Do you ever wish you could sit down with a parent who is more experienced than you… and ask the hard questions? Take in their wisdom? Learn from their mistakes? Soak up their encouragement? Charley’s Circus was born alongside the beginning of our family as we set out to document our journey of intentional parenthood….
Prettier Than the Other Girls
Please stop telling my daughter she’s prettier than other girls. When you do this, you’re teaching her that beauty is on some sort of competitive scale… a concept that doesn’t even exist in her mind right now – – – – unless you teach her. Isn’t there enough jealousy, bitterness, and envy in the world…
18 years, 1 Wedding Dress, 1 Beautiful Girl
If you’ve followed me for any amount of time or know me in real life, you’re probably already aware of how sentimental I can be. In my house are shadowboxes of the kids’ coming-home-from-the-hospital outfits, teddy bears made from my late grandparents’ clothes, bouquets from my wedding that are made from fabric from clothing items…
Raising World Changers: An Interview with Nichole
Do you ever wish you could sit down with a parent who is more experienced than you… and ask the hard questions? Take in their wisdom? Learn from their mistakes? Soak up their encouragement? Charley’s Circus was born alongside the beginning of our family as we set out to document our journey of intentional parenthood….
Cupcakes Fit for a Princess
Gluten & Dairy Free Cupcakes and Icing Ingredients CUPCAKE: ½ C coconut oil ¾ C granulated sugar 2 large eggs, room temp 1 ¼ C All-Purpose GF flour blend (we used Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose) ¼ tsp salt 1 ¾ tsp baking powder ½ C dairy-free milk (we used almond but l love coconut milk…
Raising World-Changers: An Interview with Dorie
Do you ever wish you could sit down with a parent who is more experienced than you… and ask the hard questions? Take in their wisdom? Learn from their mistakes? Soak up their encouragement? Charley’s Circus was born alongside the beginning of our family as we set out to document our journey of intentional parenthood….
Gluten + Dairy Free Shrimp Alfredo
A common response I hear to the gluten-free/dairy-free lifestyle is “Oh man, there’s no way I could give up ____!” Usually it’s something sweet or cheesy… one of those good ole’ American staples like ice cream or pizza that we’re all suckers for.I have to admit, I likely wouldn’t have had the courage to cut…
Intentional Parenting – Dinner Conversations
Sometimes being an intentional parent means asking questions that spark conversations while you’re sitting around the dinner table. Yes, our littles are currently both two and under, but even if they don’t fully understand, they are listening. Furthermore, we are setting healthy habits that we can continue for years to come. Afterall, when is the…
Pig ‘n’ Taters
Whether it’s time, clean clothes, or what’s left in our fridge, most of us find ourselves making the most of what we have. In the case of pig ‘n’ taters, it means we made a huge ham – more than we cared to eat by itself for several meals – so we made the most of…
Best. Play Dough. Ever.
If you’ve followed Charley’s Circus on Instagram for any amount of time, you’ve probably seen our favorite thing to make in the kitchen – Play Dough!! That’s right, move over gluten-free cookies and brownies, we love mixing up a pan of homemade play dough. Many parents wonder when is an appropriate time to introduce the…
Girl, You So Chunky
Ingredients 2 lbs ground turkey or beef 3 cups tomato juice (approx 1/2 qt) 1 large can (28oz) diced tomatoes 2 cans chili beans 2 cans black beans 1 can kidney beans 1 green pepper, diced 1 onion, chopped 1 TBSP minced garlic cloves 1 small can tomatoes with chilis 16 oz GF pasta Spices…
Halloween and the Celebration of Evil
“I don’t like that, Mommy!” Charley looked up at me, pointing uncomfortably at the store’s Halloween display. Witches, zombies, skeletons. “I don’t either, baby.” I explained to her that if she sees anything that makes her feel uncomfortable or scared, that she can choose to look away to protect her heart and mind. Since…
Charley's Circus 