LADDventure

Next in June

My theme word for the year is "next," both a reminder to take one step at a time, and to keep going when things get tough. To do the next right thing to move me toward the big goals and happenings of this year. So, each month I'm looking ahead to what's next. Here's what's coming up in June...

Next in travel...We are taking a mini vacation to Key West! Mr. Ladd is working in Miami for a couple weeks, so I'm meeting him there for a long weekend getaway to Key West. I'm looking forward to cooler temps, ocean breezes, and a tropical drink or two!

Next in adoption...Our adoption classes started (more details on Friday)! So that's where we'll be every Monday night for the next 12 weeks. It felt very real to be actively involved with other adoptive/foster families, learning about the process and preparing for parenthood!

Next in writing...In case you missed it, my book, Candid Classroom: What Parents Want to Know & Teachers Want to Tell Them, has a cover and a release date! It will be available August 4th, and I couldn't be more thrilled! Be sure to head over to The Candid Teacher and sign up for the email list to stay up to date with ways to help spread the word and upcoming events.

Next in food...We started a supper club with two other couples! We call ourselves Foodies With Booties, and the first month was tons of fun. It's our turn to host in June, so I can't wait to share all the details with you later this month.

Next in life...I'm working really hard to lose weight and get into shape, and although progress has been slower than I'd like, I'm determined to stick with it. I just moved on to Level 2 of Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred, and I'm still sweating. I don't do it every day, but 4 times a week, and yoga twice a week, so it's more working out than I've ever done! My goal for this month is to finish Level 2 and move on to Level 3. Yikes!

Next in May

It's May already, and I can't believe 2014 is almost at the halfway point! My allergies think otherwise, but the desert is just beautiful this time of year, with everything blooming. While it may just now be starting to feel like spring in your neck of the woods, here in Arizona it's basically summer. The days are getting longer and warmer, and we're hanging on tight to every cool breeze or cloudy day.

My theme word for the year is Next, both a reminder to take one thing at a time, and an encouragement to be open to new opportunities and set some goals. Each month, I take time to look ahead at what's next, so here's a peek at May!

Next in travel... We'll be staying home this month, but some great friends are travelling here! We're honored to be hosting two of our favorite couples from Wisconsin for a couple's vacation/bachelor/bachellorette weekend mid-May. The plans are shaping up to include a Friday night out in Scottsdale, a pool party on Saturday and golf/whatever the girls decide to do on Sunday. Really looking forward to it!

Next in writing...The book is with the proofreaders!  Round One of edits and rewrites is complete, and we are in the very final stages of getting the book ready to go.  I truly can't believe it, and am so proud of this book. I'm nailing down an official release date and other details this month, and can't wait to share them with you. Head over to The Candid Teacher and join the email list to stay up to date on book news!

Next in adoption... This is document gathering month. As I talked about in this post, we are gathering up all our important papers and getting things in order to start our classes next month. We're getting more and more excited to meet our kids and be a family of four (well six if you count the dogs, which we totally do).

Next in food... Unfortunately our swimsuit season starts a little earlier here than other parts of the country, so food has consisted of lots of fruits and veggies to get these thighs ready for the light of day. Operation Hot Mom is in full swing. More on this soon, too.

Next in faith... Still thinking on a great many things I'd like to write about here. I've had lots of really interesting conversations lately which have my wheels turning about what I believe and why.  But in the meantime, we are just absolutely loving the friends we've met through our small group at church, and can't believe we've only known them a year and a half. All that matters is God and people. I couldn't agree more with this statement right now.

What big plans do you have for this new month?

Five Minute Friday - Friend

Jessica came for a visit. You know, the friend I told you about here.

She escaped the polar extreme of Minneapolis to soak up some sun and relaxation in the desert.

Everything was different and the same since last we hung out.  I'm settled here, and she's settled there, bringing a piece of her with to prove it - her beautiful baby daughter.

It was a girls' weekend of the best kind. Wine and painting nails and laughing until our faces hurt. But also memories, and deep conversation about marriage, faith, women.

Her drive inspires me, and I'd like to think my pace helps her relax. In some ways we couldn't be more opposite, but I sit and wonder how we've let so much time go between visits with this kindred spirit.

