Want to add a bit of whimsy to your child's bedroom or playroom? Check out these fun pieces from Dust Furniture. Artist, Vincent Thomas Leman creates "abstract traditional furniture." He and his wife, Jessie, launched Dust Furniture and decided to add a witty reminder to people to keep furniture clean, or to have people "dust furniture."
"Maintaining that art can be both beautiful and functional, Vincent combined his knowledge as a fine woodworker and his engineering skills to create gravity bending furniture with personality, while leaving function fully intact."
ThredUp.com makes it easy to have your own virtual clothes swap and outfit your kids with "new-to-them" clothes for the extra low price of just $5, plus the cost of shipping. Each member can post a box of clothes on the website to be swapped, so you just choose the boxes that you like and pay $5, plus shipping, and it's yours! It's free to join and once you do, the website keeps track of your swaps for you, that way everyone plays fair ... it is a swap, so you have to give and take. Check out thredup.com for full details and have fun swapping!
For your little artist, it's all about the process ... and when it comes to kids, that means getting messy creating their fridge-worthy masterpieces. Luckily there are art products that are safe, natural and eco-friendly. Clementine Art™ provides a host of art supplies with wholesome ingredients for your little ones to let their creativity run wild. So when your tot gets more paint in her hair than on the paper, you can rest assured knowing that her colorful appearance isn't harmful to her health.
Wonderful things can happen in a kitchen by a teacher who wants to solve a problem. Clementine Art™, was created by a teacher who wanted to promote creativity, with safe art supplies for your child and the planet. Clementine Art™ is available at a number of retailers across the USA, including select Starbucks, Whole Foods, and babyGap retailers.
As I've mentioned in a previous post, we're in the process of a little remodeling. Unfortunately, it's taken a bit longer than planned, and though Internet recently returned, my desktop computer is STILL out of commission. Thus, I've had to take a hiatus from posting, since my ancient laptop makes it difficult. Soon I will hopefully be back up and running! But in the meantime, I wanted to share with you one fun find.
Kayce Hughes is a mother of 7 and clothing line designer who has an adorable line of duds for women and children. She also has a charming home, and I'm delighted to say I'll be featuring her house tour on Domestic Ease in a few weeks. It's sure to be worth checking out, so make a note to click over there on Sept. 13. And until then, stop in at her online shop to browse these fanciful threads!
Today I'm over at Domestic Ease. As our internationally themed month at DE continues, I'm talking about all things Asian inspired, including this yummy kid-friendly sushi recipe by Weelicious. So hop on over there, and take a look.
Baby girl is due to be here in 4 weeks, but we're still frantically preparing for her arrival. Thank goodness she really just needs milk, a warm place to sleep and a dry diaper. Of course, I have it in my mind that she needs much, much more, which means I have sewing projects coming out my ears, and a cabinet maker will be invading our home on Saturday. But in the meantime, I wanted to share some finds I've discovered as we prepare for her.
BIRDS OF A FEATHER
I may have blogged about this before, but I'm making her a bird mobile using this free pattern from Spool Sewing. All you seamstresses, check it out.
These are custom Thank You cards I designed to send out following my recent shower. I designed these sweet cards via DownloadandPrint and printed them on cream card stock. DownloadandPrint has a host of free template designs that can used for a variety of events. Hop over there and get inspired.
RUG QUANDRY
I'm currently trying to decide on a rug for her room. The first one makes my heart go pitter patter, but I'm worried I'm bringing too much neutral khaki into her room. Rug 2 is the second runner up. The fabric for her bedding is this paired with pale pink. What do YOU think? Any preferences?
Bloom has a great post detailing what your child(ren) should know before they get to kindergarten. It has me thinking about the best ways to educate little girl and her brother.
INSPIRED DESIGN
And in my never-ending search for nursery inspiration, I came across these two sweet rooms and wanted to share. If you're looking for more inspiring nurseries, check out Nursery Notations or the featured nurseries at KenziePoo.
UPDATE TO MENUS: I was a bit disappointed with the Quinoa Falafels (Monday). They were crumbly, and the taste was so-so. If you still want to make falafels but would like another recipe, I'd recommend this one instead.
It's been way too long since I've posted a weekly meal plan. Between preparations for our little girl arriving in four weeks (fingers crossed she won't be too late), a variety of family members who have come to stay and some remodeling projects on the house, things have been a bit crazy around here! But delay no more ... it's time to share my weekly meal planning again. So without further ado, here's what's on our menu. I hope it will bring some inspiration to your meals as well.
I just discovered The Sprouted Kitchen, and I'm loving it! It will surely become a go-to recipe destination for healthy meals. The photography is beautiful (taken by the adorable blogger's fiance), and the blogger herself looks like someone you'd want to instantly call a good friend. Her recipes look absolutely delightful as well. There are several I'd like to try. For now, I'm starting with these Quinoa Falafels. I'm serving them with pita bread for a heartier meal, and a side salad, if I feel like whipping one up!
TUESDAY
Hamburgers
Coleslaw
Organic grass-fed beef was on sale last week, so hamburgers are on the menu. I also received a head of green cabbage in my organic produce co-op, and coleslaw is a great way to use it. This coleslaw recipe is right on.
Yep, they're on the menu again, but these fish tacos are some of the best we've had! Our two-year-old even loves 'em. Serve with a side of black beans.
I still have spinach to use from the co-op, so it will be going into quesadillas. Top a tortilla with Monterrey Jack cheese, black beans, fresh spinach and some more cheese. Fold in half, then grill in a panini press or stovetop. Serve with a side of black beans.
