Last weekend we got ourselves invited to stay at the retro cabin on Vashon Island, belonging to our brother-in-laws family. Little retro cabin is tucked into the trees like a treehouse, yet still on the beach. We beachcombed, bonfired, played games, and held baby Esley as much as possible. I love her better than the beach, even.
Thanks Dan and Angelia! We are looking forward to MUCH more time spent with your cute family.
Jenson has been going to the most-fabulous VBS this week! We recruited some friends too, making it that much better. He has come home with all kinds off things... a five foot long flower planter that he built, and this beautiful Dutch Baby that he baked! Last night geocaching, and tonight he is slated for kite-making. And tomorrow, a family carnival.
I love finding awesome free things for my kids to do! And I love this handsome little baker-boy. And I love summer.
You asked for it: more blogging. So let's start at the beginning...
Toward the end of June, my affectionately named "adoptive family" left for their summer trek to Alaska. The characters in this story are Johnny (adoptive "dad" type), Barbara (his lovely wife, she doesn't fish anymore), Chantel (their oldest daughter, and my friend since kindergarten - she was my ticket into this family, now she's a mom and stays home too), Nicole (the next kid, and my personal massage therapist, is super-tough and can fix the boat engine and pile corks and whatever else she does), and Lance (the youngest kid, whom I used to babysit, and is now Keston's boyfriend, is the skiff man). Confusing.
This is the boat they've had since I was probably in third grade, maybe fourth.? (I remember this, because their first boat sank when I was in second grade.) Wally G. saved them all. Whew. Every summer my best friend (Chantel) went to Alaska, while I stayed home and picked strawberries. Sad.
But then I grew up and was adopted into the family (for lack of participating parents of my own). Happy!
When Mady was three, and I was a much younger version of myself (26?), we were stow-aways, and went to Alaska with them for a week. We rode up on this boat, saw bits of Petersburg and Sitka, then flew home. There was amazing wildlife and scenery. Little Mady kept busy for the three day boat ride up by repeating "We're all gonna die!" Over and over. (We didn't). We saw lots of porpoises and whales and bald eagles and swimming deers in the Inside Passage. Breathtaking.
And now, each year we go to the boat send-off. Ike says a blessing, and away they go...
This weekend we went back to Squires Lake for our Sunday Hike, which is quickly becoming one our favorites. There are definitely some things you should know when considering these photos....
1. If you happen to have an extra grand laying around, I would sure appreciate a decent camera. A Rebel xTi, please. 2. I love following behind Keston on hikes, because her little buns are the cutest ever. 3. The lovely purple bell shaped flowers are Foxglove, latin name Digitalis, used for making a drug to treat heart conditions. Don't eat it. 4. The butterfly is resting on some 'pinks', latin name Dianthus. 5. All that kissing is totally staged. 6. We liked it anyway. 7. I retouched the crow's feet on myself in one photo. Holy cannoli, I am getting old. 8. Ok, it was two photos. 9. Mady is almost as tall as me. 10. All good hikes should end at Rocket Donuts.
And number eleven: I really, really, love my family.
(It was Uncle Lance). After dinner we went for a hike-walk, retracing my steps from a 5K-ish hike-walk route I'd invented the day before. We borrowed Jen's dog too, since we were looking after her for the day.
It was lovely! Salmon berries, sunny sunshine, wild flower bouquets, and cute little houses peeking out through the trails.
Just very busy organizing, cleaning, and knitting. (But not in that order. Because if it were in that order, I'd be done cleaning by now. Instead, I have a hat....)
My auntie Druann and cousin Sophia arrive tomorrow. Yippee! Onward, more cleaning, less knitting.
I am taking a little blogging break for a week, as we're in the midst of a very full calendar. I should probably focus my energies towards getting us all where we need to be, with clean clothes to wear. I am exhausted already. Please send lattes.
I'll be back with lots to share, and an Etsy update too.
(Photos from our annual pumpkin patch trek. 2005)
The morning was beautiful! I had coffee on Auntie Druann's deck, and admired her charming gardens, in the million-degree heat.
Then, we decided to go to Tahoe City and raft down the Truckee River. Such adventure! We stopped for another one of these on the way.
