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Family

FamilyFashionOutfitsStyle

Day in the Life: 3 Favorite Meals

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel

top FREE PRESS :: white sweater REBECCA MINKOFF :: jeans AG JEANS :: soft slippers STEVE MADDEN :: Photo’s by Tiffany Luong Photography

Our days usually are never alike but usually begin like this . . . .

pancake breakfast, play time, lunch time, park time, dinner time, and family reading and walk to get boba tea.

Tiffany Luong offered to document our day. Being a large family of 6, I thought the idea intriguing. When I saw the end product I was grateful to see angles and perspectives I would have never seen if it wasn’t for Tiffany  who captured such a raw and organic side of our family life. Including my boy’s messy room, ha. From eating donuts, little laughs and hugs, to wrestling on the floor, she captured it all. She also offers photo books to further document your day for years to come. I was grateful for the opportunity since I most likely will forget the little things I love most about family life documented right here. Learn more about her services for your next family shoot HERE. And since it is Foodie Friday, I thought I’d share 3 kid approved meals we love and use daily. Happy Friday friends!

 

For the first recipe, I’m sharing our favorite breakfast dish, originally published HERE

AMY’S PUFFED PANCAKE

What I love about this one is that it’s something you can prep the night before, then just toss it in the oven in the morning and bask in the rave reviews.

What You’ll Need:

6 Eggs

1 C Flour (If you’re gluten free, I’d chose a flour blend that has already done the math on which GF flours combine to imitate the fluffy texture you get with wheat flour. I’m a fan of King Arthur, but comment if you have another favorite)

1 C Milk (can use almond milk)

1t Salt

1T Butter (to grease the dishes)

Toppings of your choice – we like agave, maple syrup, lemon curd, or powdered sugar

How You’ll Do It:

1 Whisk the eggs, flour, milk, and salt together. If you’re prepping this the night before, cover your bowl and put it in the fridge until you’re read to bake.

2  Preheat the oven to 425°

3  Melt the butter in two 9×13 pans

4  Pour the mix into the pan and put it in the oven for 15-20 minutes. It will puff up and create some crazy wavy textures in the oven, then it will settle and flatten out once it cools. So if it looks a little wild, you’re doing it right.

5  Serve with your favorite topping and enjoy the satisfied faces.

HOMEMADE HUMMUS eat with carrots or pita bread

2 cups drained well-cooked or canned chickpeas, liquid reserved

1/2 cup tahini (sesame paste), optional, with some of its oil

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus oil for drizzling

2 cloves garlic, peeled, or to taste

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 tablespoon ground cumin or paprika, or to taste, plus a sprinkling for garnish

Juice of 1 lemon, plus more as needed

Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish

3 INGREDIENT DINNER

2 Cans vegetarian chili

1 package of hashbrowns in the shape of a rounded off rectangle

1 Package of cheese

Spread the hash browns across a 9×13 inch pan, layer chili and then cheese. Heat the over to 350 degrees and cook for 15 minutes. Enjoy!

FamilyTravel

ROADTRIP LA to CHICAGO

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel

 


 


 

phoebe distressed AG JEANS :: jacket LINEA PELLE :: tank LUSH similar :: heels Coconuts by MATISSE :: bag REBECCA MINKOFF ::

 

We set out on a sunny Friday morning which happened to also be National Donut day, for the city of Chicago. We allotted 4 days of travel via a large 2017 Suburban thanks to Budget, that we picked up the night before, along with donuts. The vehicle was perfect for our long journey of 2700 miles with stops in La Verkin, Utah, Vail, CO, Omaha, NE, Cedar Rapids, IA, and finally Chicago, IL. While as a party of six, as you can imagine there was a lot of “are we there yet?” and when can we dig into the candy kinds of questions. Beyond that, there was a lot of eye spying games and ooh’s and ahh’s once we got to Utah and were in awe of the rocks and mountains. It was great to be able to stop when we saw a scenic overlook or an old gas station or whatever of interest. I remember driving with Reid when we were dating from Chicago to Omaha and barely stopping once. Now, with children, they force you to stay flexible, go with the flow and savor this time that I hope they never forget. While we LOVED the long car trip, we all agreed flying home with American Airlines was the way to go. Four hours of flying versus four days, was a huge difference! Read on below for some travel tips answering some of my most asked questions.

Tips for Travel:

Where to Stay when visiting ZION NATIONAL PARK?

