Travel Love: Visiting Northern Ireland (Flashback Post)

Sharing a few of my favorite memories from our trip to Ireland a few years back...

Be sure to visit the Carrick A Rede Rope Bridge...

The views are stunning, you'll get a nice workout, and you'll have visited one of the most iconic bridges in N. Ireland. But, in all seriousness, pictures simply don't do justice to this area of the world.

My favorite part of this area was the opposite side of the bridge. Just a short hike down o the water where you could see nothing but rugged beauty for miles. The Carrick A Rede Rope Bridge is located near Ballintoy in County Antrim.

Order an Irish Coffee...

Have you ever watched the original Herbie movies? Well, in the scene where he makes Irish Coffee and shares it with Herbie, I always thought it looked so good. Ha! So, while visiting N. Ireland, we stopped at a pub for lunch (where else? ha!) and had my first "real" Irish Coffee. It's creamy, stout, and unforgettable. 

Visit The Giant's Causeway...

Another favorite stop was the Giant's Causeway, and not for the reasons you'd think. While the basalt columns are quite the sight to behold, it's the views leading to the columns that took my breath away.

Not to mention, it makes for a great photo op.

And those are just a few of my favorite memories from Northern Ireland!

Five Things Friday

Drinking: This week, I tried an Iced Strawberry Latte. Oh my goodness! Match made in heaven. ;)

Reading: I just finished reading two of Jennifer L Scott's books from the Madame Chic series. They are so good! She shares her experiences from living with a family in France.

Watching: We watched the new Hawaii-Five-O thanks to Netflix. If you like detective shows with a dash of sarcastic humor, check it out. We've enjoyed them so far. 

Listening: The Greatest Showman Soundtrack. We watched the movie last weekend, and while the movie was good, the music was even better! 

Cooking: I made homemade lasagna for our anniversary dinner. We had salad, sparkling cider, and Josh brought home chocolate cheesecake to boot. The cheesecake is from a local restaurant, and the crust tastes like a chocolate cake, so yes, good. So good. I need more, I think.

Happy Friday!

Nine

Nine favorite memories for nine years of marriage:

Exploring France on our honeymoon.
Becoming foster parents to Little J.
Finding out we would be birth parents.
Watching you hold Evie for the first time.
Watching you hold Ella for the first time.
Remodeling our little dream home together.
Exploring all of Ireland and North Ireland.
Late night carriage ride through Central Park.
Waking up every morning with you by my side.

I love you. 

Things I Want To Remember

Whenever I finish reading a book to the girls Ella always says "Amen!" instead of "The End!".

Evie Grace loves to plan out her outfits. She picks out her shirt, skirt, shoes and socks and then lays them out.

They are the best of friends, and while playing, they will often stop what they are doing and say "I Love You!" to each other.

Ella still calls Evie "Sisters" instead of sister. I will cry when she stops saying that.

They love to peek through our fence to see what the neighbors are up too. Sorry neighbors! ;)

Evie Grace will only wear one of two shoes: Either her ballet slippers or her rain boots.

I love being their momma...

Simple Garlic Butter Shrimp

Originally published 2017

I really love shrimp. And butter.

It just says classic spring meal to me...made even more perfect when served out on the back patio!

Garlic Butter Shrimp

1lb. Shrimp
1/4 cup Butter, cubed
1 Tablespoon crushed garlic
1/2 teaspoon steakhouse seasoning (I used Colton's All Purpose)
Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper (to taste)

In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and mix well. Let simmer for a few minutes to meld flavors.

Next, pour garlic butter over shrimp. Make sure to evenly coat each piece. Then bake for 20 to 25 minutes at 350.

Broil for an additional 5-10 minutes. Watch closely.

Serve with a little cracked pepper, seasoning of choice and voila!

So easy. So good!

Five Things Friday

It's Friday! Finally! We've had head colds this week, so I need a slow paced weekend to recuperate. Basically, all the more reasons for extra coffee, finishing up a good book, and watching a few of my favorite shows via good 'ol Netflix.

Here's five things that I've been loving this week:

Drinking: Iced Lavender Latte's from my (newish) favorite coffee shop. It's flowery, light, and a bit on the fruity side. I'm honestly shocked that I like it so much...

Reading: All The Light We Cannot See So, I wanted some great literature to devour over the last few weeks, and this one caught my eye. I can't wait to see the movie when I'm finished!

Watching: We stumbled on a few British shows recently that caught my fancy. Sarah Beeny being one of them. Also, The Great British Gardens. So fun!

Listening: The girls and I have been listening to Chopin throughout the day. I found several play lists via YouTube. It's been the perfect background music for cleaning and doing school together.

Dreaming: Of finishing up scrapbooks. I always seem to get behind in this area! I need to get my act together.

What's on your favorites list this week?
Happy Friday!

