Suzannah Hamlin Stanley's Blog, page 76
February 10, 2016
Our vacation reset routine
We had an amazingmini-vacation to the Oregon coast this past weekend. It was only two days, but I'm still on vacation high! It was only two days, but it was just what we needed and we got incredibly lucky with 75 degree weather with full sun and no wind. Husband and I have been taking little trips to the coast since we started dating almost 12 years ago... and we have a pretty good routine 
February 5, 2016
12 ways to love your home (almost) just the way it is!
I've been thinking about this post for a long time! Back last fall when we decided not to sell our home, I started giving a lot of thought to what reallymakes me feel good in a home. We looked at so many of houses for sale, and eventually after changing our search parameters when we couldn't find what we really wanted, we realized--our home is (or can be) just as good as or better than all 
February 2, 2016
Rich, cakey Paleo beet brownies
Aren't brownies the best? I sure think they are, and when I shared this recipe with my mom she said pretty much the exact same thing as soon as I said the word "brownies." I know it's not just us. Brownies are soooooo good. I've played around with several grain-free brownie recipes and combinations, and my chunky, fudgybrowniesfrom last summer turned out so great! But, somehow I got it in my 
January 28, 2016
Living and dining room makeovers! And the curtain swap.
I put so much thought into decorating our home for after we first moved in. We went without a couch and dining room curtains for ages while I waited to find the right things. Some trial and error went into the dining room curtains, then I found some I liked... I played around with the gallery wall in the dining room, but it was always a little too dark... all in all, we loved our home but we 
January 26, 2016
Shimmery blue sort of retro party dress!
A party is a reason for a new dress, right?? This year my company's winter party was WWII USO-themed, held at a very cool old building at Fort Vancouver, complete with cake walk, air raid sirens (you know, before announcements), and swing dancing. (We even held a bake sale at the office a couple weeks before and raised a ton of money for some local veterans' organizations!) Now, I'm not going 
January 20, 2016
Green beans with Thai peanut sauce - gluten-free, Paleo-friendly version!
The other day I came home from a quick trip to the grocery store with a handful of things that inspired me for this recipe. I looked at the counter and had green beans, cashew butter, and carrots. I thought... this reminds me of a Thai restaurant dish. I looked around online but couldn't find a recipe for green beans with cashew or peanut sauce that I could do. But I knew what flavors I wanted! 
January 18, 2016
Taking care of my home!
If I tried, I think I could probably relate everypost I write to one of Gretchen Rubin's books. Seriously. The Happiness Project was so important for me, and Happier at Home shared more great simple mantras that shaped my behavior, and now I'm lapping up everything I can about her habits research in her latest book,Better than Before, and her podcast, Happier. On this post, one of her messages 
January 12, 2016
Our simple home fitness setup
For almost 2 years now I've been doing regular strength training, 2 to 4 times per week (I'm talking Olympic lifts, kettlebell training, simple CrossFit WODs, and difficult bodyweight movements) and I love it so much. (Most recently before that husband and I together had been doing some kettlebell workout classes and a six-month CrossFit experiment. Then I decided, I can do this myself--I can 
January 6, 2016
3 ways to make cooking at home easier - and a Sun Basket meal giveaway!
I love cooking my own food. Something about the combination of control over the quality and type of ingredients, huge savings from ordering takeout, and inevitable health benefit has totally won me over and I cook almost every dinner we eat (usually leftovers for lunch!). I love it! But, it is time-consuming. Sometimes when I get home from work the last thing I want to do is put mental energy 
January 4, 2016
A very pretty DIY! Pearl bead square knot necklace tutorial
Out of the blue, I got inspired for a jewelry project! I saw a necklace like this in a magazine photo and thought, 1, that's very pretty! and 2, I could totallymake that and it's a shame I almost never do jewelry projects. I love the classic pearl look, preppy knot style, and more modern multi-strand composition! If you want a very pretty project to work on some quiet winter day, try this 
