Friday, May 31, 2013

Iced Coffee.

After all that talk about posicles and the perfect treat for a hot day, I found myself bee lining for one of my all time favorites - iced coffee! Are you with me on that one? Can I get an AMEN?? For me a hot coffee is my caffeine of choice throughout the colder months in New England but as soon as those first warm days roll in, iced coffee is where it's at. Yesterday as my husband and I were discussing finances and other not-so exciting things, he threw in there that I oughta start making pitchers of coffee to keep in the fridge. (Apparently I've been buying a few too many! Whoops!) Anyways, while it certainly saves a few pennies in our pockets, it's also super convenient to have on hand whenever you get that craving.

When making a pitcher for home I stick to the good 'ol fashioned way my Mama taught me and that's brewing a whole pot of coffee, or more, pour it into a pitcher and stick it in the fridge. After some trial and error I've found that we prefer a little stronger coffee since when you add a whole cup of ice, it tends to weaken the flavor. Because of this I usually add enough coffee grinds for a pot and a half for just the one pot I'm brewing and that seems to suit our taste perfectly. Add a little sugar and some light cream and we've got ourselves our own little cafe'! Today I made my first cup and remembered about the caramel syrup I had sitting in the fridge. Before adding the coffee and ice I drizzled some caramel around the inside of the cup and I can't help but feeling like I just ordered a Caramel Swirl for $4! Can't get much better, and easier than this!


Do you make your own coffee? Do you have a certain way you make it? Here's another interesting method over at The Pioneer Woman for making the Perfect Iced Coffee, which she apparently lives for and swears by! Maybe I'll give it a try!

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Almost Summer Days.


Popsicles were a hit!

Think he likes it?

Cheese!

Mama's bright idea to set up a water table bought me a few minutes in the sun!

Water!!!

Gavin claimed a bowl and cried when anyone touched it. 

Mama, can we put it on us?

Didn't realize how cold it would be on his head!

Mason freezing ( no you don't normally see those ribs! :-P )

Trying to pour it on his head.

And then Mama yelled, "Out of the table!!!"

My funny little boys, all wet :-)

Popsicles.

SUMMER IS HERE!!!

Okay...so maybe not quite yet. But today feels a lot like a summer day! And reaching the mid 90's tomorrow will certainly bring us back to those super hot days spent playing in the hose and running barefoot in the yard. With popsicles, of course. Because every kid knows the value of a good popsicle on a hot day, right? And honestly, every adult should too because truly - popsicles aren't just for children. I mean, have you ever heard of a Coconut Honeydew Margarita pop? How 'bout an Iced Coffee pop? A Watermelon Mojito Pop? Well, you get the idea. Popsicles are the perfect snack for all ages and can actually be a pretty healthy treat too! Just this past weekend my mother dropped by with a mini popsicle mold for us after I mentioned wanting to test out some recipes! (Thanks, Ma!) Without prior planning we used what we had and tried some simple orange juice pops which the kids had for breakfast Saturday morning, a sure hit! This morning we dropped in some mixed berries and fruit juice and as soon as these little monsters wake from their naps we'll be out in the yard to try them too!


Have you ever experimented with popsicles? Did I make you a believer and now you want to? Here's a link to 50 Popsicle Recipes for you to start with! Yes, that's right - 50!! Enjoy!

Friday, May 24, 2013

Burnt Toast.


Welp, there it is folks...breakfast. Looks good, right? I mean really, who wouldn't want burnt toast? Sound convincing? No? Oh. Because the fact of the matter is that no one wants burnt toast. Well, unless you're maybe the 2% of people in the world that enjoy that kinda thing... But besides those guys, no one! It's that golden brown, slightly crispy but still soft, fresh, warm bread that we all crave. The kind that melts the butter perfectly because you got to it just in time when it popped up, not too late when it's been sitting and the butter sort of just rests on top. Or the kind that is underdone and not brown at all, and then the butter just soaks into it and makes a soggy, greasy piece of bread. No way... No one wants that. You know that kind I mean! Like this...

