Birthday, Graduations, and Really Good Beer!

Birthdays, Graduations, Holidays... I am starting to struggle for gift ideas...You see my go-to gift options have already been done so I find myself really racking my brain for something "new." The twins have a birthday party this weekend for one of their closest friends. Naturally I thought cute beach towel but I am just a little late in the purchase so I went to my next best thing, a gift from the heart. The boys love when I make yarn wrapped letters, mainly because they can do whatever they want because I am busy crafting instead of nagging but also because they like to help soooo why not make their friend an "L." We picked up a Barbie and found this super cute charm bracelet and I am calling it a day-- " a Birth-day" hahaha okay not a comedian.

        

Next I have to tackle a college graduation gift and my BFF's birthday gift... Shhhhh don't tell them but I think I am going to lulu. They have some really great wraps and gear right now...we will see. My cousin, who is graduating college, just texted me requesting this classic. I will definitely be fulfilling that request ASAP. 

Side note: Have you tried the Leinenkugel's Grapefruit Shandy? Well it is a MUST. Tonight I am drinking the "orange shandy" and it is equally delicious! I need you to get up and buy it especially if you will be sitting the sun! I love it!

This little gem is just because...Jack-Jack finally received his own turtle shell with weapons! He is so in love! Now there is no fighting his big brothers for theirs! Good night! 

What a "Meh" Monday

Have you ever had a "Meh" day? You know when like nothing really goes wrong but nothing goes as expected either? That is me today.
Here are a list of things I'm comme ci comme ca:
1. My I-Phone is drenched in sweat and is currently making random face time phone calls
2. I made a peach cobbler that was fine- a little too "doughy" not that sweet- edible but fine
3. I made a teriyaki glaze for our chicken dinner tonight and it just wasn't glazy enough
4. I ate four cookies today and now I feel overly full and not comfy in my jeans
5. I tried to curl my hair - the "loose waves trend" and instead of looking beachy and cool I look like Hillary Clinton's long lost Republican twin.
6. My back kinda hurts
7. My cucumber seeds started to grow little green leaves -- not huge growth but still some growth

I realize the above is a very half empty type of gal and I know I can spin each of those things into a glass half full statement.

Example:
Half Empty: "I tried to curl my hair - the "loose waves trend" and instead of looking beachy and cool I look like Hillary Clinton's long lost Republican twin."

Half Full: I tried to curl my hair - the "loose waves trend" and instead of looking beachy and cool I look like Hillary Clinton's long lost Republican twin which is kinda cool because then in some cosmic way I also look like the funniest sister girl Amy Poehler. And Hillary is a bad ass chick so "aint no thang."


Also, did you know that Mother's Day is coming up???? I am at a loss for gifts. I was going to have floppy straw hats monogrammed for all the lovely mamas in my life but my own mother threw a wrench in that plan...as she does not wear hats nor like anything floppy. Back to the drawing board... For myself I have asked my wonderful children to have their father pick me up a classic...
Wayfarer

Meh Meh Meh time to open a bottle of wine

Did You Eat?

Escarole...
Soup that means more to me than just amazing flavor. The look, smell and taste are home. This is how I make it...

Back in the day this soup was "a lot of work" - Jane Fusco. Now a wonderful grocery store called "Wegmans" does all the work for me. You can buy a large bag of Escarole leaves washed cut and cleaned. This alone makes the soup totally worth making. Before, you bought the greens in cases and had to soak them, rinse and repeat. The green held onto a lot of sand and dirt so you really needed to clean them before cooking.

Okay... so in the soup there are mini meatballs (you need to make them). Today
I used ground turkey but you can also use veal/pork/beef mixture to make mini meatballs.
 I took my pack of ground turkey and added breadcrumbs, eggs, pecorino romano cheese, salt and pepper, garlic, and grated onion. I mixed them. Using a cookie scoop I scooped little tiny meatballs and placed them on a baking sheet and baked them in the oven until golden brown on top.

