Katydid and Kid

OPA! To a Better You

2012-05-30T09:08:00.002-04:00

I'm a snacker, and one with a salt tooth at that. The crunchier, the saltier, the better. It's been years since I've bought melba toast, mostly because I recall them as bland and good just for babies. Well, things have changed, and I've been enjoying Old London's Melba Toast and Melba Snacks in soups, with dips, and just for plain snacking. This weekend, Chris roasted some peppers and

Three Days

2012-05-28T10:21:00.000-04:00

It's been three days of heat, dirt, and water, as well as some gardening, lawn work and laundry. Hope you're enjoying these three days, and remembering those who've served our country. I'm thinking of families who have lost loved ones. My heart goes out to them today, especially that their sacrifices are often dwarfed by "the official start of summer." Thank you to my

Soft and Fluffy, Warm and Cuddly

2012-05-25T08:26:00.000-04:00

One of the best "toys" in the house are pillows. They're great for tossing, jumping into and hiding under. Though I often grumble about having bought a couch with removable back pillows, they've really been great for building forts and piling up for belly flopping. Oh, and cuddling too. It's also created some sweet moments between brothers, though on occasion the older of the two is too

Decorate Your Blog with Depositphotos

2012-05-24T21:13:00.000-04:00

You may have noticed that I tweaked the design of my blog in the past few days--particularly the background and the header. Being an artsy-craftsy kind of gal, I obsess over beautiful things, so naturally I want my blog to reflect who I am and be visually appealing. I'm also one to illustrate my blog posts, frankly because I find posts with photos or illustrations much more interesting,

Cue the Baby Proofing

2012-05-23T07:47:00.000-04:00

After an explosion of movement from Jude over the past week--fast crawling, climbing, and even turning completely around in the shopping cart, in spite of a seat belt--I realized that I have to get a little more serious about baby proofing. Living a few years without every outlet cover tightly closed and enjoying the freedom that comes with gateless living has spoiled us. I forget what it's

Giving Back

2012-05-22T15:30:00.004-04:00

I'm overwhelmingly grateful at the blessings bestowed upon me as a mother, not just for my two healthy boys, but for the many generous people have helped along my path of parenthood. From family who pitches in to help me care for the kids to a baby shower that left me with very little to have to purchase to hand-me-downs from friends, I have more than I need as a parent. Unfortunately, there

First and Last

2012-05-22T10:05:00.000-04:00

This morning, snuggled together in bed, I asked Soren if he could stay little forever. No, he wants to get bigger, and have bigger feet and grow up, he said. I told him I didn't want him to grow up and move away, but he reassured me by saying that he will live in this house with us always but just get bigger clothes. Today is his last day of his first year of school. If that sentence boggles

La Tartine Gourmande {Book Giveaway}

2012-05-18T08:43:00.003-04:00

As a home cook, I love paging through cookbooks and blogs looking for inspiration to change-up the usual menu in my kitchen. Most recently I came across La Tartine Gourmande, both the blog and the subsequent cookbook of the same name, and both by Beatrice Peltre. What a fabulous book, both in its photography and content. La Tartine Gourmande, Recipes for an Inspired Life, is a beautiful read,

A Garden Lunch

2012-05-17T14:47:00.005-04:00

Though my desire to eat outdoors in the garden has not yet been realized due to the lack of an outdoor table, we still are enjoying the garden's bounty during lunch and dinner at the kitchen table. Soren bringing in kale from the garden We've been munching on greens including lettuce, kale, swiss chard and arugula, as well as radishes and herbs, which have become plentiful over the summers,

Songs for Little Cowpokes {Putumayo Kids Giveaway}

2012-05-17T09:36:00.001-04:00

Giddy-up! Another Putumayo Kids recording is coming out on May 22nd. This time they head out West for a collection of classic buckaroo-inspired songs called Cowboy Playground. We've been enjoying listening to a sample cd on car trips, and even for someone like myself who's not really into the whole cowboy-thing, I really enjoyed this collection. I was surprised how many of the tracks I knew,

Wordless Wednesday: Up the Creek

2012-05-16T12:49:00.002-04:00

It's creek-wading season! Luckily we have one within a few blocks of our house. And my two water bugs couldn't be happier.

