She just can’t get enough of the water…
Does it get any better than running around in the yard with the sprinkler chasing you? You gotta love summer time fun.
Now back to the action, Kristin
Afternoon showers
2
A little late, but I had to share our St. Patties Day bleach pen t-shirts
So I have been on full speed it seems… Issy is always on the go now and I have a hard time doing anything while she is “on the move”… so when nap time comes I have to catch up on everything. Needless to say all of my projects have been pushed into nap time sessions and the blog has suffered… as you can tell. But I had a few minutes so I wanted to share one of the recent projects I completed. Because my birthday is so close to St. Patties Day we used it in part as my birthday celebration day. Yeah me! So I wanted to make sure everyone was in the Irish spirit… what better way than to make home-made St. Patty shirts!
I snagged a green shirt for JW and I from Old Navy while they were BOGO and then picked up a green shirt from the craft store for Issy. A bleach pen and contact paper were the only other supplies I needed. I have been itching to try this bleach pen technique that I found on Pinterest. Well here is how they turned out…
Don’t ask me how I came up with my shirt (on the left)… ahhhhhh It started off with me thinking “Lucky Lady” would be a great catch phrase in the middle of my four-leaf clover… mistake one. After I finished I realized that it really just looked like the logo of a strip club…. so I quickly went to Google to see what I could add to my shirt to hopefully make it less…. well you know. And Casino is where I ended up… apparently there is a Lucky Lady Casino in San Diego somewhere… ahhh oh well. JW’s shirt turned out the best of all three, simple and well stated… pint glass, four-leaf clover and no words.
We had a threat of rain, but really the weather on St. Patties Day was great. We played in the park with Grandpa before heading over to have a few Irish spirits 
Smiles all around! (Oh and as I was cropping the picture above, removing all the other Irish weirdo’s, I noticed the woman standing behind my dad… um…. ?)
Well happy late St. Patties day! Kristin
Spring is in the air… or is it summer already
I keep telling everyone that March 21st will not be the first day of spring, but instead the first day of summer… seriously, it has been beautiful around here. And of course I have the itch to plant, but I know I know Mother Nature could throw us a curve ball and we could end up with a sudden snow storm. So I tried to keep my planting itch to only what we needed. After JW racked the front flower bed it was apparent that we needed to get some plants in along the border to help keep our mulch/dirt in the flower bed instead of running over onto our side walk… see our entire front yard is on a gentle downward slope and for the last few years we have been trying to relandscape things so we can keep our land at our house instead of letting in run down to our neighbors.
So we I planted a some Baltic English Ivy and Variegated Vinca. I may regret the decision to plant the Ivy… we shall see, hopefully I can keep it from taking over everything. You may notice the fencing that I started around the plants in the back… well it got added all throughout the new plants, because we have plant killers dogs and they still don’t understand the concept of watching where they put their paws. So I zig-zagged the fencing all along the new plantings and so far so good. Although the fencing seems to be doing a better job at keeping JW from smashing the new plants, as he is the only one so far to run into it not once but twice… in the first few hours.
My second project was to help spruce up the mailbox/front ditch area. Unlike the rest of our yard, which is covered by trees, this part of the yard gets a lot of sun. So it is the only area we can plant sun loving plants. I wanted to get some trailing plants to plant along the ditch and by the mailbox, but after laying out my master plan JW nixed the plants along the mailbox because he said the utilities ran too close to dig. Ugh, really. So I had to readjust and plant more along the ditch, which was fine with me. I really would like to have these trailing plants along the entire length of the ditch, so I am using these to test the area and see if it will support this plant life.
Along the ditch I planted three different variety of the Phlox, a Purple Beauty Creeping Phlox, an Emerald Blue Creeping Phlox and a McDaniels Cushion Creeping Phlox. The variety pictured below is the Emerald Blue… I like them all though.
Because the Phlox are spring blooming I wanted to make sure their would be a little color for the summer time too, so I planted a couple of Georgia Blue Speedwell, pictured below.
Love these too!
I can’t wait to see all of our new additions once they become established!
Happy planting to you! Kristin
I wish I was a little bit taller, I wish I was…
I mentioned Monday that something was going on, Issy is growing up, well she may also be growing… physically, sorry Skee-Lo she is coming for you. Nap time lately has been long… like 3 hour morning naps… yeah, on top of it she still wants to take her afternoon nap and sleeps through a full night. That is how I know… she must be growing. It is just amazing to know that this little being, that I produced, just keeps growing and growing. It makes me smile inside.
