Tuesday, February 28, 2012

a lovely weekend





sorry that i haven't been much of a steady blogger this month. life has really been flying by. in the midst of all the craziness i have managed to have quite a bit of fun though. this last weekend was nothing short of wonderful. with a huge amount of thanks to some amazing grandparents (who are always up for date night even though it usually involves four tired grandchildren), and an awesome brother in law who joined us for the show and then drove us home after a few too many.... and the show... goodness.... so amazing!!! the band is called stairway denied... more info here... they are a led zeppelin tribute band... the tribute bit means they play exactly like them. there were multiple amazing guitar solos, even a drum solo. i also got the opportunity to rekindle with an old friend. i must say though.... i am sore! dancing all night isn't as easy as it used to be!

you may have noticed in the photos above that charlotte finally has some hair. the yarn is red heart cotton with aloe and the color is razzle dazzle. i love it. there is still a ways to go but i am so excited about how she is coming together! do you like her name? we have been watching charlotte's web a lot lately. so sweet. 

well... i had better get a move on... i have many things in need of my attention. hope you had a lovely weekend as well.... and hope you have an amazing week in store!

-jenny

Monday, February 20, 2012

all natural aromatherapy play-dough



this is my mom's play-dough recipe... slightly adapted. 
pretty much i just added lavender essential oil and left out the food coloring because i love the natural white coloring.


ingredients:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
2 tsp cream of tartar
2 tbsp oil
1 cup water
15 drops lavender essential oil (optional)
a few drops food coloring (optional)

mix all ingredients together in a large frying pan. cook for a couple minutes on medium heat. as soon as the play-dough begins to pull away from sides remove from heat (it will still be a little bit gooey). place on a sheet of wax paper or straight on the counter if you want. knead well. store in an airtight container. i always save yogurt tubs for this. the container pictured bellow works perfectly, it is a recycled finger paint container. 
note: you can use any essential oil you want but i would stick to the mellower oils if your making it for children. do not use peppermint or eucalyptus oil if making for children.

enjoy!






Tuesday, February 14, 2012

in the moment...




life has been so busy.... between school, dance, swim lessons, and the various colds each day seems to pass as quickly as it comes. besides all that.... here is a little bit of what has been happening in our days.

  • i completed phase one of eislee's doll hair. then i left the ball of yarn a little too low and found it completely tangled and useless... ugh! went back to the store where i bought it to find that they aren't carrying that color anymore.... double ugh!! then i found it on amazon... eight dollars shipping for three dollar yarn... make that a triple ugh!!! but it is on its way and i will post pictures soon of the progress (and i found cheaper shipping).
  • we made some of these love bug valentines and these friendship bracelet valentines they were so much fun! i know it's a little late but check them out and bookmark them for next year... she has so many wonderful ideas.
  • i am extremely excited about all of the reading that's been happening around here... such a fun thing to witness. you can witness a little in the photos above... so sweet.
  • all of the bulbs that i planted in fall are beginning to peek out of the ground (yes, yes, yes!!) and it really makes me want to get out there and do a little weeding and plant some of those summer bulbs i saw in the store yesterday.... hmmm.
  • i highly recommend swimming lessons in winter. in the summer the hot stuffy air inside the pool is almost unbearable but in winter it actually feels pretty amazing.
  • little miss ollie jane is crawling everywhere, pulling up, walking along the couch, and standing here and there... i do believe walking is not far behind.
  • remember jump rope on the playground? and cat's cradle? yo-yo's? good stuff. i'm teaching maiko and layla how to jump rope.... they love it! do you remember any of the little rhymes or games? unfortunately i only remember the inappropriate ones (go figure). but if you remember any and could share them in the comments maybe? we would really appreciate it!
 

Thursday, February 9, 2012

a beautiful day just for me









my birthday falls just one week after ollie's. i felt so lucky. not only was i completely spoiled by my wonderful family, but i spoiled myself by totally neglecting everything and sitting out in the gorgeous sunshine and working with yarn... aaahhh.... it was wonderful. the sun was so warm that day, it felt like summer. such a special treat. i had a lot of fun finally getting started on eislee's doll hair (the tutorials here, here, and here really helped me). i was also reminded of all the wonderful people that i didn't get to see that day but were still thinking of me... thank you all so much for your sweet birthday wishes! there was one message in particular that truly brought tears to my eyes... you know who you are.... thank you.... i love you dearly and i hope your day was even more special than mine.

her big night







well.... cake, candles, party hats.... what more could a little one year old ask for? it was a wonderful little party, enjoyed by all. we love you little sweet ollie jane!