Hens and Chicks - The Plant Kind

As my experience with gardening goes every year, I'm all enthusiastic early in the season.  The perennial beds are looking good and I'm out weeding every few nights.  And then all of a sudden, something comes up and you skip a few days.  And it's just enough of an opportunity for things to take over.  Weeds start growing into your plants, some plants spread all over the place when you don't keep them trimmed, etc., etc.  I'll go at it again and get everything cleaned out eventually but I'm much less enthusiastic about it than I was a few weeks ago. 

I do love my perennial beds.  It's amazing to think I nurtured something so little into a beautiful thing (hmmm...sounds like something else we moms do everyday!).  Most of my plants have been split from friends and family or purchased at horticultural society sales.  And I love the fact that I can now divide some and share the love.

My favorite perennial is Hens and Chicks.  There is probably a more scientific name for it but that's how I've always known it.  Here's one that I have growing in my garden.  What's your favorite perennial?

I want to finish off the week with some exciting news....I requested to be a guest blogger on Ottawa Valley Moms and they accepted me.  I'm super excited about the opportunity to learn more about the blogging community.  And a special shout out to my good friend Jenn and fellow blogger Glitterary Girl who recently got engaged.  So excited for her.

Have a good weekend everyone! XO

~Elizabeth

Kid's Birthday Gifts

Sorry for the absence lately.  There are just not enough hours in the day...this is a blog post I started awhile ago.  And I haven't done a post in almost two weeks-I've got to get something up on the blog.

Emma was recently invited to a birthday party for one of her friends.  I'm not that great at buying kid's gifts which is ridiculous since I have two children of my own.  It's hard to know what kids are into, it changes so frequently.  And as a parent, you know how many toys your own children have accumulated...do you really need to add to the growing pile of toys at someone's house?  Don't get me wrong, I'm so grateful for all the gifts my children have received, they love receiving a new toy and why shouldn't they.  It's their day. 

Anyway, so for this birthday party I decided to do a "movie" night theme.  It included a fleecy blanket, a bowl and cup, some snacks and a gift certificate to rent some movies.  I would love this for Emma-what a way to spend a Friday night. 

What's your favorite children's birthday gift?

~Elizabeth

Popcorn - Brown Bag Style

Hi all.  Been trying to find the time to write my next post...it hasn't been easy so this will just be a quick one.  It has been awhile since I shared a TNT Pin so here is one we've been doing for awhile now.  

TNT Pin (Tried N' True Pin)

Brown Bag Popcorn

This is the only way we make popcorn now.  Check out the original pin here by Thrice The Spice.  1/3 cup popcorn, brown paper bag, microwave 2 minutes or so and voila, a tasty treat.  Just a tip: make sure you fold down the top of the bag securely or sometimes the popcorn will escape, as happened to Dean on more than one occasion. 

Hope everyone is having a fantastic week!

~Elizabeth

Today's Moment - Playing in the Sprinkler

Joining up with SouleMama again to share a moment. 

From SouleMama: A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

Note: Of course this wasn't from this week because it was so cold and wet.  But it was a moment from earlier in the month when it was a little more seasonal.  Today some areas in Renfrew County had snow!  Picture taken by Auntie Beckie!

A Little Boy's Nursery

As you saw from my post last week (click here to read in case you missed it), I'm in disbelief that Dustin has turned one.  He's becoming so independent, he doesn't even want to cuddle anymore when he has his bedtime bottle.  Another "milestone" he's consistently achieving is sleeping through the night-finally! He was always a pretty good sleeper but for the longest time he was waking up sometimes three times a night, fussing enough that I had (wanted?) to check on him.  He was never up for long but enough to disrupt your sleep.   So before I went back to work we had a little pep talk and I told him we wouldn't be doing that anymore.  And it was like he actually listened. 

But of course, now I find I'm missing those nights when we would have a little cuddle in the rocking chair in his room.  You see I decorated Dustin's room based on my decorating style-rustic and primitive.  None of that typical boy stuff like trains, planes or automobiles (unless it was rustic).  I chose the decoration purely on what I like and that's why I love my little boy's nursery!

Here are some of my favorite elements. 

The ABC blocks I actually painted myself.  The blocks were cut by a friend from work who does all my wood working projects for me.  These were one of my successes with the room (I'll tell you about a failure later on in the post...)

I had found this idea in a craft magazine and had a local store who sells all things primitive make it for me. 

The shelf was made by my grandfather.  The letters (Dustin's initials) I painted and I also did the footprint craft...another success!  I decorated the shelf with some old teddy bears and bunnies, a baby picture, a cute "Jesus Loves Me" sign from Dustin's godparents and an old mason jar filled with cotton balls. 

Of course everyone loves this saying-I found this at a primitive store in Nova Scotia!

Probably one of my favorite things in his room.  I had this done by a local artist Denise Lenoir Fine Art.  I love her work.  (If the link doesn't work search for her on Facebook).

 

I also installed some wall art with some rustic barn stars. 

And finally the failure.  I bought this lamp at Wal-Mart and wanted to personalize it.  Well the shade is actually balancing on the lightbulb instead of being "screwed" into the base because when I painted the hearts on I painted them upside down!!! So maddening! Oh well-it functions.  

So I don't know what Dustin will be in to when we redecorate his room in a few years.  Probably the character of the day.  Maybe Thomas or Cars.  Whatever it is I hope we can keep a few of my favorite things from when he was a baby. 

Thanks for reading!

~Elizabeth

It's A Party On The Farm!

I cannot believe our baby turned one!  What a year.  It was so fun going back to prepare this collage of pictures and look at all the amazing moments we had.  

As Dustin's actual birthday approached I began planning his first birthday party (yes-OK I did start thinking about it and started pinning ideas on Pinterest months in advance).   Who is the party for a one year old really for, the child or the parent?  It's not like Dustin will remember.  But I will and I love to plan a party.  Once I decided on the farm theme the planning and preparations began!

First the invites (original idea found here):

 And then the decorating:

Oh the cakes....I loved the cakes.  It's so amazing what they can do with fondant!  Not my talent-made by a local lady.  I made the cupcakes.  I scored some adorable cupcake liners at Micheal's and even found some farm themed sprinkles with cows, chicks and pigs.

The rain held off so the kids could get outside and burn off some energy and go on some tractor rides.  

 

And here's the birthday boy (he looks more like 3 than 1!). 

I would say the texture and the stickiness of the icing was really throwing Dustin off.

And then of course the treat bags.  I struggle with treat bags.  I love to give a party favor but they create so much waste-so I try to fill mine with useful things.  They are not perfect or waste free by any means....but they fit the theme which is the most important thing! 

Dustin won't remember the day but hopefully in many years when he looks back at the pictures he'll know he was always surrounded by the love of family and friends.  And that is what's really important, when you look beyond the decorations, cakes and treatbags (although that's really fun too!).

Happy Birthday to my baby boy-who has made us smile since the day we met. 

~Elizabeth

Today's Moment & Dustin Turns One

Once again joining up with SouleMama to share a moment. I know the "rules" are no words-just a picture capturing a moment.  But today I need to say something because my baby turns one!  Dustin is a year old and when I look back at the year there were so many moments.  Like when we dipped his toes in the ocean for the first time.  Birthday party celebrations happening this weekend-posts to follow.  xo