We celebrated my mom’s birthday this weekend and I’ve done a lot of planning, directing and preparing for the events, which included boating on Saturday and a pot luck dinner on Sunday. Here are the 5 things I’ve learned in the process:
5. Plan ahead – make reservations, decide how the food is going to work (I think pot luck is the way to go), set up appetizers, make lists (thanks Kumar!) 4. Allow sufficient time to make everything clean and pretty before the event starts. 3. Have really good friends involved in case you need essential items, i.e. ice, paper towels. 2. Include good drinks – we had the Lingo’s killer 1-1-1 margaritas, beer, wine, and a pitcher of ice cold drinking water. 1. Decorate! If there is anything I’ve learned from all the children’s books I’ve been reading, a party isn’t a party without decorations. We had balloons hanging from trees and flowers. A little whimsy goes a long way!
Happy Birthday MOM!!!
Chelsea made my favorite chocolate cake in the world it was AMAZING!
Chocolate cake with homemade Magic Strawberry and Custard Vanilla ice creams, made by my brother Steve. The Strawberry is a no cook ice cream and it tastes just like the real thing, it really is magical.
It’s becoming a tradition that Lucy helps my mom blow out her birthday candles. Lucy decided she was responsible for the pink ones. They both did a very good job, wishes should be coming true this year.
I took a bite before deciding to take a picture, I have priorities. This is my favorite dessert, EVER.
Porter noshing on a fresh Lemon Cucumber from the vine.
Uncle Kumar helping Porter live the dream at Fred Meyer.
5. It keeps growing, and the more the merrier! 4. There are always many views and perspectives to be explored. 3. They are people you can trust implicitly. 2. Many hands are very helpful when raising a child. 1. Family gives you opportunities to experience love in all of it’s forms.
My family has come to visit us in Boise and I couldn’t be more grateful for their company. Porter’s Tutu, Grandad and uncles Steve & Kumar are some of my most cherished people on Earth. Congratulations to Auntie Nanna (Anna) and Micah on your engagement!! Porter is lucky to have a kind and caring new uncle, and we’re lucky to have another brother. I love my ever growing family!
Thanks to Uncle Kumar for capturing Porter’s expressions at their best.
5. www.Treehugger.com As it’s name implies, Treehugger’s focus is geared towards the environment and green living. Since it’s purchase by Discovery I feel it’s content is less alternative, but still very interesting.
4.www.Jango.com It’s like Pandora, but better. You get to choose the artists in your play list so you can have many genres playing at one time. Awesome!
3. www.Wikipedia.com Online encyclopedia? Yes, if you trust what your peers are willing to put on there. I love all the possibilities: TV show synopsis’, entire books condensed into Cliff’s notes, random and assorted information on just about everything. And it’s free, hurrah!
2. www.Hulu.com We don’t have cable or satellite, so the free version of Hulu is right up this TV junkies ally.
1. www.YouTube.com It’s better than television and guaranteed to entertain.
Obviously these are common sayings and I am crediting those who’ve said them to me.
5. “Patience is a virtue.” ~My dad 4. “I want Dada!!!” ~Porter’s first complete sentence in a fit of anger and hatred for me and nap time 3. “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” ~ Joan my swim coach from The Boys and Girls Club 2. “Be the change you wish to see.” ~Ghandi 1.”If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again. Don’t give up to easily persistence pays off in the end.”~Challenger School
Porter was playing with the spoons and then got up and went onto the next activity. This is what he left behind. Awesome, no?
Turns out we have a park within half a mile of our house, hurray!
I’ve stolen it from The Zero Waste Home blog, one of my favorites. I first read about the Johnson family in Sunset Magazine in this article. Read the article and then decide if they’re crazy or not. I’m leaning to the side that says they’re really extreme, but just on the right side of crazy. My home could never be zero waste, or even as minimal as the Johnson’s, but it’s pretty inspirati
onal if you’re into the less is more thing. It’s a phrase my father often used and I can’t help but hear it floating through my head as I swim through toys, clothes, books, rugs, artwork, food, kitchen appliances, outdoor equipment, gardening what-not, cars, stuff. We live in a small home without a lot of storage so that means most of our possessions are out in the open, to look at and collecting dust. I’m trying desperately to part with much of this stuff, although it’s hard and I certainly like my things as much as the next girl. Le sigh. Work in progress. Back to the top 5, these are the 5 ways the Johnson’s reduce waste in their home, which they stick to rigorously and it works. The steps are always to be done in just this order:
1. Refuse – say no to receipts, drink carriers, disposable grocery bags, disposable tasting spoons, etc.I’m kinda cheating on today’s top 5.
2. Reduce – do with less. Interesting fact I learned: eating organic food makes a person feels satiated with 30% less food than commercially grown food. Another reason to eat organic – to reduce food waste in step 5.
3. Reuse – canvas totes, library books, glass jars for food and shop in bulk, shop consignment
4. Recycle – if you must use something disposable make sure it can be recycled
5. Rot – if you’ve followed all the other steps then the only stuff left should be organic matter that can be composted. MMMM…black gold.
If you’re into reducing your stuff and all the stuff on our planet, you might find these videos interesting:
Porter’s favorites: Any of the big cats, gibbons, and feeding the farm animals.
P’s first merry go round. He rode Dumbo. You can’t tell from this picture, but he loved it. I, however, was trying not to toss my cookies.
I’d never seen this statue before, but leave it to Porter to find a honu around every turn. I tell you, honus are everywhere!
The first butterfly to land on Porter. He didn’t quite know what to think, but he listened when he was told not to touch. He stared at it for a little bit, and when he said “all done” the attendant quickly removed the butterfly from his belly.
I’ve stolen it from 
