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Dine and Dish

Food blog with family recipes

November 21, 2014

The Happiness Report #34

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A post full of happy things I’ve thought about, discovered and done this past week! Come share your happy things with me!

Happiness Report from Dineanddish.net

Happy Happiness Report Day, everyone! The photo you see above is of Leah this past spring at Ella’s first communion. I found it while I was looking for an old photo of a recipe I needed and it made me realize how much I miss sharing my Project 365 photos. This photo along with the ones below would most likely suffer the fate of sitting on my external hard drive, never to be seen and enjoyed by anyone. What’s the point of that?

To rectify the situation, I’m starting a “no-rules” Project 365 project for myself. No rules meaning… if I accidentally skip a day of taking a photo, I’ll say oops and move on. If my photo is taken with my camera phone instead of my DSLR, I’ll say oops and carry on. No rules meaning I’m not waiting until January 1st to start. I’m going to start on December 1st…or if I feel like it, tomorrow or whenever. No rules is not within my comfort zone, but the thought of a no rules photography project makes me very happy! I actually think I’m going to call it just that “The No Rules Photography Project”. Sounds easy enough, right?

Here are a few of the photos that I saved from external hard drive purgatory…

Leah-Grandpa Girls-Lake
Meg-Brownie Jacob-Birthday Easter-EggsSome other things that have made me happy this week:

My husband and I celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary this week! Well, we are actually celebrating tomorrow night with a sitter and a night out, but our 15th wedding anniversary happened this past week. That’s a happy thing.

tweet scott foley

Is it wrong to post this right after talking about my wedding anniversary? Yes? Oh….well, I did some more tweeting with Scott Foley… we’ve tweeted back and forth now 4 times, plus you know… the meeting and hugging him in person this summer. I’d say we’re real friends now, wouldn’t you? 😉

Although it’s not a happy post, I have great respect for people who share rare feelings and raw emotion on their blogs. My friend Shanna shared a heart breaking post about the loss of her best friend… but the writing, the photos, the story made me feel like I was there. It’s a good read…you should take a look. It’s a great reminder that happiness is a fridge full of cheese 🙂

Have you seen the hundreds of new mug designs in the #DotCollection at Starbucks? So many WAY cute mugs! I love this one that I bought for myself!

I’ve always loved Gina’s photos, but oh my gosh… I can’t get over how good they are lately! Pretty photos make me happy!

This post about coffee and marriage is so right on… love it.

Erin Condren’s Black Friday sale is this weekend. I LOVE her stuff, especially the personalized desk pads at this deep of a discount for teacher gifts!

I am still LOVING the Serial podcast… do you think he’s guilty?? I need to talk about this with someone!

New scarves crocheted by friends, tasty coffee dates and dancing gifs of Scott Foley make me happy.

Now it’s your turn…share in the comments and let me know where you found happiness this past week!

Happy

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Filed Under: Happiness Tagged With: happiness, happiness report, happy, life, love, photos

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Comments

  1. Barbara @ Barbara Bakes says

    November 21, 2014 at 9:47 pm

    I went to lunch with my daughter and my grandsons today for lunch. Spending time with them always puts a smile on my face.

    • Kristen says

      November 23, 2014 at 9:52 am

      I still have a hard time believing you are old enough to have grandkids! I want your aging secrets 🙂

  2. camille says

    November 22, 2014 at 9:02 am

    I reconnected with a dear old friend this week – just online, so far, but we’re trying to make plans to hang out for real.

    • Kristen says

      November 23, 2014 at 9:52 am

      I LOVE that so much!! Hope you get to meet up in real life soon!

  3. Haley @ Carrots for Michaelmas says

    November 22, 2014 at 1:42 pm

    Thanks for the link love! 🙂

    • Kristen says

      November 23, 2014 at 9:53 am

      Sure thing… thanks for sharing such a great post!

  4. Donalyn@TheCreeksideCook says

    November 22, 2014 at 2:48 pm

    Everything is making me happy these days – really feelin’ my blessings this Thanksgiving!

    • Kristen says

      November 23, 2014 at 9:53 am

      Well, I love this to the moon and back! So happy your are so happy 🙂

  5. Dee says

    November 22, 2014 at 4:34 pm

    Your Happiness Reports are making me happy. Seriously!

