More "Knock Off" Updates!

When we moved into our lovely abode we didn't have extra $$ to spend on making it pretty so we got thrifty and creative. We turned gleaming white walls into a variety of colors from gray and green  to yellow and even bright orange. But the true magic happened in the kitchen. White walls transformed into a grey; we painted the stark white laminate cabinets into bold red storage units, the equally stark white laminate counter top into a black faux granite (thanks to metallic paint and bubble wrap) masterpiece. We sealed it with 5 layers of poly-crylic, so it did pretty darn well withstanding water, heat, crusted on food, glass rings, soap scum, and the day to day battering.

A few years in, I decided I couldn't deal with the gray anymore, despite it being a fabulous compliment to the red cabinets, so we changed it to a yellow tone with some texture. While it definitely warmed the
room up, now I was looking at the red cabinets and thinking they didn't match anymore with the new wall color. I spent the next several years looking and envisioning replacing them with dark wood grain cabinets. So since I still was not interested in spending the money to replace the cabinets I thought, huh, I can fake this! So after having our red beauties for almost 6 years I painted them again.. this time to mimic an ebony wood grain. It worked well enough I think. I like it.

So now of course, we have these dark faux wood cabinets, and a dark faux granite counter. Too much darkness. We thought, well, we should probably just go buy a new counter top- we deserve it right? Well it came down to a new counter or our children's preschool education. And I don't think there is really a debate on that one; if there was we should be interrogated as parents.

What happens next? Why not repaint the countertop? Six years ago
I sanded, primed, sanded, primed, painted, sanded, painted, sanded, faux finished (with the bubble wrap), then polyed-sanded-polyed-sanded-poly-sanded and so forth; the whole thing was a week long process (pre kids mind you). Did I want to do that again, no. What I did not know six years ago is there is a product called Rustoleum Countertop Transformations. The extent of my excitement upon learning of this product was frankly ridiculous. Suffice it to say, $100 later, and a sand, prime/ paint (in one step), decorative chip, and seal twice we were done with our new counter in approximately a weekend (with kids even!). It looks pretty good I must say.

Next project, DIY backsplash (hopefully not 6 years from now).

PS. I know the red looked good (or I like to think so) but this new transformation will go further in resale or at least in a rental... so for anyone out there that might think we went backwards on this (mom:))... here's hoping for the best (esp. when we get my backsplash in!)

Gobblers and Pittsboogers

(I am not purposefully calling our Pittsburgh family/ friends inappropriate names, please see below:))
So first things first, I apparently have not done my parental duty (or at least read enough books on the topic to spur conversation) with the girls to have taught them what a turkey is, by name anyway. They still call them Gobbles or Gobblers. But, it's cute, at least for now, so I'm sold. In addition, I have not exactly had the serious conversation about what being thankful is, and what we should be thankful for, hence the turkey posters they made at school. Once again, cute, and albeit true, I wouldn't have minded "mommy" up there or, you know, "i'm thankful for the precious time I have as a child and don't have to worry about much more than if I'm getting cake and what kind of frosting it may have etc."

I on the other hand can indeed be thankful for many many things in general, but I will focus on this weekend for now. From the gracious couple (who had never met us) that invited us into their home for Thanksgiving, the highway angels that opened the gates to a very quick drive to Pittsburgh on Friday (4 hours, which is what it was supposed to take, and it even included 2 stops), Dave's Aunt and Uncle who bravely let us set up camp, or you could say circus, in their home for a few days, to my neighbor Allison (in Baltimore, but is from Pitt and just happened to be in town the same time) who created a great bar-hopping itinerary for us when I snuck out on Saturday night. I was thankful for my husband who slept on the side of the bed closest to where our kids were sleeping (so he was the default getter-upper in the middle of the night), and thankful for his cousin Caroline who not only offered to bring (both) the girls to the bathroom for a #2 adventure (that ended with very vocal proclamations of "I went POOP in the potty!") but also purchased us some fabulous macaroons from her bakery (which unfortunately are not being shared with our offspring- sorry Caroline, we just can't do it, they are too good...the macaroons I mean). I am thankful for Aunt Terry who greeted us with great food, wine, and conversation. I am thankful for Uncle Steve who invited the hubs to Bud's basement bar two days in a row, so 1) I could get some good girls gossip in with the ladies and 2) could 'sneak' out the second night for a slice of Pitts nightlife. I am not so thankful for our drive back (7.5 hours, including same 2 stops) but am thankful for the peace in the back two car seats (relative peace anyway) considering the circumstances.