So as we are headed out to play on this Friday I leave you with this… I tried to get Issy to sit with me and record a video for our family members who don’t get to see her often. Well it turned into her playing with everything on the desk… so I splices out the part where she hits the camera with various objects from the desk to show you her latest party tricks… Hi and Bye
Happy Friday! Kristin
Bye, Bye
Baby Eats: Pineapple
A spiny covered fruit topped off with a crown of thick waxy leaves, the pineapple is generally a spring season fruit (March, April, May). They are a great source of vitamin C, manganese, B6, thiamin and dietary fiber. Be aware, like many fruits they contain natural sugars, but the pineapple does have a very high amount (15.3g for 1 cup of fresh diced pineapple). If you are eating your pineapple out of a can your sugar content could be even higher than this. Pay attention to the label and if you do need canned pineapple, go with one that is 100% natural juice. For more information on the nutrients provided by this fruit, check it out here.
Ways to Cook and Serve
I can’t think of anything better than fresh-cut pineapple, yummm, but pineapple can also be grilled or baked. If you have never cut a fresh pineapple, here is a great step-by-step. So you can serve your pineapple as is or try it on the grill. It is also great as a marinade for meat. I like to use it with my ham to add moisture and flavor while cooking, plus the caramelized pineapple pieces are so good when you are done. Another favorite pineapple recipe is the pineapple upside down cake, which I haven’t had since mom made it.
What about picky eaters?
Try different shapes, if they don’t like the chunks, let them eat a pineapple ring or half a ring. If they don’t want to try the fruit its self, try adding the fruit juice in your recipes that need a little sweetness. For instance you could use pineapple juice in with your mashed sweet potatoes.
What do you think of the pineapple? Do you have any great recipes or suggestions for picky eaters?
Happy Eating, Kristin
New Tunes: A staple in my music collection
Ok, so today’s New Tune is not exactly new, but instead I wanted to highlight someone who I consider a staple in my music collection. Ben Harper and I have had a great relationship since the 90′s, he would be my music boyfriend if I had one… sorry JW. Many of his songs have been a great source of strength and inspiration for me. I almost always have at least one of his songs on my iPod.
Here’s a few of my favorites….
From his latest album, Give Till It’s Gone, released in 2011
Ben Harper: I Will Not Be Broken
I have several favorites from his Lifeline album with the Innocent Criminals, which released in 2007. I narrowed it down to two… that is the best I could do. The second song I have listed is the title track on this album and the video I found is a pretty cool live version of it.
Ben Harper: In the Colors
Ben Harper: Lifeline
My all time favorite song of his! This song comes from his album Fight for Your Mind, which released in 1995. I absolutely love the album version of this song. I have never come across a live version that I like as much, but this was all I could find on YouTube. If you are interested in the album version, it is worth the listen, click here and it will bring up the album player from Ben Harper’s website.
Ben Harper: Power of the Gospel
For more information or if you want to see him live (he just released summer tour dates!), check out the website.
Happy Listening, Kristin
I can’t put my finger on it, but something is different…
It seems like during the last week I have noticed a change, something is new… I take a long look at her and just like that, almost over night, she seems to be changing. She is becoming more of a little girl with even more personality than the day before. I love to see her so excited to learn and do and be. This morning for instance, she woke up so giggly, I am serious e.v.e.r.y.thing was so funny to her. She sat in her chair across the family room and waved at me… smiled the biggest grin and giggled when I waved back. When we went to the grocery store she waved, said hello to everyone and giggled when they answered her back. It just makes me smile… and laugh… hysterically.
The other night as we were playing around on the porch, not doing much of anything really, I decided that I needed to capture her on film before she changed too much…
By the way, as I replay this video Buddy has come running from the bedroom and is now sniffing my laptop speaker trying to find out where his ball is…
Now that Issy can run and play it has been really fun to take her different places and see her explore. Last week my neighbor and I brought our kids to the children’s museum to do a little exploring… and try to burn up some kid energy.
First station was meant to help sick teddy bears and kitties… not sure if Issy or Big H understood the whole first-aid part. Issy just kept hugging the stuffed animals… maybe she is practicing feel good medicine?
Then off we went to the farm. Issy was like a kid in a candy store with all the new ‘stuff’ to play with, around, on, through…
We had one more stop before finishing our tour of the museum. It was the water pond and Issy could not have been more excited. Big H taught Issy how to splash BIG… he would splash vigorously in the water, then Issy would take her turn… this lasted for a while.
Let’s just say neither of our kids came home dry… Next time I will remember to bring a change of clothes. After all this fun we had to call it quits, the kids had worn themselves out… and me too!
Here’s to growing up, Kristin
We have had two sickies here in the family…
So over the past few weeks we have had two sickies here in the house, one now has medicine and the other has been cured… for now. Thanks to a visit with the pediatrician, Issy was put on some antibiotics to help fight the sinus and possible ear infection she was fighting. Our second sickie was none other than… the oven. Yep. I hate when that thing gets sick, because it is old and probably on its last leg. I have a fear that the whole oven will have to be replaced, it would be just my luck…
With my super keen detective skills I diagnosed that it was only the bake element that failed, at least I was hoping that was all it was. So I found and ordered a new element… and it arrived just in the nick of time this week. Now who do you think does the electrical work around this house… I will give you a hint, their initials begin with ME. Uh, yah I can barely get JW to change a light bulb around here… But that’s ok, my dad used to let me help with all the house and car fixes growing up, so I think he taught me well. After turning off the breaker and changing out the old element for the new, it was the moment of truth… was it fixed…
YES! She is heating like a … I don’t know… but you get the idea. It works now, thank goodness! After taking a closer look at the old element, it is no wonder it stopped working…
Elements are not supposed to come apart into two pieces I don’t think.
