Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Spring Things







Well, it sure didn't start out feeling like the first official day of Spring; we awoke to a windy, grey day and couldn't quite tell if it was raining or snowing...or both. I had a couple of hours of alone time, so after heading through the snow/rain to Barnes and Noble to grade final exams (and after perusing their Spring/Gardening table and getting really in the mood for Spring) I decided to visit my friend Trader Joe to pick up some lovely, bright flowers. On my way home I stopped at Freddie's for some potting soil, little pots, and strawberry starts (on sale for just $.49!); I decided an afternoon of planting would be a good project for the kids and would alleviate my desperation for warm weather and growing things. I thought we'd have to do the planting in our garage, but amazingly enough, by the time the triplets woke up from their nap it was sunny and beautiful outside! We braved the brisk temperatures and headed out onto the patio for some digging and dirt. Each child planted their own strawberry start as well as sprinkled grass seed into a little terra cotta pot. After carefully watering them we brought them inside to protect them from the elements - and they are currently all piled around our kitchen window awaiting glimpses of sun. Then, to my utter delight, my husband came home with Spring cleaning fever and totally cleaned out and organized our bedroom and bathroom (even shredding and sorting through piles and piles of mail!) Our room feels so nice and empty now...I absolutely love it! Happy Spring to me!

Friday, March 16, 2012

Dreaming in Yellow and Gray...

So, I decided to go with shades of yellow and gray for Abigail's nursery. It kind of all centered around a glider/rocker that I ordered; I had found a print I liked (cream with gold fleur de lis) but then I found out they had discontinued that print. I tried every color combination in my head - bright colors, neutral colors, black and white, you name it - I thought of it. But nothing felt "right". Then the owner of our (adorable) local baby store showed me a photo of a crib bedding set online and as soon as I saw it, I just knew. I loved the colors, I loved the pattern, I loved the "look". So she ordered the crib bedding that very day, and I chose a solid (pretty) yellow fabric for my glider/rocker which will now be the perfect accent piece! About a week later I ordered a rug online from Overstock.com, and today (while shamelessly wasting nap time playing on Pinterest and Etsy) I found the cutest little pillow which I, of course, had to order (Robert HATES decorative pillows, but he don't mess with mama when she's nesting;)). Tomorrow I'm going to re-measure the window in Abigail's room and then order some mustard yellow roman shades. Robert also said we could go pick out paint and get started on the walls (eek!). I think I'm going to do a medium/dark gray to bring out the grays in the crib bedding and really make the yellow chair/window shade POP). Ahhhhh, it's all coming together and I think Abigail and I are going to love it... (actual nursery photos to come!)


The crib bedding


The rug


The pillow

Source: etsy.com via Holly on Pinterest


Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Pinteresting Wednesday...

Spent a little (well, actually a LOT) of time on Pinterest last night - it's kind of my new thing to do after the kids are in bed. I don't know how it goes from 10:00 to midnight so quickly - ?! Here are some of the fun/cute/crafty things I "pinned" before bed; I can't wait to try them all!






Summertime hair wraps...yes, please!




Baby lounge pants: an "easy" sewing project that actually looks EASY!





I would LOVE to make this pillow...I am totally into mustard yellow right now!




A "tiered" herb garden for the patio




These apple/worm "applesauce" cupcakes are too darn cute! Birthday party idea?




And make-at-home baked doughnuts?! This could be dangerous...


Source: go.tipjunkie.com via Holly on Pinterest

And finally, some poppy flowers that even a kid can make (with some help) - this would make a great Mother's Day gift!





Sunday, March 11, 2012

Breakfasting





We spent a leisurely morning at our favorite breakfast spot: McKay Cottage. It is just the cutest little bungalow, with really tasty food and a really friendly staff. The kids absolutely love it, and honestly, it's probably my favorite restaurant in Bend. On another note, I absolutely love the vintage look and effects of all my friends' Instagram photos, and was really bummed about not having an iphone until my supersmart husband pointed out that I could get a similar app for my Sprint HTC Smart Phone. So this morning I downloaded Pixl-o-matic and am having lots of fun playing with my camera phone photos...here are a few I messed with from breakfast!

Friday, March 9, 2012

Ballerinas and (Coconut Lime) Banana Bread

Yes, that's my son in a tutu.



This morning while Gracie got in some snuggle time with Daddy, the "twins" and I headed into the living room where we turned on their favorite Putamayo kids CD (Animal Playground), put on their tutus, and they did some awesome ballet moves while I got started on a unique new banana bread recipe I found via Pinterest on the very colorful, very DIY blog, MADE. If you haven't yet enjoyed the rockin' multilingual tunes on this children's CD, I highly recommend it. Robert and I have a (growing) collection of about 20 Putamayo CDs that we like to add to whenever we're traveling, and we picked this one up back before we even had kiddos and it has become a family favorite that is near and dear to our hearts. I mean, come on, what toddler doesn't love dancing and singing to a French version of Old MacDonald or some Ladysmith Black Mambazo?? The bread - a coconut lime version of your classic banana bread - is pretty simple, yet has a very special glaze that definitely sets it apart from any would-be competition! You can view the recipe (with step-by-step photo instructions) here. It tasted pretty darn good straight out of the oven, but I have to say, after letting it sit all day (it always seems to get moister after sitting for awhile, which also gave the glaze time to cool and "candy" the bread...) it was absolutely scrumptious! I couldn't help myself from having a second slice...and then a third (hey, it's all good - I'm pregnant;)). And if that's any indicator, that means by tomorrow morning it will be - dare I say it - even better! and I may just have to sneak into the kitchen early and finish the entire loaf! Definitely making this one again - it would even make a good hostess dessert or snack for book club (since the glaze makes it more like a cake than a bread...). Oh, and since I was out of all-purpose flour I used all whole wheat and it still came out delicious! Tasty and healthy - win, win!

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Baked Oatmeal


Mmmm. I found this recipe at the bottom of my recipe box yesterday morning (given to me by my dear friend Sheila several years ago) and it seemed like the perfect, crisp, spring morning to make some warm, baked oatmeal. Simple, sweet, and simply delightful fresh out of the oven and topped with a few sliced strawberries and a splash of milk. I spoon-fed the leftovers (with more fresh berries and milk) to the triplets this morning while they took their bath...wish I had taken a picture of that!

Baked Oatmeal

combine:
1/2 c oil
1/2 - 3/4 c sugar (I used 1/2 c white sugar and 1/4 c brown)
2 eggs, beaten

Add:
3 c uncooked oatmeal
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 c milk
*I added a dash of cinnamon, too!

Poor into greased square baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 35 minutes (or until lightly browned around the edges).

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Stella & Dot Giveaway!

My lovely friend Julie over at The Girl in the Red Shoes is doing a Stella & Dot giveaway this week: two gorgeous pieces of jewelry (Serenity Stone Drop Earrings or an Interlock Cross Necklace) for two lucky ladies! You can view how to enter the giveaway here

These pieces are just beautiful! I would really love to win these earrings and sport them around Bend; I think it would even call for hiring a babysitter and wearing them out for a date night, don't you?! :)