Week in Review: May 2-8

I don't know what got into me last week, but I had a major cleaning bug one day. Just one. And it centered around the kitchen. Just the kitchen. I cleared out the shelves & cupboards, did some major wiping down & scrubbing, & even donated lots of items. The Mr. saw me & said, "You'll be out for the next 2 weeks now." He's right. He knows I hate cleaning. And he knows how much it poops me out. Like, sure, my feet hurt. But, emotionally I just can't handle it. Haha!

Once a year-ish I do like to go through the house & declutter. It feels good to lighten the load. I still have the dream that was planted in my mind after seeing THIS photo 5 years ago. I want to live in a tiny home. I figure that will be after the girls are grown & moved out of the house. So I've got some time to shed all this house weight. And to convince the Mr. of this idea. He's a tall human, so I'm not sure how he'll feel about all the tinyness. But, really, it's not about the size per se. For me, it's about the lack of burden. I look forward to that. Just the simple necessities. And a few items I adore. And the Mr.

It really is hard to give up stuff. I've talked about this before. I'm a sentimental sap, with a touch of packrat. Blah. I'll get through this. One box to charity at a time.

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Oh, man. Spring is so much fun! Every day (on several occasions) I make a trek around the yard to see what seedlings have sprouted, spy what veggies are growing, peek at the wildflower patch, pick some weeds, smell some roses. The 11-year old & I even found half of a bird's egg in the grass while collecting mushrooms in the yard one afternoon. And then we brought out some acrylic paint & dobbed polka dots on the mushrooms. Just because.

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I am totally getting into this weaving thing. It is so much fun! I've only made two mini tapestries so far, but am already taking orders...from my daughters. Ha! I am seriously thinking of putting some in the shop when I reopen one of these days. It's a bit of texture, a bit of happy, a bit of handmade. I love color mixing & am pretty sure I'm in trouble, more than ever, when it comes to this yarn collecting thing: I see it. I want it. I can't help it. 

* * * * * * * * *

In addition to the weaving, I've been filling my days with completing my goal of making something every day for 2016: writing & sketching mostly. This year feels so different to me. I don't know if I can explain it. I'm definitely on a journey of discovery. My morning times with Jesus have opened all kinds of senses in me. I am creating for the joy of creating, & sharing my efforts, no matter how great or small I think they are, no matter how much of a novice I may be in the things I pursue.
I'm also in a season of waiting. I'm trying to be OK with not knowing, I'm trying to enjoy the mystery of what's next.

Click HERE for a photo play-by-play.
♥

Week in Review: April 11-17

What a bright beautiful morning I woke up to today. Warm & happy enough to soothe some of my "I hate Monday" glumness. Poor Monday. So many of us have a distaste for her. It's true. I have the same pep-talk with my girls every Sunday night as I tuck them into bed: "After a weekend filled with fun & relaxation, Mondays are hard. It WILL be difficult to wake up tomorrow morning. But we can DO this! We GOT this! Goodnight, girls..." 

After almost a week of feeling sickly, I finally feel the cloud in my head starting to lift. That foggy feeling in your brain is the worst when you're ill. Maybe all of my constant going-going-going the last two weekends was too much. Maybe my body had enough & is now forcing me to rest.

 Two weeks ago I visited the Skagit Valley tulips with my mom for a joint birthday road trip. We took along my dad & my oldest daughter too. We visited RoozenGaarde + Tulip Town. I have been wanting to do this for many years, but kept putting it off. Not this year! I actually wrote it down as a goal for 2016. So I was determined to make it happen.  As we drove around, scouting out where the fields were, I spied a massive blur of red in the distance. And as we approached all that intense color, my breath left me. It is one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. Tulips for days. This is where rainbows are made. (I'm pretty sure.) On our road trip, I also had a chance to take the ferry to Guemes Island to visit grandmother's grave for the first time since her memorial service there, almost two years ago. We cleaned up her gravestone, left some potted tulips in her favorite color (purple), & even had a brief moment in the breezy, breezy, chilly day for some beach time, where I hunted for agates & listened to the waves on the rocky shore. My happy tank was refilled. 

The very next weekend I helped drive & chaperone 13 middle school & high school youth to Fine Arts in Bothell, where they performed skits, song, & dance for adjudicators, along with oodles of other church kids across the northwest. It was so much fun getting to be a part of all these youth sharing their gifts & talents. (One of our own even qualified to go to Nationals. So proud!) Spending an entire day surrounded by all that music & art definitely awakened something in me. Bonus: we stayed at Camp Sambica. I love Camp Sambica! A bonfire at the lake shore at sunset was my favorite. Sharing a cabin with crazy girls was another favorite. Oh, & attending church service at Mt. Calvary Christian Center in Seattle was a third favorite. I visited once before &, oh, how I was giddy to go again! You know worship is good when your thighs are on fire.

So, yeah, I'm on the mend after a blurry time away from home. I have been pacifying myself with things like ginger + lemon tea with honey, a heating pad on my achy bones, cozy covers, & lots of doodling & writing in the sketchbook.

I felt well enough yesterday to putter around the house more. I made a fresh double batch of hummus, folded a tiny mound of laundry, & even helped the teenager with vocals for a local production of Annie Get Your Gun. Apparently I'm her voice coach now. I love that she is chasing her dreams. She doesn't care that she's not the best or the greatest. She has found something that makes her heart hum. And that is always my prayer for my girls: whatever it is that makes their heart full of joy, that they would pursue that. She is so much more of a go-getter than I ever was or ever will be. Watching her makes me wish I could re-do my own childhood.

Speaking of childhood, I'm reading Peter Pan aloud to Pazely. I have never read this book. Mr. Darling is more intense in the book than in the Disney movie. And Tinkerbell is more of a foul-mouthed imp than I realized! Sheesh. The girls & I also took a break from the 3rd book in the Wrinkle In Time quintet so I could read aloud "Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children". And, actually, we finished that last night & have started the 2nd book, "Hollow City". Really good books! But there ARE naughty words throughout & some inappropriate phrases. So I get to change things around as I read. 

Well, it's time for me to reheat my cup of tea. (It's my thing.) 

Hope your week is filled with lovely things! 

If you'd like, follow me on Instagram to keep up with my daily doings.

Public Service Announcement

 The 10-year old started using deodorant last week. She brought up the idea of wearing it, after presenting me with exhibit A: her smelly pits. PHEW! I had no idea. Just FYI (& I know you know this): a lot of kids stink. And we need to help them not grow up to be stinky adults. So, here's a friendly Public Service Announcement: Parents, PLEASE, smell your kids' pits. And then take action. Seriously. It starts at home. We can end this war on odor.

