Think Happy Thoughts

This is taken from a girl I grew up with's blog : Bloggish. She made a list of random things that make her happy and asked her readers to do the same :) What a nice idea!



~Summer coming. Today, we went with some friends to their neighborhood swimming pool and it was SO much fun to just hang out with pals and let the kiddos splash around in the toddler pool. It was also the first time the girls have gone swimming this year, and they looked SO stinking cute in their swimsuits!

~Sewing. I'm really enjoying myself lately. I love letting the girls pick out some fabric, and then whipping out a couple of cute twirl skirts that they can wear with tanks for the summer, since they have both declared that they will no longer wear shorts or pants or jeans, they MUST have skirts or dresses. They won't even sleep in jammies, they need nightgowns!!! Here are two of the tutorials I like : twirly skirts , tiered skirts, and pillowcase-ish dresses. The next one I want to try out is this: button shirt to toddler dress . I'm on the hunt for some vintage mens' Hawaiian shirts, I think, lol. If all else fails, I may use a guayabera. :)



~HRH's way of looking at things and talking about things. She has such colorful ways of saying things. A month or so ago, we went to Luby's for supper (that's a cafeteria chain down here), and she was eating fried okra and said "Mommy, these are just MAGIC!" :) She also calls marshmallows "snowmen", which I love. And until probably 5 or 6 months ago, when she counted, she said "eight, nine, ten, love you, twelve, thirteen". And when she smelled something, she'd say "I smell like _______" LOL! It's just so darn cute.



~The Hurricane's ability to make us laugh. She is so adorable. She's a pill, a tornado of a two year old, but oh my gosh, she is such a riot! I can be so frustrated with her that I'm ready to toss her out in the backyard and leave her there, and she'll do something so sweet and cute I just melt! Her daring is amazing, too. Her favorite thing to do nowadays is climb up on one arm of the couch, walk ACROSS the back of it (and no, it's not up against a wall, of course), get to the other arm, and dive head first over the end table to the leather recliner, taking out the lamp most of the time mid-dive. ACK!!!



~$5 pizza. Seriously, if you have a Little Caesar's near you, you just can't go wrong! We're running late coming home from a playdate? No problem! Nothing in the fridge or pantry for supper? No problem! Mommy doesn't feel like cooking? No problem!! And they even have a drive-thru, LOL! PERFECT! And I firmly believe that pizza is a near-perfect food. And good for you! It has grains (crust), fruit (tomato sauce), dairy (cheese), and meats (for those who like pepperoni or hamburger). What could be better? We ate one tonight for supper. And they have this super yummy buttery garlic dipping sauce, too. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm.



~Prince Charming. Even on the occasions when we're not so thrilled with each other, it's nice to know that he can never stay mad at me :) He works so hard to ensure that I can stay home with our girls, I really appreciate that. And he puts up with me :)



~Farmers Markets. With summer coming, fresh fruit and veggies beware! I'm coming after you! I planted some tomatoes, grape and cherry ones, but I think the cherry ones didn't make it :X I also planted some yellow crookneck squash, it's a family favorite. We're growing them upside down! So cool. I planted dill in the top of the bucket. I also have a lot of fresh herbs growing.... basil (of course!), oregano, thyme, chives, dill, rosemary, parsley, and spearmint. I think I spied cilantro coming back from last year, too, I need to check on that. And the spearmint means my mom's mint tea! YUM!



Mint Tea

3 c. boiling water

12 large sprigs mint

4 family sized tea bags

1 c. orange juice

1/4 c. lemon juice

1 c. sugar

6 c. water



Pour boiling water over tea bags and mint. Let steep until cool. In pitcher, combine orange juice, lemon juice and sugar. Strain cooled tea mixture into pitcher and add 6 c. cold water.