decorating a rental update, part 2

Let's keep going with the recent updates to our rental...

I have been heading to thrift stores a lot this summer in search of some good deals. I came across this accordion hanging rack for $2 I think and I snatched it up. It reminded me so much of having one in my room as a little kid. I thought it would be a good addition to our entry on the wall behind our door when it opens. I love having a place to put my purse up off the ground. I know it will be handy this winter too. We have a tiny little coat closet around the corner but this is fun to have some stuff showcased too. I want to add some temporary wallpaper to this wall too. I'm thinking of putting up black chalkboard contact paper two-thirds up the wall and it can double as a place for G to draw as well. You can find that black chalkboard contact paper at Amazon.com. 

For me a big part of dealing with a sub-par rental is trying to hide the or camouflage the things you don't like. Our bathroom has yellow formica and I have yet to figure out how to handle that except to just pretend it doesn't exist. I have a similar rug about in the bathroom and a neutral octopus shower curtain that we had in our previous guest bathroom. If I knew we were going to be here long-term I'd consider getting permission to paint the formica or attempt covering it with contact paper. The only issue is putting hot things on the counter so that would pose a problem with the straightener. Our carpet isn't horrible but where there is high traffic areas or especially where it ends and meets a different flooring it is a little sad. So, I covered up the horrible linoleum in the dining area with a natural fiber rug (from ikea) that also runs up over the seam onto the carpet about a foot and then this colorful rug is from Cost Plus World Market for like $17 and I added it at the sliding glass door entrance to limit the debris tracked in.

I have covered our dining room table (which is actually a very nice table from Cost Plus) with a table cloth for a while now. Forever its been a black burlap tablecloth I cut and still love but that part of the room needed some more color. I found this gorgeous tablecloth from TJMaxx/Homegoods. Its a Ralph Lauren and I actually contemplated making it into curtain panels and bought a few of them, but decided against them. BTW, finding a great print tablecloth and using them as curtain panels is a great idea!!! You can usually get each tablecloth for $15-20 at TJMaxx depending on if its a designer brand and then just clip them up with rings. They usually come in different lengths similar to curtain panels too.

I got rid of my long-time table decor of a ton of candles on a silver plate and decided to group some house plants. These guys were struggling with recovering from the move and then I had an orchid that was done flowering for now and so I grouped them to make more impact. I love it! I want to add a few more and surprisingly they are all starting to bounce back and have some good new growth on them post-move. They get better light on this table as well and I've started using plant food. My orchid has a new branch growing out and this is the first time I have actually maintained an orchid after its initial flowering instead of chucking it. I hope it has a second life! I used orchid food while it was flowering and tried to follow the instructions good and now don't use the food but just water it occasionally until its ready to flower again.

This is the view from the dining table (well actually the sliding glass door to backyard). 

I restyled the bookshelves and new pillows. I added the rest of our books that were still in boxes to free up more storage space. I also added a shelf for G's books. He has sooooo many books. I didn't even have all of his unpacked. He loves having a shelf of his own and frequently lays on the floor in that corner reading his books. I now have more accessories though which previously occupied the shelves that don't have a home so I guess it didn't help much. I have been contemplating a garage sale but I don't want to do the work again. I just have so much decor and pillows and all that jazz than I could ever imagine using and my tastes are changing.

My next update for the living room is a table skirt/cover for the dresser we are using as a media console right now. Its just a bunch of dark furniture and electronics on that wall and I HATE IT! I'm hoping that a more feminine gathered skirt will make a difference. I'll post that progress soon hopefully. I'm hoping to get it sewn while in CA this coming weekend! I also want to get an new floor lamp I've been coveting from Urban Outfitters.

The more time and effort I put into this place, the more I love it and don't want to ever move. I am starting to realize that unless a home is "my style" I really just want it to have no style so that I can do whatever the heck I want to it and my style can take on the spotlight. I think that is one of the challenges I faced with our CA home. It had so much wood in the beams, floors, and kitchen floor to ceiling cabinets. It felt like a very cabin like and transitional builder home. I really want an older home the next time around, something with the right amount of age and character and then add in my own style.