While I made the meatballs, this is what was happening on the stove:
I took a large pot filled it with water.
I placed 3-4 split bone-in chicken breasts in the pot of water and turned it on med-high
I boiled the chicken breasts.
After they were cooked,  I took them out of liquid shredded them.

Soooo ----Now in total you have a pot of chicken stock-like liquid
Shredded chicken
a baking sheet of mini meatballs
2 large bags of escarole greens

Put all of those items into the pot of liquid. The escarole greens will wilt down-you may have to cover with a lid to make the process move faster. Give the pot a nice stir. Season with salt and pepper if you haven't already done so.

Now here comes the part you may not want to do but I am telling you, it is a must.
Take a small bowl- whisk 2-3 extra large eggs with 1/3 cup Pecorino Romano cheese. When your pot is up to a bubble, pour in the egg mixture and mix or whisk it into the soup.

I put the lid on and let this all come together on low for about 20 mins...

Serve with grated cheese...yum

Then  you make brownies in mini muffin trays and your boys tell you when they are finished!

Gardening Galore

I can not believe it is already Tuesday! How was your weekend? Ours was jammed packed with mulch, weeding, planting, and watering. We are trying to get the yard in tip top shape for the upcoming summer. When Michael and I purchased our house we were excited that had some property with it. I dreamt about having a garden and planting flowers on the weekend but then the reality sets in... you have to remove winter and fall's leftovers before you can "spring" forward. So we put on our gardening gloves and hit the dirt! Thank goodness for you tube is really all I have to say. On you tube you can look up anything, which we have, from installing a shower head to Edging Flower bed.

Picking up the old leaves was the worst! We have a lot of crown cover that grows quickly which is a blessing a curse. the blessing is that it is very low maintenance and the curse is that the leaves from the trees get caught in it.

 Since the deer population is HIGH in our area, I decided to plant some Hydrangea in planters this year. I have every intention of bringing them into the screened porch at night so the little Bambies don't eat them...stay tuned on that one...we'll see how long until I just say ..."ah lets just see..."

We also decided to try and grow tomatoes and cucumbers this year. Again, I am using the container method. These I will definitely have to carry into the porch at night...the deer, rabbits, and chipmunks will certainly feast on these. I really hope this works out. I have always wanted a full fenced in garden but since our back yard isn't quite ready I am starting here. 

Dreaming of Greenhouses...

We have two tree peonies that are in much need of pruning and fertilizing...I hope they bloom like they did last year. Last year they bloomed with huge hot pink flowers that we were able to clip and float in a large bowl. It was so pretty! 

 Next tackle...getting this yard cleaned up. We are taking out three little trees soon and having some stumps ground...we need grass seed and a good cut....

New Doors?

Since we bought our home we have done some renovations and home improvements. It has been such a wild remodel ride! Currently we are searching for some new doors for the front and back of the house. I had no idea buying new doors would be such an expense or that there would be so many options. There are so many things to consider when choosing a new door like "What type of door?" There are wood doors, fiberglass, metal, etc.... Typical me, I really only care about the style but I also know the quality does matter. I mean this will be our home's front door for the next 30 some years...right? Stain colors have been the hardest decision for me.... we could have chosen to paint the doors but non-commital me just could not decide. Also I have always loved the way a rich stain can bring out a doors character. Here are a few options we are choosing from...

8 window pane 

6 window pane

12 window pane

4 window pane 

Lilly Hits the Target!

Are you guys so excited Lilly Pulitzer for Target this Sunday? I am I can not wait and the look book looks awesome! The shifts are so cute and the prices are even better! I won't even try to describe it when Philly Mag's article says it all!
Here is Your Lilly Game Plan

Love me some Lilly....

Pallet Herb Garden

Sunday afternoon project. So for a few seasons now I kept seeing people make herb gardens using pallets. I loved the idea. It appears to save space, inexpensive, and I just love the look. We have done quite a bit of work to our house over the past year and every now and again our contractor will leave me a pallet, well, today was the perfect day to put one of those pallets to use! First I cleaned the pallet with white vinegar, bleach, and water. I let it dry. Then I spray painted it with "Green Apple." The spray paint has a primer and sealer all in one. 