The picture alone makes you want to hop up and make some, don't you think? 

This morning in between changing diapers, peeling bananas and starting laundry I decided to take a minute to pour myself a cup of coffee (okay, my third cup) and make a couple pieces of toast. I turned the little knob down a bit so that I would be sure not to burn the bread. Off I went to do one thing or another and when I came back my toast had popped already, underdone and sitting cold. I figured I could just push it back down for a second and pop it back up perfectly golden and warm, ready to melt that buttery goodness. As I waited for the right time to grab the bread I figured I had a minute to run down the hall and check something else off my list. Good idea? Nope! By the time I got back my toast had popped, again, and was just as the picture shows above. Burnt. Oh well, a little burnt toast never hurt anyone. But wait, I didn't want burnt toast. I wanted the perfectly golden melty buttered toast we talked about before!! And ya know what? Why shouldn't I have perfect toast? Why should I settle for this black, crunchy stuff? And that's when I remembered a book I had read a few years back, 'Burnt Toast' by Teri Hatcher. You know, the old Desperate Housewives and Superman actress? Well, turns out Lois Lane had a few good points because they stuck with me years after reading the book. Here's a bit of what Teri had to say...

"Toast. Think about it for a moment. It probably has the simplest recipe in the world: one ingredient, one instruction. Still, you know when you're trying to make it and you just can't get it right? It's too light or too soft, then... totally burnt. Charred in a matter of seconds -- now it's more like a brick than a piece of toast. So what do you do? Are you the kind of person who tries to scrape off the black? Or do you smother it with jam to hide the taste? Do you throw it away, or do you just eat it? If you shrug and eat the toast, is it because you're willing to settle for less? Maybe you don't want to be wasteful, but if you go ahead and eat that blackened square of bread, then what you're really saying -- to yourself and to the world -- is that the piece of bread is worth more than your own satisfaction."


PS. Would you have eaten the toast? And more on taking care of yourself, HERE








Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Staying Connected.


Today I am missing someone. Actually not just today, but quite often I find myself missing this person and wishing to sort of reconnect if you will. And the catch is, I see them pretty much all the time too! No really I do... It's my husband! 

Do you ever get so busy and caught up with the ins and outs of every day life that you almost feel like you're just going through the motions? It happens to all of us I'm sure. And especially so for those of us that are parents of young children. Life just never stops moving! As a wife and stay at home mother of three little boys (none of whom are school age yet) I know all too well what it's like to get buried under the hum drum days of breakfast, play, lunch, play, nap, play, dinner, play, bed, BREATHE. Often times with that 'breathe' comes a shower, a little tv, a glass of wine, dishes... Rarely do they include a sit-back-with-my-husband-and-just-be kind of 'breathe'. But they should! Don't you think? Being a parent is tough. Being a spouse is tough! I feel like I'm constantly struggling to find balance a midst all our chaos and it's all too easy to forget about finding time as a couple in that craziness. While we try to give our best as parents, part of giving our best is being our best. My best includes nurturing my relationship with my husband and reminding each other that without little boys, we still exist. After all, I did marry the guy and if I had to do it all over again...I'm pretttty sure I still would! ;-) 

Do you ever find yourself caught up in the monotony of day to day life? How do you stay connected with your partner? If you have suggestions, I'd love to hear! 

R&R.

If you visit The Laundry Room often, you might recall me mentioning my love for the breathtaking, mind cleansing, soul feeding Gloucester, Massachusetts. If you don't, go back and read through every post until you do because if you dont know about Gloucester, you should. To me, visiting this little beach town full of fisherman, ice cream shops and locals just going about life is the ideal place to rejuvenate. Growing up I was never familiar with this area of New England but upon meeting my now-husband back when I was just fifteen, his mother's love for the place quickly became mine too. (Thanks Laurie!) Recently Eric and I took the boys up to enjoy a little r&r at the ocean and thanks to my trusty iPhone camera I was able to capture some great photos of our visit. Here's a bit of our trip if you'd like to see...










































PS. Wondering where this little slice of heaven is? Right HERE!

