monday. santa.

this popped up on our computer screen this morning when taylor was getting ready to log into starfall.com ...

watch here.

apparently, the elves have been studying up on their iMovie skills.

monday. tree hunting.

sometimes, life gets in the way of being online ... which, by the way, i am totally ok with. love it, in fact. but every once in awhile, i look at my poor little blog and think about how i really should keep up a bit more than i do.

that being said, several things have happened, most importantly, on 10.10.11 we welcomed another baby boy into our family, barrett. he's wonderful, mellow, happy, and sleeps like a dream. he's smiling, almost giggling, and his brother and sister think he's the coolest. even just two months in, we forget what it was like without him.

last weekend we went christmas tree hunting in northern idaho with the family—always a blast.

... always an event trying to get everyone to look at the camera. no luck yet!

... can't go christmas tree hunting without hot chocolate (and irish cream with coffee for the adults, of course)!

... barrett's first christmas tree hunt, and apparently, he's not impressed.

... grandma gayl and the littlest munchkin

... the whole lot of us!

... miss taylor dragging her find back to the truck.
... daddy and barrett.

... even trying to get TWO kids to look at the camera is just about impossible.
... grandma, kim, and taylor!

watch out for the blog blast that's heading this direction in the next couple days ...

monday. tummy tub. * Update

i have the best co-workers ever ... i totally just got surprised with one of these—like, minutes after writing this post! i'll be sure to write my own review once we get to use it!

it looks like a bucket i'd use to wash my car. but the reviews on this thing are ca-RAZY! ... and explain all the reasons the tummy tub is NOT the same as the orange homer bucket in your garage—and why you should NOT bathe your baby in a bucket.

if nothing else, the pictures that would come along with bathing baby in the tummy tub are enough to make me want one!


reasons to try the tummy tub:

• natural bathing of babies in the familiar fetal position from.
• relaxing for baby and mama. especially recommended for premature babies.
• helps babies settle and sleep—even the ones that HATE baths.
• bath time enjoyment from birth. again ... even the ones that despise water from day one.
• baby feels warm, safe, and relaxed within soft boundaries.
• eases indigestion, gas, and, colic while calming baby.
• stimulates cognitive and physical development
• ultra lightweight, easy on your back.
• meets the most stringent safety regulations worldwide.
• phthalate, BPA, lead free.
• uses less water, energy, and space than traditional baby tubs.
• optional stand raises baby to a comfortable sitting position and doubles as a stool, with a nifty design for storage.
• fully recyclable.

monday. monster nursery.

we're about 90% done with the new baby's room, and now i just need things like diapers, wipes, binkies, and newborn clothes ... oh, and a name. you know, things he actually may need. his name will be painted above the crib in a super nifty monster font. that is, if he ever gets a name. who knows, i may just paint 'boy.' above the crib and be done with it.

three rows of front-facing bookshelves will be added as well, at toddler height sometime soon.

lightswitch monster (these cute little guys are stuck all over the room in various colors, personalities, and sizes) ...


crib, boppy, and monster mobile, complete with my makeshift crib skirt made with leftover curtain fabric ...


for the mobile, i took my old target version, ripped apart the cover to make my pattern and made my own—complete with monsters and a "rrrrar!" sticker on the music box ...


big sister and brother painted monsters on canvas for their new baby brother—they might be my favorite part of the whole room (can you guess which one big brother painted?) ...




burp rags! finally, i got to make some for me! i love making them for all my family and friends and their babies, but i have to say, it was super fun to finally get to keep some of them!



ikea mirror, monster decals, and moose ...



monster growth chart decal (and soon-to-be big brother)—maybe the cutest thing ever ...


full view of one side (the bookledges will go next to the growth chart, and the top one will be about that height...


the other side—ignore the lighting, please ...


so much fun to put together a bright, fun room! but, i can't wait for the final touch—the baby!

monday. garden-time.

i weeded this weekend. a lot. mostly, it was just re-weeding the areas i already did earlier this year (garden, flower beds, etc). but, there's one area that i pruned and groomed, pondered and inspired-upon. out in front of our deck in the backyard, just waiting for something spectacular. something we can all enjoy when we're sitting out on the back deck, drinking tea in the morning, eating dinner in the evening, playing with the kids, or just taking a minute out of the day to breathe.

in my plotting and planning, i dragged out my old issues of martha magazine, clippings, and inspirational ripped out pages i've conglomerated over the years. it's so fun to look back at some of the things that i used to think were sooooo cool. that really. are. not. and maybe never were.

one thing i did find, however, was this:


an all-white blooming garden. obviously, it's a bit larger area than what i have to work with ... with a budget much bigger than mine. but, with the space i'm working in, it's mostly shade, and gets a little dark, especially toward the end of the day.

the all-white blooms, mixed with the different shades of greens just popped out at me. i'm envisioning early mornings and early evenings when the sun's not quite full and the whites and greens can brighten up this dark little area. so, i've spent the last two days researching local plants, nursery-hopping, and making my list of what i'm hoping to find.

lilac. the white kind. for the full sun space in the bed, and to take up a large amount of room with something lovely and pretty and good-smelly. plus, we live in the lilac city ... i think it's about time we had one.


hosta. not only is it already in my yard just waiting to be transplanted, and therefore, freeeee—it looks so pretty in the shade, and will carry those white, silver, and green tones and make an excellent filler.


sweet autumn clematis. this is one of my favorites to grow. it vines, and will work perfectly to climb the deck posts up to our awning. this white variety blooms late in August-September, so it will be pretty and green all summer, and burst with these white flowers when everything else is settling down for fall!


annabelle hydrangea. a shade-lover and has beautiful white-turn-almost-green flowers. and perfect for a larger foundation plant.


lily of the valley. i'm picturing this shade-lover right in the front of the garden, almost cascading down the rock wall.

allium. these easy-to-grow bulbs are purple in my front yard, and they might be my favorite late spring bloomer. they look like giant puff balls—and even better, you can plant them in white!


helleborus. this beauty is another shade-lover, and though i don't know much about it yet, i think it's just lovely!


so, now who wants to finance this little garden of mine? loan payments would come in the form of home-cooked meals, baked goods, tea on the back porch, and being surrounded by the scent of lilac and hydrangea all summer long.

monday. backyard camp-out.

usually, memorial day weekend, our family can be found camping far from home. this year, the husband and i were really hoping to not pay for crazy-priced gas, wade through the traffic to get out of town, or take cover waiting for the intermittent rain to stop.

this year, we decided the backyard was the way to go. no packing, soft grass, and all the comforts of a campout—fire, s'mores, hotdogs, tent, (even some sunshine!) all 100 feet from home. it was awesome, the kids had a blast, and we were even able to get some yard-work in.

we were a bit early for the great american backyard campout, but the idea's the same.


no pouting allowed (showing us what NOT to do) ...



run around barefoot ...

get a little crazy ...

eat a hotdog ... or 3 ...

play in the tent ... a lot ...


figure out this whole marshmallow in the fire thing ...

sacrifice at LEAST five marshmallows to the fire in the process ...

rub the belly a little just to make sure he's still there ... yep, not just a food baby anymore ...

most of all, have tons of fun—get outside, goof around, mix it up, and you don't even have to go anywhere! i highly recommend it.