From zero houseplants to

Nine, as of today.  Thank you to my dear daughter who picked out most of the varieties for my mother's day gift, and to my next door neighbor, who shared her abundance of hens & chicks with me.

(Apparently I have a thing for succulents. Who knew?)

My New Apron

I have been hanging on to this skirt for at least a year.  It looked like a cute apron to me, and today was the day.  I busted out some brown jersey knit, I love the way it flows, and whipped up a ruffle and a bib/bodice using elastic thread.  Then I just sewed it all together and added satin ribbon for the ties. I like the look of the neckline tying on the front, plus I am less likely to tie my hair into the knot.  I pinned on a little tatted-lace flower and I am ready to go.

Except the fact that it is so cute I can't wear it to make things that stain.  I'll have to bust out my lunch lady apron.  Because birdhouses and sunflowers are what gourmet cooking is all about.

Go Bag

Have you ever left the house and realized you didn't have deodorant on? Had a kid pour a waterbottle on themselves in the car?  Or had a kid need to potty in the middle of nowhere? 
Do you need bandaids to soothe little owies at least once a day? Oh boy, do I!

Couple that with a long lost blog post that inspired me to have a bag in the car for a time when you have to leave home right away, have no time to pack, and may not get to return for hours.  Like if a loved one was admitted to the hospital or you have some car trouble out of town and have to stay over. Something like that. You don't need regular 72 hour kit stuff, instead you need snacks, money to buy food wherever you are, stuff to stay overnight in a pinch, etc.   Basically a super-stocked diaper bag for the whole family. 

This is where our Go Bag was born.  Depending on the time of year it contains the following things:

• A change of clothes for the kids, doubling the underwear for potty training
• Diapers & wipes
• Foods that serve as snacks or meals in a pinch, like pop tarts, fruit cups, and energy bars. 
• Bottled water
• Sanitizer wipes
• Activities for kids
• Cash! For buying meals, renting rooms, whatever. I end up using mine at garage sales. :)
• Toothbrushes & toothpaste. These come in handy when we are traveling at bedtime and don't want the kids to fall asleep with sugar in their mouths.
• Feminine hygiene items
• A first aid kit- mostly band aids & pain killer 
• Comfortable walking shoes- not that I get stranded in heels often, but it is a good suggestion. 

 Next to our Go Bag is a travel potty, including toilet paper and spare underwear/pull-ups.

Custom Kiddie Art I Adore

I am loving these custom pieces over at Infarrantly Creative! 

Pillow Craft

All Things Thrifty had an inspiring post featuring pin-tucked pillows. Cute!

U-create has lots of great pillow posts (I am serious, keep scrolling)

I have been liking this scrunched pillow idea from V and Co

and think using this tutorial from Make it and Love it would give the right effect, if you skip scrunching the center and only do the sides.

I kept remembering this tutorial from H is Handmade- I had to go find it! This is definitely and accent pillow!

Our Favorite Online Kids Games

https://www.hasbro.com/en-us/games

https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/menu/play/

  

 

Green Foods- St. Patrick's Day Style

Head on over to my recipe blog for some kid friendly St Patricks day food.  I think this year I will also try green tinted alfredo, pistachio pudding, and green jigglers. I better go get started!