We dropped off one car where we would finish up, and drove to where we would begin. Oh! The excitement is mounting! We unloaded....
...and got our boats into the river.
It was lovely! Smooth, calm, blueriver. Lah-te-da, we floated and paddled here and there. Under the bubble-gum bridge. (Gross). Along the little banks and swimming holes.
And then the rapids picked up a little. Two poor cousins had a flat boat. We grabbed onto tree branches to wait along the edge of the river for them while they rescued everything that had fallen out of the deflated boat. Eventually we switched around passengers, and were ready to go again.
Much better. (Except for the occasional spiders and many twigs on us from hanging out in the tree). Blue skies, calm seas.
Until...
the rapids picked up again. Like, way up. And there was rock boulder after boulder sticking out of the river, waiting for us to crash into. And we did. Being in the front of the boat, I kindly buffered all the rocks for my sweet cousins and broken-footed daughter.
Until...
my own foot, tucked under me for rowing leverage, smacked a giant rock. And I screamed, 'I broke my foot!' And then I smacked it again, and again. While we were high-centered on one boulder, and Cousin Alicia "assessed the situation", I yelled to every boat that passed to help us! (They had all opted to rent nice, strong rafts from this place. They probably wore 'mandatory footwear' and had a 'leisurely casual float', too. Wimps.) They didn't stop. I guess in hindsight, they couldn't. Did I mention rapids? And rocks?
So anyway, it finally ended, and we/(I) climbed gracefully/(hobbled awkwardly) out of the raft. At which point we noticed the bottom of the boat was entirely popped, with rips and holes where we struck every rock. No wonder it hurt so much when I hit each rock - I was only protected by a sheet of plastic!
And guess what Auntie Druann? I still wouldn't have changed a single detail about our trip!
(Because it gives me an impressive story, about how I broke my foot in 18 places, while rafting in Tahoe.)Well, I didn't exactly get an xray, but I am certain it would confirm at least a few broken bones. ;)
When Mady and I landed in Reno, we were whisked away to Cousin Sophia's school, where she is learning to become an aestetician. It was 'Family and Friends Half-Price Day' - a flurry of facials, waxings, and manicures. Oh, Sophia, good career choice! ;)
After being made beautiful, we went downtown to the antique store. If you would like a copy of my Christmas Wish List '08, voila:
Since I had to save room in my luggage for the famous vintage dishes, I couldn't bring any of these lovelies home with us.
Although, I did bring home a few rocks from Lake Tahoe. Wrapped in socks to keep them from chipping my dishes. Placed in my suitcase next to my necklace with three silver strands. (This is a really good way to ensure that your carry-on luggage will be inspected for bombs: wires + large dense objects.) Super. Thank you Mr. TSA, for not handling my underwear.
Tomorrow: several ways in which to raft down the Truckee River!
Last week the older two headed to Summer Academy camp, (formerly called Faith and Fine Arts camp). To learn about faith and fine arts and other stuff.
Each day, after dropping them off with their fancy lunches, Keston convinced me that we should go to Rocket Donuts. (I was a pushover).
(Different shirt, same donut.)
We decided to go to the lake everyday, too.
(Different swimsuits, same happy kid.)
We had many 'cold plate' dinners. (And idea I read in Wondertime from my perch on the beach).
And Mady adopted this cute guy, Zack.
And that is a week in the life of the Ellars.
Four out of five of us, love camping, anyway. My husband, not so much. He preferred to stay home and golf, away from bugs and dirt. So the rest of us packed up this weekend.
Camping is all in the details, really. I am the Martha Stewart of camping. Neatly made beds, flowers on the table, gourmet fire pit meals, fairy houses and arts and crafts for the children. For the first day and a half.
By day two, it is just dirty. With marshmellow sticky faces and critters eating our trail mix in the night. Which evolved into our new camping tradition. On evening one, I warmed some water on the fire, used a hotel shower gel and soft cloth to gently wash each of their faces. They loved it. On night two they were asking to have their faces washed. And thus, our new camping tradition. How do you camp?
Making progress on our to-do list.