So a brief recap of our Thanksgiving weekend extravaganza:

• We spent Thanksgiving Day at a friend of a friend. They lived in a beautiful historic home in Mount Vernon and had a 4 year old that the girls had a great time 'chillin' with
• We left for Pittsburgh on Friday afternoon to spend some time with Dave's fam. The girls didn't miss a beat from the last time we were there in September, they made themselves right at home!
• Terry brought all 4 of us to the Science Center where we hung out and played, fixed stuff at the space station, played with robots, and looked at a mini-Pittsburgh with working trains, and rivers, and boats, and houses who's lights came on when it got 'dark' every 10 minutes or so to simulate evening- it was very impressive and I wanted to go in and 'play' with it as much as my kids
• I was able to hang out with my neighbor in Charm City who is from Pittsburgh and was back for Thanksgiving. We went a few different places in South Side, the first equipping me with a variety of toys including a glowing fish, plastic dinosaurs, and a candy necklace (and no, it was not a rave)
• We had a great french toast breakfast on Sunday and hit the road (after several hours of 'pretending we are going to leave')
• We actually did leave finally and got stuck in massive turnpike traffic, but hey it gave us time to digest our weekend, along with lots of random road snacks

Watching the robot

A view of the train exhibit

So now we are back. I am extending my weekend as long as I can; tomorrow begins a long two weeks for me before our next journey to the land of saints and minny apples.

PS. As for the Pittsboogers, we tried to 'amp' up the weekend a bit prior to departure so we talked about going to Pittsburgh etc... so of course when they heard that term they turned it into a new thing, they are 3, need I say more?

Right on Target..."I'm just saying"

Dear Baltimore City,

I hope you are doing well. Well, actually I know you still have plenty of issues, but I must say, the new addition that arrived this October is quite exciting. And I am thankful that the powers-that-be approved this new corporate taxpayer.

To step back a minute, I made the big trek over here from the Midwest a little over 7 years ago and have lived in Baltimore City the entire time. First it was Fells Point, then Butchers Hill, now upper Fells / Washington Hill. A lot has happened in my life since I arrived, from new jobs and a new house, to a husband and now two kids.  So Baltimore City… you have been good to me. In addition to these huge life events, there are of course the small things that we city kids love such as running down the street to get takeout, meandering over to the corner bar, or  hopping across the street for just about anything from butter to diapers. This has been great; this is why people live in the city, right? So here’s the thing. I either have to go to a CVS, Rite Aid, Safeway, Whole Foods, or (as it happens in my hood) Family Dollar, to get said toiletries, household gear, etc. And they are either priced for convenience or just not an enjoyable shopping/ purchasing experience overall. But really, it is so much more expensive to purchase these items here, in the city. Aren’t we paying enough property taxes?? Sheesh. As for the cost, sure, you can find sales and cut coupons, but really… we all live in row homes… many of us don’t have the space to stockpile, so when we need toilet paper, we need toilet paper, and we are not waiting for the sale, or for the trip to the ‘burbs’.

So I have been making my treks to the “burbs” every few months to get my fix on decent and reasonably priced items. Basically, I am making the trek to Target. When I grew up in the Twin Cities (Minnesota), even though I always pretty much lived in the “city”, I was always in close proximity to a Target. I grew up going to Target and I will never appreciate Wal-Mart in the same way (despite those rollbacks). Now sure, Target is a chain and many of us city people like to say that we shop the mom & pop stores; just like we also chat about the Farmers Market and all the local things we purchase, while secretly we all frequent these “havens of the purse pinchers”. So I’m coming right out and saying it:

I can't believe how excited I am about the Canton Target opening, not to mention ALL the other stores that will be over there (um, Old Navy, Michaels, and it goes on). This is seriously exciting after the YEARS of having to drive and drive to get underwear, shampoo, detergent, really, you name it, at a reasonable price. WHOOPEEEEE!!