I picked up a roll of black garden mesh and cut long strips. Using my staple gun, I made pockets for the plant/herb to go. As you can see in the picture above I was able to get six good sized "planters."

I trimmed the excess mesh. I filled in the pockets with some dirt and began planting my herbs!

This is me planting the Rosemary....Please ignore the lack of paint on the back...kinda ran out...oh well it is the back...

Viola! Almost finished product. I am going to pick up a few different herbs tomorrow to finish off the bottom two planters. I just love it! Also it is not that heavy and easy to move so if I realize they need more or less sun I can move Pally Planter around! I think I am going to either find cute herb labels or just use the boys chalk to label the herbs....Stay tuned to find out how the herbs grow!

DIY Chalk Board

I love the idea of having a chalk board in the kitchen. Mainly for writing quick notes but also for decorating for family parties. FYI- coloring on a chalk board is totally theraputic. It is. Look it up in the thing where there is therapies.
I digress,  I looked at HomeGoods and other craft stores for the perfect size board but could never quite find what I wanted. I considered using chalk board paint but ultimately I could not commit. Then I went to "Homie" as our contractor likes to call it. Home Depot had exactly what I wanted for a fraction of the cost. Here is what I bought : Black Chalk Board Sheathing Plywood This costs $10.00 and it measures 2ft x 4ft. Then I walked down the trim aisle. There are bins of scrap moldings where contractors can cut off excess trim. I found a piece that matched up perfectly. I feel like that was a lucky find but who knows? When I checked out the cashier said the trim was free because it was a scrap. Total cost again, $10.00. At home I already stick on letters, so I went through what I had left and was able to spell "Family Notes."

We used 4 screws to hang up the board and I used Gorilla glue to attach the trim as a chalk ledge.  As an added measure we used two thin nails for added support. If you are not using a nail gun to attach the trim, you must glue the ledge on first -lay it flat-let it dry for 24 hours-then hang the entire board on the wall.
Viola! It erases easily and the chalk draws so nice on it. I would love to get two or three and make one huge chalk board whenever we decide where the boys will study and do homework.

Happy Friday!

I don't know about you, but I am so happy it is Friday! For some reason I am so excited for the weekend! I honestly feel like a kid! I am excited for Friday night pizza. Watching a Friday night movie, speaking of- have you rented Whiplash or seen it in the theatre? Well, I totally recommend. Also the boys have their first T-ball game on Friday so I can not wait to see Mike in action as a coach.  He learned a very important lesson the other night teaching the twins baseball- We take them to a baseball field near our house to practice hitting off the tee. (Jack hits off of a traffic cone the school uses for carline.) Michael has them hit three balls off the tee and then after the third ball they are supposed to run the bases.
Mike tells them, "Okay this is the third ball, so run after you hit it."
Buddy is up first and he starts running.
Then I hear Michael say, "touch the base! You need to touch the base!"
When I look over I saw Buddy bending down to touch the base with his hand. Michael and I both started laughing. It was so cute. Of course he thought, when Mike said "touch the base," you should touch it with your hand not your foot! hahaha
Lesson learned. Be as specific as possible.

Friday Music Favs...Good Morning Kids!

Trouble
Whistle
Let You Go
Kanye

Daddy's Your T-Ball Coach!

The twins start T-Ball this week and Michael just received an email that he will be coaching! I am so excited for him; I just hope the boys listen to him! Last night me and the boys made Daddy a little gift...

We picked up a t-shirt and some iron on letters. Do you use iron-on letters? I love them! Today I am going to take some of the boys t-shirts and put a T, M, and J on the front pocket. They are super simple to use. You really just have to prewash the shirts and they stick perfectly. I use a cloth napkin as a press cloth and you need to set the iron to high or wool. Super simple! 