A stay at Homestead :: A trip to Whistler :: a free movie at Regal (Doogal) :: Ice Cream at Edaleen's (40 cents now!) :: spray park picnic (freezing!) :: bike riding :: picking local strawberries :: campout in the backyard (my whole body hurts) :: reading in the grass :: paper making at the library :: library reading program kick-off party :: walks with my husband in the evenings.
A very good start to our summer, indeed.
I was wrong!
Each spring, just before summer gets into full swing, we make a list of all the things we want to do in the summer months. Then we fill it all into a calendar, just to make sure we get to do everything we want, without the days slipping by.
{To make your own list, start by looking in the Sunday papers for ads of local events, and then look to your Parks Department for free activities and community events.} Click on the links I have added, there are lots of great ones!
Here's our '08 list:
I get such delight in the details, sometimes! Today was a great day for me, in that aspect. Let me tell you...
a. Mady and I received our parcel from Sophia'sFlowers (etsy shop). We ordered two very adorable pens. Mine has a sweet bird on top, wrapped in satin ribbon, and Mady's is a white flower, click pen. But then there was an extra pen for Mady included, with a gorgeous orange peony, with her favorite color (green) ink and ribbon! Sophia has a wonderful shop, she is very talented. And she is my cute cousin, too. :)
b. I ran out of coffee this morning. Had to use a mix of half decaf to make enough for a cup. So this afternoon I was getting a wee little headache (yes! addict, I know!). I headed to the supermarket for some more compost and a latte. The happy part - on the counter at Starbucks, was a little pail of free samples of coffee beans! Serious delight! AND to top it off, the barista had an extra shot of espresso, and added it to my coffee at no charge. Those little things are true happiness! I get so excited about great customer service, I really do!
c. Jenson was up vomitting during the night. That part, not delightful. But today, he has been fine, and that part is, in fact, extremely delightful, to both Jenson and I! I am wondering if he ate something that didn't agree.
d. Kelly McCaleb is square foot gardening too! Yay, a whole group to learn from! The kids and I have been working on it, and have one box almost complete, two to go. I was dragging my feet on getting it going (all the bursts of snow weren't all that encouraging either!), but now I have renewed energy for it! Go to Kelly's blog is you want to Garden-Along!
e. Great Wolf Lodge. It would be about time that I told you about that! (It was quite nice, although it was over a week ago.) If you go, here are our tips: bring a husband type. I did it with just the kids and I while Frank stayed home to work. It was fine, but another adult would have been even better as far as logistics of waterpark go. The website is nice becuase you can easily see the rates of each day, midweek versus weekend, etc. We went at the cheapest time, a Monday, and stayed in the low-budget room, the Family Suite. I wouldn't have changed that. There are more expensive rooms with bunk beds and separate TV's for the kids, but we were there to get away from TV and separateness anyway! All the rooms are brand new, and I thought it was fine. There was a fridge and microwave, so I highly advise you to take at least your own breakfast if you want to cut your costs a little. The buffett restaurant was expensive, but it was good. You are somewhat a captive audience once you get there. It is in the middle of nowhere, plus you don't want to keep changing your clothes and drying your hair to leave the lodge. My kids did loads of chores before we went, and earned spending money for the arcade and souvenirs too, and they had fun playing skee ball and air hockey. :) As for the waterpark, it was fantastic! Very clean, and no floating band-aids that I saw. (My worst pet-peeve gross thing!) I think our favorite part was the wave pool. And that it was so warm. I only did the waterslides a couple of times myself, because I had to stay with Keston, who was too short/scared for them. There was a little kids area that she really liked. In this photo, you can see the spot where a giant bucket of water tips every ten minutes. That was fun.
Here are scenes from the wave pool. (I had already gotten dressed at this point and was watching them from above). It is a nice gradual deepening, like a beach.
Very Important Tip: At first, when we got in the wave pool, I thought it was going to be too torturous to Keston. The waves were nuts, slapping into us, and going in her eyes. If you are big, that is pretty fun. But if you are little, or have a little person on your lap, just go out into the deeper area, and the waves are much calmer, and very fun for the little peeps.