I got asked this a ton when we drove through Zion National Park. Stay in Springdale if you want to catch the ZION national park hikes and trails right out your front door. Such an artsy and pedestrian friendly little town (La Quinta had a great pool ). We made the rookie mistake of staying in La Verkin instead of Springdale which is closer to the park and has a free bus service that takes you to the ZION entrance. Read more Here.

Bring protein snacks and water everywhere! The desert literally had zero watering holes nearby. Be prepared.

Get organized. We had all the kids clothes in Ziploc bags. Each bag contained 1 full outfit (shirt and shorts or dress) and 1 pair of socks and underwear.

Don’t let kids pack their backpacks it sounds good but edit, edit! You’ll thank me when you’re on your second hike and they’re complaining how heavy their backpack is.

Don’t forget the baby wipes! I use them for everything from ice cream mustaches to cleaning the dashboard.

Make frequent stops at the scenic overlooks. The theme of your trip (if you’re traveling as a family) is SLOW and SAVOR. Even though it seems counter intuitive and oh-so hard, don’t rush what could be the most unforgettable memory. Truly.

 

girls romper Saks Fifth Avenue // girls white cold shoulder dress Target // girls maxi dress Target // my Jacket AG JEANS 

bedroom credits //

nightstands Urban Outfitters // linen sheets West Elm // clothing rack IKEA // grommet tee Nordstrom // ivory sofa Interior Define //jute rug West Elm

CollaborationsFamilyStyle

Beach Day with Abercrombie & Fitch

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel



my jeans :: my gingham top :: cashmere cardigan :: her top :: shorts   :: his top similar  and shorts similar

I partnered with Abercrombie & Fitch sharing some of our summer favorites. On this particular morning, the beach was unusually cold, so layers were appreciated. My 7 year-old kept stealing my cashmere cardigan as we approached the aquarium at the end of the pier. It was worth the chilly walk up! The kids loved seeing small sharks, starfish to pet and slippery eels. In a strange way, the walk to the pier and fresh ocean air always seems to give us an appetite for ice cream at Manhattan Beach Creamery. I don’t fret too much when the kids spill all over their shirts. Everything from A & F has been washable and durable, two aspects I love about A & F kids clothes not to mention, they are right on trend. How cute the the shoulder ruffle on her top? I want one in my size so we can be twins. Meanwhile, I’m staying cozy with this cashmere cardi and lightwash jeans that surprisingly go with everything. Which are your favorites?

More Faves from A & F:

Thank you Abercrombie & Fitch for sponsoring this post!

FamilyStyle

Some thoughts on Mother’s Day

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel

Motherhood for me is a series of mistakes and triumphs, lessons and growth. All the while giving myself and my kids grace! It is indeed the steepest learning curve and the greatest blessing. For example, it may sound silly, but there was a time I was upset I couldn’t attend golden hour photo shoots, the timing didn’t work with my kids or their schedules (hello witching hours!) However, I was able to step back, accept my responsibilities at home only to realize THESE are the golden hours!! Being present with my family, and loving the gifts my Heavenly Father gave me provided the greatest contentment.

One of my favorite quotes:

“Blessings, like children, are not ethereal and weightless. Sometimes they feel like they come at you like a Kansas hail storm – they might leave a welt! But if you accept your lot, and rejoice in your toil, God will give you the kind of overwhelming joy that cannot remember the details. Motherhood is hard work. It is repetitive and often times menial. Accept it. Rejoice in it. This is your toil. Right here.  Those are their faces. Enjoy them. The days of your life are supposed to be full of things like this. But joy is not giddy. It is not an emotional rush — it is what happens when you accept your lot and rejoice in your toil. So rejoice in your children. Look them in the eyes and give thanks. You will not even remember the work of all this planting when the harvest of joy overwhelms you.”

from LOVING THE LITTLE YEARS – Rachel Jankovic

 

My skirt ZARA similar :: tank Hanes similar :: maxi coverup O’NEILL similar :: sandals FRYE  ::

ruffle white dress TULEROSA :: wedges FRYE 

hubby shirt LACOSTE :: jeans BUCK MASON :: shoes REEF  ::

Girls shirts LACOSTE :: sneakers LACOSTE :: shorts NORDSTROM ::

Boy’s shirts LACOSTE :: shorts NORDSTROM :: shoes LACOSTE

 

FamilyFoodKid friendlyLA blogger

Cinco de Mayo with the Family

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel

:: my romper :: flats :: gold flatware :: white tablecloth  :: Photo’s by Tasha

We met up with our friends for a fun Cinco de Mayo party, think lots of Fanta, fresh guac, Corona and freshly squeezed lime. Did I mention fresh guac? We had pollo asado and carne asada, salsa, and were too full of fresh guacamole to entertain the thought of having dessert. I included the guacamole recipe below. All in all, it was a beautiful warm night of our littles serenading us on the mini guitars, piled high tacos, sugar highs, and sugar lows. Ultimately, we were so excited to have found a community of friends that makes California feel like we never left home.