At least this fix only cost us $30. So as a thank you for fixing the oven for so cheap, JW bought me a new broiler pan… but he did not know it at the time
Happy Friday Everyone! Kristin
Baby Eats: Artichoke… my FAVORITE!
The inner “heart” is surrounded by thick green prickly leaves all of which are considered the flower of this plant. The artichoke is a perennial thistle (hence the prickly leaves) plant, which is a part of the Cynara genus. Besides the fact that this is my favorite vegetable, they do contain some great nutritional value. Artichoke is a great source of dietary fiber, vitamin C, manganese, magnesium, niacin, phosphorus, potassium and did you know that they also contain a small amount of protein (about 3.5g for a medium-sized artichoke)… crazy. For more information on the nutrients provided by this veggie, check it out here.
Ways to Cook and Serve
There are so many ways to eat an artichoke, it can be roasted, boiled, grilled, pureed. I am a big fan of fresh artichoke and if you have never tried it or are too scared… don’t be. I can understand the veggie its self may be a little intimidating with its prickles, but once you know how to cut and eat it you will be kicking your self that you didn’t try it sooner. Simply Recipes has a great how-to article on cutting, cooking and eating a fresh artichoke, check it out here. This is exactly how I like my artichoke, but I generally like to dip my leaves in a lemon butter sauce (heavy on the lemon ). While scouring the internet I did find this great slow cooker recipe for preparing artichoke mentioned by Cooking on the Side. This would be great if you wanted to prepare several artichoke for a dinner or even as a party appetizer.
I do sometimes buy the canned artichoke either quartered or halved to use in recipes or as pizza topping (yummmm). I like to get the artichokes packed with brine as opposed to oil. The ones packed in oil have a greasy taste and generally come along with extra sodium, calories and fats that I don’t need. Either way, make sure if you are using canned or prepackaged artichoke that you wash them before using them in your recipe. My Man’s Belly has a great recipe for an easy artichoke dip, which resembles a humus rather than a creamy spinach dip.
What about picky eaters?
It can be fun for kids to dip and eat the leaves, although Issy didn’t really appreciate this when trying it for the first time. She did however really enjoy the soft and flavorful heart that we gave her. The artichoke dip above is a great way to sneak in artichoke and beans. Cut up some veggies (if they will eat them) or pita and let them dip away!
What do you think of the artichoke? Do you have any recipes or suggestions for picky eaters?
Happy Eating, Kristin
Tired of seeing them laying around…
Now that Issy’s hair is getting long enough to need a barrette to pull back her bangs, we are using bows more frequently. Which has also lead to me scrounging for bows I can’t see on a shelf or finding them lying around the house… so I needed to organize. I have seen lots of ideas on pinterest, but none I just fell in love with… and none that I had the supplies for at the house. So I had to come up with my own idea…
I made a bow tree, but really you could do this with any image. Here is what I had and how I did it.
Supplies:
Picture Frame (You can use a spare one you have on hand, or buy a cheap one)
Spray Paint (Optional)
Card Stock
Printer
Paint and Paint brushes
Mini Hole punch, nail or pipe cleaner (anything you can use to punch a hole in your paper)
Twine (I untwisted my twine to separate it into single strands), String or Ribbon
Tape
Take your frame and remove the glass from the front. Now, you can decide to keep it o’natural or spray paint it to change the color… your choice, I left mine alone because I thought it looked better with the image I was going to use.
Use your creativity or your google fingers to find an image. I knew I wanted to do a tree, so I went online to find an image of a tree that I could use as inspiration. I also decided to hand paint my tree, but if you find the perfect image you just need to size it for your picture frame, print it on your card stock and go from there. I did decide to print my little Pooh instead of trying to paint him… I am crafty, but not that artistic. True!
Once your image is dry, start punching holes. I punched holes so that they followed the lines of the tree branches as well as around the tire.
Now using your twine, string or ribbon, start pulling it through your holes and tape it on the back. Don’t pull your twine too tight, you want to allow it to come off the page a little so you can attach the bows. Once you have connected all your holes and taped everything down, you are done!
You now have your own very unique bow holder!
I thought this would also be a very cool idea for a little girl baby shower gift… very unique and you could even make a few quick bows (hey there is nothing wrong with buying either) to place on it before you gift it.
Happy Crafting! Kristin