Author Archives: laurenkahan

A quick trip to Whistler…

Well, if you read this post, you know already that our trip to Whistler almost ended before it began!  After a whirlwind 18 hours, a shiny new passport, and a departure date 6.5 hours later than anticipated…we were off!

Since it was going to be such a quick trip (only one full day and then Sunday morning for a few hours), I almost didn’t bring my camera.  I really wanted to make sure I was enjoying the moment vs trying to capture it.  It’s a hard balance, but I also knew that I’d feel like I was missing a limb if I didn’t bring it.  So, I compromised and decided to just bring one lens.

BIG COMPROMISE!  haha.

I did take a lot of videos and linked to a few throughout.  Sorry in advance for my annoying laugh and voice!

We ended up getting into Whistler around 9:30pm.  If you’ve ever been (and come from the PNW or Vancouver), you know that while the drive there is STUNNING, the roads are very curvy, and Canadians drive over the speed limit!  And…I say this as an admitted lead foot, who’s married to even more of a lead foot!

All that said…note to self.  Don’t give your toddler a movie to watch in the back seat on a very long curvy freeway.  ESPECIALLY after she’s eaten a garlic kale salad (the one time in my life I curse the fact that my 4 year old LOVES kale salads!)… Need I say more?  ;{

Thankfully there was a washer and dryer on our floor!  And…a bath!

But…it did take a while to wind down after all that…(video here) 🙂

Blog WhislterWe stayed at the Westin Resort & Spa, which is located right in the heart of Whistler Village, and as a FYI, we never once got our car out of the garage the entire time-SCORE!

The next day we got up bright and early, had breakfast at our hotel, and then walked over to the gondola that’s only a few minutes walk away.  We really wanted to take Maya on the Peak to Peak Gondola.

You catch the first gondola in the village, and then ride it up to the top of Whistler Blackcomb.  Since it was summer, and not as busy, we got a gondola to ourselves going up… Blog Whistler 8-2016-1While, there’s no snow, there are a ton of dirt trails and a LOT of dirt bike riders.  It was super impressive to watch from the gondola!  They even do lessons, just like ski lessons! Blog Whistler 8-2016-2 Once at the top…Blog Whistler 8-2016-3Full breathtaking view here.Blog Whistler 8-2016-4Then, we got on the Peak to Peak gondola, and once again…got the entire gondola to ourselves (video here)!! Blog Whistler 8-2016-5The Peak to Peak holds the World’s Record as the longest unsupported span for a lift of this kind at 1.88miles (takes 11 minutes to get across). Blog Whistler 8-2016-6 Blog Whistler 8-2016-7 And…what to do on an 11 minute ride in your own gondola?  Set up the self timer of course, haha 🙂Blog Whistler 8-2016-8 Blog Whistler 8-2016-9 She wasn’t really in the mood for pictures…Blog Whistler 8-2016-11Which is just as well, because when someone generously offered to take a family picture, we got really in focus mountains, but us…not so much (I always feel weird giving a bunch of instructions before handing my camera over!).  Oh well!  Super nice of them to offer, and it’s better than nothing! Blog Whistler 8-2016-12 Blog Whistler 8-2016-13 Blog Whistler 8-2016-14 Blog Whistler 8-2016-15She LOVES her daddy… Blog Whistler 8-2016-16After that, we came home and relaxed for a little bit and chilled in our room (video here :)).

Then we got ready to go out to dinner.  Oddly, I didn’t take any pics!  SAY WHAT!???

Before that though… This little path was right outside our balcony, and there was this gorgeous trail that had the light shining beautifully through the trees before we left for dinner…Blog Whistler 8-2016-17 And…this is the only shot I got 😉Blog Whistler 8-2016-18And…the only shot of me dressed up… Blog Whistler 8-2016-19After dinner, Maya got on her swim suit, and the Huz took her swimming.  She’s SUCH a fish right now (video here)!! Blog Whistler 8-2016-20Pretty sure belly flops don’t count towards “no diving”….whoops.