Guacamole recipe:
2 Avocados mashed
Squeeze a whole lemon
Salt to taste

FamilyHomeInteriorsShopStyle

Our Bedroom Makeover

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel

duvet cover :: pillows gold  navy :: lamps :: sign :: headboard similar :: faux fur throw :: mug :: Los Angeles Sign ::

After we moved, our room was the last to get some decorating love. It was the room I dumped everything in, and it swiftly became the least most relaxing room in the house. Enter some new (cheap, so stock up!) white sheets , fresh linen duvet, new pillows, an amazingly soft faux fur throw, vintage bedside tables (hubby refinished) and our vintage Los Angeles sign we brought from the downstairs living room. Violà, a bedroom with more character, simple design upgrades and an incredibly soft bed.

So if you’re a weekend warrior, or comfort queen, here are 3 under $100 bedroom must-haves to make any weekend a holiday weekend (not including Netflix or Nutella).

1 – 2- 3- 

$68 pillows :: $98 faux fur throw :: $47 lamps (on sale)

FamilyFoodie FridayHomeHow to

Little B’s Smoothie Recipe

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel

 

Foodie Friday is back!! Like most things in life, something that started as a fun idea is now a full-blown ritual. As in, don’t even think about changing any thing up or bad things are going to happen. It’s pretty simple actually. After we drop off the kids at school, Brooks and I come back home and make smoothies. There it is. Quite honestly, I usually go through the mail and email while he begs and begs until I help him pull out all the ingredients. I literally put all the ingredients on the rug and then he sits there with the Vitamix and happily puts things in the mixer. I won’t say it’s all smooth sailing. Just today, while he was pulling out the spinach, he pulled out the glass jar of strawberry jam and it shattered. And mixers and children (well, adults too to be honest) don’t always go well together. So like I said, it’s not always smooth sailing, but it is worth it. He “cooks” his own food, and we both get yummy smoothies and fun memories.

Some of the Pros of cooking in the kitchen with your kids:

It’s fun! He’s learning and you’re both doing something fun together–it’s Quality Time!

You’re making memories

An opportunity to teach how to clean up

You get to stretch your patience muscle

Cons

Your patience muscle is getting stretched

Things will break, fall, and Legos are always involved. I don’t even know how, but it’s true

The mess (this almost deserves two bullet points, but I’ll leave it at one)

B’s Smoothie recipe

1 frozen banana

2 packets frozen acai bowl mix (we get ours from Costco)

1/2 cup – 3/4 cup  almond milk 

1 T chia seeds

1 handful of kale 

Blend in the Vitamix and enjoy chilled!

my cutoffs and a $55 version :: striped top :: similar under $100

Vitamix :: his sweater (on sale!) :: his similar  cutoffs  :: photo’s by Tasha

More denim cutoffs I’m loving here:

collaborationCollaborationsFamilyHomeHow to

5 Steps to a Spring Home Refresh with Anthropologie

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel



Spring is not just a season to open the windows and air out the house, but a great time to refresh your favorite room in the house.  Reid and I collaborated with Anthropologie Home to give our living room a fresh new look and feel with a few minor and major changes. Here is what we did.

1. We de-cluttered the entire room and got rid of old and unread books. This is a good first step for everyone.

2. We changed the living room paint color from a yellowish tan to a crisp white. Paint is your best friend! If you’re on a budget, start with paint. Be very careful when choosing white paint though; know your lighting and color tone. You don’t want to end up with sterile.  We have found Benjamin Moore’s Decorator White to be a great, versatile white.  See how the artwork and furniture pop!