But that next house we own won't be for a long time to come most likely. I'm ok with it most of the time. The biggest challenge is friends buying houses and that feeling of wanting it all too. Thankfully we have our experience with our home in CA to humble us and help us patiently wait for that goal again. I am still so grateful for this little duplex because it fits our needs to a "T" and even some of my desires. I wanted a white canvas and a good sized backyard. We got both! No neighbor problems either so that is a blessing!

decorating a rental update, part 1

So I thought I'd share some of the more recent updates to our lovely rental. I posted my first efforts at decorating this place here. Before we begin with the updates, let me just say though that our little place is very difficult to photograph because of its small size and poor lighting. Its ok lighting for living in but for photographs its horrible! We have now been here for 6 months! Its crazy to think how quickly time has gone by and yet in a few ways it feels we have been here even longer than that. Our lease on this place was a 6 month lease and will now switch over to month 2 month. I remember thinking 6 months was so far away and wondering if we would make it here in Oregon away from family and at a new job. It still feels a little uncertain at times (just because of the challenges with R's work) but I really hope it works out for the long term (ask me that in April 2013 or shoot even February!!). I'm not sure about an entire winter/spring here due to the rain and gloom but I sure hope to it goes well and if needed we can escape to CA for some breaks where the sun still shines in the winter!! As for this little gem of a rental we originally planned to stay here 1-2 years. I can't imagine myself wanting to move in another 6 months and honestly this place can really fulfill our needs for a long time to come at the rate our family is isn't growing.

I picked up this little wicker nightstand at a local secondhand vintage shop called The Mercantile in Springfield, OR. This place has great prices!! I intended it to be for G's room but we have yet to get him into a twin bed, still on the floor on his crib mattress. I'm waiting for the right bed to come along. I might move it into his room eventually and once I find two nightstands I love for our bedroom. I also picked up the covered wagon picture for $1.75. I loved it because of our mormon pioneer heritage and how it represents it without being too obvious. It feels more abstract and I love that the background is black instead of white. I have yet to get a different frame, waiting to see where it actually ends up. Its here for now.

I have been searching Craigslist for a used wicker peacock chair. I almost bought a basic one used online for $90. I decided to wait and then a neighbor around the corner was having a yard sale. Well, let me say that they are horders, no doubt. This time it was to my advantage. There has been an ever growing pile on their drive way they keep covered with tarps and sometimes I drive by and their garage door is open and that garage is literally stuffed full from floor to ceiling with junk. A week before the sale I saw this chair pop up outside their front door. I just had this feeling!! Well, a few days later Ryan comes home from work and he tells me that they have moved the chair out closer to the road and indeed it appears they are having a yard sale. He insists we go look at it and I couldn't refuse. It was mine for $20 and Ryan scored a new George Foreman grill for $10 (he was pretty happy!). It had some "smell" to it. You know it probably comes with age and horders not being the most cleanly. So, I decided to take my chances regardless and gamble on the $20. I spent the next two nights scrubbing and spraying that sucker with a bleach water solution. I did the process twice and let it dry in the sun between each attempt. I think it definitely made a big improvement and was MUCH more clean. It is now residing in our bedroom. What a good gamble! I wanted it for the living room but it won't fit right now unless I sell the leather arm chair which I would may do in a heartbeat!

Sorry for the crumby iPhone photos. I am lazy these days and don't use my DSLR. The lighting is horrible in our bedroom (actually our entire house) too so that makes photos challenging. I am really into the bohemian vibe and so I'm trying to make that happen in our bedroom by layering lots of things. I have used square vases and thrift store finds to corral all of my jewelry and accessories. I am trying to work with a lot of what I already have and we'll see how that goes. My next addition to the room is going to be a DIY upholstered headboard. I'm just trying to figure out the textiles for the rest of the room so it will be a cohesive look. I'm thinking something with blues and purples.

