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Overnight Apple French Toast Crisp

September 28, 2016 By Chelsia Rief 7 Comments

Not a morning person? Make this yummy Overnight Apple French Toast Crisp the night before, & then effortlessly savor the goodness of fall food the next AM!

I don't know about you, but I'm not much of a morning person. I know this probably comes as a surprise to many, but it's true. I would much rather be laying in bed and slowly wake up then have an alarm (aka my son) charging through my room to see if I'm awake.

Which he does. Every morning. (It's really sweet, and I'll miss it when he stops!)

During the week, I typically wake up anywhere between 6 and 7am, but on the weekends, if I can sleep in until 8 or 9am, I'm feeling pretty lucky. And what I mean by lucky is fortunate, because Josh will get up with Christian and make the coffee and do the entertaining of him so I can get a few more minutes of shut-eye. [Read more...]

Tuesday's Tidings for Sep 27, 2016

September 27, 2016 By Chelsia Rief Leave a Comment

Hers

1. A few days ago, Josh introduced me to Jim Gaffigan's standup albums. I'm seriously not someone who typically enjoys standup comedy. Either the humor is crass or just not something that I would laugh at. But Gaffigan is something else. I've laughed so hard over the past few days I'm crying. I'm probably once again very behind on this extremely old news, but if it takes you a few days (or years) to catch up, too...listen to some of his shows. You'll have a real good laugh!

2. Do you like puzzles? The girls and I are obsessed with Thomas Kinkaid's Disney themed puzzles. They are so beautiful and the kids and I get so lost in the dreamy colors and pictures.We own Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, and Beauty and the Beast. It's such a fun activity to do with the kiddos. What kind of puzzles do you like to do?

3. You guys, we're playing with the idea of getting laminate flooring down the road. Do you have a business/brand you have been really happy with? We've looked at Costco, Home Depot, and Lowes. Tell me what you like! [Read more...]

Weekly Menu for the Week of Sep 26th

September 25, 2016 By Chelsia Rief 2 Comments

Is it just me, or does it seem like September went by in a hurry? I had to pinch myself when I looked at the calendar and saw that October was this week! Our weather is slowly turning more fall-like. We've had a few days here and there where we've gotten rain, but then it creeps back into the 80's again!

I don't think we're the only ones experiencing bi-polar weather, but I'm ready for fall! Yesterday, since the weather was nice (as in 87 degrees!) we (okay, that would be Josh) took advantage of it and finished some exterior painting and caulking, put away our pool, patio cushions, and, sadly, began preparing the barbecue for a long winter's nap. And while I spent Saturday afternoon in the kitchen baking (just the way I roll!), Josh worked outside in the yard, pulling weeds and mowing. The kids played all day. Nice to be a kid! [Read more...]

Catz Review: Uncommon Goods' Personalized Wine Barrel Anniversary Gift

September 24, 2016 By Joshua Rief Leave a Comment

If you've been reading Catz lately, you probably know that Chels and I have been trying to create a light, natural "farmhouse" feel in our home since we moved last year. Of course, that's a pretty popular style of decor right now, and projects and ideas are so easy to find that our list is getting ridiculous! (Thanks a lot, Pinterest!) Getting the feel right isn't just about furniture and wall colors, though - it's also about those little decorative elements. Lucky for us, when Uncommon Goods asked if we'd like to review something from their collection of personalized anniversary gifts, that included this beautiful custom wine barrel (you can see it on their site here).

While I understand that a farmhouse and vineyard are two different things, they can and often do share many common styling elements, and I've always loved the warm, earthy look and feel of oak barrels. We had a beautiful oak barrel planter at our last house, which we were very sorry to leave behind! [Read more...]

Slow-Cooker Pizza Fondue

September 22, 2016 By Chelsia Rief 2 Comments

Easy, fun, flexible, and ridiculously kid-friendly, slow-cooker Pizza Fondue is a recipe your little ones will beg for on a regular basis!

We just got back from a super short trip Tuesday evening. Josh had some business meetings in Central Oregon (aka our favorite vacation spot) and we decided to add a day to make it a short family trip. Short as in about 48 hours long, but I think we made the most out of the time!

We biked a bit and had dinner with our dear friends the Jacobsons (you might know Lisa from Club 31 Women and Matt from his site). We even managed to get to Sunriver for a few hours, biking all over and eating at some of our favorite spots! On Tuesday, while Josh was working, the kids and I spent some time down at the Old Mill District in Bend doing a little shopping. Well, I didn't shop...okay...I got the new Pumpkin Apple Cider body wash from Bath & Body Works and a coffee (but that was all I bought - I know, shocking, right?), but Eden lucked out and got a new shirt and a couple pairs of pants - which she desperately needed for the fall and winter seasons! [Read more...]

