Edible Wednesdays: Bloody Mary

This is my friend Brooke's secret Bloody Mary mix...please respect the recipe and go big.

Family Fridays: Beating Technology

While the grandparents were watching our kids, my husband and I snuck out on a date. By ourselves. Did I mention we were without our children? Oh, I did? Ok, it’s just that we rarely get this opportunity so it’s pretty exciting. Anyhoooooo, we went out to dinner at the Pioneer (a great staple in Ketchum, ID) and got all cozy in our seats, drinks in hand, when we both noticed the table next to us. Two kids, probably around 5 or 6 or so, were totally entranced with their video games on their ipods. The parents (looked like two sets) were happily drinking and laughing and telling stories – now before I trash these parents, I will say that it looked rather nice to be fully engaged with your friends while your children tended to themselves – but those kids were totally and completely zonked out on these ipods. I mean, a HUGE piece of chocolate cake goodness was brought to the table for dessert and the kids did not even glance up to check it out. They completely missed out on CHOCOALTE CAKE!!!!! That’s when the red lights started going off in my head.

DIY Thursday: Cardboard

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Some really fun ideas for making magical toys out of cardboard. I already made Maya some cardboard beds for her babies - just cut a box to how I liked it, painted it and voila. Beds! I took pictures of them but my camera is not wanting to upload to my computer right now so you will have to use your imagination. I think I will work on this airplane next...or perhaps a boat. 

Edible Wednesdays: Italian Wedding Soup

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Italian Wedding Soup.....so delicious on these cold cold days!

Ingredients

Meatballs:

• 1 small onion, grated
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 slice fresh white bread, crust trimmed, bread torn into small pieces
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 8 ounces ground beef
• 8 ounces ground pork
• Freshly ground black pepper

Soup:

• 12 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 pound curly endive, coarsely chopped (1 pound of escarole would be a good substitution)
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for garnish
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Interior Tuesdays: Playrooms

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So we are redesigning the downstairs main room into a playroom! (moving office outside to its own unit) What a fun adventure we are about to head on...so many worthwhile things to incorporate into a magical place for two kids. I would love to build a sort of play fort/home like the one above; chalkboard (although, I have never been a fan of writing or drawing with chalk but maybe kids really dig it); a swing of some sort; train table; teepee...although this may go in Maya's room upstairs...the list is endless. The planning begins! More cool ideas after the jump.

Monday Memo: Glasses

 shopbop

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Many years back my sister found some glasses like this top photo at a thrift store - she took them in to get her prescription filled and voila, a very retro glasses look. I guess she was ahead of the curve because now you see these types of glass everywhere! They are very cool I must say. For someone who has fairly perfect vision, it gives you some glasses envy for sure. My dear old friend K used to wear glasses without a prescription in them because she felt cooler in them...isn't that funny? But it's so true - it's like a little bit of a prop of some sort. Makes you feel a little different than the person next to you. I had to get glasses for driving at night and you better believe I picked out the coolest pair I could find. There is this store in my neighborhood that has about a thousand uber hip glasses to choose from - it is quite the shopping experience. Some sunglasses after the jump...

Family Fridays: Learning to Play

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I love when you overhear fellow parents telling their kids how to play. At the park yesterday, there was a Dad telling his daughter “not to swing like that” and “you don’t play under the bridge, you run across it” Really? Are you serious?

It’s funny how as adults we tend to see things more as black and white – you swing on your butt, going forward; you climb the ladder with your feet not your knees; that stick looks nothing like an ice cream cone; and plastic bins are for storing stuff in not for pushing around your animals, golf balls and stale bread. (Don’t ask) Kid’s imaginations are so vast and magical – they see incredible worlds that our brains have been programmed not to notice anymore.

Snowy Snowy Day

It has been snowing at home for the past two days with no signs of stopping! What fun! For some reason though, my daughter isn't as excited about it as she is when we are at the ski hill. There, she can hardly get in the door of our room before she is stripping off her clothes to get her snow suit on. (On a side note, she is starting to love her skis! So exciting! She just heads straight down the mountain, no fear and no needing to bribe her down with candy. Oh how I hope this lasts!) But with snow just outside her doorway at home, she is indifferent. Strange. Little Sebastien, on the other hand, was more excited about this snow than the stuff at the mountain. Go figure. He enjoyed tasting all the yummy fresh snow...so that was fun.  