    • Kristen says

      November 23, 2014 at 9:53 am

      Awwwww – thanks, Dee! It makes me happy to be doing them regularly again!

  6. Shanna @ Pineapple and Coconut says

    November 22, 2014 at 7:05 pm

    Thank you so much for sharing about my post. I cried while writing it. But I am happier now having finally done it. Not sure I feel like I really got to say bye to her finally, but it felt good to write it. Thank you for being such a good friend!

    • Kristen says

      November 23, 2014 at 9:54 am

      I bet it was so hard to write, but you did a fantastic job 🙂 Thanks for sharing that part of your life with us!

  7. Joanie @ ZagLeft says

    November 23, 2014 at 10:24 am

    Your happiness reports make me happy 🙂 What’s truly making me happy right now is that I’m finally able to travel with my husband on a couple of his business trips. He travels for business a lot and when our kids were small, I couldn’t ever go with him. Now that they’re older, I’m able to get away with him for a few days. It’s nice and it’s a great way for us to reconnect.

    • Kristen says

      November 23, 2014 at 11:18 am

      I know this happiness feeling well! It’s nice to get reaquainted again, isn’t it!! Hope you are having a GREAT time. Loving your pictures!

  8. Michelle says

    November 23, 2014 at 12:00 pm

    My husband and I hosted our first annual “Friends-giving” dinner with turkey and all the trimmings. It was a great way to spend time with a few friends before the holiday craze. Turned out, for a few “empty – nesters” this dinner was their Thanksgiving dinner! I had no idea. It was a small group this time around, but I am hoping to get a larger group together next year. And this dinner has inspired me to plan a few more gatherings throughout the coming new year. I am truly grateful for our friends, and I am happy we made time to see them.

  9. Amy @ Thoroughly Nourished Life says

    November 23, 2014 at 7:42 pm

    OMG I am LOVING the Serial podcast! I keep going over and over the episodes hoping I haven’t missed something! I need to know!
    Happy Anniversary!
    I had lots of happy things this weekend – time with my family, long walks along the harbour, and way too many spiced nuts (I was taste testing…).
    Hope the coming week brings just as many things for you to be happy about and enjoy your dinner out 🙂

  10. Snoskred says

    November 23, 2014 at 8:44 pm

    Hey there, I found you via the NaBloPoMo blogroll.

    As part of NaBloPoMo I try to comment on as many participating blogs as I can, and I am also adding participating blogs to my feed reader. So I’m just dropping by to let you know I’ve added your blog to my feedreader, whenever you publish a post I will see it. 🙂

    I have created three bundles on Inoreader so that bloggers can easily visit other participating NaBloPoMo bloggers which you can find here –

    http://www.snoskred.org/2014/11/nablopomo-bundles-final-edition.html

    Your blog is in the second bundle.. I also have a link up going at my place so my readers can find participating blogs which you are more than welcome to add your blog link to.

    Looking forward to seeing your posts. You may see me drop by again during November, but it might be December before I finish my first drop by to blogs if I don’t get faster at leaving comments. 🙂

    Happy NaBloPoMo to you!
    Snoskred
    http://www.snoskred.org

  11. christi in ma says

    November 24, 2014 at 1:14 pm

    I struggle with getting the great “everyday” photos off my computer and printed. Don’t ask how far behind I am on Project Life!! For 2015 I want to try using the Collect app and have the photos printed out at my favorite printer. Then I can just slip them into pockets. http://blog.persnicketyprints.com/collectapp/

Trackbacks

  1. Join Us #Imperfect365 Photography Project - Dine and Dish says:
    January 2, 2015 at 12:47 pm

    […] mentioned in a recent Happiness Report that after completing three Project 365’s I needed a year off. I took 2014 off from […]

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New ink inspired by a quote in my friend @andiemmitchell amazing memoir “It Was Me All Along”. 

I tend to be an all or nothing person and look at long term and get overwhelmed instead of just taking things one day at a time. I’ve said her quote to myself multiple times a day for years. Now I’ll have a permanent reminder. 

The full quote: “Can you do it today? Can you make it through today without bingeing? Just today, and tomorrow we’ll reconsider?”