Weekly Menu for the Week of Sep 19

September 19, 2016 By Chelsia Rief Leave a Comment

Would you guys mind if I just took a second and wished my dad Happy Birthday? Happy Birthday, Daddy! I know you aren't reading this today because you have a J.O.B., but I just wanted to throw it out into the blogosphere that I love you and I hope your day is wonderful!

For the record, my dad lives in Las Vegas and we don't see each other often. Which is a shame, because I miss him!

How was everyone's week? Ours was good. We finally got some rain over the weekend and our grass really needed it. Already, everything looks greener, though we had to trade our blue skies for grey ones. Compromise is the key to success...right? [Read more...]

Roasted Glazed Honey Mustard Salmon with Thyme

September 14, 2016 By Chelsia Rief 4 Comments

Lucky enough to find some beautiful fresh salmon on sale? This roasted glazed honey mustard salmon is an easy, extremely tasty way to bake it up!

I'm not brainy enough to calculate the price of inflation from when I was a kid till now, but I'm pretty sure decent seafood has always been on the spendy side.

#Ihatethat

I grew up eating fresh seafood nearly every week as a kid. My parents teetered closer to the vegetarian side rather than the carnivorous side. Basically, we didn't eat beef, unless you count a McDonald's hamburger once and awhile. I'm sure there's a fancy name for people who don't eat a lot of pork or beef, but I'm going with vegetarian-ish (vegetarian-lite?).

We had the added benefit of a grandfather who was something of a commercial fisherman. Every year, he and his buddies would sail to Alaska for a few months and catch fresh tuna to be canned - and let me tell you, you think the stuff from Costco is good? Okay, it is, but the tuna my grandpa caught was unbelievable! [Read more...]

Tuesday's Tidings for Sep 13, 2016

September 13, 2016 By Chelsia Rief Leave a Comment

Hers

1. I don't know what's gotten into us, but within the last month we've been to the movie theater twice! This second time we went and saw Sully, and on opening night, too! I can't recommend this movie enough. Clint Eastwood did a fantastic job of retelling the story of the "Miracle on the Hudson" with such an eye for detail. The length of the movie is just right and while it's not as dramatic of a movie as I think the trailer makes it out to be, the flashbacks are very, very tense - I found myself holding my breath several times even though I knew the outcome. The movie is very clean and Josh and I even discussed letting our 12 year old watch it when it hits Blu-Ray. Did I mention that Tom Hanks' acting is superb? Well, it's kind of a given, right? But Aaron Eckhart truly held his own against Tom Hanks as well. This is a definite go-see movie!

2. Like most people who love the fall season, I'm sure you are all eagerly anticipating the buying of potted mums from the stores or nurseries, like me. Did you know that mums are perennials? I had no idea! I thought that when they died, they were just dead and gone! I have one potted mum that managed to survive all winter and summer long in its pot and I'm kicking myself that I didn't plant it back in July. I think it might be too late now.

3. You guys, I'm seriously crushing on these Ombre Spice Cupcakes from Sally's Baking Addiction! The colors are so so pretty!! [Read more...]

Weekly Menu For The Week Of Sep 12th

September 11, 2016 By Chelsia Rief Leave a Comment

Okay, we've officially entered the middle of September. You're doing great!!! If back to school schedules have got you in a daze already, can I please just urge you to do at least one nice thing for yourselves this week? Take a bubble bath with some relaxing music and a glass of your fav and just soak. Even if all you've got is 15 minutes minutes, I promise it will help. Sometimes, I like to light some candles and do a little yoga before bed. Or you know what - even going to bed early can feel like a treat! Just do something!

When I first started this blog, a weekly menu was just always something I posted about - always sharing what we as a family were eating. I don't remember a lot of people sharing their menus back then, but now it's a huge thing and I think that's awesome! Menu planning for a family can be hard and I love following some of my favorite bloggers like Lauren's Latest (you need to subscribe to access the menu), Confessions of a Cookbook Queen, and Cafe Delites (who does a round up with a team of bloggers) for new dinner ideas. This past week Cool Mom Eats shared our Mediterranean Grilled Honey Mustard Chicken on her meal plan along with four other delicious looking recipes. Josh is crushing hard on the pepperoni pizza waffles, while I'm swooning over the creamy caprese quinoa bake! [Read more...]

Pumpkin Spice Bars

September 6, 2016 By Chelsia Rief 6 Comments

If you're one of those autumn enthusiasts who just can't wait to get fall started, then this recipe for Pumpkin Spice Bars was made for you!

It's pumpkin pie and back-to-school time all rolled into one! I officially waited until last week to start baking with pumpkin. But it was hard. I mean, I've usually been baking with pumpkin for weeks at this point. But this year, I've held back and here's why - back to school stuff was showing up in the stores in the middle of July. I spied Christmas decor in one of the aisles of Jo-Ann's last week. And Black Friday sales begin on Thanksgiving Day. Which is of the course the day where everyone should be with their families. Not out shopping. #RantOver

[Read more...]