3. We then created a mood board with all the furniture and accessories we have and want. Consider ALL your furniture too, not just the furniture currently in the living room. Switching furniture from other rooms in the house is another cheap design trick.  Let the room evolve and repurpose unexpected pieces in your space, and if you can, add one major statement piece. We added the Anthropologie blue slub velvet couch, which not only became the statement piece for the entire room, but it anchored the look and design.  It is decadent and sleek as you might imagine; the selection in Anthropologie’s home collection is surprisingly large. We chose a settee so that we could float the couch in the center of the room.We moved our vintage sectional into our TV room, which is much better for watching movies as a family.

A. We relocated our mid century credenza to be under the picture window.

B. We moved our bar cart from the dinning room to the entry foyer.  I love how it gives a whole new purpose to the bar cart.  Now it’s a place to leave our keys.  Plus, we don’t drink (that much) anyway!  It’s better for displaying pretty books and keys.

4. We added new artwork to the fresh white walls and moved our beloved Los Angeles sign to the bedroom.  A few years ago we started the tradition of gifting artwork for our wedding anniversary.  Last year was the Los Angeles sign and this year is the ocean painting from Anthropologie.  I love how it pulls the slush velvet blues from the couch. Add life to your space, literally, with greenery.  Don’t be afraid to go big.  As long as the branches don’t scratch the ceiling, I say go for it.

5. Lastly, add updated pictures to your frames.  We recently worked on a project with photographer Justin Coit and created a new gallery wall of our favorite family pictures.  The kids love seeing the beach as we go up and down the stairs and through the living room.  The drift wood branch was a souvenir from our most recent beach outing and contrasts the metallic bar cart beautifully.  Plus it give us memories of the beach every time we walk through the front door. Love our refreshed living room!

Thank you Anthropologie for partnering on this post! 

Velvet Slub Couch :: ANTHROPOLOGIE :: Summer sky wall art ANTHROPOLOGIE :: brass frames ANTHROPOLOGIE : settee :: gold pillows ANTHROPOLOGIE ::

my sweater :: jeans :: mug ::

Shop the items by clicking the image below

Order your custom velvet couch here!

FamilyMarriage

Anniversary: 10 pieces of advice to the newly married

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel

So, today marks our 10 year anniversary. Those were some fast years … some smooth, some rough, but all pretty great as a whole. Since 10 years is hardly a drop in the bucket in the great scheme of Life, I recently interviewed a couple special, more experienced people, to help me put together 10 pieces of advice to married couples and singles! Marriage can be wonderful, but like anything worth having, it takes work. Read on . . .

keep realistic expectations of yourself and your spouse

recognize you both will have different gifts and abilities. don’t fight it. and no, you can’t change it.

you will fight over stupid things. just expect it. and when you do, talk first to your spouse, instead of your girlfriend and mother.

listen to your spouse, not your parent.

go on dates and do the things you did when you were dating to keep the romance

read scripture together

try to do what the spouse likes to do. if its a football game, watch it. if she likes photos, help her.

have dinners together, despite the busy schedules

don’t compare your relationship to other couples. its really tempting, but avoiding this will ensure more contentment.

go on dates. (it bears repeating)

Your turn. If married, what is your advice? Feel free to weigh in. Happy Anniversary Reid! Love you to the moon and back.

FamilyStyle

This is Family – Santa Monica

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel

Photographer Justin Coit reached out to me with an idea.  He explained he was doing a photographic collection featuring families.  Our family caught his eye.  Of course we took him up on his idea.  The intent of the collection was to capture our family as we are.  That made me a bit nervous.  (Our Christmas card is never a perfectly posed picture, if you know what I mean) Behind the scenes is typically more crazy than what I see as beautiful and the lollipops eventually run out!

Photo day came on a warm Saturday in January.  We told the kids we were going to the beach and someone was going to pictures of us playing.  We all love the surf and sand, but were hoping to keep the kids out of the water.  (You know, so we’d look more perfect)  They had their complaints, but once we got there and we took our first photo together, with lollipops, they were sold.  The kids quickly took to Justin – after all he brought them juice boxes and a kite – the boys kept grabbing stuff and the girls kept saying photos were never more fun. We ended up getting soaked and full of sand, but have no regrets.  This is my family.  From the beach to the pier, the entire project was natural and fun.  It was a beautiful day of beautiful moments spent with those I love most.  Thank you, Justin, for capturing these moments so beautifully.

5 Family Beach Day Musthaves
lollipops – I like the fruit colored ones, 2. veggie chips, 3. blanket – ours is from Hand & Cloth, 4. mini waters, 5. Spray SPF I like this one.

photography: Justin Coit insta: @justincoit / This is family project /  location: Santa Monica, CA

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