Week in Review: December 29-January 4

My eyeballs are currently burning. On fire. I think they're mad at me for opening them. Seriously, naptime is a must for this girl today. After a 2 week vacation from school, it's time to give up the lazy, the dilly-dallying, the sleeping in, the "Q: What are we going to do today? A: Whatever we want!" attitude, & get back to routine + early mornings. (Waaaahhhh!)

The girls & I squeezed every bit of happy we could out of winter break. Just last night the girls bought those loom band things with cash earned from raking leaves. So far, I have made a purple dress charm, a moustache charm & a bow charm. Pazely keeps asking for her loom back, but I'm having too much fun! 

We painted nails.

We played games. Checkers,  Connect Four, & Tenzi, to be exact. 

We built snowmen. They died the next day. Darn Chinook. And my buns are totally feeling that workout! Making snowmen is a lot of work, I'll have you know.

We taped our faces. HAHA! Who knew a roll of tape could provide so much entertainment. Sadly, the Mr. wanted no part of the tape shenanigans. 

We doodled. 

With visiting cousins we took a hike (& the children, while climbing "mountains" --which were just piles of dirt & rocks--all declared: "This is better than a Narnia adventure!"), watched movies (Heaven is For Real, Dolphin Tale 2, & my FAVE: Box Trolls), went rollerskating, read books, had a sleepover, went out for ice cream, boxed with the Mr, ate SPAM for the first time (my girls' first time), & went on a shopping spree at the dollar store.

We made marshmallows.

We baked.

We made paper snowflakes.

We visited reindeer. And a fake Santa. The line was too long for the real one. A selfie with a Santa statue works in a jiffy!

We crafted.

We had a fancy tea with Mimi.

We visited the library.

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Though it was sprinkled with bits of good & amazing & loveliness, I really am glad to see 2014 gone.

2014 was a sad year. A tough year. A trying year. One of my most unfavorite years to date, if you want to know the truth.
I'm hoping things are going to start looking up. At least that's where I'll look. Up.

Click HERE for a photo play-by-play.

♥

Week in Review: October 20-26

I noticed last week I didn't snap as many photos as usual. I think I was recovering from my amazing trip to Spokane from the week before, where I resided at the Bozarth Mansion for a women's retreat. I think it took me a few days to come down from that high. You know, living the life of luxury, where the bathroom in my bridal suite was as big as the living room is in my current duplex residence. Stuff like that. Wearing happy socks, I would descend the grand staircase every morning, hot drink in hand, ready for a relaxing day of teaching & worship & the chit-chatter of friendly new faces. I lived a few days of freedom. Freedom from the responsibility of cooking & cleaning & helping with homework & picking up after people & refereeing arguments between tiny humans. Stuff like that.
But I'm back now. Renewed, refreshed, refereeing, picking up things...

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This Sunday at church the message was about forgiveness. I really needed to hear it. And this illustration was perfection: When you are doodling on an Etch-a-Sketch, what do you do when you mess up? You shake it until your drawing disappears, & then you start over, new. That's what it's like when you sin & you confess it to God: He shakes the Etch-a-Sketch of your life & you start over, new. (And bonus: He completely forgets your sin. He actually chooses to not remember what you've done.)
We all have that one big thing we've done, that we regret. We wish we could go back & change things. I know I have done a few of those big things. My friend, Julie, & I were just recently talking about "secrets". In fact, we had just eaten at Chipotle. (In Spokane. When I resided at the mansion. *sigh* The mansion...) And Chipotle has these cups printed with Cultivating Thoughts. Mine happened to be the Two-Minute Personality Test by Jonathan Safran Foer. The question I read aloud was this: "If your biggest secret became public, would you be forgiven?" We both chose not to share our biggest secret. I decided that if my secrets were made public I think I would be forgiven? Probably? But now Julie & I are just SO BEYOND curious as to what deep secret the other hides. haha!
There are no secrets when it comes to me & God. He knows everything. Like, EVERYTHING. But He still loves me & He for certain forgives me & He makes me new. Every day. Let me just say...this girl *points to self* gets shaken a lot.

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Last week I was schooled in the subject of Dr. Who. The 12-year old wants to start watching the show, since all her friends at school talk about it. She wants to see what it's all about, you know? And I am clueless about that whole world. So I went to the experts: my Facebook Dr. Who fans. And I was immediately informed that I should stop calling him "Dr. Who". It's "Doctor Who". It's apparently his name & not a title. I am such an idiot. And all the Whovians giggled behind my back. I know it. I just know they did. Because they told me they did. And then I was like, "Is this Doctor man the same person, only played by different actors over the series? (You know, like the James Bond character, portrayed by a number of different actors in several of the movies.) Or are they all related somehow?" Again, more giggling. And then I got this response (bold highlights are my addition): "No, silly. The Doctor is a Time Lord. He's from a race of aliens who mastered time & have regenerative powers, you nit-wit. When they 'die' they come back as someone else, dummyhead."
I have decided that Zoey & I should start at Season 1 (2005), with Chris Eccleston. I will be the mommy sensor, pre-watching the shows. I sure hope I like them. Because this will be some sort of awful self-torture if I don't.

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The family took a most amazing stroll by the river last Saturday afternoon. We wanted to take a walk in the morning, but I just couldn't be rushed. Lucky us, it's only a 5-minute drive from home. Our tree (our favorite spot to hang out at the river) was the most beautiful, happy yellow. The leaves are getting more awesome every day. She sits right by the water, next to her other tree friend. I snapped photos aplenty. And took many videos of Zoey. She's got this new YouTube account & I'm trying to play with video, learning a thing or two as we go along. It's quite funny to watch how she becomes a little bit of a character in front of the camera. Slightly animated, uninhibited. And when editing the videos, I am obsessed with making voices slo-mo. I crack up EVERY TIME. It never gets old.
On our walk, we oohed & aahed at the current art installation, about 50 yarn-bombed trees at Howard Amon Park. We found nature treasures, we threw rocks, we fed geese & they chased us & I screamed, we sipped hot drinks, we people-watched. And on a side note: when a big daddy person swings with his daughter in public? Cutest ever.
Saturdays are meant for lovely bouts of spontaneity such as this.

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The big girl had her first middle school orchestra concert. When her 6th grade group played, the teacher led them in their first piece. I listened, trying my hardest to find whatever rhythm they were on, but I just couldn't find it. Once I thought I found the melody. Nope, lost it. For the past couple weeks Zoey has been stressing out about the concert, saying, "Mom! We don't sound good at all!!!" She was right. They sounded horrible. It was a jarbly, garbly, mess of sound. I immediately felt embarrassed for them. I felt so uncomfortable. The song ended, the students rose & bowed. The audience awkwardly clapped. And then the teacher revealed that it was all a joke. PHEW! Like, I seriously breathed a giant PHEW! The man's hair in front of me acutally moved about from my breath.  And then I was the loudest one in the audience, laughing. I was just so relieved. HAHA! (Zoey's statement earlier was all an act on her part.) Well played, you pranksters.

