New look.

It seems I'm redecorating alot of things these days: my house, my hair, now my blog.

It just felt like a good time to simplify, brighten, and change.

Me likes.

XOXO
jam

Recap: 4th of July Weekend

I love 4th of July! It's the epitome of summer: sun, fun, friends, grills... basically all my favorite things.

Oh yeah, and the celebration of America's independence. Which I also love.

(However, I wish more of those Brits had settled here or would come over... who doesn't love a British accent?!)

This year I had an especially fantastic Fourth, because I spent it with my family in Florida. (Wow, there is some serious alliteration happening in that sentence). My brothers Chad and Conor make everything more exciting, and this weekend was no exception.

Tiff and I spent 5 days in Panama City Beach, but our July 4th was spent canoeing the Econfina Creek - which is home to like a bajillion natural springs. Which makes it a very COLD creek. And very clear. And very beautiful.

Launching our canoes

I have beast arms now from rowing all 3 or 4 miles of it. I like to call them "souvenirs".

Parentals

 

The canoe of "kids"

Loading up onto the scariest bus ever after the canoe trip

Zonked out. Completely.

Sadly, Conor couldn't come with us, because we were afraid of how natural springs + cold, cold water + canoes + shenanigans would end for the little guy. After our adventures, though, we rushed home to him - and not MORE importantly, but also importantly, to fire up the grill.

After some delish burgers, corn on the cob, potato salad, macaroni salad, baked beans and WATERMELON (I love watermelon), we headed to the beach to watch the fireworks. There are lots of places that had "official" fireworks, but we went the "unofficial, more variety/danger/fun/ease, less crowded" route and watched all the people who spent their kids' college savings on fireworks light up the sky. They were right above our heads! Which was truly patriotic when they exploded too close to the ground. Really conjured up the experience of being a revolutionary. I've never felt more American.

One of my favorite American girls.

Celebrating the 4th on the beach.

Started building sand castles. Then switched to building bomb shelters.

The whole crew. 

P.S. - my dad is an active duty service member. USAF. I'm so proud of him and so thankful for his commitment to our country. Love you, SMSgt McCann!

Anyway, more to come on the full weekend spent in paradise with my lovely family. For my USA friends, I hope you had a great, safe, holiday and took a moment to remember the historical significance and very current responsibilities of FREEDOM!

God bless the USA.

XOXO,
jam

More loot in my loft…

This weekend I went home to my mom and stepdad’s house, and while I was there, I wanted to find a box in the storage shed of books Tiffany and I had. My brother Chad is about the age to enjoy them, so I wanted to bring them to him when we visit in July.

Sadly, I couldn’t find that box ANYWHERE. Boohoo.

But I found lots of other cool junk.

Among my haul, I brought home:

• The cutest little round suitcase. Bittersweet fact: it still had its last checked bag tag on it, from Frankfurt, Germany to Chicago, Illinois. It helped us move when my parent divorced. I think I should take it with me on a FUN trip to boost its karma.

• These two bear piggy banks. One was mine, one was Tiffany’s. They are SO DORKY, but I love them. Mine had a parrot on its shoulder, Tiffany’s has an owl.

• I also found my porcelain dolls from my great-grandma McCann. I brought them inside and repacked them safely and spent some time thinking about what a special lady she was. I can’t wait to pass those dolls on to my own little girl someday.

• But… the MOST entertaining thing I found was some old books from the 1960s. 

I bought one at a library sale, but most were my stepdad’s. My book is called Here’s to you, Miss Teen and is chock-full of etiquette and “finishing” advice for young women. It’s hilarious. My favorite is the section on selecting undergarments, especially “For those with ample bosoms” – HAHA.

And the winner is: a how-to book on parenting from 1967. This book would be OUTLAWED today by how politically incorrect it is.

I seriously cracked up, out loud, by myself when I saw this little pic:

The caption? “Silliness is usually just a phase.”

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

And whatever. Silliness is a way of life.

Memory lane was fun! And I urge you to salvage things and keep them safe for years to come. What seems like junk now, you might one day treasure. And your kids will definitely treasure those little tokens of your past.

(I need more shelf space).

XOXO

jam

Happy Monday... I mean Tuesday!

I hope you had a great Memorial Day weekend! I sure did. Minus the air conditioner on the fritz. I felt like I was melting, m-e-l-t-i-n-g.....