I need to go back and get a couple missed spots filled in but I love it. Thanks Rob at @irezumitattookc 🎉

#typewriterfonttattoo #tattooinstagram #inspiringtattoos #quotetattoo #gentlereminder #wordstoinspire #wordstoremember #wordstoliveby
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My snow and mountain loving, free spirited, book reading, laugh inducing, amazing friend @mountainmamacooks wrote a cookbook. It’s beautiful and just so perfect! I’m sharing all about it on the blog today and I also gave her Crispy Kahlua French Toast recipe the double dip treatment.

Find the recipe and get a peek into her book over on Dine & Dish! (PS I miss you tons, Kelley!)

#apresallday #frenchtoastrecipe #brunchideas #cookbooks #mountainmama #skiingislife
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Here’s a fun fact I heard on the radio several years ago…October 5th is the most popular day to be born (9 months prior is New Years Eve-ish). 🎉 

Happy birthday to all my many many birthday twins out there! It’s the big 4-8 for me…although this past year as a Covid long hauler I feel like I’ve aged 20 years in the past 1. But things are looking up! I’m excited for the next 365 days of my life. I’m blessed and so thankful to still be here, chugging along.

This picture is from last week when @kellykdoyle and I were visiting colleges in Colorado. If I have any followers with ties to @coloradostateuniversity or @cuboulder I’d love to chat! 

#october5th #birthdaytwins #gardenofthegods #birthdayweek #coloradosprings
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I love being a parent of teens...but I miss the days of parenting kids who loved going to school, who didn't struggle with major anxiety, who loved their bodies, and were confident about how they looked. I miss pre-covid days where lunch wasn't distanced, kids had the opportunity to connect and socialize at school, where mask-wearing wasn't even a topic, let alone one that divides. 

The past 2 years have changed my kids. They have gained so many positive things, but they've also gained a new kind of anxiety that wasn't there before. And I hate it for them. They've seen first hand how long haul covid has changed our family. They've seen the selfishness of others in ways they haven't seen before. They've had to grow up faster, worry about things they shouldn't have to worry about, and learn the hard way how this world can really be. And it hurts my heart for them. 

I have a new senior, sophomore and 6th grader here at home. Missing my sophomore in college a ton. I hope the world is kind to them and they are kind to the world. I want nothing more than for them to be happy and to be surrounded by good people who love and accept them for who they are and who also push them to live a full, rich and happy life. I pray every day for them - and for your kids...and pray that we are all raising a generation of empathetic and kind changemakers.

#loveoneanother❤️ #parentingteens #momofteens #anxietyawareness #backtoschooloutfit #changemakers #parenthood_moments
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These two small business owners had a successful launch day for their new clothing and accessory brand, @impatient.us I’m so proud of my daughter @kellykdoyle & daughter from another mother, @kyleemdunn for making the time and financial commitment to launch their dream brand! They’ve done it all so independently and have navigated starting a small business way better than I could have at 17! Thanks to everyone who sent words of encouragement and showered them with support. It’s means so much! 

Follow their journey at @impatient.us and shop the link in their profile!

#smallbusinesslaunch #clothingbrands #teenentrepreneur #launchday #launchparty #teenbusiness #shopsmallbusinesses #proudmoment
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I was a “houseplant lady” before the pandemic, but I think since the pandemic I get to add the word “crazy” to that title. So. Many. Plants. I’m not mad about it!

This weekend @kctinygreenhouse I picked up this beautiful Monstera Peru as well as a bag of Jeff’s Jungle Mix. You know when a new to you potting mix has you super excited, you’ve crossed the line into la la land 😂 Swipe to see how pretty it is!

What pandemic hobby did you pick up?

#plantmomlife #crazyplantpeople #houseplantlove #monsteraperu #pottingmix #plantobsession #plantcollectors #plantsmakepeoplehappy
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Yesterday we spent a few hours down in the West Bottoms visiting the grand opening of @kctinygreenhouse newest location . KC Plant fam, head there. Just trust me! Plants loved and cared for with the best good vibes, all ready to join your crazy plant person home. You’ll find goodies from local KC artisans as well, like @pigeoncandles 

Come for the plants, leave with a heart full of happy!

