Friday, June 29, 2012

And for good measure...

This won't make much sense unless you have glanced at my previous post.

Today, Michael's:

Thursday, June 28, 2012

My friend (is obsessed with) {is fond of} [flips for] likes owls

This post is really late in making it to the blog, but I still really want to share it.

My friend over at Small Town Joy likes owls. A lot. Her girl Sweet Potato Pie even had a owl-themed first birthday party!(To be fair, STJ left it up to her readers to decide - and WE chose owls!  After all, they can be pretty cute!)

Last year, especially one day as I was doing some marathon Christmas shopping, I noticed that I was seeing owls everywhere. Sure, they are kind of popular, but they were catching my eye from the bottom shelves of store displays (when I wasn't even looking at the display) or on things like pajamas (also, not looking at/for those). I saw them everywhere - to the point that I emailed my friend to check in and see if all was well. I felt compelled because every time I saw an owl, I was reminded of her and her sweet family.

Here are the owls - because, yes, I took pictures to share with her!  PS - I cold now kick myself for not snapping up the first two that I saw.  Scroll down to find out which ones!

Mast General Store
Do you see the owls? (These are at TJ Maxx, I think.)
Here they are, on a box of stationery that was *under* some other stuff!
Wal-Mart
Little store at the mall that I'd never been to before (because I am allergic to the mall.)
Two more from TJ Maxx
More from Mast General.
Target, so you have probably seen these. 
Mast General (they had a lot of owls!)
More Tar-jay
PJs at TJ's (I'm a poet...)
My very favorite owls at a local resale shop - actually the first ones I saw.  
These hooted at me from the bottom shelf.  They are the reason I checked in with my friend.
Pretty sure these are ALSO from Mast General.
Michael's (?)

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

A little dose of my crazy..

I saw a mom at camp drop-off today that was wearing a pair of shoes that I've been pining over (Keen Harvest MJ II - though she had the pink stripe and I want gladiola).  So I looked at them online tonight.  Kind of like picking up a few things at Target and walking around the store with them to see if I really need to take them home (I call it "temporary ownership" - sort of like test-driving a car, I guess) - and I usually put back whatever it is I've picked up.  Yes, I really do that.

Unfortunately, this strategy isn't working with the shoes.  Probably because I can't actually hold them.  Man alive, do I love Keens (And several other brands of shoes that make you think "cha-ching!" when you look at the price tag.  All of them pretty rugged and outdoorsy-looking.  Or just uber-comfy.  No heels or anything like that....)!

Back to reality - time to get the kiddos off to bed.  Early day of day camp drop offs tomorrow!

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Camping for a Week!

We've just returned home from a week-long camping vacation. It's the longest we've ever camped, and the first time we've camped without more experienced friends. We had a great time, and learned a few things too. I don't think we can be called "rookies" anymore, though I know we have a lot left to learn. Here are just a few notes I made during the week:

You can't tell the gnats from the pepper unless they move.

"Clean" is a completely relative term.

You actually do need a fire when it's warm out, and especially if it's humid (it's a great way to dry towels).

Rookie "mistakes" are par for the course - you will find your groove in a day or two.

Eating off of "real" dishes, while nice, does mean that you spend a bit of your time washing them.

Cooking "real" food, while nice, means that you spend a bigger bit of your day cooking. And usually means even more washing up. Using paper plates for a meal or two is certainly acceptable.

Cooking over the campfire and cooking with a cast iron Dutch oven are both pretty cool ways to put dinner on the table!

Kids are great helpers when it comes to the washing up - and you should remember this when you return home!

A creekside site means great sleeping for you (after the first night), but perhaps some earplugs would have been helpful for your spouse.

Even if you are an adult, your mama will still worry if she can't easily reach you. So, on one of your trips into town to replenish the ice, email your parents to let them know you are safe and having a good time.

During the week, we came up with a short list of nice-to-have items for our next camping trip (because yes, we will do this again!). We learned from some more experienced campers that this isn't at all unusual. We are starting our list of Christmas and birthday ideas now!

We also spent several hours doing one of the things Big J and I enjoyed in the years BK (before kids) - reading aloud. This year's picks were Little House in the Big Woods and Harry Potter 1. We haven't finished either one, but I know we will very soon!

We came home from this vacation rested - even though we hiked and played in the creek and hauled our food in and out if the mommy-van many, many times. I guess you could say that unloading the cooler and non-perishables for every meal meant that unloading it all at home didn't seem such a chore. Yes, there's still a lot to do, but it's so much easier to take it all on after a truly relaxing week.

Friday, June 15, 2012

It's been a while...

But I may just be back! Thanks to a bloggy friend, I just learned about the blogger smartphone app. This just might make it easier for me to pop in here from time to time - yay!

And about that photo.... Someone here just celebrated birthday number six! We had a Halloween in June party, complete with bobbing for apples! Happy birthday, Miss M!