (thanks FaceTime) and enjoy friendships and Starbucks and oh gosh I could go on and on and on. 

Thanksgiving 2017, I loved you for real, especially because now you've ushered in the official holiday season and my Christmas tree is staring at me, all glowy and starry-eyed. I'm ready to crush this season with my holly-jolly joy. And with unending movie marathons for all the most terrible Christmas romantic comedies out there. Thanks Thanksgiving, and thanks Netflix. ;)

My 3 Favorite Autumn Diffuser Recipes.

This is an exciting week for me! I've launched my own Doterra business and I am so thrilled to share my ecstatic passion for essential oils with everyone! Once upon a time, I rolled my eyes at "those crazy oil people" who claimed that oils could fix anything and everything. It just goes to show that you should neverrrrr judge people, because you might become just like them! #currentlycrazyforoils

This journey has been such a wonderful one as I have come to experience the incredible healing properties of these essential oils in my own personal life. I will continue to share on this blog about the different ways that oils have been implemented into my family's routine, but today I want to share a few fun diffuser recipes that will make you want to bake 10 pies and body slam into a pile of leaves ;)

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My diffuser is cranking every day. It's a sad day when I forget to do things like take my vitamins or get my diffuser going with something that will set the tone for my day. Sometimes I choose to diffuse something because it smells really good, and sometimes I have a specific reason why I am diffusing a certain blend. If someone in my family is under the weather, or if I'm feeling really tired that day, I will diffuse something specific for those reasons. But when it comes to diffusing a blend just for fun, autumn scents are just my favorite! Here are a few that I love and have had going in my house for the past several weeks.

Recipe 1 - Bake me a Pie.
- 3 drops Clove bud
- 3 drops Ginger
- 3 drops Wild Orange

Recipe 2 - No Sneezing Up in Here!
- 4 drops On Guard
- 4 drops Citrus Bliss

Recipe 3 - Living that Leaf Life.
- 2 drops Frankincense
- 2 drops Wild Orange
- 2 drops Cedarwood

I love trying out different blends and it is honestly one of the many ways I love being creative with my oils. Do you have a favorite seasonal blend? If so, I'd love to hear about it and try it out!

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If you're If you're interested in learning more about Doterra's essential oils, I would love to introduce you to them! I am hosting a few in-person educational classes this month and next month, along with several Facebook classes. I would be honored if you joined in! Please email me - oykristen AT gmail DOT COM - and I will make sure to get you on the invite list!

For those of you who are interested in purchasing some essential oils, this month Doterra is offering 20% off several enrollment kits. And for anyone who chooses to become a Wholesale Member (it's basically a Costco membership for oils), I am giving an extra-fanciful welcome gift including: a 5ml bottle of Wild Orange, a luxe roller ball of my own custom calming blend, a premium sample pack from Doterra's personal care line and some of my favorite oil resources. If you would like to go ahead and learn more or make a purchase, click here and hit "JOIN AND SAVE".

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A Rustic Pear Galette + a Giveaway for "Sheet Pan Suppers Meatless"!

This post is a sponsored conversation on behalf of Workman Publishing. All opinions are my own.

Happy Friday friends! I'm excited to share a quick, suuuuuper easy autumn recipe with you, in partnership with Workman Publishing! I've always been intrigued by the idea of whipping up a rustic, autumnal galette, but to be completely honest - it seemed too fussy. It seemed like the kind of thing that only *real* bakers can achieve, and I should just stick to by-the-book pies. I was wrong! This recipe was EASY and make me feel like one of those fancy-lady bakers. Come on over to my place, it's getting all FALL up in here!

This recipe is from Sheet Pan Suppers Meatless, a new cookbook by award-winning food writer Raquel Pelzel, which is her latest effort in creating wholesome, meat-free meals using just a humble sheet pan. The one-pan approach appeals to busy mamas like me who have more than enough dishes to clean at the end of the day, but especially caters to vegetarians, vegans, those who follow a gluten-free diet and anyone who's interested in adding meatless meals to their lifestyle. The sheet pan approach uses three techniques to prep all the meals - roasting, baking and broiling, all of which allow the flavors of the food to marinate and intensify, creating savory meatless meal options. Flipping through the book, I was honestly surprised by how many recipes I wanted to try out. I don't follow a vegetarian lifestyle but I can certainly see the benefit in implementing more vegetarian meals into my family's repertoire. Don't laugh - but maybe my galette (which is basically a pie) will be a gateway. Perhaps we will progress to actual vegetables next week ;)

I'm sharing Raquel's recipe today, but make sure to hop on over to my instagram for your chance to win a copy of Sheet Pan Suppers Meatless along with a prize pack! More details below, following the recipe.

