Dancing in the Minefields

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For your Thursday ... a sweet song to encourage each of you to take time to dance with your spouse and appreciate the blessing he is! Click here.

Image: Andrew Peterson, Dancing in the Minefields



Domestic Ease

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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 at Domestic Ease

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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.





Cloth Diapering, a Perfect Nursery

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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!


Meal-Planning Mondays

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Happy Monday! Enjoy the beginning of your week, and get inspired for some meals with these menu ideas.

MONDAY
Grilled Cheese
Tomato, Watermelon Salad

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.

TUESDAY
Pesto Pasta
Green Salad

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

Get the basil pesto recipe here.

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.

WEDNESDAY

Mexican Quinoa Salad
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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.

THURSDAY

Grilled Hamburgers
Potato Salad

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.

FRIDAY

White Beans with Chicken Andouille Sausage
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Recipe courtesy of Natural Health. Get it here.

SATURDAY
Grilled Chicken
Cantaloupe Salsa
Green Salad
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Grill chicken breasts and then top it with this cantaloupe salsa, or serve the salsa on the side with tortilla chips and a green salad.

SUNDAY
Left-overs or enjoy dining out!

Have a great week!






Some Random Friday Finds

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I can hardly believe Friday has come and it's now Friday afternoon! Let me be honest, the last thing I need to be doing right now is browsing the blogosphere or posting an update ... a freelance article needs to be written, the floors need to be mopped, and laundry needs to be folded. But alas the little man is napping, so I'm taking a few minutes for myself before he wakes! Here are a few recent finds that I'm loving:

*Seeking design ideas for a baby shower? These images are sure to inspire.


*This Eva & Oli diaper bag, which I recently won via a Babyccino giveaway. I'm the girl who never wins anything, so I was ecstatic to have such great luck! It arrived today from France, and it's as spectacular as it looks in the picture. Thanks Eva & Oli and Babyccino!

*This darling clothing line, EmersonMade, (via A Room Somewhere) launching Aug. 10.




*This fabric paired with pale pink cording for our little girl's crib bedding. What color combos do you like for little girls?


*This post brought tears to my eyes.


*I received quite a bit of fresh basil in my organic produce co-op share this week, so we're enjoying loads of fresh pesto. Here's a great source for pesto four ways. I'm also loving browsing this site in general, so you can bet some of the recipes will show up in Monday Meal Planning (which I promise, will resume next week).


*And speaking of food, Cannelle et Vanille is a treasure trove of eye candy, with gorgeous photos and delectable recipes that will capture your attention the moment you visit their site. The most recent post gives some inspiring dishes for eggs, and since I have 3 dozen eggs fresh from my aunt's farm in the refrigerator, I'll likely put some to use!


*Another gorgeous food blog, Sunday Suppers will have you wishing you lived inside their perfectly serendipitous photos.


*Yes, it's random and completely irrelevant, but this image makes me wish I were half as glamorous.


* A sweet idea for a first-year baby book. Unfortunately, I'll be lucky enough to merely get my collection of my son's first couple years simply printed before our little girl arrives.


*And last, a book I'm going to have to seriously consider purchasing, especially since I've been thinking about ways I can be more intentional in teaching my little guy from day to day. Recommended by Bloom, if this is anything like the reading last recommendation I took them up on, it will surely be good. How are you intentional about teaching your young children at home?


Enjoy your weekend! Meal-Planning Monday will resume on Monday ... thanks Crissy for letting me know the menus are actually helpful!


Today at Domestic Ease

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Well dear readers, it's been a crazy couple weeks. So I feel again I need to apologize for my lack of posting! We were in Missouri visiting my family and recently returned, which means I'm now about to enter the flurry of laundry, meal planning/grocery shopping and cleaning that always follows the return from a trip. Although I must say it will be nice to try to establish some semblance of routine again! And speaking of routines, I'm over at Domestic Ease today discussing the importance of establishing patterns within your family. Click here to read the post, and be sure to leave a comment!!! We're giving away one $500 gift card to Pottery Barn to celebrate the launch of our new forum. All you have to do is leave a comment on a post before July 15th. Happy Wednesday!