#westbottoms #tinygreenhouse #plantfamily #pandemicprojects #shoplocalkc #happyplants #plantvibes #summerofyes
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Last night in the suite @kcroyals ...I almost cried. Man it feels so good to be doing normal things. I’ll never take this for granted! Making this the summer of yes...I’m going to say yes to as many events/outings/opportunities as possible! Who’s in? #summerofyes
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Ella is 15 today! Those of you who have been with Dine & Dish since the very beginning have been a part of Ella’s life since the start too! 15 years sure does go by in a flash, both with businesses and babies.
Happy birthday @ella.r.doyle 💕💕💕 We love you!
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I want to live in the big city, yet also want to live in the country. I want to live by the beach, yet also want to live in the mountains. I either need multiple lives or multiple homes! 

#farmlifeisthebestlife #chickensofig #barnlife #iwantitall #hensofinstagram #citygirlcountrygirl
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I’m officially one step closer to reaching peak plant lady status! 🪴

I’m welcoming these plant cuttings from the Hello Kathy Plant Etsy Shop to my already booming collection. When I saw people rave about her “Mystery Box” of plant cuttings I knew I had to buy one. 2 things I love...mystery boxes and plants!

Now I need to figure out how to keep them alive. Any advice? 😃 🪴

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Hi, friend! I Thought I’d just say “hey” and check in and add some pretty flowers to your feed.

We’re over here dragging ourselves across the school finish line...so close to done physically, but over done, mentally. Can you relate?

My coaching business is going great, I’m working with some truly incredible, inspiring women right now which makes me so happy! I’ll be launching 2 new group coaching  classes (for women and entrepreneurs) in a few weeks so be sure to follow @rockyourhappy if you are interested in being updated on those!

Jacob comes home from college this week and my parents are coming to visit for a couple of weeks as well. And it’s almost my favorite time of the year, summer!! 

How are things going with you? What’s going good and making you happy? Or what do you need a hand or listening ear with? Touch base! I’ve missed you!

#pinkflowers🌸 #happyday💕 #touchingbase #spreadhappiness #thursdaytherapy #lifecoachforwomen #springflowersmakemehappy
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Book Lovers Giveaway (read to the end)!!! ⬇️ ⬇️ 

Supporting my local independent bookstore @rainydaybooks looks a lot different than it used to these days. Temporarily gone are the days of lingering in store, browsing the shelves, walking out with an armful of books I didn’t expect to buy. The pandemic has made independent bookstores pivot in ways they’ve never had to before, but I’m so happy to say they are CRUSHING IT! And as we virtually celebrate Independent Bookstore Day on 4/24, I wanted to share a way you too can help keep Independent bookstores afloat now (and in the future).

You know I’m a huge fan of @librofm , the absolute best audiobook alternative that gives money back to the independent bookstore of your choice with your audiobook purchases. Well, to celebrate Independent Bookstore Day on 4/24, they are giving YOU a free audiobook! Here’s what you need to do…

Spend $15 or more at your bookstore between April 24th and 26th. Submit your receipt at libro.fm/ibd and Libro.fm will email you a link to your free audiobook by April 28th! Easy peasy, right?

Wait! There’s more! 🌟 I’d love to give one Dine & Dish follower the chance to win a 3 month @Librofm audiobook membership. To enter, simply tag your favorite independent bookstore here and tell me what you love the most about it! That’s it! Winner will be chosen at random on April 27th. Yay, books!

#indiebookstoreday #indiebookstore #bookstoreshoutout 
#booksbooksandmorebooks #bookgiveaway #audiobook #librofm #independentbookstore @indiebookstoreday
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Can’t believe we’re doing the college tour thing already with my second baby! 

So question for any of you who sent your kids to out of state schools or went to out of state schools...how did you do it? She wants to get the heck out of Kansas (I’d like to go with her!). We have money saved, she’ll most likely get a scholarship or two, she’s paying and has money saved as well...but even with that out of state tuition is a beast of an amount. So, did you just assume that student loans were going to be part of that life? And is that worth it to give your kids a shot at a new life outside of your home state? I wish I would have left Kansas for university, and have been here since I was born 😩. I want different for her if that’s what she wants but also just don’t have any experience with how people do out of state college! Any tips?