I was so anxious for our first date; I was so happy that construction was not delayed and I was able to grab my red cart on schedule. Oh the joy of driving not 30 minutes but 5, and then meandering through the dollar bins, grabbing several things I didn’t need (think autumn colored dish scrubbers, and black cat socks). I then marveled at the stacks of crew neck shirts and sweaters along with aisles of necessary (and probably unnecessary) goods for my offspring.

Now keep in mind that my first visit was limited (as my children were in preschool for only a few hours), but I am envisioning my future jaunts down to the bull’s-eye, strolling around picking out razors, lotion, up and up brand zipper bags, and multi-colored socks. I can sip my coffee (from the obvious Starbucks), sift through clothes that I still think I can wear, find deals on cute bags from random designers; wander through the small appliance aisle, peruse a plenitude of dishware, explore miniature tents by Eddie Bauer, gaze at the (always too early, but still admired) Christmas tree displays. So despite my conflict of trying to minimize my big box store participation- Target has been around for me since I was, well, me, so I’m fessing up, I like my Target. And at risk of sounding like I was paid to write this, they fulfill their tagline in my life… I expect more (and get more) and really do pay less. Thanks B-city for letting the best of the boxes into our little charmed city life.

-Dani

Cardboard Dream House, Stage One

So I have been collecting cardboard and a variety of other recyclables (aka trash) for several months now with the idea that I was going to create a super awesome dollhouse for my kids. Naturally, and to no surprise, all this 'trash' has been hanging out in my house for quite some time, begging to hit the sidewalk on recycling day. So, I finally got started. And I must say, that its kind of fun, and that ultimately, this house will probably not just be played with by my children.

Just a portion of the Trash that I collected

Still missing wallpaper and flooring, but we made some classy furniture in the girls' fave colors. Couches/ beds are from the "Downy" box, table and chair are toilet paper rolls, egg crates, and random cardboard. Ottoman is a cigar case top.

Welcome to "SPA Ghetti" with shower and bubble bath ready to go! I also have a toilet from the top of a creamer container that I forgot to throw in for the pic. [Shower is obvious, bathtub is other half of pasta box, mirror is tin foil].

So I still have a ways to go, but the ladies have already had fun playing with these half-done rooms and helped me to pick out the wallpaper and made some cushions for for the couches. They stuffed cotton balls in the bathtub without realizing how great that is for a doll bubble bath!

Pigs, Ponies, and Poop!

One morning last week my neighbor Wynne came running over with the little boy she nannies and proclaimed- "Free petting zoo in downtown! It only lasts 2 hours, you wanna go??" Of course I was still in my PJs and still attempting to down my coffee (despite already being awake for several hours), but a free petting zoo just blocks from my house? I was in. However, in the mad rush to get out of the house, (considering it was already 30 minutes into the event) I still pondered the possibility that this 'petting zoo' may not be as cool as I was envisioning. I mean... it was in downtown Baltimore, maybe they just corralled up some stray kitties and street kitties (aka rats) and threw them in a gated area. Well, only one way to find out!

So we get there. And it was great! (So grateful:)) There was a little band, a station to paint pumpkins, the petting zoo, and even ponies! So we went to the petting zoo immediately (of course) and there was quite the variety considering we were stationed in a plaza a midst office buildings and homeless shelters. There were goats, a sheep, a few bunnies, a couple of handsome white geese, a pot belly pig (I think), chickens, a duck with a mohawk, some baby ducks, and an awesomely ugly turkey. Now occasionally when I go to these types of 'attractions' I worry about the animals etc.; but they actually all seemed very used to kids- and relatively happy unless there was some toddler chasing it around the pen (aka my second born). And even then, they just scooted away and the kid lost interest. There was even a calf named Bambo.

 Stella petting the bunny (finally after it had run from her for so long); and Lucy with the gobbler

So after we spent a fair amount of time co-mingling with all the farmer's friends we painted some pumpkins and then got in the (long) line for the pony rides. The girls (plus Wynne's little pal) all waited like champs for a solid 20+ minutes to get in the saddle. I wasn't sure how my little ladies would react, being that they have never ridden an animal (with the exception of Penny and their father:))- but they loved it! The pony's name was Snowball.