Sometimes on Fridays, a whole bunch of us write for five minutes, unedited, on a one word topic. This post is linked up here...

I needed it this Friday, to let go of the perfect of editing, and publish something unedited for the simple joy of writing and connecting.  Happy weekend.

Friends in First Places

photo credit:  LoveFeast Table

I had coffee with a new-ish friend yesterday. I've known her a little over a year, but she's one of those people who I've instantly clicked with and is good for my soul, because I feel like she just gets me. She moved into a new house a while back, and things have been crazy busy for her, but she just texted me the other day to ask me over for coffee. She's adorable, and so is her new house, and I was excited to get the grand tour and see how she's made it a home.  She showed me the dining room chairs she had just painted, and the top of the console table she planned to paint the same color.  I saw the spaces where she creates, where her children sleep, and had coffee in the kitchen where she has hers every morning. 

There is something sacred about inviting someone into your space.  One of my favorite authors, Shauna Niequist, talks about how we have become 'the third place' generation.  We meet in a third place outside of one another's homes usually.  We tend to prefer the coffee shop, out for dinner, or happy hour drinks to gatherings at home.  But, there is something different and more true about meeting in our first places - in our kitchens and living rooms.  Inviting our friends to share coffee at the same table our kids do their homework after school, preparing a little something for them with our own two hands, or like my friend did, stopping by the bakery for two perfectly gooey cinnamon rolls to indulge in together while taking an hour and a half to talk about life.

It's not just that it connects us to each other.  It really does connect us to our truest and humblest selves.  Nothing humbles you like being vulnerable enough to share your dust bunnies and the inside of your fridge with a friend.  We have no choice but to drop our masks and leave perfect at the door, whether we're the one being invited in or the one doing the inviting.  I want my friendships to look more like this; real connection in real ways over simply being willing to let each other in.  So thanks for the coffee Kristin, and for the record, I didn't see one dust bunny and the inside of your fridge was lovely. 

This post is also included in the Gathered Thoughts Link Party.  All participating bloggers have shared a post based on a quote from one of LoveFeast Table's lovely Gathered Thoughts Box.  Head on over to check out the other posts, and enter for your chance to wine a Gathered Thoughts Box of your own or this great spiral journal set.

Bread & Wine

 

I have a lovely stack of cookbook types on my kitchen counter - the kind of cookbooks that go beyond recipes, and are too beautiful to stay hidden in the pantry.  I started the stack with the arrival of Bread & Wine in mind, knowing it would find its place right on top.  More than a collection of recipes, this book is collection of stories.

It's a memoir; an ode to life around the table.  Recipes are sprinkled in among stories of Shauna's life and what she's learned from coming to the table with people she loves.  It's about inviting others into our messy lives, opening up, and slowing down. It's about memories, community, and how we feed ourselves physically, spiritually and emotionally.  

I have been waiting impatiently for this book, following Shauna's blog and tweets about her writing process, and it has not disappointed. I wrote here about the honor of being involved in her project.  I got to test Annette's Enchiladas and give feedback, and might have squealed a bit when I saw my name in the acknowledgements as a recipe tester! Shauna's words have resonated so deeply with me since her first book, and I have gobbled up every one of them in her third.  The pages of my copy of Bread & Wine are already dog-earred and smudged with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. 

I can't stop making Robin's Lentil Soup, and I wasn't even positive what a lentil was or that I'd enjoy one previously.  Mr. Ladd and I have fallen in love with the Blueberry Crisp, and I am now the kind of girl who makes her own Balsamic Vinaigrette just to have on hand.  

The recipes are short with simple, wholesome ingredients in easy measurements.  She starts out each one with her personal notes and tips - the kind of advice your mom gives you over the phone when giving you a recipe, adding her opinions about where you should stick to it strictly and where you can deviate.  In my opinion this book is the perfect place to start if you are thinking about cooking or entertaining more often.  It is not about showing off or being fancy.  It is about simple, lovely ways to feed yourself and the people around you, and what happens when you do.

I think what's so special about this book is that it satisfies a craving for authenticity.  We rush through our days not even bothering to feed ourselves with intention, let alone the people we love.  This is a call to stop and be brave enough to connect in real ways around real food.