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Kb Returns.

Remember my friend Krista? You may know her best as, My Polar Opposite Soul Sister.

Well, if you didn't catch me bragging about it to everyone I know already, Krista came back East from life over in California and left us with some beautiful memories! While visiting her brand new baby godson, she made time to stop over and visit us Laundry's and put her photography skills to good use. While plunging her blue suede pumps into the ground, she pushed my boys on swings and snapped photos of them climbing trees and running in the yard! Not only was I beyond happy that we were finally able to talk and laugh and just be together in REAL life again, but the pictures came out fantastic too! I can't wait to go through the bunch and pick out my faves to print... I'm thinking of blowing some up to hang in our bedroom. Definitely this one of Mason below!!


Care to read Krista's recap of our little visit and how her life differs from mine as a stay at home Mom? Check out the full scoop and some of the adorable photos over at her blog, HERE!

Thanks for making time to see us kb! We were so so happy to be with you and appreciate the time you put into documenting memories of our little ones! And as Owen said, you're welcome to come play at our house any time you want! Laaave you!! xo

Monday, May 13, 2013

Wow.

You may recall my pleas for donations, support, and encouragement back in January for an event my family was part of, The Polar Plunge. An event where people jump into freezing water to raise money to send children with life threatening illnesses to the incredible Camp Sunshine. What. An. Event. Since our fundraising efforts and my husband's belly flop into freezing cold water on behalf of Team Tommy, we've had the pleasure of meeting some people that have touched our lives in ways that words wouldn't do justice. Children who are fighting, children who have survived, children who shouldn't have to know what cancer is. But they do...and all we can do is support them, fight with them, and pray that they can one day say they beat the odds. Until then, we send our love and prayers and help when we can, and at the very least spread awareness to give these kids a voice.

Just last week I met a woman on the playground at my son's school who was wearing a Kai's Village t-shirt, an organization I've read about often. Kai was a little boy that recently lost his battle and friends and family founded 'Kai's Village' to honor his memory, spread awareness and give help to those in need. I never knew Kai or his family, but their dedication to that little boy and their cause has amazed me so I decided to approach this woman that I see every week and never talk to, and ask her the story about her shirt. Turns out she knew Kai through their community of helping hands because her daughter, an adorable little four year old who I see running around at my son's preschool all the time, is actually a cancer survivor herself. Luckily this sweet girl beat cancer and is able to tell their story and spread awareness while supporting others on their journey's...but wow. You just never know who you're sitting next to on the swing I guess... Anyway, we got to talking and I shared our story about the plunge and this woman actually ended up thanking me. She shared that her family was recently able to visit Camp Sunshine and be with other children and families, fighters and survivors of the same type of cancer her daughter had. It was fundraisers like the Polar Plunge that funded that trip and our efforts contributed to that. Again, just wow. 

Being part of something bigger than yourself is amazing. Giving back, supporting people or a community, a cause that you're passionate about...there's nothing like it. But when you're involved in efforts like the Polar Plunge that benefit local families, and then come to realize that the people that benefit are not only deserving beyond words, but people right there next to you on the playground, children in your son's school, kids right there on the soccer field with you...beyond comprehension. Just being part of that event was enough to knock you off your feet with the rush of it all, but to still see the effects and the impact it has made, that's where you're just left saying, "Wow". 

Read about Eric's Polar Plunge and more about how Doing Good Does You Good! And as my friend Maria (also an incredibly strong mother of a brave little fighter) has shared, "Don't let the stories sadden you to the point of ignoring them, let them inspire you to the point of making a difference."



Friday, May 10, 2013

Life is good.

Live in the sunshine. Swim in the sea. Drink the wild air. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Happy Friday!

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Goats Say...