Yarn Wrapped Letters

My girlfriend Caroline and I have been friends since the first day of Freshman year high school. In school your homeroom was assigned in alphabetical order by last name. So me and Car always sat next to each other. When we met I instantly loved her, she has a laugh so contagious anyone would immediately smile upon hearing it. We became closer and closer through the years, of course it doesn't hurt that my husband and her husband have been best friends since high school too!
So, the other weekend all of our friends were having a little gathering and I found some cardboard letters in a bin. I pulled them out and realized they spelled Camille (Car's daughters name). I was immediately smitten and asked if I could take them home to wrap in yarn. For Valentines I had wrapped the word LOVE (pictured above). I really liked how they turned out. I find them soft and warming. For Millie (that is what we call Camille) I knew I could do the same. Ever so graciously, Caroline let me take them home. I was excited to see how a lowercase letter would wrap, well let me just tell you they are a little more difficult than the uppercase. With the uppercase letters there is more defined structure, no rounded ends per-say. For uppercase the yarn catches on the corner and you can continue to wrap them. I really do not like using a ton of hot glue on the fronts to keep the yarn attached, however with the lowercase letters (especially a) I had too. They are a little thicker and the back is not perfect, but yarn to the wind, who is looking at the backs! At the end of the day I was really happy with the final product and I really hope Millie likes them too!
As I was crafting Camille, I realized I had to also bring something for Millie's older and younger brothers. For Max and Ben I painted a wood letter in fun colors and only wrapped a small portion. I wanted to imitate a varsity preppy design. Here is how they all turned out!

The final products:

I added some felt roses and some pink yarn to accent the letters. Michael actually gave me the idea to make a flower as the dot on the I. I loved that idea! Crafting is really rubbing off on him! 

What I know for Sure

I wanted to share a little gift that I have been giving some of my friends and family. I know I have already discussed my love for the amazing and brilliant Ms. Oprah Winfrey but I need to tell you all once again! Oprah's book "What I Know For Sure" was a wonderful read and it made me reflect on my life. The chapter that resonated in my heart was her chapter of "Gratitude." I attended an all girls private Catholic high school. I was fortunate enough to have been educated by some of the most brilliant, goal oriented, feminists in the area (did I mention that they were Nuns...) They told me that in the majority of prayers people ask for things. We ask for all kinds of things from peace to money but nevertheless we are usually making some sort of request. Instead, we should begin our prayers with "Thank You." I really can not describe it but I love that. Saying thank you means so much to others. It lets the people around you know you heard them, you appreciate them, and you acknowledge their efforts. Oprah talks about keeping a gratitude journal religiously for a decade. She would write five things from the day that she was thankful for- big or small. Feeling the need to give thanks, I too started keeping a journal. It has helped me to stay present throughout the day. I have come to appreciate drinking a cup of coffee to running around outside with the boys.

Now to the gift- I have learned that even though I will blog about this or I will tell my friends about journalling, it is hard to start sooooo I took it upon myself to pick up a few journals (pink of course) and give them to my friends and family. I hope that by giving them the tools they will embrace the exercise.

Quotation by Oprah Winfrey

This is my note.

What are five things you are thankful for today?

Easter!

How was your Easter? I have to say we had a very nice holiday. The boys all wore their new suits...Jack fussed with his jacket a little and ultimately ditched it but the twins kept the full suit going  strong for the majority of the day. The weather was amazing. The boys enjoyed candy, more candy, an egg hunt and flew kites! We all crashed by 8:30pm that night!

This year the Easter Bunny brought the boys new "glasses." Michael and I have been looking for new glasses and had just ordered our Warby Parker home try-on frames, well the twins decided that they should have glasses too... so naturally they texted the Easter Bunny requesting "glasses" just like Daddy's. Lucky for us, the Easter bunny was in doing a little last minute shopping and happened to be in Forever 21 (or as I like to call it Forever 31...) and found clear lenses in black frames.

Yup! This was the big winner! Specs time for all!

Hope you all enjoyed the day with your family and friends. To quote my mother-in-law, "We are very blessed." Truly and whole heartedly I believe that to be true.