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Pazely & I were outside this weekend, looking at the mushrooms that have sprouted in our yard. And then suddenly I had the idea to paint faces on them. Just because. So we grabbed some supplies, & whatever tiny props we could find, & had the best time ever! The Mr. thinks we're nuts. But my Facebook & Instagram followers LOVED our creations. Check out our mushrooms HERE. At the end of the day, Pazely said, "I had so much fun!!" Is that all it takes? I like this girl.

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I will just say this, right now: November 2nd is going to be my newest favorite day. I am very much looking forward to that extra hour of sleep. Does anyone throw Daylight Savings Time Ends parties? Because I would totally go to that shindig.

Have a lovely week!

For a photo play-by-play, click HERE.
♥

Week in Review: October 13-19

Ooh! My Week-in-Review is so warm & cozy this week! I LOVE it.

I haven't blogged my W.I.R. in a while now. So, if you're sippin' a cup of coffee or hot cocoa or tea or some other delicious fall-inspired drink, just sit back. Relax. And read. Because this is where I blabber about my week & whatever else I feel like chatting about. Writing is my therapy. And I appreciate you stopping by!

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This weekend a friend invited me to go to her church's women's retreat. It was in Spokane, WA at Bozarth Mansion. What an absolutely beautiful home! I practically skipped around the property with my camera, snapping random things, snapping all the things. It was built in 1911, & full of old details that I just couldn't get enough of. My friend, Julie, & I stayed in the bridal suite. haha! 

The whole weekend I was surrounded by women I didn't know. But they were so kind & lovely. Which meant I followed Julie around like a scared puppy only half the time. The speaker was really good—I got lots of tasty nuggets for my soul. And worshiping in a setting like that with all of our soft pretty voices was a special sound.

The Mr. was a champ for watching the girls at home. He fed them donuts for breakfast & frozen meals for dinner. They stayed up late all weekend, ate piles of frozen yogurt, skipped rocks, played with friends, went to the park, & walked along the river.

Apparently all the fun stuff happens when I'm gone. 

It WAS hard to leave the mansion. And the atmosphere of not needing to be needed all the time, of duty & responsibility. Escaping reality for a brief moment is a good thing. A necessary thing. Sometimes you don't realize you need something until you receive it. This weekend was just that for me.

And just so you know: Waking up on a foggy fall morning in a mansion is magical.

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I love mustard. As in: the color. I treated myself to a mustard-colored cardigan from Target a few months ago. I actually gasped when I saw it. (I have a friend who says when she sees anything colored "mustard" pop up on her Pinterest wall, she knows it's me that pinned it. And she's right.) Now that the autumn is upon us, I can wear that warm, cozy cardigan. And I do. Like, all the time. I should have bought 3 or 4 or 12 of those sweaters. I want to be like those TV or movie characters that open their closets & have the same outfit draping from each hanger. My repetitive outfit of choice would be jeans + random t-shirt + mustard cardigan. 

Last week my mother had this brilliant idea to paint all 4 outside doors of her house. 

She asked, "What color should I paint them?"

Mustard.

Of course.

So we went to Home Depot & color-matched my sweater to the perfect shade. The color we actually chose is "Rice Curry". But I renamed it "Nikki's Cardigan". 

Her doors look AMAZING.

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My sister & mother & I continue to get together every month for breakfast & tea. We had a little cry this time. Which seems a customary happening since grandmother passed away four months ago. Grandmother is missed so much. And the ache in my heart continues because she is gone. I'm trying to think of little things to do to honor her. Even little seemingly insignificant things. Like, the knitted piece I'm working on, (to yarn bomb a tree), was made casting on 92 stitches—to represent the 92 years my grandmother lived on this earth. I'm thinking of attaching it to a tree near the benches she used to rest on when she walked at the park by the river.

I am anxious for more chilly weather to arrive, so I can wear the cat sweatshirt & plaid flannel she always wore. 

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Have you seen the 15-second stop-motion video I made? It was a fun little "just because" project I did as a promotional tool for my blog. A mini commercial, if you will. Picking songs to go with videos is so much fun. Take a peek HERE. Hope you like it! And please share it, if you do!

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In case you haven't heard on my WhiMSy love facebook page, I am working on a D.I.Y. Christmas Crafty Countdown Blog Extravaganza. Or just D.I.Y.C.C.C.B.E. for short. Haha! Not really. I don't know what I'll call it.

 EVERY SINGLE DAY, starting Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) & running through Christmas Eve, I will post an original do-it-yourself tutorial on the blog! 

EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. 

That's TWENTY-SEVEN projects! 

Who's ready for a month of crafty fun with this girl?

And, phew! There's a lot of work going on in the background here: Brainstorming, crafting, snapping photos of each step, editing photos, scheduling blog posts, cleaning up one mess so I can make another mess, etc. Trying to get a head start on everything means I HAVE to craft. I HAVE to. (hee! hee!) I am loving my days, scattered with craftiness in-between all the mom & wife stuff.

But it is KILLING ME to keep all these projects secret. I am seriously dying at all the cuteness that I can't share. Yet. And what has always happened in the past is that I get a cool idea in my head, but then I forget about it, or don't share it fast enough---&, before I know it, someone else has the SAME idea! And so then my cool idea becomes NOT my cool idea. I'm freaking out, hoping my ideas will still be original by the time they post. Is that weird? I know I'm not the only one this happens to.

Though there is still much work to be done, thirty-nine days is an awful long time to still have to wait. 

Dear Thanksgiving: Hurry up & get here!!!

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Well, here's to a grand week!

Happy Monday!

For a photo play-by-play, click HERE.

♥

Week in Review: June 9-15

Today is the 6th day of summer break. And we are having a blast! I am having so much fun getting to hang out with my girls. I love being with them. They are such neat little people. 

Here's what we've been up to...

Two days before school was out, I hung out at school all afternoon with the girls for the annual Field Day. I embarrassed them by applying sunscreen whenever I could, & taking "selfies" with them. Zoey's 5th grade friends giggled to hear a mom say the word "selfie". Seriously? I must be uber hip & not even realize it. I love seeing my kids interact with their friends at school. And when my 11 year old comes over to give me the occasional hug, (not caring who sees her), I'm prouder than proud. 

