:: tiny hop ::

the daily rosa

♥

:: a few how-to's & an essay on boredom ::

:: zigzag shorts ::

 {from the etsy blog}

:: tshirt bracelets ::

{from family chic}

:: tshirt tote bag ::

{from instructables}

of these three ideas,
i have made the tshirt tote bags
{they are super easy & eco-friendly}
and i can't wait to make the tshirt bracelets
{searching for bangles at thrift stores next week}.
not sure if i will attempt the shorts,
but they are so darn cool.
{please let me know if you give any of these a try}

the following essay about summer boredom
was in our last school newsletter.
written by charles faye,
from the book parenting with love and logic, 2006 {loveandlogic.com}
Ah, the sounds of summer!  Birds chirping, the sound of the ice cream truck, and kids moaning, "I'm bored! There's nothing to do."  Despite popular kid opinion, boredom is essential for the development of healthy problem-solving skills and creativity.  Can you imagine the world today if Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Edison, and Henry Ford had never experienced it?  Some parents make the mistake of spending the entire summer making sure that their children are always entertained.  In the process, they steal wonderful opportunities for their kids to learn creative ways to entertain themselves.  They also create kids who selfishly believe that everything should be entertaining all of the time.  Wiser parents hand the boredom problem right back to their kids by responding, "That's a bummer, what do you think you are going to do?"  When their children answer, "I don't know," they simply give some suggestions and allow responsibility for solving the problem to rest on their youngsters' shoulders: "Some kids decide to draw pictures. How will that work?  Other kids decide to build something out of wood.  Others decide that they are going to do some reading.  Good luck."  If their children continue to complain, they pat them on the back and say, "When kids keep complaining that they are bored, it means that their parents aren't giving them enough chores.  There's a broom right over there."

my somewhat-related two cents:

this summer, in addition to fun stuff & boring stuff & duck stuff, 

ned & marian & i are cleaning bathrooms every day.

flylady style: swish & swipe

3 people in 3 bathrooms ~ it takes 5 minutes.

everyone feels like they've accomplished something worthwhile

and the bathrooms sparkle

{and smell like mrs. meyer's geranium, which smells like roses}.

♥

the daily rosa

show & tell {rocket}

yes, it is summertime,

but ned still loves show & tell.

ned found this nerf-like rocket at target.

he made it sail effortlessly through the store

over several aisles, and it was a mere $2.00,

so i said yes.

it flies almost too well.

the other day,

we spent half an hour rescuing it from the roof.

♥

~ the daily rosa ~
{she's one week old today}

we ate breakfast outside this morning,

and ned let her have a bite of his oatmeal

{after he was finished, of course}.

she LOVED it.

i ran to grab my camera,

and when i got back, she was IN the bowl.

rosa + water

♥

:: fruit smoothie popsicles ::

we make lots of fruit smoothies.

berries, bananas, peaches, pineapple, 

you name it.

i don't use a recipe,

just a balance of fresh & frozen ingredients

plus liquid {juice, milk, rice milk, yogurt}.

in the summertime,

i like to freeze a few for hot afternoons.

they are 100% natural, no sugar added,

no artificial colors or flavors.

if i bought these at the grocery store,

they would be pricey popsicles.

made at home, they cost next to nothing

and are super wholesome.

yum.

♥

the daily rosa

asleep

in the grass,

against my foot,

under a washcloth.

how to be really, really happy

1. find a best friend

2. do fun stuff together for 50 years

my mom & dad were here this weekend.

they jumped on the trampoline,

and took marian with them when they left.

{they will fly her back next week ~ hi, marian♥}

our house was the very last stop 

on a two-week road trip

celebrating their

♥ 50th wedding anniversary ♥

i asked my mom to sum up their trip:

We left Las Vegas, traveled to New Mexico visiting my sister, going on to Amarillo, Texas, to visit a friend.  On to Indiana to see our newest grandchild, son & wife, then to my childhood home to visit my brother & family.  We left from there as we did on our honeymoon to drive to Chicago where we spent 2 nights just as we did on our honeymoon.  

Since it was raining, we did not go to a baseball game as we did on our honeymoon.  From Chicago, we drove through Wisconsin & Minnesota to upper Michigan and Mackinac Island and then back to Marshall, Michigan where we ate at the same restaurant that we did on our honeymoon, this time with my Aunt Carmen.  

From there we drove to Goshen, Indiana, where we visited with friends.  When we were on our honeymoon, we returned to Goshen to live for the summer until your Dad went into the Army.  This time, we left Goshen and drove through Illinois, Wisconsin, South Dakota to see Mt. Rushmore and then on through Wyoming into Idaho to Boise to visit you.  

After that, back through Nevada home to Las Vegas.  

18 days, 5915 miles, Lots of Memories.

they are the best.

i love them very much.

happy anniversary, mom & dad.

♥

p.s. here is the daily rosa

earthly delights :: csa bounty :: week 5

our share this week

{ned is solo this week because marian is in vegas, baby}

sugar snap peas

snow peas

garlic scapes {ned's crown}

red oak leaf lettuce head

pirat lettuce head

mustard bouquet

rainbow chard

scallions

chocolate mint

basil

fennel

and a blurry, but adorable picture of rosa

she went with us to pick up our share today

and got to meet the farmers.

♥