Thursday DIY: Braided Bead Bracelet

Wow, these look easy enough and super fun to wear. For full instructions go to Honestly...WTF

Edible Wednesdays: English Pancakes

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To make about 15, you need:
1 1/2 cups All-purpose or white pastry flour
pinch of salt
2 free-range eggs
2 cups milk
sunflower oil for frying

supplies - sieve, mixing bowl, large measuring cup, ballon whisk, nonstick frying pan, tablespoon, cup, ladle, metal spatula, dinner plate

Interior Tuesdays: Outside Office

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We need to built an office in our backyard. My husband works from home and the noises of our day are starting to distract him more and more - and plus, I want to turn his office into a crazy cool playroom. So I have been perusing the ol' Pinterest site and google to find an inspiring design. Luckily our car pad is pretty large so we will be able to add this to our property without taking away any of the yard. It will also be a great place to get away when you want to not hear your children but yet don't necessarily want to leave your house.

Fourteen Simple Steps

My friend Chris, posted these tests from BabyCenter. Read them. Seriously. Just do it. They are hilarious. I was reading these at the lodge this weekend and caught myself laughing out loud enough times where the two guys sitting across from me started giving me funny looks. 

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Follow these 14 simple tests before you have children:

Test 1 – Preparation

Women: To prepare for pregnancy:-

1. Put on a dressing gown and stick a beanbag down the front.
2. Leave it there.
3. After 9 months remove 5% of the beans.

Men: To prepare for children:-

1. Go to a local pharmacist, tip the contents of your wallet onto the counter and tell the pharmacist to help himself
2. Go to the supermarket. Arrange to have your salary paid directly to their head office.
3. Go home. Pick up the newspaper and read it for the last time.

Test 2 – Knowledge

Find a couple who are already parents and berate them about their methods of discipline, lack of patience, appallingly low tolerance levels and how they have allowed their children to run wild. Suggest ways in which they might improve their child’s sleeping habits, toilet training, table manners and overall behavior.

Enjoy it. It will be the last time in your life that you will have all the answers.

Test 3 – Nights

To discover how the nights will feel:

1. Walk around the living room from 5pm to 10pm carrying a wet bag weighing approximately 6-9 lbs, with a radio turned to static (or some other obnoxious sound) playing loudly.
2. At 10pm, put the bag down, set the alarm for midnight and go to sleep.
3. Get up at 11pm and walk the bag around the living room until 1am.
4. Set the alarm for 3am.
5. As you can’t get back to sleep, get up at 2am and make a cup of tea.
6. Go to bed at 2.45am.
7. Get up again at 3am when the alarm goes off.
8. Sing songs in the dark until 4am.
9. Put the alarm on for 5am. Get up when it goes off.
10. Make breakfast.

Keep this up for 5 years. LOOK CHEERFUL.

Test 4 – Dressing Small Children

1. Buy a live octopus and a string bag.
2. Attempt to put the octopus into the string bag so that no arms hang out.

Time Allowed: 5 minutes.

Family Fridays: Feeling the Love

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I cannot believe I have not one but TWO children. Who does that? Who in their right mind not only lets but enables her body to stretch out beyond what she thought was possible, endure countless backaches and hip pain and then chooses to push that child out from her said body without any pain killers or freaky suction tools? TWICE?!? Sometimes I look around our home, while my two children are busy tearing it apart in their creative little ways and I think, now that is some crazy shit. I cannot believe I did that. And here they are, in all their glory, running or scooting around this home and I honestly do not know what I did with myself beforehand. How did I exist without their shrieks and tugging and crying and laughter and hugging?

DIY Thursdays: Dresses and Skirts

Wow. I used to be so productive with just one kid! I ran across these photos of some shirts, dresses and skirts I made Maya when she was wee little one and some others for friend's kids. I cannot believe I had the time to do these. I can barely put the laundry away now...so what if sometimes it takes 4 days to actually get inside the drawers? Ahhh....maybe someday I will start sewing for Maya again...