Check back on Friday for part two of the rental updates!

What about you guys? Are you a thrift and secondhand store shopper? What are your recent finds? 

Gorgonzola Burger with Avocado Mash

So far our summer in Oregon has been amazing. We had a pretty hot week a couple weeks ago and I think that is going to be it. It got near 100 degrees and we don't have an sort of air conditioning. As a result we did NO cooking/baking inside and used the bbq. Most summers we do a lot of chicken kebobs, but this summer one of my easy favorites are gorgonzola burgers! I must thank my dad and his love of that delicious cheese because without that introduction as a young adult I don't think I'd be as big a fan. It has now become a staple in our household. Thankfully Costco stocks it in wedge form at a cheaper price per pound than already crumbled.

So, here is it:

Gorgonzola Burger with Avocado Mash, red onion and mixed greens

Gorgonzola Burger with Avocado Mash
Ground beef
Crumbled gorgonzola cheese
Sea salt
Fresh ground black pepper

Mix it all together, form your patties and grill it up!

Avocado Mash
2 ripe avocados, pitted and diced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed (take out before eating or finely mince it to leave it in)
fresh lemon juice (1/2 to 1 whole lemon, to taste)
3 tbsp yellow onion, minced or diced your preference
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

fine sea salt, to taste

fresh ground black pepper, to taste

1/4 cup Italian parsley, chopped (optional)

Mix all ingredients together and then season with the s + p to taste. I leave the avocado slightly chunky. I like the texture of it more chunky rather than totally smooth. There is a good balance of creamy and chunky!

I added some red onion and mixed greens to the burger this time and I of course couldn't leave out the mayo (I'm obsessed! No joke!). Use bread/bun of your choice. I love putting olive oil on this crusty bread and grilling it for a couple of minutes. This bread is a must for portobello mushroom burgers which were a new hit this summer! The bread absorbs all that yummy juice and gets so soft and crunchy at the same time.

I served the burger with grilled corn on the cob. We are obsessed with this grilled cheesy corn I found on pinterest this summer. On this occasion I left off all but the butter and s + p. Husk and soak the corn for at least 10 minutes and then put directly on the grill and rotate every 2-3 minutes for about 8 minutes total. I don't keep the husks on anymore after the first time leaving them on. Although I like them aesthetically speaking, I hated the mess the charred bits of husk made all over the dinner plate and meal.

FYI - (Avocado Mash appears to be a fancy term for guacamole basically. I thought I invented this term when I made it but I just googled it and nope, not original. :( It was the Gordon Ramsey in me coming out since we are watching Masterchef.)

my birthday + chico

I tried convincing myself that maybe I should try and go more than a couple of months in between visits home to my family in California. We moved to Oregon the end of February and our first trip home was in mid-April for my brother Brent's mission homecoming. Then G and I made a trip down the end of June to spend a week with my family and visit with Ryan's family as well (Ryan stayed home to pay the bills, bless his heart). So, two months later we are at it again, this time Ryan is making the trek with us. I decided there is just no way I can go until Thanksgiving which would be 5 months! This was part of the reason we looked for our new home where we did so we could still go home and have family visit regularly. Oh and did I mention my parents had just been out to visit the week before I drove to CA and Ryan's parents came to visit less than 3 weeks after we came back from CA. We love our family and I thank God regularly that we can be blessed with the work and opportunities we have here in Eugene and still only live 6-7 hours from family.

So, I am excited!! We are turning the labor day weekend into a 4 day trip to CA. It won't be easy getting there because we're gonna leave Friday night after work but it will be worth it. Saturday is my birthday. I'll be 31 and for some reason I was looking forward to 30 but 31 seems soooooo much older. Maybe its from all the "excitement" of this past year. I am still very excited for my 30's because I can't wait for my family to grow and experience life with my children. Its so much more fulfilling (note to self: remind myself of this when I have my tough days and pine for the first years of marriage when we could do anything and go anywhere). Thankfully those days don't come very often and they end quickly.

