plants might be the sign of good times!

We got a Christmas cactus 14 years ago. It was huge and pretty, but didn't flower a lot. Then we moved and it flowered almost 6 months of the year. Once 2021 hit, the plant stopped flowering. It was kind of an ironic and sad reflection of how the world was going. 

Last year it started dying. It was the weirdest thing ever. The same lighting, same water, same watering routine. I began to think it was another reflection of how the year was going. I tried everything to save it.

I can't grow anything. I have a black thumb. BUT this plant was symbolic of our new home and new careers in a new town, so it meant something. And for 14 years I had kept it safe and not killed it. We ended up splitting up the huge plant into small little starter plants and sharing them.

My four small plants are safe and well. They are something my daughter and I can tend to together. We check on each other's plants and remind each other to water weekly. My daughter was excited to have a starter plant in her room that came from MY plant that came from my MOM'S plant from many years ago. And finally, her plant is flowering!

Who knew that having a plant could create a mother-daughter hobby and strengthen our bond? She got so excited to show me :) We saved it. And go figure, life is good. We are healthy, happy and employed with good grades and attitudes all around. We will never be the crazy plant ladies, but we have a sign that life is good and maybe 2023 will be, too :)

surgery is an essential part of parenthood

My child LOVES beanie boos. We get them for Christmas and birthday gifts, souvenirs, Tuesdays, whenever. We created a beanie boo village with separate rooms, furniture, and a kitchen with mini foods and cooking supplies. Beanie boo village is well cared for, decorated, and updated. We have two little friends that even come over just to play beanie boos.

Now... we also have the cutest little dog that we adopted. He doesn't really play games or play with toys. He does like the occasion squeaker, but boy does he LOVE those illustrious beanie boos. If he is ever left unkenneled, he helps himself to beanie boo village and gently lines up his new friends in a nice little line across the room. It is the cutest thing ever UNLESS you are the owner and creator of beanie boo village. She hates that, but she doesn't get mad or yell because our cute little shelter dog is just too skittish and too cute.

Insert me: Mom. The fixer, the seamstress, surgeon, and helper. Tonight I performed surgery on two of these beauts and OMG, those glittery feet about did me in. There is no whipstitch or quick fix to make the dog's little love bites less noticeable. Yes, I am aware it's not 1950 and sewing isn't quite the trendiest trend, but I can sew and I can definitely perform miracle surgeries to repair the beanie boos. I even cranked out a Star Wars scrunchie because I already had the supplies out, so why not.

I am not ready for a sewing shop. I will not make a side hustle from my wears. Meredith Grey will not tag me in for an assist. BUT I can fix the little things that make my little one happy and crank out some trendy accessories along the way, so we all win here!

it's a boo-tiful day!

It all started with a trip to a few stores. We saw these cute little ghosts and SOMEONE got on my good side by saying, "Mama, you could crochet that! I bet we could make crochet ghosts." And, done. I am always up for a challenge. And, yes, I am aware I got duped by a 10 year old playing to my weakness :) 

I stress crochet, crochet for fun, crochet for warmth, crochet for donation, crochet for craft, you get it... I learned how to crochet when I was 10. I have been plugging away ever since. I taught both kids to crochet and it worked out well. 

My little one still needs to learn to crochet on the round. Then she can help me to make more ghosts. She loves her little ghost I whipped up. We even used real blush for the cheeks! We plan to make a whole ghost family to go with this cute little ghost mama. 

Anything to get a smile outta that kid is fine by me. Last year we crocheted a whole pumpkin patch. The year before we crocheted a bunch of mini stockings. We have made capes, specialty items, mermaid tail blankets, you name it. It's a cheap, safe and easy habit/hobby/secret addiction that helps me strengthen my mother-daughter bond :)

All you need is yarn and a needle. Maybe 5 whole dollars. And a little time. You can make memories and a lot of unnecessary trinkets, but it's peaceful and fun :)

produce season is here!

It's produce season! My little lady tends to our garden everyday. She waters it and refills the bird bath while I weed and tend to the bird feeders. We got these plants from our local plant stand, Bud and Sue's, in Roscoe. I have been riding my bike to Bud and Sue's since I was 10. That's almost 30 years and they're still going strong!

We picked out 4 kinds of bell peppers and 1 zucchini plant. The tomato plants came from a neighbor who started them from seed himself. We wanted to plant a spaghetti garden in year 1 just to make it easy. Unfortunately, we couldn't find any onion plants, but we did plant chives and basil. We will definitely be ready for canning season!

Watching a nine year old get excited about gardening and nature is kind of fun. She has a morning routine that includes the garden. She gets to pick the plants when they're ready. She has her own gardening gloves. We had picked all the black raspberries that grow on our lot and made jelly. Now it's time for gardening.

She doesn't mind getting dirty. She actually enjoys crushing up the egg shells we sprinkle on each week. I am hoping this will be another skill or hobby she will pick up and enjoy due to all the Covid/quarantine stuff. It would be one more positive thing to come out of all this. And ALL the spaghetti sauce we will be enjoying :)

the craft room

Some people have a panic room in their home. We have a craft room. It's where we go to unwind, get creative, and avoid the panic. Today the world was our oyster! She finished a painting and I finished sewing her a sundress. You can truly get lost down there with little effort or planning. We have more stuff than I seem to remember.

We made my Grandma a purse with pugs on it last week (her favorite). There are endless possibilities in the craft room! We sewed a new throw pillow for the couch. My daughter wants to learn how to make a throw pillow for her bed as well. According to her, you can never have enough pillows. 

Today we decluttered all the drawers. And, oh my, was it due. Half used coloring books, broken crayons, unsticky stickers... You know what I mean. These drawers are where all the crafts go to die. We spent time sorting things into keep, toss and donate piles. We even peeled old crayons to make new crayons to donate to the children's ward at the hospital. 

The craft room kept us busy for an hour and we now have bright and shiny products to show for it made with love and creativity. Whatever it is that you do to occupy your time, make it count! Read, draw, declutter, knit, crochet, sew, workout, just make it count. Sure we are stuck at home, BUT we get to stay home! We have no pressure to go out, mingle, or get dolled up. We can enjoy our kids, families, husbands the way we want to but never get time to. Appreciate the quality of this time before we go back to the rat race of society. Find a way to smile!