Tuesday, May 25, 2010






We recently became members of the Milwaukee County Zoo. I got to go for the first time a few weekends ago. My guys know their way around, so I got the grand tour. The train, the rhinos, the giraffes were all some of our favorites. I'm looking forward to heading there as many times as possible this summer. This zoo makes you feel like you're out in the woods...I love it!

Friday, May 21, 2010

Toddler, M.D.




Our kiddo, like many toddlers, loves to put on bandaids. But lately he's moved beyond that and wants to be rescuing people all the time. He's often heard saying "push me down" or "mama, fall down" and then he springs into action to start "stretchering" you, or you stretchering him. I decided that he needed to have his own medical kit, stat. So I did what I always do, and bought one on Ebay. The old Fisher Price kind like I had when I was a kid, with the syringe, blood pressure cuff and the little plastic case to carry it all in. For $5, now he can be a real doctor.

However, it wasn't until I got him the white shirt and made him a bowtie to go with it that he really felt like a doctor. He said "just like Doctor Jill" (who is our pediatrician, and a woman) and raced around the house, checking everyone's pulse ("let me listen to your ears"). I'd say for the $5 medical kit and $1 bowtie, it was a price well worth paying. Now hopefully he follows through on it. I'd love to have a doctor in the family!

I decided the tie was cute enough that I'm going to sell them in my shop. I should have them up in a week or so. So your guy can be a doctor, too!

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Daytripping: Cedarburg, Wisconsin






Last weekend we took a "Sunday Drive" -- and it was a much-needed escape from our runnings-around of late. We took a little drive to a nearby town called Cedarburg. It's cute and quaint and has a nice little downtown that seemed to be the gathering place for all the neighborhood peeps. There were two (two!) coffee shops, so we stopped at one called Cedarburg Roastery for delicious pick-me-ups. The coffee was awesome and the young staffpeople were super friendly.

After the coffee, we wandered around, meandering across a river and past the fire station, where we admired the old jail and all the big trucks. We hit up Amy's Candy, where I frothed at the mouth over all the unbelievable candy apples. Although I had to physically restrain myself from buying one of these $13 beauties, I can honestly say I don't think I've ever seen more beautiful-looking apples. And I LOVE caramel apples, so it took some doing to talk myself out of eating one. Next time, I will just give in to the apples and skip lunch.

I seem to have missed quite a bit, though. Next time, I can wait to check out the Textile Museum and the Wisconsin Museum of Quilts and Fiber Arts. I think I'll hit those on a girl's trip, though. No need to torture the hubby, right?

It's really a cute town if you ever get the chance to take a stroll through it. I think we all thoroughly enjoyed poking around on our little daytrip!

Tuesday, May 04, 2010

May-ry Christmas


Not that I have ever had a ton of friends, but since moving I am pretty much in constant contact with my "Facebook friends" and that's about the extent of my social circle. It's hard to make friends when you're at work all day, every day. So I joined a local knitting group that calls itself the Yarnivores and I'm really enjoying my weekly trip to the local Starbucks to stitch and bitch, craft and chat, and well, basically get some social interaction with live people now and again.

The other great thing about it is that these women KNOW how to knit. They've given me tips, instructions, and loads of tutorials. And getting into the regular habit of knitting has been great. Two projects down since I starting going back in February or so. That's got to be a record for me! First was the little bellbottoms, now I've finished little wee one's Christmas stocking.

What's next on my horizon? I decided that mama needs a post-partum project for myself! It's going to be a cute cap-sleeve number and I bought this great yarn for it on Knitpicks.com. I can't wait to share the results. Unless they're embarrassing. Then I'll pretend I forgot all about it. What'choo got on the needles lately?

Sunday, May 02, 2010

Get Growing


Can I tell you how excited I am about starting a vegetable garden this year? SUPER EXCITED! It's been something I've wanted to do for a long time, and I had a really sub-par set up at my old house, so I am just smiling ear to ear now that I have one and it's been planted. Above you'll find the incredible design my dad put together for me. It's essentially two beds, side by side with an aisle down the center for the lawnmower and perfectly setup so you can weed from inside the fence without having to get into the garden. Genius! It's huge -- enough for all the things we wanted to plant.

If you want to, you can certainly copy this design. It was fairly easy to build. It takes about 4 yards of dirt, which is a LOT! Each yard takes about six wheelbarrows to put into place. Phew! But it also fits enough veggies to (hope hope) feed a small army. We planted:
--Cucumbers
--2 kinds of squash
--2 kinds of tomatoes
--yellow onions
--asparagus
--2 kinds of strawberries
--Basil
--Carrots
--Pumpkins
--Green beans
--Lettuce
--Spinach
--Sugar snap peas

I'm probably forgetting something...who knows what will appear!


A couple of important things I learned from my parents, who have gardened for 30 years:
--Pinch off 1/2 of the strawberry's flowers the first year
--Plant squash and pumpkins far apart, or they will cross-polinate and you will have "squmpkins" or "pumpuash"
--Water daily at first
--Get something for your sugar snap peas to climb on
--Don't let in the waskily wabbits...they will eat your green beans
--Don't harvest the asparagus for a couple of years; when you cut it, cut below the surface

So what are you waiting for...GET GROWING! It's so much fun! If you are way ahead of me, tell me, what are you growing? What's your favorite thing about having a veggie garden?