Spring Equinox Celebration

This week we took time to celebrate the Spring Equinox. The tulips I planted this past Autumn have started to grow and we have had some very warm days this week. Life is good! I got us a few spring books from the library.

For our activity we made fairy houses. Well we have technically only made one so far. It took far longer than I thought it would. I found this picture/post on Pinterest and used it as my inspiration. We got plastic milk bottles to use. I’ve done a few crafts with the paper ones and it’s hard for things to stick to and I thought the plastic would last longer since I plan to have the houses outside in our backyard. The day before the project we went on a “foraging walk” and found sticks, rocks, pinecones and what greenery we could. I bought some fake baby’s breath and glue from the store. I would have bought moss as well but they were out.

We filled the milk bottles halfway with rocks to weight them down. The first half of this was rough!! I used the Tacky Glue the blog post said to use and it was terrible! Like took forever to dry, the sticks were falling off and Pal was getting frustrated (as was I). We would put a few sticks on then sit there for a bit while it sorta dried. Pal was very patient about it. Once I attached the roof I was done messing around and got the hot glue out. It was so much nicer. I’ll be doing hot glue on the rest of the houses. I figured this Tacky glue would make the houses last longer but omg it was such a hassle. Anyway once I got the hot glue it went wayyyy faster. And I was able to manipulate the material much easier. Here is how the first one turned out.

I think this would be such a cute seasonal project to do. You could use different materials that represent the current season (l’m thinking autumn leafs for the roof or summer flowers and foliage). Im also thrilled with the result because I’ve been wanting a fairy village in our backyard but man those can be spendy! This was nearly free! I bought the glue and baby’s breath which was $5 (and I didn’t even need the glue!). The milk bottle was up-cycled and all the other material was from around our yard and neighborhood.

My tips!

The foraging walk was with all 3 children but I knew Bud, who’s 2, would get frustrated with the actual building. So Pal and I did this project at nap time.

We started the project outside which was lovely! But once we needed to hot glue we took it inside. I always enjoy doing crafts outside for easy clean up and fresh air.

My biggest tip is just use the hot glue!

Autumn Equinox Celebration 2023

Emily here! Sharing how we celebrated the Autumn Equinox this year. Pal is getting bigger and so I wanted this celebration to have some meaning so I decided to make a bird theme. It seemed appropriate given that birds are migrating soon. We also have a lot of birds visit our backyard. I started with getting some books from the library about birds. I got 5 and these 3 have been our favorite.

I also stopped by Starbucks for get a pumpkin spice chai and cake pops. Mostly that was for me but the boys loved the cake! Then after nap time we made our craft! An egg carton bird feeder. There are a ton of different DIY bird feeder options but I went with this one as it was very low cost and seemed the least messy. I only had to by the birdseed which was $6.

I made sure to show Pal and Bud a picture of a finished feeder so they got the concept of what we were doing. Bud didn’t care but Pal was jazzed. Pal loved stringing the beads on and they both loved adding the birdseed. Which we did outside to avoid any indoor messes. This craft was a pretty low mess low prep craft which is always nice. Bud is still young so he wasn’t totally interested in the craft and mostly observed as I made his but still fun to include him! Also Gal was having a moment during this whole craft so I ended up having to wear her. The whole thing felt a bit chaotic but we did it. We spent the rest of the afternoon outside talking to the various birds we saw and letting them know we had some food for them. We haven’t seen any eat the food but we’ve been checking on it the last few days which is a fun additional activity.

Happy Autumn Equinox!! 🍁

Emily Summer Bucket List: Final Post

Well folks the Autumn Equinox is Friday which means my deadline for my summer bucket list is up. I’d love to try and do all the things I didn’t get to in these few days but the reality is I have a house full of sick people/children to take care of. So let’s see what I did accomplish!

✅ Pool Day with All 3 Children

✅ Visit Petersen Rock Garden

❌ Lake Day. This required a lot more coordination than I had energy for this summer.

❌ Host a BBQ at my house. Tired to schedule this a few different times and it got cancelled for various reasons.

❌ Learn how to use the grill. I tired a few different times to get lessons from my husband but I just didn’t stick. The grill is his things and I’m just gonna leave it that way.

