what i know at 25.

Settle into your natural inclination toward being a homebody, but don't forget to sneak adventure in there for good measure.

Candy is bad for your body, but every now and then it will be acceptable and necessary to enjoy a piece completely guilt free (for your soul, of course).

At some point, you will realize that all the truths you held in your hands and heart for so long will no longer be concrete, but malleable instead. While this will scare you and make certain pieces of life unclear, don't forget how exciting and freeing this can be.

The excitement that comes with a Starbucks barista knowing your name should also be approached with a certain amount of caution (re: you're visiting Starbucks too much).

Sometimes things will feel heavy in an uncomfortable way. In those moments, remember the image of Woody at the dog park, running toward you full force with a neon tennis ball in his mouth, carefree and utterly joyful. Remember the sparkle in his eyes and the strength in his legs. Try to embody that more often.

Give yourself permission to listen to your gut.

When the power goes out for one hour, you will realize that you are actually an adult. Small moments can do that to you.

In the truly, truly difficult moments, you will be reminded that somewhere, someone has gone through this same thing and come out the other side in one, imperfect piece. There's a certain amount of comfort in that.

Most often, people are genuinely good.



P.S. What I knew at 24.

weekenders.

The slightest crispness in the air can really create a change in the heart, can't it? This time of year always feels a bit stressful. While the beginning of the school year rush has begun to settle, the new task of readying students for all they need to know during the school year sets in and the pressure can feel a bit overwhelming. Somehow the cooling of the air creates a sense of peace and calmness within me and I am so grateful for it.

It can be difficult to separate myself from my work, even though I know that the separation is so important, for myself and my students. To me, the weekends are a sacred time. I don't allow work to creep into my mind. I don't let the worries and stressors of my job constantly ware on me. For two days I try and let all of that go and focus on living in the present moment. If this all sounds a bit overdramatic, it's probably because it is. In all truthfulness, I probably take myself too seriously during the work week. I don't leave enough room for life to happen outside of the four walls of my classroom. It's a work in progress, as are most things.

To make a long story short, this crisp weekend was nothing short of perfect. Thank you, thank you, thank you fall weather, for giving me hope and restoration and happiness in my heart.

P H O T O G R A P H S / /
( 1 || Backyard gems. )
( 2 || Mr. Guthrie waiting for Jeffrey to get home. )
( 3 || We got this succulent two years ago and it continues to grow wilder and wilder each day. )
( 4 || A friend suggested we pick these sea salt + dark chocolate almonds up at Trader Joe's and they are unbelievably delicious. )

my (new) favorite granola.

As I'm writing this, it is raining. A good, hard, steady rain. The perfect kind for snuggling up in a warm blanket and getting lost in a really good book. Woody Guthrie is laying next to me in complete relaxation. These are the elements of a perfectly pleasant afternoon. But to be perfectly perfect, it needs a snack. And what would be more fitting than some freshly made granola?

I am a sucker for some good granola and I've been fiddling around with the makings of a recipe for quite some time now. To me, granola should be cinnamon-y, crunchy (but not too crunchy), simple, and delicious. That's the most important component. It must be delicious. I also don't like recipes that are too fussy or require too much care (i.e., lots of oven time with lots of shuffling around on the baking sheet to ensure there's no burned bits). Because isn't the ideal granola eaten by the handful while one passes absentmindedly through the kitchen? That's what's ideal to me.

I don't want to tout my granola-making abilities, but this recipe is good. As in could-be-eaten-on-ice-cream good, or could-be-eaten-on-yogurt good, or could-be-enjoyed-with-almond-milk good, or could-be-eaten-all-by-itself good. I hope you make this recipe and enjoy it as much as I do.

The beauty of granola is that it can be modified to meet one's individual preferences. Not a fan of sliced almonds? Substitute hazelnuts or cashews instead. No sesame seeds on hand? Mix in a few sunflower seeds in their place. Unsure about buckwheat groats? Add 2 cups of rolled oats instead. Toss in bits of dried fruit or even chocolate chips if you're really feeling fancy!

M Y  F A V O R I T E  G R A N O L A
Makes about 3 cups

Ingredients
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons coconut sugar
2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter (unsweetened*)
1 tablespoon coconut oil
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup raw buckwheat groats
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

*If you don't have unsweetened peanut butter, I would suggest forgoing the coconut sugar.

Directions
1. Preheat your oven to 350º F and lightly coat a baking sheet with coconut oil.
2. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, combine maple syrup, coconut sugar, peanut butter, coconut oil, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt. Heat until coconut sugar has completely melted and the mixture resembles a thick sauce. Stir occasionally.
3. Meanwhile, combine the rolled oats, buckwheat groats, shredded coconut, sliced almonds, chia seeds, and sesame seeds in a large mixing bowl.
4. Once the sauce mixture is completely emulsified, pour it over the dry ingredients and gently combine with a spatula until the mixture is evenly coated.
5. Pour the granola onto the baking sheet and spread evenly.
6. Pop the granola into the oven for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, shuffle the granola around on the sheet (to help with even baking) and pop back into the oven for another 10 minutes.
7. Remove the granola from the oven and place it (still on its baking sheet) on a cooling rack for 10 minutes before enjoying.

black bean bowl.

