Happy Weekend: Annual Girls Trip

Well friends, I'm off on an annual girls trip this weekend. Every year my college (and two high school) friends go a really nice trip somewhere for a long weekend. For many years we would all chip in and get each other a nice gift. While the gifts are nice, we realized that what was more special was actually spending time with each other. With half of us on the west coast and half on the east coast, this was not easy. So we decided that every year two of us would pair up and plan an entire trip. We have the best stories, memories, and experiences to share - way better than a fancy bag. The first year was Santa Fe, NM (I was about 8.5 months pregnant with Lucas so I couldn't go), then Chicago, IL, then New Orleans, LA, then Sedona, AZ, and this year... drum roooooooooooooll.....Austin, TX! I've never been and I'm really excited and have heard great things. Bummed to see thunderstorms and 88 degree weather (can you say fugly hair?), but it won't matter because I'll be with my dear friends.

This will be the longest time I've ever been away from both kids. I will miss them so much.

I'll miss Nick too!

and this...

not this :)

and this!

I will also be missing my dear mom's 65th birthday this weekend. I will definitely have to make it up to her next when I get back. She is the kindest, most loving, and sweetest person I know and I'm so grateful for each day with her. Also, best Po Po (grandma) ever!

As much as I can't wait to see the big smiles on the boys' faces when I come back, I am so happy to get away. I want it and need it. This is all part of the parenthood juggle, the balance, the challenge. See how I find balance here on Shop Sweet Things and Apartment 34's new collaborative series, The Kind of Woman.

Have a great weekend everyone! What are your weekend plans?

+ Photos by me
+ Find me on Instagram (@good_on_paper)

Book Review: Playful: Fun Projects to Make With + For Kids

I was given the opportunity to review the new book PLAYFUL: Fun Projects to Make With + For Kids by Merrilee Liddiard (love her blog Mer Mag) and photographed by Nicole Hill Gerulat. And guess what? Today is the book release! The cover and all the images/styling are super cute and the projects look so creative and relatively easy. You can order it right now on Amazon.

I appreciate that PLAYFUL is divided into five categories—Playful Dress Up, Playful Toys, Playful Paper Crafts, Playful Repurposing, and Playful Art. It makes it easier to flip to the section you want to craft. Some of the fun projects I could do with Lucas and Theo include a squiggle floor tile project, fingerprint art, duct tape portfolio (to hold all of Lucas' drawings!), and my favorite, the animal art print pillow. Some of these projects require basic sewing skills (I have zero) so I may have to enlist my mom for some help. Templates for the projects are included at the back of the book with step-by-step instructions.

I would recommend this book if you want to get extra creative with the crafting. It's a great resource for adults and kids to make something fun together and then let the kids' creativity take over.

Happy crafting! Wish I could go to the launch party!

+ Top photo by me
+ Other photos courtesy of Abrams Books (photos by Nicole Hill Gerulat)
+ Find me on Instagram (@good_on_paper)

Recipe: Best Granola Ever

I love making granola but haven't done so in a long time. And now I think I have found my favorite granola recipe ever. Ever. I literally ate half the granola from the baking sheet as soon as it was cooled down. It's a recipe from Erin Scott's new book Yummy Supper. I had the pleasure of meeting her in person at her book signing last weekend at the Edible Schoolyard. She was super sweet and enthusiastic about me making her granola. In her book, she actually says that it's obnoxious to be so boastful about this recipe. But honestly, it really is the best ever and is now my go to granola recipe. So far my kids, my neighbor's kid, and a couple of my coworkers have said it was super tasty. I like to eat it plain, with almond milk, or on top of Greek yogurt.. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Reasons why I love this recipe so much:
+ It's gluten free (I'm not GF, but I do experiment a lot with gluten free baking/cooking)
+ It's super easy, portable, healthy, adaptable, and very forgiving
+ You can swap out different nuts and seeds based on your tastes or what you have available (I'll be making another batch without nuts so Lucas and Theo could bring to school)
+ It's only sweetened with honey