I made treats for the-almost-birthday-girl Pazely to share with her classmates on the last day of school. Pazely's teacher & another student eat gluten-free, so it was my first time baking anything like that. I was gonna go all handmade-from-scratch, but when I saw the list of ingredients I'd need to buy, I decided to try a box mix instead. I found a Betty Crocker gluten-free devil's food cake mix. It uses rice flour. Topped with a homemade whipped chocolate ganache, the cupcakes were SUPER delicious! Pazely requested m&m's + I had leftover pinwheel cupcake toppers from my first days on Etsy. I love serving  cupcakes in those short, stubby, clear, plastic cups with a spoon. No mess in the classroom! The students sat around in a circle & ate their cupcakes while each shared one big accomplishment they've made this year. It was really sweet to hear what they had to say & also listen to the teacher encourage them & give them positive words of affirmation.  I'm really so grateful my girls had amazing teachers. Mrs. Batdorf & Mr. Ryder, you're the best!   

To celebrate the last day of school, a friend of mine planned a late-night hike. The girls & I grabbed our water bottles +  flashlights & headed out to the Badger Canyon Trail at 9pm. It was pretty windy, but so much fun. I've hiked this trail several times, but it was the girls' first time. We all wore glow stick accessories & enjoyed a splendid view of the city at the top. 

To celebrate the first day of summer, the Mr. prepared the firepit in the backyard---& the girls burned their homework! The girls have been stock-piling their papers/assignments/old tests/reports/etc. JUST for this occasion. We also had s'mores. I think this is a tradition we will continue.

The girls & I are currently giddy about finger-knitting. I taught the girls this super easy technique about 4 years ago. ago. But we recently attended a library event, where finger-knitting was being taught. We learned a slightly new way of doing it, which was fun. The girls & one of their friends are currently producing yards & yards & yards of this stuff. Zoey even knitted the finger-knitting into regular knitting with my size 50 knitting needles & made a scarflette, complete with vintage button. She & a friend (who is also named Zoey) are thinking of making these to sell. You may see them in my Etsy shop, come fall. For a tutorial on how to finger-knit, check out these video tutorials,  HERE and HERE which show two different ways.

I also learned how to arm-knit! Oh my gosh. So cool. 

The girls chalked it up at the Sidewalk Chalk Festival. Always so much fun. I sat & watched & knitted. It was Worldwide-Knit-in-Public Day after all. Later in the evening, we walked around & looked at all the artwork that had been drawn throughout the day. While eating treats from the bakery. 

I also...

...learned to do the fishtail braid. (The girls & I made a hair train.)

...ate foil dinners from the bbq.

...hung out at Barnes & Noble with the fam, surrounding myself with crafty books & yummy drinks.

...took Zoey to her first private cello lesson.

...watched my big girl get her 5th grade diploma. Middle school, here we come!

...filled the calendar with fun things to do.

♥

Week in Review: April 28-May 4

Last week...

...I baked cinnamon & apple scones. Yummy.

...I took Pazely on her monthly date. We made wishes, walked by the river, went thrifting, sipped drinks, & browsed books.

...I watched THIS really cool video about what happened when a photographer came face-to-face with a deadly leopard seal. Have you seen it? It's pretty cool.

...I continued to watch the tomato seedlings sprouting. So exciting! I even planted carrot seeds in random containers outside.

...I played drawing games with my 4th grade STAR Club crew. 

...I passed on the birthday month torch to my sister. So for May, mom & I are gifting her with little things every day to help her celebrate her month.

...I (sadly) started visiting grandmother in the hospital. She fell last week (& broke her hip), after having a stroke---& it's a long road ahead. It's very sad to think that my grandmother will never be the same again. Though she is now paralyzed on her left side, is using minimal percentage of her heart, & can't see very well anymore, she is still a spunky one. I love that lady & have shed so many tears these last 2 weeks.

Click HERE for a photo play-by-play.

♥

Week in Review: April 21-27

Last week...

...the girls & I planted tomato seeds in eggshells. I've always wanted to try it out. (Today---8 days later---the first sprouts appeared!)

...I found an idea from a friend on facebook on how to deal with my allowance & the ever-evolving attitudes I see creeping up in my children. I wish I could link the original source, but haven't found it yet. The girls decorated jars, which I filled with marbles. The marbles represent their weekly allowance of $5. (Each marble = 25cents.) Every time the girls argue or complain, they have to remove a marble & write the scripture Philippians 2:14 on a piece of paper: "Do everything without complaining or arguing." At the end of the week, they get what money is left. I am seeing immediate results & I LOVE the jars! The girls? Not so much. 

...I made some seriously delicious & notable recipes. Firstly, THIS Italian Chicken Crockpot recipe is so super yummy & easy to make. (I served mine over spaghetti noodles.) And then I used up my seriously brown bananas (why do I always have a constant supply of these?) & baked up a batch of THESE Oatmeal Breakfast Cupcakes. They're not REALLY cupcakes. But that's what the recipe is called. Though the girls have been enjoying them for breakfast, mostly we've been munching on them for snacks. (I added mini chocolate chips AND Reese's chips to mine.) 

...I actually got to sit down for some knitting. I haven't gotten to do that in a while. It sure felt nice. 

...the girls & I took a trip to the library, one of our favorite places. We were extremely happy campers.

...I watched the Mr. teach the girls how to skip stones.

...I made indoor s'mores. I had a craving. And chocolate. 

...I taught my 4th grade STAR Club crew how to make 3-D cloud mobiles. Remember? Like the ones I made HERE for Zoey's birthday party decor last year. The kids LOVED making them. And of course they put their creative spin on the project: one kid made a 3-D sun, another added lightning bolts to his clouds. I love their imaginations.

...I had the biggest, ginormous hassle trying to renew my domain name. It's all settled now. For the most part. I've had it for 2 years now. Did you know that this blog is officially whimsy-love.com?? It'll still re-route you if you use the whimsy-girl.blogspot.com address though. I guess that makes me more fancy or something.

...I found out that my community is going to be adorning trees by the river with "sweaters" this fall. As in: yarn-bombing, knitting graffiti. I am so stoked & totally need to figure out how to get involved.  The poster explains it this way: "A public project to create colorful art pieces along the rivershore to increase conversation, community pride, & walkability in Richland." Yay, Richland!!

...Pazely & I found $20 while walking to school one morning. Cha-ching! The rest of the way to school, Pazely kept saying, "Finders! Keepers! Finders! Keepers!" in this real hysterical, maniacal way. Weirdo! I am absolutely positive that I found the bill first. But she insists that she spotted it at the same time. Whatevs. We split it 50/50 & called it good. But only because she wasn't going for 70/30.

I predicted her money would be quickly spent on Littlest Pet Shops figurines. She is going through a resurgence of LPS adoration. She has LPS villages set up all over her bedroom floor. I find the animals in little vignettes scattered all about the house. She does LPS tradesies with friends. She carries a Littlest Pet Shop stash with her wherever she goes. She's nutso for those things.

