For The Love Of...

Plungers. Plungers and crafts. Yes, you read that right. I'm not sure what I'd do without either. I won't let out who had to use it (mainly because I may embarrass myself if you found out it was me). Okay, no it wouldn't. I have had way too many incidents in public places that I thank the Lord when it actually happens in my own home! However, today reminded me of those funny little newlywed things that happen and there's no getting around it...especially if you only have one bathroom in the house. 

Thank goodness, neither of us care. What was awesome was when Ty was yelling at me from the other side of the door explaining how to use a plunger as though I'd never used one before. 

Can you picture that? I am still laughing.

Anyway, back to my love for crafts...

Well I said I wasn't going to do it. I told myself that Halloween and Christmas were going to be my main holidays to decorate for. But what do I go and do...I start crafting up Valentine's Day decor! I figured I could share it with you in case you had any interest in putting one together yourself. If you have most of the items laying around the house, it won't cost you anything at all. It cost me a whole 5 bucks for the wreath since everything else was tucked away in my craft bins. Again, thank goodness I take after my dad. Ya never know what you can use later!

Supplies:

1 wreath, your choice of size

Red & white felt

Piece of burlap

Wood quote (you can omit this if you don't want it)

Different shaped heart cookie cutters (or draw your own if you don't have them)

Fabric glue

Glue gun

Scissors

The supplies...

Depending on your artistic ability, either draw your own hearts on the felt or use cookie cutters as a stencil. It's up to you how big/little you want them. Then cut them out.

Overlap your white and red hearts and use your fabric glue to stick them together. If you prefer, you can just use one or the other color, add stitching around the outside, or come up with another fun way to display them on your wreath.

Once your hearts are glued together, place them on your wreath in the order and fashion you like them in. Initially I had thought I was going to hang the wood quote from the top so it would dangle, but I had a change in thought by the end of it.

Now this is where you need to decide if this is going to be permanent or not. My thought was that I could reuse the wreath at another time, so I barely glued them so they would not only come off easy but  they also wouldn't leave giant globs of glue on the wreath. Who knows, I may just keep it as is but if ever on a budget it's a good idea to have something to work with later down the road...right?

Now take your strip of burlap and tie it around your wreath. Either knot it at the top or make a nice bow, allowing the ends to hang down. I found two small scraps of burlap in my box so I ended up using the hot glue gun to put the two together, then tie them together.

Now either hot glue your wood quote on your wreath or use a piece of yarn,

hot glue it to the back side of the piece of wood, then tie it to the wreath.

Ty is big on the belief you should be doing Valentine's Day things all year 'round. Not just once a year. Hence all the little things he does. However, the decor only happens once a year, so I'm clearly taking advantage of crafting for that one!

Ty is thinking hard about what he has to say to you all, so prepare yourselves for tomorrow. We'll see what he comes up with...maybe just a workout and recipe or perhaps he spoil us with a special treat!

Vancouver's Hidden Treasures

I don't want to leak out all the special little spots in Vancouver all at once, so here goes the start to our little food adventures in downtown Vancouver. So for all those who live in Portland and think there's nothing to do in Vancouver (I used to be one), you've got another thing coming to ya! From antique stores and unique and tasty restaurants to an old school movie theater and specialty stores, Vancouver has a multitude of things to see. Another bonus...the area is so small you can see majority of it in a day! You'll just have to come back another time to continue to try out these restaurants.

Off we go through little old downtown Vancouver!


Good ole Kiggins Theater...a neat old school movie theater


Get your tickets!

Living only 3 blocks from Main St. we are a little spoiled being so close to it all. We don't have to venture too far to feel that we're in Italy at the local italian joints or Paris to get ourselves some crepes and cafe au lait. This is where that 90% paleo eaters come into play...we don't skimp when we go test out the restaurants in the area. Most are worth every dime and your time to check out!

Today we ventured out to see what C'est la vie had to offer. We are very familiar with her crepes as we tend to frequent their spot at the farmer's market, but now they have more options and a roof over their head for the off season! They just opened up last fall and business has been picking up. For those looking for some good coffee, a specialty lunch, or some amazing crepes make sure you stop by C'est la vie. When you see the menu, I will go ahead and say you won't just want one...you'll want to try at least one sweet and one savory crepe. Totally worth it!


One of the hidden treasures in Vancouver we've stumbled upon!

Keri, the owner, is always super friendly, welcoming, and knows her crepes (and macaroons too...I'm guilty of buying a couple each time we go to the market in the summer). In fact, to go beyond she remembers her customers...even after having so many faces come and go. Ty ordered our food (and had forgotten to tell her two of the crepes needed to be gluten free) and before it was all ready she ran out and remembered from the summer that it needed to be gluten free!
She gets bonus points in our book!

