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What I’ve Been Up To…

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I've been a busy, busy blogger lately - working on something I'm really excited about.  All will be revealed soon! Until then, I have a few other contributions around the web that I wanted to share with you.(top) Aren't these colorful planters cute?  It's finally starting to feel like spring and I'm dreaming of backyard grilling in style.  Which is why my latest houzz ideabook features 20 of my favorite products for sprucing up any outdoor space. (bottom left) In case you haven't gotten your … [Read more...]

POYEL: More on Our Daily Routines

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As I mentioned on Monday, a small bought of spring cleaning fever recently hit our family.  This, in turn, got me once again thinking about Project Organize Your ENTIRE Life - but not how you might expect.  Streamlining my home brought back (with a vengeance) all my yearnings to streamline my time.   I'd especially like to return to the topics of daily routines and weekly schedules.  I'm really glad we covered all that we did in regards to cleaning in the beginning (Lord knows I can … [Read more...]

Good to Know: Parenting Tips & Tricks

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I'm in a bit of a teasing mood today.  I thought I'd tell you about a few of my current favorites in the realm of parenting thoughts and tips, but only enough to pique your interest.  To get the goods you'll have to click on the links.  I promise, though, they're all worth it.   The kids and I are sharing one of our hands-down favorite boredom busters at momtastic.  Can you tell what it is from the photo above? I'm sooo tempted to try this with my little ones, partly to see if it … [Read more...]

Science at Play: Part III

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It's been a busy, busy weekend on the homefront.  Gorgeous weather led to some impromptu yardwork and spring cleaning along with lots of playing in the sun and a family picnic in the backyard. All that means two things: I'm up way too late writing this so I'll be keeping it brief and the nice weather has me thinking about summer.   What do these two things add up to?  My third science at home roundup. (Because it's a relatively quick post and I know from past experience you'll love … [Read more...]

Pinterest All Stars: More Playtime Finds

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You may be surprised to hear that not all my playtime related Pinterest finds are located on my Playtime board.  (Ok, so the first one technically is but the others aren't - promise.)  Today I'm highlighting four play picks stashed away in four different places, just to pique your interest. I used to love this game as a kid.  It's genius in its simplicity.  Thanks so much to Helen for the reminder. This sweet DIY is meant to house little girl dresses but I think the vintage-esque garment … [Read more...]

A New Favorite

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You know how every once in a while you stumble on something simple that makes life a little better?  For me that "something" is a recently re-discovered delicacy: the frozen banana.  To be honest I've always been a bit indifferent when it comes to bananas.  Sure, I'd power one down as a poor excuse for a breakfast when running out the door, but my general attitude towards them could pretty much be summed up as "meh".   It's amazing the difference a little time in the freezer can make.  … [Read more...]

Fresh Finds: Birthday Party Themes that Go Way Beyond Pretty

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photos via beth & company   As you could probably tell from yesterday's post, I get pretty excited about fun new ways to pass the time with the kiddos.  Birthday parties are no exception.  In fact my birthday party philosophy has evolved over the years from picture pretty to laid back fun to party-not-entirely-necessary.  Which is why I loved curating this collection of kid parties that value playtime over photo opps.   Pictured above is one of my favorite finds, an … [Read more...]

Family Play Date: Truck Factory Open House

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I've been waiting to write this post for an entire year so I'm pretty excited that today's finally the day.  As parents who live in what is often a soggy city, my husband and I are always appreciative when we find a family friendly activity capable of taking up a large chunk of our weekend.  The annual Paccar open house, or what C's affectionately dubbed "the truck show", is just such an activity.   I'm not just posting on it today because of how much my family loves the event … [Read more...]

Pinterst All Stars: Motorin’

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Cardboard Box Car and Gas PumpCardboard Parking Garage... TutorialThis week's Pinterest All Stars hail from my Playtime board.  I love that both of these car-centric finds are made with upcycled materials and the style points here are through the roof.  The working key and ingenious spray bottle gas pump in the top project especially wowed me!Similar Stuff: Previous Pinterest All Stars … [Read more...]

Easter 2012 Aftermath

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Now that Easter has come and gone, I wanted to remind you of this post from last year on exactly what to do with all those plastic eggs. I also thought you might be interested in how our water bead eggs went over. Of course, it should be noted that due to their size they can be a choking hazard so please never leave them alone in the presence of small children who might be tempted to eat them. This morning I let the kids break them apart over some big bowls set out on towels.  You can see … [Read more...]

POYEL: Creating an Audio Library for Quiet Time

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I've talked a lot here about my general state of panic ever since C stopped napping regularly.  As you guys know, I do a lot of my blogging when the kids are sleeping.  That means that if C is no longer going to nap in the afternoon, then he needs to be doing something else that's independent of me (and if you've been reading this blog for any amount of time at all then you know that won't be sitting in front of the TV).   My first attempt at tackling this conundrum came in the form of … [Read more...]