lately

the sky here is just so blue.

the air is crisp and clean, as only country air can be.

I wake up every morning and I'm filled with Christmas morning giddiness.....that view out my window!

I have even got out of bed and peeked out a few times in the middle of the night--the stars live here! I wish you could see them. millions and millions blinking down.

spring is coming, I see it. feel it. smell it.

there is a faint smell of local dairies in the air.....I love a good dairy smell, don't you?

the ground is thawing, mud is squishing.

our house! it's coming along........a bit here....slowly there.

I have my kitchen together, and starting to find my way around.

I've cooked two nights in a row--a miracle! chicken tacos. black bean, bacon, and butternut soup.

the sound of my mixer twisting and turning, made it officially home. chocolate chip cookies out of the oven, straight into happy bellies.

monday morning we will slowly work our way into homeschool. a bit this week, full swing next week. so exciting and just a little bit terrifying at the same time.

this week I will get out and run some more! there are too many trails here and my feet are just begging to get dirty.

I got out my camera this week! another miracle.

a few scenes from around the house

my favorite cookies.

I think I post a picture of these every few months but we just love them so much. want better chocolate chip cookies? move to higher elevation. they are chewier and more crisp.....so good! if that doesn't work for you, add a sprinkle of kosher or sea salt to the top as they come out of the oven.....mmmm..... (recipe here)

we love guacamole. 

out of limes? try juice from a lemon, an orange, or do like Summer and use apple cider vinegar!

an easy throw-together soup. recipe below.

Black Bean, Bacon, and Butternut Soup

......something you throw together when it's five o'clock and you didn't plan anything for dinner....

6 strips of bacon

1 small onion, diced

1/2 butternut squash, peeled and cubed

5 garlic cloves, minced

2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained

4 cups chicken broth

pinch of red pepper flakes

dash of nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

chopped cilantro for garnish

Saute bacon until crisp, remove from pan. 

In bacon drippings saute diced onion and squash until both begin to soften

add red pepper flakes and garlic

salt and pepper to taste, continue to cook veggies

add beans, broth, and nutmeg

bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low. crumble bacon and add into pot. simmer until squash is tender (the longer you simmer, the more the flavors can mingle)

top with chopped cilantro and enjoy!

I'm feeling so inspired these days....this new environment combined with spring air is filling my giant head with all kinds of ideas. I've had thoughts of where I wanted to take this blog and changes that needed to take place, and I feel that now is such a good time to make them happen. I have not forgotten about our One by One Project and can't wait to get going on it again with you all. Posts will be sporadic for the next little while as we continue to get settled, but I promise good things to come (think......baby chicks:)

see you soon!

we have landed

we are here! moving day came and went in a blur (wait--what day is today?)

we are slowly unpacking our life into this new (very old)
little home.....and we are loving it. 

someday maybe I will find my camera and take some real pictures.....but for now,
here you go...

be back....soon...ish....maybe.

how we weekend : february

Oh I just love you guys posting all your weekend photos! You make the most boring month of the year look like one big never ending adventure. Our weekend involved

 -more boxes 

-robby building a shed in a blizzard

-lots of cookies. 

hopefully we can get out there and play with you in March. 

Now presenting......YOUR February!

find all these great artists on instagram: 

@haygardi / @mylifeatplaytime

@monniecox / @jibnut80

@ziziadventures / @juliafyfe

@mrshowiepc / @alliefinch

@ilovejep / @hancooper

@missenglebright / @whitneyingram

@julia_barger / @blackbiirdfly

@julia_barger / @_sheenarae

@stephjgill / @katejill

@aytzen / @amyrachel

@juliafyfe / @xojanice

@colleencrossman / @lauratosney

@heatherlynnroberts / @ziziadventures

@megwward / @katejill

@rachellewilliams / @amyrachel

Bring on March!

How was YOUR weekend?

want to be included in next month's post? tag your weekend photos #howweweekend

lately

I rarely get dressed. Sweats and slippers, slippers and sweats. 

