All in a Week’s Work

New crayons to keep them busy for hours

Fresh eggs picked up from a friend with very happy hens

An evening jamming and dancing at a local (free) outdoor concert

Throw in a trip to the river on a hot afternoon.  (You’ll have to imagine this one in your head.  I managed to get three kids, sunscreen, bug spray, snacks, towels and water all loaded up -all by myself.  I’m grateful that the camera was all I forgot.)

And then a hot Saturday afternoon, celebrating my birthday at a local food fest.  We were too busy melting and eating too much good food to take any more pictures.  We ended the day at a local restaurant on the river, having dessert for dinner. 

A summer week has a funny way of flying by, doesn’t it?

A Summer Treat

 

I know summer officially started yesterday, and thankfully the weather must have gotten the message that it’s time to warm up. 

The heat has finally woken up my peonies.  I love these, even though the tag said they would be pink. I love their big enormous, beautiful blooms just the same.

Around here we also love chocolate and finding new ways to beat the heat.  Our newest favorite is frozen hot chocolate.

 

Just make hot chocolate like you normally would but make a gluttonous amount of it.  Pour some into ice cube molds and chill the rest for later.  Once the heat gets the best of you (and your melting children) blend up those frozen cubes with the chilled chocolate and serve up a refreshing treat.  Whipped cream and sprinkles are mandatory.

So are a few happy girls with their yummy treat.

 

How do you beat the heat?

Recipe for a Summer Afternoon

Take five kids, one gloriously sunny day with some serious beautiful clouds,

Add a park with an enormous grass hill,

Throw in a generous handful of running and screaming,

A bit of resting,

Some rolling and then some more running,

And lots of laughs. When it’s all said and done you have a fabulous day.

What keeps you and your family busy this summer?

Linking up to The Inspired Room Inspired Fridays

Adventures on a Monday

Summer has officially begun around here. We actually ended our school lessons at the beginning of the month but this week we started the summer schedule. It seems like a routine works pretty well around here and keeps the natives from getting too crazy. So Mondays have been dubbed Adventure Day, and yesterday we took off to explore this beautiful spot and some nearby waterfalls.

Having a plan to get away, at least around town, helps so much and simply it just makes summer fun.

You know what else makes summer fun? Heather at Blessed Little Nest. She’s having a great party this week, full of awesome tips to having a super summer. Like yesterday’s post all about taking great pictures in the sun and getting stuff together for having a fun BBQ.

Today I get to hang out with Heather a bit too. Be sure to head over to read all about enjoying summer’s pleasures. And check back all week for more fun info and some great giveaways too!

Adding Turquoise (A Lamp Redone)

It’s summer and that makes me crave beachy colors and fills me with a longing for a bit more turquoise in my life.  Because we live nowhere near the ocean I have to improvise to get my fix.

Enter a humble can of Ocean Breeze spray paint.

It turned this thrift store lamp into something special.

The fresh flowers add a nice touch.

Add a blue pillow and our favorite handmade quilt; because although it is summer time the temperatures around here don’t really reflect that, yet.

Add it all up and we’ve got one nice and happy place to sit.

Here’s the look before.

I know, it’s pretty blah.

But now, it’s just right.

From here I can survey the kids in the backyard while they play and can keep an eye (or two) on the front door.  Once the mercury rises I’m sure I’ll be out in my other favorite place to sit, a comfy spot in the sun on (what else?) a blue chair.

Do you crave colors like I do? 

On Marriage

I don’t get riled up that easily, and I’m not on my soap box very much.  Well, not that often. 

Okay, don’t ask my husband about that.  I guess when something gets me steamed, well, it really gets me steamed.  Like that adult “entertainment” establishment that’s on it’s way to being opened off a major highway near us.  The one with a giant life sized sign of a girl and other signs advertising the special services offered.  The signs that are screaming to be read, especially by small children who love to read everything they can.  Um, yeah.  That gets me, because my children do not need to know what those words are and what that is all about.  They’re kids. 

But this post isn’t about that, it’s about something else that got me the other day as I was innocently reading the morning paper with my coffee. 

It was an article about Al and Tipper Gore.  You know, they’re splitting up and it’s all friendly and everyone’s on good terms and all.  But this is what got me, a line in this article by Betsy Stevenson, an economist at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.  (How an economist is an authority on marriage I’m not sure.)  Anyway she says, “They had forty years of marriage, and they had what, by many dimensions, should be considered a successful marriage.” 

How is a marriage that lasted forty years and then ends considered a success?  If it’s ended doesn’t that make it a failure?  Especially if the vows spoken included something along the lines of “till death do us part.”  I think most people have those words in their vows, I know we did.  I guess what bothers me so much is the sentiment that marriage doesn’t have to last, and that the end of a marriage is almost expected.  I totally disagree with that, and I think it’s pretty sad that that is considered normal anymore.

Marriage should be lasting, and obviously I don’t know what led up to the Gore’s divorce but it seems like growing apart and separate interests had a pretty big  role.  All this reminds me of how important it is to make time for my husband to make time for a successful marriage.  A successful marriage doesn’t just happen.  I was reading somewhere that couples who do new things together continue to keep that spark that drew them together in the first place.  Trying new experiences or adventures together will make a marriage stronger and more likely to succeed.  I know when Zac and I have adventures together we come away renewed and refreshed, re-sparked so to speak.  Last year for our anniversary we sent the kids away overnight and went tubing, then we went out in our truck and watched the stars come out.  Romantic?  Yes!  But, in ten years of marriage it was something we had never done before.  It was wonderful and every marriage needs a touch of wonderful. 

