ready, set, dig

finally!! we got the chance to dig in the garden. whew! dirt on our shoes, dirt in our shoes, dirt in our fingernails, dirt on our hands.... we did good and hopefully all that fresh air and sunshine will grant us a good night's rest.

 this little man is never without a tool.

 in go the sunflower seeds. we can't wait until they tower over us.

of course, we planted the usuals and some new finds that ava found at the garden center....sunflowers, cucumbers, peppers, pumpkins, watermelon, cantaloupe, heirloom tomatoes, squash, rosemary, fairy tale eggplant, parsley, beans.....yummy, i can't wait.


next time you head to the library, check out this book. grow it, cook it. simple gardening projects and delicious recipes. i have been hogging it for quite some time and i promise to return it soon!! and, check out this. how cool would that be!

what do you like to plant?

craftastic weekend!

i am a crafter. i like crafts. i like sewing and gluing and finding ways to use bits and pieces of leftover project materials. i also like organization but, creating masterpieces does not lend itself to organization in my household and let's face it, being a mom of two does not lend itself to organization. i'm cool with it. i can handle it....most days!

this is the time of year that flies from one holiday to the next. some are already counting down the days to christmas. i must admit that i have even pulled out the "you know, santa's elves are watching you."

this year i wanted to focus a little more on thanksgiving. we have so much to be thankful for and it is so easy to take those precious things for granted. we started off by creating our own fall color-changing leaves. a used her new clementine paints and about 20 paintbrushes!!!

 we left those to dry and came back to them the next day.  we read the book p is for pumpkin. God's harvest alphabet by kathy-jo wargin and we brainstormed all the things that we love. family, friends, the dog, spiders (a contribution because they eat bugs). glad she can find the good in almost anything except turning off scooby-doo!

then we took a few blank maple leaves and drew and scribbled the most important things we are thankful for on them. cut them all out and a little tape and a {give thanks} garland and viola!!! instant decorations for thanksgiving. guests can talk about it and add their own and i have a daily reminder to pause. life is short and good.

what do you want your kids to remember most this holiday season. any great family traditions you like to do?