Tea Party (for Boys)

As I was going through pictures on my computer tonight I came across this gem.

Would you like to come to a tea party at our house?  We will be serving fresh milk and bacon.  Now that I'm thinking of it, this actually sounds pretty similar to the 'meat party' that Kid 1 requested we have last week.  You know, the kind of kid party where your friends come over and eat lots of meat.  Surely you've been to one?  I've mentioned that I'm a fake vegetarian before (there is a word for it now - pescetarian), so I'm sure you can appreciate why I find this request particularly hilarious. 

Anyways, long live imaginative play!  Kids have the best ideas.

Recent Thrift Scores

Isn't Emily's garden fabulous!  She and Mr. Emily have always had a very enviable garden.  I wish I could say that I had the same beautiful home farm at my house, but I don't even have grass out my back door.  Just dirt mixed with a little glass for good measure.  Remember how I said that my new place was awesome in many ways, but not in others?  Well the yard falls under the 'other' category.

Even if my back yard is a bit of a disappointment, at least I still have the thrift stores to cheer me up, right?  I've made a few good finds lately (including a mirror and frame that I will show off later), and I want to share my good fortune.

 

In New England where I live, there are some very ritzy towns.  Not mine, but I'm within an hour of Greenwich and the surrounding area.  A friend of mine convinced me to try the Goodwill in Westport, and I came back with an awesome pair of jeans.  Many of the nicest items were individually priced (since they are right to assume that designer jeans are worth more than the standard $5.99), but the highest I've seen is around $30.  I feel like that is a lot to spend on second hand clothing, but if you compare it to the original price, it's still a bargain.

I found a perfect pair of jeans for $9.99 and I'm delighted.  I'm especially delighted that I didn't spend $160 on them.  They fit well (why is it that expensive jeans fit much better than cheaper ones?), and the cut is contemporary and flattering.  I'm not thin enough to wear super skinny jeans, so slim or straight leg work better for me.

 

Oh, and the high waist is also a plus, so I don't have to show my underwear (or worse) every time I bend over.   

What bargains have you found recently at the thrift store?  I take great delight in a good find.  Truthfuly, I'm almost as excited to hear about my friend's finds as I am about my own. 

Gardening

It seems that we have taken an unofficial break from blogging this summer.  I have been consumed by maintaing my garden lately.  Every afternoon, and every evening I am out in the garden, mostly harvesting.  I love it.  There is something so satisfying about planting a seed and watching it grow into something that can sustain you and your family.  Most of the planting work was done by Mr. Emily, but now that the work is more rewarding, I am in! 

We are currently housesitting and live on a big lot with a giant garden and many perennials that bear fruit.  (Think rhubarb, raspberries, nanking cherries, chokecherries, gooseberries, chives and winter onions.)  Here's a peek at some of the things we have successfully planted.  

Potatoes

Beans

Tomatoes

Zuchinni on the left, on the right squash, cilantro, lettuce, cabbage and even soy beans!

My favorite part about having a garden is being able to harvest my meal seconds before I eat it.  Here are some of our recent garden meals.

From the garden: Potatoes, beans and zucchini.

From the garden: Lettuce, spinach, carrots, peas, tomatoes, and spinach and zucchini on the pizza.

It is obvious why summer is my favorite season!  I hope that you are enjoying just as many lovely fresh foods too this summer

We're Here! We're Here!

Sorry about the long absence.  I didn't really mean to do that, but then I got extra busy with life.  I spent the first half of June packing for our move and a trip, the second half on that trip, and all of July unpacking.  Why does it take so long to get settled in a new place?  As much as I dislike the packing, moving, and unpacking, it is AWESOME to be in our new place.  There are some parts that are sketchy, mostly in the kitchen and bathroom, but when you are living in the student life with three kids, you just can't have it all.  We have tons more space than in our last apartment and it feels so good to spread out a little.  Remember what my living room/everything room used to look like?  Well, now we have a dedicated play room, and I can't say enough how much I love it.  The kids love it too.  And if it's a mess, I need only close the door and I don't have to look at it.  It's so dreamy!



Yesterday marked the first time I have used my sewing machine in months (sorry folks, only boring mending of my garment bag that ripped along the edges during our move), but I'm itching to do some real sewing.  Our new arrangement has all my fabric, notions, and my machine in our dining room, and I'm excited about it.  In our last apartment I sewed in our dark unfinished basement.  There were some good things about that - I could leave out my projects - but it was hard to work on things while my kids were awake and I didn't like being down there at night or in the winter.  The dining room promises more light, and I think it will be easier to work on things throughout the day. 

We are still getting things set up in our place, but I am excited to show you little pieces as we get them finished.  The playroom was first on my list, and other than hanging two paintings on the wall, it is more or less done.  The living room is also close.  It's been fun to think about how to arrange our furniture and set things up.  We are living on the bottom floor of a huge multi-family home, and it's over 100 years old.  This means the basement is very scary and basementy, but the ceilings are also taller, there are lots of windows, beautiful wooden doors with glass knobs, and wide trim around everything.  Emily also lives in a 100 year old house right now.  It's so fun to live in a place with so much charm!

 

At Home this Summer

I just realized that it has been over a month since Carlee or I have posted.  In case you have been dying to know what I have been up to, the answer is: "Not a whole lot."  (Carlee is a different story, but she'll tell you all about her move later.)

I have been really trying to focus on just being with my kids in the day.  Kid #1 will be going to Kindergarten next year, and although it's only half days, I know I'm going to miss her tons.  I have been trying to savour the time that I've got with these little ones, as I know that it's going quickly.  So, what have we been up to?  Playing outside, going to the Zoo, and enjoying our time together at home.  It has rained a lot in the month of June, so we have been spending quite a bit of time inside and at home.

When we are at home, I try and have a mix of just letting (and hoping that) my kids play by themselves, and setting up games and activities for us to do together.  Here's a sampling of what this has looked like.

Number Lines

Write the numbers 0 through 10 on a strip of paper.  Give your child 55 small counters.  Instruct your child to put the corresponding number of counters below each number on the line.  I usually model saying the number, counting out the correct amount of counters, and then double checking to make sure it is right.  My daughter is often very engaged by this activity.

Old Office Supplies

We have a book of cheques from a closed bank account.  Kid #1 thinks it is so funny to write cheques to different people and things for crazy amounts and reasons.  The cheque below is for "Everyone," in the amount of $600, to buy "The Earth."  If you can get your hands on old cheques, receipt books, cell phones, computers, or anything else that kids are usually not allowed to touch, your kids will thank you!

 



Make Your Own Toys

After reading the book, Megan Gets a Dollhouse, Kid #1 decided that she would make her own dollhouse.  She used stuff from the recycling bin, wooden blocks and scraps of fabric.  I really want to encourage creativity in my kids, and having them make stuff is a perfect way to do this.

Playdough

I will never tire of playdough and I hope that my kids never do either.  Playdough is great for: creativity, fine motor skills, imagination, the list can go on and on.  I love to set out different toys and tools with playdough each time such as: marbles, toothpicks, utensils, plastic animals, Popsicle sticks, pipe cleaners, or feathers.