Last week, I wrote about how I plan meals for our family. This recipe is an example of what might come of that plan. It's hardly a recipe because it was created from the ingredients we had at home on a Wednesday night, but there's no harm in sharing anyway!

It is always best to soak beans for an extended amount of time (I try to start the soaking process before I leave for work in the mornings), but in case you forget (as I did on Wednesday), here's a great how-to for quick-soaking beans. If you're new to soaking beans and would like to read a bit more, this is a well-written and informative article.

B L A C K  B E A N  B O W L
Serves 2, with plenty of leftovers

Ingredients
1 cup pre-soaked black beans
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup steamed corn
3 small peppers, chopped
1 heaping handful spinach, chopped
1/4 of onion, chopped
1/2 avocado, sliced
Honey-Lime dressing (recipe below)

Directions
1. Cook black beans on a low simmer for one hour (for firmer beans [my preference]), or an hour and a half (for softer beans) with 2 cloves of garlic in 2 cups water, uncovered. Stir occasionally. Add 1 teaspoon salt during the last 10 minutes of cook time.
2. Divide beans into two bowls,* and top with corn, peppers, spinach, onion, avocado, and dressing.
3. We like serving with these chips.

* This is where I save the remaining beans and toppings + dressing in a reusable container for the following day's lunch.

H O N E Y - L I M E  D R E S S I N G
Serves 2, with plenty of leftovers

Ingredients
1/2 avocado
1 tablespoon honey
1 clove garlic
juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon coconut milk
up to 2 tablespoons water, for thinning
up to 1 teaspoon salt

Directions
1. Place all ingredients (except for water) in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth and combined.
2. If desired consistency is not reached (or your appliance needs a little extra help), add up to 2 tablespoons of water to thin the dressing. Add salt for taste.

Enjoy! xo

construct your meal consciously.

My dream kitchen is big and open with beautiful tile, hardwood floors, a wide, sprawling countertop, fresh flowers on every surface, and a fridge full of vibrant, organic produce. I have endless time to cook whatever my heart desires, and there's always a healthful dessert in the oven to enjoy later that evening. (I let my dreams run pretty wild.)

In reality, our kitchen is quite small. It's (more or less) galley style with scarce counter space, a very old oven/stove combination, and the refrigerator door cannot even open all the way (that might give you some reference as to how wide our kitchen is). When I get home, I'm often in a frantic mad dash to prepare something tasty and healthy.

It's all quite imperfect and, truthfully, our kitchen is the last place I want to spend my time. However, I do enjoy cooking if it involves fresh, wholesome, vibrant ingredients, so our little kitchen has to make do for now. I pretty much follow the same procedure for making our meals. I make a lot of bowls: hearty, quick meals that pack a lot of punch and taste great, too.

As a general rule, there's something from every category (above). I include mostly veggies and incorporate items from the rest of the sections, too. Obviously there are no rules to this, but I've found that I have the most success when I build from this template.

Here's to cooking (with or without that dream kitchen)! ;)

weekenders.

This weekend was slow and quiet. Sometimes that's just how we like them around these parts. We took afternoon walks, had late night TV marathons, and ate sesame bagels on a mellow Sunday morning.

Lately I've been thinking about being more intentional with my time. I often feel like I have no free time and it's running me ragged at a fast pace. Last school year, I worked incredibly hard at having more of a work-life balance in order to keep both parts of myself happy and in harmony. It seems almost necessary to dive head first into the beginning of the school year, but I've found that in the middle of September I'm already feeling stretched thin and frazzled.

Working hard and giving my best at my job is important to me, but when the day's work is done, I'm finding more and more that it's equally important to relax, too.

it's all beautiful.

Sometimes feelings are hard to put into words. I guess that's why they're feelings. There are people in our lives who don't need us to explain our feelings because they just get it. Those people are called kindred spirits. I hope you have one. Or two. Or three. If you don't, I'll be yours today.

Now and then, it all becomes a bit too much. You feel like you're at the bottom of a well that has a busted pulley system. And you need someone to tell you that it's okay to feel crappy. It's okay to feel like throwing the towel in. It's okay to breathe out all those negative feelings and say, "That's enough for today."

Friends, you can't fix it all. You just can't.

In the age of the Internet, we have the freedom to share whatever we want to share. Often times, it's the greatest triumphs in our life that we choose to parade on social media. And why shouldn't we? Shouldn't this life have more things to celebrate? More people to feel happy for? More pride for our fellow human beings? I think it should, and I'm sure you do, too.

But sometimes, you can look at everyone else's bright spots, and your bottom-of-the-well spot seems that much worse. You look around and you think, "Really?" And there are truly no other words to mutter.

It's okay. It's real and it's honest to feel a bit sad inside. It's even a little bit brave.

Today, I felt it. I felt sad and I felt like I was at the bottom of a well. I wished for nothing more than the feelings to just disappear. I wanted up and out of that well quickly and without damage, please. But I listened to the quietness in my heart and the twisted up feelings in my soul, and I reminded myself that it's all beautiful. Even those bottom-of-the-well moments.

// Above: pictures that make me feel happy.
1 || Glorious blooms. I thank God for them.
2 || Woody's fur in the breeze.
3 || Celebratory selfies.
4 || A peering elk.