❌✅Go to a Winery for my Birthday. Wasn’t a winery but did something special still!

✅ Take a Trip!

Here are a few pictures of things that weren’t on the bucket list, garden accomplishment, and daily life.

Hacks Vol.1

Emily here! I’ve been compiling a list of hacks over the last few months. These are all over the place. Most of the save money and some are just good when you’re in a pinch!

Shopping

FB Marketplace. This is the only reason I have a Facebook! I started using marketplace to sell items but soon discovered the beauty of buying as well! I’ve gotten a number of baby items second hand (bouncer seat, play gym, Patagonia coat for baby girl, bath seat). I also bought a shelf for our house and a few Christmas presents! I was most proud of a “City Rug” that I purchased last Christmas for $20 that was selling for $70+ online.

Buy Nothing Groups. This is also on Facebook. You join a group that is specific to your town. I have given away a few items and I was able to get a crib through this group!

Poshmark for Clothing. I use Poshmark for both me and my children! I’ve saved a lot of money buying second hand clothing for my boys. I try to purchase multiple items from the same buyer to save money on shipping. This is easy to do with children’s clothing as people are usually selling a lot of children’s clothing at once. This year I got all their summer pjs and shorts on Poshmark. I hit the jackpot with Pal’s pjs and found someone who was selling 9 pj sets for $25. I was planning to buy these same pjs from Walmart and it would have been about $100 for 5 sets of these pjs. I needed some short for the summer since I just had a baby and my other shorts didn’t fit. I found a pair of Madewell jeans in a fit and size that I already owned and knew fit me. Then I cut them into shorts myself! The jeans cost $25 and I’ve been wearing them almost everyday this summer.

Thrift Books. I used this for all my book buying! They have a huge variety of books and the prices are great! I mostly use this for children’s books. Hot Tip: I check out book from the library first before I ever buy them. That give me an option to see if my children even like the story.

1 item many ways

Blanket for a Sled. Every time it snows we never seem to have a sled. Last Winter I used our outdoor blanket as sled. It has a slippery waterproof side that worked great on the snow! It’s an expensive blanket but is a great way to get multiple uses out of an item. We use this in the backyard all summer or when going to the park. Blanket

Baby Bath Tub as a Laundry Hamper. With more people comes more laundry. We were in need of a hamper for clean clothing and we weren’t using one of our baby baths this past fall because everyone had out grown it. Works great as a clean cloths hamper! Bathtub we own.

Changing Tables and Bassinets. I only have one actual changing table cover. Instead I use a king pillow case, an old swaddle blanket, or the receiving blanket from the hospital. I also used the same items as a “sheet” for a bassinet mattress.

Holidays

Reusing Decorations. I have been reusing the same “Happy Birthday” banners and streamers for about 5 years. When we have a birthday party the theme is always just birthday. This year I upgraded to a felt Happy Birthday Sign and Banner that has been used for 4 birthdays so far! You use the same decorations for Christmas and Halloween so why not for birthdays too!

Christmas Card Holder. I’m pretty proud of this one! Last Christmas I need a way to display my Christmas cards which are the highlight of Christmas for me. I used a tack and ribbon and hung it on the wall (high enough so the boys couldn’t grab it). I had mini clothes pins and attached the cards that way!

Emily Summer Bucket List: Petersen Rock Garden

Emily here! I’ve done the first item on my summer bucket list. We visited the newly opened Petersen Rock Garden.

We had planned to go early and leave the house at 10. We were behind by about 20 min but whatevs. Our goal was just to get there early. The drive there was easy! We saw a box for ticket admission which I didn’t see on the website. It was $10 per person which honestly felt a bit steep but the place is still a bit run down so I get what they are doing there. Thankfully my husband always has cash so we were able to pay our admission (which was very much an honor system kind of thing). We walked around the grounds and looked at everything. There were peacocks roaming the grounds. The boys loved seeing and hearing them and the peacocks didn’t mind our presence. Bud loved touching every rock and Pal liked all the mini houses. He kept asking me to take his picture in front of them. The path ways made us a littler nervous with Bud walking (he’s only 18 months) and there were some water features that we had to keep a very close eye on the boys. But overall very friendly for children.

