Lions and Tigers and Bears...and Bugs

The pressure was on yesterday. 

Summer Solstice. 

Usually, I wouldn't much care, honestly. 

To the beach or the pool we would go. 

But now that I have the store, my full days with the kids are limited. 

I used to wish for something to do, somewhere to go, because 24/7 with three kids will make you insane. 

I would never change my decision to open the store, 

but I value our days together in a very different way now. 

For those of you who know me, don't fall over when I say this, but I like the woods. 

I have always liked the woods. Not the bugs. Just the woods. 

When I was a little girl I used to make up elaborate stories about living in the trees. 

Like a fairy. 

We went to Brandywine Creek State Park to go "hiking". 

Yes, I know we don't have real hills or mountains in Delaware.

But for my do-absolutely-no-excerise back end, it felt like real hiking. 

We stopped and looked at just about everything. 

Even the ants. And naturally alive mulch. 

Itchy yet?

Speaking of naturally alive. 

Dear Mr. Millipede - I am sorry. 

He did not die, but had to be touched, oh I don't know, ten thousand times. 

I have to say, I was really impressed. 

The trail was absolutely beautiful. 

And so peaceful. 

And strangely familiar. 

Holy crap. 

I ran a Cross Country meet there circa 1997 or so. 

Let me rephrase: Adam and I ran when everyone could see us. Adam and I walked in the woods. 

Because I don't run. 

We made lots of little discoveries along the trail. 

And some big ones. 

Kind of like most days, if we just stop for a second. 

It felt really good to just stop. 

Blueberries for Breakfast

We officially picked more blueberries than we could realistically eat last week at Fifer's.

You can ask my mom - I really don't like to bake.
When a cake is needed for an event I have no problem paying whatever/whoever to deliver a fantastic cake that I had nothing to do with.

But I couldn't waste all those blueberries.
I had serious guilt since they were both locally grown by people I know AND the kids picked them.

To the internet I go.

First up: Paula Deen's Easy Blueberry Skillet Cake.

Super easy.

The fluffy part is literally a tube of buttermilk biscuits and you sort of throw in the rest!
It was actually really tasty - I added a little extra butter and brown sugar to both the bottom and the top.
I never seem to be able to follow the directions - but what fun is that?

Next (and last since I was tired last night) : Barefoot Contessa's Blueberry Coffee Cake Muffins.

I will admit on the front end that this was a little bit of a baking disaster.
Normally, everything I make from her collection is beyond delicious (I realize she can be a little off-putting if you watch her on tv, but seriously, her food is amazing).

No, that is not a bite missing on the right side.
It is broken.
They were all broken.

In this instance, I should have broken the rules and filled the muffin cups only partially (the directions say to fill them until they are just over the edge) because I ended up with giant overflowing muffin tops.
And the bottoms just could not support them.

Oh well, they tasted fantastic!
I guess that's all that really matters.

I can't say it was a bad idea - the picking or the baking - I just wouldn't quit my day job to do either!

Just What You Need

Here's what you can do when you're not having a great day. 

Tips from someone who has become a professional distraction artist. 

Tip #1: Paint Your Front Door

You can buy a quart of premium paint for about $15. 

Buy a can. 

Buy a brush. 

Change your world. 

I recently needed a little pick-me-up. 

I picked a bricky-orangey-red for my door. (this is not a picture of my door)

It literally made my whole weekend better! 

Tip #2: Buy a New Bag

I really can't see how you can go wrong with a summer jute bag for $18.
Grab your bag.
Grab your towel.
And go.

I think goldfish are lucky. Right?

Tip #3: Blowing bubbles makes everyone smile.

And when you're done blowing bubbles...

Head downtown and see a free outdoor movie!
Downtown Milford Inc is sponsoring a Music and Movies series this summer.
Your town might be doing the same!
Fun and Free is the way to do it.

Tip #4: Pick Your Own Fruit and Eat It

U-Pick blueberries are ready and waiting at Fifer's!

A note about the rule: Don't eat more than you pick.

YUM

And you should definitely wear your best Hawaiian shirt to pick blueberries.
And while I personally have trouble combining cost control and self-picking, the experience makes it worth it.

Tip #5: Go Old-School

There's no bad mood a good game of hopscotch can't fix.
Especially when you get to teach a 3-year-old boy how to "appropriately" throw a rock.

It is amazing what these five things have done for me in the last week.
I am not kidding - major mood overhaul!

Have a great weekend everyone!!

Shake What Your Mama Gave You

On this absolutely gorgeous east coast morning,
I would like to remind myself that every day is a day to be thankful for.

And since the only thing I can ever be is myself,
I will spend the day celebrating what I am good at and not worry about the stuff I'm not.

Take my daughter for example.
Ballet, yes.
Soccer, no.
She gets it honestly. I can't run with or catch or throw a ball to save my life.

I think we're all the center of our own stage.
It's up to us to figure out what the show is going to be.

It's a little crazy when you own a public business. Everyone gets to watch. No pressure. None.

No harm in dreaming.
No harm at all.

