• Texas,  Travel

    Southern Hospitality at Magnolia Market

    When we were first married, Dan and I stayed at a bed and breakfast on the Oregon Coast. The tagline on the brochure read “Hospitality is Our Specialty.” The place was an older Victorian era home turned B & B and from the looks of the brochure it was going to be a lovely place to stay. It turned out to be one of those situations where the camera angles told a much different story because in real life it was a strange, quirky place. Bedroom closets converted into showers but still looked very much like a closet. Unevenly hung wall paper and strangely appointed decor that just left you…

  • Visit Magnolia Market
    Texas,  Travel

    Visit with Us at Magnolia Market + Garden: Day One at the Silos

    Five years ago, just after we had completed our big kitchen remodel, my sister-in-law Taly asked me if I ever watched the show Fixer Upper. We didn’t have HGTV, so I hadn’t even heard of Fixer Upper. Finally, months later while staying at a hotel, we turned to HGTV and met Chip and Joanna for the first time. We really liked the clean yet cozy decorating style, but what kept us coming back was the down-to-earth, family centered nature of Chip and Joanna and so we tuned in to their show every time we stayed over night in a hotel. Over the next few years, their show took off, the…

  • Vacation Planning in the Digital Age
    Travel,  Travel Prep

    Vacation Planning in the Digital Age

    Summer is just around the corner and like many of you, we are excited to see some new sites. There are so many great online resources available for planning a vacation and admittedly I am totally obsessed with anything that helps me with my trip planning.  I think about it All. The. Time. I like to think of trip planning like a little mini vacation where I can day-dream about all the fun we’re going to have. Some people call this “procrastination” or “a coping mechanism,” but whatever! Once we’ve decided on a location…like just seconds after, I go into research mode and scour the interwebs for all there is…

  • Cheezies are the perfect keto cracker
    Keto,  Snacks

    Try These Cheezies for the Perfect Keto Cracker Replacement

    I am excited to share a new twist on an old family favorite! Because the only ingredient is cheese, these really are the perfect keto cracker. As kids we would get pretty excited if some of the excess cheese oozed out and got extra crispy along the edges of our omelets. We soon figured out that we could make just the cheesy part by frying up Tillamook Cheese in a frying pan. Because we were clever children we named these crunchy cheesy bites…wait for it…Cheezies! All of my siblings agree that we definitely invented the cheezy. Now that all of us are eating keto, we’ve noticed the popularity of “fried…

  • Clear Creek Falls
    California,  Travel

    Quick stop at Wiskeytown National Scenic Area

    Wiskeytown National Scenic Area is a great place to experience the natural beauty of northern California. Our trip to Whiskeytown was on our route north back to Oregon after spending Christmas in Arizona. It was a quick last minute detour, but we look forward to returning someday to spend more time exploring. Whiskeytown was once a gold mining settlement during the California Gold Rush of 1849. Now, this area draws people looking to swim, sail, kayak, fish and hike…you can even pan for gold during the summer months. Check the website for schedule details. We arrived at the Visitor’s Center, got our National Parks Passports stamped and found out what…