Here's the little kids' area:
And here are a few, just random overview shots. Oh, and Flat Stanley. And other random things... (No diving, Stanley!)
Ok, I realize this is getting borderline torturous. Like watching someone's vacation slides. But don't you like to know what to expect? Well, that's it. Fun place. And that is all for my happy day. :)
(Keston likes to play "bells" with the teacups while she helps in the kitchen. And I wonder how my stuff breaks.)
...My cousin Sophia was shopping in Reno antique stores for a birthday gift for her mama, (my auntie). Weeks later, she notices the post I wrote, lamenting about my broken dishes. Sophia and Auntie Druann were both there when I bought the original set in a Reno antique store last year. Sophia remembers that she saw the same pattern at a shop when she was looking for birthday presents.
So this afternoon, they (now my other auntie, Debbie, has joined in the pursuit) call to let me know they have secured the dishes in the Reno antique store. It sounds as if Auntie Debbie was a good addition to the crew, to keep the other two in line. I would have liked to seen Auntie Druann's reaction when she was told that the price was $22 for the lot. She said she had to be nonchalant, so that they wouldn't realize what a great deal it was and raise the price on her. Which is really hilarious, and totally opposite of how I do things in an antique store. (I am quite certain Auntie Druann scolded me over this the last time around). So the dishes were purchased, several phones calls were made, and I am ecstatic! Not just because I get new dishes, but now they have to deliver them to me in person! My cup runneth over. Ha!
And here are the goods, all safe and sound in Truckee, CA.. Guess what Aunties and Sophia? On Replacements.com they are worth $211.84!! Did I mention that you guys rock? You're the best! xoxo
Sophia (top), Auntie Druann (left), Auntie Debbie (right).
Here's a week or so, crammed into one post. Note the exquisite photography. I give up on that. Here's the run-down: three more scrapbook pages from my bed. Yes, I really do scrapbook in bed. It is actually easier for me, because I limit the supplies, and amount of time. I can do three average-quality pages in an hour from bed. Because, pretty much they all look the same. :)
After that, some shots from a couple days ago, in Lynnwood. I loved this restaurant, Blue C Sushi. The restaurant is situated so that all the tables are next to the conveyor belt carrying all kinds of sushi and other little japanese dishes. The plates are color coded, indicating the prices, and you just take off what you want as it rolls by. I had some tempura potatoes, sesame salad, and california roll. It was fun. Next is of one of my favorite clothing stores. I had a gift card from Christmas burning a hole in my pocket, so that was fun too. The last one is of cute little plates I couldn't resist from Urban Outfitters.
And then, the embroidery. Everyone is doing it. It's like the peer pressure of middle school. The idea is from Soule Mama. The one I did is a classic Keston style picture that she drew with markers. I traced it onto the muslin with vanishing ink (you can still see some of the purple ink before it has vanished), and then backed it with warm & natural, and backstitched the design. I learned backstitching from Kelly McCaleb when I made her cute project a while back. Mady got into it too, and made one for herself.
And Mr. Fox, or anyone else who is under the impression that I have a tidy little house and organized life, lest you feel inadequate, look closely. You can see the little pile of paint and art supplies from two weeks ago on the console table. I decided I wasn't brave enough to go around and take pictures of all the messes, like I'd previously planned. But trust me, there are plenty. And as Andi and I talked about the other day in regards to different blogs, it isn't so much about trying to give the impression that it is a perfect life with clean kids and picket fence. When I read other people's blogs, I get inspired by the photos on them, and it makes me want to do some of their crafts, or even straighten up my house, or be a better mom. So that is the kind of stuff I blog about. Nobody would be too excited to see the other part! In real life, my scrapbook supplies have been on the family room floor for four days, in big piles. My garage is an embarassment, particulary yesterday when someone borrowed my ladder and came into it. My kids' bedrooms are rarely, if ever, clean on the same days. Or weeks. My bed is unmade as often as it is made lately. My three year old has seen every single Max & Ruby show ever made, at least twice, while I sit at the the computer. So, really, no need to feel inadequate.
What better way to strengthen family ties than a rousing family tournament of bowling?