Coffee with a Purpose: Avodah Coffee {Giveaway}

2012-05-15T22:08:00.001-04:00

Coffee is one of the bright spots in my day as an at-home mother. Not just for the caffeine pick-me-up (or start-me-up, in most cases), but for that little getaway where I may just have a chance to savor a quick, hot cup of coffee. I'm not a coffee snob by any means--well, maybe a little--but I do prefer to have a cup of good quality coffee. I'd hate to waste my coffee breaks on cheapo stuff

Around the House on a Rainy Day

2012-05-15T09:51:00.000-04:00

After weeks and weeks of dry, sunny weather, we're in the midst of a Northeastern slump of rain. While my garden loves it, I'm not sure the kiddos do. Days formerly spent outdoors have migrated inside. The paper, markers, paints and toys have gotten lots of use. Oddly, this weather is kind of making up for our non-winter. I think we were outside more days in February than in May. I do

A Visit from the Fairy Hobmother

2012-05-15T09:45:00.000-04:00

I'm continually surprised and amazed by the perks of being a blogger, the latest of which was a visit from the Fairy Hobmother--who granted me a very generous gift card--to spread goodwill and cheer. I'm so very grateful to have received this gift, especially that we're gearing up for our bathroom renovation in a few weeks. It will definitely come in handy for fixtures like towel bars, a soap

On Mothering

2012-05-13T09:23:00.001-04:00

Just enjoying a dad-and-kid-made pancake breakfast and hot coffee (not lukewarm!) with my boys, and thinking about this day of mothering. Having endured a really rough week in parenting, I've been reflecting on motherhood and all its surfaces, both glossy and rough. I get down a lot about my imperfections as a parent, and have realized that it's hard for me to accept and appreciate things that

25 Years of Graco Pack 'n Play {Giveaway}

2012-05-11T18:07:00.001-04:00

Can you believe the Graco Pack 'n Play is celebrating its 25th birthday this year? I don't know how parents survived before the invention of the Pack 'n Play. We've used ours especially on vacations, naps at the grandparents', as well as during those first days when my sons were newborns and I wanted to keep them close by in the living room or bedroom. Some key facts and features about this

Kid-Made Mother's Day Gift

2012-05-11T12:57:00.003-04:00

This morning the neighbor kids and Soren got together to make some painted glass coffee mugs for moms and grandmoms. I used my trusty glass paints again (you can get them at craft stores too) and let the kids be creative with their designs on some Irish Coffee mugs I picked up at the dollar store. It was cute hearing the siblings "argue" over their mommy's favorite color and what kind of hot

Keeping Babies Clean and Dry with Huggies

2012-05-10T21:38:00.003-04:00

With my baby, I try my best using my older son's hand-me-down cloth diapers, but some days, I just can't manage it. Usually those are the days when there's nary a clean one in sight, and that's when I need to wrangle my little squirmer into a Huggies diaper I find that Huggies are reliable diapers, especially for Jude, who is a tummy sleeper and a boy, so all the business is up in the front. I

Jude at Ten Months

2012-05-08T09:47:00.003-04:00

Our everlasting baby is doing well, crawling around, exploring the house that he previously only saw via his parents arms or in a seat. Every day he's looking more and more like his Dada, though I'm still holding out hope that he'll retain that reddish tint to his hair, just like his Mama's. At ten months, Jude is still toothless, but will gnaw just about anything, even pizza crusts and

Colorful Summer Clothespin Wreath {tutorial}

2012-05-06T16:05:00.000-04:00

Now that the weather has been consistently warmer, beckoning summer, it was time to change out my wool wreath from the front door to something that went a little better with the front porch color scheme. It seems like I've been churning out lots of wreaths lately, but no matter. I decided to add one more to my portfolio, this time using clothespins. I love using materials that are cheap and

{this moment}

2012-05-04T08:41:00.001-04:00

Soren and his friend playing on the pirate ship at a local farm and ice creamery. Fun times! I'm linking up to Soule Mama's this moment today. Happy weekend! {this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Simple Mother's Day Bouquet

2012-05-03T13:42:00.000-04:00

We have our own little cottage industry/art studio here in the afternoons when our neighbor kids come over. Since two of them are older than Soren, they make the perfect students for me to relive my art teacher days. Within moments of opening the front door, they're asking about making a craft, which makes me smile, even if I don't always oblige, depending on the events of the day. Yesterday I

Salad Days with oxo {Giveaway}

2012-05-03T12:59:00.002-04:00

As mentioned earlier this week, we're ankle-deep in salad days here at our house. Our lettuce and spinach are going gangbusters out in the garden, and what better way to dress them than with homemade salad dressing. While I typically use the leftover dijon mustard jar for mixing (a great way to use up those last bits of mustard that you can never quite free from the container), I was eager to

Wordless Wednesday: Bread and Water

2012-05-02T15:33:00.000-04:00

Nothing like a snack of mama's homemade bread and water. Jude was in heaven about the bread--his first time trying my own loaf. No surprise; he has my carb-craving genes. Happy Wednesday friends!

Currently Enjoying

2012-05-01T20:23:00.000-04:00

So that risk from February in the garden paid off. We've been enjoying fresh greens and radishes for over a week now. I made a fantastic spinach and pea soup for dinner tonight Simple recipe: saute onion and garlic, add stock, a potato and boil. Then add a bag of frozen peas and any garden greens you have. Puree when the peas have just cooked. and there are plans for salad, salad and more