Oh, and couple of minor modifications I made only because it's what I had on hand:
+ I omitted the dry milk powder, but I will definitely try it the next time.
+ I added dried tart cherries (I loved them but my kids picked them out)
+ I added millet for some extra crunchy texture
+ I used whole almonds instead of slivered

+ Click here for a printable PDF
+ Photos by me
+ Find me on Instagram (@good_on_paper)

Free Printable Lunch Box Notes for 100 Layer Cakelet

Check out the Free Printable Lunch Box Notes I designed for 100 Layer Cakelet and some school lunch ideas from Kristina for her cutie pie son Dashiell. I want that rye bagel with cream cheese right about now. Love all of her lunch box picks (silicone muffin cups? genius!) -- we currently use this LunchBots and this Goodbyn. What I'm most excited about though, is my Omie Box to arrive in the mail! I got a sneak peak of a model version from Sarah and it's awesome.

+ Photos by Kristina Meltzer at 100 Layer Cakelet

Weekend Trip: Lucas Goes to L.A.

I recently took Lucas to L.A. for a mini weekend trip to visit my friends Joy, Bonnie, and  Christine. It was the perfect little quick trip before school started. Lucas had flown on a plane several times when he was younger but he doesn't remember it at all so this trip was extra special for him. Plus, it was an adventure with just mama. These one-on-one excursions have become so important to both of us since Theo was born.

We had a pretty early flight which meant I had to wake Lucas up earlier than he would normally get up. Probably not the best way to start the trip, but we had to catch our BART train. Also, Lucas had been a bit under the weather for over a week. Poor guy. Poor me. But we made it and Lucas was awesome on the plane ride. He looked out the window, did some coloring, reading, and played with his cars and Legos. I didn't even have to bust out the Kindle Fire for movies.

When we arrived, L.A. was HOT. I expected it to be pretty warm but when L.A. has a heat wave, it is no joke. My friend Bonnie picked us up from the airport and took us straight to one of the yummiest places called Republique. It reminded me a bit of Tartine but with a much larger menu of sweet and savory treats and dishes. We ordered the Kimchi Fried Rice (I could seriously eat this every day), the Smoked Salmon Tartine, a variety of sweet desserts (something chocolatey, something fruity, and something fried with custard inside), and Golden Juice (a healthy and refreshing combo of yellow carrot, pineapple, golden beet, and orange juice). When I go out to eat with Bonnie, I know it's going to be good and my belly is going to be full.

Our next stop was to pick up Joy from her studio. I've seen so many pictures of her space but seeing it in real life was pretty cool. It's bright, open, and full of fun props and furniture. Since we had already eaten, we decided to stick to something a little on the lighter side. We went to Mendocino Farms for a salad and numerous refills of pink lemonade. Did I mention L.A. was in a heat wave? It was really nice to catch up with Joy since we have both been so busy. She is also due with baby #2 in November so I wanted to see her big ol' belly and Ruby before baby comes.

We decided to stay in for dinner that night (Joy's husband Bob picked up some super yummy food from Forage) and just relaxed as Ruby and Lucas got to know each other. They were way too cute together and hit it off instantly -- playing in her tent with flashlights, playing with stickers and tattoos, etc. In the morning Ruby and Lucas went outside to play with some cool inexpensive airplanes Bob got from the drugstore. Some of my favorite photos are from this little play session -- cheap planes plus active 4-year old boy made for a very quick play date. It was really sweet to see how Ruby seemed in awe of this wild savage older boy and how Lucas tried to take care of Ruby (helping to put on her shoes and telling Bob that he would keep her safe).

The next morning we met up with Bonnie and her awesome daughter Venise at Lucky Duck for brunch -- a deliciously huge platter of fried chicken, pancakes, and waffles. Yum! And how cute are Ruby, Venise, and Lucas together?