Interior Tuesdays: Fab Homes

This house is just outside Cincinnati near a lake community that sounds so perfect. I would love to find a spot that is within 10/15 minutes of the city but deep in nature. Seattle just sprawls out these days so you either have to be in the city or out. Anyhoo, I love how the kitchen is free of clutter (although this COULD be just for the photo shoot but alas I dream) and I like the words in the master bath...good words to live by!

 all images and story from Design Mom

I cannot wait to streamline our furnishings once the kids get a little older and I don't have to worry so much about ruining anything too precious. I have some big plans but they will have to wait another few years...so I have fun dreaming up schemes and arrangements. These photos are very inspiring in different ways. Our main bathroom actually looks almost exactly like the one above - down to the white subway tiles, blue/grey paint and white/black accents. Picture of our bathroom below:

Ghostland Observatory

Ahhh...this reminds me of 2007 - one of the most fun-packed years of recent memory - it was soooo busy with weddings (including my own), parties, concerts, travel...This guy knows how to MOVE and is one of my favorite bands to see live by far. The amount of energy this guy exudes is remarkable - he makes even the most repressed want to break out of their shell and DANCE.

Monday Memo: Winter Outfits

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zara

Some fun winter looks...since we still have a few more months of the cold weather. I love the layered look of this Zara jacket above and the striped shirt/sweater/jacket combo below. Tights/boots below are such a staple in a winter wardrobe. And cashmere undies?!!? I bet those are so awesome.

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Family Fridays: Snuggle Time

From lenscratch.blogspot.com

I have to admit that snuggling with your children tops snuggling with anyone else in the whole world. Yep, they surpass your husband, partner, lover or what-have-you. A child is the perfect little size to scoop up in your arms or drape over your belly. Their noggins fit right in the crux of your armpit with enough room to hug them with your arms and not have your hands fall asleep. My favorite is when they rest their face just below your neck and stare off into a trance. You get to smell their yummy hair and kiss their forehead. Sometimes if you are lucky, your infant will grab for your finger and hold it in his little hand. They have the softest skin known to man – softer than the most expensive leather. Sometimes they will fall asleep unexpectedly which makes you want to hop up and fist pump your hand while prancing around the couch in a celebratory dance – but you don’t, this is just too precious. So you just slouch down a little, trying not to breath in fear of waking up the sleeping beauty, and you watch. Or you snore off into slumber land yourself after a few seconds. 

Dollhouses - MiniMe's

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Dude. Dollhouses are insane! Look how cool these are - I especially like the EcoHouse. So modern! And there are a million cool little accessories that go with them...from gardens to toilets to a camper van! My Maya turns 3 in 6 weeks or so and I thought about making the leap into dollhouse land but now I'm hesitating...it is kind of intimidating. Maybe my Dad and I can make a simple one. She's really into putting her animals to bed and etc so I thought maybe if she had a house for them...we shall see. But it's fun to look at these amazing creations.

Legos in the 80's

This is how they advertised Lego with girls in 1981. Wouldn't it be nice if companies still marketed to girls like this?

Some Funnies for Late Week

Portlandia - Is it Local?

Whole Foods Parking Lot

Shit Yogis Say

I know you have all probably seen these but they are just as good the second time around...still makes me smile.

DIY Thursdays: For a Rainy Day

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Keeping your kids entertained on a rainy day...I like to go out and play even if it's raining (a rain suit and rain gear are a great investment) but sometimes you just don't want to deal with the elements. So, here are some great ideas for fun with kraft paper:

- Draw a world for your toys (see above and below) The possibilities are endless - a forest, a city, small towns, airports, canals, seaports, mountains, rivers...you get the idea.
- trace your bodies
- last year we covered the walls in my friend's garage with kraft paper and let the kids go crazy with paints
- trace footprints and handprints

House of Giggles

Edible Wednesdays: Braised Beef and Polenta

From Blissful Blog

Braised beef shanks with cheesy polenta

Ingredients:

For the beef:

2 to 2 ½ pounds beef shank, fat trimmed off

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

vegetable oil

12 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

2 medium yellow onions, peeled and roughly chopped

1 red bell pepper sliced into 1/2 inch thick strips

1 bay leaf

1 rosemary sprig

1 bottle red wine

4 cups beef broth

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/2 white onion sliced into 

Interior Tuesdays: Baths

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Since we are in the midst of winter and it's officially bath season, I thought a look at some enviable bath tubs would be a nice treat this morning. Some day I will remodel our basement bathroom to be a serene spa/tub room...but for now it is the kid's bathroom. Only 18 more years to go :)