living Archives - Dine and Dish

6 Ways to #LiveFull in 2017

Kristen — Wed, 18 Jan 2017 16:32:54 +0000

What does the term #LifeFull mean to you? For me, it’s all about banning the word busy and embracing the full riches of life. Here are 6 ways to really #LiveFull in 2017 brought to you by Yoplait Greek 100 Protein.

A friend of mine recently told me she has banned the word “busy” from her life. She was tired of people being “sooo busy” all the time, running off their constant list of to-do’s, and complaining about their packed schedule. When I asked her what she uses instead or how she has banned “busy” she said “instead I choose to look at busy as full…my life is so rich and full that I have all these activities and obligations.”…

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Living In Excess – My Personal Struggle

Kristen — Wed, 30 Mar 2016 19:41:48 +0000

I’ve had this post rattling around in my brain for quite some time. At this point I never know if it will actually get published, but I have to at least get these thoughts out of my head.

You see, I’m living in excess and I am struggling so hard with that right now. Excess food, excess weight, excess time on the internet, excess stuff in my house, etc. Excess seems to be my new norm and that excess all stems from my job.

I have a job focused on food… I cook and photograph pretty things for the internet. I make food for sustenance, yet I also make food for clicks, likes, pins and validation. Food is my currency. Each and every one of my days is focused around viewing others food, making food, pinning food, reading about food, eating food, trying to avoid eating food, etc. Because of my job as a food photographer and food blogger, food is something that has brought me so much joy and opportunity. It’s also something that has been a constant struggle for me….

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The Summer of Yes {In 1 Second Everyday}

Kristen — Wed, 26 Aug 2015 17:08:53 +0000

Our summer is officially over and the kids have been in school now for a whole week. It was so hard for me to let summer go this year because it was one of our best, yet. I intentionally didn’t do my typical Summer Bucket List, but instead deemed the summer of 2015 “The Summer of Yes”.

I vowed that this summer, I was going to say yes as much as I could. If the kids asked to do something or had an idea, even a far out there idea, I said yes (naturally within reason). We had so much fun!

It was the summer of lots of swimming, beaches, pink hair, reading, ice cream for breakfast, sno cones for lunch, sleeping in, staying up late, friends, family, baseball, bike rides, travel and more. I loved absolutely every last second of our summer! (Well I could have done without my mom being so sick and hospitalized for most of it, but even that brought some fun adventures for our family). …

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Sharing by the Shore Bloggers Retreat – Traverse City, Michigan

Kristen — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 00:58:52 +0000

A look into the Sharing by the Shore retreat in beautiful Traverse City, Michigan.

“I’m a food and travel blogger/photographer”.

That’s my short answer when people ask what I do for a living. I’m typically met with curious faces, a plethora of questions, and a lot of misconceptions. The assumptions about what I do for a living or what a typical day looks like for me are pretty funny…I don’t stay in my pajamas all day. I don’t go around and write nasty reviews of restaurants. I love food but don’t believe I’m obsessed with food (I rarely watch The Food Network or read food related books and magazines). Since I cook a ton and have four kids, I’m about the last person who can give a lot of great restaurant recommendations in the city I live in.

I’m BLESSED to be a blogger. I’ve grown Dine & Dish since 2006 and have had some incredible experiences. My job is not hard…fighting cancer is hard. Blogging? It’s not hard. Does it challenge me? Yes! I’m running my own multi faceted business, which provides a ton of daily challenges. Can it be frustrating? Like any job, it definitely can. But overall the best way to describe my career is as a blessing. I’ve been able to stay home and take care of my kids, doing something fun and fulfilling, while bringing in an income that helps support our family. I have the best of both worlds.

I’ll admit that lately, mostly in this past year, I’ve taken my job for granted. I haven’t felt burnt out, necessarily, but I needed to step away and re-shift my priorities. I mean, Leah starts kindergarten in 2 weeks (!!!) and my oldest is starting his last year of middle school. Add to that my mom being in the hospital all summer and my sister-in-laws breast cancer diagnosis, it seemed that my personal life was changing, and with that the need to refocus became crystal clear. …

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The Happiness Report #36

Kristen — Fri, 13 Feb 2015 14:02:24 +0000

Let’s talk about what’s been making us happy lately!

Hi friends! I hope you all are well and are ready to have a great weekend! The girls and I are headed to Oklahoma City for the weekend to hang out with my sister and to celebrate her youngest daughter turning 18. I may have cried on my nieces birthday… what does that mean I’ll be like when my own kids turn 18? I can answer that for you… a big, teary, mess!

Anyway, I thought it would be a great idea to start the weekend off with a little bit of happiness. How’s that sound? Great! Let’s do it!…

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Thoughts on Dreaming

Kristen — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 00:32:59 +0000

A random thought…

I needed to give myself this reminder today. My life IS good….

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Project 365 2013: Our Life in Photos February 3rd – 16th

Kristen — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 02:56:57 +0000

One of my favorite Instagram pics from the week.

I’ll admit that I haven’t been in the mood to take pictures lately. I get this way just about every year around this time… I feel like my life is just one day after another of the same old same old and get in a serious rut. I think I’m out of it now as I’ve picked up my big girl camera again the last couple of days. If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram, you’ve probably seen many of this posts pictures already. I promise next week I’ll be back with fresh, DSLR pictures! Until then, here is my Project 365 / Project Life post for February 3rd – February 16th. …

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Project 365 2013: Our Life In Photos January 27th – February 2nd

Kristen — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 02:08:20 +0000

One of my favorite Instagram photos from the week.

January 27th: As I mentioned in this post, Kelly is taking a cake decorating class for 4-H. We’be been practicing, practicing, practicing! If you have any helpful tips, please pass them along. She has really taken to it and is having a lot of fun!…

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