Honestly, one of my favorite shots!  Love that she’s looking at the Huz til the end! 🙂Blog Whistler 8-2016-21 Jumping in to get rings!Blog Whistler 8-2016-22The next morning, we had breakfast again at the hotel and then walked over to the Nintendo Family Adventure Zone, which was SO COOL!!!!  It’s open from June 18 – September 5, 2016, and I highly recommend it if you are going with kids between the ages of 4-12(?).   Maybe even older!

I took a TON of videos-some of which can be seen here, (sorry about my annoying laugh and voice!).

Here’s a few from my phone…

Ummmmm, are you kidding me??!!!  She LOVED THIS, and went on it twice!

I went on, and went about half this high haha.  BUT…I did backward flips, so that counts for something, right?  At 42!  RIGHT?!  Obviously, I’m still feeling a little silly that my 4 year old bounced higher than I did… ;(Blog Family Adventure Zone-1 This…she wasn’t so great at, but this guy was super nice and rode on it with her to avoid crashing every 3 seconds 😉Blog Family Adventure Zone-2Sadly, after three hours, we had to call it quits and head back.  I will also say that they have a little farmer’s market there and we got some delicious fruit before we left!

Here’s one last picture I took with my phone as we were driving home…seriously, GORGEOUS!

Blog Whistler DriveWhile it was a very short visit, it did the job of recharging our batteries a bit, and of course…celebrating our anniversary 🙂

If you’ve never been to Whistler, I HIGHLY recommend it.  It’s amazing both in the winter and summer, and we can’t wait for our next trip!

dit-elle-Lauren

Little Black Dress… Day to Night (Part one…Day)

If there’s one thing that everyone should have in their wardrobe, it’s a little black dress!

They are so versatile, and can be worn year after year and look completely different as you change your accessories!

I scored this dress off eBay for $4.50!!!  It’s silk too, so it’s super comfy and can be dressed up easily (stay tuned for a follow up post where I dress it up easily!)Blog Ella Moss Tiered Clara Dress Levis Denim Shirt Converse-1 Blog Ella Moss Tiered Clara Dress Levis Denim Shirt Converse-2 Blog Ella Moss Tiered Clara Dress Levis Denim Shirt Converse-3 Blog Ella Moss Tiered Clara Dress Levis Denim Shirt Converse-4 Blog Ella Moss Tiered Clara Dress Levis Denim Shirt Converse-5 Blog Ella Moss Tiered Clara Dress Levis Denim Shirt Converse-6 Blog Ella Moss Tiered Clara Dress Levis Denim Shirt Converse-7If you look close,  you can see the watermelon mint I had to bribe her with to get in a shot with me 🙂 Blog Ella Moss Tiered Clara Dress Levis Denim Shirt Converse-8 Blog Ella Moss Tiered Clara Dress Levis Denim Shirt Converse-9Can we talk about this gorgeous dress too??!  It’s from the same woman who made the cool tie back gray dress in this post.  I love the little unique touches!  The back is SO cute, and the fabric doesn’t wrinkle!  I want one in my size!!Blog Crew and Lu Midnight Garden Tie Back Dress-1 Blog Crew and Lu Midnight Garden Tie Back Dress-2I shot an “Instagram Story” on how I took this next shot.  Not rocket science, but having kids do some kind of fun activity is a good way to get fun action shots. Blog Crew and Lu Midnight Garden Tie Back Dress-3And she ran back and forth jumping over, and over, and over.  Great way to tire them out too!  haha. Blog Crew and Lu Midnight Garden Tie Back Dress-4 Her face!! 🙂Blog Crew and Lu Midnight Garden Tie Back Dress-5 Blog Crew and Lu Midnight Garden Tie Back Dress-6

On me…

Dress- Ella Moss “Tiered Clara Dress” (eBay, similar here)
Clogs- Miz Mooz (old, but loving these here)
On Maya…
Dress- Crew & Lu Midnight Garden Tie Back Dress (scored when she had a massive sale!)
Keeping it Real…
So many times, as I’m looking back through the pictures I’ve taken, I think…
“Do I REALLY make those faces??!”
Clearly I do… 😉
Blog Casual Outtake-1And…we don’t always stick the dismounts 🙂 Blog Casual Outtake-2 Nor do I stick the focus 100% of the time… 😉Blog Casual Outtake-3
(all pictures taken with a shutter release and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

dit-elle-Lauren

Straw Hats + Boyfriend Jeans…for blackberry picking and chasing light!