How To: 1. Start with your bowling names. They should reflect something out of the 70's. For example, Herman and Wanda, and our love children, Rainbow and her friend Flower Soleil Moon. The little ones were Roo and Lego. (So, let them pick their own names if they are young and cry at names you suggest.)
2. Be a good example. Do your best graceful bowling stance.
3. If that isn't working, and your score is 8 in the 7th frame, try something different. Like granny rolls.
4. Make sure to put someone in charge of distributing the Purell after every contact with the nasty bowling balls. You never know how finger herpes gets started, really....
5. Finally, take a lesson from the young 'uns. (Particularly if their score is quadruple that of your own). Start by sliding on your knees for maximum ball delivery. Do this every time. Get several strikes. Exit the lanes by crab walking backwards. I'm not even joking. See in the photo, he has only one pin standing. ...at no point in the afternoon did I have only one pin standing.
I guarantee this to bring joy to your children. Especially the knee-sliding, crab-walking 7 year old, who had a score of 68, to Wanda's 24.
Whistler, BC. Home of the 2010 Olympics. We rode gondolas and chairlifts, ate many delicious meals, walked for miles, swam and soaked, saw wild bears eating blackberries, and had a gorgeous end to our summer.
We had a lovely evening this week to celebrate a special birthday. She and I have been friends since we were five years old. She has been gracious enough, over the years, to share her whole extended family with us.
And aren't we also blessed to get to enjoy such a beautiful home and garden? Lots of my own chilhood memories are here, too. We ate our dinner and dessert in the gazebo with birds singing in the background. It is straight out of Country Living, don't you think? Vintage dishes and embroidered lace tablecloths at each little rustic table.
And my "adopted mom" is the sweetest, best hostess! She pulls off these family get-togethers for almost every holiday, everyone's birthdays (including mine!), and a few more for good measure throughout the year. She never gets worried about the kids breaking things, and is quite gracious when accidents do happen, and says, 'it's just stuff!'. She is an incredible matriarch. Her other half is pretty wonderful too, along with the rest of the family.
Everything is so picturesque, I couldn't decide on just a few. Incidentally, this is the same garden where I took the photo of the bird's nest with eggs that is my banner. Enjoy the tour!
happy 19th birthday, Caidee!!
We think about you everyday. Remember the soft lamb you gave to Keston? It is named Cotton, and goes with us everywhere! A few weeks ago we went to Leavenworth for a business trip. One night we had a big BBQ dinner at a farm in the woods, and the owners gave hay rides. The horses pulling the hay wagons were a rare breed from Suffolk! We asked him all about them and told him about you. Oh, we wish you could have been there!
We love you so much, we miss you. We hope your day is perfect!
love, dad + shawn, and your sisters and brother xoxo
So on Saturday, the day before Mady's birthday, we also had a fun family-day. I love summer, there is always so much to do.
Jenson and I started the morning at Treasury for the Kids's Craft Day, which he LOVED! He got to make his own mini-book for scrapbooking summer activities, and made a card for Mady. After that, we went to Barnes & Noble for story time, and to turn in his first reading sheet and get a free book as his reward. He has been really motivated to read, and excited to fill in his charts for B & N and the public library program.
After that, we all went to Lynden to pick strawberries. 27 pounds - WAY too much! (I spent that night and early Sunday getting them individually frozen for smoothies and parfaits, made into jam, strawberry lemonade base, and other such things). Berry picking was fun. As a kid, for many years, my school clothes were dependant on my abilities to catch the berry bus each morning and head to the fields and pick flat after flat of berries for a month or so. Fun times. My hard work resulted in a few Swatch watches, ankle zippered Guess jeans, an Esprit bag, jelly shoes, stirrup pants, and other necessary items from the Golden Rule and Jay Jacobs. :)
After the berries, we went to our favorite Edaleen's Dairy for the famous 35 cent ice cream cones, then to Lynden's Million Smiles park. That park is unbelieveable. All very nice, with the exception of the giant tube slide. Did anyone else get claustrophobic in there? I went once, and that was quite plenty. The kids, about a hundred times. Frank, zero. Smart man.
After all that, church, and home for dinner. I loved Saturday!