Later that afternoon my friend Christine and her insanely cute son Henry (tell me he does not look like John Leguizamo but a hundred times smaller and cuter?) picked us up and took us to the LACMA. We all had a blast here! The boys got to run around, climb, and explore. They climbed on the pillars in front of the museum and kept saying, "Can you do this, dude?!" It was hilarious.

The Metropolis Exhibit was pretty amazing with all the cars and trains zipping around at a super fast speed. Needless to say, Lucas and Henry were in total awe.

After the LACMA, we went to Sycamore Kitchen for a little snack and a drink. Oh, and side note: while walking to the restaurant, Lucas proceeded to pull his pants down and pee on the street behind a car! He just couldn't hold it and I didn't see him in time. I was partially mortified but also had to laugh it off. Luckily Christine was with me on that one. ;)

That night we went to the Americana at Brand. It was kind of funny going to a mall but It was a nice outdoor one with a big grassy play area for the kids to run around. We also rode on a trolley which the kids loved, had a nice dinner at Katsuya, and ran around some more on the grass before heading home.

The next day our flight wasn't until 6 p.m. so we had the whole day to hang out and do something easy going. After a quick breakfast at Lemon Poppy Kitchen (the kale and barley breakfast bowl was delicious) we went to a fun little water park nearby for some splashing around in the heat. We met up with Joy's good friend Marisa who I went to high school with and is good friends with one of my good friends Tina. Get that? Small world! I finally met Marisa's sweet family, Garrett, Cameron, and baby Kaia (a total thunder thigh sweet pea!).

Before our flight we just lounged around at Joy's house. Lucas fell in love with their cat Max - petting her, covering her with a blanket "to keep her warm", and giving her lots of kisses.

Even though L.A. is a quick hour flight away, it took us a while to get home. After we landed, we hopped onto a shuttle that took us to the BART station, then took one BART train, transferred to another BART train, and then drove home. With his glassy eyes and blank stare, Lucas was fading fast but he was a total trooper.

Overall we had a great trip. Thanks so much to Joy, Bob, and Ruby for hosting us and to Bonnie and Christine for hanging out and taking us to yummy places to eat. Next time I'll bring Theo! I must say, it's nice to have some routine back in our lives. :)

A few tips for traveling with a 4-year old:
+ Bring one or two of their favorite little toys (Lucas loves his cars and Legos)
+ Bring even more little surprises (i.e. new markers, new book or magazine, new toy, new toy pouch)
+ Bring headphones and something to play a movie or some games on
+ Bring lots of tasty snacks
+ Put all of the above in their backpack (maybe a new one?)
+ Try not to do too much in one day while traveling. Lucas was incredibly tired from not sleeping well, being a little under the weather, the crazy heat, and packing in a lot of activities in one day. Phew!

One last thing. The sweet Victoria of SF Girl By Bay is going to L.A. soon and is doing a giveaway through instagram. Simply tag your instagrams of L.A. using #SFGIRLINLA by September 18th and you could win a $100 amazon gift card just for contributing. See more details here.

+  Photos by me
+  Find me on Instagram (@good_on_paper)
+  Photo at the water park by Bob Cho

Recipe: Gluten Free Carrot Muffins

I had a bunch of leftover shredded carrots after making a carrot cake for Theo's 2nd birthday party. So I decided to make some easy carrot muffins using my favorite banana bread recipe from the Flour cookbook. By simply subbing the bananas with carrots, adding some nutmeg, and replacing the flour with gluten free brown rice flour + xantham gum (my new favorite combo for gluten free baking), the end result was a muffin that was super moist, flavorful, and so easy to eat up. Hope you like it!

