When I look back on my childhood memories, so many of them involve small moments spent with family members…. making graham cracker frosting cookies with my Nana (pretty much cake frosting in between two graham crackers… they’re amazing….) and then jump roping together, getting frozen yogurt, with all the sprinkles, with my Papa, Sunday donuts with my family after church….. and even now, some of my long lasting memories, and connections, are built around a dinner table with my family (one of my favorites was when we were all in Yosemite + had dinner under the stars…) …. eating delicious food, sipping a little vino, and enjoying the company.

I think as a parent (well at least for me) it’s easy to get caught up in the need to create elaborate days with our kiddos, to ensure they have positive memories from their childhood. And while I believe the trips we take and the more elaborate family outings we plan are all building memories for little miss, I also acknowledge that those aren’t always possible, and that there are smaller ways to create those positive interactions with her. When I worked as a case manager in Therapeutic Behavioral Services (TBS) a lot of the work done by the coaches was in home, hands on, and in the moment, which meant they saw everything. Both the good and the bad (which was the main reason we were there). Yet, it also allowed them to really get in there and create dynamic shifts in the family system, often by facilitating family bonding time. And, since most of the families we worked with dealt with significant financial hardships, we needed to make sure that the bonding activities suggested, and facilitated, were ones that could easily be continued after our time with the family was complete. One of the activities suggested on a regular basis, and requested by the children, was baking together…. so simple, yet so powerful.

So, when I visited the Foodstirs’ offices last week, met with the founders, and listened to their mission, I couldn’t help but be reminded of the families we worked with. Their goal is to make the connections that can happen between family members, through baking, easy + clean. They’ve created a six step, box to bowl mix that is certified organic + non-gmo, with fair trade chocolate and cocoa (from Peru), biodynamic cane sugar, heirloom flour, and chemical-free colors (you can read more about their mission here)….

For me, it was a great reminder that little miss doesn’t need elaborate plans to feel connected + have fun. So Sunday, after TJ headed out of town for work, she and I headed over to my parent’s house where we whipped out the box of chocolate chip cookie mix + got to baking with my mom and sister. It was fun, it was simple, and it gave us all an opportunity to catch up + connect… and the end result was a delicious treat that we could all feel comfortable to enjoy + indulge in…. a complete win on all fronts.

**You can check out where to find the products here (they’re also available on Amazon…. and you can also easily make modifications to the recipes (I used apple sauce instead of the butter and it was just as delicious).
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(Outfit Details || Tee | Shorts | Sandals | Harper’s Shorts | Harper’s Tank)