9.28.2015

puppies, zebras & s'mores- oh my!

Friday was one jam-packed fun, and exhausting day! We started off at the zoo where I brought the girls along on my school field trip- I love that I get to bring them to those!


They currently have a dinosaur exhibit all over the zoo with to scale animatronic dinosaurs. Jillian called them robot dinosaurs! Miraculously, neither of the girls were scared of them.


 ^Notice Olivia's ice cream cone dripping all over the place. She left covered in sand and soaked in ice cream- a sure sign of a good time.

Later that day we rented a puppy! A cute little mutt named Snickers to be exact. Did you know that was a THING?! Apparently it is here. I won't complain- all of the fun and none of the commitment of owning a dog. Jillian was SO excited about it. Olivia was too until it jumped up on her and started making out with her face, which was just the right height. Then she didn't want anything to do with it for the next 45 minutes. Fortunately I got her to warm back up by the end though. 


She loved taking him on walks, even though he was really taking her on a walk- I don't think she really understood the concept of a leash. ;-)

We ended the day with my siblings and a bonfire up the canyon- one of my favorite things to do in the fall. Who doesn't love hot dogs and s'mores?! 

 ^Olivia understands the concept of multi-tasking. HAH!

 ^Jillian ate herself sick...like, literally. She almost barfed. #parentingfail

 ^Olivia's primary entertainment was gravel! Of course. She brought Michaela handful after handful of tiny rocks, each time exclaiming, "Rocks!"

The next day, we literally did nothing. The girls stayed in their pajamas ALL DAY. But sometimes days like those are just as nice!


9.20.2015

raspberry pickin'

On Friday, we went with a friend to a farm in Mapleton to pick raspberries! It's one of our favorite things to do in the early fall because there are still plenty of berries and it isn't a thousand degrees outside. The weather was quite dreamy actually. 

Sometimes it's really nice getting out of the heart of the valley and into more open space! It reminds me of home. I told Jillian we were going to the "country" and had to explain to her what that was...(city kid problems). "There aren't a lot of buildings, or cars...or people..." Once we got there Jillian said, "Ohhh Mom, I don't see any buildings. This IS the country. Olivia, we're in the COUNTRY!" (My parents are laughing right now).
Jillian loved getting her own little bucket for picking. She kept saying, "I'm a real good farmer, huh mom?"
Have you ever picked raspberries? If you have you know why the phrase "fruit of our labors" exists. 
Olivia caught on just as fast as Jillian did. Once she realized what was growing all over the vines she just went to town (hence why she has her hand in her mouth in almost every picture!). Eventually she stopped picking them up and would just gnaw them right off the vine- efficiency. 
Olivia calls all berries (or anything that resembles a berry) the same thing- "rah-ree". It's pretty darn cute. "Oooohhh," she'd squeal, "Rah-reeeees!" 
Jillian also found some baby strawberries- and of course, Olivia just went right to eating those!
^Right before Jillian decided to lean on the barbed wire fence (yeah, ouch). 

We've been eating raspberries by the handful ever since we got home. It's been a pretty delicious couple of days! 


9.17.2015

DIY beverage rack

Fall came bursting through the front door this week, bearing pumpkin spiced everything and sweater weather. Mmmmm- delicious. But I realized not only were we out of hot chocolate, but I didn't even have any mugs! (I got some new dishes over the summer and in 100 degree weather, mugs don't cross your mind). 


I really love the idea of a beverage cart display, but with an almost 18 month old, that is basically impossible for now. I also didn't want to add any more clutter to my counter tops, so the only spot for a drink station was on the side of my cabinet. I looked in many stores for some type of rack or something with hooks, but my cabinet is only 12 inches deep, so I couldn't find anything narrow enough. Enter, "you're gonna have to DIY this." 

It actually went super fast- probably 30 minutes to put together (not including the time it takes the stain to dry) and costs $25 in supplies. Beautiful.


Supplies:
-Scrap wood or ^this partial pallet piece from Hobby Lobby (this one measures 12"x24")
-12" piece of craft wood (also found at Hobby Lobby) for the shelf
-Two "L" brackets with screws (Lowe's)
-Four hooks
-Wood stain or paint
-5 gallon paint stick
-Small nails
(In the picture I also have a hose clamp and mason jar, but didn't end up using those on my rack because I didn't have enough room! Oh well.)

Tools: screw driver, level, hammer

I spent $25 on supplies, not including wood stain because I already had some on hand.

First, stain (or paint) the wood pieces and let it dry. I stained mine in the morning and it was ready to handle by nighttime. 


Next, attach the two L brackets at the bottom of the rack. Notice I didn't line mine up with the bottom piece of wood. I stuck my shelf on and marked where it would be level, and attached them there (if you buy this particular pallet piece from Hobby Lobby the pieces are intentionally a little off- cattywampus as my Momma would say).


Next I spaced out my hooks and screwed them in. 


To make hanging it easier, I wanted a horizontal piece of wood across the back. I just used a 5 gallon paint stick and essentially cut it in half- one piece for the top, and one for the bottom so it would sit flush against the wall. I used small nails to nail it in on either side. Do NOT use a regular sized paint stick- they're way too flimsy. 


I attached mine directly into my cabinet. You may not be okay with screwing into your cabinets, in which case just hang it on a wall, or figure something else out. :-) To hang it, I screwed two screws partially into the cabinet and hung it off of the screws (it rests on the top paint stick on the back). I gave it a few tugs to make sure it was sturdy.


 Finish off with cute mugs and any drink condiments you use regularly!



^Adding marshmallows is Jillian's favorite part!


Mmmm. NOW we're ready for fall.

9.14.2015

what we've been up to

I think I may have temporarily forgotten I had a blog, like really. The "get-back-into-the-back-to-school-routine" takes its toll on me. By precisely 7:30pm, when both kids are in bed, I am only good for changing positions on the couch while binge-watching Netflix. Except for the last week or so when our dishwasher has been BROKEN and we've been hand washing it up every night. Holy crap I never knew how much I loved a dishwasher until now. And also- why do we use SO MANY DISHES in the day?! Why I haven't just purchased paper plates yet is beyond me...

I digress. Here's a little of what we've been up to!


^My sister and I have been hiking the "Y" in Provo every week to get ready to hike Mount Timpanogos in two weeks, which is 15 miles round trip! I just really want to see the world from the top of a mountain, that I climbed. 

 ^We are making progress in the master bedroom! It's currently about half-way done and already has me swooning over it.

Daniel Tiger made an appearance at the farmer's market last week! The girls were super excited once they saw him. But up close and personal with him, not so much. I don't blame them. Once they walked away they were just as excited though, so I guess their lasting impression was a positive one. 




Life is good!