Boxes and tape and labels.

and dust!! 

You don't realize how dusty your house is until you are cramming it into tiny boxes. 

....or maybe that is just my house.....?

I'm purging. 

It's so easy to get rid of stuff when you have the choice to

a) pack it?

b) donate it?

option b is winning quite often.

I'm getting nostalgic. 

Sifting through memories and Once Upon a Times.

Going through baby clothes is....hard....stuff.

....I think I have something in my eye.

Remember to tag your instagram photos #howweweekend so I can see how you're out playing--it's the last weekend in February! I'm hoping I can sneak away for a quick run.

Happy Weekend!

just a few things.....

first things first.
THANK YOU!!! 
Thank you thank you for such a great response to last week's announcement of the 
One by One Project! (check it out HERE if you missed it).

Thank you for your comments, emails, ideas, and thank you for grabbing buttons and your help spreading the word. Thank you for sharing on twitter and facebook and pinterest and all the other little corners of the web--thank you! I am so excited for your help with this project, and I have so many ideas swimming around in my brain--this is going to be a lot of fun.

a little (ok, kinda big) announcement

My posts around here the next few weeks are going to be very sporadic......you see......we are moving! As in, packing up (oh dear) and moving. This little red house has served us well, but it's time for a new adventure in a new town (and coincidentally in a house that is even littler, and red as red can be.)
 

We have been feeling the need to move out of the city and simplify, and finally decided to take the plunge. This new (super old) little house will be a stepping stone for us the next couple of years, and we look forward to all we will be able to experience there.....it really will be an adventure!
We will be downsizing our home, learning to garden at a higher altitude, and finishing out the remainder of the school year testing the waters of homeschool.....so much to learn.
I can't wait!

and one more....

I realized a while ago that I have the BEST blog readers. In the universe.
You always have the smartest things to say and I love that I can rely on you for answers.
These next few weeks I may have to call on you for help.....
for example:
When we moved into this house six years ago we had a nearly two year old, a bun in the oven (about to explode out), and hardly any furniture at all. We had moved around several times our first years of marriage, and with few belongings....we were pretty good at it.
But now.....
well....
I don't know how to move now!
Share your moving tips if you are pros  (ahem, Hayley)

I'll see you around here and there the next few weeks--you can always find me on instagram because I can't go that long without taking a picture....
@_sheenarae

see you around!

lovey dovey love love

dating. 2002. 22 and 19.

Roses are red and violets are....

blah blah blah. 

You wanna know about true love? 

Let me tell you. 

true love is wearing his Ts because they are WAY more comfortable. 

true love is HIM accepting the fact that my hair will forever clog the drains, and ME accepting the fact that he will never stop biting his fingernails. 

true love is when he always eats the end of the sushi roll because the ends are always so big! I'm just not a fan of end-sushi, I'm sorry.

true love is laying in bed in the morning lonnng after the alarm went off, and trying to decide who is making breakfast and what is for breakfast, and who is making lunch and what is for lunch. 

wait--is that true love, or just lazy parenting?

true love is that I always load the dishwasher wrong, and that he refuses to look behind things when he's looking in the fridge "I don't see it! we must be out" "uh, yes dear, move the ketchup".

true love is that sometimes we lay in bed at night side by side, each reading our own book and joke that we feel like the Huxtables (except my pajamas aren't as fancy).

true love is two Littles running around that are bits of HIM and bits of ME. 

true love is my very favorite person to run/hike/bike/climb/explore/laugh/eat pizza with. 

true love, my friends, isn't diamonds or chocolates or teddy bears or cards with kittens holding flowers and riding a unicorn......

true love is all the little things. the quirky things. the mismatched things that make you fit together. jussssst right. 

What is true love to YOU?

Happy Valentine's Day!

a new project: one by one

Why hello there. 