On July 1, 1995, I became a mother to this lovely girl, Madyson Kylee Ellars. She is amazing. A gorgeous baby, very happy, and so smart. She was reading when she was three, and has a gentle heart. I love her to bits!
I can hardly believe she's 12 now! In middle school, a 4.0 girl, and still a gentle heart and gorgeous. She is a blessing to us every day. She is the best big sister, so patient and good to Jenson and Keston.
We had a perfect day for celebrating her. We started with brownie waffles for breakfast. (That was straying from tradition - I have made M&M pancakes for each kid, every year, but this was a delicious change).
Then we went to Silver Lake for a fun afternoon of grilling Gardenburgers, playing ball, S'mores, rolling down grassy hills, and a tour of the lake in pedal boats. It was such a nice family day, and wonderful time to celebrate our beautiful daughter. We love you Mady!
Can you guess what our theme is this summer?
My sweet Jenson was slightly speech delayed as a little guy. From there, he's always been just a bit behind, from learning the alphabet to reading. He's a very bright kid, he does great in math, loves science, and puts forth great effort. But reading has definitely been a challenge for him. I have tried to go 'gently' with him on it, not wanting to push it so much that he began to hate it. I figured in his own time he'd get it when he was ready, and we work at it every day, just slowly.
Unfortunately public schools have timetables! He was far enough behind this year (1st grade) that he had a literacy support teacher to work with him each day, and by the end of the year, his regular teacher recommended summer school for him. I felt strongly that he is the kind of kid that needs a summer break. The literacy teacher agreed, apparently with more confidence in me than his regular teacher!
So, this is our summer theme. And LOTS of it! Each morning Jenson and I have "school time" and he's making his way through spelling lists, a work book, and easy readers. I read to him throughout the day, and we're going to the library weekly for new materials and to keep him excited. All the kids are participating in the library's reading programs, and Jenson is doing the Barnes and Noble one also. So that is what we've been up to!
{ In case you didn't know about it, Barnes and Noble has an awesome reading incentive for kids, 1st grade through 6th grade. Just go in to get a reading sheet from them to keep track of your child's reading. Once they fill the list with eight books read, they bring the sheet back and get to pick a free book. (They have a selection to choose from). The kids can fill two sheets each summer. We've done this since Mady was little, and it's a fun program to keep them going during the summer. Also, the public library has a fun reading program for each age level. As usual, my kids are all in different age brackets, so we've got three programs going. The little ones have to read or be read to for at least 15 hours. As they go along, there are incentives, and an awards ceremony at the end, with a book and a certificate as the reward. Also, there are fun story times all week for different age levels, and Barnes and Noble has a Saturday story time too. }
So that's what's keeping us busy right now. Happy reading. :)
Mady is in middle school this year. That is an interesting concept all in itself. Something we've noticed this year is how much she has been influenced by others. It is incredible! And scary.
Among Mady's recent interests is the environment. And being a vegetarian, and all things green. I've seen her literally hugging trees in the backyard. So since I've had to disagree with her on so many topics lately, I thought this was a good one to support her in. You know, choose your battles, still gain some respect.
I read on a blog that "low-impact week" is June 1 - 7. You can read about it here. The basis of it is to reduce your impact on the earth for the week, and possibly develop some longer-lasting habits. We can do that. And support Mady in the process. After I read the list of suggestions, I realized we weren't doing as poorly as I had thought. Tons of room for improvement though! The purpose of low-impact week seems to be improving, not being perfect. Definitely we can do that. It's not likely that I'll be trading in the 7 seater Explorer anytime soon though. Or going without a fridge.
But right now, we do recycle a lot at home. Our bins are full at every pick-up, usually with more recycling in our own containers next to it. We could probably do better in the paper recycling department. Mady and I are vegetarians already. Also, a lot of things I do for purely frugal reasons, but turns out they are better for the environment too. Instead of juice boxes in the kids' lunch everyday (so much waste and expensive!) they get one water bottle a week and re-use it. I fill it with juice or chocolate milk or just water, and we wash it out for a week, then start a new one. I think I read about plastic bottles breaking down and getting bacteria growth after time. So still it is wasteful, but an improvement on what we used to do. I love to thrift shop - turns out that is pretty good too, because there are no packaging materials to waste, no factories producing more goods, it is just glorified recycling. I take our outgrown clothes to consignment shops, and trade for 'new' kids' clothes. I rarely use paper towles, always just dish towels. We carpool kids to school. We have a few fancy spiral-y light bulbs. Are those the earth-friendly ones? Not really sure about that. Anyway, we are doing a few things right, but much room to improve.