+ Click here for a printable PDF version

Mini Vacation - Lake Tahoe

It's been a long time since we had a family vacation. As organized as I can be sometimes, I am pretty horrible at planning trips far in advance. The usual scenario is that Lucas has a week or two off from school and I realize the day before. Oops! So when my sweet friend Lisa graciously invited us to spend the weekend at her house in Lake Tahoe I could not have been happier -- not only because I hadn't seen her and her family since they moved to France a year ago, but also because I hadn't been to Lake Tahoe during the summer since I was a kid. I must say, it's still pretty magical.

And how cute is my friend's house? So thoughtfully designed with vintage elements mixed with mid-century modern touches that made the house feel perfectly cozy and campy. The light that peeked through in the morning and late afternoon were too pretty not to capture.

Before we left we stopped for lunch at the Char Pit in Kings Beach for some good bad food. In the car on the way home, I turned around to find Theo in full on chillax mode with his sunglasses on. He cracks me up -- his whole look basically sums up our trip.

We had so much fun reconnecting, swimming, cooking, reading (catching up on trashy magazines, yeah!), eating, paddle boarding (my first time and so much fun especially with Lucas on board), throwing rocks, collecting sticks, and relaxing. Our kids got along great and slept well. It was the perfect little (but much needed) vacation for our family. We hope to go back in the winter :)

+  Photos by me using my iPhone 5
+  Find me on Instagram (@good_on_paper)

Happy Weekend and a Birthday Party Sneak Peek

Happy weekend friends! This week went by so quickly and now my little baby is 2. What?!? We celebrated his birthday last weekend with a little party at our home. It was so much fun but I'm so glad it's over! Lucas is helping Theo open one present each day, which really means Lucas is helping Lucas open one present each day. Theo is more excited about the boxes and ribbon!

Here are just a couple of pics from Theo's party. Stay tuned for more pictures of the invitations and details of the food-themed second birthday party.

What are you up to this weekend?

+ Images by me via Instagram (@good_on_paper)

Favorites: Children's Books

I must admit that I read way more books to Lucas when he was Theo's age than I do now to Theo (I'm tellin' you, the second one gets the shaft!). I took Lucas to the library, read during meal times, and had lots of quiet reading time. Poor Theo. But now that he is way more interested in books, I find myself reading a lot more to both kids at the same time and they're pretty into it. Here's a list of our current favorites. Theo especially loves Mr. Tiger Goes Wild (says, "Tiga!!!"), Stuck (says, "Duck!!!"), and Not a Box (I think I'll wait on getting him Not a Stick since he's still pronouncing the letter "s" like a letter "d"). Ha!

Favorite Children's Books
// 1. Mr. Tiger Goes Wild
// 2. Along a Long Road
// 3. For Just One Day
// 4. Where's Walrus?
// 5. Rapido's Next Stop
// 6. Not a Box
// 7. Stuck
// 8. Richard Scarry's Best Word Book Ever
// 9. 365 Penguins

What are your favorites that I need to know about?

Recipe: Apricot Galette

Lately, I have been baking these simple fresh fruit galettes for dinner parties at friends' homes. They're surprisingly easy to make and everyone always says they are beautiful and tasty. Inspired by an apricot and strawberry galette recipe by Caitlin Fleming, I decided to flip through a few of my cookbooks to find an easy pate brisee recipe for the dough (if you don't have time to make your own dough, I like the frozen pastry crust from Trader Joes). My fruit basket has been overflowing with apricots from the farmers market so that has been my choice of fruit. I love that you could use pretty much any kind of fruit (you may need to squeeze some lemon on some and watch out for extra juices on others like berries). Apricots are also nice for a galette because they're not overly sweet and they're not so juicy that they leak everywhere when done. After testing out a couple of recipes from a few cookbooks, I found the best tasting and easiest recipes to come from the Flour cookbook and the Tartine cookbook. Though I am in love with everything Tartine, I think many of the recipes are a bit complicated and intimidating. So I ended up mixing ingredients and techniques from both cookbooks to come up with this recipe. Hope you like it!

+ Click here for a printable PDF version

+ Check out this recipe for a yummy gluten free version by Snixy Kitchen