If you are usually more of a skimmer and casual picture-looker, and not one that always reads my long winded rambles.....I ask that maybe I could just steal away a few minutes of your day and have you read this....just this one time. I need your help. 

(This is long. I am sorry. Grab a snack.)

I want to start something, a project, and I need you....and you! And your sisters and your friends and your uncles and your mom. All of you. 

In last month's post I had mentioned my desire to make this little Internet space different. 

Fill it with content that will be helpful and worthwhile, instead of just wasteful and time consuming Internet fluff.

When January got too cold, we ran away to the desert. After a long day of playing on the rocks and soaking up the sunshine, we returned to the house we were staying in, dumped the sand from our shoes, and got to work on dinner. We enjoyed a grilled feast with friends and spent the evening with full bellies and long conversations. We spoke of parenting and adventures and then somehow got on the topic of "making a difference". We had been talking about different documentaries we'd all seen, and while the end credits always left us feeling inspired, we realized that we really can't do much in the form of activism. As much as we would like to run off and "save the _______", being young parents with low budgets and day to day responsibilities, it's hard to get out and DO something, even if we really wanted to. 

How can one person make a difference? Can they? 

Can I?

I started thinking.

and thinking.

Woke up in the middle of the night......thinking.

Flash forward through the next few weeks.....more thinking. Pondering. Wondering. 

What can I do? 

What can WE do? 

How to make a difference......

I started to get ideas.....

As strange as it sounds.....bloggers have power.

Weird right?

I am sometimes amazed at how much time and money people put into their blogs. 

Why spend so much on something that's not even tangible--it's not real!

 It's something that won't even be around in ten years?! 

Crafts and new fashions and awkward self portraits.....why do we need these things?

Did you know there are conferences throughout the year you can go and learn to be a better blogger? I wonder if in twenty years people will look back and wonder why they poured so much money into something flashy on their computer screen. 

And will they wish for precious hours back with their friends and families?

So much time trying to better nothing more than an image and an Internet space, when that time could be used to better the world around us.

So.

Here's an idea.

What if we used the Internet--our blogs-- as a tool for good? What if we spent some of our time and energy and talents in actually trying to make a difference, instead of just growing our readership and making ourselves look fancy. 

Let's use the power of the Internet to do something meaningful. 

Something we can look back on and feel good about when we are 103 years old.

Let's join forces for good, shall we?

No plane ticket or fancy outfit required.

So here is my idea. It's small. Simple.

It has the potential to grow......IF you can help me. I can't do it alone.

What if every few weeks I posted a challenge. Something very doable that we ALL can participate in--I know you don't need another item on your to-do list. 

Just a small action that could potentially make a difference in someone's life. 

Do a small act of service. 

Write a note to someone.

Pick up a piece of trash. 

Or how about time spent that could make US a better person--enrich our REAL life, not our Internet life.

Read a book. 

Start a journal (using paper!) 

Turn our phone off. 

Imagine the possibilities! 

And if we were all doing it together, maybe we COULD actually make a difference.

Imagine this (I like visuals)

Let's say I'm walking through a parking lot and pick up a piece of trash I see blowing across the pavement.

ONE piece of trash in the garbage.....meh. Big deal.

But let's say everyone that reads this picks up one piece of trash....right there we are filling up trash bags! Trash cans! Call the garbage man!  (double bonus if you sort recyclables!) 

Our streets and parks around the world just got a little bit cleaner. 

And then you tell your friends (and neighbors! and cousins!).....and they help out too. 

Do you see where I'm going here?

We can all work on this together--reaching out to those around us. Enriching our own lives. Little steps at a time. It's hard for one person to make a difference on our own......but one by one, maybe....just maybe....we can get something going.

Are you with me? 

I promise to make it easy. And fun! Always fun.

BUT.

One but.

Talking to the wise and knowledgeable Whitney Ingram (yes, THE Cookbook Whitney) she brought up a good point. The Internet (blogs, facebook, instagram, etc and etc) have made it so we all feel the need to brag about every little thing we do. 