Have a fantastic day today!
And don't be afraid to shake whatever it is your mama gave you.

Just Far Enough Away

It is interesting to grow up in a place that is 90 minutes from major cities, 3 hours from NYC, 20 minutes to resort town beaches, yet cornfields and soybeans are all around you.

We are sort of everywhere and nowhere at the same time.
There are days when I feel like I might go crazy.
And others when I wouldn't want it any other way.

But I like my kids having a life, right here, in everywhere and nowhere land.
At some point, I want them to leave and see the what else is out there.
It was good for me. It'll be good for them.

Yesterday, we enjoyed what living in the middle of nowhere offers.
My dad taught them how to plant corn.
He never taught me how to plant it - just how to weed it and pick it.

To the garden we go!

It looks exactly like a garden should, in my opinion.

The bag of corn seed was $5.90 in case you were wondering.

Here is the goal. Nice, neat, little rows of corn plants.
But can three kids under the age of 8 accomplish this? Ha.

Pop-Pop controls the seed distribution despite the many protests from the youngest "farmer" who wanted to do it himself.

The oldest takes the lead.

Definitely a group effort.
More quality control than effort, however.

If the pictures had audio you would hear:

"Put that down"!
"No! Don't dig up the plants"?!
"If you don't stop digging the plants that are already growing, you are going in time-out"!

Life always looks better in the pictures.

He looks so cute when he's being naughty.
Don't ever tell him I said that.

Attempt to put the seed directly under the string. 

Attempt is the key word. 

And if you visit my parent's house any time after May, expect to find my dad only wearing shorts.

It is his summer uniform. 

You just get used to it. 

Lesson on how far to push the seed down into the dirt.
That far up on your pinky finger.
If you have a three year old pinky finger.

Down they go!
And that's pretty much it!
How to plant corn.

Our in-house Lassie is supervising.

She rounds out the fun with a bouquet of wildflowers from the field behind the house.

After all the excitement, the kids wanted to have dinner outside.
Obviously, we didn't have corn.
But we did have dessert!

I'm not a marshmallows in my ice cream kind of girl, but the kids were the decision makers on this one.

It's good to be reminded why I live in the middle of nowhere sometimes.
If you come visit, I can't guarantee corn planting lessons.
But I can promise cornfields and quiet just when you need it.

New Favorites

Okay, it's June!

And I am a little restless.
It seems that even though everything around me is changing rapidly,
the store needed a change too.

You know how one day you wake up and you need to change your living room around?
The store is like my living room.
Only I spend WAY more time in it than my actual living room.

So, with a little help from some new store fixtures,
and summer inventory (hooray!)
it's like a whole new store!!

Pre-school has been over for about a week now.
Really hard to keep a bored 3 year old off the new store shelves.
Especially when each platform feels like a treehouse made just for him.

Okay, so, it takes forever, but it so much fun to change things up.
I have to thank my dad for building me five new display towers.
They changed everything!

Rope handles.
Canvas.
Blue.
Love it.

Not sure which print I like best!
I guess that's why I own a store.
I never have to decide.

Summer scarves.
They make any old shorts and tank top look like you know what you're doing.

Love this. That's all.

Along with moving things around, there is another big change here for the summer.
We have an intern!
Meet Alex.

We've known her forever.
She's like family.
You will love her. I promise.

She'll be here on Mondays and Tuesdays.
What's that? Mondays?
YES! Open on Mondays!!
All summer long.

The well-known secret is that she prefers hanging out with us over her summer job last year.
She still has to fold stuff on occasion.
But she doesn't seem to mind.
Not sure she'll go on to own a retail store, but hey, I don't want to be a neuroscientist.
She does though.

We are looking forward to a fun summer.
Come visit us!

p.s. I don't mind if you like her better ;).

Ultimate Procrastination

I own eight car seats.
I have three kids.
And one car.

Over the course of any given day or week or month, the kids collect things.
McDonalds toys (yes I just admitted that I take them there).
Silly bands, matchbox cars, a wooden drum stick, headless fairy doll.

But the food is the ultimate.
Apple Jacks, Goldfish (thanks Pop-Pop), Saltines.

And because I do attempt to force healthy food down their throats,
this morning I found 100 degree, day-old blueberries.
Smashed, hot, blueberries.

 AFTER the vacuuming was already "done".
I think if I sat back there and threw crumbs everywhere for an hour
I couldn't duplicate what they can do in no time and with no effort.

Very small sampling of what I pulled out from the back.
I can't even believe I am showing you this.

I think I should be given product placement credit.
These two items performed a miracle today.

It took several hours.
And my youngest culprit was really excited to "help".
The several months (yes, months) of procrastination have come to an end!

I love the feeling of a clean car, a full tank of gas, and a fridge full of perfectly organized,
brand new groceries.
Now if I could just fix the fact that it costs more for gas than for groceries most days.

I am still committed to storing the beach essentials in the back of the car.
Repeat: Beach stuff, not junk stuff. Beach stuff, not junk stuff.
You just never know when you might need to take a detour for some salty water and a little sand.