I'll leave you with Shauna herself inviting you to enjoy her latest creation...

http://youtube.googleapis.com/v/-d_0-2_SkSs&source=uds

How to Host a House Guest

Spring is perfect weather season in Arizona, and one of my favorite parts about living in a vacation destination is having more than just our smiling faces to draw people to visit us.  We usually have a few rounds of house guests in the springtime, and I really do love hosting.  Hosting others can seem like a lot of pressure, but here are some easy things I always try to do to make guests feel welcome and at home.  I think the little touches are important in hospitality.

The guest bedroom...

INVITING SPACE

Our main guest room is just a fairly simple neutral space.  A queen sized bed, 2 simple nightstands, and an IKEA dresser are all the furnishings.  Eventually we would like to get a small t.v. in here as well as a vintage luggage stand, but for now as long as guests have a clean, comfortable place to rest, and places to set down their things, that is all that matters.  I think keeping it clutter free is really important, as guests suitcases take up room, and they need clear surfaces to comfortably spread out their personal things.  We have extra towels in the bottom drawer of the dresser, which also frees up room in the linen closet, and the middle drawer even holds some things that regular visitors (Mr. Ladd's mom mostly) have just left here so they don't have to pack them all the time.

The photos on the wall were bought in Flagstaff at a local photographer's gallery.  They are gorgeous, and lend some southwest flair without being cheesy.  Eventually I would also love to start a gallery wall above the bed with pictures of guests on their visits here, which can just continue to grow over time.

WELCOME BASKET

On top of the dresser, I always try to have a welcome basket.  I just use this same basket and fill it with goodies that I think my guests will like or need.  For example, this last time when my parents were here, I filled it with granola bars, peanuts (a favorite snack of my dad's) and Fig Newtons (for my mom), a magazine for each of them, sunscreen (the sun's kinda crazy here), aloe (Wisconsinites don't always believe me), pocket tissues, chapstick (it's dry here), gum, mints, etc.

FLOWERS

Another nice touch is fresh flowers on the nightstand.  I just picked these up at the grocery store when doing final shopping for their visit.  They don't have to be expensive, just colorful and inviting.

The guest bathroom...

FRESH FLUFFY RUGS

I'm kind of crazy about this one.  Nothing says welcome like clean fluffy bat mats.  For this reason, I never buy the mats with the rubber backing, but the ones that are just cotton so they can be thrown in the wash and easily fluffed.  If your bath mats are a hot mess, and beyond anything the washer and dryer can help with, then it's time to replace them.  They are not meant to last forever.  T.J. Maxx or Home Goods is a great place to get high quality ones very inexpensively. 

GUEST TOWELS

My number one tip for the guest bathroom (or the shared one when guests come) is to get a set of towels that is only out for guests.  They don't have to be fancy, but they should feel nice.  If they are not in your everyday rotation, they don't get nearly as much wear and tear.  No guest wants to use the threadbare towels you got for your wedding 15 years ago, or the beach towel you've had since college.  I've found that T.J. Maxx or Home Goods is also the best place for these.

NECESSITIES

I have another basket in the bathroom that I fill with wash cloths and an extra hand towel along with things guests might need or have forgotten like toothpaste, hairspray, gel, soap.   Next to it are two little ceramic herb pots I got for $1.00 a piece filled with Q-tips and cotton balls and some air freshener.  Don't think you have to buy an actual matching bathroom toiletry set.  In fact it's much more homey if you use containers with some personality.  I also make sure the shower is stocked with the basics, so regulars around here know they don't have to pack those kinds of things if they don't want to.My thinking is that I want guests to feel almost like it's a spa or hotel with every detail thought of and no need to ask for anything.

GREETING


I always like to pick guests up from the airport with a bottle of water and a snack of some sort.  Sometimes it gets to be a long day traveling, and I know for myself I am often hungry and/or thirsty by the time I deplane and haul my bags to the curb.  So I try to put myself in their shoes.

I guess in general, that's my bottom line philosophy of hospitality.  Think about how you would like to be treated as a guest and then go a little above and beyond that.  People will always remember how you made them feel.