What's on the calendar for this weekend you might wonder?

• My parents are hosting a birthday bbq and swim Saturday afternoon.
• I coaxed my mom into help me sew a table skirt/cover for our dresser that is standing in as a media console. I'm doubling it as interior decor obsession and young women's personal progress project. 
• Croquet (I have fond memories of playing it as a teenager and young adult with my siblings and I have been wanting to play all summer. This time around I'm gonna try and not cheat though and be a gracious loser winner. 
• Lots of swimming in 90 degree weather (we have had only one solid week of 90+ degree weather here in Eugene. Great for all aspects of life other than swimming since my body requires both warm water and warm weather).
• My sister asked if G could have a sleepover at her house Saturday night and after serious consideration I decided I would oblige her! :)
• No G = DATE NIGHT!!! We have had a heck of a time finding babysitters here in Eugene (in fact have yet to have any luck, sucks!) and so date nights have been a rare thing for us. We are considering a food date where we'll hit up all our Chico fav's and eat our way around town!! Eugene is seriously lacking in the mexican food department like big time!!! It's a crime really! 
• for G and date night for us (considering a food date night where we eat small portions at all our fav chico spots), more swimming, family, and 90 degree weather to make swimming enjoyable! 
• Bidwell park and Caper Acres. G can't stop talking about going to the park with Grandma and Uncle Davin. 
• Late night talks with the parents

Can't wait!! Can't wait!! Can't wait!! (did I mention I Can't Wait! ?)

So, what are you fav places to eat and things to do when you head back home to Chico?

mis niños

On our walk this morning I took a different route than normal and came across this most adorable hispanic grandma. She was a petite little lady with short curly hair and was sporting a big grin on her face. She came right up to us and was admiring G. I was trying to get him to say "hola" and use his few spanish words that he has learned from Dora. He was shy and wanted to leave. When she heard me prompting G in spanish she asked if I spoke spanish. Before I knew it I'd said "Si" and she was off talking a mile a minute and I could barely keep up. I'm still reasonably good at making out spanish if its everyday conversational and she used her hands to help talk which made a huge difference. I nodded my head and did my best to throw in a few words  or horribly crafted phrases in Spanish here and there. All I know is that she couldn't get enough of G's curly hair and she was confused by my double stroller but only one kid. She kept asking, "¿Dos niños?", while pointing to the empty stroller seat. It made me a little sad because I often wonder about that empty seat. I didn't have to words to explain miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy. I said them in English but I don't think she understood because she asked me about it one or two more times. That empty seat is in a way a painful reminder of the challenges we face, but I won't sell that stroller because its also a reminder of the hope I have in the future!

When I was praying this morning I was realizing that some of my trials in life aren't going to go away quickly. In fact, at least one of them will be a lifetime challenge. I realized as I prayed that patience for me is even more important (and lacking) than I realized. I really want to come to the point that I can embrace these challenges and see the good and blessings in them instead of those things that are lacking or those things I feel I've been cheated in this life.

I have a friend who has a son with autism. He is in his twenties. She commented the other day that while helping a friend shop for clothing she was placing some items over the changing room door to her friend. Soon after she started doing this her son started imitating her and starting throwing clothes over the door as well saying, "Try this," just as she was doing. Eventually he started chucking sale signs and what not. I really admired how this friend was so excited to tell me and how she seemed to find so much joy and laughter in that moment. I know that was only one moment, one glimpse into her reality and the past 20 or so years of her life with a child on the spectrum, but I have much to learn.

Before I had even met this friend others told me about her. She was enthusiastic and had a heart of gold. They felt that she was blessed with a son with autism because she was such an amazing woman. Every encounter we have had since meeting has proven that all true. The spirit of Christ shines bright in her eyes and she does have a heart of gold. She is patient, humble, kind, giving, creative, and willing. I have yet to find a way to embrace this defining characteristic of my life and truly see the joy and good in it instead of always first seeing the negative and then being humbled to recognize the good.