Master Bedroom Makeover

Our room was looking a little frumpy and worn, so I switched things up with a new duvet, curtains, and then shopped my house to re-arrange our accessories. I'm loving the new look and feel! I don't think I kept it to any one style, but it looks relaxing and that's what I was going for.  

Happy Wednesday!

My Baby

The other day we were eating breakfast at the table, and I asked Ella, "Are you a big girl, now?"

She smiled, pointed to herself and said, "No, I baby".

Forever my baby you'll be, little one.

Blueberry Maple Scones

I love easy recipes that uses simple, yet fresh ingredients, and these scones were the perfect example of that.

We had a little tea party with a few friends last week, which prompted me to make a batch of scones served with real whipped cream. I've tried many scone recipes over the years, and I always prefer the more rustic variations. Slightly brown on the edges, soft and bursting with berries! I confess, this recipe uses both maple syrup and sugar...yet it doesn't taste overly sweet. The trick here is to make sure you cover them foil while baking so they don't get too brown. Maple syrup tends to do that in baked goods. 

Care for the recipe? Pour a cup of tea, a pot of cream, and enjoy!

Blueberry Maple Scones

3 Cups All-Purpose Flour

3/4 Cup Maple Syrup

3/4 Teaspoon Salt

1 Tablespoon Baking Powder

1/2 Cup Cold Butter

1 Cup Fresh Berries

2 Large Eggs

2 1/2 Teaspoons Vanilla

1/2 Cup Sour Cream

1 - 2 Tablespoons Milk

In a large bowl combine dry ingredients and butter. Cut the butter up and mix with dry ingredients until mixture becomes crumbly.

In a separate bowl, mix eggs, vanilla, maple syrup and sour cream. Pour into dry ingredients and mix well. Add 1 - 2 Tablespoons of Milk or until mixture becomes moist and sticky. Very gently add blueberries. 

Using a large ice scream scooper (or 1/4 cup scoop) gently plop onto baking pan.

Brush with a bit of milk and sprinkle course sugar on top.

Bake at 325 for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned. 

Be sure to pin the recipe!

What's in My Diaper Bag?

Well, I dusted off the 'ol YouTube, and did a "What's in my diaper bag?" Video. I love these, because it always gives me a glimpse into other people's personality and lives. Maybe I'll make a "What in my purse?" video next. ;)

Also, if you are an Anglophile, you may enjoy my new (and first) Cath Kidston bag!

Happy Wednesday!

Homeschooling Preschool: Charlotte Mason Method

When Evie was just two years old, I remember people asking if we were going to enroll her in preschool. I have to admit, it surprised me that preschool was even available for children that young.

I knew long before she was born that we would more than likely home school. Its something both my husband and I wanted. Family time and having the ability to instill the belief and character virtues that we find important were vital to us. At the same time, we also believed in giving children freedom and flexibility to find their learning styles to better suite their individual needs.

I spent months pouring over web sites, reading books and studying curriculum. The thing that really stood out to me was the "out of the box" thinking that many Montessori and Charlotte Mason educationist shared via the web. One article in particular that stood out to me reiterated something I had felt all along: we put too much pressure on young toddlers and preschoolers.

So, I put away thoughts of curriculum and spent time reading, playing, coloring and simply enjoying my children.

But, as with anything, there comes a time when a little structure is necessary.  I waited for the cue's that I felt were necessary to really dive into preschool with my oldest.

Now, we follow a very light-hearted schedule and focus on areas that come natural to curious preschoolers: numbers, letters, drawing, art, nature, etc.

My focus is nurturing their heart, head, hands and home with simple and fun based learning.

Here's a simple breakdown:

Heart: We rotate between Psalms 121 & 23 every morning and an age appropriate Bible story or devotional. This is our "Morning Basket" time, and my oldest loves it!

Head: We read inspirational books together following a Five in a Row method. We also watch videos and talk about character building lessons from each story.

Hands: We use this time to inspire their creativity through play dough, coloring, drawing, building forts (with daddy), painting, etc. This is also the time I choose to play hymns, classical or jazz music.

Home: I believe children should take ownership of their home so that home is more than just a place to rest their head. They help me decorate, clean, bake, and make things cozy (all age appropriate of course). They love helping and it gives them a since of pride over their space. It's just a few minutes sprinkled here and there, but it is so worth it.

The rest of their day is filled with free play, being outside and quiet time. We also love watching movies and dancing to silly music. There is time for blocks and My Little Pet shop. When it comes to these methods of learning, to me, it is all about balance and finding what works best for YOUR family. I'm a Type A, introvert/extrovert and I NEED schedules and routines. Following this loose schedule and channeling the CM/Montessori style has given me just the recipe that works for US.

What are your methods for schooling children? I love learning new ideas!