Happy Spring!

So happy to see Spring arrive!

EtsyKids Team

If you haven't browsed the EtsyKids Shops on Etsy you should! The team has 500+ members and is the best of handmade kids and baby items I have ever seen.

Some of my favorite EtsyKids Shops:

Spring Wish List (Get on it! Spring is almost here!)

Spring is so close (yipeee!) and I have some much I want to do. This is the first year, since we've been in this house, that I'm not pregnant or taking care of a newborn in the spring/summer. I'm going all out with some composting, rain collection, planting, pruning & mulching.

This is likely just the beginning of my Spring wish list and I have a feeling some of it will get pushed over to a Summer wish list (because these aren't cheap items).

Composting:
Can O Worms Composter
About a pound of red wigglers
** Really excited about worm poo. We went to the grocery today and instead of using our reusable bags, I had our groceries bagged in brown paper bags. Put groceries away and tore up all the paper bags for bedding. I have some goodies saved in a pile from the kids scraps too. Yes, we are on our way. Just need to order this composter ASAP.

Rain Collection:
Rain Barrel and Downspout Diverter
Trellis (2) to flank barrels/cover
A second barrel possibly in series with first
** Saving money, using what's provided. I have a lot of new plants the landscapers put in last summer and boy was my water bill pretty unforgiving. This would be a great investment for us but I think we will need more than 55 gallons so an addition barrel hooked up to the first is my ideal set-up.

Plants:
Praire Fire Crabapple tree
(2) Butterfly Bushes
(3) Pines
Honeysuckle Vine
** I have some things started from seed now that should be ready to go into the ground when the ground is ready. Ornamental grasses and such. Setting up a bird oasis. I want to attract the birds without spending an arm and a leg on seed. Plus it's just beautiful. I'd rather look at beautiful plants and animals than my neighbors cars and houses.

Decorative stuff:
Copper Rain Chain and Catch Basin
** Would also make a nice bird bath and the area I want to put this is close to my feeders. I have a feeling my husband will fight me on this one though. We'll see, he might surprise me.

These items are not necessarily the exact ones I will end up with but you get the idea. I am constantly researching and changing my mind. That composter has gotten rave reviews though so I will probably go order one right now :) Plus I can't keep these food scraps around without a composter for much longer. Ewwwww.

Wordless Wednesday: Sometimes there are no words

Favorite Artist: Lauren Castillo

A children's book illustrator by day. Lauren Castillo makes everyday art. I love the themes of her drawings and how they feel so relaxed and ordinary but in a totally beautiful and un-ordinary way.

Kids Say: Grocery conversation with elder woman

Oh the grocery store is always so much fun with two little ones in the cart. I put the baby in front and make the toddler ride in the back with the food. Yes, he gets buried but as long as he has a box of cookies in hand it's okay. So this is the actual conversation we had today with an elder woman (very much elder).

• Toddler to Mommy: Hey she's a grandma!!! Look at her!!! *hangs whole arm out of the cart to point at the poor woman*
• Elder woman: *smirks and walks by us. I think she even giggled a bit*
• Mommy to Toddler: It's not nice to point. She might not be a grandma. We don't know that.
• Toddler to Mommy: Yes she is!!!
• Elder woman to Mommy: Yes, I am. *we both needed paper towels and stopped in the same spot*
  
• Toddler to Elder woman: Is your name Grandma?
• Elder woman to Toddler: Yes, I am a Grandma to my grandchildren.
• Toddler to Elder woman: But not me?
• Elder woman to Toddler: No *smirk and giggle*
• Toddler to Elder woman: Do you have a daddy?
• Elder woman to Mommy: *gives me a look of, oh my what do I say? Obviously her parents are not living*
• Mommy to Toddler: Yes, honey everyone has a mommy and a daddy even Grandmas.
• Toddler to Elder woman: Do you have a cat?
• Elder woman to Toddler: Yes and I had a dog and son named Randall. What is your brothers name?
• Toddler to Elder woman: That's not a boy! That's a girl!
• Mommy to Toddler: That's ok. She didn't know. It's ok. Tell her your sisters name.
  
• Toddler proceeds to tell the Elder woman the names of everyone in our family, extended family and our pets and friends.
• Elder woman: *finally had enough of our cuteness* Ok well good-bye. Nice to meet you.
• Mommy to Elder woman: Thank you for talking with us. Have a nice day.
• Toddler yells at Elder woman from 1/2 way down the grocery store isle: YOU HAVE A NICE DAY!

Make your own: Polaroid photos

With Poladroid. Free to download and use. So much fun! I love the old eclectic look of the Polaroid film.

If you are just looking for the instant print feature that the old Polaroids offered, check out the new one! The Polaroid PoGo. Of course this is a digital camera (no film shaking required) the print media is not the same as the old but still pretty cool. Coming to stores in Spring 2009!

Favorite Artist: NatureMandalas

Great art photography of nature and birds (my favorite in flight!). Stunning, really stunning!