small + friendly

It's a bird, it's a plane

... It's super baby!

Jude hit the six month mark, and he seems to be changing at lightning speed.  He mastered crawling and pulling himself up to standing on the same day!  Needless to say my days just got a whole lot busier, but it is so fun and exciting to watch him learn and grow that I don't mind the extra work.  I can't believe I've been a mother for six months!  Part of me can't remember a time when I wasn't a mom, and the other part feels as though it was only yesterday that I held him for the first time.  Even at my most exhausted, (covered in spit-up, pee, oatmeal) I have a strong sense of how quickly it will all change, and how much I will miss it when it does.  Nothing has taught me the value of living in the moment like this sweet baby's smile.

 

Dahlia Delight

Dahlias are my very favorite flower.  I love how they bloom all summer long and make such great cut flowers.  My dahlias just started to bloom and I'm so excited I can hardly stand it!  Here is the first of countless arrangements . . .   

 

There are a few tricks to maximizing a dahlia's life in the vase.  First, they should be cut in the morning or evening. (I'm usually out there in the evening trying to hunt cucumber beetles, they look like green lady bugs and they love to eat dahlia petals, the brats!)  Second, use sharp shears to make a clean angled cut.  And the best trick, fill your vase with super hot water.  If you bought your dahlias at the store you can trim them and then stick them in the hot water.  Lastly, change the water often and smile every time they catch your eye!    

Father's Day in Photos

 

  

  

 I hope everyone had a great father's day!     

I Scream, You Scream . . .

We all scream for ice cream!

Summer just wouldn't be the same without homemade ice cream.  I have very fond memories of helping my papa fill the ice cream maker with layers of ice and rock salt, the anticipation of cold, creamy treats just about killing me.  Now, I have one of the new Cuisinart ice cream makers and while it isn't quite the same, it is convinenent (I'll have to get the old-school kind when Jude is older).  Jason's favorite flavor is vanilla, so I made a batch for Father's Day.  The thing I like about the recipe is that there are no eggs, which means it takes about 5 minutes to put together, and it tastes lighter and cleaner than the traditional version.  Here's the recipe:

Very Vanilla Ice Cream

1 whole vanilla bean

1 1/2 cups whole milk

3 cups heavy cream

1 1/8 cups sugar

2 Tbsp vanilla extract

1.  Cut vanilla bean in half and, using the back of the knife, scrape all of the seeds out into a large bowl.  Note: don't throw away that pod - add it to a canister of sugar and you've got delicious vanilla sugar!

2.  Add all other ingredients to the bowl and stir until the sugar is dissolved. (Try not to aerate the mixture too much).

3.  Place in ice cream maker until frozen, serve immediately (it will be very soft) or store in the freezer until firm.

Enjoy!

  

Pergola Project

I am so happy that the sun finally came out, but it was also serving as a blaring reminder that I needed to create some shade in the backyard.  We have a pergola over our deck and, while I did plant a grapevine that will eventually create a bountiful umbrella, we needed something that would provide shade until that sweet day finally arrives.  I investigated lots of options and settled on the cheapest and easiest solution I could come up with.  I purchased natural colored burlap for next to nothing (outdoor fabric was way out of my price range but would have been great) and with the help of my monkey of a husband, who climbed on top, we draped and stapled it to the wood slats.   

For nighttime flair we added some outdoor lights, left over from our wedding, perfect for an alfresco meal or moonlit swing.  It's the perfect excuse to live outside all summer ... we've got it made in the shade! 

Cheap and Easy Oversized Hooded Towel

As you may have noticed from my previous post, Jude is an extra large 5 month old and I thought he deserved an extra large hooded towel.  With $5 and 15 minutes, I made him one, and it even matches my bathroom!  Here's the tutorial, in case you need to dry and bundle a giant baby on the cheap.

1.  Procure a cheap bath towel and good sized washcloth (thanks target sale).  Wash.

2.  Fold washcloth into a triangle and pin to one corner of the towel. (I used a binder clip in the thick spot)

3.  Sew all three layers together.  

4.  Turn inside out and enjoy!

 

Hot Fun!

Hurray for tank top and shorts weather!  While I haven't been looking forward to trying to pour myself into my pre-pregnancy summer gear, I have been dying to dress Jude in all of his summer outfits.  And he seems pretty happy to showcase his glorious rolls, ahem, I mean muscles.  Anybody need two tickets to the gun show?   

We spent all weekend outside and it looks as though the sunshine is here to stay.  Here's to long days, warm nights, and hot fun in the summertime!  

Finding Your Direction

  source

The ancient art of feng shui seems to be infinitely complex.  Ever since I picked up Lillian Too's book Total Feng Shui I have been trying to implement some of the principles in my home.  I am definitely not a feng shui master, but I find it very interesting - who doesn't want luck on their side?  I thought it would be fun to share a bit of feng shui that helps you find your ideal direction.  (Please note that this is a super simplified look and I highly recommend Lillian Too for the whole story.)  

First you will need to calculate your Kua number:  

If you are a woman: take the last two numbers of your birth year (based on the chinese calendar), add them until you have a single digit, and then add five (six if you where born after 1999), again reduce to a single digit - this is your Kua number.

Example: 1982:    8+2=10  and  1+0=1  and  1+5=6  

If you are male: take the last two numbers of your birth year (based on the chinese calendar), add until you get a single digit, then subtract that number from ten (nine if you where born after 1999).

Example: 1959:  5+9=14 and 1+4=5 and 10-5=5  

Note: If you get a zero your Kua number is two.

We fall into two basic categories based on our Kua number: East (1,3,4,9) and West (2,5,6,7,8).    

If you are in the East group your best directions are: East, North, South, and Southeast. 

If you are in the West group your best directions are: West, Northwest, Northeast, and Southwest.

Two of the simplest ways to improve your luck are to sleep with your head pointing towards one of your lucky directions and to work facing one of your lucky directions.  It may have been a coincidence, but when I calculated Jude's number and put him to sleep in an auspicious direction, he slept much better.  I'd love to know if it works for you.  Good luck!