We were there for about 30 min. Pal and I could have walked around for much long but Bud and my husband were ready to get out of the heat (it was already 80 degrees) and very sunny. I was also getting worried about baby girl overheating while I was wearing her. I brought snacks for everyone to have in the car. This also came in handy when Pal refused to get into the car and started mimicking the sound of the peacocks very loudly (which was pretty embarrassing).

When I asked my husband what he thought he said “it was okay. A littler weird.” But he said he had a good time. I really enjoyed it! I love miniatures though. We then planned to get some cookies from Crumbl in Bend. We drove there and baby girl started having a meltdown. Which come to find out she had a blowout so I got to clean that up in a parking lot and then she needed to eat so we had to sit in the car to do that. We were creepy closer and closer to the boys nap time and it really showed. They didn’t want to sit in the car anymore. But thankfully my mom had given us a box of chips the day before and it was still in the car so both boys got chips while I fed baby girl and my husband fed me bits of the cookies (felt like a nursing goddess). Then to keep everyone quite for the ride hope I sat in the back which looking back I should have done from the start.

Total Cost $45. $20 for Garden Admission. $25 for Crumbl cookies.

Toddler Activities. Free/Low Cost

Emily here! Sharing some of the activities I’ve been doing with Pal and Bud lately.

1. Library Story Time. You might remember this as one of my summer bucket list items that I never did. Well I finally did it! We don’t go every week but when we do it’s a lot of fun. Each time gets a litter easier and Pal is really enjoying the stories and songs. Bud is also very focused during the stories. Our library also always has some print out to take home. Sometimes it’s just a coloring page or a fun activity (once there was a DIY bear mask.) Cost: Free

2. Watch Construction. Our library is currently under construction. I took both boys in the stroller to the construction site and we just sat and watched them move dirt around for a while one morning. It was a huge hit! Pal asks often to go see the excavator. I made it extra special and got doughnuts to eat while we watched. Cost: Free (unless you’re getting doughnuts).

3. Home Depot Kids Workshop. My mother in law told me about this! Every first Saturday Home Depot does a Kids workshop where they have a kit and all the supplies (this months was a birdhouse). They get a cute little apron too. This is one I did only with Pal while my husband walked around the store with Bud. It was fun but really loud. Picture 12 children using hammers in a small space. Even Pal was commenting on the noise level. But you can also take the kit home and complete it for a quieter experience. Cost: Free! (I was a little skeptical but all you have to do is register and yes it’s totally free!)

4. Join a Local Mom’s Group. In October I joined two local moms groups (MOMS of Bend and Raising Littles Bend). Both groups put on so many activities that are obviously child friendly. There is a membership fee but all the events they put on are almost alway free. They have weekly play dates, seasonal parties, fields trips to local museums, recycling facilities, and farms and more! It has been a great resource for activities and meeting new friends for me and the boys. Cost: $30/year membership fee. Most events Free.

5. Afternoon Pool Day. We’ve been going to an indoor pool this winter that is apart of my parents neighborhood. Both boys are such water dogs and it’s a great way to burn energy. We have a few floaties for them to make it easier to swim and I always have one or both of my parents help with this. I wouldn’t be able to do it alone between getting everyone changed and water safety. Cost: Free (in theory but my parents pay month dues). Or very low cost if you have a community run indoor pool.

How We Celebrated Christmas 2022

Emily here again! (I’m on a roll with post and feeling inspired!) Sharing how we celebrated Christmas this year.

Christmas Eve day my husband went to the store and he picked up some frozen pizzas and corn dogs for dinner. Now this maybe seem kind of lame but it was so nice! I’ve mentioned it before but I spend many days cooking in the kitchen. I make pizza from scratch regularly and so for the holiday I wanted something easy. I also had a feeling we’d be up late being Santa’s little helpers so I didn’t want a big kitchen clean up that night.

We let the boys open a present on Christmas Eve morning. Both me and my husband love letting them open presents early and new toys keep them busy for a while. After naptime we all watched the Polar Express for the first time. Pal and captivated the whole time and Bud was ever so snuggly bouncing between me and my husband to give equal snuggles.

We cooked off our simple dinner (corn dogs for the boys with a side of strawberries. Frozen pizza for me and my husband.)