My new-found dough, with every good intention, was gonna be saved for something special for myself. But I know how that routine goes. Every time. I spend it on someone else.  And, in fact, that's how it went: I gave my half to Zoey, & both girls spent their cash at the school book fair. (Where they even bought a book each for a teacher's classroom "Wish List". SO SWEET!)

...I stumbled across THIS version of the popular song "Let It Go". It's thoroughly entertaining---the whole way through.

...my mother CONTINUES to spoil me with gifts every day for my birthday month! I've been taking pictures of them every day. See HERE for the set of pictures.

For a photo play-by-play, click HERE.

♥

Week in Review: April 14-20

Last week...

...I had a spa day at Lazuli Blue! The parentals gifted me with a certificate (months ago) that I finally redeemed. I enjoyed an infrared sauna, a Swedish massage (I was certain there would be bruises afterwards), & a hydrafacial. A LOVELY way to spend an afternoon. I don't get those kinds of experiences very often, so it was an absolute treat. It was hard to say goodbye to the fuzzy robe  & slippers.

...the fam & I (except daddy, 'cause he had to work *sad face*) attended Zoey's first school strings performance. She was so excited! Without any pressure from me, I really hope she decides to continue on with the cello. I can totally picture attending her high school orchestra concerts. And I'm bonding on the musical level with that girl of mine as much as I can. But our 2-man band, Chuke finds it hard to practice very often: (What? You wanna play outside? What? You wanna chill out & play games? What? You wanna invite friends over? What? You've got homework to do?)

...Zoey & I decided to do some container gardening during her monthly date. I spent some of my birthday money on dirt. Haha! But sad news: our cucumbers aren't looking so hot. I think they are diseased. Great. I can do lots of creative things, but I have never been one to grow things. We are planting carrot & tomato seeds this week. I'll prolly kill those too. Just give it time. I really, really, really, want this to be successful for Zoey. She loves plants & flowers & outdoor things like that. In fact, she currently loves weeding. She just recently told me that if she could have any wish, she would wish to have a yard filled with weeds, just so she could pick them all. Seriously, we'll be passing by a random field or yard, & she'll see weeds, & it just KILLS her inside that she can't go pull them. Yesterday the Mr. took the girls to the park. While he & Pazely were tossing a ball, Zoey was sitting near a patch of weeds, weeding to her hearts content. 

...the girls & I contributed some artwork for a local park project. A friend's son is hoping to have a sign put up at McMurray Park in Richland, using artwork from locals, which will be turned into tiles. The project has yet to be approved, but I'm certain it will get a bunch of "Yay's"! Sitting under a gazebo in a park with the girls, & coloring with pencils, was a super fun way to spend an hour on a Saturday morning.

...I finally finished making 52 mini buntings for donating to the BirthMom Buds Retreat. I think this is my 4th year donating items to their annual retreat, as part of the goodie bags the ladies will take home. (Last year I made vintage button rings for all of them!) Have fun in Charlotte, North Carolina, ladies!!

...the girls & I decided to mix things up for Easter's annual egg decorating scene this year. I found THIS idea on Pinterest which makes tie-dyed eggs using shaving cream & food coloring. Ours turned out rather light, so next time I think we should go crazy with the food color. We ended up applying rub-on tattoos to decorate the eggs as well. And then our refrigerator died. So we had to bring our things down the street to grandmother's house for safe & cool keeping.

We kept things simple this year for Easter, because we had to. I kind of felt bad about not being to get the girls new dresses & shoes & tights. (Thank you, Jesus for hand-me-downs!) We made do. And there weren't the big baskets filled with lots of  fun prizes & treats. Just tiny things that I found around the house. That fit in an egg carton. For reals. But the girls had fun & we made memories just the same.

...I made scones/griddle cakes. I'll share the recipe later this week. They were so yummy, & cooked right up on my griddle! I need to restock mother's lemon curd though. Can't get enough of that stuff on the cranberry griddle cakes!

...I had the largest group of kids for 4th grade STAR Club last week: 13! (It's normally a maximum of 8, but I made an exception this week.) For the first time there were trouble-makers in the mix too. Which makes everybody act more obnoxious than usual. (Boo. Hiss.) I secretly wished that several of them had chosen to attend the bunny craft in the next classroom over. 

I hear all sorts of topics of conversation with those kids every week. First, the kids were quoting lines from a new movie out in theaters. (I am very surprised at the movies that parents of 10 year olds let their kids go to! GAH.) And then someone mentioned the word "puberty". I think they thought it was a bad word. (I'm one to talk. I'm married + 39 + have 2 kids, & the word "sex" still makes me feel uncomfortable. haha! I blushed when I typed that.) But I explained (in 7 seconds) that puberty is simply your body changing as you get older. General. Basic. No weirdness. Yet they still made grossed out/that's disgusting faces. Then, one girl asked me, "How are babies made?" I replied: "This isn't that kind of crafting class, honey." (Are there even those types of crafting classes?)

Have a happy Monday!

For a photo play-by-play, click HERE.

♥

Week in Review: April 7-13

Last week was birthday! My mom picked me up in the morning & surprised me with breakfast out with my sister & grandmother, & eventually my dad. In the evening a bunch of us went to Fujiyama for dinner--you know, that place where they cook the food in front of you on the Hibachi grill tables. I'd never been to one before. Though our chef didn't do a lot of crazy tricks (& kept dropping things), it was fun anyway. I don't know if he was sad or drunk or shy, but he didn't wow us like the other chefs around us. The food was REALLY delicious! The Mr. & I shared the steak & shrimp. We finished the night off with some cupcakes (of course!) & a game of Farkel. 

Last week I also...

...prepared a make-yer-own pizza night for dinner.

...made 4 dozen waffles. (I was in the kitchen until almost noon.)

...made Cheerio birdfeeders with the 4th graders for STAR Club.

...baked up some turkey pot pies. (First time making pot pies. A complete success!)

...led worship at a church while the Mr. preached. 

...sipped chai with my mother.

...continued to have little surprises given to me each day by my mother to celebrate my birthday month. (One was given by my dad: he sharpened all my knives!!)

...listened to Zoey & her friend Zoey play the cello & violin together, in preparation for their school concert tomorrow evening. Here's a GIF I made of them. (The "sound" is one of the songs I recorded while they played.)

...started walking the munchkins to school more, now that the weather is getting nice.

...enjoyed some park-time with the fam. We watched a giant paddlewheel boat launch.

...started gathering supplies for impromptu picnics that might pop up. Have you read THIS article by Jerusalem Greer? It's what inspired me to purchase THESE melamine dishes that look like cheapie disposable white plates & bowls. *Squee!*

...donated a trio of my vintage handmade button rings to the Choose Joy Auction on Instagram. The auction supports a family seeking to adopt. Check it out on Instagram April 16-17 with the hashtag #choosejoyauction2014 There will be loads of other handmade goodies up for bid as well!