Chocolate peanut butter banana crepe


Gluten free crepe stuffed with smoked salmon and herb cream cheese...TO DIE FOR!


No no, thank you for a wonderful Paris vibe and yummy crepes C'est la vie!

You might miss this spot if you're not careful...don't drive by too fast or walk with your head down. From the windows it appears to more of an art gallery, but as you enter,you are greeted with artwork of local artists, lots of bright colors, and end up in the back where you feel as though you stepped into a European country. Keri has sectioned off an area that reminded me exactly of being in a small cafe in Paris, ordering several desserts, and sitting at a little table outside (Meg remember those days of chocolate croissant at every meal?). The tables are very close here, but for those of you who haven't been to Europe it's something you pick up on right away...you nearly eat with the neighboring customers. It's not something that bothers me nor did it bother Ty, but imagine yourself in Europe while you're sitting and eating those yummy crepes and sipping on your cafe au lait!
It makes the experience that much more fun.








These loose teas are a hot item here in the Couve!


Our little corner spot

Here's your first step into the temptations of downtown Vancouver that will continue to hook you. The charm, uniqueness, and variety is what keeps us (mainly me) wandering down
Main St. every day! Now come see what it's all about!

Projects, Projects, Projects!

Projects: It's the name of the game. If I'm finishing a project, I've probably already started another. More often than not I feel like I've got a few going on with a million in my head. There's never enough time in the day and I'm sure most of you would concur. It's a problem, I know. I can thank mom and dad for that...when Mom starts a project, don't interrupt her because that lady will have it done by the end of the night (no joke, even if it's a project that would take most people 3 days. She's always been one determined woman). Then I get my "project brain" from Dad. That man will save any scrap of yarn and turn it into something. You should see his garage! Fortunately he turned that into a project itself and it is much more organized. He claims he may have gotten rid of stuff, but I have this feeling he may have just found a better spot for it while he was organizing everything. This is also probably why I save everything. Lots of habits, they've got to come from somewhere right? 

I love all the odd quirks each of us have. They're awesome and can be annoying at the same time.

Ty has been busy gettin' crafty himself...in more of a manly way though. He's not making wreaths or looking forward to the next day he can knit or sew by any means, but nonetheless he's packed his load full with his normal schedule and projects. He put together our sweet new tailgater BBQ. It's cute, red, and wheels around if we want it to. Can you just imagine Ty and I, rolling down the street with our BBQ? Cool thought. And nerdy too. I love that.

Ty's project: A Crossfit 20x24x30 box for our at-home WODS!


Ty claims the wood "came this way", but he also spilled coffee all over everything else in the car the other day....the wood was in there at that time as well.

Like I said, there are always numerous projects going on at once. I've started some (those can be a mini tutorial post another day), in the middle of others, and completed a few things today.


What to do with leftover materials from the wedding...


Directions:
Most of you have seen these a million times and they are super easy to make, so ignore these directions if you don't care. Otherwise, here they are!

1) Go to Walmart (they were cheaper there) and get stencils, paint (we had plenty around the house from previous projects), and more of a stencil stamp-like brush.
2) Cut your burlap into the size you want for the placemats (I used a placemat
from around the house to compare the size I'd need)
3) Work backwards when spelling the words out on the burlap (right to left) if you plan on
having the words more on the right side...if not, do whatever you want.

*Leftover burlap pieces? Use them when placing food on the table
or incorporate into a fun little centerpiece.

A little baking to go along with the crafting...

Vegan chocolate coconut cupcakes with
a slight coffee flavored frosting
topped with toasted coconut
for the PEO meeting tomorrow!


My next project needs to be learning how to take pictures
indoors. I'd like to blame it on the cameras we have,
but I highly doubt that's the case.

Alright, I had planned to post another project but I'm too sleepy to even finish the last part of the craft! The blogging and crafting came to a halt when Ty came home and we decided he should go to urgent care to get his foot checked out. Apparently basketball got a little crazy tonight with all the old guys. Fortunately they say it's just a torn ligament! No broken bones that they could see.
For now, rest, ice, & elevate my husband!

Goodnight all,
The Stanleys!

The Little Things

I know I just posted about Ty, but this is quick and kinda funny. He's been known to leave me notes in my car, lunch, etc. However, he has yet to add a little drawing to it as well. What a treat it was when I went to get this breakfast this morning...what a creative guy!

It's the little things in life he does that makes me smile!