Here's what Mady and I decided to do this week-
- she will walk home from a bus stop up the road afterschool. Right now I drive about three miles a day to pick her up at a different school. She'll take my cell phone so that I won't worry as much. And other kids walk the same route, too. Really safety has been the only reason that I pick her up, so we'll try it and see how nervous I get! I tend to be a bit over-protective of her, because of my own experiences in childhood.
- in her lunch, Mady will take re-useable containers that she'll just wash out, instead of 5 baggies that she throws away.
- I'll give up the pull-ups for Keston, and use them only for outings and nightime. If any of you have heard about the peeing in the grocery cart incident recently, you'll understand why I refuse to go cold turkey on this! :)
- I'll turn off my computer during the day, and only turn it on a couple times to check email. This is HUGE for me! Seriously, I check my mail 50 times a day. Sadly, it's usually only Flylady writing to me...
- We will buy all of our produce for this week at the Farmer's market on Saturday.
- We'll be more concientious of turning off lights and appliances. Our heat is already turned off for the summer, and the gas fireplace pilot is out too.
- I'll run less errands, and clump them together when I can. Maybe doing them before or after work since I am already out.
- Today I located the "no heat dry" button on the dishwasher, and I'll wash laundry only in cold water.
- Mady and I will take shorter showers. That is a big commitment! There's a lot to be done in the shower - wash, condition, shave, lather, rinse, repeat... Also, maybe the little kids could stand to have less water in their baths. Ya think?
- I'll bring my own bag to work for taking home my constant purchases. Of paper. Ohhhh.... (On the positive side - I do save every scrap of scrapbooking paper and give it to a few friends who are so grateful to make cards and stuff with it).
- Mady will find some uses for the plastic grocery bags we use, and recycle what we don't need. I never know which is worse, paper or plastic. Anyone know this?
- We'll do an even better job of recycling at home. I am good with all the bottles, cans, glass, newspapers, and boxes. I recycle loose papers if I have a stack, but often toss single papers in the trash. Home recycling is so easy. (Oops, just checked their website Turns out your are supposed to flatten all the bottles and cans. Sheesh, no wonder ours are always over-flowing. My regimen involved waiting until the bin is so full they fall out, then I accidently run over them when I park in the garage. Perfect, flattened!)
OK. that's our list for now. I'll have Mady give an update in a few days. Happy low-impact week. (I'd send you a card, but it seems wasteful.)
And a fun time was had by all. The kids gathered the firewood, built and lit the fire. Lots of smores were consumed, and then we all went to bed smelling like chain-smokers.
Thursday was a typical day, at home with the girl. A lovely day for bubbles. Keston's technique involves blowing through her teeth, which was quite creative and reasonably efficient.
On Friday, last minute preparations for the Mighty Max 20-hour Crop were underway. By 8am I was refining food schedules and details, then picking up donations, and heading to the event. What a great time! Not much sleeping involved, and personally not much scrapbooking either, but a really great time!
To top it off, some fabulous raffle prizes...
My sweet friend Kristy won a huge package of restaurant gift certificates, movies, and entertainment. And in keeping with my theme of being lucky, I won an impressive package with a kids theme! Tons of stuff - adorable rain gear from Wild Blueberries, certificates for bowling, swimming, pizzas, smoothies, and passes to the Children's Museum. And a session for this, too! And some art supplies, book, and games. Pretty amazing, and so great of all those places to donate the items for the raffle.
After finishing with the crop, we had a good sunny Sunday. It's just starting to feel summerish - kids on the swings, kabobs on the grill, and playing with worms.
Finished it off with some kids crafting. And finally, a couple DVR'ed Dog the Bounty Hunters, and lots of sleep!