 I’ve been meaning to go pick blackberries for…about a month!!  Most of the obvious places are picked over now, but I did a shoot at one of my favorite “best kept secret” spots last weekend, and…what was there??  BLACKBERRY BUSHES!  A lot of them.  Basically untouched, and randomly overgrown, because I never remember them being there in years past!

SO…I asked Maya the other day.  Would you rather go to a park with slides or go pick blackberries?  She picked blackberries and I was SO excited!  I knew that meant we were going to one of my favorite spots, and…she got blackberries.  Win for both of us!Blog Straw Hat LB Brand Muscle Tank Current Elliott Boyfriend Blackberries-1 Blog Straw Hat LB Brand Muscle Tank Current Elliott Boyfriend Blackberries-2Between her eating them as I picked and me getting tired of being pricked… the actual “picking” didn’t last long! Blog Straw Hat LB Brand Muscle Tank Current Elliott Boyfriend Blackberries-3 Blog Straw Hat LB Brand Muscle Tank Current Elliott Boyfriend Blackberries-4Blog Straw Hat LB Brand Muscle Tank Current Elliott Boyfriend Blackberries-5 Blog Straw Hat LB Brand Muscle Tank Current Elliott Boyfriend Blackberries-6 Then we were both done picking, and it was time to play 🙂Blog Straw Hat LB Brand Muscle Tank Current Elliott Boyfriend Blackberries-7 Blog Straw Hat LB Brand Muscle Tank Current Elliott Boyfriend Blackberries-8 Blog Straw Hat LB Brand Muscle Tank Current Elliott Boyfriend Blackberries-9 Blog Straw Hat LB Brand Muscle Tank Current Elliott Boyfriend Blackberries-10 Blog Straw Hat LB Brand Muscle Tank Current Elliott Boyfriend Blackberries-11 Blog Straw Hat LB Brand Muscle Tank Current Elliott Boyfriend Blackberries-12 Blog Straw Hat LB Brand Muscle Tank Current Elliott Boyfriend Blackberries-13 Blog Straw Hat LB Brand Muscle Tank Current Elliott Boyfriend Blackberries-14 Blog Straw Hat LB Brand Muscle Tank Current Elliott Boyfriend Blackberries-15Blog Mignon Yellow Flower Dress White Converse-1 Blog Mignon Yellow Flower Dress White Converse-2 Blog Mignon Yellow Flower Dress White Converse-3 Blog Mignon Yellow Flower Dress White Converse-4 Blog Mignon Yellow Flower Dress White Converse-5 Blog Mignon Yellow Flower Dress White Converse-6

On me…

Shoes- Converse (thrifted)
On Maya…
Dress- Mignone (thrifted)
Leggings- Mini Boden (thrifted)
Shoes- Converse (thrifted)
Keeping it Real…
I was “Snapping” (lkahan-ditelle) how we shoot our adventures with the self timer and tripod, and… 🙂
Blog Outtake-1 She’s not used to me wearing hats, so…Blog Outtake-2 This happens a lot.  I set up the timer and ask if she wants to play or chase me…and then she runs off in the other direction 🙂Blog Outtake-3
(all pictures taken with a self timer/shutter release and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

dit-elle-Lauren

Classic…White Top + Denim (And…chasing the golden hour)

 We escaped to Whistler BC over the weekend to celebrate our 7th wedding anniversary (which is TODAY!!), and it was AMAZING!!  The trip started off rocky… We had originally planned to leave first thing Friday morning.  The night before, as I was packing, I got out my passport.  EXPIRED!!  UM…. Long story short.  Lots of frustrated tears on my part.  I felt so stupid for letting it expire, and not checking sooner.  I was SO bummed that we wouldn’t be able to get away, because a) Anniversary b) the Huz has been working 70+ hour work weeks, and I’ve been working a lot too. c) Maya was so excited to go back up!  Through all my crying and being upset, Maya was a total positive rock!

“Mommy, come here and give me a hug.  I will make you happy again!!”

