Saturday, July 31, 2010

fun beach boardwalk memory frame project

we tried this beach boardwalk memory frame project from the Family Fun Mag.


they turned out awesome, but MAN they took a LOT of time (& a lot of mama time) & work (& yes alot of mama work).


1's


3's


2's


but we are all royally happy with our finished products!

Friday, July 30, 2010

Friday Flowers :: summer sunflowers

Friday Flowers
summer sunflowers


thanks L for hand delivering some summer to our home. coastal june gloom over stayed it's welcome. it's been so cool here most of this summer (not complaining).  but now it's starting to summer up & we can eat our berry yogurt pops in shorts & t's.

* im trying my 1st ever linky post & i hope im doing it right. this one i can really get into. thanks to Renee for hosting Friday's Flowers.

mama's littlest brownsugar baby turns 5

this month my littlest brownsugar beauty turned 5!!! unbelievable!


 it's kind of bittersweet place to be (for mama). her life purpose is to be a big kid. she spends endless energy & might trying to keep up with her big sisters. so in that sense I'm happy for her. big girlin' it at last. part of  3's last steps to big girlness according to her  ::

  • learning to read (check!)

  • using mouthwash (check!)

  • getting rid of training wheels (check!)

  • getting her own Razor scooter (check!)

  • starting schoolwork (check with gusto!)
so by her definition (& all others as far as I'm concerned, she's a big girl)

 

BUUUUUT now i have no more baby! which is also bittersweet :: no more diapers, nursing, night feedings, etc....on the other hand no more fat juicy babies, dreamy mama's milk drunk eyes, cute little toes, cute little lips, cute little bums ::  (still all the cute) but no more little anything! some of my mama's heart feels the want to bring another baby home. thank goodness though there are my practical mama parts that bring me back to my senses
 "relax mama. this day comes for ALL mama's of little sweet babies. it's supposed to, they can't stay little forever...go forward from here & enjoy this part of the journey too" *please make it stop*  


2's handmade surprises
2 worked on these gifts for 3 in her room, in private. surprised her & all of us.


this embellished can is even blingy-er in person!


2 is dying to learn to sew. she made this purse ALL BY HERSELF (even designed her own pattern). then tested it with a brick to see if it held up. so stinkin' cute!


 i was trying to show her hemming detail, she even turned & hemmed the pocket before she sewed it on.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

first ever girlpowered camping in the Sequoias day 3

  almost all too soon & in some ways not soon enough, day 3 of our girl powered camping trip in the Sequoias arrived (only one more post about this trip i promise!).  that meant the bittersweet end of our girlness emacipation. as much as we were dying to return home to see Daddy & sleep in a real bed...we didn't want to leave the MOST beatuiful place we've ever seen or the best trip we've had to date. here is day 1  &day 2.

our big group. many thanks to our family who did the planning.


August would not leave this particular cousin's side then entire trip. cute little buddies!


us girlies by the rushing Kings River.


Kai became quite the hiker on this trip. she even navigated a search & rescue operation for some wayward teens.


well then Miss Mia why don't we just do that!


hugging trees as instructed by Miss Mia. i wish i counted how many cousins it took to span this tree trunk base.


Mia means my little brave & mighty. & just look at her!


Auntie E too the rescue! our only dramatic little mishap on the trip. i for sure thought our camp drama would involve a bear or moose or something else wild, furry & with lot's of big teeth , but this moment will have to do.  it was someone's first time lighting the stove fire. thank goodness for Auntie E's swift reaction, because i needed to take the picture.


we stopped at a stoplight on the drive home & this is was we saw in the backseat.


now of course our trip couldn't just end without some learning. NO WAY! in post 4 i'll show you what i mean.

Monday, July 26, 2010

first ever girlpowered camping in the Sequoias day 2

our summer camping was so amazing our summer is still being defined by it.  our first ever tent camping, first ever BIG no daddy trip & THE trip where us girls gained, tested & proved our she-woman independence, self reliance & all around kickbutt-ness (ok other fam was there too, BUT...) we decided to go BIG & emancipate ourselves in the Sequoia National Forest. day 1 
 i do hate that these trip post are so spread out, so looong  & not done!  BUT there are sooooo many pix to sort thru & details i want to share, but as not overwhelm i will save some for our family scrapbook :)
 

no matter how often a visitor, experiencing the majestic beauty of the Sequoia National Forest is so breathtaking & awe-inspiring even in the minutest of details. in wanting to capture all the sights & sounds i found it easy for all our trip pix to be of each & every tree, plant, river, natural wonder, mountain, vista, tree, tree & more trees. alas i edited my pix... i will contain myself.