Catching Up and Construction

Hi friends.  I have been on a bit of an unintentional blogging break as my parents were visiting from Wisconsin for a week.  Their visit included lots of catching up in beautiful weather, and a mini trip to Prescott and Jerome. They gave me plenty of moments to write, but I am just distracted and would rather sit on the couch with an extra cup of coffee chatting when we have guests.  Also, I am in the beginning stages of a blog redesign, so thanks for being patient with me.  I am carving out lots of writing and redesign time next week, so stop back on Monday, and I will have lots of new goodies for you.  In the meantime, here are some pictures of what life has looked like around here lately...

Ready to Parrrrtay!

Mico and Buddy all ready for the Halloween party as a dragon and a knight!  They were both a little less than impressed with the whole thing.

For the second year in a row, we hosted a big Halloween party at the house this past weekend, and I just adore throwing a good party - especially a holiday one.  I have learned a few things about hosting parties, some that I need to constantly remind myself as I'm running around like a madwoman the day before and my husband is seriously rethinking the idea in the first place.  So I thought I'd share my top 10 tips to make hosting a party more enjoyable for you and your guests:

1.  Do as much ahead of time as possible. That way when it's party time, you can just put everything out and then mingle with your guests and not worry about it.  Cut veggies, make dips, and cook things that can just be reheated well before the party.  Baking can be done days ahead of time.  This spreads out your workload so you are not completely stressed the night before or day of, and it allows you time with your guests.  It is no fun to spend the entire night stuck in the kitchen.

2.  More is more.   I think it is better to put out a spread and have extra leftover than to run out.  I think I'm secretly part Italian.  Nothing kills a party faster than running out of food, beer, or ice too soon. 

3.  Clean up a little bit as you go. But, don't make guests feel like they are messing up your house, or that it's time to go by clearing everything away too soon.

4.  Lighting makes a big difference.  Think candles and lamps instead of bright overhead lights.  Adding twinkly strands of lights are also festive and create a much more inviting atmosphere.

5.  Create gathering areas.  You don't want everyone sitting in a big circle around the outside of the room, staring at each other like they're at a sixth grade dance.  Spread the food out and have plenty of places for guests to perch in smaller groups and set down a drink as they mingle.

6.  Everything doesn't have to be spotless.  For pre-party cleaning, focus on areas guests are going to be in the most like the bathrooms, kitchen, and main living areas.  Don't worry about vacuuming the guest bedroom and cleaning the garage.  I promise no one will notice the basket of unfolded laundry in your bedroom closet.  Don't wear yourself out. 

7.  Music matters. - Silence is awkward, but blaring music makes conversation difficult.  Create a playlist or Pandora station that fits the mood, and pay attention to the noise level.

8.  Provide options at the bar. - I like to set up our side counter in the kitchen as the bar, with some sort of specialty cocktail like a sangria or witch's brew (like this past weekend) already made.  Then I usually stick to a dark and light liquor option with mixers and sodas out in a 'serve yourself' fashion. Beer is usually stocked in both the outside and inside fridges.  I like to try to make the first couple of guests that arrive their first drink, and then encourage everyone to help themselves after that with ice, glasses, and straws all at the ready.  Don't forget non-alcoholic options and water bottles for guests to grab. 

9.  Be selective about asking guests to bring things. - Generally if I am hosting a party, I don't ask guests to bring anything.  I try to let them know up front what the plan is -  for example, drinks, appetizers, and dessert will be served.  That way nobody feels obligated to bring anything.  If you are having a more casual party or want people to help out by bringing something, I would be specific about one thing they can bring and have it kind of fit the theme...for example if you are having a wine and pizza night, ask them to bring their favorite bottle of wine to share, or for a potluck bbq maybe ask them to bring an appetizer to share.  But never ask them to bring more than one thing.  In my opinion,  asking guests to bring an appetizer, a dessert, and whatever they want to drink makes people wonder why you are hosting the party if they have to provide everything for themselves.  Remember they are your guests, and hospitality goes a long way.

10.  You set the tone.  A piece of advice our wedding D.J. gave us before our wedding was to remember that the bride and groom set the tone.  If you are out dancing and having a good time, everyone else will be too.  The same applies for parties.  If you are nervous and uptight or dull and tired, your guests will be too.  If you are welcoming and friendly, introducing people and having a good time, your guests will follow suit.