So the last exciting occurrence of this outing was the amount of pooping going on. The girls were very interested in all the different shapes and sizes of poop that was in the petting zoo (but still very quickly cleaned up I might add). In addition, the pig was all about everyone else's pooh which the ladies found hilarious... 'he's eating poop!'. Yes he was indeed. And it topped off the afternoon when Snowball had to stop a couple times while they were on board to lighten her load; and of course once again this was quite the topic of conversation. Well, just a life lesson (as we don't have the book)- everyone does poop indeed!)

So it was a great spontaneous afternoon! Thanks to friends in the know!!

The Big Minnesota Trip

Dave and I at the Stillwater wedding

So it has become a bi-annual thing, our trek to to the Big Minny. Sometimes we fly, and sometimes we drive. This time we drove. We were gone for a little over 3 weeks and we packed it in (not only in the car, but the activities as well)!

We left on a Thursday afternoon and decided to push it all the way to Columbus, OH the first day. Which meant we arrived at our hotel around midnight. We stayed at the Hawthorne Suites in East Columbus due to the full kitchen and (more importantly) that my credit card points paid for it. Despite the hour of our arrival, we walked into our room and noticed there was a wood-burning fireplace so of course we had to have a fire. The hotel was a little on the old side and my attempt to bring our complimentary hot breakfast to our room was squashed. Apparently there are a lot of folks who live in the hotel who leave dirty plates in their rooms so that's why I couldn't bring our food back (despite the fact that all the rooms had full kitchens, so if people were going to dirty dishes, they could still easily do it!). I had filled up a large plate and the staff person made me throw it all away, what a waste.
That was our first experience  in East Columbus. I am not sure why we thought it was a good idea to stay in that part of town again, but we did on the way back. The hotel reeked and when we were unloading our car we actually had a man hide behind our family so some guy that was chasing him couldn't 'get' him. Never again to East Columbus.

We made it to MN relatively unscathed and the first thing on the itinerary was to hit the road again to go to the cabin!! Five hours is nothing after 3 days of driving! Becky and the kids, and my mom all went up for the week and then Dave, Bob, and Paul came the following weekend. We all had a blast, ate well, and had perfect weather 70s and 80s the entire time. We picked raspberries, played a ton outside, ate fresh fish, and even dipped in the lake a couple times (definitely not too many times a year one can do that)!

Chilling by the lake with Grandpa

Cascade Falls

Cousins Stella, Luna, Nico, Lucy: after a long afternoon of running up and down the driveway, quite the workout!

We stayed with Becky and Noe for the remainder of our visit. We hit the Como pool, Dave and I actually got a couple nights out due to a friends wedding in Stillwater, and we were able to celebrate Luna's birthday, pinatas and all!

The Frausto birthday tradition; I wonder how many years will she still be smiling after her parents smoosh her face in her bday cake??

 My parents still got it!

Finally, we were able to make it to the state fair, on the very last day, but we still made it! The kids "worked" on the farm, we ate cheese curds and sweet corn covered corndogs; we had fried sunnies with lingonberry sauce and scotch eggs; we had pulled turkey sandwiches and huge dill pickles. And we bought the big bucket of Sweet Marthas chocolate chip cookies, yum.

 Working with the girls on the farm, Luna eating a scotch egg, and the only thing left to do for Stella was chillax for a couple hours in the wagon!

Belated Birthday (Post)

Of course I cannot believe my little girls are already THREE. But we all know and have been told
my many many other parents about how quickly time flies with children. But... I also know that I never really understood it until it happened to me. I still don't understand how time works. When I was a kid time seemed to drag on and on. It seemed to take forever for my birthday to arrive and the same for Christmas. It seemed like the school day would never end, the weekend would never come, I would never become a teenager, and it took centuries to get my drivers license.

My theory was that with so much change, time seemed to spread out because there were so many turning points, so many milestones. But even as a kid, summers still flew by, as did vacations, and holidays... I guess it made sense: summers, vacations, and holidays were glorious, magical times that just made everything extra special and we didn't want them to end.

But how can one life event feel like it happened so long ago but at the same time feel like it was only yesterday?  It seems so long ago that Lucy and Stella were teeny babies, but not that long ago that they were born. My only conclusion is that, as adults, (especially with kids), we are experiencing these things simultaneously. We are experiencing so much change within our children- so many turning points, so many milestones- that can potentially make time seem longer... but there are also so many precious moments that you want to hang on to, whether its an actual vacation or holiday or just a lazy afternoon (the kind that you may not have appreciated when you were young).