This is what she had to say about serving others, 

"if you tell someone about it, it doesn't count."

I love this.

I don't want us to be bragging and posting photos of all our wonderful do-goodery. That is not the point. However, should you have incredible story of some sort, or a life changing experience.....please let me know. I would love to share your story here--it's good for us all to hear encouraging and heart warming stories of kindness. Has someone served YOU? I want to hear about that too.

But for the most part, let's keep our little acts silent, so they can all count.

Who is with me? 

Are you up for the challenge? 

Should we see if we can little by little, one by one, try to make a difference on this mighty earth?

We are going to start out as basic and simple as we can get. 

I want everyone to play along--no excuses! 

What's our first challenge?

Smile.

What?!

Yes sir and mam. Just smile. A little extra than usual. 

Smile at a stranger. 

Smile at that guy who took your parking spot.

Smile at the girl who puts her yoga mat waaaaaay too close to yours and you can smell her feet. 

Smile when you really don't want too. The world needs more smiles, so let's start today. 

You and me and you and you.

See?! Easy challenge to start us out. I would love to hear your ideas for challenges--I plan on rotating between ways we can better those around us, ourselves, and the Earth. I have my list going but would love to add some of your ideas. I want a good combination of small gestures we can do for others to spread happiness, and small changes we can make in our individual lives that will lead to us being happier.

And.....

Tell your friends! 

The more people we can get on board, the more of a difference we can actually start to make.

Please take a button if you'd like to post on your blog, and link to our challenges. 

(just paste this html code on your sidebar)

<center> <a href="http://inthelittleredhouse.blogspot.com/search/label/one%20by%20one" target="_blank"><img alt="grab a button" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8520/8464082110_ebab29771e_o.jpg" /></a></center>

<center> <a href="http://inthelittleredhouse.blogspot.com/search/label/one%20by%20one" target="_blank"><img alt="grab a button" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8372/8462982541_3545ddfc6d_o.png" /></a></center>

<center> <a href="http://inthelittleredhouse.blogspot.com/search/label/one%20by%20one" target="_blank"><img alt="grab a button" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8390/8464082088_dfe8e31961_o.png" /></a></center>

Wow! Did you make it through that whole thing? 

Thank you for reading and for your support. 

I am so excited to work together and see what we can do.

now.....go smile at someone!

the weekly juice

lately. 

lately the sun has been shining .

alot. 

we love it. 

lately I've been wondering what book to read?

what are you reading?

lately I've been purging. 

dejunking and tossing and donating and making piles all over the house.

(isn't funny how the house actually gets MESSIER when you are trying to clean it?)

must. get. rid. of. stuff.

lately I've been itching to run. and run and run. I could hit the road.....but I need my trails to not be under a foot of snow.

lately we've been spending a lot of time on the other side of the mountain. 

playing. breathing fresh air. dreaming of packing up and moving in. 

we looked at a house with pink kitchen counters and too many cats. 

we passed.

and yes, lately we are still juicing....never gets old. 

I found a new combination with beet that isn't as "beety" as our sweet beet juice we made. 

This has just a touch of beet, but lots of other flavors for those of you may not love a strong beet flavor like I do.

We loved this juice.....all of us!

bonus: lately I've been saving the carrot pulp and throwing it in soup. 

Lower the Beet Juice

1/2 grapefruit

1 orange

2 large carrots

1/4 beet

1/2" piece of ginger

What are YOU juicing this week?

more juice!

Sweet Beet

Super C

Spinach Shots

dear february (take two)

Dear February,

I'm sorry I was so rude in last week's post....let's try it again, shall we?

You're not.....that bad. You do have some good qualities going for you.....like the fact that you are only 28 days long.

Way to go February! You have finally done something right.

Dear  My Voice,

Where did you go????! I woke up Friday morning and you were nowhere to be found. NOWHERE. Saturday you stayed away. Sunday I had to yell with all my might just to get a squeak out. 

