Category: Family

by Kimberly

Make-Ahead-Smoothies

During a recent on-line chat, I mentioned one of my quick breakfast solutions, gluten-free, for busy mornings: Make ahead smoothies. The greatness here isn’t so much in the ingredients, but rather in freezing individual portions en masse, and using as needed. Busy morning ahead? Place the frozen smoothies in the fridge the night before and come morning, it’s ready to enjoy. Wholesome breakfast, minimal cleanup! We enjoy them year-round, whenever we’ve got to rush out the door for school, work,…
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by Allison

last LAST minute kid gifts

gift guide for kids

Some last, LAST last, last minute kid gifts for the holidays. I know you’re out there: the procrastinators, the mamas, the aunties and uncles, the dads and godmothers, godparents among you.  I’ve got a seriously very last-minute gift guide for kids for the holidays, with a little something for everyone and every age.  Pajamas for the kids, night goggles to spy Santa, craft kits, craft books, a Ryan Gosling book for the budding feminists among you (by my amaaaaazingly gifted…
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by Allison

Make a DIY Christmas tree card how-to

make a DIY Christmas tree card how-to

(How-to make DIY note cards is yet another great post from Stuff Steph Does, just in time to head home for the holidays and hand out your very own Christmas cards.  See below for the how-to. -Allison) //    Hello again! Steph from Stuff Steph Does here, and this week I’m doing a how-to of some simple DIY holiday cards you can make and share with your loved ones. Make a set of these to give as a gift or send…
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by Allison

2012 what did we learn this year?

2012 what did we learn this year

2012 is almost over, (thank everything) so let’s talk.  What did we learn this year?  What did YOU learn in 2012? Is there anything you’d like to do-over in 2013?  My list is huge, but I guess every year we live and learn and try again to do it bigger, and better, and kinder than the year before. 2012 was a rough year for me.  I tried hard to make it a healthy one, but you know.  Some years Stupid…
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by Allison

Finding your tribe of girl friends

finding my tribe of friends

A lucky girl is blessed with a tribe of friends, the best of which are girl friends.  Boys, we think you’re great too but we love our girls in a truly, madly, deeply kind of way.  Finding your tribe of girl friends is easier for some than others;  sometimes we grow up surrounded by friends, (I was blessed to have a childhood like that), sometimes we find them in high school and college, and once in a while we find…
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by Kimberly

Christmas Treats, Gluten-Free

For some reason I feel like these festive little treats are rather retro. Maybe because my mother made them for our family and friends every December for years and years, from the time I was very small. And we loved her for it. A little crunchy, a little gooey, sweet, and of course bright green. As were our tongues after chowing down on a couple of these little cuties. At one time, I probably thought that was hilarious.  For years…
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by Allison

How-to balloon Christmas tree decoration

DIY ornament

This week: How to balloon Christmas tree decoration (okay, ornament) to spiff up your holiday tree. The Holiday Season is now in full swing, and I, Stephanie, am knee deep in Holiday crafting projects! Over the long weekend, I made this pretty ornament with my mom (see forthcoming disclaimer) that will look lovely on a tree or mantle or anywhere else you want to add some holiday bling. Disclaimer: This how to isn’t quite as simple as the past projects…
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by Kimberly

Thanksgiving Desserts, GF Edition

And now for my other favorite Thanksgiving category: dessert. Dessert, dear dear wonderful desserts. No less wonderful because they are gluten-free. I’m pretty darn thankful the gluten-free wiz kids of the internet have shared some amazing recipes with the world. These look like all around show-stoppers. Maybe you should just serve all three. Save yourself the problem of having to choose, what with all the coconut and apple and almond…

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Kimberly

...by day, making a home where the buffalo roam. By night, pretty much the same thing, punctuated by the occasional fantasies of sunny beaches, italian movies and sparkling lemonade.

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by Allison

Spinach salad with quinoa and fruit recipe

Spinach salad with quinoa and fruit recipe

You need a recipe for spinach salad with quinoa and fruit for the holidays upon us.  It’s that time of year when we swear up and down we will be good and not eat too much pie.  (But then we have three slices in a weak moment.)  Here’s my solution:  indulge a bit at the plethora of holiday parties, and eat super healthy at home.  That’s my plan this year.

Spinach salad with quinoa and fruit recipes

This spinach salad with quinoa + fruit is a super healthy recipe.  And it’s tasty too.  I love dispelling the myth that if it’s healthy it must not taste very good.  I’ve used a very light dressing–just enough to coat everything with a punch of vinegary goodness and tossed in a bunch of my favorites that I almost always have hanging around the kitchen.  You be sure to use what you have on hand.  Fresh fruit is so tasty in this salad; fresh oranges sooooo good in place of the apples,  Also, pears!  Pears and dried cranberries with pecans would be fabulous.  If you have some buttery avocados sitting on your counter, toss one of those in too.
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Allison

Hello there! I'm Allison Czarnecki, founder + editor of Petit Elefant, a blog all about style on a budget for every part of your life: style / home / travel / family. I do a lot of how-to beauty + style tutorials, travel posts, easy recipes, home remodel projects, and cool DIY crafts you totally want to try. I'm super happily married (to a hot Polish immigrant) and am the mother of two kids, a daughter and son, all of whom are featured here on the regular. We live in the country but we're a little bit rock + roll. Welcome!

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