Ty tells me, "Which one do you want to be?"
I had no clue what he was talking about until he pointed at...
a) the egg
b) the skillet with the egg in it

We Teach, We Nurse: Savin' Lives Is What We Do

This may take a few minutes to read through, but hear us out. Plus you get to hear from Ty in this one, what a bonus! We both work in professions that allow us to save lives in different ways. Ty has been blessed with an incredible amount of patience, the ability to teach a large classroom, and make a difference in and out of the classroom for these kids who come from less fortunate backgrounds. Cori helps heal those sick, is able to provide care during some of the worst time in people's lives, and is known at the hospital for her attitude and smile. These are the things that we are very proud of each other for and are just few reasons we married each other! 

Don't get too excited but you get to see a little snipit of what we look like when we get ready for work...

Here we are!

Mr. Stanley's school pic!

Ty: 

Four years ago this was not where I thought I would be. To be honest, I was pretty sure that after college graduation I would look towards a career in law enforcement. However, six months before I walked across the stage I had a change of heart. My whole life I have had a plethora of excellent teachers, coaches, and mentors. How could I be selfish and not do my very best to give back in the same capacity that ruled my life from pre-k through graduate school: education and athletics.

Here I am now, a 7th grade math teacher and coach of 3 sports at a school that's 180 degrees opposite from how I grew up. I teach some students who have reading and math skills at an elementary level, who would go toe to toe with my 2 year old nephew in a debate because they are new to the country and their english is in it's infancy. My students are ALL challenging, ALL different, ALL funny, and all needy in their own ways. MOST show up 4-5 times each week, SOME only 1-2. They are from from Chuuk, Laos, Mexico, Russia, Ukraine, Central America, and various part of the US. The school is 80+% low-income students and it's as inner city as you will get in Vancouver. The turnover rate of the students, the 20+ languages spoken at the school, the cultural and ethnic backgrounds, the diversity and the challenge of being the person my students know they can count on every single day is what motivates me to help these students to be better in and out of school.

I use this statement of 'saving lives' loosely because I am not actually saving lives but rather I'm in the game of changing lives. I guess you could say I'm the sherpa to my students who are trying to climb their educational Everest. Either way my job is to lead, to guide, to provide assistance and eventually step off camera when my students take their picture at the top.

My classroom and life expectations:
1. Work Hard & Be Nice
2. The only thing you have total control over is your attitude
3. Hands on and Minds on learning

Three simple statements but trying to get the importance of those ideas and their connection with being successful to 7th graders has not been as seamless as I thought. I now take each day as it comes, praying each of my students and myself included, get better with time. That's where I have the opportunity to change lives...give me 9 months with those kids and I will instill some life lessons and some good math and/or athletic skills to prep them for their future.

Well good morning sleepy eyes!

Cori:

Through majority of nursing school, my mind was set that my job in life was to work with kids as a nurse. There was no doubt in my mind that I would end up on a pediatric floor when I was all through with school. That was my dream, my plan. However, when I went to Africa I realized more than one thing...the important one in regards to my nursing career was that I needed experience everywhere if I was planning to go back to another country to provide any care. Those prayers were answered when I got the job in the float pool for Providence 3 years ago.

In the float pool, I have the opportunity to see cancer patients, those with cardiac issues, chronic medical problems complicated by acute conditions, general or orthopedic surgical patients, neuro patients (strokes, vascular surgeries, spinal and brain surgeries, and eating disorders), and then there's always to the psych side to it all too. With all the variety, my days are never boring and I'm always challenged (physically, emotionally, etc). I love that I can be utilized as a resource no matter what floor I'm on. Some days I am caring for those who face death everyday due to their chronic illness while other days a sudden emergency can take an individual's life.

This is where my job can be an amazing thing. This is where I'm blessed to be a part of the dying process. I get it, it sounds weird. It's something that most fear, most are uncomfortable with talking about, and it is always seems to be the saddest day of some people's lives. There are a few things I've learned in my short nursing career that may or may not come in handy for you, your families, or even the one who is dying.

• The fear: I have noticed those who fear death when it approaches have no strong faith in any religion. The anxiety of those patients can be overwhelming...it makes the dying process more uncomfortable and worrisome. Believe, have faith, figure it out. 
• They can hear you: talk to your family member, tell them your thoughts, tell them some stories. They may not be able to respond depending on their conditions, but they hear you.
• Uncomfortable discussions: We will all die at some point. I know you know that, I don't need to remind you. When? Who knows. I see young and old who pass away, expected and unexpected. My suggestion is talk with your family, spouse, or whoever is closest to you about your wishes. Make everybody share their wishes and then fill out an Advanced Directive so everybody will know what your wishes are when you're unable to make that decision for yourself.
• Sad day: it's hard to think that the day someone important to you dies that it could be a happy day. I understand and realize that it doesn't sound right. Think about the day you were born...The Lord brought us into the world and when our plan for Him is to leave this world, we should feel blessed just as we were to be able to live. It can be a happy thing.

