Merry Christmas -- or Mele Kalikimaka, as we say in Hawaii -- from our home to yours...I hope you are having a wonderful, peaceful (we can try!) hope-filled Christmas season. I love to imagine where each of you are and what Christmas looks like in your world. I know (from taking an unofficial Facebook poll) that many of you will have a white Christmas this year, and our family is totally jealous really happy for you. It's summertime for my southern hemisphere readers, so your Christmas
Home & Country
A Year of Island Inspirations! (Sign up below!)
Add inspiration to your days...all year long. (scroll down to sign up!)There is no doubt, Hawaii is a special place. I know many of you have visited the islands, and have told me you immediately felt a connection. Some of you say you feel more at home in Hawaii than anywhere else, or that a visit to the islands changed you in some way...maybe profoundly. Some of you live here, and -- like me, you're still discovering this magical place. Others of you, from all over the world, tell me
The New Blog is Live!!!
Hi Friends!Ok, I am waaaay too excited about this news: The blog is all fresh and new! I mean, design-wise -- it has all been remade...re-did, re-done (?)...MADE-OVER!!I've been dreaming of a new look for, um, years!...and I am so excited with how it has all come together! While spending way-to-many-hours working on everything this week (I told Gretchen, my tech wizard, we could win an email-speed contest for how quickly we could shoot messages back and forth as she worked on
A Conversation about Home.
My first morning back from my 5-week trip to California, I did an Instagram/Facebook post sharing the morning view from my living room in Hawaii...^^ deck reconstruction (still) in progress... ;)Along with the photo, I shared this caption:When we are on the mainland, the conversation never fails to come up: Should we consider moving? There are so many pro's to that idea: we'd be closer to family, lower cost of living, so many more opportunities for kids and school and travel
I may not have Fall, but I have Avocados. {the best Avocado Toast Recipes}
Before I dive into a brief bragging session, let me remind you that my favorite season is fall. And I'm aware that many of you are currently looking at multi-colored leaves, feeling a crisp chill in the air, and wearing things like: boots and sweaters. And indeed: I am envious. If I could transport myself to some fall wonderland every September-through-November, I would do it in a heartbeat. So count your blessings.With all of that said: I live on a tropical island in the middle of the
Sweet Cinnamon Apple Yogurt Parfaits
healthy cinnamon apple yogurt parfaits, great for breakfast, snack, or dessertSo it's September. And though some of us are still sweating in summer-weather, September puts me in the mood for all kinds of fall flavors.Beginning with apples. Growing up in Washington state, our family had a few apples trees, and every year my mom and grandma would spend a couple of days making all things apple: apple pies, apple sauce, and just slicing and freezing apples for year-long snacking. (So
15 Favorite Holiday Breakfast Recipes
I love making breakfast for the family during the holidays. There is something about starting the day with a hot breakfast that fulfills my inner longing to be...my own mom.It gives me all of the holidays feels.I want to freeze those early morning moments, sipping my coffee while I stir something sweet and cinnamony on the stove. Looking up to see our tree all lit and lovely, I just enjoy a moment in the still, quiet house. Then the kids begin filing into the kitchen, sleepily landing
Carrot Ginger Coconut Soup
I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Soup is my love language. Soup makes me happy and comfy, and just the thought of it gives me all of the feels. I could eat soup every day for the rest of my life. Yep, even here in tropical Hawaii. So you know how loved I felt on my birthday when, after an early-morning beach walk with my good friend Jules, she sent me home with a care package of food for both breakfast and lunch. In the package was gluten-free blueberry muffins, Thai Veggie