For a couple months, I couldn't stomach my homemade pizza. But I'm back to making it now, and I'm using only basil pesto as my sauce. It adds so much flavor! Use this recipe for basil pesto and homemade pizza dough. I also like to use half pine nuts, half walnuts.
With so much fresh corn in abundance right now, this recipe takes advantage of in-season veggies. Save some to top salad greens for lunch the next day. Serve with grilled cheese or crusty bread for a satisfying meal.
SUNDAY
Left-overs or dinner out. Enjoy the last few hours of your weekend!
With the birth of my first child, I did so much research to find a stroller that could grow with my family. Be it on a walk or jog, to and from the store, or being able to add another seat to the stroller so it could carry more than one child ... I had a list of requirements that needed to be met. Luckily, I was able to find what I was looking for at the time. I still do research from time-to-time just to see the improvements and new innovations that have hit the stroller industry. I thought I had seen it all, until I came across the Taga.
By their own definition, Taga combines the fun of a carrier bike with the functionality of a luxury stroller. This high-end innovation is pretty remarkable; built with pride and designed by an international team of world-class designers, engineers and manufacturers. Taga was created with the end-user in mind, and designed and constructed to make the urban lifestyle easy to maneuver for parents and fun for children.
[According to tagabikes.com]
Taga is a multifunctional vehicle designed for families on the go. It is a baby stroller and carrier bike all rolled into one—and a means of transportation unlike any other. In seconds, Taga goes from super fun, safe and maneuverable bicycle to designer stroller that easily navigates stores, boards trains and slides into elevators. The possibilities for adventure—and reasons to buy one—are endless.
Here's a quick-list of what makes Taga a great green vehicle to move your family around in:
It's pure quality time with your child
You can ride with confidence and control
It's the only bike that transforms into a stroller
Take a look at this transport option for your family. I'm kind of in love! If I lived in a more urban neighborhood, this would be my vehicle of choice.
Good day lovely readers! It's Wednesday, so I'm over at Domestic Ease today with some fun tips for making the most of the remaining Summer days. Check it out here.
And a few more things for you to browse:
I just discovered Flowie (via Creature Comforts), and I'm loving a few of their bags. They're also having a summer sale right now!
A yummy summer-fresh recipe when zucchini is filling the grocery store shelves and farmers markets.
And if you're dreaming of a vacation to escape the summer heat ... spend some time browsing this chateau in the South of France. I have already bookmarked it for a future dream vacation (I don't know if it will ever come true, but this is about dreaming!). Alexis at Fern & Feather was immensely lucky to have recently visited there, so you can see her pics of the Chateau by visiting her blog. They're lovely!
Today I'm over at Domestic Ease sharing some fun ways to infuse the textural appeal of burlap into your family's life. Here are a few of the charming finds, but click here to see the rest.
My mom has been here for nearly a week, so we've been running around having fun, and in the meantime, I've been focusing on this project for my son. I tell you that because the combination has meant a severely neglected blog. I apologize! Meal Plans will be posted in a few days (I Promise, Crissy!), along with some other fun stuff!
In the meantime though, I'm planning on using cloth diapers for our little girl. So I recently purchased a couple Fuzzi Bunz at a local green-living store, but then I also recently registered forgDiapers. I'm trying to decide which may suit our needs best. What do you think about cloth diapering? Are there any systems you would highly recommend? Leave a comment and let us know! (By the way, if you'd like some great info about cloth diapering vs. disposable diapering, Kat Phillips did a great guest post on this blog. You can read it here.)
I'm also looking for some great registry shops other than the usuals. What are some of your favorite shops/online sites for baby gear and clothing?
Lastly ... a little something fun for you to browse. This nursery is absolute perfection! Quite unattainable for most, yes I know, but it's a great source for inspiration! The only downfall if this were in my home ... I don't think I'd ever leave!
After having a similar salad at a local restaurant, I wanted to make it at home. So when watermelon, tomatoes and arugula were in my bi-weekly organic produce co-op share, this week was the perfect opportunity to try the recipe. Get it from Epicurious here. Pair the salad with a simple sandwich, like a grilled cheese.
This recipe is my own creation, so I don't have exact measurements. Use quantities to your liking and have fun experimenting. This recipe is a great summertime one, since it makes use of fresh basil and summer-fresh tomatoes.
Pasta - 8 ounces or enough to serve your family Cherry tomatoes - halved Black olives - quartered Pine nuts - toasted Parmesan cheese, grated
Cook the pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts, then heat a little olive oil in a pan. Add the tomatoes. Cook for a few minutes, then add olives and toasted pine nuts, remove from heat. Drain pasta and pour basil pesto over pasta. Mix in tomatoes, olives and pine nuts. Top with parmesan cheese.
Quinoa, a perfect protein that is high in amino acids, is a great meatless option, and this recipe mixes lovely summer flavors with the grain. I'll also be adding black beans and avocado.
Grill up a hamburger and serve with potato salad. We like this potato salad recipe, via Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.
4 cups potatoes, coarsely diced and boiled until firmly tender 3 hard boiled eggs, peeled and coarsely chopped ¾ cup dill pickles, finely chopped 2 tbsp dill salt to taste Mayonnaise – a few tbsp Combine potatoes, eggs, and pickles. Add dill and salt to mixture and combine thoroughly. Add just enough mayonnaise to hold the salad together.