But Tiffany was a gem and let me and Bandit stay over. It was fun; like visiting/living together/old times.

Speaking of Bandit, I miss the guy. After almost 4 days of hanging out, I'm going through withdrawals today at work.

Edited via Instagram

Gah, I just love his little dog face. 

Have a great (short) week!

XOXO

jam

Cook once, eat for days...

Last week, I made the BEST quinoa I've ever had. And I've had alot of quinoa... but this was really good. And I made enough on Sunday night that I had quinoa with my tilapia, with my turkey salad, and my fajitas (from Tiffany) all week!

Source: With Style and Grace

Here is the recipe: Mushroom and Walnut Quinoa. And as a side note, I used almonds - because that's what I had. And yes, I tried it with the fried egg and THAT was delicious too. Basically, I think you could eat this mushroom quinoa with anything, every day, always. It's love.

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Oh - and if you've never had quinoa (pronounced "keen-wah"), try it for heck's sake! Quinoa is kind of like a grain; technically it's a psuedocereal. My favorite part of quinoa is that when you cook it, the germ separates from the seed and it looks like a little curly-que on the seed! Dorky, I know. You can treat quinoa like rice... it's prepared much the same way, and pairs with lots of things well just like rice is. I've never tried to sweeten quinoa like a cereal, but it might be worth a shot too. 

Happy eating, friends.

XOXO

jam

Daily Photo: Working Girl

Before starting this post, I thought for a long time about what I wanted to write about how I feel right now. And the truth is, I don't know what to say. I feel... jumbled. The last week has been an emotional rollercoaster in so many ways - and I plan on talking more about what's been going on when I figure out how to. But for right now, the only thing that really helps is focusing on work. I've got some important meetings lined up and some goals to reach before the end of June, so that's where I'm spending my energy right now.

Taken with Instagram

For those who have been around and offered condolences and/or a sympathetic ear - thank you. Your love and support has really made a difference.

XOXO

jam

Road Rules to Live By

I hate packing. And unpacking. But mostly packing. The organization. The fear of leaving something important. The preplanning of what to wear. Ewww.

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Last weekend, as I was relaxing and enjoying my Sunday evening before I started a little trip to Dallas, I started panicking around 11 p.m.

Oh no! I still hadn’t packed! I was going to be up all night putting stuff together. Why had I waited so long?!?!

But then I got busy and surprisingly, was done in about 20 minutes.

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I still dread packing, but I’d forgotten that my years of traveling for work and pleasure have made me quite the efficient packer. Here are some of my tips for getting in, getting out and getting on with the trip as quickly as possible.

One: Start with a good bag. Seriously. A suitcase with the right pockets, straps, wheels, size and weight for you will make your life SO MUCH EASIER. Trust me. Invest in a bag that meets your needs.

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Two: Have a ready-to-go toiletry case. Yes, this means you’ll have to buy 2 of your favorite products, but it’s absolutely worth it to have a case of (dry) get-ready items to just throw in the suitcase. No forgetting stuff because you needed it to get ready on the day-of. And be realistic about the products you really need. Am I really going to deep condition my hair or use a clay mask while I’m traveling for work? Probably not. Leave it at home.

Three: Make your clothes do double-duty. I plan to wear pants at least twice on a trip. This saves time, space and the post-trip laundry pile. Seriously, bring different tops to mix things up. And try to bring as few shoes as possible. For work, I stick with one pair of heels and my gym shoes. Done. (Probably TMI, but I do always bring more underwear than I need. I just feel better having plenty. But they don’t take up much room, so I don’t worry about it too much!)

Four: Don’t forget your chargers! If you charge your device during the night, then charge it next to your suitcase, so you’ll be sure the throw it in your bag before you leave. If you don’t have to charge it immediately before you leave home, go ahead and throw device and charger in. And once you’re at the hotel, charge all your electronics in the same area… it makes rounding things up when you’re repacking a lot easier.

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Five: Bring your most versatile accessories – and NEVER bring your prized jewels and heirloom pieces. It’s just way too risky. The goal is to balance your fashion needs with your practical needs… and if you’ve ever left a beloved pair of earrings or ring in the hotel, never to be “found” again by housekeeping, then you know what I’m talking about.

Packing is always a chore, but hopefully we can all become a little better – and lighter – when traveling. Besides, I never regret unused space in my suitcase; I just think of it as room for new things I may pick up out on the road!

xoxo

JAM