"Happy Valentine's Day!" - Only a few weeks later...

Perhaps you'd like to see the Valentine card we sent to our families this year...

Monday Motivators

sunny afternoon walks
finding the right piece to help gals feel good about their bodies
rearranging, decluttering and nesting
grilled pb & j sandwiches
after a week of sickness, miller finally having an appetite again
oscar dresses (mila kunis!, natalie portman!, michelle williams!)
building bookcases

Amoxicillin at work

Miller's suffering from his first ear and sinus infection, which means we're snuggling up on the couch, forcing down fluids, wiping crusty faces and watching TOY STORY twice in the same day.

This cabin fever, coupled with the threat of rain in the next few days, is causing me to crave a warm breeze, the smell of sunscreen and a flower filled basket on a set of handlebars.

I'm picturing these etsy bicycle themed pieces framed on my walls and it's helping to keep my sunny wanderlust at bay.  At least for now. 

{Rue Montorgueil Bike, 8x10 fine art print- Little Brown Pen}

{Bike Stack Mini- Bicycle Paintings}

{"Cruisin'" Original Acrylic Painting, 6x6- Aisle to Aloha Studio}

{"Joyride" Silk Screened Printed Poster- Slide Sideways}

{"Old Town" Original Signed Fine Art Print- Alicia Bock}

{Tricycle Hand Cut Paper Silhouette- Paper Cuts by Joe}

What's helping to keep your sunny wanderlust at bay?

Playing in the (maybe) 40 degree rain & snow probably wasn't the best idea...

...but we sure had a great weekend visiting out of town family anyway!

 Post trip nasel drip/cough/crankiness equals lots and lots of post trip snuggles.

Tuesday :(

Monday Motivators

searching for sonic drive thrus on a roadtrip
watching miller "read" his books on a roadtrip
having manageable meltdowns on a roadtrip
trusting to "shuffle songs" on a roadtrip
finding excuses/reasons/validations to eat ice cream in the middle of the afternoon (more than twice in one week)
bright (& still vibrant!) tulips from valentine's day
exhaustion and my own bed to snooze in
"water bottle fail"

SUGAR! and hearts too

Miller and his best buddies, Beatrice & Jack, might be too young to appreciate a good valentine card decorating activity. 

But one can NEVER be too young to appreciate a good valentine cookie decorating (i.e. eating) activity.

We hope you had a sweet Valentine's Day too!

Best Spot in the House

Carbs! And a half marathon to check off his list!

Evan sets goals.
He challenges himself.  Trains.  Adjusts his energy to meet those goals.
He also surpasses those goals by over ten minutes!!

I'd like to think it's because I made a killer pasta dish for him the night before.

• chop veggies to uniform medium-ish sizes (i used asparagus, yellow squash, cherry tomatoes & crimini mushrooms.  use whatever you have on hand and/or your kids will eat. chop more than you think, as the veggies shrink down while roasting.)  
• stir veggies in a bowl with 2-3 finely chopped cloves of garlic, enough olive oil to coat the veggies and salt and pepper to taste
• spread veggies onto a cookie sheet and place in a preheated (375 degree) oven.  let them steam and roast for about 30-ish minutes (checking on them every 10 mins or so to stir and flip the roasty bits around.)
• meanwhile, cook pasta of choice to al dente (penne, wagonwheels or bowties work best), drain and set aside.
• toss warm pasta and roasty veggies together adding a little more olive oil, juice from one lemon, and chopped fresh herbs (basil and italian parsley is my favorite combo for this!)
• dish yourself up a plate and enjoy!

{Coming in for the last quarter mile}

{Finished!}

{Miller rewarding Evan's finish with found rocks.}

Monday Motivators

ferns
tax refunds
not having a headache every day this week
enjoying leftovers from a catered taco party (DELISH! thanks again, pals!) (which, by the way, is the only way i'm having parties catered from now on.) 
rearranging furniture

hearing evan's truck pull into our driveway in the afternoons

finding new ways to make miller enjoy wearing his new "bap-pap" (that's "backpack" in toddler speak) (for the record, my ways are only met with "off. Off. OFF, MAMA!")

 

Too Pretty

Years ago one of my creative writing professors gave me some of the best advice- Don't buy pretty journals; you'll never feel like what you have to write in it is worthy enough.

While that advice is true for a place to put your pen to paper, I, unfortunately, feel the same way about a lovely apron someone gave me years ago. All the regular every day cooking shenanigans (chili spaghetti, garlic tomato pizza, potstickers, etc) seem so banal for a ruffley pink bird apron.

Instead a stained, raggedy checkered apron protects my white tees while the birdies sit idly waiting for their turn.  It's downright tragic.  In the meaningless kitchen accessories tragic sort of way.

Since it's Valentine's weekend, maybe I'll dust it off and make some of these, or this, or these, or even some of these.  Hell, chili spaghetti might even get a ruffley upgrade too.

{Anthropologie- Rising Wings Apron}

{Anthropologie- Artist's Lines Apron}

{Sur La Table Vintage Inspired Aprons}

Monday Motivators

"EX-EX-EXTREME MOOSE TRACKS!"
morning book reading requests
anytime book reading requests
new excitement over "choo choos" (although i heard a rumor that kid train love is more expensive than kid car love?  thrift store train hunts it is then.)
remembering the people i used to be, and loving the flawed, tender, loving gal i am now
 "You guys are the best part of my day."
afternoons in the park

For the Fans

New favorite trick- Spinning

My new favorite trick- making sure he doesn't hit his dizzy head on the coffee table.
Loads of fun all around.