This morning I was snuggled up with one of my little guys reading a book. Normal enough, right? Well, then comes the page with the assorted animals and each time Gavin would point to a picture, I would make the animal sound. "Quack. Moo. Neigh. Bah. Roar. Ughhh. Ummm. Goats Say..." What the heck does a goat say?!? I sat there pondering while my boy waited and eventually I threw out another "Bah" and moved on. Yes, my kid is the one who will grow up thinking a goat is a sheep...whatever. But then I remembered a video that was posted a while back on one of my favorite blogs, Cup of Jo. Goats yelling like humans. Weird...I know. But it's actually pretty funny. Back when I watched it the first time I thought, 'Really?' But as my kids heard the loud screams coming from my laptop they ran in to see and we ended up watching it about a bajillion times that day. If you have two spare minutes, watch it. If you have more than two minutes, watch it more than once because honestly, it does get funnier the more you see it. Kinda like when you say a simple word and the more you say it, the funnier it sounds? Ya, like that! Anyway, enjoy the video and then picture me reading my boys animal books and yelling like a goat...or a human... Haha!! Happy Thursday!

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Time.

Do you ever wish that you could stop time? You know, freeze life the way it is for just a little while?? Well, I do. A lot. But eventually I come to terms with the fact that this can never be, and along with that comes the realization that as much as I'd like to stop time, I'd also like it to keep going. Like forever. Funny, huh? While I flip flip between my two dreams I suppose I'll just go on living life in the moment and do my best to enjoy them all...


Earlier today I turned some music on in the kitchen while I was cleaning up and preparing today's pb&j. My little guy, Gavin (who's just a few months shy of turning two) runs into the kitchen with that big, silly grin shouting, "Dance! Dance!" with his arms stretched as high as they could reach. As this has been his normal routine for as long as I can remember, I knew he was ready to bounce around the room singing and dancing with Mama. I laughed and scooped him up and we started to sway back and forth to the music. Once the song ended and another began to play, it was more upbeat and exciting...much more suited for Gavin's taste. I upped my dance moves and began to hop around kicking my legs, tossing him up and singing loudly. Trying my best to keep up with the song I began to spin around on one foot while I wrapped my arms around him, watching those big blue eyes stare back at me. Gavin seemed to like this move best so I continued to add this one in now and then, making sure to catch my balance in between turns. While we stood there going around and around our eyes were locked and our smiles were about as big as they get. 

PLEASE STOP TIME!!!

And just as I said before, I realize this can't happen - But can you blame me for trying? We finished our dance number and moved on to lunch and naps and as I sit here sharing this little slice of heaven with you, I can't help but enjoy the peace and quiet happening right now. I'm snuggled on the couch, watching the rain, writing and thinking to myself, 'Please stop time!!!' and it makes me smile. I guess I don't want time to stop after all. It's all about living in the moment, right? So I guess I'll do just that and take each for what it is. And speaking of that, I better wrap this up and go reheat my coffee because before I know it this one will be over too! 

Friday, May 3, 2013

Playing.

Wanna know what we've been up to? Playing. And playing. And more playing. What can I say? It's what we do best in this house... Here are some photos I've taken over the last couple of weeks to give you a little glimpse into why I've been MIA. Having three little boys keeps me busy, but having three little boys when the weather is beautiful keeps me busy OUTside and far from my laptop! Sometimes we just have to unplug like in this post and live in the moment! Hope you're all having just as much fun as we are! 

Ahhhh the cuteness!!
When Daddy travels for work we send morning pictures to say hello :)
Hi Daddy!!!
Breakfast of Champions
Obviously a school pic! ha, Spring Preschool Pic

He's growing too fast.
Posing with apples is normal...right?
A boy and his pup!
Fresh Boy
Hahaha
New hats!
Bag Cabinet - Before
Bag Cabinet - After...Thanks Pinterest!!!
Captain America in my very own kitchen!
Waiting for a doctor checkup :)
Bestfriends.
...Still debating...
 Ta-Dahhh! Mason's masterpiece.
 My Boys!





Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...