BKYD Life

Gather. Create. Grow.

gather

Gathering made Easy

I recently had the pleasure of sitting down to talk with the owner of a favorite restaurant here in the Phoenix area, Kirsten of Chestnut @ The Vintage.

We talked about the restaurant industry during Covid, creating community and safe gatherings during this uncertain time.

Kirsten didn’t set out to be in the restaurant industry. As a matter of fact, she wasn’t even planning on opening up a restaurant until her sister approached her with idea. They bought the concept and recipes for Chestnut from the original owner, Paulie.

They worked with restaurant consultants about next steps and best practices. Together they planned on opening something small. Kirsten thought this would be a great side hustle, with plans to keep her position in the medical industry.

But you’ve heard the saying about best laid plans…

Well, Kirsten ended up opening a much larger location than originally planned, by herself and the consultants practically disappeared. And, while there were challenges, Kirsten learned the business and it grew. Chestnut was not the side hustle she thought it would be, but her main focus.

This past February of 2020, she moved into a new location. Then Covid hit and we are all way too aware of what happened then. Many restaurants just couldn’t function and many closed their doors forever. Kirsten found a way through and realized that serving her customers, community and her team was what really filled her cup.

Add this one to the list of stories of blessings found during a pandemic.

Kirsten and Chestnut have been serving up delicious food for over 7 years now. She still uses about 20% of Paulies original Chestnut recipes, but has developed new ones that the community came to rely on during lockdown. I know our favorite lunch was her chicken salad. And, we really couldn’t have made it through the last few months without those chocolate chip cookies!

Do you have a favorite restaurant? Have you ever asked if they could cater a gathering either at their location or at your home?

Kirsten is happy to help. If you are in the Phoenix area, give her call or email. She has a catering menu but will work with you on ideas to fit your budget.

Gathering in the backyard can be safe and good for the soul. But sometimes we don’t have the time to cook, that’s were knowing you have a great catering option comes in handy. The Chef that works with Kirsten is very talented and can do anything.

Don’t let this holiday season go by without sharing a fantastic meal with friends and family. You can do it safely and joyfully ~ right in your own backyard, with a little help from Kirsten and her team at Chestnut @ The Vintage.

And if you aren’t planning on a little get together, at least stop in for a pastry and cup of coffee ~ believe me, you’ll be glad you did!

Backyard Games

Growing up, we enjoyed playing games in the backyard. We even had a game day and invited the neighbors. The games included croquet, a sack race and an obstacle course. Mom made lots of food, of course, and there were prizes for the winners. I remember everyone had a great time.

We are considering hosting a family game day in our backyard and I was looking for game ideas. I found several blogs that talked about making a backyard version of Yahtzee called Yardzee. I decided to give it a try. Turned out to be very simple.

All the blogs I read recommended cutting your own blocks. I did not feel confident using power tools so I found 3 1/2 inch wood blocks at my craft store. I also purchased gray stain, foam brushes, round foam brushes, black paint and clear stain.

I started by using a foam brush to paint each block with the gray stain. Once they were all dry, I used the round brush and the black paint to put all the dots on so the blocks really started to look like dice. You will need five blocks to make Yardzee.

Once the dice were dry, I put a thin layer of the clear stain on to give each one a little protection. I am not worried about the weathering, I actually like them a little imperfect. My dots don’t all match up and the gray stain is darker in some areas than others. In my mind, its a backyard game so it doesn’t need to be perfect it just needs to be ready for some fun!

I also created a score sheet. After I printed it, I took it to my local print shop and had it laminated for repeated use. I have included it here, you can also have it laminated or just make several copies ~ whatever works best for you!

If you’re not feeling crafty, I found some options to purchase online. I have also listed some other games that would be great additions to game day in the backyard. Please note these are affiliate links. Have a great day and let us know who is the most competitive in your family!

Gather. Create. Grow.

Gather. Create. Grow. 3 simple words. Each with multiple meanings. . .

People enjoying a dinner party in a backyard

You can gather supplies; gather items to use in the garden; gather meats and vegetables to cook on the grill; gather pool toys; gather chocolate bars, marshmallows and graham crackers for S’mores around the fire pit.

You can gather your thoughts in a meditation garden.

We can gather together in community.

Gather is a verb that means to bring together into one place. The most important word in that definition is ‘together’! Helen Keller once said, “Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.” And, she was right.

Gather (together) seems so simple, yet so powerful.

Create a calm space.

Create art.

Create a place to play, to imagine, to use your imagination.

Create a place to gather, to make memories, to tell stories.

Create, another verb, is to do something creative or constructive. Constructive is doing something to improve or better the place or situation. So when we create, we are doing something to make things better.

Create happiness is the ultimate creative endeavor.

Plants grow bigger.

Children grow up.

Relationships grow deeper.

We grow through sharing our stories and we grow though understanding. The best way to grow is by listening to each other. Listen, not to respond, but to understand.

You may have guessed ~ grow is also a verb. It means to increase in size or substance.

“Love is the only flower that grows and blossoms without the aid of the seasons.” a quote by Khalil Gibran

Gather. Create. Grow. Right in your own backyard, without boundaries or fences to keep you from gathering with all your community, create a shared understanding, and grow together.

I would love to know how do you ~ Gather. Create. Grow. Share your backyard life in the comments below, sign up for our newsletter and connect with us on social media. Everyone can use some new ideas for all the things BKYD Life can do!