Happy Friendly

[happyfriendly]

Get Cooking

School is out and Z, as an only child, wakes up in the morning saying, "Who are we going to play with today? What are we going to do?"  And even if I have an answer - We're going to see Shirley.  Or, We're heading to the zoo - she'll say, "And then what?  And then?"  As if one organized activity a day is not enough.  

It is a long summer that seems to stretch ahead.  

I find bits of quiet time where they fit in.  Projects that keep her occupied and my help minimal.  And thus, Nature Soup was born.

The materials are few

Large bowl

Good stirrer

Various sized cups

One cup/carafe filled with water

One ice tray - ice cubes knocked out into bowl

If it's sunny, the weather (and the added water) will melt the ice.  Add random bits, leaves and grass.  Acorns, mud.  Especially mud.  Stir it up.  Serve it up.  Put it back in the ice cub mold and freeze again.  Repeat as needed.

[happyfriendly]

Valentine's Seed Hearts

It’s easy to get caught in the Valentine’s chocolate craze, or the cute pre-made cards of glittery fairies and princesses. Especially since my daughter would have been so jazzed by the store cards. I figure I still have a few years before I have to buy into that trend so we’re keeping things low key and handmade.

This year we made seed paper with heart shaped cookie cutters and torn up bits of pink and white construction paper - soaked overnight, then blended in the morning. After blending, add pulp plus a bit more water in a dish until it’s a nice consistency, then add the seeds (sunflower and zinnia) plus any additional embellishments.

I’ll be honest: I thought this would be a cooperative craft, but after about 5 hearts my little one was done.

Add a peat pot and instructions and voila - a useful, candy free valentine.

[happyfriendly]

Rainbow Birthday Cake

Recipe courtesy of Martha.  Cake.  Frosting.

[happyfriendly]

Oliver - you have made my day!

[happyfriendly]

DIY Gift Bags

I have a tendency to get psychotic over things I should most likely not.  Juice, for example, or the cost of stickers.  In this case, it's gift bags.  Sure I could rock on over to my local Dollorama, but they still want $1 for 2 bags and I'm all, I have paper at home, what is this paying for such nonsense?

These are so ridiculously easy to make you'll wonder why you ever bought them in the first place.

So, get yourself organized.  You'll need:

Double sided tape

Regular Tape

Paper (17 x 20 in)

This size paper will make a bag that measures roughly 7in x 13.5 in.

Fold bottom edge up 2 in.

Fold right side in 10 in.

Fold left side over 11 in to crease, then unfold and affix double sided tape to the whole length of left edge.

Fold to right side on pre-made crease.

Make boxed corners.  Push bottom open and crease each corner into a triangle shape.

Make bottom.  Fold front and back edges up to meet in middle. Make sure they meet or you will have a hole in the bottom of your bag.  Tape over this meeting point with regular tape.

Want side pleats?  Fold side in 1 inch in both directions creating each side of the pleat. 

Voila!  Open your bag, play with the creases to open the sides and be amazed with your handiwork.

[happyfriendly]

It's a Party!

I've been all over Pinterest looking up rainbow party favors, rainbow invitations, rainbow games and rainbow crafts.  It has been rainbow crazy!  There are very few free printable rainbow invitatons, and the ones that are free are a bit hideous monkey.  I stumbled upon this one by Minimoz and thought it looked like something I could handle.

Here's what you need

Paper Cutter

Ribbon in 7 Colors (1/4 in width)

Mounting Squares or dots

Colored Paper (for Envelopes)

Glitter Cardstock (12 x12)

One 12x12 square of cardstock will make 4 cards.

Cut the glittered cardstock to 4.5x6 in.

Cut the ribbon into 1.5in lengths and attach with mounting squares to sides of cardstock. 

Attach printed invitation to center.

  Make envelopes - mine measure 4.5x6.5in.

Whack on some stickers, and done!

[happyfriendly]

After finding this crocheted headband pattern on Pinterest, my hands have been aflutter.  These things can be worked up in just one episode of Real Housewives, making my reality TV viewing now seem remotely productive.  Score!

[happyfriendly]

Explorer's Kit

Measuring Tape

Hammer

Yarn

Crayons

Paper

Critters (for hiding and seeking)

Bag (for collecting)

Nature + Imagination

Yarn wrapped tree branches

Crayon rubbings turned flowers

Stone, stem, and bark measuring

[happyfriendly]

Seriously, my motto this year of actually getting things done.

[happyfriendly]

  I read more than I do anything else which depending, can be good or bad.  Sometimes things don't get done, laundry piles up, we have leftovers for dinner, I'll stay up until 1 am just to know how the story ends.  I am not often without a book, which lends itself to why I can't stand hardcovers, they are hard to fit in a purse.

  Dissapointingly, I find the more I read the less I like.  I can't stand a dry story, characters who lose their speed, authors who become overly flowery with their words.  I want something great, not just good.  I joined GoodReads late last year as a way to track books and find recommendations and am surprised now to see that for 2012, I have read my way through 136 books, that's 40,154 pages.  It sounds like enough words to feed an army.

  The 10 books pictured are the ones that for various reasons have stuck with me, their stories having lasted far beyond their final pages.  Though there are other notables, especially Herve Tullet for Press Here, one of the best children's book I've ever read.  Or cookbooks that have more than served their use like The Just Bento Cookbook and Salad as a Meal.  Or books that have inspired, like Imagine Childhood.

  I trust that the year ahead will find me reading even more - will I make it to 150 books in a year?  That seems excessive, but I'm looking forward to it.

[happyfriendly]

A day like this.

[happyfriendly]

Birthday Present for Z's friend:

*Felt envelope

*Macaroni Necklace

*Painted B-Day card

[happyfriendly]

Downtown Calgary + Devonian Gardens

[happyfriendly]

Carded

"Can I see some ID?"

I was rifling through my wallet, looking for my Airmiles card as I now only buy wine that is both cheap and gives me points. 

"Really," I said.  "Really?!"

What I thought was, "Have you actually looked at me?"

The ID was to prove that I was over 18, the legal age here.  I am 30, with a whole lot of premature grey, and was dressed in a quite mumsy silk shift.

An older man behind me chimed in, "Now that hasn't happend to me in years."  And he added a hearty guffaw, because he had both the age and gumption to do so and pull it off.

"It hasn't happened to me for years either," I replied.  Thinking that other than the restaurant mandated ID checks (when my parents had been carded as well for a few margaritas) it really had been years, so long I couldn't even remember.

"I guess you have just made my day," I said to the clerk, and walked out, cheap wine in hand.

[happyfriendly]

Our first snowman this winter!

[happyfriendly]

Santa Claus Parade, Winnipeg

-though we left before seeing Santa-

-frozen toes-

[happyfriendly]

"I change my hair like I change my undewear."

audience member, Jeff Probst show

*this made me laugh out loud