All of this for me is essential in no losing hope, in patiently waiting with faith in the future whatever it holds for G and his autism and for our other children. Amo a mis niños!

Creamy Dairy-free Fudgesicles

Since G has this problem going on and in order to appease both myself and G's appetite for all things creamy, cold, and chocolatey, I decided to attempt making fudge pops as an alternative to chocolate ice cream. I'm even considering putting them on ice and taking them with us to the ice cream parlor. I'm that desperate. Who wants to wake up to a disgusting mess the next day? Not him, not me! Well, recently I found a reasonably healthy recipe on Pinterest for fudgesicles so I gave them a try. I'm not too sold on them, but I sure will keep them around and change up the ratios of ingredients in the future. The real test, however, was how this dude liked them and I'd say he didn't have any problems with it at all!

Here's the recipe I followed and here is how I altered it:

Creamy Chocolate Fudge Pops

(makes 10-12 small pops)

• 4 tbsp cocoa powder (I used unsweetened, but you could use dark chocolate or some other type)
• 1 cup full-fat canned coconut milk (I only had low-fat so I used that, it was fine but I'd do full-fat next time)
• 2 medium, very-ripe bananas (200g)
• scant 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• sweetener of choice, to taste (stevia, agave, etc.) (I used agave, I think I'll try different sweetener next time)
• optional: feel free to add peanut butter! (I did! I figured I'd get some more protein and calories in there for the kid with the restricted diet)
• optional: what if you added in veggies like in a smoothie? spinach? I may have to try this. Gotta get them in that kid somehow!

Combine all items in a blender or food processor (I used my Ninja). I used dixie cups to make small fudge pops for G and then froze them for about 1 hour or so and then inserted popsicle sticks into them when they would stand up straight and then froze them for another hour or two until ready. The dixie cups pealed right off for me. G had more fun pretending it was a drum than eating it at first but once it was melting he couldn't keep it out of or around ( cue chocolatey Goatee) his mouth! 

Happy Summer!

My Kid is Lactose Intolerant

"Diarrhea, Diarrhea!"

There, I said it. I was trying to think of how to start this post, even tried coming up with some PC way of bringing up this topic but all that could come to my mind was the Diarrhea Song. Well, unfortunately for me any amount of respect I had from my mother I have now lost once she reads this post. 

So on that topic, we have been battling with this little problem for too long. I really want it gone because when G is finally ready to potty train it will be a NIGHTMARE!! I have to talk with the doctors more and probably take a sample. I don't want to do that, but the specialist said it should be addressed. My thoughts are it is either caused by dairy, tomatoes, or chocolate. We can get a solid poo out of the kid once in a while but it never lasts for more than a day or two. His diet is already so limited because he's a restrictive eater I don't want to take anything else out. We finally got him to eat pizza and I'd hate for that to be taken out since R and I love pizza. We tried a GFCF diet to help with it and saw some improvement but when we added gluten back in nothing changed so we have only kept out dairy products. G drinks rice milk exclusively. We stopped feeding him yogurt and have avoided cheese in his diet as well. The main problem is with ice cream. He loves it and we love it and you just can't say no to Prince Pucklers on a hot summer day! No way! And what about birthday parties? I can't make that sacrifice. If he was allergic maybe, but according to blood work done a year ago he has no milk allergy. We are assuming its an intolerance and I sure hope it doesn't stick around. Children with autism tend to consistently battle diarrhea. Some have opinions about leaky gut syndrome but I don't think that the research supports that. My doctor's take was that since I could get solid results from G on the BRAT diet (which I put him on when it was at its worst last summer and causing sores on his bum) that it was more of certain foods being the culprit. 

Any suggestions or experience with milk/lactose intolerances? How do you deal with having to avoid certain foods when you are dining out? Would/Do you give it up yourself for the sake of your child?