♥

Week in Review: March 24-30 (CAMP WOOTEN!)

Last week was all about Camp Wooten. And all the pictures (except one) in the photo collage are from Camp Wooten. The feetsies pictured by the river is after camp. My poor, poor, aching feet. They needed that bit of rest right there.

Camp was a complete & absolute BLAST!!! What was I so nervous for? I really was nervous. But I found out that all the moms I was working in the kitchen with were nervous too: "What if I get stuck with a bunch of lame ladies?", etc. Before I go on & on about how amazing it was, I must say this: That was one of the hardest weeks I've ever had in my life. For reals. I think it rates in the top 10 for sure of the most difficult things I have ever done. No joke ma-goats.

But it was worth it.

Not only because I was able to contribute to the 5th graders experience during their Outdoor Education Week (oh my gosh: all the teachers were AMAZING with the kids), but because I also made new friends & had laughs aplenty! Isn't that what camp is for? Oh my golly, did I laugh. I love my new mommy friends/kitchen buddies. We bonded like none other. 

We rose when it was still dark out &, after working all day, we headed back to our cabins in a different dark part of the day. And, boy, did we work our booties off. I honestly think no one works harder at camp than the cooks. We had to clean at the end of the day too. So, not only was I scrambling 270 eggs, helping to assemble 900 pieces of bacon, & assisting in the making of over 200 grilled cheese sandwiches {for instance}, I was also wiping down urinals. Yummy.

The days seriously never ended. We'd prep for breakfast, cook breakfast, serve breakfast, clean up after breakfast, then prep for lunch, cook lunch, serve lunch, clean up after lunch, then prep for afternoon snack, make afternoon snack, serve afternoon snack, clean up after afternoon snack, then prep for dinner, cook dinner, serve dinner, clean up after dinner, spend at least 2 hours cleaning the mess hall & bathrooms, clean ourselves up, get to bed at {at least} 10:30, & get up at 5:30 to do it all again. 

All. Week. Long.

For 150 people.

It was beyond exhausting. My feet hurt something fierce. My back was not especially happy either. The days did blur together & it felt like we'd been there much longer than we actually were. Once, when referencing something that happened that same morning, we were like, "Wait. That was this morning? Are you sure that wasn't yesterdy?" Long, never-ending days... (My bed was my favorite thing to see every night. Oh, & did you see how cute my corner of the cabin was? I dolled it up all creative-like.)

There were a few moments to escape & peek at our children attending their classes or having fun during their recreation periods. Every night around campfire were songs & skits & silliness too. It rained a few days. It hailed once. I never had to wear the long underwear or wool socks I brought though. (Woohoo!)

Our kitchen crew each came up with nicknames of sorts for each other. And they all might hate me for this, but here goes...

Elizabeth... laughs a lot & is {apparently} really good with knives: She actually sliced one of the chef's fingers. This specific chef is lovingly called Mr. Manners by the kids at camp. So, we called Elizabeth "Killer". She's really nice, though. Really.

Melissa... hates lots of things. Like Jello & cartoons & bananas & anything cherry flavored & parks & Cheerios & when people walk through her beautiful snow. "I HATE that..." just stuck with her. 

NaDell... was totally teacher's pet, only in the kitchen instead of a classroom. Chef's pet, if you will. This is nothing that the kitchen crew hasn't already discussed with NaDell, so it's not like I'm talking behind her back. We all tried to compete & be like NaDell, but we never achieved her lofty status. The chef's loved her. And she really took charge. Like, all the time. So she became "Boss Jr.". 

Angie... is quiet as a mouse. And sweet. And soft. And all things petite. Even her feet are tiny & cute. We wanted to call her "Mouse", but Elizabeth didn't like that. And, who are we to mess with a lady who just knifed Mr. Manners? So, Elizabeth named her "Sweetie Bell". We didn't argue.

Michelle...was kind of like the mom of our group. We saw her take charge with the kids & set them straight several times. She's definitely the brains of the bunch too. The kitchen crew played "Are you Smarter than a Camp Wooten 5th grader?" Like, in front of all the 5th graders & staff. Let's just say...we were all humiliated. Except for Michelle. She is lovingly referred to as "Mama Bear".

And then there's me. For whatever reason, everyone had trouble coming up with my nickname. I really didn't think I was that difficult to get a reading on. I became "Tender Heart" (like the Care Bear). Elizabeth said I had a tender ora about me. It didn't make sense to me, it's not the nickname I would have chosen, & I seriously wanted to sway their thoughts on this. But again, when knife lady speaks, you listen.

We all snuck over to the Rec Hall & made ourselves pinback buttons with our new nicknames on them.

(Crafty time at camp! YAY!)

Later at camp, we had to say goodbye to Killer & Boss Jr. as they had only volunteered for the first part of the week. (Saddest day ever.) Three newbies joined the kitchen crew to finish out the rest of the week.

I should mention Jeff, Jon & Debbie, the chefs that really did most of the work all week. They are old pros at this, with many years of volunteering at Camp Wooten. They ordered the food, planned the menus, organized the whole thing. And they were so great to work with! And I'm pretty sure I can say that we were part help/part entertainment for those three all week.

The highlight for me at camp was just being with my new friends, laughing & laughing. (Neighboring cabins weren't so keen on our laughter & late-night giggling. One of the Camp Directors politely asked us to quiet down. Oops.) None of us "moms" knew each other before camp. We all agreed it's a shame that it took this long to get so closely acquainted. Elizabeth said the school should send kindergartners to Camp Wooten. (So we'd get to meet each other sooner.) But then she decided that 7 kindergartners in a camp cabin is like 90 cats.

Ain't nobody got time for that. So, nevermind. 

Better a late friendship than no friendship at all, I suppose.

I brought all sorts of things to do in case I was stuck with a bunch of ladies that were no fun. I didn't even read or knit once while at camp. That's how much I love them. I later found out that they all, too, brought things to do for the same reason. haha!

No interent or wifi for the week was a breeze. I was too busy to care about all that. Didn't miss it once. Didn't yearn to make a status Facebook update. Didn't pine for Instagram. Didn't pout without Vine or Twitter. I lived to tell about it. 

I am a survivor. 

I even got mail at camp! My sweet mom sent me mail. As did the Mr. + Pazely. Happy mail at camp? Best ever. Zoey got oodles of mail too. Thanks to those who mailed stuff to her! Zoey said the highlight at camp for her was the fishing. And she thinks if I wasn't there that she might have been homesick. (It was awful fun getting to hug & kiss on her every morning & evening, & see her smiles, & watch her interact with friends.)

Camp Randomness...

•Next time I need to remember to bring some chapstick. (Who knew long hours in the kitchen causes lip chaffing?) 