Not once did she get upset that the trip was cancelled (or so we thought).  I ended up calling the 24 hour passport hotline, and got myself an apt at the Seattle Passport Agency the next morning.  I drove to our local drugstore and got my new passport photo taken at 9:30 at night (all red puffy eyes and all-sweet….).  I drove down a few hours early of my apt and got there right when they opened.  They took me early, and I was in and out in 30 minutes.  I was told to come back at 2pm and pick up my new passport!  Well…I ended up having to wait an hour and a half, BUT…a new passport in 7 hours??!!!  I was BEYOND THANKFUL!  We ended up getting into Whistler around 9, but had the best day and a half after that!!  Maya didn’t want to leave 🙂

ALL THAT ASIDE…here are some pictures I took the week before we left…

If there is one combo that stands the test of time, it’s a white top with denim.

You can dress it up, you can dress it down, it looked good in the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s (ok, you get my drift)  It still looks good now, and it’s a constant fall back for me when I don’t want to think about what I’m wearing.Blog Marc Jacobs Top Current Elliott String Bean Salt Water Sandals-1 Blog Marc Jacobs Top Current Elliott String Bean Salt Water Sandals-2 Blog Marc Jacobs Top Current Elliott String Bean Salt Water Sandals-3My creative energy was renewed after our last outing during the golden hour a few days earlier.

I’d been so busy with work, camps, lessons, and life that we hadn’t done many outings, and I was shocked at how much my mood improved just by getting out with Maya and taking personal pics again.

Blog Marc Jacobs Top Current Elliott String Bean Salt Water Sandals-4 Blog Marc Jacobs Top Current Elliott String Bean Salt Water Sandals-5 Blog Marc Jacobs Top Current Elliott String Bean Salt Water Sandals-6Needless to say, I was in a great mood after this night too!! Blog Marc Jacobs Top Current Elliott String Bean Salt Water Sandals-7And it just makes me SO happy to see her playing and running around having fun!!!Blog Hanna Andersson Gauzy Cover Up Dress Gold Salt Water Sandals-1Ok, a little photography talk here.  I absolutely love that you can manipulate an image just by where you stand in relation to the sun.

In the above image, I was in the sun and Maya was in the shade.  Hence the hazy sun flare.

The below image, Maya is just over a few feet, but I stepped into the shade too.Blog Hanna Andersson Gauzy Cover Up Dress Gold Salt Water Sandals-2 Blog Hanna Andersson Gauzy Cover Up Dress Gold Salt Water Sandals-3 Blog Hanna Andersson Gauzy Cover Up Dress Gold Salt Water Sandals-4 Blog Hanna Andersson Gauzy Cover Up Dress Gold Salt Water Sandals-5 Blog Hanna Andersson Gauzy Cover Up Dress Gold Salt Water Sandals-6 Blog Hanna Andersson Gauzy Cover Up Dress Gold Salt Water Sandals-7 Blog Hanna Andersson Gauzy Cover Up Dress Gold Salt Water Sandals-8On me…

Top- Marc Jacobs (eBay, similar here)
Jeans- Current Elliott “The String Bean” (thrifted-sold out, similar here)
On Maya…
Keeping it Real…
I gave the remote to Maya in the beginning, so she’s to thank for the first shot.  AND….about 45 shots in the minute after that haha.
Blog Outtake-1And…tossed her right out of the frame-dang it! Blog Outtake-2Her growling face, which is her new thing… Blog Outtake-3
(all pictures taken with ashutter release and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

dit-elle-Lauren

LBD…for any occasion!

I almost didn’t post these pictures, because I totally messed up the focus and stood a crack in the side walk too close, but…whatever.