After dinner Pal and I baked off some sugar cookies and decorated them for Santa. I used the recipe from the Better Homes and Garden Cookbook.

After the cookies we all sat at the dining table (even Bud!) and made a few cut out snowflakes.

Then it was off to bed for the boys! My husband and I got started on wrapping presents and building a dollhouse for the boys big gift. This was one of those moments where we really felt like parents. Creating the magic for our boys and spending our evening trying to figure out a “simple” dollhouse lol.

Biggest holiday tip: get your tree up high. I’m not spending all December telling little hands to not touch ornaments.

Christmas Day! Presents were opened in about 15 min but played with for the rest of the day. We ate scrambled eggs and doughnuts for breakfast. We had a relaxing day at home playing with toys and being together. I started dinner prep around 2. I’d like to note that next year I need a disposable pan for the ham. I have used this glaze recipe the last two years but it always ruins the pan I use. No matter how much foil I use. Also this year it somehow leaked out of the pan and made a huge mess in the oven and the house smelled burnt for days. But worth it because it’s delicious.

Dinner Menu: Homemade dinner rolls, mashed potatoes and gravy, and ham.

Winter Solstice 2022

Emily here! Sharing how we celebrated the Winter Solstice this year! I mentioned in my Autumn Equinox post that I want to start celebrating the solstices and equinoxes this year. So far I’ve been keeping up! I had a few very cute ideas but had no energy on the actual day of the solstice so I took Pal and Bud to my mom’s house and we did a little baking project there.

We dipped pretzels in chocolate and added sprinkles. Honestly very similar the our autumn equinox celebration but I knew it would work with Pal lol. He’s really into sprinkles so he loved this and he enjoyed eating them too. He kept saying it was ice cream and licking it like a popsicle. Bud sat in a highchair and watched us while he had snacks and my mom chatted with him. Also shout out to my mom for taking the pictures!

Cheers!

My hope for next year is to do some more winter solstice specific activities. I’d like to try and make some candles with Pal. Maybe dip candles or use leftover broken crayons. I’d like to make sun-bread on that day too. And I’d like to start the tradition of the children opening a present early on that day. We always got to open a present on my parents anniversary and I look back on it fondly!

A Mellow Thanksgiving

Emily here! Sharing how I celebrated Thanksgiving this year. I’m doing my best to be more intentional with our holidays and celebrating how we want to celebrate and not how society tells us to celebrate. So with that in mind we went non traditional for our Thanksgiving dinner. My husband doesn’t like the classic thanksgiving spread and I don’t think my boys would have eaten it either. And it’s a ton of work and I didn’t want to spend all day in the kitchen (because I usually spend all day in the kitchen). So here’s what we did!

Menu: BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Ruth’s Beans, Mac and Cheese. Pecan Pie with Whip Cream.

The day before during Bud’s nap time Pal and I made a pecan pie. If you’ve never made one it’s very easy! I do a pre made pie crust and use this recipe. Thanksgiving morning I prepped the pork loin in the slow cooker and Ruth’s beans. Everything cooked all day and before we ate I made some Kraft Mac and cheese for Pal and Bud. I shredded the pork added bbq sauce and then put them on Hawaiian rolls with pickles and cheese. My husband and I loved it. That day both Pal and Bud decided they no longer like Mac and Cheese lol. I got to spend the day snuggling on the couch with Pal watching the Macy’s Parade. I got to take a nap and we went for our usual afternoon walk before dinner. I wasn’t stressed at all!

If you’ve never gone non traditional for Thanksgiving I highly recommend it. Give yourself permission!

Grocery Comparison – Inflation Edition

Emily here! I was rereading old post last night and came across a few of my old grocery store comparison. I thought it would be interesting to see the price comparisons from 2019 to now. Here is my original post .

The store I was comparing prices at was Fred Meyer and we were saving for our house at the time for I knew most brands were store brands.

Just about a $30 increase! I thought it was fun to see what items have stayed the same (cucumber and kale!). Also very nice that I don’t have to pay a pick up cost anymore. I have felt like I spend so much on groceries right now and I was complaining that it was inflation (aren’t we all) but honestly it’s because we keep adding more humans to our family who eat a shocking amount! Stay tuned for a follow up post of grocery shopping for a family of 4 and weekly meal plan.