Alright, now that I brought the topic of death out there for all who even care, I have a great story of life...another chance at life that is! I was recently working on our cardiac floor and heard the red phone go off. The red phone means that something is wrong with a patient based on their heart rhythm. My body immediately reacted by running to the patient's room, lifting the patient back on the bed (with another nurse of course) as the patient had begin to fall, finding that there was no pulse, and immediately jumping on the bed to start chest compressions. After providing chest compressions, shocking the patient, and then continuing chest compressions yet again, the pulse returned. That's right, the heart decided to pump! By the end of it all, I'm pretty sure my heart was racing and the sweat had  soaked into my undershirt.

That day I helped saved a life. That patient gets another opportunity to live. As a nurse, that's what I and many others get to do. We save lives in emergencies, we have the opportunity to save patient's from fearing death at the end of their life, and sometimes it's just saving a life in the sense of giving them a little more hope in a day.

A little peek in our daily lives!
Love always,
The Stanleys!

Delish

Holy moly, we have been in paleo heaven night after night! I have paleo chocolate chili and spiced cocoa dusted cauliflower cooking at the moment. I could eat the air. No joke. Smells so good. If you're interested in that recipe leave a little comment at the end of this post in the comments section. For now, you get to test out ginger-lime shrimp with zucchini noodles. Both of which you would've thought Ty was in heaven or something. Each bite was 'yum,' 'oh man this is SO good,' and 'mmmm' over and over.

(credit to Well Fed for the recipe)

Ginger-lime Grilled Shrimp

2 tbsp lime juice

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp freshly grated ginger

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 tbsp chopped cilantro

1 tbsp olive oil

1-2 pounds large shrimp (defrosted, leftover water drained)

*Depending the amount of shrimp you use, I found that I had to add more lime juice and a tiny bit more olive oil.

1) Mix the lime juice with all the spices, then add the olive oil. Place in large ziploc bag with shrimp, shake around to get the mixture to cover the shrimp. Let it sit for 30 minutes in the fridge. You can either grill the shrimp on skewers on your BBQ on high heat for about 10 min or saute them in a pan until cooked. We didn't have propane so I sauteed mine. Still turned out yummy and even reminded me of my mom's lemon garlic shrimp recipe!

Zucchini Noodles

6 zucchini (3 yellow, 3 green), sliced with a julienne peeler (the recipe calls for 4 zucchs, but it didn't make much)

1/2 tsp coconut oil

1 tbsp almond flour

2 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

salt and pepper, to taste

1) Put the julienned zucchini in a colander and toss generously with salt. Let sit for 20-30 min. Rinse with running water, drain well, and pat dry with paper towels (the recipe says DO NOT skip this step...also, the noodles never seem to get all the water out of them so I say don't worry about it too much).

2) While the zucchini is sweating off it's water, heat a pan over med-high heat with the coconut oil. Once melted, add the almond flour and a pinch of salt. Saute them, stirring often until toasty brown. Remove crumbs from pan to use for garnish later.

3) Add the dried zucchini noodles to the pan, saute for several minutes. Push the noodles to the side and add the olive oil, garlic, and crushed red pepper. Let cook for about a minute, then stir the mixture into the noodles. Once the noodles are coated, add the parsley, salt, and black pepper (I didn't add any extra salt since I figured there was enough still remaining on the noodles). 

4) Sprinkle the almond flour crumbles on the top before serving.

AHWOD

Need a little workout? Try this one out just for the heck of it!

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1

Burpies and sit ups

(10 burpies, 10 sit ups, 9 burpies, 9 sit ups, etc)

"If you worked out when you were first thinking about it...
you'd be done by now!"

Photo Book

I may or may not have just eaten an entire pint of coconut based ice cream. I'm sure you can guess 

what I really did. I don't feel bad about it either...that is, unless it has any repercussions later. 

Then maybe I'll literally be feeling bad.

Anyway, I decided to make a photo book of our engagement pictures because I got an email saying I get a FREE book. I love deals, so why not! Bad part about it is now I'm up 'til 1AM working on it. What was great was that at the end of checking out on their website, they offered me a $10 gift card if I posted it either on FB or blogger...so guess who fell for it? That means I got two deals in one night!
A free book and a $10 gift card all for nothing!

It wasn't the plan to post this, but Shutterfly did it for me so I guess you'll have to enjoy it anyway.

Click here to view this photo book larger

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