Monday I sounded like a man. Please come back. please.

Dear Tubing,

oh so many stories to tell!

You are so much fun. Especially when two moms (one of them.....me....) go barreling down the hill so fast (like, breaking the sound barrier, fast) and are UNABLE TO STOP AND CRASH THROUGH THE FENCE. That happened. Oh, and remember how I had no voice to warn the children I was crashing into??!!!

nice.

little tubers waiting to head up the hill

Dear anyone who has asked about 

The Cookbook in the last few months.

We. Are. Almost. Done. Just a few more shoots and then off it goes to The Man, who will turn it into a pretty book (The Family Flavor) for your hands to behold.

(if you are just joining us, I am photographing a cookbook for one of the coolest gals around, Whitney Ingram. You will most definitely want this book.....this girl can cook)

Follow us on instagram for weekly updates of what we are shooting (I'm now @_sheenarae on IG and whitney is @whitneyingram)....see  you there!

Dear anything above 30°,

YOU FEEL LIKE SUMMER!

Oh how I love when the sun warms me all the way through. After all our single digit temperatures we are basking in this warm weather. Windows open! Bike riding! Wishing our legs weren't so pasty!

Dear Chacos,

hello old friends. It's been a long few months without you. If it's over 30° you'll be on my feet as I head to yoga. Glad we are back together.

Dear Rock Wall.

You are fun. Thanks for entertaining us through the winter.

Dear Cyber World,

Ok, I am putting this out there....

I figure it can't hurt.

We are looking for a home to rent in the Heber/Midway/Charleston Utah area--

sometime within the next few months (ish). 

If you know of someone who has a rental property up there, could you email me at sheenajibson at gmail.

We are on the hunt!

(and I will let you know when we put our house up for rent (again, hopefully within the next few months(ish) (fingers crossed)) and you can tell all your friends to come and rent The Little Red House!

Dear Readers,

Here is your February desktop calendar! Sorry there is only one.....I really don't have any snowy February pictures because if we are out playing in the snow I usually don't have my big camera. 

But besides.....by February we are usually tired of snow (right?!) so here is a nice, bright, non-wintry desert for your desktop.

(I spy a tiny moon)

1280x800

1440x900

1680x1050

1920x1200

Dear Soup,

we always like you.

Lentil and Coconut Curry Stew 

I love the warm flavor of curry in the winter (posted a curry recipe last February too) and this soup did not disappoint. I found the recipe on the Scaling Back blog and just tweaked it a little bit....I added some carrots, and a few more spices, used full fat coconut milk and yellow lentils instead of red.
This soup is hearty and filling,

 and warms you up on a dreary February day.

2 cups lentils 

1 onion, finely chopped 

1 red bell pepper, diced 

2 large carrots, sliced

1 fresh jalapeno, seeded and diced small 

2 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced

4 garlic cloves, minced 

1 heaping tablespoon red curry paste 

1 teaspoon garam masala 

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 

1/3 cup tomato paste 

7 cups water 

1 can coconut milk 

1 15-ounce can of chickpeas 

2 tsp salt (or salt to taste)

juice of two limes 

fresh cilantro and lime wedges for serving 

Heat 1-2 tablespoons of coconut oil and add the onions, bell pepper, carrot and jalapeno. Cook until veggies begin to get tender. Add the garlic, ginger, curry, spices, salt and tomato paste and continue to cook for 2-3 more minutes. Add the water, coconut milk, lentils and chickpeas, bring to a low boil, and cook uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, until lentils are tender. Stir in the lime juice, and give it a taste to see if you need any more lime or salt.  Serve with cilantro, lime, and fresh naan.

enjoy!