It was Charlie’s 16th birthday, and we’d had family over for dinnerCharlie got a remote control car from my parents, so we went out to play with it.  I’ll blame the excitement over the car for my standing in the wrong spot, and not the wine I had with dinner haha… 😉Blog Feel the Piece Dress Zara Lace Up Sandals-1 Blog Feel the Piece Dress Zara Lace Up Sandals-2It was hard to distract her from the car, but a good swing usually does it! Blog Feel the Piece Dress Zara Lace Up Sandals-3 Practicing her kung fu moves…Blog Mini Boden Dress-1 Blog Mini Boden Dress-2Super cool that Jackson was able to come over too!  So weird not having him in the house anymore… Maya was in heaven having both brothers back for the evening!Blog Charlies 16th Birthday-1 Blog Charlies 16th Birthday-2SO rare to get all these guys in front of the camera! Blog Charlies 16th Birthday-3

On me…

Sandals- Zara (old, loving these here and  here)
On Maya…
Dress- Tea Collection (thrifted, similar here)
Keeping it Real…
And… Here’s me running to get the remote control car in the spot where I should have been standing all along…perfectly in focus haha.
Oh well…Blog Outtake-1

Chambray for the win!

 I’m a big fan of clothing that makes you feel like you’re wearing pajamas!  I mean, who isn’t??!

When they are totally cute, that’s an even bigger bonus!  Chambray is such a soft fabric, so I’m a fan of just about any article of clothing made out of it.  I found these jogger pants at my local consignment store for $15, when I went to drop some clothes off!  I had told myself I wasn’t going to buy anything, BUT I had a $13 credit, so… I made an exception!  So glad I did, because I’ve worn these twice since buying them less than a week ago haha 🙂Blog Soft Joie Tank Current Elliott the Jogger Mystique Silver Lace Up Sandals-1 Blog Soft Joie Tank Current Elliott the Jogger Mystique Silver Lace Up Sandals-2 Blog Soft Joie Tank Current Elliott the Jogger Mystique Silver Lace Up Sandals-3 Blog Soft Joie Tank Current Elliott the Jogger Mystique Silver Lace Up Sandals-4 Blog Soft Joie Tank Current Elliott the Jogger Mystique Silver Lace Up Sandals-5 Blog Soft Joie Tank Current Elliott the Jogger Mystique Silver Lace Up Sandals-6 Blog Soft Joie Tank Current Elliott the Jogger Mystique Silver Lace Up Sandals-7 Blog Soft Joie Tank Current Elliott the Jogger Mystique Silver Lace Up Sandals-8 Blog Soft Joie Tank Current Elliott the Jogger Mystique Silver Lace Up Sandals-9I’ve been going through some serious withdrawals lately.  I haven’t had time this summer for our usual outings, and it’s amazing how much it’s affected my mood.  On the way home, I made sure to tell Maya how much fun I had with her.

“Me too mama!”

So…I just have to continue to MAKE time.  I have to…

That face?!!!Blog Soft Joie Tank Current Elliott the Jogger Mystique Silver Lace Up Sandals-10 Blog Soft Joie Tank Current Elliott the Jogger Mystique Silver Lace Up Sandals-11 Blog Soft Joie Tank Current Elliott the Jogger Mystique Silver Lace Up Sandals-12Blog Hanna Andersson Twirly Dream Dress Helga Sandals-1I’ve REALLY missed shooting at the golden hour!! Blog Hanna Andersson Twirly Dream Dress Helga Sandals-2 Blog Hanna Andersson Twirly Dream Dress Helga Sandals-3 Looooove this next one 🙂Blog Hanna Andersson Twirly Dream Dress Helga Sandals-4 Blog Hanna Andersson Twirly Dream Dress Helga Sandals-5 Blog Hanna Andersson Twirly Dream Dress Helga Sandals-6On me…

Top- Soft Joie (ebay, similar here)
Jeans- Current Elliott “The Jogger” (purchased from Funky Jane’s for $15!)
Sandals- Mystique (old, loving these here)
On Maya…
Dress- Hanna Andersson “Twirly Dream Dress” Sold Out
Sandals- Hanna Andersson “Helga Sandal” Sold Out
Keeping it Real…
She can TRY to run away from me… 😉
Blog Outtake-1 Hahaha.  Her face!!!Blog Outtake-2
(all pictures taken with a shutter release and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

dit-elle-Lauren

Watermelon Mint Infused Water

I’ve been wanting to try more infused waters lately.  In my mind, they are a lot of work, but really…they aren’t!

I carved up a watermelon for the 4th of July, and we had some pieces left over in the fridge that I didn’t think were going to get eaten.  SO…I poured some of the left over juice and a few pieces of watermelon with some mint into a few water bottles.

