Wow! Sincere apologies for my month long hiatus from this space. A Bowl Full of Simple is almost two years old and I’ve never taken that much time away.
May and the beginning of June were CRAZY for me. I had 3 events I was working on for my kid’s school and one of them was a doozy! I’ve been organizing a fundraiser 5K run for our school district that included 1,500 participants, 100s of volunteers and some incredibly wonderful sponsors. A wildly successful day raising funds for our school district and bringing families and community together for an energizing morning. I couldn’t be happier with the results!
But, now I’m back. It has taken me a few days with some writers block to sit down again and write to you. I figured with such a long silence I better come back with something good and worthy to make up for lost time. More writers block ensued. Then I remembered what a college professor once said to me, “just write.” It’s the best advice for getting your creative juices flowing again, just keep writing. And so I am.
Today I’m sharing what has been inspiring me and and my family as we head straight into summer this week. I hope it inspires you too. Have a great week!
Food + Drink
I have made this recipe twice recently. Once with our garden’s apricots in place of the recipe’s nectarines, so good, so clean, so fresh, so summer. Add a side of garden fresh green beans or zucchini and your meal is complete. Simple.
Design
Clean simple lines in my home. I love the idea of living a minimalistic life, but with a family of 5, there’s just a lot of stuff no matter how much I purge and control what’s coming into our home. This image inspires me and energizes me. No clutter equals a creative peaceful mind for me.
Style
When the temperatures begin to rise here in California, my style is loose fitting lightweight fabrics. Blouses that are airy and dressed are my go to for summer, especially when traveling. Madewell is knocking it out of the park this summer with travel-well bohemian pieces.
Motherhood
My three kids are each so unique and different. It can be difficult to parent at times, unsure of which way to navigate each situation and constantly dealing with what is ‘fair’ for one and not another. My eldest, is a tough one for me. He is sweet and amazing and confusing and complicated. Because he is our first, every step together is unchartered territory for both of us. I write quotes and thoughts on our family message board in the kitchen. This one is going up next!
Garden
The zucchini and green beans are going nuts in my garden. It makes me unbelievably grateful and satisfied to walk so steps from my kitchen to my veggies garden, especially in the summer. With a lot of travel coming up this summer, I am appreciating my garden’s early maturation this year. These white hydrangeas make me happy from my master bedroom and when I cut to bring indoors for bouquets.
Travel
We may be insane, but are taking all 3 kids and heading off to Europe this summer. Our first stop is London. I can hardly wait. We rented a fantastic family friendly flat in Marylebone through kid & Coe for our first few days in Europe, then we are off to Florence, Venice, and finally Sardinia to spend some time with dear friends from Norway. It’s sure to be a busy and unforgettable couple of weeks. I hope to bring back all kids of travel inspiration for you and yours, with special attention to traveling with children.
What is inspiring you as the kids get out of school? This may be my very favorite season to cook and travel. I am thrilled to have my kids back home and looking forward to a slower pace these next two months.
Feels great to be back!
click images for sources
Cannot wait to hear all about your trip and how you got started in the planning process. We are planning our first family trip to Europe next summer and starting the process of figuring out where to go and where to stay are daunting.
Yes! Practically a full time job planning especially for a family of 5! First post up will be London.