Summer showers...

I just love the garden after a nice spring/summer shower... and I am so excited for tomatoes and melons and beans (fingers and toes crossed)...

DIY Pokemon...

 My kids have recently become pretty obsessed with all things Pokemon, but I have been very slow to give into their requests (their begging, pleading requests!) for cards (those things are expensive!).  I'm hoping my nephew might have a stash we can raid this summer (he's sweet like that!).  In the meantime, they have each acquired a card or two (gifts from friends at school) and we've been watching the show (what did we ever do before Roku and Netlix?!).  My daughter was still unsatisfied so she took matters into her own hands.  She has been working diligently on her very own cards and I think they are pretty great.  Unfortunately (for them), it has really bolstered my inner strength to say "no" more often!  Who knows what they'll do when deprived of the things they say they "need" so desperately!  Poor kid... she's just reinforced my "say no to the stuff" philosophy of parenting!

They've received mixed reviews at school... though my daughter is unphased by this... she knows they are awesome!

Project Closet...

Our house has a few closets that are sorely in need of some attention, but the one in the kitchen was first on my list.  This little kitchen pantry/tool shed/art supply closet/catchall was in desperate need of some love.  It was one of those spaces that had become really grimy and completely disorganized over the past few years.  It needed to be cleared out and reorganized, but it also needed patching, sealing, and a few coats of paint!  I pulled everything out, got things sealed and patched up, and then I put stuff back (in a much more streamlined/organized/functional way)!  It was a small, quick project, but it has made such a big difference. 

DURING (I didn't actually take a picture of the before... so you'll just imagine this disgusting space overflowing with stuff... it was really really bad!):

Yuck.

Here is some of the stuff I pulled out of the closet in order to clean/fix/paint it!

AFTER (much much much improved!):

All fixed up and painted... crisp and clean... yay!!

And here it is all put back together... clean and functional!

In the garden...

It's time to say goodbye to the snap peas (it was a very good year for snap peas... oh my!!) and hello to pole beans and water melons (hopefully!).  Tomatoes and potatoes are growing well... and greens and carrots seem very happy!  I do still want to plant cucumber and some more herbs and flowers... maybe once school is out.  Life is busy right now, but I do love the way it all slows down for me as soon as I step into the garden.  Deep breaths...

Weekending...

Tofu kebabs, outdoor movies, bonfires, and our pretty, little garden (where we've been hanging suits and towels after our daily trip to the pool)!  Summer is definitely here.  Hurrah for summer weekends!

Pool bag makeover...

It is pool season again!  Which is exciting, but when I pulled out our old, faithful pool bag... it was in a bit of a state!  Moldy stains... such a bummer!!  It's a really nice, functional bag so I didn't want to throw it out (even when the stubborn stains remained after a few attempts at cleaning it up!).  So... I figured I'd see what I could do with some fabric markers to mask/distract!  Here is the result (I think I can live with this for one more season... we'll see how it holds up!):

Snap peas...

I finally got smart and planted way more snap peas this year!  They are cranking out some beautiful pods right now... and I'm harvesting them for snacking and lunches.  My little guy loves to sneak off into the garden to eat as many has he can... before I catch him and shoo him out again ;)  I'm hoping the weather will stay a bit on the cooler side so we can keep on enjoying them for a wee bit longer...