Sincerely yours/all my love/thank goodness for sunny days/23 more days to go,

sheena

How do YOU feel about February?

dear february

dear february,

aye aye aye!

can I just close my eyes and dream you away?

yes, that's better. 

happy weekend!

don't forget to tag your weekend photos #howweweekend

the weekly juice

Still juicing like a maniac over here--it has officially become part of our after school routine....

get home

throw stuff on floor

yell at tell them nicely to take stuff to their rooms

juice and snack

homework

yell at tell them ever so sweetly to stop goofing around and just get their homework done.....(this part goes on forever)

all while drinking our juice.

This juice has quickly become a favorite, and it's very easy with hardly any prep at all. Spinach doesn't yield a whole lot of juice, so we each get a smaller glass, but it's tasty and refreshing and loaded with vitamins A and K.

We all love this juice--no complaints at all from the kiddos.

Bonus: I like it extra tart, and sometimes add a little more lemon. 

Double Bonus: Sometimes I throw a few carrots in to this mix--it makes it muddy and brown, but still tastes great.

TRIPLE BONUS! I love when I have pulp from greens like spinach and kale. I juice these first, and then set the green pulp aside. Saute' it up in some olive oil with garlic, pine nuts, sundried tomatoes and throw some pasta and parmesean or goat cheese in.....dinner!

Spinach Shots

3 large handfuls spinach

1/4 of a lemon, with peel (if it's organic)

1 green apple

What are YOU juicing this week?

more juice!

super C

sweet beet

between a rock and a........rock

literally. 

rock climbing.

a first for me.

We have been climbing at an indoor wall the last few months with the kids, and it has quickly become one of our new favorite ways to spend time as a family. It's something we can all do together, it's a great way to be active in the winter, and I have found it to be an excellent workout for my (lack of) upper body.

When we went south last week, we spent a day climbing in Snow Canyon. I had been looking forward to it all week and as I stepped into the harness my nerves started to flutter.....deeeeeep breathe.

I could do it....right? I'd watched Ali scurry right up like it was nothing, so it couldn't be too scary....could it? I put my trust in my husband that he wouldn't drop me (I think??!!) and started up the massive wall in front of me.

Up up, all good.....up up....peeking down......ohhh. down. 

It's so far DOWN! eeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaa. ooooo. down.

I wanted down, yes. That sounded good. Let's go down.

But guess what.....that loving husband of mine wouldn't let me down. nope.

So I had to keep going......up. Without looking down to the millions of feet I could have fallen....I kept going up.

And I loved it.

So I went up some more. and some more.

And then I came dowwwwwwwnnn and did it all again.

It was quite the feeling being up on that sunset colored rock, learning to trust myself, and how to move up and across it's nooks and crannies, as I was careful and took my time.

 

When can we do this again?

how we weekend : january

Can you believe we just went through our last weekend in January?! I was lucky enough to be celebrating my birthday all weekend. Friday Robby took me to Cooper Onion (mmmmm). Saturday we spent some time downtown, ate Ruby Snap  until we burst, and stayed cozy all evening by the fire. Sunday we welcomed a blanket of fresh fluffy snow that washed away our dirty air and painted our world white. It really was a perfect, wintry weekend.

me and my customary tower-o-rubysnap for my birthday.

2012

2011

A few weeks ago I asked you to tag your weekend photos #howweweekend on instagram. I have loved taking a peek at so many different weekends around the globe. It was a month filled with snowy adventures and cozy comfort food. 

Here are a few of my favorites from the month of January....it was so hard to choose....

weekend photos brought to you by: 

@littlepenelopelane / @kylieturley

@darcyparker / @haygardi

@mylifeatplaytime / @skwebb

@amyrachel / @birchtreesandpinecones

@ziziadventures / @ericaleaphotos

@amsullivan / @alliefinch

@rachellewilliams / @haygardi

@alidachrista / @thelittleredhouse

@ziziadventures / @hancooper

@hancooper / @edendaygreer

@olyaya / @dearcaralou

@thelittleredhouse / @alidachrista

@lindseyjparry / @olyaya

Thanks so much to everyone who played along! I'm already excited to see what February weekends will bring. 

How was YOUR weekend?