5 am potty break (freezing cold)


i finally fell asleep around 3am. 3 had to go potty around 4am. i bundled us up, stepped out with my flashlight to do a "bear check", tripped on my tent door lip & fell on a rock. the tent next door asked if i was ok..."I'll be fine until daylight!" was my reply. couldn't feel my arm or hands at that point & decided i didn't need too in my sleep or the pitch dark & beyond freezing wilderness anyway! (found out a month later by my Physical Therapist that i actually  injured it!) ok so got cozy enough to sleep again & tried thru the suffering (arm started throbbing).  5am 2 & the ENTIRE tent next door took a group potty trip to the actual facility...& yelled good morning to us in our little (quiet) tent on their way. HAVE MERCY & FORGET SLEEP so... we just got up & joined K by starting the day with breakfast, a much appreciated fire & coffee. 

the iconic "Marshmallow". i HAD to add this pic. i wish i was this cool! i totally want a VW BUS, Westfalia,  Eurovan etc... this is K's & he built a bed in the back...he spends A LOT of time in the mountains. us novice campers learned from his mountain man savvy.


hmmmm i spy a not-so-happy camper?


us girls by the raging Kings River.don't know if you can see in this pic, but on day 2 the i-miss-my-daddy-home-pets-own bed-blues hit one of us girls pretty hard. right before this we talked to Him on the janky pay phone that after 5 minutes asked for more coins to get 3 more minutes, only to give us another minute & 5 seconds. after about $5 we gave up. our only contact with Daddy for 3 days & it was very frustrating because we didn't get to say anything.


the Kings River flowed along our campsite & was rushing, raging & swollen due to the snow melting. it was ABS FAB but very dangerous even at the shore. the power of the river was such an amazing & captivating sight...all God's force & fury unleashed. we were mesmerized, but cautious. thankful too it was so LOUD it drowned out all the nighttime outdoor nature-y sounds.


cousins playing the game CAMP (LOVE! more next post)


we now consider this the absolute best way to end any night anywhere.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

change of plans Sunday :: muffins, peaches & avos

our Sunday started of fun & very productive. did fun projects with the girlies  (cant wait to post pix when they are dry & completed). 1 was inspired to build with Legos.  the girlies had some fun playing mechanics on their Barbie Jeep while He worked on my car. since this post from the kitchen has so many pix, i will post the other stuff later (there's just so much life to keep up with!).

*notice i said started out fun? I'm currently on the couch suffering thru a head cold my dear girlie generously shared with her mama. & we also had to cancel on our beach pizza party night. POOH!

:: in the kitchen::

sweet potato, apple & pecan muffins (a healthy whole wheat kid-friendly treat & recipe below)
fresh peaches & double cream (instructions below)
smoked chicken tortilla soup (instructions below)


3 & i got up early to turn these ingredients into sweet potato, apple & pecan muffins in time for breakfast (apples not shown). i have a simple recipe that i add different ingredients too every time i bake them. (ex:: apples, carrots, raisins, zucchini, flaxseed meal, nuts & seeds, turkey bacon, endless possibilities) we doubled the batch & froze some for reheating. I've been using the recipe below for @ 11 years


basic (whole wheat) muffin recipe

2T butter (i use Earthbalance)
2-3 mashed bananas
3T honey
1 egg
1/2 c applesauce
3T vanilla yogurt (i use plain & add vanilla flavoring)
1c whole wheat flour
1/2c wheat germ
1/2c oat bran
2t baking soda
spices to taste (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves etc...)
add diced or grated fruit/ veggies (i chopped the sweet potatoes & pecan in the food processor & diced the apples. plus sprinkled in flaxseed meal)
  • preheat oven to 350 degrees
  • melt butter & mash with bananas. mix in rest of the wet ingredients.
  • combine dry ingredients together in a separate bowl, mix evenly, then combine with mixed wet ingredients.
  • pour into muffin pan & bake @ 20-30 mins according to your oven. (my old kitchen took 20 mins, my new 25 mins)
  • i like mine spread with cream cheese & apple butter or buttery Earthbalance

 the muffins were baked, as well as served with fresh eggs the girlies "earned" from their petsitting business. alongside crispy oven baked turkey bacon.


a friend & a neighbor shared lovely & delicious fresh peaches from their gardens.

i sliced them up (with a nectarine that needed to be eaten), drizzled with agave nectar & a capful of vanilla. mixed & set aside until the juices seeped then...


added the good stuff. slightly melted vanilla ice cream, & tons of whip cream


the same friend also shared avos from his (gorgeous) grove. thankfully so because our trees did not produce well this year.


i mushed the avos up with cherry tomatoes, garlic, onion powder, lemon juice, s&p for a quick & fresh basic guacamole to eat with our ...


smoked chicken tortilla soup. i had some of  His leftover smoked chicken in the fridge & added it to a tortilla soup recipe i searched for online (i combined several). top with squeezed lemon & tortilla chips.

Happy Sunday All!