I mean to let them sit for a day, but… “LIFE”

Two days later, I tried them, and YUM!!!Blog Watermelon Mint Infused Water-1 Blog Watermelon Mint Infused Water-2 Blog Watermelon Mint Infused Water-3Maya wasn’t as sure.  She was more consumed with getting the watermelon out of the bottom haha 🙂 Blog Watermelon Mint Infused Water-4What you need…

  • 2 cups of Watermelon (depending on how much water you want to infuse!)
  • 1/4 Cup Watermelon juice (I made this after I had cut a watermelon a few days earlier and there was juice at the bottom of the dish.  You could also muddle a few pieces if you are doing this all at once.)
  • 5-6 sprigs of mind torn into pieces

What you do…

  • Put water, watermelon, watermelon juice, and mint into (individual water glasses or a giant water container).
  • Let it sit overnight….or two 🙂  Then…

Enjoy!dit-elle-Lauren

Summer is kicking my arse…

Don’t get me wrong.  I love summer!!  I absolutely love that it stays lighter later, and…ok, that might be the only thing I like right now haha.

I’m a true Northwesterner in that I hate being hot!  The idea of going outside to play in the middle of the day, sweating my butt off, and taking 2-3 showers a day.  Well, it doesn’t get me very excited.

I’ve also put Maya in camps almost every week, just so I can catch up on client work, BUT…between the travel times on either end, I only really have 2 hours to cram as much as I possibly can in.  Maya’s usually pretty tired after camp, because we either play for a few hours after or we’ve gone to the gym for a few hours beforehand.  Doesn’t leave much time or energy for our usual “outings”.

A lot of times, it’s just a little walk around our neighborhood after dinner, and that’s ok 🙂Blog Gap Denim Shirt Ooberswank Cami Goldsign Frontier Leopard Vans-1I love her little dance kick in the background!!! Blog Gap Denim Shirt Ooberswank Cami Goldsign Frontier Leopard Vans-2 Blog Gap Denim Shirt Ooberswank Cami Goldsign Frontier Leopard Vans-3 Blog Gap Denim Shirt Ooberswank Cami Goldsign Frontier Leopard Vans-4 Blog Gap Denim Shirt Ooberswank Cami Goldsign Frontier Leopard Vans-5 Blog Gap Denim Shirt Ooberswank Cami Goldsign Frontier Leopard Vans-6 Blog Gap Denim Shirt Ooberswank Cami Goldsign Frontier Leopard Vans-7Blog Gap Denim Shirt Ooberswank Cami Goldsign Frontier Leopard Vans-10 See her tongue out?  Yeah, she kept licking my back…

“Mom, you taste kind of salty!”  Um…yeah, sweaty!! ;} Blog Gap Denim Shirt Ooberswank Cami Goldsign Frontier Leopard Vans-9Blog Gap Denim Shirt Ooberswank Cami Goldsign Frontier Leopard Vans-8 Blog Gap Denim Shirt Ooberswank Cami Goldsign Frontier Leopard Vans-11POOP!!! hahaha. Blog GapKids Tunic Checkered Vans-1 Blog GapKids Tunic Checkered Vans-2 Blog GapKids Tunic Checkered Vans-3

On me…

Shirt- Gap (thrifted)
Top- Ooberswank (Nordstrom Rack, sold out, similar here)
Jeans- Goldsign “frontier” destroyed by me (similar here, similar look here)
Shoes- Vans (thrifted for $6!, sold out, similar here)
On Maya…
Top/Dress- GapKids (thrifted)
Leggings- Children’s Place (thrifted)
Shoes- Vans (thrifted)
Keeping it Real…
And…she just wanted to sit on my leg 😉Blog Outtake-1Maya’s new thing is “ROARING!!!”  It’s really neat…
But seriously.  Every time we see someone (on a walk, on the street, on the way to the gym)
It’s either…”You know I’m the princess of the world”  quickly followed by…
“I’m also a vampire.”
And…after we leave said people she says…
“Mom, you know we can’t talk to the humans, because we are creatures (or vampires)”
She really has the best imagination ever.  And thankfully…is NOT scared of vampires 🙂Blog Outtake-2
(all pictures taken with a self timer/shutter release and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

dit-elle-Lauren

Salmon Avocado Mango “Tacos” | Paleo // Whole30

This was a leftover meal from the already ridiculously easy Salmon Avocado Mango Salad with Soft Boiled Egg that I made a few weeks ago.  I meant to do a follow up post right away, but…

You know….LIFE!  Summer has been kicking my arse lately!