•Did I just say "Next time..."??? Well, Pazely will be in 5th grade next year. She might get upset if mom doesn't do the same for her. I wonder if I can talk the Mr. into taking my place...

•I realized that to cook for a large group of people you need to use large things.

•Laughing helps your feet hurt less.

•The food at camp is DELICIOUS. (No one goes hungry.) 

•The hot cocoa at camp is amazing. (I've got the secret. And I might tell.)

•I didn't get eaten by a wild animal, but I did step in deer poo. 

•Zoey showered at camp more than I did. (And she only showered twice.)

•I learned that cream of tartar helps make fluffy scrambled eggs. (1 tsp per 1 dozen eggs)

•After peeling & chopping garlic for dinner one evening, I learned this tip: Scrub your hands with coarse salt. (I did. And it took the smell completely away!)

•I already miss Eva, the industrial dishwasher.

•A chipmunk stole a cookie from the kitchen one afternoon. (I saw him do it. Cutest tiny thief EVER.)

•I shooed away a tick, crawling on my face. (EEP!)

•I got to ring the dinner bell one day. Sounds silly, but it was something I was particularly looking forward to. (Hey, it's the little things, people.)

•Melissa & I got a lesson in human salad spinning. Take a peek at my GIF of chef Jon, HERE. (I only lost a few lettuce leaves when it was my turn.)

•Slicing with the meat cutter = buff right arm.

•Melissa also hates milkshakes & smoothies.

I am so happy to be home. It took me 3 full days to recover. It didn't help that I was starting to get sickly the last 2 days there. Sore throat + stuffy face cruds. Blah. When we returned home, I heard all about Pazely's week with the Mr. 

Pazely declared it "The Best Week Ever!!!". (WHAT?! haha!) I feel super loved & needed right now.

I made many happy camp memories, gained new friends & now I have another adventure under my belt.

 That's a good week, I'd say.

Click HERE for a photo play-by-play.

Click HERE for all the Camp Wooten photos.

♥

Week in Review: March 17-23

Last week I...

...made yarn-wrapped vases with the 4th graders at STAR Club. So much fun! Yet, I'm really glad to be rid of all those cans cluttering my kitchen counter.

...celebrated my mom's birthday early. I made 2 tarts for the occasion. The berry tart was DELICIOUS. Recipe: HERE. I have made it once before & I must share again what I discovered: do NOT spend $12 on a jar of crystallized ginger. Just don't. I got the same amount of ginger as sold in that $12 jar as I did in the bulk spices section---& it only cost me 48cents!! No joke. Bulk spices rock.

The chocolate tart I made had the same base as the berry tart. It was the first time I made chocolate ganache. (SO GOOD. So good.) But next time I would omit the ginger (from the cream cheese base) in the chocolate one. I didn't like the clash of flavors. Recipe for the chocolate ganache: HERE.

Also for mother's birthday I brought over a giant whiteboard. We had her sit in a chair in front of the board, & then we all wrote sweet words about who she is or what she means to us. She got to turn around & read it when we were all done.

And then Chuke performed a new song. (That'd be Zoey + me on our cello + ukulele.)

We ate ribs & bbq'd chicken & brisket & cornbread & coleslaw & baked beans &... it was so yummy!

...got together with some old friends from MOPS. (Mothers of PreSchoolers). It's been many years since I've been to MOPS. In fact, some of our preschoolers back then are in 5th grade now. It's so good to laugh & visit. I welcome any opportunity to do that.

...went to a steak dinner & revival service at church with grandmother & family. 

...shadow-boxed.

...helped introduce my dad to the game of Farkel. Our family is currently addicted. I carry dice around in my purse wherever I go.

...ate the biggest burrito on the planet for dinner on Sunday night. Another addiction: the taco truck 3 minutes down the road.

...saw THIS & laughed & laughed & laughed.

...saw THIS & was completely inspired. 

...spent most of the week prepping for Camp Wooten. I'll be going as a cook on the 5th grade Outdoor Education Camp Wooten trip. We leave today (Monday) & return Friday. I have to report to duty every morning at 6 AM in the kitchen. And it'll be a lot of work! I'm hoping to have plenty of opportunities to snap photos & even escape to visit Zoey & see what she is up to every so often. I'm hoping to make friends with the other cooks & I'm hoping my body doesn't fall apart during the trip. You know, with my bum foot, my back problems & my IBS. (Too much info?) Sorry. It's just reals, folks. 

*grins*

Anyway, I won't have any access to the internet all week. Yikes! But that's as it should be. What with nature & camping & all. I actually look forward to the forced "unplugged" factor. I hope to have an awesome experience & be accepting of whatever adventures come my way. 

At the staff meeting I heard one of the leaders say, "Bring things from home that make you comfortable." So I packed a vintage quilt, homemade bunting, a cat rug, Earl Grey tea + hand warmers.

I will post all about camp after I return home, next weekend. 

See you then!

♥

Week in Review: March 10-16

So many good things have happened in the last couple weeks. I can't believe I didn't post last week's Picture Collage! First off, I took a trip with my parents to Seattle for my dad's post-op visit at the Veterans Hospital. It was a happy day. Extreme anxiousness has wrapped itself around my family since Christmas Eve, when dad made the announcement he had cancer. (For the 2nd time, I might add.) That guy walked out of that hospital two weeks ago with the happiest of hearts. The news that he was cancer free was a celebratory occasion! We immediately hit the social networks to declare the positively negative results. My dad was so cute, asking, "Who else can I call? Who else can I text?" He really wanted to shout it to the world. We all did.

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The Mr. & I celebrated our 15th anniversary on March 6th. A few days later he surprised me by arranging to have the girls spend the night with my parents while he & I took a one hour drive east to Walla Walla for an overnight stay at The Marcus Whitman Hotel. Chocolate covered strawberries + champagne awaited me in the hotel room. (Oo la la!) The Mr's plan was to park the car in the lot & not drive anywhere. Which is easy to do, since the sweet, small downtown area is so close. We walked to eat lunch & dinner, & visited a few shops. I ate so many yummy things: I highly suggest the BLT + cream of asparagus soup at Olive, the potato & Gorgonzola pizza at Sweet Basil, any cupcake at Frosted, the house-roasted cashews with Ancho Chili spice at Public House 124, & the pink peppercorn chocolate bar at Bright's Candies shop. The customer service at The Marcus Whitman is first-rate as well. It was just so fantastic to spend alone-time with the Mr. Although, we did miss our kids a wee bit. Our little hearts were a tiny bit sad without them. So, we bought them lots of little goodies to make up for the aching. Marbles & wind up toys & candy & musical instruments. Oh, & the extra shampoo & shower cap from the hotel bathroom. 