I guess my point in this is that marriage is sacred and valuable and certainly not easy.  It takes work and commitment and shear will to make it last and make it fulfilling.  I get frustrated with a society that regards marriage as disposable, because that’s not what it was meant to be. 

I love being married and I love my man, and when I said “I do” I meant it.  I wasn’t thinking, “I will for now” and he wasn’t either.  This thing is it.   It’s for life.  And that’s what I love about it.

And here we are, almost eleven years ago.  Sorry it’s a picture of a picture but we got married before the digital age.  And boy were we young and in love.  One of those things has changed, but the other will not.

 

Possibilities

I’m looking at blank wall in my home.  It’s bare and ready for some paint, but after that I’m a bit stumped.  I’ve been scanning around for some inspiration and have not been disappointed.  Since this wall is in the kitchen I was thinking of a wall of plates, or a gallery style display of my kids art, or some pretty framed mirrors.  Trying to do this on the cheap is a must too, so I’m hoping to be creative with what I have.

I love the colors on these plates.

And this makes me think a big bunch of cool fabric would look nice.

top two from blog.visiondecor.com

But I love the framed mirror idea too.

from apartment therapy

from Pottery Barn

So many possibilities….what would you do with a blank wall?

Random Thoughts on Friday

1.  The natives are seriously restless today, they’re running around pretending to be Captain Underpants.  Which means they’re all in their undies with more undies tucked into those undies (those are weapons, of course).  Oh, they also have blankets tied around their necks for capes and are yelling “Wedgie Power!” at full volume.  I’m thinking I better get these guys out of the house, soon and I’ll spare you the pictures.  At least they’re having fun.

2.  I learned a great way to stop the painful burn from chopping jalapeños the other day.  I know this because I chopped a few up for chili and found myself in tears almost four hours later with my  hand feeling as if it had descended to the depths of hell.  Worst burn ever.  What did the trick?  Rubbing alcohol and milk.  Seriously, I dabbed the alcohol on and then poured milk over it.  Instant relief that lasted for hours.  Thankfully.  Now you know if you ever find yourself in a similar predicament.

3.  I find it totally ironic that lately I yell at my daughter to stop yelling.  She’s a yeller and so is her mom (yeah, that would be me).  It’s feeling like a constant battle around here, the yelling and loud voices and I can honestly say that I don’t like it.  I found some great encouragement this week in a verse I read one morning:  “Make it your ambition and definitely endeavor to live quietly and peacefully…”  (1 Thessalonians 4:11)  I’m working on it, it’s tough to not yell back when she’s hollering away simply because I’m trying to be heard.  I heard once that responding with a whisper works, but not so much around here.  After seven years of parenting I still haven’t figured much out, but I do know what doesn’t work:  and that’s yelling.  It never produces a good result.  I’m working on creative responses to the yelling.  I’ll let you know if I find anything earth shattering that actually works and I’ll welcome any tips ya’ll have.

  

4.  My son found a four leaf clover the other day.  Really, he did.  I thought these were pretty rare, right?  I can remember looking in vain for those as a child-always found three leaves but never four.  He was pretty excited, feeling like he found a total treasure.  Luck must be on his side.

5.  And finally, the weather looks like it’s turning nicer (must be that four leaf clover).  It’s been wet and windy and very not like spring around here, but the forecast calls for warm and sun and no rain this week.  I’m anxiously awaiting this, and ready to get some more flowers out in the yard and pull up the weeds that sprouted with all the wet. 

So here’s to a sunny weekend, hope you all enjoy it, whatever the weather does for you.

A Tablescape for Real Life

Lately we have people over often, and at least once a week those folks are coming to eat.  Most of the time I don’t worry to much about the table.  As long as it’s clean and there’s room for food I’m good with that. 

But today was rainy and dreary and not very June-like so I decided that I needed fresh flowers.  I bought the two cheapest bunches I could find and then arranged them in a pretty milk glass bowl.  To make the flowers stand up I put three small cups inside the bowl.  I lit a few candles and called it good.

 

Because, honestly in real life an elaborate tablescape sounds really nice but just doesn’t work for me.  I guess if I had a separate dining table to make pretty that would be different.  But there’s a lot of life that happens around our kitchen table.  As I’m getting ready for guests I don’t want to be a mean mom to my kids, getting short with them for messing things up or making room for their newest coloring book.  And I don’t take want to take up space they’ll want for creating art or other things.  I love having guests in my home, but I always try to remember that we live here too.

And then when it really comes down to it, I need the time I saved by creating a simple table setting to clean and pick up dirty socks.

And that’s truly real life, setting a table for my guests and making a clear path from the front door-one where they won’t be tripping over those dirty socks and scattered books.  Entertaining and hospitality and real life always collide for my family, and we do our best to make sure there’s a happy balance between all three.  The best thing we do to keep that balance is to keep things simple. 

This post has been linked to Reluctant Entertainer and the Style Sisters.