In any case!  This is a great two-fer meal.  Make one and then the other the next day.  Isn’t that the mom holy grail???!!

Adjust the measurements as needed! 🙂Blog Whole30 Paleo Salmon Avocado Mango Lettuce Tacos-1 Blog Whole30 Paleo Salmon Avocado Mango Lettuce Tacos-2 Blog Whole30 Paleo Salmon Avocado Mango Lettuce Tacos-3From the original post (makes both meals!)

Ingredients (Would serve 4)

  • 3 6oz cans of wild Alaskan Salmon
  • 10 grape tomatoes (cut in half)
  • 1 large avocados
  • 1 Mango diced
  • 1/2 and inch slice red onion diced (or a scallion)
  • 1/3 cup diced pickles
  • Sea Salt and Pepper to taste
  • Head of Butter Lettuce
  • For garnish and a bit of heat- my favorite…Garlic Hot Sauce

Directions

  • Drain Salmon, place in large bowl, and break it up.
  • Dice tomato, avocado, mango, and onions and stir into salmon
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • Scoop into butter lettuce cups, and pierce with a toothpick and an extra tomato for garnish

Enjoy!

dit-elle-Lauren

Happy Birthday to me! {42}

I don’t know about other Mom’s, but usually on the rare occasion that I go out at night- I’m still sitting in my sweats, hair a frizzy mess, no make up on, and NO idea what I’m wearing…about 20 minutes before we are due to head out the door.
So, of course, there are rarely pictures of me all done up in my “going out” clothes here.

#momlife

This past Friday, we went out early on a double date with my parents, and we actually got home before 9!  It was the first time we left Maya with her youngest (oldest brother 15) as her babysitter!!

Honestly, it was perfect!  We had an amazing time, ate a LOT of delicious food, drank some amazing wine, and rode the bus home (um, so fun and way cheaper!!)

AND…another total upside?  I could run outside and take a few pictures while it was still light!

blog Ella Moss Geometric Silk Dress Ugg Espadrilles-1 blog Ella Moss Geometric Silk Dress Ugg Espadrilles-2 blog Ella Moss Geometric Silk Dress Ugg Espadrilles-3And then, Maya all ready in her jammies, came out for a few!

I swear it’s a toss up between what’s better…

Going out and having your kid put to bed when you get home…

AND…

Having them still up when you get home, so you can hug and kiss them before they go to bed.

BOTH = HEAVEN.

I happened to capture the latter, and I’m so glad that I did!blog Ella Moss Geometric Silk Dress Ugg Espadrilles-4 blog Ella Moss Geometric Silk Dress Ugg Espadrilles-5 blog Ella Moss Geometric Silk Dress Ugg Espadrilles-6 blog Ella Moss Geometric Silk Dress Ugg Espadrilles-7 blog Ella Moss Geometric Silk Dress Ugg Espadrilles-8Oh, and her nightgown is a 9-10 hahaha.  I knew she’d love it, so I thrifted it for $3!!!

I kid you not, she’s picked it out of a stack of (I’m too embarrassed to say) 75% of the time since… So, clearly.  Nightgowns for the win as far as Maya is concerned!Blog Mini Boden Night gown-1I can’t even…Blog Mini Boden Night gown-2 Blog Mini Boden Night gown-3

On me…

Dress- Ella Moss (thrifted)
Sandals- Ugg (thrifted, similar here)
On Maya…
Nightgown- Mini Boden (thrifted, but similar here)
Keeping it Real…
Of course the minute I go out to take pictures, my neighbor walks by with is dog…
AWKWARD!!
 Blog Outtake
(all pictures taken with a self timer/shutter release and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

dit-elle-Lauren