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If you dare, check out MY first YouTube video, where I play the ukulele (& sing!) during what I call a "Late-Night Uke Session". I'm having so much fun with the ukulele. It took a lot for me to publicly publish a video. Which might seem silly since I've spent years & years in front of various church congregations leading worship. Music means a lot to me, it's a big part of who I am &, though my voice is nothing fancy, I love singing.

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For Zoey's date day this month, she & I baked together. She has been dying to do some more creative kitchen stuff, so we found a recipe for Salted Caramel Apple Hand Pies. OH. MY. We followed the recipe exact---& the handmade pie dough is amazing. My mom says it's the best pie crust she has had in a very long time. Dad & grandmother loved it too! (I baked another batch of hand pies the next day, using store-bought pie dough. Not even worth it. This was a victory for me, in case you forgot about the pie dough competition my mom & I had a couple months ago: she baked a pie using store-bought dough, & I baked a pie using grandmother's pie crust recipe....& my mother won!) The pies were so delicious & fun to make. I can't wait to try other fillings. Though the pie-baking was oodles of loveliness, the memory-making was the best.

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I am beginning to see sunny days & am loving the slightly warmer weather. I never realized, until now, just how much the weather affects my mood, my days, my whole being. Wow, this sunshine makes me feel alive. And today (March 20th) is the official First Day of Spring. So....happy spring!! The windows have been open a lot more, the blinds flapping in the breeze.

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Next week Zoey & I leave for Camp Wooten! Though I was not chosen as a cabin counselor, I did get in as a cook. I'll be reporting for duty every morning at 6am, & it sounds like long days. I anticipate the whole achy leg/my feet are beyond sore/I want my mommy scenario. But I accept the challenge & look forward to this whole new adventure. The 5th graders at Zoey's school take this trip every year for Outdoor Education. It sounds like she'll have a blast! I may even get to tag along on a couple classes---& hopefully snap some photos of her in action. I'll be absent from the internet/wifi/etc all week! I'm busy now, packing & purchasing all those last minute things. 

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Here are some other things I've been up to...

•I made "Emma's Shepherd's Pie With No Gross Vegetables", the girls' favorite version.

•I ate delicious chocolates from the Ukraine & Russia.

•I had a couple jam sessions with the houseband, Chuke. (Zoey + me on the cello + uke.)

•I enjoyed a quiet moment with the Mr., by the river on a bench swing, in the sunshine.

•I received some more eggs from a neighbor with chickens.

•The fam hit the park to partake in the lovely sunshine.

•I melted beads & made St. Patrick's Day crafts with my STAR Club 4th graders.

•I discovered a new favorite recipe, which the fam & I wrapped in lettuce leaves, with fried rice on the side: Asian Ground Beef.

•I baked oatmeal + chocolate chip bars. I'm so addicted to oatmeal these days.

•I smiled during this video by Pentatonix. I love them! (And I LOVE the movie "Frozen".)

And that. Is all. 

♥

Week in Review: January 27-February 2

To begin, I'd like to say:

YAY SEAHAWKS! 2014 SUPER BOWL CHAMPS! WOOHOO!!!!!!

Even though I don't understand the rules of football & it's quite confusing to watch, (you don't want to be around me with a game on: I'm chatty & full of questions), I became a Seahawks fan several months ago. Even bought my very first sporty team t-shirt. It has been quite thrilling to be living in the midst of all the hooplah & excitement. At last night's Championship game, the fam gathered at my parent's house, where there was a smorgasboard of proper game-watching munchies. (Uncle Dan's Dip + chicken wings = MMMMmm!!!) The Mr. declared, "I predict whoever makes the most mistakes, will lose the game." I stated, "I predict whoever has the most points at the end of the game, wins." And guess what? We were BOTH right!

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I had a much-needed coffee date with my Tia friend last week. Roaster's Coffee on G. Way was our hangout of choice this time. And coconut lattes, chai lattes +  giant peanut butter cookies were on the menu. The leather lumpy couch is not our favorite. Next time, we'll have to test out the leapord print loveseat. (And I still don't "get" the tacky flowers in vases scattered about on the tables. Maybe that's the point.) We did have some fun with a new app I've never used: Clone Cam. I can see where I goofed on our photo, but take a look at it anyway: HERE. It's kind of fun! And people watching is our FAVE!!! We make up stories about the couples & strangers we see. I should start writing down our mini fake bio's, we get quite silly. 

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My friend Julie & I are doing something fun for the month of February. Just because. We are aligning each of the 28 days with one of the 26 letters of the alphabet. (With two mystery days leftover.) We are choosing healthy habits or positive lifestyle choices for each day. I'm documenting my Healthy ABC's on Flickr. To follow along or take a peeksie at my journey so far, click HERE. 

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My niece, Ellie, turned 9 last week. My sis & brother & all our families gathered at grandmother's + the parental's house to feast on macaroni-n-cheese w/hotdogs. Seriously yummy kiddo comfort food. One of my gifts to Ellie was a certificate for a fun afternoon of crafting with Aunt Nikki. (That's me. Haha!) You should have seen her mouth drop. That girl was so excited. It made me giddy. Can't wait for my crafty date!

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Speaking of crafty fun, I am back at Star Club at my girls' elementary school. Crafting with 4th graders helps me really tone down the details in preparing. Keeping things super simple is key. Plus, I only have 25 minutes to craft with them, once a week. You can read all about what we made in THIS blog post. 

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Zoey's basketball team, The Killer Bananas, won their game on Saturday. Yay! I made a brunch of crepes to celebrate. Oh man, I love crepes. And, oh man, does the 9 year old love Nutella. That kid will find any excuse to eat that stuff. Which is why I rarely buy it. I followed THIS recipe. And, I doubled it, which meant I was in the kitchen FOREVERS. I pulled out two pans, so I could make two at a time. But still, sheesh! On the bright side: I have almost perfected "the pan flip".

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This month's date with Pazely was spent mall-shopping. Not my favorite thing to do. But that child needed shoes somethin' fierce. I took a picture of her sad, sad boots to show you, but then I deleted the photo. Because it was too sad. Like "You're a bad mom" kind of sad. She loved hopping around the mall with her mom & dad though. She also requested an escalator adventure. So she went up & down & up & down & up & down to her heart's content. Then we pigged out on yogurt with all kinds of junkfood toppings. The end.

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The girls brought home paperwork last week for mandatory science projects they're required to do. Which means I'll be doing science projects too. I HATE SCIENCE PROJECTS! I hated them as a kid. (Although, from what I remember, it was not a mandatory activity.) My mom confessed just recently that she hated them too. Such stress. Zoey chose to monitor mold growth in different brands of bread. And Pazely will be baking cookies, eliminating several ingredients to see what that does to the cookie. I'm guessing no matter what ingredient she eliminates, she'll still eat them all. 

Here's to a happy week, friends!

♥