#collegetour #bestlifenow #outofstate #studentloans #junioryear #kansasstate #adviceneeded
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J is for...jam!
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My friend @wakschmale makes the best strawberry jam...and I completely forgot about a jar she gave me last year until this morning. Which then inspired me to make my favorite buttermilk biscuits. So so good. Are you a jam, honey, just butter or plain biscuit fan? I love biscuits allll the ways, except with gravy. I have super bad memories of biscuits and gravy growing up. 🤢
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I’m still slowly making my way through the alphabet for @kimklassen_innercircle a-z photo challenge. I’m bound and determined to finish. It may just take me a little longer than I originally anticipated 🤗.
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#homemadejam #eatcaptureshare #biscuitsandjam #homemadebiscuits #sundaybaking #easylikesundaymorning #foodphotograph #foodpics #slowsunday #breakfastathome #kimklassen_innercircle
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It took me 2 months to get this Crispy Chickpea Pantry Pasta recipe up on the blog. 🤦‍♀️But it’s there now! You can find the link in my Instagram profile.
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Also, just noticed Instagram took away the like count on posts. I kind of like that...what do you think?
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#pastarecipe #chickpeapasta #dinnerideas #dinnerrecipes #vegetarianrecipe #eatcaptureshare #slowblogging  #totallifechanges
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I is for Inspiration!
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The “long haul” effects of having Covid back in December are really presenting themselves lately. The continuous persistent headaches are taking a toll and the connection between the brain fog and word retrieval function of my brain has been extra challenging. I had no idea a couple months out, the cognitive effects would still be hanging around.
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With that said, when I get a burst of inspiration I’m grabbing on for dear life. I made our favorite chocolate chip cookies recipe yesterday and felt the desire to update the blog post photos from 2007! We make these cookies all the time, so I’m not sure why it’s taken me so many years to give that poor post some new photos.
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If you’re interested in the recipe you can find the link currently in my profile. Enjoy!!
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@kimklassen_innercircle #kimklassen_innercircle #chocolatechipcookie #cookiestagram #foodphotography #feedfeedbaking #plateofcookies #cookiephotography #eatcaptureshare #recipeoftheweek
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H is for...high!
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It was so strange being on a plane again. I’m so thankful I have the antibodies because the flights were full, which seemed wrong, but everyone around me did seem to keep their masks on, so that was good.
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I can’t wait until travel becomes a regular part of life again. I’ve missed it so much!
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 @kimklassen_innercircle @southwestair @windowswap #cloudphotography #cloudsofinstagram #flightview #iflyswa #imisstravelling #skylove #planepics #myviewtoday #beautifulviews
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G is for...oh so grateful!

I flew to South Texas yesterday to visit my parents whom I haven’t seen in 2 years. They live around 17 hours away from us. We typical get to see each other a few times a year but with the pandemic and other health issues it just wasn’t able to happen and I’ve missed them soooo much.

Grateful to have had COVID last month. Although it was not at all fun, it gave me the antibodies to make this trip possible. My dad is having surgery tomorrow so I’m helping with my mom so my dad can recover without having to worry about her.

Kansas is enjoying frigid temperatures and snow. I picked a great week to head south.
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#palmtrees🌴 #palmtreesfordays #blueskiesandsunshine #wintersun #texasskies #kimklassen_innercircle @kimklassen_innercircle #silverlining
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F is for...food photography.
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This time of year especially, food photography (and I guess all photography actually) is a tug of war with time and light. I had planned on making and photographing a delicious pasta recipe, but my grocery delivery ran a couple of hours late because of snowstorm. So, at the eleventh hour I decided to make a cake...that took over an hour to bake and I had about 90 minutes of natural light left...leaving me with about 30 minutes of ok light to work with.
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Anyway, this wouldn't work for a client shoot because the cake, although delicious, didn't turn out looking so great. But it will work great for today's F photo for the @kimklassen_innercircle A-Z photo project:) Lemon Citrus Yogurt Cake from this weeks @cabotcheese newsletter. So good!
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#eatcake #eatcaptureshare #eatcakebehappy #lemoncake #cakecakecakecake #foodiegram #yahoofood #dessertsofinstagram #sweettooth #kimklassen_innercircle #fisforfood
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