Archive for the ‘my life’ Category

{Quintessential So Cal Summer} | Orange County Portrait Photography

Thursday, July 29th, 2010


I came across this image of my little guy from a couple of years ago as I was editing some images last night.

It probably means a little more to me than it does to you…

I see a salty, sandy, tired little boy with windblown hair and the beautiful glow of the sunset sweeping across his face.

He has sooty feet and hands from playing in the sand around the bonfire. It is peaceful to me.

I can almost hear the sound of the waves crashing on the beach in the background as the pelicans fly overhead.

It is what Summer is all about here in Southern California.

We love to play hard at the beach all day and enjoy Summer nights next to a roaring bonfire.

It is one of my favorite things about living here in Southern California.

I have many fond memories of days and nights just like this one that have been spent with friends and family over the years.

Hope you are all enjoying your Summer and having fun making your own Summer memories!

xxKathryn

{soap nuts} | greener living

Sunday, June 27th, 2010

I came across these a while ago and decided I would finally try them. They are a different way to do laundry for sure. They look kind of strange and honestly don’t look like they would clean your clothes… but they actually do. I have been using Soap Nuts for a while now and I have to say I am loving them! No need to use fabric softener, which is another huge bonus for me… since I always forget to put it in. Oops!  One of the main reasons I wanted to try them is that my children have VERY sensitive skin and have had a lot of trouble with eczema. Soap Nuts are supposed to great for sensitive skin, so far so good!

Here is a little info from the Laundry Tree website just to give you an idea of what they are. I recommend heading over to their site and picking some up for yourself…they are wonderful!!

Soapnuts are a totally natural dried FRUIT with natural cleaning properties. You can use them to clean your laundry!

Yep, it sounds crazy — but it’s TRUE! Soapnuts aren’t actually a nut at all, they are simply the fruit of a tree (Sapindus Mukorossi), found primarily in the Himilayas. And they are an EXCELLENT alternative to traditional laundry detergents and cleaners.

THERE ARE A TON OF AMAZING THINGS ABOUT SOAP NUTS. A PARTIAL LIST:
  • They are simply a dried fruit — 100% totally natural.
  • They are organically grown and are free of harsh chemicals, so they are incredibly gentle. (This makes them especially great for those with sensitive skin — including babies and those that suffer from allergies, eczema, and psoriasis).
  • They’re totally biodegradeable, so they’re better for the environment than regular detergent.
  • They’re antimicrobial, so they’re even good for septic and greywater systems.
  • They are low-sudsing — exactly what you need for HE (or high-efficiency) washers.
HOW DO SOAPNUTS WORK?

The outer shell of the soapnut contains saponin, a natural substance known for its ability to cleanse and wash. (That’s what makes them so GREAT for cleaning your laundry!) And here’s a cool fact: soapnuts aren’t a new concept; they have been used to clean all kinds of fabric for centuries, and are only now gaining popularity in the Americas and Europe as a powerful, yet natural alternative to modern detergents. Having used any number of other detergents, we’re here to say so far man has yet to best Mother Nature in coming up with a genius cleaning agent for clothes.

SOAPNUT SOAK IS A WONDER.

It basically turns soapnuts into liquid deterget — convenient and easy to use. But it can also be used to safely replace many household chemicals: window cleaner, bathroom cleaner, kitchen cleaner, floor cleaner, multi-purpose cleaner, liquid hand soap, delicate laundry soap, and even shampoo.

Making it takes less than 5 minutes — including the time it takes to find the utensils. Even if you’re no kitchen whiz, you’ll find the process is as effortless as making a pot of tea — with useful, economical results.

coming soon… {week in the life} | photography challenge

Saturday, April 3rd, 2010

ETA: I have to put this off for a bit… things got a little crazy this week… I think I will try for the first week of May.

Monday, April 19th is the day I am starting the {week in the life} photography challenge. (I will be following along with Ali.) I think it is important to capture all the little normal daily stuff in our lives as it is to capture the big things…so I am planning to spend one week documenting our life as a family. I will take my camera with me everywhere I go and photograph all the little & big things we do during the week.

I invite you to follow along if you would like. I am interested to see where this journey will take me. I am still deciding on how I will put this together… I am thinking I might do a ” week in the life” album for our family and document a few weeks out of the year in it, possibly one each season. We will see how it comes together later. For now I want to concentrate on taking the photographs.

This little face…

Friday, January 8th, 2010

Oh how I love this little face! The sprinkling of freckles on his cute little nose… the cheeky little sparkle in his eyes when he smiles. It is hard to accept the fact that he is growing up and isn’t my little baby anymore, though, I will always look at him as my baby. He is the sweetest thing ever!  He is such a happy little guy and always has a smile on his face. It is the kind of smile that is contagious…and his laugh… it is such a happy laugh. He is always singing and dancing.  He is so loving and kind. He is my little cuddle bug and is such a great snugler. He isn’t stingy with the kisses and always looks me straight in the eye and tells me how much he loves me. He loves to hold my hand. When we are out and about I always feel that little hand of his looking for mine to hold on to, it is such a good feeling… I hope that never changes.

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I feel so blessed to have this little guy in my life as well as my sweet girls! God is so good! I was reminded today how brief life can be… I just want to remind you all to hug your kids a little tighter and tell them how much you love them. I will for sure.

xx Kathryn