Tech Candy

I think I may love my new iPhone cover as much as my new phone. I had a first generation iPhone that was giving up the fight. D sweetly ordered me a new one and it was delivered recently. But, I'm one of those people that try as I might, I drop my phone. So I was on the look out for something a little special. This cover comes with 2 interchangeable soft cases that protect it from bumps and bruises and a hard little snap on filigree that looks so sweet. Check the site out.

love.

M.S. Dutch Oven Recall

Man! I use this thing all the time, remember when I was swooning over it? Mine is chipped up, but I just chalked it up to wear and tear...hope they'll reissue them.

 Go here for more info on the recall.

A Cleaner Kitchen; Bye-Bye Carpet :: Part 3

Next was our dinning room which adjoins our tiny kitchen and, as of late it has also doubled as a preschool style play room. We really cannot believe that we waited as long as we did for this part. The stains were so numerous from 6 years of daily spills that in the end I just threw up my hands and stopped my monthly steam cleanings.  Yes, the linoleum waiting for us underneath was way dated, but in fair shape. From beginning (pulling up the carpet) to end (prying up the ominous carpet tack) it took just 2 hours.

See previous editions:
Part 1
Part 2

Starting in on the Main Floor; Bye-Bye Carpet :: Part 2

I get the 'pull-the-carpet-up' bug just about every Tuesday evening after supper. The trash is collected on Wednesday morning, and I just cannot stand to see a half empty trash barrel (like my Massachusetts lingo Tan?) go to the curb. So on go my work gloves (that also double as my garden gloves) and out come the pry bars and pliers.  Last week it was the majority of our second staircase, and we started on the main floor this week.  I have to be strategic tho because I don't want to pull up more than will reasonably fit in the container at the street, and I don't want our house to look any more crazy than it already does.

Last night I yanked the 4.5 x 7 foot section at the top of the stairs. I carefully cut along the areas that butt up to the hall, the entrance to the family room, and also kitchen.  Then I pulled the padding, and then the painstaking job of getting each staple and nail.  As you will see, my assistant was not so thorough...see that bit of tacking with the 2 nails sticking out...D knelt on it and they completely sunk into his left knee...and then he was sent for a Tetanus shot today.

Tho she still prefers to lay down on the quickly disappearing carpet, Molly hasn't seemed too phased by this new slick surface and I just love hearing her clickity-clicking on the wood as she follows me around.

The wood underneath is not perfect, there are a few dents and scars that I will worry about when we refinish, but I say; "Imperfect wood looks better than dirty carpet, any day."

93 Days in Jail for Planting a Vegetable Garden

Can you belive a 3 month jail sentence is a posibility for growing your own food in your front yard in Michigan?  Read the article.

Garden Update

The cooler temperatures still have things a bit stunted, but we're making progress! So excited about our asparagus this year!

In Our Own Backyard

They started digging this week...

Give Big - June 23

"GiveBIG is a communitywide giving challenge created by The Seattle Foundation that will increase the size of your donation to a non-profit (of your choice). This new, one–day, online charitable giving event will rally together our community on behalf of the amazing nonprofit organizations in King County." There's loads of good organizations to give to  like our zoo, Seattle Tilth, etc. Help out!

* Quote from zoo.org

Another Imagine Childhood Giveaway!

This one in honor of Earth Day and ends on Tuesday the 26th, go enter!

Filling In

So for those of you that may be interested...I have filled in the previously gaping holes from the last few months worth of posts...check 'em out if you would like. And there's more to come from our very busy week and weekend!

Tick-Tock, Cluck-Cluck!

I was happy to have one of my 'chicken friends' over for a visit this afternoon when a box arrived for me! Something I ordered from Etsy, something I have been eyeing for several months now and finally decided I could not live without it!  TA-DA! A wind-up vintage chicken alarm clock.  The hen's head bobs up and down with the second hand; it pecks! It is impossible to convey just how much I love this clock...I LOVE IT!

Next on the list.

A Few Speed Bumps

I miss it here.  I'll be back soon, we're in the process of revamping our homeschooling schedule, scheming ways for our lazy doggie to loose weight, cutting a huge hole into our yard (garden expansion), acclimating our chick babies to outdoor living with the one-year-old-territorial-meanies...and re-reading all that makes me sound like I live on the prairie...

IC Giveaway!

Mosey on over and enter to win!

Living Social + Red Cross

Donate now and Living Social will double your money toward the Japan Earthquake & Pacific Tsunami Fund through Red Cross.

Bathtime

No, you don't usually need to bathe your chicks.  But this one in particular is having some 'elimination issues,' shall we say?  I've tried all sorts of methods for clearing this little behind problem of hers, and this has just worked the best:

1. Fill a bowl with fairly warm water
2. Gently dunk bottom half of birdie in, rest there for a while (the chick will love it, seriously she'll let out contented little peeps intermittently)
3. Take chickie out, gently dab bum with paper towel (she may not like this)
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until all droppings are gone.
5. Gently wrap chick in clean paper towel and hold for a few minutes (she'll love this too, it's like swaddling a baby; emulating the womb, or in this case shell).
6. Once she's not dripping wet, immediately place under heat lamp to dry completely.
7. She'll soon start preening to get her fuzzy feathers back in order and pecking around
8. Watch for pasting up in following days, when it happens once it's likely going to reoccur before she grows out of it.

Cookie Time!

Yup, E's troop is selling them, talk to me if you'd like some!

A Very Molly Christmas

We flew on Christmas Eve to be with D's family down in Arizona.  We knew we'd have a blast, but never expected to come home (well, almost) with the best Christmas gift ever!  We're adopting a dog!  Molly.  She's about 4-years-old and related to the beloved Buster, and grew up with D's cousin and his family.  She's well mannered, and sweet, and a hanfull of other great things too; we cannot wait until she gets here.  Yeah, gets here.  She's still down in Arizona and won't be in Washington until the end of February.  We thought it'd be kinda a lame way to start a relationship by putting her under the belly of a plane and bringing her home to a completely new environment, not to mention an unprepared family.  So here we are, and I in classic fashion am obsessing over books and videos about Labradors Retrievers, and training, etc. until D drives her home to us.  D and I talked round and round about it during our trip, and are completely convinced that she'll be a great fit for our family.

One Second Longer

Today marks the point in the year when our days get longer!

On Dec 21st, the sun rose at 7:55 and set at 4:20 - the day was 8hr 25 min 15 sec long

On Dec 22nd, the day is 1 sec longer!

On Dec 23rd, the day will be 8 sec longer than Dec 21st

On Dec 24th, the day will be 20 sec longer than Dec 21st

On Dec 25th, the day will be 37 sec longer than Dec 21st

Obviously it will take a while to see the change, but psychologically, Dec 22nd is a lovely day, happy Winter Solstice.

Imagine Childhood Giveaway!

Mosey on over to their beautiful site!

Crafty Crow Giveaways!

Head on over!