Birthday lunch, poolside
next to their private cabana

As we age, as we grow, we learn to appreciate the simple things, the relatively insignificant things... we learn to appreciate these things as the truly glorious, magical times that make life extra special. These things happen every day, all day. It's those lazy afternoons; its those victories whether its potty training or empathy; its a funny joke, its a funny face; its seeing someone else smile; it's feeling wonder; it's fresh air; it's picking tomatoes; it's real vanilla ice cream with a cherry on top...And we don't want these things to end, because we know now that these are the things that are our life. Our beautiful life.

So it makes sense that maybe life can seem like its flying by at times; but while we may never want our personal precious moments to end... if we can have the ability to find magic in our every day- make our own daily turning points, our own daily milestones. Then maybe that, will provide us with enough change every day to make our lives feel a little longer, and if that doesn't work, at least our lives will be that much better as we take note of our surroundings and dig in to enjoy that ice cream.

Stella eating a dirt pie on her Birthday!!

And on another note, we had a bug-themed party for them this year as they are pretty fascinated by these little creatures (I am trying my best to not freak out when there is a creepy crawly). We had plastic bugs everywhere along with bug catcher nets, make-your-own bug boxes, and grandma came with homemade bug skirts (before she even knew about the bug theme), pretty cool!

Alone Time

This struck me when I ran across it randomly..after having a couple minis..i definitely appreciate the time i get alone. And riding on two wheels in a beautiful place..time to think..and time to appreciate this beautiful journey


Maybe Alone on My Bike
By William Stafford

I listen, and the mountain lakes
hear snowflakes come on those winter wings
only the owls are awake to see,
their radar gaze and furred ears
alert. In that stillness a meaning shakes;
And I have thought (maybe alone
on my bike, quaintly on a cold
evening pedaling home), Think!–
the splendor of our life, its current unknown
as those mountains, the scene no one sees.
O citizens of our great amnesty:
we might have died. We live. Marvels
coast by, great veers and swoops of air
so bright the lamps waver in tears,
and I hear in the chain a chuckle I like to hear.

Ocean City, MD

We were able to stay with our friends Tiff & Ryan's parents' beach house in Ocean City, MD in mid July. We hit the pool, the beach, consumed a ginormous pizza and devoured some fresh crabs during our stay. The girls weren't so sure about the salty paradise when we first arrived, but it only took their second dip in the ocean to become hooked. There were a couple 8 year old boys staying with us as well and it was pretty neat how they all actually had fun playing together, what are the chances?? Was it because there was no one else around? Maybe, but still pretty cool.

Lucy and Mom chillaxing on the beach; Stella on duty

  

The boys and girls on the kitchen floor of the beach house playing cars; the troupe in a beach hole; and the massive zah

Ah, summer

Why does it feels like summer is almost over by the time the Fourth of July arrives? I mean, we still have 66% of it left don't we? We aren't supposed to be on the downward trajectory to fall yet, right? Maybe its because all the swimsuits are on clearance and the back-to-school sales are starting... Maybe its because June is now over and I hardly remember it... Maybe its because the weather has been funky this year and it just started getting really hot and balmy... Well, one good thing about it "feeling" like summer is over, is that it motivates me to get my summer on, and fast.

So in the spirit of this independence day weekend, I am freeing myself to stop worrying about the impending fall colors and get to work. I mean, there is still plenty of time for sweaty bike rides, gloppy sunblock applications, sand stuck in uncomfortable places, mosquito bites, sticky ice cream fingers, dirty inflatable pool water, and voluptuous air conditioning bills! On the flip side, there is still plenty of time for slow meandering bicycle trips with fam and friends, beautiful sunny days, build towering sand castles and listen to the ocean's waves, getting bit by a bug or two... but while enjoying an outdoor concert or meal, delicious ice cream, refreshing cold wading pools, and while the AC bills aren't so appreciated, the AC itself is, so...
 In the last week we have accomplished many of these summer pleasures, so I really shouldn't be complaining. And next weekend we will be hitting the beach to make some of those sand castles and play in those ocean waves!