Rustic Pear Galette:
Excerpted from Sheet Pan Suppers Meatless by Raquel Pelzel (Workman Publishing). Copyright © 2017.
Ingredients:
- 1 piecrust dough (you can make your own or use a store-bought version)
- 3 medium-ripe Barlette or Anjou pears, cored and sliced into 1/4-inch thick slices
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon (I adore my microplane grater)
- 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 large egg
- 1tbsp. butter

Method:
1. Remove piecrust from the refrigerator and let it warm up to room temperature.
2. Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat (I have yet to graduate to one of these, though perhaps this should be my year). Place the pears in a medium-sized bowl and toss with the lemon zest and juice, 1/3 cup sugar, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
3. Whisk the egg, 1 tbsp. water and a pinch of salt to a small bowl.
4. Unroll pie dough onto the prepared sheet pan and pile the pears in the middle. Leave a 2-3-inch border around the edges.
5. Cut butter into small pieces and scatter on top of the pears. Loosely fold the edges of the dough around the pears, pleating the dough as you go, leaving the tart open in the middle.
6. Brush the dough with the egg wash. Refrigerate the tart on the sheet pan for 30 minutes or overnight (if refrigerating overnight, wrap pan in plastic wrap).
7. Bake tart at 400 degrees until the crust is golden brown, 30-40 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack, slice into pieces and serve.

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Giveaway!
I'm excited to offer you the opportunity to win a copy of Sheet Pan Suppers Meatless, along with a Kate Spade cooking mitt and a Sur la Table sheet pan! To enter, visit this post on my instagram and follow the post instructions. U.S.-based addresses only.

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My 5 Casual Fall Must-Haves.

Many thanks to Banana Republic for sponsoring this post. All opinions expressed are my own.

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Outfit Details:
Banana Republic Ruffle-Cuff Flannel Shirt (c/o), Springwood High-Waisted Jeans (sold out, similar here and here), Banana Republic Demi Slides (c/o), Stella & Dot Covet Letter Necklace

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It's that time of year. The autumn clothes come out of storage and we dance around the bedroom together as I imagine the adventures we shall have in the coming season. Wait, you don't do that? Welllllllll let's be honest - my day-to-day wardrobe requires very little style and very big comfort & flexibility. But in my heart I am still stylish, even when I'm rocking the seasoned topknot (some days, very seasoned) and gym sweats (many times, never actually making it to the gym.) Truthfully, the art of oscillating between wrangling kids, creating content for this blog and erranding around town, all while lifting my big boys in and out of the car (okay, for those of you who know me, it's mostly the golf cart) - it doesn't require style. Or beauty. Or even teeth brushing.

But we all know that we feel so much better about ourselves if we take a little time to re-fashion the dirty hair from a topknot into say, a twisty Disney-princess situation (see above for my effort.) And we feel better when we have a few go-to items in the wardrobe that are casual but can still be on point for the season. You feel me?

My Casual Fall Must-Haves:
1. Wear-with-everything Flannel Shirt.
We all need one of these go-to tops. It literally goes with everything in my closet and is never a bad idea. Paired with high-waisted jeans? Yes! Tucked into a mini or midi skirt? Yes! Worn over leggings with sneakers? YES. That last one is my particular favorite Saturday morning brunch uniform. I love this version by Banana this season because it is crazy soft and hello - those sleeve ruffles! It's like a sweet little upgrade to the traditional flannel and this one has already been on heavy rotation over here. Banana also has one in this color that I am putting in the shopping cart now...

2. High-waisted (okay, mom-waisted) Skinny Jeans.
These are my new go-to jeans. I love the multiple buttons and the frayed hem at the ankles. So fun and a nice change from my regular skinny jeans. These look great with tops tucked in at the front but they will also look great with a bodysuit underneath and cropped sweaters this fall. Hey, early 90's, I'm fully embracing your return. Gimme dat chunky choker while you're at it.

3. Roaring flats.
How fun are these? I have been on the hunt for a leopard print flat for a while now because I think it can add an unexpected twist to any outfit. When I saw these Banana flat mules I was instantly in love. These are casual enough to wear with any denim, but can also be dressed up with almost any neutral shade or even, gasp, RED.

4. Simple Jewels.
Seeing that I have kids that find my jewelry as appetizing as I find birthday cake, I can't actually wear most of my dangly, chunky or trendy stuff around them. So for my day-to-day I keep it simple with the earrings that Stevie got me for our 10-year anniversary and this Stella & Dot Covet necklace he gave me in the hospital when Daxton was born. Both of these items are so dear to my heart and make me feel super loved, so I love wearing them daily. Plus they go with everything so BONUS.

5. A Magical Multistick.
I've talked about this a lot in my recent Green Beauty Trials posts, but I am loving this ILIA Multistick in the shade "At Last"! You seriously have to get one. This shade works on anyone's skin tone and you can swipe it on your eyes, lips and cheeks in less than 30 seconds and feel completely put together. It's a must have for those casual days when you are throwing yourself together in a few minutes but still want to look and feel fresh for the day ahead.

There you have it! As we transition into Fall, these are the items that I won't be without. What are your autumn must-haves?

P.S. - I've been toying around with working on a fall capsule wardrobe and I'm curious if that's something you're interested in hearing about. Let me know in the comments!